Mama’s Best Lasagna

There’s a little restaurant tucked away in Seattle’s Pike Place Market called The Pink Door. And when I say tucked away, I mean tucked away. There’s no big sign, no obvious entrance, nothing to announce that you’re about to walk into one of Seattle’s most beloved restaurants. You just have to find the pink door. Literally.

The Pink Door makes the MOST amazing lasagna I’ve ever had. Ever. I dream about this lasagna. What makes it so good? Two things: the noodles and the béchamel sauce.

Instead of the usual ricotta situation (blech), they use flat, probably homemade lasagna noodles and creamy béchamel. Those are layered with a rich, meaty Bolognese sauce and cheese, then the whole thing gets blasted in their salamander oven until it comes out bubbling hot and ridiculously delicious.

So when I recently stumbled across some relatively fresh, flat lasagna noodles at the store, I immediately knew what was happening. Lasagna.

I went looking for a recipe that used béchamel instead of ricotta and found this one called “Mama’s Best Lasagna.” I figured a recipe with that name had better be good.

I don’t know who Mama is, but she’s got it going on.

This lasagna was everything I was hoping for. The béchamel makes it creamy without the heaviness of ricotta, and those flat noodles were exactly what I wanted. It’s rich, cheesy, meaty and completely worth the effort.

Although, I will say, the hardest part of this recipe is the last 10 minutes.

Once you pull that beautiful lasagna out of the oven, the entire house smells amazing. It’s bubbling, golden and basically screaming, “EAT ME!”

And then the recipe has the nerve to tell you to let it sit for 10 minutes.

Ten. Whole. Minutes.

Those may have been the longest 10 minutes of my life.

Mama’s Best Lasagna

Recipe from Cafe Delites

Serves 12

Meat Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 carrot finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic cloves minced
• 24 ounces ground beef mince
• 10 ounces ground pork mince or beef
• 24 ounces Passata
• 14 ounces crushed tomatoes
• 3 tomato paste heaped tablespoons. I use garlic and herb flavored.
• 2 beef bouillon cubes or vegetable, crushed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar if desired
• 1/4 teaspoon salt season to your tastes
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper season to your tastes
• Jenn's Note: I added about 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce to balance it out for me 

White Sauce (Béchamel):

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup flour all purpose or plain
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup shredded parmesan fresh

Lasagna:

• 13 ounces fresh lasagna sheets
• 17 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese shredded
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat; sauté the onion and carrots for 8–10 minutes until softened, then stir in the garlic for 1 minute. Add the beef (and pork, if using) and cook while breaking it up with a spoon until browned.

Make sure your pot is well-heated before adding the vegetables so they soften evenly without steaming.

Pour in the passata, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, crushed bouillon, and dried herbs. Season with salt, pepper (about 3/4 tsp each), and optional sugar. Cover and cook at a gentle simmer for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender and the sauce thickens.

Taste the sauce toward the end of cooking and adjust the salt, pepper, dried herbs, or sugar to balance the acuteness and acidity to your preference.

Parmesan White Sauce:

In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Remove from hot plate; add the flour and whisk for about 30 seconds, or until well blended.

Place pot back onto stove, reduce heat down to low and slowly whisk in 1 cup of the milk until well combined. Once well blended, add the remaining milk in 1 cup increments, mixing well after each addition, until all the milk is used and sauce is free from lumps. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more milk until it turns into a nice and creamy consistency.

Increase heat to medium and continue cooking sauce while stirring occasionally until it thickens (about 6-7 minutes) and coats the back of your wooden spoon.

Add in the parmesan cheese and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper and mix until the cheese is melted through.

To Assemble:

Preheat oven to 350°F | 200°C.

Spoon about 1 cup of meat sauce onto the base of a 9×13-inch baking dish to prevent sticking and add flavor from the bottom up.

Cover the meat sauce layer with lasagna sheets. (Trim the sheets to fit over the meat if needed).

Layer with 2 cups of meat sauce (or enough to cover the pasta), and add half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat these layers, leaving the remaining cheese for the top.

