Joey's Banana Bread Trifle

 

 

 Here's a little showstopper of a dessert that I recently made for my family's Thanksgiving Dessert Party. It's basically a variation on a banana pudding, but as always, I can't leave well enough alone, and decided to PLUS it. 

 A banana pudding is usually layers of sliced bananas, vanilla pudding, and Nilla wafers. But then I thought, why not make it into a trifle? (Side note, my niece, Natalie, stated that a banana pudding is already a trifle, but one could argue that a trifle has cake in it, or in this case, banana bread.. but that's a debate for another time... )

 Anyway, I still wanted to include the Nilla Wafers, but then decided to guild the lily and push it over the top with crushed Heath Bars as well. BOOM.

 Everyone raved about it! I mean, nothing against all of the other homemade desserts, but this may or may not have been the talk of the dessert table. Just sayin! I'm pretty sure I've just added this to my growing list of "must make" holiday desserts for my family. My nephew, Will, told me I need to post this IMMEDIATELY.. Glad you liked it, William!

 So if you're a fan of banana pudding, you absolutely MUST try it. I PROMISE you'll get rave reviews from your family and friends. It's perfect for your next holiday gathering. Enjoy!

 

  

2 cups cold milk
1 (5oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 pint heavy whipping cream

Crushed Nilla wafers

6-8 ripe bananas, sliced, (or more if needed)

1 homemade or store bought Banana Bread,  cut into cubes

Crushed Heath Bars or Heath Toffee Bits


In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pudding mix and milk until the powder is dissolved and the pudding begins to thicken. 
In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. 

Gently fold the sweetened condensed milk into whipped cream. 

Now gently fold the sweetened cream into the pudding. 

You’re ready to layer! 
In a tall sided glass bowl, create layers in this order:

pudding

banana bread cubes

banana slices

crushed Nilla wafers

toffee bits 

Finish by ending with pudding on top.

Garnish with more crushed Nilla wafers and Heath bits. 

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. 



Tips:
When you’re whipping the cream, you want to go to soft peaks or just beyond, but you don’t want to over whip it. Otherwise it’ll break and turn into butter, which is great and all, but that’s not what we’re looking for here!
When layering, I like to make pretty layers around the edges by standing the banana slices up against the side of the bowl before adding the other ingredients. You'll use more bananas, but it makes for a nicer presentation! Plus, like I always say, more is more!

The best way to make sure you come out even when layering is to divide the pudding into thirds, and divide the other ingredients in half. 3 layers of pudding, two layers of everything else, got it?
If you don’t have a tall sided glass bowl, just use any pretty serving bowl. You can even make it in a 9x13 casserole dish. 

Reese's Chewy Chocolate Cookies with Peanut Butter Chips

 

 

  This is one of those old stand-by tried and true recipes that made me say "why have I never posted this?" 

I was recently mixing up a batch, and I thought, wait... have I ever shared this? Nope. Never did. So I immediately needed to remedy that. And here it is! 

 It's a perfect Hershey's chocolate cookie with lots and lots of Reese's peanut butter chips. It's literally up there with some of my all-time faves. It absolutely stands the test of time, and it's a classic for a reason. One bite and you'll understand. If you're a peanut butter/chocolate lover and you've never tasted one, what are you even doing with your life? Yes, I'm judging you. You need to whip up a batch, like right now! You'll thank me later! 

 

 

 

 

 2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Hershey’s cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1⁄4 cups (2-1⁄2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsps vanilla extract
1 (10 oz pkg.) Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips


Heat oven to 350°F. 
Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with mixer until fluffy. 
Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. 
Stir in peanut butter chips. 
Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 8 to 9 minutes. (Do NOT over bake; cookies will be soft. 
They will puff while baking and flatten while cooling). 
Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.


Tips:
-When creaming the butter and sugar, be sure to let it go for a good 3-5 minutes. I find that it takes longer than you think to really incorporate those two ingredients. You’ll wind up with a much better product! 
-Anytime I make a peanut butter dessert, I always like to add an extra little pinch of salt. Just that tiny bit of extra saltiness really brings out the peanutty flavor. And as my Kristin always says.. “ The peanut butterier the better!”

Soft and Chewy Lemon Cookies

  I was recently on the hunt for a really good go-to lemon cookie, and as always I had certain search criteria: Of course I wanted a strong hit of lemon, but then I also wanted the texture to be fabulously crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.... definitely not cakey, but kind of like a sugar cookie, only a perfect lemon version. With me so far?

 Then I found this recipe from a blog called Kroll's Korner. It's literally everything I just described, and I seriously could've eaten the entire batch. Not even kidding. SO GOOD! It was the perfect thing to bring to my friend, Mary, who had requested a batch of lemon cookies. 

