Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes

Who doesnt love a baked potato?

But seriously they take so long to cook, and I dont always have an hour to wait for them to bake in my hot oven.

Problem solved--throw them in the crockpot and let them cook all day and wa-la, DONE!

LOVE THIS!!!!!

Crock Pot Baked Potatoes

5 Potatoes (I used russets)

DIRECTIONS:

Wash your potatoes well and let them dry.

Then wrap each potato in a piece of foil (no need for pricking them).

Place the foil wrapped potatoes in your crock pot.

I put 5 medium sized potatoes in my 4 quart crock pot, but I probably could have fit at least 10. If I double layered them

Cook on low for 8 hours.

Slow Cooker Balsamic Honey Pulled Pork

Slow cookery is becoming quite popular in my house. Thanks to recipes like this. I am a huge fan of North Carolina BBQ, which is more vinegar based then BBQ sauce. And this recipe is unique in that most slow cooker pulled pork is more BBQ sauced. I hoarded these leftovers and ate it for lunch 2 days in a row. I also dont like coleslaw ON my sandwich. I like it on the side. You eat it any way your hungry belly likes.

Slow Cooker Balsamic Honey Pulled Pork

borrowed from Six Sisters Stuff

Ingredients:

1 2 1/2 - to 3-pound boneless pork loin

1 cup chopped onion (1 large)

3/4 cup chopped green sweet pepper (1 medium)

1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 cup balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup ketchup

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

hamburger buns or small round dinner rolls, split and toasted

Deli coleslaw or see the coleslaw I made----***recipe below

Sweet or dill pickles, coarsely chopped-optional

Directions:

1. Trim fat from meat. If necessary, cut meat to fit into a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker. In the cooker, combine onion and sweet pepper. Add meat; sprinkle with thyme and rosemary. Pour broth over meat.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 9 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 1/2 to 5 hours.

3. Meanwhile, for barbecue sauce, in a medium saucepan, combine vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic, black pepper, and salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.

4. Transfer meat to a cutting board. Using two forks, pull meat apart into shreds, discarding fat. Return meat to the slow cooker and Stir in barbecue sauce. If using high-heat setting, turn to low-heat setting Cover and cook for 1 hour.

5. To serve, spoon meat mixture onto bun bottoms. Add coleslaw and pickles if you chose. Add bun tops.

My Coleslaw Recipe:

4 cup(s) cabbage/carrot mix

1/2 medium red onion(s), thinly sliced

1 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), thinly sliced

1 medium carrot(s), thickly shredded

1/2 tsp table salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 1/2 Tbsp sugar

2 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp water

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine cabbage, cucumber, onion, garlic, and carrot.

In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients; pour over vegetables and toss to mix and coat. Chill in refrigerator, tossing once or twice, for about 1 hour. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.

Sausage, Dried Cranberry and Apple Stuffing

I have a dirty little holiday secret.....

I LOVE STUFFING

I didnt used to understand what all the buzz was about. Mostly because my stuffing experiences of the past were unforgettable. Then I happened upon a table that served stuffing with "stuff" in it. Not just mushy bread and celery......(Angels singing).....I was sold. Now dont get me wrong, I love me some stove top stuffing. I will make it and eat it out of the pot. I have no shame were Stove top is concerned, but for holiday you have to step it up and put the STUFF in your STUFFING. I made this stuffing and I literally ate it out of the pan as is. I wasnt going to make it this year but now that I am posting it and remembering the stuffing love, I'm doing it....it just has to be done.

Sausage, Dried Cranberry & Apple Stuffing

adapted from the Food Network

1 pound mild bulk breakfast sausage ( I used fresh Sage Sausage)

4 tablespoons butter

3 cups sliced leeks, white and pale green parts only, cleaned well (about 2 large leeks)

2 Granny Smith apples, cored and chopped

1 cup chopped celery with leaves

1 tablespoon poultry seasoning

1 cup dried cranberries, rehydrated in boiling water for 15 minutes and drained

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves ( I omitted since I used Sage Sausage)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

6 cups boxed bread cubes (croutons)

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

2 to 3 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Saute the sausage in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, crumbling coarsely with the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage and drippings to a large bowl. Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, apples, celery and poultry seasoning to the skillet and saute until the leeks are soft, about 8 minutes. Mix in the drained cranberries, sage and rosemary. Add the mixture to the sausage, then mix in the croutons and parsley. Next add the chicken stock a little at a time until the stuffing is very moist. Be sure not to overdo it; it shouldn't be mushy. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a casserole dish. (The stuffing can be made to this point 2 days before Thanksgiving, refrigerated.)

