Pickled Cucumbers

1 English cucumber

1/2 cup white-wine vinegar

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cut cucumber crosswise into very thin slices (preferably using a manual slicer). In a bowl whisk together remaining ingredients until sugar is dissolved and add cucumber, tossing to coat. Marinate cucumbers, covered and chilled, stirring occasionally, 4 hours.

Whole Roasted Chicken

Roasting a whole chicken is so simple and so delicious but a little intimidating if it is your first time. Depending on the appetite of your family it can last you several meals. It typically lasts our family of 4 two full meals because we have big eaters. We eat roasted chicken one night and then use the rest for salads, sandwiches, pizzas, etc. the following day.  If I'm feeling extremely lazy I just remove the giblets, toss the chicken in the crock pot, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, pour in a little broth and cook it on low for about 6 hours. If we are having company or I want something crispier and prettier then I use this method. It is fool-proof and one of my favorite meals.  If you don't have or don't like rosemary then you could use other herbs like basil, majoram, oregano or thyme or even dry herbs de provence. If you aren't down with butter something is wrong with you  then you could substitute the butter for a 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil.  I got this recipe from Pioneer Woman's blog.

Whole Roasted Chicken

1 Whole Chicken, rinsed and patted dry (I use an Organic Free-Range Chicken from Trader Joe's for about $10-14)

1/2 - 3/4 cup of butter, softened

3 Whole Lemons

4 Sprigs of fresh Rosemary

Salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Put the softened butter into a bowl. Zest two of the lemons and stir the zest into the softened (not melted) butter. Finely chop 1 sprig of rosemary and stir into the butter mixture. Give the mixture a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet that is lined with aluminum foil. Rub the entire chicken with the butter mixture making sure to get in all the joints and crevices. Rub butter in the cavity and under the skin.  Cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juice of one or tow of them on top of the chicken. Stuff the six lemon halves into the cavity of the bird. Stuff the remaining 3 sprigs of rosemary into the cavity of the bird as well. Roast in the oven for about an hour and 15 minutes. Skin should be golden and the juices sizzling.

Serve with fresh green beans and roasted potatoes. Yum!

Roasted Sausage, peppers and potatoes

This is the easiest, no-brainer meal ever and it only takes a few minutes to whip together. I've made it several times now and have tweaked it to meet the taste of our family. I like extra mustard and Brad likes extra onion so feel free to play around with it. We prefer the taste of the hofbrau brats over italian sausages but use whatever you like. This is a new Lucht family staple. :)

Ingredients:

1- 1 1/2lb  raw sausages, cut into 2" pieces ( I've used both italian sausage and brats from Trader Joes)

1 lb baby potatoes, quartered

2 sliced bell pepper, 1/2" wide and 3" long (I used green but red would be good too)

1  large or 2 small sweet onions (sliced in chunks the same size as peppers)

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

1/3 cup olive oil

1-2 tablespoons dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoon grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

extra-virgin olive oil, for serving

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Add the sausage, potatoes, peppers, onion and rosemary to an extra large mixing bowl.
2. In a separate small bowl whisk olive oil and mustard together. Add garlic, parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper, whisk until well combined.
3. Pour over sausage mixture and toss well until everything is coated.
4. Grease a large, thin cookie sheet with sides and pour out the mixture. Spread evenly over the baking sheet. Bake 40 minutes until sausage is cooked through and potatoes are golden and tender.
5. Serve with parmesan and crusty bread

Ruby's 2nd Ice Cream Birthday

We celebrated our sweet little Rue turning two by having lots of friends over for ice cream sundaes.  We had a full sundae bar complete with glass ice cream dishes that I found at Goodwill, a pretend ice cream parlor, a coloring station, a make-your-own ice cream hair bow station and last but not least an ice cream cone piñata.  Party favors were scented ice cream cone bubbles from Hobby Lobby and balloons with brown craft paper cones in the shape of ice cream cones.  We had so much fun and I really can't believe my baby is this big!

Asparagus Frittata

While I'm on an asparagus kick I thought I'd add this easy, healthy and delicious breakfast. It whips up in about 15 minutes start to finish. You could use any veggie that you enjoy, we just happen to love asparagus. Can't wait to make this next year with asparagus from our garden!

Asparagus Frittata  

Ingredients:

2 T unsalted butter

1/3 cup shallots, minced (one shallot should give you this much)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 lb asparagus, tough ends trimmed off, cut into 1 in pieces

6 large eggs, lightly beaten

1-1 1/2 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss Cheese (I use the Swiss & Gruyere Shredded Blend from Trader Joes's)

Directions:

Heat the butter in a 10-inch oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until melted. Add shallots and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. While the shallots are cooking pre-heat the broiler on high. Add chopped asparagus and salt to the shallots and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook covered for 3 more minutes. 

