Hearty Tomato Basil Soup

Tweet

I absolutely LOVE tomato soup! I'm not even talking about gourmet versions or anything, straight up Campbells Tomato Soup!! Well, I've been making soups on the weekend that I can take in to work and have a cup of with my salads. I made this one last weekend and it is SO DELICIOUS!! It's really ridiculous how good this soup is!! Here's the recipe!

Hearty Tomato Basil Soup
10 min. prep, 50 minute cook time                10 Bowls, more cups           About $10

Ingredients:
6 tbls. butter
1 yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
3-5 cloves garlic, minced (You decide, I used 5!!)
36 oz. tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 tbls. fresh basil, chopped
1 tbls. fresh oregano, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups milk or heavy whipping cream (I use milk)

In a large stock pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook until very tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, chicken broth, basil and oregano. Bring to boil and then turn down.

Here is where it could get complicated. Do you have an immersion blender? If so you'll want to use it here. If you just have a blender that's fine, this just could get messy. You need to blend all the ingredients so that no chunks remain. Everything should be one consistency.

Once everything is blended, add in the can of tomatoes and the milk. Simmer another 10 minutes and serve.

Bloody Mary Meatloaf

Tweet

Matt isn't a fan of Meatloaf. Or so he says. Last night this was requested by him, so I'm thinking I may have converted him!! I personally love it! This is a good recipe for sure. Tasty and comforting.

Bloody Mary Meat Loaf
10 minutes prep, 1 hour cook time              Serves 6                            Under $10

Ingredients
Meatloaf:
1+ lbs. of ground beef 93% fat free (or turkey if you prefer)
1 egg
1 cup bread crumbs (I use the Italian kind)
2 tbls. ketchup
1 tbls. worcestershire sauce
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1-2 tsp. prepared horseradish
salt and pepper

Sauce to top:
4 tbls. ketchup
1 tbls. lemon juice
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. horseradish
1 tsp. tabasco sauce
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the Meatloaf:
Combine all of the ingredients for the meatloaf. Make sure that it is well mixed. Put in loaf pan and form loaf.

Combine all of the ingredients for the sauce. Should be a loose consistency but not too loose. If too thick add a tad more lemon juice, if too loose add more ketchup. Pour over the top of the meatloaf and spread out evenly.

Place in oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

California Collard Greens

Tweet

I am always looking for different things to cook. My husband loves my Fried Chicken and I was looking for something Southern to go with it that wasn't 5,000 calories per bite. I decided I would try to make Collard Greens. I know this recipe will be scoffed at by anyone from the South because they aren't cooked all day and it's not a real Southern Recipe. But what can I say, I'm a Cali Girl born and raised so I do what I can to expand my horizons. Everyone that has eaten these has loved them, even Matt, and I have heard horror stories about real collard greens and how they smell horrid when cooking. This recipe starts with bacon and onions and the whole house smells delicious not gross so I figure I'm on to something here!!

California Collard Greens
1 Hour or more                         8 Servings

6 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken stock
4 bundles collard greens (that's how they come at my grocery store)
Salt and pepper to season

First off, you need to wash your collard greens very well. They will have some soil left over. Once they are cleaned to your satisfaction, your going to layer them on top of each other on your cutting board. Try to roll them length wise the best you can and cut into one inch pieces. You're going to want to cut off the ends like you would a head of romaine lettuce. You don't want the stems.

Take the chunks of bacon and cook them in a larger pot that has a lid.

 When the bacon is just done, remove excess oil. You are only going to want a nice tablespoons worth, then add in the onion, cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.

Add collard greens and saute them until they start to wilt. I try to fold them over each other. Don't worry if you think you have too many greens, once some wilt and shrink you can add more and keep tossing them until they all fit and you can get the lid on.

