Story:
Whenever my family travels to San Diego County, we get to stay with my amazing parents. They are wonderful and generous. Over the years, the tradition has evolved that my dad often makes breakfast for all of us. He is quite the chef when it comes to blueberry pancakes and smoothies. He knows how to cook the eggs just right so that the yolk is perfect for toast dipping. It's the best.
We also all always love his bacon. He cooks it in the oven on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet. It always turns out perfectly. However, as we all know, ovens cook differently. And even though he told me how he makes it, and I wrote down the instructions, and I followed them exactly, and I even bought the same bacon at Costco... my bacon in my oven did not taste like Grandpa's bacon. It came out overcooked and sandy-textured every time. So I hopped on Pinterest and I tried a few different options and I came across the recipe that works perfectly in my oven! Yay! Hooray for amazing bacon!
Ingredients:
Bacon :)
Instructions:
Line a sheet pan with foil.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Put the sheet in the oven for 20 minutes.
(Check it sooner if you like the bacon a little on the not-crispy side.)
Use tongs to move the bacon onto a paper towel lined plate.
Drain the grease from the foil to save for cooking in other recipes.
So, this is pretty straightforward and nothing too amazing, but I had to write down somewhere:
375 for 20 minutes
so I could remember what works for my oven. :)
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Korean Beef & Rice Bowls
Story:
I totally just stumbled upon this stranger's recipe last week while I was doing an online search for a totally unrelated recipe. (Here's the link to Alyssa's post, on the Recipe Critic.) The almost-5-star reviews from the almost-300 people caught my attention and I gave it a try this week! I was blown away by how quick and easy it was. Most of my family loved it! (Gretchen wouldn't try it... but mostly because she was just in a mood. And Ethan thought it was fine, but just "really weird.")
It's certainly not the most nutritious dinner, but I don't know that it's any worse than a frozen pizza or something that takes about the same amount time. That said, I did spruce it up by eating it with Korean kimchi (yum!!!) and seaweed. The green onions and sesame seeds on top give it the perfect flair and added color, texture, and flavor.
I'll certainly make it again... which is why I'm posting it here... for my own easy-reference.
Ingredients:
1 pound of ground beef
1 T minced garlic
1/4 C brown sugar
1/4 C soy sauce
2 t sesame oil
1/4 t ground ginger
a couple dashes crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 t pepper
Hot cooked rice (or brown rice or whatever you like)
Green onions, sliced
Sesame seeds
Directions:
In a large skillet, cook up the ground beef with the garlic over medium heat, crumbling it into small pieces, until it is cooked through. Drain the fat.
In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, red pepper flakes, and pepper. Once the ground beef is cooked, pour the sauce over the meat for a couple of minutes.
Serve over hot rice, with the green onions and sesame seeds sprinkled on top.
As I said above, I also served it with kimchi and seaweed squares and it was perfect. :)
Notes:
If you click on the link of the original recipe, I varied a couple things just slightly... just for my convenience, When I made this, I did up 2 pounds of ground beef, and then I roughly "one and a half timed" the sauce ingredients--just to avoid it being too sweet or something. It turned out well!
I like using Calrose rice for dishes like this. It kind of has more of a sticky rice texture.
I totally just stumbled upon this stranger's recipe last week while I was doing an online search for a totally unrelated recipe. (Here's the link to Alyssa's post, on the Recipe Critic.) The almost-5-star reviews from the almost-300 people caught my attention and I gave it a try this week! I was blown away by how quick and easy it was. Most of my family loved it! (Gretchen wouldn't try it... but mostly because she was just in a mood. And Ethan thought it was fine, but just "really weird.")
It's certainly not the most nutritious dinner, but I don't know that it's any worse than a frozen pizza or something that takes about the same amount time. That said, I did spruce it up by eating it with Korean kimchi (yum!!!) and seaweed. The green onions and sesame seeds on top give it the perfect flair and added color, texture, and flavor.
I'll certainly make it again... which is why I'm posting it here... for my own easy-reference.
Ingredients:
1 pound of ground beef
1 T minced garlic
1/4 C brown sugar
1/4 C soy sauce
2 t sesame oil
1/4 t ground ginger
a couple dashes crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 t pepper
Hot cooked rice (or brown rice or whatever you like)
Green onions, sliced
Sesame seeds
Directions:
In a large skillet, cook up the ground beef with the garlic over medium heat, crumbling it into small pieces, until it is cooked through. Drain the fat.
