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Rice Noodle Bowl

I really wanted some type of Asian influenced food tonight. I haven’t cooked a lot of Asian food but I love to eat it! I had several things to create a dish with, on hand. This is what I created.

Rice Noodle Bowl

4 cloves of garlic

2 teaspoons of ginger minced

1 purple onion chopped

1 lime – zested and juiced

2  pounds of cabbage slaw mix

4 chicken breasts (I will add 1-2 more next time) cooked and cubed

1 cup of chopped broccoli (I had frozen so I steamed it a bit and added it when I added the chicken) Raw could be chopped and sauteed with the onions.

gluten free soy sauce

2 teaspoons of sesame oil

Rice noodles  8 oz. box ( I used Annie Chun’s Maifun Rice Noodles) The box says 4 servings but for me, it was easily 6-8 servings of noodles.

Cilantro a small handful

Bake or fry your chicken breasts. Cube the chicken. Start your water to boil. Saute´ the garlic and onions in the sesame oil and then add the cabbage and lime zest and juice and cook this until it is soft. If it is too dry add a couple of Tablespoons of the chicken broth from cooking the chicken.  Add the chicken.  Cook the rice noodles 1-2 minutes. Mix it all together in a large bowl and add the cilantro and soy sauce to taste. 6-8 Servings. Enjoy!

 

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Eggroll in a Bowl

My daughter-in-law Rachel has an adventurous spirit. She is a fitness coach, scuba diver, and she and her husband are building their own floating house! She loves to cook and is always searching and finding great recipes to cook and share.  Rachel recently shared with me how she makes Eggroll in a Bowl. This is a fast, 30 minutes or less, easy, healthy, and delicious recipe! I love Asian food and decided to try my hand at this too!

Eggroll in a Bowl

2  – 1 lb. packages raw cabbage slaw mix

1/2 bunch of green onions thinly sliced

2 Tablespoons fresh ginger or dehydrated ginger

2 lbs. of turkey sausage

8 cloves of garlic minced

2 Tablespoons of soy sauce (wheat free)

2 Tablespoons sesame oil

Balsamic vinegar (if desired)

Parmesan (if desired)

Cook the turkey sausage. Drain the turkey. While it is cooking mince your garlic and ginger and slice your onions. Heat your sesame oil in your skillet and cook your garlic, ginger, and onions 1-2 minutes add your cabbage and cook until it is wilted. Add your turkey to the rest and season with your soy sauce and a little balsamic vinegar if desired. Enjoy! This is how I make mine. Rachel tops hers with parmesan. This is making a regular appearance on my menu!

Let me know what you think!

Happy Cooking!

If you would like to know more about my sweet daughter-in-law Rachel Redding and her fitness coaching then check out www.purefitnessredd.homesteadcloud.com

“I believe in being healthy mentally, spiritually, and physically because when you focus on total body wellness you become the best and strongest YOU that you can be!” Rachel

 

 

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Tacos for a Crowd

When my kids call and tell me that they are bringing 20 friends over for dinner (or for the weekend) this is what I make! I have two very fast meals I could cook. Today,  I will share one of them.

Tacos, Taco Salad, or Taco Bar is the fasted thing I can make to satisfy a hungry crowd and leave me with energy enough to visit with my company. One of the things I like about making a taco bar is that everyone can make their own plates. If they are vegetarian or meat eaters, if they are dairy or gluten-free they can all eat.

I brown the ground beef at least 5 lbs and/or start chicken breasts baking in the oven to be shredded and seasoned with taco seasoning or some herbs from your cabinet (chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper and red pepper flakes if you like it hot!) The beef takes me about 15 minutes to get it all browned, drained, and seasoned. The chicken breasts usually take 20 minutes to cook and then I either cut them up or put them through my food processor.

1 to 2 heads of Romaine lettuce ( I like it best, probably because it is greener) or bagged Romaine

A large jug of salsa, if we don’t have homemade in the fridge or two regular jars

Sour Cream at least 24 oz.

