Ginger Crock Pot Roast

How I love Pot Roast Crock Pot recipies.

2 cans of gingerale - not diet
20oz Ketchup
1 pkg Lipton's Onion soup mix
3-4 lb Roast
Salt and pepper

Mix gingerale, ketchup and soup mix. Salt and pepper roast. Cook on low for 6-7 hours.

Potato Leek Soup

Ingredients:

2 leeks - cut in half and sliced (you can get them already cleaned at TJ's)
2 tablespoons butter
1 lb new potatoes quartered
6 cups of chicken stock/broth
1 head of broccoli or handful of asparagus cut into big chunks
Thyme, red chili flakes, salt and pepper to taste



Saute leeks and butter for about 8 minutes or until soft. Season with thyme, salt, pepper and chili flakes to taste. Add chicken stock and potatoes and bring to a boil. Cook for 12 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Add green veggie (if not using green veggie use more potatoes) and cook for another minute or so.

Hand blend or put in blender. Taste and season with more salt/pepper if needed.

Enjoy with crunchy breach.

Israeli Couscous and Shrimp

Thank you Laura for making this the other night at Dinner Party, it was so yummy --- I had to make it at home.

This is a 10 minute meal that I served with steamed zucchini. So simple to make, but tastes very complex.

1/2 package of Israeli Couscous (I got the Israeli couscous blend in a bag from Trader Joes)
1/2 package of frozen cooked, cleaned and tail off medium shrimp (also Trader Joes)
1 can chicken stock
1 tbl butter

Make couscous according to package and thaw shrimp. With 4 minutes left on the couscous, heat the shrimp in a skillet with olive oil, salt and pepper. Add shrimp to cooked couscous and serve with a vegetable.

Grilled Chicken Taco Pizza

Derived from recipe courtesy of Aaron Mccargo, Jr. for Food Network Magazine

Yum with a capital Y!

Approx 4-5 tbl of packaged Taco Seasoning (I bought the big container from Costco because we love tacos)

For the Pizzas:
1/4 cup canola oil, plus more for brushing
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 16-ounce tube pizza dough (I got mine from Trader Joes)
All-purpose flour, for dusting
2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (Trader Joes)

Salsa
Sour Cream
1 Avocado diced
1 lime juiced
Cilantro

Directions

Mix 2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning and the canola oil in a shallow bowl. Pound the chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap to 1/4 inch thick. Add the chicken to the bowl, turning to coat, and marinate 30 minutes.

Preheat a grill to medium high. Grill the chicken until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Let cool, then cut into bite-size pieces.

Divide the dough into 3 pieces. Roll out each on a floured surface into an 8-inch round. (I just used my hands to flatten out the dough) Brush with canola oil, sprinkle with taco seasoning and grill until crisp, 3 to 5 minutes per side; remove from the grill.

Sprinkle the cheese on the crusts and top with the chicken. Return the pizzas to the grill,and cook until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the avocado, lime juice. Top the pizzas with the avocado mixture, salsa, sour cream and cilantro.

BBQ Cajun Chicken

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
Cajun Seasoning
2 Slices of Pepper Jack Cheese


Cut a slit in the side of the chicken and stuff with cheese. Sprinkle Cajun seasoning (you can find in the spice aisle) and bbq.

We ate it with rice and steamed spinach.

Turkey Meatloaf with Red Pepper Sauce

Derived from Dave Liberman's Bubby's Turkey Meatloaf from Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients
Meatloaf:
2 pounds ground turkey
2 eggs
3 ounces tomato paste (1/2 of 1 small can, reserving rest for the sauce)
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
a couple squirts of Worcestershire sauce

Red Pepper Sauce:
3 ounces tomato paste (from reserved 1/2 can)
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 small red pepper, seeded, cored, and roughly chopped
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt (maybe a little more depending on your taste)
15 grinds black pepper

Directions
Meatloaf:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


In a large mixing bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the meatloaf and work together completely by hand until all ingredients are evenly distributed and the mixture is uniform. Place meat mixture into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and shape into a loaf about 11 inches long and 4 inches wide. It is important to form it like this so that it cooks evenly throughout. The loaf should be in the middle of the pan with room on both sides for the sauce to pool.