In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, red pepper flakes, and pepper. Once the ground beef is cooked, pour the sauce over the meat for a couple of minutes.
Serve over hot rice, with the green onions and sesame seeds sprinkled on top.
As I said above, I also served it with kimchi and seaweed squares and it was perfect. :)
Notes:
If you click on the link of the original recipe, I varied a couple things just slightly... just for my convenience, When I made this, I did up 2 pounds of ground beef, and then I roughly "one and a half timed" the sauce ingredients--just to avoid it being too sweet or something. It turned out well!
I like using Calrose rice for dishes like this. It kind of has more of a sticky rice texture.
Friday, August 9, 2019
Sweet Potato Hash
Story:
A few summers ago, the stars aligned and I found the courage to try the Whole 30 program. (It is what it sounds like... whole foods for 30 days. Veggies, fruit, meat, nuts, seeds and healthy oils.) I loved it! It took a lot of time and energy when you're trying to feed a big family, but I liked how I felt while eating like that.
One reason I did it, was to see how it would help my psoriasis. Spoiler alert: it didn't help. I was surprised! Since then, however, I've read more that many people with psoriasis should avoid "nightshade vegetables" (tomatoes, tomatillos, white potatoes, bell peppers, hot peppers, and all spices made with peppers). Sweet potatoes are not a nightshade, and are ok. Thus, this recipe. Those were my go-to vegetables! And I was eating a lot of them on Whole 30, so maybe that's why my psoriasis did not improve. I'd like to try it again, but also omitting nightshades this time around.
Anyway, this is a recipe that I found somewhere on Pinterest, but this is an adjusted version. It can be tweaked a lot! It's just a breakfast hash, but I honestly love it for lunch or dinner too. It's amazing. Here's a general outline of ingredients, but it's fun to change things and add more or less of whatever you like in a hash!
Ingredients:
3 Aidell's (brand) chicken and apple sausages, diced
2-3 yams and/or sweet potatoes, diced
1 large onion, diced
Coconut or Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Eggs, soft-cooked
Also good: (But nightshades, so I don't add them in)
White potatoes
Bell peppers
Hatch green chilies
Directions:
Dice all the foods. Heat a generous amount of coconut or olive oil in a large skillet. Add the potatoes and onions and get them cooking. (If you are using potatoes, peppers, or chilies, add them too. Ben loves hatch green chilies and adds them to a lot of dishes and he especially likes them in this.) Then add the diced sausages. I add a generous amount of kosher salt and some pepper.
When they are getting close to being done, I throw some eggs into my egg cooker and set it for a soft boil. When the hash is done, I serve it in a bowl with one or two eggs on top. The yolk drips all over and you stir it all up and it is one of my favorite meals in the world! I almost always keep these ingredients on hand for a go-to dinner. Some of the kids don't love it, but that's just because they're crazy. Ben and Ethan and I adore it. I believe last time we had it, Ethan said something like, "I don't even know why this is so good. I could eat it every day!"
A few summers ago, the stars aligned and I found the courage to try the Whole 30 program. (It is what it sounds like... whole foods for 30 days. Veggies, fruit, meat, nuts, seeds and healthy oils.) I loved it! It took a lot of time and energy when you're trying to feed a big family, but I liked how I felt while eating like that.
One reason I did it, was to see how it would help my psoriasis. Spoiler alert: it didn't help. I was surprised! Since then, however, I've read more that many people with psoriasis should avoid "nightshade vegetables" (tomatoes, tomatillos, white potatoes, bell peppers, hot peppers, and all spices made with peppers). Sweet potatoes are not a nightshade, and are ok. Thus, this recipe. Those were my go-to vegetables! And I was eating a lot of them on Whole 30, so maybe that's why my psoriasis did not improve. I'd like to try it again, but also omitting nightshades this time around.
Anyway, this is a recipe that I found somewhere on Pinterest, but this is an adjusted version. It can be tweaked a lot! It's just a breakfast hash, but I honestly love it for lunch or dinner too. It's amazing. Here's a general outline of ingredients, but it's fun to change things and add more or less of whatever you like in a hash!
