Top 11 Recipes...Ever

Well, maybe not EVER.

But how about the top 11 recipes on Sunshine and Jellybeans?

In case you were wondering, 11 is my favorite number.

That's why it isn't the top 10.

Click on the name of each recipe to go to the post (and don't forget that at the bottom of each post, there is a link to the printable recipe for your convenience!)...

Try them all!

Let the drumroll begin...

11. Ham and Swiss Cheese Mini Frittatas

 

Or Canadian Bacon and Pepper-jack Cheese Mini Frittatas, or Bacon, Cheddar and Jalapeno, or red pepper, mushroom, and onion, or...the possibilities are endless!

10. Deviled Eggs (with a kick!)

 

This one kind of surprised me...not that I don't think that these are little bites of delightfulness - because I do. They are a great twist on your every-day deviled eggs! It's just that they never seemed to get much attention when I first posted the recipe. But it has slowly climbed it's way up into the top 10!

9. Chicken Enchiladas

Sorry for the crappy picture...next time I make these I will post new pics. This is a recipe that I keep going back to over and over again. Another one that is pretty customizable, and very, very good.

8. Macaroni and Cheese a la Steph

I made this recipe again last night for the kids. It's definitely a keeper. Gooey, cheesy, creamy deliciousness. And did I mention it is kid friendly? Score. (Thanks Steph!)

7. Finger Lickin' BBQ Chicken

 

This is a classic. What else can I say? Who doesn't like BBQ chicken on the grill???

6. Chicken Parmigiana

YUM. I want this right now. The key to this recipe is the crushed up croutons...and a great marinara sauce... which is still a work in progress for me. Steve and I made and canned some this winter that was amazing...but of course I didn't measure anything or write anything down. I'm working on it. But anyway - this Chicken is fabulous and is definitely one of my favorite recipes.

5. Chicken Noodle Soup

The ultimate comfort food. However, the key to this recipe is this:

4. Homemade Chicken Stock

Trust me: homemade chicken stock is the key ingredient to taking your homemade soup to the next level. It's just better. And better for you. I know that it is time consuming, but try to make it in large batches, so that you can freeze a bunch to use later. Mmmmmm Mmmmmm good.

Are you starting to get excited for the top 3??? ME TOO!

Where is that drum roll???

3. Spicy Chicken Tostadas

 

I pulled this recipe out of my ass. Steve kept going on and on about this Tostada Ensalada that he had at a restaurant and loved. And Steve doesn't get very excited about food...not the way I do, anyway. So I asked him to describe it to me, and I got a relatively vague answer (because people who aren't obsessed with food don't mentally deconstruct every meal that they eat away from their own kitchen). But the idea of tostadas got stuck in my head, and when I finally went to make them, this is what I came up with. DELICIOUS. Keep reading for the key ingredient...(hint: it's the #1 recipe)

2. Pulled Pork and Creamy Coleslaw

This one is kinda unfair, because it's two really good recipes in one post. I don't know why people keep coming back to it - if it's the Pulled Pork or if it is the coleslaw...but I hope it is for both. Because the Pulled Pork isn't complete without a big spoonful of coleslaw on top...trust me. And don't forget the pickles! This is a go-to crowd pleasing lip smacking belly satisfying recipe for any season. Family friendly. And the crockpot does a majority of the work. How can you beat that??? 

And now...the moment you've all been waiting for!

The number one recipe in the world in the country of all time on this blog...

1. Spicy Shredded Chicken

 

Awwwwww yeah. It really shouldn't surprise you. There have already been two recipes on this countdown that have this as the key ingredient (#9 Chicken Enchiladas and #3 Spicy Chicken Tostadas). And don't forget that you can also use this chicken to make tacos, quesadillas, nachos, or my Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup! How versatile is that??? Go ahead, double or triple the recipe. Make a huge batch and freeze the rest for later use. And - if you don't feel like grilling it, make it in the oven. Of course the grill is the best way to do it because of the lovely flavor it imparts, but if you are in a bind, just cook it in the oven at about 375 degrees, turning occasionally until the chicken is cooked through.

Thanks everyone! Try one or all of these recipes very soon, and don't forget to ENJOY!!!

Canadian Bacon and Pepperjack Cheese Mini Frittatas

 

These were even better than the Ham and Swiss Cheese Mini Frittatas

I used the same recipe (click on the link above for the recipe post), except that I subbed Canadian Bacon for Ham, and Pepperjack cheese for Swiss. I also added some crushed red pepper and it gave it a nice little bite. 

These are so easy and good, and they keep in the fridge for a few days so you can reheat them and eat them as a super fast weekday breakfast. 

The worst part about these is trying to clean the pan. I greased these muffin cups with butter and they still stuck. Any suggestions?

Pasta with Italian Sausage, Artichokes, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Roasted Red Pepper

For superbowl this year, I made these appetizers:

Antipasto Sausage Skewers

One of the parties we went to had a theme of "Food on a Stick", and I immediately thought of these delightful little skewers that I saw a while back.

