so there will probably be a few more post that start with grandma's best, because let's face it no one cooks better then our dear grannies. this recipe has a mere three ingredients, but has so much flavor something magical must happen under the lid.
what you'll need:
* 2 links of sweet Italian sausage
* 1 1/2 potato per link (I use which ever I have, have been getting red lately, but any type would work)
* 1 sweet pepper, sliced thick (I prefer red, but gram makes hers with green)
* salt & pepper
* olive oil
* skillet
1.) Cut sausage links in half, brown in a skillet
2.) Add potatoes to the skillet (Gram and I cut ours into slices, my mother makes wedges, you choose), bell pepper, grind in salt & pepper, and drizzle olive oil over everything. Stir/mix everything together, then cover and turn burner to low. Once and while stir the ingredients or the potatoes will burn.
3.) Let all the magic happen for 45 minutes-1 hour.
I will usually eat 3 of the 4 links, and save the leftovers for a lunch later in the week. Oh and don't forget to eat with a big hunk of Italian bread.
enjoy.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Monday, August 18, 2014
lunch today=very unique
so it's monday and as you already may know aldi's will have fresh food tomorrow, so i am waiting until tomorrow to shop. *fact* you need to know about me: i am a teacher so i tend to be more creative with my lunches in the summer and today was an exceptionally creative feat as i had no cheese, no milk, 2 eggs (which i am saving for dinner. found a zucchini still good in the fridge and am going to try my hand at fritters or cakes) no bread, no lettuce or greens of any kind. in fact it was the day that started this whole blog!
so what did i find that inspired me: half a red onion…jackpot!!! and here was my lunch today: spanish rice with a roasted corn and black bean salad, and it was soooo good!
first the rice recipe. given to me by my sister, tweaked a little for my taste, and the first part you'll want to start.
what you'll need:
* skillet-again trusty 12inch
* 1/2 tbls. of butter & 1/2 tbls. of olive oil
* 2 cloves of garlic
* usually half of a sweet onion (was out of those today)
* around a half can of tomatoes with green chills (used a whole can since i was out of sweet onion. it's all about improvising on this blog)
* 1/2 cup of rice (i use white long grain for this recipe, uncooked)
* 1 packet of sazon seasoning (this may be a need to go and get, but one box will make ten batches of this recipe. you should be able to find it in the mexican food isle, i do know walmart carries this.)
* 1 tsp. of chili power
* 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
*water
* 1 vegetable bouillon cube (another must to have in you cabinet. i found that i was wasting money buying cans of broth for recipes like this, so i bought a jar of each flavor: chicken, vegetable, and beef…quick and easy way to add flavor, without waste!)
1.) heat butter & olive oil together over medium heat, then mince garlic into the skillet. wait for that aroma then add the onion. cook until the onion is 'soft', what ever that means, usually no more then 5 minutes for me.
2.) drain the liquid of the tomatoes and green chiles into a measuring cup. you will be adding water to make a cup of liquid for this recipe. i like to add the tomatoes and green chiles and let them sauté for about 5 minutes to get the flavors going.
3.) add the rice. i 'brown' the rice for about 5 minutes.
4.) add the cup of water and liquid of the tomatoes mixture, throw in the vegetable cube, and spices, then give it a nice stir. let the liquid come to a boil, then cover the skillet & turn the heat down to low. let cook for 15 minutes.
second part of the lunch. roasted corn and black bean salad inspired by a search on pinterest
what you'll need:
*small skillet
*container with lid
* quarter to half red onion, depending on size, chopped
* 1 small can of sweet corn, drained
* 1-15oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
* 1/2 tbls. of vinegar (i had some white wine vinegar in the cabinet, but you could probably use any white or red you happen to have in the cabinet)
* 1 1/2 tbls. of lime juice (i buy those little lemon and lime juice thingy's that look like a real lemon or lime, again they last much longer and a cheaper then buying the fruit)
* 1 tsp. of parsley flakes
* 1 tsp. of cumin
* 1/2 tsp. of iodized salt
* cracked black pepper
* 1/4 cup of olive oil
* cilantro (i added cilantro due to my planting of some herbs this summer, otherwise this ingredient is not necessary, but i do love my cilantro!)