Pour the remaining meat sauce and the white sauce over the very last layer of lasagna sheets.  Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. 

Cover the lasagna (with aluminum foil) and bake for 40 minutes. After baking, uncover the lasagna and put it back in the oven for at least 10-12 minutes more, or until golden.

You can use the grill for this step, but just for 5-6 minutes. Be careful; you don't want to burn the lasagna.

Once beautifully golden and out of the oven, garnish with fresh parsley. Let it stand for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving. ENJOY!

Pollo Asado

Photo from Carlsbad
Cravings

Yet another pollo asado recipe. I'm determined to find a favorite. The problem is they are ALL good. 

I marinated this for 4 hours instead of my standard 5 because I lost track of time. Turns out 4 was perfect for the chicken chunks I used. 

Adding this one to the list of things to cook again.

Pollo Asado

Recipe from Carlsbad Cravings

Serves 4

• 4-5 pounds bone-in chicken thighs (I remove the skin)
• 1/3 c olive oil
• 1/2 c orange juice
• ¼ c lime juice
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 ounces achiote paste
• 1 T EACH ground coriander, ground cumin, kosher salt
• 2 tsp EACH smoked paprika, dried oregano
• 1 tsp EACH pepper, chipotle chile pepper

Whisk all of the Marinade ingredients together in a large bowl or freezer size plastic bag. Add chicken and turn to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator 4 to 24 hours. Let chicken sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before cooking. (If using chicken breasts, only marinate up to 12 hours or else it can become mushy.)

These instructions are for bone-in chicken thighs - adjust as necessary. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, 425-450°F, clean and grease grates with vegetable oil. Grill chicken skin side down first (if leaving on). Grill for 5-7 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through and an internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Nando’s Portuguese Chicken and Rice

Photo from Recipe
In Eats

I don't know who Nando is, but apparently that guy knows how to make one heck of a chicken and rice
dish!

A little Googling taught me that peri peri has both South African and Portuguese roots. It's actually an Afro-Portuguese creation, with African bird's eye chiles combined with Portuguese ingredients like garlic, citrus, and oil. So there you go—history lesson complete. What I really care about is that it's delicious.

The seasoning on this chicken gives it such a rich, bold flavor, and there are so many layers going on that every bite is interesting. But the rice? WOW. The rice is what really takes this dish over the top.

I'm a big fan of turmeric, and this recipe calls for two whole teaspoons. That's a lot of turmeric, but I loved it. The color, the flavor...all of it worked for me.

Now, if you're sensitive to heat, I would definitely scale back the cayenne. The recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne along with red pepper flakes. I followed the recipe exactly, and let's just say I may have temporarily lost feeling in my mouth. It was HOT.

Spice level aside, this is one seriously delicious chicken and rice dish. The chicken is fantastic, but that rice is the real star of the show.

Nando’s Portuguese Chicken and Rice

Recipe from Recipe In Eats

Serves 4

• 1 lb chicken thighs , boneless, skinless, cut into bite size pieces

PORTUGUESE CHICKEN SEASONING:

• 2 tsp paprika (regular/sweet, not spicy)
• 1 tsp garlic powder (substitute large garlic clove, minced)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp cayenne (can omit for zero spicy)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp cooking kosher salt
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice (substitute apple cider vinegar)

NANDO’S COPYCAT SPICY RICE (OR NOT):

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 1 small onion , diced
• 1 red capsicum (bell pepper), deseeded, chopped into 1cm/0.4″ squares
• 1 1/2 cups basmati rice (or long grain rice or medium grain rice)
• 1/4 tsp chilli flakes / red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 1/4 cups chicken stock/broth , low sodium
• 1 cup frozen peas (still frozen)
• 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt

Green onion , finely sliced for a garnish

Mix the Portuguese Chicken Seasoning ingredients in a bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients, or overnight if you want (though not necessary).

Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a large heavy based pot over high heat. Add the chicken and cook until the outside is sealed and gets a bit of colour (it won't go golden). Remove with a slotted spoon into a bowl, leaving oil behind in the pot.