I made a double batch because we had two parties to go to, and well, obviously.

Fortunately, I had over a dozen skewers left over (no room for antipasto skewers when there is Buffalo Chicken Dip at the party!!!), and my friend Gina recommended that I use them to make pasta.

YES PLEASE!

The pasta turned out delightful, and the flavors were amazing.

Steve bought the Italian sausage links from the meat counter at my favorite grocery store, and we grilled them before cutting them into bite sized pieces. It gave the meat a wonderful smokey flavor and I would highly recommend grilling them, although you could get away with cooking them in a pan as well.

I used red wine because that's what I had open, but you could use white instead.

This was super easy because I already had everything cut up and prepped, but I wrote the recipe as if you were starting from the beginning - it is a lot of prep work, but would totally be worth it.

Try this, soon.

That's an order.

Please excuse the pictures...it's very dark in Northern Minnesota in February...

Pasta with Italian Sausage, Artichokes, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Roasted Red Peppers (serves 6)

• 8 oz Italian Sausage links, grilled and cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 cups of artichoke hearts, quartered
• 2 cups of sun-dried tomatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 cups of roasted red peppers, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup of fresh basil
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (15 oz)
• 1 cup of dry wine (white or red)
• 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 12 ounces of your favorite pasta (I would recommend short pasta like penne)

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

In a large pan or dutch oven, heat the olive oil to medium-high heat. Saute onions and garlic until tender.

Deglaze the pan with wine, cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add sausage, artichokes, tomatoes with all the juices, sun-dried tomatoes, red peppers and basil. Heat through.

Toss in the pasta, top with the Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!!! 

Printable Recipe

Ham and Swiss Cheese Mini Frittatas

Individual little savory muffin delights, these frittatas are easy and convenient. They can be made ahead and taken as a quick weekday breakfast, or used as part of a more elaborate weekend brunch.

They are also highly customizable. I used ham and swiss cheese, but you could use bacon and cheddar cheese, you could leave out the meat to make it vegetarian, add vegetables, onions, herbs - the possibilities are endless!

Make sure that you grease the muffin tin really well - I used butter and the frittatas still stuck on the bottom a little. 

Reheat by throwing the microwave for a minute!

Enjoy!

 This is the muffin tin I used - it makes six large muffins. If you have one with smaller cups, this recipe would make more than six frittatas.

Ham and Swiss Cheese Mini Frittatas (serves 6)

• 12 eggs
• 1 cup of diced ham
• 3/4 cup of shredded swiss cheese
• 1/4 cup of milk, half-n-half or heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Generously grease a muffin tin with butter, set aside.

Beat the eggs with the milk in a large bowl.

Divide the ham and cheese equally between the muffin cups, then pour the egg mixture equally over top of the ham and cheese. Top with salt and pepper.

Bake for 25 - 35 minutes or until the top is starting to brown. Note: cooking time will vary depending on the size/number of the muffin cups you use.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Meaty Lasagna

The answer to your question is yes.

I do weigh 6,000 pounds due to all of the hearty comfort food that I have been consuming.

I promise that after the new year, I will try to post something healthy.

There is no point in even pretending like I am going to eat healthy before then.

Please note: for this recipe I used uncooked lasagna noodles. If you are going to cook your noodles first, do not use cottage cheese. Use ricotta cheese because it is less runny (though quite a bit higher in calories...not that we are counting).

Having homemade (or store-bought - I won't tell) marinara sauce on hand makes this recipe a cinch to throw together.

Yum.

It doesn't get much more comforting than lasagna.

Meaty Lasagna (serves 8**)

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 lb Italian sausage (spicy or mild, whatever your preference)
• 8 cups marinara sauce
• 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 24 oz cottage cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1 lb grate mozzarella cheese
• 1 lb uncooked lasagna noodles (you probably won't use the whole box...save the rest for next time!)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brown beef and sausage in a large saucepan over medium heat. Throw the onions and garlic in the with the beef for the last few minutes of cooking. Drain grease.

Add marinara sauce to saucepan and stir to combine. Heat through.

Combine cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese and egg in a large bowl.

In a large lasagna pan, put enough meat sauce on the bottom of the pan to cover it (about 2 cups). Place uncooked noodles in a single layer on top of sauce. On top of noodles, spread 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture and 2 cups of mozzarella cheese. Place about 2 cups of meat sauce on top of mozzarella cheese, then another layer of noodles. Put remaining cottage cheese mixture on top of noodles, followed by remaining meat sauce and then top with remaining mozzarella cheese (and additional Parmesan cheese if desired)*.

Cover with aluminum foil, place on top of a baking sheet (to catch drips) and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove aluminum foil and continue to cook until cheese is bubbly and brown.

