Turkey Meatball Stroganoff

The homemade version.

The Woman's Day Version. Photo: Con Poulos; Food styling by Simon Andrews;
Prop styling by Marina Malchin

It's been a while since I sat down to write. Heck, it's been a while since I actually cooked. I know I'm supposed to be doing it like every day, but I've just been exhausted for the past week and haven't gotten much of anything done. I did become a chocolatier and now sell Dove Chocolates at home parties, but that's another story. This story is about cooking healthy meals for my family, which I need to get back to doing because eating out is not healthy and it's expensive. I'm excited to make this meal because Lila loves beef stroganoff. At least the kind that comes from a hamburger helper box. This should be tasty. At least she will eat it--she loves noodles and meatballs. As long as it does't involve grilled peaches. Peaches should not be grilled, and if they are, not put with spinach and white wine vinegar. Yuck.

Turkey Meatball Stroganoff

Woman's Day Magazine, November 2014

Ingredients:

• 1 (10 oz) package egg noodles
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp. Red Currant Jelly, plus more for serving
• 1/8 tsp. ground allspice
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for serving
• 1/4 c. bread crumbs
• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 package (10 oz) cremini (baby bella) mushrooms
• 3/4 c. dry white wine
• 1/3 c. lowfat sour cream
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

I looked all over the town of Fairmont, in every aisle of the grocery store, and was unable to locate red currant jelly. I could find a red currant and plum chutney with (I believe) mint, but I wasn't going to replace the jelly with it. According to the Cook's Thesaurus at foodsubs.com, you can replace red currant jelly with grape jelly or a combo of apple jelly and lemon juice. I have grape jelly, so that's my plan. I'm not sure if I like the idea of grape jelly in stroganoff (or with meat in general), but it sounds fun I guess? 

I also spent a long time trying to find cremini mushrooms, until I finally just googled it and found out that cremini mushrooms are baby bellas. That is so much easier. I added it to the ingredient parts for anyone who wanted to print off the recipe, so you didn't search forever. 

One thing that does bother me about this recipe is the lack of a vegetable. I know, mushrooms are kind of like a vegetable, and many people consider them to be one, but I want a real, brightly colored veggie. I'm thinking about going with green beans as a side dish, most likely canned no-sodium-added french cut green beans. They are delicious any way you serve them (I tend to go straight out of the can, maybe a bit warmed but no seasoning).

Directions:

1. Heat broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick foil. Cook the noodles according to the package directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the egg, jelly, allspice, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Stir in the garlic and parsley, then the bread crumbs. Let sit for 2 minutes. Add the turkey and mix to combine.
3. Form the turkey mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls (about 20 total) and place on the prepared baking sheet. Broil until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream and mustard. Toss with the meatballs and additional parsley, if desired, and serve over the noodles.

This was definitely a first: Lila loved it. She wouldn't touch the meatballs (too much "green stuff" inside) or mushrooms, but she loved the noodles and sauce part. She even had seconds! Andy, on the other hand, took one bite of noodles (too much mustard) and one bite of meatball (why are these sweet? Oh, grape jelly? No.). I was somewhere in the middle. I could eat it, but I wouldn't choose to ever again. And after two meatballs and a small scoop of noodles, I was done. We ended up eating the green beans and grilled cheese sandwiches. 

Lila asked if I could make it again sometime. I guess, since she loved it, I'll have to fix the recipe a bit and try again. I'm thinking no jelly in the meatballs (substitute milk and use seasoned bread crumbs) and 1/2 the amount of mustard. Then it should be good. I hope.

Tips: The sauce was quite thin, after I stirred in the sour cream and mustard I added a couple spoonfulls of flour to thicken the sauce.

Verdict? Taste of Day Redo

Grilled Chicken and Peaches Salad

My version. Looks pretty good.

