Tag: Freezable

Chunky Beef and Vegetable Chili

Note: I was sent a box of various Bob’s Red Mill products to make the below recipe. Opinions are mine alone.

This past weekend, a friend and I got together to stock our freezers. The fall is a super busy time of year for most, so we wanted to have a variety of meals ready to make some nights (and mornings) easier. We settled on eleven (11!) recipes, organized a shopping list split between the two of us, and set up prep work (chopping veggies for the most part) for the night before. The next morning, we met at my place and got to cooking!

Chunky Beef and Vegetable Chili

Chili is a go-to freezer recipe. Not only does it freeze well, but it works great on its own, with cornbread, over polenta, as a “dip” with corn chips, with eggs for breakfast, etc. This recipe originally began as a vegetarian chili, but we had more ground beef leftover, so in it went!

I am a firm believer that dried beans make for a tastier dish than canned beans. There is some prep work needed, but it is very much worth it. I used Bob’s Red Mill Red Kidney Beans and Cannellini Beans for this recipe.

source: bobsredmill.com

We made a LOT of this chili, somewhere around 20 servings, so I’ve scaled it down for this post to make it more appropriate. Feel free to double if needed.

Note: I will share and link all of our recipes below. It was quite a successful cooking day!

Ingredients (makes 8-10 servings):

  • 12 oz dried Bob’s Red Mill Red Kidney Beans (~1/2 bag)
  • 12 oz dried Bob’s Red Mill Cannellini Beans (1/2 bag)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (in bite sized pieces)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large red bell peppers
  • 4tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 (28 oz) can no-salt-added tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Continue reading Chunky Beef and Vegetable Chili

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

 Note: This post for Meatballs in Tomato Sauce is sponsored by Moyer Beef. All opinions are mine alone.

Sunday night in my house is pasta night, which almost always means pasta with a meaty tomato sauce. I tend to make Meatballs in Tomato Sauce in batches about once a month and freeze it for future Sundays.

It’s funny, I make this Meatballs in Tomato Sauce recipe all the time and yet

  1. I had no clue what measurements I was putting into my sauce, and
  2. never posted the recipe to my blog!

Continuing my partnership with Moyer Beef, I decided it was about darn time I actually figured out what exactly I make every month and to share it on here.

These meatballs are half ground beef and half hot Italian sausage. It adds a touch of heat to the overall sauce without being actually spicy.

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

  • 1 lb 80% lean ground beef (I used Moyer Beef’s 81% lean ground beef chuck)
  • 1 lb hot Italian sausage removed from its casing
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Tomato Sauce:

  • 1 lb beef short ribs (1-2 pieces)
  • 1 lb 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
  • 2 (28 oz) cans strained tomatoes (can substitute tomato puree)
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Continue reading Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Cape Malay Curry

My husband and I (obviously) love trying new and different recipes. Living in Philadelphia, we are lucky enough to have a pretty solid restaurant scene, covering quite a range of cuisines. So my interest is always peaked by a recipe I haven’t tried before that comes from a different part of the world and I can make at home, like this recipe for Cape Malay Curry.

Cape Malay Curry comes from Cape Town, South Africa. Beginning in the 17th century, slaves from Indonesia and Southeast Asia were brought to work the farms of Cape Town, South Africa. Known as Cape Malays, the name “Cape” is derived from the Cape of Good Hope and “Malay” refers to the community’s Indonesian, Malaysian and Singaporean ancestry.

The Cape Malay community has had a lot of influence on South African foods, particularly with the introduction of certain spices, hot sauces, and curries. This chunky beef stew is a sweet and savory curry dish, which reminds me a bit of my husband’s favorite meal, Slow Cooker Chicken and Chickpea Tagine, so I had a feeling we’d like this recipe.

This is definitely a weekend meal; it simmers on the stove for 2 hours. However, it could easily be multiplied to make a large batch and frozen for future meals.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons canola oil
  • 2 cups chopped onion
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 pound beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 1/4 cups less-sodium beef broth
  • 1 cup chopped green bell pepper (about 1 medium)
  • 1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
  • 1/3 cup apricot spread
  • 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk (or coconut milk to make dairy-free)
  • 1 cup cooked rice

Continue reading Cape Malay Curry

Very Berry Pie

Note: I was sent a Glass 9″ Pie Plate, a Steel Pie Server, a Double Pastry Wheel, and a 1″ Pastry Brush from OXO. All opinions are alone.
This time of year get’s crazy busy doesn’t it?  I feel like December always flies by! Before you know it, the holidays are here. And prepping for them can be tough; it’s difficult to figure out what can be made ahead of time without sacrificing quality.
This Very Berry pie recipe is here to save the day! It can be prepared ahead of time and frozen.
I call this a Very Berry Pie, because it has 5 (!) different types of berries in it: Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Strawberries and Cranberries. It uses frozen berries to make prepping even easier.
 
