Buffalo Shrimp

Hey y'all! I needed to pack a lunch today and it was so yummy I wish I had to pack lunch more often!

I made the most delicious Buffalo Shrimp last night and the leftovers are awesome!!

Here's all you need to make this super fast Whole30 Buffalo Shrimp-

Ingredients

 1 and 1/2 pounds Gulf Shrimp (wild caught is best)

1/4 cup Texas Pete or other compliant Hot Sauce

1 tsp dried minced onion

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp paprika 

salt and pepper

1/4 cup melted coconut oil, plus 2 tablespoons of coconut oil for pan. 

Method

In a large bowl (preferable with lid) whisk together hot sauce and spices. Melt 1/4 cup of coconut oil in the microwave and add it to sauce mixture, making sure to whisk constantly. Add shrimp (with shells and tails on, just dump them in the bowl). Put lid on the bowl and shake to coat shrimp. Let stand 15 minutes. 

While shrimp are resting in the sauce preheat oven to 400 degrees, put 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a glass casserole or 9x13 and pop it in the oven to melt the oil. Once the oil has melted add the shrimp to the pan and bake 11-13 minutes, tossing shrimp once during cooking time. 

(When you go to place the shrimp in the pan you'll notice the cold shrimp meeting the melted oil you used in the sauce has caused the coconut oil to become cakey--this is 100% fine. I just don't want you to think something has gone wrong, its just science. ;) )

You could prepare the shrimp earlier in the day and let them sit in the buffalo sauce as long as you like, it will make them a bit spicier, that way all you have to do is pop them in the oven a few minutes before you're ready to eat. 

I serve these with big salads and an empty bowl for shells. They are great as leftovers and can be added to omelettes, eggs, potatoes, slaw--really anything! We used ours again for omelettes--or I should say Joseph did the omelettes, that's why they are so perfect! ;)

 

Chicken Rub-Whole30

On my very 1st Whole30 shopping trip I spent a good 20 minutes on the seasoning aisle of my local grocery store reading label after label of seasoning blends. Almost every single pre-mixed seasoning contained sugar, sulfates or another eliminated ingredient.

I was a tad frustrated but knew I could easily fix this little problem by taking matters into my own hands in my own kitchen. 

I came home and started mixing and measuring and this is the final result of some trials and revisions and is now my go-to spice blend for chicken. I use it at least once a week (usually more) for three months now and we have not gotten tired of it nor do we miss the sugars one bit.

Meet my friend, 6 Pounds of Chicken Rub.

(It's enough to to do 6+ pounds of chicken, it doesn't make 6 pounds of rub, that would be crazy!)

Ingredients

2T Chili powder

1T Onion

1/2 tsp Aloha Red Hawaiian Salt

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Paprika

1/4 tsp Dry Mustard

1/4 tsp Corriander

1/2 tsp Chipotle powder

Pepper to taste

I also make a Spicy Steak rub that is great and sugar and preservative free

Ingredients

1.5 Tablespoons Mr. Pepper

1/2 Tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground chipotle

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp red pepper

Salt to taste

The Taco/Fajita/Mexican seasoning I use is from the Pioneer Woman. I've made my own for years and always have it in hand. I always double it so here's the doubled recipe for you saving you some math. You're welcome.

4 tsp Chili powder

1Tablespoon Cumin

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp red pepper

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic

1/2 tsp onion

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp pepper

Thanks, PW! We love it! 

I keep all of my rubs and seasoning mixes in glass jars labeled on top and the recipe on the side. 

//Nail Color//

This makes it oh-so easy to spot them in the pantry and simple to remix them when I'm running low. 

If you need a label maker (and we all do!) here's the one I use. It lives in my pantry. 

Blueberry Pie with Whole30 Crust

This post has me grinning from ear to ear. 

 

I've been looking for some dairy-free dessert options, thinking about making a cobbler or pie but wasn't sure I wanted to conquer that. But bang! It's mid-summer and berries are bountiful, so I finally took the plunge! 

I'm so glad I did. 

 

This pie is wonderful! A great dessert but not so sweet that it feels like you're maxing out in sugars and will be left with a food hangover. 

I tried a few different crust variations and am so pleased with how this turned out! 

Enough about me, let's get into the recipe already!

Ingredients

For the filling: 

3 cups (or more) blueberries

1/2 cup coconut sugar

3 Tablespoons potato starch (or arrowroot starch)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

6 Tablespoons coconut flour

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla

Method

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a pie plate with coconut oil, set aside.

