Easy Pie Crust

I found this pie crust recipe and it is so easy to make. It takes so much better than the refrigerated ones at the store and is much easier to use since you don't have to unroll them!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups vegetable shortening (crisco)
3 cups flour
1 whole egg
5 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt

Directions
1. mix vegetable shortening and flour together in large bowl. Cut shortening into flour until small pellets form.
2. Beat egg and pour into flour mixture
3. Add water, vinegar and salt and stir together
4. Halve the dough into two balls and place in gallon ziploc bags
5. roll dough to flatten in bags and store in freezer (at least 15 minutes)
6. thaw 15 minutes before using.

I used these for a chicken pot pie. I put some melted butter on top before baking to make sure it looks golden!

Kristin

Egg Roll in a Bowl

I really love egg rolls but wanted to go for a *slightly* healthier option (basically, I just omitted the fried shell). So, I tried just creating the contents of the egg roll and putting it over rice and not doing the crispy wrapper. I think it turned out really well! Also, it was extremely easy to make so I will probably put this into the regular rotation.

Ingredients

Rice
1 cup jasmine rice
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Meat
1 pound hamburger meat (i did 93% lean)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 bag shredded cabbage and carrots (the coleslaw premix bag)

Sauce
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon ginger
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil

Garnish
3 green onions

Directions
1. Cook rice according to instructions and mix in ginger
2. Pour sesame oil into skillet over medium-high heat
3. Add in hamburger meat, ground ginger, and garlic salt and mix until meat is browned

4. Add in cabbage and carrots and stir for 5 minutes
5. While cabbage and carrots cook, mix sauce ingredients together in small bowl
6. Add sauce to meat mixture and cook for 5 additional minutes.
7. Spoon meat mixture over rice and add green onions for garnish

Let me know what you think and if anything else should be added to the recipe!

Thanks,
Kristin

Appetizer - Mozzarella Balls

So, I recently bought a bunch of fresh mozzarella balls at the grocery store because they were on sale and are delicious on salads! One of my favorite restaurants down the street makes fried goat cheese balls so I decided to try to make fried mozzarella balls as an appetizer to go with our Italian dinner last night. It was really easy to do!

Ingredients:
5 cups vegetable oil
Mozzarella balls (I had about 15 total)
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs (whisked together)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
marinara sauce

Directions:
1. Dip mozzarella balls in flour and coat completely.
2. Dip coated mozzarella balls in egg mixture and coat completely.
3. Roll mozzarella balls in breadcrumbs and put on a plate.
4. Place plate in freezer for about 10 minutes to harden and set.
5. Put oil into pot and heat on high (about 8 minutes).
6. In small batches (I did 4-6 at a time) place the mozzarella balls in the oil for 4 minutes.

7. Put fried balls on plate covered with a paper towel and allow to cool (5 minutes).

8. Serve with marinara sauce!

This was really tasty and I think we will definitely make this again soon!

Kristin

Teriyaki Turkey with Jasmine Rice

Recently I have been eating a lot of ground turkey instead of hamburger meat. It is a little leaner and I really like the taste. This recipe is great since the majority of the ingredients I already have on hand in the pantry. I only needed to buy the turkey and green onions! It is also really quick and easy to make with minimal cleanup (so that is a major plus in my opinion).

Ingredients:

1 cup Jasmine rice

For turkey mixture
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 small onion (diced)
2 minced cloves of garlic
ground turkey (1 package = roughly 1 pound)

For sauce mixture
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 cloves garlic (minced) to mix with sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Added vegetables
1 head of broccoli chopped
1 bag of baby carrots chopped (i just put them in the food processor)
1/4 cup water

Garnish
2 green onions diced (green part only)

Directions:
1. Follow directions on package and cook 1 cup of jasmine rice
2. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add sesame oil.
3. Add diced onion and cook about 6 minutes.
4. In a small saucepan mix together soy sauce, water, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, granulated sugar, garlic and ground ginger on medium heat
5. In a small bowl mix together cornstarch and water until thickened
6. While stirring sauce,  slowly add in cornstarch mixture and stir frequently until sauce is thickened (you can add water if it becomes too thick)
7. Add minced garlic and ground turkey to diced onion in saucepan and stir frequently until mostly browned.

