Beefy Shells and Cheese

     My posts have become fewer and farther between as the blog goes on. I have found that I have posted all of my regularly used recipes, and I only get to post those new adventures that I try...which is not very many during this time of year. We have been so busy with summer things, and I have recently starting babysitting a three month old a few nights a week. With a 17 month old and a three month old, I don't get much time to experiment...I'm lucky if we get a meat and a side or two.
     I've been reading The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook as my nighttime reading after Miss E goes to bed, and I have found some fantastic inexpensive recipes that I want to try. I wish I had bought it instead of borrowing it from the library. She does have a website that I haven't check out yet.
     This recipe is one that I have actually made before. It's one of those that tastes really great and every time I make it I think, "This should be a regular dish", but then life goes on and I come across it again every couple of months. I really do like it, and though it starts with a box of processed shells and cheese, the added black beans and carrots make it healthier. I've been sneaking in a lot more veggies lately since Miss E has decided to be more picky about eating them.

1 lb ground turkey (or beef)
1 pkg (12 oz) shells and cheese dinner mix
2 c water
1-1/4 c salsa
1 can (15oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 carrot, shredded
1-2 tsp chili powder (to taste)
1/8 tsp salt

• Brown meat. Drain. 
• Add shells and water to skillet with meat. Bring to boil, cover and simmer 10-12 minutes until pasta is tender. Drain water.
• Stir in salsa, beans, carrots, chili powder, salt and contents of cheese sauce packet. 
• Remove from heat, and let stand for 5 minutes.

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Cinnamon Buns with a Secret

The only sign of veggies...a little un-pureed carrot-OOPS!

    I love cinnamon rolls! I love the whole thing, but the center of a cinnamon roll is the very best part. My very favorite recipe, and I think all my friends would agree, is this pumpkin cinnamon roll masterpiece. Yes, masterpiece. But, this posting is not about those cinnamon rolls...or these really good cinnamon rolls either.
     I always feel so guilty when I make cinnamon rolls...especially if they are to be eaten for breakfast. Though delicious, they are not the most healthy meal or snack. Many of you know that I often add vegetables to things so that my family will eat them without knowing. Part of the inspiration for that came from Jessica Seinfeld's book Deceptively Delicious. Recently, she came out with a new book call Doubly Delicious and this cinnamon roll recipe was in it...Yes this is a posting for cinnamon rolls with vegetables! Don't stop reading. I promise your family will not notice, and the best part is you I don't have to feel guilty about making cinnamon rolls for breakfast!
     If you don't have time to do all this before breakfast...make the dough the night before and let it rise overnight in the fridge. Then just bake in the morning.

1-1/2 cups lukewarm milk
1/4 cup 100% orange juice
2(1/4oz) pkts yeast
1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 cups flour (Take away 2 Tbl/cup whole wheat substituted)
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or 1-1/3 cup ww flour + 1/2cup ww flour +4tsp cornstarch)
1/4 cup dry milk powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup carrot puree (You can see above I didn't get mine all the way pureed! Boil carrots/puree)
1 large egg
3 Tbl soft tub margarine spread
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbl cinnamon

1/4 cup cauliflower puree
9 Tbl powdered sugar
1 Tbl  vanilla
1 Tbl 100% orange juice
water

• Place milk in small glas bowl and microwave 40 seconds until lukewarm. Stir in orange juice, yeast, and sugar. Set aside in a warm place  until foamy..about 10 minutes.
• Combine flours, milk powder, and salt on low speed. Add yeast mixture, carrot puree, and egg. Increase speed to medium and knead for 5 minutes.
• Add margarine and run mixer one more minute. The dough is pretty sticky! Cover the bowl with plastic wrap adn let the dough rise until doubled..about an hour.

• Place dough on rolling mat with floured hands.
• Coat a large baking sheet (I used a jelly roll pan) with cooking spray. 
• Flatten the dough with your fingers, patting the edges making sure it is even. You should end up with a huge rectangle. Sprinkle the dough with the brown sugar and cinnamon and then flatten it out a bit more if you couldn't get it thin enough the first time. It's a bit easier once the cinnamon and brown sugar has been added since it's not as sticky.
• Roll the longest edge of the dough away from you to form a log. Cut the dough into 1-inch rounds and flip them swirl-side down onto the prepared baking sheet. 
• Preheat oven to 350*. The dough will rise a little as the oven is preheating.
• Meanwhile, make the glaze. Whisk all the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl and set aside. If needed add water a drop at a time to make a nice texture. If you get it too runny, add more powdered sugar to even it out again.
• Bake the buns until they are cooked through...about 18 minutes. Remove and add glaze.

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Jerk Chicken on Foccacia

I mentioned in a previous post my love for Ramsi's Jamaican chicken sandwich. Inspired by a recent post with a recipe for homemade foccacia, I decided to try to make the sandwich at home....and it saves a two hour trip to Louisville to eat at my very favorite restaurant!
The result??

