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

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

Breakfast Quiche Recipe!

Hi Everyone,

This morning I was at a loss when it came to ideas for breakfast. But, ultimately I decided to make a quiche since we have a lot of vegetables in the fridge that needed to be used. This one was really tasty and you can easily substitute the ham for sausauge or bacon. I will definitely be repeating this one when we have company in town for the holidays!

Ingredients:
1 refrigerated pie crust (i used Pillsbury)
4 eggs
1 cup of milk
1/2 onion (chopped)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1 cup spinach leaves
3 tomatoes
1 avocado
4 slices of ham (chopped)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Spray nonstick vegetable spray in pone 9-inch pie pan and spread pie crust 

• In a small bowl mix the 4 eggs and 1 cup of milk together and pour into pie pan
• Add cheddar and mozzarella cheese to egg and milk mixture in pie pan

• Chop onion, spinach leaves, tomatoes, avocados and ham

• Add all vegetables to the pie with the milk and egg mixture

• Cook the quiche for 50 minutes

This was very easy and is a great way to help utilize any extra ingredients in the fridge! Let me know what you think.

Kristin

Holiday Cornbread Stuffing Recipe!

Hi Everyone,

Tonight Andrew and I are going over for an Early Thanksgiving dinner with friends and we are signed up to bring stuffing and a dessert! I found this new recipe on the Food Network (courtesy of the Neely Family) and decided to try it out. It is so delicious! I am a huge fan of stuffing and I really like this recipe. It is definitely going to be used again :-).

Ingredients:

1 package of bacon

1 large onion

4 ribs celery

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

1 tablespoon fresh sage

2 cups pecans

32 ounces dried corn bread stuffing mix

4 cups chicken broth

1 stick butter

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Chop the bacon, onion fresh thyme, fresh sage and pecans.

• Cook bacon and onions in a heavy skillet on high until bacon is crisp and onion is fragrant (about 10 minutes). *I cover with a paper towel so it doesn’t make the house smell quite as badly
• Turn heat down and add celery for 6 minutes.
• Add the thyme and sage and stir for 1 minute.

• Stir in pecans for 3 minutes.

• In a large bowl, add chicken broth, the cornbread mix and bacon and vegetables.
• Add to a 13 by 9 by 2-inch casserole dish.
• Add butter slices to the top of the casserole and cover with foil.

• Bake for 30 minutes
• Remove foil and cook 15 more minutes.

Let me know what you think! I think this is going to be a Thanksgiving favorite for us!

Kristin

New Dinner Recipe: BBQ Salmon & Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Hi Everyone!

I made this dinner the other night for me and Andrew and it may be my new favorite. I feel like I say that a lot but this was very tasty and unique. It was definitely a great fall recipe with the sweet potatoes. Also, the salmon spice rub had just the right amount of sweetness. This one also gets bonus points because there were very few ingredients and it was extremely quick to prepare. Overall, this was a winner.

Ingredients:

2 Salmon Fillets

2 Sweet Potatoes

1 Granny Smith Apple

1 Bunch Parsley

2 Tablespoons Butter

2 T Pecans

2 Teaspoons Red Wine Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Spice Blend (Paprika, Fennel Seed, Coriander, Garlic Powder & Light Brown Sugar)

Directions:

• Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high.
• Peel and dice the sweet potatoes.
• Roughly chop the pecans.
•  Pick the parsley leaves off the stems and discard the stems.
• Dice the apple and place in a bowl and toss with the vinegar to prevent browning.

• Add the sweet potatoes to the pot of boiling water and cook 14 to 16 minutes.
• Drain thoroughly and return to the pot add the butter.
• Using a fork, mash the mixture until you reach your desired consistency and season with salt and pepper.
• While the sweet potatoes cook, in a large pan heat 1 tablespoon of butter on medium-high until hot.
• Add the apple and cook and stir for 3 minutes.

• Turn off the heat and add the pecans and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Transfer to a bowl and set aside in a warm place.

• Place the spice blend on a large plate and coat each side of the salmon fillets in the rub.

• In the pan heat 1 tablespoon of butter on medium-high until hot.
• Add the coated salmon fillets and cook 4 minutes per side and remove from heat.

