This is a super quick, light and fresh meal. Prep time depends on how fast you can chop veggies.
This is for 2 people.
2 boneless skinless chicken breast, cubbed
1 bunch green onions or one small sweet onion, chopped
2 med zucchini, sliced and halved
1 med yellow squash, sliced and halved
1 cup about cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
4 garlic cloves, chopped
fresh thyme to taste chopped of bunched in twine
salt and pepper to taste
yellow mustard
2 large squares heavy duty foil
Spread a light layer of mustard on the foil, top with chopped veggies and chicken, season with salt, pepper and thyme and top with mustard. Roll up foil tightly as to not allow steam to escape. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 40-50 mins.
Thyme is a tough herb to work with. Its stems make it hard to chop and they are not something you really want in your food. There are two ways you can get around this. One grab a bunch at the stem and slide you finger down the stem, the little leaves should come right off. Another way you can do it is by bunching it in some cheese cloth and putting that in with your veggies.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Sausage Spaghetti
Spaghetti is such a quick and easy go to. Today was a perfect spaghetti day because of my work schedule. This recipe has alot of flavor to it, you can add or take away what ever you want to suit what you like or what you have in the kitchen.
You can use either ground beef or sausage for this. I like to use sausage because it add a lot more flavor to it.
What you need
2 lbs ground beef or italian sausage (casing removed)
1 box spaghetti
1 large onion, chopped
1 whole garlic bulb, each clove crushed then grated to a pulp (less to taste, i love garlic)
2 6-oz can tomato paste
2 8-oz can tomato sauce
2 can sliced stewed tomatoes
1 cup water (more if sauce is too thick for you liking)
2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
dash of salt and pepper (about 1-2 tbs each)
a palm full of fresh basil and parsley cut or chopped.
Optional additions to add to sauce before simmering
1 sliced zuchini
1 sliced summer squash
1 can sliced mushrooms or 1/2 cup fresh mushrooms
1 chopped celery rib
1 chopped green pepper
1 small eggplant, cubed
Brown sausage or beef in a large pot with olive oil (you will be making the sauce in this pot) break up the sausage as you brown it. Be careful not to burn it, sausage can burn easily and will get very hard or tough. Cook until no longer pink.
Add chopped onion and cook for about 5 mins. Add garlic, water, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and canned tomatoes, crushed red peppers, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for at least 1 hour, a longer simmer will result in a better sauce so i simmer for about 2 to 3 hours on a low heat. Stir frequently to avoid sticking and burning.
Boil water and cook past to directions on package. Drain noodles and spoon sauce over plated noodles and enjoy.
Again i must stress i love garlic and i can never have too much so the amount of garlic in this may be a bit too much for you so feel free to reduce it to about 4 cloves. As for me, even with one whole garlic i was still wanting more. I can eat a clove of garlic like a piece of candy and an onion like an apple, so do not be afraid to reduce those ingredients.
You can use either ground beef or sausage for this. I like to use sausage because it add a lot more flavor to it.
What you need
2 lbs ground beef or italian sausage (casing removed)
1 box spaghetti
1 large onion, chopped
1 whole garlic bulb, each clove crushed then grated to a pulp (less to taste, i love garlic)
2 6-oz can tomato paste
2 8-oz can tomato sauce
2 can sliced stewed tomatoes
1 cup water (more if sauce is too thick for you liking)
2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
dash of salt and pepper (about 1-2 tbs each)
a palm full of fresh basil and parsley cut or chopped.
Optional additions to add to sauce before simmering
1 sliced zuchini
1 sliced summer squash
1 can sliced mushrooms or 1/2 cup fresh mushrooms
1 chopped celery rib
1 chopped green pepper
1 small eggplant, cubed
Brown sausage or beef in a large pot with olive oil (you will be making the sauce in this pot) break up the sausage as you brown it. Be careful not to burn it, sausage can burn easily and will get very hard or tough. Cook until no longer pink.
