Allergy-Friendly Lasagna (Gluten free/Dairy free)

As I have previously mentioned in other posts, we have several allergies in my group of friends. however- that NEVER stops me from cooking them a delicious meal! It's actually a really fun challenge. Trying to re-create the same amazing flavors and consistencies but using alternative choices for dairy, wheat, and gluten. This recipe was definitely a winner. You would never know that this lasagna was anything other than normal! (well it's better than normal- because it was fantastic!)

Anyways, I found the inspiration and guidance for this recipe from Heather Christo. Her blog is fantastic for allergy free ideas, and clean eating in general. I was unable to find the almond ricotta in her recipe, so I substituted for cashew ricotta which worked perfectly! So here we go!

***The cashew ricotta requires that you soak the cashews for 2-3 hours. Make sure to allow enough time for that or you will be stuck!***

Ingredients not listed below:

2 boxes (9oz) Gluten-free lasagna noodles

1/2 jar Classico pasta sauce (in addition to the one below)

First I made a "meat sauce" and let it simmer while I prepared everything else. 

Meat Sauce: 

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground sausage

1 medium onion (diced)

1-2 carrots (diced)

1/2 bell pepper or several mini sweet peppers (chopped or diced)

2 cloves garlic

1 jar Classico pasta sauce (yes I cheated and used store bought to save time. the above blog link has a recipe for a homemade sauce, but this worked just as well in my opinion) 

*Most Classico sauces are gluten free and allergy friendly- just check your label*

- Start by sauteing the vegetables until they are soft (about 5 minutes) then add in the beef and sausage. Break up the meat while cooking so that it crumbles. Cook until browned. (you may drain the meat, however I left it because the extra liquid actually helps keep the lasagna moist and soft while cooking)

- Once the meat is browned, pour in the jar of sauce and stir until combined. Let simmer on the lowest setting- stirring occasionally- until you are ready to assemble lasagna.

Next I would suggest starting the water for your lasagna noodles. You are going to use two boxes of noodles, and they are rather large, so you will need a big "spaghetti pot". Fill almost to the top with water, add salt and begin to heat up to a boil.  (This will take a while since the pot is large)

Next came the cashew ricotta- I know it sounds crazy, but it's surprisingly good and is a perfect alternative for those who can not have dairy.

Cashew Ricotta:

1 1/2- 2 cups cashews (soaked for 2-3 hours in water. Place in bowl and cover with water about 1-2 inches over nuts)

1/4 cup garbanzo juice (I just opened a can of garbanzo beans and drained 1/4 cup juice, then made hummus out of the rest later)

1/2 cup water

10 oz Spinach (chopped, frozen (thawed) works best. Once thawed squeeze well to get out as much liquid as you can. 

2 tsp Garlic salt ( more or less to taste)

juice from 1 large lemon

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)

- Drain cashews and place in food processor. Add all of the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the spinach to the cashews. 

- Blend/process on high until it reaches a smooth "hummus like" consistency. It will still be slightly textured, but will be a paste. 

- Place squeezed spinach in medium sized bowl and add cashew paste to it. Mix thoroughly and set aside. 

Whenever your water starts to boil, add in the lasagna noodles. I used two boxes of gluten free- brown rice flour- lasagna noodles. I easily found them at Fresh Market. Cook noodles until they are al dente. I strongly suggest leaving a little water in the pan when you start to work with the noodles, because by the time I got to the last noodles in the pot they were all stuck together and I have to get very creative with pulling them apart and placing my noodles in the dish. 

So now that the meat is cooked, the ricotta is created, and the noodles are noodley, let's put together some lasagna. 

- First Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.

- Next get a 9x13 glass baking dish and coat the bottom with a generous layer of regular sauce

- Place a layer of noodles on the sauce (I laid mine in three rows long ways (6 noodles), but it really doesn't matter)

- On top of the noodles place a layer of meat sauce, and then another layer of noodles.

- Next place a layer of the spinach-cashew ricotta. (this is the only layer of this so use as much as you want) Top with another layer of noodles.

- Repeat with a second layer of meat sauce (go ahead and use the rest). Top with the remaining noodles. 

- Finish it off by covering the top layer of noodles with more regular sauce. 

- Bake for 30 minutes. 

