Easy Bruschetta

Ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, crispy bread, yum! Bruschetta is one of my favorite hot weather meals. It is also super easy and doesn't mean being in a hot kitchen forever.

Start by cutting the tomatoes. 

Saute some garlic in olive oil until it is very lightly browned.

Add thinly sliced basil and the garlic and oil to the tomatoes.

Throw in some chopped onion, a few splashes of balsamic vinegar, some salt, and pepper

Mix it up and bask in the glory of how gorgeous it is. Let it sit in the fridge for about an hour if you have time, if not, it is ready to serve immediately too.

Heat some oil, butter, bacon grease, or whatever your fat of choice is, in a pan and saute the bread until it is crispy and golden brown.

Top the bread with the tomato mixture and enjoy before it goes soggy! We like to eat it with sausages to balance out the meal, but I would be happy to eat the bruschetta by itself.

Bruschetta

Ingredients

• 6 ripe tomatoes
• 1 small onion, red if you have it
• 5-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/4-1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
• 2-4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• your favorite good, crusty bread, I used Wegmans rosemary olive oil bread
• Oil to brown the bread

Method

1. Chop the tomatoes, onion, and slice the basil
2. Lightly brown the garlic in the olive oil
3. Combine the tomatoes, onion, basil, garlic and oil in a large bowl
4. Add the balsamic, salt, and pepper. It is super important to just add a little at a time and taste it repeatedly. You don't want it too salty or vinegary. Allow the flavors to combine for about an hour in the fridge or serve right away.
5. Brown the bread in oil until golden brown and crispy.

Not So Korean Beef

This is a staple recipe in our house. The Hubby loves it, Sprout loves it, Bean is a little less than enthused, but sometimes he eats the meat. Before you ask what makes it Korean, the answer is... not much. I only call it that because the recipe I modified it from calls it that. It is another small list of ingredients meal that packs a lot of flavor. We eat it over rice or quinoa.

I start with a little sesame oil and plenty of garlic.

When the Garlic is softened, but not brown, add the ground beef.

Brown it well and then add frozen (or fresh) veggies of your choice. I used mixed veggies because I had extra from another meal. The sauce ingredients also go in at this point, but I don't have a good picture of that for you.

Let the veggies heat through and you are ready to serve. I like to top mine with green onions, some toasted sesame seeds, and a little sriracha or red pepper flakes.

Not So Korean Beef

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• sesame oil
• 10 oz frozen veggies (or as much fresh as you want)
• 2 (or more) cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated; or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• A splash of fish sauce if you have it (it adds a little extra umami flavor)
• Optional toppings: sesame seeds, green onions, red pepper flakes, etc

Method

1. Heat sesame oil in a pan and add garlic
2. Cook just until softened and add ground beef
3. When the beef is cooked through, add the veggies, brown sugar, soy sauce, and ginger
4. Allow the veggies to heat through and it is ready to serve

Sausage and Squash Skillet

I love squash. Summer squash or winter squash, I'll eat it all! My boys? Not so much. The hubby loves spaghetti squash, but that is about it. He'll eat it if it is in front of him, but squash just isn't his thing and that is ok. I figure if I pair it with something he loves, such as sausage, he'll be more willing to chow down. I was certainly right with this recipe. It is the essence of summer to me. Bright veggies and perfectly browned, smoked sausage. Another bonus? It is not a lot of prep or ingredients, which is good for our food budget.

I started by sauteing an onion in some leftover bacon fat.

Next came the sausage, I just did rounds, but you could cut it as small as you like.

Once the sausage started getting lovely and brown, I added the squash, tomatoes, garlic, and seasonings.

I stirred it a few times just to get everything evenly coated and then I just let it cook.

Once the tomatoes release some liquid and the squash is cooked to your liking, it is ready to enjoy with a couple smoky cheddar biscuits (recipe coming soon!) or over pasta!

Pardon the foot photobomb

Smoked Sausage and Squash Skillet

Original recipe at: Yellow Bliss Road

Ingredients:

• 1 package smoked sausage (kielbasa would also work)
• 1 medium zucchini, cut in half rounds
• 1 medium yellow squash, cut in half rounds
• 1 small onion, diced
• olive oil, butter, or bacon fat
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
• 1-3 cloves garlic, minced 
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1. Add oil, butter, or bacon fat and onions to a 12 inch skillet and allow the onions to soften
2. Add sausage and cook until lightly browned
3. Next comes the squash, tomatoes, garlic, and seasonings
4. Allow the veggies to cook down and soften to your liking
5. Serve with bread, pasta, or rice to sop up the lovely sauce

Seafood Saturday: Caramelized Salmon

Salmon is, hands down, my favorite fish. I LOVE salmon. I'm pretty sure I could eat it every day and never be sick of it. Meaty and fishy and wonderful, it is everything I want in a fish. I decided to try something new today and do caramelized salmon. The recipe I used was really, really salty. I checked to see if I misread or mismeasured. Nope... lesson learned and next time I will cut the salt by a lot. So this is the recipe with the salt already reduced for your convenience because I am just that nice of a person.

Start with about a pound of salmon for 4 people or 2 people if they are both really hungry. Cut it in 4 even portions and let it rest a few minutes. seriously though, look at that gorgeous fish!

Next up, make the rub. Brown sugar, salt, and black pepper. You could add pretty much any other herbs and spices and have it be delicious.

Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a broiler safe pan over medium heat. Put the rub all over the salmon and then put it in the pan skin side down.

Let it cook without moving it for about 4 minutes.

Flip it carefully. and add a little more of the rub to the skin side. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes.

