Rosemary Thyme Potatoes and Cedar Plank Salmon

First, let me apologize for being absent from the kitchen for the past few weeks.  School and Christmas took over for a while, and I needed a break from everything, including cooking.  Now, after a few days of sleeping in and not studying, I'm back with a vengeance. 

I discovered something wonderful at the super market today.  Pre-packaged cedar plank salmon.  Not only did this save me the time of finding a cedar plank, but it was also already marinated and ready to go! Does it get any better? Of all the recipes I've made, this had to be the easiest to clean up.  The salmon was delicious and just one package was enough for Blake and I to split.  Did I mention it only cost $5.99??? That's only 3 bucks a person.  As Blake pointed out during dinner, this meal would probably cost at least 12 or 13 bucks at a restaurant.  I found this in the frozen food section, and they had a few different marinades to choose from.  This particular one was a honey marinade.  It was light but flavorful.  I served it with roasted potatoes and topped it with a light salad dressed in a sweet onion lemon vinaigrette.

 This is what the salmon looked like before cooking it and right after I took it out of the packaging.... perfect!

INGREDIENTS:
1 Large Russet Potato - diced into bite size pieces 
5-6 Garlic Cloves - peeled 
1 Yellow Squash - sliced 
1 Red Bell Pepper - diced 
2-3 Sprigs Thyme

2-3 Sprigs Rosemary - minced   
1/2 Tbs. Paprika 
2-3 Tbs. Olive Oil 
Salt and Pepper to taste  - I added it after it was cooked as well and it still could have used more 

1.  In a large bowl, add the diced potatoes, squash, red bell peppers, and garlic. sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper and stir.  Top  with the olive oil and stir until all the veggies are covered in the spices.  


2.  Pull off the Thyme leaves and add them to the bowl.  Pull of the Rosemary leaves and give them a rough chop before also adding them to the bowl.  mix the veggies again, and add to a baking dish. 


3.  Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.  Depending on how large you dice your potatoes this cooking time may vary.  It will need at least 30 minutes, so after that time passes then you can begin checking on it.  When you can poke the potatoes with a fork with ease it is ready. 

SALMON:
Pre-Packaged Cedar Plank Salmon - you could also use fresh salmon and add your own marinade or spices 
Mixed Lettuce Greens 
1/2 Freshly Squeezed Lemon 
1 Tbs. Honey 
1 Tbs. Apple Cider Vinegar 
1 Garlic Clove - minced 
2 Tbs. Grated Sweet Onion
About 1/4 Cup Olive Oil - I don't like a lot of oil in my dressings, so you may need more - I also don't measure so this is literally a guess. 
2-3 slices of beets - julienned  
Salt and Pepper to taste 


1.  Follow the directions on the package of the salmon and cook accordingly, mine called for 14 minutes, but I think it could have actually used a little less.  

2.  In a small bowl, squeeze 1/2 a lemon, making sure no seeds get into the bowl.  Add the honey, garlic, cider vinegar,  salt and pepper.  


3.  Cut a sweet onion in half and then again into fourths.  Using a fine grater, grate the onion until you get about 2 tbs worth. Add into the bowl.  This will give the dressing flavor without having chunks of onion.  


4.  Mix together and while whisking, mix in the olive oil.  Taste and adjust flavors as needed.  


5.  In a separate bowl, add mixed greens and top with enough dressing to coat.  Top the salmon with the lettuce mixture and with a few slices of beets. Store the extra dressing for a salad the next day, the flavors will meld together and make it taste even better!  

Chorizo Stew and Brown Rice

 

When I go to the grocery story I love looking for new things to try and cook with.  Today it was Mexican Ground Chorizo.  I've never cooked with it before, nor have I eaten it, but it's made from ground beef or pork, so I figured I could make it work.  This week seemed to fall under the category of "wahhhh waaahhhhh."  Just like the last post, this meal was good, just not great.  I'm not even sure what I would have done differently.  The Chorizo is filled with spices, which gives it a lot of flavor on its own.  Luckily, Blake and I both liked the flavor of the Chorizo, it was just difficult to add any depth to it because it was so strong.  That would be my only complaint about this recipe.  

Try some things out if you make this and let me know what you think.  Like I said it was a great meal, that was extremely generous on the pocketbook and didn't take very long either.  I am not a chef, or even a cook for that matter.  I'm simply someone trying to learn how to cook through trial and error and a lot of "googling" of terms and techniques.  With that said, I have no idea what makes a "stew" a stew.  The name seemed fitting, so don't be disappointed when you realize it's not like your mothers beef stew or beef and noodles.  

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. Ground Chorizo - spicy (pretty sure it's the only way it comes, but you never know) 

1/2 Sweet Onion - diced 

1 Green Bell Pepper - sliced 

2 Cloves Garlic - Minced 

1 Cup Red Wine (Anything you have is good) 

1 Cup Chicken Stock 

8 oz. Heavy Cream 

Goat Cheese for topping

1.  In a large pot, begin browning the Chorizo.  Once the Chorizo begins browning, add in the bell pepper, onions, and garlic.  Don't worry about adding any oil or butter. The Chorizo has enough fat in it, and adding it in will only add unnecessary calories.  

2.  Once the peppers and onions begin to soften and the Chorizo is pretty much cooked fully, add in the red wine and chicken stock.  Keep the stove on medium high heat and reduce the sauce by half.  

3. Before finishing, add in the heavy cream and allow the sauce to thicken by reducing.  Taste the stew to see if salt or pepper is needed.  I didn't add any in this recipe, because the Chorizo seemed to be salty enough.  If you feel that your stew isn't spicy enough (you're crazy), I'd add in a Jalapeno or Serrano at this point as well. 

