Category Archives: Cooking

Healthy Food how to cook. cooking, food, tasty Tuesday, and recipe post with food photography Family cooking

Cooking

Cheese Platter for One Tasty Tuesday

1 Comment

So after a fun weekend at the Taste of the NFL and visiting the Red Gold Tomato Factory.  It was back to reality and no more limo, fancy food.  Or was it.. Every once in a while the cheese planets aline and I have a great selection of cheese in my fridge.  Today, was one of those days so I made a personal cheese platter.  I cut it about 1 hour before I eat it so they can come to room temperature.

Ingredients:

Fontina cheese

Smoked Gouda

Liverwurst (I did not have pate’ so I sub)

Horseradish cheddar spread

blue cheese

water crackers

Red Pack Tomatoes with garlic and onion

I love the red Pack tomatoes you can open the can and eat them right out of the can on crackers.  The garlic is infused with olive oil before being added to the fresh packed tomatoes.   I learned this after tasting them this past weekend. I was also craving them when I returned home.  I love garlic.    I added the remaining can to my tomato sauce for dinner.

Make yourself feel special and fancy today.

Cooking

Chicken Lettuce Wraps and Bacon blue cheese Lettuce Wraps

8 Comments

I needed an health-ish option for football Sunday Lettuce wraps 2 versions Blue cheese lettuce Wedge wrap a take on the steak house salad and a Fire Cracker Chicken lettuce wrap  which is spicy, sweet and sour.  These wraps are a similar favor to wings but deconstructed in to 2 options.  They have the heat in one and the blue cheese in the other.   Something green,  Lettuce Wraps easy to pick up and eat.  Great finger food.   Football Foods grown up.   I also have to say even my 10 year old like them.

Fire Cracker Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Shown above)

  • 1 or2 boneless Chicken breasts
  • 1 head of Boston Bib lettuce
  • 2 cups Orange Juice
  • 1 tbls Honey
  • 1 lime
  • 1 blood orange
  • 4 tbls Soy sauce
  • ¼cup rice vinegar
  • Lime
  • Sugar
  • Cayenne pepper
  • 1 package of shredded coleslaw
  • Salt pepper

Prep:

  1. In a plastic bag, 1 cup of OJ, 2 tbls of Soy,  1-tbls spoon of honey, 1tbls of Cayenne pepper salt pepper,  Place thawed chicken in Marinade for 2-3 hours or overnight.
  2. Separate bowl place ½ a bag of coleslaw, 2 tbls of sugar, ¼cup rice vinegar , juice of a lime, pinch of salt mix sit for 2-3 hours  over night.

Cook:

  1. Fry or grill chicken till cooked,  add marinade in pan while cooking to keep moist.  Remove chicken to a separate plate allow to cool so you can shred with a fork.
  2. Deglaze the chicken pan with 1 cup orange juice and  2 tbls soy sauce to make a reduction
  3. Clean and wash lettuce keeping leaves in tack (bib lettuce is great for wraps because the are flexible

Assemble:  Lettuce, coleslaw, shredded chicken , drizzled with oj/soy reduction, top with blood orange

For an easy printer -friendly  recipe Fire Cracker Chicken Wraps

Blue Cheese Bacon Wedge Lettuce wraps

  • 1 head of Boston Bib lettuce
  • Solid blue cheese  ¼ lb (sliced thin, shaved)
  • Thick cut bacon
  • Plum Tomatoes diced
  • Olive Oil
  • Balsamic Vinegar
  1. Clean and wash lettuce keeping leaves in tack (bib lettuce is great for wraps because the are flexible)
  2. Cook the bacon draining fat once cool slice in to thin strips
  3. Assemble
  4. Lettuce, tomato, blue cheese ,bacon, Drizzle with oil and vinegar-  Wrap and eat

I like the balsamic in a spray  container so it is evenly distributed I found mine at Trader Joes

  • Variations- add sour cream  or an hard boiled egg- for a cobb version

For an easy printer -friendly  recipe  Blue Cheese Wedge Lettuce wraps

To check out more recipes of great  super bowl food check out my fellow Red Pack Blogger Winner  Wendy Weekend Gourmet superbowl food  linkup.

superbowl health food

Cooking

Avocado Egg #TastyTues

1 Comment

egg in an avocado

I am obsessed with Avocado and eggs so I combined both.  It is a yummy cool avocado and tasty breakfast add tomatoes and you have a healthy meal. Avocados in eggs is also one of the prettiest meals you can make in the morning and all brain food to kick start the day.

