Cod Filets with Herbed Bread Crumbs & Cheddar Cauliflower

I was looking through my freezer the other day...I mean REALLY looking through it...and I was amazed at all the stuff I had packed in there.  It just seemed like everything I moved or shifted had MORE stuff behind it.  I said to myself, "Wow!  I seriously need to get rid of some of this stuff.  I'll bet I can make a whole month's worth of meals out of all this." Thus was born the 30 Day Food Challenge.  The objective: To create 30 different dinners in 30 days with as much on hand as possible, only buying the minimal necessary iteams as well as replenishing perishable items at the grocery store.  This should be fun...I love getting creative in the kitchen.  So I sat down with my pen, paper and internet. 

I started by taking an inventory of the contents of my freezer.  I have discovered the new found knowledge that I am apparently a freezer hoarder as well as a very efficient organizer ONLY when it comes to matters of packing food because this is what I found (amongst a few other misc things):

• 2 whole chickens (Why 2?!?  No idea!!)
• 1 package bone-in pork chops
• 1 package beef steak
• 1 large beef roast
• 1 smaller beef roast
• 1/2 lb ground sausage
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1 lb ground sage sausage
• 1 lb breakfast sausage links
• Some cod fillets
• A few leftover pre-packaged fish sticks
• 5 sweet Italian sausages
• 1/2 lb ground turkey
• A whole LOT of chicken breast
• 3 frozen Cubanos
• 2 c. frozen shredded zucchini

Also found that I would like to use up:

• 1 turkey rope sausage
• 4 all beef, nitrite/nitrate free hot dogs
• 2 packages of fresh smoked salmon
• Some canned tuna
• A General Tso's seasoning packet
• A chicken flavor rice seasoning packet

Yep...that's right....ALL that!  I should have no problem making it to day 30.  So with my inventory in hand, I started to divide and conquer the huge list.  It did take quite some time and I had to get creative and do some searching on the internet for a few recipes, but overall I'm pretty happy with the menu.  Let's see just how low my grocery bill can be this month!!  I do have to say, that when I made my grocery list for this week and it only had like 15 items on it, I started to feel a little panicky.  It just seemed wrong when usually I set off with a HUGE page full of "necessities" and hit up 3 different grocery stores!  I had to take a deep breath and tell myself that this was REALLY all I NEEDED.  Today is grocery store day...it should literallyy take me 15 mins in and out.  What am I going to do with the extra hour and 45 mins I normally allot to grocery shopping?!?  I know...laundry!  Hip Hip Hooray!

I decided that I would start with the beef steaks because they looked like they might be starting to suffer a small amount of freezer burn along the edges.  I just sprinkled on some Montreal Steak Seasoning and served them with loaded baked potatoes and green beans...nothing particularly blog worthy.  So I present to you Day 2: Cod Filletswith Herbed Bread Crumbs & Cheddar Cauliflower.  I didn't have enough fillets for everyone, so I made the fillets for my husband and I and used the leftover fish sticks for my kids.  I did make them take a bite of the fish fillets which went over so so with them.  I think had their not been the alternative fish sticks sitting on their plate it would have been better received.  Despite having onion, chives and mayo in the recipe, my husband commented on how the fish was really good!  I would consider this to be a HUGE WIN since my husband openly detests onions and mayo!!  I LOVED the cheddar cauliflower, but surprisingly it didn't go over well with the kids.  Tyler said it was "okay".  Brenna and Aiden wouldn't touch it after the first bite.  Ethan just happily ate his rice cereal.  I think they thought it was macaroni and cheese and the disappointment of it NOT being so was enough to make them shun the cheesy goodness sitting before them.  Oh well...more leftovers for me!  I'm going to make up some rice, cut up some ham and throw some peas in and mix it all in the leftover Cheddar Cauliflower for lunch today.  2 days down, 28 more to go!  Please note I was cooking solo yesterday...my Assistant Chef was not interested in assisting because Tyler was home from school all yesterday and she was playing trains with him.

