Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

4-5 tomatoes
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1-2 carrots
salt
pepper

Boil water in a medium-sized sauce pan. Slice a shallow X on the side of the tomatoes and place them in the boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Once the skin starts to peel back from the X, take the tomatoes out and remove all of the skins.

Saute onions and garlic. Add tomatoes and let simmer on medium-low heat. Chop peppers and carrots and add to sauce. Continue to simmer until everything is softened. Place in blender and puree until desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Pasta with roasted vegetables and goat cheese

This is one of my new favorites. You can alter the flavor significantly with what type of cheese you use. I like gorgonzola, but it definitely has a much stronger flavor than say, feta. Just use 4 oz of any type of soft white cheese, goat or not.

12oz cavatappi (corkscrew) pasta
2 med. yellow squash, cut in chunks (I like to throw in zucchini as well)
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 T olive oil
4 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled
2 T butter
salt and pepper to taste

Drizzle squash and tomatoes with olive oil and roast at 450 degrees for about 20 min, add mushrooms and garlic and continue roasting until all veggies look done (about 10-15 min more). Stir occasionally while roasting. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, save 1 cup of pasta water. Drain pasta and return to pot. Add roasted veggies to pot. In separate bowl, combine goat cheese, butter and 1/2 cup of pasta water, whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Add cheese mixture to pot. Add more pasta water if needed. 

Santa Fe Chicken Salad

This was very yummy and super easy to make. My 2-year-old even loved it.

INGREDIENTS:

For the Chicken Salad
2/3 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 - 2 tablespoon minced cilantro
2 – 3 green onions, sliced thin
1 stalk celery, diced
2 cups poached, diced or shredded chicken OR 2 13oz cans chicken
2/3 cup black beans, I like Bush's brand best
1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
1/3 cup corn kernels

For the Wraps
Santa Fe Chicken Salad
Burrito Sized Tortillas
Salad Greens or Baby Spinach
Avocado Slices

*I omitted the celery and put about 1/2-1 tablespoon cilantro

DIRECTIONS:

For the Chicken Salad:

In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, lime juice, salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, and cilantro. Whisk to combine.

Add the chicken, green onion, and celery to the sour cream mixture. Stir until the chicken is well coated.

Fold in the black beans, bell pepper, and corn. Cover and chill until serving.

*We also tried it warmed-up and it was good that way too.

To Prepare the Wraps:
Layer chicken salad, salad greens or baby spinach and avocado slices inside burrito sized tortillas. Fold up the ends and roll the wrap to seal it. Slice in half. Serve with salsa on the side, if desired.

Mango Salsa

3 mangos, chopped
3 avacados, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
minced jalapeno, to taste**
cilantro, to taste
2-3 Limes

Just add it all together and squeeze in some lime juice.

**Be sure to test the spiciness first!

Easter Eggs

I made these delicious chocolate peanut butter eggs this week. They were super easy. I'd probably cut back on the powdered sugar next time (they were a bit too sweet for me), but the rest of my family thought they were perfect.

My Favorite Sandwich

Thank you, Agnes, for introducing me to this sandwich. I will forever be happy.

Tomato Mozzarella Sandwich

Fresh mozzarella, sliced
arugula (and/or spinach)
tomatoes, sliced
ciabatta bread
olive oil
balsamic vinaigrette
salt and pepper

Assemble the tomato, mozzarella, and arugula on the ciabatta bread. Sprinkle salt and pepper and drizzle with oil and the balsamic vinaigrette.

Butternut Squash Soup

Erin makes this soup every Fall and I love it so much! I look forward to it every year. She taught me how to make it last night and I wanted to share this yummy goodness with you.


2 medium-sized Butternut squash
milk/half-and-half/cream (it depends on how healthy you want to be)
small onion (or onion powder...I didn't have one last night)
salt
pepper
cumin
coriander 
cardamom

Chop squash into medium-large pieces and steam for about 30 minutes. Remove from pot and peel off the skin. (Note: you could peel it before, but this way is much easier even if your working with boiling hot squash. Or if you're smart,  you'll let it cool off first...but we were in a hurry.) Cut the squash into smaller pieces and return to pot and boil until squash is tender. (A chopped onion can be added sometime during this boiling process...)

Drain the water from the pot and set aside. Place everything else into the blender and puree. Return it to the pot. Use milk, and the water set aside from before, to thin out the soup to your desired consistency. 

Season with salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, cardamom or whatever you have. The squash is very flavorful so it's easy to play around with different spices. 

