Awesome pot roast!

I apologize.  I don't have a story to go with this recipe.  Just not in the story telling mood these days. 

So, for those of you who don't know me, I haven't always been vegetarian.  It's relatively new for me.  Since this is the case I thought I'd share one of my favorite recipes from my meat eating days.  I don't have a pic of it as I haven't cooked it since before we had the blog but trust me, it's delicious.  Megan S always steals some or begs me to make it just for her to eat.  You won't be disappointed.

You will need -

1/2 an onion, cut into large sections
1/2 lb potatoes, cut into chunks
1/2 lb carrots, cut into 1 1/2 inch long sections
small piece of beef (1 lbs ish)
1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
1 cup brewed coffee
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Start by trimming any obvious fat off your meat.  Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper.  In a skillet heat a small amount of oil.  Sear both sides of the beef (about 2 mins each side).  Place onion, carrots and potatoes in the bottom of the crock pot.  Set beef on top.  In a small bowl whisk together the last four ingredients and pour over the top of the meat in the crock pot.  Set on low and cook for 8-9 hours or until beef is fork tender. 

To be honest, I never had a clue how cuts of beef worked.  I don't know which ones are good and which ones aren't.  So, take your knowledge and grab something that sounds good and go for it.

Pair with a nice Malbec :)

Cheers!

Megan J

Peach Glazed Chicken

So I just finished Malcolm Gladwell's book The Tipping Point, partly because the whole book sounded interesting in general and partly because I'd like to discover a way to get this little blog of ours to "tip."  Really all I mean by that is that I would like it to gain a little bit (I mean a lotta bit) more popularity with folks outside of my family and closest friends.  Don't get me wrong, I love the attention from those of you who have become loyal readers, you know who you are, but now help us out and spread the word!!  I know it's called Dinner For Spinsters but our recipes are quite accessible for anybody that eats!  Modify them for your family, tell your bachelor friends, maybe they'll avoid the Mickey D's drive-thru for a night! 

For this recipe you will need:
1 chicken breast
2-3 T. peach preserves
a splash of red wine (I'm not good at measuring, I throw things in a pan and hope for the best)
salt and pepper to taste

 Put the preserves and red wine in a skillet on medium heat, whisk together, add a dash of salt and pepper, cook on medium heat, stirring regularly until it thickens to desired consistency.  If you're having trouble getting it to thicken you can whisk a bit of cornstarch in to help you out.  I brushed my chicken with the sauce and cooked 5+ minutes on each side until done, basting extra sauce on as well.  I happen to think this recipe would be extra delicious cooked on the barbecue, just in time for grilling season, if only I was better with charcoal!  Cook up a few tasty side dishes (I did broccoli and jasmine rice) and you've got yourself a tasty dinner.

Have a friend that loves grilling?  Tell them to try out this simple recipe!  Want to learn more about this blogger?  Check out my facebook page, username megz3pegz.  Love our blog?  Follow us on Twitter @DinnerSpinsters

Megan S.

pick-me-up-pancakes

Isn't it interesting the different changes you experience in life?  One of my favorite phrases has always been "the tide always turns" and I'm finding that I have to remind myself of that frequently these days.  For me life seems to operate in sort of an ebb and flow.  Some days everything is rainbows, sunshine, puppies, and popsicles and all of my relationships are full of juicy, satisfying contact and love.  And sometimes there are more dark and ominous and unicorns have gotten their horns chopped off and contact is sparse and I have to go to couples counseling with my manager.  I am currently in an ebb, which I think is the bad one so let's go with it.  Things aren't exactly going my way and I want to be a petulant child and lay down and throw a tantrum but that surely won't solve anything or really make me feel better.  So, I come up with ways to distract myself.  One of which is making some dank pancakes.  Which always help perk me up.  For your own lil dose of happy you will need the following:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 sliced almonds
1 tsp baking powder
1/4  tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie seasoning
1 medium banana
1/2 cup almond milk
1 egg white
1 cup frozen blueberries

In a bowl combine first five ingredients.  Mash half the banana in another bowl and add milk and egg.  Mix the two bowls together and add the other half of your banana.  Once it's all mixed up add your berries.  Heat up a skillet with some cooking spray on it.  Pour a small amount of batter into the skillet.  Don't go too thick or you be left with a nasty pile o yuck.  Trust me.  Cook until yummy which is about 2-3 mins per side.

