Tag: dinner

Joe’s Holiday Prime Rib

Notice: Above image is blog-generated. This is an archived recipe from a previous blog. I will update once I remake & take a picture of this amazing meal!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 bone in prime rib beef roast, 3 ribs, about 6 pounds
  • 5 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1/4 cup grated fresh or prepared horseradish
  • Leaves from 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
  • Leaves from 4 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1/2 cup kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups canned chicken or beef broth

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Lay the beef in a large roasting pan with the bone side down. (The ribs act as a natural roasting rack.) In a small bowl mash together the garlic, horseradish, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and olive oil to make a paste. Massage the paste generously over the entire roast. Put the pan in the oven and roast the beef until the internal temperature of the meat registers 125 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer (medium-rare), 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the beef to a carving board and let it rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Pour off some of the pan drippings and place pan on stovetop over medium-high heat.
Add the white wine and bring to a simmer, scraping the bits on the bottom of the pan. Reduce the wine by half. Whisk in the flour, then add the broth and continue to cook, whisking until sauce thickens into a gravy, about 10 minutes.

Source: My brother’s recipe so no clue!

REVIEW

My brother, Joe, has made this for large family gatherings, especially on New Year’s Day. He is a fantastic cook! More importantly, he is a beloved uncle to my children and one of my favorite people to ever exist. His prime rib with mashed potatoes and an amazing French onion soup that everyone raves about to this very day.

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Delicious Hoisin BBQ Pork Chops Recipe

Notice: Above image is blog-generated. This is an archived recipe from a previous blog. I will update once I remake & take a picture of this amazing meal!


INGREDIENTS

SAUCE:

  • 1 jar hoisin sauce (8 ounces)
  • ½ cup honey
  • ½ cup chicken broth (or water with bullion)
  • ¼ cup chili garlic sauce (or sriracha)
  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

MAIN:

  • 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 8 boneless porkchops

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine first 10 ingredients for the BBQ sauce; mix well.
2. Heat the veg. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Season boneless country ribs (if using crockpot; see notes below) or boneless chops with salt and pepper.
4. Sauté the meat until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.
5. Add half the BBQ sauce and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and allow to cook for 15 minutes.
7. Flip pork, cover and continue to cook for an additional 15 minutes.
8. Add the rest of the BBQ sauce and continue to cook uncovered for another 15 minutes.
9. Serve over rice.

Optional: Garnish with chopped green onions.

NOTES

*This recipe could easily be adapted to a crock pot. Follow steps 1 – 4. At this point, remove pork from the skillet and put it into a crock pot. Pour the sauce over the top and cook on low for 4-6 hours. The meat will be fall-apart tender. Serve over rice.

This is one of Zach’s favorites that I located from an old blog that I had kept when they were growing up. I will make soon & replace the blog-generated image. I hope it holds up to our memory of this dish!

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Quick and Easy Sandwich Buns Recipe (Bread Machine)

Recipe Highlight: This is the absolute BEST recipes for sandwich buns or rolls that you can possibly make in a hurry! In less than 3 hours total, you can have amazingly soft bread that are especially delicious for burgers or chicken sandwiches! I can’t wait to use them for breakfast sandwiches as well. The slightly sweet, yeasty dough yields a crowd pleaser … for sure!

Makes 6 to 8 buns.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup of milk (4 ounces)
  • 1/4 cup water (Approximately 2 ounces … just enough until the totality of the 1st three ingredients equals 8 ounces. See instructions.)
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp softened butter
  • 2-1/2 cups (340 grams) of All-Purpose Flour
  • 1-1/4 tsp bread machine or quick rise yeast

