Tag Archives: cooking

Cooking

Sausage and Onions #TastyTuesday

Sausage and Onions  So in my family no one likes cooked green , yellow, or red peppers.  Which can make Sausage and peppers a hard meal to make, but I love the sausage flavor.  So I omit the peppers and make sausage onions without the slime peppers.  I serve it as a soup, on noodles and traditional on a roll

Sausage and Onions

  • 3 Onions- quartered and sliced
  • 1 clove of garlic sliced
  • 1 -2 lb of sausage  Links (for soup you can also use loose sausage)
  • 1 lb of mushrooms sliced
  • 1 bottle of beer
  • 1 can of whole tomatoes (I prefer red pack tomatoes)
  • 1 can of broth Chicken or vegetable
  • Add black pepper ¼ tsp
  • 2 tbls of hot sauce (I like Franks) Optional
  • Bacon slices (optional)
  1. 1 brown sausage, and bacon  in pot , remove and drain- leave dropping in pot
  2. Add to pot  chopped onions, garlic sauté, mushrooms,  till golden
  3. Add tomatoes
  4. Beer  and one can of broth, pepper and hot sauce
  5. Put in crock pot scraping all the goodness droppings off the bottom)  cook for 4 hours
  6. Now you can add more both and make it a sausage soup, of serve on noodles or rolls

Variations:

  • add the peppers back in ,
  • sausage soup add potatoes,
  • add kale at end of cooking 20 before finished

I do the soup because I don’t want the carbs from the noodles of the bread.

Here is a printable version is this recipe Sausage and Onions

Let help and lets Stop the childhood hunger in the US.   Please watch  Hunger Hits Home on Food Network April  14th 8/7c .. Please check out Share our Strength

 

Cooking, Product Reviews

Sesame Chicken Legs #TastyTuesday

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My kids love chicken legs.  They are great because no cutting of meat is necessary.  So I am always thinking of new ways to serve my family chicken legs.  I recent learned that the local Philadelphia Target near me is now carrying fresh Gold’nPlump chicken which is  all natural, wholesome, delicious chicken.   Gold’nPlump also offers chicken legs so I came up with a new way to serve them to the kids and they were a huge hit.

Sesame chicken legs

  • 1 package of Gold N Plump  chicken legs
  • ½ cups of soy
  • ¼ of Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbls olive oil
  • ¾ cup honey
  • 2 tlbs of spoon of toasted sesame
  • Clove of garlic
  • 1 tsp of ginger

  1. Parboil your chicken leg in water for 15 minutes till cooked thoroughly.
  2. Mix remain ingredients in a zip lock bag to make the marinade
  3. Then place cooked  chicken legs in the marinade
  4. Let legs marinate for 30 minutes
  5. Heat a sauté pain us a little oil or butter in pan to avoid sticking brown the chicken legs slightly.
  6. Then pour marinate in pan and allow the chicken to finish cooking allowing the marinate to reduce and thicken to use as a sauce
  7. Remove and serve with favorite side.

For an printable version of  Sesame chicken legs recipe

Disclosure: I received the chicken legs form Gold’nPlump but the opinions in this post were my own.

 

Cooking

Cabbage Casserole Healthy St. Patricks Day

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St. Patrick’s day is this weekend. I grew up eating Corned Beef and cabbage,  my mouth is watering.   I love corn-beef and cabbage but  I am trying to be healthy.  The vegs cooked in the corned-beef fat add flavor and unwanted calories.  So I came up with a way to get the flavor with out the fat and grease.   The key is the cumin, which gives the depth of flavor.

Cabbage Casserole
• 4 potatoes peeled sliced thin 1/8”
• 1 head of cabbage remove outer layer slice thin
• 3 carrots sliced thin 1/8”
• 7-9 Brussels sprouts sliced
• 1/2 can of chicken stock (healthy) or ½ stick of butter
• Cumin (sprinkle)
• Salt
• Pepper

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees
2. Slice potatoes place on bottom of dish
3. Layer cabbage then carrots
4. adding salt pepper , cumin to taste each layer
5. Layer potatoes, cabbage, carrots finish with Brussels sprouts.
6. Pour butter or chicken broth over top
7. Place in oven and cook for 30min or till fork tender

Here is a printable version of Cabbage Casserole

Grab a pint and luck of the Irish to you !

Cooking

Broccoli Cheese Soup #TasteTuesday

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So all weekend I promised my husband my Broccoli cheese soup.  This soup is perfect for a cold night. Which was good  because I forgot to call the oil company and we ran out of heat.  So after sitting in a cold house all day wait for my husband to fix the heat, 99* after the oil truck came.  I rewarded him with  broccoli cheese soup in a bread bowl.  I know with my health living this was not a great choice.  So I had a cup”ish” and  avoid the bread.  I also Immediately pack the extra soup and sent it to a neighbor.  Using my trust weight watcher 1cup scoop I make 2 small plastic containers for my hubby to take to his job.

