Perfect Fried Pork Chops

This recipe is so easy it almost shouldn't count as a recipe. I don't do well frying things. I tend to have the pan too hot and burn the outside before the inside is cooked. I kept it lower tonight. 

Overall, this is just an average recipe. It really isn't too difficult. It's flavorful and filling so I guess that's the important thing. 

Photo from SixSistersStuff

Perfect Fried Pork Chops
Recipe from Sixsistersstuff.com

Serves 4

• 8 bone-in pork chops
• 1/2 c flour
• 1 tsp seasoned salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp steak seasoning
• Salt, to taste
• 1/2 c canola oil
• 1 T butter

Pat dry with paper towels, making sure to remove all excess moisture.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, seasoned salt, black pepper, steak seasoning, and salt to taste.

Dip each side of the pork chops into the seasoning mixture, then set aside on a plate.

Heat canola oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet and once it is hot (between 325-375 degrees F), add butter to the skillet.

When the butter is melted, cook pork chops 2 to 3 minutes on the first side; 1 to 2 minutes on the other side.

Remove fried pork chop to a plate and repeat with remaining porch chops.

Top 10 Favorites of 2020

I embarked in 2020 with a goal to cook 100 new recipes. I wasn't confident in January that I'd make this goal. In fact, I thought it was a bit outlandish. Still, I figured a stretch goal was good. 

Then enter COVID and working from home. Because I was home and didn't have to commute it made it easy to cook something almost every night. The possibly of hitting this goal was suddenly in sight. 

I've been asked by a few to pick my top 10 favorites. I didn't think this would be as easy as it was, but it turns out, I've had some just ok recipes, some icky ones, and some worthy of the top 10. 

Here's the list! The list does not indicate a favorite. They are all equally as delicious to me. 

• Carne Guisada
• Crock Pot Picadillo
• Bombay Beef Mushroom Curry
• Stout-Marinated Steak Tips
• Glazed Buttermilk Donut Cake
• Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Southwestern Beef Hand Pies
• Starbucks Copycat Banana Nut Bread
• Steak Fried Rice
• Spicy Garlic Chicken

There you have it. It's hard for me to put into words why each one ranked as a "favorite" other than they just hit that spot in my taste buds that made me want more, and made me want to make the recipe over and over again. 

There were a few I'd like to add as honorable mentions: 

• Antipasti Cheese Ball
• Garlic Mushroom Chicken Bites
• Greek 7 Layer Dip

This next year my goal is 100 new recipes with a stretch goal of 125 new recipes. If we continue to WFH I should have no problem hitting this goal. 

Bombay Beef Mushroom Curry

I was preparing my top 10 favorites from this year earlier today. I didn't expect I would need to move one out to put this one in. The house smelled so amazing today while it cooked. 

Make this recipe! You will not be disappointed. I served it over rice and cannot wait to have it for lunch tomorrow.

Bombay Beef Mushroom Curry
Recipe from 12 tomatoes

Serves 4

• 1.5 pounds stew beef

• 

  Photo from 12Tomatoes

  2 c mushrooms, quartered
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1-2 c beef stock
• ¼ c coconut milk
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 T ground coriander
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp curry
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 T olive oil

Mix cumin, coriander, chili powder, turmeric, ginger, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a heavy-bottomed skillet, heat olive oil and sauté onions until translucent. Add garlic and stir frequently, 1 minute.

Add beef to the skillet, along with the spice mixture and tomato paste. Stir to combine. Add 1 cup beef stock and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to pick up bits of flavor.

Add mushrooms and bring sauce to a boil. Add coconut milk and stir until blended.

Transfer to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours. Serve over rice.

Bailey's Peanut Butter Cuppa Coffee

As 2020 winds down I decided to double, triple check that all the recipes I've tried this year are on the
blog.  I have a much bigger project to make sure all the recipes are on this blog, but that's another story for another day. 

I found that this recipe hadn't been added. I likely forgot it because it was Thanksgiving and I was focused on food. We made this for the Apple Cup that never was. Thanks to COVID the Apple Cup was cancelled. We still got together and we still ate and we still drank. 

This takes a little prep and is SUPER Sweet. I did not add the amount of alcohol it asked for, seemed like not enough, so I doubled it. 

Bailey's Peanut Butter Cuppa Coffee
Recipe from Bailey's

You can find the recipe here.

Serves 2

• 1 3/4 ounces Baileys Original Irish Cream
• 1 cup hot coffee
• 1 cup hot milk
• 8 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, chopped and melted
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• Whipped cream, for garnish
• Shaved chocolate, for garnish
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, for garnish

Combine Baileys Original Irish Cream, hot coffee, hot milk, 8 melted peanut butter cups and peanut butter in a blender.

Blend until combined.

Pour into mugs and garnish with whipped cream, shaved chocolate and whole peanut butter cups.

This recipe will serve 2 and contains no more than 0.6 fluid ounces of alcohol per serving. If you choose to make your own drinks, Pour Vous! can supply the main ingredients. However, if you prefer to have your drink made to order, stop into Safari’s Brick Oven and Grill and ask for a Baileys Peanut Butter Cuppa’ Coffee.

Green Bean Casserole with Madeira Mushrooms

I decided at the last minute last night for Christmas dinner that we needed green beans. I was going to
just sauté them and remembered I had a couple of recipe for casserole type green beans. I'm not a fan of the traditional green bean casserole so I wanted to make sure it wasn't something like that. 

I had all the ingredients I needed except the crunchy onions. Which, it turned out, my sister in law had and brought with her. And I'm glad I didn't avoid those because they really added to the overall flavor. 

This was an easy and delicious side dish. It will show up in my rotation for Sunday dinner - if and when we get to have parties again.

Green Bean Casserole with Madeira Mushrooms
Recipe from Myrecipes.com

Serves 8

• 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
• 2 t olive oil
• 3 c chopped sweet onion
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• 1 (8-ounce) package presliced button mushrooms
• 1/3 c Madeira wine or dry sherry
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3 t all-purpose flour
• 1 c fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1 c  canned fried onions (such as French's)
• 1/2 c grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat oven to 425°.

Place beans into a large saucepan of boiling water; cook 4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain well. Place beans in a large bowl; set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and thyme to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms; sauté 10 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently. Stir in wine, salt, and pepper; cook 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. 

Stir in flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in chicken broth; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Add mushroom mixture to green beans; toss well. 

Place green bean mixture in a 2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish. Combine fried onions and grated cheese in a small bowl. Top green bean mixture evenly with fried onion mixture. Bake at 425° for 17 minutes or until top is lightly browned.

Mom's Marbled Brownies

Merry Christmas! It's always a bittersweet holiday for me. I miss my parents a lot this time of year. Who wouldn't? So, to keep them in my heart I try to make some recipe that reminds me of them. Enter Marbled Brownies. 

I have some very fond memories of these brownies. Mom didn't make them often, but when she did, I swear we'd eat the entire pan in one sitting. 

Janet and Cammie are coming to dinner and I thought it'd be fun to do a cookie exchange among us. I thought Marbled Brownies would be perfect. 

