Cinnamon Vanilla Depression Cake

This is a recipe that folks made during the Great Depression (hence the name).  But - it works great for folks with allergies because it is free of milk, eggs, and butter.  This version is cinnamon vanilla, but you can adapt it to make chocolate, spice, orange, or lemon by adding or omitting ingredients.

3/4 + 1/8 c flour
1/2 c sugar
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 t vinegar
1 t vanilla
1/6 c oil
1/2 c water
1 t cinnamon

Combine all ingredients and pour into cupcake tins.  Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.   Makes 6 cupcakes.

I used Pillsbury Creamy Vanilla Frosting to top them off.  It is also dairy free!  

Southwest Shredded Chicken Three-Bean Chili

This was easy to whip together. I used chicken that I popped in the oven earlier in the day. At dinner, it took me about 20 minutes total to pull together (including the corn muffins I made in my mini cupcake maker).

4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 14 oz cans chicken broth
16 oz can black beans, drained
16 oz can red kidney beans, drained
16 oz can cannellini beans, drained
15 oz can Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
6 oz tomato paste
1 Tablespoon Tabasco hot sauce
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 heaping Tablespoons chili powder
1 heaping Tablespoon cumin
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Saute onion and bell pepper until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and shredded chicken breast; cook for 1 minute then stir in chicken broth, beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, hot sauce, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes then reduce heat to low and simmer until ready to serve.

Original recipe: http://www.picky-palate.com/

Pot Roast with Vegetables

I made this about a month ago for the first time. At the time, Tom was out of town, so my parents came over for dinner. My Dad proclaimed this the best pot roast he'd ever eaten. We'll see what Tom says when he tries it tonight! If he's lucky, I'll make some rosemary focaccia to go with it.

1 (3 to 4 pound) piece beef chuck roast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 yellow onion, halved
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bunch baby carrots
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves

Season all sides of the beef with a fair amount of salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot; heat the oil over moderately high heat. Brown the meat on all sides, taking the time to get a nice crust on the outside.

Meanwhile, pour the tomatoes in your crock pot. Add the vegetables and herbs around the sides of the pot. Once your meat is browned, transfer it to the crock pot. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Crockpot BBQ Chicken

A few months ago, my friend Jessica made me dinner. It was spectacular - crockpot BBQ chicken sandwiches. When I asked her for the recipe, she said she was a little embarrassed to share it because it was so easy. Well, sorry Jessica - it was sooooo good, I have to share it with the world! I hope you don't mind! :)

This is the BBQ chicken I used on yesterday's BBQ chicken-crusted smoked macaroni and cheese.

Chicken breasts
1 bottle of BBQ sauce - choose your favorite (ours is good old Kraft Original)

Place the chicken breasts in the crockpot and cover with BBQ sauce. Turn on low for 4 hours.

VOILA!

Shred the chicken with two forks. Put the chicken on buns and make chicken sandwiches or use the chicken for some other use: macaroni and cheese, BBQ chicken pizza, BBQ chicken salad... Yummy! Thanks so much, Jessica!

Moroccan-Style Stuffed Acorn Squash

This dinner was great for a variety reasons: it was so far from what we normally have for dinner, it was a nice change of pace; it was incredibly filling - especially for a "vegetarian" meal; and it tasted great (really - what else matters?). Tom had initially said he didn't want couscous, but then he changed his mind. In the end, he couldn't stop raving about it!

2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 large acorn squash, halved and seeded
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 cup garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
1 cup uncooked couscous

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Arrange squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes, or until tender. Dissolve the sugar in the melted butter. Brush squash with the butter mixture, and keep squash warm while preparing the stuffing.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, celery, and carrots, and cook 5 minutes. Mix in the garbanzo beans and raisins. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper, and continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender.

Pour the chicken broth into the skillet, and mix in the couscous. Cover skillet, and turn off heat. Allow couscous to absorb liquid for 5 minutes. Stuff squash halves with the skillet mixture to serve.

Pumpkin Cake

I've made this cake several times already this fall. It is really moist and yummy. Bonus - it is dairy-free.

2 cups white sugar
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups canned pumpkin
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 12x18 inch pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine sugar and oil. Blend in vanilla and pumpkin, then beat in eggs one at a time. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in nuts. Spread batter into prepared 12x18 inch pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken

This wasn't necessarily awesome the first time around; however, I think it has potential. For me, the Dijon mustard was a little too horseradish-y. I think I'll use prepared honey mustard dressing next time around (instead of making my own). If I make my own, I may use plain yellow mustard instead of Dijon. Either way, Tom loved it, and with a couple changes, it could be a go-to.

