I am horribly behind on my blogging. Luckily, I've been keeping track of what I've been cooking, so I can give you 8 weeks of food in one post. I'll group them by source to keep things orderly.
Epicurious
I have the Epicurious app on my phone. I love, love, love this app, as I love reading recipes. I've found a decent number of recipes to try and have enjoyed all of them. Though technically not a cookbook, its a great resource.
Here's what I've been cooking from my Epicurious app:
Spaghetti Squash with Pomodoro Sauce
I'm allergic to wheat, which means I either have to eat gluten free pasta or I have to get creative in finding ways to fill my pasta needs. This recipe has become my go to when I'm craving spaghetti. Its super easy and also super healthy.
1 spaghetti squash (about 1 1/2 pound)
Vegetable oil cooking spray
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 t olive oil
1 can (28 oz) diced plum tomatoes
3 T tomato paste
1 t white wine vinegar
1 t dried oregano
1 t dried basil
1/2 t red pepper flakes
Fresh basil
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Halve squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray; lay halves, flesh side down on sheet. Bake 35 minutes or until you can easily pierce shell.
While squash bakes, saute garlic and onion in oil over medium heat 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except fresh basil and cook, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. Lower heat if sauce begins to boil.
Remove squash from oven. Scrape crosswise to pull strands from shell. Place in nonmetal serving bowl. Pour sauce over squash and garnish with basil.
Quinoa and Spring Vegetable Pilaf
I'm ashamed to say that I'm new to the quinoa bandwagon. Its a super grain and is really great for someone who can't eat wheat and therefore has trouble getting enough whole grains in her diet.
1 1/2 c quinoa, well rinsed
1 c vegetable broth (I used chicken broth)
2 c frozen peas, thawed, divided
5 T chopped fresh mint leaves, divided
1 garlic clove, peeled
3 T butter
1 large leek (white and pale green parts only), halved, thinly sliced (about 1 c) - can sub in onions or shallots
3/4 c sliced shallots (I skipped these)
8 oz fresh shitake mushrooms, stemmed, thickly sliced (I skipped these, as I'm not a big fan of mushrooms)
1, 14 oz bunch asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1 inch pieces
Bring 2 1/2 c water to a boil in small saucepan. Add quinoa and 1 t salt; return to boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until quinoa is tender and water is absorbed, 15 to 17 minutes. Drain if necessary.
Puree broth, 1 c peas, 4 T mint and garlic in blender until smooth.
Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add leek and shallots; saute until soft and light brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, then asparagus; saute until mushrooms are tender and asparagus is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Mix in puree and 1 c peas; stir until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add quinoa; stir to coat.
Divide pilaf among bowls; sprinkle with remaining 1 T mint and serve.
Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salad
I made this for our monthly Ladies Night in the neighborhood. I doubled the recipe, since we have a large group each month. It was a hit with the ladies.
Vegetable oil cooking spray
2 large sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 t salt, divided
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/4 c fresh lime juice, plus wedges for garnish
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 T finely chopped garlic
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 c halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 c thinly sliced scallions
1/3 c chopped fresh mint
4 c baby arugula
Heat oven to 375 degrees. On a baking sheet, coated with cooking spray, place potatoes in a layer; sprinkle with 1/2 t salt and 1/4 t pepper. Bake until tender, 15 minutes; let cool. In a bowl, whisk juice, vinegar, garlic, remaining 1/2 t salt and 1/4 t pepper. Add potatoes, beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, scallion and mint; toss; serve over arugula and garnish with lime wedges.
All Recipes
The next group of recipes comes from my All Recipes app. All Recipes features recipes submitted by users. I typically pick recipes that are rated with 4 or 5 stars. This has never failed me.
Slow Cooker Lentil and Ham Soup
This was my first time cooking lentils. I definitely should have cooked them a little longer, but all in all, this recipe was great (and perfect for a cold, snowy weekend. We actually had one of those the weekend I made this soup).
