The Test Kitchen of Melissa Fallis

Dinner In 10 Minutes! The Deep Covered Baker- My New Favorite Piece of Kitchenware!

2013-03-12T11:19:00.001-04:00

The Deep Covered Baker – My New Favorite Piece of Kitchenware!!

Photo Credit: Pampered Chef

Do you feel like you are constantly rushing around to get dinner on the table and you want something to make your life easier?? If you are thinking "YES!" then KEEP READING!

I have been a little slack on posting lately… between spending time with my precious 4 month old and going back to work after maternity leave, I have found little (or no!) time to blog! I HAVE however been putting meals on the table thanks to my Freezer Stash (from Freezer Cooking 1, Freezer Cooking 2, Freezer Cooking 3 and Freezer Cooking 4) AND because of my new found FAVORITE piece of kitchen equipment: THE PAMPERED CHEF DEEP COVERED BAKER!

I will begin with a little story… back in August I decided to host a Pampered Chef party at my home because I LOVE to cook and thought it would be perfect to host a “cooking show” at my house for friends and family to attend… I called on the fabulous Jamie Swanson (check out her Facebook Page "What's Cooking with Jamie" for YUMMY recipes!!) to come on over and share some of her favorite Pampered Chef recipes and products. If you have hosted a PC party then you know that you just have to provide all of the ingredients, and your consultant does the rest as far as assembly, cooking etc…. One of the recipes we were going to prepare (Pesto Tomato Chicken Flat bread) called for 2 cups of cooked chicken… so I had asked Jamie ahead of time if I needed to have the chicken cooked for her when she got to my house… She said not to worry about it and that she would take care of it when she came over… and in my mind I am thinking – "she is coming over about 30 min before the party starts so how the heck is she going to cook the chicken and have it ready in time???"

She arrived at my house and put the 4 chicken breasts in a piece of stoneware with a lid (Deep Covered Baker) and popped it in my microwave on HIGH for 8 minutes… pulled it out and the chicken was cooked PERFECTLY! I could not believe my eyes! As if this wasn’t enough… she then proceeded to put an ENTIRE 5 Ib. roasting chicken in the Deep Covered Baker- covered it in a delicious Pampered Chef rub and put it in the microwave for 30 minutes…. I am thinking, "yea right this chicken is not going to be good! Chicken in the microwave??" I figured it would end up being rubbery or dry… Moment of Truth: the chicken came out of the microwave and it looked beautiful and SMELLED delicious!!! We dug in and the chicken was so moist and flavorful I could not believe it. I WAS SOLD, I knew I had to have one…

Photo Credit: Pampered Chef

When my Deep Covered Baker first arrived… I was a bit intimidated by it so it just sat on the kitchen counter staring at me for a week or two. I finally decided to dive into the recipes and buy ingredients so I could start actually using this new piece of equipment that decided to join my kitchen family… the very first thing I used it for was exactly what I had seen Jamie do—make chicken breasts to shred and use in chicken noodle soup! SO EASY. The next thing I made was Easy Enchiladas—can we say 5 ingredients and 15 minutes later we were enjoying a delicious meal and my husband couldn’t believe how good the enchiladas were… oh and I forgot to mention that HE made them in the Deep Covered Baker because I was busy feeding the baby! The other night I had some ground beef I needed to use up so I decided to see what recipe I could make in the DCB that I already had the ingredients for… I came across a Meatloaf recipe and threw it together in under 5 min- popped it in the microwave for 20 minutes and dinner was done… my husband said it was the BEST Meatloaf he had ever had! WOW… this Deep Covered Baker is a keeper because it is making life so much easier and keeping food in our bellies!!


Photo Credit: Pampered Chef

The Deep Covered Baker is really the only reason we actually eat a “home cooked meal” most nights! Having a 4 month old and a full time job doesn’t leave much time for menu planning, food prep and execution. It seems like our weeknights consist of my husband and I taking turns with the baby while one of us is running around the house trying to clean up, cook, do laundry, ect… (You ALL know this story!) My priorities have also changed so much and I would much rather spend an extra 20 minutes with my family than trying to cook a big extravagant dinner that in the end my husband would probably put ketchup on anyways. The baker has easy recipes that require minimal ingredients and minimal prep–time that you can assemble day-of or the night before. The baker can be used in the oven OR in the microwave oven. I have to be honest and say that I have tried almost EVERY microwave recipe in the recipe book, but I have yet to try an oven recipe. The ease of throwing all the ingredients in the baker and popping it in the microwave for 10 minutes and a delicious meal coming out is like a new modern crock pot or something! Every family should have a Deep Covered Baker in their kitchen!

Photo Credit: Pampered Chef

I have been relying on my DCB so much that I actually just purchased a second one so I can assemble 2 meals at once to be cooked during the work week. I have also learned the “basic” cooking times and concept from using it so much enabling me to adapt some of my own personal recipes and put them in the baker in the microwave!

One thing I haven’t mentioned is if you ever have a sweet tooth- BEWARE, you can put a box of brownie mix in the baker (with the called for eggs, water and oil) for approx 6 minutes and BOOM—you have cured your sweet tooth, which could be dangerous and a good thing all in one!

Photo Credit: Pampered Chef

A couple of my favorite things to make in the Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker:

· Thirty Minute Chicken

· Chicken Fajitas

· Chicken Penne al Fresco

· Quick Chicken Pad Thai

· Loaded Potato Chowder

· Beef Tacos

· White Chicken Parmesan (w/Homemade Marinara from Freezer Cooking 3)

· Easy Enchiladas

· Lasagna Soup

· Meatloaf

· Taco Soup

· 10 Minute Pork Tenderloin

· Pork Chops & Rice

· Touchdown Taco Dip

· Quick Fudgy Brownies

Moral of the story.... head on over to pamperedchef.com and get yourself a Deep Covered Baker! You will LOVE IT --- dinner has never been so EASY or AFFORDABLE to put on our table!

*Disclaimer: No services, products or compensation were given to me for the purpose of this blog post. All opinions are 100% my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC guidelines.

Freezer Cooking # 4: Soups!

2012-12-01T17:58:00.002-05:00

My Freezer after Freezer Cooking #4

About a month and a half ago I asked for reader suggestions on soups I should include in my Freezer Cooking #4 post. Thank you everyone for your suggestions! Sorry it has taken me awhile to finish this post… Our baby boy arrived 10/22/2012, so needless to say I have been a bit pre-occupied this past month!

The concept for Freezer Cooking #4 is to fully prepare 4 different soups that you can easily thaw & serve within 30 minutes of taking out of freezer and 1 that you will “prep” to be placed in the crock pot. For this freezer cooking we will be doing a White Bean Chicken Chili (Thanks Holly Shaw for this delicious recipe!), a Beans & Greens Soup, Apple Chicken Stew, Perfect Winter Beef Stew (Thanks Pam Fallis for this amazing recipe!) and Chicken & Andouille Stew.

As I point out in all my Freezer Cooking posts, I prepare my “bags” to be for “2 servings.” Since there are only 2 of us eating…this helps with waste & portion control. If you will be serving more than 2 people with your freezer meals then you can cut the # of bags I tell you to prep for each soup in half so that each bag has more soup. ( i.e. – I will tell you to label 3 bags for “White Bean Chicken Chili”, these bags will have enough for 2 servings each in them when the prepared soup is divided equally between them, so if you would like your bags to have 4-6 servings, then divide the soup evenly between 2 bags instead of 3.)

Also, I will be using my FoodSaver system to seal/store all of the soup ingredients. For the sake of the instructions and so no one gets confused I will still refer to everything as “bags.” For this round of recipes you will need Quart sized freezer bags if you follow my instructions how they are OR Gallon sized bags if you are increasing serving sizes to (4).

Here is the menu for Freezer Cooking Round 4 “Soups”:

• White Bean Chicken Chili (3)

• Chicken and Andouille Stew (4)

• Greens & Beans Soup (2)

• Perfect Winter Beef Stew (3)

• Apple Chicken Stew (3)

Here is my grocery list: (don’t be alarmed! The list looks a bit long but most of the ingredients were already in my cabinet and are probably in yours! Everything in italics was already in my cabinet. Compare this list to your cabinets and cross out the items you won’t need to buy at the store. =) )

Fresh Produce:

• Sweet Onions (5 med/large sized) I bought a “bag” of sweet onions- it was less $

• Head of Garlic (1)

• 1-Green Pepper

• 1-Red Pepper

• 1-Bunch of Celery

• 1 Ib. Carrots (for slicing)

• Bag of Potatoes (you will need approx 6 potatoes)

• Fresh Sliced Mushrooms (3 cups)

• 1- Large Apple

Meat:

• 2 Ibs Beef for Stew

• 4 ½- 5 Ibs Chicken Breast

• 1 ½ Ibs Fully Cooked Andouille Sausage (Link)

• Bacon (approx 6 slices- I use the pre-cooked/microwavable kind)

Grocery:

• 64 oz Chicken Broth

• 42 oz Vegetable Broth

• 14 ½ oz Beef Broth

• Worcestershire Sauce

• KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing (3/4 cup)

• 15 oz Tomato Puree

• 15 oz Stewed Tomatoes

• 14 oz Diced Tomatoes

• 11 oz can White Corn

• (3) 15 oz cans Great Northern Beans (white beans)

• 4 oz diced green chilis (can)

• Brown Rice (not instant)

• Packet White Bean Chili Seasoning Mix

• Cajun Seasoning

• Salt & Pepper

• Canola Oil

• Olive Oil

• Flour

• Bay Leaves (3)

• Basil

• Sour Cream

• Garlic Powder

• Thyme

• Caraway

• Apple Cider or Juice

• Apple Cider Vinegar

• Freezer Bags

• The following ingredients you will need for later when you actually prepare the soup: Shredded Parmesan Cheese, Spinach or Kale, Green Onions

Of course, once you get everything home and you are ready to cook put it on the counter and admire what you are about to do!! =)

I label everything with name, date and instructions BEFORE I start:

• Chicken & Andouille Stew (4 bags): Thaw in Fridge or Sink- Warm & Serve over Rice, top with Green Onions

• White Bean Chicken Chili (3 bags): Thaw in Fridge or Sink- Warm & Garnish with Cilantro & Sour Cream

• Beans & Greens Soup(2 bags): Crockpot Low 5 Hrs/High 2.5 Hrs. Add 4 cups chopped spinach or kale just before serving. Sprinkle with Shredded Parmesan.

