Meats & Fish

Casserole! That word is rarely spoken in our house because my husband hates them! And generally I don’t love them because they are always made with condensed soup-ick!!!!  But, I do love the ease of making casseroles and the clean up after dinner. So, I have come up with a casserole that everyone will eat.  It uses winter vegetables and a sauce that is very easy that makes this recipe creamy and rich. I call it Winter Chicken and Rice Casserole-original, right?, lol!

Another thing I like about the recipe is that once it is in the oven you can clean up the kitchen and then after dinner all you have to do is put the plates and cups in the dishwasher and you are done!  There really is nothing worse than eating a delicious dinner only to have a kitchen to clean up after. So this makes a perfect weeknight dinner!

A couple tricks to make this even easier- pre-cut brussels sprouts, pre-sliced mushrooms, pre-cooked wild rice, pre-cut sweet potatoes.  The grocery store has so many short cuts […]

Its December and that means a packed schedule of parties, happy hours, brunches, school performances….and lots of yummy high calorie treats, dinners and cocktails. Just go ahead and book your trainer now for January-it takes away a bit of the guilt.  But, if your house is like mine the kids still want to eat even if I have a party to go to and I have to feed them something other and Chic Fil A and Canes-right?  And there are times throughout the holiday season that I just want a quiet dinner at home which means I have to make something as good as Chic Fil A and Canes.  This recipe for Chicken Paillard with Pears and Arugula is DELICIOUS! It is so easy, quick and light and your kids will eat it because it is tangy and salty and sweet.  I adapted this recipe from Tyler Florence- a chef I LOVE.  His recipes are always easy and just “normal”. Nothing fancy, but always tastes fancy.

Paillard just means pounded […]

Ok, Ok, Ok I know I have said I am not a huge fan of slow cookers and instant pots and for the most part I am not, but I have been playing around with the Instant Pot and have come up with a few recipe that are really delicious.  This recipe for Korean Beef is so fast and is so good! It took me about 40 minutes from start to finish with only 10 of those minutes being hands on. So you can get these ingredients into the pot and then go do a few other things or just sit your butt down and have a glass of wine.

My family loves this dish and have asked for several times since I first served it.  I have a few people in the family that don’t love spicy food so I kept the spice down and just served Sriracha on the side for my son who likes is SPICY! I serve this over Jasmine rice, but you can serve over lo Mein noodles or rice noodles or brown […]

Keeping with the theme that life is crazy ass busy right now I have put together another one-pot dinner.  Its the Unstuffed Bell Pepper and it is so good! It is even easier if you use all the amazing short cuts the grocery store offers now. Items like pre-cooked rice, pre-chopped garlic and pre-chopped parsley make this recipe even easier. You can whip this up in about 30 minutes from start to finish and your family will love it! It tastes just like the traditional stuffed and baked bell peppers without having to bake them for 45 minutes.

Casserole! That is either a comforting word or a word that brings up memories of church suppers with dishes all made with cream of mushroom soup. I am not opposed to canned items like tomatoes, chilies, beans… but I avoid at all costs the cream of ______ soup cans.  They are just gross to me, but I do love a lot of the dishes that are made with those cans of cream of ______ soup. So, I decided to come up with a recipe for a classic Chicken and Rice Casserole that does not use those icky soups.

This recipe is one of those that you can make in advance and either keep it in the fridge for 2-3 days until you are ready to bake it or you can keep it in the freezer for up to a month.  If you do decide to freeze it I suggest lining the dish with foil then transferring the uncooked mixture (this recipe uses cooked chicken so it safe to freeze) to the foil lined casserole dish then freezing the […]

Beef Taco Skillet Dinner is one of those recipes to keep in your back pocket for one of those days when the shit has hit the fan but the people in your house still need to eat! It is easy, comforting, hearty and delicious.  My in-home taste tester scarfed the whole plate down. This is rare-he hates everything so if the 13 year old likes it you know its good!

You can make this entire dinner in one skillet which makes clean up a breeze and is an added bonus for those nights when you are too tired to clean 5 pans. This recipe is also one that you most likely have all the ingredients in your panty or fridge.  So go rummage or stock up when you are at the grocery and you will be able to pull this together in 20 minutes!

