05

Jul

4th of July!

It’s been far too long! How was your 4th? Patriotic?

I got back from a middle school church camp yesterday so, needless to say, my energy wasn’t as high as usual to pack a deluxe picnic, pick out the best spot to see fireworks and stay up late with friends. So we had a low-key, super delicious 4th at home.

On the Menu:
Hot dogs and brats with wheat and potato buns
Pork ribs (for Matt)
5-ingredient corn casserole
Super easy baked beans
Mini cherry pies with whipped cream and blueberry sauce

I won’t add all of the recipes here because Matt did the grilling but these are the ones made inside in the air cond–we don’t have A/C, so I made the dishes that didn’t involve sweating. 🙂

5-ingredient Corn Casserole
Adapted from the apologetic Paula Deen    
$3 to make, serves 8

1 can whole kernal corn, drained (15 oz)
1 can cream corn (15 oz)
1 cup light sour cream
1 package of cornbread mix, like Jiffy (8 oz)
4 TB melted butter or margarine 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients until well blended. (Add a dash of garlic powder if you like.)

In a ‘greased’ 9X13 baking dish, pour the batter. Spread out evenly. Bake for 45 minutes, or until middle is cooked through and edges are slightly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. (Optional: drizzle top with melted butter or honey butter for sweetness.)

Super Easy Baked Beans
A super easy way to stretch baked beans ($$), combining seasoned beans with plain cuts down on sugar, calories and salt, while adding protein and ‘fillingness’ to your plate. No more puddles of syrupy goo taking over your plate anymore. 🙂
6 servings

1 can baked beans (flavor + size of your choice)
1 can kidney beans (15 oz), drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons mustard of your choice (optional; spicy, regular, dijon)

Combine both cans and mustard into a medium pot; stir. Cook on medium heat for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot!

I hope you have taken a moment to be thankful for our freedoms as residents of the United States. More of the 4th of July recipes to come, including the mini cherry pies…yummm!

Happy eating!
Laurel

~Laurel~

13 years ago Short URL

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23

Apr

Stuffed peppers

The first time I had one of these was not in Texas as a child. It was in Massachusetts. Yes, I said it. And it was pronounced “stuft PEH-puhs” I’ll have you know. An old boyfriend’s mother was so sweet, and she decided she would comfort my homesickness (and cravings for Tex-Mex) by making her stuffed bell peppers. Let me just say, I was so thankful for her efforts, but this is not a dish you’ll EVER find on a menu in Tex-Mex country. Poblano peppers are usually the ones stuffed, and it’s with cheese, cream sauce and chicken. She used rice, ground beef and pinto beans. 🙂 But it was the thought that counted, so I’ve decided to bring a little authentic Tex-Mex flavor to this Yankee creation. It’s easy, healthy, and pretty darn tasty. Enjoy.

Stuffed Peppers
4 servings

4 bell peppers, any color
1 cup brown rice or 1/2 cup quinoa
1 pound white meat chicken
3 TB + 2 TB cumin
1/4 + 1/2 t. salt
1/4 + 1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup (small handful) of chopped cilantro
1 cup salsa

Optional toppings: shredded cheddar or mozz, salsa, jalapenos, sour cream

1 Cook: In a rice cooker or pot, cook the rice according to package directions. In the meantime, cut the tops off of the peppers and scoop out the seeds (see photo). Set the peppers and the tops aside. Cut the chicken into small chunks (1/2 inch cubes). Heat a wok or large skillet on medium high. Add 1/4 cup water and the chicken and let cook for two minutes. Season with 3 TB cumin, 1/4 t. salt, 1/4 t. garlic powder and red pepper (optional). Continue to stir and saute until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Set aside.

2 Combine: Once the rice is cooked, stir in the black beans and 2 TB cumin, 1/2 t. salt (if unsalted beans), 1/4 t. garlic powder, and the chopped cilantro. Preheat oven to 375.

3 Fill: Line a baking pan with walls with foil. (I usually use a 9-inch round for 4 peppers). Using a tablespoon, layer the rice & beans mixture, then 1 TB of salsa, then several bites of chicken multiple times until the pepper is filled to the top. You should have no more than 4 sets of layers. Finish the pepper by placing the top piece back on. Repeat this for the rest of the peppers. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until peppers are slightly soft on the outside and the contents inside are piping hot. Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, jalapenos and salsa, if you like.

Enjoy the peh-puhs!

Happy eating!
Laurel

~Laurel~

14 years ago Short URL

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04

Apr

Snacktime: Roasted chickpeas

Well, my husband’s beloved Jayhawks put in a good fight, but didn’t win the championship. But it’s alright…they did so well this season. And my husband has been awesome this season of life, too. So last night called for a snack we’d never had before…roasted chickpeas. You know that icky I-just-ate-way-too-much-junk feeling you get after a night of snacking and grazing? No, me neither. But I hear that chickpeas are a healthier alternative to snack mix, nuts and chips that I love to overeat. So we decided to crunch on these during the game.

I looked to these two for inspiration:
Steamy kitchen
Claire Robinson

Sugar and Spice and Everything nice

Roasted Chickpeas
This recipe calls for two varieties of chickpeas, one salty/spicy and one sweet/spice-y.


2  12-oz. cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
4 paper towels
1 baking pan (with sides, like a jellyroll) w/parchment paper 
1 Oven preheated to 400 degrees
1 TB olive oil-ish
Pinch of salt
2 small bowls
1 TB of your favorite seasoning (I used Tony Chachere’s)
2 TB brown sugar + 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon


step one: Drain and rinse the chickpeas from the can. Lay down the parchment paper. On top of it, lay down 2 paper towels on the pan and scatter the chickpeas on it. Pat with the other 2 paper towels until semi-dry. Slide the chickpeas off of the paper towels and onto the parchment.


step two: Drizzle a little olive oil and toss the chickpeas until all are coated. Sprinkle salt on all of them and toss again. Bake for 30 minutes, or until toasted and a bit crunchy (not soft). Let cool on pan for 10 minutes


step three: Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil and toss the chickpeas again. (This is so the seasoning will stick better.) Then in two small bowls, divide the chickpeas evenly. In one bowl, toss with the “spicy” seasoning (like Tony Chachere’s). In the second bowl, toss with the brown sugar and cinnamon.


step four: Eat them happily, but do try to share.

Cinnamon sugar chickpeas

This will definitely be a repeat in our house. Fair amount of fiber, 1/4 of your daily iron needs, and really tasty. Hope you can try it sometime.


Happy eating!
Laurel

~Laurel~

14 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

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