Thanksgiving Shepherd's Pie

I hope everyone had a great Halloween, because around here, it barely existed!  Bella's school finally had their Halloween parade 2 days ago.  Trick or treating was postponed over a week, then turned out to be a big dud.  A whole lot of anti-climactic excitement, thanks to that bitch named Sandy :(

I guess there isn't much you can do about it except move forward...so, let's focus on Thanksgiving!

I actually made this a few weeks ago, before Sandy trampled through our area, when I was feeling the Turkey Day spirit.  This is a perfect leftovers dish (you can easily sub turkey breast for ground turkey), or something to make when you're looking for a healthier version of the real thing.

Thanksgiving Shepherd's Pie

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup milk (add slowly incase it isn't all needed)
salt and pepper

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound ground turkey
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 can corn, drained
1 1/2 cups string beans, slightly steamed (best if still a bit crunchy)

Boil potatoes until soft.  Drain and put back in pot.  Add butter, milk, salt and pepper, and mash until smooth.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Heat oil in a large skillet, then add onion and garlic.  Season with a little salt and pepper.  Add turkey, thyme and garlic powder, and cook until no longer pink.  Add corn and string beans.  Stir together and cook a few more minutes.  Remove from heat.

Put turkey mixture in a 9 inch deep dish pie pan.  Top with mashed sweet potatoes.  Cook for about 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving.

Oven Baked Pork Stew

I often speak of my love for Le Creuset here.  There's no hiding it...the pieces I have make life so much easier. I love dishes that go from stovetop to oven to table.  One pot to wash - I'll take it!

My other love is one pot meals.  You can't go wrong with throwing everything together and having a complete meal.  Awesomeness.

Long story short - this was a winner.

Oven Baked Pork Stew
adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

1 1/2 pounds pork meat (I used pork tenderloin), cut into cubes
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 cups beef broth
2 cups frozen pearl onions
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 cup AP flour
5 sweet potatoes, cut into half rounds
1 cup frozen green beans

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a dutch oven, brown meat in hot oil.  Stir in broth, oregano, marjoram, lemon pepper and garlic powder.  Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.  Cover tightly and bake for 45 minutes.

Combine water and flour.  Remove stew from oven and stir mixture into it.  Add potatoes and green beans.  Cover and bake for around 60-75 minutes, or until meat and vegetables are tender and liquid has thickened.

Serves 6.

Linked to: Tastetastic Thursday

Takeout? Nope.

We're still on the hunt for a good Chinese takeout place.  In this area, good food is usually not hard to find, but for some reason none of them are "doing it" for us lately.  They're good, but not great.  

Time to get busy in the kitchen.  

I don't have to tell you that homemade Chinese food is better for you...less greasy, you have control over ingredients, blah blah blah...and in this case, just like with a few of my other dishes, it tastes way better.

Unfortunately, we'll still have to hunt around - with me recently going back to work we need options once in a while.  Sometimes I just don't have the time to devote to cooking.  But, it's nice to know that dishes can be replicated very easily when I'm not so busy.

Grab your chopsticks and enjoy!

Orange Chicken with Green Beans
slightly adapted from Blogchef

For the chicken:
2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups AP flour
1 egg, beaten
salt and pepper (a few pinches of each)
vegetable oil, for frying

For the sauce:
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ginger root, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 pound green beans, ends trimmed, slightly undercooked
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
sesame seeds (optional)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Combine flour, salt and pepper in a bowl.  Dip chicken in egg mixture, followed by flour (shake off excess). Deep fry (or use a wok or skillet) until completely cooked.

In a large saucepan, combine water, orange juice, lemon juice, vinegar and soy sauce.  Blend well over medium heat for a few minutes.  Stir in sugar, zest, ginger and garlic.  Bring to a boil.

Combine cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and mix thoroughly.  Slowly stir cornstarch mixture into sauce until it thickens.  Pour sauce over chicken, add green beans, and mix until everything is evenly coated.  Top with red pepper and sesame seeds if desired.  Serve with rice.

Serves 4-6.

Linked to: Tastetastic Thursday

Changing it up

The warmer weather affects my "food mood".  I want to eat lighter.  I want to try new things.  I want to get out of the winter food rut.  (what I REALLY want right now is for the true spring weather to get here already!)

Cauliflower is great.  I love the versatility of it...so many choices!  And as many of you know, I love variety.  What's your favorite way to make it?

I had planned on roasting it, but decided instead to make this salad and steer away from our basic lettuce version that we usually have.  A nice change of pace.  New food mood! :)

Caulifower & Green Bean Salad
1 pound green beans, ends trimmed
1/2 head cauliflower, broken into pieces
1/2 cup sliced radishes
1 scallion, chopped
1/2 cup kalamata olives
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix together.  Serve cold or at room temperature.