• Perfect Winter Beef Stew (3 bags): Thaw in Fridge or Sink- Warm & Serve

• Apple Chicken Stew (3 bags): Thaw in Fridge or Sink- Warm & Serve

Now it’s time to get started on the soups!

1. First, you want to assess your “pot” situation. You will need (2) LARGE pots for the Perfect Winter Beef Stew and the Chicken & Andouille Stew and (2) Crockpots for the Apple Chicken Stew and White Bean Chicken Chili. We will prep the Beans & Greens soup so that the ingredients are frozen together and then you put in crockpot to cook the day you will eat it. Get your pots/crockpots ready on the counter/stove. ( I label my pots so I know which soup is which for easy ingredient placement)

2. Next, I washed and prepped ALL the meat. For the Chicken; Wash and trim all breasts, leaving whole and set aside. Cut (3) Pieces of Chicken (approx 1.5 pounds) in half and rub with a mixture of 1 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper, set aside. For the Stew Beef; make sure it is cut into 1 inch chunks. Pour ¾ cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing over stew beef – coat evenly and set aside letting marinate 30 minutes. For the Bacon; cook approximately 6-8 slices and chop, set aside. For the Andoiulle Sausage: Slice and set aside.

3. Now we will prep all the vegetables. Chop (4) Onions and Halve & Slice (1) Onion, Slice 10 Carrots, Chop the Green Pepper & Red Pepper, Chop 4 Celery Ribs, Mince 6 Garlic Cloves, Peel & Cut 6 Potatoes into cubes/chunks. *I use my onion chopper to chop the onions, green pepper, red pepper and celery- it makes it easier!

4. In the “Chicken & Andouille Pot” heat 2 Tablespoons of canola oil and brown the (3) chicken breasts rubbed in Cajun seasoning (you can do this in batches if you need to). Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Add ½ cup canola oil to same pot and stir in ½ cup flour. Cook & stir on medium-low heat for 30 minutes or until browned (do not burn).

5. While oil/flour is cooking in “Chicken & Andouille Pot”, you can start on the “Perfect Winter Beef Stew Pot”. Warm (1) Tbsp oil over Medium-High heat and cook (1) chopped onion and 3 cups mushrooms for approximately 10 minutes or until tender. Remove beef stew meat from marinade(discard marinade) and add meat, approx 6 of the sliced carrots, 2 of the cubed potatoes, 14 ½ oz can stewed tomatoes, 14 ½ oz can beef broth and bacon to pot. Stir. Bring to a boil stirring occasionally and cover. Reduce to low heat and simmer 1 hour 15 min or until beef is cooked and sauce is thickened.

6. In the “Chicken & Andouille Pot” once flour/oil mixture is browned add 1 chopped onion, chopped red & green peppers and 2 ribs chopped celery. Cook & Stir approx 3-4 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add 4 cloves minced garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Gradually add 4 cups water, 2 cups chicken broth, 1 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning, ¼ tsp pepper and ½ tsp salt, 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce, 2 Bay Leaves, (3) Browned Chicken Breasts and Sliced Andouille Sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover & simmer for 1.5 hours or until chicken is tender. Once chicken is tender- shred and return to soup. Discard Bay Leaves.

7. While the above soups are simmering, assemble the crock pot soups:

White Bean Chicken Chili:

- Mix all of the below together in largest crockpot and cook on High 4 hours or Low 8 hours.

32 oz chicken broth

11 oz can white corn
2- 15 oz cans Great Northern Beans (white beans)
½ cup sour cream
1 chopped onion
1- 4oz can green chilis
1- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp pepper
1 packet White Bean Chili seasoning mix
3 Chicken Breasts (approx 1.5 pounds)
Shred Chicken once Chili is done.
Apple Chicken Stew Crock Pot:
In Crockpot Layer the following:

4 Sliced Carrots
2-4 potatoes (cubed)
1 Sliced Onion
2 Chopped Celery Ribs

Combine 1 ½ tsp salt, ¾ tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp pepper, ¼ tsp caraway seeds and sprinkle half over vegetables.

3-4 chicken breasts

1 large apple cubed

1 ¼ cups apple cider or juice

1 Tbsp cider vinegar

1 bayleaf

Remainder of salt/thyme/pepper/caraway mixture

Cook on High 4 hours or Low 8 Hours. Shred Chicken when done, remove bay leaf.

8. Now that all of the above are prepped we will make the Beans & Greens bags:

You should have (2) Bags Labeled Beans & Greens Soup.

DIVIDE the following ingredients between the 2 bags:

42 oz Vegetable Broth

15 oz tomato puree

15 oz Great Northern White Beans (drained and rinsed)

½ cup uncooked brown rice

1 chopped onion

1 tsp basil

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

2 garlic cloves minced

Squeeze excess air out of bags and place in freezer flat.

Once all of your soups/stews have simmered & cooked for the noted times let cool. (I put in fridge overnight before distributing amongst bags- easier to handle cold soup that HOT!)

Distribute soups/stews evenly amongst # of prepped bags.

I usually put them in the freezer stacked as flat as possible on top of each other for easy storing.

I typically take the soup out of the freezer and place in the sink in luke-warm water for about 15 minutes and then transfer from the bag to a pot and warm & serve.

ENJOY!!!

Slow Cooker Easy Pot Roast

2012-11-24T17:37:00.003-05:00

I have been "craving" a good ole' Pot Roast in the crock pot for a couple of weeks now so I finally decided to buy the ingredients and make one today! I have to admit that I have tried 10+ different pot roast recipes and no matter how many steps or what ingredients are called for, they always taste the exact same and leave me wanting for "more". When assembling the roast this morning, I didn't use a recipe- I just threw some things in the crock pot and let it cook and the hubs and my parents all gave the finished product their approval and said it was delicious! Of course... I had to share what I did because it was super simple! Enjoy!

Slow Cooker- Easy Pot Roast

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 1/2 Ib Beef Roast ( I used a Shoulder Cut)
4 Red Potatoes (or potato of choice) washed & cubed
2 Medium Sweet Onions, cut into wedges/chunks
2 Celery Ribs, chopped
6 Carrots, peeled & cut into chunks
1/2 Packet Italian Dressing Mix
1/2 bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
3/4 Cup Beef Broth
Salt & Pepper

Method:

Place Roast in a Ziploc bag or medium sized dish and cover with Zesty Italian Dressing on both sides- let marinate while prepping the rest of the recipe.
Prep all vegetables per above instructions and place in bottom of large crock pot.
Add beef broth, 1/2 cup zesty Italian dressing and 1/2 packet Italian dressing mix to crock pot over vegetables. Toss well to coat.
Place marinated beef roast on top of vegetables along with extra marinade.
Sprinkle lightly with salt & pepper.
Cook on Low for 7-8 hours or High 3-4 hours of until vegetables are tender and beef is cooked through.
Enjoy!

I NEED YOUR INPUT for Freezer Cooking #4!!

2012-10-08T09:17:00.004-04:00

I am prepping to do a Freezer Cooking #4: "SOUPS" this weekend in preparation for the cooler fall/winter months!

I would love to hear from my readers about the soups they would be interested in seeing on the recipe list this time around!

My plan is to do 4-5 different soups and doing a double batch of each which will come out to about 16-20 "soup" meals in the freezer!

Leave your comments with your soup suggestions!

xoxo
Melissa =)

The Test Kitchen of Emily Meier

2012-09-12T09:34:00.000-04:00

My little sis recently got married and moved to NYC!

She has been doing all the "wifely" things like cooking and laundry etc and I get daily text messages/phone calls from her asking questions which I love since I have almost 5 years under my belt and of course that makes me an expert (NOT!).

Some of the stories of her adventures in the Big City about grocery shopping and her cooking adventures are hilarious. After a long text message last night of her many mishaps over the course of the day I told her she needed to write a blog about it because it was very entertaining!

