Kielbasa Soup

Kielbasa is an Easter staple around here. I'm not sure if it is a very important holiday dish in other parts, but in Philadelphia, I can not remember an Easter that did not feature this Polish sausage. Many have specific little Polish delis where they will insist on buying their kielbasa. I like kielbasa but was never a huge fanatic over it. It has a great taste, but I never did like that it would try to steal the spotlight from my all time favorite ham.

Since I hosted Easter this year, I decided to go a little off tradition. Sure, I'd have the all important kielbasa on the menu, but not as one would expect. Soup! Who would ever think you can put kielbasa in soup?!? Well, Pinterest did and I thought the idea was brilliant. I was able to set it in my crock pot at 7am and turn my mind to other more important cooking manners throughout the day. My family members were a little put off at first that I would be having soup at the holiday meal instead of straight up kielbasa, but in time they got over it and maybe even became a little intrigued.

• 1 lb. (2 cups) dried small white beans
• 1 onion, chopped into fairly small pieces
• 1 Tbsp finely minced garlic
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
• 6 cups broth (the original recipe called for chicken broth, but I used my homemade vegetable broth that I had in my freezer)
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) petite dice tomatoes
• 14 oz. Kielbasa sausage, cut into half-moon slices (I used light turkey kielbasa to keep things more on the healthy side. Shhhhhh! My family doesn't know and they couldn't even tell by taste)
• 4 packed cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped

 Pick over the beans, removing any broken ones, and add beans to the slow cooker.  Chop onion, mince the garlic and crush the spices. I put my spices in a Ziploc bag and crushed them with the back of a spoon. Add to the slow cooker.  Add the broth and diced tomatoes to the slow cooker and start to cook on low.  

Cut the sausage in half lengthwise, and then slice it into half-moon slices.  If you're going to be cooking this while you're not home, add the sausage now and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the beans are nicely softened.  If you will be home, I would cook the other ingredients about 5-6 hours and then add the sausage.  It will work either way, but the sausage will be softer if you add it for the entire cooking time.

When beans are done to your liking, chop the spinach, turn the slow cooker to high, and cook about 30 minutes more.  Serve hot, with freshly grated Parmesan cheese for sprinkling on the stew if desired.

 

This went over great with my family. It was nice to have an appetizer to serve that was not the typical picky cheese and crackers or vegetable platter. My sister even asked to take some home to have for lunch at work the next day! We usually trade soups whenever we make some. Somehow the two of us grew up being pretty domesticated. 

Easter Ham with Pineapple-Mustard Glaze

Easter was the first big holiday I hosted. I thought I would be a mess all day and completely stressed out, however everything turned out wonderful. By paying attention to cooking times, I managed to set a schedule of what time each dish had to be started and serve everything at once. I made some dishes early, to be reheated once the ham was settling. My menu consisted of: Ham, mashed potatoes, Italian green beans, corn, pineapple stuffing, and kielbasa soup. We also had deviled eggs, coleslaw, and cake; provided by my sister.

Instead of cooking my ham with ginger ale, like I've heard done before, I wanted to do something special. After some research I decided to make a homemade ham glaze on Easter Eve. Sophia insists that every special occasion has an "Eve". Next Sunday will be her Birthday Eve!!! I found a recipe from marthastewart.com that used as a guideline for my glaze.

Ham Glaze

• the pineapple juice from a can of sliced pineapples
• 1 cup water
• 3 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup brown mustard

Bring pineapple juice, sugar, and water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 60 minutes. It should reduce some. Remove from heat and let cool. Whisk in mustard and store until use. The glaze can be refidgerated for up to 3 days.

Easter Ham

• 8-10 lb ham
• 1 cup white wine
• pineapple rings
• maraschino cherries

Preheat oven to 350. Place ham in a shallow baking dish. Make score marks across the skin of the ham, about 1 inch apart. Slowly pour the white wine over the ham. Garnish the ham with cherries and pineapples, using toothpicks to secure the fruit. Pour half the glaze over the ham. Cover and bake on lowest rack for one hour. After the hour, remove ham and heat the oven to 425. Uncover ham and pour remaining glaze over top. Bake for an additional 45 minutes, basting occasionally. Remove ham and let sit under a foil tent for 30 minutes. 