• Divide the cooked salmon fillets and mashed sweet potatoes between 2 plates.
• Top with the apple sauté.

Let me know what you think!

Kristin

Dinner Recipe: Crispy Cod with Warm Cauliflower & Mustard Green Salad

Last night we got back in town from vacation to LA and decided to try out this new recipe. It was very easy to prepare and very light! I paired this with a white wine and cut back on the amount of red onion in the recipe. Overall, I would definitely recommend trying this! It was low on calories and very filling!

Ingredients:

2 Cod Fillets

3 Cloves Garlic

½ Bunch Mustard Greens

1 Head Cauliflower

1 Red Onion (I used about half of the onion)

2 T Capers

2 T Golden Raisins

2 T Red Wine Vinegar

2 T Rice Flour 

2 T Sugar

2 T Sliced Almonds

Directions: 

• Wash and dry the fresh produce.
• Peel and thinly slice the garlic.
•  Remove and discard the stems of the mustard greens and roughly chop the leaves.
• Cut out and discard the core of the cauliflower and cut the head into small florets.

• Peel and medium dice the onion.
• Heat a large, dry pan on medium until hot.
• Add the almonds and toast, stirring frequently for 3 minutes.
• Transfer to a large bowl and set aside and wipe out the pan.
• In the pan used to toast the almonds, combine the onion, raisins, sugar, vinegar, a big pinch of salt and ¼ cup of water.
• Heat to boiling on medium-high and cook for 3 minutes while boiling.
• Transfer the mixture to bowl and set aside to pickle for at least 10 minutes and wipe out the pan.
• In the pan, heat 2 teaspoons of butter on medium-high until hot.
• Add the cauliflower and season with salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes.

• Add the garlic, capers and mustard greens and season with salt and pepper.

• Cook for 2 minutes and transfer to the bowl of toasted almonds and wipe out the pan.
• Place the rice flour on a plate and season the cod fillets dry with salt and pepper on both sides.
• Coat 1 side of each seasoned fillet in the rice flour (tapping off any excess).
• In the pan, heat 2 teaspoons of butter on medium-high until hot and add the fillets with the coated sides down.
• Cook 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and remove from heat.
• Add the pickled onion and raisins and pickling liquid to the bowl of cooked vegetables and toasted almonds.  
• Toss to thoroughly combine and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Divide the salad and cooked cod fillets between 2 plates.
• Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

Let me know what you think!

Kristin

Low Country Boil Recipe!

Hi Everyone,

Now that fall is upon us (and football season) I have the best low country boil recipe for any social gathering! I have tried a few different versions and this one is by far my favorite. It is affordable, easy to make and relatively low on calories. Plus, it has been a big hit!

Ingredients:

1 Pound Shrimp

3 Ounces Cherry Tomatoes

3 Cloves Garlic

2 Ears Of Corn

1 Lemon

1 Pound of potatoes

½ Pound Green Beans

1 Bunch Thyme

2 Tablespoons Butter

⅓ Cup Mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon Spice Blend (Bay Leaves, Celery Salt, Sweet Paprika, Celery Seeds, Mustard Powder, Black Pepper, Nutmeg, Cayenne Pepper & Cinnamon)

Directions:

1. Wash and dry the fresh produce.
2. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high.
3. Remove and discard the husks and silks of the corn and cut each cob into quarters.
4. Trim off and discard the stem ends of the green beans.
5. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces.
6. Peel and mince the garlic and quarter and deseed the lemon.
7. Halve the tomatoes and pick the thyme leaves off the stems and discard the stems.

1. Add the corn and green beans to the pot of boiling water and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until the corn is slightly tender and the green beans are bright green.

