Don't know what to cook?

In a food rut? Don't know what to cook. 

I feel like this all the time!

Well Jerry and I were in cabo the past five days and today is my first day home and getting things back in order. We had ballet and other fun stuff so getting to the store isn't going to happen until later. 

And this is what my frige looks like

EMPTY!

So I'm making the most of what I have. Momma always taught me, pull something together with what you've got. And you know what...sometimes our fav meals have been discovered from these times! My caprese pasta salad (Jerry's absolute fav) came from one of these nights!

So here is my make something from nothing recipe for today. 

I pulled the last three chicken breasts out of my freezer. Seasoned with olive oil, little lemon juice, salt, red pepper, garlic powder, oregano and basil

Then one chicken was cooked through

Then added the only veggies I had

1 zucchini, 2 small squash and a couple of sweet pepper

Also the last if some cherry tomatoes

Through it all in the pot

Let it cook, smashed some of the tomatoes 

Then added quinoa penne pasta

Hopefully this gives you some inspiration to dig in your pantry and fridge and make something up using what you got!!! You might make up a new fav recipe!

Sunday Supper: Chicken Stew

Slight crispness in the air, something warm and hearty on the stove.... It's fall! 

Waking up to a chilly rainy day put me in the mood to make a pot of chicken stew for supper.

Start by browning your chicken( turkey also works well) 

I used chicken thighs 

I just cut them in chunks and browned them in a little olive oil and seasoned with salt, garlic powder and red pepper.

Once it was browned I took the chicken out and put it to the side for later

Then I added a stick of butter to the drippings in the pan and let it melt

Then I added flour until it made a thick paste to make my roux 

Cook on medium heat and continually stir your roux

Cook until a golden brown. You can cook it and brown it more if you like. Since I'm doing a stew I did a golden brown. This takes a while and you need to stir it constantly so have patience! Gumbo you continue to cook it until it is dark dark brown.

Then I added chopped onions, celery and carrots

Then I added 2 boxes of chicken stock and added the chicken back.

Stirred really well esp bottom of the pot

Seasoned with salt, red pepper, garlic powder and brought up to a boil, then turned it down to medium low and let simmer for 2 hrs.

At the end I added half a bag of frozen peas. 

I served it over rice of course!

Enjoy!

Smothered chicken

Growing up momma always made smothered pork chips and it was one of jens favorites...not mine bc I'm not a big pork chop fan. 

But tonight I made something pretty similar just with chicken (imagine that)...we eat a lot of chicken I know!

I browned cut up chicken breasts in a pot in a lil olive oil. Then added lil Worsteshire and lemon juice, seasoned with salt, garlic powder, lemon pepper and red pepper. After chicken cooked through, added chopped onion, green beans and potatoes cut in small pieces so they cook faster.

Covered and cooked on low for a good 1hr.

Girls ate it over rice of course. Jerry and I ate it as is.

Jacq devoured it and had two helpings! 

Try it with chicken or pork chops!

Bolognese Lasagna with Bescimella

So does your family love watching cooking shows just as much as we do?

Saturday and Sunday mornings you will find us watching the cooking channels often getting inspiration for what to cook. 

This is how this recipe was introduced to us.

My parents watched then made it first and now it's become one if my family's favorite! 

This recipe is from the Extra Virgin cooking show (one of our favs). Here is the link for the recipe:

http://m.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/debi-mazar-and-gabriele-corcos/lasagne-alla-bolognese.html

You start by making their Bolognese sauce(this takes about 3 hrs so make sure you have plenty of time for this recipe) 

The Bolognese is delicious just by itself and many times I just make this! You will have some sauce leftover too-you won't use it all, perfect for throwing in the freezer and pulling out, boiling some noodles for a fast and yummy dinner!

Start the Bolognese by sauteeing onion, carrots and celery.

Add 5oz of chopped pancetta

Let the all cook down together then add 

1lb of ground pork, veal and beef

And brown

I seasoned with salt, red pepper, garlic powder, basil and oregano.

