Sausage, Kale and Cannellini Bean Soup March 20, 2013

I have been on a big soup and sandwich kick lately. After three weeks in sunny LA I returned home to equally sunny Alaska but not nearly as warm. This is a very simple soup to throw together. The head of kale was HUGE and a bit too much but overall we loved this soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb hot Italian sausage, casings removed
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 4 cups chicken broth
  
• 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 piece parmesan rind
• 1 bunch kale, coarsely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

Wash and chop your kale. I opted to tear mine by hand.

 

In a soup pot, brown sausage. If there is a lot of fat drain it. You want about 1 tbsp. Add your garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute for 2-3 minutes.

Add in all remaining ingredients, except the kale.

 

Cook over a low boil for 15 minutes. Add in the kale and cook until wilted, another 5 or so minutes.

 

Serve with a sandwich, or alone, and enjoy!

Tamale Pie February 2, 2013

I first came across this as a crock pot recipe but I knew it would be simple to adapt and make quickly in the oven. It was tasty and fast. One to keep in the files for the future.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 tbsp fajita seasoning
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• 4 oz can diced chilies
• 12 oz frozen corn
• 2 tbsp taco sauce
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 1 package (8-1/2 ounces) corn bread/muffin mix
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

Saute beef and onions over medium heat. Drain off excess fat once browned.

 

 

Add in corn, beans, tomatoes, chilies, garlic salt, seasoning, taco sauce and cilanto.  Saute for 10 minutes.

Transfer mixture to an oven safe dish.

 

Mix remaining ingredients together and spread over top

 

 

Bake for 20 minutes or until cornbread mixture is set. Enjoy!

 

Pan Fried Chicken and Waffles October 14, 2012

Having lived in LA, we love Chicken and Waffles (thanks Roscoe’s!) Having gotten a cast iron skillet last year I was dying to try out homemade pan fried chicken. The waffles were pretty basic and the gravy was a simple black pepper gravy but the chicken was AMAZING!

Ingredients:

• 1 quart butter milk
• 1 cup hot sauce
• 2.5lb bone in skin on chicken
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp cayanne pepper
• Oil for frying

Directions:

In a plastic container, combine buttermilk and hot sauce. Add chicken and let soak overnight.

Preheat oven to 350

Place a cast iron skillet on the stove and fill half full with oil. Heat over medium until temperature reaches 350.

In another plastic container, combine flour and seasoning. Remove chicken from the buttermilk mixture and pat dry. Place the dry chicken in the flour mixture. Shake off the excess flour and dunk the chicken back into the buttermilk mixture. Return to flour mixture one more time. The triple dipping will form a crispier coating.

Add the chicken to the oil a couple pieces at a time. Cook 6-7 minutes per side until deep brown. Place on a baking sheet and put it into the over for 10 minutes to finish cooking the meat. Enjoy with waffles and gravy.

Scratch Made Sloppy Joes September 13, 2012

The other day I had a huge craving for sloppy joes. I grew up eating the stuff from a can, but I wanted to make a healthier version and boy was it simple. We both loved these and it only took a handful of ingredients I keep around the house.

Ingredients:

• 1lb Ground Beef
• 1 jalapeno, chopped
• 2 gloves garlic, chopped
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1/2 tbsp mustard powder
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water

Directions:

In a large skillet saute the beef, garlic and jalapeno. If you have fatty beef, saute it most of the way first and drain before adding the garlic and jalapeno.

Once brown, add the tomato paste, onion powder and mustard. Saute for 5 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients and cook until desired consistency.

Pasta with Goat Cheese, Ricotta and Asparagus August 12, 2012

I love goat cheese, but the hubs thinks that the flavor can be a bit overwhelming so I try and find ways to mellow it out. I came across a recipe and knew right away using just goat cheese would not work so I added in some ricotta. It made the dish creamy without an overpowering taste of goat cheese. I used whole wheat pasta for some extra texture and taste.

