recent eats

although not a weekly menu, here are a few things we've been chowing down on recently:

The CSA started up for the spring which means one thing...Kale...a vegetable so good for you and so out of my comfort zone...BUT throw in some bacon and other veggies and I'm sold.


Kale and Red Pepper pasta with bacon in a light cream sauce:
(no photo, sometimes don't even have time to snap an iphone photo before we sit down to eat...)
serves two adults, one kid and one next day lunch:)

Cook 4 slices of bacon in a skillet and remove once it's nice and crispy.  In the bacon drippings saute half a red pepper (or more if you love it...i'm teaching Robert to like it) and some summer squash (a full medium sized piece) sliced.  When the vegetables are nice and brown add the bunch of kale, roughly chopped.

While you're doing this, cook up some pasta, then add it to the vegetables mix once the kale is cooked down. 

(if you're me...pause and run the boiling water up the stairs to pour down bathroom drain in an attempt to protect husband from having to pull out the nasty drain-o)

Pour in some half and half and just stir enough to coat and produce a light sauce. 

Spoon into bowl and heap on some parmesan cheese..yum.

Next up...and admittedly just for Robert and I

Radish and Carrot Salad with shredded chicken.

I loosely followed this recipe but made an orange-lemon vinaigrette instead of just juicing the salad, then I put the whole thing over some field lettuce.

My only regret was not having any crusty bread and we had to settle for english muffins...not bad, but not the best compliment either:)

 Reeses Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Strawberries
made 24
One box Pillsbury Yellow cake mix
6 mini reese cups
6 strawberries plus more for toppings
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips
strawberry jelly of choice
buttercream frosting (I make the same frosting my mother has made for years...I don't measure and therefore have no reference for you...BUT the side of the confectioner sugar box has a great recipe that we use as a general guide)

1. mix up cake batter according to box instructions
2. add in crushed PB cups and chopped strawberries
3. bake using cupcake liners:)
4. while cooling...heat up peanut butter and chocolate chips in microwave for about 30 seconds to 1 minute...mix thoroughly
5. once cupcakes are completely cool, spread layer of peanut butter-chocolate mixture on top and allow it to harden
6. place a half teaspoon of jelly on top of each cupcake
7. frost your cupcakes.
8. try not to eat 6 in one day...like I did.

 

Heath Bar Mug Cake

I hadn't tried a mug cake yet, but have really been wanting to...they ARE as easy as people claim and they do taste pretty darn good considering it only takes 5 minutes to throw together.  AND one cake fed both me and my young dessert loving son..he had his plain while mama threw in Moose Tracks Ice Cream and Strawberries...clearly.

I used this recipe and in the future will cook for less than amount listed, probably only 1.5 minutes instead of three

The heath bar also sank to the bottom so I might stir it in beforehand or make the pieces smaller in general. And I didn't use pecans because little man doesn't like nuts in his dessert and I was afterall making it as a special treat for him after he ate his Kale pasta dinner so good:)

Last and certainly not least was this gem:

Summer Squash Gratin

my 8 x 8 pan fed two adults and one complaining three year old (who, despite complaining he hated it after every. single. bite. ate most of his portion...shocker)

I VERY loosely borrowed from this recipe,  but only used about one step of it since I didn't make the salsa verde and cut ingredients AND steps out of the actual gratin:)

3 summer squash (I used two yellow and one zucchini)

3 TBS butter

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 tsp herbs de provence (or really any herb you choose)

1/2 grated Gruyere...I freakin' love this cheese

olive oil

1. slice up the squash really thin, add to baking dish

2. melt butter in sauce pan until just browning, then add breadcrumbs and saute crumbs on low until they just begin to brown...mmm brown butter bread crumbs.

3. mix herbs into the breadcrumbs

4. pour breadcrumbs and grated cheese over squash and shake dish a few times to get them good and mixed in with the squash.

5. bake at 400 for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly:)

side note: if, by chance, you are like me and the gratin starts to get a bit dry because, for instance, you don't check it because you're following around an almost walking 10 month old/jumping 3 year old...splash on some olive oil and gently shake the pan...works like a charm.

We ate this with some bbq chicken sandwiches, the husband exclaimed "this squash is so freakin' good"...try it and let me know what you think.