So, I like to think of myself as a seasoned bull-shitter! If you ask my sister about something I told you, she would probably start laughing and tell you I just made that up! This coming from the women who believes almost everything I tell her... Being a seasoned bullshitter also means you have the much needed ability to adapt and make shit up as you go. This ability of mine ties into all aspect of my life, including food!
So, lets talk about the art of making it up in the kitchen! I am sure every single one of you has walked into your kitchen, opened the refrigerator, opened the pantry, returned to the refrigerator and still had ZERO ideas on what you were going to prepare for dinner. The first step which is the most important, is to pick a protein & a starch! So, lets say you decide on chicken and pasta... The second step is to think of your favorite chicken & pasta dishes. Lets say I choose chicken alfredo, chicken noodle soup, and chicken Parmesan Do you have ALL the ingredients you need for any of those dishes? More than likely, NO! The third step is to deconstruct your favorite dishes and create a new one. So, you have already decided on chicken and pasta. Just narrow down your options from the ingredients you have in the fridge and pantry. Lets say you have lasagna noodles, pasta sauce, and your chicken. The fourth step is to take the ingredients you chose and construct a dish. Think to yourself, how can I put this together to make this a delicious, easy meal?? My pick would be chicken lasagna roll ups! Bread your chicken and bake in the over until done, at the same time boil your noodles. Cut up the cooked chicken into slices and mix with 1/2 cup of pasta sauce. Place the mixture at the top of your cooked noodle, and roll it up. Continue this process until all your noodles are done. Place the stuffed noodles into a butter baking dish, cover with remaining pasta sauce and shredded or parm cheese and bake for 20 min! BAM! YOU DID IT!!!!!!!!!!
Friday, September 9, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
Great recipes, stage II
Hello there my beautiful fabbies! I hope "My Favorite Recipes" made there way into your lives with much enjoyment. If they did, WHEW HEW!!! If they didn't, well I tried and will continue to try! Starting with these next 3 recipes (in my best Bob Barker voice)!! I have also decided to add a GREAT TIP section of my blog!!
Like I mentioned in the last post, my recipes will continue to expand your confidence and experience in the kitchen. Prepare to experience awesome food and prep work you never thought you could do! YOUR TASTE BUDS WILL LOVE YOU, and hopefully your family/friends will get a little satisfaction too!
GREAT TIP - You can find pretty much anything you need at Hy-Vee, and if you cant find it just use something else thats comparable!
#6 Summer Squash/Zucchini Risotto
Filling: In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth and cumin to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the couscous. Cover the pan until the couscous is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 to 6 minutes. Put the couscous in a large bowl and add the beans, currants, spinach, feta and 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir until all the ingredients are combined.
Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all the ribs and seeds. If necessary, cut a very thin slice from the base to help the peppers stand up. Stuff the peppers with the filling and drizzle the tops with olive oil. Put the peppers in an 8 by 8-inch square baking dish. Fill the baking dish with 3/4-inch hot water and bake until the filling is golden and the peppers are cooked through, about 55 to 60 minutes. Cooks Note: If the filling begins to brown too quickly, cover the pan with foil.)
#8 French onion soup
Enjoy!!!
Like I mentioned in the last post, my recipes will continue to expand your confidence and experience in the kitchen. Prepare to experience awesome food and prep work you never thought you could do! YOUR TASTE BUDS WILL LOVE YOU, and hopefully your family/friends will get a little satisfaction too!
GREAT TIP - You can find pretty much anything you need at Hy-Vee, and if you cant find it just use something else thats comparable!
#6 Summer Squash/Zucchini Risotto
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2-3 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled zuchinni AND summer squash (or whatever veggie you want
- diced garlic and onions (how ever much you prefer)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 cups arborio rice (rice isle of the grocery store)
- 4 14-ounce cans (or more) broth (chicken, beef, or veggie)
- 1 cup chopped fresh basil
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese OR MORE :)
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add veggies and sauté until beginning to soften and brown around edges, about 5 minutes. Transfer veggies to medium bowl.
Reduce heat to medium; add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and thyme to same pot and stir until tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add rice and stir 1 minute. Add 1 cup broth and simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently, 3 to 4 minutes. Add remaining broth by 1/2 cupfuls, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding next, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Return squash to pot. Continue to cook until rice is just tender but still very creamy, stirring gently and often, about 10 minutes longer (about 25 minutes total cooking time). Remove from heat. Stir in basil and 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to large bowl and serve with additional Parmesan cheese.