Combine filling ingredients in a storage bowl with a lid. Lightly mash a few berries (with a masher or fork) to burst them and get their juices flowing. Secure lid of bowl and shake vigorously to toss all of your ingredients together, stir if necessary, set aside.

In a mixing bowl combine all of the crust ingredients until dough forms. It will be a bit crumbly but should come together better once you roll it out. Turn dough out onto plastic wrap. Lay a second piece of plastic wrap over dough and roll out to no thicker than 1/4 inch. 

Carefully move dough to pie plate and press around to smooth. If you have cracks or tears in your dough just piece it back together by hand. Pastry work can be tricky especially when you're working grain-free, gluten-free and dairy-free. Give yourself some grace here. It's will still be delicious! You'll have enough dough to make the bottom crust and a top crust, I opted for some cookie cutter stars since it's almost July 4, and top crusts are even tougher to wrangle. I sprinkled the tops of my stars with coconut sugar just for an added touch of sweet.

 

Once your crust is in place spoon your filling over the crust. Add top crust (with slits to vent) and pinch the edges together OR decorate with crust cutouts. 

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25 minutes then loosely cover with foil and return to bake another 20 minutes.

 

The perfect pairing with this pie? Coco Whip! 

 

Yep, think of our Ol friend Cool Whip after a Whole30. It's made by So Delicious, it's Dairy-Free and Dang Delicious!

I bought mine at Sprouts and brought them to the beach with me since I was pretty sure I couldn't easily find any down here. I'm so glad I did! This was the first time we've tried it and it was awesome! 

I hope you'll believe me when I tell you this is a delicious dessert and simple to put together! I read lots and lots and lots  of pie recipes before trying this out. I got the gist of Paleo crust making but then simplified things because sometimes I feel like some cooks who are trying to create paleo/whole30 recipes are trying too hard to show off their culinary skills when all we really want to do is make something delicious without going to too much trouble. 

There are only 10 ingredients in the whole thing and it's great and festive and a wonderful dessert for the whole family! 

It's also divine when typing up a late-night blog post about pie! 

I hope you enjoy sharing this with your family! 

 

Dairy Free Sour Cream Saves the Day! -Whole30

Since giving up dairy, I've wanted to make sure we didn't feel like we were missing out on any of our favorites and Mexican food is certainly a favorite in our house. 

It was well after I completed my Whole30 that I discovered this little life saver, so I'm making sure to mark this recipe as a Whole30 Must-Have because its so simple and really satisfying. All you need is a can of unsweetened organic coconut milk, some citrus, a little salt and a mixer. 

It literally couldn't be any easier to make your own fresh and delicious dairy-free sour cream!

 

Ingredients

1 chilled can of unsweetened, full fat coconut milk (organic is preferred- -I use Thai Kitchen)

Juice of 1 lemon or 3 limes

Salt to taste

Method

Turn can of refrigerated coconut milk upside down, open the can and pour off the liquid. Spoon the cream into a small bowl. Squeeze in lime juice and add a dash of salt. Mix with the whisk attachment of a handheld mixer on high for about 30 seconds. Enjoy!

 

Comfort Food Stuffed Peppers- Whole30

You guys. 

Growing up stuffed peppers were always a favorite. I always asked my mom to make them for my birthday, I make extra filling every time I make them because I love it and can eat it by the bowlful.

But the way my mom makes them and therefore the way I've always made them they have rice and corn and oh yes, Velveeta. Since completing my 1st Whole30 and cleaning up what I eat for months and months those ingredients are off my list. 

I've seen lots of recipes out there for Whole30 compliant stuffed peppers, and read through them but none seemed like they would even compare to my childhood favorite. So, I decided to just go for it and use the skills I've gained using different veggies in new ways and come up with my own. 

Its a winner! These have a great, rich texture. You might swear you're eating rice when you taste this filling. This recipe makes enough filling for 8 generous peppers-- but I just stuff 4 peppers and keep half of the filling (freeze it for next time, eat it for lunch with a salad, use it another night with some zoodles or a baked potato--I've done it all!)

Ingredients

2 pounds ground venison (or lean beef, or bison or whatever your red meat of choice is--mix it up if you want)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

4 red bell peppers tops, seeds and membranes removed (or 8 if you want to use all of the filling now!)