Con Poulos/Woman's Day

Oh, not peaches. I like peach pie (it's basically apple pie), but I've never been a fan of JUST peaches. Lila and Andy love them, so as long as I pick decent ones this one should be fine. Right? I mean, how bad could a grilled peach be? But picking peaches is hard--even people like my sister, who usually does an amazing job of picking out produce, says peaches are hit and miss. Give the job to a novice (me), and this could turn into a disaster quick. I googled, wikipediaed, and Betty Crocker-ed. I smelled, looked, and felt all the peaches in the store. I am in no way confident in my peaches, but let's proceed.

Grilled Chicken and Peaches Salad

Woman's Day Magazine Online, May 2012

Active Time: 15 minutes       Total time: 30 minutes            Level: Easy

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. Grated Ginger
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 2 medium red onions
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 peaches
• 1 bunch spinach

Usually when I do chicken Lila and I share a breast. That's what I'm doing tonight, since chicken is like $7/pound. Also, when I bought my chicken (on Saturday, August 22), I apparently bought chicken that was best if used by August 20. I'm hoping this doesn't look or smell funny. Ok, it's 5 days past the sell-by date, time to find something else. It's already 5:15 pm Tuesday, so the plan is Woody's Pizza tonight (and groceries),  chicken salad tomorrow for supper. Reminder to everyone to look at dates before they buy, because I just threw out $7. Maybe not a lot, but it adds up I'm sure.

Directions:

1. Heat grill to medium-high. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, ginger, 1 Tbsp of the oil, and 1/8 tsp each salt and pepper; set aside.
2. Brush the onions with 1 Tbsp of the oil and season with 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Brush the chicken with 1 tsp of the oil, and season with 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper. In a bowl, toss the peaches with the remaining Tbsp oil.
3. Grill the chicken and onions until the chicken is cooked through and the onions are tender, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Grill the peaches (reserve the bowl) until charred, 2 minutes per side.
4. Transfer the peaches and onions to the bowl. Add the spinach and vinaigrette and toss to combine. Serve with the chicken.

So, that was almost a week ago. I did end up making 4 chicken breasts, and I'm happy I did because that was pretty much the only edible part of the meal for me. Andy thought they were delicious--then he realized that the meal was the salad part. I don't think Andy even touched his peaches, but he did eat the salad both for supper and then as lunch at work. I took a bite of peaches and spinach, got to try it right? It was gross. The combo of warm, gooey peaches, crisp spinach, and a white wine vinaigrette was not a flavor I enjoyed. I couldn't even eat the plain spinach after that because the peaches were still sort of just there. Lila and I decided to have lettuce with ranch and croutons. That was way better.

Tips: Grilled peaches would be fine, good even, on ice cream. They don't belong in salad. 

Verdict: Taste of Day FAIL.

Black Bean Burger with Couscous

The homemade version

Their version. Photo: Con Poulos; Food Styling by Maggie Ruggero;
Prop Styling by Erin Swift

On the plus side, they finally decided to celebrate "Meatless Monday." If I'm going to go meatless, it needs to be alliterative. I would prefer if meatless meant grilled cheese and tomato soup, but beggars can't be choosers. On the negative side, more couscous. I remember not enjoying couscous at all the last time we had it. In fact, we disliked it so much we fed it to the chickens. I'm hoping this will be better, but my one experience with a veggie burger did not go well. It kind of looks tasty, but a bit boring. We will see how this goes. My in-laws are coming to visit, I wonder if they will be staying for supper or not? Only time will tell (my guess is my father-in-law will decline).

Black Bean Burger with Couscous

Woman's Day Magazine, December 2014

Active time: 25 minutes        Total time: 25 minutes        Level: Moderate
Serves: 4         Cost per serving: $1.14
Ingredients:

• 1 c. couscous
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium red onion
• 2 clove garlic
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• Kosher salt 
• Pepper
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 can vegetarian refried beans
• 4 english muffins
• lettuce
• sliced avocado
• red onion
• tomato

This is one time I should have read the recipe before going to the store. The handy-dandy shopping list on the Woman's Day app (usually super convenient!) told me to buy a can of black beans. The actual recipe says a can of refried beans. Luckily, I have a can of refried beans in the cupboard. They're traditional, which means my version isn't actually vegetarian, but since we're omnivores around here it's not a big deal. My husband thinks I should just skip this meal, but that's not really the point of this experiment is it? The goal is to try new things and follow each day, regardless of the meal. I mean, obviously I've skipped days before (because we had something planned), and sometimes I have an issue come up that involves switching days, but I can't just skip it because it sounds terrible. Maybe we will be surprised! Lila does love refried beans.

