Honey Mustard Pork Roast W/ Bacon

"Everything is better with bacon!"  That is a direct quote from my husband and even though bacon is usually not my first choice in meats I do have to admit that it makes this dish mighty tasty!  This is easy enough to make any day of the week......Enjoy!

1/4 cup dijion mustard

2 Tb whole grain mustard

2 Tb honey

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 lb bacon

1 pork roast (any size)

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Lower oven rack to the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

Mix together both mustards, honey and garlic. Smother mixture all over the pork.  Layer all of the bacon over the smothered pork. Tie kitchen twine around the pork to keep everything in place while it cooks.

Roast for 1 hr.  After an hour cover pan loosely with foil and roast for another 10- 20 min. 

Let rest for 20 min.  Slice and serve!

Chili Beans

 I am a big fan of quick, yummy and inexpensive meals.  So when I came across this recipe you can imagine my delight!  The ingrediants are usually always in my pantry so it's always a great go to meal when I am wondering what to cook for dinner.  I know some don't care for cilantro but it really does make the meal....Enjoy!

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, monced

1 Tb olive oil

1 lb ground beef

1-2 Tb chili powder

1-1 1/2 cups of pace picante sauce

1/2 cup tomato sauce

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 tp sugar

2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 Tb chopped parsley

chopped cilantro for garnish

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In a large skillet, sauté onions and garlic in 2 Tbsp of olive oil until translucent on medium high heat. Move the onions over to one side of the pan, turn up the heat to high, and brown the meat away from the onions in the same pan. (If you do not have a large enough skillet, use two separate smaller skillets for the onions and beef.) Add chili powder to meat as it is cooking. Start with one tablespoon, and add more as needed to taste. Stir in the onions and garlic. Add picante sauce, tomato sauce, parsley and salt & pepper Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to counteract the acidity of the tomatoes.

Add the beans to the meat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro right before serving or sprinkle on top.  Serve over rice or with warm tortillas

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

When I say these cookies are perfect...I tell no lies! I was at my sister in laws house this weekend for game night and one of her guests brought these cookies.  When I bit into it I literally felt my heart skip a beat and a tear form in my eye.  It was THAT good.  I had to have the recipe and she told me it was from Cooks Illustrated.  I had heard of this magazine before and have wanted to subscribe but it is a bit pricey.  Even the website requires a paid membership.  Apparently it is for serious cooks.  I haven't decided if I am quite there yet but it definetly has me intrigued.  Anyways..I was able to obtain this recipe without forking over any cash and I must must share it with you.....ENJOY!!

1 3/4 cup unbleached flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 3/4 sticks (14 Tb) unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

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Whisk flour and baking soda together and set aside

Heat 10 Tb butter in skillet over medium high heat until melted.  Continue cooking & swirling in pan until butter is a dark golden brown with a nutty aroma (1-3 min) Remove from heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl.  Stir in remaining 4 Tb butter until completely melted.  Add both sugars, salt, vanilla and whisk together till there are no sugar lumps.  Add egg and egg yolk and whisk for 30 seconds.  Let stand for 3 min then whisk again for 30 seconds.  Repeat this process 2 more times until thick, smooth and shiny.  Stir in flour mixture until just combined and then add chocolate chips.

Bake at 375 degrees for 9-12 min rotating the baking sheet halfway through. The cookie should still be puffy, edges have set and the center is still soft.

Spagetti With Artichoke Hearts And Tomatoes

I made this for dinner tonight and it tasted like I was eating at a restaurant....for real!  I know the lighting in the picture is not giving it any justice but you will just have to take my word for it.  It also is so easy.  In the time it took me to boil the noodles, the sauce was done.  It just can't get any more simple or yummy as this...Enjoy!!

2 Tb olive oil

2 Tb butter

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 14.5 oz can quartered artichoke hearts, drained

1 14.5 oz diced tomatoes with juice

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 pound thin spagetti

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

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Cook spagetti till ala dente

Meanwhile,  melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and garlic and saute for 2-3 min.  Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes.  Stir and cook for 8-10 min.  Reduce heat to low and add cream and broth. Add salt and pepper to taste (do not under salt!) Cook over low heat until heated through and has thickened up.

Placed drained pasta in a large bowl.  Sprinkle with 1 cup parmesan cheese.  Pour sauce over top.  Toss lightly to combine and coat.

