Cooking with Victor

Molly and Victor

In mid-January, Molly and her mom made a snowy trek to Moorhead, Minnesota to visit Molly's sister and her family.  Molly's nephew, eight year old Victor, was pleased to know that Molly was doing more cooking in her apartment.  He also knew she loves pizza, so he shared his simple pizza recipe with her.  This is a quick and easy dinner for anyone to make with minimal adult assistance.  (The oven.)

I, too, gave the pizza an A+ out of 10.  I'm still thinking about how to rate the bread salad. If you don't have time for the whole seven minute video, or can't wait to see this, here is a link to a video collage of the experience:  Pizza and Bread Salad Video Collage.

And, here's the recipes:

Bread Pizza:

Ingredients -
One slice of bread for each person
Pizza or marinara sauce
Shredded cheese
Toppings:  meat, veggies, etc.

Kitchen Needs -
Oven preheated to 375 degrees
Cookie sheet
Hot pad holders
Table knife
Hot pads
An adult to turn the oven on, put the pizza in the oven, take it out, and turn off the oven.

WASH HANDS.  Spread pizza sauce on bread.  Put about 1/4 cup of shredded cheese over the pizza sauce.  Top with your favorite toppings.  Bake in the oven for 8-12 minutes, check often after 8 minutes.  Let cool a bit, serve.

Bread Salad

This makes a single serving.
Ingredients -
Lettuce or other greens
Bread
Salad dressing

Kitchen needs -
Plastic food container with tight-fitting lid.

WASH HANDS.  Tear as much lettuce and greens as you care to eat into a plastic container.  Tear one half piece of bread into bit size pieces and put in container with greens.  Pour salad dressing (not too much) on the bread and greens.  Fit lid tightly on container.  Shake!  Remove lid and serve.


Molly and Victor - step by step video of cooking instructions:

We're Here to Cook Healthy, Simple and Delicious Food!

Welcome to the first post of "A Meal of Her Own" - we're so glad you're here.  In the attempt to help Molly accomplish her goals of planning weekly menus and cooking delicious food, we are going to let this blog be the support that keeps her, her staff, and her family connected and informed.

The food blog idea came up as we were eating a dinner that Molly and her staff prepared for her mom, Lori; sister-in-law, Heather; nieces Miss A and Miss E; with enough left overs to send home to her brother, Ian.  There was also enough for Molly to pack two lunches for work this week.  Yum!

We hope to have her staff, family, friends, and other interested people hop in and share some recipes and pics with us from time to time.  To begin with we'll post a recap of tonight's meal.

January Sunday Supper Menu - Served at Mom's Apartment

Mini Pot Pies**

Baked Fresh Tomatoes**

Hash Browns**

Tossed Salad*

Buttered Corn*

Chocolate Cake with Blue Icing and Fish Sprinkles*

Water to Drink

Mini Pot Pies

This is a healthy but simple variation on pot pies.  Make some with chicken and some without.  The left overs will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, or they can be frozen for 4-6 weeks.

Ingredient List - Have all these items out before you start.

1 Can Refrigerator biscuits - don't use the big ones (grands)

1 Cup Carrots Shredded or Chopped - you can buy them already shredded or you can chop them in the Ninja

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped mushrooms

1 cup frozen peas

2 Tablespoons Butter

2 Tablespoons Flour

1/2 - 1 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded cheese

Salt and pepper - sparingly to taste

Spray oil or oil to grease the pan

Kitchen Supply List - Assemble all these items before you start. 

Ninja (food processor) or cutting board and sharp knife

Skillet and wooden/silicone spoon for stirring

Cupcake pan, regular size, not mini

Rolling pin (optional)

Wash Hands   Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  

Chop the onion, celery, and mushrooms in the ninja - pretty finely.  If you are not using carrot shreds, chop the carrots in the Ninja as well.  Melt the butter on a low heat in the skillet.  Place all the veggies in the skillet with the butter.  Cook, or saute, over a med heat until veggies are tender, but not soggy.  Turn the heat to low and sprinkle the flour over the veggie mix in the skillet.  Stir gently to mix.  When all the veggies are coated with the flour, slowly stir in the milk.  Start with 1/2 cup of milk and add more until the sauce is the consistency you want.  Stir until all the flour, milk, and veggies are one saucy mixture.  If the mix seems dry, add water, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, until it is the consistency you want.  Turn off the heat and cover the skillet while you prepare the biscuits.

Spray the cupcake wells with cooking spray, or use a brush or paper towel to apply oil to the wells.  Roll out the biscuits (or you can flatten them out with your hands).  Put one biscuit in each oiled cupcake well and press gently into the bottom and up the sides.  Flatten the biscuit out enough so you'll have some dough to fold over the veggies mixture - it will make sense as you do it.

Go back to the skillet mixture.  Add the shredded cheese to the mix and gently stir it in. (You can add a little more liquid 1-2 tablespoons at a time if you think it needs more moisture.)  Distribute the mix evenly in the prepared cupcake wells.  

You can add a bit of pre-cooked meat - chicken, ham, hamburger - in some of the mini pot pies if you are not a vegetarian or if you are not cooking for a vegetarian.  

Place the cupcake pan in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.  The crust should be firm and golden brown.  Let the pot pies stand 5-10 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

Baked Tomatoes

Just make a small amount of this dish, 1-2 tomatoes at a time.  Why?  Because this dish is only good for 1-2 days after you make it, and you can't freeze it.  

Ingrediant List  - Have all these items out before you begin to cook.
1 Tomato Per Person - small to medium size
1/4 cup chopped mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 - 1/2 cup shredded cheese - a white, mild cheese is good, not cheddar
Small amount salt and pepper to taste

Kitchen Supply List - Assemble these items before you start.
Cutting board and sharp knife
Ninja (or just use the cutting board and knife)
Glass measuring cup to melt the butter in
Pie pan or other shallow baking dish
Small mixing bowl

Wash Hands.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Using spray oil or a small bit of cooking oil, grease the bottom of the pie pan.  Wash the tomatoes under cold, running water.  (Wash the mushrooms if they are not pre-washed, the package will tell you.)  Slice each tomato into 2-3 slices.  Slices should be about 1/2 inch thick.  Place the tomato slices in the pie pan.  Chop the onion and mushrooms.  Melt the butter in the glass measuring cup.  Mix the onion, mushrooms, and butter together.  It will be like a paste.  Top each tomato slice with a bit of the mushroom/onion/butter mixture.  You may have to spread it around, smoosh it on.  It's okay for some of the mixture to be in the pan, not on the tomatoes, too.  Put the pan in the oven, bake for 20 minutes.  Carefully take out the hot pie pan and set it on a a heat safe place - the counter, a hot pad, a wood cutting board, etc.  Carefully sprinkle the shredded cheese on the tomatoes.  Carefully put the pan back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes.  

Let the tomatoes cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

The other items on tonight's menu are easy - and you don't even need them.  We had so much food because there were several people eating and we had little ones who like corn and hash browns. The salad was a ready made chopped salad with a vinaigrette dressing.  Molly made a box cake mix with tube frosting and sprinkles.  And - we love water to drink!  

HAPPY COOKING!

We'll be adding a menu and grocery list this week, and hopefully some pics from Molly's cooking for her sister, Mallary; brother-in-law, Doc; and V, Esq and Miss M when we go visiting family in Moorhead, Minnesota next weekend.  Stay tuned!