Spring Salad

I created this salad while I was pregnant and couldn't get enough pepperoncini's.  I wanted something fresh and easy, with things that I typically always have in my fridge. After making it the first time I knew it was a keeper and I couldn't get enough. There were times that I would eat this everyday for lunch. I mixed one up the other day having not had it in a while and posted the picture of my salad to Facebook and got people immediately requesting the recipe. I figured I should share it with my fans here as well! It's an easy recipe seeing that you just chop up the ingredients throw them in a bowl and eat.


Summer Salad
Fennel
Tomatoes
Salami
pepperoncinis
hard boiled egg
avocado
feta
a drizzle of balsamic
green onions

Chicken Flautas

I'm always looking for new recipes to throw into our menu planning, something that I can alter to go in crockpot is a bonus, but not a must. I found a recipe that I could do just that.
These turned out so good and it was quick and easy too.
I started by cooking the meat in the crockpot all day so when it was time for dinner all I had to do was prep and throw everything in the oven. Took me all of 10 minutes to prep and getting everything in the oven and ready to eat 15 minutes after that, perfect for those nights where you need something quick before the kids start to meltdown.





Chicken Flautas
1 lb chicken
1 jar favorite salsa (I love the Salsa Verde from Trader Joes)
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded cheese
7 flour tortillas
To garnish:
Guacamole
Sour cream
Green onions
Cilantro
Salsa

Place chicken, frozen corn & jar of salsa in crockpot
Cook on low 6-8 hours
Remove mixture from crockpot, add sour cream and 1/4 cup shredded cheese, stir
Butter the bottom of a 9X13 pan
Warm tortillas for 30 seconds in microwave to help make them easier to roll
Place tortilla in bottom of pan, fill with a few tablespoons of filling and roll
Do so for all other tortillas
Brush the top of the flautas with melted butter
Cook in 400degree oven for 13 minutes
Take out of oven, sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup shredded cheese
Put back in oven for 2 minutes

Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, green onions and cilantro.
Enjoy

Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls

I was looking to branch out, try a few new recipes, mix things up a bit. I can usually read a recipe and know pretty quickly a) if my family would like it and b) how to change it up a bit, if needed. I came across a recipe for Cabbage rolls, honestly never in my life had I had one before, but the ingredients definitely sounded like something that we would like. However I did dread the idea of "rolling the filling into the cabbage." So...I thought on it and realized I could get all the same great flavors out of recipe without having to roll each cabbage leaf individually. So last night we tested my recipe and I will tell you it was fantastic. So good that I don't even have a picture to share, before I knew it we'd eaten the whole batch. So instead I'll share the recipe with you and urge you to try it.

Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls
1 lb ground beef
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lg onion chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium head of green cabbage, chopped
1 lg can of diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 cup bone broth (or chicken stock if you don't have bone broth)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

In large skillet heat olive oil over medium heat, add ground beef & onion
Stir ground beef until browned
Add garlic and cook for another minute
Add chopped cabbage, tomatoes, tomato sauce, bone broth, Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper
Bring to boil.
Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes until cabbage is tender

We served over rice. It was delicious.

My go to meatloaf

Growing up we never had meatloaf, my brother hated it so my mom stopped making it. I think my brother hated it because my mom didn't have my recipe.  I'm not even sure how I really stumbled upon making meatloaf, especially since I didn't have it growing up more than a handful of times. I think the recipe came to me one time I was making meatballs for our favorite crockpot wedding soup recipe. I thought I'd try it and it was a hit, so now I'll share it with you.


My go to Meatloaf
1 lb ground beef
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup bread crumbs
4 green onions, sliced
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt & pepper

Topping
4 tbsp brown sugar
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup yellow mustard

Mix all meatloaf ingredients together
Place in greased loaf pan
Mix topping ingredients and evenly spread on top of meatloaf
Cook @ 350 degrees for 1 hour
Enjoy!!!

Crockpot Carnitas

I am always looking for new crockpot recipes. I've tried so many at this point I feel like there's nothing "new" to try anymore.  I came across this recipe that just spoke to me, and I felt like I had to try it. I am so so glad I did as it was so moist and tasty and I can see it being transformed into different meals other than just Carnitas.
It's almost too simple, 4 ingredients in the crockpot for the most amazing carnitas. That's it, 4!


Crockpot Carnitas
2 lb pork roast
5 slices bacon
2 bay leaves
salt

Line the bottom of your crockpot with 3 slices of bacon
Place the 2 bay leaves on top
Sprinkle salt on your pork roast and place on top of bacon and bay leaves
Place the last 2 slices of bacon over the top of the pork.
Turn slow cooker on low, cook 4-6 hours (could go 8 and still be moist)
Remove meat from slow cooker and shred with two forks
Place back into crockpot juices and stir up.

Serve with corn tortillas, cilantro, green onion, guacamole, salsa, sour cream....your favorite taco toppings.

Artichoke Barigoule

This recipe may seem intimidating but it really makes an amazing soup, especially if you like artichokes. If you've never prepared an artichoke you'll quickly learn once you have done one artichoke the others are easy. 

