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The BEST you’ll ever have… My Signature Macaroni Salad

August 18, 2014

My Signature Macaroni Salad is the BEST macaroni salad EVER. It’s going to be the side dish that everyone loves at your BBQ.

I wish that macaroni salad was a food group.

And, of course, you’d get to have 4-6 servings to meet your daily servings requirements.

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Butternut Squash-Apple Soup

October 28, 2013

How is October wrapping up this week?

Halloween is Thursday night. I really wanted to have a costume this year since I could have fun and dress up the baby bump but I’m not having much luck coming up with a costume. We’ll see what I can come up with quickly so that I can get dressed up to hand out some candy. Oh yeah, and we can’t forget to get a costume for Kemper. ha!

Since October is wrapping up it means it’s time to post this month’s recipe for my Secret Recipe Club post. This month I received the blog called The Wimpy Vegetarian. Susan’s blog is full of great recipes that feature fresh ingredients and vibrant flavors.

As usual, Price picked the recipe for me to make for this month’s SRC post. He was thinking fall when he picked the Butternut Squash-Apple Soup. I’m so glad that he did because we had a monster of a butternut squash sitting on our counter just waiting to be used. I had been staring at it wondering what to do since it was so big. Seriously, it was about from my finger tips to my elbow. A little intimidating to say the least. But this soup ended up being the perfect fit for it.

We loved this soup! It felt so rich without being indulgent. Can’t beat a healthy soup that is quick to make. It would be the perfect fit to make on a weekend or just after work.

Even the dog liked the soup! It’s vegetarian so I just mixed a bit into his food and he loved it. I’m always trying to give him extra fruits and veggies as treats instead of processed treats so I figured I’d just give this a try as well and he LOVED it.

I highly suggest making this amazing Butternut Squash-Apple Soup when you are craving a delicious soup that is simple to make and that will fill you up on fresh fall flavors.

Butternut Squash-Apple Soup

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

2 medium butternut squash
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oils
2 tablespoons butter
5 cups vegetable stock
1 cup apple cider
1 teaspoon salt, to taste

Process

Preheat the oven to 400° F.
Peel and then slice off the top and bottom of each squash. Slice in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and pulp with a spoon and then chop the squash into 1″ cubes.
Toss the squash with a little olive oil, lightly salt, and spread on a baking sheet. Roast until very, very soft and lightly caramelized, about 30 minutes.
In a very large pot, melt the butter over medium high heat and cook until lightly browned. Lower the heat and add the remaining olive oil and the onion. Saute for about 20 minutes or until the onion begins to caramelize.
Add the squash, vegetable stock, apple cider, and salt to the pot, and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes.
In small batches, pour the soup into a blender and puree to a smooth.
Season to taste prior to serving.

Adapted from The Whimpy Vegetarian

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Check out my previous 2 years of Secret Recipe Club Posts.

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Thanks for visiting. Please leave me a comment to provide some feedback. I appreciate all the comments I receive.

Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake

September 30, 2013

This Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake is a delicious vegetarian pasta casserole that will have you begging for seconds. The artichokes and spinach pack a flavor punch and the buttery crumb topping is the perfect finishing touch.

I do this every year to myself.

I think this process is like giving birth. Or at least I am going to compare it to that for this analogy. Just go along…

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Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

August 2, 2013

Recently I’ve been craving sweets. So unlike me. Typically I’d rather have chips but I can’t get chocolate chip cookies or brownies OR a brownie sandwiched by 2 chocolate chip cookies with a glass of chocolate milk. Instead I eat fruit- let’s not talk about the # of peaches I’ve eaten this week. ha

But bringing me back into my salty carb loving self were these Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches. Fresh shaved steak, sautéed pepper and onions, and melty cheese on a soft sub roll… perfect! Plus then I couldn’t resist serving them up with some curly fries. Umm you just can’t have salad with a cheesesteak. nope.

This Cheesesteak is quick to whip up and would be great to serve this weekend while you watch the Pocono Race! A race in the great state of Pennsylvania, so I figured a cheesesteak was just what was needed for this week’s edition of Sprint Cup Snacks. Nestled in the Poconos, Long Pond is only 2 hours away from Philly so I couldn’t resist making a cheesesteak. At least I’m not dragging Gino’s and Pat’s fans into this since you get to make your own at home and don’t have to pick which dueling cheesesteak institution is the best.

Enjoy a cheesesteak and the race this weekend!!

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

Makes 4 subs

Ingredients

1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 large yellow onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound shaved steak
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 sub rolls
8 slices of provolone cheese

Process

Slice the peppers and oil into long thin strips. Set aside.
Heat 2-3 tablespoons in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it starts to shimmer, add the pepper and onion strips and the garlic. Sautee the vegetables until soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Return the skillet to the cook-top over medium-high heat and add the meat and Worcestershire sauce. Stir the meat to mix and evenly cook throughout. Once the meat is done, add the cooked vegetables back to the skillet to combine.
Place 2 slices of cheese on every roll, then evenly top with the meat.

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

April 2, 2013

This Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole is a creamy, flavorful chicken and rice casserole that is easy to make and is a great comfort food dish to dig into.

I love making this casserole because it’s so easy and it’s so tasty. I suggest that you double the recipe so you can freeze another to save for later. Yum!

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Steak Quesadillas

March 1, 2013

Well, we have made it through Race Week and the Daytona 500. While the Daytona 500 was exciting the previous day’s Nationwide Race had a very scary ending with one of the cars becoming airborne and slamming into catch fence. Driver Michael Annett is out indefinitely because of a fractured and dislocated sternum and 28 fans were injured when debris went into the stands. I can only hope that people recover quickly and that this provides valuable information to help NASCAR continue to work on driver and fan safety.

