2 Meals in 1 - Southwestern Stir-Fry and Nachos

Okay, so this photo does not look as appetizing and delicious as it is!  We just had this for lunch and it was gone before I knew it!

2 lbs lean ground beef

2 packets of taco seasoning

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

2 large onions

1/4 cup water

steamed white rice

bag of Blue Corn/ Tortilla Chips

2 cups shredded cheese

Optional: sour cream, olives, salsa, lettuce, etc.

Brown ground beef in skillet and add 1 packet of seasoning and 1/2 of the other packet.  Lift out half of the ground beef, leaving most of the oil in the skillet.  Cut pepper and onions into strips.  Add to hot skillet with beef and stir-fry.  Add water and continue to stir fry.  Once the the veggies start to wilt, add the rest of the seasoning and stir-fry for a couple more minutes.  Combine the veggies and the rest of the beef together.

Meal #1 - Serve over steamed rice.

Meal #2 - Use Silpat or Flexipat to make the best nachos ever!!  Spread tortilla chips on Silpat then top with the beef/veggie mixture and sprinkle (or douse) with cheese.  Bake at 425 F for approx. 10 min. (until cheese is melted).  Garnish with your favorites!

We eat Meal #1 for dinner and save the rest for Meal #2 for lunch!

Homemade Mac & Cheese

I love giving my kids fresh, wholesome ingredients.  That's why when my kids request mac & cheese, they know it's going to have a protein and veggie in it!  They gobble this up so fast, but I've made sure that the quantity below ensures I have some leftovers . . .

This recipe is made in the Large Flared Saute Pan, which many of you have purchased this month with the January special:

Quick!  There are only a couple of days left to get the Omelet Pan for FREE!

Purchase the Large Flared Saute Pan with Lid ($144.95) and get the Omelete Pan for FREE!  Ends: Jan. 31st!

Ingredients:

2 cups dry elbow macaroni

4 cups water

1/4 cup butter

1 cup milk (I usually use whole milk)

2 cups spinach or peas or any other veggie your kids like

1 can tuna (7 oz) or canned chicken, etc. (drained)

2 cups shredded cheese of choice

Boil macaroni and drain by using the lid of the pan (no need to dirty a strainer!  we're moms - who needs another dish to clean!)  Add butter to hot noodles - stir to melt.  On low temp (remember, our stainless conducts heat very efficiently, so don't turn it up too hot!) add milk, stir, add veggie, stir, add tuna/meat, stir, add cheese and stir to melt 

- it's almost as easy as the boxed kind and it's definitely MORE DELICIOUS and HEALTHY!

Blueberry French Toast

I am taking this to my next brunch!  This coming Saturday!  Oh, it's so delicious!

2 1/2 cups cubed (1") french bread (or any bread)

4 oz cream cheese

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

8 large eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. sea salt (Bolivian Rose is my favorite!)

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Put Sunflower Mold on Perforated Baking Sheet.  Put the bread in the mold and spread evenly.  Cut cream cheese into small "pats" to be dispersed over the bread.  Top with blueberries.  In mixing bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and whisk.  Pour over bread mixture.

You can either bake this immediately or cover and place in fridge to bake the next day . . .

Cover with Octagonal Silpat and bake for 30 minutes covered and 30 minutes uncovered.  Mixture should be set in the middle.  Cool slightly and unmold.  Top with maple syrup or enjoy alone.

Chinese Baked Pork Ribs

2 -3 lbs pork ribs

2 Tbsp Hoisin Sauce (Lee Kum Kee)

4 heaping Tbsps Black Bean Garlic Sauce (Lee Kum Kee)

Cut ribs (I don't cut the part with bone) with our Santoku Chefs Knife - about 2" long.  Put in Flexipan mold of choice (most of them will work for this recipe) or Flexipat and stir to coat with the two sauces.  Cover with Octagonal Silpat (if using a round mold) or with the Silpat.  Marinate for more than an hour (overnight is best).    Bake at 400 for approx 45 min.

Serve with steamed rice and steamed broccoli!  Delicious!

Cream Cheese Smoked Bacon Apple Dip

Freeze your favorite dip in your favorite mold and create a centerpiece! 
Best if dip is thick (use cream cheese). 

The recipe for this is a combination of the Apple Blue Cheese Bacon Dip recipe (below the pumpkin cheese cake post) . . . it is an example of how to turn an accident into something savory!

I over-baked the recipe below (forgot to set the alarm) and it ended up with a burnt crust all around it.  So, because I needed it for Thanksgiving, I scraped out the inside (which was not burnt and tasted delicious, but strong) and added it to 16 oz. of softened cream cheese in my mixer.  I whipped it together and then scooped it into my Flexipan Tray.

I froze the cream cheese mixture in the Charlotte Tray (one of my favorites!); once they were frozen, I popped them out and re-wrapped them in plastic wrap and placed them back in the freezer; now I have eight appetizers ready for the holiday season!

Thaw on counter (in serving dish) for at least an hour before serving . . .

I just made four different meatloafs at once in our new four-loaf tray!

The best thing about meatloaf is that you can put anything healthy in it!  These are made with ground chicken. They each have a good helping of carrots and zucchini shredded into the mixture.  One has ketchup on it and one has cheese and oatmeal mixed into it.  The other two are just meat and veggies.

These are great to freeze and save for another mealtime!  That's why I love the 4 Loaf Tray!

Chicken Fingers - Gluten-Free

Recipes provided by Pamela Furlan, DAH Rep.

