Hoisin Chops w Veggies

This was an emergency "kids have a play and we're going to need a quick dinner" meal!  Ha.
I kind of just threw this together and it was SOOO GOOD!!!  It will definitely go on our regular rotation!  YUMMO!!  The best part is that you can sub out the pork for chicken or steak!

2-4 Pork chops
1 cup Orange Juice
1/2 c Worcestershire Sauce
Yellow & Orange Peppers
Hoisin Sauce to taste
4-6 Red Potatoes

Marinate the porkchops in 1 cup of OJ and 1/2 cup of Worcestershire Sauce.  Slice the peppers and red potatoes.  Place in the bottom of your baking dish.  Season & toss with EVOO and Hoisin Sauce.
Place your marinated chops on top and add a little hoisin sauce to the top of ea. (Not pictured).
Bake 350 for 1 hour!

Enjoy!
Dani :)

Split Pea Soup

Jay HATES to eat/drink hot liquids but he LOVES Split Pea Soup...BLEH!!  I am not a pea person but he swears they dont taste like "regular" peas in soup.  Hmmmmm, I dont know....  I saved the Ham Bone from Christmas Dinner in the freezer thinking I would make a soup with it, so when it cold I knew just what would rock his world!  Ive never tried it and certainly never made it but how hard could it be?  Turns out it was EASY PEASY.....and I tried it......and...wait for it.....I AM A HUUUGE FAN!!! Who knew???

Adapted from here.

 

1 whole onion

1 full size carrots

8 cups of chicken or vegetable broth

1 ham bone or smoked ham chunks

3 tbsp Complete Seasoning (Garlic, Oregano, etc.)

2 bags of rinsed peas

 

Saute onions, celery and carrots til soft.  Add chicken/veggie broth, ham bone (with chunks of ham still on, they will fall), 3 tbsp of Complete All seasoning, & 2 bags of rinsed peas.

Simmer for a few hours until the peas break down and remove bone after ham falls off....(4-5 hours)



Enjoy!
Dani-

Cubed Steak Extraordinaire!

Cubed steak is probably one of the CHEAPEST cut of meats there are.  If you cook them long enough they are JUST as tender as a nice lean roast! Seriously, they're like $2 for 2 steaks.  This is a yummy recipe, similar to country fried steak but BETTER!! it was a HUGE hit and I will definitely make it again.  I served it with mashed potatoes which was AWESOME to eat with the gravy the meat will make!  Added bonus:  You can also throw this in the trusty crock pot!
Adapted from here.

4 cube steaks

2 tbsp of All or Complete seasoning (s&p, garlic, parsley)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cupvegetable oil

2 beef bouillon granules (depending on how much water you add)

1 sliced onion

 

Season the cube steaks on both sides with salt and pepper. Pour the flour onto a shallow plate and press the steaks into the flour; shake off the excess flour. Heat the oil in a large skillet with lid over medium-high heat. Place the steaks into the hot oil, and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.

 

Pour water into the skillet to almost cover the steaks. Stir the beef bouillon to taste into the water. Sprinkle the onions over the steak.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until very tender, about 2 hours.

 

Enjoy!

Dani

Chicken Pesto Panini's

We loooove to eat Sandwiches....make it a hot sandwich and we are SMITTEN!  The panini press sandwich maker might be one of THE BEST inventions of.all.time!!  You can make ANY combination you can think of. Seriously...ANYTHING!  We often make them with our favorite pesto sauce, chicken, cheese, etc. but whatever you have in the fridge will do.

French Roll

Chicken Breast Lunchmeat or Rotisserie will do.

Classico Pesto Spread or Sun Dried Tomato (Our favorite!)

Mozz cheese (use whatever you like)

Fresh Sliced Tomato

Stack your sandwich and PRESS!! Ta-Da!

If you DONT have a press you can also do it in a frying pan and press with a spatuala like a grilled cheese.

Enjoy!! Dani :)

Taco Cupcakes

We are BIG taco fans! Regular tacos, taco salads, nacho's (yea! thats right, same thing!)...Taco Cupcakes?? Umm....YES, PLEASE!!!
I saw this recipe and HAD to try!  It was DELISH!!  Great for parties or large gatherings.

