favorite coleslaw

 

I love this recipe because it's great as a slaw to go with Mexican food or Asian food.  The other night we made beef bulgogi which is Korean and this paired wonderfully with it- the spicy beef with the tangy slaw.  Extremely versatile- great in a sandwich wrap too.

favorite coleslaw

16 ounce bag of sliced cabbage mix

2 tablespoons white wine vingegar (rice vinegar works well too)

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

black pepper to taste

1/2 bunch green onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, diced

In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, sugar, mayo, sour cream and black pepper.   Add the bag of cabbage mix and combine.  Add the sliced green onion and fresh cilantro and mix until combined.  Store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.  (Tastes best after a couple hours)

homemade mac & cheese

 

My 16-year old hosted a Friendsgiving and invited her friends to bring side dishes, drinks and desserts and I was amazed by what they brought.  Her friend Mason brought homemade mac & cheese and it was so good I asked his mom for the recipe.  I have made it since and adjusted it ever so slightly.

homemade mac & cheese (my friend Jenny)

Make a white sauce with:

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup flour

Blend in a Vitamix:

3 cups milk

1 cup cottage cheese

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon (I used vegetable flavored)

1 tablespoon lemon pepper (didn't have so I used 1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash and some salt to taste

Add milk and cottage cheese mixture to the white sauce.  Boil 1-2 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese.

Boil 3 cups macaroni.  Drain.

Pour pasta into a 9x13 glass dish.  Pour white sauce over the top.  Top with more shredded cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees until cheese melts, about 30 minutes.

sheet pan pecan pie

 

My mom made these delicious pecan pie bars for Thanksgiving.  I love the idea of bars versus a pie.

sheet pan pecan pie

2 refrigerated pie crusts, room temperature

6 large eggs

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 cups pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 12x17-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.

Overlap pie crust edges and roll into an approximately 13x18-inch rectangle (slightly bigger than baking sheet so the crust reaches up the sides of the pan).  Place pie crust on prepared baking sheet and crimp pie edges.  Place in freezer while preparing filling.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter and vanilla.  Stir in pecans.

Take crust out of freezer and pour filling into crust.

Carefully transfer to oven.  Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until center is set and crust is golden.

Cool completely and cut into squares.

apple dutch baby

 

I woke up this morning with this recipe in mind and I've never made one or eaten one before.  This was a great recipe and made an excellent fall breakfast.  The family enjoyed it! 

(Next time I'll dust a little powdered sugar on top.)

apple dutch baby (leigh ann wilkes)

4 tablespoons butter

2-3 gala apples, sliced thin

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

4 eggs

cinnamon topping

1/3 cup sugar (I used 1/4 cup)

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place butter into a 12" cast iron frying pan and place in the oven to melt butter.

In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, milk and eggs.

Place the sliced apples into the bottom of the pan on top of the melted butter.  Pour egg mixture over apples.

Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top of the egg mixture evenly.

Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

 

pico de gallo

 

My family and I LOVE this salsa. I have made dozens of batches of this pico de gallo since mid-summer.  It runs out and I make more.  I used to use fresh jalapenos and a couple teaspoons of lemon juice but now I used pickled jalapenos and skip the lemon juice and loving it.  Either way is a win.

pico de gallo

7 roma tomatoes, diced into small pieces

1 medium onion, minced

1/4 cup pickled jalapenos, minced

1 large handful of fresh cilantro, stems removed and minced

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients.  It's as simple as that!

pancakes

 

This is my go-to pancake recipe and it's FINALLY on my blog.  I can stop taking out the Betty Crocker cookbook every time and instead pull it up my phone. Yay.  I like to add a little bit of vanilla and cinnamon to the recipe.

pancakes (Betty Crocker's 40th Anniversary Edition Cookbook)

1 egg

1 cup flour

3/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon granulated or packed brown sugar (I usually use half that)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

optional:  teaspoon of vanilla and generous sprinkling of cinnamon

Beat egg with hand beater in medium bowl until fluffy.  Beat in remaining ingredients.

