It's Thursday night in Mamma Church's kitchen. I got home from an arts-based after school program at church and some violin lessons...late. My husband got home from work...late. And he had to be out the door in twenty minutes for a meeting of the fire department of which he is the Chief. His meeting might last until at least 9 p.m. and I really didn't want to be eating dinner after that. What to do? The easiest thing to do would be to stop at Flying Pond Variety and grab a couple of sandwiches or some ready-made fried chicken. NO!
So I went into my pantry and opened the fridge and found some things that I generally have on hand.
I started with these pitas. I like them a lot! They are very yummy. Made by Joseph's, they are an oat bran and whole wheat pita.
I had a can of my favorite pizza sauce (see pic below) in the pantry and some part-skim shredded mozzarella in the fridge. Topped with some thinly-sliced white onions, lots of mushrooms, basil and garlic and stuck under the broiler for a few minutes and tada! Dinner in under twenty minutes from prep to table! (Yes, a set table even though it was a gobble-and-go meal!) A little spinach salad with almonds and feta on the side made for a great, quick dinner. Who needs fast food?
This is a brand of pizza sauce that I like to keep on hand. I'm not an organic freak. I just like this sauce. It's thick and rich and flavorful. And it's low in sodium.
And yes, a disclaimer here...I like to make my own pizza dough. (Remember? I love to bake!) But on a night like tonight, this was a great alternative, And if you like thin-crust pizza, give it a try!
So here goes! My first meal post! It's Sunday evening here in Mamma Church's kitchen and I am getting ready for a very busy week. My husband packs a lunch for work every day. And I take lunch with me a few days during the week. It's so easy to grab a sandwich at the local sandwich shop or a burger at a drive-though. Easy, but not so good. Given the fact that we have had THE WORST, COLDEST winter in a long time, a hot, hearty and healthy lunch is a very good thing. And this is it!
I found this recipe posted on Facebook a while ago...and then lost it! But I tried it from memory. The first batch was delicious. And this, the second batch looks to be the same.
It's called "Un-stuffed Stuffed Cabbage."
Brown a package for lean ground turkey (the one I had was about a pound and a half) with a chopped white onion and some chopped garlic in a Dutch oven. (I just use my 4 1/2-quart old Revereware pan.) Add a 28-ounce can of crushed or diced tomatoes (diced if you like chunks of tomatoes, and crushed if you don't) and a small can of tomato sauce. Add one small cabbage chopped into bite-sized pieces. Add seasonings of your choice. I used an Italian seasoning blend (no salt) and black pepper. Cover and simmer on low for about 30-40 minutes until the cabbage is tender. You might need to add a wee bit of water or vegetable stock. Serve with a little parmesan or asiago cheese on top. It's scrumptious!
This makes a big batch! We can have it for dinner one night and then lunches for a couple of days. It keeps well and reheats well for a nice hot lunch!
A note: Maybe I am being over-cautious, but I don't ever take a lunch that needs reheating in the microwave in a plastic dish. I only use glass. (Plastic lids are okay because they don't come in contact with the food.)
Actually, the only thing new about this is that I am a brand new blogger! (So please be patient with me as I learn.)
What's not so new is that I love to cook and bake. Ever since I was a little girl, the kitchen was a favorite place. Perhaps I should have become a professional baker or chef. Instead I am a minister and music teacher!
About eighteen months ago, I was quickly approaching my 50th birthday. In addition, my eldest child was about to be married. I decided I did not want all those pictures of this mother-of-the-bride to be ones I'd want to hide. So I did it. I lost a total of 55 pounds by walking (a lot) and eating healthy. The walking part was easy. The eating healthy part...not so much.
The difficult piece was that I LOVE to cook and bake and I LOVE food! So does my family. Then a few months ago, my husband of 32 years was diagnosed with an illness for which the only real remedy is healthy eating and losing weight. And as much as I enjoy food, he enjoys it even more. I knew this would be tough. But in the last three months, it's gone well! He has lost about 18 pounds and after the first couple of weeks, he stopped complaining. I knew we'd achieved a real victory when one evening a week or so ago, he looked up from his healthy dinner and said, "I think I have gotten used to eating this way."
So I am going to use this blog in response to a number of friends who have asked me to post some of my meal ideas, recipes, etc. (It's not a Facebook kind of thing, I think.) It's not meant to be everyone's cup of tea. (Pun intended.) I am not a nutritionist or a trained chef. I don't always get it right and will be honest when I get it wrong! I don't follow any particular diet trends. I try to use plain, old common sense. You won't find calorie counts and nutritional information. You will find real food, reasonably-priced food, just good, healthy food.
Let me end this first post with this thought: "Everything tastes better on a pretty plate and a set table."
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