ENJOY! 

We served the lasagna with tossed salad (olive garden style) and garlic toast (for those who could have the wheat/gluten)

Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya

Mardi Gras is a huge ordeal if you live anywhere in the south, and even more so if you are from Alabama or Louisiana. Contrary to popular belief, the original Mardi Gras was in Mobile, Alabama. New Orleans followed shortly there after and to some is considered the real Mardi Gras. It's all really dependent on what you want out of your experience. Regardless of where you choose to celebrate Mardi Gras, you're bound to have a great time!!! The last day of Mardi Gras is called Fat Tuesday. It is the last day of the season before the calendar changes into the religious Lenten season. Its the last day for partying, the last day to indulge for many before they enter a season of fasting and reflection in preparation for Easter. For Fat Tuesday I decided to chose a dish traditionally associated with Mobile and New Orleans. I began researching popular "cajun" foods while also considering the ingredients I may already have at the house. Jambalaya. It's a rather simple meal to throw together while at the same time being hearty and filling- AND, I actually had most of the ingredients on had too- which is always nice. It takes about an hour with all prep and cook time, so take that into consideration when planning. so without further delay.....

The original recipe came from Gimme Some Oven. I love her blog and often use her recipes for inspiration.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb peeled/de-veined raw shrimp

12 oz connecuh sausage- cut into medallions

1 green bell pepper- diced

1 can (12-14oz) diced/crushed tomatoes (drained)

1 stalk celery- diced

2-3 jalapeno peppers diced ( I used already sliced jalapenos so the equivalent of about 1/4 cup)

1 cup okra (can be fresh or frozen- I wouldn't suggest canned, It may be too slimy)

3 garlic cloves- minced

1 quart chicken broth

1 1/2 tbsp cajun seasoning (I used Old Bay)

1 bay leaf

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp thyme

salt and pepper to taste

- Start by warming 2 tbsp olive oil in large skillet or Wok. 

- add peppers, onions, celery, jalapenos, garlic and saute until soft. 

- add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and toss in the cut sausage, stirring to combine. Since the sausage is already fully cooked, you just need to warm it up a bit! 

- Now add in 3 cups of the chicken broth, tomatoes, rice, cajun spice, bay leaf, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and let cook for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Check and stir often so the rice does not stick to the bottom of your pan! 

- When rice is done, toss in the okra and the shrimp. Continue to cook/stir until okra is soft and the shrimp are pink and cooked. 

- Remove bay leaf, and check seasoning levels. Add more salt/pepper/cajun seasoning if desired. If it's too hot, you can always add a splash of lemon juice to tone it down. 

serve and enjoy!!!

                   

                

Crispy oven baked drumsticks with roasted vegetable medley

Recently I've really developed a love for chicken wings/drumsticks. I just love the crunchy, crispy, saucy, flavorful taste! However, most of the time when you get them at a restaurant they are fried :( Don't get me wrong, I love a good fried wing along with everyone else, but it's not so much diet friendly. I was on the search for something I could make at home that would be crunchy, crispy, fried... but not. This recipe I found and altered is spot on- Crispy Baked Chicken drumsticks. I adjusted mine slightly by using different spices, and also he doesn't note that the chicken should be washed and dried before coating. (That's something I've learned is imperative to a crispy skin). Anyways, lets get cooking! NOTE: If you want to cook the vegetables for your meal as well, They can cook at the same time as the chicken, so make sure to scroll down and see that recipe first!!!

Ingredients for Chicken:

2 lbs chicken drumsticks (washed and patted dry- skin on)
3 tsp baking powder (yes this sounds odd, but it's what makes the skin so crispy)
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp garlic powder
3 tsp 33rd and Galena seasoning (penzey's blend, it's awesome click the link to check it out!)
2 generous tbsp olive oil

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray lightly with olive oil.
- Wash and pat dry chicken- Make sure to do this step if you want crispy skin!) place on baking sheet.
- Mix together dry spices until blended, then add olive oil and mix until smooth. It doesn't look like a lot, but with this a little bit goes a long way.
- With a silicone brush, begin to "paint" the drumsticks until they are all coated. The original recipe suggests tossing them in a bowl with the wet mixture, but I felt like I would get better coverage using the brush. When all the drumsticks are covered, place in oven and set timer for 20 minutes. At 20 minutes check wings. If you like turn them and/or brush them with more seasoning. Continue cooking for 10 more minutes. The wings should reach an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees and be hot and crispy.