Heat skillet to 375 degrees.  Grease griddle with butter.  For each pancake, pour 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle.  Cook pancakes until puffed and dry around the edges.  Turn and cook other sides until golden brown.

mexican white beans

 

These beans are DELICIOUS!

mexican white beans (recipe inspired by a gluten free plate)

2 cans white beans (I used cannellini, one can drained and one can with juices)

1 white onion, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (or 2 tablespoons sliced marinated jalapenos, diced)

4 cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

vegetable oil

Heat a large pan over medium heat.  Add the onion, jalapeno and garlic and cook for 10 minutes until onion is soft.  Add the beans and spices and lower the heat so the beans can simmer at least ten minutes.  For more flavor let them simmer for up to 25 more minutes.

Serve with cilantro lime rice.  Yum!

cilantro jalapeno sauce

 

One of my daughters and I love this sauce and we use it in different ways.  It's one of those sauces that we're going to have to always have on hand.

cilantro jalapeno sauce (adapted from fifteenspatulas)

3 jalapenos, stems removed and roughly chopped (seeded if you want a mild sauce)

1 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves removed and chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used half light mayo and 1/2 light sour cream)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place everything in a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds.

Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

red pepper asparagus soup

 

My daughter chose this recipe and we made it together. My husband declared it Hall of Fame!  It's a very mild but delicious soup and even more delicious served with a really crusty bread.

red pepper asparagus soup (slightly adapted from cookbook:  Land O Lakes Recipe Collection)

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 pounds (about 5 cups) asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 medium (1 cup) red potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 leek (3/4 cup), rinsed, thinly sliced (or substitute with 3/4 cup thinly sliced onion)

1 medium (1 cup) red bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh garlic

2 (14 ounce) cans vegetable broth

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or soy sauce

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil leaves (or substitute 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves)

2 cups traditional or fat free half and half

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

fresh basil or dried basil for sprinkling

Melt butter in a 6-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until sizzling; add asparagus, potatoes, leek, bell pepper and garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is crispy tender (10-12 minutes).

Stir in broth, balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon basil.  Continue cooking until asparagus is tender (10-12 minutes).  Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes.

Stir in half and half, salt and pepper.

Place 2 cups soup in a 5-cup blender container.  Cover; blend until very smooth.  Repeat with remaining soup, 2 cups at a time.  Place soup in a 4-quart saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until soup is heated through (8-10 minutes).

quick and easy pork tacos

 

I wish I'd found this recipe sooner.  This pork turns out so flavorful and tender!  Delicious!

All I did was top my taco with my daughter's fresh tomatillo salsa to give both new recipes a try.  

quick and easy pork tacos (slenderkitchen)

1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into small pieces 

4 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons taco seasoning

oil for the pan

corn tortillas

toppings: cilantro, tomatillo salsa, diced onions etc. 

Add the pork to a bowl with the lime juice, honey and taco seasoning.  Let marinate 15-30 minutes.   Do not marinate longer or the pork will break down in the lime juice.

Remove the pork from the marinade and pat it dry with paper towels.  This will help get it crispy.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-heat.  Add a drizzle of olive oil.  Add the pork in a single layer and let it sear and brown for 2-3 minutes.  Stir and repeat until the pork is cooked through, about 5-8 minutes total.  Pork tenderloin cooks really quickly and gets dry if cooked too long.

Assemble the tacos with warmed corn tortillas, cilantro and your favorite toppings.

heath toffee brownies

 

These are awesome!  I made them last week when I needed to take dessert to a family dinner and a second time yesterday.  They go fast!

heath toffee brownies

1 box family size brownie mix

handful of mini chocolate chips (if you have them)

1 bag Heath toffee bits

Prepare an 8x8 pan with cooking spray.  Mix brownie mix according to package directions.  Throw in a handful of mini chocolate chips if you have them.  Pour into the pan and bake according to package directions.

