Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs

A few months ago, we had a 'home style BBQ' going away party for some friends - Mac and cheese, green bean casserole, and of course, BBQ ribs.  Somehow I volunteered to do ribs (moment of weakness?) which I had never made before.  But every decent wife has to learn to cook ribs sometime, right?  I heard of doing them in the crockpot, but I have to admit I was super nervous.  Generally, while I hope recipes turn out good enough to eat, I'm not that disappointed if they are a flop.  But since everyone was so excited for ribs, I felt a little pressure to make sure they were tasty.  I had NO idea what I was doing.  I scoured the reviews on all recipes.com and asked the guy at the grocery store for help picking out the ribs.  haha

I finally landed on a crockpot recipe and just decided to go for it - worse case scenario, they are ruined and we order pizza.

They turned out awesome!! The meat literally fell off the bone (which apparently is a good thing!?) and people were raving.  Phew.
 
So, here's the recipe.... 

Ingredients: 
4 pounds pork baby back ribs
salt and pepper to taste
2 C. BBQ sauce*
1 C. ketchup*
1/2 C. packed brown sugar
2 TBSP vinegar**
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 dash hot sauce (to taste)
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder

*original recipe called for 2 C. Ketchup and 1 C. Chili sauce but all the reviews said that was too "ketchup-y." 
**original recipe called for 4 TBSP vinegar but all reviews said that was way too much and they cut it back a lot.  I don't remember how much I put in, but I'm just guessing 2 TBSP or less is probably enough.

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Season ribs with salt and pepper, place in a shallow baking pan.  Brown in the oven for 15 minutes, turn and brown another 15 minutes.  Drain fat
3. In a medium bowl, mix together all other ingredients (sauce).  Place the ribs in the slow cooker (I cut them into mini-slabs of 3 or 4 ribs each).  Pour the sauce over ribs - turning to coat.
4.  Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours, until ribs are tender.

I vaguely remember putting them in the oven before the slow cooker, but maybe not for the entire 30 minutes.  Honestly, I don't remember :) Happy experimenting! 


p.s. here's a link to the original recipe on allrecipes.com

baked potato

So yesterday, I posted about an easy summer meal we ate this week (tilapia in the frying pan.)  My qualifications for a summer meal in our house were: cheap, quick, minimal oven, somewhat healthy. 

This meal was not quick, took so long in the oven that our whole house was steaming hot, and it was not the healthiest of meals.  However, it wasn't completely junky and it was cheap.  So, i guess we're 1 1/2 for 4.


Now that I look at the picture, it's not very diverse in color either.  :)  Before you judge, I did not eat 2 baked potatoes.  Not sure why I had 2 on my plate in the picture... I think my eyes were bigger than my stomach. 

Now, you are thinking... why keep reading?  there is clearly no recipe here... just bake the potato and voila.  Basically, yes.  But i tried a new way of baking potatoes and they were PERFECT.

Perfect Baked Potato
preheat oven to 400 (45 minutes) or 350 (60 minutes)
1. scrub under cold water (not hot)
2. dry with towel
3. poke holes with a fork 3 or 4 times on each side
4. cover with a little vegetable oil
5. roll potatoes in salt (not too much!)
6. place the oil and salt covered potatoes on a rimmed cookie sheet - NO FOIL!!*
7. bake at 400 for 45 minutes (or 350 for 60 minutes)

* I read about this online... wrapping potatoes in foil is essentially like steaming them.  for a true "perfect" baked potato, no foil.  You can check my source here :)

I fried up some bacon for the potatoes along with cheese and a tad bit of sour cream.  If you've never had bacon on a baked potato, you need to try it.

The 400 degree oven + bacon frying = tons of smoke in our kitchen.  And it was 101 degrees outside.  Not to mention I wear long sleeves when frying bacon to avoid greece splattering on my arms :( Poor planning on my part.

However, the meal was delicious. 

We served it with corn and fruit.  (I explained in yesterday's recipe - corn here in nebraska is cheap and delicious.  And when fruit is in season, I go to town!)

Enjoy :)

easy summer meal

goal for summer eating in our house: cheap, quick, minimal oven, somewhat healthy.

this yummy tilapia was exactly that.