Delicious!

Garlic Chicken w/ Bow Tie Pasta

This recipe is not only tasty but it's super quick and easy.  I had most of these things already in my pantry. You can also add any other vegetables that you would like.  Serve it with a salad and your good to go.....Enjoy!

1 tb olive oil

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced crosswise

salt and pepper to taste

1 tb olive oil

6-7 cloves of garlic, crushed

1/2 lb mushrooms, quartered

1/2 cup green onions (I was out of onions this time)

1 cup carrots, sliced and blanched

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups bow tie pasta

parmesan cheese, grated

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Cook pasta according to box directions

Heat 1 tb olive oil over medium heat and fry chicken.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and remove from pan.  Cover with foil to keep warm.  Add 1 tb more olive oil and cook garlic, mushrooms, green onions, carrots.  Add tomatoes, chicken broth, crushed red pepper, cornstarch and salt.  Heat to a boil and simmer for 5-10 min.

Add chicken and cooked pasta back into pan.  Heat for another 2-3 mintues.  Garnish with parmesan cheese

Finger-Lickin Ribs

I am usually a beef ribs kind of gal. That's what I grew up on and that's what my dad taught me to make. But my husband is not a fan of beef ribs, particularly the fat(which happens to be my favorite part...sorry but its true). I decided to try my hand at pork ribs and I admit it was mighty tasty....and messy! And I also discovered that these ribs don't take as long to make....Enjoy!

6 TB brown Sugar
6 TB paprika
3 TB pepper
3 TB garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
3-4 slabs of pork spare ribs or baby-back ribs
9 TB dijon mustard
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Combine brown sugar, paprika, pepper, garlic powder and salt in a small bowl. This is the rub!Salt both sides of ribs and place on a large baking sheet or jelly roll pan lined with heavy duty foil. Brush both sides of meat with dijon mustard. Rub both sides of pork with the prepared rub.

Place ribs directly on the top rack in your oven and place pan on bottom rack directly below the meat to catch any drippings.

Broil for about 5 min until it starts caramelizing. Lower heat to 250 degrees and bake until fork tender for 2-3 hours for spare ribs or 1 1/2 to 2 hours for baby backs.

Quiche

I used to think that because of the name...quiche would be complicated to make. But when I found this recipe over at pioneerwoman.com I realized that it isn't complicated at all. Infact its once of the easiest things I have made and its sooooo yummy. Now.. I have to confess that I use already pre-made pie crust because I haven't found a recipe that is easy enough for me to do. But I am still looking and when I find one then I will for sure have to post it. Of course you can mix up your choice of filling but I have found that these really compliment each other quite well. Also, please note that this recipe is for a deep dish pie crust. If you don't have a deep dish then either half the recipe or make two pies (which is what I did)....Enjoy!

7 eggs

1 1/2 cups half & half

2 cups grated swiss cheese

salt and pepper to taste

3/4 pound bacon

1 stick butter

1 onion, very thinly sliced

10 oz mushrooms, sliced

1 can quartered artichoke hearts

1 deep dish pie crust or 2 standard pie crusts

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Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a skillet, fry bacon until crisp. Let cool, crumble and set aside. Pour out excess grease and melt butter in the same skillet. Add onion and cook for a few minutes. Add mushrooms and artichokes and cook for a few more minutes. Salt to taste. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 20 minutes.

In large bowl, beat eggs with half & half. Add grated cheese, salt and pepper and set aside. With a slotted spoon, add mushroom mixture into egg/cream mixture. Add bacon and stir together.

Pour into pie crust and press to submerge ingredients. Cover loosely with foil, place on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour, removing foil for the last 10 to 15 min. Bake for slightly longer if quiche is overly jiggly.

Remove from oven and allow to set for 10 min before serving.

Chinese Omelette

Ever have left over chinese food? Ever wonder if there is something else you can do with it? Well, there is and it might sound a little crazy but it's absolutely delish! My dad use to make us these when I was young and sometimes we would order extra food the night before just for this purpose. When I introduced this to my family, I at first received some weird looks but I just had to smile to myself as they licked there plate clean.....Enjoy!

Its really very simple...

All your left over chinese food including the rice

eggs

cheese

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Cut your chinese food into bite size pieces. Combine all the leftovers in a pan and warm up on medium heat. Prepare omelette using cheese and the chinese food!