When ready to bake, thaw in your fridge overnight and then bake. Simple right?
Making it even more simple is the use of an OXO Glass 9″ Pie Plate. All OXO Glass Bakeware is made of thermal shock resistant borosilicate glass, so you don’t need to bring it to room temperature before adding it to your oven! (The other glass baking dishes are perfect for pre-made sides for your holiday dinners as well!)
Source: OXO.com

 

OXO has many other tools that help make preparing for the holidays even easier. You’ll see quite a few of them pop up throughout this post.
Ingredients:
For the pie crust:
  • 1 1/3 cups cold butter
  • 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup ice-cold water
  • Note: You can also buy pre-made pie crusts. I won’t tell.
For the pie filling:
  • 2 (16 oz) bags frozen mixed berries (mine had blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries)
  • 1 (16 oz) bag frozen cranberries
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling on top of the pie
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 egg white

Continue reading Very Berry Pie

Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu

This Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu is the ultimate comfort food and is perfect for busy fall weeknights!

It is definitely feeling like fall in Philadelphia now. The days are getting shorter, and there is a chill in the air. Which means my slow cooker is back in full force!

I absolutely love my slow cooker (paid link). It makes me so happy to come back to an awesome comfort food meal at the end of the day. This recipe for Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu is basically a really thick meat sauce, made with shredded boneless short ribs. And. It’s fantastic.

This can be served over pasta, egg noodles, polenta, or even mashed potatoes (I went with pappardelle pasta for this round). The recipe makes quite a bit, so you can stock your freezer for nights you just don’t feel like cooking.

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds boneless short ribs
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 5 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 bay leaf

Continue reading Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu

Slow Cooker Braciole

My mom recently put in a request for braciole. And by put in a request, I mean she went to Esposito’s in the Italian Market, purchased braciole, and told me I was going to make it. So. Slow Cooker Braciole it is!

I was excited to try; I’ve never made braciole before. Braciole is a thinly pounded meat that is topped with a filling and then rolled up and secured either with string or toothpicks. The rolled meat is browned and then added to a tomato sauce to cook.

I have to let you know. Braciole is a labor of love. There is so much prep work! The version I am sharing below is a recipe from a family friend that my parents have been using for years. I decided to make it in my slow cooker so that I could leave and run some errands while it cooked. Because of the prep work involved though, this is definitely a weekend meal.

Ingredients:

For Braciole:

  • 3 eggs, hardboiled, diced
  • 2 russet potatoes, boiled and diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 1 lb mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup chopped parsley
  • 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
  • 1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
  • 8 pieces of braiole, or 2 lbs top round, cut into half inch thick slices
  • 8 slices prosciutto
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

For Sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/3 cup dry red wine
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 (26 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (26 oz) can strained tomatoes

Continue reading Slow Cooker Braciole

Cowboy Style Beef Ragout

Sometimes, you just need comfort food. And what is more comforting than a thick tomato meat sauce over polenta, or Cowboy Style Beef Ragout?

This recipe adapted from Cooking Light is reminiscent of Sloppy Joe’s, but is a bit more grown up.

I made a batch of this for my husband to thaw and eat on nights that I work late. Just heat and serve over polenta or egg noodles.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup unsalted chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound 90% lean ground sirloin
  • 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 3 sliced green onions, white and green parts divided
  • 1/2 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
  • 3 cups strained tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

Continue reading Cowboy Style Beef Ragout

Apple Butter Swirled Gingerbread Bars

Note: I was sent a Glass 3 Qt Baking Dish with Lid, Glass 2 Qt Baking Dish with Lid, Brownie Spatula, and Illuminating Digital Hand Mixer from OXO. All opinions are my own. 
September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month. Every year, OXO donates up to $100,000 to support an organization called Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. The organization was founded by two OXOnians (OXO employees) who were inspired by their son Liam’s battle with pediatric cancer, a disease which claims the lives of more children in the US than any other disease. Cookies for Kids’ Cancer provides inspiration and support to allow anyone to easily get involved in fundraising to find a cure for pediatric cancer.
I’ve posted twice a year for the last few years to help bring awareness to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. Click here to see some of my past posts.
Each year, OXO donates $100 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer for each blogger post up to their $100,000 commitment. This year, OXO asked us to use a recipe from Dorie Greenspan’s newest cookbook, Dorie’s Cookies while using some of OXO’s great baking tools. Dorie’s Cookies includes over 200 recipes from classics to brownies to savory cookies, with some great baking tips thrown in.
 
