at home with ann

It's been pointed out to me by more than one person that I haven't been posting much lately.  I'm here to remedy that with an easy and healthy meal your whole family will enjoy, as long as you don't have a finicky 4-year-old. Truth be told, instead of writing down recipes and photographing meals, life is moving pretty quickly around here.  Many afternoons I make dinner in 5 minute increments running into the kitchen while I leave Colin "in charge" outside in the back yard. Someday this will likely result in James running Colin over with the mini John Deere (again...), or someone getting stuck in a tree. If you follow me on Facebook (please do! I share mini-recipes and awkward comments - link is on the sidebar), you know I have a serious addiction to my spiralizer.  There are zucchini noodles all over the place here.  Today, I set my beloved kitchen gadget aside for a y-shaped peeler to make these noodles.  This has all the cheesy, saucy goodness of your fa...

While I do still make food that isn't quite baby friendly (this week's mouth burning chipotle corn chowder, for example), I prefer to make one meal that we all enjoy.  It makes me so happy to eat with my little guy and see him try new foods, even if he mooches off my plate.  These quinoa pizza bites were popular with everyone.  I love quinoa, but on it's own it can taste a little bitter and boring.  The herbs give it good flavor, and dried oregano always makes me think pizza.  These were easy to make, although a spazzy potholder move resulted in yet another burn on my wrist.  My cooking theme of the winter has been, how many things can I break or injure myself with in the kitchen.  Must slow down.  C and I will be having the leftovers today, and I can't resist anything that comes out of the mini muffin tin.  Easily customizable to suit your tastes, I can even see serving these as party appetizers if made bite-sized. Quinoa Pizza Bites...

I have made a lot of different lasagna and lasagna-type dishes.  Vegetarian, with squash instead of noodles, with goat cheese instead of mozzarella, with white sauce instead of marinara; there are endless options.  This time, however, I wanted to go classic.  Tomato meat sauce, noodles, and gooey cheese.  I intended to add a layer of spinach leaves to get a little more nutrients in the mix, but I can barely remember my name these days thanks to pregnancy brain, much less things that aren't on my shopping list.  A quick Google search brought me to the always wonderful Pioneer Woman.  Not one to shy away from baked meaty, cheesy goodness, I knew she wouldn't steer me wrong. When the power went out on Sunday, and we were deciding what to do with all the food in the refrigerator, the fate of the leftover lasagna was top priority.  I'm happy to say our porch made an excellent alternative refrigerator, even colder than the real thing, and it reheated won...

Continuing on the trend of things to cook when it's 95 degrees outside, here are a couple simple salad ideas. Caprese My all time favorite.  Juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and fragrant basil dressed simply in balsamic vinegar. Roasted Beet with Goat Cheese The beets were from our CSA share this week.  After scrubbing, I drizzled them with olive oil, wrapped in foil, and roasted at 375 for about 40 minutes.  They probably could have used a few minutes more, to be honest.  Served over red leaf lettuce (also a CSA pick), topped with crumbled goat cheese, and dressed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.   I can't eat beets without thinking of The Office.  Actually, that's pretty much the main reason to eat beets at all.   Bears, Beets, Battlestar Galactica.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-POY08-Mro

You've seen variations on both caprese and panzanella here before.  They are favorites around our house.  Today's salad included pesto coated chickpeas for a little variation, and a little protein to make it a meal.  Panzanella is one of my favorite ways to use up stale bread, right up there with french toast. Caprese Panzanella with Chickpea s Ingredients: 1/2 loaf french baguette (or really any bakery bread), cut into bite size cubes 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas) 1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, cut into cubes 1/4 cup pesto olive oil vinegar (I used red wine, balsamic works, too) Lightly toss bread cubes in olive oil.  Toast in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, mix together chickpeas and pesto. Add in tomatoes and mozzarella. Mix in bread cubes.  Drizzle with a little vinegar.  I really like vinegar, so I'm usually pretty liberal with my pour here,...

