Author: Jill

One-Pot Spaghetti

One of my very favorite things to do is to go camping. We have a 5th wheel travel trailer and take it to Colorado mostly, and besides decorating my camper, cooking in my camper is the highlight of the trip for me! Others are dreaming of fly fishing, hiking, and white water rafting, while I’m deciding what flowers for the picnic table and what’s for supper! I always seem to be on the opposite end of the spectrum as compared to most. Ha! This One-Pot Spaghetti is sure to please the fishermen in your life, when they come home to gather round the picnic table! It is super easy and only requires one pot! Can’t beat that while you’re out in the wilderness and needing to just poke the fire instead of wash dishes! I bet, even if you are not a camper type person, this meal will come in handy on busy days. It is delicious!

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth
6 oz. can tomato paste
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
8 oz. spaghetti, uncooked (Yay!)
Garnish: grated Parmesan cheese
Recommended side idea: Italian Garlic Salad, below

Brown ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium heat. (I like to season my meat with olive oil, kosher salt, and Montreal Steak Seasoning as it browns. To me, this is the best time to get flavor into your meat no matter what you are cooking.) Drain on a paper plate lined with several paper towels. Return meat and onions to the skillet.

Stir in broth, tomato paste and seasonings; bring to a boil. Break spaghetti into short lengths and add to skillet.

Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, for 15 minutes, adding more broth or water as necessary, or until spaghetti is tender. (If you are cooking in higher altitudes, you may need to add more liquid as it cooks, because more than likely, it will take longer than 15 minutes to cook your noodles.)

Sprinkle with cheese. Serve this with Italian Garlic Salad and crusty bread.
Makes 4 servings.

ITALIAN GARLIC SALAD
Tear ice berg lettuce into pieces and mix with shredded mozzarella. Dress with olive oil that has been seasoned with garlic powder, seasoned salt, and fresh pepper.

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Chocolate-Banana Bread Puddings

The last time I made this recipe, my son Creed was 4 and he is now 12. That has been waaaay too long! My, how the time slips away. This is from a 2011 December issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine. These would make a great breakfast or afternoon snack with coffee, and the caramelized bananas baked in the rich vanilla-E, eggy, bread-E, custard, with melty bits of Hershey bars are just…..mmmmm, mmmm, yumm-E. What’s not to love?! My mom was an English teacher. I’m sorry mom, my English is getting all jacked up! And Lucky, if you’re out there, I still need help with my commas…. Love ya’ll!

1 tsp. unsalted butter
2 T. brown sugar
3 bananas, sliced 1/3 inch thick
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
10 slices of white bread, lightly toasted
6 (1.55 oz.) Hershey milk chocolate bars, broken into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners. (I used Baker’s Joy to spray my pan and didn’t use liners.)

In a nonstick skillet, melt the butter with the brown sugar over moderately high heat. Add the banana slices and cook, turning once, until caramelized, about 3 minutes. the banana should be softened and sticky. Remove from the heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and vanilla.

Stack the toasted bread, slice off the crusts and cut the bread into 4 triangles.

Add the bread to the custard and let soak until the custard is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooled caramelized bananas and the chocolate. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin cups. Bake the puddings until puffy and golden, about 25 minutes.

I garnished mine with a bit of powdered sugar mixed with milk to make a thick glaze to make them pretty. But they certainly don’t need it.

Baked Meatballs with Mozzarella

This is another recipe from Mandy Rivers. She wrote the South Your Mouth cookbook series and I am really enjoying her books! She suggested serving these with a green vegetable and bread. I decided to make meatball hoagies with the Italian meatballs and, omg, soooo good!! The meat and marinara, with the gooey cheese and crusty garlic bread is a match made in Heaven. Pair this with her fried zucchini sticks. A terrific meal!

1 (24 oz.) jar marinara, I used Rao’s
20-24 Italian Meatballs, precooked (recipe below)
8 oz. mozzarella, shredded

Hoagie rolls, buttered (or spray with olive oil cooking spray), sprinkled with garlic salt, and toasted

Italian Meatballs:
1 onion, grated
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. Worcestershire
1 T. Italian Seasoning
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 pounds ground beef (80/20)
1/2 cup Italian dried bread crumbs

For the Baked Meatballs with Mozzarella, spoon half of the marinara sauce into a 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Arrange precooked meatballs in pan, then cover with remaining sauce. Cook, uncovered, 10 minutes at 375 degrees or until sauce is heated through. Remove from the oven, and top with mozzarella. Cook an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.

