Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Here is a very simple, time saving and more healthy version of Beef Stroganoff. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
1 1/2 pounds beef for stew, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped 
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 (8-ounce) packages sliced mushrooms (about 3 cups)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour 
1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth
1 (8-ounce) container low-fat sour cream
2 cups hot cooked medium egg noodles (about 4 ounces uncooked)

Preparation

1. Place first eight ingredients (though garlic) in a 3-quart electric slow cooker; stir well.
2. Place flour in a small bowl; gradually add broth, stirring with a whisk until blended. Add broth mixture to slow cooker; stir well. 
3. Cover with slow cooker with lid; cook on high-heat setting 1 hour. Reduce to low-heat setting, and cook 7 to 8 hours or until steak is tender. 
4. Turn slow cooker off; remove lid. Let Stroganoff stand 10 minutes. Stir in sour cream.
5.  Serve Stroganoff over cooked noodles.

Notes:

• I used pre-cut stew for beef that I bought right at the meat counter....to save even more time.
• I also used Parsley from Gourmet Garden . The tubed parsley was easier and caused less waste, since I did not have the need for a whole bunch of parsley this week. Here is a link to their Parsley. http://na.gourmetgarden.com/us/products/parsley

Slow Cooker Chicken and Chickpea Tagine

This is a great slow cooker meal!!! I like this because the taste and texture is spot on in this recipe. I got this recipe  from Cooking Light Magazine. I did make one change. The original recipe was for 8 chicken thighs, I ended up using 6 chicken thighs...that is what fit in my slow cooker. Enjoy!

Chicken and Chickpea Tagine

 Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil 
6 (5-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups chopped onion 
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh garlic
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 cup unsalted chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
2/3 cup chopped dried apricots 
2 (15-ounce) cans organic chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Preparation:

1.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle meat side of chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Add chicken to pan, meat side down; cook 5 minutes or until well browned. Remove from pan (do not brown other side).
2. Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 4 minutes. Add cumin and next 5 ingredients (through red pepper); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, stock, honey, and cinnamon, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a simmer. 
3. Pour mixture into a 6-quart electric slow cooker. Stir in apricots and chickpeas. Arrange chicken, browned side up, on top of chickpea mixture. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours. Discard cinnamon stick. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Brine for a Super Moist Thanksgiving Turkey!

A brine is a great way to ensure that your Thanksgiving bird will be delicious and moist. This is a simple process....but it does take up some space in the fridge so be prepared! A turkey marinated in a brine solution will also cook a little faster. I suggest not stuffing the bird  because, in my case the bird was done before the stuffing. I also found that there were less drippings from the bird that was soaked in a brine solution. With all that said this had to be one of the most moist turkeys I had ever eaten! I will never roast a turkey again without putting it in a brine solution first.

Turkey Brine

Ingredients:
1/2 gallon vegetable broth
1/2 gallon apple juice
1 cup sea salt
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried savory
1 gallon ice water

Preparation:

1. In a large stock pot combine the broth, juice, salt, rosemary, sage, thyme and savory.
2. Bring to a boil and stir frequently, until salt is dissolved.
3. Turn off heat and cool to room temperature.
4. When brine is cooled place the brine in a food storage container large enough to fit the turkey and brine so that the turkey will be completely submerged in the brine.  Add the cold ice water.
5. Remove the innards and rinse and dry turkey.
6. Submerge the turkey breast side down in brine, make sure cavity is filled with brine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
7. Remove turkey from brine, rinse and pat dry. Discard excess brine.
8. Cook turkey as desired.

Notes:

• If you have not checked it out... the Butterball website is a great source of information. There are guides on how to find the right turkey, buy the right size, thawing times, cooking times, etc.