 So, now I can add another delicious recipe to my repertoire for all of my friends who are constantly asking me for "anything lemon." Pretty sure this is now my new go-to recipe. Pretty sure it'll be yours too!  

 

 

 

12 tbs (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tbs lemon zest
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp. lemon extract (or 1 tsp. each lemon and vanilla extract)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cornstarch
3/4 tsp salt
2 tbs lemon juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar, for rolling & garnishing

 

 

 Beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 3-4 minutes or until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. (Pro tip: you can rub the lemon zest and sugars together between your fingertips to help release the natural oils in the lemon and infuse even more lemon flavor into the cookies). Add eggs and extract(s), mix again.
Add the dry ingredients in a mound with baking soda on top.
Add the lemon juice on top of the baking soda, it will foam = activated.
Mix just until combined. Do not over mix.
You can refrigerate the dough now as is or scoop and roll into balls and then refrigerate. Balls will be about ~1 ½-2 tbsp. in size. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Add about 1/4 cup granulated sugar into a bowl and roll the balls in the granulated sugar.
Bake for 10-12 min. DO NOT OVERBAKE. These need to be very soft and chewy.
Swirl a cup around the cookies when they come out of the oven (while they’re still warm) to make them perfect circles.
Sprinkle the tops of cookies with more granulated sugar for a sparkly look and lemon zest if desired.
Rest on a cookie sheet for just 5 minutes then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 
They will look puffy out of the oven but settle as they cool.

 

 

Tips:

 The most important thing is to make sure you chill the dough before baking. I opted to mix up the dough, roll it into balls, then in sugar, then refrigerate them on a parchment lined tray. I chilled them for over an hour, and then took the trays right from the fridge to the oven. They turned out perfectly! I know the directions say to swirl a glass over them to make them perfectly round, but there didn't seem to be any need, at least this time.

I used a cookie scoop, and I wound up with about 2 1/2 dozen cookies. If you'd like to double the recipe, I would suggest mixing up two batches instead of doubling the ingredients. It seems to me that some cookie recipes work better when you mix up separate batches instead of doubling. I'm talking to YOU, Snickerdoodles. 

Also I think I'd like to add more lemon zest next time. More is more, right?! I also wondered how it would taste if I used orange and/or lime zest instead of (or in addition to) the lemon. I think I need to make another batch and try it!

Joey's 1-2-3-4 Hot Apple Cider

 

  OK, I know I say this a lot, but this is one of my favorite things that I've ever made. 

I was recently planning a little Fall Hang for some of my dearest friends, and I wanted something to have while sitting around the bonfire. The obvious choice would have been s'mores, but then I thought of doing hot apple cider, just to keep everyone warm on a crisp Autumn night. Great idea, right?! But maybe lets zhuzh it up a little, shall we?

 I knew I wanted to add some spice, but I find that all too often people go crazy with the warm spices. Cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger, nutmeg... It's too much! I certainly didn't want it to turn into a big pot of potpourri! So I limited it to just a couple cinnamon sticks, and then decided to add a few sliced oranges to the mix, just to brighten it up. No extra spice needed! A little extra sweetness from some brown sugar and it was perfect!! I'm not even kidding when I tell you how delicious it is! It's the perfect blend of sweet and spice! Of course, it was a big hit, and everyone immediately said how perfect it would be for the holidays. I instantly pictured curling up in front of the fireplace with a warm mug. 

 So whether you're entertaining, or just cozying up with a good book, you absolutely MUST give this one a try during this holiday season! I promise you'll love it!!

 

 

 

1 large orange

2 cinnamon sticks

3 quarts apple cider

4 tbs brown sugar

 

 

Using a vegetable peeler, remove just the outer orange zest of the orange peel. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut off the white pith and discard, leaving just the orange. Slice into segments. 

 Place the zest and orange segments into a small crock pot along with remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust sweetness, if needed. Set it to HIGH for an hour or two, then turn to WARM. 

The longer it simmers, the better it is! 

 

Note: This smells absolutely HEAVENLY while it's warming in the crock pot. It would be VERY festive to have a  pot full of cider going throughout your holiday open house. Just sayin!

 

 

 

Tips:

The most important part of this recipe is not what goes in it, but rather what stays out. Yes, you could easily just slice an orange and throw it in, but the orange peel can be very bitter if you don't remove the white pith. Just take 3 extra minutes to peel off the orange zest, then cut off the pith. It makes all the difference in the world. 

Use any kind of apple cider you like. Some are sweeter, some are more tart. If you're favorite cider is very sweet, just cut back (or even omit) the brown sugar. If it's not very tart, just add a little splash of lemon juice.  

For a little extra holiday cheer, add a little splash of bourbon, brandy, or spiced rum! 

