Pulled Pork, Baked Beans, and Collard Greens - Southern Style!

I have always wanted to make my own Collard Greens. I have only had them once in Georgia about 8 years ago. I can still remember how good they were. For the Collards, I started with 2 fresh bunches and washed them thoroughly, stripped the stems, and cut them into strips. I added these to a pot of half chicken broth and half water that I had been boiling with a ham hock for about an hour. I liberally salted and peppered the leaves and let them soften for another hour. They turned out pretty good but not as tasty as I remembered, they were a little bitter. I have a new recipe from a Southern Cook that I am trying out next time. For the Pulled Pork and Baked Beans I made a homemade BBQ sauce. It consisted of bacon, onions, tomato sauce, ketchup, cayenne pepper, cider vinegar, brown sugar, and worcestershire. I simmered all these ingredients together for about an hour. Then I put half the sauce in the crock pot for the Pulled Pork. I added a 1.5 lb pork tenderloin to the crock pot as well and cooked on high about 4 hours. At the end the pork was melt in your mouth delicious and just fell right apart. For the baked beans I had soaked some dried red beans overnight and boiled them for about 2 hours to soften. I added these beans to the BBQ sauce then I baked them in a 325 degree oven for an hour. The result was a tangy baked bean dish with a nice crust on the top from baking. I think the Pork was the most successful part of this whole meal and I will definitely be making it again! So Yummy!

Bucatini Pasta with Meat Sauce

We went to AJ's on Friday (specialty food store) and got some gourmet pasta and sauce to make. The pasta we chose was "Bucatini" I have never had this before. It was like a really thick spaghetti noodle. It was actually really good. You get a nice bite because it's thicker than spaghetti but you still get those long strands that I love. For the sauce we got some ground sirloin from the butcher and I browned this in a pan with onions and garlic. Then I poured a bottle of gourmet pasta sauce over it and simmered for about 10 mins. I combined this with the Bucatini and garnished with Fresh Basil. It was very delicious. You can always tell a difference when you cook with high quality ingredients. This is a really easy meal and we make it a lot. I always love to doctor up a plain jar a pasta sauce to make it my own.

Basil Garlic Pesto with Parmesan Crusted Cod and Veggie Pasta Salad

My Uncle gave me a huge bag of Fresh Basil from his garden when I was at Oktoberfest. I was so excited because I love fresh basil. I decided to make a really nice Basil Garlic Pesto sauce with it. Pesto is so easy to make. Just add Basil, Garlic, Pine nuts, Parmesan Cheese,Olive Oil, and salt to a food processor and blend. The result is a rich and flavorful sauce that can be served with just about anything. I chose to serve this over a Parmesan crusted piece of Cod. Just follow my instructions for Chicken Parmesan in an earlier post. It works really well with a firm white fish and the cooking time is about the same (18 mins). On the side I made some whole wheat pasta with steamed broccoli, spinach, and fresh tomatoes. I mixed this all together with the Basil Pesto. I served the Parmesan crusted Cod along side with a nice spoonful of Pesto on top. This was a great quick meal and the pasta is great for lunch the next day. Thanks Uncle Steve for the Basil!

German Potato Salad

My Aunt and Uncle threw an Oktoberfest party this last weekend. Everyone was asked to bring a German dish to share. My Mom has been making German Potato Salad for Oktoberfest for years so I thought I would try the recipe out. It is pretty easy and very flavorful. The main ingredients are Potatoes and Bacon....who wouldn't love that! First I quartered some Red Potatoes and then I boiled them until they are fork tender (about 10 mins). Be careful to not overcook them, you want them to be firm and not fall apart when you mix the ingredients together. Then I brown some bacon in a pan and set aside. Once the bacon is done you add a lot of chopped onion to the rendered bacon fat in the pan. Saute the onions until they are softened. Then add white vinegar, salt, water, and a little sugar. Mix this and bring to a boil. Add half the crumbled bacon, chopped fresh parsley, and the potatoes. Heat everything through and transfer to a serving bowl. Then top with the bacon! This dish has a very German flavor to it. The sugar and vinegar make it sweet and savory which is a great combination. I love the addition of the fresh parsley because it gives the dish a little extra color.

