May went by too quickly!

Between busy schedules and Deb suffering from allergies, we were able to get together only once for a cooking session.  Still, JJ and I managed to eat healthy meals (most of the time, honest) with the help of another friend, Anne. Anne hooked us up with Savory Suppers from Atkins Farm Market in nearby Amherst.

Being a busy, single, working mom who has yet to perfect the art of stress-free healthy cooking, the concept of Savory Suppers is really great. I picked 6 meals from a list of 20 and Anne went to the Atkins’ kitchen to bag the freshly chopped ingredients.  She came to my house with 12 meals (each one serves 4 people and we're only 2), ready to freeze and cook according to the easy to follow instructions. The line up of Thai beef with rice, pork medallions with wine glazed carrots, and baked buttermilk chicken, to name a few of our choices, took only 30 minutes to prepare. 

We enjoyed the meals so much, we just had to go for a ride to Atkins so JJ could see the place that we would go in the future to prep some of our meals.  The kitchen was closed but we purchased a few new-to-us fruits and vegetables (apricots and kale) to try at home. As it turns out, we didn’t actually eat the apricots or kale before it went bad but we did buy them...it’s a start!  We plan to go shopping at Atkins again this week and we will make kale chips right away! 

In my May cooking session with Deb, we made pot roast with red potatoes, onions, carrots and parsnips (another new to us vegetable, we ate it and we liked it). I served it with a delicious red wine gravy per Deb’s directions (I’m getting pretty good at making home-made gravy if I must say so myself).  There’s a funny twist to my story - we have dinner at my mother’s once a week. The day we made our pot roast (pictured above, recipe below) was the day before dinner at Mom’s.

Guess what she made? Yup, pot roast. And guess what else? Mine was better on all counts but one.

She served cheesy whipped spuds instead of making chunky potatoes cooked in with the roast. For that, she gets a veggie sides win and a request from me for her recipe!

Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 Bay leaf
1 (1 1/2-pound) boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat
3 tablespoons canola or extra virgin olive oil
3 or 4 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 or 3 potatoes, cut into quarters
1 small onions, cut into wedges
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 cup red wine
1 can reduced-sodium beef broth
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

Directions:
On a plate, combine flour, salt, pepper and thyme. Dredge meat in flour, coating all sides. Heat oil in a large saucepan and brown meat on both sides, turning once, about 5 minutes total. Meanwhile, place carrots, potatoes, onion, Bay leaf and garlic in a 5 or 6-quart slow cooker. Top with browned roast.

Pour 1/2 cup red wine into the pan you browned the roast in, scrape up any browned bits and add that rich liquid to the slow cooker along with the beef broth and tomato paste. Cover and cook until beef and vegetables are very tender, 8 hours on the low-heat setting or 5 hours on the high-heat setting.
If gravy is too thin, use the cornstarch and wine thickening trick.

Week Seven: Everything Old is New Again

This was exactly the kind of week that spells trouble. Laura had days worth of work at the office and I was headed to meetings in Minneapolis at the crack of dawn on Thursday. I worried a frustrated Laura might break and visit a drive-thru. Laura and JJ are humming along. 

Why tempt fate? 

It took all of ten minutes to search through scraps of paper with recipes from all of the important cooks in my life, including my Italian grandmother. There it was, tucked in the back of my oldest cookbook, a well worn paperback version of Betty Crocker basics somebody gave me almost forty years ago.  

My grandmother always called it Old Italian Meat Sauce, but lots of other Italian grandmothers call it Sunday Gray. My grandmother would push sweet Italian sausage meat out of it’s casing, brown it up in a big heavy pan with ground beef, veal and pork and mix in tomatoes, spices and a generous measure of red wine. But the long slow simmer required vigilance. 

Not that hanging around the house for hours doesn’t sound great but who has time? Not to mention all the cholesterol in the original recipe...a few adjustments and we were ready to rock in Laura’s kitchen not quite as early as we’d planned on Monday morning.

Using a slow cooker accomplishes the long slow cook without tying anyone down.  On Tuesday Laura called to tell me that the sauce was a God send ... she and JJ got home late the night before and it was knowing there was sauce waiting for them that kept them away from the fast food window. This sauce is just as good for topping on a homemade pizza as it is over pasta. 

