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Chinese Tomato Beef Soup (Less Expensive Version)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp oil (any type is fine, I usually use olive oil)

1 lb. ground beef

2 green onions, silced

1 tbsp ginger, minced

1 tbsp garlic, minced

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 cups chicken broth

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 pack enoki mushrooms, ends removed and split into bunches

1 pack shimeji mushrooms, ends removed and divided (optional)

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Directions:

Pour oil into the bottom of a 4 quart stockpot and warm on medium-high. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Drain the grease using a strainer.*

Add green onions, garlic, ginger, and tomato paste and cook for about 2 minutes to bring out flavor.

Add chicken broth, tomatoes, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. If mushrooms are frozen, add them now. Otherwise, cook until brought to a boil and then simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add mushrooms if fresh and cook 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add white pepper. Serve warm.

*You may be tempted to just stick a toothpick or a fork under the pot lid and drain it that way. Do not do that. I lost half the ground beef when I tried that because the lid slipped. Learn from my mistakes.

(Source + Notes under the cut)

Source: Omnivore's Cookbook - Chinese Tomato Beef Soup

I love this recipe, but god, shabu shabu beef is expensive. Therefore, blasphemy.

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Rose Gold Spritzer

Ingredients:

8 oz Sodastream Strawberry-Watermelon sugar free soda, prepared with 3/4 the recommended amount of syrup

1-2 oz. St. Germain liqueur

Directions:

Prepare soda using the normal methods, but remember to only use 3/4 the usual amount of syrup.

Pour St. Germain into the bottom of a tall glass. Add soda until glass is full. Ice optional.

(Notes under cut)

IDK man, we had this idea one night while we made pasta, and it worked. Drink responsibly and all that.

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Fettuccine VodkAlfredo

Ingredients:

1/2 lb Fettuccine pasta

2 tbsp salt

1/4 cup vodka

1 yellow onion, diced

1 cup cherry tomatoes

3.5 oz freshly grated parmesan

4 tbsp butter, softened

Directions:

Stir salt into 2-3 qts water, bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 11-12 minutes.

While pasta is cooking, put vodka into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for 6-7 minutes to reduce alcohol. This will take longer than you think it will, and it is very important.

Once vodka has cooked down, add onions and tomatoes. Cook until onions are translucent and tomatoes have burst, about 5-6 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine butter and grated cheese. Stir in tomato-onion mixture once it is ready. You can add pasta water if needed to thin it out, but you probably won't need it.

Drain pasta and add to sauce bowl. Stir until noodles are evenly coated. Serve immediately.

(Notes under cut)

This is something my husband and I sort of came up with out of nowhere. We had the stuff to make fettuccine alfredo, and we had vodka and tomatoes, so we combined them. The first time I made it, I used too much vodka and didn't cook it long enough, and we uh. We were not feeling well afterwards. Don't make that mistake.

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Spiced Pear Pie with Crumble Topping

Ingredients:

PIE CRUST + FILLING

1 9 inch frozen pie shell (or whatever crust you're using)

4-5 pears (I used Bartlett bc that's what Target had)

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tbsp flour

2 tbsp salted butter

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground allspice

1 dash cardamom powder (I legit just tapped the bottle once)

2 dashes clove powder

CRUMBLE TOPPING

1 1/2 tbsp flour

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp butter (cold)

Directions

Defrost pie shell. Preheat oven to 350 F.

Peel pears + dice into small cubes (be sure to discard stems + core with seeds). Put into a saucepan with butter, flour, and spices. Cook on medium heat until butter has melted and a thick syrup has formed around the fruit. Put into pie shell once this is done.

In a separate bowl, combine cold butter, flour, and brown sugar until it forms small clumps. (You can use a mixer, but I just smushed it all together with my hands - make sure they're clean, obviously.) Sprinkle the crumble topping over the pie filling.

Bake for 45 minutes. Cool at least 20 minutes before serving. Goes well with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

(Sources + Notes below the cut)

Sources: Must Love Herbs - Spiced Pear Pie Filling, and the recipe printed on the back of the pie shell I bought from Market Street

So, I saw the pie filling recipe on Instagram back in October, and I decided to go with a store-bought pie crust because I really only wanted to try one new recipe at a time. The back of the pie shell container had the recipe for the crumble topping, but the recipe it gave ended up being enough for two pies.