1 orange bell pepper, diced

1 medium squash, grated

1 medium zucchini, grated

1/2 onion, grated

1/2 head of cauliflower, grated

1 can organic tomato sauce ( I used Muir Glen from Publix)

1/2 cup organic Chicken Stock (I use the Kirkland's brand from Costco)

2 Tablespoons Coconut oil

1 Tablespoon Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Method

Preaheat oven to 350, drizzle olive oil over prepped peppers and place them upside in a glass baking dish. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile melt coconut oil in a large saucepan or pasta pot over medium high heat to brown your meat, season with garlic powder and place a small skillet over medium heat.Add cauliflower and chicken stock to the skillet, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally. Brown meat then drain and set aside. In the same pot saute diced bell pepper, squash, zucchini and onion. 

Now is a good time to add salt and pepper to the veggies and the cauliflower simmering in the skillet.Remove the peppers from the oven and turn them over to let them get ready for the filling. 

Once the veggies are soft, return the browned meat to the pot and stir in tomato sauce. After combining, fold in your cooked cauliflower rice. Your filling is done!

Fill the peppers and pop them back into the 350 degree oven for 15-18 minutes. 

You can freeze the other half of the filling or use it for more meals this week! 

A classic.

Comfort food.

Whole30 Compliant AND delicious. 

7 veggies, protein and healthy fat in one delicious entree. 

Happy, happy, happy!

Mexican Chicken Salad - Whole30

¡Hola, Amigos!!!

This chicken salad recipe I'm sharing today is simply delightful.

I'm a huge chicken salad fan and who doesn't love Mexican? 
 

I made it for lunch today and can't remember the last time I've loved my lunch like today's.

What's not to love? Chicken Salad gone for a trip south of the border?? 

Sounds like a match made in heaven, right?

You're right. It is.

 

Ingredients

3 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced

1/2 small onion, diced

1 Tablespoon taco seasoning

1 Tablespoon fresh minced cilantro

Method

Combine all of this goodness in a bowl. Say the blessing. Dive right in.

 

Greek Chicken and Potatoes -Whole30

I'm excited to share such a simple, comforting recipe with you!

Even before we cleaned up our eating, this meal was a great go-to crowd-pleaser at the West house. 

I've even taken it to families when we've delivered dinner during an illness, after a new baby or after a loss.

Once we eliminated sugar and preservatives, I recreated this recipe using real, whole ingredients and it's still perfect!!

Greek Chicken and Potatoes

Ingredients

1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, rinsed and patted dry. 

1 pound small new potatoes, washed, dried and cut into bite sized pieces

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup dried roasted sun-dried tomatoes (these are in the produce section at my Publix--on an end cap with jarred garlic, etc.)

1.5 T Greek Seasoning

Method

Preheat oven to 350.

Place chicken, potatoes and tomatoes in a large bowl. Add olive oil and seasoning  and toss until everything is coated. Pour contents of bowl into 9x13 glass baking dish. Bake 45-50 minutes. 

Serve this alongside a fresh green salad and dinner is done!

I hope y'all enjoy this as much as we do! Keep this in mind the next time you need to deliver a meal to a neighbor--they'll love it too! 

 
 

Better Than 5 Ingredient Banana Muffins -Whole30

I love breakfast! We love muffins! We also live the way we feel when we make the choice to eliminate sugars and fake stuff in our food! I found 7 million pins for 5 ingredient Whole30 muffins!!!

....and they were......okay.

Wait--they were good if you hadnt had any sugar/flour/baked goods in a month. Yes. they were good.

But the first time I tasted them I knew they could be better. 

So I fixed them.

The original reciep I found called fro bananas, eggs, vanilla, baking soda and almond butter. 

I like the concept, tried it then married that recipe to my favorite go-to muffin recipe from Mel at Larson's Lingo. 

Poof!

A tender, flavorful version of the "Whole30 Muffin" was born. 

Now I'm sharing  it with you, my people. 

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas

2 eggs

1 cup shredded zucchini

1 cup almond butter

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

Coconut oil to grease muffin pan

Method

generously grease cups of a 12 cup muffin pan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If you're making by hand mash the bananas in a bowl first using a wooden spoon or potato masher then stir in additional ingredients. Pour batter into greased muffin tins until 2/3 full. Bake 12-15 minutes.

If you want, use your food processor. I throw everything in mine, give it a whirl and then fill the muffin tins. 

If you want your kids to happily gobble up these muffins, add some milk chocolate chips to theirs. That means they are eating a wonderfully healthy breakfast/snack and you arent sweating whether or not they'll reject it because it looks healthy. Its a win-win if you aren't keeping your kids to a 100% Whole30 compliant diet. (Which we don't do at our house. Our kids still eat some treats and things that aren't compliant with the Whole30 plan but they see the choices we're making to improve our food and that, to me, is worth a few chocolate chips to them.)