Bake in a 14-inch oval or 9 by 13-inch rectangular casserole dish and place, uncovered, in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until the top is crispy and the center piping hot. Remove and serve immediately.

Caprese Rice Salad

I didnt forget about my Weight Watcherness. I did fall off the wagon over the summer, but I will get back on. I plan to go back to figuring out what the points are for my meals going forward, maybe not all.....because some I would just rather pretend they are zero points so I can truly enjoy them. This recipe was such a find. I needed a side dish and did a quick search and this one came up and I had all the things I needed sitting in my kitchen. SCORE! I loved it and will make it again for sure.

Caprese Rice Salad

borrowed from Weight Watchers

8 servings 3/4 cups

***5 WW Points Plus***

2 Tbsp olive oil, plus 1 tsp olive oil, divided

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup(s) basil, fresh, chopped

1 cup(s) cherry tomato(es), or grape tomatoes

6 oz whole milk mozzarella cheese, fresh, cut into chunks

3/4 tsp table salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp olive oil

1 small onion(s), chopped

1 cup(s) uncooked jasmine rice (I used white)

In a large serving bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil, vinegar, basil, tomatoes, mozzarella, salt and pepper. Set aside and allow to marinate while rice cooks.


Heat remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add rice and 1 3/4 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.


Toss rice with tomato mixture; serve warm or at room temperature. Yields about 3/4 heaping cup per serving.


Flavor Booster: Substitute basmati rice for jasmine rice and give this salad a nutty flavor. Rich-tasting hazelnut oil can replace the olive oil, and a light dusting of finely chopped hazelnuts completes the transformation.

Health Salad

Its been a LOOOONNNGGGG summer. A long summer of eating, not working out and just basically putting the kids as number one because they never left me alone :)

I am so thrilled that school started again. I can get back into my routine, get back to my healthful eating, and get back to the gym. I only gained a few pounds in the end, but I feel like my muscles went mushy and my eating is pretty sucky. So back to work!

AND back to blogging my recipes. I have a running list of some of the good stuff I have made and so I will play catch up as quickly as I can.

So on we go, I wish I found this at the beginning of the summer. I had lunch at some restaurant someplace and they had this cabbagey vingery salad and I loved it. I cant for the life of me remember where the heck it was but when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it. I ate it for days and cant wait to make it again.

Health Salad

adapted from Weight Watchers

1/2 Cup Serving****1 WW Points Plus****

4 cup(s) shredded red cabbage, or green cabbage

1/2 medium English cucumber, thinly sliced

1/2 medium red onion(s), thinly sliced

1 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), thinly sliced

1 medium carrot(s), thickly shredded

1/2 tsp table salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 1/2 Tbsp sugar

2 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp dill, fresh, chopped (optional)

In a large bowl, combine cabbage, cucumber, onion, garlic, and carrot; set aside.


In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients; pour over vegetables and toss to mix and coat. Chill in refrigerator, tossing once or twice, for about 1 hour. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.

Tex-Mex Tabbouleh

I admit, I never had tabbouleh. The name sounds cool enough, but BULGAR, not so much. But I did buy a bag to add to another recipe so I had it in the house, this recipe kept popping up on my computer so I figured I would give it a shot because most likely I would end up tossing the rest of it in 2 years when I clean out my pantry.

So WOW, I cant believe I was nervous. We fought over the leftovers in my house and I lost when I was looking forward to them for lunch when I woke up in the morning, only to come down for breakfast and see the empty container in the sink. I was beat to the punch sometime around 10 pm the night before.

If you have ever wanted to try tabbouleh, this is a great recipe to start with because if you love tex-mex flavors it will be familiar to you, with a weird little twist. I loved it and cant wait to make it again. It can star as a main meal, a side dish to grilled chicken (like I did) or you could wrap both into a tortilla.

I cant wait to try some other flavors with the rest of my bag that now will not be tossed into the trash. They really do need to come up with a better name then Bulgar....Like Grits its getting a bad rap!

