Cous-Cous for lunch

1 box cous-cous plain or flavored (cook the whole box according to package, flavor water with chicken bouillon to water)
1/2 cup of dry lentil beans (cook according to pkg. directions, flavor water with chicken bouillon)
1/2 green pepper
1/2 red pepper
1 small can sliced black olives
3 scallions - sliced and diced
Salt & pepper

Once the cous-cous and lentils beans are done cooking.  Let cool down.  In a large bowl, mix the cous-cous, lentils beans together and then add the rest of the ingredients.  Mix well but gently, you don't want to turn the cous-cous into mush.

I didn't have an exciting weekend of whipping something new and wonderful in the kitchen.  Although on Saturday I did make my "Mi Arroz con Pollo".  This is what I made later today just because this will be my lunch for most of the week.  Believe me, this tastes better and better as each day goes bye and I'm looking forward to my lunches at work this week :)  ~isavortheweekend

Spent most of my Saturday morning helping at the office with the football walk-on tryouts. We only had a hand full of slots open (which is typical in the Fall) but had 52 guys come out for the tryouts.  As my hubby (he went with me so that he can have some "male bonding" with his buddies down in the equipment room) and I sat on the bleachers watching these give it their all, I wished that somehow the skies would open up and start playing the theme from one of the best movies ever, "RUDY".  Rudy in the movie walked onto the Notre Dame football team back in the early 70's after trying to get on for several years.  He wasn't gifted with an athletic body and talent but boy did he ever have "heart" and was deeply committed to his role on the practice squad.  He allowed himself to get beat up day after day after day at football practice.  He was finally given a chance to play in a game of his last season and ......and well, as they say, the rest is history.  It's my favorite football movie, the music score by Jerry Goldsmith is just as amazing!!  So, yea, football season is here!  WOOHOO!!

Ms. Suzanne's Swiss Steak

1½ lb. round steak

1 cup flour

1 tbsp. Lawry’s seasoned salt

1½ tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tbsp. ground pepper

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup white wine

2 cups water

Mix flour, seasoned salt, seasonings and pepper in a plate.   Heat oil in pan set on med-high.  Cut steak into four, even sized pieces.   Dredge both sides of each piece of beef in flour mix then place in hot oil. Set flour mixture aside.  Brown beef on both sides around 7 minutes each side.  Remove meat from pan and set aside.  Empty all but a couple of tablespoons of oil into heat proof container to discard later.  Pour white wine into pan to help scrape up drippings, place meat back into pan with the wine.  

Pour water gently into pan, bring to a boil , cover and simmer for one hour.  If the liquid starts to evaporate, pour in a little more water making sure the liquid always stays just beneath the top of the meat.  After an hour sprinkle in some of the seasoned flour and whisk quickly to thicken the sauce and to make the gravy.  Serve with white rice,  mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

If you have a meat and potatoes man like I do then this dish is for you.  I learned to make this from Ms. Suzanne around 26 years ago.  She was my neighbor when we both lived on the army base at Ft. Bliss.  We became good friends and she was more than willing to teach me a lot about cooking and baking.  She quite often invited me over to watch a movie in the afternoon and she would always have dinner started and simmering away as we sat down to watch the movie.  Every time she made this recipe, the house would fill up with lovely smells that deep down inside I was really hoping she would ask me to stay for dinner.  I really miss those days with Ms. Suzanne.  Today I served it with egg noodles.  They taste so good with the gravy.  ~isavortheweekend

I'm So Blessed!!

What a treat it is to come home from a hard day at work, to have a lovely dinner being cooked for you.  That's why I encourage adult children to live at home :)  It was Elise's turn to cook and this is what she made:  Chicken Piccata, Grilled Asparagus with Parmesan Cheese and Garlic Bowtie Pasta!!  mmmmmmmmmm.  I stuffed myself, I rarely do but this was sooo good.  Elise has made the Chicken Piccata before and seems to be our favorite dish.  Don really loves it.  She took fresh Asparagus, placed it on the cookie sheet, drizzled it with Olive Oil, sprinkled it with salt and pepper and also sprinkled it with fresh Parmesan Cheese, place it in the oven with the rack at the top and broiled it for 5-7 minutes.  The Garlic Bowtie Pasta was cooked according to package directions (half a box), one garlic clove minced.  When draining the pasta, don't drain it completely, leave at least 1/4 cup of the pasta water.  Return the pot of pasta back to the stove over med. heat.  Drizzle with olive oil and then add the garlic, stir around until completely blended and heated.  Salt and pepper to taste and voila!  A delicious meal during the week :)  ~isavortuesday

Pasta e Fagioli

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
1 large carrot, julienned (1 cup)
3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup) or 2 tsps celery flakes or 1 tsp gr. celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can great northern beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 12-ounce can V-8 juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 pound (1/2 pkg.) Ditalini pasta
1/4 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese

1.  Brown the ground beef in a large saucepan or pot over medium heat. Drain off most of the fat.
2.  Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and saute for 10 minutes.

3.  Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour.

4.  About 50 minutes into the simmering, cook the pasta in 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of boiling water over high heat.  Cook for 10 minutes or just until pasta is al dente, or slightly tough.  Drain.

5.  Add the pasta to the large pot of soup. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more and serve with a sprinkle of  Parmesan cheese.  


I was able to pull this Pasta e Fagioli recipe off the internet from a secret recipe site.  Whenever we go to Olive Garden this is my favorite and it's rare that I ever order anything else.  I love it and this recipe is just as good!  Very close to OG's although at the end it wasn't as soupy as I personally like it but the hubby prefers it thick.  I did add a cup of beef broth.  I was very satisfied with one soup bowl full, I also served it with Pioneer Woman's famous Rosemary Buttered Rolls.  Great way to end a Saturday evening :) ~isavortheweekend.