Natalie, Meet Meat

In the beginning I vowed that I was never going to cook meat because it grossed me out to touch it raw. This last week my body's been telling me that it is sick of all the processed fast-food that I've been feeding it and it really just needed a good home cooked meal. I broke down and bought some steak, mushrooms, and a variety of fruit. This is what I came up with (of course I had to call my dad and have him walk me through cooking a steak step-by-step). This dinner was amazing and I definitely needed it! I seasoned steak with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Lawry's; then I sauteed the mushrooms in butter with minced garlic; and cut up watermelon, strawberries, kiwis, and a banana to make a fruit salad. Everything came out perfect with no hiccups! And I loved it so much, I made the left overs for dinner the next day :)

The fruit salad made way more than I had anticipated (I only used 4 kiwis, one banana, a quart of strawberries, and a quarter watermelon), so I've been eating that for breakfast the last couple of days. It feels great to have some fresh fruit. 

p.s. Sorry for the crappy photos, I did these with Instagram :)

Takes Two to Tango

Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
Ingredients:
4 medium potatoes, skins on, scrubbed and diced*
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2c grated parmesan
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp paprika salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 
In a large bowl, toss potatoes with olive oil, parmesan, garlic salt, and paprika. Spread potatoes out on a large baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees 30-40 minutes, stirring potatoes every 10-15 minutes for even browning. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm. *The most important thing is to keep the potato pieces about the same size so they cook evenly. I like to slice the potatoes in half lengthwise, then slice each half lengthwise again, then dice. I end up with 16-20 pieces per potato. You can end up with more or fewer, just try to keep the pieces the same size.

My Take:
Well, I think that I cut my potatoes too big, or they were just too big to begin with because mine looked nothing like the perfect potatoes in her picture, but regardless they were delicious. I think next time I will mix the ingredients together BEFORE I put the potatoes in to coat them. Also I'll cut smaller pieces of potatoes and probably not use as many either. The recipe says to use four, but I only did three potatoes and they weren't coated with a lot of seasoning. So I think two potatoes would be just fine for two people and then they'd be more flavorful. I still have a ton left over so I've got dinner for tonight too!

Original Recipe Here

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Sauteed Garlic Broccoli
Ingredients:
8 oz Package Broccolini (aka baby broccoli)
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Garlic Cloves, minced finely Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a fry pan, melt butter and add garlic. Wash broccolini thoroughly, then add to the fry pan and coat in butter mixture and saute for 10 minutes on medium high heat, then lower heat and cover for another 10 minutes.

My Take:
First off I bough fresh broccoli, I didn't use a package of broccolini like the recipe calls for. So I just cut up 2 stalks of it and used it all. After put the broccoli I realized I didn't have a lid for my pan, and I don't own a pan with a lid, so like everything else I try and cook I decided to wing it lol. I eventually had to add some more butter because it had all cooked in or evaporated and even then I ended up taking the broccoli off before it was fully cooked. It was REALLY crunchy and I would have liked it to be a tad softer, but all in all it wasn't bad. The original recipe calls it "Sauteed Parmesan Garlic Butter Broccoli" but there wasn't anything in it about the parmesan so I just left it out all together. I'm sure I could have just tossed some in and it would be just fine.

Original Recipe Here

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Rice Crispy Treats
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
4 cups mini marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies

Directions:
In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Add Rice Krispies and stir until well coated. Using buttered spatula press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares. Best if served the same day. Makes 12 to 15 squares.

My Take:
I'm starting to think I can't follow a recipe to save my life hahaha. I didn't want to buy mini marshmallows because I had the GIANT ones at home, so I just used those. But after everything was finished the treats were a tad tough and we determined that it was because it took SO long to cook the big ones down that they kind of toughened up. So stick to the recipe and use the mini ones. Also, I used the 13 x 9 pan and they're only like a 1/2" thick so I would use a smaller pan if possible too. Other than that they taste pretty good.

Original Recipe Here

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*The main course for the dinner was store bought pulled pork, all I had to do was heat it up in a microwave.

