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In The Kitchen: 6 Fast and Delicous Freezer Meals

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Terry

Here is what was purchased for the “Big Cook”. I spent approximately $135.00 for everything and got approximately 24 freezer meals

**Don’t miss our current giveaway for vinyl house numbers…CLICK HERE TO ENTER**

A few weeks ago my dear friend Amanda and I decided to get together for something I like to call “The Big Cook”. I am not sure why I choose that title as there was more prepping than actual cooking but that is the name that stuck. Amanda and I are both expecting our third baby and knew we needed to create an inventory of healthy and wholesome family meals that could easily be reheated or simply cooked in a crock pot. Knowing what lies ahead (sleepless nights and the demands of 3 hungry children!) we planned out six healthy and EASY recipes that will feed our families over the next few months. Amanda has since welcomed a beautiful baby girl- congratulations to her and her wonderful family!

1. Enchilada Chicken (No Pre-Cooking Required)

This was a new recipe that I took a gamble on and it sure paid off. I am not one to typically use canned/processed sauces but I gave it a try for this recipe. The key was to keep things simple and easy since we were trying to accomplish so much in one afternoon. It is a fantastic recipe although I do hope to come up with an alternative unprocessed sauce for my next “big cook”.

Ingredients:

I bought a large sleeve of chicken and made this meal x 4. It took very little time to prep the vegetables and assemble.

3 boneless chicken breasts
1 can enchilada sauce
1 sliced onion
1 sliced bell pepper
1 can of black beans
3/4 cup cheddar cheese

Freezer Meal Directions:

Place all ingredients in a gallon zip lock freeze bag.
Freeze

Cooking Directions:

Thaw freeze meal
Place in crock pot and cook on high for 4-6 hours until chicken is falling apart.
Shred chicken with a fork and serve with your favorite fixings.
Fixing Ideas: corn tortillas, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, avocado, rice (fixing of your choice)

Image Courtesy of Tasteofhome.com

2. Cincinnati Chili (makes 3 freezer meals)

Image courtesy of AllRecipes.com

Don’t be afraid of the cinnamon or chocolate as this recipe is fantastic and it is a staple in my home. My husband and my oldest son love Cincinnati Chili. You can make it as spicy or mild as you and your family prefers. Typically, this chili is served over pasta however I usually eat mine over spaghetti squash or simply in a bowl. Sour cream, raw onions, cheddar cheese, oyster crackers and/or Fritos are popular toppings for this savory chili.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 LB ground beef
2 TBSP butter, coconut oil or bacon grease
1 large onion diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSP chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne
2 tsp dried oregano
3 TBSP cocoa powder (you can add more to your taste preference)
1/2 tsp allspice
3 TBSP Cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cups tomato sauce
4 cups chicken or beef stock
2 TBSP cider vinegar
2 tsp dark brown sugar (can be omitted if you don’t like to add sugar)
1 can kidney beans (can be omitted or substituted for other beans)
Salt to taste

Freezer Meal Directions:

In a large dutch oven heat your butter/oil. Add in onions until soft. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. I usually use a potato masher to ensure the ground beef is broken up.
Stir in all the spices and combine until fragrant.
Stir in the tomato sauce, broth and beans. Stir to combine.
Laddle chili into 3 freezer bags and freeze.

Cooking Instructions

Take chili out of freeze and defrost.
Place contents into crock pot on high for 2 hours or stove stop for 1 hour.
Accompaniments: Spaghetti/pasta, cheddar cheese, sour cream, Fritos, oyster crackers, chopped raw onion

3. Slow Cooker Shredded Beef (this made 2 meals and does not require pre-cooking although I chose to do so)

Image Courtesy of mykitchenaddiction.com

I have made this 3-4 times over the past month as it is simply tender and delicious comfort food at its finest. I don’t know why it has taken me so long to figure out the right way to cook a pot roast but it was worth the trial and error. There is no turning back now, this is by far my favorite comfort meal.

