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freshly cracked black pepper

Grilled Surf & Turf Tacos

February 19, 2017 by Dana

Tacos are a family favorite here, and these Grilled Surf & Turf Tacos did not disappoint! They are so quick to put together, and a perfect meal for any night of the week.


One quick thing to point out about life in general. Target now has organic flour tortillas and that means my life is basically complete. For years (I’m not kidding) I’ve been looking for a store bought flour tortilla that did not contain hydrogenated oils, also known as trans fats. I was able to find ONE product at Giant that did not. ONE. They are good, but I like options!

Now there are two! So I can now go to Target, get a latte from Starbucks, buy diapers, groceries, and  tortillas all in one place. Yeeessss. 🙂

Not only did I find flour tortillas that checked out in the ingredient department, I also found a huge bin of Avocados From Mexico right next to the tortilla section. In the bin I found the perfectly ripened avocado. Not too mushy, not too firm, but right in between. It sliced so perfectly for these Grilled Surf & Turf Tacos. The best part… I wasn’t even there for tortillas or avocados!! haha In fact, I don’t even know what I was there for!

Only. At. Target.

In my Fiesta Grilled Chicken recipe I shared a spice mix that I use for grilled meats for tacos, burritos, quesadillas, etc. This recipe is exactly like that one, in that I just use a few spices and I’m done! No packets for seasoning, or out of the ordinary ingredients. I love these simple recipes and my family does too!

Speaking of packets… a friend was just over at my house the other day and mentioned that she has always wanted to make her own taco seasoning mix but she just didn’t know what to use. I got mine off of the back of a can of beans one day. I have honestly not picked up a packet since then. It is so simple! You can totally play around with ratios of course,and add in other ingredients as you taste test and figure out what you like the best. Per pound of ground beef I use:

  • 2 Tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 Tablespoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoons adobo seasoning
  • salt and pepper to taste

The adobo seasoning does contain sodium, so I do go light on the salt. This recipe is similar, I’m just using steak instead of ground beef. Those 3 spices are the best together and are a great foundation for making your own taco seasoning. I’m sure I’ll be posting a ton of other recipes using them since my kids love this stuff and so do I!

Filed Under: Entrees, Recipes

Three Cheese Tortellini Soup

July 1, 2015 by Dana

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Well….I’m just going to go right ahead and say this recipe is a certified cheese-bomb! Shall I shamelessly explain myself or blame it on the pregnancy? 🙂

Ok, now that the cheese-bomb cat is out of the bag, let’s talk about why I needed this in my life today… You know because it was 85 degrees here in Central Pennsylvania and I needed a bowl of hot, creamy, comfort-food style soup. Obviously. Again, the baby. The hormones. The cheese. Oh my!


But then I realized this soup was so deliciously dreamy, creamy, and oh-so cheesy that everyone needs this in their life once in a while. You know, like when your friend gets dumped and she is not that into chocolate… Or when you realize one of your kids just peed all over the bathroom (Oh, I’m sorry.. Is that just MY kids??)… Or that time you realized your cheat day just turned into a cheat month and you must have one final “Hoo-RAH” before getting back on track. And let’s not forget this soup contains tomatoes and tomatoes = healthy fruit/vegetable or whatever you classify a tomato as. So there…it’s not that bad after all.

Now let’s review.

TOMATOES = HEALTHY.

MY KIDS = PEE EVERYWHERE.

The End.

Three Cheese Tortellini Soup || www.3boysunprocessed.com

AND Moving On…Not only is this soup a cheesy-hot-mess, it is also really versatile. A versatile dinner is a great thing in my world because let’s face it… Taking 3 (soon to be 4) kids to the grocery store before dinner to pick up ingredients is basically a tantrum roulette. Maybe someone will have a meltdown, maybe we will all pretend to be normal. Who knows? And better yet, WHY risk it? If you are missing one or two ingredients, chances are you can make a simple sub and all will be well in tantrum land. Plus you won’t have to fight the after word crowds at the grocery store. 🙂

Just a few quick substitution suggestions:

  • Sub tortellini for 100% whole wheat elbow macaroni (If you are wondering about my stance on the tortellini, check out my Spinach and Tortellini Salad post). I would go with 1 cup of macaroni.
  • Omit beef, sub 4 Tablespoons butter. Melt butter in saucepan, add flour, then slowly add liquids.
  • Sub freshly grated parmesan cheese for asiago cheese. If you decide to go the powdered parmesan route, I would suggest cutting back a little because it may turn out a bit salty.

 

Three Cheese Tortellini Soup || A delicious blend of ground beef, cheese, and tortellini smothered in a thick and creamy tomato soup. The ultimate comfort soup! || www.3boysunprocessed.com
*For reference, here are the tomatoes I always use for soup. FYI, this is a bulk listing so the price looks very inflated. 🙂

Filed Under: Entrees, Recipes

Slow Cooker Pork Tacos

April 28, 2015 by Dana

Crock Pot Pork Tacos

Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner and these slow cooker pork tacos are the EASIEST Cinco meal ever! Ok, ok, maybe guacamole is easier but who is really keeping tabs?


