Crock Pot Simplicity at it's Finest!

            Hello everyone!  I know, I know, it has been about 10 days since you have heard from me.  For that, I truly apologize.  Believe me, I wish that I had time to be in the kitchen, try new things, and blog about it.  However, all last week I did not make it home once before 7 and by the time I did stumble through the front door, I was whipping up tried and true recipes or something in the way of hamburger helper.  Sometimes, life is just that way!  It will certainly help me to appreciate my time in the kitchen (that I will hopefully get) this week!

            Now, this next recipe that I am going to share with you is super yummy and easy.  It was given to me by my Aunt Becky, who is the epitome of everything the home cook should be.  I would even go so far to say that she is the best home cook I know.  She makes the most delicious dishes and sides, and always seems to do it effortlessly.  In my dreams, I always hoped to be able to cook like her one day.  However, in my mind, this would not be possible.  I was under the illusion that she slaved each day for hours in her kitchen.

            So, I called her up to ask her to please share with me a pork tenderloin crock pot recipe I remembered her making for our family after baby Kale had passed away.  I had a big piece of paper in hand, waiting for the lengthy recipe.  When she told me I could make it with two ingredients, three if I wanted to spice it up a bit, I nearly passed out.  Perhaps she is a real mortal after all? 

            This recipe was so simple and delicious and it tasted just as yummy as when Aunt Becky made it!  Chris loved it, and would be completely up for me making it again soon.  If you are a fan of simplicity, and in need of a tried and true family recipe, give this one a try soon.  I will also work to pin Becky down on more of her delicious secrets to share with you soon!

Slainte!

Recipe:

-1 pork tenderloin (pick size depending on how many you want to serve)

-1 jar of salsa

-hominy (I omitted this)

-Tortilla chips for serving

Preparation:

-Put ingredients in crock pot.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours.  Serve with tortilla chips!

Enjoy!

Pasta with Goat Cheese and Roasted Asparagus

            Many a night, I do not have the time or the energy to prepare a decent meal.  Sometimes, those nights happen consecutively in one week.  If ever there were a week like that it would be this week (Cheerleading Tryout Week).  However, because Chris and I have become pretty committed to our decision to avoid eating out as much as humanly possible, I have worked super hard during this week of tryouts to simply figure it out. 

            I will admit, that this resulted in me preparing dinner last night at 4:30pm and putting the dish in the fridge for Chris to eat when he got hungry a few hours later.  I just ate it right at 5, pretty much on my way out of the door.  With that being said, I couldn’t have picked a better dish to make me feel like I had made the right decision by preparing a quick home cooked meal.  It was SO yummy and really very easy. 

            When I picked this recipe, I was a little nervous what a goat cheese pasta would taste like.  I didn’t want it to be too “goat cheesy,” so I nearly considered dropping it from the meal plan, but something about the photo was just calling my name.  I am also a huge fan of asparagus, so I think that might have swayed me somewhat.  Anyway, suffice it to say that I LOVED this dish!  I even told Chris it might be one of my favorites to date, which is a big deal as I have tried such a variety of recipes so far. 

            So, if you are looking for something new and different for dinner, I would encourage you to give it a try soon.  I should also add that Chris liked the dish, but would not add it to his list of all time favorites.  Finally, I need to add another note of thanks to my friend Elizabeth who shared this May 2007 issue of Everyday Food with me which is where I got the recipe for this little gem.

Slainte!

Recipe:

-1 bunch asparagus

-4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

-12 ounces cavatappi or other short pasta

-1 small log of soft goat cheese (5 ounces)

-2 to 3 tablespoons snipped fresh chives (I omitted this)

Preparation:

-Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Bring water to a boil.  Place asparagus (cut into 2 inch pieces) on a large rimmed baking sheet; dot with 1 tablespoon butter, and season with salt and pepper.  Roast until tender, tossing occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes.

-While asparagus is roasting, generously salt boiling water.  Add pasta and cook until al dente.  Set aside ½ cup pasta water, drain pasta and return to pot.

-In a medium bowl, combine goat cheese, remaining 3 tablespoons butter, and ½ cup pasta water.  Season with salt and pepper, and whisk until smooth.  Add goat-cheese mixture and asparagus to pasta; toss to combine, adding more pasta water if necessary for sauce to coat pasta.  Serve pasta garnished with chives (If you choose to add them).

Enjoy!

