Slow-Cooker Asian Pork Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw

Yay, I finally have a new good slow cooker recipe to share!  We tried this on Sunday, and it was a hit!  Which is saying something because my kids love "regular" tacos and are not always keen on something new in their tortilla. 

The problem with getting good flavored meat out of the slow cooker, is that you usually can't.  The strong flavors you start with dilute into blandness as moisture escapes the food and collects in the crock.  One way I see this sidestepped in recipes, is to add something bold and fresh at the end, like vinegar or fresh herbs.  Another way is what I did for this one: skim the fat, and reduce the liquid until it's flavorful again.  Yummmm!  (Too bad I couldn't eat it on my diet, but I did taste the meat, delish, and helped myself to the slaw.)

One more slow-cooker tip: I have come to avoid shredded meat recipes, because shredding the meat is so time-consuming, I hate it!  But I found a genius solution.  Throw that meat in your electric mixer bowl, and "mix" for a few seconds using the paddle attachment.  Voila, shredded meat in the blink of an eye.

Slow-Cooker Asian Pork Tacos with Red Cabbage Slaw 
Makes 4 servings

1 large navel orange
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 T low-sodium soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 T grated fresh ginger (or more)
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 (2.5 lb) pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 T olive oil
Kosher salt
Pepper
1/2 small head red cabbage
1 medium carrot
8 small flour tortillas 
Chopped peanuts, fresh cilantro, and fresh mint, optional, for garnish

1. Using a vegetable peeler, remove 4 strips of zest from the orange (reserve the orange). In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, red pepper, and orange zest.
2. Add the pork and toss to coat. Cook, covered, until the pork is tender and shreds easily, 7 to 8 hours on LOW or 4 to 5 hours on HIGH.
3. Thirty minutes before serving, make the slaw. Squeeze the juice from the orange into a large bowl (you should have about 1/2 cup). Whisk in the oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Core and thinly slice the cabbage. Cut the carrot into matchsticks. Add the vegetables to the vinaigrette and toss to combine.
4. Warm the tortillas according to package directions. Using two forks, shred the pork into large pieces (or use the mixer, see note above).  Pour the cooking liquid into a small saucepan.  Allow to settle, and skim the fat with a spoon.  Cook on medium-high until boiling; allow to boil for 5-10 minutes or until reduced by about 1/3 to 1/2, and flavorful.  Gently toss the meat with the reduced liquid.  Fill the tortillas with the pork mixture and top with the slaw.  Garnish with peanuts, mint, and/or cilantro, if desired.

Summer Fun Club 10

 I recently read Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman.  And since I'll probably never get around to writing a proper review, I'll give my two-cent version here.  I liked it.  It was a good, and fun, read - don't know when I last, if ever, actually finished a parenting book, but this was like half-memoir, part parenting, part cultural study.  I at times felt self-conscious, but never actually bad, about my own parenting, so that helped me get through.  It certainly gave me some food for thought, and I found bits of wisdom here and there that I would like to adopt and integrate into our own admittedly-American family.  In particular, back freaking off and give the kids some autonomy.  Sage, indeed!

So that's what we did for Summer Fun Club one day last week.  Ginger was on a special trip with Ed, so it was just us three girls.  In Bébé, Druckerman tells how French families seem to bake together every weekend, and how French children can bake many things on their own, particularly a Gâteau au Yaourt (Yogurt Cake.)  Hmpf.  Not to be outdone by any Frenchie dans la cuisine, and already a little ashamed that I haven't taught my girls more about baking, I decided my 7-year-old can absolutment make a cake that apparently any French 3-year-old can whip up.


I helped by laying out ingredients and equipment, and offering tips as we went, but Hazel made this cake entirely, from start to finish, by herself, with a little "help" from Poppy.

Yogurt

Eggs - she's so careful with the shells!

Sugar

Vanilla

 

Oil

 

Flour

Baking Powder

Add dry ingredients

Chocolate Chips

Licking

Clean up

See this post for the full recipe and pictures of the finished Gâteau!

Egg Salad

Hi.  Are you, like us, swimming in hard-boiled eggs and everyone's a bit sick of them?  We're using up all but two for dinner tonight, in open-faced egg salad sandwiches that will also showcase as much leftover Easter ham as possible.  This is a recipe I made once years ago, loved, then lost.  I hunted down and ordered a back issue of Everyday Food just so I could make it again.  Love it.  Enjoy.

