I needed a simple dish to bring to a potluck for moms and babies, so I opted to make this awesome 3 Bean Salad again. I cut the dressing ingredients down by half, because it makes more than enough for the amount of beans. I really like the sweetness of this salad - it mellows out the onions nicely.
For this stir-fry, I used a package of pre-cut beef round stir-fry meat that I seasoned with some salt and pepper. I added a sliced white onion, a sliced red bell pepper, and a sliced orange bell pepper. I added in 8 ounces of canned pineapple chunks, and added the juice to ½ cup chicken stock, ¼ cup soy sauce and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. I whisked it together and added it to the stir-fry and let it cook down. I served it over rice and topped it with some toasted sesame seeds.
I seasoned some flour with salt and pepper and dredged some center cut pork chops in it. I fried them in olive oil until golden, and used the pan drippings to make a gravy with flour, chicken stock, butter, salt and pepper. I topped it with some fresh parsley and served it alongside baked potatoes. It was simple and tasty.
This little guy just started eating "solid" foods on Friday. He's 4 months old and it's been a whirlwind to say the least. I haven't been cooking as often as I'd like to, but I have been getting more into the swing of things. I'm planning to go back to all of the photos of food that I've cooked over the last few months and slowly get this blog back up-to-date. I'll be backdating posts so they're still in the right order. For a while, We were eating on paper plates, so the photos aren't quite as great as I'd like them to be, but I've always posted everything - the good, the bad and the ugly - and I don't want to stop now.
Thank you for all of the comments and well wishes, and for your patience in these last few months. And to answer one of the most frequently asked questions that I get: yes, I do plan to make my own baby food once he gets past the cereal stage 🙂
I cubed 2 chicken breasts and seasoned them with some Chinese five-spice powder. For the stir-fry, I heated some vegetable oil in a large, nonstick skillet and browned the chicken on both sides. Then, I added in 3 bell peppers - a red, a yellow and a green, sliced. I added 2 sliced shallots and 2 cloves of minced garlic. While this was cooking, I mixed ½ cup chicken stock with ¼ cup soy sauce, and whisked in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. I added this to the pan when the veggies were cooked and let the sauce reduce. I served this on top of rice with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds on top.
Dino made this recipe for Bobby Flay night, and it was really good, too! The sweet oranges balanced out the bitterness in the radicchio, and the combination of fresh herbs was really nice. The crunch of the almonds on top was a great finish.
Couscous with Orange and Almonds
Bobby Flay
2 cups instant couscous
2 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ medium onion, thinly sliced
1 orange, peeled, segmented and diced
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 head radicchio, shredded
Freshly ground black pepper
Toasted slivered almonds
Put the couscous in a large bowl, add the 2 cups boiling water, 1 teaspoon salt and orange zest, then cover and let steam for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and fluff with a fork.
Whisk together the orange juice, vinegar and olive oil in a small bowl. Add half of the dressing to the couscous along with the onion, orange,
mint and parsley and gently combine with a fork.
Put the radicchio in a bowl, add the remaining dressing and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the couscous to a large platter, top with the radicchio and garnish with slivered almonds.
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
We finally got back to our Supper Club this month for the first time since our baby arrived. The theme was Bobby Flay recipes. I chose one that turned out really well, but it didn't make a whole lot. Everything in this recipe cooks down, so it feels like you start out with enough, but it shrinks a lot. The crispy pancetta and the tang of the lemon juice at the end really make this dish special. I'd definitely make this again!
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta
Bobby Flay
Total Time: 40 min
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ pound sliced pancetta, diced
4 shallots, thinly sliced
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
8 baby Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 lemon, juiced
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Heat oil over medium heat in a roasting pan or large skillet. Add the pancetta and cook until golden brown and crisp. Remove the pancetta to a plate lined with paper towels. Add the shallots to the pan and cook until soft. Add the Brussels sprouts and potatoes and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and roast in the oven until the vegetables are cooked through and golden brown. Remove the vegetables from the oven and stir in the butter and lemon juice. Transfer to a platter and top with the reserved pancetta.
Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars
I wanted to try my hand at cooking tilapia again, and this time wasn't as successful as the last. The fillets we got were a little fishy, which really killed it for me. The salsa turned out well, and the broccolini was nice, too. I sautéed the broccolini in olive oil with a big pinch of red pepper flakes, some minced garlic and some sliced shallot. I put a little water in the pan and covered it to make sure it cooked through. For the salsa, I mixed some fresh pineapple chunks, orange zest, juice and segments, sliced shallot, lime zest and juice and some minced garlic. I put it on top of the sautéed fish. It was OK, but next time, I think I'll make this tilapia recipe again instead.
I used another new seasoning blend from Penzeys today. I sprinkled some Bangkok Blend on some thick cut pork chops and fried them up. Afterward, I used the pan drippings to make a gravy - I added some flour and chicken stock and whisked it in and let it reduce. I finished it with a little butter. It turned out really well! I served the chops with baked potatoes and peas.