4.  I served this over homemade brown rice, but you could also do quinoa, risotto, or white rice.  You could even use the microwave rice that cooks in a minute if you'd like too.  I happen to have a big bag of brown rice left over from a previous recipe experiment. 

5.  Top with crumbled fresh goat cheese

*** I always like to serve my dinners with at least one vegetable.  In this case I served a Cool Corn Salad on the side.  This ended up being perfect because it worked exactly as I had hoped, and helped to cool off our burning tongues!  Of course the milk helped too. 

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with pulled Chicken and Brown Butter Sauce

I don't want to say this was a fail, but I also don't want to say this was a total success.  The Gnocchi (pronounced "knyoh-KEE") turned out great, however there were some changes I would make to the sauce when I make this again.  The Gnocchi were really simple and I actually found the directions on line and they were easy to follow.  Originally I was going to use regular potatoes for this, but when I went to get them out of the cupboard, I realized they were growing their own arms and legs.  Did you know that Potatoes begin turning poisonous???? Me either!!!! Check it out here, I'm so glad I looked it up before I started cooking with mine! Mine didn't turn green like in this article by "The Kitchen", but I thought it was a good idea to still throw them out.

Luckily, sweet potatoes have been extremely cheap and I happened to by a lot the last time I went to the store.  And when I say cheap, I mean it (.25 cents a pound!).  Did I mention I'm in graduate school??? This is a better deal than buying Ramen Noodles! Also, sweet potatoes are GREAT for you, check out this  article by "Fast Fit Tips," where they discuss all the health benefits sweet potatoes have to offer.  There is nothing I love more than a vegetable that tastes great (literally like candy) and that is also good for you.  The only thing I need to find out is how many is too many?!

As I stated before, I followed a really great recipe for how to make the sweet potato gnocchi and I will have the link below in the actual recipe.  At first I was afraid and worried that they wouldn't turn out well, but I was not only impressed at how easy it was to make them, but also at how delicious they really were.  I had seen these made many times on The Food Network channel and also on Top Chef, but never thought I could make them.  Well, I decided to experiment and it was worth it! If you are still too nervous, or you just don't have the time, you can always pick some up at your local specialty market.  They often have different types of Gnocchi, and it's often not very expensive (BONUS!).

P.S. I would recommend preparing your chicken first.  You can boil it, buy a roasted chicken, or grill it.  It's really your preference here.  I liked the idea of just throwing it in a pot and not having to worry about it for 15 minutes, but that's just me.  


Sweet Potato Gnocchi:
I adapted these gnocchi from a recipe I found on All Recipes.  The original recipe is here if you'd like to see it.  

1 Large Sweet Potato 
4-5 Roasted Garlic Cloves - mashed 
1 Cup Flour 
1 Egg 
Salt and Pepper to taste 
** yields - two hefty servings 

1.  To begin, cook your sweet potato.  You can do this by wrapping it in foil and baking it for about 30 minutes at 350-375 degrees until the potato is soft and squishy to the touch, OR you can poke the sweet potato a few times with a fork, put it in the microwave and cook it for 5 minutes, and then flip the potato over and cook it for another 5 minutes. (Do whichever one you prefer.... I personally like the microwave better.  I'm not that patient)

2.  Take the sweet potato out of the microwave/oven and set aside until it has cooled enough for you to handle it.  

3.  In a bowl, mash up the roasted garlic cloves, sprinkle with salt and pepper and add the egg.  Mix the ingredients well and when the sweet potato is ready, open up the skin and put the yummy goodness from inside in the bowl.  


4.  Mix the sweet potato with the egg and garlic mixture until it is all incorporated.  Begin adding flower 1/4 Cup at a time.  you may not need a full cup or you may need more.  Add enough until it begins to turn into a dough.  Mine was a little under a cup once I finished.  


5.  Flour your counter top and roll the dough out into a "snake" (yep, just like you did with Play-doh).  Cut the "snake" into 1/2" pieces and set aside.  At this point, you can roll each individual Gnocchi along the back of a fork to get the signature marks, but this is not necessary and I found it to be tedious and waste of time.  


6.  In a slightly salted large pot of boiling water, add in the Gnocchi, being sure to not splash and burn yourself (I did this... a lot - learn from my mistakes).  Once the Gnocchi float to the top scoop them out using a slotted ladle.  


7.  Set the Gnocchi aside and begin preparing the sauce. 

Brown Butter Sauce:
This brown butter sauce was great, but Blake and I both decided it would be have been better if it was more of a cream based sauce.  The Gnocchi, although delicious, could have used a little more savoriness (did I just make up a word?), and I think having a cream based sauce really would have pushed this dish over the edge. 

**The recipe below has the cream added in, so it will look different than in the picture above. 

1/2 Sweet Onion - diced 
4-5 Garlic Cloves - minced
3 Tbs. Butter
1-2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese 
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
1/4 Cup White Wine
Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste

1.  Begin by melting the butter until it begins to brown over medium heat.  You will actually begin to see the butter begin to change color.  It should take a few minutes, but be sure not to burn it.  It usually begins to smell really good at this point too!

2.  Add in the olive oil and onions, sauteing for a few minutes.  Just as the onions begin to wilt add in the garlic and red pepper flakes.  You add this in after, because burning the garlic makes it taste very terrible.  Be sure NOT to do this.

3.  Continue cooking the onion mixture until they become translucent.  Add the wine and let it cook off for a few minutes.  This will take about 3-4 minutes.  You want to allow the wine to cook long enough to cook off all of the alcohol. 

4.  Finally, add in the cream the Parmesan cheese and again let the sauce cook until it thickens.  Continue stirring the sauce to make sure it cooks evenly and do not allow it to come to a boil.  You want this sauce to simply simmer. (little bubbles)

5.  Now that your sauce is finished, you will want to get out a large saute pan.  Add a tsp. or twoolive oil to the pan and add the previously cooked Gnocchi and chicken.  Allow the Gnocchi to saute for a few, letting them get some color and warm all the way through.  Pour the sauce over top and mix the ingredients thoroughly.

