Chicken Tikka Masala

I am not a huge fan of Indian food. But I do have my favorites. Chicken Tikka Masala is one of them. It's my go to whenever I find myself at an Indian restaurant. 

This recipe is spot on. The flavor was so perfect to me. I may have needed a little more heavy cream (I used less than what it called for), but otherwise, this is a keeper. 

I ended up not needing any sugar either, but I can't express enough how much a little sugar in a tomato based sauce really does a good job balancing it out. It seems counter intuitive to me, but it works. 

Chicken Tikka Masala

Recipe from Carlsbad Cravings

Serves 6

CHICKEN AND SAUCE

• 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, cut into large bite-sized pieces (about 1 1/2-inches)
• 1 cup plain or Greek yogurt, fullfat is best
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger, divided
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
• neutral, high smoking point oil such as canola or coconut, see notes (do NOT use olive oil for chicken)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 28 oz. can FIRE ROASTED crushed tomatoes (see notes)

SPICE BLEND

• 1 TBS EACH garam masala, chili powder, paprika (not smoked)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tsp EACH turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander
• 1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon (optional if you have it)
• ADD LATER
• 1 1/3 cups heavy cream (use evaporated milk for lower calories)
• 1 teaspoon sugar, optional, as needed

Mix spices: Whisk together all of the Spice Blend spices in a small bowl; set aside.

Marinate chicken: Remove 2 ½ tablespoons Spice Blend to a large bowl or freezer bag (whatever you are going to marinate the chicken in). Add the yogurt, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon grated ginger and 1 tablespoon minced garlic. Whisk to combine. Add the chopped chicken and stir to evenly coat. Marinate for 30-45 minutes at room temperature, but BEST if refrigerated overnight.

Sauté aromatics for sauce: Heat 1 ½ tablespoons oil in a large braiser or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until softened, 5-7 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 tablespoon garlic and the remaining Spice Blend and sauté for 1 minute.

Make sauce: Stir in the crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil then reduce to gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often and scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. (You can cook the chicken while the sauce simmers, see Step 6).

Blend sauce (optional but recommended): After simmering, transfer the tomato mixture to a high-powered blender and purée until smooth, leaving a corner of the lid open and covered with a paper towel so steam can escape and it doesn’t explode. Alternatively, transfer to a bowl and use an immersion blender to blend, then return back to the pan. Season to taste. Depending on the tomatoes you used, you may need 1-2 teaspoons sugar to balance the acidity.

Cook chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking. Working in batches, add the chicken in a single layer and cook until charred on each side, about 2 minutes per side (it will not be cooked through). Transfer chicken to a bowl; set aside. Scrape out the skillet in between batches and add more oil to cook the next batch.

Combine: Stir the heavy cream into the blended sauce followed by the chicken. Cover and gently simmer for a few minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Season to taste with additional salt, sugar and/or cayenne pepper.

Serve: Serve over basmati rice with optional cilantro.

Asian Style Udon Noodles with Pork and Mushrooms

Beautiful photo from Jo Cooks.

Udon noodles are my new favorite thing to cook with. I had some in the freezer from the last Udon recipe I made and I wanted to use them up. 

This recipe was delicious. I'll definitely make it again. Super flavorful and super easy to make. 

One adjustment I'll make is to cut back on the sriracha. It was a little too spicy for me, but I still ate it. I couldn't feel my lips, but it was worth it. I did not put in the red pepper flakes because I figured the tablespoon of sriracha would be fiery enough.

Asian Style Udon Noodles with Pork and Mushrooms

Recipe from Jo Cooks

Serves 4

• 8 ounce udon noodles (fresh)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium shallot (chopped)
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 pound pork chops (cut into thin strips (2 pork chops))
• 1 cup mushrooms (I used cremini, chopped)
• 5 green onions (chopped)
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• ¼ cup peanuts (optional, chopped)

For sauce:

• 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• ½ cup soy sauce (light or low sodium)
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ cup red wine

Blanch udon noodles in boiling water for about 1 to 2 minutes or if using noodles cook according to package instructions. Drain well and immediately rinse with cold water. Set aside.

In a small bowl whisk all the sauce ingredients together.

