Crock Pot Butter Chicken

This is an Indian dish and contrary to the name, it doesn't have butter in it. Serve over rice or cauliflower rice with a side of naan.
*originally from damn delicious

Ingredients:
1/2 c. chicken stock
1 6-oz can tomato paste
2 tsp yellow curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 lbs chicken thighs cut into chunks (I have also used frozen chicken breast and shred it at the end)
1/2 sweet onion diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T freshly grated ginger
1/2 c. heavy cream (I use coconut milk instead)
2. T lime juice
1 1/2 tsp light brown sugar

1. Whisk together first 7 ingredients.
2. Place chicken, onion, garlic and ginger in slow cooker. Add chicken stock mixture over the chicken.
3. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Stir in cream, lime juice and brown sugar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Serve immediately over rice or cauliflower rice. A side of naan is yummy too.

Korean Barbecue Beef

*Originally from Damn Delicious
*Original recipes doesn't include any veggies, but I add frozen veggies such as broccoli, peas, starry veggies. Depending on how many veggies you add, you may need to make a little extra sauce.

Ingredients:
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. soy sauce or Tamari sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 T vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef
2 green onions, thinly sliced (optional)
1/4 tsp sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:
1. Whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes and ginger.
2. Heat vegetable oil in large skillet over medium high. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 min. Add ground beef and cook until browned, crumbling as it cooks. Drain excess fat.
3. *This is when I add the veggies and cook until tender
4. Stir in sauce and green onions until well combined, allowing to simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes.
5. Serve over rice or cauliflower rice garnished with green onion and sesame seeds if desired.

Oatmeal Cookies

We made these when we had friends over and they were really yummy. I wanted to post it here so I could find it next time I needed a quick dessert with items we normally have in stock. 

3/4 c. Butter at room temperature

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

2 1/4 cups old fashioned oats

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy, around 5 min.

3. Add egg and vanilla and beat for another minute.

4. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix until combined. Add oats and combine. 

5. Roll into balls using hands and place on the cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Bake 10 - 14 min. until edges begin to brown and centers are set. Cool completely on wire rack.

Biscotti

My sweet friend, Amanda, always has a stash of biscotti to enjoy with our coffee when we hang out. I haven't made these, but this the recipe she uses and I wanted to load it here so I can find it when I have time to try it out.

Ingredients:

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1 c. sugar

3 1/4 c. flour

3 eggs

1T baking powder

1T vanilla extract

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 375. Grease cookie sheets or live with parchment paper. 

2. In medium bowl, beat together oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla until well blended. In separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Slowly add flour mixture to wet mixture until it forms a heavy dough. Divide dough into two pieces. Form each into a roll as long as your cookie sheet. Place the roll onto the prepared cookie sheets and press down to 1/2 inch thickness.

3. Bake 25 - 30 min. until golden brown. Remove and cook on wire rack. When cool enough to handle, slice each crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. Place slices cut side up back on the cookie sheets. Bake an additional 6-10 min. on each side. Slices should be lightly toasted.

Steak Bites with Garlic Butter

Super easy and yummy way to enjoy steak without a grill. The key is having a super hot pan to get a good crisp outside on the steak. We ate these with sides of mashed potatoes and roasted Brussel sprouts... yum!

Ingredients:
1 1/4 lbs steak cut into cubes
1 T Olive Oil
2T Butter
2t minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Heat the olive oil in the pan over high. Season steak with salt and pepper. Place the steak in the pan in a single layer. You may need to work in batches. Cook 3-4 min. stirring occasionally until browned. Repeat with remaining meat as needed.

2. Add butter and garlic to the pan with all of the browned steak bites and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring to coat the meat in the sauce.

Oatmeal Bran Pancakes

This is our go-to pancake recipe. Can make without blueberries or sub a different fruit.

1/2 c. Plus 2 Tbs. Oats
1 c. Whole Wheat Flour
2 T. Flaxseed Ground (or wheat germ)
1/3 c. Oat Bran
1/2 t. Salt
1/2 t. Baking Soda
1 t. Baking Powder
2 t. Cinnamon
1/3 c. Brown Sugar
1 Egg
2 T. Apple Sauce
1 1/2 c. Milk
1 t. Vanilla
1 1/2 c. Blueberries (frozen or fresh)

Mix dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients together. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix to combine.

Scoop onto a buttered griddle. Cook until done, flipping half way.

Mexican Quinoa Stew

Mexican Quinoa Stew

• Author: Cookie and Kate
 
• Prep Time: 15 mins
 
• Cook Time: 25 mins
 
• Total Time: 40 minutes
 
• Yield: 4 to 6 servings
 
• Category: Soup

★★★★★

4.9 from 42reviews

You’re going to love this Mexican quinoa stew! It’s hearty, easy to make and tastes amazing. This soup recipe is vegan and gluten free. Recipe yields 4 large or 6 more modest bowls.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 teaspoon coconut oil (I opted to use 1 tablespoon olive oil instead)
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans or 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup quinoa (dry/uncooked)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (for extra heat, optional)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Optional garnishes (my ideas): extra chopped cilantro, small wedges of lime, diced avocado, crumbled tortilla chips, grated cheese, sour cream…

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a medium Dutch oven or soup pot, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and jalapeños. Sauté until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.
2. Add the water, tomatoes, beans, cumin, salt, quinoa, cilantro and cayenne pepper (if using). Season with pepper and bring the soup to a boil.
3. Once boiling, lower the heat, cover the pot, and let the soup simmer until the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Once the quinoa is tender, add more salt and pepper to taste, if necessary. You can serve this soup right away or use an immersion blender to purée a couple cups of this soup—this helps to thicken the soup while still leaving some texture (I may have overdone it a bit).
4. Divide into bowls and serve with any garnishes that you’d like. Store leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.