Directions:

1. Place couscous in a medium bowl. Add 1 1/4 c. hot tap water, cover and let sit for 15 minutes; fluff with fork.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add all the 1/4 c. onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme, sprinkle with 1 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
3. Add 1/2 the carrots (about 1 c.) and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes more, remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Fold in refried beans and 1/2 c. prepared couscous.
4. With wet hands, form mix into 4 3/4" thick patties. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the patties until browned and heated through, about 3 minutes per side.
5. Fold remaining carrots, onion, Tablespoon oil, and 1/2 tsp cumin into couscous along with 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Serve the burgers on English muffins and top with lettuce, avocado, onions and tomato, as desired. Serve with couscous.

OK, so that happened. My first issue arose with the cooking of the couscous, I followed the directions on the recipe and ended up with wet, crunchy couscous. I then put it in a pan and simmered until cooked through and water was gone. If you want to make this, just follow the directions on the bag. 

This is what the patty mixture looked like

The next problem I had was the forming of the patties: it was warm and gooey and actually felt like a pile of poo (I'm a nurse, I know what I'm talking about). It also looked like poo and (surprise surprise) tasted terrible. As my husband said, it could be good if you used it in something, like tacos or burritos, but on its own it was not our favorite. I personally just didn't like the carrots and couscous, it probably would have been OK if it had just bean beans and onion. Still not my favorite, but probably better. We all had a couple of bites then when to The Still for burgers. Real meat is always better than fake meat, at least in this family.

Tips: Follow the instructions on the couscous, not the recipe. Make sure everything is chopped before you start cooking. Sometimes, you can chop as you go, this recipe you're better off having everything prepped before you start. If you don't like couscous, this will not make you a fan.

Verdict? Taste of Day FAIL!

Pork Tenderloin with Summer Succotash

The homemade version.

Alexandra Rowley/Woman's Day

I've spent most of the last week at the Martin County Fair eating a lot of junk. We had both plain and jalapeno cheese curds (the plain were better), hamburgers, fresh cut fries, malts, nachos, and mini donuts. After all that fried food, I'm looking forward to a healthy meal with actual vegetables! We had succotash for the first time on August 1st (the first blog meal), and it was delicious. That one had edamame instead of lima beans, this one looks like it is made with lima beans. I'm not really a fan of them, but I'm learning to try a lot of things with this project. Not all of them are good, but I'm trying. I hope that this one turns out to be as good as the first. And pork usually turns out ok--if all else fails, just smother it in ketchup.

Pork Tenderloin with Summer Succotash

Woman's Day Magazine, June 2012

Active Time: 25 minutes            Total Time: 25 minutes         Level: Easy

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 pork tenderloin (1 1/4 pounds)
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• Kosher salt
• pepper
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 package frozen lima beans or shelled edamame (10 oz)
• 1 c. fresh or frozen corn kernels (about 1 ear)
• 1 Tbsp red-win or sherry vinegar

What is it about Kosher salt that is superior to regular salt? I have table salt, which is what I use (mostly because iodine is important for your brain, especially when pregnant or breastfeeding). Apparently, when switching from Kosher to table salt, you should cut the amount in half. Good to know. Also, sea salt (which I also use regularly) naturally contains iodine. I may start using seas salt in all my recipes and save the "table salt" for the table and baking. I'm not sure if I will be cooking at home or away tonight, but since my brother left for college there won't be anyone to complain about pork loin (my Lila is a carnivore, as long as it doesn't come in a fancy sauce she'll probably love it).

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400F. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork with the chili powder (1 1/2 tsp), 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 6-8 minutes.
2. Transfer the pork to a baking sheet and roast until a thermometer registers 145F, 12-14 minutes*. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
3. Meanwhile, wipe out the skillet and heat remaining Tbsp oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6-8 minutes.
4. Add the lima beans and corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar. Serve with pork (can be served hot, cold, or room temperature).

