March 14, 2012 · 10:49 am

Slow Cooker Tikka Masala

We love Indian food in our house, even the kids, so I knew this would be a hit. I think my favorite thing about this whole recipe though (besides the awesome aroma that fills your house as it cooks) was the crunchy cool contrast of the cucumbers. Yum!

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 T tomato paste
2 teaspoons garam masala (or you can make your own by combining 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon coriander, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, and a dash of cayenne)
1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 English cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup basmati rice (or other long-grain white rice-I used arborio)
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)

Instructions:
Combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, tomato paste, garam masala, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Place the chicken on top of the veggies, cover and cook until the chicken is tender (low for 7 to 8 hours or high 3 to 4 hours).

In a small bowl, toss the cucumber and cilantro with lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.

Twenty minutes before serving, cook the rice according to package directions.

Just before serving, stir the cream (if using) into the chicken tikka masala. Serve over rice with the cucumber relish on the side.

What did the family think? I would have liked for it to have been a little more spicy. Hubby and I liked it though, we just wanted it to have more vavoom. Our oldest tried it, but he’s not a big fan of dark meat.

Where did this recipe come from? I got it from Half-Assed Kitchen and they got it from Real Simple

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Filed under Chicken, Make Ahead of Time, Super Easy to Make

March 12, 2012 · 11:51 am

Glazed Carrot Coins

I am always trying to think of ways to get my kids to eat more of a variety of veggies. They will eat salad day after day after day, and although that is awesome, a little variety would be nice, too. My kids are not totally opposed to carrots, although when they do eat them, they are usually raw. Cooked carrots have usually been met with a groan or two. That was not the case tonight.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch slices

Instructions:
In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar, orange juice, salt, ginger and cinnamon. Add the carrots; cover and cook for 20-25 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

What did the family think? 3/4 of our family liked these. My oldest even said, “Wow! These are really good!”

Did I change anything? I used baby carrots instead of carrots coins. I already had them in the refrigerator so there was no need to buy even more carrots.

Where did this recipe come from? Taste of Home

photo from food.com

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Side Dish, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

March 9, 2012 · 3:51 pm

White Bean and Sausage Soup

It has been beautiful here the past couple of days, but the nights are still chilly. I was worried it might be too warm outside to make this soup, but it turned out to be the perfect weather and this soup went beautifully with a green salad and and the yummy baguette I picked up from the bakery.

Ingredients:
15 oz white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
32 oz chicken broth
15 oz cans Italian style diced tomatoes
1 lb Italian sausage
2 oz fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan, to taste

Instructions:
Cook Italian sausage in a large pot. When cooked through, add all other ingredients. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

What did the family think? Hubby and I thought this was great. Our kids are not soup people unless it’s miso, so I knew they wouldn’t like this.

Where did this recipe come from? The Girl Who Ate Everything

Photo from My Recipes

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Italian, Stew/Soup, Super Easy to Make

March 8, 2012 · 8:15 pm

Almond Coconut Granola

The awesome thing about granola is that even if you don’t have everything the recipe calls for, it’s probably okay. Don’t have any raisins? Leave them our or add some other dried fruit. Don’t have any almonds? No worries. Try some pecans. Just ran out of nutmeg? Leave it out and add a little extra cinnamon. It may not come out tasting the same, but it will still probably be very good and a very good start to your day.

Ingredients:
4 cups organic rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped or slivered almonds
2 T flax seeds
1 cup shredded coconut
3 T brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup good honey
1/3 cup apple juice or apple cider
1 cup raisins

Instructions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, almonds, flax seeds, coconut, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Whisk the oil, honey, and apple juice in measuring cup.

Pour the liquid mixture over the oat mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until all the oats and nuts are coated. Spread onto a large sheet pan. Bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice, even golden brown, around 20 minutes, depending on oven.

Remove granola from the oven and allow to cool completely, stirring occasionally. Add raisins. Store cooled granola in an airtight container.

What did the family think? I am the granola eater in our family. My hubby does a version of granola that he likes, but this one isn’t it.

Did I change anything? The original recipe called for hazelnuts, but I didn’t have any so I just added for almonds.

Where did this recipe come from? Originally it came from Barefoot Contessa. My version was adapted from Kiss My Spatula.

photo from my recipes.com

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Filed under Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

February 29, 2012 · 11:06 am

Sausage, Onion and Roasted Potato Skillet

This was so perfect with our rainy, nasty, cold weather we were having last night. It was warm and cozy and perfect with a green salad and a glass of red wine.

Ingredients:
1 package pre-cooked sausages, sliced into thin coins
*I used Trader Joe’s Spinach, Fontina & Roasted Garlic Chicken Sausage
Olive oil
1 medium onion sliced thinly
1 pound small potatoes, chopped into quarters
Salt
Pepper

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Microwave potatoes for 5 to 8 minutes to par-cook them. This will greatly reduce the time required to roast them.

Arrange par-cooked potatoes on a cookie sheet and spray or brush lightly with oil. Sprinkle with salt (course salt if you have it). Put in oven and cook for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes start to turn golden.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil in pan and add onions and sausages. Cook until onions are soft and sausages are heated and preferably a little crispy on the outside.

Grind pepper over sausages and onions.

When potatoes are done, toss all ingredients together and serve.

What did the family think? I picked this recipe because I figured, if nothing else, the kids would like the sausage. WRONG!!! They did finally eat some drowned in ketchup, which is a shame because this recipe was DELISH!!!