6.  Serve and top with parsley and Parmesan cheese!

Breakfast Sausage Hash

An important staple in the kitchen is potatoes.   They can be the side dish to a main course, or the main course itself.  In our house, breakfast usually consists of eggs and a ridiculous amount of bacon.  While cleaning out the refrigerator, we found a few breakfast patties that needed to be used up.  We also found a third of a bag of Yukon Gold potatoes that would have to be thrown out by the end of the week if I didn't use them now.  We've been blessed with some pretty nice weather here in Michigan, and because of that I still have some herbs on our balcony. The addition of fresh rosemary really brought everything together to make a cohesive dish.  Clearly, I couldn't just feed Blake a bunch of potatoes, so I served mine with a wonderful over easy egg.  It would also be wonderful with a poached egg right on top, or scrambled eggs mixed right in! The best part of this dish is that everything goes into one big pan; meaning there's only one pan to clean! These hashbrowns will definitely be made again on another lazy Sunday morning.

INGREDIENTS:
3-4 Medium Yukon Gold Potatoes - diced
4-5 Breakfast Sausage Patties - crumbled
1/4 Sweet Onion - diced
1 Clove Garlic - minced
2 Sprigs Rosemary - minced
2 Tbs. Butter
2 Tbs. Water
Salt and Pepper to taste

1.  In a Large pan or Pot melt two Tbs. butter over Medium-High heat.  Dice the potatoes into bite sized cubes and add to the pan once the butter is melted.  Stir the potatoes covering them evenly in butter.

2.  Add in the diced onion and let the mixture saute until the onions begin to turn translucent.  This will take about 2-3 minutes.  Pour the 2 Tbs. of water into the pan and cover, letting the potatoes and onions steam for at least 4 minutes.  You want your potatoes to be almost completely cooked after steaming them.

3.  Break up the sausage patties and add to the center of the pan, crumbling them up as they cook.  Once cooked, stir the entire mixture and add the garlic and rosemary.  Continue cooking the hash until it is well mixed and the potatoes begin to brown.

Mustard Crusted Chicken with Bell Pepper Salsa

Hopefully Everyone enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving! Blake and I spent a wonderful Thanksgiving at his mothers house, and we ate until we could eat no more.  We also were blessed with plenty of left overs, but I could not handle another meal that included turkey and gravy.  Instead, I decided to cook the turkey's closest cousin, the chicken.  This meal was suprisingly light and I loved the honey mustard bell pepper salsa on top. It added just a little bit more flavor, and tied in the mustard throughout the whole meal.  I served this with a side of roasted vegetables, one of our favorites.  It would also be delicious with mashed potatoes or even sweet potato fries. 

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. Chicken Tenderloins - pounded to 1/4''
1 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1/4 Cup Shredded Parmesan
1 Tbs. Dried Parsley
1/4 Cup Whole Grain Mustard
2 Tbs. Butter
1 Tbs. Olive Oil

1.  First, prep your ingredients.  Mix the Panko, Parmesan, and Parsley.  Put the Panko mixture on a plate and set aside until chicken is ready to cook.

2.  Put the chicken tenderloins into a large plastic zip lock bag.  Using a meat mallet, pound the chicken until it is about 1/4'' thick.

3.  Spread a generous amount of mustard on one side of the pounded chicken tenderloin.  Place mustard side down into the Panko mixture.  Mustard the other side and flip in the Panko.  Continue doing this with the other tenderloins.

4.  In a large skillet, heat butter and oil.  Cook each tenderloin 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.  Set onto a paper towel to soak up any extra oil or butter.  Top with salsa and serve!

Salsa:
1/4 Cup Sweet Onion - diced
1/4 Cup Red Bell Pepper- diced
1/4 Cup Orange Bell Pepper - diced
1/4 Cup Yellow Bell Pepper - diced
1 Jalapeno- cleaned out and minced
1 Tbs. Dijon Mustard
1 Tbs. Honey
3 Tbs. Apple Cider Vinegar
2-3 Cloves mashed Roasted Garlic (Optional)
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

1.  For the Honey Mustard Vinaigrette, combine the mustard, honey, roasted garlic, vinegar, oil, and salt and pepper.

2.  In a medium sized bowl, add in all the diced veggies and mix with the dressing.  Set in the refrigerator until ready to serve; then pour generously over the chicken and enjoy!

S'more Brownie Sandwich

 

Instead of the same old boring pan of brownies, why not switch it up and enjoy a S'more cookie?  My mom bought a couple S'more kit boxes from Costco at the end of summer when they were on clearance this year, and Blake and I still haven't finished it.  Instead of letting it go to waste, I wanted to make a dessert with it.  Last week, I attempted to make a S'more brownie cupcake, however I wasn't satisfied with how they turned out.  My marshmallow pretty much disintegrated and you could hardly tell what kind of brownie it was supposed to be.  To me, the marshmallow is the best part.  I wanted it to be the star of the show, or at least equal to the brownie.  This recipe uses a boxed brownie mix with a few adjustments, and instead of having to wait 40 minutes for your brownies to finish in the oven, these take a mere 10-15 minutes! 

Did I mention my mom bought a few S'more kits???? Luckily she didn't go overboard.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Box of Brownie Mix

1/3 Cup Oil 

2 Tbs. Water

1 Egg

Large Marshmallows
Graham Crackers

1.  Begin by pre-heating the oven to 350 degrees.  Line two cookie sheets with tin foil and spray with non-stick spray.

2.  Do not follow the directions on the back of the Brownie Mix box.  Instead, in a large bowl combine the brownie mix with the oil, water, and 1 egg.  The mixture will be much thicker than normal brownie mix.  You want it to be that way, otherwise the cookies will be too thin and spread out too much when you bake them.