2 cans of black olives sliced if not presliced or diced

2 cans of pinto beans or black beans, drained if you do not have homemade beans on hand

One or two bunches of  green onions or any onions chopped in the food processor or chopper

A few tomatoes chopped, 2-4

A large bag of shredded cheese 2-4 lbs.

A couple of bags of tortilla chips, taco shells, or soft tortillas or a combination

If I am in a hurry the only thing I really have to cook is the meat. While the meat is cooking I open the other items and set up the bar. Giant bowls of chips, cheese, lettuce, and smaller bowls of sour cream, tomatoes, onions, and olives.

You may not need tacos for a crowd but hopefully, some of these suggestions will help you get dinner on the table fast whether you are feeding a crowd or just your family.

Now for my tips and shortcuts:

Buy bulk ground beef when it is on sale. Brown and season your ground beef and put it in freezer baggies in 3-4 cup packages. Then it is ready for making quick dinners during the week or for surprises.

Buy large bags of shredded cheese (at great prices of course) and divide it into freezer bags. I do bags with 2 cups each and freeze them.

Make your own taco seasonings. You have more control over what is in your food as well as saving money.

 

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Sour Cherry Nutella Mousse

Sour Cherry Nutella Mousse

This is a quick and easy dessert! Sour Cherry Nutella Mousse can be mixed up and ready to eat in 10 minutes.

Sour Cherry Nutella Mousse

16 ounces whipped topping

1  small jar of Nutella (13 oz. jar)

14-15 ounces of unsweetened red tart cherries, drained

Mix the three ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes. Remove from the fridge and serve in dessert dishes or teacups if you wish.

Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

This recipe makes 8-10 very rich servings!

 

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Gluten-free Cornbread

This cornbread is soft and tasty!

Gluten-free Cornbread

1 cup of corn meal

1 cup of Pamela’s gluten-free biscuit and scone mix ( I have also used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free baking mix)

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon baking powder

2 eggs

2 Tablespoons cooking oil

1 ¼ cups of milk

Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix the dry ingredients together first and then top it with the eggs, milk, and oil and stir it together until blended. Don’t overmix. Pour into a hot oiled iron skillet or an oiled 8-inch square baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until done. Makes about 9 large servings.

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Steak Fajitas

Steak Fajitas

1 ½ lb. of steak sliced thin against the grain or you may buy it already cut for fajitas

4 green bell peppers sliced and cut into chunks

2 onions sliced thin

8 ounces of pre-sliced baby Bella mushrooms

McCormick Montreal steak seasoning

soy sauce (gluten free)

olive oil

Preheat your broiler on high or you may pan fry. Place the steak in a bowl and sprinkle with the Montreal steak seasoning on both sides and pour on some soy sauce, turn the meat to coat. Let that marinate while you chop the vegetables. Coat your pan with olive oil and place the meat on it and broil for 7 minutes each side. Meanwhile, coat your iron skillet with a little olive oil and stir fry the veggies on the stove top. When both are done pour the veggies on top of the steak and stir. Serve. I served mine with a bit of homemade salsa, made by my wonderful husband, a slice of avocado and some chips. A quick and delicious dinner.

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Cooking Beans

I grew up cooking beans. They were a regular part of our diet. A pot of beans and a few green onions with a tomato make a wonderful meal. These would be picked from our garden right out the back door.

When asked how to cook beans or asked for a recipe to cook beans I am often surprised. Beans have always been a part of my diet. I never knew there was a recipe for cooking beans.

So here are a few ways I have tried cooking beans:

Take a package of beans from your favorite grocery store or buy your dried beans in bulk. There are many kinds of beans and they can be used in so many wonderful ways. My family’s favorite is what West Virginians call brown beans. What are brown beans? Pinto beans. I also cook white beans and occasionally butter beans.

1. First, look the beans.
What are you looking for? Many times you will find small rocks or clumps of dirt or debris in the beans. Once you have looked your beans then rinse them.

2. Soak the Beans.
To soak the beans place them in a pan of water. The water should be at least 2-3 inches over the beans. Why? Beans increase in volume as they absorb the water. There are a few ways you can soak these.

