The Next Two Weeks of Eats

This is less of a menu and more of a list of things I will probably eat for lunch and/or dinner in the next two weeks. I already have the ingredients to make the things listed below, so that is most likely what I will be preparing.

• Sauteed kale and onions with over easy eggs on top

• Mexican millet -- Millet cooked with chili powder and cumin, mixed with sauteed black beans, corn, onions, and red pepper, topped with cheddar, an egg, and salsa.

• herby and spicy baked sweet potatoes and white beans -- Peel and slice the sweet potato into small pieces. Toss with a little oil, salt, chili powder to taste, plenty of oregano, and the white beans. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. 

• roasted zucchini topped with eggs

• herbed lentils and sauteed mushrooms

• A baked sweet potato with peanut butter and cinnamon -- I know this probably sounds quite strange to most of you. I've seen this combination floating around the world of food blogs, and since I know it will be filling enough for a meal, that's when I'm going to eat it. 

• mushroom barley soup

• chili-lime-garlic swai fish over wild rice and sauteed broccoli with onions

• sweet potato-carrot-apple-red lentil soup

Most of you probably guessed based on my menu that Marshall is out of town. My primary sources of protein while he is gone are eggs, beans, lentils, and peanut butter...Peanut butter being my favorite : ) 

I much prefer to have Marshall home, but when he is gone I take advantage of eating many things I love that wouldn't thrill him. Namely, mushrooms and zucchini. 

There is much joy to be had in preparing food for others. It is one of my favorite ways to serve others, and to show people that I love and appreciate them. In spite of this, I really do enjoy choosing meals based only on what I like and what I want now and then. Anybody with me on that? 

Here's to cooking for one! ; )

Chicken Dumpling Soup - A Favorite in Our Home!

As you may know, we love soup. Especially Marshall.

I know it's Summer, and where I am it's in the 90's almost every day still, so posting a soup recipe may not be the most fitting for the season, but we eat soup all year long. If you're going to eat a hot meal anyway, why not make soup? I try to cook with what's in season when I can, but dumplings don't really have a season. If you're not a soup in the Summer kind of person, just pin this and save it for winter. You won't be sorry you did.

Though we have come across some really great soups, it's pretty hard to beat chicken dumpling. I have never actually measured ingredients for this, and I've probably never made it the same way twice, but I think I can do a decent job jotting this down as a recipe.

Chicken Dumpling Soup

For the stock:

• 1 whole chicken -- or a few pounds of bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
• 1 onion, cut in half, skin on
• 2 - 3 garlic cloves, cut in half, skin on
• 2 carrots, washed and cut in half
• A couple tablespoons of dried or a small handful of fresh herbs -- I've been using Italian seasoning and adding some extra thyme. Rosemary and thyme are a great combo too, really anything you like.
• 2 bay leaves -- optional
• Several peppercorns -- optional
• Water to cover all ingredients completely
• Salt to taste

This first step can be done two different ways.

Option 1 - Cut up whole chicken and brown both sides of each piece in a pan over medium heat with a bit of oil. Then remove from pan and add to a large pot. Leave the excess chicken fat in the pan so you can sauté the vegetables in it later.

Option 2 - Roast the chicken in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes. Add whole chicken to a large pot. Skim fat from your roasting dish, or from the top of the pot while making the stock to sauté the vegetables in.

After choosing option 1 or option 2 and completing that step, add all other stock ingredients, except the salt, to the pot with the chicken. Bring up to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for an hour. Continue simmering, but take out a breast and a thigh (or approximately half of the chicken meat), pull the meat off the bones, set the meat aside for later, and then add the bones back to the pot. Continue simmering for an additional 3 hours or until the stock is strong enough. Keep in mind that it is unsalted at this point. I usually salt it around the four hour mark when I want to taste to see if it's done. If it isn't strong enough you can keep on simmering it to pull more flavor out of the meat and bones. Keep in mind that the longer you simmer it for, the less stock you will have. You will then need to strain it (Make sure there is a bowl to catch your broth under the strainer!) and discard everything except the broth itself. The chicken and vegetables should be flavorless and fairly mushy, so throw that out and save the meat you previously set aside to go in the soup. This should make 4 - 6 cups of stock. I usually make this a couple to a few days beforehand whenever I have the time. You could even freeze it! Don't be surprised when it is gelatinous after being chilled. This is normal, and even desirable, as it is from the collagen in the bones, which offers a multitude of health benefits.

