Moving...

Sorry for the massive delay... We are moving and I get a brand new kitchen!! So give me a few weeks and I promise to have a bunch of new recipes for winter.

Like Chili, chicken soup, chicken tacos, roasted chicken with potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes...

So stop back here about mid November and I promise I will have new recipes for you.

Yellow brown rice

Yellow brown rice
Originally uploaded by mikeysgirl120

Yellow rice... staple in Mexican restaurants. I love it but it is so not healthy. So I tweaked the recipe. Made it with brown rice and my own spices. And honestly.. It even better than the real things. Make it and no one will know its brown rice.

1tbsp of olive oil
1 medium onion - chopped very finely
2 cloves of garlic - chopped very finely
1 cup of brown rice. I like Uncle Ben's Whole grain brown rice that cooks in 10 minutes
1 3/4 cups of chicken stock
1 1/2 tsp of Adobo
2/3 tsp of tumeric
salt and pepper to taste

In a sauce pan, add olive oil, onions and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, adding salt and pepper while it is cooking. Add brown rice to the pan, Stir to incorporate. Add chicken stock, Adobo and tumeric. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and let simmer for about 15 minutes.

Serves 3-4

Pasta with turkey sausage and peppers

Let me say, this is not a complex or unique recipe. BUT it is a tasty one. I admit it, my last trip to one of those wholesale grocery stores. You know the type of place you can buy 250 pounds of tabasco sauce.. But they had this oversized package of turkey sausage. So on impulse I bought it and boy am I glad. I split them up and froze them and my husband is a happy happy man.

So here it is.




4 links of turkey sausage
1 1/2 cup of chopped mixed bell peppers
1/2 medium onion - chopped small
2 cloves of garlic - finely chopped
10 grape tomatoes - halved
1/4 cup of chicken stock
1/2 tbsp of parsley
1/2 pound of pasta
2 tbsps of Olive Oil
salt and pepper

Cook pasta per directions on box.




In a saute pan, add Olive Oil and heat. Add the sausage and saute for about 6 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and peppers. Salt and pepper the vegetable. Then add the tomatoes and parsley. Let cook for about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Remove sausage and cut into small slices. The sausage may not be cooked fully. Add the sausage back into the pan and cook for 8 -10 minutes.

Serve over pasta.

Makes 4 servings.

Kitchen gadgets

I admit it. I love them. I swear I have become a much better cook now that I have a mini food processor like this one.



















And a wonderful random cheap tool like this pan for grilling veggies, like last nights onions.














Oh and my things like my zester, my garlic press and my nifty grill pan! I mean who doesn't like grilled food in the middle of January. But my main reason for my post is that I talk about these tools without explaining what I mean. So go out and get these wonderful amazing tools.

Balsamic Glazed Grilled Pork Chops and Onions

This recipe comes as a variation of this Rachael Ray recipe But I wanted to be able to make it on the grill in the summer. So I changed it up a bit. And its super yummy now. Oh and I have used many different types of onions with this. Red, Yellow, White, Vidalia, Texas Honey White. All come amazingly good and tasty. But for this photo, I used regular old yellow onions. The ones I always have on hand.

Marinade
¼ cup of balsamic vinegar
½ cup of Olive Oil
2 tbs of honey
4 cloves of garlic - I crush it in my garlic press
½ tsp of rosemary – chopped finely
½ tsp of thyme – chopped finely
½ tsp of parsley – chopped finely
Salt and pepper to taste

Wisk ingredients together to incorporate.

4 boneless thin cut pork chops
1 medium onion – sliced into rings

Split the marinade so that ½ of the marinade on the pork chops, ¼ of the marinade on onions and reserve ¼ of the marinade for basting.

On a heated grill, place the pork chops and cook the first side for about 7-8 minutes and the second side for about 5-6 minutes. Basting frequently while cooking.

Then add the marinade onions and cook until onions turn soft and brown.

Serve with rice or couscous.

Serves 3-4

Sausage, onions, peppers, potatoes... Oh my

Oh and sorry for the photo quality. The batteries in my camera died after one photo...

Sausage and peppers... A staple of Italian American homes and street fairs everywhere. Typically they are a oily, mushy mess on a roll. I took the traditional recipe and made healthier and tastier. At least I think so. Of course, next time I am at a street fair, I will probably get the original. But until then, here's my version....





Sausage, peppers, onions and potatoes

1 package of turkey sausage - sweet
5 peeled white potatoes – sliced into thin rounds
Bell peppers – 2 cups – mixed colors
1 large yellow onion – chopped fine
2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley
1 ½ tsp of paprika
Salt and pepper
Olive oil - about 2 tbsp

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large pan, place a layer of potatoes. Generously cover with salt, pepper and parsley and paprika. Drizzle Olive oil over the potatoes. Place in over and bake for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, place the peppers and onions on top of the potatoes. Add paprika, salt and pepper again. Then place the sausages on top and return to the oven for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, remove the pan. Take a sauté pan, add a small amount of olive oil and heat on medium high. Place the sausage in the pan and brown on both sides. Remove from the pan, slice into slices and serve on top of potato and peppers.

Serve with crusty Italian bread.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Corn w/ bell peppers

The corn I can not claim as my own. Well not really. The cafeteria at my place of work served a dish like this. I tasted and tried to replicate. I have no idea if this is the way they made it, but it sure tastes similar.




