Sloppy Janes (aka vegetarian sloppy joes)

4 Kaiser Rolls

1 tbsp veg oil (or more as needed)

1/2 onion, diced

12 ounces soy "ground beef" crumbles

1 cup diced celery

1/2 cup bbq sauce (or more as needed)

1/4 cup vegetable stock

dashes hot sauce to taste (optional)

shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 475. Slice rolls in half, cutting off the upper third of the roll to leave the larger bottom section. Scoop out the inner portion of each bottom section and set the tops and bottoms aside on a large baking sheet. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, saute the onions for about 5 minutes. Stir in the ground beef, celery, bbq sauce, vegetable stock and hot sauce. Cook over medium heat for 4 or 5 minutes, or until the mixture is heated through. Remove from the heat. While mixture is cooking, toast the buns in the oven (about 5 minutes). Spoon equal portions of the mixture into the bottom section of the rolls. Sprinkle each filled roll with cheese and put back into the oven for a few minutes until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and serve!

Easy Blender Salsa

We've been eating so much of this lately. It's so good and super easy. We tone down the spicy but I like that you can make it as spicy as you like!

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can Rotel tomatoes (we always use mild)

1/2 onion, roughly chopped

1 clove garlic, pressed

1/2 - 1 jalapeno, seeded or not

handful cilantro, roughly chopped

1 tsp. honey

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

juice of one lime

Put all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend to desired consistency. You may adjust spices according to taste. Enjoy!

Recipe from mountainmamacooks.com

Chicken Katsu

I decided to add a few of my recipes to the blog cause its been a while.

Chicken Katsu (and sauce)

Recipe somewhere online

Chicken thighs, de-boned (NOT breasts)

1-2 Eggs, beaten

Panko bread crumbs or Corn Flake/Rice Krispy crumbs

Oil (for deep frying)

Cut off any access fat to the chicken if needed. Lightly pound into 1/2 inch thickness. Dip, not soak, the chicken into egg batter. Lay the chicken in the breadcrumbs and be sure to coat them. Get a large skillet or wok heated with the cooking oil. Once the oil is hot and sizzling, slowly drop the chicken pieces into the pan. Use the sides of the pan to drop the chicken in to avoid oil splattering. Remove chicken pieces once they are a golden brown color on both sides and is no longer pink inside. Serve on a bed of lettuce for good looks.

Katsu Sauce

1/3 Cup ketchup

1/4 Cup soy sauce

1/4 Cup sugar

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp ground red pepper (or cayenne)

Pour the ingredients into a sauce pan. Mix together and bring to a boil. Serve on the side as a dip for the chicken or lightly spoon over chicken.

Balsamic Glazed Steak and Pasta

Balsamic Glazed Steak and Pasta

Rrecipe from tastyplanner.com

Adapted by Tyson Finlinson

Steaks

2-3 Thin cut steaks

2 Tbsp olive oil

Salt

Course ground pepper

Pasta

1 Lb boy tie (or any) pasta

1 Box beef broth (or use beef bouillon cubes in water)

Balsamic Sauce

1/4 Cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 Cup olive oil

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard (yellow mustard works fine)

1 Tbsp parsley, roughly chopped (or 1 tsp dried)

2 Cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp rosemary

1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp sugar

Toppings

1 Sliced green onion

Feta Cheese

Sprinkle steaks with salt (liberally) and pepper. Put 2 Tbsp olive oil into a frying pan and heat the pan on high until steaks are hot enough to sear. Place steaks in frying pan until seared on both sides (doesn't take long so be careful) and cook until cooked the way you like. If steaks are a little thicker you could put them in the oven. Slice steaks into thin strips.

Bring beef broth to a boil and add pasta. Cook until al dente. Strain.

Add in all sauce ingredients except parsley (if using fresh) into a small sauce pan. Heat up sauce to a very light boil (whisk constantly), turn heat down until everything is mixed and homogeneous.