4 boneless chicken breasts
3/4 c Dijon mustard
1/4 c mayonnaise
2 T honey
1/8 cayenne pepper
2 garlic cloves
1 minced green onion
salt
pepper
1 c crushed pretzel

Preheat oven to 340 degrees.

Pound/flatten chicken breasts until about 1/4 inch thick. Combine mustard, mayonnaise, honey, cayenne pepper, garlic, green onion, and salt and pepper to taste. Set half of mixture aside to be used as dipping sauce. Coat chicken completely in remaining mustard mixture, and then dredge in pretzel crumbs. Place coated chicken on baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

Slow-Cooked Asian Chuck Roast

This was really, really good. Not too spicy, but plenty of zip!

1 (2 1/2 - 3 lbs) Boneless beef chuck roast

Flour

2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 bottle (20 oz) Wegmans Asian-style BBQ sauce
2 cups Wegmans Food You Feel Good About Thai culinary stock
2 pkgs (8 oz each) Fresh baby corns, cut to 1-inch rounds
1 pkg (16 oz) Frozen broccoli cuts, thawed
2 pkgs (16 oz each) Wegmans Asian Classics Udon noodles, thawed per package directions

Dust meat with pan-searing flour; pat off excess. Heat oil in large braising pan on MEDIUM-HIGH, until oil faintly smokes. Add meat. Brown, turning to brown all sides, 3-4 min per side. Transfer meat to slow cooker. Stir in BBQ sauce and stock.

Cook meat in slow-cooker 4-5 hours on HIGH or 7-9 hours on LOW. Remove just the meat from slow-cooker; transfer to clean platter.

Add corn, broccoli, and noodles to slow-cooker on HIGH; stir to combine. Cover; cook 5-15 min, or until vegetables are thoroughly heated. Stir before transferring to serving platter and topping with meat.

Slow Cooker Asian Chicken

I got this recipe from my mommy friend, Lisa. It was delicious. This time, I served it with plain rice. Next time around, I think I'll stir fry some carrots and baby corns to serve with the rice.

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts2/3 c soy sauce1/4 c brown sugar1/4 c water2 cloves garlic, minced2 t ground ginger2 cans sliced water chestnuts1 bunch green onions, chopped

Place chicken in slow cooker. Mix together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, garlic and ginger. Spread water chestnuts and green onions over chicken and pour soy sauce mixture over the top. Cook on low for approx. 5 hours.

Ginger-Lime Beef Stir Fry

This wasn't the best ever; however, it has potential because the sauce was good. Next time, I'll add a bunch of stir fry vegetables, triple the sauce, and serve over rice. Today, I served over rice noodles, which were good too.

1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
1 1/2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
12 ounces boneless sirloin steak, cut into thin strips

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk.

Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; drizzle evenly with ginger-lime mixture. Garnish with green onions and lime wedges, if desired.

Italian Chicken with Chickpeas

My mom would love this meal. It's got her favorite: chickpeas! I served it over rice.

1 pound chicken breast tenders
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/3 cups sliced onion
1 cup green bell pepper strips
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas, drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, undrained

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic, chickpeas, and tomatoes; cover and cook 8 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Avocado Dill Pasta

Right now, I'm not eating any dairy, and this pasta dish was awesome because it was oh so creamy!

8 ounces bow tie pasta or 8 ounces wagon wheel macaroni
2 medium avocados, halved,seeded,peeled and coarsely chopped
6 slices bacon, crisp cooked,drained and crumbled
2/3 cup chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the avocados, bacon, dill, lemon juice,olive oil, garlic, pepper, and salt. Add the hot pasta and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Pasta Stir Fry

This was a good one... will definitely add it to our regular rotation. I left out the scallions and used jarred ginger.

1 (16-ounce) package whole wheat linguine
Salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and diced
1/2 small eggplant, sliced into small chunks, about 2 cups
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 cup frozen broccoli florets, thawed
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 chicken breast, cooked and sliced
2 scallions, sliced, for garnish

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water.

