Tag Archives: Cerebral Palsy

A Twist On A Classic Favorite

On Wednesday I put my crockpot to work and prepared this Juicy Reuben Sandwich recipe as I have never made nor tried one. The preparations of this dish before putting my cooking friend to work (the crockpot) was very easy as usual, and after everything was finished cooking, slicing the meat was somewhat of a breeze. 🙂 Oh boy let me just tell you my sandwich was incredibly yummy!

For those of you who don’t know what a Reuben sandwich is it’s
an American hot sandwich made with corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing, grilled between slices of rye bread.

Are you an enthusiast of hot sandwiches? Are you craving for one? If you said yes to these questions then may, I recommend you satisfying hunger by preparing this savory sandwich. I promise you won’t regret it!

Juicy Reuben Sandwiches

You will need

1/2 lb corned beef, trimmed

2 C Sauerkruat drained

1/2 C Beef Broth

One small onion, sliced

One clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp caraway seeds

4 to 6 black peppercorns

8 slices pumpernickel or rye bread

4 slices of swiss cheese

Russian dressing or Mustard, optional

Directions

1. Place corned beef, sauerkraut, broth, onion, garlic, caraway seeds and peppercorns in your crockpot. Cover, cook on LOW for seven to nine hours.

2. Transfer beef to a large cutting board. Use a sharp knife to carefully cut across grain into slices. Divide among four bread slices. Top each slice with drained Sauerkruat mixture and one slice of cheese. Spread mustard on remaining four bread slices; place on sandwiches.

Source CROCK-POT® I Can Make That in My Slow Cooker

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My favorite chicken and beef recipes

Parmesan Ranch Chicken Tenders 

One Pan Autumn Chicken Dinner 

A Messy Favorite 

Comfort Food Overload 

Incredibly Tasty Homemade Tacos

I know that this is off subject, but as this year begins to wind down, I want to share with you some of my favorite recipes that I have cooked this year. I will have links to the recipes at the bottom of every post that I will be writing within the next couple of weeks, just like with yesterday’s article Chicken and wild rice soup. I will do my best to make sure that each post will stay within the same food category as the others. But I can’t make any promises because I might get a little side tracked.

Now on to the original subject.

I had quite a bit of the meat mixture leftover from last night’s dinner Beef Enchiladas, so I chose to use the remaining to make tacos for lunch for my big little brother and I. But I mainly made it for him because he’s real sweet and funny!

You too can easily make these delicious tacos with having the option of preparing them with a real kick or mild. Either way, I promise you they will taste great! 🙂

Homemade Tacos

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 yellow onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 oz can diced mild green chiles if desired
1 oz packet taco mix (Follow the instructions according to the package)
Flour Tortillas or Taco Shells

Favorite Toppings
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Sour cream
Shredded lettuce

Directions

1. Pour a few drops of the oil into a large skillet and heat over medium- high heat and wait about a minute for the oil to get hot. Next, combine the ground beef and crumble (If you have one, use a potato masher to make it easier). Once ground beef is about halfway cooked, combine the onion, garlic, and green chiles (If you desire) and saute for three-six minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Drain the beef mixture. Pour meat back into the skillet and combine the taco mix (Follow the instructions according to the package on the back.)

3. After you have completed step two, spoon Taco mixture into hard taco shells. Serve with your favorite toppings, if desired. Enjoy!

By Courtney Kennedy

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My favorite recipes

White Chicken Enchiladas 

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken Soup

Thirty Minute-Meal 

 

Mexican Food Enthusiast

Who loves Mexican food? I know I do! I just do NOT get tired of eating it! Tacos, nachos, burritos, fajitas, and enchiladas. There are several recipes for enchiladas, but this one is my favorite. Beef enchiladas with something extra… a homemade enchilada sauce!

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Just look at that gooey, melted cheese in the photo above!! *drools*

Okay, Courtney, let’s concentrate on the recipe here! Preparing your own enchilada sauce is super easy! It only takes fifteen-twenty minutes and a few of ingredients I trust you already have on hand.

These beef enchiladas are stuffed with a delicious beef, bean, and chili mixture, covered in a delicious homemade sauce and smothered in gooey cheese!

Beef Enchiladas with Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 yellow onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1.5 lbs ground beef
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 oz can diced mild green chiles
One can (15 oz) Goya black beans
10 flour tortillas
3 C Mexican-blend shredded cheese
1 can enchilada sauce; I used the brand El Paso or 1 batch homemade red enchilada sauce 
Dried cilantro for garnish

Directions

If you’re making homemade enchilada sauce, make it first.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9×13 baking dish by lining it with foil or parchment paper and grease it with non-stick cooking spray

Pour a few drops of the oil into a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat and wait about a minute for the oil to get hot. Next, combine the ground beef and crumble (If you have one, use a potato masher to make it easier). Once ground beef is about halfway cooked, combine the onion, garlic, and green chiles and saute for three-six minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the beef mixture.

