Source: adapted from a recipe on this blog
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon onion, finely grated (or 1 teaspoon onion powder, if you have zero onions in your house)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup mayonaise
1/2 cup milk
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
8 cups cabbage, finely diced
1/2 cup carrot, grated
Directions:
In a large bowl whisk together the first 8 ingredients until smooth and well combined. Add the cabbage and carrots and mix until evenly coated. Use a slotted spoon to serve since it's a very wet slaw. ;)
Notes:
I love this coleslaw. I honestly don't remember the last time I ever had coleslaw from KFC, so I have no idea if the title is accurate or not (I'm just going with what the original blogger said). But this stuff is delicious. It's become the one and only coleslaw recipe I ever use. We especially love it on top of BBQ chicken sandwiches. Yum!
Saturday, August 5, 2017
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Crock Pot Lasagna
Source: my momma
Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground beef (you can use more if you like, but this is plenty for me - Italian sausage would be tasty, too)
3 15 oz cans Italian style stewed tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp dried basil (or more? I don't ever measure)
1 tsp dried oregano (same as above)
1 tsp garlic powder (see above spice notes)
1 tsp onion powder (ditto)
1 lb (maybe more) shredded cheese (I use a mix of mostly mozzarella and some cheddar, and again, I didn't really measure so this is an estimate and more cheese can only make it better ;)
1 box regular lasagna noodles (you won't need the whole thing, and just keep them dry/uncooked)
Directions:
Brown your meat in a medium-large sauce pan, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. While it's browning, blend two cans of stewed tomatoes until smooth (I suppose you could also use canned tomato juice - my mom always used home-bottled tomato juice, but I never have either of those things, so I blend the tomatoes). Drain the meat and then add the tomato puree or juice, tomato sauce, and spices. Let that simmer for a few minutes while you grate your cheese.
Add a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of your large crock pot insert. Cover the sauce with a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles, breaking them up as needed to fit into the space allotted. Cover the noodles with another thin layer of sauce, and then a layer of cheese (you can be generous here). Repeat with another layer of noodles (broken to fit as needed - I like to switch directions of my noodles on each layer so if I went long-ways on the bottom, I'll go short-ways on the next layer, etc, etc), sauce, then cheese. Keep going until your sauce runs out (I think I can usually get about 3 layers of noodles). The last layer should be sauce topped with cheese.
Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 3 hours (or high for about an hour). (I didn't time it very well, but when I made this last I had it on high at 2:00 pm and the lasagna was done around 3:00 or 3:30, so I turned it down till we were ready to eat at 5:00.)
Enjoy!
Notes:
This is one of my all-time favorite meals. My mom used to always make it in a Dutch oven in the oven, but when it's hot she switches to the crock pot. (I love that it doesn't have to heat up the whole house.) I never made it for years because I never had my mom's home-bottled tomatoes or juice, but just recently I discovered the blending note listed above and it has changed my life. Haha. I'm sure it's flexible, so feel free to add other kinds of cheese or spices/meats you like to your sauce. I think they key is to keep the sauce a bit on the runny side so that the noodles have enough liquid to cook since they aren't cooked beforehand.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground beef (you can use more if you like, but this is plenty for me - Italian sausage would be tasty, too)
3 15 oz cans Italian style stewed tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp dried basil (or more? I don't ever measure)
1 tsp dried oregano (same as above)
1 tsp garlic powder (see above spice notes)
1 tsp onion powder (ditto)
1 lb (maybe more) shredded cheese (I use a mix of mostly mozzarella and some cheddar, and again, I didn't really measure so this is an estimate and more cheese can only make it better ;)
1 box regular lasagna noodles (you won't need the whole thing, and just keep them dry/uncooked)
Directions:
Brown your meat in a medium-large sauce pan, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. While it's browning, blend two cans of stewed tomatoes until smooth (I suppose you could also use canned tomato juice - my mom always used home-bottled tomato juice, but I never have either of those things, so I blend the tomatoes). Drain the meat and then add the tomato puree or juice, tomato sauce, and spices. Let that simmer for a few minutes while you grate your cheese.
Add a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of your large crock pot insert. Cover the sauce with a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles, breaking them up as needed to fit into the space allotted. Cover the noodles with another thin layer of sauce, and then a layer of cheese (you can be generous here). Repeat with another layer of noodles (broken to fit as needed - I like to switch directions of my noodles on each layer so if I went long-ways on the bottom, I'll go short-ways on the next layer, etc, etc), sauce, then cheese. Keep going until your sauce runs out (I think I can usually get about 3 layers of noodles). The last layer should be sauce topped with cheese.
Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 3 hours (or high for about an hour). (I didn't time it very well, but when I made this last I had it on high at 2:00 pm and the lasagna was done around 3:00 or 3:30, so I turned it down till we were ready to eat at 5:00.)
Enjoy!
Notes:
This is one of my all-time favorite meals. My mom used to always make it in a Dutch oven in the oven, but when it's hot she switches to the crock pot. (I love that it doesn't have to heat up the whole house.) I never made it for years because I never had my mom's home-bottled tomatoes or juice, but just recently I discovered the blending note listed above and it has changed my life. Haha. I'm sure it's flexible, so feel free to add other kinds of cheese or spices/meats you like to your sauce. I think they key is to keep the sauce a bit on the runny side so that the noodles have enough liquid to cook since they aren't cooked beforehand.
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Speedy and Easy Restaurant-Style Salsa
Source: I was inspired by this one and this one and then sort of just went for it, taking what I liked from each and using what I had on hand
Ingredients:
1 can petite diced tomatoes with chiles (when I run out of the case that I bought of these, then I'll probably just use 2 cans of the stewed tomatoes and add a jalapeno to the blender)
1 can Mexican style stewed tomatoes
1 handful cilantro (~1/2 cup), rough chopped
1 lime, juiced
1 clove garlic, rough chopped
1/4 onion (yellow or red), chopped into quarters
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon (heaping) kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (you could also try the Chipotle Tabasco mentioned in the Our Best Bites recipe above, but this is what I had in my cupboard, so that's what I used; I really like the slight smokey flavor it adds to the salsa, but you could probably leave it out, too, if desired)
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender (it doesn't have to be fancy - our cheap Hamilton Beach one works fabulously). Pulse until the ingredients are chopped but not pureed and salsa is desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and adjust to taste. For best flavor, refrigerate at least 2-3 hours before serving. (I think it just gets better and better as it ages, so when I was making a double batch for a bridal shower for my sister, I blended everything a week before the party so all the flavors could meld and blend and be the best ever.) Makes 1 quart salsa. Refrigerate for up to a month or more (if it lasts that long!).
Notes:
One day I was making tacos for dinner but I had no more salsa left. We live less than a mile from a grocery store, but I decided instead of driving there to buy some, I'd give this recipe I had been saving and thinking about a whirl (quite literally - ha). I haven't used store-bought salsa ever since and I've made at least four batches of this good stuff for us and for the above-mentioned bridal shower. It's delicious. Everyone who tastes it says so. And it has turned out to be a really great use for that case of too-spicy-for-anything-I've-tried-cooking-with-them diced tomatoes with chiles that I bought at a caselot sale over a year ago and have just been giving away at food drives because my family (and I) won't eat them. They lend the perfect amount of spice in salsa form (because I expect salsa to be at least a little spicy) and I'm quite pleased with this discovery.
Ingredients:
1 can petite diced tomatoes with chiles (when I run out of the case that I bought of these, then I'll probably just use 2 cans of the stewed tomatoes and add a jalapeno to the blender)
1 can Mexican style stewed tomatoes
1 handful cilantro (~1/2 cup), rough chopped
1 lime, juiced
1 clove garlic, rough chopped
1/4 onion (yellow or red), chopped into quarters
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon (heaping) kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (you could also try the Chipotle Tabasco mentioned in the Our Best Bites recipe above, but this is what I had in my cupboard, so that's what I used; I really like the slight smokey flavor it adds to the salsa, but you could probably leave it out, too, if desired)
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender (it doesn't have to be fancy - our cheap Hamilton Beach one works fabulously). Pulse until the ingredients are chopped but not pureed and salsa is desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and adjust to taste. For best flavor, refrigerate at least 2-3 hours before serving. (I think it just gets better and better as it ages, so when I was making a double batch for a bridal shower for my sister, I blended everything a week before the party so all the flavors could meld and blend and be the best ever.) Makes 1 quart salsa. Refrigerate for up to a month or more (if it lasts that long!).
Notes:
One day I was making tacos for dinner but I had no more salsa left. We live less than a mile from a grocery store, but I decided instead of driving there to buy some, I'd give this recipe I had been saving and thinking about a whirl (quite literally - ha). I haven't used store-bought salsa ever since and I've made at least four batches of this good stuff for us and for the above-mentioned bridal shower. It's delicious. Everyone who tastes it says so. And it has turned out to be a really great use for that case of too-spicy-for-anything-I've-tried-cooking-with-them diced tomatoes with chiles that I bought at a caselot sale over a year ago and have just been giving away at food drives because my family (and I) won't eat them. They lend the perfect amount of spice in salsa form (because I expect salsa to be at least a little spicy) and I'm quite pleased with this discovery.
