Pork and Potato Stew

     I wanted to make some creamy and delicious potato soup. Michael asked me if I was going to put any meat in it or anything, but I didn't have any plans to. I decided to do so, that way he would enjoy it a bit more. I thought about putting some crispy bacon in it to add some savory salty goodness, but I didn't have any on hand. (I know, I know. I don't keep bacon on hand.) Anyways, I did have pork. Soooo, I just cut up a piece of pork into bite-size pieces and it worked just fine. This would definitely be delicious with bacon, what isn't!? This soup is definitely hearty for dinner, but isn't so heavy you can't enjoy it for lunch the next day (which would be fabulous!)
 
     I did end up adding a few tablespoons of cornstarch with water to make this a bit thicker, because I did want a stew, more than I did a soup. Either way, it is delicious.

Potato-Pork Stew
Yields: 4 servings

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

5 garlic cloves, minced

½ lb. pork, cubed

1-1½ lbs. potatoes, cubed

1 medium carrot, julienned

1 (14.5 oz.) can of diced tomatoes, undrained

½ tsp. ground cumin

1 tbsp. paprika

2 bouillon cubes (chicken, beef, vegetable)

3 cups water

 

In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion and sauté until translucent.

 

Add the garlic and stir continuously for 30 seconds, then add the pork and allow to brown a bit before stirring.

 

Allow the pork to brown on all sides before adding the potatoes and carrots. Once the potatoes and carrots have been added, allow them to cook for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 

 

Next, add the cumin, paprika, and bouillon.

 

Stir for 30 seconds and add the tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil and cover. Reduce to a low heat and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender. If you like your soup a bit thicker, you may need to add a bit of cornstarch dissolved in water

 

 

 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 375.9 
• Total Fat: 12.1 g    
• Cholesterol: 44.8 mg
• Sodium: 668.6 mg
• Total Carbs: 44.4 g
• Dietary Fiber: 8.2 g
• Protein: 22.0 g

Pumpkin Oat Cookies!

     Who else is ready for fall?! I KNOW I am. I've already got decorations going up, a fall-inspired candle (Sugared Pecan) flickering in the background and pumpkins GALORE! Okay, I haven't actually bought a pumpkin yet, but I DO have canned pumpkin ready and willing to go into anything! I know, I know, I seem a bit crazy over fall, but I wait an entire year for it! There's something about the fall and winter months that makes me so incredibly happy. I guess that's when all of the best memories are made. Around Thanksgiving and Christmas, tons of time is spent with loved ones, not to mention decorations are flowing non-stop! Michael and I are already trying to determine what our Halloween costumes are going to be this year. We are thinking of doing a "couple" themed costume (Beauty & The Beast, Darth Vader and Queen Amidala, etc.); any suggestions?
 
     On to the recipe, these cookies are SO delicious! They do not contain any butter or oil, so you could almost make them a fat-free cookie, but then it isn't very decadent. Anyways, I used a mixture of white and semisweet chocolate chips and a mixture of dried cranberries and dried raisins for my cookies. They are absolutely delicious. The pumpkin keeps them moist and chewy, without making them too dense. The chocolate chips and dried fruit add a hint of sweetness in every bite. All in all, I'd say these cookies are a winner.

*You will definitely need to remember to flatten these cookies to a shape and size you prefer. Because there is no butter or oil in this recipe, the cookies will not spread when baking, so flattening is a must! Also, the leavening agents don't have anything to react to, so there won't be much rising. It does, however, make the cookies puff up ever so slightly and I'd miss it if it weren't there!

 

 

PUMPKIN OAT COOKIES

Yields: 13 cookies

1 egg

½ c. pumpkin puree

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ c. chocolate chips

¼ c. dried fruit

¾ c. all-purpose flour

1 ¼ c. oats

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

¼ c. dark brown sugar, packed

¼ c. granulated sugar

 

 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350F. In a small bowl, combine the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin until blended.

 

In a larger bowl, combine the remaining ingredients until mixed thoroughly.

 

Add the dry mixture all at once to the wet and fold to combine. Avoid over mixing by mixing only until all dry ingredients are moistened.

 

Using a spoon, place the cookie dough on the baking sheet.

 

You will need to flatten them or shape them how you want them and bake for 13 minutes. Allow to cool completely on the baking sheet and transfer to an airtight container.