Serve with pasta or hearty green vegetables as suggested by Mandy… or…put them into your toasted hoagie rolls.
Serves 4-6 or yields 6 hoagie sandwiches.

For the Italian Meatballs, combine onion, eggs, Parmesan, Worcestershire, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and garlic powder, in a large bowl.

Crumble ground beef into mixture, and mix with your hands until just combined. Add bread crumbs, and continue to mix until just combined. Add more bread crumbs, if necessary, util the mixture holds together.

Turn mixture out onto a cutting board or clean counter, and shape into a rectangle. Using a sharp knife, cut mixture into 20-24 squares. Roll each square into a ball.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup), and spray with cooking spray. Place meatballs onto baking sheet, and bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

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Bacon and White Bean Stew with Kale and Rosemary

This recipe comes by way of Dinnerly. Yep, you guessed it, I’ve ordered another meal delivery kit! I love these things! Dinnerly is the more humble service, offered by Martha and Marley Spoon. This is my first meal and I must say, it is sooooo tasty. My 10 year old daughter, Fallon, and I gobbled it right up! She was thrilled it lacked the sweet potatoes and gained the white beans, which came from another delivery a few weeks back and I completely agree! Now THIS is healthy and edible. Let’s be sensitive to the fact that I love bacon, now, even though some of you are heart healthy readers and eaters. Only love here! The soup is topped with more crispy bacon, fried rosemary leaves, which are the total bomb, and the leftover rosemary oil. Such a delicious meal with so few ingredients. For the kale haters, Martha says to serve this with a sparkling wine, a light prosecco (I used Lunetta) or a favorite champagne. This should clear up any kale trouble and as Martha says, the acidity, freshness and spritz from the bubbly will cut through the rich bacon goodness with ease……And by George, I do believe it does! Live well, my friends. Dilly Dilly!……..sorry, it is still football season!

1 yellow onion
2 (14 oz.) cans cannellini beans
8 oz. bacon
2 or 3 large leaves of curly kale
3 stems fresh rosemary
Kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
3 T. olive oil

Cut the bacon crosswise into 1/4-inch wide strips. Trim ends from the onion, then halve, peel and finely chop. Pick rosemary leaves from stems, and throw the stems away. Strip kale leaves from stems, discard stems, and tear the leaves into bite sized pieces. I ran my knife threw them afterwards as well to get a smaller bite of healthy stuff. Ha! In a small dutchoven or medium saucepan, cook bacon over medium-high until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towel, leaving the bacon fat in the saucepan.

Add the onions to bacon fat in your dutch oven or saucepan along with 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add kale leaves and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes more, reducing heat if onions start to get too brown.

Add beans and their liquid, 1 1/2 cups water, and half of the cooked bacon. Cook over medium-high, gently crushing some of the beans with a spoon, until kale is very tender, 7-10 minutes. (Just do whatever it takes with the kale to soften it, more time if you need it.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, in a a small skillet, heat 3 T. olive oil over medium-high until shimmering. Add the rosemary, fry until crisp, 1 minute. Transfer with slotted spoon to a plate with the bacon. Season with a pinch of salt. Ladle stew into bowls. Garnish with fried rosemary and reserved bacon. Drizzle with some rosemary oil (reserve the remaining for your own use, like dipping bread in!). Enjoy!

Fried Zucchini Sticks

Soooo, I’m working on being healthier…..fried zucchini sticks should help me ease into things quite nicely. I certainly am proud to be including some green veggies into my diet! Yay, Me! And these are delicious, by the way, and would go great with any of your Italian meals or, of course, would be a terrific appetizer or snack. Easy and super yummy. Serve with your favorite warmed marinara sauce. Now, let’s get those veggies in! This recipe is from Mandy River’s cookbook, South Your Mouth Some More!

