Pureed Rutabaga is a staple of basically every extended family gathering I have ever been to. But my family always refers to this dish as Turnips, which used to confuse me quite a bit because, well, there is also a vegetable called a turnip.
Apparently, rutabagas are also known as yellow turnips which is where this confusion comes from. Rutabagas are actually a hybrid of a turnip and a wild cabbage!
Anywho, I love pureed rutabaga / turnips. They are fluffy, creamy, with a little bit of spice.
This recipe is particularly perfect for large gatherings because you don’t have to use your stovetop or oven at all, saving space for other dishes.
A friend reached out to me with a food challenge: how to make baked ziti that will be hot and ready when they come back from a christening. A Slow Cooker Baked Ziti recipe seemed like the perfect solution!
Naturally, I had to do some experimenting so that I could give her a recipe to use that I know will work for her needs.
This recipe for Slow Cooker Baked Ziti involves layering ingredients in your slow cooker (paid link). letting it cook for 2 1/2 hours, and then adding some mozzarella cheese on top for ultimate cheesiness!
Note: I received free cow cash from Crowd Cow to try some of their products in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone. This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links
As much as I love a nice, quick weeknight meal option, I really enjoy when I have a free Saturday or Sunday to slow it down and make an oven-roasted dish, like this recipe for Boneless Leg of Lamb with Roasted Vegetables.
We’ve had some sporadic fall-like days in Philadelphia recently, so I made the most of a cooler weekend day and tapped into one of the proteins I received in my Crowd Cow box! Crowd Cow is a frozen protein delivery service that partners with ethical farms, fisheries and producers globally. They hand select independent farms to deliver the best craft meat from the farm to your table.
I was super impressed with the selection on Crowd Cow. They have staples like free-range chicken, pasture-raised beef, and sustainable seafood, but they also have some options that caught my eye, including wild boar, elk, bison, and, of course, boneless leg of lamb.
I will have future posts highlighting some of my other purchases, but today, it’s all about the boneless leg of lamb. Boneless leg of lamb is surprisingly easy to make, and doesn’t require a bunch of ingredients to make a great meal. This one-pot recipe cooks the leg of lamb, then tosses some vegetables in the drippings and roasts them to perfection!
Note: I was sent samples of Bear Mountain BBQ Wood Pellets in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.
I’ve mentioned many times in the past how much I love to grill, but last summer I began dabbling in smoked foods. I don’t own a smoker, so I just use my grill, and Bear Mountain BBQ Pellets make it super simple to do so! Last year I made an awesome recipe for Smoked Potato Salad using Bear Mountain’s Gourmet Blend. This time around, I’m sharing a more traditional smoked food recipe: Smoked Chicken Wings!
My husband is kind of chicken wings obsessed. His current favorite wings dry rubbed smoked wings from our local pizza place, Pizza Plus, so I decided to try to make some of my own at home. I used Bear Mountain Bold BBQ Pellets for this recipe, but their Gourmet Blend would also work.
Ingredients (makes 3 lbs wings, or 2-4 servings. Multiply as needed):
Before I get to this awesome recipe for One Pot Jamaican Curry Chicken and Potatoes, I wanted to share with you a new addition to my kitchen that I’m madly in love with. One of the most important tools in any cook’s kitchen is a skillet. I use my skillets more than any other pot/pan in my house (although my Dutch oven gets a pretty good workout too). So having a good, sturdy, evenly cooking skillet is super important. I’m not exactly kind to my pots and pans… they get frequent use, and my husband isn’t the best at remembering not to use metal utensils on my non-stick cookware (sigh)… so having a skillet that can put up with some abuse is really important to me.
Which is why I’m so excited to share the 11-Inch NanoBond Skillet from Hestan Culinary, handcrafted in Italy. Not only is it beautiful, the NanoBond technology makes this skillet darn near indestructible.
Here are some of the features:
Molecular titanium bonds thousands of nanolayers for a lifetime of beauty
400% stronger than stainless steel
35% better heat conduction than aluminum-clad cookware
Additionally, the skillet is high-heat tolerant to 1050°F! So it’s perfect for searing meats or even cooking right on the grill.
To test out my new skillet, I wanted to make something I’ve been craving for a while now: Jamaican Curry Chicken and Potatoes.
This one pot (or skillet) wonder simmers chicken and potatoes in a seasoned curry sauce until the chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender.
Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 pounds bone-in, skinless chicken thighs and drumsticks
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons Jamaican mild curry powder (I used Jamaican Choice)
1 habanero pepper
2 medium Yukon Gold Potatoes, washed and cut into bite sized pieces
I have used Butcher Box(note: affiliate link) for a while now, and love the quality of the meat and seafood they offer. I tend to switch up what comes in my boxes so I can work with different cuts. My latest box had a boneless pork butt, so I figured it was about time I created and shared a pressure cooker pulled pork recipe.