Add garlic and onion into the pot, cook for 1 minute. Add capsicum and cook for 1 1/2 minutes or until onion is translucent.

Add rice and stir to coat in the tasty oil. Add remaining rice ingredients, then scatter the chicken evenly across the surface. Also add any juices accumulated in the bowl. Stir, bring to a simmer, then put the lid on and lower heat to medium low so it's simmering gently. (Note 3)

Cook for 15 minutes, no peeking, no stirring! Liquid should be absorbed – tilt pot and lift lid for quick peek.

Remove pot from the stove and leave to rest for 10 minutes with the lid still on.

Remove lid, gently toss the rice. Spoon into bowls, drizzle over Peri-naise, sprinkle with green onions and serve!

Easy Homemade Yellow Rice

I have officially become the Rice Master!

For the longest time, I struggled to cook rice on the stove. That classic long-grain rice ratio of 2 cups water to 1 cup rice? It NEVER worked for me.

Then I switched to basmati rice, and let me tell you—I make flawless rice every time.

I’ve had this recipe saved for several years but never made it because, honestly, my rice-making skills were questionable at best. But tonight, I decided it would be the perfect side for the Chicken Shawarma Meatballs I made.

And wow. It was perfect!

I made one small adjustment to the recipe: I used 1 cup basmati rice to 1¼ cups water, and the result was fluffy, perfectly cooked rice every single time.

I completely forgot to add the garlic, but honestly? I didn’t even miss it.

This one is definitely going into the regular rotation. It’s easy, delicious, and when you can get perfect rice every time, that’s a win-win in my book!

Easy Homemade Yellow Rice

Recipe from Simply Mama Cooks

Serves 4

• 1 c long grain rice
• 3 T cooking oil
• 1/3 c onion; finely minced
• 2 cloves garlic; minced
• 1 T chicken bouillon powder
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 2 c water

Rinse and drain the rice. 

Preheat a pan; add 3 T oil and the rice. Toast for 5 minutes or until golden brown using a medium low heat.

Add the finely minced onion to the rice. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another minute. 

Combine the turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder and chicken bouillon. Quickly mix with rice. 

Add water, bring to a boil, cover with a lid, set heat to a low setting and simmer for 18-20 minutes. 

After the cook time, turn off the heat. DO NOT lift the lid. Allow it to sit covered for 5-10 minutes. 

Uncover, fluff and serve. 

May want to add salt and pepper. 

Chicken Shawarma Meatballs

This recipe combines two of my favorite things: meatballs and chicken shawarma. And let me tell you, these meatballs were absolutely off-the-hook delicious!

I was a little concerned when I saw there were no breadcrumbs in the recipe, but it turns out they weren’t needed at all. The egg yolk was plenty of binder, and the meatballs held together beautifully.

The flavor was spot-on shawarma—warm, savory, and packed with all those delicious Middle Eastern spices I love. And while I absolutely love a good shawarma pita sandwich, these meatballs are a whole lot easier to eat!

I served them with a side of Yellow Rice and a scoop of hummus, and it was such a delicious combination.

This is definitely one I’ll be making again! The one change I'd make (for my taste) is maybe less mint. Mint is one of those herbs that a little bit goes a long way for me.

Chicken Shawarma Meatballs

Recipe from Our Salty Kitchen

Serves 4

Meatballs

½ small red onion, coarsely chopped (about ¼ cup)

¼ c fresh parsley

¼ c fresh mint

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 lb ground chicken

1 large egg yolk

1-2 tablespoon olive oil

eat the oven to 350°F.

Add the onion, mint, and parsley to the well of a food processor. Pulse 8-10 times until the herbs and onions are minced. Add the salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, turmeric, and red pepper flakes to the onion and herb mixture and pulse a few times to incorporate the spices.

Break up the ground chicken into chunks and add to the spiced onion and herb mixture, then add the egg yolk. Pulse the mixture until the ingredients are completely incorporated into the ground chicken.

