Country Captain Chicken

Got a good deal on a whole chicken and then didn't want to cook it, wasn't feeling it.  Went through a bunch of recipes and had to decide on something tonight as the chicken has been sitting in the fridge for 2 days now.  I went for a "Low Country" Southern recipe.  I saw this recipe on a cooking show once and I remember it looked really good.  The other good thing was that I got my delivery from Anson Mills today, so thought the rice below would be ideal for this dish!

Arugula, Mozzarella, Prosciutto & Egg Flatbread Pizza

I made this for my son tonight.  Another rainy day found me walking to Costco again at lunch and I saw flatbreads so thought I would check them out.  I have never bought them before.

Tuna Casserole

I've been rolling this idea around in my head for a few weeks now.  As I'm a big fan of "comfort food", that would include casseroles.   Monday's are made for comfort food, aren't they? I think the last time I made a tuna casserole was like when my son was little so maybe 20 years ago or more and, GASP, I probably used "Tuna Helper" out of a box too.  Anyway, I know he didn't like it, lol.

Toasted Sardine Sandwich

Sundays I get up really early and drive my son to work for 7am because I'm a nice mom.  I usually come home to watch early morning cooking shows and go back to bed for a nap after.  I was starving this morning, so decided to make one of my favorite sandwiches.  My dad used to make these when we were kids and I grew fond of them.  That being said, I don't like the "Brunswick Sardines" in the grocery store that he used now.  It's quite easy to find European ones and even wild ones now at some of the grocery stores I frequent, and I always buy them in olive oil.  Sardines have lots of good health benefits, like Omega 3's and more.  I always keep a stash on hand in my cupboard.

Totally Unauthentic Mee Goreng (Malaysian Stir-Fried Noodles)

This was my version of a dish that I like very much, with ingredients I had at home.  I was craving noodles tonight and I was looking for a way to use up the leftover cod (in marinara sauce) from last night.  For my sauce I was going to use:

Poached Cod in Tomato Sauce

I saw this and thought "how easy is that?"  It was a rainy day, so I took a wander walk to Costco at lunch.  The fresh cod at Costco is amazing, but pricey in a large pack, so I consider it a splurge.  I never want to freeze it so have to cook it in one go.  Speaking of splurges, I bought a jar of Rao's sauce as well.

Creamy White Chicken Chili

This just looked yummy when I saw it, so I decided I had to make it.  Perfect for a week night, meaning easy and quick, besides the chopping, but I'm used to doing it on auto-pilot now.  I also still had some tostadas to use up, so this would be perfect for that.  I also had one of my favorite Trader Joe products which is the Hatch Valley Salsa, so a jar of that was going in too.  In the recipe, hers looked kinda like soup, so I decided I would puree some of the beans to make it more thicker and maybe lessen some of the broth if I had to.  I had the exact same canned chilies as she did too, and would see if I needed one or two after I put the salsa in.  I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs because they were on sale.  I had a yellow/orange pepper in the fridge so diced that up.  And, cilantro was not in the recipe, but I added that in and for garnish as well.  I sliced some green onions and lime wedges for garnish as well.  I also bought some zero fat sour cream and I used "Better than Bouillon" 50% reduced sodium chicken base for the broth.  I made 2 cups.

Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf

I thought I'd try a new "meatloaf" recipe for one of my favorite comfort foods.  I saw this on Cook's Country on PBS so will post the recipe here since you have to register to see it online.  I didn't use Bulls-Eye as it is my least favorite.  I just used some Paul Newman stuff that was on sale.  I also used a natural smoked bacon with no preservatives.  I used the full 375 gram pack.

Soy Chorizo, Yam and Fake Eggs Hash

I miss eggs at the best of times watching my cholesterol.  Eggs and cheese most.  I still have cheese (limited) but eggs I avoid unless I'm tempted by something irresistible and I don't make a habit of them.  Giving them up in Ramen was a hard one.  I've used this yummy soy chorizo here.

Anson Mills Rustic Polenta Integrale With Mushrooms and Soy Sauce

I've been planning to make Mushroom Risotto in my "Instant Pot", but haven't got to it yet.  When I saw this recipe, I knew I would make it first before the risotto.  I have Anson Mills polenta in the freezer and have been deciding on a worthy recipe for it.  This was it.  I actually have a bunch of recipes I'm planning to make, waiting for me to get to, but when I saw this, it became #1 on my  list.  I followed the website directions on my polenta for this meal.  I already knew that the *star* of this dish was going to be the polenta.

BBQ Chicken Pineapple Pull-Apart Sliders

We can't get "King's Hawaiian Buns" here, not anywhere, at least not to my knowledge.  When I saw this recipe on "The Chew", I decided I had to ask my co-worker who shops in the States for me, if she could find them.  And she did...

Chicken/Shrimp, Asparagus, Bell Pepper, Cabbage, Mushrooms & Onions Stir-Fry

I made two different stir-fry pans today since my son has such pure disdain for asparagus.  I just used a frozen pack of Green Giant Asian veggies for his and I added some shrimp (1 lb) to his as well.  I also served his over rice where I just had mine without, though I stole a few of his shrimp for my pan so he probably had 3/4 of a lb.

Pozole Rojo

I made this Mexican soup a long time ago for a friend and she loved it!  Still talks about it to this day so I decided I would make it again for her and her "beau", and blog the recipe.  I hoped it would be as good as she remembered!  I used a different recipe this time.  I also made it two nights before so I could get all the fat off easily, if needed, by leaving it in the fridge so it would harden.  And it would probably taste better too after sitting.

Coconut Tres Leches Cake

Yes, me who does not make desserts, decided to make this for my son.  It is one of his favorite dishes and it didn't look too hard by this recipe.  I was also having company for dinner the next day, so decided it would be good for them too since it is Mexican and that was the theme of our meal.  I followed all the directions exactly.  I changed the whip cream a little as described below, but even that was just a minor thing.  I don't know how to bake so don't want to mess with being "creative" and I know you're not supposed to be in baking anyway.

Vegan Mexican "Black Bean Rotini" Salad

I got this pasta from Trader Joe's.  Then I wondered what the heck I was going do with it?!  So, immediately, my new love with "tofu ricotta cheese" sprang into my head.  I would make the one I did in my recipe here and this time I had Mexican oregano too!  Then I thought I'd make it all into a salad with Mexican flavors.  I thought it would be good for lunch and as side dish for quick weeknight dinners.  I made it Sunday evening.  I used:

Roast Chicken Dinner in Cast Iron Pan

So, for once - in a long while now, I was going to roast a chicken without using Ina Garten's recipe which has become a regular Sunday meal in our home.  It was Saturday anyway today, lol.

Vegetarian Soy Chorizo, Navy Bean, Kale Soup

After the pasta I had the other night, it was time to get back to healthy eating for the weekend.  Leave out the Parmesan cheese and this dish would be vegan.  I've posted a version of this soup before, but I'm doing it again so I can remember what Trader Joe's "Soy Chorizo" tastes like.  It was cheap too!

Cacio e Pepe

I've had this recipe on my brain for weeks now.  It's one of those "simple is better" dishes.  My son and I were just talking about how  when he was little and very picky, I would make spaghetti and I would just mix it with some garlic fried in olive oil and top with Parmesan cheese.  It was one of his favorites.  I told him about this one and he was excited.  He even asked when I was making it after I pushed it off the meal plan last week.