Tex-Mex Tabbouleh

From Weight Watchers

6 servings

***3 WW Points Plus***

Ingredients

1 cup water

3/4 cup(s) uncooked bulgur

1 cup(s) tomato(es), diced

1 cup(s) English cucumber, diced

1/3 cup(s) cilantro, leaves, fresh, chopped

3 Tbsp scallion(s), sliced

3 Tbsp fresh lime juice

2 tsp olive oil, extra-virgin

3/4 tsp table salt

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 cup(s) (sliced) avocado, Haas, diced

Directions

Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in the bulgur and then remove from heat. Cover pan and let stand until water is absorbed and bulgur is tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. (I chose to follow these directions instead of the ones on the bag of bulgar)

Fluff bulgur with a fork and let cool to room temperature or until just slightly warm.

Meanwhile, in a large serving bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumber, cilantro, scallion, lime juice, oil, salt and cumin.

Add cooled bulgur to bowl; toss to combine. Gently fold in avocado and let stand 10 minutes for flavors to blend.

Serve, or cover and refrigerate up to 6 hours. Let stand at room temperature about 10 minutes before serving. Yields about 2/3 cup per serving.

Cheesy Stuffed Tomatoes

Have you ever seen a recipe and had to make it immediately? I saw this recipe and instantly became obsessed with making these as soon as humanly possible. I even went to the farm market and spent $9 on 4 NJ Farm grown tomatoes because if I am making these dreamy bit of heaven I want them to be as dreamy as possible.

Cheesy Stuffed Tomatoes

www.thenovicechefblog.com

You will need:
4 medium tomatoes
1/4 cup of your favorite breadcrumbs
2 tbl butter, melted
8 basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Parsley for garnish

Slice off top of tomato, hollow out (leaving 1/2 inch thick shell), and chop pulp and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, butter, basil, salt and pepper. Next stir in cheese

and tomato pulp. Fill each tomato shell and then wrap each tomato individually in foil.

Grill, or bake (at 400 degrees) for 10 to 15 minutes, until cheese is completely melted.

Garnish with parsley and serve hot!

VERDICT-YUMMY! Perfect side dish for any BBQ this summer. My tomatoes were huge so they could have used a touch more stuffing and I would like to put some cheesy on top and let that melt next time too. I just think they are really easy but look super fancy and impressive on any plate

Springy Shells

I am BAACKKKKK!

I am a horrible blogger. This spring has been the busiest on record and while I have been still putting dinner on the table and trying new recipes, I have done very little blogging. So this week is my catch up week. The worst part is I have some photos of food that look so good but I have no clue what it is. Hard to remember food you ate a month ago.

Spring is upon us and its almost time for the summer grilling season to kick up. I have been noticing so much fresh produce on the shelves and it makes me Happy Happy Happy to be able to get more veggies into every meal. This is a great dish for such a meal......if you want to see really beautiful pictures of this dish click on the link. I only hope to take such lovely photos of my food someday

Springy Shells

borrowed from the Pioneer Women Cooks

Ingredients

• 16 ounces, weight Pasta Shells (medium) Or Other Short Pasta** I used the Barilla Whole wheat**
• 1 pound Asparagus (cut Into 1 1/2 Inch Pieces) Discard Tough Pieces
• ½ pounds Broccoli, Cut Into Small Florets
• ½ pounds Zucchini (about 1 Medium Zucchini) Diced
• ½ cups Frozen Peas
• 3 whole Green Onions Sliced (white & Light Green Parts)
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 20 ounces, weight Ricotta Cheese (20 - 22 Ozs.)
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1-½ cup Parmesan Cheese
• Black Pepper, Freshly Ground
• Extra Olive Oil For Drizzling

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta until extremely al dente—with still quite a bit of bite.

Melt butter with the olive oil over medium-low to medium heat, then add in the garlic. Add the asparagus to the pan and cook for five minutes. Sprinkle in a little salt.

Add the broccoli and cook for one minute, then add the zucchini and cook for one or two more minutes. Add the frozen peas, still together then turn off the heat. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs, salt, and pepper until well combined.

Assembly:

Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish. Add half the pasta, then spread 1/3 cup of the ricotta mixture over the surface. Sprinkle 1/3 of the Parmesan over the ricotta, then ½ of the vegetables. Repeat with the rest of the pasta, the rest of the ricotta, and another 1/3 of the Parmesan. End with the rest of the vegetables and the rest of the Parmesan.

Drizzle with a couple of tablespoons olive oil, then bake for 25 minutes on 350 degrees or until nice and hot.

Serve with extra Parmesan, crusty French bread, and chilled white wine. Yummy!

