Winter Squash with Penne and Ricotta

Hey everyone! I hope the weekend treated you nicely since today was so gloomy. Last night we went to Wabi Sabi and visited with my Aunt Terre and Uncle Arthur while they were in town from Colorado. Tonight we had a squash dish with my two favorite things, pasta and cheese. The house smelled like pumpkin and that threw Jake off but it was a goo vegetarian meal. This one was especially for you Kim.

Winter Squash with Penne and Ricotta 

• 2.5lbs Butternut squash, peeled, halved, and seeded 
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Cup onions, diced 
• 3 Cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 1 Tsp salt
• 12oz Penne 
• 1 Cup Ricotta 
• 1/2 Tsp sage 
• 2 Tbs parsley
• 1/4 Cup Parmesan 
• 1 Cup pecans 

Combine all except for Parmesan and pecans in the pressure cooker and cook for 8 minutes. Release pressure and add Parmesan and pecans and stir together and serve!

The pecans added a crunchy texture layer, the squash was rich and tender. The cheese added a creamy essence to the dish. This could also make a great side dish paired with chicken or beef. I haven't decided what I am making tomorrow night but we have 4 more meals left before we get into next month. Stay tuned!!

Braised Honey Lemon Chicken

Happy Sunday everyone! The weekend is still going strong but coming to a slow halt. I did not post yesterday I went to my cousins lovely baby shower and my ears started acting up last night so I fell asleep on the couch, which is okay because it was Saturday. I made last night a honey lemon braised chicken. I used a whole chicken and thank God Jake used to work in the meat department because I would have never known how to cut a chicken into 8 pieces. So last nights meal was a collaboration. Please feel free to use chicken that is already cut. I only wanted to do something a little different than the boneless, skinless chicken breasts that we eat a couple times a week.

Braised Honey Lemon Chicken

• 2 Cups flour
• 2 Tsp salt
• 1 Tsp pepper

Mix the above together in a bowl to dredge the chicken in this mixture and set aside.

• 2 Tbs olive oil

Add the olive oil to a skillet and heat. Brown the chicken on both sides in the skillet. After browning chicken place in pressure cooker. 

• 1/4 Cup lemon juice 
• 2 Tbs red wine vinegar 

Add the above to the skillet and scrape up anything in the pan the stuck to add flavor to the sauce then add;

• 1 Tbs oregano
• 1 Tsp honey 
• 1/4 Tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 Chicken broth 

Cook in skillet about 3 minutes and then pour into pressure cooker in top of chicken. Cook in pressure cooker for 20 Minutes and serve. 

I paired this chicken with rice, it would have been lovely with a glazed carrot and even some green beans but I was lazy and did not feel like making anything else. Sorry, only being honest. This chick was delicious. I love chicken and am my own worst critic when it comes to food (ask Jake) but this had all the flavors of fried chicken but all the tender juicyness from the pressure cooker. The spices mixed into the skillet to deglaze that pan made it even better. I hope everyone stays tuned for the Sweet Sunday dessert. Jake is dying to know!

Shredded Chicken Tacos

Tonight I made tacos. We seem to eat tacos a few times a month. It's easy. Make a meat and set up the taco bar and serve yourself. I am also nearing a grocery store visit so this was not as colorful as I'd like it to be. Make the meat and set up your favorite toppings.

Shredded Chicken Tacos

• 2 Lbs Boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
• 1.5 Cups chicken broth
• 1.5 Cups salsa
• Tortillas

Add all to pressure cooker and cook 10 minutes. Shred chicken and place back into sauce.

The top taco was mine and the bottom is Jake's. The meat sucked up all of the salsa and it was incredibly tender and juicy. I hope to see everyone tomorrow!

Tomato Tequila Sauce

Hey again! Hope everyone had a great week and has an even better weekend. I made a pasta sauce last night. The only clear alcohol I had was tequila so why not. Jake already thinks he eats out of a test kitchen every night.