1 lb 95% lean ground beef
1 pkg taco seasoning
1canned black beans, drained and rinsed
16 wonton wrappers
queso dip or salsa con queso
1 cup chunky salsa
1 cup reduced fat shredded Mexican cheese
Guacamole/Sour Cream for serving

First, pre-heat the oven to 375. Lightly mist muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.


Heat the ground beef and taco seasoning and brown beef, breaking it with a spoon. Add black beans and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes until warm.
Push a wonton wrapper into the bottom of each of the eight sprayed cups in the muffin tin. Spoon a teaspoon of queso dip into each wonton wrapper and spread across the bottom.

Follow by spooning some of the meat/beans mixture into each cup (I would say about two teaspoons) and then spooning a teaspoon or so of salsa on top of that. Sprinkle a pinch of the cheese evenly over the top of each cup.

Now do it all again, one more time!
Press another wonton wrapper on top and repeat the layering steps with the remaining ingredients.
Just press around the edges, as if you are putting on the top of a pie.
Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from muffin tin

Spicy Sausage & Chickpea Soup

Every week our local paper prints a few recipes that people write in and request.  Imagine my surprise when JAY!, for the first time, went through it and INSISTED I make him this soup.  He went to the store and got all the crap delicious ingredients and I went to work.  HOLY MOLY AMAZING SOUP!!!  It was soooooo good!!  It is definitely going on my regular rotation :)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced (about 2 cups)
1 pound spicy Italian sausage (You can use chicken or turkey too)
salt and ground pepper, to taste
3 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons minced rosemary
1 (2- to 3-inch piece) Parmesan rind (I used grated, NO IDEA what this is- LOLLL)
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

In a large, heavy pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. With a spatula, push onions into a pile onto one side of the pot. (My pot wasnt big enough so I removed them to a bowl for this step, then re-added)

Remove the sausage from its casing, and add to the pot, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it browns. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, then stir together with the onions. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, drain and rinse two cans of the chickpeas, and coarsely puree the 3rd can. Add the whole and pureed chickpeas to the soup pot, along with the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, rosemary and Parmesan rind (I didnt have this so I used 1 cup of grated parm cheese). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, until slightly thickened.

Remove Parmesan rind(or not, LOL). 
Season with plenty of salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and minced rosemary, if desired, and serve hot. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Pizza in a Pot

A friend of mine mentioned her MOST FAVORITE recipe for Pepperoni Soup a while ago and I made a mental note. Fast fwd to todays 40 degree temps and I was on the hunt for an AWESOME soup recipe! Now...all I gotta remember is which friend told me about her recipe. Hmph! You'd think that would be a tad easier but after a few inquiries I gave up! It's pepperoni/pizza soup! Ive eaten pizza a gillion times, how hard could it be? So I threw a bunch of stuff in the pot and came up with THIS!! DEEEELISH!! Jay loved it and he's a HUGE pepperoni fan!

5 cups of chicken broth
2 cups of water
10-12 meatballs (or more)
Slices of pepperoni (to taste- I used about 20 mini slices)
1 cup tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, diced
3 tbsp parsley (or fresh bunch)
3 tbsp basil (or fresh bunch)
3 tbsp house seasoning (I went heavy on all the spices)
3 tbsp grated parm cheese
1/2 box of spaghetti noodles (broken in 3rds)

Simmer your water and chicken stock together...Slowly add the remainder of the ingredients to marinate in the pot together. Do NOT add the spaghetti until about 10 minutes before serving time.
I simmered mine all day on low (about 6 hours) but you can definitely cook this on med high for 20min or so.

Enjoy!! Dani :)

Triple Meat Kabobs

We dont grill out as often as we'd like but on a nice cool afternoon, its QUITE a nice treat :)  This marinade is great, because it works on ANY meat, even seafood!!

1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup prepared mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely cracked black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon meat tenderizer (optional)

Enjoy! Dani :)

Shrimp Kabobs

Jay is a HUUGE fan of shrimp and these never disappoint!!  Very light and super flavorful!!

