at home with ann

This has quickly become one of my new favorite meals.  Quick, easy, healthy, and the kids (usually) enjoy it, too.  That's pretty much all I ask for these days.  It's also great because you can stock all the ingredients in your pantry/freezer to have at the ready.  Long gone are the evenings of leisurely stirring risotto for forty minutes while sipping on a few glasses of wine.  Yesterday I put all the ingredients in the crock pot after lunch and dinner was ready to go at our early bird time of 5pm when we came in from playing a highly competitive game of outdoors Chutes and Ladders.  If you're wondering what that is, it's basically Colin directing me around the yard to most of the "chutes" and him winning the game.  The champion always seems to win ice cream. White Chicken Chili 1 lb. chicken breasts (fresh or frozen) 2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed 1 8 oz. jar salsa verde (I like the Trader Joe's brand) 2 teaspoons cumin 2-4 cups chic...

This was such an easy dinner, perfect for weeknights.  I turned on the oven at 4 and we were ready to eat at 5.  The early bird special works for the kids, otherwise they are demolishing snacks and getting sleepy at the table later.  Last weekend Jon and I went out to dinner for the first time in, oh, 8 months. We put the kids to bed first so we didn't eat until 9.  I was demolishing snacks and getting sleepy at the table, because apparently I'm 4.  Or 94. I made my own pesto, because bunches of basil were half the price of tiny containers of pesto, but either works here. Pesto Baked Chicken Ingredients: 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (depending on the thickness you may want to slice them horizontally or pound them) Pesto 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes (or use fresh) 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour diced tomatoes into the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange chicken breasts on top. Spread with pesto. Sprin...

We're rolling right along with our CSA share at Tangerini's Farm  and I'm happy to report nothing has gone to waste so far.  I usually misplace some bag of pickling cucumbers in the back of the refrigerator and find them again when they look really scary.  I confess that when faced with a bunch of vegetables, I often throw them in a stir fry with a peanut soy sauce and call it a day.  Today, I branched out a bit, and the result was a filling dinner salad that was refreshing in the midst of this hot and sticky weather. The dressing flavors were a bit strong for my tiny taste testers, so I simply portioned out the vegetables and some chicken before topping with sauce to make them mini plates. Thai Cabbage Salad with Chicken and Peanut Sauce recipe modified from My Kitchen Escapades Ingredients: About 4 chicken breasts, cooked (I used boneless skinless, but you could easily pick off a roaster or rotisserie chicken, or use shredded chicken cooked in the crock pot)...

One of my friends had a baby recently, so I brought a dinner to share with them.  Whenever I do that, I make double so we get dinner, too!  After constructing their meal as traditional enchiladas and rolling many little tortillas, I decided to do something a little simpler for our version and make it into an oven bake.  Mexican and barbecue are both popular in our house, so this is the perfect combination! BBQ Chicken Enchiladas Ingredients: 1 lb. chicken breasts 1/2 cup barbecue sauce 1 (12 count) package of corn tortillas 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 cup corn (I used frozen) 1 cup enchilada sauce (homemade or store bought) 1/2 cup barbecue sauce 2-3 cup shredded cheddar cheese Optional toppings: sour cream, avocado, hot sauce, cilantro In a slow cooker, combine chicken and 1/2 cup bbq sauce.  Cook for 6-8 hours on low until easily shredded with a fork.  Alternatively, cook chicken in oven or on stove top and shred. Combine ch...

In my pantry I have two large mason jars with grains in them.  I'm fairly certain one of them is hard red wheat berries.  I determined this after comparing them to a bag I had, and getting really close to stare at them.  For a while, I thought the other jar held barley.  But then I got some barley and it looked different.  Instead of just cooking them and figuring it out, I ignored them for several months, and complained about the space they took up.  Finally, I used them for this recipe and determined they are soft white wheat berries.  Mystery solved.  The mystery of why I can't be bothered to label my jars is still out there, however.  Now I feel like I may have told you this boring story before.  Sorry. This salad is great on it's own, but we had some leftovers from a roast chicken so I added it for some protein.  Chickpeas are a good vegetarian option. Wheat Berry Salad with Chicken 1 cup wheat berries, soaked and then si...