 *For me this resulted in pork that was quite rare. I put it in for a total of 18 minutes and it was still perfectly juicy but cooked through. Because of the chili powder rub, I thought it might end up a bit too spicy for Lila to enjoy, but she ended up eating more pork than anyone else (smothered in ketchup of course) and actually ate some of the corn from her succotash.

I always take the time to read comments before preparing a recipe, and this is the first Woman's Day recipe I've come across with comments. The lady said that she prepared as instructed, and the lima beans were rock hard and inedible. Based on her advice, I cooked the onion mix for 3 minutes, threw the lima beans in for 5 minutes and then added the corn as instructed. I still didn't care for the lima beans, but they were edible.

My mother and I both have pepper plants in our gardens, so I decided to use what we grew. I had a yellow pepper that was small but ripe, my mom had purple peppers. I ended up using one of each. Purple peppers, if you aren't familiar, are not good for eating raw, but when cooked basically turn into a green pepper (they even change color). If I were to remake this recipe, I would use the edamame instead of lima beans for a couple of reasons: they have a higher protein content and they taste better. I mostly picked my beans out (as did Lila), but the dish turned out well.

Mom also made a fresh pico de gallo from her garden with tomatoes, onion, garlic, 1/2 a habenero pepper, salt, and pepper. We used Tostillos Cantina chips to dip, and it was a perfect mix of salty crunch with the crisp taste of fresh tomatoes. Overall, a delicious meal.

Tips: Play around with the ingredients for the succotash. Watch the meat cooking time, I tend to go for more time with pork, which should always be cooked through (at least in my opinion, and I come from an area of pork producers).

Verdict? Taste of Day Success!

Tex-Mex Chicken Salad

This is my version.

Jonny Valiant

Just reading this title makes me hungry. There's a picture so it's obviously a lettuce salad with a Tex-Mex feel, but it makes me hungry for a chicken salad sandwich. I'm imagining chicken mixed in with my homemade guacamole on a tortilla. Maybe a little Colby jack cheese mixed in. Lila and Andy both love tacos. Like, I will eat three tacos every day for the rest of my life and still want tacos love. I'm pretty sure this meal will be a hit for everyone.

Tex-Mex Chicken Salad

Woman's Day Online, October 2014

Active time: 15 minutes             Total time: 15 minutes            Level: Easy

Serves: 4          Cost per serving: $2.31

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 c. shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 can pinto beans
• 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 c. fresh corn kernels
• 1 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1/4 c. fresh lime juice
• 2 Tbsp low-fat sour cream
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp honey
• Kosher salt
• pepper
• tortilla chips

I don't know where the people writing these shop, but it's definitely not the Estherville, Iowa Hy-Vee. The chicken alone cost more than their estimate for the entire recipe ($8.99 for just the breasts). Add on 2 limes ($1.38), a can of pinto beans ($1.99) and chips ($4.29) and the cost has gone up significantly ($4.32/person). That isn't even counting all the stuff I already had at my house.

While I was doing my shopping, I bought the new Woman's Day magazine for my September month of menus--some of the recipes look amazing. I'm especially looking forward to the "fried" chicken on Friday the 4th! Andy is, of course, concerned about the meals that lack meat, but they even look good (more cheese and noodles, less nuts).

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, gently toss together the chicken, beans, lettuce, corn, cilantro, avocado and onion.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the lime juice, sour cream, oil, honey, and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper.
3. Drizzle dressing over salad and gently toss to combine. Serve with tortilla chips, if desired.

That's it. Simple. Fresh. Delicious. There are no tomatoes in this recipe, but I have a ton in my garden so I chopped up a couple and threw them in. There's no such thing as tacos without tomatoes. Andy of course complained about the cilantro, and Lila just complained, but overall the opinion was positive. Andy ate a big plate, decided he would wrap up the leftovers in a tortilla for work tomorrow night, and went to hold Maxen on the couch. Lila finally started eating after he left. She ate chips with sour cream, a mini pepper, a cherry tomato, and one bite of the salad. She did eat the chicken, after I picked it out for her. Then she had two bowls of strawberries with whipped cream. She was complaining she was hungry, but we stood our ground and said no snacks (the strawberries were planned), eat your supper. She went to bed a little cranky.