Roasted Vegetables:
This is really something I just threw together with the random assortment of fresh veggies I had in the fridge. I sometimes tend to go over board at ALDI or Fresh Market. So I looked and figured out what would pair well with the chicken. I decided upon: Broccoli, Mushrooms, Cauliflower, and Onions.
- Chop all vegetables into acceptable bite sized pieces
- Place in large bowl and drizzle olive oil on top, then toss until all vegetables are coated.
- Add what ever seasonings you desire- I chose just a little bit of garlic salt and some pepper. Sometimes the basics are the best!
You may cook these at the same time as the chicken. Put the chicken in first and cook for ten minutes. When you've reached the 10 minute mark, move the chicken to a lower rack, and place the vegetables in. The veggies should take about 20 minutes. When you have to check the chicken at it's 20 minute point, give the vegetables a good stir. Everything should be done right about the same time!

I would suggest a dipping sauce, but these are so good we just ate them as they were!
ENJOY!!!

Steak And Veggie Omelettes

Healthy, delicious, easy, and a great way use use up leftovers in the fridge! The key to a good omelette is having the right sized pan for your eggs, and also not overloading your eggs. I also highly suggest prepping everything first so that once you pour the eggs in the pan you just dump the rest of the ingredients and go. 

Ingredients:

eggs (I used 2 for mine 3 for Hubby)

diced or chopped vegetables (bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, olives, tomatoes, spinach etc!)

light drizzle of olive oil- just enough so the eggs don't stick. 

salt/pepper/seasonings to taste

Omelettes are really a meal that you create as you go. There's no set recipe for the perfect omelette. There's actually not even a set way to cook an omelette. Some people make the egg fluffy and pre-cook the inside ingredients then gently fold the egg over the ingredients making a sort of pocket. This works best if you're using cheese in your omelette. The cheese acts as a glue, keeping everything together. My favorite way however is slightly different, and works better for us, since we don't use cheese. I scramble up the eggs (normally adding a bit of milk/soymilk to make them fluffy) and pour them into a small omelette skillet. An omelette skillet is mush smaller that what you would normally saute meats and vegetables in. I think mine is an 8 inch skillet. This is key, however, because it allows the eggs to stay confined to the shape of the pan and the add-in ingredients to cook evenly. If your pan is too big, the eggs will run all over, be too thin, and your add-in ingredients will be all over the place. Anyways... once you notice the egg starting to firm up on the bottom, sprinkle in your add-ins. The order doesn't really matter, but I tend to throw in the ones that take longer to cook first, like bell peppers and mushrooms. I normally add my meat last because it's already cooked. evenly distribute your add-ins and let eggs continue to cook. Run a spatula around the edges to keep the eggs from sticking. When you can shake the pan and the omelette move as one solid form, it's time to flip. Now if you're a super chef you may try your hand at the air flip- however that always scares me and I don't really want to have omelette all over the stove. How I flip is by taking two spatulas or turners and getting up under a good amount of the omelette on one side. Then I quickly start to turn it over. Sometimes it does fold over on itself, but you can easily straighten it back out once it's flipped. I let it cook for a little bit on that side, and when I notice that side starting to firm up, I fold the omelette in half (the side with all our add ins will be facing out) and continue to cook, flipping the now folded omelette, until done. You can see in the picture above, that mine is no where close to perfect, but man oh man was it tasty!!! I had some left over broccoli so I threw that in the skillet afterward and sauteed it up with a little olive oil and garlic for my side, and then cut up a pear to replace the crunch you would normally have with a piece of toast. Hope this makes sense!!! Enjoy!!!

Part 2: "uptown shrimp" fancy glazed tempura shrimp

YUM! Is really all that can be said about this one. Anyone who has been to the popular restaurant, Chuck's Fish will understand my excitement when I say that I have come pretty darn close to a copy cat of their special "Uptown Shrimp". And the funny part is, that part of this meal was an after-thought/ add on once I had already decided upon making the Sushi Shrimp Stack (click link to see part one of this blog) as our meal. I had purchased some shrimp earlier this week- it was $5.99/lb FRESH! Who passes that up???? So Shrimp it was for dinner. I was looking at the shrimp stack and trying to decide what to pair with it. Suddenly it hit me- shrimp that goes with sushi... I'm going to re-create Chuck's Uptown shrimp. 