Red Pepper Sauce:

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Cover the meatloaf with the sauce and allow excess sauce to pool around the meatloaf. Cover pan with aluminum foil but avoid contact with meat loaf by leaving at least a couple inches of space between the top of the meatloaf and the foil. Bake for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake 45 minutes longer. Let rest for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Mustard Parm Chicken - updated

I made an oldie but goodie last night. I think this is listed under 2009, but this time I kicked it up a bit adding more flavor and spice to the dry ingredients.

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 stick of butter
1-2 cloves of fresh garlic
1/2 Tbl dry mustard
A few shakes of worchestire sauce
1 tbl paprika * (new)
1 pinch cayenne pepper * (new)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Melt butter in frying pan and add garlic, dry mustard and worchestire sauce. Bring to a simmer.

In a bowl combine bread crumbs with Parmesan cheese, paprika and cayenne.

Coat the chicken in the butter sauce and roll in the dry mixture. Place in baking pan and pour any remaining butter over the chicken. Bake for 30-40 minutes in a covered dish - check chicken.

Serve with steamed broccoli and rice pilaf (trader joes). Start rice when you put the chicken in the oven.

Smoked Gouda Mac with Leeks and Bacon

I love leeks, I love bacon, I love cheese, I love pasta.

This is by far not a healthy meal, but a yummy one.

2 Leeks, lighter green parts sliced and chopped (make sure they are cleaned well)
1/4 lb bacon diced
1/2 lb smoked Gouda grated
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese grated
1/8 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 tbs Dijon mustard
Small squirt of ketchup (optional)
a couple shakes of Tabasco
1/2 lb elbow noodles
salt/pepper

Cook the bacon until crisp over the stove and transfer to a paper plate with paper towels when done. Leave the bacon fat in the pan (not a lot, just enough to saute the leeks).

Start boiling the water for the pasta and cook according to package while you make the leeks and cheese sauce.

Saute leeks for about 8 minutes or until soft. Season with salt/pepper.

Remove leeks and place with cooked bacon. Add flour and milk and whisk to eliminate flour clumps. Cook on low/medium for a couple of minutes. Add cheese and melt. Add leeks, bacon, hot sauce, ketchup and Dijon and stir.

Add cooked pasta to cheese sauce and serve.

Zucchini Couscous

My friend Vivian was kind enough to bring me a zucchini from her garden. This zucchini was HUGE!!!! I used it in lasagna one night and then in couscous.

Zucchini Couscous

2 cups couscous (I got mine from Trader Joe's)
2 cups chicken stock
1 zucchini diced or sliced
2 shallots diced
olive oil
salt and pepper

While you bring chicken stock to a boil, saute the shallots and zucchini with olive oil, salt and pepper. Once the chicken stock is boiling, add the couscous, turn off the heat and cover for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add the veggies. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Easy summer side dish that doesn't require the oven!

A's Big Salad

It is getting hot here in the Valley. I love love love summer, but I hate turning the oven on. Last night, we had a big salad for dinner. It was very satisfying and healthy. I think we may have to throw this into the summer dinner rotation.

1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 cucumber diced
2 Roma tomatoes diced
1 small can olives sliced
1/2 head of broccoli chopped
1 avocado diced
Handful of washed spinach
Handful of crushed (not crumbs) corn chips
Your favorite salad dressing (use individually so you can keep the left overs for lunch)

Brian's Pasta

Last night we were going to make the smoked Gouda roasted veggie pasta. I went to the gym and came home to Brian's creation. It was so yummy --- maybe Brian needs a blog and I need to go to the gym more often.