Tips: As per the magazine and Andy, wrap up leftovers in a tortilla. 

Verdict? Taste of Day Success

Provolone and Arugula-Stuffed Flank Steak

The Woman's Day Version. Photo: Kat Teutsch

My version. Finally a picture that turned out good.

This sounds delicious--I love provolone, arugula, and steak. I'll replace the flank steak with ribeye because I have 1/4 cow in my freezer, but hopefully it doesn't loose anything by that substitution. Even Lila is excited--"YAY! Steak!" I haven't told her about the cheese and lettuce stuffing yet. Crossing my fingers that doesn't come back to bite me.

Provolone and Arugula Stuffed Flank Steak

Woman's Day Online, November 2014
Active time: 25 minutes           Total time: 30 minutes         Level: Easy
Serves: 4        Cost per serving: $4.07
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb flank steak
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 package baby arugula
• 1/4 lb very thin sliced deli provolone
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 pt cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 small red onion
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

The grocery store didn't have plain arugula, so I got baby spring mix (it was the closest I could get). I'll pick the arugula out to stuff the steak and have a spring mix salad on the side. I also have a pint of cherry tomatoes I picked from my garden yesterday, which look so much juicier than the ones I buy in the store. I really need to go to the farmers market some weekend and buy super fresh produce for these recipes. Every year I say I'm going to go, but it never happens. I also have some fresh green beans I can make as a second side dish. I also feel like this could use a carb (steak and potatoes anyone?). The meals in this plan tend to leave out a food group pretty regularly. I might do a grilled potato or possibly cornbread on the side. We will see!

Directions:

1. Heat the grill to medium-high. Butterfly the steak: cut it in 1/2 horizontally (not all the way through) and open it like a book.
2. Rub the garlic over the instead of the steak. Scatter 1 heaping c. arugula over the steak, then lay the cheese on top. Roll up the steak and tie with kitchen twine. Season with 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper.
3. Grill the steak, covered, turning occasionally and brushing with the vinegar, 15-18 minutes for medium rare. Let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing.
4. In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes and onion with the lemon juice, oil, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Toss with remaining arugula; serve with steak.

I ended up not butterflying the steak (a little difficult with the ribeye I got out of the freezer) and instead pounded it out with my fist like pizza dough. This actually worked really well. I also discovered that my kitchen twine went MIA in the move. I used toothpicks instead, which worked only OK. When you flipped the steak, some of the insides started to fall out so I had to reposition the steak and it ended up medium rare on one side and medium well on the other. This didn't really bother me, Lila tends to like her steak on the well done side.

I didn't make the green beans, but I did mix up some honey cornbread muffins. I could say they were homemade and delicious, but that would be a lie. I made cornbread homemade for most of my life but never particularly liked it. Then I tried the Krusteaz honey cornbread mix and will never make homemade again. It is way more delicious than any other recipe I've tried and super easy, so I always have a box in the cupboard. 

I didn't have a ton of arugula so one of the steaks was just cheese and the other was both. I think we all enjoyed it, even Olaf (our Saint Bernard) enjoyed his small piece. The steak turned out really good. I wasn't sure about having basically lettuce inside of it, but it didn't give a whole lot of flavor or crunch (which I wouldn't have liked anyway). I should have used more provolone though (I used 3 thin sliced pieces per steak).

Tips: Use the flank steak if you want to butterfly, a ribeye is not made to butterfly. Make sure you have kitchen twine, toothpicks were not very convenient. Plus I left one in and almost fed it to Andy. I'm pretty sure I didn't season the steak with salt and pepper, but it was still delicious.

Verdict? Taste of Day Success!

