25 Jul 2013
by sparksfromthekitchen
in Condiment/Topping, Freezer, Seasoning, Thaw/Reheat & Serve
Tags: basil, pistachio
Years ago I remember seeing Alton Brown make a pistachio pesto and it sounded so delicious! I love pistachios and have always kept that in the back of my mind.
So recently I made some. Wow is it delicious!! You really can taste the pistachios but they don’t over-power the basil or parmesan (and if you’re a regular reader you know how I love my parmesan. Hell, if this is the first time you’re ever reading this let it be known-I love parmesan) I made quite a bit and froze 2 tbsp amounts wrapped in plastic for use whenever I want it. Enjoy!!
(sorry no photo of the plain pesto–I forgot to take one when I made it but this is a photo of it mixed into greek yogurt/cream cheese for a dipping sauce. you get the idea)
Pistachio Pesto
Ingredients:
- 2 cups basil leaves, stems removed, washed, patted dry
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1/3-1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
- 1/4 cup shelled unsalted pistachios
- 2/3 -1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- pinch of kosher salt
Instructions:
- Place the basil, garlic, parmesan and pistachios into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until chopped and even
- While the machine is running pour in the olive oil
- When desired consistancy is reached add the salt and pulse to combine
- Serve or freeze or refrigerate
08 Jul 2013
by sparksfromthekitchen
in Bread, Breakfast, Dessert, Freezer, Prep-Ahead, Freeze then Cook, Snack
Tags: muffins, strawberry, yogurt
These muffins are lovely and light and oh so tasty–perfect muffins to go with slices of delicate strawberries for the summer.
There’s not really all that much else to write except for the recipe…..
Strawberry Delight Muffins
Ingredients:
- 6 ozs Greek Yogurt (I used Fage 0%)
- 2 ozs fat-free Sour Cream
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1&1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup Egg Beaters (or 2 large eggs)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp strawberry extract
- 2 cups AP flour
- 1&1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped small
Instructions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350.
- Place liners in muffin tin and set aside.
- In a large bowl using an electric mixer cream together the yogurt, sour cream, butter and sugar. Then add the Egg Beaters, milk, vanilla and strawberry extract. Stir until combined-being careful to not over-mix. Set aside.
- In another bowl place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and whisk to combine.
- Add 1/4 of the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined. Continue adding the dry ingredients in increments and mixing. Do not over mix. Gently fold in the fresh strawberries.
- Fill the liners in the muffin tin to about 3/4 of the way full and bake for about 23-28 minutes or until the tops are light golden brown. Allow to cool in the tin for about 10-15 minutes then remove the muffins from the tin and place onto a cooling rack.
Yield: about 18-20 muffins. I made 12 muffins and froze the remainder of the batter to use another time.
Greatly adapted from the Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins from http://www.bos-bowl.com
21 May 2013
by sparksfromthekitchen
in Freezer, Lunch, Main Dish, Prep-Ahead, Freeze then Cook, Slow Cooker
Tags: beef, burrito
I must have 3 trillion lists that I’ve found on Pinterest and all over the internet from super savvy ladies who make these mountains of meals and stockpile them in their freezer. Seriously they could feed their entire town for a year if they needed to. It makes me feel very inadequate considering I only having frozen berries and ice cream in mine. So I decided to try one and see how it worked out. All in all it was a great success. It was easy to just pull the ziplock bag out of the freezer, thaw it for a bit and then just pour everything into my slow cooker. I honestly didn’t see it saving any time. The thawing time was far more than it would have taken me to chop the onion and measure out a few ingredients but it was nice to have it there and ready to go. I cooked it on Sunday all day and then put it in a container in the fridge with other toppings to eat during the week.