Remove from oven and let sit for 10 - 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

*If you have a deeper lasagna pan (or if you don't use any meat), you could probably do a third layer. Mine was almost overflowing so I could only do 2 layers.
**This recipe is easy to cut in half if you want to use an 8" x 8" baking dish instead of a 9" x 13". Cut all ingredients in half except for the egg - you can still use a whole egg (plus, how do you cut an egg in half? Don't answer that.).

Printable Recipe

Pasta with Italian Sausage and Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce

Yum. I posted this recipe last spring (which is a similar recipe), in anticipation of a long and plentiful tomato season.

It is adapted from a recipe that my "Auntie" Gale made for me when I was living in North Carolina and she came to visit.

That was 8 years ago, and I have been making different adaptations of it regularly since.

Kempton was just a tiny baby then. 

This time of year, I am either using frozen tomatoes out of my summer stash, or the canned/boxed kind, but you could also use fresh.

To be honest, if you really needed a fast dinner you could buy a jar of pre-made Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce.

But I would recommend making your own - it tastes better and you will feel better serving it your family.

Plus, what would I do to relieve stress if I wasn't making complicated recipes from scratch on weeknights?

So you're support of this blog is actually contributing to the improvement of my mental health!

Huh?

Anyway...

For my recipe I also used Steve's family's homemade Italian sausage, but you can use store bought bulk or links.

If you don't know how to roast peppers, check out my previous post for a step-by-step!

One other thing - you could add mushrooms if you had them on hand. Just saute them while you are sauteing the onions and garlic! 

Try this soon - you'll love it!

Pasta with Italian Sausage and Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce (serves 8)

• 1 lb penne pasta
• 1 lb hot Italian sausage
• 52 ounces of undrained diced tomatoes (I used 2 26 oz boxes of Pomi tomatoes)
• 2 roasted red peppers (see previous post for step-by-step), peeled and diced
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 oz sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (less if you don't like spicy)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar (or to taste)
• 4 oz crumbled feta cheese (you could sub goat or Parmesan cheese), plus more for serving

Heat a large skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add Italian sausage, onion and garlic. Cook until sausage is brown and onion is tender.

Add tomatoes, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, red pepper, salt, pepper and sugar and bring to a low boil.

Reduce heat and simmer sauce for 30 minutes or until it is your desired consistency, adding salt, sugar and red pepper to taste.

While sauce is cooking, cook pasta according to package directions.

Toss cooked noodles with sauce (adding half at a time - you want to make sure you have plenty of sauce), add feta cheese and toss to combine.

Serve with extra feta

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Delicious Grilled Pizzawich With Warm Marinara Sauce!

Oh my.

If you are on a diet, please look away.

I invented the most amazing sandwich the other day...

I had purchased all of the ingredients to make a turkey cobb salad (I know, healthy right?), when I decided that I really, really didn't want to eat a salad.

I wanted something cheesy, gooey, greasy and delicious.

Like pizza.

But I didn't want to take the time to actually make the pizza.

Have you noticed that I have instant gratification issues yet?

Anyway.

I looked in the fridge and saw I had everything for pizza, except for the crust.

Then I looked at a loaf of bread.

Then I light bulb went off.

Oh yes, that's right.

Check this baby out:

Layers of Canadian bacon, pepperoni and provolone cheese.

Like a grilled cheese, but with pizza toppings, yo! 

To.Die.For.

And easy as pie!

You could use whatever pizza toppings you wanted (including some veggies, if you were feeling healthy like that)!

Make this for lunch tomorrow.

Grilled Pizzawich With Warm Marinara Sauce

• 2 pieces of bread
• 4 slices of pepperoni
• 4 slices of canadian bacon
• 2 slices of provolone cheese 
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 ounces of your favorite marinara sauce

Butter the outside of two pieces of bread. Put one slice (butter side down) in a skillet or grill pan over medium-low heat. Arrange cheese and meat on top of bread, top with remaining piece of bread (butter side up). Slowly cook over medium-low heat until the bottom is golden brown. Flip sandwich over and cook until this side is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Serve with your favorite warmed marinara sauce. Yum!!!

Printable Recipe

Chef Salad

I feel like I have been posting a lot of comfort food lately.

I know that my ass looks like I've been eating a lot of comfort food lately.

And maybe like I've been sitting on it a little too much.

So today, I am going to post a relatively healthy recipe!

Er...even if it isn't low in fat/calories after you add the meat and cheese...and dressing...

At least you will be getting your vegetables!

It's totally customizable too.

Add whatever veggies you have/want...peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, sprouts, etc.

Add whatever meat you want...turkey, ham, bacon, chicken, etc.

Use whatever lettuce you like.

For the below pictures, I used romaine hearts and spinach; tomatoes; cooked wild rice; ham, turkey and bacon; and cheese!

It was definitely missing hard-boiled eggs though.

I'm not going to post a formal recipe, because really? I think you might know how to make a salad.