Ingredients:

3lb chuck roast/pot roast
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 packet of Lipton onion soup mix
2 tsp black pepper
Beef Broth (optional)

Freezer Directions: I usually follow the cooking instructions below because it takes a long time to cook. That way, I can simply defrost and reheat for a quick and easy supper.

Pour soy sauce, onion soup mix and black pepper into freezer bag. Mix the ingredients together until combined.
Place roast inside bag and freeze.

Cooking Instructions:

Defrost Meat and place in crock pot.
Add water or beef stock until roast is almost covered, approx 1/2 inch from top of roast.
Cover and cook for up to 22 hours on LOW. Yes, I does say 22 hours but I have never had to cook it for that long. I typically put it in the crock pot at night and by mid morning it is done (12-15 hours or cooking). I do this the time is necessary as it will make the roast fall apart deliciously and it give the liquid time to adsorb and concentrate into the meat.

4. Oven Baked Shredded Pork Shoulder:

This is another long roasting recipe that really pays off to have to in your freezer. I typically place the roast on low in my oven overnight and wake up to tender and delicious shredded pork. I make a variety of dinners with the shredded meat like: pulled pork sandwiches, pork carnitas and sometimes a pork & sweet potato frittata. It quickly reheats for a fast and tasty dinner.

Ingredients:

Large pork shoulder or boston butt pork roast
Salt and pepper

Cooking Directions:

preheat over 225
Liberally cover the pork shoulder/roast with salt and pepper
Place in oven on middle rack and allow it to cook from 8-16 hours.
You cannot mess this up, leave it and allow it to just gently roast.

Freezing Instructions:

Remove pork roast from oven and allow it to cool so you are able to handle it.
Shred pork and separate into 3-4 zip lock freezer bags
Freeze until needed
Defrost when ready to use, place in crock pot on low with desired flavorings/sauces to reheat.

5. Muffin Tin Meatloaf (No Pre-Cooking Require)

Image Courtesy of My Blessed Life

I love to use muffin tins when making and freezing meatloaf as it is so easy grab the exact amount you need for a quick and easy family dinner.
The recipe below says that it serves 8 although I got almost 24 muffin sized meatloaves. If you prefer to keep your meatloaf to one pan, you probably will get 2 medium sized loaves from the recipe below. I cooked my muffin tin meatloaves and then froze them. I simply pull them from the freezer and reheat when needed.

Ingredients:

3 lb ground lean beef
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 small green pepper (chop finely)
1 small onion (chop finely)
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/3 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp hot sauce
1 1/2 cup tomato sauce, divided

Cooking & Freezing Directions:

Combine first 9 ingredients in large bowl, stir in 1 cup tomato sauce.
Shape mixture into 2 loaves or place in prepared muffin tin. Wrap loaves tightly and freeze for 1 month.
Remove from freezer and let thaw overnight in fridge.
Heat oven to 350. Place meat loaf on cookie sheet pan. Pour 1/2 cup tomato sauce on top. Place 4 bacon slices on each loaf. Bake for 1 hr and let stand for 10 mins before serving.

6. Cheddar Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

5 large baking potatoes
1/4 cup butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups frozen yellow corn
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 qt half and half
3 cups milk
1 tsp salt
1/8 ground white pepper

Cooking Directions

Prick each potato several times with fork. Place in microwave for 20 mins until soft.
Peel potatoes and cut and mash.
Melt butter in dutch oven on medium heat. Add onions and corn and sauté until tender. Add flour, stirring till smooth. Place in potatoes, half and half, and all remaining ingredients.
Cook for 15 mins-30 on medium/low heat until all ingredients are well combined. Soup should be thick due to the “smashed” potatoes.
Top and garnish with cheese, bacon, crushed and green onions.

Freezing Instructions

Cool the soup and divide evenly into freezer bags. Freeze until needed.
Pull from freezer, thaw and reheat on stove top for a wonderful & creamy soup.

Bon Appetite!

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Posted in chicken, Cooking/Recipes, Healthy Eating, In the Kitchen Series, Low Carb, Paleo, Uncategorized, Whole Foods | Tagged beef, chowder, corn, crock pot, freezer, freezer meals, Healthy Eating, Pork, Recipe, Slow cooker, vegetables, Vegetarian | 3 Comments

Yummiest Bread Recipe Ever–Italian Peasant Bread

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Christy

First, a few words that have nothing to do with bread!

