Working moms doing the best we can, one moment at a time
You don’t have to make a pact with the devil to enjoy pasta on Halloween. Tonight I kept things simple by boiling angel hair pasta and adding a handful of flavorful ingredients.
Toss baby spinach in with the boiling pasta, just before draining and reserve some liquid in the pot. Add 1/3 to half a cube of butter, a quick pour of olive oil, a handful of chopped pecans, plus salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese to taste. Trick or treat?
Chopped Caprese salad and green beans over rice. Veggies from @farmfreshtoyou.
Thankful for family, meatballs and mashed potatoes!
Who knew? Tortillas can be “toastered” into pretty (bubbly) flat bread. Inspired by @everydayfood toasting unexpected things in a recent issue.
Once upon a time I made homemade Pad Thai. I used a similar method the other night to clean out the limited items in my fridge, this time using rice noodles, corn, spinach and egg (cooked in garlic). The sauce consisted of soy sauce and brown sugar – but the original recipe calls for lime.
Basically, you saute two chopped cloves of garlic, scramble two eggs in the same pan, and then set aside. Meanwhile soak the noodles as instructed. Saute the spinach and corn in the same pan used for the eggs; remove. Saute the noodles with the sauce, then mix back in all the other ingredients.
It’s a light way to enjoy the Thai fan favorite. We ate the entire batch in one sitting!
Tis the season for homemade lasagna. I made my very first batch on one of those “clean out the fridge” nights before vacation. Using a recipe for “Roasted Vegetable Lasagna” from Everyday Food, I modified the types of cheese and vegetables, using ricotta, mozzarella, diced tomatoes, spinach, peas and no-bake lasagna noodles.
Tonight I made David-style lasagna (i.e. heavy on the dairy products) from an Epicurious recipe adapted with homemade bechamel sauce, spinach, mozzarella, and three kinds of cheese (parmesan, mozzarella, cheddar and cottage – hey I was desperate). Because I used a larger pan, the layers weren’t as thick. I’d recommend sticking to a 9×13 or 9×9 pan for a thicker bite. Still delicious though!
Turns out there are endless variations of vegetarian lasagna. You can swap out the veggies, cheese and red/white sauce to your liking. It’s not hard, it just takes time.
I’m no stranger to turkey meatloaf and meatballs. In the past I’ve written tabloid-like posts about “Killer Meatloaf” and “Best Meatloaf Ever,” which may sound extreme given it’s not the most glamorous dish. But meatloaf is comforting and cozy for fall, and turkey keeps it light.
I’ve experimented with different ways to keep the lean meat tender and most, and to avoid the rubbery effect. Tonight I used pear instead of apples, along with gorgonzola crumbles. Another trick to add to the list along with shredded apples, honey, or pumpkin.
Happy Fall!