Roast Chicken with Honey-Vinegar Rub!!!
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
Rub:
¼ tsp. Paprika
¼ tsp. Cumin
¼ tsp. Garlic Powder
¼ tsp. Curry
¼ tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. Pepper
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Preheat Oven 350 degrees:
Combine all of the ingredients for the rub in a small bowl.
Rub the clean chicken down with this rub: outside and under the skin.
Place chicken in a baking dish and bake until the juices from the thigh run clear.
This is a great tasting chicken, for any night of the week.
With Love,
Catherine
xo
Sour Cream Cake!!!
Adapted from: The Joy of Cooking
Ingredients:
1 ¾ cups cake flour
¼ tsp baking soda
1 ¾ tsps Double-acting baking powder
1/3 cup butter
1 cup sifted sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup yogurt or 1 cup cultured sour cream
2 egg whites
Preheat Oven 350 degrees:
Sift the cake flour.
Resift the flour with the baking soda and baking powder.
Cream the butter until soft. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla.
Add the sifted flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 parts, alternating with: the yogurt or sour cream. Stir the batter after each addition until smooth.
Whip until – stiff, but not dry: the egg whites. Fold them lightly into the batter.
Bake in buttered pan about 25-30 minutes or until the toothpick test comes out clean.
The topping is your choice. This cake has grated Ferrero Rocher candy on top.
This cake is light and fluffy and perfect with a good cup of coffee.
With Love,
Catherine
xo
Quick and Easy Sausage and Peppers!!!
Ingredients:
12 Sausages links
1 large onion – sliced
3 large bell peppers – sliced
5 cloves garlic – chopped
Olive oil
Your favorite bread
Heat a large frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the sausage links and let cook.
Heat a griddle and place the sliced onion and peppers on the griddle to char slightly.
Add the peppers and onions to the frying pan with the sausage. Add the chopped garlic and continue to sauté until the sausage is completely cooked.
Serve with nice Italian bread or your favorite bread.
This is a delicious and easy way to cook up dinner.
With Love,
Catherine
xo
The February Where Mother Nature Found Herself Confused
We've been following the steady progress of our first daffodil and crocus bulbs, so we didn't expect to find them nestled in the prettiest snow of the season:
This is the first time I remember feeling joyous at a late February snowfall, but we've had so little this year, and this one is seriously beautiful:
It should all melt by the beginning of the week, further cementing it's status as the best Chicago end-of-winter snow ever.
Cecelia can't get enough of it either. We bought her this little shovel and this is her first time using it.
Lemon Chicken and Zucchini Parmesan Sandwich!!!
Ingredients:
3 lbs. boneless chicken breast – sliced
½ cup of your favorite shredded cheese
Your favorite sandwich rolls
Marinade for the Chicken:
7 cloves garlic – chopped
1 bunch of Italian parsley – chopped
Juice of 2 lemons
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
Drizzle of olive oil
For the Zucchini:
2 zucchini’s – sliced lengthwise
½ tsp. dried oregano
Dashes of salt
Dashes of black pepper
Drizzle of olive oil
For the Sauce:
10 fresh plum tomatoes
8 cloves of garlic
Dashes of dried oregano
Dashes of salt
Dashes of black pepper
Combine all of the ingredients for the chicken marinade. Place the chicken slices in the marinade and refrigerate for at least half and hour or longer.
Drizzle olive oil on the sliced zucchini and add the spices.
In a food processor place the tomatoes along with the garlic and seasonings.
Heat a sauce pot with a drizzle of olive oil and add the processed tomatoes and garlic. Add the seasonings to taste. Simmer while sautéing the chicken and zucchini.
Heat a large frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the chicken until golden on one side and flip to continue sautéing on the other side.
When finished sautéing the chicken, sauté the zucchini and set aside.
Build your sandwich with the chicken, zucchini, shredded cheese and fresh tomatoes sauce.
This is delicious and perfect for lunch or dinner.
With Love,
Catherine
xo
Crepes Stuffed with Spinach, Feta and Apples!!!
Ingredients:
For the Crepes:
¾ cup all purpose flour – sifted
Resift with:
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Add and beat:
2/3 cups milk
1/3 cup water
½ tsp vanilla
Make a well in the sifted ingredients. Pour in the liquid ingredients. Combine them with a few swift strokes. If the batter is too thick add a little more milk until it falls nicely from the ladle.