I just wanted to give you a dinner idea.

Plus, I made chicken fajitas on the grill last night, and I am making jambalya tonight (per Steve's request)...so I don't have much for new material. This one is from the vault.

Enjoy it anyway!

Start with your base...I used romaine hearts and spinach.

Then add your meat...turkey, ham and bacon...

Then once you realize that you should probably put something other than meat on your salad, move your meat over and add fresh tomatoes and cooked wild rice (if you want).

Top with cheese and enjoy with the dressing of your choice! YUM!

Jambalaya!

Yum.

This is one of Steve's favorite meals that I make.

He just told me that last week when I made it.

He said that he doesn't ask for it very often because he always thought it was really complicated to cook.

Wrong!

It is very easy.

Delicious and simple...gotta love that!

It's also pretty hearty, but doesn't require the use of the oven, so if you are getting tired of the light, cool meals of summer and looking for something a little more substantial, this would be perfect!

You can make substitutions to use what you have on hand (or because you can't find andouille sausage anywhere in town...boo!); sometimes I leave out the ham, sometimes I sub out andouille sausage for kielbasa or hot Italian sausage or chicken (although, that makes it less authentic...but still delicious!). I use red pepper instead of green pepper, because it's what I had in the fridge.

Go ahead and play around with the spices, too. I used all dried herbs (crazy, I know), and like to make it spicy.

Go ahead and show your surprise.

I will leave you with the basic recipe and you can tweak it however your heart desires! Just make this soon!

I serve it with some crusty bread and if I'm feeling ambitious, a salad.

And it is even better the next day.

Jambalaya (serves 4 very hungry people, or 6 moderately hungry people)

• 1 pound of raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (I take the tails off too)
• 8 ounces andouille sausage, sliced
• 1 cup of cubed cooked ham (you could also sub cubed cooked chicken)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped celery
• 3/4 cup uncooked rice
• 2 cups of low sodium chicken broth
• 1 14.5 ounce diced tomatoes (regular or fire-roasted), undrained
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large skillet or dutch oven; add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic; saute until tender. Note: if you are using bulk Italian sausage like I did last time (instead of cooked sausage), brown the meat at the same time...it imparts a great flavor on the veggies too). Stir in the chicken broth, tomatoes, rice, sausage, thyme, basil, bay leaves, and red pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer, covered, until the rice is tender (about 15 - 20 minutes). Check seasonings and add salt and pepper as needed. Increase heat to boiling again and add raw shrimp. Cook until just opaque. Add ham and heat through, checking seasonings one more time. Discard bay leaves...Enjoy!!!

Printable Recipe

Pulled Pork and Creamy Coleslaw Sandwiches

Does anyone ever actually make any of my recipes?

I just wonder because I rarely get any feedback on them...and right now according to Google Analytics (thanks Tara!), I am averaging around 400 visits per month (On my silly little site! Can you believe it?! So proud!). I realize that there are a handful of people that visit several times per month, but people usually only post comments or send emails when it is something about my personal life...

Which I love and appreciate very much, by the way. I was just wondering, you know - if anyone tries the recipes...and if so, do you like them?

You know what they say about opinions...

...feel free to shout out yours! It can even be negative feedback, as long as it is respectful. Or perhaps any suggestions?

But even if no one else on earth makes one of my recipes, I will continue to post them. Mostly because it makes me happy. And hungry. And this is a great way to keep all of my favorite recipes on file! And I not only have the recipe, but I have my thoughts on the recipe, as well as (sometimes) some pictures.

Which brings us to today's recipe...

I know I have posted a Pulled BBQ Pork recipe here before, but I have since tweaked it (surprise!) and made it my own, so I wanted to give it another post. Plus I actually took some pictures. And I found a coleslaw recipe that both Steve and I really like (and we are picky coleslaw eaters!).

Oh yum. Juicy pulled pork with coleslaw and sliced dill pickles. This is a great recipe for a crowd because it makes a lot of pork, and it is easy because you cook it in the crockpot! It is also kid friendly (if you lay off the cayenne pepper).
 

Here is the pulled pork recipe first, then the coleslaw recipe...Enjoy!!!

Pulled BBQ Pork (serves 16 - 20)

• 5 lb pork butt (pork shoulder)*
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cups ketchup
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 5 tablespoons Worcestershire
• 5 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 - 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons pepper

 Throw chopped onion in the bottom of a large crock pot, lay pork on top. Whisk together remaining ingredients. Taste. Does it need more vinegar? More cayenne pepper? More salt? Adjust seasonings to taste, then pour 2/3 of the bbq sauce over pork in crock. Cook on low heat for 8 - 10 hours or until pork shreds easily with a fork. Once pork is shredded (keeping it in the crockpot), you can add remaining sauce, if necessary. I like my pork to be saucy...if you don't, you can pass remaining sauce with pork when you serve it. Just make sure that pulled pork stays moist. Serve on a bun with sliced dill pickles and coleslaw (recipe below). PS - this is a great bbq sauce recipe for bbq chicken or ribs too!
* If you use a leaner cut of meat, you may need extra sauce.

