Smothered Chicken over Brown Rice

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 teaspoon creole seasoning, store bought or homemade
2 medium carrots chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 small onion chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
 Brown rice cooked in chicken broth and butter for extra flavor


Make It:
Heat a large pot over medium high heat, add oil to pan. Once oil is hot add chicken and brown on both sides. Remove chicken from pot. Add butter, once melted add veggies. Cook and stir till veggies are tender. Pour wine into pot, stir and scrape bottom of pan. Allow to simmer and reduce by half. Pour soup and chicken broth into pot, stir to combine. Stir in garlic powder and creole seasoning. Put chicken back in pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat cover and allow to cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over rice. Enjoy!

Tater Tot Casserole/ Bacon Mushroom Cheeseburger Tot Casserole

So I was gonna make the standard tater tot casserole and then I decided to do a different take on a burger and tots so I cerated this. It turned out pretty tasty!


Ingredients:
1/2 package mushrooms, quartered
1 pound ground beef
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup beef broth
2 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons butter
4 slices bacon, cut into pieces, cooked and drained
1/2 package frozen tater tots


Make It:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat a large pan over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Add onion and cook until tender. Meanwhile in a separate small saucepan heated over medium heat add butter. Once melted add mushrooms and cook until tender. Add flour and stir, cook for a minute, add beef broth and whisk to combine. Cook until thickened, turn off heat. Drain extra grease off meat and onion. Pour meat mixture into a 9x9 casserole dish. Pour mushroom mixture over top of meat, stir to combine. Evenly put tater tots on top of meat mixture, bake for 15 minutes, until tots are browned. Sprinkle cheese over top of tots and bake until melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle bacon on top of cheese. Enjoy!

Beef and Broccoli

Ingredients:

1 pound top sirloin steaks, cut into strips

1 head broccoli, separated and blanched

1/2 yellow onion, cut into strips

1/2 red bell pepper, cut onto strips

1/2 cup beef broth

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground ginger
a little sriracha or crushed red pepper flakes for heat if you like

sticky rice(optional)

Make It:
In a bowl mix together soy sauce, beef broth, ground ginger, cornstarch, garlic powder and srircha or red pepper flakes, set aside. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to pan. Put meat in pan and stir fry until browned all over, remove from pan. Add second tablespoon oil to pan, add vegetables and stir fry for a couple minutes, until they are tender. Add meat back to pan, stir to combine. Push meat and vegetables to the side and pour in sauce, allow to thicken and bubble, this will happen fast. Stir veggies and meat with sauce, until coated. Serve over rice. Enjoy!

Menu for January 17th - January 23rd

So far my precious baby just eats and sleeps so I have time to work on my recipes. I'm trying to do 2 new ones a week, big emphasis on trying. Waking up every 2 hours throughout the night can make your brain a little foggy. I have 2 brand new recipes this week and 2 others that are not new to our table but have not been posted yet. I have been craving a rich delicious chocolate cake so that will be the dessert, something about breastfeeding gives me the worst sweet tooth ever. Happy January, I love the weather!

Monday- Pork Loin Chop, scalloped potatoes, butter carrots
Tuesday- Beef and Broccoli, sticky rice
Wednesday- Tater Tot Casserole, green salad
Thursday- Smothered Chicken over Brown Rice, orange segments
Friday- Homemade French Bread Pizza
Saturday- Spicy Rigatoni, caesar salad, garlic bread
Sunday- Football inspired burgers! The afternoon game is New York Jets @ Pittsburgh Steelers. So i'm making Roethlis-Burger Sliders and Sanchez Sliders


Dessert of the Week: Chocolate Cake

Stuffed Shells

I started making these long before I got married, the recipe has changed many times over the years, but I think it is perfect now. If you prefer you can easily leave the meat out of this recipe. If you have leftover ricotta mixture do not throw it away, hollow out a red bell pepper or zucchini half and fill it with mixture, bake until vegetable is soft and enjoy!

