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.

Contact Form

My apologies to the people who have contacted me via the contact form. I just realized that the contact form emails were going to my SPAM box for the past week. I must have changed some setting by accident!  I have missed some of your mails so, if you emailed me via the contact form and did not receive a response, I apologize. Please feel free to submit your contact form again...it has been tested and up and running.

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.

Easy to Make Turkey Cupcakes

This is a fun little dessert for the kids on Thanksgiving. I saw this in a Betty Crocker magazine a few years back. I like this because it is so simple that the kids can help make the cupcakes. I know that Thanksgiving is still a few weeks away but leftover Halloween candy corn is on clearance at most stores! Enjoy!


Ingredients:
Vanilla or Chocolate Cupcakes
Chocolate Frosting or Vanilla Frosting Dyed Brown
Candy Corn
Chocolate or Brown Sprinkles

Preparation:

 1. Start with plain cupcake.

2. Frost the cupcake.

3. Place frosting in a sandwich or freezer bag and cut a corner.

4. In the front squeeze small mountain of icing for the head. In the back squeeze a half circle of icing for the tail feathers.

5. Place a candy corn beak in the front and place the candy corn tail feathers in the half circle in the back.

6. For the eyes cut the white part off of the candy corn. Put either a dot of icing for the pupil or I made a dot with an black edible food marker.

7. Place some brown sprinkles in front of the tail feathers and place two candy corn in front for the feet.

Baked Acorn Squash

When I was at the farm stand I saw some really great looking acorn squash. Not only did it look great it was very inexpensive! I decided to buy one and bake it up for a nice side dish. Not only is this recipe easy to make it is really great!

Baked Acorn Squash

Ingredients: 

1 medium acorn squash, cut in half and seeded
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar

 Preparation: 

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
2. Spray casserole pan with cooking spay. Place acorn squash cut side (orange side) touching the pan.
3. Bake 35 minutes.
4. Flip acorn squash over in pan, skin side touching the pan.
5. Spread one half a tablespoon on the inside of each half. Sprinkle each half with one tablespoon brown sugar.
6. Place back into 350 degree F oven and bake an additional 35 minutes.