• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 stalks of celery with leaves
• 1 medium onion
• seasoned salt
• black pepper
• 1 quart whole canned tomatoes
• 2 beef bullion cubes
• 1 cup water  
• 1 Tbsp fresh or frozen basil
• 3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream or half and half

In a medium pot, add olive oil and heat on medium-high. Add celery and onion and cook until soft, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

Add tomatoes, bullion and water, and simmer on medium for 10 minutes. Add basil and stir until combined.

Using an immersion blender, blend soup until smooth, or to your preferred consistency. Alternately, you could transfer the soup to a blender and blend in batches, making sure the blender is never more than 1/2 full of ingredients.

Add cream to soup and simmer over low heat 10 minutes. Do not allow to boil.

Makes 8 cups.

Source: Adventures in my Kitchen

I have 2 stuffed cabbage recipes that I normally make. This one loosely resembles the recipe made by my mother as far back as I can remember. I don't know her measurements (there probably aren't any), nor do I know her exact ingredients, but I do remember piling all the wrapped cabbage and stuffed peppers in a pot, adding potatoes and covering them all with tomatoes. I took that memory and created a recipe around it and this is what I came up with. Enjoy!

Here is what you'll need:

• 7 outer cabbage leaves
• 3 cubanelle peppers

• 1 lb. ground sirloin
• 1 tsp oregano 
• salt and pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs (or minute rice)
• 1/4 large onion, finely diced

• 1/4 head of cabbage, chopped
• 1 cubanelle pepper, diced
• 8 small potatoes, halved or quartered
• 8 small tomatoes, quartered
• 8 oz. tomato sauce
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Fill a large pot with water and boil the 7 outer cabbage leaves until they are softened and partially cooked. Drain and set aside.

Hollow out 3 cubanelle peppers by cutting a circle around the stem and emptying out the seeds. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl add ground sirloin, oregano, salt, pepper, egg, Worcestershire, bread crumbs and onion. Combine until just mixed. Divide meat mixture into 10 portions.

Wrap 1 portion of meat mixture inside each of the cabbage leaves as if you were making a burrito. Stuff the remaining portions of meat into each of the cubanelle peppers.

Place wrapped cabbage and stuffed peppers in a large pot. Add chopped cabbage, diced pepper, potatoes, and tomatoes to the pot.

In a small bowl, combine tomato sauce, brown sugar and garlic. Mix well and pour over all ingredients in the pot. Cover.

Turn stove to medium/medium-high heat until the liquid begins to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 35-45 minutes, or until meat is cooked through and potatoes are tender. Serves 4-5.

Source: Adventures In My Kitchen Original

Here is what you'll need:

• 8 lbs Italian sausage (I used 6 lbs sweet and 2 lbs hot), cut into large chunks
• 3 green bell peppers, cut into large chunks
• 3 red bell peppers, cut into large chunks
• 3 Vidalia onions, cut into large chunks
• 8 cloves of garlic
• 2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• sea salt 
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Evenly split all of the ingredients into 2 large baking pans (I used a large disposable sterno rack pan and a large roasting pan). Mix everything to be sure the sausage, peppers and onions are evenly coasted with seasonings and oil.

Bake for 75-90 minutes, or longer if required, stirring occasionally until sausage is browned and cooked through. If you are cooking both pans at the same time, you may find the top pan browns and cooks through sooner than the bottom pan. If this happens, rotate the pans to the opposite rack at around 45 minutes.

When the sausage is done I dump it all into the sterno rack pan and cover it with aluminum foil so it can be kept warm during the gathering.

Servings: 32 based on 1/4 lb of meat per person and taking into account there is variety of food, including other meats, to choose from. For a normal dinner to serve 2-4, I would cut this down to 1 lb of meat and divide the other ingredients by 6.

