I was cruising through the produce department recently and saw that eggplant was priced as "per eggplant," not per pound. So of course, I looked for the largest one so I could make lots of sauce! Don't forget to get the largest one when you see "per unit" prices in the produce department! So here's how this goes down... Dice. Salt. Let sit in colander in the … [Read more...]
Curried Lentils & Rice with Caramelized Onions
Balance. This dish is all about balance. Balance of flavors. Balance of textures. Balance of sweet and heat. Cooking these lentils in the sauce, as opposed to cooking the lentils, then adding in the sauce, really makes a difference in the depth of the flavor of the entire meal. I thought about adding another teaspoon of curry powder (cuz I love me some curry!), but I … [Read more...]
Spinach Orzo Soup
The pantry sweep out and the freezer sweep are almost complete. I've emptied the freezer and it will be making its way to its new home here in Dayton tomorrow. And I'm almost finished clearing out the "back shelves" where I store most of my stockpile items and non perishable pantry items. My goal is to have that cleared out by the end of February. This moving thing is really … [Read more...]
Three Cheese Spaghetti Bake
This is a classic example of being creative with ingredients you have on hand. I made this for us early last week...using up the tomatoes from Aldi from the week before, and the feta cheese from Monday's shopping trip. Also, this is another example of a meal that uses an "expensive ingredient," that is paired with a few other inexpensive ingredients and pantry staples to … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Batch Cooking Navy Beans
I really love it when my slow cooker can do the work for me. January usually means a freezer and pantry challenge, including rice and beans. So, about once a month I batch cook some beans to tuck away in the freezer. Especially in the winter months, that means navy beans. Using the slow cooker to batch cook takes only a little pre-planning. You need to rinse and … [Read more...]
15 Bean Enchiladas Recipe
Melt in your mouth enchiladas... Yep, these are those. I've made all kinds of enchiladas over the years. But never with a random mix of beans like this. Hurst Beans sent me a few bags of beans to cook with and experiment with...and it took me all over 2 seconds to know that I'd use the Cajun 15 Bean Soup mix to make some Cajun-kickin' enchiladas. The beans are cooked … [Read more...]
Stovetop Mac n Cheese
Jenna emailed this recipe to me from White on Rice Couple. And I was so skeptical that I had to try it...even though I rarely make Mac n Cheese because of the boy's dairy allergies. I made it anyways, and it worked out perfectly... Right before Christmas, Ryan woke up one morning with a fully body rash. After grilling him about what he ate at school the day before, thinking … [Read more...]
No-Boil, Freezer Friendly Three Cheese Manicotti Recipe
Do you want to make a casserole without a bowl, a spoon or a pot? You do? Then this is the delicious pasta casserole for you. Three Cheese Manicotti Recipe is so scrumptious! I make this often and double to have extra in my freezer to give away to a friend in need, or for a busy weeknight meal. You DO NOT cook the manicotti prior to filling and … [Read more...]
Triple Squash Soup Recipe
There's something about pureed soups filled with the flavors of fall that warms my tummy and soul. I remember the first time I had homemade butternut squash soup. It was many years ago, and I remember thinking that my stepfather was nuts for going through the extra step of pureeing. It seemed like a bit much to do. You may think a pureed soup requires a lot of work, but it … [Read more...]
Savory Butternut Soup
Butternut squash is such a lovely squash. It's simple to prepare, needs little adornment, and totally delicious. The gorgeous orange color is a celebration of sorts of the glory of autumn. I like it in soup. This soup features butternut squash in a top 8 free, vegan way. It's a savory soup with just a touch heat and natural sweetness from the squash itself. We'll … [Read more...]