Heat the olive oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add shallot, garlic, mushrooms and pork to hot wok and cook until pork starts to crisp up and browns.

Add noodles and sauce and stir it all together and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and garnish with sesame seeds, green onions and peanuts.

Serve while hot.

Cuban Mojo Grilled Chicken

This was a good marinade. It would likely be even better if I had all the ingredients it required. I didn't seem to have limes. I bought them at the same time I bought the oranges for juice. I vividly remember putting them in my cart. What happened to them? I didn't know. 

Then the day after I made this recipe I found the limes in my trunk. They escaped the bag apparently. Which explains why I had an empty produce bag in one of my grocery bags as I was unpacking. Sure wish my brain had caught up then and realized I was missing limes. 

Any...who...this was a good recipe. I didn't put in as much cumin as it lists, and that's because a little cumin goes a long way with me. 

Cuban Mojo Grilled Chicken

Recipe from Dinner Then Dessert

Serves 4

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 4 cloves garlic , minced
• 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro , chopped
• 4 chicken breasts , boneless skinless

Whisk together vegetable oil, orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice, garlic, soy sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, black pepper, and cilantro in a small bowl.

Pour into a zip lock bag with 4 chicken breasts you've scored on the top.

Marinate for 4-8 hours.

To cook on the grill:

Cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side on direct heat.

To cook in the oven:

Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Potato Casserole (Gray Box Recipe)

For tonight's Sunday dinner, I felt like I needed a potato of some sort. My first thought was to make potato salad, but there's a BIG difference in how I make it (sweet pickles) and how the crazy people in my family like it (dill pickles) and I wasn't going to cave. 

So I found this recipe in Mom's Gray box of recipes. It sounded perfect. And I hadn't made a gray box recipe for a while. 

The card seems well used. As in there are dribbles all over it. It also has 5 black stars at the top. Those combined tells me it's gonna be good. 

These are basically fully loaded hashbrowns. I did not boil potatoes and grate them. I cheated and bought frozen hashbrowns and let them thaw. I just knew I wasn't going to have enough time, so I took a short cut. I guarantee you if frozen hashbrowns had been around when this recipe first came to life, they would have done that short cut as well.

I'm typing this in AS it shows on the card. As I type this out I am now wondering if I did it wrong. It sounds like you're supposed to melt the cheese and the butter together. I did not do that. I melted the butter, grated the cheese and had a pint of sour cream. I added all those to the potatoes separately, not combined. So we'll see how this goes.

Potato Casserole

Recipe from Pat Terry (from Mom's Gray Box)

Serves 7-9

6 large potatoes; boiled in skins - cool for 30 minutes. 

Grate with the peelings.

Chop 3 or 4 green onions.

Sprinkle over potatoes and mix well with salt and pepper.

Melt 1-2 sticks of butter with 8 oz cheddar cheese grated. Add 1 pt sour cream and mix.

Stir into potatoes.

Bake 350 for 45 minutes.

DON'T OVER COOK.

**Mom's added note "add bacon bits if desired".

Slow Cooker Smothered Barbecue Green Beans

Photo by Incredible
Recipes

As a side to tonight's BBQ fest Sunday dinner, I found this recipe. I've had it in my list for some time and thought tonight would be a great time to try it. 

Small change, I already had the slow cooker going with the pork, so I did this on the stove. I didn't cook it for as long as it says either. I used canned green beans and I just felt like that would make them mush if I cooked them that long. 

These were super flavorful and oh so delicious. I never thought about putting BBQ sauce in green beans. Glad someone did. 

Slow Cooker Smothered Barbecue Green Beans

Recipe from My Incredible Recipes

Serves 6

• 12 strips thick-cut bacon chopped
• 1/2 medium yellow onion diced
• 1/2 c tomato ketchup
• 3/4 c Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce
• 1/3 c  light brown sugar
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 4 15 oz. cans cut green beans, drained and rinsed OR fresh if you prefer

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp, then Transfer cooked bacon to a paper-towel lined plate.

Drain most of the bacon grease from the skillet, leaving about 2 tbsp. left in the pan.

Add diced onions and sauté until tender, about 3-4 minutes.

Combine tomato ketchup, Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth and well combined.

