Garlic Butter Spaghetti

I have a bad habit of skipping brunch and end having dunch at an awkward hour which leads me eat dinner/snack at another weird hour of the night. I was craving for pasta and after browsing on my Pinterest, I decided to just make garlic butter spaghetti from Pinch of Yum.

I love garlic as much as the next person, but I think I might of added a little way too much. Same with the butter. It was delicious, quick and I used the same pot that cooked the pasta to save myself extra dishes.



Garlic Butter Spaghetti
Original recipe from Pinch of Yum

leftover box of spaghetti
6 tablespoons butter + more for serving
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large bunch basil, chopped
1 large bunch baby spinach, chopped
Sprinkle of crushed red peppers
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Parmesan Cheese

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In the same pot, heat the butter over medium low heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for 3-5 minutes, until soft and fragrant.

Chop the spinach and basil into small bite-sized pieces and add to the pot, stirring for just a minute or two to get the greens softened slightly. Season with salt.

Add the spaghetti and season with salt and pepper. Toss well to combine and let it all rest for a few minutes to stick together a bit.

Simple Kale Salad with Feta and Cranberries

Hellooooo Summer! There I was complaining about the overcast and rain and bam! The sun came out and you know, anything over 70 is sizzling hot for us here in Washintgton state. One of the good things about summer is that it makes me not want to eat heavy foods, but at the same time it makes me feel lazier in the kitchen and I get hungrier more often.



When I was in Southern California, I had the best salad at true food kitchen and a side salad at the gypsy den. The contents itself is very easy to recreate, but its the dressing that I can't recreate. I actually stood in the salad dressing aisle for a good 5 minutes pondering which one to buy. I settled with a raspberry vinaigrette which isn't perfect, but I do plan to test out some homemade dressings this week. The one at true food kitchen, they had a champagne vinaigrette which was soooo good! Plus, I had this delicious kale salad from Trader Joe's and that inspired me to make this salad for last night's dinner.

Kale is extremely good for you. You know... that dark leafy green goodness. A sprinkle of feta, a bit of red onion and I of course had to add my cherry tomatoes. Some grilled chicken would be perfect too.



Simple Kale Salad with Feta and Cranberries

1 small bunch of kale, leaves torn
sprinkle of feta cheese
sprinkle of dried cranberries
1 TBsp red onion, or to taste
black pepper to taste
small handful of cherry tomatoes
2-3 TBsp vinaigrette of your choice

Mix and serve. Best when served cold.

Lemon Pesto Shrimp Pasta Salad

Lemon Pepper Grilled Shrimp
Recipe from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
3 TBsp fresh lemon juice

Preheat grill pan over medium-high heat or prepare a grill. Toss the shrimp with the oil, add the salt, pepper and lemon zest. Grill until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and drizzle with the lemon juice. Enjoy hot or at room temperature.
Pesto recipe from Elise.

Fettuccine with Creamy Tomato Italian Sausage Sauce

This use to be my go to dinner recipe. Simple and quick, perfect for the every day week night meal.


Fettuccine with Creamy tomato italian sausage sauce
Recipe from Simply Recipes

2 Tbsp olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 pound spicy or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup whipping cream
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice
1 Tbsp dried sage
3/4 pound fettuccine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic and sauté until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add sausages and sauté until no longer pink, breaking up the sausages a bit, about 5 minutes. Add cream; simmer 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices. Add sage. Simmer until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

Return pasta to same pot; add sauce. Toss over medium heat until sauce coats pasta, adding reserved cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is dry. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Asian Peanut Noodles with Chicken

Asian Peanut Noodles with Chicken
Original recipe from Gina

Peanut Sauce:

* 1 1/2 cups fat free chicken broth
* 6 tbsp peanut butter
* 1 tbsp Sriracha chili sauce
* 2 tbsp honey
* 2 tbsp soy sauce
* 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed

Chicken:

* 16 oz chicken breast, cut into thin strips
* salt and pepper (to taste)
* 1 tbsp Sriracha chili sauce (more or less to taste)
* juice of 1/2 lime
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
* 1 tbsp soy sauce
* 8 oz rice noodles (I used rice stick noodles)

Veggies:

* 3/4 cup green onion, chopped
* 1 1/4 cups shredded carrots
* 1 1/4 cups cup shredded broccoli slaw
* 2 tbsp chopped peanuts
* 1 lime, sliced
* cilantro for garnish (optional)


For the peanut sauce: Combine 1 1/2 cup chicken broth, peanut butter, sriracha, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat stirring occasionally until sauce becomes smooth and well blended, about 5-10 minutes. Set aside.

Boil water for the noodles cook pasta according to package instructions.

Season chicken with salt and pepper, sriracha, lime, garlic, ginger and soy sauce.