A few weeks ago my supermarket had top round roasts on sale. I bought one, took it home, put it in the ziplock with a bunch of ingredients, zipped it up and put it in the freezer. Easy. I wrote the instructions for cooking with a sharpie on the bag before I put the ingredients in so that I wouldn’t smudge it and I wouldn’t have to write with meat/tomato sauce to lean on. I did add some of this seasoning to the slow cooker too. The best part-the beef was DELICIOUS!! It also didn’t make too much-I’d say enough for between 5-7 burritos depending on how much you put in each.
Beef Burritos in the slow cooker
Ingredients:
- 2lb top round roast
- 2 8oz cans tomato sauce
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp peppercorns
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- taco seasoning to taste
- 1 small can green chilies, drained
Optional Ingredients (to taste):
- sour cream
- grated cheese (don’t use pregrated-that stuff doesn’t melt nearly as well due to preservatives and anti-sticking additives–YUCK!!)
- sliced avocado
- salsa
- burritos
- refried beans
Instructions:
- Write all cooking instructions on a large freezer bag and make sure it won’t smudge.
- Add all ingredients through and including the cider vinegar to the ziplock bag, remove all of the air from the bag and seal. Place in freezer flat to freeze.
- When you’re ready to cook it thaw the bag in some water until no longer frozen. Place contents of bag in the slow cooker and add the taco seasoning and chilies. Cook on low for 7 hours.
- After 7 hours carefully remove the meat and place on a board. Remove any fat and discard it.
- Pour the liquid through a strainer into a bowl, discard the contents of the strainer.
- Add the beef back into the cooker and shred with 2 forks. Pour enough of the strained liquid over the beef to cover it half way and cook on low for an additional 30 minutes.
Then make a burrito how you like it. This time I used beef, beans, a sprinkle of white cheddar and monterey jack, sliced avocado and sour cream. I put the burrito on my panini press to heat it up and melt the cheese and to give the burrito that nice crispy crunch.
01 May 2013
by sparksfromthekitchen
in Lunch, Main Dish, Prep-Ahead, Freeze then Cook, Slow Cooker
Tags: slow cooker, turkey
I had pinned this recipe a while ago as I’m always on the lookout for healthier stuff to cook in the slow cooker and they didn’t disappoint. They were easy to put together, smelled awesome while browning and I froze half of the meatball mixture in one bag and half of the tomatoes and onion in another bag to use at a later date . Easy peasy! These would be great on a toasted roll with melted provolone or added to other sandwiches. I just ate them plain and I really enjoyed them. They’re smaller than a golf ball, the tomato sauce is just right. I served them with roasted broccoli.
Miniature Turkey & Quinoa Meatballs for the Slow Cooker
Ingredients:
- 1lb 99% lean ground turkey breast
- 1lb 94% lean ground turkey
- 2/3 cup cooked quinoa
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tbsp olive oil (plus more for browning)
- 2 tbsp pecorino romano cheese, freshly, finely grated
- 2 tsp italian spices
- 1/2 tsp granulated onion
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1 large sweet onion, cut into rounds
- 2 28 oz cans crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 28 oz can peeled San Marzano tomatoes
- 3 tbsp white wine
Instructions:
- In a large bowl combine all ingredients through and including the white pepper. Mix thoroughly by hand, being careful not to over-mix.
- Roll each meatball to just under the size of a golf ball and set aside.
- Layer sliced onion on bottom of slow cooker insert, add 1 can of crushed tomatoes and 1/2 the can of peeled tomatoes.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 1/2 tbsp to the pan and, when the oil is shimmering, add a few meatballs to brown-about 1 minute on each side. Be careful not to crowd the pan. When browned snuggle them down into the tomato sauce in the cooker, stacking as more are browned.
- When all are browned add the white wine to the pan and deglaze, scraping the brown bits off of the bottom of the pan. Allow the wine to reduce to half then add it to the slow cooker.
- Add the remaining crushed and peeled tomatoes to the cooker, making sure that all of the meatballs are covered.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.
Be sure to brown the meatballs! It adds extra flavor and locks in moisture. Lean turkey dries out easily-browning will help avoid that.
Adapted from howsweeteats.
