Fun Foodie Family

Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs with Rigatoni Pasta

Happy Thursday! I am so glad tomorrow is FRIDAY! Looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend spending time with family and friends. Yesterday, I cooked this lovely meal in my slow cooker. By the time Becca came home from cheer practice, dinner was already on the table. Lots of leftovers to eat and share!

Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs with Rigatoni Pasta

Ingredients

4 Beef Short Ribs, salted and peppered on each side. Coast with olive oil. Massage.
1 container mushrooms
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup red wine
1 beer
1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce
1 pound Rigatoni (or any hearty noodle)

Directions

*****Can be done the night before******
Brown ribs on high heat, about 6 minutes on first side, 3 minutes on second side.
Take out meat and turn down heat to med. Saute veggies, about 15 minutes. Add in tomato paste and stir together, about 3 minutes. Add in red wine. Reduce, about 3 minutes. Put ribs in the bottom of slow cooker. Add veggies, Worcestershire, beer, and tomato sauce. Mix with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, plug in slow cooker and cook on low heat for about 8 hours. If you have to go longer, that is just fine. If you can prepare all of this in the morning that is fine. You can also cook this on high for 4-6 hours.

All you have to do in the evening is make the pasta. This would also be amazing over Polenta or mashed potatoes.

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Meal Plan 2/8/16

Weekend Wrap-Up

Howdy friends! Sorry I am just getting around writing this post. I was going to write it this weekend, but we had to put one of my sweet kitties down last night. He was 17 and has been blind for a few years, but he could still get around and seemed happy and content. Recently, he started having a hard time jumping in the bed and walking for long periods of time. This weekend it appears he may have had a stroke and lost his ability to walk. I rescued him off the street over 16 years ago. The vet thought that he was between 6 months and 1 year. He was full of fleas, ear mites, and super skinny. He fit right in with us and became best buds with Oscar (after a bit of fighting and territory matches). He became my fat little baby. The girls have only known life with the cats, so they have taken it pretty hard as well. We took today off to spend some special time together.

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Here is the line up for this week…

Monday- Lamb Chops, Macaroni, peas

Tuesday- BBQ Pork Tenderloin

Wednesday- Slow Cooker Beef Short Rib Ragu I might make it different this time.

Thursday- Beanie Weenies and fries…possibly some more mac and cheese, just because…

Friday- Clean Out the Fridge Night

Sat- Out with friends

Sunday- Sweet Chili Chicken Wings (Alton Brown’s Recipe), fries, Asian Slaw

Cauliflower Couscous

Dips, Dressings, and Spreads, One pot meal, Pasta, Side dishes...veggies, Vegetarian

So I made this yummy veggie one pot wonder yesterday. Eat a plate of it for dinner, or pair it with a piece of grilled fish or chicken. Delicious! So cauliflower and couscous are not the most photogenic foods, but I tried my best with the picture. The recipe was so easy!

All you have to do is chop up some cauliflower in small pieces. You could put it in in the food processor to mimic couscous, but I like a few bigger pieces to bite in to. Then put a couple of tablespoons of both butter and olive oil in a med-large dutch oven. Add in your cauliflower and cook down until tender, about 8 minutes. Add in your liquid and bring to a boil. I had some leftover chicken stock, but use veggie or water if you like to make this vegetarian. Just follow the proper ratios on the couscous box. I used plain, so no flavor packet was used. Add in the couscous and stir. Take off the heat and cover for 5 minutes. At the end (OPTIONAL) add in a couple turns of heavy cream and stir OR if you don’t have cream, you could add in a bit more butter or olive oil.

***To make vegan, leave out the butter and just use olive oil. Leave out the heavy cream.

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Chicken and Bacon Pasta

Dips, Dressings, and Spreads, Pasta

So I was thinking of making something kind of like this for dinner tonight… Tomato Garlic Linguine with Mozzarella and Chicken. It turned in to a combination of this recipe and my Spaghetti Alfredo with shrimp, Bacon, and Veggies.

Here is how it went down.

Chicken and Pasta Bacon

Ingredients

2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 small container of portabello mushrooms, sliced
1 container of cherry tomatoes
3 heads of minced garlic
2 large chicken breasts
1 cup white wine (stock or water would be acceptable)
1 pound of pasta- I used Linguine
1/2 pound bacon and the grease
1 ball fresh mozzarella, chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan, shredded
About 1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup pasta water

Directions

Drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil in a dutch oven.
Brown both sides of your chicken on high heat, about 5 minutes per side. Take out of pan.
Lower heat to medium. Add another 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook down your shallots, mushrooms, and tomatoes for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add your garlic. Stir in and cook for 3 minutes. Add wine, stir, and reduce, about 5 minutes.
Chop your chicken. It will still be raw in the middle.
Start boiling your water and drop you pasta when ready.
Cook your bacon. Drain and chop.
Add your chicken to the veggies. Add your bacon grease and stir together well. When your pasta is al dente, add it to your sauce plus the pasta water. Add the rest of the olive oil. Mix well and top with your cheese and bacon.

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Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches

Sandwiches

Hi friends! I hope you all got to sleep in and have a lazy morning like I did. I love weekends when I really have no plans to speak of and just get to hang out with my family. I just got back from a yoga class, so I am feeling quite refreshed and centered.

Usually when I make a meal plan, I will try to get some suggestions from the family. Sometimes they come up some good ideas, and some not so practical ones. My husband actually suggested these sandwiches. He told me to get something called “Steak-uums.” I have never heard of that so I was curious. Frozen meat slices? That can’t be good, right? Well, I looked at the ingredients list… just beef. 009

So I gave it a try! These sandwiches were delicious! They were super easy to make and perfect for a busy night!

Philly Cheese Steak

Ingredients

1 container of Steak- umms (6 slices)
1 onion thinly chopped
1 large container of slices mushrooms
2 sweet peppers- I used red
4 hoagie rolls
6 slices provolone cheese
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions

Cook your veggies down, at least 15 minutes.
Add in your Worcestershire sauce. Then add your beef. Mix well.

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Slice open your rolls and add in the mixture to each one. Top with cheese. You could either broil or bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted. We served with a side of curly fries and some corn. DELICIOUS!