Cinco de Mayo Carne Asada Tacos

Prep 20 mins   Cook 6 mins   Eat 26 mins + 1 day if marinating meat

Carne Asada Tacos are a quintessential Mexican favorite and come Cinco de Mayo, they are on everyone’s menu. Have these Carne Asada Tacos ready for your Cinco de Mayo party in only 26 minutes with a little pre-planning. Have your “mise en place” ready to go and if you have extra hands, all the better. So fire up the BBQ and get ready for a really great meal.

Plan a Cinco De Mayo party

Essential ingredients at a Cinco de Mayo party.

A Cinco de Mayo party is a great reason for a casual party with friends.  Bring out the Corona and Tecate beers with a lime wedge, crank up the blender for margaritas with salt on the rim and fire up the BBQ.  Essential ingredients are fresh tortillas, carne asada for the BBQ, chips and guacamole, queso fresca.  Where to find all these ingredients?

Shop at a Mexican ethnic market

Shop at a Mexican ethnic market and discover new ingredients.

I attended a pre-Cinco de Mayo event at Melissa’s Produce this week and came home with produce to play with.  I was inspired to make these Carne Asada Tacos for dinner while I was driving past Northgate Market. Northgate and Superior are large Mexican ethnic markets in Southern California. I love this market for its super fresh and abundant produce, its fresh cheese and meat counters. And to top it off a tortelleria.  We’re talking fresh made warm tortillas. Yummy! Search out a Mexican market in your area. It may become your favorite market. We have many ethnic markets, large and small in Southern California and I am always happy to shop at these authentic food stores and discover new ingredients.

Marinated Flap Meat = Ranchera Marinada.

We make these Carne Asada Tacos all summer long by purchasing the pre-marinated Ranchera Marinada Flap steak.  It is pricey, and the same price as the unmarinated Ranchera Bisteca, but it is so tender and flavorful.  You can also choose a flank steak, which is not as tender.  When choosing other cuts of beef, marinating 24 hours is key and slicing across the grain in small pieces makes the meat more tender.

Marinate the meat yourself.

Marinade ingredients include beer, lime juice, onion, garlic, jalapeno, cumin, coriander, paprika, black pepper, cilantro.

If you are marinating the meat yourself, plan a day in advance. Traditional marinating ingredients are beer, lime juice or other citrus (the acid that tenderizes), onion garlic, seeded jalapeno, cumin, coriander, paprika and black pepper. Cilantro is also added (some people cannot tolerate cilantro, so beware).

Mexican Street Corn

Mexican Street Corn can be made in 10 minutes.

Mexican Street Corn has to be on the menu for your Cinco de Mayo party and you can make it while preparing the Carne Asada Tacos. Corn on the cob starts showing up in the market about this time.

The sauce for the corn is simply mayo, spices and lime juice.

Have the mayo-based sauce with cumin, cayenne and black pepper, salt and lime juice ready to slather on your corn and dust it with cotija cheese (I sub out parmesan, since I always have it on hand).  See a full post here on making Mexican Street Corn. These small key limes from Melissas Produce are best cut on each side around the core which removes the center seed pod area.

Make fresh Guacamole

Melissa’s Guacamole Kit contains 2 avocados, a plum tomato, a lime, a shallot, 2 garlic cloves and a jalapeno

Melissa’s Produce is selling a Guacamole Kit and a Salsa Kit with the recipe right on the plastic container.  You may have the ingredients on hand, but it’s a nice reminder of what to have and easy to pick up everything you need at once.

A few easy steps for prepping the Guacamole and the Mexican Street Corn Sauce.

Sometimes I provide individual ingredients to add to tacos, but mixing the avocado with garlic, shallot, jalapeno, cilantro, tomato and lime juice makes it super easy for serving and eating.    I also like to slice some lettuce to top the tacos. Got to get your greens!

The other important ingredient I purchased at Northgate is Queso Fresca. The cheese in the case looks like it was just made yesterday.  A few slices of queso fresca added to a bowl with a fork to cut into chunks is perfect.

Cook the Ranchera Marinada on the BBQ in 6 minutes.

Grill the Rachera Marinata (Flap Meat) 3 minutes per side to keep the center rare.

When everything is ready. Throw the Ranchera Marinada on the BBQ.  Grill about 3 minutes per side on a hot BBQ, because it is super thin.  A flank steak or another cut of meat will take longer.

I use poultry shears to cut across the grain of the meat in small pieces.

Then slice across the grain or as I do, cut with a pair of poultry shears into pieces.

The tortillas are made right in front of your eyes at Northgate market.

While the Bisteca is cooking, place your tortillas in a covered casserole and warm them up in the microwave oven or warm them individually in a dry frying pan or griddle like the Mexicans do.

Serve yourself Carne Asada Tacos for Cinco de Mayo.

The fun part now begins.  Have your guests serve themselves to a Cinco de Mayo Feast with your Carne Asada Tacos.  Get the blender going for some margaritas. Enjoy!

Let the Cinco de Mayo party begin!  Enjoy!

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Print Recipe for Mexican Street Corn

Carne Asada Tacos

Carne Asada Tacos are super easy to make, particularly if you purchase the Ranchera Marinada at a Mexican market. However, you can  make the optional marinade and allow 24 hours for the marinade to tenderize the beef. The Ranchera Marinada is called Flap Meat.  Another option is to use skirt steak or flank steak. Thicker cuts of meat will take more cooking time on the BBQ. I recommend serving with Mexican Street Corn, which takes10 minutes to make. Just cook the corn in boiling water. Slather on a mayo-based sauce with cumin, cayenne, pepper and lime and dust with cotija or parmesan cheese. Recipe at FreshFoodinaFlash.com

• 1 pound beef flap meat, marinated (or skirt/flank steak)4  ounces queso fresca

  2  cups lettuce leaves shredded

  20 corn tortillas

  Guacamole

  2 avocados

  1 large plum tomato, diced

  1 small jalapeno chile, seeded and deveined (amount to taste)

  2 cloves garlic

  1  shallot

  1/2 lime, juiced

  1 salt & pepper to taste

  1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped (optional)

  Marinade (for unmarinated meat)

  1/4 cup beer

  1/8 cup fresh lime juice

  1/8 cup fresh lemon or orange juice

  1/4  cup onion, minced

  2 cloves garlic clove, minced

  1/2 seeded jalapeno, sliced thin

  1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground

  1/4 teaspoon coriander, ground

  1/2 teaspoon paprika

  1/2  teaspoon kosher salt

  1/4 teaspoon black pepper

  1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped (optional)

1. Mix together marinade ingredients if meat is unmarinated. Pour over meat in a container or ziploc bag and refrigerate for 24 hours. Occasionally rotate meat through the marinade.
2. Make Guacamole. Peel shallot and garlic cloves, remove seeds, stem and ribs from the jalapeno and process in a food process until minced. Add cilantro and process until mixture is minced.
3. While things are moving along, cook corn on the cob in boiling water for 5 minutes for Mexican Street Corn. Just before serving, sllather on the sauce and dust with cotija or parmesan cheese.
4. In a small bowl, remove avocado from shell and dice with a knife. Add diced tomato and cilantro mixture. Stir until combined. Place on the table with bowls of shredded lettuce and queso fresca chunks.
5. Prepare BBQ and oil grill. Drain the meat from the marinade and place it on the grill. Grill 3 minutes per side or until you have a semi-rare center.  Place in a bowl or platter and let rest 5-10 minutes.  Cut the meat across the grain into strips and pieces and keep in a covered bowl.
6. While the meat is cooking, warm the tortillas in the microwave and keep in a covered bowl.
7. Serve with the Mexican Street Corn and let your guests assemble their Carne Asada Tacos and enjoy this Fresh Food in a Flash.
8. Servings: 4  – 880 calories per serving

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5 from 1 vote

Carne Asada Tacos

Carne Asada Tacos are super easy to make, particularly if you purchase the Ranchera Marinada at a Mexican market. However, you can  make the optional marinade and allow 24 hours for the marinade to tenderize the beef.The Ranchera Marinada is called Flap Meat.  Another option is to use skirt steak or flank steak. Thicker cuts of meat will take more cooking time on the BBQ. I recommend serving with Mexican Street Corn, which takes 10 minutes to make. Just cook the corn in boiling water. Slather on a mayo-based sauce with cumin, cayenne, pepper and lime and dust with cotija or parmesan cheese. Recipe at FreshFoodinaFlash.com

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time6 minutes mins

Marinating meat1 day d

Total Time26 minutes mins

Course: Entree, Main Course, meat

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound beef flap meat marinated (or skirt steak/flank steak)
• 4 ounces queso fresca
• 2 cups lettuce leaves shredded
• 20 corn tortillas

Guacamole

• 2 avocados
• 1 large plum tomato diced
• 1 small jalapeno chile seeded and deveined (amount to taste)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 shallot
• 1/2 lime juiced
• 1 salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped optional

Marinade (for unmarinated meat)

• 1/4 cup beer
• 1/8 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/8 cup fresh lemon or orange juice
• 1/4 cup onion minced
• 2 cloves garlic clove minced
• 1/2 seeded jalapeno sliced thin
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin ground
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander ground
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped (optional

Instructions

• Mix together marinade ingredients if meat is unmarinated. Pour over meat in a container or ziploc bag and refrigerate for 24 hours. Occasionally rotate meat through the marinade.
• Make Guacamole. Peel shallot and garlic cloves, remove seeds, stem and ribs from the jalapeno and process in a food process until minced. Add cilantro and process until mixture is minced.
• While things are moving along, cook corn on the cob in boiling water for 5 minutes for Mexican Street Corn. Just before serving, sllather on the sauce and dust with cotija or parmesan cheese.
• In a small bowl, remove avocado from shell and dice with a knife. Add diced tomato and cilantro mixture. Stir until combined. Place on the table with bowls of shredded lettuce and queso fresca chunks.
• Prepare BBQ and oil grill. Drain the meat from the marinade and place it on the grill. Grill 3 minutes per side or until you have a semi-rare center. Place in a bowl or platter and let rest 5-10 minutes. Cut the meat across the grain into strips and pieces and keep in a covered bowl.
• While the meat is cooking, warm the tortillas in the microwave and keep in a covered bowl.
• Serve with the Mexican Street Corn and let your guests assemble their Carne Asada Tacos and enjoy this Fresh Food in a Flash.
• Servings: 4    -  880 calories
• ENJOY THIS RECIPE FROM FRESHFOODINAFLASH.COM

The post Cinco de Mayo Carne Asada Tacos appeared first on Fresh Food In A Flash.

Salmon Chowder

Salmon Chowder

Prep 20 mins   Cook 28 mins   Eat 38 mins

While you are in winter soup mode, make sure to get this Salmon Chowder on the menu. It’s creamy from the potatoes and milk and delicious from the vegetables you add.  I had some home made fish stock in my freezer, but if you don’t have that, use some Better than Bouillion or vegetable stock. The salmon you add at the very end, is the cherry on top!   Get some good stuff.