Chicken Fingers
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
½ cup 2% milk (cow, rice or soy)
Breading Mix (below)
Salt & Pepper
Slice each chicken breast diagonally into ½” wide strips. Put milk in a bowl and some of the breading mix into another. Dip each strip into milk, then coat with breading mix and lay out on Silpat. Drizzle or spritz with a little oil of choice (I use Watkins Garlic & Parsley Grapeseed Oil). Bake at 350o for approximately 20 minutes or until nicely browned.

Breading Mix
(From Cooking Free Cookbook by Carol Fenster, Ph.D.)

1 cup potato flour (not potato starch)
1 cup arrowroot
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon sugar

Mix ingredients together and store in airtight container in dark, dry place. Use as breading mix for meats, seafood or vegetables when frying. Use only what you need and do not reuse the mix after dipping raw food into it. Use within 3 months.

Sweet Apple Meatloaf / Meatballs - Gluten-Free (Celiac Friendly)

This recipe was created by Sarah Kingsborough, Demarle At Home Representative. She writes: Apples and other fruits are a great compliment for wild game such as venison and Elk. This recipe is modified for people with specific allergies: no wheat, no dairy, no egg.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. Ground Meat (venison, elk, beef, turkey)
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1/2 apple chopped in small bits
1/2 cup oats
2 Tbsp. fresh mint leaves, chopped (2 tsp. dried)
1/4 cup pure cane syrup
1/4 cup water
dash salt

Glaze:
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup pure cane syrup
1 1/2 tsp. corn starch
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

8 Servings

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in Stainless Mixing Bowl and mix well with hands or spatula.

For Meatloaf, place Fluted Loaf Mold on Perforated Baking Sheet and fill with meat mixture and place in oven. Bake for 45-60 minutes until meat thermometer reads 170 degrees or desired temp. Drain juices and invert meatloaf onto serving dish.

For Glaze, combine applesauce, sugar cane syrup, and cornstarch in Demarle Difference Petite Saucepan. Cook, stirring until mixture thickens and boils. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice. Pour glaze over meatloaf and serve.

For Meatballs, form 1" balls with meat mixture and place on Flexipat or other mold (there will be juice). Bake for 25-35 minutes until meat thermometer reads 170 degrees or desired temp. Transfer meatballs to serving dish and pour glaze to serve.

Demarle Products used to prepare or serve:
Santoku Knife
Magnetic Measuring Trio
Fluted Loaf Mold
Demarle Difference Stainless
Cake Server Knife
Stainless Mixing Bowl
Perforated Baking Sheet
Flexipat
Spatula
Polyamide Spatula
Cooling Rack

Eggplant Moussaka

Adapted from a recipe seen in "Cuisine At Home" Issue No. 79 - Feb. 2010

For "Crust":

1/8 cup each Parmesan and Mozzarella

For Meat Mixture:

1 1/2 lb ground meat (beef, turkey, chicken, etc.)

1 1/2 - 2 lbs eggplant, cubed (8 cups)

2 cups shredded spinach

1 lb potatoes, diced (2 cups)

1 cup diced onion

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. dried oregano leaves

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup dry wine

1/4 cup dark vinegar

1 can crushed tomatoes (14 oz.)

Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

For the Béchamel:

1/2 cup stick unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups milk (or milk substitute such as soy, almond, etc.)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

pinch of nutmeg

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 F. Set Flexipan Mold of Choice on Perforated Baking Sheet.

Cook meat in Demarle Difference Pan over medium heat until brown, about 4 minutes. Drain fat from meat; return meat to skillet. Add eggplant, spinach, potatoes, onions, garlic, oregano, and cinnamon; simmer 15 minutes. Stir in wine and cook uncovered until liquid evaporates, 1-2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; simmer to reduce juices. Season with salt and pepper.

Melt butter for the béchamel in a Demare Difference Sauce Pan over medium heat. Whisk in flour; cook 1 minute. Add milk, bring to a boil and whisk until thickened. Remove pan from heat and add 1/2 cup parmesan and nutmeg.

Whisk eggs in a bowl and add some of the hot milk mixture to the eggs; whisk to combine. Whisk egg mixture into milk mixture in pan.

Spread "crust" of permesan and mozzarella in the bottom of the pan. Then layer meat mixture on top of that. Top with béchamel. Bake until top is just turning golden, approx. 40 min. Remove moussaka from over; allow it to cool on a cooling rack for 20 minutes before turning out into a serving dish.

Make Ahead Meals ~ Enchilada Pie

I always make a double batch of everything I make so that I can freeze it and have a meal ready to go for those crazy dinner nights! Be sure to read the freezing instructions below . . .

Enchilada Pie ~

Make your filling (a double batch) - Email me for recipe - it's in one of our cookbooks . . .

Set Flexipans on Perforated Baking Sheet. Line 2 Flexipans with broken tortillas, put in filling and cheese.

You can either bake one and freeze one, bake them both, or freeze them both!

For Freezing ("Raw Casserole" - Unbaked):

After the Flexipan is filled with the ingredients, let stand and cool on counter to room temperature. Cover it with plastic wrap (or Silpat) and set in fridge for 1/2 hour. Then transfer it to the Freezer (on the Perforated Baking Sheet).

FYI: Following the procedure above (cooling on counter and setting in fridge before the freezer) decreases the amount of moisture in your casserole/pie so that it bakes firmly - you don't want a soggy mess when you go to bake it in the future . . . I've tried it and it works!

I let mine freeze overnight and then remove from the freezer.

Unmold frozen casserole/pie . . .

Either place in baggie (if it fits) or wrap with plastic wrap.

And place back in the freezer for a "rainy day!" When you're ready to bake it, take it out and place back in the mold (frozen) and let thaw either in the fridge or on the counter - bake as usual.