I used brown mustard, because it was what I had on hand the night before Easter. Had I prepared, I would have purchased a country style mustard. Country style mustard is the fancy grainy mustard sold in delis and most supermarkets. It would have given the glaze more of a kick, but this ham turned out delicious. If I turn Easter dinner at my house into a tradition, I probably wont stray too far from this recipe. Then again, who knows?? I may want to get even fancier next year, now that I know I can do it!
 

Roasted Peppers

Roasted Peppers have always seemed to be somewhat of a treat or luxury for people other than me. I have never liked the taste of red peppers. Green peppers are delicious, but I cannot explain why the red (and even sometimes orange and yellow) turn me off. I don't even like dishes made with red peppers in it, because the flavor permeates the entire meal. Red peppers are probably second on my yuck list of food. Surpassed only by coconuts. Blech....

You very rarely ever see roasted green pepper. Whether in jars or fresh from an Italian deli, you only see the red. Sometimes you may see some green mixed in with the red, but never green alone. As much as I dislike the flavor of red pepper, I love green peppers. One day I realized I had 3 peppers that were close to rotting. Instead of tossing them, I decided I would finally attempt to make roasted peppers.

Most of the recipes Ive seen suggest roasting the pepper whole. Like I said, my peppers were close to spoiling, so there were some soft spots I wanted to cut out. I decided to slice the soft spots out and cut the core out. I wound up with 4 shells of pepper. To make the second step of the process easier, I lined my cookie sheet with foil and then laid my pepper pieces down, skin side up. I liberally sprayed the pieces with cooking oil and popped them in the oven. With my oven preheated to 400, I let them roast for about 45 minutes. Once they started showing the tell tale black marks on their skin, I pulled them out of the oven.

One would assume that the actual baking or roasting would be enough. I was surprised to find out there is actually a steaming process involved. Next, scoop all your peppers to the center of your piece of foil and carefully fold up the sides to create an airtight pocket. Let your pepper pocket sit until it is cool enough to handle with bare hands. This allows the peppers to steam in their own heat. Once the peppers can easily be handled you can go a step further and peel the skins. I did not peel mine, but I guess I am not a true roasted pepper connoisseur since I have never been able to eat them. Most vegetables pack a vitamin and nutrient power punch in their skins, so I see no reason to remove them. If you do want to remove them, most recipes I've read state that you can simply grasp the corner and peel them off. If you do remove the skins, do yourself a favor and save them in your veggie scrap bag for broth!

Once cooled, you can store these peppers in a sealed glass jar in the fridge. The time they will last varies depending upon which recipe you go by. Some said a week, while others said they will last up to 6 months. I doubt you will be able to let them last that long, because they are so tasty! If you want to store then for an extended period of time, I would suggest using something that will be airtight, like a mason jar.

Mexican Tortilla Bake

Last nights Meatless Monday was a hit! I was totally surprised how much Sophia loved the dinner I made. Ive been slacking with my recipes (and my posts), so stumbling upon this gem was a big surprise! I actually had the recipe stored away for a while in my trusty little marble copy book. I really need to use that book more often! This was one of the simplest recipes I have made in a long while.

• 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
• 1/3 cup sliced green onion
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 4.5oz can chopped chiles
• (4) 6 inch tortillas
• 1 1/2 cups reduced fat cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400. Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Place 2 tortillas in an 11"x7" greased baking dish. Spoon half the corn mixture over the tortillas followed by half the cheese. Repeat with another layer of tortillas, corn mixture, and cheese. Bake 15 minutes. Let stand 2 minutes before cutting. Top with 1 Tbsp sour cream if desired.

I was a bit nervous serving this to Sophia. I decided to leave the chiles out to eliminate the spice for her. She goes back and forth on whether she likes beans. Last night she decided that she did in fact like them. After eating her entire plate and asking for some of mine, she specifically requested that I send it to school for her lunch. I had thought the recipe was going to make way too much, but between the two of us having dinner and the next days lunch out of it, it managed to be the perfect amount. I still have a little leftover in my fridge to send to school with Sophia tomorrow. Even her teachers were raving about the lunch she brought to school today. Miss Amy, the woman who runs Sophia's PreK actually commented on my facebook page that Sophia's lunch looked and smelled amazing. I can't even lie, the compliments from her teachers is what made me want to rush and share the recipe on the blog.