Today my post is going to be short and sweet. If you follow us on Facebook {and if you don’t, you should!}, then you know that our newly adopted golden retriever, Sunny, just had knee surgery last week. Sunny is nine years old and suffered tremendous neglect all of his life. I won’t tell you the details, because you will cry, and who needs that on a Monday morning?! When he was surrendered to the rescue, he weighed 145 pounds, hadn’t been to the vet since he was a year old, and probably hadn’t been bathed or had his nails trimmed in the same amount of time.

Here he is when he was first surrendered to the rescue:

Anyway, our poor boy is down to 110 pounds, but a lifetime of being obese caused him to tear the canine equivalent of his ACL. Since we had just adopted him, our wonderful, fabulous local rescue organization {Middle Tennessee Golden Retriever Rescue} agreed to pay for his surgery (I’m not sure if we could have done it otherwise) and he should make a full recovery.

Here’s Sunny now–his eyes still look kind of sad, but I promise that he has the BEST life with us!

All that being said, I don’t have any fabulous projects that I’ve completed over the weekend. I’m too busy icing Sunny’s knee, doing passive range of motion exercises, and helping him outside! Oh, yes, and vacuuming–nothing like having two golden retrievers to get you vacuuming every. single. day!

So I thought I’d use today’s post to share one of my very favorite recipes with you. I love baking bread, and most times I use whole wheat flour, but this is one time where I gladly cheat. I make it exactly as the recipe says, usually mixing the dough in my bread machine and then finishing it in the oven, although you can easily do the entire recipe by hand if you don’t have a bread machine. It tastes almost exactly like the bread at Macaroni Grill, and it is absolutely delicious!

With thanks to Jamie Renee, who published the recipe on Food.com. Great job!

Italian Peasant Bread for Bread Machine Recipe

Ingredients:

3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons rosemary
1 tablespoon yeast
additional rosemary (to garnish)
salt (to garnish)

Directions:

1. Place ingredients, according to manufacturer’s directions into your bread machine.
(some call for all liquids, or all dry ingredients first, so know your machine)

2. Set machine to “dough cycle” and wait. (This takes most machines about an hour and a half for a full cycle).

3. Remove from machine when cycle is complete and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.

4. Shape dough by hand, into a rectangular mound, spreading kind of thin, maybe an inch or two of thickness.

5. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled in size. (This is a good time to go ahead and turn the oven on to preheat and help warm the kitchen).

6. Brush with a little olive oil, sprinkle with rosemary and salt if desired. (This is the way its done at Macaroni Grill).

7. Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes until crust is golden and crispy. Bread is meant to be a flatter shape and not a high rising bread.

8. Have everyone tear their pieces of bread with their hands, and serve with olive oil flavored with fresh ground pepper.

Enjoy!

Posted in In the Kitchen Series | Tagged bread, Italian, Macaroni Grill, machine, Recipe | 6 Comments

The Best Make~Ahead Cinnamon Roll Recipe EVER!

Posted on December 26, 2012 by Christy

It’s December 26th, and there’s a good chance you’ve exceeded your maximum caloric intake for the day/week/month/year already. BUT, don’t we get to feast until the New Year and then start our diets?!

This is the best cinnamon roll recipe EVER, and I have made quite a few, including my grandmother’s (delicious) and Pioneer Woman’s (also yummy). There are a couple of reasons I like this one so much. First, the dough gets mixed in a bread machine. While I make lots of bread from scratch, sometimes it’s nice to be able to dump the ingredients in the bread machine and do something else while it does the work. Yes, you can mix the dough by hand if you don’t have a bread machine. Second, you can make the rolls the day before, cover the pan and let them rise in the fridge overnight. Then bake and frost the next morning (I also make the frosting the day before) and enjoy. Third, they are slap-your-momma good. Seriously! Why not try them for your New Years’ Day breakfast? That way, if your head aches from too much champagne, all the work is already done for you.

