German Pancake with Apples

We saw this recipe and it looked quick, easy and yummy! It was. The first recipe we made used a WHOLE stick of butter and turned out a bit too oily. We lost that recipe and made it a second time from a different recipe with it being even more yummy. We totally forgot to sprinkle the powder sugar on it though, that would make it only even better.
It is great for a weekend morning breakfast with either syrup or jam. Alona likes it with lingon berry preserves. The dough is yummy and flaky and the apples add an extra crunch and flavor to it. You could probably make it with other berries such as blueberries as well.

Here's the original recipe, although we added about half a cup of sugar to the dough because we didn't make the buttermilk syrup. You should adjust the sugar content to taste:

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/german-pancake

Attempt 2

 The below pictures are from the first attempt, with WAY too much butter in our opinion.

Ingredients:

6 large eggs
1 cup WHOLE milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1-2 apples cut up into slices..or smaller, if you like
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

1. Heat up oven to 400F
2. Combine eggs, milk, flour, salt and sugar in a blender and blend until smooth.
3. Melt butter and pour into a large baking dish. Spread apple slices evenly on the bottom.
4. Pour the batter over the apple slices.
5. Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes until golden brown. The apples will float up to the top and the sides of the "pancake" will fluff up.
6. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
7. Serve with syrup or jam. 

What we liked:

So quick and easy to make and it just bakes. Everyone gets a hot piece at the same time too. 

What we didn't like:

We didn't like the amount of sugar in the original recipe...so we changed it :) 

What Kaspian thought about it:

He liked it. Although, he was suspicious of the apple pieces. 

Next time:

No changes. Keep this modified recipe

Garlic Green Beans

This was probably the easiest, fastest, and most delicious green bean recipe we have made.
The green beans came out perfectly soft and cooked and were great!

Original Recipe: https://goodcheapeats.com/2011/04/easy-garlic-green-beans-whats-on-your-plate/

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen green beans
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
4-5 cloves of garlic, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Add beans and water to a large frying pan. Cover and cook until soft on medium heat - about 10 minutes.
2. Add butter and garlic and mix together.
3. Serve!

What we liked:

So easy and good!

What we didn't like:

Nothing, it was perfect!

What Kaspian thought about it:

He was not too into food

Next time:

Perhaps add some shallots or pine nuts!

Flatbread Pizzas; Pepperoni and Black Olives, and Artichoke Hearts, Red Onions and Pine Nuts

We have been really enjoying a lot of pizzas lately. Maybe it's because Pepperoni is one of Kaspian's favorite books, maybe it's because it's so quick and easy to make them, but we've been eating pizza-ish meals a lot lately. It could also be that we have had the ingredients to quickly make them and so the result is ... PIZZA! We made two different kinds using a flatbread that we bought, so the only thing we need to do is throw the toppings on and food is ready in 10 minutes! We expected the pepperoni one to turned out better, but the artichoke heart/Red Onion/Pine nut pizza turned out better It tasted sweet and all of the flavors went together extremely well. Any toppings can be used!

Ingredients:

2 pre-made flat bread

Pizza 1:

sliced red onion
3 marinated artichoke hearts, cut into quarters
2 tablespoons pine nuts
4-5 tablespoons marinara sauce (we used Bertolli)
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese

Pizza 2:
10 pepperoni
2 tablespoons sliced black olives
4-5 tablespoons marinara sauce (we used Bertolli)
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. If your flatbread pizza needs to be pre-baked, follow the package directions to do so.
2. Assemble the pizza by spreading the marinara sauce first, then sprinkling with cheese evenly across it. Lastly, add your desired toppings. Flatter toppings should go first to avoid toppling off the pizza.
3. Bake at 450 F for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

What we liked:

QUICK! And delicious. Turned out way better than any frozen pizzas. 

What we didn't like:

The thin crust was actually a little too thin and flimsy. 

What Kaspian thought about it:

He was suspicious of our rectangular pizza creation. Astrid loved it all. 

Next time:

Try different pizza crust!

Seared Ahi Tuna Rice Bowl with Ginger Sauce

We combined a few recipes for this one. We are still trying to figure out the sauce that comes with the search tuna appetizer at a local restaurant here called Elephant Bar (if anyone knows how that sauce is made let us know!).This was really easy, simple and fast. Throw some rice to cook in the rice cooker - we didn't have any seasoned rice wine, so we substituted with some dry white wine (chardonnay + sugar) for the rice. It really adds flavor to it and changes the texture as well. The variations on this rice bowl are endless, you can add whatever ingredients you like!

Ingredients:

1 cup sushi rice
8 oz tuna steak
chives (optional)
sliced cucumbers
sesame seeds

Sauce:
2 oz fresh ginger
2 oz shallots
1/4 to 1/3 cup soy sauce (vary to taste)
1 - 2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Set rice to cook in a rice cooker with water.
2. While rice is cooking prepare the sauce - combine all ingredients in a magic bullet or blender and blend until smooth.
3. For tuna - rinse and pat dry. On a plate, mix sesame seeds, salt and pepper and spread around. Roll the tuna in the mixture. Heat a frying pan to medium high- sear the tuna on each side about 1-2 minutes until pink in the middle but seared on the outside (cut a piece to test it).
4. Serve with Rice in a bowl topped with tuna, cucumber, chives and sauce. 

What we liked:

Very quick and delicious. The sauce turned out great too.

What we didn't like:

Nothing - it was great!

What Kaspian thought about it:

Kaspian liked the rice and cucumbers but we didn't offer him any fish.  