I will definitely be making this recipe again. I cant wait until the peak of summer when I can try to use some fresh corn and tomatoes. I have also thought about using some refried beans under the layers of the corn mixture. Refried beans are one of my favorite Mexican ingredients! I found a simple crock pot recipe to make them fresh instead of from a can. Apparently the canned refried beans are not entirely horrible either. If you pay attention to the ingredients list, you will be able to find some that only list the beans. One ingredient products are the best! I wonder if I can make some whenever beans are on sale and then can them myself....hmmm....

Oh! I saved the best for last. This recipe is a weight watchers recipe. I don't know how many points it is considered, but it is only 221 calories per serving!

Quinoa Breakfast Bake

Good morning! Happy St. Patrick's Day! While I should be posting some sort of ham or corned beef and cabbage recipe today, unfortunately I will not have the chance to make that this year. Last year I did ham and cabbage in my pressure cooker and it came out awesome! This year I have a birthday party to go to and then I am lucky enough to have a babysitter so I can go act out my Irish with my girlfriends.

This morning for breakfast, I am eating a quinoa bake. Quinoa is one of my new found healthy foods. I have been experimenting with it a little lately. I found the recipe for a quinoa bake online somewhere, and it is super simple. I love that it takes a side dish from dinner earlier in the week and turns it into a protein packed power breakfast.

What the heck is this quinoa anyway? First, I can bet you are saying the word wrong in your head as you read this. I did for weeks! Quinoa is not pronounced phonetically. KEEN-wa. I feel funny saying it sometimes, but there you have it. Quinoa is a reminiscent to a grain, but it is completely gluten free. It is actually more closely related to spinach and Swiss chard. It is one of the few (if not only) plant based foods that can be considered a complete protein, meaning it includes all the essential amino acids. Quinoa is a good choice for people considering going vegetarian but are nervous about lacking protein in their diet. It was considered the "gold of the Incas", because the tribe recognized its value in raising the stamina of its warriors. It is now known this is due to the large dose of the amino acid lysine, which is helpful in the healing and recovery of tissues. There are so many more benefits to this tiny crunchy little seed like kernel. Consumption of quinoa can help with migraines, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

With that all said, it is pretty tasty if prepared right. The basic prep of quinoa is simple. For how ever many cups of raw quinoa you are cooking, use half that amount of water. Boil the water with the quinoa and then cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the water has absorbed. It cooks pretty much like rice, but in half the time! There are so many ways to change up this basic recipe. This week I switched out my water for vegetable broth and tossed in some diced up broccoli. The possibilities are endless. Plus you can find so many recipes for quinoa if you just look. Start with substituting it in any recipe that calls for rice. I used it in my stuffed tomatoes and I don't think I will ever go back to using rice for that one.

So back to breakfast. I basically made myself a baked omelet. I love doing this with eggs, because it does not have to be flipped or babysat at all. I used 2 egg whites and 1 full egg. This was a tip given to me by a friend who recently lost a lot of weight. Sometimes egg whites just don't hold up to the fillings of an omelet, so adding just one full egg will give you a little extra sustenance. I diced up half a tomato and used about half a cup of leftover quinoa. Beat it all together and popped it in the oven for about 20 minutes. Voila! A nice healthy (meatless) breakfast. This is one of my favorite breakfasts to make on the weekends. It is so simple and delicious. I don't notice the quinoa in the eggs very much when eating, it just gives the omelet a nice airy texture with all those added health benefits.

Cranberry Roast

Remember that copybook where I write down all my recipes? I kind of abandoned it ever since I started up with Pinterest. I have found so many recipes on that site that I can save to my boards and revisit over and over again. This is lovely since saves my hand from writing out any recipe I find before they wind up lost to the deep sea that is the Internet. The only pitfall I see is now I must bring my laptop into the kitchen and work from the website (I do not own a printer and if I did, why would I want to waste that paper?). While I am grateful I have a laptop and not a desktop which allows this to be possible, I'm completely paranoid that I will get food and water all over the laptop and ruin it. I don't mind getting splatters on the copybook. In fact, I kinda like it. I think it gives the book character. Anyway, since Ive been on Pinterest, the copybook has found a home buried in a drawer. This weekend I decided to make banana bread so I had to pull it out to get the exact recipe. I am so glad I did, because in doing so I started browsing through recipes I have forgotten about over the past few months. I found the simplest recipe for a pork roast. Growing up, my mothers crock pot was use mainly for cooking a roast. I thought the main way you could do this was to toss some carrots, onions, and celery in with the meat and let it cook. While this is a delicious method of cooking meat, there are many more options.