Source: Adventures in My Kitchen original

I'm doing something I almost never do by posting a recipe the night I made it.We just finished eating about 10 minutes ago and here I am, writing. While this is not the Shrimp with Green Bean with Garlic I planned to make tonight, I'm ok with that. Actually, I'm more than ok with that because this impromptu Shrimp Chowder blew me away! So much so that I needed to tell you about it right away, giving you a chance to make it before the weather gets too warm (I personally can't eat soup in warm weather).

Upon getting home from work, JR declared he wanted soup because he hadn't been able to warm up all day. We went from having 80 degree temperatures a few weeks ago down to 20 degree lows this week. I wish Mother Nature would make up her mind and stop teasing us! But had that been the case, I may not have been able to share this with you so I'll accept it for what it is.

I did a quick Google search for Shrimp Chowder and came up with this recipe from Epicurious. It was a good starting point from which I adapted to boost the flavors and use up what I had on hand. This was creamy, chunky, mild yet flavorful and definitely satisfying!

Here is what you'll need:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 Tbsp sofrito (I used Goya frozen)
• 1 ginormous potato, diced (~2 medium-large potatoes)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper
• 4 cups seafood stock
• 1 tsp seasoned salt
• 1 lb raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1 cup corn
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1 cup 2% milk

In a large hot Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add olive oil, onions and sofrito. Saute until the onions become translucent. Add potato, salt and pepper and continue cooking, stirring as needed, until potatoes begin to brown. Add garlic, stir and cook for about 1 minute until garlic becomes fragrant.

Add seafood stock and simmer over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot from time to time to loosen the brown bits, until potatoes are cooked. Meanwhile season shrimp with seasoned salt.

When potatoes are cooked, add remaining ingredients to the Dutch oven. Bring chowder up to barely a simmer for about 5-8 minutes until shrimp are pink and cooked through. Be careful to not bring this to bubble or boil. Serves 6.

Source: Adapted from Epicurious

One thing that I've learned in the past year, is that the wider the base of my pan the better my rice comes out. I now reach for my double fryer pan vs. a pot when I make this as I think I get a better final product.

This makes an easy weeknight meal, served with a simple salad and of course a side of avocado as well!

Here is what you'll need:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2/3 cup sofrito (I used Goya frozen sofrito)
• 1/4 cup olives with pimentos (I prefer Goya Alcaparrado)
• 1/2-3/4 cup frozen green peas
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 2 packages Sazon: Con Culantro Y Achiote 
• 1 tsp Adobo
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 cups hot water
• 2 cups white medium grain rice (I prefer Goya)

In a large double fryer pan over medium high, heat olive oil.  Add sofrito, olives, peas, chicken bouillon, Sazon and Adobo. Mix well to combine and cook for 3-5 minutes. 

Add shrimp and stir to coat shrimp with seasonings.
Add hot water and rice, and bring to a boil. Stir, reduce heat to medium-low and cover.

Let cook over medium-low, covered, without opening or stirring (really, no peaking!), for 22-25 minutes.  Uncover, stir once and serve.  Serves 4.

Source: Originally seen on The Novice Chef

When I first scanned the ingredient list of this recipe I immediately knew we would like it. After tweaking the recipe a few times, we LOVE it! One-Pot Rosemary Chicken and White Beans is not only packed with protein, but I've bumped up the produce, for a well balanced dish that comes together in no time. This has quickly become a weeknight go-to meal in our house, and after trying it I can imagine this will easily become a go-to in your house as well.

This latest version happened accidentally when JR picked up escarole at the store. I'd never cooked with escarole before, however, I'm happy this was an accidental purchase because I have a new love to work with in the kitchen. This is such a simple delicious meal, I hope you'll try it in your kitchen this week. Don't forget to serve it with some crusty bread for dipping!
 
I'm sending this post out to Jey at The Jey of Cooking in honor of her mom who received a heart transplant almost 1 year ago. Jey, I'm so glad to hear your mom receive a second chance at life! If you'd like to help Jey spread the word about her cause, check out her post here.