1. Using tongs, transfer the cooked corn to a large bowl and use a slotted spoon or strainer to remove the cooked green beans while leaving the pot of water boiling.
2. Rinse the green beans under cold water for 30 seconds to 1 minute to stop the cooking process and pat dry with paper towels before transferring to a separate large bowl.
3. Add the potatoes to the pot of boiling water used to cook the corn and green beans and cook 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Drain thoroughly and transfer to the bowl of cooked corn.
5. While the potatoes cook, in a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, half the garlic and the juice of 2 lemon wedges.
6. Stir to thoroughly combine and season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. To the bowl of cooked green beans, add the tomatoes and ¼ of the aioli. Toss to coat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and place in a bowl and season with salt, pepper, half the thyme and ¾ of the spice blend. Toss to thoroughly coat.
9. In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned shrimp and remaining garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 4 minutes, or until the shrimp are slightly opaque.
10. Add the cooked corn and potatoes, butter and the juice of the remaining lemon wedges and season with salt and pepper.

1. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until thoroughly combined and the shrimp are opaque and cooked through and remove from heat.

1. Transfer the finished boil to a serving dish. Garnish with the remaining thyme and spice blend.
2. Transfer the remaining aioli to a serving dish.
3. Serve with the salad and remaining aioli on the side. 

Let me know what you think!

Kristin

Seared Pork Chops and Kamut with Corn, Spinach and Stone Fruit-Cherry Tomato Salsa

Hi Everyone,

Normally I don't love pork chops but I have to say these turned out to be delicious! I think it has a lot to do with the salsa on top! Also, the corn and spinach mixture was amazing. It was also very convenient to make since it only took a total of 25 minutes and was about 655 calories. This recipe is definitely a keeper!

Ingredients

2 Boneless, Center-Cut Pork Chops

½ C Semi-Pearled Kamut

4 Ounces Cherry Tomatoes

1 Ear Of Corn

2 Scallions

1 Summer Stone Fruit

½ Pound Spinach

1 Bunch Basil

2 T Balsamic Vinegar

1 T Butter

2 tsp Seared Pork Spice Blend (Ground Fennel Seed, Dried Whole Thyme, Sweet Paprika & Ground Coriander) 

Directions:

1. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high and add the kamut.
2. Cook 18 minutes and turn off the heat. Then, drain thoroughly and return to the pot.
3. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions and thinly slice the scallions. Keep separate the white bottoms and green tops.
4. Pit and small dice the stone fruit.
5. Pick the basil leaves off the stems; discard the stems.
6. Quarter the tomatoes.
7. Remove and discard the husks and silks of the corn and cut the corn kernels off the cob.
8. Roughly chop the spinach.
9. In a medium bowl, combine the stone fruit, tomatoes, basil (tearing the leaves just before adding) and half the green tops of the scallions. Add olive oil, salt and pepper and then stir to combine.

1. In a large pan, heat 2 teaspoons of butter and add the corn and cook for 4 minutes.
2. Add the spinach and white bottoms of the scallions and cook for 2 minutes.

1. Transfer to the pot of cooked kamut and stir in half the vinegar and a tiny amount of olive oil, salt and pepper.
2. Season the pork chops on both sides with salt, pepper and the spice blend.
3. In a pan, heat 2 teaspoons of butter and add the seasoned pork chops.
4. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through and then transfer to a plate, leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan.
5. Add the remaining vinegar and ¼ cup of water to the pan of reserved fond and cook on medium-high, stirring frequently and scraping up any fond from the bottom of the pan, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced in volume by half.
6. Turn off the heat. Add the butter; stir to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Divide the finished kamut and cooked pork chops between 2 plates.
8. Top with the pan sauce and salsa and add the remaining green tops of the scallions. 

Let me know what you think!

Kristin

Bacon, Egg and Avocado Breakfast!

Happy Saturday! This morning my brother, David, came over for breakfast so I made this really easy breakfast recipe to kickstart the day! It's not terribly healthy for you but it tastes delicious! This is very filling but we still added some blueberries, strawberries and raspberries on the side!

Ingredients (for 2 servings):
1 large avocado
4 slices of bacon
2 eggs
pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Place 4 slices of bacon on cooking sheet and cook for 20 minutes
3. Slice the avocado in half and remove pit
**You can do this by stabbing the pit with a knife and pulling it out**
4. Place two halves of the avocado in baking dish (use the corners of the dish to help keep it steady)
5. Crack one egg into each halve of the avocado
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until egg is cooked to your preference
7.  Add pieces of the bacon slices and pepper to the top of avocado and egg and serve!
**I omitted salt but you could add a small amount**

Let me know what you think!

