chirizo rosé

ok, let's pretend it hasn't been over a year a while since my last post...

Let's pretend I've kept regular updates and we don't need to try and find excuses explain my absence - because I can't...other than to say, life gets busy with 3 littles!!

So, I made a comment on Facebook the other week that I had just enjoyed a delicious meal of spaghetti and a super simple - but-oh-so-good - sauce...and had some comments that I should post it here!

Now I may have looked at the comments and wondered what incredible magazine they were referring to, and then I may have eventually realized that it was my own blog to which they referenced...but we will never know ;)

Anyhoo...back to the recipe...

I was trying to think of something other than the every-day spaghetti and meat sauce when I remembered a Jim's favourite meal from a local pasta place...

So, I remembered it for my next shopping trip and grabbed some chirizo (mild, but you could use spicy...or any/none sausage if you prefer) and some fresh basil...the rest I already had in my fridge/pantry...

finely slice your chirizo and throw into a preheated-to-high pan...

 


 this it the rest of the "stuff" you'll need (missing in the pic is cream cheese and fresh basil)
 

 after you've got some GOOD colour on the meat, remove from pan and set aside, leaving all the drippings in the pan...then throw in your minced garlic, sliced onion and a few scoops of sundried tomatoes...until you can really smell them
 



 de-glaze the pan with a shot of water and then add a can of crushed tomatoes and throw the meat back in...

 

 once it's all heated up...add some S&P and some sugar...maybe 2 tbsp?
 

 while the sauce is simmering, chop your veggies - whatever you like, this is all I had in my fridge
 

 once you put on your pasta water, add a few spoons full of cream cheese...stir it in well, bring back to a simmer...
 

 once your pasta water has boiled...and you've got the pasta in...throw your veggies in the sauce (this will ensure they don't overcook...

once your pasta is done (imagine a picture of this :))...throw it into the sauce and sprinkle a generous portion of fresh basil and Parmesan over it all....

MMmmmmmm....ENJOY!

::mmm...pizza::

here's another speedy, scrumptious idea here for ya!!

so...when you feel like pizza, good pizza, but you're pressed for time...don't worry! you can still satiate your hankering without the time-consuming thoughts of dough-prep!!

how?? you ask! Well...simple, I say!

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INGREDIENTS
(for one personal sized pizza):

2 flour tortillas (lrg size)
grated cheese of your choice/amount
pizza sauce
toppings of your choice
VOILA!!

okay...so you preheat your oven to...hot! Say, 425 degrees. Grab a cookie sheet and place one tortilla one the sheet, sprinkle some cheese all around it, and place the second tortilla over that. There's your "crust"!

...now, easy-peasy...
spread the sauce over the crust...load up the cheese then neatly place your yummy toppings all over...and into the oven it goes!!

bake for 15 mins, or until golden brown all over - kind of like getting the perfect tan!

so simply...so good!

enjoy....

::creamy potato leek soup::

okay...so if you love going out for lunch, and getting a hearty bowl of simmered, full of flavour, warm you to the core soup...then, we have something in common!!

let me know if we have THIS is common too: good soup takes ALL DAY to make! Or at least that's what I THOUGHT!!!

Until I chopped, sauteed, boiled and blended up this beauty tonight!!


Seriously...THIS was THAT-gotta-go-out-for-lunch-to-get-a-good-bowl-of-soup SOUP! For ALL who enjoyed it tonight!! And...it was ready in less than an hour!!!!

So...wanna know how to make it??? Okaaaay, i guess i'll tell ya!

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1/2 large onion
2 small links farmer sausage
(shocker, i know!)
3 leeks, chopped
2 large potatoes, chopped
1 carton chicken broth
sea salt
cracked pepper
celery seed
1/2 c whole milk
1/2 sour cream

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okay, so put the onion and sausage in the pot and fry it up until it smells really yummy!

then, pour in the carton of broth and add the leeks and potatoes, salt, pepper, and celery seed - bring it to a boil, pop the lid on your pot, turn it down to medium and let it "brouddle" away (I know that's not a word, but it's something Jim says)

I did that for about 15 mins?? until the potatoes were nice and soft...

it should look something like this...

then, put is in a food precessor and give it a good "jooj" to smooth things up a bit...I did this in two batches.

NOTE: if you are using a processor/blender that has a tightly fitting lid, PLEASE make sure to vent the lid, or...well, just listen to me;)

THEN>>and ONLY then...add the creamy stuff, because you don't want to add it before, for fear of cooking the dairy too long!

Stir in the dairy...bring it back to a boil, and then take it off the heat and keep it covered until your ready to serve it...

But, believe me, it won't be long before it's all.gone.! I didn't even have a bowl of left-overs!


~mmmmmm...so simple!!! enjoy!

(please let me know if I missed explaining a step here, I'm just so excited about this soup!!)

SERIOUSLY?!?!?!