VERDICT

This was so easy. In the time it took to boil the pasta the rest of it was put together and then it was a simple pop in the oven and wahoo it was delicious. I loved the leftovers too. It is a great way to get more veggies into your family, perfect as a spring side dish with chicken and just an all around great dish. I would love to serve this to company because its so pretty with all the greens. I am happy to have this recipe in my book to use again and again

Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Vegetables

I am trying out some new Weight Watchers Recipes from a great site devoted to just WW.

Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Vegetables

borrowed from Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes

*** 9 WW Point Plus***

• 10 (20 oz) boneless skinless chicken thighs
• bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, cut in half
• 3 red bell peppers
• 1 cup carrots, sliced in half long way
• 2 red onions, chopped in large chunks
• 1 package sliced mushrooms***you know me, I dont do fungus**
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• salt and pepper
• 3 tbsp fresh rosemary
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed and sliced
• 2 tbsp oregano or thyme
• 4 leaves fresh sage, chopped

Here is the original directions that I altered slightly

Preheat oven to 425°. Wash and dry the chicken well with a paper towel. Combine all the ingredients together and using your hands and arrange in a very large roasting pan. The vegetables should not touch chicken or it will steam. All ingredients should bespread out in a single layer, if necessary use two baking dishes or disposable tins to achieve this. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes.

Here is what I did.

I preheated the oven to 375 degrees. Mostly because I wanted to cook the rice at the same time and so I met in the middle for both temps. Wash and dry the chicken with a paper towel. Put them in a large ziplock bag. Chop the Veggies and put them in the bag as well. In a large bowl, put all the other ingredients and then emulsify them with your hand blender. You dont need to chop anything because the blender does all the work, so just throw it in. Then add it to the bag, close it, and shake to coat. Arrange contents of the bag in 2 large baking dishes preferably disposable ones so you dont have to clean them later on. Arrange everything in a single layer (hence the 2 pans)The veggies shouldnt touch the chicken or they will steam.

Bake for 40-45 minutes.

I made it with........

Baked Brown Rice

1 1/2 cups brown rice
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the above ingredients in a 3-quart baking pan or casserole dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for five minutes before removing the aluminum foil and fluffing with a fork.

Variations:
Before baking, slice one small yellow onion into dices or half moons and caramelize and brown in 1 teaspoon of olive oil until golden and soft (about 10 minutes in a nonstick skillet). Stir onion into rice and broth mixture and bake according to recipe.

After removing riced from the oven and letting it sit for five minutes, remove aluminum foil and stir in the zest and juice from 1 lemon, 1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 apple, finely diced.

Recipe Source: from My Kitchen Cafe

VERDICT:

Delicious, fast, easy, full of flavor, healthy......so go make it. I really liked my changes because it covered everything so evenly and perfectly. It gave the chicken and veggies amazing dark color and every bite had the great flavors. They veggies were so tasty I could see making just the veggies again. I love the WW recipes that you cant tell are WW and this is a great go to meal to add to your collection. The rice....ah the rice. I needed to not cook it as long because the temp was too high (because of cooking it with the chicken) and I actually burnt it. I never burn anything so I was kind of shocked. So the top was OK but the bottom was crunchy. I also think it was dried out but that was because of the overcooking I am sure. I loved the concept, but I need to work on the timing and the none-burning thing. I also dont think I added enough salt which with brown rice is kind of important because it always need a little flavor. Because it takes over an hour to cook, I dont know how often this will make it into my rotation because it takes for-thought, but if you can do it, its a really great and easy way to make rice....as long as you dont over cook it and burn the bottom.

Tortellini Primavera

I used to discriminate against tortellini because I didnt know how good it could be when you did more with it then add Marinara. Now I am hooked and realize you can do some pretty tasty things with these yummy bundles of cheese and pasta.

This is the perfect side dish. It is a lighter healthier version of a more fattening dish but it is still not something you could eat an entire giant bowl full....well, you could but only if its a special occasion.

I served it with grilled chicken and they went perfectly together

Tortellini Primavera

adapted from Eating Well

Ingredients

1 14-ounce can vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 cup shredded fontina cheese or 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon, dill or chives or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon *** I used fresh dill

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 cups chopped vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots, red peppers, yellow squash and snap peas, or 16-ounce bag frozen mixed vegetables

1 16-ounce package frozen or fresh cheese tortellini

Preparation

Put a large pot of water on to boil.

Saute the diced fresh vegetables for a few minutes and then remove them from the pan to be added back later.

