Tag Archives: easy

PW’s Spicy Beans

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My sister visited this summer – and while that was awesome, she made it even more memorable by making these amazing beans! This will forever be my go-to recipe for pinto beans and the whole family enjoys them – so much that I made them three times in one month. Don’t let the “spicy” deter you, these are easily modified. Two teaspoons of pepper is too much for our palettes, so I only add 1 or 1 1/2 teaspoons. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Spicy Beans – adapted from The Pioneer Woman

  • 4 cups Dry Pinto Beans
  • 1 whole Ham Hock
  • 2 quarts of water (this is the perfect amount for me)
  • 1 whole Onion, Diced
  • 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
  • 2 whole Jalapenos, Sliced
  • 2 teaspoons Salt, More To Taste
  • 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
  • 1 – 1 1/2  teaspoons Black Pepper

Directions –

Sort through the beans, making sure to pick out all the weird looking and broken beans and rocks. Dump the sorted beans in a large colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water.

Place beans in a stock pot with the ham hock and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for 2 hours, checking occasionally to make sure the water level is fine. Add more water as needed.

Then throw in diced onion, red bell pepper, garlic and jalapeno. Cover and continue cooking for another hour or two, remembering to check the water level.

Add salt, chili powder (if desired) and pepper, then cover and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until beans are lovely and tender.

Deep Dish Pepperoni and Sausage Pizza

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I know I have said this of dinner a lot lately, but really – this was just so good! Instead of the recommended 9″ skillet (who can find that size anyway?) I used 9″ cake pans. I loved that two pizzas can go in the oven at a time, whereas with my usual method (bottom of the oven on a pizza stone), I can only bake one pizza at a time. The crust was pillowy, chewy and slightly crisp because of the olive oil. The kids and I enjoy dipping our crust in pizza or marinara sauce (I had some of this – it’s my favorite), and the salad is a mix of organic Romaine, baby spinach and Roma tomatoes and this dressing. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Basic Pizza Dough – adapted from The Comfort of Cooking

  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/3 cups warm water
  • 1 envelope yeast

Directions:

Add the yeast to the warm water and set aside for 5 minutes.

Mix together the flour, salt, sugar and olive oil. Stir the yeast into the water and make sure it’s all dissolved. Add it to the flour mixture. Mix until everything is combined, and knead with a dough machine or by hand for about 8 minutes.

Oil two bowls lightly with olive oil and set aside. Divide the dough into two pieces and roll into balls. Place each ball into the oiled bowls, seam side down, and brush the tops with a little olive oil. Top each bowl with plastic wrap or a clean, dry towel and place the dough in a warm place (I use a turned-off oven). Let rise 2 hours.

Once risen, use the dough or wrap in plastic wrap, then a plastic bag, and freeze or refrigerate.

Chunky Pizza Sauce – adapted from Annie’s Eats

  • 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 1/2 TBSP olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp. dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Allow to cook for at least 15 minutes.  Once finished cooking, remove from the heat.  If you prefer a smoother sauce, use a potato masher or immersion blender to break up the chunks of tomato.  Alternatively, simply leave it as is if you prefer a chunkier sauce.  Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Deep Dish Pepperoni and Sausage Pizza – adapted from The Comfort of Cooking

  • 3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 6 ounces Italian sausage, casings removed
  • sliced pepperoni, roughly chopped
  • 12 ounces pizza dough
  • 1/2 pound mozzarella, shredded
  • Parmesan, Asiago, Pecorino Romano or other hard Italian cheeses, grated (to taste, optional)
  • olive oil mixed with true garlic powder for painting the crust

Directions

Cook sausage over medium heat until browned, making sure to break the meat up into crumbles.

Heat oven to 400° F. Coat a 9-inch oven-proof skillet or cake pan with 1 ½ tablespoons of the oil. Stretch and press the dough into the pan, covering the bottom and sides. Top the dough with chunky pizza sauce, top with half the mozzarella, sausage, pepperoni and remaining mozzarella. Grate Parmesan, Pecorino Romano and Asiago (optional – I had remnant blocks of these in my fridge) over all. Paint the crust with olive oil/garlic powder mixture and sprinkle dried oregano over top all. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes.

