Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Kapree and I love hummus, and since it's a 60 Day BMS approved food we've been having a lot of it lately.  I really like the smokiness of this recipe, from the roasted red peppers and the cumin.


Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Ingredients:

1 jar (12 oz.) roasted red peppers (drained) (don't give me crap because I didn't roast my own!!!)
2 cans (15 oz. each) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 tbsp. tahini
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions:

Add all ingredients to blender; cover and process until blended.  Transfer to a serving bowl.  Chill in refrigerator for one hour before serving.  Garnish with additional red peppers or additional garbanzo beans if desired.  Serve with pita bread, pita chips, crackers or tortilla chips.

Green Chile Stew

Thom loves green chile stew, and I have been looking for years for a good recipe for it.  I'm pretty sure I don't need to look anymore, this was fantastic!!!

Green Chile Stew
Recipe adapted from Shockingly Delicious

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 lbs. boneless pork, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup flour

1 15 oz. can fire roasted chopped tomatoes

2  7-oz. cans chopped green chilies

1 fresh jalapeno chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. sugar

1 cup chicken or beef broth

 

Directions:

 

Heat olive oil in dutch oven.  Add pork and cook until browned.  Add onion and garlic and stir with the meat.  Add the flour and stir for 2 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, green chiles, jalapenos, salt, pepper and sugar; mix all ingredients together.  Add the broth.  Lower heat, then cover pot and simmer for 1 or 2 hours, until meat is tender. 

 

Fruit and Seed Bars

These bars are delicious.  I love seeds and coconut so it just couldn't go wrong for me.



Fruit and Seed Bars
Recipe found at With Style & Grace

Ingredients:

1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons flaxseeds, whole or ground
1 cup dried fruit  (dried blueberry, cranberries, apricots, etc.)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
pinch of ground cinnamon
1/3 cup agave or honey
1/2 cup sun butter (sunflower seed butter)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9×9-inch baking pan, then line it with parchment, allowing the parchment paper to come up two sides of the pan.  In a food processor, pulse the oats, pepitas, sunflowers seeds, flaxseeds, dried fruit, coconut and cinnamon until finely chopped.  Add the agave (or honey)(I actually used a combination of the two) and sunflower butter and pulse until the mixture is combined.  Pour the mixture into the pan and spread it out evenly.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until firm to touch.  Let cool completely, then use a serrated knife to cut into the 2-inch bars.  The crumbly bits left over on the bottom of the pan are perfect over fruit or yogurt!!!

Healthier Three Cheese Beef and Ziti

(This is actually a picture of the original recipe, I didn't think to take a picture yesterday when I healthified it!!)

 

 

 

Right now I'm doing the 60 Day Body, Mind and Spirit Challenge (you can find details on it here on April Kennedy's blog).    I love this challenge!!!The challenge includes exercising, clean eating and random acts of kindness every week.  It also has bonus challenges every week, and one of this week's bonus challenges is to make a healthier version of a favorite recipe.  I'm excited about trying this with a lot of our favorite recipes, but today I started with an oldie but a goodie, Three Cheese Beef and Ziti.  It was so easy to healthify it!!  (I made up that word and I don't care if it's not proper English!!)  I swapped out whole wheat pasta for the regular stuff, fat free ricotta for the part skim (I guess low fat cottage cheese could be used also, but YUCK, I hate cottage cheese!!) and ground turkey for the ground beef.  I also put less ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheese in one section of the pan where I got my portion from, but I don't even think that was totally necessary.  It tastes exactly the same as the regular version to me, EXACTLY!  This is a super easy meal that the whole family loves and makes A TON. 

 

**  The original recipe can be found here.

Healthier Three Cheese Beef and Ziti
Recipe from some old Reader's Digest Cookbook from about twenty years ago!


Ingredients:

8 oz. ziti, macaroni, or other small whole wheat pasta (any shape will work!!)
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (of course I don't add this, are you kidding?  I HATE ONIONS!!!)
1 jar spaghetti sauce
10 oz. frozen french style green beans, or whatever kind you like, partially thawed
1 cup fat free ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Directions:

Boil the pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, saute the turkey and onion(bleh) in a large skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently to break up any clumps, until the turkey is browned - about 5 minutes. Drain off the excess fat. Stir in the pasta sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the green beans, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

*** Let me just take a second to confess that I don't ALWAYS add the green beans. I would love for them to be in it, but I get a lot of complaints when I do, and sometimes, I just don't want to deal with that.

Stir in the cooked ziti, then place large spoonfuls of the ricotta on top but not touching. Sprinkle the mozzarella in between. Cover and cook just until the mozzarella melts and the ziti and beans are heated through - about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.

