Skillet Gnocchi with Sausage, Peppers and Onions

Skillet Gnocchi with Sausage, Peppers and Onions
(Modified from this recipe)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 (16- to 18-ounce) package fresh, shelf-stable or frozen potato gnocchi (do not thaw)
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced into rounds
2 medium bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium red onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
Garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Basil
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 12-inch cast iron or other heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the gnocchi to the skillet in a single layer. Cover and cook undisturbed until the bottoms are golden-brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Toss and cover, continuing to cook until the gnocchi is plump and tender, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

2. In the same skillet, cook the sausage until browned and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the gnocchi.

3.Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet until shimmering. Add the peppers and onion, season with the salt and pepper, garlic and basil and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned in spots and just tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

4.Return the gnocchi and sausage to the skillet and toss to combine with the peppers and onions, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and serve with grated Parmesan, if desired.

Quinoa Chili

I really like this vegetarian chili to mix things up a bit. Great with cornbread or breadsticks!

Quinoa Chili

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 teaspoons salt

1 green pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed in warm water

1 can (15 ounces) corn, drained

1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce

1 cup water

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed

 

Directions

1) Heat oil in pot over medium heat. Add onions, and sauté until tender. Add salt, garlic, green pepper and spices; sauté for 5-10 minutes. 

2) Add rinsed quinoa and stir until combined. Add corn, tomato sauce, and water to onion/quinoa mixture. Simmer together 20 minutes. 

3) Add beans to the pot and simmer another 15 minutes.

Can serve with sour cream or cheese, if you like.

 

Lentils and Rice with Carmelized Onions

 This is the most delicious, homey and filling vegetarian dish! I absolutely love it.

Lentils and Rice with Carmelized Onions
(Adapted from here)

Caramelized Onions

• 1 1/2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Lentils and Rice

• 4 ½ cups water
• ½ medium red onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup green lentils
• 1 cup long grain rice
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 heaping teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf

Serve with fresh lemon and greek yogurt (optional)

1. In a large pot, sauté the diced red onion and minced garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the water, green lentils, and salt to the large pot. Bring to a boil.
3. Cover with lid and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. To make the caramelized onions, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over low heat in a large frying pan and add the onion slices, stirring occasionally until completely soft, dark brown, and caramelized. NOTE: This will take about 30-40 minutes. The onions should become very dark and tacky when finished. Stir often to avoid burning.
5. Add the rice, cumin, cinnamon, and bayleaf to the lentils. Stir.
6. Cook covered for about 15 minutes, or until rice is cooked. Remove the bay leaf and top with the carmelized onions. Serve with fresh lemon and Greek yogurt (Optional. I prefer just the lemon!)
   

"Millionaire Spaghetti" Squash Casserole

I adapted the delicious Millionaire Spaghetti deal into a spaghetti squash recipe and it was incredible.

Millionaire Spaghetti Squash
(Adapted from here) 

1 ginormous Spaghetti Squash or 2-3 small ones.  
1/2 large yellow onion , Chopped 
1/2 Red pepper, diced  
4-6 Cloves Garlic , Minced 
1 Pound Ground turkey or italian sausage 
3 teaspoons Dried Italian Seasoning , divided 
1 24 Ounce Jar spaghetti sauce 
8 Ounces Cottage Cheese or Ricotta Cheese 
8 Ounces Cream Cheese, Room Temperature 
1/4 Cup Sour Cream 
3 Cups Mozzarella , Shredded-Divided 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Split spaghetti squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Brush with oil then place cut-side down on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 45 minutes or until tender. Remove and allow to cool enough to handle. Lower oven temp to 350 degrees.

2. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, peppers and garlic and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add meat and 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning to skillet, and cook until no pink remains. Drain well. Add jar of spaghetti sauce to skillet. Set aside.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine Cottage cheese or ricotta cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, 1 cup mozzarella, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Set aside.

4. Grease a 9x13 casserole dish. Use a fork to scrape the strands of spaghetti squash into a bowl--drain well if necessary. Put half the spaghetti squash into the bottom of the greased casserole dish. Top with a very small amount of the meat sauce mixture and stir. Resettle the spaghetti squash evenly and then top with the cheese mixture. Cover the cheese mixture with the remaining spaghetti squash, and then cover the entire dish with the meat sauce. 

5. Top with remaining mozzarella and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until heated through. 

Zucchini Quesadillas

My mom likes to use this filling in addition to chicken in her quesadillas. I like to add black beans. I've also had them just as is written. All versions are delicious.