Open-Faced Egg Salad Sandwiches

1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp white wine vinegar
8 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, minced
1/4 small red onion, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 slices Italian bread, toasted
Green leaf lettuce, for serving
8 slices cooked bacon, optional, for serving

In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard and vinegar until smooth.  Add eggs, celery, and onion; season with salt and pepper, and mix to combine.  To serve, top toasts with lettuce, bacon and egg salad.  Serves 4

Recipe from Everyday Food, March 2008

Slow-Cooker Filipino Chicken

You know I have a vested interest in good slow-cooker recipes.  Mostly for ease.  But they have to taste good, which is not a guarantee.  And I recently bought a second crockpot at UNIQUE ($9!) in order to more easily slow cook for the Dinner Swap, so I've been rearing and ready for new recipes.

My friend Heather gave this one to me and it is easy as can possibly be, with amazingly good results.  Browning the chicken is optional; I like it but it adds an extra step.  If you do it, seriously no one will ever guess you cooked them in the crock pot. Sorry I don't have a picture but they are all golden-brown, fall-off-the-bone flavorful.  The sauce ends up with a lot of fat from the chicken, but if you separate or skim it, it is delicious over the chicken and some rice.  The recipe Heather had was slightly too sour for me so I added the brown sugar, and my family, and dinner group, loved it!

Filipino Chicken Adobo (print recipe)
9 to 18 chicken drumsticks (or drumsticks and thighs)
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup cider vinegar
8 cloves garlic, minced
3 to 4 inch piece fresh ginger, sliced or diced
1 bay leaf
2/3 cup brown sugar, divided
Salt and pepper

1.  To brown the chicken, heat a few teaspoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and brown on one side in the hot pan until skin is golden and a little crisp, then turn and brown on the other side, about 4-5 minutes per side.  Remove chicken to slow-cooker bowl.  Continue browning chicken in batches. 

2.  In a large bowl combine soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and bay leaf.  You can add some ground ginger if you want.  Pour sauce over chicken in bowl.  Sprinkle 1/3 cup brown sugar over the top of chicken.  Cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours (use the lower time for less chicken, higher time for more.)

3.  When chicken is done, carefully remove it to a platter with tongs.  Some of the meat might fall off the bones (which is delicious but not as pretty)!  Cover platter with foil to keep warm.  Strain the sauce to remove ginger and garlic pieces, and skim the fat off the top or use a fat separator.  Pour the de-fatted sauce into a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Add 1/4 to 1/3 cup more brown sugar to taste, and reduce slightly.  Serve sauce with chicken and hot cooked white or brown rice.

Recipe adapted from my friend Heather Martinez

Slow-Cooker White Chicken Chili

 

Well here's the crowning post of a truly amazing Slow-Cooker Week.  Maybe I'm just saying that because it's my blog.  The truth is, for every recipe I posted this week there were two or more I rejected; so these are all really good.

But that said, this one's the best.  

Here's an explanation from Cook's Country on "why this recipe works":

Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs added deeper flavor to our Slow-Cooker White Chicken Chili than boneless breasts, especially when we browned them before they went into the cooker. We started with fresh jalapeños to give the chili the extra heat it so desperately needed. Adding pickled jalapeños at the last minute really brought the dish together.

Pureed hominy (dried corn kernels that have been soaked in lye or slaked lime to remove the hull and germ) added body and rich corn flavor to our Slow-Cooker White Chicken Chili that tasters loved. To give the chili extra body, we pureed one can of beans with some broth.

What they said.  You will LOVE this chili.  And if you've never used hominy, like I hadn't, it looks like this and is found with the canned vegetables and beans.  You do NOT want to leave it out of this recipe!

 

And while I'm being bossy, also do not fail to garnish with fresh avocado and squeezes of lime - the best!

Slow-Cooker White Chicken Chili (print recipe)
(Serves 6 to 8)
3 (16-oz.) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (16-oz.) can white hominy, drained and rinsed
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Salt and pepper
6 to 8 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), fat trimmed
1 T vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped fine
4 jalapeno chiles, seeded and chopped fine
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 T ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 T drained jarred pickled jalapenos, minced
1 to 2 avacados, diced, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving

BLEND BASE - Puree 1 can beans, hominy, broth, and 3/4 tsp salt in blender until completely smooth.  Pour into slow cooker.