Let’s dive right into talking about the recipe, shall we? For being a slow cooker meal I kind of have a lot to say about it!

First, I’ve brought this taco meat to a few gatherings and people have always enjoyed it. This is a great meal for transporting and I’ve even served it with tortilla chips just to keep things simple. I love being able to transport meals that I know won’t somehow end up all over my car or something terrible like that (think soups!). Crockpot = Safe transporting! Plus once I arrive I know I will have a way to keep things toasty until serving.

Second, I love putting a bunch of fresh toppings on tacos like these to boost the nutritional value and make them even yummier! For these tacos I used fresh cilantro, tomato, and avocado. I also added shredded Colby jack cheese and sour cream. So basically I stuffed the heck out of the shell and called it a day. 🙂

And last but not least this taco meat is soooo a “second day meal.” You know, something that sits in the refrigerator overnight and magically tastes even better then it did the day before? Yeah, totally these tacos. If you decide to make this for an event, or  just for your family, I would highly suggest allowing the meat to soak up all the saucy goodness overnight. I’m not saying it isn’t good straight up the first day but so much more flavor develops overnight. With the ease of the recipe I find it super convenient to make the day before so the next day I can think “Dinner is already done. Yess! No dishes, no cleanup.” Love those days!

Crock Pot Pork Tacos

 

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Slow Cooker Pork Tacos

Filed Under: Entrees, Recipes

Greek Kale and Orzo Salad

January 13, 2015 by Dana

 

Greek Kale and Orzo Salad with from scratch, EASY dressing || www.3boysunprocessed.com


New Year, New You? Right? 🙂

Here we are… two weeks into the new year and I’m wondering who is still sticking to their “let’s get healthy” resolution? If you’ve fallen off the resolution train already, don’t worry! One calendar day means nothing, however a new attitude about food means everything! Forgetting about that mark on your calendar might be the best “should-have-been resolution” out there because every day is a new day to change how you eat. Every grocery store trip, every meal is a new chance to check ingredient lists and care about what you are putting into your body. Yes, there are times when I eat things that I know aren’t in the game plan, but I don’t dwell on it for too long because I have new meals coming up that can and will be healthy.

I have to start this with a story about my mom. She’s been on diet after diet after diet her whole life and I think she might be beginning to understand that she NEEDS to check ingredient lists for everything. It doesn’t matter if it says “light” or “natural” because chances are it probably isn’t. She was telling me all about her new eating plan, yet mentioned she was still using a bottled dressing. Now, don’t get me wrong, we are all going to fall short somewhere. If 95% of your diet consists of unprocessed foods, then you are doing really great! However, bottled dressings just make me want to throw something. They are so counterproductive it is just upsetting. Big pile of delicious veggies? Here, let’s pour some unhealthy GMO soybean oil and MSG on it! Unhealthy fats, gimmicky lies on the front of the bottles, addictive ingredients, tons of sodium, artificial colors, preservatives, I mean I could write a book about this crap.

At the end of the conversation I told my mom “Listen.. it is all about seasoning your food. Even if it is a salad it needs salt and pepper. Olive oil, vinegar, spices, salt, pepper. That’s all it takes to make your own dressing that you will love to eat. But the key ingredients are salt and pepper. Nobody wants to eat food that is bland, and this is the key to making your own dressing that actually tastes good. TRUTH! 🙂

Greek Kale and Orzo Salad || www.3boysunprocessed.com

Other then the obvious health benefits kale is an awesome green to use in make ahead salads because it doesn’t wilt. That’s right, you can dress this salad the night before and you will still have a crisp and fresh green to take for lunch or enjoy at home. Kale can be a little rougher then spinach/romaine so I’d suggest chopping you kale thinly.

Greek Kale and Orzo Salad with a fresh and easy homemade dressing || www.3boysunprocessed.com

Filed Under: Entrees, Recipes

One Pot Italian Pasta

January 7, 2015 by Dana

 

One Pot Italian Pasta


Once upon a time I asked my husband for a Dutch Oven for Christmas. Do I need ONE more pot? Probably not. But I couldn’t resist the thought of cooking up a delicious roast in the oven with a pretty colored, straight-out-of-a-magazine looking Dutch Oven. However, instead of getting the Dutch Oven I got a….wait for it…. a cheese shredder and a dish drying rack from Walmart!*insert sarcastically excited emoji here* The best part about this is we never go to Walmart. Like ever. Everything about that place irks both of us, so how he ended up there shopping for me for Christmas is beyond me. *insert confused emoji here*

Ok, so he tried. I’ll give him that. Heck, he even braved the busted carts and weird people at Walmart! But really? A dish drying rack for Christmas? Ok, so long story short I ended up with a beautiful, photo-worthy Dutch Oven anyway, thanks to a gift card from my Grandmother and my heckling skills at Boscov’s. I used it today for this One Pot Italian Pasta and it was just glorious! Husband officially forgiven for his random Walmart presents! 🙂

As I was putting this One Pot wonder together today I just couldn’t help but marvel at the deliciousness that was about to happen + wholesome, healthy ingredients! This beautiful pot includes:

  • 100% whole wheat linguini
  • mushrooms
  • cherry tomatoes
  • strained tomatoes
  • spinach
  • fresh basil

Big plus: This recipe is completely customizable! Don’t have spinach? No problem. Hate cherry tomatoes. Leave them out! Want to sub something else? Give it a try! Want to force more greens on your family? Double the spinach. Is there anything this pot can’t do?