If you have the time (which is something we all have an abundance of these days, right? Or maybe not) you could add more water and simmer it longer to pull out as much flavor and health benefits as possible.

For the soup:

• Excess chicken fat (from the beginning of the stock making process) -- Alternatively, use butter or oil
• 2-3 carrots, sliced
• 3-4 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4-6 cups of homemade chicken stock
• 1 Tbsp. dried thyme -- Or any herbs you would like
• Chicken meat set aside from making stock
• 1 dumpling recipe (see below) -- Alternatively, use 4 oz. dry pasta
• Salt and pepper to taste

Place the pot you want to make your soup in over medium heat with the fat. Add the carrots, celery, and onions, and sauté for a few minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the thyme, stock, and the chicken and bring up to a heavy simmer. Drop dumpling dough in by small spoonfuls, or add the pasta. Let simmer for about 15 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve!

For the dumplings:

• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 2 eggs
• small amount of water, if necessary to pull the dough together -- It should be thick and fairly sticky

Add the flour and eggs to a small bowl. Stir the eggs and flour together with a wooden spoon until well combined, adding water if necessary. The dough should be dense and a little bit sticky. 

I also have to recommend that you eat this with some fresh, homemade bread.

Such as this

Yay for soup in the heat of Summer!

A Short Menu + Fish and Chips Review

Just a short menu this week. On Friday we're going out with Theresa for dinner, and on Saturday I'll be working (as usual), so this menu just goes through Thursday. 

Monday - mancakes -- I'm telling you, you've got to make these!

Tuesday - pesto (with pinenuts) chicken on orzo

Wednesday - linguine carbonara

Thursday - chicken dumpling soup

For the past couple of weeks I have been extra careful to get the most for my money. My monthly budget was running low semi early on in the month, so I've been working with what I have in the pantry and freezer, and looking through all my recipes for things we really like that don't cost much. I actually really enjoy this challenge. Food is a blessing, a pleasure, and you shouldn't have to break the bank to enjoy it.....And, contrary to what seems to be a popular belief, cheap can even be healthy.

Speaking of healthy....

For anyone who thought I was overly concerned with my health, first of all, I'm eating bacon twice this week, and second of all...

...This

Yes, that happened in my kitchen. It was delicious! Never mind that it took a while for the fried smell to leave our little apartment, I was so happy to know that I am able to make good fish and chips from scratch.

The fries didn't come out as crispy as I was hoping, but both the fish and fries were tasty, and I will most likely make this again sometime using the same recipe.

Yes, we had broccoli on the side, but yes, I had another piece of fish after the one pictured here...And enjoyed every bite. Yummy, yummy, yummy.

In my dictionary, the definition of health includes indulging now and then. 

But dark chocolate doesn't really count as indulging. That can happen often ; )

100th Post! My Top 10 Favorite Blogged Recipes

Here is a combobulation of my 10 most favorite recipes that I have blogged about. I put them in order from oldest to newest. 

Cheesy Fig Sandwich

Now is the time to make this sandwich! Figs have been great these days and won't last much longer.

Poached Egg and Bratwurst English Muffin

This is a classic for us. Though we haven't made this for a while, it's not uncommon for us to whip this up (or some variation of it) on a Saturday morning.

Curried Pumpkin Pasta with Chicken, Peas, and Toasted Walnuts

I can't wait for the pumpkins! I'll probably make this with the first one I buy. 

Pretzel Rolls

There's a batch of these cooling in my kitchen right now ; )

Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake

Though I haven't repeated this cake, it is SO good! I just don't make cakes that often. However, when I made this last year it was very hard to stop eating it.