25 Feb 2013
by sparksfromthekitchen
in Freezer, Holiday, Lunch, Main Dish, Prep-Ahead, Freeze then Cook, Slow Cooker, Thaw/Reheat & Serve
Tags: burritos, chicken, slow cooker, tacos, tortillas
It’s official. I love my slow cooker. I was looking around online for a new recipe and came across a chicken recipe for the slow cooker. I adapted it a bit and the recipe below was born. Really easy and super tasty. The chicken in this recipe was really nice and moist, easy to shred and the veggies, herbs and spices are just right for a great balance of taste.
I like that this can be made in either 6 hours or 10 hours (great for weeknights after work). I would assume it freezes well but we didn’t have enough left to try.
I made a burrito/taco bar including sliced avocado, sliced tomato, lettuce, sour cream, shredded cheese, salsa and large tortillas. Husband at his like tacos and I made burritos out of mine and put them on the panini press to heat and make the tortilla crunchy. YUM! I had 2. I was a pig. But they’re GOOD! And since it’s pretty low cal and low fat and since I used fat free sour cream and low fat cheddar cheese I didn’t feel so bad.
Santa Fe Chicken for the Slow Cooker
Chicken Ingredients
- 1&1/2 lbs boneless and skinless chicken breast
- 14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
- 4 oz can green chilies
- 10 oz frozen corn
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth
- 3 scallions, chopped
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
- salt to taste
Toppings:
- Fat free Sour Cream
- Low Fat Cheddar Cheese, freshly grated
- Ripe tomatoes, sliced thin
- Avocado, sliced thin
- Salsa
- Cilantro
Instructions:
- Place everything except the chicken listed in the ‘chicken ingredients’ in the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Place the chicken on top of the combined ingredients.
- Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 6 hours. 30 minutes before serving shred the chicken with 2 forks (you don’t need to remove the chicken from the cooker-just stick your forks in and shred). Stir it all back together and let it all come together for the remaining 30 minutes.
- While the chicken is finishing cooking prepare the taco/burrito bar and lay out toppings.
- Serve on tortillas with toppings.
Adapted from skinnytaste.com.
20 Feb 2013
by sparksfromthekitchen
in Appetizer, Freezer, Prep-Ahead, Freeze then Cook, Snack, Uncategorized
Husband and I have been eating and drinking at Brother Jimmy’s BBQ for years and years. First there was 1 in Manhattan, then 2, then 3, then one at Yankee Stadium (woot woot go Yankees!) and now there’s one in Puerto Rico (will visit that one in April) and on St. Maarten (will also visit that one in April). We spent countless hours at the bar watching football on chilly fall and winter afternoons, laughing with friends, enjoying each other’s company and Husband and I were introduced to each other at one by a very good friend. In other words-for nearly 13 years it’s held a special place in our hearts. They serve southern BBQ food. They have skee-ball. They have some drinks served in goldfish bowls. It’s a happy enough place that people bring their kids for lunch on the weekends and everyone enjoys themselves.
Imagine my surprise when I saw that they have a cookbook out!! I bought it for Husband for Christmas and made one of his favorites, Hush Puppies, for Super Bowl Sunday. They’re so good. They’re easy to make! They’re perfect for football or hockey or staying in and reading. And the butter-YUM!! If you don’t know they’re about the size of golf balls-enough for a few bites.
Hush Puppies
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 5 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup diced Spanish onion
- 2 cups cornmeal
- 2&3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1&1/2 tsp granulated onion
- about 5 cups canola oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Heat 6 inches of oil to 325F in a heavy-bottomed stock pot. While the oil is heating lightly heat the eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in the baking powder, add the buttermilk and mix well. Add the oil and onion.
- Im a separate bowl combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, cayenne and granulated onion. Add the dry ingredinets itno the bowl with the wet ingredients, mix to incorporate but don’t over-mix. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Carefully drop round heaping tablespoons of the batter, one at time, into the hot oil being sure not to over-crowd them. Cook until golden brown, 3-5 minutes.
