Shish Tawook

Photo from Chelsea's
Messy Apron

I've made shish tawook recipes before. My favorite one is slightly different in that it includes cumin. I'm not a fan of cumin so this one is spot on for me. It was delicious. And that "delicious" should be in all caps. 

I grilled my chicken kebab style. That's how I roll and this was the right choice for these cubes of goodness. I marinated the chicken for 5 hours. That seems to be the sweet spot for me with marinades. 

I served the chicken cubes in a pita with tzatziki. Store bought. While this recipe includes a recipe for tzatziki, I decided I needed to just buy it. 

Make this recipe. You won't be disappointed.

Shish Tawook

Recipe from Chelseasmessyapron.com

Serves 4

Chicken

1 large juicy lemon (1/4 cup juice)

1/4 c olive oil (or vegetable oil)

3/4 c plain full fat yogurt

5 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 T tomato paste

1/2 T red wine vinegar

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp ground paprika

1/4 tsp ground allspice

2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into even 2 inch pieces

Fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

MARINATE CHICKEN: Prepare the chicken breasts by patting dry with paper towel, cutting into even 2-inch pieces and placing in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients: 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, 3/4 cup yogurt, 5 cloves of finely minced garlic, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, salt and pepper (to taste; about 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Whisk until combined and then pour over the chicken. Stir to generously coat the chicken, cover, and chill. Marinate for 2-24 hours.

TZATZIKI: After making the chicken marinade, make this sauce so it can chill and flavors can develop before serving. Grate a cucumber with the large holes of a cheese grater. Line a small bowl with a few paper towels (or clean kitchen towel) and place the grated cucumber on top. Squeeze as much extra moisture from the cucumber as you can (to keep the sauce from being watery). Once it's drained, place in a medium-sized bowl. Add in the Greek yogurt, minced garlic, red wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper). Place in the fridge until ready to serve. Whisk with a fork right before serving.

COOK CHICKEN: Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill for medium-high heat (400-450 degrees F on an outdoor grill) and generously oil the grates. Thread the chicken onto metal or pre-soaked wooden skewers). Cook on preheated grill until the chicken is golden and no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes per side.

PITA CHIPS AND TOMATO/CUCUMBER: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking pan with Silpat liner or parchment paper. Cut each pita into 8 triangles and arrange evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over the triangles and then use a pastry brush to spread the oil evenly onto the pita bread. Flip the bread and repeat. Sprinkle with salt (about 1/4 teaspoon). Bake for 10 minutes, flipping the pita bread on the other side halfway through bake time. Serve warm with the chicken. For the tomato/cucumber salad, add the halved tomatoes and thinly sliced cucumbers halves to a bowl. Drizzle on a little olive oil and sprinkle on some salt and pepper (to taste).

ASSEMBLE: With the back of a spoon, spread hummus on the base of 4 large plates. Divide the cooked quinoa evenly among the plates. Divide chicken skewers evenly among the plates. Top with tomato/cucumber, and finally drizzle even parts of tzatiki sauce (or serve on the side) over plates. Divide up the pita chips. Season individual plates with salt, pepper and lemon juice as needed. Serve immediately.

Spaghetti Bolognese

I love Spaghetti Bolognese. It's the menu item I order at any new Italian restaurant to "gage" how good the restaurant is. 

I have a recipe I've used for years. It's modified, slightly, from Tyler Florence's Ultimate Bolognese. I only use ground beef in mine and rarely remember to put red wine in. Still, I love my recipe and make it a couple times a year. 

This recipe seemed the closest to my recipe so I thought I'd give it a try. I had a couple of issues with it. 

First, it had a very metallic, tomato flavor to it. Too tomato-y. I tried to counter it with sugar and brown sugar (even though I already added their brown sugar she recommends).  I was using sugar substitute and brown sugar substitute (low carb) and I wondered if that made a difference. 

Secondly, I'm not a fan of Italian sausage in Bolognese. Truthfully, I'm not a huge fan of Italian sausage at all. Small quantities and I'm fine. I think it gave it a nice enough flavor, but I could still taste it. 

Finally, the bacon threw me off. I've never had a Bolognese where bacon is used. It does give it a smokey flavor, but that's not what I'm looking for in Bolognese. I'll keep my bacon in my carbonara thankyouverymuch.

Oh, and this recipe doesn't have any cream in it. Bolognese recipes that I love have heavy cream, half and half, or ricotta added to them. 

Overall, this recipe was "ok". Not worth changing my recipe. If you don't have a favorite Bolognese recipe this one would be fine. 