I claim no credit for this recipe. I found it on my favorite recipe site, AllRecipes.com, where it has 4,916 reviews and a five-star rating. That means there are over 314 million people in the US alone who don’t know about this recipe! And what about the rest of the world?! Out of the goodness of my heart, here it is:

Clone of a Cinnabon by Marsha Fernandez (click to go to original recipe)

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup margarine, melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Filling:

1 cup brown sugar, packed
2-1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (you can use the fancy kind if you want, but it’s great with the plain old grocery store brand)
chopped pecans, if desired (because they make my husband happy)
1/3 cup butter, softened

Frosting:

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.
After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
Roll dough into a 16×21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. (Christy’s note: add chopped pecans if you’d like. My kids prefer not to have nuts, so I do half and half). Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). (Christy’s note: This is where I cover them and put them in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, I take them out and let them come to room temperature and rise for up to two hours, and then I bake them).
Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract and salt. (Christy’s note: I make the frosting the day before, too, and store it in the fridge. Pull it out when you take the rolls out to rise the next morning). Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

I bake these a little longer than 15 minutes, sometimes up to 18-20 minutes. I try to find the balance between letting the tops get too brown and having the uncooked doughy center (I hate that!). These are SO delicious, and I usually serve them with fresh strawberries or pineapple. You can thank me later!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Posted in Christmas, Cooking/Recipes, Entertaining | Tagged best, bread machine, cinnamon roll, frosting, holiday, make ahead, Recipe | 4 Comments

A Sweet Christmas Treat–Cherry Limeade Recipe

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Christy

As a part of our homeschool experience, my children are involved in a once-a-week tutorial program. The wonderful tutorial my kids attend gives them a day of enrichment–art, music, drama, creative writing, Bible, science lab, and PE for my daughter, and some very intense math, history, and English classes for my son. So even though I thought I’d hung up my “Room Mom” credentials a few years ago, it turns out that the tutorial program has a Christmas party, too. And hey, I’m not going to be a Scrooge about it–we should celebrate Christmas every chance we get, in my opinion!

The seventh graders in my son’s class were craving a little sugar this morning (when are they not?!). They start the day with algebra and need all the energy they can muster. I found some darling red and white striped paper straws at Home Goods last week and decided I wanted to contribute a drink so I could use them.

I’m addicted to Sonic’s cherry limeade, and I’ve tried a few different recipes before. This is a tweak of several of them, but you might want to taste as you go since some like it sweet and some like it tart!

~Cherry Limeade~

1 Two-liter lemon-lime soda

1 jar maraschino cherries

1 c. fresh lime juice (Yes, you can cheat and use the bottled kind! No judgment here!)

1/2 c. sugar (more or less to taste)

Mix all the ingredients together, including the juice from the jar of cherries, and stir until the sugar dissolves. I cheated this morning and used bottled lime juice, although the fresh really does taste better. When I use fresh limes, I cut them up after I juice them and throw them into the mix–they look so pretty with the cherries. If you don’t have limes or lime juice, a can of frozen limeade concentrate will do in a pinch, although this will make a tarter batch of cherry limeade. It’s not rocket science, though!

The fun part is garnishing the glass and the pitcher. Of course, I pulled out my darling striped straws, and some red and white napkins from Target. I used one of my favorite printables EVER–the “Drink Me” Mad-Hatter-inspired labels–to dress up the pitcher, along with a red ribbon {visit Betsy at B. Nute Productions to print out the Eat Me/ Drink Me labels–clicking the photo below will take you to her site. While you’re there, take a look around–her other stuff is *awesome*}.

Mad Hatter Eat Me Drink Me Printable Tags from B. Nute Productions

They downed the entire pitcher, so it looks like it was a hit!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Posted in Christmas, Entertaining | Tagged cherry, cherry limeade, drink, lime, paper straws, Printables, Recipe | 4 Comments

Turning 37 in Style {Party Menu}

Posted on June 29, 2012 by Terry

Fashionista Party!!