1.) so you can "roast" your corn anyway you see fit. i took a small skillet pan, perimetered with some olive oil, salt & pepper, then basically sautéed the can of corn until there was color. i read of one recipe where corn was put under the broiler? whatever you fancy to get the corn some color
2.) get some kind of lidded bowl or container, in which you can whisk the dressing, then add the ingredients, cover & shake. in the bowl add the vinegar, lime juice, parsley flakes, cumin, salt, crack some pepper, and cilantro. whisk lightly as you finally add the olive oil.
3.) throw in the chopped red onion, drained and rinsed black beans, and 'roasted' corn to the bowl with the dressing. cover tightly and give it a good shake until everything looks happy to be together :)
*now i was not intending to incorporate the rice and salad together, but after they were both finished i kind of put the salad to the side/on top of the rice……and it was a marriage made in heaven!!!!
**the rice recipe, depending if it is just a side or the majority of the meal, can feed 2-3 people, same with the salad. i had a generous helping of rice and salad and still have a decent amount left for another time. ohhh happy day**
enjoy.
so what did i find that inspired me: half a red onion…jackpot!!! and here was my lunch today: spanish rice with a roasted corn and black bean salad, and it was soooo good!
first the rice recipe. given to me by my sister, tweaked a little for my taste, and the first part you'll want to start.
what you'll need:
* skillet-again trusty 12inch
* 1/2 tbls. of butter & 1/2 tbls. of olive oil
* 2 cloves of garlic
* usually half of a sweet onion (was out of those today)
* around a half can of tomatoes with green chills (used a whole can since i was out of sweet onion. it's all about improvising on this blog)
* 1/2 cup of rice (i use white long grain for this recipe, uncooked)
* 1 packet of sazon seasoning (this may be a need to go and get, but one box will make ten batches of this recipe. you should be able to find it in the mexican food isle, i do know walmart carries this.)
* 1 tsp. of chili power
* 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
*water
* 1 vegetable bouillon cube (another must to have in you cabinet. i found that i was wasting money buying cans of broth for recipes like this, so i bought a jar of each flavor: chicken, vegetable, and beef…quick and easy way to add flavor, without waste!)
1.) heat butter & olive oil together over medium heat, then mince garlic into the skillet. wait for that aroma then add the onion. cook until the onion is 'soft', what ever that means, usually no more then 5 minutes for me.
2.) drain the liquid of the tomatoes and green chiles into a measuring cup. you will be adding water to make a cup of liquid for this recipe. i like to add the tomatoes and green chiles and let them sauté for about 5 minutes to get the flavors going.
3.) add the rice. i 'brown' the rice for about 5 minutes.
4.) add the cup of water and liquid of the tomatoes mixture, throw in the vegetable cube, and spices, then give it a nice stir. let the liquid come to a boil, then cover the skillet & turn the heat down to low. let cook for 15 minutes.
second part of the lunch. roasted corn and black bean salad inspired by a search on pinterest
what you'll need:
*small skillet
*container with lid
* quarter to half red onion, depending on size, chopped
* 1 small can of sweet corn, drained
* 1-15oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
* 1/2 tbls. of vinegar (i had some white wine vinegar in the cabinet, but you could probably use any white or red you happen to have in the cabinet)
* 1 1/2 tbls. of lime juice (i buy those little lemon and lime juice thingy's that look like a real lemon or lime, again they last much longer and a cheaper then buying the fruit)
* 1 tsp. of parsley flakes
* 1 tsp. of cumin
* 1/2 tsp. of iodized salt
* cracked black pepper
* 1/4 cup of olive oil
* cilantro (i added cilantro due to my planting of some herbs this summer, otherwise this ingredient is not necessary, but i do love my cilantro!)