Also, a quick nag for all you crazy busy families-take 10 minutes on Sunday night to make a rough weekly meal plan.  I  have the template on the right side of the blog. Just print […]

Since beef is now the devil’s food I have been trying to cook less red meat and more chicken, fish, salads and even vegetarian, gasp!  But, chicken can be very bland and way over served so how to we make it delicious and craveable? That’s right, put a crap ton of cheese on it with a savory rich sauce! This Chicken Lombardy is not in anyway a “healthy” recipe, but it is so good and sometimes we just need a decadent dinner to reward our selves for making it though traffic, carpools, tantrums, homework, teenagers… and this dish avoids the devil’s food, BEEF.  We will serve that tomorrow night 🙂

Chicken Lombardy is a classic recipe that has been around forever.  It is easy to pull together but looks very fancy. Basically this is using the same technique that I use in a lot of my recipes which is to sear the meat, create a sauce with pan drippings and bake in oven.  When I teach my cooking classes I try to pass along TECHNIQUES because all that […]

It’s that time of year again-the start of school! I really cannot believe that its already September. I do have to say I love this time of year though with the newness of everything. The new teachers (read- trying to figure out how to login to their cute websites with ridiculous passwords and dealing with hours of homework) the new teams and coaches (read- the endless streams of tears because your kid didn’t make the “A” team or the coach is an insensitive jerk and makes 12 year olds run 6 miles), the new fall wardrobe (read- I cannot fit into anything because I was in vacation mode for 3 months and ate anything I wanted) or the new dinnertime routine (read-WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO MAKE FOR DINNER) Just kidding!!!  Kinda… but really I do love the Fall.  The weather finally starts to cool down and the trees begin to turn colors and the yummy fall comfort dishes are on the table!

So… you ask, WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO MAKE FOR DINNER?? […]

I realize that Cinco de Mayo was last week, but here in Texas we eat Mexican food every week! It is just a staple in almost every household.  Whether it is tacos, tortilla soup, enchiladas, fajitas, nachos…. I promise every Texas family is eating something Tex-Mex related every week. And don’t forget the margaritas-those are a Friday night must have with a bowl of chips and hot sauce (yes that is what we call salsa)! But, during the week I try to shake it up a bit and this recipe for Mexican Casserole is a winner and requested often.  Even though my husband HATES casseroles he likes this one-go figure! It has all the traditional Tex-Mex flavors but is super easy to pull together and gets you out of the taco rut I know you are in.

I make this with ground beef, but you can leave it out and make it vegetarian or you can substitute grilled or shredded chicken or even ground turkey. This recipe is just a guideline.  Make it your own. Serve it hot […]

If you are like me when April rolls around I am out of ideas for dinner and out of energy. I mean 6th grade math is a killer and I am so ready to get to summer!  But like I told my freshman the other day, you have to finish strong or it doesn’t count so here goes to the finish line!!!!! I have my cheerleader pom poms ready and we are going to make it through to the finish line!  So here is a no brainer, quick, family friendly dinner-Shredded Tacos! They have become one of my go-to dinners to make during the week when I am really out of time and energy-like after studying for a math test or finishing one of those ridiculous “science” projects (note to teachers-boys HATE those projects and Mom ends up doing them so please limit them to 1 a year, please). Anyway, this is quick and I always have all the ingredients in my fridge and pantry. AND….I can make it and leave it on the stove over low […]

Oh my Lord I think Spring is here-finally! The weather is warming up and the sun is shining and my kids want OUT of school! We are to the point that we are marking off the days until summer and we are between 27 and 31 days depending on which of the three schools my kids are in.  And I can tell you the boy with 31 days and finals is not happy.  Since there are so few days left of school that means we don’t have that many days left of family dinners. And that makes me so sad.  I truly love and look forward to family dinners during the school year.  The summers just get crazy and everyone is going in a million directions and it is really hard to make a teenager sit down and eat with the family when Whataburger is calling. So I am cherishing every dinner we have left and making really good food to entice them such as Pan Seared Lamb Loin Chops with Garlic Mushroom Sauce.

This lamb recipe is […]

It’s Spring, I think-some days we have sun and other days we have rain and ice.  I am hoping since it is mid-March we are headed towards beautiful spring days.  When Spring arrives everyone starts to think of fresh vegetables, fruits, salads, fish and generally eating lighter.  I have said this before, but my family does not love fish.  They don’t hate it, but they don’t love it. So I have to work hard to find fish dishes that are tasty and easy.  Cod, Halibut, Sea Bass and Tuna are all great choices for fish that is not too fishy.  They are flaky white fish that cook easily and can be thrown in the oven for even easier preparation. Cod with Sweet Potato and Leek Hash sounds very fancy but it is really pretty easy and your family will love it.

I don’t know about you, but I think cooking fish seems a bit daunting and I am not sure why, but its scary!  I am afraid that I am going […]

On the nights that I am not cooking or the nights that my husband and I go out and the kids are on their own they always ask for either pizza or Asian food.  I think that they are drawn to the salty element of both of those foods.  But every time I order pizza or Asian take out I feel guilty and bloated, because of course I have to taste their food and the salt content is off the charts.

We do not eat a lot of fish in my house for 2 reasons, 1-my kids don’t like it and 2- I don’t like it 🙂  I don’t typically like the taste of most fish (there are exceptions), but what I hate most about eating fish is that you are hungry 30 minutes after you finish eating.  It never fails when I order fish or make fish I eat the entire plate, but by the time I get home or finish cleaning up the kitchen I am starving again and then I just say screw its and eat a tray of brownies.  Now how is that helping me loose weight?  See, I really do blame fish for making me gain weight, yep, that is the problem! So, I just don’t cook it very often:)

It’s MONDAY!  Yay! Not really, but it is what it is. Let’s go!!