My Favorite Homemade Granola Bars

There's a couple more of these left in the fridge from my most recent batch. We have decided they're a bit sweet for our taste, so I plan to reduce (or maybe eliminate) the brown sugar. Love these! 

Chocolate Granola

A healthy way to have chocolate for breakfast?! Yes, please. Enough said : )

Honey Lime Sweet Potato Tacos

I can't get over how good these are. They'll probably be on my menu again soon.

Summer Strawberries and Cream

Had this for breakfast yesterday. So tasty.

Fruity Kale Salad with Chicken, Bacon, and Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

So Summery and so delicious! And trust me, this salad will fill you up.

These are all keepers for us, and I hope you can enjoy some of them too. 

I'd love to know if you try any of these recipes! 

Menu - We Are Trying Many New Things Lately!

Monday - cheesy BBQ chicken millet cakes

Tuesday - chicken and cheddar pretzel bun sandwiches with apple balsamic glaze

Wednesday - kasespaetzle -- My spaetzle maker came in time for me to make this last Friday. It turned out well but needs some tweaking.

Thursday - chicken dumpling soup -- This would be a good recipe to share! I probably don't make it the same way twice, but I could probably manage a good estimate.

Friday - fish and chips -- I've never done this before. I'm planning to make the chips too, so this will be a whole new adventure for me. I think it's good that I try this before Marshall goes to England, as opposed to after, because his standards won't be as high ; )

Saturday - chicken with chimichurri sauce served on pasta, rice, or millet -- I made some of this sauce when I had fresh herbs laying around, threw it in the freezer since I already had my menu for that week planned, and now I have it for a quick meal.

Two Year Anniversary of Living in Atlanta

 Today marks two years since moving to Atlanta. I suppose in the blogging world this post could be referred to as "photo dumping", but I thought I'd throw down some pictures of our time here. 

But before that, let's begin with where we started.

Loading the Truck. Thanks for the help guys! (And many other un-pictured family and friends)

 Below is the U-haul that took us here. I love how happy (or terrified?) this spider looks : ) And now every time I see this U-haul I refer to it as "our U-haul". I would like to have it when we move back home. Not because it's anything special, but because I'm pretty sure that weird spider is mine.

On the way!

And then we got there....Please note that we had already done quite a bit of unpacking at this point. I love how the dishwasher is even open. It adds to the craziness.

Bundo and Kyungsun! We met these neighbors of ours while carrying our mattress to our apartment. Thanks for the help Bundo!...Even though you had secretly tried to avoid us by using the other elevator ; ) ...I guess our friendship was meant to be! Oh how we loved having them as neighbors. A knock at the door was usually them, our Friday nights were usually spent with them, but then they had to move. Now we reminisce about the past while hanging out on Google. 

Making pizza with Alex and Julia.

Making soup and pumpkin things with Julia. Cooking with Julia usually involves pumpkin.

Baking Christmas cookies with Amber and Francesca. I couldn't help but share the deliciousness of some of my Mother's cookies with my friends! And they even helped me make them : )

Got to go on a road trip through Louisiana and Texas with these guys (Lothar and Manon), and then visit them in Germany!

4th of July with Erin and Blake (who recently moved), and Sam and Caitlin (who we are so thankful to have here)

Some friends have to move, but there are always more out there. Here are some new friends we've met more recently and shared dinner with.

But our most favorite memory of living here is having this bunch of blessings over last Thanksgiving. How special it was to be surrounded by some of our favorite people for the holiday. 

I miss my family, I miss my friends, I miss being a stone's throw away from my bestie (did I really just say bestie? Somehow I'm okay with it), and I miss knowing everybody at my church.

But I also know that when we leave I will miss our church here, I will miss coffee and lunch dates with Carol, I will miss going to the market with Amber, I will miss the family I nanny for, I will miss the friendship we're developing with Sam and Caitlin, and I may even reminisce about living here someday. 

So in the meantime, I am thankful for this adventure. 