I used tilapia filets that I buy frozen in a big bag at walmart.  If I'm grilling salmon, I go for the fish at a real grocery store from the fish deli (or whatever that place is called where they have the lobsters swimming around near the butcher.)  Anyway, I've found that for this tilapia recipe (which is by far our favorite so far) the frozen walmart tilapia works deliciously.   If you're a fish snob, feel free to get it fresh.
If you get it frozen, pull it out early enough to thaw (a few hours or so.)

You will need these ingredients:  (you don't need the coffee maker...)

You'll need some sort of shallow dish to mix them in.  I use a cake pan.

Unfortunately, this is one of those trial and error no amounts recipes.  Don't run away though.  It's so stinkin' easy and I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter how much of each ingredient you use.  If I was one of those super fabulous recipe bloggers, I'd have figured out amounts but meh, not my style.

Combine the following in your shallow dish:  handful of flour (approx 1/2 cup ish), thyme, pepper, garlic powder, salt. 

Mix it all together.  (i use my hands to mix it... clearly, since you can see a tiny outline of my hand print. woops.)  sometimes i add a little more at this point if it doesn't look/ smell seasoned enough. 

Heat butter or oil in a frying pan while covering the filets in the flour mixture (both sides).  I cover them really well.  (the left filet you can barely see in the picture below)

Sautee for a few minutes on each side on medium-high heat, until the outside looks somewhat crispy and the inside flakes with a fork

Pour a little lemon juice over the top.  Serve with fruit or veggies of your choice. We do a lot of corn on the cob around here... plentiful supply (aka: cheap!!) and so so good.  Rice would be a yummy side too!  Enjoy :)



I got this recipe from HERE (there's a video to watch with 3 ways of cooking tilapia, including this recipe.  It's short.)  

Dinner

Tonight, we had a yummy summery dinner.

Now I don't usually like Tilapia... it's pretty bland and I'm not a big fish lover.  But this recipe is awesome!! and easy!  We had herb roasted potatoes on the side and they're delicious.

Tilapia
Mix together the following ingredients in a shallow dish (i use a cake pan):
flour
salt
pepper
garlic powder
thyme

(i don't have amounts... discover your inner chef and just guess. i use enough flour to cover the bottom of the pan and then some.  everything else... less. you pretty much can't go wrong).

Heat up oil in a non-stick pan on the stove.

Then dip the tilapia filets in the mixture and cover BOTH SIDES of the filet.

Sautee the fish a few minutes on each side.  It'll get brown and crispy-ish.  It's finished when it easily flakes with a fork.  After it's cooked, mix equal parts melted butter and lemon juice and pour over the fish.  (don't go too crazy - a little lemon butter sauce goes a long way.)

If you'd like better directions, click here for a short video (the video includes 3 way to cook tilapia but it's super short and helpful!)

Herb Roasted Potatoes (from mi madre)
the best part about this is i usually have everything on hand and just have to pick up $2 worth of potatoes at the store. EASY!!

1/4 c. oil
1 1/2 TBSP fresh lemon juice (i use the stuff in a bottle)
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried marjoram
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 1/2 lbs small red potatoes cut in wedges (i cut them into small bite-sized pieces)

Preheat oven to 400. combine all ingredients except potatoes in a LARGE bowl.  Stir to blend well.  Add potatoes to seasoning - toss/ stir to coat well.  Transfer potatoes to a large rimmed baking sheet, spreading into a single layer.  Bake until brown and tender, about 40 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking.  (i usually spray my cookie sheet with non-stick just to make life easier.)


if i get my act together i'll throw up some pictures but for now, happy cooking... and more importantly, happy eating :)


xoxo,
renee

healthy

we decided to start eating healthier.  this week's dinner menu included:
chicken & ranch wraps
broccoli & shrimp
pork tenderloin
tilapia

breakfast, lunch & snack items included:
bananas
clementines
apples
peanuts
deli turkey & cheese
whole wheat bread
oatmeal
spinach salad
annie's mac and cheese (not that healthy)

i feel better when i eat healthy.
we're not eating organic, gluten free, or vegetarian (not that those things are bad!)  here's our game plan:

slightly smaller portions 5-ish times a day instead of 3 large meals
healthier dinners (i.e. cut back on the meals that call for cream soup (aka: casseroles))
eat out less
snack on fruits and veggies

pretty straightforward. not too crazy. so far, so good.  check back with me in a few weeks to see if we're still going strong.

oh, by the way, on my clementine, the sticker said "party in my tummy." no joke!