BROWN CHICKEN - Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.  Cook thighs, skin-side down, until skin is well browned and fat has rendered, about 5 minutes.  Remove and discard skin, then add thighs to slow cooker.

COOK AROMATICS - Pour off all but 2 T fat from skillet.  Cook onions, chiles, and 1/2 tsp salt until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.  Add garlic, cumin, and coriander and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Transfer half of onion mixture to slow cooker; reserve remaining mixture in refrigerator.

FINISH CHILI - Add remaining beans to slow cooker.  Cover and cook on LOW until chicken is tender, about 4 hours.  Transfer chicken to bowl.  When cool enough to handle, discard bones and shred chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Stir cilantro, pickled jalapenos, shredded chicken, and reserved onion mixture into slow cooker and let warm.  Serve topped with diced avocado and a lime wedge for squeezing.

Recipe from Cook's Country, Oct/Nov 2009

Slow-Cooker Pull-Apart Ribs

If you just got served these ribs, you might never even consider they were done in the slow cooker.  That's because after they slow cook to tender perfection, they're slathered with homemade barbecue sauce and grilled to a nice sweet & smoky crust on the outside.  Genius, really.  Way better than the grilled ribs I tried to make a few years ago that were tough and nearly burnt by the time they cooked through. 

But these fell right off the bone and were absolutely perfect.  Four adults devoured them and wanted more, so the only amendment I might make to this recipe is, get another crockpot and double it.  And sorry, you ain't gonna have leftovers.


Pull-Apart Ribs (print recipe)
Makes 1 rack of ribs (about 14)
Rub and Ribs:
2 T dry mustard
2 T paprika
1 T dried oregano
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 T sugar
2 tsp black pepper
1 full rack pork spare ribs (about 4 pounds)
1 bottle (12 ounces) beer OR 1 1/2 cups beef broth

Sauce:
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar
3 T ketchup

1.  RUB - In a small bowl, stir together dry mustard, paprika, oregano, seasoned salt, sugar and pepper.

2.  RIBS - Remove the ribs from packaging; rinse in cool water.  Pat dry with paper towels.  Cut rack in thirds.  Season ribs with 1/4 cup of the dry rub, pressing on with your hands.  Pour beer or broth and 1 1/2 cups water into slow cooker.  Stack ribs in cooker and cover.  Slow cook on LOW for 9 hours.

3.  Heat gas grill to medium-high or coals in charcoal grill to medium hot.

4.  SAUCE - Place remaining rub, brown sugar, vinegar and ketchup in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. 

5.  GRILL - Carefully remove ribs from slow cooker.  Baste with sauce.  Grill ribs 6 minutes, turning after 3 minutes.

Recipe from Family Circle, June 2011

Slow-Cooker Lemony Garlic Chicken Thighs

Chicken thighs are perfect for slow cooking and absolutely fall off the bone when they're done.  An abundance of lemon and garlic mellow in the process to a deeply infused flavor, perfect for serving over pasta.  Baby spinach, wilted in at the very end, adds the perfect fresh touch.

Slow-Cooker Lemony Garlic Chicken Thighs (print recipe)

6 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 1/4 pounds)
5 garlic cloves, smashed
1 T lemon zest
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 T cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup packed baby spinach, chopped
8 ounces angel hair pasta

1.  Trim chicken thighs of any excess fat.  Place them in the slow cooker bowl and scatter garlic cloves over top.

2.  In a small bowl, stir together the lemon zest, juice and the chicken broth; pour half of it (about 1/3 cup) into slow cooker.  Cover and cook for 3 hours on HIGH or 5 hours on LOW.

3.  Remove chicken thighs to a platter and keep warm; discard garlic cloves.  In a small bowl, stir together remaining 1/3 cup lemon juice mixture, cornstarch, salt and pepper.  Whisk into slow cooker bowl with chopped spinach and cook another 30 minutes on HIGH or LOW.

4.  Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, about 4 minutes.  Stir in half of sauce from slow cooker bowl into pasta and serve remainder with chicken.