Macaroni (1870)

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This macaroni and cheese is all about the cheese – duh, right? Quality is super important, so splurge  a little and do not use pre-shredded cheese!  This is quicker than other recipes I have tried and it’s great if you have less than a full box of pasta in your pantry (my box weighed 9.9 ounces) and remnant cheeses in your fridge. I used smoked gouda and some other chunk that might have been Emmentaler? Next time I will use a sharp English cheddar, although the kids might not appreciate it. The cheese sauce is much more “soupy” than other recipes that are thickened with a roux, but the longer it sits and cools the thicker it becomes. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Macaroni (1870) – adapted from Kitchen Historic

  • 10 ounces macaroni
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 2/3 cup cream
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • cayenne, to taste
  • 8 ounces old cheddar, grated
Directions:

1. Set a large pot of water to boil and cook the macaroni until tender. Strain the water and return the macaroni to the pot.
2. While the macaroni is cooking, mix the milk, flour, and butter in a medium saucepan. Stir until combined and butter has melted.
3. To the sauce, add the cream, mustard, salt, pepper, cayenne, and cheese. Mix together and simmer for ~5 minutes or until thickened.
4. Add finished sauce to macaroni and stir, cooking until evenly heated.

Baked Rice Pudding

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I was in need of some comfort food! Rice pudding reminds me of my Gram, so what’s more comforting than that? 😉 The rice baked up perfectly, with a nice bite, not mushy, and it was just sweet enough for my tastes. The original poster claimed this recipe will serve four – ha! 😉 Let me put it this way:  if it was a really bad day, I could easily have eaten all of this myself! Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Milky Rice Pudding – adapted from The Parsley Thief

  • unsalted butter, for greasing baking dish
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1/3 cup arborio rice
  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • a pinch of salt
  • ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Generously butter a baking dish, or pie plate.
Add the milk, rice, brown sugar & salt to a mixing bowl, or measuring cup. Whisk, until well combined & pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake for about 1 hour 10 minutes, or until the rice is very tender & most of the liquid has been absorbed. While the pudding is cooking, stir every 10 minutes, or so. When it nears the end of the cooking time, a skin will form on the surface of the pudding. When done, stir the pudding, divide into serving bowls & garnish with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.

Garlic Green Beans

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Quick Post: These were so good, (so was the entire meal – roast chicken and garlic rice pilaf linkage). This is such an easy, amazingly flavorful meal and definitely company worthy (not to mention cheap!) It hits all the right buttons! Thanks for reading, enjoy 🙂

Garlic Green Beans – adapted from A Sweet Pea Chef

  • 1 lb. fresh green beans, stems removed
  • 2 tbsp. unsalted butter (**next time, I’ll use 1 TBSP**)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions:

Steam green beans until slightly tender, about 6-8 minutes.

Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes. Transfer steamed green beans to the melted butter and garlic. Toss to coat green beans evenly and continue to saute for approximately 5 minutes over medium heat.

Stir Fry

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This was really good and my whole family enjoyed this meal. Next time I will add some honey or more orange juice for a little more sweetness, because the savory flavors were pretty strong. I like my flavors to have a little more balance, but other than that this is definitely a winner. Even my kids wondered if I’ll make this again! I can’t beat that kind of enthusiasm, especially when it has so many veggies in it. I will add more veggies next time and the fam requested baby carrots, and I missed the crispy crunch of water chestnuts. M doesn’t care for those, but he can pick them out; which means more for me 😉 Thanks for reading, enjoy!
Pat’s Broccoli and Chicken Stir-Fry – adapted from Food Network
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes, plus more to taste, if desired
  • 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon peanut oil, plus more as needed
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons peeled and chopped ginger
  • 1 cup snap peas, rinsed and blanched
  • 1 cup bell pepper, sliced and blanched
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced at an angle – thin, blanched
  • 2 cups broccoli florets, blanched

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, orange juice, rice wine vinegar, light brown sugar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes and cornstarch. Reserve.

Set a wok over medium-high heat and coat with 1 tablespoon of peanut oil. When the oil shimmers, add about half of the chicken thigh pieces. Stir-fry until the chicken is fully cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat the process with the remaining chicken thighs.

Add enough peanut oil to the hot wok to coat the bottom. Add the garlic, ginger, green onions, and red pepper flakes, to taste, and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chicken back to the pan along with the broccoli florets and stir to warm through. Pour in the reserved sauce and stir until the sauce is thickened and bubbly, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Turkey Roast Dip with Gruyere

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Quick Post: So, you don’t like turkey? Well, make this for the people in your life who do, and you’ll score major points!! This is seriously the best turkey meal I have eaten – it comes in second after my favorite Thanksgiving turkey recipe. I cannot put into words how amazing this is – I just accept it; and can’t wait for more people to try this. Using fresh herbs is so important because it’s where most of the flavor comes from.  I used some homemade chicken stock – again, because there isn’t a whole lot going on in this, so use the best ingredients. Thanks for reading, enjoy!!