These are a fantastic texture and well worth the effort of adding 7 ingredients to a bowl instead of just 5!

Enjoy them in the morning! Send them to school for snack! Use them for dessert! 

If you've tried the other muffin recipes, try this version and let me know if you agree!

Pecan-Crusted Chicken- Whole30

My oh my.

I knew this would be tasty before I actually made it.

But then I actually made it. And the house smelled so good, and the food looked so yummy, and the family was all "feed us right now!"

And we gobbled it all up before I took a picture!!

So, I made it again today and took a picture before anyone got near the table!

I hope you'll love this as much as our family did! It's allllll the deliciousness of fried chicken AND ITS WHOLE 30 COMPLIANT!

You're welcome! 

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 eggs well beaten

3/4 cup pecan meal (which translates to pulverized pecans)

4 Tbsp ghee

Salt and pepper

Method

Place skillet over medium heat and melt ghee.Place eggs in a bowl and beat, spread pecan meal in a pie plate or dinner plate. Dredge your chicken in the egg then into the pecan meal to coat both sides. Brown the chicken over medium heat, 8-10 minutes per side. Turning the heat up too high will scorch the pecans so keep it to medium/medium-high and everything will be just fine.

You guys, I would eat this any old time Whole30 or not. You'll love it and won't feel like you're deprived or missing out on anything. 

Except maybe grandmommy's biscuits, but I can't do a darn thing about that. 

Here's the pecan meal I use.

It's from the pecan holy-land since we pass it just about every weekend on our way to the beach this time of year. 

(More about that here.)

If you aren't passing by Priester's just get yourself some pecan halves or pieces and give the a whirl in the food processor. 

For more recipes click here to check out my recipe index!  

Green Onion Turkey Sausage

I had some Green Onion Sausage a few weeks ago from a vendor at a farmer's market at the beach...I NEEDED to recreate that this week while we were home in Birmingham this week and I have to say I did a pretty good job!

Also, sausage doesn't photograph well. But looks aren't important here. It's important that this was sweet and delicious. It's important this was a cinch to make. It's important that this much sausage would've cost me $12-15 from the farmer's market. 

Ingredients

1 pound organic ground turkey

1 and 1/12 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder

3 green onions washed, trimmed and cut into 2-3" sections.

Method

Place onions in food processor to mince. Add dry spices and pulse. Add your turkey and let the processor combine your ingredients. I turned mine out onto freezer paper and formed it into a tube. 

Then cooked some the next morning and  it smelled so great cooking I couldn't wait to dig in. 

Can I get an amen?

 

Make the Mayo already. -Whole30

'Twas the eve of our Whole30, and all through the house, I was meal-planning and avoiding my spouse.....

The day before our Whole30 began I was making lists and checking them twice. I was planning and prepping and stressing and dreading. I had no idea how challenging and rewarding the next 30 days would be. I was sure they would be different, hopefully not desperate times for us. I was also sure Joseh was going to "need" some comfort foods. Mayo-making was at the top of my list of to-dos so I pinned recipes, compared, stocked the pantry and got to work making the mayo. 

And it was okay. Nothing to write home about, but okay. So I revisited my pins, reviewed and revised again and again every week until I have what now, we like best.

It's thick enough to stand alone but creamy enough to work into salads and dressings without being gloppy. 

I know there are lots of Paleo/Whole30/Homemade mayo recipes out there and try mine and if it's not right for you then try another, but this one is our favorite!

Ingredients

1 room temperature egg

1 Tbsp apple cider or red wine vinegar

1/2 Tsp ground mustard

1/4 tsp white pepper

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup light tasting olive oil or avacado oil

Method

I use my food processor at home and the blender at the beach. Either way works great.

In the bowl of the food processor combine everything but the oil. Give it a whirl for about 20-30 seconds then remove the small cover in the lid and slowly drizzle your oil in through the hole with the blades going. Pour a slow steady drizzle until all of the oil is incorporated. (This takes me about 2 minutes, maybe a smidge less.)

I store mine in a mason jar in the fridge. I use a dry erase marker on the lid to make sure I know what's in there. 

Now, go ahead, make the mayo already! 

Hungry for more recipes? Click here to see my recipe index!

Broccoli Salad-Whole30

We'd been eating Whole30 style for about 3 months before I ever thought to make broccoli salad. Don't make the same mistake I did! Make this today.

