Recipe: Semi-Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

95% of the time, I make my own spaghetti sauce. Kind of. I do it one of two ways: totally from scratch (well, I do use canned tomatoes, but that’s as homemade as it gets in this kitchen) or I take already made spaghetti sauce (Hunts brand) and spice it up to make it my own. Tastes wonderful!

I just combine these ingredients in my crockpot, let simmer for 3 hours or so, then let it cool. When it’s cool, I package it up in smaller portions in freezer bags or put some in a jar for use during the week.

I make it without browned hamburger because some recipes call it no meat and having it without meat gives me the flexibility to use it in any dish. If I’m making true spaghetti, I’ll add meat in later.

Yeah, it’s not truly homemade. But it is taking something existing and making it my own. Hence, semi-homemade.

Ingredients:
5 cans of Hunts spaghetti sauce (any flavor really)
1/2 t basil
1 T parsley
1/2 t red pepper
2 t chili powder
1 T oregano
2 1/2 t garlic powder
5 T sugar

Directions:
Dump it all in a crockpot. Let simmer for 3 hours or so. Taste occasionally and add more spices if desired.

Read Full Post »

Recipe: Jambalaya

 

This is one of my favorites because it’s so easy to make.  The original author included shrimp, but I substituted chicken for that.  This last time, I added in some ham chunks, but in the end, while tasty, I don’t think it was my favorite way to make it.   But if you’re going to do that, go for it…just reduce the amount of sausage and chicken.

To make it easier on myself to make it again, I made 4 extra bags of the rice and spice mixtures.  It was just as easy to make 5 of them as it was 4!

Notes: This spice level is just right, so if you’re making it for young kids, you might want to back off the cayenne.

Jambalaya

Slightly adapted from Pennies On A Platter

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup long-grain white rice
3 Tablespoons dried minced onion
1 Tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 Tablespoon beef bouillon granules (or 3 bouillon cubes)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 cups water
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 pound fully cooked smoked sausage, such as andouille, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 cup cooked chicken

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl or canister, combine the rice, onion, and spices. Stir to fully mix.

2. In a Dutch oven or a large heavy bottom saucepan, combine the rice mixture with the rest of the ingredients.

3. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.

4. Discard the bay leaf and serve while hot.

Read Full Post »

Recipe: Crockpot Roast Beef

This is a great roast beef recipe – pretty easy (just slightly more complicated than ‘throw everything in and walk away’) and with wonderful flavor.  I think it makes amazing roast beef sandwiches the next day too!

I did simplify it from the source where I got it, but if you’re okay with more steps, follow hers!

Balsamic and Onion Pot Roast in the Crockpot
Slightly Adapted from Kalyn’s Kitchen

Ingredients:
3-4 pound boneless chuck roast
1-2 T steak seasoning
black pepper to taste
1-2 T olive oil (depends on your pan)
1/4 cup water to deglaze pan
2-3 large onions, peeled and thickly sliced like you’d do for onion rings
Bunch of carrots – I used the baby carrots, but you can peel and slice regular carrots
1/2 cup water with one beef bouillon cube boiled in (normally it’s 1 cup for 1 cube)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup tomato sauce

Directions:

1. Trim as much fat as you can from roast, and cut if necessary to fit into Crockpot.

2. Rub meat well with steak seasoning and black pepper. Heat heavy pan with small amount of olive oil and brown roast well on both sides. This will take a few minutes, but it’s worth it.

3. In a measuring cup in the microwave, heat the 1/2 cup water until boiling.  Add in the bouillon cube.  Let cool slightly and mix in balsamic vinegar and tomato sauce. Peel onions and cut into thick slices. Deglaze pan with 1/4 cup water and add to sauce mixture.

4. Place onions and carrots in bottom of Crockpot. Put meat on top of onions and pour beef stock mixture over. Set Crockpot to low and cook 6-8 hours, until beef is tender. The meat might be partly submerged in liquid after this much time.

5. Remove meat from crockpot and cover with foil to keep warm. Drain liquid from Crockpot and remove as much of the fat as you can with fat separator or skimmer. Cook down liquid by about 1/3, and serve sauce with meat and onions.

Read Full Post »

Recipe: Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

 

These are one of my favorite cookies! I really like them frozen, so I usually have a batch in the freezer at all times. When I take a batch to work, they don’t last at all…they go super quick!

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

Found from Baking Junkie

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 bag butterscotch chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat together butter and sugars.

2. Add in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

3. Add to wet ingredients. Stir in oats and butterscotch chips. Form into small balls and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

4. Bake for 8-9 minutes (a few minutes longer for crispier cookies).

5. Cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes, then place on wire rack to cool completely.

Read Full Post »

Recipe: “I Love You” Chocolate Chip Cookies

These chocolate chip cookies just scream out “I LOVE YOU!” especially when you pair them with a glass of cold milk.  At least that’s what these cookies say in our house.  A great recipe that comes from somewhere (but I don’t know where – it’s written on a sticky note in my recipe binder).  They are soft and wonderful.  You should make them.

Ingredients:
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1.5 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips (or more!)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Combine shortening, sugar and brown sugar.

3. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix again.

4. Add flour, salt, baking soda. Mix until just combined.

5. Stir in chocolate chips.

6. Try not to eat the dough while you put on ungreased cookie sheets.

7. Bake for 10-11 minutes.

8. Serve warm with a glass of milk.

Read Full Post »

Recipe: Pork Tenderloin

Pork isn’t a type of meat that I’ve ever been that fond of.  But a few years ago, I had pork tenderloin and re-discovered its wonderfulness!  But I hadn’t ever made it myself until a few months back.  I LOVE it.  Jeff LOVES it.