Baked Chicken Parmesan and Broccoli Pasta

I am not a huge fan of eating chicken every night so I have to spice it up sometimes. I have been making baked Chicken Parmesan a lot lately. I just dip the chicken breast in some egg then roll it in a mix of bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Spray the baking pan with a little Pam and then bake for 20 minutes (flipping the chicken halfway through). This chicken comes out really crispy and is very close to the real stuff, which is fried, but without all the extra fat from the oil. On the Side I just sauteed some broccoli, onion, carrot, and spinach in olive oil. Once they are softened I add the garlic because I don't want to burn it by cooking it too long. Then I just pour some sauce over the top and simmer for about 5 minutes. Pour this sauce over some pasta and you are all set with a really healthy pasta dish. This is a great way to get a couple extra servings of veggies.

Pumpkin Pie

I had a lot of leftover Pumpkin Puree from the Lasagna so I decided to make a Pumpkin pie. My Mom makes wonderful Pumpkin Pie so I wanted to see how hard it was. I have never made this before. I just used the recipe on the back of the Pumpkin can. It was very easy. You just mix together Pumpkin, condensed milk, eggs, sugar, ground ginger, cinnamon, and ground cloves. Then pour that mixture into an unbaked pie crust (I didn't make my own crust, my Mom will be so mad!). Then bake at 350 for about an hour. It turned out really well and Matt actually ate some of this one. The only problem was that I did not have "ground" cloves. I only had whole cloves. So I tried to grind them down in my Magic Bullet. It kinda worked but you can still see the big brown specks of clove in the pie. I served the pie with whip cream on top. I would say it's a success for my first Pumpkin Pie on my own. Next time I will make a completely home made pie, including making my own Pumpkin Puree!

Pumpkin Lasagna

It is starting to feel more like Fall. This is my favorite time of year. Every store has pumpkins out and every internet site has pumpkin recipes. I found this pumpkin lasagna one online so I thought I would try it out. It's basically the same concept as regular cheese lasagna. You use Pumpkin as the cheese and Swiss Chard as the spinach. First you mix together pumpkin puree and cream. Then add chopped sage and nutmeg. In a big pot saute some onions and add chopped sage, nutmeg, and the Swiss Chard until it's wilted. Then layer the pumpkin mixture and the swiss chard mixture just like you would a lasagna, with alternating layers of noodles. Then top it with some pumpkin puree and parmesan cheese. I really thought this was very tasty. Matt would not even touch it! He hates pumpkin apparently. My Mom use to make Pumpkin soup when I was a kid and I loved it. This had the exact same flavor. This was interesting but it was also very good. Iwashed this down with Firesteed Oregon Pinot Gris. Here is the recipe from delish.com.

http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/pumpkin-lasagne-recipe-8251?click=recipe_sr

Pan Seared Porterhouse Steak and Twice Baked Potato

AJ's is having a half off steak sale this week. So I thought I would try the Porterhouse steak. I usually eat Filet Mignon but I have heard the Porterhouse is actually a better cut of meat. From what I understand it is actually a larger and better cut T bone steak. Normally on a T bone there is a little portion of Filet Mignon, but on the Porterhouse you actually get the whole Filet and the NY strip on the other side. After eating the steak I made tonight I would have to agree this is the best cut. It has way more flavor than just a Filet Mignon. It has that T bone flavor that comes from being on the bone but with the tenderness of a Filet. You can't beat that! I put a generous helping of Olive Oil, salt, and pepper on the meat. Then I pan seared it 2 minutes on each side (4 sides). Then finished it off in the oven for 2 minutes. It came out Medium, which is my preference, and it had a great crust on it from the pan searing. I served a Twice Baked Potato on the side. This is my first time making twice baked potatoes. I mixed sour cream, cheddar cheese, butter, and a little milk in with the potato and baked 15 minutes in the oven. This recipe needs some tweeking because it came out way too soft. In restaurants it has a fluffier texture. Maybe I will skip the milk next time and cut back on the butter. All in all this was a great restaurant meal. Oh and don't worry I also had a salad (so I got my greens) and I didn't eat the WHOLE steak...... I saved some for Matt :)