Zucchini Quesadillas
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
2-3 cups shredded zucchini
2 T taco seasoning
8 oz pepperjack cheese (If I have it. If not, I just use regular cheddar or colby jack)
1 t oil
8 7" flour tortillas

Saute onion, zucchini and pepper in oil for 3 minutes. Stir in taco
seasoning; saute 3-4 minutes more or until veggies are tender. Remove
from heat. Use approximately 1/4 cup veggie mix and 1/4 cheese on each
quesadilla.

Serve with salsa, sour cream, etc

Spaghetti Squash Enchilada Casserole

Spaghetti Squash Enchilada Casserole
(Adapted from here)

1 large spaghetti squash

1 tbsp veg oil, plus a little extra to rub on the squash

1 cup diced onion

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp taco seasoning mix

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 can (10-14 oz) red enchilada sauce 

1 1/2 cups shredded leftover roast chicken

1 can (4 oz) Pickled Jalapeño Slices, diced (optional)

1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely diced

1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed

1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup shredded colby jack cheese.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Cut spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Rub oil on the cut sides of each half. Place the squash halves face down on a foil-lined half sheet pan. 

Bake in the preheated oven 40 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Lower the oven temp to 350 degrees.

Using a fork, separate the strands of squash from the skin and place cooked squash into a square greased casserole dish. Sprinkle with salt.

In a medium saucepan, sauté onion and garlic with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. When translucent, add taco seasoning and stir in tomato paste. Stir in the enchilada sauce and let simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. 

Mix 1 1/2 cups of the sauce with the shredded chicken, chopped jalapeños (if using), bell pepper, corn and black beans. Spoon filling over the squash. Pour the rest of the sauce over the casserole, and place in the 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. 

Remove the casserole and top it with the cheese.

Turn on broiler and broil 3-4 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Sprinkle chopped cilantro on top, if desired.  

Serves 4, easily. 

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

I've made these twice in one week. They're THAT good!

Green Chile Enchiladas
(Adapted from I Heart Nap Time)

• 8-10 large flour tortillas
• 2-3 cups shredded cooked chicken (about 2 large chicken breasts)
• 1-2 tsp. garlic powder, your preference
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (4.5 oz) can of diced green chilis
• 4 ounces of cream cheese, softened
• 2 tbps. lime juice
• 1 (10-ounce) can green chile enchilada sauce
• 1 1/2 cups shredded jack cheese, divided
• Fresh cilantro (optional)

In a large bowl combine the softened cream cheese, spices, chicken, diced green chilis, lime juice, and 1/2 c of the shredded jack cheese. Stir until well blended. 

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Pour a small amount (1-2 Tbsp?) of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan and spread it around. Warm 2-3 tortillas a time in the microwave, then put 2-3 Tbsp. of the chicken filling into each one. Roll them up and place them in the 9x13 dish.

Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the rolled enchiladas, then top with the remaining jack cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and back for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven and garnish with fresh cilantro if desired. 

Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

Quinoa Enchilada Casserole
(Adapted slightly from here) 

1 cup quinoa
10 oz. can of enchilada sauce
4.5 oz can of green chilies
1/2 c. frozen corn
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp. cilantro
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
Salt and Pepper, to taste
3/4 c. cheddar cheese, grated
3/4 c. mozzarella cheese, grated
1 Avocado, diced (optional)
1 Roma tomato, diced (optional)

1. In a large saucepan of 2 cups water, cook quinoa for about 15 minutes; set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a 2 quart baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
3. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, enchilada sauce, green chilies, corn, black beans, cilantro, cumin and chili powder; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.
4. Spread quinoa mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining cheeses. Place into oven and bake until bubbly and cheeses have melted, about 15 minutes.
5. Serve immediately, garnished with avocado and tomato, if desired.

Richards Fam Chinese Chicken

I guess this is a huge favorite of my husband's family from growing up, and I can see why! The recipe calls for drumsticks, but feel free to use whatever type of meat you want. I prefer the chicken tenders from costco :) The cook time may vary depending on the meat...

6 lg drumsticks
1/2 c soy sauce
3 Tbs brown sugar
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 Tbs vinegar
1 tsp. ginger
1 c water
1 chicken boullion cube

Pull skin off drumsticks
Boil water (microwave works) and add the boullion
Mix the rest of the ingredients into the water
Marinate chicken

Bake at 350 for 45 min. until chicken is falling off the bones :)

A couple notes...
-According to my SIL the marinating doesn't really need to happen, I did it for about 20 minutes and mine still had plenty of flavor
-I made this recipe in my pressure cooker, it took 15 minutes and turned out PERFECT (Chicken was about 2/3 still frozen, I did half drumsticks, half chicken tenders)
-Pair it with the fried rice and some broccoli and you will be so happy.
-I'm going to try to do a make-ahead freezer meal with this and I'll update with how it turns out