Cod with Herb Bread Crumbs (adapted from Epicurious.com)

2 tsp unsalted butter

1 tbsp very finely grated onion (I ran a whole onion along my box grater)

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 c fresh white bread crumbs

2 tbsp dried chives

2 tbsp dried parsley

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 cod fillets (defrosted if they were frozen)

juice from 1/2 lemon

1 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tsp paprika

I was going to go to the store yesterday because I needed white bread for the topping, but it was pouring all day and I didn't feel like dragging all the kids to the store.  I decided to be resourceful and bake my own instead. 

Once the bread was cooled, I ground the bread in my mini processor to get 1 cup soft bread crumbs.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter.  Add the onion and garlic and saute over medium high heat for 1-2 mins.

Add the bread crumbs and stir until the butter is absorbed.  Remove from heat and stir in the chives, parsley, salt and pepper.

Place the cod fillets in a greased baking dish.

In a small bowl mix together the lemon juice, mayonnaise and paprika.

Brush mixture over the top of the cod fillets.

Top the fillets with a generous layer of the bread crumb mixture, pressing gently to adhere.

Bake in a 450 degree oven until the fish is cooked through, about 20 mins.  This would be awesome with chicken too, but I would bake it at a lower temperature for a longer time!

Cheddar Cauliflower (this is from my white Rachel Ray binder)

1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 c. milk
2 c grated cheddar (her recipe called for sharp white cheddar, but I used regular cheddar)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

In a sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 min.

Whisk in the milk and bring just to a boil.  Cook, stirring often, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 5 mins).

Add the cheese and stir until it is melted.

Remove from the heat and stir in the nutmeg, salt and pepper.  I didn't add any extra salt because I think the cheese is salty enough.  Cover to keep warm and set aside.



In a large pot, bring one inch of salted water to boil.  Add the cauliflower, cover and cook until tender, about 10 mins.



Drain the cauliflower and return it to the pan.  Add the cheese sauce and mix well to coat.  The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.

Cod Fillet with Herbed Bread Crumbs and Cheddar Cauliflower.  A nice alternative to fish sticks and macaroni & cheese!!

Cheddar Cauliflower.

Cod Fillet with Herbed Bread Crumbs

Recipe for: Cod Fillets with Herbed Bread Crumbs

www.momsaysjustonebite.blogspot.com

Adapted from http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Scrod-with-Herbed-Breadcrumbs-2700

To prepare: Preheat oven to 450°.  Grease a small baking dish.  Recipe serves 2.

Ingredients

Directions

2 tsp. unsalted butter 1 tbsp. onion, very finely minced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 c. soft white bread crumbs 2 tbsp. dried chives 2 tbsp. dried parsley Salt and pepper to taste 2 cod fillets, fresh or defrosted if frozen Juice from ½ a lemon 1 tbsp. mayonnaise 1 tsp. paprika

1.       In a small sauce pan, melt the butter over medium high heat. 2.       Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 1-2 mins. 3.       Add the soft bread crumb and stir until the butter is absorbed. 4.       Remove from heat and stir in the chives, parsley, salt and pepper. 5.       Place the cod fillets in the prepared baking dish. 6.       In a small bowl, mix together the lemon juice, mayonnaise and paprika.  Brush over the cod fillets. 7.       Top the fillets with a generous layer of bread crumb mixture and press gently to adhere. 8.       Bake in the preheated oven until the fish is done, about 20 mins.

Recipe for: Cheddar Cauliflower

www.momsaysjustonebite.blogspot.com

To prepare:  Recipe serves 4 people.

Ingredients

Directions

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets 2 tbsp. unsalted butter 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour 2 c. milk 2 c. grated cheddar cheese Salt and pepper to taste 1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1.       In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. 2.       Whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute. 3.       Whisk in the milk and bring just to a boil, and cook stirring often, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 5 mins). 4.       Add the cheese and stir until melted. 5.       Remove from heat and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Cover and set aside. 6.       In a large pot, bring to boil one inch of salted water.  7.       Add the cauliflower, cover and cook until tender, about 10 mins. 8.       Drain the cauliflower and return to the pan. 9.       Add the cheese sauce and mix until cauliflower is well coated.