Ingredients

16 ounce bag broccoli florets, trimmed to bite size

2/3 cup Mayo (here's my recipe)

1/4 red onion finely diced

6-7 Mejdool dates pitted and chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Cover and chill 2-3 hours or overnight.

This is an incredible make-ahead salad in that it gets better with time! Cool and crisp and a little sweet, this salad is a great thing to bring to a pot-luck to make sure you have something compliant but non-whole30-ers will enjoy it as well! 

Make These This Weekend-Sausage Cheese Biscuits

A savory, rich southern breakfast favorite in handy pass-me-one-of-those form? 

Perfection!

I found this recipe in the my new The Southern Living Community Cookbook. I have dog-eared so much in this book and can't wait to cook my way through it! 

These are just perfect for breakfasts, brunches, tailgates or potlucks. I hope you'll enjoy sharing these this weekend!

I made these for dinner on our snow day with eggs and fruit. The whole thing took 25 minutes.

1 pound breakfast sausage, cooked and drained. (I use Tennessee Pride.)

1 and 1/2 cups grated mild cheddar cheese

3 cups Bisquick

1 can Cheese Soup

3/4 cup of milk

Preheat oven to 375 and spray a muffin pan. Brown sausage until crumbly and cooked through. Drain sausage and let cool. In a large bowl combine cheese and Bisquick. In another small bowl mix together cheese soup and milk.  Stir sausage into dry ingredients then make a well and add wet ingredients. Scoop into muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Yield: 12 amazing, filling yummy biscuit-muffins.

I hope you love these as much as we did! 

Bacon-Wrapped BBQ Chicken with Apples

I was talking to my mom as I left the grocery store the other day...

Me: So, I think I'm gonna wrap some chicken breasts in bacon, 

put barbecue sauce on them and roast them in the oven. 

I'm gonna put apples on top somehow.

Mom: I'd put he apples on the side.

Are you just making this up off the top of your head?

Me: Why, yes I am.

Y'all. It is so good! 

Tender and sweet with a little bit of BBQ spice. 

Winner, winner (another great) chicken dinner!

Here's what I did.

Heat oven to 350

Place 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts on a baking sheet and season (I shake some Tony Chachere's on both sides). Wrap each piece of chicken with bacon securing the ends underneath the chicken.

I used about 1 and 1/2 slices if bacon per piece of chicken. 

Sprinkle brown sugar over the top and bake for 45 minutes. 

Top with barbecue sauce and continue baking for 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, peel and chop 2-3 medium apples, discarding cores. 

Melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat, add apples, 1 tsp (or so) of cinnamon, 

2 tablespoons of brown sugar and reduce heat. 

Cook about 10 minutes stirring occasionally until apples soften to your preferred tenderness. 

Some folks like them firmer, others prefer them cooked to an almost liquid state. 

Y'all this is so great-can be made for a crowd for Sunday dinner or a weeknight supper. 

It was such a hit at our house and just enough spicy and sweet for everyone in the family. 

Ingredients list:

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

6 (or so) slices if bacon

1 Tbsp Tony Chachere's

4 Tbsp Brown Sugar, divided

1/3 cup barbecue sauce (more or less)

2-3 Tbsp butter

2-3 medium apples

1 tsp cinnamon

Enjoy! 

Sugar Pies

My #1 kitchen assistant and very favorite 4 year old helped create these little sweeties and therefore got naming rights. 

Friends, countrymen-I give you Sugar Pies.

These will be our new go-to dessert at our house because they are so quick and easy and the delight inside is probably only limited by your imagination.

I made these mini-apple hand pies because I really was craving some fried pies but wanted to simplify things and lighten things up just a bit-or a lot! 

This recipe makes eight Sugar Pies, if you want, cut it in half and make four. Save the other pie crust for another day (like tomorrow). 

Here's what you need:

Two Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts, thawed according to package directions (one package)

Two medium apples, peeled and diced

1/2 cup sugar (substitute for Splenda another alternative if you want)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp honey

1 tablespoon flour

Preheat oven to 425.

Unroll each pie crust onto wax paper. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife cut each crust into quarters (cut into two semi-circles, then cut each in half)

Combine apples, sugar, cinnamon, honey and flour in a small mixing bowl.

Spoon a small mound of apple mixture into each pastry piece. Fold pastry over, seal edges with a fork.

Place each sugar pie onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or sprayed with nonstick spray. Brush the top of each pie with water, sprinkle with sugar and prick the tops with a fork.

Bake 15-17 minutes watching to make sure the cornered brown but don't burn. Cool. Enjoy. 

Easy as pie!! Wait, I think this is actually EASIER than pie!!