The 6 inches of snowfall from Tuesday’s midwest storm disappeared from Minneapolis streets before I arrived. I met a wonderful new friend at my meetings - a fellow special needs mom. Funny how people meant to be friends find each other in unlikely places. Back in Chicopee, Laura whisked through the week between her homemade sauce, a home cooked meal at her mom’s house and all natural prepackaged meals by Atkins Farm store that another concerned friend left stacked in Laura’s freezer. 

As for my house, the sauce simmering at Laura’s inspired me to make a batch for JP and Paul before I left for Minneapolis. When I got home late last night there was barely enough left to warrant taking up space in the fridge. By way of explanation, JP said, “We killed it, Mom.”  All good!

OLD ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE

Active time: 20 Minutes  Cooking time: 7-8 hours on Low 

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 pounds ground turkey

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped (optional)

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

3/4 cup red wine

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (1 teaspoon if dried)

1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (1/8 teaspoon if dried)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (1 tablespoon if dried)

1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce (or puree)

1 (29 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes (with juices)

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

DIRECTIONS:

In a large skillet, warm olive oil over medium heat, brown turkey over medium heat until no longer pink; set aside. In a 4 quart slow cooker, add all other ingredients. Use a potato masher to crush the whole tomatoes as you mix the sauce well.

Add browned meat and stir.  Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. This versatile sauce can be used over pasta and as a delightful pizza topping. If you feel the need for a bit more meat when making the pizza, just brown up another smaller batch and add it in.

Week Six: School Vacation, Birthday Week and Other Distractions

School vacation week always coincides with my birthday.  It's typically chock full full of activity and meals at restaurants with family and friends. None of that changed this year, except one thing: healthier food choices. Fast food high calorie quickies were out and side salads were in.

From our first springtime hot dog and soft-serve ice cream at Fairview Deli, owned by our good friends Ron and Pam (Pam is Debby's husband's cousin...welcome to Chicopee!) to a meal at a local Thai and Korean restaurant, where the food was made to order with fresh ingredients and not much salt, we ate a little bit of everything.

By midweek, it was a day at the beach...literally.  We had a great day trip to Rhode Island with Debby and her son, John Paul. Debby treated us to a 4 plus pound lobster for my birthday! You have to put fresh seafood into the healthier column, except for the butter and the fried whole belly clams we just had to have at the shore .. yum!

Nobody's perfect. The trip did include a healthy stroll on the beach on a beautiful sunny day. That news pleased my physical therapist.

Other than preparing a simple breakfast every morning, I barely cooked, but JJ took a turn in the kitchen.  My son made pork empanadas with Debby on a day that I had to be at the office. Served with a side salad, a perfect meal after a long day of work and physical therapy.

SAVORY PORK EMPANADAS
Active Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 50 minutes
Dough
1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
2/3 stick butter, softened
1 large egg beaten lightly with 1/2 tablespoon water (for egg wash)

Sift the flour, then sift it again with the salt, baking powder, and sugar, and set aside. In a large bowl, using a hand or electric mixer, mix the cream cheese and butter together until well blended. Add the flour mixture and mix until smooth. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Filling
2 cups cooked pork tenderloin, chopped (chicken tenderloins work well, too)
1/2 cup grated Mexican cheese blend
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 pimento stuffed olives, chopped fine
1 tablespoon BBQ sauce
Dash of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

In a large bowl, combine filling ingredients and mix well.

Assemble and Bake
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface, roll 1/2 the dough into a 10 inch circle. Cut out rounds, using a 3-inch cookie cutter. Re-roll dough as needed. Repeat procedure with remaining dough, making 15 to 18 circles total.

Arrange each round on a clean, flat surface. Lightly brush the edges of crust with egg wash. Place one heaping teaspoon of filling mixture in the center of the round.  Brush dough edges with egg wash. Fold the dough over the filling, then press the edges with a fork to seal. Repeat with remaining rounds and filling mixture. Assembled empanadas can be refrigerated overnight or frozen up to 1 month.

Arrange empanadas on the prepared baking sheet. If baking after freezing, place frozen empanandas on prepared baking sheet and allow to defrost about an hour prior to baking. If desired, brush tops with egg wash. Place empanadas in the preheated 400 degree oven, immediately lower heat to 375 degrees F and bake for 15-17 minutes. Serve hot with favorite BBQ sauce for dipping (if desired).

