Eggplant Parmigiana

http://thestonesoup.com/blog/2010/05/10-tips-for-optimum-vegetable-storage/

This recipe has only 5 ingredients and was pretty easy. I tend to like eggplant dishes more than DH so I really liked it while he merely liked it. I also really liked the flavor of the eggplant skin.

Next time I will only do half the recipe so there aren't as many leftovers. As written, it would probably serve 6.

Chicken and Broccoli Pasta

My sister-in-law Sonrisa made this during our last christmas visit to Utah. It's really good.

2+ cups chopped chicken

2 small or 1 large head of broccoli (alternatively, use 1 bag frozen broccoli)

3-4 chopped tomatoes (or a can of chopped tomatoes)

12 oz bag egg noodles

Prepare chicken. Boil it or use leftover chicken and cut up. At least 2 cups of chicken as this recipe makes a lot of food.

Meanwhile, cut broccoli into bite size pieces, including the stem. The stem is good! Cut off the exposed end, but keep the rest. Steam broccoli. I used 2 small heads of broccoli thinking it would be a lot, and it turned out not to be nearly as much as I thought. I might 3 small next time.

Also meanwhile, boil lots of water and cook the pasta.

Also meanwhile, make alfredo sauce:)

Alfredo Sauce

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. flour (I use whole wheat)

1 1/2 c. milk

1 1/2 c. water

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1/2 c. Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Melt butter in medium sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in flour to make a paste. Slowly stir in water until smooth, Add milk, chicken bouillon cubes, and salt and pepper. Let simmer and thicken for about 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese.

Combine cooked broccoli, pasta, tomatoes, sauce, and chicken. Stir around until sauce is distributed.

Notes:

We were eating leftovers of this for way too long. It would serve at least 6 people. Next time halve or third the recipe!

Tortilla Pie

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Tortilla-Pie-231795

This was very quick and good. I did not heat/fry the tortillas. It fit perfectly into an 8x8 inch baking dish since I used 8 inch diameter medium size tortillas.

notes:
If using GF Udi brand white tortillas, they should be fried and crisped up first. They get too soggy otherwise. (But still good..but could be better!)

Potato Pancakes

This recipe is from a little cookbook called Frugal Feasts, by Mary Spilsbury Ross.

The following recipe is enough for ONE person. I doubled it.

Potato Pancakes

2 medium potatoes, peeled

1 small onion, grated

1 beaten egg

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

pinch black pepper

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1) Grate potatoes and onion onto tea towel, squeeze dry and place in a bowl. Add beaten egg, flour, salt and pepper, and stir very well.

2) Place frying pan over medium heat and add 1 tsp oil. Drop 1 heaping serving spoon of potato mixture into hot oil. Flatten as much as possible or pancake will not cook evenly. Fry until golden and crisp on the outside and tender inside.

3) Place pancake on a plate and keep warm in oven. Add another drop or two of oil to frying pan and continue making pancakes until batter is used up.

The recipe says to serve with bacon, sour cream on top, or applesauce on top. David liked sour cream. I tried applesauce and decided it was good if using a very thin layer.

Verdict: It was quick and easy, and tasted fine. I think I will look for another recipe to compare with this one though.

Popcorn

I have done this ellusive thing known as making popcorn on the stove. And had success!

I followed these instructions: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/perfect_popcorn/

I used peanut oil, but I wonder if it would work with butter instead. I tried adding salt to the oil before popping began, but I don't think it distributed over the popcorn at all. Salting afterward seems the better way to me. A full 1/3 cup of kernels will barely fit in a 3 qt sauce pan. I used just under a 1/3 cup. My saucepan is tri-ply stainless. Not sure if that makes a difference. Nothing burned and it was delicious.