Sheet Pan Chicken with Cauliflower and Carrots

It probably comes as no surprise that I go through a lot of dishes when I cook in my kitchen. But the last thing I want to do after making a delicious dinner is to do a bunch of dishes!

Sheet Pan Chicken with Cauliflower and Carrots

Which is why I love finding one pot or sheet pan meals, like this Sheet Pan Chicken with Cauliflower and Carrots.

Sheet Pan Chicken with Cauliflower and Carrots

This recipe for Sheet Pan Chicken with Cauliflower and Carrots, adapted from Cooking Light, uses one sheet pan, two bowls, a cutting board, a whisk, a spoon, and a knife. That’s it!

Ingredients:

  • 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 lemons, divided
  • 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 1 (10 oz) package sliced rainbow carrots (or baby carrots, sliced
  • 2 bone-in chicken thighs
  • 2 drumsticks
  • 1 small red onion, cut into wedges
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 garlic clove, minced

Continue reading Sheet Pan Chicken with Cauliflower and Carrots

Linguine and Clams

I’m sure this happens to everyone: you go out and buy ingredients for a specific recipe, but then are left with “extras” from that recipe. Normally, it’s not a big deal and you can just incorporate it easily into another recipe. But when I went to make Sheet Pan Paella recently, my supermarket was only selling 50 packs of clams. That’s a lot of clams!

To use them up, I decided to make Linguine and Clams, but used what I had on hand to make it work. So, technically, I made spaghetti and clams. And it tasted just as good. 🙂

I love the relative simplicity of this dish. It also reminds me of my grandpa; linguine and clams were his favorite. So I was surprised that I hadn’t posted a recipe for Linguine and Clams on my blog yet. Time to fix that!

I adapted this version of Linguine and Clams from Bon Appetit.

Ingredients:

  • 1 heaping tablespoon salt
  • 12 garlic cloves, divided
  • 4 oz day old bread, cut into smaller pieces (I used half of a sandwich roll)
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup olive oil
  • the zest of one lemon
  • 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 2 dozen clams, scrubbed
  • 1 (16 oz) box linguine (or spaghetti)
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley (I randomly had curly parsley on hand. Flat works too)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Continue reading Linguine and Clams

Black Eyed Peas with Collard Greens

Happy New Year! I’m a bit late in posting this recipe, but honestly, this comfort food Southern staple for Black Eyed Peas with Collard Greens makes for a delicious meal on any cold winter night.

Black eyed peas are a New Years Day staple in the South, as eating them on New Years Day is thought to bring you prosperity throughout the year.

This version is a bit of a fridge and pantry cleaner. Or, at least it was for me after hosting a New Years Eve party.

I used leftover sandwich rolls to make bread crumbs, leftover bacon from New Years Day morning,  collard greens from a Blue Apron meal I forgot to make (oops), and then added in what was left of the onions, garlic, carrots and herbs I had on hand, which kind of turned this recipe into a cassoulet of sorts.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dried black eyed peas
  • 6 oz bacon, chopped
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced, divided
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary, divided
  • 4 sprigs of thyme, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste
  • about 1 cup chopped day old bread (I used one sandwich roll)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 bunch collard greens, ribs discarded, leaves chopped
  • 2 cups cooked rice

Continue reading Black Eyed Peas with Collard Greens

Slow Cooker Lamb Tagine

This cold snap feels like it will never end. One good part about the cold weather is I definitely do more cooking!

One of my husband’s favorite recipes I make is one for Slow Cooker Chicken and Chickpea Tagine. I wanted to try a tagine with a different meat, so when I found this recipe for Slow Cooker Lamb Tagine on the cooking section of the New York Times, I used it as a base to make a slow cooker version.

Tagine or Tajine dishes are Moroccan slow cooked dishes named after the pot they are cooked in. The dishes are typically a stew with a protein, spices, and fruit. And, well, they are fantastic; they make for a perfect comfort food meal!

I braved the cold so I could pick up the ingredients for this yummy dish. I’m lucky enough to live close to Reading Terminal Market, and La Divisa Meats in the Terminal cubed some lamb leg meat for me for this recipe. If you do not have a local butcher, lamb stew meat works too.

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds cubed boneless lamb leg meat
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • large pinch saffron
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • pinch ground nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 large onions, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1 3/4 cups beef broth
  • 1 cup dried apricots
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (or margarine to make dairy free, or ghee to make paleo)
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 scallions, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • fresh lemon juice, to taste

Continue reading Slow Cooker Lamb Tagine

Chicken and Brisket Brunswick Stew

One of the perks of being a friend of, or related to, a food blogger, is random food deliveries. I try to keep my sister’s freezer stocked with comfort foods, but have been neglecting her a bit recently. So when I saw this recipe for Chicken and Brisket Brunswick Stew, it seemed right up her alley and I knew I had to make it for her.

I adapted the recipe for what I could find/what I had on hand, but the general gist is still there.