Spaghetti Bolognese

Recipe from Butter Your Biscuit

Serves 6 

• 6 slices smoky bacon, diced
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 carrots finely diced
• 2 celery stalks finely diced
• 6 garlic cloves minced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground Italian sausage
• 2- 28 oz tomato sauce
• 1- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 3 beef bouillon cubes
• 3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1-2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 T brown sugar *see notes
• 2 large Bay Leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese
• Fresh Basil

Heat a large pot on medium high heat and add bacon, cook just until crispy. remove and set aside. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat.

Add onions, carrots and celery and cook just until tender about 5 minutes.

Add in ground beef, sausage and garlic and cook until browned. Drain the fat if needed.

Add in the rest of the ingredients except and bring to a boil, cover then reduce heat and simmer 2 hours

Cook pasta according to the package directions.

Add the spaghetti to the Bolognese sauce and toss until well coated. Serve and top with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Stovetop Beef and Guinness Stew

Photo from Homemade
Hooplah

Ireland has been on my mind lately and I thought a good batch of Guinness stew might help my longing to go back to Ireland.

I've made a couple of Guinness stews and really they all taste the same. The previous ones didn't have celery in them and I have to say, I'm not a fan of celery in stew. 

Overall, this was a good recipe. Perfect for a fall night. 

Stovetop Beef and Guinness Stew

Recipe from Homemade Hooplah

Serves 6

• 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 pound beef chuck, (or type of your choice) cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 pinch salt, or to taste
• 1 pinch black pepper, to taste
• 2 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
• 15 ounce Guinness, or other dark beer
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 4 springs fresh thyme
• 3 large carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 stalks celery, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 pound baby potatoes, about 4-6 potatoes, cut into quarters
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, (optional)

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon for 3-4 minutes or until bacon begins to brown. Scoop out bacon and transfer to a 6 quart stockpot Leave bacon grease in the skillet.

Season cut beef with salt and pepper (to taste) then add beef to the skillet. Brown beef for about 5 minutes, making sure to sear all sides. Scoop out beef and transfer to the pot with the bacon. Continue to leave grease in the skillet.

Reduce heat to medium and add onions to skillet. Cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add garlic to skillet and cook for 1 minute.

Add beer to skillet and stir until combined with the grease, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan.

Pour onion & beer mixture into the pot with the bacon and beef. Add carrots, celery, tomato paste, thyme, sugar, and chicken stock, then stir.

Bring stew to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook stew for 1 hour. Remove lid and add potatoes to pot. Cook stew for 1 more hour, uncovered.

If you'd like a thicker stew, add in 1 tablespoon of flour to the broth and stir thoroughly. Let stew cook for an additional 15 minutes, uncovered.

Serve stew immediately.

Healthy Coconut Curry Chicken

Many moons ago I started following this blogger who had a little blog called Can You Stay for Dinner. Her blog with recipes, coupled with her weight loss journey, was one of the firsts back in the day. I read her blog religiously and have made a ton of her recipes. 

Her blog changed a little and so many other options became available so I don't read it as often now. 

When this recipe came up in the rotation I KNEW I had to try it. Everything about it was calling to me. And it did not disappoint. I am in love with this recipe. So delicious. 

The curry, garlic and ginger have such a wonderful flavor combination that when you add the coconut milk you just push it over the top. I'll be making this one again for sure. AND it's going into the favorites.

Healthy Coconut Curry Chicken

Recipe from Can You Stay For Dinner

Serves 4

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs 

½ tsp salt 

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper 

2 T extra-virgin olive oil 

1 medium onion, thinly sliced 

3 garlic cloves, minced 

1 T finely chopped fresh ginger 

2 jalapeño peppers, cored, seeded, and finely chopped 

1 T curry powder 

½ tsp turmeric 

1 c chicken broth 

1 c light coconut milk 

¼ c packed cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Sprinkle the chicken with the salt and pepper. In a large frying pan set over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. 

Add the chicken thighs and cook, undisturbed, until crisp and browned, about 4 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for 3 more minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and return the pan to the heat. 

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until tender but still crisp, about 3 minutes. 

Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, ginger, and jalapeño, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 

Add the curry powder and turmeric and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. 

Stir in the chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits in the pan. 

Return the chicken to the pan and bring the broth to a boil. 

Reduce the heat and let the broth simmer for 5 minutes. 

Add the coconut milk and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh cilantro. 

