BBQ Beans and Kielbasa in a Pot

This was another easy recipe. Cooks in less than 20 minutes but leaves you satisfied as if it cooked all day!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup BBQ Sauce (Go for low sodium if possible)

1/2 cup water

1 T Molasses

2 T Tomato Paste

Fresh Ground Pepper

1 whole white onion, chopped

1 T Olive Oil

8 oz spinach or other leafy green

2 Kielbasa, halved lengthwise then sliced

2 15-oz cans navy beans

Directions

1. Whisk BBQ sauce, water, Molasses, tomato paste, and fresh ground pepper. Set aside.

2. Rinse and drain your beans. Set aside

3. Heat oil in a medium soup pot over medium high heat. 

4. Saute onion and spinach until wilted.

5. Add Kielbasa and cook 3 minutes

6. Add sauce and beans, cook 3 more minutes until heated through

Dish up and enjoy :)

Pulled BBQ Pork Sliders

We finally had our first holiday guests over for dinner. We got to use my holiday plates and enjoy a lit Christmas Tree, our first fire, and the joys of celebrating Christmas with others! Not that this dinner is "Christmas-y" at all- but it was blog worth for sure! A slow cooked, come home to it and serve it dinner!

Ingredients:

2 pounds of pork sirloin roast (lean roast)

1/2 small white onion, chopped

3 small cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup of BBQ Sauce (try to shop for lower sodium sauce)

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Lay your pork in the center of the crock pot

Mix remaining ingredients together and pour over the meat

Cook on low 6-7 hours. 

When you come back to it, the meat will be done and the sauce will all be on the bottom of the pot. Take two forks and shred meat and constantly mix the sauce in until it is well combined.

Serve on rolls, toasted bread, or however you like it!

Enjoy :)

Tomato Bread Soup! For Warming Up!

This is a soup I've made for awhile and just realized today that it never made the blog! It's so easy, its so good, and its pretty cheap for your grocery bill! You'll have leftovers for the week, but you'll finish them off! Perfect for when the cold weather sets in!

Ingredients:

3 T Olive Oil

1 small-medium onion, finely diced

6 cloves of garlic, minced

32 oz crushed tomatoes

15 oz petite diced tomatoes

2 cans small white beans, drained (navy)

1 quart chicken broth

4 cups chopped stale bread (or torn)

Fresh ground pepper

Shredded or grated Parmesan/Parmesan Regiano

Fresh basil (optional- i left this out today)

Directions:

1. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add oil to pan.

2. Saute onion and garlic for about 5-6 minutes until soft.

3. Add crushed and diced tomatoes.

4. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.

5. Reduce heat and add bread and beans

6. Simmer until soup thickens to stew consistency and bread has really sucked up the soup.

7. Ladle into serving bowls and top with fresh ground pepper, cheese, and basil if you chose!

 

Enjoy :)

Autumn Apple-nut Soup

This is a winner. I am a true sucker for anything with butternut squash in it. Apples are like the icing on the cake for me! So this soup was sure to please!

Ingredients:

2 T Olive Oil

2 cups chopped yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)

1 T curry powder

2.5 pounds butternut squash (about 1 large squash)

2 sweet apples

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup apple cider or apple juice

Directions:

1. Slice butternut squash in half and roast on a baking sheet for 30-45 minutes, flesh side down.

2. Warm the oil, onions, and curry powder in a large soup pot over low heat for about 15-20 minutes. Onions should start to soften. Stir often to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan

3. Peel, quarter, and core the apples. Cut into chunks.

3. When squash comes out of the oven, remove the seeds and stringy pulp, then scoop flesh into the soup pot.

4. Add apples, salt, pepper, and chicken stock to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and cok over low heat for 20 minutes until apples are very soft.

5. Process the soup through a food processor.

6. Pour soup back into the pot. Add apple cider and enough water to make the soup consistency the way you like it. It should be quite thick. Add more salt and pepper to taste

Serve and enjoy :) Another perfect soup ending to a long fall/winter day!

Tortellini Soup in TWENTY!

Yes, I just posted a tortellini soup about 2 weeks ago! This one takes a little longer to cook, and a little longer to prep, but its packed with veggies, and we have fallen in love with cheese tortellini. So here you go! Another. I like this one a little better, but Nick ranks them exactly the same!

Ingredients:

2 T EVOO

1 whole onion, chopped

2 whole zucchini, chopped

1.5 cups carrots, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

32 ounces chicken broth

9 ounces fresh tortellini

1 cup frozen corn

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Fresh basil for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot, heat your oil until hot over medium heat. Add onion, zucchini, carrots and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until onion softens (5ish minutes)

2. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper

3. Add chicken broth and heat to boiling

4. Next, add in your tortellini and corn. Here is a quick picture of the rainbow cheese tortellini we used!

5. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until tortellini are tender (about 5-6 minutes).

6. Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and some fresh chopped basil!

Enjoy :) This is sooo good. A perfect soup after a long day at work!

Balsamic Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Shrooms!

This is a delicious, very "fall/autumn" side! Easy to make. Healthy and delicious-very cheap to make. Try it!

What it takes:

2 large sweet potatoes

3 T chicken stock

2.5 T EVOO

2 T Balsamic Vinegar

1 tsp dried thyme

Salt and Pepper

12 oz mushrooms

2-3 T chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

 

How to Bake:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

2. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray. 

3. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes

4. Whisk together the chicken stock, oil, balsamic, and thyme. Toss sweet potatoes with half of the balsamic mixture, then spread into a single layer onto baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. 

5. Roast in the oven for about 20-25 minutes until beginning to slightly brown.

6. While sweet potatoes cook, wash your mushrooms and dry them. Cut into thick slices and toss with remaining balsamic mixture.

7. Once sweet potatoes are getting tender, (after you 20ish minutes)- remove from oven and turn them. Add mushrooms to the baking sheet and spread everything to one single layer with mushrooms distributed among the potatoes. 

8. Roast about 20-25 minutes more until sweet potatoes are very tender and mushrooms are done.

9. Remove to a serving bowl and season with salt and pepper again if desired. Sprinkle with parsley and serve!

Enjoy :)

Tortellini Soup in TEN!

Thats right. A soup you can throw together in about 10 minutes and enjoy as if you made the tortellini by hand!! This was delicious. Nick had 3 servings :) It's so healthy - you gotta try it!

• 2 cans (14 Oz. Can) Fat-free, Low-sodium Chicken Broth
• 3 cups Water
• ⅓ cups Sliced Green Onions
• ½ teaspoons Dried Basil
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 8 ounces, weight Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast, Cubed
• 1 package (9 Oz. Package) Cheese-filled Tortellini
• 2 cups Fresh Spinach, Chopped

1. In a large stock pot, heat broth, water, onions, basil and garlic to boiling.
2. Stir in chicken and tortellini. Reduce heat to medium; simmer uncovered about 4 minutes.
3. Add spinach; cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted, tortellini is tender, and chicken is cooked through. If desired, season to taste with pepper.

Enjoy :)

Tempt Yourself- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars!

Okay, these are a home run! I had some good feedback on the last granola bars I posted. Luckily, these new ones are EASIER and you will have more of the ingredients on hand compared to the last ones I posted! These are healthy, and SO yummy :) I found this recipe on one of the blogs I follow called Two Peas and Their Pod. Can't take any credit, but wish I could! Here we go!

If you aren't in love with these yet, the pictures only get MORE tempting!!

Ingredients:

3 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 

*If you don't have this, mix cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger together*
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup applesauce
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips  (I only used 1/2 cup and used dark chocolate)

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350.

In one bowl, mix together the oats, spices, and salt.

In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, honey, and vanilla. Stir until smooth.

Pour over the oats and fold together until all oats are "wet."

Stir in chocolate chips.

Pour into a greased 8X8 baking dish and pack it down tight!

Bake for about 30-35 minutes, until edges get golden brown:

Allow to cool for about half an hour, or stick in the refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes, then cut into sqaures/bars/whatever you like!

We have already eaten 2 of these. They won't last long. You may want to double the recipe :)

ENJOY!!

Pumpkin Chili.. It's Dinner in a Pumpkin!

This recipe for chili SCREAMS fall in so many ways! You can serve it in a pumpkin (or not)- plus.. the secret ingredient? Canned pumpkin! Don't worry if you aren't a fan of pumpkin, you can't even taste it. It just gives the chili a thicker-heartier texture, and of course, a pretty orange color! Serving it in the pumpkin just tops it off!

IF you do want to serve it in a pumpkin, make sure you get PIE PUMPKINS. Don't get carving pumpkins, won't be the same taste!

Ingredients:

Optional: 1 pie pumpkin PER person

·         2 T Olive Oil

·         ½ cup chopped onion

·         1 cup diced red bell pepper

·         1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

·         1 lb ground turkey

·         15 oz can pumpkin puree

·         2-14oz cans diced tomatoes

·         15 oz can tomato sauce

·         15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

·         4 oz can diced green chilies

·         ½ cup corn

·         1 T chili powder

·         1 tsp ground cumin

If you are going to use the pumpkins, you will want to cut the tops off (save them for baking)- and seed the pumpkins. Then place pumpkins (tops back on) on a baking sheet and stick them in a 375 degree oven for about an hour. Your knife should be able to cut through them like butter when they are done!