Just to preface, I had absolutely no clue how to recreate this. I simply racked my brain for my best memory of the taste and consistency, also consulted my friends who love the dish too, and this is what I came up with. I figured out that it's basically tempura fried shrimp with a spicy eel sauce. My eel sauce didn't turn out just like theirs, but I was still thrilled with the results. 

Ingredients: 

- 1/2 lb shrimp- peeled, tails off

- 1 cup flour

- 1 tsp salt

- 1 egg

- 1/2 cup Ice water

- 1 cup cold sparkling water or tonic water

- 1/4 cup corn meal (for dredging)

- vegetable/ peanut oil for frying

- 1/2 cup soy sauce

- 1/2 cup white sugar

- 1/2 mirin (sweet sake)

-  sriracha to taste ( I didn't have sriracha so I substituted some sweet chili sauce- but I think the sriracha is really going to be the key)

1.) I suggest making the sauce first. Combine soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and sriracha in small sauce pan and bring to a boil- stirring/whisking constantly. It's almost the same process as making a cake glaze or a simply syrup. It will cook for 3-5 minutes or until it reduces. It will still appear thin and runny, but you'll notice it sticking to your spoon/whisk. When this stage is reached, take off heat and set aside. It will thicken as it cools. 

2.) If you're feeling fancy and want to multi-cook you can go ahead and heat up the oil and begin the tempura batter: Whisk together the flour, salt, ice water, cold sparking water, and egg until combined. you may have a few lumps, but that's ok, it's just the nature of a batter. 

3.) Once the oil has reached about 350 degrees, dip the shrimp in the corn meal first, then lightly dip the shrimp in the tempura batter. Immediately drop shrimp into hot oil. I suggest doing only 2-3 at a time at first so you can see how fast they cook and don't get distracted. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon or mesh strained when golden brown and set on paper towel covered plate. Continue until all shrimp are cooked. 

4.) Place shrimp into a medium sized bowl. Lightly drizzle a little of the syrup/sauce over the shrimp and toss until shrimp are covered, but not soaked in sauce- this makes sure the shrimp retains it's crunchiness. 

5.) Now you can have fun plating the shrimp and feel free to dress up with sesame seeds, chives, sriracha mayonnaise etc! Don't forget to visit my other post with the sushi shrimp stack for the perfect pair to this dish! enjoy!!!

Part 1: Sushi Shrimp Stack: avocado, cucumber, miso mayonnaise

 This is part 1 of a two part blog posting from my recreation/copy cat meal from Chuck's Fish. The whole meal you can see in the pictures above, but what I'll be describing in this post is the sushi stack (featured in the pictures above top-left.) This whole adventure started when I bought some shrimp at the store earlier this week. It s $5.99/lb FRESH, NOT FROZEN. Who passes that up???  So I began perusing Pinterest and the almighty Google for inspiration for a new shrimp dish. Honestly- garlic shrimp, grilled shrimp, bbq shrimp, ( I sound like Bubba from Forest Gump) all gets a little boring once you've mastered it. Throughout my looking I stumbled upon this idea of a Sushi Shrimp Stack (click link for original recipe). If you don't know me already, I LOVE SUSHI!!! My husband does too. Actually our first real date was sushi and a movie. We even named our miniature dachshund Sushi.

yeah, he's a cool dude........

Any-who, our favorite restaurant is Chuck's Fish and they have the most amazing sushi chef's I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. (Shout out to Riza, Brandon, and Corey) They truly consider it an art form and some of the flavor combinations they conjure up inside that roll of rice are simply magical! I love sitting at the sushi bar and watching them create these culinary masterpieces. I've always wanted to give it a try. Now- the "sushi" I created is to say the least, novice, super beginner, sushi for dummies, what have you. But I was rather impressed with the way the flavors combined, AND I did it myself!!! I did give it a go at creating an actual sushi roll with some of the leftovers, however, without the seaweed wrapper, it completely fell apart when I attempted to cut it. Anyways, back on topic... This sushi stack was surprisingly simple, with great flavors, and would be the prefect introduction for someone who "doesn't like sushi". Also these little babies are deceiving! I was afraid it wasn't going to be enough to eat, but man was it filling!!! (Guess it's all that rice). So enough with the chit chat, let's make some shrimp stacks!!!

Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 cups uncoooked sushi grade rice (if you can't find that, then any short grain rice will do, just don't add salt or butter/oil when cooking)

- 2 tbsp rice vinegar

- 8 oz shrimp (cooked, peeled, tails off)

- 1/2 cup-3/4 cup diced cucumber (peeled)- depends on how much cucumber you like

- 1 small/medium avocado, mashed

- 1 tsp (divided) sesame seeds

-  soy sauce

- 2 tbsp mayonnaise

- 1 tsp Sriracha (I did not have sriracha- but substituted miso instead for a slightly different flavor)

1.) Cook rice according to package directions. Some rices- especially brown rice- can take up to 45 minutes to cook, so make sure to consult the packaging before cooking so you can plan accordingly. Mine took about 15-20 minutes so I was able to prep everything else in the mean time. 

2.) As I just mentioned, while rice is cooking, prep everything else. Dice the cucumber, mash the avocado, peel and cut tails off shrimp.

3.) For the sriracha mayonnaise- simply combine the mayonnaise and sriracha together and let sit. If spicy isn't your thing, use miso instead. The miso is a little more difficult to work with, so you'll have to whisk it more to get a smooth consistency. You can also add some red pepper or chili sauce if you want a kick. 

4.) Now- go check your rice- make sure it's not sticking. If it's sticking add just a little bit of water and stir. 

5.) Time to cook the shrimp. Pour a little bit of vegetable oil or butter into a skillet and add a few shakes of garlic and salt. Let warm. Add shrimp and cook until pink/orange and done. Set aside to cool. 

6.) When rice is done, add rice vinegar and stir until combined. Line a baking sheet with foil and spread rice out on sheet to cool. 

7.) When rice has cooled and you have everything else ready, it's time to assemble your shrimp stack. 

            - Take a 1 cup dry measuring cup and put a small layer of cucumber in the bottom. ( My 1 cup is rounded so I arranged the cucumber in a sort of cone shape).

            - Next, spread a thin layer of the mashed avocado on top of the cucumber (this kind of acts as a glue, so don't be shy)

            - Then comes the shrimp. Once shrimp cools, cut into small pieces. Then press pieces on top of the avocado making a nice layer of shrimp. 

            - Fill the rest of the cup with the sushi rice. You will notice that the rice has become slightly sticky. Press this gently into the cup creating your base layer.  

            - Now the fun part. Turn the cup over onto a plate. Barely hover the upside down cup over the plate, or really just barely lift one side while gently tapping the cup with a spoon or knife. The stack should gently slide out of the cup. Be patient with it, it will slide out nicely. 

            - Once your stack is created you can dress it up with your mayonnaise mixture, sesame seeds, soy sauce etc. have fun! 

*** From this, I moved on to making Uptown Shrimp, so If you're making something else to accompany this, you can easily place this in the refrigerator to keep cool until you are ready to serve! 

Here is the link to my other post for the Uptown Shrimp 

Baked Flautas: Sweet potato, ground beef, black bean, and corn with guacamole

These flautas were awesome! I'm going to have to work on the presentation, because they aren't as pretty as they tasted! I took a few pictures as I was making them, so you can see the wonderfulness that was the filling. I got the inspiration for this meal as I was perusing pinterest yesterday. I guess those ingredients were screaming for me because, without searching for anything specific, those same ingredients kept popping up- tacos, flautas, noodle bowls, salads..... I began to rack my brain for what I might have at home, and also what I was craving. Flautas it is! So here we go!