I am personally not a maple syrup person so I serve mine with butter, brown sugar and more blueberries.  I fed these to a friend recently and we added nectarine as well which was quite yummy.  I tried to enjoy this with a nice, hot, cup of tea but somehow managed to spill most of it down my hand and my pants.  If you feel like you have a little more coordination than I do I'm certain a hot beverage would be lovely.  I think my dumb ass will be sticking  to water.

Cheers!  Megan J

Sex In A Pan

 

So I have been thinking, unable to sleep at night thinking, about how text messaging has changed dating.  Not that I did a whole lot of dating before text messaging, not that I do a whole lot now, but still I've thought about it.  I THINK there was a time that a man asked a woman on a date and then they made a plan, set a date, a time and a place for this so-called date.  I want to know why it is that actually making a date has fallen by the wayside.  In this case I'm going to blame text messaging, mostly because I love men too much to blame them.  With the advent of text messaging (cell phones really) we have the ability to contact people anytime, any place.  Why set an actual date with someone you're interested in when you can send them a text asking them to meet you in 1/2 an hour because you happen to be in the area.   Generally speaking, if they're interested they will probably agree to the last minute meeting.  I say we should put an end to the last minute date, let's throwback to a time when you set a date, time and place.  I'm not saying it has to be fancy, it can be coffee or ice cream but I have a life and if you're interested enough to want to see me again you should be interested enough to make a PLAN!  Unfortunately this planning thing doesn't happen, I get busy with my life and miss the all important text message or just don't want to put what I'm doing on hold at that time and I never see the guy again.  Then I end up feeling guilty and beating myself up for not "seizing the moment" and running off at the last minute to meet the guy.  This lack of follow through has left me with a bit of a lack in "other areas" shall we say, hence the need for this recipe.  It's not gluten or dairy free and it will probably make me feel like crap later, but I just don't care (kind of like how it works when you take a random home).

What You Will Need:

Graham Cracker Crumbs

1/2 C. cream cheese

1 C. Cool Whip

2 tsp. powdered sugar

1-2 dark chocolate pudding cups

Strawberries

Make the graham cracker crust according to the directions on the box of crumbs.  I used their recipe and cut it in half to make a suitable single serving.  I used a pan that had 4 mini bread loaf molds in it.  I pressed graham cracker crust mix into the bottom and along the sides of one of the loaf molds.  Bake the crust at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes.  Mix the cream cheese, cool whip and powdered sugar together and then spread at the bottom of your crust.  Layer the pudding on top, as much or as little as you want.  Chill in the fridge for an hour or so to make it more solid.  When it's chilled long enough, top with strawberries and eat up, try not to moan too loudly while you do so!  I swear this dessert is as good as sex (almost).

Now a note for our male readers-PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE try asking a girl out, making an actual plan and then follow through, otherwise there might not be any sex for you...in a pan or otherwise!

Megan S.

Eat more kale.

Seriously, you should be eating more kale.  Not only is it delicious but it's crazy good for you.  And easy!  When I was doing a little research for this post I found that kale is absolutely laden with all sort of good things for you like fiber, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K.  The thing that's super cool is that vitamin K helps your body absorb calcium so really it's a double whammy.  Now, I know you all don't read this for health info.  We all just like fun stories and recipes.  But every now and then I gotta get on my soapbox.  So, eat up and enjoy BOTH of my yummy kale recipes!

Kale/Craisin salad

1/2 bunch kale, sliced
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup craisins
1/4 cup parmesan (I skip this as I'm not really a dairy person)


Dressing -
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taster

Combine salad ingredients in one bowl.  Mix together dressing and toss with salad.  Let chill for a couple hours and serve!

And here's a fun way you can use the other 1/2 bunch of kale!

KALE CHIPS!  Live 'em, learn 'em, love 'em.  Trust.

1/2 bunch kale
Pam olive oil spray
sea salt

Tear kale into bite size bits.  Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Bake at 400 degrees til crunchy and awesome (about 20 mins).

