Zuppa Toscana

Another OG knockoff. This is tasty with Caesar Salad and breadsticks. And great for a cold snowy day! This recipe makes about 8 servings, so scale down or invite over some friends.

Zuppa Toscana
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1½ tsp crushed red peppers
1 large diced white onion
4 Tbsp bacon pieces
2 tsp garlic puree
10 cups water
5 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
¼ of a bunch of kale

Sauté Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Remove from pan and set aside. In the same pan, sauté bacon, onions and garlic for approxiamtly 15 minutes or until the onions are soft. ix together the chicken bouillon and water, then add it to the onions, bacon and garlic. Cook until boiling.

Add potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour. Add heavy cream and cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in the sausage. Add kale just before serving.

Lime Tenderloin

BBQ turned out this week to be a grilled Lime Infused Tenderloin. Very simple and quick!

Lime Infused Tenderloin
3-4 lb. beef or venison tenderloin
4 limes
2 T. kosher salt

With the palm of your hand, roll limes on countertop to loosen juices. Cut limes in half and juice. Pierce tenderloin with a kitchen fork. This allows the juices to get inside and makes it very tasty! Sprinkle kosher salt on both sides of the tenderloin. Pour lime juice over the tenderloin and let marinate (the longer... the better!). Grill tenderloin on BBQ until pink in center.

Beef Stew

The great thing about having a roast is having the leftovers! Leftover roast makes the best stew.

Roast Stew
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 potatoes, washed and chopped
2 stalks celery, washed and chopped
1 clove garlic minced
kosher salt
ground black pepper
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
24 oz. beef stock/broth
leftover roast, course chopped

Melt butter in large cast iron skillet. Add vegetables and saute until just tender. Add flour to remaining butter to make a roux (add a little extra butter if needed). Pour in 8 oz. of the broth to absorb roux. Add vegetables, roux and leftover roast bits into crock pot and 'stew' for 3-4 hours or until vegetables are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.

Teriyaki Stir Fry

Teriyaki Stir Fry
3 large chicken breasts
3 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 can bamboo shoot or water chestnuts

Teriyaki Sauce
2/3 cup sugar
8 T. rice vinegar
6 T. soy sauce
4 level tbsp corn starch
1 cup water

Saute chicken breast and vegetables in a large non stick skillet. In a saucepan combine sugar, vinegar and soy sauce. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Combine corn starch and water and stir. Add to sugar mixture a little at a time until all is incorporated. Stir and heat until boiling and sauce thickens.

Serve over chicken, vegetables and steamed white rice.

Mom's Roast

I call this Mom's Roast because this is how my mom always prepares her roasts! It is delicious with my Grandma's Chile Tomato Salsa (recipe to come soon... I hope!).

Mom's Roast
3-5 lb. beef or venison roast
2 onions, sliced
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
1 T. Olive oil

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven on the stove top over medium high heat. Season the roast with salt and pepper on both sides. When the olive oil is hot, add the roast and sear on both sides (about 5 minutes per side). Add the onions and cook until just translucent. Finish roast in oven for 2 hours or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Stuffed Shells

Stuffed Shells
1 box (14-16 oz.) shell shaped pasta
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. Italian herb seasoning
1 tsp. parsley
1 jar marinara

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta shells according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, combine ricotta, half of the mozzarella, parmesan, egg, bread crumbs and seasonings. Mix thoroughly. Spread 1/3 of the marinara in the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish. When shells are cooled stuff them with cheese mixture, using a large table spoon. Place in baking dish on top of the marinara. Cover stuffed shells with the remainder of the marinara. Bake in oven about 20 minutes. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Serve with salad and breadsticks.

Chicken and Gnocchi Veronese

This recipe is an Olive Garden knockoff. It is rich and creamy and should only be eaten once in awhile!

Gnocchi are an Italian potato dumpling. They are very popular in Argentina as well. They can be made from scratch but it is much easier to pick up a package in the pasta section of any grocery store.

