Cocktail Cutie

Hearty Tortellini Soup

2017-01-24T16:30:00.002-05:00

As a lot of you may already know, I'm a planner. Probably to a fault, really.

Having said that, it should come as no surprise to anyone that, every Sunday, I sit down and plan out a menu for the week; from that menu, I make my grocery list. And, as weird as I'm sure it sounds, I really look forward to doing it.

I'm a huge advocate of menu planning, and I've actually written about it before (check it out here); I can't tell you how much money and time it saves me at the grocery store. On top of that, though, I care a lot about feeding my family well, and menu planning really helps with that. By mapping out our meals, I can ensure that we always have good, healthy options on hand; that, in turn, deters us from resorting to junk or fast food. Not to say that we don't eat that stuff every now and then - we absolutely do. It's just nice not to HAVE to, if that makes sense.

Anyway, I try to make a variety of meals in our house each week. For example, I include at least one seafood meal on the menu, and stick to a limit of one dinner with red meat. This year, I've started doing one "meatless" night a week as well. I also plan for leftovers, because it's nice to have a break sometimes.

This soup is wonderful for leftovers, and can be frozen very easily should you choose to do so. I made mine with beef broth, but the original recipe (linked below) calls for vegetable stock, making it a wonderful meatless meal as well. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Hearty Tortellini Soup

Original Recipe by Julia Levy, Cooking Light (recipe here)

2 tbs olive oil

1 large vidalia onion

2 cups chopped fennel bulb

2 tbs minced garlic

12 oz sliced gourmet blend mushrooms

2 tbs tomato paste

4 cups beef stock

4 cups vegetable stock

1 cup water

2 cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

4 cups curly kale, stemmed and chopped

10 oz three-cheese tortellini

1 1/2 tbs red wine vinegar

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add onion, fennel, garlic and mushrooms and cook 15 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add stock, water, tomatoes (with juice), and chickpeas and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and simmer for five minutes.

Add kale and tortellini. Cook 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in vinegar. Ladle into soups and serve.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches

2017-01-19T14:56:00.000-05:00

I use my slow cooker A LOT. You might have noticed.

Honestly, there are just some days when I need an easy, little-to-no prep option for dinner. I know I can't be the only one. There's just something so nice about having a tool that does so much work FOR you.

Side note on that, I can't WAIT to try out the Instant Pot I got for Christmas.

Anyway, this is another meal that my daughter helps me prepare. I brown the beef, but I let her measure and add all of the "flavor" components to the dish; this means that she gets to stir, which is basically her favorite thing to do in the kitchen (at least so far).

As usual, the original recipe comes from Cooking Light, though I've made some adjustments of my own. A link to the original is included below.

Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches

Original Recipe by Deb Wise, Cooking Light Dec 2013 (see it here)

1/2 cup white vinegar

1 tbs onion powder

1 tbs garlic powder

2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp pepper

1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini peppers (jarred)

2 lbs chuck roast

Ciabatta rolls (or your favorite sandwich rolls)

Place first 7 ingredients in slow cooker, stirring to combine.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Cook beef in skillet for 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Add beef to slow cooker.

Cook on LOW setting for 8 hours. Shred beef with two forks and stir well. Serve on ciabatta rolls.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Slow Cooker Spicy Chicken Cacciatore

2017-01-17T19:20:00.001-05:00

Anyone who knows my husband (his name is Richard) knows that he LOVES spicy food. And when I say LOVES (in all caps), I'm not exaggerating. At any given time in our house, you can look in the fridge or pantry and find at least one supremely spicy snack that Rich regularly devours when he returns home from work each day. Ghost pepper peanuts and Ass Kickin' Original salsa are among his favorites, I believe, but he'll pretty much take anything that totes an "insanely hot!" warning on its label. When I tell him something is (or should be) spicy, it's a bit of a double-edged sword; he's both excited to try it and doubtful that he'll actually agree.

I'm telling you this as a bit of a warning; when I made this recipe, Rich said "this actually has some heat to it." So yes, it's a bit spicy. But it's also unbelievably good. Don't like spice? Reduce the crushed red pepper, or leave it out all together. I'm pretty sure you'll still love it.

Cooking Light gets all the credit for this one, and I've linked the original recipe for you below; as you'll see, I really only made slight changes.

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Original recipe by Phillip Rhodes, Cooking Light (March 2014) - click here for original recipe

All-purpose flour

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1 tbs olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 large red bell peppers, chopped

8 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup dry red wine

1/2 cup tomato puree

2 tbs capers

2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp black pepper

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1 can unsalted petite diced tomatoes

2 tbs chopped fresh parsley

Add flour to shallow bowl and dredge chicken thighs in flour. Shake off excess.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil, swirling to coat. Add chicken thighs and cook for 4 minutes on each side.

Add chicken to slow cooker and reduce heat under skillet to medium.

Add onion, bell pepper and garlic to skillet and cook for 4 minutes, stirring often. Add wine and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Add to slow cooker.

Add tomato puree, capers, crushed red pepper, dried oregano, black pepper, kosher salt and diced tomatoes (with juice) to slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours.