Here is what you'll need:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 spring fresh rosemary, chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 chicken, cut into 5 pieces (drumstick, thigh, wing and split the breast into 2 pieces)
• 1 fennel bulb, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 28 oz canned plum tomatoes, low-salt or no-salt added preferred
• 15 oz canned cannellini beans, rinsed
• 1/2 head escarole, rough chopped

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season chicken with rosemary, salt and pepper. Sear chicken in dutch oven for 3-4 minutes on each side until browned. Remove the skin and move all the chicken pieces to one side of the pot (stack it up if needed).

Add fennel and onion to the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften and brown about 5-8 minutes. Add garlic, stir and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Rearrange chicken to evenly distribute among vegetables in the pot. Add wine to the pot, allow to simmer and scrape bottom of pot with wooden spoon to remove browned bits. Add tomatoes and their juice, and crush with wooden spoons. Add beans, stir and cover. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10-15 minutes.

Remove cover, add escarole and stir. Cover and allow to cook for 10 minutes. Serves 4.

Source: Adapted from Cooking Light

I'll be honest here and tell you that my go-to soup for years came from a can. That's not the case anymore. If only I had realized that I could have a more flavorful homemade version within 30 minutes I may have cut back eating the canned stuff years ago. If this soup is on my weekly menu, I'll chop the vegetables on the weekend or in the morning before work. This helps keep the prep time to a minimum.

I've played around with the broth ratios and 1/2 stock with 1/2 bullion is my preference, but you could certainly use a ratio of more stock or more bullion based on your preference. I've also tried adding the vegetables to the broth raw vs. sauteing, and sauteing wins hands down. It gives the soup an incredible amount of flavor. I should mention that I like a chunkier soup with less broth, so if you want it soupier just increase the total amount of broth by a few cups.

Why should you believe this soup is a winner? Well, my non-vegetable eating brother-in-law eats it, the whole thing, including the vegetables (although I do omit the celery if I'm making it for this picky-eating family). So if you have a picky eater, maybe you should give this a try.

Here is what you'll need:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 small onions, peeled and chopped
• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 large outer celery stalks, chopped
• 2 small inner celery stalks with leaves, chopped
• 1 dried bay leaf
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lb chicken breast, chopped
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 3 cups homemade chicken stock
• 3 chicken bullion cubes
• 3 cups water
• 4 oz egg noodles (or 4-8 oz pasta of your choice, including tortellini)

In a medium size pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery and bay.  Salt and pepper to taste and saute until vegetables start to brown and onions become translucent. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink.

Add potatoes, stock, bullion, and water. Bring to a gentle boil for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are cooked through.

Meanwhile, in another medium pot, boil egg noodles in salted water for 8 minutes or longer to your preferred texture.

Add noodles to soup or serve soup over noodles if you want to keep the noodles separate for leftovers. Serves 4.

Source: An Adventures in My Kitchen Original

I'm trying to get better about wasting less (preferably no) food, and planning meals that will use up ingredients I have on hand. This meal is a perfect example of using up leftover ham and heavy cream from Christmas. And it's easy, which was great after the craze of the holidays.

I've attempted scalloped potatoes at least once in the past that I can recall, but wasn't impressed with the result (and I'm certain I threw away the leftovers). I'm pretty sure the key here is the heavy cream and thyme, they really bring what I remember as scalloped potatoes (made with a 2% milk and flour mixture) to a new level. I think a layer of thinly sliced green onions would be a great addition to this dish.

While this meal is in no way figure friendly, and probably wouldn't be on many people's New Year meal plan, it's a great comfort food for a chilly winter night. I promise it's worth the calories (everything in moderation!).

Here is what you'll need:

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices (use a mandolin for ease)
• 1 1/2 cups diced ham
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

In a saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the cream, thyme, garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Watch the cream carefully so it doesn't boil. 