Once noodles are cooked, place some noodles on a plate/bowl and add steak slices on top. Drizzle sauce on top. Add green onions and feta cheese.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Chicken Gnocchi Soup (Olive Garden)

Recipe from CopyKat.com

4 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Cup onions, diced

2 Cloves garlic, minced

1/2 Cup celery (2 stalks), sliced

4 Tbsp flour

1 Quart half and half

1 14-oz Can chicken broth

1 Cup carrots (2 carrots), shredded

1/2 tsp Thyme

1/2 tsp parsley

1 Cup shredded cooked chicken

1 lb gnocchi cooked (in the pasta aisle)

1 Cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped

Fresh ground Parmesan cheese (optional)

Saute onions, garlic, and celery with butter and oil over medium heat until softened and translucent. Add flour and let thicken for 1 or more minutes. Add half and half 1/4 at a time. Add chicken broth, carrots, thyme, parsley, and chicken. Combine. Then add gnocchi. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add spinach just before serving. Top with Parmesan.

Honey-Ginger Glazed Tilapia

Sorry I keep posting so much but we've tried a few new recipes this week and they've been so yummy I had to share!

3 Tbsp. honey

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. grated ginger root (I just sprinkle in some ground ginger)

2 tsp. minced or pressed garlic

2 tsp. olive oil

4-6 4 oz. tilapia filets

Whisk together the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and olive oil. Marinate fish in the mixture for 20 minutes to 1 hour. While marinating make the dipping sauce (below). Broil or bake fish until it flakes easily.

Dipping sauce:

6 oz. plain greek yogurt (I used sour cream because I ran out of yogurt. I bet the yogurt would have better flavor but the sour cream was tasty too.)

1 small garlic clove, minced or pressed

1/2 tsp. grated ginger root (again, I just sprinkled in some ground ginger)

1 1/2-2 tsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. green onions, chopped

1-2 tsp. cilantro, finely chopped

Juice of 1 small lime (about 2 Tbsp.)

1 tsp. lime zest

sriracha sauce to taste (I skipped this)

1/4- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

"Quesadillas"

This recipe's name was "quesadillas" but I don't think that's very fitting. I also can't think of a good name for it. Oh well. Eva loves these dipped in sour cream.

1 small red onion, chopped

1/2 red or orange bell pepper, chopped

7 oz. canned corn (1 c. frozen works well too)

1 can black beans

1 c. cheddar cheese

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. honey

corn tortillas

salsa

Heat oil in a pan and cook onion and pepper for 3 minutes. Add corn and beans and cook for about 2 minutes or until onion and pepper are soft. Add vinegar and honey and heat for about 1 minute then remove from heat. Spread half of each tortilla with salsa. Top with corn mixture and some cheese. Roll the tortillas and put on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil until filling is hot and topping is golden brown.

*Can add shredded chicken if desired.

Chicken Piccata

This recipe is for Bethany. Here's a recipe with balsamic vinegar AND capers. You'll be the best, best wife ever! :)

2-4 chicken breasts (cut in half & tenderized) or 4-6 chicken tenders

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1/4 c. capers

1/4 c. black olives, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 small tomatoes, sliced in wedges

1 Tbsp. chicken bouillon

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

Saute chicken in oil in a large pan. Remove chicken. In the same pan, saute onions and peppers in the oil. Add chicken, tomatoes, olives, garlic, bouillon, vinegar and capers. Simmer until balsamic vinegar thickens (about 12-15 minutes). Serve over rice.

Yumminess in a bowl

This dip tastes amazing and is so easy. Jason and I devoured it so quickly.

Found here

White Bean and Artichoke Dip

2 cloves garlic
2 (15 ounce) cans white beans (drained and rinsed)
1 (15 ounce) can artichoke hearts (drained)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. In the bowl of a food processor, add the garlic, white beans, artichoke hearts, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and rosemary. Blend until smooth.

2. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Serve with bread, crackers, vegetables, or chips.

Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

1 package Hidden Valley Buttermilk ranch Dressing mix
2/3 buttermilk
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2/3 cup sour cream
2 tomatillos (remove husk, cut quarters)
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
juice from 1 lime
1 jalapeño pepper ( no seeds)
Combine all ingredients in blender. Blend well. Refrigerate

Cafe Rio Style Rice

5 Cups water
4 teaspoon chicken bouillon
4 teaspoon garlic minced
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 can green Chiles
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 onion
21/2 cup rice

Blend cilantro green Chiles, and onion together in food processor.
Bring water to a boil and add all ingredients, simmer cover 30
minutes.