Share if you want. Or keep them all for yourselves! 

Makes 8. 

Rockin Roast Chicken and Revising Menu Monday

It's a New Year and another Monday!

This week I'm showing and sharing my experience making a Roast Chicken for the first time.
(Actually the first, second and third times!)

I've used the Pioneer Woman's Roast Chicken recipe and instructions--and using this chicken in a variety of ways. I'll also share with you what I learned along the way and how it worked for me in my real kitchen with my real family.

Here is the PW's recipe in its entirety. And it is awesome.

And here is the way I made it and the modifications I made getting it right for me (on the third time around).
1 whole chicken
1/2 cup butter softened
3 lemons
2 sprigs fresh Rosemary

The morning I'm cooking I set out a stick of butter to soften. I'm only using 1/2 cup of butter instead of the 3/4 cup the PW recommends.

When I'm ready to roast I preheat my oven, zest 2 lemons and remove the leaves from one sprig of rosemary. The PW says to finely--really, really finely chop the rosemary. After doing this for the first two chickens I used the food processor for the last one and loved the results.

So into the Cuisinart go the zest, butter and rosemary leaves.

Perfect! This chopped my herbs, mixed my ingredients and whipped my butter just slightly to ease the spreading. I'm so glad I did it this way instead of chopping, chopping, chopping and mixing by hand.

I rinsed and patted the chicken DRY. Not patted it mostly dry, as the first time I made this recipe--I mean DRY. It made smearing the butter a breeze. So easy that I used a rubber spatula and just used my hands for the portions where I wanted to smear butter between the skin and meat.

So easy!

Cut the three lemons in half, squeezed the lemon juice over and stuffed with remaining Rosemary and lemons.

Into the oven and the house smells absolutely amazing within the hour and once the chicken is done the possibilities are endless. I've used mine a number of ways and even used the bones for a soup base once I'm done. This is the universal meal that can spark your menu and your diet! Learning to roast a chicken myself can be scratched off of my kitchen bucket list. Now, here's a list of ways to use this delicious dish once you're done!

1.Chicken Salad-My kids love "Chick-fil-a" style with celery, mayo, relish, salt and pepper
2. Calzones-pick up some pizza dough, add chicken a little sauce and your favorite cheeses, fold and bake!
3. Tamale Pie
4. Big Salads
5. Chicken Enchiladas
6. Chicken, Apple and Provolone Sandwiches
7. Mexican Chicken Skillet
8. Mini- BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
9. Chicken Club Appetizers
10. Cheese Tortellini with Chicken-buy premade and add your favorite red or alfredo sauce
11. Chicken tacos
12. Ranch Lettuce Cups
13. Chicken Cheese Ball
14. Just as your main dish with roasted or steamed veggies. Can't go wrong this roasted chicken is SO juicy and tender!

About Menu Monday--I'm sharing one new dish from my kitchen every week and how we really prepare it and eat it. I've shared weekly menu plans which you can view here or by searching the Menu Monday label on the blog.

I cook A LOT and love to share ideas and tips and tricks that make life easier. The hope is that it helps some of my friends add new options to their menus and we all benefit. This spring for us is incredibly busy and instead of sharing a week's worth of dinners I've decided to share one really worthwhile cooking adventure every week. If there is something you've wanted to try but haven't yet--leave a comment and maybe I'll give it a try. This roasting of a chicken was something I've wanted to do for myself for a while, but I thought it would be too difficult it wasn't hard at all and got easier each time...not to mention the result was amazing!

Follow along to see what other new frontiers we'll conquer this spring! Thanks for visiting!!

Menu Monday #15

Lasagna-I'm doing one for tonight and one for the freezer-here's how-

1 pound of Italian sausage, browned
1 jar spaghetti sauce
Oven ready lasagna noodles
32 oz part-skim ricotta
1 and 1/2 cups freshly grated mozzarella, divided
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 egg
1 Tablespoon dried parsley

Brown Sausage in a large skillet, add sauce and let simmer. Preheat oven to 350.
Combine all other ingredients except 1/2 cup mozzarella in a mixing bowl.

Here are the pans I use.

They are available on amazon here. Free Shipping with Amazon Prime.

I highly recommend getting 3 or 4 if you want to start freezing meals. These have been the one thing (okay 4 things) that have enabled me to do this. Before, I never felt like I had the right "equipment" these are literally all you need.

Line one with two sheets of foil with plenty of overhang....

Now, assemble your lasagna by spooning a bit of sauce into the bottom of each pan and spread it around.