Pot Roast Pappardelle

I've been looking for a recipe like my beloved dish at one of my favorite places to go on a date, Caffé Molise, and I think I found a good one!  Of course the boys put their noses in the air because, gasp, there are tomatoes in it, but Thom, Kapree and I all loved it.  Thom and I agreed that next time I will double the 'sauce' because there wasn't nearly enough of it's goodness to smother the pasta and meat.  This recipe is a winner!


Pot Roast Pappardelle
Recipe adapted from The Crumbly Cookie


Ingredients:

1 (2½ to 3 pound) boneless chuck roast, tied
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
1½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
1 cup dry white wine (I used cooking wine)
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 package papardelle pasta (I got mine at Trader Joe's, I have also found it at Harmons)
freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Season the roast on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, place the roast in the pot and brown it on all sides, turning it every 3 to 4 minutes for even coloring. Transfer the browned roast to a plate. Reduce heat to medium, add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, and sauté, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the onion is golden. Stir in the thyme, wine, tomatoes, and ½ teaspoon salt. Return the meat to the pot, along with any juices that accumulated on the plate. Bring liquid to a simmer, cover, and place the pot in the oven.  Braise the meat, turning it every 45 minutes or so, for about 2½ hours, or until the meat is fork-tender and the sauce has thickened.
When the meat is almost done, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and stir to separate the noodles. Cover the pot until the water returns to a boil, then uncover and cook the pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Drain the pasta.  Remove the roast from the pot, and slice or shred it. Serve with the pasta and sauce, topped with the cheese.

Pasta Pomodoro

Yesterday I wanted to make something that embodied these three things:

FAST
EASY
DELICIOUS

Oh yeah, I also wanted it to be something kind of light and summery, nothing too heavy.  Well, this Pasta Pomodoro was just what the Kathee ordered!!  By the time the pasta is boiled the rest of it is done and then you are READY TO EAT!  This meal will be going into heavy summer rotation for sure.

Pasta Pomodoro
recipe found here

Ingredients:

16 ounces angel hair pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups Roma tomatoes, diced and seeded
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
10 3/4 ounces low sodium chicken broth
freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. (Be sure to add some salt to the water.) Add pasta and cook for 8 minutes or until al dente; drain.  While the pasta is cooking, pour olive oil in a large deep skillet over high heat. Sauté onions and garlic until lightly browned. Reduce heat to medium-high and add tomatoes, vinegar and chicken broth; simmer for about 8 minutes.  Stir in black pepper, basil and cooked pasta, tossing thoroughly with sauce. Simmer for about 5 more minutes and serve topped with grated cheese.

Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Sausage Breakfast Casserole


Ingredients:

1 1 /2 lb. ground pork sausage
1 package crescent roll dough
2 cups mozzarella cheese
4 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk

Directions:

Cook the sausage. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 9X13 pan. Press crescent rolls onto bottom of pan. Cook for 5 minutes. Combine eggs, sausage, cheese, milk, salt and pepper to taste and pour over crescent rolls. Bake for 20 minutes. Check to make sure eggs aren't still runny. Yummy!

Smoky Tex Mex Sloppy Joses

Something happened last night.  For the first time in MY ENTIRE LIFE, I liked sloppy joes.  It's true.  I can't believe it either.  Not only did I like it, but the kids like it too.  Now, 'somebody' (okay, it was Thom)(smile) had a few critiques, but no meal is perfect.  Especially a meal I make.  I got it out of April's Rachael Ray magazine.  I also don't think it's a coincidence that this recipe includes bacon in it, because it's a well known fact that bacon makes EVERYTHING better.

Smoky Tex Mex Sloppy Joses
Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil or vegetable oil, for drizzling

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 lb. ground sirloin

Salt and black pepper
1 onion, chopped (duh, I omitted this)
2 serrano or jalapeño chile peppers, finely chopped
3 to 4 cloves, garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. chili powder 
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1 cup lager beer, at room temperature (I used a cup of beef broth)
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tbsp. light brown sugar
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tbsp. hot sauce, such as Franks® RedHot®
4 burger rolls, toasted

Toppings: crushed Fritos corn chips, pickled jalapeño rings and sweet red pepper relish

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of oil over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel to drain. Add the ground beef to the pan and cook until browned, stirring with a spoon to crumble it; season with a little salt and black pepper. Return the cooked bacon to the pan and add the onion, chiles, garlic, chili powder, cumin and coriander. Cook, stirring, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, stir together the beer, tomato sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire, vinegar and hot sauce. Pour the mixture over the meat, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until ready to serve.

