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Cooking

Menu Planning Monday Feb 4-10 and Frozen Mirepoix

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mirepoixHow to Freeze Mirepoix I froze my  Mirepoix (onions, carrots and celery)   so I have my starter for the week. I am excited to use it.  I made enough for 4 uses.   My fish last week turned out amazing.. cant wait to share the post in a few days.

Here is how I did the Ready to use frozen Mirepoix.

  • 6 onions
  • 2 lb of carrots
  • 1 head of celery
  • salt
  • 2 tbls oil or butter
  1. Dice Onions and start saute in large pot with oil/salt on low
  2. while onions are cooking peel carrots and dice  ( I prefer a whole carrot to mini ready to eat carrots)  add to onions
  3. Then clean celery dice and add to carrot onion mixture.  salt
  4. Cook stiring till carrot are tender (not mushy)
  5. Remove from pot in large pot to large bowl allow to cool.
  6. Place cooled Mirepoix 7-8 cups in a gallon freezer zip lock (you can use quart size bags -2 cups per Bag)(I was out of quart and prefer to use less plastic)mirepoix celery,carrots,onions
  7. Place on a large cookie sheet, laying bag flat, Using back of knife press into bags to create separate sections.
  8. Freeze.. checking to make sure sections stay separated during freezing process.
  9. Now ready to use simple break off a sections and place in pan for cooking.  should speed up your cooking time.celery,carrots,onions or mirepoix

What to use MirePoix for:  stews, soups, casserole, any thing where you want a great flavor base  with out the time.steps to freeze mirepoix

Easy to print frozen Mirepoixmushrooms

My menu plan for the week

Monday:  Chicken fingers and white cream sauce  pasta

Tues: Leftover Superbowl my award winning Chili

Wednesday: Lemon chicken noodle soup using my Mirepoix

Thurs: Pork Chops with orange glaze

Friday: Pizza

Saturday: something with beef..

Have a Great Week.

I am linking this post up to Organizing Junkie Menu Plan Monday

So I am off to make Superhero Princess Capes.  If you need one for a party they Start at $17.00 Check My store out Made in the USA by me! Superhero capes

Cooking

Celeb Chef George Duran’s Chance meeting

george duran

2 years ago I had the pleasure of meeting celebrity Chef George Duran  at the Blissdom Blogging conference.  He was super nice.  He looks just like this guy “Denis” my husband use to work with and I even showed him a picture Denis. I know true geek but they do look similar, he laughed and took a picture with me.  I have always loved his cooking.  I still use his method  of of broiling the top of my meat loaf for 10 minutes to seal in the goodness before lowering the heat for the remaining cooking time.

So I was really excited to hear that George Duran is working with Imusa on there with go-to Hispanic cookware and appliance line, IMUSA (available in Target)  He is doing a segment on the HSN segment Tomorrow Monday the 4th at 9am  of you want to watch here is the link to the HSN Live show

Here is a his recipe for:

George Duran’s Fiery Tomato-Basil Mac & Cheese courtesy of IMUSA:

Ingredients:

1 lb. macaroni (elbow)

Kosher Salt

2 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes

1 cup packed fresh basil, chopped

1 stick butter

½ cup flour

5 cups whole milk

4 cups (16 oz) sharp cheddar, grated

 

For Topping

1 ½ cup Italian Style breadcrumbs

4 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Basil leaves for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 F.

 

Preparation:

Bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil and add salt to taste. Then, add macaroni and stir gently allowing it boil for about 7 minutes until “al dente”. Remove from heat and drain well and place in an extra large bowl. Add both cans of diced tomatoes and chopped basil and mix with a rubber spatula. Set aside. For béchamel sauce start by making a roux in a medium stock pot. Melt butter under medium heat and whisk in flour. Keep whisking for under medium heat until roux is browned, about 5-6 minutes. Add 2 tsp. salt. Gently whisk in the milk until properly combined. Constantly whisk the sauce until it thickens and begins to simmer, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and add 4 cups of cheddar. Gently mix it with a rubber spatula until completely melted. Combine cheese sauce and macaroni and pour into a caldero (for best results use an IMUSA Evolution Nonstick Caldero). Make topping by combining all of the ingredients and spread it evenly on top of mac and cheese. Bake 15-20 minutes until top is golden brown. Serve and garnish with basil.

IMUSA Evolution Nonstick CalderoWhat are you cooking tonight?

Cooking

Meal Plan Monday week of Jan 28 2013

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mushroomsSo I am restocking fridge after the fridge fail of last weeks.  So it gave me a chance to think about how I am restocking.   This we my husband and I are build freezer stock items.  I am making bags of meal starters.  I cook many times a week and start with Mirepoix (onions, carrots and celery) small batches to freeze and   I always caramelize my onions so I will make small batches of them as well.  So I am going to make my start mix in my freeze ready to use for the nights I need an easy meal.   More to come next week.