Recipe from Family Circle, August 2010

Slow-Cooker Coconut & Green Curry Pork

  Last spring my friend emailed a bunch of us about spring break coming up.  She set up a bunch of day-outings for us all to join her on, and included a call for crockpot recipes so we could all have dinner waiting when we got home.  One response was this recipe.  

I was so excited to try it; I've always loved Indian curries but I'm relatively new to Thai coconut-type curries.  But what I've had, I've loved.  So I was stoked to try one.  And in the slow cooker!  So lucky!

I made this a couple Sundays ago, to cook while we were at church, and greet us on our homecoming.  It was mouthwateringly fragrant and so satisfying served over hot rice, with a sprinkle of cilantro.  I ate more than I should have, devouring faster than I could register that I was full.  It was that good.

A word about green curry paste.  I'd never used it so I was worried it might be hot; it's not - it's quite mild in this recipe so if you want more heat you'll have to add it.  Great for kids.  Also, I bought a little fancy jar of it at my grocery store for $4.  In the future I'll hit an Asian market - we have so many here! - where I can get it much cheaper, and probably more authentic.  Thekitchn recommends Maesri brand, it comes in a can the size of canned tuna.

Slow Cooker Coconut & Green Curry Pork (print recipe)

serves 6 to 8
Between 2 and 3 pounds pork butt or pork shoulder
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
2 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into fourths
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 can Thai green curry paste (4 ounces)
1 can coconut milk (14-15 ounces)
Chopped cilantro or chives, to serve (optional)
Toasted unsweetened coconut, to serve (optional)

1.  Heat the broiler. Cut the pork into four pieces and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place on a large baking sheet and broil, turning once, for 15 to 20 minutes or until well-browned.

2.  Spread the cut potatoes in the insert of a slow cooker. Sprinkle them lightly with salt and pepper.
While the pork is browning in the oven, fry the curry paste. In a large skillet heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the curry paste and fry for about 3 to 5 minutes or until the paste smells aromatic and has begun to absorb the oil. Whisk in the coconut milk and cook for another few minutes, or until the coconut milk begins to bubble.

3.  Take the browned pork out of the oven and drain away any liquid fat. Arrange the pork in the slow cooker with the potatoes, and pour the hot green curry and coconut milk mixture over it.

4.  Cook for 6 to 8 hours on LOW. At the end of cooking shred the pork with two forks; it should be meltingly-tender. (Depending on how much fat is released from the pork, the curry sauce will not look thick and creamy; it will probably be thin.)

5.  Taste and season if necessary with salt or soy sauce. Serve with brown rice, and small bowls of chopped cilantro or chives and toasted unsweetened coconut.

Recipe from Faith Durand on thekitchn.com

Slow-Cooker Harvest Chicken & Potatoes

Here's the chicken version of that warm comforting stew we all crave in cold weather.  And let me just say, if you have never tasted the sensory symphony of chicken & thyme, you are in for an exquisite treat.  And this is just as good, or better, warmed later as leftovers.  A sweater, slippers, and a bowl of this is all you need to keep the chill out.

Slow-Cooker Harvest Chicken & Potatoes (print recipe)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 T flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
12 ounces small new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
2 cups baby carrots, cut into thirds
2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 can (4 ounces) sliced mushrooms drained (I left this out)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried sage
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 T unsalted butter, softened

1.  In a medium-size bowl, stir together chicken, 2 T of the flour, 1/4 tsp of the salt and the pepper; add to slow cooker.  Stir in potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms, garlic, 1/2 tsp of the thyme, the sage, and broth.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 6 hours.

2.  In a small bowl, stir together remaining 1 T flour and the butter until a paste forms.  Push the chicken and vegetables to one side and whisk paste, remaining 1/4 tsp each salt and thyme into slow cooker bowl.  Cook 1 more hour until thickened.  Makes 6 servings

Slow-Cooker Chinese-Spiced Brisket

 I bought a small jar of Chinese Five-Spice a few years ago for some cookies I don't think I ever made.  So I was pleased as punch to find a recipe for it, and a slow cooker one at that!  In case you're wondering the five spices are: cinnamon, star anise, anise seed, ginger and cloves. 