Then, whisk broth and flour in a small bowl. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until just beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the broth mixture to the pan, bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in cheese, tarragon (or dill or chives) and salt.

Add tortellini to the boiling water; return the water to a simmer and cook until the tortellini are tender, according to package directions. Drain; add to the pan with the sauce and stir to coat. Mix in the vegetables. If the sauce needs to be slightly thinner you can mix in a tablespoon or two of the pasta water to the sauce before you drain the pot.

Roasted Cauliflower

This is one of my all time favorite cauliflower dishes, who knew after all these years it could be so tasty!

Oven Roasted Cauliflower

serving size 1 cup ****3 Weight Watchers Points Plus****

6 cups uncooked cauliflower florets (about 1 large) cut small

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

kosher salt and fresh pepper

juice of 1/4 lemon

1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Combine cauliflower, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper well so all the florets are coated and seasoned. Place in a large shallow roasting pan and place in the center of the oven.

Roast for about 25-35 munites, turning florets occasionally so they are evenly cooked. Remove from oven and top with Parmigiano Reggiano and additional salt and pepper if needed.

Cauliflower Mash

2 sickish kids and dinner to make…..its Shake and Bake time. Its my dirty little secret but yes I do occasionally make Shake and Bake. I know its gross and full of salt and other gross things I cant pronounce, but I love it. And its fast and that was what I needed tonight. I had already made chicken noodle soup for lunch so I wasn’t in the mood to cook. I had picked a recipe that involved pounding out the chicken and I was in no mood. So my trashy chicken was on the menu….WITH the best side dish ever. If you have never tried Cauliflower mash you must do it NOW!!!!! And don't try to tell me you don't like cauliflower. If I made these for you, you wouldn't even know they weren't potatoes.

Cauliflower Mash
and Original Recipe

1 head cauliflower
1 tablespoon cream cheese , softened
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tablespoons butter

Put a stockpot of water to boil over high heat.
Clean and cut cauliflower into small pieces.
Cook in boiling water for about 6 minutes, or until well done.
Drain well; do not let cool and dry them in a large bowl by putting paper towel in, pour the cauliflower in and then put another towel on top.
In the bowl with an immersion blender, or in a food processor, puree the hot cauliflower with the cream cheese, Parmesan, garlic, chicken base, and pepper until almost smooth.
Put butter in and when melted stir.

**You can also add roasted garlic, bacon & cheddar, broccoli & cheddar, fresh chives anything you would do to regular potatoes.

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

I am a sucker for Good Potato Salad and this is no exception, perfect for any tailgate

Loaded Potato Salad

borrowed from Cooking This and That

***Before you make this recipe. I made this recipe the night before the tailgate and it wasn't as good the next day. It is a potato salad that should be eaten the same day you make it. It was still good but it was exceptional when it was freshly made. You kind of lost the bacon taste and the potatoes got mushier and soaked up the sour cream and spices but not in a good way.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds redskin potatoes

4 slices turkey bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled*

3/4 cup low fat sour cream

3/4 cup 2% sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

4-6 green onions, sliced thin

1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped

black pepper to taste

dash of cayenne pepper

Directions

Cover the potatoes with cold water and bring to a boil.

Cook for about 20 minutes or until fork tender.

Drain well and place on cutting board.

When cool enough, but potatoes into bite-sized cubes.

Meanwhile, combine sour cream, green onions, chives, pepper, and cayenne in large bowl.

Add bacon and cheese to mixture, stir gently.

Add cubed potatoes while still slightly warm.

Mix very gently.

Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

*Bacon Alert:When making a large amount of bacon, there is no need to slave away over the skillet forever. Simple place a wire baking rack on a cookie sheet with sides (line the cookie sheet with foil if you want to make your life easier). Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes, until crisp. Voila!

VERDICT

So you saw my before you make this note. It was still good but it was sooooooo good the night I made it, I was eating it at 10pm and was quite pleased with myself. This would be a fantastic side dish for any party. I bought the prepackaged really small red potatoes and they cooked up really fast also which was nice. I wish someone else would have tasted it the night I made it so they could agree with me and make you make this salad. BUT everyone else that ate it said they really liked it so maybe I am just being picky.

Soft Tacos with Apples and Onions

Still trying to use up apples…….Seems like a strange combo I know but these are really good. Very savory. I made these last year and I don’t think I seasoned them enough. I followed all the measurements this time and they were really tasty. I like them with some sour cream too. Just another way to use up apples and new variation on tacos. I also think if you use a regular pan and not non-stick they would get more golden. I think I should have let the onions go longer but I was hungry.