2/3 cup vegetable oil
3 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar

Mix all together and marinate at least 30 minutes.  The longer, the better.  Grill and Serve.

Balsamic Grilled Flank Steak

Flank steak has always been a mystery to me....Its not "fancy" steak yet its sooo tender and lean.  I bought a few pkgs the other day and I just couldnt resist, they were like $3 a steak!  It always baffled me that not more people eat it...::shrug::
Anywho, now that I have it, how should I cook it?  A friend recommended this recipe and I was eager to try!  SO GLAD I did, because it was YUMMY!!! VERy tender and PACKED with flavor! SUPER easy with very simple ingredients that anyone would have ;)

¼ c. balsamic vinegar
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. dark brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lb. flank steak
salt and pepper

Combine first four ingredients in a large ziplock bag. Add steak, turn to coat; marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature. Grill until desired doneness. Let stand, covered loosely with foil for 10 minutes, before cutting in thin strips against the grain.... IF you dont cut it this way, itll be very tough and chewy!
 
Enjoy! Dani ;)

Chicken Mole

This is a rich and delicious Mexican dish that we have been making for quite some time!  I have changed the recipe a few times, but I think this one is the best!

Ingredients:
4 chicken breast
1 boullion cube
1 small can of red enchilada sauce
2 Tbsp peanut butter
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 to 1 cup reserved chicken broth
salt to taste

Directions:
Place the chicken in a pot and add water just to cover.  Add the boullion and boil until done. Set aside.  In a seperate pan, add the enchilada sauce, peanut butter and seasons.  Cook on medium heat until conbined. Add 1/2 cup of the broth from boiling the chicken. At this point, you can either shred the chicken or leave it whole and add it to the sauce.  Lower to a simmer and to reduce the sauce until it is slightly thickened.  Taste to see if it needs salt, or if it is too rich for you, you can add some more broth.
Serve over white or spanish rice.

Crock Pot Chicken Tex-Mex

Crock pot meals are ALWAYS the best.  Simple ingredients meshed together for hours to make perfection!

4-6 chicken breasts
1-2 cans black beans
2 cups salsa/rotel
1 can corn
chopped cilantro
2 cups shredded cheese

Place chicken in the crock and cover with remaining ingredients, EXCEPT CILANTRO. I use half the cheese for the cooking and the other half when its done.  Cook on Low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.  Sprinkle cilantro and serve over rice or in burrito.

Enjoy!
Dani :)

Bruschetta Chicken

Dinner with the freshest ingredients are ALWAYS the best.  This is no exception!!! 
It's a super quick meal, no muss, no fuss and taste's AMAZING!!!

3 medium vine ripe tomatoes
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
3 oz part skim mozzarella, diced
4-6 chicken breasts/cutlets

Combine onion, olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper. Set aside a few minutes.  Chop tomatoes and place in a large bowl. Combine with garlic, basil, onion-balsamic combo and additional salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and let it sit at least 10 minutes or as long as overnight. Toss in the cheese when ready to serve over chicken.

Enjoy!  Dani ;)

Coconut Chicken Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

I have made this several times now.  I have a thing  for a tad of sweetness in my savory dishes. ; )  You won't be disappointed!

• 6 (about 12 oz) chicken tenderloins
• 6 tbsp shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup panko crumbs
• 2 tbsp crushed cornflake crumbs
• 1/3 cup egg substitute or egg whites
• pinch salt
• olive oil spray
• 6 cups mixed baby greens
• 3/4 cup shredded carrots
• 1 large tomato, sliced
• 1 small cucumber, sliced

Vinaigrette

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp white vinegar (balsamic would work too)
• 2 tsp dijon mustard

Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients; set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine coconut flakes, panko, cornflake crumbs and salt in a bowl. Put egg whites or egg beaters in another bowl.

Lightly season chicken with salt. Dip the chicken in the egg, then in the coconut crumb mixture. Place chicken on a cookie sheet lined with parchment for easy cleanup. Lightly spray with olive oil spray and bake for 30 minutes turning halfway, or until chicken is cooked through.