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3/4 cup couscous
- 1 packed cup chopped baby spinach leaves
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 peppers, any color you want
- Hot water, as needed
Filling: In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth and cumin to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the couscous. Cover the pan until the couscous is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 to 6 minutes. Put the couscous in a large bowl and add the beans, currants, spinach, feta and 1/4 cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir until all the ingredients are combined.
Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all the ribs and seeds. If necessary, cut a very thin slice from the base to help the peppers stand up. Stuff the peppers with the filling and drizzle the tops with olive oil. Put the peppers in an 8 by 8-inch square baking dish. Fill the baking dish with 3/4-inch hot water and bake until the filling is golden and the peppers are cooked through, about 55 to 60 minutes. Cooks Note: If the filling begins to brown too quickly, cover the pan with foil.)
#8 French onion soup
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 large onions, thinly sliced (food processor works great)
- 48 fluid ounce's chicken broth
- 14 ounce's beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 sprigs fresh parsley,1 sprig fresh thyme leaves, 1 bay leaf (dried herbs are fine)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 4 thick slices French or Italian bread
- 8 slices Gruyere or Swiss cheese slices, room temperature
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, room temperature
- 4 pinches paprika
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in salt, red onions and sweet onions. Cook 35 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are caramelized and almost syrupy.
- Mix chicken broth, beef broth, red wine and Worcestershire sauce into pot. Bundle the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf with twine and place in pot. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard the herbs. Reduce the heat to low, mix in vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep over low heat to stay hot while you prepare the bread.
- Preheat oven broiler. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet and broil 3 minutes, turning once, until well toasted on both sides. Remove from heat; do not turn off broiler.
- Arrange 4 large oven safe bowls or crocks on a rimmed baking sheet. Fill each bowl 2/3 full with hot soup. Top each bowl with 1 slice toasted bread, 2 slice Gruyere cheese and 1/4 of the Asiago or mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle a little bit of paprika over the top of each one.
- Broil 5 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. As it softens, the cheese will cascade over the sides of the crock and form a beautifully melted crusty seal. Serve immediately!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
My favorite recipes!!!
OK, so I know I take A LOT of pictures of the food I create & cook and post them on my Facebook. because I LOVE FOOD!!! I am a FIRM believer that you eat with your eyes first, then your brain (the description of the dish), and last your taste buds!!! I have tried food that was so beautiful that I had to eat it, but in the back of my mind I knew I wouldn't like it. Which leads to my second firm belief (associated with this blog), you should try everything TWICE. Once is not enough to really explore and enjoy the food, and it may have been prepared poorly. Always, always give it another chance!!!
So, with that said... I have had people request for new recipes that everyday people/wives/mothers like myself can cook easily and enjoy! I have decided to start with these 5 basic recipes on the following criteria: 1) extent and commonality of ingredients 2) ease of preparation and implementation 3) time needed. Layman's terms - These dishes are super easy and still delicious.
#1 - Mustard pork chops with pan sauce
Ingredients: 6-8 Pork chops (any cut), mustard, flour, s&p, cooking oil, 1 family size can of chicken and rice soup, butter
Preparation: Heat large skillet at med/high with enough cooking oil to coat the bottom of the pan. / coat both sides of pork chop with mustard / dredge in seasoned flour / open can of soup
Cooking: Place prepared pork chops into hot skillet (oil will create lines, but not smoking) and cook until they come away from the pan easily and are golden brown. FLIP pork chops and follow same process for the other side. When both sides are browned, immediately put can of soup directly on chops, turn heat to medium and let simmer for 15 min or until pork chops are fully cooked. The soup creates a wonderful pan sauce with NO EFFORT! Add dollop of butter and serve over white rice!
#2 - Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas
Ingredients: 10 burrito sized tortillas, 3 chicken breasts, 1 can of chopped green chilies, 1 can of nacho cheese soup, salsa, shredded cheese, chili powder, s&p
Preparation: Preheat over to 350 degrees. Cook chicken in med/high skillet with chili powder and s&p (to your taste) until down. After cooled, cut chicken into bite size pieces and place in mixing bowl. Cook soup with 1/2 can of milk and place 1/2 into mixing bowl. Warm all tortillas in the microwave for 1-2 min or until soft. Add can of chilies, 2 tbsp chili powder, and 1/2 salsa into mixing bowl. Mix all ingredients in bowl together and roll in tortilla shells. **you can also layer this dish, alternating tortillas and mixture**
Cooking: Place each rolled and stuffed tortilla into a greased (butter) baking dish or cake pan. Cover with remainder of soup and 1/4 salsa. Cook covered with foil for 20-25 min. Uncover and sprinkle with shredded cheese and cook for another 5 min.
