zuppa toscana

I have learned to love this soup. My friend Laura was the one to get me to try it at Olive Garden. I decided that I wanted to give it a try. I search some recipes online and found one that is pretty good. Go here if you want to see the recipe.

My changes are as follows:
I have made it with Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage (good! then you don't need the hot pepper flakes), Hot Italian ground sausage (or you can get the links and remove the casings) and Jimmy Dean regular sausage (you will need a couple shakes of crushed red pepper). You will get the same result.

I am a red potato fan. I think they have a creamier texture when cooked, so I use those ALL the time.

I do not drain the sausage, I just leave it in the pan after I brown it. This time I did throw the onion in and let that sauté for a bit before adding the water and chicken broth. I also like to let the kale cook a bit, so I throw that in and let it go about 15 minutes or so.

At the end, add the cream and bacon bits.

It is so good! There is a little zing from the red peppers, but the cream makes it smooth at the same time. Does that make sense?

OH! and you can add more water than the recipe calls for, just adjust the salt to taste!

This is before adding the cream. 

eggplant parmesan

I LOVE this meal. Adam likes it OK, but he prefers meals that contain meat. 

This is easy, but it does take time. What I like is that after you fry it, you can freeze it for later. 

egg wash - eggs and water, the amount depends on how much you are making. 

eggplant - peeled and sliced (either in circles or lengthwise)

breadcrumbs

oil

Dip the eggplant in the egg wash and then press into breadcrumbs.

Heat the oil in a pan and let it get to temp while you are breading the eggplant plant. 

Fry until browned on both sides and drain. 

You can serve this over spaghetti with sauce and cheese, or however you want. This time I put some marinara sauce and topped with mozzarella. Bake or broil to melt the cheese. 

DIY instant oatmeal

This is super easy and simple and inexpensive. All I did was this:

1/4 C - quick oats

1 tbsp - brown sugar

a sprinkle of cinnamon

Add to a small baggie. Snack size would work well, but I didn't have any. This is a perfect serving size for my kids. 

Make according to instructions on Quick oats, however, I just added some hot water to mine. 

I didn't add any craisons or walnuts to the bags, but you could. 

chicken fajitas

You can add more if you want.

1 - onion, sliced (I used a red onion this time, but whatever works)
1 - green bell pepper
1- red bell pepper
1- orange or yellow bell pepper
1-2 chicken breasts, cut into strips (you could use other meats)
Goya Adobo seasoning to taste
vegetable oil

In a bowl, mix the onion and peppers together. Drizzle with some oil and Adobo seasoning.
In a bag, mix the chicken, oil and Adobo seasoning.

In a non-stick skillet (I used a long rectangular one), drizzle with oil, heat to med-high. Add veggies to one side and chicken to the other. I usually sprinkle a little more Adobo seasoning on at this time. I fight my OCD and let the fajitas cook. If you can resist the urge to toss them around with tongs, then the peppers and chicken with have some time to get nice and brown. But be careful, you don't want them to burn. Cook until the chicken is cook through and the peppers and chicken are browned evenly.

Serve with warm tortilla, cheese, sour cream, or whatever you like.

I like the flavor of the Adobo seasoning instead of the fajita packets you can buy. It tastes better to me.

pot roast

I don't make pot roast that often because to be honest, the meat is too expensive for me. I bought this one for $10. I can get multiple chicken meals for that price. Anyway, I decided it was time so I bought one. I have 2 stories to share about this. First I would spend weekends with my Grandma (Dad's mom) and she would always make a pot roast on Sunday. I would help her cook. What I took from those moments was this: She would always put onions in the roast pan first to set the meat on. Then she would add a couple beef bouillon cubes in. I don't remember everything else. 

My Mom and Dad had a Deli when I was in high school and of course I worked there after school and on the weekends. My parents would make their own roast beef that they would cool and then slice. I remember it being a HUGE piece of meat that they would roast for hours. Everyone that came in would smell it in the morning and then come back later and try to get my mom to slice them off a piece as it was cooling. OK, not everyone, but some of our regulars/friends. The ingredient that I have on hand is Maggi seasoning. It makes it yummy. 

So back to what I did. First I pulled out the crockpot. I forgot to take the meat out of the freezer until that morning.... so I put the crock pot on high and hoped for the best. No worries though, it came out great. 

2 - onions, I wedged mine

2 - beef bouillon cubes

2 - bay leaves

3 - cloves of garlic cut into 2 or 3 pieces each

1-2 Cups of water

1 - roast

S&P to taste

8 - red potatoes (I left mine whole)

4 - carrots, peeled and cut into big pieces

3 - celery stalks cut into big pieces

Maggi

I put the onion wedges on the bottom with the garlic and bouillon cubes and bay leaves. I place the roast on top and sprinkle with S&P. I add the water. I then covered it and let it cook on high for a few hours. We have afternoon church, so right before I left, I threw in all the veggies around and on top of the roast. I doused it with Maggi and re-covered it and then left for church. 

