Crockpot Eggplant Gram Masala

Crockpot Eggplant Gram Masala

In crockpot place all ingredients:

1 eggplant thinly slices into strips

1 sweet onion chopped

1 red bell pepper chopped

3 cloves garlic chopped

1 tsp fresh ginger chopped

2 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp. Paprika

2 tsp. Turmeric

1 tsp. Gram masala

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can chick peas with juice

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Chicken Bouillon

(at end 1/2 can coconut milk; and 1/cup Greek yogurt - optional)

Mix all together except the coconut milk and yogurt.  Cook 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.  Add 1/2 can coconut milk and about 1/2 cup Greek yogurt.  Serve over rice or coconut rice.  Enjoy hot.

Coconut Rice Recipe

Beef with Brocolli and Bell Peppers

Ingredients:
Prepared Rice (optional use Coconut Rice)

2 Tbsp corn starch
2 Tbsp. Water
2 Tbsp. Minced garlic
1 Tbsp. Minced fresh ginger (or 1 1/2 tsp. Ground ginger)
1/2 tsp. Garlic powder
1 lb. lean cut steak (such as round steak) sliced thin

1 tsp. Olive oil
1 tsp. Sesame oil

1 tsp. Olive oil
1 tsp. Sesame oil
6 cups broccoli cut up into bite size bunches
1 onion cubed
1 bell pepper cut into large chunks

3 tbsp. Brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp. Cornstarch
1/2 cup soy sauce

Directions:
Prepare rice.  I like to add 1/4 cup coconut while the rice cooks and a little salt.

In a medium bowl mix 2 tbsp. Corn starch, water, garlic, ginger, and garlic powder until combine.  Add sliced steak and mix to coat.  Set aside.

In large skillet heat 1 tsp olive oil and 1 tsp. Sesame oil on high.  Add steak and cook until done.  Place steak in clean bowl.

Add another 1 tsp olive oil and 1 tsp sesame oil and heat on high.  Add vegetables and cook until still crisp but onions are translucent (about 8-10 minutes).  While cooking stir together sauce - brown sugar, 1 1/2 tbsp. Corn starch and soy sauce.  When vegetables are about done add beef and stir to combine.  Add sauce and sauté 1-2 minutes until sauce is warm and coats the beef and vegetables.

Serve immediately over rice.

Enjoy!

Works without the bell pepper too!

Thai Peanut Butter Pumpkin and Kale Soup

Ingredients:

10 cups water
8 chicken bouillon cubes (enough for 8 cups of broth)
2 sweet onions diced
1 Tbsp. ginger (minced fresh or dried)
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (you may prefer to add more, up to 1 cup)
10 oz. bagged Kale (cut, cleaned and ready to cook - I use the ones from Trader Joe's)
1 (15 oz.) can Pure Pumpkin
crushed salted peanuts for topping (optional)

Directions:

Add water, bouillon cubes or powder, diced onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes and pepper.  Heat on high until boiling, add peanut butter and stir until combined.  Add kale.  Turn heat down to medium and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add pumpkin and stir until combined.  Simmer 5 more minutes.  Serve hot.  Top with crushed peanuts if desired.  Great served along side couscous or jasmine rice.

If you like the peanut butter flavor feel free to add more!  I like to keep things on the lighter side, so I stick to a modest amount of peanut butter.  However, it is delicious with more!

Crockpot Hearty Beef Tomato Sauce

Crock Pot Hearty Beef (or Pork) Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

2 small sweet onions chopped (or 1 large)
2 Tbsp. garlic minced
1-2 Bell Pepper diced, orange, red or yellow
1 lb. 97% lean ground beef (or 1lb. pork sausage)
4 slices of Prosciutto sliced into small pieces (***optional)
3 diced tomatoes (or 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes with garlic and green pepper)
1 jar tomato sauce of your choosing (or marina sauce)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a crockpot (except the Parmesan), break up the beef or sausage into chunks.  Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.  Serve over Cheesy Bread or pasta of your choosing.  If you love cheese, top with some shredded mozzarella.  Serves 8.