Pork Tenderloin

This is a delicious & healthy recipe that takes about 10 minutes to prep... what more could you want from a dinner!?

Pork Tenderloin
from: mi madre
time: 10 minutes prep; 1-8 hours marinate; 45 minutes bake

Ingredients
2 lb. pork tenderloin
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 med. onion, minced
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. basil
1 1/2 tsp. parsley
3 T. soy sauce
1 T. vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients (except pork) in a food processor or blender.  Pour mixture over pork.  Marinate 1-8 hours in a ziplock bag, turning occasionally.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Cook 30-45 minutes or until meat thermometer reaches 160-170.

Downside - 2 lbs of pork tenderloin costs about $10 unless it's on sale...
Upside - it makes a lot of food; we eat it for lunch and dinner several days in a row; it's tasty reheated; you can always buy 1 lb. and cut the ingredients in half :)

enjoy!

Macadamia Nut Fudge

*a christmas favorite at the Pierce's

*recipe makes 128 1 in. squares-I make a half recipe

4 ½ c. sugar (2 lb)

½ c. unsalted butter

1 13 oz. can evaporated milk

3 4 oz. bars sweet cooking chocolate (eg. Baker’s German chocolate)

1 12 oz pkg. semisweet choc. chips

1 7 oz. jar marshmallow cream

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla

3 c. coarsely chopped unsalted raw macadamia nuts

(or walnuts)

Line 2  9-in. square pans w/ waxed paper. Combine sugar, butter & milk in heavy

2 qt. saucepan & bring to simmer over medium heat. At first sign of bubbling, simmer 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat & add all ingredients except 1 cup nuts. Spread into pans.

Sprinkle w/ remaining nuts, pressing lightly into surface. Chill until firm. Cut into squares.

Cathy's Chocolate Chip Cookies

i know everybody says they have the best chocolate chip cookies, but these are the best. they are famous in mount prospect. and that's saying a lot... considering all the famous chefs that have come from the humble village of mt. prospect.

Preheat oven to 350.

mix in a bowl:
      6 1/2 cups flour
      2 tsp. baking soda
      2 tsp. salt

mix in a larger bowl (or standing mixer)
      1 lb. butter (softened... not melted)
      1 1/2 cups sugar
      2 cups light brown sugar
      2 Tbsp. vanilla (real, not artificial)
      3 eggs

Blend flour mixture into butter/sugar mixture. Add 30-36 ounces of good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips AND 1 to 1 1/2 cups of coarsely chopped walnuts.  [optional - if omitting nuts, use a little more flour.]  Refrigerate dough for several hours (which keeps the cookies from flattening while they bake).

Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet, using ice cream scoop for large cookies.  Bake in oven at 350 for 15-18 minutes.  (Don't overcook!!) Allow cookies to cool on the sheet for 10-15 minutes more then transfer them to rack to cool completely.

More tips for perfect cookies:
       use better quality chocolate chips (i.e. tollhouse) & butter
       use Cushionaire or similar brand cookie sheets
       only use the middle rack in the oven
       for chewy, moist cookies, undercook them.  Remove them while they look not quite done.  They'll continue "baking" while cooling on the sheet.
       eat a lot!!! :)






and for extra enjoyment, here's a funny cookie situation to inspire you (not the best quality... sorry!)

Roasted Asparagus

This one came from Ben's Grandma Ruth.  It's delicious!  One of our favorite side dishes to whip up - especially when you can find good asparagus

My Favorite Asparagus--Roasted

Oven:  425 degrees

 

One or two bunches fresh asparagus (20-24 stalks)

Wash, cut off tough ends (an inch or two).