8. Add broccoli, carrots and 1/4 cup water to a microwaveable bowl with microwave lid and cook on high for two minutes.
9. Add vegetables to turkey mixture and stir for about 5 minutes so meat is completely browned.

10. Mix in sauce with turkey mixture.

11. Spoon over cooked rice.
12. Garnish with green onions and serve.

I think you could also add some peas or green beans if you have those on hand!

Thanks,
Kristin

Lasagna with homemade noodles and fresh mozzarella

This is one of my favorite recipes because it is so easy and quick to make. Sometimes I make lasagna in the crockpot but since I made the noodles I decided to cook it in the oven (since I really do the crockpot to help the dried noodles out). It is really simple and pretty cheap to make!

Ingredients:
15 ounce can of tomato sauce
1 tablespoon orgeano
1 tablespoon italian seasoning
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 package 93% lean hamburger meat
1 16 ounce container cottage cheese
3 tablespoons parsley
1 egg
1 8 ounce package of parmesan cheese
pasta noodles (i doubled my pasta noodle recipe and put it at the bottom)*
1 8 ounce package of fresh mozzarella

Directions:
1. pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. brown hamburger meat in pan over medium-high heat

3. add in oregano, italian seasoning, salt, pepper
4. add in tomato sauce and simmer for ten minutes

5. mix cottage cheese, parsely, egg and parmesan together (sometimes i add spinach to this)

6. boil noodles for 2-3 minutes
7. take baking dish and coat bottom with hamburger sauce mixture
8. add layer of noodles
9. add layer of cheese mixture
10. repeat steps 6-8 until all ingredients are used

11. add mozzarella to top of dish

12. bake for 30 minutes


*Pasta Noodle Recipe:

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
4 eggs
1 tablespoon orgeano
1 tablespoon italian seasoning
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients with your hands

2. Form ball with dough
3. Allow dough to rest for about ten-twenty minutes
4. either use a pasta maker (i use a kitchenaid attachment) or roll and slice with pizza cutter

5. boil for 2-3 minutes

Homemade Pasta Noodles/ Chicken Parmesan over noodles and sauce

The past few weeks I have been making homemade pasta noodles instead of buying the fresh pasta noodles at the store. I was doing this for a few reasons. Mainly, to justify having a pasta maker attachment to my KitchenAid. But, also because it is much more affordable than buying both dried pasta and fresh pasta at the grocery store where I shop. The recipe to do it is so easy and I have played around with adding tons of different spices, oils, etc to give different tastes. But, one of the best combinations is below!

Ingredients
1 Cup Flour
2 eggs (you can omit the yokes if you want to)
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon coriander

Directions
1. Put all ingredients in a bowl

2. mix with hands into a ball of dough
3. allow dough to rest for about 15 minutes

4. put in pasta maker attachment OR roll out with a rolling pin and cut with a pizza cutter

The other night I added some spaghetti sauce with herb seasoning and baked chicken parmesan with fresh mozzarella on top of the pasta and it turned out amazing!

Ingredients:
can of 15 ounces tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon marjoram
2 chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour
1 egg (whipped)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
fresh mozzarella slices

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. In a bowl, mix together tomato sauce and all spices and put into baking dish
3. Dip chicken breasts in flour and cover completely
4. Dip chicken breasts in egg
5. Coat chicken breasts in breadcrumbs
6. Bake chicken covered for 40 minutes

7. add fresh mozzarella slices to top of chicken and cook for ten more minutes
8. cook fresh pasta in boiling water for three minutes and drain

9. Add fresh pasta to bowl and then add chicken on top


Thanks,
Kristin

Sausage and Cheese Nacho Dip/Baked Potato Stuffing

For the National Championship game earlier this week I made a sausage and nacho cheese dip to go with some lime tortilla chips that we had at the house. It is so simple to make and I put it together in the fondue pot (which is awesome since I always forget to use it). It is only three ingredients which makes it really easy and it's not healthy for you at all! We ended up having leftovers so I used those as the filling for a baked potato that we had for dinner last night. So, we ended up not wasting any of it which is a good thing. I think this is definitely a crowd pleaser when you are watching a sporting event!