Then layer noodles, sauce, cheese mixture. Noodles sauce, cheese mixture.

 Noodles sauce cheese mixture. Top with reserved mozzarella.
Pop one in the oven and cover the other with foil.

Place in the freezer in the Pyrex. Tomorrow remove the foil wrapped frozen lasagna from the pan, slide into a labeled, gallon size freezer bag. You just spent about two extra minutes making a whole dinner for another night down the road!

Pork Chops and Roasted Cabbage- I'm bringing these back this week. I know y'all liked them too based on the texts and comments I got from some of you! I'm so happy y'all liked them and shared them with the Pinterest world!! Here they are again this week for us to enjoy! Welcome Pinterest Pork Chop People!!

Pork Chops and Oven Roasted Cabbage- if you've all but given up on pork chops, I urge you to try cooking them this way. Over the past 7 years I have prepared many mediocre pork chops...until I discovered this magical method. Its super simple too--

You'll need:

3-4 boneless center cut pork chops

1 head of cabbage

1 medium onion (I use Spanish, but whatever)

olive oil

salt and pepper

Creole Seasoning (I use Tony Chachere)

Preheat to 350, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil with plenty of overhang. Sprinkle Creole Seasoning over both sides of pork chops, set aside. Chop Cabbage into 6-8 chunks or wedges, discard outer leaves and core. Coarsely chop onion. Place cabbage, onion and pork on aluminum foil in center of pan, tucking pork in among cabbage chunks. drizzle all with olive oil, add salt, pepper and more creole seasoning over the top. Place a second sheet of aluminum foil loosely over top and seal edges all the way around. You will have a foil packet that should allow for some airspace. 

Pop in the oven for 1 hour, let rest for 5 minutes before opening foil then serve. I make macaroni and cheese with this and its just perfect. 

So easy and yummy, you'll find yourself loving pork chops from now on. 

Simple Meatloaf- this is the quickest, easiest meal in my arsenal. With the hectic Christmas schedule, I need quick and easy one night this week.

1 pound ground beef, or a mix package of 1/3 pound pork, 2/3 ground beef, one egg, envelope of Lipton Onion Soup mix, pepper. Mix it up, spread it in a casserole and bake at 350 for an hour. 15 minutes before its done open a small can of tomato sauce, stir in a few shakes of Worcestershire and garlic salt and coat top of meatloaf. Ta-dah! And leftovers for lunch!!!

Frontier Casserole (courtesy of Kate at 2 Kids, a Minivan and  a Mortgage) Kate first shared this recipe and I've made it several times. Its also an easy-peasy crowd pleaser. With Chicken, Sausage and Yellow Rice as the main ingredients this is great for a pot-luck, tailgate or anytime year-round. I'm so glad she shared this!

3 chicken breasts cooked and chopped

1 pound browned breakfast sausage

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 small can of mushrooms (optional)

1 package yellow (saffron) rice prepared per package directions

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, place in a greased 9x13 baking dish, bake at 350 for 30 minutes. 

Spaghetti and Meatballs- I make my meatballs by combining equal parts ground beef and pork, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and just about 1/2 cup of Japanese breadcrumbs for 2 pounds of meat. I brown mine in a skillet with a little olive oil and add sauce when they are cooked through.

If its easier for you to open a bag of frozen, that is okay with me. They are also delish. :)

That rounds out or 5 days of dinner this week.

I'll be in the kitchen aplenty this week making some Christmas cookies and making the most of the holiday season!

Menu Monday #14

Okay, here we are getting the Christmas Season underway and it's back to another full week of menus for a variety of family meals this week.

Swiss Steak-using cube steak* (which my mom calls minute steak), put about 1 cup of flour in a pie plate or shallow pan, add salt and pepper then dredge steaks. Brown in a skillet with 1/4 to 1/2 inch hot vegetable oil and place in a baking dish. In a small bowl mix 1/1/2 cups tomato juice, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic salt, pepper and several hearty shakes of Worcestershire. Pour mixture over meat, cover with foil and bake at 350 for 2 hours. Serve over rice.

*I use venison instead of beef for this recipe because we always have plenty in the freezer. Pick up a beef cube steak at the grocery store if you don't have venison, but if you are like me and always looking for a way to cook deer--this is a good go-to recipe to have in your repertoire. 

Breakfast for Dinner-Tonight I'm using Hashbrown Casserole (from the freezer since I made extra last week), Eggs, Sausage and Biscuits and Gravy. I love this for busy nights because breakfast cooks so fast!

