smothered pork chops

smothered pork chops

let the roomie buy meat for the week while i was sick. never again. everything is.....not what we like. so, trying new ways to cook things in crockpot. this was a hit. but, "next time thinner chops".  served with rice and spinach sauteed in oleo, red pepper flakes and garlic.

3 large boneless 1 1/2" thick pork chops
2 packets of powdered pork gravy
4 cups of water
1  4oz can of sliced mushrooms; drained
1 cup of tofutti sour cream
tsp ground pepper
tsp dried parsley

in crock pot whisk gravy mix and water until smooth. add pork chops, parsley, pepper and mushrooms. set crockpot to 165 or high. cook until internal temp of thickest chops reaches 165. right before serving, whisk in sour cream.

forgive my bad camera and ugly plates. plates aren't mine.

vegan pancakes

1 cup of flour
1 tbsp of sugar
1 cup of vanilla soy milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp baking soda
dash of salt

~preheat stove to med-high.
~mix dry ingredients. add the milk and oil. mix until smooth.
~drop spoonfuls of batter onto heated pan. flip when pancakes began to bubble on top.
~cook until browned on both sides.

traditional meals

is there really a such thing as a traditional holiday meal?

with the many different diets and cultures melding, it's just not true. we were talking at work about Xmas dinner. my family does something different every year. one year, we'd grill steaks, fish and portobello mushrooms.  another we'd have a big pasta dinner (i'm 100% italian heritage btw). this year, the oldest asked me to make ham.  so ham, roasted asparagus, mashed potatoes (the only request from the younger son), cranberry sauce, nan bread, and cobbler/crisp. not sure which type of cobbler yet. i have a "last minute" list for the boys for today or tomorrow. they pick whatever fruit looks best.

some people said you MUST have turkey on thanksgiving and ham on Xmas. it's too strict a rule for me.

spaghetti squash

i managed to find a 4lb spaghetti squash at the store for $2.50
simply cut in half. scoop out seeds (guts as the kids call it). drizzle with oil and add crushed black pepper (a lot of it). place flesh side down on a baking sheet. cook in preheated oven on 375 for 45min to 1 hr. then, using a fork, shred into a large bowl.
spaghetti squash is mild. so, we serve it with marinara sauce.

no photo as it wasn't much to look at. forgive.

finally a decent soy yogurt

silk live key lime pie soy yogurt

picked this up at whole foods. it does have a tart taste. i was surprised. tastes like a normal yogurt. wish it was a bit thicker. but, still....try it.

beef anf broccoli

per the request of the kidlet. he'll eat it if i make it. no where else. picky. picky. forgive the cell photo.

beef and broccoli

1 lb thinly sliced beef
1 medium head of broccoli. cut into spears (steamed)
1 package of udon (pre-boiled)
pinch of chili flakes
splash of plain soy milk

cook beef strips in olive oil until done. add steamed broccoli, chili flakes and soy milk. heat thoroughly. serve on top of udon.

this time of year is work.sleep.work.sleep. that's about it.

thanksgiving ~ american

what's everyone planning for the holiday? or what do you cook for your country's thanksgiving/independence day?

we don't do the typical holiday food here. even when the entire family is together. (the closest is 8 hrs away). this year, it's my kids and myself. possibly roommate and my best friend&his hubs.
i refuse to cook a turkey. sorry but just can't. it's disgusting. the oldest wanted pork loin. not my thing. I'm a side eater on holidays. making "cheesy" popovers, steamed broccoli, green bean casserole, garlic mashed potatoes and  apple berry crumble. sounds good to me.

roasted peppers

i got lucky at the grocery store. a mixed 2lb bag of fingerling, Peru purple and redskin "petite" potatoes for $2. roasted them simply with olive oil, pepper, dried minced garlic and (A TON) of parsley. just slice the larger potatoes in half and coat with a mix of above. place on a baking sheet pan. cook at 425 for 30-40 minutes.

been sick, traveling in/out of country and all. post later. sorry.