 3.  Roll mixture into 1" balls and place six on each cookie sheet.  Bake the Brownies for 10-15 minutes or until the tops no longer look wet.  Take the brownies out of the oven and let them cool on a metal rack.  Put half the cookies back on the cookie sheet and top with one marshmallow.

4.  Turn your oven on Broil and put the cookies back into the oven for 1-2 minutes.  I let mine stay in until they turned golden brown on top.  You want to get that known fire roasted look that everyone loves on the marshmallow. (I am not kidding when I say 1-2 minutes, you will be amazed at how quickly things can burn when you use the broiler!)

5.  Take cookies out and with half a graham cracker, squish the marshmallow down.  Cut another marshmallow in half, and put half the marshmallow on top of each graham cracker.  Put under the broiler again until they turn golden brown.

6.  Top with the other cookie, and squish down to create a sandwich.

Mamma Horn's Mac n' Cheese with a Twist

Mac n' Cheese is always a winner at the dinner table.  Kids and adults love it, and unless your lactose intolerant I cannot imagine why you wouldn't enjoy this meal.  Mac n' cheese is like cheesecake.  It is wonderful plain, but even more amazing when you add something more to it! The recent jalapeno poppers I made a few weeks ago were the inspiration for this particular mac n' cheese.  I added bacon and Serrano peppers to this to give it a little bite.  My mom got this recipe from Food Network a long time ago and she makes it all the time.  I have yet to be disappointed by it.  She also adds Panko bread crumbs to the top to give it a little crunch.  Of course I followed in tow and did the same.  The directions may seem daunting when you first look at them, but it's actually really easy.  I was pleasantly surprised that this only took about 10-15 minutes once the noodles were cooked.  

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. box of your favorite noodles
8 oz. Velveeta Cheese
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar
1 Cube Chive Cream Cheese - They sell little personal packs of four now, and they're great!
2 Cups Milk
2 Tbs. Flour
3 Tbs. Butter
3-4 Strips Bacon - diced
1 Serrano Pepper - minced

1.  You're going to want to begin by cooking the noodles.  You can do this first and just keep them in the strainer while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.  Cook the noodles a few minutes less than the box says.  You want the noodles to be tender but still have a bite to them, since they will be baked in the oven too.

2.  Once the noodles are finished, in the same large pot melt the 2 Tbs. of butter.  Once the butter is completely melted, add the 2 Tbs. flour, stirring for about 45 seconds.  This is called a Roux (said Roo). It helps to thicken the cheese sauce. You want to cook the roux for 45 seconds to ensure the flour "taste" is cooked completely out.  Make sure not to burn this and do not cook for more than a minute.

3.  Warm up your milk for 30 -45 seconds, and dice the Velveeta cheese into cubes.  Add the milk to the pot once the rue is complete.  Stir to remove any lumps and let the milk thicken.  Once thickened, add the cubed Velveeta, shredded cheese, and cream cheese and stir until completely melted.


4.  Take the cheese sauce off the heat and add the noodles, bacon, and Serrano peppers to the pot.  Stir until the pasta is evenly coated.  In a non-stick sprayed baking dish, pour the noodle and cheese mixture.

5. For the topping, melt 1 Tbs. butter in a small bowl.  After melting the butter, add 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs to the butter and stir until well coated.  Sprinkle on top of the mac n' cheese.

6.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the Panko topping is browned and cheese is bubbly.

Baked Tilapia on top of Quinoa with Brown Butter Dill Sauce

 

I'm finally back in my kitchen.  Had a bit of a rough week last week and wasn't able to make dinner once!!!! Blasphemy, I know! Normally you see dill sauce on Salmon, however I'm in Graduate school and cannot afford that.  I don't want to say Tilapia is cheap, but it is.  The Tilapia I used for dinner tonight was from the frozen section and it was still delicious.  The Dill Sauce is super simple as well and I would most definitely make it again when I make fish.  I served this Tilapia atop Quinoa (my first attempt I might add!) and aside roasted sweet potatoes, asparagus, and squash. Frozen Tilapia has officially became a staple in my freezer.  It thaws super quickly and it needs only a little seasoning and a squeeze of lemon and you are good to go! 

Tilapia:

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Season each Tilapia fillet with your favorite seasoning blend.

 2. Place each Tilapia fillet on a large piece of aluminum foil.  Squeeze 1/2 Tsp. lemon juice on the seasoned Tilapia, and fold the foil over making a tent.  Make sure to fold the ends up as well so the juices don't run out and all over your oven.  

3.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until the Tilapia is white throughout and flaky. 

Dill Sauce:

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream 

1/4 Sweet Onion - finely grated 

3-4 Cloves Garlic - minced 

2 Tbs Butter - Browned 

1/2 Cup Fresh Dill - Minced 

1.  Begin by browning the 2 Tbs. butter in a pot over medium-high heat.  Once the butter is browned, add the minced garlic and grate the onion into the pot. Saute for a few minutes.  

2.  Add the heavy cream and dill and bring the mixture to a boil.  Let the Sauce simmer over medium heat until it thickens.  This will take about 10-15 minutes. 

3.  Remove from the heat and serve atop fish.  

Quinoa:

1. Rinse Quinoa thoroughly before cooking.  (This is important! Even though Quinoa is usually rinsed before packaging, it still needs to be rinsed before you cook it to ensure there is no bitter flavor)

2.  Cook Quinoa in a ratio of 2:1 (i,e: 1 Cup Quinoa to 2 Cups water).  

3.  After rinsing the Quinoa completely, add to a pot with the water. Quinoa quadruples in size, so keep this in mind when cooking.  I cooked 1/2 cup of Quinoa for Blake and I and it was more than enough.   