#3 - Cheeseburger casserole
Ingredients: 1-2lbs of ground beef, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1 pack Velvetta shells and cheese, 1/2 milk, butter, s&p, onion, garlic, & cooking oil.
Preparation/Cooking: Preheat large skillet to med/high and bring water to boil in large saucepan, chop 1/4 cp onion and 3 cloves of garlic, add to oiled skillet until softened, immediately add beef and cook until done. Add shells to water and cook and prepare macaroni. When beef is done, add can of soup and 1/2 milk, stir until combined. Add beef mixture to macaroni and stir. Serve with crescent rolls!
#4 - Slow cooker roast with noodles & gravy
Ingredients: 2-4lb roast (any cut as it will be tender in SC), 1 can each cream of mushroom & french onion, water, s&p, 1 bag frozen egg noodles, beef stock
Preparation/Cooking: place roast in slow cooker on high, add enough water to cover 1/2 the roast and let cook from 8am-4pm. At 4 pm, or somewhere around there, add both cans of soup and turn to low for another 1-2 hours. 20 min before dinner, use beef broth and prepare noodles as described on the package. Serve roast on noodles and add soup gravy on top!
#5 - Pot O' Gold (my fav clean your fridge recipe)
Ingredients: Any 2 meats you have on hand (chicken, sausage, ham, shrimp), peppers, onions, garlic, 1 jar of spaghetti sauce, any short pasta you have on hand.
Preparation/Cooking: Cut all your veggies bite sized and saute in skillet with oil or butter until softened. Cook your 2 meats accordingly and place to the side. Cook pasta in water with salt until done. Add veggies, meat, and spaghetti sauce to pot of pasta and simmer on med/high until warmed through. Serve with garlic or cheesy bread!!
I hope these recipes will make their way into you and your families lives with ease!!!
I plan to continue on this route and post new recipes as often as I can. In the future, I will be adding pictures to this blog because we all know seeing something is SO MUCH EASIER!!!!! I will also start adding recipes that will expand your experience, confidence, and your pallet!! Stick with me, and I can promise you, cooking will become a very rewarding and enjoyable aspect of your life!!!!!
Like they say on the Cooking Channel - STAY HUNGRY!!!!!
So, with that said... I have had people request for new recipes that everyday people/wives/mothers like myself can cook easily and enjoy! I have decided to start with these 5 basic recipes on the following criteria: 1) extent and commonality of ingredients 2) ease of preparation and implementation 3) time needed. Layman's terms - These dishes are super easy and still delicious.
#1 - Mustard pork chops with pan sauce
Ingredients: 6-8 Pork chops (any cut), mustard, flour, s&p, cooking oil, 1 family size can of chicken and rice soup, butter
Preparation: Heat large skillet at med/high with enough cooking oil to coat the bottom of the pan. / coat both sides of pork chop with mustard / dredge in seasoned flour / open can of soup
Cooking: Place prepared pork chops into hot skillet (oil will create lines, but not smoking) and cook until they come away from the pan easily and are golden brown. FLIP pork chops and follow same process for the other side. When both sides are browned, immediately put can of soup directly on chops, turn heat to medium and let simmer for 15 min or until pork chops are fully cooked. The soup creates a wonderful pan sauce with NO EFFORT! Add dollop of butter and serve over white rice!
#2 - Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas
Ingredients: 10 burrito sized tortillas, 3 chicken breasts, 1 can of chopped green chilies, 1 can of nacho cheese soup, salsa, shredded cheese, chili powder, s&p
Preparation: Preheat over to 350 degrees. Cook chicken in med/high skillet with chili powder and s&p (to your taste) until down. After cooled, cut chicken into bite size pieces and place in mixing bowl. Cook soup with 1/2 can of milk and place 1/2 into mixing bowl. Warm all tortillas in the microwave for 1-2 min or until soft. Add can of chilies, 2 tbsp chili powder, and 1/2 salsa into mixing bowl. Mix all ingredients in bowl together and roll in tortilla shells. **you can also layer this dish, alternating tortillas and mixture**
Cooking: Place each rolled and stuffed tortilla into a greased (butter) baking dish or cake pan. Cover with remainder of soup and 1/4 salsa. Cook covered with foil for 20-25 min. Uncover and sprinkle with shredded cheese and cook for another 5 min.
