Tag: easy

Soups and Stews

Creamy Butternut Squash and Sausage Soup

cathysmahaLeave a comment

This 30 minute, one pot soup is easy and delicious. I love a recipe that comes together so easily and delivers the flavor!

Creamy Butternut Squash and Sausage Soup

INGREDIENTS:
  • 15 oz spicy Italian sausage crumbled
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or Herbs from Provence
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (no sprigs, just leaves)
  • red pepper flakes to taste (if sausage is spicy, you may want to skip the pepper flakes)
  • 1 cup orzo uncooked
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 5 cups chicken stock
  • 10 oz butternut squash peeled and cubed
  • 5 oz fresh spinach
  • ½ cup heavy cream (I used half and half)
  • ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese shaved, shredded, or grated (for garnish)
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Add crumbled Italian sausage, Italian seasoning, a generous amount of fresh thyme (no sprigs, just leaves), and red pepper flakes to a large saucepan. Cook on medium heat, regularly stirring to break the sausage.
  2. Once the sausage released juices and is half cooked, add 1 cup of uncooked orzo and minced garlic, and cook, constantly stirring, for about 2 minutes on medium heat to brown the orzo.
  3. Add 5 cups of chicken stock and cubed butternut squash, stir everything well, cover with the lid, bring to a boil, reduce to visible simmer, and cook for about 5 or 10 minutes until the orzo and butternut squash is cooked.
  4. Add spinach to the soup, cover with the lid and let it wilt on low heat, occasionally stirring.
  5. Once the spinach has wilted, remove the soup from the heat and add heavy cream. Stir everything and season with salt and pepper. Add more chicken stock (or water) if the soup is too dense. Add more red pepper flakes, if you like. Top with Parmesan cheese (shaved, shredded, or grated) and fresh thyme.

Recipe from JuliasAlbum

Casseroles · Poultry · Vegetables

Tuscan Chicken and Spaghetti Squash

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Tuscan Chicken and Spaghetti Squash was an easy dish to put together and used things I had on hand. I thought the flavor was very good but a little too rich for me. Next time, I would either use half and half or substitute half of the cream with chicken broth. My spaghetti squash have produced well and I’m always looking for new dishes to try!

Tuscan Chicken and Spaghetti Squash

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 medium spaghetti squash
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken (cut into bite size pieces)
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 4 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 shallot (minced)
  • 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil, drained, julienne cut)
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
  • 3 ounces baby spinach
  • fresh parsley (optional, garnish)
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Carefully pierce the spaghetti squash into the center with a knife several times. Place on a microwave-safe plate and cook on high for 8-12 minutes or until tender. Let cool while you prepare the chicken.
  2. Season the chicken with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
  3. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until it’s no longer pink in the center, about 7 minutes.
  4. Remove the chicken from the pan, place on a plate and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.
  5. Add the remaining butter to the pan along with the garlic and shallot. Cook 1-2 minutes or until they just start to soften.
  6. Mix in the sun-dried tomatoes and cook an additional minute.2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes
  7. Pour in the heavy cream and cook until hot and bubbly, about 1-2 minutes.
  8. Turn off the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese and spinach. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices back to the pan.
  9. Once the squash is cool, cut it in half length-wise, remove the seeds and scrap out the strands with a fork.
  10. Stir the squash into the cream sauce until evenly coated.
  11. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.

Recipe from DeliciousLittleBites

Fish

Zesty Shrimp and Avocado Rice Bowls with Cilantro Lime Sauce

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Zesty Shrimp and Avocado Rice Bowls are so easy to make and absolutely delicious. After making it, I’ll experiment by adding other ingredients such as cucumber, shredded carrot and perhaps mango. This is a great

Zesty Shrimp and Avocado Rice Bowls with Cilantro Lime Sauce

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 2 cups cooked rice (white or brown)
  • 1 ripe avocado, diced
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup chopped Cilantro
  • optional: 1/2 cup shredded carrots, cucumber or mango
  • Cilantro Lime Sauce:
    • 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
    • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
    • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
    • 1 tablespoon water
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • Pinch of black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Prepare the shrimp: In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with olive oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
  2. Start cooking the rice. 1 cup rice and 2 cups water.
  3. Cook the shrimp: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until pink and cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.
  4. Make the cilantro lime sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream (or yogurt), cilantro, lime juice, water, salt and pepper until smooth.
  5. Assemble the four (3 for a bigger serving) bowls: Divide the cooked rice among the bowls. Top with the cooked shrimp, diced avocado, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion and chopped cilantro. (optional: shredded carrots, cucumber or mango).
  6. Drizzle with sauce: Drizzle each bowl generously with the cilantro lime sauce.
  7. Serve immediately: Enjoy your zesty and refreshing shrimp and avocado rice bowls.

Note: I ate the bowls leftover as well as fresh. They were good straight from the frig or microwaved for a few seconds to take the chill off.

