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Roasted Tomato and Feta Sauce

August 5, 2009 Author: Rachel
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This is so easy and so tasty. It was a really good way to use up some of our fresh garden tomatoes. The feta gives the pasta nice seasoning, so if you omit the feta, be sure to add some more salt
Ingredients:
- 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- Kosher salt, to taste (I used 1/2 tsp.)
- Fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 6 oz. crumbled feta
- 1 c. fresh basil, chiffonade
- 1 lb. pasta
Directions:
1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
2. Toss the tomatoes with the olive oil, garlic, vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste. Spread out on a baking sheet and roast until the tomatoes get juicy, about 15-25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile cook pasta according to package. When pasta is done transfer to a large serving bowl; then add the roasted tomatoes to the pasta as well as the feta and toss. Top with basil.
Roasted Tomato and Feta Sauce:
Southwest Chicken Taco Filling

July 24, 2009 Author: Rachel
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This chicken taco filling is quite good, and it’s made in the crockpot. It’s important to use a flavorful salsa (I used Arriba! Fire Roasted Mexican Chipotle Salsa), and DO NOT use a mild salsa as there just isn’t enough flavor.

After the dish is cooked squeeze some fresh lime juice to give the dish a nice bright flavor, and then adjust the seasoning. Since all salsas are different you may need to add some additional salt.

Next time I think I’ll try adding some ground cumin to the crockpot.

Ingredients:
- 1 bag of frozen corn
- 2 large frozen chicken breasts
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 16 oz. jar of medium salsa
- 1-2 limes, juiced
- salt to taste
- Top tacos with: avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, cheese, sour cream guacamole etc.
Directions:
1. Spray your crock with cooking spray; then add the frozen corn; then add the frozen chicken breasts; then add the black beans; then top with the salsa. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour and then turn to LOW for 4 hours.
2. Shred the chicken and then add the lime juice and salt and any other seasonings you like.
Southwest Chicken Taco Filling:
Pasta Salad

June 20, 2009 Author: Rachel
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My mother-in-law started makes a delicious pasta salad during the summertime, and this is my version. It’s super tasty, and it works well as a main dish or a side dish.

Ingredients:
- 1/8 to 1/4 c. olive oil
- 8 to 10 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
- salt
- 1 lb. pasta
- 1 lb. fresh mozzarella, cubed
- 1/4 c. fresh basil, chiffonade
- 1 c. quartered artichoke hearts
Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package
2. Put the tomatoes in a bowl and add some salt.
3. Heat olive oil in a skillet; then add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes; then add the tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Put pasta in a big bowl, add the tomatoes and garlic with the oil and toss to combine. Then add the cheese, basil, and artichoke hearts and toss again.
Pasta Salad:
Beef BBQ Sandwiches with Slaw

April 17, 2009 Author: Rachel
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Here’s another excellent BBQ beef sandwich cooked in the crockpot. The recipe is from Taste of Home.
Ingredients:
- 1 3 lb. boneless chuck roast
- 1 c. BBQ sauce
- 1/2 c. apricot preserves
- 1/3 c. chopped green or red pepper
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 TBSP dijon mustard
- 2 tsp. brown sugar
- Cole slaw
- Buns
Directions:
1. Spray your crockpot with cooking spray. Cut the roast into quarters, and add the meat to the crock.
2. In a bowl, combine the bbq sauce, preserves, green pepper, onion, mustard, and brown sugar; then pour mixture over roast.
3. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours, or until meat is tender.
4. Remove meat from crock and thinly slice. Serve on buns with slaw.
Beef BBQ Sandwiches with Slaw:
Korean Short Ribs

March 19, 2009 Author: Rachel
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I found this most delicious recipe at Blisstree.com. Heather’s photo is soooo much better than mine, but since I loved the dish so much, I didn’t want to wait until I made it again to try taking a better photo.

Not only is this a crock pot dish, but it is company worthy…yes you heard me right…I would certainly serve this dish to company!

