MyCookingShow.tv

It isn’t hard to find that you are in a rut…either of fixing the same stuff over and over or finding that you are throwing something, anything, on the table because it seems like every day it’s dinner time before you know it. What is the home cook to do about that?

Well, I have tried the fix and freeze method, to an extent. Yes, it’s convenient and I personally don’t find much difference in the flavor…but, when you watch cooking shows (as Chris and I do continuously…we are hard core foodies), the chefs would rather die than eat something frozen or out of a can. So, I have been wondering if maybe I’ve just become accustomed to it. So, I’m trying to cook fresh every day.

Here’s what I have found that works: 1) plan your day around your dinner and 2) utilize those cookbooks and websites. Those 2 tips may not be earth shattering…but, they work. I have started getting ready to make dinner around 3:30p…and it’s worked out SO much better. Now, school is just around the corner, so I will have to move that to 4p, but the premise is not to wait until 5:15p to start browsing the fridge. I must say I haven’t been a menu kinda gal…but am becoming one slowly. If you have children in sports/after school activities…maybe cooking dinner earlier in the day or the night before would work. You may be reheating it, but it won’t coming from a frozen state.

I have mentioned in another post that I believe I have a cookbook addiction, or, as I prefer to call it–a collection. I have over 40 cookbooks and have actually weeded out some I no longer use. I browse through them before I go shopping, and try to incorporate at least 2-3 new recipes during the week—either a side dish, dessert, or main dish. I have tried the dinner of a brand new entree, side, and dessert…and that is VERY risky because if they bomb, the whole meal is a bust. So, go slowly. Aaaand, we’ve had that happen.

This week my plan is a new way of cooking the same thing every meal. For example, we’ve had beef ribs before…but this week I am going to braise them and then slow cook them in dry red wine with veggies. Yum, right?! And, tonight I am making a fresh cobbler (or grunt, as it’s also known), with fresh blueberries, strawberries, and peaches from our local farm stand. All seasonal until the end of summer…that’s my new personal challenge.

So, have fun trying something new! In the words of Marty, the zebra from “Madagascar”, “Don’t love it ‘till ya try it!”

                                                                                                                         Serves: 4-6

2 egg whites

7 whole eggs

7 Tbsp. nonfat milk

1 1/2 slices Morningstar Farm vegetarian bacon

6 slices center cut bacon

handful fresh chives (or about 2 Tbsp. dried), cut into small pieces

1/2 c. frozen spinach (defrosted and water squeezed out)

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Optional: 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, cooked bulk sausage, and any other ingredients you would put in an omelet.

Preheat oven to 450 deg.  Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.

In large bowl, whish together egg whites, whole eggs, and nonfat milk.

Cut vegetarian bacon into small pieces. Cut center cut bacon in half. Line 6 of the muffin cups with the 2 halves of bacon.

Pour just under 1/4 c. egg mixture into each of the 12 muffin tins.

Add small amount of the vegetarian bacon to the other 6 muffin tins. Add small amount of the spinach.

Top with salt, pepper, and some chives. At this point, you could add the cheese, if using.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until egg is puffed up and cooked all the way through (shake the pan… if no eggs jiggle, they are done)

Run a butter knife around edge of each muffin tin…using 3-pronged meat fork, stab each breakfast cup in the center and put knife under cup to lift onto serving platter.

Read more

Bake one batch of these cookies and you will never need to try another recipe. They have just the right amount of spice and the dough is so easy to work with. Make sure you keep some of this dough in the fridge over the holidays so you can have quick access to some delicious, homemade cookies. The dough will keep for about 1 week in the fridge as long as it is wrapped up well.

Read more