riceworks sweet chili chips

these are brown rice chips and taste just as good as they sound, sweet chili. a different texture than a potato chip or tortilla chip. thicker. very crunchy. starts sweet but ends with a bite. my kids love these. I've had to hide bags before. sad eh?
i know they sell these at target and publix.
~wheat and gluten free
~vegan and celiac friendly

other flavors available.

sorry i haven't been posting much lately. work is super busy this time of year. hopefully, it'll die down in the next week or so.

baked pasta

not the prettiest. but, super tasty. and, great for a busy weeknight.

this is my goto dish when i have a bunch of pasta. but, not enough of any one in particular. btw, (most) archer farms pasta  is egg/dairy free.

the "meatballs" are 8-10 cooked Nate's soy meatballs.
the sauce is simple. in a blender ~ combine 2 cans of tomatoes (14oz can), tsp dried oregano, tsp dried basil, tbsp dried garlic, tbsp parsley, and a 4oz can of sliced mushrooms. puree until thick and smooth.
about 1 lb of whatever pasta you have. slightly undercooked.
cup of soy "Italian blend" shredded cheese

combine meatballs, sauce, pasta and 1/2 the cheese in a 8"x8" oven safe pan. bake at 400degrees for 30minutes.  with 10 minutes left, sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

herb pork chops

(the older son's plate) i don't like pork myself. but, will make certain things if the kids ask. the older asked for "shake n bake" chops. i made my own mixture and he said it was "really good" "better than the box". that's a compliment coming from a teenager.

~ 1/2" thick pork chops. 4 or 5.
~ 3 slices of honey whole wheat bread. toasted. and ground in the food processor.
~ tsp parsley
~ tsp oregano
~ tsp ground black pepper
~ 1/4 tsp rosemary

you'll need 2 bowls large enough to fit single pork chop. and a sheet pan. if you don't want sticky or caked hands, a sandwich bag works great as a glove.

in 1st bowl mix all ingredients (other than pork). in 2nd bowl place enough water to moisten chops.

dip chops in water only to moisten them. then, place chops in herb mixture.. coat both sides. shake off excess breading. place on sheet pan about 1/2" apart. cook for 20-30 minutes at 400 degrees.

mashed potato pizza

my older son loves the "potato skins pizza" from uno. but, let's face it, it's super salty and far from being healthy AT ALL. so, this was the best i could come up with. it was a hit. but, what kid doesn't like mashed potatoes or pizza. definitely not a weekly meal. but, a change.

this was actually super simple. I'm working 6-7 days a week now. some early am, some overnight. i recommend not using a foil cake pan. was a hassle to get slices out as it gave too easily.

~make garlic chive boxed mashed potatoes per the box. i substituted soy milk and oleo instead of milk and butter. they need to be thick. but, not cement. stir in tbsp (or more...depending how much bacon flavor you like) of crumbled cooked turkey bacon. (my older son cooks the bacon. i can't. he uses a slotted baking rack to get rid of the grease. no turkey bacon doesn't give off much.)
~blind bake a refrigerated thin pizza crust (the tube type) for 5-7 minutes in a round 1"deep pan.
~while crust is still hot, sprinkle soy cheddar cheese in. add the precooked mashed potato/bacon mixture. sprinkle bacon and more cheese on top.
~ bake til crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. 10 minutes or less.

the boys sprinkled a little extra cheese before eating. served with a simple salad of mixed greens and carrot sticks.

*i don't cook with salt*

favorite food

what's your favorite food?
when it comes to cooking it myself, we eat a lot of pasta. I'm Italian. i deal. lol.  there's types for diabetes, there's gluten free, there's just every and any type anymore. i have more recipes for pasta dishes than anyone could imagine. when it comes to going out, it's sushi/Japanese food. it's my literally could eat everyday food. it's a place i don't have to worry about food allergies and such. just enjoy myself. the kids love it too. my younger son can eat without me worrying about it there's milk in it. the older and i went to mikado on saturday. if you're ever in orlando, definitely check this place out. the raw is mine.

pot roast

everyone has those super quick easy go-tos. i'm the queen of fast easy food. my kids ask for this. i would make it on the stove. but, needed 3 or more hours to make it. not good.

