savory corn muffins with scallions and cheddar

I subscribe to Cooks Illustrated magazine.  It's a great magazine for someone who wants to understand how to perfect a recipe, and why a recipes works or doesn't work.  Basically, they pick a recipe and figure out how to make it better.  It's really interesting.

Sometimes I make one of the recipes, but I tend to be very careful about what I decide to make.  Many of their perfected recipes are "perfect" because there are multiple cooking methods or extra prep steps.  That's great when you want to really create something delicious and have the time, but not so great when it's a weeknight.  I don't usually feel like making anything complicated after I spent 8+ hours at work.

A recent issue contained a recipe for savory corn muffins.  They're not the typical corn muffin; they don't have a lot of sugar.  I figured this would be good for me since I'm now sensitive to sugar.  (Of course, I didn't stop to think that corn muffins are a dangerous food for me to have around and the recipe would guarantee I'd have muffins in the house for a week!) I had a bunch of cornmeal to use up, as well as a few other ingredients.  All I had to buy for this was the scallions and sour cream so I decided to make these this past weekend.

The recipe was easy to make, but there were multiple steps.  Cooking the cornmeal and milk, melting butter, assembling the dry ingredients, then whisking in certain ingredients to the cornmeal mixture, then whisking in the dry ingredients.  It wasn't difficult.  It was just a matter of assembling the ingredients ahead of time and following the directions carefully.  And reading the directions all the way through before starting.

These muffins came out really good. They were definitely savory, not sweet at all.  Unfortunately, I couldn't taste the cheddar cheese and there was quite a bit in there. While I liked them, I think next time I will buy sharp cheddar cheese; all I had was mild, so that's what I used.  I think the scallions kind of overpowered the cheese.  In addition, I'll likely make them with my mini muffin pan in order to minimize the damage to my calorie bank; corn muffins are very high in calories and fat!

There are only nine muffins in the picture - I wanted symmetry to make a pretty picture.  I got 15 muffins from this recipe.  Maybe my regular-sized muffin tin is slightly smaller than what Cooks Illustrate used.

Savory Corn Muffins with Scallions and Cheddar

From Cooks Illustrated

2 cups yellow cornmeal, to be divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp dry mustard
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup sour cream
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
3 TB sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
5 scallions, thinly sliced

1. Heat oven to 425. Adjust the oven rack to the upper- middle position. 
2. Either grease or line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with disposable liners.
3. Whisk 1 1/2 cups cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper, mustard and cayenne together in a medium bowl. 
4. In a large bowl, combine milk and remaining 1/2 cup cornmeal. In a microwave, cook cornmeal–milk mixture for 1 1/2 minutes, then whisk thoroughly.  Continue to microwave in 30-second increments, mixing in between, until the mixture is thickened to a batter-like consistency. The whisk will leave a clear line across the bottom of the bowl that slowly fills in. This will take 1 to 3 minutes longer. 
5. Whisk butter, sugar, and sour cream into cooked cornmeal until combined. 
6. Whisk in eggs, scallions, and cheese until combined. 
7. Fold in flour mixture until thoroughly combined and the batter is very thick. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups; it will mound slightly above the rim.
8. Bake until tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 13 to 17 minutes, rotating muffin tin halfway through baking to ensure even cooking. 
9. Let muffins cool in muffin tin on wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove muffins from tin and let cool 5 minutes longer. Serve warm.

parmesan lentil soup

Tonight I made one of my final "eat through the kitchen" meals.  I'm about ready to say the challenge is done.  Mainly because I haven't bought meat in a month and half and all I have left is a ham.  My appetite and pallet is screaming for beef and I'm going to give in this weekend. I'm also out of pasta sauce, ingredients to make pasta sauce, and some other items.  Last night's dinner was mini tortilla pizzas:  BBQ chicken and pepperoni.

The following recipe, which isn't my own, was made using ingredients I had on hand.  The only thing I had to buy was the Parmesan rind, which was inexpensive.

