Chicken in a basket

I saw this recipe this summer and knew I wanted to try it. Well this morning I finally did. This dish was wonderful and would be perfect to make for house guests because it looks gourmet but is soo easy.

Ingredients

• 3-4 cups of shredded hashbrowns
• 1/2 stick of unsalted butter melted
• salt and pepper
• cooking spray
• 6 slices of prosciutto
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 6 eggs
• 3/4 cup shredded provolone

Directions

1. Special equipment: Jumbo sized muffin tin
2. Mix defrosted potatoes with melted butter and salt/pepper.
3. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray. Press the potatoes evenly into the bottom and sides of the muffin tin, making sure it covers the whole inside of the muffin tin.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until hash browns are crispy.
5. Meanwhile mix proscuitto with maple syrup in a bowl and lay on a cookie sheet, set aside.
6. Remove potatoes from oven and crack an egg into each cup. Cook for another 6-8 minutes until egg whites set and yolks remain runny.
7. Remove from oven and put oven to broil. Sprinkle cheese on top of egg. Put both cookie sheets under broiler and cook until cheese is melted and proscuitto is crispy, about 1 minute.
8. Top eggs with crispy proscuitto and serve immediately.

High on Yum, low on calories: Cheddar Chicken Chowder

This recipe is one of my favorites and a special recipe to me. I know it sounds weird that a recipe can be special, but it is probably one of the first recipes to inspire me to cook. You see, my first year out of college I worked at a brokerage firm with all men, weirdly enough, all of these men LOVED to cook. My boss would actually bring me his old Cooking Light magazines and this was a recipe that I saw and knew I had to try. Ever since then I have loved the magazine and cooking. I have made this recipe numerous times throughout the year and is perfect for a cold fall or winter day. It was also great to find a chowder recipe that was healthy since we all know that the were chowder usually equates to unhealthly. I hope you try this recipe this fall and enjoy it as much as I do!

Ingredients

• 2 bacon slices
• Cooking spray
• 1 lb boneless chicken breast cubbed
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper (or whatever color you prefer)
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 4 1/2 cups chicken broth (the 32 oz boxes only have 4 cups so I usually use 1/2 cup water)
• 1 3/4 cups diced red potatoes
• 2 1/4 cups frozen corn
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups milk ( I use 1% even though it asks for 2 %)
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Cook bacon in a dutch oven coated with cooking spray until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, crumble and set aside. Add chicken, onion, bell pepper, and garlic to bacon fat in pan, saute 5 minutes. Add broth and potatoes, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add corn, stir well.
2. Place flour in a bowl. Gradually add milk, stirring with a wisk until blended, add to soup. Cook over medium heat 15 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Stir in cheese, salt and pepper. Stir in crumbled bacon. Enjoy!

(306 calories for a 1 1/2 cup serving)

Slow-Roasted Tomato Marinara...perfect to make on a rainy day inside.

This year was a disappointment for tomatoes. I did better than most people but it still wasn't a great year. I didn't get enough this year to can but still had enough to make some sauce with. I saw this recipe in my November issue of Cooking Light and knew I had to try it. You have to make it on a day you are not leaving the house since you roast the tomatoes for 7 hours but boy is it worth it. What flavor and such a beautiful color the sauce has after roasting the tomatoes all day. Other than the long hours the tomatoes roast this recipe is pretty much hands off and easy to make. Give it a try and you will not be disappointed, I promise!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 lbs plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise (you can really use whatever tomatoes you want)
• Cooking spray
• 1/3 cup water
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup dry red wine
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, tossing gently to coat. Arrange tomato halves, cut sides up, on a jelly roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake tomatoes at 250 degrees for 7 hours. Remove pan from oven. Add 1/3 cup water to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Place tomato mixture in a food processor or blender. Blend and keep warm.
3. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 3 ingredients (through garlic); saute 5 minutes or until tender. Add wine; cook 3 minutes or until liquid nearly evaporates. Stir in tomato mixture and 2/3 cup water; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in salt and pepper.
4. Serve with your favorite pasta!

Acorn Squash: A yummy and cheap fall side dish!

We made this special meal a couple of saturdays ago, Brian happened to have a rib-eye steak from this summer he wanted to eat so I went to the store and treated myself to my favorite steak the oh so yummy filet! This post is not about steak though, I'm the last person who would want to tell you how to cook that. Someday I will branch out and try to cook it but it still scares me. Who wants to spend a pretty penny on a good cut of steak only to ruin it...not this girl.