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Using a food scale, add 4 ounces of milk to a bowl. Then add egg. From there, add just enough water so that the total liquid mixture is 8 ounces. Using the cup measurements provided is pretty on point if you don’t have a food scale.
  2. Add salt and sugar to the liquid mixture and stir until egg is
  3. Add liquid mixture to bread machine, adding your softened butter and AP flour in order listed.
  4. Make a well in the top of the dry mixture and place your yeast on top.
  5. Using the DOUGH setting on your bread machine (our current model is #8 on the setting menu), allow your machine to do the hard work for you! It will mix the dough and proof it, a process that takes around 1-1/2 hours.
  6. Once dough has completed this process, turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 to 8 dough balls. Once rounded out, place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Lightly press each ball with floured fingertips until they are around 1 inch tall.
  7. Let dough rest in a warm environment for about 45 minutes so that they can complete their final rise. If you don’t have warm proofing area, putting the rolls into an oven that has been preheated for a minute and a half and then leaving the oven light on works perfectly!
  8. Once rise is complete, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  9. If desired, brush tops of rolls with egg whites and then sprinkle with sesame seeds or topping of your choice.
  10. Bake for around 12 minutes or until tops are beautifully brown.
  11. Allow rolls to cool for at least 15 minutes.
  12. Once cooled, cut horizontally and top as desired!

NOTES

For my kiddos: Enjoy! I hope that these buns elevate your sammies! These are so tasty! Just know that I love you more than homemade bread … and that says A LOT!

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Hearty Chorizo & White Bean Stew Recipe

Serve with a crusty loaf of bread for a delicious, hearty meal.

INGREDIENTS

  • Olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion (or 4 shallots)
  • 1 carrot, cut into thin medallions
  • 1 stalk of celery, cut into thin slices
  • 1 serrano pepper (left whole with just the stem cut off, exposing the inner flesh/seeds)
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced (to taste)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp of fresh rosemary/thyme (either/or/both)
  • 6 ounces of chorizo
  • 2 cans of white beans (Great Northern or cannellini)
  • 1 quart of chicken broth (or water with 2+ tablespoons of Boullion)
  • 1 bunch of greens (I used rainbow chard)
  • A few generous shakes of garlic powder and Badia complete
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of cracked black pepper (to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes (to taste)
  • 1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup of ditalini pasta, if desired

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Coat Dutch oven with olive oil & add in veggies to caramelize and soften, saving the minced garlic until the end to ensure it does not burn. Just a reminder to leave the serrano pepper whole!
  2. Once veggies are softened, add in your chorizo and cook through before making a well in the center of your pan to add in your tomato paste. Caramelize your tomato paste for at least 2 minutes to ensure it has optimized flavor.
  3. Add in herbs and spices, before adding in broth, beans, and greens. Cook for about 20 minutes (or until greens are wilted).
  4. Using an immersion blender, make a few quick passes to blend just enough to thicken soup. Do not blend smooth! The satisfying textures of the vegetables, chorizo, and beans are the best part of this stew.
  5. If using, add in the pasta and cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat (or until pasta is desired tenderness).
  6. When pasta is desired tenderness, add in parmesan cheese and red wine vinegar.

NOTES

How much you use the immersion blender will have a large impact on how thick this stew is. For colder months, a thicker, hearty stew will hit the spot. For warmer months, leaving it thinner will give it more of a soup-like feel for a light, healthy meal. Top with additional grated parmesan, a few red pepper flakes, and serve with a crusty sourdough loaf for a meal to remember.

This one if for you, Audrey. I love you so much!

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Ultimate Spicy Chili Recipe for Snow Days

This is a must-have for any snow day!

INGREDIENTS

  • Olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion (or 4 shallots)
  • 1/2 red bell pepper
  • 1/2 green bell pepper
  • 1 serrano pepper
  • 2 jalapeno pepper
  • 4 minced garlic cloves (or to taste)
  • 2 pounds lean ground beef
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • garlic powder (to taste)
  • Badia complete (to taste)
  • 16 oz of beef broth (or water + 2 bouillon cubes)
  • 1 can (28 oz) of crushed tomatoes
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 can tomato paste (can leave out if you want more of a thin Wendy’s chili texture)
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons cumin
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce (I used Scotch Bonnet)
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon of dried peri peri pepper flakes (crushed red pepper flakes will work!)
  • salt & pepper (to taste)
  • 3 cans of beans (I use 1 each of the following: pinto, black beans, and dark red kidney beans)
  • assorted toppings (cheese, sour cream, cilantro, diced onions, corn chips, etc.)

All seasonings can be adjusted to your own liking!