Then add 1 cup of red wine

I just used a cheap bottle of red that we had.

Let all the alcohol cook out ( it will smell amazing!)

Then add 3 big cans of whole tomatoes, I crush them with my hands as I put them in

Season again and let simmer for 3 1/2 hrs.

Gauranteed your house will smell amazing! Then add 1 cup if milk at then end. Stir and your Bolognese is done!

Then to make the Bescimella sauce you melt 1 stick of butter, add 1/2 cup of flour slowly wisking in in, then slowly add 4 1/2 cups of whole milk, wisking constantly. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Then let simmer still stirring until it comes to a thick sauce. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. 

Butter your baking dish.

Line dish with this layer of Bolognese sauce. Then no-boil lasagna noodles, Bolognese, Bescimella and grated Parmesan and continue layering to the top. 

Bake at 375 for 30-45 mins.

Broil for a few mins at the end to crisp the top!

Enjoy!

Seriously this dish will not disappoint!

BBQ sandwiches

OIf you read my last post, ya know I cooked a big ol' roast. In fact, it was. 4.5lbs! Needless to say, we had some leftovers! So what to do with all that leftover meat?

Today we made smashed BBQ sandwiches and French fries-perfect football watching food! And we are all battling colds and there is nothing like salty French fries and coke when you feel miserable!

Start by chopping up the leftover roast

Put chopped meat in pan

Add favorite BBQ sauce and heat through.

Easy easy easy!

Add some fresh bakery buns

I cut the buns in half, scooped out the doughy bread in the middle, stuffed with BBQ meat, then put on a hot pan and smashed down, toasting each side. 

Of course homeade French fries had to go with

I personally like using Yukon gold potatoes bc they are sweet

Enjoy!

Family Favorite

This was one of my family's favorite growing up and is now one of my girls too As jacq proclaimed it was her favorite tonight! This is the perfect meal to prep Saturday night, put in the fridge, and put in the oven Sunday morning! When you come home from church , the house will smell amazing and you will have a delicious meal waiting!

Crawford Burnt Roast

I am particular to rump roast 

Rinse and place in roaster

Then stuff with garlic cloves, just use a pairing knife to make a hole then push a garlic clove in the hole.

Then cut up onions, carrots and potatoes if you like and place around

Season with salt, red pepper, garlic powder, and lemon pepper

Worsteshire and a little kitchen bouquet 

Rub it all over 

Add a little water to the pot too so it will create a nice natural gravy

Bake at 350 for 3-4 hours

Yes, it's called a burnt roast for a reason

But when you cut it , it will crumble and fall apart.

Of course , we serve it over rice.

And tonight we had a side of broccoli

Hope your family enjoys this as much as we do!

Grandparents Day BBQ

Yesterday we had over the girls grandparents to celebrate grandparents day! Jerry BBQ and I cooked up the rest!

One favorite was this appetizer

Jumbo lump crabmeat salad

1 lb of jumbo lump crabmeat (fresh not pasteurized!)

Then rinse it and pick out any shells, place in bowl and squeeze a lemon over it.

I added chopped onion, orange and yellow bell peppers, celery and cherry tomatoes. Finished it with fresh basil.

Seasoned with Tony's, olive oil, lemon juice and a tad bit if rice wine vinegar. Toss good and chill until served! I placed it in a bowl lined with romain lettuce leaves to make lettuce cups!

Avocado is good in it too!

Very fresh and soo good when the crabmeat is good!

Another favorite was a dessert I kind if made up...

Peach and Blueberry crumble

4 ripe peaches sliced and 1piny of blueberries.

Tossed with a 1/4 c of sugar and placed in a baking pan.

Crumble -

1c of flour

Lots of cinnamon

1/4 c of sugar

1/4 c brown sugar

Tsp of salt 

Tsp of vanilla

6tbsp of softened butter

Used my hands to thoroughly combine it so it all came together and created a paste/dough. Then just crumbled it over the berry mixture and baked at 375 for about 45 mins and served over homemade vanilla ice cream!

Enjoy!