This recipe is a great concept, and the meat came out tender and saucy.  The juice was a bit mild so I added a dash of this and that to taste - hoisin sauce, sweet chili sauce, a little more vinegar.  It's hard to think of something better than hot spicy meat over rice when you're really hungry.  Which I always am.

Slow-Cooker Chinese-Spiced Brisket (print recipe)
1 beef brisket, about 3 pounds
1 tsp Chinese Five-Spice
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) beef broth
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 T light soy sauce
1 T hoisin sauce
1 can diced water chestnuts
4 chopped scallions, divided
Hot rice, for serving

1.  Coat slow cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray.  Season brisket with Chinese Five-Spice.  Place in slow cooker.  Scatter onion and garlic over meat.  Combine tomatoes, broth, vinegar, soy sauce and hoisin sauce.  Pour over brisket.

2.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 6 hours or LOW for 9 hours.  Add water chestnuts and half of the chopped scallions during the last 30 minutes of cook time.

3.  Remove meat from slow cooker and cool slightly.  Slice or shred and stir into sauce.

4.  Remove brisket and sauce and serve over hot rice.  Sprinkle more chopped scallions on top.

*If the final flavor isn't strong enough for you, add any of the following to taste: toasted sesame oil, sweet chili sauce, ground ginger, more Chinese Five-Spice, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, vinegar, onion powder, etc.

Recipe adapted from Family Circle, September 2011

Slow-Cooker Rosemary Chicken with White Beans

I'm not sure this picture does it justice, but you have to believe, this dish is gooood.  I think the secret is the combination of rosemary and Italian dressing.  Normally the dressing would be too strong, but all flavors mellow in the slow cooker.  This is usually to a dish's detriment, but in this case it works out, to make a flavorful but not overwhelming sauce for the creamy beans and tender vegetables.  I've given you the original recipe here, from the book that came with my Crockpot, but in my book I've made a note to one-and-a-half or even double the sauce and vegetables because the first time we made this, oh, we wanted more!



Slow-Cooker Rosemary Chicken with White Beans (print recipe)
2 T oil
4 to 6 chicken breast halves (or any skinless chicken pieces would work)
1 cup carrots, sliced
1/2 cup celery, sliced
1 (15-oz.) can Great Northern or other white beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp rosemary
1/3 cup Italian dressing

In a large skillet, heat the oil and brown the chicken breast.  Remove and drain.  Place carrots, celery and beans in the bottom of the slow cooker and add the chicken breasts.  In a medium bowl, combine the salt, pepper, rosemary and Italian dressing and pour over the food in the slow cooker.  Stir to combine.  Cover; cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.

Slow-Cooker Week (It's Back)

Have I got a treat for you.  It's been a few years since I did a Slow-Cooker Week, but I've recommitted to beefing up my slow-cooker repertoire, and I finally - FINALLY! - have seven good ones to share.  It takes awhile, you know?

I really think any time of year is perfect for slow cookers.  Summer, because they don't overheat your kitchen.  Fall and winter, because they often produce warm, meaty, stew-like comfort food.  Spring, because the weather is great and we want to spend all our time outside, not slaving over dinner.  I just love my slow cooker.

Which is not to say everything it makes is good.  There are way too many mediocre and bad crockpot recipes.  But I think you'll be really pleased with this week's findings.  Sorry vegetarians, this week I've got 4 chicken, 1 beef and 2 pork recipes.  (But just sub in some veggies and you're good.)  I've got Thai, Chinese, Italian, BBQ, Mexican, and more.

It's a good week for slow cooking.  I don't know why.  Maybe because I am going OUT OF TOWN, which almost NEVER happens, and I just feel like having posts go up while I'm gone.  Whatever, enjoy.

Frosting for the Cause: Pistachio-Cardamom Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Look at me, I'm a guest blogger. Several months ago I signed up with "Frosting for the Cause" to write a post, donate my cupcakes, and donate $25 to cancer research. June 3 was my day, and now it's here. I'm super impressed with this project, and mastermind Paula's management of it. I hope you'll go over and check it all out. If for nothing else, my Pistachio-Cardamom Cupcakes with the BEST EVER Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting.

Also, I am fascinated by these Chocolate Cherry Coke Float Cupcakes. Can't wait to try them.