Well, it wasn't quite the same, but when you make things at home they never are right? It was really good though and had the hints of flavor that reminded me of the real deal (without the spiciness that makes your nose run). I didn't leave the dinner table wishing I had just driven to Ramsi's...so I would definitely make this again when I'm longing for the "Jerk."
Following my penny-pinching budget, I made everything at home...including the Jerk seasoning and foccacia. Total cost: about $2.50 (for 4 servings...plus extra bread which my daughter loved)

foccacia
3 c flour (or bread flour)
1 Tbl dried rosemary
1 Tbl sugar
1 tsp salt
2-1/4 tsp yeast
3 Tbl olive oil
1 c warm water
2 Tbl olive oil
1/4 c Parmesan cheese

• Mix 1 cup flour with rosemary, sugar, salt, and yeast. Add 3 T olive oil and water. Beat 3 minutes. Stir in remaining flour till dough forms and leaves sides. Knead 5-8 minutes till smooth and springy.  Place ingredients in a greased bowl and rise 30 minutes or until doubled.
• Grease 2 cookie sheets with oil. Deflate dough and shape into two 10 inch circles. Cover with plastic wrap  and rise 30 minutes or until doubled. 
• Preheat oven to 400*. Make finger dents about 2 inches apart in bread. Brush with 2 Tbl oil and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden. While baking...make the chicken.

Jerk Seasoning (makes 1/3 c)
2 Tbl onion powder
1 Tbl sugar
1 Tbl salt
1 Tbl garlic powder
1 Tbl thyme
1-1/2 tsp all spice
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp red pepper, ground (more or less as desired)

1-lb chicken, cut into bite size pieces

• Heat oil to medium. While warming place chicken in bag and cover with about 2 Tbl Jerk seasoning. Shake to coat. 
• Place chicken in skillet and cook. I sprinkled some extra seasoning on during cooking.
• When bread is done, cut each circle into 6 triangles. Place one triangle on each plate, top with chicken and another triangle to make each sandwich.

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Finally, Mashed Potatoes

     I don't know about you, but I can never make mashed potatoes! They are either too lumpy or too runny. No flavor or too much salt. I just can't seem to get it right.
     Finally, a couple of weeks ago I found a recipe that works for us. Of course, I changed it a little...and we love it! They are just the right amount of seasonings and texture.
     I found the recipe in a PTO fundraiser cookbook from the school where my Mamaw used to work. I love that cookbook!
Estimated cost: potatoes $0.50, milk $0.07 $0.57

 4 potatoes, 
1/2 cup milk, 
1-1/2 tsp salt, 
1/4 cup butter, 
1/4 tsp pepper
....and my own addition: chopped chives from our garden

• Peel and quarter potatoes
• Cook in boiling water, covered, for about 15 minutes or until tender. Drain
• Mash with potato masher or mixer. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. 
• Serve hot.

Meatfree Monday #5, Tomato Basil Alfredo Pizza

Yup! She's kissing a fish!

     I hope you all had a fantastic 4th of July. We were out of town visiting family, so I wasn't able to get my Meatfree Monday post in. We had such a good time, and Miss E got to see fireworks for the first time. She also had her first wienie roast, smores, and went fishing for the first time. She had so much fun!
     The holiday is over now, so we are getting back into the swing of things. This weeks meatfree recipe, was so easy. My husband actually made it which tells you how easy it is...those of you who know him understand. I left directions and came home to dinner...I should do that more often.
     He went out to the garden, and picked some fresh basil. The tomatoes aren't ripe, so we used store bought. We had alfredo sauce and pizza dough in the freezer. I didn't leave very detailed directions, but he did follow exactly what I put. I might have arranged things a little differently, but I'm a little more particular with symmetry and appearance than he is. To each his own.

The point is that it came out delicious and was so easy and cheap to make. It was supposed to be a near copy to our favorite pizza (The Bazbeaux Special), and it was pretty good. We used fresh tomatoes instead of sun-dried.

1 pizza dough
alfredo sauce
fresh basil
sliced tomatoes
mozzarella cheese

• Place dough on pizza stone. Our recipe requires that you cook it for about 5 minutes before adding toppings, but if you are using your own dough follow those directions.
• Spread alfredo sauce on top of dough.
• Sprinkle shredded cheese or fresh mozzarella over the sauce. Top with basil and sliced tomatoes.
• Bake until golden.

Meatfree features of the week...
a small collection of my favorite meat free recipes that I come across as I search the web each week. All the recipes that I post from various blogs will be stumbled to bring a little extra love to their posts...and if you happen to be one of my featured recipes you can grab my "I was featured on Meat Free Monday" button for your post.

Heirloom Tomato Sandwich from Gina's Skinny Recipes

No Fuss Foccacia from Sweet As Sugar Cookies

Southwestern Pasta Salad by Debbi Does Dinner

Southwestern Bruschetta by Cooking Creation