My sis has her own Test Kitchen of sorts because she tries all kinds of new recipes out on her hubs that he loves! Maybe we can convince her to do a guest blog post here because she has told me about a couple of recipes that sound amazing like a Garlic Shrimp Pasta and Cajun Chicken Pasta... Let's see if we can get her to share these recipes with us!!

Check out her blog post The Test Kitchen of Emily Meier to read about some of her fun adventures in cooking! Leave her a comment and maybe she will agree to do a guest blog post on here with one of her delicious recipes she has been making!

Freezer Cooking #3 - Sauce-a-Palooza!!

2012-09-09T20:12:00.002-04:00


My Freezer!

We are about a month and a half away from baby boys due date and I decided it was about time to stock up the freezer with some easy to "pull out & serve" meals! Some of my favorite fall recipes are my moms which include her Spaghetti Sauce, Beef Stroganoff and her Homemade Marinara. I decided to have an afternoon of cooking last weekend to prep all these sauces and I ended up with 19 "bags" of sauce!!

It is sooo easy to pull out a sauce and defrost it in the sink for 20 minutes and then transfer to a pot to warm while the noodles are cooking so I figured stocking up on these "comfort meals" would be perfect for once baby is here and for the cool fall/winter weather!

As I pointed out in my Freezer Cooking # 2 post, I prepare my “bags” to be for “2 servings.” Since there are only 2 of us eating…this helps with waste & portion control. If you will be serving more than 2 people with your freezer meals then you can cut the # of bags I tell you to prep for each sauce in half so that each bag has more sauce. ( i.e. – I will tell you to label 6 bags for “spaghetti sauce”, these bags will have enough for 2-3 servings each in them when the prepared sauce is divided equally between them, so if you would like your bags to have 4-6 servings, then divide the sauce evenly between 3 bags instead of 6.)

Also, I will be using my FoodSaver system to seal/store all of the sauces. For the sake of the instructions and so no one gets confused I will still refer to everything as “bags.” For this round of recipes you will need quart sized freezer bags if you follow my instructions how they are OR gallon sized bags if you are increasing serving sizes to (4).

Here is the menu for Freezer Cooking Round 3 “Sauce-A-Palooza”:

· Mom’s Spaghetti Sauce (6)

· Beef Stroganoff (6)

· Tomato Marinara Sauce (7)

Here is my grocery list: (don’t be alarmed! The list looks a bit long but most of the ingredients were already in my cabinet and are probably in yours! Everything in italics was already in my cabinet. Compare this list to your cabinets and cross out the items you won’t need to buy at the store. =) )
Fresh Produce:

· Sweet Onions (7 small) I bought a “bag” of sweet onions- it was less $

· Head of Garlic (1)

· Fresh Sliced Mushrooms (24 oz)

Meat:

· 2.5 pounds Ground Beef

· 4-5 Ibs Beef Sirloin Tips ( I buy steaks and cut them down into tips/strips - less expensive!)

Grocery:

· ¾ cup Butter (1.5 sticks)

· 4.5 cups Beef Broth

· Worcestershire Sauce

· Flour

· Sour Cream (This is added to the Beef Stroganoff LATER when you defrost it and are ready to eat so you may not want to buy this yet!)

· Yellow Mustard

· Tomato Paste ( 7)- 12 oz cans

· Crushed Tomatoes (4) – 28 oz cans

· 20 oz Chicken Broth

· 32 oz can Tomato Sauce

· Diced Tomatoes (2)-32 oz cans

· 1.5 cups milk

· ½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

· 6 Eggs

· 6 Slices White Bread

· White Sugar

· Oregano Leaves

· Bay Leaf (2)

· Salt & Pepper

· Garlic Salt

· Parsley Flakes

· Flour

· Dried Basil

· Vegetable Oil & Olive Oil

· Freezer Bags

Don't worry! I recycle!!

· *You may also want to go ahead and buy a couple of packages of spaghetti noodles & egg noodles to have on hand for when you thaw the sauces- I usually stock up when they are on sale & when I have coupons*

Of course, once you get everything home and you are ready to cook put it on the counter and admire what you are about to do!! =)

I label everything with name, date and instructions BEFORE I start:

· Mom’s Spaghetti (6 bags): Thaw in Fridge or Sink, Heat & Serve over Noodles

· Beef Stroganoff (6 bags): Thaw in Fridge or Sink, Heat, Add 8 oz Sour Cream before serving over Egg Noodles

· Tomato Marinara (7 bags): Thaw in Fridge or Sink, Heat & Serve over Chicken Parmesan, Noodles OR make Baked Ziti.

Now it’s time to get started on the sauces!

1. First, you want to assess your “pot” situation. You will need (3) LARGE pots to make these sauces. I only have (2) large pots so I actually ended up prepping the marinara in (1) large pot and then transferred it into my 3qt and 5qt crock pots to simmer while the spaghetti sauce & beef stroganoff occupied the pots on the stove. Get your pots/crockpots ready on the counter/stove.

2. Prep the meat for the Beef Stroganoff: Make sure the beef sirloin is cut into strips or tips and place in a large bowl. Coat evenly with ¾ cup flour, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Set aside.

3. In Marinara Pot warm 2 tbsp olive iil. In Beef Stroganoff Pot melt ¾ cup butter and in Spaghetti Pot warm 2 tbsp vegetable oil. **MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT LET ANY OF THESE BURN!* Keep on LOW HEAT until you are ready to add onion. (If you will be using crock pots like I did for the Marinara Sauce then hold off on Spaghetti instructions until Marinara is transferred to crock pots.)

4. Next, chop all 7 onions- I have an onion chopper I used for this which made things a little easier. You will want to distribute (3) of the chopped onions into the melted butter/Beef Stroganoff pot, (2) of the chopped onions into the Marinara pot and (2) of the chopped onions into the Spaghetti Pot. Also, at this time add the beef tips coated in flour to the Beef Stroganoff pot. Add (6)cloves garlic minced to the Marinara Pot. Sauté all onions until translucent. Sauté beef & onions in Beef Stroganoff pot until beef is cooked through.

5. Once Onions are done it is time to assemble the sauces:

a. Marinara Sauce Pot:

i. Add 4- 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes

ii. Add 20 oz chicken broth

iii. Add 32 oz tomato sauce

iv. Add 36 ounces tomato paste

v. Add 3 tbsp oregano

vi. Add 3 tbsp basil

vii. Add 2 tsp salt

viii. Add ½ tsp pepper

ix. Add ½ cup sugar (or more to taste)

x. Mix all together well and simmer for 1.5 hours OR transfer to crock pots at this time to simmer.

b. Beef Stroganoff Pot:

i. Add 4.5 cups beef broth

ii. Add 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

iii. Add 2 tbsp yellow mustard

iv. Add 6 oz tomato paste

v. Add 24 oz sliced mushrooms

vi. Mix all together well and simmer 1.5 hours

c. Spaghetti Pot:

i. Add 36 oz tomato paste

ii. Add 64 oz diced tomatoes

iii. Add 1 tbsp oregano leaves

iv. Add (2) bay leafs

v. Add ½ cup sugar (or more to taste)

vi. Add 2 cups water

vii. Mix all together well and simmer 1.5 hours *if it seems to thick, add more water*

6. While Sauces are simmering, you will need to prep the “meat” part of the spaghetti sauce. In a bowl mix the following ingredients together:

a. 2-2.5 pounds of ground beef

b. 1.5 cups milk

c. 1 tsp pepper

d. ½ cup parmesan cheese

e. 6 eggs (beaten with fork)

f. 6 slices white bread torn into tiny pieces

g. 1 tsp garlic salt

h. 2 tsp parsley flakes

Brown the above ingredients in a skillet well. Add to Spaghetti Sauce pot after sauce has simmered at least an hour- mix well and let simmer an additional 30 minutes.

Once all sauce has simmered for 1.5 hours- let cool before placing in bags.

Distribute sauces evenly amongst # of prepped bags.

I usually put them in the freezer stacked as flat as possible on top of each other for easy storing.

Here is how I typically serve my sauces:
Spaghetti Sauce: Typically I just serve this over plain ole’ spaghetti noodles with salad & garlic bread.
Beef Stroganoff: I serve this over egg noodles with some sort of bread.
Marinara Sauce: I use this for all sorts of things! You can make baked ziti with it, serve it plain over noodles, over frozen ravioli or manicotti and my favorite way to serve this is over chicken parmesan.

ENJOY!!!

Black Bean & Corn Salsa

2012-09-08T08:33:00.003-04:00

I LOVE anything I can dip tortilla chips into! Salsa, Bean Dip, Onion Dip, ANY DIP!! I wanted to make something new & refreshing for labor day weekend so I found a recipe this Black Bean Salsa recipe on Food Network that I adapted a bit! Thanks Paula Dean for a "healthy" recipe with no butter.. haha!
The salsa was a hit so I wanted to share...

Black Bean Salsa
approximately 12 servings

Ingredients:

(2) 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed & drained
(1) 17 oz bag of sweet white frozen corn
(3) large tomatoes, seeded and diced
(1) small onion diced
1/4 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped
Juice from 1 whole lime
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
salt & pepper

Method:

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl/container than can be covered. Cover and chill overnight. You can taste and add more lime juice, salt & pepper to your liking. ENJOY!

* I used my onion chopper for the onion & tomatoes and it helped make the prep process go faster!

Chicken with Broccoli

2012-09-08T08:15:00.003-04:00

I had a pack of chicken in the fridge and some broccoli that I needed to use so I decided to attempt a "Chinese Flair" dish-- Chicken & Broccoli! You are seeing it on the blog because the hubs LOVED it and asks for me to make it all the time... and I have to admit it was fairly easy! Most of the recipes I found for chicken & broccoli required a bunch of different pans etc but I tried to combine the essentials for "ease of dishes" at the end and it worked well!!

Chicken with Broccoli

I forgot to take a pic before I dug in so this one isn't so pretty!

approx. 3 servings

Ingredients:

to velvet chicken:

3/4- 1 Ib Chicken Breast
2 egg whites
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt

to cook broccoli:

2 broccoli crowns
1 Tbs Sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup water

sauce:

2 Tbsp oyster sauce
4 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp Water

other ingredients:

2 cloves garlic
1/2 Tbsp cornstarch + 1 Tbsp Water
Vegetable oil

Method:

Cut chicken into thin strips. Mix together egg whites, cornstarch & salt. Add chicken to mixture, making sure it is coated well. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. This is called "velveting the chicken."
Prep sauce & broccoli while chicken is velveting. For sauce combine oyster sauce, soy sauce and water in a small bowl- set aside. Chop garlic & set aside. Wash & drain broccoli- cut florets into 3-4 pieces or to a size of your liking. Also, cut some of the broccoli stalk diagonally and thin- set aside.
Preheat 2 Tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add garlic 10-20 seconds to saute and then add the velveted chicken. Make sure chicken pieces are separated- stir often.
In another skillet heat 2 Tbsp vegetable oil over medium heat. Add broccoli, salt and sugar. Stir fry broccoli for approx 1 minute and then add 1/2 cup water. Cover & cook 4 minutes. Drain broccoli and add to chicken mixture (when chicken is cooked through.) Stir fry briefly.
Mix cornstarch & water mixture into soy mixture and then dump over chicken & broccoli. Toss until thickened.
Serve over rice & ENJOY! =)

Mini Chocolate Mousse Cups

2012-08-21T07:42:00.001-04:00

I had a vision of mini chocolate mousse desserts in little cups with tiny silver spoons for a dessert at my Pampered Chef Party... I had the mini cups (from the dollar tree! Thanks Haleigh for the tip! (Check out her fabulous blog: Partleigh Put-Together ) and I had the mini spoons but I had no idea what to do about the mousse! Being 7 months pregnant, I cannot consume any raw egg (and really you never should) but most real mousse recipes call for egg whites. I decided to use chocolate pudding mix to make my egg-less mousse and it came out super yummy! This is definitely a fun dessert for a party and it made A TON!

Mini Chocolate Mousse Cups
makes approx 48 mini cups

Ingredients:

(1) 14oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk
(1) cup cold water
(1) 3.9oz package instant chocolate pudding mix
(1) cup whipping cream, whipped
1/2 Package Oreos, Crushed
Redi-Whip

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and water. Add pudding mix; beat well. Chill 5 minutes. While the pudding mixture was chilling I whipped the whipping cream until soft peaks formed. Fold whipped cream into pudding mixture. Spoon chocolate mousse mixture into mini cups. Crush 1/2 package of oreos and sprinkle crushed oreo on top of the chocolate mousse. You can put these in the fridge tightly covered the day before your party. When you are ready to serve, remove from fridge and top each mousse with RediWhip and put a tiny silver spoon it it! Serve on a large platter. Enjoy!

Mini Cups from Dollar Tree and Mini Silver Spoons from Party City

Pumpkin Bars!

2012-08-21T07:29:00.000-04:00

It has been an incredibly hot summer here on the east coast! I find myself longing for FALL to get here so I can enjoy cooler weather, jeans and of course "comfort food!" One thing that always makes it feel like Fall is anything pumpkin! I had a Pampered Chef party a week ago and decided to make a batch of pumpkin bars-- I think it was my form of a "Fall Dance" to bring on the cooler weather sooner! This was an easy make-ahead recipe and a party pleaser!!

Here is the recipe! Enjoy!

Pumpkin "Cheesecake" Bars

Ingredients:

(1) 16oz package yellow cake mix
3 eggs
2 Tbsp butter, melted
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, divided
(1) 8oz package cream cheese, softened
(1) 14oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk
(1) 15oz can pumpkin
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease bottom of 15 x 10 jellyroll pan. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, 1 egg, (melted) butter and 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice on low speed until crumbly. Press mixture onto bottom of jellyroll pan.
In large mixing bowl, beat (softened) cream cheese on low until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk, then remaining two eggs, pumpkin, remaining 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice and salt. Mix Well.
Pour over crust. (You can add 1 cup of chopped pecans or another kind of nut at this point-I did not). Bake 30-35 minutes or until set. Cool. Chill and cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

Zucchini Stuffed Chicken Roll-Ups

2012-07-20T11:41:00.002-04:00

I am always looking for great "freezer meals" and this one is definitely a keeper! It is really easy, healthy and has a great flavor! I pinned this on my pinterest board months ago after finding it on skinnytaste.com and finally decided to try it, adapting it a bit to what I had in the pantry!

Zucchini Stuffed Chicken Roll-Ups
4 Servings

Ingredients:

4 Cloves of Garlic-chopped
3/4 cup zucchini, shredded (I used the "larger" side of my cheese grater)
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
2 large chicken breasts sliced in half (to make 4 "thin" pieces of chicken)
3/4 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
4 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
non stick cooking spray

Method:

Preheat Oven to 450 & spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large skillet heat 1 tsp oil over medium-high heat. Once heated add chopped garlic. Saute until golden brown. Add zucchini, shredded Parmesan cheese, salt & pepper. Cook for about 4 minutes and then set aside to cool. Once cool, add mozzarella cheese and mix well.
Lay Chicken out on work surface and evenly distribute zucchini filling amongst them. (Make sure you will be able to roll chicken up without filling coming out). Roll each piece of chicken around zucchini mixture and set seam side down.
Mix Panko Breadcrumbs, Basil, Oregano and Garlic Powder in a shallow & wide bowl. In another bowl mix lemon juice, olive oil and pepper.
Dredge Stuffed Chicken through the lemon/olive oil mixture and then put in breadcrumb mixture coating all sides evenly. Place chicken in prepared baking dish, seam side down. Repeat with remaining chicken.
Lightly spray chicken with cooking spray and bake in oven for 30 minutes.

*For those freezer cookers out there (like me!) I tripled this recipe when I made it, to make (3) meals. Once you have coated the chicken with the breadcrumbs- place in freezer on a baking sheet for 1-2 hours so it gets semi-frozen. Place chicken in freezer bags or vacuum pack with your FoodSaver system. Don't forget to label the bags with the cooking directions: Spray with Cooking Spray, 450 degrees 30 minutes.
Remove from freezer the day before you plan on baking it so it thaws out. =)

I forgot to take a pic so go to the link above at skinnytaste to see what they are supposed to look like!

Enjoy!

Thai Flavor! "Pad See-Ew"

2012-06-12T19:27:00.001-04:00

We love going out for Thai food! What's better than the delicious & spicy flavors all mixed together AND a "doggy" bag that tastes even better for lunch the next day??

I had some pork & broccoli in the fridge that I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with... and then I decided to do something Thai!

This recipe is really easy to whip up and we both devoured it AND I had enough leftover for dinner the next night and my lunch for the next day!

Pad See-Ew!
Approx 4 Servings

Ingredients:

16oz box Flat Thai Rice Noodles
1 Egg
2 heads broccoli, chopped into florets
4 cloves garlic, minced
(3) Pork Chops sliced thinly into strips (you could also use Chicken or Beef if you wish! Pork Chops were what I had in the fridge that I needed to use!)
2 Tbsp oil, plus 1/4 Cup White Wine
MARINADE (for meat)

2 Tbsp. Oyster Sauce
4 Tbsp Soy Sauce (I used reduced sodium)
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

STIR-FRY SAUCE:

3/4 Cup Soy Sauce (I used reduced sodium)
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp white ground pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (if you don't like heat, don't add this!)

Method:

Stir together the meat marinade: oyster sauce, brown sugar & soy sauce. Dump marinade over thinly sliced meat and stir together well. Set aside & let marinate while you prep everything else. (I let mine marinate about an hour while I did yoga too!)
Prep Rice Noodles: (Read side of Rice Noodle Box) Place Rice Noodles in large bowl and fill bowl with HOT tap water. Let sit 25-30 minutes. Drain Noodles and set aside to use later.
Next, I prepped the stir fry sauce. (To save dishes I used the same bowl I had mixed up the meat marinade in) Soy, Brown Sugar, White Pepper and Cayenne. Set aside.
Make sure your broccoli is chopped and your garlic is minced and near stove for use.
Place a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tbsp oil. (if you have a wok this would be the pan of choice, but I don't have one!)
Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Add the meat (with marinade) to the pan and stir-fry approximately 3 minutes. If your pan becomes dry add the white wine.
Add the broccoli and continue stir-frying for approx 3 minutes.
Push all ingredients in pan to outside edges and crack the egg in the center of the pan. Scramble the egg. Once scrambled mix in with rest of pan ingredients.
Add noodles slowly and pour the stir fry sauce over them. Lift & turn the noodles to mix with all ingredients and the sauce. Make sure everything is coated well. Noodles should become softer. Mix & turn noodles about 2 two minutes.
Taste test noodles to make sure you like the taste. Add more soy until you like the taste.
I served our Pad See Ew with a sweet thai chili sauce on the side and a Siracha Chili Sauce on the side.
Enjoy!