Where did this recipe come from? Half-Assed Kitchen

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Six Ingredients or Less

February 27, 2012 · 11:27 am

One-Minute Brownie Sundaes

Okay, so these actually take maybe more like two minutes, but that’s because you have to let them cool off for a bit before you add the ice cream. These are (reportedly) super yummy and can be made at a moment’s notice.

Ingredients:
1 T cocoa powder
1 T flour
1 T brown sugar
1 T water
1 T vegetable oil
1 scoop of your favorite ice cream

Instructions:
Put everything but the ice cream in a microwaveable mug, stir and microwave for one minute.

Let if cool off just a bit and add the ice cream. Stir up for a cold and warm and creamy treat.

What did the family think? I didn’t have one, but I made them for the hubs and the kids and they LOVED them.

Where did this recipe come from? adapted from a recipe from Food Network

image from On the Table

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Filed under After School Snacks, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Easy, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

February 26, 2012 · 9:21 pm

Baked Parmesan and Herb Salmon

We eat salmon every Sunday for dinner per my husband’s request. You can imagine that it might get a little boring if I don’t figure out different ways to make it. I usually just sprinkle a little lemon pepper on it and call it good, but this evening I got a little adventurous.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 T Parmesan
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste
Dast of garlic powder
1 lb salmon filet

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spray glass cooking dish with cooking spray.

In a small bowl combine all ingredients except the salmon.

Place salmon skin-side down in glass baking dish and sprinkle breading mixture on top.

Bake for 25 minutes or until cooked through.

We had this with Lemony Green Beans and a baguette.

What did the family think? Hubby and I really liked it.

Where did this recipe come from? adapted from a recipe from Allrecipes

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Fish, Italian, Lent

February 24, 2012 · 8:49 am

Pesto, Meatballs and Orzo

This dish was a huge ginormous hit at our house. I have to admit that as I was making it I wasn’t sure how it was going to go over. First, I thought I had bought the right type of pasta, but it turned out I didn’t and then I wasn’t sure I had enough meatballs. Did I mention that I didn’t even start cooking dinner until after 8:00? If this dish was a bomb I had no idea what Plan B was going to be, especially since it was so late. Thankfully everything worked out beautifully and there were happy bellies all around the table.

Ingredients:
1 (16-ounce) package frozen precooked meatballs, thawed
1 (16-ounce) package orzo pasta (or any other type of small pasta)
1-1/2 cups baby frozen peas
1 (16-ounce) jar Alfredo sauce
1 (6 to 7-ounce) container basil pesto
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2-1/2 quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add orzo and cook until almost al dente, about 1 minute less cooking time than the package suggests.

Place peas in colander and drain pasta over peas; return all to pot. Add meatballs, Alfredo sauce, sour cream, milk, and pesto and mix gently. Pour milk into Alfredo sauce jar, close lid, and shake; add that to the pasta mixture and stir. (By doing this you can get more of the Alfredo sauce out of the jar.)

Pour into 2-1/2 quart casserole dish and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 25-35 minutes until casserole is bubbly and top begins to brown.

What did the family think? They loved it! I think everyone had seconds.

Did I change anything? I left out the peas…no time for drama at the dinner table last night. Also, since I didn’t have the right type of pasta, I used some pasta that I had bought for another recipe that never got made…it was teeny tiny star-shaped pasta…it worked beautifully.

Where did this recipe come from? Busycooks

photo from Busycooks

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Italian

February 23, 2012 · 9:57 am

Melted Ice Cream Cake

I made this cake for Mardi Gras and to say that my boys inhaled it would be an understatement. Seriously. They inhaled it and they aren’t even huge cake fans, especially when there’s not any icing involved. What I loved about this cake is all the possibilities. It’s just three things: cake mix, ice cream and eggs, but you could make it with strawberry ice cream and vanilla cake mix or cinnamon ice cream and chocolate cake mix and the list goes on and on and on.

Ingredients:
1 box cake mix (18.25 oz) in any flavor
1 pint ice cream, soft, but not totally melted
3 eggs

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease cake pan liberally with cooking spray and flour.

Mix the cake mix, eggs and ice cream together and beat for 2 minutes on medium speed.

Follow box for baking times. Time will vary based on type of pan you use. I used a bundt cake pan.

Let cool and remove from pan.

Allow to cool on wire rack.

If you want to use a glaze on it (which I highly recommend)…

Ingredients:
1/4 cup milk
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:
In medium saucepan combine ingredients with a whisk over low heat.

Stir until glaze is smooth.

Pour over cake. Most of the glaze will run off. I always put the cake on a cooling rack and put a cookie sheet underneath since I made a bundt cake and had to take it out of the pan anyways.

What did the family think? They inhaled it.

Where did this recipe come from? Cookies and Cups

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Filed under After School Snacks, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Easy, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

February 17, 2012 · 12:13 pm

Lasagna Bites

My kids like lasagna and I thought maybe they’d like it in a little muffin cup. These are super easy to make and are easy to heat up if you have leftovers, too.

Ingredients:
2 packages plain or buttermilk biscuits
1 jar pasta sauce, divided
1 lb Italian sausage
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
Ricotta cheese

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook Italian sausage in a pan over medium heat.

Spray muffin pan.

Press one biscuit into each muffin cup, pressing around the edges forming a cup.

Mix sausage, cheese, and 1/2 cup pasta sauce in a mixing bowl.

Place a spoonful of the sausage/cheese mixture in each muffin cup and
top with a small dollop of ricotta cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

Serve with pasta sauce on the side for dipping.

What did the family think? These went over VERY well. I think our oldest went back for thirds.

Where did this recipe come from? Spark Recipes

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Filed under After School Snacks, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Six Ingredients or Less