This weeks meal Plan January 28, 2013

Monday:  Moms Bake Chicken (rub with oil, sprinkle spices (salt,pepper, garlic powder,paprika,cumin) Broccoli and rice/beans

Tues: My recipe Beef and gravy in my Ninja MC701 Multi Cooker 3 in 1 Cooking System
(used as a slow cooker) with egg noddles

Wednesday: perogies and kielbasa (Ninja MC701 Multi Cooker 3 in 1 Cooking System
recipe)

Thursday: Fish and veggies

Friday- Pizza

Saturday: Free night.. Moms off

Sunday My  Pulled Pork in Ninja for Superbowl  and My lettuce Wraps

Have a Great Week.

I am linking this post up to Organizing Junkie Menu Plan Monday

Cooking

Pulled Pork in a Ninja Cooker

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pulled pork sandwiched

Pulled Pork in my Ninja Cooker is my husbands favorite thing I make.  He says it is a toss up with my ribs.  Pulled pork is far easier than ribs. I make the pulled pork in my Ninja because I can make it all in one pot.  I love the ability to  brown and then slow cook the pork.   My children love the pulled pork.  I love the fact we make one night of sandwiches then can make many other meals from pulled pork  like pork tacos and pork pockets.

Pulled pork

  • 4-6 lb pork roast or pork shoulder
  • ½ cup Apricot jam
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 1 Onion med
  • 14 oz can Pork or Chicken broth
  • ¼ cup brown sugar

 

  1. Caramelize onions in ninja with pat of butter   till golden brownpulled pork
  2. Brown pork on all sides
  3. Pour broth in pot, cover with jam, soy, brown sugar and remain ingredients on potpulled pork
  4. Cook for 5 hours on low  till fork tenderpulled pork
  5. Remove bone, fat if any and shred with 2 forks pulling the meat apart
  6. Enjoy on a roll (you can add barbeque on side)  Or try with a tortilla with rice and cheese

pulled pork

Here is the easy print  Pulled pork

This post contains affiliate links

Cooking

Menu Plan Monday 1-20

mushrooms

So after a week of not having a refrigerator.  I am meal planning with joy and still using up the meat I cooked last week then I froze once the fridge was working.  So meal planing  week 2 for me:

Monday:  we were traveling so we ate wings on our way

Tues:  I am making sausage soup (again repeat from last week) since I cooked the sausage I also use milk instead of cream  with Pop Overs  biscuits

Wednesday:  Meat loaf muffins, baked potatoes, and steamed broccoli

Thursday:  Pulled pork   in my Ninja MC701 Multi Cooker 3 in 1 Cooking System
(see my tues recipe) and tater tots

Friday: Pork tacos with rice on soft tacos. (left over pork)

Saturday Pizza

I am linking this post up to Organizing Junkie Menu Plan Monday

What are you planning for this week?

Cooking

Menu Plan Monday

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mushroomsMenu Plan Monday many of my blogger friends do Meal plan Monday.  They told me it keeps then organized and they save a ton of money not making multiple trips to the grocery story.    The thing is best laid plans .. My fridge broke so I have to eat all the food in my freezer and fridge.  Before it all defrosts,  so let plan and try to beat the freezer.

We had a large spiral ham on Sunday night and gave some to the neighbor.. normally I would make the rest in to a broccoli cheese soup.. Yea not this week .

Mean Plan Monday : 1/14-1/19

Monday: Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup  from CopyKat I have sausage that is going

Tuesday:  Chicken Pasties (they are in the freezer I hate to see them waste)and homemade gravy

Wednesday: bake chicken legs, rice with black beans w/ broccoli

Thursday: Country fried steak from Pioneer women my husband makes this and it is yummy  home made bake potato fries and baked carrot fries

Friday: sandwiches

Saturday TBA

Sunday: Pasta

I am linking this post up to Organizing Junkie Menu Plan Monday

What are you planning for this week?

Cooking, Product Reviews

Sinners Chipotle Chocolate Chips Cookie

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chipotle chocolate cookies

Lehigh Valley Dairy asked me to review their milk and create a Most Dunkable cookie recipe.  Sinners Chipotle Chocolate Chips Cookie  are my take on a adult taste cookie that goes great with a glass of Lehigh Valley Milk.  I call then sinner cookies because  of the 3 types of chocolate , rich powered chocolate , chips and milk chocolate chunks.  The  bourbon smoked salt add a savory  as you enjoy the flavor then slowly the burn,  the fire from the chipotle  get you around the 3rd bite.  This is the prefect gift for fan of spicy flavor. This is cookie that can only be enjoyed with a Lehigh Valley glass of milk,  with it clean fresh flavor I love their milk.