 After all the collard greens fit into the pot and have wilted, add in the chicken stock. You can add red chili flakes to give it a kick if you want. Reduce heat to low and cover. You are going to want to cook this for at least an hour. I leave it on low until the rest of my meal is ready. The only real way to mess this recipe up is buying under ripe/over ripe greens and not cooking them long enough. This is a sturdy leafy green. It will not, I repeat, not become "mushy". In the South these are cooked all damn day!! You can't overcook them!!

When serving them make sure you drain the liquid out. Otherwise it's just collard green soup!!

NOLA Style BBQ Shrimp

Tweet

Matt and I went to New Orleans with a group of friends a few years back and went to a restaurant that was my mothers favorite, Pascal Manale's. They are famous for their Oyster Bar and BBQ Shrimp. Now BBQ Shrimp actually has nothing to do with actual BBQ but that's what it has been called for eternity there. This is a great recipe that I found in my Williams-Sonoma New Orleans Edition. I made this last week and it was SO GOOD!!! Finger licking good because it is really messy to eat! I recommend that you make a nice salad, grab a warm loaf of bread and get to peeling. Yes, it is a peel and eat recipe. I couldn't get the heads on shrimp when I went to the store but it still turned out amazing!

NOLA Style BBQ Shrimp

45 minutes                          Serves about 4

2 lbs. extra large shrimp (prawns), heads on if you can get them

1/2 cup of butter

1/2 cup of olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, finely diced

2 tbls. dried rosemary

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 cup fresh italian parsley, chopped

Cheyenne pepper

Heat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a medium skillet melt the butter and add the olive oil. When melted add in the onion and cook for about 8 minutes. Add garlic, rosemary and oregano. Saute about 2 more minutes. 

While sauteing the above, rinse the shrimp and layer them in a 4 quart dish. When the mixture above is done remove from heat and stir in the parsley and cheyenne pepper, as much cheyenne as you want, I used about 2 tsp. cause I like it a bit spicier.  

Pour the mixture over the shrimp and put them in the oven. With tongs toss the shrimp every 10 minutes for a half hour to get them well coated. Divide the shrimp into the bowls and then divide the sauce as well. Grab a lot of napkins and enjoy!!

Minestrone Soup for the Soul

Tweet

I love, love, love soup!! I could eat it every single day, even in the summer time. Minestrone is one of my all time favorites and this recipe is really excellent!! With all of the fresh herbs and vegetables it just makes me all warm and happy inside!!

Minestrone Soup for the Soul

About an hour                         Serves about 8 bowls

Ingredients

3 tbls. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 onions, chopped

2 cups chopped celery 

3 carrots, sliced

3 cups chicken stock

2 cups water

4 cups tomato sauce

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 bag fresh green beans

1 bag baby spinach, rinsed

2 zucchinis, halved and sliced

1 tbls. chopped fresh oregano

2 tbls. chopped fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 box Ditalini pasta

2 tbls. grated Parmesan cheese for topping 

1 tbls. olive oil

In a large stock pot, over medium-low heat, heat olive oil and saute garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Add onion and saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Add celery and carrots, saute for 1 to 2 minutes. 

Add chicken stock, water and tomato sauce, bring to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low and add kidney beans, green beans,  spinach leaves, zucchini, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, the longer the better. 

Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender. Drain water, drizzle with Olive Oil and set aside. Stir the pasta every 10-15 minutes so the pasta doesn't stick together. 

Once the pasta is cooked and the soup is heated through, place a few spoon fulls of pasta into individual serving bowls. Ladle the soup on top of the pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and serve. 

Once the pasta and the soup have cooled you can add the pasta to the soup and refrigerate immediately  This should stop the pasta from soaking up too much of the liquid when added to the soup. 

Guest Blog - Chianti Chicken by Brian Sparks

Tweet

Guest Blog by Brian Sparks aka "Sparky"
Brian has been a dear family friend for longer than I wish to say! (Don't want to age myself too much!) I hope you enjoy this recipe that he was so gracious to share. Sounds like a winner to me and I can't wait to cook it up! Enjoy! And make sure you do as he says and "finish that bottle"!!!