I loved this recipe!  Every night we ate it, the leftovers tasted even better.  I must have said, "This is so good.  SO GOOD," to Jon about 200 times.  Most definitely a keeper. It takes a bit more prep work than I usually like to invest for a crock pot meal, but it's absolutely worth it.  Marinating the chicken in the yogurt mixture and searing it beforehand, and then cooking the vegetables and getting all the flavor from the pan give this dish an amazing depth.  Sometimes crock pot meals can sort of all taste like one thing because it's all been cooking together all day, but these additional steps really helped maintained the individual flavors.  As is often the case with Indian recipes, clear some room on your counter top, because you'll be taking out nearly the entire contents of your spice cabinet and pantry. Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala slightly modified from Tasty Kitchen  Serves 6 Ingredients: Chicken: 1 package (I think m...

For a family that loves tacos as much as we do, I can't believe I haven't made something like this before.  A layered casserole like lasagna, but with taco filling instead of marinara and tortillas instead of pasta.  Use whatever taco filling you like.  I chose ground chicken and onions and peppers, but any ground meat would work, as would beans, sweet potatoes, or tempeh. I went a little crazy buying corn tortillas because the package of 24 was on sale for 69 cents.  Needless to say, we had a lot to use up, and they aren't actually all that wonderful with tacos because they break and explode toppings all over your hands. They are perfect in this casserole, though. Taco-sagna Olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 bell pepper, chopped 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 pound ground chicken 14 oz. can tomato sauce 2 Tablespoons ground cumin 1 Tablespoon ground chili powder 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper ~12 corn tortillas 1 1/2 -2 cups shredded cheddar cheese Toppin...

The U-Pick item at our CSA this week was sugar snap peas.  I have fond memories of picking these in our garden growing up and eating one for every one I put in the basket.  They are like vegetable candy, you know, if candy tasted like vegetables.  I was excited to take Colin out into the fields at the farm and fill up our little basket.  As it turns out, Colin was excited to be out in the fields as well because as I was trying to balance while crouching down, he was leaning as far back as possible in the Ergo to look around.  This made the whole balancing thing a bit of a challenge, but totally worth it.  And I snuck a few snap peas straight from the vine into my mouth. I am a big dork and always get extra happy about cooking vegetables I picked myself, and go on and on to my taste testers about how they couldn't be any fresher and are totally perfect.  This very simple salad met with good reviews, although the consensus was that they were extra garl...

This was my first time cooking with napa cabbage.  At my market apparently the smallest napa cabbage you can buy weighs over 4 pounds, so I was a little nervous.  After conferring with my sister on alternative cabbage recipes, I'm planning to use the leftovers in some miso soup for lunch, but that has nothing to do with this. This salad is a mixture of textures, and the fresh crunch of the vegetables is complimented nicely by the saucy chicken.  You can substitute any meat, fish, or tofu you like here, or leave it out altogether because the edamame has protein.  It does call for a good amount of chopping, which might take you a while (or the entire afternoon, in my case), if you are being helped by someone whose new party trick is putting a blanket over their face and flailing around until you come take it off.  Over and over again.  Teriyaki Chicken Salad Serves 6-7 1 small head of romaine lettuce, cut into thin strips 1/2 head (equal to amount of ...

If you've been reading for a while (or a week), you know that tacos are the number one requested food around here.  This recipe combines tacos and the crock pot, it's a match made in easy-dinner heaven. These met with rave reviews from my two taste-testers, although Matt scoffed at my cheapo-crock pot and declared his much better.  I am going to give his a try and see if it really is better with it's fancy digital timer and locking lid and auto-shutoff.  I don't see why you wouldn't want a crock pot that has a lid that rattles when steam tries to escape so that you think there is an animal rampaging around your kitchen.   Colin even helped get them started around noon, by which I mean he didn't totally freak out when I put him in his chair in the kitchen so I could deal with raw chicken. I hesitate to call this a recipe because it's so unbelievably easy. Shredded Chicken Tacos 1 package chicken breasts (mine was about a pound) 8 ounce can tomato sa...