I decided to make a recipe in the cookbook named Mary’s Maine Bars, named after a recipe developed by Dorie’s recipe tester (Mary Dodd) after a family trip to Maine. The bars are a delicious, chewy gingerbread that is perfect for the fall. One of the alternative to the recipe suggested swirling apple butter into the batter, so I tried it out!

Ingredients:

  • 1½ cups (204 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1½ cups (204 grams) whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 cup (200 grams) sugar
  • ¾ cup (180 ml) unsulfured molasses
  • ½ cup (120 ml) flavorless oil, such as canola
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
  • 1/4 apple butter, spiced
  • Sanding or granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Continue reading Apple Butter Swirled Gingerbread Bars

Jambalaya

This weekend, I cooked my little heart out. I realized Labor Day is only a couple of weeks away, so it’s time to stock my freezer with ready-made meals for busy nights in the fall, like this freezable Jambalaya!

I made tomato sauce, slow cooker chicken cacciatore, bacon-topped meatloaf, and this recipe for Jambalaya. (It was a busy weekend!)

This recipe was simple to make, although I did take some shortcuts from the original recipe. It freezes really well too!

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 cups diced sweet onion
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 (10-oz.) cans diced tomatoes and green chiles
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups uncooked rice
  • 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
  • 1 pound frozen peeled, medium-size raw shrimp, deveined
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Continue reading Jambalaya

Irish Brown Bread & Review of Mockmill Grain Mill

Note: I was sent the Mockmill Grain Mill for review. All opinions are mine alone.

I have dabbled in bread-making for this blog before. I’ve made beer bread, sourdough bread, soda bread, and even gluten-free bread in the past.

Since I returned from my honeymoon in Ireland a few weeks ago, I have been craving Irish Brown Bread like crazy. Served typically with breakfast, Irish brown bread is made with a coarse whole wheat flour, resulting in a hearty bread different than anything I can easily find here in the U.S.

The difference is really in the flour. To get the right consistency, you’d need to purchase a wholemeal flour, sometimes labeled as “Irish-Style,” which can be somewhat difficult to find (although it is available online.)

So when I was offered the chance to try out the Mockmill, a grain mill attachment for the KitchenAid Mixer, I jumped at the chance.  I can make my OWN Irish-Style flour!

Besides my very specific reason for wanting to mill my own flour, there are a bunch of other benefits to using a grain mill. Grinding from whole wheat berries at home means that the bran and germ stay in your flour. A bunch of the “good stuff” is found in the bran and germ: fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants. However, the germ is removed from commercial flour because it reduces its shelf life; the oil in germ can turn rancid, so home milled flour should be used in 1-2 weeks, or stored in the freezer.

The Mockmill, designed by Wolfgang Mock, is nicely compact. (As a city dweller, I very much appreciate this.) I love that it attaches right to my stand mixer; it’s really simple to set up and begin using right away.

source: Mockmill

You adjust the coarseness of the grind by twisting the front of the mill. The mill uses self-sharpening ceramic-bonded corundum grinding stones, which can produce a very fine flour if needed.

The Mockmill grinds flour directly into the mixing bowl, really convenient if you’re using it immediately like I am!

Cleaning the Mockmill is also a breeze; the mill can be separated easily and rinsed to clean any minimal residue left from milling.

Mockmill is offering I Can Cook That readers a really sweet deal, available until August 31: $80 off (that’s over 30% off!) two different package options through this link if you use the code icancookthat. 

The packages come with everything you need to begin milling at home: the Mockmill Grain Milling Attachment for Stand Mixers,  a variety of whole grain berries to get you started, plus “Flour Power” by Marleeta Basey, a comprehensive introduction to the benefits of home milling! Be sure to check them out here.

Note: the price listed is the original price. Add the code icancookthat at checkout to receive $80 off. The sets of books, grains, and Mockmills are being especially made for this promotion so delivery times may vary.