4.  Put the heat on high and once the Quinoa is boiling, bring heat down to medium.  Cover with the lid and let the Quinoa simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the water is completely absorbed. 

Roasted Veggies:

2 Yellow Squash 

1 Bundle Asparagus

1 Medium Sized Sweet Potato

1 Tbs. Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Wonderfully these veggies take just as long as the Tilapia, so you can put them in at the same time! 

2.  Cut up the Veggies into pieces that are around the same size and place flat on a cookie sheet.  Drizzle oil over the veggies and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.  

3.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until the veggies are tender. 

Sauerkraut and Apple Topped Pork - Crock pot

 

It may not look that pretty, but it is beyond delicious.  It is extremely rare for me to clean my plate, and tonight it only took me about 10 minutes.  This recipe is compliments of my future mother in law, and it was wonderful.  She isn't on Facebook and therefore has no idea about this blog, but she would be happy to know it turned out perfectly! Blake is the Crock Pot King in our household and I was very happy with how great this turned out.  This is my first Crock pot recipe, but definitely not my last.  I am currently envisioning myself as a young busy mother, plugging my Crock pot in and returning home after work to a wonderfully home cooked meal.  Whoever invented this magical machine most definitely has my blessing because it is a gift from the gods.  Not to mention, this recipe is perfect for fall with all those apples! The only thing this meal needed was a nice serving of corn or roasted sweet potatoes on the side.  Everyone should try this one, it is a winner.  

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 Pork Loin cut into 4-5 servings 

1 Large Jar Sauerkraut - split into 2 equal parts

3-4 Medium sized Apples - peeled and sliced

1 Cup packed brown sugar

8 Cloves Garlic

Salt and Pepper to taste

1.  Begin by slicing your pork loin into 4 or 5 even servings.  Cut slits into the individual chops and insert cloves of garlic.
2.  You are going to layer each item in the Crock pot.  Begin with half the jar of sauerkraut, and spread it evenly on the bottom of the Crock pot.  Then put a layer of sliced apples; followed by half of the brown sugar.  Make sure to spread the brown sugar evenly, and then top with all of the pork slices.
3.  To finish, you will then put another layer of apples then sauerkraut, and the rest of the brown sugar.
4.  Set your Crock pot to the 4 hour setting, wait, and then enjoy!

Jalapeno Poppers from Aisle to Aloha!

YUM! That is all I can say about this recipe.  A big thank you to Pinterest for letting me fall upon this fantastic treat! As an added bonus, I also found another wonderful blog to follow! Aisle to Aloha is a wonderful blogger who not only cooks but also paints! This is her recipe and it was a wonderful afternoon treat for Blake and I.  Blake felt I should have added a little bit more cream cheese, but I think it needed more bacon (surprise!).  As you know, I LOVE any recipe that is quick and easy, and it's an added bonus when there is less than five ingredients.  This appetizer recipe is wonderful and I absolutely love the combination of the creamy cream cheese and crunchy bacon! Click the link below to find the recipe on Aisle to Aloha's blog and enjoy!

Jalapeno Popper Recipe at Aisle to Aloha

Open Faced Ham and Gouda Sandwich with a Poached Egg

 

Thank you National Sandwich Day for the inspiration for tonight's menu! Also, I must point out how AWESOME Blake's camera is.  Look at the steam coming off that egg!!! Back to the topic at hand, sandwiches.  I must say, they are one of my favorite go to meals.  You can be completely creative or plain and boring, and a sandwich is still delicious. 

This particular sandwich was extra special because it was my first time poaching an egg.  It was definitely a success and I cannot wait to make Eggs Benedict next! This deliciously decadent sandwich is topped with avocado, sauteed onions, ham, Gouda cheese, and of course, a poached egg.  It was very yummy and a perfect way to celebrate National Sandwich Day!

Things You'll Need:

Thinly sliced ham  - 2-3 slices per sandwich: I sauteed my slices up for a few minutes ahead of time

1 Avocado sliced

1/4 Onion - sliced
Gouda Cheese
2-3 eggs - depends on how many you want on your sandwich
Any type of bread - 1 slice per sandwich

1.  Prepare avocado, bread, and ham ahead of time.  Slice the avocado and butter the bread in preparation for putting together your sandwich.  If you would like to saute the ham, do this ahead of time as well (It adds a bit more flavor).

2.  Begin by Sauteeing the onions in a medium sized pan on medium- high heat.  Set aside once finished.

3.  In a large non-stick pan on medium-high heat, place bread butter side down.  Top with avocado, onion, ham, and then cheese (in that order).  Place the pan cover on top of the sandwich to allow the cheese to melt.  Keep an eye on your bread, it can burn quickly! (I know from experience)


Poaching the Egg:
This seemed daunting to me.  I didn't want to break the yolk or screw anything up, and because of this have put off poaching eggs for years.  Surprise surprise, it was very easy!

1.  Bring a pot of water to a slow rolling boil.  Crack an egg into a small bowl to make it easier to drop into the water.

2.  Once the water comes to a slow roll, stir the water so it is moving in a circular motion. 

3.  Drop the egg into the center of the circle and if necessary stir again to ensure the egg continues to move.

4.  Let the egg cook in the boiling water for about 3 minutes and using a ladle, remove.

The only other thing you need to do is serve your poached egg on top of your favorite meal!