Best pizza I ever made

Have you seen the Food Network show The Best Thing I Ever Ate? Well, if you have then imagine this is my episode of the best pizza I ever made. And maybe even the best pizza I ever ate, which is saying a lot considering the amazingness of Pizzeria 712. The crust alone is to die for, so don't cheat and make a different crust or buy something pre-made - it's worth the time (oh, did I mention you need to start it about 6 hours before you want to serve it?) And without further ado, I give you:

Pizza Bianca with Goat Cheese and Greens

Crust

• 3/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast (from 1 envelope)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups (about) unbleached all purpose flour

Seasoned oil

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Topping

• 1 bunch Swiss chard (about 10 ounces), white ribs cut away
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, minced

• Yellow cornmeal
• 8 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated
• 4 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)

For crust:
Pour 3/4 cup water into large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over; stir to blend. Let stand 10 minutes to dissolve yeast. Add oil and salt, then 1 1/2 cups flour. Stir until well blended (dough will be sticky). Turn dough out onto generously floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding just enough flour to prevent dough from sticking, about 5 minutes (dough will be soft). Shape dough into ball; place in large oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with kitchen towel. Let dough rise at cool room temperature until almost doubled, about 2 hours. Punch dough down; form into ball. Return to bowl; cover with towel and let rise until doubled, about 3 hours.

Meanwhile, prepare seasoned oil:
Mix oil, garlic, and red pepper in small bowl. Let stand 1 hour.

For topping:
Cook chard in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain. Rinse under cold water; drain. Squeeze dry, then coarsely chop. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add chard and stir 1 minute. Season to taste with salt.

Preheat oven to 500°F. Punch down dough. Form into ball; place on floured work surface. Cover with kitchen towel; let rest 30 minutes.

Sprinkle rimless baking sheet with cornmeal. Roll out dough on floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to baking sheet. Sprinkle mozzarella over dough, leaving 1-inch border. Scatter chard over mozzarella. Top with goat cheese. Brush crust edge with some of seasoned oil. Set aside 2 teaspoons seasoned oil; drizzle remaining oil over pizza.

Bake pizza until crust is brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven; brush edge with seasoned oil and serve.

Recipe found HERE

Jessie's variations:

I also added some fingerling potatoes on top. Just boil the potatoes until tender (about 10 minutes), slice thin and arrange on top of the chard. I also sprinkle a little bit of garlic salt with the cornmeal on the bottom.

Sweet and Savory Coconut Rice

So tonight I made this as a side dish to our dinner. Oh. So. Yummy ...

2 c. white or Jasmine rice
1 can coconut milk
2 c. water
1 tsp. Kosher salt
Splash of white vinegar (optional, but it helps with the texture)
2-3 tsp. white sugar
Handful of chopped green onions, plus chopped green onion tops for garnish (we're using the whole animal here...)
Black pepper to taste

Combine rice, coconut milk, water, salt, vinegar, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil Turn heat to low and cover for 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Allow to stand 5 minutes. Add green onions, black pepper (if desired), and additional salt if necessary.

recipe found here

Lemon Orzo Salad with Asparagus, spinach and feta

I made this for dinner tonight and it was SO good. So very good. And easy. Walmart (yuck) was out of spinach (what!? I know) so I added a cup of frozen peas instead. It was amazing.

1 cup orzo
Salt-about 1/2 tsp. for boiling water

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
8 asparagus spears, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup packed fresh spinach
Juice of 1 large lemon
1/3 cup feta cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a medium sauce pan, bring 4 cups of water to boil. Add the salt. Stir in orzo. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain orzo and set aside.

2. In a small sauce pan, saute garlic in olive oil. Add in asparagus pieces. Saute for 3-4 minutes. Stir in spinach. Cook until asparagus is tender and the spinach shrinks down.

3. Put the orzo in a medium bowl and add in the vegetables. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the orzo and vegetables. Stir. Season with salt and pepper. Taste-add more lemon juice if you wish. The lemon I used was huge, so I only needed to use one lemon. If you need more juice, go ahead.

4. Sprinkle feta cheese over the top of the salad. Serve warm.

Serves 4

Mac & Cheese with Cauliflower Puree

My baby doesn't like to eat her veggies, so I have to get creative. Sometimes I hide peas in her apple sauce, and sometimes I make this mac and cheese with cauliflower. Both work, but this tastes better.

