Category Archives: Easy

December 4, 2010 · 8:53 pm

Roasted Herbed Potatoes

These are pretty easy and super yummy…

Ingredients:
1/8 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine oil, garlic, basil, marjoram, dill weed, thyme, oregano, parsley, red pepper flakes, and salt. Stir in potatoes until evenly coated. Place potatoes in a single layer on a roasting pan or baking sheet.

Roast for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, turning occasionally to brown on all sides.

Did I change anything? I left out the dill…not a huge dill fan.

What did the family think? Hubby and I loved them. Our oldest is sick and didn’t eat dinner, but he would have really liked them and our youngest acted like he was going to die if he had to eat them.

from allrecipes.com

Leave a Comment

Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Side Dish, Vegetarian

December 2, 2010 · 11:13 am

Cinnamon Baked French Toast

The only thing tricky about this recipe is that you have to plan ahead a little bit. If you plan on eating it for breakfast, do the prep work at night. If you are going to have breakfast for dinner, do the prep work in the morning.

Ingredients:
Butter or Cooking Spray
1 loaf Crusty Sourdough Or French Bread
8 whole Eggs
2 cups Half and Half
¾ cups Sugar
2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract

Instructions:
Grease 9 x 13-inch baking pan with butter. Tear bread into chunks (or cut into cubes) and evenly distribute in the pan.

Mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla. Pour evenly over bread. Cover tightly and store in the fridge several hours or overnight.

When you’re ready to bake the casserole, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture. Bake 1 hour or more for a firmer, less liquid texture.

Scoop out individual portions. Top with butter and drizzle with maple syrup.

We had this with scrambled eggs and sausages for dinner.

What did the family think? They thought it was super duper yummy because it is and it makes your house smell fantastic.

from thepioneerwoman.com

Leave a Comment

Filed under Bread, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Lent, Make Ahead of Time, Six Ingredients or Less, Vegetarian

December 1, 2010 · 10:44 am

Crockpot Salsa Verde Chicken

Since MommaCook’s was put on a temporary hiatus, I got this wonderful recipe suggestion from one of my dearest friends, Christie. She made this recipe up all by herself. Easy Crockpot recipes are great when your kitchen is in total disrepair. 🙂

Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken breasts (shred when done cooking)
1 can chicken broth
1 jar salsa verde
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 pinches red pepper flakes
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
2 cups frozen corn
1 small package frozen spinach
Crushed tortilla chips
Shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:
Put chicken, chicken broth, salsa verde, black beans, red pepper flakes, cumin and chili powder in CrockPot.

Cook on high for three hours. Add spinach and corn and cook for an additional hour.

Serve in bowls topped with crushed tortilla chips and cheddar cheese.

Did I change anything? I didn’t use the corn…hubby isn’t a big fan of corn in Mexican food. Also, due to time constraints, I added the spinach at the beginning of the cooking which worked out fine, but it definitely looked like overcooked spinach. I also defrosted the spinach before I put it in the Crockpot which might have been part of the problem.

What did the family think? The boys ate it, but were a bit turned off by the color of my overcooked spinach. Hubby and I liked it though.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Chicken, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Make Ahead of Time, Mexican, Super Easy to Make

November 30, 2010 · 7:56 am

Stew and Rice

I told you my recipes were going to be easy this week. I saw this on a commercial on TV. I am not sure which brand of soup they were advertising, but I have a feeling it’s not the one I bought. If I am going to buy soup in a can, I need to be able to read and identify the ingredients on the label.

Ingredients:
Two cans of any thick, stew-like soup or leftover stew from a previous meal
Rice or couscous

Instructions:
Cook rice/couscous according to package directions.

Heat stew.

Serve rice in bowls and pour stew over the top.

What did the family think? Everyone ate it but our oldest. I think all he ate was the rice.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Easy, Six Ingredients or Less, Stew/Soup, Super Easy to Make

November 28, 2010 · 9:00 pm

White Bean, Rosemary and Pancetta Pizza

Our kitchen is still a disaster, but the walls and floors have dried out, so I may have my kitchen back for a while before they start the reconstruction process. We just got back in town tonight after a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with family. This was a quick and easy dinner. These would also make a great appetizer if you cut them into smaller pieces.

Ingredients:
4 ounces pancetta, cut into 1-inch-by-1/4-inch strips
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Two 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Salt
4 pocketless pita or naan
6 ounces thinly sliced Fontina cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven with a pizza stone to 450°.

In a skillet, cook the pancetta in 2 tablespoons of oil over moderate heat, until crisp; transfer to a plate. Add the garlic, rosemary and crushed pepper to the skillet and cook for 20 seconds.

Mash in the beans. Stir in the pancetta; season with salt. Brush the flatbreads with oil and spread with the bean mixture. Top with the cheese.

Bake the flatbreads until the cheese is bubbling, 7 minutes; transfer to plates and serve.

We had this with a salad and some Wolfgang Puck Lentil Soup from a can. I think next time I would switch out the lentil soup for some tomato basil soup.

