RECIPES – Page 32 – Chasing MY Life WHEREVER it Leads ME

COPY CAT GRAMS BEEF & NOODLES

My Grandma made the BEST beef and noodles, a favorite of mine for Sunday dinners. It is the PERFECT comfort food, especially with the double carbs 😀 This recipe is the closest I’ve come to making it without it taking ALL day like hers did.

COPY CAT GRAMS BEEF & NOODLES

2 pounds stew meat, cut into bite sized pieces
FRESH ground sea salt & black pepper
1 can Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup + 2 cups water or beef bone broth
1 packet McCormick brown gravy mix
1 envelope LIPTON beefy onion soup mix
1 sweet Vidalia onion, halved & sliced
8 ounces sliced mushrooms

Whisk together the soup, water or bone broth, gravy mix and onion soup mix.
GENEROUSLY salt and pepper beef pieces with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
Stir in beef pieces and onion slices, tossing to coat.
Spread into a 13 x 9 baking dish and cover. I like to use my enameled cast iron.
Bake at 300° for 3 hours with absolutely NO peeking! It will be worth it because the meat will be super tender and delicious!
Just before serving prepare egg noodles per package directions. Drain and fold into sauce.
Serve over mashed potatoes.

NOTE: For a bit of a change you can change the soup flavor with the same results. I particularly like cream of celery or cream of potato.

HARISSA CARROTS & ONIONS

HARISSA CARROTS & ONIONS adapted from Molly Yeh

2 pounds medium rainbow carrots, halved lengthwise
2 LARGE shallots, cut lengthwise into wedges
1/4 cup avocado oil for drizzling
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 +/- tablespoon Harissa paste (recipe below)
2 cloves garlic, FINELY minced
Zest of 1 LARGE lemon

Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium heat. (see notes)
Put the carrots and onions in a large bowl and drizzle with avocado oil.
Sprinkle with salt and toss to coat.
Place the carrots on the grill and cook, flipping halfway through, until fork-tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the avocado oil, harissa paste, garlic, lemon juice and black pepper in a small bowl.
When the carrots are almost cooked, brush with the harissa glaze.
Remove from the grill and transfer to a serving plate, then drizzle with additional harissa glaze.
Serve and enjoy!

NOTES:

You can alternatively roast the carrots in the oven by preheating the oven to 425° and lining a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Once the carrots and onions are salted, spread on a sheet pan and roast, tossing occasionally, until a fork pokes easily into the thickest part of the carrot; begin checking for doneness at 20 minutes for skinny carrots but for big thick carrots it could take up to 45 minutes.
Brush the carrots with the harissa glaze during the last 10 minutes of cooking. You can then continue to the next step in the same manner as in the grilling recipe.
If using the oven you can also slice the carrots.

HARRISA PASTE
Use this North African spice blend to add heat to dressings, sauces, soups, and more!

1 tablespoon +/- Harissa spice blend, depending on desired spiciness
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon QUALITY tomato paste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup avocado oil

Whisk spice blend into lemon juice and vinegar until you’ve achieved a paste.
Whisk in the tomato paste.
Stir in garlic.
Season to taste with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
Adjust flavor as needed, adding more lemon juice or vinegar for acidity, paprika for smokiness, tomato paste for depth of flavor, or salt to taste.
Add paste to a jar. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

PICKLED BEETS

PICKLED BEETS
Quick pickling is just that, QUICK! It eliminates the need for a long canning process. All you do is pour a simple brine over the cooked beets and let them chill in the refrigerator. They are perfect for salads, but just as good straight from the jar! They’ll keep 6 weeks in the refrigerator.

You can prepare the beets any way you prefer before the pickling, but I prefer boiling them on the stove top. That way while they’re cooling I also use the same pan to make the brine pickling liquid while they cool.