Using a large ice cream scoop, spoon the Sloppy José mixture onto the roll bottoms. Layer with the crushed corn chips, pickled jalapeños, red pepper relish and roll tops.



Thom's critiques were that he wished it had onion in it(oops, did I forget to add that?  My bad....) and chopped red bell pepper.  I GUESS I can do that next time, and there WILL be a next time.  I really liked this.  I'm still in shock because of my lifelong aversion to sloppy joes, but leave it to Rach to make sloppy joes YUMMO. 

Copycat Jack in the Box Tacos

 

 

 

Are you thinking, "Oh no you didn't!"??  I'm here to say to you, "Oh, yes I did!!!"  I made fake Jack in the Box Tacos for dinner and they were fantastic.  In fact, I had to take this quick cell phone picture on a paper plate because they were being inhaled so fast!!  I don't know why I love Jack In the Box Tacos so much, but the fact that there aren't any to be had here in Northern Utah might add to their allure for me.  Caleb begged me to make these, and I can never say no to any of my children........ when they are asking for something that I really like.  If they want something gross then it's super easy to say no.  Anyway, you will NOT be sorry if you try these delights, I promise you!!

 

Copycat Jack in the Box Tacos

Recipe from here

 

Ingredients:

 1 lb. ground beef
1/3 cup refried beans
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. chili powder
1/4 cup mild taco sauce
12 soft corn tortillas
3 cups cooking oil
6 slices American cheese (each cut in half)
1 head lettuce, chopped fine (I actually use cabbage because I like it better, and the kids don't like either on their tacos, thus the greenery free picture above)

 

Directions:

 Slowly brown the beef over low heat, using a wooden spoon to chop and stir the meat, keeping it very fine and smooth.   When the beef is brown drain the fat.   Add the refried beans and use the wooden spoon to smash the whole beans into the mixture creating a smooth texture.   Add the salt, Chili powder, and Taco Sauce to the mixture.   Remove from the heat.   In another skillet heat 1/4 inch of oil until hot.   Test with a small piece of tortilla − it should bubble when dropped into the oil.
Spread 1/2 of the beef mixture on the center of each corn tortilla.   Fold the tortillas over and press so that the beef filling acts as an adhesive and holds the sides together.   Drop each taco into the pan of hot oil and fry on both sides until crispy.   When cooked, remove the tacos from the oil and place them on a rack or some paper towels until they are a little cooler.   Pry open slightly and add 1/2 slice American cheese and some lettuce.   Top with additional taco sauce to taste.

 



Carne Asada

Tonight we grilled up some carne asada and had some delicious tacos for dinner.  And by we I mean Thom because I was officially banned a couple of weeks ago from the barbecue after I made grilled chicken jerky.  So grilling isn't my strong suit?!  SO.  WHAT.  Maybe it was my master plan of having Thom do all the cooking on the grill this summer?  Aha!!  There is no way I am going to let the ridicule of my lame attempts at grilling get me down.  In fact, I am kind of loving myself right now because of the amazing meal I made tonight.  Good job self!!!  Honestly, it was super hard making a marinade, putting a steak into it and then letting Thom go outside and grill it.  Don't forget the cabbage I had to slice to top the tacos!  And the avocados!  Duh!  I also made homemade salsa!!  Yep, I worked really, really hard on this incredible dinner tonight!!  Seriously, though, this carne asada is, as Caleb would say, DANG good.

Carne Asada
Recipe adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients:

3/4 cup orange juice 

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup lime juice

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tbsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. ground cumin

1 tbsp. paprika

1 tsp. Mexican oregano

1 tbsp. black pepper

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup olive oil

3 lb. flank steak   

 

Directions:

 

Combine the orange, lemon, and lime juice in a large glass or ceramic bowl along with the garlic, soy sauce, chili power, ground cumin, paprika, Mexican oregano, black pepper, and cilantro. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until marinade is well combined. Remove one cup of the marinade and place in a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for use after the meat is cooked.

Place the flank steak between two sheets of heavy plastic (resealable freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound the steak with the smooth side of a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/4 inch. After pounding, poke steak all over with a fork. Add the meat to the marinade in the large bowl, cover, and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate.

Remove the steak from the marinade and grill to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium rare. Discard used marinade. Remove meat from heat and slice across the grain.

Pour the one cup of reserved, unused marinade over the hot meat and serve immediately.

 

This is delicious in tacos, burritos, nachos.....  heck, just eat it plain.  THIS IS SO GOOD!