Slow Cooker Carne Adobada

So far I've loved every recipe I've made from Hola Jalapeno's blog. This one, however, fell a short for me. It might have been the adobo paste. I may not like that flavor. That's the only thing I can think of that made this taste funky.

I  had to go to a Latin shop to get it and then I realized it's a lot like chipotles in adobo. I could have just gotten the adobo sauce. Adobo paste was smokey and had a slightly sweet flavor and then a spicy kick from the chiles. 

This won't be a repeat for me. It was good once, but that's it.

Slow Cooker Carne Adobada

Recipe from Hola Jalapeno

Serves 8

• 1/2 c packed adobo paste
• 3 large tomatillos, husks removed and quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/3 c fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• 2 1/4 c chicken broth, divided
• 4 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 2 large white onions, sliced
• 2 jalapeños, sliced

Blend sauce. Combine adobo paste, tomatillos, garlic, lime juice, salt, and 1/4 cup chicken broth in a blender. Blend on high until smooth.

Season beef. Generously season beef on all sides with salt and pepper.

Brown beef. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once shimmering add beef and brown about 4 minutes a side (you might need to do this in batches depending on the size of your pan).

Add veggies to slow cooker. Meanwhile, place onions and jalapeños on the bottom of the slow cooker.

Deglaze pan. Once beef is browned transfer to the slow cooker. Pour off any fat from the frying pan into a heatproof bowl. Return pan to heat and add 1 cup of the broth to the frying pan. Scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, then pour broth into the slow cooker.

Combine in slow cooker and cook. Add adobo mixture and remaining 1 cup of broth to the slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4.

Serve! Beef should be fall-apart tender when done. Shred meat and serve as tacos, enchilada filling, on top of a rice bowl, or straight from the pot with a fork. Add more salt as needed.

Grilled Steak Burgers

Burgers. I love them. The messier, the better. But eating a little healthier means a big no on having buns with it. That leaves me to find interesting ways to eat burgers. 

This particular recipe is going into the favorites for 2024, it's that good. What makes these so amazing is the steak sauce you make for them. 

You do have to plan a little ahead because you add melted butter (slightly cooled) to the ground beef so plan accordingly. 

The beef mixture was amazing. The combo of melted butter, onion powder and garlic really does a lot of plain old burger. 

Now, for the steak sauce. OMG...it was amazing. Although I need to add that I did not put raisins in it because - well - I forgot to get raisins. I like my steak sauces a little tangier so I don't think I missed anything there. Next time I'll use raisins. 

I also slathered the burgers in the sauce as I cooked them. I think that added to the flavor as well. I used a little on the side for dipping sauce - good choice that's for sure. 

Make this meal. You won't regret it. 

Grilled Steak Burgers

Recipe from Cook's Country

Servers 4

BURGERS

• 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 ½ pounds 90 percent lean ground sirloin
• 4 hamburger buns

STEAK SAUCE

• 2 Tablespoons  tomato paste
• ⅔ c beef broth
• ⅓ c raisins
• 2 Tablespoons  soy sauce
• 2 Tablespoons  Dijon mustard
• 2 Tablespoons  balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tablespoons  Worcestershire sauce

For the burgers: Melt butter in 8-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic, onion powder, pepper, and salt and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour all but 1 tablespoon butter mixture into bowl and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

For the steak sauce: Meanwhile, add tomato paste to skillet and cook over medium heat until paste begins to darken, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in broth, raisins, soy sauce, mustard, vinegar, and Worcestershire and simmer until raisins plump, about 5 minutes. Process sauce in blender until smooth, about 30 seconds; transfer to bowl.

Add 5 tablespoons cooled butter mixture and soy sauce to ground beef and gently knead until well combined. Shape into four ¾-inch-thick patties and press shallow divot in center of each. Brush each patty all over with 1 tablespoon steak sauce. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons cooled butter mixture with 2 tablespoons steak sauce; set aside.

For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave burners on high.

Clean and oil cooking grate. Grill burgers until meat registers 120 to 125 degrees (for medium-rare), 3 to 4 minutes per side, or 130 to 135 degrees (for medium), 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer burgers to plate, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest 5 to 10 minutes. Brush cut side of buns with butter–steak sauce mixture. Grill buns, cut side down, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Place burgers on buns. Serve with remaining steak sauce.

Hamburger Soup

Photo from Melissa's 
Southern Style Kitchen

It's soup season! Yipee! I love soups and I especially love vegetable types of soups. 

This is a solid recipe. Easy to throw together and most of the ingredients you may already have. I didn't use a couple of the options they have in the ingredient list because well, you'll see. 

