Salmon what?

Croquettes. I call them salmon croquettes, because that sounds fancier than "Salmon Cakes." 

And much better than "salmon from a can."

No really, though, salmon is good for you, and wild caught canned salmon isn't that bad. I use it in place of tuna in "tuna fish salad" and it's good that way too! Plus it's inexpensive, which is a definite plus. 

So try this recipe. And you MUST try the alternatives suggested by this mom, including the sauce ( I use plain yogurt instead of mayo. )

Salmon Croquettes

(link)

"Excellent and with such simple ingredients. I always make this with leftover salmon, not a fan of canned fish. I just double the ingredients if I have more salmon. A nice variation is to saute 1 tablespoon of finely minced garlic and parsley (fresh or dried) in some olive oil (appx. 1 tablespoon), then add to the mixture. The oil adds moistness and the garlic adds a fantastic flavor and aroma, just like in the restaurants. I've added dill, garlic powder, garlic salt, paprika, onion powder, whatever I have on hand for more flavor. And definitely serve with garlic aioli or garlic mayonaise. (Mayo - 1/2 cup mayonaise, 1 garlic clove minced, dash of paprika and lemon juice.) Serve a small dollop on top and you're dining in style. My kids love this too. Nice for small ones just learning to chew since they can mash this easily in their mouths. Nice company dinner too!"

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

I was excited at the prospect of this recipe. It had to very important components for the day: chicken and the Crock Pot.

I used 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 can of mild Rotel and a cup of corn. 

I put it on high for 4 hours. 

After 3 hours I was skeptical. I added a tablespoon or two of this  taco seasoning and a cup or so of the black beans I had cooked on the stove.

That was much better. 

I warmed the tortillas in a skillet (one day I'm going to make homemade tortillas) and scooped the chicken mixture in a shell, topped with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.

Oh. My. Goodness.

Good stuff. I could have eaten 40 of them. 

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

(link)

Meal Planing - August 28-September 3

Monday

Lentil Soup

Grilled Cheeses

Fruit

Tuesday

Fried Green Tomatoes

Corn on the Cob

Whipped Sweet Potatoes

Red Beans

Wednesday

Crock Pot Lasagna

Thursday

Chicken Soft Tacos

Black Beans

Friday

Salmon Croquettes

Fried Okra

Rice

Saturday

Spaghetti

Sunday

Hopefully Left Overs

Chicken Legs

I know it seems odd to buy and cook up chicken legs, but the are cheap and not that unhealthy, really. The organic ones are cheap also, and the kids like eating them. Sometimes I fry them, but this was a really good and easy way to cook them up!

Crock Pot Chicken Legs

I found a slower cooker chicken recipe we all enjoyed, so I wanted to sticky it here to find again! 

Brown Sugar Chicken

Chicken Cacciatore

 

I really feel like I have written this post already. I'm hoping not. It's like a huge case of Blogger's Deja Vu. 

Anyway, I love my old cookbook. It's 15 years old, splattered and falling apart. I cling to it, though, because it was written when food was still cooked from scratch. I'm big on that. I don't like recipes that tell me to use anything store bought. If this cookbook tells you to use a pie crust, they tell you how to whip one up. Biscuits? Recipe. Croissant? Yep. It's in there.

I love that.

Anyway, this recipe is on the same page with Chicken and Dumplings, which I need to get typed up soon too. It's all from scratch and it's so good.

Take note that this dish has to simmer on the stove for 30-40 minutes. It's not one you can whip up in 15 minutes and serve. It's so easy to prepare, but there is that simmer time to consider. 

Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients:

1. 2 to 2 1/2 pounds meaty chicken pieces (I use organic thighs because they are cheap and go well with this recipe - usually boneless)
2. 2 T olive oil
3. I medium onion, minced
4. 1 clove garlic, minced
5. 1 7 1/2-ounce can tomatoes, cut up
6. 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
7. 3/4 c of dry white wine (I buy those little 4 packs of small bottles to have on hand to cook with. I'm not a fan of white wine, so it's safe in my pantry)
8. 1 4-ounce can mushrooms, drained
9. 2 T snipped fresh parsley (I use dried, the same amount)
10. 1 t sugar
11. 1/2 t salt
12. 1/2 t dried rosemary, crushed
13. 1/2 t dried thyme, crushed
14. 1/4 t dried oregano, crushed
15. 1/8 t pepper
16. Hot cooked spaghetti 

Directions:

1. Cook chicken in a skillet in hot oil until done, turning to brown evenly. Add onion and garlic the last 5 minutes of cooking, then drain off fat.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, combine undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, mushrooms, parsley, sugar, salt, rosemary, thyme, oregano and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Pour over chicken in skillet. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and let simmer 30 to 40 minutes. Turn chicken once during cooking. Serve over hot spaghetti.

Fettuccine Alfredo

This is a dish that will probably give you a heart attack if eaten too often.

But every now and then, I just really want Fettuccine Alfredo.

This recipe is super easy and very good. It's from my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. The cookbook is old, and I love it. I'm not going to ever be able to let it go.

Fettuccine Alfredo

Ingredients:

1/3 cup of half and half, light cream or (heavy) whipping cream

1 tablespoon butter

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

cracked black pepper

nutmeg

Directions:

In a sauce pan, place butter in pan over low heat. After butter is melted, add cream. 

Stir and let sit until warm.

Stir in Parmesan cheese. 

Add a sprinkle of black pepper and nutmeg.

Stir and let sit over low heat until it barely bubbles.

I will use penne pasta, or you can use fettuccine, obviously. (I just never seem to have fettuccine on hand.) I also saute some chicken to add to the dish, just to give it some good old protein.

Simply mix your choice of pasta and chopped up chicken in a bowl, and then stir in Alfredo sauce.

It's really quick and easy. 

And I'm trying to stop eating the leftovers...