One Pot Garlic Pasta

Posted on October 28, 2014 by Angie

One Pot Garlic Pasta

My family loves them some noodles. Along with salad or some veggie, it’s a go-to side for whenever the hubby is grilling. Normally, I go the boxed noodle route, except for the past year or so, I’ve incorporated more homemade foods. When I informed them I was making the side dish myself, you know, the old-fashioned way, they turned up their noses ever so slightly and I saw the shadows of doubt creep across their faces. Oh ye of little faith, family.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 6 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 cups chicken broth, more as needed
  • 1 cup milk, more as needed
  • 2 tbsps. of unsalted butter
  • 8 oz. (or half a package) of fettuccine noodles
  • Fresh ground S&P, to taste
  • 1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tbsps. parsley, chopped

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, but not browned. Add chicken broth, milk, butter, and noodles to pot. Season with S&P.

Bring to a boil and cook for 18-20 minutes. During the cooking time, the liquid will begin to evaporate. Add more chicken broth and/ or milk to maintain desired creaminess. Once cooked all the way through, stir in the parsley, add more S&P as needed, and add in Parmesan cheese.

Serve with the main dish and then watch your family eat it up and sheepishly ask for seconds.

Adapted from: http://damndelicious.net/2014/10/11/one-pot-garlic-parmesan-pasta/

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Beef & Snow Pea Stir Fry

Posted on October 28, 2014 by Angie

IMG_1984

As long as you’ve got all the ingredients on hand, this makes for a relatively easy to prepare dinner meal. With that said, it’s not everyday that I have fresh ginger or snow peas on hand so I have to plan accordingly. Ironically, it was the cilantro and green onions that I was out of (both of which are normally stocked in the refrigerator) and yet no one but me seemed to notice the subtle flavor that was missing.

Ingredients:

  • 3 tbsp. Hoisin sauce
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp. fresh cut ginger, peeled & chopped
  • 2 tbsp. coconut oil
  • 3/4 lb. sirloin steak, cut into strips
  • 3/4 lb. snow peas
  • 1-2 green onions, diced
  • 2-3 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
  • juice of half a lemon
  • jasmine rice, cooked per directions

Preparation:

In a large skillet, melt coconut oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add strips of steak to the skillet and cook all the way through. Once cooked, remove steak and transfer to a plate. Place skillet back onto the heat and add the ginger, garlic, green onions, and snow peas and sauté for 1 minute. Add the Hoisin sauce, stir to incorporate. Add steak into the mixture, mixing well to combine. Sprinkle with the juice of half a lemon and garnish with cilantro.

Serve over a bed of Jasmine rice.

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Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted on October 23, 2014 by Angie

ChocChipCookies

This is my preferred, above all others, chocolate chip cookie recipe. These are the cookies of my childhood. Bri asked me the other day what my favorite part was: the dough or the cookie. I love them both and cannot choose between one or the other. I enjoy the cookies fresh from the oven; though once they’ve cooled, my preferred way of eating them is to freeze them, retrieving a few and dunking them in milk, soaking it long enough that it gets nice and chewy.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup Crisco
  • 2 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 4 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream together the butter and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the salt, soda, and flour, mixing until combined. Add in the chocolate chips; stir to incorporate.

Drop by rounded tablespoons and bake 9-10 minutes, or until golden brown.

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Wilted Cucumber Salad

Posted on October 23, 2014 by Angie

Cucumber Salad

I know, I know. Wilted? I debated about putting that in there, but that’s what my  mom’s recipe card reads. The trusty recipe card that’s so old it’s yellowed with time and the edges are tattered. You know those are the good ones, right? Tried and true, tangy, and it comes together in a pinch.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cucumbers, sliced thin
  • 1/3 cup white vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 1/4 cup diced onions
  • 1/4 dried parsley

Preparation:

In a medium sized bowl, mix all ingredients together until well incorporated. Refrigerate.

Told ya it was easy!

Posted in Sides, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Leave a comment

Roasted Broccoli with Garlic

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Angie

Roasted Garlic

Frozen broccoli. Ugh. Snooze. Boring. Since there’s usually a bag or two in the freezer, it makes for a quick side veggie – in a pinch, but let’s be honest, it’s sad, weak, limp and mushy and you’re only eating it because you know it’s good for you. Fresh broccoli, on the other hand, drizzled with olive oil, topped with lots of minced garlic, roasted and topped with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese? Now, we’re talking!

Ingredients:

  • 1 head of fresh broccoli
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • olive oil
  • S&P
  • Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rinse, pat dry, and cut broccoli into small florets. Line on a small baking sheet. Drizzle with garlic oil, sprinkle the minced garlic evenly, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Roast for 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and serve immediately.

Posted in Sides, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Leave a comment

M&M Cookies

Posted on October 17, 2014 by Angie

M&M Cookies

This is another recipe that has been around for as long as I can remember.

The church sent out an e-mail requesting donated cookies for the volunteers of Judgement House and I am always happy to oblige when it involves baked goods. Chris prefers peanut M&M’s and had asked once about using those in lieu of the chocolate so when I stopped off at the store I bought both. The picture shown above are the peanut ones. Plus, I got a big thumbs up from the hubby.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 1/3 cups flour
  •  1 1/2 cups quick oats
  • 1 package M&M’s

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add baking soda, salt, and flour and mix to combine. Stir in the oats. Add the M&M’s and stir until combined.

Bake 8-10 minutes until golden brown.

*These are great to make during the holidays since M&M’s notoriously offer matching colors to coordinate with whatever holiday is in season!