I seasoned two petite Angus sirloin steaks with some Penzeys Smokey 4/S Seasoned Salt and grilled them on a cast iron grill pan. In a separate skillet, I sautéed a sliced sweet onion and some sliced baby bellas until they were caramelized, and then hit them with a shot of red wine. While the steaks were resting, I grilled some asparagus and squeezed a bit of lemon juice on them. It was a nice, simple dinner.
This recipe was disappointing. It was really bland. It sounded like it was going to pack a lot of flavor based on the ingredients, but it really left us wanting more. Luckily, I don't pick duds very often, but this was one of them.
Basil Chicken in Coconut-Curry Sauce
Better Homes and Gardens
Makes: 4 servings
Serving size: 1 cup + ¾ cup rice
Prep: 25 mins
Chill: 1 hr
Cook: 20 mins
2 teaspoons curry powder
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon chili powder
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ large red onion, cut into thin wedges (1 cup)
2 fresh jalapeno chile peppers, seeded and finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 13 ½ - 14 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons snipped fresh basil
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3 cups hot cooked rice
1. In a medium bowl combine curry powder, black pepper, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and the chili powder. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Add to spice mixture in bowl; toss to coat. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours to allow spices to penetrate meat.
2. Pour oil into a wok or large nonstick skillet; heat over medium-high heat. Add onion, jalapeno peppers, and garlic to wok; cook and stir about 8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove onion mixture from wok. Add half of the chicken to wok. Cook and stir for 4 to 6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from wok. Repeat with remaining chicken.
3. Stir together coconut milk, cornstarch, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt until smooth. Carefully add to wok. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Return chicken and the onion mixture to wok. Stir in basil and ginger. Cook and stir about 2 minutes or until heated through. Serve over hot rice. Makes 4 servings.
from the test kitchen
Note *Hot peppers contain oils that can burn eyes, lips, and sensitive skin, so wear plastic gloves while preparing them. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly afterward.
nutrition facts (Basil Chicken in Coconut-Curry Sauce)
Servings Per Recipe 4, Calories 520, Protein (gm) 32, Carbohydrate (gm) 44, Fat, total (gm) 23, Cholesterol (mg) 66, Saturated fat (gm) 17, Monosaturated fat (gm) 3, Polyunsaturated fat (gm) 1, Dietary Fiber, total (gm) 2, Sugar, total (gm) 2, Vitamin A (IU) 243, Vitamin C (mg) 6, Thiamin (mg) 0, Riboflavin (mg) 0, Niacin (mg) 11, Pyridoxine (Vit. B6) (mg) 1, Folate (µg) 85, Cobalamin (Vit. B12) (µg) 0, Sodium (mg) 382, Potassium (mg) 367, Calcium (DV %) 50, Iron (DV %) 4, Starch () 3, Other Carb () 1, Very Lean Meat () 4, Fat () 4, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
Big Flavors Rating: 2 Stars
This chicken recipe was different from most that I've tried before. It was a little messy at the end, but it was easy to put together. The cayenne gives it a little bit of a kick which goes well with the sweetness of the honey. Another bonus is that this recipe calls for ingredients that I almost always have on hand. I served it with some canned collard greens.
Honey-Pecan Chicken Breasts
Allrecipes - Penny Davis
"We love to entertain, writes Penny Davis from Newman Lake, Washington. This is one of my favorite 'special' recipes to welcome dinner guests. The nuts add an elegant touch, and it fills the house with a great aroma."
Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 15 Min
Ready In: 25 Min
Servings: 2
2 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon butter
¼ teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans
Flatten chicken to ½-in. thickness. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and cayenne. In a large nonstick skillet, brown chicken in butter; add garlic. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Drizzle honey over chicken; sprinkle with pecans. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.
Nutritional Analysis: 1 serving equals 382 calories, 15 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 109 mg cholesterol, 436 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 35 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2 starch, 1 fat.
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
I seasoned up a few chicken breasts with Penzey's Fox Point seasoning and sautéed them in olive oil. I served them with roasted red potatoes, zucchini, cauliflower and garlic that was tossed with olive oil and dried minced onion before it went into the oven.
This was the first time I've worked with tilapia. I'm not sure I've ever eaten it before. Dino has had it several times before, and he said that this was by far the best he's ever tasted. Woohoo!! I seared two tilapia fillets in a little olive oil in a nonstick skillet. I added in some minced garlic, lime zest and cilantro, and cooked the fish until it looked like it was done. I added in the juice from the lime and a tablespoon of butter to make a little bit of a sauce. I served it with couscous. It turned out awesome! It was super easy to put together, and only took a few ingredients.
