Holy crap... a post!! Sausage burgers!

Why yes, I am still alive!  Since we last spoke, I have found out that I am gluten intolerant so I had to rethink how I cooked and recreate recipes! I am just about 100% there and will share some of those postings soon.  But for now, here is a recipe I have had saved for a while now. 

The hubs loves sausage and peppers.  So one night I decided to switch it up a bit and make sausage and pepper burgers! 

You will need...
1lb ground sausage
1 large green pepper, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
1tbs olive oil
Mozzarella Cheese
Your favorite spaghetti/marinara sauce - heated either on the stove top or microwave to your preferred temperature
salt
pepper
a loaf of delicious bread, I used garlic artisan bread

Take your sausage and form it into patties.  Salt and pepper each side lightly.  Put them in a pan, sprayed with a non-stick spray.  Cook the patties for about 6 minutes and then flip to the other side. 

While they cook, take your pepper and onion and slice them up into pretty chunky pieces. 

Take a separate pan, heat it to medium high heat with the olive oil in it.  Put the onion and pepper in there with a small sprinkle or salt and pepper.  You want the veggies to cook completely but not to where they are mushy.  There should still be a slight crisp to your veggies. 

After your sausage patties have cooked 6 minutes on each side, take your mozzarella and slice it into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Put it on top of the patties.  Then place a lid on the pan.  This will not only melt the cheese, but help cook the patties all the way through.

Once your cheese is all melty and your veggies are cooked, slice your bread into 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick slices - depending on how carb conscious you are ;-)

Start layering everything on your bread!  If you avoid putting your sauce on the bread first, it will help your bread not get soggy with all the juices of everything you put on it.  Put your other piece of bread on top and enjoy!!

Any questions or comments, ask away!
Enjoy!
xoxo
Kerry

Sorry sorry sorry!!

Hi! Kerry here!! I will be posting VERY soon!  A lot going on in my life but also, my laptop is out of order! It will be fixed soon! If not, I will use the hubby's! I have a bunch of recipes I cannot wait to share with ya'll!!

If you have any recipe requests, send them my way!

Talk to you soon!
xoxo
Kerry

Pot roast!

There is nothing I love more than cozy, comfort food.  Spring hasn't completely sprung in NJ so there's been some chilly, rainy days.  Comfort food plus crock pot = pot roast!! Mmm!!

Bottom rump roast
2 cups baby carrots
4 large potatoes, washed (see *POTATOES section for other options)
1 onion
salt
pepper
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes (I use Del Monte^® Diced Tomatoes with Basil Garlic & Oregano)
One packet of G Washington (http://mybrands.com/Product.aspx?pid=157)
(If you can't find G Washington you can either omit it or use some type of beef bouillon)
1 cup of water 
2 tbsp of flour mixed with 1 cup of very cold water - after pot roast is done.

Season your rump roast with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Next, brown it in a pan.  This just browns the outside layer and puts a slight crisp to the ends once the meat is all cooked.  Put a layer of carrots and potatoes in your crockpot.  *POTATOES: If you're using regular russet/baking potatoes, cut them into cubes.  If you're using smaller potatoes, just cut them in half.  If you're using fingerling, just put them in whole! Once the roast is browned on all sides, place the roast on top of the carrots. 

 

Next, sprinkle the roast and veggies with the G Washington packet.  Salt and pepper the whole dish. Remember, potatoes soak up salt, so be generous.  Add your cup of water and the can of tomatoes. Cut your onion into fours and saute lightly.  Add to the crockpot.

Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4.  Once done, remove the meat from the crockpot and cover with foil.  This will allow the meat to rest and it will keep all its juices in.

Take a large bowl and spoon all the veggies into it.  Leave as much liquid in the crockpot as possible while doing so.  I use one of those spoons with the slits in it.