Form the mixture into 18 1.5” (1 heaping tablespoon) meatballs.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and heat until it shimmers. Add half the meatballs to the pan and brown on all sides, turning with tongs and gently shaking the pan to preserve their round shape. Remove the meatballs once evenly browned, then repeat with the remaining batch.

Once all the meatballs have been browned, return them all to the cast iron skillet in a single layer, leaving a bit of room between each. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F using an instant read thermometer.

Remove the meatballs from the oven and serve immediately with tahini sauce on the size.

Cashew Chicken and Broccoli

Cashew chicken has always been a tough one for me to get right. And every Chinese restaurants insist on adding bell peppers, which is an immediate dealbreaker for me. Why ruin perfectly good cashew chicken?

The versions I've made at home haven't quite hit the mark either. They've tended to be too sweet, with the hoisin sauce taking over the whole dish. I actually read through this recipe carefully before making it (shocking, I know), and immediately noticed the amount of hoisin seemed excessive. I cut it back a bit, and I think that cracked the code. The sauce had plenty of flavor without tasting like a bowl of hoisin sauce.

Another bonus here is the ground chicken. I've really become a fan of using ground chicken lately, and it worked surprisingly well in this dish. It cooked quickly and soaked up all that good sauce.

I'd definitely make this one again. It's fast, easy, and delicious—which, as far as I'm concerned, is the trifecta of a great weeknight recipe.

Cashew Chicken and Broccoli

Recipe from Table for Two Blog

Serves 4

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 2 cups broccoli florets, sliced
• 1 cup cashew halves, more for garnish
• Sliced scallions, for garnish

FOR THE SAUCE:

• ½ cup hoisin sauce
• ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• ¼ cup dark brown sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons garlic chili sauce

In a medium bowl, whisk together ingredients for the sauce and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, add 1 tablespoons of cooking oil. Once the oil is hot, add the ground chicken. Break into smaller pieces with a meat chopper or spatula/wooden spoon. Cook until the chicken is cooked through and no pink remains.

Add the sliced broccoli to the skillet and cook until tender.

Pour the sauce all over the mixture in the skillet and allow to thicken. Add the cashews on top and toss to coat. Remove from heat.

Serve with white rice and drizzle extra sauce on top.

Steak Foil Packets (Hobo Dinner)

Photo by The Food
Charlatan

Hobo packets immediately took me back to Girl Scout camp. I’m pretty sure just about every Girl Scout made these at some point—hamburger patties, potatoes, maybe a little corn, all wrapped up in foil and cooked over the fire. There was something about making your entire dinner yourself that felt pretty darn special. It was simple, but at the time it felt like we were quite the little survivalists.

Fast forward a few decades and I make my own dinner all the time. Somehow, though, the magic has worn off. So when I came across this recipe, the combination of easy and nostalgic was enough to get me in the kitchen.

The recipe calls for cooked rice but doesn't specify whether that means freshly cooked or leftover. I went with leftover rice because I almost always have some stashed in my freezer. I figured the steam and juices inside the packet would do the job of bringing the rice back to life—and they did.

For the protein, I used a NY strip because that’s what I had on hand. I added asparagus for a vegetable and layered everything together with the steak and rice.

The recipe called for cooking the packet for 60 minutes, so that’s what I did.

And, well...that was a mistake.

Over cooked asparagus (the worst) and over cooked NY strip (a sin). 

Steak Foil Packets (Hobo Dinner)

Recipe from The Food Charlatan

Serves 4

• 4 cups cooked rice
• 1 (1-oz) packet onion soup mix
• 1 pound steak, cube steak or top round steak
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk, divided
• carrots, zucchini, asparagus, bell peppers, green beans, etc. , (optional)*
• heavy duty foil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (Or see notes for camp fire or grill instructions.)

Tear off 4 large sheets of heavy duty foil, about 10-12 inches across. Regular foil will work too, just be careful not to tear it. You can double wrap if you're worried about it.

Add 1 cup of cooked rice to the center of each sheet of foil.

Top rice with about 1-2 teaspoons of onion soup mix.