Spread out on large, shallow baking pan.

Drizzle two tsps olive oil over.

Sprinkle garlic salt on top.  Toss to mix.

 

Roast in oven for 6-7 minutes.  Stir or toss to coat stalks again.

 

Roast another 6-7 minutes.  Enjoy!

Chicken Pad Thai

This is one of our favorite things to order takeout.  At some point, it occurred to me to try making it, so I hit up my favorite gluten free friend who has a host of rice-noodle based recipes and she sent me this one.  Although I haven't quite mastered it, it's pretty tasty.  Plus, Ben and I like making this together and he LOVES it.
Oh, something to note- the first time you make this, if you don't already have the Asian cuisine sauces and stuff around, it'll be a slightly pricey dish.  But, then that stuff will last you FOREVER & all you'll need to buy are the chicken and rice noodles each time.

Enjoy!


Ingredients
2 Tbsp. tamari wheat-free soy sauce
2 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. peanut butter
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp. ground fresh chili paste (adjust to taste for level of spiciness) [i don't like spicy so I use approx 1/2 tsp]
8 ounces wide rice noodles
Olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced [i always used refrigerated minced garlic that you buy in a jar.  1 tsp = 2 cloves]
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger (1 tsp if dried ginger) [i use dried]
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 egg
1 C. bean sprouts
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 c. peanuts (crushed)
1 lime, quartered

Directions
1. Whisk together the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, peanut butter, rice vinegar, and chili paste in a small bowl and set aside.  The peanut butter will not mix in completely.
2. Place the raw rice noodles in a bowl and pour very hot water over them.  Let soak for 15 minutes until al dente.  Drain well.  [i have not mastered the cooking-rice-noodles-thing.  generally, I boil water then pour over.  probably, they'd be less sticky if I stirred them around occasionally.  they do cook more when you put them in the pan later...]
3. Heat about 1 heavy tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until cooked through.  Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
4. Add a little more oil to the pan and cook the egg, stirring, for about 45 seconds.  Add the noodles and stir-fry for 30 seconds to separate the noodles.  Add the sauce and chicken, and cook for about 1 minute longer, until heated through.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the bean sprouts, cilantro, and peanuts.  Toss.  Squeeze one-quarter of lime over each serving. [I do a little less than that]

Minestrone Soup

4 oz. uncooked medium pasta shells or macaroni

1 Tbs. butter

½ c. chopped onion

¼ c. chopped fresh basil (or 2 tsp. dried)

1 tsp. chopped garlic

1 lb. Ital. sausage (you can buy the big links and take the casing off-then break it up into pieces)

1 c. sliced carrots

2 med. Zucchini, cut into ½ in. slices

1 large can whole tomatoes-cut up

9 oz frozen cut green beans

4 cans beef broth (I get more to add to leftover soup)

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta (“al dente”) & set aside. Meanwhile, in large pot, heat butter, add onion, basil & garlic. Cook until onion is soft. Add sausage & cook until browned. Drain off fat. Stir in remaining ingredients, except cheese. Continue cooking until veggies are slightly tender. Stir in cooked pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally until heated through. Sprinkle each serving w/ parmesan cheese.

Tip: You can freeze leftovers. Works best if you wait & only add pasta when you serve soup-otherwise pasta gets mushy.

Crockpot 101

As I mentioned in a recent post, I broke out the crockpot last week.
Never mind that it's consistently 75-85 degrees here.  (no complaints!!)
It's fall and I was itching to bust it out... plus there's nothing like feeling as if dinner has been prepared for you, even though you prepared it. 

Both recipes below are from my faithful red plaid Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.  If you don't have one, order it immediately. Seriously. It has never failed me.  I have this pretty bridal version.

Creamy Chicken & Noodles
Prep: 25 min         Cook: 8-9 hours low OR 4 - 4 1/2 hours high
Makes: 6 main-dish servings.  (I feel like we ate it for days...)