To test out the mill (and make me some oh so yummy brown bread,) I decided to start with a relatively simple version of Irish bread, a yeasted version from the Ballymaloe House in County Cork, Ireland. This version of their recipe comes from David Lebovitz, and is super easy to make.

So let’s test this mill out!

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups freshly ground whole-wheat flour (~2 cups red wheat berries)
  • 1/2 cup all purpose white flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 cups tepid water
  • 1 tablespoon dark molasses
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Continue reading Irish Brown Bread & Review of Mockmill Grain Mill

Blackberry Syrup & Watermelon Blackberry Granita

Today (July 22nd), Ball brand is hosting it’s sixth annual Can-It-Forward Day. (You may recall my last post on Can-It-Forward Day, where I canned on my own for the very first time to make salsa.) Can-It-Forward day is a day to celebrate the joys of fresh preserving, and encourage both new and veteran canners to preserve more. This year, the day will be streamed online via Facebook Live from 10:00 am 3:30 pm EST. Throughout the day, the Ball brand and expert ambassadors will be demoing a variety of canning recipes. In the true spirit of “canning it forward,” for every engagement received on the videos, whether it be a comment, like or share, the brand donate $1 to a local charity, so be sure to check it out!

 

You can also ask Jarden Home Brands canning experts any preserving or home canning questions via Twitter with the hashtag #canitforward from 10AM – 5PM ET on July 22nd. Share your own #canitforward creations with the brand on Pinterest and Instagram as well!

Ball brand has also launched the Freshly Preserved Ideas Tumblr page, a “digital pledge page” a place for consumers to take the pledge to Can-It-Forward this year. Check it out and pledge!

To celebrate, I was sent The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving, a Case of Collection Elite Wide Mouth Pint Jars, one $5 off coupon to be used on FreshPreservingStore.com.

I really loved the new canning book from Ball; along with canning and preserving recipes, there are many recipes that incorporate the canned/preserved items.

source: freshpreserving.com/

I wanted to show off how great both types of recipes found in the book are, so I made a blackberry syrup to can, and used it in a watermelon blackberry granita.

 

The blue wide mouth pint jars are SO PRETTY. I have been using a set of the regular mouth blue pint jars as my drinking glasses for years so I was excited to use the wide mouth for their actual intended use!

source: freshpreserving.com/

 

I will get to the canning and recipes shortly, BUT Ball brand was also kind enough to provide a second set of the products I received as a giveaway to my readers! Details on how to enter will be at the end of the post!

Ingredients:

For Blackberry Syrup:

  • 3 lbs blackberries
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 3/4 cups sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice

For Watermelon-Blackberry Granita:

  • 8 cups seeded watermelon cubes
  • 1/2 cup Blackberry Syrup
  • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice

Gear:

  • stainless steel or enameled Dutch oven
  • wire-mesh strainer
  • 3 pint jars, lids, and bands
  • large pot for canning + a rack to keep the jars off the bottom of the pot
  • cheesecloth
  • 13×9 inch baking dish

So, since my last post, I’ve upgraded my canning situation to the Ball Fresh Preserving Kit. However, for beginners, you really can’t beat the value of the Beginners Kit that I used last year to make the salsa. On to the recipes!

Continue reading Blackberry Syrup & Watermelon Blackberry Granita

Hemp Seed Basil Pesto

During Choctoberfest, I was sent a pretty sweet package of goodies from Just Hemp Foods, including Hemp Protein Powder (which I used in these muffins), Hemp Seeds, and Hemp Oil.

 

This weekend, I finally cracked into the Hemp Seed Oil. I had a bunch of basil that I knew I couldn’t use up before it wilted, so I made pesto, or more specifically, Hemp Seed Basil Pesto!

 

Hemp Seed Oil delivers a subtle nutty taste, so it’s perfect in a pesto. The oil contains the ideal 3:1 omega-6 to omega-3 ratio which supports heart health. Hemp Seed Oil degrades with light and heat, so it’s best to refrigerate it and use it cold. The oil has a green color to it, so it really makes the basil pop!

 

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
  • 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup hemp seed oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Continue reading Hemp Seed Basil Pesto

Slow Cooker Beef and Bean Chili

Note: I was sent a Rubbermaid’s Easy Find Lids 20-Piece Storage Set to review. All opinions are mine alone.

 

We have had a pretty moderate fall so far, but the cold weather isn’t too far off. This time of year, I like to fill my freezer with different meals so I always have comfort food on hand for busy weeknights. One of my favorites, of course, is chili.