Tomato Tequila Sauce 

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 2 Cloves garlic, minced 
• 1/2 Tsp crushed red pepper flakes 
• 1 Cup tequila 
• 2 - 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 Cup heavy cream
• 1 Tsp salt
• Pepper to taste
• 1/4 Cup Parsley
• Pasta of choice

Combine all of the above and stir. Cook in the pressure cooker for 10 minutes and serve over pasta. 

I asked Jake to describe this meal. He liked the color of the sauce, and the tequila kickback - I wish I could have posted the "move" he just made when he said kick back. He also said it is the perfect vegetarian dish. Never a dull moment in this house. I ate this for lunch today and poured it over Ramen noodles which also worked out pretty good as well. 

Spice Rubbed Chicken with Pasta

I felt like today was EXTREMELY long, I hope your day was not as long. I'm super excited to have my new couch being delivered tomorrow it has been a long wait!!!! Tonight's dish took me a while to figure out what to call is so I came up with this highly original name - Spice rubbed chicken. We eat a lot of chicken because it is the easiest thing to cook and I just like chicken! 

Spice Rubbed Chicken 

• 1 Tbs butter 
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 8oz Pancetta 
• 1 Onion, diced 
• 1 Carrot, sliced 
• 2lbs Boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
• 1.5 Cups chicken broth
• 1/4 Cup tomato paste 
• 2 Tbs sage
• 1/2 Tsp cloves 
• 1/2 Tsp pepper 
• 1/2 Tsp nutmeg 
• 1lb Pasta 

Rub the chicken with cloves, nutmeg, pepper, and sage. Add all but the pasta into the pressure cooker and cook for 15 minutes. Cook pasta on stove top and follow instructions accordingly. 

The spice rub gave the chicken big bold flavors. The pasta soaked up the juice from the chicken and gave an awesome flavor. The carrots were so tender and flavorful from the pressure cooker. I hope to see everyone again tomorrow night!

Chocolate Pie with Marshmallow Cream Sauce

So in all honesty this was my Sweets Sunday dessert. However I started it too late in the day and it was not cooled enough for us to eat it yesterday so I finished it today and we had it for manic Monday. I made this entire pie from scratch but feel free to use some short cuts and buy your crust and whipped cream topping.

Chocolate Pie with Marshmallow Cream Sauce 

• For the crust 
• 12 Graham crackers
• 3 Tbs sugar 
• 1 Stick butter, melted

Add all to your food processor and pulse until graham crackers are broken up and the butter is blended nicely. Push into your pie pan and work the way to the edges making the edges thicker. Cook at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes and then let the crust cool completely before adding in the next layer. 

• For the filling
• 1 Stick butter 
• 8 oz Milk chocolate 
• 1/2 Cup sugar
• 2 Eggs 
• 2 Tsp vanilla extract 
• 1/2 Tsp salt 
• 1/2 Cup all purpose flour

Mix the butter and chocolate together in a sauce pan until all is melted and pour into a bowl and let cool 5-10 minutes. Then add in the rest of the ingredients. Pour into the pie crust and cook 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees or until the toothpick comes out clean. Let this cool completely before adding the topping,

• For the topping 
• 1 Cup cold heavy cream 
• 2/3 Cup marshmallow cream 
• 1 Tbs powdered sugar 

Combine all in the blender and blend until topping is thick and place on top of pie. 

Like I said earlier I ended up not eating this last night so the cream topping sort of liquefied but it was actually pretty good and covered the whole pie lie a sweet blanket. Mom said this pie was much more of a chess pie to her. This is a very rich pie but will continue to satisfy for days! 

Pot Roast and Potatoes

This dish should be made when you have more time. The cooking time for this meal is an hour and a half, so plan you time accordingly.