Recipe from awesomefood

Appetizers · Breakfast

Peach Jalapeno Jam

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Peach Jalapeno Jam sounded so delicious and I love the Cranberry Pepper jelly I make for the holidays. I wanted a smoother jam so chose to process the peaches together with the jalapeno. Next time, I would process the peaches and sugar and add to the jalapenos before cooking. The jelly is not spicy or perhaps I had a very mild pepper. If you like it hot, add more peppers to your liking. I plan to serve this with Brie and crackers. I can also envision a delicious grilled cheese sandwich with this jelly. Go wild!

Peach Jalapeño Jam

INGREDIENTS:
  • 3 1/2 lb. ripe yellow peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 small jalapeno chile, diced (I found that the jam was not at all hot so you may want to add more jalapenos)
  • 5 strips of lemon peel (I chose to grate one lemon peel and add to mixture)
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. salt (I reduced to 1/2 tsp. salt)
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Toss peaches and sugar until well mixed. Let stand for 30 minutes. (At this point you can cook as instructed below or blend the peaches to make for a smoother jam).
  2. In a large saucepan, bring peaches, jalapeno, lemon peel, lemon juice and salt to a boil. Adjust heat to simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
  3. If you did not blend the peaches in step 1, use a potato masher to lightly mash the fruit. Ladle mixture into sterilized canning jars and jar properly or refrigerate for up to 3 months.

Recipe Adapted from Good Housekeeping Carla’s Peach Jalapeno Jam

Desserts

Peach Roll Ups (or are they dumplings?)

cathysmaha2 Comments

This recipe caught my eye and I took a screenshot of it but didn’t save the source. Darn! Anyway, I tried the recipe and made 8 individual rolls or dumplings. They were quite good and the grandboys loved them. I am not a big fan of Crescent rolls so next time I would make them with Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry.

They were easy and would be great for a quick dessert. I made them with fresh peaches and honey but you could easily substitute canned peach halves or sugar for the honey.

Peach Roll Ups

INGREDIENTS:
  • Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
  • Fresh Peaches, peeled and cut in half (or canned peach halves)
  • butter
  • honey
  • cinnamon
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Peel and pit fresh peaches, cut in half
  3. Roll out the crescent rolls into rectangles.
  4. Add the half peach, cut side up, on top of crescent roll rectangle.
  5. Add a dollop of butter to the center of each peach.
  6. Drizzle each peach with honey.
  7. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
  8. Fold the crescent rolls from the corner and pinch along the seams.
  9. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
  10. Remove from the oven and let cook for a few minutes for the syrup to thicken.
  11. Serve warm with or without ice cream.

I took a screenshot of the recipe and now I cannot find the source. If anyone knows the source, please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due!

Meats

Tri-Tip Steak

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Tri-Tip steak is rather new cut to prepare but I have found it to be tender and delicious. The rub for this recipe is bursting with flavor. If you are sensitive to spicy heat, you can tone down the spice. I prepared the steak on the grill as directed and it turned out perfectly. Using a Meater Pro thermometer has helped me assure that I am not over or under cooking meats.

I served the steak with steamed baby potatoes and broccoli. The plate looks messy because of all of the juiciness of the steak. Yummo!

Tri Tip Steak

INGREDIENTS:
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 beef tri-tip roast (2 pounds)
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • Optional: Condiment of choice such as chimichurri, herb garlic butter, or bourbon cream sauce
DIRECTIONS:
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire, vinegar and honey. Place steak in dish; pour marinade over steak; turn to coat. Refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.
  2. Preheat oven to 375°. Remove steak from the marinade; discard marinade. Pat steaks dry with paper towel. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder; sprinkle over steak.
  3. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Brown steak on all sides.
  4. Place steak on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, fat side up. Roast until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 135°; medium, 140°; medium-well, 145°), 50-55 minutes. Remove from oven; tent with foil. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. If desired, serve with condiment of choice.

Recipe from TasteofHome

Desserts · Uncategorized

Lemon Bars

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Lemon Bars are a favorite of mine and I rarely make them. However, when we were planning our family high tea, I knew they had to be in the dessert tiers. The photo below seems to highlight the Macaroons, a great Costco find. However the lemon bars on the bottom are the star of this recipe.

After the tea, I had several leftover and discovered they freeze really well.

In case you’re interested in the tiered plate, I bought the plates from Goodwill and used glasses to glue between the plates. It was fun and added a bit of ‘fancy’ to our tea.

Lemon Bars

INGREDIENTS:
  • For the Crust:
    • 2 cups flour
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 1/4 tsp. salt
    • 1 cup salted butter, cut into small cubes, plus more for greasing
  • For the Filling:
    • 1 1/2 cups sugar
    • 1/4 cup flour
    • 4 large eggs
    • Zest and juice of 4 medium-sized lemons
  • Powdered sugar, for topping
DIRECTIONS:
  1. For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 13-by-9-inch pan with butter. (Use an 8-by-10-inch pan if you’d like the layers to be a little thicker.) In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and use a pastry cutter to cut it all together until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Press into the prepared pan and bake until golden around the edges, about 20 minutes.
  2. For the filling: In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar and flour. Crack in the eggs, and whisk to combine. Add the lemon zest and juice, and mix until combined. Pour over the crust and bake until the filling is set, about 20 minutes.
  3. Allow to cool in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, then sift powdered sugar over the top before cutting into squares.