I do have a few other pulled pork recipes on my blog, and they are all fantastic, but they are slow cooker based. So here’s a recipe that helps get that yummy pulled pork on your table a bit faster using an Instant Pot or other multi cooker without losing that cooked-all-day flavor!
Some traditional dishes eaten on New Year’s Day have less to do with the new year and more to do with a country’s history. So this year, I’m sharing my adaptation of an Independence Stew from Haiti. Celebrated every January 1, Haiti proclaimed independence from French colonials on New Year’s Day 1804 following a 13 year revolution. Soup Joumou, a comforting stew traditionally made with beef, pumpkin, pasta, and a bunch of veggies and spices, has become a New Year’s Day dish to commemorate Haiti’s independence.
I adapted this recipe from Epicurious, scaling it down quite a bit and swapping butternut squash for the pumpkin because I couldn’t find any pumpkin that wasn’t already pureed.
Ingredients:
Marinade:
1/2 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 bell pepper (any color), coarsely chopped
1 scallion, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup parsley leaves
1 basil leaf
the juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
Remaining Ingredients:
1/2 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon distilled white vinegar, divided
1 pound stew beef cubes
7 cups chicken or beef broth, divided
2 beef bones
1 pound butternut squash, cut into cubes
2 medium russet potatoes (about 1 pound), finely chopped
1 large carrot, sliced
1/4 small green cabbage (about 1/2 pound), very thinly sliced
1/2 small onion, sliced
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
1 leek, white and pale-green parts only, finely chopped
1 small turnip, finely chopped
1 teaspoon habanero chile hot sauce, or to taste
1 cup uncooked rigatoni
3 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 parsley sprig (optional)
1 thyme sprig (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (omit to make dairy free)
I honestly don’t make pork tenderloin much. Unless I’ve slow cooked it, or wrapped it in bacon, I feel like it comes out pretty dry. Which makes it the perfect meat to make using a precision cooker! So since I’ve gotten a precision cooker, this recipe for Sous Vide Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin has become a staple in my house.
Cooking the pork tenderloin sous vide keeps the meat juicy and tender. Plus, it infuses the meat with whatever herbs you add!
Note: I was sent a Flying Fish Can Variety Pack in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.
There are some recipes that almost instantly become a go-to comfort food. One of those recipes for me is arroz con pollo. It has a ton of flavor, an assortment of different vegetables, and is wonderfully filling. Plus, it can be made ahead of time and reheated. What more could you ask for?
My husband has recently taken a liking to quinoa, so I thought making a quinoa version of arroz con pollo, or Quinoa con Pollo, would be an awesome spin. Flying Fish’s Can Variety Pack features five different beers including their OnShore Lager. One sip, and I knew it would be the perfect ingredient in (and accompaniment to) my quinoa spin!
If you follow me on Instagram, you have probably seen a couple of posts / stories about the variety pack. The outdoor themed variety pack truly has something for everyone, including two IPAs (Hopfish and Outside IPA), a Pale Ale (XPA), a Session Sour (Salt and Sea), and a Lager (Onshore Lager). The Hopfish is awesome with spicy food, and the outside IPA has been my go-to when I’m relaxing in my hammock, or hanging out with friends on my roof deck. The XPA is Flying Fish’s original beer, and continues to be a staple for a reason; it goes great with everything! The Salt and Sea was the perfect complement to our friend’s crab feast and barbecue. And the Onshore Lager has a crisp, clean finish making it perfect for both cooking with and drinking.
So let me show off that lager!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or olive oil to make dairy free)
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 2 lbs)
1 medium onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 bell peppers, sliced
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 (12 oz) can lager (I used Flying Fish Onshore Lager)
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (omit to make gluten free)
I love a good dip. It’s one of my favorite snack to bring to a party — it travels well and are always a hit! As a somewhat recent owner of COSORI 6 Qt Electrical Pressure Cooker and I had yet to use it for beans, so I needed to change that! In case you didn’t know, you can use an electric pressure cooker (or multi-cooker) to cook dried beans relatively quickly, without needing to soak them overnight or boil them for an hour.
This Pressure Cooker Black Bean Dip can be made in about 1 hour, and is creamy and flavorful, and comes topped with all the fixins!
Ingredients:
Seasoning blend:
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Other ingredients:
1 1/2 cups uncooked black beans, rinsed
1 red onion, chopped and divided
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups vegetable broth or water
1 tablespoon olive oil
seasoning blend (above), or 1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning
the zest and juice of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
For serving:
bell peppers, finely chopped (I used mini sweet peppers for more color)
This recipe actually builds from the two previous, with some minor changes. For simplicity, the entire recipe from start to finish is below so you don’t have to go to multiple posts to make it. The multi-pot shortens the time of making a solid chicken soup, but it is still a labor of love. Total time to cook is roughly 3 hours.
It freezes well, so it’s a great recipe to make now to have on hand for sick days!