Soup from the freezer- We have Potato Soup and Dixie Stampede Creamy Vegetable. I'll grab one and thaw for tonight's dinner. Presto-dinner.

Cube Steak Roll-Up- Prepare a boxed stuffing mix according to package directions. Meanwhile dredge cube steak* in 1 cup flour, salt and pepper then brown in a skillet of hot oil (just like the Swiss steak above). Lie steak flat, spoon stuffing onto steak and roll. Secure with a tooth pick and place in casserole dish. Dissolve 2 cubes of beef bullion in 2 cups of water and add to baking dish, bake covered at 350 for 90 minutes.

*This is another night I'll be using venison instead of beef and this is a classic way to cook venison for the family. I'm thinking about experimenting with some variations of this over the weekend and if any are worth sharing, I'll share them here.

Taco Night- I'm just using our family's favorite taco kit and ground chicken tonight. Can't beat it.

Sweet Somethings

Here are a few treats we've been sharing on these cold winter nights.

Hot Mint Chocolates

Its a basic Hot Chocolate recipe with a dash of peppermint extract-and crushed peppermint, chocolate chips and marshmallows on top.
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate (1/2 Baker's chocolate bar)chopped
4 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
Peppermint extract-just two little drops, about 1/4 teaspoon gives you the taste

Place chocolate, 1/3 cup milk and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat stir until sugar and chocolate melt. Add remaining milk and heat through, stirring frequently do not boil. Add mint at the end. Garnish with crushed peppermint, marshmallows and mini chocolate chips.

The perfect warm-up with the tiniest hint of mint.

And if you've never made hot chocolate without using a packet of powder, please try it once this winter. It is delightful and easy.

Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies
This recipe is from a great church cookbook. Andrew Price Memorial UMC in Nashville. It is noted that Wayne Campbell submitted this recipe. Thank you, Mr. Campbell!

From one of my favorite church cookbooks. I make these rather small and they the absolute perfect texture. It really doesn't take much time to make cookies from scratch and these beat the pants off of any mix or refrigerated dough you'll find.

1 cup Crisco
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flor
1 tsp baking soda
1-12 ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream together Crisco and shortening, sugars  and vanilla beating on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well after each addition. In a separate bowl combine flour and baking soda. Add dry to creamy mixture. Stir in chocolate chips by hand. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Makes about 6 1/2 dozen.

The first time I made these I only had half a bag of butterscotch and half a bag of mini chocolate chips. They were also yummy. This is a fantastic recipe- and a great one for working with what you have on hand most of the time.

Turkey remix 2013

Turkey is probably the preferred poultry in our house.

And since we're entering the glorious time of holiday feasting we're also looking to make the most of our leftovers.

Here are two new couldn't-be-easier ways to rework your turkey bird.

Balsamic Pasta with Turkey and Roasted Vegetables
1-2 cups leftover cooked turkey
1 pound box of pasta (i had tri-color rotini on hand)
1 bottle of balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1-2 cups fresh spinach
1/2 cup crumbled feta, plus more for garnish

Cook up a box of your family's favorite pasta-or whatever you have on hand-penne, rotini, rigatoni, ziti.

While your pasta's boiling chop or dice 1 and 1/2 to 2 cups of turkey and coat with about 1/3 bottle of balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Set aside.

Chop tomatoes in half, if they are really juicy, squeeze some of the juice and seeds out onto a paper towel. Grab two handfuls of fresh spinach and roughly chop.

Once pasta has been cooked and drained combine pasta, turkey, tomatoes, spinach, 1/2 cup feta cheese and another 1/3 bottle of the dressing and toss. Place in a large covered casserole and bake covered at 350 for about 20-25 minutes. You want this to be warm, but not baked and dry.

Serve up and top with a bit more crumbled feta.

You could marinade your turkey overnight for this dish, it certainly couldn't hurt.

Turkey Tacos
A turkey and a taco kit walk into a bar.....have yourself a margarita and guess what happens.

My advice is this--warm your leftover turkey in a skillet with 1/2 cup chicken stock, then add taco seasoning and instead of using the water that the box calls for, replace it with chicken stock. You simply can't go wrong.


If you want more turkey ideas here are some other dishes we've done at our house

BBQ Turkey Stack on Pumpkin Cornbread

Turkey Vegetable Pie

Calzones just sub your turkey for the chicken

Cavatappi with Turkey and Peas

Happy Thanksgiving!
Watch a parade or some football!
Have a laugh and/or an adult beverage!
Enjoy the weekend shopping or hunting or trimming your tree!