Christmas Family Time and Spinach, Artichoke Pasta

WOW!  I can't believe Christmas has come and gone and I have neglected my blog once again :(  BUT, I am so happy to say that while I was neglecting my blog I was living life to the fullest and enjoying the Christmas season with my hubby and sweet boys!!  We went to Christmas concerts, advent services, Jungle Bells at the San Diego Zoo, Breakfast with Santa, we shopped, baked cookies and so much more!  It is so much fun seeing the joy of Christmas through the eyes of my boys.  They LOVE Jesus and they sure do love celebrating His birth and all of the Christmas "perks" that go along with it!!

Holidays also mean lots of lonely nights being a chef's wife.  The restaurant is BUSY doing Christmas parties and entertaining guests on vacation.  It is so easy for me to become frustrated with his job and all that it entails, but this year was different.  Don't get me wrong, I still had my occasional "pitty party".   BUT, I really tried to focus on the time we were together rather than dwell on the time we were a part.  I think we drank hot chocolate and snuggled in Christmas jammies every night we were all home in December.  I had our fireplace going, candles lit and Christmas music playing almost every night.  This might seem like its obvious, but I don't know what makes me think I can't do this every day!  There is something about listening to music, especially Christian music, that just makes my heart happy!  I plan on continuing our December family time through the new year!

Here is a picture of my family on Christmas night! 


It wouldn't be a blog post without a recipe right?!?!  So, here is what I made last night!  The boys LOVED it and so did I :)

Spinach Artichoke Pasta
1 pound pasta, cooked according to directions in SALTED water (I used gemelli)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, sliced or diced
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 pound frozen spinach, thawed and water squeezed out of it
1 lemon, zest and juice
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan, plus more for topping
salt & pepper

Start by getting your pasta boiling.  While that is cooking heat up olive oil in a large skillet add in onions and garlic and season with salt and pepper.  Let that saute for a minute or 2 then add in the spinach and artichokes and saute until its all heated through.  At this point pasta will be cooked.  Drain and add cooked pasta to the pan with vegetables.  Add lemon zest and juice as well as parmesan and fold it all together.  Serve hot with grated parmesan on top!  There is something about the lemon in this pasta that makes it so delicious and kid friendly too!!

Be Generous!! Eat Lasagna!!

Hello blogging world!  How is everyone enjoying their Tuesday??  I started my morning off with MOPS (Mothers Of Pre-Schoolers).  It is always such a fun time, we have breakfast, hear from a speaker, do a craft and get to hang with other moms all while our kids are being smothered with love and having a BLAST.  Win Win in my book :)

Today our speaker spoke on teaching our kids to be generous.  WOW!  I was beyond moved.  I try to be generous in my day to day life, but I could do MORE and can definitely encourage my children to have a more generous spirit.  She really focused on 3 points: learn the way God has gifted your children to be generous, give them opportunities and encourage them to be generous and be an example of a generous person.  Honestly I never really thought about the fact that I need to teach generosity.  Of course,  I have taught them to share (which they do sometimes!), to love others, to pray for those less fortunate, etc...but I can't say that I have consciously taught them to be generous.  A lot of what she talked about was using their God-given gifts and letting them explore being generous through what God gave them.

I am inspired and motivated to put this into practice.  One way in which I am able to show generosity is through cooking.  I LOVE people, especially moms and what a better way to serve them than by making a meal for a family in need, or right after the birth of a baby, or just because life is hectic and a meal would bless their day!  One of my favorite meals to make for families is lasagna! 

What you need:
1 box lasagna noodles (the kind you HAVE to boil)
2 jars of your favorite tomato sauce (or homemade if you have on hand!)
32 oz container ricotta cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups grated mozzarella cheese
handful of basil, finely chopped
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Start by boiling a big pot of salted water! 

When boiling add in the lasagna noodles and cook according to the directions on the box.  In a small pan saute onion and garlic in a little olive oil for 2-3 minutes.  Put ricotta in a bowl and add in eggs, basil, onion/garlic combo and salt and pepper and combine.  When noodles are done drain and get your assembly line in order :) 

Then just layer your lasagna!  Start with a little bit of sauce on the bottom of a deep 13x9 baker, then lay out the noodles, next spoon a layer of ricotta over noodles, pour sauce over ricotta and then a layer of mozzarella.  Then noodles again and continue this process until your baking dish is full!  I do at least 4 layers.  Then sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top.