Week Five: Stress Free Cooking Matters

First, Laura's description of having a “mini-meltdown” last week got me laughing. All's well that ends well, right? Next, I started thinking that her confidence level needed more nurturing. So back to the crock pot.

Then I ran across an even better reason; an illuminating and sensible online article about how slow cooking can help reduce arthritis pain, and chronic inflammation. The kind of low, raw discomfort exacerbated by stress; the kind of chronic pain Laura deals with daily from her lupus arthritis. Here is a summary of what I read.

An important advantage to slow cooking is healthy eating. Veggies and/or meat are the stars of most slow cooked meals. Low on carbs and high in nutrient value. Not to mention 99% of slow cooker recipes involve water, and lack of water can contribute to fatigue and stiffness. But more important is the substitute for fast food–if you eat one delicious meal a day from a slow cooker, that is a meal a day that you are not as tempted to grab take-out or junk food that is really terrible for chronic pain.

Slow cooking means that there are less advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) and less advanced lipoxidation endproducts (ALEs) on your meat, compared to higher-heat cooking methods. AGEs and ALEs may contribute to pain from arthritis and other conditions through inflammation.

Less chopping means less joint strain. With a slow cooker, all it takes is a couple of chops to favorite veggies - just throw them in with some meat and herbs and spices and Voila! Dinner.

Another big plus is that slow cooking combines flavors in an interesting way, and it makes meat super tender. Time will come when Laura will be able to take up bigger challenges but for now: lowering stress = less pain...and this peachy pork recipe is a lot less stress than any 30 minute meal!


Peachy Pork Chops
Active time: 10 minutes  Cooking time: 6 hours on Low

Ingredients
2-1 inch thick boneless pork chops
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 small can peach halves, drained (reserve 1/4 cup of the syrup)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Brown pork chops in a heavy skillet on medium high heat. Place browned chops in crock pot; season with salt and pepper.  Place peaches on top of pork chops.  Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, tomato sauce, reserved syrup and vinegar. Pour over pork chops and peaches. Cook on low for 6 hours. Thicken sauce with a teaspoon of arrowroot or cornstarch dissolved in a small amount of white wine (or water). Enjoy!

Serve with cooked instant brown rice and any green vegetable. Two portions.

Week Four: A 30 Minute Meal

Up to now, Debby has been teaching me the joys of crock pot cooking - perfect for me.  A generally stress free way of cooking, slow cooker recipes require little effort to put a home cooked meal on the table at the end of a long day when I am exhausted.

Then came Thursday and new territory. I was left on my own with a simple pasta recipe. Sausage, Meatball and Broccoli Pasta - a way to use turkey meatballs frozen the prior week.  No problem! I can boil pasta!

Well, I boiled the pasta and broccoli, cooked the meatballs and sausage and combined the rest of the ingredients as directed. But when I had to turn some pasta water and an egg into a sauce, I suddenly remembered why I don't like to cook.

Stress! Inevitably followed by swearing - loud swearing! My poor son rushed into the kitchen to make sure I was okay. He rubbed my back to calm me. I took a deep breath, added some cornstarch and somehow a sauce emerged ... SUCCESS!

This hearty, tasty pasta dish took exactly 30 minutes (mini-meltdown included) and got us out the door in plenty of time to make soccer practice. It was a quick make meal, so fast that I didn't have time to make a salad. Next time, I'll do that first!


Stir Fry Sausage, Meatball and Broccoli Pasta
Active Time: 25 minutes  Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups tortellini pasta
1 cup frozen broccoli pieces
2 sweet Italian sausages
1/2 pound pre-cooked turkey meatballs (defrost if frozen)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling if desired)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 large egg
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese mix (about 2 ounces)
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs, adding the broccoli during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Reserve 1 cup cooking water in a small bowl, then drain the pasta and broccoli.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes.  Cut cooked sausages into bite size pieces and reiurn to pan with meatballs. Once heated through remove meat from skillet and set aside.

Now comes the stir fry part. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic, and red pepper flakes to skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring, 1 minute. Add the cooked pasta, broccoli, sausage chunks and meatballs. Keep stirring. Heat through another minute. Whisk the egg with the reserved cooking water in the small bowl, then add liquid to the skillet a little at a time. Don't stop stirring yet! Stir gently until the sauce thickens slightly. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Divide the pasta mixture among bowls. Sprinkle liberally with cheese and drizzle with olive oil.