1 jar pasta sauce
1/2 bag of fresh spinach
1 zucchini
1/2 bag of fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese
sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese
1 bag of penne pasta
1/2 lb ground turkey
salt pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375

A lot of multi tasking:
Boil water and make pasta
In a sauce pan - saute the veggies with olive oil and some salt until soft.
In a separate pan cook turkey and season with Italian seasoning,garlic powder, salt and pepper.

In a 9x13 dish combine cooked pasta, veggies, turkey and sauce. Top with cheese (Gouda and Parmesan) and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese melts and sauce is warm.

Lemon Ginger Martini Fizz

What's for dinner ---- cocktails!

In a martini shaker:

-Ice
-Juice of one lemon
-1 tbl sugar (you can add more per taste)
-grated fresh ginger (use micro plane grater - 1/2 tsp)
-two shots vodka
-shake
-pour into 2 martini glasses and top with seltzer

Brussels Sprouts and Chicken Sausage

A healthy easy meal.

1 package of Apple and Chardonnay Chicken Sausage from Trader Joe's
1 package of microwavable Brussels Sprouts from Trader Joe's
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper

Slice up the sausages and in a pan with a little bit of olive oil cook over medium heat.
Microwave the brussels sprouts for 90 seconds (thanks for catching that Christine!)

When the sausages are browning, add the brussels sprouts. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until the brussel sprouts brown a bit.

It makes enough for two, but Brian isn't home and I don't think they'll be any left for him.

Paula Deen's Lady and Son's Chicken in Wine Sauce

I cut this recipe in half and made it last night. I served it with steamed broccoli.....yummy!!!!!

Ingredients
4 large skinless boneless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for casserole
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces (about 8 slices) Swiss cheese
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup herb-flavored stuffing mix, crushed

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Add the chicken to a shallow buttered casserole and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Layer the cheese slices on top.

In a medium bowl, add the soup and the wine, season with salt and pepper and pour over the cheese. Sprinkle stuffing mix on top and drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.

Twice Baked Potatoes

4 Russet Potatoes
4 oz cream cheese
1/8-1/4 cup sour cream
3 tbl diced chives
Salt/pepper
Paprika

Microwave potatoes (make sure to clean and poke holes in them with a fork prior to microwaving). I microwaved them for about 6 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425

Let potatoes cool a bit and then cut them in half (long ways). Scoop out the "meat" of the potato while leaving enough so they can stand up.

Mix/Mash, with an electric mixer all of the ingredients, minus the paprika. Spoon mashed potatoes back into the potato bowls. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake in a glass dish for about 15 minutes.

Turkey and Spinach Lasagna

1/2 lb ground turkey ( i buy a 1 lb pkg and freeze the other 1/2)
salt/pepper

6 no boil lasagna noodles
1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce
1/2 of a 15 oz tub of ricotta cheese
a huge hand full of raw spinach
1 egg
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese


Preheat oven to 425
Brown the turkey and season with salt and pepper
In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese egg and spinach
put a layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 8x8 or 9x9 pan
place 2 noodles down
top with the ricotta mixture
place 2 noodles on top
place meat mixture and pour some sauce
place 2 more noodles on top, pour the rest of the sauce and top with the mozzarella cheese

Bake in oven for 40 minutes

Cola Pot Roast

Pot Roast in the Crock Pot - Take II

I am in love love love with the crock pot. Last night I was in charge of bringing a main dish to my girl's dinner party. The girls are amazing in the kitchen and the bar is set high every meal with a new delicious main dish. Since I've been working from home, I thought a crock pot meal would make sense since I can set it in the morning and forget while I plug away at work. I found this recipe on a number of different websites and postings. It was a big hit last night.

1 pot roast (mine was 4 lbs)
1 envelope of Lipton's onion dip/soup
1 12 oz can of Coke (regular)
3 tbls ketchup (I added this)
salt and pepper

Lightly salt and pepper the roast and place in crock pot. Pour in onion package, soda and ketchup. Stir around and set on low all day. I had it in there for about 9 hours.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

This dish is really easy and very yummy. If you double it up, it would be a great thing to bring to pot lucks. You can also customize this dish with adding different veggies, cheese and spices.