Serve over mashed potatoes or polenta as desired and sprinkle with parsley.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

2017-01-12T19:39:00.000-05:00

My oldest daughter, Zoey, absolutely loves to help me in the kitchen. I try to come up with different ways that she can help me with every dish that I make - easier said than done, sometimes. That's why we both love slow cooker recipes. Generally little to no prep, and hardly any technique required!

This slow cooker white chicken chili is a favorite in our house, and I love how easy it is to make and enjoy. It also freezes wonderfully, so feel free to double the batch and store some for later.

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

Recipe by Laura Taylor

1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 cups chicken broth

2 cans (15 oz each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

2 cans (4.5 oz each) Old El Paso chopped green chiles

1 tbs chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 tsp ground cumin

Dash ground red pepper (cayenne), if desired

Add all ingredients to slow cooker and cook on low 6 hours. Remove chicken and shred using 2 forks. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir to combine.

Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, sliced jalapenos, cilantro and tortilla strips.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Slow Cooker BBQ Beef Potatoes

2017-01-10T20:00:00.000-05:00

Happy 2017, y'all!

2016 was a bit crazy, not gonna lie. I, for one, am glad for the opportunity to start a new year. I've got plenty of goals that I'd like to meet in the future, and there's no better time than now to get started.

I don't know that there is a more fitting recipe to post to start the year, because this is one that was declared a winner by my entire family not only the first night, but on leftover night as well. Heck, my husband even asked for it again later in the week - and I think he was legitimately disappointed that we didn't have any left.

Yes, it's that good.

It's also - wait for it - really easy. Seriously. Grab your slow cooker, do some easy prep, and go enjoy the game while the work is done for you.

It doesn't get much better than that.

BBQ Beef Potatoes

Adapted from Cooking Light January 2017

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 tbs tomato paste

2 tbs Worcestershire sauce

1 tbs chili powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

1.5 lbs boneless chuck roast

1/2 cup sliced red onion

2 large russet potatoes

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

8 tbs light sour cream

1/4 cup sliced green onions

Mix brown sugar, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, salt and pepper in a bowl. Rub over roast.

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. Place red onion slices in the bottom of slow cooker and top with roast.

Set to LOW for 7.5 hours, or until beef is tender.

About an hour before slow cooker is done, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray potatoes lightly with cooking spray and bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Slice each potato in half lengthwise.

Remove roast from slow cooker and shred using two forks. Return to slow cooker and mix well with onion mixture.

Split each potato half lengthwise and add beef/onion mixture. Top each potato evenly with sour cream, cheese and green onion. Serves 4.

I'm excited to share many, many more of these easy, wonderful recipes with you this year. I'm planning to make some big changes to the blog in the next couple of months - stay tuned!

Until next time...

Cheers!

Summer Brunswick Stew

2016-07-19T14:01:00.000-04:00

Whew. I don't know about you, but our summer here in Georgia has been absolutely brutal. It's HOT! I'm so ready for fall (ok, I'm always ready for fall). Don't get me wrong; I like the sun, I love the pool, and I enjoy the carefree atmosphere that summer tends to bring, but I'm just not feeling this heat.

That said, I'm sure you're probably wondering why I'd offer you a soup recipe when it's a million degrees outside. And ok, I get it. It is a little odd to complain about the heat and then make a dinner that only makes things worse. BUT.

I am ready for fall. And I'm ready for soups and sweaters and yes, pumpkin EVERYTHING. So, soup in the summer? I'm making it work, and so can you.

I'm typically a Cooking Light girl, but the basic recipe for this recipe comes from Southern Living's June 2016 edition. Looks like SL is on board for summer soup, too. Hooray!

Summer Brunswick Stew

Adapted from Southern Living, June 2016

1 large vidalia onion, sliced

2 T olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

12 oz frozen lima beans

12 oz frozen corn

1 lb cooked pulled pork (without sauce)

1 lb yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 cup BBQ sauce of your choice

1 can peeled, diced tomatoes (no salt added)

Heat a dutch oven over medium heat, add oil and swirl to coat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and lima beans. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.

Stir in pork, corn, potatoes and BBQ sauce. Simmer, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add tomatoes and simmer until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Grab a side of cornbread (whether homemade or store bought) and you've got a great summer meal!

Until next time...

Cheers!

Chicken & Avocado Taco Salad

2016-02-02T20:00:00.000-05:00

In the last year or so, I became a huge fan of entrée salads. Since most of them are simple, quick and require little to no actual cooking, they are the perfect solution for weeknight dinners. This recipe is great for either lunch or dinner, and you can spice it up by adding some sliced jalapenos if you'd like.

Chicken & Avocado Taco Salad

Adapted from Cooking Light, Jan/Feb 2016

1 cup pico de gallo

4 tsp EVOO

1 bag pre-washed leafy romaine

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast

2 avocados, peeled and cubed

Tortilla strips (for salads, such as Fresh Gourmet)

1 jalapeno, sliced (optional)

Mix 1/2 cup pico de gallo and EVOO in a mini food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth and set aside.

