Beet Green Pesto

In the last year or so, I fell in love with roasted beets but always felt guilty about throwing all of those leafy greens away and decided it was time to do something with them. This beet green pesto recipe uses very few ingredients making the greens shine!

Ingredients:

4-6 c. beet greens, stems removed (loosely packed)
1/2 c. walnuts
3 Tbs. Parmesan
4 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. olive oil (or until you reach a consistency that you like)

Combine all of the above ingredients except for the olive oil inside of a food processor. When most of the larger pieces of ingredients are broken down, slowly add in your olive oil until you reach the thickness or consistency of your choosing. I like to make mine on the thicker side, because I usually end up adding it to noodles or salads to where you always end up adding more oil or vinegar to smooth it out.

Chicken Diane

Ingredients:

1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 large bunch green beans
6 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 shallot, small diced
2 bone-in, with skin chicken breasts
4 oz. light cream
4 Tbs. sherry wine
2 tsp. chicken base (liquid)
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
Olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with tinfoil sprayed with non stick cooking spray. Add chopped potatoes to a medium size pot and pour water until it covers the potatoes. Boil and then simmer for 15 minutes. Drain, place back in the pan and mash while adding half of the cream, salt and pepper. Cover with a lid to keep warm while the chicken is finishing.

While your potatoes are boiling still, heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a pan and heat to medium-high. Add chicken skin side down to brown, cooking for about 5-7 minutes. Flip over and place onto the prepared baking sheet, and bake for 18-20 minutes. Rest the chicken.

To the same pan the chicken browned in, add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Add the shallots and cook for another few minutes. Add the sherry, cream, chicken base and Dijon and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes until thicker.

Boil the green beans in a pot for about 3-4 minutes until just cooked and a vibrant green. Drain and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on two serving plates. Divide the potatoes in half, and the green beans and place next to the chicken. Top the potatoes with chives. Pour half the sauce on each plate next to the chicken, so you don't make the crispy chicken skin soggy.

Honey Mustard Pork Medallions with Apple Slaw

This recipe is great for a summer dish. All you need is one pan, one bowl, and little prep time. With a sweet honey mustard sauce on quick cooking pork slices, and a side of crunchy coleslaw, this recipe will have you hooked!

Ingredients:

Pork tenderloin (small tenderloin of any size)
3-4 Tbs. honey mustard dressing
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1 Apple (Fuji), cored, quartered and thinly sliced
1/4 c. honey roasted peanuts, chopped
4 oz. coleslaw mix (cabbage and carrot)
4 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

In a large mixing bowl, combine the apple, slaw mix, half the vinegar, 2 tsp. olive oil, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Toss everything together and set aside.

Cut the pork tenderloin into 1/2 inch thick round slices. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Preheat a medium size pan to medium-high heat and add 2 tsp. of olive oil and the pork medallions to the pan. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and rest for 3 minutes.

To the same pan, add the honey mustard dressing, brown sugar, remaining vinegar, and hot sauce and stir. Bring the pan to a boil, reduce, and simmer 1-2 minutes until it reaches a thicker consistency. Add the pork slices back to the sauce in the pan and coat.

Serve the pork slices with a healthy portion of slaw on the side. Drizzle the pork with the sauce from the pan.

Roasted Hasselback Beets with Dill Yogurt Sauce

I joined the "beet" wagon about a year ago. I had never had roasted beets before, only pickled which I absolutely could not stand. These roasted beets are juicy, cut like butter and the tangy yogurt sauce pairs perfectly to cut the sweetness.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lb.s beets, peeled, cut in half, and sliced every 1/4 inch almost all of the way through
Salt and Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 c. plain yogurt
2 Tbs. dill, chopped
2 Tbs. lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with tinfoil. Place the beets flat side down on the foil. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Pour 3/4 cup water around the beets inside of the foil. Cover the pan with tinfoil, bake for 20 minutes, add 3/4 c. more water, and continue to bake 20 more minutes. Remove the foil and cook for another 20-30 minutes (adding more water if necessary). Remove from the pan and place on your serving tray. In a small bowl, mix the yogurt, dill and lemon juice together. Drizzle the tops of each beet with the yogurt sauce.