I derived this recipe from www.chefandphotographer.blogspot.com.

1 egg
3/4 cup low fat sour cream
1/2 cup non fat or low fat milk
1/2 red and 1/2 yellow bell peppers diced (while the water boils saute with olive oil for a few minutes to soften up)
1 pinch of Cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
2 cups (8 oz) grated cheese- you can use all cheddar or your favorite cheese or a combination whatever you have on hand
4 1/2 cups elbow noodles cooked
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tbs melted butter or olive oil
pinch of salt, pepper, and paprika

Pre heat the oven to 350. While you boil the water and cook the pasta, in a bowl mix the egg through the ground pepper until mixed. Add in the cheese and mix, then fold in the cooked noodles. Spread into a greased 9x9 casserole pan and pat down to evenly fill the pan. In a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs, butter and salt, pepper, and paprika. Sprinkle over the pasta and cover the pan with foil. Bake for 30 minutes.

Coconut Cream Pie

Another lovely evening in the Valley with Shiri, Mark and dogs. I love bringing dessert to dinner and I think everyone knows it. So when I ask, what should we bring? I'm really saying, I'll bring dessert. I have been determined to make a coconut cream pie. I tried it a couple of months ago and I must have done something very wrong, because the cream did not thicken. It has been haunting me ever since. Last night --- victory! I produced a yummy - can I have thirds? cream pie. I did learn a very important lesson during the baking process. I do not make crusts. I took a class at William Sonoma on how to make pie crusts. You think that would have helped - no! Brian said my crust tasted like poop. It looked just as bad too (had cocoa powder in it). For $3 I got two frozen pie crusts that were good. Obviously not as good as homemade, but way way better than my homemade.

I can't remember which blog/Internet I found this recipe. My apologies for not giving credit where credit is due.

Coconut Filling: Adapted from the Tom Douglas’ Seattle Kitchen cookbook

For the coconut pastry cream:
2 cups milk (I used 2%)
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

Whip Cream
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup sweetened coconut toasted for topping (400 degree oven, put coconut on cookie sheet and watch! Should only take a few minutes to toast up).


*The pie crust can be made a day ahead of time and stored at room temperate.

For the coconut pastry cream:
Combine the milk and coconut in a medium saucepan. Add the vanilla extract to the milk mixture. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and stir occasionally until the mixture almost comes to a boil.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and flour until well combined. Temper the eggs (to keep them from scrambling) by pouring about 1/3 cup of the scalded milk into the egg mixture while whisking. Then add the warmed egg mixture to the saucepan of milk and coconut. Whisk over medium-high heat until the pastry cream thickens and begins to bubble. Keep whisking until the mixture is very thick, 4 to 5 minutes more.

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the butter and whisk until it melts. Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and place it over a bowl of ice water. Stir occasionally until it is cool. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a crust from forming and refrigerate until completely cold. The pastry cream will thicken as it cools. When the pastry cream is cold, fill the prebaked pie shell with it, smoothing the surface.

Top with whip cream and sprinkle toasted coconut.

Cheese Tortellini with Mushroom Sauce

I love the Food Network. It combines two of my favorite things - tv and food. Another wonderful combination will be next week's Glee and songs from Madonna. I can hardly wait! Back to food. In last month's Food Network Magazine, I found a recipe from Chef Anne Burrell that looked very labor and time intensive - Ricotta-Taleggio Ravioli with Wild Mushroom Sauce. Hmmmm, looks good, but how can I make this Weeknight friendly?

Instead of making the ravioli from scratch (yeah right) I bought cheese tortellinis from Trader Joes. While the water boiled, I made the sauce. Brian is not usually a fan of tomato-less pasta sauces, but this one he LOVED. I made some changes to it, so if you are a true purest check out the real recipe on the food network website.

