Summer Poppy Seed Salad 

Dips, Dressings, and Spreads, Pantry Raid, Salads, Thrifty Meals, Vegetarian

Hey guys! I hope everyone had a great 4th of July! We decided to change it up and make something besides burgers and hot dogs this year. Instead I made two big pans of lasagna. I have made many different kinds of lasagna before on the blog, but these were pretty basic like this. I made one with ricotta and mozzarella and one with just mozzarella. They both turned out really great!

This afternoon, I was scouring out the scene in my fridge and pantry to see what I could make for dinner. Plenty of leftover lasagna, so that is the main course! But I did spy a bunch of veggies that looked like they were on their last leg, so I decided to make this beautiful summer salad. I found this poppy seed dressing a while back at Fresh Market, and it is my new favorite. img_8456

So I took half a head of ice burg lettuce, 1 small head of purple cabbage, one cucumber (peeled and chopped), 1 small tomato, 1 yellow squash (thinly cut on a mandolin), and a handful of sliced black olives

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I mixed it with about half the bottle of dressing until all the veggies were coated. I also added a touch of salt and pepper.  It tastes super yummy and fresh, and the squash also gives it a nice crunch! I am going to let it hang out in the fridge for a bit, and add some fresh avocado on top! These are my favorite kind of recipes; ones that you make up on the fly and use up leftovers before they go bad!

*****I spy some bananas that turn in to bread soon. I also found some blueberries, so I might come up with a new concoction! See ya real soon!

Crockpot Salsa Chicken Taquitos

Chicken, Crockpot /Make Ahead Meals, Mexican, Thrifty Meals

Happy Saturday! The girls and I took a little trip to the Farmer’s Market this morning and got a few treats; blueberries, squash, tomatoes, honey, apple butter, purple potatoes, and some pork (kielbasa, pork butt, and bacon)! I got my delicious iced coffee and the girls got to pet a lot of really cute dogs. I’m glad the weather held out for us; more rain is in the forecast for today =(  Right now the girls are taking all their books and making dominoes out of them all over the house.

Yesterday I had defrosted some chicken thighs for dinner and was trying to think of a way to make them without having to go to the store. I found a can of enchilada sauce, jar of salsa, beans, and canned green chilies. So I came up with this crockpot shredded chicken recipe. Super easy and very flavorful!

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs- I had bone-in, which adds a lot of flavor.
1 large can of enchilada sauce
1 jar of your favorite salsa
1 small can of chopped green chilies
A good pinch of salt and pepper
If you like it spicy, add in some hot sauce or chili powder and/or chili flakes

Directions- Literally dump and stir. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

You can use it for pretty much anything- tacos, enchiladas, burritos, nachos, etc. I rolled it up with some beans and cheese and made them in to taquitos.  I baked them in a 425 oven for about 15 minutes until the edges were crispy. Typically, taquitos are made with small corn tortillas and fried, but I only had medium sized flour tortillas, so I made that work. Plus, these baked ones are healthier and had all the same wonderful flavors! I served it with a side of Mexican rice and black beans.

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What can I do with this?

Girls' Night Out/In, Misc. stuff, Pantry Raid

I had leftover mozzarella sticks, and I needed to use them before they went bad. I don’t like food waste. I recently almost cried when my green olives had mold growing on them. I did cry when the last of my cherries were all rotten. When the last 2 of my English muffins had mold, I thought that maybe it was the mold that was out to get me. Don’t even get me started on that rotten tomato. So when I remembered about these guys, I was determined to use them before salmonella took over my fridge.

Introducing the cheese stick quesadilla. It tastes like you think, and you are welcome. You could either dip it in left over pizza sauce or sour cream. I tried both and they pass the test.

All 3 judges gave it a perfect 10. In all 3 judges, I mean it is a girl night and I could never pass this off on my husband without meat.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken

Happy Sunday, ya’ll! I hope you had a restful weekend spent with family and friends! Tonight I made this beautiful and scrumptious dish for dinner. I combined 2 previous recipes that I have done before here on the blog;  a chicken stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon and my regular cordon blue. I served it with rice pilaf and veggies. I hope you give it a try!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts
About 9 pieces of sliced ham
6 slices Provolone cheese- (Original has Swiss, but honestly any cheese would be good).
1 package of bacon

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Cut each chicken in half, but not all the way through. Take some plastic wrap and place it on top of the chicken. Pound it out very thin with a meat mallet (or pan).

Place slices of cheese and ham to fit on each chicken breast. Roll up the chicken.

Then wrap the chicken in bacon. Stick a few toothpicks in the chicken to hold it in place.

Then bake for about 35 minutes. Then turn the broiler on high and cook for another 10 minutes or so until the bacon is nice and crispy.  The internal temp of the chicken should be 165.

 

Beef Short Ribs in Tomato Sauce

Beef

Evening guys! Plans changed and we needed to eat at home tonight, so when I saw these beautiful beef short ribs on sale today, I knew what I had to do. I live for short ribs. When I see short ribs in the store or on a menu at a hip or fancy restaurant, I always consider getting them. Love them in every way, shape, and form. I have done both beef and pork ribs on the blog, so this is not too far off base with what I have done before.  They are a super delectable and can make for a very sophisticated dish, so I could probably charge you at least $22 for this entree =)

This is a one pot wonder if there ever was one! The meat can cook for hours on end in this tomato sauce; it slowly falls of the bone to create this velvety rich sauce. I served it on top of rigatoni sprinkled with a bit of Parmesan with a side of crusty garlic bread for scarpetta (Italian for sopping up sauce and cleaning your plate). You could serve this on any starchy pasta or polenta. I even served it on mashed potatoes once.

I also have made a crock pot version here. 

Braised Beef Short Ribs in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

4 Beef Short Ribs
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, crushed and finely chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup red wine- I used Malbec
1 cup beef broth
1 small can diced tomatoes
1 large can crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter

Directions

Salt and pepper both sides of your ribs.
Brown ribs in a bit or oil in large dutch oven on med. high heat, about 6 minutes per side. 
Take out ribs. Add onions. Cook for about 6 minutes. Stir.
Add garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes. Stir.
Add tomato paste. Stir and cook for 3 minutes.
Add wine and stock. Stir and reduce for about 5 minutes.
Add your cans of tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add in your meat. Cover. Stir every 45 min or so. Cook for 4-6 hours.