Make It:
30 - 35 big pasta shells, cooked according to directions on box, and rinsed with cold water to cool off
1 16oz container ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup cup fresh basil or 2 tablespoons dry basil
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes with basil
3 oz tomato paste
1/2 chopped onion
1/2 chopped bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, smashed but not chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons italian seasoning
1/2 cup good red wine
1/2 pound ground beef

Make It:
In a bowl mix together ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, parmesan, salt, pepper and basil. Taste to see if you need more salt and pepper. Stir in egg, refrigerate until ready to use. Heat a large pot over medium high heat, add meat to pot, break up with a spoon. Cook until browned add onion and pepper to pot. Cook stirring often until veggies are soft. Drain off extra grease. Stir in garlic and wine, allow wine to reduce by half. Stir in tomatoes and tomato paste, if to thick stir in a little water. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, cover and cook for an hour, stirring occasionally. Uncover and stir in salt and italian seasoning. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. While sauce is cooking for those last 30 minutes, preheat oven to 350 degrees and fill shells with ricotta cheese mixture. Use a 13 x 9 casserole dish, place one to two ladles of sauce in bottom of dish, enough to cover the bottom. Place filled shells on sauce. Pour rest of sauce evenly over the top of the shells. Sprinkle rest of mozzarella over top of sauce. Cover with a piece of foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for thirty minutes, uncover and bake for another 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Cornbread Muffins

I got this recipe off an old box of cornmeal a long time ago.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons melted butter
Honey and butter(optional)

Make It:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line 12 muffin cups. Mix together all dry ingredients in one bowl. Mix all wet ingredients in another bowl until combined. Add wet to dry, stir until just combined, you don't want to over mix it. Pour evenly into all muffin cups. Bake for 19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes then remove to a metal rack. Serve with honey and butter. Enjoy!

Chili Beans

Ingredients:
1 26oz can Ranch style beans
116oz can Baked beans
115oz can Kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 15oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 pound ground beef


Make It:
Heat a large pot over medium high heat, add ground beef and break up with a spoon. Cook until browned, add onion and pepper to meat. cook until vegetables are softened stirring occasionally. Drain off fat. Stir in all other ingredients. Bring to a simmer, stir, reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove lid and cook for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add more seasoning if needed. Enjoy!

Menu for January 10th - January 16th

Well it is a new year and I have a beautiful baby girl. So far she is perfect, if she wasn't I don't think I would be able to be blogging again. I'm very glad to not be pregnant anymore, and I have most of my motivation back. I have been doing this for over a year and even though I hit creative walls, I still love to do it. Hope somebody else enjoys it too. Cheers to a great new year!


Monday- Jambalaya, green salad
Tuesday- Chili Beans and Cornbread Muffins, pearsauce
Wednesday- New York Steak, baked potatoes, butter carrots
Thursday- Baked Chicken, stuffing, broccoli
Friday- Pizza
Saturday- Birthday Party
Sunday- Stuffed Shells, garlic bread, caesar salad

Dessert of the Week: Creamy Chocolate Cream Pie

Menu for December 6th - December 12th

So I know I have been slacking on posting again, some weeks go by so fast I don't even know where they go. With baby number four almost here and maintaining the other three my cooking is becoming much more simple. I love Christmas time, we have already begun test runs on cookies for this year. Since pregnancy is ruling my brain, they will all be chocolate and peanut butter, thats just what sounds good to me. The game this week is in New England so I did not try to find a popular food or dish for there, just did not feel like it. It should be a good game to watch though. My kids have declared that fridays should be pizza day, so every friday for the most part we will have some kind of pizza. At least they eat it without complaint and it gives them something to look forward to after a week of school. They are both doing so well they deserve what they like. I'm still trying lots of new recipes so as usual I will try to post the good ones.

Monday- Chicken Enchiladas, green salad
Tuesday- Steak and Tater Soup, crescent rolls
Wednesday- Creamy Chicken Penne, peas
Thursday- Chili Beans and Cornbread
Friday- Pizza
Saturday- Chicken Enchilada Suizas, butter carrots
Sunday- Guacamole Pork Burger, fries

Dessert of the Week: Dark Chocolate Chip and Walnut Cookie, Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

Cincinnati Chili

When I started making foods to go with the towns the football games are in, Cincinnati Chili was something I was wanting to try. Last year there was not a game there so I did not get to make it. So when I saw the schedule for this year I was excited that I would finally get to try it. Cincinnati chili is flavored with a different spice mix than normal chili, it has allspice, cinnamon and cloves. When I read the recipe I was a little worried that it would not taste good, but I made it anyways. Of course the kids hardly ever like anything new, so they did not like it, but i'm glad we tried it. Typically it served over spaghetti noodles with chili toppings like cheddar cheese and onions. You want it to be runny like a spaghetti sauce, not thick like a chili. Also it has to refrigerate overnight.