Light & Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes with Strawberry Syrup

I love to sometimes surprise my kids with a special breakfast on a Saturday or Sunday morning.  Not every Saturday or Sunday mind you....then it wouldn't be a surprise.  All week long they pretty much eat cereal, oatmeal or eggs with cheese and toast.  So they love when they wake up to something different.  It just makes for start of a good day.  Happy kids generally result in an even happier mommy!

So this past weekend I got up early (now THAT is love), opened the fridge and saw a very sad container of strawberries just sitting there ready to be either used ASAP or thrown in the compost/recycle bin.  Option B: No, no, no!!  I decided the best course of action would be to turn some borderline nasty strawberries into some sweet delicious strawberry syrup for a pancake topping.  I am so glad I opted for this.  The strawberry syrup turned out so good...a beautiful red topping that is not too thick or too thin and is bursting with yummy strawberriness.  It made me really excited for all the delicious strawberry dishes I will be able to make with the fruit I will yield from my strawberry garden this summer.  This is a super simple recipe and could easily be adapted with other fruits like blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, peaches....not sure about bananas, but maybe??

I am always on the search to try a new pancake recipe and recently started following a really cool blog, SWEET AS SUGAR COOKIES.  If you are looking for suggestions on sweet treats to make, I would click on over and check out Lisa's page.  The other day she blogged (and raved) about some super fluffy pancakes she had made from an Alton Brown (the Food Network cook that breaks down everything scientifically) recipe.  She had a picture of this stack of pancakes she made that was a mile high!  I wanted to try them as soon as possible....this particular morning would be the perfect reason to whip up a batch.  Much like Lisa, I have no idea scientifically why separating the egg whites from the egg yolks and then combining them at a later point in the recipe results in such a high rising pancake, and honestly after I started eating the pancakes I really could have cared less.  They really were so light and fluffy!  My husband even commented about how "puffy" they were...and for him to notice ANYTHING about the food I make automatically gets the recipe bonus points.  It was pretty fun to watch how they elevated right after flipping them...I was a tiny bit sad Brenna wasn't there to watch them with me.  I think I might make them again tonight just so I can share the novelty with her.  Plus is there any WRONG reason to make pancakes?!?  I don't think so!!

Strawberry Syrup

I have been making syrup like this for years and honestly don't know where I found the recipe.  It's really just a simple syrup with fruit mixed in it...not sure anyone can really lay claim to this one.  Recipe yields about 2 cups of syrup.

2 c. chopped strawberries (if you want smooth syrup, mash your strawberries.  I wanted chunks in mine so I just cut them up.  They break down quite a bit during cooking anyway.)

1 c. white sugar

1 c. water

2 tsp. cornstarch

   

Add 3/4 c. of water and 1 c. sugar to a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

Once the sugar is dissolved and mixture is boiling, slowly add the strawberries.  Continue to stir until mixture returns to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 mins.  Make sure you continue to stir often so the syrup doesn't stick to the pan.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with the remaining 1/4 c water and stir until dissolved.

Pour the liquid cornstarch into the mixture and continue stirring constantly until desired consistency is reached.  Remove from heat.  Syrup will thicken slightly as it cools.

Buttermilk Pancakes (Alton Brown)

*I forgot to count how many pancakes I got, but there was more than enough for my family.  I'd say there was probably about 16 of them.

2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar
1 egg, separated
1 c. buttermilk (I had no buttermilk so I added 1 tbsp. white vinegar to enough milk to make 1 cup)
2 tbsp. melted butter

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar.

In a small bowl, melt the butter.  Then whisk together with the egg yolk until blended.

In another container, whisk together the egg white with the buttermilk (or fake buttermilk that I made).

Combine the butter mixture with the buttermilk mixture and mix well.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix until ingredients just start to come together.  DO NOT stir until mixture is smooth.  There will still be lumps in your batter...this is OKAY!

