Sriracha Broccoli

Happy Tuesday friends! 
Since sriracha is one of my favorite things on earth and broccoli is my favorite veggie, I just had to try this recipe that combines the two.

It's been said that I am a horrible cook but this recipe was even easy for me...and that's saying a lot! I made it a few weeks ago, and if you follow my Instagram you saw that I paired this side dish with a salmon fillet covered in roasted salsa. It was just Michael and I for dinner so I added a little more sriracha than what the recipe actually calls for since we like things hot and spicy....you know kinda like us! :)) 

Ingredients:

3 Heads of Broccoli

2 Tbs Soy Sauce

2 Tsp Sesame Seed Oil

3 Tbs Sriracha (your choice on how spicy you want it. Use 1 1/2 tbs for less spicy

1 Garic Clove

Handful of Crushed Peanuts (15 peanuts or so)

Black Pepper, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400°.

2. Cut the broccoli from the stalk into small florets and wash & dry well.

3. In a large bowl, mix all the seasonings and diced garlic together.

4. Coat the broccoli evenly.

5. Put the seasoned broccoli onto a baking pan.

6. Bake for 15 minutes, but remember to toss it half way through.

7. Serve with extra crushed peanuts on top!

***No reason to worry if broccoli is brown, cooked soy sauce turns it brown.

"Easy" Pizza Roll-Ups

As most of you know I am not a cook, I try, but cooking is just not one of my strong suits. But every blue moon the Pinterest gods present me with a “Popular” recipe I can make suitable for eating. I was a little concerned because "Easy" doesn't always mean easy for me. But since JL could live on pizza rolls for months on end, I had to at least try this "Easy" Pizza Roll-Ups recipe.

Lucky for me, my boys loved it and I conquered another "Easy" Pinterest recipe!
You better watch out Gordon Ramsey! :)

Ingredients

· package premade Pizza Dough
· 1- jar spaghetti or pizza sauce (I like using spaghetti sauce because there is so many different  flavors.)
· 1- package shredded Italian blend cheese
· 1- package sliced pepperoni (you can add any topping)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375

2. Unroll pizza dough, cut in 1/2
3. Spread sauce over each piece of dough
4. Cover with a single layer of pepperoni
5. Cover with shredded cheese
6. Roll topping covered dough from one end until it resembles a big burrito, pinch dough closed
7. Tuck open ends under to close
8. Place sealed side down pizza stone. (If you don’t own a pizza stone, go get one NOW!)
9. Sprinkle unbaked pizza rolls with cheese
10. Place in oven to bake until golden brown (approx. 20 mins)
11. Serve with your choice of dipping sauce!
12. Enjoy!

Source

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

To embrace the "cold front" that made it's way into Texas this weekend, I decided to pull out the trusty crock pot and whip up a soup. I have been so eager for cooler weather that I actually made soup in 85 degree weather. Usually soups don't bring me to the level of stressed out like all other recipes, so when I found this Tomato Basil Parmesan recipe on Pinterest I was already pretty confident I could make this eatable. The directions were pretty easy...but just to be safe, I think I read the directions/ingredients 5 or so times. I'm gonna believe that the extra attention I gave to this recipe is why it turned out GREAT!

 JL even wanted to taste it and to his surprise he actually like it. That, in and of itself is a HUGE victory considering he would eat PB&J and pizza rolls everyday.

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 T fresh oregano
1 T dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 bay leaf
1/2 cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 half and half, warmed
1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions

1. Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.

3. About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper. Add additional basil and oregano if needed.

4. Cover and cook on LOW for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.

Photo from Pinterest

Next time, I plan on pairing this rich soup with a dry Sauvignon Blanc wine. 

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake

As I have bluntly stated before...I am a horrible cook. It is still a mystery why, because my madre is a great cook and I feel as though I'm good at following directions. But for some reason every time I try to get ambitious in the kitchen it ends up going horribly wrong. It never fails that I end up leaving something out, adding to much, or overlooking a step which results in my dish being tossed in the woods for the raccoons.

So when I decided to make this  Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake that I found on Pinterest, I warned my hubby yet again that it could turn into a scary nightmare and to brace himself.

Butttt...to his surprise and mine it was good, not great but good! I only missed 1 step in the directions...(which only happen because I got interrupted by having to run outside and yell at the dog for trying to dig to catch a mole). 

So in my book I call that WINNING!  

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake

• 2 medium-sized zucchini, cut in slices or half-moon slices 
• 2 medium-sized yellow squash, cut in slices or half-moon slices.
• 2-4 T chopped fresh basil (or even less, depending on how much you like the flavor of basil) 
• 2 T thinly sliced green onion 
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 3/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup low-fat white cheese (I used Pizza Cheese, which is a low-fat blend of Mozzarella, Provolone, Romano, and Parmesan)
• 1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan (I would use a little less if you only have the very finely grated Parmesan from a can) 
• Salt & Pepper to taste.

-Preheat oven to 350F/180C.  Spray an 8" x 8" baking dish with olive oil or non-stick spray.  Wash the squash and cut in slices or half-moon slices.  Wash basil, spin dry or dry with paper towels and finely chop.  Slice green onions.

-Combine the sliced squash, chopped basil, sliced green onions, dried thyme, garlic powder, and both kinds of cheese and stir together until the veggies are coated with cheese and the herbs are well-distributed.  Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.  Put the mixture in the baking dish and bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes.

-When the zucchini is nearly cooked through, take the casserole dish out of the oven and sprinkle over the remaining 1/2 cup of grated cheese.  Put the dish back in the oven and bake 10-15 minutes 

longer, or until the cheese is melted and nicely browned and zucchini is fully cooked.  Serve hot.