One Pot Italian Pasta

……And then that huge picture happened. 🙂

Cooking Tips and Techniques (Full recipe below)

    • Biggest tip: Must stir pot while pasta is cooking! I’ve made a few one potters before and didn’t need to stir as much as I did with this one. Not sure what was making things stick, but I was stirring frequently. It is worth it though!
    • This recipe makes a fairly large batch. If you are cooking for a family this should be enough for 4+ people with leftovers. If you are cooking for just 1-2 people I’d suggest halving the recipe.
    • Beef, mushrooms, and garlic are browned first then everything else is added.
    • I use Bionaturae strained tomatoes because they come in glass jars. If you can’t find this product I would suggest subbing a 15 ounce can of whole tomatoes in juice and crushing them before adding them to your pot with juice included.
    • Depending upon what stock/tomatoes you use (I used no salt added tomatoes and low sodium homemade stock) you may need to adjust your salt. I would suggest starting with 1/4 tsp and adding more as you go if you are using any products that are salted. I used about 3/4 tsp of kosher salt, but like I said I was starting with a pretty bland base.
    • And that’s all folks!

*Here is a link to the tomato product I use. Price is based upon bulk quantity.

One Pot Italian Pasta. Everything you love about beef, linguini, and tomatoes with a hint of creamy. A dinner the whole family will love! || www.3boysunprocessed.com

 

Filed Under: Entrees, Recipes

Creamy Chicken and Dumpling Soup

January 4, 2015 by Dana

This super silky milk based soup will have your family smiling ear to ear on cold winter days. Great for thermoses and leftovers!

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This soup will hit your mouth like BAM! The perfect dreamy, creamy, comforting chicken soup + dumplings. Does it get any more comfort food then this? I think not. 🙂

While the Holiday cheer was wrapping up I was all like *Creamy Chicken and Dumpling Soup must happen now!* Parties are over, gatherings are over, and I don’t have to share with anyone! This soup = Not for sharing! That is, unless your trying to impress your hunky new man (or woman), or trying to prove to your kids that you are indeed the best cook ever and nobody will ever come close to Mama’s home cooking.




Speaking of Mama’s home cooking… I have an 8 year old that is determined to tell me about every single time in his life that he hated my food. Today in the car I heard something along the lines of:

“Remember that time that you made that lasagna with the broccoli and squash and you promised me that you were going to save a corner with no veggies for me, and then you didn’t, and then you actually burnt it and I hated it. Remember that time?”

Of course I remember that time honey, the time I actually tried to get you to eat broccoli and you acted like I was trying to kill you. How could I possibly forget that you don’t understand that cruciferous veggies are loaded with all the good stuff to keep your little body growing the right way? How could I possibly forget that I didn’t make enough béchamel to cover the noodles completely and ONE BITE got a little crispy on top? One….bite….!!!!! Kids, they don’t forget a thing!

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Cooking Tips and Techniques

  • I used chicken breasts for this soup, however you could sub 2 cups of shredded chicken if you’d like.
  • I added 1/2 cup finely chopped kale for some extra nutrients. I added it very last so it didn’t get soggy and gross. I promise, you can’t even tell it is there! Oh Hi Kale! 🙂
  • I adapted this recipe for the dumplings. I used whole wheat white flour, which does yield a courser dumpling. I advise using whole wheat flour MOST of the time, but if your family isn’t used to whole grains you might want to sub 1/2 all purpose. I loved the dumplings, they had a great flavor, and the longer they sat in the broth the better they were!
  • The dumplings will get bigger after you drop them in your pot. Small dumplings = better dumplings because if you make them too big you will end up with a weird center.

dumplingsoup1

 

Filed Under: Entrees, Recipes

Chicken Minestrone Soup

December 10, 2014 by Dana

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Can I just puuurrrty please dive head first into this pot on a cold, sleeting/freezing rain/snowy day and hibernate there until May? PLEASE?????? Ok, maybe that’s what I’ll be asking Santa for this year!


Confession: most of this soup never even made it to leftover land. It was supposed to, that was the plan. Tomorrow is my husband’s Holiday work party and the kids need a dinner. A big pot of soup is perfect, I said. It will last until the end of the week, I said. This is totally the last bite, I said. Then I lost all self control and kept coming back for more. Where did my self control go again?

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Oh that’s right, my self control flew right out the window when I realized how delicious and nutritious this soup was. One more bite because it contains veggies, and then another because Hello! Whole Grains are good for you! And then just one more for the spinach! And the tomatoes! And the ground chicken is lean! And come on, one more because it looks pretty! Ok, heck just dump the whole pot in my mouth, please.