- Using a spider or metal slotted spoon remove them from th oil to a wire rack to cool.
- Serve warm with maple butter.
Note: this recipe makes about 24 hush puppies which is a lot as they’re heavy. I made the full amount of batter, cooked half and froze the other half for use later.
Maple Butter
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
Instructions
- In a large bowl beat together the butter and maple syrup until incorporated. Set it aside at room temperature.
Note : the maple butter needs to be at room temperature to serve. You can also feeze it too and it’s great on other things like pancakes, cornbread etc…
19 Feb 2013
by sparksfromthekitchen
in Freezer, Lunch, Main Dish, Slow Cooker, Thaw/Reheat & Serve
This is a good, thick, hearty, not spicy (but could be), chunky, not soupy chili. You could easily make it spicier by adding some heat or if you have some bell peppers laying around or another can of beans you can put those in as well. Feel free to make it just as it is or to adjust to your taste.
Also please excuse the photo. I forgot to take a photo the night I made it so I had to take one at work with the left overs (which were really good by the way).
Chili Chili Bobili in the Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1lb lean ground beef
- 4 garlic cloves, diced
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 15oz can tomato sauce
- 1 15oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15 oz can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped small
- 1 4oz can green chilis (not drained)
- 1 15oz can yellow/white corn just drained
Instructions
- In a large non-stick skillet brown the beef over medium heat. Add the garlic, chili powder and cumin and cook until garlic is fragrant.
- Add everything into the slow cooker along with the meat, mix thoroughly, and cook for 6-6.5 hours on low.
Serve with ideas: rice, egg noodles, tortilla chips, freshly shredded cheese, sliced scallions, hot sauce or cornbread.
13 Feb 2013
by sparksfromthekitchen
in Appetizer, Freezer, Lunch, Main Dish, Soup, Thaw/Reheat & Serve
Tags: kielbasa, potatoes, tomatoes
This soup is really easy to make and very delicious!! I’d never had anything like it!! Tart sauerkraut, yummy kielbasa, potatoes and onions-how can you go wrong?! This is the time to go to your local Polish shop and get the best kielbasa you can. While you can use the regular supermarket ones using a great kielbasa really makes such a huge difference. Don’t forget they freeze well so you can buy a lot and keep them for later too.
Since we got a big snow storm on Friday night/Saturday I made this for lunch on Saturday and it was perfect. What a delicious meal on a snowy day.
1/13/14 Note: I made this soup this past Saturday morning. The tomatoes at the store didn’t look very nice and I knew that I had a can of tomatoes in the cabinet at home. The result is a variation that I think I like more than the original. It makes more of a tomatoey broth.
- 7 cups water/sauerkraut liquid instead of the 8 cups below
- 15oz can crushed tomatoes and their liquid—omit both the plum tomatoes and tomato sauce below.
Sauerkraut Soup
Ingredients
- 1lb bag sauerkraut drained, liquid reserved
- 8 cups water/sauerkraut liquid
- 1lb kielbasa-the best quality you can find, cut into 1/4 inch rounds, then in quarters.
- 1/4 tbsp caraway seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 plum tomatoes, seeds removed, chopped
- 1 80z can tomato sauce
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb red potatoes, peeled, cut into bite-sized pieces
Instructions
- Add enough water to the reserved sauerkraut liquid to equal 8 cups.
- Place the sauerkraut, water, kielbasa, caraway seeds, black peppercorns, bay leaf, tomatoes and tomato sauce into a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
- In a small pan saute the onion and garlic until soft then add it to the soup pot.
- Place potato cubes in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil then, when just before cooked fully, drain and add to the soup pot.
- Return the soup to a boil then reduce to simmer for an hour.
Here’s the kielbasa I used-just over 1lb. If you have a little more or little less it’s fine.
Note: This soup freezes well so feel free to make extra and put it away for a later lunch or dinner.