This post focuses on one of the sides, the simple acorn squash. I was at the store and noticed a big bin of them and they were some so cheap! Like 30 cents! So I knew how much my mom loves them so thought I would give it a try. I'm glad I did, it was delicious and very simple. I already have a fall rice dish from a new cooking magazine that I want to try with chunks of squash in it. So if you haven't tried squash before, branch out this fall and give this recipe a try!

Ingredients

• 1 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Place halves of acorn in a shallow pan, flesh side up. Put a little water in the pan. Put 1/2 tablespoon of butter in each half and one tablespoon of brown sugar in each.
3. Bake about 45 minutes until fork tender and the brown sugar/butter has started to caramelize.

Brown sugar and mustard glazed salmon

What better gift can someone give a foodie than freshly caught salmon? I was so lucky to receive an awesome slab of salmon from a co-worker last week! I haven't ate such a delicious fish in quite a while! I was spoiled in college to have a bunch of Alaskan fishermen as friends so I took for granted the quality that comes from an ocean caught fish. This was the perfect meal to end a week!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 4 (6 ounce) boneless salmon fillets
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from broiler. Spray broiler pan with cooking spray. (If you don't have a broiler pan, just line a cookie sheet with foil and then spray).
2. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Whisk brown sugar and dijon together in a small bowl. Spoon mixture evenly on fillets.
3. Cook under pre-heated broiler until the fish flakes easy with a fork, 10-15 minutes!

Birthday Chicken Quesadilla

For his birthday I will make Brian whatever he desires for dinner. This is the second year he has chosen his favorite meal, a simple chicken quesadilla. Easy enough for me, he even requested it to be rotisserie chicken from Costco, so that made it one step even easier! This is a simple refried bean, chicken and pepper jack quesadilla. The fun thing about quesadilla is you can really chose whatever ingredients you love and it would turn out great. That would be a fun Mexican themed dinner party, have a build your own quesadilla bar and have a whole bunch of fillings for your dinner guests to chose from!

I did make homemade guacamole and salsa to make this dinner a little more special=).

Salsa- diced fresh tomatoes, diced onion, juice of one lime, a couple cloves of pressed garlic, handful of cilantro chopped. Let sit in fridge for a bit before eating.

Guacamole- 1-2 ripe avocados mashed, juice of one lime, 1 tablespoon of finely chopped onion, 1/2 tomato diced, a couple dashes of garlic salt and a handful of chopped cilantro. (I also make it without the onion and turns out great too).

Double Decker Shepherds Pie

I saw this recipe and thought it looked interesting, because it is a spin on a traditional shepherd's pie which I love so much. I had so many peppers from the garden I needed to use I thought this would be the time to try it out. After I made it Brian was skeptical because he said it had a lot of "carbs". Yep it does, but I am a carb lover=). We both really enjoyed this meal, I did even more so than I imagined. This is a keeper for sure!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lbs baking potatoes peeled and diced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 8 ounce package of mushrooms. Caps quartered and stems chopped
• 1 lb ground turkey meat (or lean ground beef if you prefer)
• 1 bunch scallions, white portion thinly chopped and green portion thinly sliced
• 1 large poblano pepper, or whatever pepper you prefer. ( I used one from the garden, keep seeds if you like heat)

Directions

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425°. In a saucepan, combine the potatoes with salted water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water; return the potatoes to the pot. Mash with the cream until smooth; season with salt.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes; transfer to a plate. Crumble the beef evenly across the pan and cook, undisturbed, until the liquid cooks off and the meat begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and stir in the finely chopped scallions, the poblano, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the reserved mushrooms, 1/4 cup mashed potatoes and the reserved 1 cup cooking water. Lower the heat and simmer until the juices are thickened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread slightly more than half of the potatoes evenly in a greased 9-by-11-inch baking dish. Spoon the meat mixture evenly on top, then spoon the remaining mashed potatoes evenly across the filling to enclose. Bake until lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with the sliced scallions; let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

This is a good fall soup, very hearty and has an earthy tone to it. I couldn't find creamed spinach in the freezer section at my grocery store so I just used frozen spinach and added a couple of tablespoons of heavy whipping cream.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts
• salt and pepper
• 3 carrots, sliced crosswise
• 1/2 cup long-grain rice
• One 16-ounce package frozen black-eyed peas, thawed
• One 32-ounce container (4 cups) chicken broth
• One 9-ounce package frozen creamed spinach, thawed
• baguette to serve with soup

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add to the pot and cook, stirring, until golden, 6-8 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the carrots, rice and beans. Cook, scraping up any browned bits, for 1 minute, then stir in chicken broth and 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then lower heat and simmer until the rice and beans are tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, shred the chicken. Add to the soup along with the creamed spinach and cook for 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Serve with the baguette.

