Chicken Cacciatore in the Crockpot

This meal never disappoints or fails. The way the chicken just falls apart, it can make anyone hungry. Great for anytime, any season, this dish is easy and wonderful to eat!

Ingredients:
- Three 6-8 ounce pieces of chicken
- 1 can PLAIN tomato sauce
- 2 cans petite diced tomatoes
- 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 package mushrooms, sliced
- 16 garlic cloves, chopped
- 6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 2 carrots, sliced in circles
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- olive oil
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- oregano
- paprika
- crushed red pepper flakes
- salt
- pepper

To Make:
In a large pan, saute all of the vegetables in olive oil on medium heat for about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the sauteed veggies and the chicken into the crock pot. Add the water and the diced tomatoes and the sauce. Season with 1 teaspoon of oregano, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Add in the freshly chopped basil and the teaspoon of soy sauce.

Mix together and set the crock pot on high. After about 30 minutes, add in the cheese and mix together. Cook everything on high heat until the chicken is so tender it falls apart, between 3-6 hours depending on how intense your crock pot is.

Taste before serving and add more salt and pepper or crushed red pepper if needed.

Ham & Egg Brunch Sandwich

This sandwich works especially well if you have left over Honey Baked Ham or something of that sort.

Ingredients:
- Bagel, any variety
- 1 egg
- several hunks of ham
- 2 slices provolone cheese
- oil
- salt
- pepper

To Make:
Drizzle the oil into a small pan and throw in the ham hunks. Once the pan is hot, crack the egg into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, just so that the inside is still a bit runny. Stir the ham around so it gets a bit browned.

Toast the bagel and as soon as it comes out of the toaster, place a piece of sliced provolone cheese on each bagel half.

Season the egg with salt and pepper before removing from the pan. Place the egg directly onto a half of bagel over top the cheese. Arrange the ham over top. Put the halves together and enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Not only is this cake super easy, but it's so delicious and you can easily make it look completely gourmet! Such a hit at my recent party :-)

Ingredients:

- 1 box of Chocolate Devil's Food cake
- 2 packages of "FLUFFY WHITE" icing
- 1 package Reese's peanut butter baking chips
- 2 cups of roasted, UNSALTED peanuts, chopped

To Make:

Prepare the cake as instructed on the package. Mix in 1.5 cups of the peanut butter chips.

Spray non stick baking spray into two 8.5 inch cake pans and pour in mixture. Bake according to package.

Let the cake cool for several hours before attempting to ice them.

On a cake dish, remove the first cake. Ice the top of the cake with at least half of the first icing package. Place the second cake directly on top. Ice the top and all of the sides of the cake, use all of the icing. Next, using a handful of the peanut butter chips, arrange them in a circle in the center of the cake. Then, sprinkle peanuts all over the top and sides of the cake.

Lastly, arrange a circle of peanuts around the bottom of the cake.

So easy, fun and delicious.

Creamy Penne with Savory Vegetables

I wanted to come up with a healthy version of a savory and hearty pasta with vegetables and this one, I nailed.

Ingredients:
- 3/4 pound penne
- 3 cups frozen assorted vegetables, broccoli, carrots, snow peas, peppers, etc.
- 1/2 onion, chopped into large chunks
- 20 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2 boca burgers
- 1/2 teaspoon vegetable bullion cube
- water
- olive oil
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup of flour or thickener
- crushed red pepper flakes
- oregano
- salt
- pepper

To Make:
In a large pot, boil salted water and cook the pasta until it's al-dente, about 8-10 minutes for pene.

In the meantime, in a very large saute pan, drizzle olive oil and cook the onions and garlic about 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Season with salt. In the microwave, cook the boca burgers for 1 minute. Then, them in with the onions and garlic. Cover for the last 2 minutes.

Next, add the frozen veggies into the mix and season with 1/2 teaspoon of oregano. Then season with 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes. Mix together. Add a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook on medium high heat for 8-9 minutes. Next, sprinkle the top with the flour or thickener.

Next, in 1/2 cup water, dissolve the bullion and add to the veggies. Mix together, creating a sauce. Cook the veggies another 3-4 minutes until they are tender yet still crunchy. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and mix together. Add another 2 tablespoons of water if needed. Make sure the boca burgers are now mixed in and no longer whole, they should be in bite size chunks.