Lehigh Valley Dairy Farms prides itself on purity, which has led them to develop not only their 5-Point Purity Checklist, but also their new Pure Protect bottle. The new bottle helps protect that delicious, creamy, farm-fresh taste and essential nutrients from the harmful effects of light.  They are perfect pair together.

Sinners Chipotle Chocolate Chips Cookie

yields 36 cookies

  • 1 stick of unsalted butter
  • 8 tablespoons of refined coconut oil
  • ¾ white sugar
  • ¾ brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoon of corn syrup
  • 2 teaspoons  Mexican vanilla extract
  • 2 ¾ cup flour
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons of powered chocolate
  • 3-4 teaspoons of chipotle (dried)
  • 1 16 oz package of semisweet chips
  • 8 oz milk chocolate bar chopped up
  • Smoked bourbon sea salt

chili and chocolate

  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. Beat butter, coconut oil, and sugars until well blended and smooth
  3. Add eggs, corn syrup and vanilla to  sugar blend until light and fluffy
  4. In separate bowl mix all dry ingredients  flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, powder chocolate, chipotle an blend well with a fork.
  5. Slow add the dry ingredients in to the wet a little bit at a time till all ingredients are well blended
  6. Then add the chocolate chunks and chips in the dough
  7. Scoop out using cookie scoop place 2” apart on a parchment lined  cookie sheet and sprinkle each cookie with sea saltchili cookie dough
  8. Bake for 9 minutes
  9. Allow to cool and enjoy with milk

Here is the easy printable Sinners Chocolate Chips Cookie

chipotle chocolate chip

These  cookies will  be a great additional to your holiday cookie tray.  Enjoy and surprise people with a little something special this year.

Note these cookies placed in the top 10 best cookies for the Lehigh Valleys most Dunkable cookie contest.

Want to see some other great cookie recipes check out and follow  my Pintrest Cookie Board.

Disclosure this recipe is is a sponsored post to be review Lehigh Valley Dairy Farms milk,  they provided me with cookie cutters, a stipend to purchase the ingredients and share your Most Dunkable Cookie Recipe.

cookie contest

Cooking

Thanksgiving Rescue tips

cups of cooking ingredantsWearEver Pure Living’s Thanksgiving Rescue Tips For all those things you forgot on thanksgiving.  WearEver provide me with some last minute saves  or Cooking Ingredient Substitutions .  I wanted to share them with you all.  I am printing them out and putting them in My cupboard.  I am always out of something. 

Cooking Emergency 411:

1 cup honey = 1 1/4 cups sugar + 1/4 cup liquid 1 cup whole milk = 1/2 cup evaporated milk + 1/2 cup water
1 tsp. lemon juice = 1/2 tsp. vinegar
1 cup butter = 1 cup margarine or 7/8 cup vegetable oil
1 cup yogurt = 1 cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp. flour (for thickening) = 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch or 2 tsps. quick-cooking tapioca
1 cup buttermilk = 1 or 2 Tbsps. lemon juice or or vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 cup
1 Tbsp. fresh herbs = 1 tsp. dried herbs
1 square unsweetened chocolate = 3 Tbsp. cocoa plus 1 Tbsp. shortening
1 tsp. baking powder = 1/3 tsp. baking soda plus 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup all-purpose flour = 1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar = 1 cup white sugar plus 2 Tbsp. molasses
1 egg = 1 heaping Tbsp. soy flour plus 1 Tbsp. water
1 cup self-rising flour = 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tablespoon of dried minced onion = 1/4 cup raw minced onion

Here is a easy printable version Cooking Ingredient Substitutions

Thanks to WearEver Cookwear for sharing

Happy Thanksgiving Meal Making   from  superexhausted’s family to yours.

 

Cooking, Product Reviews

Turkey Chicken Pasty

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chicken pasty

When I was a little girl my mom used to bring home pasty which are meat pockets from the church.  She would work all day with the ladies at the church, peeling potato and making dough for these meat pockets, then the church would sell them to raise money around the Thanksgiving.  Traditionally made with beef or veal, the meat pasty were made by coal miners wives for them to take into the mines for lunch.

So started making variation of the pasty, like using turkey/chicken, and my family loves them.  Smothered them in gravy and they are a filling meal.  So when asked to take one of my recipes and use “I can’t believe it is not Butter” instead of my usually butter I was excited. I purchased the “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter“ sticks.

The result My husband said the best crust I ever made.

His comment “I love this crust and I normally don’t like crust, it is very flaky ”

My son asked for 2nds.

