Menu - Week 4

This week, I'm trying a new Rachael Ray Recipe from her show "Week in a Day". I'm actually making 2 meals from the same starter. Wine is required for both recipes and I'm not sure if there is a substitution. I've never had it before, so we'll see how it goes and I'll post the results.

Sunday: Salmon with steamed vegetables

Monday: Zinfully Delicious Short Ribs (a la Rachael Ray)

Tuesday: Noodles and Co.

Wednesday: Short Rib Ragu with Pappardelle (another Rachael Ray)

Thursday: Brock's Chili w/homemade Cornbread

Butternut Squash Mac n' Cheese

I've already explained my husbands love of cheese here. So, I thought I would share a very family friendly recipe that also helps you sneak in a vegetable...tasty Butternut Squash. So, here is the step-by step...and the recipe follows.

Start by preparing your pasta according to package directions. You are not going to need to undercook the pasta...we are not baking this recipe. The cheese sauce only takes about 5-10 minutes, so you can completely cook and drain the pasta before you start the sauce.

For the sauce, you first melt the butter over medium low heat. Then you add the flour.
Whisk the flour and butter for about 2 minutes. It should resemble a paste.

Slowly whisk in the milk until combined. I usually let it heat up a little bit here - but you don't want it to be boiling.

Next...add everything else! Don't be afraid of the chili powder...it's not hot, it just adds a little flavor.


Mmmmnnmmm...shredded cheese.

Stir the ingredients together until the cheese is mostly melted.


Remember this stuff? We love pasta!!

Pour your cheese sauce over the pasta.


And stir it together.

Serve it up and voila! Delicious Mac n' Cheese!

Ingredients:
2 cups Small Pasta (shells, elbow, whateves!)
1T Butter
1T Flour
3/4 c. milk (yes! Skim works...but would be delish with more)
1/2c. Butternut Squash Puree*
1- 1/2c. Monterrey Jack Cheese, shredded
2T Cream cheese
1/2t salt
1/8t Pepper
1/2t Paprika
1/2t Chili Powder (optional)

Directions:
Prepare pasta according to package directions. Strain and set aside.

Melt butter over medium low heat in a saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook (while whisking) for 2 minutes. It will resemble a paste.

Slowly whisk in the milk until combined. Add everything else, stirring until combined and cheese is melted. Pour your yummy cheese sauce over the pasta and stir!

*I have not yet found Butternut Squash Puree in the grocery store...but that may just be my local Harmons. If you can't find the puree, it is really easy to make (but I suggest making ahead of time). Simply cut a butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and discard. Place face down in an oven safe dish. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 50 minutes. Allow to cool. Scoop out the squash and place in a food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth. I like to measure the squash out in 1/2 c servings and put it in Ziplocs. Then, the ones I am not using immediately are frozen for later.

It's Hard to Blog with Dogs

Imagine you just got home from a long day at work...and your excited to blog about last night's dinner. Your just typing away when...

This pops up!

Why, hello! I'm sorry, this blog entry I'm working on has nothing to do with you...Can I please pay attention to you later?

Oooookkkkkaaaayyyy...so what if I write a blog about you next?


(This is where I figured out she wasn't planning on going anywhere)

But, at least she settled down into my lap eventually - only after jumping into my face a couple of times.

Then, this guy came along...never one to miss a photo shoot.

Hey! Cooper! You've got a little something stuck in your beard!

But I still love you.

Crock Pot Chile Verde

This recipe is perfect for the busy family trying to feed an army. It came from one of the Basin Clinic girls in Vernal - and it's a family standby! It can be used over salads, as a soup, in enchiladas, burritos, tacos, quesedillas...you name it! We also freeze our leftovers, and it is great when re-heated.

There are two crucial skills/pieces of equipment for this recipe...brace yourself: a can opener and a crock pot!

Here is what you need:

When I make crock pot dinners at 6:00AM before I leave for work, I set everything out for the night...well, of course not the stuff that has to be refrigerated.

Oh! and I chop my onion ahead of time and stick it in the fridge (make sure it is fairly well sealed so that your fridge isn't too stinky)...the thought of chopping onion at 6:00AM is not my idea of fun, but whatever floats your boat.

OK...now the tough part...put it all in the crock pot and let it cook for 7 hours.

Shred the pork - put it back in the sauce and enjoy!

Any questions?

