Meal Planning Week of November 7

Monday: Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
A tried and true favorite. Ava doesn't like it as lemony as I do, so I hold back a little and squeeze fresh lemon in my bowl.

Tuesday: Pasta with Slow-Cooker Pork Ragu
This is a new technique and recipe for me. If you've ever made a from-scratch ragu, you know it takes foreeeeeever. The flavors are worth the wait, so I'm hoping this method produces a similar result.

Wednesday: Slow-Cooker Shepherd's Pie
I hate this dish. I've never made one I didn't throw out and call for takeout dinner instead. But, Josh has the day off on Wednesday and he saw this recipe and wanted to give it a go. It does look more promising than the other versions I've tried. And I have a Chinese takeout menu ready just in case.

Thursday: Asiago Bisque with Pretzel Bread
What's better than a great cheesy soup and pretzel bread when the weather starts to cool off? I'll cheat and buy frozen pretzel bread since it's a weeknight.

Friday: Beef and Squash Chili
This recipe is one of my favorites from last winter and I've been dying to make it, but refusing until the temperatures got their acts together. It may sound like a strange combination of ingredients, but it's so good! The toasted pumpkin seeds, thinly sliced red onion, avocado, and sour cream on top make it extra magical. Start with good beef and you can't go wrong!

Menu Planning Week of September 20

Monday: Pesto Salmon and Veggie Packets, Mac & Cheese 
I always make my own pesto. Josh has a cashew allergy, and many prepared pestos sneakily use cheap cashews instead of pricey pine nuts. Not worth the risk. Pulse a handful of fresh basil, a garlic clove, a good chunk of Parmesan, pine nuts (or pumpkin seeds), and enough of your favorite olive oil to coat in the food processor. Easy and no trips to the ER!

Tuesday: Neiman Marcus chicken tortilla soup
Triple the veggies and use milk instead of heavy cream.

Wednesday: Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup
Tried and true, always Ava's request.

Thursday: Ginger Sesame Chicken Salad
So fresh and lovely. 

Friday: Twice-Baked Carnitas Nachos
This has become one of our favorites. It makes a ton of meat, so I'll use the leftover pork in another meal next weekend. It's also fantastic in breakfast burritos. You slow cook the pork roast in the slow cooker all day, then shred it on a cookie sheet and broil until the top starts to crisp. Just incredible. We're going to put it on bean and cheese nachos with all the fixin's! Come on Friday!

Grown-Up Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup

You'll have to forgive the camera-battery-dying-hungry-family-waiting-not-so-great picture of the Grown-Up Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup. When the first cool fronts of the season bring rainy gray skies, it's time for comfort food. Many moons ago Josh and I worked at The Funky Art Cafe in Brenham, Texas. The owner, Connie, was famous for her Grown-Up Grilled Cheese. Every three months she'd completely change the cafe's menu, and always featured a seasonal grilled cheese sandwich. Crisp, buttery panini bread, and a sophisticated blend of cheeses - no American cheese here. The tomato soup is my own special combination of recipes I've loved over the years. I've trimmed a lot of the fat (omitted the heavy cream most recipes call for) and added a few surprises.

Grown-Up Grilled Cheese

1 loaf of your favorite panini bread (our favorite is Panera's Tomato Basil)
butter
Boursin cheese (usually found near the goat cheese)
Smoked Gouda, sliced
Medium Cheddar, sliced

Assemble sandwiches on a large cookie sheet. Spread a generous amount of Boursin cheese on one side of all slices of bread you'll use. Layer Smoked Gouda and Medium Cheddar slices on one piece of bread per sandwich pair. Place piece of bread without cheese slices on top of the other slice. Melt a small pat of butter in a small non-stick skillet, if you have a grill or panini press use it instead. Grill sandwiches until golden brown and inside cheese are melted. If you're cooking in a skillet you will need to flip the sandwich halfway through cooking. If the cheeses do not melt completely, microwave for 20 seconds before serving. If you are preparing a lot of sandwiches, put the finished ones in a 200 degree oven until you're ready to serve. Experiment with your own cheese blends!