Spread 1/3 of the potatoes in a layer on the bottom of your casserole dish.  Top with 1/2 of the ham. Pour 1/3 of the cream over the ham and potatoes. Repeat with another layer of potatoes, ham, cream, potatoes and finish with the remaining cream.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake 45 minutes or until potatoes are cooked and the top is golden brown. Allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 4.

Source: My Baking Addiction

I've been a terrible blogger the last few months, and it's time I make up for it.  The next few posts are "make-up" posts so to speak.  They've been sitting in my drafts, staring at me to finish them up.

I didn't realize how similar this recipe was to Stuffed Pepper Soup until I was in the middle of cooking.  It's rare that I put such similar recipes on the same week's meal plan.  Now that I think about it, we ate a lot of beef that week which is also rare.  There seemed to be a lot of rarity going on, because JR also suggest we have Sloppy Joes (they were already on the meal plan!) on Garlic Toast. 


Hmm, Garlic Toast.  What a fantastic idea!  JR just brought Sloppy Joes to a whole new level, perfect for enjoying while watching the MLB playoffs (see, I told you the drafts have been sitting a while!).  These would also be perfect for the Super Bowl.

I should note that JR also asked for chunky Sloppy Joes, so my peppers and onions weren't chopped as small as I normally would.  It totally up to you how large or small you chop them.

I hope you'll try these and let me know what you think of serving them on Garlic Toast!

Here is what you'll need:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
• 1 lbs ground beef sirloin
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp steak seasoning blend, I used McCormick's Montreal Seasoning
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste

• sandwich rolls
• butter
• mayonnaise
• Garlic powder or seasoning (I used Outrageously Garlic)

For the Filling: In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add meat and break it up with a wooden spoon.

Combine brown sugar and steak seasoning in a small bowl.  Add mixture to meat and stir to combine.  Continue cooking the meat until it is no longer pink and beginning to brown.

Add onion and peppers to the skillet and cook for 1 minute.  Reduce heat to medium, add vinegar and Worcestershire and combine well.  Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add tomato sauce and paste and combine well.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes.

For the Garlic Toast: While the filling is simmering for the last 5 minutes, spread a thin layer of butter on the rolls, then spread a thin layer of mayonnaise over the butter.  Sprinkle with garlic powder (I used about 1/2 tsp per roll, but this should be adjusted to your taste).  Toast in the toaster oven until browned to your liking.

Serves 6.

Source: Rachael Ray

• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 cups water
• 16 ounces tomato sauce
• 28 oz canned plum tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Season ground beef with salt and pepper, add to pot and cook until brown.  Drain excess fat.

Add remaining ingredients to pot, stir and break up tomatoes using a wooden spoon.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low.  Cover and simmer 30 minutes or until peppers are tender.  Serves 4.

Source: Taste of Home

Generally, I make stew in the crockpot.  However, recently I've heard a lot of debate about the crockpot leaving food tasteless.  So I decided to test it out for myself by making this in a Dutch oven.  I'm here to report that this stew was WAY better made on the stovetop, and my husband agreed (he said this was a 10!).  Not only was the flavor sharp, the vegetables were tender, but still intact with nice texture.  

This stew was a great end to a busy, cool weekend.  We paired it with croissants, and an MLB playoff game.  We are both excited that there was plenty leftover for lunch during the week. 

Here is what you'll need:

• 6 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/4 b beef stew meat cut into 1 in. chunks
• 1/4 cup flour
• salt and pepper
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1/2 leek, diced
• 1 small stack celery, sliced
• 2 small carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 small parsnip, peeled and sliced
• 1 small purple top turnip, peeled and diced
• 4 red potatoes, diced 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cup beef broth
• 2 beef bouillon cubes
• 28 oz. canned plum tomatoes, including juice
• 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 bay leaf

Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  In a small bowl combine flour, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Add 1/2 stew meat to the bowl, coating the meat with flour.  Add to Dutch oven, cook until browned on all sides, stirring with a wooden spoon as needed.  Remove meat to a plate and set aside.  Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to Dutch oven, repeat coating and cooking remaining meat.  Remove meat and set aside.