Ingredients:
1 Pork Roast (1 1/2 lb - 3lbs - whatever you need)
1 can Chicken Broth
1 can (4 oz) Green Chilies*
1 can (4 oz) Jalapeno peppers*
4 cloves of garlic
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
3 T oil (I usually use Vegetable - 'sup to you)
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Squirt of lime or lemon (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low for 7 hours. Shred pork (I like to remove the really fatty pieces) and put shredded pork back in the pot. Use to make enchiladas, tacos, burritos, quesedilla, taco salads, etc. You can also use it as a Mexican soup - garnished with shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla strips and cilantro.

Depending on how big your roast is and what you use the pork to make, this recipe makes about 8-10 servings. It freezes really well and can be spread further if you are making quesedillas and tacos.

*You can control the spice level by switching out jalapenos and mild green chilies. This recipe, using one can of each, makes it about Medium. I am speaking to you directly Lindsay L...you too can enjoy this dish! Are you still not a fan of the spice?

Our Weekend at the St. Regis - Deer Crest

After a busy week at work, stuck in the inversion/haze in Salt Lake, Jake decided that we needed a weekend getaway to escape the muck. We looked at several quick getaways, but either the flights were too expensive or the hotel prices were out of control. Then, we remembered what we did on Halloween (Jake is afraid of trick-or-treaters...that is the only excuse I can imagine for him ALWAYS wanting to be away from our house every October 31). On Halloween, we tried out the new St. Regis Hotel at Deer Crest (in Deer Valley - outside of Park City).

This hotel is absolutely AMAZING! Lets start with how you get there. The St. Regis is located in a gated community WITHIN a gated community. Yes - two gates. Very snootie-patootie! But, you can't drive through the gates, so you enter near the Deer Valley ski resort and take a funicular (those little contraptions in the photo) up to the hotel. You're vehicle will be brought to you up top when you decide to leave. In 90 seconds, you ascend 500 ft to the property.

Then, you can enjoy delicious meals at the J&G Grill (yummy) or the hotel bar (which isn't really a bar, and they serve a great burger and fries). You can also hang out in the lobby and enjoy complimentary Apple Cider or Hot Chocolate in the afternoons.


From our room (which had 3 TV's - one in the bedroom, one in the sitting area, and one in the mirror of the bathroom...I'm not even kidding, might be one of the coolest bathrooms I've ever seen), you could look out onto the ski slopes - the hotel has ski-in and ski-out privileges as well as a "ski valet" in case you don't want to carry your equipment on your own. There is also a warm swimming pool - and yes, there were people swimming it it!

Overall, this is a beautiful spot, year round. Even if you don't want to stay at the hotel, it is worth riding the funicular and having lunch just to experience a piece of the luxury that the St. Regis brand is all about. We loved our little weekend getaway! As always, with most luxury hotels, you can watch prices and get in for much less than what is often posted (I promise, we didn't pay an arm and a leg...just an arm and it's my left one, so I'm sure we'll be fine). Check it out if you get a chance!

Menu - Week 3

This week is a little different, because Jake and I took an "Emergency" weekend vacation. No, nothing bad has happened...we were supposed to go to New Orleans with my parents, but I had a very intensive grant due this week at work. Jake thought we needed a getaway to lower my stress levels. I married a pretty good guy! More posting on our quick vacation later.

I kind of got a little exotic with my menu last week, so this week, I'm going back to the basics! These are great standby's for any busy household.

Sunday: Date Night at a Park City Restaurant

Monday: Grilled Chicken Salad

Tuesday: Chile Verde (crock-pot - you busy mom's are going to love this one)

Wednesday: Chile Verde Enchiladas (because there are two of us, we can eat our Tuesday meal in various ways all week!)

Thursday: Butternut Squash Mac N' Cheese (Vegetarian for my Veggie Friends!)

Friday and Saturday are Jakey's job...which generally means going out or getting take-out!

Margherita Pizza

There is nothing like a good Margherita Pizza...and it is so simple and easy to make! All you need is tomato sauce (I sometimes make a pasta sauce and use the leftovers - but for this pizza, I just used a jar of spaghetti sauce I had open), good mozzerella, and fresh basil. We were going for the gourmet rustic look tonight - but if you want your pizza to look like a perfect circle with perfectly placed cheese - go for it! That is the fun of making your own pizza!

Ingredients:
Fresh Pizza Dough (recipe below)
1c Pizza sauce/spaghetti sauce (or more to taste)
1 ball of fresh mozzerella
4-5 fresh basil leaves

Spread your sauce evenly over the pizza crust. Squeeze any water out of the fresh mozzerella with a clean towel/cheesecloth/paper towel. Tear pieces of the cheese into evenish chunks over the sauce. Tear the basil leaves onto the pizza. Now, you could make this fancier and evenly place everything - but this is the way we do it when we miss eating pizza in Italy!