1.) so you can "roast" your corn anyway you see fit. i took a small skillet pan, perimetered with some olive oil, salt & pepper, then basically sautéed the can of corn until there was color. i read of one recipe where corn was put under the broiler? whatever you fancy to get the corn some color
2.) get some kind of lidded bowl or container, in which you can whisk the dressing, then add the ingredients, cover & shake. in the bowl add the vinegar, lime juice, parsley flakes, cumin, salt, crack some pepper, and cilantro. whisk lightly as you finally add the olive oil.
3.) throw in the chopped red onion, drained and rinsed black beans, and 'roasted' corn to the bowl with the dressing. cover tightly and give it a good shake until everything looks happy to be together :)
*now i was not intending to incorporate the rice and salad together, but after they were both finished i kind of put the salad to the side/on top of the rice……and it was a marriage made in heaven!!!!
**the rice recipe, depending if it is just a side or the majority of the meal, can feed 2-3 people, same with the salad. i had a generous helping of rice and salad and still have a decent amount left for another time. ohhh happy day**
enjoy.
veggie fried rice
this is for those times when you have veggies that need to be used and they are starting to look, well not so fresh. a simple recipe that i created one night after having a hankering for chinese food. *fact* you must know about me: i hate going out when i don't have to and i hate spending money if i can make something myself. so after perusing pinterest for a recipe and finding the frustration of ingredients that were not in my cabinet, i made my own fried rice, which i think is sooooo good….i even served it to my father one night and he approved.
here's what you need:
*1 skillet-i think 12in. is what i use ?? :) ??
*olive oil (i get extra virgin)
*any type of veggies-my go to are: celery, carrots, sweet onion, garlic, zucchini, broccoli, green beans, and kAlE (i tried bell peppers once, changed the taste to much)
*cooked rice: here's where those one minute cups come in handy. i get the brown and long grain mixed rice.
*soy sause
*salt & pepper
you may be wondering where the measurements are, um since i made this up i don't have any, it's the old italian grandmother in me. but have not fear this is a no mess up recipe.
1. first start out with putting some olive oil in the pan, i have an olive oil pourer thingy and go once around the perimeter of the skillet, perhaps 1 tbls. give or take
2. using about two cloves of garlic, depending on how garlicy i feel that day and how big the cloves are, once the oil is heated mince the garlic into the pan. if you do not have a garlic press, get one. they are very inexpensive and worth having in the kitchen for fresh minced garlic.
3. do the aroma thing with the garlic, about a minute, and then throw in all the veggies you decide to use except the zucchini and kale, they won't need as much time, sprinkle the veggies with salt & pepper, i buy those shakers with the crackers attached. now i like my veggies to have some browning on them when i sauté, but again this would be a preference to taste.
4. about half way through the cooking of the other veggies add the zucchini. then when all veggies are to almost to your cooking desire, add in the kale (no more then 5 minutes needed) and no need to add any extra salt & pepper when you add the zucchini or kale
5. don't forget to heat the rice i usually put it in the microwave when i add the kale, but seeing as it goes right into the pan to 'fry' a little bit, you can cook it whenever. it does only take a minute ;)
6. add the rice to the veggies, then do another perimeter of the skill with olive oil & a perimeter of the skillet with soy sauce. stir together and let sauté about 2-3 minutes longer and voila you have your meal.
**now i cook for myself, so i only use one cup of rice. with all the veggies it is a meal in itself, and depending on how hungry i am will eat it all. if you pair it with a side of chicken or decided to add meat to it, it could feed possible 2 people**
enjoy.
here's what you need:
*1 skillet-i think 12in. is what i use ?? :) ??
