What's For Dinner: Tuscan Beans

One of the recipes I like to make for dinner is Tuscan Beans. I came across the recipe while looking for money-saving bean recipes. This recipe can be made inexpensively, or you can spend a little more on it - it all depends on your budget. It is based on a recipe I originally found on Food.com.


Tuscan Beans

Ingredients:

• 4 slices to 1 lb of bacon, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 c chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained*
• 1 (15 oz) can chopped tomatoes with juice (I use petite cut w/ some sort of Italian seasoning)
• 1 tsp dried sage
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• parmesan cheese, grated

*or equivalent of dried beans, cooked

Directions:

Saute bacon in a large skillet for 4 minutes. Add onion and garlic, saute until bacon is cooked and veggies are tender. Add beans, tomatoes, sage, salt, and pepper to the bacon/onion mixture in the skillet. Heat through, about 10-15 minutes. Taste, making sure to add seasoning if needed (the beans absorb a lot of it). Sprinkle with parsley and parmesan, serve.

The beans can also be baked in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated, if you prefer that method.



**Photo credit: stock.xchng

What's For Dinner: Chicken Meatballs with Sweet Peanut Sauce

For the most part, since we moved in with my parents, my mom and I have been either taking turns making dinner or collaborating. Tonight was a "my turn" night. I came across a recipe for Chicken Meatballs with Sweet Peanut Sauce in the most recent issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine, and thought it sounded yummy.


Since I can never seem to make a recipe the way it's written, here are my alterations:

• We seem to have a plethora of ground turkey in the deep freeze, so I chose to use that instead of chicken.
  
• My mom's cilantro has gone to seed, and the grocery store was out of fresh cilantro, so I used dried, and just guessed the amount.
  
• I used some sort of red spring onion, which I chopped, since that was what I had on hand.
• I used Bragg's Liquid Aminos instead of soy sauce. I will probably start out with a little less than the amount called for next time, as it was really salty the first time I tasted the sauce, causing me to add more honey.
  
• I used honey instead of sugar.
• We didn't have any peanuts, so I didn't use any for garnish.
• I didn't put 1/2 the sauce on the meatballs, as the recipe instructed, as my mom had stated that she doesn't care for peanut sauce. I served it on the side instead.
  
• I also added some garlic to the sauce, as I felt like it needed it, and cooked it on very low on the stove top, rather than microwaving it.

I will definitely make the recipe again. It was all really good, and I can see making the peanut sauce for other recipes, like Chicken Satay. I think next time I will try just baking the meatballs, rather than cooking them on the stove, however. I dished up my own plate by putting the meatballs on top of some rice, and ladling the sauce over top of it all. I doubled the recipe for 4 adults, 2 kids, and a toddler, but I guess I could have made more - the meatballs were completely gone when I went back for seconds!

**This post contains affiliate links.

Photo credit: Kate Sears

Tasty Tuesday - Magic Stew

Welcome! If you're here from the Ultimate Blog Party, please see my party post!


Today I'm sharing a dish based on a recipe in the book Beyond Macaroni and Cheese, by Mary Beth Lagerborg and Karen Parks.** I was fortunate enough to pick this book up several years ago at a moms group - they had a table where you could leave things you didn't want, and pick up things you did. Someone was getting rid of a copy, so I grabbed it. I've used it quite a bit, and would be sad to lose it!

The recipe I'm basing this off of is called "Magic Stew". I have tried to make stew in the past, and have just never been happy with the results. I hate coating the meat with flour and browning it, and then the meat always seems very tough when the stew is done. When I came across this recipe which didn't require browning the meat first, I thought I'd give it one more try. I thought there would be left-overs, but we devoured every last bit! It was really good, and the meat was TENDER! I've made it several times since then, and still have not had left-overs.


Step 1: Layer your cubed meat in the bottom of a casserole dish. I'm using my beloved Pampered Chef pan that I picked up BRAND NEW for $3 at a yard sale!!! I don't know what I'd do without it! Anyhow, I'm using venison as my meat, since it's what I was blessed with, and I'm trying to use up what's in my freezer before our move. The recipe calls for a pound of meat, if I recall, but I'm using about 2 pounds (still aiming for left-overs!).


Step 2: Cut your veggies into chunks, and layer over the meat. I used 4 carrots, 3 large red potatoes, an onion, and a package of sliced mushrooms. The original recipe does not call for mushrooms, and possibly not onions, either (my book is already packed, and I'm going from memory!). It does call for celery, which I have used, and is ok.


Step 3: Pour in your liquid. The recipe uses tomato juice, but I never buy tomato juice. This time, I'm using a can of tomato soup and about 2 cups of broth left over from some Italian beef. I'm using more liquid than it calls for, because I've basically doubled the recipe.


Step 4: Sprinkle a packet of onion soup mix over top - DO NOT STIR! I can't remember if this is in the recipe or not, but I think it is. I know I have done this step every time.

Step 5: Cover with foil, and bake at 350 300 degrees for 4 hours. [I baked it at 350 this time, which turned out to be a little too high. The meat was still good, but a little overcooked, and it would have been nice to have had a little more gravy in it.] DO NOT peek at it or check on it while it's doing its thing! I like to serve this with biscuits - my daughter makes great cheese ones!.


**This post DOES contain an affiliate link. However, the opinions posted are all mine. A copy of the book was NOT provided to me for this review - I already owned it.

Tasty Tuesday

Welcome to my second new theme day: Tasty Tuesday. That's right - recipe sharing! Last night I made a really yummy pasta dish from a little book my mom gave me on our recent visit, Rachael Ray Top 30 30-Minute Meals: Kid Food.


This book has several tasty-looking recipes that I am planning to try. Last night's recipe was "Peasant Pasta". She has a "grown-up" version on her website, but I couldn't find the exact recipe I used last night. Any how, it calls for 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, 28 oz. canned tomatoes, 1/2 c frozen peas, 1/2 c cream, 1/2 lb. penne pasta, and grated parmesan. I chose to substitute a package of fresh mushrooms for the peas, as I don't care for peas and tomatoes together. This was such an easy dish - just brown the sausage and mushrooms while the pasta is cooking, then after draining the pasta, dump everything else into the pot with the noodles. Cook it for a little bit longer, and - ta da! I took the book's suggestion to serve it with a loaf of crusty bread. This is one recipe that I will definitely be making again! Even my picky Wonder Boy seemed to like it!

What's For Dinner?

I have discovered that I shop more efficiently (in regards to both time and money) when I have an idea of what meals I'm going to make. I try to plan the majority of meals around things I need to use up in the fridge, and things in the pantry. I also tend to do my shopping for two weeks at a time. I do not assign meals to specific days, as I find the flexibility fits our life better. Here is my current two-week dinner menu:

* Baked potatoes with chicken alfredo sauce; California veggie blend
* Florentine stuffed pasta shells; tossed salad
* Chicken alfredo pizza (just cheese for the kids); tossed salad
* Applesauce pancakes; bacon
* Tuna melt sandwiches; peas
* Meatballs & rice; green beans
* Macaroni & cheese; carrots
* Meatloaf; mashed potatoes, peas
* Monte Cristo sandwiches; cantaloupe
* Chili; cornbread
* Mushroom soup & hot pockets
* Sloppy joes; green beans
* Baked chicken; carrots
* Little Caesar's pizza

BTW, the picture above is of the beer-can chicken and roasted potatoes I made a couple of weeks ago. They looked so good, I just had to take a picture!