Chianti Chicken – A great dish to make as an excuse to drink.
When Erin sent out the call for recipes to include on her blog, I immediately asked my wife, "What's the best dis you think I make?" I wasn't surprised when her answer was indeed what I was already thinking..."Chicken Chianti!"

Now, I love making this dish, because not only is it easy to make, it’s a great excuse to drink a bottle of Chianti while you make the dish….and then open up another bottle of whatever you want to drink during dinner. Any dish that requires wine as one of its ingredients is a dish that’s begging to be made.

Ingredients:
Olive oil
2 garlic cloves (crushed or chopped)
A few sprigs of thyme (chopped)
2 large or 4 medium size chicken breast halves (use bone-in for best flavor)
1 medium/large red onion (depends on how much onion you like)
3 tablespoons of tomato pesto (if you can’t find this, just get regular pesto and combine together(1 to 1) with some sun dried tomato paste
1 ¼ cups of Chianti (leave the remaining chianti for you to drink)
1 ¼ cups of water
1 bunch of seedless red grapes (with ¾ of them cut in half)
Salt and ground pepper to taste
Arugula leaves (if desired)

Directions:        

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil into a large pan and add the chicken breast, garlic, and thyme.

 Sauté over over medium heat for 5 minutes until each side is golden brown.

Remove the chicken and place on a separate plate for now. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil into the same pan. Cut the onion in half and create thin wedges. Add the onion wedges and pesto into the pan.

Cook gently and stir constantly for about 3 minutes until onion is soft but not browned.

 

Add the Chianti and water to the pan and bring to a boil.

Place the chicken back into the pan, reduce the heat, add salt and pepper to taste, and cover the pan. Simmer for about 20 minutes while stirring occasionally until chicken is tender and cooked through.

Add the grapes to the pan and cook over low heat until heated through. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve hot. If you wish to balance the “sweetness” of the dish, you can always garnish with some arugula leaves to add some bitterness.

That’s It! Enjoy…and make sure you finish that bottle.

Lemon Bars

Tweet

This is a favorite!! I have a side job and the owner loves lemon anything so I decided to make these for him last Christmas. He loved them!! I have two lemon trees. When they get too full I make lemon bars. It is not required but fresh lemon juice is always the best to use. And if you have home grown lemons, even better!!

Lemon Bars
Crust:
2 Stick butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar, (I use bakers sugar when baking, it is finer and dissolves quicker)
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cream the butter and sugar together. Combine the flour and salt and add slowly to the butter/sugar mixture until well combined. Dough should be crumbly. Pour the loose crust dough into a 9x13 baking pan. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into the pan, building up a 1/2 inch(I tend to make it as high as 3/4 inch, otherwise the filling will get inbetween the pan and the crust and burn) edge on all sides. Bake crust for 15 - 20 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool on wire rack. Leave the oven on.

Filling:
6 extra large eggs at room temperature, yes, they must be extra large eggs!
3 cups sugar
2 tbls. grated lemon zest
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 6-8 lemons)
1 cup flour

Whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and slowly add the flour or it will clump. Pour over the crust and bake 30 - 35 minutes until the filling is set. Let cool, this is the hardest part. I put it in the fridge for two hours and it was still warm. It will make it a mess to cut, so just be patient. Cut into desired size and dust with powdered sugar. I like to cut them to fit into cupcake wrappers.

NOLA Style Bloody Mary Mix

Tweet

Ever since I went to New Orleans I have been a Bloody Mary snob. When you get one there it is beyond spicy and tangy. I will make you want to "Slap yo momma!" Before returning home I bought a bottle of it thinking that I could just get more online. No such luck! They stopped shipping it!! I know right?! How could they?!?!! So I went to task at preparing my home. Perfecting it took some time but I did it. Below is the recipe to make a small batch. When I make them at home, I get all my canning supplies out and I make about 12 jars of the stuff. I cook mine to make sure all the flavors are well mingled but you can just prepare a small batch without going through that whole process. I gave it out last two Christmas's ago with a jar of my own pickled green beans as gifts. It was such a hit, I have to spend a whole day every few months making more of it. It is in demand!! So here ya go!! Enjoy!!!