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
2 cans tomato sauce(16 ounces total)
1 onion, chopped
21 ounces beef broth
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate


Make It:
Heat a large pot over medium heat, add meat to pan. Stir and brown, breaking up the meat with the spoon as it cooks. Once meat is browned, drain off almost all of the fat, add onions to pan. Cook until the onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add all seasonings, tomato sauce, chocolate and broth to pot, stir to combine. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, allow to cool and refrigerate overnight. Reheat over medium heat and enjoy over spaghetti noodles topped with cheese, onions, sour cream and even add kidney beans if you like.

Menu for November 8th - November 14th

Just a normal week for us. I'm trying to start planning for the arrival of our new little bundle, she will be here before I know it. I'm starting to uncomfortable almost all the time so thats fun. I know I have lots to do but would really prefer to just sit on the couch and eat. I think the weather might start to get cold and i'm very excited, I enjoy cooking a lot more in the winter. More casseroles and soups! Also I found a wonderful website that has lots of football recipes so I will be trying out some of those and posting the good ones. The menu this week has 3 new recipes and Kili's favorite tacos!


Monday- Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati, Cincinnati Chili over spaghetti, green salad
Tuesday- Tacos, apple slices
Wednesday- Roasted Pork Tenderloin with sweet potato fries, celery and onion
Thursday- Ravioli Soup, cesar salad
Friday- pizza
Saturday- Roast Chicken with Pan Gravy, twice baked potato, broccoli
Sunday- Stuffed Bell Peppers, Cheese Bread, fruit salad


Dessert of the Week: Peanut Butter Cookies

Chipotle Pork Burger

So after doing some research I discovered that Indiana's biggest crop is corn and they are known for a huge pork tenderloin sandwich. Even though the sandwich sounded good I decided to roll with a twist and make this spicy pork burger. I found the original recipe online but of course changed it for our tastes. This was so good! I will be doing lots of pork burgers from now on!


Ingredients:
1 pound ground pork
2 chopped chipotle peppers
4 slices Monterey jack cheese
4 hamburger buns
1 avocado
3 tablespoons fire roasted tomatillo salsa
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
salt and pepper


Make It:
In a bowl mix together pork, chipotles and salt and pepper. Once combined form into four patties, set on a plate and place in the refrigerator. Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl mush avocado with a fork, then stir in salsa and cilantro leaves. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Lay cheese slices out so they get warm, tis helps them melt faster. Put patties in skillet and cook four minutes per side, place whole skillet in oven for 6 minutes. Put cheese on patties, leave in oven until cheese is melted. Toast buns in oven. Serve one patty on each bun, topped with 2 tablespoons of the avocado salsa. Enjoy!

Fresh Salsa(pico de gallo)

This is my favorite kind of salsa, I make it constantly throughout the summer. You can adjust the spice level to your liking by adding more or less jalapeno.


Ingredients:
4 tomatoes, quartered and seeded and chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/2 white onion chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped(remove the seeds and white rib if you don't like heat)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
juice from 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin


Make It:
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and place in refrigerator for at least an hour. Stir and Enjoy!

Spicy Chicken Penne

This recipe will work with any kind of precooked chicken, so use up those leftovers.


Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chicken
2 cups penne noodles
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
2 cups pasta sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon italian seasoning

Make It:
Boil water in a large pot for pasta. In a bowl mix together chicken, red pepper flakes and italian seasoning.
Add noodles to water and cook for time designated on package. Turn oven to 375 degrees. Heat pasta sauce, just till it is hot. Drain noodles and add to chicken mixture, stir. Mix in parmesan and 1 cup of mozzarella. Pour into a casserole dish, sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella. Bake until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Menu for November 1st- November 7th

Well as you can see I have not been posting at all. We have been so busy and i'm more tired because of the pregnancy. I have been simplifying our menu to prep myself for when the baby comes. Even though I hate slowing down and resting I have too, my body says so. We have not been going to the farmers market, I get everything from fresh and easy and just make sure it is California grown. My mood and cravings are all over the place so the menu is all over the place too. I'm making lots of old favorites and only trying a couple new recipes a week. I got an idea to do a 6 week meal plan from a blog I follow, and once I have the baby and we get settled I will start doing our menu that way and I will share the process. I have ten weeks left and can't seem to sleep for longer than 4 hours, it makes life fun.