Empty the liquid into a pot.  Be careful - it's very hot.  Put on the stove on medium high heat.  Add your flour mixture and bring to a boil.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Shredded your pot roast, serve with potatoes and carrots.  Top with gravy and enjoy!!!

Any questions or comments??
Enjoy!
xoxo
Kerry

Slacking again!

Sorry for the lack of posts! Another great excuse! I was in NC visiting Sue! Yay friends!! Back and have some delicious recipes for you to enjoy!!

Here's a pic with our friend Casey! (Sue and I are on the right)

xoxo
Kerry

Chicken Marsala

I LOVE chicken marsala... the tender chicken, the sweet savory mushrooms and sauce.. mmm... my mouth is watering just thinking about it.  I decided to try making it recently and it was just as delicious as I imagined it would be!  This recipe is super easy and delicious!

 4 boneless chicken breast halves without skin
 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1/4 teaspoon pepper
 1/2 teaspoon basil, dried
 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
 3 tablespoons olive oil
 4 to 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced (1/2 to 1 cup sliced)
 1/2 cup Marsala wine


Pound chicken to 1/4" thickness between 2 sheets of plastic wrap.

Combine flour, salt, pepper, and basil; mix well.

Heat oil and butter in a heavy non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Dredge chicken in seasoned flour mixture. Cook chicken until lightly browned on first side (about 2 to 3 minutes).

Turn chicken and add mushrooms around the chicken pieces. Cook about 2 minutes longer, until lightly browned; stir the mushrooms. Add Marsala wine to pan. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 10 minutes.

You can serve this with rice, mashed potatoes or pasta. I chose whole grain pasta and cooked it to al dente, following the directions on the box.

Trust me, it tasted as good as it looked!!

Any comments or questions??
Enjoy!
xoxo
Kerry

Salsa - Ole!

I LOVE salsa, just about any kind.  I love making fresh salsa for a healthy, fresh snack for a week!

It's so easy to make and is always a hit!!

One 11oz can of corn (I use Green Giant niblets)
One 15.5 oz can of black beans (I use Goya)
Six large tomatoes
One medium onion
3 peppers (I usually use a mixture of green and red)
One mango
One jalapeno pepper
One lime
1/4 cup cilantro, diced
Texas Pete Hot Sauce
One tsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper

Dice the tomatoes, onion, peppers and mango into small pieces and put in a large bowl.  Do the same with the jalapeno.  I usually take the ribs and seeds out because I don't like my salsa to be too hot.  The more seeds - the hotter the salsa.  Drain and rinse the cans of beans and corn, put into the bowl.  Drizzle about 1/4 tsp of olive oil into the bowl and stir.  Roll your lime on the counter a few times.  This helps burst some of the segments inside the lime so you get more juice.  Cut the lime in half and squeeze both halves into the salsa. Put about three drops of hot sauce in and stir the mixture well. Add your cilantro, mix well.  Salt and pepper generously.  All your ingredients need salt for their flavors to come out so be generous.  But remember - it's easier to add than to take away.  Taste the salsa between each salting.  Allow the salsa to sit for at least an hour in the fridge.  If you can prepare it the day before eating it, even better.  Make sure to taste it before serving again to see if it needs to be salted and peppered.

Eat it on tortilla chips, on a taco salad or any other way you would eat salsa lol!

Any questions?? Just comment below!

Enjoy!
xoxo
Kerry

Hello!!

I know, I know... I haven't posted in a while.. Life has been busy - but I've been cooking and taking pics! I have a bunch of recipes to share with all of you!  First, I would like to introduce you to the reason why I haven't posted...

This is Maddie!! She's a Maltese that hubby and I rescued this week! She's two years old.. was never taken to the vet, fixed, groomed.. She was neglected.  So far, she is just awesome. Very lovey, loves to cuddle and is so good! I'm a proud mama!!

Recipes will be posted shortly!!! Thank you for your patience!

xoxo,

Kerry

Breakfast dinner!!