You can't tell, but these have baked for an hour and are ready to stuff with chili!

While they cook in the oven, cook your chili on the stove:

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium high heat. Add onion, pepper, and garlic. Cook 5-7 minutes until softened.

2. Add turkey/beef and cook until browned.

3. Add tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, pumpkin, tomato sauce, beans, chilies, corn, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.

4. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.

You could go to step 4, and then after the boil, transfer chili to the pumpkin and let them bake inside the pumpkins in the oven for the remainder of the time. I didn't, but you could!

Whichever way you chose, serve each person their chili inside of a pumpkin! The presentation is outstanding, and if you want you can even scoop some pumpkin flesh off of the wall of the pumpkin and eat it as you go! (For pumpkin lovers only!)

You could also top with some kind of Mexican cheese.  Or you could toast up some of the seeds you scooped out and serve those over top as well :) 

Enjoy this fall delight!

Kickin' Adobo Turkey Burgers!

So, I made these pretty simple turkey burgers that have a nice kick to them. Not too spicy, but enough to really make them earn the title! Super easy. Super cheap ingredient list. I think you'll love them!

Checklist:

1 lb ground turkey

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 T fresh chopped cilantro (or 2 tsp dried)

2 chipotle peppers in adobo, seeded and finely chopped

1 T garlic powder

1 T onion powder

1/2 tsp seasoned salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1 tsp cumin

Mix it all together and form into patties!

Throw these on the grill, or when off-season, bake them in the oven until juices run clear!

We polished off all but one! They were excellent :) Nick was a fan!!

ENJOY!

Slow Cooker CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP!

This was so easy and so yummy! You'll have leftovers for the rest of the week, or enough to freeze and bring out later in fall/winter! You could easily add any veggies you have on hand to this- don't feel like you have to stick to the ingredient list!

What's in it?

3-4 chicken breast halves 

2 cans of 14.5oz black beans, undrained

2 cans Rotel 

1 14.5oz can tomato sauce

1 4oz can diced green chiles

1 cup of salsa (mild or hot)

1 onion, diced

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

(Tortilla Chips and Cheese for Serving)

THATS IT! 

Directions:

Combine all ingredients (Except the chips and cheese) in a slow cooker. Cook on low heat for 8-9 hours. Remove chicken and shred apart

Put it all back into the pot.

Place a handful of chips at the bottom of each bowl

Add a ladle or two of soup and then crush some chips over top

Top with cheese, if desired

 

We loved this, and I know you will too!!

Enjoy :)

Saucy Spinach Slider Meatballs!

Throwing myself a mini party over here. This is the first recipe I created all by myself, without inspiration form anyone else, from any cookbook, or from any website! We both enjoyed these, but I was probably especially bias because my pride was at stake! Anyways, here they are. Smothered in cheese, of course, sorry!

The List:

1 pound ground turkey

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1/2 small onion finely diced, the other half roughly chopped

1 32-oz can whole tomatoes in puree

3 cloves garlic, crushed

Salt and Pepper

Dried Italian Spices (oregano, thyme, parsley etc.)- about 1 tsp total

The Meatballs:

Preheat oven to 400

Combine turkey, cheese, bread crumbs, egg, spinach, the finely diced onion, salt and pepper to taste, and dried herbs)

Make about 12-15 meatballs and place on greased pan

Bake 25 minutes until cooked through

Meanwhile, start on the sauce!

The Sauce:

Combine tomatoes with puree, smashed garlic, chopped onion, a dash of salt, pepper, and more oregano. Heat to a boil, then reduce and simmer.

Once meatballs are done, drop them in the sauce

Keep warm until ready to serve. We served them over couscous, but you can do pasta, rice, whatever starch you prefer!

Be careful with that garlic. It will end up on someone's plate! We don't mind it like that, but if you don't like garlic whole like this, pull it out before serving!

Not the best picture, but I wanted a close up for you!

Enjoy :) They are MIGHTY tasty!

Light Balsamic and Tomato Bruschetta! Snappetizer!

It's a snack, its an appetizer, its a side dish! It's whatever you want it to be... but it is SOOO good! And.. you know the next part... its healthy too!

The only recipe on this blog easier than this one are the 3 ingredient cookies! Here we go, you ready?

Ingredients:

1 baguette of french, sourdough, or whatever else you can find that you prefer 

(Trader Joe's has good options!)

8 roma tomatoes

1 t Olive Oil

1 T Balsamic Vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

3-4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup shaved or grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Bring a medium sized pot to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and immediately drop tomatoes in the hot water. Let sit for 1 minute, then drain immediately. (This will enable you to peel the skin RIGHT off, but won't cook the actual tomato). In the photo below, you can see the peeled ones compared to the skin-on.

