Super Easy (and delicious) Beef Stroganoff

One of my personal favorites to make, this dish is one that can be thrown together at the last minute if you're in a hurry or just don't really feel like cooking much.  Plus, it's delicious.  Much better than Mr. Helper.

What you'll need:

• 8oz of pasta (typically egg noodles, but I used bow ties this time)
• 1lb ground beef
• 1 cube beef bouillon, crushed
• 1 can cream of mushroom
• 8oz sour cream
• 2oz half and half (milk works, too)
• salt and pepper

What to do:

Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water and drain.

While the pasta cooks, heat a large drizzle of avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the ground beef to the pan, season with salt a pepper, and chop up into bits as it cooks through.  Drain and return to the skillet.

Add sour cream, cream of mushroom, half and half, and bouillon to the pan.  Stir until well combined and heated through.  Salt and pepper to taste, then stir the cooked pasta into the mixture.

Serve it up, and enjoy!

Makes about 4 servings.

Prep time: about 3 minutes

Cook time: 10-15 minutes.

One Pot Cajun Style Red Beans and Rice

I posted this recipe about two years ago and referenced today to make dinner.  I realized as I was making it that I could make some minor adjustments to make it better.  So... here is the new and improved version of my red beans and rice.  Now in an easy one pot recipe.

If you haven't noticed by now, I'm all about easy meals.  What choice do I have?  I have other obligations that keep me from being in the kitchen all day (darn!).  So here I have an easy way for you to make red beans and rice without compromising your cooking integrity by using a box (also, less sodium than the box).

I should also mention that my family does not do spicy very well, but I know that many of you out there love to have your mouth on fire.  For you, I will include some spicy alternatives.  You're welcome.

What you'll need:

• 1 can of red beans (undrained) [spicy alt: creole cream style red beans: New Orleans spicy]
• 1 can of petite diced tomatoes (undrained) [spicy alt: Rotel]
• roll of sausage (regular, green onion, or jalapeno)
• 1 cup rice (uncooked)
• 1 T Tony's creole seasoning
• 1 tsp basil
• 2 T parsley (because I put parsley in everything)
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 cup dried minced onions
• 1 cup water
• pepper to taste
• cayenne pepper (optional)

**Salt is not necessary for this recipe.**

What to do:

Slice up sausage and put in a medium to large pot.  Cook on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, or until it starts to brown.  

Add garlic and let cook an additional 30 seconds.  Add everything else.  If you do use salt, be careful to only use a tiny amount since the sausage and Tony's are already salty.

Bring mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat and cover.  Let simmer for about 20-25 minutes, or until rice is tender, stirring occasionally.

Serve immediately with cornbread or crackers.

Enjoy!

Prep time: 5-10 minutes
Cook time: About 45 minutes

Serves: 5-6

New Year's Soup

I have my mother to thank for the inspiration for this dish.  She used to always make cabbage soup when I was growing up, and it was pretty damn tasty.

Once I became a responsible adult, I always dreaded the New Year meal.
A. Cabbage is not tasty.  Not only that, it smells awful.
B. While black eyed peas are not really bad, it is difficult to get creative with them.

After several New Years of failed meals, I finally remembered about my mom's cabbage soup. I made some adjustments for the occasion, added some secret ingredients, and made a meal worthy of Hell's Kitchen (according to me and my minions).

And the best part is that it doesn't leave your kitchen reeking of cabbage.

What you'll need:

• 1 lb chopped ham (I just bought a small pre-sliced honey ham and chopped it up)
• 1/2 head of cabbage, medium to large, chopped
• 1 cup dried black eyed peas, rinsed
• 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
• 1 cup water
• 1 can (15oz) tomato sauce
• 1 can (14.5oz) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup dried minced onion
• 1/4 cup parsley
• 1 T basil
• 2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp dill weed
• 2-3 dashes of Swampy's Bar-B-Q Rub (secret ingredient #1)
• 2-3 dashes of Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning (secret ingredient #2)

**This soup does NOT need salt**

What to do:

Warm the ham in the bottom of a large stock pot over medium heat.  I like to let it sizzle for about 4-5 minutes to bring out some of the flavor.  Stir in garlic and let cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot and stir it all together.  You may or may not need more water, depending on how big your cabbage is.  Make sure it is all covered up with liquid.  Raise heat to high and bring to a boil.

Reduce to medium-low heat (slightly more on the medium side), cover, and let simmer for about an hour, or until beans are nice and tender.

Serve with cornbread, and you have a highly inexpensive, highly delicious meal to get you ready for your prosperous year.

Enjoy!

Prep time: About 10 minutes

Cook time: About an hour

Serves: 6-7

How to Make Delicious Mushroom Chicken from Frozen Chicken

Fun fact: I am notorious for not having anything thawed out when it comes time to start dinner.  It's kind of awful, really.  So a lot of the times I end up baking frozen chicken.  If you have ever done that, you have found that is it quite difficult to do without it drying out.