2 C. sliced carrot (4 medium)
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (3 medium - I used less)
1 C. sliced celery (2 stalks)
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
3 medium chicken legs (drumstick -thigh portion; about 2 lbs.) SKINNED - [I used 2 chicken leg-thighs and it was more than enough.  Also, the skinning a raw chicken leg almost turned me into a vegetarian. no joke. disgusting]
2 10.75-ounce cans reduced-fat & reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup [I just bought regular cream of chicken... let's be honest, is there really "reduced fat" CREAM OF CHICKEN soup? no.]
1/2 C. Water
1 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp. black pepper
10 ounces dried wide noodles (about 5 c.)
1 c. frozen peas [I left these out]
Season with salt and pepper (optional)

- In a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker (mine is 6 quarts...) place carrot, onion, celery, parsley, and bay leaf.  Place chicken (raw) on top of vegetables.  
- In a medium bowl, stir together soup, water, thyme, & 1/4 tsp. black pepper.  Pour over chicken and vegetables in slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 4- 4/12 hours. 
- Remove chicken from cooker before eating.  Cool slightly.  Discard bay leaf
- Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.
- Stir peas (if you add them) into soup mixture in cooker. 
- Remove chicken from bones and shred/cut into bite sized pieces
- Stir the chicekn into the soup mixture in cooker.
To serve, spoon chicken mixture over noodles; toss gently to combine.  Season w/ salt and pepper to taste.
 
  
Vegetable Beef Soup
Prep: 25 minutes      Cook: 8-10 hours low or 4-5 hours high  
Makes:   6 main dish servings

1 lb. boneless beef chuck pot roast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
4 C. water
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 c. frozen mixed vegetables
2 c. frozen diced hash brown potatoes or 2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped [I did the real deal. very yummy]
1 1-ounce envelope onion soup mix (1/2 of a 2-ounce pkg.) [yes, that's straight from the recipe book... at least they're detailed! haha]
1 tsp. instant beef bouillon granules
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced or 1/8 tsp garlic powder

-In a large skillet, brown meat pieces in hot oil.  Drain the fat.  In a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker, place meat and remaining ingredients.  [mine is 6 quarts. still.]
- Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8-10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4-5 hours.    

I cooked meat and chopped veggies the night before and refrigerated those pieces.  Then, popped it all in the next morning before work. SUPER easy.

Let me know if you try them.   

Enjoy!

Vegetable Beef Soup

This recipe is from my faithful red plaid Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.  If you don't have one, order it immediately. Seriously. It has never failed me.  I have this pretty bridal version.


Vegetable Beef Soup
Prep: 25 minutes      Cook: 8-10 hours low or 4-5 hours high   
Makes:   6 main dish servings


1 lb. boneless beef chuck pot roast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
4 C. water
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 c. frozen mixed vegetables
2 c. frozen diced hash brown potatoes or 2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped [I did the real deal. very yummy]
1 1-ounce envelope onion soup mix (1/2 of a 2-ounce pkg.) [yes, that's straight from the recipe book... at least they're detailed! haha]
1 tsp. instant beef bouillon granules
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced or 1/8 tsp garlic powder

-In a large skillet, brown meat pieces in hot oil.  Drain the fat.  In a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker, place meat and remaining ingredients.  [mine is 6 quarts. still.]
- Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8-10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4-5 hours.     

I cooked meat and chopped veggies the night before and refrigerated those pieces.  Then, popped it all in the next morning before work. SUPER easy.

Pumpkin Goodness

Fall is here.  Woohoo!! My favorite.  Actually summer and fall are tied.  But, there is something refreshing about the first day that the morning air is chilly and smells like fall after a hot humid midwestern summer.  (no complaints)

Obviously with fall come pumpkins.  Pumpkins & Fall.  Fall & Pumpkins.

[insert Greece finale: they go together like rama lama lama
ke ding a de dinga a dong
remembered for ever like
shoo bop shoo wadda wadda
yipitty boom de boom
Chang chang chang-it-ty chang shoo-bop
That's the way it should be
Wha oooh yeah!]

Well you get the picture.

Anyway, I like pumpkins.  I like that you can get them in all shapes and sizes. I like that it's acceptable to decorate them. I like that there is squirrel repellent for them.  I like that you can make tasty things like pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread and pumpkin cookies and pumpkin cupcakes and pumpkin chicken.  Oh wait.  too far.  pumpkin chicken would be gross.