Bavarian dessert pretzel

We went to a friend's house the other night for an Oktoberfest party. You either have to dress up for the occasion or bring a dish. I decided at the last minute not to dress up so I thought of this simple treat to bring for the occasion. This would be really fun for a children's party too, so easy to eat and really yummy!

• Bag of pretzel rods
• Bag of chocolate chips
• add sprinkles, mini m & m's, mini chocolate chips or nuts!
• Just melt the chocolate in a double boiler. When chocolate is melted, spoon over pretzel. Then sprinkle on the toppings of your choice and lay on wax paper to dry!

Creamy Root Vegetable Stew

Brian told me the other day he wanted me to make more soups. During the winter I already make soups quite often but I could find some new recipes to make. This is not the usual recipe I would make mainly because I have never even ate a rutabaga, turnip or parsnip before, but something about it made me want to try it. It looked warm and screamed comfort food to me. I really enjoyed this soup more than I imagined, I had feared we would both hate it and it would go to waste. Brian enjoyed it even though he said he prefers "heartier" soups, which he explained have barley, rice or another grain in it=). What is heartier than potatoes??? This soup would also be lovely for a ladies luncheon. Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, divided
• 2 1/2 cups diced peeled Yukon gold potato (about 1 pound)
• 2 1/4 cups diced peeled rutabaga (about 3/4 pound)
• 2 cups diced peeled turnip
• 1 1/4 cups diced peeled parsnip (about 1/2 pound)
• 2 cups organic vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan, cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and 2 teaspoons rosemary, cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in potato and next 5 ingredients (through 2 cups water). Bring to a simmer, cook, covered 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2. Place 3 cups vegetable mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Return to pan. Stir in cream, pepper and salt.
3. Eat with a good loaf of bread and a salad=). Hello Fall!

Back to School Italian Pot Roast in the Crock Pot!

I'm trying to find lots of good crock pot recipes for when I go back to work this fall. Now that the little one has entered the picture I realized I have to be a lot more efficient with my weekly meal planning. I found this recipe and thought I would try it out. Very easy, very few ingredients and extremely flavorful! It was to say the least a hit in our house. I decided to make mashed potatoes to serve it on, but you could also put cubed potatoes in the crock pot while the roast cooks too. Try out this easy comfort meal this fall!

Ingredients

• 3-4 lb boneless round roast
• 1 medium sized onion, sliced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
• .7 pkg. dry Italian salad dressing mix

Directions

1. Slice roast in quarters for even cooking and to distribute the flavors better. Place in slow cooker.
2. Cover with sliced onions.
3. In small bowl, stir together remaining ingredients and pour over meat and onions.
4. Cook on low for 4 hours, and then on high for another 1-2, or until meat is tender.
5. Shred meat and serve in sauce over rice or mashed potatoes.

Chili my way!

I love chili in the winter. It is so hearty, warm, and the perfect way to end a long rainy day. This is my go to chili that I always have all the ingredients on hand for. I usually have it with corn bread, another great topping is tortilla chips!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 to 2 lbs ground turkey (or beef)
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves chopped
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper sauce or more if you like spice
• 1 can ( 16 ounce) whole tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (15 to 16 ounce) red kidney beans undrained
• 1 can (15 to 16 ounce) black beans undrained
• 1 can (15 to 16 ounce) corn drained

Directions

1. Cook turkey, onion and garlic in a 3-quart saucepan, stirring occasionally, until turkey is cooked, drain.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients except beans and corn, breaking up tomatoes. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in beans and corn. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until desired thickness.