Bring on the next two (or more) years!

Menu - With a Few New Recipes

Monday - paella -- I'm basically going to follow this recipe, except I'm using a little less shrimp and adding a little chorizo.

Tuesday - Moroccan chicken -- Also basically following this recipe. No eggplant for sure, but other than that I will make it very close to the recipe.

Wednesday - Leftover Moroccan chicken

Thursday - Pesto chicken on pasta

Friday - kasespaetzle -- This will be my first attempt at replicating this fabulous cheesy spaetzle dish that we had in Germany. I will only prepare this if my spaetzle maker arrives on or before Friday....I hope it comes!

Saturday - Makhani chicken (Indian butter chicken), which I never make without also making naan and rice....And some sort of vegetable.

Sunday - chicken wild rice soup


Enjoy your week of eats!

Quinoa n' Black Beans

Another quick, yummy, healthy dinner.

If you've never had quinoa before, and are interested to try it, I think this is a great place to start. This is a flavorful dish, so you don't taste the quinoa flavor too strongly, but you still get to experience the texture and a little bit of the taste.

 I've been making this dish for a while now, but pineapple is a recent addition, and a good one at that. It would be even better if it was grilled pineapple, but it's really not worth the effort when the grill is about six floors below on the other side of the courtyard....But maybe when we have our own grill.

 Here are the fix-ins to make quinoa n' black beans

Quinoa N' Black Beans

This takes about 30 minutes, with only about 10 being hands on. 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well - Preferably soaked

2 tsp. butter or oil

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced - I've used garlic powder as well

1 Tbsp. cumin

dash of cayenne pepper

1 1/2 cups chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water

1 cup frozen corn

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed - I usually use dry beans, so it would be 2/3 cup before soaking and boiling.

1/2 - 1 cup diced pineapple (grilled would be great)

salt to taste

Directions:

Add the butter to a large pan, along with the onion. Saute over medium heat until becoming translucent (about 5 minutes), add the garlic and saute 1 more minute. Add the cumin, cayenne, quinoa, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover, turn heat to low, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the corn, black beans, and pineapple, and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the quinoa is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Add salt if necessary. Serve immediately. 

Yum!

Menu - And Two Days Past One Year!

I just realized it's two days past one year since I started this blog! I'd say time flies, but I actually feel like I've been doing this for quite some time. Maybe a year is actually the same amount of time every year after all.

Here's our menu for the week:


Monday - creme fraiche curry chicken on rice, kale on the side

Tuesday - pizzas with friends (1 sausage, 1 Hawaiian) and their Chinese dumplings!

Wednesday - homemade buckwheat pasta with vegetables (roasted tomatoes and garlic, and sauteed onions, kale, and green beans)

Thursday - Mancakes and pineapple -- Yummy corn cakes with bacon, onions, and cheese. You may have noticed these on our menu in the past. We really enjoy these, and I definitely recommend them (We just had them for breakfast yesterday too).

Friday - millet/quinoa sausage bites served on sauteed kale -- I made these last week with a mix of quinoa and millet (due to being low on quinoa) and they were delicious! However, I made them slightly different than the link. 1/2 cup grains (measured dry) cooked ahead of time, 1 lb. breakfast sausage (I'm using sweet Italian this time. UPDATE: These were far better with the breakfast sausage. I wouldn't recommend making them with sweet Italian), 2 green onions, 2 garlic cloves, and 2 oz. grated cheddar cheese. Mix it all together, roll them into Tablespoon size balls, and throw in the preheated 350 degree oven for 20 - 25 minutes. Done and yum! But I'd actually recommend not throwing them into the oven, but simply placing them on a lined baking sheet and gently placing the tray into the oven ; )

Saturday will be filled with blueberry picking and babysitting, so not sure what food will look like -- except blueberries : )

Sunday - crepe day -- we've been enjoying buckwheat crepes with egg, cheese, and onion in them. Occasionally we make a batch of crepe batter and have them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and experiment with different fillings. It's fun : )