Printable Recipe

Creamy Coleslaw (serves 8 - 10 on sandwiches and can easily be doubled)

• 1 14 oz bag of coleslaw mix (yes, you can certainly shred your cabbage and carrots at home if you want to)
• 1/2 cup of mayo
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 - 4 tablespoons of sugar (3 is just about perfect for me, but start with 2 and add to your liking)
• 2 tablespoons Cider Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• fresh cracked pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, cover and chill for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve on top of pulled bbq pork (or chicken). Don't forget the pickle slices!

Printable Recipe

Spaghetti and Meatballs...from scratch

My camera is broken. It must of have got sand in it while we were at the beach last weekend...the lens won't even open. I think Steve brought it in to get looked at, but in the meantime......

Instead of my terrible point and shoot pictures, you are going to be subjected to my terrible iPhone pictures!!! Hooray!!! Sorry. Anyway...

I wanted to make something special for the kids (by special, I mean delicious and healthy) for dinner on Tuesday night because: 1. I kinda like them, 2. I love to cook, and 3. I know Steve doesn't love to cook - especially on weeknights when he has the kids because time is so limited. I have been probing them about food lately (Do you like this? Do you like that? Have you ever tried this?), and found that they ALL like spaghetti...Katy and Chris with meatballs, Andy without (but he said he would be willing to pick them out).

Then, Steve's mom gave me a pile of fresh basil from her garden (as you will see in a future post, my basil is still limping along), and I promised Katy that I would make her something with it.

*Lightbulb!* I could make spaghetti and meatballs with fresh tomato basil sauce!!! Plus, I have large quantities of Steve's family's homemade Italian sausage in the freezer which would be perfect mixed with beef for the meatballs! It just seemed meant to be.

So, Monday after work I went to the grocery store, armed with my list.

I got home around 5:15pm and went to work.

Steve and the kids were out of town for soccer, so it was perfect. I could make the meal, put it in the fridge overnight, and then on Tuesday night while I was at yoga, Steve would have a delicious home-cooked meal to serve the kids.

Holy labor intensive, batman.

I have never made meatballs before...I usually prefer bulk hamburger, venison or sausage mixed in with my spaghetti.

And evidently I usually make real tomato sauce on weekends when I have plenty of time to cook. Or I just make it from canned tomatoes. Or something.

It was 9:30pm before I was done. And that didn't include cleaning up or letting the sauce cool enough to put it in tupperware.

Can you say "Meal of Love"???

All I could think was that they better really enjoy this dinner. Which, according to Steve - they did. Although, after finding out how much effort went in to it, I think he would be afraid to tell me anything different.

But I thought it was delicious! So I am going to share the recipe with you. Just be forewarned that this probably isn't a good weeknight meal...unless you don't have a job, or can start early afternoon. Enjoy!

Meatball! (Again - sorry for the terrible pics)

Yum! I used whole wheat fettuccine noodles because that was all I had. I told Steve to pick up some thinner pasta for the kids though.

My table for one, outside on the deck with a much needed glass of wine (I had to sample it before I fed it to the kids, right? I mean, what if it was disgusting?).

Spaghetti and Meatballs (serves 6 - 8)

Sauce:

• 5 lbs fresh or frozen tomatoes, cored (And peeled if you desire. I didn't.)
• 4 - 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter (or olive oil)
• 4 whole carrots, chopped (I was sneaking veggies in! hee hee hee)
• 1/2 cup of white wine (don't worry - the sauce cooked for about 4 hours, so the alcohol was gone)
• 1 1/2 cups of fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon of sugar (depending on the sweetness of your tomatoes, you can adjust this)
• salt and pepper
• 2 - 3 teaspoons of beef bouillon
• dried or fresh oregano and thyme
• 2 pinches of crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to your tastes)

 Melt butter in large sauce pan or soup pot (I use my enamel coated cast-iron dutch oven), saute onion, carrot and garlic until tender. Add wine, let simmer for 3 - 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and let cook for 1 - 2 hours, or until tomatoes are broken down (while this is cooking, you could assemble the meatballs...if you were smart...and didn't want to create a new playlist for your ipod to listen to while you were running). Reduce heat to low. Add basil and if desired, blend with an immersion blender until desired consistency is reached (you could also use a blender or food processor, or just chop tomatoes and basil into small pieces). Season with sugar, salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, and crushed red pepper.Continue cooking on low until you are ready to add the meatballs (see below).