This pasta bake has all the components of traditional lasagna: noodles, tomato sauce, meat, onions, garlic, ricotta and mozzarella cheese.  Instead of layering, it's all just tossed together and sprinkled with cheese, a much easier and quicker dish. One night this Fall I was eating dinner with my then-4 year old nephew and he was a little wary of it, as 4 year olds tend to be.  We described it to him as a combination of pizza and lasagna.  He said, I don't know if I like pizzagna, and then ate most of it. Not-Lasagna Pasta Bake or Pizzagna Ingredients: olive oil 1 pound ground turkey, chicken or beef - I used ground turkey 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes 1 onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon dried parsley 2 cups uncooked pasta (I used rotini) 1/4-1/2 cup ricotta cheese 1/2-1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese In a large saute pan or soup pot (something with at least 2 inch sides), heat a little olive...

Last night was pizza night, because it was Friday, and Good Friday, and I actually had someone to eat dinner with for a change. I used the usual recipe for pizza dough , and did an assortment of vegetable toppings.  One pizza had lightly sauteed red peppers, and onions.  The other was topped with roasted broccoli, asparagus, and grape tomatoes.  The sauce on both was just crushed tomatoes, oregano and garlic.  For cheese I used freshly grated mozzarella and a few dots of ricotta.  I would highly recommend topping pizza with ricotta, it adds a whole other flavor of mild creaminess. Also, Jon would like to add that the Chimay Grande Reserve you see in the background of these pictures is excellent, and a perfect accompaniment to pizza.

Eggplant parmesan is good.  Mini things are cute.  Mini eggplant parmesan is good and cute.  Lately, when I've been making eggplant parm, I broil the eggplant slices.  It's healthier.  In cooking class in Italy, I learned to make eggplant by lightly dredging in flour and quickly frying.  So, today, I cooked eggplant the classic way, and it was great. Eggplant Parmesan Stacks slightly adapted from Martha Stewart Ingredients: 3-4 small eggplants, sliced in 1/4 inch rounds kosher salt canola or vegetable oil, for frying 1 1/2 cups simple tomato sauce (recipe below) 4 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated I like to peel stripes in eggplants before cooking.  The skin helps the eggplant stay together, but it can be tough.  When you peel in stripes, you get the best of both worlds, and it looks nice. Slice the eggplant and put slices in a colander.  Sprinkle with kosher salt and let sit for at least an hour....

While posting this recipe, I realized that I had already shared Caprese Couscous with you a month ago.  This one is slightly different, so I'll share again.   As you can tell, I love Caprese salad.  Juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and fragrant basil are the perfect combination in my book.  While on our honeymoon in Italy, in addition to the best pizza in the world, we ate Caprese salad nearly every day.  Even on Capri, itself. Caprese Couscous - Version 2 Ingredients: 1 cup whole wheat couscous, uncooked 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved 4 ounces mozzarella, cut into cubes (or use bocconcini cut in half) 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 3-4 Tablespoons pesto olive oil kosher salt balsamic vinegar                                   Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a saucepan with a lid.  Add a little kosher salt and olive oil. Stir in the couscous, cover, ...

Daylight Savings Time always throws me off.  I love having extra light, but it usually takes me about a month to remember how to change the clock in my car.  It is also a sign that despite the mid-30 degree temperatures and snow today that Spring will soon be here.  And that means a change from stews and casseroles to lighter fare.  This is a ten minute meal that has endless possible variations. Caprese Couscous 1/3 cup uncooked couscous 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 cup chopped tomatoes 1 bunch basil, chopped 4 oz. mozzarella, cut in chunks 1 cup chickpeas 3/4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon italian spice blend (basil, oregano, thyme, garlic) salt and pepper In a saucepan, bring 1 cup of water and teaspoon olive oil to a boil.  Add the couscous, cover, and remove from heat for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, and chickpeas.  Add in couscous when cooked. Mix the dressing with the vinegar and spices, pour over...