Slow Cooker Baked Spaghetti

The slow cooking for hours means getting to play for hours, or relax, without having to worry about dinner. When my family was up from Texas this past week, this recipe was a life saver. Everyone in the house ended up getting sick, so my mom came over to help with the first part of the recipe, and it was the slow cooker's job after that. It turned out amazing, the house smelled like an Italian restaurant, and that cheese.......so good!

Ingredients:

2 cans (Traditional) Hunt's Pasta Sauce

1 1/2 lb. ground beef

1/2 white onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. dried basil

1 1/2 lb. spaghetti noodles (cooked according to package after sauce has cooked)

4 oz. cream cheese, 1'3 less fat

1 c. low fat ricotta

1 tsp. salt

2 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese

In a large saucepan, cook the meat and the onions together until the meat is all brown. Drain the excess grease if there is a large amount in the pan. Add the garlic and cook for a minute longer. Add in the salt, oregano and basil and stir together. Pour the meat mixture into the slow cooker, add in the Hunt's pasta sauce and stir together. Cover and cook on Low for 4 hours. 

Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions, then drain the water. In a small bowl, add the softened cream cheese, ricotta and salt together. Mix until you are left with a mostly smooth creamy consistency. 

Stir in the noodles with the sauce. Spread the cream cheese mixture on top and sprinkle the cheese in an even layer. Cover with the lid again and cook for another 20 minutes on Low until the cheese is fully melted. Serve and top with some fresh chopped parsley if you want to add some color and freshness. 

Hot Sauce

If you have a cayenne pepper plant, you may find yourself wondering after a while what you could possibly do with all of them! Other than drying for later use, why not make some hot sauce instead of going out and buying it? It is super easy! Just know that your house will smell very spicy for a few hours....

Ingredients:

18 cayenne peppers
1 1/2 c. white vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
4 or 5 cloves of garlic, paper removed

If you have kitchen gloves, I highly suggest you put them on before cutting the peppers. Trim off the stem. Put all of the ingredients into a medium size pot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 25 minutes on low.

Once cooled slightly, pour everything into a blender until you reach a smooth consistency. Pour the sauce back into the pot and simmer for another 15 minutes. At this point if you notice the liquid content is down, add increments of 1/4 cup water at a time until it reaches you preferred consistency.

If you like your hot sauce as smooth as possible, like myself, I strained mine through some cheese cloth just to get the extra cayenne seeds out of the mix. Pour into a sealed jar or bottle. This can last for months in the refrigerator. It will slightly separate while sitting in the fridge, but just give it a few shakes before using it, like you would any store bought bottle.

Fried Green Tomatoes with Remoulade Sauce

Ingredients:

2 large green tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 c. Panko
1/2 c. cornmeal
1/2 c. grated Parmesan
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a cooling rack on top. Spray the rack with non stick cooking spray. Mix the oil and Panko in a bowl. Add in the cornmeal, Parmesan, and seasonings and stir everything together well. Dip the tomato slices in the whisked eggs, dripping the excess back off.

Press the breading mixture on each side of the tomato and place on the rack. Repeat until all of the slices were breaded. Bake for 20 minutes, turn over and bake an additional 20 minutes until golden brown on the outside.

Remoulade Sauce:

1/4 c. Miracle Whip, light
1/4 c. mustard
1 Tbs. paprika
1 tsp. Cajun seasoning
2 tsp. horseradish, creamy
1 tsp. dill pickle juice
1 tsp. Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1 garlic clove, minced

Combine the ingredients above in a small bowl. Drizzle on top of the warm fried green tomatoes, or serve in a bowl on the side. As with many things, I added an over easy egg on top!

Ham Sauce

Ingredients:

1 c. golden raisins
2 c. water
1 1/2 Tbs. cornstarch
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. dried mustard
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

In a small saucepan, combine the raising and water together and boil on medium heat for 5 minutes. Mix in the brown sugar, cornstarch, mustard and cloves. Add in the cornstarch and cook for another minute. Add the butter and vinegar and stir everything until the sauce is thickened and well combined. Serve while hot with some sliced ham.