Next time:

Keep this sauce...but maybe try one with some orange in it? 

Johnsonville Bratwurst BBQ Sandwiches

This was a super quick and easy meal that was put together in less than 20 minutes. We made it, then went to do errands and came back to dinner done!

Ingredients:

5 Johnsonville Bratwursts
1 Onion, sliced
1 cup of BBQ sauce
bread rolls

Directions:

1. Take the Bratwursts out of their casing by slicing them lengthwise.
2. Fry the bratwurst meat on a pan for about 4-5 minutes until done.
3. Transfer the meat into a slow cooker
4. Fry the onions.
5. Transfer onions into the slow cooker.
6. Add BBQ sauce to slow cooker
7. Set slow cooker on low or high (depending on when you plan on eating)
8. Serve with bread rolls

What we liked:

EASY

What we didn't like:

nothing, it was good

What Kaspian thought about it:

he did not notice this meal

Next time:

a side would be nice, such as coleslaw or a salad

Flank Steak with Herb Dressing

The original recipe for tonight's dinner was flank steak with herb dressing and charred broccolini. However, our local stores did not have any broccolini so we kind of had to improvise. It turned out really good and fast though. We used the grill instead of a pan to fry it and we marinated the meat in the oil and herb mixture for a couple hours. Overall it turned out really good. The flank steak cut of meat we had was also perfectly marbled so that helped a lot too.
For our side, we made a green bean casserole which was perfect with frozen petite green beans.
The original recipe is here: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/flank-steak-herb-dressing-charred-broccolini

Flank steak with green bean casserole

Right off the grill

Cooking on the grill

Marinating in herbs and olive oil

Ingredients:

Steak:
1 lb flank steak
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 container of fresh poultry herbs, chopped
salt

Green Bean Casserole:
5 cups frozen green beans
1 cup crispy onions
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

Steak:
1. Wash steak. Rub in chopped herbs and salt and put into a plastic baggie. Add olive oil to the baggie. Let sit for 1-2 hours
2. Pre-heat grill to medium high. Add Steak - cook 8 minutes on first side, 7 minutes on second side or until desired done-ness. We like our steak well done.

Green Bean Casserole:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375
2. Combine cream of chicken, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix together. Add in the green beans.
3. Place into a baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes. 

What we liked:

Quick and simple. The casserole actually took longer to do than the steak. The steak came out really juicy and flavorful. 

What we didn't like:

Couldn't follow the original recipe, but it looks like that may have been better this way. 

What Kaspian thought about it:

Kaspian loved the green beans. He thought the cream of chicken was a type of "cheese" and happily accepted eating it. 

Next time:

This would go great with mashed potatoes. 

Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes

This is the easiest recipe for baked potatoes that results in the most juicy wonderfully cooked potatoes. These take just a few minutes to set in the morning and make a great meal that you can customize by adding any topping you want.

Nick's potato

Alona's potato

Kaspian's Potato

Wrapped in Foil!

Potato in slow cooker

Ingredients:

Baked Potatoes - we usually do 1 large baked potato per person
Cheese - we prefer cheddar
Sour Cream
Butter - Kerrygold is the best

Topping ideas:
Bacon
chives
avocado
barbecue meat

Directions:

1. Wrap each individual potato up in foil.
2. Put all the potatoes in the slow cooker.
3. Cook on high for 8 hours.
4. Cut open potato and serve with your choice of toppings.

What we liked:

Super easy and delicious. The potatoes come out perfectly cooked and moist. 

What we didn't like:

The potatoes do tend to be a little off-colored when they are done cooking, but they make the best baked potato ever. 

What Kaspian thought about it:

He just wanted a basic potato, cheese, sour cream and butter on his potato and he said it was "so pretty like daddy's". He is a potato lover. 

Next time:

No change. Good as it is. 

Week 1, Day 5 - Seared Ahi Tuna on a bed of baby romaine

Today we made Seared Ahi Tuna served on a bed of baby romaine lettuce.
It is a quick and easy dinner option. Our local Sprouts had the previously frozen Ahi Tuna on sale this week and it takes about 15 minutes total to make. It is definitely one our favorite dishes.  One thing that we make differently every time we make it is the sauce. We have yet to find the perfect sauce.

Seared Ahi Tuna

Ingredients: 

1 lb Ahi Tuna 

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil

Directions: 

1. Heat up a pan with the 4 tablespoons of olive oil on medium high heat.

2. Cut steaks into 2 inch wide strips

3. Combine sesame seeds, salt and pepper in a shallow dish

4. Dredge steaks in the sesame seeds, salt and pepper

5. Fry steaks 2 minutes on the first side and 1 minute on each side after that. 

Sauce

Ingredients: 

5 tablespoons soy sauce

6 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon ginger - we used slightly dried 

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon sesame oil - optional

Directions: 

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir together. 

What we liked:
The tuna was cooked perfectly this time. It was the best yet. Quick and easy and always delicious! 

What we didn't like: 

Still searching for the perfect sauce. We made 2 versions, one with the sesame oil and one without. We liked the one without better, but still not perfect. Perhaps less lemon juice might have been better. Additionally, we were out of wasabi and that made Nick sad. 

What Kaspian thought about it:

He just kept asking what it was and "what's inside it?". He did not seem to believe that there was tuna inside the wonderful sesame crust. He happily went to eating his dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets instead. 

Next time: 

Better sauce. Will attempt something with a wasabi/ginger/soy combination.