This upcoming weekend’s Sprint Cup race is at Phoenix International Raceway. Since the race is in Arizona I felt that something with a Mexican influence would be fun for this week’s edition of Sprint Cup Snacks. I decided on some Steak Quesadillas because I love how they are perfect for snacking but filling for a meal. Plus when you walk by some fantastic looking beef at your grocery store you can’t resist.

I swear I could eat quesadillas every day. They are just so amazing! It’s a twist on a sandwich that I can enjoy. Typically my least favorite part of a sandwich is the bread, either because it is too soft and plain or too hearty and heavy. If I were goldylocks the tortilla would be just right. Plus how can you resist

Besides enjoying these Steak Quesadillas while you watch the race be sure to make them for a party as they make for a great dish to serve as you can prep them right before the party and you can keep warm in a oven at 200 degrees. Or just make and enjoy for dinner with some rice and beans. yum!

Be sure to check back every week to see what Sprint Cup Snacks recipe I have whipped up for the upcoming race. The next race is in Vegas… oh the possibilities. 🙂

Steak Quesadillas

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 pound of beef loin sirloin tip
2 teaspoons adobo seasoning, divided
1 large white onion
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
12 ounces white mushrooms
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 ounces of pepper jack cheese, shredded
8 flour taco tortillas

Process

Coat the sirloin with adobe seasoning. Let rest for at least 30 minutes.
While the sirloin is resting, slice the onion and the mushrooms, slice the peppers into strips. Mix in a large bowl with 1 teaspoon adobo seasoning. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and then add the vegetables to cook until browned and soft.
Grill the steak until it is medium-rare with an internal temperature of 130 to 135 degrees. Let the cooked steak rest for 5 minutes prior to thinly slicing across the grain.
Assemble the quesadillas by laying out one tortilla, put 1/4 of each the shredded cheese, cooked vegetables, and sliced steak on the tortilla, then top with another tortilla. Repeat the process for the other 3 quesadillas.
Place the quesadillas on baking sheets and broil until tortilla has browned the cheese has started to melt. Flip to brown the other side.
Serve warm with condiments like salsas, guacamole, and sour cream.

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{Sprint Cup Snacks Track Facts}

NASCAR races at the Phoenix International Raceway for the second and the second to last race of the year. There is a triv oval racing track as well as a 1.51 road course configuration. The stands seat 67,000 fans… consider that is A LOT more fans than these new Baseball Stadiums- Marlins Park (36,742) and Yankee Stadium (50,287).

Track: 1 mile

Shape: “D”-shaped Tri-Oval

Banking: 10-12 degree banking in Turns 1 and 2; 8-9 degree banking in Turns 3-4; 10-12 banking in the Backstretch; 3 degree banking in the Frontstretch

Surface: Asphalt

Race: 312 laps for 500 kilometers

2012 winners: Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick

Spanakopita Stuffed Chicken Breasts

February 20, 2013

When we first got Kemper I took most of the next week off so I could run outside with him every hour-ish so we could get him trained quickly. Well in hopes of that. Also in making wrong assumptiongs… I thought I would get so much blogging, scrapbooking, cleaning done while he sleep but that is a big fat no since I just ooed and awwed over him while he slept. Seriously. Hopeless.

At least I did manage to make some great meals for my lunches and for our dinners that week. I’ve been looking all around at the mass quantities of cookbooks I have and I’ve decided that I need to actually crack them open and make some recipes from them. The first one I grabbed was The Ultimate Casseroles Book: More than 400 Heartwarming Dishes from Dips to Desserts. This is such a fantastic Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. There are so many great recipes in there that I’ve flagged. The book is so full of post-it’s now it’s a bit crazy.

I suggest that you try the Spanakopita Stuffed Chicken Breasts because they were just fantastic. I love spanakopita with it’s puff pastry pockets stuffed with spinach, salty feta, and fresh lemon. Stuffing the chicken breasts with that mixture was a great way to spice up some chicken for dinner. I love Greek inspired dishes and this is one that I will make again.

I made some changes along the way but it still worked out just a planned. Mainly, I used boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. My preparation of the chicken differed as I didn’t stuff the spinach mixture between the skin and breasts, but created a pocket myself. Also, the recipe called for 3 tablespoons snipped fresh dill added to the spinach mixture, but I didn’t have it around so I didn’t want to buy it just for this as I don’t really like dill anyway.

Spanakopita Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion (1 medium)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
10oz box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1/3 cup crumbled feta
1/4 ground nutmeg
1 medium sized lemon
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 skinless chicken breasts (approximately 2 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium sized lemon, cut into wedges

Process

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a 3 quart casserole dish by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
In a medium skillet, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent (about 4-6 minutes). Remove from heat then add the spinach, feta, nutmeg, pepper, and the juice from 1 lemon. Combine all the ingredients and then divide into 4 equal portions.
Cut large pockets into the chicken breasts. Put 1/4 of the spinach mixture into each open chicken breast. Close the chicken breasts as much as possible and place in the casserole dish. Add the lemon wedges to the casserole dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake for 35-45 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees).

Quinoa and Brussels Sprouts Salad

March 29, 2012

Quinoa and Brussels Sprouts Salad is the perfect side for grilled hot dogs, steak, or chicken. It’s flavorful and pairs well with everything. Yum!

Post from 3/29/12, Pictures Updated 10/8/18

Post Contains Affiliate Links. Read my full disclosure HERE

I am going to be one of those people who argue the amazingness that is the brussels sprout. It can be raw in a slaw or cooked and eaten by the bowl full. You can saute it, bake it, or roast it. I don’t remember if I grew up hating them (mom?), but I can tel you now that I love them. I really think that if you hated them growing up you should give them a try again. You rock if you already love Brussels sprouts as much as me.

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