Turkey Bolognese

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 lb. lean ground turkey
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs. dried oregano
1 1/2 c. dry red wine, divided
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 Tbs. tomato paste
3/4 lb. pasta (penne)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
1/4 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. fresh grated Parmesan

Heat a large skillet on medium high heat and add the olive oil. Add the ground turkey and cook until no longer pink. Add in the garlic and oregano and cook for one minute. Add in the red wine and and use a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits into the sauce. Add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tsp. salt and 1 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. While the pasta finishes cooking, add in the nutmeg, basil, cream and remaining 1/4 cup wine and stir together. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce. Stir together and add another 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese. Divide into serving dishes and top with chopped basil and more grated Parmesan.

Beer Chicken with Cheese Sauce

This sandwich is packed full of flavor and juicier than ever! Everyone knows beer and cheese pair well, so why not add them together in a way you would never normally do it! These would be great for a football party, or pretty much any party.

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken breasts, boneless skinless
12 oz. beer
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper

Place the chicken, beer, garlic, salt, pepper and beer in the slow cooker and cook everything for 8 hours on low heat (or 4 on high). I use a plastic liner for easy cleanup later. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred on a cutting board. Place back into the cooking liquid and stir.

Cheese Sauce:

2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. flour
1/2 c. beer
1/2 c. milk, 1%
8 oz. fresh grated cheddar
2 Tbs. chives, fresh chopped
Pretzel rolls

Melt the butter in a small saucepan on medium high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the beer and milk and continue to cook and whisk until the consistency is smooth and thick (5 minutes). Stir in the chives. Slice the pretzel buns in half and place the shredded chicken on the bottom half. Top with the cheese sauce and top bun. I like to spread a little mustard on mine also!

Pork Tenderloin with Ginger Beer Gravy

Potato Puree Ingredients:

10-12 small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cooked
1/3 c. shredded smoked Gouda cheese
2 Tbs. reduced fat sour cream
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 1/2 tsp. chives (I used freeze dried)
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked pepper

Combine the above ingredients together in a food processor and pulse until you reach a smooth consistency. Set aside.

Pork Tenderloin and Sauce Ingredients:

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 lb. pork tenderloin
2 Tbs. butter
1/4 c. finely chopped shallots
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 Tbs. flour
1/2 c. ginger beer
2 c. chicken broth, low sodium
1/4 c. milk, 1%

Preheat the oven to 390 degrees. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in an oven proof skillet over high heat. Sear on all sides until browned. Place in the oven for around 35 minutes. Remove the pork from the skillet and cover with foil.

To make the sauce, melt the butter in the same skillet that the pork cooked in, with the juices. Add the onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes until soft. Add the flour and mix together. Add the ginger beer, cook for about 1 minute. Add in the chicken broth and whisk until dissolved. Bring to a simmer and cook until the liquid reduces to about half of the amount.

Add the milk and mix. Return the pork to the skillet and simmer for 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens like a gravy. Transfer the meat again to a cutting board and slice. Serve with the potato puree, and top with the onions and gravy. I also served mine with a side of roasted beets (check out the recipe in another blog post!). Top with chives if you are antsy for some color like I was.

Salsa Verde

Many people think salsa's are too time consuming to make at home. Let me tell you, for a salsa verde like this all you have to do is rough chop everything and then throw it in a food processor! It is so easy and you can change the recipe to the way you want it!

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. olive oil
2 lbs. tomatillos, husks removed and chopped
1 jalapeno, seeds removed and rough chopped
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves
1/2 c. cilantro
1 Tbs. lime juice

Add olive oil to a large saucepan and heat to medium-high heat. Add the jalapeno, tomatillos and onion to the skillet. Saute until the onions are caramelized, about 3-4 minutes.

Transfer the ingredients to a blender and add the garlic, cilantro and lime juice. Pulse until everything is well combined and your preferred salsa consistency. (You may have to pulse in two batches and then stir together.)