Because I started with a frozen block, I cooked this on HIGH for 8 hours. If it was thawed, I would have done LOW for about the same amount of time. 

After I took the meat and veggies out and placed them on a platter and covered with foil. I strained the drippings because Adam wanted gravy. There are many ways to make gravy... flour and water, cornstarch, or a rue. I decided to make a rue. 

1/4 C- butter/oil

1/4 C- flour

3C - broth

S&P to taste

Melt the butter in the pan, add the flour and whisk until smooth. It should be creamy. Slowly add the broth and whisk, whisk, whisk until it is well blended. I used about 4 C of broth, but I didn't measure. Cook on med-high heat and keep whisking until it reaches the thickness you want. Mine wasn't that thick, but I added a lot of broth. S&P to taste. 

zucchini boats

I saw something like this on Pinterest ages ago and just now have gotten around to trying it out. I cut little zucchinis in half, scraped a little of the insides out to make a well. I then diced up some cherry tomatoes and mixed them with s&p, garlic powder, olive oil & basil.
When I put these together, I put the tomatoes down first and then mozzarella cheese. I should have put the cheese first though. Anyway. This is what they looked like after baking at 375 degrees for about 15 mins.

making do

I love breakfast! Eggs and toast is my favorite. When I was packing up my kitchen, my friend Laura threatened my life if I took my toaster with us.
This toaster dated back to my husband's bachelor days. It still functioned.... You had to have it all the way to dark, but would still make perfect toast. So the toaster was tossed. I haven't bought a new one yet and this rental doesn't have one.
I tried this one day and honestly, I like the way this toast comes out much better. It's not as convenient.
I start off lightly buttering one side of bread and I "toast" it in a frying pan until it's golden on both sides, kinda like grilled cheese. It's crispy on the outside, but still a little chewy on the inside.
Si if you are feeling frisky, try making your toast like this.

The pictures are probably out of order... I'm working from my phone here.

corn bread on crack

I wanted to make some corn bread to go with dinner tonight. Since I don't have all of my kitchen gear and recipe books, I decided to just get a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix. I decided to change it up a bit so I crumbled a couple slices of bacon up into it. I put some bacon grease in the bottom of the pan and swirled it up the sides. Last minute I decided to sprinkle some brown sugar on top right before I put it in the oven. I was hoping that it would turn out good and it did! My husband calls it corn bread on crack!

So, here is the "recipe":

1 box of jiffy corn muffin mix, plus ingredients listed on box to make it
1-2 slices of bacon, crumbled
Bacon grease to cover the bottom
Brown sugar sprinkled on top

Bake @ 400 for 20-25 minutes.

must haves

It's been a while. I've had a LONG trip, and I am finally in AZ. Moving helped me to appreciate what I have. We are currently in a rental until our house is ready. It came furnished and all our stuff is in the garage. All my kitchen stuff is in boxes. I don't plan on unpacking until we get settled.
Cooking here is a little bit of a challenge. The other day I planned on making guacamole, I had all the ingredients and then I realized that I didn't have a garlic press.
So my must have this time is the stuff in your kitchen! I feel a little handicapped not having my own pots, dishes, utensils and tools. It's so much easier to cook when you know you have what you need.
Here is a picture of my rental kitchen.

re-fried beans

When I had my first baby, Blake, my friend Mar made us these re-fried beans as a side. Adam didn't stop talking about them for years! I tried to make them a couple times, but they just didn't turn out the same. When we went to Yuma, AZ for house-hunting, we stayed with Mar and her family and I got to kinda watch how she made them. I have to admit that I got a little side-tracked with our conversation. They were as good as we remembered. 

1/2 onion diced

1/4 lb (4 slices) bacon, cut up

1 hot dog, diced (yes, hot dog!)

1 small tomato, diced

2 cans pinto beans, drained

water

• brown the bacon in a pan over medium heat
• add onions and brown
• add tomatoes and hot dog
• I added a little water at this point to de-glaze the pan
• add beans and begin mashing with a potato masher
• add water to desired consistency and continue mixing and mashing until most of the beans are mashed

The best re-fried beans ever!! Thanks Mar!

mexican rice

This was another recipe that I had spent some time researching online and then did my own thing. It turned out really good and it's not too difficult. I use paprika to give it color, so you can use a little more or less if you want. Also it is easy to make a little more, just increase the rice to 2 cups and the broth to 4 cups. 

olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

1 large garlic clove, minced (or pressed)

1/4 C frozen peas

1/4 C frozen corn

2 roma tomatoes, diced

1 1/2 C rice

3 C chicken broth

1/4 tsp cumin

1/2 - 1 tbsp paprika

S&P to taste

• heat oil in pain over medium heat
• add onion and saute until soft/brown
• add garlic, peas, corn, tomatoes and rice and cook approx 5 minutes
• add cumin, paprika and all chicken broth
• bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is cooked, stirring every few minutes.

