Pot Roast

Pot roast has always been a favorite for me, my mom would make it a lot. I loved how the beef would just fall apart and how soft and tender the vegetables would be. This meal reminds me of home. My version uses my Mom's recipe at its base but I have added my own seasoning as my mom has never been a big fan of using herbs. This meal can be made in a low cooker but I prefer to cook it in a pot on the stove for a few hours. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
2-3 lb Boneless Chuck Roast
3 tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 cups baby carrots
5 red potatoes, quartered
1 tbs dried rosemary
1 tbs dried thyme
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, heat oil. Salt and pepper the roast and then sear all sides including edges. Place roast in a large pot. Add onion, garlic and herbs. Add water until roast is covered.
2. Bring pot to a boil and reduce heat and simmer. Cook 1 1/2 hours.
3. Add vegetables and cook an additional hour. Check vegetables for tenderness and cook longer if desired. Serve and eat.

Chocolate Chip Blondies

Blondies are definitely a favorite of mine. I mean, who doesn't love a brownie that tastes like a chocolate chip cookie? Well I for one, do! Here is the best recipe I have found for these delicious little bars of bliss. We like to make brownie blondie sundaes, where we make a batch of both blondies and brownies and add ice cream and chocolate syrup.

Ingredients:
1 cup flour, all purpose
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup semisweet morsels

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line 11x7 cake pan with parchment paper.
2. In mixing bowl (I use my Kitchenaid mixer) add flour and sugar. Add the egg, melted butter and salt, mix well.
3. Fold in baking powder and chocolate morsels. Pour mixture into baking dish and spread evenly.
4. Bake 20-25 minutes. Let stand and serve.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don't know about you, but I love big chewy chocolate chip cookies. They are my favorite cookie and pretty high up on the list for my favorite sweet. I have tried many recipes and they came out too crunchy or too cake-like so when I found these I was completely in heaven. Everything from the chewy delicious batter to the gooey chocolate chips, this cookie is divine. My son tells everybody that mom makes the best cookies. I'll take it!

Ingredients:
2 cups flour, all purpose
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup (12 tbs) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
12 oz semisweet morsels

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325°. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl ( I use my stand up Kitchenaid Mixer) add butter and sugars, mix well. Add vanilla, egg and egg yolk. Mix until it is well incorporated and looks creamy.
3. Add salt, baking powder and flour. Mix well. Add chocolate chips and mix by hand, making sure they are evenly mixed within the batter.
4. Take 1/4 cup of batter and roll into a ball. Place one and a half to two inches apart on the cookie sheet. Bake 11-15 minutes per batch, rotating the tray about half way through. In my oven 12-13 minutes tends to be perfect, but ovens can vary and baking can be tricky.
5. Allow to cool about 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!

Coca Cola Pulled Pork

Another favorite in my house is pulled pork. I personally prefer to use boneless country style ribs, because it is easier to deal with then a large pork shoulder and doesn't require me to pick out bones, like the bone-in counterpart. I am sure this recipe would work with other cuts, so feel free to experiment to your hearts desire. This easy, 3 ingredient recipe is fantastic! We love the way this sauce comes out and have not been able to find anything better since I started using this recipe 5 years ago. We like to pair it with my Dill Coleslaw. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 lbs pork boneless country style ribs

1 cup Heinz ketchup

1 cup Coca Cola

Directions:

1. Mix the ketchup and cola together.  

2. In your crockpot, pour a layer of the ketchup/cola mixture.  Add your country style ribs, spreading them out on the sauce layer.  Add the remaining sauce.  

3. Cook on low 6-8 hours, or on high 3-4 hours.  I like to shred the pork at the 5 hour mark when on low or the 2 hour mark when on high,  This leaves time for the flavor to soak in really well for at least the last  hour.

4. Once the sauce has been absorbed, it is ready to serve.  We like to pair it with my Dill Coleslaw and fries or macaroni and cheese,  

Dill Coleslaw

Coleslaw is a staple in our house.  We always serve it when we have pulled pork, well really barbecue of any kind.  But our favorite coleslaw recipe is this one, the dill adds an extra layer of depth to the dish.  Very simple to make but really delicious.  Even my 9 year old loves it!

Ingredients:

5 cups coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
1/2 tbs dill paste or 1 tbs fresh dill
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium size mixing bowl, add 5 cups coleslaw mix, mayo, vinegar, and dill.  Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour for the flavors to blend.  Serve as a side or as a burger/sandwich topping.

Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa

I really love quinoa, but it is a battle to get my boys on board. This recipe has changed my husband's view on it, which is at least half way there! For this recipe I use a simple quinoa, not a tricolor or any other mix. Using 2% shredded cheddar helps keep the calorie and fat down, making this a great side for even those looking for healthy alternatives.

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup chopped fresh broccoli
1 cup 2% shredded cheddar
2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

1. Bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add quinoa and broccoli, return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

2. Remove from heat. Add seasonings and cheese.  Mix well and serve.

Turkey Zucchini Meatloaf and Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

I have been making turkey meatloaf in my house for a few years and it has always been a really delicious meal that we look forward to. However, recently I have been on a zucchini kick. I decided to change it up a little and add some shredded zucchini to the mi and boy is it good. The recipe for this new concoction is provided below, along with my favorite pairing, garlic mashed cauliflower. It is also easy to make these at the same time because the meatloaf has to cook for an hour, leaving plenty of time to chop, steam and mash the cauliflower.

Turkey Zucchini Meatloaf

Ingredients:

20 oz package of 93% Lean Ground Turkey
1 medium zucchini, shredded
1/2 sweet onion, diced
2 eggs
3/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
a pinch of sea salt

Glaze:
1/4 cup Heinz Ketchup
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp light brown sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the meatloaf ingredients until well mixed.  Spray your loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and place the meatloaf mixture in pan. Form it to the shape of the pan and place it in the oven.  Bake for 60 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, add all ingredients for the glaze and mix well.  Set aside until the timer runs out and then remove the meatloaf from the oven and pour the glaze evenly over the meatloaf.  Return the loaf to the oven and bake an additional 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

Ingredients:

1 small head of cauliflower, chopped
4 tbsp skim, 1% or 2% milk
2 tbsp light sour cream
1 1/2 tbsp butter, or light butter spread
2 tsp minced garlic
a pinch of ground black pepper

Directions:

1. If you haven't already, start by chopping your cauliflower. I do this by hand, not because I necessarily want to, but because I don't have a food processor at the moment. If you have a better way to get it chopped into small pieces, go with it. All that matters is that it gets chopped.

2. In a medium saucepan add 1 cup water and your chopped cauliflower. The water will not cover your cauliflower but it will still cook thoroughly this way, trust me. Cover and steam for about 15-20 minutes, occasionally checking your water level to make sure it has not evaporated. If it does add another 1/2 - 1 cup.

3. Use a colander with very tiny holes and drain any remaining water. Transfer cauliflower into a large mixing bowl and add milk, sour cream, butter, garlic and pepper. Mix the ingredients together and then begin to mash. Once again I do this the old fashioned way with a potato masher, but if you have a better way, go for it, All that matters here is the end result, which is healthy and delicious. Salt to taste.