Garlic - I forgot to add it. 

Corn with bell peppers - Nope. Not gonna happen. I just used regular frozen corn. 

Potatoes - for some reason, I wasn't interested in adding the potatoes to the soup. 

Overall, I'd make this again. It was yummy.

Hamburger Soup

Recipe from Melissa's Southern Style Kitchen

Serves 8

• 1 medium sweet onion diced
• 1 rib celery thinly sliced
• 3 large cloves garlic minced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (Chili ready OR Italian seasoned)
• 1 14 oz can pinto beans drained and rinsed
• 1 11 oz can corn with bell peppers well drained
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 cup frozen petite peas
• 1 cup cut green beans
• 6 cups low sodium beef broth
• 1 8 oz can tomato sauce (Or 1/2 cup ketchup)
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic salt OR table salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp dry Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 large bay leaf
• 4 medium russet potatoes bite size cubes
• chopped celery leaves or Italian parsley

In a 6 quart Dutch oven or similar heavy bottomed pot, cook onion and celery in a couple of drizzles of olive oil over medium high heat until translucent. Add garlic cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.

To the pot add ground beef. Cook until no pink remains, then drain excess fat from pan.

To the pot add tomatoes, beans, corn, carrots, peas, green beans, beef broth, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, pepper, chili powder, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaf. Mix until fully combined.

Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium high and cook uncovered for 5 minutes.

Add potatoes. Mix well. Cover with lid slightly offset and simmer on medium low for 20 minutes or just until potatoes are fork tender.

Remove bay leaf add chopped celery leaf or parsley and serve immediately. (Cool and freeze for up to 2 months.)

Quick and Easy Meatloaf

 Meatloaf was not a common meal in our house growing up. I've heard so many friends tell me stories about how meatloaf was their "Tuesday night" dinner, almost every week. My only recollection of meatloaf was a "Mexican" meatloaf that mom made. She hated it, where as Dad and I loved it. We never had it a second time. In fact, Mom said she lost the recipe. It was only after she died I found the recipe in her gray tin box. 

I am a big fan of meatballs, so I figured meatloaf was kinda the same thing, just in a loaf. And I am correct in thinking that. This recipe was good. I'm not sure I'm a fan of oats as the "bread" part of meatloaf. It gave it a weird texture, but it wasn't horrible. 

I think the "weird" texture was me over working the meat when mixing it. 

I also HIGHLE recommend the recommendation to not cook this in a loaf pan. I did and she's not wrong about all the grease coming to the top. And that weird gray hamburger gunk that sometimes shows up. I moved it to a wire rack over a cookie sheet about half way through. 

Because I moved it, I lost almost all the "bbq" topping. So I just whipped out the sweet baby rays and put it on top. 

Quick and Easy Meatloaf

Recipe from Harbour Breeze Home

Serves 8

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup oatmeal
• salt and pepper to taste
• For the sauce:
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons mustard
• 1/3 cup ketchup

Mix all meatloaf ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Use a large spoon for mixing, and if you aren’t too squeamish, wash your hands well and mix it together well with your hands.

Press meatloaf mixture firmly into a loaf pan.

Turn formed meatloaf onto a parchment paper lined baking pan with sides. Rather than baking meatloaf in a loaf pan (where the grease sits in a pool on the top ~ Yuck!), try this trick: Flip the packed meatloaf from the loaf pan onto a large pan with sides which has been lined with parchment paper.

(“Whack it!” firmly on the bottom, til it slides out of the loaf pan.)

With this method, the grease will then run out onto the pan as it bakes. It works like a charm!

Mix the barbecue sauce ingredients together in another bowl and pour over the top of the meatloaf.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until completely done (and not pink) in the center.

Greek Meatballs

Photo from Gimme
Some Oven

I like meatballs and rarely make them. I've been purposely picking some of those recipes because I think they are a good solid protein meal. 

These were good. I wouldn't use as much Panko breadcrumbs as this asks for. It was a little too much bread for me in my meatball. 

I didn't change anything in this recipe and I think it turned out great. I'd make it again. 

Greek Meatballs

Recipe from Gimme Some Oven

Makes 30 meatballs

• 1 c Panko breadcrumbs
• 1/3 c milk
• 2 pounds ground beef or lamb (or a 50/50 mix of both)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 eggs
• 2 scallions (both white and green parts), minced
• 1/3 c fresh mint or cilantro
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• zest of 1 lemon

TAHINI YOGURT SAUCE:

• 1 c full-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 c tahini
• 1/4 c freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Make the panade. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the Panko and milk until combined. Set the mixture aside to soak for 5 to 10 minutes while you prep the other ingredients.