Ingredient List:

9 flour tortillas or 12 corn tortillas
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 can black beans (drained)
1/2 can corn (drained)
1/2 onion diced or 1 tbsp dried minced onion
1/2 cup salsa
1 large sweet potato
guacamole (see quick recipe below)
spices/seasonings (to taste)
- Cumin, pepper, red crushed pepper, garlic powder, salt, cilantro

- Pre-heat oven to 425.
- make guacamole so flavors can mix while you're preparing everything else

Guacamole:
1 large avocado, cumin, lime juice, garlic powder, salt, pepper, 2 tbsp medium salsa.
- slice avocado and place in small dish. Begin to mash. Add salsa and continue to mash. Add the rest of the seasonings to taste- remember it's always easier to add to your mix, than to take away! Mix until everything is blended, but it will be slightly chunky. Set aside.

- Next cook sweet potato. Poke several times with a fork, wrap in a damp paper towel, and microwave for 6 minutes. Check, if potato is soft it is ready. If not, continue to cook in 1 minute increments until soft to squeeze.
- If you're using fresh onions, go ahead and dice the onion and saute it until tender. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Brown the ground beef. I didn't add any extra seasoning to mine because you will add that when making the filling.
- Combine the corn, beans, beef, onion, and sweet potato in a large bowl. (Cut the sweet potato in half and using a fork, scrape out the inside).
- Season the mixture with cumin, pepper, red crushed pepper, garlic powder, salt, cilantro and salsa. mix well. Take a taste of the mixture and adjust as you desire.

** now it's time to assemble the flautas- for perfectly crispy flautas use a raised baking rack- that way they cook on both sides evenly (see picture below). However if you don't have a raised rack, you can use a regular baking sheet and make sure to turn the flautas half way through. **

*** another note: to make it easier to work with the tortillas, and make sure they don't break, do this: 2-3 at a time, take the tortilla and barely dampen with water. The best way I can explain this is to hold the tortilla in one hand and run your other hand under the water. shake it off, then run your wet hand across both sides of the tortilla- it's barely anything, just enough to barely moisten the tortilla. Place tortillas on a plate in the microwave for 30 seconds. If you do more than a few at a time they will stick together. ***

Take a tortilla and place a line of filling down the middle. (see picture) Then top the filling with a small amount of guacamole. ( you could use cheese here- but since we can't have cheese in our house, guacamole makes a great replacement and still gives the creamy texture. )

- Take one end of the tortilla and fold across the filling, pulling it tight. Then begin to roll it up! 

- Once rolled, spray tortilla on all sides with cooking spray or olive oil and place on baking rack. (see picture) It's ok if they touch

Repeat process with warming tortillas, filling, and rolling until you have made as many as you like. 

- Place on the lowest rack in the oven. I always have to put my raised rack on a baking sheet so it's more sturdy in the oven- you might want to consider doing that. 

- Mine took about 15 minutes to cook, but you may want to check them every five minutes to make sure they aren't getting too crispy. If they are, you can always flip them or turn down the oven heat. 

- They will be done when the outside is crispy and light brown, and the inside has an internal temp of at least 140. I served with simple corn chips and salsa, however, if you're feeling fancy you can always make rice and refried beans!

Enjoy! 

Shrimp and Chicken stir fry with egg fried rice and vegetable egg rolls

We recently have gotten a Fresh Market grocery in our town, and man have I fallen in love! They have high quality produce, a great meat/seafood department, and pretty much always have those hard to find ingredients, or allergy free alternatives. Since the husband doesn't do dairy, and I don't do bread and avoid gluten, a trip to the fresh market happens about once a week. Every week, they offer a $20 meal deal. It's basically a meal idea with several options to feed four people for just $20. It's called Thursday Little Big Meal. (click link for more details.) Any who- they give you options to put together your own meal. Now, mind you- my thrifty shopping, I could have probably put together a very similar meal for less than the $20, but for the convenience factor of having everything already chopped, cut, packaged etc- it was worth the $20. This week it was Chinese stir fry! And if you know me, I love Chinese food, and love cooking it even more. The flavors and fun combinations of meats and vegetables never leaves me bored. So in a nut shell, for my $20 I got: Bag of white rice, 1 lb peeled and de-veined large shrimp, pre-assembled veggie pack (broccoli, asparagus, snow peas, onions, peppers, cabbage....), package of Saffron Road simmer Sauce ( I chose the Korean Stir fry), and a dessert- Peach Pie!!! As an add-on I had planned on making my own vegetable egg rolls, however that plan was severely thwarted when the store I stopped by was out of stock of the egg roll wrappers (WHAT!?!? I KNOW!!!) and I didn't have time to run across town to another store- poor planning on my part, but it was a last minute idea. So forgive me... the eggs rolls were Chung's Vegetable Egg Rolls. I also wanted to make sure the stir fry was protein packed, so in addition to the shrimp, I threw in some sauteed chicken. Well, enough talk- lets cook!!!