 

 

 

Joey's Slow Cooker Turkey with Apples and Cider Gravy

 

 

 

 People always ask me what my favorite dinner is, and I'll say the same thing every time: Turkey dinner with the usual everything that goes with it. But I think we only cook it on holidays because it's a bit of a production number, and it can turn out dry if it's overcooked.. and unless we're cooking for a giant crowd, most times we just don't need to cook that big of a roast. 

 And then we discovered the 3 lb boneless turkey breast cooked in the slow cooker. It was viral all over the interwebs, with its cranberries and onion soup mixture. Of course, I took the cooking method and ran with it, trying all kinds of other versions, and that's where this recipe was born. 

 As always, my first thought is "what do I happen to have on hand?" In this case, it was apples and apple cider. So I threw it in the slow cooker, added some sliced onions (why? because I love apples and onions together) and then made gravy after it was done. It was sweet from the cider and savory from the onions and poultry seasoning, Absolutely DELISH! Perfect for anytime, but special enough for your holiday dinner, especially if you only have a 3 or 4 mouths to feed. This would also be a great thing to add to your table in addition to a holiday ham, just in case anyone might like to have turkey too. The apples and cider gravy will go  PERFECTLY with everything! 

100% would make again! Enjoy! 

  

  

 

 

3 lb Butterball boneless turkey breast
1 sweet onion, peeled and sliced
1 Honeycrisp apple, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 tsp poultry seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup apple cider 
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
4 tbs butter, cut into small pats



Place your completely defrosted turkey breast in a slow cooker, making sure to leave the netting on. (Save the gravy packet for another time, or discard)
Place the onion and apple slices on and around the turkey.
Sprinkle with poultry season, salt, and pepper. 
Now add the cider and vinegar.
Top with pats of butter. 
Cook on low for exactly 6 hours. 
Remove turkey to a cutting board. Remove apples and onions to a serving platter.
Let the turkey rest while you make the gravy. 

Add a slurry of cold water plus 2 tbs of flour. Pour into slow cooker while stirring constantly. Turn the slow cooker to high and let it continue to cook until desired thickness. Pour into gravy boat for serving. 
Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, remove the netting from the turkey.
Slice the turkey and place on the platter with the apples and onions. 
Garnish with parsley, if desired. 
Serve with gravy on the side. 

 

Tips:
Usually, I say that slow cookers are very forgiving when it comes to cooking time, but in this case, I’ve found that cooking any longer than 6 hours runs the risk of overcooking the turkey. To insure that your turkey is perfect, use a meat thermometer. I'd test it at about 5 1/2 hours. Take it out when the turkey breast reaches an internal temperature of 160ºF. Then let it rest. The carry over cooking time will bring it up to the required 165º.
If your turkey breast is still frozen, cook it for about 8 hours. 

Sweet Potato and Pecan Casserole

 

 Every year, when I'm looking for new holiday dishes, I always seem to work my way back to sweet potatoes. What can I say? I just love 'em! But here's the thing... and this may be a divisive statement... I will never understand why people put marshmallows on top of sweet potatoes. I know, I know, Crazy, right? But I said what I said. Someone was clearly not in their right mind when they came up with that one. I mean, I gave it a try, truly, I did. I've even posted recipes, (well, at least one that I can think of) with sweet potatoes and marshmallows, just for the people who do enjoy it. But if I had my druthers, I'd druther have a sweet potato casserole with pecans and NO marshmallows. Not so sweet that it wants to be a dessert, but just sweet enough. And THAT brings us to this recipe. 

 I first saw it on a website called Just a Pinch, but then of course I changed it to the way I like it. That's really the bottom line, right? We should cook the way we like it!

 It's super easy and comes together in a snap. I always pressure can my own jars of sweet potatoes, so it was even easier. You just stir everything together and bake! It's perfect for your holiday table, and there are definitely NO marshmallows involved, thank you very much!! I suppose you could put some on top if you REALLY feel strongly about it, but there's really no need. It's already perfect just as it is! 

Hope you like it!

 

 

 

6 sweet potatoes, boiled or roasted and peeled
6 tbs butter, melted
2 eggs, whisked
1 tsp rum extract or a tbs of rum
1/2 c sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped pecans 

 

 

Heat oven to 350ºF.

Mash the potatoes by hand. Stir in remaining ingredients, except for chopped pecans. Pour into a baking dish. Cover and bake for about 45 minutes. Uncover. Sprinkle pecans over the top. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. Done!

 

 

 

Tips:

The original recipe included the zest of an entire orange. When I first tried it, all I could taste was orange, and for me, it ruined the whole dish. Not that I don't like orange in my sweet potatoes. I do, just not that much. Maybe next time I'll add just a teaspoon. Or maybe just a splash of orange juice. Actually, when I make my Candied Sweet Potatoes, the secret ingredient is a tablespoon of orange marmalade. You could add that to this recipe, if you want!  