The pie filling on instagram also ended up being enough for two pies, since the shells were 9 inches, so I split it in half. I also added the cardamom as an extra something, mostly because it goes well with the nutmeg and clove. The first batch ended up needing just a little extra sweetness, hence the 2 tbsp granulated sugar.

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"The Best Blueberry Pie I've Ever Eaten"

Ingredients:

1 9 inch frozen pie shell (or whatever crust you're using)

1 16oz bag frozen blueberries

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp cornstarch

Crumbled graham cracker pie crust/actual graham crackers/optional crumble topping

(Optional crumble topping: 2 tbsp butter (cold), 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 1/2 tbsp flour, mix until it forms small clumps. yw.)

Instructions:

Defrost pie shell. Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a saucepan, mix blueberries, butter, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and lemon juice. Cook on medium-high heat until butter is melted and blueberries are warm and have released their juice. Sift in cornstarch, stirring to combine. Increase heat to high for like 5 minutes until the filling thickens.

Pour into pie shell and top with graham cracker crust bits/crumble/whatever. Bake for 45 minutes. Allow to cool at least 20 minutes before serving.

(Source + Notes below the cut)

Source: AllRecipes - Homemade Blueberry Pie

I'm not gonna lie, this happened because I was at my mother-in-law's house and she brought home frozen blueberries and pie shells at the request of her son. She had no idea how to make a blueberry pie, and I'd just made two of the spiced pear pie recipes (which I'll post after this), and uh...I won't lie, I jumped in and volunteered to make the pie. She admitted readily that she had no idea what she was doing, and I figured I could save it from becoming a disaster. It turned out really well! I gave it this title because it's what three different people said about it.

It probably needed more blueberries for a 12 inch pie crust, but I used what I had.

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Extra Thick Blondies

Ingredients

1.5 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 large eggs, lightly beaten, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1.5 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix together brown sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla until just combined.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to brown sugar mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

Grease a 6.5 x 10.25 (I think) inch baking pan and spread mixture into the pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool before serving (this part will be difficult).

(Source + Notes under the cut)

Source: Taste of Home - Chocolate Chip Blondies

I'll be real, this happened because my oven is too small for a 9 x 13 pan. That, and if I spread this into a pan that size, the bars would be like half an inch thick. I suppose that may be the idea, but I like thicker blondies, and my countertop oven distributes heat much more evenly than the full size one.

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Doesn't Need Fixing - Brownies

(This is for preservation. Currently this recipe is on a very faded card stuck to my mom's fridge.)

Ingredients

1 cup flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter, softened or melted

3/4 cups cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla

5 eggs

1/2 - 1 cup chopped nuts (optional, I never use them)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325

Mix eggs, sugar, cocoa, butter

Add dry ingredients

Bake in greased 9 x 13 inch pan 23-25 min

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Slow Cooker Bourbon Meatballs

Ingredients

2 cups barbecue sauce (16 oz - I used Stubbs regular)

1 cup bourbon

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup molasses

1/4 cup sweet chili sauce

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 lbs meatballs (fresh or thawed)

Directions

Stir together everything but the meatballs in a medium bowl until combined.

Put the sauce into a deep saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce for 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly, until the bourbon has cooked down.

Place meatballs into slow cooker and cover with sauce. Stir to coat meatballs evenly.

Cover and cook on low heat for 4 hours.

Serve with mashed potatoes, if desired. (Recommended.)

(Source + Notes below the cut)

Source: The Blond Cook - Slow Cooker Bourbon Meatballs

I did increase the Worcestershire sauce to make it a little tangier, but the big change here is cooking down the bourbon. First time I made this, I had to throw the whole thing into a huge skillet to cook the sauce down, because the slow cooker didn't do anything to reduce the alcohol content, even when I adjusted the lid to one side. A whole cup of bourbon is a lot to handle, especially if you're me.

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Creamy Mushroom Chicken + Potatoes

Ingredients:

CHICKEN:

2 chicken breasts, diced

2 tbsp flour

1 tsp EACH salt, garlic powder, onion powder

1/2 tsp EACH smoked paprika, mustard powder

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

MUSHROOMS + POTATOES

1.5 lb baby golden potatoes, chopped

2 tbsp butter

1 8 oz pack sliced baby bella mushrooms

1 shallot, diced

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 dash red pepper

1 cups chicken broth

1/2 tbsp potato starch

1 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tsp EACH dried parsley, dried basil

1/2 tsp EACH dried oregano, dried thyme

1/4 cup grated parmesan

Directions

Put chopped potatoes onto a parchment paper-covered baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Whisk the flour + chicken spices together in a small bowl. Put the diced chicken in a larger bowl, add olive oil and mix until coated. Add flour + spice mixture and mix to coat evenly. (Putting on disposable gloves and mixing by hand works well here.)

