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Entree

EASY SHRIMP GNOCCHI

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Bright Flavors

I have been craving bright, fresh flavors lately and this Easy Shrimp Gnocchi is the exact answer to my cravings. I know we all hate it when a food blogger says “you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry right now.” So, I’m not going to take it that far. But… this dish was created from ingredients that I buy routinely. I might not have each item in the kitchen at all times, but I shop these items on the regular. I love cooking like this because it feels less wasteful. I’m not shopping for unique ingredients that I might not use up. I’m not spending money beyond my typical grocery budget. These ingredients are easy to find and familiar to my family.

Pan of gnocchi, vegetables, and shrimp.

Any Time Of Day

While I typically think of gnocchi as a dinner item, I actually love this Easy Shrimp Gnocchi as a brunch dish. Yes, you can still have this for dinner but hear me out. The bright lemon flavor along with the spinach and tomatoes just scream brunch to me. To really put it over the top into brunch mode, add a fried or soft boiled egg to your bowl. So. Dang. Good! Keep in mind, this dish is light in flavor but also, the servings are moderate in size. In other words, you won’t be able to feed a crowd with this one unless you double the recipe. Whether you’re eating this for brunch or dinner, personally, I love this dish paired with a glass of white wine.

Blue bowl filled with gnocchi, shrimp, and vegetables.
Blue bowl filled with gnocchi, shrimp, and vegetables.

Easy Shrimp Gnocchi

Sarah Baade
This shrimp gnocchi has bright, fresh flavors and comes together easily in one pan.
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Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
  • 16 oz dry gnocchi (shelf stable)
  • 1 medium shallot, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 large handfulls fresh baby spinach
  • 10 oz small sweet tomatoes, halved
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • optional topping: shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions
 

  • Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet, over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook until it starts to turn golden brown, approximately 7 minutes.
  • Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, shallots, and garlic. Cook an additional 2 minutes.
  • Add spinach, tomatoes, lemon zest, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. Cook until spinach is wilted.
  • Push all ingredients to one side of the pan. Add shrimp to other side of the pan, turn shrimp as needed until cooked through. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Toss shrimp with all other ingredients in the pan. Serve warm, topped with parmesan if desired.
Keyword Easy Shrimp Gnocchi, Gnocchi, One Pan Meal, Shrimp

Looking for more summer recipes?

Panzanella Summer Salad

Sober Sangria

Rainbow Fruit Salad

SHREDDED CHICKEN TACOS

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Adapting

My “day job” has been particularly hectic lately and, if I’m honest, I’m worn out. On the one hand, I’m thankful to be busy. I don’t actually like having much down time at the office. On the flip side, there are days when I feel like I’m barely keeping up. Have you ever had one of those weeks where you don’t even feel like you have time for a bathroom break? That’s where I’m at. While we’re all tired of the phrase “new normal”, that is exactly what I’m adapting to. I’m viewing it as a learning curve. Added tasks to the day-to-day are really just a matter of time management. I’m learning how to multitask and prioritize in new ways. Once I get the hang of it, I’m sure I’ll be even more efficient than ever.

All Hand On Deck

When work gets crazy, my time at home becomes even more valuable. The last thing I want is more work as we get home from work and school. Yes, chores need to be done and meals need to be cooked but I still want to have time to relax with my family. We accomplish this in two ways. First off, we all pitch in on the chores. Even our four year old can help empty the dish washer or toss laundry in the wash. Secondly, we are intentional about choosing easy to cook meals. My husband and I take turns with meal planning and cooking. Weeknight meals are typically just a simple protein with a vegetable of some sort as the side dish. My husband tends to grill and I tend to do sheet pan dinners or slow cooker meals. Once again, our daughter helps out where she can. She might help season the vegetables or she might just set the table for us.

Shredded Chicken Tacos (a slow cooker meal)

As I’ve been exploring more slow cooker meals, I remembered a recipe my brother and sister-in-law used to make for shredded pork. I’ve adapted the recipe into my own shredded chicken tacos by using my usual taco seasonings. I also opted for chicken as we are more likely to have that on hand in our freezer. I’ve been making this on the weekends so that I can have leftovers for lunch during the week. This shredded chicken is delicious in tacos (as I’ve written it up here) but it is really more versatile than that. You could put it on a baked potato, in sandwiches, on nachos, or make a rice bowl with it. Frankly, it is even tasty on its own, cold or warm. I’m excited to see what you end up doing with this recipe.