It was easy to make and it tasted good.  It was more like a stew, though.  Very thick.  I added another cup of water and that helped a little bit.  Not sure why it was so thick, since I followed the directions to the letter.  The picture in the original recipe shows a thinner soup.

If you don't eat pasta as a post-op, just scoop around it.  I don't eat pasta anymore, so that's what I did.

Parmesan Lentil Soup

Serves 6

Recipe by Carlene Thomas, RDN, LD (Link to recipe)
Adapted from The Best Vegetarian Recipes by Martha Rose Shulman

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small white onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped into rounds
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 14-ounce can tomatoes with juice, seeded and chopped (or 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes)
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups water
1½ cup lentils
1 chunk Parmesan rind
1 bay leaf
Salt
Black pepper
½ cup small pasta
Garnishes: lemon thyme, grated Parmesan (optional, I didn't use the thyme)

Directions

1. Over medium heat in a large pot, add onion, carrot and garlic with oil. Cook and stir until everything is tender for about five minutes.
2. Add in tomatoes, turn heat to medium and bring to a simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Stir in the lentils with chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil.
4. Add Parmesan rind and bay leaf and reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Add salt and cook for another 15 to 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
6. Add pasta and cook until pasta is done.
7. Top with more cheese, black pepper, salt and lemon thyme. (Optional)

homemade marinara sauce

I made homemade marinara sauce a couple weeks ago and just haven't had time to post it.  I made this sauce because I didn't have any pasta sauce, but knew I most likely had all the ingredients for a simple homemade sauce.  Also, it keeps in line with my Eat Through the Kitchen Challenge (still going!).  I found this recipe on on the internet (The Frugal Cafe).

It was pretty easy and it used up all the canned tomatoes I had on hand.  It tasted really good, also. The recipe calls for pureeing, but I couldn't be bothered with that.  Instead I broke up the stewed tomatoes while they were cooking.  The result was a very chunky sauce.  I threw in some Italian sausages after partially frying them.  They finsihed cooking in the sauce.

Homemade Marinara Sauce

1 T. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
1 sm. onion, diced
1 sm. green or sweet pepper, diced
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 tsp. dried fennel seeds
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
Dash black pepper

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, sauté garlic and onion in olive oil on low heat until onion is tender.
2. Stir all remaining ingredients in with sautéd mixture; heat just to boiling; then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.
3. Optional:  Carefully purée the hot sauce in in a food processor or a blender. (I didn't puree mine.)

eat through the kitchen progress

I think I've finally hit the wall when it comes to eating chicken.  I'm so tired of chicken.  And guess what I still have in the freezer?  Chicken!  It's what I have with me for lunch today, too.  I'm seriously considering running out for a salad.

I'm defrosting ground turkey at the moment, which I plan to use for stuffed peppers either tonight or tomorrow night.  Normally when I make stuffed peppers I use ground beef and beef flavored Rice-a-Roni, but I made a huge batch of my seasoned brown rice a couple weeks ago and froze half of it.  And since I have only ground turkey, I figure the two will go well together for a batch of stuffed peppers.

It's going well for the most part, but I'm starting to run out of pantry items, like pasta sauce.  I made a batch of homemade sauce last week, but that used up the last of the canned tomatoes I had.  I still have lots of lentils and also some wheat berries, so I'll have to get creative with those.  Especially wheat berries; I've never cooked with them before.

I feel like I've saved some money.  I haven't tracked it, but I'm no longer shopping every single week and coming out with 10 bags of nothing.  I go to the store, but it's usually just to grab a few things, like yogurt, lunchmeat, milk and eggs.

I'm looking forward to the day when I finish up what's in the freezer and can finally buy some beef, but has anyone seen the price of beef lately?  Ridiculous!  I'm sure I'll buy some anyway, though.  I'm really missing it right now, but I refuse to buy it until I've eaten all the other meat.

swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes

Another Eat Through the Kitchen meal.  I didn't have to buy anything to make this.  I had a big bag of Ikea Swedish meatballs in the freezer; however, I ran out of the gravy packets and had to Google for a recipe for gravy.  I found one and it was good.  Very easy, too.