It’s more expensive than chicken, sure, but I just wait until someone has it on sale for $1.99/pound and stock up.  It freezes great.

I used Chef Mommy’s recipe as my inspiration, but have made a few changes to simplify it (as I’m not that great of a chef yet) and to emphasize the flavors we like the most.  If you have great kitchen skills, use hers!

I bake mine in a bread loaf pan since that’s about the perfect size and keeps the meat moist.

Ingredients:
1⁄4 cups olive oil
2 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tsp dry mustard
black pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (or 1 – 1.5 teaspoons)
1-lb. pork tenderloin (where I buy them, there are usually 2 tenderloins in 1 package)

Directions:
Combine all marinade ingredients.
Seperate out 2-3 tbsp of the marinade into a small container.
Place the pork tenderloin and marinade in a Ziplock bag and let marinate for at least 3-4 hours. (I usually do overnight or most of the day.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a hot skillet over medium-high heat, sear each side of tenderloin for 2-3 minutes. Place in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes or until the meat has reached 160 degrees. Let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Pan Sauce:
Pan scrapings from pork tenderloin
1/4 cup of chicken broth (could do water if you don’t have chicken broth, but chicken broth is best)
2-3 tbsp of pork marinade

While it’s all cooking, add the chicken broth and scrape up the browned pieces from the bottom of the skillet.

Add the marinade and mix around for a couple of minutes.
Pour over the pork tenderloin.

Serve!

Read Full Post »

Recipe: Chicken, Cheese and Chile Enchiladas

These are NOT healthy.  But these are oh-so-tasty!  I’ve posted the recipe before, but it was kind of buried and I didn’t have a picture.  Here’s a picture!

I make these often.  It’s a great freezer-friendly recipe.  I’ll make up a small batch, put them in a glass dish, cover with foil, cover with saran wrap, then put the pan lid on, then freeze.  All before I cook them.  Pull out a day or two before you’re going to devour them, then bake as directed, but add 20 minutes or so to the baking time.

For just the 2 of us, I often make in 2 8×8 in pans – freeze one for later and cook the other for dinner.  If you want to make them all, use a 9×13 pan.

Chicken Enchiladas:

2-3 cups cooked chicken (chopped)

2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded)

4 ounce can green chiles (chopped)

8 (10 in) soft flour tortillas

½ cup onion or celery (chopped)

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

In bowl #1, mix chicken, onion and/or celery and 1 cup cheese.

In bowl #2, mix soups, chiles, and sour cream.

Spread ½ of the sauce mixture in bottom of 9×13 pan.  Divide chicken mixture between the 8 tortillas, roll up each one and place on top of sauce mixture.

Cover rolled tortillas with remaining sauce mixture.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake for 5 more minutes.

Serve with a side of rice.

Read Full Post »

Recipe: Freezer Lunch Bean Burritos

I like refried beans.  My husband does not.  So I don’t serve them often…okay, practically ever.  Except I do make bean burritos for lunch.  But since I’m making burritos for 1 person, a can of beans can last f-o-r-e-v-e-r.  So, I’ve learned to make a big batch at one time and freeze them.  Then when I want one for lunch, just pop it out of the freezer and into the microwave.

It’s a big stretch to call this a recipe.  Basically, it’s:

Step 1: Spread some refried beans on a tortilla.  Just down the middle.  Not too much.  Not too little.

Step 2: Pour a little bit of salsa on top of the beans.

Step 3: Put a little cheese on top.  Try some cheddar or for some kick, Pepper Jack.

Step 4: Fold the burrito.  Fold the “bottom” and “top” in, then fold the sides in.

Step 5: Repeat til there aren’t any more beans.

Step 6: Lay them on a cookie sheet.  ”Seam” side down!

Step 7: Put in freezer.  Freeze for a couple of hours.

Step 8: Take out of freezer, put in freezer-safe ziploc baggie.

To eat: Put on a plate and microwave for 2-3 minutes or so until all is melty.

Read Full Post »

Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Bites

Wanna be the hero at your next potluck?  Or with your neighbors?  Or your co-workers?  Or with anyone really?  These will do it for you.  They’re small — one bite, really, assuming you have an average sized mouth.  They’re easy to make.  And they employ one of the world’s best marriages – that of peanut butter and chocolate!

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

As found on Baked Perfection

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies (Makes 40ish brownies if you make them minis)

1 box of your favorite brownie mix 1/2 cup peanut butter chips 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease muffin cups.

2. Prepare boxed brownie mix as directed.

3. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups (about 1 heaping teaspoon).

4. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until top is set and a toothpick inserted into center comes out slightly wet.

5. After brownies are out of the oven, wait for centers to fall. This will happen upon cooling. If not then tap the centers with the back of a teaspoon to make a hole for the peanut butter.

6. Place peanut butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 45 seconds then stir.

7. While brownies are still warm spoon about half a teaspoon of peanut butter into the center of each brownie.

8. Top with semi-sweet chocolate chips and peanut butter chips.

9. Cool completely in pan.

Read Full Post »

Recipe: Sweet and Sour Soup

I don’t think soup has a season.  I’ll happily eat soup all year long.  I had some cabbage on hand, so I went looking for a recipe that used cabbage.  Found this soup.  With ‘sour’ in its title, I was intrigued.  I like hot and sour Chinese soup. Maybe I would like this.  And since someone has figured out the weight watchers point value, it must be at least somewhat healthy, right?  Totally!  I loved it. Will make again.  And again.  Jeff loved it too.

Recipe found on Laaloosh

Read Full Post »