*** NOTE: You don't have to have the fancy little big meal kit to make this! I'm going to break it down ingredient by ingredient ****

Ingredient list:

1 lb shrimp- peeled before cooking

1 large chicken breast cut into strips or several tenders (you will cut into smaller bites after cooking)

1 cup chopped broccoli/florets

1/2 sliced onion (what ever sized pieces you want)

1 cup snow peas

asparagus spears (cut into 2 inch pieces- you really could omit this)

1 cup chopped cabbage- I left mine in larger pieces b/c it will wilt/shrink when you cook it)

1 sliced/chopped pepper (red, green, orange- doesn't matter)

** other options: bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, thinly sliced carrot, tofu, thinly sliced potato, Bean sprouts etc...**

sesame oil- you will use approx 2 tbsp for each saute session (or vegetable oil if you wish)

1 package Saffron road simmer sauce (or any teriyaki/soy/ginger sauce or glaze)

1 lb package of white rice

3 eggs

package of Chung's Egg Rolls or use this Vegetable Egg Roll Recipe 

First- consult your rice packaging and see how long it says it takes the rice to cook. I don't know how many times I've messed up and cooked everything first, then had to wait around for the rice to be done. My rice took 30 minutes- so make sure to plan accordingly. 

Second- consult the egg roll package/ recipe and determine how long it will take you to assemble/cook your egg rolls. If they are cooked in the oven, you can do this while other things are cooking. If you choose the homemade route- I suggest making and frying those first and placing the the oven/microwave to keep warm.

Now don't be overwhelmed- It looks like a lot, but really it's just a bunch of sauteing. 

- Saute the chicken first. Add sesame or vegetable oil to large skillet or wok and cook chicken strips until internal temp of 165 is reached. I added no additional seasoning at this point. Cut into bite sized pieces and set aside (keep warm). 

- Peel/de-vein/cut tails off shrimp. Add sesame or vegetable oil to wok and cook until bright orange/pink in color. Again- no additional seasoning was added at this point. Remove from skillet/wok and set aside)

- Add sesame or vegetable oil to skillet/wok for a third time. Dump in all vegetables and stir until they are mixed well. Continue to cook and stir often until all vegetables are cooked. (you may place a cover on the skillet/wok if you like to "steam" the vegetables). 

- When the vegetables are cooked, add in your shrimp and chicken. Mix thoroughly. 

- Now add sauce. Again mix until all ingredients are covered with sauce. Be gentle when mixing. I used a soft spatula, and used more of a "folding" or "turning" technique rather than a "stir" or "mix". (I hope that makes sense- basically, you just don't want to create vegetable mash!). 

- When the sauce begins to bubble you are done with your stir fry! (cover and set aside)

Now, I've gotten pretty good at multi-cooking- meaning cooking two things at once so that everything is ready at the same time. So while the stir fry was doin' it's thing, I began working on the rice. 

- Once the rice has steamed, add some oil or butter- your choice- to a large skillet, and when melted/warm add the rice. 

- Make a hole in the middle of the rice and crack the eggs straight into the skillet. Let eggs cook for a bit and then begin to fold/turn the rice in the skillet, mixing the egg throughout the rice. 

- Continue to turn/cut/flip the rice until the egg is cooked. 

- Add any garlic, soy sauce, shrimp sauce etc you would like to season the rice with and continue to cook. When the seasonings are thoroughly mixed and the egg is cooked your rice is done. 

It seems like a lot- but I trust you can manage! It's all about proper preparation and time management. Plan out the order in which you want to cook each part of your dish and then attack! Multi-cooking can be quite fun! When everything is ready, plate and serve. Enjoy!

Beef stew

So remember the 20 hours pot roast we cooked a few days ago... well here's the perfect thing to make from any of the left overs! My husband wasn't feeling well on Sunday so I decided to make my own version of his Granny's beef stew. Like most of my recipes this one is pretty simple and is a great way to re-use leftovers. I hate letting food go to waste! 