Lightly grease a pan or griddle and heat over medium heat.  Gently drop the batter by 1/4 c and cook until bubbles start to form around the edges and the bottom is golden brown.

Flip the pancakes and prepare to be amazed!

Continue cooking for an additional minute, until other side is golden brown.

Buttermilk Pancakes and Strawberry Syrup.  YUM!

As I was making the scrambled eggs, I cracked open 1 egg that had 2 yolks.  See it on the top?!?  I hate these for no other reason than they creep me out!! =)

Recipe for: Strawberry Syrup

www.momsaysjustonebite.blogspot.com

To prepare: Recipe yields about 2 cups of syrup.  Store the unused portion in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

Directions

2 c. chopped strawberries 1 c. white sugar 1 c. water 2 tsp. corn starch

1.   In a saucepan, combine ¾ c. water and 1 c. sugar.  Heat the mixture to boiling, stirring frequently. 2.   Slowly add the strawberries and return mixture to boiling, stirring frequently. 3.   Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 mins. continuing to stir so the syrup doesn’t stick to the pan. 4.   Combine the corn starch with ¼ c. water and mix until smooth. 5.   Add the corn starch mixture to the syrup.  Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until desired consistency is reached.

Recipe for: Buttermilk Pancakes

www.momsaysjustonebite.blogspot.com

Originally from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/instant-pancake-mix-recipe/index.html

To prepare: Recipe yields about 14-16 pancakes.  Lightly grease a pan or griddle. 

Ingredients

Directions

2 c. flour ½  tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. sugar 1 egg, separated 1 c. buttermilk 2 tbsp. melted butter

1.   In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar. 2.   In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter and egg yolk. 3.   In a second bowl, whisk together the egg white and buttermilk. 4.   Combine the butter mixture and buttermilk mixture and mix well. 5.   Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a whisk until the batter comes together.  DO NOT work out the lumps. 6.   Heat the pan or griddle over medium heat until water drops dance across the surface.   7.   Gently drop batter by ¼ c onto the griddle, and cook until bubbles form around the edges and the bottom is golden brown. 8.   Flip the pancakes and continue to cook an additional minute until other side is golden brown.

Jam Filled Butter Cookies For Our Royal Wedding Tea Party

Over this past week the world has been abuzz with talk of the Royal Wedding.  What would Kate Middleton be wearing?  What would others be wearing?  What security precautions were being taken?  Who would be on the guest list?  Most importantly, what FOOD would be served?  I can't imagine the delicious dishes, pastries and delicacies that will be pouring out of the royal kitchen today.  I'm pretty positive that they will all be as amazing as Kate looked in her dress...although I can't say as much for most of the hats I saw the attending guests sporting.  Interesting choices!!

Yesterday, the thread was started in the food forum about what everyone was making in honor of the Royal Wedding.  I hadn't really thought of it before that moment, but wouldn't it be fun to throw a surprise Tea Party to surprise my Assistant Chef??  For about 2 years now she has been OBSESSED with the Disney Princesses.  She love, love, loves them.  She even tells me that when she grows up she is going to be a princess (and a chef of course!).  When the coverage started on the TV at the beginning of the week, a reporter was doing a piece on the wedding and happened to be standing in front of Buckingham Palace.  They were showing pictures of Kate, so I explained to Brenna that this lady would soon be marrying a prince and she would become a princess.  She was amazed...a REAL LIFE PRINCESS!!  I explained that Buckingham Palace was the "castle" they would live in and she asked if she could go and see it.  I told her I was sorry, but a trip to the Royal Palace was not in our budget.  BUT, I thought to myself, I could bring a little piece of the palace to her.  So it was decided...a Royal Wedding Tea Party would be held at my home the next afternoon, 12:30 sharp.  I put the word out to some friends, and even though it was last minute, I did manage to wrangle 2 other little girls into attendance.