Add chopped onion and cook for about 5 mins. Add garlic, water, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and canned tomatoes, crushed red peppers, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for at least 1 hour, a longer simmer will result in a better sauce so i simmer for about 2 to 3 hours on a low heat. Stir frequently to avoid sticking and burning.
Boil water and cook past to directions on package. Drain noodles and spoon sauce over plated noodles and enjoy.
Again i must stress i love garlic and i can never have too much so the amount of garlic in this may be a bit too much for you so feel free to reduce it to about 4 cloves. As for me, even with one whole garlic i was still wanting more. I can eat a clove of garlic like a piece of candy and an onion like an apple, so do not be afraid to reduce those ingredients.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Lasagna
Lasagna, a classic italian staple. Growing up my grandmas lasagna was world famous, well ok not really world famous but she would always have people calling her, asking her to make lasagna for them and she would, she would also make a pan for her neighbor, a pan for me and my mom to take home and a pan for the homeless shelter.
Now, i dont think i got the lasagna gene but i find myself making it a lot like she did and as i make it i feel like she is standing right behind me telling me what to do.
With lasagna you have options! You can make it with ground beef, sausage or both. You can make a full pan, or a half pan. With a full pan you can have left overs for a few days if you are only feeding 2 people like i do, or with a half pan you can enough leftover for lunch the next day. If you want you can prepare it the day before and refrigerate it, when you get home from work just throw it in the oven and you have dinner in 30-45 mins.
So on to the recipe. I made a full pan, with 50/50 ground beef and sausage. I recommend finding a grocery store or farmers market that sells local, grass fed beef. Let me just say, the difference in quality is amazing, and the price is about the same as if not a bit higher than big chain grocery stores. Well worth it especially with the pink slime going around.
I also recommend you shred your own cheese. Cost wise its about the same, you can get a brick of mozzarella prepackaged from the cheese section or cut from the deli. I use about 16oz of cheese. You can shred it by hand with a hand shredder, or what i do in a hurry, i throw it in my Ninja blender. Fresh shredded cheese will melt better and be gooey and stringy compared to bag cheese will be much more dense.
This recipe is for a full pan, if making a half pan just cut everything in half and tear the lasagna noodles to fit pan.
1 box lasagna (dont use oven ready)
1 lb ground beed, italian sausage or mixture of both
12 oz can diced stewed tomatoes
2 jars marinara sauce (i like Newmans own or my local grocery store brand that is made in house)
1 zucchini and yellow squash, sliced and halved
1 med onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 can sliced mushrooms
16 oz mozzarella cheese (16 oz brick or 2 bags)
1 of the small containers of ricotta cheese
1 egg
Garlic, minced, to taste (i used a whole garlic because i love garlic)
Preheat oven to 350
In a skillet lightly oiled with olive oil, brown meat with onions and pepper.
Pour one jar marinara sauce in a med sauce pan with the canned tomatoes water drained, add garlic, zucchini, squash and mushrooms, simmer until squash is tender. Add to meat.
Beat egg, add ricotta cheese to egg and mix with fork.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a full boil, gently add box of lasagna noodles, cook to directions on box.
Drain the noodles and lay flat on an oiled cookie sheet, run under cool water if needed to handle.
With the 2nd jar of sauce, spread a layer on bottom of pan. Lay 5 strips of lasagna on bottom of pan and layer with ricotta cheese mixture, meat mixture and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and repeat. Use half the cheese for the layers, half the cheese for the top. With the final layer or noodles, top with just marinara sauce and cheese.
Bake 30 mins.
Now, i dont think i got the lasagna gene but i find myself making it a lot like she did and as i make it i feel like she is standing right behind me telling me what to do.
With lasagna you have options! You can make it with ground beef, sausage or both. You can make a full pan, or a half pan. With a full pan you can have left overs for a few days if you are only feeding 2 people like i do, or with a half pan you can enough leftover for lunch the next day. If you want you can prepare it the day before and refrigerate it, when you get home from work just throw it in the oven and you have dinner in 30-45 mins.