2 cups of frozen sweet corn
1/2 cup of bell peppers - chopped small
2 tbs of margarine
1/8 tsp of Adobo
1/2 tsp of chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

In a sauce pan, bring corn to a boil w/ water and 1 tbsp of margarine. Allow corn to simmer for about 7 or 8 minutes. Drain corn and add back to sauce pan. Place the pan over medium heat for about 1 minute to remove excess water from corn and pan. Add 1 tbsp of margarine and allow to melt. Add peppers, Adobo and chili powder. Stir throughly and allow flavors to meld. About 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Turkey Burgers

Turkey burgers... They can be flat and tasteless or they can flavorful and VERY tasty. I feel that I have made a few of both but this recipe is a simple, basic start and can be added to, based on the type of burger you want.





Turkey burgers

1 lb of ground turkey
¼ cup of seasoned breadcrumbs
¼ tsp of parsley
1/8 tsp of Adobo
¼ medium yellow onion – finely chopped
¼ of medium red onion – finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic – finely chopped

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix well. Form meat mixture into patties about the size of your palm and place on a hot grill. Cook on first side for about 6 minutes and flip. Cook second side for 3 minutes and serve.

Citrus Chicken w/ brown rice and pineapple

Okay, Okay... I have no photo of this. I forgot to take the picture... Yes, I deserve to be shot.

BUT it is a very very yummy recipe and next time I make it, I will take a photo.



Citrus lime chicken w/ bell pepper brown rice and grilled pineapple

CHICKEN
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic – chopped fine
4 oz of Orange Juice
Juice of 2 limes
Zest of 1 lime
1/8 of Adobo seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except chicken, whisk together until combined. Add chicken and let marinade for 15/20 minutes. Grill on barbeque or grill pan for about 12-15 minutes, cooking each side for about 5-7 minutes.

RICE
½ medium white onion – finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic – finely chopped
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 cup of brown rice
½ cup of mixed bell peppers – chopped into bite size pieces
1 ½ cup of chicken stock
2 oz of orange juice
1/8 of tsp of Adobo
Ground pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a sauce pan on high, when hot, add onions and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes. Add brown rice, stir. Add chicken stock and Orange Juice. Stir thoroughly. Add Adobo, bell peppers and ground pepper. Bring to a boil, once boiling, turn down to medium low and cover. Let simmer for 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed.

PINEAPPLE
1 whole pineapple – sliced into large rings
Vegetable oil – to brush pineapple

Take pineapple slice, brush lightly with vegetable oil and place on hot grill around the edges. Cook for about 7-10 minutes, until tender and warmed through.

SERVES 3 or 4

Vegetable Quinoa

Vegetable Quinoa

First off, if you have not tried quinoa or have been afraid, this is the simplest and most user friendly recipe you will find. And believe me, you will be surprised how good it really is.


1/2 large white onion – chopped fine
2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup of chopped carrots
1 cup of mixed bell peppers
½ cup of frozen corn
½ cup of frozen peas
1 cup of quinoa
2 cups of chicken stock

In a sauce pan, add olive oil and heat on high. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, salt and pepper and cook for about 2 minutes. Add quinoa and stir thoroughly. Add 2 cups of chicken stock and stir. Add peppers and stir. Add corn and peas and stir. Bring to a boil, turn the heat to low and cover. Cook for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and quinoa has become translucent

Cilantro lime Pork Chops

Pork chops. I was brought up eating the dry, tough and tasteless variety so popular in my youth. My husband remembers smothering them with duck sauce in order to be able to eat them.

But put that picture out of your head. These are flavorful, juicy and plain old wonderful.

My inspiration for the pork chops came from a recipe I found online here. But I didn't like how the pork chop did not have a marinade.

Cilantro lime marinade and sauce.

fresh lime juice - 1 lime
2 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper
3 (1/2-inch-thick) boneless pork chops

In a food processor, place garlic cloves and red pepper flakes. Mix for about 1 minute. Add cilantro, lime juice and olive oil. Blend until becomes a thick sauce. Salt to taste.

Add half the marinade over the pork chops and let sit for 15-20 minutes. Grill for about 5-7 minutes on each side. Serve with rest of marinade drizzled over pork chops.

Ground turkey w/ tomatoes and brown rice

My first post...

This is a favorite in my house. One evening this past winter, I had an inspiration. Well a food inspiration. It was one of those nights where the dinner you planned starts to unravel as soon as you walk in the door. No bread, no rice, no potatoes. This night, I searched and search my kitchen and this came together. I have only made it with 97% ground turkey but have a friend how has made it with ground chicken and said it was just as yummy.

Ground Turkey with tomatoes and brown rice

1 lb of ground turkey - 97%
1 medium onion – chopped small
4 cloves of garlic – crushed
1 pt of grape tomatoes
2 cups of chicken stock
2 Tbsp of olive oil
½ tsp of oregano
½ tsp of parsley
¼ tsp of basil
½ tsp of Adobo
1 cup of brown rice
Salt and pepper to taste

Chop onions and garlic finely (I use a food processor) and split between a saute pan and a sauce pan. Add olive oil to both. Heat the sauté pan on high and cook the onions and garlic for about 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in ground turkey and begin to cook.

While the ground turkey is cooking, chop the pint of tomatoes into small pieces (I also use the food processor for this).

Once the turkey is cooked, take off the heat and drain. Heat the sauce pan on high and cook the onions and garlic for about 2 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Add the brown rice and stir thoroughly. Add ground turkey, tomatoes and chicken stock. Stir thoroughly again. Add spices and stir. Bring to a boil. Once brought to a boil, turn it down to medium low and let simmer for about 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Makes 4 servings.