Shredded Chicken Tacos

Sarah Baade
This chicken is made in a slow cooker which means it is incredibly easy to make. Wrap it up in a tortilla with your favorite toppings for a delicious taco meal.
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Course Dinner
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 12 Tacos

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 10oz can Rotel
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1½ teaspoons paprika
  • 1½ teaspoons chili powder
  • 12 tortillas
  • Optional toppings: spicy cole slaw (see next recipe), avocado, sour cream, cilantro

Instructions
 

  • Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker then top with rotel, lime juice, and all spices.
  • Cook on high for 4 hours or until chicken is cooked through and easily starts to pull apart.
  • Move chicken from slow cooker to a large serving dish (keeping as much of the rotel and seasoning on it as possible) and shred with two large forks.
  • Serve in tortillas with desired toppings.
Keyword Chicken Tacos, Crock Pot Meal, Shredded Chicken Tacos, Slow Cooker, Slow Cooker Meal, Tacos

Spicy Coleslaw

Sarah Baade
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Ingredients
  

  • 7oz shredded cabbage or coleslaw blend
  • 5oz plain greek yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons sriracha (more or less depending on how hot you want it)
  • juice of ½ lime
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Stir all ingredients together in a small mixing bowl until cabbage is evenly coated.
  • Serve on shredded chicken tacos.
Keyword Coleslaw, Spicy Coleslaw

Looking for more taco recipes?

Try my Sheet Pan Veggie Tacos or my Cauliflower Tacos.

TOT TOPPED SHEPHERD’S PIE

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Changes To Our Meals

We all know life has changed over the past year. Okay, that is an understatement but I know I know need to go into all of the ways life has changed. I want to tell you how my family’s dinners have changed. Prior to Covid-19, my family and I focused on plant based options most days of the week. We still included meat of one sort or another a couple of times per week but most of our dinners were vegetarian or even vegan. When we started ordering our groceries online for curbside pick up, things changed for us. Being able to stop by the store on the way home from work/school, kiddo in tow, became something we are less comfortable with. Picking up groceries only every other week means relying more on foods that store well longer term (hello freezer!). Long story short, we’ve started eating more meats because they are easy to store in the freezer long term. As our eating habits change, it only feels right to shift the blog as well. My first beef based recipe for you is Tot Topped Shepherd’s Pie.

Wooden spoon with a scoop of tater tot shepherds pie and a white casserole dish with tater tots in the background.
Tot Topped Shepherd’s Pie

In addition to introducing more meats into our diet, we are focusing on smaller dishes to accommodate our small family without having excessive leftovers or waste. I recently saw this idea of topping a shepherd’s pie with tater tots and I knew I needed to make my own version of this. I love a traditional shepherd’s pie and even have a plant based, Baby Bella Shepherd’s Pie on here. But my least favorite part of making the traditional version is the mashed potatoes. The peeling, cutting, boiling, and mashing of the potatoes seems to take forever. Worth it? Yes. Do I always have time for those steps? No. These tater tots save tons of time and give a slightly crispy texture that is a hit with my whole family. Added bonus? Tots keep in the freezer until you’re ready to make this dish (as do the ground beef and peas). Give this Tot Topped Shepherd’s Pie a go and let me know what you think of this new recipe!

Wooden spoon with a scoop of tater tot shepherds pie and a white casserole dish with tater tots in the background.

Tot Topped Shepherd’s Pie

Tater Tots make for a super easy topping on this cozy dish.
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Course Dinner

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 3 large carrots, cut into ¼" slices
  • ½ medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 package frozen tater tots

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • In a large skillet, over medium heat, brown ground beef. Drain any excess grease.
  • Add carrots to beef and cook 2-3 minutes.
  • Add onion and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.
  • Stir in garlic, thyme, salt and pepper.
  • Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir until evenly coated.
  • Add peas, beef stock, and tomato paste. Stir until paste is evenly distributed.
  • Transfer mixture into a greased 8×8 pan. Place tater tots on top of mixture in straight rows then bake for 25-30 minutes or until tots are golden. Serve warm.