Those little boneless center cut pork chops are great for a quick weeknight meal. I fried some up with simply seasoned mushrooms, and served it with some spaghetti squash. I drizzled some olive oil in a pan and sauteéd 8 ounces of baby bella mushrooms, 2 cloves of minced garlic, a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon of sherry, ¼ teaspoon of dried thyme, salt and pepper. When they were nice and tender, I slid them to the side of the skillet and fried the pork chops, seasoned with salt and pepper. It was quick and easy and pretty good.
I got a Mini Cupcake Factory with my Geek Points over on ThinkGeek and decided to try it out for the first time with this banana bread muffin recipe. They turned out good, but I forgot that making a full batch of batter was going to end up taking as long (or longer) as it would have taken to do full sized muffins, since I had to do it in batches of 7. Anyway, this wasn't the best banana muffin recipe out there, but it was still good.
Sarah's Banana Bread Muffins
Allrecipes - Sarah
"This is a recipe for people who like banana bread and muffins. These are great breakfast muffins! You may substitute coconut for some or all of the walnuts if you wish."
Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 35 Min
Ready In: 45 Min
Servings: 12
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup vegetable oil
3 ripe bananas, mashed
¼ cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon baking soda
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place muffin cups in muffin tin, or grease with a little butter.
Mix sugar, oil, and egg until creamy and light yellow. Add bananas and walnuts. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir until completely smooth. Spoon the batter into the muffin tin.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until toothpick poked in center muffin comes out clean.
Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 270 | Total Fat: 11.5g | Cholesterol: 18mg
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
This cookbook has been in my family since before I was born. A few of my aunts have been making delicious recipes from it for family gatherings, and I had such fond memories of it that I decided to track down a copy for myself online. My aunt Janis was visiting, and she said that this looked like one that she had made before. It's not a pudding like I've ever had. It's almost like a coffee cake on top with a delicious sauce underneath. This was pretty easy to put together, and definitely got a big "wow".
Cinnamon Pudding
Our Swiss Pantry
Mrs. Forrest (Ella Mae) Sprunger
1c sugar
2T butter
2T baking powder
2c flour
1t cinnamon
1c milk
Mix above ingredients and put in bottom of 9x13" baking dish.
1 ½c brown sugar
1 ½c water
2T butter
Boil above ingredients and pour slowly over batter in baking dish. ½ c raisins and ½ c chopped nuts may be sprinkled on top. Bake 20 to 30 minutes at 375 to 400 till done.
Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars
My mom gave me this recipe to try out while she was visiting. She had made it a while back, but in a bigger batch.
She said that it turned out a bit more watery than it did when she made it.
I think that serving it on top of rice took away too much of the flavor somehow, because the pork on its own was way more flavorful than it was when it was on top of the rice.
Sweet & Sour Slow-Cooker Teriyaki Pork
Lori Henderson
2 lb. pork tenderloin
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1 ½ t. teriyaki sauce
1 T dark brown sugar
20 oz. can crushed pineapple
Place pork in bottom of crockpot. Add rest of ingredients on top and toss lightly to break up brown sugar. Cook on low for 8 hours. Enjoy!
My mom and aunt were in town, and they reminded me of this tasty appetizer. It couldn't be easier to put together, and it's delicious! It's a great combination of sweet and slightly spicy. You just take some cream cheese, spread it out on a plate, and top it with some pepper jelly. Scoop it up with crackers to enjoy. Yum!
This pork recipe was awesome! Just keep in mind that it needs 3 hours total (marinating time plus resting) before you start to cook it, so make sure you take that into account. The sauce is rich and goes great with the pork. This also used ingredients that I always have on hand, and I had a piece of pork tenderloin leftover from when I made Szechuan Pork a few days ago. I served this dish with some Brussels Sprouts with White Beans and Pecorino, and since I halved that recipe, I made a quick side dish with the other half of the can of beans. I tossed them in a bowl with some diced tomato, thinly sliced red onion, sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, aged balsamic and a nice olive oil. It really rounded out the meal well, and we enjoyed every bite. This pork recipe will definitely be going into our regular rotation.
Ginger-Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Gourmet November 2003
1 ⅔ cups chicken broth (13 ½ ounces)
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons ketchup or 2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 (¾ pound) pork tenderloin
1 tablespoon olive oil
Special equipment: an instant-read thermometer
Whisk together ⅔ cup broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, ginger, garlic, and vinegar and pour into a large sealable plastic bag. Add tenderloin and seal bag, then marinate, chilled, turning bag over occasionally, 2 hours.
Bring tenderloin to room temperature, about 1 hour.
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
Pat tenderloin dry and reserve marinade. Heat oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown tenderloin on all sides, turning with tongs, about 3 minutes total. Transfer skillet to oven and roast pork until thermometer inserted diagonally into center of meat registers 155°F, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 10 minutes.