Soba Noodles with Spicy Cumin Lamb

I saw this recipe in a Cooking Light magazine....I made a few slight changes. This is pretty quick to make and full of flavor. I will try this again down the road and substitute ground sirloin for the ground lamb. Curious if the flavors will be better for me, as I am not a big fan of lamb. If anyone tries it with ground sirloin, please message me and let me know how it turns out. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

7 ounces uncooked soba noodles
1/2 cup low sodium vegetable stock
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon five spice powder
1/2 pound ground lamb
1 tablespoon pure sesame oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup snow peas, trimmed
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
9 baby carrots, halved lengthwise

Preparation:

1. Cook noodles according to directions. Rinse and drain well.
2. In a small bowl combine stock, vinegar, hoisin sauce, garlic and five spice powder with a whisk.
3. Heat a large wok over medium-high heat.
4. Add lamb cooking about three to four minutes until browned. Remove lamb with slotted spoon, set aside.
5. Return pan to heat. Add sesame oil to the drippings in the wok. Swirl to coat wok. Add cumin seeds and red pepper, cook 30 seconds or until the seeds pop. Stir constantly.
6. Add broccoli, snow peas, red pepper and baby carrots to pan. Cook five minutes, stirring frequently.
7. Add lamb and stock mixture cook about two minutes or until liquid is reduced slightly.
8. Serve over cooked noodles.

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork

This recipe is almost too simple.....and too crazy sounding to be good. The recipe works and produces some of the best BBQ pulled pork. The ingredients are listed as approximates below. The actual amounts will depend on how big your slow cooker is and what size pork roast you use. Enjoy!

12-24 ounces of Root Beer
4-5 pound Pork Shoulder Roast (Boston Butt)
A bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
Hamburger Rolls or Kaiser Rolls to serve pork on (optional)

1. Place the pork in a slow cooker. Cover the pork with Root Beer.
2. Place slow cooker on High for 30 minutes to heat up the Root Beer then reduce to low.
3. Cook for approximately 9 hours on low, until meat is completely cooked ans shreds easily. (Actual cooking time may be more or less depending on size of roast.)
4. Remove meat from Root Beer sauce, drain crock pot.
5. Shred meat, mix with BBQ sauce. Place back in crock pot to heat thoughly about 30 minutes
6. Serve over rolls.

Notes:

• The fat from the meat will easily separate after cooking.
• I have been told this works well with Dr. Pepper

Three Bean Vegetarian Chili

This vegetarian chili is awesome. I love how easy it is to make, it reheats really well and it is a hearty chili. The recipe can be put together rather quickly and to save more time you could always buy precut butternut squash. I always have leftovers when I make this chili and to reheat I just add a little extra veggie broth and it tastes just as good as when it is first made. Finally, this is a filling dish...I usually serve it with some bread and it is a filling dinner! I hope you like it as much as I do. Enjoy!


Three Bean Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 cups low sodium vegetable stock
2 roasted red peppers, diced
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed into bite sized pieces
1 (28 oz) no salt added canned diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans rinsed and drained
2 green onions thinly sliced

Preparation:

1. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions cook until tender about 8-10 minutes. 
2. Reduce heat to medium low. Add cumin, crushed red pepper, paprika, salt and garlic. Cook 2 minutes stirring frequently.
3. Add stock, roasted red peppers, squash and tomatoes. Simmer 20-25 minutes, stir occasionally.
4. Add pinto beans, cannellini beans and kidney beans. Simmer 25-30 minutes.
5. Garnish with green onions.

Shepherd's Pie

This was a popular dish is my school lunch delivery program. The kids LOVED it! It is simple to make and full of flavor. Enjoy!
Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:
4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 onion chopped
1 pound 93/7 ground beef
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoons ketcup
2 tablespoons Worcester sauce
3/4 cup low sodium beef broth
1 (8-10 oz) bag of frozen peas and carrots, thawed
1 teaspoon paprika


Preparation:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash. Mix in butter, milk, finely chopped onion and 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
2. Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat . Add chopped onion and cook until tender. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Drain excess fat.
4. Stir in flour and cook 1-2 minutes. Add ketchup, Worcester sauce and beef broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, add peas and carrots and simmer until sauce thickens about 8 minutes.
5.  Spread the ground beef in an even layer on the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Top with the mashed potato mixture and sprinkle with paprika.
6. Bake 20 minutes.

Super Simple Mushroom Fettuccine with Cream Sauce

I recently found this recipe in Cooking Light magazine. I usually stay away from cream sauces because the ones that are tasty are so laden with fat. Once and awhile I will try a light version and usually I am not too impressed. This time was different. This meal was really tasty. The sauce was creamy enough so it actually stuck to the pasta and it was not overloaded with fat. I also liked that this was such a quick meal to make. It was prepped and on the table in around twenty minutes! Enjoy!