Add remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil to Dutch oven.  Add onion, leek and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and slightly browned.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add carrots, parsnip, turnip, potatoes and garlic, stir and cook until garlic is fragrant.

Add beef broth, bouillon, tomatoes and spices. Stir, break up tomatoes with the spoon and scrape bottom of Dutch oven to release the brown bits.  Add beef, stir, and cover.  Reduce temp to low and cook 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and sauce has thickened.  Serves 6.

Source: Adventures in My Kitchen

I'm sure by now you've heard of Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman.  I don't know much about her story, other than she's married to a cowboy, but she's made quite a name for herself.  Recently she premiered in her new cooking show which I haven't seen yet.  Have you?  What did you think of it?

I've only tried one of her recipes, her Italian Drip Beef.  Both times I adapted it for the crockpot and it's worked out beautifully.

We ate this as sandwiches twice and still had leftovers.  I didn't want the leftovers to go to waste but I wasn't interested in having another sandwich or freezing it this time either (we are terrible about eating meals we've frozen).  I ended up sauteing an onion, added the leftover beef with peppers, and then added a packet of brown gravy with 1 cup of water.  I let it come to a boil, then simmer for a few minutes and served it over white rice. 

Here is what you'll need:

• 3-4 lb beef top round roast 
• 1 can beef broth
• 4 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 8 oz. jar of pepperoncini peppers, including juice
• sandwich rolls
• toppings of your choice (we use cheese and/or arugula)

Place all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low 10 hours.  

Remove roast and shred meat.  Add meat back to liquid and combine well.


Serve on rolls with your favorite toppings.  Serves 8-12+ depending on the size of your roast and size of your sandwiches. 


Source: The Pioneer Woman

I know I said healthy recipes until vacation, but I did cook a few indulgences as well.  My theory is all things in moderation.  When I made the BBQ Meatloaf, I'm sure you saw Alton Brown's Stovetop Mac and Cheese that I served as a side. 

• 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 eggs
• 6 ounces evaporated milk
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Fresh black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 10 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

As you're reading this post, I'm in Costa Rica and perhaps I have eaten this dish today.  Last weekend, I started getting really excited about our upcoming trip so I decided to make a traditional Costa Rican breakfast for us to chat over as we planned the final details of our trip.  Gallo pinto is part of the traditional Costa Rican breakfast, and in preparation of our trip I decided to try my hand at cooking it. 

As you can imagine, just like with any traditional dish, there are several variations to be found.  I settled on this one, and am really glad I did.  We eat a lot of rice and bean dishes, and this may be my favorite yet.  The big distinction in this preparation is that some of the vegetables are added close to the end of cooking which helps them retain their freshness and add so much flavor.  I can't wait to see how close this dish comes to the real thing. 

Here is what you'll need:

• 3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 cup Goya medium grain white rice
• salt to taste
• 1 small or medium onion, diced and divided
• ½ small red bell sweet pepper, diced and divided
• 3 tsp chopped fresh cilantro 
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup, 1/2 can, black beans, liquid reserved

In a large pan on medium high heat, add 2 Tbsp olive oil and saute dry rice for 2 minutes, stirring as needed.  Add salt.  Add 1/2 of the diced onion, 1/2 of the diced pepper and cilantro to the pan and saute minutes, stirring as needed.

Add chicken broth to the pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover.  Cook for 20 minutes, resist any urges to lift the cover, until rice is tender.

Once rice is done, push rice to the edges of the pan leaving a well in the middle.  Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil to the pan inside the well, add remaining onion, pepper and beans.  Stir and saute for 2 minutes.  Add 1/4-1/2 cup of liquid from the beans to moisten the mixture and give it color.  Serves 4.