Are you even still there????

Okay, well, I am too!!

But life has an incredible way of "filling up"

And "blogging" just NEVER seems to make it onto my "list"

sorry, but it's true!

i AM very busy enjoying this time that I am blessed to have...AT HOME!!

When life (and friends) are SO busy surviving life and all the back and forth, to and fro

We are here...at home...and L.O.V.I.N.G. I.T.!!!

So, when I find the moment, I WILL post on how to make a little PJ bag,

but for now, I'll leave you with this - the PERFECT addition to ANY Fall dinner:

Homemade Noodles

1 egg per person...1/2 a cup of flour per egg! and then some salt...of course:)

example: if you're expecting 4 people for dinner then you'd use 4 eggs and 2 cups of flour.

So...figure out how many people you're serving...crack the eggs, measure the appropriate amount of flour, sprinkle in some salt and MIX!! (I use my incredible Bosch mixer)

Then, let the dough rest for approx. 10 mins

Roll our fairly thin and cut into strips

Using a generous amount of flour, stack up the strips and cut them width-wise with a pizza cutter!! Seriously, using a pizza cutter makes this WAY easier to manage!

Then...throw them into whatever soup/ boiling water for past sauce you are having until their done and....VOILA!!!

...mmmmm!

Nibble on those until we meet again:)
~C

::super speedy goodess::

okay...so it's been a while!! I commend any of you who are still checking back in here and can only offer you the lame excuse that we're livin' life to the fullest these days!!

and that's only lame because there is no sympathy in it toward you and my lack of blogging...i'm too busy having fun;)

so...this super speedy post will leave you with a super speedy go-to meal packed with goodness...

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INGREDIENTS:

1 can black beans
onion
garlic
bell pepper
spinach
corn
cumin
salt
pepper
salsa

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okay...so get all/any of those ingredients together....chop up the onion and garlic and get that cooking down in some olive oil in a hot pan.

once that's on the go...open your can on black beans and drain it - i do all of this in a matter of 10-15 minutes, so my "draining" is literally dumping the can upside down and giving the lid one good push...whatever liquids remain will help to thicken the meal.

dump the beans into the pan, turn the element down to med. heat and add your seasoning. i sometimes throw in 1/2 c-3/4 c salsa IF i have it on hand...and if not i add a few shakes of cumin. and in either case i always season generously with S&P!!

cover while you chop up the pepper and get the frozen corn (or whatever kind you have) and spinach (i use fresh) ready...this will give your seasoning some time to soak into the beans and onions;)

i haven't put in ANY measurements because this is a dish that is entirely suited to you own tastes - i usually put in one pepper, a couple hands full of frozen corn, and any spinach that i need to use up - remember, fresh spinach cooks down like crazy, so you really can't ever use "too much"!!

once you have all that (peppers, corn and spinach) ready, uncover the pan...throw it all in and give it a good stir...it will look something like this:

cover it back up again...possibly turning the stove down further, if needed....to let the spinach wilt in...

see how much the spinach cooks down!!

let it simmer a tad longer...or NOT if you're running short on time...and then...YOU'RE DONE!!

seriously....it's THAT simple!!!

and if you really have a hankering to kick it up a notch in flavour and protein....


put an egg up on top of it and crumble some feta over the whole thing!!! a little dash of hot sauce goes a long way to make this dish too...if you like that sort of thing!

so...hope you enjoy...and thanks for sticking with me!!

...simple!

{deceptively delicious pasta sauce}

out of necessity to create meals that 1. were simple and 2. healthy and 3. (most importantly) tasted good...i came up with this idea to trick my kids and more importantly my hubby - who likes to keep his diet focused mainly around things which lack colour.

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1 lb organic* ground beef
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes
1 can of cream based soup
~ie: cream of broccoli
large variety of veggies
1/2-3/4 c organic* chicken stock
spices of your choosing
~ie: ::spicy pepper medley
::seasoning salt
::oregano
::cumin
::basil
*obviously, non-organic ingredients can be used in place of organic if need be

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1. in a crock-pot...or large pot on the stove (if you want to watch over it)...combine 1lb of organic ground beef with diced tomatoes and creamed soup

2. in a food processor (this is the deceptive part;)) throw in all your veggies! here we have a whole pepper, a couple mini zucchini, several cloves of garlic, 2 hands full of spinach, and half of a large red onion


3. pour in some chicken stock to ensure smooth processing


4. turn it on and let it go!


5. i 'chop' mine until it is quite fine, but if you like a chunky sauce just blend it for a shorter period of time


6. add veggies to the crock-pot along with all your spices...stir and wait!

unfortunately, i forgot to take a snag a picture of us enjoying this meal, but you'll know when the sauce is done because you'll catch a whiff of it's yummy aroma! pour it over your favourite choice of pasta and enjoy...best eaten with a generous portion of this;)