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1 cup diced pancetta (used the entire package of diced pancetta from trader joes)
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup each mushrooms sliced (Anne uses fancy wild mushrooms, but we are on a budget)
Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Drizzle olive oil into a large deep pan. Add the pancetta and garlic and place over medium-high heat. When the garlic is light brown and fragrant, discard it. When the pancetta is crisp, add the mushrooms, season with salt and saute until the mushrooms are soft and wilted, about 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock, add green onions, season with salt and cook until the sauce is reduced by half. Add the butter and cook, shaking the pan, until the sauce thickens and looks velvety. Season with salt, if necessary.

Add cooked pasta to sauce and serve with cheese.

Tamale Casserole

I got this recipe off of ...and a cookie for dessert blog. I love that blog and have found some great and easy weeknight meals from there. Brooke got this recipe from another blog that referenced it from a Cooking Light recipe. Did you follow that? Now I am sharing it with you because IT IS AMAZING and super EASY!!!! Brian and I ended up using left over carnitas instead of the chicken. I think you can use shredded beef, pork or chicken for this.

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (14 3/4 ounce) can cream style corn
1 (8.5 ounce) box corn muffin mix
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
cooking spray
1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

Coconut Macaroons

I went to an Under the Sea themed dinner last Saturday night and needed to bring a dessert that kept the theme. Coconut Macaroons!!! Here's what I like about these...you can get creative. I made one batch, but separated it into two bowls. In one bowl I put orange zest and in the other lime zest with a tablespoon of rum. Maybe next time I'll put in cocoa powder or chocolate chips. The possibilities are endless.

1 stick of room temperature butter
3/4 cups sugar
3 eggs room temperature
6 cups of sweetened coconuts flakes
Your added flavor here

Preheat oven to 325

In an electric mixer beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Then add eggs one at a time. Mix in coconut and then flavor.

Scoop heaping tablespoons onto a lined cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until tops get golden brown.

Pineapple Mustard Chicken in the Crock Pot

For the Chicken
6 oz can of Pineapple Juice
6 oz of water (fill can of pineapple juice up with water)
2 tbl yellow mustard
1 tsp pepper
2 tbl brown sugar
2 chicken breasts

For the topping:
1/2 diced red pepper
1 to 2 diced jalapeno
1/2 can black beans
diced pineapple (fresh or canned)


Add all ingredients for chicken and cook chicken on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours in the crock pot.

Mix all topping ingredients in a separate bowl.

Serve chicken on top of white rice. Serve with topping.

Meatballs in the Crock Pot

I am really enjoying my crock pot and have been happy with the meals that have come out of it. I thought, why not try meatballs? So I did and they came out amazing. Moist, juicy and full of flavor.

1 pound of ground meat (10 % fat)
1 egg
1 1/2 tbl ketchup
1/3 cup bread crumbs
a couple shakes of Italian seasoning
a couple shakes of red pepper flakes
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper

1 jar Tomato sauce
Pasta

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. I usually mix everything excluding the meat first, then add the meat and mix. You don't want to over mix the meat. Make balls and brown over the stove in a pan for about 5-8 minutes. Then add to crock pot that is filled with your favorite tomato sauce. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Make pasta and add to sauce. Enjoy!

Meatballs are like meatloaf. You can get creative! Add Parmesan cheese to the mix, add fresh herbs, mix meats. The possibilities are endless.

Rhona's Chili Casserole

My Rhona was a wiz in the kitchen. She loved to cook and bake and I loved to eat. We were a good combination. One of my favorite weeknight meals was her chili casserole which she got from a print out at the old Mrs. Gooches (now Whole Foods.)

Rhona made this usually in her Orange cast iron pot, but if you don't have one you can use a 9x13 glass dish.

2 cans of store bought chili
1 can corn
1/4 cup diced green onions
1 small can diced green chilies
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (Mexican blend)
Corn chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In your pot heat the chili over the stove. Once warm, start layering. Add a layer of crumbled chips (not too crumbled, just broken up a bit), then corn, chilies, onions, cheese and top with anther layer of chips. Place in oven until cheese melts and heated through.

