I enjoyed my pita meat on the side but the rest of the family actually wrapped the "lamb" in pitas. I couldn't find lamb because I didn't look very hard and wanted to use pork anyways. This was a delicious dish and I particularly enjoyed the tomato base which was different than what I've had before. The meat was tender and delicious and I was more than completely satisfied with our meal. The whole family enjoyed it.
lamb pitas with yogurt sauce (taste of home)
2 tablespoons oil
2 pounds lamb stew meat
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup broth
1 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 medium cucumber
1 cup plain yogurt
pita pocket halves
4 plum tomatoes, sliced
In a large skillet, heat oil. Brown lamb in batches. Transfer to slow cooker. In drippings, saute onion 4-6 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in broth, 1 teaspoon salt, basil. Add to lamb. Cook on LOW 6-8 hours.
This dish was impressive. So full of flavor and very authentic according to the reviews. I loved putting two pounds of spinach into the dish and watching my kids eat it right up. It was absolutely delicious paired with the meat dish and cucumber yogurt sauce I found to go with it. No need to dine out!
spinach and rice (spanakorizo) (adapted from allrecipes.com)
1/4 cup oil (I will try to cut back a little more next time)
2 onions, chopped
2 pounds spinach, stems torn off
8 ounces tomato sauce
2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon dill weed
1 teaspoon dried parsley
salt and pepper
1/2 cup uncooked rice (I used brown jasmine and cooked the dish twice as long)
Heat oil in a large skillet. Saute onion until soft and translucent. Add spinach then pour in tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil, season with parsley, dill, salt, pepper. Stir in rice, reduce to low, simmer 20-25 minutes.
Sprinkle feta and lemon juice before enjoying.
My ballerina is performing in Peter and the Wolf this weekend along with some Monster Dances. She loves her ballet friends so we made some monster pops that she can take to her last rehearsal in the studio. These pops coordinate with the wild monster costumes, somewhat! :)
monster pops
1/2 cup butter
8 cups mini marshmallows
10 cups crispy rice cereal
Prepare 9x13 pan by spraying with cooking spray, lining with wax paper and spraying again with cooking spray.
Melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until melted and well coated.
Press evenly and firmly into the 9x13 pan. We used the back of a plastic measuring cup to press evenly and firmly. Let cool.
Meanwhile, color vanilla icing and put each color into the corner of a ziplock bag and snip a little hole in the corner.
When crispies are cool, take them out of the pan and slice into rectangles. Insert a lollipop stick into each one.
Decorate with icing and monster eyeballs! Store in an airtight container.
This soup was super simple and easy but it was delicious. And perhaps one of the least expensive soups you can make! I think the key is to cook it for a LONG time. The longer the better.
slow cooker vegetable bean soup (slightly adapted from one lovely life)
1 pound dried Great Northern beans, soaked overnight if possible, drained and rinsed
3 carrots, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 stalks celery, diced (about 1 cup)
1 onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoons dried sage
6 cups vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
Soak beans in water at least 4-12 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse beans in a colander.
Place soaked beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic and sage in the slow cooker.
Cover with broth.
Cover with lid and cook on HIGH for 8 hours. The longer it cooks, the creamier the soup gets. Season with salt and pepper. You may need to be generous.
Some might think 3 pinewood derbies in a week might be overkill. Not my son. He won 1st place in his den, 3rd place at our ward derby and 3rd place at districts.
For our ward party those who didn't race could enter the dessert derby. I made the rice krispy treats and my daughter decorated a cake. She won 3rd place with her cake. I did not win.
I'm assuming no recipes are needed here.
I thought I'd like this dish. But I loved it. I loved it even more because I took a skinnytaste recipe and made it even more skinny. And I love skinny. The three oldest in the family enjoyed it, not the three youngest. That's okay. They ate the baked potatoes. I'm really making an effort to please the vegetarians in the family. It's not always easy.
crustless broccoli and cheddar quiche (adapted from skinnytaste)
cooking spray
3 cups chopped broccoli florets
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2/3 cup skim milk
5 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a pie dish with oil.
Steam the chopped broccoli florets in the microwave with 1 tablespoon water until tender crisp and green but not mushy, about 2 1/2-3 minutes.
Evenly spread the broccoli in the dish and top it evenly with the grated cheese.
Make the egg mixture by whisking together the milk, eggs, salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture into the dish and bake 35-40 minutes until the center is set.
Cut the quiche into 6 servings and serve.
This recipe was a hit. I love the idea of pureeing the beans (my family didn't even know they were there!) and everyone added their own pasta into their bowl.
slow cooker minestrone soup (slightly adapted from skinnytaste)
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained
32 ounces vegetabke broth (oops! I forgot and used chicken)
2 teaspoons oil
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 ounce can) pureed tomatoes
Parmesan cheese rind, optional
1 fresh rosemary sprig
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and fresh black pepper
1 medium zucchini, diced
2 cups fresh spinach
2 cups cooked small pasta such as ditalini
extra Parmesan cheese for garnish
Puree beans with 1 cup of the broth in a blender. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and saute until tender and fragrant, about 15 minutes.
Transfer to the slow cooker along with the remaining broth, tomatoes, pureed beans, Parmesan cheese rind, salt and pepper. Add the rosemary, bay leaves, basil and parsley, cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Forty minutes before the soup is done cooking, add zucchini and spinach. Cover and cook 30 more minutes. Remove bay leaves, rosemary sprig, parmesan rind and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Ladle 1-1/4 cups soup into 8 bowls with 1/4 cup pasta in each and top with extra Parmesan cheese if desired.
