I tried, it flopped, but here's the good news

So, Diener's Table wasn't the riveting, gotta-make-that kind of blog I'd hoped it be. Sorry to my 3 followers :)

But good news!! I'm moving the recipes over & will be posting recipes on our family blog- Diener Five.

Thank you dear friends for your support, and I hope you'll give me another shot at tempting your tummy over on the DienerFive spot.

Thank you!! And Adieu- from this blog.

(after I get the recipes moved over I'll close this one down.)

Grilled Asparagus

Ingredients:
1 lb. Fresh Asparagus (I like the really skinny asparagus)
½ TBSP. Olive Oil (or better yet, use a spray olive oil)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Garlic Powder to taste

Preparation:
Rinse asparagus. Cut or break off woody ends (the parts that are white, dense, “woody” in texture). Roll them around in the olive oil (I pour it on and use my hands to mix them around). Sprinkle w/ the salt, pepper, & garlic powder. Tell your griller dude or dudette that they’re ready- and onto the hot grill they go. When they get nice and brown & crispy looking- they’re done. Not many of ours make it all the way to the table, they get eaten en route. (Hence the lack of a full lb. in the photo).

Time from prep to done- it depends on how long everything else is cooking because these are done in minutes (maybe 10 max?).

Super yum, 5 stars by all family members.

Options—maybe some cayenne pepper, maybe some lemon juice, real garlic (minced or sliced) instead of the powder--- want to do an *asian* asparagus—use soy sauce, sesame seeds, & maybe some ginger.

Bacon & Cheese Omelet

Ingredients:
Non-Stick Spray
3 Large Eggs
1 TBSP Water (approximately)
Mozzarella Cheese (2% is great)
2 TBSP Bacon Pieces
Basil (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Parmesan Cheese

Preparation:
Heat a large skillet to sizzling hot. Spray in a little non-stick spray (or whatever you like to use to keep things from sticking). In a small bowl, whisk 3 eggs until frothy, add in a smidge (about 1 TBSP) of water, whisk a bit more. Dump whisked eggs & water into hot skillet. Isn’t that a great sound?
Now, after the eggs start to get bubbly (do NOT mess w/ the eggs, leave them alone!), sprinkle on a bit of mozzarella, some bacon pieces, salt & pepper if you like, and a bit of dried or fresh basil. Now, when the eggs are really bubbly, carefully pull up an edge w/ your spatula/pancake turner- *I don’t know what it’s really called (one of these ). If it’s nice and golden, fold the whole thing into thirds. Turn one side over onto the middle, then the other. IF the inside of your omelet is still gooey- a trick I pull is to get 2 spatulas* and flip the whole deal over for a minute or two. You want it set & cooked, you don’t want gooey eggs in the middle—but, you don’t want them overcooked either. Now. Turn off the heat. Flip it onto a plate (or divide it up there, that’s what we usually do) and sprinkle on some more mozzarella and some parmesan.

Options: waaaaaay too many to even begin discussing.

Family Reviews:
Dad- loved it
Mom- loved it, but prefers a lot more veggies that no one else eats on hers.
Son- YUM
Daughter 1- ate it all gone and asked for more.
Daughter 2- ate it all gone and asked for more.

Braised Pork Chops w/ Gravy

Braised Pork Chops w/ Gravy

Ingredients:
1 TBSP olive oil
1 lb. Pork Chops
Salt & Pepper to taste
¼ cup apple juice
¼ cup chicken stock
2 TBSP flour (more or less)

Preparation:
Put the olive oil in a hot skillet. When it’s nice and hot, add your pork chops. Add salt & pepper to taste (or not—great way to keep added sodium out of your diet- and the chicken stock has sodium in it, so don’t worry about lack of flavor). Let them get nice & brown on both sides (about 5-6 minutes or so). Remove the pork chops, keep them warm. Add the juice & chicken stock. Whisk around the pan to mix in any of the yummy stuff that’s sticking to the pan. After it’s mixed & warm, add your pork chops back in. Turn the heat down to a low simmer. Cook until pork chops are cooked through (if you buy the thin chops like I do- it won’t be long). Then, after they’re cooked- remove them again, keep them warm. Now, add 1-2 tbsp of flour (it depends how much liquid you have left in your pan and how thick you like your gravy). Whisk until it’s all smooth. Now, serve up your chops and pour on some gravy.

Options: a ¼ white wine instead of the apple juice, or ¼ cup pineapple juice. Would also go nicely w/ some nice warm rice (brown to get the most nutritional punch).

Family Reviews:
Dad- 3 out of 5 stars
Mom- 3, maybe more if I hadn’t overcooked the pork, out of 5 stars
Son- really liked it, can’t touch the magnificence of mac n’ cheese, though
Daughter 1- ate a few pieces, spit or threw most of them out
Daughter 2- ate it all (she must have been really hungry)

Faux Pasta Carbonara

Faux Pasta Carbonara (click link for picture)
Ingredients:
1 TBSP (or less) Olive Oil
1 TSP Salt (more or less)
½ box of your favorite pasta (I used a ½ box of Ronzoni Smart Taste Rotini)
2 TBSP Butter/Margarine
3 TBSP of bacon pieces (I just use the pre-bought pieces instead of bits. Aim for the lower sodium.)
1-2 cups of steamed peas (depending on how much your family likes them)

Preparation:
Cook the pasta according to package directions (or, if you’re like me: boil water (w/ pinch of salt and dollop of oil added), add pasta, cook pasta for about 8-10 min. until al dente, drain, and put back in pot). Then add the butter/margarine, bacon, peas and stir it up. Then you’re ready to go!

