Showing posts with label Easy cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Easy cooking. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

What's Cooking Calla? Simply Sweet Garlic Boneless Pork

OK, so maybe the name isn't as catchy as I would like but the husband and I were failing at a name and it is just too darn good to not post now that I took photos through the process of it! This meal is so simple and easy to make that you can start it before work and serve it up within an hour of being home (depending on length of side dishes you choose!)

Got 10 minutes in the morning? You can make this!!





 Ingredients Needed:

1 package boneless pork chops/loins--mine was just over a pound. 
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1.5 tbsp minced garlic (I use the stuff from Aldi in olive oil!)
1 tsp cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste

Small mixing bowl
small whisk
measuring cup
measuring spoons
crock pot

Step one: Lay your pork chops in the crock pot and turn on LOW

Step two: Put all other ingredients in mixing bowl as shown below

Step three: Whisk those ingredients together

Step four: Pour over the pork chops and cover- you can flip at about 3-4hrs if you are available

At 5.5-6hrs of cooking on low it should look like this


The sauce is amazing with rice, potatoes, and vegetables. We chose to have seasoned French green beans and Parmesan Asiago potatoes. 

A friend of mine mentioned her dad is not a huge fan of pork so this can be substituted for boneless skinless chicken or even some flank steak! I am progressively working on my new recipes so that we are not eating the same dishes all the time and I have new items to add to our monthly meal menu. 

XOXO 








Tuesday, January 22, 2013

What's Cooking Calla? Loaded Potato Cheese Soup and Garlic Knots!

So I had made promises to get this recipe up asap and of course since I pulled the leftovers out of the freezer today for dinner I figured good a time as any to make due on the promise. The first time I tried to make a loaded potato soup it came out very bland and a bit rough around the edges. This one had both my husband and I very thrilled, it is super filling, and he was just over the moon about the garlic knots!

Let's start with showing you the finished product this is my personal bowl of soup with toppings and the plate of garlic knots! I made 10 and we ate 9 lol. 

Ingredients (Some are not shown but will be noted..I added them in as choices after I started throwing stuff in to the crock pot.)


1 30oz bag of julienne style hash browns- Ore Ida was my pick
1 (2 cup bag) of Triple Cheddar Cheese- Kraft
1 large container of chicken broth (I think it's 30oz)
1 can condensed cream of chicken
1 can of water from the cream of chicken can
1/2 an onion
1/4 tsp black pepper
Regular cream cheese (must not be low fat it will not melt right!)
Sour Cream
Bacon Bits
(I also added in another type of cheese for toppings and cheddar french fried onion)

Step one: Layer in the crock pot the hash browns  bag of cheese, chicken broth, can of creamed chicken, fill that can up and and one refill of it as water, chop up the onion and put half of it in the soup mix, about 1/2 tsp pepper, close lid and set on low. 

I usually stir if about every 2 hours, no real need in most cases but if I am home I do it. 
Should cook on low for 6-7hrs
Step two: ONE HOUR before you plan to eat it put the cream cheese in a separate container, ladle over 2-3 spoonfuls of soup to the cream cheese and whip it up (this helps melt it so it does not end up in chunks in the soup)- Pour it back into the crock pot and stir. 

15-20 minutes before serving dinner get ready to make your garlic knots!

Ingredients:
1 (5ct biscuit can from Grands) you can do more if you want!
Olive Oil
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Basil
2 tsp Garlic (I used minced from a jar to have extra power!)
3 tbsp Grated Parmesan cheese- I used powdered as I did not have fresh

Step three: Put all the dry ingredients in to the bowl first and then pour and stir in olive oil until it forms a paste. 



Step four: I took 1 (5ct container) of Grands home style biscuits and separated the layers to make 10. 
On a cutting board lightly powder it with flour. 
Roll each piece into a long strip and tie it in a knot as shown in photo. 

Step five: Depending on the package of biscuits you got, preheat the oven to the temp it states on the package. Once preheated place the naked biscuits in to the oven for about 8-10 minutes where they are not finished baking but a bit firmer. 

Step six: Pull them out and using a marinating brush coat each one with the sauce you made. 

If you choose to you can also add on some cheese on top! 
Step seven: Slide them back in to the oven and bake until golden on all sides and sauce looked dried on top. 

At this point your soup should look like this in the crock pot


Once your biscuits are done they should look like this


I topped my soup with some cheese (regular cheddar not shown in photos), bacon bits, sour cream, and the French's french fried cheddar onions (not shown in photos)

The soup freezes very well for leftovers! The biscuits if you do not finish them off you can store them in the fridge for up to 2 days and microwave for about 20-30 seconds to be warm enough to dip in your soup!

I would say it makes about 6-8 heaping servings of soup as I had 2 bowls and the hubby had 1 and I used two medium containers and one small one to store the leftovers. I honestly would say the most time consuming parts of this were rolling out the biscuits (a whopping five minutes) and slicing the onion (a time stealing full minute) haha

So I did accomplish two new recipes for the month! (Actually three when I post the next one lol) This is perfect for a chilly night to cuddle up and watch a movie!

XOXO






Thursday, January 17, 2013

What's cooking Calla? Stuffed Parmesan Garlic Biscuits!

I am horrible at coming up with names for recipes I create or even more so recipes I see on pinterest and then decide to completely alter. It then loses its original name and just becomes "Eat it and tell me if you like it", as the statement towards my husband lol. I test drove this recipe not only on my husband last night but today for lunch on one of my best friends. 

I did not have a few of the things for the original recipe I saw so I pulled open the fridge and freezer and made substitutes. Now I introduce the super quick and easy and delightfully amazing Stuffed Parmesan Garlic Biscuits!

1 bag Armour turkey meatballs 
1 bag Publix shredded six Italian Cheese
2 cans (5ct) Grands home style biscuits
2tbsp butter (I used I can't believe it's not butter)
Cooking spray
Marinara sauce (I used Bertolli)
Sugar (optional)
Oregano
Basil
Garlic powder
Parmesan blend bread dip seasoning (got it in the bakery)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Spray a full size cookie sheet with cooking spray
I defrosted the meatballs and then microwaved them for about a minute




Step one:
Each grands biscuit pull into two separate parts (So a 5ct can becomes 10 pieces)

Sprinkle the shredded cheese on the whole thing making sure to cover it all. 

Place one meatball in the center and pinch the biscuit around it full making a ball. 

Place the seam side you just pinched close on the pan

Step two:
Take your butter and melt it for about 15-20 seconds

Use a brush to coat the top of each ball with melted butter

Sprinkle the bread dip seasoning across the top only (You can make your own blend with dried Parmesan cheese, oregano, basil, and garlic)

Place a tiny pinch of the shredded cheese on top of this (That is what gives it the nice golden color on top after being baked)


Place in over for about 15 minutes give or take your elevation level. Once they are golden on top and crispy to the tap of a butter knife you can pull them out.


Step three:

For every 10-12 biscuit balls you will want half a jar of the Bertolli sauce and you can microwave this or simmer it and keep stirring.

I add 1/4 cup sugar
Oregano, Basil, and Garlic to taste. 

Serve either across the biscuit balls or as a dipping sauce as shown.



ENJOY!!! Not only did four fill each of us up for dinner but I sent four to work with my husband for his lunch, my friend and I had three each for lunch today, and the husband was sad they were all eaten when he got home! It was a slam dunk in the kitchen!

So technically I have knocked off 1 of 2 new recipes for the month. Granted, I did whip up a chicken dish the other night but I was not pleased with the photos so it is not something I am posting a recipe yet until I perfect it! 

XOXO