Apple-Pecan Pancakes

Apple-Pecan Pancakes
by 3KillerBs

The Verdict:  A+
I found this recipe on recipezaar last week.  It was fabulous!  Definitely more involved prep time than my usual pancake recipe, but really delicious. I loved the hint of lemon, the crunch of the pecans, the crisp bits of apple....

The only modification I made to the recipe was using rice milk in place of regular milk and the So Delicious Coconut Milk beverage in place of the heavy cream. 

The recipe says it makes 3 doz pancakes....I got about 8, but I made mine really big (like almost plate sized). 

I wish I'd taken a picture, but we were too busy eating.  The kids were totally silent if that gives you an indication of their opinion.  Even picky DD ate around the bits she was suspicious of without comment. 

Menu Plan 10/11-10/17

I noticed that this was my 14th or 15th menu plan.  I don't know if everyone reaches a point where the fun starts to wear off, but I just haven't been feeling the love lately.  Last week was a real slog to MAKE myself stick to the plan.  I guess I'm glad I did....

I've been working on a new jogging program for the last 6 weeks.  (The Couch to 5K plan from coolrunning.com if anyone is interested.)  I'm at the stage where things are getting significantly more challenging, but on the other hand I'm really seeing the results.  Seeing those results (clothes fitting better, realizing my recovery time is dropping, going further than I could just a few weeks ago, etc.) is what's keeping me motivated -- along with having a plan to follow and check off as I go.  I need to get that sort of perspective going on my meal planning too.

Here's to a better attitude and a fruitful week of working my menu plan!

Sunday: Rotisserie Chicken w/ Zucchini and Shells
Store-bought rotisserie chicken to the rescue.  Served with lightly cooked zucchini along with shells in homemade cheese sauce for the grown-ups and salt & olive oil for the kids.

Monday:  Chicken "Pot Pie"
I said I was going to make one of these a couple weeks ago, but it never got done.  We'll try again with the chicken leftover from last night.  I'm probably going to do it Rachel Ray style w/ a biscuit topping rather than a pastry crust.

Tuesday:  Egg Salad Pitas with Fruit & Chips
Sandwich night is quickly becoming a favorite of mine...it's such a relief after a long day at work.

Wednesday:  Cranberry Skillet Chicken w/ Wild Rice & Green Beans
Since I've been trying to cut back on our use of tomatos (they seem to make DS itch more), I'm always on the lookout for new sauce ideas.  I love cranberries too -- very fall.

Thursday:  Mushroom Turkey Meatloaf w/ Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Vegetables
From the Oct. 2009 ed. of Bon Appetit...with a few modifications to make it dairy-free.  Served with mashed potatos and roasted rutabaga, turnips, and parsnips (I'm trying to be more adventurous).

Friday:  Pizza!
What can I say -- it's popular with everyone and pretty easy for me.  Take-out is such a hassle when you're trying to avoid certain foods, but I miss the fun of it.  This is a decent compromise.  Plus I take a certain pride in knowing I made it all myself. 

Saturday:  Apple-Pecan Pancakes
This was one of the featured recipes on recipezaar this week.  Pancakes were so popular last week that I thought it'd be fun to do again.  I may modify this one slightly...we'll see, but I love apples and pecans.  Yum!

Italian Chicken Roll-Ups

Well these were fun and different.  I particularly like the cooking technique -- they're steamed in foil. 

Italian Chicken Roll-Ups (serves 4)
4 thin chicken breast pieces (I halve my breasts horizontally)
1/2 c filling -- this is really whatever you want -- pesto, sun dried tomato something, etc.
4 sheets aluminum foil

Filling
1/4 c toasted pinenuts (we toast ours in the hot air popper -- thanks Alton!)
1/4 - 1/2 c chopped fresh herbs (I used basil & tarragon)
2 scallions
zest & juice of 1 lime
1 t olive oil (just enough to help hold it together but not enough to make it loose)
salt to taste

1. Start water to boiling in the bottom of whatever you use for steaming.
   
2. Combine filling ingredients in food processor and chop to a rough paste.  
3. Lay a piece of chicken on a piece of foil.  Spread 1-2T of filling all over the top.  
4. Roll up the chicken (length-wise).
5. Wrap the foil around it tightly, twisting the ends to secure it.  You'll end up with something that looks like a Christmas cracker.
6. Place foil packets in the steamer basket and steam for 10 minutes.
7. Carefully remove from the steamer and check to make sure they're fully cooked by piercing it with a wooden skewer.
8. Slice into roulades.