While meat is roasting, pour marinade through a fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepan and boil until reduced to about ⅓ cup, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in remaining cup broth and bring sauce to a simmer. Serve slices of tenderloin with sauce.
Cooks' note: Pork keeps, wrapped tightly in foil and chilled, 3 days.
Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars
This was a great side dish for tonight. It was pretty easy to put together (and didn't take anywhere near how long the recipe stated - I have no idea where they got 1 ¼ hours from). The beans and cheese make it nice and creamy. I subbed Parmesan and it worked really well.
Brussels Sprouts with White Beans and Pecorino
Bon Appétit November 2005
yield: Makes 12 servings
active time: 45 min
total time: 1 ¼ hr
A coarse grating of pecorino cheese adds a little creaminess and tang to this dish, but it's equally delicious without it.
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed, cut in half lengthwise
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans), drained
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) butter
1 cup (about 4 ounces) coarsely grated young pecorino (such as a young
Pecorino Toscano)
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. When just about to smoke, add half of brussels sprouts. Cook until brown, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in same skillet. Add remaining brussels sprouts, reduce heat to medium-high, and cook until brown, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer brussels sprouts to same bowl.
Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to skillet; increase heat to high. Add garlic; sauté until brown, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add broth and brussels sprouts. Cook until brussels sprouts are crisp-tender, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Add beans and butter; stir until butter melts and broth is reduced to glaze, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in cheese.
Per serving: 317 calories, 21g fat (6g saturated), 19mg cholesterol, 285mg sodium, 23g carbohydrate, 7g fiber, 13g protein
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
I thought that a good use for some of the Pumpkin Pie Spice that I made last week would be to top a latte. I usually like a little cinnamon on top, so why not this? Plus, I'm not that into the pumpkin syrup that goes into ones at Starbucks, so this was nice because it added just a hint of fall flavor. Extra thanks to Dino for taking over the majority of the barista duties at home 🙂 We used some decaf beans from a local coffeehouse, and he made mine skim, and his soy. They were awesome!
This was a pretty easy meal to make. I didn't have any soba noodles, so I used whole wheat spaghetti instead. This was nice and spicy and we really enjoyed it.
Szechuan Pork
Cooking Light June 2008
Fresh sliced pineapple makes a nice companion for this one-dish meal.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup pork mixture and ½ cup noodles)
6 ounces soba (buckwheat) noodles, uncooked
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 2-inch strips
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)
1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
¾ cup red bell pepper strips (about 1 small pepper)
¼ cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 ½ tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon peanut butter
¾ cup (2-inch) diagonally cut green onions (about 4 green onions)
1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork, chili garlic sauce, and ginger to pan; stir-fry for2 minutes. Add bell pepper to pan; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add broth, soy sauce, and peanut butter to pan. Reduce heat to low; cook for 1 minute or until sauce is slightly thick. Stir in onions. Serve over noodles.
Amount per serving:
Calories: 338
Calories from fat: 23%
Fat: 8.6g
Saturated fat: 2.2g
Monounsaturated fat: 3.5g
Polyunsaturated fat: 1.9g
Protein: 30.4g
Carbohydrate: 36.8g
Fiber: 1.7g
Cholesterol: 63mg
Iron: 2.9mg
Sodium: 693mg
Calcium: 40mg
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
This is the post over at Baking Bites that made me want to send in some treats for Dino's co-workers, since it's been a while. They turned out really tasty! They really do taste like pumpkin pie. I couldn't find the pumpkin spice marshmallows, so I used this Pumpkin Pie Spice recipe, and it worked out great! The major difference is that you don't get the same bright orange color as you would if you used the pre-spiced marshmallows. I suppose if you really wanted it, you could add a bit of food coloring to the marshmallows after they're melted. The only real trouble I had with this recipe is that the crust didn't really stay together too well. I crushed some graham crackers in a bag, and I may not have crushed them finely enough, and asked Dino to measure them out into the bowl for me. So I'm assuming the full amount made it into the bowl...but I didn't get a super thick layer on the bottom of the pan or anything. Either way, they tasted great, and I love this as a variation on standard Rice Krispie treats.
Pumpkin Pie Rice Krispie Treats
Baking Bites
Graham Cracker Crust
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup sugar
pinch salt
6 tablespoon butter, melted and cooled
Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Layer
4 tablespoon butter, room temperature
10-oz Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows (1 large bag)
or 10-oz plain marshmallows + 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix
6 cups rice krispies/puffed rice cereal
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a medium bowl, stir together all graham cracker crust ingredients.
Pour into a 9×13-inch pan and press into an even layer.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before using.
To make the cereal bars, combine butter and marshmallows in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 60-90 seconds, until marshmallows have melted. Stir the marshmallow mixture (adding spices, if using), then add in the cereal. Stir with a large spatula until everything is evenly combined.