Chocolate Cupcakes

I have always wanted to get better at baking but I never have the time. Tonight Matt was at the Colts/Cards football game so I decided to bake.... haha! I used the recipe right off the back of the Hershey's Cocoa Powder container. I would say it turned out pretty well. I did half cupcakes and the other half of the batter I used to make a single layer cake. Then I made a chocolate frosting with powdered sugar, milk, and butter. Of everything I made I think the frosting turned out the best. It was pretty thick and it when it cooled there was a nice shine to it. Didn't take me very long to whip this together but there are a few things I would improve upon next time..... like not running out of vanilla extract!

Herb Grilled Shrimp with Bruschetta and Sweet Potato Fries

This Herb Grilled Shrimp recipe is awesome! I got it from Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten) my favorite food network chef. I have found that grilled shrimp can sometimes be bland but this recipe is contrary. These are some of the most flavorful shrimp I have ever had! Basically you marinate the shrimp for at least 1 hour or up to two days. Marinate them in a mix of chopped onion, parsley, basil, garlic, dijon mustard, lemon juice, and olive oil. Then skewer them and grill for 2 mins each side. I served this with oven baked sweet potato fries. I love these as an alternative to french fries or regular potatoes. They are baked in the oven instead of fried so they are less fattening. I just slice a sweet potato (skin on) then place the slices on a baking sheet with Pam. Bake for 30 mins at 350 until crisp. I also served Bruschetta as an appetizer tonight. I did this one a little different because I used Ricotta cheese instead of mozzarella. Ricotta adds an extra buttery and smooth flavor. Then just top with a mix of tomato, basil, Olive Oil, and Balsamic.

Chicken Bake

Matt says this is one of his all time favorite meals I make. I think that's because I use big chunks of chicken in this recipe mixed with tomatoes and pasta. To start I chop 2 chicken breasts into bite size pieces. Then I brown the chicken with some onion and garlic. When that's done I mix the chicken mixture in a casserole dish with cooked macaroni, a can of diced tomatoes, chopped fresh parsley, and shredded mozzarella cheese. You mix all this together then top with breadcrumbs and grated parmesan cheese. Bake this in the oven uncovered for 30 minutes. When it's done the top is very crispy from the bread crumb parmesan mixture and the inside is really hot and gooey from the cheese. Also the fresh chopped parsley gives it a lot of extra flavor.

Santa Fe Salad - Cheesecake Factory Recipe

One of the things I love to do is create restaurant recipes at home. I love the Santa Fe Salad at Cheesecake Factory, so I got the recipe online and now I make it at home. The most important part is the Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette that they use. I have perfected this dressing and if you want the exact recipe let me know! In a food processor you combine cilantro, garlic, lime juice, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, peanut oil, vinegar, cumin, honey, and fresh ginger. Then drizzle just a little Peanut Sauce over the top and puree. For the salad you use whatever salad greens you like. Then top with chopped cilantro, black beans, corn, grilled chicken, chopped tomatoes, chopped red bell peppers, shredded cheddar cheese, and tortilla strips. For the chicken we marinate it in Terriyaki sauce. I know Terriyaki sounds strange but it is the right flavor for the salad. Drizzle the dressing over the top and toss. Now you have a restaurant quality salad at home!