***My all-time favorite Tomato Sauce is Ragu Robusto Parmesan & Romano...it's amazing!

If you don't have fresh tomatoes, the 3 tomatoes can be replaced with another jar of tomato sauce such as Ragu Parmesan Romano Robutso

Easy Penne Meatball Bolognese Casserole

Easy Penne Meatball Bolognese Casserole

Ingredients:
About 20-25 Pre-cooked 1 inch round Meatballs (frozen or homemade, my meatball recipe will be posted shortly)
1 Box Penne Pasta cooked according to directions to al dente
2 Tbsp. butter
2 stalks of celery finely diced
1 Sweet (Vidalia) onion finely minced
2 Tnsp. minced garlic
2 carrots finely chopped
1 cup dry red wine
2 (24 oz.) Ragu Parmesan & Romano Robusto Sauces
2 cups Mozzarella
1 cup Grated Parmesan

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large saucepan melt the butter over medium heat.  Add celery, onion, carrots and garlic.  Cook until tender, about 5-6 minutes.  Add wine and reduce to about half over medium to medium-high heat (about 5-7 minutes).  Turn off heat and add 1 can of Parmesan & Romano Robusto Ragu Sauce.  Mix to combine.

In a 13 by 9 by 2 inch baking dish evenly spread out the cooked Penne pasta.  Drop meatballs into Penne so they are evenly distributed throughout the casserole.  Pour your homemade sauce evenly over the casserole.  Cover with 1 cup Mozzarella and 1 cup Parmesan.  Pour the extra jar of Ragu Parmesan & Romano Robusto Sauce evenly over the cheese.  Cover with foil.  Bake for 45 minutes covered.  Uncover, and top with remaining 1 cup of Mozzarella.  Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Serve hot.  Great with Garlic Parmesan Skillet Bread.

Porter Marinated Chicken Skewers

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. minced garlic

½ cup honey

½ cup water

3/4 cup porter (or stout or other dark beer)

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 Tbsp. olive oil

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

¼ tsp. black pepper

¼ cup minced red onion

1-2 lbs. chicken breast cut into bite sized cubes

Directions:

Mix together all ingredients except cubed chicken in a large airtight container, or dish that can be covered.  Once well mixed, add chicken.  The chicken should be wholly covered by the marinade.  Keep refrigerated for 4 - 24 hours.  Skewer the chicken.  Grill, Broil or bake the chicken until done. 

Great served atop:Crisp Asian Spinach Salad

Crisp Asian Spinach Salad

Salad:

Ingredients:

About 12 oz. baby spinach leaves, washed, and dried (or alternatively use any lettuce you prefer)

2 large carrots chopped or shredded

1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper minced

½ green bell pepper minced

½ a red onion chopped (mince remaining onion and add to marinade recipe below)

3 tablespoon sesame seeds toasted for topping

Dressing:

Asian Honey Sesame Salad Dressing

Directions:

Place cleaned dried greens in a large salad bowl.  Top evenly with carrots, bell peppers, onion and finally sesame seeds.  Serve immediately topped with Asian Honey Sesame Salad Dressing.

Optional: Top with Porter Marinated Chicken Skewers.  Or try making an extra recipe of Asian Honey Sesame Salad Dressing and use half as a marinade for steak, chicken or pork and the other half for salad dressing.  I would suggest marinating the meat or seafood for at least 2 hours (or up to 24 hours).  Make sure that any dressing exposed to raw meat, poultry or seafood is thrown away and is not ingested!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower processed until fine (using food processer or mini chopper)

1 egg

½ cup mozzarella

½ cup parmesan

1 tsp. oregano (fresh or dried)

1 tsp. basil (fresh or dried)

2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. dried red pepper flakes

1/2 cupflour

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread cauliflower evenly into a 13 by 9 inch baking dish.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes or until cool enough to touch.  Turn oven up to 425 degrees.  Let cool.

2.  Mix cauliflower and remaining ingredients until well combined.  Pour mixture onto a greased cookie sheet and press into a flat circle pizza crust shape.  Mixture should hold together easily.  Crust should be about ¾ centimeter thick. 

3.  Bake crust for 15 minutes at 425 degrees until edges are lightly browned.

4.  Top as desired.  Bake an additional 10-15 minutes until done (cheese should be slightly browned in spots and bubbly).

Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower cut into large chunks
2 potatoes cut into cubes (unpeeled)
1 large Vidalia Onion chopped
2 Tbsp. garlic minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
8 cups chicken broth (or 8 cups water and 8 chicken bouillon cubes)
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 bay leaf
2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  In a large baking dish (preferably with a lid) combine all chopped vegetables, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper and stir until well coated.  Bake covered (cover with foil if your baking dish does not have a lid) at 350 for 1 hour until vegetables are tender.  You will want to mix the vegetables around 2-3 times while they are cooking.

3.  Once vegetables are tender, melt 1 tbsp. butter in a large soup pot.  Add cooked vegetables to soup pot.  Add all remaining ingredients except the milk and bring to a boil.  Then cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes.  Add milk and return to medium heat until soup is warmed through.

4.  Turn off heat.  REMOVE THE BAY LEAF (Bay leaves are bitter, do not blend in the bay leaf).  Use an immersion blended to blend soup until thick and creamy.

5. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.  Serve hot.

Options:  Serve with grated cheese on top, scallions, croutons (or all 3) and ENJOY!!!

Best Ever Crock-Pot Pulled Pork Barbeque

Dry Rub:

3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons coarse sea salt
1 (5 to 7 pound) Pork Shoulder (or boston butt)

Grandma’s Best Barbecue Sauce Ever:

Grandmas Best Barbecue Sauce Ever

1.  Mix ingredients for dry rub in large bowl.  

2.  Rinse pork shoulder and pat dry.  Place pork in bowl with spice and roll to cover using all of the rub.  Place the pork in a large crock-pot and cook on high for 6-8 hours.  Make sure to pour any extra dry rub over the top.

3.  While the pork is cooking, make your Grandma’s Best Barbecue Sauce Ever according to the directions.  You can even make the sauce a few days ahead.

4.  Once the pork is cooked, pour off the  juice and remove the fat cap and throw it away.    Add the barbecue sauce to the pork and cook in crock-pot for an hour or up to four hours on low.  Serve hot on buns.

Carrot Soup

Peel and Chop into 1 inch rounds 1 bag of carrots (I like Trader Joe's multi-colored carrots)
1 vidala onion chopped into large slices
2 large potatoes chopped into cubes
2 tbsp. butter
8 cups chicken broth (or 8 cups water and 8 chicken bouillon cubes)
2 Tbsp. parsley
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 bay leaves
1 + 1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt (plus more to taste)
2 cups milk

1.  Preheat over to 350 degrees.  In a large baking dish place chopped vegetables.  Pour over 2 tbsp. olive oil.  Add 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper.  Stir to coat.  Bake for 1 hour or until vegetables are tender.

2.  In large soup pot melt 2 tbsp. butter.  Add roasted vegetables and all remaining ingredients except for the milk.  Bring to a boil.  Turn down to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove Bay Leaves.

3.  Add milk.  Cook for 5-10 minutes on medium-low to heat.  Use immersion blender to blend soup to a thick consistency.  Serve hot.

Hearty Beef Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. oil
1 small sweet onion chopped
2 Tbsp. garlic minced
1-2 Bell Pepper diced, orange, red or yellow (***optional)
1 lb. 97% lean ground beef
4 slices of Prosciutto sliced into small pieces
3 diced tomatoes (or 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes with garlic and green pepper)
1 small jar tomato sauce of your choosing (or marina sauce)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Directions:
Place the oil in a large skillet.  Heat the oil on medium to medium-high heat.  Add the onion, garlic and the bell pepper (optional) and cook until tender for 5 minutes, stirring often.  Add the ground beef and Prosciutto and cook over medium heat until the ground beef is browned and cooked through.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer for at least 20 minutes.  Serve over Cheesy Bread or pasta of your choosing.  If you love cheese, top with some shredded mozzarella.  Serves 8.

***My all-time favorite Tomato Sauce is Ragu Robusto Parmesan & Romano...it's amazing!

Hearty Sausage Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
1 package Low Fat Pork Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sausage
1 small sweet onion chopped
2 Tbsp. garlic minced
3 diced tomatoes (or 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes with garlic and green pepper)
1 small jar tomato sauce of your choosing (or marina sauce)
1-2 Bell Peppers diced, red orange or yellow (***optional)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Directions:
Break the sausage apart and cook the sausage over medium to medium-high heat in large skillet until almost cooked through.  Add the onion, garlic and the bell pepper (optional) and cook until tender for 5 minutes, stirring often.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer over medium-low for at least 20 minutes.  Serve over Cheesy Bread or pasta of your choosing.  If you love cheese, top with some shredded mozzarella.  Serves 8.