New England Clam Chowder (aka The Best Clam Chowder You May Ever Eat)
Source: Mel has done it again! (but I made a few minor adjustments, in italics, as usual)
Ingredients:
5 cans (6.5 ounces each) chopped clams (whoa nelly! that's a lot of clams - I have used either 2-3 and it's plenty clammy for us)
2 bottles (8 ounces each) clam juice
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (I added 1 15 oz can)
1 1/2 pounds russet or yukon gold potatoes, peeled and small diced (about 3 medium potatoes) (I don't even peel them because I'm lazy; I like red potatoes, too)
1 bay leaf
4 tablespoons butter (I didn't measure, but it was probably half this) (*update: my favorite version was probably closer to the actual 4 TB, though I still didn't measure)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely diced onion
1 cup diced celery (about 4 medium stalks)
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk (my favorite version was 1.5 cups 2% milk)
1 cup half and half (I always just skip this and it's plenty thick for us)
1 teaspoon salt (I reduced this to 1/2 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Directions:
Drain the clams, reserving the juice. Set both the clams and juice aside.
In a 5- or 6-quart pot, combine the clam juice, broth and potatoes (the potatoes will just barely be covered with liquid; it's important they are diced small). Bring to a simmer, add the bay leaf, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 8-10 minutes.
While the potatoes cook, in a second pot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat until the butter is melted. Stir in the onions, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, 5-7 minutes. (Note: make sure that celery gets soft - mine was still a bit crunchy and that was a bummer.)
Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds to a minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and half and half, stirring quickly to avoid lumps. Bring to a simmer and cook until the mixture has thickened, 4-5 minutes.
Stir the creamy mixture into the potatoes, whisking quickly until combined (take out the bay leaf if it's getting in the way). Stir in the salt, pepper, vinegar, and reserved clams. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Stir in any of the reserved clam juice to thin the consistency, if desired (I always desire). Serve. (Note: when I made the second time, I let it cool and then refrigerated it and warmed it up quickly the next day to serve to my birthday guests - it was fantastic and so easy!)
Ingredients:
5 cans (6.5 ounces each) chopped clams (whoa nelly! that's a lot of clams - I have used either 2-3 and it's plenty clammy for us)
2 bottles (8 ounces each) clam juice
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (I added 1 15 oz can)
1 1/2 pounds russet or yukon gold potatoes, peeled and small diced (about 3 medium potatoes) (I don't even peel them because I'm lazy; I like red potatoes, too)
1 bay leaf
4 tablespoons butter (I didn't measure, but it was probably half this) (*update: my favorite version was probably closer to the actual 4 TB, though I still didn't measure)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely diced onion
1 cup diced celery (about 4 medium stalks)
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk (my favorite version was 1.5 cups 2% milk)
1 cup half and half (I always just skip this and it's plenty thick for us)
1 teaspoon salt (I reduced this to 1/2 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Directions:
Drain the clams, reserving the juice. Set both the clams and juice aside.
In a 5- or 6-quart pot, combine the clam juice, broth and potatoes (the potatoes will just barely be covered with liquid; it's important they are diced small). Bring to a simmer, add the bay leaf, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 8-10 minutes.
While the potatoes cook, in a second pot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat until the butter is melted. Stir in the onions, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, 5-7 minutes. (Note: make sure that celery gets soft - mine was still a bit crunchy and that was a bummer.)
Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds to a minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and half and half, stirring quickly to avoid lumps. Bring to a simmer and cook until the mixture has thickened, 4-5 minutes.
Stir the creamy mixture into the potatoes, whisking quickly until combined (take out the bay leaf if it's getting in the way). Stir in the salt, pepper, vinegar, and reserved clams. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Stir in any of the reserved clam juice to thin the consistency, if desired (I always desire). Serve. (Note: when I made the second time, I let it cool and then refrigerated it and warmed it up quickly the next day to serve to my birthday guests - it was fantastic and so easy!)