I over "marbled" them though. There should be large sections of the cream cheese filling. Mine has more like ribbons through it. Still delicious. Still gonna eat them. 

Mom's Marbled Brownies
Recipe from JoEllen Wraspir (Mom)

Cream Cheese Filling

8 oz cream cheese, softened

5 T butter, softened

2 T flour

1/3 c sugar

2 eggs

3/4 tsp vanilla (I used a full tsp and it really didn't make much difference. So go ahead. Use more)

1 box brownie mix and it's necessary ingredients. Make "cake like" brownies if there's a recipe for that.

Preheat oven according to package brownie mixture

Cream together the cream cheese mixture and set aside. 

Make the brownie batter based on the box instructions.

in a 9X13 greased pan, spread 1/2 of the brownie mix on the bottom. Pour all of the cream cheese mix over. Drop spoonfuls of remaining brownie mix over the cream cheese mixture. 

Using a knife or skewer, "swirl" the mixture. Don't over swirl.

Bake according to box brownie instructions. 

Let cool, cut and eat. 

Trifecta Chicken (aka Crispy Chicken Breasts with Lemon & Capers)

This is recipe #2 from the recipe swap I did with my buddy Paul. I was supposed to make it last night, but - well last night just didn't happen the way it planned. 

Tonight I made this chicken with the Lemon Spaghetti from last night. According to Paul, the two must be eaten together.

This recipe takes some time to marinate the chicken. So be sure to plan. Otherwise, this was delicious. Making your own bread crumbs is really key here. Paul had told me to not use Panko and to take the time to make my own bread crumbs. He was not wrong. Homemade bread crumbs are easy and they are so much more crunchy. 

I cooked mine in the air fryer at 450 for about 20 minutes.  It was a bit over done, but I like my chicken well done, so I was fine with it. 

Trifecta Chicken (aka Crispy Chicken Breasts with Lemon & Capers)
Recipe from Paul
Serves 4

• 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 7 oz. each), trimmed of excess fat
  
• 3/4 c freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 5 T capers (preferably nonpareils), rinsed, patted dry, and chopped
• 2 T chopped fresh thyme
• 3 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 T Dijon mustard
• 1 lemon, zest finely grated, cut into wedges
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3-1/2 c Toasted Breadcrumbs

Heat the oven to 450°F. Put a flat rack on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.

With a meat pounder or a heavy skillet, lightly pound the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap to even out the thickness of the breasts.

In a large bowl, mix 1/4 cup of the Parmigiano, 2-1/2 Tbs. of the capers, 1 Tbs. of the thyme, and the oil, mustard, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Squeeze one or two of the lemon wedges to get 1 Tbs. juice and add to the mixture, along with 2 Tbs. water. Add the chicken and toss to coat well. You can proceed directly to coating the chicken breasts with crumbs, or let them marinate in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Put the breadcrumbs in a large shallow dish and toss with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmigiano, 2-1/2 Tbs. capers, and 1 Tbs. thyme. Working with one piece at a time, transfer the chicken to the dish of crumbs, scoop some crumbs on top, and press well a couple of times so the crumbs adhere to both sides. Transfer to the rack on the baking sheet.

These crumbs are coarser than your average breadcrumbs, so it takes a little extra force to get them to adhere. My method is to pat a healthy amount of breadcrumbs on top of the chicken and then use the heel of my hand and a firm rotating motion to press the crumbs onto the chicken. Don’t shake off the excess when transferring the breasts to the baking sheet; you want to keep as many crumbs on the chicken as possible.

Bake the chicken until it’s firm to the touch and registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately with the remaining lemon wedges for squeezing over the chicken.

Make Ahead Tips

Make the crumbs ahead. They’ll keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature. Or if you want to whip up a few batches of crumbs, you can store them in a zip-top bag in your freezer for a couple of months.

Marinate ahead. You can pound the chicken and immerse it in the sticky flavor bath the day before you plan to cook it. The results will be excellent because the flavors will really sink into the meat.

Lemon Spaghetti

My good buddy Paul is a cook as well. We were chatting the other night and  I came up with the brilliant idea of sharing recipes. We've started with sharing our favorites. He shared what he calls Chicken Trifecta and Lemon Spaghetti. 

The idea is we'd make it and then sit on facetime and watch each other react to the recipe. Sounds fun right? 

Tonight was a disaster for me. I had to run to Redmond for a blood draw and the weather made it so hard to get back in time to make the full meal. So, I only made the lemon Spaghetti. 

Lord was it delicious. It may become a standard at my house. The key is adding the pesto - which was a Paul add. It really made the pasta delicious. The lemon makes it bright and flavorful. 

Recipe from Food Network

Lemon Spaghetti
Recipe from Paul Schronen

• 1 pound spaghetti
  
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup grated Reggiano
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 3 T pesto - give or take

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.

Goulash Soup

This is one of those recipes where the photo looked so appetizing. And I'm sure this recipe would have been delicous had I not goofed.

First it calls for petite diced tomatoes. For some reason I bought tomato puree. With tomato sauce already, and then a thick tomato puree it was VERY tomato - y. And super thick. 

The second thing is I forgot to dump in the corn. I was hungry by the time it was ready and I just scooped it up and ate it. It wasn't until I was putting the food away that I found the corn sitting there. 

Goulash Soup
Recipe from Southernbite.com

Serves 12

• 

  Photo from Southernbite

  2 pounds ground chuck
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 c beef broth
• 1 (28-ounce) can Red Gold Petite Diced Tomatoes
• 1 (29-ounce) can Red Gold Tomato Sauce
• 1 (6-ounce) can Red Gold Tomato Paste
• 1 (15.25-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1 T paprika
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 c uncooked elbow macaroni
• shredded cheddar cheese for topping (optional)

In a large stock pot, cook the ground beef with the onions over medium heat until it is brown and cooked through. Drain the excess grease away and return the ground beef and onions to the pot over the heat.

Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add the beef broth and stir to combine. Add the undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, drained corn, and mix well. Add the Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Bring a boil. Add the macaroni and stir well. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes or until the macaroni is tender to your liking. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.

Tangerine Beef with Scallions

So... this recipe was interesting. First, tangerines aren't in season, so I had to substitute with clementines. Second, scallions are supposed to be part of the recipe and I didn't buy them. I swear I did, but I sure don't have them. 

It still tasted great! I only marinated it for an hour or so. I didn't read the recipe in time to see that it required 24 hours marinating. 

Tangerine Beef with Scallions
Recipe from Foodnetwork.com

Serves 4

• 

  Photo from The Food Network

  1 1/2 pounds beef tri-tip steak, trimmed of excess fat
• 1 tangerine
• 4 scallions, sliced, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 c soy sauce
• 2 T toasted sesame oil
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 T chopped peeled ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 2 T orange preserves

Pierce the steak with a fork several times on each side. Remove a 2-inch strip of zest from the tangerine, halve the fruit and squeeze the juice into a resealable plastic bag. Add the zest, scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, ginger, garlic, pepper flakes and 1/4 cup water to the bag and mix well. Add the meat, seal the bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the broiler with a broiler pan in place. Remove the steak from the bag and reserve the marinade. Pat the meat dry and place on the preheated broiler pan. Cook, without turning, until the meat is golden brown and a thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 130 for medium-rare, about 10 minutes. Let rest 5 to 10 minutes before slicing; reserve the drippings.