A couple weeks ago I turned 37 and hosted a fashion birthday party to celebrate in style. You can check out all the fun party details HERE if you missed the first post. It was so much fun to shop with all my girlfriends inside my own home. We drank, we ate, we shopped, and just celebrated all the things that women love.

I am back to share the menu that I choose for this party because it was quick and easy, perfect for any celebration.

Inspiration for my own"Make Your Own Mimosa Bar from Every Scrap Countz

I had found this photo (above) on Pinterest a while back and it inspired me to have my own “Make Your Own Mimosa Bar”. Who doesn’t like champagne and doesn’t it just go hand and hand with shopping and celebrating??? It is easy to stock (just buy your favorite champagne) and some pure fruit juice or puree. I offered four different kinds of “add-ins”.

Mimosa Bar Flavors

Mimosa (Champagne and Orange Juice)
Bellini (Champagne and Peach Puree)
Razzle Dazzle (I made up this name but it is simply Champagne and Raspberry Puree)
Strawberry Fizz (Another made up name but simply Champagne and Strawberry Puree)

Make your own Mimosa Bar

To go with the champagne, I served a few of my favorite easy to make appetizers.

Goat Cheese and Scallion Crostini

Amy introduced me to this easy entertaining appetizer and it seems to be a staple at each and every party we host (alone or together!). It is so fresh, fragrant, colorful and the EASIEST APPETIZER EVER! Seriously, it has FOUR ingredients and takes less then FIVE minutes to make, but your guests will never know.

Ingredients

One loaf of french bread, sliced
One bunch scallions (green onions)
One package of goat cheese, softened
olive oil

Directions

Turn on your broiler so your oven is ready
Puree the scallions (white and green parts) in a food processor, adding olive oil until it resembles a sauce (don’t over mix, you just want it to be spreadable)
Spread the scallions/olive oil on french bread, then spread a nice chunk of goat cheese on top.
Broil 2 to 3 minutes until golden, serve immediately & enjoy!!

Caprese Skewers

Caprese Skewers

Here is another simple hors d’ oeuvre that uses three very fresh ingredients and is always a popular choice. It take a tiny bit of time to skewer each one together but once you are done, they look and taste wonderful.

Ingredients

Fresh mozzarella (the small round balls)
Fresh basil
Grape tomatoes
Balsamic glaze (optional)
Salt & pepper
Toothpicks or kabob skewers

Directions

Slice grape tomatoes in half
Create an assembly line of skewers, cheese, basil and tomatoes
Skewer a mozzarella ball, a basil leaf and 1/2 a tomato onto each skewer (flat side down)
Serve on a pretty white platter or in a fancy glass
Drizzle with balsamic vinegar or glaze (glaze can be purchased at most stores in the vinegar aisle and is thicker and sweeter than most balsamic vinegars)
Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste

We also enjoyed cupcakes, however there isn’t a recipe as they came from Wegman’s and they were delicious! After all, what’s a birthday party without {a little} cake?

I hope your next birthday celebration is at tasty as mine was!!

Thanks for stopping by,

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Posted in Birthday Parties, Cooking/Recipes, Entertaining, Events | Tagged appetizer, birthday party, champagne, crostini, easy entertaining, entertaining, Fashion, fashionista party, Recipe, recipes | 1 Comment

Summer Strawberry Lemon Vojito

Posted on May 27, 2012 by Amy

Welcome to summer!!!

Not to long ago, I had a similar drink to this in a local chain restaurant.

It was good.

Very good.

I love mojitos. I rarely make them as I prefer to only have them when Christy’s husband makes them, as they are the best! {And that recipe is HERE}

It’s strawberry season here where I live, so the timing was perfect to try to make my own version of this drink. With my husband’s help, we managed to come up with what has definitely become my new favorite ‘summer’ drink.

You can modify this however you like, it’s the perfect drink on a hot day as it’s served over ice, and the bubbles from the club soda make it kind of fun.

I used raspberry vodka only because I had it on hand, we mostly use regular vodka and just flavor it accordingly, but in this case the flavor difference between raspberry and strawberry wasn’t a big deal. We also sometimes use lemon-flavored vodka because it brings more “lemon” into the drink–but whatever you have is fine.