1 cup grated Asiago cheese, Parmesan cheese will work too
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more for finishing
2-3 whole zucchini
2 T. cornstarch
2 eggs, well beaten
Vegetable oil

Combine grated cheese, bead crumbs, and salt in a shallow bowl; mix well. Set aside

Wash zucchini; dry well. Cut ends off zucchini; cut each in half or thirds, depending on how long it is (Mandy says, you want sections that are about 3 inches long). Cut each section lengthwise into 8 sticks.

Add zucchini and cornstarch to a zip-top bag; seal, then shake to coat. Place coated zucchini on a plate, shaking off excess cornstarch.

Dip each zucchini stick in beaten eggs; shake off excess. Dredge each in bread crumb mixture, taking care to thoroughly coat zucchini; shake off excess.

Add 1 inch of vegetable oil to a medium or large pot. (I used my large skillet.) Heat oil over medium heat until temperature reaches 325 degrees. Fry slowly, so zucchini has time to get tender without the cheese burning. Fry until golden brown.

Cook in batches so as not to overcrowd pan. Sprinkle with additional salt right when you remove zucchini sticks from hot oil. Serve with marinara sauce.

Makes 6-8 servings.

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Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

Let’s go to India. Being the eclectic cook that I am, lost in a few West Texas cotton fields, I dream of traveling the world and trying every flavor. Since, I am lost in the fields, this is the closest thing I could get to the Indian restaurant, Graj Majal in Austin, Texas, today. Ok, so that is as far as I am probably going to get “out of the country” period. Ha! I am new to this cuisine, but I am a forever friend with it. Just like my forever friend chips and salsa, and nothing, I mean nothing, beats chips and salsa to me, except for masala sauce and naan….wuh?? Yes, foreign words to me, but a love that is like no other. So sorry, chips and salsa. You’ve been one upped. And a big shout out to Jodi, for the amazing Trader Joe’s Garlic Naan pictured here! This recipe is for the Instant Pot. As with all of my recipes, I recommend reading all the way through, before starting.

Prep Time: 20 minutes, plus 1 to 2 hours to marinate
Manual: 10 minutes high pressure
Release: Quick
Total Time: 40 minutes, plus time to marinate

For the marinade:
1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Garam Masala, an Indian spice blend
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. liquid smoke, optional
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (breasts or thighs), cut into large pieces

For the sauce:
1 onion, chopped
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 carrot, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp. ground paprika
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. Garam Masala
1 tsp. ground cumin

For finishing:
1/2 cup half and half, heavy whipping cream, or full-fat coconut milk
1 tsp. Garam Masala, optional depending on personal taste
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

For serving: Basmati rice, naan bread

Make the marinade:

In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cayenne, paprika, salt, garam masala, cumin, and liquid smoke, if using. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Marinate the chicken for 1 to 2 hours.

Make the sauce:
In the inner cooking pot of the Instant Pot, (and I “Pammed” mine first, which may be a no no for the instant pot, but I’m not one to take chances with sticking, no matter the “rules”!) mix the onion, tomatoes, carrot, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cayenne, paprika, salt, garam masala, and cumin. Place the chicken with the yogurt on top of the sauce ingredients.

Lock the lid into place. Select Manual and adjust the pressure to High. Cook for 10 minutes.

When the cooking is complete, use the quick method to release the pressure.

Unlock and remove the lid. Remove the chicken and set it aside. (If you like, you can brown it under the broiler or in an air fryer at this point.) I do not do either of those options.

Using an immersion blender, puree the sauce well.

To finish the dish:

Add the half and half and the garam masala to the sauce, stir well, and test for salt. Heads up here, though! I added waaay more half and half (ok, if I must be honest, heavy cream!). And DO NOT add the final bit of garam masala until you have tested for salt and are ok with the strength of the spices! And some butter melted in the sauce, never hurt anybody either! Hint, hint.

If you like, remove half the sauce and freeze it for later.

Put the chicken back into the remaining sauce. Garnish with the cilantro and serve. And don’t forget the naan!

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Laurel’s Chicken Spaghetti

This is one of my favorite chicken spaghetti recipes! It is a real crowd pleaser!….and Creed, yes, I know that you’re glad, that you are at baseball practice right now, because of the black olives. I really do hope that we can come to some sort of agreement on this. Like, if you would just eat them, you would love them!…. What’s that??…. we all have our own taste buds??…..head shaking from the mother. Smiles and big hits from the son.