My Favorite Marinara

A few months ago I got sick, the throwing-up kind. And unfortunately that night we had had spaghetti with my long-time favorite marinara sauce from Trader Joe's. And when I throw something up I can't eat it again for a long, long time. Like when I got food poisoning on Thai food in 1998; I am just coming around to it again. We can't really wait that long for spaghetti sauce around here, so I had to do some thinking. Painful, but possible.

I remembered a homemade marinara I used to make in New York. I guess I just forgot about it, that happens when you have kids and move a couple times. So I got out Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis and tried it again. Wow, no wonder I used to make it. So, so good; I love it. And so do my kids, even Poppy. I like to add a smidgeon more salt, some rosemary or Italian seasoning, and some crushed red pepper for a tiny bit of heat.

It's not a lot of work, no more than homemade soup. Just some chopping and simmering. Really lovely and nice to freeze for later, too. Currently we love it on rigatoni - nice chewy pasta tubes that everyone can get on their fork and Poppy can pick up when cut into 3 or 4 rings. But it's great for spaghetti, lasagna, pizza, whatever.

My Favorite Marinara Sauce
Makes about 2 quarts (8 cups)

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves
Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper, to taste

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots and 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper to taste (and other seasonings, if desired.) The sauce can be made up to 1 day ahead - cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.

Recipe from Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis

Dinner Week #7 Italian Meat Two Ways

I couldn't decide between these two favorites for the final Dinner Week post but they are in the same family so I'm giving you both. The first is Italian Meatloaf and it's awesome, especially if you have a jarred or homemade marinara sauce you really love - it is both in and on the meat. My favorite is Trader Joe's Traditional Marinara. The second is also my favorite meal to bring people who are sick or have just had a baby - it is easy, hearty, portable, and pretty much everyone likes it: Meatball Sub Sandwiches. Yum.

How have you liked Dinner Week? Have you found anything new you want to try? What are your favorite go-to dinners? If you have a blog, consider doing your own Dinner Week. We all like seeing other people's tried-and-trues. If you don't, post your favs in the comments here. I would love to try them!

Italian Meatloaf
1 1/2 pounds 92% lean ground beef
1 cup fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce, divided
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup (2 ounces) pre-shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 large egg whites
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine beef, 1/2 cup pasta sauce, and remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl. Shape beef mixture into an 8 x 4-inch loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Brush remaining 1/2 cup pasta sauce over top of meat loaf. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut loaf into 12 slices.

Serve with: creamy mashed potatoes and fresh fruit.

Meatball Subs
1 bag frozen Italian-style meatballs (enough for 3-4 per person - I use turkey meatballs if I can find them)
About 16 oz. marinara sauce
Soft sub sandwich rolls from the grocery store bakery - enough for at least 1 per person
Sliced provolone cheese

The meatballs are precooked so all you have to do is warm them up in the sauce. Pour meatballs and marinara sauce into a pot and warm over medium-low to medium heat until warmed through, according to package directions.

Lay 1 to 2 slices provolone cheese in each roll. Spoon meatballs and sauce into the rolls and serve.

*Our girls like these sandwiches deconstructed. They eat the rolls like bread, and we cut the meatballs into quarters and stick toothpicks in them. They dip them in the sauce and eat like hors d'ouvres. Wow, I think I spelled that right.

Serve with: green salad and lemonade

Dinner Week #6 Pasta con Ceci Soup

Once in awhile we roast a chicken for dinner. Whenever we do, you know we will be having this soup later in the week. I boil all the bones with a quartered onion and a few broken celery stalks, with enough water to cover them all, for a few hours to make some stock. Strain it all into a bowl through a strainer and I usually have 4 to 6 cups - I use it in this recipe, adding water or canned broth to make up any difference. Then at the end of the recipe I also add in any leftover chicken meat, chopped or shredded, to make it even more hearty.

However. The recipe is originally vegetarian. So you can easily use vegetable broth and no meat. And as you know, soup is always open for improvisation so add or remove whatever to suit your taste. But if you follow this recipe to the T, you will have a hearty, healthy and astoundingly delicious dinner. For the record, both girls love this.

