The Simple Cook

Making up for missed weeks with meatballs and fruit salad

2012-12-13T05:20:00.002-08:00

So, it's been a crazy few weeks. Strep throat hit both me and the little guy, then Jax had some weird virus, so I haven't had much of a chance to blog. Not to mention, December is CRAZY! I have actually done quite a bit of cooking though, and I took pictures along the way just in case they turned out good. :)

I'm really more excited for my next post than this one. I'm making some crazy easy Christmas treats this weekend and some of my favorite (super easy) cookies, so I'll post pics and directions for those next week. Just keeping my fingers crossed that the flu stays away from us. Does everyone have it? Apparently, the flu shot is not working. :(

So, let's start with meatballs first. My guys love meatballs. Usually, when I pick up my 2-year old from day care, he starts asking me if we're having meatballs for dinner. Every day. But, have you ever looked at the fat grams on the frozen Italian-style meatballs? Sheesh! It's very high, for like one meatball. So, I've been on the hunt for a much lower fat, easy meatball recipe. I found a decent one in one of my Campbell's recipe books recently. They are not quite as tasty as the full fat ones (for obvious reasons), but the kids gobbled them up just the same, so this recipe is a winner to me!

Turkey and Rice Meatballs

What You'll Need

1 pound ground turkey 2 cups cooked regular brown rice or regular long-grain white rice 1 egg 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 jar (24 ounces) Prego® Traditional Italian Sauce or Tomato, Basil & Garlic Italian Sauce

How to Make It

Mix the turkey, rice, egg, oregano, garlic powder and black pepper thoroughly in a medium bowl. Shape the turkey mixture firmly into 25 meatballs.
Heat the sauce in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.

I have to say, the meat mixture was super sticky and it was a little hard to shape them into firm meatballs, but they came out alright. Also, I did not have any oregano, but they still tasted pretty good. And, I did get 25 meatballs out of the mixture. I forgot to take the picture and remembered after I had already scooped some out.

Sam gobbling them up!

Jax wanting me to take his picture even though he hasn't taken a bite yet!

Five Cup Creamy Fruit Salad

And, to make up for skipping a few weeks, I'm also sharing my favorite potluck recipe. Could not be easier, and it usually gets gobbled up. Here's the rule though, you cannot bring it to any potluck that we are both attending, because it's MINE! ;) It is also a great side dish and can easily be doubled or tripled (although I have found that it is just enough for a potluck). Kid warning: It's not the most kid-friendly dish, especially if you have picky eaters like my two. Too much stuff mixed together for them.

What You'll Need

1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1-2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup sour cream*
*Don't be scared of the sour cream! It sounds weird, but all the sweetness from the other ingredients evens it all out. It's delicious!

How to Make It

Make sure your fruit is VERY well-drained or you will have a watery salad. Combine the oranges, pineapple, marshmallows, coconut, and sour cream. Stir until all mixed together. Refrigerate for 4-8 hours before serving. (My personal hint is don't get too crazy with the coconut. And, you can't have enough marshmallows. :) )
Variations: -Use vanilla yogurt in place of sour cream. -Use Pina Colada yogurt in place of sour cream. -Add 1/2 cup maraschino cherries. -Add chopped pecans for a crunch. -Top with corn flakes for a crunch. (I'm going to try this one next.) -Use Cool-Whip in place of sour cream.

Question of the Week

What is the easiest and yummiest dish/dessert that you make for the holidays?

Cream Cheese Brownies

2012-11-26T08:10:00.003-08:00

I learned something simple this Thanksgiving (related to cooking, that is). But, before I can tell you, I need to give you a little back story. For those of you who don't know, Clinton (my husband) and I grew up in the same town (Danville, VA). In fact, I had a huge crush on him in middle school. :) (Yes, girls, it can happen. You can marry the guy you are doodling about!) Our parents live about 2 miles from one another. Now that we are an old married couple with two kids, this comes in quite handy (although it can be tricky at times).

When we first got married, we did two Thanksgivings. Horrible. We couldn't really enjoy the food at either place. One at 2:00 and the other at 6:00. I felt like the bird. Stuffed. And, it felt super silly. I think we all simultaneously realized after the 2nd time we did this that we should all eat together. Share the load and enjoy one big family. This year was super special because Uncle Drew, Aunt Mery, and Uncle Max were all here too. Plus, my dad is doing better after a rough few months, so I was extra grateful.