To serve, divide lettuce over plates. Top with chicken and avocado, then drizzle pureed pico de gallo over salad. Top with remaining pico, jalapenos (if using) and tortilla strips. Salt and pepper to taste.

Until next time...

Cheers!

White Bean, Kale and Egg Stack

2016-02-01T20:25:00.000-05:00

I have to say, the Jan/Feb 2016 edition of Cooking Light is quite possibly the best collection of new recipes I've seen in the 5 years or so that I've been a subscriber. I always get excited when it arrives in the mail, but I'm just not sure that the March edition will be able to top this one. It and the recipes it included are just that good. You may have noticed that many of the recipes I've shared with you lately have been adaptations of recipes from this edition in particular; today is no exception. I can't take any credit for the ideas behind these meals; rather, I'm simply sharing them with you because I've tried them and loved them, and I think you'll love them, too.

This dinner isn't one that I'd traditionally make for my family. I wasn't sure at all that my husband would like it (he did!), or that I'd ever make it again (I will!). However, as I said in a previous post, 2016 is all about adventure in the kitchen for me. So, with that in mind, I decided to give this one a try.

I can't lie; I was intimidated by the idea of poaching an egg. Silly, maybe, but I'd never done it before and honestly, I had no back-up plan. So I prayed it would work - and luckily, it did! The dish was delicious and different, and easy enough that I'm excited to make it again for my family.

Peppered White Bean, Kale and Egg Stack

Adapted from Cooking Light, Jan/Feb 2016 (original recipe here)

1 can unsalted Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken stock

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tsp olive oil

5 cups chopped kale

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 tbs white vinegar

2 large eggs

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp finely chopped cilantro

1 tsp finely chopped parsley

1 Roma tomato, seeded and chopped

1 large garlic clove, minced

Combine 1 tsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp salt, chopped onion, lemon juice, cilantro, parsley, tomato and garlic in a small bowl, stirring well. Set aside.

Fill a large pot two-thirds of the way with water and bring to a boil.

While water is coming to a boil, add beans and chicken stock to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook 4 minutes and remove from heat. Add lemon zest, 1/2 tsp black pepper and Parmesan cheese, stirring well to combine. With a potato masher or a fork, coarsely mash bean mixture.

Once water in large pot is boiling, reduce heat to simmer and add white vinegar. Break each egg into an individual coffee mug, custard cup or small bowl. Carefully pour each egg into the water/vinegar mixture. Cook 3 1/2 minutes. Gently remove eggs and place on paper-towel lined plate.

Drain water/vinegar mixture from large pot and wipe clean with a paper towel. Heat pot over medium-high heat and add 1 tsp olive oil, swirling to coat. Add the kale and 1/4 tsp salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until kale wilts. Remove from pan and set aside.

To serve, plate beans first, topped by the kale and egg. Spoon onion & tomato mixture over the stack.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Thai Steak Noodle Bowl

2016-01-26T07:06:00.000-05:00

I mentioned in my blog the other day that I'm kind of on a "try new things in the kitchen" kick for 2016. I feel like I manage to incorporate a good variety into the meals I offer my family, but I can always do more. I love learning about new ingredients and new cooking techniques (and how to use them), and I really want to learn more about balance and nutrition in general. I'm looking forward to doing that this year.

Today's recipe includes an ingredient I'd never used before: red curry paste. I'm so glad I tried it! It smells SO good, for one, not to mention the vibrant color it added to this dish. Since the recipe doesn't call for a TON of the stuff, the overall flavor is mild (slightly, pleasantly spicy to me, while not spicy at all to my husband who loves ridiculously hot stuff and therefore thinks anything less than a ghost pepper carries no heat). You can find red curry paste on the international foods aisle, along with the coconut milk that's also called for in the recipe.

Thai Steak Noodle Bowl

Adapted from Cooking Light, Jan/Feb 2016

2 cups baby arugula

1 tbs lime juice

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp kosher salt

8 oz pad thai noodles (uncooked)

12 oz sirloin steak, sliced thinly

1 1/2 tsp canola oil

1/2 cup water

2 tbs red curry paste (I used Thai Kitchen brand)

1 13.5 oz can coconut milk

Mix arugula, 1 tsp lime juice, 1/2 tsp sugr and 1/2 tsp salt and toss well to coat. Set aside.

Prepare rice noodles as instructed on package. Set aside.

Sprinkle steak with 1/2 tsp sugar. Heat skillet over high heat and add oil, swirling to coat. Add steak and cook 2 minutes. Flip and cook an additional 30 seconds or until browned. Remove from pan and keep warm.

Add 1/2 cup water, curry paste and coconut milk, stirring well. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tsp lime juice, 1 tsp sugar and 1/2 tsp salt.

To plate, divide noodles into four bowls, then add steak to each dish. Ladle broth over each serving and top with arugula. Sprinkle remaining salt over each bowl.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Mushroom & Chicken Marsala Bowls

2016-01-21T19:59:00.001-05:00

So far in 2016, I've made it a point to try some new things in the kitchen. The other day, for example, I poached eggs for the very first time (they were perfect - I'm sure I won't be able to replicate that experience the next time I try, lol). Today's recipe includes an ingredient I've never tried before. That ingredient? Chicken thighs.