Mango Island Chicken

This is one of those quick and easy recipes that you throw in the crock pot and ShaZam!...you have a tasty meal that will seem like you spent hours on....Enjoy!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can of corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups of mango salsa
cumin to taste
lemon pepper to taste
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Add chicken and spices to the crock pot. Cover and cook until tender. Shred chicken on a separate plate and return to the pot. Save the juices in a separate bowl.

Add the corn, beans and salsa. More salsa can be added to taste. If the mixture seems dry then add some of the reserved juices.

Serve over rice. Garnish with cilantro if desired

Chicken Poppy Seed Salad

I like going to potlucks for this reason alone....because you'll find stuff like this salad! I don't know why but you can always count on some little old lady bringing her prized recipe she got from her friends at the clubhouse. This salad has it all...great taste and it's easy. The dressing is really what makes it so you can pretty much add what you want to it. I am not including measurements for the salad contents because you can make the salad as big or as little as you want. But the dressing recipe does make ALOT. So be prepared for that. You can't go wrong with this.....Enjoy!

Romaine Lettuce
Grilled Chicken with lots of lemon pepper, sliced
Red onion, sliced thinly
Crispy Bacon, crumbled
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Toasted almonds (or sugared almonds)

The Dressing....Yummmmm!

1 1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp dry mustard
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
3 Tb chopped onion
2 cups canola oil *Please note: I started with 1 cup of canola oil because 2 cups seemed like alot. So you may want to do the same.
2 Tb poppy seeds

Mix everything but the oil and the poppy seeds in a blender until well mixed. While the blender is on, slowly add the oil until thick. Stir in the poppy seeds

Rhubarb Big Crumb Coffeecake

My husband is huge rhubarb fan. I hadn't much to do with the stuff until I met him. For his birthday he usually gets some type of rhubarb dessert but I decided to try something new and make this for his breakfast. This recipe is a little bit involved but the results are definitely worth it. Not a rhubarb fan? Don't fret because this could also be made with blueberries, raspberries, sour cherry or any other tangy fruit you can think of. Just adjust the sugar because they would need less sugar then the rhubarb. Next time I think I will try adding strawberries in with the rhubarb....Enjoy!

Butter for greasing pan

For the rhubarb filling:
1/2 pound rhubarb, trimmed and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp ground ginger

For the crumbs:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup melted butter
1 3/4 cups cake flour (all-purpose would work fine too)

For the cake:
1/3 cup sour cream
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup cake flour (all-purpose would work fine too)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tb softened butter, cut into 8 pieces
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Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 8-inch-square baking pan. Toss rhubarb with sugar, cornstarch and ginger. Set aside

To make crumbs, in a large bowl, whisk together sugars, spices, salt and melted butter until smooth. Stir in flour. It will look like a solid dough

To prepare cake, in a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flour sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add butter and a spoonful of sour cream mixture and mix on medium speed until flour is moistened. Increase speed and beat for 30 seconds. Add remaining sour cream mixture in 2 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition, and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Scoop out 1/2 cup of batter and set aside.

Scrape remaining batter into prepared pan. Spoon rhubarb over batter. Dollop set aside batter over rhubarb.

Using your fingers, break topping mixture into big crumbs (all around the same size) Sprinkle over cake. Bake cake until toothpick inserted into center comes clean of batter (it might be moist from rhubarb), 45-55 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Optional: Sprinkle with powdered sugar!

Pepper Jack Potato Soup

First of all I must inform you that there is absolutely nothing about this recipe that is good for you or your thighs. There is alot of butter, cream and cheese going on in this. So to those of you who arrived here thinking you were visiting the website for Cooking Light magazine: turn around. Run. Far, far away. And whatever you do, don’t look back.

For the rest of us....let me just tell you that this is so good! I repeat soooo good. And don't let the pepper jack fool you. Its not spicy at all. Just creamy and blissful. And it will only take you another hour on the treadmill to work it off. No biggie right?....Enjoy!

2 TB olive oil

1 red pepper, diced

1 small onion, diced

2 garlics, minced

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

4 cups potatoes, diced and cooked

3 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/3 cup milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp dried thyme

1 1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese (or more...do we really need an exact measurement?)