An option for your garden Zucchini

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans.
2. Beat together eggs, sugar, and oil. Blend in the grated zucchini, and then the sour cream. Mix in the flour, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon. Stir in chocolate. Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake for 80 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

I love Zucchini bread, it is actually one of the two ways I only like it. The other way is the zucchini crisp recipe I posted last summer. I found this recipe and decided to try it because I like the idea of the sour cream in it. This recipe was good, very moist but maybe not sweet enough for me. I also didn't have enough chocolate chips which might be the problem. But if you want to make some bread muffins with your garden zucchini this recipe is worth a try. I'm going to try to make another loaf with another recipe and will let you know if I prefer that recipe. It is also nice to make muffins and freeze them, so you can always have something sweet to go with your morning coffee!

Blueberry-Strawberry Smootie

I was looking up recipes last night and found a recipe for a blueberry smoothie, since blueberries are in season right now I thought this would be the perfect way to start my day. This recipe is quick, easy and healthy...especially if you need a healthy breakfast on the go.

• 1 cup of plain or vanilla yogurt
• 1 cup of fruit (suggestions; blueberries, strawberries, bananas, raspberries, blackberries)
• dash of milk
• squirt of honey for sweetness
• handful of ice

1. In a blender put the yogurt, then fruit, a dash of milk for consistency preference, a squirt of honey for sweetness, and then ice.
2. Blend until ice is broken down.
3. Enjoy!

Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins

So I have always disliked bananas but for some reason I really love banana chocolate chip bread/muffins. I make it time to time for breakfast in the morning when Brian has not gone through all the banana's we have for his lunch and they are about to go bad. I have another recipe for the banana bread I make but this is the recipe I found for muffins. They were really good and very moist! This is one of the few "baking" items I feel confident making without ruining it. So if you like banana-chocolate muffins, this recipe is easy and very good. Amaze your family or friends the next time you have them over for brunch=).

Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large)
1 large egg
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line twelve 1/3-cup muffin cups with foil muffin liners. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Mix mashed bananas, egg, melted butter and milk in medium bowl. Stir banana mixture into dry ingredients just until blended (do not overmix). Stir in chocolate chips.

Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake muffins until tops are pale golden and tester inserted into center comes out with some melted chocolate attached but no crumbs, about 32 minutes. Transfer muffins to rack; cool.

Bon Appétit
March 1999
1999-02-19

Bacon, Cheese and Tomato Polenta Sandwichies

THIS WAS A FUN RECIPE TO MAKE. IF YOU DO NOT LIKE POLENTA, IT MIGHT NOT BE THE RECIPE FOR YOU. I BAKED THE POLENTA IN THE OVEN VERSUS GRILLING IT, IF YOU WANT TO BAKE IT JUST FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ON YOUR POLENTA PACKAGE. I SERVED IT WITH A FRUIT SALAD, BUT IT WOULD GO WELL WITH FRENCH FRIES, A GREEN SALAD, OR A COOKED VEGGIE.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 8 slices bacon (7 ounces)
• Half of a 2.2-pound package prepared polenta (halved crosswise), sliced into 16 rounds
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces)
• 1 tomato, cut into 8 slices

• DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat a grill to medium and position a large cast-iron skillet off to the side. On a 12-inch sheet of foil, toss the wet green beans with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper; wrap tightly to enclose. Once the skillet is hot, add the bacon to the pan in an even layer and place the packet of green beans on the cooking grate. Cook the bacon, turning once, until crisp, about 7 minutes; drain on paper towels and then crumble. Remove the packet from the grill and open to let the beans cool. Carefully remove the skillet from the grill.

  2. Brush the polenta slices on both sides with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange on the cooking grate, cover and grill, turning once, until toasted, about 5 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer the polenta slices to a work surface.

  3. Spread the mustard on one side of 8 polenta slices, then layer each with 1 tablespoon cheese, 1 tomato slice, another tablespoon cheese, some of the bacon and another tablespoon cheese. Set the remaining polenta slices in place to make 8 sandwiches. Using the same spatula, carefully transfer the stacks onto the cooking grate, cover and grill until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.
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Poppy Seed dressing for a summer salad

I love poppyseed dressing and most people have the ingredients in their pantry to make this simple recipe. You could use this dressing on may different salads but my favorite is to use it with a spinach salad with fresh strawberries and slivered almonds. This would be another great salad option to take to a bbq this summer.

POPPY SEED DRESSING:

1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 tbsp. vinegar
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. whole milk
2 tbsp. poppy seeds

Sweet restaurant slaw for your upcoming summer bbq's!