I needed to plan a "menu" that I could make with all the ingredients I had on hand, since I had no time for a trip to the store.  I knew I wanted some type of finger sandwiches, a fruit, a smallish type cookie and some "tea".  Here was the final menu:

Finger Sandwiches: Mini Ham/Provolone and Cheese Sandwiches

Fruit: Fruit Skewers

Smallish Cookies: Jam Filled Butter Cookies I found on All Recipes

Tea: Strawberry Lemonade mixed with some Sprite

After Brenna left for preschool I got started...and boy did I have to work fast because I only had 2 hours tops to get everything ready.  The cookies were so incredibly easy to make...you can't beat a cookie with only 5 ingredients.  They were AWESOME!  They look like cute little gems and are very sweet!  I am adding these to my holiday cookie list this year.  They were kind of like a sugar cookie with a slight butter taste that definitely allowed the jam be the star of the cookie.  It was nice getting to use some of my homemade strawberry and peach jams, but I'm sure they would be equally delicious using store bought preserves.  I do have to warn you that jam heated in the oven gets really, really, REALLY hot.  Guess I should have waited to bite into one of the cookies after they cooled more than a minute.  Brenna was so surprised and all the girls had a lovely time dressing up in gowns, giggling and sipping "tea" from real china cups.

I wish all the best for the Royal Couple as they start their new lives together...I hope they were as happy today as my little girl was.

Jam Filled Butter Cookies

*I got 26 cookies from this recipe.  I think I made mine bigger than they needed to be.

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

2 egg yolks

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Fruit preserves, any flavor

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and egg yolks.

Slowly mix in the flour, 1/4 c. at a time until dough is soft and smooth.

The finished dough.

Using a tablespoon sized measuring spoon (this will keep the cookies uniform in size) scoop out some dough.  Form them into small balls and place 2" apart on an ungreased baking sheet.

Using your thumb, gently press down leaving an indent in the cookie.  Make sure the indent is deep enough to hold the jam.

Fill in the indents with jam.  I used a baby spoon which made it really easy to fill.  Other people suggested putting the jam in a sandwich bag and snipping of the corner to make a piping bag, but this seemed like it would be more trouble than it was worth for only 26 cookies.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8-10 mins.  Mine cooked the whole 10 mins. and were perfectly golden brown on the bottom.  Let them rest for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.  Aren't they pretty?!?

The fruit skewers: red grapes, pineapple chunks, strawberries and apples.

My mini finger sandwiches: Sliced french bread lightly spread with margarine and layered with sliced ham and Pprovolone cheese or American cheese.  Bake under the broiler set at 400 degrees for 5 mins. and then flip and cook for an additional 3 mins.

The Mini Finger Sandwiches, sliced and placed on a pretty silver tray.

The "tea": Strawberry Lemonade and Sprite.  Sorry....I don't own a teapot!

Our Tea Party Treats.

YUMMY!!

The table all set up and ready for the Princesses.  Wish this picture wasn't so dark!  Boooo!

The beautiful Princess Brenna!

Even Prince Aiden sat in a big boy chair at the table.

Sipping her "tea".

Sipping his "tea".  Sorry....no china cup for Aiden!

The sweet Princess Rachel.

The pretty Princess Abbey!

The three little Princesses who attended the Royal Tea Party.

Thanks sister...even Ethan got the tiara.  In the words of Lady Gaga, "Don't be a drag, just be a queen!".

No "tea" for Ethan.  Maybe for the next Royal Wedding!

Recipe for: Jam Filled Butter Cookies

www.momsaysjustonebite.blogspot.com

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Jam-Filled-Butter-Cookies/Detail.aspx

To prepare: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Recipe yields approximately 2 dozen cookies.

Ingredients

Directions

¾ c. butter, softened ½ c. white sugar 2 egg yolks 1 ¾ c. all-purpose flour Fruit preserves of your choice

1.       In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and egg yolks. 2.       Mix in the flour ¼ c. at a time until the dough is soft and smooth. 3.       Using a tablespoon measuring spoon, form dough into balls and place on an ungreased baking sheet 2” apart. 4.       Using your thumb, gently press down, forming an indentation deep enough to fill with jam. 5.       Fill the indentations with jam. 6.       Bake in a preheated over 8-10 minutes, until bottoms are golden brown. 7.       Let rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.