Dip:

Ingredients
1 package ground sausage
1 block velvetta cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions
1. Brown sausage

2. add in velvetta cheese (cut into cubes)

3. stir in heavy cream until blended
* stir frequently and keep on low heat setting. Also, add more cream as needed for consistency

Baked Potato:

Ingredients
1 russet potato per person
sausage nacho dip

Directions:
1. preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. scrub potato clean under water
3. rub olive oil and sea salt on skin of potato
4. stab potato all over with fork so that you have tiny holes for baking
5. bake for 55 - 60 minutes
6. slice open and add sausage nacho dip to top for filling

Obviously, this is not healthy at all but it tastes amazing :-)

Kristin

Chili Recipe

So, I have made this chili recipe a half dozen times now and keep making small adjustments. But, I think I have finally gotten it the way I like it! The great thing about this crockpot chili is that it is so forgiving. So, I kind of dump whatever I have in the pantry in here. Since it has been snowing recently I haven't gone to the store as much so it is more of a hodgepodge. But, I think it turned out really well!

Ingredients:
1 pound hamburger meat (I use 93% lean)
3 cloves garlic (minced or grated)
1 small onion (chopped)
6 slices of bacon (chopped)
1 8 ounces can tomato sauce
1 can red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can lima beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can yellow corn (drained and rinsed)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 splash of Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup flour
sour cream (for topping)
cheddar cheese (shredded from the block for topping)
tortilla chips (i like the lime flavored ones)

















Directions 

1. Chop onion and grate garlic and add to a skillet with a bit of olive oil over medium-high heat. 
    Cook until onion is translucent (about 8 minutes)
2. Add hamburger meat and brown completely (about 8-10 minutes)
3. Stir frequently so meat, onions, and garlic do not burn
4. In a separate skillet, add about 6 slices of bacon and cook (normally about 10 minutes on medium-high heat)
5. Add cooked bacon, meat, onion and garlic into crockpot
6. Mix in kidney beans, pinto beans, lima beans and yellow corn
7. Mix in brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, 
    Worcestershire sauce and 1/4 cup all purpose flour and stir thoroughly (if it seems too thick add 1/4 cup water)
8. Allow chili to cook on low for 2 hours so all flavors can blend
9. Serve with sour cream topping, grated cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips!

Assuming you have the spices in the cabinet the meal costs about $12 for four servings!

Also, I sometimes omit some of the spices and the beans if I am out and throw in something else instead.

Thanks,
Kristin

Crockpot Baby Back Ribs

Hi Everyone,

Happy Super Bowl Sunday! I have been using my new crockpot nonstop and we just made the best recipe for ribs. I would highly recommend trying this out (especially for social events)! It was really easy to prepare and to clean up and was ready in a relatively short amount of time. I got the recipe from a Slow Cooker cookbook from William Sonoma that I got for Christmas! I served this with vegetables and homemade bread.

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil

1 small yellow onion (finely chopped)

3 cloves of garlic (minced) 

1 cup ketchup (I used Heinz)

3 T Worcestershire sauce

3 T dry white wine (I used some chardonnay from my wine club: https://www.clubw.com/2ctss1w1q0).

1 t lemon zest (I omitted this the second time I made the recipe)

1.5 T fresh lemon juice

1.5 T brown sugar

1.5 t dry mustard

1.5 t chili powder

1 t ground cumin

¼ t celery salt

Salt

1 t hot-pepper sauce

5 pound baby back ribs (The second time I used regular back ribs that the butcher cut for me. This was the butcher’s recommendation and we could not tell a difference in taste. Also, they were very meaty and cost ½ the price of the baby back ribs)

Directions:

Sauce:

Heat in T of oil in a saucepan over medium heat

Add the onion and garlic to cook for about 5 minutes

Stir in the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, brown sugar, mustard, chili powder, cumin, celery salt, and a dash of salt.