Miss Quesadilla Mae Hurt

1 package of 10" tortillas
2 precooked grilled chicken packages
2 cup package of Mexican style shredded cheese
24 oz. jar of salsa
1 packet of taco seasoning mix

The recipe: (10–15 minutes) Heat a frying pan on the stove. Combine chicken, cheese, salsa and a 1/4 of the taco seasoning in a bowl. Place one tortilla in the frying pan, add the mixture to half of the tortilla, fold over and cook until tortilla is browned and filling is warm. Flip to brown both sides.

*Optional* Serve with sour cream and jalapenos, or however preferred.

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I don't like pretty much anything that's spicy so this is the recipe for quesadillas the way I like it, but if you like to sweat like a stuffed hog while you're eating feel free to add whatever spicy shenanigans you want. That's why it's called "Miss Quesadilla Mae Hurt." That and it's part of my derby name. Awhile back we were going to come up with a team cookbook and each of us had to contribute a recipe, this was mine.

Now the first time I made this it was very close to be a disaster. I decided that I was going to make a giant quesadilla (don't ask questions, I don't know what I was thinking, especially since I worked at Taco Bell for two years you'd think I'd know). Anyway I wanted a giant one and put one tortilla down, covered all of it with the inside mixture and then laid another tortilla on top. All was fine and dandy until it came time to flip the thing. I have enough trouble flipping the one that's folded in half let alone the giant one with no side to hold the stuff in. Needless-to-say all the chicken and melty cheese fell out because one tortilla folded over and then I had to wash the pan just to cook a new one. Epic fail. And like I said earlier, what the heck was I thinking?!

All is good now, I have perfected the art of quesadilla making. I've fed it to three friends, none of which have died or gotten ungodly sick so I think I'm good :) This can very easily be made into a vegetarian friendly by using mushrooms or refried beans. 

Mini Deep Dish Pizza

3-4 whole wheat wraps (try to find ones with at least 3 grams of fiber or more per wrap)
1 (15oz) can pizza sauce (you may have some left over, depending on how much sauce you like)
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
48 mini turkey pepperonis (or the 12 whole turkey pepperoni’s, each cut into 4 even pieces)
1 tsp basil/oregano mix OR Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
pinch of sweetener, (sugar/stevia/splenda)
pinch of black pepper

*Put your own spin on these by adding anything that you would normally like on a pizza just before popping them in the oven!

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 12 count muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Start by laying each tortilla out individually on a flat surface, and use an empty can, cup, or cookie cutter to cut 3-4 medium circles out of each wrap. I used the empty pizza sauce can, which worked well!3. Press each wrap circle into muffin tin using your fingers. Note: it doesn’t have to cover the entire side of the tin, it should just fit snuggly!
4. Meanwhile, pour pizza sauce into a medium sized bowl….Add in the parmesan cheese…And the spices. Stir until everything is well combined.
5. Drop about 1-2 tbs of sauce in each wrap, this really varies according to how much sauce you like!
6. Divide mozzarella cheese evenly over each mini pizza.
7. Place 4 mini pepperoni’s on top of each pizza.
8. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.
9. Wait for pizzas to cool, and remove from muffin tin using a fork or knife. Pizza’s should pop out with ease!

Calories: 66 Calories Per Pizza
Weight Watchers Points Plus: 3pp for 2 Pizzas, and 5pp for 3 Pizzas

Servings: 12 Mini Deep Dish Pizzas

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These were so quick and easy to make. I was done with the prep right as the oven was finished warming up. I didn't actually pay too much attention to the recipe since I didn't actually need to eat 12 of them. I only made three so I didn't mix the ingredients together or any thing like that. I just cut out the circles from the wraps, put in a tablespoon of pizza sauce in each one , sprinkled a little bit of each spice and parm, then put in three of the normal sized pepperoni (I didn't use turkey one's either), and put the cheese on top. Next time I'll probably use a little more pizza sauce and more mozzarella to fill them up a bit more, but other than that they were perfect. I also didn't spray the muffin pan because I don't have any spray, but I ended up not needing to either. I had to buy a muffin pan because I didn't have one of those either, but I bought the non-stick pan so I figured I was safe. Also, twelve minutes was a tad too long to cook mine. I checked them at ten minutes and they were a little on the dark side, but nothing that I couldn't handle. If I hadn't plan on making dessert as well tonight I probably would have made more than three pizzas for myself, but I wanted to have room to at least try both things. They were really yummy and SO easy to make. These are great for quick dinner, and between these and my Cake in a Cup, I am way full!! I actually think I'm going to make these tomorrow before I head out to go to school.