Pot Roast and Potatoes 

• 1 Tbs olive oil 
• 3lb Boneless beef chuck 
• 1 Tsp salt 
• 1/2 Tsp pepper 
• 1 Onion, diced 
• 2 Tsp garlic 
• 1.5 Cups beef broth 
• 3 Tbs tomato paste 
• 1 Tbs rosemary 
• 1/2oz Mushrooms sliced 
• 1.5lbs Potatoes 

Combine all the above except for the potatoes and cook for 55 minutes in your pressure cooker. Release the pressure and add the potatoes and cook for another 35 minutes and serve. 

I just have to tell you that I am not a big mushroom person but these mushrooms sucked in all the flavors of the meat and gravy that I could have just eaten a big bowl of mushrooms, The meat was fork tender as were the potatoes. The only thing I feel like could have mad this better were some carrots! 

Chicken Breasts with Dijon Cream Sauce

I am way late with these next 3 posts. I blame lazy weekends and not wanting to do anything. On the flip side my Christmas shopping is just about complete. I have to order my jars and labels for my Christmas treats and I'll be just about set! I don't like to procrastinate with shopping! I made this meal on Thursday. Chicken Breasts with a dijon cream sauce.

Chicken Breasts with Dijon Cream Sauce 

• 2 Tbs butter 
• 1.5lbs Boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
• 1/4 tsp Salt 
• 1/4 tsp Pepper 
• 1 Onion, diced
• 2 Tbs lemon juice 
• 1/2 Cup chicken broth 
• 2 Tbs dijon mustard 
• 1/4 Cup heavy cream 
• 1 Tsp Tarragon 

Combine all together in the pressure cooker. Cook for 15 minutes and serve. 

I used the cabbage and kale as a side dish that I had made earlier in the week, there was not one bit left afterwards. I think kale may be permanently on my grocery list. This meal had just the right amount of rich creamyness and tang from the dijon that it kept making you go back in for more! My next post will be Pot Roast and Potatoes.  

Cheesy Chili Mac Casserole

Happy Thursday, it is ALMOST Friday. It could not come soon enough! Tonight I made a spin on chili and added some noodles. Of course Jake added some sriracha for that heat and I added sour cream to cool it off. You can't go wrong either way!

Cheesy Chili Mac Casserole 

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 2 Onions, chopped 
• 2 - 4.5oz cans of green chiles 
• 1 Tbs garlic, minced
• 1.5lbs Ground beef
• 1/4 Cup chili powder 
• 1 Tsp cumin
• 1/2 Tsp salt 
• 28oz Crushed tomatoes 
• 1 Can kidney beans, drained 
• 1 Can pinto beans, drained 
• 2 Cups chicken broth
• 8oz Ziti 
• 1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese 

Combine all into pressure cooker except for cheese and stir. Cook for 10 minutes, add cheese and other toppings, and serve. 

This chili was jammed packed with big bold flavors and something to make over and over again especially on a cold day and even with grilled cheese sandwiches. Tomorrow i'll be back with dijon chicken! Hope everyone has a wonderful Friday!

Chicken Paprikash

Happy Hump Day!! (even though I walked around thinking it was Thursday all day, wishful thinking) Tonight I made Chicken Paprikash. This is a popular Hungarian chicken dish and it was delightful! I had extra kale and any time I can add some healthy to anything I will. I just threw it in on top but this is not part usually part of the dish.

Chicken Paprikash

• 6 Boneless skinless chicken breasts 
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped 
• 1 Bell pepper, chopped 
• 1 Clove garlic, minced 
• 2 Tbs paprika 
• 28oz Crushed tomatoes
• 1 Cup chicken broth
• 2 Tbs flour
• 1 Cup sour cream
• 1 Tsp salt
• 1 Tsp pepper 
• 1/4 Cup parsley 
• Kale (optional)
• Parmesan (optional)

Combine all of the above ingredients except for the cheese if you decide to use cheese and cook in the pressure cooker for 8 minutes. I did not take a picture of the meal in the slow cooker because all you would be able to see would be juice. 

