A detour from the kitchen

I realize that the last couple of posts have not had recipes. For this I apologize. BUT since I am Mrs. ShoeFanatic, I need to blog about this.

Shoes.

Me, Sister-in-law, 2 nieces & 1 nephew went shopping on Saturday. It turns out that the Gulfport outlet has a Sperry store. This is good for my feet but bad for my wallet. Behold, my new additions:

Sperry flip flops

Ann Taylor ballet flats

Brown sandals for spring

Mr. ShoeFanatic's Sperry flip flops

Sister-in-law also got Niece #1 a very cute pair of boat shoes but hers had just blue plaid.

Nephew also got some. His are really cute since he's only 2 and they are so little!

Ok, next post I swear will have a recipe in it!

BayouRant.com

CW from BayouRant.com asked me to post some recipes on his site and I am so flattered that of course I obliged! Go check them out!

http://bayourant.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=food

How we saved $50

On Sunday I was tired and didn't cook. So after much intense discussion (that he was losing) about whether we were going to order sushi or go pick up steaks at the store, Mr. ShoeFanatic took it upon himself to just throw something together. Here's how it went down:

Remember the side of stir fry peppers we had with the apricot porkchops? He cubed those.

Remember the pulled pork sandwiches?
He shredded some more pork (sans BBQ sauce).

Remember the Blueberry & Raspberry Chipotle Sauce?
He heated that up.

So we had pork quesadillas and if I do say so myself, they were pretty damn awesome. And that my friends, is how we saved $50.

I married a very resourceful man.

Awesome blog

Does anyone remember when I mentioned the coolest blogger on the planet, Mrs. Newlywed? Well, she has a giveaway this week and you should go check it out. While you're there, read her blog; she's hilarious!

Menu Monday

As you can probably tell by now, we don't always follow the planned menu. So even though we were supposed to have Red Beans & Rice on Saturday, I ended up going shopping with my awesome sister-in-law and when we got back, Mr. ShoeFanatic took us to eat at Popeye's. Yes, we are totally klassy like that. Anyway, this week I have a lot going on so it'll be quick stuff!

Monday--Red Beans & Rice
Tuesday--Leftovers or Chinese Food
Wednesday--Chicken Marsala (Mr. ShoeFanatic)
Thursday--Leftovers
Friday--Tortellini
Saturday--Chicken Fajitas
Sunday--Leftovers

Banana Bread

I got an inkling for banana bread this week. I am a constant snoozer so I am always 5 minutes behind. Drives me nuts. So I never eat breakfast and am starving by 10am. I thought if I made some yummy banana bread, I could just grab it in the morning on my way to work.

This recipe was probably the very first thing I ever cooked growing up. My mom got this recipe from one of her patients in her early days of nursing. I think. Anyway, it's tried and true.

Ingredients:
1 box Duncan Hines Yellow Cake mix
1/3 c oil
3 eggs
3 med bananas, smashed (the riper, the better)
Nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix the cake mix, oil and eggs in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the bananas then the nuts (if you're adding nuts).

Bake in a loaf pan for 45 minutes*. This recipe makes enough for 2 loaves.

*The recipe calls for 1 hour and 10 minutes but they were definitely done after 45 minutes. My oven is not stellar by any means so I am chalking my perfectly baked loaves up to these awesome loaf pans I got as a wedding gift.

Verdict:
So good! These were baked perfectly with just a little crunch on top. I am sitting here smelling the extra piece that Mr. ShoeFanatic packed in my lunch for me today. It won't last long.

Source:
Mom

Ground Beef Enchiladas

As previously mentioned, we love enchiladas. Is there another dish out there that is easier? I personally don't think so. Regardless of my pork disasters, Mr. ShoeFanatic has the utmost faith in me when it comes to enchiladas. We just bought a bunch of ground chuck and this recipe has been bookmarked for quite some time. Onward...


Ingredients:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 lg can enchilada sauce
1 lb ground chuck
1/2 onion, diced
1 taco seasoning pack
Water
1 oz cream cheese
1 c white rice, cooked
8 tortillas
1 bag Mexican shredded cheese
Sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

Whisk together cream of mushroom soup and enchilada sauce in a med bowl until it's not lumpy. Set aside.

Brown meat and onion in a dutch oven over med heat. About 10-15 minutes. When meat is thoroughly browned, add taco seasoning and however much water it calls for in the directions (mine called for 2/3 c). Cook water out, about 10 minutes.

Add 2 tbsp of the enchilada sauce mixture and the cream cheese. Cook this into the meat mixture; about 5 min. Add rice last and stir to mix well.

Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick spray. Heat up your tortillas in the microwave between 2 damp paper towels. About 20 seconds.

Put a spoonful of the rice/meat mixture in the middle of a tortilla. Sprinkle a bit of cheese on top. Fold and lay seam side down into the casserole dish. Continue for the rest of your tortillas.

When they are all stuffed and folded, pour the remainder of the enchilada sauce mixture on top and sprinkle the rest of the cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and cook for another 10.

Serve with toppings of your choice. We like sour cream.

Verdict:
I'm quitting my job to sell enchiladas on the side of the road. That's how good these are. Very creamy and cheesy! I got 2 thumbs up from Mr. ShoeFanatic as well. Yay!

I meant to put some jalapenos into the meat mixture but I forgot. I think they'd be really good cooked in.

Served With:
Grilled Corn on the Cob

Source:
Le Petit Pierogi

Roasted Red Pepper Orzo

I have been wanting to try an orzo pasta dish. So I did my thing where I find several recipes and then make them my own. I love roasted red pepper and this is really easy. I will definitely make this again!




Ingredients:
2 T butter
½ onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 c orzo pasta
2 c chicken broth
Salt & pepper to taste
½ c grated parmesan cheese
1 roasted red pepper

In a medium saucepan, melt your butter and sauté the onions and garlic, about 10 minutes. Add the orzo and coat well. Pour in your chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. When you have a decent boil going, lower the fire to low, cover and let cook for 15 minutes. I should add here that I have a crappy stove so I kept checking it but you really shouldn’t do that.

Here’s something else you shouldn’t do. If you happen to be cooking Spinach Salad Dressing at the same time you should definitely pay attention to what you are doing! I do not care how enthralling your conversation with your husband is! Do not pour ¼ c apple cider vinegar into the orzo! It will ruin it and you will have to start over! Don’t ask me how I know this.

Anyway...

While your pasta is cooking, roast your red pepper. We did ours on the grill but if you are lucky enough to have a gas stove, you can do it there too. Roast it until the skin is black. Place in either a Tupperware container or glass bowl and cover to let it sweat; about 20 minutes. Then just deseed and chop it like you normally would. I should also add here that Mr. ShoeFanatic did not cook this as much as he should have. Apparently, we were both having an off night.

Ok, once your timer goes off, check on the pasta. If it’s too liquidy still, turn the heat up to boil some of the broth off. But stand there and stir and watch it while you do that so it doesn’t burn the bottom (I have a complex about that). If the pasta isn’t cooked enough, add a little more chicken broth and let it cook longer.

Once you are happy with the consistency, season with salt & pepper to your tasting. Stir in your cheese and red pepper and enjoy!

Verdict:
I really like this! I think if Mr. ShoeFanatic had cooked the pepper like he was supposed to it would have been better but other than that, it was really good. I really liked the cheesiness of it.

Source:
Le Petit Pierogi
Mary Ellen’s Cooking Creations

Spinach Salad Dressing

My mom gave me this recipe a couple years ago (I have no clue where she got it) and I love it! I think the flavor of this dressing is really good and when you add different toppings to your salad, it makes it that much better. Very easy too!




Ingredients:
1 c Olive oil
1/4 c sugar
1 egg
2 T Lea & Perrins Worchestire Sauce
1/4 red onion, diced
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
Hard Boiled eggs, 1 per person

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Whisk together and cook over low-med heat. Stir continuously so you don't scramble the egg! Cook for approximately 15-20 minutes. It will start to get thick; that’s when it’s ready.

Ladle over fresh spinach and sliced egg. Add the toppings of your choice. We like feta, pecans and berries.

Verdict:
So I’ve been cooking this ever since I started dating Mr. ShoeFanatic (that’s 3 years in case anyone’s counting) and he has always loved it. Last night he tells me that he never really cared for the dressing but he wanted to make sure we were married before he told me this. Jerk.

Regardless of his ridiculous opinion, I love it and could easily eat this as a side to every meal!

Source:
Mom

Menu Monday

Monday--Ground Beef Enchiladas & Grilled Corn on the Cob
Tuesday--Leftovers
Wednesday--Pulled Pork Sandwiches (courtesy of Mr. ShoeFanatic; I think he wants to prove me wrong) & Zapp's. (Sans coleslaw. Blech.)
Thursday--Leftovers
Friday--We're going to a shrimp boil at the home of some of Mr. ShoeFanatic's co-workers
Saturday--Red Beans & Rice
Sunday--Leftovers

Should be a yummy week!