Black-Eyed Pea Curry

Black-Eye Peas Curry
(Adapted from Skimpy Pantry)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 1/2 c. diced zucchini
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or more...to taste)
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric, optional
1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste
1 teaspoon paprika
1 heaping teaspoon curry
1/2 tsp. coriander
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 c Whole milk
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1 can (15 ounces) black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1/4 c. cold water and 2-3 Tbsp. flour to create a thickening agent
white rice

Directions
1) Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and green pepper, saute 5 minutes or until translucent and beginning to brown.
2) Add in zucchini and cook another 3-4 minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and then add tomato.  Cook for 2 minutes.
3) Stir in ginger powder, turmeric (if using), salt, paprika, curry, coriander and red pepper flakes; stir constantly for 30 seconds.  Add milk, broth, and black-eyed peas.
4) Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5) In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and cold water to create a thick liquid, making sure there are no lumps. Add in to the simmering curry and stir constantly as mixture thickens. Cook 1-2 more minutes.
6) Serve over rice. 

Crack Slaw

I don't know why this is called "crack slaw" but it is. I just think of it as "that super yummy and easy stir fry stuff with sriracha."

Enjoy!

Courtney Crozier's "Crack Slaw"
(Adapted from here)

1 lb. ground Turkey
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Hearty sprinkling of garlic powder
2 tablespoons of diced onions
16 oz. bag of coleslaw mix  (or 16 oz of shredded cabbage)
Optional: Sliced mushrooms, green peppers, celery, zucchini, etc.
3 tablespoons of liquid aminos OR soy sauce
2 tablespoon sriracha
Salt & pepper to taste

1) Brown ground turkey and season with salt, pepper, and garlic to taste. Remove from pan and set aside.
2) Saute onions, cabbage, & garlic in olive oil & cook until the tenderness you prefer. If adding more veggies in, do it now!
3) Add in liquid aminos, sriracha, salt & pepper
4) Add meat back into the veggies & mix well

We usually eat this with a little bit of white rice and extra sriracha!

California Chicken Pasta

I'm sharing this one so that I can find the recipe easily the next time I want it. Which could be tomorrow because I loved this stuff. A lot.

California Chicken Pasta
(Adapted from Allrecipes.com)

8 oz dry spaghetti or other pasta
1.5 oz olive oil
1 1/2 chicken breasts, sliced in strips
Heavy sprinkling of garlic powder
1 Tbsp. dry basil
1/2 Tbsp. cajun seasoning (add more or less to your spice preference)
Heavy sprinkling Italian seasoning
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 c. crumbled feta cheese (or lots more if you love feta like me!)

Cook the pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large frying pan and brown the chicken. Once browned, add in the garlic, basil, and cajun seasonings. Mix well and then add the tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink.

Drain the pasta and return to its pot. Pour the chicken mixture over the top and toss until well coated. Serve topped with feta cheese.

Everyday Waffles

Nothing special here except that I love these. My husband usually makes these for my birthday.

Everyday Waffles

1 3/4 c. flour
3 tsp. bking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 beaten egg yolks
1 3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. oil
2 stiffly beaten egg whites

Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside. In a separate bowl combine the egg yolks, milk, and oil then stir them into the dry ingredients. Stiffly beat the egg whites and then fold them into the mixture. Cook on a waffle iron.

Enjoy and don't eat too many...

Homemade Spaghettio's Pasta

That's what we're calling it because it reminded me a lot of Spaghettio's sauce. But it was tasty and total comfort food.

Homemade Spaghettio's Pasta
(Adapted from Allrecipes.com)

1 12 oz. box of pasta (we used penne)
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
3 Tbsp. butter

Garlic powder
Black pepper
Shredded Cheese


In a large pot, cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and let cool for 1 minute.

Meanwhile in a small sauce pan, melt the butter and add tomato sauce. Let simmer 1-2 minutes. Add garlic and pepper to taste.

Pour sauce over drained pasta and gently stir to combine. Add a handful of your favorite shredded cheese and stir as it melts.

We served this with some pre-cooked meatballs to give it a little more oomph but it would be tasty on its own merit too.

Crockpot Lasagna

My husband requested this for Father's Day dinner. It is absolutely delicious and not too difficult to put together, so I'm all for it!

Crockpot Lasagna

1 pound bulk Italian sausage or ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

3 cans (15 ounces each) Italian-style tomato sauce

2 teaspoons dried basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)

1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese or cottage cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

15 uncooked lasagna noodles 

Cook sausage and onion in 10-inch skillet over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomato sauce, basil and salt.