Ingredients:
3 Aidell's (brand) chicken and apple sausages, diced
2-3 yams and/or sweet potatoes, diced
1 large onion, diced
Coconut or Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Eggs, soft-cooked
Also good: (But nightshades, so I don't add them in)
White potatoes
Bell peppers
Hatch green chilies
Directions:
Dice all the foods. Heat a generous amount of coconut or olive oil in a large skillet. Add the potatoes and onions and get them cooking. (If you are using potatoes, peppers, or chilies, add them too. Ben loves hatch green chilies and adds them to a lot of dishes and he especially likes them in this.) Then add the diced sausages. I add a generous amount of kosher salt and some pepper.
When they are getting close to being done, I throw some eggs into my egg cooker and set it for a soft boil. When the hash is done, I serve it in a bowl with one or two eggs on top. The yolk drips all over and you stir it all up and it is one of my favorite meals in the world! I almost always keep these ingredients on hand for a go-to dinner. Some of the kids don't love it, but that's just because they're crazy. Ben and Ethan and I adore it. I believe last time we had it, Ethan said something like, "I don't even know why this is so good. I could eat it every day!"
Friday, August 2, 2019
Jane's Chicken Bowl
Story:
A couple of summers ago, Ben and I tried doing the Whole 30 eating plan thing. It was insightful and I felt great! My Simon had a good friend (Ryan) in his class and I got to know Ryan's mom, Jane J, who is one amazing woman! I love her so much and she was kind of like a Whole 30 pro! This is one of Jane's recipes that I snagged from her.
I don't think it is like an amazingly awesome meal or anything, but it is SO EASY and it fills the tummy, and I feel good after eating it. Jane, if I remember correctly, says that she "loves it with her whole soul." So it's worth keeping on hand!
Ingredients:
Zucchini and/or Cauliflower Rice
Chicken, cooked and chopped
Avocados, cubed
Salt & Pepper
Balsamic Reduction/Glaze
Directions:
Saute the zucchini and/or prep the cauliflower rice. (When I made this for my family last night, I did up the zucchini in olive oil. I also use frozen cauli-rice--so easy!--and just heat it on the stove in a non-stick pan. I ate it with the zucchini, the kids had the cauli-rice, Ben had both.)
Cook and chop the chicken. (I actually only make this dinner when I already have cooked and chopped chicken that is ready to be eaten! It makes for a super easy lunch too... when you already have leftover chicken.)
Cube the avocados. (Plan on almost a half an avocado per person.)
So in each person's bowl, they just put in desired amount of veggies, chicken, and avocado. Sprinkle on salt and pepper. Then drizzle some Balsamic Reduction/Glaze on top. Start with not too much salt and pepper and balsamic, but plan on adding more. Not enough, and the dish isn't very flavorful, too much and... ew.
Note:
I believe the Whole 30 book has a recipe to make your own balsamic reduction... which I did once. And it was sad to see my balsamic vinegar boil down to nada. So I just buy it at Trader Joe's. :)
A couple of summers ago, Ben and I tried doing the Whole 30 eating plan thing. It was insightful and I felt great! My Simon had a good friend (Ryan) in his class and I got to know Ryan's mom, Jane J, who is one amazing woman! I love her so much and she was kind of like a Whole 30 pro! This is one of Jane's recipes that I snagged from her.
I don't think it is like an amazingly awesome meal or anything, but it is SO EASY and it fills the tummy, and I feel good after eating it. Jane, if I remember correctly, says that she "loves it with her whole soul." So it's worth keeping on hand!
Ingredients:
Zucchini and/or Cauliflower Rice
Chicken, cooked and chopped
Avocados, cubed
Salt & Pepper
Balsamic Reduction/Glaze
Directions:
Saute the zucchini and/or prep the cauliflower rice. (When I made this for my family last night, I did up the zucchini in olive oil. I also use frozen cauli-rice--so easy!--and just heat it on the stove in a non-stick pan. I ate it with the zucchini, the kids had the cauli-rice, Ben had both.)
Cook and chop the chicken. (I actually only make this dinner when I already have cooked and chopped chicken that is ready to be eaten! It makes for a super easy lunch too... when you already have leftover chicken.)
Cube the avocados. (Plan on almost a half an avocado per person.)
So in each person's bowl, they just put in desired amount of veggies, chicken, and avocado. Sprinkle on salt and pepper. Then drizzle some Balsamic Reduction/Glaze on top. Start with not too much salt and pepper and balsamic, but plan on adding more. Not enough, and the dish isn't very flavorful, too much and... ew.
Note:
I believe the Whole 30 book has a recipe to make your own balsamic reduction... which I did once. And it was sad to see my balsamic vinegar boil down to nada. So I just buy it at Trader Joe's. :)
Thursday, April 4, 2019
Refried beans
Story:
The young women (youth group) in our congregation have done a fundraiser for their summer camp two years in a row. They do a Mexican Fiesta-themed bean burrito dinner. They include homemade salsa, tortilla chips, and bean and cheese burritos. This year they included a dessert option of Rice Krispie treats or brownies! I heard this was their biggest fundraiser last year. I'm curious to hear how they did this year. There was a long line-up of cars in front of the Santiago's house at 5:30 last night waiting to pick up their food at the "drive-up" table the girls had set up.
They asked the girls (or their parents) to help provide some of the food this year, and they sent home a recipe for homemade refried beans. I had never made homemade refried beans before! It was super easy and I found it surprisingly satisfying when they actually turned out! So I'm including the recipe here.
As a side note, when Megan (now a senior in high school who recently found out she was accepted to BYU-Hawaii for college!) came home from school and was starving and walked in the kitchen while I was finishing up some Rice Krispie treats and the refried beans, said, "Mom, I think the food plan in the dorms is gonna suck." I said, "No, there will be lots of options and there will always be something you'll like." She said, "Yeah, but you're over here making homemade refried beans and Rice Krispie treats." I think she might have been saying that she might miss me a little bit. ;)
Ingredients:
3 C dry pinto beans
1 cube butter
1 T salt
10 C water
Directions:
Put the beans in a crock pot with the 10 cups of water and cook for about 8-9 hours on HIGH. Make sure the beans are always covered with water. You may need to add more water during the cooking process.
Once cooked, save 1 1/2 C of water from the beans and drain off the rest. Mix the beans, the 1 1/2 cups of bean-water, salt, and butter with an immersion blender--or in a regular blender. I used my immersion blender right in the crockpot.
Return to the crockpot to keep warm or refrigerate until you are ready to eat.
Delicioso!
The young women (youth group) in our congregation have done a fundraiser for their summer camp two years in a row. They do a Mexican Fiesta-themed bean burrito dinner. They include homemade salsa, tortilla chips, and bean and cheese burritos. This year they included a dessert option of Rice Krispie treats or brownies! I heard this was their biggest fundraiser last year. I'm curious to hear how they did this year. There was a long line-up of cars in front of the Santiago's house at 5:30 last night waiting to pick up their food at the "drive-up" table the girls had set up.
They asked the girls (or their parents) to help provide some of the food this year, and they sent home a recipe for homemade refried beans. I had never made homemade refried beans before! It was super easy and I found it surprisingly satisfying when they actually turned out! So I'm including the recipe here.
As a side note, when Megan (now a senior in high school who recently found out she was accepted to BYU-Hawaii for college!) came home from school and was starving and walked in the kitchen while I was finishing up some Rice Krispie treats and the refried beans, said, "Mom, I think the food plan in the dorms is gonna suck." I said, "No, there will be lots of options and there will always be something you'll like." She said, "Yeah, but you're over here making homemade refried beans and Rice Krispie treats." I think she might have been saying that she might miss me a little bit. ;)
Ingredients:
3 C dry pinto beans
1 cube butter
1 T salt
10 C water
Directions:
Put the beans in a crock pot with the 10 cups of water and cook for about 8-9 hours on HIGH. Make sure the beans are always covered with water. You may need to add more water during the cooking process.
Once cooked, save 1 1/2 C of water from the beans and drain off the rest. Mix the beans, the 1 1/2 cups of bean-water, salt, and butter with an immersion blender--or in a regular blender. I used my immersion blender right in the crockpot.
Return to the crockpot to keep warm or refrigerate until you are ready to eat.
Delicioso!
Saturday, March 16, 2019
Chia Seed Pudding
Chia Seed Pudding
Story:
I am not very good at making healthy breakfasts. I mean, I'm getting better at making a protein + avocado + lemon smoothie that my nutritionist recommended to me. And there's always scrambled eggs. But what about those mornings that I want something, like, yummy?? haha!
Enter Chia Seed Pudding.
I heard about this a couple of years ago and I tried it. I think I did something wrong because I thought it was nasty. It just tasted way too... I don't remember how... but I just wasn't a fan.
I tried again last week, though, with a recipe I found on Pinterest, and I loved it! Granted, a lot of the Pinterest recipes seem to have the same proportions... and there are a hundred different ways of changing it up. But I'll just post a basic way here. And how I have tweaked it a little to fit our needs. The other morning I woke up and wanted some chia seed pudding... and I hadn't prepped any the night before... and I was just a little bit sad.
Ingredients:
2 C coconut milk*
2 C almond milk (unsweetened)
2 T pure maple syrup
3 t vanilla
1 C chia seeds
(Plus any toppings)
Instructions:
Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix. Let sit for 3-5 minutes, then stir (or whisk) again to try to break up any clumps of seeds. Pour into individual little mason jars, screw on the lids, and place in the fridge overnight.
In the morning, just open it up, give it a stir, then add whatever toppings you'd like! I like to put in slivered almonds and/or cut-up strawberries and/or blueberries and/or little diced bananas... whatever I have on hand! I really like the almonds, though, for the crunch! that it gives.
Notes:
*I found some delicious with-fat coconut milk from Costco that I really liked. It's called Real Coco, by Life Refreshed.
The first time I made it, one cup of the pudding seemed a little too much (quantity-wise) for me, so when I made it this way, I split it into five containers.
It's good the next morning. And the morning after that. I ate one this week three days after preparing it, and it was great! I probably wouldn't recommend (from what I've read) eating it more than four days after preparing it.
The nice thing about this too, is it doesn't have to just be for breakfast! It was pretty satisfying, and those chia seeds are supposedly chock-full of good-for-you stuff! I could totally see myself eating one of these (maybe a smaller portion?) for a refreshing afternoon snack, or even for a sweet treat when I'm craving something! I like it that much.
Enjoy!
Story:
I am not very good at making healthy breakfasts. I mean, I'm getting better at making a protein + avocado + lemon smoothie that my nutritionist recommended to me. And there's always scrambled eggs. But what about those mornings that I want something, like, yummy?? haha!
Enter Chia Seed Pudding.
I heard about this a couple of years ago and I tried it. I think I did something wrong because I thought it was nasty. It just tasted way too... I don't remember how... but I just wasn't a fan.
I tried again last week, though, with a recipe I found on Pinterest, and I loved it! Granted, a lot of the Pinterest recipes seem to have the same proportions... and there are a hundred different ways of changing it up. But I'll just post a basic way here. And how I have tweaked it a little to fit our needs. The other morning I woke up and wanted some chia seed pudding... and I hadn't prepped any the night before... and I was just a little bit sad.
Ingredients:
2 C coconut milk*
2 C almond milk (unsweetened)
2 T pure maple syrup
3 t vanilla
1 C chia seeds
(Plus any toppings)
Instructions:
Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix. Let sit for 3-5 minutes, then stir (or whisk) again to try to break up any clumps of seeds. Pour into individual little mason jars, screw on the lids, and place in the fridge overnight.
In the morning, just open it up, give it a stir, then add whatever toppings you'd like! I like to put in slivered almonds and/or cut-up strawberries and/or blueberries and/or little diced bananas... whatever I have on hand! I really like the almonds, though, for the crunch! that it gives.
Notes:
*I found some delicious with-fat coconut milk from Costco that I really liked. It's called Real Coco, by Life Refreshed.
The first time I made it, one cup of the pudding seemed a little too much (quantity-wise) for me, so when I made it this way, I split it into five containers.
It's good the next morning. And the morning after that. I ate one this week three days after preparing it, and it was great! I probably wouldn't recommend (from what I've read) eating it more than four days after preparing it.
The nice thing about this too, is it doesn't have to just be for breakfast! It was pretty satisfying, and those chia seeds are supposedly chock-full of good-for-you stuff! I could totally see myself eating one of these (maybe a smaller portion?) for a refreshing afternoon snack, or even for a sweet treat when I'm craving something! I like it that much.
Enjoy!
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