Egg Cooked in an Avocado

  • 1 egg
  • 1 avocado (firm not  mushy)
  • Butter
  • Tomatoes
  • salt
  1. Cut your avocado in 1/2

  1. Remove the avocado pit (hit the pit with a sharp knife then slowly pull back pit should come with the knife)
  2. Cut the bottom off  the avocado(ok if you cut into the pit hole- helps egg to cook)cooking avocado
  3. Place butter in pan, place in avocado in pan
  4. Separate yoke from white,  place yoke in avocado hole in frying pan, you can add hot sauce in the holeegg cooking in a avocado
  5. Cover the Avocado with lid and cook on low, till yoke is starting to cook, you might have to add a little water to the pan to steam the egg depending how hard or soft you want your egg.
  6. Then carefully remove avocado /egg
  7. Cook whites and garnish the Avocado with tomatoes, add Hot Sauce (I prefer wing sauce) tomatoe egg and avocado

enjoy!

This avocado egg is a surprise and different meal in the morning.

Cooking, Travel

I am going to Taste Of the NFL Superbowl Weekend with RedPack Tomatoes

2 Comments

So after years of working with the NFL and design NFL Jerseys in my prior life.  How do I get to the Superbowl weekend with my blogging and Red Pack… I am ecstatic!!!.   I am headed to Taste of the NFL Superbowl weekend with RedPack Tomatoes with 7 other bloggers. Taste of the NFL is a “Party with a purpose”  a charity dinner and auction benefiting local food banks in every NFL city.  All the chefs are representative every NFL city as well.   Every chef will also have a NFL player from the city assisting him at his food station.  So for my town Philadelphia  it is Chef Jack Mc David and former Eagles Player Jerry Sisemore.  35 chefs wine… Tell me this is not a foodies dream. It’s mine.

 

Photo by Peter Ross from www.tedallen.net

This years host is Ted Allen from Food networks “Chopped.’  So hopefully I will get a picture of  Ted Allen because I am a seriously Food Network junkie.   The music this year is Sara Evans.  There will be TLC’s Cake Boss stars Mauro Castano and Joey Faugno. The newly crowned Miss America will be on hand to greet guest.   I am looking forward to the entire evening.

While visiting in Indiana,  I will also be touring the Red Gold / Red Pack facility and learning about there manufacturing.  I love the idea that they are a Made int he USA company keep jobs here in the states. Also to learn about how Red Pack processes there Red Gold tomatoes to keep them fresh tasting. It is going to be a great weekend away.

Here are the posts I wrote about Red Pack to win the contest.

Holiday Blue Ribbon Chili with video

Sweet BBQ Ribs

Black Eyed Pea Soup with smoke Turkey Leg with video

I will  be sure to report more before I go. Be sure to follow along on my Facebook page BabyPop Designs and twitter @babypop Superbowl Weekend.

Disclosure: I  have received the Taste of the NFL trip from Redgold Redpack tomatoes all the opinions in this post are of my own.

Cooking, Product Reviews

Black Eyed Pea Soup with smoked turkey leg

1 Comment

The 2012 is upon us.  The 1st meal of this year  should be Black Eye Peas  Soup which symbolizes  Good Luck in the New Year.   I enjoy making this soup is super easy and if  left to sit a day, the flavors meld into fulfilling meal on New Years Day.   My Black Eyed Pea soup is  lovely fresh veggies, and smoke flavor.  Red Pack tomatoes which I prefer are lovely compliment to this soup pack in there own juices.   This soup low in calories and a healthy soup which make it a great soup to start the new year. Resolutions and all..

  • 2 cups of dried Black Eyed Peas
  • 2 carrots diced
  • 2 stalks of celery diced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 can of Red Pack Petite  Diced Tomatoes
  • 1 tps salt (added as needed)
  • 1 tps thyme,
  • 2 cloves garlic Minced
  • 1 smoked turkey leg
  • 8-10 cups of low sodium chicken broth (an additional 4 cups needed if you want to stretch)
  • Optional :spicy sausage to add flavor
  1. Bean cooked on low in slow cooker for 2  hours covered in 4-5 cups of broth
  2. When black eyed peas are firm /rehydrate but not to cooked add other ingredients
  3. add smoked turkey leg, spices, carrots, onions, celery, garlic, RedPack Tomatoes and  remaining broth
  4. Cook for 5 hours (now add sausage) break up the turkey leg
  5. Cook for another 4-5 hours.  Remove bones from turkey leg.
  6. You can eat now but if you make a day ahead add more both 2-4 cups let sit overnight.. this soup gets better the longer it sits.

You can also omit the turkey leg (sausage), add ½ tbls cumin and make a vegetarian version

 

Want to print this recipe out Black Eye Peas Soup

Disclosure:  I received the RedPack tomatoes free of charge but all the opinions in this post are mine.

