They are Baaaackkk!!!

You know you loved the last recipe that helped you figure out what to do with that oh so dreaded brussel sprout well they are back in an awesome new recipe my mom discovered while watching food network and passed my way. This recipe is great and you dont even have to buy the expensive ingredient if you dont want to you can make it with or without a few things and it is amazing and sure to become one you will make again and again.
This recipe can be found on foodnetwork.com

Brussel Sprouts Supreme


Ingredient:

• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, halved
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced (white and pale green parts only)
• 2 morita or pasilla chiles, stemmed, seeded, and coarsely chopped ( we found these at no frills in the hispanic food section)
• 1/2 cup pine nuts( Have made 2 times once with and once without both were great)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the Brussels sprouts and stir until coated with the butter, 1 minute. Add the broth, cover, and simmer until the Brussels sprouts are tender, about 7 minutes. Uncover and continue to simmer until all of the broth has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Transfer the Brussels sprouts to a medium bowl.

Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in the same pan. Add the green onions, chiles, and pine nuts. Saute until the nuts are toasted and the chiles are tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cream and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, return the Brussels sprouts to the pan, and toss to coat them with the cream. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.

Rating-5 out of 5

Look- It doesn't look super appetizing but you wont care once you taste it

Difficulty- Alot of steps but only basic cooking knowledge to complete

Review- This dish was great and very complex The Morita peppers are smoky and hot and the cream mellows them out and then add the brussel sprouts to all of that and you have a winning dish.

Sorry for no pic I completely forgot to take one before we ended up eating the whole pan. These are a little spicy for kids but if you get the peppers out they are fine and definitely tolerable for them.

Scrumptious Juicy Chicken in a FLASH!!

I recently purchased 4 Family size packs of chickens (8 breasts a piece) @ Walmart due to the fact that we eat alot of chicken, own a deep freeze and it was .78/lb (DIRT CHEAP). So of course I am trying to think of things to do with chicken. I was planning on making chicken cordon bleu the other night but that fell through cause I couldnt find any toothpicks and didnt want all of my filling dripping out. So I came up with this recipe on the fly. I had to bake it because I was going to get it in the oven before I went to get daddy.


So here it is:
Crispy moist Germy :D chicken  
2 lrg. chicken breast (boneless skinless)
1 c. wheat germ
1T. fresh rosemary leaves diced
1t. italian seasoning 
1/2 t. salt
1/2t. pepper


Directions
Pour all dry ingredients  in a medium bowl. Cut two large chicken breasts into 4 smaller portions. Coat with wheat germ mixture place into  a shallow baking dish coated in cooking spray and then spray the chicken also. This makes it very crunchy without any extra calories. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 375 or until golden brown and juices run clear.


I also made Rosemary oven roasted potatoes and roasted asparagus. 

Rosemary oven roasted Potatoes
8-16 baby yukon golds cut into cubes (depending on how many people you are feeding you be the judge)
2-3 T fresh rosemary leaves diced
1T. italian seasoning
1/2t salt 
1/2t pepper
4 cloves garlic(pressed or minced)
2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1t. for cookie sheet.


Instructions:
Pour 1t. of EVOO on a cookie sheet and put in a 375 degree oven( this technique makes the potatoes really crisp up and not stick) Cube your baby yukons( you can find these cheap at aldi otherwise they are alittle pricey) place all other ingredients in bottom of a medium size bowl. Pour in cubed potatoes and toss by hand.  Remove hot cookie sheet from the oven and pour on your potatoes shake to evenly spread and place back in oven for 30-45 minutes flip 2-3 times  and enjoy!


Roasted asparagus


1 bunch of asparagus
4 cloves garlic (pressed or minced)
2t. EVOO 
1/2t salt 
1/2 t pepper


Place all ingredients in bottom of medium bowl while prepping your asparagus. The easiest way to do this is just to break the tough ends off where they break when bent. no knife necessary. place asparagus in bowl and toss. Lay asparagus flat on a cookie sheet and put in a 375 degree oven for 10-20 min depending on how done you like it.

