One Pot Sausage & Rice Skillet

When you get home from work at 6:30, it's hard to get a decent meal finished before it's nearly bed time. Crock pot meals sound convenient, but if you're gone from home for 10 hours, it might be a bit too long for a "set-it and forget-it" type dish. The answer to the 9 to 5 (or longer) dinner dilemma is a one pot, 30 minute dish. I recently made one that was so good I couldn't wait to share it.

Browned pork sausage, seasoned and simmered with stewed tomatoes, hearty beans and rice with a bit of a kick from a jar of salsa. It cooks in 30 minutes and is super easy to scoop into tupperware for a delicious packed lunch.

This to me is comfort food at its finest. The starch from the rice along with a bit of cornstarch makes the dish slightly creamy and with spices of paprika and cumin, it's the perfect dish to warm up to after a cold winter day. I used sweet italian sausages, but if you prefer a bit more spice you could do spicy sausages instead.

(Disclaimer: This is a small bowl but don't be deceived. I ate about 4x this much. The dishwasher was loaded with all of my normal human portion bowls so I resorted to this sort of teacup)

I was thrilled with the results of this recipe as it was easy, came together quickly and tasted amazing. I had it for lunch three days in a row and was still not sick of it. You could get real crazy with it and even top it with cheddar cheese.... But I'll leave that up to you. As usual, it's a really flexible recipe so feel free to substitute ingredients and toss in whatever you have on hand.



One Pot Sausage & Rice Skillet

Ingredients:
1 lb bulk pork sausage (or use links and remove insides from casing)
1 bell pepper
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 cans of beans of your choice, drained and rinsed
1 14oz can stewed tomatoes
1 cup uncooked long grain rice*
1 cup beef broth
1 cup salsa
2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tsp water (optional for a bit thicker, creamier texture)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• In a large skillet or pot, cook the sausage over medium heat. After a minute or two, add in the pepper, onion, garlic and seasonings. Cook through until no longer pink. 
• Add the beans, tomatoes, rice, broth and salsa. Bring to a boil and stir in the cornstarch.
• Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until rice is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Southwest Chopped Chicken Salad

One of my goals after the new year was to not spend a lot of money buying lunch during work. This is mainly because I spent half a year's earnings for Christmas and also bought a trip to Costa Rica. Spending $5-15 dollars at lunch can really add up but it's easy to avoid if you plan ahead and pack your own meal. You need to pack a lunch that you actually will want to eat, not a soggy sandwich that you'll decide last minute you don't want and then head for takeout.

I have a number of good recipes up my sleeve that would be great to share with coworkers and clients. They range from sandwich fillers to easy, one pot leftover dinners and the majority of them are healthy and packed with nutrients. I recently tweaked a chicken salad recipe from an old cookbook that I've had for a while and I loved it. You can put it in a sandwich, a pita pocket or serve it over salad greens.

Behold, the glamorous desktop lunch. The salad is flavored with lots of lime juice and cumin, and packed with nutrients from red peppers, onions and beans. It's a lunch that you'll look forward to having and you won't be temped to go out and grab any fast food. I like mine served over greens with oil & vinegar and a dollop of sour cream.

You could also go the wrap/sandwich route, as seen below. I actually forgot this specific one on my kitchen counter for two days in a row, which kind of killed the whole "don't buy lunch" rule. It tasted just as good after work, though!

You can add whatever chopped veggies you prefer that you have on hand as the recipe is very flexible. I used a rotisserie chicken because they are super convenient, but you could cook and chop/shred your own chicken breasts, as well.




Southwest Chopped Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
4 cups chopped rotisserie chicken or cooked chicken breast
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 cup black beans
1 cup chopped roasted sweet red peppers
1 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
3 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp oive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp + 1 tsp honey
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

• In a large bowl, combine ingredients from chicken to cilantro.
• In separate dish, whisk together remaining ingredients. 
• Pour dressing over chicken mixture and toss to coat.
• Refrigerate and serve. It's best to let it sit for a few hours to let the flavors set. 

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Nothing kicks the post-holiday winter blues better than the NFL playoff season. There are so many intense, exciting games to watch and if I can make it to Gillette to watch a winning Patriot's post season game in person - my year is already made.

My family is full of HUGE Pat's fans and we always try to make it to a game. We have our traditional tailgating spot in a small wooded area between two lots where we set up shop and spend the pre-game hours eating, drinking and discussing the only important thing at the moment: football.

My dad is super generous and has bought tickets the past few years for himself, my brother, my boyfriend and I. The only condition is that my boyfriend drives his truck down for tailgating and I supply all the food (we haven't quite found out what my brother's responsibility in the deal is....For now he's entertainment factor).