I made some mashed red potatoes (the last of the buy-one-get-one-free deal, so no waste!).  I made the potatoes with a masher instead of using the beaters and they were great.  I have to say, I make some awesome mashed potatoes.  I find the key is to add a good amount of salt and pepper.  I know, a lot of people don't or can't use salt when they cook, but I find this really makes a difference with mashed potatoes.  Sure, you can always salt them once they're on the plate, but I want mine to taste awesome and for people to think I just have the magic touch, :)

today's breakfast and lunch

Today's breakfast is Dannon Light & Fit Greek Yogurt, the only kind I like; it's lower in sugar and calories than all the rest.  Dry roasted peanuts were mixed in, of course.

Lunch was turkey and Swiss roll-ups with some Boar's Head Chipotle Gourmaise (love this stuff, but it's got a kick!).

Snack was celery and hummus, a new favorite.  It satisfies my urge for a crunchy snack.

still eating chicken!

Nope, I'm not out of chicken yet.  I've been trying to eat through the kitchen for a month or so and I've still got at least two more family packs of boneless chicken breast, plus boneless thighs.  Sorry, Bob, you're gonna be eating it for awhile.

I made this on the grill and simply added some seasoned salt.  I love seasoned salt!  It tastes great and makes people think I actually put some effort into cooking.  Just shake it on before cooking and that's it. I made some green beans and gave Bob some rice with it.

This is about 3.5 ounces of chicken and a scant 1/4 cup of beans.  I finished it all except two bites of chicken.

I got another two lunches out of it, my friend had a piece, and Bob took some for lunch.  It stretched pretty far.

monday's breakfast and lunch

I'm late in publishing this one.  I had this on Monday.

Breakfast was Dannon Light & Fit Greek Yogurt, as usual.  I omitted the peanuts this time in an effort to save calories.

In the spirit of eating through the kitchen, I brought my leftover grilled chicken for lunch.

Snack were celery and hummus, and a hard-boiled egg.

cornmeal fennel cookies

Yes, I know.  That sounds like an odd combination for a cookie, but I wanted to try something different.  And I wanted to use up some more ingredients in the spirit of my Eat Through the Kitchen Challenge:  fennel seed and cornmeal.

Awhile back I cleaned out my spices.  I tossed all the old ones, which were really outdated, and bought new ones to take their place.  I also added some ones I've never used before.  Since I buy spices at the dollar store usually, or buy the Badia brand (in the Spanish food isle at the store) ,I didn't have to spend any significant money to replenish my stock.  Well, somehow I ended up with two containers of fennel seed.  I have no idea why I bought fennel seed since I have no clue what it's used for; however, I recently discovered it's used in sausage making.

I also had a bag of cornmeal haunting the cabinet.  Not sure why I bought that, either.  I'm sure there was a recipe I wanted to try at some point so I bought it.  (This is why I'm doing my Eat Through the Kitchen Challenge!)

I went in search of a recipe using fennel seed and this is the one I found. Since it used cornmeal, too, all the better.  The recipe I found was actually reviewed by someone on The Kitchn website.  They said that the recipe they tried needed some added milk, because the dough wouldn't bind together.  So, I followed the recipe and added the milk.  It also called for the fennel seed to be coarsely ground, which means using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder.  I was at my dad's house this weekend for Easter and was able to borrow my mom's mortar and pestle.

I made the recipe and included 3/4 cup of milk after mixing the dry ingredients into the dough.  I then chilled the dough, but only for about an hour and half since I had to get them finished to take them somewhere. The result was that they spread quite a bit. Next time I make this I will chill the dough for much longer.

I have to admit I was skeptical, but they tasted good.  They have a nice fennel flavor, just a hint of sweetness, and a bit of a crunchy texture inside because of the cornmeal, while still being chewy.  I would make these again.