To assemble the enchiladas, spread a few tablespoons of the enchilada sauce over the tortilla. Add beans in a line down the middle of the tortilla, then add a spoonful of the beef mixture, drizzle some more enchilada sauce over the meat, then add one-third of a cup of cheese. Roll up tortilla and place in your previously prepared greased 9 x 13″ baking pan. Continue with remaining tortillas. Cover the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the tortillas, and sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese.

Bake for twenty minutes, broiling the last few minutes if you want the cheese to be a more golden brown. Top it with chopped cilantro and green onions.

Court’s cooking notes** you could simply change out ground turkey, diced chicken, pre-cooked shredded chicken or all beans for the beef in this recipe.

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients

2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil
2 Tbsp flour
4 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 C vegetable stock or chicken

Instructions

Heat oil in a small/medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Combine the flour and whisk together over the heat for one minute. Mix in the remaining seasonings (chili powder through cayenne pepper). Then slowly add the stock, continuously whisking to reduce lumps. Reduce to low heat and simmer for ten-fifteen minutes until thickened.

Use immediately or refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to two weeks

Source the chunky chef

Coming up next week on cooking with Court

Chicken Noodle Soup

My Texas Crockpot Chili

Slow Cooker Juicy Reuben Sandwiches

Side dish Garlic Parmesan Green Beans coated with bread crumbs

 

Pure comfort food at it’s best

I enjoy cooking pork chops. I do admit they sometimes can be challenging to prepare, though. It seems like every time I cook them they either are always undercooked or overdone.  Yes, of course, I seldom do get discouraged and frustrated as many of us cooks, and food bloggers do. However, I am extremely determined not to give up and just keep on practicing until I get my chops 100% perfect.

My least preferred of how to cook pork chops is on the stovetop, as I have a somewhat of a love-hate relationship with frying almost anything. Why you might ask??? because I can’t stand the splatter, it makes such a huge mess. And the fact I have to babysit the stovetop. I mean really. I don’t have time for that!

I can tell you for sure, though, baked pork chops turn out just as delicious and WAY juicier – if you haven’t cooked pork chops that way, you simply have to! Of course, pork chops drenched in ranch dressing, Italian bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese pretty much proves a winner dinner!

Super juicy, baked pork chops coated with ranch dressing, Italian bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese. A fast & easy comfort-food dinner!

Breaded Ranch Pork Chops

Ingredients

6 bone-in pork chops, rinsed and pat dry
2/3 cup ranch dressing
1 cup Progresso Italian Bread Crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Cooking Directions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a 9×13 baking dish with foil or parchment paper and lightly grease it with cooking spray. Set aside.

Pour ranch dressing into a shallow bowl. Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan in another shallow bowl. Dredge each chop in ranch dressing, then in bread crumb mixture, and then into the bottom of the previously prepared greased baking dish (Be sure to give them room around each chop to cook evenly). Bake them for twenty-five- forty minutes or until internal temperature reads 145 degrees. Leave to sit for five minutes before serving.

Source Mostly Homemade Mom

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What is your favorite recipe using bread crumbs? Share it with me in the comments below!

Happy Early Thanksgiving!

I should have written this yesterday, but I was tired lol. Anyways, as some of you already know I have somewhat decided to take a break this week from blogging and write one more blog post after this one.  Why you might ask??? because my brain needs a break lol and plus it’s Thanksgiving week 🙂 However, I wanted to give you the low down of what I intend on cooking this week.

Sunday Night: I prepared Cowboy Chili. This dish is perfect for those cold winter days and will quickly warm you up. And oh lol, If you love a little kick to your chili, then you will certainly dig this dish. It’s delicious!

On Tuesday afternoon I will try to roast pecans, then later that evening I will be cooking  Cheeseburger Macaroni. If you are looking for some true comfort food, then I totally recommend Cheeseburger Macaroni while watching your favorite movie.

On Thanksgiving day I will be attempting to baking Libby’s Pumpkin Pie. Need an idea for a dessert to bake for  Thanksgiving? Then this pie is the perfect one for you. 🙂 It’s incredibly easy and very yummy!

Thanks for reading and have a great week. 😀

th

 

 Garlic Butter Honey Roasted Carrots 

Oh, my goodness sakes alive lol, I cannot believe that Thanksgiving is next week and Christmas is right around the corner. It’s ridiculously insane on how fast this year has gone.

