Tag: Make Ahead

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

Slow Cooker Coconut Rice Pudding

This past Sunday was crum-my. It rained ALL day. So I was in comfort food mode. Along with making another batch of Lemony Red Lentil Soup, I decided to make a rice pudding recipe in my slow cooker, heavily inspired by Phyllis Good’s Stock the Crock recipe for Coconut Rice Pudding.

My version for Slow Cooker Coconut Rice Pudding uses a different flavor profile, so be sure to check out the original in the cookbook as well as the below. (I made another recipe from this awesome cookbook as well. Go check my post on Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala here.)

Rice Pudding is found in different forms around the world. It is eaten as a breakfast, dessert, or sometimes even dinner. Many countries have a version of rice pudding that is traditionally served for Christmas.

My version adds some of my favorite flavors to one yummy dish: coconut, rose water, cranberries, and pistachios.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup white rice
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 (13.5 oz cans) coconut milk, well shaken
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon rose water
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup dried cranberries
  • unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted
  • pistachios, chopped
  • additional coconut milk, if desired

Continue reading Slow Cooker Coconut Rice Pudding

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

Fall Sangria

Summer stuck around for a while in Philadelphia; it’s now October and the weather is just starting to feel like fall, so it’s time for some Fall Sangria!

I’ve wanted to make a fall sangria for weeks now, but wanted to wait for cooler weather to truly enjoy it!

I picked up a bottle of spiced rum from a local distiller, Cooper River Distillers a while ago, and have been patiently waiting for fall weather to enjoy their Driftwood Dream Spiced Rum in a recipe.

This fall sangria recipe includes red wine, apple cider, pomegranate juice, and spiced rum to make a tasty fall-inspired sangria.

Sangria:

  • 1 bottle red wine
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate juice
  • the juice of 1/2 orange
  • 3/4 cup spiced rum
  • 1/4 cup spiced simple syrup (recipe below)
  • 1 apple, cored and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 orange, thinly sliced into half moons
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
  • cinnamon-sugar, for garnish, if desired

Spiced Simple Syrup:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 5 cinnamon sticks
  • 4 allspice berries
  • 2 cardamom pods, smashed
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Continue reading Fall Sangria

Pistachio Sugar Cookies

I almost always have pistachios in my house, they are a favorite of my husband and me. We both love them on their own, as a garnish, or incorporated into different recipes.

The flavor of pistachios is buttery and sweet, so they work really well in a number of different recipes. They are great in savory recipes sprinkled on top of a meal, or added to baked goods.

October is National Cookie Month, so what better time to try out a new cookie recipe?

This Pistachio Sugar Cookies recipe incorporates one of my favorite nuts into a chewy sugar cookie.

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup shelled pistachios, divided
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 egg, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Continue reading Pistachio Sugar Cookies

Frozen Cinnamon Peach Oatmeal Cups

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

I’m still rolling through the freezer-friendly recipes my friend and I made a couple of weeks ago. This recipe for Cinnamon Peach Oatmeal Cups was specifically for her oldest son, who absolutely loves oatmeal, particularly when topped with cinnamon and fresh peaches.

 

This freezable version of Cinnamon Peach Oatmeal Cups substitutes in frozen peaches, but the tradeoff for convenience should make it worth it.

These make a tasty breakfast readily available any day of the week, and can be customized to fit specific tastes.

We made these using Bob’s Red Mill Organic Regular Rolled Oats, which Bob’s Red Mill was kind enough to send my way.

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups water
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Organic Regular Rolled Oats
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus more, to taste
  • 6-12 frozen sliced peaches (depending on muffin/cupcake tins used)

Continue reading Frozen Cinnamon Peach Oatmeal Cups

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
  • 4 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
  • 2 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

Coconut Matcha Muffins

Note: I was sent a package of Matcha Green Tea from Tenzo Tea in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.

I’ve been on a bit of a muffin kick recently. I’m trying to make sure we have as many “quick meals” as possible on hand during the busy fall season!

 

I was recently contacted by Tenzo Tea, a matcha green tea company that is based in Los Angeles. They were kind enough to send me some Tenzo Matcha to try in a recipe.

 

Matcha is finely powdered green tea leaves. To make into a tea, you just add a teaspoon of matcha powder to hot water and whisk until frothy. Because you ingest the whole tea leaves (rather than just steeping leaves in normal tea), there are a bunch of health benefits attributed to matcha.

I have never tried matcha before, but my sister is a huge fan, so I figured it was worth my time. Coconut matcha lattes seem to be quite a popular way to enjoy matcha, so I decided to turn that into a muffin I could enjoy during the week.

 

I based this recipe off of Smitten Kitchen’s Double Coconut Muffins, with a few tweaks.

 

Tenzo Tea was kind enough to provide a promo code for I Can Cook That readers. Use code cancook to receive 15% off a one-time purchase!

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons matcha powder
  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Continue reading Coconut Matcha Muffins

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

Blackberry Peaches and Cream Cake

Note: I was sent some coupons for Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk in order to make this Blackberry Peaches and Cream Cake. Opinions are mine alone.

Last weekend, I had friends over for dinner. Planning what to eat dinner was pretty easy, until I realized I hadn’t thought of a dessert!

Luckily, I had picked up some Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk the last time I was at the supermarket and had the remaining ingredients on hand as well so that I could make this Blackberry Peaches and Cream Cake.

Not only is this Blackberry Peaches and Cream Cake super tasty, it can be made with pantry items without needing to make another trip to the supermarket. So it’s the perfect “just in case” recipe to make when needed!

This recipe is adapted from a recipe on Eagle Brand‘s website for Peaches and Cream Cake.

Ingredients:

  • 1 package angel food cake mix (or frozen angel food cake, thinly sliced)
  • 1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
  • 1 cup cold water
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 (4-serving size) package instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 1 pint heavy cream (or frozen whipped topping)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon orange extract
  • ~1.5 pounds frozen peaches, thawed
  • ~1 pint fresh blackberries (or frozen fruit of your choice, thawed)

Continue reading Blackberry Peaches and Cream Cake

Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad

My mom makes a mean pasta salad. Her mayo-less version is a mostly traditional Italian pasta salad which marinates in an Italian salad dressing for a few hours before enjoying.

This Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad version is based on hers, but I decided to make it all the more summery but adding grill-friendly vegetables.

This is mostly a make ahead recipe. Right before serving (or while grilling up the main dish), you just add the veggies to the grill, then toss into the pasta.

I made this Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad for friends with my recipe for Grilled T-Bone Steak with Gremolata.

Ingredients:

  • 2 boxes tri-colored pasta
  • 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 bell peppers, any color, chopped
  • 1 (8 oz package) sliced baby bella mushrooms
  • 1 zucchini, chopped
  • 1 yellow squash, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

Marinade

  • 2 tablespoons garlic salt
  • 2 tablespoons onion powder
  • 2 tablespoons dried parsley
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
  • 1 cup white wine vinegar
  • 2 cups olive oil

Continue reading Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad

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

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