Pour the beaten eggs over the shallots and asparagus and cook without stirring for 2 minutes until the eggs start to set. They will still be runny on top. Sprinkle the top of the eggs with the shredded cheese and place in the oven under the broiler for about 5 minutes. It is ready when the cheese is melted and the eggs are slightly browned. Loosen the frittata with a spatula and invert onto a plate. Season with salt and pepper. Slice into pieces and serve while warm or room temperature.

Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin with potatoes and Lemon Asparagus

This is a great meal to make if you are having company or if you are bringing a meal to someone else.  The flavors are simple and it is very aesthetically pleasing. We aren't typically huge pork-eaters but this recipe makes me want to change that. My family devoured every last bit of it. It fed our family of four perfectly so you might want to double the recipe if you are having company. If you are aren't down with asparagus what is wrong with you  then you can replace it with with green beans or broccoli.  :)

Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin with potatoes and Lemon Asparagus

Ingredients

1 pound new potatoes, quartered (I used the tri-colored potatoes from Trader Joe's)

• 3-4   tablespoons of olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1  pork tenderloin (about 1 1/4 pounds) (Again, I buy a 2 pack at Trader Joe's)
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2  tablespoons  fresh thyme leaves
• 1  bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), trimmed
• 1  lemon, sliced

Directions

1. Heat oven to 450° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the oil and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once, until tender and browned, 20 to 24 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, rub the pork with the parsley, thyme, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. After the potatoes have cooked for 14 minutes, heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Do not  over cook the pork or it will be chewy. You are just browning it at this stage and will cook it through in the oven.
3. Add the asparagus and lemon to the skillet and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stack the asparagus on either side of the tenderloin and then lay the lemon slices on top of the asparagus.  Doesn't it look pretty? Remove the potatoes from the oven and cover with foil. Transfer the skillet to oven and cook until the pork is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Let the pork rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with the potatoes, asparagus, and lemon.

Thoughts on Mother's Day

Last night as I was putting Will to bed he said to me "Hey mommy, do you know that Ruby REALLY likes you?". It made me laugh because it's true- wherever I am, there is Ruby. She is my little shadow, brushing her teeth when I brush mine, helping me cook and put away dishes. If my hair is in a pony tail she wants her hair in a pony tail. If Brad tries to take her out of the car she cries and says "No, mommy!".  This has been an adjustment for me. Will is much more laid back and chill and whereas he loves his mommy, his love is not as intense and pursuing(sometimes down-right stalkerish) as Ruby's. Ruby is watching my every move, keeping a close eye on my comings and goings, emulating everything I do. It has made me extra conscious about how I talk about myself and how I spend my time. I am Ruby's definition of womanhood.

There are times when I try to think back about moments with my own mother and I feel sad when my memories of her are blurry or incomplete. It has been over 20 years since she died. I was nine years old. As I look at my own children and the little kids in my neighborhood the reality of what it would mean for one of them to lose their mother really sets in and I realize the significance of my loss. I was a little girl just about to enter the torturous years of middle school and my mom, my definition of womanhood, was dying in our living room and all I could do was look on and watch it happen. I remember feeling confused, powerless, and most of all lost. I spent the next few years after her death not really knowing quite what to do with myself.

Motherhood has brought me back to my mother in a special way. When Ruby cries and I scoop her up into my arms to comfort her and she slimes my shoulders with her mouth, I remember the saltiness of my mother's skin when I would cry in her arms in the same way. When I read to my children before bed and they snuggle into my sides I remember her reading Teddy Bears Picnic and The Giving Tree to me. As I plan birthday parties and holidays dozens of memories flood into my mind of her making every celebration special and extravagant. I am comforted when I realize that I don't have to remember everything perfectly because my life is all wrapped up in her life just like Ruby's life is all wrapped up in mine. Even if I can't quite remember her voice or what her laugh sounded like I can feel her in my veins. I can hear her voice in my own voice, her laugh in my own laugh, her sigh in my own sigh.

It has been over twenty years and at times the pain is still fresh and my loss is glaring.  I desperately wanted her there on my wedding day and at the births of my children. The difference between now and when I was young is that life is now livable and I don't feel lost anymore.  As I've matured as a woman and grown comfortable in my own skin I feel thankful for who she was and how she loved me.  As I parent my children I am thankful for her example during my early formative years. Happy Mother's Day to my kind, intelligent, thoughtful, beautiful, creative, gentle mother. I miss you. I love you. I can't wait to see you again and introduce you to my beautiful family.

Beer Brats

Grilling season is upon us! And due to all of my Wisconsinite blood I am craving brats on a daily basis. This is a simple way to amp up your usual brat and it is a good way to feed a crowd. . .that is of course assuming you aren't like the Lucht family who consumes absurd amounts of tasty-bratness.  The four of us ate a dozen last night! Don't judge until you try this recipe and then you will be stuffing your face as well. We use a charcoal Weber grill but obviously any grill will work. The brats brown up pretty fast after you pre-cook them in the beer bath so just keep an eye on them and turn them frequently.