Then all of a sudden I’m all like…honey did you eat all the soup? 🙂

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This soup all started when I was at Wegman’s today and saw the organic ground chicken on sale. I kept thinking back to a few years ago when I tried to use ground chicken for tacos and it was a complete disaster. We basically just threw a TON of cheese on top and gagged it down because it had a really odd texture and was just plain awful. I used to use ground turkey quite a bit, so I thought ground chicken would be similar but in truth it really isn’t the same at all.

Today was the first time since the taco debacle that I even considered purchasing ground chicken again and I’m so glad I did! Sometimes I get so sick of using the same meats over and over again, so I thought heck, why not give it another go. I’m a much, much better cook now and I was confident I could doctor it up to make something super yummy out of it. Immediately I thought SOUP, so I went with it. I was really surprised how awesome it turned out, so I just had to share for all those ground chicken doubters out there like myself.

So what made it different then the awful tacos? Well 1) I wasn’t using a seasoning packet that contains an array of random crap added because we just don’t get down with Ortega like that anymore! Then 2) There are so many other flavors going on, and everything kind of blends together to create an overall great taste. Basically what I’m saying is that I was totally wrong for all this time and I used to be a horrible cook! 🙂

*I usually use my own chicken stock, but in a pinch today I found this organic free range Pacific stock that does not contain any added MSG/Yeast Extract. If you don’ t have any homemade stock on hand, I highly recommend checking out this product.

minetstronesoup

Filed Under: Entrees, Recipes

One Pot Chilli Mac

November 12, 2014 by Dana

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Comfort food in the best way possible, Chilli Mac!


I know, I know, where have I been? Well, you see there’s this thing called *my oven is like a million years old* and I burnt the skin of a chicken that was supposed to be another post last week. Then there was also this thing called *the lighting in my photo-taking room sucked* and the beautiful reindeer cupcakes I made were basically poo-poo in pictures. And Rudolf even had a shiny nose! 🙁

Speaking of my old oven… that thing! I could seriously just take it outside and have a grand ol’ time with it + a baseball bat. You know your oven is THE WORST when you actually have to Google how to move the racks. I wish I was kidding, but no. I Googled how to move the racks in my oven. *Face Palm* Apparently in the 70’s (I’m guessing) somebody who probably never used an oven decided the best way to move a rack would be to lift it from the very back of the oven. Yeah, totally would of never considered trying that. Just another joyful aspect of apartment living!

But then today… This Chilli Mac happened. And my lighting was nice. And I wasn’t Googling how to use my ancient oven. And there was copious amounts of cheese and greens to throw around to make everyone pretty. I mean really, does it get any better? Comfort food + Happy blogger and boys = Yay!!!!

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There is one thing in this recipe that I haven’t talked about lately on 3Boys and that is ketchup. I highly recommend seeking a brand that doesn’t use high fructose corn syrup in their product. Not only is it GMO, it isn’t good for us and the brands using it in their products basically just suck. BOO to them! Don’t buy their crap! Ok, I’m done. 🙂

Now that I got that vent off my chest let’s dive head first into a big bowl of Chilli Mac, shall we? This recipe combines the goodness of hamburger, whole wheat elbow macaroni, sharp cheddar cheese, tons of spices, ketchup, mustard and sour cream into a big, delicious hot mess. This hot mess will make you want to burn the roof of your mouth right off because you can’t wait just 1 minute for it to cool down. I know, I do it every time too. Basically take everything you have in your pantry, dump it into one big hot mess, and enjoy! Chilli Mac it is!

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*Don’t forget your greens! I served this with a big ol’ spinach and kale salad and some frozen mango!

chillimac

 

 

 

Filed Under: Entrees, Recipes

Homestyle Sweet Potato and Chicken Soup

October 8, 2014 by Dana

sweetpotato1

Sweet Potatoes. Nutritious. Delicious. Cheap. Versatile. AMAZING!


But seriously… this soup. The perfect balance of sweet and savory in a big, warm mug waiting for you on the table with a pretty fall decoration in the middle and a pumpkin spice latte on the side! In my house you can go ahead and just throw that pretty fall decoration on the floor and rip it apart because if you haven’t noticed I have 3 boys. They do that. A lot. Well, basically I should just take my pretty decorations and throw them in the trash myself because that’s where they’ll end up. That will save me the hassle of having to clean anything up, right? Boys!

One thing I LOVE about this soup is the color that comes out of the carrots and sweet potatoes to make it the perfect fall orange. Of course, being the only woman in my house nobody else cares about the beautiful color of my soup, so I have to make pictures like the following to bask in my orange glory while others cheer. Is this happening? Please… anyone… someone out there in internet-land, do you care that my soup is orange? Please say yes! 🙂 Please give me a big *nice soup* while we both glance at that pretty bowl!

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Thanks, you just made my day! Now I can get over the fact that I will not be displaying any pretty fall decorations on my table until the baby is 18. That’s 17 years of decoration-less fall’s I have yet to endure. But hey, at least I have my orange soup!