Chicken Pasty Homemade meat pockets

  • 2 ½ cups for flour
  • 2 ½ sticks of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter
  • ¼ teaspoon thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon of salt
  • ¼ ice cold water
  • 1-2 potato
  • 1 turnip
  • Leftover turkey of chicken cooked
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 small onion
  • Hot sauce (optional)
  • 1 egg (for egg wash)

 

  1. In a mixer with pastry hook or with knives cut 2 sticks of “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” into 2 cups of flour, thyme, salt,  scraping sidesmaking dough
  2. Add ice cold water till well mixed and dough starts to form
  3. Add remaining ½ cup of flour so the dough is not too stickydough
  4. Cut dough into 6 equal parts chill in fridge while prepping filling
  5. Cut all veggies
  6. In a pot sauté onion with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter till onions become caramelized, remove from pot.
  7. Fill pot (you just used for onions- leaving the bits) with water and par boil carrots, potatoes, and turnips –  once semi soft drain,
  8. Chop poultry to smaller bites size pieces and mix chicken and peas with other veggiesfilling for chicken pasty
  9. On a floured surface roll out the dough using a dish 6” to create a circles
  10. Transfer dough circles to parchment paper on baking sheets
  11. Fill dough with filling,  add a pat of “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter”, and few drops of hot sauce.pasty filling
  12. Wet edge, (with finger dipped in water) and fold dough over filling to make the pasty, using a fork push down edges to secure, slice vent hole
  13. Optional use mini cook cutters for decorative dough attach with water
  14. Mix egg with some water and brush outside of pastychicken pasty
  15. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes (you can also freeze prior to baking for a dinner later)

While baking make gravy

Amazing Chicken  gravy

  • 4 tablespoons of “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter”
  • ¼ all purpose flour
  • 16 oz of chicken broth
  • 1 carrot diced
  • 1 onion diced
  • ¼ of chicken diced
  1. In a pot sauté onions, carrots, and chicken
  2. When onion combo is  soft , transfer to (mini chopper or blender)
  3. Pour in some chicken broth and blend till smooth
  4. In same pot make a roué using “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!” and  flour  Add remaining chicken broth and onion blend back to pot stir till gravy thickenschicken pasty

Disclosure:  This post is a sponsored post for Unilever spreads

 

Cooking, Fitness Fridays

Beverage with a holiday kick!

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fruit in a glassSo I was at a my best friends wedding. I noticed that her dad looked fantastic,  I asked Frank what he was doing.  He sat me down and told me all about his NutriBullet.  He was making a cold gazpacho soup. He drank it every day.  Frank is a diabetic like me,  so I was wondering how his sugars are,  he said they are great.  Frank  is hoping to be off of his meds soon.  I was impressed,  he swore by the NutriBullet.   So because of Frank I have become interested in the smoothy crazy and what it can do for me.

So I recently received some information from Nutribullet,  about some holiday Ideas.  So I would like to share them with you:

Sniffle Snatcher

A tasty combination of vitamin C-rich ingredients, cayenne to reduce congestion, and rosemary to reduce inflammation and soothe a sore throat.

Ingredients:

1 cup kale

1 carrot

1 pear (cored and seeds removed)

1/2 cup cubed pineapple

Dash of cayenne pepper

Dash of fresh rosemary

Preparation: Add water to the max line of the large cup, and blast.

 

Sweet Apple Pumpkin Pie

An antioxidant-rich, protein-packed healthy dessert option so you can enjoy the flavors of the season guilt-free.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup organic silken tofu or organic Greek-style yogurt

1/2 cup canned pumpkin or cooked fresh pumpkin

1/2 apple (cut, cored, and seeds removed)

1 tablespoon raw almond butter

Pinch of cinnamon

Pinch of ground cloves

1-2 teaspoons pure maple syrup

1 cup almond milk

Preparation: Add ingredients to large cup and blast.

 

Flu Fighter

Vitamin C, antioxidants, and anti-bacterial ginger help keep the immune system at its peak during the winter months.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup spinach

1/2 cup Swiss chard

1/4 cup parsley

1 kiwi (peeled)

1/2 lime (peeled)

1 banana (peeled)

1/2 bell pepper (seeds and stem removed)

1 inch fresh ginger root (peeled)

 

Preparation: Add water to the max line of the large cup and blast.

 

Cranbanana Blast

Filled with heart-healthy nutrients and anti-viral properties, cranberries blend well with bananas and dates for a tart-sweet treat.

Ingredients:

1 cup spinach

1 ripe banana (peeled)

1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

2 dates

Preparation: Add water or almond milk to the max line of the large cup and blast.

 

Sweet Potato Pick-Me-Up

Complex carbs from the sweet potato will provide sustained energy, and cinnamon keeps blood sugar balanced.

Ingredients:

1/2 cooked sweet potato (skin on)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch cinnamon

Pinch nutmeg

1 cup ice cubes

Preparation: Add almond or coconut milk to the max line of the large cup and blast.


I do not own a NutriBullet yet,  but I hope there is one in my future with the holidays.. hint hint..

Do you juice, smoothy,  what is your favorite combo?