Here's the recipe I used.  I added 3/4 cup of milk before chilling the dough:  Cornmeal Fennel Cookies
Here's the review of the recipe by The Kitchn:  Review

today's lunch

This probably doesn't look appetizing but I assure you it does taste good! Cottage cheese mixed with nutra sweet, dry roasted peanuts and unsweetened coconut. Yummy!  I had to use up the cottage cheese. 

This would have been a breakfast and lunch post, but I forgot to take a pic before I ate it all. It was greek yogurt with peanuts (what else??) And celery sticks with hummus.

today's breakfast

Today I made scrambled eggs for Bob and I and topped them with American cheese.  They came out perfect:  nice and creamy and soft.

I made some fried potatoes and onions with it.  I bought a couple bags of red potatoes a few weeks ago (buy one get one free!) and I've been trying to use them up. Tonight I'll be using them to make mashed potatoes to serve with the Swedish meatballs I plan to make.  No, I'm not making the meatballs from scratch - I have a huge bag of Ikea meatballs in the freezer -, but I'll be making the gravy from scratch.  I've noticed that the Ikea gravy packets don't go very far at all so I ran out of them way before using up the meatballs.  That's OK, because the Ikea gravy just seems so...cheap? processed?...I guess those are the right words to use.  Tastes fine, but I'd rather make gravy from scratch.

This amounts to about 2 eggs, a slice of cheese and about 1/4 cup of potatoes.  I was able to finish everything except a few potatoes.

eat through the kitchen progress

Well, I've done pretty well with this challenge so far.  I've had to toss some frozen green beans that looked like they had been in the freezer a very long time; I don't even remember buying them.  I tossed some hamburgers that got freezer-burned.  Other than that, though, I've been able to use my freezer items without a problem.

One thing I will say is that when you do something like this, you need to be prepared to eat a lot of the same meat.  I had a ton of chicken in the freezer when I started, a little pork, some beef and a few other things.  I wish I had thought to buy some beef ahead of time, but it is what it is.  I've tried to be a little creative by making the Broiled Yogurt Chicken, Italian Crockpot Chicken, and a few other things. But I'm not sure how much more chicken I can take.

This has really tested my ability to not make spontaneous, unplanned purchases.  I actually have to fight my way through the store, because I just want to toss stuff in the cart; I'm so used to doing that.  I will admit I broke down and bought some hamburgers and hot dogs the other night, though. I just had to.  The thought of another chicken dish just got to me.  Other than that, I've stuck to buying just what I need to make a certain recipe or for the week's lunches at work.  I really can't afford to make a lot of unplanned purchases at the moment; however, that will be solved by the end of April.

I think I might do some baking this weekend since i have tons of cocoa powder and other baking stuff on-hand. I'll have to bring it all to work and dump it over in my team's cubicle area so I don't graze on it all day (more on that another time).

If I post any more chicken dishes next week, I'll be sure to make something a little more exciting that grilled chicken!

roasted potatoes with carrots and onions

This is a delicious way to use up buy-one-get-one-free bags of red potatoes, the half an onion haunting the back of the fridge, and the last few carrots leftover from the January family meal (yes, they were perfectly fine and crispy; carrots last).

This is so simple. All I did was cut up red potatoes, onions, and carrots (peeled, of course); toss them with olive oil and Sicilian seasoning (got it at Ocean State Job Lot for a couple bucks; it's a seasoned salt); and put them in the oven to bake at 350 degrees for about an hour.  Just stir it up once in awhile and that's it.

today's breakfast: a properly made egg omelet

I've ate and made many egg omelets in my lifetime.  I make them for my husband and occasionally for myself, but apparently I haven't been making them the right way.  I make them the way my mom did when she cooked for my grandmother:  when one side is done and the egg is no longer liquid, you flip it to finish the cooking. But I've been reading How Cooking Works and am told that that's not the right way to do it.  Not in so many words, but the diagrams imply it.  The proper way is to cook it one one side until the eggs are no longer liquid, put any fillings in the middle, and then roll the omelet onto the plate.  The residual heat cooks the center of the omelet.