Use a sharp knife to slice the steak into 12 thin strips, about 1 inch across.

Place 3 strips of steak on top of each mound of rice.

Pour 2 tablespoons of evaporated milk over the top of each mound of steak and rice.

Sprinkle the remaining onion soup mix evenly over the rest of the steak in each packet.

For each sheet of foil, bring the short ends of the foil together over the rice and steak. Press together and fold down securely over the food. For each end, fold the corners in, and then continue folding until you have a nice secure packet. See photos!

Place the 4 packets on a large baking sheet .

Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Remove from the oven and carefully open each packet, being very careful not to burn yourself with the steam.

Serve hot!

Pan Con Bistec | Cuban Steak Sandwich

Photo from Latina
Mom Meals

Cuban food has always been a little bit of a mystery to me, but it's one I've been happy to explore whenever the opportunity comes along. My Aunt Julie is Cuban, and while I only had the chance to share a handful of meals with her and my uncle that really highlighted Cuban cooking, those meals stuck with me. I remember plenty of rice and beans, and one unforgettable chicken dish that was so tender it practically fell off the bone.

Beyond those memories, I haven't had much experience with Cuban cuisine, but every Cuban-inspired dish I've tried has been full of flavor and something I've genuinely enjoyed. So when I came across this recipe, it immediately went on my must-make list.

The first challenge was finding sour orange, or naranja agria, which is a key ingredient in traditional Cuban mojo. After checking everywhere I could think of without any luck, I ended up making my own mojo marinade using a recipe I found online. I've included that below as well.

I marinated the beef for about two hours, and if I make this again, I'll shorten that time. Surprisingly, the citrus became the dominant flavor. It wasn't unpleasant by any means, but it was much stronger than I expected. I think this dish is at its best when the citrus adds brightness in the background rather than taking center stage.

Even with that one adjustment, I enjoyed trying another Cuban-inspired recipe. It reminded me why I've always been drawn to the flavors of Cuban cooking—simple ingredients, bold flavors, and dishes that feel both comforting and memorable.

Pan Con Bistec | Cuban Steak Sandwich

Recipe from Latina Mom Meals

Serves 4

• 2.2 pounds of cube steak
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of garlic
• ½ teaspoon of cumin
• ½ teaspoon of ground oregano
• 1 packet of Sazon seasoning optional
• 1 large onion sliced
• 1- 1 ½ cups of naranja agria or mojo marinade
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 loaf of Cuban bread or French bread
• mayonnaise as desired

Classic Cuban Mojo Recipe

• ¾ cup bitter orange juice (or ½ cup fresh lime juice + ¼ cup sweet orange juice)
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 8–10 cloves fresh garlic, minced or crushed
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ¼ cup fresh mint or cilantro leaves, finely chopped (optional)

In a large bowl, season steak with salt, pepper, garlic, cumin, oregano, and Sazon. Massage the steak with the seasonings. Add in onions and naranja agria. [Or if you can't find naranja agria make the mojo marinade by whisking everything togher.] Let it marinate for 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add in steak and onions. Cook steak for 4-6 minutes per side, or until desired level of done. May be done in batches. 

Leave the onions until as softened as desired. 

To assemble the sandwiches, cut steak one steak into 3-4 slices and place it on a cut 4 inch Cuban bread that has been smeared with mayonnaise. Top with onions and close the sandwich. Serve.

Grilled Chicken Marinade

Photo from The
Country Cook

It’s been hot and smoky here in the PNW, which means the oven doesn’t need to be turned on. Ever. This is exactly the kind of weather that calls for firing up the grill and making a good chicken marinade.

This is a really solid marinade. Everything in it is something most people probably already have in their pantry, so it comes together quickly and easily. And, more importantly, it’s delicious. The Dijon mustard really adds a nice depth of flavor that I especially liked.

I marinated the chicken for about 4 hours this time. I got it started later than I had planned, but honestly, 4 hours was plenty of time. The chicken had plenty of flavor, and the marinade definitely had time to do its thing.