3 – 3 1/2 pounds red or golden beets

QUICK PICKLED BEETS yields 2 quarts
Sliced or chopped cooked beets
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Slice or chop the prepared beets to your desired size – I usually chop into 1″ cubes.
Add them to a mason jar and set them aside while you make the brine.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the water, vinegar, sugar, salt, allspice and peppercorns.
Bring mixture to a boil and cook until sugar and salt are dissolved.
Pour the brine (straining out the peppercorns if desired) over the beets, making sure to cover them completely.
Let cool to room temperature.
Seal the jar/container and place it in the fridge to chill. You will be able to taste the pickling in a very short time, but beets are best after 24-48 hours.

BOILED BEETS

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Trim and scrub the beets, removing any greens.
Add the beets to the boiling water and cook for 30 minutes, or until completely tender. A paring knife should slide in and out of the beets easily.
Beets vary greatly in size and because they are a very dense root vegetable, size will definitely determine how long you need to cook them.
Transfer the beets to a bowl of ice water.
Peel away the skins with your fingers which will be super simple if you’ve cooked and cooled them perfect.
Cut or slice as desired.

ROAST BEETS

Trim and scrub the beets, removing any greens.
Drizzle with avocado oil (has avocado oil neutral flavor) and wrap in foil.
Bake on a baking sheet at 400° for 45 minutes, or until completely tender.
Allow to sit for 10 minutes or so, then peel away the skin and cut or slice as desired.

MUSHY PEA RICOTTA STUFFED SHELLS

MUSHY PEA RICOTTA STUFFED SHELLS

These mushy pea and ricotta stuffed shells are a TRUE comfort food for a crisp fall evening!

18 to 20 JUMBO shells
1-2 tablespoons avocado oil
3/4 cup mushy peas – from leftovers preferably
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese + extra for garnish
2 LARGE garlic cloves, minced
1/2 pound QUALITY sweet Italian sausage
1/2 pound LEAN ground beef
3-4 green onions, sliced thin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon sea salt, more for the pasta water
FRESH ground sea salt & black pepper, to taste
2 cups homemade tomato marinara sauce (you can use jarred sauce, but we prefer homemade from the garden)

Preheat the oven to 425°.
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta shells for 10 minutes, until al dente. Drain and drizzle with a little avocado oil to keep them from sticking together.
Brown sweet Italian sausage, ground beef and green onions until meat is cooked through and crumbly. Drain off grease well!
In a large bowl, combine the mushy peas with the ricotta, pecorino, garlic, oregano, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, salt, FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
Spread the marinara in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
Stuff each shell with the filling and place in the dish.
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Uncover and bake 5 minutes more until cheese is browned and bubbly.
Serve with more marinara on the side.

NOTE: This recipe freezes well for an easy weeknight meal!

After assembling the shells in the baking dish, cover tightly and freeze.
To thaw, transfer the dish to the fridge about 10 hours before you plan to serve it.
Remove from the fridge and let sit at room temp while the oven preheats.
Bake, covered, for 30 minutes, or until thawed and warmed through.

NO BAKE CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL BARS

NO BAKE CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL BARS
1 cup butter
½ cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/4 cups rolled oats
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips
¾ cup chunky peanut butter

Line a 8-inch-by-8-inch baking dish with parchment paper, and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar and vanilla extract over low heat until the butter has melted and the sugar has completely dissolved.
Add the oats, cinnamon and kosher salt, cooking and stirring constantly for 4-5 minutes.
Pour half of the oat mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Spread out the mixture evenly, pressing down.
In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and the peanut butter. Heat on high in the microwave, in increments of 30 seconds, stirring in between each increment, until melted and fully combined.
Pour MOST of the chocolate mixture into the pan over the pressed oats, reserving about ¼ cup for drizzling.
Top with the remaining oats and drizzle with the remaining ¼ cup chocolate mixture.
Refrigerate AT LEAST 4 hours, but preferably overnight until set.

HEARTY TUNA CASSEROLE

HEARTY TUNA CASSEROLE
CASSEROLE
3 cups cooked and cooled egg noodles
1 can Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup WHOLE milk
1/3 cup FINELY grated white cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons Duke’s hint of lime mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Coleman’s dry mustard (optional)
8 ounce can petite baby peas, drained well
8 ounces sliced mushrooms, lightly sauteed.
1/4 cup chopped roasted sweet red pepper or pimientos, drained
2 cans white tuna, drained well

Preheat oven 400°.
In a large bowl combine the soup, milk, mayonnaise and mustard if using.
Stir in drained tuna and red pepper.
Fold in noodles, cheese, peas and sauteed mushrooms.
Transfer to a greased 8×8 baking dish.