What did the family think? I used naan for these and it was great because they were like little pizzas. Our oldest and I really liked these. Hubby wasn’t impressed and neither was our youngest.

from foodandwine.com

Leave a Comment

Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Italian, Super Easy to Make

November 22, 2010 · 11:53 pm

CrockPot Autumn Sausage Casserole

This is like autumn in a bowl. It’s so good and makes your house smell fantastic!

Ingredients:

1 pound sausage
1 large, or 2 small apples, chopped (no need to peel)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrots
3 cups already cooked long-grain rice
1/2 cup raisins
1 T dried parsley flakes
1 T brown sugar
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup chicken broth or water

Instructions:
If you are going to use uncooked pork sausage, I’d recommend browning on the stove top, and draining before adding to the crockpot.

Otherwise, dump all the ingredients into the crock, and stir well.

Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours, or on high for 3-4. You’re really only heating through, and allowing the vegetables to soften.

This will not stick together like a gloppy casserole; it has the consistency of fried rice. Use bowls to serve rather than plates.

The amount of ingredients fit nicely in a 4 quart crockpot. I’d say this comfortably feeds a family of 4-5 with a bit of leftovers. If you have a large family or teenagers, add more rice and sausage. It’s a pretty easy recipe to adapt to your needs.

What did the family think? This is SO delicious! Hubby and I couldn’t get enough of this. The boys liked the sausage…they aren’t big rice fans.

from crockpot365.blogspot.com

3 Comments

Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Super Easy to Make

November 19, 2010 · 6:00 pm

BBQ Pulled Pork and Coleslaw Panini

Yep, we went back to the panini place today to savor some of their delectable creations. This would be great if you have some leftover pulled pork or some leftover BBQ chicken.

Ingredients:
Italian Sandwich Bread
BBQ Pulled Pork
Cole Slaw

Instructions:
Make a sandwich out of the above ingredients. If you have a panini maker, use it. If not, heat a skillet over medium low heat and spray with cooking spray. Place sandwich in skillet and put a heavy skillet on top of it for a few minutes. Flip the sandwich over, place the skillet on top of it again and cook for a few minutes on that side.

What did the family think? I was the only one who had it, but it was good. The addition of the cole slaw reminded me of one of my favorite sandwiches at Jack Stack BBQ in Kansas City.

1 Comment

Filed under Chicken, Easy, Pork, Sandwich, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make

November 18, 2010 · 9:34 pm

Turkey, Cranberry and Havarti Panini

A great lady who I used to teach with had the fantastic idea that I review restaurants since I can’t really cook in my kitchen right now. This is the sandwich I ate tonight at our newest favorite restaurant. I didn’t make it, but it’s pretty straight forward, and would be a great way to use up all of those Thanksgiving leftovers.

Ingredients:
Italian Sandwich Bread
Havarti Cheese
Cranberry Sauce
Turkey

Instructions:
Make a sandwich out of the above ingredients. If you have a panini maker, use it. If not, heat a skillet over medium low heat and spray with cooking spray. Place sandwich in skillet and put a heavy skillet on top of it for a few minutes. Flip the sandwich over, place the skillet on top of it again and cook for a few minutes on that side.

What did the family think? I was the only one who had this and it was really good. My only bit of advice is to go easy on the cranberry sauce or you will have a very soggy sandwich. I had this with a cup of Thanksgiving soup which had turkey, green beans, sweet potatoes, some tasty broth, some parsley and some tasty croutons on top.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Easy, Sandwich, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make

November 12, 2010 · 9:57 am

Sausage, Red Beans and Rice

Hubby took one bite of this and said, “I hope you’re going to blog about this.”

Ingredients:
1 cup long grain white rice
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pkg (14 oz) smoked sausage
1 can red beans
Creole Seasoning

Instructions:
Cook rice according to package directions.

Meanwhile, drain and rinse the beans and cut the sausage into coins.

Add olive oil to skillet and cook sausage over medium-high heat. Sprinkle sausage lightly with Creole seasoning. You can always add more spice later, but it’s best to start on the safe side.

Cook sausage for about seven minutes, making sure to stir sausages so that they cook on both sides. Add rinsed beans and heat through.

Serve rice with beans and sausage.

What did the family think? Hubby and I LOVED it. So good. Our youngest ate the sausage and our oldest insisted it was much too spicy. Hubby also added quite a bit more of the Creole seasoning to his bowl.

from kevinandamanda.com

Leave a Comment

Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Pork, Six Ingredients or Less, Spicy

November 7, 2010 · 8:36 pm

Parmesan Sole

Hubby likes to have fish at least two times a week. Usually it’s salmon, but today I decided to try something else.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. lean fish fillets
2 T olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Heat oven to 450 F.

Place oil in 13X9 inch baking pan. Heat pan in oven for 5 minutes.

Place fish in pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 5 minutes; turn fish over. Sprinkle with lemon juice and white wine. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Bake until fish flakes easily at thickest part, about 5 minutes.

We had this with green beans, grapes, a baguette and apple cranberry pie.

What did the family think? It was a nice change of pace from salmon. I like salmon as much as the next person, but…

from sparkrecipes.com

Leave a Comment

Filed under Easy, Fish, Lent