Mushroom Fettuccine with Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
6 ounces dry fettuccine or 9 oz fresh fettuccine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
12 ounces sliced baby bella mushrooms
2 garlic cloves smashed and chopped
3/4 teaspoon sea salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup white wine
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 cup fresh shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

1. Cook pasta according to directions, omit salt and fat.
2. In a large skillet heat oil over medium high heat. Swirl oil in pan to coat. Add onions, mushrooms, garlic 1/4 teaspoon sea salt and pepper. Saute 10 minutes, until mushrooms brown and thier liquid is released.
3. Add wine and thyme. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates.Remove pan from heat.
4. Add hot pasta 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, half and half and Parmesan cheese. Toss together until sauce is evenly distributed. Top with fresh chopped parsley.

Easy Sloppy Joe Recipe

When I ran the school lunch business, this was a very popular dish. The kids really liked these Sloppy Joes. I really liked them as well! In my opinion this Sloppy Joe recipe tastes so much better than making Sloppy Joes with the canned sauce. These are super simple to make. Enjoy!

Sloppy Joes
Yield 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pound 93/7 lean ground beef
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
1 (6oz)  can tomato paste
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon brown mustard
6 whole wheat hamburger rolls

Preparation:

1. In a large skillet, over medium heat, brown ground beef until completely cooked. Drain.
2. Add can of diced tomatoes and chilies, tomato paste, ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. Stir and combine well.
3. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for five minutes, until sauce thickens.
4. Serve on hamburger rolls.

A Healthier Chicken Pot Pie

I was looking for a Chicken Pot Pie lower in fat and calories than a traditional pot pie. I found a recipe in a Cooking Light magazine that looked like it would fit the bill. I made that pot pie recipe but I found it a little lacking and bland. I ended up making the recipe again but this time I swapped out some veggies and added some seasoning. I am very pleased with the end result. Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie
Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound potatoes peeled and cubed
1 cup fresh diced carrots
1 stalk celery sliced
1 red onion, diced
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite size pieces
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 prepared pie crust (I used refrigerated to save time)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add potato, carrot, celery and onion to pan; sauté about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken; sauté about 5 minutes or until lightly browned, and fully cooked stirring occasionally. Stir in flour, salt, pepper and thyme sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly.
3. Slowly add stock to pan, stirring constantly; bring to a boil. Cook about 5 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally.
4.  Spoon mixture into a 2 1/2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish. Top with dough and press down on edges to seal.
5. Cut slits in dough to vent. Bake at 450° for 30 minutes or until crust is golden and internal temperature reaches a minimum of 165 degrees F for 15 seconds. Let stand 10 minutes before service.

Note:

• You can also use smaller ceramic dishes (16 oz ramekins work well) and make individual pot pies

Stir Fried Lemon Grass Chicken

This is a recipe for a pretty easy and very flavorful stir-fry. When making this stir fry I always cut everything ahead of time and then just toss together. If Haricot Verts are not available I use fresh green beans. I also use lemongrass paste instead of fresh lemongrass. There is a link for the paste below the recipe. Enjoy!

Lemon Grass Chicken Stir Fry

Serves 4, 1 cup portions

Ingredients

1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons low sodium chicken stock
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek (fresh chilie paste)
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 tablespoon fresh Lemon Grass or Lemon Grass paste
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 cup sliced red bell pepper

1/2 medium red onion, sliced

8oz Haricort Verts, trimmed 

1 pound thinly sliced boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 Thai chile, diced

1 package (8 oz) brown rice noodles

Preparation

1. Prepare Rice Noodles according to directions on package. 
2. Combine first 5 ingredients. 
3. Heat a large wok or large skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil; swirl to coat. Add lemongrass and garlic; stir-fry 30 seconds. 
4. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon; place in a small bowl. 
5. Add bell pepper, red onion, and haricot verts to pan; stir-fry 2 minutes. 
6. Remove vegetables from pan with a slotted spoon; add to lemongrass mixture. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. 
7. Add chicken in a single layer; cook 2 minutes or until browned. 
8. Add Chile to pan; stir-fry 2 minutes or until chicken is done. 
9. Stir in stock mixture and vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until sauce begins to thicken. 
10. Serve over rice noodles.