Mix 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and the ricotta and Parmesan cheeses. (Refrigerate remaining mozzarella cheese while lasagna cooks.)

Spoon one-fourth of the sausage mixture into 6-quart slow cooker; top with 5 noodles, broken into pieces to fit. Spread with half of the cheese mixture and one-fourth of the sausage mixture. Top with 5 noodles, remaining cheese mixture and one-fourth of the sausage mixture. Top with remaining 5 noodles and remaining sausage mixture. 

Cover and cook on Low heat setting 4 to 6 hours or until noodles are tender.

Sprinkle top of lasagna with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Cover and let stand about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into pieces. 

Makes 8 servings

BBQ Ribs

I found this post on Pinterest.  Original post here: http://filingawaycupcakes.wordpress.com/2012/02/21/ribs-ribs-ribs/

I made them today and I am very glad to say it was not a Pinstrosity! We loved them!!

Ingredients: baby back ribs (mine had 7 bones); 1/2 a can of Dr. Pepper (I used the real sugar kind, but you can substitute the regular kind.); Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce; 1 heaping tbs paprika; 1 heaping tbs light brown sugar; a couple shakes of garlic salt; and a couple of shakes of pepper.

First, I mixed all the dry ingredients in a bowl, then rubbed the ribs down with the mixture. I made sure to get every inch of the ribs, then I placed them bone down in my crock pot. I let them sit, on high, for about 30 minutes before I turned them down to the regular setting.

When I turned the temperature down, I added enough Sweet Baby Rays to cover the ribs, and splashed on 1/2 the can of Dr. Pepper. Then, the ribs just sat for about 6 and 1/2 hours, while I enjoyed the other 1/2 of the Dr. Pepper and went about my day.

After the ribs had spent a total of 7 hours in the crock pot, I took them out, and placed them in a baking pan lined with aluminum foil. I then took all of the drippings and boiled them down in a sauce pan, until they were a thick and rich sauce. Once the sauce was ready, I coated the ribs with it and stuck them under the broiler for about 5 minutes.

Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers--Vegetarian Style!

My friend Renae gave me this recipe and we've had it two or three times this year. We love love love it!

Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers
4 large sweet red peppers (we've also used green)--rinsed well
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 c. shredded pepper jack cheese (or plain jack if desired)
3/4 c. salsa
1 small onion chopped
1/2 cup corn (canned or frozen)
3/4-1 c. cooked rice (we always use our wild rice blend on these)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin

Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds. Set aside. In a large bowl combine beans, cheese, salsa, onion, corn, rice, and spices. Spoon the mixture into the peppers. Place in a 4 or 5 quart slow cooker coated with cooking spray.

Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until peppers are tender and filling is heated through. Serve with sour cream if desired.

Sweet Teriyaki Chicken

Another freezer meal success! Again, from this website :)

Slow Cooker Sweet Teriyaki Chicken

Ingredients:
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 onion, chopped
1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts

Directions:
Mix together soy sauce, sugar, garlic salt and chopped onion in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag. Place chicken breasts inside the bag and zip closed.
When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW for 7-8 hours.
Serve over rice.

So yummy! It tasted quite a bit like the teriyaki chicken rice bowls from teriyaki stix, only the chicken wasn't that yucky cheap stuff :) It was a tiny bit salty for my liking, so next time I think I might do a little less soy sauce, and I might just double the sauce in general because I like it on my rice. Overall it was delicious! 

Sweet and Tangy Meatballs

I decided to make a bunch of freezer crock pot meals last week, and rather than put them all on at once I decided to wait until we tried all of them in case there were duds. Meal #1 was wildly successful. According to Micah, they are "the best meatballs ever." I got the recipe from here.

1 package of frozen meatballs (I got turkey meatballs and they were DELISH)
1 jar of grape jelly
1 jar of chili sauce

Mix it all up, put it in a ziplock bag and stick it in the freezer. Thaw for 24 hours (I think we did it for less than that and survived) and then slow cook it for 2 hours on high or 4 hours on low. Serve over rice!

(This was a tiny bit spicy for my liking, but I am a huge spice wimp. I think I'll use more jelly and less chili sauce next time, but not by much)

6 Can Chicken Tortilla Soup

Taken straight from allrecipes.com!

Combine:
1 can whole kernel corn (drained)
1 can black beans (not drained)
2 cans chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes and green chiles
1 can chicken (I used Costco canned chicken)

Put them in a saucepan, heat it all up, and serve over tortilla chips with cheese and sour cream!

Bonus points: SO easy, SO fast, SO cheap! All good things.