Mix the meatballs. Once the Panko mixture has finished soaking, add the ground beef (or lamb), garlic, eggs, scallions and mint to the bowl. Sprinkle the oregano, cumin, sea salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and lemon zest evenly on top. Use your hands to mix the ingredients together until evenly combined, being careful not to overwork the mixture.

Prep the oven and baking sheet. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Form the meatballs. Form the mixture into 1.5-tablespoon balls and place them onto the prepared baking sheet. (I recommend greasing your hands with a bit of olive oil to prevent the meatballs from sticking.)

Bake. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the meatballs are golden brown and cooked through. Remove pan from the oven.

Make the yogurt sauce. While the meatballs are baking, whisk together the yogurt sauce ingredients until combined. If you prefer a thinner sauce, whisk in a few tablespoons of water until it reaches your desired consistency.

Serve. Serve the meatballs warm with the yogurt sauce however you please and enjoy!

Sour Cream & Dill Cucumbers

Photo from Just a Pinch

I bought a bag of Persian cucumbers. It's a big bag. It was a great deal and I couldn't resist. I then had to figure out how to eat all of them.

This recipe was perfect for this. I paired it with Greek Meatballs. I'll be making this recipe again for sure. 

Sour Cream & Dill Cucumbers

Recipe from Just a Pinch

Serves 6-8

• 4 large cucumbers
• cold water
• 1 sm onion, grated
• 1/2 c sour cream
• 1/4 c real mayo
• 2 tsp vinegar
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 - 3 Tbsp dill
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• cayenne pepper

Peel and slice cucumbers.

In a bowl, sprinkle cucumbers with salt and pour in cold water until cucumbers are just covered. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

While cucumbers are chilling, combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl; mix well.

After 30 minutes, drain cucumbers very well. Carefully combine cucumbers and sour cream mixture. Chill for at least one hour before serving.

Overnight Oats

Overnight oats have been all the rage for a couple of years now. I never much cared to even try them because, well, I wasn't really watching what I was eating. Now, I am and figured I might as well try it. 

I put out on FB to my friends to send me their favorite recipes. I got several, but decided to try this one first. 

I think I'm not a fan. I think I like my oats warm not cold. I'm not done with this idea yet though. I have a few more recipes to try. But this recipe is not for me.

Overnight Oats

Recipe from Once Upon a Chef

Makes 1

FOR THE OATS:

• ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• ½ cup milk (any kind except coconut milk)
• 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
• 1½ teaspoons chia seeds (optional)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• Pinch cinnamon
• Pinch salt

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS

• Fresh or dried fruit
• Nuts/seeds
• Granola
• Shredded or toasted coconut
• Nut butter
• Apple butter or pumpkin butter
• Honey or maple syrup
• Cinnamon or nutmeg

In a small jar or airtight container, add the oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds (if using), maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt.

Stir well to ensure everything is mixed evenly.

Seal the jar/container and place it in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 4 hours, to allow the oats to soak up the liquid and soften.

In the morning, stir the mixture. If it seems too thick, add a splash of milk to reach your desired consistency. Top with your favorite optional toppings and enjoy.

MAKE-AHEAD INSTRUCTIONS

The overnight oats can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Go ahead and make a big batch so you’ve got a delicious make-ahead breakfast on hand.

Beef Fried Rice

I love fried rice. There was a Chinese Restaurant by my house in Redmond and it made the BEST fried rice. I've never found another like it. 

Ordering rice through a Chinese restaurant is always hit or miss with me. Sometimes it lacks flavor. I'd been craving fried rice and didn't want to order it. I figured it couldn't be that hard to make, so I tracked down a recipe. 

This was a solid recipe. I doubled the sauce because I want to make sure it covered the rice. Turns out I didn't need to. The sauce was too much. I had to add more rice. 

If you don't have Dark Soy Sauce you can substitute it with regular soy sauce (low sodium is best) or beef stock. 

Beef Fried Rice

Recipe from My Incredible Recipes

Serves 4

• 2 T dark soy sauce
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 T oyster sauce
• 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 8 ounces sirloin steak cut into 1/4th inch strips
• 1/2 c small diced onion
• 1 c frozen peas and carrots
• 2 large eggs lightly beaten
• 3 c cooked and cooled rice
• thinly sliced scallions for garnish optional

In a small bowl stir together the dark soy, soy, oyster sauce, and sesame oil, set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat add 1/4th of the oil to the pan and add the beef, sear the steak getting a char on it, cooking it until just done, 3-5 minutes.

