Paella - Another Customizable Recipe with Tons of Tasty Options

Confession: This is never what my paella will look like - I will never add peas. But, the good news is, you sure can if that is something you enjoy, or you can leave them out. Paella has very few rules!

If you've never heard anyone say paella before, I say, pie -A-ya. I have no idea if that's right, that's just me.

This dish focuses on the rice. A short grain rice with a bit of a crispy bite is the one rule the traditionalists would want followed as well as using a large, wide pan so the ingredients can be spread out over the surface area. 

In fact, this is a meal named for the pan and its origins seem to be from Spain. To find out more details about paella, click here.

Here's a great starter recipe for paella:

LAND AND SEA PAELLA WITH CHICKEN, SAUSAGE, AND SHRIMP 

Ingredients 

4 tablespoons olive oil 

1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 2” pieces, coated in flour 

1 pound of ground sausage 

1 pound of medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 

1 cup minced onions 

1 diced celery stalk 

1 each small-sized sweet red and green bell peppers, cut into small chunks 

1 cup chopped canned tomatoes 

1 tablespoon minced garlic 

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste 

3 cups of white rice – short grain or Arborio  

1/4 teaspoon ground saffron or saffron threads 

6 cups of liquid (chicken stock, vegetable, or seafood broth) 

Finely chopped parsley and lemon wedges for garnish (optional) 

 

Directions 

1. Place the ground sausage in a large diameter frying pan over medium heat. 
2. Add the flour coated chicken. Cook until the chicken is golden and firm. 
3. Remove sausage and chicken from the pan and set aside. 
4. In the same pan, combine olive oil, onion, celery, and peppers – season with salt and pepper and allow to cook for 2 – 3 minutes. 
5. Stir in canned tomatoes and scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan. 
6. Combine saffron with ¼ cup of liquid before adding to the mixture. 
7. Pour in remaining stock. 
8. Add rice and stir. 
9. Once the liquid is simmering, nestle in the chicken, sausage, and shrimp. 
10. Do not stir.  
11. Allow to cook on low-medium heat with lid, until the liquid is absorbed. 
12. Let the paella rest off of the heat for a few minutes before serving. 
13. Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges. 

Options: 

Add sliced green olives or capers if desired. 

Substitute ¼ teaspoon each of paprika and turmeric for the saffron. 

If bone in chicken is desired, cook in the same pan ahead of time, then remove and reserve. Add in step #9. 

This is a great meal for gatherings, celebrations, lunch or dinner, and can travel well. As you begin to share meals again with extended family and friends, consider a paella for its ability to please so many palettes. Want to bring a meal to someone who is feeling under the weather, just had a baby, or lost a loved one? Paella.

Don't like seafood - don't use it. Would rather have chorrizo or kielbasi over sausage. Wonderful! Want to make a vegetarian version? Go for it! Do what you like to make this a tasty dish that will leave you feeling Fed Well!

 

Mother's Day Ideas & Recipe for Broken Lasagna Noodle Primavera

 

Hosting a Mother's Day meal this year? Whether it is your first time or your 21st - here are a few tips to help make the celebration a success and a few menu ideas.

1. Flowers are wonderful - as gifts, on the table, around the room - or all of the above. Arrangements, cut flowers, or potted plants all add color, and a pretty touch. Consider mixing things up and including small pots of herbs, or starter plants for her vegetable garden like tomatoes which can be grown in containers on her porch or deck.

2. Breakfast in bed, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, happy hour, dinner and dessert are all fabulous options for celebrating the Mom in your life. Find the tradition that works best and just own it!

3. What does she enjoy? Tea? Coffee? A bit of the bubbly? A Blood Mary filled with spears of fresh vegetables and a skewer of shrimp? Choose a cocktail or special drink that honors her tastes. 

4. Do not in any way create work for Mom as a result of the celebration. Cooking? Well, that means you are also setting up, clearing and cleaning. 

5. Keep safety precautions in mind. If it's not safe to celebrate in person, consider leaving a basket of goodies at Mom's door with a special card or send a video message AND a phone call.

So...about the menu ideas and recipes. Make what Mom likes. Make the latest trend. Make whatever is the tradition. Looking for new ideas?