My Silver Salmon caught in Ketchikan, Alaska

This Salmon Chowder was memorable in many ways.  We served the silver salmon I caught at a celebratory summer barbecue.  It deserved to be center stage. But I made the chowder from some Pink Salmon that we caught on a fishing boat in Ketchikan, Alaska.  I was on a Holland America Cruise which was awesome! and when I first looked at the excursions they offered, I knew I had to go on a fishing boat!

Dream Catcher fishing boat in Ketchikan, Alaska

My Minnesota roots were speaking to me, where every kid grows up with a fishing pole in hand to fish the 10,000 lakes.

Get a trip to Alaska on your bucket list.

Glacier Bay in Alaska is one of the most spectacular sights.

By the way, get yourself to Alaska.  Put it on your bucket list. The scenic untouched beauty makes this a dream trip.

A back bay in Ketchikan Alaska where my Silver Salmon and the Pink Salmon in the Chowder once lived.

I have hundreds of photos from this trip, but I will share just a few to inspire you.

Our six-pack crew on Dream Catcher caught two silvers and two pink salmon.

So if you don’t have a fishing pole,  pick up some fresh frozen pink salmon from Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods or order salmon from a purveyor in Alaska for this super delicious Salmon Chowder.

The base of the Chowder has salt pork or bacon drippings.

Cook onion with hunk of salt pork or bacon, then add the vegetables and herbs.

First cook the diced onion with a large piece of salt pork, bacon fat or oil.  I store the fat I’ve cut off a ham (similar to salt pork) in the freezer.  You can also purchase salt pork (an old-fashioned item) or use bacon or bacon fat you have rendered (melted) and stored in a jar.  This will add tons of flavor to your chowder, but you can use your favorite oil instead. To thicken the chowder, add the butter and flour and let it cook into the onion mixture. Next add the diced celery and potatoes, thyme sprigs and a bay leaf.

Cook the chowder in the fish stock until the potatoes are soft. Then season with salt and pepper.

Add in the fish stock and let the mixture cook until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.

Make your Salmon Chowder with fresh or frozen salmon

Pink Salmon delivered from Knudson Cove Marina Fish Processing in Ketchikan, Alaska.

The Alaskan pink salmon was delivered to me by Knudson Cove Marina Fish Processing.   They overnighted the flash frozen fish when we returned home. It was fun to tell the story of my fish as we ate the Salmon Chowder, making this a very expensive dish compared to purchasing the fish at my local supermarket.

While you are waiting for the vegetables to cook, prepare and slice the salmon.  First I skinned the salmon.  Start with the tail end and hold the skin down, while you guide a sharp knife between the skin and fish, keeping the blade tilted slightly down toward the skin. The motion is not a sawing motion, but moving the blade from top to bottom and then again from top to bottom until the skin is removed.  Cut each filet in half down the center line and then into 2-inch chunks.

Add in the milk and stir until thickened.

When the vegetables have cooked, add in the milk. I recommend using whole milk to add richness.  Stir and let thicken.  The starch in the cooked potatoes will thicken the broth.  You can smash a few potato pieces to thicken more if desired.

Carefully add the salmon chunks just before serving.

Carefully add the salmon chunks just before serving.

The last step is to add the salmon chunks.  When ready to serve, remove the salt pork, thyme stems and bay leaf, heat the chowder over low heat.  Place the chunks of salmon carefully into the chowder and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and the fish will continue to cook from the heat of the chowder.

Salmon Chowder is creamy, delicate and delicious.

To serve, carefully spoon the salmon and potatoes into shallow soup bowls, adding in the broth.  Sprinkle with thyme leaves, chopped parsley or chives to garnish.

Print this Recipe.

Salmon Chowder

This delicious Salmon Chowder is creamy from the potatoes and milk and delicious from the vegetables you add.  I use homemade fish stock.  If you don’t have this, try my favorite substitute, Better than Bouillion diluted in water, clam juice or vegetable stock. I also like to use salt pork to cook the onion in, because it adds so much flavor.  I store the fat I’ve cut off a ham (similar to salt pork) in the freezer.  You can also purchase salt pork (an old-fashioned item) or use bacon or bacon fat you have rendered (melted) and stored in a jar.

1 ounce rendered fat from salt pork, bacon, bacon fat or oil
1 large onion, diced
2 Tablespoons  butter
2 Tablespoons flour
2 ribs celery, diced
2 pounds potatoes, cut in 1/2-inch pieces (preferably Yukon Gold)
1  bay leaf
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
3 cups fish stock, clam juice or vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2  cups whole milk
2 pounds salmon pieces
1-2 Tablespoons  thyme leaves, chopped parsley or snipped chives for garnish

1. First cook the diced onion with a large piece of salt pork, bacon fat or oil.  The salt pork or bacon will add tons of flavor to your chowder, but you can use your favorite oil instead.
2. To thicken the chowder, add the butter and flour and let it cook into the onion mixture. Next add the diced celery and potatoes, thyme sprigs and a bay leaf. Add in the fish stock and let the mixture cook until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.
3. While you are waiting for the vegetables to cook, prepare and slice the salmon. Remove skin from the salmon.  Start with the tail end and hold the skin down, while you guide a sharp knife between the skin and fish, keeping the blade tilted slightly down toward the skin. The motion is not a sawing motion, but moving the blade from top to bottom and then again from top to bottom until the skin is removed.  Cut each filet in half down the center line and then into 2-inch chunks. Set aside.
4. When the vegetables have cooked, add in the milk. I recommend using whole milk to add richness.  Stir and let thicken.  The starch in the cooked potatoes will thicken the broth.  You can smash a few potato pieces to thicken more if desired.
5. The last step is to add the salmon chunks.  When ready to serve, remove the salt pork, thyme stems and bay leaf, heat the chowder over low heat.  Place the chunks of salmon carefully into the chowder and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and the fish will continue to cook from the heat of the chowder.
6. To serve, carefully spoon the salmon and potatoes into shallow soup bowls, adding in the broth.  Sprinkle with thyme leaves, chopped parsley or chives to garnish.

Servings: 6  – 599 calories per serving

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5 from 1 vote

Salmon Chowder

This delicious Salmon Chowder is creamy from the potatoes and milk and delicious from the vegetables you add. I use homemade fish stock. If you don’t have this, try my favorite substitute, Better than Bouillion diluted in water, clam juice or vegetable stock. I also like to use salt pork to cook the onion in, because it adds so much flavor. I store the fat I’ve cut off a ham (similar to salt pork) in the freezer. You can also purchase salt pork (an old-fashioned item) or use bacon or bacon fat you have rendered (melted) and stored in a jar.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time28 minutes mins

Total Time38 minutes mins

Course: dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6

Calories: 599kcal

Ingredients

• 1 ounce rendered fat from salt pork bacon, bacon fat or oil
• 1 large onion diced
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 2 ribs celery diced
• 2 pounds potatoes cut in 1/2-inch pieces (preferably Yukon Gold)
• 1 bay leaf
• 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 cups fish stock clam juice or vegetable stock
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 pounds salmon pieces
• 1-2 Tablespoons thyme leaves chopped parsley or snipped chives for garnish

Instructions

• First cook the diced onion with a large piece of salt pork, bacon fat or oil. The salt pork or bacon will add tons of flavor to your chowder, but you can use your favorite oil instead.
• To thicken the chowder, add the butter and flour and let it cook into the onion mixture. Next add the diced celery and potatoes, thyme sprigs and a bay leaf. Add in the fish stock and let the mixture cook until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.
• While you are waiting for the vegetables to cook, prepare and slice the salmon. Remove skin from the salmon. Start with the tail end and hold the skin down, while you guide a sharp knife between the skin and fish, keeping the blade tilted slightly down toward the skin. The motion is not a sawing motion, but moving the blade from top to bottom and then again from top to bottom until the skin is removed. Cut each filet in half down the center line and then into 2-inch chunks. Set aside.
• When the vegetables have cooked, add in the milk. I recommend using whole milk to add richness. Stir and let thicken. The starch in the cooked potatoes will thicken the broth. You can smash a few potato pieces to thicken more if desired.
• The last step is to add the salmon chunks. When ready to serve, remove the salt pork, thyme stems and bay leaf, heat the chowder over low heat. Place the chunks of salmon carefully into the chowder and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and the fish will continue to cook from the heat of the chowder.
• To serve, carefully spoon the salmon and potatoes into shallow soup bowls, adding in the broth. Sprinkle with thyme leaves, chopped parsley or snipped chives to garnish.
• ENJOY THIS RECIPE FROM FreshFoodinaFlash.com

Nutrition

Calories: 599kcal

The post Salmon Chowder from my catch in Alaska appeared first on Fresh Food In A Flash.

Mac, Veggie and Sausage Casserole

Mac, Veggie and Sausage Casserole

Prep 10 mins   Cook 20 mins   Bake 30 mins   Eat 1:00

Add flavor and reduce the calories in your Mac and Cheese with this Mac, Veggie and Sausage Casserole.  Americans love our Mac and Cheese, but sometimes you want to have your Mac and eat healthy too. An old-fashioned casserole is real comfort food. Throw some favorite ingredients together and have an easy hearty weeknight meal while you hunker down for the evening.  I love that this recipe can be made with whatever you have in your fridge, garden and pantry.  Improvise with different vegetables, cheese and protein or keep it all veg. 

What’s also great about this recipe is you can do a little prep when you first get home and then prep the veggies as needed for the next steps. You keep things moving along in between checking the mail,  putting on your comfy clothes and feeding the dog and cat.

Grab your favorite pot and make the Veggie and Sausage Sauce.

White onion and chopped fennel are the base of the veggies.

Many good casseroles start with onions. I use white onion, which is more gentle on my tummy.  Here I add in some fennel that grows in my garden to add extra flavor.

Sliced mushrooms and sausage get added to the onions.

Once the onion softens, I add sliced mushrooms and sausage removed from the casing. Cook until the sausage browns. The aroma of home cooking is filling your kitchen.

Use fresh or canned tomatoes, tomato paste and chopped carrots.

Next goes in the tomatoes, tomato paste and carrots.  Season with salt, pepper, herbs. Cover and let all the flavors simmer together. I had some overripe tomatoes in my freezer that were perfect to add to this recipe, but canned tomatoes are just fine.

While the sauce is cooking, cook the macaroni and in the last few minutes of cooking, add some chopped greens (Swiss chard, kale, collards, spinach).

The Veggie and Sausage Sauce is Ready!

The Veggie Sauce is ready to layer between the macaroni noodles.

I love the colors in this sauce with a tomato base, but so much more deliciousness blended together!

Assemble the Mac, Veggie and Sausage Casserole.