I served this over rice because I have a rice maker and it's much easier to make rice than pasta. Also because any kind of rice makes Jake happy. The rice immediately soaked up all the flavor of the juice. The veggies were cooked to tender perfection and the chicken melted in your mouth. I also love cheese so that was a bonus for me. Today is also Dessert day, so happy dessert day (we had ice cream, it works!) See you tomorrow for Chili Cheesy Mac Casserole!

Cabbage, Potatoes, and Sausage

Hey everyone! Hope everyone has had a wonderful Tuesday, we're almost to hump day - hang in there! Sorry I did not post last night, I won an award at work and Jake took me out to dinner to celebrate (how lucky am I to have such a supportive boyfriend!)Tonight I made cabbage, potatoes, and sausage. Jake loves potatoes and sausage but had never tried cabbage, and much to his surprise he tried it raw and enjoyed it so I knew it would be a success after that!

Cabbage, Potatoes, and Sausage

• 1 Polish kielbasa sliced (This is the sausage I use, please feel free to substitute it for your favorite)
• 1 Cup  chicken broth
• 1/2 Onion diced 
• 2 Tbs Dijon mustard
• 1.5lbs Red potatoes 
• 1.5lbs Green cabbage - halved and slices
• 1/2 Tsp dill 
• Salt and pepper to taste

Throw all into the pressure cooker and cook for 7 minutes and serve!

The cabbage was perfectly cooked with just enough flavor of the dijon to make it just right. The sausage still had a snap to it and was salty and complimented to tender potatoes. I think Jake now likes cabbage. 

For a bonus tonight, I used some left over ingredients to make a side dish. I had some left over kale from last week along with 1/2 an onion and cabbage left over from today. I added all of this to a pan along with 2 tablespoons of bacon grease and cooked until the cabbage was tender. All jake could do was shake his head yes! haha. This can be used as a side dish for later on in the week. I never like to throw things away if I can combine and conquer to make a whole new dish!

I hope to see everyone tomorrow for Chicken Paprikash! Have a happy Wednesday!!

No-bake Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake

Sunday Sweets has come upon us again and what better to make than a dessert with pumpkin! I made these in individual cups so that you can take it and go and not worry about making a mess and cutting and trying to cover a whole pie.

No-Bake Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake

• 8oz Cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 Cup caramel 
• 1/2 Cup pumpkin puree 
• 1/2 Tsp pumpkin spice 
• 1/2 Cup heavy cream 
• 2 Tbs butter 
• 1/2 Cup graham crackers crumbs

Mix together the cream cheese, caramel, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin spice until creamy. In a separate bowl whisk the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold the cream into the pumpkin mixture. In a bowl met the butter and stir in the graham cracker crumbs. Push the graham cracker mixture in the bottom of the cups and fill with pumpkin mixture. Let this sit for 1 hours. Add graham cracker crumbs and caramel to the top and serve! 

This was smooth and creamy without being overly sweet. Jake said it has cheesecake tang, whatever that may be. The crunch of the graham crackers added another layer of texture to the sweetness of the caramel. I hope to see everyone next week for Sunday Sweets!!!

Pork Chops and Pears

I hope everyone had a great weekend. I fell a little behind on posting. Friday we ate dinner with my parents and I lacked in posting yesterday. Yesterday we had boneless pork chops and pears, this meal takes a little longer so the meals that take longer I try to cook on the weekends so that I don't get behind when I get off work. It's exciting to hear people have been trying my recipes on this blog, I never thought people would be following me but i'm so glad that you are!

Boneless Pork Chops and Pears 

• 2 Tbs butter
• 4 Boneless pork chops 
• 2 Onions chopped 
• 2 Pears - peeled, cored, and chopped 
• 1 bottle of pear cider (I used bold rock because it's what I have in my fridge, you can also use apple cider)
• 1/2 Tsp salt 
• 1/2 Tsp pepper 
• 1/2 Tsp all spice 
• sriracha (to your liking but optional)

Add all to the pressure cooker and cook for 15 minutes, I served mine with rice for a carb to the meal. 

