I must say that this cooking challenge has probably been my favorite part of the year! I continue to discover new recipes, combinations of flavors, and my husband's ability to cook! He is bearing the brunt of much of this challenge since he cooks dinner for us most nights based on our work schedules. I think he is happy when I choose easy recipes and this month was all about that. I chose The Four Ingredient Cookbooks (three cookbooks in one!), which my mom reminded me that she gave me shortly after I moved here so that I could learn to cook.
I think I have made a few recipes from this cookbook in the past, but nothing that really jumps out in my memory. I have to admit that I was skeptical going into this because of the simplicity of the cookbook. I expected lots of mediocre meals. We did well over the course of the month, though, and now there are a few new recipes which we will put into the rotation. Here's what we made:
Tater tot casserole - I don't think you can go wrong with tater tots! The kids were funny - one only liked the tater tot part and the other only liked the stuff under it! Not sure we will make this a lot because only two of us liked the whole thing, but it could be a good dish for a pitch-it.
Chicken Meat Balls - yum! These were good and would be even better with some wide egg noodles. These were a hit with three out of four.
Lime chicken - this was just okay. If it were the first chicken dish we'd made, I would probably rate it higher, but we've had so many good chicken based meals this year, I don't know that we will repeat this one.
Flank Steak - This was a very good steak, but it was pretty rare. I think we had a thicker cut than most and so should have cooked it a little longer, but it was tasty and I would make it again - maybe next time on the grill.
Hawaiian Pork Chops - I got a package of pork chops from Costco - have you ever had theirs? They are super thick and tasty. Add a little pineapple and brown sugar and you can't go wrong!
Trout Almondine - I couldn't find trout in our local grocery store, so we made this with flounder instead. It was very tasty and I will keep an eye out for trout to make this again - as intended!
Turkey roll ups - no picture of this one because I wasn't home the night Mike made it, but he and the kids swear it was really good and they want it again! It is made with thick deli turkey, stuffing, and gravy.
Fiesta Chicken - I think this was the favorite dish of the month - the kids are already asking for it again and we just had it last week! It is a mix of cheez-it's and taco seasoning for the breading. It was crunchy, moist, and very yummy!
Almost forgot! We had a salmon dish last night too - Fish Delight. It was good, but like the earlier chicken recipe, not as good as other fish recipes we've had this year, so it probably won't go that high on our list for repeating.
And the piece de resistance for the month - pecan pie made with their recipe for a pie shell. I made this last night - squeaked it in just a few hours before the end of the month! It is delicious and I never knew pecan pie was so easy to make!
So, that's the report - a pretty strong one with10 11 recipes for the month. I have to say I really like these cookbooks that make it very easy to put some variety in your weeknight cooking.
We have four cookbooks remaining and three months to go - birthday boy Mike will pick the book for October!
I think I have made a few recipes from this cookbook in the past, but nothing that really jumps out in my memory. I have to admit that I was skeptical going into this because of the simplicity of the cookbook. I expected lots of mediocre meals. We did well over the course of the month, though, and now there are a few new recipes which we will put into the rotation. Here's what we made:
Tater tot casserole - I don't think you can go wrong with tater tots! The kids were funny - one only liked the tater tot part and the other only liked the stuff under it! Not sure we will make this a lot because only two of us liked the whole thing, but it could be a good dish for a pitch-it.
Chicken Meat Balls - yum! These were good and would be even better with some wide egg noodles. These were a hit with three out of four.
Lime chicken - this was just okay. If it were the first chicken dish we'd made, I would probably rate it higher, but we've had so many good chicken based meals this year, I don't know that we will repeat this one.
Flank Steak - This was a very good steak, but it was pretty rare. I think we had a thicker cut than most and so should have cooked it a little longer, but it was tasty and I would make it again - maybe next time on the grill.
Hawaiian Pork Chops - I got a package of pork chops from Costco - have you ever had theirs? They are super thick and tasty. Add a little pineapple and brown sugar and you can't go wrong!
Trout Almondine - I couldn't find trout in our local grocery store, so we made this with flounder instead. It was very tasty and I will keep an eye out for trout to make this again - as intended!
Turkey roll ups - no picture of this one because I wasn't home the night Mike made it, but he and the kids swear it was really good and they want it again! It is made with thick deli turkey, stuffing, and gravy.
Fiesta Chicken - I think this was the favorite dish of the month - the kids are already asking for it again and we just had it last week! It is a mix of cheez-it's and taco seasoning for the breading. It was crunchy, moist, and very yummy!
Almost forgot! We had a salmon dish last night too - Fish Delight. It was good, but like the earlier chicken recipe, not as good as other fish recipes we've had this year, so it probably won't go that high on our list for repeating.
And the piece de resistance for the month - pecan pie made with their recipe for a pie shell. I made this last night - squeaked it in just a few hours before the end of the month! It is delicious and I never knew pecan pie was so easy to make!
So, that's the report - a pretty strong one with
We have four cookbooks remaining and three months to go - birthday boy Mike will pick the book for October!
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