Tomato Basil Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
1 T. olive oil
2 green bell peppers, sliced
1 onion, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 pint cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp. dried or fresh thyme
1 tsp. dried or fresh oregano
2 T. chopped basil
2 cups pasta sauce

Directions:
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet and brown the chicken over medium-high heat. Remove and set aside.
Add peppers, onion, and mushrooms to the same skillet and cook until tender. Add in tomato, sauce, oregano, and thyme.
Reduce heat to low and add in chicken. Simmer 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Serve over rice or pasta.
Enjoy!

Dried Thyme

How to Dry Thyme

Wash and dry the thyme. You can choose to dry the entire stem or remove the tiny leaves.
To remove the leaves, pinch the end of the stem with your thumb and forefinger and pull up the stalk. The leaves will fall off.

Traditionally, many herbs were dried by hanging and this still works today. Take the stems and bundle them together. Tie the bundles and hang them where the temperatures are at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity is low. Stems may take a week or more to dry.

Once the leaves are separated from the stem you can also just lay them on a cookie sheet. Stir them up after half a day. The leaves will be completely dry in just a couple of days.

Storing thyme correctly will preserve its essence and flavor. Put the dried herb in an airtight container in a dim to dark area. Light and moisture will degrade the herb’s flavor.

From: Gardening Know How

Cayenne Peppers

The cayenne pepper is a hot chili pepper used to flavor dishes. It is named for the city of Cayenne in French Guiana. The pepper is usually dried and ground to make the spice of the same name. It is generally rated at 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville units. It is also used as an herbal supplement.

17 Health Benefits of Cayenne Pepper
Pickled Hot Peppers

Creamed Swiss Chard with Bacon

Creamed Swiss Chard with Bacon

Ingredients:
1 bunch swiss chard
3 spring onions
Fresh parsley
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
1 1/2 c. milk
Parmesan cheese
1 lb. bacon

Directions:
Cook bacon until slightly crispy. Set on paper towel when done and allow to cool.
Rinse swiss chard and remove stalks.
Chop chard into thin ribbons and chop onion and parsley.
In a skillet heat butter and add onion. Cook until caramelized.
Add parsely and swish chard and cook until wilted.
Crumble bacon in pieces and add to mixture.
In a sauce pan heat milk until warm.
Add flour to the milk and whisk until it begins to thicken and make a roux. (3-4min.)
Mix roux and parmesan cheese into the swish chard mixture and simmer for 5 minutes.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve over pasta and enjoy!
From: Smitten Kitchen

                                     

Sauteed Beet Greens

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound beet greens
• 1 strip of thick cut bacon, chopped (or a tablespoon of bacon fat)
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 3/4 cup of water
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/6 cup of cider vinegar

Directions:

1 Wash the greens in a sink filled with cold water. Drain greens and wash a second time. Drain greens and cut away any heavy stems. Cut leaves into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

2 In a large skillet or 3-qt saucepan, cook bacon until lightly browned on medium heat (or heat 1 Tbsp of bacon fat). Add onions, cook over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occassionally, until onions soften and start to brown. Stir in garlic. Add water to the hot pan, stirring to loosen any particles from bottom of pan. Stir in sugar and red pepper. Bring mixture to a boil.

3 Add the beet greens, gently toss in the onion mixture so the greens are well coated. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5-15 minutes until the greens are tender. Stir in vinegar. (For kale or collard greens continue cooking additional 20 to 25 minutes or until desired tenderness.)

Recipe from: Simply Recipes

Kale, Bacon, and Basil Hash

I made this for breakfast for my parents. It was a big hit. Tasty and filling, a great way to start the day.

Ingredients:
6 medium sized potatoes
1 medium yellow onion
Basil (1/2 cup)
Kale (about 2 cups chopped)
1/2 lb bacon
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Chop potatoes into small cubes. Chop onion.
Heat olive oil in a pan and add potatoes and onions. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook bacon until crisp. When done, remove from heat and cool on a paper towel covered plate.
Chop kale and basil. When potatoes are tender and start to brown add in kale and basil. Cook another 6-8 minutes.
Chop bacon into pieces and add to potato mixture.
Place mixture on a plate and add a fried egg to the top.
Serve and enjoy!

Eggplant Parmesan

This is a no fry variation of eggplant parmesan.

Ingredients:
3 eggplant, peeled and thinly sliced
2 eggs, beaten
4 c. Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
6 c. spaghetti sauce, divided
1 lb. mozzarella, shredded and divided
1/2 cub grated parmesan, divided
1 tsp. chopped basil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Dip eggplant slices into egg and coat with bread crumbs.
Place eggplant on a sprayed baking sheet and bake in the oven for 5 minutes on each side.
In a 9x13 baking dish, spread tomato sauce to cover the bottom.
Place a layer of eggplant slices, then sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Repeat; sauce, eggplant, cheese, ending with a layer of cheese.
Sprinkle basil on top and bake in the oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.
Enjoy!