Baked Chicken Parmesan and Caprese Salad

I love Chicken Parmesan but I don't like all the oil when you fry it. So I make a Baked Chicken Parmesan that requires no oil or frying. First I take the Chicken Breast and I pound them out between 2 pieces of saran wrap with a frying pan. Once they are pounded thin I soak them in some milk and then coat with parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. I put the Chicken on a baking sheet sprayed with some Pam. I bake them in the oven for about 20 to 25 mins (depending on how thick they are) at 350 degrees. I serve them with just a little Pasta sauce drizzled over the top. They are so good when they are baked because the meat stays really juicy. I serve a Caprese Salad on the side which is really easy and looks classy. I just slice tomatoes and top with Chopped Basil and some sliced Fresh Mozzarella. Make sure to use Fresh Mozzarella which is a lot different than regular Mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over the top and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and Balsamic Vinegar.

Stuffed Shells with Turkey Sausage Sauce

Stuffed Shells are basically a different version of lasagna. I like Shells because each one is a perfect little portion size. First I boil the shells in water until they are pliable but still a little underdone. This is so they don't overcook in the oven. Then I stuff them with a mixture of Ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella, garlic powder, and oregano. I don't use any eggs in my mixture. I think the texture is fine without them. Once I stuff all the shells with the cheese mixture I put them in a baking dish with a layer of pasta sauce on the bottom. For the Turkey sausage sauce I just take the turkey out of the casings and brown it in a pan. Then I pour the rest of the sauce over the meat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. When it's done I drizzle a light layer of the meat sauce over the shells (reserve the rest and serve on the side). Then I sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the top of the sauce and shells. Bake for 30 minutes uncovered. It's delicious!

Shrimp Pasta

For this dish I use frozen raw shrimp and you just defrost them by running them under lukewarm water. It only takes a few minutes to defrost them, it is much more convenient than buying fresh shrimp. Once they are defrosted I add them to a saute pan with garlic, sliced onions, and olive oil. I cook the shrimp until they turn orange (about 3 mins each side) then I pour a bottle of pasta sauce over it. I let that simmer while I cook the pasta to al dente. At the end I mix some chopped fresh Italian Parsley in the sauce. It's always nice to add a fresh ingredient like Parsley or Basil to a sauce at the end. It gives it a much brighter flavor. Then just pour the sauce over the pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.

Steak Salad

This is a really easy dinner entree and can be whipped up with a lot of ingredients you have on hand. Just grill a steak and cut into thin strips. Then toss a salad with some type of viniagrette dressing. Add chopped tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and Croutons. I also add a little cheese to mine. Tonight I used Goat cheese and Matt used smoked cheddar. Top the Salad with the steak and you are done! To complete the meal serve with a loaf of fresh French bread.

Tilapia Fish Tacos

This recipe is an easy way to incorporate more fish into your diet. To cook the Tilapia lay the filets on a large piece of Foil. cover with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and blackened seasoning. You can buy Blackened Seasoning in the store but I like to make my own that I keep in the pantry. Cajun seasoning would also work well for this recipe. Fold up the foil around the fish then place on a hot grill for 15 to 20 minutes depending on how many filets you have. Once the Tilapia is done flake with a fork and put it on a flour tortilla. Then top with Pineapple salsa and sour cream. We like to toast the tortillas in the oven with cheese on them for a couple minutes before putting the toppings on. This melts the cheese and also softens the tortilla so it's easier to eat.

Steak or Chicken Terriyaki Bowls

I love this meal because Matt does all the work! We always have this when we come home from the gym because it is really fast. I have to give Matt props for this recipe because he created it and perfected it all on his own :) First you marinate a Steak in Lawry's Terriyaki Marinade (you can substitute Chicken). Marinate at least 30 minutes if you can do it overnight it's even better. Then you grill it and slice it into thin strips. While the meat is cooking, steam some basic white rice. We really like Japanese style (Calrose) Medium Grain rice. It's very similar to sushi rice and it's kinda sticky. Then pop a Bird's Eye Steam Fresh pack of vegetables in the microwave. I like the Carrot, Cauliflower, and Broccoli Mixture. I really love these Steam Fresh packs because it steams in the bag so you don't have to get an extra bowl or pot dirty. Then just combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and top with a little more Terriyaki sauce.