Spoon the cereal mixture evenly over the graham cracker crust. Using a large spatula or lightly greased hands, press down into an even layer. Allow bars to cool to room temperature before slicing.
Makes 24 bars
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
I wanted to make a Pumpkin Pie Rice Krispie Treat recipe that I saw over at Baking Bites, but I couldn't find the pumpkin spice marshmallows. I wasn't going to buy pumpkin pie spice, so I tried out the recipe that was posted along with the dessert recipe. It really does smell like pumpkin pie! It made a nice amount of spice mix, so I'll definitely have to use it to make some other pumpkin-y goodies soon! It smells heavenly, and I love cardamom, so I definitely left that in this recipe. Yum! There's also an apple pie spice recipe on that page, which I'm sure would be great as well.
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Baking Bites
¼ cup ground cinnamon
2 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg*
½ teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
Combine all ingredients for desired mix and blend well. Store in a small, airtight container. Feel free to experiment with amounts to get a blend that works for you.
*If using freshy ground nutmeg, you might want to cut back a little bit because the flavor can be quite strong. Since you’re going to be storing the mix anyway, it is not crucial to use freshly ground here. I personally find it to be a bit overwhelming if there is a ton of nutmeg in something.
I saw this post at Eats Well With Others and was anxious to try it out! I've been on a frozen pot pie kick lately (not the ones I used to have as a kid, ones from Whole Foods or other tasty, organic versions). I've never made one of my own before, and I figured one that didn't involve meat would be easier to start out with. The ones I've seen that call for meat have you cook that part first, which just makes it feel like the recipe would take forever to get done. My tiny kitchen doesn't have enough storage space for more than a few ramekins, so I went the 2 quart dish route with this one.
We really enjoyed this, and I was surprised at how much less intimidating it was to make a pot pie than what I expected. Next time, I think I'll add a bay leaf and some thyme, and maybe try it with chicken to change it up a bit. I'll definitely be making variations of this in the future!
Chickpea Potpie with Cornbread Crust
Eats Well With Others, adapted from Big Bowl of Love
Serves 4-5
2 cups chopped sweet potatoes
½ cup chopped carrots
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
¼ cup AP flour
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups cooked chickpeas
½ cup frozen baby peas
1 teaspoon kosher salt
cracked pepper
dash of Tabasco sauce
¾ cup cornmeal
¾ cup AP flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 ½ tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup almond milk or lowfat milk
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 large egg yolk, slightly beaten
Boil the potatoes and carrots until tender but not soft and set aside. Spray a 2-quart casserole with cooking spray (or ramekins!)
For the filling, heat a large saucepan until hot. Add the oil and onions. Saute onions until they are soft, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the ¼ cup flour and mix. Slowly pour in the vegetable stock whisking well with a wire whisk. Still using the whisk, cook the mixture over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chickpeas, peas, cooked potatoes and carrots, salt, pepper to taste, and Tabasco. Cook on medium heat until the mixture is heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. turn into the prepared casserole dish, spreading evenly or divide evenly among ramekins.
Preheat the oven to 400.
For the crust, in a bowl combine the cornmeal, ¾ cup flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In a small bowl, combine the milk, oil and egg yolk. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until uniform but a bit lumpy. Spoon the batter evenly over the filling.
Bake until the top is golden brown, about 22 to 25 minutes for the casserole and 10 to 12 minutes for the ramekins.
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
I saw this post over at Simply Recipes, and thought it looked like a really great, easy dessert to make. Plus, I had all of the ingredients on hand! I mean...how could I not make these? They turned out really well! They definitely need the frosting, in my opinion (what? a few pieces "fell off" while they were cooling, so we had to QC them...). These get bonus points for how easy they are, and the fact that they use ingredients that we typically have on hand. No eggs? No problem! Just be prepared to get the side-eye from anyone who you tell that these involve vinegar and olive oil. Oh, and P.S. - how adorable are these cupcake liners that I found on sale at the grocery store? Gotta love the fact that not everyone is OK with using Halloween-like decorations all year round 🙂
Super Easy, Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes
Simply Recipes
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
The coffee (and the salt) help intensify the flavor of the chocolate. If you don't have or don't want to use coffee, just skip it and use water instead. If you do use coffee, just use what would be considered regular strength coffee (or slightly weak coffee) in America, not something super concentrated like espresso. If caffeine is an issue, use decaf. If you want to make a cake instead of cupcakes, double the recipe and use two 8-inch round cake pans and cook for 35-40 minutes.
Cupcakes:
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup brewed coffee (or 1 cup of warm water mixed with 1 ½ teaspoons
of espresso powder or instant coffee granules)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 tablespoon (¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp) olive oil
Frosting:
4 tablespoon butter
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Cupcakes:
1 Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Prepare a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2 In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt until there are no visible clumps (cocoa tends to clump up).
3 In a separate bowl, mix together the coffee (or water plus coffee granules), vinegar, vanilla extract, and olive oil.
4 Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until they just come together. The mixture should be thin and rather lumpy.
