I find that I need to take some time off from the blog. My house has turned into a pit since Christmas. I find I am on the verge of complete disorganization and am hanging on by the skin of my teeth. I’m behind in paper work for school, the house is not a place where it is comfortable spending time, the kids are unruly, et cetera, et cetera. The worse it gets, the harder it is to even find a place to start to gain back some traction. The very best thing I can do right now is get the heck offline. I look around at everything that needs to be done, get frustrated and then turn to the internet as a distraction. Not good. So, I ask for your patience while I get things back on track here.
I would also like to ask readers for some recipe ideas. I would really like to start eating more fish. I have a couple of recipes that are OK, but not great. Any type of healthy sauce to go over the top would be most welcome as well.
Also, I would really like to expand my healthy recipes, especially for the crockpot. Starting on the 1st we got back on track with our eating and we are being very strict. Though Maritus and I are both finding that we are tired of the foods we really enjoyed before the Holidays. I need to expand my repertoire and I haven’t been able to find anything on the internet of late that would work. I’ve found a ton of things that I would love to cook, but nothing that fits in with how we are eat (basic high protein, rice sweet potato, build muscle diet). If anyone has any good crockpot or other really tasty recipes they would like to share I would be grateful for it.
Right now, my crockpot go to is basically boneless skinless chicken thighs (don’t try this with breasts, really. It’s disgusting), salsa, a scoop of diced jarred jalapeños, chili powder and chopped garlic. It also works very well with a pork tenderloin. When your ready for dinner, use two forks and shred the meat. It is very good on lettuce topped with taco toppings or in a tortilla. Given how much we have changed the way we eat, that’s all I have for crockpot meals because I no longer use Campbell’s Soup in it.
I thank you all for you patience while I continue to strive for the ever elusive peace that I would like my home to be.
I have come to the conclusion that peace is probably something I should never have been striving for. These pictures would be nice, calm and serene . . . for Maritus and me. I need to now learn how to take these images and fill them with happy laughter and rambunctious children, too. Not an easy task.
On the Rock 
Crockpot we go with roast (with dry rub from Penzy’s) both beef and pork butt (love pulled pork). Meatloaf is an easy one too, posted my recipe here: http://www.averagemarrieddad.com/?p=810 My wife made ground beef and ground pork (italian seasoned) chili with just tomatoes, peppers, onions, spices and one can of beans (I don’t love the beans). Mostly it’s catch as catch can for dinner, lots of meat though!
Alright, my recipes are limited, but I’ll try. This is a good Mexican dish for the crock pot: pork, two cans of pinto beans, chopped carrots, onion, and garlic. When done, put in tortillas and top with cheese and its an exellent, very filling meal 🙂
Stir fry is also a quick meal solution. Chicken, carrots, scallions, walnuts, and mandarin oranges over rice is a yummy one. Also salads with unusual additions. I like apples or avacados in my salad.
Good luck with the cleaning! Its a constant battle with one child; I can’t imagine adding in two more. I recently manproofed two-thirds of my own house (hid the self-help books, cleaned out those mysterious bathroom drawers, etc.) and it is such a good feeling to have things tidier. Next I tackle the playroom.
Peace and quiet is nice, but so is the bustle and warmth of everybody in the living room. See you on the other side 🙂
This is my favorite recipe right now. I got it off a website somewhere, but I’ve changed it a bit from what they had (too much sugar).
——
CROCK POT BEEF AND BROCCOLI
1 lb. boneless, beef chuck roast, sliced into thin strips (beef stew meat also works well, and is inexpensive as heck)
1 cup beef consumme or beef broth
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tbs dark brown sugar (you might be able to skip this all together, I like mine just a touch sweet. I use Splenda blended brown sugar to cut down on the glycemic index, but I know some folks aren’t fans of artificial sweeteners).