When you take them out of the oven, pour the package of Heath toffee bits over the brownies and spread them evenly over the brownies.  Press the toffee bits down a bit.  Wait for the brownies to cool for an hour or two.  Cut into 16 pieces and enjoy!

easy broccoli cheese soup

 

My kids are each taking a turn to make dinner this week.  My oldest child living at home made this easy broccoli cheese soup and I think it's our new favorite version.

easy broccoli cheese soup (adapted from cafe delites)

1/3 cup butter

1 yellow onion (she used 3 tablespoons dehydrated onion instead)

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced

1/3 cup flour

2 cups vegetable stock

3 cups milk

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 pound broccoli florets, cut into small pieces (we used two 12-ounce bags frozen broccoli florets)

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Fry the onion until fragrant.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute.  Whisk in the flour and cook for a few minutes or until golden brown.

Reduce heat to medium-low and slowly pour in the vegetable stock and milk, stirring well to combine and dissolve the flour into the liquid.  Season with salt and pepper, mustard powder and garlic powder.  Stir and allow to thicken for about 5 minutes.

Add the broccoli and gently simmer for 20 minutes.  Mix in cheese and stir until just combined. 

Enjoy!

grilled chicken for street tacos or salad

 

We had an assortment of street tacos for dinner but I chose to make a salad. This chicken is great and I made enough for leftovers which means lots of yummy salads in the coming days.

grilled chicken for street tacos or salad (tastes better from scratch)

1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts

marinade:

4 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons chipotle chili powder

2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano

2 teaspoons paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

Make chicken marinade by combining all marinade ingredients in a bowl.  Add chicken and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to over night.

Preheat grill.  Remove chicken from marinade and place on hot grill. Cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, flipping once.  Transfer chicken to a plate and allow to rest before chopping into small pieces.

camie's favorite turkey meatballs

 

These are my favorite turkey meatballs and I keep forgetting to put them on this blog so I have to keep trying to find the little index card where I wrote this recipe down.  FINALLY it will be where it needs to be. :)

camie's favorite turkey meatballs

1 egg

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon basil (I used fresh this time)

1 tablespoon parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey meat

1 tablespoon olive oil

In a medium bowl, combine egg and all ingredients except the ground turkey.  Combine very well then add the ground turkey. 

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Use a cookie scoop to form meatballs and place each one in the skillet.  Once all the meatballs have had a chance to brown on one side, turn them over and let them brown on the other side.  Let them continue to cook until they are cooked through.

I like to eat them with tzatziki sauce!

bengal barbecue veggies skewers

 

Our last trip to Disneyland my daughter ordered veggie skewers in Adventureland at Bengal Barbecue.  They have the best skewers!  I wanted to find a copycat recipe so we tried these.  We couldn't remember if they tasted the same or not (she thought they tasted just like them) but this is a terrific recipe!

bengal barbecue veggie skewers (adapted from alldaymom)

1 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise then cut into chunks

1 yellow squash, cut in half lengthwise then cut into chunks

carton button mushrooms

1 red onion, cut into chunks

1 green bell pepper, cut into chunks

2 tablespoons oil

spice mixture:

1 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder

Wash and cut veggies.  In a zip-lock bag, mix 2 tablespoons oil with the spice mixture.  Add the vegetables and coat vegetables with the spice mixture.  Assemble the vegetables on the skewers.  Grill until cooked to perfection (I did not cook directly over the flame but on a rack a few inches above).

amazing crusty no knead bread

 

Amazing, delicious bread!  Very crusty.  I'd been wanting to make this bread for a long time but I kept forgetting that this is an OVERNIGHT bread recipe.  Well, I finally planned ahead.  I'll be planning ahead more often.

amazing OVERNIGHT crusty no knead bread (gimme some oven)

3 1/4 cups (425 grams) all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110 degrees F)

Mix the dough:  Stir together the flour, salt and yeast in a large mixing bowl until combined.  Add in the warm water and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until the dough is evenly mixed and no large flour streaks remain. (The dough will look quite loose and shaggy which is ok.)

