Let's Dish Wednesday: Skillet Bucatini with Spring Vegetables

It’s Let’s Dish Wednesday and since it’s the first day of Spring I wanted to share a Spring time recipe from Better Homes and Gardens April issue. I love the colors in this dish. I made this Monday night for dinner and it was delish! I’m so glad I have a husband who also loves to try new recipes, and loves vegetables. There is NO meat in this dish and he went back for seconds and took it for lunch they next day. J So, here it is…

Skillet Bucatini with Spring Vegetables

 

Here’s what you’ll need:

4 oz. dried bucatini pasta or thick spaghetti (I was unable to find bucatini, so I used spaghetti in my recipe)

2 Tbsp. peanut or vegetable oil

12 oz. asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces (2 ½ cups; 14 spears)

6 cloves garlic, sliced

3 cups red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved

¾ tsp. salt

¾ cup chopped fresh basil

½ cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives

¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Lemon wedges (optional)

Here’s what you’ll do:

1.       In a large pot cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; reserve ½ cup pasta water. Return pasta to pot. Add 1 Tbsp. of the oil of your choice. Toss until well combined; set aside.

2.       Heat a 14-ich flat-bottom wok or 12-inch stainless-steel skillet over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 2 seconds. Swirl in remaining 1 Tbsp. oil.

3.       Add asparagus; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add garlic; stir-fry 10 seconds. Add cherry tomatoes and ½ tsp. of the salt; stir-fry 30 seconds. Add basil and olives; stir-fry 30 seconds. Remove pan from heat. Add pepper, remaining ¼ tsp. salt, and pasta. Add enough reserved pasta water to create desired consistency. To serve, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a side of garlic bread. Pass lemon wedges, if desired. Serves 4.

I hope you'll try it!

Happy Spring!

Rachel

 

Let's Dish Wednesday: Chicken Tortilla Soup

We LOVE this soup! I've already made it couple of times this winter-it's so warm and yummy. And yes, it's yet another great recipe from The Pioneer Woman.

 

Ingredients:

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

About 1 ¼ teaspoons chili powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup diced onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup diced green bell pepper

¼ cup diced red bell pepper

One 10-ounce can Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles

4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons tomato paste

4 cups hot water

Two 15-ounce cans black beans, drained

3 tablespoons cornmeal

5 small corn tortillas

Diced avocado, for garnish

Diced red onion, for garnish

Sour cream, for garnish

Chopped cilantro, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375

Start by mixing together the cumin, 1 teaspoon of the chili powder, the garlic powder, and salt.

Drizzle the chicken breasts with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.

Then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the spice mixture. Set the rest of the spice mixture aside.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked all the way through. Remove it from the oven…

Shred the chicken using 2 forks. Set aside.

Next, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Throw in the onion, garlic, and green and red bell peppers.

Throw in a teaspoon of the spice mixture used to season the chicken.

Add a little extra chili powder (about ¼ teaspoon) for heat.

Stir to cook the vegetables until they begin to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the shredded chicken…

The Rotel, juice and all…

The chicken broth…

The tomato paste, and 4 cups hot water. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low.

Next, add the drained black beans.

Then mix together the cornmeal with ½ cup of water.

Add the mixture to the pot, then simmer the soup for 10 to 15 minutes. Give it a taste and add salt or seasonings as needed. (I added the remaining seasoning to my soup)

Cut the tortillas into uniform 2- to 3-inch strips.

Stir them into the soup. Turn off the heat and get ready to serve it up!

Ladle the soup into a bowl, then add avocado, red onion, sour cream, cilantro, and extra tortilla strips to the top.

Happy Wednesday!

Rachel

 

Let's Dish: Steak with Mustard-Shallot Sauce

This dish is very easy and quick to make. There are few ingredients but a lot of flavor.

Steak with Mustard-Shallot Sauce

 

Ingredients:

1 ½ lb. sirloin steak

Salt

Black pepper

2 tsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. Red wine vinegar

1 shallot (chopped)

Directions:

Season 1 ½ lb. sirloin steak (1 inch thick) with salt and black pepper. Cook in 2 tsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high, 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium rare. Let rest 5 minutes, and then slice. Whisk together 2 Tbsp. each Dijon Mustard and red wine vinegar and 1 chopped shallot. Serve with your choice of vegetable.

(From Real Simple Magazine)

Happy Wednesday!

XO

Rachel

 

Let's Dish Wednesday: Pork & Hot Pepper Hash

It’s Let’s Dish Wednesday, y’all! Today I’m taking a break from The Pioneer Woman, and sharing with you a find from my Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. It was a cold and snowy day for us on Saturday, so I decided to make something with a little spice to help warm us up. This is a great dish! It’s a pretty spicy though, so beware J For M and I, the spicier, the better!