1 cup half & half

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

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Saute red pepper, onion, garlic and carrots in olive oil until very tender. In a large soup pan combine your cooked potatoes, vegetable mixture, bacon, broth and milk. Add your salt, pepper and thyme. In a separate sauce pan melt butter over medium heat. Add flour to make your roux. Keep stirring for 2-3 minutes so the flour loses its taste. Slowly add the half & half to the roux. Add your roux along with the cheese to the big pot. Stir and cook on medium until cheese is melted. If you feel the soup is to thick then add more milk. Also be sure to test your seasoning.

Chicken Vesuvio

This is a tried and true recipe from my gal Giada De Laurentiis. I love Italian food and thankfully it doesn't always require having pasta. The original recipe did not call for the kielbasa or mushrooms but I couldn't imagine not adding them. This is a way to make that chicken taste interesting again...Enjoy!

1 polska kielbasa, sliced
8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
3 TB olive oil
4-6 chicken thighs with skin and bones
salt and pepper
1 pound small red skinned potatoes, halved
4 large garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
8 ounces frozen artichoke hearts
2 TB unsalted butter
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees F

Saute kielbasa and mushrooms until cooked all the way through. Set aside.

Heat oil in large oven proof pan over high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Working in 2 batches if necessary, cook chicken in the pot until golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Carefully add potatoes to the same pot and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add wine and stir to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add broth, oregano and thyme. Return chicken to the pot. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Cover and bake in the oven until chicken is cooked through about 20 minutes. Transfer chicken to a platter or 9 by 13 pan. Arrange potatoes, kielbasa and mushrooms around chicken. Add artichoke hearts to the sauce in the pan. Cover and simmer over high heat until the artichokes are tender, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Turn the heat to low. Stir in the butter. Pour sauce over chicken.

Guacamole

Now that you've made Pico De Gallo, you absolutely must make guacamole. I didn't make up the rules...it's just the law! Did you know that before I was pregnant with my second child I hate, hate, hated avocados?? Its true...I tell no lies. I always wanted to like it because it looked really good but I just couldn't stomach it. Then one day in the midst of prego-ness I thought I would try it just one more time because it looked so tasty. And finally I liked it. And I still like it to this day. Such a weird thing! Anyways if your going to make guacamole you have to make the pico because it is one of the ingredients. Also the hot chili peppers are a must! Really its the juice that you want. If your feeling daring then go ahead and throw in some of the peppers too. I keep a jar in my fridge just for this purpose....Enjoy!

4-5 avocados (depending on how much you want to make)

4-6 TB Hot chili pepper juice (I use the Mezzetta brand)

1-2 Hot chili peppers chopped (with seeds and membrane removed...unless your strong and daring)

a pinch of salt

4-5 scoops of your homemade pico (its up to you how much you want)

juice of a 1/2 a lime

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Scrape meat out of the avocados. mash with fork or the bottom of a glass to the consistency you desire. ( I like mine a bit chunky) Start adding your pepper juice. Please be advised that the longer it sits the spicier it will be so start out slim. Don't be fooled! Add the chopped chilis....if you can handle the heat. Salt it, juice it and then add your pico. It's as easy as that!

Pico De Gallo

I have just recently discovered that fresh is so much better then packaged. It takes more work then opening up a bottle but its a nice treat to have and your family will find it more special when its homemade. You can makes this as spicy or not-so spicy as you want. Remember that most of the heat in a jalapeno is in the seeds and the membrane. I am a wimp and my husband likes it hot so we are constantly having to meet in the middle....Enjoy!

5 roma tomatoes

1 small onion

1-2 jalapenos (depending on how strong you are)

2-3 TB chopped cilantro

juice of a lime

salt

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Chop all your ingredients and mix together. Salt accordingly to your taste.

Fresh Strawberry Muffins

It's strawberry season (at least it is in my backyard) The strawberries I planted 3 yrs ago are finally producing enough berries to actually do something with. I pick some almost everyday and they are the sweetest things. Way better then anything you can get in the store

I tried a couple of different muffin recipes before I decided on this one. Its the most moist and most flavorful....enjoy!

1 stick of unsalted butter..softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries

cinnamon/sugar mix

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Cream butter and sugar together. Add egg and mix well. In a separate bowl sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture and milk alternately to the butter mixture. Add vanilla and then gently stir in strawberries

Spoon into your greased muffin tin. Sprinkle the tops with your cinnamon/sugar mix

Bake @ 400 degrees for 20-25 min