Mommy Cooks: Week of January 9

I’m going to preface this new series of recipe sharing posts with two big caveats. One is that despite my extreme obsession with Top Chef, Top Chef Masters, Top Chef All Stars, The Next Food Network Star, Hell’s Kitchen, MasterChef, etc, I am not a very proficient cook. I try. Some days harder than others. I have pushed myself to try new recipes and learn new techniques. My goal is to try one new recipe a week but holidays, busy schedules do get in the way and sometimes I resort to things like frozen chicken pot pies (gotta love Mrs. Budd) and take out.

My second caveat is that I might not always cook the healthiest of meals. I have three very difficult mouths to feed. My husband doesn’t eat cheese and is not the biggest veggie eater. My oldest son is six. Do I need to say more than that? My youngest son has very severe food allergies and generally does not eat what we are eating. If I post or link to a recipe here, it means it was easy, tasty and generally enjoyed by my guys. (The baby is still slowly getting introduced to solids.) I try to keep everything we eat in moderation but if a special/healthful/low caloric diet is what you’re searching for. This is not the place to find it.

This week we have a very special Fifth birthday to celebrate so we’ll be having a rare dinner out during the week.

Monday – Chorizo and Eggs ( This is so basic. I’m also embarrassed to share but so yummy and a crowd-pleaser. Grab a pound of chorizo and cook it in a sauce pan for around 5 minutes or until done. I try to buy turkey chorizo but any kind will do. If you have a lot of grease, use a paper towel to soak up. Once the chorizo is cooked through, add eggs. Mix until the eggs are cooked through. Meanwhile, heat flour tortillas in the microwave or on the stovetop. You can get fancy and add cheese, mushrooms, or onions but we like them plain. Throw the chorizo and eggs in to the warm tortillas. Roll and enjoy)

Tuesday – Slow Cooker Thai Beef (I’ve made this a few times. The hubs loves it. Leaves plenty of leftovers for the next day. I like it with bread but my husband prefers the rice.

Wednesday – Leftovers

Thursday – Birthday Meal

Friday – Thai Pork and Noodle Soup (You’ve got to make this. A few extra steps but this soup is really, really good. We had trouble finding the wonton wrappers. You can substitute rice noodles from the Asian aisle or regular old egg noodles.  I'm subbing ground pork with ground turkey. We’ll see how it works.)

For more meal inspiration, check out Pinterest. You can follow me under my alter ego, Christine Flynn.