If you notice I try to stay with the same flavors throughout my meal so you dont feel like you are eating just random stuff thrown on a plate together. I am not going to rate or review any of these because they are all my original recipes and I just dont like doing that. But definitely try all of them you wont be sorry :D

Broccoli Beef

Who doesnt like take-out? You know you do but it can be alittle pricey to feed a whole family on take-out so why not make your own with this recipe. Then you also know what is going in and you can up the veg or meat according to your liking. It is great to be the creator. So get in the kitchen and create this dish.

recipe found on allrecipes.com

Broccoli Beef
1 teaspoon cornstarch

• • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3/4 pound round steak, cut into strips
  • 6 cups water
  • 5 cubes beef bouillon(cooked rice according to pkg)
  • 4 ounces linguine pasta, uncooked(used boil in a bag rice)
  • 1/2 cup fat free beef broth
  • 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced(did not use these)
  • 1/2 cup sliced green onion
  • 1 pound broccoli, separated into florets(Did two heads of brocolli, next time will do 4)
  • I also added a splash of orange juice to the meat marinade
  
  
  
  

Directions

1. In a shallow glass dish or bowl, stir together the soy sauce, Italian dressing, cornstarch, garlic and ginger. Place steak strips in the mixture to marinate for 15 minutes.
2. While the beef is marinating, combine the bouillon cubes in water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, and add pasta. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until al dente. Drain.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove beef from marinade with a slotted spoon, and place in the hot skillet. Discard marinade. Cook beef, stirring constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, or until mostly browned. Stir in the beef broth, mushrooms and green onions, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove lid, add broccoli, and cook until broccoli is bright green and tender but still crisp. Add drained linguine, toss, and serve

Rating- 4 out of 5
Look- The broccoli was a bright green color but otherwise nothing amazing to look at  
Difficulty- easy just basic cooking skill to complete this meal 
Review-Overall I thought this meal was good. The flavor was pretty spot on to something you would get at a chinese takeout place the only thing I would change in that aspect is I would probably half the amount of ginger it called for. It was just slightly overpowering. My only complaint was that the meat was alittle tough. I would say you could rectify by either marinating for longer or Maybe slow cooking for a long time in a crock pot. Besides that it was an all around good recipe.

The kids and my husband all loved this. The broccoli was the favorite by far and we even caught parker sneaking some of daddy's off his plate while he was up getting himself a drink :D I told you we love our veggies!! 

Try this recipe tell me what you think and what alterations you made.

Shepards Pie

Well here it is I am finally putting it down on paper :D The recipe that I get asked about anytime that someone tries it. This is a recipe I learned from my mom and my kids will probably learn from me. And now everyone that shows up when they know I am making this can make it themselves :P
Ingredients
1 lb of ground beef
1 pkg frozen corn ( or fresh cut of the cob )
1-2 C. Cheese any kind of cheddar or mixed cheese will work
1 beef bouillon cube
3/4-1 c water
1/2 onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced or pressed
2-4T. flour
7-8 potatoes peeled and cubed
2 T butter
1/2 c. half and half
1/4 t salt
1/8 t pepper


Directions:
Cook potatoes in boiling water till soft. Beat them with butter, half and half, salt and pepper. Until light and fluffy. In a frying pan brown hamburger with onion and garlic until there is no pink left. While this is cooking combine water, bouillon and flour in a small bowl. When hanmburger is browned add water, flour and bouillon mixture let thicken. While this is thickening microwave your corn. When corn is warm start assembling you pie.In a casserole dish put a thin layer of meat followed by a layer of potatoes, meat, corn, meat, corn, potatoes and then top with cheese and place in oven for 40 minutes. 15 minutes before it is done take a butter knife and stab the middle a couple times. When it is done it will be bubbly and brown.

Difficulty- Alittle harder and takes some prep. It is nothing an intermediate cook couldnt handle with ease.
Look- Looks like comfort food

Review- This recipe is one that will be used again and again. The ingredients are cheap and usually standbys in any household. This is a recession proof dish and feeds alot of mouths for cheap but not leaving them unsatisfied. This would be a good dish to eat before hunting or building snow forts with the kids. Warms you from the inside out.

Like I said this is an original recipe one that until now was only in my family. We like it and hope that you do too :D Let me know if you try it and what you think.

Roasted Veggies!!!

We love roasted vegetables and this is an easy way to use almost any veggies in your house.  I had some zuchinni that was about to go bad and needed a side dish to go with a meal I was making so this was a good option.