Meanwhile, boil the marinade in a small pot over medium-high heat until slightly thickened. Stir in the orange preserves and the drippings from the meat. Slice the meat against the grain and top with scallions. Serve with the sauce.

Super Easy Keto Chocolate Milkshake

I'm not a dessert fan. Too sweet of things just isn't my jam. Savory is my game. 

But every now and then I want something after dinner. This was the perfect treat. 

I used Monk fruit as my sweetener and not liquid. I put in about 1.5 T of it. Next time I make this I'll add more cocoa powder - 1 T wasn't chocolate enough. 

Super Easy Keto Chocolate Milkshake
Recipe from Hungryforinspiration.com

Makes 1

• 5 fl oz unsweetened almond milk 
• 3.40 fl oz heavy cream 
• 1 T baking cacao powder/ dutch processed cacao powder
• liquid sweetener to taste
• 5 ice cubes
• Optional:
• ½ tsp sugar-free vanilla extract

Add all of the ingredients into a high-performance blender.

Blend for approx. 30 seconds to 1 minute or until the ice cubes have been shredded by the blender.

Fill into a jar and serve right away.

Keto Adobo Air Fried Chicken Thighs

This recipe couldn't be easier or more tasty. I had two different types of Adobo seasoning in my pantry. I knew they were both Goya Adobo Seasoning, but I didn't know what the difference was. They were different colors too. So I tasted them. One had pepper and one was lemon based. 

So....for this recipe I used the one with pepper on the chicken and the lemon flavored one on the side of zucchini I was making. 

Air fryer chicken is the second best to me (Grilling being the best). I haven't used the air fryer in a couple of weeks so it was good to get it out again to use.  The only other difference is I used chicken breasts instead of thighs. 

Keto Adobo Air Fried Chicken Thighs

Recipe from Sweetcsdesigns.com

Serves 4

• 

  Photo from SweetCDesigns

  4 large chicken thighs
• 2 T adobo seasoning (Use Light or Low Sodium Adobo seasoning if you like chicken less salty, original can be pretty salty for some in this recipe.)
• 1 T olive oil

Add olive oil to bag or plate and coat chicken in it.

Toss chicken thighs in adobo seasoning to coat.

Place chicken thighs in air fryer basket, making sure they don't touch or crowd each other.

Set air fryer to 350 degrees and set the timer to 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, flip chicken to other side and cook another 10 minutes.

Chicken will be golden brown and 165 degrees internal temperature at the end of cooking.

Spanish Chicken Cutlets with Yogurt Sauce

Spain is one of my favorite countries. I love their food and flavors. When I saw this recipe I was immediately drawn to the word "Spanish" and so I knew I had to try it. 

I'm not really sure what to think about this recipe. The cutlets were delicious! The sauce to drizzle on top was not. Thankfully, I didn't drizzle it, but instead used it as a dipping sauce. I tasted the sauce before the cutlets were done and realized it just wasn't good to me. So I didn't really use the sauce. 

Dredging the chicken in the yogurt mixture then panko made the chicken so flavorful. I didn't fry them I put them in the air fryer for 15 minutes at 350F. Turned out fine. 

Photo from BigOven.com

Spanish Chicken Cutlets with Yogurt Sauce
Recipe from Cook's Country

• 1 1/4 c plain yogurt
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 c panko bread crumbs
• 4 6 oz chicken cutlets, 1/2 inch thick
• 6 T olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T minced fresh parsley

Combine yogurt, paprika, salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. 

Reserve 1/2 c yogurt mixture. Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Pat cutlets dry and season with salt and pepper. One at a time, coat cutlets in remaining yogurt mixture and dredge in panko, pressing to adhere. 

Heat 2 T oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook cutlets until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to warm wrack in oven. 

Wipe out skillet. Heat remaining 2 T oil until shimmering. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Whisk cooled garlic oil and parsley in reserve yogurt mixture until combined. 

Serve chicken with yogurt sauce.

Don't dredge chicken to keep it low carb.

Rosie’s Famous Mexican Rice

As often happens when waiting for a meeting to start, you chat with your coworkers about simple things like food. One of my coworkers mentioned she had "the best" Mexican rice recipe. Well, "the best" just screams that I need to try it. 

Like me, she doesn't measure, so this recipe is more of a guess than actual. Though having made this tonight, these measurements are pretty close. 

Rosie’s Famous Mexican Rice
Recipe from Rosanne from Work

Serves 4 I think

Note from Rosie: I don’t measure seasoning, so I’m just guessing

• 1 cup white rice (I like medium grain)
• 1 small can spicy V8 juice, or one small can tomato sauce [JWnote: I used 2 small cans of Spicy V8]
• Water – I’ll explain this later 😊
• ¼ cup chopped white or yellow onion [JW: I used one small yellow onion, finely chopped]
• Any color bell pepper – ¼ cup chopped [ JW: you know I didn't add this]
• 2 T garlic powder (don’t use ginger) [JW; I'm pretty sure she doesn't me 2 tablespoons. That seems like a lot. I used 1 tsp and it was just fine]
• 1 T ground cumin [JW: I didn't add cumin. I missed it. 1 tablespoon seems like too much, she might have meant tsp. A little goes a long way.]
• 1-2 T salt
• 2 tsp pepper
• 2 T vegetable oil

Heat oil over medium/high heat in skillet until hot.

Sauté rice, onion and bell pepper over medium high heat, stirring often, just until the rice starts to toast.

Pour tomato sauce or V8 into a measuring cup, then fill with water until you have 2 ½ cups combined liquid [ JW: This is where I used two small cans of V8 and filled the rest with water]. Pour this into the rice and add the seasonings. Stir briefly and bring to a boil.

Once it is boiling, lower heat to low and simmer, covered for 25 minutes.

Slow Cooker Honey Soy Pork Chops

Sunday's are always a good day for slow cooker meals. This one was easy to throw together and pretty flavorful. It needed a bit more soy flavor to me. So when it was done I tossed in about another 2 T. 

Slow Cooker Honey Soy Pork Chops
Recipe from Thesouthernladycooks.com

Serves 4

• 

  Recipe from
  TheSouthernLadyCooks

  4 to 6 pork chops (I used bone-in center cut but you could use any chops)
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 T Montreal Steak Seasoning, Optional
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 4 T cooking oil
• 1 green pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced in rings
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 c water
• 1/3 c honey or 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 c soy sauce

Combine flour, steak seasoning and pepper in a brown bag or shallow pan. 

Cover chops with flour. Brown in oil on top of the stove. 

Place pork chops in crock pot with sliced green pepper and onion rings on top. 

Combine tomatoes, water, honey and soy sauce and pour over the top. Cook on low 6 to 7 hours or high 3 to 4 hours. Makes 4 to 6 servings. Enjoy!