Chicken Soft Tacos with Sautéed Onions and Apples
from cooking light
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups thinly sliced onion
2 cups thinly sliced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 2 apples)
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 (6-inch) flour tortillas

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt, nutmeg, and pepper.
Add chicken to pan; sauté 7 minutes or until golden.
Remove the chicken from pan; keep warm.
Melt butter in pan over medium heat.
Add onion; cook 4 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.
Add apple; cook 6 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently.
Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Return chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently.
Heat tortillas according to package directions.
Arrange 1/2 cup chicken mixture evenly over each tortilla.

I served it with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Pears
We had a lot of pears in the house because of fruit of the month so I thought why not get rid of 2 fruits at one time

Roasted Pears and Sweet Potatoes
From Everyday Foods
2 sweet potatoes, sliced 1 1/2 inches thick
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Coarse salt
2 Bartlett pears, cored, quartered, and halved


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Scrub 2 sweet potatoes.
Quarter lengthwise; slice diagonally 1 1/2 inches thick.
On a rimmed baking sheet, toss slices with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne; season with coarse salt.
Roast, tossing occasionally, until crisp-tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
Core and quarter 2 Bartlett pears; halve crosswise.
Add to the potatoes; toss all with another tablespoon oil.
Continue roasting until potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 minutes more.

VERDICT on the side dish
YUM. Seemed a little weird to roast pears but the flavor was really good and it was really easy. The seasoning was a really good mix. I always forget that roasting things is so simple you just have to think ahead. I will make these again for sure

Mediterranean Chicken Stew with Polenta

I have 6 entries to catch up on but I have 2 funny thing to talk about in regards to this recipe
1-I am a notoriously bad speller. I used to be great at it but now my mind is so scattered I always make a ton of mistakes and I am sure if you read this blog you have spotted more then a fair amount. So if you see the 1st word of this recipe you can imagine the struggle I had to spell it. I knew there were t's and a d and ended with an n, but other then that it was hopeless. So I take this chance to apologize for all of my spelling errors. I really do try but its hard to teach and old dog new tricks and spell check doesn't catch them all!

2-I was shocked to find out that Polenta was actually corn grits!!! WHAT????? Polenta sounds so exotic and tasty but Grits, well I would say ewwww I dont like them, but guess what I ate them and didn't know it. The package of Polenta actually had a ( ) that said Corn Grits written in, if not I would have never known.

For the record I also didn't know that Chili Powder wasn't just chilies. Its in fact a lovely mixture of a few different spices. Thank you Tyler Florence for that tidbit of knowledge.

AND, did you know that Relish is Pickles????? I still cant get over that one.

And which one of my Stroller Strides Moms pointed out that Sauerkraut was Cabbage...huh? Never realized.
If you don't actually know me and read this blog I swear I am not that stupid.....well some might argue but I think I am just more willing to admit my lapses in intelligence.
Onto the dinner I cooked let's see MONDAY--yes I am that far behind (its Friday)
Mediterranean Chicken Stew with Polenta
borrowed from Everyday Foods Cookbook

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 teaspoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 plum tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped pitted Kalamata olives (about 5)
1 teaspoon white-wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Creamy Polenta, for serving


Season chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat.
Add chicken, and cook, turning occasionally, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
Transfer to a plate.
Reduce heat to medium-low; add remaining teaspoon oil to skillet.
Add garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add chickpeas and 1 cup water.
Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes; cook over medium heat until starting to break down, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add olives, vinegar, and chicken along with any accumulated juices to pan; toss until warmed through, about 1 minute.
Stir in parsley.
Serve over polenta.

VERDICT
This is a really quick recipe to prepare with good results. I did let the tomatoes cook down too long but it just made it more saucy them thick. It had good flavor and I would go with the fresh parsley if you can. It gave it a nice punch of fresh flavor. This is a really great quick weeknight comfort food meal. This was the 1st time I had made Polenta and really eaten a slow cooked version. it was AWESOME!!!!! It was really very simple to make and I will be making it a lot more in the future. I could see just eating a bowl on a cold afternoon, when I don't feel like making soup. It was so rich and comforting (and I am sure low fat) But I didn't add too much cheese and I didn't use too much butter. Click on the link in the ingredients for the recipe I used from the same cookbook as the stew. It was by far my favorite part of the meal.