simple pot roast

3 or 4 lb beef roast
1 can of premade gravy; low sodium variety
tsp dried garlic
tbsp dried parsley
water (enough to cover meat in pot)

everything in the crockpot. set to 160 internal. insert probe. cover and it'll be ready when you are.
dehydrated mashed potatos are an easy way to thicken the gravy at the end if you'd like.
the kidlets like it with mashed potatos and raw carrots.

crockpots and cameras

i really love having a crockpot. i work very strange hours compared to most. my day generally starts around 4am. so, come dinnertime I'm exhausted. i recently got a huntington beach crockpot on sale and have been using the death out of it. it's so simple i even taught the guys how to get things started. <~~~not that that'll even happen.

forgive the lack of photos. my camera and 3 yr old got together. it works. just over exposure for everything. bear with me.

mcd's

i just saw this article and just wow. i rarely let my kids eat fast food or junk. the older son can be a fight. ah teens. the younger would rather fruit over any junk. check this article out. she left a McDonald's happy meal out on a shelf for 6 months. i think this further adds to my never letting the boys eat mcd's.

just wow! <~~~~clickyclick

soy yogurt

i used to love yogurt with honey. but, seeing as how i can't have the yogurt anymore. so, we tried soy yogurt with a bit of honey. i don't know what brand you use. but, we used o'soy brand. it tasted like rotten milk. tried it with and without the honey. no thanks.

maybe a different brand?

looking- vegan bread

anyone have a tasty vegan bread recipe? i'm buying now at whole foods. but, don't make it there every week. so, i'm looking for something easy and milk/egg free.

restaurant kids meals

most restaurant food is unhealthy enough. but, being a parent who likes to feed her kids pretty healthy, restaurant meals for kids is sometimes rough. think about what most places have as far as meals for children: chicken tenders (fried), cheeseburger (greasy), grilled cheese (carbs), etc etc. and what is the typical side: fries. they stupefy the meals. I'm lucky my kids aren't into most of this type of food. the older eats off the adult menu. that's another story. but, the younger would prefer a real meal. another bad part is that they use salt salt salt.
I've asked for a nutritional menu on several occasions, they usually look at you like you're nuts. go figure.

mashed garlic cauliflower

this is probably my favorite side. we never have leftovers. all measurements vary with how moist you'd like it.

1 head of cauliflower; cut into florets
tsp of "vegan" Parmesan cheese (regular if you like)
tbsp oleo (or butter)
tsp pepper
tsp of dried garlic
1/4 cup soy milk

~steam the cauliflower. i use a microwavable steamer with the garlic and 1/4 cup water. takes about 5 minutes.
~place steamed cauliflower and garlic in medium bowl and use masher. (it's good stress relief. :P )  or you can use your food processor.  until you get a creamy mashed potato consistancy.
~add remaining ingredients.
~enjoy.

easy gnocchi with parsley

this is my kids favorite easy meal. or it can be a side if i have more time. 

1 package of gnocchi
 tbsp of dried parsley
1/2 tbsp of chopped garlic
tsp of olive oil
tbsp of soy butter (or regular butter/oleo if you can have it)

cook gnocchi per package. boil til they float. they cook fast.
drain. return to pot and add all ingredients. when butter is melted, it's done.

i go heavier on the garlic. but, we eat a lot of garlic here.

diet peach "sweet leaf" iced tea

usually I'm not one to buy bottled tea. but, this sounded good. i was at target and was thirsty. it's pretty much 0 everything. all ingredients i can understand. and, it tastes very good. my younger son loved it too. no nasty aftertaste.

no yogurt smoothie

this is my favorite quick smoothie. who doesn't love them? and, the easier the better.

1/2 ripe banana
1/3 cup orange juice
1/2 cup ice
1/4 cup of berries (whichever you like)
splash of vanilla extract

blend all ingredients in blender until smooth.
like i said, it's simple.

first things to know

the first thing you need to know is how to properly read a package or ask your server exactly what's in a meal you plan to eat. they word ingredients in various ways. i always tell a server that we have severe food allergies and need to know what's in a dish. if they can't or won't tell you, it's probably a sign you want to go somewhere else.