My sister doesn’t live in Philly, so I need to pack her goodies up in freezer-friendly containers to give her when I see her. Zyliss recently sent me a 10 piece fresh plastic food storage container set, which is perfect for freezable foods.

 

The containers are 100% leak proof and airtight, and are freezer, dishwasher, and microwave safe.

Zyliss was kind enough to send a second set my way to giveaway! More details at the end of the post.

Ingredients:

  • 3 onions, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 lb shredded barbecue beef brisket (I purchased this at my local supermarket)
  • 1 (28 oz) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (14 oz) bag frozen corn kernels
  • 1 (15.5 oz) can cannellini beans
  • 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • the juice of one lemon
  • hot sauce (optional)

Continue reading Chicken and Brisket Brunswick Stew

Turmeric Chicken and Chickpea Soup

As the weather turns cooler, it seems like everyone around me is fighting a cold. My husband is currently feeling a bit under the weather, so I wanted to make him a nice comforting soup. Cooking Light had this recipe for Turmeric Chicken and Chickpea Soup in their November magazine and their timing is impeccable!

This soup is packed with antioxidant-rich ingredients including turmeric, ginger, and garlic. It also substitutes in chickpeas for noodles for added texture and fiber.

The chicken broth in the recipe is further enhanced with the addition of coconut milk at the end.

Even better, this soup comes together really quickly, and has a bunch of ingredients that you may already have on hand in your fridge and pantry.

Ingredients: (serves 6)

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
  • 1 large red bell pepper, seed and membranes removed, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 cups unsalted chicken stock
  • 1 (15 oz) can unsalted chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup canned light coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup torn fresh basil
  • the juice of one 1 lime

Continue reading Turmeric Chicken and Chickpea Soup

White Bean-Tahini Dip with Toasted Pitas

Note: I was sent a Labell Board to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.

Cutting boards are a staple of any kitchen. They (of course) are used to cut, chop, mince, and dice vegetables, fruits, and protein for meals, but I love to also use them for presentation. There are some cutting boards, like this one from Planches Labell, that need to be shown off!

Labell boards are made from premium Canadian recovered/recycled hardwoods and are produced with the highest production standards. With the new abilities in wood manufacturing Planches Labell has the capacity to take this raw material, otherwise disposed of, and turn it into culinary works of art. Offerings include Rustic Tree-Cut Serving Platters, Paddle Boards, Utility Boards and Butcher Blocks.

To show off this beauty, I decided to make a White Bean-Tahini Dip inspired by a recipe I found on Food Network. This dip is very similar to hummus but uses cannellini beans instead of chickpeas. The added spices of cumin, za’atar, chile powder and garlic powder really amp up the flavor! (Za’atar, specifically the blend I used, is a combination of sumac, thyme, sesame, and salt.)

Ingredients:

Toasted Pita Chips:

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons za’atar
  • 1 teaspoon chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 4 pitas
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

White-Bean Tahini Dip:

  • 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained with liquid reserved
  • 1/2 cup tahini paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon of reserved spices
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • minced chives, for garnish

Other:

  • Baby carrots
  • Broccoli florets
  • Cut celery
  • Grape Tomatoes

Continue reading White Bean-Tahini Dip with Toasted Pitas

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

You’ve probably noticed that I’m a huge fan of slow cooker recipes; I have almost 50 slow cooker recipes on this blog! Slow cooker meals work great for make ahead meals, feeding a crowd, and getting that “cooked-all-day” flavor.

I was sent Phyllis Good’s latest cookbook Stock the Crock, which is right up my alley. The cookbook has 100 delicious, tried-and-true recipes, plus 200 easy to follow variations for any dietary preference, such as gluten-free, paleo, vegan, etc.

There are a ton of awesome sounding recipes, but a recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala caught my attention. Gotta love a make-at-home takeout favorite!

This recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala is incredibly simple but really delivers on flavor.

Ingredients:

  • 1 (15 oz) can tomato puree
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 2 small onions, chopped, divided
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • pinch sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 cups cooked rice
  • 1/4 cup red onions, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped

Continue reading Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Slow Cooker Parmesan Herb Pork Loin with Chunky Tomato Sauce

It’s a bit rare for me to share a recipe like this Slow Cooker Parmesan Herb Prok Loin because, for whatever reason, I tend to shy away from making pork or ham.

So when my friend and I were having our cooking marathon, I figured it was a good time to add one in for some variety.

We found this Southern Living recipe for Slow Cooker Parmesan Herb Pork Loin with Chunky Tomato Sauce on myrecipes.com. I couldn’t resist a freezer friendly slow cooker meal, especially when it’s served over pasta!

(Please excuse the quality of these photos. This recipe was too good not to share, even with crummy photos!)