Pasta con Ceci Soup
2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 (14 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
4 cups (2 cans) vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups water
1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans with liquid
1 cup dry small pasta, like macaroni
1 tsp salt
1 T fresh or 1 tsp dried rosemary
1 T fresh or 1 tsp dried basil
4 cups fresh spinach leaves (I use baby)
Grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
Leftover cooked chicken, optional

1. In a saucepan, heat the oil. Add onion, celery, and carrot; saute 2 to 3 minutes until tender. Add garlic and red pepper. Cook 1 minute.

2. Add tomatoes, broth and water; cover and simmer 10 minutes.

3. Add beans, pasta and salt. Cook another 10 minutes until pasta is cooked.

4. Stir in herbs and spinach (and chicken if using). Serve with grated cheese on top.

Serve with: Parmesan Herb Bread and Orange Julius

Orange Julius
12 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate
2 cups water
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
12 to 16 ice cubes

Pour all ingredients, except ice, in a blender. Blend, adding ice cubes one at a time, until smooth. Makes 4 servings

Dinner Week #5 Red Lentil Rice Cakes with Simple Tomato Salsa

Let it not be said we eat red meat every night! After yesterday's amazing pot roast, today I give you one of our favorite vegetarian dishes. It came from Cooking Light a few years ago and we just love it. The flavors are unexpected and not easily attributed to any one style or ethnic origin. Just good, really good. Also makes super lunch leftovers.

Red Lentil Rice Cakes with Simple Tomato Salsa
Salsa:
3 cups finely chopped plum tomatoes (about 6)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 T balsamic vinegar
2 tsp capers
1/4 tsp salt

Cakes:
1 cup dried small red lentils
1 1/2 cups cooked basmati rice (from about 1/2 cup uncooked), cooled at least 10 minutes
2 T olive oil, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1 T chopped fresh basil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten

1. To prepare cakes, bring 4 cups water and lentils to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer until tender. The original recipes says 15-20 minutes but it's much less. Start checking it around 7 minutes and remove from heat when tender. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain. Place lentils in a large bowl and add the cooked and cooled rice.

2. While lentils cook, prepare the salsa. Combine tomatoes, basil, vinegar, capers and salt; set aside at room temperature.

3. Heat 1 tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add bell pepper, onion, fennel seeds and garlic to pan; saute 2 minutes or until tender. Cool 10 minutes. Add to rice-lentil mixture. Add mozzarella cheese and remaining ingredients, stirring until well combined. Let stand for 10 minutes.

4. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Spoon half of rice mixture by 1/3-cupfuls into pan, spreading to form six 3-inch circles; cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Carefully turn cakes over using heatproof rubber spatula; cook 5 minutes on other side. Remove cakes from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 T olive oil and remaining rice mixture. Makes 4 to 6 servings

Serve with: Simple Tomato Salsa and Yeasted Lemon Poppyseed Bread

Dinner Week #4 My Favorite Pot Roast

Just to let you know, this one is not a 30-minute meal. For planning purposes it takes about 3 hours total but that's not all hands-on time. Just thinking about this makes my tummy grumble and the saliva flow. Why am I not making it tonight? It is SO fabulous.

If you don't want to cook with wine just add extra beef broth. Doesn't bother me, though. It lends a complex but very subtle flavor to the dish that I love. When you season the meat in step 2, improvise beyond salt-and-pepper with whatever you like. I usually rub it with Penzeys' Beef Roast Seasoning.

Kari's Favorite Pot Roast
1 tsp olive oil
1 (3 lb.) boneless chuck roast, trimmed
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 cups coarsely chopped onion (about 2 to 3)
1 cup dry red wine
4 thyme sprigs
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (14 oz.) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
1 bay leaf
4 large carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven ove med-high heat. Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper and any other seasonings you like. Add roast to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove roast from pan. Add onion to pan; saute 8 minutes or until tender.

3. Return browned roast to pot. Add the red wine, thyme sprigs, chopped garlic, beef broth and bay leaf to pan; bring to a simmer. Cover pan and roast for 1 1/2 hours or until the roast is almost tender.

4. Add carrots and potatoes to pan. Cover and cook an additional 1 hour or until vegetables are tender. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leave from pan; discard. Shred meat with 2 forks. Serve roast with vegetable mixture and cooking liquid. Garnish with thyme leaves, if desires. Makes about 6 to 8 servings.