For the Stuffing:
9 oz. box of frozen chopped spinach
2 large apples – peeled and sliced
5 cloves of garlic – chopped
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
Dashes of red pepper flakes
4 oz. feta cheese
1 cup of walnuts
Olive oil
For the Sauce:
1 cup of grape tomatoes
1 healthy handful of Italian parsley
4 cloves of garlic
1 tsp. of capers plus a tablespoon of caper juice
Prepare the batter for the crepes and place in the refrigerator.
Heat a large frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Place the frozen chopped spinach in it to thaw and sauté. When thawed add the garlic to sauté with the spinach.
When the garlic is fragrant add the sliced apples, brown sugar and red pepper flakes and continue to sauté.
Place the ingredients for the sauce in the food processor and give a few good chops.
Drizzle a little olive oil in a small frying pan and sauté these ingredients, while preparing the rest of the meal.
Place in the food processor the walnuts and feta cheese and process until smooth.
Combine the feta cheese and walnuts with the apples and spinach.
Preparing the Crepes:
Add a small drizzle of olive oil. Add a small quantity of batter. Tip the pan and let the batter spread over the bottom. Cook the pancake over moderate heat. When it is brown underneath, reverse it and brown the other side. Use a few drops of oil for each pancake.
Beginning at the edge of the crepe, place a tablespoon of stuffing and roll.
Top with a little of the sauce and serve.
These crepes are unique and delicious.
With Love,
Catherine
xo
The un-Office
Warning: the following photos are not pretty.
I saw this post today, about creating an office space when you have no office, and I wanted to share what works for me!
I have a computer desk in our basement with a small filing drawer where we keep all of our important papers. We also have a filing crate with less important files tucked away in a basement closet (things like laundry machine manuals are in there). This works in general, but I often found myself needing things like tape or stamps while I was in the kitchen, and paper piles would quickly accumulate until I had the chance to file them.
I came up with the following system which has been working for me for awhile.
It takes up one shelf in my pantry and consists of some stacking trays, a paper recycling box, a box of greeting cards, and three re-purposed baby wipes containers.
The stacking trays contain:
- office tools - scissors, packing tape, ruler, pencil sharpener, stapler, tape
- mailers
- my laptop and notebook - the cord is plugged in behind the couch so I can use then when I need to
- paper for lists, notes, and emergency coloring pages
- the to-be-filed pile
To the right, I have a box of greeting cards as well as baby wipes containers that keep the following at hand:
- mailing supplies (stamps, address labels, envelopes)
- paper clips, pushpins, and rubber bands
- child-proofing supplies
- sewing essentials
Any papers that I need to reference, need at hand, or have to act upon live on my super-elaborate wall board.
(Pardon me, I obviously need to bring the paper recycling in! Our church has one of those paper recycling fundraiser dumpsters.)
Yup. Those are just papers taped to the door. I know it's ugly, but this actually works for me. I don't like the clutter, so it encourages me to act on the items I need to. I have to see every single paper every time I open this door (which is often) so it is harder to forget about things. I have a couple of envelopes there for smaller things.
Oh yes, I also have a cup of pens.
This system really only works because we have eliminated as much paper as possible. We do not receive paper bills or statements. We do not get the newspaper and junk mail gets put in the recycling bin right away. If I find a piece of paper that I'd like to be able to reference later on but don't want it hanging around, I will sometimes snap a photo with my smartphone and store it in an online album or in Google docs.
The majority of papers that land in the to-be-filed box are photos, tax documents and receipts (for home based business expenses), and to-sweet-to-throw-away craft projects. I have a photo box at my desk in the basement to collect the overflow of photos. I'll go through those someday, but for the time being the box is small and pretty so it works. Tax documents, medical records, etc get filed in the little filing drawer at my desk. Craft projects get photographed and thrown away or photographed and put away into Cecelia's treasure box.
Another system in the house that helps with small-item/paper build-up is the large outbox in our mudroom closet. I'm able to drop a lot of things in there (store returns, borrowed books, gifts) and then grab them when we head out!
Since everything is on display, and it's a very tight space, things in here are pared down by necessity. I have everything I need, and nothing I don't!
Escarole with Spaghetti!!!