Cooking, Product Reviews

Sweet BBQ Ribs w/Red Pack Tomatoes

My husbands favorite meal is Ribs.  So every birthday and about 2 other times during the year I make him my Slow oven roasted Sweet BBQ Ribs.  He loves them.  when the fall off the bone.  A few years back I started to make my own BBQ sauce to baste my ribs with.   I figured I could do this how hard can it be.   So Start with a great tomato paste (I prefer Red Pack Tomato Paste) Red Pack has the fresh flavor of the tomatoes.  It also add the great color,  then I add some honey and We are off to the races.  So here it  is Superexhausted Sweet Finger liking stick sugary ribs.

  • 1 rack of ribs (full rack)
  • 2- 2 ½ cups of brown sugar (dark)
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbls of molasses (too much leaves a funky taste)
  • 4 tbls of honey
  • 1 can of “RedPack Tomato” Paste
  • 1 tbls spoon of garlic
  • 1 tbls spoon of salt
  • 2 tbls of hot sauce
  • 1-2 tbls of soy sauce (optional)
  • Variety of Spices Salt, Pepper, Onion Powder, Chili Powder, Cumin , Powder Ginger

Prep time short.. But overnight- 4-5 hours cooking

  1. The night before cooking ribs.  Season ribs with generous about Salt, Pepper, Chili Powder, Cumin, ginger.. basically use most of the spices in your cabinet.   Then wrap in Tin foil and keep in fridge overnight.
  2. Next Day Preheat oven to 325 degrees,
  3. Start BBQ Sauce
  4. In a medium pot, Start with garlic, then add the Red Pack tomato paste, vinegar, salt, molasses , honey and 1 ½ cups brown sugar (reserve rest of Brown sugar for later).
  5. Bring to bubbling (not a full boil) Watch so it does not burn.  Reduce and let simmer on low while prepping ribs.
  6. Put ribs on a tray with a grate (I suggest tin foil tends to get sticky)
  7. Score the ribs with a knife in a diagonal crossing both directions.
  8. Brush ribs with BBQ sauce and start cooking on oven (low and slow)
  9. Every so often cover ribs with BBQ sauce.  Flipping ribs every 45 min-1 hour baste with the BBQ sauce as you flip.  Last hour meat side up
  10. The Last hour coat ribs in Sauce and top with a sprinkle of brown sugar.
  11. Last ½ hour coat again with BBQ sauce and brown sugar again.
  12. Ribs should be pulling away from the bones on the ends that how you know they are almost done.  It takes about 4-5 hours
  13. Last 5 min turn on broiler watching so not as to burn,  let the sugar get dark and yummy.

Serve with sweet potatoes fries or a great back potato. Steam Broccoli is a great veggie with ribs.

Want an easy print out of this recipe  Sweet BBQ Ribs

Disclosure:  I received the RedPack tomatoes free of charge but all the opinions in this post are mine.

Cooking, Product Reviews

Holiday Chili with Red Pack tomatoes

2 Comments

This recipe is my Blue Ribbon Holiday Chili made with Red Pack tomatoes. The Redpack Tomatoes are so fresh and full of flavor. The also have variety that really help develop the flavors of you food. This Chili recipe a favorite of my children and the local area.  I won the blue ribbon twice at the school chili cook of with this recipe.  I am not sure if it is the Cocoa , the brown sugar or some wonderful Red Pack fresh taste tomatoes.  I love to give chili around the holidays.  People are running around and don’t take the time to eat.  So the gift of homemade chili is great gift.

Check out the cooking Video to see how I made this Chili at the bottom of this post.

Red Pack Holiday  Chili

  • 3 med onions (Diced)
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 lb of ground beef (or turkey)
  • 1/3 of a package of pulled pork seasoning
  • 1 tbls cumin
  • 1 tbls of chili
  • 2 tbls of coco powder
  • 1 Jalapeño  pepper {deseeded and diced)
  • 1 can of kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 1 can of white beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 1 can of black beans  not drained
  • 1 can of “Red Pack” Diced tomatoes
  • 1 can of “Red Pack” Petite Diced tomato
  • 1 can of  “Red Pack” tomato Paste
  • ¾ cup of Brown Sugar
  • Optional,  1 tbls of soy sauce, 1 tbls spoon of hot sauce

  1. Dice onions and garlic place in large pot caramelize onions with butter until golden, translucent and brown- remove from pot.
  2. Without cleaning pot brown ground meat on onion juices add a generous amount of salt to meat
  3. Drain grease off of meat , add onions/garlic back to pot
  4. Continue browning add 1/2  of the  Jalapeño  pepper (de-seeded and diced) brown with meat
  5. Add the 1/3 of package of Pulled Pork seasoning and Cocoa to meat, stirring
  6. Add The beans, Red Pack Tomatoes, Red Pack Tomato Paste,  and Brown Sugar.  All ingredients can go in pot.
  7. Cover, cook low simmer, stirring occasionally  let cook for 3-4 hours
  8. Jar or put in Plastic containers for giving

Here is a printable version of the Red Pack Holiday Chili

watch my step by step video

Disclosure:  I received the RedPack tomatoes free of charge but all the opinions in this post are mine.