Anyway, back to the story. Hiding behind my "bad" cook persona, I have not contributed much to Thanksgiving meals in the past. I might have helped my mom some or made some brownies, but certainly nothing significant. Last year, I made my first big contribution...pumpkin pie. I've linked to the recipe, but that's not what this blog is about (it is a complicated recipe, by my standards). Alright, alright, here's a picture (just 'cuz I am proud of it). :)

So, this year I decided I would and could contribute a decent dessert again. And, I wanted it to be simple so I could post it here. I found it! Cream Cheese Brownies (also known as Chess Squares). Anything with cream cheese in it is always good, but these were the hit of the dessert table (if I do say so myself!). Although, the amazing pumpkin roll my mom made took the prize for yummiest, complicated dessert by far! (And, yes, I am trying to convince her to start her own blog!)

I had some helpers this time. Jax (almost 5) loves to cook, which inspires me to get my cooking life in gear. I also had the benefit of cooking in my mom's kitchen and getting some much needed advice. Here is the simple cooking tip that I learned: any time you are baking something with a crust (like these brownies), my mom prefers to use a metal baking pan and not a glass one (I was wanting to use a casserole dish). Apparently, the crust is a little crispier with a metal pan. Years of experience speaking right there. I listened! Here are the results:

Cream Cheese Brownies

1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
4 cups (1 lb) powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 300 and spray a 9×13 dish with cooking spray. Mix cake mix, melted butter and one egg to a soft dough. Press into the bottom of the pan. Mix powdered sugar, softened cream cheese and remaining two eggs until smooth, about 1-2 mins. Pour on top of crust. Bake at 300 for 40-50 minutes until top is golden brown.

Read more at http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dessert/chess-squares.html#ixzz2D3KwkaV5

1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
4 cups (1 lb.) of powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Mix cake mix, melted butter, and 1 egg to a soft dough. Press into the bottom of the pan. Mix powdered sugar, softened cream cheese, and remaining 2 eggs until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Pour on top of crust. Bake at 300 degrees for 40-50 minutes until top is golden brown. Let them cool before you cut them up. Sprinkle with powder sugar to make them prettier.

Mixing up the crust with my helpers! (Good news, we only sacrificed two eggs.)

Spreading the cream cheese yummy part over the crust

The result! Yum!

Question of the Week

What is the one kitchen utensil/appliance that you hate?

Gingerbread Men vs. The Chicken Meal

2012-11-19T06:25:00.004-08:00

This idea came to me last night about 4:00 in the morning. I do my best, clearest thinking then. I have been wanting to blog for a long time, but I have been stuck on finding a topic. I tried a blog about my addiction to sugar, but, really, it was just me whining. I wanted to write something that was fun for me, but also helpful to other people. And, not too heavy or depressing. With the recent advent of Pinterest, I have uncovered some underlying interests of mine that I hadn't even realized were interests. When I think about what I pin the most, it is recipes. Now, this realization is very shocking to me. I am a self-proclaimed "bad" cook. I only cook for my little family, and even my husband makes his own meals (in my defense, he is a self-proclaimed nutrition-fanatic). However, the recipes I pin all have something in common. They are super simple. No more than 5-6 ingredients and they typically have four or fewer steps.And, being simple is not the only qualifier. The recipes I pin are usually good. I think I have a little knack for separating out the duds from the studs, you know what I mean? So, I'm going to start trying more recipes, posting the more successful ones, and sharing what I learn along the way.

It's actually ironic that the picture at the top of this blog includes a gingerbread man. And, in fact, that gingerbread man is the perfect representation of what I avoid. Just this past weekend, my oldest son Jax (almost 5) told me that he wants to make gingerbread men. Seriously?! Have you seen the list of ingredients for gingerbread cookies? I was done at flour. I do have flour, and I've probably had it for quite some time. At some point, my mom (an amazing cook) bagged it up and stuck it in my fridge to keep any would-be rodents out of it. But, it remains untouched. That's right, untouched. I don't do flour...at least not yet.

So, down with gingerbread men and on to my first recipe post. I'm going to start with the yummiest meal I've made recently. It doesn't really have a name, so I'm just going to call it Chicken Meal. Simple, right?! Oh yeah. All of my recipes are gathered (with respect) from others, but the pics are genuinely mine.

The Chicken Meal

What you need:

3-4 large chicken breasts, boneless and skinless (of course)
Green beans, drained (I use Allen's Cut Italian Green Beans), or any other green vegetable (I'm told broccoli is good too)
Red potatoes (I used about 4), quartered
1/2 stick of butter, melted
1 packet, Italian dressing mix

Arrange the chicken, beans, and potatoes in a 9x13 dish like below. Sprinkle everything with the packet of Italian dressing mix, and then top with the melted butter. Cover with foil, and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Yummm! I served this one with some crescent roll bread. Even the 2-year old ate every bite!

Question of the Week

How do you prepare green beans?