Joey's Real Deal Green Bean Casserole

 

   For years and years, I've enjoyed the classic Green Bean Casserole recipe, just like the rest of America, especially for Thanksgiving. It calls for canned green beans, canned cream of mushroom soup, and canned French fried onions. But then, a while back, I thought, "What if we don't use canned ingredients and use fresh ones instead? Wouldn't that be much better?"

 So I made a batch using fresh green beans. Great!  It was delicious, as always, and it absolutely elevated the recipe. I was definitely on the right track. Then I thought, "ok what if I make my own mushroom cream sauce instead of the canned soup?" Yes, I know the recipe was developed specifically so consumers would have another reason to buy Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, but I still thought we could do better. Again, absolutely delish, but there was still room to push it higher. And then came the game-changing moment. I decided to make my own French fried onions. 

What? Who even does that?? 

Well, clearly, now I do! And let me just tell you.. it made a huge difference! It was as big of a difference as going from canned to fresh green beans, and there was nothing to it! I made it for our Thanksgiving dinner and everyone absolutely raved about it! NOW it's elevated to where it should be!

 So here's the thing.. it does take a few extra steps to make each component. I know. I know. It's kind of a lot. Nothing too difficult, but it does take time. But then all you need to do is throw it all together and bake! It's seriously worth the extra effort. The good news is you can do all of the components in advance, easily a day or two before Thanksgiving, and then just bake it while the turkey is resting and or being carved. Boom.

Side note, when I asked my nieces, Casey and Carly, what the new version should be called, Casey suggested "real deal" because it's all the same things, but this is the REAL deal. So there we go!

 Give your loved ones a chance to taste this version, and I swear they'll request it every time. In our family, it's now definitely the new classic!

 

 

 

For the Green Beans:

Choose fresh bright green beans, about 3-4  lbs, depending on how many people you're serving, and how big your casserole dish is. Trim the stem end from each of the beans, then cut into 1-2 inch lengths. Place cut beans into a steamer, and steam until almost completely cooked through. Full disclosure, I like my green beans to be COOKED. None of that "crisp tender" hooey. I'm not saying I like them to be cooked to death, but I do like a tender bean. After steaming to your liking, remove to a mixing bowl.

 

 

For the Mushroom Sauce:

1 stick butter

1 lb baby bella mushrooms, sliced

1 medium onion, finely minced

1/2 cup flour

3 cups milk

1 cup half and half

salt and pepper to taste 

In a large sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onions. Saute and cook for a good ten minutes, letting any moisture from the mushrooms evaporate. Add the flour, then whisk to blend with the butter. Continue to cook for a minute or two, then add the milk and half and half. Continue to whisk until the sauce thickens. Season to taste with salt and a good amount of pepper.  Pour into the mixing bowl with the green beans. 

For the French Fried Onions:

2 medium onions (or one large)

Buttermilk

Flour

Salt and Pepper

Oil for frying

 

Peel and slice the onions VERY THINLY into half rings. Place them in a bowl, then pour buttermilk over to cover. Let them sit for at least a good 15 minutes. (I probably left them for more like a half hour).

In another large bowl, place a good amount of flour for dredging, plus salt and pepper. 

In a wide shallow pan, heat oil (enough to go about halfway up the side of the pan) to about 350º. Using tongs, grab a batch of onions, and let the buttermilk drain, then throw them into the seasoned flour and toss until well coated. Gently and carefully drop the dredged onions into the oil. Use a slotted spoon or spider strainer to stir them around so they don't clump together. Let them fry until they are golden brown. Remove to a paper towel or napkin to drain. Immediately sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Repeat until all onions are fried. 

Now it's time to assemble. 

Pour half the fried onions into the big bowl with the beans and sauce. Gently toss to coat everything. Pour all into casserole dish. Cover with foil, and bake at 350ºF for about 30-40 minutes. Remove foil, top with remaining fried onions. Bake for another 10 minutes, just to crisp up the onions. 

Tips:

To make it in advance, just assemble everything as directed, store your extra fried onions in a ziploc bag at room temperature, then cover and refrigerate your assembled casserole until your event. Take your casserole out of the fridge about an hour before baking. Bake as directed. 

To steam a large quantity of beans, I like to use my pasta pot. It has an insert for lifting and draining your cooked pasta, which also works great as a steamer. Just fill the pot with enough water in the bottom until it reaches the insert. Easy!

Joey's Broccoli Stuffing

 

 This is an easy way to combine your stuffing with your veggie side dish.

