Coffee Cubes!

     I'm sure during the winter, most of you enjoy drinking coffee or hot chocolate or something similar. It's something tasty that warms you up inside! The winter months are gone and the cold temperatures are slowly disappearing. It's almost time for spring weather and then the scorching months of summer-at least where I live. Anyways, I love to drink iced coffee year-round, but especially during warmer weather. I like to make my own iced coffee, but don't do it as often as I'd like because I don't like watering it down with ice cubes. I started brewing the coffee before bed and letting it cool down in the refrigerator overnight and then adding ice in the morning, but then I didn't get the fresh-brewed taste that I like. I then started brewing my coffee EXTRA strong to see if that would counter all the ice I had been adding...nope.
     Here's where today's blog post comes in: coffee cubes! Simply make a cup of coffee to your liking, let it cool just a bit, then pour the coffee into an ice cube tray and place it in the freezer. Let it harden and then you can either remove them and put them in a resealable bag or leave them in the tray for later use. I end up using about 10-12 for my coffee (I love extremely cold drinks) and it won't water the coffee down! It's always going to melt back to the coffee you love!

Pasta e Fagioli- YUMMY!

     It's a cold and rainy day here in North Carolina, very rainy. We had dinner at Michael's parent's house tonight; pot roast, green beans, and mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes were rich and creamy, the roast was tender and juicy. Dinner was absolutely delicious; sometimes it's nice not to cook dinner and just enjoy it with family. Even though I didn't cook dinner, I still have a recipe to provide you with that is one I'm sure you will enjoy! It's absolutely perfect for cold and rainy days and is very tasty.
     Whether you like Italian flavors or Italian restaurants, this dish is sure to please! The acid of the tomatoes balances perfectly with the herbs, beans, and pasta. Choose whichever cut of pasta you prefer, but I will recommend choosing a short cut pasta and I chose rotini because there's something about those little twists that I absolutely adore! 


Pasta e Fagioli
Yields: 6-8 servings

1 lb. ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 (14.5oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (15oz.) can tomato sauce

1 1/2 c. vegetable juice

1 tbsp. vinegar

1 1/2 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. oregano

1 tbsp. basil

1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

2 cans beef broth

1/2 pound pasta al dente, uncooked

Start with browning 1 pound of ground beef in a large stock pot over medium high heat, drain excess fat.  Add the prepared veggies to the browned meat. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce,  vegetable juice, vinegar, salt, oregano, basil, pepper and thyme. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Add the kidney beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour then add 1/2 pound of pasta cooked al dente. Simmer 10 more minutes and serve.

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 10
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 289.0

• Total Fat: 10.4 g
• Cholesterol: 34.0 mg
• Sodium: 1,823.9 mg
• Total Carbs: 34.0 g
• Dietary Fiber: 5.5 g
• Protein: 15.8 g

Everything is better with bacon!

I bet you're wondering if we got the house that I've been blabbering about? Well, we didn't get it. I know, I know.  I'm the bearer of bad news, but it happens. I have decided to trust that if it's meant to be, it will happen. If we don't get in a house, it just isn't the house for us. Today, I had jury duty. We sat there for an hour doing the routine first day jury stuff and then were told to go home because the trial from this morning was taking longer than expected. So, I got paid $12 for one hour of sitting in a chair. Not bad, not bad. I have to go back tomorrow morning and we shall see what happens next. 

     This is a surprisingly creamy dish, even though there isn't any heavy cream. Using an entire package of the ranch mix is a bit overpowering, so I would recommend doing this part to taste. I actually used all but 1 tablespoon of the package. It is definitely very tasty and rich, and I would suggest using a rotini or penne pasta, so all the sauce can run throughout!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

Yields: 2-3 servings

1/2 lb uncooked pasta, your choice

6 strips bacon, diced

1 Tbsp butter

2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 packet ranch dressing mix

2 cups milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

    

Cook pasta according to package directions in boiling salted water; drain, return to pot, and keep warm. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Drain all but one tablespoon of bacon drippings from the pan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the butter to the reserved bacon drippings, then add the chicken to the same skillet. Cook until tender, no longer pink, and slightly browned. Sprinkle the flour and ranch dressing mix over the chicken, stirring to coat evenly. Stir in the milk, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and bubbly.Remove from heat and stir in the cheddar cheese and bacon; cook and stir until the cheese is melted. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Serve over cooked pasta and enjoy!

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 586.3

• Total Fat: 17.9 g
• Cholesterol: 112.0 mg
• Sodium: 643.6 mg
• Total Carbs: 56.2 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.4 g
• Protein: 45.0 g

Cube Steak with Mushroom Gravy

I don't have much to say...no word on the house yet. VERY frustrated. Not only do we not have any word on the house, I haven't even heard from my agent. Okay. Just breathe, right? AHHHHH! Anyways, cube steak is great because sometimes it is referred to as "minute steak" because they cook up so well. They are a little "ho-hum" and boring, but if you add your own twist on it, like I did with this gravy, it's actually quite delicious! I generally prefer them with plain ole' ketchup, but this was a nice change! Enjoy!

Cube Steak with Mushroom Gravy

Yields: 3 servings

1.5 lbs of cube steak

1/4 c. AP flour

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

2 tbsp. canola oil

For the gravy:

1 small onion, diced

8 oz. button mushrooms, quartered

2 tbsp. canola oil

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. flour

1 1/2 c. fat-free milk

salt and pepper, to taste

To prepare the cube steak, in a shallow pan, combine the flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Coat the steak on both sides in the mixture. In a large skillet, add oil and heat over a medium-high heat. Add the steak and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet and set aside. To the drippings from the cube steak, stir-fry the mushrooms and onions until tender. Remove and set aside.