TOPPING
1/4 cup Panko crumbs
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon paprika
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper

Combine topping ingredients until well blended.
Sprinkle over casserole.
Baked uncovered 30 minutes until bubbly.

NOTE – Crushed potato chips (I like sea salt and vinegar) make a great alternate topping.

STONE FRUIT TOMATO SALAD

STONE FRUIT TOMATO SALAD serves 6-8

DRESSING
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon avocado oil
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar and oil.
Season to taste with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper. Set aside.

SALAD
2 peaches, chopped
3 plums, chopped
1 1/4 cups halved grape tomatoes
1 cup halved cherries
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup FRESH chopped parsley
3 LARGE green onions, sliced thin

In a large bowl toss together everything above.
Drizzle with dressing, tossing to coat well.
Let stand 5 minutes.

RUSTIC TOMATO TART

RUSTIC TOMATO TART
1/2 package Pillsbury pie crust or homemade
1 tablespoon avocado oil
2 tablespoons tomato or basil pesto
3/4 cup shredded Havarti cheese
1-2 LARGE heirloom tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch slices
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon FRESH thyme leaves
1-2 green onions, sliced thin

Preheat oven to 400°.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll out pie dough and shape into baking sheet dimensions creating an edge.
Brush with oil and pesto of choice.
Sprinkle 2/3 of the cheese onto the crust.
Arrange tomato slices over the cheese.
Season with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
Top with remaining cheese.
Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes.
Garnish and serve.

CRACK CHICKEN CASSEROLE

One of my grandmothers used to say there were two ways to things – Her way or the wrong way. This “attitude” became a family “sore” spot a good deal of the time as there are always multiple ways to reach the same end results. For me it always seemed to resonate with recipes… LOL fast forward to this recipe and she was in my head about the best way to write this up.

There really are two ways to make this, the short way and the LONG way, which is my preferred method because I find it the most flavorful is to make the chicken in the slow cooker the day before you want to assemble the casserole.

Not much to look at, but SUPER delicious!

CRACK CHICKEN CASSEROLE (the short way)
8 slices thick cut bacon cooked crispy and crumbled
4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (or crock pot crack chicken)
2 cups dried egg noodles, cooked per directions on box and drained
1 package dry ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup red or orange pepper, diced
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
1/2 cup Darigold Mexican sour cream
8 ounces cream cheese, softened (omit if using crock pot crack chicken)
1/3 cup Duke’s mayonnaise
1 1/2 cup corn chex, crushed
1/4 cup butter melted
2-3 green onions thinly sliced for garnish, optional

Preheat the oven to 350°.
Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.
In a large bowl combine the bacon, chicken, cooked noodles, ranch seasoning, onion, red pepper, cream cheese, 1 cup of the cheddar, sour cream and mayonnaise until well blended.
Spread into the baking dish.
Top with the remaining cheddar.
In a small bowl mix together the corn chex with the butter and top the casserole with this mixture.
Bake for 40-50 minutes until bubbly.
Let cool slightly, garnish with optional green onions and serve.

CROCK POT CRACK CHICKEN
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders
1 package ranch dressing package mix
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar or cheese flavor of choice – Nacho, sharp, Vampire Slayer, etc…

Add chicken to crock pot in a single layer if possible.
Sprinkle with ranch dressing powder.
Place cream cheese block as a whole on top.
Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours.
Remove cover and shred chicken while stirring in cream cheese at the same time.
Add cheese and stir to mix.
Serve on buns, croissants, tortillas, in the above casserole or use it to make tacos next Taco Tuesday!