Well, I am here to tell you that I rarely ever thaw my chicken out ahead of time, and it always ends up juicy and tender.  In fact, dinner tonight was completely thrown together.  Something I have never made, but it sounded like it would all work out.

It did.  And it was not only yummy, but super easy. I even had a bag of mushrooms in the freezer that I had previously chopped up (from the Shepherd's Pie!), so that cut a few minutes off of my prep time.  Actually, it was so unplanned, I didn't even think to take a picture until I had my plate made.  Whoops.  You'll get the idea, though.

Side note: I have yet to research the benefits of using avocado oil instead of olive oil, but I have been using it a lot lately. You can still use olive oil where I call for avocado.

What you'll need:

• 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (frozen is okay)
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1 can (10,5 oz) cream of mushroom
• 1/4 can of water
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 T rosemary
• 1/4 cup dried minced onions
• avocado oil
• salt and pepper to taste

What to do: 

Preheat oven to 375°. Arrange chicken breasts in a square baking pan.  Drizzle with avocado oil, making sure to get some on the bottom of the pan.  Sprinkle all seasonings over the chicken, then the minced onions.

Heat oil in the bottom of a skillet over medium heat.  Add mushrooms and cook until brown, about 4 minutes.  Stir in garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds, or until fragrant.

Add cream of mushroom soup.  Put a tiny bit of water in the can, about 1/4 of the way full, and add it to the skillet.  Stir and let warm completely through until the entire mixture is an even consistency.

Pour mushroom sauce evenly over and in between the chicken.  Bake for 40-45 minutes if you used frozen chicken (25 minutes if thawed), or until cooked through.  (According to the USDA, the safe internal temperature for poultry is 165°F.  I think it is perfect around 145-153°F because I absolutely hate dry chicken.  White meat is always so dry.  If you feel iffy about it, cut it in half to see how done it is, and make your own call.)

The pan will be full of juices that would be great for making a gravy.  Remove chicken from the juice and serve hot.

Enjoy.

Prep time: About 5 minutes

Cook time: 40-60 minutes (depending on if you use thawed or frozen chicken)

Serves: 4

Black Bean and Sweet Potato (Vegan) Chili

I recently went through a weird period in my food life where all I could seem to put in my body was crap foods.  For about two straight weeks I was eating all the wrong things, feeling sluggish, and my weight was fluctuating more than usual.  My solution was to make it through an entire week of eating only vegan meals.  I figured it would be a good cleanse as well as a project that would get me back on track with my normal eating routine.

During this week I discovered some tasty foods that I plan on making again and again as well as some foods I will never ever ever make again.  It was a learning experience, and I managed to actually lose about 3lbs. One of my favorite meals I made was vegan chili.  The recipe I used as a guideline can be found here, but of course I could never follow a recipe exactly, so I'm posting the way I made mine.  It was so freaking delicious I will never make ground beef chili again.

I believe I have a homemade chili recipe on here somewhere.  As you might be able to tell from that, I like to make sweet chili.  I always make sweet cornbread and crumble it into my chili.  This vegan chili is already sweet, and it has way less calories than regular chili.  Not only do you not get the calories and fat from the ground beef, you also don't have to add any cornbread.  The sweet potatoes, corn, and carrots give it the exact same flavor as regular chili with sweet cornbread crumbled in.  And it's just as filling! You absolutely cannot go wrong with this recipe.

What you'll need:

• 1 small onion, chopped (or half of a medium to large onion)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (I actually got really lucky and found a head of garlic with GIANT cloves, so I only needed one)
• 1 green bell pepper, diced and deseeded
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1 tbs chili powder
• (1) 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 large carrot or 10-12 baby carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 3/4 - 2 cups frozen corn (or one can drained)
• (3) 15.25oz cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
• 1/2 small jar of salsa (I used Tostito's Restaurant Style)
• (1) 14oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

Heat oil in the bottom of a large pot over medium heat.  Add onions and cook about 3 minutes.  Add bell pepper and continue to saute for another 4 minutes, or until pepper is soft.  Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds until fragrant.  Add cumin and chili pepper and saute for another 2 minutes.

Add crushed tomatoes and mix together.  Add the rest of the ingredients and stir them all together in the pot.  Bring the chili to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer covered on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, and then uncovered for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes and carrots are cooked all the way through.

Serves about 6-8.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hr 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hr 20 minutes

The Easiest Chicken and Dumplins You Will Ever Make

Not only are they easy, they are super yummy!

Total cook time: About 35 minutes.

What you'll need:

• 3lb bag of boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Large can of cream of chicken*
• 1 can of large biscuits (homestyle original or buttermilk)**
• Salt
• Pepper
• Basil
• Garlic powder
• Parsley (not pictured)

*You can mix it up and use 4 small cans of cream of whatever else. I've mixed cream of celery, mushroom, and chicken, and it turned out really good.  I experimented with the Healthy Choice this time, but it is not nearly as flavorful as the full fat one. I solved this by adding more basil.