Coconut Key Lime Bread

It feels weird that I'm baking something with lime in it in December. It feels even odder that I'd be baking at all. But the recipe randomizer doesn't care what season we're in. Sure I could have skipped it, but why not make it. Try something new. 

It looks like there are a lot of ingredients here, but I promise you it's an easy recipe.

Key #1 - get all your ingredients measured and ready. This really is a key for anyone baking or cooking. Makes the actual act of it easier. 

Also, turns out that you can substitute xanthum gum with a bunch of things. I swear I had xanthum gum (and I'll probably find it now that I don't need it) but I couldn't find it. So I substituted with cornstarch. Which, yes, technically makes this now as low carb as it could be, but a tsp isn't going to do much. It's just for binding. You can also use psyllium husk (and water) and chia seeds (and water).

Coconut Key Lime Bread
Recipe from LowCarbYum

Serves 12

• ½ c unsweetened shredded coconut plus additional for top
• ⅔ c almond flour
• ⅓ c coconut flour
• ½ tsp xanthan gum
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ c low carb sugar substitute
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp dried lemon peel or lime peel
• ½ c butter melted
• 3 T coconut oil liquified
• 7 eggs
• 6 ounces sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• 3 T Key lime juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Lime zest optional – add for stronger lime flavor

Powdered sugar substitute with lime juice to make glaze.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease or line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.

In medium bowl, mix together dried coconut, almond flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum, salt, sweetener, baking powder, and dried lemon or lime peel. Set aside.

With electric mixer in medium bowl, combine butter, coconut oil, eggs, sour cream, lime juice, and vanilla extract until well blended. Add dry ingredients and mix until uniform batter is formed.

Pour batter into a greased 9×5 inch loaf pan. Spread out with rubber spatula as needed.

Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of extra coconut on top if desired. Return to oven and bake an additional 55 to 60 minutes or until top is browned and toothpick inserted comes out dry.

Hunan Beef

 Not a fan!

I don't think I've ever started a blog with "Not a fan!" I followed this recipe 100%. It was spicy, for sure, but not blow you head off spicy. 

Overally, I just didn't like the flavor. 

Hunan Beef
Recipe from Savorytooth.com

Serves 2

• 12 ounces flank steak or other beef steak

  

  Photo from SavoryTooth.com

• 3 T canola oil or peanut oil
• 2 scallions thinly sliced

Marinade:

• 2 T rice cooking wine
• 1 T soy sauce
• 1 T corn starch
• 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt

Sauce:

• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 T minced fresh ginger
• 1 T Asian red chili sauce (like sriracha)
• 1 tsp ground cumin

In a large bowl, stir together marinade ingredients until the corn starch is dissolved. Slice the beef against the grain into thin slices (about 1/4 inch thick) and add to the bowl with the marinade. Stir the beef with the marinade until it’s all soaked up. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients, stirring together until mixed. Set aside.

In a wok, add canola oil and heat over medium-high heat for a few minutes until hot. Add beef and fry in the oil for a few minutes until browned, constantly stirring and flipping the beef slices. Use a slotted spoon to transfer only the beef to a plate, leaving the oil in the wok.

Reduce to medium heat. Add prepared sauce and cook for less than a minute until fragrant, stirring frequently. Return the beef back to the wok and stir together with the sauce for a few minutes until well-mixed.

Remove the wok from heat. Stir in sliced scallions and serve.

Garlic Butter Steak Bites

 Beef! It's what's for dinner. I've had in restaurants steak bites with garlic and butter and each time I figure I can recreate it for myself at home. 

I marinated the steak for 4 hours. I used tritip because that's what was available.

And if you know me, or have been reading here, you know I will grill meat whenever possible. I didn't like the idea of frying this in a pan and making a mess. So I cut them up in kabob sizes, skewered them and grilled them. 

Once they were done on the grill, I dropped them into a bowl with melted butter and swished it around. Feels like it was just as good. 

Garlic Butter Steak Bites
Recipe from Peaceloveandlowcarb.com

Serves 8

• 

  Photo from Peace, Love 
  and Low carb

  3 pounds beef tenderloin, cut into bite-sized pieces
  
• 1 head of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/3 c coconut aminos or gluten free soy sauce [JW: I used low sodium soy sauce]
• 2 T dried minced onion
• 1 T chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1 T chopped fresh parsley, extra for garnish (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or 3/4 teaspoon dried)
• 1 tsp sea salt (this is the only brand I use)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 T olive oil 
• 1 stick salted butter 

Add all ingredients (except olive oil and butter) to a large mixing bowl. Toss to coat. Make sure that all pieces of the meat are evenly coated in the coconut aminos and spices. If time allows, refrigerate for 2 hours, up to 24 hours. This allows the flavors to really come together and soak into the meat.

Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the steak bites to the pan and sear on all sides. If you do not have a large enough pan, you may need to do this in batches to prevent overcrowding the pan (see tips in post).

Once the steak bites are nice and seared, and have formed a slight crust, add the butter to the pan. Toss the steak bites in the butter as it melts.

Garnish with reserved parsley before serving.

Garlic Butter Salmon and Asparagus

I enjoy salmon, but I'm very picky about how its cooked. For example, I'm not a huge fan of smoked salmon. I prefer it to be grilled or baked. And I like my salmon well done. 

This recipe has all the elements I like with my salmon...lemon, garlic and butter. Super easy recipe, and super delicious. 

I had a problem baking it because the old tenants didn't clean the oven and it has some gunk on the bottom. At such a high temp that gunk burns. I had smoke everywhere. Took it out of the oven and finished it in hot skillet. 

I would also recommend not putting thin asparagus in at the same time as the salmon. It'll be overcooked. If you have finger size asparagus it will cook fine.

Garlic Butter Salmon and Asparagus
Recipe from Thatlowcarblife.com

• 1.5 pounds salmon, cut into 4 fillets
  
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
• ½ c butter, melted
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T minced parsley
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp cracked pepper
• 4 slices lemon

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with non-stick spray.

Lay the salmon fillets down the center of the baking sheet, leaving space between each fillet.

Arrange the asparagus around the top and bottom of the baking sheet.

Whisk together the melted butter, garlic, parsley, and onion powder. Drizzle over the salmon and asparagus.

Sprinkle the salmon and asparagus with salt and pepper.

Lay 1 slice of lemon over each salmon fillet.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the salmon flakes with a fork and is opaque throughout.

Serve immediately.

Easy Honey Garlic Pork Chops

This is the second Honey Garlic pork chop I've made this year. This was good, but the first one I made was way better. 

I grilled my chops instead of bake or broil them. If I have an option, it's grilling every time. I added some lemon pepper to the chops because I had it out for the asparagus. Overall, this was good. 

Easy Honey Garlic Pork Chops
Recipe from CafeDelites

Serves 4

Photo by ME! Also, it's a small
plate, not a regular dinner plate.