And can we talk nutrition for a second because this soup ain’t no rice cake (thanks Blake Shelton for that one). Sweet potatoes = one of the most nutritious foods in the world. That’s right, it tops many other foods labeled “super foods” so I think that makes it even more acceptable to eat numerous bowls in one sitting while burning my mouth because I’m too impatient to wait for it to cool down. Totally acceptable! Until I’m old and have no taste buds left. Then I’ll have to go to restaurants and asks the cooks to heat my soup up over and over and over again until it is boiling in the microwave and my old ass is finally happy. Sound like a real life scenario? That’s because it is! I know, I know, the old people always get a bad rap but seriously I can’t even tell you how many times a day this happened while I was cooking in restaurants. So remember folks, wait until your food cools down or you’ll be THAT old person some day!

*No old people’s feelings were hurt in the making of this post. 🙂

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And one more thing.. I found these crackers today. TWO ingredients! 100% whole wheat and salt. Ummm helllllooo healthy cracker I’ve been looking for forever. Thank you for coming into my life today so I could dip you in my soup and take pictures of it. Things always work themselves out perfectly, don’t they?

*I used my Homemade Chicken Stock in this recipe.

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Filed Under: Entrees, Recipes

One Pot Veggie Mac N Cheese

October 1, 2014 by Dana

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30 minute meal right here! Feeding your family veggies has never tasted so good! Cheese meet veggies… 🙂

For real though, who doesn’t love some mac n cheese? It’s like an American diet staple. Please let’s remember the best mac n cheese DOES NOT… I repeat… DOES NOT come out of a box! Kraft Annies Velveeta. Even the “better” organic boxed mac n cheese still has a nice little packet of cheese powder stuff right inside the cute little bunny box. Now please, someone… anyone… what IS that stuff?


How, just how I ask… do you get cheese powder like that? Don’t know, don’t care! *finger snap* because anyone who has a stove can make their own mac n cheese with just a few ingredients PLUS veggies. Incase you think you are not included in that “anyone” even my mom can make homemade mac n cheese, and let’s just say she’s not kitchen savy.

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That’s real cheese right there! Cheese powder say what? That’s what I thought! In your face cute bunny packets!

Ok, now that I verbally abused the Annie’s bunny I’m just going to keep explaining how amazing one pot meals are that take LESS THAN 30 minutes to make. This reminds me so much of my Unprocessed Hamburger Helper recipe, in that it is made the same way. Instead of ground beef, I sautéed those lil baby bellas with a clove o’ garlic, and then I added the other goodies, put a lid on that baby, and let a little heat work it’s magic. Now, let’s not just walk away from our stove like those baby bellas don’t need supervision because they do. This pot needs stirred a little more then the Unprocessed Hamburger Helper but it is still very low maintenance and easy.

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If you are looking for a little more oommmph in your pot, go ahead and throw in some shredded chicken. A little protein goes a long way, so chicken could bump this meal up on the “I’m full scale” if you need it. 😉

Now excuse me while I go eat what is left in that pan!

veggiemacncheese

Filed Under: Entrees, Recipes

Pork Carnita Bowl

September 5, 2014 by Dana

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Let’s just get real here…. these Pork Carnita Bowls are ridiculous. Ridiculously good that is! So ridiculously good that my husband took one bite and said “This is way better than Chipotle.” EXACTLY what I was thinking all day when I was eating it. Yes, I was chowing down on the meat all day because I decided it would be a good idea to make it ahead of time. That turned out to be a horrible idea!


Why is it a horrible idea you ask? Because you will want to eat half of it before the rest of your family even knows it is in existence. You might even think up some evil plot to hide it from everyone and pretend it never happened just so you can have it all to yourself. I’m not saying any evil plots went on inside my kitchen today, but I definitely ate a good third of the meat before anyone else even had the chance to taste it. When my toddler caught wind of what was going on he was trying to smuggle handfuls of meat into the living room without being noticed. Not gonna happen on my watch, bebe, because I know all about them smuggling tricks. I’m the master smuggler with my expensive organic chocolate bars that I’m so NOT sharing with any kiddos. I know all about hiding in a corner or closet and quickly enjoying every delicious bite before someone notices. At which point I pretend like I have no idea what chocolate they are speaking of. Chocolate? Where? 😉

Just incase anyone was wondering what exactly a carnita bowl is, here is my super awesome step-by-step picture thingy for your viewing pleasure. It is basically just like a bowl that you would get a chipotle, minus the random ingredients they use. Speaking of random ingredients I now present you with my Chipotle public service announcement. If you don’t care please pretend like I’m saying this really quickly just like the person at the end of the pill commercial who tells you your probably going to just drop dead as soon as you take it. Here goes:

Chipotle is not healthy fast food.  Their wraps contain partially hydrogenated oils (aka trans fats) and a bunch of other crap. They use genetically engineered soybean oil in all of their products. Just because they have cool bags and make claims like “grass fed” and “better” doesn’t mean they aren’t sneaking crap into your food. The End. Now please, look at my cool picture thingy! And while your at it Pin the picture thingy so other people can see how awesome it is.

