Italian Sausage Bolognese

 This is a variation of a recipe I saw online and on an Ina Garten show from Emily Blunt.  Super satisfying.

Italian Sausage Bolognese

2 T. butter

2 T. olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 large carrots diced small

3 stalks celery diced small

3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 lb. mild sausage 

3/4 lb. hot sausage

1 c. dry white wine

6 oz. can tomato paste

1 c. whole milk

2 bay leaves

1 parmesan rind, if you have it 

1 lb. rigatoni, or other pasta of your choice

1/2 c grated parm for serving

Heat butter and oil in a shallow heavy bottomed skillet (like Le Creuset) and sauté onions until translucent and soft, about 2 minutes.

Add celery and carrots to the skillet and cook down a bit.  Add the garlic.

Then add the sausage to cook, stirring until starting to brown, about 5 minutes.  Deglaze the pan with the wine and reduce slightly.  Add the tomato paste, milk, bay leaves and parm rind and simmer down for a bit.  

Add salt and ground pepper to taste.

It should not be too liquidy!

Put the lid on and put in a 300 degree oven for 45 minutes.  Give a quick stir half way.   Remove the bay leaves and parm rind.

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain it, saving 1 c. or so of pasta water.

Pour the past back in the pot and add the reserve water and an extra 1 T. butter and grated parm.  Add all this to the sauce and stir to coat the pasta.

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c = cup

oz = ounce

lb = pound

Peanut Butter Energy Balls

This Eating Well recipe is the perfect snack to take away those hunger pangs when it's not time for a meal yet.  Just mix and enjoy!  I put 1/2 in the fridge and 1/2 in the freezer for later.

Peanut Butter Energy Balls

2 c. rolled oats (I put mine in the blender and pulsed a few times to break them down a bit)

1 c. natural peanut butter (or other nut butter) I often just use regular PB.  The point with natural is that it doesn't usually contain sugar

1/2 c. honey

1/4 c. unsweetened coconut

1/4 c. mini chocolate chips

Mix all together and roll into balls.

Indian Butter Chicken in the Slow Cooker

I found this recipe in one of the bonus freebies from a magazine subscription (maybe BHG?).  It was really good and the house definitely smelled like Indian food!  Honestly, I am not sure of the point of browning the chicken is because it all falls apart in the crock pot anyway.  I might skip that next time and see how it turns out.

Indian Butter Chicken

6 T. butter, divided

1 3/4 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1 T. grated fresh ginger

1 T. garam masala

3 cloves garlic, minced

t t. ground cumin

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. ground turmeric

1/4 t. cayenne pepper

1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 c. chopped onion

1/2 c. heavy cream

In a large skillet heat 3 T. butter over medium heat.  Add chicken and cook 4 minutes until lightly browned, turning once.  Transfer chicken to the slow cooker.  

Add ginger, garam masala, garlic, cumin, turmeric, salt, and cayenne pepper.  Toss to coat.  Stir in tomatoes and onion.  Cover and cook on low 6 hours or 3 on high.

Stir in the cream and remaining butter.

Garnish with cilantro, if desired. 

Serving suggestion: Serve over rice and with a side of naan bread.

Wedge Salad

 It's silly to call this a recipe, there really isn't much to it, but it sure is tasty.

Wedge Salad

1/4 head lettuce

chopped tomato

chopped bacon

chopped red onion (I've subbed green onion, too)

crumbled bleu cheese

bleu cheese dressing

Zesty Lime Shrimp and Avocado Salad

 I found this on skinnytaste.com and had it in my Pinterest posts a couple of times, so obviously it looked good every time I saw it.  Pin it.  Pin it, again.  I finally made it for super bowl Sunday.  It was a great way to balance out the abundance of chicken wings, meatballs, buffalo chicken, stromboli, etc, etc, etc.  It was a fan favorite!  I doubled it for the crowd.

Zesty Lime Shrimp and Avocado Salad

1 lb shrimp, cooked and cut up in half or thirds, depending on size

1 large avocado, diced

1 jalapeno, diced small, seeds and most of the ribs removed

1/4 c. red onion, diced

1 medium tomato diced (I used cherry tomatoes halved instead)

diced cucumber (this wasn't is the original recipe, but I think it was a good addition)

juice of 2 limes

1 t. olive oil

1/4 t. kosher salt ( used more for my taste)

chopped cilantro (recipe called for 1 T. but, really?!?  I used more like 3 or 4 T.)

Put the red onion in a bowl and add the oil and lime juice and let it sit for at least 5 minutes to mellow out the onion.

Once the onion is done bathing, add the shrimp, jalapeno, tomato, cucumber, salt, cilantro, and avocado.  

(Hold off on the avocado if you are making this a bit ahead of time to save it from browning.  I added this before the party and tossed it in more lime juice to try to keep it fresh looking longer.)

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lb = pound

T = tablespoon

t = teaspoon

Rice Pilaf with Orzo

This is a seriously good side dish.  Mild flavors, yet delicious that won't overpower the main dish.  It's great with steak, chicken, and fish.  You really can't go wrong with this one!   And, if you want to kick it up, use the AWESOME seasoning blend option!

This recipe is for about 6 servings or so, but I doubled it for a dinner for 10 people and there were still about 2-3 cups left.  It will make enough!

Rice Pilaf with Orzo

2 T. butter

1/2 c orzo pasta

1/2 c. diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 t. chicken bouillon

1/2 c. uncooked white rice, rinsed (this is important to get rid of the extra starch--don't skip this step!)

2 c. chicken broth (if doubling the recipe, you don't need a full 4 cups.  Use 3 2/3 cups)

optional: 1/2 c. frozen peas

Kicked up seasoned option:  (add before the simmer)

1 bay leaf

3/4 t. chicken bouillon

1/2 t. dried parsley

1/4 t. thyme

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. oregano

1/8 t. pepper

1/8 t. dried pepper flakes

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the orzo, cook and stir until the orzo is golden brown.

Stir in the onion and cook until onion becomes translucent.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  

Stir in the rice and chicken broth.  Turn the heat to high and bring it to a boil.

Reduce the heat, cover the skillet and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20-25 minutes.

Add the optional peas.  Remove from head and let it stand covered for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork before serving.

Sweet Potato Fries

For homemade fries, these really couldn't get much easier, and they have so much flavor!

Sweet Potato Fries

2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled

2 T. olive oil

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. paprika

1 t. salt

1/2 t. black pepper

Cut the sweet potatoes into sticks 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide and 3 inches long (or whatever!) and toss them in the oil.  

Mix the spices in a small bowl and toss with the potatoes.

Spread the potatoes out on 2 rimmed baking sheets. (They'll crisp better if they have room on the pan)

Bake at 400 degrees until brown and crisp on the bottom, about 15 minutes, flip and bake another 10 to crisp the other side.

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lb = pound

t = teaspoon

T = tablespoon