Notes:
So Gregg's favorite soup of all time is Clam Chowder. He orders it at nearly every restaurant that we go to that offers it (especially if we're in a coastal area). When I make it at home (usually only once or twice a year) he raves about it and can't stop ladling more into his bowl. I follow Mel's Kitchen Cafe blog religiously and when she posted this recipe a few months ago, I knew I had to give it a try. I've never bought the bottled clam juice before, and I thought 5 cans of clams seemed like a TON, but I added everything to my shopping list anyway, because I trust Mel. When it came time to make the soup, though, I just couldn't imagine putting all those clams inside. So I only used two. And then I had three cans left in my cupboard, just waiting to be used in the future. And the future was my birthday. I invited my family over for soup and bread bowls and German Chocolate Bundt Cake (recipes for those goodies coming soon, just you wait) and I think the clam chowder was the star of the dinner. Gregg, of course, loaded up. And his Dad told me it was the best chowder he's ever had, even better than Ivar's famous. What a compliment! And I owe it all to my pal, Mel.
Saturday, February 25, 2017
Vegetarian Korean BBQ Bowls or Lettuce Wraps (Cupbop Copycat)
Sources here and here
Korean BBQ Lentils:
1 tablespoon light oil (such as canola or vegetable)
1/2 an onion, finely chopped
1 cup lentils
2 cups water
Sauce (you know me - all measurements are estimates):
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup BBQ sauce or hoisin sauce (or a combination of both)
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp sesame oil
pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
cornstarch (optional - see note below)
Bowls or Lettuce Wraps :
1/4 - 1/2 Head Shredded Lettuce or chilled lettuce leaves
3 Cups Rice, cooked
Korean BBQ Lentils
Creamy-Spicy Sauce (1/4 cup mayo/miracle whip + sriracha or mae ploy sauce to taste)
Bean Thread (optional)
Optional garnishes: green onions, sesame seeds
Directions:
1. Cook rice and soak bean thread
2. In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients
3. In a skillet or saucepan, saute the onion in the light oil until softened and starting to brown.
4. Add lentils, water, and sauce to the onion. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer according to lentil package directions.
5. Mix creamy-spicy sauce in a small bowl or cup.
6. Assemble as a bowl or lettuce wrap, as desired. Top with some creamy-spicy sauce and garnishes.
Notes:
I was looking for a new lentil-based recipe tonight and stumbled upon a Sweet Korean Lentils recipe (linked above) that made me think of Cupbop! (One of our favorites!) So I googled a "cupbop copycat" recipe and a few minutes later I was in the kitchen whipping these babies up. Whoa - so amazing! Super easy, fairly healthy, and crazy delicious! One cooking note: I don't know about you, but lentils always take WAY longer to cook than the package says for me (or maybe we just like them too soft?), so I think in the future I'll just use the slow cooker. Also, at the very end of cooking the lentils, I wanted them to be a less lentil+broth and a little more combined, so I added a bit of cornstarch+cold water to thicken it up.
Korean BBQ Lentils:
1 tablespoon light oil (such as canola or vegetable)
1/2 an onion, finely chopped
1 cup lentils
2 cups water
Sauce (you know me - all measurements are estimates):
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup BBQ sauce or hoisin sauce (or a combination of both)
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp sesame oil
pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
cornstarch (optional - see note below)
Bowls or Lettuce Wraps :
1/4 - 1/2 Head Shredded Lettuce or chilled lettuce leaves
3 Cups Rice, cooked
Korean BBQ Lentils
Creamy-Spicy Sauce (1/4 cup mayo/miracle whip + sriracha or mae ploy sauce to taste)
Bean Thread (optional)
Optional garnishes: green onions, sesame seeds
Directions:
1. Cook rice and soak bean thread
2. In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients
3. In a skillet or saucepan, saute the onion in the light oil until softened and starting to brown.
4. Add lentils, water, and sauce to the onion. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer according to lentil package directions.
5. Mix creamy-spicy sauce in a small bowl or cup.
6. Assemble as a bowl or lettuce wrap, as desired. Top with some creamy-spicy sauce and garnishes.
Notes:
I was looking for a new lentil-based recipe tonight and stumbled upon a Sweet Korean Lentils recipe (linked above) that made me think of Cupbop! (One of our favorites!) So I googled a "cupbop copycat" recipe and a few minutes later I was in the kitchen whipping these babies up. Whoa - so amazing! Super easy, fairly healthy, and crazy delicious! One cooking note: I don't know about you, but lentils always take WAY longer to cook than the package says for me (or maybe we just like them too soft?), so I think in the future I'll just use the slow cooker. Also, at the very end of cooking the lentils, I wanted them to be a less lentil+broth and a little more combined, so I added a bit of cornstarch+cold water to thicken it up.
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