Original Recipe Here

Voilà!

So here the finished product of chili, complete with Texas Toast. The recipe made SO much chili, and I tried to get people to come over to help me eat it, but I only had one taker so I froze the rest. But they liked it, must be a sign I'm doing something right lol. I think the rest of my friends might be too scared at my recent uptake in cooking and they're waiting until I have a little more experience under my belt hahahah. Can't say I don't blame them!

I am honestly impressed because it turned out really well. I didn't know how much I'd like it because of all the beans, I'm not that big of a fan of them, but it was tasty. I never thought that chili without meat would be so yummy. Just goes to show that you've got to try something new sometimes.

I really don't think I'd do anything different the next time. I did notice after the last post it said to "season to taste" and I just added all the seasons at the full amount the recipe called for, but it was delicious anyway, so it worked out. I will definitely be making this again during the winter!

Hopefully you'll try this chili!
~The Terrible House Wife

Me vs. Onions: Round 1

1 (19 ounce) can black bean soup
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16 ounce) can vegetarian baked beans
1 (14.5 ounce) can chopped tomatoes in puree
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder, or to taste
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil

Directions 
In a slow cooker, combine black bean soup, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, baked beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, bell pepper and celery. Season with garlic, chili powder, parsley, oregano, and basil. Cook for at least two hours on High.

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Let me just say that I am NEVER chopping onions again!!! End of story. It took me f-o-r-e-v-e-r to finish chopping because my eyes burned SO bad. How do people do that? How do chefs do that on a daily basis?! Them people are nuts. There's got to be a trick to it, but I sure don't know it! It's been like 3 hours and my eyes are still sensitive. >.<

I was a little nervous that my Crock Pot wouldn't be big enough because I don't know the size of it and the recipe says it's for 8 servings. I was going to cut it in half, but I didn't know what I was going to do with the half cans of food, so I just crossed my fingers and threw it all in. Thankfully it all fit.

I'm also not cooking it on High because it's for tomorrow's dinner, so I have it on Low. I don't really know how long I should let it cook though...I thought about shutting it off and putting it in the fridge for the night, but I don't really know. Guess I'll wing it lol.

Original Recipe Here

Not So Chicken Alfredo

½ of a 1 pound package fettuccine
1 cup fresh or frozen broccoli flowerets
2 Tablespoons butter
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
1 can (10 ¾ ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
½ cup milk
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Prepare the fettuccine according to the package directions in a 3-quart saucepan. Add the broccoli during the last 4 minutes of cooking.
2. Drain the linguine mixture well in a colander.
3. Heat the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Add the chicken and cook until it's well browned, stirring often.
5. Stir the soup, milk, cheese, black pepper and linguine mixture in the skillet.
6. Cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling, stirring occasionally. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.
7. Serve with warm buttered brown and serve dinner rolls.

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I called it a "Not So Chicken Alfredo" because I left the chicken out all together. It's not that I'm a vegetarian, although I should be with as much as I love animals, it's that I'm too big of a baby to touch raw meat. It just grosses me out beyond belief, so I just don't do it. I tried to feed my dogs a RAW diet for a couple months and I had to use gloves just to do it, then afterward I'd scrub down like I was going into surgery...EW GROSS! Anyway, since I didn't do chicken, I just added 2 cups of broccoli instead of one and took out step 4 all together.

So this probably would have worked out a bit better had I remembered to add the soup in with step 5. I had gotten all done and had it on my plate, looked over and there was the stupid can of Cream of Mushroom soup on my table. *facepalm* So I just dumped everything back into the saucepan and added the soup, turned the stove on medium and stirred it in really well. I didn't look as pretty as the picture, but it still tasted great...for the most part. I JUST realized it says "¼ teaspoon ground black pepper"...I definitely put in a whole teaspoon of the stuff. I thought that it was really peppery. I swear I'm a genius. NOT! Now I feel like an idiot, oh well, live and learn.

I also didn't use fettuccine noodles either, purely for the fact that I like the way the Rigatoni noodles look. Plus I already had some at home and didn't feel like spending any more money at the grocery store than I already was. And lastly, Texas Toast sounded better than dinner rolls so I went that route, but I didn't do my own; I bought the frozen, make-in-five-minutes ones.

Original Recipe Here