Pork and Hot Pepper Hash

 

 

Ingredients:

1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro

1 poblano pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped (I did not my jalapeno)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 ¼ lbs. ground pork

3 Tbsp. lime juice

 1 lb. baby Yukon golden potatoes, halved or quartered

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. ground black pepper and/or crushed red pepper (I opted for “and”)

¼ cup chicken broth (optional)

4 eggs, cooked sunny-side up in 1 Tbsp. butter

Sliced red and/or green jalapeno peppers (optional)

Fresh cilantro sprigs (optional)

Bottled green hot pepper sauce

Directions:

In a large bowl combine cilantro, poblano pepper, jalapeno pepper, and garlic. Add pork and lime juice. Gently mix to combine. Set aside for 15 minutes to blend flavors.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan cook potatoes in boiling salted water, covered, for about 10 minutes or until just tender. Drain.

In a large skillet cook pork mixture until pork begins to brown. Stir in potatoes; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 5 to 7 minutes more or until pork is cooked through and potatoes are tender, turning occasionally. For moister hash, stir in chicken broth, if desired.

Serve eggs over hash. Top with sliced peppers and additional cilantro, if desired. Pass bottled green hot pepper sauce and lime wedges. Makes 4 servings.

NOTE: Hot peppers contain oils that may burn skin and eyes. Wear plastic gloves. If using bare hands, wash them well with soap and water. I read that lemon juice will also remove any hot pepper residue from hands.

 

Enjoy!

 

Rachel

 

 

 

 

Let's Dish Wednesday & Clever Container Blogger Party

It’s time again for Let’s Dish Wednesday: This week I’m sharing with you yet another wonderful recipe from The Pioneer Woman, she’s my hero if you couldn’t tell J Guacamole is one of my favorite things and I had never made myself until I received this wonderful cookbook! I hope you enjoy it!

Grilled Corn Guacamole

 

Ingredients:

3 ears of sweet corn

6 avocados

1/3 cup finely diced onion

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 large tomato, diced

2 tablespoons diced fresh jalapeño

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

Juice of 1 lime

½ cup cilantro leaves

Tortilla chips, for serving

Directions:

Begin by grilling the ears of corn until the kernels start to turn golden brown

Let the corn cool slightly, then use a very sharp knife to shave the kernels off the cob.

Slice the avocados in half and remove the pits

Use a knife to cut each half into a dice…

Then use a spoon to scoop the pieces into a bowl

Now add the corn…

The onion, garlic, tomato and jalapeno,

And the salt, cumin, and lime juice.

Stir everything together until it’s all combined and harmonious…

Then stir in the cilantro at the end. Taste the guacamole to make sure the seasonings are right.

Serve this treat with tortilla chips.

Clever Container Blogger Party

Don’t forget about the Clever Container Blogger Party going on now through Saturday! Clever Container has made “Organizing Fun Again!” Grab a button and spread the word! 

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I love comments. Please leave one, I’d love to get to know you better!

Rachel

 

Let's Dish Wednesday: Best Grilled Cheese Ever

Let’s Dish Wednesday: Best Grilled Cheese Ever from The Pioneer Woman. And she’s right, this isn’t your ordinary grilled cheese sandwich. It’s unbelievably delicious…

Ingredients:

4 poblano or Anaheim chilies (or you may use canned whole green chilies)

¼ cup white vinegar

½ red onion, thinly sliced

¼ cup Dijon mustard

¼ cup mayonnaise

8 slices rye bread

12 slices provolone cheese

2 ripe tomatoes, thickly sliced

8 slices Cheddar cheese

½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened

 

Directions:

Begin by roasting the chilies until the skin is blackened (if using fresh)

When the chilies are totally charred, throw them into a bowl

Cover them tightly with plastic wrap and let the peppers sit in the bowl and steam for a while

Next, pour the white vinegar over the sliced red onion and let them sit awhile. This will take away a little of the onion flavor and leave them with a nice sweetness.

Finally, make the special sauce: equal amounts of mayonnaise and Dijon.

When you’re ready to make the sandwiches, scrape the blackened skin off the chilies. Scrape out the seeds, too, so you’ll wind up with big pieces of roasted green chilies.

For each sandwich, generously spread 2 pieces of rye bread with the special sauce.