Ingredients:
- 1/2 c. soy sauce
- 1/2 c. packed light brown sugar (you can scale it down to 1/3 c)
- 2 TBSP sesame oil
- 2 TBSP rice vinegar
- 2 TBSP minced fresh ginger (I probably used closer to 1/4 c.–love ginger)
- 4 cloves of crushed garlic
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 2 lbs. boneless beef short ribs or boneless country ribs
- 3 TBSP cornstarch
- 3 TBSP cold water
- Sesame seeds
- Green onion, chopped (we didn’t have any)
- Rice
Directions:
1. Mix soy sauce, sugar, oil, vinegar, ginger, garlic and red pepper in a small bowl. Place ribs in crock pot and then add the sauce.
2. Cook on low for 5 hours or until meat is tender (if you use ribs on the bone, then cook longer). Remove meat and place on platter.
3. Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Turn crock to high and add cornstarch mixture. Bring to boil to allow sauce to thicken.
4. Plate: rice, ribs, sauce, green onions, and sesame seeds
Korean Short Ribs:
Polenta Sausage Bake

March 5, 2009 Author: Rachel
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I had a tube of polenta I wanted to use up, and I also wanted to try something new, since it seems like for the last couple of months I’ve been making mostly family favorites. I came across a recipe that sounded really good to me, so I gave it a whirl, and it was really good, and it also was really good as leftovers. Served with a tossed green salad and a fruit salad, this was a very satisfying and delicious meal.

Adapted from Simply Recipes. Original recipe from Sunset Magazine.

Ingredients:
- 5 1/2 TBSP olive oil
- 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 1 TBSP Italian seasoning
- 1 med yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 medium bell pepper (red, green, orange or yellow), thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. red chili flakes
- 1 lb. Italian turkey sausage (removed from casings), sweet or spicy or Italian spiced ground turkey
- 1 tube (16oz.) prepared polenta, 1/2-inch slices
- 1/2 lb. (8 ounces) fresh mozzarella, 1/4-inch slices
Directions:
1. Heat 3 Tbsp of oil in a 2-3 qt saucepan on medium heat. Add tomatoes and Italian seasoning, simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes, or until thick.
2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Cover the pan, lower the heat to medium, and cook until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage, stirring and breaking it into small pieces as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Cover the pan and cook until vegetables are tender and the sausage is cooked through, about 5-8 more minutes. Add the tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. While veggies and sausage are cooking, preheat broiler, and coat the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking pan with a 1 Tbsp oil. Add the polenta slices to the pan. Coat the top of the polenta with the remaining 1/2 Tbsp oil. Broil the polenta about 4 inches from the heating element until golden brown and crispy, about 10-15 minutes.
4. Pour sauce over broiled polenta, then arrange Mozzarella slices over the top and return the casserole to the broiler. Broil until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.
Polenta Sausage Bake:
BBQ Chicken Sandwiches-Southern Style

February 20, 2009 Author: Rachel
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Whenever I ate bbq sandwiches I always ate them Southern style…that is topped with cole slaw. I didn’t know I loved my sandwiches bbq style until we lived in the south.

I found a recipe over at picky palate that I knew I needed to try. I changed up the slaw recipe to more my liking, but the whole dish is d’lish.

It’s a great summer dinner, you can use leftover chicken, and it’s yummy the second day too.

Make the slaw ahead of time and refrigerate for a few hours…it’s worth the wait!