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:
4 large bell peppers
1 lb. ground beef
1/8 c minced onion
2 cloves garlic(minced)
1 cup cooked rice
1 tsp. thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce, divided
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cut the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds. Boil peppers until tender, 5-8 minutes. Remove and place in a baking dish.
In a skillet cook ground beef with onions and garlic. Drain when done and place in a bowl. Add in cooked rice, thyme, salt and pepper, half of the sauce, and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.
Spoon meat mixture into the peppers. Top with remaining sauce and cheddar cheese.
Bake in the oven at 375 degrees until cheese starts to bubble.
Serve and enjoy!

How to Make Pickled Hot Peppers

How to make pickled hot peppers: 

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. hot peppers (cut into 1 inch pieces)
• 6 cups vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 3 cloves garlic (crushed)
• 1 onion (chopped)

Directions

1. Place the hot peppers into a large pot. Add the vinegar, water, garlic, and onion. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Ladle peppers into sterile jars, and fill to the top with the liquid, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Tap jars on the counter to remove air bubbles. Place two piece lids on the jars.
3. Place jars in the rack of a large, canning pan, and fill with enough water to cover the jars completely. Bring to a boil, and boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Refrigerate jars after opening.

How to Roast Beets

You need:
4 beets
1/4 cup water

Directions:

Wash beets to remove dirt
Cut beets into wedges
Place beets and water in a baking dish that has a lid

Cover and cook at 375° for one hour, until tender
Serve and enjoy!

Stuffed Hot Peppers

Ingredients:

4 hot peppers (large)
1 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tomatoes (small, diced)
1 onion (medium, diced)

salt and pepper to taste
8 bacon slices

 

Directions: 

Cut a slit lengthwise in each banana pepper, cutting to, but not through, other side. Remove seeds.
Combine cheese, tomato, onion, and salt and pepper. Spoon mixture evenly into each pepper, and wrap each with 2 bacon slices; secure with wooden picks. Place peppers on a rack in a broiler pan.
Broil 5 1/2 inches from heat 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until golden.

 

Cucumber Dill Salad

Ingredients:
2 cucumbers
3/4 cup fresh dill
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup feta cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Slice cucumber and cut into fourths so they are bite sized pieces. Place into a bowl.
Remove stems from dill and chop the leaves. Add dill to the cucumbers.
Add in the yogurt and feta and mix together. Season with the salt and pepper.

From: Kalyn's Kitchen

Broccoli Salad

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5-6 cups fresh broccoli florets (about 1 pound of florets)
• 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup cooked, crumbled bacon
• 1/4 cup of red onion, chopped
• 1 cup of frozen peas, thawed (or fresh peas if you can get them)

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup honey

Directions:

1 Bring a large pot of water, salted with a teaspoon of salt, to a boil. Add the broccoli florets. Cook 1-2 minutes, depending on how crunchy you want the broccoli. 1 minute will turn the broccoli bright green, and leave it still pretty crunchy. 2 minutes will cook the broccoli through, but still firm. Set your timer and do not cook for more than 2 minutes, or the broccoli will get mushy. Drain the broccoli and immediately put into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Let cool and drain.

2 Combine broccoli florets, almonds, crumbled bacon, chopped onion, and peas in a large serving bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, cider vinegar and honey. Add dressing to the salad and toss to mix well. Chill thoroughly before serving.

Recipe from: Simply Recipes

Cilantro Lime Fries

Cilantro and Lime Fries

You will need:
3-4 medium sized potatoes
3 sprigs of cilantro
1Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Cut potatoes into fries
Chop cilantro
Toss potatoes in a bowl with the olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, garlic powder, salt, and pepper
Transfer to a baking pan and cook at 425 for 20-25 minutes. Turn fries halfway through baking.
Enjoy!

Mushroom and Kale Lasagna Rolls with Cauliflower Sauce

Ingredients:

Filling:                                  

8 oz. mushrooms

2 T. butter

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp. thyme

¼ cup wine

3 cups chopped kale

Sauce:

1 T. butter

2 cloves garlic

6 cups cauliflower

2 c. water

½ cup gorgonzola

½ cup milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Cheese:

2 cups ricotta

½ cup parmesan

1 cup mozzarella

Noodles:

9 lasagna noodles

Directions:

Boil lasagna noodles. Drain.

Filling:

Melt butter in a pan and add garlic. Saute about 1 min. Add mushrooms and thyme and cook until mushrooms are caramelized.  Deglaze the pan with wine. Add the kale and cook about ten minutes. Turn heat to low.

Sauce:

Melt butter in a sauce pan and add the garlic. Cook about 1 min. Add the cauliflower and water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer until the cauliflower is tender. When done, puree the cauliflower until smooth. Return to the pot and add Gorgonzola. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add in the milk and cook until it becomes a creamy, smooth consistency.

Rolls:

Spread a greased baking dish with enough cauliflower mixture to cover the bottom in a thin layer.

Mix the ricotta cheese and the parmesan cheese.

Lay noodles out on a flat surface. Spread with the cheese mixture.

Add a layer of the mushroom and kale mixture.

Roll up the lasagna and place in the baking dish.

Repeat for all the noodles.

Cover the rolls with the remaining cauliflower sauce. Top with shredded mozzarella.

Heat in the oven for about 10 min. at 375.

Enjoy!