A Week In Food…Kinda

Every once in awhile I dedicate a whole week to new, various, and untested recipes for supper. This week was the week for random searches of recipes on the internet, cookbooks, or more frightening…. my imagination. 

My game plan was weak. I knew I wanted a different protein each night and the side to those would be jazzed up as well, but I didn't really put much effort into finding appealing recipes until I was making out my grocery list with T-minus 13 minutes before Nathan got home from work and T-minus 37 minutes before the 1934th snowstorm of the year hit.

A week of recipe, must and bust, followed….

Monday's Bust

Honey Mustard Chicken

Ok, we've had honey mustard chicken before, but this recipe was different…. or was suppose to be, but I forgot the one ingredient that made it "different" from all the other honey mustard chickens… So I found a semi different recipe, making this a bust, then didn't follow that 100% because I didn't have parsley.

• --6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves--salt and pepper to taste--1/2 cup honey--1/2 cup prepared mustard--1 teaspoon dried basil--1 teaspoon paprika--1/2 teaspoon dried parsley--
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• --Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)--Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste, and place in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the honey, mustard, basil, paprika, and parsley. Mix well. Pour 1/2 of this mixture over the chicken, and brush to cover.--Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn chicken pieces over and brush with the remaining 1/2 of the honey mustard mixture. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. Let cool 10 minutes before serving--

Salad

Peas (frozen of course)

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

--Boil Potatoes until tender--stir in butter, salt, and some Garlic Herb Alouette cheese (or really any garlicky cheese spread goodness)

The potatoes were my favorite as always, but the chicken filled the bellies and the kids didn't complain (whaaaaaat?) So I guess I could make it again, but it didn't give me a new and exciting recipe that was so different from anything else. Certainly lacked that "wow" factor.

Tuesday's Must

Turkey Sausage Primavera

To be honest, I don't know exactly what "Primavera" is… and I'm too lazy too look up the definition. Anytime I've ever ordered it, it's been  pasta, that had tons of veggies, and a cream sauce…. so I went with that.

--onions--red & yellow pepper--garlic--broccoli--carrots--peas--sundried tomato turkey sausage--cream--pasta--

--cut up all veggies-- boil water and cook spaghetti--coat bottom of large skillet with veggie oil--throw in carrots and onions--after a few minutes toss in peppers and cook a few minutes more--followed by sausage, broccoli, and garlic (garlic takes the least amount of time to cook and burns easily so keep an eye on it)-- turn heat down low, coat veggies with about 1/3 of a cup of the cream--once pasta is cooked, before draining, spoon 2 ladles full of pasta water into skillet along with spaghetti after drained--

As good as this dish was, it was even better the next day. I also love the fact that it gives me something else to do with left over veggies rather than stir fry!! Maybe this will give stir-fry a change to get back in my good graces, now that it wont be hanging around so much. 

Wednesday's Big Time BUST with a unexpected Must

Crockpot Beef Curry

Ok, awhile ago I had a curry pasta dish and my body has been craving it ever since. So when I searched the internet for a similar recipe Beef Curry always popped up making me think it must be a popular and delicious dish, so I changed course. Nate's aunt warned me, and in hind sight, the way a shiver went through her body every time she mentioned it, might have needed be taken as a more serious warning. Secondly, I should have recognized the red flag, when the recipe didn't even call for curry. Which was the flavor base I was looking for. Though it made the house smell wonderful all day long, it remained one time touched by everyone at the dinner table. 

It's not even a recipe worth sharing, if you haven't heeded my warning and need to suffer yourself, Google it, because you aren't getting it from me!! Yes, it was that bad…. *shivers*

Garlic Spinach

The silver lining was this sautéed garlic and spinach. I loved it, Joey loved it, and Calvin loved it… Wesley wouldn't try it and Nate opted for seconds on salad and rice. But it found it's way into the rotation of vegetable offerings at the dinner table, so maybe the other two will warm up to it.

--Coat skillet with a couple tablespoons of Olive oil, heat on low--sauté garlic until tender--throw in fresh spinach--cook until spinach is wilted--salt & pepper

*Spinach cooks way down, so you'll probably need two bags/boxes, for more a couple of adults*

Thursday's Must
Ok, lets be 100% honest here… I let someone else do the cooking for me tonight. After last nights epic failure, the wind was busted out of my sails, and I jumped all over the opportunity to head up to The Hanger for supper with some friends. Can you blame me? I don't take major failure like that lightly… The first time I made bread, it was so bad, I didn't attempt to make it again for over 4 years… *sigh* very sad how true that last confession was...


Friday Night's Must
Pizza
English Muffin Pizza's to be precise. It's not even Friday yet, but I can guarantee they will be as good as any english muffin pizza's I've made before… It's Nate & my 5th wedding anniversary, and what better why to show my husband I love him than by making a supper as romantic as this? Maybe by not making him suffer through another Beef Curry disaster… 


Next time I get courageous enough to try a week of recipes again, I'll do my research, prepare better, and restore my can do attitude… All and all, this latest posting… BUST…. I'll make it up to you next time around.