 

 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 13
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 117.6 
• Total Fat: 3.5 g    
• Cholesterol: 14.2 mg
• Sodium: 63.7 mg
• Total Carbs: 21.3 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.3 g
• Protein: 1.7 g

Chicken Alfredo Fakeout!

I remember one time when I went to Olive Garden one time and ordered the Fettuccine Alfredo. I probably won't EVER do that again. Come to think of it, I don't know if I really enjoyed the flavor of it all that much. It was very heavy, but the flavors didn't linger on my tongue like most rich and creamy sauces would. This creamy sauce coats the pasta so well, I'd say it may be better than Olive Garden's! (; This is my version of a light Chicken Alfredo that tastes, in my opinion, better than Olive Garden's!

Chicken Alfredo Fakeout!

Yields: 3 servings

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

12 oz boneless skinless chicken breast

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tbsp. onion, finely chopped

2 c. chicken stock, sodium-free

1½ tbsp. butter, unsalted

1 oz. cream cheese, softened

½ c. all- purpose flour

½ tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp ground thyme

Between two pieces of plastic wrap, pound the chicken breast to approximately ½" thick. (I cut mine in half) In a shallow dish, combine the flour, pepper, salt, and thyme until blended. Coat the chicken thoroughly in the flour. In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook on each side approximately 4 minutes, or until cooked through. Once fully cooked, remove from skillet and set aside. 

Add the butter, and using a wooden spoon, begin deglazing the pan with the melted butter. At this point, the butter should be brown and have a nutty fragrance. Add the onions and saute for 2 minutes, or until softened. 

Add the garlic and stir while cooking for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Next, add the flour to make the roux. Stir the flour and butter continuously until a golden brown color occurs.

 Add the milk and stir continuously. The mixture will begin to create lumps, this is normal.

 Add the chicken stock slowly, while continuing to stir.

 Allow to come to a boil and stir often. Once all the chicken stock is incorporated, remove from the heat and stir in the cream cheese.

 Stir for approximately 2 minutes, or until there are no lumps. Add the chicken back in and heat for about 4-5 minutes, just to warm through.

Serve over pasta and enjoy!

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 3
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 219.7

• Total Fat: 10.1 g
• Cholesterol: 90.9 mg
• Sodium: 667.6 mg
• Total Carbs: 8.1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.5 g
• Protein: 25.4 g

Swedish Meatballs, yummy!

There isn't much to say about these Swedish meatballs, other than delicious! While hand forming tiny meatballs takes a bit of time, they are SO good. They are lower in fat than meatballs fried in a skillet, because they are baked in the oven, but still get the crispy exterior that everyone loves! Trust me, these are better than Ikea's! *No horse meat jokes* I do want to recommend that  you mix all the ingredients before you add the ground beef. Because the beef is so lean, you'll want to mix the ingredients until they are just combined. Otherwise, the meatballs will become a bit tough and chewy, not fluffy little pillows!

Swedish Meatballs

Yields: 8 servings

2 lbs. lean ground beef

3 c. panko

1½ c. skim milk, divided

2 eggs

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ tsp. ground allspice

3 tbsp. butter, unsalted

⅓ c. flour

3 c. beef stock

salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 475 F. In a large bowl, combine ½ c. milk, eggs, garlic, salt, pepper, and allspice.

           

  Since the meat has not been added, feel free to mix this to your heart's content. Once well blended, add the panko and beef and combine only until blended. 

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and using a 1-inch cookie scoop, form the mixture into meatballs. 

(I got 48.) You may need two baking sheets, and bake until brown and crispy. This should take approximately 10 minutes, and rotate the sheets if using two.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.

 Add the flour, continuously whisking, to cook out the raw taste. Gradually whisk in the remaining milk and beef broth, bring to a boil.

 Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce has thickened, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, add the meatballs to a bowl with the sauce, toss to combine. Serve over egg noodles and enjoy! 

Carolina Strawberry Muffins!

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." in the strawberry world, anyway. It's that time of year again where everyone buys 4 or 5 gallons of fresh, ripe strawberries and not enough recipes to use them in. Soon enough, everyone will be up to their eyeballs in frozen strawberries, jams, tarts, muffins, and SO much more. So, what do you do when your strawberries are past their prime? Use them any way you can. I think this recipe is a good recipe for muffins to take for breakfast, as they aren't too sweet, but still lend the sweet strawberry flavor that we all know and love. 


