We decided to also resolve to try new foods this year, and to do that we are attempting to stick to using the two cookbooks I got for Christmas. Therefore, all of the recipes from this month come from either Better Homes and Gardens ultimate low calorie cookbook or Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast weeknight meals. They were fairly inexpensive as far as cookbooks go, and the recipes so far have been very good, with a few exceptions.
Teriyaki Salmon with Pasta and Snap peas
Verdict: Ok as far as salmon goes for me (I'm not the biggest fan) and the teriyaki sauce covered some of that intense fish flavor.
Shrimp Stir Fry with peas, broccoli and water chestnuts
Verdict: tasty, but I overcooked the peas so they were very stringy. Be sure to add them with only about a minute to go.
Herbed chicken with roasted potatoes and asparagus
Verdict: OK, we took this recipe from another cookbook (Food Network) but we love the recipe and it's quick and easy.
Shrimp Po Boys with pickle chips and brussel sprouts
Verdict: This was from our Cooking Light magazine and we wanted to try it because it met our resolution of trying new things. Unfortunately the bread was not wide enough so it was difficult to eat. I was skeptical to try brussel sprouts but they are actually amazing. We roasted ours with basting oil, salt and pepper and they're so good. Pickle chips on the other hand...well, that's one I'm not willing to try again. You may like them if you like pickles, but as an ardent pickle hater, they were not very good.
Cranberry chicken with turnips and rice
Verdict: this was supposed to be pomegranate chicken, but have you seen the price of pomegranate juice? We deemed it not to be cost effective to buy a 7$ bottle of juice, of which we would use about 1/4 cup, and substituted cranberry juice. It came out fine. And I tried wild rice and it was...ok. The turnips I was expecting to be crispy, but they were soft and mushy. I would try them again and bake them longer, but Ryan was not having them.
Pot Roast with Red Wine gravy and noodles
Verdict: Don't, just don't. This was cooked in a crock pot, and the beef was so overcooked, but the vegetables (parsnips, carrots, onions) were basically still raw. No happy medium could be found.
Polenta, Zucchini and beef casserole.
Verdict: Although skeptical, this was so amazing I wish I could make it all the time. It not only combined two things I had never tried/liked before (zucchini and polenta), it was easy to make, had little clean up, and made for amazing leftovers. If there is one recipe I would have to recommend this month, this is the one.
Baked Catfish with sweet potato fries and beans
Verdict: not very memorable, fairly bland. Meh.
Turkey tomatillo burgers
Verdict: this was also not from our books (we get Real Simple, and this was a recipe for this month). Ryan loved them. I thought they were good, but not great.
Beef stir fry with edamame and peppers
Verdict: the edamame (I had never had cooked before) gave this dish a great flavor. I totally would have had seconds. A+
Chicken Scaloppini with Kale Chips (not pictured)
Verdict: the chips are not pictured because they took well over the hour my recipe said. So we ate the chicken, which was good, but used a lot of dishes and was messy to make. We then tried the kale chips, and at the beginning they were crunchy and salty and good, but then when you went to swallow they were chewy and stringy and not fun. We are planning to try kale again but just need to find a different way to cook it. Suggestions?
Turkey Roll Ups
Verdict: very easy meal to make if you are in a hurry. It's basic lunch meat, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce and a make your own sauce. Not much to write home about but cheap and easy for a week night.
Pork chops with Tarragon Onion Gravy, brussel sprouts and potatoes
Verdict: So super good. We actually had these twice this month, once by ourselves and once when my parents came for dinner. Easy to make, amazing flavor (don't forget the gravy, the onions with the pork make for a great flavor). The potatoes were easy to make too since they are microwaved. Just add milk and a couple more ingredients, 169 calories per serving!
Barbecue Salmon with potatoes and broccoli
Verdict: I'm not gonna lie to you, there was no recipe for this. We just had leftover potatoes and no ideas. Steam up some broccoli and let some fish sit in sauce all day, and dinner is ready in under 10 minutes works for me.
Turkey Tenders with sweet potatoes and broccoli
Verdict: This too is not from any book (it's from my own personal collection.) I accidentally bought the wrong kind of turkey for the turkey burgers, so I had to find a recipe to use the turkey cutlets. It's basic breaded turkey with buttermilk and panko, very good with honey mustard sauce.
Orange Glazed chicken thighs with rice and broccoli
Verdict: I wish I had bigger breasts. Chicken breasts, that is, because this was so good.
Cod with salad and gnocchi
Verdict: the breading fell off the cod, so it was not very photogenic, but it was still tasty. The Gnocchi, another new find, was so good and not what I was expecting. I knew it was potato but was expecting it to taste more like pasta (kind of like how you expect orzo to taste like rice). Pleasantly surprised, and it was quick and easy.
Now on to the books. I'll try to keep these as short as possible.
Claudia Silver to the Rescue, by Kathy Ebel
It's Girls the HBO series in the written form and set in the 1990's. Not my style but an interesting read about a girl who has no job, terrible relationship skills, a poor family situation and a sister who she tries to help.
Dad is Fat, by Jim Gaffigan
A hilarious story of a comedian and his family of five children, his everyday challenges of living with his brood in a 2 bedroom NYC apartment, and his wife, who should be pretty proud because he makes her sound like a saint. Overall, some really funny jokes and one-liners and a quick read (it took be under 30 hours to finish).
The Light Between Oceans, by M.L. Steadman
I don't know why but I was shocked this book was written by a woman. Probably because it was told from the perspective of the husband, and I felt it would have been drastically different from the wife's perspective. It's the story of a man and his new wife who are the only human inhabitants of an island. He is the commander of the light house, and for years he and his wife struggle to have children until one day a baby and a dead man wash up on shore on a small boat. His wife convinces him to not record the incident, and all seems well until the couple and their child return to the mainland to find a local child and her father disappeared. He wants to do the right thing but his wife insists to keep the secret. You've got to read it to find out what happens next.
Joyland, by Stephen King
A kind of stupid story by Stephen King. It was 90% back story, 5% love story, 5% suspense that turns out to be really stupid. The story begins with a college boy who takes a summer job at an amusement park and of course he is the hardest worker there and everyone loves him. He decides to stay and take a year off from school, and while there he meets a mother and her handicapped son. He finally convinces the mother to come to the amusement park he works in and the boy sees the ghost of a woman haunting a ride. The boy uncovers who murdered that woman years ago, but not without putting himself in danger. Mediocre at best. I expected more from you, Stephen King!
Lookaway, Lookaway, by Wilton Barnhardt
Want to feel better about your dysfunctional family? Read this book then. This book took me the longest to read and it was really hard to get into. There was no real plot line, just following individual family members in their free-fall into disaster. I won't elaborate because I did not like it, but if you ever think you have a crazy family, read a couple chapters of this book. Trust me
Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein
I know this is a kid's book but it was recommended to me. It's the story of a dog's life, told through the words of a dog. It was heartbreaking at first, mainly because I am still in denial about my own dogs ever dying. But just thinking about it, which is what this book did to me, made me overly emotional. If I ever have children I think it will be an excellent book for them to read to explain the loss of a pet. Racing in the Rain refers to the profession of Enzo's owner, a race car driver. He fights to save his daughter after his wife dies of a brain tumor.
Early Decision, by Lacy Crawford
Gosh, was getting into college this difficult? I really need to go back and see if I can find my admissions essay. Anne is a private tutor of sorts, hired by wealthy families to help get their kids into WASPy colleges. She has about four students who she follows during the course of this book. But man, did I really wonder what I wrote in my college essay to make myself seem awesome. I ended up going to a small local college (I graduated pretty high in my class and had great grades) but can't for the life of me remember what I wrote about that made other, bigger colleges want to accept me (I was accepted at College of Charleston, Syracuse, Miami of Ohio, UVA, Vassar, and a handful of other local schools). Someone remind me why I turned UVA down?
Well that's it for January. Stay tuned for the books and meals February has to offer!