Now that we've established pumpkins are great... and now that you're craving something that tastes of pumpkin-y goodness, let me share a GREAT recipe for pumpkin bread.  Seriously, this one is really good. Like everyone at small group loved it  AND I had it for breakfast. and lunch. AND it makes 2 loaves.  More for everybody :)

It's from my all-time favorite cookbook

They have a lot of editions of this good old "Red Plaid Cook Book" and I don't really use all the bridal-y things out of here.  But if this cookbook isn't in your kitchen, stop reading and go get it.  Then come back and read about this pumpkin bread.  No recipe I have ever tried from here went wrong.  And they have EVERY normal, basic recipe you'll ever want to try.

To the point. to the point.

Pumpkin Bread
prep: 20 minutes     bake: 55 minutes     oven: 350    Makes: 2 loaves

3 c. sugar
1 c. cooking oil
4 eggs
3 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
2/3 c. water
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
[I add 1 11-ounce bag of chocolate chips.  DELICIOUS. Seriously, you should too.]

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Grease the bottom and 1/2 in. up the sides of two 9x5x3-inch, OR three 8x4x2-inch, OR four 7.5x3.5x2-inch loaf pans. Set aside. [I only have one pan.  So I just did one at a time.  time consuming and inconvenient but not a big deal.  note to self - get 2nd loaf pan.]

2. In an extra-large mixing bowl, beat sugar and oil with electric mixer on medium speed.  Add eggs and beat well; set sugar mixture aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Alternately add flour mixture, and the water to the sugar mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.  Beat in pumpkin.  Spoon batter into prepared pans.

4. Bake for 55-65 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean.  [I did like 45-50 but I have an electric oven... I always fear overcooking baked goods.  No one likes overcooked bread.  Too dry.  They may pretend so they don't hurt your feelings. But they don't.  And we know it.]  Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans.  Cool completely on wire racks.  Wrap and store overnight before slicing.  [not sure why it says that?  I served it 2 hours later...]

mmmm. mmm. chocolate chip pumpkin bread.
Not sure why it has a weird dip in the middle... the other loaf didn't do that.
oh, and that fun red serving plate came from the Crate & Barrel outlet on North Ave. in Chicago... $7.99.  [sigh]  I miss that outlet.  But my wallet is glad I moved far away from it.  

Happy pumpkin season!!!

New Recipe - Spaghetti Carbonara

As listed in my summer goals (which you can read, HERE), I want to try at least one new recipe each week.  This is probably a good life practice, but let's be honest people - sometimes you have a crazy week and you just want to make easy stuff you know how to cook.  Anyway, I tried Spaghetti Carbonara recently and it's easy, light, and scrumptious.  I found the recipe at Allrecipes.com, a website I highly recommend if you don't use it already.  Why? you ask...

1. They have an online recipe box (which most cooking websites do these days)
2. Easy to navigate
3. People comment on the recipes, giving suggestions for alterations
4. Every 4 or 5 star recipe I've tried from this website has been good.
5. You can alter the number of servings you need and it automatically calculates ingredients amounts for you - good feature for those of us who majored in something like music ;)
6. Lots of ideas for cooking on a budget!!

Anyway, here's the recipe (including the modifications I made, which I thought were tasty) enjoy!

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 slices bacon, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pinch salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti pasta until al dente. Drain well. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile in a large skillet, cook chopped bacon until slightly crisp; remove and drain onto paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat; add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and heat in reused large skillet. Add chopped onion, and cook over medium heat until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add wine if desired; cook one more minute. 
3. Beat eggs in separate bowl, then add grated parmesean. Mix well.
4. Return cooked bacon to pan; add cooked and drained spaghetti. Toss to coat and heat through, adding more olive oil if it seems dry or is sticking together. Add eggs and parmesean mix, tossing constantly with tongs or large fork. Add salt and pepper to taste (remember that bacon and Parmesan are very salty).
5. Serve immediately with chopped parsley sprinkled on top, and extra Parmesan cheese at table.

Summer Goals Update...