When I was in college, we used to go to a dive Mexican restaurant to drink giant margaritas.  Along with those margaritas I would often order Arroz con Pollo.  I have to say, my memory of that dish might be a little hazy, but I think my version is way better.  And I'm not just saying that because due to some timing issues and a baby who needed a bath and to be put to bed, I didn't eat dinner last night until almost 9 and inhaled my bowl.  That is late for someone who is usually starving by 7. Also, I sometimes eat lunch at 11 in the morning and today it involved ants on a log.  I'm either 8 or 88.  But I digress. Arroz con Pollo inspired by Eat Live Run Serves 6 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts , sliced in half lengthwise to form thin filets (you can use any cut of chicken here) Olive Oil 1-2 onions, chopped 1-2 green bell peppers, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon saffron, crushed 1 bay leaf 1 1/2 ...

My friend Jackie is a great cook, and loves finding new recipes as much as I do.  Our Pinterest boards are full of them.  The other day she emailed me some links for chicken salad recipes, and while I didn't follow them exactly, I used the ideas and did my own thing.  They were both delicious, I highly recommend keeping these in mind next time you have a chicken salad hankering.  I know you can all make chicken salad, but these little changes kick things up a notch.  I started with a rotisserie chicken and cut all the meat off.  Split in half gave me about 2 cups of chicken for each recipe. Avocado Chicken Salad 2 cups shredded/cubed cooked chicken 1/2 avocado, cubed 1 cup grapes, halved 2 stalks celery, chopped 1/4 lemon, juiced salt and pepper Mayo, optional for extra creaminess Hummus Chicken Salad 2 cups shredded/cubed cooked chicken 1/2 cup hummus 1/2 avocado, cubed 1/4 bell pepper, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 1/4 lemon, ju...

I may have mentioned before that raw chicken scares me.  I've made great strides against this somewhat irrational phobia in recent years, but I still avoid touching it if possible.  That is why this recipe is perfect for me, I don't have to touch anything raw and at the end of the day I get a tasty and healthy meal.  That's a success in my book.  I've made vegan Tortilla Soup before , which was great, but I was feeling something a little heartier. The only injury sustained while making this soup was burning my tongue while I was taste testing.   This has become something of a pattern lately.  I'm either eating at lightening speed because we are on the verge of a baby meltdown, or it takes me hours because I keep getting pulled away and grab a bite as I walk through the kitchen.  Even eaten a little too hot, this was delicious, definitely a keeper.  Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup 1 14 oz. can tomato sauce 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon ...

If something only has two ingredients can you really call it a recipe?  This was so good that I'm going to go ahead and say yes. As you can probably tell, I have been all about the crock pot lately.  I had it in the back of my mind to do a pulled pork or chicken dish, but every time I ventured near the pork section of the market, I shrunk back in dismay.  Something about the huge, fatty cuts of meat were just not doing it for me.  Then, I remembered that chicken breasts make excellent barbecue as well.  There are many variations on this recipe that range from using a spice rub, homemade barbecue sauce, coke or root beer for cooking and pan searing.  While they all sound good, I did none of these things.  Instead I put the uncooked chicken in the crock pot, topped with my favorite jarred barbecue sauce, and cooked it for 7 hours.  Let me tell you, it smelled amazing around here. Crock Pot Barbecue Pulled Chicken 1 1/2 pounds chicken  ( I ...

Chicken Paprika is such a vintage 50s recipe.  Chicken with a cream based sauce.  But there's a reason it's stood the test of time, for me at least, and that reason is that it's deliciously good comfort food.  Inspired to make this by Jenna of Eat Live Run , a fan of 50s vintage comfort food, herself.  Jenna served hers with homemade dumplings, but I went with egg noodles and broccoli. Chicken Paprika recipe from Eat Live Run 1 pound boneless chicken breasts, sliced thinly 2 tbsp olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 yellow onion, diced 1 cup chicken broth 1 tbsp paprika sea salt pepper 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 3/4 cup sour cream 1 tbsp flour In a saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, chicken, salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne and cook until chicken is browned. Add in garlic for the last minute of cooking. Pour one cup of chicken broth into the pan, increase the heat to high to bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for ab...

