Easy Ground Turkey Chili

What a glorious past two days it has been, I feel seriously spoiled with the 80 degree weather and sunshine and on top of that I got to harvest my kale from the garden bed yesterday, three whole bundles, I am a happy gal. I love it when the good weather hits and I can eat my dinner out on the picnic bench in the back yard with a cold beer. I am very easy to please. So todays concoction is a simple yet tasty chili to enjoy while the sun sets and the street quiets.

Ingredients:

• 1 can black beans 
• 1 can refried beans
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp chili pepper
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. In a fry pan cook your turkey and onions together until brown.
2. While the turkey cooks put your beans in a medium sized pot (dont drain your black beans).  Heat and mix together. Then add your turkey mix along with juices. 
3. The stir until refried beans are no longer pasty. 
4. Next add your garlic, corn and spices. Stir until well combined.
5. Serve.

I like to try and post recipes that are made up things I can find in my kitchen right now. I didn't have diced tomatoes or canned chili peppers but if I did I would have added them. The refried beans in this chili definitely thicken it up and added a hearty taste to it and I didn't drain the black beans so that when I went to mix the beans together the refried beans wouldn't burn or become crunchy. It was good to say the least and I am a satisfied little Olympian. Happy Eatings Everyone!

Simple Peanut Butter Pie

If you're in need of a quick dessert for either a small get together or 'oops! forgot someone's birthday!' I kid you not, this pie only needed stirring and it took all of 10 minutes to create. I was licking that spoon clean after I was done, I just couldn't get enough of it. Usually I hate cream based pies, and lean more toward apple or blueberry so that was unusual for me. So for all you peanut butter, creamy pie lovers out there, this is my recipe for you:

Ingredients:

• 1 Graham cracker crust 
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 8 oz cream cheese warmed slightly in the microwave
• 1 container thawed whipped cream (cool whip)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl mix together peanut butter and the warm cream cheese. Stir until blended together well.
2. Next add your powdered sugar (you're going to want to wear an apron for this one) and stir until blended.
3. Then add your cool whip, beating it until fluffy.
4. Dump mixture into your graham cracker crust and spread evenly.
5. Put in refrigerator to cool before serving.

See? Look how easy that was, bodda bing bodda boom and we have a pie. I sure do love making things for people. Happy Eatings Everyone!

Spinach and Shrimp Scramble

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, especially on weekends, I get to sit down watch a movie and eat one of my little creations. No rushing, just taking my time and enjoying the weather through the window. Each movie calls for a different creation, when you're about to sit down and watch Raging Bull for the first time you need a good breakfast. I didn't have steak so I went with a shrimp mixture, it will have to do. Consider this an easy and delicious way to start the day:

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 diced onion
• 2/3 cup frozen spinach
• 1 cup little frozen shrimp
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6 eggs beaten

Directions:

1. In a microwave safe bowl, defrost your shrimp and spinach.
2. In a large fry pan cook your onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent.
3. Once shrimp and spinach has defrosted add them to your onions and cook for about 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
4. Next add your beaten eggs, keep tossing the mixture until eggs are cooked.
5. Serve with toast or whatever your prefer! I put some sriracha on it... what's new.

Distracted by Robert De Niro's prosthetic nose... Happy Eatings Everyone

Thai Peanut Sauce

AGH! The waiting period of applying to jobs. You clean, you clean some more, you cook, you eat a carrot, you try to play a blinking game with your cat. You apply to jobs that make you sigh an 'I guess if I have toooooooo' sigh and you try to figure out your Linkdin account. How many more jobs can I apply to and episodes of Parks and Recreation can I get through (I kid I love Parks and Rec I could watch it anytime)? Here's my small easy recipe I did to keep myself busy:

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 tbsp red curry paste
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 4 tbsp water
• 2 tsp red chili flakes

Directions:

1. In a medium sauce pan fry your garlic in the sesame oil.
2. Then slowly stir in all the rest of your ingredients. But don't let it boil or it can burn.
3. That's it.

This sauce can be used on rice noodles, for dipping of skewers or spring rolls. Its a little sweeter than most peanut sauces, so if you want it a little hotter add more chili flakes or maybe a little chili paste. I put it on rice noodles, with some spinach, shrimp, green onions and carrot shavings. Super om noms. Happy Eatings Everyone!