Notes

Number of servings varies slightly based on who is eating. My family of three (two adults and one young child) managed to get two servings each. If feeding four adults, I would estimate four servings.
Keyword Casserole, Hot Dish, Shepherd’s Pie, Tater Tots, Tot Topped Shepherd’s Pie

Easy Pasta Salad

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At the beginning of the year, I set three food goals for myself. 1)Cook a meal for another family once each month. 2)Buy from my local farmers market at least once per month. 3)Bake a bread recipe of one sort or another each month. Friends, COVID-19 has seriously interrupted these plans! Social distancing, businesses (and the farmers markets) closed, and difficulty finding flour in the stores. I will revisit these goals when I am able to but in the mean time, I have been focusing on simple recipes.

Fancy ingredients and complicated cooking techniques are not prerequisites to a good meal. In fact, some of my favorite dishes are made quickly with just a handful of ingredients. With this in mind, along with my yearning for farmers market produce, I’ve created my easy pasta salad. There is also some versatility in this recipe. You can use whatever small pasta you can get your hands on. Eat it as a side dish, or add your favorite protein to make it your entree. And once you can go to your farmers market again, be sure to show your support and buy your ingredients for this one from your local farmers.

Easy Pasta Salad

Sarah Baade
An easy to make pasta salad that can be used as a side dish or an entree.
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Course Dinner, Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb small pasta such as orecchiette, shells or elbow noodles
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons (divided) olive oil
  • 15 oz canned chickpeas
  • 12 oz small tomatoes – mixed variety, halved
  • 1 medium cucumber, cut into 1/4" slices then quartered
  • 1/2 small red onion, diced
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Optional: protein such as tofu, grilled bratwurst, or grilled chicken

Instructions
 

  • Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain pasta then rinse with cold water until cooled.
  • Transfer pasta to a large bowl and stir together with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
  • Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber and red onion then toss to combine.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, Italian herb seasoning and salt. Pour over pasta and gently stir until pasta is evenly coated. Top with protein of choice if desired.
Keyword Easy Pasta Salad, Easy Recipe, Pasta, Pasta Salad

SHEET PAN VEGGIE TACOS

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My first year of graduate school, I was blessed with a roommate who also loved spending time in the kitchen. We often weren’t home at the same time which left little room for cooking together. Instead, I might come home from class and find his homemade bread sitting on the counter. Or, he would come home to a slice of homemade cheesecake. Baking was truly the passion of the household. However, we also had a routine of taco night once a week. This was our favorite meal to share with friends and we had an entire speech that we would serve up with the food. The ingredients were routine but ample – ground beef, shredded cheese, avocado, tomatoes, sour cream, etc… The speech we gave encouraged our friends to make their taco experience their own. Add what you want, skip the toppings that aren’t your favorite. Taco night never disappointed.

Fast forward a few years and taco night has become a national trend. Hello, #tacotuesday! Over the years, I have also expanded on my taco repertoire. In particular, I love changing up the fillings. Lately, I’ve been making lots of veggie tacos. This is basically a sheet pan dinner – who doesn’t love an easy sheet pan dinner?! You’ll get your veggies plus protein from chickpeas all flavored in what you’ll recognize as classic taco seasoning.

Sheet Pan Veggie Tacos

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Course Dinner, Main Course
Servings 12 Tacos

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2" cubes
  • 2 cups red cabbage, chopped into 1" pieces
  • 1/2 lb Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed, then cut in half length wise
  • 15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 medium jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 12 flour or corn tortillas
  • Optional toppings: avocado, salsa, hot sauce

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 420°F.
  • Place squash, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, chickpeas, and jalapeno in a large bowl. Stir in olive oil and all spices until vegetables are evenly coated.
  • Spread vegetable mixture out on a sheet pan and bake for 20minutes, stirring halfway through.
  • While vegetables are cooking, wrap tortillas in foil then place in oven for the last 10 minutes of vegetable cook time.
  • Fill tortillas with vegetable mixture and toppings as desired.