Cover with foil and put into a preheated 350 degree oven for about 45 mins (it needs to be heated thoroughly because of the egg).  Take off the foil and let the top get golden brown and bubbly for the last 3 mins.  IMPORTANT STEP!!  Once the lasagna is out of the oven let it sit for 10-15 minutes before you cut it!!  (oops.  apparently we were hungry and I didn't take a picture of the final product!)

**The above recipe will create a 13x9 lasagna, as well as an 8x8 or 9x9 lasagna.  Keep one for your family and be generous with the other :)

TURKEY, TURKEY, TURKEY!!!!

Casey and I have been married for 6 1/2 years and I think he has worked every Thanksgiving since we have been married :(  It's a bummer, but such is the life of a chef.  His favorite holiday also happens to be THANKSGIVING!!  So, every year I make a Thanksgiving meal for our little family at home.  It started with just the 2 of us and its hard to believe next year there will be 6 of us!  I will admit, my first year making a turkey I was sooo intimidated.  I mean, turkeys are hard to cook, you want crispy skin, juicy meat, flavorful and looking good.  I will let you all in on a little turkey secret the restaurants are hiding from you.  When they make big thanksgiving meals many times they cook the breasts and thighs separately so that they can achieve the perfect temperature without drying out the meat and then they present one whole turkey to the table that is golden brown (that will probably not ever be eaten)!!  However, because I have an amazing chef at home, and I have had plenty of practice I have figured out how to make the most delicious moist turkey ever!!

 Ingredients:

Turkey, thawed (mine was about 21 lbs)

3 sprigs thyme

2 sprigs rosemary

3 sprigs sage

4 garlic cloves

1 lemon

1 pound of butter (4 sticks)

Salt and Pepper

Injector

So, first start by take 2 sprigs of thyme, 1 sprig of rosemary, 2 sprigs sage and remove leaves from stems.  Then finely chop.  Next chop garlic, and zest your lemon.  Melt the butter and add in chopped herbs, garlic and lemon zest.  Now use your blender (or a stick blender) to puree the butter mixture, you need the herbs sooo small so they don't clog your injector.  Rinse your turkey and pat it dry.  Tie legs or tuck them under (mine was done for me when I opened the package, yay!)  And flip the wings under the bird.  Place it in your roasting pan (mine is non-stick which makes it soooo easy to clean!)Now its time to start filling your syringe and injecting your turkey!!

I recommend an injector like this:

So, fill your injector and start injecting your turkey, make sure to do a few in the legs and thighs, but the majority of it into the breasts.  Then generously cover your turkey with salt and pepper.  Fill the cavity with your left over herbs and slice the lemon and stick that in there too.  It will look like this:

 Now put your turkey, uncovered into a preheated 400 degree oven.  Cook at 400 for about 40 minutes and then turn heat down to 365.  I did not cover my turkey at all, but if you notice it starting to get too brown cover lightly with foil.  Now, here is the part that goes against everything I knew about roasting a turkey....resist the urge to baste!  Just let it go as is, that is how you are going to get the crispy skin that everybody (except me) loves!  And don't forget to get yourself an official turkey watcher:

Now, my bird cooked in about 3 1/2 hours for around 21 pounds.  Yours might take longer, you need a good thermometer to let you know when it is done.  You need the temp to reach 165 degrees.  Make sure you check the thigh as well as the breast.  When you have reached 165 take the turkey out of the oven and let it rest (don't cut into it!!!) for about 20 minutes.  This will allow the juices in the turkey to settle into the meat.  Then it is time to carve, I wish I had some special instructions for this part, but having a chef for a husband comes in handy :)

Look at the herbs in the meat, and how juicy the turkey is:

I hope you all enjoy this, and you can do the same thing with a chicken, just use less butter!

Chili!!

One of my favorite things to eat (especially when I am pregnant!) is CHILI!!  I have tried making it using all kinds of seasonings and different packets but a couple of years ago I found my favorite, Carroll Shelby's Chili Kit!  They are nice enough to put a recipe on the back of the box, but of course I do it differently.  In an attempt to make a more healthy chili I made it without meat, and it was so good I have never gone back.  Now, for some of you chili without meat is like blasphemy!  So, this chili is super yummy with ground beef (turkey) or shredded beef as well :)

Here is what you need:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 red (or any color) bell pepper, chopped
1 poblano pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
Carroll Shelby's Chili Kit
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
3 cups water
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
Optional: sour cream, cheese, chips to garnish!