Jake tends to eat anything if you add rice to this. The sriracha was not noticable to the taste but added a needed flavor element. The onions and pears were tender and sweet. I just want everyone to know, I ask Jake every single night about what he thinks about my meals and every single night he says "it was good" and laughs. Tomorrow night I will be making cabbage and potatoes with sausage. 

Sausage, Kale, and Macaroni Casserole

I wish the weather would be like this everyday! Tonight I make sausage, kale, and macaroni casserole. Something that Jake looked at me like I was crazy when I told him what I was making. He had never had kale and to his surprise he liked it without being cooked, go figure!

Sausage, Kale, and Macaroni Casserole 

• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Polish Kielbasa 
• 1 Onion, chopped 
• 28oz Crushed tomatoes 
• 2 Cup chicken broth 
• 10oz Ziti 
• 8oz Kale
• 1 Tbs basil
• 1 Tbs oregano
• 1 Tsp rosemary 
• 1 Tsp sriracha 

Add all to the pressure cooker and cook for 10 minutes and serve!

The sausage added a salty element, the kale added a bitter element, and the tomatoes added a sweet element. All these combined really worked. I added some Parmesan cheese to the top and Jake added extra sriracha for extra spice. I hope you enjoy! Will be back tomorrow with Chicken Paprikash.

Cider Braised Chicken

Hello to all my followers! Thank you for visiting my page. I apologize for not delivering last night, Jake went and bought a new car (WOOHOO!) and I did not want to cook until he got here, so we ended up at Wendy's. Tonight I have made the cider braised chicken,

Cider Braised Chicken 

• 1 Tbs vegetable oil
• 3 Shallots sliced (or 1 onion)
• 10 Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used a whole bag of frozen chicken thighs)
• 1 Clove of garlic, minced 
• 1 Large sweet potato, peeled and chopped 
• 2 Apples, peeled, cored, and chopped 
• 1 Bay leaf
• 2 Tbs Rosemary 
• 1 Cup apple cider 
• 1/2 Cup chicken broth
• 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar 
• 1 Cinnamon stick 
• 1 Tsp salt
• Pepper to taste 

Throw all the above into the pressure cooker and cook for 15 minutes.

My favorite part of the pressure meals is releasing the pressure, it instantly fills the house with the aroma of the meal. The potatoes and apples were so tender and refreshing. The chicken falls apart so easily. I'm really loving these pressure cooker meals so fast, so easy, and so tender! Join us tomorrow for sausage, kale, and macaroni casserole! 

Three Cheese Ziti

Hello sunshine!!!! I have never been so happy as to put on sunglasses! My favorite dishes have always been anything involving cheese, pasta, and sauce - lasagna, spaghetti, stuffed shells, manicotti, the list goes on and on. My favorite dish at Olive Garden is the five cheese ziti al forno so tonight a made a meal inspired by that.

3 Cheese Ziti 

•  1 Cup water 
• 1 Onion chopped 
• 1/2 Tsp salt
• 8oz Ziti 
• 28oz Crushed tomatoes 
• 3 Garlic cloves minced
• 1 Tsp Italian seasoning 
• 1 Cup ricotta 
• 1/4 Cup Parmesan 
• 1 Cup mozzarella 
• 1/4 Tsp black Pepper

Add water, salt and pasta to the pressure cooker and stir. Add the crushed tomatoes and garlic but don't stir. Cook for 8 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix together and serve!

The perfect blend of cheese and sauce and texture from the onions made this meal super enjoyable. Jake even said if this was similar to what I ordered at Olive Garden he was getting the next time! Tomorrow join us for cider braised chicken!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy sweet Sunday! Today i'm going to share with you my simple chocolate chip cookie recipe. Simple, easy, and fast! I like my cookies to be on the chewy side so if you like yours to be crispy then cook them a few minutes longer. These cookies never stay very long.