Since my summer has officially started, some of my goals are underway.

 I started scrapbooking the wedding.  So far, I have 5 pages total done.  Let's just say, I have a ways to go.   I have decided to get past my everything-needs-to-be-in-its-place mindset and let the table (and surrounding floor) look like this until the scrapbook is done.  We are gradually starting to have moving-related piles anyway, AND we have 3 bikes in the middle of our apartment... so, what the heck! add the scrapbooking stuff :)

I wanted to try one new recipe per week, which I did, but this picture is not it.  This is just an easy summer meal suggestion - taco salad.  Simple but yummy.  I cook ground beef or turkey, throw the taco seasoning packet on it and throw it in a bowl with lettuce, tomato, and shredded cheese.  You could add black olives too.  Then, I leave ranch and french dressing, salsa and sour cream out for people (or in this case, Ben and I) to add as they (we) please!  Fritos are DELICIOUS - I prefer them to tortilla chips in taco salad.  Takes about 20 minutes start to finish :)
                                                            
I often purchase bananas, hoping to eat them, and then don't eat them.  Then, I end up making banana bread.  Here's the recipe I use - it's from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.  (I have the "bridal edition" but I'm pretty sure all the recipes are the same.)  I highly suggest owning this cookbook, or some version of it.  I have yet to be disappointed by a recipe in here.


Banana Bread
Prep: 25 min.
Bake: 55 min (or less)
Oven: 350

Ingredients
2 C. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (4-5 medium)
1 C. sugar
1/2 C. cooking oil or melted butter or margarine
1/4 C. chopped walnuts (I omit sometimes; I've also put in chocolate chips instead)
1 recipe Streusel-Nut Topping (optional - I've never done it although it sounds good)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease the bottom and sides of a bread pan (one 9x5x3 pan OR two 7 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 2 pans).  In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.   Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; set aside. 

In a medium bowl combine eggs, banana, sugar, and oil.  Add egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture.  Stir until just moistened (batter should be lumpy).  Fold in walnuts.  (Sometimes I substitute chocolate chips OR omit walnuts entirely.).  Spoon batter into prepared pan(s).  If desired sprinkle, Streusel-Nut topping over the batter in the pans.

Bake 55-60 minutes (one pan) or 40-45 minutes (two small pans) or until wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cover with foil the last 15 minutes to prevent overbrowning IF NEEDED.  Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool completely.

Streusel-Nut Topping: In a small bowl, combine 1/4 C. packed brown sugar and 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour.  Using a pastry blender, cut in 2 Tbsp butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in 1/3 C. chopped walnuts. 


Does anyone else love banana bread and/or taco salad!? 
                                                                                                           

Tasty Summer Dessert

I made this summery dessert (courtesy of my mother's fabulous recipe collection) last night for a little get-together and it seemed to go over well.  At least I thought it was good.  [Do other people ever tell you they don't like what you made?! haha nope!]  Anyway, I wanted to share with anyone who might read this blog [if there is anybody who reads it...] I didn't take a picture of my finished product so I found a picture online and copied it.  The copied picture looks pie-shaped, but I serve it with a spoon in more of a "clump" shape out of a 9x13 dish :) Let me know if you try it out!

Strawberry Blueberry Crumble                      

Topping ingredients:
1 C. flour
3/4 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 C. whole almonds
1/2 C. oats
1 t. all spice
3/4 C. butter

For the topping, blend the above ingredients in a food processor until crumbly (about 45 seconds).  Try not to over-process.  If it gets too moist or packed together, dumb into a bowl and separate using a fork.

Filling ingredients:
3 pints strawberries, stemmed and halved (or quartered)
2 pints blueberries (substituted for rhubarb from the original recipe)
3/4 C. sugar
3/4 C. flour
1 T. vanilla
2 t. all spice

To make filling, mix the ingredients above together in a large bowl.  Cover and let stand on the counter for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Spoon filling into 9 x 13 baking dish.  Sprinkle w/ topping.  Bake at 375 until the top slightly browns and the filling bubbles (about 40-45 minutes).  Let cool.  Serve heated with ice cream or cool whip and ENJOY!