Who’s looking forward to Turkey day? Lol, I know I am. It is also one of my favorite holidays. I know I’ve shared this with you before, but one of my favorite traditions is when my family and I take a week long vacation to Hot Springs, Arkansas. While I am there, I will be making my most-liked chili recipe called Cowboy Chili, bake Libby’s pumpkin pie, roast pecans and much more. I am super duper excited! 😀

Lol, so here’s how goofy I am 😀 I was intending on cooking this garlic-butter Honey Roasted Carrots recipe last week to go along with the Tex-Mex Chili Mac that I too made on the same night but then a little birdie knocked some thought into my brain and said “Courtney are you crazy? Chili mac and carrots don’t go well together”. Therefore I completely changed my mind and decided not to have a side dish that evening. Lol, to make this a short story I chose to prepare this dish yesterday as a late afternoon snack, and I too wanted to try it. They were not only delicious, but the garlicky-buttery and honey glaze gave the carrots a real nice sweet taste as well.

What are some of your favorite holiday traditions?

Brown Butter Garlic Honey Roasted Carrots Recipe

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb baby carrots
1/4 tsp salt
3 dashes ground black pepper
1/2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp chopped thyme 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425F.

Heat up an oven-safe skillet and cook the butter over medium heat until it starts to form and turn into golden brown. Combine the garlic and quickly saute before adding the carrots. Stir a few times, then stir in the salt, black pepper, honey and thyme or parsley. Transfer the skillet and roast in the oven for fifteen-twenty minutes or until the carrots become tender. Serve immediately.

Source Rasa Malaysia

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One-pan dinners are truly 2 dishes in 1

I had a wonderful time visiting with my grandma last week. We did not do much of anything except for watching movies, eating yummy food and laughing at each other’s jokes. Haha!

Lol, I know I’ve said this before, but I love one pan dinners. They are so easy to make and clean up. Ha, one of the things I like about them is you don’t have to worry about having a side dish because the veggies you chose to go along with your meat is a side. You can just think of them as 2 dishes in 1 😀

Today I’m sharing with you an incredible flavorful one-pan dinner called One-Pan Pesto Chicken and veggies. The preparation of this dish was easy as 1-2-3 and would make an excellent meal for a weeknight dinner for you and your family. Also, I would like to say that I have never tasted pesto before until last night, and lol it felt like my taste buds were having a party.

One-Pan Pesto Chicken and veggies

Ingredients

2 Tbsps olive oil
1 lb chicken thighs or breasts, boneless and skinless, sliced into strips
1/3 C. sun-dried tomatoes, drained of oil, chopped
1 lb asparagus, ends trimmed, cut in half, if large
1/4 C basil pesto
1 C cherry tomatoes, yellow and red, halved

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add two tablespoons of olive oil, combine the sliced chicken thighs or breasts, season chicken generously with salt, add half of chopped sun-dried tomatoes – and cook everything on medium heat for five-ten minutes, flipping a couple of times, until the chicken is finished cooking.

2. Remove the chicken and sun-dried from the skillet, leaving the oil. Combine the asparagus (ends trimmed), seasoned generously with salt, add the remaining half of sun-dried tomatoes, and cook on medium heat for five-ten minutes until the asparagus cooked thoroughly. Remove asparagus to serving plate.

3. Add the chicken back to the skillet, add pesto, stir to coat on low-medium heat until chicken is cooked through, 1 or 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add halved cherry tomatoes, mix with the pesto and the chicken. Add chicken and vegetables to the serving plate with asparagus.

Source Julia’s album

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Nothing beats a delicious taco

Do you enjoy eating tacos? Lol, I know I do! :D, And yes, of course, I have my favorite go-to place called Torchy’s tacos. Do you have a preferred place? So anyways lol, my love for tacos just increased by 1000 after trying these tasty Shredded Beef Tacos. I promise you 100% your love for tacos will double by 1000 as well once you try this recipe, they are so very flavorful and addicting. 

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp. Olive oil, divided
2-4 lbs beef (I used a boneless chuck roast)
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 C. beef stock
2 Tbsp. Tomato paste
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced (Optional)
1 small white onion, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
Flour tortillas

FAVORITE TACO TOPPINGS:

guacamole
sliced avocado
salsa
Mexican rice
shredded cheese
fresh lettuce
tomato
onion
cilantro
lime wedges

DIRECTIONS:

1. Stir together the chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika in a small mixing bowl. Rub the spice mix into the beef, covering each side evenly.
Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully place the meat in the skillet and sear on each side until browned, approximately two minutes per side. Remove the meat from your skillet and place in the bottom of a slow cooker.

2. Add the remaining one tablespoon of olive oil and diced the onion to the saute pan. Saute for three minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the garlic and saute for another minute. Combine the beef stock and stir the pan to deglaze it, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Next, add tomato paste and minced chipotle, and whisk into the pan sauce until combined. Bring the sauce to a boil, decrease the heat, and simmer for three-five minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly.

3. Pour the sauce over the beef in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for six-eight hours, or on high for three-four hours, until the meat shreds quickly. Shred, the beef with two forks and stir, to coat with any of the remaining juices. Serve the meat in the flour tortillas, topped with your favorite taco toppings.