Easy, flavorful, and no need to turn on the oven. That’s a win during a PNW heat wave.

Grilled Chicken Marinade

Recipe from The Country Cook

Serves 4

1 cup olive oil

¾ cup soy sauce

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup mustard (Dijon or yellow)

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1-½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds chicken tenderloins

Combine 1 cup olive oil, ¾ cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup lemon juice, ¼ cup mustard, ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons minced garlic and 1-½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper and whisk together well.

Put 2 pounds chicken tenderloins into a lidded container or ziptop bag and pour marinade over top of chicken.

Make sure all the chicken is coated, then snap on the lid or zip the top closed.

Pop it into the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.

When chicken is ready, soak 6-8 wooden meat skewers in water for at least a half an hour (so they don’t burn on the grill). Obviously you can skip this step if using metal skewers.

Once skewers have soaked, begin threading chicken onto skewers.

Preheat grill to medium high heat (about 350F). Place skewers on clean grill.

Cook for about 5-6 minutes per side (until internal temp. is 165F degrees).

It's really important that you flip the chicken using tongs and you handle it by the meat portion of the skewer. Don't try flipping using the skewer itself.

Allow to cool for a couple of minutes before serving.

Crockpot Swiss Steaks

I have a vague memory of my Grandma making Swiss steak when I was a kid. I remember her telling me how fancy it was because it was “Swiss.” Now, having actually lived in Switzerland, I don’t recall ever seeing Swiss steak on a menu. So naturally, I had to know where it came from. Off to Google I went…

Photo from Spend
with Pennies

Turns out, Swiss steak is American and the “Swiss” part refers to the way the meat is tenderized. Basically, it’s the technique used to turn a tougher cut of beef into something resembling cube steak. So, not nearly as fancy as Grandma made it sound. 

Apparently, I’ve made Swiss steak a handful of times over the years, and my reviews of those recipes are all over the place. Some I’ve liked, some I haven’t. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say the recipe matters.

Unfortunately, this particular recipe didn’t do it for me.

It felt like it was missing some depth. Now, I do realize the blog I found this on is Spend with Pennies, which is all about doing more with less, so perhaps I should have expected this to be a pretty basic recipe. And it was. Basic isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but in this case, I just felt like it needed…more. More flavor, more depth, something to make me want to go back for another bite.

What I did really like were the carrots. I absolutely love carrots that have been slowly stewed in a beefy broth for a couple of hours. Those were tender, flavorful, and probably my favorite part of the whole dish.

So, the verdict? I think I like Swiss steak. I just need to find the right recipe.

Crockpot Swiss Steaks

Recipe from Spend With Pennies

Serves 4

• 1 ½ pounds round steak or cube steaks or minute steaks
• 2 carrots sliced into 1-inch pieces
• 1 rib celery sliced into 1-inch pieces
• ½ yellow onion sliced ½-inch
• 2 cloves garlic sliced
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce each) can diced tomatoes with juices
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• salt and black pepper to taste
• cornstarch optional, for thickening

Add sliced carrots, celery, onion, & garlic to the bottom of a slow cooker.

Pound steaks with a meat tenderizer to ¼ inch thickness and season with salt and pepper (cube steaks do not need to be pounded). Put flour in a shallow dish or plate and dredge each steak in the flour mixture.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and brown steaks on both sides, about 2 minutes per side adding more oil if needed.

In the same pan, add wine and scrape up any brown bits. Add to the slow cooker with remaining ingredients except for the cornstarch.

Cover and cook for 6-8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high or until steaks are fork tender.

Serve over mashed potatoes or noodles.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Photo from The
Wooden Skillet

It's been a while since I've made a pasta dish. For whatever reason, pasta just hasn't been calling my name lately, so I've been passing over those recipes whenever they popped up in my random recipe picker. But there was something about this one that kept catching my eye, and eventually I gave in.

I've made quite a few Cajun chicken pastas over the years, and they've almost always been winners. I already have a favorite that's become the benchmark every new Cajun pasta gets measured against.