Lay on 2 slices of provolone, 2 slices of tomato, 2 slices of Cheddar…

A nice layer of roasted green chilies…

A few red onion slices…

And one more slice of provolone to hold it together

Top with the other slice of bread and spread the outsides with a good amount of butter. If you’re looking for a low fat sandwich, this is not it J

Toast the sandwich in a skillet over medium-low heat until the cheese is thoroughly melted inside. Be careful not to burn the bread! I used my George Forman Grill and it worked great for this.

Enjoy! Trust me, you’ll never again want to eat a regular ol’ grilled cheese sandwich…never!

Rachel

Let's Dish Wednesday: Make-Ahead Muffin Melts

It’s time again for Let’s Dish Wednesday! This week I’m going to share with you something wonderful, fast and oh-so-easy for breakfast. These Make-Ahead Muffin Melts quickly became a hit at our house. My husband absolutely loves them! These are very filling and a great way for those hard working husbands of ours to start their day!

Again this is another amazing recipe from The Pioneer Woman. Your taste buds won’t know what hit them!

Make-Ahead MuffinMelts

Ingredients:

12 slices of bacon

12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

1 cup (real) mayonnaise

1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard, or more to taste

½ teaspoon garlic powder

5 dashes of Worcestershire sauce

6 English muffins, split

 

Directions:

Fry bacon until chewy and slightly crisp.

Use a knife to chop it up

Peel the hard-boiled eggs

Then give them a rough chop

Add the cheese, the chopped bacon, and the mayonnaise to a bowl

Next, add some Dijon mustard

Along with the garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce

Fold all the ingredients together, then give it a taste

Preheat your oven’s broiler to low

Spread a good amount of the spread on the halved English muffins

 

Place them on the lower rack of the oven and broil them 3 to 4 minutes, being careful not to burn them. The topping should be hot and the cheese should be melted.

 

I make this on Sunday nights and it last an entire week. It’s so quick, easy and hearty! Also, instead of muffins, we spread this yummy mixture on everything bagels.

Enjoy!

Rachel

Spreading More Holiday Cheer with Pumpkin Crisp

In addition to the Christmas Cowboy Cookies I baked for our Christmas party we had last weekend, I also made a pumpkin crisp. This is one of my favorites during the holiday!

 

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz) canned pumpkin

1 cup evaporated milk

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. nutmeg

1 pkg. butter flavored yellow cake mix

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup butter, melted

 

Directions:

 

Stir together first 6 ingredients.

 

Pour into lightly greased 13x9 baking dish.

 

 Sprinkle cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture, sprinkle evenly with pecans. Drizzle butter evenly over pecans. (I did not add pecans to our crisp).

 

 

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temp. with whipped cream.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas & the happiest of New Years.

Rachel

 

 

 

Spreading Holiday Cheer with Cowboy Cookies

This weekend Matt and I hosted a small Christmas Party with friends and co-workers. We had a wonderful time and I wanted to share with you a couple of yummy treats I prepared!

 

Today it's:

 COWBOY COOKIES

 

Ingredients:

 2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

 

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheet. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In large bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, and then stir in the vanilla. Gradually stir in the sifted ingredients. Stir in rolled oats and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoon full. Bake 8 to 10 minutes.

 

Later this week I'll share with you my pumkpin crisp recipe :)

 

 

Enjoy!

 

Rachel

Warming Taco Soup



Matt in front of the famous Moulton Barn in Jackson, WY.
Beautiful Grand Tetons in the background.

 

Here in Wyoming, the fall weather has definitely settled in, and some days it feels like winter it trying to wiggle its way in long before we’re ready to welcome it. Last weekend my husband and I decided to take a trip up to Jackson Hole for a night.  It’s always quite a bit cooler in Jackson than it is at our house.  During this trip, it was cloudy, rainy and cold. We still had a great time but the weather definitely put us in the mood for some warming food.  I’ve only made this soup a couple of times and this time I decided to switch things up a little bit.  We love spicy food, so any way I could make this soup spicy, I did!

 

Taco Soup

 

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

1 can Ranch Style Beans with Jalapeños

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1 can stewed tomatoes, Mexican Style

1 can Rotel (medium)

1 package taco seasoning (spicy)

1 package Original Hidden Valley Ranch mix (spicy)

2 ½ cups water or more, to make soup broth.

Directions:

 Brown ground beef and onions in a large pan, and drain off fat (I purchased the leanest beef I could). Add remaining ingredients and simmer for an hour. When ready, serve in big soup bowls and I made a pan of cornbread to serve on the side.

 

The perfect meal for a perfect fall day! Enjoy!

Healthy & Delicious Mini Pizzas

Here is my latest creation that I think you'll love! It's fun and so easy!! I hope you enjoy...