I tried making a proper omelet for my husband last week and it was pretty flat.  I'm thinking I used way too much butter in the pan.  I don't usually use so much, but I had a piece of butter to use up.  No sense in putting one little pat of butter in the fridge.  He said it tasted good, though.

So, today I tried making one for myself.  I beat two eggs with a little skim milk (my beloved Fairlife milk) with some salt and pepper.  I used just enough butter to coat a hot pan.  I poured the eggs in and it immediately started to set.  I lifted the corners from the pan and tilted it to let the uncooked egg run underneath.  Once there was almost no runny egg leftover, I added herbed goat cheese in a line down the middle.  The I tilted the pan away from my and tried to nudge the corner over the middle (easier said than done!).  It didn't roll itself like the book says, but I didn't destroy it either. So that was good.  I then brought the pan to the plate and tilted the pan over so the omelet rolled over onto itself, finishing the roll.

I have to say, it tasted better than the omelets I usually make.  Maybe because the inside is cooked just enough to keep it creamy.  It was definitely a little flatter, but I find I now prefer an omelet made this way. It didn't seem as dense, which is good since I can't eat much in volume these days.  Also, the omelet was browned a bit.  Doesn't matter, really, but I keep hearing Chef Ludo Lefebvre in my head, screaming that there should be "no coloration!!"  You'll know what I mean if you watched The Taste last season.  My omelet doesn't look like his, but it was good!

The bonus in all this, other than mastering a proper omelet, is I used up the last of the goat cheese and didn't have to throw it away.  Another meal to help me eat through the kitchen.

broiled yogurt chicken

Awhile back I made homemade onion dip with plain Greek yogurt I had on hand.  Since I had a big container of it, and I hate plain yogurt, I had to figure out what to do with the rest of the container.  I didn't want to throw it away, so I was determined to use it.

For Christmas Bob bought me a used cookbook I wanted:  How Cooking Works.  It's an older cookbook (it talks about microwaves being "among the recent innovations"), but it's chock full of information.  It talks about all the different cooking methods and why one works for certain foods and others don't, the different cuts of meat and poultry and how to shop for it, how ingredients work together, and how to choose the right ingredients.

I wasn't looking for a recipe containing yogurt when I was reading through the book last week, but I happened to come across one while reading about poultry:  Broiled Yogurt Chicken. It looked very easy:  marinade the chicken and then broil it.  I scanned the list of ingredients and guess what?!  I had them all!!  (Well, technically it called for a whole, cut-up chicken and I had boneless breasts.) The only issue was putting together the marinade without Bob seeing it.  It had an ingredient that would automatically take it off the "normal foods" list:  cider vinegar.  He hates vinegar.  I'm not overly fond of it on it's own, but I'm fine with it as an ingredient in salad dressings, buffalo chicken wings, and sauerkraut.  Anyway, I decided to try this recipe.  It was different and easy, I had all the ingredients, and I would use up more of the Greek yogurt.

Overall, it was a good dish.  The chicken was very tender and it had a tang to it.  It was also very garlicky; good vampire deterrent!  It cooked much more quickly that the recipe said; however, I used boneless chicken breast rather than a whole cut-up chicken.  I'm not sure I'd make it again, mainly because I just don't usually buy plain yogurt and I don't think I'd buy it just to make this.

Broiled Yogurt Chicken
(adapted from How Cooking Works)

1 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek)
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 TB cider vinegar
1 TB soy sauce
4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts*
*Note:  You can use any kind of chicken in this:  parts, boneless breasts, boneless thighs, etc.