• 4 pork chops bone in or out
• Salt and pepper, to season
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 T unsalted butter
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 c honey
• 1/4 c water (or chicken broth)
• 2 T rice wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar, or any white vinegar)

Preheat oven broiler (or grill) on medium-high heat. Season chops with salt, pepper and garlic powder just before cooking.

Heat oil in a pan or skillet over medium high heat until hot. Sear chops on both sides until golden and cooked through (about 4-5 minutes each side). Transfer to a plate; set aside.

Reduce heat to medium. Melt butter in the same pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Sauté garlic until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add the honey, water and vinegar. Increase heat to medium-high and continue to cook until the sauce reduces down and thickens slightly (about 3-4 minutes), while stirring occasionally.

Add pork back into the pan, baste generously with the sauce and broil/grill for 1-2 minutes, or until edges are slightly charred.

Garnish with parsley and serve over vegetables, rice, pasta or with a salad.

Hamburger Soup

I can't believe its been almost 2 full weeks since I actually cooked something new. Thanksgiving week is kinda a wash. More quick meals than new recipes. And Turkey Day itself is always the same.

Last week I planned, but didn't cook. Just didn't feel like it. 

This week however, I've got a full menu, starting with soup tonight. 

I'm love soups this time of year. They're easy, and make good leftovers. This one is a twist on vegetable beef soup. Instead of using stew meat it uses burger. Which, in my opinion, is way easier.

Swapped corn for cauliflower rice. Great substitution for lowering the carb count.

Also added a tablespoon of chili powder and a splash of Worcestershire sauce.

Hamburger Soup
Recipe from AllRecipes.com

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 c chopped carrots
• 1 c chopped celery
• 1 c chopped onion
• 6 cubes beef bouillon
• 5 c water
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn kernels
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 3 T ketchup

In a medium skillet, brown hamburger over medium heat. Drain off fat.

Combine beef, carrots, celery, onions, bouillon, water, tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, salt, corn, basil, and ketchup in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 1/2 hours.

Stout-Marinated Steak Tips

Oh....My...God...

This recipe was do dam delicious that I barely have words for this. The marinade was fan-freakin-tastic. This is definitely going on the Sunday Dinner and repeat list. 

Definitely let this marinade for at minimum 8 hours. I managed just slightly over 8 and that long marinade made the difference I think.

My next time I make this I'll buy a better cut of meat. I had never heard of flap meat. When I Googled it they referred me to Sirloin Tip. That's a tough piece of meat, but I thought  maybe the marinade would change that. It really didn't. I'd go with NY Strip or TriTip next time. 

I'd also take about a cup of the marinade and set it aside. Cooking that down to drizzle over the top seems like a brilliant thing to do.

Stout-Marinated Steak Tips
Recipe from Food Network

Serves 10-12

• 5 pounds beef flap meat
• 4 ounces soy sauce
  
• 4 ounces Worcestershire sauce
• 1 c molasses
• 1 pound brown sugar
• 1 T red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 5 or 6 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 cans stout (recommended: Guinness)

Trim the silver skin and icky fatty parts from your flap meat, then cut into 3- or 4-ounce chunks, or whatever size you like. Place in a container with a tight-fitting lid; don't forget to leave extra space for the marinade.

In a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, molasses, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, black pepper and garlic. Add the stout; be careful, it will foam a bit. There is really no need to add salt--the soy and Worcestershire are plenty salty.

Pour the marinade over the beef tips and stir gently to evenly coat. (If you don't use all the marinade, it will keep, refrigerated, in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.)

Refrigerate the meat for 8 hours or overnight; it will keep for up to 4 or 5 days. Cook as desired.

Keto Roasted Cauliflower

Cauliflower is one of those vegetables to me that is boring as heck. I don't like it raw, but love it cooked. I mostly cook cauliflower in the oven with olive oil and McCormick Montreal Steak seasoning. Every now and then a recipe comes along that is easy and sounds delicious. This is one of those recipes. 

Super easy and super delicious. I have never cooked cauliflower with mayo before and wasn't sure how this would turn out...and I was pleasantly surprised.

Keto Roasted Cauliflower
Recipe from Kicking-carbs.com

Serves 6

• 

  Photo from Kicking-carbs.com

  1 head cauliflower
  
• 1/3 c mayonnaise
• 1 T Dijon Mustard
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 T butter melted
• 1/4 c fresh grated Parmesan
• 1 T lemon juice
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 420 degrees.

Cut cauliflower into florets and place in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and Dijon Mustard. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the mayonnaise over the cauliflower and toss to combine.

Spread in a single layer on a roasting pan or on an oven safe cooling rack sitting on a cookie sheet.

Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until tender.

Transfer to a bowl. Top with melted butter, Parmesan, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir and serve warm.

Easy Double Chocolate Chunk Muffins

Photo from
SweetCdesigns

Lesson 1 of cooking...read the instructions BEFORE you get started. I did not for this recipe. I assumed it was just like every other muffin, cookie, cake recipe I've ever made. Mix dry ingredients together. Mix wet ingredients together. Mix dry and wet together...voila. 

Well, let's hope they turn out ok cuz I did not follow these instructions. In fact, reading them now they are a bit confusing. 

Further, I neglected to read the baking instructions. I popped them in at 425 for 6 minutes and they weren't done. So I put another 6 minute timer. THEN I read the instructions. Ugh.

I also did not refrigerate the batter...oh boy...these are going to be interesting.

Easy Double Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Recipe from SweetCDesigns

Makes 6

• 2 c all purpose flour
• 3/4 c cocoa powder
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 2 extra large eggs
• 8 T unsalted butter melted
• 1 c plain yogurt or buttermilk (JW: I used buttermilk)
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 c chocolate chunks or chocolate chips

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Toss the chocolate chunks into the dry ingredients to coat the chocolate chunks in flour (which will help them not sink to the bottom of the mix when baking!)

Make a well in the middle and add in eggs and vanilla, whisking vigorously.

Using a large spoon, mix rest of ingredients in to muffins until large clumps are gone and batter is consistently mixed - but do not overwork muffin batter.

Cover batter and refrigerate for one hour to overnight.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Fill muffin cups to 3/4 full.

Bake at 425 for 6-10 minutes, until muffins have puffed slightly above muffin liner.

Reduce heat to 350 (DONT open oven when you do this) and bake until sides of muffins are slightly crunchy and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (after about 25-30 minutes total baking time.)

Ginger-Soy Beef and Vegetable Kebabs

Tonight was the first night all week where I wasn't grilling in the pouring rain. It's amusing to me that people think there's a "grilling season." Our family grilled year round. In fact, at one point in my life I wondered why we had a stove at all.

This was a delicious marinade. The recipe is designed to be cooked in an air fryer apparently. I didn't realize that until AFTER I had grilled them. Which means I didn't read the full recipe. Oops!