***My all-time favorite Tomato Sauce is Ragu Robusto Parmesan & Romano...it's amazing!

Sloppy Joes

From my youth.  What can I say, like mac'n'cheese this is a delicious childhood favorite.  Recipe courtesy of my Mom.

Ingredients:
Grandma's Best Barbecue Sauce
1 1/2 lbs. 90% Lean Ground Beef
6-8 Hamburger Sized Buns of your choosing (I love Seasame Buns)

Directions:
In a large skillet cook beef over medium heat until cooked through.  Add Grandma's Barbecue Sauce.  Turn to low and simmer covered for 30 minutes.  Serve hot on your favorite buns.  Serves 6-8.

"Tastes Like Fried" Baked Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:
4 Chicken breast butterflied and then cut in half (i.e. cut in half to make 8 thinner pieces)
Salt and pepper
Flour for dredging (about 1 cup)
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup melted butter
About 4 cups Rice Krispies

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put butter in a 13 by 9 inch baking dish and put in oven until just melted, remove from oven and set aside.

Salt and Pepper each chicken piece.  Dredge each piece of chicken in flour.  Mix together, milk, egg and melted butter from pan in a medium sized bowl.  Reserve baking dish with butter remnants.

Place Rice Krispies in a second medium sized bowl.  Dip chicken pieces in milk mixture to coat, then dip directly into Rice Krispies until well coated.  Return to 13 by 9 inch baking dish.  Repeat for each piece of chicken.  Place chicken in baking dish  is one layer, do not overlap chicken.

Bake uncovered for 35 minutes or until chicken is done.  Serve hot, enjoy!  Great with Honey Mustard Sauce or Homemade BBQ sauce.

Summertime Chicken Piccata

Ingredients:
2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste
Flour, about 1 cup
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup wine
3 Tbsp. cup lemon juice
3 Tbsp. garlic minced

½ cup chicken stock

¼ cup brined capers, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

½ package angel hair pasta

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 Tbsp. of butter with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. When heated, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Remove and transfer to 13 by 9 inch baking dish (do not overlap pieces). Add 2 remaining 2 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. olive oil. When butter and oil are heated, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in for 3 minutes each. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the baking dish.  Place in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Reserve the oil/butter in the skillet.

Boil your pasta according to the directions on the package.  I recommend adding some salt and olive oil to your water.  This will make the water boil faster, keep the pasta from sticking, and give your pasta a little flavor.  Try to time it so that the pasta is done when chicken is done in the oven.

While chicken is cooking, add wine, lemon juice and garlic to oil/butter mixture remaining in skillet and cook on medium high until wine mixture is reduced to about half (about 7 minutes).  Add stock and capers.  Bring to a boil.  Simmer for about 5 minutes.  Add 1 Tbsp. butter and.  Turn off and set aside.

Add sauce to pasta and mix well to incorporate.  Plate by placing some of the pasta and sauce on a plate or in a bowl, then place one piece of chicken over pasta.  Serves 4.  Enjoy!

***This recipe can easily be doubled.

Chicken Enchiladas Casserole for a Sizzling Spring Night

Best served with Margaritas and good friends!  My good friend Clare and I perfected this recipe this month.  I have tried making enchiladas many times, but I think everything tastes better as a casserole...haha.  Maybe that's why my friends have dubbed me the Casserole Queen!

Ingredients:

1 package chicken breast thawed about 1 1/2- 2 lbs
21 small corn tortillas
2 + 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Large Onion diced
3 (4 oz.) cans diced green chilies
1 (16 oz.) Light sour cream
1/2 cup + 2 cups chicken broth
4 cups of Mexican Cheese
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. Flour
1 + 1/2 tsp. Paprika
Salt and Pepper
Cilantro or Scallions or Salsa for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Fill a large skillet about half way with cold water.  Add 1 tsp. salt to the water and mix.  Add chicken to the water.  Cook on High for about 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Remove chicken from water, and set aside to cool.  Once cool, shred or chop chicken into small pieces.

2.  Heat about 1 Tbsp. oil in a skillet.  Lightly pan saute each corn tortilla for about 10 seconds on each side, and lay on paper towels to drain.  Add another 1 Tbsp. of oil about half way through.  There will be very little oil in the pan, that is fine.  Set Aside.