Heat a large skillet or wok until hot. Add oil and sauté chicken on high heat until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes; remove from heat and set aside. Add 2 cloves crushed garlic, scallions, carrots, broccoli slaw and/or bean sprouts and salt, sauté until tender crisp, about 1-2 minutes.

Mix everything together in a large bowl.

Chipotle Inspired Rice Bowl

Chipotle Inspired Rice Bowl
Original Recipe from Gina

2 cups cooked long grain rice
1 can black beans, rinsed and heated
1 cup corn, heated
1 large tomato, diced
1 large scallion, diced fine
2-4 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 fresh squeezed lime juice
salt to taste

Mix everything in a bowl! Top with homemade or pre-made salsa and guacamole (or mashed avocado).

Broccoli Sausage Pasta

Just posting old recipes from my old blogspot which I plan to delete once everything is transferred over! Definitely expect loads of recipe posts coming soon!



Broccoli and Sausage Pasta
Original recipe from Good Life Eats

2 cups broccoli florets, cooked till tender crisp
3 links mild italian sausage
1 red onion, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper, more if you like
salt and pepper to taste
12 ounces Ronzoni garden delight radiatore pasta, cooked according to package instructions

In a large saute pan, drizzle a couple teaspoons of olive oil. Add the sausage, cooking until browned on all sides. Remove sausage and slice into rounds. Return to pan. Add onion to the sausage and saute until the onion is tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute more.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine, making sure to scrape up all the browned bits. pasta, and broccoli. Season to taste with salt and pepper and sprinkle with crushed red pepper. Serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

I've been trying to make this beef stew since Sunday, but this recipe calls for it to cook on low for 8-10 hours! Yes, I know, I can put it on high and cut the time, but I figured I'd be a good girl and let it cook all day. Except, I got tired of looking at the ingredients cluttering up my counter top last night and thank God I already chopped all my veggies and all that was left was to open some cans. I even browned the meat and what a mess that was! I have to say though, cooking this recipe at the hour I did and having the smell wafting through your house ALL night is possibly one of the dumbest things I've ever done! I couldn't go to bed til almost 5AM and the smell was just tormenting me.

I have come to the conclusion that I may or may not be a stew-type person. I've made stew a couple times in the past and even then, it's just not my thing. Just like pot roast. I can eat a bowl, but I get over it quickly, but thank God for my husband who loooooves it and will eat the leftovers :) As delicious as it smelled, my first bowl was kinda lacking flavor even though I added a bunch of black pepper (I have an addiction), but I added an extra 1/4 tsp of kosher salt and it's fine now. The stew itself is good, but could be better imo. I think next time I'm either going to add more seasoning, maybe some thyme and I wonder if red wine would give it a little more depth? Overall it's still a good recipe. I ate it for brunch and for dinner and that usually never happens. I don't like to eat the same exact thing (unless it's Pho) in one day.



Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Original recipe from Movita Beaucoup

1-2 lbs of stewing beef, trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tablespoon EVOO
1 medium sized onions, chopped into large pieces
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 cup of baby carrots, chopped
about 10 mini-potatoes, cut in half or quartered
1 28 oz. can whole plum tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
3 cups sodium reduced beef broth, divided
2 bay leaves
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and then lightly brown the meat in batches. Transfer browned beef to a plate and set aside.

Dump the tomatoes into the slow cooker (juice and all). Crush them with a potato masher or the back of a spoon. Add the onions, celery, carrots and potatoes. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning over the vegetables and then add the beef and any accumulated drippings. Pour 2 1/2 cups of the beef broth over the beef and vegetables. Give the mixture a quick stir. Add the bay leaves.

Cover and cook on low for 8 – 10 hours.

About 20 minutes before serving, add the peas, salt and pepper. In a small bowl whisk together the flour and remaining 1/2 cup of beef broth, creating a smooth paste. Stir into the stew. Replace the slow cooker cover and cook until thickened (about 15-20 minutes).

Remove the bay leaves before serving.

Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole

Now and days I'm feeling too lazy to slave away in the kitchen, so any quick and simple meals are a plus in my book! I found this recipe over at The Creative MaMa and have been wanting to try it for quite some time now. There's only 3 ingredients used with a knife, 1 ingredient used with a can opener, 1 pot, 1 baking sheet, 1 casserole dish and arm strength. Easy peasy! The ending result is yummy in your tummy!

Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole
Original recipe from The Creative MaMa

2 cups cooked rice (white or brown)
3 chicken thighs, cooked (i baked salt & peppered mine and baked at 375F for about 30 minutes)
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
2 green onions, sliced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup salsa
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper
juice of 1 lime
2 cups shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese
cilantro
sour cream

1) Cut up chicken into bite size pieces. Chop cilantro, slice green onions.
2) In a large bowl, combine rice, beans, corn, chipotle powder, oregano, salt and pepper.
3) Add the chicken, salsa, cilantro, green onions, and about half of the cheese. You want to save some for the top.
4) Mix Mix Mix and taste to see if you need more seasoning.
5) Press it into a casserole dish that you have sprayed with cooking spray.
6) Cover with remaining cheese.
7) Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 25 to 30 minutes.