Chicken Salad Recipe!

2012-05-31T06:51:00.000-04:00

I have been making Chicken Salad the same way for YEARS but decided to mix it up a little bit for our Memorial Day Beach trip with the Fallis/Brown clan! I was in the mood for something "refreshing" since we'd be at the beach so I decided to add grapes & celery to give it a nice taste.

Here is what ended up in the recipe:

Chicken Salad (my new way):

Ingredients

1 Pound Cooked Chicken Breast cut into cubes (I boiled my chicken in water on medium heat until done - about 25-30 min)
1 Cup Mayo (to make this a bit healthier you can use "lite")
1 Cup Chopped Celery (I chopped mine pretty small bc I don't like big celery chunks)
1 Cup halved Purple Grapes
Small Package Slivered Almonds ( I think mine was 2 oz or 4 oz) You can toast these if you'd like, I didn't
1 Tbsp finely Chopped Fresh Parsley
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)
1/2 Cup Whipping Cream (Whipped)

Instructions:

Combine Chicken, Mayo, Celery, Grapes, Almonds, Parsley, Salt & Pepper in Bowl. Mix Well.

Whip the whipping cream with a blender until peaks start to form. Fold Whipped Cream into Chicken Mixture and combine well.

Enjoy!

My Little Sister...

2012-05-24T18:36:00.001-04:00

Hi Everyone... Just wanted to share my little sis' blog with you.. Her & her hubs just moved to NYC 2 weeks ago and she has been blogging about it! Check her out and give her some helpful tips & advice if you live there! She is also a graphic designer so if you need any graphics done contact her!! (She designed my banner ad on my etsy store & logo: www.etsy.com/shop/hooray4sewing -she rocks!)

Here's the link:
States That Touch

I am making a new Chicken Salad Recipe tomorrow.. so if it turns out good I will share the recipe!!

~Melissa

Chicken Bites with Balsamic BBQ Sauce

2012-05-22T06:19:00.005-04:00

Here is yet another "freezer" cooking recipe that is delicious & easy! Husband loved it so it is obviously a "keeper!"

I have adapted it a bit from Mmm...Cafe 's recipe.

Chicken Bites with Balsamic BBQ Sauce
Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
3/4 Cup Ketchup
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Garlic Cloves Minced
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
Salt & Pepper to taste
(2) Large Chicken Breasts cut into Bite-Sized Pieces

In a small bowl stir together balsamic vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic cloves, worcestershire, dijon mustard, salt & pepper until smooth.

Place Chicken Pieces into a Ziploc or FoodSaver Bag. Pour sauce over Chicken and seal. Kneed bag so that chicken gets evenly coated with the sauce.

Chicken & Sauce Before Baking

At this point, you can pop your meal in the freezer for later enjoyment or go ahead and cook it! (If you freeze your meal, make sure you write on the bag the cooking instructions & what it is so you don't forget!)

Dinner is Served!

Line a baking pan with foil and fill with chicken & sauce. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until Chicken is cooked through. If you froze your meal: remove from freezer and thaw in fridge the night before you plan on making it.

Serve over brown or white rice.

*This recipe is EASY to double or triple... so go ahead and make a couple batches and freeze some meals for later!

*ALSO NOTE that the above ingredient list is only for (2) servings-- so if you are feeding more than (2) people increase the ingredients accordingly =)

Enjoy!

DELISH London Broil Marinade!

2012-05-20T07:08:00.000-04:00

Harris Teeter had London Broils on sale B1G1 this week for the first time in I can't remember how long so I went ahead and bought 2. One of them was 3 pounds so I cut it in half so we can eat it for 2 meals!! Anyways... I whipped up a quick marinade with all my favorite marinade ingredients and I have to say it turned out REALLY GOOD so I must share...

I did not measure anything(sorry!)... so I am just going to estimate about how much I used of each thing for you =)

London Broil Marinade
*enough for (1) 2-3 pound piece of meat

Ingredients

(4) Garlic Cloves chopped
1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
(3) Tablespoons Lemon Juice
2-3 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
(2) Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
(1.5) Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 Tsp Oregano
1 Tsp Thyme
1 Tsp Basil
Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Mix together all ingredients in small bowl. Pour over London Broil in ziploc bag or foodsaver bag. Marinate for at least 24 hours for best flavor.

You can either grill the meat (basting often with marinade) or you can Broil it in the oven-- I broiled mine on high WITH the marinade for 10 minutes on each side and it came out perfect.

*For those of you who love freezer cooking- go to the Teeter and buy a couple of London Broils and go ahead and marinate them and pop them in the freezer to pull out at a later time =) Just double or triple the above recipe depending on how many you are doing.

*This is also amazing to bring to work for lunch leftover on a salad the next day!

Enjoy!

Melissa =)

Stuffed Chicken In Puff Pastry Take 2

2012-05-18T07:10:00.000-04:00

I was trying to come up with something to cook for Mother's Day Dinner and decided to give Stuffed Chicken in Puff Pastry another try with a slight makeover. I made it a couple months ago and I devoured it but I am always looking for ways to add more flavor to a dish! When my mom asked me what I stuffed the Chicken with I told her "my whole kitchen" because I literally just went into the pantry and pulled some things out that sounded good to mix together! Here is the recipe:

Stuffed Chicken in Puff Pastry Take 2
6-10 Servings
Ingredients:

My Plate

6 Chicken Breasts (cleaned & trimmed)
(2) Boxes of Puff Pastry (You will need 3 whole sheets)
8 oz cream cheese (softened) *I used 1/3 less fat
3/4 cup sour cream *i used light
8 slices bacon cooked & crumbled
(1) Sweet Onion
(2) Tbsp Sugar
(3) green onions chopped
(1) box frozen spinach cooked (squeeze excess water out)
Garlic Salt
Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes
(1) Egg Beaten

Directions:

Before Baking

Make sure you take your puff pastry out of the freezer. The directions say to let sit on counter for 40 minutes before handling. This is the method I typically use, but if another method on the directions/box appeal to you then by all means... =)
Slice your sweet onion thinly and place in small skillet with a bit of butter or olive oil. Over medium heat cook onion until lightly browned, stirring constantly. Add (2) Tbsp Sugar and stir to caramelize onions. Set Aside.
Slice a "compartment" into your chicken. You can do this however you feel comfortable- I usually cut into the chicken at the top of the breast and "filet" it- leaving a nice pocket in the middle to put the stuffing.
In a medium bowl combine softened cream cheese & sour cream. Mix well until smooth. Add crumbled bacon, caramelized onions, chopped green onion, drained spinach, garlic salt (to your taste), pepper and red pepper flakes (to your taste). Mix all ingredients together well- this is your stuffing.
Now it's time to stuff the chicken. I find it easiest to use a small spoon to push the stuffing all the way into the chicken. Evenly divide stuffing amongst breasts.
Beat (1) Egg in small bowl and add (1/2)tbsp water- set near work surface, you will need this to seal your puff pastry.
By now your puff pastry should be ready to handle. The easiest way for me to handle the puff pastry is to lay a large sheet of plastic wrap covering my counter and covering the wrap with flour. I keep a small bowl of flour next to me so I can flour the surface repeatedly to prevent the puff pastry from sticking.
Roll out your puff pastry with a rolling pin-not to thin or it will be hard to hand when rolling the chicken. Cut your puff pastry diagonally (I used a pizza cutter) so that you have (2) triangle pieces. Flour puff pastry on both sides again to prevent sticking.
Place (1) piece of chicken in the middle of a puff pastry triangle. (I "fold" or "roll" chicken in half to make it easier to seal into the puff pastry). Fold puff pastry over chicken one side at a time and seal with egg wash. Make sure all edges are sealed and place on foil lined pan. (I also coat foil with cooking spray).
Repeat until all chicken is in puff pastry. Brush the top of each puff pastry pouch with egg wash.
Bake 40 minutes at 400 degrees or until chicken is done. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
These are so big & filling we actually cut each one in half and each person at 1/2 of one-- so this meal makes A LOT. See below on how to "freezer cook" this.
Enjoy!

*FREEZER COOKERS**

You can freeze as many of the "pouches" as you want. Since they are so large- I froze (2) of the pouches, but separately because Andrew & I can share one for a meal. Follow instructions through step #10 and then place the # of pouches you want to freeze on an parchment lined pan that will fit in your freezer. Place in freezer 45 minutes. Remove from freezer and vacuum pack or place in zip loc bags. Don't forget to label your bag/packaging with steps 11 & 12 so you know how to cook it once you defrost. I would remove the chicken in puff pastry the night before you plan on serving it and place it in the refrigerator to defrost a big before baking.