Bloody Mary Mix

6 cups Tomato Juice

3 tbls. Lemon Juice, (fresh preferably)

3 tbls. Lime Juice, (again fresh is best! but not necessary)

1 tbls. Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp. Horseradish, (prepared, not creamed) (more if you REALLY like it, no more than 2 tsp.)

1 tsp. Tabasco Sauce (I go heavy on this ingredient, I love it tangy and spicy!!)

Celery Salt and Pepper, rim the glass and sprinkle on top of finished drink)

Serve over ice with a few ounces of vodka and with as much accouterments as you like. I prefer pickled greens beans or pickled okra.

Broccoli Beef!!!

Tweet

This recipe came to me in an email from AllRecipes.com. I tweaked it a tiny bit. I just love Asian foods. If you know me, know that! Everything from Chinese, Pho, Japanese and Thai! I LOVE IT ALL!! The thing is those aren't the easiest things to make at home. A lot of it seems to be secret. I can never get my Hot and Sour Soup to taste like it does at Mandarin Gourmet. I don't like using those packets or bottles of premade sauce. I mean what's the secret to that?! So when I made this last night and it tasted just like I thought it should I was oh, so happy!!  I served mine over white rice and an eggroll on the side. It was so good!


Broccoli Beef
30 Minute Meal                      15 Minutes Prep, 15 Minutes Cook Time             Serves 4
1/3 cup Oyster Sauce
2 tsp. Sesame Oil
1/3 cup Sherry
1 tsp. Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Cornstarch
2 tbls. Sriracha Sauce
8 Dried Chiles, broken into pieces
1 lb. beef round steak, cut into 1/8 inch thick strips, put in medium size bowl.
3 tbls Vegetable Oil
3 thin slices of Fresh Ginger
3 cloves Garlic, peeled and smashed
1 lb. Broccoli, cut into florets

1. Start your rice. Whisk together the oyster sauce, sesame oil, sherry, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch and sriracha sauce in a bowl. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the oyster sauce mixture over the meat and coat well. Marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

2. Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic. Let them sizzle in the oil for about 1 minute. Here is a deviation. The recipe said to take the ginger and garlic out. I didn't. Do what you're comfortable with. Stir in the broccoli and stir in the oil until bright green and almost tender, 5-7 minutes. Remove the broccoli from wok and set aside.

3. If you need a little oil, add some. Add the marinated beef until the sauce forms a glaze and the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Return the broccoli to the wok and stir until well mixed, about 3 minutes.

Finger Lickin' Fried Chicken

Tweet

Fried Chicken is one of my husbands favorites. He asks for it on his birthday and anytime that I ask what to make for Sunday Dinner. This recipe is easy and very flavorful. It might sound a bit weird to make it with hot sauce, especially the quantity, but it's delicious and it is not spicy at all. I repeat, it's not spicy!!! I personally don't like bone or skin with my chicken so I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts and the breading actually stays on!! This is also great to do for chicken tenders!

Finger Lickin' Fried Chicken

30 minutes to Coat                     45 minutes to Fry                    About 8 pieces of chicken

Ingredients

3 cups Self Rising Flour

Salt and Pepper

1 cup Crystal Hot Sauce (or your favorite Louisiana Style Hot Sauce)

2 eggs

Chicken (thighs, drumsticks, breasts - whatever you like)

Peanut Oil

1. In a big bowl add flour and season it heavily with salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, add the eggs and hot sauce and whisk until well mixed.

