Seeing All Sides: Recipes

Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts

Quick & Easy Spaghetti Squash with Homemade Spicy Marinara Sauce

Have you tried spaghetti squash? I tried it for the first time about six years ago and I'll be honest, I wasn't a fan. I think it was because I expected something a little different so I didn't give it a fair chance. At any rate, I decided to give it another try a few months ago. Mainly because a co-worker talked about the convenience of it when microwaved (yep you can microwave it!) and it sounded like the best kind of weeknight meal - quick and easy! And I'm so glad I gave it that second chance because I loved it. And now I'm a huge fan. Like I-think-I-could-eat-it-once-per-week kind of fan! And like I said, you can make it in under 30 minutes in the microwave! And double bonus: because it's a vegetable, spaghetti squash is actually good for you! Clean eating at its finest!

Here's how I like to prepare mine, though I'm open to additional recipes using spaghetti squash! If you have a good one, send it my way!

Quick & Easy Spaghetti Squash with Homemade Spicy Marinara Sauce

What You Need:

Two spaghetti squash

Olive oil

Minced garlic

28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes

Can of mushrooms

Red pepper flakes

Oregano

Salt & pepper

What You Do:
1. Pierce squash with a fork two or three times, then microwave the whole squash for 15 minutes.

2. Allow to cool another 15 minutes, then cut in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out seeds. Shred the squash with a fork.

3. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Heat oil in a large saute pan and add garlic; simmer until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, mushrooms, red pepper, salt, pepper, and oregano. Stir to combine. Cook until the sauce begins to simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Top shredded squash with sauce (and Parmesan, if desired) and enjoy!

Note: This recipe makes four adult dinner-sized portions. The sauce is also good with diced onions and green peppers included!

Dress Up Your Popcorn: Sweet Oreo Popcorn

Happy Monday! Did you know October is National Popcorn Popping month? Yeah, me neither until just recently. Today, I'm happy to be participating in SkinnyPop's Dress Up Your Popcorn blogger challenge because seriously, why wouldn't I want to take a somewhat healthy snack and make it less healthy?! #duh

I was determined to make something with ingredients already in my pantry - which is how I ended up adding both almond bark and Oreos to my popcorn! It turned out delicious and now I can't stop eating it!

What You Need:

1 bag of SkinnyPop plain popcorn

6 squares of white almond bark

1 to 2 rows of Crushed Oreos (I used the Halloween ones for an added touch!)

What You'll Do:

1. Crush the Oreos. (I typically put them in a large Ziploc and use a muddler or rolling pin.) Mix popcorn and crushed Oreos in a large bowl.

2. Melt the almond bark according to package instructions. Pour over popcorn mixture and stir well.

3. Allow to cool, then enjoy!

If you attempt this, I hope you enjoy it as much as I am enjoying mine!

Five Apple Recipes

Our family has already gone through bags and bags of apples this fall. Whether plain, covered in caramel, or baked in a crisp, we love us some apples this time of year! So I did a little searching and found five apple recipes to share with you today! (I did the same last summer with strawberry recipes, so it only seems fitting I do the same for apples!) I definitely want to try each of these before ~~apple season~~ fall is long gone!

1. Apple Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Crumb - via Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch

Any excuse to eat cake for breakfast is a good one to me! This looks and sounds amazing and you can't beat a crumb topping!

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2. Roasted Apple and Aged White Cheddar Soup - via Closet Cooking

Soup is one of my favorite things about fall and I'm pretty adventurous in the kitchen. Therefore, apples in my soup sounds like a great idea to me! (The cheese and bacon are just added bonuses!)

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3. Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad - via Julia's Album

Who can pass up a salad full of fruit, nuts, and balsamic dressing? Not me! I would love to make these in mason jars to take to school as my lunch!

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4. Crescent-Wrapped Apple Baked Brie Appetizer - via Unsophisticook

I made a similar appetizer last year at Thanksgiving and it was delish! This one, with apples, sounds even better!

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5. Baked Apple Fritters - via Gold Medal Flour

I love doughnuts period, but apple fritters are some of my fave! This baked homemade version looks easy enough and would be slightly healthier than the fried doughnuts I'm used to!

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What about you? Got any favorite apple recipes or recipes you've been wanting to try?