It was inspired by a broccoli and stuffing casserole that I saw on a website called Al Dente Diva, and this is where I landed. I sort of used her recipe as a guideline, but then I added my own spin.. adding celery and onions, etc. The result wound up being pretty similar to the way I would usually make stuffing anyway, only now it has the addition of broccoli. Who knew it would be such a match made in heaven???? I literally couldn't stop myself from going back for more. It's goes perfectly with your holiday turkey or ham, or any Sunday roast dinner. My only question is "Why have we never done this before???? "

 Seriously. I'll definitely be adding this one to the repertoire! 

1 large baguette, torn into pieces
4 cups broccoli florets
1 stick butter
1 onion, chopped
3 ribs of celery, chopped
1 tbs chicken Better than Bouillon 
2 cups milk
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp black pepper


Heat oven to 350ºF.
Place torn baguette pieces on a dry baking tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes to lightly toast. Place in a very large mixing bowl along with broccoli florets. Set aside.
Melt butter in a sauté pan. Add chopped onions and celery.  Sauté until they begin to soften.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients.
Now it's time to assemble. 
Add sautéed veggies and milk mixture to bowl with broccoli and bread. Toss well to combine.
Pour into a buttered casserole dish.
Bake for about 45 minutes, or longer if you like a crispier stuffing.

 

 

Tips:
Be sure to tear the bread into rough craggy pieces, instead of cutting into cubes. They'll soak up the liquid much better, and give you lots of crispy bits on top.
There's no need to add any salt because the bouillon has plenty. If you're sensitive to salt, just hold back a little.

I give it a stir halfway through the cooking, just to insure even cooking. I like a pretty moist stuffing, so I don't leave it in the oven for too long, but you do you!

Baked Apricot Cranberry Sauce

 

 In my never-ending search for new variations of Thanksgiving recipes, I was recently spiraling down the Tik Tok rabbit hole, when I found this little jewel of a recipe. It’s from a blogger who calls herself the Feel Good Foodie. It wasn’t the list of ingredients that I found so intriguing, but rather the cooking method. Now, I’ve made homemade cranberry sauce for years and years, but never BAKED them. What a concept, right?  So, clearly, I needed to give it a try, just to see how it would go. Well, guess what.. it was fabulous!! There was a sort of "roasted" quality that was really nice, and rather unexpected, if I'm being totally honest. Who knew? It was SUPER easy to make and the flavors were out of this world. Perfect for your holiday meal.
 Oh, btw, I should mention that the original video I saw didn’t include any kind of jam, but when I looked it up on her website, she included orange marmalade. I had some homemade apricot jam, so I went with it. Marmalade or without, you should give this a try. It’s always good to switch things up every so often, dontcha think?? Enjoy!


12 oz bag cranberries
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup apricot jam 

 

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Combine the cranberries, sugar, water, and cinnamon in a small baking dish. 

Bake for one hour, stirring halfway through.
Remove the dish from the oven, stir in pecans and preserves. Allow to come to room temperature, then refrigerate.

 

Tips:

Clearly this is a great time saver because you can make this WAY in advance. No need to take up oven space on Turkey Day!
Feel free to double or triple this recipe if you have a crowd to feed. Boom. 

Not a fan of cinnamon with your cranberries? Just leave it out!
 If you’d like to try these flavors, but don’t want to bake them in the oven, you can certainly do this on the stove top. I bet you could even do it in the crock pot as well, but I haven’t tested that idea yet. I’ll let you know when I figure that out!

Cauliflower, Carrot, and Artichoke Bake

 

 

 When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, you really can't go wrong with the classics. You have your turkey and gravy, obviously, and then you have your cranberries, your stuffing, your mashed potatoes, and your green bean casserole, among others. But then I got to wondering.. what if I play around with them a little? Would that be so terrible? 

 So I looked at the ingredients in the classic green bean casserole, or Green Bean Bake, as we used to call it. I thought, what if we swap out the green beans and use something else? So that's what I did! I still wanted the convenience of using the canned cream soups and French fried onions, but just skipped the green beans altogether. 

 OH. MY GOD. Can I just tell you how good it turned out?? Why have we never done this before? I'm not even kidding when I tell you I couldn't stop myself from going back for seconds and it was gone in no time. Who knew something so simple could be so good? 

 So if you're not a fan of green beans, just swap 'em out for something else! I used carrots, cauliflower, and artichokes. Why? because I LOVE them (also I just happened to have them on hand), but pretty much any vegetable(s) will work. Which veggie is your favorite? I betcha it'll be awesome! And who knows? Maybe this will be your NEW favorite classic!! Ok, good talk. 

 

 

 

1 lb cauliflower florets 

1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup 

1 can condensed cream of celery soup

6 oz container of French fried onions

Salt and pepper

 

 

Place carrots and cauliflower in a steamer. Steam until just crisp tender. 

