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Jessica
Sweet Pea Chef
Jessica, aka the Sweet Pea Chef, is a former U.S. Senate staffer/weekend gourmet turned full-time mom/family gourmet. She lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband and two sons.
 
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November 19, 2009

Eating on the Cheap, Version 2.0

Yesterday I shared our favorite recipe for Dilled Egg Salad, a really tasty and inexpensive recipe. Today I thought I would share another favorite way to stretch a menu on the cheap. Potatoes are inexpensive, and despite being maligned for years from those in the low-carb camp, are quite healthful. Next time you make baked potatoes and have a few leftover (or just make a few extra to have on hand), try out this easy, delicious and good-for-breakfast-lunch-or-dinner side dish. Hashed Potatoes 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1/2 medium onion, sliced 2 medium or large baked potatoes 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons water In a large, non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes or until they start to become translucent. Meanwhile, slice the potatoes. Add the potatoes to the skillet and let sit (you don't want to move them around in the pan too much so they can have a bit of "browning" on each side). Let them saute for a few minutes and them flip them around in the pan. After the initial browning, you can move them around in the pan more frequently. Add the salt and pepper. Stir, and take note as to whether or not the bottom of the pan is getting a slight brown to it. If it is, go ahead and add the water. The water will loosen all the tasty browned bits at the bottom of the pan, greatly enhancing the flavor of the potatoes. Once the water has fully evaporated, remove from the pan and serve warm. Serves 4 (oh, and you can easily double this recipe). SPC
November 18, 2009

Eating on the Cheap

"In there challenging economic times…"

Hardly a day goes by without some store, organization or individual spouting these words to precede some statement of fact. Some local food stores are trying to promote their prices and methods for getting a meal on the table on the cheap. Meanwhile cooking shows also seems to be utilizing our common interest in inexpensive meal preparation. [more]

November 17, 2009

How to Boil Water

Okay, so this post is not really about boiling water, per se, but how to bring it to a boil and cook hard boiled eggs. [more]

November 16, 2009

Food Marketing

I’ve been thinking a lot about food marketing over the weekend, perhaps because I often attempt to harness the positive aspects of marketing to encourage healthy eating with my boys. If you have read this blog for any amount of time, you’ve read how I alter the names of certain dinners to appeal to the tastes of a 2 and 5 year old. Like last week, when I shared the recipe for “Hamburger” soup. [more]

November 13, 2009

Closed Eye Bite

I seem to recall from elementary school some little riddle that went like this, “Open your mouth, and close your eyes, and you will get a big surprise!” I am pretty sure what followed usually was not a good type of surprise, but that little saying came to mind when we were challenging R and G to try something with noticeable onions in it.

My sweet R used eat anything, I mean anything, we put in front of him. But recently he has hit that somewhat inevitable stage of kiddie eating where he starts to pick at his food and ask "what's this?!" [more]

November 12, 2009

Slow Cooker "Hamburger" Soup

My mom is my biggest source of new recipe ideas. Usually she sends me a PDF of a recipe she scanned with a note, “a blogging idea?” But I took special notice when she sent me this recipe of hers she wrote on it, “****” and started her email with the words, “This is a keeper” I couldn’t agree more. [more]

November 11, 2009

First Feedings

So we have a new cousin in the extended SP family, a little boy Isiah who is sweet as sweet can be. Remember me sharing my cousin Jill’s watermelon salsa recipe this summer and mentioning how her pregnancy craving was watermelon? Well, Jill’s own little sweet pea Isiah has arrived…actually he arrived in October, but I was on H1N1 quarantine and I refused to subject Isiah to my germs, so despite being ridiculously excited to meet (and hold) him, I waited until the germ coast was clear. [more]

November 11, 2009

Tuesday's Tip

Yesterday I mentioned how the holidays are already upon us and a neat website I found for locally produced foods. While I am starting to come up with some ideas for presents for others, I am also thinking of some items yours truly might want to add to her Christmas list. [more]

November 9, 2009

Only the Best

Here we are in the second week of November and already the holidays seem imminent. My mom was in town over the weekend, affording SPH and I the luxury of doing some shopping—by ourselves. And good thing too, as every which way you turn there is some sort of item luring kids’ attention and seemingly begging, “put me on your Christmas list!” [more]

November 5, 2009

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Sometimes I choose recipes with the boys' food "likes" in mind, sometimes it is for a particular occasion, and sometimes, just sometimes, I just choose recipes that *I* think I would like. (Side note: SPH is one of the least picky eaters I know, so he is one person I know will eat almost anything I serve)

I saw a recipe for Moroccan-Style Stuffed Acorn Squash recently in Martha Stewart Living. I had just picked up some local Acorn Squash, so this recipe was calling my name. I loved the idea of using Moroccan flavors in a squash, and this recipe also used Bulgur, which I love. [more]

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