Fried Oatmeal with Raspberries and Maple Syrup

Earlier this week, I had a massive fail while attempting to re-create lettuce wraps.  They not only tasted pretty terrible, but I also received a pretty nasty burn mark as well. All in all a fail.  Recently, I've become seriously addicted to Stumble Upon (BTW, Make sure to click the link to the right to help get my blog on Stumble Upon!).  While looking at food blogs at all hours of the night, I came across a delicious recipe for fried oatmeal.  Clearly I was intrigued. Not only because it sounded delicious, but how could this ever work? Surprisingly, after glancing at the recipe I realized it was quite easy.  I decided to give it a try this morning.  A quick heads up, I made the oatmeal a day ahead to ensure that it would set completely.  Also, you don't want to cook the oatmeal with too much water, or it will not set properly.  Looking back, I would add even less water then the recipe called for.  I also added some raisins and a bit of brown sugar to my oatmeal to add a bit of sweetness.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Quick Cooking Oats - cook according to box
1/4 Cup raisins
1 Tbs. Packed Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Frozen Raspberries
1 Tsp. Sugar
2 Tbs. Butter
Maple Syrup for serving

Oops, how did that get in there??? Bumble Bean!!!!!!

1.  A day ahead of time, cook your oats according to the directions on the box.  As I stated before, you may want to go light on the cooking liquid to help the oatmeal set properly.  After cooking the oatmeal, add the raisins and brown sugar.

2.  Place the cooked oatmeal in a loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place in the fridge to cool and set until the next morning.

3.  In a medium pan melt the butter on medium to medium-high heat.  Take your loaf pan out of the refrigerator and cut oatmeal into squares.  Using a spatula remove the pieces out in preparation for cooking.  Place into heated pan and fry for 2-3 min on each side or until golden brown.

4.  Mix the sugar with eh defrosted berries.  Serve fried oatmeal atop the berries and top with maple syrup.

This is a wonderful surprise to the boring old oatmeal breakfast.  You could add many different fruits to your oatmeal to change up the flavor too! Be creative and always enjoy!

Bacon and Blue Cheese Stuffed Turkey Burgers

Blake and I like to eat at this little hole in the wall restaurant that serves the BEST turkey burger! We always eat dinner there after hitting a few golf balls at the driving range next door and it's a wonderful way to end a nice summer evening. This is a bit of an adaptation of their BBQ bacon turkey burger.  Although it was cool to have the bacon and cheese on the inside, I actually think this burger would be better with all the goodies on the outside.  I topped my BBQ bacon burger off with homemade chunky BBQ sauce and a poblano pepper sweet onion salsa.

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. Lean ground turkey
1/4 Sweet onion - finely grated
1 Tbs. Grill Seasoning
4 Slices Bacon
2 Tbs. Blue Cheese Crumbles - 1 Tbs. per burger
Any type of hamburger bun you like 

1.  In a large bowl, mix together the grated onion and grill seasoning.  Unlike ground beef, ground turkey will not get tough from over mixing.  Make sure the ground turkey is well mixed before making your patties.  You will need to make four patties for two burgers.

2.  Make two of the patties and in the center put crumbled bacon and blue cheese.  Make the other two patties and place on top of the previous ones.  Pinch together the sides ensuring that the two patties are well sealed.

3.  In a large skillet on medium to medium-high heat, heat 1 Tbs. oil and 1 Tbs. butter.  Place the two burgers and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side, making sure they are cooked thoroughly.

4.  Once the burgers are ready to serve, place on top of your hamburger bun and top with the Chunky BBQ sauce.  Find the recipe here for the BBQ sauce form my previous post! Then top with the Salsa and enjoy!


Pablano Pepper and Sweet Onion Salsa:
1/2 Pablano Pepper - Diced
1/4 Sweet Onion - Diced
1 Tsp. Cider Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

1.  Mix together ingredients and set aside until the burgers are ready to serve.

Beet and Onion Salad

Beets are delicious and often forgotten about.  They are high in Carbohydrates and low in fat, which means you'll get plenty of energy from eating them without all of that fat! The only time I really even eat beets is on a Greek Salad, and even though this isn't a far departure, it's a great beginning course to a meal.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Can of beets - julienned
1/2 Small sweet onion - sliced
1/4 Cup Gorgonzola crumbles
Mixed Greens for serving

DRESSING:
2 Tbs. Apple Cider vinegar
1 Tbs. Honey
1 Garlic clove
1/2 Tbs. Dijon Mustard 
4 Tbs. Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

1.  In a small bowl mix together the dressing ingredients.  Pour the dressing over the beets, onion, and cheese.  Refrigerate the salad mixture up to an hour ahead of time.

2.  Serve the beet salad on top of a bed of mixed greens and enjoy!

Caramel Apple Crumble Bars

 

Even though we're having a bit of a heat wave, it is officially fall! The cider mills are open and apple and pumpkin farms are in full swing.  My initial recipe was going to be for caramel apples, but that obviously did not work out.  Instead, I adapted a recipe from Paula Deen and made it my own. Her original recipe was for a Caramel Apple Cheescake Bar, but I really didn't have the time to make cheesecake and instead opted to add in raspberries and pecans for this simple apple crumble bar.  

This recipe was specifically made for my School Psych classmates who are working super hard to finish their readings and homework this week.  With that said, you all better raise your hand and answer questions, because clearly I was busy baking and writing this blog.  

CRUST:

1 Cup Flour

1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar

2 Sticks butter softened

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees

2.   Mix together the flour and sugar and then cut in the butter.  Paula Deen recommends using a pastry blender.  A) I have no idea what that is B) I used my hands. 

2.  Pat down into a greased 9X9 baking dish and bake for 15 minutes, or until a light golden brown.

FILLING:
2 Granny Smith Apples- peeled and sliced
2 Macintosh Apples - peeled and sliced
1/2 Cup Frozen or Fresh Raspberries
2 Tbs. Sugar
1 Tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp. Nutmeg - if you have it

1.  Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and spread over baked crust.

