Sweet & Spicy Penne

Sweet & Spicy Penne

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It was a dark, stormy weeknight…I worked all day, picked up my toddler from daycare, and rushed home to make dinner for my friend and I. Of course my friends are used to me trying new recipes on them, so I got two thumbs up on this one. Even my daughter loved the leftovers! And it all started from a light recipe that I had torn out months ago and altered with all of my favorite things (mushrooms, sausage, extra cheese…so much for the “light” part of it). Oh, and the recipe was dated 2011 – it only took me a few years to try and customize it. But it’s definitely a keeper!

One box of whole grain penne pasta, cooked according to directions & drained

1 (16 oz) jar of marinara sauce

1 pkg. (5-6) Italian flavored turkey sausages

1 c. roasted red peppers, chopped

1 small individual container of plain Greek yogurt

1 c. fresh basil, chopped

1 c. fresh mushrooms, roughly chopped

1-2 tsp. Red Hot Sauce or Tabasco (to taste)

salt & pepper, to taste

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, to taste

Slice open the turkey sausages and remove the filling. Toss the casings, and saute the crumbled filling in a large skillet over medium heat until cooked through. Drain off the excess liquid and put back in pan. Add the marinara sauce, peppers, and mushrooms. Heat thoroughly and until mushrooms are tender. In a separate bowl, slowly spoon about 1 cup of the sauce into the yogurt to temper it. Then add back into the sauce. Add the basil, along with hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Toss the sauce with the cooked pasta and top with cheese. Serve immediately.

Goes great with Cheesy French Bread!

 

Episode 1: Make Ahead Breakfast Burritos

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(Video Coming soon)

Episode 1: Make Ahead Breakfast Burritos

1 dozen large flour tortillas

1 dozen eggs

1 T. Milk

2 c. shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese Other fillings: cooked hashbrowns, chopped peppers, mushrooms, spinach (cooked and squeezed dry), turkey bacon, ham cubes, etc.

Blend eggs and milk together. Cook in large skillet over medium heat until dry and scrambled. Set aside to cool. Cook other ingredients per directions and also set aside to cool.

Tear off 12 pieces of tin foil. Set a tortilla on it, sprinkle with 1 T. shredded cheese, 2 T. Scrambled eggs, and any other ingredients (don’t overstuff). Fold in sides of tortilla while rolling up. Hold and roll in the tin foil. Place several in plastic bag to store in freezer.

To heat up, remove from foil, wrap in paper towel, and microwave on high for 1.5-2 minutes, until heated through. Enjoy!

Tea-Infused Chocolate Truffles

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Perfect for Valentine’s Day, and so easy! I tried these out on a very gracious audience today at the Bauman Farms ladies tea and I think they liked them. Not too many leftovers. The only bad thing is that I forgot to take a photo!

Tea-Infused Chocolate Truffles

(2) 4-oz bittersweet chocolate bars (chopped into small bits)

(2) 4-oz semi-sweet chocolate bars (chopped)

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

4 tea bags (spiced cinnamon chai, vanilla caramel or other favorite flavors)

Unsweetened cocoa powder, cinnamon and/or toasted ground toasted almonds

 In a small saucepan, bring the cream just to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and put in the tea bags. Cover and brew 5-8 minutes. Remove the tea bags and squeeze out excess cream.

In a medium-sized microwave safe bowl, pour the cream mixture over the chocolate bits and stir. Microwave on high for 40 seconds. Stir and if it’s not smooth, microwave 10-20 seconds more if needed. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

Scoop the chocolate “dough” by level tablespoonfuls and roll into balls. Roll in the cocoa powder with a bit of cinnamon, and/or nuts. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. Serve chilled or slightly below room temperature. Can also be frozen up to 2 weeks.

Notes:

• Try berry or fruit flavored teas!

• If you prefer a stronger flavor, use more tea bags.

• Use cinnamon or vanilla powder mixed with the cocoa powder depending on the tea flavor you use.

Turkey Chili

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Right after I had my daughter, my friend brought our family a big bowl of chili, homemade cornbread and salad. We ate that for a week and it was fabulous! I took her recipe and changed it up a bit so I could make it in the crockpot (don’t judge me, I have a toddler and no time now)!

Turkey Chili

1 T vegetable or olive oil

2 medium sweet onions, peeled and chopped finely (I prefer to cook with Walla Walla sweets)

1.5 lbs. ground turkey

Heat oil in large skillet. Add turkey and onion, cook thoroughly. Drain off liquid and set aside.

1.5 tsp. ground oregano

2 bay leaves

1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

1.5 tsp. salt (can add more later to taste)

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

*chili powder to taste

(1) 28-oz. can whole tomatoes

2 c. low-sodium beef broth

(1) 8-oz. can tomato sauce

(3) 15-oz. cans small white beans, drained & rinsed

In a large crockpot, add the meat mixture and the rest of the ingredients. Stir and cook on low, 4-6 hours. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, fresh chopped cilantro and/or hot sauce.