Meatballs:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs (or you could use regular bread crumbs)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup of fresh grated Parmesan cheese (grate extra for topping pasta)
• Italian seasoning
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix with hands until combined. Roll meatballs into golf ball sized pieces (I got almost 20), and set aside. Heat oil in a skillet over medium - medium high heat. Fry the meatballs in batches (don't crowd them) until they are browned on each size. This took me about 10 minutes per batch and I did it in 2 batches. When they are good and brown, place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. After all meatballs are browned, increase sauce heat to simmering. Place meatballs in sauce, cover and let cook for 30 minutes.

While meatballs are cooking, cook spaghetti noodles until al dente, heat up some garlic cheese bread, and make a salad. Check the seasonings in the sauce one more time and add salt, sugar or spices if necessary. Serve spaghetti and meatballs with a generous topping of Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!!!

Printable Recipe

Marinades! (And rubs too)

I am a huge fan of the marinade. I just think it makes meat and veggies better! Yes, I realize that there are some cuts of meat or types of fish/seafood that are so good/tasty/tender, they don't need to be marinated...but for the purposes of this blog, we are leaving that limited group out, and talking about everything else!

First of all, I'll tell you why you should marinade food. The big reason: you marinade food to add flavor. You also use marinade to tenderize. And, adding certain ingredients to your marinade can lock in moisture (oils), or help to make a caramelized coating on your meat (sugar or honey). Lastly - even if you use salt in your marinade, I can pretty much guarantee that the sodium levels will still be A LOT lower than if you were to use store bought marinades.

Marinades usually have 3 common ingredients: an acid, an oil, and a seasoning. You can also use several different ingredients from each category. Or leave one category out, if you want...but keep in mind that each ingredient group serve a specific purpose:

• Acids: tenderize by breaking down tissue in meat, allowing marinade to penetrate better. Examples of acids are: citrus juices, wine, yogurt, beer, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce
• Oils: lock in flavor; moisturize. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is great in marinades, because it has ingredients that help the marinade penetrate deeper and faster. Sesame oil is also a good choice.
• Seasonings: flavor. Examples of seasonings to use: salt, pepper, fresh herbs, sugar, spices, ginger, chili's. 

Rubs add flavor, but do not tenderize. So use rubs for delicate meats like certain fish/seafood.

Don't over-marinade! Marinating for too long can make meat mealy or mushy.

Pat your meat/veggies dry before putting them in the marinade...you know what they say about oil and water!

Make sure to use a non-reactive pan or zip-top bag to marinade in.

Often times, I just use whatever I have on hand or what sounds good. In my mind, certain flavor combinations go together, such as: steak with red wine, pork with orange juice, tuna with lime, chicken with lime and cilantro, etc. I could go on and on forever. And that's just what sounds good right now! Depending on what I am in the mood for, those could change (it also greatly depends on what I have on hand). For whatever reason, I almost always use soy sauce (the lower sodium kind) in my marinades. I love the way it tastes! I also use seasoning blends if I am short on time (such as Italian seasoning blends, steak seasonings, etc)

Below are some marinades that I love, some basic and some a little more complicated. I guessed on a lot of the amounts because I don't measure anything, but these should be good for about 1 - 2 pounds of meat (or veggies! Let's not discriminate here!). Adjust according to your taste, of course. Also - at the end I included a recipe for a rub...this will make more than enough for 1 pound of meat - but you can just store it in a dry place and use it later!

Citrus Soy Marinade
Use for chicken, pork, tuna steaks, or whatever strikes your fancy

• 1/2 cup of soy sauce
• 1/4 cup of orange juice
• 1/4 cup of lemon or lime juice
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Your choice of seasonings. A good option is: minced ginger, garlic, and crushed red pepper

Printable Recipe

Red Wine Marinade
Use this for steak, or whatever else you feel like!

• 1/2 cup good, dry red wine
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• couple of dashes of soy sauce (or some kosher salt)
• fresh cracked pepper

Printable Recipe

Sweet and Spicy Marinade
I used this for a pork tenderloin last weekend, and it was divine*! But you can use if for whatever!

• 1/4 cup of soy sauce
• 1/4 cup of Worchestershire
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 1/4 cup of Orange Juice
• 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
• Kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, garlic, Penzey's Northwoods Seasoning (which is salt, pepper, paprika, thyme, rosemary, garlic and chipotle)

* after the pork marinated for about 4 hours, my dad seared it on the grill, then layered it with onions and wrapped it in foil to finish cooking. It was the best pork tenderloin I ever had. It was so tender and flavorful!

Printable Recipe

Rub-a-dub-dub!
I don't use rubs nearly as often as I use marinades...but I do use them for certain things, such as BBQ chicken. BBQ sauce has sugars in it that burn when grilled...so what you should do is put a BBQ rub on the chicken first, and then mop the BBQ sauce on only at the very end of cooking.