Recipe from ThePioneerWoman

Breads · Family Favorites · Sauces

Devonshire Cream

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Is there anything better than scones with clotted cream, lemon curd and jam? I have never tried making clotted cream, but I have a recipe for Devonshire Cream that is easy and delicious. High tea connoisseurs might argue this isn’t REAL Devonshire Cream but our family loves it. Recently, our family enjoyed a homemade high tea (scones compliments of daughter Megan) and Devonshire Cream front and center. If my memory serves me right, this recipe originally came to me from my sister-in-law, Donna. Another great family cook!

Scones with Devonshire cream, lemon curd and jam would be a wonderful way to treat the special Mom in your life this weekend!

Devonshire Cream

INGREDIENTS:
  • 3 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup whipping cream
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Soften cream cheese. Once softened add sugar, vanilla and whipping cream and beat until smooth.
  2. Chill in the refrigerator and serve with your favorite scones or bread

Attribution

Asian Dishes · Poultry

Baked Thai Peanut Chicken

cathysmahaLeave a comment

My love of Thai food leads me to new Thai recipes. This Baked Thai Peanut Chicken is so easy and so quick, it could easily be in a weekday rotation. While the chicken was baking, I steamed the black rice with a vegetable basket of broccoli and squash. Voila! In 30 cooking minutes, dinner was done. I was so hungry, I forgot to add the sprinkle of cilantro and chopped peanuts.

Baked Thai Peanut Chicken

INGREDIENTS:
  • 5 chicken thighs , boneless skinless
  • 1/2 can coconut milk , 7 ounces1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce , low-sodium
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 3 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 tablespoon ginger , minced
  • cilantro , for garnish
  • chopped peanuts, for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. In a large bowl mix the chicken, coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, rice wine vinegar, lime juice, sesame oil, garlic and ginger.
  3. Place the chicken, smooth side down into your baking dish.
  4. Pour the sauce over it.
  5. Cook for 30-35 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (to 165 degrees F).
  6. Optional: Add diced cilantro and chopped peanuts to the top of the baked chicken.

Recipe from DinnerthenDessert

Casseroles · Pastas

Cheesy Bacon Butternut Squash Gnocchi Skillet

cathysmahaLeave a comment

This Gnocchi Skillet is so easy and so delicious. In less than an hour, the dinner was prepared and on the table. This dish serves 3-4 people and the leftovers are equally as good. You could easily play with the ingredients and use noodles or fried potatoes instead of the gnocchi. Different cheeses could be used to suit your liking. Another great recipe from the creator, IowaGirlEats!

Cheesy Bacon Butternut Squash Gnocchi Skillet

INGREDIENTS:
  • 4 slices bacon chopped
  • 1 small sweet onion sliced in half then into thin slices
  • 2 cups 1” cubes butternut squash
  • homemade seasoned salt and pepper (I used regular salt and pepper)
  • 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup not pancake syrup
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 2 cloves garlic pressed or minced
  • 2 cups packed baby spinach roughly chopped
  • 3/4 cup freshly shredded gruyere cheese
  • 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • For the Crispy Gnocchi:
    • 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 12 oz gluten free gnocchi (I used regular gnocchi)
    • salt
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Add bacon to a large, oven-proof skillet (preferably cast iron) then turn the heat to medium and brown. Scoop cooked bacon onto a paper towel lined plate to drain then set aside. Reserve 2 Tablespoon bacon fat in the skillet.
  2. Add onions to the bacon fat in the skillet then saute until they begin to soften, 3-4 minutes. Add butternut squash cubes and maple syrup, season with seasoned salt and pepper, then saute until squash is tender, 15-20 minutes, stirring every so often and adding splashes of chicken broth near the end if the squash is taking a long time to soften and/or is beginning to burn vs caramelize.
  3. Preheat the broiler on high and place oven rack to the top position in the oven.
  4. For the Crispy Gnocchi:
  5. While the butternut squash is sauteing, heat extra virgin olive oil in a large, 12″, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add gnocchi then arrange into a single layer and saute until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy, 2-3 minutes. Stir then season with salt and continue to saute until the gnocchi are fork-tender and golden brown all over, 2-3 additional minutes, stirring often. Set aside.
  6. Add garlic to skillet with onions and butternut squash then saute until very fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add baby spinach then saute until wilted and tender, 1-2 minutes. Add crispy gnocchi and bacon into the skillet then stir to combine. Sprinkle cheeses evenly over the top then broil until melted, 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Recipe from IowaGirlEats