So I start by chopping all my ingredients and putting them in a hot pan with 2 tablespoons oil.  Sweat the veggies, while they are cooking add in your entire salt packet and however much of the cayenne pepper packet you would like.  I make this for my whole family and I use the entire packet, but my 2,3 and 5 year old boys are ok with a little spice.  Use your discretion.  As the veggies soften add in the spice packet and then the tomatoes and water.  Stir and let simmer for about 5 minutes.  If you like a thicker chili (like I do!) mix the masa packet with 3 tablespoons water and add the mixture into the chili.  This needs to simmer for a good 20 minutes to allow the flavors to combine and the chili to thicken.  After the 20 minutes are up, stir in your kidney and garbanzo beans and cook until they are heated through (about 2 minutes).  Now, your chili is ready to eat!!!



If your kids are a little weary on the idea of chili try presenting it like this to get their attention!  A little cheese, sour cream and surrounded by tortilla chips!!

Creamy Chicken and Rice

Well, I have been missing for a while.  I didn't mean I stopped cooking, I have just been so crazy busy!   I am about 3 1/2 months pregnant with our 4th baby which means when I am not feeling nauseous I am EXTREMELY tired, so that means no energy to blog :(  The good news is my first blog back is a recipe that is soooo easy even my mom might try to make it! (She thinks my recipes are too hard or involved and doesn't normally try them :(  I promise, everything I put on here anyone can make!!)

Anyway, onto the food!!  This is so easy and so yummy!  I hope you enjoy it as much as my family did!!

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 tablespoons herb de provence (or italian type seasoning)
Salt & Pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 8 oz package of cream cheese, also in cubes
1 can cream of chicken soup
3 tablespoons milk
about 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
Cooked long grain rice for serving!

First lay out your cubed raw chicken and toss with salt, pepper and herbs de provence.  In a saute pan melt butter and oil and heat up.  When the oil is hot add your chicken cubes (the hot oil will help the chicken not to stick!)  Stir when necessary to brown each side of chicken, it may still be raw inside.  Next add in your cream cheese, stirring to melt it along with your cream of chicken soup.  Stir until mixed together, it will be thick so add in your milk!  Just before serving stir in your green onions!  This will add a little crunch and fresh taste to your dinner.  Serve creamy chicken over rice and enjoy :)

Jambalaya

Tonight I made a jambalaya simple enough for a busy mom, yet tasty enough for a chef!  That is always my goal when cooking, big flavors, tasty ingredients and easy :)  One of the best things we did when planting out back was to put in a Laurel Tree, there is a never ending supply of bay leaves!!  I just send out the boys and say I need a cooking leaf and they pick it and throw it in the pot.  It adds so much flavor...yum!
There are tons of recipes out there fr jambalaya, this is what I came up with  a while back from researching other recipes.  I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper (any color...I used green today), diced
3 ribs celery, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
8 oz andouille sausage, sliced
3/4 cup long grain rice
3 cups chicken stock
Salt & Pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Start with your olive oil in a pan and turn heat to high.  Add in onion, celery and bell pepper and saute until caramelized and they start to get soft.  Add in garlic and continue to saute.  Season with salt and pepper, also add in bay leaves, cayenne and paprika.  Make sure it is combined well and stir in sausage and rice, cook for about a minute and then add chicken stock.  reduce heat to medium and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Then when liquid is absorbed and rice is tender you are ready to eat!!