Who doesn't love breakfast dinner?? It's delicious, simple and comforting!  Using the fresh veggies I have around the house, I created something that is fresh and more delicious than any restaurant will serve me!


Read this recipe all the way through before beginning!!!  There is some multitasking going on!

Ingredients:
4 eggs
milk
salt
pepper
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
5 potatoes (I used regular old Idaho baking potatoes)
3 green peppers
2 small onions
1 tomato
1/3 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/4 tsp EVOO

1.  Break the eggs into a bowl, add a splash of milk (about 1/3 tsp), a pinch of salt and pepper. Literally, pinch a small amount of salt and pepper and add it to your bowl.  Whisk so all the ingredients combine.

2.  Take one green pepper, one onion and the tomato. Diced them into small pieces. I salt and pepper my tomatoes before I start cooking them so the flavor really bursts.

3. Set all ingredients aside.  Clean your potatoes.  Cut them into quarters, length wise.  Then cut the quarters into bite size pieces.

4. Cut the remaining peppers into strips.

5. Slice the onion in half.  Lay flat on your cutting board and then slice cut vertically into nice hearty slices.  They can be a little bigger.  They will cook down but give the dish great flavor.

6. In a big pan, put 1/3 tsp of olive oil.  Once it's heated, add your pepper and onions.  They should sizzle when they hit the pan.  Sauté them for a few minutes.  Then, add your potatoes. Salt and pepper the dish generously.  Potatoes absorb salt so it may take a few times to get it right.  Add your Italian Seasoning. Cover your dish with a lid.  This will quicken the cooking of the potatoes. 10 minutes in, take the lid off and let the potatoes cook.  Be sure to stir the pan often so the potatoes won't stick to the pan.  Cook until all the potatoes look brown and toasty.

 7.  15 minutes into your potatoes, you should start cooking your egg.  In a smaller pan, put 1/4 tsp of olive oil.  Once hot, add your peppers, tomatoes and onions.  Cook them until the onions are almost translucent AKA see through.  Then, add your egg mixture.

 8. Cook your egg for a few moments.  I take my spatula and put the sides in so the uncooked part can flow over and cook.  I don't make my eggs/omelets folded perfectly like restaurants. I mean, I am completely capable of doing it.  I just don't eat them that way.  I make sure all parts of the egg touch the pan by flipping the egg with my spatula.  It may fall apart, whatever. It still tastes amazing.  Once cooked to your liking, sprinkle your cheese on top.  Take off the heat and cover with a lid so the cheese can melt.

9. Plate everything up and ENJOY!!!!

Any questions or comments, ask away!!
Enjoy!!
xoxo
Kerry

Grilled teriyaki chicken!

I could eat chinese food every day of my life.  I just love it.  Unfortunately it's not cheap nor healthy... Tonight I decided to do my own spin on it.  I had a few different marinades/salad dressings I could use to do my chicken in, I had a ton of veggies and brown rice.  It turned out AMAZING!!! I hope you all enjoy it as much as the hubby and I did!!


Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, cleaned
1 cup of sesame ginger dressing or marinade (I used a mixture of Lawry's and Ken's salad dressing)
3 green peppers
3 carrots
3 celery stalks
2 small onions
2 1/2 tbsp of butter
1 1/4 tsp fresh garlic
3 Tbsp teriyaki sauce (I used Kikkoman)

Take a fork and poke 4 sets of holes along the chicken breasts.  Put them in a big ziploc bag.  Add one cup of sesame ginger marinade/dressing. Put in fridge and let marinate as long as possible.  I let mine sit for 6 hours.  If you can, move the bag, massage the marinade into the meat a few times while it sits. 

Husband loves to grill so he fired up the charcoals and got the grill to 320.  Cooked the chicken on each side for 10 minutes.  (the other two breasts were a different marinade.  The dark ones are the sesame ginger)

While the meat is cooking, chop up your veggies.  Tale the celery, cut the stalk horizontally all the way up.

