Best Yet Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti is comfort food for me which is a little weird because I didn't grow up eating it, but somehow a heaping serving of hot spaghetti is almost therapeutic.  I've tried a few spaghetti sauce recipes but none of them were quite right until I found this one from Table for Two.  It's plain and simple, but to the point.  I didn't want a hot pot of sauce simmering on the stove for half the day so I let it simmer in my crockpot and it turned out delicious.

{ Best Yet Spaghetti Sauce }

Recipe from Table for Two

1 lb. 80/20 ground beef

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

6 oz. water

1 24 oz. jar tomato puree

5-6 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

Pinch of dried oregano

Pinch of onion powder

Pinch of garlic powder

Handful of fresh basil, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large stockpot, saute garlic until soft and fragrant in 2 tbsp. of olive oil, about 2 minutes.

Throw your meat in with the garlic and brown until meat has been thoroughly cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.  Pour in the tomato paste, tomato puree, and seasoning, including the fresh basil.

Stir to mix well. With the 6 oz. can from the tomato paste, fill that with water and pour it in the stockpot as well.

Let mixture simmer, uncovered, for 2 or more hours (the longer the better, but minimum 2 hours), stirring occasionally.

Serve hot over fresh pasta.

Sick on New Years + Quinoa Fried Rice

Being sick on new years day wasn't half as horrible as it sounds.  If I had to rate this cold from 1 to 10 with 10 being the worst cold I have ever had, this would be a three.  Yup, it's pretty meh.  I thought for sure that I would be kicking the dead germs' butts and getting back to my normal self by now (this cold started a few days after Christmas), but I'm still not completely over it yet.  I've finally proved my mom's truthfulness when she told me as a child that I had to rest to get better.  I was a very obedient child, though she might not agree completely, and therefore I had never had the chance to prove her words wrong until now.  A mama gets no rest with a one-year-old running wild in the house and on the walls and over her hair.  It's real comfort, though, that my child hasn't caught what I have.  But then it really isn't that bad when your husband gives you the royal treatment while he's home with dinner in bed and the frequent head-pokes through the door just to check on me while blocking the King of all wild things from entering the bedroom.

Anyhow, I made dinner the other night which was a rather ordinary action in itself, but the fruit of my work was quite delicious if I do say so myself.  I made quinoa fried rice or perhaps you'd rather call it fried quinoa, like Jake, since there's really no rice in this dish at all.

{ Quinoa Fried Rice }

Adapted from Damn Delicious

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
2/3 cup frozen corn
2/3 cup frozen peas
2 carrots, peeled and grated
3 cups cooked quinoa
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons soy sauce
Salt to taste
Chicken powder
2 green onions, sliced
Sriracha, for serving

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring often, until onions become translucent, about 4-5 minutes.

Add mushrooms and broccoli. Cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add corn, peas, carrots and quinoa. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 1-2 minutes.

Add ginger, soy sauce, a pinch of salt and some chicken powder. Gently toss to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in green onions.

Serve immediately, drizzled with Sriracha, if desired.

Mongolian Beef

It has been a long day.  A really long day.  Ethan bonked his noggin twice and has a little bruise on his forehead.  Sigh...  I swear his head holds magnetic properties to all sorts of things like the tile floor and bed frames and window sills and walls.

We made this Mongolian beef for dinner last night and I wish that we had some left so that it could lift up my spirit just a little bit but it was so good we ate it all last night.  This recipe claimed to be PF Chang's Mongolian Beef copycat.  I wouldn't say that it was PF Chang's Mongolian Beef but it was certainly tasty.  I think that I might add some crushed red pepper in the sauce next time just to spice things up a little.

 { Mongolian Beef }

Recipe found from Six Sister's Stuff

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

½ teaspoon ginger, minced

1 tablespoon garlic, chopped

½ cup soy sauce

½ cup water

¾ cup dark brown sugar

vegetable oil , for frying (about 1 cup)

1 lb flank steak

¼ cup cornstarch

2 large green onions, chopped

Heat 2 tsp. of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat.  Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches.  Dissolve brown sugar in sauce, then increase heat to medium and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat.

Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4" thick bite-size slices. Tilt the blade of your knife at about a forty five degree angle to the top of the steak so that you get wider cuts.  Dip steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides of each piece of beef.  Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks. 

As the beef sits, heat up one cup of oil in a wok.  Heat the oil over medium heat until it's nice and hot, but not smoking. Add the beef to the oil and sauté until brown. Stir the meat around a little so that it cooks evenly.  After a couple minutes, use a large slotted spoon to take the meat out and onto paper towels.  Dab excess oil off meat with a paper towel and add to medium saucepan with the sauce in it.  Put the pan back on the oven over medium/low heat.  Add chopped green onions and let sauce simmer until warm. Serve over rice.

Korean Ground Beef

Do you know that ground beef is really hard to photograph?  It's very challenging to take a picture of it and have it not look like poop.  I assure you though that this tastes NOTHING like poop, not that I have ever tasted poop!  Gah, this is really not going the direction I had intended for it to go...

This is yet another Pinterest recipe.  It was super fast and easy, and surprisingly yummy as well!  The recipe was originally from this blog, and the blogger said that she used to make this all the time in college because of how easy and cheap this dish is.  I wish I had known about this when I was in college.

Note: DO NOT omit the green onion!

{ Korean Ground Beef }

From Lizzy Writes

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound lean ground beef

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

1/2 - 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

salt and pepper

1 bunch green onions, diced

Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and ground beef.  Brown.  Drain most of the fat and add brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, and red pepper.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Serve over steamed rice and top with green onions.

Man Pleasing Chicken. Not.

I found this recipe on pinterest.  Lots of my girlfriends pinned it with captions like "best chicken ever!" and "man pleasing chicken!  So easy to make!"  I've tried my fair share of pinterest recipes and most of them are indeed amazing so I had high hopes for this.  What a bitter disappointment.  How can I share the truth out but not sound rude?  Let's put it this way: there is room for improvement.  Lots of room to be exact.  Jake was more forgiving than I was, he gave it a three star.  I gave it a two.  It was just not very good.  If you're looking for a quick and delicious baked chicken recipe, try Parmesan crusted chicken instead.  The fresh rosemary in this reminds me of another chicken recipe I absolutely love with rosemary in it.  I'll make it and share it on this blog soon.

{ Maple and Mustard Chicken }

From Witty in the City

Chicken thighs, about one and a half pounds

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

Salt and pepper, to taste

Fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place chicken in a shallow baking dish.  Salt and pepper chicken.  Mix together mustard, maple syrup, and rice wine vinegar.  Pour over chicken.  Bake for 40 minutes.  Baste chicken with sauce half way through baking.  Sprinkle rosemary on top before serving.

Salmon with Honey Mustard Glaze

I have been making this recipe ever since Jake and I were married almost four years ago.  It was a recipe I got from my cooking class.  Per my father's request, I took one just-for-fun class (almost) every semester at college and it was one of the best decisions I ever made in those school years.  Sure I thought Price Theory was fun but it's different when you're holding a whisk in hand in a classroom :)

Without further ado, let me tell you about this recipe: we love it.  Make it.  You won't regret it.  The end.

{ Salmon with Honey Mustard Glaze }

From BYU Cooking Class

1 lb. salmon filet

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon margarine, melted

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon prepared mustard

1 clove garlic, crushed

Mix all marinade ingredients in a small bowl.  Place salmon skin side down in a shallow baking dish.  Pour marinade over salmon.  Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Set oven to broil.  Remove salmon from marinade.  Reserve marinade.  Place salmon in broiler pan.  Broil with top 4-6 inches from heat for 10-15 minutes, brushing with marinade every few minutes, or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.  Discard remaining marinade.