Linking Up With:
September F A R M for Oh, Hey Friday

Momfessionals and A Little Bit of Everything for Friday Favorites

A.Liz Adventures for Five on Friday

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Foodie for a Year \\ October

Welcome to our fifth edition (of six) of our Foodie for a Year link-up. Today's theme - a favorite slow cooker meal! One of my favorite things about fall is busting out the Crockpot once again. Not that it can't be used in the summer, but fall just screams slow-cooker in our house, am I right?

Anyway, today I am sharing a recipe I was introduced to through HyVee's DISH program. Not only do I love the ease of HyVee's freezer meals, but I especially love that they share their recipes so I can re-create the meals on my own if I so choose! This is not only one of the easiest slow-cooker meals, but also one of the best (in my opinion). Now, it doesn't quite rival my favorite baked potato soup recipe, but considering the convenience of this recipe, it's worth it!!

Slow Cooker Easy Baked Potato Soup

What You Need:
1 26-oz can cream of chicken soup
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 32-oz can of chicken broth
1 bag frozen shredded hash browns
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese
1 package real bacon bits
cheddar cheese
green onion

What You Do:
1. In a larger slow cooker, combine soup, onion, pepper, garlic powder, and broth.

2. Add frozen hash browns and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.

3. About one hour before serving, add cream cheese. Heat until thoroughly melted.

4. Top with bacon bits, cheddar, and green onions.

That's it! Super easy, which is the whole point of a slow-cooker in my eyes! I like to pair with a loaf of sourdough (or even better, serve in a bread bowl--store-bought of course!) for an easy and filling meal.

And one of my favorite things about using my Crockpot. These liners! If you don't already use them, you must start ASAP! They make for less of a mess and easy clean-up!!

Now it's your turn! Don't forget to link up and share your favorite slow-cooker recipe! I'm hoping to gain a few new recipes for my repertoire and add a few to my upcoming grocery list! And don't forget to join us in December for our final FFAY link-up...although I make no promises as I should have an itty bitty newborn by then!

An InLinkz Link-up

Foodie for a Year \\ August

Time for another edition of Foodie for a Year and this month's theme is to share a quick and easy weeknight meal - pretty perfect since this time of year means back-to-school and back to the grind for many of us. I am more excited about this theme than any other because seriously, ain't no one got time to prepare a 2+-hour meal!

I'm sharing a quick and easy "recipe" that I swear anyone can make! It's become a staple in our house since first hearing about it from a neighbor last winter (thanks, Ali!) and I not only love that it's quick and easy, but it requires minimal groceries.

Easy Oven-Baked Sliders

What You Need:

1 pound of ground beef (you could probably use ground turkey for a healthier alternative)

1 package of King's Hawaiian rolls
Optional: hamburger seasoning(s) of your choice, cheese, condiment(s) of your choice

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Season hamburger (if you wish) and press down/flatten in a 9x13 baking dish.

3. Bake for approximately 25 minutes.

4. Drain excess grease and add cheese (if desired). Bake ~5 minutes more or until cheese is melted.

5. Cut into 12 sliders and serve on Hawaiian rolls topped with desired condiment(s).

What I love about this recipe is that you can make it ten times and always create a new version. We like to top ours with crispy onions and some sweet/spicy relish, but since these are burgers, the possibilities are endless!

Now it's your turn! Please share a quick and easy weeknight staple from your house! I look forward to seeing (ahem, stealing) your recipes!! And don't forget about October's link-up! We'll be sharing another favorite of mine, slow-cooker meals!

An InLinkz Link-up

THE BEST Blueberry Muffins + Blueberry Picking

I'm not joking. In my opinion, these things rival the big ole blueberry muffins you used to get at Starbucks. Our family put down a dozen of these muffins in just over 24 hours this weekend...and Holden doesn't eat sweets, if that tells you anything. But my favorite part about these muffins? They are quick to make and require minimal ingredients! I hope you love them as much as we do!

The BEST Blueberry Muffins

(adapted from this recipe on allrecipes.com)

What You Need:

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/3 cup buttermilk

1 to 2 cups fresh blueberries

For the crumb topping:

3 tablespoons butter, unmelted

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line muffins tins with muffin liners.