Out & About Burgers

I'm a Southern California native and when I read on Yelp that this burger joint tastes like In & Out, there was no doubt in my mind that I needed to try it. It's not a restaurant or a food truck, it's actually a trailer in front of a U-Haul storage facility, but don't let it fool you, it's definitely worth a try. I had their cheeseburger (topped with lettuce, tomato, grilled onion, pickles and their special sauce) and a order of sweet potato fries. The burger was pretty good, patty was a little thin which I didn't mind much. The sweet potato fries were delicious, but a little more burnt-like than I wanted. The fries also came with a side of they fry dip which was good, but I like In & Out's sauce much better. I read their milkshakes are pretty good, but I didn't try it since eating the burger and fries alone wasn't helping my high blood pressure. Also, I don't think they have a soda fountain... someone on Yelp actually commented saying the coke was good. The guy just popped open a can... I heard him pop open a can, so coke was whatever. Cups are a little flimsy.
Overall, if you're in the Tacoma/Spanaway/Puyallup area and instead of heading to McD's or other fast food chain, come check out Out & About! Note: It's a tad pricey for a small burger joint. They do not do combos either.

Out & About Burger
14214 Meridian Ave E
Puyallup, WA 98373 | 253.677.1974

Quick Baked Veggies and Sausage

Had a busy Saturday running from one grocery store to the next looking for Ezekiel bread which I did find at Trader Joe's, but they didn't have the one I was looking for. DH headed out to Bellevue for a BMW meet and ended up just picking up Jack in the Box for himself since I can't eat that anymore. I got home a little late and was starving and really didn't want to slave in the kitchen, but I remember seeing a grilled squash and sausage recipe online awhile ago. Instead, I baked mine for about 20-25 minutes til the sausage is cooked through. Delicious quick, healthy (maybe not so much on the sausage) and simple!

Baked Veggies and Sausage

1 Yellow Squash, cut into bite size chunks

1/2 Zucchini, cut into bite size chunks

1 Sausage, cut in half

Drizzle of Evoo

pinch of salt

dash of black pepper

sprinkle of onion powder

sprinkle of Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F

Place everything in an oven proof dish, drizzle with evoo and seasoned to taste.

Bake everything for about 20-25 minutes til vegetables are soft and sausage is cooked through.

Hearty Italian Beef Stew

Sorry for the dark photo! I apparently never take out my real camera and instead whip out my iphone4s because it's just so much easier and what can I say... I am so lazy. SO LAZY!

Winter is still amongst us, but the snow has come and gone (i miss fort drum snow!), but there is still a slight chill in the air. Nothing better than a hot steamy bowl of soup on a cold cold day. Soups and stews are not specialty, but there's no harm in just testing out recipes here and there.

This Italian beef stew turned out good, but not great. The meat and vegetables were tender and delicious, but I mistakenly added an extra can of tomato paste and on top, seasoned with a little too much salt. If you make this soup, don't make the same mistake I did! I'm sure the stew itself is delicious!

Hearty Italian Beef Stew

• 2 Tbsp cooking oil, divided
• 2 lb beef round roast
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 large onion, sliced into thin wedges
• 2 large carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces (split in half if they
• 8 oz red potatoes, skin-on, quartered
• 1 14.5 oz can reduced-fat/sodium chicken broth
• 6 oz tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine
• 4 clove garlic, minced
• 1 sprig rosemary (or 1 tsp dried)
• 2 sprigs each thyme, and oregano (or 1/2-1 tsp each dried)
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup spinach leaves, chopped
• 1 cup basil leaves, chopped

1. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large pan over high heat until very hot.
2. Cut roast into 2-inch chunks and season with salt and pepper.
3. Add half of the meat to the pan, searing for 1-2 minutes, until nicely browned, before flipping or stirring.
4. Sear for another 2 minutes and use a slotted spoon to transfer meat to the crock.
5. Repeat for remaining meat.
6. Add onion, potatoes, carrots to the crock pot.
7. Add the chicken broth, wine, and tomato paste (I dropped it in by the spoonful and let it distribute while cooking).
8. Top with garlic and herbs.
9. Cook on low for ~8 hours.
10. At the end of the cooking time, remove 1/4 cup cooking liquid and whisk in cornstarch until smooth.
11. Stir slurry into the crockpot, cover, and let cook for ~20 minutes.
12. Stir in the spinach and basil and serve.

Recipe from Better Homes & Garden