2. Dry the chicken with a paper towel. The best way to go is to have a "wet" hand and a "dry" hand. Other wise both your hands are caked! I get a station going and move right to left. Coat the chicken well with flour, then coat well with egg/hot sauce mixture, and back to flour mixture. Make sure you coat extremely well. I like to put the chicken on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, them I put a coat of flour down for the chicken to soak up. There will be some  bits of flour that get wet and stay in the flour bowl, try to get those to stick to the chicken. That is Matt's favorite, he calls them the finger drippings. Also, I like to sprinkle more flour on the chicken on the baking sheet. The chicken will become a tad wet again and will soak it up.

             (If you are doing a lot of chicken and run out of flour or egg mixture, you can 

              just add another cup of flour, or another egg and more hot sauce)

3. For frying the chicken you want your oil HOT!! About 350 degrees. I don't have a pot with the thermometer on it, if you do, use it. I sprinkle some water into the oil and when it starts popping, it is ready to go. You are going to want at least an inch and a half of oil. It should go about half way up you chicken. Place the chicken in the oil with tongs. You want to do this slowly and start with the edge of the piece closest to you, working away from you to avoid splatters.

4. Fry in batches. Overcrowding will reduce the heat of the oil and it will take forever. Drums take about 5 minutes per side per piece. The thighs and breasts will take about 7 minutes per side per piece. I heat the oven to about 170 degrees, place cooling racks in a roasting pan and place my chicken in there to keep warm while I continue with the rest of my batches.

Not Your Kids Macaroni and Cheese

Tweet

Who doesn't love Mac N' Cheese as a kid? But once you get older it's just not the same. You wish it were because how easy it is to make, but no, it's gritty and the second it's not hot it's time for the garbage!! Here is a great recipe for it. It takes a bit longer to make than the box kind but it is so worth it. This dish also is great reheated the next day!

Macaroni and Cheese
40 minute Side Dish           10 minutes prep, 40 minute cook time            Serves about 8
1 16 oz. box Elbow Macaroni (get the smaller kind, not large)
8 oz. Velveeta or Other "Cheese Food"
4 oz. Monterey Jack Cheese
4 oz. Muenster Cheese
4 oz. Sharp Cheddar
1 pint Half and Half
1/2 stick butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot, heat water to boil and add pasta. While this is cooking, heat the half and half.
2. While waiting on the above, grate the Monterey Jack, Muenster and Sharp Cheddar. Cut the Velveeta into small pieces.
3. When the cream is hot, slowly add the Velveeta  Once it has all melted add the shredded cheeses slowly until well melted in.
4. When the noodles are almost cooked through, remove and add the butter to them mixing well. In a 2.5 quart baking dish add the noodles and then mix the cheese sauce into them. Bake for half an hour.

Chicken BLT Fettuccine

Tweet

Everyone loves a BLT! Everyone loves Pasta! My husband isn't a big fan of pasta with red sauce because he gets heart burn. But sometimes a girl just wants some carbs!! I came up with this recipe one night on a whim. I had a ton of fresh basil in my yard along with some fresh tomatoes. I decided to make something up and this is what happened!! I hope you enjoy!!! It's a mix between Chicken Fettuccine and a BLT!! It received the BLT name  because of the Prosciutto, Basil and Tomatoes.

Chicken BLT Fettuccine
30 Minute Meal                   Serves about 6

Ingredients:
1 package Chicken Breasts, cut to bite size pieces
1/2 cup Fresh Basil, minced
1 package Prosciutto, cooked and then crumbled
1 package Cherry Tomatoes, halved
3 tbls Olive Oil
1 tbls. Garlic, minced
1 tsp. Salt & Pepper
1 box fettuccine, cooked to al dente
1 container shaved Parmesan Cheese, reserve some to top with.