For the gravy, add butter to the skillet, removing the crispy bits from the bottom of the pan. Once the butter is completely melted, whisk in the flour. Gradually add the milk, stirring as you pour and whisk until smooth and creamy. Taste, and adjust for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed. Add in the mushrooms and onions and heat through, about 5 minutes.

Serve the gravy over the cube steak and enjoy!

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 3
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 629.4

• Total Fat: 35.7 g
• Cholesterol: 163.2 mg
• Sodium: 1,605.4 mg
• Total Carbs: 21.8 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.4 g
• Protein: 57.1 g

Hungry Man Competitor?

     I was making dinner tonight and I thought about treating Michael to a dessert. I didn't want to make an entire batch of brownies or cupcakes. I thought about making my "Control Yourself Cupcakes", which I'll post the recipe for coming soon, so be looking for that; but I just made some recently, and didn't want them again. I found a recipe for brownies for two servings, but they always seemed to be more than two servings. (6 small brownies or 4 medium brownies). Anyways, I found a recipe for a brownie made in a mug and cooked in a microwave and I changed it a little bit and created what Michael calls the "Hungry Man Competitor".

     For those of you who don't know, Hungry Man is a frozen dinner prepared in a microwave. They have all different meals ranging from fried chicken, spaghetti and meatballs, and SO much more. I think they always contain a dessert of some kind and apparently, this brownie tasted VERY similar. Enough jabbering, here it is.

Brownie for Two (Mug)

4 tbsp. sugar

4 tbsp. flour

2 tbsp. cocoa powder

3 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp. water

Spray the mug of your choice with non-stick cooking spray. In a separate bowl, add the sugar, flour, and cocoa to the mug and combine. Add the oil and water and combine thoroughly, being sure to get all the clumps out! Pour the mixture in the mug and microwave for 45-60 seconds. The brownie shouldn't not be completely set and still a bit "wet looking" in the middle. Remove from the microwave. Eat it out of the mug or transfer to a plate and enjoy!

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 2
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 350.2

• Total Fat: 21.9 g
• Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
• Sodium: 1.7 mg
• Total Carbs: 39.9 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.2 g
• Protein: 2.7 g

Garlic Soy Tuna

     So, Michael has named this "Garlectra Tuna". Why? Because the flavor of the garlic combined with the soy sauce created a spark in his mouth. Weird, I know. But, that's my fiance. We are still waiting to hear back from our agent regarding the house, and we're still hoping for the best. We haven't really prepared for the worst, but we know that everything happens for a reason. If this isn't the house, we'll find it eventually. 

     Tuna is a great fish to have in your diet because of all the omega-3s and it is lean. I enjoy it as a source of protein and will definitely be making it more since I've found this recipe. It has given me hope for tuna! If you don't prefer the flavor of tuna, I would recommend this marinade because the flavors in the marinade are really heightened and it's SO delicious!  

Garlic Soy Tuna Steaks

Yields: 2 servings

2 tuna steaks, 3.5 oz each

1/4 c. orange juice

1/4 c. soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1 tbsp. dried parsley

1 tsp. dried oregano

3 tbsp. olive oil, (1 tbsp. for cooking)

     In a medium shallow baking dish (glass or non-reactive), mix together all the ingredients minus the tuna. Place the tuna in the marinade and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for an 30 minutes. Flip the tuna and refrigerate for another 30 minutes. Remove tuna from marinade and set aside on a plate. In large pan heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium high.  Lay each steak in the pan, don't move them, and cook for 4 minutes.  Flip and cook the other side for 4 minutes or to desired doneness. Let it sit for couple of minutes before serving. 

     I served these over stir-fried vegetables and rice, and my recipe for this will be coming soon! 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 2
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 262.2

• Total Fat: 14.5 g
• Cholesterol: 43.7 mg
• Sodium: 1,191.6 mg
• Total Carbs: 6.0 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.3 g
• Protein: 25.8 g

Chicken & Green Bean Casserole

     My fiance and I are currently trying extremely hard to find a house. Our lease for our apartment will be up on April 28, 2013 and as those of you who have purchased a home before know, it takes TIME...and lots of it. We've been looking since the middle of January and it's now the end of February. We've exhausted all of our current options for a home and we've had our ups and downs throughout the process. Well, downs...I suppose if we had an "up" we would have a house. Anyways, needless to say, it's been a stressful couple of months. I WILL keep my head up, no matter what. My passion is cooking, so it definitely relieves me and calms me down. Moving on.

     I'm sure I've told you this before, but one of my favorite things to cook on busy nights are slow cooker recipes. My other favorite thing to cook is a casserole. Casseroles are easy for the same reason as slow cooker recipes. You generally throw it all together and go! They are extremely delicious and most of the time, creamy. I envision creamy foods more appropriate during the winter, but are always good for dinner.

Chicken Green Bean Casserole

Yield: 4-6 servings

1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken or Turkey

1 Tbsp. butter

1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 small  boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 (28 oz.) can green beans, undrained

1 small onion, chopped

1/4 cup flour

1 (10.5 oz.) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare stuffing as directed on package.

In a large non-stick skillet, melt butter and stir fry chicken, season with pepper and fry for approximately 5 minutes per side. Once thoroughly cooked, remove and place in an 8"X8" greased baking dish. Add vegetable oil and saute' onion until translucent, then add green beans and flour. Once flour is combined, add cream of chicken. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for approximately one minute with constant stirring. Pour green bean mixture over reserved chicken. Top with the prepared stuffing mix. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 263.8

• Total Fat: 7.2 g
• Cholesterol: 34.4 mg
• Sodium: 1,180.1 mg
• Total Carbs: 27.1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.0 g
• Protein: 14.0 g