1 head of cauliflower, separated into florets
1 onion, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 package shredded cheddar/jack
1 16 oz. package of elbow macaroni ( I used the multigrain Barilla Plus with protein and Omega-3)
salt and nutmeg to taste
bread crumbs (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Cook the macaroni in salted water till al dente (err on the undercooked side as the pasta will cook some more in the oven).

Melt the butter over medium low in a deep skillet or shallow pot. Add cauliflower and onion and stew, covered, for 15 minutes (stir occasionally but do not let it brown). Barely cover with water and simmer for about 20 minutes, till vegetables are tender. Puree vegetables in a blender or food processor (you may need to drain off some of the water). Pour puree back into the pot, and add most of the package of cheese, reserving some to sprinkle over the top of the pasta. Season with salt and nutmeg.

(At this point, you could serve the "sauce" as soup. Think about that for another meal.)

Mix sauce with pasta, pour into a baking dish and top with the rest of the shredded cheese. A sprinkle of bread crumbs would be nice as well. Cover with foil and bake till heated through. I didn't time mine, but I think it took at least 30 minutes. Finish in the broiler if you like crunchy goodness on top. YUM.

ALFREDO VARIATION: Instead of the cheddar/jack mixture, use parmesan, and add a bit of fresh garlic to the cauliflower/onion saute. Mix with cooked fettuccine and garnish with chopped parsley.

Next: I intend to throw cauliflower in with the potatoes for mashing. No one will suspect a thing.

With all my heart

I endorse the Betty Crocker Big Red Cookbook.

Some of you may have advanced beyond this level; I have not. I love the "prep time" and "cook time" notes; the calorie counts and low fat suggestions; the slow cooker instructions; the underdone, well done, overdone pictures; and the non-snotty approach to "Know nothing about cooking? Here you go, step-by-step!"

Seriously my favorite.

Tomato Basil Soup

I got this recipe from an Enrichment night dinner. It's super easy and it tastes like it was made from scratch!

2- 15 oz. cans tomato soup
15 oz. Half & Half or Cream (one soup can full & a splash is about right)
4-6 Tbsp. Pesto sauce

Blend all of the above ingredients and bring to a simmer.

Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes

Pioneer Woman does it again! I don't think I've tried one of her recipes and not liked it. Every time I make something from her Web site, it's always a hit. And a good thing too, because I've been striking out on meals lately. Jason was so delighted when I made something that was actually eatable.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
1 14.5 ounce can artichoke hearts (quartered or whole), drained
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken broth, more as needed
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste
1 pound thin spaghetti
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped chives or other herbs


Cook spaghetti till al dente. Drain and set aside.Melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes. Stir and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste (do not under salt!) Cook over low heat until heated through, then turn off heat.Place drained pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 cup Parmesan. Pour sauce over the top. Add chopped chives. Toss lightly to combine and coat; add a tiny bit of reserved pasta water if sauce seems too thick.


**I also added asparagus to the dish and it was perfect. I chopped up 1/2 pound (and I only used the top couple inches of each stalk) and added them in when sauteing the garlic and onions.

Soup

Last night I made a soup that was supposed to be close to Cafe Zupa's Wisconsin Cauliflower soup (my all-time favorite!). The blogger that posted it said it wasn't spot-on, but that it was close and she enjoyed it. Me, I hated it. So much that I threw away the rest. I never do that! But I did last night. And this is why I am not sharing the recipe. You're welcome.

Roasted-Vegetable Tacos

*So, I'm not sure what it is...but I really love this meal!

Roasted-Vegetable Tacos

Olive oil flavored cooking spray
1 Medium onion, cut into wedges
1 Medium bell-pepper, cut lengthwise into eighths
1 Medium zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 Cup sliced mushrooms (3 oz)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 Cup shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (4 oz)
8 taco shells (I use soft corn tortillas or flour tortillas)
3/4 Cup salsa
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

1 Heat oven to 425. Spray cookie sheet pan with cooking spray.

2. Place onion, bell pepper, zucchini and mushrooms in single layer in pan. Spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and red pepper. Bake uncovered 20-25 minutes, turning vegetables once, until vegetables are tender.

3. Sprinkle cheese into taco shells or tortillas. Top with vegetables and salsa. Sprinkle with cilantro.