A client of a different kind....

I was recently approached and asked about doing food prep for a month.  Frozen individual meals to replace the frozen dinners that they had been eating. 

A challenge.  And a learning experience it was. ;). 

Edit:  I forgot to add that they wanted lunch and dinner for work days. Along with a dessert.  My client works 12 hr shifts so doesn't cook when they get home.  They requested a large lunch and dessert to take to work and a smaller simple dinner for when they get home at night.   This is what I made. ;). 

First day was meat prep

And I made lasagna. 

I also did a slow roasted pork carnitas for lunches and enchiladas. 

Seared the pork first

Then added the chipotle peppers on adobe sauce and veggies. 

Made enchiladas with some and lunches with the rest. 

Made brownies.  Had to taste test them of course. ;)

And the Reese's pieces cookies too. 

After 3 days of prep and portioning I was  ready to deliver the food. 

BBQ chicken quarters, sweet potatoes, broccoli. 

Mustard pork chops, broccoli and sweet potatoes. 

Skirt steak, mashed potatoes, and peas. 

Turkey, green beans, and mashed potatoes. 

Beef lasagna. 

Pork carnitas with rice and beans. Green bean with corn salsa. 

Pork enchiladas with rice and beans. 

Beef spaghetti. 

Chicken Tetrazzini. 

Turkey crepes.  (My moms recipe). ;)

And desserts. 

  This was my first time making meals to reheat later from frozen.  I chose to use the food saver and bags to help it maintain the highest level of freshness I could.  

So far, my client seems to me enjoying the food.  I hope I get a full report by the end of their month and to see if they want to so it again. ;)

Happy cooking to you all!  

One year ago.....

It had been one year ago today that I started my blog.  My two older kids had just started school and for the first time in a long time I was a stay at home mom of just one during the day.  To keep myself busy and to further my knowledge and love of food and nutrition I started this blog.  

For this one I wanted to share the school   lunches I have made for the first couple days of school.   I have been seeing all this fun stuff about bento boxes and had to dive in!  Such fun ideas!  

I have started simple and to get more creative as I go.  First I needed some cute bento boxes.  

I got them these cute reusable bags for snacks as well. The containers open with two levels. 

The bottom one is sectioned and the top is not. 

The first day of school lunch I played with some of my cutters and made shaped grilled cheese and turkey/ham sandwiches with some fresh fruit and veggies in the bottom. A flavored honey stick on top and a chocolate piece on the bottom with 2 quarters in each for milk at school.  They also have little refillable water bottles. 

Second day of school was fun. They asked for pancakes. ;).  So I have them pancakes, sausage, fruit, and one got fruit snacks and the other a little chocolate piece. ;)

Tonight I let them help me make their own.   My oldest chose Mexican rice and beans left over from tacos with a tortillas. Ten some carrot and broccoli.  She got a Swiss roll and fruit snacks. 

My other one had a pinwheel style sandwich with yogurt, veggies, Swiss roll and fruit snacks. 

So far it been fun.  Which I guess is the only way to survive a whole school year of making two lunches a day.  ;)

Happy lunch time!!   And thank you for one whole year!!!!

Dinner of necessity. ;)

As I stated in my last blog, our party this last weekend left y house with an abundance of chips, dips, and soda.  Normally things I do not stock my house with, but since I have it I refuse to waste it.  Dinner, of course, would just have to use what I could.  

First, I took a recipe floating around Facebook and ran with it.  

Potatoes. Diced and in an oven safe dish

Next, ranch dip

Add diced onions and some spices 

 

Mix, mix, mix.....

 

Add cheese, because that is essential. And mix more....

Add to potatoes.  

 Mix up, out on lid or cover it with foil, put in over

Set timer.   

Next, get your meat out. 

The stuff in the fridge! 

This is chicken with a little bit of BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and Whataburger creamy pepper sauce. (Don't ask, I just had some in my fridge)

Also I did some fish:

 

This is tilapia with spinach dip on it and Pablo tea crumbs.   Don't judge, it sounded great. ;)

By this time you should have the timer go off for your potatoes.  Take out of oven an toss them gently.  The sauce with melt and sink to the bottom. You want it mixed well. Re cover and put back in oven.  Add the meat on the top rack ad the potatoes in the bottom rack.  

Set the timer again.  Another 15 minutes.