Traditional mojitos are made with rum, not vodka, which explains the “Vo” instead of the “Mo” in “Mojito” (in case it wasn’t obvious?)

Like in Chris’s mojitos, you first need to muddle the strawberries with the fresh mint.

I use a gadget from Pampered Chef –I think it was for making mini-tarts? I use it for mojitos — I don’t have a muddler, but you could use anything that crushes the mint with the fruit together and infuses their flavors.

We then add the fruit and mint to a glass with ice. From there you add the liquid, since my husband bartended his way through college, his measurements are more by intuition, but I am going to approximate. Feel free to tweak it to your liking.

Add 1 to 2 oz simple syrup (made with equal parts sugar and boiling water, then cooled), then 1 to 2 oz vodka, 2 oz lemonade, and finish with club soda. The peach schnapps will give the drink more sweetness but also more alcohol–so that’s an optional addition. You can add more or less lemonade depending on your strength preference.

Stir it up well and enjoy!

Hope you are having a spectacular Memorial Day weekend!

We at 11 Magnolia Lane offer our deepest gratitude to all who have, or are currently, serving this great country.

Enjoy!

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Posted in Cooking/Recipes, Entertaining | Tagged alcohol, drink recipe, mojito, Recipe, strawberries, summer, vojito | Leave a comment

In the Kitchen with 11 Magnolia Lane: Sesame Grilled Pork Chops with Green Apple Slaw

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Terry

: Click on the “In the Kitchen with 11 Magnolia Lane” Button to read about our new series

It has been four months since I have changed my eating habits (and began work on this meal plan series!) and I have noticed some serious changes. The biggest change I’ve made in my diet is to give up bread, pasta, flour, crackers, pretzels and as much processed food as possible. I still indulge here and there, but it usually leaves me feeling terrible. That result really has helped me curb my cravings for sugar and processed foods. Why eat something if the end result makes you feel terrible? Now, don’t get me wrong– I still drink wine (and even the occasional cosmopolitan ). I will definitely enjoy a homemade dessert once in a while without any hesitation. I am just trying to ensure that I am aware of what I eat, when I eat it and why I am eating it (is it to benefit my health or did I have a bad day and feel I need chocolate?).

Among the physical changes I have experienced are weight loss and inches off my waist line. That was never my personal goal but it sure is a nice bonus:). My goal was simply to feel more energized. I felt like I was walking around in a fog and I grew tired of that low energy feeling. Managing the sugar (breads, pasta, rice…) has reduced my body from spiking insulin and therefore I am no longer crashing through out the day. My energy is back which has allowed me to give more of time to my kids, my home, my nutrition, the gym and of course, this blog.

One of the best things I have learned from this journey is that no two bodies are alike so people really need individualized meal plans to feel great. I am not advocating a low carbohydrate meal plan for everyone but this is how I cook and it works well for me and my family (and lots of my friends too). The second thing I have learned is that you have to continually educate & advocate for yourself. I just read an amazing article about eating high fat foods (good fats like avocado and nut oils) are essential to losing weight. Isn’t that amazing. You really should check out the article here as I found it fascinating. We live in this low fat/chemical word and now science is proving that philosophy wrong. You have to be your own advocate and I hope that some of the meals I provide inspire you to take action in your own the kitchen and your own personal health.

Here is another yummy recipe option to add to your own personal recipe book and here is the spring shopping week 2.

Sesame Grilled Pork Chops and Green Apple Slaw

Sesame Grilled Pork Chops with Green Apple Slaw

INGREDIENTS:

4-6 pork chops (boneless or bone-in)
1 bottle of your favorite sesame marinade
1 cup mayo
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1 medium green cabbage, shredded
1 medium sweet onion
1 carrot
2 tart green apples
Salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Marinade pork chops 30 minutes prior to cooking.
Grill pork chops for approx. 5-6 minutes the first side and 3-4 minutes on the opposite side. Let stand 5 minutes after you remove them from the grill.
For the slaw, shred the cabbage, onion and carrot into large bowl. Thinly slice the apple, match-stick style.
Combine the mayo. sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper in a mason jar and shake well until combined.
Pour over the slaw and let sit for a few hours to ensure the flavors come together.
Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by~

