Saturday, March 29, 2014

Sausage stir-fry!

We had some sausages we were saving for the grill, but it has rained all day. Not a nice, springy rain, more of a cold, drizzling rain. Yuck. So since it still feels like winter in our house, I thought a sausage stir-fry would be appropriate!

This is really simple, full of delicious vegetables and a touch of sausage. I used a brand of sausage that was flavored with apple and Gouda cheese, yum!

Start with sliced red peppers, onions, mushrooms, and yellow zucchini squash in a pan with olive oil on medium heat. Season with salt and pepper and cook until soft.

Meanwhile, prepare 1.5 cups brown rice.

Slice your sausage however you like! You can keep it in big pieces or cut it into little chunks. Add the rice and sausage to the veggies, season with a little more pepper and smoked Tabasco sauce. Let this all cook together for about 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Operation "fat baby"

We had baby's 9 month appointment this week and she was on the low end for weight. I'm not especially concerned about this because everything else is measuring normal and we have some petit genes in our family, however, I would like to see a little more pudge on this little girl!

My pediatrician suggested adding more meat to her diet, along with full fat yogurt and butter. This is tricky because everyone keeps telling us, "give her the food you eat!" As you know, Mr. PT and I just don't eat a whole lot of meat, and butter is usually reserved for bread!

But, I'm on a mission now, so here we go!

I boiled some chicken breasts in water then threw them in my food processor. I put about a 1/3 of the chicken in my fridge to use for the week and the rest went into the freezer. Done!

Then I browned off some 86% lean ground beef and did the same. Done!

So for lunch this week, baby enjoyed some baked squash mixed with chicken and a small pad of butter. I rolled it into child-friendly balls so she could feed herself.

Did she eat these? Yes!

So I followed this regimen for two days:
Breakfast: fresh fruit, oatmeal, full fat yogurt, flax (all purée)
Lunch: vegetable with chicken and butter
Snack: puff cereal and avocado in chunks
Dinner: vegetable with beef and butter

At dinner on day 2, baby revolted. Too much for her little tummy! So now I am supplementing yogurt at breakfast and lunch, saving the meat for dinner only.

She seems to be adjusting well to this! Babies are like us adults...the numbers change as we age so we have to constantly tweak and change our healthy habits!


Monday, March 17, 2014

Poached eggs

How do cows produce milk by only eating grass?

I'm still nursing baby and there are days when I just NEED protein! This dish I recently saw in Everyday Food (thanks, Martha) looked like a fantastic meal with one of my favorite sources of protein...eggs!

Confession: Before tonight, I had never poached an egg. The whole process kind of weirded me out. But they made it sound super simple in this recipe so I figured I would give it a shot. As you can see below, it turned out beautifully!

You will need:
-1 tbs olive oil
-3-4 bunches leaf spinach
-3/4 cup fresh cilantro
-2 eggs
-2 cups cooked quinoa, warmed
-salt/pepper to taste

In a straight-sided skillet, heat 2 inches of water over medium to a gentle simmer.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium high. Add spinach and toss until slightly wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook one minute. Add 1/2 cup cilantro. Transfer to a colander and press excess liquid from greens.

Crack 1 egg into a cup and gently tip into the simmering water. Repeat with remaining egg. Cook until whites are set and yolks are runny (2-3 minutes). With a slotted spoon, scoop the egg up and place on a plate with paper towels. Divide quinoa, spinach and eggs into 2 bowls, season with salt/pepper, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle the remaining cilantro. Enjoy!

Monday, March 10, 2014

"Instant" soup

Ok, you might read this post and laugh today. You might say, "the family who makes beet salad from a CSA box is eating Ramen chicken soup? Really?!

Really! Mr. PT has this thing about eating soup after we spend a day traveling in the car. And I can agree with this sentiment...after sitting in a car for 5 hours, you're hungry but your tummy is kind of queasy from all the motion. Chicken noodle soup always hits the spot. I usually pop open a can of Campbell's, but recently I have been stocking up on Ramen. It's just so ridiculously inexpensive (for good reason) and I love the long, curly noodles.

Of course, as you can guess, this is not the most healthy option when it comes to soup. So what can you do?

Well, you can first boil some kale leaves, chopped carrots, chopped celery, and chopped zucchini. Add the Ramen seasoning packet and boil until the veggies are soft. Add the noodles, cook 2-3 minutes and voila! Healthy chicken noodle soup!

Ok, healthy is a stretch, but it's definitely healthier!!

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

A break from chicken

Mr. PT and I have been eating homemade chicken noodle soup the past few days, which is delicious, but we need a break.

Mex always sounds good, so I did what I do best: threw some vegetables into a pan and turned them into enchiladas!

You will need:
-1 red pepper, sliced
-1 green pepper, sliced
-1 onion, sliced
-1/2 zucchini, peeled, quartered and sliced
-1 cup frozen corn
-olive oil
-1 package fajita seasoning, or your favorite Mex spices
-8-10 corn tortillas
-1 can enchilada sauce
-1/2 bag shredded Colby jack cheese

Soften your veggies in olive oil on medium heat. Throw in fajita seasoning and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Prepare a baking dish by putting about 2 tbs of enchilada sauce in the bottom. Warm 2 tortillas at a time in the microwave on high for 20 seconds. This prevents them from falling apart when you roll them. Put about 2 tbs of pepper mixture into the corn tortilla, roll it up, and carefully set it in the pan folded side down. Keep rolling until you use all the filling! It's okay to stack them. Sprinkle the top with cheese, pour on the rest of the enchilada sauce, cover with foil and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 more.

They looked delicious when I pulled them out of the oven, however, they turned to mush when I started serving. Corn tortillas are healthier but they don't quite stay together as well as flour tortillas. Oh well...enchilada casserole!!

Baby ate fresh avocado mixed with oatmeal cereal and cream cheese!