Artichoke Barigoule

2 cups water

2 cups dry white wine

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup olive oil

6 artichokes (small artichokes are best)

2 lemons (halved)

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped fennel

2 cups chopped onion

3 tbsp minced shallots

2 tbsp minced garlic

3/4 tsp salt

bouquet garni: parsley, thyme, bay leaf tied up in cheesecloth

1 salt packed anchovy filet (optional)

In large bowl put aside water, wine, stock & 1/2 cup olive oil

Prepare artichokes: Peel the outer leaves from artichokes, peel stem to remove outer fibrous layer. Cut off spiny tips from leaves, cut artichokes lengthwise and remove chokes (the hairy part you see inside the heart of the artichoke).
Immediately put in water with a squeeze of lemon juice.

In a large stock pot, heat 1/2 cup olive oil with carrots for 2-2 1/2 minutes then add fennel, cook another 2-2 1/2 minutes

Add onion, shallots & garlic cook 4 additional minutes

Add artichokes (heart down)

Sprinkle with salt cover and cook for 10 minutes

Add bouquet garni & bowl of water, wine, chicken stock & olive oil

Cook on a low simmer for 15 minutes

Chop anchovy and add to soup

Cook another 15 minutes or until there is no resistance to artichoke heart

Prosciutto, Asparagus and Parmesan Spaghetti

I love a good pasta, a hearty, rich pasta, and this is one of them for sure.  You really can't go wrong when you mix prosciutto, asparagus and Parmesan.  This recipe goes together very quickly and doesn't take much prep work either which is nice on a night you don't have a lot of time.

Prosciutto, Asparagus & Parmesan Spaghetti
4 oz of prosciutto, cut into strips
1 lb of asparagus, trimmed and cut into pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves
2 cups of sliced mushrooms
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 small onion, diced
1 package spaghetti

In large pan heat oil over medium high heat.
Cook onion, garlic and mushrooms until fragrant and semi done
Add prosciutto and asparagus, cook until asparagus is bright green (about 3 minutes)
Add cream and Parmesan cheese
Reduce heat to simmer and cook until sauce has thickened (about 4 minutes)
Cook pasta according to package directions
Once pasta is cooked add to pan and mix thoroughly.
Enjoy!

Easy Shortbread Cookies

Easy Shortbread Cookies
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), cold, cut into pieces
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 tbsp sprinkles, nonpareils or baking bits (red & green for Christmas time, orange & black for Halloween)

Preheat oven to 325
In food processor pulse flour and sugar until combined.
Add butter and vanilla, pulse until dough comes together
Place in medium bowl and with your hand gently knead in sprinkles, nonpareils or baking bits until a ball forms.
Pat dough out onto a floured wax paper covered cookie sheet.
Place in freezer for 10 minutes
Cut dough into 1/2 inch squares
Place on ungreased cookie sheet
Bake for 10-12 minutes
Cool on baking rack
Enjoy!!
Mine did have sprinkles in them but they were white (all I had in house) so you can't see them. Excited to try this with red & green nonpareils though.
****I highly recommend at least a double batch as these were devoured quickly.

Crockpot Butternut squash, sausage & spinach soup

Crockpot Butternut Squash, Sausage & Spinach Soup

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lb sausage

1 lg onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups chicken broth (I use my homemade bone broth)

2 cups butternut squashed, diced into squares

1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes

1 cup rough chopped spinach

1 bay leaf

Heat oil in large pan over medium-high heat

Add onion, garlic and sausage (removed from casing)
Cook sausage until browned, and onion is translucent

In crockpot add chicken broth, butternut squash, bay leaf, and can of diced tomatoes

Add sausage to crockpot when done

Cook on low 6-8 hours

10 minutes prior to eating turn temperature to high and add spinach

Good topped with shredded parmesan 

Enjoy!

***Can add pasta if you would like (just cook pasta per instructions on box and add to crockpot with spinach), I cooked up a loaf of fresh rosemary bread to go with mine. 

Fish Bowls

Sharing a easy all time favorite recipe. My family loves fish tacos, one night I had all the ingredients we typically use but didn't have any tortillas and seeing I try sticking to my "one grocery shopping trip a week" motto, I improvised and we used rice instead.  Renaming our fish tacos to "Fish bowls," and we haven't looked back since. It's a favorite, I usually get a request every week for it. So here it is, I'll share.

Fish Bowls
1 lb white fish (have used mahi mahi, cod, swai...etc)
1 jar green salsa (we love Trader Joes, salsa verde because its got great flavor but isn't too spicy for the tiny mouths in our house)
Shredded Cabbage
Shredded cheese
Sour Cream
Guacamole
Green onions
White rice (could use brown too, we just prefer white)

The fish I buy is frozen so I defrost in cold water for about 10-20 minutes
Cook in pan with 1/2-3/4 jar of green sauce (save some to add to fish bowl before eating)
Once cooked serve over rice, add toppings of cabbage, green onions, cheese, sour cream, guacamole and green sauce.
Enjoy!