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients except the chicken and whisk together.  
2. Put the chicken in a Ziploc bag or non-aluminum bowl and pour the marinade over it.  Seal tightly and refrigerate for 2 to 4 days, turning it whenever you think of it. (I kept it in the fridge for 2 days.)
3. When ready to cook, put the broiler on High.  Move the oven rack to the very bottom so it's far from the broiler flame.
4. Put the chicken skin side down on a rack in a shallow baking pan.  Add a little water to cover the bottom of the pan.
5. Broil for about 10 minutes and then turn the chicken over to broil for another 10 minutes until cooked through.  Baste a couple times with the water in the bottom of the pan.  Note:  Be sure to check the chicken often.  Broilers get very hot and there's usually a fine line between under done, perfect, and charcoal.

shepherd's pie

All my life I thought Shepherd's Pie was a bland casserole consisting of ground beef seasoned with salt and pepper, a layer of creamed corn, and then topped with mashed potatoes.  It was then baked until heated through.  I liked it at the time and thought it was just fine...until I made this recipe.

This is my favorite Shepherd's Pie recipe.  Until I find another one, anyway.  It's got deep flavor and it's easy to make. Yes, it takes a little time if you don't already have the mashed potatoes made, but it's worth it.

If you don't have mashed potatoes already made, or raw potatoes to make mashed potatoes, just buy a packaged potato mix.  Yes, I said that.  I've used these mixes many times.  Hey, it's easy and I'm all about easy.  Plus it saves a lot of time if you want dinner within the hour.  If you use a packaged mix, go for a flavored one like four cheese or sour cream and chives.  It gives the pie that much more flavor.

I'm happy to report that I didn't have to buy anything to make this.  Let me rephrase that:  I didn't have the shredded cheddar cheese I usually use, BUT I had taco flavored shredded cheese.  I know, it sounds odd to use taco flavored cheese on an Irish dish, but that's what I had on hand and I didn't want to go out and buy more cheese.  It actually gave the dish some more flavor since I had just plain mashed potatoes to use today.

So, here's the dish in process.  Recipe below.  I adapted this from a recipe I found online.

The beef mixture before it goes in the baking pan.

All browned and ready to eat!

My portion.  I ate about one cup.

A very thick layer of potatoes. I wanted to use up every bit I had so I didn't stick to the recipe on this part.  I did not make the Cheesy Mashed Potatoes recipe it calls for below.  I just used my leftover potatoes and topped with shredded cheese.

Shepherd's Pie

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cups frozen peas and carrots
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 pounds lean ground beef or lamb (I use beef)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup beef stock
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, recipe follows*
(*Note:  I usually use plain mashed potatoes and top with shredded cheddar cheese.  You can use a packaged flavored mashed potato mix if you want. Or you can make this recipe.)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Add butter and oil to a large skillet on medium heat. Saute onions, celery, and garlic until tender for about 7 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 
3. Once the vegetables have softened and start to brown a little add the tomato paste and mix evenly. 
4. Add the ground beef and cook until beef is no longer pink about 10 minutes. 
5. Add the Worcestershire sauce and beef stock. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook and simmer for another 10 minutes. 
6. Mix in peas and carrots. 
7. Transfer mixture to an oven-proof baking dish and spread evenly. Place potato on top of ground beef mixture and spread out evenly.  If you are using anything other than plain mashed potatoes, rake through with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. If you're using plain potatoes, simply top with shredded cheese.
8. Place the dish into the preheated oven and cook until browned about 20 minutes. Spoon out the shepherd's pie and serve. 

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes 

4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, quartered
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup grated mature white Cheddar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Fill a large saucepan with cold water and a tablespoon of salt. 
2. Add potatoes to the water and bring to a boil. Let potatoes cook until soft about 20 minutes. 
3. Once the potatoes are at a desired density, drain the potatoes and place them back into the saucepan for mashing. 
4. Add butter and cream and begin to mash potatoes into a semi smooth consistency. 
5. Once at desired texture add cheese and mix well. 
6. Season with salt and pepper.

baked lentils

Here's another Eat Through the Kitchen Challenge meal:  baked lentils.