Feta makes everything betta

I'm a BIG fan of feta cheese.  I know it totally grosses some people out, and boy do I feel sorry for those people.  Come to the other side - you have no idea what you're missing!

I threw this together when I realized I had some green beans I needed to use up.  Simple, easy, delicious.  I think that description works.

These measurements are very approximate!  As I've said before, many times I don't measure when cooking, but I know I have to give you a guideline.  So, taste as you go and use the amounts you like/need.

Green Bean and Feta Salad
2 cups green beans, steamed (don't overcook - leave some crunch) and cooled
3/4 cup feta, cut into bite size chunks (or crumbled)
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1 plum tomato, cut into bite size chunks
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (red wine vinegar would be fine, too)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Combine beans, feta, onion and tomato in a bowl.  Add oil and vinegar, then seasonings, tasting along the way.  Stir and serve, or keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Crunch, crunch

I LOVE fresh, raw green beans.  Love the taste, the texture, the look of them...everything.  Definitely one of my favorite veggies.

I had some leftover toasted pecans, along with green beans that I bought for my tempura, so I came up with this quick and easy salad.  It takes just a few minutes to prepare and is perfect for any time of year...although I think it would be really nice at barbecues.  It's easy to transport, too.

Toasted Pecan & Green Bean Salad with Dijon Dressing
1 lb. green beans, washed, ends trimmed
1/2 cup pecans, toasted
Dijon Dressing:
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1/2 lemon

Put green beans and pecans in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.  Taste along the way to be sure the seasonings are to your liking.

Pour dressing on top of beans and mix together.  Serve, or keep in refrigerator until ready to eat.

Daring Cooks: Stepping Out Of My Comfort Zone

Part of the reason I started this blog two months ago was to push myself out of my comfort zone by preparing dishes I wouldn't normally even consider.  That's the main reason I joined Daring Cooks, and this month was the first challenge I was eligible to participate in.  Mission accomplished - the assignment was one that I've never attempted before...

The February 2011 Daring Cooks’ challenge was hosted by Lisa of Blueberry Girl. She challenged Daring Cooks to make Hiyashi Soba and Tempura. She has various sources for her challenge including japanesefood.about.com, pinkbites.com, and itsybitsyfoodies.com.


I couldn't believe how easy it was to prepare everything!  First was the buckwheat soba noodles and spicy dipping sauce (which is served on the side).  I topped the noodles with some sliced scallions.  There were other things that were suggested to add on top (ham, sliced scrambled egg, cucumber to name a few) but this was just fine.  The sauce was delicious (and actually not that spicy!) and gave the noodles all the taste they needed.


For more details, check out the recipes, courtesy of Globetrotter Diaries and about. com.  

And then, the tempura.  Again, I was very happy to see how easy it was to make tempura batter and will definitely be making it again soon!  I was also surprised to see how thin the batter was - I thought maybe I did something wrong - but it all worked out just fine.  


I used all vegetables - yams, mushrooms, onions, asparagus and green beans.  Next time I'll include shrimp, lobster, scallops, and other proteins.Delicious, light, and fun to make.

The recipes for the tempura can be found on Pink Bites and itsy bitsy foodies.  Lisa also influenced the tempura a bit with things she learned from her Japanese grandmother.


I had SO MUCH FUN with this challenge, and can't wait for the next one!  :)

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

This one was a biggie!  Not sure what the official total is out there, but it's definitely around 2 feet.  And the wind is out of control!  Crazy.  Even though Bella talked a lot about going out to play in the snow, she didn't last more than a few minutes...

Weather like this definitely calls for comfort food.  I busted out the crockpot and threw together an oldie but goodie.  I don't even remember where this recipe originally came from - I've been making it a long time and have done a ton of tweaking to it anyway.  The key is, cut the vegetables in big chunks so they don't get mushy and fall apart.  It still doesn't make for a pretty picture, but it tastes damn good :) and there's always plenty of leftovers.

Crockpot Pot Roast with Veggies

3-4 pound bottom round roast

salt and pepper

5 potatoes, unpeeled, cut in large chunks

5 carrots, peeled, cut in large chunks (or baby carrots)

2 onions, cut in large chunks

green beans (fresh or frozen)

1 envelope onion soup mix

1 1/2 cups water

Season the roast with salt and pepper and place in crockpot.  Add half of the potatoes, carrots and onion around the sides, then half of the soup mix, then half the water.  Toss in the rest of the vegetables (except the green beans) followed by the remaining soup mix and water.

Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours.  Add the green beans about 30 minutes before serving.