5 Ladle the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about two-thirds of the way full. Place in oven and bake for 18 to 20
minutes, until a bamboo skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
6 Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool on a rack. Once cool, you can eat plain, sprinkle with powdered sugar, or drizzle or coat with frosting.
Frosting:
While the cupcakes are cooking, make the frosting. Melt butter in a small saucepan and remove from heat. Stir in the cocoa until smooth. Sprinkle in about a third of the powdered sugar, stir, then sprinkle in about a half of the milk. Keep alternating with the powdered sugar and either milk or vanilla, stirring after each addition, until the frosting is the consistency you want, and smooth. If it's too runny, add more powdered sugar. If too stiff, add a little more milk or vanilla extract.
To pipe in a decorative pattern, scoop the frosting into the corner of a ziplock freezer bag. Use scissors to cut away ¼-inch or so from the tip of the corner. Then just squeeze the frosting out of the bag onto the cupcakes in any design you like.
Yield: Makes 12 cupcakes.
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
I saw this post over at Annie's Eats, and thought it looked like the perfect weekend breakfast recipe for this cold weather.
I decided to make it vegan by using soy milk and soy butter, since Dino is lactose intolerant. It turned out to be amazingly delicious, and I didn't even miss the dairy! It was rich enough without it.
The caramelized bananas on the bottom are really the perfect accompaniment to this oatmeal. They add a richness that really elevates the dish.
We have a bunch of this leftover now, and I'm excited that we'll have homemade breakfast waiting in the fridge for us for the next few days. I'll definitely make this one again!
Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal
Annie's Eats
1 cup steel cut oats
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
4 cups very hot water
2 medium bananas, sliced
½ cup plus 2 tbsp. brown sugar, lightly packed, divided
2¼ tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
3 cups old-fashioned oats
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
Dash ground cloves
½ cup pumpkin puree
½ cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Place the steel cut oats in a large bowl with 4 tablespoons of the butter. Pour the hot water over the oats and cover the bowl. Let stand for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the caramelized bananas. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bananas, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, and ¼ teaspoon of the cinnamon to the pan. Toss gently and cook briefly, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
After the steel cut oats have finished soaking, stir in the old fashioned oats, remaining ½ cup of brown sugar, maple syrup, salt,
remaining 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the pumpkin, milk and vanilla. Stir the pumpkin mixture into the oat mixture.
Spread the bananas over the bottom of a lightly greased 2 quart-ish baking dish. Pour the oatmeal mixture on top of the bananas. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.
Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars
I came up with this side dish to go along with the Swiss steak recipe that I made. It only called for part of a can of diced tomatoes, so I figured it would be good to make something with the rest of the can. I also used some Russian Red garlic that a friend brought back to me from the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival.
Green Beans with Tomato and Carrot
Ashley Covelli
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 carrots, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
pinch of red pepper flakes
7 oz. canned diced tomatoes (I used what was leftover from this recipe)
1 t dried Italian seasoning
¼ c water
2 T balsamic vinegar
In a medium skillet, sauté carrots, garlic and red pepper flakes in oil until soft. Add beans, tomatoes, water, and Italian seasoning. Simmer, covered, until almost tender. Remove cover, add in the balsamic vinegar and let the juices reduce until the beans are at the desired doneness.
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
We had some round steak in the freezer from when my parents visited a few months back, so I looked up an easy recipe to use it up.
This is a really low-maintenance recipe, and the results are pretty tasty! The meat was super tender after baking for so long, which was really nice.
The only change I made was to use a can of V8 since I had them on hand, and not straight-up tomato juice. I served this with brown rice and a quick green bean dish that I came up with to use up the rest of the can of diced tomatoes.
Old-Fashioned Swiss Steak
Allrecipes - Vera Kleiber
"My husband and I enjoyed this recipe for so many years, recalls Vera Kleiber in Raleigh, North Carolina. The sauce is wonderful, and the dish always brings back memories."
Prep Time: 20 Min
Cook Time: 1 Hr 30 Min
Ready In: 1 Hr 50 Min Yield 2 servings
¾ pound beef top round steak
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (5.5 ounce) can tomato juice
½ cup diced canned tomatoes
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ teaspoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon prepared mustard
Cut steak into two pieces; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Using a mallet, pound flour into the meat. In a large skillet, brown meat in oil on both sides. Transfer to a shallow 1-qt. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray.
In the same skillet, saute onion in drippings until tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Pour over meat. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 1-½ hours or until tender.
Nutritional Analysis: 1 serving (prepared with ¼ teaspoon salt and reduced-sodium tomato juice) equals 361 calories, 12 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 96 mg cholesterol, 541 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 41 g protein.