BBQ Sauce Ingredients:
- 1 ½ c. ketchup
- 3 TBSP Dijon Mustard
- 4 TBSP worstershire sauce
- 2 TBSP seasoned rice wine vinegar
- 1 ½ TBSP lemon juice
- 4 TBSP brown sugar
- 1 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp. honey
- Pinch of salt
- 4 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
- Buns
- Slaw, recipe below
Directions:
1. Combine ketchup through salt in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and stir in shredded chicken. Let simmer.
Cole Slaw Ingredients:
- 16 oz. bag of coleslaw mix
- ½ c. mayonnaise
- 2 TBSP sugar
- 1 TBSP seasoned rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. honey
Directions:
1. Place cabbage into a large bowl. Place mayonnaise, sugar, mustard and honey into a small bowl and mix together. Pour and stir into cabbage until combined. Refrigerate for a few hours.
Assembly:
1. Take a bun, top with shredded chicken, then top with slaw.
BBQ Chicken Sandwiches-Southern Style:
Another Chicken and Dumplings

January 31, 2009 Author: Rachel
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This chicken and dumpling recipe is really tasty. I found a recipe at the Dish on Delish that sounded good, but then adapted it to our tastes, and the end result was really yummy.

Ingredients:
- 3 TBSP butter
- 1 medium onion, large dice
- 4 medium carrots, large dice
- 2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. poultry seasoning
- 1 c. (spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour, divided
- 8-9 c. chicken broth
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, for seasoning, if desired
- 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 tsp. dried dill weed
- 1 3/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 c. plus 2 TBSP milk
- 1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, cooked
Directions:
1. In a Dutch oven, heat butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, thyme, and poultry seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add 1/4 c. flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly; season with salt and pepper. Nestle chicken in pot; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make dumplings: In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining 3/4 cup flour, dill, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. With a fork, gradually stir in 1/2 cup milk to form a moist and soft batter. It should be just a little thicker than pancake batter and should easily drop from the tip of a spoon. (Add additional 2 TBSP milk if too thick.) Set aside.
3. Drop batter in simmering liquid in 10 heaping tablespoonfuls, keeping them spaced apart (dumplings will swell as they cook). Cover, and simmer until chicken is tender and dumplings are firm, 20 minutes. Stir cooked peas into pot. Serve.
Chicken and Dumplings:
Chicken Enchilada Soup

January 22, 2009 Author: Rachel
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This soup is so hearty and so yummy, and both kiddos liked it a lot…major accomplishment! It’s an extremely tasty crock pot meal and it’s so easy…definitely company worthy!

You can leave the chicken out and stir in some leftover chicken just before serving and then continue cooking to heat chicken through.
Ingredients:
- 1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 1/2 c. frozen corn
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 10 oz. can red enchilada sauce
- 1 can low sodium cream of chicken soup
- 2 cups milk (I used 2% because that’s what I had)
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. oregano
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 lb. chicken, cut into bite size pieces
- Tortilla chips
- Lime, quartered
- Shredded cheese
- Chipotle sour cream (sour cream mixed with chopped chipotles)
- Avocado, diced
Directions:
1. Combine black beans through salt in your slow cooker. Mix to combine; then add the chicken.
2. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours.
3. Place some tortilla chips into a bowl and ladle soup on top of the chips, squeeze a lime quarter into each bowl of soup, top with cheese, sour cream and avocado.
Chicken Enchilada Soup:
Huevos Rancheros

January 20, 2009 Author: Rachel
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I just love huevos rancheros. I’ll eat them for any meal, and this recipe is so easy to make!

Ingredients:
- 1 small can (10 oz) of red enchilada sauce
- 1 small can (10 oz) of diced tomatoes with chiles (such as Rotel)
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 c. chopped cilantro, divided
- Tortillas
- Refried beans
- Eggs
Directions:
1. Sauce: combine enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes with chiles, and lime juice in a saucepan. Simmer until ready to serve. Just before serving add 1/4 c. cilantro and mix to combine.
2. Meanwhile, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat, add some butter and cook your eggs. I prefer over easy, but you could certainly use scrambled eggs or any type of eggs you like.
3. Heat refried beans.
4. Assembly: take a tortilla, spread some refried beans on top, add your eggs, ladle sauce over eggs, and sprinkle with cilantro.
Huevos Rancheros: