Menu Monday

Kind of a boring Menu Monday post with a few repeats.  Hopefully you whipped up something more exciting last week! Share any discoveries in the comments, s'il vous plaît.

Tuscan Pasta with Tomato-Basil Cream {Southern Living July 2007}

When I posted this on Instagram, I mentioned that I cringe whenever I make it because it is chock full of highly processed and unhealthy ingredients.  The good news {or bad news, depending on how you look at it} is that this wasn't nearly as good as I remember, so I won't be making it again.  This time around all I could taste was salt, salt, salt.  That said, M loved it and polished off the leftovers pretty quickly.

Wild Rice Burgers {The Kitchn}

This recipe was recommended to me by a dear friend last year.  While they don't quite measure up to our favorite black bean burger recipe in the veggie burger pantheon, they are easy to make and delicious. They are definitely a unique taste and texture, but I've come to love them.  M won't ever make a special request for these, but he enjoys them as well.  I would recommend cooking the rice the night before.  The burgers hold together much better when the rice has that sticky leftover rice consistency.

Fish en Papillote {Laura Calder}

I mentioned this recipe in my post about meal planning last week.  I just love Laura Calder and this is one of her best recipes.  A few notes: I normally just use half of an onion instead of a leek.  I can't find quatre épices or Chinese five-spice in our tiny town grocery store, so I make my own spice blend.  I use cinnamon, cloves, ginger, black pepper, and nutmeg.  Just a little sprinkling of each on top of the fish.  I also find that I need to cook it for a good 3-4 minutes longer than the recipe calls for.

Crockpot White Chicken Chili {Design Wine Dine}

SO SO SO SO good. I lurrrrrrve white chilis and this one was fantastic.  My adjustments:  I have a phobia of Cream of XYZ soups {too many chemicals and the gloppy, jiggly texture is creepy} and packaged seasoning mixes {too many additives and no way to tell how long it's been sitting on the grocery store shelf}.  The good news is that it's cheap and easy to make your own!  I use Pinch of Yum's Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup recipe and Budget Bytes' Taco Seasoning recipe.  

We topped our soup with extra sharp cheddar, crushed corn tortilla chips, hot sauce, sour cream, cilantro, and fresh lime. Plenty leftover for lunches this week.

Bon appétit!