Edit:  you should wait and not put your meat in when I did. My meat is done and the potatoes have at least another 15 minutes (they were still kinda crunchy). 

I took out the meat, covered it with foil, and left it on the warm stove top.  Moved the potatoes to the top rack (bottom was a bit too toasty) and started another 15 minute timer.  

Another note: cut your potatoes smaller then I did or allow an hour for this to cook!!!   Still not done after 3 fifteen minute timers set and the potatoes stirred.   Put it back in for another 15 minutes.  *sigh, I'm hungry.  

After another 20 minutes the potatoes were STILL crunchy.  What the snapple????   

So we ate anyway.  

Must find a way to fix the potatoes issue. They oven roast in less then 20 minutes on a sheet tray.  This was just plain crazy.  

Well, I hope you liked the ideas.  The fish turned out nice a creamy and the chicken had a good kick.  The potatoes tasted great and the green beans added a touch.

HAPPY EATING!!!

A dip. You know, the good kind of dip.

So, we had a party this last weekend after all was said and done, my fridge is stuffed with left over drinks and my pantry is stuffed with bag of chips.  Because I don't like to waste anything, some of my more strict diet rules are being ignored, but back to Fresh fruits and Veggies when I get space in my fridge again. ;)

Lunch came around today and all the girls wanted chips.  So I decided to whip up a layered dip. 

Can of black beans and some chopped onions in a small pot.  Boil.   Then mash. Layer one. ;)

Left over sticky rice, add chili powder, and cumin, and a little water sprinkles, microwave until hot, mix in diced tomatoes.  "Mexican style rice" is layer two. :D

Ground beef, about 1/3 pound, makes layer 3.  

No dip is good without cheese, so that was layer 4.  ;)

I diced up some more tomatoes and dices up one avocado and mixed that together with a little lime juice and salt.  Layer 5. 

It was so good and VERY filling.  Between me am 3 kids we did honest bit all. This has been voted as a bento lunch option. ;). Success!!  

Recap:  black beans and rice = complete protein. Beef, good protein. Cheese, always good. Avocado and tomato = healthy fat and vitamin C. Can't go wrong. ;)

HAPPY DIPPING!!!

Frozen romaine. Part two.

If any of you remember I vacuum sealed some chopped romaine lettuce and froze it to see if it would thaw out crispy so we could use it as chopped romaine, or if it would get droopy and I would cook it. 

Well, we are about to find out. 

Got out of the freezer at 1:30. 

By 3:30 it is obvious that it needs a hot wok and some garlic and peanut oil.  Sautéed greens goo really good with pork. Right, Grace?  ;)

Ok, it does not happen often, but this is proof that I can admit when I mess up.  

This.  Was.  Horrible.  :(

I have made fresh chopped romaine and and bok Choy with th same technique and spices I just used, but it became clear very soon that the water frozen in the lettuce Was just too much. It cooled down my wok and mushed it all out. The flavor was bad too.  

So, lesson learned.  

You CANNOT freeze romaine lettuce and use it afterwards.  

This learning experience brought to you by me, Chef Jaelanne, in hope that you won't waste your own romaine lettuce this way.  

I hate throwing away food. :'(

Quinoa Crab Salad

Trying a new recipe.  Sort of.  A twist on an old favorite. My mom used to make crab salad. It had shell noodles and imitation crab with cheese cubes mixed with mayo and season salt.  I wanted to make a healthier high protein version. 

Started with the quinoa. 

1:2 ratio for quinoa. (One cup quino to 2 cups water).

 Bring water to boil, add quinoa while stirring, stir constantly to avoid clumps while it returns to a boil reduce heat to maintain a boil and cover. Cook for 10-12 minutes or untold water is gone and quinoa is soft. 

Fluff with fork while its hot and then cool completely. I like to put it on a plate to cool faster. 

Then I started the other prep while it cooled.

1 pkg imitation crab meat. Diced up

Celery (2 stalks)

Mushroom (I only used one)

Onions diced. (About 1/2 cup)

Almonds chopped fine. (About 1/4 cup)

Mix in the quinoa.  Add a drizzle if olive oil. (Just enough to keep from sticking. You want it fluffy not moist)

Add seasonings. 

So simple.  And yet it got the kid seal of approval!

  I didn't even need to add cheese. It is great by itself!  So, high protein, low carb, no dairy, or eggs, just yumminess!  

HAPPY EATING!!!