Ingredients:
1 head of escarole – cleaned and ripped
7 cloves of garlic – chopped
Croutons
Dashes of salt
Dashes of red pepper flakes
Dashes of black pepper
Grated Romano cheese
Olive oil
1 lb. of your favorite spaghetti
Heat a large frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil and add the garlic to sauté. When the garlic is fragrant add the escarole.
Prepare the spaghetti as directed. Add a ½ cup of the spaghetti water to the escarole.
Season the escarole to taste with the salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes.
Drain the spaghetti and add to the escarole. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the spaghetti and escarole. Add the croutons and freshly grated Romano cheese.
This is a simple and delicious dish.
With Love,
Catherine
xo
Pear & Prune Pie
There is something timeless about pie. Maybe it is the soft, flaky crust or the naturally sweet fruit...or perhaps it is the aromatic scent that fills the house while crisping in the oven! Fruit pie never goes out of style and it’s a dessert that is always in season.
With that said, enjoy this classic recipe from James Beard’s American Cookery.
With love,
Catherine & Tammy
xo
xo
Pear & Prune Pie
(Adapted from James Beard's American Cookery)
(Adapted from James Beard's American Cookery)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes – overnight
Cook Time 30-40 minutes
For pie crust you will need:
1½ cups AP flour, sifted
¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup shortening
1/3 cup butter
3 tablespoons butter
For pear & prune filling you will need:
4 cups peeled and sliced pears
½ cup chopped dried pitted prunes
½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger
½ cup unsalted butter
1¼ cups brown sugar
¾ cup AP flour
Dash of cinnamon
1 cup of whipping cream
1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
FOR THE PIE CRUST process all ingredients for the shell in a food processor, until a soft, fine dough forms. Chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling out and fitting into a 9-inch pie plate.
FOR PEAR & PRUNE FILLING mix pears, prunes and grated ginger in a bowl. Set aside.
Melt butter in a saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. The mixture may be very smooth.
Pour the fruit into the unbaked pie shell. Take the butter and sugar mixture and scatter pieces over the fruit. Bake pie for 30-40 minutes or until the topping is crusty and the fruit is tender. Transfer to a cooling rack.
In a bowl, whip cream and sugar. Serve with pie and enjoy!!!
The “Sloppy” Sandwich!!
Ingredients:
2 lbs. ground beef
1 large onion – sliced
6 cloves of garlic – chopped
1 large jalapeño – chopped with seeds
2 pints grape tomatoes
1 bunch Italian parsley
Dashes of salt
Pepper
Paprika
Chili powder
Curry powder
Garlic powder
½ cup ketchup
3 tablespoons vinegar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
Olive oil
Your favorite bread
Your favorite grated cheese
Heat a large sauce pan and place the ground beef in it to sauté. When the meat is done drain any excess fat and set the meat aside.
Heat a large frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil and place the sliced onion, jalapeño, and garlic and sauté until the onion is slightly golden.
In a food processor combine the tomatoes and Italian parsley and give a few good chops. Add this to the onion, garlic and jalapeño.
In a small bowl combine the ketchup, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and vinegar and mix. Add this to the pan.
Add the cooked ground beef and all of the spices to taste.
Let this simmer on low for about 20-25 minutes.
Heat the bread of your choice and top with the meat sauce. Top this with your favorite cheese if you like.
This is a fun meal served with a beautiful side salad.
With Love,
Catherine
xo
Spinach, Rice and Feta Cheese Burgers!!!
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked rice
1 onion – chopped
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
9 oz. Frozen Creamed Spinach
¾ cup Italian style breadcrumbs
5 cloves garlic – chopped
3 eggs (one for an egg wash)
½ cup flour
Olive oil
Vegetable oil
Heat a large frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Place the chopped onion and garlic in the pan to sauté. When the onion softens add the creamed spinach to thaw.
In a large bowl combine two of the eggs, bread crumbs, crumbled feta cheese and the cooked rice. Mix these ingredients together.
Add the sautéed spinach, onion and garlic to the bowl.
Place the flour in a shallow bowl and the egg plus a splash of water in another shallow bowl.
Form the spinach and rice mixture into patties. Coat the patty dipping first in the flour and then the egg wash and back in the flour.
Heat a frying pan with about one inch of vegetable oil for frying the patties.
Carefully place the patties in the hot oil. When the patties are a beautiful golden color on one side, carefully turn them.
Place on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
These patties make a great veggie burger or just perfect on a plate with a nice salad.