Well…its the middle of September and I’m not sure if it is fall, summer, spring or the second coming.  The weather has been insane for the entire country for the last few weeks.  I am waiting for locusts to start falling from the sky soon! 

And so it begins-the endless search for meals that little people will eat. It is always a challenge to make everyone happy without going out to dinner every night.  My kids actually hate going out to eat and I get tired of the same 5 restaurants to choose from so I cook most nights, but it is hard to stay creative. Don’t get me wrong, there are many nights where I just give up and order from door dash or we run out and a grab a quick unhealthy meal. But, if I can get it together and write out a weekly meal plan it makes it so much easier to just whip up something in my kitchen because I have all the ingredients waiting for me. 

Well, it has begun-the insane kid schedule.  School has only started for one of my kids, but already I am being pulled in a million directions. And everything starts and ends at the same time so it makes it impossible to be in every place. Between football practice, lacrosse practice, orthodontist appointments, air conditioning repair men, Latin tutor, buying school supplies, buying ANOTHER mouthguard and packing my older son for school I’m already losing my mind and the school year hasn’t even started.  

Ok, I have to admit that my family does not like meatloaf!  I do not know what is wrong with them.  If I could I would eat meatloaf every night of the week, along side any pasta of any kind:) So…what is a girl to do when the fam does not want to eat what I want to make?  Make it anyway, dammit!  I’m cooking and they aren’t so every now and then they just have to eat what I want for dinner! And, honestly once they sit down and do the obligatory moan and groan about the meal they eat it and they do actually kinda like it.  Now, this recipe was pushing it, but my husband and I loved it and my kids had no idea the “mashed potatoes” were mashed cauliflower. So, I my book the meal was a success. 

Chicken!!! It is the most boring thing on the planet to eat, UNLESS you have ever had really good roasted chicken and then it is divine, but, it is so hard to create restaurant quality chicken. There are a few tricks to making really good, juicy chicken. 

Easter is over and it’s the end of the school year and frankly I am DONE!  I know I will be saying the same thing come August when I am ready for my kids to go back to school and get the hell out of my house, but right now I am so over homework, bedtimes, practices, games….dinner!  Yes, I am over dinner right now.  I love to cook, but it’s hard to come up with something to make for dinner every night.  Sometimes I wish my kids were like plants and I only had to feed them every few days:) But, my kids like to eat EVERY day! 

The word “crispy” sells more food at restaurants and stores than any other adjective.  We love crispy food! People tend to like crispy food because crispy/crunchy foods are noisy to eat.  It is the “sixth sense” of eating.  We associate crunch, or noise, with freshness and quality, therefore we are drawn to foods that are crispy or that have crispy in the title. We have, in recent years, trained ourselves to stay away from “fried”, but we still order “crispy” even though it is the same concept of preparation.  

It’s Spring!  YAY!  The weather is warmer, the sun is shining and the bugs are out:). Yes, I got my first mosquito bite of the year on Saturday night.  Very sad, but it didn’t stop me from grilling out and enjoying the evening.  

There is something about sweet and salty that everyone loves.  I think that is why my kids LOVE to go to Benihana. They are drawn to the salty fried rice and the teriyaki chicken and frankly so am I. So how do you recreate that taste at home without all the salt and calories? You make your own teriyaki sauce! I know that sounds very chefy, but it’s very easy and a whole lot less sodium. You can use this sauce to marinate chicken, shrimp, vegetables…. I use it to marinate salmon which has a very strong flavor and can hold up to the teriyaki.  

The spring semester is in full swing and that means that our schedule is crazy!  During the weekdays starting at 3pm I am in the car until about 9pm.  And on the weekends we have games or practices or some event that we have to drive our kids to the ends of the earth to attend. I know I am not alone and if you are in my shoes then you know how hard it is to drive and cook. So, if I can find a way to put dinner in the oven in the morning or afternoon and have it ready at dinner time then I am one happy mom. 

This recipe for Oven Baked Ribs is a favorite of my family and I can make this way ahead of time if I need to.  I used St. Louis Style ribs this time, but you can use Baby Back Ribs as well.

A little trivia about the difference between St. Louis and Baby Back…. St. Louis ribs are the meatier cut of ribs that are taken from closer to the breastbone.  Baby Back […]

The winter blues have definitely set in! Or maybe its the spring blues or fall blues?  The weather can’t seem to decide what season it is so I am going to quit trying to cook for the season.  I am just going to cook what the little people will eat.  And, surprisingly, two out of my three boys will eat salmon-the third will just have to forage for himself:) Just kidding l feed him also.  I normally just bake a chicken breast for the kid that HATES fish.  I wish he would eat it, because it is so good for you and it balances out all the cheese-its, ice cream and Girl Scout Cookies, but I am going to pick my battles!