Gingery Meatball Soup with Bok Choy

This is their version. Photo: Con Poulos; Food styling by Simon Andrews;
Prop styling by Marina Malchin

This is my version (I was really bad about pictures last night)

This is the halfway point--this should have been last nights recipe (August 15), but we unexpectedly had a night to ourselves and went out on our first date since the baby was born. The scheduled recipe for tonight was steak, but it's storming so we will have the skipped meal from last night and save the steak for tomorrow night (since it's already defrosted).

Gingery Meatball Soup with Bok Choy

Woman's Day Magazine, January 2014

Active Time: 25 minutes         Total Time: 30 minutes                          Level: Moderate

Serves: 4                 Cost per serving: $2.25

Ingredients:

• 1 piece fresh ginger
• 1 large egg
• 2 scallions
• 1 clove garlic
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 c. bread crumbs
• 1 lb ground chicken
• 6 c. low sodium chicken broth
• 1 red chili pepper
• 1 medium carrot
• 4 head baby bok choy

I have my tube of ginger, hopefully that works for my "piece" of ginger. The grocery store did not have three things I needed: ground chicken (I got turkey), red chili peppers (green serrano will have to do), and baby bok choy (I got a single head of regular bok choy). I don't really even know what bok choy tastes like (my husband apparently loves it), but it's something I've been meaning to try. I'm going to rock out to some old school No Doubt and get my cook on.

Directions:

1. Heat broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick foil. Grate 1 Tbsp ginger, thinly slice remainder.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together egg, scallions, garlic, grated ginger, 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper. Stir in cilantro then bread crumbs. Let sit for 2 minutes. Add chicken and mix to combine.
3. Form meat mix into 1 1/2" balls (20 total) and place on prepared baking sheet. Broil until cooked through, 6-8 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring broth, sliced ginger and chili to a boil. Add carrot and simmer 1 minute. Add bok choy and simmer until just tender, about 3 minutes. Add meatballs and stir in additional cilantro, if desired.

Well, jamming to No Doubt lasted 30 seconds, then my husband skipped to CCR. Apparently he hates Gwen Stefani, which is crazy. She was my idol in high school. When we were dating, he pretended to like my music. It was a lie--had I know his real taste in music this relationship would not have existed. I mean, honestly, who hates Gwen Stefani?

So a couple minor issues/changes with this one. Someone ate all my carrots, so I just left them out (I'm the only one who likes cooked carrots anyway). I used Panko breadcrumbs. It actually worked using the tube of ginger, but if you have the option, go with the piece of ginger. I left the pepper whole, because Lila wasn't going to touch it if it was "hot lava". This worked out pretty well, but if you want it hotter I would either dice the pepper or chop into a couple big pieces.

Andy really liked it, even with the cilantro in the meatballs. His personal preference would have been to replace the meatballs with an Asian noodle. I had Udon noodles in the cupboard, but he didn't feel like waiting another 20 minutes to eat. Maybe next time.

I thought it was pretty good, I had two bowls. I liked the meatball better than the soup. Lila also liked the meatball and broth, but she wouldn't touch the bok choy. Andy took a bite of the pepper and dared me to, which I declined. Then we told Lila if she tried the bok choy I would take a bite of the pepper. Worst decision today. My tongue had third degree burns I'm sure.

Tips: When you add the bok choy to the broth, add the stalks first, simmer for 1-2 minutes and then add the leaves.

Verdict? Taste of Day Success

Summer Squash Salad with Herbs and Quinoa

Their Version. Photo: Dana Gallagher; Food Styling by Vivan Lui;
Prop Styling by Paige Hicks

This is my version.

Another meal with one of those hip, fancy grains. Unlike couscous, this one I've actually tried. I can't say i enjoyed it, but I have sampled it (as a side dish with fish). If I remember correctly, it basically lacked flavor and has a weird texture. I have a texture thing with food: I don't like crunchy stuff in salad (except croutons, which I mostly pick out and eat separately), crumbly cheese, or soggy cereal. I get the feeling this meal will have at least two of these. Oh wait, I just read the teaser:  apparently its vegan--no cheese. When I told Andy it was vegan, he asked why I was wasting my time making it if we weren't going to eat it. He was the one who said I couldn't skip meals!