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Chop your veggies into a small dice.
  2. Coat the bottom of a Dutch oven with olive oil and sauté your veggies until soft, around 5 minutes. If needed, add a little water to keep from sticking to bottom of the pan.
  3. Add in your ground beef to your caramelized veggies and cook until browned.
  4. Once your meat is browned, add in the Worcestershire sauce and flavor with a few generous shakes of dried garlic powder and Badia complete. Add a pinch of salt and pepper at this time as well.
  5. If using tomato paste (depending on if you want a thin or thick chili), make a well in the center of your meat and veggie mixture before adding your tomato paste. Allow your tomato paste to cook for about 2 minutes, ensuring that it caramelizes and optimizes its flavor.
  6. Once tomato paste is caramelized, add in your spices and cook for another minute, allowing them to bloom.
  7. Once spices are bloomed, add in the remaining ingredients: broth, cans of tomatoes, and beans.
  8. Once heated through and thickened (at least 20 minutes), taste and adjust spices accordingly.
  9. Top with cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro, diced onions, corn chips, etc.

NOTES

While it looks like a lot of ingredients, most of them are spices and pantry staples. Feel free to use whatever you have on hand when it comes to peppers and beans, but the listed peppers are what I used to get praise-worthy results! I love a mix of beans (pinto, black beans, and dark red kidney beans) to give the chili different textures, so feel free to experiment there if you wish!

Nothing says love on a cold day like a bowl of spicy chili and a slice of warm, slathered corn bread.

I love you, kiddos!

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Scrumptuous Instant Pot Crispy Pork Carnitas (Recipe)

Recipe Highlight: I recently stumbled upon this amazing instant pot recipe from Gimme Some Oven. This recipe is for pork carnitas that are cooked in the instant pot in a flavorful sauce and then finished off under a broiler so that the sauce evaporates and concentrates into each delicious bite of caramelized pork.

Link: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/instant-pot-crispy-carnitas/

Please click on the link above for the original recipe.

The original recipe consists of detailed instructions for both the instant pot carnitas and a mojo sauce. The recipe below includes the changes I made due to personal taste or availability of ingredients based on what I had in my pantry at the time. 

If you use the recipe below, let me know how you feel about these changes!

PORK:

  • 4-5 pounds of lean, boneless pork, trimmed & cut into chunks
  • salt & pepper (to generously season pork)
  • 1 Tbsp oil of your choice
  • 1 batch of sauce (see below)

SAUCE:

  • 2 cups of water or chicken broth
  • 1 Tbsp chicken bouillon (if using water instead of broth)
  • 1/2 cup lime juice
  • 1/2 a large red bell pepper 
  • 1 whole jalapeno, top removed (can remove seeds if sensitive to heat)
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (can remove seeds if sensitive to heat)
  • A fist full of cilantro (measure by your heart)
  • 1 Tbsp ground cumin (measure by your heart)
  • 1 Tbsp dried oregano (measure by your heart)
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Make your sauce by tossing all the ingredients in a blender and combining. Set aside.
  2. Sear your seasoned pork in the oil of your choice by using the “sauté” feature on your Instant Pot.
  3. Once all sides of your pork is browned, add your sauce to the seared pork.
  4. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes, followed by a natural release.
  5. Once the pork is cooked, shred the pork using two forks.
  6. Line a baking sheet with foil and turn on the oven’s broiler.
  7. Evenly spread the shredded pork with the sauce onto the lined baking sheet, broiling for about 5 minutes before removing from oven and stirring. Repeat the process until you have reached desired crispiness and most of the sauce has absorbed into the meat. I believe it took me about 3 cycles. This will ensure a deliciously concentrated flavor and caramelized, crispy edges that are simply to die for!
  8. Serve warm as tacos, burritos, quesadillas, rice bowl … etc.

NOTES:

This recipe is definitely worth the effort of lugging your instant pot out of the forgotten corner in the pantry.

I served these mouth-watering morsels of crispy pork over Mexican rice with black beans and topped with sour cream, a squeeze of lime juice, and additional cilantro. My family made quesadillas with the carnitas, and I can’t imagine how amazing they would taste served traditionally in corn tortillas.

Choose your own vehicle for these unforgettable carnitas … I won’t judge!