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of regular Rotel tomatoes
1 (12oz.) canned chicken, drained
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped – if it is small, use it all
1 small can chopped ripe black olives
1 pkg. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 (8 oz.) Velveeta, cubed
1 1/2 pkg. Pizza cheese or half shredded provolone and half shredded cheddar cheese
1 (12 oz.) pkg. noodles
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions, bell pepper, and mushrooms together in a small amount of butter. (I’m thinking half a stick here. Yaasss!)

Prepare noodles.

Add soup, Rotel, chicken, olives, and Velveeta to onions, peppers, and mushrooms. Cook until melted and bubbly. Drain noodles and place in bottom of a 9 by 13 cooking dish. Add chicken mixture and sprinkle pizza cheese on top. Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
This is so yummy! Eat the olives!

Honey Chicken Stir-Fry

The combination of honey and chicken is truly one of my favorites! And fried chicken strips, drizzled in honey, with a sprinkle of seasoned salt, is yuh-umm! Well, this stir-fry combines the two bang up flavors, in a healthy, not fried, get your veggies, kind of way, and it is delicious! And definitely something to feel good about.

1 to 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken strips
4 T. honey, divided (can be warmed a little in the microwave to make it more able to flow and be mixed well with the egg mixture.)
1 egg, beaten
1/3 c. plus 1 T. water, divided
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. dried thyme
1/4 t. lemon-pepper seasoning
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/8 t. dried oregano
1/8 t. dried marjoram
2 T. vegetable oil
1 T. cornstarch
1 (16 oz.) package frozen stir-fry vegetables
1/4 t. salt
Cooked rice

Combine chicken (I season mine with a little salt to start with), 2 T. honey, the egg, 1/3 cup water, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings; set aside. (Don’t feel like you have to use the exact seasonings either. Any mix of what you have on hand will make for flavorful honey chicken, even if it is just salt alone!)

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken a few pieces at a time; cook and stir until golden. Remove chicken from wok; keep warm.

Mix cornstarch with remaining honey and water; set aside.

Add vegetables to wok; sprinkle with salt. Cook over medium heat until vegetables begin to thaw; drizzle with cornstarch mixture. Continue cooking until vegetables are tender; stir in chicken and heat through. Serve with rice.
Serves 4-6.

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Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie

My daughter, Fallon, and I made this peanut butter cup smoothie for lunch today. With it being January 2nd, I want to resolve to make more smoothies and healthy type foods throughout the year! That being said, the title to this recipe tells you where my heart truly is! This is quick, delicious, healthy (at least in my book), and totally yummy! Happy New Year!

3/4 cup whole milk
2 T. peanut butter
2 T. hot cocoa mix, I used Sillycow Farms Hot Chocolate
1 cup frozen banana chunks

Place all the ingredients into the blender, and blend until smooth.

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Double-Chocolate Peppermint Brownies

This holiday season, I ordered Martha Stewart’s Holiday Cookie Box. It is similar to a meal delivery kit, but this a baking kit that comes complete with recipes and all of the ingredients needed for 4 different types of Christmas cookies. This recipe is the first that I have made out of the baking box, and I absolutely love it! The brownies are perfectly crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside….and the peppermint! Absolutely delicious. I will be baking these next year for sure! And maybe again in a couple of weeks ;)…… Definitely don’t forget a nice cold glass of milk with this one.

3 oz. peppermint candies
1 stick unsalted butter
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Coat the inside of an 8 inch square baking dish with cooking spray and then line it with parchment paper. Unwrap the peppermint candies, transfer to a ziplock type bag and crush with a meat mallet or rolling pin, leaving some larger pieces.

Place the butter and the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl; set the bowl over (but not touching) the pan of simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar. Whisk in 3 large eggs, 1 at a time, until combined. Whisk in cocoa powder and 1/2 tsp. salt. Add the flour and 2/3 of the crushed peppermints to the batter and stir until combined.

Scrape mixture into the baking pan. Sprinkle with remaining crushed peppermints. Bake until set or when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool at least 2 hours before removing from the pan. Lift parchment to remove from pan; peel off parchment.
Cut into 16, 2-inch squares. Enjoy!