Brian's Veggies

Now that Brian has a lot more free time, he is helping out in the kitchen. We are trying not to be wasteful, so last night he took the left over veggies from the roast (carrots, celery, mushrooms) and threw them in a pan. He added soy sauce, garlic powder, salt and hot pepper oil (from tj's). They were amazing. What a great guy!

A Rump in the Crock

My friend Shiri took me to a cooking class last Saturday night. It was given by the Chef at Anaheim's House of Blues. This was one of the best classes I've been to because Wendie (the Chef) walked through a number of week night crock pot meals. She made Lasagne in the crock pot. Who knew? The meal Brian and I tried tonight was the roast because I found a rump on sale yesterday. I cut up the veggies last night and placed them in a ziplock bag so preparing the dish this morning was a breeze. At first Brian thought the meal was ok/good, but I caught him going for round two. He's not much of a Roast guy, but I think this may have converted him.

Rump or Chuck Roast - rub salt and pepper on both sides
Carrots peeled and sliced into discs
1/2 onion diced
4 celery stalks diced
6 red or yellow potatoes
hand full of diced mushrooms
1 cup Balsamic salad dressing

Place everything into the crock pot and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours

You got your veggies, starch and meat all in one.

Chicken Chili

Last Saturday, I had a wonderful time playing a mean game of Scrabble with my dear friend Debbie. While getting 33 points for OXEN, I noticed her crock pot was out on the counter. I have a crock pot and never use it and am always looking for some good recipes. Debbie told me that she made Ina's Chicken Chili recipe in it and that it came out amazing. I was inspired. Below is my take on Ina's recipe. Brian and I made it last night. The flavor was great. We would have liked it to be a little thicker, but still yummy. Enjoy.

Serves: 3-4 servings
Ingredients
1 chopped yellow onion
2 garlic cloves minced
1 red bell pepper diced
1 yellow bell pepper diced
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce - just plain canned sauce - not jar
1/8 cup minced dried basil leaves
2 chicken breasts diced
2 chicken sausages diced
1 can kidney beans


For serving:
corn chips, grated cheddar, sour cream

Directions

Place all ingredients in crock pot. Set on low all day. Done!

Paprika Garlic Bread

My friend Jen came over last Friday for dinner. We made the Turkey, Spinach stuffed pasta and a salad. A very yummy meal. The star of the meal was Jen's Paprika Garlic Bread. I love that red stuff.

She cut a french loaf in half, spread it with butter, garlic powder, paprika and Parmesan cheese and baked in the oven at 350 degrees for about ten minutes. A great compliment to any meal.

Bacon Ranch Mac and Cheese

This recipe is from this month's Cooking Light. I made some changes to make it easier/quicker. Brian not only ate his bowl, but half of mine as well.

8 oz elbow mac pasta
1 tbl butter
2 tbl flour
3 strips of bacon
1/3 cup 98% fat free condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cup non-fat milk
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/3 cup of shredded Italian cheese blend - maybe a little more if you like it cheesy


Cook bacon until crispy - set aside and cut up

Cook pasta according to package

In a sauce pan, melt butter and add flour. Whisk until combined - about a minute. Add milk and soup and whisk. Bring to boil, then simmer until thickens - about two minutes.

Add onion, garlic, dill and cheese. Take off of heat and stir.

Add bacon and then add to pasta.

Enjoy!

Wasabi Brown Rice

Our wonderful neighborhood Trader Joe's sampled Wasabi Brown Rice the other day. At first blush I thought, wasabi mayo mixed in with brown rice, gross. After a bite, that all changed. It was delicious.

A very easy side dish -- Mix already cooked brown rice with a little (very little) bit of TJ's wasabi mayo. We had it last night with TJ's pre-cooked pot roast and steamed spinach. A very easy 10 minute meal.