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
I picked up a spaghetti squash from the store, and wanted to use up some of the things we had in the fridge and pantry at home to make a sauce to go with it. This turned out really tasty! Thank goodness, because I haven't had the energy to cook much lately, and I didn't want to be disappointed when I finally got around to it. I used black garlic in the sauce, because some friends had given us a few cloves a few weeks ago when we had dinner at their house. The taste is kind of nutty, and we really liked it. And it's fermented and super soft, so it melts down into the sauce, kind of like anchovies do. I only used 1 squash, so we're going to use the leftover sauce over some pasta most likely. This was a nice low carb option!
Spaghetti Squash with Turkey, Fire Roasted Tomato and Black Garlic Sauce
Ashley Covelli
Serves 4
2 spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed
extra-virgin olive oil
1 small white onion, diced small
2 carrots, peeled and diced small
2 stalks celery, diced small
bay leaf
2 cloves black garlic
salt and pepper
1 pound ground turkey
14.5 oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
water
1-2 T balsamic vinegar
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an ovenproof pan or broiler tray with foil and drizzle with olive oil. Place squash on the foil cut side down, and bake for 45 minutes.
Heat 2T oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and sauté for a minute or two. Add bay leaf and black garlic and season with salt and pepper. Sauté all of this until the veggies soften, using your spoon or spatula to smush the black garlic down to get it to melt into the rest of the ingredients.
Push the veggies to one side of the pan and add the turkey to the empty side. Brown the turkey, breaking it up and flipping it around until it's brown all over. Drain any excess fat and then stir the turkey and veggies together. Add the tomatoes to the turkey mixture. Fill the can about halfway with water and add that to the mixture as well. Reduce the heat and cover, simmering until the tomatoes are heated through.
Remove cover, season with salt and pepper and add in balsamic vinegar to taste. Turn up the heat and let it bubble away until it reaches a consistency you like. Remove the bay leaf and serve over shredded spaghetti squash.
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
We had a lot of apple chutney leftover from our Supper Club, so I decided to make a quick dinner with some pork chops. I seasoned some flour with salt, pepper and fresh thyme from my garden and pan-fried the chops in olive oil until they were nice and brown on both sides, and moist and juicy in the middle. This went perfectly with the chutney!
We wanted to fire up the grill one last time this year, and instead of a traditional salad, we cut some romaine hearts in half and grilled them quickly just to get some nice char marks on them. For dressing, I mixed some lemon juice and grainy dijon with salt and pepper, and whisked in a stream of extra virgin olive oil until it was a nice consistency. My in-laws thought that grilled salad sounded really weird, but this won them over!
My in-laws came over for dinner, and I wanted to put something out for us to snack on before fired up the grill. I had some tomatoes from my garden, and figured they'd go great with an assortment of cheeses. We had cave aged gruyere, gouda, brie, applewood smoked mozzarella and applewood smoked cheddar. It was a great way to start off a nice meal.
Dino wanted to make Apple Juleps for the Supper Club's apple night, and they turned out awesome! The recipe didn't call for any alcohol, but he added a shot of either apple brandy or rum for those who wanted it. We made fresh orange and lemon juice, and bought apple and pineapple juice. I think that really helped the quality of this drink. We just didn't have it in us to juice an entire quart of apple juice. This is a great, refreshing beverage, and we all really enjoyed it.
Apple Julep
Allrecipes - BUSYMOMOFTHREE
Yield 6 servings
1 quart apple juice
1 cup orange juice
1 cup pineapple juice
¼ cup lemon juice
1 sprig fresh mint leaves
In a large pitcher, stir together the apple juice, orange juice, pineapple juice and lemon juice. Mix and pour into glasses full of ice to serve. Garnish each serving with a mint leaf.
Amount Per Serving Calories: 121 | Total Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 0mg
Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars
This chutney was great alongside the turkey. The only thing we didn't think of was that 15 apples makes a LOT of chutney. And the consistency was more like applesauce. This is a shot of the plate with all of our Supper Club's apple offerings. The chutney is in the upper right - I forgot to get a shot of it by itself. This was a great meal - it was like Thanksgiving in October!
Apple Chutney
Allrecipes - CATSEO
"This easy chutney is a great companion for so many dishes from turkey sandwiches to pork chops."
15 tart apples - peeled, cored, and finely chopped
1 yellow onion, quartered
3 (1 inch) pieces fresh ginger root, peeled
1 cup white wine vinegar
½ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon white pepper
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
In a saucepan, mix the apples, onion, ginger, vinegar, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, white pepper, cardamom, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the apples are tender. Mix in some water if necessary to keep the ingredients moist. Remove the onion and ginger, and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Amount Per Serving Calories: 49 | Total Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 0mg
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
Homemade breakfast sausage patties are quick & easy to make at home, flavored with spices from your pantry. These patties are delicious using ground pork or your favorite vegan ground meat substitute.