Place the beef on a plate and set aside.

Add 1/4th of the oil to the skillet and sauté the onion until softened and starting to brown, 2 minutes.

Add the peas and carrots, until slightly softened for 3 minutes.

Add the cooked veggies to the plate with the beef.

Add 1/4th of the oil to the pan and scramble the egg, stirring occasionally until cooked, about 1 minute, add to the plate with the beef and veggies.

Add the remaining oil to the pan and add the rice. Let it sit for about 2 minutes to get a slight char, stir it around and add the cooked beef, veggies, and egg back to the pan, stir to combine.

Add the sauce and stir to coat everything.

Continue to cook for about 3 more minutes so everything warms through and the flavors can blend.

Serve immediately with a garnish of optional scallions.

ENJOY!

Teriyaki Ground Beef Casserole

Photo from Life in the
Loft house

Last night was book club night and my host. I always like to try a new recipe for the book club ladies. Mostly they work out. Occasionally, I'm not a fan of the meal. 

This is one of those meals. It was OK, but not great. Since I've been on metformin I've noticed that things taste really salty to me. In this case, I had to swap the low sodium soy with tamari because Sherrie's GF Girl. I hadn't considered that tamari is way saltier than low sodium soy and, well, it just tasted too salty to me. 

The ladies said they liked it, so I'm sure it was fine. Just not my thing. 

The other part of this are the frozen stir fry veggies. Blech. I should have gone with my gut and bought fresh veggies and roasted them. It would have been way better. In the end, I figured if I do that, and use low sodium soy this recipe may be a winner. It was a lot like stir fried rice, which I like. 

Teriyaki Ground Beef Casserole

Recipe from Life in the Loft House

Serves 6

• 3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch + 2 Tablespoons water
• 1 bag (12 ounces) refrigerated stir-fry vegetables (broccoli, carrots, snow peas, etc.)
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 cups cooked rice

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray.

Combine soy sauce, ½ cup water, brown sugar, ginger and garlic in a small saucepan and cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove the lid and cook for one minute once boiling.

Stir together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water in a separate dish until smooth. Once the sauce is boiling, add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan. Stir to combine. Cook until the sauce starts to thicken then remove from heat.

Place all the veggies evenly in the prepared baking dish. Pour 3/4 cup of the sauce evenly over the veggies. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 35 minutes or until the veggies are tender.

Meanwhile, cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook and crumble until the beef is no longer pink. Drain any grease. Set aside.

Remove the baking dish from the oven. Carefully remove the foil. Pour the cooked ground beef and the cooked rice evenly over the veggies.

Pour most of the remaining sauce all over the top (reserving a bit to drizzle over the top when serving). Gently toss everything together until combined.

Return to the oven and cook uncovered for 10 minutes or until everything is heated through. Remove from the oven and let it stand 5 minutes before serving. Drizzle each serving with remaining sauce. Enjoy!

Crack Potatoes

Photo from Love from the Oven

The Niece and her wifey were here for a couple of days. When they're in town, I make ribs. I wanted to make something other than Mom's Macaroni salad because Sherrie is GF Girl and she misses out on a side if I make pasta. 

This recipe was delicious. Super easy and super flavorful. The cream cheese adds a nice little tang along with the sour cream.

I halved this recipe because serving 12 is WAY too much for our little group. Halving it I still had enough left overs to send some home with Sherrie and a serving for myself. 

Crack Potatoes

Recipe from Love from the Oven

Serves 12

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 16 ounces sour cream
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 ounces ranch dressing powdered mix two 1 oz packages
• 3 c cheddar cheese grated and divided
• 1 pound bacon cooked, chopped and divided
• 30 ounces shredded hash brown potatoes

Preheat oven to 400 F degrees. Prepare a 9X13 inch baking dish by spraying the bottom and sides with non-stick spray.

Using a very large bowl, mix together cream cheese, sour cream, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and dry ranch dressing mix.

Stir in 2 cups of grated cheddar cheese and about half of the chopped bacon. Add in the hashbrown potatoes and stir to mix well.

Place mixture into prepared baking dish, cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

Remove baking dish from the oven and sprinkle on the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese and the remaining bacon. Return dish to the oven and continue baking, uncovered, for an additional 10 minutes. Remove and serve.