1. In a large skillet, cook the prosciutto and remove to a paper towel.
2. In the same large skillet, heat the oil while the fettuccine cooks separately. Add Chicken and Salt and Pepper.
When the chicken just cooked, add the garlic in. Cook for about 1 minute.
3. Add in the crumbled prosciutto, tomatoes and toss together well.
4. At the last minute add in the pasta, basil and Parmesan cheese. When serving top with a bit more cheese and serve.
This is such a tasty dish. And yes there isn't really a sauce except the oil and moisture from the chicken, you don't need it!!! (Not a recent picture but still posting it!!)

Carving A Turkey

Tweet

This is supposed to be the job of The Man of The House but my husband declines year after year because it can be somewhat intimidating. I never did a horrible job, but not a stellar one either. Last year I decided to use a new technique. I take the drum and thigh piece off first then the breast in one whole piece then the wing. This video is great!! I use the "Carving in the Kitchen" technique. It is so much easier than trying to cut nice slices on that huge bird!! This year when I carved the bird, I got rave reviews. Everyone thought I did a great job and gave me compliments. Even my stepdad was impressed saying that he wished he had been taught this way as it looked so much easier and got so much of the bird in such a short amount of time!

Did Someone Say SOUP!!!

Tweet

I love soup!! I love everything about it!! I love savory tomato based soups, creamy delicate soups and even a nice homemade chicken soup!! It's just my favorite thing to eat ever!!! My husband on the other hand wouldn't care if he never had to eat soup again. But I got him on this one!! He loves this soup, and so has anyone that I have either served it to or shared the recipe with.

Days like today are the perfect time to make a soup like this one. Paired with a crisp salad you cannot go wrong!!

“To feel safe and warm on a cold wet night, all you really need is soup.”
Laurie Colwin

“There is nothing like soup. It is by nature eccentric: no two are ever alike, unless of course you get your soup in a can.”
Laurie Colwin, 'Home Cooking' (1988)

“Good soup is one of the prime ingredients of good living.  For soup can do more to lift the spirits and stimulate the appetite than any other one dish.”
Louis P. De Gouy, ‘The Soup Book’ (1949)

Bacon Cheddar Potato Soup
15 minutes prep           30 cook time            Serves about 8 bowls

Ingredients:
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1 stick butter
5 cups diced peeled potatoes, You can leave the skin, but it's just going to come off when you cook it :(
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
12 oz. sharp cheddar, shredded
1 pint whipping cream
2 cups water
3 oz. package (or fresh) bacon bits, I like the packaged pepper bits!!
4 tbls. flour
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1 tbls. fresh or dried parsley

1.  In a sauce pan, saute onion and celery in 4 oz. of butter, season with salt and pepper. Add potatoes and broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes
2.  In a skillet, melt the remaining butter, add flour to make a roux. Slowly add water to thin out the mixture.
3. Add roux to the pot along with the cream. Stir well and add the cheese, bacon and spices. Cook over low heat until the cheese is completely melted. Garnish with some of the parsley and serve!

Waste Not, Want Not - Keeping Vegetables Fresher Longer

Tweet

Here are some tips to keeping your produce fresher for longer. If you are anything like me, you hate prepping to make a recipe with ingredients that you just bought and find them, well, lacking. Here are some tips that help me.

1. Keep your fruits and vegetable seperate! Fruits, tomatoes included, produce Ethylene Gas (a natural ripening agent). Vegetables however are very sensitive to ethylene gas making them rot when in contact with these. Fruits tend to do better out of the refrigerator, especially tomatoes.

2. Vegetable are living and breathing. When you put them into the refrigerator you are in a sense putting them into a coma to prolong the life. That's a good thing. When you put your living, breathing vegetables into a plastic bag you are suffocating them. This is a bad thing. I use these exact Reusable Produce Bags. They allow the ethylene gas to escape, prolonging the life of your vegetables/fruits. I have two sets and take them to the grocery store with me, or transfer my produce at home when I forget them. I have increased the life of all my vegetables!! Oh yeah! They are washer friendly too! I do not put them in the dryer but I do wash them and they're great! Brand new again!