Ingredients:

Whole Grain Biscuits
Olive Oil
Garlic Pepper
Onion
Cherry Tomatoes
Olives
Green Bell Pepper
Mushrooms
Mozzarella Cheese

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your veggies by chopping them to your liking (I like mine chopped into chunks).
 

2. Take the biscuits and place them on a cookie sheet. Flatten and spread them out so there is plenty of room to add your toppings.

3. Before adding the veggies, brush the top of the biscuits with a little Olive Oil and sprinkle with garlic pepper.

4. Add your veggie toppings and cheese
5. Place in the oven and cook approximately 10 minutes or until biscuits begin to brown and cheese has melted.

 6. Add any left over veggies to some Romain lettuce for a healthy side salad.

I hope you enjoy!!

Chili Garlic Chicken Pasta Recipe

I have to say, I’m pretty proud of this recipe. One day I was inspired to cook our dinner with items we had in our fridge without having to go to the grocery store for anything. Here is what I came up with and it’s yummy!

Ingredients:  Serves 2

·         2 chicken breasts seasoned to your liking

·         Pasta of your choice

·         2 tbl. Olive oil

·         1 medium onion (chopped into chunks)

·         1 large tomato (chopped into chunks)

·         1 small zucchini (chopped into chunks)

·         6 chopped green onions

·         1/2 cup chopped or quartered Kalamata olives

·         1/2 cup chopped mushrooms

·         2 tbl. Chili Garlic Sauce – Lee Kum Kee brand or something similar but this is what adds such good flavor

·         Feta cheese

*(If you like veggies like I do, you can always increase the amount you put in)

 

Chili Garlic Chicken Pasta

 

 

1. While chicken is grilling and pasta is cooking, heat oil (I grill on our George Foreman, love it!)

2. Add green and white onions, mushrooms and zucchini. Sauté until onions appear to be clear.

3. Add in tomatoes, olives and garlic sauce

4. Let simmer for 5 to 7 minutes to allow all the flavors to come together

5. Spoon chili garlic mixture over pasta and add the chicken

6. Top with feta cheese & ENJOY!

 

 

Daily Devotionals

Happy Monday and welcome to a new week! I wanted to start this week off by sharing with you a realization I came to this weekend. Every morning after reading scripture from the Bible, I read my daily devotional. I get my devotional through the Joyce Meyer App I downloaded to my iPhone and I absolutely love it. Not only is there a devotional, but I can also watch her videos, listen to her radio show and get the dates of her upcoming conferences. If you’re interested in that sort of thing, I would suggest downloading it, it’s pretty great.

Anyway, back to my realization. These past few weeks my husband and I have been facing some challenges regarding his career; these challenges are by no means negative challenges but very positive ones and in reality we are blessed to have them, as ironic as that may sound. And maybe the word “challenge” is not the best terminology, but when it comes to making the best decision for your career and future family, it can be somewhat of a challenge.
For the last couple of months we have prayed daily for guidance and answers. It seems like it is taking forever and instead of getting answers and solutions that will eliminate our confusion, we’ve only gained more options which have led to more confusion. These last few days have just been too much for me. I told my husband, “I don’t even know what to say to God anymore”. We’ve handing our situation and worries over to Him, we pray about it every day, we’ve worked on having a more positive attitude and most importantly we’ve worked on gaining patience. I no longer knew what to do, and part of me really felt like giving up.

Saturday morning I proceeded with my morning routine by reading from my Bible and then moving on to my devotional. When I read the title of the devotional, I literally froze and thought back on my words I spoke to my husband the day before, “I don’t even know what to say to God anymore”. The title was “Waiting Expectantly”. The first sentence asked the question, “have you been praying for something and you feel as though your prayer is never going to be answered?”  I couldn’t believe it! Could it be that this devotional was written just for me? Of course not, but sometimes it feels that way. The rest of the devotional went on to read about how it can be easy to be passive and just give up (which was where I was at), but to realize that God is working and He is hearing your prayers. He’s not ignoring you, but has a plan and you need to wait expectantly for that plan to unfold. Wake up each and every day knowing that the answer is right around the corner and don’t give up. After reading this I thought back on my devotional from the day before and it had been titled “God’s Timing is Always Perfect”, and I came to the realization that these devotionals that I read every morning aren’t just written by anyone, they’re written by God. God has been speaking to me and teaching me through these devotionals.  How amazing is that?

Thankfully, I have not given up and I have continued to pray about our situation asking that God’s will be done in our lives and I know that day will come when we have the answers and peace about what we should do. And that is when it will be the perfect time. We have an awesome God!