Serve with: green salad. You don't need much beyond this main dish. My favorite easy green salad is lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, Craisins, spiced pecans and feta cheese. We don't care much for tomatoes.

Dinner Week #3 Ramen Two Ways

Okay, I have two good recipes that use ramen noodles and the reason I am posting them together is that they are actually complimentary. One uses two packs of noodles and one seasoning packet; the other uses one pack of noodles and two seasoning packets. 'Cause, you know, ramen is expensive and you don't want to be wasting any.

Asian Beef Noodles
*Have everything prepped and ready to go before you start. This cooks in seriously like 5 minutes.
1 (8 oz.) rib-eye steak
1 tsp dark sesame oil, divided
1 cup green onions in 1-inch slices
2 cups packaged cabbage-and-carrot slaw
2 pkgs oriental ramen soup
1 1/2 cups water
1 T soy sauce

Cut steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add steak and green onions; stir fry 1 minute. Remove and keep warm. It's okay if the steak is barely cooked - I promise it will get done later. Heat remaining 1/2 tsp oil ove med-high heat. Add slaw; stir-fry 30 seconds. Remove and keep warm.

Remove noodles from packages; reserve 1 seasoning packet for another use (like Chinese Chicken Salad below.) Add water and remaining seasoning packet to skillet; bring to boil. Break noodles in half; add to water mixture. Cook 2 minutes or until most of liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently. Stir in steak mixture, slaw and soy sauce; cook until thoroughly heated. Careful - the steak and noodles easily overcook! Makes 2-2 cup servings.

Serve with: mandarin oranges.

Chinese Chicken Salad
1 bag cabbage or cabbage-and-carrot cole slaw
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
About 2 to 3 cups shredded chicken (I use most of a rotisserie chicken; you can also use canned)
3 to 4 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1 small bag slivered almonds, toasted
1 pkg oriental ramen noodles, crunched up
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2 T sugar
3 T red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 pkgs oriental flavor ramen noodle seasoning packets

Make the dressing first, early in the day if possible. In a jar with a lid combine the last 6 ingredients (vegetable oil through seasoning packets.) Shake to combine and refrigerate. The longer it sits, the better it tastes. Adjust sugar, vinegar and salt to your taste if you like.

Mix slaw, onions, chicken, sesame seeds and almonds. Pour dressing over all and toss. Sprinkle with noodles and serve immediately. Makes at least 4 servings

For fun, serve in lettuce wraps or eat with chopsticks and good luck with that.
Serve fresh fruit on the side, like watermelon, pineapple or mango. If nothing good is in season, make a Jello salad- my fav is some red sugar-free Jello with frozen raspberries, mandarin oranges and bananas mixed in. Marshmallows on top, natch.

Dinner Week #2 Skinny Joes

We just call them Skinny because we use ground turkey instead of beef but you could use either. It's strange, Sloppy Joes is a very common kid-friendly dish but I had never made them nor thought of them until I came across the recipe in The Best 30-Minute Recipe. They just sounded good so I gave them a try.

Ed and I love them. But the kicker is, SO DOES GINGER. And it is a miracle and a delight to see her get excited about anything besides Jello. She even wants the leftovers for lunch the next day. Unprecedented! Hazel, our eat-anything-girl, for some reason does not care for these but once in awhile that's just tough. She can eat the bun.

Skinny Joes
2 T vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
1/2 tsp chili powder
Salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. ground turkey or lean ground beef (if my turkey comes in a 20 oz. package I use the whole thing)
1 cup tomator puree (I use tomato sauce)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
1 tsp brown sugar
Tabasco sauce
Hamburger buns (I like Arnold's whole wheat sandwich rolls)

1. Saute Aromatics: Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, chili powder and 1/2 tsp salt and cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Cook Meat: Add turkey/beef and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until almost cooked through, but still slightly pink, about 3 minutes.

3. Simmer Sauce: Stir in tomato puree, ketchup, water, brown sugar and 1/4 tsp Tabasco. Simmer until sauce is slightly thicker than ketchup, 8 to 10 minutes.

4. Season and Assemble: Season with salt and Tabasco to taste. Spoon meat mixture onto hamburger buns and serve. Makes about 4 servings but 5 or 6 if you use a little more meat.

Serve with: pickles, your favorite chips, and strawberry-kiwi-banana fruit salad