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Posted in Cooking/Recipes, In the Kitchen Series | Tagged Healthy Eating, In the Kitchen, Low Carb, Pork, Recipe, slaw | 2 Comments

In the Kitchen with 11 Magnolia Lane, Tomato Basil Bisque Soup & Avocado Chef’s Salad

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Terry

Click on the "In the Kitchen with 11 Magnolia Lane" Button to read about our new series

So…. how are you all liking the Spring Menu so far?

I have really been enjoying the meals on the new spring menu and all the staples the spring harvest offers. I continue to be amazed by the power of real food and how much I enjoy cooking it.

Here is a recipe from my Spring Menu that you are sure to love. The salad is light & healthy and the soup is creamy & comforting. The perfect combo for those chilly spring showers.

Avacado Chef's Salad with Ranch Dressing

Avocado Chef’s Salad

Ingredients

1 large bunch Arugula
1 large bag of pre-washed spinach
1 ripe avocado, sliced
2 Roma tomato, sliced
1 English cucumber, sliced matchstick style
1 yellow pepper, diced
1/4 lb deli ham, diced
1/2 sweet onion, sliced thin

Directions

Wash all veggies, spinach and arugula
Toss the spinach and arugula to combine leaves. Place in a large serving bowl.
Place tomatoes in each corner
Place cucumber in opposite corners
Sprinkle the peppers and onions over the top of the salad
Neatly lay the avocado slices in the center of the salad and sprinkle with the diced ham
Serve with your favorite ranch dressing (this is mine if I don’t have time to make it from scratch).

Tomato Basil Bisque

Ingredients:

5 Ripe Roma tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1/2 cup heavy cream (omit and double broth if you are Paleo)
One 12 ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 cup tomato juice (I used Mrs. T’s bold and spicy bloody mary mix)
1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar
1 bay leaf
Fresh Basil, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Red chili flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan Cheese, grated for garnish (optional)

Directions

Preheat grill and brush grate with a bit of canola oil
Brush tomato halves with olive oil. Grill them until nicely charred and soft on both sides, 2-3 minutes.
In a deep saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Cook onion until soft, approximately 3-4 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Add tomato paste, stir well and cook for 2-3 minutes. Mix in broth, and scrape off all the goodies stuck to the bottom of the pan. Bring the liquid to a low boil.
Add in the grilled tomatoes, canned tomatoes and tomato juice and bring it up to a simmer. Add sugar, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, chili flakes (optional) and salt & pepper. Simmer for 20-25 minutes until soup is combined and flavorful.
Remove from heat and remove bay leaf.
With an immersion blender (a regular blender or food processor will also work), puree soup until smooth.
Return soup to the pot and medium. Mix in cream, bring soup to a simmer and cook for another 5-10 minutes. You want the soup to be a beautiful shade of deep orange.
Remove from heat, garnish with basil and Parmesan cheese.
Enjoy

{While you are here, don’t forget to enter our giveaway for a Printable Party Package by leaving a comment on this post HERE–giveaway ends 5/3!}

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Posted in Cooking/Recipes, In the Kitchen Series | Tagged Avacado, Healthy Eating, healthy recipes, Low Carb, Low-carb recipes, Paleo, Recipe, salad, Spring Menu, Tomato Bisque | 1 Comment

Sneak a Peek at the Spring Menu: Fish Cakes with Remoulade Sauce and Romaine and Carrot Shredded Slaw

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Terry

Lemon Fish Cakes with Remoulade

As you all know the Spring Menu/Meal Plan is almost ready to be revealed and I have been testing the recipes and enjoying every bite. This particular recipe may be a family staple as it is light, crispy and wonderful for spring and summer. The remoulade sauce is a favorite and goes with just about any seafood but I also love it on burgers and sandwiches (with or with out the bread). This meal has lots of vinegar and the fresh herbs which makes it vibrant, fresh and perfect for spring…ENJOY!!