With Love,
Catherine
xo
Chocolate Pretzel Cookies!!!
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 oz. chocolate pudding mix
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
¾ cup pretzels – crushed
4 tablespoons butter – softened
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla
6 tablespoons Coca Cola
Preheat Oven 350 degrees:
In a mix-master combine the pudding mix, flour, sugar, baking soda and crushed pretzels.
With the speed on low add the egg, vanilla, softened butter and Coca Cola and continue to mix until the batter is well combined.
Place on a greased baking pan or parchment paper by the teaspoon full.
Bake 10 -12 minutes.
These cookies are sweet treat with a cup of tea.
With Love,
Catherine
xo
Rich and Delicious Blueberry Muffins!!!
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour – sifted
¾ cup sugar
5 tablespoons – butter – melted
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
For the Blueberries:
1 inch piece of fresh ginger – grated
Zest of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 cup frozen blueberries
Preheat Oven 350 degrees:
In a bowl sift together the flour, sugar and baking powder.
In a separate bowl combine the eggs, milk, vanilla and melted butter.
In a mixing bowl combine the blueberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, brown sugar and ginger. Give this a toss and add it to the dry ingredients.
Add the liquid to the dry ingredients. Mix very lightly.
Fill buttered tins about two-thirds full.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until nicely browned and full.
These muffins are moist and delicious.
With Love,
Catherine
xo
“Spiced ~ Up” Red Sauce with Cannellini Beans and Spaghetti!!!
Ingredients:
For the Food Processor:
4 cloves of garlic
1 pint grape tomatoes
2 bunches of scallions
Healthy handful of Italian parsley
1 Jalapeño – with seeds
Additional Ingredients:
29 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
29 oz. can of cannellini beans – drained and rinsed
1 tsp. of salt
1 tsp. of black pepper
½ tsp of dried oregano
Dashes of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons of vinegar
1 tsp. brown sugar
4 oz. feta cheese – crumbled
Olive oil – for drizzling
1 lb. of your favorite spaghetti
Combine the ingredients for the food processor and give a few good chops.
Heat a large frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil and add the ingredients from the food processor to simmer on low for about 10 minutes.
Add the crushed tomatoes, dried oregano, salt, pepper and cannellini beans and continue to simmer on low while preparing the spaghetti as directed.
Combine the vinegar and brown sugar. Add this to the sauce and stir.
Place the spaghetti on a platter and top with the sauce and feta cheese and a few dashes of red pepper flakes and a drizzle of olive oil.
This is a meal that is sure to please, served with a beautiful side salad.
With Love,
Catherine
xo
~
~
Tasty Glazed Bundt Cake!!!
Ingredients:
1 cup cake flour
½ cup all- purpose flour – sifted
5 eggs - separated
1 cup sugar
1 heaping tsp. baking powder
1 cup butter – softened
For the Glaze:
¾ cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 tablespoons milk
Combine all of the confectioner’s sugar, vanilla and milk and whisk until smooth.
Drizzle over a cooled cake.
Preheat Oven 350 degrees:
Whip the egg whites stiff.
Add the sugar, whipping all the time until smooth.
Add the yolks and continue whipping. Add the baking powder and continue whipping.
Add the combined flours and continue whipping, until incorporated.
Pour into a greased bundt pan.
Bake 30-35 minutes or until the toothpick test comes out clean.
This cake is easy, light and delicious!
With Love,
Catherine
xo
~
Old Fashioned Oatmeal Raisin Cookies!!!
Adapted from: Quaker Oats
Ingredients:
½ cup butter – softened
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour – sifted
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cups Quaker Oats – (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup raisins
Preheat Oven 350 degrees:
In a mix-master combine butter and sugars and mix until creamy.
Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Add flour, baking soda and cinnamon and mix well.
Add oats and raisins and mix well.
Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on wire rack.
These cookies are delicious and will disappear quickly!
With Love,
Catherine
xo
“Greek-Style” ~ Macaroni Bake!!!
Ingredients:
29 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
18 oz. of frozen creamed spinach
8 oz. of feta cheese – crumbled
7 cloves of garlic – chopped
Healthy handful of Italian parsley – chopped
½ cup of chicken broth
Dash of ground nutmeg
Dash of salt
Dash of ground black pepper
1 lb. of your favorite macaroni
Olive oil – for drizzling
Heat a large frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add the crushed tomatoes; simmer on low. Add the frozen spinach and parsley to gently thaw into the tomatoes on low. Add the ½ cup of chicken broth and continue to simmer
on low. Add the seasonings.
on low. Add the seasonings.