Kristin

Stir-Fried Ginger-Basil Chicken with Tinkerbell Peppers and Coconut Rice!

Hi Everyone!

Happy Monday :-). Today was a busy day at work - I am traveling to West Virginia for part of the week. Since I will be eating out the next few days I made a really delicious stir-fried ginger-basil chicken recipe for dinner last night. I am highly recommending you try it too! The entire meal took less than 30 minutes to prepare and was only 645 calories (but also very filling)!

Ingredients:

10 Ounces Chopped Chicken Thighs

½ Cup Jasmine Rice

3 Cloves Garlic

2 Scallions

1 Japanese Eggplant

¼ Pound Tinkerbell Peppers

1 Large Bunch Thai Basil

2 Tablespoons Ponzu Sauce

1 1-Inch Piece Ginger

¼ Cup Coconut Milk Powder

¼ Cup Sweet Chili Sauce

Directions:

1. Wash and dry the fresh produce.
2. Peel and mince the garlic and ginger.
3. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions and thinly slice the scallions (make sure to the white bottoms and green tops).
4. Cut off and discard the stem end of the eggplant and cut the eggplant into 1-inch-thick rounds.
5. Slice the tinkerbell peppers into ¼-inch-thick rings.
6. Pick the Thai basil leaves off the stems and discard the stems.
7. In a bowl, whisk together the coconut milk powder and ¼ cup of water.
8. In a small pot, combine the rice, coconut milk mixture, a big pinch of salt and ¾ cup of water and heat to boiling on high.
9. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer 11 to 13 minutes (make sure the rice is tender).
10. Remove from heat and fluff the coconut rice with a fork. Set aside in a warm place.
11. While the rice cooks, in a large pan, heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium-high until hot and add the eggplant in a single, even layer; season with salt and pepper.
12. Cook, for 6 minutes, or until softened and browned and transfer to a plate.
13. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
14. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium-high until hot in pan and add the seasoned chicken and cook, 7 minutes, or until browned and cooked through.
15. Add the garlic, ginger, white bottoms of the scallions and tinkerbell peppers and season with salt and pepper.
16. Cook for 2 minutes, or until fragrant.
17. To the pan of chicken and vegetables, add the cooked eggplant, sweet chili sauce, ponzu sauce, 1 tablespoon of water, half the Thai basil (torn into pieces) and half the green tops of the scallions and cook for 3 minutes.
18. Split the coconut rice and finished stir-fry between 2 dishes and garnish with the remaining Thai basil and green tops of the scallions. 

This was probably one of my most favorite dinners in a long time! Definitely let me know what you think!

Kristin

Sunday Brunch- French Toast Recipe!

This morning I wanted to mix up the brunch menu from our normal eggs and bacon. So, I made french toast with fresh fruit and homemade whipped cream! It turned out really well (no complaints from Andrew) so I thought this would be good to share since it is also extremely easy to make!

Ingredients:
1/4 c butter
1 loaf of bread (sometimes I make the bread but this time I just used store-bought sourdough bread)
3 eggs
1/2 c of milk
bottle of maple syrup
1 c fresh strawberries
1/2 c heavy cream
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Heat 1/4 c butter in a medium sized pan on medium high heat on the stove
2. Take a pie dish and add three eggs and half a cup of milk and whisk to mix ingredients together
3. Place slice of bread in pie dish to soak (on both sides) in egg/milk mixture
4. Place slice of soaked bread in pan and do not flip for 3 minutes
5. Flip the slice of bread on alternate side for 2 minutes
(you will need to do one slice of bread at a time)
6. Repeat steps 3-5 with each slice of bread
7. Slice strawberries into smaller pieces
8. In a bowl, mix the heavy cream and sugar with a hand mixer for 3-5 minutes (until stiff) and add in vanilla extract
9. Divide the french toast between two plates and top with sliced strawberries and add syrup and dollop of whipped cream
10. Enjoy (I had mine with a mimosa!)

Sometimes I also add cinnamon to the egg and milk mixture and use blueberries and raspberries with the strawberries!

Let me know what you think,

Kristin