Click here for my Zulily Mother's Day menu post. 

This is one I am looking forward to making:

PASTA PERFECTION – BROKEN LASAGNA NOODLE PRIMAVERA 

What is more fun than the ribbon, curlicue, edges of lasagna noodles when it comes to pasta shapes? Tired of making a full pan of the traditional baked dish or looking for a bright, springtime primavera twist? Looking for a recipe that allows a lot of flexibility for swap outs and customizing to your family’s tastes? Need a gluten-free, dairy-free item on the menu? Broken lasagna noodle primavera is the answer! 

Ingredients:

• 1-pound of lasagna noodles (regular or gluten-free) broken to create about five pieces per noodle 
• 1-pound asparagus, trimmed 
• 1 cup peas or ½ pound of sugar snap peas 
• 1 small head of broccoli or broccolini 
• 1 small zucchini halved and chopped into half-moons 
• 1 bunch of chopped green onion or one small, thinly sliced shallot 
• 1 – 2 tablespoons olive oil 

Sauce ingredients 

• ½ cup of olive oil 
• 1 – 2 cloves of finely minced garlic 
• ½ cup chopped parsley 
• 1 cup reserved pasta water 
• Juice from one fresh lemon 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 425 °. 
2. Boil salted water in a large pot and cook broken lasagna noodles according to package directions. 
3. Reserve one cup of the pasta cooking water before draining the noodles and set aside. 
4. Combine asparagus, broccoli or broccolini, zucchini, onion, or shallot, with olive oil, then arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
5. Roast the vegetables in the oven until they are tender (about 15 minutes). 
6. In a saucepan, combine olive oil and garlic and simmer over medium heat until fragrant. Add ½ cup of pasta water, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Let simmer for 1 – 2 minutes.  
7. Combine and toss broken lasagna noodles, roasted vegetables, and sauce in a large bowl. If more sauce is needed, add the remaining reserved pasta water.  
8. Top with parsley and serve. 

Remember - a recipe is just a guide. I might add shrimp. Maybe I will grill the asparagus first. Maybe the grocery store broccoli didn't look good and I had to leave it out. All good.

What do we do at my house? Typically I host a brunch, with mimosas or perhaps a punch, and my sister and I provide an assortment of dishes mostly focusing on breakfast foods - could be pancakes, waffles, egg casseroles, sausage, ham, potatoes, fruit, and pastries - to name a few past successes. THEN, if the weather allows, we all head outside for a group game of maybe kickball or I think this year it will be Whiffle Ball. It can get pretty competitive, but we have a great time and a group photo before heading back inside for some decadent desserts. Mother's Day always leaves us feeling Fed Well and happy for being together.

Cheese, Glorious Cheese - Which ones are on your Charcuterie Board?

 

Before we deep dive into cheeses, can we just review the evolution of appetizers served at home parties and celebrations in no particular order?

Pepperoni and cheese

Cheese and crackers

Fondue

Cheeseballs

Cheesepuffs 

Loaded potato skins

Baked Brie

Caprese Platters drizzled with Balsamic

Cheese-y Nachos

Goat Cheese Canapes

Stromboli

Mozzarella Sticks

Quesadillas

Charcuterie Boards

Yes, Charcuterie Boards seem to be the biggest, and most recent appetizer trend everyone has embraced. Largely because they can be customized to include whatever a person enjoys with as many other components as they choose - but mostly, they have meats and cheeses, as defined by the very name - Charcuterie.

Plus, a Charcuterie Board is generally crowd pleasing, beautiful, and of course, delicious.

Textures, colors, and a range of flavors all combine to create the perfect bite!

How do you decide which are the best cheese to include? Start with one or two of your personal favorites because after all, this is your creation.

For the rest, try to mix up textures and consider what will pair well or taste best when combined with the rest of the components on the board. Bold versus mild, hard or soft textures, and adding in cheeses made with goat or sheep's milk helps keep things interesting and tasty. Click here for more details about choosing the best cheese for your charcuterie board.