 

I was sent Rubbermaid’s Easy Find Lids 20-Piece Storage Set to try out, so it was the perfect time to make my annual batch of chili!

 

Rubbermaid Easy Find Lids are a life saver – I typically just keep the containers from take out and they are all just shoved into a cabinet net to my stove, with no organization to them whatsoever. So i spend a good 10 minutes finding the right top to go with whatever container I’ve chosen. Rubbermaid’s storage set takes the annoyance out of trying to find the right top — the Lids snap on to the bottom of their respective containers so you can find them in no time! The containers also nest inside each other so you can have a small stack of all of your containers and lids in one spot.

 

The 20-piece set comes with  3 (0.5 Cup), 3 (1.25 Cup), 1 (2 Cup), 2 (3 Cup), 1 (5 Cup), and 10  respective Easy Find Lids. The plastic is dishwasher, freezer, and microwave safe and is also BPA-free.

 

On to the recipe! This time around, I went for a classic – ground beef and beans with some bratwurst meat for additional flavor (I used beef bratwurst, but you can use any type you’d like).

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (omit for dairy free)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 pound bratwurst, removed from its casing
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1  onion, chopped
  • 1 chipotle from can of chipotles in adobo sauce, finely chopped (seeds removed if preferred)
  • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from can of chipotles in adobo
  • 2 red bell peppers, chopped (or whatever color you prefer)
  • 2 (15.5 oz) cans red kidney beans, drained
  • 1 (15.5 oz) can black beans, drained
  • 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon ground chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 1 tablespoon espresso grounds
  • For garnish: 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped; 4 oz sour cream; 4 oz cheddar or pepper Jack cheese, shredded

Continue reading Slow Cooker Beef and Bean Chili

Dairy-Free Frozen Treat Sandwiches #DairyFree4All

 This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DairyFree4All #CollectiveBias

 

I love frozen dessert. No dinner is complete without a little treat from the freezer!

 

So Delicious® Dairy Free Frozen Desserts are the perfect solution for me. Their frozen treats are made from cashew milk, coconut milk, and almond milk and are so tasty!

The So Delicious® Dairy Free Frozen Desserts are certified vegan, dairy-free and egg-free, and non-GMO Project verified with no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives and no high-fructose corn syrup. They are also cholesterol-free and certified Kosher.

So Delicious® Dairy Free has been developing yummy desserts for over 25 years, using only the highest quality ingredients with many product being made with organic ingredients. Products are always 100% plant-based, and the company is committed to doing the right things for people and the planet. You can learn more at www.sodeliciousdairyfree.com.

I wanted to make a little treat this weekend, so I went to Walmart to pick up some of So Delicious® Dairy Free’s Frozen Treats: Cashew Salted Caramel Cluster, Cashew Dark Chocolate Truffle, and Coconut Vanilla Bean.

I made dairy-free cookies to make frozen treat sandwiches with these yummy flavors — Dark Chocolate Cookies for the Cashew Salted Caramel Cluster and Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies for the Cashew Dark Chocolate Truffle. I threw in some Coconut Vanilla Bean sandwiches for the purists out there as well 🙂

 

Ingredients:

Dark Chocolate Cookies:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine, softened
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder (or regular cocoa powder)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • (optional) 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 pint So Delicious® Dairy Free Cashew Salted Caramel Cluster Frozen Treat

 

Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies:

  •  1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine, softened
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (dairy-free)
  • 1 pint So Delicious® Dairy Free Cashew Dark Chocolate Truffler Frozen Treat

Continue reading Dairy-Free Frozen Treat Sandwiches #DairyFree4All

Freezer Friendly Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

I live in Philadelphia, and last week I was kind “stuck” at home because of the pope’s impeding arrival. So I used the opportunity to cook up a storm! (Seriously, I managed to make Saucy Chicken Over Rice, Chicken Tacos Bowls, Tomato Sauce, this recipe shared below, and a bunch of other yummy freezable dishes. My slow cooker and stove had quite the week!)

 

Here’s one of my favorite “freezer friendly” meals, with directions on how to store in your freezer and how to reheat when ready.

 

These Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells are easy to make, and are great to pack away for future meals (or eat immediately, that’s totally allowed too).

 

Ingredients:

  • 30 cooked jumbo pasta shells
  • 1 15 oz container ricotta
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 cups marinara sauce, divided
  • Cooking spray Continue reading Freezer Friendly Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells
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