First layer of macaroni in casserole dish.

Start with a layer of the noodles and greens in your favorite casserole dish.

The Veggie and Sausage Sauce covers the macaroni.

The Veggie and Sausage Sauce nestles into the macaroni.

I sprinkled a spare amount of queso fresca over the veggie sauce.

Top with your favorite cheese (ricotta, mozzarella, queso fresca, cheddar) and repeat with another layer.  I used a spare amount of queso fresca because that’s what I had in the fridge. You can put on a thick layer of cheese if you want to go for it!

Repeat with another layer.  Cover and put in the oven for 20 minutes, then relax and unwind from your day.   Remove cover for remaining 10 minutes to brown the top a bit.

The Mac, Veggie and Sausage Casserole is ready for your guests.

In 30 minutes, your Mac, Veggie and Sausage Casserole is ready to be devoured.  Enjoy!

The Mac, Veggie and Sausage Casserole is perfect for sharing.

This is a great dish for sharing.  Make ahead for a party or a potluck event.

Also, check out my Macaroni and Cheese with Ham and Greens.

Print this Recipe.

Mac, Veggie and Sausage Casserole

I call this a healthy Mac and Cheese. I love that this recipe can be made with whatever you have in your fridge, garden and pantry.  Improvise with different vegetables, cheese and protein or keep it all veg. Use your favorite greens. Choose between Swiss Chard, kale, collards or spinach. You can go sparingly with the cheese or go for it with extra. What’s also great about this recipe is you can do a few minutes of prep to get started and then prep the veggies as needed for the next steps. A great dish for sharing, make ahead for a party or a potluck event.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1/2 cup fennel bulb, small dice (optional)
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
3 Italian sausages, casings removed
3 large carrots peeled and diced
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes (or 2 cups fresh chopped tomatoes)
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 teaspoon each assorted dried herbs – basil, oregano, fennel seed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound Elbow Macaroni, uncooked
4 cups fresh greens, chopped (Swiss chard, collards, kale, spinach)
6 ounces + crumbled/shredded cheese (ricotta, mozarella, queso fresca, cheddar)

Procedure:

1. Bring pot of salted water to boil. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. In a large pot, heat canola oil and add diced onion and fennel if using.

3. Once the onion softens, add sliced mushrooms and sausage removed from the casing. Cook until the sausage browns.

4. Next goes in the tomatoes, tomato paste and carrots.  Season with salt, pepper, herbs. Cover and let all the flavors simmer together for 15 minutes or more.

5. While the sauce is cooking, cook the macaroni in boiling water according to package directions. In the last few minutes of cooking, add the chopped greens to wilt. Cook until macaroni is al dente and drain.

6. Assemble the Mac, Veggie and Sausage Casserole. Grease the bottom of a casserole dish or 9 x 13 pan with canola oil. Layer half the macaroni and greens. Ladle half the Veggie and Sausage Sauce over the macaroni. Top with half of cheese and repeat with another layer of macaroni, veggie sauce and cheese.

7. Cover and bake in the oven for 20 minutes  Remove cover and bake additional 10 minutes to brown the top a bit. Serve immediately.

Servings: 8  –  482 calories per serving

Oven Temperature: 375°F

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5 from 1 vote

Mac, Veggie and Sausage Casserole

I call this a healthy Mac and Cheese. I love that this recipe can be made with whatever you have in your fridge, garden and pantry.  Improvise with different vegetables, cheese and protein or keep it all veg. Use your favorite greens. Choose between Swiss Chard, kale, collards or spinach. You can go sparingly with the cheese or go for it with extra. What's also great about this recipe is you can do a few minutes of prep to get started and then prep the veggies as needed for the next steps. A great dish for sharing, make ahead for a party or a potluck even

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Entree, Main Course, Pasta, Vegetarian

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: 8

Calories: 482kcal

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon canola oil
• 1 large onion diced
• 1/2 cup fennel bulb small dice (optional)
• 1/2 pound mushrooms sliced
• 3 Italian sausages casings removed
• 3 large carrots peeled and diced
• 1 15- ounce can diced tomatoes or 2 cups fresh chopped tomatoes
• 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon each assorted dried herbs - basil, oregano, fennel seed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound Elbow Macaroni uncooked
• 4 cups fresh greens chopped (Swiss chard, collards, kale, spinach)
• 6 ounces + crumbled/shredded cheese ricotta, mozarella, queso fresca, cheddar

Instructions

• Bring pot of salted water to boil. Preheat oven to 375°.
• In a large pot, heat canola oil and add diced onion and fennel if using.
• Once the onion softens, add sliced mushrooms and sausage removed from the casing. Cook until the sausage browns.
• Next goes in the tomatoes, tomato paste and carrots.  Season with salt, pepper, herbs. Cover and let all the flavors simmer together for 15 minutes or more.
• While the sauce is cooking, cook the macaroni in boiling water according to package directions. In the last few minutes of cooking, add the chopped greens to wilt. Cook until macaroni is al dente and drain.
• Assemble the Mac, Veggie and Sausage Casserole. Grease the bottom of a casserole dish or 9 x 13 pan with canola oil. Layer half the macaroni and greens. Ladle half the Veggie and Sausage Sauce over the macaroni. Top with half of cheese and repeat with another layer of macaroni, veggie sauce and cheese.
• Cover and bake in the oven for 20 minutes  Remove cover and bake additional 10 minutes to brown the top a bit. Serve immediately.
• Oven Temperature 375°
• ENJOY THIS RECIPE FROM FreshFoodinaFlash.com

Nutrition

Calories: 482kcal

The post Mac, Veggie and Sausage Casserole appeared first on Fresh Food In A Flash.

Hatch Chile Cashew and Coconut Brittle

Hatch Chile Cashew and Coconut Brittle

Prep 10 mins   Cook 8-20 mins   Chill 30+ mins   Eat 1 hour

I made this Hatch Chile Cashew and Coconut Brittle for the Food Bloggers of Los Angeles annual Cookie Exchange.  I was inspired by a package of Hatch Chile Cashews I received in the summer from Melissa’s Produce and a Martha Stewart recipe for a similar cashew brittle.  The Hatch Chile flavor in this brittle makes it addictively spicy, sweet and wonderful. Don’t have Hatch Chile Cashews? Don’t let that stop you.  Read below for substitutions. You probably have most of the ingredients in your baking pantry, and…Once you have the ingredients, it’s fairly easy to make as long as you have patience to learn how to caramelize sugar, which gets super hot, and great fun watching the magic that happens to simple sugar.  (I DON’T RECOMMEND MAKING WITH CHILDREN.) 

A display of Hatch Chile Cashew and Coconut Brittle at the Food Bloggers of Los Angeles Cookie Exchange.

Our Food Bloggers Los Angeles group is a lively bunch that can talk about every detail of a recipe and talk about food for hours.  At our Holiday Cookie Exchange event, 20 of us sampled a bounty! We’re talking delicious home made cookies worthy of a cookbook picture, a yummy potluck lunch (all vegetarian, BTW) and oodles of produce (Cinnamon persimmons-OMG) and swag from Melissa’s Produce. I love this group!!

Get your mise en place. (Everything in it’s place.)

Mise en Place for the Hatch Chile Cashew and Coconut Brittle recipe.

Whenever you cook or bake, it’s important to get all your ingredients together in one place.  But with this Hatch Chile Cashew and Coconut Brittle recipe, it is ESSENTIAL.  The action moves very fast and you have to be ready with your ingredients and equipment in the right place at the right time.

I had Hatch green chile cashews. As a substitute, use a Hatch chile powder or other red or green New Mexico chile powder.

If you don’t have (like I did) Hatch Chile cashews, which I received from Melissa’s Produce, use plain cashews and add chile powder from your pantry.

Combine baking soda, cinnamon and ground chile powder if using.

Combine the baking soda and cinnamon (and ground chile powder, if not on cashews already).

Brush canola oil onto the baking sheet and offset spatula.

Grease an 11″ x 15″ rimmed baking sheet and offset spatula with canola oil to prevent the brittle from sticking to either.

Once you have the baking sheet along with the mix ins ready, the next step is to caramelize the sugar.

Measure out the coconut and have it ready next to the cashews and baking soda-cinnamon-chile mixture.  It’s super important to have the baking sheet and mix-ins ready alongside your cooktop with a hot pad where you will be working.

Learn how to caramelize sugar and corn syrup.

Step 1: Combine sugar, corn syrup, water and salt. Stir until dissolved. Step 2, Discontinue stirring and continue to cook. Step 3. The mixture will begin to bubble furiously and be clear. Step 4. Remove from heat, once the mixture becomes a golden brown.

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, water and salt.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved in a few minutes.  The second step is to leave the mixture alone and continue cooking until the mixture is golden brown.  This takes a lot of patience and it may take 8-20 or so minutes for the magic to happen, depending on the heat of your cooktop. You will need to continually monitor the progress, because once it starts to brown, it happens very quickly.  Swirl the mixture in the pan to determine what stage of browning you are at. As soon as the mixture becomes a dark brown, remove the pan from the heat.

Immediately stir in the cashews & coconut, followed by baking soda mixture.

What the mixture looks like once the baking soda mixture is added to the saucepan.

With your mix-ins ready by the side of the saucepan, you have to move quickly.  Once the mixture is a dark brown, you must add the cashews and coconut with one quick stir, followed by the baking soda mixture. (It will foam up and grow like magic.) Be ready for it!

Be fast when pouring the caramel mixture onto the baking sheet.

With one swift move, pour the mixture from one end to the other onto the baking sheet.

The final step is to pour the mixture onto your prepared baking sheet.  You only get one chance at this, so with one swift move, pour the saucepan mixture from one end of the baking sheet to the other while trying to spread it evenly to cover the entire baking sheet. Use the offset spatula to scrape as much of the mixture out of the saucepan before it hardens. Then, use your offset spatula to spread it further to the edges.  THE ENTIRE BAKING SHEET DOES NOT NEED TO BE COVERED!  Just do the best you can to spread the brittle so you don’t have a giant lump of brittle in the center.

The mixture will begin to harden within a minute so MOVE FAST.

The Hatch Chile Cashew and Coconut Brittle is shiny and beautiful as it begins to harden.

This is what it will look like after you spread the mixture onto the baking sheet and smooth it out with the offset spatula.  It is shiny and beginning to harden.

Chill the Hatch Chile Cashew and Coconut Brittle for at least 30 minutes.

Breaking up the Hatch Chile Cashew and Coconut Brittle is fun!

I chill the Hatch Chile Cashew and Coconut Brittle overnight in my garage fridge (or if you have, on a cold porch) to harden. The next day, break up the cold Brittle on the counter.   I used a small spatula to punch it apart or take the sheet pan, lift it up and drop it on the counter to get started.

The Hatch Chile Cashew and Coconut Brittle is ready for displaying with my holiday treats. Naughty or Nice – you decide!