 UPDATE: My fried Mar said it's not "real" mexican rice. I guess they blend up the tomatoes and onions and mix it with the rice. Something like that.

cauliflower soup

This is a puree'd soup, so you will need an immersion blender or food processor. I got the basics from Giada, but made some changes to make it my own. 

Start off by browning a few slices of bacon, drain and set aside. Save the drippings.

• 1 tbsp bacon drippings
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 onion, diced (can use shallots)
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 head cauliflower, cut up 
• thyme (fresh or dried)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 pint cream

Brown celery and onion in drippings and butter over medium heat. 

Add garlic and cook until it becomes aromatic.

Stir in broth, cauliflower, thyme, and S&P. 

Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft.

Puree the soup in food processor until smooth. I add the cream at this time. 

Put the puree'd soup back into the pan. Check the seasoning and add more s&p as needed. 

Cut up the bacon and serve on top. 

chicken adobo

This is a philipino dish that I first had after my first son. It was so good. I tried to get my friend to write down the recipe for me, but it never happened. And I wanted to have it again. Bad! So I did some research online and then got the ingredient I was missing from her. It is super easy, you just need to remember to leave enough time to marinate... 3 hours. Double all the ingredients and that will make up to 12 chicken thighs. 

4 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed (this serves our little family)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup rice vinegar (you can use white vinegar, but it is not as good)

2-3 tbsp packed brown sugar

1 onion diced

2-3 garlic cloves, pressed

3-4 bay leaves

1/2 can black olives

black pepper

• mix all together and add chicken, press chicken down so it is as covered as you can get it and let marinate for 3 hours
• dump all ingredients into a pan and cook on medium-low heat for 1 to 1.5 hours
• remove bay leaves
• serve over rice

mom's apple pie

This apple pie recipe is pretty simple, but it is really good. The apples are what makes this pie. My mom always uses Cortland apples. They have a beautiful white flesh and they are so sweet. They hold up well to baking. 

I also use a pre-made pie crust. If you want to make your own, go for it. No one knows that I don't make my own crust. I have to admit, I'm not very good at making pies "pretty".

Preheat oven to 425

6 cups sliced Cortland apples

3 tbsp flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp butter, cubed

pie crust for bottom and top

• place pie crust in pie pan
• mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon together in a bowl and then dump in a bowl with the sliced apples and mix 
• pour apple mixture into the pie pan and top with butter and crust
• cut whatever design you want into the crust to let the air escape
• cover the edges with tin foil
• bake for 40-50 minutes

must have

This is a microplane grater. You can use it for anything, grating hard cheeses, zesting lemons, limes, oranges, grating whole nutmegs, or garlic. I have the fine grater and I love it. 

chocolate banana smoothie

I have to say that I broke the blender on this one. It wasn't the best blender in the world. So now I get to upgrade! However, Adam wants me to wait until after we move. That's fine with me... for now. No more smoothies for me until August, that's just sad. 

Anyways, if you want a chocolate treat that's pretty good for you, this is it. 

1 1/2 cups almond milk (or a little more depending how thick you want it)

1 1/2 frozen bananas broken up

2 tsp - 1 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tbsp peanut butter

5 hershey kisses or a small handful of chocolate chips (optional)

If you use the hershey kisses, I put them in first. I like having little bits of chocolate in mine.

Then the other ingredients and blend until smooth.

Makes 2 servings if you want to share. If Blake's around, I always share with him. 

blueberry smoothie

I drank a lot of these when I was pregnant. Blake loves them too. I originally got the idea from my friend Brook. She has a version of this on her blog: http://brookcancook.blogspot.com/ (if you want to check it out)
Blake has been drinking almond milk for a while now. When he was little, we gave him too much milk and his little bum didn't like it too much. But he really loves milk. It was an easy switch for him. It so good for you and it actually tastes good.

I also started freezing bananas. When they start to get ripe and sweet, you peel them, stick them on a wax paper- lined cookie sheet and into the freezer for about an hour. I then transfer them to a bag and leave them in the freezer.

The recipe is simple:

1 frozen banana, broken or cut up
1 to 1 1/2 cups almond milk (depending how thick you like it)
1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
1 handful of spinach (optional)

Ok, I know that the spinach may put some of you off. But consider this: It is really healthy for you and the best part is, you can't taste it!

Put everything into a blender and blend until smooth. Serves 2 if you want to share.