Chocolate Chip Cookies 

• 2 Sticks softened butter 
• 3/4 Cup packed brown sugar
• 1 Cup sugar
• 2 Eggs 
• 1 Tbs Vanilla 
• 3.5 Cups all purpose flour 
• 1 Tsp salt
• 1 Tsp baking soda
• 1 Small bag of chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sugars and butter until creamy and add vanilla and eggs. In a separate bowl add flour, salt, and baking soda and wisk together. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer a little at a time until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Add mixture to cookie sheet, I use a cookie scoop to make sure they're all uniform and bake for 12 minutes. 

Chewy and gooey are the best parts about this sweet treat! See everyone tomorrow!!

Top Round with Bourbon, Bacon, and Potatoes

Will the rain just stop already? Can we get a little bit of sunshine?!?! This meal is for days like today when you have a little bit more time to prepare food. We went out today in the rain and I swear we should have just stayed in. So many people out in the stores today!

Top Round with Bourbon, Bacon, and Potatoes 

• 3lbs Beef top round 
• 2 Tsp course black pepper 
• 4 Thick bacon slices chopped 
• 1 Bell pepper chopped 
• 1.5 Cups beef broth 
• 1/4 Cup bourbon
• 2 Tsp rosemary 
• 6-8 Small yukon gold potatoes 

I crisped the chopped bacon in a frying pan, and put it in the pressure cooker with the chopped bell pepper and the rosemary. Add the course black pepper to both sides of the meat, I used the same frying pan and browned the meat on both sides and then placed it in the slow cooker. This shouldn't take very long, 1-2 minutes on each side should suffice. Place the meat in the pressure cooker. Add the beef broth to the frying pan along with the bourbon to deglaze the pan and then add to the pressure cooker. Cook this in the pressure cooker for 55 minutes. Release the steam and add in your whole potatoes, make sure that they are mostly submerged in the liquid in the pressure cooker and cook for an additional 15 minutes. 

I'm not sure what it is about the pressure cooker that makes the meat so tender and falls apart. I tried to pull the meat out with a fork and only kept shredding the pieces of meat. The bacon was so good that I probably could have just eaten that by itself, The vegetables were also tender. Over all a total success, but then again every night is a success when it doesn't take you 4 hours to cook a meal. Monday is 3 Cheese Ziti, see you tomorrow for Sunday Sweets!

Beer Braised Chicken Tacos

Hope everyone has a good few days, I'm a day behind on pressure cooker meals due to having to work over last night sorry! Kim I have added some vegetarian meals just for you this month so stay tuned!! Tonight I made beer braised chicken. To be honest I've cooked in a pressure cooker maybe once so this is all pretty new to me. I have an electric pressure cooker, my granny always used the stove top pressure cooker but I don't know much about those.

Beer Braised Chicken Tacos

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 2lbs Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 Onion chopped
• 2 Tomatoes chopped
• 1 Tbs oregano
• 1 Tbs minced garlic 
• 1 Tbs jalapenos
• 12oz Beer (I used Bold Rock apple)
• 4.5oz Can of green chiles 
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• Taco shells 

Combine all of the above into the pressure cooker and cook for 18 minutes. Take the chicken out and shred meat. 

Surprisingly the chicken was more tender cooked in the pressure cooker than the slow cooker. The chicken was so tender that the tongs were pulling it apart when I was trying to take it out of the pot. The spices and flavors really sucked into the meat with all the pressure. I topped this meal with sour cream, cheese, and salsa. Jake also found out that he liked siracha and thought that it paired nicely with this dish. Tomorrow we will be having top round with bourbon, bacon, and potatoes. Stay dry and safe and see everyone tomorrow!