Link for Lemon Grass:

http://www.gourmetgarden.com/au/product/view/Lemon-Grass

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My New Favorite Quiche Recipe! Spinach, Mushroom Bacon Quiche

I was in the mood for quiche the other day. I had some fresh spinach, bacon and mushrooms and decided that together they would make a really good quiche. I was completely right. This was the first spinach based quiche I have eaten that used fresh spinach. It is so much better than using frozen spinach. The consistency was perfect, not too runny, which happens sometimes when using frozen veggies in quiche. This recipe is really tasty and so easy to make. I think I might invest in a quiche pan next. I saw some nice ones at Amazon and posted the link below.

Spinach, Mushroom, Bacon Quiche

Ingredients
6 large eggs
1½ cups heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 1/2 cups packed fresh baby spinach, stems removed
12 ounces bacon
3/4 cup of quartered  baby bella mushrooms
1½ cups shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
1 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crust


 Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place crust in pie plate or quiche dish. Set aside.
3. Combine the eggs, cream, salt and pepper in a large bowl and beat until fully combined and slightly thickened. Set aside.
4. In a large pan over medium heat cook the bacon until crispy. Drain fat and reserve 1 tablespoon bacon fat.  Dice bacon into small pieces. Set aside.
5. Place the one tablespoon of reserved bacon fat in the same pan that was used to cook the bacon. Increase heat to medium high sauté the mushrooms until slightly browned about five minutes.
6. Layer the spinach then the mushrooms and bacon on top of the crust. Sprinkle the cheese over the mixture.
7. Pour the egg mixture on top.
8. Gently mix the filling around  to spread out the cheese.
9. Bake for 35-45 minutes until the egg mixture is set and golden brown.

Pumpkin Soup with Chili Cran-Apple Relish

This is a very simple Pumpkin Soup recipe. I found this recipe on the Food Network website. It is a recipe by Rachael Ray. I totally understand why it had a five star rating and over 270 reviews. It is soooo good. I made a couple slight modifications and clarified some of the steps but, nothing too major, it was really great as written. The only suggestion I would add is to make more relish. It really makes the soup! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Soup with Chili Cran-Apple Relish
Serves 4 entree size soups or 8 appetizer size bowls

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 bay leaf
2 ribs celery finely chopped

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning or 2 teaspoons ground thyme
2 teaspoons hot sauce
6 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 (28-ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Relish:

1 crisp apple, such as McIntosh or Red Delicious, finally chopped
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation:

1. Heat a soup pot or dutch oven over medium to medium high heat. Add the oil and melt the butter.
2. Add bay, celery, and onion. Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Cook 6 or 7 minutes, until tender. Add flour, poultry seasoning or thyme and hot sauce, then cook flour a minute. 
3.  Whisk in chicken stock and bring liquid to a light boil.
4. Whisk in pumpkin in large spoonfuls to incorporate it into the broth. Simmer soup 10 minutes to thicken a little. Add in cream and nutmeg. 
5. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve. 
6. While soup cooks, assemble the relish: combine apple, onion, lemon juice, cranberries, chili powder, honey and cinnamon. 
7. Serve soup in with a few spoonfuls of relish.

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

I found this recipe on the McCormick website years and years ago.I made a few modifications to adjust to my tastes. This is so simple to make, low in fat and calories. I really love this recipe. I have tried many other Jambalaya recipes but nothing comes close to this. Enjoy!


Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
Serves 8, 1 cup servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into one inch cubes
1 pound mild turkey sausage cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 medium red onion, chopped into a large dice
1 medium red pepper, chopped into a large dice
2 celery stalks, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 medium tomato, chopped into large dice
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
2 bay leaves
1 cup long grain rice
1 3/4 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable stock

Preparation

1. In a dutch oven heat oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and sausage and cook for about seven minutes, until chicken and sausage is browned. Remove from skillet and drain excess oil.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, pepper and celery cook for about five minutes, until onion is softened.
3. Stir in tomato, Cajun seasoning and bay leaves.
4. Return chicken and sausage to dutch oven. Add rice and stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 25 minutes, until rice is tender. Stir occasionally. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Notes:

• This spice level in this dish is medium. If you would like mild only add one tablespoon Cajun and if you would like spicy add an additional teaspoon or two of Cajun seasoning and a spicy turkey sausage.
• If you use brown rice the cook time needs to be increased by about 15 minutes. 
• If you would like you can use a green bell pepper, I happened to have a red pepper in my CSA box so I used red, it looks a little more colorful!
• I use either chicken or vegetable stock....what ever I have on hand, both taste equally great