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Pumpkin Bread

Posted on October 16, 2014 by Angie

pumpkin bread

This is the pumpkin bread I grew up with. I have no idea where mom got the recipe, and chances are, she doesn’t either. The original recipes calls for vegetable oil. Hello, 1980! Through the years, I supplemented with canola oil, and for the first time last night, I used coconut oil and it worked just as well. This is the type of bread that appears only once or twice in the year and it’s usually this time of year. It’s so good that whenever I make it, I always think, I should really make this more often. We all love it. Bri helped me make this last night and first thing this morning, Leah requested it for breakfast. I sliced it and served with scrambled eggs and fresh fruit.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup refined coconut oil, or canola oil
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 can pumpkin
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 3 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp. cloves
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1 tsp. allspice
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon

Preparation:

Raise the bottom rack to the next level up. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease or use non-stick spray to prepare 2 loaf pans, set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and oil. Add eggs and pumpkin, mixing until thoroughly incorporated. In a medium size bowl, add all the dry ingredients: flour, cloves, baking soda, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, allspice, & cinnamon, whisk together. Alternate the dry ingredients and water into the creamed mixture. Divide batter evenly between the two loaf pans.

Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Leave in bread pans for 20 minutes to cool before removing and transferring to cooling rack to cool completely.

NOTE: These freeze well and because the recipe yields two loaves, I wrap one in plastic wrap and add to a gallon size bag and place in the freezer. I’ve also made one loaf and used the remaining batter for muffins. If making muffins, line muffin tins with paper liners (I so dislike removing the liner and seeing half of my muffin stuck to the paper so I spray the muffin liners with non-stick spray) and fill 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 17 – 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the middle of the muffin comes out clean.

Posted in Bread/ Muffins, Breakfast, Pumpkin | Leave a comment

Breaded Chicken

Posted on October 15, 2014 by Angie

Breaded chicken

This is what we had for dinner last night; a family favorite and super easy to make. It’s a safe bet that I have all the ingredients on hand.

Ingredients:

  • Breaded chicken ingredients
  • 2 tbsp. dried Parsley flakes
  • 2 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup of water
  • coconut oil, olive oil, or butter
  • 8 boneless/ skinless chicken breasts (antibiotics/ hormone free/ free range chicken)
  • 8 slices of Provolone cheese

Preparation:

In a medium size bowl, combine the entire package of the bread crumbs with one packet of the savory herb with garlic seasoning. Add the parsley and mix together. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and add the water.

Heat an electric skillet to 325 degrees and add oil of choice to coat the pan. Using one chicken breast at a time, submerge completely in egg wash and transfer to bowl with bread crumbs, coating liberally on each side, add to electric skillet & cover.

After about 4 minutes, turn chicken breasts over to brown the other side and cook another 4 minutes. Cut into the largest part of the breast to ensure the chicken has cooked all the way through and there is no pink, continue cooking if needed. When chicken has cooked entirely, reduce heat to warm, add cheese slices (Muenster works well, too) to the top of each breast. Cover until cheese has melted.

Note: If prepared as listed above, you will have little to none bread crumb mixture remaining. If you prefer to make only 4 chicken breasts, prepare the bread crumb mixture as noted and divide in half; store the remaining in an airtight container. This way you’re not contaminating the mixture with the egg wash/ chicken juice if you don’t use it all at once.

*This pairs nicely with just about any side: wild rice, noodles, mac’n’cheese, mashed potatoes, etc. Vegetables: roasted cauliflower, green beans, salad, etc.

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Meatloaf (Halloween Style)

Posted on October 14, 2014 by Angie

MeatloafMeatloaf

This is what happens when Chris sees a picture on Facebook of Halloween themed food. The foot on the right is supposed to be me since I can spread my toes way out. Thanks, honey!

Ingredients:

  • 3 lbs. ground beef
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 small can of tomato sauce
  • 2 cups oatmeal
  • garlic powder, as desired
  • S&P, generous amounts as desired

For the garnishment:

  • 1 small onion
  • Ketchup

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 2 9×13 pans with non-stick spray.

Mix together above ingredients, divide evenly, and form into Frankenstein feet. Garnish with thick sliced onion as the bone and ketchup as the blood. Cut remaining onions as appropriately sized toe nails.

Bake for 50 – 55 minutes.

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Bean Burritos

Posted on October 13, 2014 by Angie

Bean Burritos

When I make Mexican food, I usually always make a big pot of beans to go with it. A 2 lb. bag of pinto beans makes enough beans to go with the meal and then there’s enough left over I use them to make bean burritos.

Ingredients:

  • left over cooked pinto beans
  • Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
  • 2 packages of flour tortillas, warmed
  • Plastic Wrap
  • 2 gallon size bags

Preparation:

Using the Ninja, or other food processor, add beans and pulse a few times until the beans are broken down into a refried bean consistency.

Warm the package of tortillas in 30 second intervals. Doing so will create a tortilla that won’t crack and makes for a generally easier assembly.

Place desired amount of beans on a tortilla (anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 cup) on one end of the tortilla, spreading in as needed. Top with shredded cheese, and roll. Sometimes, I tuck in the sides of the tortillas, sometimes I don’t. Once rolled, wrap in plastic wrap. I generally have several sections of plastic wrap already cut, hanging off the counter, and ready to go.

Put wrapped burritos in a gallon size bag and place in the freezer and use as necessary. These come in handy as a snack or lunch. I was able to make and bag 22 bean burritos.

Bag 'o Burritos

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