Serve with cranberry sauce and/or cream.

Favorite Pizza Dough

2 1/4 tsp Yeast (Active Dry)

2 1/2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 cup warm water

4 1/4 cup Flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

Dissolve sugar in warm water. Gently stir in yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. 

In separate bowl, combine 3 cups flour and salt. Mix well and add yeast mixture. Add more flour as needed. Knead for 7-8 minutes.  Divide dough into two balls and let it rise for about 2 hours in a covered bowl. 

Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Makes 2 crusts.

Banana Cream Pie

Not the most healthy pie.... but it sure is good!

Banana(s)

2 - 3.5 oz boxes instant vanilla pudding mix

2 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup cool whip

Pastry shell

Bake pastry shell as directed and let cool. Pour milk into a large bowl and add pudding mix. Stir until combined. Fold in 1/2 cup of cool whip. 

Slice banana and arrange on cooled pie shell. (I like a thin layer of banana, but it's whatever you like). Pour the mix over the bananas and let it chill for at least 3 hours. When ready to serve, garnish with cool whip. 

Arroz Con Leche

I apologize for the vague measurements again. But it all depends on how you like it.

white rice

water

1/2 tsp salt

cinnamon

sugar

Cook rice in water with cinnamon and salt. Once the rice is cooked, heat up with milk and sugar.

Cauliflower Soup

I'm actually posting a recipe! I haven't gotten around to it for a while, but I love drooling over your recipes. I've marked quite a few to try out for myself in the near future. Here's one I just made and I really loved it, although Scott wouldn't try it. I didn't have the half-and-half, so I used whole milk, but it would have made it less runny and tastier I'm sure (and fatter). Evan actually loved it. Usually the kids don't eat whatever I make for dinner, just decide to go without. The recipe is from the pioneer woman blog.

Cauliflower Soup

Prep Time: 30 Minutes | Cook Time: 30 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 stick Butter, Divided
• ½ whole Onion, Finely Diced
• 1 whole Carrot Finely Diced
• 1 stalk Celery, Finely Diced
• 1 whole (to 2 Whole) Cauliflower Heads (roughly Chopped)
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Or Dried Parsley (chopped)
• 2 quarts Low-sodium Chicken Broth Or Stock
• 6 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
• 2 cups Whole Milk
• 1 cup Half-and-half
• 2 teaspoons To 4 Teaspoons Salt, To Taste
• 1 cup (heaping) Sour Cream, Room Temperature

Preparation Instructions

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown.

Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional couple of minutes. Add cauliflower and parsley and stir to combine.

Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour in chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.

In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine. Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup half-and-half. Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.

Just before serving, place the sour cream in a serving bowl or soup tureen. Add two to three ladles of hot soup into the tureen and stir to combine with the sour cream. Pour in remaining soup and stir.

Serve immediately.

Horchata

This tastes best on a hot, summer day. It's not for everyone, but I grew up drinking it... The porportions are very vague so you can easily alter it to your own preferences. Some people like it really watery, while others like it very sweet.

2 cups rice

water

cinnamon (sticks are preferred, but not necessary)

sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

lots of ice

Place rice in pitcher and add water until it completely covers the rice. Liberally sprinkle with cinnamon and let it soak for at least an hour. It's best if you can do this the night before and let it soak overnight.

When you're ready to make the drink, pour everything into a blender and blend away. Then run it all through a strainer to eliminate as much as the rice pulp as you can. My mom doesn't bother with this step, but I think it's worth it. Otherwise it's very grainy at the bottom. I just use a normal strainer, but I've heard cheese cloth works really well. I'll get back to you if I try it that way...

Once your water is strained and in the pitcher, add some vanilla extract. Now the water that you've got now is concentrated horchata. You will need to dilute this AND add sugar. How much sugar and how much water is up to you and what you like. I wish I could be more specific but I just eyeball it and every pitcher is different.

Refrigerate and serve with ice. The drink will go sour after a couple of days so drink as much as you can while it's fresh.

If my directions are confusing, let me know....

Spicy Pot Roast

Despite the name, it's not actually spicy (I promise), just tasty! I have a crock-pot recipe book and was looking for a good pot roast recipe that's not your typical throw-in-potatoes-and-carrots. Those haven't been turning out well for me lately. This new recipe is great! I recommend it:

3-4 lb beef pot roast

salt & pepper to taste

0.75-oz. pkg. brown gravy mix

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tsp. dijon mustard

1 tsp. worcestershire sauce

1/8-tsp. garlic powder

1 cup water

Directions:

Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper to taste (which means nothing to me, because how to you taste test a raw meat?!). Place in slow cooker. Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over meat. Cover. Cook for 8-10 hrs on low or 4-5 hrs on high. Enjoy!