Let the dough rise:  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours.

Shape the dough:  Transfer the dough to a well-floured surface.  Fold the dough on top of itself- pulling the outer edges up and into the center a few times until the dough feels a bit tighter and holds its shape- to form a round dough ball. (If the dough is sticky or feels too loose at any point, just keep sprinkling on extra flour as needed.)  Lightly flour the top of the dough ball, and then carefully flip it upside-down onto a piece of parchment paper, so that the smooth side is on top.  Use your hands to shape the ball into an even circle.  Lightly flour the top of the dough ball, then loosely cover it with plastic wrap to rest while the oven heats.

Heat the oven and Dutch oven:  Place the Dutch oven inside of your oven then set oven to 450 degrees F.  Wait for 20-30 minutes for the oven to heat, while the dough continues to rest.

Bake:  Very carefully, use oven mitts to remove Dutch oven from the oven.  Lift the edges of the parchment to carefully transfer the dough ball (along with the parchment) to the Dutch oven.  Cover with the Dutch oven lid and bake for 30 minutes.  Then carefully remove the lid and bake for 10-20 minutes more until the crust of the bread reaches your desired level of doneness.

Serve:  Remove from the oven, uncover and then carefully lift up the edges of the parchment to transfer the bread to a wire cooling rack.  Cool for at least 30 minutes.

peanut chicken spring roll bowl (salad)

 

My friend Erin recommended this recipe to me and we loved it!  The peanut sauce is SO good!! My vegetarians enjoyed it without the chicken, of course.

peanut chicken spring roll bowl (My friend found it on Half-Baked Harvest)

4 cups shredded romaine or cabbag

4 carrots, shredded

4 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro or Thai basil, chopped

1/2 cup diced mango

2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced

1/2 cup pickled jalapenos, chopped

1/3 cup peanuts, chopped

4 ounces vermicelli rice noodles, cooked (we used the brown rice noodles from Costco)

1-2 cup cooked shredded chicken (I browned and sliced a couple chicken breasts)

1 avocado, diced

peanut dressing

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup toasted sesame oil (I used 2 tablespoons)

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2-3 tablespoons chili sauce

2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger (I omitted since I didn't have fresh ginger)

In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, carrots, green onions, cilantro, mango, cucumbers, jalapenos and peanuts.

To make the dressing, combine all ingredients in a food processor or use a whisk to combine.  Add water as needed to thin.

Pour half the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.  Divide the salad between bowls.  Top each with noodles, chicken and avocado.  Drizzle with more dressing.

cream cheese pasta

 

This is what my kids appreciate.  Simple ingredients and simple flavors.  The bonus is that it was super easy and quick to make.  Note to self:  have a block of cream cheese on hand for an impromptu easy meal.

cream cheese pasta (slightly adapted from the clever meal)

1/2 pound spaghetti or fettuccini

1 (8 ounce) block cream cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan, plus more to serve

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more to serve if desired

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup cooking water, plus more if needed

salt and pepper to taste

1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

optional:  sauteed vegetables (I used zucchini and mushrooms, my kids' favorites)

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente.

Right before draining, reserve a cup of starchy pasta water.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet warm 1 tablespoon olive oil and gently fry the garlic and red pepper flakes for 2-3 minutes.  

Stir in the cream cheese and about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water.  Stir to combine.  Add Parmesan cheese and stir well. (You can add sauteed vegetables if desired and combine well.)

Drain and add your pasta to the skillet.  Stir well to evenly coat the pasta in the sauce.  Add more cooking water as needed for a smooth and creamy consistency.

Serve immediately with a drizzle of olive oil, if desired and freshly grated Parmsan cheese.