CRUMB TOPPING:
1 Cup Flour
1 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
1 Stick Butter - softened
1 Tsp. Cinnamon
1 pinch salt
2 Tbs. Pecans


1.  Mix together the ingredients (again, just use your hands). Sprinkle on top of the apple filling and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the filling is set.  The crumb topping should also be golden brown

CARAMEL SAUCE:
10-12 unwrapped candy caramels
1/4 Cup water

1.  In a small pot over medium heat, melt the caramels.  Continue stirring the caramels with a wooden spoon until completely melted.

2.  Poor over the top of the finished bars and top with any extra pecans.

Garlic & Olive Oil Shrimp Pasta

This recipe uses ingredients that you most likely already have in your kitchen.  Frozen shrimp are the highlight of this pasta dish and it's a nice change up from the usual marinara sauce.  Make this pasta dish for dinner and your guests will think you picked up carry out from Olive Garden (minus the AWESOME bread sticks of course).

INGREDIENTS:
12 shrimp - peeled and deveined  
1/2 box Spaghetti
3-4 Cloves garlic minced
3 Tbs. Butter
3 Tbs. Olive Oil
1/2 Cup white wine
Parmesan for grating
* Yields 2-3 servings

1.  Begin by cooking the pasta according to the box.  In a large pan heat up the butter and oil.  Add the garlic and let it saute for a few minutes, being careful not to let it burn.

2.  Add in the shrimp and let them cook until almost fully pink.  Add in the 1/2 cup of white wine and turn the heat up to high.  Cook the wine for a few minutes until it has reduced by half. 

3.  Top spaghetti with shrimp and garlic butter sauce.  Top with grated parmesan and parsley.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Fried Ravioli

Pasta and cheese is a fantastic combination and after deep frying it, it was even more amazing.  Are you ever looking for a new idea for pasta other than just dredging it in pasta sauce? This recipe is really easy and super cheap.  The best part of this recipe is that you can buy ppre-made ravioli and marinara in the store.

INGREDIENTS:
1 package pre-made cheese filled ravioli
1 small jar marinara
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 Tbs. dry parsley
1 Tbs. dry  basil
2 Eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
Vegetable oil
Parmesan sheep

1.  Begin by heating an inch or two of oil in a medium sized pot.  The oil should be hot enough to crisp up a piece of bread in 10 seconds.  Keep a close eye on the oil, you do not want it to overheat.

2.  While the oil is heating, Combine the egg and milk in a bowl, and the bread crumbs, panko, parsley, and basil in a dish.

3.  When the oil is ready, dip the ravioli in the egg mixture and then the bread crumbs.  Drop gently into the hot oil flipping after a minute or two until the raviolis are golden brown.  Only cook about 2 or 3 raviolis at one time.  Otherwise, the oil will cool down too much and your raviolis wont cook properly.

4.  Put the cooked raviolis on a couple sheets of paper towel to soak up the extra oil and top with shredded Parmesan.  Heat up the marinara and serve.

Steak Bits with Garlic Herb Smashed Potatoes

I've been absent this entire week, but I am officially back on the cooking schedule (I'm sure Blake is happy about this), and ladies it worked!!!!!! Blake decided he couldn't live life without my cooking and sealed the deal, a.k.a we're engaged! As you can imagine most of our week was full of dinners and celebrations with friends and family. We took an evening to ourselves and walked down town for some food at a new restaurant that just opened up in downtown Northville.  I got my inspiration for this dinner from their menu, which was very good and very tasty.  They had steak bites and mashed potatoes on their menu and I was SO excited, but then I found out that their "chop" sauce was basically just gravy.  I wanted steak, potatoes, and steak sauce not gravy.  Therefore I told Blake, "Tomorrow we shall eat steak!"

I made enough for the two of us, and we still had left overs.  Plus I froze about 1/3 of the steak that I didn't even use.  Obviously if you don't want to make your own mashed potatoes, they have a lot of pre-made containers in the grocery store these days that are pretty good.

STEAK BITS:
3/4 lb. Top Sirloin steak cut into cubes 
1/2 Large sweet onion sliced
3 Cloves garlic minced
2 Tbs. Cajun spices (This amount depends on how much spice you like)
2 Tbs. Butter
Salt & Pepper to taste

1.  Begin by heating the butter in a large skillet on medium to medium - high heat.  Add the onions and saute until tender.  Add in garlic shortly before the onions are finished being careful not to burn.

2.  Add the cubes of steak to the hot pan and cook for about 2 minutes.  Flip steak bits over in the pan until they are cooked on all sides.  (If you need to, you may drain some of the excess juices from the pan, I didn't want any gravy type sauce so I got rid of the extra juices right before the steak bits were finished).  The cooking process should take about 5-6 minutes total.

** Because the steak bits are cut into cubes, they will cook fairly quickly.  You don't want to have to chew through rubber, so be sure to not cook the steak bits too much.

3.  Pile steak bits on top of mashed potatoes and top with sauce!

GARLIC SMASHED POTATOES:
4 Red Russet potatoes (This was for two of us, with extras)
1/4 Cup Ricotta cheese (You could use sour cream or greek yogurt instead too, whatever you have on hand)
2-3 Tbs. Butter
2-3 Tbs. Milk (Add more depending on how thick or smooth you want your potatoes)
1 Tbs. Chives minced
1 Tbs. Parsley minced
2-3 Cloves garlic minced
Salt & Pepper to taste

1.  Fill a large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil.

2. Cut potatoes into fours and add to boiling water.  Cook until potatoes are fork tender.

3.  Once the potatoes are done cooking, add to a bowl with ricotta, butter, milk, garlic, herbs, and salt and pepper.  Mash with a potato masher or large fork.

STEAK SAUCE:
1/4 Cup Ketchup
2 Tbs. Honey
1/4 Cup A1 Steak Sauce
1/2 Tbs. Blackened Cajun Spices
1 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 Tsp. Chili Powder 
Salt & Pepper to taste

1.  Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and spoon over steak when ready.  This could be made ahead of time.

Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

 

I know it's rude to brag, but oh my god.... this is one of the best recipes I've made so far.   I've adapted this recipe from one I saw in Martha Stewart's Everyday Food and Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals on Food Network.  I had to think of something to do with all my cherry tomatoes, and I didn't want to make another tomato mozzarella salad.  If you have more cherry tomatoes than you know what to do with, this is definitely the recipe for you! The only thing I would change the next time is that I'd add more garlic! This is a MUST TRY!

TOMATOES:

1 lb cherry or grape sized tomatoes

1/2 Cup olive oil 

1-2 bulbs of garlic- separate the individual cloves from their skins

2-3 Sprigs rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Add the tomatoes, rosemary, and garlic cloves into a oven safe dish. 

2.  pour the 1/2 cup of olive oil over the mixture and toss gently, making sure everything is coated evenly.  sprinkle the salt and pepper over the tomatoes and toss again. You want about a 1/4 of an inch of olive oil in the pan.  

3.  Bake the tomatoes in the oven for 45-50 minutes.  This can be served hot or room temperature.  

BREAD:

1 baguette 

2 Tbs. Olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

1.  Slice the baguette of your choice on an angle and lay evenly on a cookie sheet.  drizzle the olive oil over the bread slices evenly and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add into the oven under the broil setting.  

*** KEEP AN EYE ON THE BREAD! The broil setting on the oven is VERY hot and will toast your bread within minutes.  Set a timer if you must, because they will burn easily and quickly!

I made this dish as a side for dinner, but I could have easily eaten it for a meal.  Also, use whatever herbs you like the best.  I happen to have rosemary in my garden, and wanted to use it at least once this summer! I also served this with goat cheese to add a little bit more flavor.  The goat cheese added a wonderful creaminess and saltiness to the dish and again, use any type of soft cheese you prefer.  Another suggestion, make extra! This will only taste better the next day when all the flavors meld together.

Homemade Turkey Chili

We had some birthday celebrations this week at work, so I decided to whip up an easy chili that anyone could make.  I personally believe that everything tastes better with an egg on it.  I decided to try out a fried egg on top of our chili and it was absolutely delicious! I topped my chili off with avocado, onion, and cheese, but you could use any toppings you like.  I promise you'll try this chili one time, and you'll wanna make it all year round!


INGREDIENTS:
1-2 lbs. ground turkey
1 sweet onion diced
3-4 cloves garlic diced
Red bell pepper diced            (These were on sale, you can use
Yellow bell pepper diced      any bell pepper you have on hand)
2 fresh jalapenos
Splash white wine (Anything you've got will work!)
1 Can red beans
1 Can black beans
1 Can chili beans
1 Can crushed tomatoes
1 small can green chilies
3-4 Tbs. Chili powder (add one at a time, tasting after each one and add more as you like)
1 Tbs. Onion powder
1 Tbs. Garlic powder
pinch of red pepper flakes

1. Begin by browning the turkey in a large pot on medium-high heat. .  Add in the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent.  De glaze the pot with a splash of white wine, and continue cooking the turkey and onions until the white wine is cooked completely out.

2.  Once the onion is finished cooking, add in the diced bell peppers and continue cooking until the peppers are softened. 

3.  Add in the beans, tomatoes, diced jalapenos, and green chilies. At this point, you will also want to add in the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes. Lower the heat down and allow the chili to simmer for at least an hour.  

You can serve it that day, or heat it up for another time.  Another great idea is to freeze it in single servings and defrost as necessary.  Just top it off with whatever toppings you like, including fried eggs, and enjoy!!!

Lemon Sugar Cookies with Lemon Lavender Glaze

Growing up, my mother always had these mints in her purse that I would secretly steal.  They were violet mints and something about them was soooooo addicting. I remember going on vacation to Hawaii my freshman year of high school, and while we were there we found a convenience store that carried them.  My mom and dad bought a whole case! I'm pretty sure we finished about 3-4 packs that day!  I got the idea for this glaze from those memories.  The lavender gives a subtle hint of flavor to the glaze without overpowering it.

The cookie recipe if from Rachel Ray's Magazine and the cookies are fantastic.  You could adapt these cookies with any citrus fruit and they would be delicious.

Lemon Cookies:
1 stick butter (the recipe says chilled but mine was softened)

1 1/4 cups sugar
Grated peel of 2 lemons, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line 3 large cookie sheets with parchment paper, set aside. Using an electric mixer, combine the butter, 1 cup sugar, the lemon peel and juice until fluffy. Mix in the egg. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and combine.

2. Place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl. Roll heaping teaspoons of dough into balls, then roll in the sugar. Place on the prepared cookie sheets a few inches apart. Bake until golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookie sheets to racks to cool completely.

Lemon Lavender Glaze:

2 Cups Powdered Sugar

1 Tbs Lemon juice

2-3 Tbs Milk

8-10 Sprigs Lavender - dried & buds removed

Combine all ingredients and stir.  If the glaze is too thick add more milk until you get the consistency you want. I used Lavender from my mom's garden and dried them in my kitchen.  You can also purchase dried lavender buds from craft stores like Joannes or Michael's.   I would recommend buying lavender buds that are either purchased or from your own garden to ensure that no pesticides were used on them. 

The Beginning

This is now my second blog.  The first one kind of just, fizzled away.  I recently have begun cooking and baking and I'm amazed at how much I love it! I spend many hours searching for my next idea on the web, and I am beyond thankful for all of those food blogs out there.  I've gotten some of my best ideas from them!

I'm the kind of person who wont even consider a recipe unless there is a picture available to show me how it should look once I finish.  For that reason, all will include pictures of my final product.  I've always loved cooking, but never ventured outside of the usual salad and chicken until recently.  Some of these will be epic failures and others hopefully successes! Please enjoy as much as I do!