3. Vegetable Specifics:

• Mushrooms: Remove from store packaging and store these in a paper bag.
• Celery: Remove the store packaging and wrap in tinfoil. This will make your celery last for up to THREE WEEKS!!! Hard to believe but so true, I have been doing it for years. Also, if your celery is limp, cut the bottom of the stem and place in a glass of water overnight. The celery will crisp back up.
• Tomatoes: Place upside down (stem side down) on the counter. This prevents bruising. 
• Potatoes, Onions, Squash and Garlic:  These are earth grown and should return to the earth. Keep in a dark cool place and remove from the plastic bags, again with the produce bags above. NOT THE REFRIGERATOR! I keep them in a dark cupboard.

4. Herb Keepers are great!!! I have an herb keeper at home and think it's great!! I have the one below but if you don't want to spend the money on it a great solution is to put water in a glass, add your herbs and voila!!



I hope that you find something here that was useful to you. It took me a while to figure all this out on my own.

Taco Tuesday with a Twist!!

Tweet

So tomorrow it Tuesday, Taco Tuesday! Well, it can get a little boring to cook the same ole ground beef/turkey week after week but it's just SO EASY after a long day at work. Well, I have a solution!! Recently Knorr, best known for their soup bases has come out with Rice Sides. I am always interested in trying new, easy ways to spice things up so I tried the Rice Sides. They were alright, but for a cheap ($1.59 for a packet), easy weekday meal they fit just right. Nothing to write home about though.

Well, I was shopping one day and decided to check out other Knorr products. I had steak in my cart already along with other shopping items and I was just checking them out thinking what can I serve with this steak besides salad, a total stand by in our house. I saw that they came out with a Steak Fajitas Rice Sides. Thought, hey that might work. Grabbed it, put it in the cart and come steak night, totally forgot about it!

So anyways, on the back of the bag there is a recipe called "Fajita Chili Con Carne". It basically is ground beef, onion and a few cans of things thrown together. Totally recipe takes about 20 minutes start to finish! This is a great alternate recipe for basic tacos and a great way to use these sides! I did make a few minor changes/additions to the recipe.



This recipe is cheap, easy and there will be leftovers for lunch! Great for you Bachelors!! Also, for camping, this is a great recipe. One pot cooking is the best when camping and this was hot, tasty and easy to do while camping because you don't have to use that much cooler space. Only the meat needs to be refrigerated (I didn't add the cheese or sour cream while camping). We went camping last weekend and I made this one night. I got a fist pump from the boys when they found out that is what we were having! WAY, WAY, WAY better than hamburger helper I might add! That stuff just feels way to fake, like cheese food, blech! (I know some of you will disagree with that and that is fine)

Fajita Chili Con Carne:
20 Minute Meal!!            Serves 4-6                  Budget Friendly (Approx. $10-12)

Ingredients:
1 package 93% ground beef or lean turkey
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, diced
1 package Knorr Rice Sides, Steak Fajitas Flavor
1 can diced tomatos, undrained
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed
1 can chicken broth
Cheddar Cheese, Sour Cream and Green Onions to top with

Follow the recipe on the back, it's that simple. In step 1. add garlic at the last minute.
Instead of water I use chicken stock. Other then that, I followed the recipe on the back. Oh and salt and pepper of course!!

Curry Yup Yup with Bust 'Em Up Shut!

Tweet

This is an odd name for a dish, I know. But this is what Matt and Justin call it, and it has become my recipes name. Basically it's a Chicken Coconut Curry. It's a fast, easy recipe that is Oh, So Delicious!! This recipe seems to be a favorite in my house, not just with Matt and I but everyone that eats it. I served it at a girls night and, even though it was SPICY, I got 4 requests for the recipe. Whenever I make this, all of a sudden I have more and more dinner guests!! Just last Saturday, I made this and all of a sudden there were 7 for dinner when I only planned on 4!! I think I cooked this about 5-7 times before I perfected it. And now I don't dare change a thing!! I might be lynched!!