Grilled Peppers and Sausage Rigatoni

Monday night I was way behind on making dinner, and Casey was home.  When he is home I normally like to make something that he is going to love and be excited to eat since we don't get to eat as a family very often with his CRAZY schedule!!  Since Casey loves a little spicy in pretty much everything I decided to make some pasta with some spicy sausage.  I grilled the sausage and some bell pepper and the flavor from the grill added so much to the pasta.  We all loved it!  Casey and I loved it even more paired with a beautiful Pinot Noir :)

Ingredients
1 lb hot Italian sausage
2 red bell peppers
Tomato Sauce (about 24 oz homemade or 1 jar)
4 oz fresh mini mozzarella balls, quartered
1/2 cup chopped basil
1 lb rigatoni pasta
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Put a pot of SALTED water on the stove to boil.  Slice the sides off of the bell peppers and toss them with a little olive oil, with salt and pepper.  Grill the bell peppers along with the sausages on the bbq.  Let the bell peppers get some nice grill marks and get soft.  Grill sausages until they are cooked through.  Cook pasta according to directions on the box.  Slice the grilled sausages and cut up the grilled peppers.  When pasta is done, drain water and toss with the tomato sauce.  Add in the sausage, bell peppers, mozzarella balls and basil.  Toss it all together and serve. 

Miso Pork Chops

Well, we have been busy over here in this chef house!  Casey has been working soooo much and that means I am home with the kids alone...a lot!  I knew when I married a chef that this would be the reality sometimes, but it doesn't make it easy!!  I have been tired and my cooking creativity has been lacking lately (that is why there hasn't been a post in a while :) 
Last week we had our first locally grown, organic food basket delivery.  I have been loving the fresh and delicious produce that was delivered.  Tonight I had some red chard that I needed to use and decided to do an Asian theme for dinner.  I had some pork chops in the freezer so I pulled those out and threw together a yummy miso marinade and made something really yummy!  I served the pork chops with steamed rice and a veggie stir fry which had shallots, garlic, broccoli, cauliflower and red chard!  This dinner was really easy to make and bursting with flavor!  I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine did!!

Miso Pork Chops
Ingredients:
4 thick sliced pork chops (I buy mine from COSTCO)
2 tablespoons red miso paste (found in the specialty refrigerated section at grocery store or at local Asian market)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 lime, use zest and juice
2 garlic cloves, chopped up super fine
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
fresh ground black pepper
Super easy...are you ready!?!  In a bowl add all ingredients (except the pork) and whisk together to make a marinade/sauce.  Put pork chops in a Ziploc bag and pour in half the mixture.  Seal and put pork in the fridge for 30 minutes to let the meat soak up the flavors.  Cook pork on a hot grill and brush pork with remaining sauce each time you turn the meat.  You want the meat to reach 155 degrees, I recommend pulling it off the heat at 150 degrees and allowing the meat to rest for about 5 minutes before cutting.  It will finish cooking and still be plenty tender and juicy!  Enjoy!!

Orecchiette Pasta

Pasta, pasta, pasta!  We love pasta at our house!  One of the first foods (besides banana) Griffin asked for by name was "pata", so like I said we love pasta :)  I am constantly trying new ways to make it both exciting and healthy and still get in the pasta.  For some reason I can put almost any vegetable with pasta and my kids will eat it.
So, tonight when I looked at the clock and it was already 6 and I hadn't made dinner I decided to go for my old stand by and add a little of this and a little of that!  It took me less than 30 minutes to throw together (including waiting for the water to boil) and what I came up with was pretty darn good, if I do say so myself :)

Orecchiette Pasta
1lb box orecchiette pasta
3 tablespoons (about) olive oil
1 onion (I used red for a little color), diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped up
2 cups asparagus, chopped about 1 inch in length
20 (or so) grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 cup basil leaves, torn
Salt & Pepper

Using a large pot bring about 6 quarts of SALTED water to a boil.  When water is boiling add pasta and cook to the instructions on the box (mine said 11 minutes).  While waiting for the water to boil start making the veggies!  Add about 3 tablespoons olive oil to a large saute pan.  When it is hot add onion and asparagus.  Season with salt and pepper.  Saute until onion begins to turn translucent, next add garlic and turn the heat to medium low.  You want the veggies to kind of melt together.  Add tomatoes and leave on low.  When pasta is done cooking drain well and add to pan.  Turn off heat and stir it all together, add in basil leaves.  Taste and add more seasoning if need.  Then its time to serve!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did tonight!

Chicken & Veggie Soup with Stars

I love making soups, and lucky for me my family loves to eat soup! I once told Connor, when he was sick, that he should have some soup because it would make him feel better. Well, now anytime he has the slightest sniffle he asks for soup and within seconds of eating says he feels better! So sweet :)
Making soup is really easy and sooo much better tasting and sooo much healthier than eating canned soup. I take pride in knowing that my kids are eating something that I made and that is really good for them. So, if you don't already, start making soups from scratch! You will see that it is much more simple than you might think :) And, if your hubby doesn't think soup is enough for dinner (like mine!) pair it with a grilled cheese sandwich or some crusty bread, yum!