Stay tuned for a photo of my spin on this delicious dish! The next time I summon up this mouth-watering meal in the kitchen, it’s photo shoot time! In the meantime, head over to the link provided for the original recipe and stunning photos of this hearty meal that is sure to grace your table (or at the very least your thoughts) again and again.

Burrito? Taco? Quesadilla? Pick your pleasure!

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Moroccan-Spiced Lentils: A Flavorful Plant-Based Delight (Recipe)

Recipe Highlight: I recently stumbled upon this amazing recipe from Minimalist Baker for Saucy Moroccan-Spiced Lentils that were simply to die for! The sauce is so flavorful and delicious, and I could not help but think of all the different ways I will use the delectable sauce in the future!

Link: https://minimalistbaker.com/saucy-moroccan-spiced-lentils/

Please click on the link above for the original recipe.

The recipe below includes the changes I made due to personal taste or availability of ingredients based on what I had in my pantry at the time. I doubled the ingredients in the sauce, naturally! MORE SAUCE!

If you use the recipe below, let me know how you feel about these changes!

LENTILS

  • 1 cup raw green lentils cooked per instructions on bag

SAUCE

  • 3 whole cloves of garlic (or to taste)
  • 1 medium onion 
  • 2 large red bell pepper (or use 4 small), seeds removed, roughly chopped
  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste (I use Trader Joe’s from the tube!)
  • 2 Tbsp sorghum syrup (or whatever sweetener you prefer)
  • 1 tsp sea salt (plus more to taste)
  • 2 Tbsp smoked or sweet paprika (plus more to taste)
  • 2 tsp ground cumin (plus more to taste)
  • 1 tsp ground coriander (plus more to taste)
  • 2 tsp ground ginger (plus more to taste)
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric (plus more to taste)
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less to preferred spice level)
  • 3 Tbsp lime juice
  • A whole bunch of fresh chopped cilantro (to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Cook 1 cup of raw lentils per package instructions. I started out with 2 cups of boiling water per 1 cup of raw lentils, adding water throughout the process to keep the lentils cooking until they reached desired texture. I prefer them softer but not mushy.
  • Add sauce ingredients to a blender and combine thoroughly.
  • Taste and adjust for flavor before setting aside.
  • Add sauce to the drained mixture until warmed through and serve over rice. I top with sour cream, a squeeze of lime juice, and a garnish of cilantro.

NOTES

I love plant-based meals! But let’s talk about the sauce …

I would pay to drink the sauce straight from a tap. Inject it in my veins! I am so excited to use this sauce in every way imaginable. If you like to walk on the wild side, play around with the heat levels by adding a touch of ground cayenne or crushed piri piri pepper flakes. You won’t regret it!

Stay tuned for a photo of my spin on this delicious dish! The next time I summon up this mouth-watering meal in the kitchen, it’s photo shoot time! In the meantime, head over to the link provided for the original recipe and stunning photos of this hearty meal that is sure to grace your table (or at the very least your thoughts) again and again.

Do you have a lentil recipe that you love? Let me know in the comments below! I’d love to try it.

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New in 2025: Nourishing Recipes & Family Favorites

Happy New Year (and Happy Birthday to me!)

As I move into 2025 and celebrate 50 successful orbits around the sun on this beautiful planet that I call home (what a milestone!), I have decided to double down on my endeavors to improve my health and happiness. Knowing that I sometimes get in a rut and need a reminder of meals that make this journey an enjoyable one, I have decided to document recipes that bring me and my family joy.

New Recipe Tab

While most recipes I share will be done so with the intent to promote improved health and are focused on budget-friendly nourishing meals, I am also choosing to document family favorites for longevity’s sake.

Food and family go hand in hand, and I’d love to know that my children will always be just one click away from reliving a core memory. My children are my everything, and here’s to hoping that one day they will think happy thoughts of all the wonderful memories we’ve made together while enjoying one of these family classics.

50 Years of Love

Noah, Zach, and Audrey … I love you dearly.

To all of my family? Thank you for making these 50 years so special.

Wishing you Improved Health & Nourishing Meals shared with Friends & Family in 2025!

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