Spray the inside of a slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and add green beans, sauteed onions, and barbecue sauce mixture.

Stir to combine and sprinkle top with cooked bacon. Cover and cook for 4-5 hours on LOW heat.

ENJOY!

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork

It's Sunday dinner night! Tonight I went all our with BBQ as the theme, but not grill type of BBQ. Rather BBQ as the flavor. 

I started with this Slow cooker BBQ Pulled Pork. I had it in the slow cooker for 8 hours and man was it good. I removed most the liquid, shredded it then added enough liquid back to keep the meat moist. 

We had coleslaw to top it as well. It's required. It's the only time I eat coleslaw and man does it make the sandwich.

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork

Recipe from Slow Cooker Gourmet

Serves 12

• 3 pound boneless pork shoulder
• 2 tablespoons herb and garlic seasoning
• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup chicken broth

Rub pork shoulder with seasoning and place in slow cooker

Mix together bbq sauce, vinegar and broth and add to slow cooker

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 until pork reaches internal temperature of 205 degrees

Remove pork and shred

Add about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of the juices back to pork and discard the rest

Add additional BBQ sauce if desired

Keto Cowboy Cookies

Photo from All Day I
Dream About Food

Just about every recipe I make from All Day I Dream About Food is fantastic. Sometimes it's not the recipe, but me (insert egg recipes here). Her "sweet" recipes have all hit it out of the park for me. She focuses on low carb/keto recipes, which helps when you want something sweet, but need to watch your sugars. 

I started a new medication (Osempic) and one RARE side effect is an increase sweet tooth. Guess who got that rare side effect (**raises hand**)? So I've been struggling with not eating chocolate like it's got no sugar in it. I started the search for alternatives and the "sugar free" candies are ok, but not great. 

I saw this recipe a couple months ago and thought I'd give it a try. Finally yesterday, my sweet tooth demanded I make there. And boy am I glad I did. 

Almond flour is not my favorite. It usually has a too gritty texture that I don't enjoy. Almond Flour in a cookie seems to be different and edible. 

These are amazing! I had all the ingredients and so I made myself some cookies. Sherrie was over last night (she's gluten free) and said these were pretty good for low carb and gluten free.

One small secret...I didn't have sugar free chocolate chip cookies. So I used mini semisweet chips, and fewer than the recipe called for. So there is some sugar in this recipe, but not as much as you'd have if you made real chocolate chip cookies. 

You'll notice the recipe calls for gelatin to make the cookies more "chewy". I like a crunchy cookie, but I decided to see what the gelatin would do. And I gotta say, the cookies turned out crispy on the outside, and chewy on the inside. 

Keto Cowboy Cookies

Recipe from All Day I Dream About Food

Makes 24

• ¾ cup butter softened
• 1 ¼ cup brown sugar substitute
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups blanched almond flour
• 2 tablespoons grass-fed gelatin optional, adds chewiness
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips, sugar-free

In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sweetener until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes on medium high. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until well combined.

Add the almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until just mixed together. Stir in the coconut, pecans, and chocolate chips.

Form the dough into 2-inch balls and space at least 3 inches apart on baking sheets lined with silicone or parchment paper. Press the balls down with the heel of your hand to about ¾ inch thick. These cookies will spread so give them room!

Bake at 325ºF for 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges are golden brown, switching the pans and rotating them halfway through. Let cool completely on the pans.

EXPERT TIPS

These keto cowboy cookies like to spread so make sure you give them plenty of room on the pans. If you prefer thicker cookies, try adding another ¼ cup of almond flour and don’t press them down too much.

The gelatin is entirely optional, but it does give the cookies that perfect chewy but crisp texture. The edges get crisp on the pan while the centers stay chewier.

This makes a big batch of big cookies! But you can easily cut the whole recipe in half for twelve large cookies. You can also make the cookies smaller, if you prefer.

Southern Sticky Chicken

Another delicious marinade! I'll have to say I didn't follow most of this recipe as for the cooking part. I am not a fan of oven baked chicken when there's a perfectly good grill outside. 

And I couldn't find chicken with bones in it, so I just used chicken breast and cut it up in chunks. More surface area for marinade. 

I marinaded the chicken for 7 hours. There isn't any acid in this marinade really so the longer marinade doesn't make the chicken weird. 

I'll make this again. I'd still grill it instead of baking it. Though baking would have made this chicken "sticky", but I didn't need sticky.

Southern Sticky Chicken

Recipe from Spicysouthernkitchen.com

Serves 4

• 1/3 c honey
• 1/3 c ketchup
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 T hot sauce
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 bone-in, skin on chicken legs or chicken thighs, or a combination
• Vegetable oil

In a large ziptop bag, combine the honey, ketchup, soy sauce, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and garlic. Add chicken to bag. Refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Pour enough oil into a large cast iron skillet to coat the bottom.

Heat pan over medium heat. (Note: You don't want it too hot or the sugars in the marinade will cause the skin of the chicken to burn.)

When hot, remove chicken from marinade and add to pan. Cook until browned on all sides.

Pour marinade over chicken and place uncovered in the oven for 60 minutes, basting every 15 minutes. (Chicken should be skin side up.)

Asian Skillet Stir Fry

Who doesn't like Chinese take-out? Its fast and easy. And costly. For a single person, Chinese take-out is difficult because it ends up being too much food. And it's never as good as I think it's gonna be. Or I haven't found a good Chinese restaurant. 

This recipe has put my take-out needs to rest. 

100% one of the best stir fry recipes I've tried. I can't tell you why, just trust me on this. 

It's easy to throw together, less than 30 minutes. It's variable in that you can use whatever veg you have on hand. And it has cashews. 

I'm adding this to my favorites for this year. It really was that good. 

Asian Skillet Stir Fry

Recipe from Noshingwiththenolands.com

Serves 4

• 2 chicken breast, cubed
• 1/2 c canola oil
• 6 c Asian veggies, celery, mini bok choy, red pepper, mushrooms, snap peas, carrots, chopped
• 1 c salted cashews
• Light Breading
• 1/4 c cornstarch
• 3/4 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• Freshly ground pepper

Spicy Ginger Sauce

• 1/2 c chicken bouillon
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 T rice wine vinegar
• 1 T low sodium soy sauce (GF if needed)
• 2 T oyster sauce
• 2 tsp ginger paste
• 2 tsp Sriracha
• Drizzle sesame oil
• 2 tsp sugar
• Salt to taste
• Rice, optional

In a plastic zip bag add the light breading ingredients and toss in the chicken. Remove to a sifter and shake off excess cornstarch mixture.

In a large skillet, heat the canola oil until hot over medium-high heat, add the chicken and fry quickly until golden and cooked through.

Meanwhile, make the sauce by whisking together the ingredients and set aside.

When the chicken is done remove it to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain off most of the oil leaving about 1 1/2 Tbsp. Heat up the pan again over medium-high heat. Stir fry the veggies until just tender-crisp. Add the chicken back into the skillet along with the cashews. Stir in the sauce, continue to stir and heat until thickened. Serve immediately with rice if desired.

Chocolate Protein Balls

On occasion I like to have a more sweet, healthy, snack on hand than a savory one. And I've been trying to use up items in my pantry. The only ingredient I didn't have was the Almond Butter. 

It's an easy recipe to throw together and is absolutely delicious! 

I cut this in half because 1) 30 balls are a lot and 2) I didn't have enough old fashion oats. I ended up with 15 balls exactly! And after tasting one I wish I would have made 30. 

My dough was a little dry, so I added a bit more almond butter. I didn't read the part of the recipe where it says to add more honey, but I think I got the same result. 

Chocolate Protein Balls

Recipe from Chelsea's Messy Apron

Makes 30 balls

• 1 1/2 c old fashioned or quick oats
• 1/2 c dry roasted and lightly salted almonds
• 1 1/2 T unsweetened Dutch Process cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 c  + 2 T  honey, separated
• 1/2 c almond butter
• 1/2 c miniature chocolate chips

BLEND OATS: In a high-powered blender or food processor, add the old fashioned or quick oats. Pulse or blend until it resembles flour. (You may need to stir it around to get all the oats to be fully blended). Add the blended up oats to a large bowl.