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, stir together remaining ingredients, reserving about 1/2 cup of the onions. Resist the urge to snack on them while you make the rest of the casserole. 

Gently toss the par cooked veggies with the soup mixture. Pour into a 9x13 or similar casserole dish. Sprinkle with reserved onions, if there are any left. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

 

 

 

Tips:

Instead of steaming, you could also par boil the veggies, and then drain well.

I intentionally did not add any kind of cheese because, well, it wasn't included in the original green bean casserole. Also I didn't want to make it too heavy. But I realize, for some people, it's just not a casserole if it doesn't have cheese. So feel free to add 8 oz of any kind of shredded cheese, if you like. I would go with Swiss or Cheddar, but you do you! And for heaven's sake, do NOT use the pre-shredded cheese in a bag. It melts SO much better when you buy the block and just shred it yourself!  

 

Butternut and Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

 

 OK, I have a question for you.

Do you have the same menu every year for your Thanksgiving dinner? Or do you switch things up from time to time? I've asked this question many times, and it seems people like to have the tradition of the same menu from year to year. My family is the same! We have all of our favorite Thanksgiving dishes, and it just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without them.

 For many families, there's one dish that falls squarely into that category, and that's mac and cheese. It just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it, right? Um... well... not for everyone. Full disclosure... as much as I LOVE a fabulous mac and cheese and all its variations, it has never been part of my family's traditional menu. I guess my Mom always figured we have mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and stuffing.. why would we need another starch? But hey, who am I to judge??? So that's why I decided to come up with a new "Thanksgiving" version of mac and cheese. 

 I added some roasted vegetables and some fresh herbs, but still kept it ooey and gooey, just the way mac and cheese should be. It turned out to be absolutely delicious! And it's definitely good enough to be included in one's holiday menu. It goes perfectly with your roast turkey or ham. Maybe this will be your NEW traditional holiday mac and cheese! who knows? It could happen!! Hope you like it!

 

 

1 lb diced butternut squash

1 small head cauliflower, broken into florets

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks

olive oil

salt and pepper

1 lb cavatappi pasta

 4 tbs butter

1/4 cup flour 

4 cups milk 

8 oz Velveeta cheese or American cheese

8 oz Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

8 oz Swiss cheese, shredded

1 tbs brown mustard

1/2 tsp thyme leaves

1/2 tsp finely chopped rosemary leaves

2-3 scallions, sliced 

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

 

 

Heat oven to 400ºF.

Place diced squash, cauliflower, and peppers on a sheet tray. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat. Spread out to a single layer. Roast in oven for about 30 minutes. After they've finished roasting, remove from oven, and reduce oven to 350ºF.

Meanwhile in a large pot of heavily salted water, boil your pasta until al dente. Drain, set aside. 

In a sauce pan, melt butter. Add flour, and whisk to combine. Continue to whisk and cook the flour for about a minute or two, then add the milk, whisking to break up any lumps. Add cheeses, mustard, and herbs, continuing to stir until thickened. 

Now it's time to assemble. 

Place roasted vegetables in a large greased casserole dish along with drained pasta. Stir in cheese sauce and sliced scallions until well combined. Sprinkle bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese over all. Sprinkle some dried parsley over the top, for a little color, if desired. 

Place casserole dish in the oven for 30-45 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from oven and let stand for about 15 minutes. 

 

 

Tips:

You can butter your bread crumbs, if you like, but I had some olive oil left on the roasting pan, so I just used that. Or just sprinkle them dry. It'll all work!

Adding 4 cups of milk may seem like too much, but just trust the process! Your final dish will be the perfect texture. No one wants a dry mac and cheese!

When using shredded cheese in a dish, it's always best to buy the block and then shred it yourself. The pre-shredded cheese has a coating on it so it won't clump, but then it doesn't melt as well. Just FYI! 

Not a fan of butternut squash? Add whichever roasted veggies you like! Any kind of root vegetables would work well here. Could even do broccoli or sauteed spinach. All good! 

 

Joey's White Chicken Goulash

 