*olive oil (i get extra virgin)
*any type of veggies-my go to are: celery, carrots, sweet onion, garlic, zucchini, broccoli, green beans, and kAlE (i tried bell peppers once, changed the taste to much)
*cooked rice: here's where those one minute cups come in handy. i get the brown and long grain mixed rice.
*soy sause
*salt & pepper
you may be wondering where the measurements are, um since i made this up i don't have any, it's the old italian grandmother in me. but have not fear this is a no mess up recipe.
1. first start out with putting some olive oil in the pan, i have an olive oil pourer thingy and go once around the perimeter of the skillet, perhaps 1 tbls. give or take
2. using about two cloves of garlic, depending on how garlicy i feel that day and how big the cloves are, once the oil is heated mince the garlic into the pan. if you do not have a garlic press, get one. they are very inexpensive and worth having in the kitchen for fresh minced garlic.
3. do the aroma thing with the garlic, about a minute, and then throw in all the veggies you decide to use except the zucchini and kale, they won't need as much time, sprinkle the veggies with salt & pepper, i buy those shakers with the crackers attached. now i like my veggies to have some browning on them when i sauté, but again this would be a preference to taste.
4. about half way through the cooking of the other veggies add the zucchini. then when all veggies are to almost to your cooking desire, add in the kale (no more then 5 minutes needed) and no need to add any extra salt & pepper when you add the zucchini or kale
5. don't forget to heat the rice i usually put it in the microwave when i add the kale, but seeing as it goes right into the pan to 'fry' a little bit, you can cook it whenever. it does only take a minute ;)
6. add the rice to the veggies, then do another perimeter of the skill with olive oil & a perimeter of the skillet with soy sauce. stir together and let sauté about 2-3 minutes longer and voila you have your meal.
**now i cook for myself, so i only use one cup of rice. with all the veggies it is a meal in itself, and depending on how hungry i am will eat it all. if you pair it with a side of chicken or decided to add meat to it, it could feed possible 2 people**
enjoy.
welcome.
let me first begin by letting you know what this blog will not have:
1.) award winning photography of the recipes i post….basically because the purpose of my making the dishes is to feed my hungry soul, and a lot of time home cooked meals are better tasted then seen.
2.) fancy expensive ingredients….unless i have had friends over and they are left in my fridge needing to be used before they expire
3.) meals that take forever to make…..when i am hungry, i get hangry, and nobody has time for that (even if it is only me)
4.) hopefully having to go out to the store to buy any ingredients….again another purpose for making these dishes, i don't want to buy more food, i want to use what i have already bought.
*what does my cabinet usually have in stock, very basic essentials that are cheap and ready to use:
beans (especially black) corn, tomato stuff (diced, paste, sause, with green chiles) long grain rice (although I have recently discovered the minute microwave cups, phenom), onions (sweet & red), potatoes, garlic, bread of some sort, and lots of spices!
*in the fridge i usually have fresh veggies (zucchini, bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, kale [yes i did jump on that wagon and it is worth the buzz, if cooked right]) spinach, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, eggs, milk, butter, tortilla shells, sour cream, plain greek yogurt
*in the freezer chicken tenders, tilapia, shrimp, ground turkey…on occasion steak and pork
very much easy to find ingredients at any type of store. fortunate to have a wegman's in town, but have found myself saving money finding the same types of food at walmart and aldi's for less.
so why (you may be wondering) start this blog??? well first today i am bored and very low stocked in the kitchen [side not, i found out aldi's get's their new stock in on tuesday's so i am making very meagerness stretch] and i made a pretty good lunch today with what i had, hence the idea was born. i am sure there are other people out there who love good food, pretty healthy food, cooking food, enjoying grocery shopping [but not on a daily/weekly basis] i try to make my food stretch for about two weeks. some of the fresh fruits and veggies do not last as long, but again the purpose of this blog is to create tasty meals when you are down to the bare bones.
it's also a great way for me to keep track of meals i make/create for when i am in times of food needs again. enjoy.
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