ZING ZANG BLOODY MARY BEEF TIPS

ZING ZANG BLOODY MARY BEEF TIPS
MARINADE
1 cup ZING ZANG Bloody Mary mix
2 tablespoons Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons pepperoncini juice
1 teaspoon celery salt
2 pounds beef tips

Whisk together the 3/4 cup of the Bloody Mary mix, 1 tablespoon of the Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon of the pepperoncini juice and celery salt.
Add beef, turning to coat.
Marinade beef tips 4-5 hours in refrigerator, turning occasionally.

ASSEMBLY
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons WONDRA flour
1 tablespoon avocado oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 SMALL Vidalia onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, diced
1/2 cups matchstick carrots
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 tablespoons QUALITY tomato paste
1 cup homemade beef bone broth
4-6 pepperoncinis

Add oil to enameled cast iron saute pan over medium high heat.
Drain beef tips of marinade. Discard marinade.
Add flour to a large ziploc bag.
Generously season flour with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
Add drained beef to ziploc bag, shaking to coat pieces well with seasoned flour.
Shake off excess flour and add beef pieces to hot oil, searing all sides.
Remove beef from pan.
Add butter to melt.
Add celery, onions and carrots, sauteing until soft.
Add broth to pan, stirring to loosen any bits from the bottom.
Whisk in tomato paste, remaining Bloody Mary mix, remaining Worcestershire sauce and remaining pepperoncini juice.
Season to taste.
Add garlic and pepperoncinis to pan.
Return meat to pan, turning to coat.
Simmer 35-40 minutes.
Serve over noodles or mashed potatoes.

NOTE: Any heavy pan will work, but I prefer an enameled cast iron for its even cooking.

ASPARAGUS POCKETS

ASPARAGUS POCKETS

2 pounds thin baby asparagus, cut about 4 inches from the top
1/2 pound diced prosciutto
6 slices of smoked Gouda cheese
2 Sheets Puff Pastry Dough or pie crust
1 LARGE egg
2 tablespoons chopped FRESH Thyme
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper

Roll out dough.
Cut dough into 6 rectangles and brush with egg wash.
Cut 5-7 asparagus in half and lay evenly in the center of each pastry dough rectangle. Leave about a 1/4 inch of dough on each side.
Fold 2 slices of prosciutto into a fan and place on top of the asparagus.
Place 1 slice of smoked Gouda on top of the the asparagus and prosciutto.
Flip the bottom of pastry dough to cover the bottom half of the asparagus, and to create a pocket.
Pinch the edges.
Brush the whole pocket with egg wash and sprinkle with pepper.
Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

ENGLISH STYLE BAKED POTATOES

Hubby has been complaining for quite some time now that baked potatoes just don’t taste the same anymore. Then the other day I ran across an article that while I knew was probably click bait, I had to check it out anyway. And I’m glad I did. I did pick and choose the parts that appealed to me the most. You can read the whole article here.

The article states that “English Jacket Potatoes Are the Best Baked Potatoes”! And they are correct! I just love the name “Jacket Potatoes”, it’s just so British. I believe this recipe has come the closest to reviving what we were looking for in a baked potato – a crispy outside with a tender fluffy inside.

The article lists 4 specific keys to achieving the perfect baked potato. Turns out that it isn’t difficult at all to make that perfect potato.

1) Slice a BIG X 1/4 inch deep in the potato. Typically here in America we poke a few holes in them to allow steam to escape, but the BIG X makes a HUGE difference. I then rub the potatoes with melted butter and coarse flaked salt.

2) Bake them longer than you usually do. 1 1/2-2 hours at 350-400° (depending on potato size) instead of 1 hour at 425°. They won’t burn at this temperature and baking for this long means the skin will be so crisp that it’s practically like a crispy cracker.

3) At the end of baking time, remove potatoes from the oven and cut the X deeper into the potato and slightly push the ends of the potatoes inward to open them up a bit. Return them to the oven for 10 more minutes. This will dry out the inside flesh and fluff it up a bit more.

4) Take the piping hot potatoes from the oven and push open the crisp, perfectly salted skin and garnish with butter, sour cream, chopped chives, shredded cheese, FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper… and whatever else suits your fancy. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!

Category: RECIPES