So on to the recipe. I made a full pan, with 50/50 ground beef and sausage. I recommend finding a grocery store or farmers market that sells local, grass fed beef. Let me just say, the difference in quality is amazing, and the price is about the same as if not a bit higher than big chain grocery stores. Well worth it especially with the pink slime going around.
I also recommend you shred your own cheese. Cost wise its about the same, you can get a brick of mozzarella prepackaged from the cheese section or cut from the deli. I use about 16oz of cheese. You can shred it by hand with a hand shredder, or what i do in a hurry, i throw it in my Ninja blender. Fresh shredded cheese will melt better and be gooey and stringy compared to bag cheese will be much more dense.
This recipe is for a full pan, if making a half pan just cut everything in half and tear the lasagna noodles to fit pan.
1 box lasagna (dont use oven ready)
1 lb ground beed, italian sausage or mixture of both
12 oz can diced stewed tomatoes
2 jars marinara sauce (i like Newmans own or my local grocery store brand that is made in house)
1 zucchini and yellow squash, sliced and halved
1 med onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 can sliced mushrooms
16 oz mozzarella cheese (16 oz brick or 2 bags)
1 of the small containers of ricotta cheese
1 egg
Garlic, minced, to taste (i used a whole garlic because i love garlic)
Preheat oven to 350
In a skillet lightly oiled with olive oil, brown meat with onions and pepper.
Pour one jar marinara sauce in a med sauce pan with the canned tomatoes water drained, add garlic, zucchini, squash and mushrooms, simmer until squash is tender. Add to meat.
Beat egg, add ricotta cheese to egg and mix with fork.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a full boil, gently add box of lasagna noodles, cook to directions on box.
Drain the noodles and lay flat on an oiled cookie sheet, run under cool water if needed to handle.
With the 2nd jar of sauce, spread a layer on bottom of pan. Lay 5 strips of lasagna on bottom of pan and layer with ricotta cheese mixture, meat mixture and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and repeat. Use half the cheese for the layers, half the cheese for the top. With the final layer or noodles, top with just marinara sauce and cheese.
Bake 30 mins.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Chicken and dumplings
This is a dish my grandma made for me all the time growing up. Its a quick dish to make and it makes the whole house smell so welcoming and homey.
1 1/2 lb chicken breast, diced
2 tbs butter or good olive oil
1 good sized or 2 med sized russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 med onion, chopped
1 celery rib 2 if small, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1 tbs poultry seasoning or what i use is a sprinkle of thyme, rosemary, and savory
2 tbs flour
1 quart chicken broth, if i dont have my own homemade stock, i like to use condensed stock and 4 cups water.
Fresh parsley
1 cup frozen peas
For the dumplings
2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cups milk
This is an easy dish to make with just 1 pot! Minimal dishes, woohoo!
In a large pot, like one you would use to make spaghetti in, heat oil or butter over med-high heat. Add bay leaf and all vegies but the frozen peas, cook for 5 mins stirring frequently or things will start to stick. Season with salt and pepper. Add flour to pan and stir to cover pan/veggies, you will start to get a thick layer on the bottom of the pan, but its ok because next you will be adding the broth, once you add it everything sticking to the bottom should start to come right up with a light scrape. Bring to a boil and add chicken. Boil for 10 mins, chicken should be done and no longer pink inside.
In a bowl add the dry ingredients for the dumplings, mix together and add milk, mix together well. I like to mix the dough with my hands to get a good mix on it. You can also add some parsley in the dumplings to add an extra kick if you want.
Drop the dumplings in small table spoon fulls into the boiling pot, stir gently to cover, put lid on pot and cover tightly, reduce to a med-low heat and steam dumplings for 10 mins. Remove lid and stir to thicken sauce. Stir in peas and remove from heat. Stir in a good hand full of parsley leaves just before serving.
After talking with my boyfriend today, i think the next time i make this i might add some diced stewed tomatoes to give it that extra acid kick.
1 1/2 lb chicken breast, diced
2 tbs butter or good olive oil
1 good sized or 2 med sized russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 med onion, chopped
1 celery rib 2 if small, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1 tbs poultry seasoning or what i use is a sprinkle of thyme, rosemary, and savory
2 tbs flour
1 quart chicken broth, if i dont have my own homemade stock, i like to use condensed stock and 4 cups water.
Fresh parsley
1 cup frozen peas
For the dumplings
2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cups milk
This is an easy dish to make with just 1 pot! Minimal dishes, woohoo!
In a large pot, like one you would use to make spaghetti in, heat oil or butter over med-high heat. Add bay leaf and all vegies but the frozen peas, cook for 5 mins stirring frequently or things will start to stick. Season with salt and pepper. Add flour to pan and stir to cover pan/veggies, you will start to get a thick layer on the bottom of the pan, but its ok because next you will be adding the broth, once you add it everything sticking to the bottom should start to come right up with a light scrape. Bring to a boil and add chicken. Boil for 10 mins, chicken should be done and no longer pink inside.
In a bowl add the dry ingredients for the dumplings, mix together and add milk, mix together well. I like to mix the dough with my hands to get a good mix on it. You can also add some parsley in the dumplings to add an extra kick if you want.
Drop the dumplings in small table spoon fulls into the boiling pot, stir gently to cover, put lid on pot and cover tightly, reduce to a med-low heat and steam dumplings for 10 mins. Remove lid and stir to thicken sauce. Stir in peas and remove from heat. Stir in a good hand full of parsley leaves just before serving.
After talking with my boyfriend today, i think the next time i make this i might add some diced stewed tomatoes to give it that extra acid kick.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Pizza Friday
Who doesn't love pizza on a Friday? I try to make a new pizza every time i make one, its a great way to get rid of extra stuff you have left over in the kitchen at the end of the week. Today was a chicken and tomato with feta pizza.
Homemade pizza crust
1 cup hot water 90-100 degrees (tap water gets to about that temp)
1 package active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt (i like kosher)
1 tbs olive oil
5 cups flour (bread flour will give you a much much nicer dough)
3/4 cup water
Mix together warm water, yeast, and sugar but do not mix too much. Set aside about 20 mins. It should be very foamy. Mix flour, salt, oil, yeast water, and remaining water together. Knead dough for about 8-10 mins (the longer and better you knead the better the rise will be) See how to knead at bottom of recipe.
Round the dough and place back in a bowl, lightly cover your hands in olive oil and rub the dough on all sides to prevent sticking. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and put a dish towel over bowl. Allow to rise 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 with pizza stone or heavy cookie sheet in oven.
Take dough out of bowl. This dough is good for a large square pizza or a deep dish pizza, if you want to just make a round 12'' pizza half it and re-round it, if there are cracks and creases in the dough allow to rise another half hour. Stretch pizza dough, if it was kneaded right it should be nice and elasticy and should not rip when you handle it. Make sure you are working with floured hands and a floured surface, and to use the backs of your hands as to not put your fingers through the dough when you are holding it. Top with your favorite sauces meats and cheeses. Remember the more toppings you put on the pizza, the soggier the crust will be.
Sprinkle stone or sheet with cornmeal, put made up pizza on stone or sheet and bake 20-30 mins.
How to knead
I actually have a bad wrist that makes it hard for me to knead, but i have actually figured out a way to get a good knead even with me not being able to apply pressure with my left wrist.
Working with a well floured surface and well floured hands scoop dough out of bowl and all the other little bits that stick to the bowl. First you want to work to mix it all together. Start to knead by pushing forward then back toward your body with one hand and switch hands and do the same with the other hand. You should be able to do this quickly. Push, pull, switch.
My pizza today
Sliced boneless skinless chicken breast (i buy whole chicken breast and butcher them myself removing the bones and skin, its about half the price and dosent take long)
Homemade pizza sauce (3 cans stewed canned tomatoes, pureed in blender with garlic and seasonings)
Fresh sliced tomatoes
Mozzarella cheese
Feta cheese
Once you get the hang of it fresh homemade pizza is a great way to still eat pizza while being healthy as homemade pizza is not really greasy if you use the right toppings. The pizza i had today was the least healthy pizza i have made in a long time, most pizzas i make have spinach, broccoli, and other veggies on it.
Homemade pizza crust
1 cup hot water 90-100 degrees (tap water gets to about that temp)
1 package active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt (i like kosher)
1 tbs olive oil
5 cups flour (bread flour will give you a much much nicer dough)
3/4 cup water
Mix together warm water, yeast, and sugar but do not mix too much. Set aside about 20 mins. It should be very foamy. Mix flour, salt, oil, yeast water, and remaining water together. Knead dough for about 8-10 mins (the longer and better you knead the better the rise will be) See how to knead at bottom of recipe.
Round the dough and place back in a bowl, lightly cover your hands in olive oil and rub the dough on all sides to prevent sticking. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and put a dish towel over bowl. Allow to rise 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 with pizza stone or heavy cookie sheet in oven.
Take dough out of bowl. This dough is good for a large square pizza or a deep dish pizza, if you want to just make a round 12'' pizza half it and re-round it, if there are cracks and creases in the dough allow to rise another half hour. Stretch pizza dough, if it was kneaded right it should be nice and elasticy and should not rip when you handle it. Make sure you are working with floured hands and a floured surface, and to use the backs of your hands as to not put your fingers through the dough when you are holding it. Top with your favorite sauces meats and cheeses. Remember the more toppings you put on the pizza, the soggier the crust will be.
Sprinkle stone or sheet with cornmeal, put made up pizza on stone or sheet and bake 20-30 mins.
How to knead
I actually have a bad wrist that makes it hard for me to knead, but i have actually figured out a way to get a good knead even with me not being able to apply pressure with my left wrist.
Working with a well floured surface and well floured hands scoop dough out of bowl and all the other little bits that stick to the bowl. First you want to work to mix it all together. Start to knead by pushing forward then back toward your body with one hand and switch hands and do the same with the other hand. You should be able to do this quickly. Push, pull, switch.
My pizza today
Sliced boneless skinless chicken breast (i buy whole chicken breast and butcher them myself removing the bones and skin, its about half the price and dosent take long)
Homemade pizza sauce (3 cans stewed canned tomatoes, pureed in blender with garlic and seasonings)
Fresh sliced tomatoes
Mozzarella cheese
Feta cheese
Once you get the hang of it fresh homemade pizza is a great way to still eat pizza while being healthy as homemade pizza is not really greasy if you use the right toppings. The pizza i had today was the least healthy pizza i have made in a long time, most pizzas i make have spinach, broccoli, and other veggies on it.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Sausage stuffed tomatoes
Today was a lazy day, i was going to go for a run but didn't. See i have been suffering from shinsplints for the past few weeks and have been trying to recover. This really hurt me because i was training for my first ever 5k in a few months and i'm not sure if i will be ready for it now, but im really pushing to start up again tomorrow.
Today went like this.
I woke up and had some homemade ice coffee.
6 cups strong brew good coffee
1 tray ice cubes
chocolate syrup to flavor
fresh milk to flavor
VERY SLOWLY pour the hot fresh coffee over half the tray of ice, add chocolate syrup and milk to flavor.
My drink for the day is my usual drink; iced tea.
Boil 2 tea pyramids/bags, flavor of choice in a full saucepan of water.
Pour very slowly over ice in large cup.
Refrigerate leftovers for further uses.
For breakfast i had some fresh oatmeal.