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Wow, that was awesome sauce, wasn’t it? 🙂 Now, let’s talk more about making the meat because I have a serious confession.  You may have noticed, I don’t really do slow cooker meals. I know, I know, the new moms need slow cooker meals! But I’m over that phase right now (phew!) and slow cookers are just too boring for me. I need to be able to see the food and play with it while it is cooking because I’m just ADHD like that. I can’t bear the thought of putting my beautiful pork roast in a lonely, not to mention ugly (my mom got it for a wedding gift like 100 years ago and it is that baby poop green color. Anyone from that time want to explain that color to me?) slow cooker and leaving it all by it’s lonesome for a few hours. I mean, come on people, pork roasts need some lovin’ too and my ugly slow cooker isn’t doing the job. I just can’t. This is my officially official apology to all the slow cooker lovers. I’m sorry!

*This recipe would work wonderfully in a slow cooker though, so if your not as ADHD about food as me, give it a try!

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So what did I do if I didn’t use a slow cooker? I simply used my stovetop on low heat for about 90 minutes. Yes, 90 minutes to all of this awesomeness. That potentially means you could throw this on the stove when you get home from work along with the rice, go do a bunch of crap that you didn’t really want to do, and come back to some wonderful carnitas. If you are more of a nacho, taco, or burrito person this meat would be amazing served in any of those ways as well.

Carnita Bowl Seasoned Rice

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups rice
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • generous sprinkle adobo seasoning
  • 1 sweet bell pepper (red, orange, or yellow preferred)
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Directions: Put rice, seasoning, pepper, and water needed to cook rice into a pot and cook according to package directions. When rice is cooked, fluff with a fork and add chopped cilantro.

Filed Under: Entrees, Recipes

Overstuffed Sweet Corn and Jalapeno Peppers

August 19, 2014 by Dana

Embarrassing food geek confession: I was super excited when I saw purple and black bell peppers at a local farmer’s market and endless recipe ideas flooded my head as soon as I saw these beauties. The best part… I filled two grocery bags full of beautiful produce, handed it to the gentleman running the stand, and he said $6 please. $6!!!!! For two heaping bags of produce. Helllllooo Gratz Auction, Thank You for being so awesome (and no I did not get a fish sandwich or pretzel to anyone who knows what I’m talking about). 😉 Another amazing find at the market… Non-GMO sweet corn! I got a dozen ears for $4, and left a happy, happy girl because my hopes of finding sweet corn that I trusted to be Non-GMO this summer were slim. Somehow I missed the yellow watermelons but hey, this girl can’t have everything. Maybe next time!

My husband kept asking why I wasn’t standing the peppers up because according to him “they look better that way.” Ummm… last time I checked you aren’t a food stylist hubby, so maybe you should keep your food styling tips to yourself! 😉 However, I explained the method to my madness and he totally got it. Stuffed peppers are delicious until you hit the bottom and you realize… you are out of stuffing. Now what? Do you eat the soggy bottom? Do you push past the guilt of wasting food and toss it? Problem solved right here folks, lay your peppers down and stuff the heck out of them. Stuff them babies till they are stuffed-out, heaping brown rice and goodies, and there is no way possible you or any army of men will ever run out of stuffing. Ever!


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Sweet corn and jalapenos were truly meant to be friends. They go together so well, especially when mixed with rice and beans. I really wanted to keep these peppers simple so I mixed in other ingredients I felt most people would already have stocked in their pantry. I used black eyed peas, but black beans would also work great in this recipe. I also used homemade chicken stock I had already prepared and froze (speaking of stock I need to go strain my pot on the stove now!) however you could look for a low sodium, boxed stock that doesn’t contain any artificial ingredients or MSG (also look for other forms of MSG such as yeast extract and autolyzed yeast). If you use a boxed stock, you might have to adjust the adobo according to the salt content of the stock.

Filed Under: Entrees, Recipes

Balsamic and Bleu Steak Alfredo

July 27, 2014 by Dana

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Yesterday was my mom’s birthday and since her friends and co-workers took her out to eat I decided to cook her a meal at home. With 3 young kids going out to eat is an ordeal every…single…time! I know anyone with kids has sat through an excruciating meal at a restaurant thinking “I’m never doing this again” the whole time. One kid is yelling, one kid is under the table, and the other one has to pee… at that very moment you promise yourself NEVER AGAIN! Yet somehow…. someway… you end up right back in that situation, reminding yourself again why going to a restaurant with kids is a horrible idea. On top of that, I know when I go out to eat trying to find something with real ingredients is nearly impossible unless I’m going somewhere that specializes in real food, and I don’t know of any places like that in my area. There are a few small cafes that I trust for some things, but most “from scratch” kitchens still use some ingredients I don’t use at home. The great thing in my situation is that I know how to cook restaurant quality food at home, from scratch with ingredients I don’t feel guilty about eating. This Balsamic and Bleu Alfredo recipe did not disappoint!


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I admit, this idea came from Olive Garden’s menu (don’t get me started on their ingredient lists and unethical marketing). My husband’s company had a Christmas party there last year and just about everyone ordered the dish that inspired this recipe. I don’t quite remember what they called it but the flavor combination was a bleu cheese Alfredo sauce, steak, and balsamic reduction. My version of this meal is definitely upscale, from scratch restaurant quality, but hey, Olive Garden gave it a good shot!