 
   Very often, when I’m planning a party menu, I like to give options to my guests. I like the idea of a “choose your own adventure” kind of a dinner. I once hosted a dinner with 3 different kinds of pasta and 3 different kinds of sauce, so my guests could mix and match. Last year, I hosted a bonfire with 3 kinds of soup, and 3 kinds of bread to go with them. See what I mean? You get the idea. For another party, I made a crock pot full of home made mashed potatoes as a base, and then offered a choice of 3 different kinds of stew to pour over them. HUGE hit! Not only does it offer a variety, but I must say, I do love it when everyone goes back to try the other flavors. 
 So then I was thinking of Fall and Halloween, and some good hearty “stick to your ribs” kind of comfort foods, and I remembered making my Ghoulish Goulash. If you’re not familiar, it’s a tomato based beef stew with lots of paprika and spices that you serve over egg noodles. And of course there’s the favorite classic American Goulash, which is ground beef and elbow macaroni in a tomato sauce. And I thought, wait… what if I do a white chicken version? That’s gotta be delicious, right? So I started  googling. Oddly enough, just about every version of chicken goulash that I could find still had a tomato based sauce, instead of the creamy version that I was looking for. So, (you know what I’m gonna say, right?), I made my own! 
  I started with ground chicken and elbow macaroni, and since goulash typically includes a lot of paprika (which is made from ground dried peppers), I opted to add chopped red bell peppers. Then I rounded everything out with a few other aromatics and herbs and tied it all together in a creamy sauce. YUM! It turned out exactly as I had pictured in my head and it was just the hearty comfort food I was looking for. It just happens to be the perfect thing to serve on Halloween or any other crisp fall night when you want something warm and comforting. Come to think of it, now I can serve two kinds of goulash at my next bonfire party! Boom. 

 

 

 

 A few glugs olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
1 tsp fennel seeds or caraway seeds
1 tsp dried oregano
1 lb ground chicken
2 (10oz) cans condensed cream of chicken with herbs soup
1 cup milk
4 oz cream cheese
1 lb elbow macaroni
Sweet paprika for garnish


  In a large pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and peppers. Saute until they begin to soften. Now add the garlic, fennel seeds, and dried oregano. After they become fragrant, (just a minute or two), add the ground chicken. Continue to stir and sauté to break up the chicken. When the chicken is just about cooked through, add remaining sauce ingredients. (The cream cheese will melt through). Reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the elbow macaroni according to package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of the cooking water. Toss the cooked macaroni with the chicken mixture. If it’s too thick, add a little of the pasta water to desired consistency. Adjust seasoning, if needed. Top with a sprinkle of paprika and serve. 




Tips:
If you don’t have elbow macaroni, you can easily swap out any other kind of cut pasta. You could even just make the chicken and sauce and then pour the whole thing over wide egg noodles. Then you could choose your own sauce to noodle ratio. 
Be careful with the oregano. I find it to be a very strong herb, which can sometimes overpower a dish. Dried marjoram would be good substitution!
I like to bash the fennel seeds around a little with a mortar and pestle, just to get them going, but you can just throw them in.  They add a subtle but distinctive anise flavor, which I think is key. But if you’re not a fan, just leave 'em out. It won’t be exactly the same, but it’ll still be awesome!

Crockpot Herbed Dinner Rolls

 

 I recently discovered this recipe from a short video by a Youtuber named Chef Robyn Q. Frankly, I love everything she makes, and when I saw this technique, I thought "Why have we not done this before?" So I immediately tried it, posted a quick pic on FB, and everyone had LOTS of interest. Usually, when you think of a crock pot, you're not thinking of BAKING, but this recipe works perfectly! And when you have limited oven space around the holidays, this allows you to have freshly baked warm dinner rolls on the table with your fabulous holiday feast. How perfect is that? This one is definitely a keeper!

 

 

 

 

Frozen unbaked dinner rolls

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 tsp garlic powder 

Choice of fresh or dried herbs- thyme, rosemary, oregano, etc

 

 

 

Line a crockpot with a piece of parchment paper.

Arrange the frozen dinner rolls in the bottom of the crockpot, leaving space between them.

Cover and set on warm for 1 1/2-2 hours or until double in size.

Drizzle with melted butter. Sprinkle herbs and garlic powder.

Cover the top with a paper towel and put the lid over it. 

Cook on high for 1 1/2 hours. Then, turn the crockpot OFF, and let stand covered for 30 minutes.

Remove the herbed dinner rolls from the crockpot and serve with butter.

Tips:

The amount of rolls you bake depends on the size of your crock pot. In the original video by Chef Robyn, she used an oval shaped crock pot, and was able to fit 14 rolls. I used a 9x13 rectangular crock pot, which has more space for more rolls, so I was able to do 24. You just want them to be close to each other, but not touching. That will give them space to rise.  

Easy Tortellini Pesto Alfredo

                             

 

  This is just about the easiest midweek cheat meal I can think of. Now, you may be thinking "what's a cheat meal?" Well, usually when people use that term, they mean that they're cheating on their diet. But in this case, I'm calling it a cheat meal because you just use store bought ingredients instead of making everything home made from scratch. I mean, it probably fits the other category too, but I digress.
 With school back in session and schedules getting crazier with each extracurricular activity, as far as I'm concerned, any way you can get dinner on the table is a good one. Even if you have to "cheat" and use all store bought ingredients. Dinner is dinner, right?
 So keep this one in your back pocket. It's as easy as can be, your family will thank you for it, and you'll feel better knowing that everyone has a full belly. 
No one needs to know that you didn't make everything from scratch!  