During the social restrictions imposed during the pandemic, my immediate family gathered once a week for dinner and adopted a Happy Hour time prior to the main meal. Frequently, charcuterie boards can be found with salami, pepperoni, cheddar, mozzarella, pickles, crackers or grilled garlic bread rounds, sliced tomatoes, olives, grapes, and whatever other treats are on hand that week. We play music in the background and chat while the meal finishes cooking (or take-out is picked up). As life returns to pre-Covid traditions, we actually hope to keep this practice alive. I hope you and yours have found a way to connect during these challenging times and continue to be Fed Well.

Fresh Salad Recipes including a Big M Burger Salad

Nope. I'm not crazy! Turn your burgers and cheeseburgers into a salad!

Think about it. 

Lettuce - check. 

Tomatoes - check. 

Onions - check. 

Cheese - check.

Pickles - check.

Thousand Island dressing - check.

Top with sesame seeds - check.

Trade off the bun for croutons (or leave out the carbs). 

All the key ingredients for that classic double yellow arches, two all beef patty, MacBurger - turned into a salad! This Big M Burger Salad could be scaled up and served in a big platter for pool parties (I'm thinking of bringing one to my son and daughter-in-law's house this summer) and barbecues or as a main meal for one or two!

Why haven't we talked about this before now?

Chop up your lettuce, add diced, fresh tomatoes, chopped onion and pickles, either chunks of cheddar or American cheese, dress with Thousand Island or your own secret sauce, sprinkle on some sesame seeds, add your freshly grilled hamburger on top, and this salad is ready!

Crispy, crunchy, juicy. All the flavor combinations you have come to love and recognize from a class hamburger loaded with fresh toppings.

Yes, you can swap out the burger for grilled chicken. Yes, you could also use grilled steak, or shrimp or whatever protein you like, but really, the idea is to give you all the flavors of that juicy burger with a higher ratio of salad.

Want some more fresh salad ideas? Click here for my recent Zulily post - Top 10 Healthy, Tasty & Quick Salad Ideas with Recipes to try!

I'm looking forward to the warmer weather, safely gathering again with friends and family, and celebrating the longer days and just being together. The restrictions of the pandemic have shown how sweet it really is to be together and Fed Well!

 

Breakfast and Lunch for Dinner!

 

Growing up, the meal formula was typically a protein (which if I'm really honest was only meat - beef, pork, or chicken were always in rotation), a vegetable, and a starch which was either a rice, potato or pasta. Imagine three big wheels, protein, vegetable and starch, that could be spun to create the evening meal. Okay, it wasn't exactly like that, but you could modernize this technique to help keep dinners interesting and fresh!

Proteins have been expanded to include other options like fish including shellfish, cheese or dairy, and even turkey! Turkey is a great option for leanness and can be found in the supermarket section as a ground meat, cutlet, or even tenderloin. Sausage, kielbasa or chorizo, ham, or cold cured meats like salami can also widen your evening meal selection (and they can even be made from turkey).

Guess what else is protein?

Give yourself 10 points if you thought - eggs!! Yes! This is where it starts to get fun! Eggs can be the primary focus for any meal! Frittatas, quiches, omelettes are a few great options. OR fry and egg for on top of your burger. OR try baked eggs in tomato sauce, also known as Shakshuka. Voilà  - breakfast for dinner that is not pancakes or French toast and overflowing with carbs or sugar.

Lunch. What comes to mind? No, no fast food choices! Traditionally though, sandwiches are popular choices for lunch, right? BLT, grilled cheese, chicken salad, turkey club, tuna melt, so many options. Or salads. Tossed salad, cobb, Caesar...oooh, why not combine somethings right here and make a grilled chicken, grilled Caesar salad for dinner with a side of grilled garlic toast instead of croutons! What?

Here's how:

1. Grill chicken breast that have simply been marinated in a little Italian dressing, or a splash of olive oil with freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt and pepper.

2. Split romaine lettuce lengthwise and drizzle with olive oil then season with salt and pepper to taste. Then grill until the leaves have hash marks or are a bit wilted.

3. In a small bowl, mix three cloves of crushed garlic with 3/4 cup of olive oil, salt and pepper. Use a pastry brush to spread the mixture on the surface of individual slices of Italian bread, then grill until toasted, turn, and finish grilling on the other side. Sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired.

4. Plate 1 section of romaine, top with your favorite Ceasar dressing, then the sliced, grilled chicken breast and serve with a side of grilled garlic toast. 