My friend Jackie is one of my favorite people in the world.  She's awesome in about a million ways.  We have been friends since college, and even though I never see or talk to her as much as I'd like, we always pick up right where we left off.  This is us before my wedding two years ago. I'm so excited she wrote a blog post to share with you all, enjoy! Sorry to all you New Englanders... I am clutching to the last bit of summer down here in good ol' Tennessee with one of my personal favorite recipes.  This simple chicken salad is fantastic on reduced-fat Wheat Thins or (my preference) straight out of the bowl. :) The Jackie's Tropical Chicken Salad 1 whole chicken, cooked 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped 2-3 stalks celery, chopped 3 stalks green onion, chopped 1 can chopped pineapple, drained 1 can mandarin oranges, drained 1/4 cup mayonnaise chopped cilantro to taste salt & pepper to taste I always use a rotisseri...

Nearly all the guys (and most of the girls) I know love buffalo flavored anything, and I personally have  never met a hot sauce I didn't like.  When you bring this dip out at a party, people can't get enough.  A few months ago my brother in law and I made a serious dent in a bowl of it.  He always eats with me so I won't feel self-conscious eating constantly while pregnant, and he takes the responsibility very seriously.  It's not exactly diet friendly, but all things in moderation, and you can eat it with celery sticks, so that cancels everything out. Buffalo Chicken Dip  recipe from my Mother in Law 1 package cream cheese, softened 12 oz. hot sauce 8-12 oz. shredded cheddar, reserve some for top 12-16 oz. blue cheese dressing 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded(I used an entire package ~1# of thin sliced chicken breasts, and poached them) Mix together all ingredients, spread in a baking dish.  Top with remaining cheddar.  If you're...

After a wonderful beach day on Saturday, we came back home Sunday night.  Today I opened my book and dumped sand all over my lap, which is a good gauge of the weekend. Grilling barbecue chicken can be tricky.  It's easy to burn the sauce and overcook the meat, so it takes a little finesse with the grill.  Jon was in charge, as always, and used an indirect cooking method. We used boneless skinless chicken breasts, although I've read bone-in, skin-on is easier to grill and more traditional.  He started by sprinkling the chicken with a barbecue rub, just a mixture of spices.  He set the grill up with the coals concentrated under one half to create a section of direct heat and indirect heat.  To initially sear the chicken, cook for a couple minutes on each side close to the hot coals.  This will give you nice grill marks and seal in the juices.  Then move the meat to the non-coal side of the grill for indirect cooking, basting with sauce on each f...

This weekend marks the one year anniversary of our move to this house.  I can't believe it!  It's certainly been quite a year.  While there are advantages (free reign to decorate how I want, plenty of space, our own yard and wonderful porch) and disadvantages (replacing the water heater, the prospect of paying a mortgage for the next 30 years, the mysterious scratching noise in the attic) to owning a home in the suburbs as opposed to renting an apartment in the city, one of the things that has significantly changed are our weekend activities.  Back in the day, we would go out to eat at one of the many fantastic restaurants a few steps from our apartment.  Now, although the suburbs do have some good dining out options, we usually find ourselves cooking at home. If you've been reading for a while, you know that homemade pizza is one of our favorite weekend dinners.  It's great to cook together - even when one of the cooks is kind of bossy like me....

As some of you already know, my husband and I bought a house and moved to the suburbs almost a year ago.  Prior to that, we lived in an apartment in Brookline, MA.  Our apartment was wonderful in many ways, not the least of which was the proximity to our favorite thai food and craft beer restaurants. Off the back of our apartment building we had a little deck, which was small and had a view of the parking lot.  Not exactly the type of place to lounge outside on warm evenings.  We did, however, have room for a small gas grill.  We bought the Weber that is actually designed for tailgating, but you can stick it on a stand and pretend it's supposed to be used at home, too.  Everything was going wonderfully until all our neighbors saw we were grilling and put grills on their decks, too.  Not long afterwards, the fire marshal posted that grills on decks are illegal and they needed to be removed.  That was the end of grilling at our apartment. Last s...