I know cole slaw is easy and cheap to just buy at your local deli for a bbq but I ask you to try this recipe. It is just as easier and probably cheaper to make it from scratch. If you are asked to bring a side dish to a bbq this summer I ask you to try this recipe and I do not think you will disappointed!

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) bag coleslaw mix
• 2 tablespoons diced onion
• 2/3 cup creamy salad dressing (such as Miracle Whip™)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds

Directions

1. Combine the coleslaw mix and onion in a large bowl.
2. Whisk together the salad dressing, vegetable oil, sugar, vinegar, salt, and poppy seeds in a medium bowl; blend thoroughly. Pour dressing mixture over coleslaw mix and toss to coat. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Mac and Cheese made easily

I really love mac and cheese but never have been a person who ate the kind out of the box. Who needs to anyways when you have a recipe like this which is just as easy and really quick! The great thing about mac and cheese is as soon as you learn the technique you can really be creative and add your own twists. I added a boneless ham steak to this recipe cut into cubes so it would have a protein in it. You can use pepper jack cheese instead and mix in a can of green chilies to put a mexican twist on it! You could substitute swiss cheese and mix in ham and chicken for a chicken cordon bleu mac and cheese. Use your imagination and see what twists you can come up with!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
• 1 cup shredded extrasharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 6 ounces light processed cheese (such as Velvetta light), cubed
• 6 cups hot cooked elbow macaroni (about 3 cups uncooked)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, level with a knife. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat, add flour. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook until thick (about 8-10 minutes), stirring frequently. Stir in 2/3 cup cheddar cheese and processed cheese, and cook 3 minutes or until cheeses melt, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, stir in macaroni and salt.
3. Spoon into a 2-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheddar cheese. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until bubbly.
4. Enjoy!!!

Screen Door: a must go to restaurant in Portland

Fried oysters benedict with cheese grits
Heavenly praline coated bacon
Breakfast Corn dog
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Brisket Hash with eggs and toast

Cheese grits with ham and poached eggs

If you live in the Portland area or visit the area Screen Door is a must go-to restaurant. I would describe it by southern cooking, with a NW organic flair. Whether you go for dinner M-S or breakfast (only sat and sun), you will not be disappointed. Be aware whether you go for dinner or breakfast you will have a wait but it will be worth it.

Another great crock pot meal made by my husband: Beef Barley Stew

It is June and the rain has yet to stop in Washington, so I am still craving comfort foods. I decided I wanted to make a stew and was excited when I saw this recipe unlike previous beef stews I have made. Don't make my lack of picture for this recipe stop you from trying it, stew just really isn't a very photogenic meal, but I promise if you try this you will not be disappointed. What really made me want to try this particular recipe was the replacement of potatoes by the barley. If you like stew and are in need of a good comfort food this is one to try! If you consider yourself a non-cook, you will be successful with this one, I promise! Look at the directions, they do not get any easier than that!!!!!!!!

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb lean stew meat cut into small pieces
• 4 carrots, peeled and cut into small pieces
• 1 cup yellow onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup bell pepper (color of your choice), coarsely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, pressed or finely chopped
• 1/2 lb fresh button mushrooms, quartered
• 3/4 cup dry pearl barley
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried sweet basil
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 cups fat-free, low-sodium beef broth

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.
2. Cover. Cook on low 9-10 hours.

Shredded beef tacos for Cinco de Mayo!

I love making theme dinners, so in honor of Cinco de Mayo I made shredded beef which could be used in any of your favorite mexican dishes; tacos, taco salad, enchiladas, burritos or quesadillas. I made simple tacos with guacamole and some shredded cheese but the possibilities are endless to what you prefer. This recipe was quick and easy. I actually used a thawed rump roast and it cooked quickly, about 4 hours, but if you want it to cook while you are at work definitely go with a frozen piece of meat (9 hours as the recipe says) or it will be overcooked when you get home. This recipe would be really good if you are having a group of people over for dinner.

Ingredients

• 1 (4 pound) frozen rump roast
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 (7.75 ounce) cans Mexican style hot tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons crushed garlic
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Place the frozen roast in the slow cooker. Pour the wine and Mexican style hot tomato sauce over the top. Season with garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.
2. Cover, and cook on Low for 9 hours. When done, the roast should shred easily with a fork. Shred the roast into the juices, and mix in the chopped green onions and cilantro.