Here we are at the divisional round playoff game vs Kansas City on Saturday. We have a picture identical to this from the playoff game from last year vs Baltimore and some regular season games in previous seasons. It's definitely one of my favorite traditions!

Watching the game is the best part of the day but the tailgating fun doesn't fall far behind, especially when you love to cook. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures to blog from this game's smorgasbord because I was too distracted from all the hype. I made chili, guacamole, peanut butter blossom cookies, grilled potatoes and marinated steak. Of course we had a selection of beers and bloody marys, as well.

Though I did not make it for this game, one of my favorite football snacks is buffalo chicken dip and I wanted to share. I have made it more times than I can count and I always use this recipe. It's the first dish to disappear on the buffet table and it's easy to see why.

This photo was actually taken when I made it for the 2013-2014 AFC Championship game. I remember I didn't get a chance to take a picture of it when it came out of the oven with the top layer of cheese melted because it was devoured too quickly. It's absolutely ADDICTING. Perfectly spicy, cheesy and flavorful.

Most buffalo chicken dips have all of the ingredients mixed together. When I make it, usually I prefer to layer it a bit for a nicer appearance. However you do it, it's going to taste amazing!


Serve it with chips, celery or crackers and make sure you get some before it's gone!






Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
1 cup buffalo wing sauce
2 8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup of ranch or blue cheese dressing (or 1/2 cup of each!)
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp garlic salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix together cream cheese, 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, ranch/blue cheese dressing and the garlic salt. Spread in the bottom of a 9x9 pan. 
• Mix together chicken and wing sauce. Pour on top of the cream cheese mixture. 
• Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until cheese has melted and sides are bubbling.

*If you prefer a non-layered dip, just mix all of the ingredients together, (still saving the 1/2 cup of cheese to top it) and bake 25 minutes.

Maple Pecan Crumb Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I love baking cakes for birthdays. To me the fun thing about cooking, though, is trying new things and being creative; therefore making a vanilla cake with chocolate frosting for every celebration isn't my forte. After so many years of baking and dozens of birthdays, it does get challenging to be creative and come up with something new.

This was the first time I made this cake and I have made it twice in the past week. Once for my friend whose birthday is New Years Day, and once for my manager who recently had a birthday as well. I tweaked it the second time around to make it even better, but still I received rave reviews from everyone who tried it on both occasions.

 "M" for Maggie, my favorite New Years baby

For the boss, we have a dusting of candied pecans and cinnamon sugar because I didn't have time to create a "B". (Sorry Brendan!)




The cake is extra delicious because the batter is made with buttermilk and brown sugar. The buttermilk makes it super moist and tender, and the brown sugar is the perfect match for maple and pecan. A cream cheese frosting with a hint of maple on this cake is a match made in heaven, and when you sprinkle the top with candied pecans you become at a loss of words worthy of describing this masterpiece....

The first time I made this cake, as seen above,  (pardon my somewhat messy frosting job, I am no professional cake decorator), I did not include the crumb center. I added it the second time because my colleague's favorite treat I had made was crumb cake so I figured it would be a perfect addition. I might just have to make it again for Maggie so she can experience it!

Also, the first time around I added chopped pecans to the batter and the second time I omitted them because I knew a few of my colleagues weren't huge fans of nuts. That step is totally optional but I have left it out of the recipe below.

This recipe is honestly perfect. It's flavorful and unique and reminds you of something Grandma would make.






Maple Pecan Crumb Cake w/ Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
For cake:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 sticks butter (3/4 cup), melted
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
For crumb filling:
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp sugar
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 stick (chilled) butter, cut into pieces
For frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick softened butter (1/4 cup)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp maple syrup

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 9 inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking grease.
• Mix together flour, sugars, baking soda and salt until combined.
• In a separate bowl, mix buttermilk, melted butter, maple syrup and vanilla. 
• Gently stir wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined. Pour into prepared pans. 
• For streusel filling, mix together flour, sugars, cinnamon, salt and butter. Use your hands to break butter pieces down until it's crumbly. Top one of the cakes with the streusel (you probably won't use it all). 
• Bake in preheated oven for 27-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. The cake with the streusel may take a minute longer than the other one. Let cakes cool completely on a cooling rack. 
• To prepare frosting, beat the cream cheese, butter and syrup and until completely combined and light. Scrape the edge of the bowl and slowly beat in the powdered sugar. 
• To prepare the cake, frost the bottom of the non-streusel cake and flip it on the streusel cake, so the cake middle will have both frosting and streusel. Frost the outside of the cake.
• Top with cinnamon sugar and candied pecans to serve.