Also, one last little thing that has been bothering me for a while.  Is there hidden meaning to the song Rocket Man by Elton John?  If so, what is it?  If you can explain it to me and I believe you I swear I'll come to your house and cook for you.

Don't forget the wine!  I sure didn't!

Cheers,
Megan J

Potachos!

As a normal human being I have a soft spot for junk food.  I mean, seriously, who doesn't love french fries and onion rings and anything deep fried?  The only downer is that it's awful for you and makes you fat.  And I don't wanna get fat.  I already have to work out enough as is and that's kind of a bitch.  So, often I'll try to put a healthy spin on some of my junky favorites.  Like nachos.  If you look at most of the ingredients it's really not that bad for you.  It's mostly veggies and stuff.  I've found it tends to go down hill when you start to look at the chips and the things like sour cream and what not.  So, I came up with a toned down version that's still delicious!

You will need:

2 yukon gold potatoes
5 cherry tomatoes, halved
jalapenos, added to taste
1 can beans (your choice which kind)
1 small can sliced olives
1/2 an onion, chopped
1/2 a green pepper, chopped
1/2 a red pepper, chopped
1/4 cup mexican style cheese

Heat oven to 400.  Slice potatoes into uniform and bite size pieces.  Lay out on a cookie sheet and bake til crispy, stirring a few times.  This will take about 20 mins.  While those bake chop up your onion and both peppers.  Now you'll want a medium sized pan with high sides, whatever on earth that's actually called.  You'll want to use this to saute them over medium heat until onion becomes transparent.  Set aside.   While I wait for the potatoes to finish up I like to get all my other stuffs ready.  I like to drain and rinse my beans so I'll do that and get my tomatoes all sliced and open all my cans and that.  And drink wine :)  Duh.  When all of your ingredients are ready you'll want to throw them into that high sided pan I had you use.  Let everything cook around and heat up for about 5 mins.  Then add your cheese.  I find that the easiest way to get it melty and awesome is to put your cheese on, then add a little water and cover it.  This will create some pretty great steam and will get everything delicious.  Now you're ready to eat!

As I was writing this I was thinking of how rad it would be to throw in some corn.  I know most of the population would like ground beef with taco seasoning on there too and that would be mighty tasty.  Oh, and for most of the population who enjoy avocados, toss 'em on and enjoy!   Modify all you want.  I just ask that you drink wine while you do it.

Cheers!

Megan J

Pork Roast

In many ways I am a traditional girl with traditional values and traditional tastes.  I like t-shirts and jeans, the man to make the first move and a tasty pork roast with potatoes.  Most of these traditional values come from being raised by traditional parents.  My mom was home everyday when I got home from school, I would like to say with fresh baked cookies waiting but lets get real, most moms don't have time for that.  My mom worked way beyond 40 hours a week to provide for his family.  We ate dinner as a family at the dinner table, not in front of TV, almost every night.  Each one of us kids had a night to do the dishes and if we didn't do it, honestly I don't know what would have happened, I don't remember being brave enough to risk it.  On occasion these nightly dinners consisted of pork roast and potatoes.  This recipe is not my mom's recipe, not all of her recipes are great, but it is a pretty tasty recipe all the same.

What you will need:

Pork roast (I used part of the one I bought for the pork verde, I had frozen it in several "single serve" baggies)
1 potato (peeled and chopped)
1/2 onion (peeled and sliced)
a handful of baby carrots
1/2 cup water
1/8 cup red wine (I used whatever bottle was lying around)
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. soy sauce
1/2 T. beef bouillon powder
approx. 1 tsp onion powder
approx. 1/2 tsp. celery seed
a few dashes of pepper

I know this looks like one hell of a list of ingredients but I promise, it's easy.  All you have to do is throw everything into your crock pot, turn it on high and wait for the pork to fall apart.  As I've said before I like my pork tender and falling apart.  When it starts to fall apart I know it's how I want it.  This took about four hours in my small crock pot and the pork started out frozen.  You can cook it on low if you plan on leaving it longer, say while you're spending 8 hours at work.

Enjoy!
Megan S.