Tomato Soup

1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 large cloves of garlic, quartered
3 slices of bacon, chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
6 large tomatoes OR 2 28-oz cans diced tomatoes
1 14-oz can tomato paste
1 14-oz can chicken stock
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
5 thyme sprigs, left whole OR 5 basil leaves, chopped
white pepper
sea salt

In a large stock pot heat olive oil. Add onion, garlic, and bacon. Saute until bacon is crispy and onion and garlic are tender. Add remaining ingredients, stirring frequently. Simmer 15 minutes. If using fresh thyme sprigs, remove. Use an immersion blender until soup reaches desired consistency. If you don't have an immersion blender, carefully ladle soup into a regular blender and pulse gently. Return soup to pot and simmer 5 more minutes, stirring frequently. Serve with Grown-Up Grilled Cheese sandwiches, great for dipping!

Sick Soup

The name of this soup should really be Chicken and Wild Rice, but Josh christened it Sick Soup many moons ago. When we were first married we lived in Independence, Texas, which is, according to Rand McNally, a ghost town. One evening he came down with a high fever and I didn't want to leave him alone for thirty minutes to drive to the grocery store, but also knew he needed to eat something healthier than the frozen pizza in our freezer...yes, we were young and dumb once. No pizzas in our freezer now, I promise. Anyway, I rummaged around in our cabinets and vegetable drawer and found ingredients to make the first ever Sick Soup. It's so simple and delicious, perfect for comfort or illness. I love to take it to friends who are sick, recovering, or just plain sad. Make this big portion and share half with someone who needs a little extra love.

The ingredients:

1/2 pound organic white meat chicken, boneless and skinless, chopped
1/2 pound organic dark meat chicken, boneless and skinless, chopped
3 cups Royal Blend rice (or your favorite wild rice mix)
8-10 organic carrots, cut on a bias about 1/4 inch thick
2 large stalks organic celery, coarsely chopped
32 ounces organic, low sodium, reduced fat chicken broth
32 ounces water
2 Tablespoons dried sage (you can also use thyme or tarragon, just pick one - don't mix them)
fresh cracked peppercorns
sea salt

Cut carrots on a bias (see below), chop celery and chicken - in that order, and toss into your favorite soup pot

Put remaining ingredients into the pot and stir gently.
Turn burner to medium heat, cover tightly with lid.

When the rice is fluffy, chicken is cooked, and vegetables are tender your Sick Soup is ready, about 45 minutes to an hour. I purposely don't put a lot of liquid in this soup because Josh is not a fan of broth, but you could definitely add more water or chicken stock to make this more 'soupy'.

This dish refrigerates well and serves as delicious lunch and leftovers the next day or two... or six. But it really shouldn't last that long because you're sharing it, remember?

White Chili

When I was younger the thought of White Chili disgusted me. I pictured some kind of venison mixed with alfredo sauce...ick. However, once I tried White Chili I was instantly hooked. My fondest memory of using this recipe is when I made it for our friends, the Carrolls. Rachel and Clover were preparing to bring little Dixie home from the hospital. Dixie's birth coincided with the coldest few days that the Brazos Valley had seen in a long time. Their little pier-and-beam farmhouse was icy cold. I decided to warm the house up by making White Chili in the teensy kitchen before they arrived. The anticipation of the sweet, pink Dixie-bundle made the process almost dreamlike. I floated around the kitchen, playing house and dreaming of one day when I'd have a sweet bundle of my own. It didn't seem real that the little thump thump thumper we'd felt through Rachel's belly all those months would actually be a real little person in our world. Even though our worlds are farther apart, and two bundles richer...our lives are forever intwined.

White Chili
(serves 9ish)

*Pam cooking spray
*1 medium onion, chopped
*3 cloves of garlic, minced
*2.5 cups chopped tomatoes (fresh are best)
*6 tomatillos, chopped
*1 medium jalapeno, seeded, minced
*2 cups chicken stock
*7 ounces green chiles
*2 cups choppped chicken
*1/2 teaspoon oregano
*1/2 teaspoon cumin
*1/4 cup chopped cilantro
*2 (19-ounce) cans cannellini or Great Northern beans (drained and rinsed)
*juice of 1 lime
*salt and pepper to taste
*2% all-natural, Greek, strained plain yogurt (or sour cream if you don't care about calories)
*shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
*tortilla chips crumbled (optional)

Spray large soup pot with Pam, saute onion for 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken and brown slightly.
Add the tomatoes, tomatillos, and jalapeno. Cook until tomatillos are tender, stirring occasionally.
Add chicken stock, green chiles, oregano, cumin, cilantro, beans, and lime juice. Cook until heated, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper.
Ladle chili into bowls.
Garnish with remaining ingredients.