I usually don't add any sweetener because the bananas are plenty sweet.

crack bacon

It's called crack bacon because it's so good, it's addicting! Not to mention that it so simple! My girlfriends and I took a cooking class in Savannah, at the 700 Cooking School and Chef Darin shared this recipe with us. Do yourself a favor, make it with other people around, so you don't eat it all yourself! The black pepper adds just the right "bite" with the brown sugar.

Preheat the oven to 350
1 lb thick sliced bacon
brown sugar
fresh ground black pepper

Press bacon into the brown sugar

place on parchment-lined cookie sheet and add the fresh ground pepper

bake for 10-15 minutes or until bacon is browned, don't burn the sugar

let cool and place on a plate

enjoy!

We like to put this on cheeseburgers. It goes great with smoked cheddar cheese! 

must have

Fresh ground black pepper. It just has a different taste than regular pepper powder. Most pepper-mills let you adjust how fine or coarse you want it. I usually keep mine on medium.
I keep it filled with McCormick black peppercorns, but you could go fancier if you like.

This is my must have for the week. 

roasted chicken

Let me introduce you to herbes de provence! It is a blend of herbs that they supposedly use in the south of France. It really adds something different and delicious to whatever you are making. I have used it in marinara sauces and on roasted chicken.

I buy a roaster chicken with a pop-up timer. To get that beautiful golden color the secret is butter! Grab about a tablespoon of soft butter in your hand and spread under the skin of the breast all the way to the other side, repeat on the other side. Sprinkle the herbes de provence, a little lavender, salt and pepper and cook at the recommended temperature until the timer pops. Start basting every 15-20 minutes after the first 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

eggplant lasagna

1 eggplant, peeled, sliced and put under the broiler until brown

8 lasagna noodles, cooked a few minutes less than package instructions

16 oz ricotta cheese (part skim or whole) mixed with 1 egg, s&p, parsley, parmesan cheese

mozzarella cheese (lots, I don't think there can be too much cheese, but an 8 oz package will probably do)

1 quantity of marinara sauce with spinach (some times I use a jar of Classico tomato and basil sauce)

layering the ingredients

preheat oven to 350

a little bit of sauce on the bottom

noodles (this is a little smaller than 9x13

ricotta cheese mixture

mozzarella

eggplant

sauce

repeat once more, ending with the sauce layer on top (I don't like noodles on top, it dries them out) and parmesan cheese

cook for 30-40 minutes until bubbly

before going into the oven, sprinkle some parmesan cheese on  top

enjoy!

simple guacamole

avocado(s), depending on how many people are eating

garlic clove, pressed (1 per avocado)

salt to taste

lime or lemon juice to prevent browning

• mash and mix avocado's, garlic, lime juice and salt together and enjoy

I used to get all fancy and complicated, adding red onion, cilantro, jalapeno, etc... but honestly this tastes just as good and is so easy! My son and I love it.

these are some awesome muffins!

I was searching for really yummy muffin recipes and I found a recipe that was really good. But in typical Heather fashion, I changed it up and they are better than the original! 

Blueberry (or strawberry) muffins    makes 18

3 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp salt

4 tsp baking powder

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup almond milk (can use regular)

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp almond extract (maybe a splash more if you're feeling frisky)

2 cups fresh blueberries (or chopped fresh strawberries)

• preheat oven to 400 degrees
• line muffin cups with liners
• combine dry ingredients and whisk to mix together
• combine milk, oil and almond extract together, add beaten eggs
• mix together until almost mixed
• fold in berries
• fill muffin cups almost to the top and then put 1 heaping tsp of topping on top
• bake for 20 minutes or until done (be careful not to over bake, muffins will burn) 

crumble top (makes tons... enough for many batches)

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup cubed, cold butter

• smash butter with a fork into the dry ingredients until crumbly.

I have tried using frozen berries. It takes longer to bake. If you thaw them out, it turns the batter blue (or red if using strawberries) so I don't recommend that.

marinara sauce with spinach

I made this marinara to make lasagna. My mother was here and thought that it was so good and wanted the recipe. 

1 onion, fine diced

2 large cloves of garlic, diced

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes (you can use the one with basil added) and about 1/4 cup of water to rinse the can

1 bag of spinach

olive oil

1/2 tsp italian seasoning/basil (or whatever herbs you want)

salt and pepper to taste

parmigiana regiano

• heat oil in a pan on medium heat
• saute onions until a little brown and tender
• add garlic right before adding the spinach 
• add spinach in batches and saute until wilted
• add crushed tomatoes, water, herbs, salt and pepper, and the parmigiana regiano
• when the sauce is bubbling, cover and simmer for 30 minutes
• uncover and cook about 20 minutes more to thicken up the sauce

Serve over pasta, in lasagna, or whatever you would like. Enjoy.