November 3-9, 2013

*The kids and I were out of town late last week and early this week, so I took a week off from the blog.  I hope this week’s recipes make up for it.  J

Sunday:  In New Mexico

Monday:  In New Mexico

Tuesday:   Coming home from New Mexico – Here’s a recipe I made the week before!  J

Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken Tenders

·          I made this several months ago, and we really enjoyed it.  She’s actually altered the recipe just a bit, and I think for the better.  This time around, I used chicken tenders instead, which I think made it even better because the yummy pretzel breading covers more of the chicken.  Yum!  The homemade honey mustard dressing really makes this recipe special.  Try it!  (http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/)

Wednesday:  Quick Fettuccini Cacciatore, Kale Salad, & Whole Grain Bread

Quick Fettuccini Cacciatore

·          I’ve had this recipe from Kraft Recipes since Chad and I were newlyweds, but I haven’t made it in forever.  It’s an easy and flavorful recipe, and even my boys ate it without too much prompting.  It makes a good leftover too!

Kale Salad

·          Wash and chop fresh kale into bite-sized pieces.  Top with chopped nuts (I used pecans) and freshly grated parmesan cheese.  Then drizzle over a little olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon juice.  Sprinkle with ground pepper and toss everything together.  If you like kale, I think you’ll really enjoy this salad.  If you don’t know much about kale, this is a great way to give it a try!  What’s also great about kale is that it holds up well to the dressing, so it can be eaten a day or two later and still have a good bite to it!

Thursday:  Balsamic Glazed Salmon with Brown Rice & Quinoa and Sautéed Spinach

Balsamic Glazed Salmon

·          Salmon has always been a bit of a tricky fish for me.  It needs to be cooked the right way, or it just seems a bit off.  We’ve had success grilling it, but I wanted to try it in the oven.  The Pioneer Woman has a simple way of baking salmon that I was really pleased with.  I placed our salmon on a foil-lined baking sheet and drizzled with olive oil.  Then I sprinkled on salt and pepper.  That’s it!  Place your salmon in a cold oven and heat to 400 degrees.  Leave it in the oven for 25 minutes, and it’s done!  I thought ours cooked perfectly.  While the salmon was in the oven, I made a simple glaze that is a recipe from my sister-in-law, Amber.  It was the perfect way to flavor the salmon!

Balsamic Glaze:

¼ cup water

¼ cup vinegar

1 ½ T fresh lemon juice

1 T plus 1 tsp. brown sugar

Stir together in bowl.  Simmer until thick and boiled down to about 1/3 cup.

Sautéed Spinach with Feta

·          In a cold skillet, place a tablespoon or two of olive oil.  Put in a few garlic cloves that have been finely chopped.  Heat these together until the garlic just starts to turn golden.  Don’t let it burn!  Once your garlic and oil are hot, put fresh, washed spinach in your pan.  Put quite a bit…the spinach will cook down to almost nothing.  There needs to be enough that it’s mounded in your pan.  If you are cooking for more than 2-3 people, do a few batches.  Toss the spinach around so it’s coated in the oil and garlic, then sprinkle on some salt and pepper.  Cover and cook for 1 minute ONLY.  After 1 minute, remove the spinach to another plate.  Cook more spinach if necessary.  Before serving, top with crumbled feta cheese.  Delish!

Friday:  Britney’s “10 Chicken,” Baked Spaghetti Squash with Garlic & Butter, & Roasted Green Beans

Britney’s “10 Chicken”

·          We visited with family last weekend, and one night I saw what my cousin Britney was making her family for dinner.  She called it “10 Chicken” because the first time she made it, her son, Maverick said, “This is so good, I could eat 10 of them!”  I told Ranger this story, so naturally he tried it and said the same thing.  Hehe…sometimes peer pressure isn’t a bad thing.  J

Chicken (we used boneless thighs)

Italian Dressing

Soy Sauce

Garlic Powder

Marinate the chicken in the dressing, soy sauce, & garlic powder in a Ziploc bag.  I think this would just taste better and better the longer you marinate it.  Britney pulled hers out from the freezer.  Chad grilled it up for us, and it was so, so good!

Baked Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Butter

·          This is our absolute favorite way to eat spaghetti squash.  It’s so easy, and of course adding garlic, butter, & parmesan cheese makes it absolutely delicious!  (www.steamykitchen.com)

Saturday:  Chicken Fried Venison, Pinto Beans, and Caesar Salad (And also a Buttermilk Chess Pie!)

Chicken Fried Venison

·          Chad shot a deer a few weeks ago, so he came home with venison that he cut up and froze into a few different cuts.  He used part of the meat for chicken fried venison tenders that he cooked outside on the grill burner.  They were yummy!!  Ranger ate a ridiculous amount.  We had some pinto beans frozen from the last time I made a batch, so those were an easy addition to the meal.  I added a simple salad, and we all ate to our heart’s content!   

Buttermilk Chess Pie

·          Since Chad was using buttermilk to prepare the venison, I used some of it for a buttermilk chess pie.  Callen has been wanting to make pie for several weeks, so we finally did!  I even made a pie crust from scratch, which I haven’t often done.  I used The Pioneer Woman’s recipe, and it was so flaky and wonderful!  After making it and seeing how easy it is, and then tasting how delish it was, I will make this pie crust again and again!  The Buttermilk Chess Pie recipe is from AllRecipes.com.  We ate it warm, about 1 hour after I pulled it from the oven.  Seriously…it was amazing!