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

2012-05-08T11:01:00.001-04:00

I was trying to come up with some new "lighter" dinner options and I stumbled across this Asian Chicken Lettuce Wrap recipe from skinnytaste.com. Andrew loves the lettuce wraps from pei wei & PF Changs so I decided to give this recipe a try! I altered it a bit from skinnytaste.com so here is my rendition:

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

2 Servings (for dinner)

Ingredients:

2 Large Boneless Chicken Breasts
1/2 cup water chestnuts
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce (I used Reduced Sodium)
1 tsp Oyster Sauce
2 tsp Sesame Oil
2 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
2 Tbsp Sugar
1/2 Tbsp White Ground Pepper
(3) Cloves Garlic Finely Chopped
8 Iceberg Lettuce Leaves
2 Tbsp Diced Scallions

First, I combined the Soy Sauce, Oyster Sauce, 1 tsp of sesame oil (save the rest for later), Rice Wine Vinegar, Sugar and Ground White Pepper in a small bowl.

Next, wash & trim your chicken. I cut each breast into 6 smaller pieces. Place chicken AND Water Chestnuts in food processor and process until ground. Place chicken/water chestnuts & sauce mixture in bag and marinate at least 15 minutes. (I prepped my chicken/sauce the night before and marinated overnight- the flavor was great!)

Heat remaining 1 tsp sesame oil in wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until golden brown. (stirring constantly- it burns fast!) Add the marinated chicken mixture and cook until browned/cooked through.

Spoon Chicken Mixture into lettuce pieces and top with scallions and your choice of sauce. Here is what I used for sauce: (all found in the oriental section at HT)

Harris Teeter Sweet Chili Sauce
Harris Teeter Sriracha Sauce
Hoisin Sauce

I mixed together all of the above sauces and put it on my wraps! The hubs liked the sweet chili sauce on his. On skinnytaste.com they recommend mixing hoisin, sriracha and water to get a yummy sauce. Mix what you like for your lettuce wraps! =)

We devoured almost ALL of the recipe! I had a little bit left to take to work for lunch the next day to make (2) small wraps. I would definitely recommend doubling or tripling this recipe if you have more than (2) people eating it for dinner!

Enjoy!

Melissa

Mom's Spaghetti Recipe!

2012-05-07T10:08:00.000-04:00

Sorry it has been a while since I posted a recipe! Honestly, the past 3 months have been super busy not to mention we found out we are having our first child! =) Throughout the first trimester, the LAST thing I have felt like doing is COOK, let alone blog about cooking so I do apologize for the "lull."

My Plate =)

Throughout my first trimester I did not have any specific food cravings, it was more like food aversions. Absolutely NOTHING sounded good to me, especially all of my previously vacuum-packed freezer meals that I had in the freezer! We lived on take-out and anything my husband could put on the grill. I wanted nothing to do with food planning! The more I thought about a certain food, the more I didn't want it! It was the craziest thing EVER! One thing that I did start craving near the end of first trimester was my Mom's Spaghetti Recipe!! It was the first thing that I actually WANTED and we cooked it together one weekend and it was SO GOOD! I just made it again last night and I decided I needed to share this good home-cooking recipe with you!

For those of you who like to "freezer" cook like me, this recipe makes enough to serve about 6 people. Since it is just the two of us I usually end up freezing 1/2 of it when I make a batch. If you double it, you can freeze 3-4 meals for later! The sauce freezes very well, and defrosts super quick!

Mom says that her mom got this recipe from somewhere in Italy.... it is delicious! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Mom's Spaghetti

Serves 6

Sauce Ingredients:

(1) Large Sweet Onion Chopped
Large Can Diced Tomatoes (28oz)
Large Can Tomato Paste (10-12oz)
Small Can Tomato Paste (6oz)
1 Tbsp Oregano
1 Bay Leaf
1/4 Cup Sugar ** Mom & I put LOTS of Sugar in our sauce-- add to your taste!*
1 Cup Water

Sauce

Saute chopped onion in bottom of large saucepan with a bit of olive oil until golden brown. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and combine well. Let simmer on low heat 1-1.5 hours.

"Meat" Ingredients:

Meat Mixture

1 Pound Lean Ground Beef
2/3 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
3 eggs beaten
4 Slices Bread (I tear apart into 1 inch cubes)
1 tsp garlic salt
1 Tbsp Parsley

In a large bowl combine the above ingredients. Mush & Mix until well combined. Brown mixture in a skillet over Medium Heat until browned and cooked through. (My dad likes a little bowl of the meat mixture to eat after it is browned... it is SO GOOD... so reserve a little bit to taste before adding it to the sauce!)

Add Meat Mixture to Sauce (after it has simmered 1-1.5 hours). Mix well and let simmer 15 minutes. Serve with your choice of spaghetti noodles, salad & bread!

Enjoy!

Husband's Plate =)

Healthy"ish" Eggplant Parmesan Bake

2012-03-02T08:56:00.001-05:00

Some of our friends Amy & Josh just welcomed a baby girl into the world! I wanted to bring dinner over to them and Amy is a vegetarian so I new I wanted to make something that she would enjoy. =) What better than Italian food? I have made Eggplant Parmesan before.. but you had to fry the eggplant and it was a bit of a greasy mess so I tried a different method this time... I BAKED the eggplant.
Hope you enjoy!

Healthy"ish" Eggplant Parmesan Bake

Ingredients:

2 Large Eggs
1 Cup Dry, Plain Breadcrumbs
1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
salt & pepper
3 Ibs Eggplant (approx 2-3 eggplants) peeled and cut into 1/2 inch rounds
72 ounces Tomato Sauce. (you can use your favorite store bought OR make your favorite marinara)
1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella

Instructions:

Preheat Oven to 375.
In a shallow bowl whisk together eggs and 2tbs water.
In another shallow bowl mix together breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, oregano, basil, salt and pepper.
Dip Eggplant Pieces in egg-wash coating evenly- let excess egg drip off. Dredge through breadcrumbs and coat evenly on all sides. Place Eggplant on baking sheets.
Bake 20 Minutes or until golden brown. Turn and bake an additional 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove From Oven.
Cover bottom of (1) 9 x 13 pan or (2) 8 x 8 pans with sauce.(approx 2 cups).
Arrange Eggplant in dish in a layer overlapping slightly. Top with 1/2 cup mozzarella. Top with Sauce. Repeat Layers until no more eggplant/sauce left. You should end with a layer of sauce. Sprinkle top with Mozzarella and a little Parmesan.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

* if you chose to assemble this in (2) 8 x 8 pans you can freeze one of them for later!

Enjoy!

Melissa

Sweet Bean Salsa!!

2012-02-21T13:44:00.003-05:00

My fabulous mother-in-law Pam brought this Sweet Bean Salsa to share at a Wine & Design night I had back in October. She had gotten the recipe from my sis-in-law Katherine (everyone check out her photography website! She rocks: Furnished Photography ) who had gotten it from someone else so this recipe has been passed on many times and is refreshing and YUMMY!

Since they shared it with me in October, I have made it for 4-5 different events I have attended and everyone always RAVES about it and begs for the recipe... I have promised many people I would post it on the blog and here it is FINALLY!!

Sweet Bean Salsa

2-3 Stalks Celery Chopped
(1) Small-Medium Green Pepper Chopped
(1) Small-Medium Sweet Onion Chopped
(1) Can White Corn, drained
(1) Can Pinto Beans, rinsed & drained
(1) Can Black Eyed Peas, Rinsed & Drained
(1) Can Black Beans, Rinsed & Drained
(1) Small Jar Pimientos, drained

Combine all of the above in a large bowl.

Sauce

3/4 cup white vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp water
1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Boil the above sauce ingredients, stirring occasionally until mixture is clear. Let cool. Pour over vegetables and toss. Refrigerate overnight. Before serving, drain excess liquid from the bowl.

Best served with "Scoops" Tostitos so the beans don't roll off your chip! =)

Enjoy,

Melissa

Freezer Cooking #2

2012-02-20T09:31:00.000-05:00

Foodsaver V3460 Smartseal Vacuum Sealing Machine (Google Affiliate Ad)

My Freezer

CHECK OUT FREEZER COOKING #3 "Sauce-A-Palooza!"

Since my last “Freezer Cooking” post I have learned a few things:

1. All vegetables taste the same in the crock-pot.

2. I am NOT a fan of potatoes in the crock-pot, no matter what the sauce!

3. It ROCKS having 10+ meals in the freezer at all times-it makes life so much simpler!

4. I will never post the “procedure” again without having the actual result first. A couple of the meals in the First Freezer Cooking post turned out to be incredibly BLAND once I cooked them which was AFTER I had posted the method. I like my food with a lot of flavor—and some of the recipes were lacking pizzazz!