Drain the pasta and in a large mixing bowl, drizzle olive oil and toss in the pasta. Next toss the veggies in and mix together, adding another 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

Serve immediately.

Sweet Red Onion Sauce w/ Tri- Colored Spaghetti

This sauce is amazing. The sweet red onions really give this sauce depth and tons of flavor. This sauce takes less than 15 minutes to put together and it's so delicious!

Ingredients:
- 1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
- 2 small carrots, sliced in circles
- 10 garlic cloves, chopped
- 5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 1 package of tri-colored spaghetti
- 1 can plain tomato sauce
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper


To Make:
Salt a pot of water and boil the spaghetti about 8 minutes until al-dente.

Begin sauteing the onion, carrots and garlic in olive oil on medium heat.

In the meantime, in a food processor pulse the diced tomatoes and the fresh garlic about 6 times for 2 seconds each pulse.

After the vegetables are soft, (about 8-10 minutes of cooking) add in the can of plain tomato sauce and the diced tomatoes. Mix together. Add the oregano, sugar, paprika, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and Parmesan cheese. Mix together. Cover and cook about 10 minutes on medium heat.

Drain the pasta, drizzle with olive oil and plate it, topping with the fresh sauce.

Serve and enjoy!

Grilled Steak & Black Bean Celery

The perfect lunch or dinner. This is what comes out of not going to the store in a week... random things that come together with finesse.



Ingredients:

- Round Roast, Sliced thin
- 3 celery stalked, diced
- 20 garlic cloves, diced
- 1 can black beans
- 1.5 cups minute rice
- fresh parsley
- olive oil
- pinch of vegetable bullion
- garlic powder
- smoked paprika
- oregano
- crushed red pepper
- salt
- pepper

To Make:
In a medium pot, drizzle with olive oil, add garlic and celery and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes until the celery is tender. Season with salt and pepper.

In another medium pot, fill with 2 cups of salted water and bring to a boil. Cook 1.5cups of minute rice until rice is tender.

Add in the black beans and season with 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Add in 1/2 cup of water and a pinch of vegetable bullion. Stir together and cover. Leave on medium low heat while the meat cooks.

In a cast iron skillet, or grill pan, drizzle with olive oil and set on stove. Turn stove to medium heat. Pound 2 slices of beef and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano. Once the grill is hot, lay gently on the stove. Cook each side about 5 minutes, depending on how you like your steak cooked.

To plate:
place a scoop of rice on a plate, top with black beans and plate meat on top. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Succulent Green Beans w/ Sautéed Tofu

If you want something light and really healthy yet filling, this is the perfect dish. I love the combination of crunchy green beans and the silky tofu. This is an amazing combination.

Ingredients:
- 1 package of frozen green beans
- 1/4 red bell pepper, sliced thin
- 1/4 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
- 1/4 onion, sliced thin
- 1 package firm tofu, drained
- olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
- crushed red pepper flakes
- garlic powder
- salt
- pepper

To Make:

Drain tofu in a colander before use. (If possible, remove from package, drain water and store in a plastic container overnight before use.)

In a medium pan, drizzle with olive oil and turn onto medium heat. Add in the sliced onion, red and yellow bell peppers and saute for about 2 minutes on medium heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Add package of green beans. Add a tablespoon of olive oil over top. Season the top with salt and pepper. Add in 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and crushed red pepper. Mix together and let this saute on the stove for about 8-10 minutes, or until the green beans are cooked yet still crispy. Add the last 1/2 teaspoon of soy sauce, mix and let finish cooking, stirring every 2 minutes.

Slice the tofu into 1/2 inch thick pieces, making long rectangles.

In another pan, add 2 tablespoon of olive oil and heat the pan about 2 minutes on medium high heat before adding in the tofu.

Gently add the slices of tofu (about 5/6 for 2 people) and season them with salt and pepper.

Allow them to saute about 3 minutes on each side, just getting them slightly browned on either side.

Arrange the tofu in the center of a plate and top with a mound of veggies.

Serve while hot.