Crock Pot Bolognese

Comfort food—it comes in all shapes and sizes. Normally brought by childhood memories. My comfort food list is rather short—my Mom's meatloaf (which I craved a lot in college especially), Grinder's sauce (a family recipe), and spaghetti and meat sauce. The last one is a recent favorite.

When I first got married, I asked my husband to cook dinner once a week—normally a day that he was off. His list of dinner recipes was rather short, but he could pull off spaghetti and meat sauce. Since I love pasta, it was an easy fix. And, when I lost my job a couple of years ago, that was the meal waiting for me at home, accompanied by wine.

I have to admit that I normally buy jarred sauce. But, I had celery and carrots in the fridge, and I didn't want to waste them.

So for this recipe today, not only is it super easy, healthy and delicious, it's made in a crock pot! Hello convenience!!!! This tastes much better than the store bought sauces. I have to make this much more often now or even better, teach him how to make it! ;)

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

-1 lb of ground beef cooked and drained

1 cup of the following chopped into bite sized pieces:

-celery

-onion

-carrots

4 garlic cloves (minced)

1 teaspoon of pepper

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon garlic salt

29 oz can of tomato sauce

1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes (undrained)

½ cup of beef broth or red wine (vegetable broth would work too)

2 tablespoons of pesto sauce

Additional salt and pepper if needed

Directions:

Place everything in the slow cooker except pesto sauce.

Heat on low. Cook for 6-8 hours or until the veggies are nice and soft and the sauce is thick and rich. Stir in the pesto sauce.

Taste before serving. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Serve immediately with pasta.

Honey Mustard Chicken

 

Do you eat a lot of chicken?  We do.  It's relatively cheap and a good lean protein.  There are dozens of chicken recipes out there, and this one in particular, uses some of my favorite ingredients.  

This recipe takes about 10 minutes to put together so it's definitely an easy weeknight meal.  The flavors blend together so seamlessly.  Mustard, chicken, and vermouth--it's a beautiful combination!

Ingredients:

- 1.5-1.65 lb of boneless, skinless chicken thighs

-salt and pepper

-2 tablespoon of olive oil

-½ cup of dry vermouth

-1/4 cup of honey mustard

-2 tablespoons of fresh parsley (plus additional for garnish)

-1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (one clove)

-2 tablespoons grainy mustard

-1/4 teaspoon salt

-1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a roasting pan or a 9x9 pan.  (I used a 9x9 pan.)
2. Wash and dry the chicken thighs. Lightly season the chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Pour in the olive oil.
4. Once the oil is heated, place the chicken in the pan.  Sear the chicken until brown on each side. (2-3 minutes).  Place the chicken in the greased roasting pan. Keep the skillet on the heat.
5. Pour the vermouth into the pan while scraping up the bits from the bottom.
6. Once the vermouth is reduced by half, pour this over the chicken.
7. Mix together the remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
8. Smother on the chicken thighs.
9. Place into the oven. Baked for 45 minutes or until the juices run clear and the thighs register 175 degrees. Spoon sauce over the chicken thighs and serve immediately. I served these with rice and steamed spinach.

Look at that beautiful sauce!  So good!!!

Low Fat Flourless Chocolate Cake

It's starting to get warmer. We all know what this means...swim suit season! Eek!!! Are you ready? I'm working really hard to make sure that I'm ready. Haha

I've been going to the gym a lot recently. I want to look even better in that bikini than I did last year. To help this, I have been trying really hard to eat really healthy. My problem is that I LOVE chocolate. I was craving chocolate cake the other night but didn't want to make anything too big. My husband doesn't eat sweets (Its one of our mysteries in our marriage) and I'm not about to eat a cake by myself. To make matters worse, I just got home from the gym and didn't want to undo what I just did.

So how did I solve my problem? I made a low fat flourless chocolate cake. The only fat is found in the cocoa powder and yogurt. The serving size is small but the flavor is rich! Most of us already have these ingredients in our fridge already. This recipe doesn't use anything fancy or weird.

I have pictures where I topped the cake off with powdered sugar or caramel. Either one is fine or just eat the cake out of the ramekin. No matter what, enjoy dessert and then go back to the gym later!

Enjoy and best of luck getting ready for the season. I'm working hard right alongside you!