Notes

Alternative methods for warming tortillas:
  • Heat tortillas, one at a time, in a skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds then flip and heat for another 30 seconds. Repeat this for each tortilla.
  • If you have a gas stovetop, you can heat tortillas, one at a time, directly over the flame, flip with tongs after 15 seconds. You might need to flip them a few times in order to get them slightly toasted. ***Keep flame low and watch the tortillas closely so you don’t catch them on fire.***
Keyword Sheet Pan Dinner, Veggie Taco Recipe, Veggie Tacos

SEMI HOMEMADE POT PIE (TWO WAYS)

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Comfort Food

Let’s talk comfort food. When I think about some of my favorite comfort foods, the recipes are often quite lengthy. These are perfect for special occasions, holiday meals, celebration meals of one sort or another. They are worth the effort when you have the time but a lot of us don’t have an extra few hours to spend on a single dish. But what do you do when you want, no, NEED comfort food but don’t have the time or energy for one of those special, hours to prepare dishes? I’ve got you covered with these semi homemade pot pie recipes. I’m just going to throw it out there that this is also a perfect dish to take to someone who needs a meal. Perhaps someone just had a baby, or just had surgery, or is just going through a difficult time in life. Cook this up and take it to them! These comfort food recipes are practically a hug you serve up in a pie dish.

Two Versions

I’ve been making the original version of this chicken pot pie for about 15 years and, to be forthcoming, it is not my recipe. The OG version comes from a collaborative recipe book put together by employees from some random company. In other words, I don’t know the exact source but wish I did so that I could give the person full credit on this one. However, I have updated it to literally double the filling. This means, you can feed more people without having to make a second pie. When I started eating a more plant based diet, I also created a vegetarian version of this pot pie. Both versions are semi homemade which means you can put them together in about five minutes and then relax while they bake into sheer comfort food. I guarantee you’re going to want second helpings on this one. Oh, and if you happen to have leftovers, this also tastes fantastic reheated.

Vegetable Pot Pie (Semi Homemade)

Sarah Baade
This pot pie comes together quickly and serves up pure comfort food.
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Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 9" unbaked pie crusts
  • 2 16oz bags frozen mixed vegetables (blend of carrots, corn, peas & green beans)
  • 1 cup frozen diced potatoes
  • 2 10oz cans cream of celery condensed soup

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425°F.
  • Unroll one unbaked pie crust and place in a 9” pie dish.
  • In a medium bowl, stir together frozen vegetables, potatoes and condensed soup.
  • Spread mixture into pie crust and top with remaining unbaked pie crust.
  • Pinch edges of crusts together to create a seal.
  • Cut several slits into top pie crust.
  • Bake 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Notes

If you prefer a shiny crust, whisk together 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water then brush the mixture over the top pie crust before baking.
Keyword Easy Pot Pie, Pot Pie, Semi Homemade Pot Pie, Vegetarian Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie (Semi Homemade)

Sarah Baade
This pot pie comes together quickly and serves up pure comfort food.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 9" unbaked pie crusts
  • 2 16oz bags frozen mixed vegetables (blend of carrots, corn, peas & green beans)
  • 2 12oz cans premium white chicken
  • 2 10oz cans cream of chicken condensed soup

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425°F.
  • Unroll one unbaked pie crust and place in a 9” pie dish.
  • In a medium bowl, stir together vegetables, chicken and condensed soup.
  • Spread mixture into pie crust and top with remaining unbaked pie crust. (You're going to feel like you can't fit all of the filling in there but trust me, it will work. Just pile it high!)
  • Pinch edges of crusts together to create a seal.
  • Cut several slits into top pie crust.
  • Bake 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Notes

If you prefer a shiny crust, whisk together 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water then brush the mixture over the top pie crust before baking.
Keyword Chicken Pot Pie, Easy Chicken Pot Pie, Pot Pie, Semi Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

Looking for more comfort food recipes? Try this Tot Topped Shepherd’s Pie or my One Pot Vegetarian Chili.

ONE POT VEGETARIAN CHILI

by 3 Comments

People spend years perfecting their chili recipe. Years. My dad included. Getting to that point of self-proclaimed perfection requires passion. Trial and error on spices. A commitment to eating LOTS of chili. Do you make it all meat and no beans? (hi there, Texas, I’m looking at you.) Do you pour it over pasta? (Cincinnati, I’ve never tried it but I’m sure it’s delicious.) If you’re going vegetarian, do you use beans exclusively or add in a variety of other veggies?  I kind of consider Chili to be a personal journey – find a style you like and then perfect it to your own flavors from there.

