Crockpot Pasta E Fagioli Soup

On a cold, dreary day soup is one of the first thing that pops into my head when I started thinking about what to cook for dinner.  The fact that I can make this soup in the crockpot is the icing on the cake.  Make sure to add the pasta in the last 30 minutes of cooking so it doesn't become mushy.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion,  finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can dark red kidney beans drained and rinsed
1 can cannellini beans,  drained and rinsed
3 cups beef stock
1 24oz jar jar spaghetti sauce
2 tsp dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Salt to taste (about ½ Tbsp. kosher salt)
1 cup ditalini pasta

Directions
In a medium drying pan, brown ground beef. Drain excess grease.  Add meat and all the other ingredients to the slow cooker (except for pasta) and stir. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.  During the last 30 minutes of cooking, add in the pasta and stir.

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Casserole

I've been searching for a good breakfast/brunch casserole that is easy to make and tastes great.  My family loves bacon so this recipe was a must try.  It takes only a few minutes to assemble, but it does require that you allow it to sit overnight so that the bread and absorb the milk and eggs.  I haven't tried this one with sausage yet, but it is next on my list.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients
6 Large Eggs
2 cups milk
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground mustard
6-8 slices French Bread, crust removed and cubed
12 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Directions
Grease a 9″ x 13″ baking dish.  In a medium bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, salt and ground mustard.  Spread the bread cubes in the bottom of the dish, sprinkle over the bacon and cheddar cheese.  Pour the egg mixture over the top.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, bake at 350˚ F for 45 – 60 minutes.

Hawaiian Banana Nut Bread

I really enjoy a good slice of banana nut bread, but I must admit, if I has a choice I would choose this bread over plain banana bread any day.  This bread is very moist and not too sweet like other recipes I have found.  If you haven't made Hawaiian banana nut bread before, give this recipe a try.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients
½ cups flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¾  cup vegetable oil
1 cup mashed ripe banana (approximately 2 bananas)
1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained
½ cup chopped walnuts


Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a loaf pan with baking spray.   In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt. In a separate medium bowl, combine eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla, banana, and pineapple; mix well. Add wet mixture to dry mixture, stirring just until batter is moistened. Stir in walnuts. Pour into loaf pan. Bake for 1 - 1 ¼ hour(s) or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Remove bread from pan and continue to cool on wire rack.

Grilled Flank Steak with Avocado Salsa Verde

The arrival of spring always marks the arrival of grilling season for me.  The weather here is nice so I fired up the grill for this wonderful dish.  The marinade is simple and easy and was perfect match for the avocado salsa verde.  The salsa was nice and balanced and complimented the steak very well.  If you find yourself with left over salsa, it is also a great with tortilla chips!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients
2 limes, juiced
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
½  tsp.  ground cumin
1-1½ lbs flank steak
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Avocado Salsa Verde:
3 medium tomatillos
½ small jalapeno, chopped (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 Tbsp.  fresh lime juice
¼ tsp. kosher salt


Directions
In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, olive oil, garlic and cumin. Place the flank steak in a large zip-lock bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and mix around to ensure steak is well coated. Marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature.

Meanwhile, prepare the avocado salsa verde: Preheat broiler on high. Remove the husks from tomatillos and rinse well under warm water until they are no longer sticky. Cut each tomatillo in half crosswise, and place them on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Broil for 4 to 5 minutes, flip them over, and broil for another 4 minutes until softened and charred in spots. Transfer the tomatillos to a food processor or blender and add the remaining salsa verde ingredients.  Blend until smooth. Transfer the salsa verde to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat a grill over medium-high heat. Pat the steak dry and season both sides generously with salt and black pepper.  Grill the steak for 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let the steak rest for a full 10 minutes before serving.

Using a sharp knife, thinly slice the steak across the grain. Serve with the chilled avocado salsa verde.  

Chicken Fajita Stir Fry

As September begins, my husband and I have decided to start eating a bit better.  With one less mouth to feed in the house, we decided to change things up and move to a diet which includes as many 'light" dishes as possible.  This dish bring lots of flavor, is quick and easy, and you can eat it with tortillas or simply by itself with a side dish or two.

Ingredients
3 tsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp. plus 5 tsp. olive oil
1 ½ Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. packed brown sugar
½ tsp. cumin
½ tsp. chili powder
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 yellow or green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
Kosher salt

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine lime juice, cilantro, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, soy sauce, 1 tsp. garlic, brown sugar, cumin and chili powder. Add chicken and toss to coat. Let marinate for 15 minutes.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 ½ tsp. olive oil over medium-high heat until very hot; swirl to coat skillet. Spread half of chicken in a single layer, reserving marinade. Cook, undisturbed, for 2 minutes, then stir-fry for 1 minute. Transfer to a plate. Add another 1 ½ tsp. olive oil; repeat with remaining chicken.

Add remaining 2 tsp. olive oil, peppers & onion to skillet. Stir-fry until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. garlic; stir-fry for 30 seconds. Season with salt.

Pour reserved marinade into skillet; let boil for 30 seconds. Return chicken and any juices to skillet; stir until heated through.

Apple Bread

I was recently looking to make something a little different from banana beard when I came across this recipe for Apple Loaf.  The recipe below is my variation which uses diced apple instead of shredded and adds a bit of cinnamon.  I chose to also make 3 smaller loaves using 3 - 5.75x3in pans instead of a single 9x5in pan.  The results were very good and this will now be in my normal baking rotation.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients 
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup apple, peeled, cored and diced


Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease one 9x5 in. loaf pan or three 5.75 x3 in. loaf pans.

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nuts (if using).

In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and 1 egg until smooth. Beat in second egg, and stir in vanilla. Stir in diced apples.

Pour flour mixture into batter; stir just until moistened. Spread into prepared pan(s). Bake for 50 to 60 minutes for single loaf or 30 to 40 minutes for mini loaves, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes, then remove from pan. Place on a rack to cool.

Super Simple Fresh Strawberry Pie

Since I was a child, I have always loved fresh strawberry pie.  My grandmother used to make one when I visited and it quickly became one of my favorite desserts.  This is a super simple recipe which uses fresh strawberries and makes a great pie.  It is definitely best served the day you make it, so I wouldn't recommend making it a day or two ahead of when you intend to serve it.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients 
6 cups fresh whole strawberries, hulled, divided
1 cup sugar
3 TBSP. cornstarch
¾ cup water
Few drops red food coloring, optional 
1 store-bought pie crust (9"), baked and slightly cooled
Whipped cream (optional)

Directions
Mash 1 cup strawberries; set aside.  In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; stir in water and mashed berries. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir in food coloring if desired. Cook and stir 3 minutes more. Cool for 10 minutes. 

Spread about 1/3 cup glaze over bottom and sides of pie shell. Halve remaining strawberries; arrange in shell. Spoon remaining glaze over berries. Chill for 1-2 hours.

Just before serving, garnish with whipped cream. Pie is best served the day it's made.