***This recipe is also fabulous if you make it ahead of time and put into gallon-size Ziplock freezer bags. We've frozen it, and taken it in coolers on ski trips. Simply pour the thawed bags of chili into a crock pot set on low before you leave to hit the slopes. When you return the cabin will be filled with the delicious aroma of White Chili. Yum!***

My pick for entertaining

Last Christmas we exchanged homemade gifts on Josh's side of the family. Our gift was an invitation for dinner and entertainment (Ava) at our house. We were so excited to have Josh's parents over for dinner on Friday night. Many moons ago, when Josh and I were at A&M, we worked in a cafe in Brenham called The Pomegranate. One of my favorite cold day meals that the owner, Connie, would make was Beef Burgundy. This recipe combines Connie's soup with The Barefoot Contessa's Fillet of Beef Bourguinononne. It's very rich, and warms you from the inside out. My favorite part is that the protein and veggies are all in the same dish, no need to dirty more dishes for sides. Ava particularly enjoys the carrots. Add a little crusty French Bread on the side, and you've got the perfect meal for a chilly night.
For dessert I found a recipe for Hello Dolly bars on the Cooking Light website. I had tried these bars for the first time this summer at The Rather Sweet Bakery in Fredericksburg. The Cooking Light version is MUCH better for you...only 123 calories per serving! I made a slight variation in the recipe, and I've posted it accordingly. Please comment below if you have any questions about the recipes. I'd love to help!

Beef Bourguigonne

* 3-pounds of your favorite beef fillet (Not stew meat, you really want to splurge on the protein in this meal!)
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* Olive oil
* 8 strips bacon, cut in pieces with kitchen shears
* 2 minced garlic cloves (I recommend using the Pampered Chef garlic press)
* 1.5 cups Burgundy or Chianti
* 2 cups beef stock (Reduced sodium is best.)
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 2 sprigs fresh thyme
* ¾ pound pearl onions, peeled but not chopped
* 10 carrots, cut diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices
* ½ pound of your favorite mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick
* 1 cup of water

Salt and pepper the fillets on both sides. Cut them into bite-size pieces. Use a large soup pot to sauté the slices of beef in batches with 2 tablespoons of olive oil until browned on the outside and very rare inside, about 7 minutes. Remove them from the pan, and set to the side on a platter.

Using the same pot, sauté the bacon on medium heat until browned and crispy. Put the bacon on top of the fillet pieces and set aside. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pot. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Use the red wine to deglaze the bottom of the pot. Cook on high for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the beef stock, tomato paste, thyme, 1-teaspoon salt, and 1/2-teaspoon pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook uncovered on medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs from the pot. Add the onions and carrots and simmer uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, until the sauce is significantly reduced and the vegetables are cooked.

Add the fillet of beef slices, the mushrooms, the cup of water, and the bacon to the pot with the vegetables and sauce. Cover and reheat gently for 15 minutes.


Hello Dolly Bars

* 9 graham crackers, blended into sand
* 2 tablespoons butter, melted
* 1 tablespoon water
* 1/3 cup milk chocolate chips
* 1/3 cup butterscotch morsels
* 2/3 cup flaked sweetened coconut
* 1/4 cup chopped pecans
* 1 (15-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350°.
Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.

Place graham cracker sand in a medium bowl. Mix with butter and water; toss with a fork until moist. Gently pat mixture into an even layer in pan (do not press firmly).

Sprinkle chips and morsels over crumb mixture. Top evenly with coconut and pecans. Drizzle condensed milk evenly over top. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned and bubbly around edges. Cool completely on wire rack.