Week Three: About Meatballs and Life

Text from Laura to me this week: “If you’re home put on Channel 4 making a similar recipe to Thurs.” Between that and she finally bought an electric mixer, I’m pretty sure she’s getting into the cooking thing.

A couple of years back, it happened that Laura and I met for lunch the week Sheila Lukins died and I told her that my version of Julie and Julia would be starring Sheila Lukins and The Silver Palate Cookbook. That’s when Laura told me about having mastered Lukins' Chicken Marbella. “I had to have one thing I could cook,” she said. “You know, so if I liked someone, he’d think I can cook.”

I laughed.  Guys do it too ... learn to cook something to impress dates they think might be more than well, dates. Mine was Duck L’Orange. My boyfriend, now my husband of nearly 40 years, loved it. It seems we always look to impress with complicated recipes. Julia Child was fond of saying, “You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients.” 

This week’s cooking lesson for Laura is about as true to Julia Child’s sentiment as possible.  And if the picture posted here of Laura’s son - ready to bite into his meatball grinder - doesn’t say it all, nothing will.

Italian Meatballs and Sauce
Active Time: 20 minutes  Cooking Time: 6-8 hours on Low
Meatball Ingredients
1- 1.3 pound package of ground turkey
1/2 cup of seasoned bread crumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup hot tap water
Sauce Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 - 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes with basil
1 - 28 ounce whole peeled tomatoes
1 - small can tomato paste with Italian herbs
1/2 cup red wine
Directions
Stir all the sauce ingredients in the slow cooker bowl.  Use a potato masher to squish up the tomatoes into smaller pieces (or you squeeze them as you add them to the cooker between your well washed fingers -- it’s a fun way to mush ‘em for kids).

In a large bowl, mix together bread crumbs, egg and water.  Allow water to soak into crumbs, about 3 minutes. Add your ground turkey to the bread mixture and blend well.

Roll meat mixture into approximately 1.5 inch diameter balls (like golf balls) and drop them evenly into the sauce that’s already in the cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Serve on pasta or in grinder rolls. Sprinkle Parmesan on top, if desired.

Week Two: NOLA Style Shrimp and Rice

Let me start by being honest and correcting Debby. I am 48, not 47.

Twenty-five years ago, I was very lucky. I met and fell in love with a wonderful guy from a big family: a great dad, five siblings and a mother who taught them to cook, vacuum, wash clothes and iron. His family is obsessive about ironing. His sister ironed toddler shorts and T-shirts when we all vacationed at the beach!

During the summer when we first met, Steve and I made pasta salad for a party crowd.  It was Steve adding the finishing touches of parsley and paprika for a nice presentation that really caught my interest.  Steve Waldron and I had twenty-three great years together.

When Steve passed away, the fact that I’m not a confident everyday cook reared its ugly head. It’s now time to break my fast food habit and learn to cook meals at home that are easy and healthy for me and my son. Many people in our community do not know that Debby is a fantastic cook. She enjoys cooking and making healthy meals.

Friday, she taught me how to cook shrimp amd rice in the crockpot. It was fantastic for the following reasons (1) it was easy (2) it requires no extra work to serve after an exhausting hour at my physical therapy, and (3) my son loved it!

Here is the recipe.

NOLA Style Shrimp and Rice 
Active Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 7-8 Hours on Low

Ingredients
1 lb package frozen pre-cooked shrimp, deveined, peeled
1-1/4 cups uncooked long grain white rice
1 cup veggie broth
1 can low sodium cream of mushroom soup
1 (15 ounce) can Rotel diced tomatoes with mild chilis
1 small onion, grated
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 cup frozen peas (or any favorite frozen veggie)
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1 tablespoon fresh parsley (1 teaspoon if dried)
dash crushed red pepper (optional)
Directions
This New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA) style rice and shrimp is easy in the slow cooker. Mix up everything (make sure not to defrost the shrimp) in a slow cooker liberally prepared with cooking spray.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours.  Serve hot. If you use the tail on kind of frozen shrimp, you’ll have to pull the tails off as you go about eating dinner: pain in the behind, or a fun activity - up to you. Serves 4.