Bacon and Brown Sugar Sweet Potato Appetizer

This past week has proven to me that even though you're down it doesn't necessarily mean you're out. I am not, nor have I ever been someone to accept defeat. When I first started in the kitchen I would make mistake after mistake, things like 'Is this suppose to be chewy?' 'How red is chicken suppose to be?' and 'Why is it grainy?' were uttered more than once. But I kept at it and now I get compliments all the time. No, I am not perfect, I still make mistakes, and I still have had to throw some things out but quitting is never an option.

When I was laid off this past week I must admit it was one hell of a blow, I had a day of worry, tears and wine. But the following day I worked hard and by the end of the week I had applied to over 20 places, heard back from 3, had 2 interviews and I am still going strong. So when I sit down to chow down on this simple appetizer, I have to pat myself on the back.  Mmmmm sweet sweet determination.

Bacon and Brown Sugar Sweet Potato Appetizer

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 2 medium sized sweet potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-2 inch cubes
• 1 lb of bacon
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• toothpicks

Direction:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Dip potatoes in butter and then mix in your spices.
• Cut your bacon into 1 1/2 inch piece and use a toothpick to stab one piece onto a piece of potato. 
• Then dip them into your brown sugar, lightly coating them.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes.

So here you go, my simple tasty recipe to pat my palette on the back. Happy Eatings Everyone!

Honey Sesame Chicken

Sorry for the hiatus everyone, the past week was stricken with stomach viruses, job loss and extreme exhaustion.  The only thing I could really make was toast. But now that I spent the weekend getting my energy back up to where it normally is and applying to places like a mad woman, I can share with you a new recipe! After days worth of worry and frustration I got back in the kitchen and made this delicious meal but of course forgot to take a picture of the food. It was delicious, it looked like it came straight from the restaurant kitchen!

Ingredients for Chicken:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 egg

Ingredients for Sauce:

• 1/4 cup and 2 tsp. honey
• 1/4 cup and 2 tsp. soy sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• sesame seeds for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In two bowls put your cornstarch and egg (yolk whisked). 
3. Cut your chicken into bite sized cubes, then dip in your egg followed by cornstarch. Make sure each piece is covered.
4. In a fry pan heat up your canola oil then add your chicken. Turn and cook until lightly browned. Set to the side.
5. In a medium bowl combine and whisk together your ingredients for the sauce. 
6. In a baking pan combine chicken and sauce. Place in oven for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. 
7. Sprinkle with some sesame seeds. Serve!

I hope you enjoy this recipe! It was easy peasy and totally delicious. Happy Eatings Everyone!

Easy Swedish (i guess) Meatballs

This is one of those 'growing up stories', everyone has some type of food or special dish that reminds them of their childhood, be it fruit-by-the-foot or your mom's lasagne it doesn't matter. These dishes give us a sense of nostalgia, making us feel all warm and fuzzy inside. You're thinking about that special food aren't you? Craving it? I was.

When I was growing up one of my favorite dishes of all time was my grandma's  "Norwegian" meatballs (a Norwegian making Swedish meatballs? Blasphemy). It was usually the first dinner we would have whenever we arrived at the little 3 bedroom house on a humid summer's evening in Wisconsin. Ah memories. Though this is not my grandma's recipe they were tasty and it did the trick.

"Norwegian" Meatballs

This made enough for me and the fiance, and the fiance's seconds...

Ingredients:

For Meatballs:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp allspice
• 1/2 onion diced
• pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp olive oil

For Gravy:

•  2 tbsp butter
• 1/6 cup flour
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In 1 tbsp of olive oil cook your onion in a sauce pan until translucent.
2. In a large bowl mix together your meatball ingredients (minus olive oil), along with your onions. 
3. Create small 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls with your hands or ice cream scoop. 
4. On medium heat, fry up your meatballs with your other tbsp of olive oil until brown. Turning them occasionally so they don't burn.
5. When they are done place them to the side. 
6. Melt the butter in your sauce pan and then whisk your flour in slowly.
7. When it turns brown start adding your broth in until its thick.
8. Then add your sour cream and pepper and stir well.
9. Spoon gravy over your meatballs and serve!

This was tasty and quick and I served them with mashed potatoes, can you say comfort food? Mmmm. Happy Eatings Everyone!