Carolina Strawberry Muffins
Yield: 12 muffins

1½ c. strawberries, chopped
½ c. granulated sugar, divided
¼ c. butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1¾ c. all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
⅛ c. skim milk

In a small bowl, combine the half of the sugar with the strawberries and set aside for one hour. This will give the strawberries time to macerate and create syrupy goodness!

After one hour, separate the liquid from the strawberries and reserve for later use. 

Preheat oven to 425F and line a muffin tin with paper liners. In a medium bowl, cream together the softened butter and remaining sugar until light, fluffy, and well combined. 

Beat in the eggs one at a time until well combined.

 Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in a separate bowl.

 Add half of the flour mixture, combine well. Next, add the strawberry juice and combine. Add the remainder of the flour, combine well, then add the milk. The mixture should be a bit thick, but still easy to stir. 

Fold in the strawberries gently.

 Spoon into the prepared muffin tin. Bake for 16-18 minutes. Allow to cool in the muffin tin on a wire rack. 

Twice Baked Potatoes!

     That's right. Twice Baked Potatoes. One of the easiest side dishes and strangest, in my opinion. I mean, seriously, who thinks of this stuff? Cook a potato, gut it, make it mashed potatoes flavored with whatever you want, put it BACK into the potato skin, cook it some more. It is definitely delicious, but a mystery. Twice baked potatoes are something that's very easy to put together, tastes great, and require little effort. How much easier could it get?! It also tastes great during the summer alongside a perfectly cooked steak!

There are MANY variations of this recipe, and it can be changed to fit anyone's taste, but this is a simple, basic recipe that is still a crowd pleaser!

Twice Baked Potato
Yields: 4 servings

2 medium russet potatoes
2 1/2 tbsp. butter, unsalted
1 tbsp. dried minced onion
1/4 c. sour cream

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 168.6

• Total Fat: 9.1 g
• Cholesterol: 25.3 mg
• Sodium: 15.8 mg
• Total Carbs: 20.0 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.9 g
• Protein: 2.8 g

Honey Glazed Chicken!

     Okay. Unfortunately, I would call this...mediocre. The ONLY reason I'm posting it is for the sauce. The flavors don't permeate the chicken very well. Sounds cheesy, I know, but it's true. When I made this, I was hoping to create something that had a thick and delicious glaze on it, but it seemed to just sit in the sauce. 
     It needed help. Here's what I recommend: Make the sauce, it's fabulous on it's own. Once it's simmering, make yourself a slurry (2 tsp. of cornstarch and 2 tsp. of water in a small bowl). Add the slurry to the liquid-y sauce and bring it to a boil. It will thicken a bit and THEN, ONLY THEN, should it be put on the chicken. Don't waste your time basting it, for this recipe it does no good.
     By all means, I'm not saying this isn't tasty, but I don't think I did it justice by trying to cook the chicken in the sauce. But, hey, that's one of the reasons I have a passion for cooking- experimentation and creativity. (Not to mention, you and everyone else gets to enjoy the food!) 

Honey Glazed Chicken Breast
Yields: 2 servings

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
¼ c. honey
3 tbsp. dark brown sugar, packed
3 tbsp. vinegar
2 tsp. low sodium soy sauce
½ c. flour
1 tsp. ground thyme
1 tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. ground clove
½  tsp. allspice
1 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp.  extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400F. In a small saucepan, combine honey, brown sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer over medium heat (small bubbles form at the outer edge of the pan). 

Once simmering, remove from heat and set aside. In a plastic bag, combine the flour, thyme, pepper, clove, and allspice. 

Coat the chicken in the mixture. 

In a small baking dish, combine the butter and oil. 

Add the chicken pieces; be sure to coat the floured chicken well with the butter and oil. 

Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from oven and pour the honey mixture over the chicken. 

Put the chicken back in the oven for 10-15 additional minutes, basting occasionally. 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 2
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 547.7

• Total Fat: 15.0 g
• Cholesterol: 145.5 mg
• Sodium: 801.9 mg
• Total Carbs: 59.4 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.8 g
• Protein: 48.5 g