Crash Hot Potatoes

My friends Mark and Shiri were gracious enough to invite Booie and me over for dinner the other night since Brian was out in Riverside for work. They made amazing BBQ chicken, corn (with cayanne pepper) and Crash Hot Potatoes from the Pioneer Woman's blog. These potatoes were awesome. Shiri does a great job with pictures and instructions, so please check out her blog.

You can personalize these potatoes. Some suggestions: rosemary, garlic powder, salt and peper or salt, peper and top with sourcream, bacon and chives. So fun!

Create your own Enchilladas

I went to TJ's yesterday to get the butternut squash for my enchiladas and realized that they may be out of season because there were none to be had. Boo Hoo. So, I grabbed the already cooked "Just Chicken", some roasted green chilies, cheese and the enchilada sauce. Instead of butternut squash enchiladas, we had chicken green chili enchiladas. Brian was very happy.

Bruschetta Chicken

Brian often requests this for dinner. One of his favorites.

4 chicken bonless skinless breats (pounded out)
1 14oz can diced tomatoes with juice
3/4 cup shredded mozarella cheese
1/2 box stuffing mix
1/2 cup chopped basil
salt and pepper
olive oil

Preheat oven to 375

In a bowl combine tomatoes with juice, cheese, stuffing, basil, salt and pepper. Mix until combined well.

Salt and pepper chicken and drizzle with olive oil. Take a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of mix and place in the center of the chicken. Roll chicken.

Bake for approximatley 30 minutes.

Laura's Cucumber Crakers

At our dinner party last week, Laura threw together these amazing appetizers. They were so good and easy, I just had to share this recipe with you.

Crackers - Laura used flax seed crackers
Whipped cream cheese
Trader Joe's - sun dried tomato pesto
Sliced cucumber
Pepper

This is how you assemble:

Top cracker with whipped cream cheese, then pesto, then cucumber and finally sprinkle with pepper.

I bet you can't eat just one.

Orange and Honey Pork Chops

I am new to pork recipes since we don't really make a lot of the "other white meat" at home. We tried this out last night (I found the recipe in my folder and can't remember where it is from). I served the pork with steamed asparagus and Pillsbury crescent rolls.

3 pork chops (I got them at TJ's)
1 orange for rind and 1/2 of the orange's juice
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tbl honey
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves minced
2 tbl rice wine vinegar


Mix orange rind, juice, thyme, salt, pepper, vinegar and garlic in a small bowl. Pour over pork which is placed in a 8x8 or 9x9 glass dish. Marinate for at least 2 hours (you can do before you leave for work and refrigerate).

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Pour one tablespoon of honey over the pork and cook for 10 minutes. Take pork out (not a good idea to stick you hand in the oven) and pour the second tablespoon of honey over the pork and cook for another 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Mango Bellinis

Depending on your day, Mango Bellinis can make an excellent dinner. Just kidding, I would not recommend it but do recommend making them when you are entertaining. I made them on Saturday night and they were a huge hit.

Very Easy....

Champagne and Mango Juice. So yummy! You can even get fancy and drop a frozen mango chunk in the glass.

Cheers!

Apple Pear Crisp - Ina Garten

I was asked to bring dessert to a friend's house the other night. It was a cold rainy day in Los Angeles (yes cold is relative), so decided to try for the first time Ina's apple pear crisp. So glad I did. Not only was it yummy, it was also beautiful. Everyone enjoyed, especially my friend's pregnant sister who insisted she has been craving apples and pears. Go figure. If I were to do it again, I think I will just stick to apples. The pears and apples cooked differently with the apples coming out softer. A lot of different consistencies. Overall, a yummy dish especially when it is served with ice cream.

Ingredients
2 pounds ripe Bosc pears (4 pears) (I used 3)
2 pounds firm Macoun (I used Fiji) apples (6 apples) (I used 5)
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the topping:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Peel, core, and cut the pears and apples into large chunks. Place the fruit in a large bowl and add the zests, juices, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch oval baking dish.