1 c dried lentils
1 c chopped celery
1 c chopped carrots
1 c chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 c diced cooked ham
1/2 t dried basil
1/4 t dried thyme
1/2 t dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1/4 t black pepper
32 oz chicken broth
1 c water
8 t tomato sauce
In a 3 1/2 quart or larger slow cooker combine the lentils, celery, carrots, onion, garlic and ham. Season with basil, thyme, oregano, the bay leaf and pepper. Stir in the chicken broth, water and tomato sauce. Cover and cook on low for 11 hours. Discard the bay leaf before serving.
Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken
I love my slow cooker. I use it almost all winter long. It really fits my crazy schedule. On nights I have meetings, I can throw my dinner in the crock pot at lunch. When I come home my house smells amazing and I have a yummy dinner waiting for me.
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch wide strips (I used chicken tenders and didn't cut them in strips. I'm lazy)
2 T taco seasoning mix
2 T flour (I used cornstarch, since flour is evil in my life)
1 green pepper, cut into 1 inch wide strips
1 red pepper, cut into 1 inch wide strips
1 c frozen corn (I omitted this)
1 1/2 c chunky salsa (I used the Rotel tomatoes instead)
1 c shredded cheese (I omitted this)
Toss chicken with seasoning and flour (cornstarch) in slow cooker. Stir all remaining ingredients except shredded cheese; cover with lid. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours or high 3 to 4 hours. Stir before serving.
Miscellaneous Sources:
And finally, a few recipes from some miscellaneous sources.
Roasted Beets and Potatoes
This recipe is from my Wegmans app. I love Wegmans for many reasons, one of which being that they have an app that helps me find what I'm looking for in the store and that also has a recipe section.
1 pound potatoes (any will do. I used assorted new potatoes), quartered
1 bunch beets, peeled and sliced
2 T olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Toss potatoes in large bowl with 1 T olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast on center rack of oven 10 minutes until lightly browned.
Toss beets with remaining olive oil; season with salt and pepper to taste. Add beets to baking sheet. Roast 10 minutes until lightly browned and potatoes are fork tender.
Yummy Onion Pork Chops
This recipe is my own creation. I came up with it a few years ago, when I was just getting into cooking. I've made this for my parents, who raved about it.
4 thin pork chops
1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Packet
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season pork chops with onion powder. Place in a hot skillet and sear on each side, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a shallow baking dish.
Mix packet of Lipton Onion Soup with a few tablespoons of water. Pour the onion soup mixture over the pork chops. Bake 20-25 minutes.
The Best Pulled Pork You'll Ever Have
This recipe is from my friend Brooke. I've made it three times for football related events. It always gets rave reviews. This recipe travels well for a tailgate - I put it in the crock pot over night, pull it in the morning, put the pork in a tin foil pan and then reheat on the grill at tailgate.
2 1/2 T coarsely ground black pepper
3 T (packed) dark brown sugar
3 T paprika
2 T coarse salt
1 1/2 to 2 t cayenne pepper
1 untrimmed pork shoulder, about seven pounds, bone in
I usually have to cut the pork shoulder into two pieces so it will fit (and I usually have to put the pork shoulder in two crock pots). Mix the first five ingredients in a small bowl, then rub thoroughly into the pork - make sure you get it into every nook and cranny (you'll be good friends with the pork when you're done). Cover it with plastic and let it sit in your fridge for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
Put the pork in the crock pot on low.
For the mop:
1 c apple cider vinegar
1/2 c water
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t coarsely ground black pepper
1 T coarse salt
2 t vegetable oil
Mix all ingredients until combined. Pour into crock pot, using the sides so as to not rinse the rub off the pork.
Put the lid on the crock pot and DON"T TOUCH IT FOR AT LEAST 8 HOURS! (This is where cooking it all night comes in handy. Unless you sleep walk and open crock pots in your sleep. Then you are kind of screwed.)
At the end of 8 hours, pull the pork (it will fall off the bone, so this won't be labor intensive and it won't take long).
I serve this with Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce. Bun is optional.