Chicken and Gnocchi Veronese
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small vidalia onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1/2 zucchini, julienned
4 chicken breasts, sliced in 1/2 strips
2 small sprigs of rosemary
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 lemon, juiced

1 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
14 oz. heavy cream

Combine garlic, lemon juice, rosemary and chicken slices in a mixing bowl. Let marinate for at least 2 hours.

Combine Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese and heavy cream in a mixing bowl and set aside.
Heat sauté pan on medium high. Add extra virgin olive oil, onions, bell peppers, and zucchini. Saute until onions are translucent.

Add marinated chicken slices and cook until slices are cooke through. Reduce heat and add sauce mixture. Bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile, cook gnocchi according to package directions. When finished, drain cooked gnocchi and add to pan with chicken, vegetables and sauce. Stir to coat gnocchi with sauce. Serve gnocchi topped with extra Parmesan cheese.

Venison Medallions in Red Wine Sauce

Venison is just a fancy name for deer meat! We eat alot of deer at our house. Not only is it better for you than beef (way less fat) but we have lots since the husband is a hunter. And don't worry... the alcohol in the red wine evaporates in the cooking process. Or you can use a high quality 100% grape juice. I actually used half and half because I didn't have enough of either!

Venison Medallions in Red Wine Sauce
1 1/2 lbs. venison tenderloin, cut into medallions
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 T. butter, divided use
4 large garlic cloves, finely minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 t. dried thyme
1 T all-purpose flour
2 cups beef broth
2 cups dry red wine

Pound venison rounds to flatten to generous 1/4-inch-thick medallions. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook meat in skillet until brown on outside but still pink in center, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer meat to plate. Add remaining butter to same skillet.

Add garlic, onion and thyme to skillet; sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add flour; stir 1 minute to make a roux. Add broth and wine. Boil until sauce thickens and is reduced to 1 1/4 cups, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Return meat and any collected juices to sauce in skillet; heat through, about 1 minute.

Serve with mashed potatoes and a steamed or grilled veggie.

Shrimp Tacos

When I first heard of Shrimp Tacos, I was a little skeptical. I was thinking of Mexican in more of a Sonoran sense, not Baja. Now they are one of my favorite dishes.

Shrimp Tacos
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large garlic cloves, minced
4 limes, cut into quarters
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 6-inch corn tortillas
2 to 3 cups finely shredded green cabbage
fresh cilantro sprigs

Whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, milk, and cumin. Set aside.
Skewer the shrimp. (If using wood skewers, soak them in water for 10 minutes beforehand.) In a small bowl, combine the butter and garlic.

Baste the skewered shrimp with the garlic butter. Place them on a broiler rack with the limes. Cook in a preheated oven (300 degrees) about 4 minutes on each side or until the shrimp are opaque and the limes are browned.

To serve, pull the shrimp off the skewers and divide them evenly among the tortillas. Top with the cabbage, sour cream sauce, salsa, and fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.

Roasted Red Potatoes

A great side dish for Corned Beef, Pot Roast or Roasted Chicken!

Roasted Red Potatoes
4 large red potatoes
3 T. Olive oil
2 T. dehydrated minced onion
2 t. garlic powder
1 T. kosher salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 T. dried parsley

Wash potatoes and cut into bite size cubes. Dry off potatoes and toss with oil. Sprinkle seasonings on potatoes and toss. Place potatoes in 13x9 baking dish and roast at 350 degrees for about one hour.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Corned Beef and Cabbage is a St. Patrick's Day tradition in my family. It is an acquired taste and actually pretty high in fat... so we indulge just once a year. Corned Beef is actually an Irish food. The term comes from curing the beef in a large crock with 'corns' of salt. Although it is a little plain for a holiday in Ireland, it's holiday food at my house.

I am not so much a expert in Irish cuisine, so I actually just purchased a pre-seasoned corned beef from the meat department at the grocery store. I serve Corned Beef with Steamed Cabbage and Roasted Red Potatoes.

Meaty Pizza

Meat Lover's Pizza

Use Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe. Top with marinara, cheese, pepperoni, sausage, diced ham and whatever else sounds good!

