A Cooking Baker

I love chimichurri!   What is it, you ask?  It's a condiment, sort of like pesto, maybe, and it's Argentinian in origin.  The first time I had it was at a wedding reception, and it was served with some beef kebabs.  It was AWESOME.  So of course, when I got home, I hit the Internet, and started searching for some chimichurri recipes.  Here's one I made not too long ago - it was very good - love the fresh, herby flavor! Serve chimichurri with beef, pork, chicken - it works with anything.  You can also use it to marinate meat before grilling.  Try it this week! Chimichurri 1 c. packed flat-leaf parsley leaves 1/2 c. packed cilantro leaves 1/4 c. fresh oregano leaves (optional) 2 tbsp. white onion, chopped  2 cloves garlic, chopped 2-3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar 1/2 tsp. crushed red chile pepper 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper Finely chop the parsley, fres...

Yesterday we watched baseball in the rain, and the temp was in the 40's.   It took too long to thaw out, so I didn't get a meal plan done last night.  We've got a crazy week as a family, so here are some of the things I'm planning on - I have almost all of the ingredients on hand so we can be flexible, but avoid random trips to the store.  Feel free to share your go-to meal(s) when your family is on the go in the comments! Burgers & Brats with veggies and chips or fries Chicken kebabs with bell peppers, red onions, and zucchini with salads Breakfast sandwiches, hash browns, and fresh fruit Penne with veggies, with side salads Ricotta, herb & tomato flatbreads with salads Leftover pepper steak from the freezer over some rice or noodles

Have you ever realized you're missing an ingredient after you started making dinner? I usually take stock of ingredients before I start, but tonight I swore I had BBQ sauce, and I planned to make BBQ Chicken Caesar Wraps.  Well, chicken's on the grill, and I have no BBQ sauce.  Oops...   So, I finished grilling the chicken and the asparagus I had on, and then I went inside to brainstorm.  I found some quinoa, but since it takes about 20-25 minutes, I needed something faster - the husband was on the way home, and the kids were hungry!  Ah-ha!  Couscous!  It's quick (under 10 minutes), so I threw some water on, and got that going.  I dug in the fridge and found a little bit of feta cheese and some sun-dried tomatoes hiding in the back of the fridge.  I chopped up a handful of the sun-dried tomatoes, and threw those into the couscous with a big clove of garlic I squished in the garlic press.  Then I sliced up the grilled chicken and...

I'm lacking consistency with the meal plans lately - sorry, everyone!  If you're in need of some inspiration, you can always search older posts with meal plans for some ideas.  Here's a general plan for this week - I'll firm it up once I get it figured out: Simple Beef Chili (we have some in the freezer) Pork Carnitas (freezer meal) Salads - lots of veggies in the fridge Sloppy Joes Asian Marinated Chicken

I love the Internet! It's 4:30pm, and I forgot to marinate the chicken for the "naked" (no tortilla) chicken fajitas I had planned for dinner.  I'm at my computer, so I Google "chicken fajita recipes" and find some I like, and here's what happened - an easy, delish marinade I was able to make with ingredients I had on hand that the whole family liked. Perfect! You can do them "naked" too, or wrap them in a tortilla, or top a salad, etc.  I actually had tortillas out, and no one went for one - not even the kids!  It's great to see everyone getting on board with healthier changes.  This could easily be done for a freezer meal - just throw it all together in a bag, knead to coat, and freeze.  Thaw in the fridge, throw on the grill, and dinner is ready! Chicken Fajitas 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts 2 tbsp. olive oil 2 big cloves of garlic, minced juice of half a lemon (I'd say 2 tbsp. worth, so maybe a whole one if ...

I don't like to veer TOO far off the beaten path with pizza. But occasionally, I see something I just have to try - or give another try!  I've had BBQ Chicken Pizza before, and not been wowed, but I gave it another shot, and it was pretty tasty, actually.  This works great as an appetizer, dinner tonight, or as a freezer meal. I'm guessing on amounts here - I kind of just sprinkled ans tweaked as I went.  This made 1 pizza that was about 9" x 12". BBQ Chicken Pizza 1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked & diced 1 cup-ish fontina cheese, shredded 1/2 cup provolone cheese, shredded 1/2 cup to 1 cup your favorite BBQ sauce (I don't like it too sweet) 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped red pepper flakes, if you like 1 par-baked pizza crust (make your own, or purchase) I lightly brushed some BBQ sauce on the crust, but you can skip that if you like, and drizzle some over top instead, or whatever floats you...

Still hunting for some new freezer meals... Here's another freezer meal or something you can prep and make for dinner tonight!   When you find pork tenderloins on sale, stock up - they're so versatile - you can feed a crowd with a fancy platter of sliced medallions, or build sandwiches for something more casual.  I steer clear of the pre-marinated ones - I like to know what the ingredients are, and control the flavors myself. Balsamic Rosemary Pork Tenderloin 2 (1 pound) pork tenderloins 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 2 Tbs soy sauce 2 Tbs olive oil 1 Tbs minced garlic 1 Tbs brown sugar 1 tsp of grated fresh ginger (or 1/2 tsp ground) 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary Combine ingredients in a freezer storage bag and "knead" to mix. Add pork tenderloins. Seal bag and refrigerate overnight (less works, but at least 6-8 hours is preferred).  If you're doing it as a freezer meal, throw it in the freezer, and when you're ready, thaw overnight in the fridge.    T...