Molten Lava Cakes

My friend made these for me a few times. I finally made it for myself and it was much easier than I expected. This recipe is the same as my friend's so you can just check it out there. Pioneer Woman also made them and you can find her pictorial recipe here.

Also, I like mine with vanilla ice cream, but whipped cream is still really good!

The Perfect French Fry

I've made these fries a few times and every time they turn out amazing! They are crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.

Spaghetti Squash Supreme

Being a cardiac nurse, I am trying to get my family to eat healthier. This tasted really good and I love that it has olive oil, no added salt, and is mostly vegetables. I am excited for leftovers!

1 medium spaghetti squash (4 lbs)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp prepared pesto
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 c dry bread crumbs
1/4 c shredded parmesan cheese
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 in cubes
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil, divided
1/2 lb sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 c chicken broth
1/3 c shredded cheddar cheese

Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Place squash cut side down on a microwave safe plate. Microwave, uncovered on high fo 14-16 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the tomatoes, pesto, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Cover and process until blended; set aside. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese;set aside.

In a large skillet, cook chicken in 1 Tbsp oil until no longer pink; remove and keep warm. In the same skillet, saute the mushrooms, onion and garlic in remaining oil until tender. Stir in the broth, chicken and reserved tomato mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

When squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to separate strands. In a large ovenproof skillet, layer half of the squash, chicken mixture, and reserved crumb mixture. Repeat layers.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 15 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Broil 3-4 in. from the heat for 5-6 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden brown.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I've been in a soup mood lately and have been trying out various soup recipes on my family. This one was my own creation and it ended up very tasty.

4-5 Potatoes

2 cans chicken broth

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

1 1/2 cups of milk

2 green onions, chopped

bacon, cooked and chopped

sour cream

shredded cheese

seasoned salt

black pepper

Boil potatoes in chicken broth. Once the potatoes are tender, drain and save the broth for later. Mash potatoes.

Melt butter in separate sauce pan. Add in flour and stir until combined. Pour in milk and let it boil and simmer until thickened. Stir into mashed potatoes. Slowly add broth to desired consistency. Mix in cheese, seasoned salt and black pepper.

Serve with bacon, sour cream, green onions, and more cheese on top!

French Onion Soup

I made this soup this week when it was cold and rainy. It was warm and delicious. I got this recipe from my mom....so like most recipes from her, it is very vague and is meant to be improvised.

Ingredients

2 tsp butter

Onions, sliced

4 cans beef broth*

black pepper, a lot

salt

cayenne

French bread

mozzarella cheese

Saute onions in butter. Once the onions turn translucent (or, if you have the patience, when the onions caramelize), add the beef broth. Season the soup to your liking. I like lots of black pepper in mine, but it's whatever you like.

Serve with mozzarella sprinkled in the soup and toasted French bread.

*Note: Beef bouillon cubes can be substituted for the broth, but it does change the flavor of the soup. I notice a difference so I prefer the broth, but it's your choice. Try both and figure out if it matters to you.

Sausage Pumpkin Cornbread Stuffing

The ingredients are a little bizarre, but this is really, really good. I look forward to making it each Thanksgiving. It's sweet. It's spicy. And very savory. I love it!

3/4 Beef Smoked Sausage

1-2 jalapeño peppers, minced (check the hotness first, each pepper varies in spice.)

2- 8oz cornbread mixes

1- 15 oz can of pumpkin

1 -14oz can of chicken broth

1 cup of dried cranberries

1 tbsp tablespoon sage

Prepare the cornbread as directed on the box. You can make it the night before and then have it ready the next day.

Chop the sausage into small-medium sized chunks. Remove seeds from the jalapeño pepper and mince in a food processor (or manually mince it with a knife). In a large skillet cook the sausage and pepper over medium heat. Slowly add the cornbread, followed by the pumpkin, broth, sage and cranberries. Stir gently until combined. For dryer stuffing, omit all or part of the broth. (I like my stuffing on the moist side, so I usually add more broth until it reaches my desired consistency.)

Thanksgiving Recipes

With Thanksgiving coming up in a few weeks, I thought it would be great to share some of our favorite holiday recipes. I have a great stuffing recipe that everyone has to try. I hope to post that recipe soon....