Meatballs

This is one of Matt's all time favorite meals. I like them too because I make a big batch and then we can eat them for 2 nights. The first night we always have spaghetti and meatballs. The second night we have Meatball subs on french bread with provolone. This time I made them with 93% ground beef but I have made them with Ground Turkey Breast and a mix of Turkey and Beef. My favorite is when I do the combo of half Ground Turkey and half Ground Beef. They taste a little lighter from the Turkey but you still get that meaty flavor from the Beef. The key to making moist meatballs is you put the onion in a food processor. This ensures that there are no chunks of onion and also you get that onion juice that goes right into the meatballs. One more key is when you form them don't squash them into a ball, this makes them dense. Very lightly form them in your hands, don't roll them around. To keep them lower fat I broil them I do not fry them, then I put them in a pot and cover with a jar of pasta sauce. Altogether this whole meal takes about 30 minutes.

Asian Salad with Grilled Ahi Tuna

Tonight we made a really quick meal. We bought one of those Fresh Express Asian Salad kits at the grocery store. They were buy 1 get 1 free so it was a good deal. We just mixed all the ingredients together which included lettuce, carrotts, wontons, sesame dressing, dried cherries, and we added tomatoes. I'm not sure why they put the dried cherries in there. They don't add anything and they were kinda hard. Also they really aren't Asian. We added the tomatoes because the salad was a little boring without them. Altogether I think I could have made a much better Asian Salad on my own but it was definitely fast to prepare. For the Tuna we just grilled it with an Olive Oil and Herb Provence marinade as we've done before. Matt cooked it a little shorter this time (3 minutes each side) and it turned out better because it was a little more rare. The Asian Tuna salad is a really good idea, but I will definitely improve on it next time.

Italian Fish Parcels and Baked Potatoes with Tomatoes, Garlic, and Basil

Italian Fish Parcels are one of our favorite meals. I use Tilapia for the fish because it is really inexpensive and it takes on the flavor of whatever you cook with it. If you are not a fish person Tilapia would be a safe bet. I got the Tilapia for $2.99 lb and I only get 2 filet's which is about 1/2 lb. what a deal! For the Fish Parcel you just set the filet in a foil sheet and you sprinkle all the ingredients over it. I use a little bit of olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, greek olives, sliced onions, chopped garlic, capers, and paprika. Then you just fold up the foil like a little parcel and put it on the grill for 15 minutes. They are foolproof and so easy to clean up - just throw the foil away. For the potato dish I just quarter some red potatoes and mix in tomatoes, basil, garlic, onion, S&P, and a little olive oil. Then bake it for 30 minutes. I love the sweet flavor the tomatoes get when they are roasted this way, and they take on the smokiness of the garlic.

Pork Tostadas

Tonight we went to the gym and got home around 6:30. I kept some left over pork from our dinner last night so we could make Pork Tostadas. When we want a quick meal we make Tostadas a lot. They are really easy and they use a lot of ingredients you have on hand in the pantry and fridge. First you put a layer of Refried Black Beans on the Tostada shell. We use Black Beans because they are healthier and lower in fat than regular refried beans. Then we sprinkle some cheese on the beans. Tonight we used Mozzarella because we had some leftover. Now comes the leftover Pork. On top of that I put salsa and then tomatoes and lettuce. Finish it off with a dollop of Daisy. This meal only takes about 10 minutes to prepare and clean up is really easy.

Pork Tenderloin with Wine Sauce and Baked Tomatoes and Eggplant

I went to the butcher today to find some meat to prepare for dinner. They had a whole Pork Roast on sale for $1.99 lb. The only catch was I had to buy like 6 lbs of it! I talked to the butcher about it and he ended up giving me a smaller 2 lb pork tenderloin for free as a "sample"! So that is what we had for dinner.