Chicken Veggie Soup
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded :)
3 celery stalks, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 cup green beans (fresh or frozen)
1 cup corn (fresh or frozen)
1 box (32 oz) chicken stock
1 cup water
2 bay leaves
1/2 pound pasta (I like Stelle which is tiny star shaped)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more if you want to heat it up!)
Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper

Put olive oil in large stock pot. Add onion, celery, carrots, bell pepper and garlic. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Saute until onions are translucent. Add liquids and bay leaves. Bring to a slow boil. Add in pasta of choice as well as chicken, green beans and corn. Cook at a slow boil until pasta is cooked and then your soup is ready! (Take out Bay Leaves before serving)

**If you are making a large batch to serve for multiple meals it is better to make the pasta separately and add to each person's bowl, as the pasta will become very soft (mushy) if left in the liquid.

Meatball Subs

I love leftovers, it is easy and means I don't have to cook and clean a kitchen, yet still have yummy food!! An even better thing is when I can use last nights dinner to make something different the next day. A perfect way to use last nights meatballs is to make a meatball sub for lunch (or diner) the next day!

Ingredients:
Meatballs with plenty of tomato sauce
French Rolls
Parmesan cheese, grated
Provolone Cheese, sliced

Cut your french roll about 3/4 of the way through. Place hot tomato sauce along the inside of roll and then put in your meatballs. Top with more sauce, then Parmesan cheese and finally provolone slices. Put sandwich on cookie sheet and put under broiler until cheese is melty and bubbly. Watch it carefully, things burn fast under the broiler!! Now its time to enjoy! Serve with an extra side of tomato sauce for dipping if you desire :)

Spaghetti and Meatballs

So, I don't know about you, but I can't wait for summer so we can have homegrown tomatoes again!!! My mother-in-law has an amazing garden that produces more tomatoes than any garden I have ever seen. At the end of last tomato season I picked bags and bags of tomatoes and made a huge batch of the most delicious tomato sauce!

Well, just because I don't have fresh tomatoes for sauce doesn't mean I can't make my tomato sauce taste great! The following recipe makes A TON of meatballs and sauce. Feel free to cut the recipe in half. I make big batches and freeze half the meatballs. I am not going to lie, this is a bit time consuming and that is why I make a lot and freeze half.

For Meatballs:
1 lb hot Italian sausage, remove casing if necessary
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup Parmesan cheese (fresh grated or green can)
1 cup breadcrumbs
Salt & Pepper

Mix all ingredients together. You want all ingredients incorporated, but don't over mix, this will help to keep the meatballs nice and tender. You might need to add a little more parm cheese or bread crumbs in order to get the right consistency to make your meatballs. Roll meatballs into about 1 1/2 inch balls. Use a big pan (the one you are going to make your sauce in) and cover the bottom of pan with olive oil. Make sure pan is hot, add in some meatballs. Brown on one side and then turn over, making a crust all around the meatball. You will have to do this in shifts. Once the meatball is browned, put it to the side. Once all the meatballs are browned its time to make your sauce! At this point I put half the meatballs in the freezer to use for another meal :)

Sauce:
1 onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
3 garlic cloves, diced
1 tsp of red pepper flakes(more or less, depending on how you like it)
1 cup (about) of red wine
3 14.5 oz cans of crushed tomatoes
1 cup basil, chopped
2 sprigs of oregano
Salt & Pepper to taste (or course!)

Add onion, celery and carrots to the pan you used to brown meatballs. Saute for about 2 minutes, add garlic and pepper flakes and saute another minute or so until veggies have a little color on them. Add in the wine while scraping the bottom of pan with wooden spoon to get up any little bits left from the meatballs. Next add in the tomatoes, then basil and oregano. Let it simmer on stove for about 30-40 minutes (or until it doesn't taste like canned tomatoes anymore). At this point, pull out oregano sprigs. Use a stick blender to puree some of the sauce. I like my sauce to have a little bit of texture so I just do a quick blend, the longer you do it the smoother your sauce. Now, put the meatballs back in the sauce and let them simmer in the sauce until they are finished cooking.