Meatballs

These meatballs can be used for any dish, but I like them best with a tomato sauce dish like Spaghetti and Meatballs. Because I am making the meatballs from 'scratch' I will usually use marinara from a jar to top my noodles. Just like I said... getting our tummies full!

Meatballs
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup milk
2 T. white onion, minced
1 t. salt
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 egg

Mix all ingredients well. Shape into 18-20 balls. Place in 13x9 baking dish and bake in preheated 400 degree oven until brown, about 20 minutes. Drain grease off of meatballs before mixing with sauce.

Tamales

Tonight we are having homemade Tamales and whoa! did I bite off a little more than I can chew! We haven't tasted them yet... but they smell pretty good. It was labor intensive and I found a great website to walk me through the process. I can't say it much better then they can and it would take me 4 days to write it. So click here for the step by step recipe.

Mexican Rice

I saw my aunt make this once and so I am not sure if I did it perfectly, but it tasted pretty good so I must have done something right!

Mexican Rice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T. butter
1 cup rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 can tomato sauce

Saute the rice and garlic in the butter over medium heat until garlic is golden and rice begins to brown. Mix rice, broth and tomato sauce in a saucepan. Cook over medium high heat until boiling. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer until rice is tender.

Maple Syrup

What's buttermilk pancakes without homemade maple syrup?

Maple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup light Karo syrup
1 cup water
1 t. mapeleine
1 t. vanilla

Combine sugars, Karo and water in saucepan over medium heat. Heat until boiling. Add mapeleine and vanilla and stir. Remove from heat and serve.

Buttermilk Pancakes

Well, today I tried to make my tamales... but I waited a little too long and didn't get the husks in the water to soak long enough. So, last minute decision... breakfast for dinner! I love having breakfast for dinner every once in awhile!

Buttermilk Pancakes
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup flour
1 T. sugar
2 T. butter, melted
3 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt

Mix egg and milk and whip with a wire whisk. Add dry ingredients and butter and beat by hand until smooth. Pour 1/3 cup batter onto 350 degree non-stick griddle. When the pancakes begin to dry on edges and bubble in the middle, they are ready to be flipped. Makes 8-10 pancakes.

Cilantro Chicken with Peanuts

Cilantro Chicken with Peanuts
1 lb. boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 inch strips
1 T. olive oil
1 T. Soy sauce
2 t. rice vinegar
1 t. sesame oil
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, stemmed and chopped
2 cups Chinese cabbage, shredded
4 T. dry roasted peanuts, chopped
8 oz. Udon noodles

Cook chicken over medium high heat in oil in a skillet. Add soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and pepper flakes. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro and peanuts.

Meanwhile, cook Udon noodles according to package directions. Place cabbage over bed of Udon noodles and top with chicken. Enjoy!

Greek Orzo Salad

For my picture of the week I chose this Greek Orzo Salad. It is delicious and a great way to use up extra ingredients.

Greek Orzo Salad
1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo
2 (6 ounce) cans marinated artichoke hearts
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 (2 ounce) can black olives, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Drain artichoke hearts, reserving liquid.

In large bowl combine pasta, artichoke hearts, tomato, cucumber, onion, feta, olives, parsley, lemon juice, oregano and lemon pepper. Toss and chill for 1 hour in refrigerator.

This recipe was found at allrecipes.com

Oven BBQ Pork Chops

Oven BBQ Pork Chops
6 pork chops
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup orange juice
1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add the pork chops and cook until beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the pan. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add orange juice and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in barbecue sauce. Return the pork chops to the pan, turning several times to coat with the sauce.

Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the pork chops are barely pink in the center. Serve the sauce over the pork chops.

This recipe came from ABC4. We served it with cooked carrots and Greek Orzo Salad.

Bird's Nest Pie

This is a great make ahead meal. Serve with breadsticks and Caesar Salad.

Bird's Nest Pie
8 oz. uncooked spaghetti
2 eggs beaten
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 onion, chopped
2 T. butter
1 cup sour cream
1 lb. Italian pork sausage
4 oz. mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cup marinara

Break spaghetti in half and cook until al dente. Drain and mix with Parmesan cheese and eggs.
Press spaghetti into bottom and up sides of a well greased 10 inch pie plate.
Saute the onion in butter. Mix with sour cream and spread over spaghetti crust.
Brown sausage and drain fat. Stir in spaghetti sauce. Spoon over sour cream and onion. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Put mozzarella cheese on top and melt.