 

Cooking

Easy Beef and Gravy in a Crock Pot

Easy Beef and Gravy in a crock pot:   Every year for my birthday my mother would make me beef and gravy in her pressure cooker, where as I love the pressure cooker.  .  I love the idea of cooking it all day in a crock pot. This is my go to Easy Crock pot Beef and Gravy or some call it Beef and Noodles. My friend Theresa told me about the good seasons on a roast. I added the egg noodles because  my family loves.   It is so simple you will love it and it will become a staple go to recipe .

Easy Beef and Gravy

  • 1 Beef Roast 0r a Beef Shoulder
  • 2 cans 14oz of beef broth-or one large can
  • 1 package of Good Season Italian salad dressing (dry kind)
  • ¼ cup flour

1-      Salt and pepper meat and Brown Meat on stove

2-      Place in crock pot

3-      Pour 1 can beef broth in browning pan

4-      Add slow flour (or gluten free flour)  to pan stirring with a fork to not have lumps

5-      Add 2nd can of broth

6-      Once gravy thickens pour over meat in crock pot

7-      Add Good Seasons Italian package (dry)on top of meat

8-      Cook for 6 hours on low

Serve Easy Beef and Gravy  with wide  egg noodles

Tip: for a gluten free try using corn starch or brown rice flower,  serve on gluten free noodles.

Here is a  Printable version of Beef and Gravy recipe (also an alternate version)  Easy Crockpot Beef and Gravy

 

Easy Beef and Gravy  is a recipe your family will love.  My kids ask for it on a reular basis.  Give it a try and let me know how your family love it..

 

 

Cooking

Brussel Sprouts Your kids will love

Growing up I never ate them,  I think it was we never has brussel sprouts available to us.   The older I get the more I love the little alien shaped veg as my kids call them brains.  My kids ask me to  cook make my brussel sprout  if they see my buy them. They fight over who get a second portion and the end of the dish. If you think you don’t like brussel sprouts these will change your mind.

  • 1-2lb Brussel sprouts
  • Olive oil or vegetable oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Cumin
  • Parchment paper
  • Shallow pan with sides or baking sheet

1-      Preheat oven 450  (you can use lower temp but cook longer)

2-      Wash the Brussel sprouts

3-      Trim the bottoms off

4-      Slice in half

5-      Toss light with oil place in dish

6-      Sprinkle  with salt & pepper  and lightly with cumin

7-      Place in oven for 15 minutes till you see leaves get translucent and you see a roasted dark brown/golden color in the brussel sprouts

My kids ate 1/2 before I even got to take a picture.

Printable version of Brussel Sprouts your kids will love

Tell me how you like the brussel sprouts so much better than boiled or steamed.

 

Cooking

Taste of Italy Burger

• 1 package of Johnsonville Mild Italian Sausage Sandwich Patties (6)
• 1 loaf of crusty bread cut ½ slices (I used a rosemary thyme bread)
• Broccoli Rabe leaves 1 head (reserve heads for side dish)
• 4 tbls of butter
• 1 garlic clove finely chopped
• Fresh Mozzarella
• 1 slicing tomato
• ½ cup of mayo
• ½ TBLS of dried basil or fresh basil 1 TBLS

1. Cut bread in ½ slices butter both sides and place on grill till toasted on both sides
2. Place Johnsonville Sausage patties on the grill cook as directed on the box
3. On side burner sauté broccoli rabe leaves with butter and garlic for a few minutes till wilted


4. Cut Fresh Mozzarella into slices ¼” thick- set aside
5. Cut Tomato into thin slices-Set aside
6. In a separate bowl mix the mayo with the basil


7. Assembly : Spread the Mayo/basil on bread, next the Johnsonville Patty , Mozzarella, tomato, Broccoli Rabe, then top with more mayo and remain Toasted Bread top.

I served with baked sweet potatoes fries and grilled corn.

For a easy print out of this Italy Sausage burger Sandwich recipe here or visit it and vote for mine as a No Ordinary Burger!

I made the recipe as part of the No Ordinary Burger Contest ! You too can make your own recipe and be entered to win a a year of free groceries from Wal-Mart. Head over to the No Ordinary Burger Contest