1 tbsp. sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp. cornstarch
4 tbsp. sauce (from the crockpot after dish is cooked)
Frozen broccoli florets (as many as desired)
White rice, cooked
INSTRUCTIONS:
In the insert of the crockpot, whisk together beef consume, soy sauce, dark brown sugar, sesame oil, and garlic.
Gently place your slices of beef in the liquid and toss to coat.
Turn crockpot on low and cook for 4 hours.
When done, in a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and some cooking liquid to create a slurry, pour into crockpot, stir to mix well. Cook on low for an additional 15-30 minutes to thicken up the sauce.
Toss in your broccoli florets then serve hot over white rice.
*Note about cooking time: Your crockpot may differ in temperature than mine, I suggest cooking this for 4 hours on your first go-round of this dish. 6 hours in the crockpot seems to give a lot of people “shredded” beef instead of slices.
The cookbook Slow Cooker Revolution is outstanding and it’s pretty easy to alter the recipes to omit the flour. I cook from it once a week. The Korean short ribs, Swiss steaks, and cassoulet are favorites in our house. For a Mexican roast in the crock, sear a chuck roast, put in the crock with a can of rotel, a couple chipotles, an onion, a couple garlic cloves, some cumin and coriander. Add a little water. Pull apart when done. Good luck with the cleaning. We’re doing that in our house in preparation for a garage sale. It’s at the looks worse before it gets better stage now.
Peace is for the grave. Suck out all the marrow “while ye may.”
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary.
I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion.
— Thoreau
you get things in order Dear.
i’ll email you if i can think of anything for cooking i’ll let you know.
For fish, it depends what kind you have access to. My general approach is:
Soft fleshed fish like sole – cook on medium heat in butter. It takes just a few minutes. Top with some finely chopped herbs like parsley, grated lemon zest, and/or capers. Or just use a light touch of some spice mixture, like cajun, when cooking.
For firmer fish like halibut, black cod, salmon, etc – cook on one side only. Put a bunch of ghee in the skillet, heat to medium, put the fish in, skin side down if there is skin (don’t forget to score it so it doesn’t curl!), let it go for a while so you start getting a crust underneath, and then cover the pan. How long it takes to cook will take some practice. Salmon cooks very fast this way. The nice thing with this method is that you have one side that stays very crispy because it’s cooking in the oil, but the rest is effectively steaming, making for very tender fish.
For white fish I will tend to just season with salt and pepper. Salmon I love to do with Indian spices.
On the side I love potatoes with fish, but rice is good too. A bit of boiled potatoes and some sauteed kale/chard makes a lovely combo.
It may sound very simple, but fish really doesn’t need much when it’s cooked right.
Also, don’t forget about shellfish! It’s a great source of zinc and selenium, which many people don’t get enough of. I buy ~10 lbs of wild-caught shrimp when it goes on sale, still frozen, and just pull out however many I need for dinner. It defrosts in 10 minutes in cold water, so it’s perfect for last-minute cooking. Fry quickly in ghee and serve with some vegetables/potatoes/rice, or make a nice coconut curry, or a garlic cream sauce, or a tomato sauce…
Good luck getting things in order!
Yes, shrimp is super simple to cook last minute, melt some butter in a casserole dish, throw down some thinly sliced lemon on top, put the shrimp over that. 350 for 10ish minutes (depending on your oven). Finish with salt and pepper.
Or a simple soup. Tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken or veggie broth, corn, beans, whatever spices you want. Add in shrimp to cook for about 10 minutes, then throw in some spinach or kale to wilt at the end. Great winter time soup.
Thank you all very much. I will be trying these soon.
On a side note, it is hard to get off the internet. Dalrock is having a good conversation about The Great Books today and Vox about Homeschooling. It looks like I picked the wrong day to quite the internet.
try: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/ or another favorite: http://honest-food.net/
Enjoy!
“I would also like to ask readers for some recipe ideas. I would really like to start eating more fish.”
Did someone say ‘fish’?