My friend Michelle gave me her recipe and I’ve adapted it to this-enjoy!!
11 Feb 2013
by sparksfromthekitchen
in Freezer, Lunch, Main Dish, Side Dish, Thaw/Reheat & Serve
Tags: marinara, san marzano tomatoes, sauce, tomato
This is my go-to marinara sauce. I make it in large batches at a time and freeze a few ziplock bags and/or containers with about 3 cups or 1 quart capacity. It’s a great base sauce in which to add meat, veggies, herbs etc.. to make it different each time or it’s great on it’s own with pasta, in dishes like lasagna or my eggplant parmesan.
Many people put carrots in their marinara but I don’t. If you prefer to add it by all means do so. I also only use San Marzano tomatoes. Some argue that the taste is no better than other tomatoes but hey, it’s my sauce and I do taste a difference so I use them:) If you don’t want to you don’t have to but I ask you to try it at least once-and make sure you get the San Marzanos from Italy. Those famous cans with the white backgrounds and purple and/or red tomatoes on the outside aren’t from Italy-they’re from Jersey. Read the labels. Spend a little extra for the best quality that you can get.
Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 small yellow onions, finely chopped
- 6 medium sized garlic cloves
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 4 28-32oz cans crushed San Marzano tomatoes (or peeled and crush with a potato masher)
- 4 bay leaves
Instructions
- In a large stock pot over medium heat add the olive oil. When it’s hot add the onion and garlic and saute until they’re translucent, about 10 minutes.
- Add the celery and saute until they’re soft, about another 10 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, bay leaves and salt and pepper and stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered for between 1 and 3 hours.
If you’re going to package up the sauce for use at another time leave it out to cool.
Note: if you’re using peeled plum tomatoes you can crush them with the potato masher after you’ve added them to the pot. Crush as much or as little as you like.
01 Feb 2013
by sparksfromthekitchen
in Freezer, Lunch, Main Dish, Thaw/Reheat & Serve
For the Blogger’s Choice Swap (thanks for organizing the swap Sarah at http://www.tasteofhomecooking.blogspot.com )was given Christine’s Blog to look through and choose a recipie to make. I chose the burritos. While her recipe reminded me more of a soft taco (wrapped in a flatbread, not pressed or heated etc….) the premise was there for a good burrito that’s easy to make. I adapted the recipe a bit to my taste. I think the next time I make these I will add something for crunch as the texture inside was pretty uniform-perhaps red pepper strips. 
Spicy Bean and Rice Burrito
- 1 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 8oz canned corn, drained and rinsed (or 3 ears fresh corn, cooked and kernels cut from cob)
- 2 cups cooked white rice
- 1/4 cup salsa
- 6 burritos
- 4-8 ozs freshly grated cheddar, monterey jack and/or colby jack cheese (or any cheese you prefer)
- Fat free sour cream
- Avocado, sliced
Instructions:
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the next 5 ingredients through cayenne pepper. Cook them for 30-60 seconds until fragrant, stirring to combine with a spatula. Add drained and rinsed beans (shake off excess water to avoid adding to hot oil in pan). Stir and combine with spices. Add the water, bring to a simmer then cook for about 10 minutes, mashing slightly with the spatula. Add the corn and just heat through. Add the rice and salsa and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
- Microwave burritos for about 15 seconds to warm them up.
- Spoon a few tsp of bean/rice mixture onto the edge of one of the burritos, spoon in a bit of sour cream and spread across the burrito, then sprinkle desired amount of cheese.
- Starting at the end with the bean/rice mix carefully and gently fold the edge over the bean/rice mixture. Continue rolling carefully, tucking all of the filling in tightly as you go and folding the edges in.
- Heat on a grill pan or panini press to melt cheese. If you use the grill pan turn once.
- Serve with sliced avocado, additional sour cream or any other condiment you’d like.
This recipe makes enough filling for far more than 6 burritos. I suggest buying a 12 pack of large burritos and freezing some for a later date.
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