Deviled Eggs Two Ways

One of my absolute favorite hors d'oeuvres (yes I used spell check) are deviled eggs. They are so delicious, flavorful and the perfect bite sized treat. I've noticed recently that they even seem to be trending and served more often in restaurants as appetizers. (If you're from the local area, The Black Birch in Kittery is notorious for their deviled eggs and I have ordered them every single time I have eaten there. My recommendation of the day is to go there and order some.)

I decided to make them in two of my favorite ways, dressed up a bit for New Years as a somewhat sophisticated snack for the party goers.

When it comes to preparing a snack for a party, you can NEVER go wrong with buffalo chicken anything. Buff chick dip, buff chick pizza, buff chick wings, tenders, nuggets....You name it! Well buffalo chicken deviled eggs prove to be just as much of a crowd pleaser, and a pleasant variation from the traditional recipe.

The yolks are whipped with blue cheese and buffalo sauce, piped back into the egg white vessel and topped with chopped celery and crispy chicken skin. It is a mouth watering flavor combination that's sure to impress.....

The other recipe I made is my go to when I am looking for a more traditional deviled egg. The twist is a bit of curry powder, and it makes a huge difference. They are so simple but the extra flavor and warmth from the curry is really what makes people ask you to share the recipe. When you dust the top with a bit of paprika, people won't expect anything out of the norm!

I think making a couple different kinds is so fun for a party, and it really is simple. The most difficult part about deviled eggs is peeling the darn things! Say what you want about the tips and tricks to make it easier. I feel like I've tried it all and it seems that the egg just decides how easy it will make it for you and that's that.

These are great recipes for holiday parties, and perfect timing for the upcoming NFL playoffs!!






Buffalo Chicken Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:
6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and yolks removed
1/4 cup mayo
1 tbsp of buffalo sauce (I use Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wing sauce), plus more to taste, up to 2 tbsp
1-2 tbsp crumbed blue cheese
salt and pepper to taste
finely chopped celery for garnish
1 tbsp of rotisserie chicken skin or 1 tbsp of finely chopped rotisserie chicken

Directions:

• Mixed the mayo, egg yolks, buffalo sauce, blue cheese and salt and pepper until smooth. 
• Fill plastic bag with mixture and cut the tip. Pipe mixture into the egg white. 
• Top with celery and chicken or for crispy chicken skin garnish, fry the chicken skin until crispy in oil in a skillet over medium-high. Be careful not to burn it. Keep the chicken skin in a sealed plastic bag and top the eggs just before serving to keep the skin crispy. 

Curry Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:
6 hard boiled eggs, sliced in half and yolks removed
1/4 cup mayo
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp curry powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika for dusting

Directions:

• Mix yolks, mayo and seasonings together until smooth.
• Place in plastic bag and cut the tip. Pipe into egg whites. 
• Dust with paprika before serving.

White Chicken Chili

I'm a huge fan of chili. Whether it's loaded with meat or it's a vegetarian delight with 18 different kinds of beans, it's all good to me. I do believe, though, that there is an unsung hero in the world of chili.....
White chicken chili is a bit outside the norm but nevertheless a unanimous crowd pleaser. Shredded rotisserie chicken with poblano peppers, lime juice and sour cream.... Crush some tortilla chips up and it's game time! (Yes I did make this for a Pats game) It's vibrant and flavorful, yet a perfectly cozy comfort food.

I love this recipe because a good rotisserie chicken is moist and seasoned, making it super easy to shred up and mix into the pot (plus they're cheap!!). Poblanos and jalapenos add great spice and flavor as well, paired with a sweet crunch of corn.

I highly recommend this for your next tailgate or game day snack! 

(The trick to keeping it gluten free is checking the label on your chicken stock because for some crazy reason they like to sneak wheat in there.)





White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:
1 jalapeno, minced (remove seeds if you don't want too much spice!)
3 poblano peppers, chopped
2 onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
2 tsp chili powder
3 cans of white beans, drained and rinsed and mash one of the cans with a potato masher
5 cups chicken stock
2 limes
Meat from 1 large rotisserie chicken, shredded/chopped
1 cup frozen corn
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Crushed tortilla chips

Directions:

• Heat tbsp of oil in large pot over medium heat. Add in peppers, onions and garlic and saute until soft. 
• Add seasonings and stir to coat. Pour in chicken stock and lime juice and simmer. 
  Add in the beans and continue to simmer for another 20 minutes or so. 
• Stir in chicken, corn, sour cream and cilantro. Cook until heated through. 
• Serve with a dollop of sour cream and crushed tortilla chips.

Recipe adapted from www.foodnetwork.com