Ginger-Soy Beef and Vegetable Kebabs

Photo from ATK

Recipe from America's Test Kitchen

Serves... unknown. I'd say 2

• 2 T vegetable oil
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 T toasted sesame oil
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp grated orange zest, plus 1 T juice
• 12 oz sirloin steak tips, cut into 1.5" pieces
• 1 small red onion, cut into wedges
• 4 oz mushrooms, stemmed and halved (if large)
• 1 zucchini, sliced into 1/2 in thick rounds
• salt and pepper

Combine 4 tsp  veg oil, ginger, garlic and pepper flakes. Microwave until fragrant (30 sec). Whish in sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, and orange zest and juice until combined. Measure out and reserve 3 T. Add beef to remaining and toss to coat; set aside. 

Meanwhile, toss onion, mushroom and zucchini with salt and pepper and remaining 2 tsp veg oil in a bowl. Thread onion, mushroom, zucchini on a skewer...repeat.  Arrange skewers in air fryer basket, parallel to each other and spaced evenly. set temp to 400F. Cook until the veg begin to brown about 8 minutes. 

Meanwhile, thread beef evenly onto skewers. flip and rotate veg then arrange beef skewers on top, perpendicular to veg skewers. Cook until beef registers 130-135, 10-14 minutes, flipping and rotating beef skewers halfway through. 

Carne Guisada (Latin Beef Stew)

This is the second Carne Guisada recipe that came up in my random selection of recipes. Random? 

Yes, random. I have a spreadsheet that has all my recipes. I actually keep the recipes in a recipe manager called Paprika. Each week I have a random number app select 10-15 random numbers which I then correlate to the row number in the spreadsheet. If I've made the recipe before, I move on to the next random number. I will admit I don't always make what the randomizer comes up with and that's mostly because appetizers or breakfasts aren't easy for a week's menu. 

At any rate, my point is I don't completely control what I make each week. I kinda like it that way. 

This recipe didn't seem to have enough liquid for cooking 1.5 hours. I added 1c beef stock in addition to the 1/3 c water. I also think I probably added more like 1/2 c beer. I didn't measure that, I mean, why bother. 

I only used Adobo seasoning, didn't have any Sazon. It turned out fine without it. It turned out just fine. I didn't serve it over rice or anything. I had some leftover tortillas so I ate the stew with that.

Carne Guisada (Latin Beef Stew)

Recipe from SkinnyTaste

Serves 5

• 2 tsp olive oil

  

  Photo from SkinnyTaste
  She takes way better photos than me.

  
  
• 1 c scallions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 small tomatoes, diced
• 2 T cilantro, minced
• 1.5 lb beef stew meat, cut into small chunks
• 1/3 c light beer
• 1/3 c water
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp adobo, or salt
• 1/2 tsp achiote, or sazon
• 1 bay leaf
• salt to taste
• 10 oz baby red potatoes, halved or quartered

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium heat.

Add scallions and garlic and sauté about 2 - 3 minutes; add tomatoes, cilantro and a pinch of salt. Cook another 2 minutes, stirring.

Add beef to the pot along with beer, water, cumin, adobo, achiote, bay leaf and salt if needed.

Cover and simmer on low heat 1 1/2 hours.

Test to make sure beef is tender, if not cook another 15 minutes.

Add potatoes and cook until soft, about 20 minutes depending on the size.

The Best Pork Chop Marinade - #100... or is it?

So tonight I was to hit my 100th recipe for this year. The goal I arbitrarily set in January to push myself to cook more new recipes. I really didn't think I'd make it at all, but enter COVID and all bets were off. 

Because I was home it was easier to start dinner, or marinate earlier, etc. 

Last night, knowing this was to be recipe 100, I thought I should check my math. After several hours of reviewing the blog entries and comparing that to what's in my recipe index (aka a spreadsheet), I determined this is actual recipe #111. 

Yes that's right boys and girls I surpassed my goal a week or so ago. Which makes tonight's fanfare somewhat anticlimactic.

I only had this marinating for 2 hours tonight and, frankly, I think it was enough.

The Best Pork Chop Marinade
Recipe from SixSistersStuff

Serves 4

• 

  Beautiful photo from 
  SixSistersStuff

  1/2 c soy sauce
  
• 1/4 c chili sauce
• 1/4 c honey
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 1 bunch green onion (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 6 boneless pork chops

In a gallon-sized resealable bag, add the soy sauce, chili sauce, honey, vegetable oil, green onions, and curry powder and mix until completely combined (I just use my hands and squish it all around in the bag until it's all mixed).

Add in the pork chops, then seal the bag. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but I highly recommend letting them marinade for 6-8 hours (or even overnight!).

Remove bag from fridge, place pork chops on grill over medium high heat and discard marinade. Grill for 6-8 minutes on each side or until the insides of the pork chops are no longer pink.

Citrus Spiced Grilled Chicken (99 of 100 new recipes for 2020)

Trying to make chicken tasty is my goal in life. I trying different marinades to add flavor. I especially like citrus marinades.

This recipe had one flaw for me...too much cumin. It overwhelmed the other flavors to me, which it does all the time. I debated on whether I should put it in or not and decided to add it. I wish I hadn't. 

Besides that, this is a great marinade. I had the chicken in the marinade for about an hour. I also cubed my chicken so I could put it on skewers. I do this all the time with chicken marinades...more marinade gets to more of the chicken that way. 

Citrus Spiced Grilled Chicken
Recipe from Cook's Country Aug / Sept 2011

Serves 4

Process onion, lime juice, garlic, oil, orange zest, ore

• 
  1 onion, chopped course
  
• 1 tsp grated lime zest, plus 1/4 cup juice (2 limes)
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 T grated orange zest (2 oranges)
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces, trimmed (breasts halved crosswise)

Process onion, lime juice, garlic, oil, orange zest, oregano, salt, lime zest, pepper, lime juice, cinnamon, cumin, and cloves in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds; transfer to zipper-lock bag. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and add to bag, turning to coat. Refrigerate for 1 to 24 hours, turning occasionally.

Grill chicken. 

Brazilian Pot Roast

Pot roast is among the top 5 favorite meals. It makes a GREAT leftover for lunches. I get stuck on the traditional pot roast recipe (roast, onion soup mix, carrots, potatoes, onions etc). And that's just fine, but when I find one a little different, I've got to try it. 

The important part of this is the gremolata. That is quite Brazilian and really adds to the flavor of this roast. 

Brazilian Pot Roast
Recipe from Cuisine at Home Oct 2018

Serves 8

For the pot roast:

Photo from Cuisine at Home


• 2 T olive oil
• 1 beef chuck roast (4.5-5lbs), seasoned with salt and pepper
• 2 c diced onions
• 1/4c flour
• 2 T each tomato paste and minced fresh garlic
• 2 serrano chiles, seeded and minced
• 1 T chili powder
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp each salt and pepper
• 1/2 c dry red wine
• 1 c diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 c beef broth
• 2 bay leaves

For the Gremolata

• 1/4 c minced parsley
• 2 T orange zest
• 1 tsp minced garlic

For the pot roast, heat oil in a Dutch oven or skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Brown roast on both sides, 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer to a slow cooker. 

Stir onion, flour, tomato paste, garlic, serrano, chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper into skillet, cook for 2 minutes. 