Ingredients:

  • 3 small onions (~2 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion)
  • 1 large carrot (~1 cup chopped carrots)
  • 1 large fennel bulb (~1 3/4 cups chopped fresh fennel bulb)
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 3 1/3 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, divided
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 (1.5 lb) boneless pork loin roast
  • 1 (16 oz) box spaghetti, cooked according to package directions

Continue reading Slow Cooker Parmesan Herb Pork Loin with Chunky Tomato Sauce

Lemony Red Lentil Soup

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

Lentils are one of those foods that I wish I had experimented with earlier in my cooking. They are easy to cook, really tasty, and packed with nutritional goodness. Just one serving (1/4 cup) of red lentils has 14g of fiber and 13g of protein. Red lentils in particular are great for soups and stews because they cook really quickly and break down when heated, making for a nice thickened base.

This Lemony Red Lentil Soup is adapted from a New York Times Cooking recipe. I mostly kept to the original recipe, but increased the spice and lemon and added in another carrot.

The half chunky half smooth soup is super comforting and makes for a really satisfying lunch or dinner.

My friend and I made this during our cooking day and froze it for future meals.

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  •  1/4 teaspoon ground chile powder, plus more for garnish
  • 1 quart chicken broth (or vegetable broth to make vegetarian)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Red Lentils
  • large carrots, peeled and diced
  •  The juice and zest of 2 lemons
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish

Continue reading Lemony Red Lentil Soup

Grilled Guacamole

National Guacamole Day is tomorrow (September 16th) so this recipe for Grilled Guacamole is a timely post to share!

I have wanted to make Grilled Guacamole since I first got my Coyote Grill last summer and somehow never got around to it.

The cooler weather seems to be right around the corner, so I had to make sure I made it in time!

The ingredients in guacamole work great for grilling and add a new layer of flavor to a favorite snack.

You can grill most of the ingredients: avocados, lime, red onion, jalapeno, tomato, and garlic.

Guacamole

  • 3 ripe avocados, halved and pits removed
  • 1 lime, halved
  • 1/2 small red onion
  • ½ jalapeno pepper, seeds and membranes removed
  • 1/2 tomato
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Continue reading Grilled Guacamole

Freezable Ratatouille

This Freezable Ratatouille is another recipe my friend and I made last weekend during our cooking marathon. This time of year is perfect for making a huge batch of ratatouille and freezing it!

Ratatouille is a produce-heavy dish, using eggplants, zucchini, onions, and peppers. My friend doesn’t really love eggplant, so I used fairy tale eggplants which are smaller, with thinner skins and are a bit sweeter than regular eggplants.

This Freezable Ratatouille also allows you to do a lot of the prep work ahead of time. The vegetables are cooked separately, so prep work does go into a bunch of bags, but it makes the cooking process much easier. We used a recipe from The Kitchn as our base.

Ingredients (makes 8 to 10 servings):

  • 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
  • 3 medium green bell peppers, chopped
  • 6 to 8 medium zucchini, cut into bit sized pieces
  • 4 large tomatoes, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 fairy tale eggplants
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1/4 cup basil, sliced into ribbons, plus more for garnish
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Continue reading Freezable Ratatouille

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!

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

Hashweh (Spiced Ground Beef with Pistachios Over Rice)

Note: This post is sponsored by Moyer Beef. All opinions are mine alone.

It’s definitely still summer weather for the most part, but this past week, we’ve had a bit of a cool down in Philly. Which got me thinking about more fall inspired dishes.

Hashweh, or rice stuffing, is a wonderfully flavorful ground meat and rice dish that is perfect for fall weather (or honestly, any weather, it’s really tasty!)

The dish originates in the Middle East and is typically made with lamb or beef seasoned with spices including allspice and cinnamon, served with rice.

Most recipes also include toasted pine nuts with some also having a sweet dried fruit.

This dish is a nice comfort food option that comes together in roughly 30 minutes. The spice profile makes it really crave worthy!

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups white rice
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons allspice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 2 whole cardamom pods, smashed
  • 1 lb ground beef (I used Moyer Beef’s 81% lean ground beef chuck)
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 1/4 cup dried cherries (or other dried fruit)
  • 1/4 cup pistachios, chopped

Continue reading Hashweh (Spiced Ground Beef with Pistachios Over Rice)

Beef Kofta Kebabs

Note: This post is sponsored by Moyer Beef. All opinions are mine alone.

This past weekend, we had my parents over for dinner. I had a hankering for Lamb Kofta, which is a dish of ground lamb with spices formed into meatballs and grilled.

My dad isn’t exactly the most adventurous eater, and doesn’t like lamb, so I instead decided to adapt the spices added to kofta into a marinade for beef kebabs. Kofta can be made with any ground meat, but I had some beautiful  Moyer Beef’s Rib Kebab meat on hand, so kebabs it is!

Kofta can be made with quite a range of spices, so this recipe is very adaptable. This version uses fresh parsley as well as dried spices to add a different dimension of flavor. I also served it with some tzatziki for dipping.

Ingredients:

Tzatziki (omit to make dairy free):

  • 1 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cucumber, seeded, finely diced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • the zest of one lemon
  • the juice of one lemon
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Kebab:

  • 4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 lbs kebab meat (I used Moyer Beef’s Rib Kebab meat)

Continue reading Beef Kofta Kebabs

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