Monday- Houston @ Indianapolis Chipotle Pork Burgers, chips and salsa, corn
Tuesday- Spicy Chicken Penne, salad, bread
Wednesday- Tri-Tip, mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy, peas
Thursday- Chicken Burritos, refried beans, pear slices
Friday- Beef and Broccoli, sticky rice
Saturday- Chicken Enchilada Casserole, butter carrots
Sunday- Pork Loin Chop, penne and cheese, applesauce


Dessert of the week: Turtle Brownies

Menu for October 11th- October 17th

I did not get a menu posted last week because our house was filled with sick kids. Thank goodness everybody is better now. I'm headed to a family reunion this weekend at the coast. Kili turned 7 today, I cannot believe it! So as usual the menu for the week is customed towards her. Oh and so much for the niners doing good this year, maybe next year!


Monday-Minnesota Vikings at New York Jets, Pizza
Tuesday- Beef and Noodle Stir Fry
Wednesday- Chicken Pot Pie
Thursday- Tri-tip, Baked Potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower
Friday- Chicken Pasta Casserole, butter carrots
Saturday- Family Reunion
Sunday- Party


Dessert of the Week: Red Velvet Cake

Menu for September 27th - October 3rd

Wow it was so hot this weekend, yuck! The niners lost again, I think my hope for a winning season is almost gone. We went to Mama Rombas for dinner on friday, we have never been there before and it was very good. I loved the arepas! I tried 2 new recipes last week, one was good and I will post it the other needs some things changed and we will try it again. The monday night game this week is Green Bay at Chicago, it should be a good game, when we think Chicago we think deep dish, which I would love to try to make someday but right now I don't have the energy, so I will order out. Have a great week!

Monday- Green Bay at Chicago, order BJ's Pizza
Tuesday- HH Lasagna, butter carrots
Wednesday- Pot Roast with Mashed Potatoes, Veggies and Gravy
Thursday- Beef Stir Fry with Noodles
Friday- Cheesy Chicken and Rice, broccoli
Saturday- Party
Sunday- Pork Chops, twice baked potatoes, peas


Dessert of the Week: Red Velvet Cupcakes

Menu for September 20th - September 26th

All back to normal this week, the cold is finally gone. Tuesday is Mike and I's 8 year anniversary, wow! I'm trying out 3 new recipes this week, hopefully they will be worth posting. Monday night is New Orleans @ San Francisco. San Francisco is hard for me because mainly they are known for seafood, which this house does not really like. So I had to go with what else they are known for sourdough bread! Also I have begun freezing and dehydrating peaches and nectarines to enjoy over the winter, they will be gone soon.

Monday- New Orleans @ San Francisco Sourdough Bacon Cheeseburger, cumin fries
Tuesday- Happy Anniversary to me!
Wednesday- Taco Biscuit Bake, green salad
Thursday- Pork and Beans, butter carrots
Friday- Easy Chicken and Rice, rolls
Saturday- Spaghetti and Meatballs, broccoli
Sunday- Mexican Sloppy Joe's, tater tots, fruit salad


Dessert of the Week: Kids make Chocolate Cake

Spicy Swiss Steak

Not that there is anything wrong with traditional swiss steak, it is just a little bland for me. So I came up with this, The prep is quick and it is very tasty. I serve it over rice.

Ingredients:
6 cube steaks or round steaks
1 packet taco seasoning
1 bell pepper, cut into chunks
1/2 onion, cut into chunks
1 can rotel
1 jalapeno, diced
1 can diced ortega chiles


Make It:
Lay all steaks out and season each side with taco seasoning. Mix the rest of the seasoning packet in a bowl with the other ingredients. Heat a skillet over medium high heat, spray with cooking spray, brown each steak on both sides. Spray inside of crock pot with cooking spray, spoon a small amount of the tomato mixture onto the bottom of the crock pot, just enough to cover the bottom. Place one piece of steak on mixture then spoon more on top of steak, continuing this process with all the steaks. Pour the rest of the mixture on top. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Enjoy!

Menu for September 13th - September 19th

Sorry for the delay on posting this menu, I have been battling a mean cold. This week has the first monday night football game and I chose to base our dinner on Kansas City. I'm glad I did since it ended up being a very exciting game. Asisde from the bad cold this is just another regular week for us.


Monday- San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Beans, green salad
Tuesday- Steak Flauta Enchiladas, fruit salad
Wednesday- Chicken Pot Pie
Thursday- Spicy Swiss Steak, rice, broccoli
Friday- Quick Chicken Parmesan, veggie pasta alfredo
Saturday- Pork Loin, Butternut Squash & Apple with a Dijon Cream Sauce
Sunday- Meatball Sandwiches, summer squash and eggplant saute


Dessert of the Week: Chocolate Cream Pie