BLEND ALMONDS: Add the almonds to the processor or blender and pulse until they resemble a flour. Do not blend too long or it turns to almond butter. Add to the bowl with the ground up oats.

*The measurements of oats and almonds should be the measurements BEFORE blending, no need to measure after blending.

MIX: Add in the Dutch process cocoa powder, vanilla, 1/4 cup honey, almond butter, and miniature chocolate chips. Add pinch or two of salt if desired or if your almond butter/almonds aren't salted. Using electric hand mixers, mix ingredients together and then knead the mixture with your hands until a thick dough forms (kneading also helps incorporate chocolate chips better). If everything is not coming together nicely, add in remaining 2 tablespoons honey (I usually always add in this extra honey, but every once and a while the almond butter is exceptionally wet and extra honey isn't needed). IF dough is too wet, add additional powdered oats. (Dough will vary depending on actual ingredients used)

ROLL INTO BALLS: Roll mixture into balls, each ball of dough should be 2 teaspoons in size to get around 30 balls.

STORAGE: Store in an airtight container (in fridge, freezer --delicious!, or at room temperature.)

Sabrina’s P.F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I don't think you can ever go wrong with chicken lettuce wraps. I am not a fan of ground chicken, but in this recipe I don't seem to mind it at all. 

This is my favorite recipe, but I'm always looking for another "favorite" to add to the list. I've made several versions of lettuce wraps throughout the years, and I think I'll always be looking to make new ones. Only because I like trying "new" recipes. 

This recipe was delicious. I normally don't make the dipping sauce but was feeling it tonight and boy am I glad I did. It really added to the flavor of these. Messy, very messy, but worth it. Have several napkins available as they are quite drippy. 

Sabrina’s P.F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Recipe from Dinner Then Dessert

Serves 4

Dipping Sauce

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon chili oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives
• 1/4 teaspoon Chinese hot mustard
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha

Main Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 18 ounces water chestnuts , one can drained and minced
• 16 ounces straw mushrooms , one can drained and minced
• 1 clove garlic , minced
• 2 stalks scallion , chopped
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• Serve With:
• 4 leaves iceberg lettuce

Prepare Dipping Sauce

Combine granulated sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili oil, chopped chives, Chinese hot mustard, and Sriracha in a bowl. Whisk the sauce ingredients together and then set the sweet and savory sauce aside while you cook the chicken.

Cook Chicken

Brown the ground chicken in a skillet on medium-high heat with half the vegetable oil until fully cooked. Heat until chicken crumbles easily. Remove the ground meat mixture from skillet and set to the side to cook the veggies.

Saute Vegetables

In the same skillet, add the rest of the vegetable oil and sauté the minced water chestnuts, mushrooms, garlic, and scallions for about 5 minutes.

Combine and Serve

Finally, put the chicken back into the skillet with the veggies, add soy sauce, mirin, oyster sauce, and rice vinegar and stir for 2-3 minutes. Serve the chicken mixture in lettuce cups and serve with the dipping sauce. Enjoy your Asian lettuce wraps with juicy chicken!

To make the dipping sauce, add the ingredients (from the sugar to the sriracha) in a small bowl and whisk until fully combined.

In a large skillet add two tablespoons of oil and brown the chicken in it on medium-high heat, about 7-8 minutes.

When browned remove chicken, add in the rest of the oil and sauté the water chestnuts, straw mushrooms, garlic and scallions for 3-5 minutes.

Add the chicken back into the skillet along with the soy sauce, mirin, oyster sauce and rice vinegar and stir to coat and combine everything.

Serve in lettuce cups and top or dip into the dipping sauce as desired.

French Onion Pot Roast

Pot roast is quite possibly THE easiest dinner to get on the table. It takes just a little forethought when using a slow cooker, but set it and forget it is what makes it so easy. 

If you like French Onion Soup (I mean who doesn't?) you will love this recipe. It combines the two in an amazing meal that would be perfect for Sunday dinner, or just a week night dinner with the fam. It's got all the flavors of French Onion soup without being overly oniony. 

I put mine on for 8 hours. I feel like that's the sweet spot for tender chuck roast.

I'm not really sure why this recipe called for red onions. They sometimes give off a more oniony flavor, so maybe that's why. I used one VERY LARGE red onion instead of two. When you cut the onion for this recipe be sure to slice it root to end. This allows them to hold up better for the slow cooking. (thank you Food Network for that gem). 

This would be a perfect time to have mashed potatoes as a side considering how amazing the gravy turns out. I used left over rice pilaf and I was sad. I really should have gone for mashed potatoes. 

French Onion Pot Roast

Recipe from Taste of IzzyT

Serves 6

• 2 pounds beef chuck roast
• 2 red onions thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste
• 3/4 cup beef broth or beef stock
• 1 packet French onion soup mix 1 ounce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons fresh parsley chopped (for garnish)

Season the chuck roast with salt and black pepper on all sides. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a bit of oil to the pan. Sear the seasoned chuck roast on all sides until it forms a golden brown crust. Place the seared chuck roast at the bottom of your slow cooker.

Add the sliced onions to the skillet. Cook and stir the onions for 3-4 minutes over medium-high heat to lightly brown them. They do not have to be fully cooked, just seared. Spread the thinly sliced red onions and minced garlic over the roast.

In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, tomato paste, beef broth and French onion soup mix.

Pour this mixture over the chuck roast and onions. Cover the slow cooker and set it to cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the meat is tender and easily shreds.

Once the roast is tender, carefully remove it from the slow cooker and place it on a serving dish. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the top.

Serve the slow cooker French onion pot roast with your favorite sides like mashed potatoes or crusty bread.

Pesto Grilled Chicken

Friday's a a great grill night. Low stress and easy. By the end of the week, I'm tired and I will more often than not order out. 

Pesto grilled chicken is delicious. Its a perfect marinade to make if you happen to have left over pesto, which I had. 

I used chicken tenders instead of breasts because that's what I had. Another good thing about this recipe. The type of chicken you have doesn't matter. Got thighs? Make this meal. 

I changed nothing in this recipe. It's straight forward and super easy. I marinated the chicken for about 2 hours (I don't like to go longer when lemon juice is involved. I think it gives the chicken a weird texture if it marinates too long.)

Pesto Grilled Chicken

Recipe from Feel Good Foodie

Serves 4

¼ cup Stonyfield Whole Milk Greek yogurt

¼ cup pesto store-bought or homemade

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 garlic cloves minced

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

4 (6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast

Avocado oil for oiling the grill

Lemon wedges for serving

Place the the yogurt, pesto, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Mix until well combined. Add the chicken breasts and toss to fully coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight for the best flavor.

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Oil the grill grates to prevent sticking.

Place the marinated chicken on the grill and cook for 5-7 minutes per side. Use tongs to flip over and cook until juices run dry, approximately 5-7 more minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and has an internal temperature of 165°F.

Remove the chicken from the grill and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges and your favorite sides.

Creamy Beef and Shells

I've been a bit under the weather and not at all feeling like cooking. Colds are not friends of cooking. 

I'm not usually a fan of these types of pasta dishes. They remind me too much of the 70s and the casseroles mom would make to last a decade. 

This was an easy recipe. Everything that it calls for you most likely have in your inventory. This is one of those "clean out your pantry" type of recipes. 

The only thing I wish I didn't add was as much Italian seasoning it calls for. I'm not a huge fan and it little goes a long way for me.

And one miss step...I kinda used the cheddar cheese I bought for this with the tacos I made last night for book club. So I improvised and used parmesan. 

Creamy Beef and Shells

Recipe from Simply Stacie

Serves 6

• 4 cups pasta shells uncooked
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 cup yellow onion finely chopped
• 2 tsp garlic minced
• 1 lb ground beef
• ⅔ cup tomato paste
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Parsley to garnish

Prepare pasta shells according to the package directions.

Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with cooking oil and sauté onions and garlic medium high heat until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add ground beef and chop into crumbles with a wooden spoon, cook until no longer pink (about 4 minutes).

Lower heat to medium low and add tomato paste, beef stock, Dijon mustard, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Stir until well combined and a thick sauce forms.

Stir in heavy cream and cheese, the cheese will melt into a creamy sauce. Add cooked and drained pasta shells and stir until evenly covered in sauce. Garnish with dry or fresh parsley and serve warm.