Deglaze with wine. Cook wine until nearly evaporated. Stir in diced tomatoes, broth, and bay leaves; bring to a boil and cook until thick, 3-4 minutes. Pour tomato mixture over roast.

Cover slow cooker and cook roast until fork tender on high setting, 4 hours or low setting 7-8 hours. Transfer roast to a platter. Strain sauce, discard solids. Skim fat from surface of sauce. 

For the gremolata, combine parsley, orange zest and garlic. Serve roast with sauce and top with gremolata. 

Cowboy Quiche

The Pantry Goat is coming over for breakfast today (and to pick up all the frozen leftovers I have for her). Making breakfast isn't something I do very often. I wanted to do something besides just pancakes. Turns out in my list of recipes I have a TON of pancake recipes (mostly low carb), several breakfast casseroles recipes and this single quiche casserole. 

Now, if you've been reading my blog for some time you know I'm no fan of eggs. I don't hate them, I am just not likely to eat them on purpose. So quiche seems like an odd choice right? Turns out that I love quiche. I think it's the cream in the eggs and all the goodies in them ... oh and the pie crust. 

Cowboy Quiche
Recipe from the Pioneer Woman

Serves 10

• 

  Beautiful Photo from Pioneer Woman

  1 whole Unbaked Pie Crust (enough For A Deep Dish Pan)
  
• 2 whole Yellow Onions, Sliced
• 2 T Butter
• 8 slices Bacon
• 8 whole Large Eggs
• 1-1/2 c Heavy Cream Or Half-and-Half
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 2 c Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Fry the onions in the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat for at least 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deep golden brown. Set aside to cool.

Fry the bacon until chewy. Chop into large bite-sized pieces and set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll out the pie crust and press it into a large fluted deep tart pan (or a deep dish pie pan).

Whip the eggs, cream, salt and pepper in a large bowl, then mix in the onions, bacon, and cheese. Pour the mixture into the pie crust.

Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet, cover lightly with aluminum foil, and bake it for about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the quiche is set and the crust is golden brown. (The quiche will still seem slightly loose, but will continue to set once remove from the oven.)

Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. 

Slow Cooker Low Carb Chili

I didn't get my chili fix this year in October. It's tradition to make Frito Lollis for the October Sunday dinner - and well we didn't get to have a Sunday dinner (thanks Covid). Frito Lollies used to be our Christmas Eve tradition, but I shifted it to October. 

I was sitting at my desk today wondering what I'd be having for dinner when I saw a post from my younger sister. She posted a recipe for chili. Yes! That's what we'll have. 

Enter this low carb chili recipe (the one she shared). I love every recipe I've made from WholeSomeYum. I'm sure this one will be no different. It's got all the things a good chili needs...except beans. Since it's low carb, there are no beans. My version, however, has beans. Chili isn't chili without beans. 

The original recipe has directions for instant pot or slow cooker. I don't have an instant pot, so I went slow cooker. 

Slow Cooker Low Carb Chili
Recipe from WholesomeYum

Serves: about 8-10 I'd guess

• 2 1/2 lb Ground beef
• 1/2 large Onion (chopped)

• 

  Beautiful photo by
  WholeSomeYum

  8 cloves Garlic (minced)
• 2 15-oz can Diced tomatoes (with liquid)
• 1 6-oz can Tomato paste
• 1 4-oz can Green chiles (with liquid)
• 2 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 c Chili powder
• 2 T Cumin
• 1 T Dried oregano
• 2 tsp Sea salt
• 1 tsp Black pepper
• 1 medium Bay leaf (optional)

Crock Pot slow cooker instructions

In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the chopped onion for 5-7 minutes, until translucent (or increase the time to about 20 minutes if you like them caramelized). Add the garlic and cook for a minute or less, until fragrant.

Add the ground beef. Cook for 8-10 minutes, breaking apart with a spatula, until browned.

Transfer the ground beef mixture into a slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients, except bay leaf, and stir until combined. Place the bay leaf into the middle, if using.

Cook for 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high. If you used a bay leaf, remove it before serving.

Dina's Tossed Mushrooms

Tonight I made two new recipes. Pan-Fried Hone Garlic Chicken was my protein. This was my side dish. I had a lb of mushrooms in the fridge for a reason I can't explain, so it worked perfect. 

SkinnyTaste recipes rarely disappoint and this one didn't either. I ended up cooking mine for about 30 minutes, mostly because I forgot them and in my oven that was perfect. I'd make these again if I was looking for something different to do with mushrooms. 

Dina's Tossed Mushrooms

Beautiful photo from SkinnyTaste

Recipe from SkinnyTaste

• 1 pound white button mushrooms
• 2 T water
• 1/4 c dried Italian-style breadcrumbs
• 2 T Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
• 2 T Italian parsley, minced
• 1/4 tsp thyme (fresh or dried)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• black pepper to taste
• 2 T olive oil to drizzle
• olive oil spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice off the bottom of the stems; then, use a moist paper towel to gently remove any dirt from mushrooms.

Quarter or halve the mushrooms, depending on the size.

Sprinkle water in the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish then place mushrooms in a single layer on top of the water.

In a small bowl combine next six ingredients: breadcrumbs through salt/pepper. Sprinkle mixture evenly on top of the mushrooms.

Drizzle evenly with olive oil then spray the top with olive oil spray so it’s evenly coated. Bake uncovered until the mushrooms are golden, about 20 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

Pan-Fried Honey Garlic Chicken

Tonight I made TWO new recipes. I'm going to easily hit my goal of 100 new recipes. I can think COVID for that. If I wasn't working from home, I doubt I'd be cooking as much. It was just easier to drive through some place on my way home. Now I really don't have an excuse. 

This recipe wasn't great. BUT first let me say I didn't marinade it for 12 hours. That may infuse more flavor, but I doubt it. It just lacked flavor for me. There was enough garlic in it that I assumed it'd really be flavorful, but it really wasn't. Which is why I think maybe a longer marinade. 

Pan-Fried Honey Garlic Chicken

Beautiful photo from SpicethePlate.com

Recipe from Spicetheplate.com

• 4 pieces of chicken breast with or without skin (about a pound)

For marinating the chicken:

• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• ¼ c oil
• ⅓ c honey
• 1 T rice vinegar
• a head garlic, minced

Rub the chicken with salt and black pepper on both sides, let it sit for about 15 minutes.

While waiting, whisk oil, honey, rice vinegar and garlic in a container.

Transfer the chicken into large ziploc bag and pour the honey garlic sauce over, marinate at least 12 hours in the refrigerator.

Heat oil in a pan until shimmering, carefully place the chicken in the pan.

Cook 6-7 minutes with lid on and flip to the other side and continue cooking 6-7 minutes until cooked through.

Place the chicken on a plate, drizzle some honey on top.

Top with green onion and black pepper to serve.

Combine with vegetable and rice for a simple meal.

Soy Marinated Flank Steak

I must have a dozen "soy" marinade recipes. They're all really the same: soy, sugar of some sort, ginger, oil, etc. This one is no different. What I like about it is the simplicity AND the adding of the vinegar to a side amount of the marinade to put over the meat later. That really brought the taste home. 

