Homemade Guacamole

I have an affinity for anything avocado, so naturally I am a huge Guacamole fan.  With that being said, I am not a big fan of onions, and I'm always striving to come up with the best onion free guacamole recipe.  Last night I concocted something amazing.  So amazing in fact, that it just had to be shared.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 Avocados (seeded and peeled)
Juice of 2 Limes (only use 1 if you don't love the hint of lime taste)
1/2 Red Bell Pepper (seeded and chopped)
8 Champagne Tomatoes (chopped, can substitute grape tomatoes)
1/2 Jalapeno (Seeded and Minced)
1 Clove Garlic (Minced)
1 tsp Himalayan Sea Salt
1-2 tsp Cumin Powder


Directions:
Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix thoroughly.  Enjoy! 

Beef Minestrone Soup-One Pot Recipe

For my birthday my mother got me a bunch of mini cookbooks.  One of them was full of one-pot recipes, so of course I had to find one and completely jack with the ingredients.  Here is the result of that fun, it turned out quite delicious. :)

Ingredients:
1 lb Hamburger
Seasoning (Basil, Oregano, Alpine Touch, Crushed Red Pepper)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic (Minced)
1 Carrot (Peeled & Sliced)
1 Zucchini (Peeled & Sliced)
2 Celery Ribs (Chopped)
10-12 Grape Tomatoes (Diced) *substitute a can of diced tomatoes if needed
3 Large Tomatoes (Crushed) *substitute can of crushed tomatoes if needed
5 Mushrooms (Chopped)
1/2 Can of Black Olives (Sliced)
2 1/2 Cup Beef Broth
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
2 Cups Bowtie Pasta
Shredded Cheese to taste

Directions:
Add the hamburger to a pot and cook on medium.  Once browned add the oil, garlic, carrot, zucchini and celery.  Cook for about 4 minutes.  Add in remaining ingredients except for the cheese and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes until pasta is al dente.  Stir occasionally and serve when done.  Stir in the cheese and top with basil and enjoy!

Brown the hamburger in the bottom of the pot

Add the oil, garlic, carrots, zucchini and celery

Add in the remaining ingredients and mix together

Mix in the shredded cheese and enjoy!

Goulash From The Garden

I have been craving some delish hearty goulash for a very long time, and had a ton of veggies to use up before they went bad, so I decided to mix it all together into some delicious goulash.  I tried perusing the internet for goulash recipes to get an idea of where I wanted to go, but everything that I found was very boring and looked the same.  In the end I deiced to just close the computer and the cookbooks and just create my own from scratch, so here it is:

Ingredients:
1 lb hamburger
Seasoning (Garlic Powder, Spicy Montreal Steak, Alpine Touch)
10 oz Ditalini dry pasta (or elbow)
24oz basil, tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 carrot (peeled and chopped)
1 ear of corn (cook, and cut the corn off the cob)
6 grape tomatoes (sliced)
4 mushrooms (chopped)
1 zucchini (peeled and chopped)
1/2 eggplant (peeled and chopped)
1 red pepper (seeded and chopped)

Directions:
Add the hamburger to a heavy bottom skillet and cook on med-high, add the seasoning.
Boil the pasta until al dente.
Once hamburger is browned add the sauce and warm. 
Now add all remaining ingredients and cook on low until all ingredients are thoroughly cooked and warmed. 
Serve with the hamburger sauce over a plate of pasta and enjoy!

Brown the seasoned hamburger

Add the sauce to the hamburger while the pasta is cooking

Add all remaining ingredients

Serve the hamburger sauce over the pasta and enjoy!

Sloppy Joes

I hadn't made any sloppy joes in about 4 months, so I figured it was about time to do some tweaking to the delicious recipe.  Here it is!

 Ingredients:

1 lb ground hamburger
Alpine Touch

2 Tbsp Butter

3 Carrots (Peeled & Minced)

3 Garlic cloves (minced)

2 Celery Stalks (Minced)

1 Tbsp Vinegar

1/2 Tbsp Crushed Red Pepper

1/2 Tbsp Thyme

1 Tbsp Brown Sugar Bourbon Grill Mate (or another great steak seasoning) 

1/2 Tbsp Parsley

3 Tbsp Brown Sugar

3 Tbsp Tomato Paste

1/2 Cup Ketchup

1/2 Cup BBQ sauce (Hickory Mesquite Smoke for a delicious smokey flavor)

Directions:

Brown the hamburger.  Drain and set aside.

In a separate pan add the Butter, minced carrots and garlic and saute' for 2-3 minutes.  Add the minced celery and cook for another minute.  Add the Vinegar and seasoning and cook for another minute or two to thoroughly season the veggies.  Add all remaining ingredients and thoroughly mix.  Add the hamburger to the mixture and simmer for about 15 minutes.  Sauce will be ready to serve.  Serve on your favorite bun, roll or bread for the best eating experience. 

Season and brown the hamburger

Add the butter, minced garlic and minced carrots to a heavy bottom skillet

Add in the minced celery and cook on medium heat

Add the spices

Add the remaining ingredients

Mix thoroughly

Add in the hamburger and stir to warm

Serve & Enjoy

Spaghetti with Homemade Meatballs

Somehow I have never made my own homemade meatballs....  until tonight.  This was a pretty yummy recipe!  It was also fairly easy to make, similar to making meatloaf.

Ingredients:
2 Large Eggs
1/3 Cup Fresh Breadcrumbs
4 Tbsp Grated Cheese (I used Gruyere)
1 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Mediterranean Basil
2 Large Garlic Cloves (Minced)
1 tsp Alpine Touch (Salt & Pepper)
1 lb ground beef

1 12-16 oz can of tomato based pasta sauce (I used Tomato & Basil)
Angel Hair Pasta

Directions:
Stir eggs, breadcrumbs, cheese olive oil, basil, garlic and alpine touch together in a bowl.  Add ground beef and mix thoroughly.  With moistened hands, form beef mixture into meatball shapes. 
Pour additional olive oil into a skillet over med-high heat.  Work in batches, adding meatballs to the pan.  Fry until brown and cooked all the way through, turning frequently for about 15 minutes per batch. 
Boil the noodles to al dente, strain and set aside.
Heat up the pasta sauce in a sauce pan and add the browned meat balls.
Serve with the sauce over the noodles and enjoy. 
*You can add additional shredded cheese and a dash of basil over top.  

Mix together the ingredients and then mix in the hamburger

Add olive oil to a skillet and form the meat mixture into meatballs, place in the pan to fry

Heat the pasta sauce in a pan and add the finished meat balls

Serve & Enjoy!

Blueberry White Wine Vinegar Reduction Pork with Garlic Boiled Potatoes & Carrots

I love cooking with fresh fruit and veggies in the house!  This was another one of those delicious recipes that you can do so many different ways.  Enjoy!

Grilled Pork

Ingredients: 

1/2 Cup Champagne Vinegar 

1/2 Cup White Wine (I used Vermentino)

1/2 Cup Fresh Blueberries

3 Pork Tenderloins (Thickly Sliced)

Seasoning (Mediterranean Spiced Sea Salt, Tarragon)

Dollop of sour cream

Rosemary leaves

Directions: 

Prepare the grill (I used my handy George Foreman Grill).  Bring the vinegar & white wine to a boil in a saucepan over high heat.  Add the blueberries and reduce heat to Low.  Cook until reduced by half.  While the sauce is reducing, season the pork tenderloins.  Place on the grill.  Cook for about 15 minutes until cooked all the way through.  Remove from the grill.  Cover or keep warm in the microwave.  As soon as the sauce is thoroughly reduced score the meat to ensure the sauce will seep in.  To serve spoon the sauce and blueberries over the meat to just cover (or to taste).  Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and rosemary leaves to the side.  *Do not shy away from the sour cream, it enhances the flavor tremendously and makes the taste sweeter.

 

Garlic Boiled Potatoes and Heirloom Carrots

Ingredients: 

9-10 Small Gold Potatoes

~20 Small Heirloom Carrots

3 Large Garlic Cloves (Minced)

Seasoning (Mediterranean Spiced Sea Salt, Spicy Montreal Steak Seasoning)

Directions:

Add the carrots and potatoes to a large pan and cover with water.  Turn heat to high and start to boil.  Add the garlic and seasoning to the water.  Boil until the potatoes are slightly soft but still firm.  Drain the water, serve & enjoy.  

Add the veggies to the water to boil and add vinegar and wine in a saucepan set to boil

Add garlic & seasoning to veggies, add blueberries to the sauce

Continue to boil the veggies and simmer to reduce the sauce

Season the pork and place on the grill

Serve & Enjoy!

Grilled Pork Chops with Hibiscus Nectarine Glaze and Ginger-Garlic Sauteed Veggies

This is another one of those delicious recipes of using what I already have.  Their turned out very well.  I definitely recommend anyone trying it with the veggies they have in their house.

Grilled Pork Chops
Ingredients:
4 Pork Chops (bone-in)
Olive Oil
Seasoning (Alpine Touch (salt and pepper), Tarragon, Spicy Montreal Steak, Cinnamon)
3 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Hibiscus Jelly
Cinnamon
3 Nectarines (pitted and sliced)

Directions:
Brush Olive Oil on the pork chops and generously season.  Grill until browned all the way through.  In the meantime add all of the remaining ingredients into a sauce pan and cook on low until pork chops are done and serve by pouring over the pork chops. 

Ginger-Garlic Sauteed Veggies
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp Butter
1 Garlic Clove (minced)
1 tsp Ginger (minced)
4 Leaves of Endive (chopped)
2 Radishes (chopped)
1/3 Daikon (peeled and sliced)
3 Mushroom Caps (chopped)
2 Broccoli florets (separated)
1/2 Orange Pepper (seeded and chopped)
1/2 Zucchini (peeled and sliced)

Directions:
Add the butter, garlic and ginger to a fry pan and heat on high.  Add all of the veggies and mix together until thoroughly saturated.  Serve & Enjoy.

Brush the pork with olive oil and generously season

Grill until browned all the way through

In a sauce pan combine all remaining ingredients and cook on low hear

Heat the butter, ginger and garlic in a fry pan and continue to simmer the glaze

Add the veggies to the fry pan and finish simmering the glaze

Remove the pork when thoroughly cooked

Serve & Enjoy!

Teryaki Chicken Stir Fry

I have been trying to use up all of my leftover veggies in the fridge before I get my next bountiful basket full of delicious and fresh produce!  Stir Fry is one of those great meals that you can make with all kind of different ingredients.  I must say that the mixture of ingredients that I used this evening made a wonderful combination.  I had never cooked with turmeric before and it added an amazing element to the flavor, I would definitely user it again in all kinds of recipes.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Chicken Breasts (Chopped)
Seasoning (Alpine Touch, Crushed Red Pepper, Oregano, Thyme, Tarragon, Dash of Cinnamon)
1 Carrot of Peelings (Peel outer skin layer off first and trash)
1 Stalk of Broccoli (Florets only)
2 Leek Leaves (Chopped)
1 Red Pepper (Seeded & Chopped Thinly)
2 Leaves Bok Choy (Chopped)
2 Leaves Fresh Basil (Chopped)
1 Piece Fresh Turmeric (Diced)
2 Cloves Garlic (Diced)
1 Bottle of Teriyaki sauce (11.8 oz)
1 Cup Jasmin Rice

Directions:
Add the oil to a heavy bottom skillet.  Add the chopped chicken and season according to preference.  Cook the chicken thoroughly on med-high heat for about 6-8 minutes.  Turn the heat down to low-med and add the vegetables stir everything together and cook for about 3 or 4 minutes to soften the veggies a little.  Add 3/4 of the bottle of Teriyaki sauce and mix thoroughly, cook on Simmer for a few minutes to let the sauce soak into the chicken and veggies and serve over a bed of freshly steamed Jasmine rice (1 Cup is enough for moderate plate for 2 people, make more as needed).  When serving you can add additional Teriyaki sauce if you are a huge Teriyaki lover like I am, otherwise there is more than enough flavor in the dish already.  Serve & Enjoy.

Add the oil, chicken & seasonings to a heavy bottom skillet

Cook the chicken all the way through

Add the veggies! 

Mix them in with the chicken

Add the Teriyaki sauce

Stir it all together

Serve over the fluffy Jasmine rice and add additional Teriyaki sauce on top

Chicken Tarragon with Sauteed Veggies

A delicious way to use up some of a leftover bottle of white wine and make your chicken taste amazing!  This evening I wanted to cook up a bunch of the leftover veggies that I need to use before they go bad, so I decided to saute' them in a garlic, basil butter sauce. 

Chicken Tarragon with Rice

Ingredients:
4 Chicken breasts
Seasoning (Mediterranean Sea Salt, Tarragon, Basil)
3/4 Cup Viognier
1 1/4 Cup Chicken Stock
1 Garlic Clove (Minced)
1 Tbsp dried Tarragon
3/4 Cup Heavy Cream

Directions:

Season the chicken and place in a heavy bottom skillet.  Pour in the wine and the chicken stock.  Add the garlic and 1 Tbsp of the Tarragon.  Bring to a boil and reduce the heat, cook for 10 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked thoroughly.   

Remove the chicken and store in the microwave on a plate to keep warm.  Bring the remaining sauce to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes or until reduced by about two-thirds.

Stir in the cream and return to a boil.  Cook until reduced by half.  Stir in the remaining tarragon.  I suggest serving over rice and spooning the sauce over the top.  I like to return the chicken tot he sauce to help lock moisture in before serving.  Enjoy!

 

Garlic, Basil Butter Veggies

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp Butter
2 Garlic Cloves (Minced)
2 Carrots (Peeled & Chopped)
1 Zucchini (Peeled & Chopped)
2 Leek leaves (Chopped)
4-5 Radishes(Chopped)
1/2 Cup Mushrooms (Chopped)
3 Leaved Fresh Basil (Minced)

Directions:
Melt the butter and add the garlic until crispy.  Add the remaining ingredients and  saute' for about 5-10 minutes until softened.  Serve & Enjoy!

Cinnamon Honey Butter

Ingredients:
8 Tbsp Butter (1 Stick softened)
2 Tbsp Honey
1 1/2 Tbsp Powdered Sugar
1 Tbsp Heavy Cream
1 tsp Cinnamon

Directions:
Add all ingredients together and mix with a hand mixer until smooth.

Season the chicken and add to the skillet

Add the wine & chicken stock

Add the garlic & Tarragon

Remove the chicken and boil the remaining liquid

Add the veggies to the garlic butter sauce

Add the cream to the tarragon sauce

Continue to saute' and thicken the sauce

Return the chicken to the sauce

Add all of the butter ingredients to the bowl

Liam licking off a beater!

Whipped butter

Serve & Enjoy!