Before you know it, you have a beautiful sweet treat ready for the holidays.

Hatch Chile Cashew and Coconut Brittle.

Enjoy your holidays with more sweet treats from Fresh Food in a Flash!

Try more Fresh Food in a Flash cookie recipes by clicking here.

Print this Recipe.

Hatch Chile Cashew and Coconut Brittle

For this recipe, I used Hatch Chile cashews. If you don’t have this ingredient, add in Hatch Chile or other New Mexico Chile powder. It is ESSENTIAL that you have your “mise en place”. The action moves very fast and you have to be ready with your ingredients and equipment in the right place at the right time. You will learn how to caramelize sugar and corn syrup which requires patience and safety, because it gets super hot. (NOT RECOMMENDED TO MAKE WITH CHILDREN!) Once the caramelization takes place, you must MOVE FAST to pour it onto your baking sheet, as the brittle will harden within a minute.

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 ounces cashews or Hatch Chile cashews (about 2 cups)
1 Tablespoon Hatch or New Mexico Chile powder (if not on cashews already)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
5/8 cup water
1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (not table salt)

1. Get everything ready before cooking. In a small bowl, combine the baking soda and cinnamon (and ground chile powder, if not on cashews already).

2. Grease an 11″ x 15″ rimmed baking sheet and offset spatula with canola oil to prevent the brittle from sticking.

3. Measure out the coconut and have it ready next to the cashews and baking soda-cinnamon-chile mixture.  It is super important to have the baking sheet and mix-ins ready alongside your cooktop with a hot pad.

4. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, water and salt.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved in a few minutes.  The second step is to leave the mixture alone and continue cooking until the mixture is golden brown.  This takes a lot of patience and it may take 8-20 or so minutes for the magic to happen, depending on the heat of your cooktop. You will need to continually monitor the progress, because once it starts to brown, it happens very quickly.  Swirl the mixture in the pan to determine what stage of browning you are at. As soon as the mixture becomes a dark brown, remove the pan from the heat.

5. With your mix-ins ready by the side of the saucepan, you have to move quickly.  Once the mixture is a dark brown, you must add the cashews and coconut with one quick stir, followed by the baking soda mixture. (It will foam up and grow like magic.) Be ready for it!

6. The final step is to pour the mixture onto your prepared baking sheet.  You only get one chance at this, so with one swift move, pour the saucepan mixture from one end of the baking sheet to the other while trying to spread it evenly to cover the entire baking sheet. Use the offset spatula to scrape as much of the mixture out of the saucepan before it hardens. Then, use your offset spatula to spread it further to the edges.  THE ENTIRE BAKING SHEET DOES NOT NEED TO BE COVERED!  Just do the best you can to spread the brittle so you don’t have a giant lump of brittle in the center. The brittle will harden within one minute, so MOVE FAST!

7. Chill the Hatch Chile Cashew and Coconut Brittle at least 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge to harden. The next day, break up the cold Brittle on the counter.   I use a small spatula to punch it apart or take the baking sheet, lift it up and drop it on the counter to get started. It is fun to break up the brittle. I try to break the pieces into 2″ x 2″ pieces, but nature will take its course. Store in a container with parchment or wax paper separating the layers.

Servings: 60   – 68 calories per serving

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Hatch Chile Cashew and Coconut Brittle

For this recipe, I used Hatch Chile cashews. If you don't have this ingredient, add in Hatch chile or other New Mexico chile powder. It is ESSENTIAL that you have your "mise en place". The action moves very fast and you have to be ready with your ingredients and equipment in the right place at the right time. You will learn how to caramelize sugar and corn syrup which requires patience and safety, because it gets super hot. (NOT RECOMMENDED TO MAKE WITH CHILDREN!) Once the caramelization takes place, you must MOVE FAST to pour it onto your baking sheet, as the brittle will harden within a minute.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Chill30 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: candy

Cuisine: American

Servings: 60

Calories: 68kcal

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 8 ounces cashews or Hatch chile cashews about 2 cups
• 1 Tablespoon Hatch or New Mexico chile powder if not on cashews already
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 5/8 cup water
• 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt not table salt

Instructions

• Get everything ready before cooking. In a small bowl, combine the baking soda and cinnamon (and ground chile powder, if not on cashews already).
• Grease an 11" x 15" rimmed baking sheet and offset spatula with canola oil to prevent the brittle from sticking.
• Measure out the coconut and have it ready next to the cashews and baking soda-cinnamon-chile mixture.  It is super important to have the baking sheet and mix-ins ready alongside your cooktop with a hot pad.
• In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, water and salt.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved in a few minutes.  The second step is to leave the mixture alone and continue cooking until the mixture is golden brown.  This takes a lot of patience and it may take 8-20 or so minutes for the magic to happen, depending on the heat of your cooktop. You will need to continually monitor the progress, because once it starts to brown, it happens very quickly.  Swirl the mixture in the pan to determine what stage of browning you are at. As soon as the mixture becomes a dark brown, remove the pan from the heat.
• With your mix-ins ready by the side of the saucepan, you have to move quickly.  Once the mixture is a dark brown, you must add the cashews and coconut with one quick stir, followed by the baking soda mixture. (It will foam up and grow like magic.) Be ready for it!
• The final step is to pour the mixture onto your prepared baking sheet.  You only get one chance at this, so with one swift move, pour the saucepan mixture from one end of the baking sheet to the other while trying to spread it evenly to cover the entire baking sheet. Use the offset spatula to scrape as much of the mixture out of the saucepan before it hardens. Then, use your offset spatula to spread it further to the edges.  THE ENTIRE BAKING SHEET DOES NOT NEED TO BE COVERED!  Just do the best you can to spread the brittle so you don't have a giant lump of brittle in the center. The brittle will harden within one minute, so MOVE FAST!
• Chill the Hatch Chile Cashew and Coconut Brittle at least 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge to harden. The next day, break up the cold Brittle on the counter.   I use a small spatula to punch it apart or take the baking sheet, lift it up and drop it on the counter to get started. It is fun to break up the brittle. I try to break the pieces into 2" x 2" pieces, but nature will take its course. Store in a container with parchment or wax paper separating the layers.
• ENJOY THIS RECIPE FROM FreshFoodinaFlash.com

Nutrition

Calories: 68kcal

The post Hatch Chile Cashew and Coconut Brittle inspired by Martha Stewart appeared first on Fresh Food In A Flash.

Autumn Vegetable Caviar Appetizer

Prep 15 mins   Cook 15 mins   Eat 30 mins

This Autumn Vegetable Caviar is a colorful and delicious autumn and holiday appetizer for all your parties.  This easy appetizer is all vegetables and makes a nice vegan selection for your appetizer tray.   I came up with this recipe as a challenge from Melissa’s Produce and Boo &Henry’s BBQ sauces.  Make them for your next holiday party using basic ingredients in only 25 minutes.

Products from Melissa’s Produce and Boo & Henry’s inspired the Autumn Vegetable Caviar appetizer and the Smokin’ Potato Bites. appetizers.

Here are the ingredients that were sent to me from Melissa’s Produce and Boo & Henry’s, a Memphis Pit BBQ restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Smokin’ Potato Bites

I also came up with a super simple idea called Smokin’ Potato Bites, using Melissa’s Gemstone Potatoes (that look like red, yellow and blue stones) and Boo & Henry’s Smokin’ Hot BBQ sauce.

Prep two appetizers in 30 minutes.  Set them aside to garnish and serve.

Prep the three vegetables for your Autumn Vegetable Caviar Appetizers. Slice the tomatoes for the garnish.

I used Melissa’s Black-Eyed Peas, Veggie Sweets Mini Peppers, Heavenly Villagio Marzano Tomatoes and Boo & Henry’s Mustard BBQ sauce to make the Autumn Vegetable Caviar Appetizers.

I volunteer for the Paderewski Music Society and we planned a fancy fundraising event for the American International Paderewski Piano Competition. Listen to the YouTube videos of these amazing pianists, including Second Prize Winner, Alexander Agate who performed for us.  I was catering the after party with some tray passed appetizers.  I came up with two easy appetizers using the Boo and Henry BBQ sauces anyone can make and I teach you here how to make them look fancy. The Autumn Vegetable Caviar Appetizers AND the Smokin Potato Bites.

Small dice of Baby Garnet Sweet Potato roasted in the oven.

First peel and small dice one of the Baby Garnet sweet potatoes.  Place in an oven pan with canola oil and bake for 10+ minutes or until soft.  Flip over the small pieces half way through roasting.  Remove from oven when soft and let cool.

Prep the mini sweet peppers, pop out the seed pod, slice into slivers the crosswise into a pepper confetti.

While the sweet potato is roasting, drain the black-eyed peas.  Then choose about 6 of the small sweet peppers, 2 of each red, yellow and orange.  It’s easy to get the seeds out, by cutting along the edge of the top without cutting all the way through.  Reach in with your finger and grab the whole seed pod attached to the stem and remove. Fun fact: The males don’t have as many seeds as the female peppers. (the orange one was a male.)  Then slice lengthwise into thin slivers.  Turn them and slice crosswise into a small dice.  It will look like confetti.    Put about a cup of black-eyed peas on your cutting board and chop to a size of the pepper confetti.  Same with the sweet potatoes.

Mix the peppers, Black-Eyed peas and sweet potato mixture. Add some minced garlic and the Boo & Henry’s secret Mustard sauce.

When the three ingredients are chopped to the same size, mix them together.  Add about 1/4 cup or so of the Boo & Henry’s Mustard Sauce along with some minced garlic and set aside until it’s party time. (I have to admit that the Mustard Sauce is so good that I drizzled more of it on the leftover appetizers.)

Make your Appetizers look professional. 

To make your Appetizers look professional, slice a baguette thin.  For a party, I like to purchase a couple baguettes from Panera Bread. Have them thin slice the baguettes and the work is done for you. Also put tomato slices and parsley leaves in small bowls. Slice grape tomatoes or these cute San Marzano tomatoes. Separate parsley leaves.

Make a great presentation: garnish and place on a pretty tray with a flower in the center.

The final touch is the garnish. With a cookie scoop I portion a tablespoon of the Autumn Vegetable Caviar onto the Baguette Slice. Press the parsley leave and the tomato slice onto the Autumn Vegetable Caviar.  Place your masterpieces as a wheel on a pretty tray with a flower in the center.  Have a guest tray pass and meet some new friends.

These Smokin Potato Bites are as easy as boiling some potatoes til tender.

Make some Smokin Potato Bites appetizers in minutes.

For a few extra minutes, you can have two appetizers. While you are prepping the Autumn Vegetable Caviar, pop the baby Gemstone or Dutch Yellow Potatoes into a pot with some water on high heat and cook for about 15+ minutes until tender when pierced.  Drain and let cool.