In our house we like to serve over angel hair pasta, but its up to you :)

Braised Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

I had a great weekend!! Friday night my hubby cooked for me, Saturday went to a friend's party and Sunday was a family day! What could be better??

I got to enjoy a perk to being a chef's wife this weekend when I took my dad into Casey's restaurant. He cooked us the most amazing, delicious 8 course dinner paired with wine for me and a special beer pairing for my dad! I am always amazed when I see him in his element and its a good reminder to me that the late nights and long hours are all worth it. Casey loves his job and he is so good at it! I am a proud wife, for sure :)

My weekend was so busy that it didn't leave much time for cooking, so tonight I got back on track and made something super yummy.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts (chicken thighs would work too!)

1 onion, cut in half and then sliced

2 garlic cloves, smashed

2 cups (or so) mushrooms, sliced

2 cups brussel sprouts, cleaned and cut in half*

1 cup white wine

1 cup chicken broth

1 can cream of mushroom sauce (or 1 cup cream)

Salt & Pepper

Olive Oil

Start by putting about 2 tablespoons into a deep pan (I love to use my Le Creuset dutch oven, super expensive but I love it!!) Turn heat to high. Season both sides of your chicken breast with salt and pepper and put in HOT pan. Cook about 2 minutes and then flip chicken over and cook other side for about 2 minutes. Remove chicken (It is not cooked at this point so NO tasting!) Add a little more olive oil if needed to pan and then add in onions and garlic, sauteing them until they are soft. Next add mushrooms and brussel sprouts cooking for about 3 more minutes. Next, de glaze your pan by adding your wine. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of your pan, this will loosen up any of the chicken bits and will be delicious in your sauce. Add the chicken broth and mushroom soup and stir well to combine. Taste your sauce and add salt & pepper if needed. Now, add your chicken back in smothering the chicken into the liquid. Turn heat to low and cook for about an hour. The sauce will reduce, making it rich and creamy. Serve with a side of mashed potatoes and prepare to fall in love :)

**If you hate brussel sprouts you can omit them, BUT I think you should give them another try.

Trader Joe's Masala Sauce

Trader Joe's has so many delicious and healthy options and so many of them I am sure I don't even know about yet!! One of my favorite finds is the Masala Simmer Sauce. A friend made me dinner when Braydon was born and she used this sauce, I loved it, but didn't shop at Traders then. Well, I do now and I always grab a couple of these simmer sauces when I am there!! Its a great little thing to keep in the pantry and pull out for a quick easy dinner!! You can make chicken masala, shrimp masala, veggie masala or whatever you like! Just pour it over some rice and its an awesome meal!

Check out my favorite way to make it! It is easy and a great way to get your kids to eat more veggies :)

Ingredients:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 ribs celery, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 Jar Masala Simmer Sauce

2 cups chicken broth
chicken or shrimp if desired
1 cup fresh or frozen corn

Salt & Pepper

Start by coating the pan with olive oil. To a hot pan add your onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper and garlic (season with salt & pepper) and saute in pan until soft. Now add your sauce, chicken broth and corn. If you are adding chicken or shrimp its time to add it now!! Let the sauce simmer on low for about 15 minutes (or until your meat is cooked). Now serve it over rice and maybe add a salad and dinner is ready!

Cornbread Pot Pie

A couple of days ago Casey said he was in the mood for some cornbread. I was trying to think of something new to make using cornbread and remembered watching a cooking show (years ago!) where they used corn bread with a chicken pot pie. Since my man loves pot pie and corn bread I thought I would give it a try!!

So for dinner tonight I threw some things together, and let me just say...it was AWESOME!! This was my first time making it, but I think this will become a regular dish in our house. The best part is most, if not all, the ingredients you probably already have in your pantry/fridge!!