Place 2 cups baby greens on each plate. Divide carrots, cucumber, tomato evenly between each plate. When chicken is ready slice on the diagonal and place on top of greens. Heat dressing in the microwave a few seconds and divide equally between each salad; a little over 1 tbsp each.

ENJOY!  -Brittney

Sweet Barbacoa Pork

This.is.awesome.  Great over rice, in a burro, on a salad... and one day I will make tamales out of it!  TRY IT!
Marinade:

• 2.5 lbs pork loin roast, all fat trimmed
• salt and pepper
• garlic powder
• 6 oz Coke zero
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (unpacked)
• 1/4 cup water

Step 2

• 8 oz Coke zero
• 6 oz can sliced green chilies
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp chipotle chili powder (to taste)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup brown sugar (unpacked)

Season pork with salt, pepper and garlic powder and place in the crock pot. Add 6 oz of coke and 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Marinate refrigerated for a few hours or overnight turning meat at least once while marinating.

Remove crock from refrigerator, add water, and cook on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily). Remove pork from crock pot and discard any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork with two forks.

Step two: In the crock pot, combine 8 oz coke, green chilies, tomato sauce, chipotle chile, garlic powder, cumin, chipotle chili powder and remaining brown sugar.

Put shredded pork back in the crock pot and combine with sauce. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, cover and cook on high 1-1/2 hours more.

Crockpot Peppercorn Steak

Working at home with 2 toddlers means dinner has to be s.i.m.p.l.e!!  It also means that the crockpot is my BEST FRIEND :)   Its always there to bail me out when Im in a pinch.  This was one of those times and she never lets me down.   Here is an AWESOME recipe for steak.  You dont need anything expensive, you friend, the crock, will tenderize whatever ya got!!  ENJOY!!!

4 to 6 steaks
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup of water
2 chopped bell peppers (I used one yellow, one green)
1 chopped yellow onion
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 T Italian seasoning
1/4 t black pepper

Put the meat in the crockpot; mine was still frozen solid. Cover with the chopped vegetables. Pour in the tomato sauce, Worcestershire, and water. Add the Italian seasoning and black pepper.  No need to stir.
Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4-6. I cooked our dinner for 6 hours on high.

Chicken w. Yellow Rice & Beans

,

Chicken w. yellow rice and beans is something we ALWAYS eat when we go to Cuban restaurants or most latin places actually. I often wonder about duplicating flavors from other places myself.  This was no exception and its always a BIG HIT!!   I LOVE the way mojo chicken tastes! I love the tang & the zest of it, but it doesnt overpower the meat..See for yourself!

Ingredients:
4-6 chicken breasts (MOJO marinade ingredients below)  (You can also BUY IT in the grocery store)
3 large heads garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups sour orange juice (or 3/4 cup fresh orange juice plus 3/4 cup fresh or bottled lime juice)
1 cup minced onion
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, minced
1 cup olive oil

Mash the garlic, salt, and pepper into a paste, on a flat surface, using the side of a large chef's knife.

Place the garlic paste in a small mixing bowl and add the sour orange juice, minced onion, oregano and parsley. Stir all of the ingredients together thoroughly.
Set this mixture aside and allow the flavors to marry for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.
In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat until it is hot (approximately 280 degrees F.). Remove the saucepan from the heat and carefully (the oil may sputter) whisk in the garlic-orange juice mixture until the ingredients are well blended. .
Place the saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the sauce to a rolling boil. Taste and correct the seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the mojo cool to room temperature.

Pour over your meat and allow to marinade 3-4 hours.  I bake it in the oven at 350 for 35 minutes with a little sauce on top. (You can also pan fry until juices run clear...)

Yellow Rice:
1 1/2 tablespoon Olive oil
1/4 cup Onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1 cup White rice
1 1/2 cup Chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon Saffron
1 1/2 teaspoon Parsley, chopped

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and cook until just soft. Toss in the rice and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the broth, saffron, and parsley. Cover and reduce the heat to low.

Cook for 15-18 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.
Fluff with a fork before serving.