Broccoli cheese soup

  • Broccoli 2 heads
  • ½ gallon of  milk
  • 2 pints of half and half
  • 1 block of sharp cheddar 1lb
  • 1 onion
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1 ½ sticks of butter
  • 1 tsp of cumin
  • 1 tbls of worshire sauce
  • 1 tbls of hot sauce
  • 1 tbls of soy sauce
  • 1 ham steak (optional)
  • 1 chicken breast cooked(optional)
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 10 Bread Kaiser Rolls (optional)

 

  1. Melt 1 ½ sticks of butter,
  2. Chop onions, place in pot  with butter cook until soft, add salt/pepper
  3. Add flour over onions making a rue with opinions butter and flour
  4. Add milk, half and half, cumin, worshire, soy, hot sauces,   stir until flour breaks down and blended
  5. Wash broccoli, cut up discarding stems, add to pot with milk
  6. Bring to a almost low boil (watch milk so as not to separate)
  7. Cover turn on low stir in occasionally so the soup does not burn on bottom
  8. Cook until broccoli is tender with fork
  9. Carefully mash broccoli with potato masher, (or use a blender)
  10. Add ham/ chicken heat till they are hot
  11. Add cheese and stir in.
  12. serve in a bread bowl optional

Makes 10-12 servings.. This is a very heavy recipe

Then call your Cardiologist.

 

 

Cooking, Product Reviews

Banana Bread and Coffee Chat

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Banana Bread and Gevalia Coffee,  Great in the morning.  This is my favorite  banana bread I have been making it for holidays and as hostess gifts for years.  My kids love to wake up have a piece of Banana bread and head off to school.  It is best if the bananas are very ripe almost black,  they are sweeter that way.

One of my favorite things to have with my coffee is Banana Bread.  Here is my recipe for great tasting bread, you kids will love it as well .

Banana Bread

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup of vegetable oil
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla
  • 1 ¼ cups of all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 3 large or 4 small bananas (ripe)(brown spots are fine)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Baking Spray or butter to grease the pans

Baking the Banana Bread

  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. Using an electric mixer beat oil and sugar in large mixing bowl for 2 min
  3. Add eggs and vanilla to oil/sugar, beat well with mixer (I was making a dbl batch use 2 eggs for one batch)
  4. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder into batter, mix for 2 minutes (if you don’t have a sifter light spoon in flour so it is not heavy)
  5. In separate bowl mash (with a potato masher or large fork) peeled banana with cinnamon (like chunky baby food): add to batter and mix to well blender
  6. Pour the banana bread into 2 well greased loaf pans 9x5x3″ or 1 pan if you like a bigger slice
  7. Bake for 37-40 mins for 2 loaves or 42-45 for 1 loaf (watch them once they get golden take them out as long as the toothpick comes out clean)
  8. Let cool for 10 min before taking out of banana bread loaf pan and cutting. Also can be frozen

Variations:

  • ½ cup chocolate chips, add once the batter is already in loaf pan.. if you add chips mix in with mixer they tend to go to the bottom of the loaf once you pour in the pan.
  • Smaller personal loafs which I make more at the holidays teacher gifts ..take about 37 min to bake , you can make 4 small loves from one batch of batter
  • Banana ripe but no time to make the bread, freeze the bananas for later . The bananas tend to not be a chunky but the taste is the same. FYI Banana turn black when frozen they are still good

I am doing my 1st webchat with a Gevalia. If you could join me for support I would love it.  Want to talk BabyPop, my blog, baking,  and coffee.   Join me Today 10-11 am for @Gevalia coffee chat

Thanks to Gevalia for the great talk.

Disclosure: I did receive product  for the chat but the opinions in this post are all of my own.

Product Reviews

Red Gold Tomatoes Taste

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 The Red Gold tomatoes are amazing that is one thing I learned last week, not only a great family owned US Based company.  I did not understand how exceptional the Red Gold tomatoes were until they did a Cutting for us during their tour.  The Cutting is when you open up your can product and your competitors side by side and see the difference.

It was amazing the difference!

Here is the whole peeled pack tomatoes:  See the red pack is firm and better color. It is a whole tomatoes.

Here is the petite dice: Red Golds really firm actually full square pieces, color is a true red (no greens bit as in the competition.

Here is the Garlic and onion.   In the case of the garlic and onion the Red Gold tomatoes where tastiest,  I was told the reason is the garlic is infused with olive oil and of course those  red gold tomatoes.

General Decision was :Based on my observations the Red Gold packs are firmer, more red in color, no green parts, no water separation

Prior to the trip I was talking to my cousin Donna,  she was telling me her sister, and her only use red pack (east cost name for Red Gold) She said that is what my mother used for her tomatoes sauce and  so do we.”

I have to say After the cutting won’t buy another brand of canned tomatoes.. because once you see and taste.   There is only one canned Tomato Red Gold / Red Pack.

Be sure to read my other post to hear about my Red Gold and NFL weekend.

#Disclosure I did receive the trip and tasting via Red gold but the opinions in this post are of my own.

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

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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

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.