Flip it back to skin side down, put a little more of the rub on the top and put it under the broiler for 1-2 minutes. Watch it VERY carefully. Sugar burns amazingly fast if you aren't watching it.
Let it cool for a minute or two before serving because the sugar will still be quite hot.

Serve with roasted veggies and a side of potatoes for a filling and delicious meal.

Caramelized Salmon

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

• 1 lb salmon
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• cracked black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Portion the salmon into 4 equal pieces.
2. Mix the rub ingredients together in a small bowl.
3. Heat the oil over medium heat in a broiler safe pan.
4. Coat the salmon well in the rub and place, skin side down, in the hot pan.
5. Allow to cook for 4-5 minutes and then carefully turn.
6. Allow to cook for another 2-3 minutes, add a little more rub, and carefully flip again.
7. Add another little bit of the rub and place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes or until the sugar is melted and very lightly browned. Make sure to watch it carefully.
8. Allow to cool for 1-2 minutes before serving as the sugar will be very hot.
   
   
   
   

Egg-Free Pancakes

There are a few things I can count on everyone in the family eating, breakfast for dinner is one of them. After modifying a bunch of other recipes, I finally found this one  and after a couple modifications, they are delicious!

Combine dry and wet ingredients and whisk.

Make sure you don't whisk too much. Lumps are just fine.

Scoop out about 1/3 cup for each pancake.

Let them get a little bubbly on the top and then flip. My pan is pretty warped. I should probably get a new one.

Let them cook on the other side for a bit and then plate them up! Look at those golden brown beauties!

Ingredients

2 1⁄2 cups

 all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons

 baking powder

3 tablespoons

 sugar

1⁄2 teaspoon

 salt

2 cups and 2 tablespoons

 milk

4 tablespoons

 vegetable oil

Directions

1. Mix together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in medium bowl.
2. Combine milk and oil. Add to dry ingredients.
3. Stir just until moistened.
4. Bake on a hot, lightly greased griddle.
5. Pancakes are ready to turn when tops are bubbly all over, a few bubbles have burst, and the edges begin to appear dry. Use a quick flip with a broad spatula to turn pancakes. Turn only once.
6. Continue to bake until bottoms are brown and dry.
7. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Spaghetti Night

If there is one thing I can count on my whole family eating every time it is spaghetti. With or without meat, all three of my boys are spaghetti fiends. My favorite thing about it? It is one of the least expensive meals I can make. One pound of spaghetti and a quick homemade red sauce make for some seriously good eats.

I start out with getting a pot of water going for my pasta and then start in on my sauce. I saute some onion and garlic for a few minutes until they get soft and fragrant.

Then comes the easiest part, I open up a can of crushed tomatoes and a can of tomato paste and in the pot they go.

After the tomatoes go in, I throw in some Italian herbs, salt, pepper, and a touch of sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. One of the problems of being an intuitive cook is that I hardly ever measure my spices and seasonings, but I'll do my best to get a decent measurement in the recipe. I cook by taste when it is something like this. Once it tastes right, I let it simmer while my pasta cooks.

Basic Red Sauce

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3-5 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 6oz can tomato paste
• 1-2 tablespoons italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• cracked black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon sugar

1. Saute the onion and garlic in the oil until softened and slightly browned
2. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and stir to combine
3. Season and adjust as needed
4. Simmer until heated through

Note: You can add one half to a full pound of ground beef or sausage to this sauce to up the flavor

My Favorite One Pot Meal

So, this is my first post on this new blog. I have had a surprising amount of requests to explain how I feed my family of four on a reasonable budget and how I make such amazing looking, and tasting, food. I figured I would start off with one of my best one pot meals. It is fast, easy, and cost effective. I use it as a catch-all for frozen and fresh veggies and whatever meat or beans I have on hand. We always have leftovers for my the hubby to take to school the next day which is way better than him eating out (I'm looking at you, Chipotle!). It isn't a very pretty meal, but it sure tastes delicious! Feel free to skip straight to the recipe at the bottom of the post. I won't judge you. I do that all the time! Here is how I made it today.

One Pot Rice Skillet

What's in it tonight?
1 small onion
1 lb ground beef
4 small carrots
leftover smoky black beans and corn
1 box of Beef Rice-a-Roni
2.5 cups water
a handful of frozen broccoli
a handful of frozen cauliflower

1 clove of garlic

First, brown your meat. 

Then you throw in your fresh veggies and let them cook for 3-5 minutes

Toss in your frozen veggies, if you are using them, the water, and the seasoning for the Rice-a-Roni. 

Bring it to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and stick a lid on it. Let it cook for 15-20 minutes. The veggies and rice should be cooked nicely and the liquid will be gone.

Ingredients

• 1 small onion
• 4 small carrots
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 lb ground beef (you can easily sub chicken, pork, sausage, beans, mushrooms, etc)
• 1 cup frozen veggies (use whatever your family will eat, we like cauliflower and broccoli)
• 1 box Rice-a-Roni (I usually buy store brand or make my own)
• 2.5 cups water
• Optional toppings: fresh herbs, cheese, fried egg, hot sauce, or whatever you like

How to cook it

1. Brown the meat over medium high heat
2. Add the onions, garlic, and carrots and cook for 3-5 minutes
3. Pour in the water and add the frozen veggies and the seasoning packet if you are using a boxed mix.
4. Bring the liquid to a boil
5. Reduce to a simmer and cover the pan
6. Cook for 15-20 minutes until rice and veggies are cooked through
7. Eat the delicious, filling goodness!