Ingredients:

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons of cocoa

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 egg white slightly beaten

6 oz vanilla yogurt

½ teaspoon of vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray 2 small ramekins (I used 3 inch by 1 ½ inch ramekins from the company Williams and Sonoma) with cooking spray.
3. Whisk the cocoa, sugar, salt, and baking soda together.
4. Fold in the remaining ingredients.
5. Pour equal amounts into each ramekin.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the center is done. The center of the cake should be slightly jiggly—like a cheesecake.
7. Cool for a few minutes. Top with whipped cream, powdered sugar, or some caramel sauce.
8. Enjoy!

Copycat PF Changs Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Have you ever been to PF Changs? It's an upscale Chinese restaurant. I love going there! Chinese food is my favorite!!! One of the dishes that they are famously known for is their Chicken Lettuce wraps. I've had it, and its very tasty. Finger food is always fun, right?

I have seen recipes for this online, but they all use Asian ingredients that I don't have in my pantry. This uses ingredients that most of us have. In PF Changs, this is an appetizer. I served this for dinner with some rice and sauteed veggies.

Enjoy! :)

Ingredients

3 thinly sliced green onions (Cut the onion in half. Cook the white half of the onion and save the other part for garnish.)

½ cup small diced red bell pepper

1 tablespoon of oil

1 pound ground chicken

Sauce

½ cup soy sauce

1-3 teaspoons of  sriracha(depends on how your spice tolerance. If you don't have any sriracha, use some red pepper flake)

2 tablespoons of honey

1 tablespoon of peanut butter

1 tablespoon of brown sugar

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

¼ cup of finely diced cashews

Romaine Lettuce

1. Saute the half the onions and red bell pepper for 2-3 minutes until slightly cooked.
2. Add the ground chicken and saute until fully cooked.
3. Place all the ingredients for the sauce and whisk until fully incorporated.
4. Add this to the pan and cook for another minute or so. The sauce should get slightly thickened.
5. Place in a bowl and top with the green onions and cashews.
6. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes. Serve with lettuce.

Beer Chili Potato Skins

 

Do you ever get tired of the same old thing every week? I plan a weekly menu, and I am constantly trying new recipes. But it seems like we eat the same food every month.

That's how this idea for dinner came up. It has been unseasonably cold in Maryland recently, and I was craving comfort food. I had all the ingredients for chili, but I was sick of rice and had no desire to make cornbread. A bag of potatoes was staring me in the face, so I thought why not?

Beer Chili Potato Skins is amazing!!!!!! A potato skin makes a terrific bowl for the chili. Finger food is so much fun. And, you get cheese in every bite—oh yeah!!! This recipe turned out better than I was expecting!

Try it out today with a cold beer in your hand. It makes the perfect companion.

Ingredients:

½ pound ground beef or Turkey

1 beer (I used lager but whatever you have on hand would work. I would stay away from any fruit infused beers)

15.5 oz can of kidney beans (you can omit if you would like)

14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes

15 oz can of tomato sauce

Chili Seasoning (here is the homemade version or you can use a packet)

1 tablespoon of chili powder

1 teaspoon of ground pepper

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon oregano leaves

1 ½ teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

2 teaspoons of ground cumin

¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional)

pinch of cinnamon

3-4 large potatoes or 5-6 medium to smaller potatoes

2 tablespoons of melted butter

salt

½ cup of cheese ((I had sharp yellow and white cheddar on hand, so that is what I used. Any cheese you like would be fine.)

sour cream for garnish

1. Brown the ground beef.
2. While the beef is browning, mix together the chili seasonings in a small bowl.
3. Drain. (leave about a tablespoon of the grease in the pan)
4. Add in the chili seasonings. Brown the seasonings in the pan for 1-2 minutes.
5. Pour in the beer. (At this point, you are deglazing the pan.) Scrap any browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook until the beer is halfway reduced—about 3-4 minutes.
6. Pour in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and kidney beans.
7. Simmer for about 30-35 minutes. Since the chili is going into potato skins, you don't want it to have too much liquid. You want a thick chili.
8. While the chili is simmering, make some baked potatoes. You can make them in the oven but I prefer the microwave since it takes less time.  When making a baked potato, don't forget to poke holes in the potato.  In the microwave, for small potatoes it takes about 6-8 minutes to cook, for medium potatoes its around 8-10, and bigger potatoes about 10-12 minutes.  Always start with a few minutes and work your way up. You don't want to have a potato explosion. (BTW, I made a potato explode and my house smelled awful. Don't do it.)
9. Preheat the oven to broiler to 500 degrees.
10. Once the potatoes are cooled, split it open and scoop out the filling. Leave ½ centimeter wall within the potato.
11. Lightly coat a baking sheet with butter. Place each potato half on the sheet.
12. Lightly coat with butter and a sprinkle of salt. Place into the oven to lightly brown and get crispy. 1-2 minutes on one side. Flip. Another 1-2 minutes on the other side.  (Check the potatoes after 1 minute.)
13. Once the potatoes are lightly brown, fill each one with chili. Top with cheese.
14. Place back into the oven for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.
15. Enjoy!

