Good Eats

When I was typing the title to this post, I originally left out one of the "o"s. This will be a slightly less theological post...

In an attempt to be a better meal-provider (aka Stay at home Mom) I decided that I needed a plan before venturing out to the inexhaustible choices of Super-Lo (that'd be the best grocery store 'round these parts, if you're not familiar.) Yes, I needed to meal plan.

So, I called up my dear friend, Chef Caitlyn. As I suspected, it was better than googling "recipes" because I automatically weeded through the nonsense. One of the gems she passed to me is http://www.simplyrecipes.com/.

It's a blog that really is just recipes. Thank you. I am sick of looking at sites that are the MTV of the cooking world...where are the music videos, I mean recipes, again?!?

I made an entire weeks menu from the site- all recipes under the heading "Budget Meals." The goal of meal planning, after all, is to feed your family good meals on a small budget.

The first night, I chose a recipe for Tuna Pasta with Capers. The "capers" part is what caught my attention. I was more than skeptical about the "tuna and pasta" part. But, she swears by the "Italian-ness" of it...and I can't really argue with an Italian about food; it'd be like starting a land war in Asia.

Skepticism gone. I will be bringing this light, lemony, tart dish to Palm Sunday potluck. I subbed lemon juice (yes, people- fresh) and vinegar for the white wine. It was Sunday. Liquor stores are closed. Oops... However, the combo of the fresh lemon, tart vinegar and capers was fantastic! I also used the whole-wheat, protein pasta that one smart mommy, Meribeth, told me about a couple of years ago. Vitamin C, protein, fiber and tarty-yumminess make for a good family meal. Try it.

The meal tonight was- HOLA enchiladas! I adore any Mexican food. Seriously- does it get better than white cheese dip? The recipe is for cheese enchiladas, but I had black beans on hand, so I mixed those up with some of the leftover green chilies from the sauce, to add a little more fiber and protein. Plus, like my grandmother said, "It'll stick to your ribs longer."

I made my own salsa, given the suggested ingredients, and followed the recipe for the enchilada sauce. It is chunky, but very tasty. I added cilantro and light sour cream to the top. Also- a MUST is to do the marinated lettuce in vinegar and salt. Wow- I have never done this with my Tex-Mex dishes, but I will do it from now on. It's an interesting way to get more greens in (besides the boring salad) and it adds so much flavor to the dish.

Thanks for the new-found favorite, Caitlyn! I hope you're tempted to try a recipe or 2 from the site.

Now...where'd I put that margarita...