Prepare the macaroni as directed and drain. Do not overcook the macaroni!
Drizzle a little olive oil in a baking dish. Add the macaroni and the crumbled feta cheese and toss. Add the sauce and toss.
Preheat the Oven 350 degrees:
Bake for 25-30 minutes.
This is a delicious baked macaroni served with a nice side salad.
With Love,
Catherine
xo
Noodles with Sautéed Chicken, Bell Peppers, Garlic and Ginger!!!
Ingredients:
For the Chicken:
2 lbs. of boneless chicken breast sliced
1 tsp. garlic powder
¾ tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
Vegetable oil
Place chicken slices in a bowl. Add the spices to the chicken and drizzle the vegetable oil over the chicken. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Heat a large frying pan and sauté the chicken until slightly golden on each side and the chicken is cooked. Set the chicken aside while preparing the veggies.
For the Vegetables:
2 bell peppers – sliced
1 Jalapeño – sliced thin with seeds
1 large Spanish onion – sliced
3 inch piece of ginger – sliced thin
6 cloves of garlic – chopped
1 bunch of scallions – sliced thin
1 lb. of your favorite noodles
Heat a large frying pan with a drizzle of vegetable oil and place all of the veggies in the pan. Sauté until the onion is soft and the peppers are slightly soft. Do not overcook your veggies.
While the veggies are sautéing prepare the noodles. Drain the noodles and set aside until the veggies are ready.
Sweet and Spicy Sauce for this Dish:
1 tablespoon of orange marmalade
1 tablespoon of apricot preserves
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon your favorite hot sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
Combine all of the ingredients for the sauce and stir until smooth.
Remember you are the boss and may adjust the sauce to your liking.
Place the chicken in with the veggies and add the noodles. Pour in the sauce and toss.
This is a nice dish for any night of the week and something a little different.
With Love,
Catherine
xo
Dynamic Duo: Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
For cookies you will need:
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup white sugar
1 tablespoon of orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1½ cups AP flour
¼ teaspoons baking soda
¼ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup craisins
¼ cup dark chocolate chip cookies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In bowl of electric mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add orange zest, vanilla, and egg. Beat until well combined. The mixture may look curdled. Set aside.
In a large bowl sift flour and baking soda. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until a soft dough forms. Add walnuts, craisins, and chocolate chip cookies.
Shape a tablespoon worth of cookie dough on baking sheets, leaving about an inch and a half of space for the cookies to expand.
Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to let cool.
With their buttery crisp texture, these cookies are a perfect balance of chocolaty sweetness and citrusy tang!
With Love,
Catherine & Tammy♥
xoxo
Quick and Easy Brownie Marshmallow Cookies!!!
Ingredients:
1 box of brownie mix
½ cup of all-purpose flour – sifted
½ cup marshmallows
½ cup of brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
½ cup of shredded coconut
½ cup of chocolate chips
Preheat Oven 350 degrees:
In a mix-master place the brown sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs, mix until smooth. Add the flour, brownie mix, water, chocolate chips and marshmallows. Mix until all is incorporated.
Place the cookie batter by the teaspoonful on a greased cookie sheet or parchment paper lined cookie pans.
Bake 10-12 minutes. Remove the cookies from the baking pan and let them cool on a rack.
These cookies are a good treat that make you feel just a little bit guilty.
With Love,
Catherine
xo
Light and Easy Mac and Cheese!!!
Ingredients:
16 oz. cottage cheese
8 oz. your favorite salsa
8 oz. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
¼ cup milk
1 lb. of your favorite macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
Seasonings:
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. black pepper
Dash of salt
½ tsp. paprika
Preheat Oven 350 degrees:
Prepare the macaroni as directed.
Place cottage cheese and butter in the food processor and process until smooth. Add the salsa and seasonings and give a few good spins to incorporate the salsa.
Prepare a baking dish with a rub down of butter. Add the cooked macaroni and the prepared cottage cheese. Add the milk and ½ of the shredded cheese and toss. Top with the remainder of the cheese.
Bake 20-25 minutes.
This is a perfect side to any meal.
With Love,
Catherine
xo
Boneless Fried Chicken Thighs with Blueberry Sauce!!!