Black Beans:
2 cans low sodium Black Beans (I use canned but you can use dry (just need time to to soak))
Juice if 1 lime
Latin seasoning (Sazon or all seasoning is fine)
1 cup Onion, chopped small

Combine everything in a small sauce pan and simmer until all blended!

Serve everything together and ENJOY!!

Dani ;)

French Onion Soup

I've ALWAYS been a fan of french onion soup!  I order it at restaurants and swoon in that beefy, onion broth rolling in silky cheese.....(You want it now dont you! HA!)  Well sometimes I use the weekends for those big recipes I save that are more "involved" than a weeknite meal, etc.  So I dug out my trusty, I mean the book I stole from Aunt Linda, Hello! Paula Deen's FAMOUS FRENCH ONION SOUP!!!  It was soooo yummy and WAY easier to make then I thought it would be. It could easily be on your weeknite meal rotation! Even easier because I cooked in right in old faithful, i.e. my Crockpot!!

Ingredients:
olive oil
4 Lg vidalia onions, sliced thin
2 tsp sugar
2lbs stew meat
1/2 stick margarine, melted
4 cup beef stock
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
1 loaf French bread
2 cup grated Gruyere cheese (or any cheese you like, I used Mozz.)

Combine your onions, butter and sugar in the crockpot until well coated.  Cook on high for 90 min until soft. 
Saute your stew meat in pan 5-7 min until completely seared and add to your onion mixture.  Deglaze your pan with the wine, scraping all the bits off the bottom and add that to onions as well. Add remaining ingredients (s&p, thyme, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce).   Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 hrs or low for 4-5 hrs.  Turn to low and cook 1 hour uncovered until soup thickens.

Meanwhile, slice French bread into 3/4 slices and butter both sides. Toast slices on griddle until golden brown. Ladle soup into an ovenproof bowl, add toasted bread and cover with cheese. Place ovenproof bowl on a baking sheet lined with tin foil. Bake at 350 degrees or 5 minutes under a hot broiler.

Enjoy! :)
Dani

Chicken w. Creamy Mustard Sauce

I was flipping through my Womens Day magazine and found this yummy looking dish...Im a big fan of cooking with mustard.  I feel like it gives things a punch of flavor without being "spicy".  This was no different :)  Packed with flavor and gets you up for seconds! :)

2 Tbsp flour
1⁄2 tsp kosher salt
1⁄4 tsp freshly ground pepper
4- 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp olive oil
1⁄4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
1⁄4 cup chopped shallots (you can use yellow onion also)
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
1⁄4 cup water
1 1⁄2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp dried tarragon

Mix flour, salt and pepper on a sheet of wax paper. Press chicken into mixture to coat.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add chicken and cook 7 to 9 minutes, turning once, until browned and cooked through. Remove to a plate.
Add wine and shallots/onion to skillet; cook 1 minute or until tender. Add cream, water, mustard and tarragon; cook, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly and onions are tender.
Pour any accumulated chicken juices from plate with chicken into sauce; season with additional pepper to taste if desired. Spoon over chicken.

Enjoy!
Dani :)

Chicken Alfredo Spaghetti Bake

Mmmmm I love me some thick, creamy pasta!!  So this was a dish I just kinda muddled through.  I had a vision of thick creamy pasta dancing in my head. HA!  I was sooo hungry while making this that I didnt even finish the process!  I had to stop. drop. and EAT!!

Ingredients:
1 box pasta ( I used spaghetti)
4-6 chicken breasts
Parsley
Basil
Garlic
All seasoning (whatever complete seasoning you use)
S & P
8 oz cream cheese (low fat or 2%)
1 cup chicken broth (I used low sodium)

Boil your pasta.  Season (basil, all seasoning, parsely, garlic) and saute your chicken and bake at 350 for 25-30 min.
While thats cooking, "melt" your cream cheese in a small sauce pan with your chicken broth.  Season it with the same seasonings as you used on your chicken, simmer it on low until the chicken is done. 
Drain your pasta and toss everything together.  You can serve it just like that or you can bake it with cheese on top for 10 min or so.

Enjoy!
Dani :)