• 2-3 lb pork roast
• 2 cans cranberry sauce
• 1 packet onion soup mix

In a bowl, stir the onion soup mix and cranberry sauce together. Place roast in crock pot and pour mixture on top. Cook on low for approximately 8 hours.

So, my roast cooked for a little longer than 8 hours. Probably closer to 9 since I set it up before work to have ready when I got home. As soon as Sophia and I walked in, we could smell something delicious was happening. She was cracking me up! "Mommy! Something smells soooo good!" Then kept taking deep breaths in through her nose and said, "Oh man, I can't stop smelling it!" and continued to take big deep breaths. She really is too cute sometimes!

I didn't know what I should expect with the cranberry/onion mix. The flavor wound up being close to a BBQ taste, but with texture. The natural juices from the roast mixed with the sauce and gave it a very yummy flavor. I used the "whole cranberry" can, not the gel, so I don't know if the sauce would be too thin if you only used the gel. I am excited to try this with some fresh cranberry sauce. Hopefully I will remember at Thanksgiving time so I can make extra cranberry sauce specifically for this.

Its a good thing we liked this roast recipe. I made this on Tuesday and we have been eating it ever since. I think tonight we will finish the last of the pork and make sandwiches to eat in the car on the way to dance. Dance days are so hard on our diet. I am so bad at planning properly in order to avoid the drive thru. I don't know what I will do next year when Sophia's schedule gets busier with an extra night of dance and hopefully starting Girl Scouts. There has to be a way to keep the sanctity of family dinner and healthy eating while having the kids active and involved. It would really probably help if I had a two parent household...

Tortellini with Blush Alfredo

I feel like the title makes this sound way more impressive than it actually is. In all honesty, this is not so much a recipe as me sharing with you one of my toss together meals when I need a quick fix.  It is what my sister would call "semi-homemade" (or the food network, whatever). Using my typical kitchen staples, I am able to make a decent pasta dish in about 15 minutes.

 This kind of started out because I never liked jarred Alfredo sauce, yet when I lived with my mother she always seemed to have it in her pantry. My mom has this one pot "wonder" she would make at least once a week with chicken and whatever veggies she had with Alfredo and either a gallon of oil or a pound of butter. I may be exaggerating with the amounts of saturated fat she used, but probably not by much. The food would glisten. I grew to hate this dish, along with a lot of my mothers cooking. Don't get me wrong, I love my mother. She is a wonderful woman who has taught me many things. Cooking healthy is not one of them. I try to encourage her to make some changes in her diet and cooking habits. Old habits are hard to squash; one day I hope she takes to heart what I share with her.

I can be a bit overbearing with the "healthy lifestyle" tips with my family, only because I care and don't want to see them succumbed to cardiovascular disease or any sort of cancer. I have learned alot about what we put into our bodies lately. I would really like to share that with whoever is reading this. Right now is probably not the best time to go on that tangent though, since I am about to share a quick meal that I have probably made more over the course of the years more than I have ever made any other specific meal. Like I said, before my ramblings took ahold of me, this idea originated when I was not fond of the taste of the jarred Alfredo sauce. I added some red spaghetti sauce and found it made pink! There goes my blush sauce. Even better, one night I did not have any red sauce so I dumped a can of diced tomatoes into the Alfredo. I have never looked back.

• Frozen tortellini or ravioli (any pasta really...whatever is on hand)
• Jar Alfredo sauce
• Can diced tomatoes
• One bag frozen broccoli, green beans, or peas (I like broccoli the best, but again, whatever you have will work. Especially if it is green.)

Prepare the pasta according to the package instructions. Combine the Alfredo, tomatoes, and vegetables in a medium sauce pan and heat. Combine and Voila! YUM

I made this as my Meatless Monday meal this week. I had some leftover chicken from the weekend, which I then shredded up and added to my leftovers for Tuesdays lunch. This is very versatile so use your imagination. This is not a recipe, but a quick meal idea. Take it and run with it. Some nights you just don't have on hand what a recipe calls for and you make do with whatever you have. That is the beauty of cooking!