I had no intention of blogging this dish until I was in the middle of cooking it and the house smelled amazing!  I'm a big fan of Meseidy from The Noshery blog.  When she posted this recipe it went on my long list of meals to make.  I am so glad that this made its way to the top rather quickly since JR and I love garbanzos.  This was a winner and will definitely become part of our meal rotation.

Recently JR asked me to cut back on the spiciness in our dinners, so I substituted a smoked sausage for the chorizo.  I also cut back the amount of garbanzos used and served this over rice.  The only thing this meal was missing was a side of avocado!

This would also make a great vegetarian meal by omitting the sausage, increasing the garbanzos and using vegetable broth.

The changes I made are included here:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 12 oz. smoked turkey sausage, sliced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
• 1 Tbsp capers
• 2 Tbsp white vinegar
• 1 15oz can garbanzo beans
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 roma tomatoes peeled, seeded and diced (or 1/2 cup of canned diced tomatoes)

Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add sausage and brown on both sides.  Remove sausage from pan and set aside.

Add pepper, onion and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown.  Add cilantro, stir and allow to cook 1 minute.

Add capers, vinegar, beans, tomato sauce, chicken stock and tomatoes.  Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.

Add sausage to pan, stir and allow to simmer an additional 10-15 minutes.  Serve over rice if desired.  Serves 4.

Source: Adapted from The Noshery

During my middle years of college I lived with my grandparents.  From time to time I liked to cook a weekend meal to give my Gram a break in the kitchen and to show them my appreciation for all they were doing for me.  Back then I was following Weight Watchers and subscribed to their Smart Choice Recipe Collection which delivered a packet of recipes on a monthly basis.  When this recipe came I knew I needed to try it, since my Gramp loves all things labeled Italian food.

 

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 8 pieces of bone-in chicken (I think thighs are best, but I've also used legs and breasts) 
• 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• salt and pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 28 oz. plum tomatoes, with juice
• 4 oz. tomato paste
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

In a dutch oven on high heat, add 1 tsp olive oil and chicken parts.  Cook chicken until well browned on all sides.  Remove from pot and set aside.

Turn heat to medium-high and 1 tsp olive oil to dutch oven.  Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned.  Add peppers and onions, salt and pepper to taste, and cook, stirring occasionally until they begin to soften.  Add garlic, and continue cooking, stirring until fragrant.

Add tomatoes, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes to pot.  Stir well.  Using thongs, squeeze tomatoes to jump start their breakdown process.

Remove skin from chicken pieces (and immediately throw that crispy stuff away before you're tempted to eat it!).  Nestle chicken into sauce and vegetables.

Cover, turn heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes.  Serves 6-8.

I serve this over pasta, but you could also serve on it's own, over any type of grain.

A few weeks back, JR and I ate lunch at a Moroccan restaurant.  JR had a lamb and potato tagine which he loved and asked me to make at home.  Just before our lunch, we had picked up some veal stew meat at the farmer's market, so I figured I would experiment with that.  The only issue was that this cuisine is new to me.  I was going to need help from my friend Google, but wouldn't you know Caitlin's Cooking and More posted this recipe just a few days later.  While the flavorings in her version are different than what JR had, it was a starting point.

• 2  tsp smoked paprika
• 1  tsp  ground cinnamon
• 3/4  tsp kosher  salt
• 1/2  tsp  ground ginger
• 1/2  tsp crushed red pepper flakes (next time I will only use 1/4 tsp)
• 1/4  tsp  freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lb beef top round, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 4  shallots, quartered
• 4  garlic cloves, chopped
• 28 oz. diced tomatoes, undrained
• 3 potatoes, cubed

Add tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Lower heat to medium-low, add potatoes, and bring to a simmer.  Cover and continue to simmer for about 30 min, until potatoes are cooked through.  Serves 4.

I found it!  I misplaced this recipe and was so bummed out.  But wouldn't you know that I find things when I clean my office. 