Ingredients

• 1 pound rotini
• 1 pound slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 3.5 oz log soft fresh goat cheese
• 1/4 cup ricotta cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add asparagus and cook until pasta is tender but still firm to bite, about 3 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, combine oil, lemon peel, ricotta, and chopped tarragon in large bowl. Coarsely crumble in goat cheese.

Drain pasta and asparagus, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Add hot pasta, asparagus, and 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid to bowl with cheese mixture. Toss to coat, adding more reserved liquid if dry. Season pasta to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to shallow platter.

Crockpot Corona Carnitas May 9, 2012

How about that for some alliteration? I bought a giant pork shoulder roast on sale a few months back and have been waiting to use it. I have seen a bunch of crockpot carnitas recipes online so I decided to give it a try. I made mine in advance and then heated what I needed in a pan to crisp it up and froze the rest for later use. I made a huge batch

Ingredients:

• 7lb pork shoulder roast
• juice and zest of one orange
• juice and zest of one lime
• 1 bottle Corona
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp ground corriander
• 1 tbsp Mexican oregano
• 2 tbsp cumin
• 2 tbsp garlic salt
• 1 tbsp Ancho Chili Powder
• 4 cloves garlic

Directions:

In a crock pot combine the beer, juices and bay leaves

In a bowl combine zest, garlic and spices

Cut your roast down to manageable pieces and rub each piece with the spices before placing in the crock pot.

Cover and cook over low for 8-10 hours or until pull apart tender.

You can eat at this point as is or crisp pork in a pan.

Oven Roasted Beef Ribs April 18, 2012

Beef ribs are some of my favorites to do in the oven. I have never find a good way to make them on the grill so its always a simple marinade and a long slow baking time before enjoyment.

Ingredients:

• 2-3lb beef ribs
• 1 packet mesquite grill marinade
• 1 tbsp oil

Directions:

In a plastic bag, mix the marinade and the oil. Toss in the ribs and marinate overnight.

Preheat oven to 275 and bake ribs for 3-4 hours until meat has pulled away from the bones.

Serve and enjoy!

Crockpot Beef Short Ribs April 16, 2012

I love a good short rib. They are so meaty and when cooked for a long time super tender. This is why I broke out the crockpot. These are super simple to make and a crowd favorite.

Ingredients:

• 4-5lb beef short ribs
• 1 tbsp garlic salt
• 1/2tbsp cayenne (we like spicy)
• 16 oz bottle BBQ sauce

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Directions:

Dump everything into the crock pot and cook over low for 6-8 hours depending on how big your ribs are (or if you start with frozen ones).

Eat and enjoy.

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff April 14, 2012

I LOVE my crockpot and I love stroganoff so I developed a super simple way to combine the two. I shredded my beef but you can chop it up even finer if that is how you like to eat it.

Ingredients:

• 2-3lb pot roast
• 5oz mushrooms
• 2tbsp dried dill
• 1 brick cream cheese (I used reduced fat with no issues)
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 15oz can beef broth
• 1 tsp black pepper
• Egg noodles to serve

Directions:

Add everything into your crock pot. I sliced my mushrooms but you can leave them whole. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Remove your roast and shred the beef

Return beef to pot and stir everything to combine. You can thicken at this point using a flour/water mix. Cook on high for 20-30 minutes.

Serve over noodles and enjoy

Pesto and Moz pasta April 12, 2012

I love cooking with fresh basil but I have found its always cheaper to buy the big containers of it instead of the little ones. To make sure that I use up all the extra basil, I like to make a pesto since it freezes and stores well. I love to mix it with seasoned mozzarella balls to make a delicious pasta side.

Ingredients:

Pesto:

• 2 bunches basil
• Juice of one lemon
• 3 cloves chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup walnuts (you can use pine but I live walnuts)
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 lb dried pasta
• 1 cup diced seasoned mozzarella balls

Directions:

In a food processor add all items for the pesto starting with 2tbsp of the oil. Blend until it forms a smooth paste adding more oil as needed.

Boil your pasta according to package directions

Mix in 3tbsp of the pesto mix and mozzarella

Serve with anything you like (we had halibut and mixed veg)