For the topping:
Combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 minute, until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely.

Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm.

Easy Dinners This Week - The Plan

We were out of town this weekend, so didn't get a chance to plan the week. I did a quick trip to TJ's yesterday afternoon and decided on some easy meals for this week.

1) BBQ Chicken

Brian will BBQ up some chicken and corn and I'll throw some potatoes in the oven. We are lucky here in Los Angeles to be having amazing weather, so cooking outside is a treat that we should take advantage of.

2) Smoked Gouda Roasted Veggie Pasta

Please refer to previous post about how to make this. I picked up some smoked Gouda cheese, bell peppers and an onion. I am going to use pasta and pasta sauce we already have in the house.

3) TJ's Turkey Chili w/ Cornbread

I found this recipe on the TJ's Fearless Flyer. So easy and delicious you'll plotz. Pour two cans of turkey or beef chili into a 9x13 glass container. Make the TJ's cornbread according to package and pour it on top of the chili. Bake according to package. Serve with a salad or steamed broccoli.

Easy Halibut - "South of France Halibut"

This recipe is from my new favorite cookbook - The I Love Trader Joe's Cookbook: 150 Delicious Recipes Using Only Foods from the World's Greatest Grocery Store by Cherie Mercer Twohy

1 (13.4 oz) jar of Trader Joe's Ratatouille Sauce
1/2 cup white wine
2 cloves of garlic or 2 frozen cubes of garlic
2 Halibut Steaks (approx 1 pound)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Red Pepper flakes to taste

I let the fish defrost in the fridge for the day - less cooking time.

Combine the sauce, wine and garlic in a skillet and add halibut. Cook for approximately 15 minutes. Make sure you flip the fish so it cooks on both sides.

Meanwhile, make french fries in the oven. Frozen fries take about 15-20 minutes to cook and should be done around the same time the fish is. We also had steamed asparagus. Easy, yummy meal.

Easy Chicken Divan

This is derived from a recipe I found in a Cooking Light cookbook.
Serving 2ish

1 (9 oz) boneless skinless chicken breast
1 pkg fresh broccoli
1 (10 oz) can low fat cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup non fat milk
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp curry powder
salt and pepper

3/4 cup rice


Start rice (cook according to package).

Salt and pepper chicken breast and cook on skillet with olive oil until done. I pounded out the chicken so it would cook faster.

Steam broccoli in microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds.

While rice and chicken cook, place the soup, milk, cheese, curry powder, pepper to taste and steamed broccoli in a pot and heat on stove. Stir to make sure cheese melts. Add cooked chicken to mixture and let sit for 2 minutes. Serve over rice.

Turkey and Spinach Stuffed Manicotti

Serving 2 (We are terrible with left overs)

1/4 lb ground turkey (save the rest and freeze for tacos or meatloaf)
1/4 yellow onion diced
1 garlic clove (or 1 frozen garlic cube from Trader Joe's)
A little bit of olive oil
1/4 of a 15 oz tub of ricotta cheese
2 big pinches of shredded Parmesan cheese
2 big pinches of shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1 jar tomato sauce (your favorite)
6 Manicotti noodles
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Start boiling water
Heat olive oil in skillet and add turkey, onion, salt and pepper. Add garlic when there is a minute or two left on turkey. Cook until turkey is done and take off of heat to cool.

In a separate bowl, combine cheeses, salt, pepper, spinach and parsley. Add cooled turkey mixture to cheese mixture.

Water should be boiling by this point. Cook pasta for 7 minutes.

Line a 9 x 13 glass dish with foil for easy clean up. Put a little bit of tomato sauce at the bottom then with a slotted spoon take out ready pasta and place in dish. Let cool for a minute. Gently stuff noodles with turkey cheese mixture and pour the remaining pasta sauce over the noodles. Top with mozzarella cheese.

Cook for 30-35 minutes.


Serve with salad.