Turkey Roast Dip with Gruyere – adapted from Kelsey Nixon

for the turkey:

  • 3 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 large onion, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock – preferably homemade
  • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 (3-pound) bone-in turkey breast
 for the sandwiches
  • 6 demi French baguettes, sliced in half (**I used a loaf of this**)
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • Gruyere cheese
Directions:

For the turkey: In a small mixing bowl, mix together the softened butter and fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.Spread the chopped onions over the bottom of a slow cooker. Pour the chicken stock and Worcestershire sauce into the slow cooker. Sprinkle the turkey with salt and pepper. Slather the turkey breast with herb butter, spreading half under the turkey skin. Place the turkey on top of the onions, breast side up. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours, checking it after 4 hours to see if the internal temperature has reached 170 degree F. Once the turkey reaches 170 degrees F, remove it from the slow cooker, transfer to a cutting board, tent with aluminum foil and allow to rest 10 minutes before slicing. Reserve any juices from the slow cooker. After the breast has rested, remove the skin and slice very thinly using a sharp knife.

For the sandwich: Preheat the broiler. Brush each side of the sliced bread with the softened butter and place on a baking sheet, buttered side up. Top each buttered baguette with sliced cheese. Place under the broiler until the cheese melts and begins to turn golden brown.

Carefully remove from the oven. Pile the sliced turkey on the bottom half of each sandwich before topping it with the cheesy top. Serve the turkey au jus left over in the slow cooker for dipping.

Carrot Ginger Dressing

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Quick Post: One of my favorite things to order at local Japanese restaurants is the side salad with carrot ginger dressing. I don’t know why it’s so good, I just accept it! Now that I have a recipe for it that tastes so good, I can enjoy it in the comfort of my own home and I can make it cheap! Really, the most expensive ingredient was the miso paste. Now that I have a huge container of it, there is plenty to go around for lots more of this; and my next experiment – miso soup! I doubled the recipe and I’m glad I did. Between the three of us, half the jar was put away 🙂 Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Carrot Ginger Dressing – adapted from Smitten Kitchen via GOOP.com
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 small shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh ginger
  • 2 tablespoons sweet white miso
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seed oil
  • 1/4 cup grapeseed or another neutral oil
  • 2 tablespoons water

Salad:

  • Romaine lettuce
  • avocado
  • cucumber

Blitz the carrots, shallot and ginger in a blender or food processor until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides, then add the miso, vinegar and sesame oil. While the machine running, slowly drizzle in the grapeseed oil and the water.

Divide the lettuce among four bowls, add some of the onion and a quarter of the avocado. Drizzle with plenty of dressing and serve.

 

 

 

Brown Sugar Waffles

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Another weekend, another waffle recipe! Maybe next week I will try a chocolate waffle, although that would probably be much more appropriate as a dessert (with vanilla ice cream on top…yum!) This recipe made nine waffles which was more than enough for the four of us. I like larger batches like this one so the leftovers can go into the fridge or freezer for quick breakfasts during the week for my kids. Next time I make these, I will plan ahead to have the candied bacon the recipe calls for! Thanks for reading, enjoy 🙂
Brown Sugar Waffles – adapted from Pink Parsley
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2/3 cups canola oil
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups buttermilk

Set your waffle iron a clean level surface, and set to preheat.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar together in a large bowl.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and buttermilk.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and fold in the wet ingredients.  Stir until just combined (its okay to still be lumpy).  Gently fold in the bacon, being careful not to overmix.

Cook in the waffle maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Serve immediately or leave keep them warm in a 250 degree oven until it’s time to eat! 🙂

Comeback Sauce

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Quick Post: I pinned this awhile back and knew that I had to try it. There is a lot going on in this sauce, but it all works! I whipped this up the other afternoon to use on sandwiches instead of plain ‘ol mustard and mayo. It didn’t have much time to sit and meld, but that didn’t matter. The flavors worked together really well, and I’m positive that it’s only going to taste better with age. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Comeback Sauce – adapted from Syrup and Biscuits

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4  cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup chili sauce
  • 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
  • 1/4 cup light olive oil (*I used grapeseed oil)
  • juice of one lemon
Directions:

Mix all ingredients well and store in refrigerator overnight.