#3 - Cheeseburger casserole
Ingredients: 1-2lbs of ground beef, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1 pack Velvetta shells and cheese, 1/2 milk, butter, s&p, onion, garlic, & cooking oil.
Preparation/Cooking: Preheat large skillet to med/high and bring water to boil in large saucepan, chop 1/4 cp onion and 3 cloves of garlic, add to oiled skillet until softened, immediately add beef and cook until done. Add shells to water and cook and prepare macaroni. When beef is done, add can of soup and 1/2 milk, stir until combined. Add beef mixture to macaroni and stir. Serve with crescent rolls!
#4 - Slow cooker roast with noodles & gravy
Ingredients: 2-4lb roast (any cut as it will be tender in SC), 1 can each cream of mushroom & french onion, water, s&p, 1 bag frozen egg noodles, beef stock
Preparation/Cooking: place roast in slow cooker on high, add enough water to cover 1/2 the roast and let cook from 8am-4pm. At 4 pm, or somewhere around there, add both cans of soup and turn to low for another 1-2 hours. 20 min before dinner, use beef broth and prepare noodles as described on the package. Serve roast on noodles and add soup gravy on top!
#5 - Pot O' Gold (my fav clean your fridge recipe)
Ingredients: Any 2 meats you have on hand (chicken, sausage, ham, shrimp), peppers, onions, garlic, 1 jar of spaghetti sauce, any short pasta you have on hand.
Preparation/Cooking: Cut all your veggies bite sized and saute in skillet with oil or butter until softened. Cook your 2 meats accordingly and place to the side. Cook pasta in water with salt until done. Add veggies, meat, and spaghetti sauce to pot of pasta and simmer on med/high until warmed through. Serve with garlic or cheesy bread!!
I hope these recipes will make their way into you and your families lives with ease!!!
I plan to continue on this route and post new recipes as often as I can. In the future, I will be adding pictures to this blog because we all know seeing something is SO MUCH EASIER!!!!! I will also start adding recipes that will expand your experience, confidence, and your pallet!! Stick with me, and I can promise you, cooking will become a very rewarding and enjoyable aspect of your life!!!!!
Like they say on the Cooking Channel - STAY HUNGRY!!!!!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
IM BACK!!!
OK, well I have decided to try this blog thing again! So here is a quick update on my life for the past year...
My husband and I had a beautiful baby girl on September 5th, 2010. We named her Sanae Elyse and she is absolutely the focal point of our lives and our little princess!
Motherhood - SO MUCH HARDER THAN I EVER EXPECTED!!! I'm obviously not a complete idiot, and new that parenthood would forever change our existence as we knew it! BUT, I had no idea how much work and effort it really was. I took 9 weeks off, my husband took 2 weeks off, and my mother stayed with us for the first week. If it has not been for both of them, I think I would have curled up in a ball and cried myself to death. I mean, I had no idea the impact this new bundle of joy would have on my mind, body, and soul. Within the 9 weeks together, Sanae and I got to know, love, and appreciate one another. We found an excellent in home daycare, and Sanae couldn't be happier!! I couldn't even begin to imagine my life without her, she is truly my heart!!!!
So, now that I got that out of the way I plan to resume my blog as I last left it... Talking about ALL THINGS FABULOUS 1) Food 2) Hair 3) and LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!
My husband and I had a beautiful baby girl on September 5th, 2010. We named her Sanae Elyse and she is absolutely the focal point of our lives and our little princess!
Motherhood - SO MUCH HARDER THAN I EVER EXPECTED!!! I'm obviously not a complete idiot, and new that parenthood would forever change our existence as we knew it! BUT, I had no idea how much work and effort it really was. I took 9 weeks off, my husband took 2 weeks off, and my mother stayed with us for the first week. If it has not been for both of them, I think I would have curled up in a ball and cried myself to death. I mean, I had no idea the impact this new bundle of joy would have on my mind, body, and soul. Within the 9 weeks together, Sanae and I got to know, love, and appreciate one another. We found an excellent in home daycare, and Sanae couldn't be happier!! I couldn't even begin to imagine my life without her, she is truly my heart!!!!
So, now that I got that out of the way I plan to resume my blog as I last left it... Talking about ALL THINGS FABULOUS 1) Food 2) Hair 3) and LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!
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