Mix some Middle Eastern Labne or sour cream with some of Boo & Henry’s “Smokin Hot Barbecue Sauce”.  Snip some chives with a scissors.  When cool, cut the the potatoes crosswise in half. Slice the end off so they will stand on your serving tray.

Make them like a pro. Pipe the Smokin’ sauce onto the potato and sprinkle with snipped chives.

Again, make them like a professional.  Place on a tray and dollop or pipe Boo & Henry’s Smokin Sour Cream sauce onto the potato halves and sprinkle with chive bits.  This appetizer is too easy and guests will be askin for more of the Smokin’ Potato Bites.

Print this Recipe

Autumn Vegetable Caviar Appetizer

This Autumn Vegetable Caviar is a colorful and delicious autumn and holiday appetizer for all your parties. It’s all vegetables, making a nice vegan selection for your appetizer tray. Small dice the three vegetables the same size and same quantity, mix together with the Boo & Henry’s Mustard sauce or another sweet mustard based sauce. Topped with a small slice from a grape tomato and parsley leave on a thin baguette slice and you will look like a pro at your next party.

1 small sweet potato
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 cup Black-eyed peas or white beans
6 mini sweet peppers, red, yellow, orange
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup Boo & Henry’s Mustard Sauce
1 cup small San Marzano or grape tomatoes
4 sprigs parsley
1 loaf baguette,thinly sliced.

1. Peel and small dice the small sweet potato. Place in an oven pan with canola oil and bake at 350 degrees for 10+ minutes or until soft. Flip over the small pieces halfway through roasting. Remove from oven when soft and let cool.

2. While sweet potato is roasting, drain the black-eyed peas. Choose about six of the small sweet peppers, 2 of each, red, yellow and orange. Thin slice the peppers lengthwise, then cross cut the slices into a small dice. It will look like confetti. Put a cup of black-eyed peas on your cutting board and chop to a size of the pepper confetti. Same with the sweet potatoes.

3. Mix the three ingredients together. Add about 1/4 cup of the Boo & Henry’s Mustard Sauce along with the minced garlic and set aside.

4. To serve, prep small tomato slices and separate parsley leaves. Then scoop, a tablespoon of Autumn Vegetable Caviar onto the baguette slice. Top with the parsley leaf and the tomato slice, pushing it in to spread mixture on bread. Pro tip: Serve in a wheel fashion on a tray with a flower in the center.

Oven Temperature: 350°F

Servings 40 –  43 calories per serving

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5 from 1 vote

Autumn Vegetable Caviar Appetizer

This Autumn Vegetable Caviar is a colorful and delicious autumn and holiday appetizer for all your parties. It's all vegetables, making a nice vegan selection for your appetizer tray. Small dice the three vegetables the same size and same quantity, mix together with the Boo & Henry's Mustard sauce or another sweet mustard based sauce. Topped with a small slice from a grape tomato and parsley leave on a thin baguette slice and you will look like a pro at your next party.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings: 40

Calories: 43kcal

Ingredients

• 1 small sweet potato ( 1 cup small dice)
• 1 Tablespoon canola oil
• 1 cup Black-eyed peas or white beans
• 6 mini sweet peppers red, yellow, orange
• 1 large garlic clove minced
• 1/4 cup Boo & Henry's Mustard Sauce
• 1 cup small San Marzano or grape tomatoes
• 4 sprigs parsley
• 1 loaf baguette thinly sliced.

Instructions

• Peel and small dice the small sweet potato. Place in an oven pan with canola oil and bake at 350 degrees for 10+ minutes or until soft. Flip over the small pieces halfway through roasting. Remove from oven when soft and let cool.
• While sweet potato is roasting, drain the black-eyed peas. Choose about six of the small sweet peppers, 2 of each, red, yellow and orange. Thin slice the peppers lengthwise, then cross cut the slices into a small dice. It will look like confetti. Put a cup of black-eyed peas on your cutting board and chop to a size of the pepper confetti. Same with the sweet potatoes.
• Mix the three ingredients together. Add about 1/4 cup of the Boo & Henry's Mustard Sauce along with the minced garlic and set aside.
• To serve, prep small tomato slices and separate parsley leaves. Then scoop, a tablespoon of Autumn Vegetable Caviar onto the baguette slice. Top with the parsley leaf and the tomato slice, pushing it in to spread mixture on bread. Pro tip: Serve in a wheel fashion on a tray with a flower in the center.

Nutrition

Calories: 43kcal

The post Autumn Vegetable Caviar and Smokin’ Potato Bite Appetizers for your next party!! appeared first on Fresh Food In A Flash.

Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup or Harira

Prep 15 mins   Cook 1:40   Eat 1:55

Instant Pot/pressure cooker method:   Prep 15 mins   Cook 40 mins   Eat 55 mins

Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup is based on a traditional Harira.

I learned to make this Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup, also known as Harira from Dorie Greenspan.   Harira is a traditional Moroccan dish which is served to break the fast during Ramadan.  Ramadan is a month-long Muslim tradition to fast from sunrise to sundown to observe prayer, reflection and community. I would be dreaming all day about this soup if I were observing Ramadan.

Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup is great to have in the fridge on a cold day.

Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup is the most delicious flavorful noodle soup I have tasted and it is on our menu several times every winter since I was introduced to the recipe through Dorie’s “Everyday Dorie” cookbook, subtitled “The Way I Cook”.  A tomato based soup made with red lentils, chickpeas, angel hair pasta and optional meatballs, the flavor comes from lots of spices.  Ground ginger, black pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne and saffron are the reason for Harira’s distinctive power punch of flavor.

Everyday Dorie Cookbook features Morrocan Chickpea Noodle Soup.

I got to know Dorie at a Melissa’s Produce sponsored luncheon where she was promoting her cookie cookbook, “Dorie’s Cookies”. At another cookbook launch a year later, I got to taste this delicious Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup from  her “Everyday Dorie” cookbook.  Dorie is a person with attention to detail and that is reflected in her recipe writing.  She is a baker at heart, but in this beautiful and inspiring cookbook, we get a window in to her very favorite recipes she serves day in, day out.

Keep ingredients for Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup on hand for a cold day.

Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup takes a bit of time, but I found that the Instant Pot or pressure cooker can speed it up.

Keep these ingredients in your pantry and freezer for making Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup.

Keep these ingredients on hand and prepare this dish when you are home bound from a snowy or rainy day or just want to hunker down on the weekend or an evening. The recipe makes enough for about 8 servings, so you can serve it for guests or to have ready for an easy dinner.

Measure out the spices in a bowl in advance.

Measure out the precious ground spices in a bowl.  The ginger, black pepper, salt, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne and saffron are so colorful.

Cook the onion, celery and garlic in oil. Then add in the spice mixture.

Add cooking oil to a large soup pot, Instant Pot or pressure cooker along with the diced onions, garlic and celery.  Cook on medium low heat for about 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Stir in the spice mixture for a minute and let the aroma fill your senses.

Optional Meatballs add more protein.

I love to add meatballs to the Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup

While the vegetables are cooking, form ground meat into small meatballs (if you are adding), about 1 to 2 inches in diameter.  Cook them in a fry pan in oil just until browned, then set them aside.

Add the red lentils, tomatoes and parsley/cilantro.

Once you have the onion base ready, add the can of tomatoes, the red lentils and half of the parsley/cilantro.  Give it all a stir and turn up the heat.

The Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup ingredients are healthful and yummy.

When the meatballs are ready, add them in along with the chicken or vegetable stock and give a gentle stir.

My homemade chicken stock (still half frozen) is added with the meatballs.

I generally have homemade chicken stock in my freezer, so I add that while it is still mostly frozen.

Save time by using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker.

Now, here is where the pot you use can make a difference in time.  Cover the pot and bring it to a boil.  Once at a boil, turn it down to a simmer and then let it cook for about an hour.  In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the drained chickpeas/garbanzo beans and cook for another 20-30 minutes. At this point, you could freeze some of the soup before adding the noodles.

OR if you are using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker,  tighten the lid on and cook under pressure for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pressure come down naturally until you can open the lid safely, then add the drained chickpeas/garbanzo beans.  Cover and cook another 5 minutes. Then let the pressure come down naturally.

Add the broken pasta just before serving.

While the soup is still hot and just before serving, add the broken angel hair pasta.

Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup is ready to be served.

Cook uncovered for 3-4 minutes or until the pasta is tender.  Stir in the rest of the parsley or cilantro.

That first bite of Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup is going to win you over.

Serve the soup in bowls with lemon wedges and take in the aroma and delicious flavor of the Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup.  Imagine you have fasted for a full day and this is your first meal to break the fast.   What a delicious moment!

Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup is great to have in the fridge on a cold day.

Since you have made eight servings of this delicious soup, place any leftover Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup in the fridge and note that the flavor will be even better the second day.   But do add more water or stock to keep it liquidy when you reheat it and you can add more noodles to keep it fresh.

Print this Recipe.

Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup

This addictively delicious Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup, also known as Harira is from Dorie Greenspan’s book, “Everyday Dorie”. Harira is a traditional Moroccan dish served to break the fast during Ramadan. With a tomato base made with red lentils, chickpeas, angel hair pasta, and optional meatballs, the bold flavor comes from the spices.  Ground ginger, black pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne and saffron are the reason for Harira’s distinctive power punch of flavor. Using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker will reduce the preparation time to 55 minutes. You may want to halve the recipe (or freeze it before adding the noodles).

3 1/2 Tablespoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Large pinch saffron threads
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery stalks, finely sliced
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound ground meat (beef, lamb, pork or chicken)
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
3/4 cup red lentils
1 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1/4 pound Angel Hair or Capellini pasta, broken into pieces
1 to 2 lemons, cut into wedges

1. Measure out the ground spices in a bowl.  The ginger, black pepper, salt, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne and saffron are so colorful.

2. Add cooking oil to a large soup pot, Instant Pot or pressure cooker along with the diced onions, garlic and celery.  Cook on medium low heat for about 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Stir in the spice mixture for a minute and let the aroma fill your senses.

3. While the vegetables are cooking, form ground meat into small meatballs (if you are adding), about 1 to 2 inches in diameter.  Cook them in a fry pan in oil, just until browned, then set them aside.

4. Once you have the onion base ready, add the can of tomatoes, the red lentils and half of the parsley/cilantro.  Give it all a stir and turn up the heat. When the meatballs are ready, add them in along with the chicken or vegetable stock and give a gentle stir.

5. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil.  Turn it down to a simmer and then let it cook for about an hour  In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the drained chickpeas/garbanzo beans and cook for another 20-30 minutes.

6. OR if you are using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker,  tighten the lid on and cook under pressure for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pressure come down naturally until you can open the lid safely and then add the drained chickpeas/garbanzo beans.  Cover and cook another 5 minutes. Then let the pressure come down naturally. (At this point, you could freeze some of the soup before adding the noodles.)