I originally found this recipe in Woman's Day back in April 2001.  Oh the days gone by!  I was living with my sister in my condo and barely making it week to week and month to month.  Hence the reason this came out of the Budget Cook section of that month's magazine.  Even today, though my circumstances are much better, I still try to keep the majority of our weeknight meals with a budget in mind.  Plus, this is really easy to put together and is finished within 30 minutes so it really is a perfect weeknight meal all around.

The ingredients may seem like a strange combination, at least it did to me at first, but it works.  Trust me.  It even works if you add WAY too much cinnamon, but I wouldn't know anything about that... And if you're looking for a way to add more vegetables to your diet, or if you think you don't like eggplant, this recipe is perfect!  The eggplant picks up the flavor of the sauce while keeping a nice texture.  This could also easily made vegetarian by omitting the meat and doubling the eggplant.

I served this over whole wheat thin spaghetti, but I would suggest something bulkier like a rigatoni.

Here is the recipe including my adaptations:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 12 oz. lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper
• 1 medium eggplant, cut into 3/4 chunks
• 16 oz. tomato sauce 
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1 Tbsp freshly grated lemon peel
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add beef, onion and garlic, and cook, breaking up clumps of meat with a wooden spoon, for 2 to 3 minutes until the meat is no longer pink.

Stir in remaining ingredients and 2/3 cup water.  Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes or until eggplant is very tender.  Serves 4.

I've been craving chicken pot pie, seriously craving it.  I knew this was not going to be good for my weight loss efforts, so I began searching for something that would satisfy my craving without sending me off track. I found this recipe by Ellie Krieger.

The filling came together nicely, however, as I was making the biscuit topping I began second guessing the outcome.  I was wrong.  This came out great.  So great, I didn't miss the traditional pie crust, and I can't believe I'm saying that.  After all, the pie crust was always my favorite part of chicken pot pie, the frozen ones.  Now that I think about it, the pie crust was really the only good part of the frozen ones.  I realize now how much a great tasting filling can make this whole dish.


My biscuits didn't brown up like I was hoping, even after I baked it a little longer than suggested.  However, they were cooked through and tasted fine.

I used a few short cuts which I've included here

• Cooking spray
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks (I used leftover rotisserie chicken)
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped (I used 1 leek and 1/2 an onion)
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (I used frozen corn instead)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups lowfat milk
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup peas, thawed if frozen
• 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves (I used 3/4 tsp dried thyme)

• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 tsp canola oil
• 1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk

I wanted to a soup that was Weight Watcher friendly to go with my lunches this week.  I decided on Tomato Florentine Soup from my trusty Rosemary Brown's Big Kitchen Instruction Book.  I mentioned how much I like this cookbook before, and I have to say that I've made several soups from here and loved them all!

Then I got thinking and realized I didn't want any jealousy in our house, so I asked Branny if I could submit another soup recipe to her Souper Bowl.  After all, I have 2 "little girls" and I think Coon's feelings might have been hurt if I didn't give her a dedication.


Coon was rescued by JR during a snow storm 4 years ago.  She was 3 months old at the time, and so tiny!  How could someone let her fend for herself, nevermind through a storm!  She's grown into quite the hellion, but we love her nonetheless.

The changes I made to the recipe are included here:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 21 oz. beef broth (you could use vegetable broth to make this vegetarian)
• 3 cups water
• 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach
• 28 oz. diced tomatoes, undrained
• 15 oz. tomato sauce
• 6 oz. tomato paste
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• dash Tabasco sauce

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil and saute onion over medium heat until soft. Add beef broth and water, and bring to a boil  Add spinach and return to a boil, stirring often.  Reduce heat to a simmer.

Add remaining ingredients.  Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.  Serves 6.

Notes: The recipe says to add 3 cups of small pasta 10 minutes before the soup is done, but I decided to leave the pasta out this time and have this soup with a grilled cheese sandwich instead.

I also like to add a bit of light sour cream to give it a creamy soup feel.