You’ll be needing the services of THIS man then!
Pity he is to be found only in an East London market…
But if you ask nicely, I might get some of his fish for you 😀
I shall come back with a fish recipe later…
Wifey, I’ll be trying out that shrimp soon! The little critters always intimidate me for some reason, which is just bizarre.
A fish recipe that always, always does well for me is honey-glazed salmon:
Rinse a salmon fillet and check for pin bones. Pat dry and place (skin side down, if any) in a glass baking dish.
Lightly salt & pepper. Drizzle with honey (you’ll need less than you think) and scatter chopped/chiffonade basil over it.
Bake at 350 for about 20-25 min/inch thickness, until done.
Notes: A fillet of even thickness will cook more evenly, of course. The honey spreads itself out in the oven, which is cool. Too much and it becomes a hard-to-clean caramel on the glass. You can use dried basil if you need to, but if you can get fresh, absolutely go for it. Done for salmon is when it’s opaque and no longer translucent when you peek inside with a fork.
Quite healthy. Absurdly easy. Totally delicious.
check my side bar and click on “food porn” most of the dishes can be done in a crock pot (red beans and rice, jambalaya). today i posted my recipde for BBQ shrimp. VERY easy and it cooks in 10 minutes. please use fresh shrimp. the kids will love it because you have to eat it with your hands.
@stingray — Concerning fish recipes, try this one:
2 6-oz fish fillets (it says “white fish” but I like to use Steelhead Trout from Costco…)
Salt, Pepper
2 Tbsp cooking oil (again, I change this to olive oil, it’s healthier)
12 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp butter
2 small shallots, sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 lbs cherry tomatoes (yum)
splash of white wine
4 oz whipping cream
fresh parsley
dash of lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350o
season fish to taste with salt & pepper
in ovenproof frying pan (i use iron skillets myself) heat 1Tbsp over medium high heat.
Put the fish in the pan, flesh side down (scales *up*) and put in oven for 5-6 minutes or until fish is cooked through.
In frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp oil and butter over medium high.
Thrown in the mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and tomatoes.
Lower the heat and saute.
Add wine, and cook until reduced by half.
Add cream and reduce until it thickens; season to taste with salt, pepper, parsley.
Right before serving stir in lemon juice.
Top the fish with the tomato-goodness from the frying pan. 🙂
Or an old standby, tuna cakes/salmon cakes.
Get canned salmon or canned tuna.
Mix in a bowl with salt, pepper, egg, and minced onion or minced spring onions, with breadcrumbs. (You may have to experiment to get the proportions right: whenever I try recipes from the book, they always come out too runny.)
Form into patties and cook over medium-high in olive oil or butter.
Serve with string beans or asparagus spears.
Warning: addictive, people may come by and sample them as they are still cooking.
Warning 2: your kitchen will smell like fish for hours and drive the cat insane unless you open a window.
Stingray, here is my fish recipe, for peanut butter fish soup.
Ingredients:
I jar of peanut butter paste
Fish
3 large bell tomatoes
2 red peppers
1 onion to be blended
2 onions to be diced
fish seasoning
ground pepper (1 tsp)
1 tin sweet corn (optional)
Thyme, oregano, rosemary spices
Salt
Boil fish in a broth with water, diced onions, ground pepper and spices on a medium heat.
Blend onion, red peppers and bell tomatoes in a blender. Add to broth and cook for 10 minutes. Add peanut butter paste and stir in. Add water to maintain soup consistency. Add salt to taste. Add sweet corn if you like a thicker soup consistency. Boil for a good half hour.
You’re done when you start to see oil surfacing on your soup.
Serve with polenta, rice or mash potato.
Delicious 🙂
I’m a bit late responding, but here’s a ton of recipes you can make, all of which are easy and laughably inexpensive. Enjoy and good luck!
The 25 Best Laughably Cheap Recipes at Casual Kitchen.
Dan