Bring ingredients to simmer and then reduce heat to low and stir occasionally for 15 minutes.

Stir in hot pepper sauce (you can add in more than recommended for taste)

 Transfer to a bowl to cool (can be stored in refrigerator for up to 24 hours)

Ribs:

Cut the racks into individual ribs.

Preheat the oven to broiler and put a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet and arrange the ribs.

 Broil the ribs for 6 minutes per side (total of 12 minutes).

 Place the ribs in the slow cooker and add the sauce. Make sure ribs are coated evenly.

Cover and cook the ribs on low for 5-6 hours.

Transfer ribs to plates and pour on remaining sauce from slow cooker.

 Serve immediately!

Enjoy!

Kristin

Easy Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe!

Hi Everyone!

I am a little embarrassed that it has been so long since I have updated with a new recipe. But, we moved over Christmas and we have been really busy unpacking and setting up the new house (Pippa and Jasper are loving the bigger yard and pond!).

For Christmas my parents got me a new crockpot (I have been wanting this All Clad one for over a year and it was finally on sale and slightly more affordable) so I have been using it as much as possible!

Last night I made a new Chicken Enchilada Soup recipe mostly because I caught some kind of bug while traveling in Seattle and Columbus for the past two weeks and wanted soup. I didn’t take many pictures because it is was literally the easiest thing ever and just required combining ingredients!

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of diced tomatoes
• 1 can of black beans
• 2 cans of sweet corn
• 1 cup of rice (I used Arborio)
• 1 onion (diced)
• 3 chicken breasts
• 1 Tablespoon of cumin
• 1 Tablespoon of Chili Powder
• 2 cups of chicken stock

Directions:

1. Combine diced tomatoes, black beans, corn and diced onion in crockpot
2. Place chicken breasts across top
3. Add 2 cups of chicken stock
4. Mix in Cumin and Chili Powder
5. Cook on low for 6 hours
6. Stir in 1 cup of rice
7. Cook on low for 1 hour
8. Serve

Let me know what you think!

-         Kristin

Salted Caramel Chocolate Pecan Pie

Hi Everyone,

Happy Thanksgiving! About two years ago I got my monthly subscription of Southern Living (I have been a loyal reader since I was in high school!) and found the best chocolate pecan pie recipe. It is always a hit at parties and for the holidays. Since it is such a staple in my dessert rotation this time of year it made since that we would bring it as our contribution to Thanksgiving dinner. I have included the recipe below! Let me know what you think when you try it!

Ingredients:

Chocolate Filling:

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup of melted butter

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup 100% cacao unsweetened cocoa

1 T light corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 cup toasted chopped pecans

1 pre-made graham cracker pie crust

Salted Caramel Topping:

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup heavy cream

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon table salt

2 cups toasted pecan halves

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Stir together 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup of melted butter, 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup 100% cacao unsweetened cocoa, 1 T light corn syrup and 1 tsp vanilla extract in a large bowl.

• Add eggs and stir until well blended.
• Fold in chopped pecans.

• Pour mixture into pie shell.

• Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
• Remove from oven to a wire rack.

• While pie cooks, bring 3/4 cup sugar, 1 T lemon juice, and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat.

• Do not stir and swirl ingredients occasionally until the sugar begins to change color (I did this for 8 minutes until the sugar turned to dark amber).
• As a side note: make sure to not walk away since the sugar can burn quickly once it changes color.
• Remove from heat and add cream and 4 T butter. Stir constantly until bubbling stops and butter is incorporated (about 1 minute). Stir in table salt.

• Arrange pecan halves on pie (I did this while the sugar caramelized).

• Top with warm caramel. (I only used about half of the caramel and saved the rest for some homemade icecream!)
• Cool 15 minutes and sprinkle with sea salt.

Enjoy!

Kristin