Add a bit more oil to a large, deep skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken and cook 8-10 minutes until cooked through and golden. Transfer to a bowl, don't wipe down skillet.

Melt butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and increase heat to medium-high. Stir to coat with the buttern and cook until golden. Once evenly browned, season with salt and pepper.

Reduce heat to medium and add potatoes, shallot, garlic. Stir until shallots are softened, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in cream. Sift potato starch into chicken broth, whisking while doing so to make a slurry. Add to skillet, followed by balsamic vinegar, mustard, and all sauce seasonings.

Bring sauce to a simmer while scraping the bottom of the pan. Reduce until sauce thickens to desired consistency, stirring often. Add parmesan and stir until melted.

Add chicken and cook another 5 minutes or so to soak up the sauce. Serve with additional shredded parmesan if desired.

(Source + Notes below the cut)

Source: Carlsbad Cravings - Creamy Mushroom Chicken

First of all, diced chicken is way easier to manage. Maybe when I have a dining table, I'll be less inclined to put everything into a bowl.

Other than that, the main change I made to this recipe was tripling the amount of balsamic and dijon. I had a taste the first time I made it and went "oh, no way", and then added more of both. (Also mustard powder, but I put that in everything.) Also, the original recipe states you should remove the mushrooms before adding the potatoes and sauce ingredients, which I didn't agree with. Letting the mushrooms stew in the sauce lets their buttery flavor permeate the dish.

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Chicken Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Chicken breast, diced

1 yellow onion chopped

2 carrots, peeled + chopped

2 tbsp. tomato paste

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp curry powder

1/4 tsp mustard powder

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 cup green lentils, rinsed

4 cups vegetable broth

1 can coconut milk

2 bay leaves

salt + pepper to taste

2 cups chopped kale

1 tsp lemon juice per bowl (garnish)

Directions:

Warm olive oil in the bottom of a stock pot over med. heat. Sear chicken. Add onion, carrot, tomato paste. Cook until onion is translucent (5 min).

Add garlic, cumin, curry powder, mustard powder, thyme. Cook about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add canned tomatoes and cook a few more minutes, stirring often.

Add lentils, broth, coconut milk, bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover partially with lid and reduce for 25-30 min. Season with salt + pepper once reduced. Remove bay leaves.

Add kale and cook another 5 min until greens have softened. Serve with 1 tsp lemon juice for each bowl.

(Source + Notes under the cut)

Source: Cookie + Kate: Best Lentil Soup

I have a tendency to add diced chicken breast to vegetable soup recipes as a way to add more protein. Once I was done searing the chicken, I read the directions to this one and went, "oh god, this is gonna be an acid reflux nightmare". So, I halved the spices, added the tomato paste, mustard powder, and bay leaves, and grabbed a can of coconut milk from the pantry.

Unfortunately, this was after I added twice as much olive oil as I call for here, so my initial run did end up really oily. I suppose if you blend it up like the recipe calls for, it might work, but I didn't. Midway through reducing, my husband gave it a taste and said it was good, but blending it would make it lose the different flavor profiles of the ingredients. He ended up being right, and the soup turned out really well.

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Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients:

6 oz. bacon

1 lb. hot Italian Sausage

1 yellow onion, diced

2 tbsp. minced garlic

4 russet potatoes, diced

6 cups chicken broth

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 cup heavy whipping cream

6 cups chopped kale

shredded parmesan to garnish (optional)

Directions:

In a large skillet, cook sausage, bacon on med. heat until sausage is browned. Add onion + garlic and cook until onions are translucent (5 min.)

Drain and discard grease. Put sausage mix in slow cooker with potatoes + broth. Add salt + pepper. Cook 5-6 hrs on low or 3-4 hrs on high.

Add cream + kale, cook an extra 30 min. on high. Serve with parmesan.

(Sources + Notes under the cut.)

This is a combination of two recipes:

Natasha's Kitchen: Zuppa Toscana

Allrecipes: Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana

Also, the bacon going into the slow cooker with everything else was sort of an accident, but it works. Draining the grease from the sausage/bacon/onion mixture is essential. You get more than enough flavor with the hot Italian sausage. Trust me.