While pasta is cooking, heat canola oil in a large saute pan or wok over high heat. Add onion, red pepper, ginger, eggplant and cook for about 1 minute. Add garlic, broccoli, tomatoes, and soy sauce and cook for another 2 minutes. Drain pasta. Add it and the chicken to the vegetable mixture, toss and cook for another minute.

Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with scallions.

Citrus Chicken and Rice

This is an old recipe, but I love it. It's especially good in the summer (or on a 90 degree day at the end of September).

4 boneless chicken breasts
1 can chicken broth
1/2 c orange juice
1 medium onion, chopped
1 c uncooked regular long-grain rice
3 T chopped fresh parsley (or 1 T dried parsley)

In nonstick skillet, cook chicken (I usually season with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning). Set chicken aside.

Stir in broth, orange juice, and onion. Heat to a boil. Stir in rice. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 10 minutes.

Return chicken to pan. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed. Remove chicken to plate. Stir parsley into rice mixture.

Slow Cooked Green Chili Pork Tacos with Fresh Corn and Olive Salsa

There's a lot of preparation that goes into this meal - at least for the salsa - but it is totally worth it. These tacos were out of this world! Definitely a new addition to the regular rotation!

Tacos
2 pork tenderloins
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T salt
1 t pepper
1/2 t garlic salt with parsley
3/4 can of green salsa

Place all but the salsa in the crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours. When the meat is cooked, remove the liquid, shred the meat, and add the salsa. Cook on warm until ready to serve.

Salsa
3 ears of corn, corn removed
1/2 c sliced black olives
1/4 c fresh cilantro, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 T diced red onion
salt
pepper

Combine all ingredients and serve with tacos.

Avocado Mash
2 avocados
1 T lime juice

Combine and serve with tacos.

Original recipe source: http://www.picky-palate.com/

Crock Pot Chicken Sandwiches

My friend Shannon recently made these sandwiches for us. They were spectacular, and I can't wait to make them myself!

1/2 c chicken stock
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c vinegar
1 T soy sauce
1/2 c ketchup
Sliced onion
Black pepper
Enough chicken to feed your family- boneless skinless breasts or thighs work best

Place chicken in crock pot. Sprinkle with pepper and top with as many onion slices as desired. Combine rest of ingredients and pour over onions. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours.

Serve on a potato roll with a slice of cheddar cheese.

Turkey Noodle Soup

Here is a phenomenal turkey noodle soup recipe. I make this soup throughout the year - not just at Thanksgiving. I often substitute chicken for the turkey. I also add an extra can of broth.

Cooking spray
1 cup (1/4-inch-thick) slices carrot
3/4 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (1/4-inch-thick) slices celery
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 cups (3 ounces) uncooked egg noodles
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 bay leaf
2 cups shredded turkey (about 8 ounces)
Coarsely ground black pepper (optional)

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add carrot, onion, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is lightly browned. Add celery, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; sauté 3 minutes. Add broth and next 3 ingredients (through bay leaf); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Add shredded turkey; cook 3 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Sprinkle with coarsely ground black pepper, if desired.
Original source: Cooking Light

Carolina Barbecue

This is a fabulous Carolina barbecue recipe - especially if you like it spicy! Removing the fat from the meat can be tedious, but it's totally worth it. I'll post the cole slaw recipe that I serve with this momentarily. Stay tuned.

1 5-lb pork roast (butt or shoulder)
1 T salt
Ground pepper
1 1/2 c cider vinegar
2 T brown sugar
1/2 T Tabasco
2 t cayenne pepper
2 t crushed red pepper

Place pork in crock pot. Season with salt and pepper. Pour vinegar around pork. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

Remove pork from crock pot. Remove bones and excess fat. Shred pork.

Strain liquid and reserve 2 cups. Toss the rest. Add sugar, Tabasco, cayenne, and red pepper to liquid. Add to meat (to your liking) and serve on sandwich rolls (I use potato rolls).

Spicy Beef Roast

This is a family favorite! I believe Jodi originally found the recipe, and it's something that appears on the dinner table many times during fall and winter!

3 lb rount tip roast
1 T peppercorn
1 1/2 t garlic
3 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 c soy sauce
2 T worchestire sauce
2 T dry mustard

Rub meat with peppercorn and garlic. Cut meat so that there are four slices about an inch deep each. Mix all other ingredients. Pour mixture over meat. Cook meat in crockpot 4 to 6 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low.

Original source: Jodi Bergeman