7. While the soup is still hot and just before serving, add the broken angel hair pasta. Cook uncovered for 3-4 minutes or until the pasta is tender.  Stir in more parsley or cilantro and serve in bowls with lemon wedges.

8. Place any leftover Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup in the fridge. The flavor will improve. Add more water or stock to keep it liquidy when you reheat it and you can add more noodles to keep it fresh.

Servings: 8  –   466 calories per serving

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5 from 1 vote

Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup

This addictively delicious Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup, also known as Harira is from Dorie Greenspan's book, "Everyday Dorie". Harira is a traditional Moroccan dish served to break the fast during Ramadan. With a tomato base made with red lentils, chickpeas, angel hair pasta, and optional meatballs, the bold flavor comes from the spices.  Ground ginger, black pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne and saffron are the reason for Harira's distinctive power punch of flavor. Using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker will reduce the preparation time to 55 minutes. You may want to halve the recipe (or freeze it before adding the noodles).

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 55 minutes mins

Course: Entree, Soup

Cuisine: Moroccan

Servings: 8

Calories: 466kcal

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 Tablespoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Large pinch saffron threads
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions diced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 2 celery stalks finely sliced
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound ground meat beef, lamb, pork or chicken
• 1 28- ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley or cilantro chopped
• 2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
• 3/4 cup red lentils
• 1 15- ounce can chickpeas garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 pound Angel Hair or Capellini pasta broken into pieces
• 1 to 2 lemons cut into wedges

Instructions

• Measure out the ground spices in a bowl.  The ginger, black pepper, salt, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne and saffron are so colorful.
• Add cooking oil to a large soup pot, Instant Pot or pressure cooker along with the diced onions, garlic and celery.  Cook on medium low heat for about 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Stir in the spice mixture for a minute and let the aroma fill your senses.
• While the vegetables are cooking, form ground meat into small meatballs (if you are adding), about 1 to 2 inches in diameter.  Cook them in a fry pan in oil, just until browned, then set them aside.
• Once you have the onion base ready, add the can of tomatoes, the red lentils and half of the parsley/cilantro.  Give it all a stir and turn up the heat. When the meatballs are ready, add them in along with the chicken or vegetable stock and give a gentle stir.
• Cover the pot and bring it to a boil.  Turn it down to a simmer and then let it cook for about an hour  In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the drained chickpeas/garbanzo beans and cook for another 20-30 minutes.
• OR if you are using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker,  tighten the lid on and cook under pressure for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pressure come down naturally until you can open the lid safely and then add the drained chickpeas/garbanzo beans.  Cover and cook another 5 minutes. Then let the pressure come down naturally. (At this point, you could freeze some of the soup before adding the noodles.)
• While the soup is still hot and just before serving, add the broken angel hair pasta. Cook uncovered for 3-4 minutes or until the pasta is tender.  Stir in more parsley or cilantro and serve in bowls with lemon wedges.
• Place any leftover Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup in the fridge. The flavor will improve. Add more water or stock to keep it liquidy when you reheat it and you can add more noodles to keep it fresh.
• ENJOY THIS RECIPE FROM FreshFoodinaFlash.com

Nutrition

Calories: 466kcal

The post Moroccan Chickpea Noodle Soup aka Harira by Dorie Greenspan appeared first on Fresh Food In A Flash.

Betty Crocker Russian Teacakes

Russian Teacakes look like Snowball Cookies

Prep 20 minutes  Bake 10 mins  Roll in Sugar and Cool  20 mins  Eat 50 mins

Russian Teacakes, Mexican Wedding Cakes, Snowball Cookies.  They may be called different names in our individual cultures, but they are ALL Delicious!  They were the favorite Christmas cookie in our family.  My mother taught us to make them at a young age, which was such an amazing mother-daughter bonding experience and how I came to love cooking in the kitchen.

So who is Betty Crocker?

My Betty Crocker cookbook features favorite Russian Teacakes and fun Galaxy Cookies on opposite page.

Like every young woman in Minneapolis, I was gifted a 1969 Betty Crocker cookbook and the Russian Teacakes recipe was one of the first I made out of that book.  It’s tattered and torn, but well loved for all the old fashioned comfort recipes of my youth.  Betty Crocker is a fictional character introduced in 1921 by General Mills, which milled wheat into flour along the Mississippi River in Minneapolis beginning in 1856. Don’t you love Wikipedia?

You’ve gotta use real butter!

Simple ingredients make delicious cookies

Made of butter, flour, powdered sugar and walnuts and vanilla.  Super simple, but melt in your mouth and nutty deliciousness.  The cookie of my dreams!  Those white Snowball cookies you see on cookie plates in the supermarket are NOTHING like these home made Russian Teacakes.  The difference is the simple ingredients and the REAL butter.  Yes, you’ve got to go for it here.  No substitutions!

Russian Teacakes contain confectioners sugar.  What’s that?

Mix soft butter, powdered sugar and vanilla.

Whip up some soft butter with confectioners’ sugar or powdered sugar and vanilla until creamy.  Confectioners’ sugar is an old-fashioned name for powdered sugar. The sugar is ground super fine into a powder and perfect for making candy, icings and other confections presumably by commercial bakers.

Chop walnuts until they are the size of small peas or smaller

Finely Chop walnuts until they are the size of small peas or smaller using a chopper or sharp knife.

Walnuts and flour are folded into butter base.

Fold walnut and dry ingredients – flour and salt slowly into the creamy butter base just until incorporated.

The Russian Teacake mixture will look shaggy at first.

The Russian Teacakes mixture will look shaggy at first.

The Russian Teacake mixture is ready to form into small balls.

Keep folding until it looks like this and then stop.  Form the mixture into 1″ balls and place on a baking sheet, spacing them apart.  Don’t make them too large as they will grow in the oven and you want them to be bite size.

Bake the Russian Teacakes until they are set or beginning to brown. Immediately roll them in powdered sugar.

Bake them very briefly until they are just set or a slight brown on the bottom, about 10 minutes.

Russian Teacakes look like Snowball Cookies

When you remove the baking sheet from the oven, immediately roll them in a small bowl of powdered sugar.  Let them cool on wax paper or parchment paper. After they’ve cooled, roll them again in powdered sugar. Let cool completely.  Then pack them into boxes or containers for your Holiday cookie tray.  When we were children, we would bake up a lot of different Christmas cookies in advance.  We would store them in old candy, nylon stocking boxes (throwback word!) or cookie tins, using wax paper between the layers of cookies.  Since it was cold and probably snowy outside in Minneapolis, they would get stored in a cold porch, closet or basement area until we served them among family and guests at Christmastime.

The Holiday Cookie Baking class at the Holy Nativity Community Hall.

I held a Holiday Cookie Baking class at the Holy Nativity Community Hall for 15 years where as a group, we would bake eight different cookies each year.  I encouraged my regular students to bring their children and grandchildren for this annual event. Young and old would spend a Saturday afternoon baking and listening to Christmas carols.

Russian Teacakes made with love at our Holiday Cookie Baking class.

We would bake 1000 cookies together and lay them out to admire, before we all descended on them with our cookie tins to take them home. I am proud to have taught so many young bakers over the years and inspired them to continue the holiday tradition of baking cookies.

Sugar Cookies with Buttercream Icing

My favorite cookies we baked in the Cookie Class were the decorated sugar cookies. Get the recipe here.  Decorated with love by our young bakers, these cookies have created memories that will last a lifetime.

Print this Recipe.

Russian Teacakes

Russian Teacakes, Mexican Wedding Cakes, Snowball Cookies are a real splurge. They may go by different names, but they are all delicious and the favorite Christmas cookie in my family. You gotta use real butter with these to get the nutty melt in your mouth experience. No substitutions!

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Place softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Whip the butter mixture with an electric mixer until creamy.

2. Chop the walnuts fine until they are size of peas or smaller.

3. Fold walnuts, flour and salt into the creamy butter base with a rubber spatula just until incorporated. The mixture will go from looking shaggy to lumpy.

4. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place on an ungreased baking sheet with a rim, so they don’t roll off. Bake for 10-12 minutes until set and just barely brown. Immediately roll them in sugar and cool on wax paper. Once cool, roll them again in powdered sugar and store your delicious, buttery Russian Teacakes

Servings: 48  –  68 calories per serving

The post Betty Crocker Russian Teacakes look like Snowball Cookies appeared first on Fresh Food In A Flash.

New Orleans Jambalaya with Sausage and Shrimp

Jambalaya with Sausage and Shrimp

Prep 10 mins   Cook 25 mins   Eat 35 mins

I just can’t get enough of this Jambalaya with Sausage and Shrimp.  I am usually pretty good about portion control, but there is no portion control when it comes to this Jambalaya.  Honed over years of making this dish for different events like Mardi Gras, I have come to the conclusion that this is the best Fresh Food in a Flash version.  Get it on the table quick after a day’s work.

The secret is the spiciness.  I like to taste a fair amount of heat when I’m eating my Jambalaya with Sausage and Shrimp, but not to the point you need a fire hose!  I’ve combined a pinch of cayenne with up to 1/2 teaspoon of hot Hungarian paprika. Use a 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper if you have no hot Hungarian paprika.  Choose your heat as you wish.  Perhaps half a minced jalapeno without the seeds.  Tonight, I made it with half of a long skinny pepper from my garden, that turned out to have a lot of heat in it.  Generally the fresher the chile, the more the heat or the smaller the chile, the more the heat.  You get to decide what your guests can handle.

What’s in this delicious Jambalaya?

Ingredients for Jambalaya with Sausage and Shrimp

Assemble delicious and healthy ingredients before cooking.  We call it “mise en place”.  Everything in it’s place.  An onion, bell pepper, a large garlic clove, a chile and or ground cayenne, the tomatoes, rice, herbs and spices, the sausage and shrimp. and some chicken stock, using my favorite Better than Bouillon paste which you mix with water.  But you can also take some home made chicken stock out of the freezer, which I did tonight.  Click here to learn how to make fresh made chicken stock from your old bones, that I also stuff in my freezer.

Once you have all the ingredients together, dice the onion and the green or red bell pepper.  Pop them in a flat skillet or brazier with a splash of oil.  Cover and let them soften.  Add in minced garlic and chile if you are using,

Choose your sausage.  Andouille or ?

Add the sausage to the onion, bell pepper, chile and garlic.

Next add the sausage.  I use Italian sausage, because I always have some in the freezer, ready to unthaw. Since it’s raw, I chop it up as it cooks. But this dish is from New Orleans, so if you want to be authentic, definitely get some Andouille sausage and slice it up before you add it, because it is smoked and precooked, at least in this country.  There are so many great sausages now in the market, so use your favorite spicy sausage.

The sausage gets chopped up as it cooks.