Ingredients: (serves 8)
Chicken:
1(3 to 4 pound)whole chicken – I used a 3 pound chicken
Note: This post is sponsored by Moyer Beef. All opinions are mine alone.
One of the biggest bummers of cooking a lot (and, boy do I cook a lot) is that the dishes are never ending. I can basically fill up my entire dishwasher with some meals! But some weeknights, you just do NOT want to deal with all those dishes. Which is why it’s great to have a couple of one pot, or in this case, one sheet pan recipes.
Fajitas work really well as a sheet pan meal. You just add the onions and peppers to a pan, broil until they begin to brown, and then add your protein of choice.
For these Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas, I decided to use Moyer Beef’s London Broil to make steak fajitas.
Ingredients: (serves 4)
Seasoning: (or can use Mexican seasoning mix)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Other ingredients:
1 cup olive oil
the juice of 3 limes, divided
1 (~3 lb) London Broil
4 medium-sized bell peppers, multi colored if desired, thinly sliced
To make, combine the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, pepper, coriander, smoked paprika, and chili powder in a small bowl (Note, if you don’t have all of these spices on hand, you could use a Mexican seasoning mix as well. You’d need 3 1/2 tablespoons).
Add the olive oil and the juice of two limes to a large gallon zip top bag. Add the spices, seal, and move the mixture around in the bag to evenly combine.
Add the London broil to the bag, seal, and evenly coat in the mixture. Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours, turning the bag over at least once. (You could also add this to your fridge overnight to marinate. Just let come to room temperature before cooking).
Thinly slice your bell peppers and onion and add to a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, toss to combine.
When ready to cook, preheat your broiler. Add the pepper and onion mix to a sheet pan in a single layer. Broil for approximately 8 minutes or until some of the mixture begins to brown.
Move the mixture to each side of the pan.
Remove the London broil from the ziptop bag and add to the pan, discarding the marinade.
Broil for approximately 5-7 minutes per side, or until the meat is browned and cooked through (135 to 140 degrees F for medium rare). Be sure to watch your veggies in particular, they can burn really quickly when using a broiler. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, thinly slice the beef, or cut into bite sized pieces.
Add to the tortillas and top with pico de gallo, sour cream, and fresh cilantro. Squeeze the remaining lime over top of the fajitas and serve.
If you like heat, I’d suggest also topping with jalapeno, or adding a bit of hot sauce on top.
This is a really satisfying dinner that’s really simple to make!
The little bit of char on the veggies adds a bit more flavor to the seasoned beef and sweetness of the onions and peppers.
After a yummy meal, it’s even better knowing that you only have one sheet pan and two bowls to clean!
To make, combine the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, pepper, coriander, smoked paprika, and chili powder in a small bowl (Note, if you don’t have all of these spices on hand, you could use a Mexican seasoning mix as well. You’d need 3 1/2 tablespoons).
Add the olive oil and the juice of two limes to a large gallon zip top bag. Add the spices, seal, and move the mixture around in the bag to evenly combine.
Add the London broil to the bag, seal, and evenly coat in the mixture. Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours, turning the bag over at least once. (You could also add this to your fridge overnight to marinate. Just let come to room temperature before cooking).
Thinly slice your bell peppers and onion and add to a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, toss to combine.
When ready to cook, preheat your broiler. Add the pepper and onion mix to a sheet pan in a single layer. Broil for approximately 8 minutes or until some of the mixture begins to brown.
Move the mixture to each side of the pan.
Remove the London broil from the ziptop bag and add to the pan, discarding the marinade.
Broil for approximately 5-7 minutes per side, or until the meat is browned and cooked through (135 to 140 degrees F for medium rare). Be sure to watch your veggies in particular, they can burn really quickly when using a broiler. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, thinly slice the beef, or cut into bite sized pieces.
Add to the tortillas and top with pico de gallo, sour cream, and fresh cilantro. Squeeze the remaining lime over top of the fajitas and serve.
If you like heat, I’d suggest also topping with jalapeno, or adding a bit of hot sauce on top.
Note: This post is sponsored by Moyer Beef. All opinions are mine alone.
Last weekend, I stumbled upon a farmer’s market while walking around my neighborhood and picked up a bunch of veggies: peppers, tomatoes, onions, and potatoes. I didn’t really have plans for the vegetables, but then I realized these ingredients would make a really tasty hash!
I had been planning on making a steak and eggs recipe using Moyer Beef’s Angus Top Sirloin, so after my bounty at the farmer’s market, that morphed into a steak and eggs hash!
This recipe is a great sharing recipe with friends and family. You can serve the meal right out of the skillet (just add a towel to the handle so you don’t burn yourself)!
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 Moyer Beef Angus Top Sirloin Steaks
1 pound yellow potatoes, diced into small bite sized pieces (can substitute sweet potatoes to make paleo)
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
4 large eggs
1 cup small heirloom tomatoes, halved or quartered (if larger)
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)
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.