 2.  At this point, you will want to slice each tomato in half, juice and de-seed it, and then finely, and I do mean FINELY chop them up!

3. In a small bowl, combine the tomato, the oil and vinegar, the salt and pepper, cheese and basil, and the garlic. Mix and refrigerate until ready to serve. (Making the topping a day or two ahead of time would only ENHANCE the flavor and taste of this dish!)

4. Next, slice your baguette on a diagonal making each slice about 1/2 inch to 1 inch thick. Spray a baking sheet with oil and lay the bread in a single layer on the pan, then flip them, so the top of each slice is oil side up!

5.  Bake these at 475 for about 1-2 minutes (Or until edges start to brown) and then flip them and back 1-2 additional minutes.

6. You can either top each slice and serve, or you can put the bread in a basket and let your famliy/friends/guests dress their own slices! I topped mine myself!

You'll want to serve them immediately as the warmth of the bread is a beautiful contrast to the coolness of the tomato topping!

I cannot communicate how delightful these were. Everyone enjoyed them when I served them!

Try them! You have nothing to lose, and EVERYTHING to gain! Enjoy :) 

Good Old Fashioned BBQ SECRET Sauce

I recently discovered this awesome BBQ sauce over labor day, thanks to my mother-in-law, or as I prefer to call her, MOG (Mother of the Groom!) I went nuts over it and called her once I got back home to get the recipe! It's so easy, but so great! I just want to make this stuff in bulk and store it somehow. That really isn't necessary, but you get the idea!

Put it on chicken, sausage, you name it! You'll love it! I promise :) We did chicken this week!

Ingredients:

1 small onion chopped

1/4 cup oil

1 cup ketchup

2 T mustard

2 T Worcestershire Sauce

2 T sugar

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Directions:

Saute your onion in the oil until soft.

Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes.

After letting this cool about 10 minutes, I dumped it all over our chicken breasts. You could refrigerate it for later use if you want!

Just a quick shot of these bbq beauties on the grill

Is your mouth watering yet?

Enjoy these :) Thanks Moet for this awesome recipe. Not sure mine was as good as yours but i tried!

Let's all say farewell to summer with STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE!

I have been wanting to make an easy and healthy strawberry shortcake for awhile now. I finally did it! I hope you will try it! But hurry! These strawberries won't be in season much longer, if at all!!

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour

1 t. baking powder

2 eggs

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup oil (or applesauce which yields a sponge-like cake)

1 t. vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

4-5 cups fresh sliced strawberries

Light Cool Whip OR Vanilla Yogurt

Directions:

1. Mix together flour and baking powder. 

2. Add in eggs, honey, oil vanilla, and milk. Stir well and then pour into a greased 8X8 baking dish. 

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean!

4. Allow cake to cool to room temperature (half an hour or so). See how sponge-like this is? I used applesauce!

5. Top with cool whip or yogurt and then strawberries

6. Serve it up and enjoy :)

 

 

Inside out Feta Cheese Burgers!

Quite a tasty little treat these were! Change it up by using lean ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken. Any of them would work beautifully as the meat for this stuffed burger!

These are so easy to throw together! I have lately become a rather lazy cook and seek out those kinds of meals. After a full day of work, sometimes I just can't muster up enough energy to do a 5 star meal. Anyways, lets get to it!

Ingredients AND Directions:

 

Part One: For the Salsa Topping

3 roma tomatoes, diced

2 tablespoons of sweet onion, diced

2 t fresh chopped oregano

2 T red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp salt 

Mix all ingredients together and let sit at room temperature until burgers are ready.

Part Two: For the Filling

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp fresh chopped oregano

A small handful of sun-dried tomatoes 

A small handful of sliced black olives

1 tsp Olive Oil

Mash all ingredients together with a fork.

For the Meat

1-2 pounds of ground meat (I only used 1 pound, but had enough filling for 2 pounds!)

1 T Garlic Pepper

Mix garlic pepper into meat and then form into 4-8 balls, depending on amount of meat. You have 2 options at this point. Mix a little topping throughout each ball and then form into patties. OR. Press your thumb into the middle of each ball and place about a tablespoon of filling in each hole.

Cover holes and form into patties

I went with option 2, but i think option one would give you move flavor throughout the entire burger.

Throw these guys on the grill until cooked though (Juices run clear)

Serve topped with salsa! You can serve these on buns/sandwich flats etc. I personally think they would taste great with a shmear of hummus on them as well!

Here they are:

Enjoy :) And feel free to leave out any of the stuffing if you aren't a fan! Take out the olives if you aren't a fan! Very versatile stuffing!