Whiskey Brownie Pie with Caramel Frosting

 Sometimes you just want something sweet...

I was running errands on Saturday. There are just things that you have to get done. By the time I came home, all I was craving was a glass of wine, a movie, and something really sweet. But, the wine and movie became higher priorities...

Half way through the very slow and slightly boring movie, I was craving something sweet and decided to whip something up. I wanted a dessert that would go well with wine and I didn't want to leave the apartment to buy anything.

This is what I came up with...

-a graham cracker shell

-brownie base

-caramel frosting

-with a chocolate drizzle.

Some booze is thrown in for good measure.

Can you say yes? This tastes amazing. (I know I say that about everything I write up but I can't help it. I only post recipes that I love.)

Enjoy!

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2: Make the shell

Ingredients:

8 graham crackers

5 tablespoons of melted butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degree.

Crush the graham crackers very finely.

Mix with the butter.

Place into a pie pan.

Bake for 7 minutes.

Step 3: Make the brownie base

Ingredients:

-7 tablespoons of melted butter

-1/2 cup of cocoa

-1 ½ cups of granulated sugar

-1/2 teaspoon of salt

-3 eggs slightly beaten

-1 cup of flour

-1/4 cup of Irish whiskey

Using a whisk, combine the sugar and cocoa.

Mix in the butter and eggs.

Fold in the flour and salt.

Add in the whiskey.

Place into the shell.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until a knife can go through the base without much residue.

Step 4: Make the frosting

2/3 cup of caramels (unwrapped)

¼ cup of half and half

1 cup of powdered sugar

2 tablespoons of whiskey

Combine the caramels and half & half together.

Melt them over low heat.

Once fully melted, whisk in the powdered sugar and whiskey.

Pour over the brownie base.

Step 5: Melt the drizzle

¼ cup of dark chocolate chunks

1 teaspoon of oil

Combine the ingredients together.

Melt in the microwave or over low heat on a stove.

Once melted, drizzle over the pie.

Enjoy this beauty. :)

4 Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

First of all, I am extremely sorry for not posting recently.  Life has been very crazy, so please forgive me!

The good news is that I have a bunch of fantastic recipes for you.

Starting with this one...4 Ingredient Chocolate Chip Bars!

My husband invited friends over.  We had nothing for dessert, and they were going to be here in less than an hour. Here is what I came up with--chocolate chip cookie bars!  They came out better than I was expecting, and my friends loved them!

These are super easy and are delicious!

Ingredients:
1 box of white cake mix
3 eggs
1 stick of softened margarine
1 bag of chocolate chips

Instructions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 13x9 pan,
2.) Mix the eggs and margarine together.
3.) Add the cake mix.  Blend until fully incorporated.
4.) Fold in the chocolate chips.
5.) Pour into the pan.

(Yummy!)

6.) Bake 20-25 minutes.  Enjoy!

Caramelized Onion Bacon and Cheddar Dip

I have to admit that I have a new favorite dip. This tastes amazing and is the perfect blend. You have the sweet onions, salty bacon, sharpness of the cheese and creaminess of the sour cream. It is perfection! I took this to a party and all my friends loved this dish!

The part that requires the most patience is the onions. When I made the onions, I watched a movie and checked on them periodically as they cooked on the stove. By the time the movie was done, so were the onions.

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! Enjoy! :)

Ingredients for Caramelized Onions:

-2 pounds caramelized onions (thinly sliced)

-2 tablespoons butter

-1/4 teaspoon salt

-1/4 teaspoon pepper

There are two ways of cooking this—stove top or slow cooker

                                                    

Slow Cooker:

-Place everything into the slow cooker

-Turn on high and cook for 8-10 hours until the onions are dark and brown and caramelized.

Stove Top:

-Turn the heat on low high heat.

-Stir together all the ingredients. Stir occasionally.

-Takes about 2-3 hours.

Ingredients for the dip:

-1 ½ cups caramelized onions

-12 slices of bacon chopped

-6 oz of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

-1/4 teaspoon salt

-1/4 teaspoon pepper

-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

-24 oz of sour cream

-2 green onions thinly sliced (for the garnish)

(Aren't the onions beautiful?)

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients.

Taste for seasoning.

Refrigerate for at least an hour. Serve with chips!