Ingredients:
12 boneless chicken thighs
1 cup unseasoned flour
2 eggs – beaten –with a splash of water
2 cups seasoned flour
Vegetable oil for frying
Seasonings for the flour:
1 tsp. brown sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. hot curry powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
Prepare three shallow dishes with the unseasoned flour, egg wash and seasoned flour. Dip the thighs first in the unseasoned flour then the egg wash and finally in the seasoned flour.
Heat a large frying pan with the oil, about ½ inch. Place the chicken thighs in the hot oil, turning once. Place on a plate with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
Blueberry Sauce:
24 oz. of frozen blueberries
1 cup sugar
Water – to slightly cover berries
1 tablespoon flour
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce
Zest of 1 lime
1 large jalapeño – chopped
2 inch piece of fresh ginger – grated
Dash of cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of cumin
Dash of hot curry powder
Dash of ground cloves
In a small saucepot combine the water, sugar, flour, lemon juice, hot sauce
and berries. Simmer on low for a few minutes to slightly thicken.
and berries. Simmer on low for a few minutes to slightly thicken.
Remove from heat and add the jalapeño, fresh ginger, lime zest and spices.
Let the sauce sit to absorb flavors and serve warm.
This is something different and delicious to serve any night of the week!
With Love,
Catherine
xo
Broccoli, Grilled Pork Strips and Spaghetti!!!
Ingredients:
2 lbs of boneless pork loin - cut into strips
1 head of broccoli – cut into spears
5 cloves of garlic – chopped
1 box of your favorite spaghetti
Marinade for the Pork:
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon of vinegar
1 tablespoon of sugar
½ tsp. of salt
½ tsp. of black pepper
½ tsp. of ground cumin
Place pork pieces in the marinade and refrigerate for half an hour or more.
Heat a griddle with a drizzle of olive oil and place the pork pieces on the hot griddle to grill.
While grilling the pork prepare the spaghetti as directed. Place the broccoli in the spaghetti water about 3-4 minutes before the spaghetti is done.
Drain the broccoli and spaghetti and plate; top with the grilled pork.
Heat a small frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the chopped garlic, a few dashes of red pepper flakes. When the garlic is fragrant and slightly golden pour this over the plated broccoli, spaghetti and pork. Squeeze a ¼ of lemon over the top and toss.
This dish is easy and delicious.
With Love,
Catherine
xo
Quick and Easy Stay at Home ~ “Take Out” ~Chinese Vegetable Dish!!!
Ingredients:
½ onion – sliced
5 cloves of garlic – chopped
1 carrot – sliced
¼ head of cabbage – sliced
Healthy handful of Italian parsley – chopped
1 quart of button mushrooms – sliced
1 Jalapeño – sliced with seeds
3 stalks of celery – sliced
2 inch piece of fresh ginger – sliced thin
½ tsp of cornstarch
Vegetable oil
Sesame oil
2 cups uncooked rice
For the Sauce:
2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of Teriyaki sauce
1 tsp of sesame oil
1 tsp. of your favorite hot sauce
1 tsp. of Vegeta chicken soup mix
1 tsp. of lemon juice
¼ cup water
Prepare the rice as directed with a tsp. of the Vegeta soup mix added to the water.
Heat a large frying pan or wok with a drizzle of vegetable oil and a tsp. of sesame oil. Place the garlic and ginger to sauté for a minute. Add the rest of the vegetables and the cornstarch. Sauté until the onions are tender.
Combine all of the ingredients for the sauce and mix well until the peanut butter is smooth. Pour over the veggies and toss with the heat on low for a minute or two.
Plate the rice and top with the veggies and toss.
This dish is so good and you made it yourself!
With Love,
Catherine
xo
M and M ~ Almond Cookies!!! These Cookies are Just So Good!!
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour – sifted
½ tsp baking soda
½ cup butter
¼ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp brewed coffee
1 tsp. dark molasses
1 egg
1 cup M and M’s
½ cup whole almonds
Preheat Oven 350 degrees:
In a food processor combine, M and M’s and almonds and process until chopped well.
Sift together flour and baking soda. In separate bowl combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, molasses and cooled coffee. Beat until nice and creamy. Beat in the egg and add the flour mixture and continue to mix. Slowly add the M and M’s and almonds, while mixing on low speed.
Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden on the edges.
These cookies won’t last long!!
With Love,
Catherine
xo