Source Gimme Some Oven

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Skinny Butternut Squash soup

I love having Wednesdays as my slow cooker/crockpot day. It’s really nice to have one day out of the week where I have to do little or no preparation for dinner lol. So then I can have the whole day to myself to do some chores and other miscellaneous stuff. Haha!

However, yesterday after my morning workout, this time, it was an entirely different story. Why might you ask??? Because I had to wrestle with a butternut squash (In other words had to remove the skin, it took forever lol.) and yes I do admit that I did get a little irritable lol, during my scuffle with the vegetable. Although I was determined to show it who’s boss and yes, of course, I did win! The result of me defeating the butternut squash was that I prepared this incredibly delicious not to mention healthy butternut squash soup. The soup almost has the consistency and the taste of applesauce but with a kick.


Give this soup a try, because I promise you 100% you’re gonna LOVE it!!!!!


Skinny Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

4-pound butternut squash
3 apples
1 sweet onion
1 medium white onion
32 oz Pacific Organic Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp rosemary and garlic blend seasoning
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp Olive oil

Optional*:

reduced-fat sour cream, fresh chives, chopped, *Optional ingredients does not include in nutrition calculations.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400º F. Line a baking dish with foil and spray it with nonstick cooking spray.

1. Place butternut squash in the microwave for two-three minutes to soften squash before slicing. Slice the squash lengthwise down the center from top to bottom. Scoop out seeds from squash. Slice onion down center. Place squash halves and onion onto the previously prepared baking pan.

2. Sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil. Bake squash and onions in the oven for thirty five-forty minutes. Remove squash and onions and allow to cool down. Peel and dice apples and add to your crockpot. After squash and onions have cooled, remove skin and chop squash.

3. Add the squash to the slow cooker. Dice the onions and add to slow cooker. Add chicken broth, rosemary and garlic blend, salt and pepper to slow cooker. Stir all ingredients to combine and cook on high for four hours or on low for eight hours. After squash has cooked, discard the bay leaves and using an immersion blender or blender, blend to desired consistency. To serve, top with an (optional) tablespoon of light sour cream and fresh chives.

Source Skinny Mom

“Melt in Your Mouth” Pot Roast

In honor, of the first day, of Fall I thought I’d prepare my first pot roast recipe but without doing all of the work lol. I thankfully found one using the crockpot. Lol, okay so I just want to say that the crockpot is my best friend. Is that terrible to have a kitchen appliance as your pal? Lol, I don’t think so. 🙂

Anyway, I was very excited to prepare this dish but what I didn’t realize is that there’s this one step where I had to sear the meat. I not only didn’t know how to sear, but it too looked pretty intimidating.  However, after doing a google search on how to do it and a little reading, I soon felt confident enough on trying a new way of cooking.

I’m grateful that I didn’t let one cooking skill keep me from preparing this dish because it gave me more courage to want to overcome more challenges with cooking. Also, this pot roast is incredibly delicious and full of flavor. This is a recipe you have to try. I know you will make it over and over again. Lol, I know I will. 😀

Crockpot “Melt in Your Mouth” Pot Roast

Ingredients:
1 chuck roast (mine was two pounds)
Olive oil
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into medium/large chunks
2 lb baby, red potatoes, cut into halves
1 onion, peeled and cut into medium/large chunks
2 stalks celery, cut into large chunks (optional)
1 C. beef broth
1 Tbs.p flour or cornstarch
1/2 tsp. water

SEASONING MIX:
2 Tbsp steak seasoning (I used Adams Reserve Rub All Purpose, House)
1/2 tsp. Smoked paprika
1 tsp. parsley
1 Tbsp. Dried thyme
1 Tbsp. Dried rosemary
1/4-1/2 C. Bragg or Vinegar

Directions:

1. Combine seasoning mix in a small bowl. Set aside.
Next, coat both sides of meat with olive oil using a basting brush. Using the same basting brush, spread a third of the seasoning mix onto each side. Let the chuck roast sit in the mixture for eight hours to overnight in the refrigerator. Sear both sides of the beef in a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook until all sides are brown, about two- four minutes.

Transfer roast to slow cooker.

2. Place the vegetables a few at a time in a large bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil to coat vegetables. Pour the remaining seasoning mix. Gradually add the vegetables to the same pan that was used to cook the meat. Saut̩ for about five minutes Рstirring occasionally. Then put the vegetables on top of the roast into your crockpot. Pour in the beef broth. Cover with lid. Cook on low for eight hours or on high for six hours.

3. Next using a turkey baster, retrieve a maximum of the cooking juices from the crockpot. Move the juices into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat on the stove. Whisk together the flour with the water. Blend into the pan juices while whisking. Bring back to a simmer until thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Source Cocinando Con Alena

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