I started this recipe by making a balsamic reduction to put on my sirloin before I grilled it. I admit, this part of the recipe stinks, literally, but open a window in your kitchen and have at it! Making a balsamic reduction is really easy and is a flavorful addition to meals, fresh veggies, and even fruit. If you’ve never made a reduction before the name speaks for itself. All you are doing is reducing a liquid into a sauce-like consistency that would coat the back of a spoon when held sideways. Look for a vinegar that contains only naturally occurring sulfites and no preservatives!

After I made the reduction I trimmed the fat from my sirloin, cut it into chunks, and then used a tenderizer to flatten the sirloin a bit. I did this because it makes it a heck of a lot easier to grill, and the acidity from the balsamic reduction will work wonders in all of the little nooks the tenderizer impresses on the meat. Once I had all of the chunks cut and thinned, I GENEROUSLY sprinkled the meat with garlic powder, freshly cracked black pepper, salt, and whole wheat white flour. I really emphasize the word generously because if you don’t season your meat correctly, this dish will be lacking in the flavor department as far as the meat is concerned. You want to see a coating of garlic powder and black pepper on every piece of meat. This will ensure that your meat is not under flavored.

I used a cast iron grill pan to “grill” the sirloin, and it worked wonderfully. When I use cast iron, I always heat it up over medium heat in advance. Once it is nice and hot, I melt some ghee (clarified butter) on the pan, and reduce the heat to low. A temperature that is too high will increase the chances of sticking and that is never a good thing. I would recommend NOT to purchase a grill pan with a non-stick surface because some of the chemicals they use on the non-stick cookware are highly questionable. By using cast iron and a pat of ghee, there is no need for any additional chemicals to prevent sticking. If you’ve tried cast iron and had problems with sticking in the past, don’t give up! Reduce your heat and your sticking problems will probably be resolved.

Back to the sirloin! 🙂 Once my sirloin was on the grill I gave each piece a nice drizzle of balsamic reduction, and ohhhhh they were so sticky and delicious! Once I drizzled the balsamic on I turned every piece to get a nice coating and allowed each piece to cook for 2-3 minutes per side. You should have a really sticky, flavorful outside and a tender inside. It doesn’t get much more flavorful then this!

 

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For the Alfredo sauce, I knew I didn’t want to over-do the bleu cheese. I purchased a serious block of bleu cheese a few weeks ago, and I knew I wanted to make an Alfredo sauce with it. The only thing is, my bleu cheese is powerful. It is super stinky and super tangy so a little bit goes a long way. I only used about an ounce of bleu cheese in the recipe, but some bleu cheese’s are different. If your not getting a good hint of bleu cheese in your sauce, go ahead and add more.

*If you are looking for a high quality, relatively inexpensive cast iron grill I highly recommend the brand Lodge! Here is a link to the grill pan I used.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized

Ceasar Encrusted Salmon with Lemon and Goat Cheese Asparagus

July 13, 2014 by Dana

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We were out for the day and dinner time was approaching. How easy it would be to just stop for something, we thought. Something in the back of my mind just kept saying NO, don’t do it, you know that food is junk. I remembered that we had frozen salmon at home, which is really easy to unfreeze and throw in the oven. We also had asparagus and sweet potatoes to make with the fish so I knew I had a complete meal that could be made at home. When I finally got to sit down and eat, I was so happy I chose the unprocessed route.

For the salmon, I prepared an olive oil based Ceasar dressing to coat the salmon with before putting the breadcrumbs on top. The dressing is really simple, and contains just a few real ingredients… olive oil, lemon juice, anchovy paste, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper. If you just read the words anchovy paste and thought “Forget about this recipe!”  let me ease your mind. All Ceasar dressings get their distinct flavor from either anchovies or anchovy paste. I have been making real Ceasar dressings for quite a few years in restaurants and I got over the whole anchovy thing a long time ago. If you are worried about the ingredient, step outside the box just a little and give it a try. I promise once you taste the salmon you’ll be thanking me! The real base of flavor from Ceasar dressing comes from the anchovy paste, so it isn’t an ingredient you can omit.

I don’t use store-bought breadcrumbs because they are actually one of the WORST products found in grocery stores. Who knew those seemingly simple breadcrumbs actually contain about 50 ingredients including trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils), and high fructose corn syrup? To make your own you simply place two pieces of bread in the oven while it is preheating and let them get a bit toasty (or you could use a toaster and toast them lightly). You don’t want your bread to get overly toasted, just a bit dry. Take them out of the oven, put them in a blender or food processor for a minute and that’s it! Once they are processed you season them and add a bit of olive oil to get a nice and crispy topping for your salmon. I promise once you do this, you will never be tempted to buy the store bought garbage again! Just an FYI, I use a whole grain, 100% natural bread from Food for Life. It is a sprouted grain bread that will knock your socks off because it doesn’t contain soybean oil, sugars, additives, or preservatives. Every single ingredient is identifiable and necessary. Please check them out in the frozen section of the organic isles in your grocery store!

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With the salmon I served this lemon and goat cheese asparagus. It is another really simple side to put together quickly that is nutritious and delicious. It is really as simple as steaming/boiling the asparagus, seasoning it, and adding the cheese. I love my asparagus with big chunks of freshly cracked black pepper as well!