Every year for the Super Bowl, we head over to a friend’s house for a big get together. The game is on for those who are interested but they also hold a chili competition. I’ve used other people’s recipes for this in the past but this year I look forward to bringing my own. Here, I’ve created a vegetarian chili that is bean and tomato based – no other veggies added in. I feel like it gives more of a classic, hearty feel to it while still giving you a meatless recipe. On that note, if you are cooking for a meat eating crowd, you can absolutely brown up a pound of ground beef and add it in here.

One Pot Vegetarian Chili

This hearty chili will warm you up and fill your belly – no meat required.
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Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 15oz cans kidney beans
  • 1 15oz can pinto beans
  • 1 15oz can black beans
  • 1 7oz can diced green chiles (mild)
  • 2 28oz cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 14oz can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
  • 3 Tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

Optional toppings:

  • sour cream, plain greek yogurt, avocado, shredded cheddar cheese, corn chips

Instructions
 

  • In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Stir in beans, chiles and diced tomatoes. Stir in spices and Worcestershire sauce. Pour in crushed tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and vegetable
    broth and stir together. Increase heat to bring pot to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer 30 minutes.
  • Top with desired toppings and serve with corn bread or a loaf of rustic bread.
Keyword Chili, Easy Chili Recipe, Healthy Chili, One Pot Chili Recipe, One Pot Vegetarian Chili, Vegan Chili, Vegetarian Chili

BARLEY SOUP

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This has felt like the longest summer I’ve ever experienced. As of a few days ago, we were still hitting temperatures near the 90’s. Did Mother Nature forget to check the calendar? It is already late October?! Truthfully, I love living in a warmer climate. I’ve done my time with cold and snow and I learned it wasn’t for me. That being said, I can’t help but crave a few cooler (not cold) days so I can indulge in winter comfort foods. We are finally cooling off here in Texas and I’m going full out on my comfort food recipes.

I’ve been craving soup lately but my brain has also been wandering back to my recipe for Baby Bella Shepherd’s Pie. The solution? Turn the base of that shepherd’s pie into a soup! The result? Pure satisfaction! This soup is hearty and rich in flavor. Anyone who eats this is going to think you slaved away in the kitchen all day when, in fact, it is simple to make. Bonus? This is one of those recipes that tastes even better as leftovers.

Barley Soup

This hearty soup is rich in flavor yet easy to make – a perfect way to warm up on a cold day.
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Course Dinner, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 large carrots, cut into 1/4" slices
  • 2 large parsnips, cut into 1/4" slices
  • 2 lb white mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2/3 cup pearl barley

Instructions
 

  • In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add carrots and parsnips, cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms, garlic, thyme, salt & pepper. Cook until mushrooms start to sweat. Sprinkle flour over vegetable mixture and stir until evenly coated. Pour in diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, vegetable broth and wine. Stir in tomato paste and barley. Increase heat to bring pot to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer 45 minutes or until barely is cooked through.

Notes

  • Having a hard time pulling those thyme leaves off of the stem? Grab a few sprigs and tie them together with kitchen twine. Toss the whole bundle into the soup and simply remove the bundle when soup is fully cooked.
  • This is a thick, hearty soup. If you prefer a thinner soup, you can add water after simmering until you reach the consistency you desire.
Keyword Barley, Barley Soup, Dinner, Easy Recipe, Homemade Soup, Soup, Vegan Recipe, Vegetarian Recipe

BROCCOLI & RICED CAULIFLOWER CASSEROLE

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Casserole or hotdish? I only recently even heard of the term hotdish. I’ve looked up several sources trying to get some clarity on the difference between the two. Both include a creamy condensed soup with vegetables and usually meat of some sort. The differences? From what I gather, casserole tends to use a lighter meat like tuna or chicken while a hotdish is more likely to use beef. But honestly, even that seems somewhat vague given you could eliminate meat altogether. The biggest difference seems to be a matter of where you’re from. Hotdish is more of an upper Midwestern term (think Minnesota). Having grown up in Kansas, I’m definitely a casserole gal.

Grab those veggies out of the freezer and soup out of the pantry, we’re making casserole today! Now that the temperatures are finally cooling off here in Texas, I’m ready for comfort food. As you know, I’m also a huge fan of super easy recipes. This is basically a stir and bake recipe – if only every recipe were this easy! You can use it as a side dish or make it the main event.  Either way, this broccoli and riced cauliflower casserole has made it onto the regular rotation of dinner recipes in our house. I’d love to hear what types of casseroles (or hotdishes) are your favorites!

Tips

  • Trying to keep things low carb? Replace the bread crumbs with more shredded cheddar.
  • For added veggies, you can use a riced cauliflower & sweet potato blend.

Broccoli & Riced Cauliflower Casserole

This broccoli and riced cauliflower casserole is basically a stir and bake recipe – Comfort food at it's best!
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Ingredients
  

  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 8 oz sour cream
  • 2 cans (10.5oz each) cream of celery soup
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 10.5 oz frozen riced cauliflower
  • 1 lb frozen broccoli florets
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, soup, salt, pepper and cheddar cheese.
  • Stir in riced cauliflower then stir in broccoli.
  • Spread broccoli mixture into a greased 9×13 casserole dish.
  • In a small bowl, stir together butter and breadcrumbs then sprinkle over broccoli mixture.
  • Bake 45 minutes. If breadcrumbs are not golden, turn the broiler on and watch carefully until you achieve golden color.

EASY VEGETABLE FRIED RICE

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A friend of mine was recently asking about recipes that use frozen vegetables. It occurred to me that I have always used fresh produce in my recipes here. Fresh is great but there are some huge advantages to using frozen veggies when you can. Frozen vegetables are actually less expensive than fresh ones. I did a quick price check at my local grocery store and a bag of fresh broccoli florets was priced at 21c per ounce. Meanwhile, the bag of frozen broccoli florets was priced at 11c per ounce. That is nearly HALF the price! If you’re on a budget, frozen veggies are a great way to get healthy foods on the cheap. Speaking of being budget friendly, frozen vegetables won’t go bad in a few days which means you’re not tossing anything out at the end of the week. You’re getting your money’s worth! Finally, frozen vegetables are already chopped. Let’s be honest, chopping vegetables sometimes takes longer than actually cooking a dish. Precut vegetables are a huge time saver! So, have I convinced you to buy frozen vegetables yes?!

Now, let’s get down to this recipe. I started making fried rice a few years ago because I was simply wanting to use up some leftovers from the fridge. I have a habit of cooking more rice than we need when using it as a side dish.  Rather than tossing out the leftovers or even eating plain rice again later in the week, I chose to repurpose it. The thing about fried rice is that it is actually easy to customize with whatever vegetables or spices are your favorites. Here, I’m giving you a super easy base recipe for vegetable fried rice. From here, feel free to get creative with what you add in. I’d love to hear how you adapt this to make it your own!

Tips

  • It is critical to use rice that was cooked earlier and then cooled. If you use freshly cooked rice, you will end up with a pan full of mush.
  • This is a basic vegetable fried rice recipe but don’t let that limit you. Feel free to add a protein of your choice or a wider variety of vegetables such as snow peas, bell peppers or edamame.

Easy Vegetable Fried Rice

An easy base recipe for vegetable fried rice.
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Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 cups cooked, cold brown rice
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas & carrots
  • 1/2 cup frozen chopped broccoli
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 Tablespoon tamari sauce or low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 large egg, beaten

Instructions
 

  • Heat vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat.
  • Add rice and vegetables to the pan and cook until tender. Mix in garlic, sesame oil, onion powder, and tamari sauce.
  • Push rice mixture to one side of the pan. Pour the egg into the other side of the pan and stir with a rubber spatula until curds form. Stir egg into the rice mixture. Add additional tamari sauce if desired.

Notes

  • 4 servings is based on using this recipe as a side dish. If you prefer to use it as your entrée, double the recipe.
  • It is critical to use rice that was cooked earlier and then cooled. If you use freshly cooked rice, you will end up with a pan full of mush.
  • This is a basic vegetable fried rice recipe but don’t let that limit you. Feel free to add a protein of your choice or a wider variety of vegetables such as snow peas, bell peppers or edamame.