 

 

Grilled Steak with Black Bean, Corn and Tomatoes

This is SO GOOD!  Of course the kids skipped the topping and went straight for the steak.  You know, I have always been one to respect a straight shooter, and when they come right out and say, "No way am I going to eat that black bean crap!" there is nothing I can do but nod and say, "You can say that again!!"  Because all I want is harmony folks, family harmony.  And more black bean crap for MY steak, if I'm going to be honest.....


Grilled Steak with Black Bean, Corn and Tomatoes
Recipe from SkinnyTaste

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. flank steak
1/2 tsp. cumin
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper to taste

For the black bean, corn and tomatoes:

3 tbsp. red onion, minced
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
2 medium vine ripe tomatoes, diced
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cups frozen corn kernels (fresh is fine)
2 tbsp. finely minced cilantro
kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste


Directions:

Season steak with the crushed garlic, cumin, salt and pepper and set aside 5-10 minutes
Combine red onions, olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and set aside a few minutes. Add tomatoes, black beans, corn, cilantro and set aside.

Heat a clean lightly greased indoor or outdoor grill on high heat. Grill steak on high heat, 6-8 minutes on each side or until your desired degree of doneness. Let the meat rest about 5 minutes before slicing. Slice the beef into thin slices across the grain, place on a platter and top with corn, black bean and tomato salad.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake

Caleb requested a chocolate chip cookie dough cake for his birthday this year, which gave me the excuse of looking through tons of recipes until I found one that I thought would be approved of by him.  The only thing I wish I would have done differently is let it harden in the freezer longer after I put it together so the ice cream wouldn't have melted so fast.  It is very rich and decadent!!


Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake
Recipe from Sugar Plum


Ingredients:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 ounces coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate

Chocolate Cake Layer
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon1 baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup yogurt or sour cream

1 quart chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, softened

Ganache
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
4 ounces coarsely chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
2 teaspoons corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:

To make the chocolate chip cookie layers, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; continue to cook the butter, whisking frequently, until it starts to brown and foam, about 4-5 minutes. Set aside.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat browned butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined and grainy, about 1 minute. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually beat in flour mixture until just combined; stir in chocolate with a wooden spoon until combined. Chill dough in the refrigerator, lightly covered, for 1 hour. (You could speed up this process by placing the dough in the freezer for about 45 minutes.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 2 (9-inch) cake pans.

To make the chocolate cake layers, in a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together oil, butter and granulated sugar until well combined and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Beat in egg, vanilla and yogurt until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually beat in flour mixture until combined, about 1-2 minutes.

Divide batter into cake pans. Bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into cakes comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cool pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; run a knife around outside edges and invert onto wire racks to cool completely.

Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Butter the cake pans again, and line with parchment or waxed paper circles; butter paper.

Divide cookie dough and pat evenly into pans. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan before running a knife around outer edges and lifting out paper-lined cookies; remove paper.

Spread the ice cream evenly between cookie and cake layers; freeze for 10 minutes before covering with ganache. Meanwhile, to make the ganache, bring cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove pan from heat and stir in chocolate until melted and smooth. Cool to a good consistency before pouring over ice cream cake.

Old Fashioned Apple Crisp

 

 

 

Something that I am really passionate about is crisps, or crumbles.  I. Love. Them.  They make me so very, very happy.  Something I do not love is cobbler.  I don't want that garbage anywhere near me.  Seriously, keep it away.  But back to crisps, ahhh, crisps.   This recipe is so delicious, of course, why wouldn't it be, it's from the beloved Barefoot Contessa!  The woman knows what she's about!  Of course it wouldn't be my very best friend, Apple Crisp, without my other best friend, Talenti Tahitian Vanilla Bean Gelato.  Did I mention I gained 20 pounds the few days this beautiful number was in my home?  Speaking of Talenti, if anyone is blessed enough to have had the Carribean Coconut, please let me know, in detail, how delightful it is.  I have dreams about how amazing it must be.

 

 

Old Fashioned Apple Crisp

Recipe from The Food Network

 

Ingredients:

 

5 pounds McIntosh apples(I used Honeycrisp) (I'm a rebel)

Grated zest of 1 orange

Grated zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

 

For the topping:

 

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 pound cold unsalted butter, diced (My esteemed friend Trevlyn, who first told me about this delicious recipe, says she justs melts the butter to make it easier.  I'm trying that next time, Trevlyn can do no wrong.)

 

Directions:

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 14 by 2-inch oval baking dish.  Peel, core, and cut the apples into large wedges. Combine the apples with the zests, juices, sugar, and spices. Pour into the dish.  To make the topping, combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of peas. Scatter evenly over the apples.  Place the crisp on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour until the top is brown and the apples are bubbly. Serve warm. If you have any sanity whatsoever you will serve it with vanilla ice cream.