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Lemon and Goat Cheese Asparagus

Ingredients:

  • About 25 asparagus spears
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp white wine
  • 1/2 tsp olive oil
  • sprinkle of salt
  • sprinkle of pepper
  • sprinkle of garlic powder
  • 1-2 ounces goat cheese

Directions: Steam/boil  asparagus. Put asparagus, lemon juice, olive oil, and white wine in a small sauté pan and allow wine to cook off (give it some heat).  Add seasonings, remove from heat and crumble goat cheese on top to serve.

Filed Under: Entrees, Recipes

Thick and Creamy Cheeseburger Macaroni Soup

July 2, 2014 by Dana


Ok, I admit my husband was right on this one. Don’t expect that I’ll be singing his right-praises any time again soon, but this one was a homerun! No, it was a grand slam. But don’t ask me anything else about baseball because those are the only two terms I know so let’s just move on.

While I was slaving over a hot pot of soup my husband walked by and suggested I add some mustard. Like, for real. Sometimes he is the voice of reason, but I was skeptical about this one for a minute. Then I remembered this genius little pizza we used to make at a café I worked at and I thought maybe he was on to something. I reluctantly added a little and it was pure manly goodness. It was reminiscent of those two love birds ketchup and mustard coming together on one bun, and oozing out in some sort of orange goodness that only ketchup and mustard can produce. If you are totally salivating right now this one is for you! Now where’s the bacon!?!

cheeseburger soup

This is one of those dishes that just won’t go away. You think you are done but you just keep coming back for more until your day is officially a fat day now. You know, one of those days where you’ve eaten like a cow for the past 10 hours but your still considering a huge bowl of ice cream after the kids go to bed? Yeah, this may or may not induce a day of shameless eating because it is just so good and you can’t get away from it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

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Some tips for this recipe… you may need to adjust the seasoning to taste. Also, if you prefer a thicker soup add 2 Tablespoons of flour at the end to thicken it up more. This will reduce the amount of broth you will have. This isn’t a super brothy recipe to begin with, so if you’d like it thinner I would suggest adding an additional cup of milk.

Filed Under: Entrees, Recipes

Unprocessed Lasagna Helper

June 12, 2014 by Dana

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Once upon a time I went to the grocery store and came home with a LIVING basil plant by accident. I don’t do plants because I live in an apartment with 3 kids and a husband and well… boys love dirt! I’ve tried and tried to love on a plant in my very own home but it never really seems to pan out the way I was hoping.


Like the time my mother in law sent me a plant when my middle son was born. I had such high hopes, I brought him home from the hospital with the new baby and he was like a new member of the family. We took him outside, we gave him a great home, and he even moved all by itself! Planty was his name and I have many fond memories of him brightening my day with his wonderful natural presence.

Then one fateful day my baby grew into a toddler and started tearing up my house. Little ol’ Planty never even saw the big bad toddler coming. All of a sudden Planty was flipped upside down all over the carpet, his dirt everywhere.

“What should we do with him?” I asked my husband, who kindly suggested Planty be banished to the porch forever. As the days grew shorter and the nights colder, Planty began to shrivel like a poor ol’ fellow and one day…. I knew it was his time. The plant I tried so hard to love on, was gone forever, his leaves shriveled and yellow. RIP Planty!

Now, what is a mom of 3 boys to do with a basil plant that will inevitably be ruined by one of them? For now Basil Man is sitting in a mason jar on a window sill, unharmed by any children. Here is sweet Basil Man now sitting pretty as a food prop! Isn’t he beautiful! 🙂

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Speaking of basil, nothing puts a smile on my face like the smell of fresh basil. Why buy something in a box and miss out on such a wonderful smell and taste? With this recipe you will never have to miss that perfect fresh basil smell again. Just like my Unprocessed Hamburger Helper recipe, this is the all REAL ingredient version of a processed classic that contains nothing but awful ingredients.

Speaking of ingredients it is time for me to go all ingredient freak on you because this is important stuff, right? OF COURSE! The boxed version of this includes partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats), MSG, monoglycerides (potential hidden trans fats),  GMO cornstarch, hydrolyzed soy protein, artificial colors, and a few other questionable ingredient. For reals General Mills? Like are you trying to kill people or are you trying to kill people?

Thankfully, we never have to turn to General Mills again for this delicious dinner. It is SO SIMPLE and easy to make yourself and the ingredients are quite obvious. Cheese, buttermilk, basil, tomato, salt, spices, VIOLA! This is made just like the old classic…. brown the beef, add the other stuff (except the basil), bring to a boil, let simmer, enjoy the goodness.

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Filed Under: Entrees, Recipes

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I'm Dana! Foodie + Photographer. Momma of 5. Baby lover. Coffee addict. Cooking through the chaos one recipe at a time! I've built this food blog out of a desire to create and share. My time spend around the table with my family and friends means the world to me. My hope is that you get to feel that too!

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Foodie + Photographer. Momma of 5. I've built this food blog out of a desire to create and share. I feel most alive when I'm talking with family and friends around the table. My hope is that you get to feel that too!

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