5. I got a FoodSaver as a gift, and I am not sure how I ever lived without it! Everyone should get a FoodSaver… NOW!

6. My freezer always looks like a work of art. =)

For Round 2 of Freezer Cooking most of the recipes DO NOT contain vegetables or potatoes. I have decided that I prefer to cook a quick vegetable and starch to go with the freezer meal instead of cooking them all together. By all means, if you prefer to throw your veggies in the crock-pot, you can add almost anything to these recipes and it will be good, carrots, onions, peppers etc… Just my own personal preference to leave vegetables OUT of the crock-pot this go-around. I also included some recipes that are not “crock-pot” recipes but are easy to bake in the oven when you get home from work.

I will also point out that I have adapted all the recipes/bags to be for “2 servings” (except for the Chicken Pot Pie) Since there are only 2 of us eating…this helps with waste & portion control. If you will be serving more than 2 people with your freezer meals then adapt the quantities for 4. (For Example: My instructions for the Sesame Chicken: you will need to have (2) bags and put (2) chicken breasts in each bag & divide the given sauce recipe evenly between the two bags. If you are freezer cooking for (4) people, you will want to DOUBLE the Sauce Recipe and you will want to place (4) Chicken Breasts in each bag) If you decide to make each bag (4) servings you will need to increase the amount of meat you buy and increase the sauce recipes accordingly.

Also, I will be using my FoodSaver system to seal/store all of the meals. For the sake of the instructions and so no one gets confused I will still refer to everything as “bags.” For this round of recipes you will need Quart sized freezer bags if you follow my instructions how they are OR Gallon sized bags if you are increasing serving sizes to (4). You will also need (3) foil round pie pans.

Here is the menu for Freezer Cooking Round 2:

· Chicken Pot Pie (3) *this is 4-6 servings PER PIE (Thanks Amanda Hughes!)

· ShreddedPork BBQ (3)

· Chicken with Honey Sauce (2)

· Oh So Easy Pork Chops (2)

· Sesame Chicken (2)

· Marinated & Baked Pork Chops (4)

· Marinated Steak (2)

· Twice Baked Potatoes (approx 24)

Fresh Produce:

· Sweet Onions (3)

· Package of Celery (6 stalks)

· Package of Carrots (6 stalks)

· 1 Garlic Pod

· 5 Ib bag Russet Potatoes (I usually try to get a bag with larger potatoes)

Meat:

· 3-4 Ib Boston Butt

· 16 Chicken Breasts (I usually buy the HT Value Packs)

· 16 Pork Chops (You can get Bone-In or Boneless)

· (4) Grilling Steaks – your choice

Grocery:

· Worcestershire Sauce

· Ketchup

· Honey

· Tabasco Sauce/Texas Pete

· White Vinegar

· Dijon Mustard

· Fruit Preserves (Strawberry, Raspberry, Orange, Apricot)

· (3) 14 oz cans Green Peas

· (3) 10 oz cans Cream of Chicken

· 42 oz Chicken Broth

· Soy Sauce

· Teriyaki Sauce

· Vegetable Oil

· Olive Oil

· Brown Sugar

· White Sugar

· Garlic Powder

· Ground Ginger

· Sesame Seeds

· Lemon Juice

· Dried Basil

· Dried Parsley

· Ground White Pepper

· Salt & Pepper

· Red Pepper Flakes

· Sour Cream

· Butter

· Shredded Cheese (Cheddar or White Cheddar)

· (3) Boxes Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts (near cookie dough/crescent rolls)

· Quart Freezer Bags

· (3) Foil Round Pie Pans

Of course, once you get everyone home and you are ready to cook put it on the counter and admire what you are about to do!! =)

I label everything with name, date and instructions BEFORE I start:

· Chicken Pot Pie (3): 350 Degrees, 45 Minutes *you won’t be able to label this until you assemble it and write on the plastic wrap.

· Shredded Pork BBQ (3 bags): Thaw in fridge or Microwave, Heat & Serve

· Chicken with Honey Sauce (2 bags): Low 6-8Hrs/High 3-4 Hrs Serve over Rice

· Oh So Easy Pork Chops (2 bags): Low 6-8Hrs/High 3-4 Hrs

· Sesame Chicken (2 bags): Low 6-8Hrs/High 3-4 Hrs Serve over Rice

· Marinated & Baked Pork Chops (4 bags): Thaw in Fridge Overnight. 350 degrees 30min/flip/15min

· Marinated Steak (2 bags): Grill (time depends on cut of steak)

· Twice Baked Potatoes (approx 12 bags): From Frozen State: 400 degrees 25 minutes # of bags will depend on # of potatoes in your 5Ib bag

First, we are going to get the BBQ Going.

*its takes about 10-12 hours for your Boston Butt to cook so depending on what time you start it, make sure it will “end” at a time you will be home so you can finish the recipe… If you start your freezer cooking at 9am- then your Boston butt will be ready around 7pm so be prepared to finish it =)

· Trim your Boston Butt and cut away any excess fat (you want to leave a little bit of fat though because this is what makes it so tender while slow cooking!)

· Place Boston Butt in crock-pot (on occasion I have to cut it in half to fit)

· Mix together (2)Tbsp Sugar, (1)Tbsp Salt and (1) Cup White Vinegar. Pour mixture over Boston Butt.

· Cook on Low Heat 10-12 hours.

· Once it is done, remove meat from crock-pot and shred with two forks removing any excess fat. Place Meat in large bowl/container.

· Mix together ½ Cup Ketchup, 1Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce, Texas Pete and 8 Tbsp Broth from Crock-pot. (I also sprinkle some red pepper flakes in if I feel like it). Dump sauce over shredded pork and mix well.

· Divide Pork Evenly Among (3) Quart Sized Freezer Bags. Make sure they are labeled “BBQ Pork, Today’s Date and Thaw & Heat”.

· The pork is easy to remove from the freezer and thaw on demand in the microwave. Serve on a bun with Chik Fil A Slaw recipe.

Second, we are going to simultaneously tackle the Chicken Pot Pies & Twice Baked Potatoes:

· Preheat Oven to 400 degrees

· Wash & Trim ALL the Chicken Breasts. Put (6) Breasts in a pot of water on the stove and cook on med-medhigh heat for about 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Put all other uncooked chicken in the fridge until later.

· While the Chicken is cooking…Wash ALL potatoes out of 5IB bag. Set aside (3) of the smallest ones to use later. Place the rest of the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake 30 minutes. Remove Potatoes and stab each a couple times with a fork- place back in oven for additional 30 minutes.

· Next, chop vegetables for chicken pot pie: (3) Onions, (6) Carrots, (6) Celery Stalks and (3) Small Potatoes. Put aside 1/8 cup chopped onion for another recipe. Melt (4) tablespoons butter in large sauce pot and add all chopped vegetables EXCEPT potatoes.

Chicken Pot Pie all wrapped up

· While the veggies are sautéing, shred the cooked chicken breast with two forks and set aside. Add Chicken Broth (42oz) & diced Potato to pot with sautéed veggies after about 5 minutes and let simmer over med-med high heat until reduced by half.

· Remove pre-made pie crust from fridge. It will need to sit for (10) minutes before placing in round foil pans.

· At this point your baked potatoes should be ready to come out of the oven—set aside to cool.

· After the Chicken Broth has reduced by half with the veggies- stir in shredded chicken, 3 cans peas and 3 cans cream of chicken.

· Line each of the (3) foil round pans with a pie crust. Evenly distribute chicken/veg mixture into each pie pan. Top each with remaining pie crust. Pinch sides of each together using your fingers or a fork. Cut 2-3 vents in the top using a sharp knife. WRAP WELL with plastic wrap. Using a permanent market- write on each one “Chicken Pot Pie, the date and 350 degrees 45 minutes” *or until golden and bubbly. Place in Freezer.

· Twice Baked Potatoes:

o Using an oven mitt or towel, hold the potatoes in your hand and one at a time cut them lengthwise in half. Scoop “potato” out of the center and put into a large mixing bowl. You should leave enough potato around the edge so it keeps it shape and looks like a canoe.

Potatoes on a Cookie Sheet Freezing

o Once all of the potatoes have been halved and “scooped”, add Butter (approx ½ stick or heaping scoop of spreadable), shredded cheese (2 handfuls) and 2-3 heaping scoops of sour cream into the large mixing bowl with the potato insides. I also usually add some salt, pepper and if I’m feeling risqué a little garlic or onion powder! Using a hand mixer, mix the ingredients well. Taste the filling to see if you like it. Add more ingredients if you think it needs more..

o Once the filling meets your approval re-scoop it into the potato shells. I find it easiest to line the potatoes up on a cookie sheet that will fit in my freezer as I am re-filling them.

Potatoes Portioned

o Once all of the potatoes are re-filled, pop the cookie sheet into the freezer for 1.5-2 hours or until the potatoes are hardened.

o Now, portion out your potatoes in freezer bags. I usually only put “2” per bag since there is only 2 of us eating in the house… but you may want to put “4” depending on your family size. On each bag write “Twice Baked Potatoes, today’s date and 400 degrees 20-25 minutes”

VOILA! The hardest part is over I PROMISE!!

Next, we will assemble the rest of the meals.

The easiest way to do this is to get (4) Bowls in a row to mix up the sauces that will go in each bag/on each meat. I placed my freezer bags that were pre-labeled behind each bowl so I wouldn’t get confused which sauce was which.