  • place the beans in a covered pot of water overnight (at least 2-3 inches above the level of the beans). In the morning either drain the water and add fresh or use the same water and begin to simmer on the stove-top until done.
  •  or you may place the beans in a covered pot of water and do a quick soak by cooking until they are boiling for 2-3 minutes and then turning off and covering for one hour. There are two thoughts about what to do next. Drain the water and add fresh or keep the water and simmer on your stove until done. You can tell they are tender by taste or you may want to put one or two on a spoon and blow on it and the skin will split when done.
  • Slow cooking. You may place the clean rinsed beans in your Crock-pot or you may do this step after either of the previous steps. Or you may look, rinse, and then place them in the Crock-pot on low. I usually do this the night before and they are ready by morning to be seasoned and eaten or used in a recipe. You might want to start them on low in the morning if they are to be eaten for your evening meal.
  • Instant Pots are really popular right now. I am still experimenting with cooking beans in the Instant Pot. I have washed the beans and added them to the InstaPot without soaking them. I added my liquid and chopped ham and used the manual setting and cooked for 50 minutes and let it slowly release. I finished seasoning the beans. They were delicious and ready to eat in 1 hour.
  • SEE Donna King’s comment below on salt brine soaking for beans. She shares the how-tos and the science of softer skins.

 

Most of my life I used one of the first two ways of soaking the beans and cooking beans. In recent years I discovered how easy it is to cook beans with the use of the Crock-pot.

Now after your beans are done you may season them. (With the exception of using a ham bone or ham to season your beans,  I would add this as it cooks) For me, this is not an exact science. I tend to add a small amount of cumin, chili powder, onions, or onion flakes, sometimes small pieces of chopped green bell pepper and/or cilantro, garlic, salt, and pepper. Start with small amounts and season to taste.

WARNING: Make sure if you are going to use tomatoes in your beans or bean recipes, that you do not add them until the beans are completely done or your beans will not get tender!

There. Now you know how I cook beans. Brown beans are one of our favorite meals with cornbread and a slice of onion or tomato. They are also a great addition to many recipes like taco salad, taco meat mixture, bean burritos, chili, etc. So add some beans to your diet for nutritional and financial benefits!
If you have any more questions about how to cook beans please let me know.

 

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Dark Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

Dark Chocolate is my favorite. And sometimes you just NEED chocolate you know? When you have no sweets made, you make some. This is my version of No-Bakes. This makes a small batch.

Dark Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup evaporated milk

1/4 cup butter

2 Tablespoons of Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa

1/4 cup natural crunchy peanut butter

1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Old Country Style Muesli  + 1/2 cup old fashioned oats (or for gluten-free use  1 ½ cups of oats)

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 ½ minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter, Muesli, oats, and vanilla. Drop by spoonfuls on waxed paper. Let cool if you can wait! These set up really fast.

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My Chicken Curry Recipe

I used to make Chicken Curry in huge batches and freeze them. Lately, I haven’t been making it very much. When I did my menu plan this month I included this recipe. I no longer need the big batches. Yes, it is sad and happy. I miss having all my kids around the table. I am happy for them that they have their own adventures, though. Today my table only included 4 of us. We enjoyed a time of sharing what we are each working on and talking about complex math problems.

So here is my take on Chicken Curry! A big batch of 8-10 servings. Some to freeze for later or some to have for tomorrow’s lunch.

Chicken Curry

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chopped onions

1 cup chopped green peppers

6 cups cooked chicken, chopped

2 Tablespoons of curry powder

salt to taste (1-1/2 teaspoons – 1 Tablespoon at my house)

1 cup water

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 cups  tomato sauce

4 cloves (not bulbs!) of garlic crushed or chopped finely

6-8 cups of cooked rice

Cook onion and green pepper in the oil until tender. Add the chicken. Sauté briefly. In a small bowl mix the salt and curry powder. Add tomato sauce and pour mixture over the chicken mixture. Mix. Heat a bit until hot and bubbly. Serve over rice.

Chicken Curry
Curry Chicken Skillet
Chicken Curry
Chicken Curry

Let me know what you think of this recipe. Please share your favorite curry recipe below or send me an email. I love to hear from you and I love to try new recipes.