Notes:

• I left out the chili powder and it tasted fine to me, but I don’t like spicy foods.  You can also add Tabasco to taste during or after cooking.

• To save time, you can pre-cook the meat mixture the night before then refrigerate and all ingredients to crockpot the next day. Or, you can mix everything up, refrigerate the whole crockpot, and turn it on in the morning. I have also pre-cooked the meat and frozen it to use when needed.

• Try different kinds of beans (I accidentally bought garbanzos instead of white beans and it’s looking pretty good!) or a combination of ground turkey and ground beef or chicken.

Trinity Gumbo

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The key ingredient to making yummy & fast gumbo!

The key ingredient to making yummy & fast gumbo!

I call this “Trinity Gumbo” because Cajun cooking often uses the “Holy Trinity” of onions, green peppers and celery as a base, and because I use a combination of chicken, andouille sausage and shrimp. This is a great dish to make on a Sunday and eat throughout the week – it’s almost better as leftovers after the flavors all meld together! This recipe is a hybrid of one I got when I took a cooking class in New Orleans and one of the back of the key ingredient, Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Gravy & Gumbo Mix.

Trinity Gumbo

2 green peppers, cored, seeded & chopped up finely

1 large onion, peeled & chopped finely

1 lb. celery, chopped finely

2 T. olive oil

2 T. butter or margarine

1 pkg. (12 oz.) andouille sausage, halved & sliced

Combine all of the above ingredients except andouille in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook until veggies are very soft and starting to brown. Add andouille until it begins to curl at the edges.

1 lb. boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cubed

1 T. olive oil

While the Holy Trinity is cooking, in a separate saucepan, cook the chicken in the oil just until white.

8 c. low-sodium chicken broth

8 oz. Gravy & Gumbo Mix

2-3 bay leaves

1 lb. peeled & deveined shrimp (either tail on or off)

White rice (cooked according to instructions)

Heat the chicken broth with the bay leaves until almost boiling, then add in the gumbo mix, chicken, and Holy Trinity. Heat thoroughly, then just a few minutes before serving, add in the shrimp and heat until the shrimp are cooked, just a few minutes. Remove the bay leaves. To serve, place a big scoop of the rice in a bowl and ladle the gumbo over it. Sprinkle with file’ gumbo powder & enjoy!

Taco Soup

No-Fail Taco Soup

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There are so many delicious and convenient soups available now that it’s hard to justify taking the time to make it at home. The perks of making it yourself are that you can make enough to feed the family, take leftovers to work all week, AND probably still have enough to freeze and eat months later when you don’t feel like cooking! You can also season it to your own liking – many of the store-bought varieties are too high in sodium for my taste.

When you make soup at home, you can also add, leave out, or substitute ingredients easily. Below is my version of what we called “taco soup” growing up. It seems like everyone has their own favorite recipe, and if you look online, there are infinite ways to switch it up. I began calling this my “No-Fail Taco Soup” because it’s a basic recipe where you really can use whatever is in your cupboard or freezer, in whatever portions, season to your own tastebuds, add toppings afterward to flavor it even more, and it always turns out tasty!

No-Fail Taco Soup

1-1/2 lbs. ground meat (beef, turkey, chicken or a combination)

1 package of taco seasoning mix

1/2 or whole large yellow onion, peeled and chopped

(3) 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes

(2) 11 oz cans of southwestern style corn

(4) 15 oz. cans of beans (I prefer black, garbanzo, white, and kidney but you can also use pinto or all the same type)

1 T. cocoa powder

1 c. water or broth

In large skillet, brown the ground meat and drain off liquid and fat. Return to skillet and add taco season per the directions on packet.

Pour all the beans into a strainer and rinse off. Transfer beans to a large slow cooker and add the cans of corn and tomatoes with their liquid. Add in the cocoa, water or broth, and ground meat mixture. Stir and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Serve warm and top with crunched up taco chips, sour cream, grated cheese, chopped onions, cilantro, hot sauce and salt or pepper to taste (I usually leave out the additional salt since the taco chips and cheese have enough).

Notes:

• If you like your soups peppier, add in a bit of ground chipotle in adobo sauce or a cube of chipotle powder, Tabasco or chili powder. Ground cumin adds a bit more authentic Mexican flavor.

• Try it with cubed beef stew meat, chorizo, or go vegan and add in chopped carrots and more tomatoes (add the taco seasoning in with the beans, and water or broth).

• To make a creamier version, add in a can of refried beans with 1-2 cans more water to your desired consistency, and/or a can of tomato sauce.

• Serve on top of baked potatoes with a bit of shredded cheddar and sour cream or with a chunk of cornbread on the side for a hearty dinner.

• You can also simmer this on your stovetop in a large soup kettle. All the ingredients are already cooked and you only need to heat it until hot, but the longer it simmers, the more the flavors meld together and the better it tastes!