Beer Brats

Ingredients:

1 dozen raw brats (I get the hofbrau brats from Trader Joe's)

1 dozen brat buns (optional, we go bun-less usually but Trafer Joe's carries brat buns)

4 tablespoons butter

1 onion, thinly sliced

3 cans or 2 bottles of beer (We get a six-pack of Name Tag Beer from Trader Joe's for $2.99)

ketchup, mustard, relish, ect.

Directions:

Combine the brats, butter, onion and beer in a large dutch oven or pot. Give it a good stir and then bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 10-15 minutes or until brats are cooked through. Remove brats from the beer bath and cook on the grill until golden brown. We also use a slotted spoon and remove the onions from the beer bath and cook them in an aluminum foil boat on the grill and eat the grilled onions on top of our brats. Serve with spicy mustards, relish, or whatever else you like. You can also use pretzel buns for some extra goodness. Enjoy!

Apple Coffee Cake

This is my go-to when we have over-night guests and I want to have something nice to serve them in the morning. I make it in a glass pie dish that has been greased with butter. It will seem like there isn't enough batter initially but it will expand during baking to fill the pan. Another option is to double the recipe and cook it in a 9x9 square dish in which care you will have to cook it a bit longer.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup of sugar (I use Trader Joe's Pure Cane sugar)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 5 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 medium Cortland or other baking apple, peeled and sliced

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a pie dish with butter.

2 In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

3 In a separate small bowl, mix 1/4 a cup of the sugar with the cinnamon, set aside.

4 Using an electric mixer, beat the butter with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Beat in the egg until blended. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk, beating after each addition until just combined.

5 Pour half of the batter in the bottom of the baking dish. Lay the apple slices on the batter so they just cover the batter (you may have to overlap some slices). Sprinkle the apples with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, reserving a teaspoon or two to sprinkle on top. Spread the rest of the batter over the apples. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar on top.

6 Bake the cake for 25 minutes or until it is golden brown and apples start to bubble at the edges.

Curry Meatballs

I was super shocked when my whole family loved and devoured this meal. Although my kids are pretty adventurous eaters I thought curry might be pushing them too far. The flavors were mild enough that it did not turn them off but strong enough to keep the grown-ups happy. As far as meatballs go these are much simpler than the swedish meatballs I am used to making so I felt like they were prepped and ready in no time. This recipe originally comes from the Everyday Paleo blog. If you plan on serving these meatballs over rice or with veggies then you'll probably want to double the sauce. We like to eat ours with naan bread from the freezer section of Trader Joe's.

Curry Meatballs

1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup finely diced red onion
1/3 cup finely diced apple
1/3 cup quick oats
1 egg
3/4 Tablespoon curry powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, place all of the meatball ingredients and mix well. Form into golf-ball sized meatballs and place in a glass baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes. Makes 8-10 meatballs.

Sauce

1 Tablespoon coconut oil (I use Nutriva brand)
1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 1/2 teaspoon honey
1 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 Tablespoon tomato paste (I used Bionaturae brand from Whole Foods in the glass jar)
1/2 cup chicken broth

In a large skillet saute the garlic in the coconut oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the honey, curry powder, and tomato paste and whisk together. Add the chicken broth and continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth. Bring to a simmer. After the meatballs come out of the oven, add them to the sauce and turn to coat well. Cover and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.

Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce

This recipe is the bomb diggity. You are going to want to kiss me on the mouth after you make this. It's not just good, it is REALLY good. It is also REALLY easy and almost impossible to screw-up. The only thing you need to be careful about is not over-cooking the chicken. It's better to under-cook it initially and then finish cooking it in the sauce instead of having chicken jerky because you over-cooked it.

Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

• 4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 3 whole Garlic Cloves, Minced
• 1 cup White Wine (I used 2 buck chuck from Trader Joe's)
• 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Dijon Mustard  (I use the the dijon mustard w/white wine from TJ's)
• 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Grainy Mustard (I use the whole grain dijon from TJ's)
• 1/4 cup (to 1/2) Heavy Cream
• 1/4 cup (to 1/2) Chicken Broth
• Salt And Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so that you have eight smaller, thinner chicken cutlets.  You could also pound the breast flat to 1/4 inch thick if you want to have larger pieces. Salt and pepper both sides.

Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook cutlets on both sides until nice and golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from the skillet and keep on a plate. You can cook the chicken in batches if it won't all fit in your skillet. Don't worry about covering it because it will go back on the heat later.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic to the pan and saute it for a minute, stirring to make sure it won't burn. Next pour in the wine being careful if cooking over an open flame. Then just let the wine bubble up and cook until it's reduced by half.