1 cup organic oats, prepared to directions with water cut in half.
Replace half of water with yogurt.
Fresh cut fruit such as bananas and strawberries.
A spoon full of organic or homemade jelly.
For lunch i had some basic jasmine rice with soy sauce.
1/2 cup jasmine rice prepared to directions to package.
1 tbs soy sauce.
Dinner was a super bean salad and sausage stuffed tomatoes.
Bean salad was way way too sweet for my taste i cant say it was bad. I will reconsider this again with a homemade italian dressing of some sort; something i will have to play around with.
Bean salad
1 can beans each;
kidney
was
lima
green
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 chopped red bell pepper
3/4 cup sugar (where the too sweet come from)
2/3 cup vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp each;
dry dill
dry rosemary
dry basil
salt and pepper to taste.
Mix beans with onion and bell pepper in a large bowl with lid.
In a small saucepan heat vinegar, oil, sugar and herbs over med heat until dissolved. Do not boil.
Pour warm mixture over beans and allow to marinate in refrigerator for a min of 2 hours.
Again, i must say this bean salad was super super sweet and i will never, ever make it again according to directions, but it may be good for people who like sweet things or maybe even for a BBQ as i thing it would go well with some good sweet BBQ sauce.
The sausage stuffed tomatoes were quite good. My only complaint was the tomatoes were a bit juicy, but if you like stuffed green peppers you will probably like these.
Sausage stuffed tomatoes.
Preheat oven to 300-350 depending on oven.
4 very large slicing tomatoes, or 6 large reg tomatoes. Core and gut tomatoes with spoon and parry knife
Reserve 1 cup tomato "guts" (seeds and goo if rind, chop)
1 package (just over 1lb.) of fresh italian sausage, casings removed. (To remove casings just take a knife point down the center of the sausage, the fresh meat should come right out with the casing in on piece. I also like to mush the links together in my hands to made a uniform sausage mixture.)
1 cup chopped onion
6tbs minced garlic clover, 2-4 for the not so garlic lovers.
1 cup/hand full torn spinach.
1 cup mozzarella cheese
Cook sausage until no longer pink and remove from pan. In same pan cook onion for a few mins until just starting to caramelized; add garlic and spinach, cook until the spinach just starts to wilt. Return sausage and tomato guts to pan and heat to mix.
Spoon mixture into tomato shells and cover with cheese. Bake in a deep baking dish for 15-20 mins.
If you wish, i do believe serving this on top of a long grain white rice would be quite good.
Snack was my R&R from cleaning, cooking and everything in between.
I had one serving pretzel thins dipped in hummus
and 4 wheat bears
Today went like this.
I woke up and had some homemade ice coffee.
6 cups strong brew good coffee
1 tray ice cubes
chocolate syrup to flavor
fresh milk to flavor
VERY SLOWLY pour the hot fresh coffee over half the tray of ice, add chocolate syrup and milk to flavor.
My drink for the day is my usual drink; iced tea.
Boil 2 tea pyramids/bags, flavor of choice in a full saucepan of water.
Pour very slowly over ice in large cup.
Refrigerate leftovers for further uses.
For breakfast i had some fresh oatmeal.
1 cup organic oats, prepared to directions with water cut in half.
Replace half of water with yogurt.
Fresh cut fruit such as bananas and strawberries.
A spoon full of organic or homemade jelly.
For lunch i had some basic jasmine rice with soy sauce.
1/2 cup jasmine rice prepared to directions to package.
1 tbs soy sauce.
Dinner was a super bean salad and sausage stuffed tomatoes.
Bean salad was way way too sweet for my taste i cant say it was bad. I will reconsider this again with a homemade italian dressing of some sort; something i will have to play around with.
Bean salad
1 can beans each;
kidney
was
lima
green
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 chopped red bell pepper
3/4 cup sugar (where the too sweet come from)
2/3 cup vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp each;
dry dill
dry rosemary
dry basil
salt and pepper to taste.