The other dish I use a rub for is blackened fish or shrimp. I fell in love with blackened seasoning when I lived in North Carolina, and it is still one of my favorite ways to eat fish (any fish! Salmon, grouper, etc). Another fun fact...you know that seasoning that I love so much? Pizza and Pasta Magic? The dude that makes Pizza and Pasta Magic (chef Paul Prudhomme), is credited with inventing blackening. Does that make sense? What I am trying to say is that he is the first one to blacken. I believe he did it on redfish. Anyway, the basic technique for blackening is to dip the fish fillets in melted butter, coat them with blackened seasoning, and then pan fry them (usually best to do in a cast iron skillet on the grill outside...sometimes it can get stinky and smoky). However, I find that using the blackened seasoning as a rub is yummy too - then just cook your fish/seafood/chicken however you want! Here is a basic recipe for blackened seasoning...you can also buy chef Paul's blackening blends in the grocery store or on his website.

Basic Blackened Seasoning
Use for shrimp, fish, chicken, steak, pork, or whatever floats your boat!

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1.5 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 Tablespoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano

Some recipes also call for onion powder, garlic powder, sugar, cumin or nutmeg. Use whatever sounds good and whatever you have on hand! The basic recipe is really good as is though.

Printable Recipe

I hope that this will be helpful to make your grill season more flavorful! Enjoy!

Part III and final installment of "I can't stop cooking and eating Italian"!!!

About a week after we got back from Florida, Steve and I invited Tara and Eli over as a "thank you very much" for watching Kempton while we were gone. Of course, I was ass deep in my Italian obsession, so the entire meal was Italian themed. It was a month ago, so my memory is a little foggy and I might leave something out...As far as I can remember, we had:

• Roasted tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, kalmata olives, peppers and fresh mozzarella cheese drizzled with a balsamic reduction on baguette for our appetizer.
• A salad with most of the above accouterments (minus the baguette and balsamic) all chopped up and a homemade zesty Italian dressing (I will post the recipe below)
• Risotto
• Pork tenderloin marinaded in Italian herbs, white wine, garlic and lemon juice

YUM!

See below for some pics and the recipe for the salad dressing...

The food: 

The company:

Please note: this is Eli starting a full blown wet-willy war than is still being fought today. Please pray for the insides of my ears. Also - thanks for doing the dishes guys!

The hosts:

*Disclaimer* This was after we ate and I promise that I washed the counter off before I used it for food again.
Kempton seems to be the only one paying attention to the camera!

Thanks so much for watching Kempton Tara and Eli! I appreciate being able to leave him with someone who will love him, exercise him, and let him snuggle in the bed!

Here is the recipe for the delicious zesty Italian vinaigrette, taken from www.cooklikeyourgrandmother.com:

Zesty Italian Vinaigrette Dressing:
1½-2 cups extra virgin olive oil
½ cup white wine vinegar
4-6 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon each:
* black peppercorns
* kosher salt
* dry basil
* dry oregano
* dry parsley
* mustard powder
* 1-2 teaspoons sugar
Combine garlic, salt, peppercorns and a half-cup olive oil in a food processor. Process until
the garlic and peppercorns are well crushed.
Add the remaining herbs and sugar, the vinegar, and another half-cup of olive oil and blend
again. The dressing should start to thicken up.
Add olive oil and continue blending until it reaches the consistency you want. Taste
frequently to make sure you don't add too much oil and dilute the flavor.
Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2-3 weeks. It will still
be good after that, but will start to separate.

Printable Recipe

Roasted Tomato Sauce - Part I of "I can't stop cooking and eating Italian food!"

This is the first in a 341 part series about my obsession with Italian food since I came home from my trip! Please send a crane to lift my ass out of my chair.

Just kidding! Kind of.

I think I am over my Italian food obsession now. I can eat other cuisines without feeling like I'm wasting an entire meal on something that doesn't include tomatoes, basil or mozzarella cheese. For instance, I am planning a deck party for this week to celebrate the nice weather, and I am thinking about making pulled pork sandwiches. ***As an entirely unrelated side note: This is how in tune my brother and I are...I think it has something to do with being reared by the same pack of wild dogs...I printed my recipe for pulled pork off of my blog this morning (this is also a very convenient way for me to keep all my recipes in one place!), and then my brother just called me 30 seconds ago and asked me a question about substituting something in my pulled pork recipe because HE IS MAKING THEM RIGHT NOW! He is half way across the country and we are thinking alike. Crazy, huh? I think I have him and Lyndi addicted to my blog. I imagine it is something like being addicted to a soap opera. They didn't start reading it until a couple of weeks ago, and I can picture them sitting down at night, after dinner, and reading my blog archives in their pajamas with a bowl of popcorn. By the way, he thinks I just stop all of this blogging nonsense, and just start a website with recipes. Little does he know that I am protecting both of our waistlines by not strictly posting about food.

Anyway, back to the food. And back to my brother. Remember I told you in this post about how my brother gave me four giant bags of frozen tomatoes from his garden (my tomatoes got blossom end rot because I neglected them. I am a terrible, terrible person)? I used my second-to-last bag last Sunday (as in 8 days ago) to make homemade roasted tomato sauce. It actually had a similar flavor to my homemade tomato basil soup, but I changed the process a little bit, thickened up the consistency, and added some homemade Italian sausage...then I served it over whole wheat rotini with shaved Parmesan cheese. YUM!