Chicken Alfredo Biscuit Casserole

A ten-month-old is so much fun, especially at meal times.  Ever since Ethan learned how to sit, we've been letting him eat with us at the table.  One of my many hopes for my children is that they will grow up to be adventurous and good eaters and that they will learn to love and appreciate food so we've been slowly introducing "adult" food to Ethan and I'm happy to say that he is an excellent eater.  At nine months old, he started eating what we eat (except for honey and nuts) and it has been working really well.  I love watching him explore new foods and flavors.  Here is his dinner menu for these past few days:

Saturday:  Brown rice, tofu, steamed fish, Chinese kale, Mandarin oranges

Sunday: Hong Kong style BBQ pork (cha siu), choy sum, tofu, watermelon

Monday:  Chicken Alfredo biscuit casserole, blueberries

Tuesday:  Rice, BBQ pork, green beans, mango

Wednesday:  Tortellini pesto soup, rolls

I made this chicken Alfredo casserole on Monday and both of my boys loved it.  It makes me so happy that in addition to Jake, one more person is enjoying my cooking now.

{ Chicken Alfredo Biscuit Casserole }

From Pillsbury

1 tablespoon butter

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 jar (16 oz) Alfredo pasta sauce

1/4 cup milk

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

2 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed

1/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1 can (7.5 oz) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking

spray.

In 10-inch nonstick skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat.  Cook mushrooms and onion in butter, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in Alfredo sauce, milk, chicken, broccoli and basil. Cook until mixture is thoroughly heated and bubbly, stirring constantly. Spoon into baking dish.

Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Cut each biscuit in half crosswise. Arrange around edge of baking dish, overlapping slightly. Drizzle biscuits with melted butter; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.

Bowtie and Asparagus in Cream Sauce

It has been a while since I posted a recipe hasn't it?  Well, it's been a while since I worked in my own kitchen!  Just thinking about this pasta makes my belly growl.  It was so good.  How can it not be yummy with a whole stick of butter in the sauce?  Instead of chicken bouillon cubes, I used my Chinese chicken powder and it was just fine.  I also threw in a bag of cooked crumbled bacon I grabbed at the store instead of cooking my own bacon.  Do I sound like a lazy cook or what?  I preferred to be called efficient or labor-saving thank you very much.

{ Bowtie and Asparagus in Cream Sauce }

From Favorite Family Recipes

1 package bow tie pasta
1/2 cup real butter
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1-2 chicken bouillon cubes

1 pint heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

10-15 spears asparagus, blanched

1/2 cup bacon, crumbled

1/2 cup toasted pinenuts

Parsley, to taste

Parmesan cheese, to taste

Boil bow tie pasta in salted water until al dente.

In a heavy skillet melt butter. Add minced garlic and sauté for a minute or so.

Add Parmesan Cheese and bouillon cubes. When the bouillon cubes are dissolved, slowly stir in heavy cream, salt, and pepper. Add cooked pasta to cream sauce and toss until pasta is well covered. Add blanched asparagus. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon, toasted pinenuts, parsley & Parmesan cheese and toss together. Serve immediately.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

I know it has only been a couple days since I last posted a recipe but this is so good I feel selfish not to share!  This parmesan crusted chicken took me less than five minutes to prepare which was amazing.  I love quick and easy recipes especially now that I have a cute mini man in the house who I'd rather play with than anything else.  Jake and I both love this dish.  The chicken was crispy on top and very moist and juicy on the inside.  Another great thing about this is that it only calls for four ingredients and I bet you already have all of them in your fridge and pantry.  Make this for dinner tonight.  You won't regret it.  Let's get cooking, shall we?

I just went back to the original website where I found the recipe and realized that she had green beans on the side too!  I swear I wasn't trying to copy her.

{Parmesan Crusted Chicken}

From the enchanted cook

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1 1/4 lbs. total weight or about 5 ounces per breast

4 teaspoons Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

Place mayo and cheese in a small bowl and mix.

Lay chicken breasts on baking sheet (the enchanted cook lines her baking sheet with parchment paper to make clean up easy) and spread mayo mixture evenly atop each.

Next evenly sprinkle bread crumbs atop each.

Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly and juices run clear. Tops will be browned and chicken will be incredibly juicy. Season with a dash of fresh cracked pepper and sea salt, if desired.