Mix beans with onion and bell pepper in a large bowl with lid.
In a small saucepan heat vinegar, oil, sugar and herbs over med heat until dissolved. Do not boil.
Pour warm mixture over beans and allow to marinate in refrigerator for a min of 2 hours.
Again, i must say this bean salad was super super sweet and i will never, ever make it again according to directions, but it may be good for people who like sweet things or maybe even for a BBQ as i thing it would go well with some good sweet BBQ sauce.
The sausage stuffed tomatoes were quite good. My only complaint was the tomatoes were a bit juicy, but if you like stuffed green peppers you will probably like these.
Sausage stuffed tomatoes.
Preheat oven to 300-350 depending on oven.
4 very large slicing tomatoes, or 6 large reg tomatoes. Core and gut tomatoes with spoon and parry knife
Reserve 1 cup tomato "guts" (seeds and goo if rind, chop)
1 package (just over 1lb.) of fresh italian sausage, casings removed. (To remove casings just take a knife point down the center of the sausage, the fresh meat should come right out with the casing in on piece. I also like to mush the links together in my hands to made a uniform sausage mixture.)
1 cup chopped onion
6tbs minced garlic clover, 2-4 for the not so garlic lovers.
1 cup/hand full torn spinach.
1 cup mozzarella cheese
Cook sausage until no longer pink and remove from pan. In same pan cook onion for a few mins until just starting to caramelized; add garlic and spinach, cook until the spinach just starts to wilt. Return sausage and tomato guts to pan and heat to mix.
Spoon mixture into tomato shells and cover with cheese. Bake in a deep baking dish for 15-20 mins.
If you wish, i do believe serving this on top of a long grain white rice would be quite good.
Snack was my R&R from cleaning, cooking and everything in between.
I had one serving pretzel thins dipped in hummus
and 4 wheat bears
What is my blog about?
My name is Darlene. I am 22 and live in Ohio with my boyfriend and 2 cats. I love cooking, its my passion. About a year ago i decided to turn to making healthy meals from fresh food you can get at your local grocery store. I'm still in the early stages of my venture in life and cooking.
I did not grow up in a house with home cooked meals every day, in fact many times it was fast food or frozen meals. My mother was a single mother with a middle class job in the suburbs of Detroit, many times leaving the drive thru or microwave as the go to. Most of my basic cooking skills i learned were thanks to my grandmother, i swear she lived in the kitchen, when ever i was over there she always had something in the oven. My grandmother and her neighbor were both very good cooks and gardeners, everything was fresh, many times in the summer i was sent out to the garden to get fresh berries for homemade jam, beans for canning, tomatoes, corn and everything in between for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
About 3 years ago i moved to Ohio with my boyfriend for follow his job. I honestly though i knew how to cook until i was on my own with no one standing behind me telling me what to do next. I still remember my first dinner i cooked in my new apartment for us. A simple ranch coated chicken breast turned not so simple. Pulling it out of the oven it was pitch black, hard as a rock burned to a crisp, bless my boyfriend and his love of ketchup; he still ate it. From then on i set out to make myself the best cook i can be; reading blogs and magazines.
I do not like cookbooks, i feel the are so impersonal in fact i only own one cook book from the 40's. My cook book is a 3 ring binder i have filled with subject notebook paper i hand write recipes on. Every recipe in my book i have tried myself. I feed me and my boyfriend on about $100 a week making sure we are eating kinda healthy and fresh.
My lifestyle is not only fresh and easy but i also try to have fun. I love to run; which is a new found passion as of a few months ago. I am an avid beer and wine lover, i love tv and video games, cars, clothes, tea and flip flops. My blog is about all that and more.
My lifestyle is not only fresh and easy but i also try to have fun. I love to run; which is a new found passion as of a few months ago. I am an avid beer and wine lover, i love tv and video games, cars, clothes, tea and flip flops. My blog is about all that and more.
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