I've never made them myself, and I can't even be 100% confident that I've actually eaten them before, either. Perhaps unknowingly? Unintentionally? I just don't know. I do know, however, that my husband is extremely picky when it comes to chicken, and, because of that, I've always steered clear of recipes that call for chicken thighs in the past (or I made them anyway and simply subbed chicken breasts). Not this time, though. This time I figured, heck, why not try it? This recipe seemed like the perfect one to use as an experiment, seeing as how it calls for more mushrooms than it does chicken (and my husband loves mushrooms). I'm so glad we tried it. Not only was it good the first night I made it, it was also successful as leftovers, believe it or not. We'll definitely be making it again!

Mushroom & Chicken Marsala Bowls

Adapted from Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2016

2 1/2 tbs butter

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup chicken stock

1 tsp kosher salt

1 1/2 tbs canola oil

1 package fresh baby spinach

8 oz sliced white mushrooms

8 oz skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/4 cup minced shallots

1 1/2 tbs chopped fresh thyme

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 cup dry Marsala wine

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 black pepper

Melt 1 1/2 tsp butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add quinoa to pan and saute 3 minutes. Add 3/4 cup stock and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 12 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes. Stir in 1/4 tsp salt.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 tsp oil to pan and swirl to coat. Add spinach and cook for 1 1/2 minutes or just until wilted. Remove and set aside.

Melt 1 1/2 tsp butter in pan and add 1 1/2 tsp oil. Swirl to coat. Add mushrooms and cook for 8 minutes, stirring to brown on all sides. Remove mushrooms and set aside.

Add remaining oil to pan and swirl to coat. Add chicken and saute 4 minutes, stirring to brown on all sides. Add shallots, thyme and garlic and saute for 1 1/2 minutes. Add wine and remaining chicken stock. Cook until liquid is reduced and becomes slightly syrupy, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add remaining butter, mustard, pepper and salt. Stir constantly until butter melts, then stir in mushrooms and spinach. Serve over quinoa.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Ginger Chicken, Shiitake and Scallion Soup

2016-01-20T13:51:00.000-05:00

After a mild December, it's finally gotten cold here in Georgia. In fact, as I write this, it's sleeting outside. Yuck.

There's nothing I like more in the winter months - both to make and to eat - than a good homemade soup. Today's recipe is light, flavorful and super aromatic - my house smelled SO good as it was cooking!

As a tip - I'd never used star anise pods before, and I wasn't exactly sure where to find them. I eventually located them on the international foods aisle (which is also where you can find dark sesame oil and brown rice noodles). I removed them from the soup before serving.

Ginger Chicken, Shiitake and Scallion Soup

Adapted from Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2016

6 green onions

2 tsp dark sesame oil

4 oz shiitake mushroom caps, thinly sliced

4 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2 star anise pods

1/4 tsp ground ginger

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 oz brown rice noodles (pad thai)

Dash kosher salt

Dash black pepper

Cut white parts of onions into 1/2-inch pieces. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat; add oil to pan and swirl to coat. Add white parts of green onions and half of the sliced mushrooms. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add stock, garlic, anise and ginger to the pan and bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes.

Add chicken to pan and reduce heat; simmer for 6 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove from heat.

Prepare noodles according to directions. Cut green parts of onions into 2-inch sections. Add onions, cooked noodles, salt, pepper and remaining 2 oz mushroom caps to the soup. Remove star anise pods and ladle into bowls.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Grapefruit, Avocado and Prosciutto Salad

2016-01-20T13:31:00.002-05:00

Prosciutto is one of my all-time favorite foods. I love it in salads, on sandwiches, wrapped up with some melon (if you haven't tried that combo, do it - do it now), as part of a cheese plate or simply on its own. My husband loves it, too. It's not exactly cheap, so we don't buy all the time. We do, however, splurge every now and then.

Recently, my store had prosciutto on sale, so I eagerly grabbed some. I used it in several different recipes, including the one I'm giving you today. This salad will definitely go into my lunch rotation - it's SO yummy. It takes hardly any time at all to throw together, which is perfect when I'm juggling feeding, naps, snacks and playtime with my little ones!

Grapefruit, Avocado and Prosciutto Salad

Adapted from Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2016

1 small grapefruit

1 tsp dark sesame oil

Dash of black pepper

Dash of kosher salt

1 cup baby arugula

1/2 peeled and sliced avocado

1 slice prosciutto

Peel grapefruit and cut sections over a medium bowl. Gently squeeze membranes to yield about 1/2 tbs juice. Set sections aside and add oil, pepper and salt to the juice. Stir gently with whisk until mixed.

Add greens to the juice mixture and toss to coat. Add to plate and top with grapefruit sections, avocado and prosciutto.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Chicken & Bell Pepper Saute with Lemony Kale Quinoa

2015-08-17T20:43:00.000-04:00

I can't really express how much I love cooking, especially when it comes to doing so for my family. There's just something about making a delicious, healthy dinner for my loved ones that makes me really happy.

More often than not, my husband will go out for eat for lunch during the work week; while there's nothing wrong with that (when I worked full-time, I needed that hour out of the office just to maintain my sanity, not even gonna lie about that), it's even more motivation for me to ensure that he has a home-cooked meal for dinner.

Tonight I'm giving you not one but two recipes, and I'm doing that because these two go SO darn well together. You certainly don't have to serve them that way, but I know you'll be happy if you do. We actually had this meal for dinner tonight, and I'm proud to tell you that, much like the Italian Turkey Orzo Soup I posted the other day, Zoey gobbled hers right up! She was a particularly big fan of the quinoa. That girl surprises me every day!

These recipes both came from Cooking Light, though I've done a bit more "adapting" than normal just to suit our tastes. I hope you enjoy!

Chicken & Bell Pepper Saute

Adapted from Cooking Light, August 2014

1 tbs olive oil

1 lb chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 cup sliced orange bell pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 cup low sodium chicken stock

1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and swirl to coat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to skillet. Cook until done, about 7 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and add bell pepper, oregano and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes. Add chicken and stock and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add olives. Stir. Transfer to serving bowl or onto plates and sprinkle with feta cheese.

Lemony Kale Quinoa

Adapted from Cooking Light, August 2014

1 cup of quinoa, rinsed and drained

1 1/4 cups water

2 tsp butter

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 cup stemmed, chopped kale

2 tsp lemon juice

Add quinoa, water, butter and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Combine quinoa, kale, and lemon juice in a medium bowl and toss to coat.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Roasted Grape and Feta Salad

2015-08-16T20:18:00.005-04:00

As promised in yesterday's post, today I'm giving you the recipe for a super flavorful salad that I really think you'll love. I've served it as a side for soup (as you saw yesterday and as is shown in the picture) but I've also paired it with sandwiches and alongside grilled meats with great success. As always, it's easy, and it's a healthy option as well. I love that the "dressing" is light and simple, and, thanks to the balsamic mixture that's used in roasting the grapes, the flavor is extraordinary.

If you don't like walnuts or have allergies to them, you may omit them from the recipe - the first time I made this salad, I realized last minute that I'd forgotten to pick them up at the grocery store and so I left them out (and it was still amazing!).

Roasted Grape and Feta Salad

Adapted from Cooking Light, December 2014

1 cup seedless red grapes

1/2 tbs olive oil

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

3 ounces baby spring mix greens

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. combine grapes, 2 tsp olive oil and vinegar and place on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake for 10 minutes; remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Toss grapes, walnuts, lemon juice, remaining olive oil, salt, pepper and greens in a salad bowl until well-mixed and sprinkle with feta cheese.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Italian Turkey and Orzo Soup

2015-08-15T21:04:00.000-04:00

You may have looked at the title of today's blog and thought - really? Soup? Alright, I KNOW it's been ridiculously, uncomfortably hot lately (especially for those of us who are 28 weeks pregnant...not naming names or anything), but honestly I LOVE a good homemade soup - no matter what time of year it is. Maybe I'm weird. After all, I did get the recipe from the December 2014 edition of Cooking Light, so...there you go. Either way, I'm giving you the recipe today, and you can make it now or wait until there's a bit of a chill in the air to whip up a batch. Whatever works for you.

As many of you know, I have a toddler at home; if you know anything about toddlers, you might know that they can be a tad picky at times when it comes to food. Their "taste tolerance" level, if you will, can vary greatly over time (by the way, I'm not necessarily talking week to week or even day to day here - meal to meal anyone? Yep, it happens). That being said, I'm sure you can imagine my surprise when my daughter practically devoured the small portion of this soup that my husband shared with her the other night. I'd actually heated up leftover spaghetti and meatballs for her that night and didn't even bother serving her any of the soup because I figured there was just no way she'd go for it. Of course, I was wrong - she "asked" to try some of her dad's as he was eating it, and it was clear how much she liked it once she did.

At that point, I considered it a fluke...I thought that the only reason why she liked it was because her daddy was eating it. I just knew that if I tried to give it to her again, she'd reject it without so much as a "no-thank-you" bite.

Wrong, again. She LOVED it. It was the first thing she tasted on her plate, and the ONLY thing she completely finished (although she did do well with her peas, which made me quite happy). I couldn't believe it. You better believe I was doing a happy dance, a victory dance if you will. Hey - when you're a parent, it's the little things that count.

So here you go - a healthy, homemade, EASY soup recipe that I can officially say receives Zoey's stamp of approval. Now that's saying something.

By the way, the side salad shown below is a roasted grape and feta salad. It's AMAZING, and I'll be sharing the recipe with you later this week - so stay tuned.

Italian Turkey and Orzo Soup

Adapted from Cooking Light, December 2014

1 tbs olive oil

1 lb ground turkey (93% lean)

1 tbs chopped fresh oregano

4 ounces sliced mushrooms (I used a blend of cremini and shitake)

5 garlic cloves, chopped

3 cups chicken stock (I use Simple Truth Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth)

2 cups water

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained (I use the no salt added version)

3/4 cup uncooked orzo pasta

2 cups fresh baby spinach

1/2 tsp lemon juice

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add oil and swirl to coat. Add turkey and cook for 6 minutes or until browned. Add oregano, mushrooms and garlic and saute for 5 minutes. Add stock, water, salt, red pepper and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and add orzo. Cook for 7 minutes. Add spinach and lemon juice and cook for 2 minutes. Serve.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Southwestern Beef Stroganoff

2015-07-07T20:51:00.000-04:00

I'll be the first to admit that yes, I'm one of those people who regularly posts pictures of what I'm having for dinner on various social media sites. I'm well aware that some people find that (and, perhaps, therefore me) annoying, but to be quite honest I'm okay with that. I personally enjoy seeing what my friends are having for dinner - whether it's something that they have concocted in the comfort of their own kitchen or something they ordered at a restaurant. What can I say? I just love food.

Anyway, the point in telling you this is that I get a variety of responses to the pictures that I post - sometimes only one or two people will like them, while others are wildly popular from the get go. When the latter happens, I make a mental note to blog the recipe (usually as soon as I can) so other people can make it for themselves. Tonight's recipe is such a meal, and I hope you all enjoy it as much as we do here in my household. Not only is it super flavorful, it's one of the easiest dishes in my recipe box as well, making it a great weeknight dinner solution. I got this recipe from a Betty Crocker Pasta cookbook that I've had for years and it's been one of my favorites since the very first time I made it.

Sorry for the poor picture quality...I actually do HAVE a very nice camera now, but I was too lazy to pull it out the other night. At least I can admit it - right?

Southwestern Beef Stroganoff

1 lb ground beef

2 cups uncooked small pasta (I use shells, but you can use your favorite)

1 jar chunky salsa (16 oz)

1 cup water

1/2 cup sour cream

Salt to taste

Brown beef in a skillet; drain.

Combine beef, pasta, water and salsa in pot and heat to boiling. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes or until pasta is tender.

Add sour cream and cook just until hot.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Slow Cooker Italian Pork and Peppers

2015-03-13T18:00:00.000-04:00

Alright, I know...ANOTHER slow cooker recipe. Honestly, though, can you ever actually have too many? Not in my book you can't, and since I'm the one writing this blog...well, slow cooker meals it is!

My husband doesn't love pork, but he REALLY liked this dish. It's one of the best dishes I've had in awhile, actually, and that's saying a lot since I cook almost every night. I love it because it's SUPER easy to put together, the slow cooker does practically all of the work, and the flavors are SO yummy when you actually sit down to eat it. The pork is so tender it almost melts in your mouth! Mmm.

I got the initial recipe for this from Cooking Light as is noted below; their suggestion was to pair the pork with polenta. You can do that, or you can do like I did and pair it with mashed potatoes.

Slow Cooker Italian Pork and Peppers

Adapted from Cooking Light, January 2015

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 (1 1/2-pound) boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided

2 cups vertically sliced onion

1 cup sliced yellow bell pepper

10 garlic cloves, minced

2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and swirl to coat. Sprinkle pork with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add pork to pan and cook 10 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Transfer pork to your slow cooker.

Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, tomatoes, rosemary, and thyme to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 1/2 hours.

Add vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes and turn off heat. Shred pork. Serve over polenta or mashed potatoes.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Chicken Squares

2015-03-10T18:00:00.000-04:00

There are certain dishes that were staples in our household when I was growing up, and, as I'm sure is true for most anyone, those particular dishes hold a very special place in my heart. I still love them like I always have, but now I may even love them more - both for the whole nostalgia thing and, most importantly, that I now get to prepare and enjoy them with my family now that I'm an adult. I can only hope that my daughter loves them as much as I do!

I've seen versions of today's recipe floating around the internet/on Pinterest, all with varying titles and preparations. None of them have been quite exactly the same as this one, though. It was one of my favorites as a kid and has actually become one of my husband's favorites now (which, of course, I LOVE). I've tried at least one variation of this (I used jalapeno cream cheese along with chopped tomatoes, onion and bell pepper, just as info), but I just can't stop coming back to the original. So, my dear friends, I give you: Chicken Squares. Simply amazing! I hope you enjoy.

Chicken Squares

3 oz cream cheese, softened

1 tbs milk

3 tbsp. margarine, melted

1 tbsp. chopped chives

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped (use a grocery rotisserie to save time!)

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 tbsp. chopped pimentos (about 1 small jar)

1 8 oz can refrigerated crescent rolls

3/4 cup seasoned crushed croutons or crushed cheez-its

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend softened cream cheese and two tbs melted margarine until smooth. Add cooked chicken, salt, pepper, milk, chives and pimento. Mix well.

Separate dinner rolls into 4 rectangles (so you'll have two rolls become one rectangle). Seal perforation. Spoon 1/2 cup chicken mixture onto the center of each rectangle. Pull the four corner of the dough to the center of the mixture to make a "pouch." Seal.

Brush tops with remaining 1 tbs melted margarine. Sprinkle crushed croutons/cheez-its over top. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Red Beans and Rice (Slow Cooker)

2015-03-06T18:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday!

This week has been a big week for me - it was the first week in my journey as a stay-at-home mom to my beautiful little Bug! I am SO beyond blessed to have this opportunity, and I'm so excited to watch her grow and learn.

There were a lot of things I wanted to get done over these last five days - I was VERY ambitious with my "to do" list. While I didn't exactly cross everything off of that list (okay, I maybe got to about 30% of it. Still proud!), I wanted to be SURE that there was one thing that I definitely did. That one thing was to write in this blog. Lucky you! ;)

Don't get me wrong, I got plenty accomplished - I deep-cleaned my kitchen, did the grocery shopping for the week, cooked dinner every night (with the exception of last night, when we ate leftovers), and spent a whole heck of a lot of awesome time hanging out with Bug. We had two really nice days here in GA this week, so we went on walks and hung out at the park for a bit. I'm absolutely loving our "new life" so far!

I'm looking forward to not only having more time to cook, but more time to blog as well. Be on the lookout for new recipes at least a few times a week! If you haven't already liked the Facebook page, be sure to go ahead and do so to make sure that you don't miss out on any of the yummy goodness I'm posting.

Today's recipe is a slow cooker dinner that I've been meaning to post for quite awhile now. Honestly, I'd normally focus more on "spring"-y recipes here in March, but good grief -Winter just wants to keep hanging around this year! Feel free to cook up this Louisiana favorite to help you warm up after playing in the snow all day.

Hope you all enjoy your weekend!

Slow Cooker Red Beans & Rice

Adapted from Cooking Light, September 2014

2 cans red kidney beans

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound andouille sausage, quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 1/2 cups chopped poblano chile

1 cup diced celery

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

10 garlic cloves, crushed

1 (12-ounce) can lager-style beer (I used Yuengling)
4 cups unsalted chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 bay leaves

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions, divided

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add oil to the pan, swirling to coat. Add sausage and cook 6 minutes or until browned. Add onion and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) and cook 8 minutes. Stir in beer and bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.

Place sausage mixture in slow cooker. Add beans, stock, red pepper, black pepper, and bay leaves. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours.

Discard bay leaves. Stir in 1/4 cup green onions and vinegar. Serve over rice; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup green onions.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Roasted Cauliflower

2014-12-29T20:00:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody! I hope you all had a great holiday - with fabulous food, of course. I had the honor of hosting my family's Christmas dinner this year, which just made the day even better for me. I love getting to cook for my favorite people!

That said, Christmas is always a whirlwind - and now that we have a little one, the holidays are even more hectic than they've ever been! So, while I wanted my Christmas menu to boast some delicious dishes, I also wanted them to be simple and easy to make. Easier said than done? Not necessarily!

Take today's recipe, for example. Literally FOUR ingredients and just a few steps and you've got a super yummy, beautiful side dish! It doesn't get much easier - or more delicious - than this. Yum, yum, yum.

Roasted Cauliflower
Adapted from Cooking Light Dec 2014

1 head cauliflower, trimmed to florets

2 tbs olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place cauliflower on ungreased baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Bake in oven for 15 minutes. Stir cauliflower and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Yep, it's that easy. See?!

Until next time...

Cheers!

Pulled Pork with Sriracha BBQ Sauce

2014-12-05T17:00:00.000-05:00

Today I'm posting a recipe with no picture - hope that's okay! It's not like my pictures are super duper anyway, as you all know. Hopefully I'll get the camera that's on my Christmas wish list and that will change very soon!

Anywho...

Pulled pork? Yum. Sriracha? YUM. Pulled pork with Sriracha BBQ sauce...in the SLOW COOKER?? Double, triple, oh my goodness I want it now YUUMMMMMM.

This recipe just gives me another reason to LOVE my Cooking Light subscription.

Here you go...you're welcome!

Pulled Pork with Sriracha BBQ Sauce
Adapted from Cooking Light, December 2014

3 tbs brown sugar

1 tbs ground coriander

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp chili powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 3.5lb pork butt, trimmed and cut into 4 pieces

1/2 cup ketchup

1/3 cup rice vinegar

2/3 cup water

3 tbs Sriracha

1 tsp ground ginger

Hamburger buns

Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Rub pork with mixture.

Combine ketchup, vinegar, 2/3 cup water, 2 tbs Sriracha and ginger in your slow cooker, stirring to combine. Add pork and toss to coat.

Cook on low 8 hours. Remove pork from slow cooker and shred. Stir in remaining 1 tbs Sriracha to slow cooker and return pork to slow cooker. Serve shredded pork on hamburger buns.

Spinach and Pancetta Stuffed Potatoes

2014-08-25T20:00:00.000-04:00

Ever since I fell in love with the White BBQ Chicken Potatoes that I shared on this blog quite some time ago, I'm always intrigued by "stuffed potato" recipes. They're usually pretty simple and make great weeknight dinners due to their minimal effort and easy clean-up. Today's recipe is no exception. If you don't own a microwave, you can cook the potatoes in a 450 degree oven for 50 minutes and then follow the remaining instructions as written below.