This recipe is one that I made to be very simple and altered it so that you don't waste food. It calls for, what I like to call a 1-1-1 ratio. Basically it's one of everything. I mean what are you going to do with half a can of coconut milk??? So I use the whole can and based the recipe on that. 

If you have a mandolin slicer use it! This is a great recipe for it. What I do is slice the bell peppers and onions and then slice the rings in half to give you some nice strips of pepper and onion. You, however, can do what you like!

Chicken Coconut Curry

Serves 6           30 Minute Meal              10 min. prep, 20 min. cook

Ingredients:

Golden Curry (Found in the International Aisle) Your preferred hot level. A pic below.

1 package chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

2 tbls. vegetable oil or peanut oil (peanut oil is great in Asian dishes!)

Salt and pepper

1 onion, halved then sliced

1 green bell pepper, halved then sliced

1 red bell pepper, halved then sliced

1 can coconut milk (International Aisle) A pic below of the brand I use. 

1 can bamboo shoots, sliced to match stick size (International Aisle)

1 cup chicken stock

2 tbls. lime juice

Cilantro, roughly chopped

Any spicy peppers you want, I like it hot so I use two Serrano Chiles and a Habanero!! Caliente!!

Cooking: 

1. Start your rice. It should be done by the time your dish is. I use 1/2 cups uncooked white rice to have enough for 6 servings. 

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the chicken. Salt and pepper it. Once the chicken is mostly cooked through add the curry cubes. There are 5 segments in a box. I use 3 for this recipe. If you would like to double, just use the whole box. No need to open another. It will work out!

3. Add the coconut milk, lime juice and chicken broth. Mix until the curry cubes are dissolved. Bring the liquids up to a boil, then lower to a simmer. This will mix and thicken the sauce. 

4. Add the peppers, onions and bamboo shoots and mix well. When the onions are just translucent and the peppers are firm but cooked your ready to eat. Serve over rice, top with some cilantro and ENJOY!!

Here's a picture off of Facebook that I took forever ago. From now on I am going to start using my real camera and try to make the dishes look pretty before taking the picture. Ha! I don't even have these dishes anymore. That's how old it is!! Still, gives you an idea of what to expect. 

 

Welcome Flavor Fiends!!!

Tweet

So here we are! I am excited about this new hobby! Cooking to me is home, family and comfort. I love to cook for those I love and am often asked if I could please share a recipe, so I thought, "What a great way to welcome all of you into my kitchen!!"

With this blog I hope to give some people inspiration to cook new interesting things that maybe they thought out of their reach. A place for people that want to cook and don't know how; a forum to ask questions. A place that bachelors will feel welcome to learn some basic skills. People that are watching their weight something DELISH to eat and not go overboard with! I will always cater to the working mom so 30 minute meals are a must!! And Sunday meals with the family have always been a favorite!! I want to, basically, give you a place to find something new and great to share with those close to you!! If you have any suggestions for blog posts, please feel free to let me know. Any contributions will be considered! I am not great with fun Holiday ideas, so those would be cool!

Some of these recipes I will get from the internet/cooking books and make user/eater friendly. Some are straight from my mother. Some are two or three recipes that I have taken from to make what I want. Some are just simple delicious recipes that are fast and easy for a weeknight that I found and think you should know about. (Credit will be given to those who I "bite" off!) I would also like to have a "Monthly Cook-A-Holic" series. So if you have a recipe I would appreciate the entries!!

This is simply me having a good time. If you don't have anything nice to say, you're welcome to "Go on GIT"

Wine is like a woman's breasts: 
One is not enough
Two is just right
Three is too many

I love to cook with wine,
Sometimes I even add it to the food.

I will appreciate all the support that I receive about this blog. I am doing this for myself, buy possibly you can benefit from it as well. xoxoxo

This Kitchen Cooks With Love,
Erin Marie