Summer Squash Salad with Herbs and Quinoa

Woman's Day Online, May 2014
Active time: 30 minutes         Total time: 50 minutes             Level: Moderate
Serves: 4                               Cost per serving: $2.92
Ingredients:

• 1 lemon
• 3 Tbsp whole-grain mustard
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 1/2 c. olive oil
• 1/4 c. capers
• 1 small shallot
• 1 c. quinoa
• 2 zucchini
• 2 medium yellow squash
• 1 c. fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1/2 c. fresh mint leaves
• 4 inner celery leaves and stalks
• 1/2 c. roasted, salted nuts (pistachios, almonds, or hazelnuts)

First off, this is not a salad--in my world salad=lettuce (Lutheran ladies think salad=jello, but they usually at least refer to it as a jello salad). This lacks lettuce, therefore, not a salad. I just used an ACT skill for the first time ever. 

Second, why do all salads these days contain nuts? Nuts are good plain. Nuts are good on ice cream. Peanuts make a delicious spread. There is no other appropriate use for nuts in my food! I am not a vegan, I personally like my protein to come from an animal. Luckily, I have gotten very good at picking my food apart after years of practice (yes, I'm aware that Lila gets that from me).

Third, I didn't even know celery leaves were edible. I'm a bit curious about this new development. I don't particularly like raw celery (my tongue goes numb), but I'm very intrigued.

Andy has the kids today so I took his car to work. After work, I went to Hy-Vee to pick up the groceries I need for this weekends meals. After I check out, I walk out to Andy's car and start loading in the groceries. As I'm loading, I think to myself "Wow! Andy really did a good job cleaning out the back when he took the dog to the vet! I'm super impressed." So I go put my cart in the corral, walk back to the car and open the driver's side door. I then realize "This is not my car!" I then have to go get my cart, reload the groceries, and walk across the aisle to my actual car (which is way dirtier) to unload my groceries again. Luckily, the real owner of the clean car didn't come out and wonder what I was doing.

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, zest lemon (2 tsp), then squeeze in 2 Tbsp juice. Add the mustard and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper. Whisk in the oil, then stir in the capers and shallot; transfer 1/2 to small bowl and set aside (about 1/2 c.).
2. Cook quinoa in medium heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until toasted, 3-5 minutes. Add 1 1/4 c. water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 12 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit, covered, for 3 minutes more. Season with 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Fold in the reserved 1/2 c. dressing and let the quinoa cool. 
3. While the quinoa is cooking, very thinly slice the squash and zucchini and add to bowl with remaining dressing. Let sit, tossing occasionally, for 5 minutes. Fold in parsley, mint, celery, nuts (I used almonds) and qunioa.

This may come as a surprise, but I actually liked this one! I will still never be a vegan, and we all agreed this was more a side dish than a main dish, but it was pretty good (I didn't even pick it apart before eating it). Lila really liked the capers (if you've never had them, its basically a tiny green olive) and actually tried the squash, which I consider a win.

I thought this would be a good side dish to bring to a potluck picnic, because there are WAY more than four servings. We each had a plateful, which barely made a dent in the salad, then made hot dogs because we couldn't eat anymore salad and were still hungry (I was actually almost full, excellent diet recipe too!). Andy thought this could be modified for a fancy Thanksgiving dinner. His idea was to use the couscous/nuts/celery/parsley mint combo to stuff the turkey, then serve the squash with the mustard dressing (basically tastes like Italian) on the side. I don't know if I would do it for Thanksgiving, but it might turn out pretty good. If anyone decides to try it, let me know how it turns out!

Lila and I also made brownies, because we figured it we were having a vegetable main dish we could splurge on dessert calories. Also, bribing her with brownies was the only way I was going to get her to try this meal. Yes, I bribe my kid to eat with chocolate. No, I don't feel bad about it.

Tips: Just because a car is the same color/make/model as yours, and in the approximate place you parked, and unlocked...does not mean it is your car! If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. That's it. The meal was easy to make.

Verdict: Taste of Day Pass.

They were playing super heroes. Andy wouldn't wear his costume
in the picture though (a mask with an Olaf blanket cape).