Yummy Crock Pot Meat

            This next recipe was shared with me by my friend Abby, whom I have mentioned before and is an excellent cook.  So, when she couldn’t stop raving about this dish in her email to me, I knew it was worth giving a try.  I was super pumped, and knew it would be so yummy.  I bought all of the ingredients, and even went so far as to pump Chris up as to how yummy it was likely to be. 

            I felt like I had this secret insider information about how this meat was best with Rotella’s brat buns, and to dip the sandwich into the delicious liquid while eating it.  She even told me it was easy, so I knew there was no way I could mess this up.  Chris and I loved this meat, which I served with rice, but in the back of my mind I was a little confused because it just wasn’t quite as wonderful as Abby had made it out to be in her email.

            It wasn’t until the next morning, when I was in between snooze hittings, that it hit me (remember, my mind is crazy and random so it really isn’t weird that I thought of last night’s dinner immediately after waking up) I DID NOT SERVE THE MEAT ON THE BRAT BUNS I BOUGHT AND ALSO DID NOT DIP IT IN THE DELICIOUS JUICE!  Needless to say, this was a bit of a rotten start to a new day as I was irritated by my sheer stupidity and disregard for the coveted insider information I had received about this dish.

            Abby, I know you are reading this, and I sincerely apologize for not doing your recipe justice.  Please know that I WILL make this one again, and WILL NOT forget your “special instructions.”  To everyone else, please let me know if you give this one a try as I am sure it is fabulous!

Slainte!

For recipe and preparation instructions, please click the link below:

http://cookeatshare.com/recipes/spicy-beef-roast-crockpot-428770

Enjoy!

           

Pasta Carbonara with Spicy Sausage

            Being a tried and true pasta lover, whose first attempt at pasta carbonara was somewhat of a bust, I decided to not let defeat get me down, and come back for round 2.  My decision was ultimately made when I saw this recipe for pasta carbonara with spicy sausage in the March 2011 issue of Real Simple Magazine.  I am happy to report that my second attempt was much more of a success than my first! 

            When I was looking over this recipe, I contemplated omitting the spicy sausage, as I have never experimented with sausage before and was unsure what it would really add to the dish.  If you are contemplating the same, PLEASE do not omit it!  The combination of the creamy pasta and the spice in the meat make this one really different from the traditional pasta carbonara varieties.  It also seemed a lot more authentically Italian to me, which I am admittedly all about.

            This recipe is listed as a 20 minute prep time, and I can honestly say it did not take me any longer than that for this one from start to finish.  If you are a busy guy/gal looking for something simple that is a little different add this to your list of must try’s today!

Slainte!

Recipe:

-8 ounces pappardelle or fettuccine

-1 ½ cups frozen peas

-1 tablespoon olive oil

-4 Italian sausage links (about 1 pound)

-2 large egg yolks

-1/2 cup half and half

-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

-Kosher salt and black pepper

Preparation:

-Cook the pasta according to the package directions, adding the peas during the last minute of cooking.  Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta and peas, and return them to the pot.

-Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook the sausages, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.

-In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, half and half, Parmesan, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.  Add the egg mixture and reserved cooking water to the pasta and peas in the pot.  Cook over low heat, tossing gently, until the sauce is slightly thickened and coats the pasta.  Serve with the sausage and additional cheese.

Enjoy!

Pork Carnitas

            I know that I have already mentioned this week how much I appreciate friends sharing their recipes and ideas with me.  What I haven’t had a chance to mention is that I am SO grateful when people clue me in to ways that they do their meal planning and find recipes.  A couple of weeks ago, my friend Jeannine shared some of her Food Network Magazines with me and this weekend, my friend Elizabeth shared the cutest little stack of Food Everyday magazines with me also!

            I was so thrilled about all of the potential possibilities, and got myself a bit on sensory overload trying to decide what recipes to select this week.  So, I enlisted Chris’s help and the two of us settled on a delicious recipe from Elizabeth’s magazine for pork carnitas.  This recipe looked simple enough, and we always like an excuse to have margaritas at the McQuillan household!

            If you are the kind of guy or gal who looks for the quick and easy recipe, this one might not be the one for you.  Now, it wasn’t difficult, but it did take a lot more time than I typically spend on our weeknight meals.  The end result was certainly well worth the wait!  While I would definitely try this one again, I might suggest adding more fixin’s (pico de gallo, sour cream, rice, etc.) for a more flavorful experience.  Chris also requested that the next time we have these to try flour tortillas instead of the corn, which I think I may like better as well.  Please let me know if you give these a try and make any yummy additions to the recipe!