This recipe came surprisingly close. It was easy to throw together, packed with flavor, and had just the right amount of heat without being overwhelming. It hit all those classic Cajun notes I was hoping for. The only thing that would have made it even better would have been some andouille sausage mixed in with the chicken. Unfortunately, I didn't have any on hand, but even with just the chicken, it was a delicious meal that I'd happily make again.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Recipe from The Wooden Skillet

Serves 8

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, divided
• 9 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 pound penne noodles
• 2-3 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 14 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• pinch of kosher salt
• 1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
• garnish: fresh parsley and additional grated parmesan cheese

Pat 1 pound chicken dry with paper towels and season all sides with 1 tablespoon of cajun seasoning. 

Bring a large cast iron skillet to a medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter to melt. Once hot, cook the chicken for 5-7 minutes on one side, flip, and continue cooking for 5-7 minutes on the other side. Cook until the internal temperature at the thickest part of the meat reaches 162℉ (use a meat thermometer). Let chicken rest on a plate.

While the chicken is cooking, bring a separate pot of water to a boil. Add 1 pound penne noodles and cook to al dente according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water before fully draining.

In the same large skillet used to cook the chicken, bring back to a medium high heat and add the rest of the butter to melt. Add 2-3 teaspoons garlic to the hot pan and move around until fragrant; about 30 seconds. Gradually add 1 cup heavy cream along with the remaining cajun seasoning, 14 oz can of diced tomatoes (Drained), pinch of kosher salt and 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper. Whisk to combine, let simmer and reduce for about 10 minutes, whisking consistently. Once mixture has thickened, remove from heat and mix in 1 cup parmesan cheese to melt.

Add cooked noodles to the skillet and toss to combine. Add splashes of reserved pasta water to thin, as-needed. Taste and more salt or cajun seasoning, if needed. Cut cooked chicken into strips and toss with the pasta in the pan.

Baja Chicken

Photo from Amanda's Cookin'

The BFF came over for dinner and a movie last night, and since the weather was perfect, I was in the mood to fire up the grill. I'd bookmarked this recipe from Amanda's Cookin' a couple of months ago, and luckily I already had everything I needed on hand.

The real secret to this recipe is giving the chicken enough time to soak up all that flavor. The original recipe recommends marinating it for 12 hours, but that's a little too long for my liking when there's this much citrus involved. I've found that five hours is my sweet spot. In my opinion, it's the perfect amount of time to get plenty of flavor without the citrus starting to change the texture of the chicken.

Instead of grilling whole pieces, I cubed the chicken and threaded it onto skewers. More surface area means more marinade on every bite, and skewers are always easy to manage on the grill. It was a win-win.

This marinade was fantastic. The citrus really takes center stage, giving the chicken a bright, bold flavor that stands out without overpowering it. It's fresh, flavorful, and exactly what I want from a summer grilling recipe. This one is definitely making its way into my regular rotation.

Baja Chicken

Recipe from Amanda's Cooking

Serves 4

• 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts trimmed
• ½ cup orange juice
• ¼ cup lime juice about 2-3 medium limes
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 large jalapeno pepper chopped
• ½ teaspoon lime zest
• ½ teaspoon orange zest
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Place chicken breasts into a glass baking dish.

3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

Combine all remaining ingredients in a mini food processor. Process ingredients until smooth.

Pour the marinade over the chicken, flipping and moving chicken to ensure all parts are in contact with the marinade. Tuck chicken under the marinade as best you can.

Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 12 hours.

30 minutes before cooking, remove chicken from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Removing surface moisture prevents the meat from steaming and allows for a better sear and flavorful crust formation.

Prepare grill (or you can cook in a skillet on the stovetop) by preheating to medium-high (about 375-400F). Clean grill grates with a grill brush then apply a thin coating of high point oil using long tongs and a piece of wadded up paper towel dipped in the oil.

Place chicken breasts on grill and cook for several minutes without disturbing. Turn chicken over and cook several more minutes. Continue cooking until internal temperature reaches 165F.

Remove to a clear plate and cover with foil, let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.