Lemon Fish Cakes: (Adapted from Everyday Food Light)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon olive oil
6 tilapia fillets
salt & pepper
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup Helmans mayo
1/2 cup parsley
1/2 cup dill
2 lemons, zested and juiced
3 tbsp prepared horseradish
1 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray or use 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil to coat. Place tilapia fillets on pan, season with salt and pepper and bake for approx. 8 – 10 minutes. Let fish cool, then flake with a fork.
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, mayo, parsley, dill, lemon juice/zest and horseradish. Fold in the fish and add in 1/2 cup bread crumbs. (Paleo/no carb folks can substitute nuts or even coconut would be tasty). Mix with everything together with your hands and form 1/4 cup sized patties
Dredge each patty in the remaining panko crumbs, pressing down to adhere.
Heat a large skillet on medium high with the remaining olive oil. Place the fish cakes in the hot skillet and cook on each side until golden brown (4-6 minutes per side). Serve with remoulade and slaw.

Cook the fish cakes until golden brown

Remoulade Sauce (Adapted from Ina Garten)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Helmans mayo
5-6 small dill pickles or cornichons
1 tsp mustard (ground or Dijon)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
salt/pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
Few sprigs of fresh parsley

Directions

Place all ingredients in the food process and pulse several times until all is incorporated. Do not over mix- you want this to be the consistency of slightly thinned mayonnaise.

Romaine and Carrot Shredded Slaw

Ingrediants:

1 head romaine lettuce, shredded finely
4 carrots, shredded in cheese grater
1/2 cup fresh dill
1/4 fresh parsley
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place shredded lettuce, carrots and finely chopped herbs into a large bowl.
In a mason jar, mix together the orange juice, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and olive oil. Shake vigorously until incorporated and slightly emulsified.
Pour the dressing over slaw and toss.

Linking up to~ Six Sisters Stuff

Posted in Cooking/Recipes, In the Kitchen Series | Tagged Cooking, Fish, Healthy, In the Kitchen with Magnolia Lane, Lemon, Paleo, Recipe, Sauce | 5 Comments

Homemade Sharp Mustard~The Perfect Easter Hostess Gift & Free Printable Labels

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Christy

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Seriously–doesn’t pretty much everyone eat ham on Easter Sunday? And whether you’re hosting a crowd at your home, or perhaps planning to enjoy the day with friends and family, this mustard recipe is the perfect complement to your Easter ham.

Courtesy of my dear Aunt Diane, who is a fabulous cook, it’s a staple in my refrigerator at all times, and best of all, it makes enough that you’ll have some to keep, and some to share.

This is a great recipe—as stated in the title, this mustard is *sharp* and almost has a horseradish bite to it, which comes from the mustard and vinegar. Yum!

Aunt Diane’s Sharp Mustard

3.5 oz. dry mustard (usually 2 jars/bottles)
1 c. apple cider vinegar
1 egg
1 c. sugar
½ t. salt
1 ½ c. mayonnaise

Combine the dry mustard and vinegar in a bowl and let stand for 8-12 hours (I’ll usually do this before I go to bed). Beat the egg (I do this in a medium saucepan off heat so I make fewer dirty dishes), and then add the sugar, salt, and mustard/vinegar mixture. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Cool and then stir in the mayonnaise. Pour into jars and keep refrigerated. **I use Ball’s half pint, large mouth jars for this recipe; it will fill about 4 of them.**

Here are some gorgeous black and green labels that Amy whipped up for us (thank you, Amy). You can print these out on sticker or full-sheet label paper and stick them on the top of the jar, or try printing them on cardstock and tie them around the jar with a little raffia or decorative ribbon—I think they’d look great either way, and they’ll definitely dress up your mustard to make this the perfect Easter hostess gift. I always have a few jars of this mustard ready-to-gift in my fridge; it’s a nice change to the typical bottle of wine or flowers that we usually take our hostesses.

Now that Google Friend Connect has gone away, please take a minute to follow us through Linky Followers (on the right). Enjoy the mustard, and thanks for stopping by!