3.  In large saute pan heat 2 Tbsp. oil on medium-high heat and saute onion for a few minutes, add chilies and chicken.  Saute a few more minutes.  Add 1 tsp. paprika, 1/2 cup of chicken broth, half a cup of sour cream and 1/4 tsp. of salt.  Stir to combine and cook a few additional minutes.  Turn of heat and set aside.

4.  In a medium saute pan, melt butter.  Add small amounts of the flour and 2 cups of chicken broth alternatively, whisking together over medium-high heat until combined and not lumpy.   Turn heat down to low.  Add remaining sour cream, 2 cups of cheese, 1/2 tsp. paprika and 1/8 tsp. salt.  Cook until combined.

5.  Grease the bottom of 13 by 9 inch casserole dish with non-stick spray.  Cover the bottom of the pan with 7 of the tortillas.  Pour over 1/2 of the chicken mixture  Pour over 1/3 of the cheese sauce.  Evenly spread 1 cup of cheese over the sauce.  Cover with 7 more tortillas.  Pour over remaining chicken mixture and another 1/3 of the cheese sauce.  Evenly spread remaining cheese over the sauce.  cover with the remaining tortillas.  Cover with remaining cheese sauce.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.  Let set for about 5 minutes prior to serving so slices come out clean.  Garnish as desired and serve hot.  Enjoy!

Crispy Chicken Tender Parmesan

Ingredients:

Crispy Chicken Tenders from recipe below cooked until done (I use Italian bread crumbs or Parmesan in a shaker as the breading)
1 Jar Marina Sauce (I love Ragu Robusto Romano Parmesan)
2 cups Shredded Mozzarella
1/4 Cup Shredded Parmesan

Directions:

Coat bottom of a 13 by 9 inch baking dish with marina sauce.  Place chicken tenders evenly throughout dish.    Cover with cheeses.  Bake 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Serve Hot with your favorite pasta.

Crispy Chicken Tenders

Ingredients: 

 1 1/2 to 2 lb Chicken Tenders (or Chicken Breast cut into Strips)
Flour (about 1 cup)
Salt and Pepper to Taste
1 egg
1 Tbsp. melted Butter
1/2 cup milk (or more if needed)
About 3 cups Bread Crumbs or Rice Crispies (as needed) *In a pinch grated Parmesan from the shaker will work
*Olive Oil (optional)
*Honey Mustard Sauce (optional, recipe to follow)
*BBQ Sauce (optional, recipe to follow)

Directions:

In a medium bowl beat egg and add the milk and melted butter.  Mix well.  Place about a cup of flour in a bowl.  Place the bread crumbs or rice crispies in a bowl.  Lightly salt and pepper the chicken.  Coat each piece of chicken with the flour, then dip chicken in the egg mixture until coated, finally coat the chicken with the breadcrumbs or rice crispies and set aside.  Repeat this for each chicken tender.

Fried:  If you want to fry your chicken tenders, then heat 1 cup of olive oil in a large skillet at medium heat until hot, but not browned.  Add your chicken tenders to the skillet, do not overlap (depending on the size of the skillet you may need to do in batches).  Cook until done, make sure to flip and cook until golden brown on both sides.  You may need to add more olive oil if doing multiple batches.  When done, place on a plate covered in paper towels to drain.  Serve hot.

Baked:  If you want to make a healthier choice, then bake your tenders in a 350 degree preheated over for about 25 to 30 minutes or until done.  Bake in a baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray in a single layer.

Great with Honey Mustard Sauce or covered with BBQ sauce.  Enjoy!

or use to make Chicken Tender Parmesan (recipe to follow).

Crock Pot Corned Beef Stew Just in Time for St. Patty's Day

Ingredients:

1 (3-6lb) Corned Beef Brisket with spice packet
3 cans light beer (I used Bud Light) + 2 cups water
2 bay leaves
2 cups baby carrots
4 Medium White Potatoes cut into large cubes (1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes)
2 sweet onions quartered
1 large cabbage cut into quarters or 1 lb. brussel sprouts

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a crock-pot on high for about 8 hours.  Serve and Enjoy!

If you don;t own a crock-pot, simply place all ingredients in a large stock pot and bring to a boil, then simmer for about 2 hours or until vegetables are tender.