Soy Marinated Flank Steak

Photo from SkinnyTaste

Recipe from SkinnyTaste

Serves 6

• 1/2 c reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari 
• 1/4 c honey
• 2 T vegetable oil, plus more for greasing
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp minced ginger
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp red chili pepper flakes
• 2 T thinly sliced green onion, plus more for garnish
• 3/4 tsp rice vinegar
• 2 lb flank steak

In a medium-size bowl, combine the soy sauce, honey, vegetable oil, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, black pepper, red chili pepper and green onions.

Remove 1/4 cup of the marinade and combine with the rice vinegar in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate.

Place the remaining marinade and steak in a 1-gallon resealable bag. Remove as much air as possible and seal the bag.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour by laying the steak flat, and flipping the bag after 30 minutes. The steak can be marinated in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours.

Remove the steak from the marinade, drain any excess liquid and transfer to a pan. Discard the marinating bag.

Set the grill to high. Add a small amount of oil on a folded piece of paper towel, carefully greasing the grill with the oil.

Allow the grill to preheat for 15 minutes, and once the grill is very hot, add the steak.

Cover and cook the steak until well browned, about 4 to 5 minutes, then flip and cook until desired doneness.

Transfer the steak to a cutting board and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Slice the steak against the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices. Pour the reserved marinade on top and serve hot.

Asian Chopped Chicken Salad

 I've tried many a Asian salads in my life. Some great, some meh and some I'll never eat again. This recipe was simple, flavorful, and filling. 

I marinated my chicken in a teriyaki sauce I had on hand. Not really necessary, but it was a nice added flavor. I also cooked my chicken earlier in the day and let it cool before putting it in the salad. Also not necessary. 

I had some left over peanuts from an Asian salad I made a couple of weeks ago so I tossed them in. It added a nice crunch. 

Asian Chopped Chicken Salad

Recipe from SixSistersStuff

Serves 6

• 5 c romaine 
• 4 c shredded cabbage
• 2/3 c shredded carrots
• 1 1/2 (8 ounce) cans mandarin oranges (drained)
• 1/2 c cooked wonton strips
• 4 green onions (diced)
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cooked and diced)

Dressing

• 1/2 c rice vinegar
• 1/4 c sugar
• 2 T canola oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

In a bowl, toss together kale, cabbage, carrots, mandarin oranges, wonton strips, green onions, and chicken.

In a separate bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar, canola oil, salt, pepper and toasted sesame seeds until sugar has dissolved.

Pour dressing over salad and toss until combined.

Pasta with Chicken and Mushrooms

This is my all time favorite pasta and chicken recipe. I make it frequently and am shocked it isn't on this blog. This is my 5 star recipe. 

It was first made in 2009 and I've made it at least 5 more times since then. I love the bow tie pasta and the cream and the chicken of this recipe. So good. Super easy and super delicious. 

It comes from a magazine that is no longer in publication called Everyday Food. It was a Martha Stewart spin off somehow. I loved the magazine. A ton of great recipes that are super easy and delicious. The magazine doesn't exist any longer, but many of the recipes live on via their website. 

Pasta with Chicken and Mushrooms

Photo from Martha Stewart

Recipe from Everyday Food (Martha Stewart)

Serves 4

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3/4 pound bowtie pasta
• 1 pound chicken tenders, white tendons removed, halved lengthwise and again crosswise
• 2 T butter
• 1 pound small white button mushrooms, stems trimmed, halved
• 1/2 c dry white wine
• 1/2 c heavy cream
• 1/2 c chopped fresh parsley

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot.

Meanwhile, season chicken generously with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook, turning once, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add mushrooms to pan; season with salt and pepper. Cover; cook over medium heat until mushrooms release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Uncover; cook, stirring, until liquid has evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes more. Add wine; cook, stirring, until evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.

Reduce heat to low. Add cream and chicken; stir to coat. Transfer to pot with pasta; add parsley and pasta water (if desired). Toss to combine. Season again with salt and pepper; serve immediately.

Garlic Mushrooms

Yet another favorite that isn't on the blog. And before you ask, yes, I'm bored tonight and updating/coordinating my recipe list is something to do. 

According to my notes, this was made for a Sunday dinner in Dec 2018. It was a big hit. So much so that I handed out the recipe to two guests. I've made this a handful of times since then. When I made it originally I had forgotten to add the wine to them. I don't add wine to them now when I make them. 

Garlic Mushrooms

Photo from CafeDelites

Recipe from CafeDelites

Serves 4

• 4 T unsalted butter
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 an onion chopped (optional)
• 1 pound Cremini or button mushrooms
• 2 T dry white wine* (optional)
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves chopped
• 2 T chopped fresh parsley
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the butter and oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat.

Sauté the onion until softened (about 3 minutes).

Add the mushrooms and cook for about 4-5 minutes until golden and crispy on the edges.

Pour in the wine and cook for 2 minutes, to reduce slightly.

Stir through thyme, 1 tablespoon of parsley and garlic. Cook for a further 30 seconds, until fragrant.

Season generously with salt and pepper (to your taste).

Sprinkle with remaining parsley and serve warm.

Crispy Slow Cooker Carnitas

Here's another recipe that I loved, but it never made it to the blog. This was first made in August 2017. The sister in law and cousin were over scrapbooking and I had this going in the slow cooker. 

My notes in the recipe in Paprika says I used chicken stock instead of beer. And I used about 2 T of the adobo sauce and 2 chipotle chilies. It wasn't hot at all. 

I served this with an onion, cilantro, lime salsa. You know the traditional topping for street tacos. 

Crispy Slow Cooker Carnitas
Recipe from Gimme Some Oven

Serves 6-8

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 (4-5 pound) lean boneless pork roast, excess fat trimmed, cut into 3-inch chunks
• 1 c beer (or chicken stock)

• 

  Beautiful photo from
  Gimme Some Oven

  1 medium white onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 T chipotle powder (or 1 chipotle in adobo sauce, minced)
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp salt

Heat oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the pork and sear on each side until browned (about 1-2 minutes per side). Transfer pork to a large slow cooker.

Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker, and give the mixture a stir to combine. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours until the pork is completely tender and shreds easily with a fork.

Once the pork is cooked, preheat your broiler to high heat and prepare two baking sheets with aluminum foil. Use a fork to shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, and then use a slotted spoon to transfer it to the prepared baking sheets, spreading the pork in an even layer and leaving the juices behind in the slow cooker. (Don’t discard the juices, we’re going to use them later!)

Place one sheet under the broiler for about 5 minutes, or until the edges of the pork begin browning and crisping up. Remove the sheet from the oven, then ladle about 1/4 cup of the juices from the slow cooker evenly over the pork, and then give it a good toss with some tongs. Broil for an additional 5 minutes to get the meat more crispy. Then remove and ladle an additional 1/4 cup of broth over the crispy pork.

Repeat with the other baking sheet of pork.

Serve immediately in tacos, burritos, salads, or whatever sounds good to you! This pork can also be refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or frozen in a sealed container for up to 3 months.