This will likely become one of your summer go-to dinners this year!

Try to find ways to mix things up to keep meals interesting for yourself. Make substitutions and swap outs and work with recipes you already know and love.

Looking for more meal inspiration? Check out this blog post by Fed Well on Zulily and try an Instant Pot (R) recipe for dinner! 

Whip up a Whiskey Sour

 

Ever have a cocktail in one bar or restaurant and you love it so you order it again someplace else and the two do not compare? 

For me, a Whiskey Sour can very much vary from location to location. Want to know the secret?

Foamy egg whites must be shaken with the ingredients to give it that little bit of lush, density that truly defines a Whiskey Sour. AND never use commercially prepared cocktail mix. That's not snobbery, it's just better to make your beverages with fresh ingredients - just like your food.

So...here's how I make a Whiskey Sour:

What you need -

• 1/2 shot of Simple Syrup (equal parts water and sugar boiled then cooled)
• 2 shots of Whiskey
• 1 shot of Lemon juice
• 1/2 shot of Egg white
• Ice
• Maraschino cherry in the glass and/or slice of orange for garnish

Yes, I know. I did not mention bitters. Well, please feel free to add your choice of bitters at your discretion.

Otherwise, mix the simply syrup, whiskey, lemon juice, and egg white in a shaker filled with ice. Shake some more. If your fingertips are frozen - go ahead and pour into a short glass. Enjoy.

We enjoyed Whiskey Sours for St. Patrick's Day this year at my house with take-out corned beef dinners. It was a fun night with family as we remembered years past when we would attend a largely celebrated and attended St. Patrick's Day parade. Events are starting to return as the pandemic restrictions are changing. 

Sláinte! And cheers to you and yours - may 2021 be the year you celebrate being Fed Well!

Mom! What's for lunch? Ideas for home and your little one's lunchbox!

 

Maybe you are on spring break this week. Maybe your child is 100% learning remotely or has always been home schooled. Whatever your circumstance - your child needs lunch! The key to being able to prepare a lunch your child will love is not the need for fantastical and whimsical, artfully arranged food that looks as though a professional stylist created a next level masterpiece. Simply have a few well loved ingredients and food items on hand to put together a lunch they will WANT to eat (and never trade)!

Categories

Think in terms of categories - 

proteins, fruits, vegetables, grains, and treats. 

Pairings

Just as we like to eat certain food combinations, your child likely has developed a taste for certain foods together and whether you might never consider traying peanut butter and banana, if that is a combo your child loves - go with it!

Flexibility 

When introducing a new food(s), remember not every swing is a homerun, and have an alternative in mind. It's best to introduce something for the first time when your child is home so they can have another choice. 

Keep in mind the need to substitute ingredients based on allergies as well as preferences.

Try not to focus on strict adherence to nutritional guidelines per meal but rather in making sure your child gets what they need throughout the course of a day.

Menu Ideas

Use classic lunch menus (including those inside prepacked commercial lunch products) as a starting point. The reason manufacturers and marketers make selections like ham and swiss or veggies with humus, is because they have been proven to be purchased and enjoyed. A way to bring these pairings to life is in the presentation - cut meats and cheeses into bite sized cubes, or even fun geometric shapes or package veggies and dips in easy to open, decorative containers.

Veggie Nuggets

Make some veggie nuggets and include their favorite sauce or dip.

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup each boiled or steamed tender carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower, cooled 
• 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs for filling, plus extra for dipping formed nuggets 
• 1 large egg 
• Salt and pepper, to taste 
• Vegetable oil for frying 

Steps: 

1. Combine vegetables, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. 
2. Use a tablespoon or small cookie scoop to portion out veggie mixture into a ball, then flatten into a nugget shape. 
3. Coat nuggets with more breadcrumbs. 
4. Fry nuggets until golden brown or use an air fryer. 
5. Drain and cool. 
6. Nuggets can also be baked in a traditional oven at 400° F for about 15 minutes. 

For more lunch ideas and recipes, check out this post!

Enjoy this time with the children in your life. As many of us already know, the days may seem long, but the years pass quickly - make sure they (and you) are Fed Well!