Barbacoa Pork Tacos

Such a yummy treat to have Cafe Rio style food at home. And for a lot less money!

Barbacoa Pork
5 lb. boneless pork roast
12 oz. Dr. Pepper
16 oz. salsa
1-2 cups brown sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)

Cook in crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. Remove pork roast and shred. Return to juices in crock pot and simmer an additional 2-3 hours.

Serve with tortillas, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, cheese, etc. and Tomatillo Ranch Dressing.

Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

Tomatillo Ranch Dressing
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Buttermilk Dressing
1 c. buttermilk
1 c. plain yogurt or mayonnaise
3 tomatillos
2 cloves of garlic
1 c. fresh cilantro (washed and stemmed)
1/2 t. Cayenne Pepper

Put all ingredients into a blender and puree. Refrigerate and serve with Pork Tacos!

Greek Pizza

Tonight we had yummy Greek Pizza! Another new recipe for me...

Greek Pizza
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup Feta cheese
4 cloves garlic, minced

Toppings:
Sundried tomatoes
Artichoke Hearts
Kalamata or Black Olives
Fresh Tomatoes

Mix mayo, 1/2 of the Feta and the garlic. Spread onto parbaked pizza crust. Top with your choice of toppings and spread the rest of the cheese on top. Bake in 425 degree oven for about 10-12 minutes.

In the future, I think I will try plain yogurt instead of the mayonnaise and maybe throw a little grilled chicken on for some protein!

Homemade Pizza Dough

Pizza Dough
3/4 cup hot water
3/4 T. yeast
2 T. oil
2 1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 t. salt

Soften yeast in water. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Turn pizza dough onto lightly floured surface and knead until elastic, about 5 minutes. Roll out pizza dough and place on pan. If using a pizza stone, lightly sprinkle cornmeal on stone to prevent sticking. Parbake before topping in a 425 degree oven for about 5 minutes.

Three Bean Turkey Chili

This recipe is super easy and tastes great! I've tried it with ground beef or deer and it tastes best with the turkey. Top with sour cream and cheddar cheese and serve with warm corn bread.

Turkey Chili
20 oz. ground turkey
2 10 oz. cans black beans
2 10 oz. cans red or kidney beans
1 small can green chilies
3 T. light chili powder
1 c. frozen or canned corn

Brown ground turkey in a sauté pan. Place all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low 6-8 hours.

Cowboy Sloppy Joes

Last week I bought a cookbook called "The Imus Ranch" based solely on the beautiful photography. When I got it home, I delved into it, very excited about my steal (it was $3). Well, it is cooking for kids and cowboys on a vegan cattle ranch. What?! Talk about an oxymoron. Well, since we are the carnivorous type, I will be adding my own flair to these recipes.

I love my sloppy joe recipe (gleaned from my mom and Aunt Debby) but I am always up for trying something new. So, I thought I would try these Cowboy Sloppy Joes.

Cowboy Sloppy Joes
2 T. Olive Oil
1 med. onion diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 t. dried oregano
3 T. Balsamic Vinegar
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
2 T. Worcestershire
1 t. spicy brown mustard
1 lb. ground venison
6 oz. can tomato sauce
6 hamburger buns (we used ranch rolls from the bakery)
mozzarella cheese

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. When it simmers, add the onion, garlic and oregano and saute until onions are translucent. Add the vinegar and boil until it reduces by about half. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, Worcestershire and brown mustard. Add meat and brown. Add tomato sauce to thicken. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Warm buns in 300 degree oven for 3-5 minutes.

Top the bottom half of the bun with meat mixture and mozzarella cheese. Serve immediately!

Note: Luke likes my other sloppy joes better.

Beef Roast and Mashed Potatoes

We were treated tonight... my mom made a wonderful beef roast with mashed potatoes and gravy! Thanks, Mom!