I made this in January 2014 when I was only about a month and a half out from surgery.  At that time I could barely manage 3 ounces.  I was able to eat more this time, about 2/3 cup. Not sure how many ounces that is in weight, but in volume it's about 6.5 ounces.

I didn't have to buy anything to make this. Surprisingly, I had everything on hand.  Even the cheese.  And even after making this, I still have enough ingredients to make it two more times.  But I won't do that anytime soon; it's a bit of an overkill.  It's amazing to think that only 1 3/4 cup of uncooked lentils makes this much!

I really like this dish:  it's cheap to make; it makes A LOT; it's very easy; and it tastes great.  Even hardcore meat eaters will likely enjoy it.

B.C. (before cheese).  Almost done cooking!

It's done!

My portion.  About 2/3 cup.

Baked Lentils

12 oz. dry lentils
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp dried marjoram
1/8 tsp dried sage
1/8 tsp dried thyme
2 large onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz) can stewed tomatoes, with juice
2 large carrots, sliced
1/2 cup celery, sliced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (as little or as much as you want)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a 9X13 pan, combine the water and lentils. Season with the bay leaf, salt, pepper, marjoram, sage and thyme. Stir in onions, garlic, and stewed tomatoes.
3. Bake covered for 30 minutes. 
4. Remove from the oven and stir in the carrots and celery. Cover and continue to bake until the lentils and vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes. 
5. Remove from the oven a third time, stir in the green bell pepper and sprinkle cheese over the top. 
6. Bake, uncovered, until cheese has melted, about 5 more minutes.

goat cheese!

I had half a log of herbed goat cheese in the fridge, so I'm trying to use it up as part of my Eat Through the Kitchen Challenge.  Goat cheese is something I am loathe to let go bad in the fridge or to throw away; it's not cheap!

Last night I made a snack of goat cheese on crackers.  But these weren't just any old crackers - they were American Vintage Wine Biscuits, Red Wine and Black Pepper flavor.  I sampled them when I was in Whole Foods a few weeks ago and decided to grab a bag.  I can't really describe the flavor other than to say they're very rich tasting with a hint of black pepper.  They have just a tiny kick at the end.  These crackers were made for the rich creaminess of goat cheese.

Today for breakfast I did a very loose take on Eggs Benedict:  half a toasted English muffin topped with one sausage, one scrambled egg, and herbed goat cheese.  It was delicious!  I was able to finish it, but I was REALLY full.  Probably would have been easier if I'd eaten slower; I kind of gobbled it down. (I need to STOP that!)

eat through the kitchen progress

Sorry, no pics today.  Not because I haven't cooked, but because it's embarrassing:  some variation of poultry, rice, and veggie for the last week.  When I started this thing I didn't realize I had so little beef in the freezer.  And so. much. chicken.  So much.  I may have to break my rule of not buying any meat just so I can get a little variety.  Or I'll need to Google my fingers off and find a really different chicken recipe.  Actually, I have a ton of lentils and quinoa in the cabinet.  I'm sure I can figure something out.

We've been doing good, though.  I've gone to the store a few times, but I haven't bought anything I don't need.  I've mostly eggs, milk, bread, and lunch meat.  Stuff like that.  I did buy a few unusual ingredients, like coconut milk, but that was because I found a recipe and that was the one item I needed to complete it.

I'll try and get a little creative this weekend so I can post something.  I just didn't want to post chicken again.

But since I want to post a picture, here's one of Leia, the new foster cat.  She's gettin' down with the catnip while Bailey watches.

eat through the kitchen progress

I'm making decent progress on my Eat Through the Kitchen Challenge. I made seasoned brown rice last week and used that for a few dinners. I also made pasta and sauce. I added some frozen meatballs that were left in my freezer, courtesy of my sister. 

Boneless skinless chicken thigh with seasoned brown rice and corn.

Preseasoned turkey tenderloin with seasoned brown rice and corn.