Breakfast sausage patties are delicious served alongside your favorite breakfast dishes like pancakes, French toast, quiche, and frittata.
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Here's everything you need to make your own batch of breakfast sausage patties (see recipe card below for ingredient amounts and full directions):
See recipe card below for full instructions.
There are some things you can do to help your breakfast sausage patty-making be more successful. Just a few pointers to help you out if you need a little guidance.
I love serving these homemade breakfast sausage patties with our favorite spinach and cheddar quiche, a simple fruit salad, and a quick and easy bean salad. They're also an incredible accompaniment to my chocolate chocolate chip pancakes with mint.
If you're using my homemade breakfast sausage seasoning blend, you can omit the garlic and all of the spices listed in this recipe. You'll use 2 tablespoons of the sausage seasoning per 1 pound of ground meat.
Some more of our favorite dishes to enjoy alongside the sausage patties:
Doing some online shopping? Check out my Amazon shop page for recommendations!
This was a nice variation on a stir-fry dinner for us. I don't use eggplant very often, because Dino isn't a big fan of it. But when it's done right, like in this recipe, he really enjoys it. I also really liked that it combined tofu and meat. It was spicy without being too spicy, and it made a great meal over brown rice.
Spicy Eggplant, Pork, and Tofu Stir-fry
Sunset March 2004
Makes 4 servings
1 pound eggplant
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
8 ounces ground pork
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon rice or white wine vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons Asian red chili paste
2 teaspoons cornstarch
8 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
1. Rinse eggplant and cut crosswise into 1-inch thick rounds. Cut rounds into 1-inch-wide strips.
2. Pour vegetable and sesame oils into a 12-inch nonstick frying pan or a 14-inch wok over medium-high heat. When hot, add eggplant and stir frequently until soft when pierced and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer eggplant to paper towels to drain.
3. Add ginger and garlic to pan and stir frequently until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add pork and stir until crumbled and brown, about 5 minutes.
4. In a bowl, mix soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, chili paste, cornstarch, and ¼ cup water. Pour into pan and stir until mixture is simmering and thickened, about 1 minute.
5. Gently stir in tofu, eggplant, and green onions until heated through.
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
This pork recipe was super easy and really tasty! It didn't take much time at all, which makes it a perfect weeknight dinner. I served it with some baked sweet potatoes.
Pork Tenderloin Studded with Rosemary and Garlic
Cooking Light October 2002
Tender, moist, and fragrant, this hearty pork tenderloin with rosemary and garlic is a breeze to prepare.
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 475°.
Combine the rosemary and garlic. Make several ½-inch-deep slits in pork; place about half of rosemary mixture in slits. Rub pork with remaining rosemary mixture; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place pork on a jelly roll pan coated with cooking spray. Insert a meat thermometer into thickest portion of pork.
Bake at 475° for 20 minutes or until the thermometer registers 160° (slightly pink) or desired degree of doneness. Let stand 5 minutes, and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices.
Note: Strip rosemary leaves by running your fingertips along the stem in the opposite direction from which the leaves grow.
Amount per serving
Calories: 147
Calories from fat: 26%
Fat: 4.2g
Saturated fat: 1.4g
Monounsaturated fat: 1.6g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.4g
Protein: 24.2g
Carbohydrate: 1.5g
Fiber: 0.1g
Cholesterol: 67mg
Iron: 1.6mg
Sodium: 342mg
Calcium: 23mg
Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars
I don't remember my stepmom cooking very often, but when she did, she usually made this goulash. I've asked her a million times how she makes it, and she always answers with, "oh, just throw whatever you have in the kitchen in there". So when she came out to visit for my baby shower, I told her that I was going to watch her make beef goulash so that I could write down what she adds to it. It's great comfort food, and you can use really cheap cuts of meat since it simmers for so long. And it's a good thing I didn't just use "whatever I had in the kitchen" in this, because stuff like hoisin sauce, sriracha and fennel pollen would not bring out the same results 😉
Mary-Ellen's Beef Goulash
Mary-Ellen Lewis
Serves 6
In a large saucepan, add the following and cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is no longer red on outside:
2 ½ pounds beef stew meat (can mix with flank steak), cut into cubes (1" to 2" - smaller is better for stew meat, so it breaks down faster)
salt
pepper
¼ c water
Let simmer for an hour, adding more water when needed to make sure there's enough to partially cover the meat in the pan.
Add:
⅓ c ketchup
1 ½ t mustard
⅔ c - 1 c water (add a little at a time until you like the consistency
½ t Worcestershire sauce
½ t soy sauce
pinch chili powder
Put lid on to partially cover the pot and let it simmer for about an hour, checking the water level occasionally to make sure it doesn't dry out. Taste for seasoning and add a few more tablespoons of ketchup & mustard if desired. Cook until it's at the desired consistency (meat should be falling apart and very tender).
Serve over mashed potatoes.
Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars