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

3. Place vegetable oil into a one-cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture.

4. Fold in the fresh blueberries. Fill muffin liners right to the top with batter.

5. Meanwhile, make crumb topping. Use a fork to mix unmelted butter, sugar, and flour. Sprinkle on top of each muffin.

6. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until tops are light brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

And a few pictures from our trip to The Berry Patch last week. Holden and I went with my friend and co-worker, Erica, while Brantley spent the morning at VBS. I will say, it was so nice having just one kid to look after and The Berry Patch was as dead as I have see it in about five years of going! Of course, once Brantley found out how we spent our morning, he asked if we could go again with him. Not a problem, Brantley, at least we'll have an excuse to make more muffins!

Foodie for a Year | June

It's summer and that means one thing - some of my all-time favorite meals! Ribs, steak, kabobs, burgers...I'm a fan of pretty much anything on the grill! I mean, summer just tastes so good, am I right?! So to say I was excited for this month's link-up would be quite the understatement.

My initial plans were to share a summery salad we make often...or a corn-on-the-cob side dish...or my strawberry pie recipe. But then we made this a week ago and I decided it was the perfect recipe for this link-up. I love it for a few reasons--it's a main dish + side all in one, it goes on the grill, and it's super easy! There's really no name for this meal. And no recipe, per say, either. Like I said, it's simple.

Summer Sauerkraut + Sausage Combo

What You Need:

Sausage of your liking (we always buy some form of ring sausage)

Fresh mushrooms

Onion

Potatoes

Sauerkraut

Garlic

Salt & pepper

Olive oil/stick butter

Non-stick spray

Aluminum foil

What You Do:

1. Slice mushrooms and onion; peel and chop potatoes into small chunks.

2. Spray aluminum foil with non-stick spray; then start piling in everything.

3. Season with garlic, salt, and pepper.

4. Drizzle with olive oil or place a few slices of stick butter into the mixture.

5. Grill until potatoes are done.

Note: Oftentimes, we will put potatoes in a different foil packet since they take longer. We may also put the sausage directly onto the grill if it doesn't fit with the veggie packet. However, we mix everything together to serve.

It's that easy. And that good, especially if you're a sauerkraut lover like myself!

And I've got you covered for dessert, as well! Here's one of my favorite summer dessert recipes ever! It would make for the perfect ending to this already-summery meal!

Now it's your turn! Link up below and share a favorite summer recipe! And don't forget about August's link-up when we'll be sharing a quick and easy weeknight meal - perfect for back-to-school time......but let's not even think about that quite yet!

An InLinkz Link-up

Five Strawberry Recipes

In lieu of a traditional Five on Friday and in honor of strawberry season, I thought I would share five favorite {tried and true} strawberry recipes.

1. Strawberry Pretzel Salad - via Brown Eyed Baker

One of my favorite summer "salads" (more like a dessert), this is the perfect mix of salty and sweet. It's kind of like cheesecake but with a layer of crushed pretzels on the bottom. I can never figure out how to keep the strawberry jello mixture from seeping through the cream cheese mixture and causing soggy-ish pretzels, but it's still delish!

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2. Fresh Strawberry Pie - via The Casual Craftlete

Confession: I've never actually used this recipe. I have my own I've used for years so I searched Pinterest until I found the exact recipe! Here it is, only I use a store-bought graham cracker crust, which is a) easier and b) better (in my opinion)!

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3. Buttermilk Strawberry Shortcake - via Cook Crave Inspire by Spend with Pennies

Not only is this recipe super quick and easy, it uses buttermilk which makes everything better in my opinion! Don't forget the whipped cream!

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4. Spinach Strawberry Salad - via Two Maids a Milking

I've already made this three times this summer and it's always a hit! I do change up the recipe a tad - I use candied pecans instead of walnuts and I add feta cheese. I highly recommend making your own dressing, as suggested in this recipe!

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5. Strawberry Bruschetta - via Everything Fabulous

Possibly my favorite of all of these recipes, this strawberry bruschetta is phenomenal! And that says a lot because I'm a total dessert lover! The basil + the goat cheese + balsamic + fresh strawberries = I could eat the entire batch! (And I pretty much did last week!)