Ingredients

1 red bell pepper
2 zuchinni
1 bunch of asparagus
5 cloves of garlic (pressed or minced)
2T Extra virgin olive oil
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper

preheat oven to 425
Combine garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in the bottom of large bowl. Break ends of aspargus off and cut in 2 inch sections. Cut zuchinni in 1/2 inch disks. Quarter and seed bell pepper and then thinly slice. Add all veggies to the bowl and toss with hands/spoon ( if your a goof :D Come on get your hands in there it
is fun to play with your food even though your mom told you that you shouldn't) Spread veggies on a cookie sheet and pop in the oven for 10-15 minutes :D or until they are as tender as you like. Serve and enjoy. This also works awesome on the grill and it gives it a ton of smokey flavor.

Difficulty- Easy this dish takes barely anytime to prepare. Basic cutting and that is about it.
Look- vibrant
Review- Roasting brings out the natural flavors in the vegetables. The versatility of this and what veggies you can use is endless.

Tell me about your creations :D lets see how creative you can get. Dont forget anything goes in the kitchen.

Sausage Pepper linguine (spaghetti)

I have made this recipe many times! It is a favorite in our house. We had pictures the night that I made this so I had to make something quick so that we could leave on time, which of course didn't happen but not due to the food! This has a ton of flavor and easy to prepare. I got this recipe out of a book in the library originally but it is a Martha Stewart recipe and you can find it on marthastewart.com

Linguine with Turkey Sausage and Peppers

Ingredients

1 pound linguine
1 pound turkey sausage (casings removed)
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 yellow (or red) bell peppers, thinly slice
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons arugula, torn( did not add this because I can never find it anywhere)
Coarse salt and ground pepper, for seasoning


Directions


1.Cook linguine. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta water; return pasta to pot.
2.Meanwhile, cook sausage and 2 tablespoons water in a large covered nonstick skillet over medium until fat renders, 5 minutes. Uncover; raise heat to medium-high. Brown sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, 7 minutes.
3.Add garlic, bell peppers, and 1/4 cup reserved pasta water; cook until peppers soften, 6 minutes. Add 3/4 cup pasta water and butter; swirl to combine.
4.Transfer to pot. Add arugula; season with salt and pepper. Toss; add more pasta water as desired. Serve.



Rating -5 out of 5
look - gorgeous I just wish I had a orange pepper to go into it too because it would have made it even that much prettier
difficulty - very easy to follow instruction. the hardest part is chopping all the peppers and making sure to follow the instructions
review- This is a quick and easy dish. The recipe is simple but the flavor is so complex the sausage and all its juices really come together when you add the butter and pasta water. I made this with spaghetti but it sticks better to a flatter pasta.

                                                             sorry about the pic it was from my 
                                                                                  phone!




I would tell anyone that likes peppers  to try this dish you will not be sorry :D It may just be a new family favorite.

Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Well tonights recipe was completely experimental. Also it saves alot of money compared to buying these packaged in the frozen section. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com 

Homemade Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed ( I used red beans thought I had a can of black but I didnt)
• 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1/2 onion, cut into wedges
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce or hot sauce
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Directions

1. If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and lightly oil a baking sheet.
2. In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick and pasty.
3. In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic (I drained this in a napkin it had alot of juice). Then stir into mashed beans.
4. In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce.
5. Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties.
6. If grilling, place patties on foil, and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side. ( I cooked on a pan in the oven)

Rating- 5 out of 5

Look- Looked alittle dry but turned out to be as moist as I had hoped

Difficulty- This took no knife skills at all and very little prep - very easy even for a beginner cook

Review- This recipe was easy affordable and tasted great even with my slight adjustment. The flavor was great and didn't even need any salt. Plus it is low cal @ 198 cal per burger. You cant beat that!

I loved this recipe and so did my family including all THREE kids. My husband actually told me it was my best find yet. And that is pretty amazing considering he usually raves about anything I cook. The prep was near nothing and the end result was awesome. This would also be easy to double, triple quadruple whatever you fancy. I would say you could easily freeze these and then cook them later. A quick easy low calorie lunch or dinner in 20 minutes or less.