The Verdict:  B+
These were quite tasty.  I needed to work on my filling just a touch.  Next time I will also pound my chicken to a more even thickness before rolling.  All in all though, it was quick and easy.  The chicken was moist but fully cooked, and the presentation was nice.

Chicken Verde

I've renamed this recipe from Tomatillo & Chicken Tostadas.  This is the second Rachel Ray recipe (from Just in Time) on this week's plan.

Chicken Verde (serve 4+)

1 zucchini, quartered and chopped
4 scallions, chopped
12-16 oz of cooked chicken, shredded
1 t cumin (I used a good bit more b/c I love cumin)
1/2c - 1c tomatillo salsa
juice of 1 lime

1.  Saute zucchini til it starts to soften.
2. Add in remaining ingredients except lime and cook to heat through.
3. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice.

The recipe originally called for serving on crispy baked tortillas topped with cheese.  I was going to do that minus the cheese with my favorite uncooked tortillas.  Then they turned out like this:

Hahaha.  So needless to say ours were not tostadas/chalupas (there was much debate at our house about the proper terminology). 

You could also serve as a filling for soft tacos.

The Verdict:  B+
The flavors were excellent.  This particular execution was a little wonky, but I'll certainly try the basic concept again.

Provencal Tuna Salad

This was a really yummy recipe.  It billed itself as a 15 minute deal, but it took me a bit longer than that to put the tuna salad together.  However, it's a great make-ahead kind of thing.

This is very slightly modified from the recipe of the same name from Just In Time by Rachel Ray.

Provencal Tuna (serve 6+)
18 oz tuna (water-packed, drained)
2T olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
6 sprigs tarragon, chopped
10 basil leaves, chopped
3 T capers, drained
1-2 shallots, chopped
1/2 olives, pitted & chopped

The Verdict: A+
I loved this.  I don't know about the rest of my family, but this hit all sorts of good flavor things for me.  I think what really makes this dish for me is the tarragon. 

Menu Plan 10/4-10/10

I've been going through my cookbooks again and I've got quite a few new recipes.  I'll post them as I make them if they're any good.

Sunday:  Crispy Mustard Chicken w/ Fries & Salad
Bumped from last week's plan

Monday:  Roasted Asparagus Pasta *New*
I'm melding together a couple of recipes from one of my pasta cookbooks.  Right now I think the dish is going to involve roasted asparagus, roast garlic, and pinenuts. 

Tuesday:  Provencal Tuna Sandwiches w/ Chips *New*
This is a Rachel Ray recipe -- tuna w/ tarragon, basil, olives, shallots, and capers served on toasted bread.  The original calls for toasting the sandwiches with cheese -- some of us may do that, but we'll see.

Wednesday:  Tomatillo & Chicken Tostadas w/ Black Beans and Corn *New*
Another Rachel Ray recipe -- shredded chicken (HEB makes a pre-made shredded chicken for enchilladas, etc. that is dairy & soy free that we like to use), zucchini, and tomatillo salsa served on baked flour tortillas. 

Thursday:  Italian Chicken Roll-Ups w/ Couscous and Carrots *New*
I was intrigued by the cooking method in this one -- thin chickn breast pieces spread with pesto and rolled up in foil & then steamed.

Friday:  Bean burgers w/ Broccoli and Sweet Potato Wedges
Bean burgers are a San Antonio trademark -- right up there with puffy tacos.  Hamburgers are topped w/ refried beans, fritos, salsa, and cheese.  I'll omit the cheese for those who're sensitive.  Optional add on of guacamole if you want a really messy burger or pickled jalapenos if you want it hot.

Saturday:  Taco Soup
My mom used to make this soup all the time during the winter.  I'm going modify the recipe some to use up some leftovers from Wednesday's dinner plus some stuff hanging out in the freezer.  I'll post the recipe later this week.

Need more menu ideas? Check out Menu Planning Monday on orgjunkie.com.

Sugar Cookies -- Belated Birthday Party Post

So I meant to post about this earlier, but it's just been too busy.  For DD's actual birthday I made the egg-free/ dairy-free Chocolate Cake that I've posted before.  However, for her party, I wanted to make something more portable/less messy since we were not going to be at home.