Here is the basic recipe (As usual, I use this term loosely):
Roasted Tomato Sauce

• 3-4 pounds whole tomatoes (fresh or frozen)
• 1 medium sized onion (I always use yellow onions. Unless it calls for red.)
• 4-5 cloves of garlic
• 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
• a couple of sprigs of oregano
• a couple of sprigs of thyme
• lots of basil...I used probably about 1.5 cups, if you packed the leaves in there
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• 1+ tablespoon of sugar
• kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
• Pizza and Pasta Magic (optional)

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees*. Cut the tomatoes in half, peel the garlic cloves, and cut the onion into large chunks. Throw all of this into a zip-top bag, add the olive oil, sprinkle in some salt, pepper, sugar, and Pizza and Pasta Magic. Shake it like a Polaroid picture! Ha ha - or just mix it around until everything is coated with the OO. Then, dump the contents of the bag onto a large baking sheet (flip the tomatoes if needed so that the cut side is up), and stick the sprigs of oregano and thyme throughout the mixture. Put it all into the oven and roast for 3 - 4 hours*. Transfer all of the contents of the roasting pan into a large dutch oven (including all the juices), add the basil and bring it to a soft boil, reduce heat and simmer for a little bit (I let it simmer for about an hour because I was making chicken noodle soup at the same time. It's called multi-tasking), then hit it with the immersion blender (or put it in a regular blender or food processor) to smooth out the texture (If you don't have any one of these, make sure to mince your garlic and onions before you roast them, and chop your basil before you add it. Then you can just mash it with a potato masher or the back of a big spoon to break down the tomatoes). Once it is at your desired consistency, season it to taste. You could add more salt, pepper, sugar, or Italian seasonings. Then just let it cook for another 30 - 60 minutes. I don't know why, but for some reason it doesn't matter how much seasonings you add, it doesn't get the desired flavor unless you just let it cook!

At this point, you have several options. If you want, you can be done. Cook up some of your favorite pasta (I would use something delicate, like angel hair or orzo) and serve this with some Parmesan cheese on top. Or, you can add things to make it more substantial. For instance, at this point I took half of the sauce as is, and put it in the freezer for future consumption (maybe over cheese stuffed tortellini), then with the remaining half, I made it more man-friendly (I added meat). Steve's family makes homemade Polish and Italian sausage every year, so I browned up some bulk Italian and threw it in. You could also add mushrooms, ground beef, or any combination of those things. Or, if you were really feeling crazy, you could use this as the sauce for chicken parmesan. Just make sure to check the flavor after you make any addition! So fresh, so delicious. Enjoy!


*There are so many different ways to roast tomatoes...anywhere from putting them in the oven at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, to putting them in at 200 degrees for 7 hours. It depends on how much time you have. I find that 325 degrees for 3 - 4 hours is somewhere in the middle. Either way, your house will smell phenomenal while they are roasting.

Printable Recipe

Yummy BBQ Pork

Tonight we are having leftover pulled BBQ pork (because I am getting sooooo tired of turkey) that I made a couple of months back and froze. Below is the recipe that I used, and if you can believe it - I barely changed anything. The only thing I did differently was to add the remaining bbq sauce to the pork towards the end of the cook time (to keep it saucy and moist)...and I melted provolone cheese onto the rolls and added sliced up pickles. If you want to, you could also put coleslaw (the vinegar based kind for true Carolina-style) on top of the meat in the bun. This one is definitely a keeper. Yum! Enjoy!

 

PS - I am re-learning to love my slow cooker this winter! 

PPS - This makes A LOT of pulled pork. Either make it for a small crowd/big family or be like me and freeze 1/2 of it!  

PPPS (does that even exist? either way) - I know that I promised to post my white chicken chili recipe, and I will keep that promise! Soon!  

 

 

 

Recipe from bakingbites.com :

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
5-6 lb. pork shoulder/pork butt
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 cup ketchup
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup tomato paste
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp mustard
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
pinch cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 cup water

Place onion on the bottom of your slow cooker. Place pork shoulder, trimmed of any obvious excess fat, into slow cooker on top of onions.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all remaining ingredients to form the barbecue sauce. Feel free to adjust salt and pepper to taste, if necessary. Pour half of the sauce over the pork and cover. Set remaining sauce aside.
Cook over low heat for about 8 hours (or according to your slow cooker’s presets).
Remove pork to a large bowl and shred with two forks. Transfer meat back into slow cooker and cook for a few more minutes, until meat has soaked up the sauce. Pulled pork can be held on the “warm” setting in the slow cooker for serving.
Serve on soft sandwich rolls, topped with extra barbecue sauce.
Serves 10-12.