My Nana gave me a recipe when Matt and I got married for Beef with Wine Sauce. I use it very often but I decided to change it up and make Pork Tenderloin with Wine Sauce. I just plop it in the crock pot and pour a packet of onion soup mix and 1 cup of red wine over it. Then set it and forget it for 3 hours on Low heat. It's perfect every time. The meat always comes out so moist and juicy, you don't even need a knife to cut it! On the side I just sliced up an eggplant and halved some plum tomatoes. I studded the tomatoes with some garlic and tossed some olives in there. Then I drizzled it with a little Olive Oil, salt and pepper and baked it for 30 minutes. It was perfect and so easy.

Greek Kabobs with Tzatziki and Warm Pitas

One of my favorite things to eat is Tzatziki and Warm Pita bread. It is really good! So I decided to make a meal out of it.

For the kabobs I buy a Top Sirloin steak. Then I cut it into cubes and put it on wood kabob skewers. I alternate pieces of steak on the skewers with whole mushrooms, bellpeppers, and onion. I use whole crimini mushrooms because when they cook they are still hearty and a nice size. If you half them or use white mushrooms they seem to wilt a lot more and don't taste as good. I love crimini's because they have a meaty flavor and they go well with steak. Once the kabobs are ready Matt takes them out and grills them 3 minutes on each side. Make sure to oil the grill or they will stick! I always prepare the Tzatziki several hours in advance. This is so all the flavors can meld together. It's a simple mixture of yogurt, grated cucumber, garlic, dill, and lemon juice. Some people say to use Greek Yogurt but I don't think you need to. I just use Yoplait plain yogurt and it turns out really well. Once the kabobs are done you just take them off the skewers and put them in the pita and top with tzatziki. Opa!

Turkey Sausage Lasagna

Tonight is Tuesday night. I worked from home today so I was able to put a little more time into dinner. I bought Sweet Turkey Sausage links at the store for this meal. I took the meat out of the casings and cooked it in a pan. Then I added a jar of Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce to it. I'm going to layer this mixture with the lasagna noodles and a mixture of Ricotta and Mozzarella cheese with oregano and garlic powder. It cooks for 1 hour total, 30 minutes covered with foil and 30 minutes uncovered. We ate this with a small salad and some fresh French bread. Only thing I would change is using more turkey sausage meat. I only used 2 links and I will use 3 next time.

Grilled Ahi Tuna with steamed Rice and sauteed Veggies

Tonight is Monday which is a gym night. That means we don't get home until around 7 or 7:30. We are starving by the time we get home so dinner needs to be quick and easy.
This is a recipe I use quite a bit. I always marinate the Tuna as long as I can. This is because Tuna is a relatively dry fish. So it needs extra moisture when it cooks so it doesn't dry out. I marinate it in Olive Oil and Herb de Provence (my favorite herb mix ever!). The herb mix is made of Oregano, Basil, Thyme, Garlic Powder and Lavender. You can buy it in any store. Then Matt takes the Tuna out and grills it for 3 minutes on each side. It's still a little raw inside but that is the best way to eat it, just like they serve Ahi Tuna in restaurants. The rice is just a simple steamed white rice that takes 20 minutes to make. While that's cooking I saute a mixture of red bellpeppers, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, onion, and garlic. Then I just mix it with the rice. It turned out pretty good but I wanted to have cous cous instead of rice but I forgot to buy it at the store.

My Purpose for creating this blog

I wanted to create this blog so I could write down dinner's that I make at home. I think I've got some pretty good ideas for fast and healthy meals. At the beginning of every week I sit down and make a dinner menu for Sunday to Thursday. I go to the grocery store once a week and buy everything I need for under 100 dollars. That 100 dollars buys dinner for 5 nights and lunches/breakfast for 5 days. It has been working really well so far and the hubby is happy, so I must be doing something right! I want to share my ideas with other people and also keep track of what worked and maybe suggestions for what I could do different next time. I hope you enjoy my ideas!