 

 Cut the peppers into big chunks

Cut the carrots into slices about 1/8 in thick

Cut the onion into quarters.  Then you have big chunks which is the natural layers of the onions.

Heat a large pan to medium high.  Put the butter in. Once the butter is melted, add the garlic.  This is my favorite smell - EVER.  Stir the ingredients together.

Let cook for a minute.  Then add the teriyaki sauce.  Look cook for two minutes.  Then add all the veggies.  It may seem like a lot in the pan at once, but they cook down.  Also, some juices from the veggies add to the sauce for the vegetables.  Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often.  You don't want the vegetables to be soggy - just tender.  You want to be able to tell they're fresh and have a slight crisp to them. I added a little pepper to the veggies.  With all the teriyaki sauce, you will not need salt. 

Once the veggies and chicken are done, serve over brown rice.  I put the veggies on my rice so it can soak up all the sauce. The chicken is slightly glazed from the marinades and it gets dark and crispy on the grill.  Mmm mmm mmm!!!

Any questions or comments?
Enjoy!!
xoxo
Kerry

Winner Winner Chicken...salad!

Came home from work (half day Tuesday!) and was starving!  Looked through the kitchen and found just about nothing.. mayo.. celery.. some other veggies.. Looked in the freezer and found some chicken (I ALWAYS save legs and wings from whole chickens I cook and freeze them.. Or buy a pack of legs, cook them up and freeze a few for future recipes!)

Got out of the chicken and decided I was going to make me a chicken salad sandwich! YUM!

Two legs, two wings - meat taken off, bones discarded
Two stalks of celery
half of a small onion
1/2 cup of lite mayo
salt and pepper to taste

Ready for the easiest recipe ever??
1.  Dice the celery

2.  mince the onion, cut up the chicken into small pieces.

3. Add the mayonnaise.  Salt and pepper to taste!

It's best to let it sit in the fridge so the flavors can meld together. I love chicken salad on croissants.. But today was an English muffin with fresh sliced tomato.

Any questions? Comments?
Enjoy!!
xoxo
Kerry

Crockpot Fiesta Chicken

I've said it once and I will say it 'til I am blue in the face.. CROCKPOTS RULE!! Does saying that make me a nerd? Or corny? No, it makes me a smart cook and you should be one too!!

Half day Tuesday was in full effect today. And being that I still felt like crap, I didn't want to cook.. Crockpot to the rescue! I had some chicken breasts left from last night.  Went to the pantry, found some canned corn and black beans and got to work on some Fiesta chicken!

- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
-  2 cans (15 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 1/2 cups salsa (store bought is fine, I made my own... recipe to follow)
- 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in half
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (I use store bought taco mix cheese)

Very easy directions... ready?

In a 3-1/2- to 5-quart slow cooker, mix together the black beans, corn, and 1/2 cup of the salsa.

Top with the chicken breasts, then pour the remaining 1/2 cup salsa over the chicken.

Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.  (Or until the chicken is tender and white throughout; do not overcook or the chicken will be dry)  5-10 minutes for serving , sprinkle cheese on top; cover and cook until the cheese melts.

I served mine over brown rice this evening...Mmmm!!

 

For my salsa.. I tend to use a store bought one for recipes like this, but kind of panicked this afternoon when I realized I only had like, a quarter of a cup!! Quick to the pantry.. I grabbed my food processor and the following ingrediants...

- 28oz can of whole, steamed tomatoes

- 2 small green peppers (cleaned and cored)

- 1 medium onion, cut into quarters 

- 1 tsp of parsley

- 1/4 tsp chili powder 

- 1/4 tsp white wine vinegar

- salt and pepper to taste.  

Throw all ingredients into the food processor, pulse it until everything is blended.

Make sure you taste it... Salt and pepper will be your best friend. Remember, it is easier to add seasoning than to take it away...

Any questions? If so, comment below! If not, ENJOY!!!

xoxo
Kerry