Possible addition- a little grated or shredded parmesan on top. Tip- mix some of the peas in, but not all, then put some on top of the pasta- otherwise they all sink to the bottom.

Time-wise: This cooks up pretty fast. It depends on how fast you can boil water. The actual preparation of the ingredients together, though, goes really fast. 15 minutes tops.

Family Reviews:
Dad- 3 out of 5
Mom- 3 out of 5, good enough day two to make a lunch of the leftovers
Son- loved it a 100 miles, still not more than mac n’ cheese
Daughter 1- ate most of it
Daughter 2- ate all of it (near record-breaking there)

Apple Chicken Stir Fry

Tonight, something new. Apple Chicken Stir Fry.

It cooked quickly, tasted great, and is versatile.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast (cut up into small cubes)
1/2 large onion (cut into chunky slices)
2 large apples (peeled, cut into chunky slices, seeds/core removed)
1 cup green beans
The following to taste:
Salt (dash+/-)
Pepper
Cinnamon
Garlic Powder
Ginger
Chili Powder

Preparation:

I put our stir fry pan on our stove top and kicked up the heat to about medium high. I put the oil in and let it get sizzly. Then, I added the chicken. When using a stir fry pan, be sure to spread the food out all along the bottom & sides- things cook better & more evenly this way. Here's where I added my seasonings. Whenever I cook, if it's not for a precise recipe, I just sprinkle the spices on top- if it looks about right then I stop. If my family likes something then I can use more, if they don't, I use less. Then, after a few minutes when the chicken was browned on all sides, I added the onions and apples. I cooked it a few more minutes (stirring frequently-- always stir frequently in a stir fry- should be obvious, but maybe it's not) until the onions were translucent and the apples were nicely browned. The last step was to add our pre-cooked green beans (they were leftover from the night before- only steamed then). I heated and stirred until the beans were hot. Then- supper was served.

From the time my husband and son walked in the door, until we were at the table and ready to eat- 30 minutes tops.

It's delicious, and a great way to use up some of those bountiful Fall apples that are at farmer's markets now.

Other options for this meal: tofu, or turkey sausage instead of chicken. Pork might work well, too. If you like things more spicy- add in some cayenne pepper. Have picky eaters? I separate out the chicken, beans, and apples on my children's plates- it helps a little.

Now, for the family review:

Mom- loved it
Dad- would give it 3.5 out of 5 stars
Son (age 5yr)- liked it a whole lot but not as much as macaroni & cheese
Daughter 1 (age 2.5)- said yummy but then didn't eat any of it
Daughter 2 (age 2.5)- just plain didn't like it

Apple Chicken Stir-Fry

Tonight, something new. Apple Chicken Stir Fry.

It cooked quickly, tasted great, and is versatile.

----------------------------------
Apple Chicken Stir-Fry

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast (cut up into small cubes)
1/2 large onion (cut into chunky slices)
2 large apples (peeled, cut into chunky slices, seeds/core removed)
1 cup green beans
The following to taste:
Salt (dash+/-)
Pepper
Cinnamon
Garlic Powder
Ginger
Chili Powder

Preparation:

I put our stir fry pan on our stove top and kicked up the heat to about medium high. I put the oil in and let it get sizzly. Then, I added the chicken. When using a stir fry pan, be sure to spread the food out all along the bottom & sides- things cook better & more evenly this way. Here's where I added my seasonings. Whenever I cook, if it's not for a precise recipe, I just sprinkle the spices on top- if it looks about right then I stop. If my family likes something then I can use more, if they don't, I use less. Then, after a few minutes when the chicken was browned on all sides, I added the onions and apples. I cooked it a few more minutes (stirring frequently-- always stir frequently in a stir fry- should be obvious, but maybe it's not) until the onions were translucent and the apples were nicely browned. The last step was to add our pre-cooked green beans (they were leftover from the night before- only steamed then). I heated and stirred until the beans were hot. Then- supper was served.

From the time my husband and son walked in the door, until we were at the table and ready to eat- 30 minutes tops.

It's delicious, and a great way to use up some of those bountiful Fall apples that are at farmer's markets now.

Other options for this meal: tofu, or turkey sausage instead of chicken. Pork might work well, too. If you like things more spicy- add in some cayenne pepper. Have picky eaters? I separate out the chicken, beans, and apples on my children's plates- it helps a little.

Diener5 Reviews:

Mom- loved it
Dad- would give it 3.5 out of 5 stars
Dylan (age 5yr)- liked it a whole lot but not as much as macaroni & cheese
Daphne (age 2.5)- said yummy but then didn't eat any of it
Andrea (age 2.5)- just plain didn't like it