Slainte!

Recipe:

-2 lbs boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces

-4 garlic cloves, minced

-Coarse salt and ground pepper

-1 tablespoon olive oil

-1/2 cup fresh orange juice

-1/2 cup milk

-12 corn tortillas, warmed

-fresh cilantro leaves, thinly sliced onion, diced avocado, and lime wedges, for serving

Preparation:

-In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, combine pork, garlic, and 8 cups water and season with salt and pepper.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer and cook, covered, until pork is tender, 40 to 45 minutes.  Drain well.

-In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add pork, orange juice, and milk and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and pork is browned, 8 to 12 minutes.  Serve carnitas in tortillas, with cilantro, onion, avocado, and lime wedges.

Enjoy!

He likes it!

I love cooking THIS much!

            A few weeks ago, I mentioned how much I love when friends share their recipes with me.  I was thinking a lot about that while I was gone last week, and decided to make it a priority to try more of the recipes that have been sent to me.  This first one I will start with is for a delicious penne pasta and was sent to me by Chris’s cousin Missy.  She sent it to me because it is my two favorite things 1) easy and 2) delicious! 

            If you are skeptical after reading the preparation instructions how something so simple and with so few ingredients could be this delicious, I would just encourage you to give it a try!  It has even been delicious as leftovers, which is basically a quadruple bonus! 

            I also want to add a little side note here to say that I understand that the majority of what I share on my blog posts are recipes for pasta dishes.  I will not apologize for that here as pasta is a primary source of joy in my life and when I pasta dishes just always seem to jump off of the page and scream “try me, Heather!” 

            Also, many nights when I am cooking, Chris will hi-jack my camera and start taking unflattering photos of me that I pretty much delete right after he takes them.  So, after preparing this dish I decided to catch him off guard and do my best “I love cooking” jump!  I think it turned out pretty good…

Slainte!

Recipe:

-Penne pasta

-1 onion

-2 cans diced tomatoes

-2 tbsp Pesto (I used some from a jar for this one)

-Mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

-Dice the onion and sautee it in a pan with olive oil.

-Add the two cans of diced tomatoes (juice and all)

-Simmer while cooking the pasta according to package directions

-Add pesto to the onion/tomato mix and pour over the pasta

-Sprinkle with mozzarella and serve

Enjoy!

Corn Beef Casserole

            By now, I hope that you have come to know that I aspire to be a good Irish lass.  Being married to a wonderful Irish lad has caused me to embrace my new Irish roots (by marriage of course), and have a newfound love for St. Patrick’s Day.  So, when March 17^th rolled around this year, I scoured my cookbooks for a good corn beef recipe.  Of course, I found something that looked worth trying in an old church cookbook from home.  I purchased the ingredients and got all ready for the day.  I even secretly contemplated buying some green glitter and staging a scene similar to Christmas morning, telling Chris a leprechaun had been to our Irish home in the night. 

            Of course, I don’t have that much energy and Chris wouldn’t appreciate it as much as, say, a 5-year-old child, so I didn’t do it.  I did, however, have all of the fixings to prepare this yummy corn beef meal.  This plan too was thwarted, when we were invited at the last minute to attend the Lady Gaga concert that night.  While I was sad to not enjoy an Irish meal to commemorate my first St. Patrick’s Day as an official Irish person, I suppose attending a concert was significantly more fun than enjoying Guiness at home by ourselves, while discussing for the umpteenth time what Irish name we can give our puppy.  (We are also accepting suggestions!)

            So, I finally made our St. Patrick’s Day dish (more than a week later) and it was really good!  It wasn’t too corned beef-y which I really appreciated and was super easy to prepare.  Chris and I actually talked that it tasted a bit like a tuna bake.  I would definitely recommend getting your green on, and giving this one a try soon! 

Slainte!

Recipe:

-1 can corn beef

-1 small package large noodles

-1 can mushroom soup

-1 can cream of chicken or cream of celery soup

-Potato chips

Preparation:

Cook noodles and drain.  Place in casserole dish.  Mix corn beef and add soup.  Put crushed potato chips on top and bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Ready for the concert!

Waiting for the concert to begin!