A little side note about my personal experience ordering Andouille saucisson at a restaurant in France many years ago.  I thought it was like the stuff from New Orleans, but when I consulted my French dictionary, it said it was a sausage of pig intestines. It was as described and inedible. Beware!

Add in the tomatoes, herbs and spices.

After the sausage has browned, add in the tomatoes, the thyme, bay leaf and spices. Give it a stir.

The chicken stock is added and heated up.

Add in the chicken stock and increase heat to a boil.

The last step is to add the rice to the mixture.

Then add the long grain rice and mix it in. Reduce the heat to low, cover and let it simmer.  It will take about 15-20 minutes before the rice is al dente or with a tiny crunch to the tooth.  You will need to stir and add in more liquid (stock or water) every 3-5 minutes, so that the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

The Jambalaya has cooked until al dente after about 15 minutes.

After cooking the rice to al dente, about 15 minutes, add another half cup or more liquid, so it looks juicy. Nestle the shrimp into the rice and cover.

The shrimp are nestled into the rice toward the end of cooking.

Cover and cook until the shrimp turns red and the rice is just past al dente or tender to the tooth.

Need to make the Jambalaya ahead for a party?

I discovered a great cooking trick when I was preparing the Jambalaya ahead for a Mardi Gras party. I now use this method nearly every time I cook Jambalaya.  After the rice is in the skillet for 5 minutes, turn off the heat and keep it covered.  The rice will then absorb the liquid on its own. When you are ready to finish cooking, add another 1/2 to 1 cup of liquid, stir it into the mixture, add the shrimp nestled into the rice, cover and cook until the shrimp has turned red and the rice is just past al dente or tender to the tooth.

Delicious Jambalaya with Sausage and Shrimp can be made on a weeknight in only 35 minutes.

You are ready to show off your Jambalaya with Sausage and Shrimp.  That first bite…mmm. YUMMY!   A fantastic Fresh Food in a Flash dish.

Jambalaya with Sausage and Chicken

Another version I made tonight was Jambalaya with Sausage and Chicken.  I didn’t have any shrimp, so I chopped up some chicken thighs and added them in with the sausage.

Print this Recipe.

New Orleans Jambalaya with Sausage and Shrimp

Easy to make, this delicious one-dish meal is perfect for a busy week night. The secret is the spiciness. You can vary the heat with the sausage, cayenne and paprika or minced jalapeno chile. Use your favorite sausage or authentic Cajun Andouille. Slice the precooked sausage or remove the casings from any raw sausage, such as Italian.

2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 red or green bell pepper, diced
1 large clove garlic
1/2 seeded jalapeno or other chile, minced (Optional)
1/2 pound sausage (2 links) Italian or Andouille
1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes
3 cups + chicken stock
3 fresh thyme sprigs
2 Tablespoons parsley
1 bay leaf
1 pinch cayenne pepper (or more)
1/2 tsp paprika (hot Hungarian preferred)
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
1 pound raw shrimp, deveined
2 Tablespoons cilantro or parsley to garnish

1. In a large skillet, cook onion and green pepper on low heat until onion is translucent. Add garlic, optional minced chile and then the sausage. If using Andouille, slice the sausage before adding. If using a raw sausage like Italian, remove the casing, chop it up as it cooks and cook until browned.

2. Add tomatoes,1 1/2 cups chicken stock, thyme sprigs, parsley, bay leaf, cayenne, paprika, salt and pepper.. Stir and cook on medium heat until boiling. Reduce heat to low, add rice, stir, cover and simmer for 15- 20 minutes. Stir and add more stock or water as needed every 3-5 minutes so the rice does not stick to the pan. Cook until rice is al dente.

3. Add shrimp and nestle into the rice with added stock or water to keep the mixture juicy. Cover and cook until shrimp is red and rice is tender. Garnish with cilantro or parsley leaves and serve.

Servings: 4    – 528 calories per serving

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5 from 1 vote

Jambalaya with Sausage and Shrimp

Easy to make, this delicious one-dish meal is perfect for a busy week night. The secret is the spiciness. You can vary the heat with the sausage, cayenne and paprika or minced jalapeno chile. Use your favorite sausage or authentic Cajun Andouille. Slice the precooked sausage or remove the casings from any raw sausage, such as Italian.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Cajun

Servings: 4

Calories: 528kcal

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons canola oil
• 1 medium onion diced
• 1 red or green bell pepper diced
• 1 large clove garlic
• 1/2 seeded jalapeno or other chile minced (optional)
• 1/2 pound sausage 2 links Italian or Andouille
• 1 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups + chicken stock
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 Tablespoons parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper or more
• 1/2 tsp paprika hot Hungarian preferred
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
• 1 pound raw shrimp deveined
• 2 Tablespoons cilantro or parsley to garnish

Instructions

• In a large skillet, cook onion and green pepper on low heat until onion is translucent. Add garlic, optional minced chile and then the sausage. If using Andouille, slice the sausage before adding. If using a raw sausage like Italian, remove the casing, chop it up as it cooks and cook until browned.
• Add tomatoes,1 1/2 cups chicken stock, thyme sprigs, parsley, bay leaf, cayenne, paprika, salt and pepper.. Stir and cook on medium heat until boiling. Reduce heat to low, add rice, stir, cover and simmer for 15- 20 minutes. Stir and add more stock or water as needed every 3-5 minutes so the rice does not stick to the pan. Cook until rice is al dente.
• Add shrimp and nestle into the rice with added stock or water to keep the mixture juicy. Cover and cook until shrimp is red and rice is tender. Garnish with cilantro or parsley leaves and serve.
• ENJOY THIS RECIPE FROM FreshFoodinaFlash.com

Nutrition

Calories: 528kcal

The post New Orleans Jambalaya with Sausage and Shrimp in 35 minutes appeared first on Fresh Food In A Flash.

Fettuccine with Walnut Sauce

Fettuccine with Walnut Sauce

Prep 20 mins Cook 10 mins Eat 25 mins

When I worked for La Cucina Italiana magazine, I stumbled upon this recipe for Fettuccine with Walnut Sauce.  It quickly became a household favorite and the best thing is that it can be made in a Flash.

Americans have a love affair with Fettuccine Alfredo.  We love it, but everyone knows it is super fattening, loaded with heavy cream and when you eat it you love it, but you immediately feel guilty.  I notice lately that a lot of restaurants have opted for more healthy pasta alternatives.

This Fettuccine with Walnut Sauce is creamy and dreamy.

This Fettuccine with an authentic Italian Walnut Sauce feels like you are eating Fettuccine Alfredo, but without all the calories.  Years ago, I served Fettuccine with Walnut Sauce to guests and they were surprised when I told them it wasn’t Fettuccine Alfredo, made with heavy cream.  Now it’s my little secret!

So what makes it so creamy and dreamy?

The ingredients are simple.  You probably have them in your pantry and fridge right now.  Walnuts, bread (like a country French or Italian white bread), olive oil, Greek yogurt, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and fettuccine (either dried or freshly made).   Simple, right? Leave it to the Italians, the Ligurians, to be exact.  Walnuts, called noci are all over Italy, so this is an ancient method that is a different kind of pesto (meaning pounded) than the green sauce made of basil.

Garlic, walnuts and rehydrated bread are the base of the walnut sauce.

It’s really simple to make too.  Before you begin, get the pasta water boiling. Process garlic clove in a food processor, then combine blanched walnuts, rehydrated bread cubes, salt and pepper in the food processor.  Process until smooth, drizzling in some olive oil.  Looks creamy already, right?

We add in ricotta cheese and Greek yogurt.

Add ricotta cheese and Greek yogurt and process again until the the mixture is smooth.

The walnut sauce looks really creamy, right?

Now the walnut sauce really gets creamy.  Set it aside. That’s it!!  No heavy cream, no extra calories.  Just authentic Italian.

Cook the fettuccine in boiling water.   Make some fresh pasta, if you want to get fancy.

Combine the walnut sauce with the fettuccine.

Make sure to reserve the pasta water.

When the fettuccine is cooked, drain it, but reserve the pasta water. When you are ready to serve, add the walnut sauce to the noodles and combine.  You will see the creamy sauce adhering to the noodles right away.

Ladle the reserved pasta water into the finished Fettuccine with Walnut Sauce to make it extra creamy.

Here’s the key thing about getting the walnut sauce just right.  You must ladle some of the hot pasta water into the fettuccine mixture to get the right consistency…and as it sits, it will absorb the liquid, so you will need to add more, the longer it sits.  So wait to combine until you are ready to serve and then add a little more pasta water to each individual pasta bowl.   We all love a little creamy liquid in our pasta bowl, right?  It adds to the luxurious texture of this amazing dish.

Swoon-worthy Fettuccine with authentic Italian Walnut Sauce.

Top each dish with some grated parmesan cheese and pass more for your guests to add.  The result is an amazing creamy Fettuccine with authentic Walnut Sauce that your guests are going to swoon over.

Print this Recipe.

Fettuccine with Walnut Sauce

This authentic Italian walnut sauce “Salsa di noci” is absolutely delicious.  You think you are eating something much more fattening than it is.  I served this to guests and they thought they were eating Fettucine Alfredo.  But there is no cream in this dish and yet if you didn’t make it yourself, you wouldn’t believe it.  You can make it even more skinny by using both nonfat versions of ricotta and Greek yogurt to slash the calories even further.

3/4 cup walnut pieces

1 cup cubes day-old rustic bread

3/4 tsp Coarse sea salt

1 pinch Fresh-ground black pepper

1 garlic clove

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1 pound pasta, fettuccine

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Bring a pot of water to boil for the fettuccine.

2. Place half of the nuts in a medium saucepan of water and heat on high for 7 minutes. Meanwhile, put bread in a bowl, cover with tepid tap water and let stand for 5 minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess water.

3. Drain blanched nuts. Remove any loose skins with a paper towel. Set aside.

4. Cook fettuccine according to manufacturer’s directions. If using fresh fettuccine, it will take only a minute to cook in boiling water.  Drain fettuccine and reserve at least a cup of the pasta cooking water. Place fettuccine in a wide bowl.

5. While fettuccine is cooking, place garlic in bowl of food processor and process until minced. Add all nuts (blanched and unpeeled), bread, salt and pepper and process until mixture is smooth. Drizzle in olive oil until mixture begins to look like pesto.  Add ricotta and yogurt and process until mixture is thick and smooth.  Set aside until fettuccine is cooked.

6. Toss pasta with any amount of walnut sauce you like. Thin with the pasta water until pasta is coated with the walnut sauce, but yet remains creamy. Serve in individual pasta bowls and add a little more pasta water to each bowl to make more creamy if desired.