Throw in the mustards and whisk to combine, then whick in the cream. Stir in chicken broth, adding more if the sauce seems too thick. Taste sauce and adjust whatever you think it needs. Add chicken breasts back to the pan, nestling them into the sauce. Allow sauce to cook for another few minutes, shaking the pan if needed to move things around.

Serve chicken with a green salad, spooning the sauce over the top and some crusty bread.

Almond-Crusted Chicken Fingers

This is a great quick recipe for lunches or a busy week night. If you don't have almond flour then you can just throw some almonds in the food processor until they are finely ground. I make these for the kiddos for lunch and serve them with ketchup, honey or bbq sauce.

Almond-Crusted Chicken Fingers

Ingredients:

3/4 cup almond flour

1/4 cup whole-wheat flour (you could also use sprouted wheat flour)

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 large egg whites

1 pound chicken tenders, or breasts cut into strips

Preheat oven to 475°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Set a wire rack on the baking sheet and brush with butter.

Place almond flour, wheat flour, paprika, garlic powder, dry mustard, salt and pepper in a food processor; process until blended and the paprika is mixed throughout, about 1 minute. With the motor running, drizzle in oil; process until combined. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish.

Whisk egg whites in a second shallow dish. Add chicken tenders and turn to coat. Transfer each tender to the almond mixture; turn to coat evenly. Place the tenders on the prepared rack.

Bake the chicken fingers until golden brown, crispy and no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.

Sloppy Joes

I still have traumatic flashbacks about these horrifically awful sloppy joes that a babysitter of mine used to make for me when I was in elementary school. She served them to us all the time with canned mandarin oranges. They basically consisted of ground beef, lots of ketchup and soggy buns.  Or there was that one time that my grandma put raw beef onto hamburger buns, squirted them with ketchup, broiled them in the oven and then called them sloppy joes. They were really just bloody, ketchup covered, piles of goo. Sounds good right? Gag. Cringe. Puke. She doesn't have the internet so I can call her out like that. . .sorry Gram.

Needless to say sloppy joes needed to be redeemed for me in a major way. I found this recipe in my "Skillet Suppers" magazine put out by Cook's Illustrated. After I got past the initial feelings of dread and horror that I usually associate with this meal I decided to give them a try. They were so good and so easy that I now feed them to my family on a regular basis. I hope that they have more positive memories about sloppy joes than I do. :)

You can modify this recipe however you like. If you want a lower fat version then you can substitute ground turkey for beef. If you like things spicy (Sloppy Joses) then increase the chili powder to 1 T, add 2 T of ground cumin and 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper with the spices and 1 chipotle chile, seeded and minced and a can of black beans after you cook the meat. Enjoy!

Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped fine

1/2 tsp salt

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 lb 85 percent lean ground beef (I use grass-fed)

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp brown sugar

1 cup tomato puree (I use Bionaturae Organic Strained Tomatoes)

1/2 cup ketchup (I use Organic Ketchup from Trader Joes)

1/4 cup water

1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce

hamburger buns

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, salt and stir until coated with oil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until onion is soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beef and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until just pink, about 3 minutes. Add pepper, brown sugar, tomato puree, ketchup, and hot sauce. Simmer until sauce is slightly thicker than ketchup, 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon onto hamburger buns. Serve with sweet potato fries or chips.

Sausage, Red Potato and Kale Soup

This is a Pioneer Woman recipe and it is similar to the Zuppa Toscana at Olive Garden. Her directions left a few details out so I just wrote it down the way I made it.  It is very filling and perfect for cold weather. If you are afraid of kale then this is a great way to try it. :) Make sure you invite the neighbors over because it makes a huge batch. I'm not sure if it would freeze well because of the kale and it is a cream base but you could give it a shot. It made 12-15 servings.

Sausage, Red Potato and Kale Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 bunches kale, rinsed, tough stalks removed and torn into bite sized pieces
• 10-12 small-medium sized, whole red potatoes, sliced thin
• 1 whole large onion, finely chopped
• 1-½ pound Italian Sausage
• ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes (more to taste)
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups whole milk
• 4 cups half-and-half
• Splash of heavy cream
• Fresh or dried oregano to taste
• Black Pepper to taste
• Salt to taste

Preparation Instructions:

Prepare the kale and set it aside.

In a medium pot boil sliced potatoes until tender. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, crumble and brown the Italian sausage. Add onions and cook until soft. Drain as much as the fat as you can. Stir in the red pepper flakes, oregano, salt, chicken broth, milk, and half-and-half. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Give it a taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add the potatoes, a splash of heavy cream for richness, then stir in the kale. Simmer an additional 10-15 minutes, then serve with crusty bread.