Bowl #1 Chicken with Honey Sauce

· 1 cup honey

· 1/2 cup soy sauce

· 1/8 cup chopped onion (that you set aside earlier)

· 1/4 cup ketchup

· 2 Tbs. vegetable oil

· 3 cloves garlic, minced

· 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes *if you don’t like heat, don’t add these

Bowl #2 Oh So Easy Pork Chop Sauce

· 1 1/2 cup fruit preserves of your choice

· 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce

2 tsp dried ginger

· ¼ cup Dijon mustard (I have also used honey Dijon when I was out of Dijon)

Bowl #3 Marinated & Baked Pork Chop Sauce

· ¼ cup Soy Sauce

· ¼ cup Vegetable Oil

· ¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce

· 4 tsp lemon juice

· ½ cup Brown Sugar

· ½ cup Ketchup

Bowl #4 Sesame Chicken Sauce

· 1 cup soy sauce

· 2/3 cup brown sugar

· 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

· 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

· 2 Tbsp. ketchup

· 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds (you can toast if you want.. I am lazy so I don’t)

Now that all your sauces are prepped, take your meat out of the fridge and distribute into freezer bags with sauces as noted below:

Chicken with Honey Sauce:

(2) Quart Bags w/2 Servings Each

Place (2) Whole Chicken Breasts in Each Bag and cover evenly with matching sauce.

Toss & Knead Bag so Chicken gets covered evenly in sauce.

Flatten Bag & Freeze.

Sesame Chicken:

(2) Quart Bags w/2 Servings Each

Place (2) Whole Chicken Breasts in Each Bag and cover evenly with matching sauce.

Toss & Knead Bag so Chicken gets covered evenly in sauce.

Flatten Bag & Freeze.

Oh So Easy Pork Chops:

(2) Bags with 2 Servings each

Place (3) Pork Chops in Each Bag and cover evenly with matching sauce.

Toss & Knead Bag so Pork Chops get covered evenly.

Flatten Bag & Freeze.

Marinated & Baked Pork Chops:

(4) Bags with 2 Servings Each

Place (2) Pork Chops in 2 bags and (3) Pork Chops in 2 Bags.

Cover evenly with matching Sauce

Toss & Knead Bag so Pork Chops get Covered Evenly.

Flatten Bag & Freeze

LAST ONE:

Steak Marinade:

In a blender (I used my Magic Bullet) combine the following:

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons dried basil
1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon texas pete or tabasco
1 teaspoon minced garlic

(2) Bags/2 servings in each

Put (2) Steaks in Each Bag

Cover evenly with marinade.

Toss & Knead Bags to coat Steak with Marinade.

Flatten & Freeze

*Grill (time depends on cut of steak you marinated)

Make sure when you place all of your meals in the freezer you “flatten” them so the stack well!

And VOILA! You are DONE! You just made 18 meals and a bunch of twice baked potatoes!!! Congratulations!

We typically have rice or a twice baked potato with every meal for the starch.

Since most of these meals did not include a Vegetable... here are some of my Easy "Go-To" Vegetable Recipe Links to make with your meals... I am a huge fan of "Steamfresh" vegetables too.. SHHhhh don't tell anyone!

Green Beans with Caramelized Onions

Roasted Cauliflower

Roasted Carrots

Let me know what you think of freezer cooking #2!

Enjoy,

Melissa =)

CHECK OUT FREEZER COOKING #3 "Sauce-A-Palooza!"

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies- Perfect Valentine's Day Dessert!

2012-02-12T10:10:00.001-05:00

Looking for a decadent dessert to make for your huny on Valentine's Day? Look no further! This dessert is easy and delicious! I found the recipe on pinterest (of course) from Sweet Peas Kitchen .

I left the page up on my computer because I was trying to decide what dessert to make and the hubs saw the photo and said MAKE THAT!

Here is my version, I tweaked the recipe just a tad bit from Sweet Peas Kitchen because I LOVE chocolate and wanted them a bit more chocolatey.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Brownie Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (I used salted-that's all I had)
1/2 bag of dark chocolate morsels (about 5 oz)
1 cup Sugar
2 large eggs
1tsp vanilla
2 tsp red food coloring
2/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt

Cheesecake Ingredients:

8 oz Cream Cheese Softened
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar

Preheat Oven to 350. Prepare an 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper-greased.

Brownie Prep: Melt Butter & Dark Chocolate in Small Bowl in Microwave. Stir until smooth and set aside.

In a Medium sized Bowl, whisk together Sugar, Eggs, Vanilla and Red Food Coloring. Add Chocolate Mixture- stir until smooth. Add Flour & Salt and stir until smooth. Put Brownie Mixture in prepared 8 x 8 pan.

Cheesecake Prep: Beat cream cheese, vanilla, egg and sugar until smooth. Put spoonfuls of mixture over brownie batter. Use a knife- swirl the cheesecake mixture into the brownie mixture.

Bake in oven 35-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool and then lift parchment out and cut them into squares.

Make sure you keep them refrigerated!

Crock-pot Chicken Noodle Soup (for a freezing cold day!)

2012-02-12T09:46:00.004-05:00

Last night the wind sounded like it was literally going to break a window! It was sooo windy, and when we woke up this morning it was 23 degrees out! Nothing "warms" you up like Chicken Noodle Soup and luckily, I had ALL the ingredients in my fridge! I still had some carrots & celery leftover from our Super Bowl Party and I had some chicken breast in the freezer from when HT had them B1G2..

If you woke up to freezing temperatures and have the ingredients in your fridge, throw them all in your crock-pot so you have a delicious WARM soup to eat later after enduring the frigid cold all day!

Crock-Pot Chicken Noodle Soup (My Way)
*I don't measure anything.. so I tried to put approximates!*

Ingredients:

Chicken-uncooked (whatever you have- I had 3 breasts in the freezer I am using)
4 Stalks of Celery chopped
4 Carrots peeled & chopped
1 Sweet Onion Chopped
Parsley (approx 1/4 cup)
Basil (approx 1 tsp)
Seasoned Salt (approx 1tsp)
Salt (approx 1 tsp depending on how salty you like it)
Pepper (approx 1/4 tsp)
1 Bay Leaf
4 Cups Water
4 Cups Chicken Broth (I use reduced sodium)
1/2 bag of Egg Noodles

Throw all of the above in your 4-5qt crockpot and cook on Low 8hrs. Shred Chicken and if you used bone-in chicken, remove any bones. Add noodles and cook another hour on Low. Enjoy!

*If you don't have egg noodles you can also use Rice and make it Chicken & Rice Soup! Depending on the type of rice... you may only have to cook it 30 additional minutes.

*Note: I threw my Chicken Breast in the crock-pot Frozen-- it will cook just fine from that state =)

Sweet & Spicy Pork Tenderloin!

2012-02-07T16:29:00.005-05:00

My husband rarely ever "suggests" recipes for the Test Kitchen... but last week he sent me the link to a Pork Tenderloin Recipe from "In The Kitchen With Ken". You can get the full recipe here: Sweet & Spicy Pork Tenderloin

I stocked up on B1G1 Pork Tenderloin at Harris Teeter last week so it was PERFECT timing on my hubby's part to request a meal that I only needed to head to the store to get ONE ingredient for (Apples!).

I was not too sure about the mix of spices I was dumping in my bowl: cumin, ginger, thyme, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, onion powder, paprika AND cocoa powder.... but since the hubs requested it, I followed the recipe to a "T" instead of "doctoring it up" like I typically like to do. It is rare I make a recipe that lacks balsamic vinegar and sugar but this was worth a try!

After I finished mixing up the spices for the "rub" I realized that at the bottom of the ingredient list it said 1 cup honey.... HMmmm Honey? What am I supposed to do with that? The recipe said that it was a "rub" for pork which typically would have been a dry rub with the spices... and the only other instructions were to cut up (5) apples into wedges to place around the pork in the 9 x 13 pan... So the only place the honey made sense to me was to add it to the spices and make it a goo-ey rub!

The "goo-ey" rub didn't want to go on the tenderloin very easy so I did the best I could coating the apples & pork with the spice/honey mixture.

I then popped it in the oven un-covered for 2.5 hours @ 275 degrees.

Result: This was a SUPER EASY & Quick Recipe to assemble and the end result was DELICIOUS! The Pork was so tender and although I was a bit skeptical about the spices in the rub, the taste was phenomenal! This recipe will definitely be a keeper!

I think next time I make this recipe I will adapt it to my "freezer cooking" since it made (2) whole tenderloins- it is enough for (3) meals for my husband and I! We are having it for dinner again tonight because there is a whole tenderloin left!

To do this I will: Split the recipe between (2) food-saver bags; One "rubbed" tenderloin in each and split the (5) sliced gala apples between the (2) bags. I will then vacuum pack them to seal them up and pop them in the freezer to eat later! When I am ready to make them, I will take out of the freezer about 36 hours in advance to allow plenty of thaw-time and then pour into a pan and bake as normal.

I served mine with Lima Beans (yuck! anyone have a recipe for these they are willing to share??) and Twice Baked Potatoes.

Thanks Ken for the amazing recipe!