7. Top each dish with some grated parmesan cheese and pass more for your guests to add.

Servings: 6   682 calories per serving

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5 from 1 vote

Fettuccine with Walnut Sauce

This authentic Italian walnut sauce "Salsa di noci" is absolutely delicious. You think you are eating something much more fattening than it is. I served this to guests and they thought they were eating Fettuccine Alfredo. But there is no cream in this dish and yet if you didn't make it yourself, you wouldn't believe it. You can make it even more skinny by using both nonfat versions of ricotta and Greek yogurt to slash the calories even further.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Course: Entree, Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 6

Calories: 682kcal

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup walnut pieces
• 1 cup cubes day-old rustic bread
• 1 garlic clove
• 3/4 tsp Coarse sea salt
• 1 pinch Fresh-ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 pound pasta fettucine
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Bring a pot of water to boil for the fettuccine.
• Place half of the nuts in a medium saucepan of water and heat on high for 7 minutes.  Meanwhile, put bread in a bowl, cover with tepid tap water and let stand for 5 minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess water.
• Drain blanched nuts.  Remove any loose skins with a paper towel. Set aside.
• Cook fettuccine according to manufacturer's directions. If using fresh fettuccine, it will take only a minute to cook in boiling water.  Drain fettuccine and reserve at least a cup of the pasta cooking water. Place fettuccine in a wide bowl.
• While fettuccine is cooking, place garlic in bowl of food processor and process until minced.  Add all nuts (blanched and unpeeled), bread, salt and pepper and process until mixture is smooth.  Drizzle in olive oil until mixture begins to look like pesto.  Add ricotta and yogurt and process until mixture is thick and smooth.  Set aside until fettuccine is cooked.
• Toss fettuccine with any amount of walnut sauce you like.  Thin with the pasta water until pasta is coated with the walnut sauce, but yet remains creamy. Serve in individual pasta bowls and add a little more pasta water to each bowl to make more creamy, if desired.
• Top each dish with some grated parmesan cheese and pass more for your guests to add.
• ENJOY THIS RECIPE FROM FreshFoodinaFlash.com

Nutrition

Calories: 682kcal

The post Fettuccine with a creamy Walnut Sauce appeared first on Fresh Food In A Flash.

Best Libby’s Pumpkin Pie with Homemade Pie Crust

Best Libby’s Pumpkin Pie with Homemade Pie Crust

Prep 25 mins   Bake 55 mins   Cool & Chill 2 hours   Eat 3:20

I adore this Libby’s Pumpkin Pie.  I’ve eaten it just about every Thanksgiving since childhood.  It’s the best pumpkin pie I’ve ever tasted with a creamy custardy filling that is spiced just right.  Not overdone like many pumpkin pies I’ve tasted.  It’s perfect, particularly when you pour the filling into a homemade pie crust that is buttery, flaky and delicious…no leftover crust sitting on my guest’s plates, every bit is devoured.  Top it with fresh whipped cream. Heavenly!  A perfect ending to your Thanksgiving or autumn meal.

Make the Homemade Pie Crust

My Easy 15 minute Pie Crust recipe makes 4 pie crusts in advance that you can refrigerate or freeze until needed.

I use my Easy 15 Minute Foolproof Pie Crust that I make in advance and have pastry discs waiting in my fridge or freezer. The recipe makes four pie crusts and you can get the recipe here.  Keep the pie crust chilled until you roll it out.  Move a pastry disc from the freezer to the fridge a couple hours in advance or place on the counter to thaw if you forget.  Move back to the fridge once it is no longer frozen hard.  You will notice that my pastry disc has small flecks of butter throughout.  This is the secret to the flaky, melt in your mouth pie crust of your dreams.

Libby’s Pumpkin, Carnation Evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and a homemade pie crust make the best Libby’s Pumpkin Pie.

Mix the Libby’s pumpkin pie filling.

But first, mix up the filling.  You will need a small can of Libby’s pumpkin, a can of Carnation Evaporated milk, sugar, 2 eggs, cinnamon, ginger, cloves.

Libby’s Famous Pumpkin Pie recipe.

This combination makes the best Libby’s Pumpkin Pie you’ve ever tasted!  After all, it’s famous!  The recipe for Libby’s Famous Pumpkin Pie is right on the label, but I walk you through the steps.

Dry ingredients in one bowl.

In a small bowl, mix the dry ingredients – the sugar, salt, ground cinnamon, ginger and cloves.

Whisk two eggs.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk two eggs.  I used four, since I was making two Libby’s pumpkin pies.

Add the Libby’s pumpkin and Carnation evaporated milk.

Whisk in the Libby’s pumpkin and Carnation evaporated milk.

The wet ingredients are mixed together.

After mixing, it will look like this.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

The Libby’s Pumpkin pie filling is ready.

Your pumpkin filling is ready for the pie shell. Set it aside.

Roll out the Pie Crust dough.

Roll out the pie dough on the plastic wrap, using 1/4 turns and repairing cracks.

Roll out your pie crust.  I thawed my homemade frozen pie crust disc in the refrigerator.  Open the plastic wrap, dust the pastry disc with flour on all sides.  Roll it out right on the plastic wrap. Keep the rolling pin in the center of the dough and roll without going off the edge.  Turn the plastic wrap and dough 1/4 turn.  Repeat as disc size increases, fixing the cracks each time.   When the edges crack, fix them with the side of your hand.  I always say, “repair, repair while the cracks are still small” before continuing. That way you end up with a nice circle of dough without cracks.  Place your pie plate on top of the dough to measure that it is slightly overlapping in size.

Invert the pie plate onto the dough circle, flip it over and fit the dough into the pie plate.

When you have rolled out the dough to a slightly larger size than the pie plate, invert the pie plate onto the dough.  Place your hands under the plastic wrap and in one swift move, flip the pie plate over with the dough onto it.  Peel off the plastic wrap and fit the pastry into the pie plate.  You can repair the dough circle in the pan by piecing together dough where needed. You can create a fancy edge or just cut it around the edge of the pie plate.

Pour the Libby’s Pumpkin Pie filling into the pie shell.

Pour the Libby’s Pumpkin Pie filling into the pie shell. Place on a baking sheet.  Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 45-50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.

The Libby’s Pumpkin Pie is ready after a total of 55 minutes of baking at two different temperatures.

Cool on wire rack and refrigerate until serving.  Notice how the crust is flaking at the edge of the pie plate. This tells you that it is going to be buttery, crisp and delicious.

Slices of Libby’s Pumpkin Pie with a homemade pie crust are served.

Your delicious Libby’s Pumpkin Pie with Homemade Pie Crust deserves to be served with some fresh whipped cream for the ultimate splurge.  You will marvel at how the flavor of this pumpkin pie will bring you back to your childhood and create childhood memories for others.  Enjoy!

Print the Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe.

Print the Foolproof Pie Crust recipe.

Libby’s Pumpkin Pie with Homemade Pie Crust

The Libby’s Pumpkin Pie recipe appears on the label of a can of Libby’s pumpkin. It is called the Famous Libby’s Pumpkin Pie I’ve eaten this pie just about every Thanksgiving since childhood. I love the creamy custardy filling that is spiced just right. Make it special by making your own pie crust. A homemade buttery and flaky pie crust makes this the best Thanksgiving or autumn pie. Follow the steps of my Easy 15 minute Pie Crust recipe. It makes 4 pie crusts that you make in advance and can refrigerate or freeze, so they are ready when you need one. Serve this delicious pie with fresh whipped cream for a real splurge.

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 15 oz can Libby’s pumpkin
1 12 oz can Carnation Evaporated milk
1 homemade chilled pie crust disc
1 pint whipping cream

1. Mix sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl, stir in pumpkin and gradually stir in evaporated milk. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Set filling aside.

2. Roll out your pie crust.  I thawed my homemade frozen pie crust disc in the refrigerator.  Open the plastic wrap, dust the pastry disc with flour on all sides.  Roll it out right on the plastic wrap. Keep the rolling pin in the center of the dough and roll without going off the edge.  Turn the plastic wrap and dough 1/4 turn.  Repeat as disc size increases, fixing the cracks each time.   When the edges crack, fix them with the side of your hand, while the cracks are still small” before continuing. That way you end up with a nice circle of dough without cracks.  Place your pie plate on top of the dough to measure that it is slightly overlapping in size.

3. When you have rolled out the dough to a slightly larger size than the pie plate, invert the pie plate onto the dough.  Place your hands under the plastic wrap and in one swift move, flip the pie plate over with the dough onto it.  Peel off the plastic wrap and fit the pastry into the pie plate.  You can repair the dough circle in the pan by piecing together dough where needed. You can create a fancy edge or just cut it around the edge of the pie plate.

4. Pour the pumpkin filling into pie shell.

5. Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 40-50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

6. Whip the cream and serve with the Libby’s Pumpkin Pie.

Servings: 8  – 492 calories per serving

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5 from 1 vote

Libby's Pumpkin Pie with Homemade Pie Crust

The Libby's Pumpkin Pie recipe appears on the label of a can of Libby's pumpkin. It is called the Famous Libby's Pumpkin Pie I've eaten this pie just about every Thanksgiving since childhood. I love the creamy custardy filling that is spiced just right. Make it special by making your own pie crust. A homemade buttery and flaky pie crust makes this the best Thanksgiving or autumn pie. Follow the steps of my Easy 15 minute Pie Crust recipe. It makes 4 pie crusts that you make in advance and can refrigerate or freeze, so they are ready when you need one. Serve this delicious pie with fresh whipped cream for a real splurge.

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time55 minutes mins

Cool and Chill2 hours hrs

Total Time3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8

Calories: 492kcal

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 2 large eggs
• 1 15 oz can Libby's pumpkin
• 1 12 oz can Carnation Evaporated milk
• 1 homemade chilled pie crust disc
• 1 pint whipping cream

Instructions

• . Mix sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl, stir in pumpkin and gradually stir in evaporated milk. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Set filling aside.
• Roll out your pie crust.  I thawed my homemade frozen pie crust disc in the refrigerator.  Open the plastic wrap, dust the pastry disc with flour on all sides.  Roll it out right on the plastic wrap. Keep the rolling pin in the center of the dough and roll without going off the edge.  Turn the plastic wrap and dough 1/4 turn.  Repeat as disc size increases, fixing the cracks each time.   When the edges crack, fix them with the side of your hand, while the cracks are still small" before continuing. That way you end up with a nice circle of dough without cracks.  Place your pie plate on top of the dough to measure that it is slightly overlapping in size.
• When you have rolled out the dough to a slightly larger size than the pie plate, invert the pie plate onto the dough.  Place your hands under the plastic wrap and in one swift move, flip the pie plate over with the dough onto it.  Peel off the plastic wrap and fit the pastry into the pie plate.  You can repair the dough circle in the pan by piecing together dough where needed. You can create a fancy edge or just cut it around the edge of the pie plate.
• Pour the pumpkin filling into pie shell.
• Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 40-50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.
• Whip the cream and serve with the Libby's Pumpkin Pie.
• ENJOY THIS RECIPE FROM FRESHFOODINAFLASH.COM

Nutrition

Calories: 492kcal

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