Ingredients:

For the filling:

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 cup peas, fresh or frozen

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

Salt & Pepper

For the Corn Bread Topping:

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoons baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 egg, slightly beaten

Start by par-cooking the potatoes and carrots in salted water. This means boiling them until they are almost cooked, but still slightly undercooked. They will finish cooking in the oven, but still have a bite to them. Put them to the side. Next, add oil and butter to a saute pan. Once the butter is melted, add onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until onions begin to look transparent. Add the flour, stirring constantly and until it is all incorporated. This is making a rue, which will help to make your filling thick and creamy!! Next add in your chicken stock, stirring constantly to mix with rue and onions, you don't want any clumps. Cook for another minute or so and you will see the broth getting nice and thick. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Add in cooked chicken, carrots, potatoes and carrots. Pour mixture into a buttered casserole dish.

Time to make the cornbread!! First mix all your dry ingredients: cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl combine milk and melted butter. Then add egg and slightly beat. Add wet mixture into dry and stir until moistened. Don't over mix!!! Spoon cornbread batter on top of pie filling. And bake in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden brown on top :) Take out of the oven and let it sit for AT LEAST 5 minutes before you cut into it. Resist all urges to try just a little bit, wait and it will finish cooking and the filling will set. Then, you can finally ENJOY!!

Corn Chowder

Its cold outside and my kiddos have been asking for soup, so I made one of our favorites for dinner tonight! Corn Chowder, I love it because it is soooo flavorful and full of veggies! My kids, and hubby the chef love it too!

Corn Chowder

Ingredients:
3 slices bacon (or 2 tablespoons olive oil)
1 onion, diced
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 carrots (peeled and chopped)
1-2 bell peppers, chopped
2-3 poblano (sometimes labeled pasilla) peppers, seeds removed and chopped**
3 garlic cloves, smashed and finely chopped
3 tablespoons flour
2 boxes chicken stock
3 large russet potatoes, chopped
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs thyme
1 large bag (or 2 small) frozen corn
1 quart half & half (can also use heavy cream)
Salt & Fresh ground pepper to taste

Start by cubing bacon and cooking in large pot. Once bacon is browned, remove and set aside. Next add onion, celery, carrot, bell pepper, poblanos and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Sweat veggies for about 3 minutes on medium heat, they should start to become translucent. Now, add in the flour stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Pour in chicken stock while scrapping bottom of pan. Add potato, bay leaf and thyme, simmer on medium heat until potatoes are not quite cooked. Add corn and cream and heat through. Check seasoning, add salt and pepper if needed! Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs before serving.

This is a hearty soup, that is best enjoyed with some crusty artisanal bread!

**Warning- This pepper can have some heat so be sure to wash hands after handling, before touching eyes or mouth as it will sting!! Once cooked the heat really dies down, even Griffin (who is 1) loves to eat them!!

Hubby's Flat Iron Steak :)

Happy New Year!! Boy, am I happy that it is January and things have and will continue to slow down at the restaurant. I am ready to have more family time!

The question I am most often asked when someone hears that I am married to a chef is, "does he cook for you all the time?" The answer is........NO! He works so much that when he is home he very rarely wants to spend his time cooking. I understand that and totally don't blame him, so this afternoon when he wanted to make lunch I was thrilled! I watched him cook and realized what he was making was really easy and figured some others would want a recipe from him :) This is my interpretation of what he did (wanted to clarify that for you Hunny).

Ingredients:
Flat Iron Steak cut into 6 oz portions
1 cup Balsamic Vinegar
Salt & Pepper to taste

For Pesto Sauce:
1 cup basil leaves
3 garlic cloves
zest of 1/2 lemon
dash of cayenne pepper
dash of celery seed
1/4 cup (or so) of extra virgin olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Marinate steak for 20 minutes in a Ziploc bag with some fresh cracked pepper and balsamic vinegar. Pull out of marinade and season steak with salt and pepper and put it on the grill. Cooking time depends on thickness of meat, but plan on a little over 3 minutes per side. Internal temp should read 120 degrees. Take steak off the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before cutting the meat against the grain into strips. Then top steak generously with pesto sauce.

To make the pesto sauce start by chopping up the basil leaves (this can be done in the food processor, but I liked the rustic chunky version). Then smash and chop garlic. Add lemon zest, cayenne, celery seed and salt and pepper. Slowly add in olive oil while whisking mixture. The sauce should be like a thick, chunky dressing. Let sauce sit on counter while you cook the steak so the flavors have time to mix and develop.

This was so delicious, I just wanted to keep eating the sauce! The pesto like sauce would be great on top of fish, chicken or veggies as well. It is really healthy, and bursting with flavor! Enjoy!