Ingredient list:

- Left over pot roast (or stew meat)- shredded/cut into small pieces

- 2-3 potatoes (I used yukon gold, but russet or reds will work too) cubed

- baby carrots

- 1 can cut green beans

- 1 cup noodles

- 1 container (box) beef broth

I started by cutting the potatoes and meat first so I could toss everything in the pot together. Once potatoes are cubed and meat shredded- this doesn't have to be perfect as it will break apart while it cooks- place all ingredients except the noodles and the beef broth into a large soup pan. Then, pour beef broth over it barely covering the meat and vegetables. Stir well. Bring this to a boil and then lower heat keeping a simmer. Stir often so it doesn't stick. When the potatoes are tender, add in the noodles. NOTE: the noodles will absorb alot of the broth so you may want to add more as they cook. Also, taste-test your stew as it cooks. Mine had enough seasonings left over from the roast meat, but you may want to add some onions, garlic, or pepper to suit your taste. Once the noodles are tender you're good to go! Dish up and enjoy! If you're feeling fancy, whip up a skillet of cornbread to accompany. 

20 Hour pot roast

Since the holidays life has been a whirl wind for us! I feel like from Christmas until last week we weren't home- oh wait- we weren't! Travel Travel Travel. Christmas with all the different sides of the families, then a last second New Year's trip with friends to Dallas for the Cotton Bowl (we're HUGE Alabama Football Fans for those who haven't figured that out yet :) ) then turned around a week later and made a last minute decision to make the trip out to Glendale, by way of Las Vegas, for the National Championship game. It was fun, but man of man were we tired! Now that life has settled down slightly I'll catch you up on the yummies that have occurred in Kitty's Kitchen. 

This one is a very simple recipe that you really can change/add to to meet your own flavors and needs. I recently picked up a chuck roast from ALDI, and knew that last night I had a special late Pure Barre class- so dinner was going to need to be low maintenance and quick. So the night before... (Last night was wednesday, so that would have been tuesday) Tuesday night after making dinner I got out my trusty crock pot/slow cooker and began to assemble the makings of the pot roast. 

Ingredients:

1- 2lb chuck roast ( I should note that I put it in there frozen- but it really doesn't matter, you may just need to adjust cooking time so it doesn't dry out)

1- package of Lipton's beefy onion soup mix

1- small/medium sized onion sliced or chunked

Baby carrots- amount is up to you- how many carrots do you like?

*** optional extra additions*** Diced potato (1-2 inch cubes), Mushrooms

2 cups beef broth

1- can cream of mushroom soup. 

Directions:

- Line the crock pot with a crock pot liner (if you have one- if not....) or spray with cooking spray, or just rub down with butter or your choice of cooking grease. 

- Place the roast in crock pot

- Sprinkle Lipton's Beefy Onion Soup Mix over meat.

- Toss in onions, carrots, and any other additions you would like. You can arrange them around the sides or just right there on top!

- Pour/spoon cream of mushroom soup on top of meat, making sure to cover the whole thing. You may want to tuck a little down the sides or underneath if you have extra.

- Finally, pour 2 cups beef broth over the whole thing. This should fill the crock pot up, just to the top of the meat. You do not want the meat completely submerged, but a good amount of liquid. It will create it's own liquid as it cooks. 

- Turn the crock pot on high and walk away. Check liquid level (it should be fine) and turn down to low before you go to bed. Let cook all night! Your house will smell amazing when you wake up.

- Check liquid levels again when you wake up. Again, mine was just fine. The "broth/gravy" was slightly bubbling and the roast was soooo tender!!! Stir gently and pour a little of the "broth/gravy" over the top of the meat. 

- I left mine on low when I left for work, and then came back at lunch and switched it to "keep warm". If you don't have that setting, or can't make it home for lunch you can leave it on low- it will be fine. If it really bothers you, you may always turn it off and put it in the fridge- however- you may risk toughening the meat slightly when you warm it back up. 

After cooking for 20 hours, your meat should be tender and fall apart when poked with a fork. We almost had to use a spoon to get it out of the crock pot and on to the plate. Serve with your favorite sides. Ours were the usual go to's: Mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli. 

Feel free to comment with your experience! Enjoy!