**Do NOT use flaky or butter flavored biscuits. They will not turn out.

What to do:

• Place the whole bag of chicken breasts in a medium to large pot, and fill with enough water to submerge them. (You can also cut the chicken beforehand, but it makes straining the fat out more difficult later.)
• Season with salt, pepper, basil, parsley, and garlic powder.
• Bring to a boil, and cook on medium heat until chicken is cooked through (about 15 minutes).
• Pull the cooked chicken out of the broth and set on a plate to cool a little. 
• Using a large spoon, scoop and strain the fat out of the broth. You will not be able to get it all out, which is perfectly fine.
• Keeping the heat on medium high, stir in the cream of chicken.  Heat and stir until all of the lumps are gone.
• While your cream of chicken is heating up, begin to tear or cut up the chicken into bite sized pieces. Set aside. (I like to set mine in the microwave or stove to keep it from losing too much heat.)
• When your broth mixture is smooth, turn down the heat begin tearing the biscuits into dumpling size pieces and dropping them into the broth. (Note: the biscuits will expand as they cook, so keep the pieces smaller than you would normally want them to be.)
• Let them cook for about 5 minutes, then add the chicken back to the soup.
• Enjoy!

Recipe: Easy Homemade Chili

It's starting to get cold outside!  It's the time of year for soup and chili, and I could not be more excited!  Here's an easy recipe for super yummy chili that only takes about 35 minutes start to finish.

What you'll need:

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 small sweet bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped (I only used half)
• 1 can red beans (undrained)
• 1 can diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1-3 tsps. chili powder (optional, depending how much of a kick you want)
• basil
• pepper
• parsley

Instructions:

Drizzle some oil in the bottom of a large saucepan or soup pot.

Add onion and bell pepper.

Saute for about 3-4 minutes. 

Add ground beef, pepper, basil, and parsley, and cook until brown. (If you are making rice or cornbread, now is the time to start it.)

Drain.

Add beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and chili powder.  I also added more parsley and basil.

Bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

The end result should look something like this:

Serve in a bowl with rice, cornbread, or crackers. It also makes an awesome lunch the next day! 

Serves about 6. 

Recipe - Goulash with Chicken and Rice

There are so many variants of goulash recipes, it's ridiculous.  If I am correct, it is basically just a medley of ingredients thrown together into a soup.  If it's not that, whatever.  I call this dish I make "goulash," so there.  I always make enough to last for a few days, and it's a great use for leftover chicken or Thanksgiving Turkey.

I should probably mention, before I get started, that I never measure anything when I cook.  If you're looking for a recipe that has exact measurements, you will be sorely disappointed.  Also, I never make this dish the same way twice, so I will include different options.

I will start off with how I made it on this particular evening, and then offer different options for you to adjust to your personal taste.

What you will need:

• chicken (I usually use 3lbs of boneless skinless breasts)
• instant brown rice (4 servings)
• 1 can of cannellini beans - drained and rinsed
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 can drained corn
• 1-2 zucchini and/or yellow squash - sliced
• chicken broth (optional)
• marinade (optional)
• very large mixing bowl or stock pot

Having this for dinner was a last minute decision, so I didn't have time to marinate my chicken.  I made the decision to boil it in the marinade (hooray for executive decision making!).  You can cook your chicken however you want (boil, bake, use leftovers), as long as it ends up ripped up or cut up in your dish.  For the purpose of the recipe, I will let you in on what I used for a marinade.

Marinade:

• honey
• soy sauce
• red wine vinegar
• lemon juice (about 3 capfuls)
• garlic powder
• salt
• pepper
• dried diced onions
• parsley

Instructions:

• Combine marinade ingredients in the pot with your chicken.  Fill the rest of the way with water, cover, and boil on medium heat until chicken is done.  Remove the chicken and let sit on a plate until it is cool enough to rip apart.  Save the broth.
• While the chicken is cooking, put zucchini and/or squash slices in a buttered skillet.  Saute on low until cooked through.
• Combine beans, tomatoes, and corn in a large skillet and heat on medium low until tomatoes and beans are done.  Season with salt and pepper.
• Rice: follow the directions on the box.
• Combine all cooked ingredients in a very large bowl or stock pot and stir together.  If you boiled the chicken, use about 1.5-2 ladle-fuls of the broth in the mixture to moisten the rice.

And this is what you get:

Well, this is what I got.  It looks funny.  It tastes awesome.

Now of course you're wondering about variations.  Like I mentioned earlier, I don't think I have ever made this the same way twice.  Here are a few ways to vary it up a bit:

1. Use leftover chicken or turkey.  You can pull it apart and warm it up in a skillet.
2. Steamed broccoli instead of zucchini.
3. Black beans (or any kind of beans) instead of cannellini beans
4. Pasta instead of rice.
5. Use whatever vegetables you want (example: leftover Thanksgiving veggies).

Enjoy!

Reheating Tip: Put some water in a microwavable cup and leave it in the microwave while reheating the food.  It helps prevent drying out of the food.