raclette dinner, chicken paprikash, beef stew, crustless quiche and tomato dill soup
This week I continued my efforts to reduce the amount of stuff I have on hand in the pantry and freezer. I have to say, though, after watching the news coverage of that incredible blizzard in Newfoundland (and facing the possibility of an "impactful" ice storm around here), I've decided it's not entirely a bad thing to have a well-stocked pantry... Just maybe not bursting at the seams like mine!
On the menu January 12 - 18, 2020:
Sunday Raclette Dinner and homemade Creamy Garlic Sauce
We had some Raclette cheese leftover from New Year's Eve, so we made a meal of it tonight. It is such a treat! I love, love, love it. We used chicken and some frozen shrimp along with red pepper, mushrooms, and thinly sliced zucchini. I enjoyed the shrimp - it didn't take very long to warm as it was already cooked. The zucchini was also a nice change. I tried toasting the baguette and that was yummy, too. My favourite part about tonight was the homemade creamy garlic sauce I made. Scroll down the page in the posted link to find it among the five sauces listed. I used store-bought mayonnaise and it was still awesome.
TIP: Not sure what to do with leftover baguette? (We all know it isn't the best to try and eat the next day). Guess what? It makes an awesome French toast which warms up really well for quick weekday breakfasts. I didn't have enough bread for a full 9x13 pan, so I made a loaf pan. It worked great! Try this recipe: French Toast Casserole
Monday Leftovers / eat out / takeout
Tuesday Slow Cooker Smoky Chicken Paprikash and green salad
Even as a teenager, I loved recipes. I can remember stopping at the grocery store on my way home from school to purchase two copies of Canadian Living so I could cut out all the recipes and paste them into binders. These days I borrow Canadian Living from the library to find recipes for my collection. Tonight's recipe comes from the January/February 2019 issue, and you can find it online as well. I loved how easy this was to put together before adding it to the slow cooker. Today was super busy for me, and I needed something that wouldn't require a lot of attention at the end of the day. Lately, I've been seeing chicken thighs for a really good price at my local grocery store, and I love that, too! I would encourage you to make sure the chicken thighs are really browned before adding them to the slow cooker. They definitely took longer than the recommended 2-3 minutes, and I didn't brown mine enough even then. This dish was also definitely "smoky". I think we might have enjoyed it more with regular paprika instead of smoked, but it was a nice change of pace. If you have family members who aren't fans of peppers, you could dice them up small and I think they would kind of disappear in the sauce.
Wednesday Mom's Old-Fashioned Beef Stew with garlic buns
This is just a really good, classic beef stew. The actual recipe I used comes from Donna Marie Pye's "300 Slow Cooker Favorites" (this link is from another website for the same recipe since I don't have permission to share that one). It uses two pounds of stewing beef, so it makes a big batch - completely needed when you're feeding two young men who are working out on the daily and are hungry! The linked recipe says it only serves 6, but it's definitely more like 8-9 depending on your serving size. I used grass-fed organic stewing beef from Trick's Creek Farm and I think this was the best stew I've ever made. Their beef totally elevated this recipe. The stew was piping hot, so I think that made my photo a little foggy. I had a package of buns in the freezer that needed to be used, so I spread them with some butter and garlic seasoning, topped them with cheese and put them under the broiler for a few minutes. It's hard to go wrong with garlic and cheese!
Thursday Crustless Quiche with kale slaw
I seem to be having a little trouble with cheese lately... I buy a specific kind for a certain recipe, and I always think I'll use it up, but more often than not, I seem to forget all about it! Tonight's recipe was inspired by a desire to use up some cheese odds and ends (Swiss and Parmesan) before they got moldy, as well as some veggies. I agree with the author - this kind of recipe is easily adaptable which not only makes it fun but a great way to clean out your fridge. I used a small carton of whipping cream instead of milk and combined mushrooms, red pepper, tomatoes, green onion, and spinach, along with a little leftover ham, to make this really tasty crustless quiche.
Friday Leftovers / eat out / takeout
There were lots of leftovers to choose from this week.
Saturday John's Red Soup with homemade grilled cheese
Does anyone else always seem to have bread in their freezer? We don't eat it fast enough to prevent it from going moldy, so I always freeze it. And it always seems to end up buried under a bunch of other things and then I forget all about it. Since grilled cheese makes a wonderful accompaniment to tomato soup (especially this one!), it was a great way to finish up one loaf, at least. And bonus - I used up some more cheese odds and ends as well. This soup never disappoints and is one of my all-time favourites.
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