Spinach & Pancetta Stuffed Potatoes

Adapted from Cooking Light, September 2014

4 baking potatoes

2 tbs water

1 5oz bag baby spinach

3 tbs plain, fat-free Greek yogurt

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 oz diced pancetta (such as Boar's Head)

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

1/4 cup chopped green onions

Pierce potatoes with a fork. Microwave at 14 minutes on high. Remove from microwave and cool for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, bring 2 tbs water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add spinach to pan and cook for two minutes, stirring often until spinach wilts. Cool for 5 minutes, then squeeze out excess water by placing spinach in paper towel. Chop spinach.

Preheat broiler. Cut the top-third off of each potato (length-wise). Remove pulp from potato, leaving a small "shell" inside the skin. Combine the potato pulp, yogurt, salt, pepper, pancetta, cheese and spinach in a large bowl and stir well to combine. Evenly fill potatoes with mixture. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and broil in the oven for 1 minute. Top with green onions and serve.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Root Beer Sloppy Joes

2014-08-23T09:39:00.001-04:00

When I first saw today's recipe in the September 2014 edition of Cooking Light, I immediately knew I had to try it. For one, I'm a huge fan of root beer. People are typically shocked when they learn this little tidbit about me - I don't like to eat sweets, yet my favorite soda is, well, pretty darn sugary. I'm not sure why I can do sweet drinks but not sweet food, but that's no matter. On top of loving root beer, I also love sloppy joes. Yes, they're typically considered a "kid's" food, aren't exactly something you'd find on a gourmet restaurant's menu and are really quite messy (hence the name), but there's just something comforting and nostalgic about them. Come on, admit it: you like them, too. And I can assure you, you'll LOVE this recipe. It's super easy, done in less than 20 minutes and YUMMY. Can't beat that! I paired it with some store-bought sweet potato chips (I purchased SimpleTruth brand). Fabulous.

"Root Beer" Sloppy Joes

Cooking Light, September 2014

2 tsp canola oil

3/4 cup chopped onion

1 lb 90% lean ground sirloin

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup bottled chili sauce (like Heinz)

1/4 cup root beer (I used Barq's)

1 tbs Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp tomato paste

4 hamburger buns, toasted

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil and swirl to coat. Add chopped onion and cook for 3 minutes before adding beef. Cook beef approximately 5 minutes, or until browned. Stir in tomato sauce, chili sauce, root beer, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, dry mustard, chili powder and tomato paste. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly, stirring occasionally. Divide sloppy joe mix evenly among 4 hamburger buns and serve with sweet potato chips or whatever side you prefer.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Spicy Shrimp & Mango Stir Fry

2014-05-17T09:49:00.001-04:00

Happy Saturday, friends! To be really honest, I'm not a huge fan of shrimp. My husband, on the other hand, loves it, so every now and again I'll make it at home. This recipe is from the April 2014 edition of Cooking Light (my favorite publication for great recipes!). I have to say, I loved all of the flavors in this dish - I even liked the shrimp! Don't leave out the basil in this one - it's a must.

Spicy Shrimp & Mango Stir Fry

5 ounces uncooked rice noodles

3 tbs water

4 tsp lime juice

2 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp fish sauce

1/2 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1/4 tsp black pepper

10 ounces medium shrimp, peeled & deveined

1 tbs canola oil

1/2 cup sliced Vidalia onion

1 sliced red bell pepper

1 tbs ginger paste

1 cubed, peeled mango

1/4 cup torn basil leaves

Cook noodles according to package directions and drain. Set aside.

Combine water, lime juice, brown sugar, fish sauce and cornstarch and stir together. Set aside.

Combine crushed red pepper, black pepper and shrimp in a medium bowl and toss to mix. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 1/2 tsp oil to the pan, swirling to coat. Add shrimp and cook 3 minutes or until almost done, turning once while cooking. Remove from the pan.

Add remaining oil to the pan and add onion, bell pepper and ginger. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shrimp, juice mixture and mango to the pan. Cook 1 minute or until shrimp are done.

Sprinkle with basil leaves and serve over cooked rice noodles.

Until next time...

Cheers!

Chicken & Veggie Tostadas

2014-05-11T13:37:00.000-04:00

Hello, friends. Spring has finally "sprung," and I couldn't be happier! Here's a light (but flavorful) meal that's perfect for this time of year. Enjoy!

Chicken & Veggie Tostadas

Adapted from Cooking Light, Nov. 2012

2 tsp canola oil

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken breast

1 cup fresh corn kernels

1 cup chopped zucchini

1/2 cup salsa verde (I use Frontera brand)

2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro

4 8-inch flour tortillas

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

cooking spray

Preheat broiler.

Combine canola oil, ground cumin and kosher salt; mix well and add to large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, corn, zucchini to pan and sauté for 2 minutes. Add salsa verde and 1 tbs cilantro and cook another 2 minutes, stirring regularly.

Lightly spray tortillas with cooking spray and place on baking sheet; broil for 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Spoon equal amounts of chicken mixture into the center of each tortilla and sprinkle each with cheese. Place under the broiler for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with remaining chopped cilantro.

Until next time...

Cheers!