32 oz cheese tortellini
1 (14.5 oz) jar purchased Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup jarred basil pesto sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp sugar
16oz shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 350ºF.
Boil tortellini 2-3 minutes. Strain and place in a casserole dish.
Meanwhile, stir together Alfredo sauce, pesto, sugar, and cream.
Pour over tortellini. 
Top with half of the mozzarella. Gently stir the tortellini so the cheese gets mixed into the sauce a bit. Top with the other half of the cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly.
 

Tips:
This sauce is great on ravioli or any other kind of pasta. Just sayin'!
For some extra fun, stir in few sliced sun dried tomatoes. 
If you want to make home made pesto or home made Alfredo sauce, who am I to stop you??
The sugar is only included because sometimes the basil in the pesto can have a slight bitterness to it, especially if it's home made. Just omit it if it doesn't need it! 
I didn't add Parmesan cheese because there is already plenty in the Alfredo sauce and in the pesto as well. But if you want more, you do you!
For a little extra zing, add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes! 

Joey’s Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole

 

 

 

So, I have a slight confession to make. 
With all the cooking I do, I’m not really very fond of cooking things that are too fiddly. You know, like, filling dumplings, or rolling wontons, or making small individual appetizers. All those fiddly little things just seem to take forever. And who has the patience for that? Definitely not me. There. I said it. 
 So I was recently watching an old video of Martha Stewart and her mother cooking stuffed cabbage rolls. They were blanching and pulling apart the cabbage leaves, then filling them, then rolling them up like mini burritos. I thought “Looks delicious! Too fiddly. Don’t wanna make it.” 
And then I saw a few other videos where they took all the same ingredients, and then chopped them up together into a casserole, and I thought Yes! THAT’s the one I’m gonna make!” I mean, it’s gonna get chopped up anyway, right? 
 So I started looking at recipes for inspiration. I knew I wanted to add rice, and I knew I wanted to use condensed tomato soup instead of tomato puree because in my mind it’s supposed to have tomato soup. (I have no idea why this lives in my mind, or where I’ve ever had it like that, but I’m running with it.) Everything else just sort of fell into place, and of course there has to be cheese on top because.. well… it’s a casserole for crying out loud. (What kind of casserole doesn’t have cheese?)
 So there we have it. A delicious, hearty, fill you up kind of Sunday Dinner recipe that’ll feed a crowd, without all that fiddly stuff. 
Just exactly what I had in mind! Hope you give it a try!

 

 

 

 2 tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 lbs ground beef
1 tsp sweet paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small head of cabbage, chopped (about 6 cups)
2 cans condensed tomato soup
1 medium fresh tomato, diced
2 tbs brown sugar
1 cup beef stock
1 cup uncooked rice
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Heat oven to 350ºF.
Heat olive oil in a very large skillet. Saute onions and garlic for a few minutes, then add the ground beef. Break up the ground beef as it cooks, until the meat has browned. Season with paprika, salt, and pepper. Now add the cabbage. Toss slightly, then cover so the cabbage will wilt a bit. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, stir together all remaining ingredients except the cheese. Pour meat mixture and tomato mixture into a large casserole dish, gently tossing to combine. Cover with foil. Bake for about an hour. Remove from oven, remove foil, top with mozzarella cheese. Bake in oven for an additional 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven. Let site for 10-15 minutes before serving. 




Tips:
This recipe makes a GIANT casserole. If you don’t have so many mouths to feed, you can easily cut this recipe in half. 
The amounts are just guidelines. If you like a lot of something, add a lot! Want it to be sweeter? Add more brown sugar. Want it to be more savory? Add more paprika. You could even add a splash of soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce for an extra savory note. 
Yes, of course, you can easily use canned tomato sauce or puree instead of the soup. I just like the nostalgia of the slightly sweeter tomato soup in a cabbage roll recipe. You can also use any other kind of cheese instead of mozzarella. You do you!
Don’t have beef broth? Use any other kind you have. You could also do water and a bouillon cube or Better Than Bouillon. If you have nothing else, water is just fine. I just prefer to use broth or stock because it’s an opportunity to add more flavor!
If you want to make this ahead, just go as far as pouring everything into the casserole dish and covering with foil. Then just keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. Easy!

One Pan Dumpling Dinner

 

 

  I'm always browsing recipes and scrolling through the tick tocks to find new easy recipes. Most of the time it's for a party or for an occasion. But this one shouldn't wait for a special occasion. It shouldn't wait for anything! It's so good and so easy, you should just make this for dinner! Like, TONIGHT. 

 If you know me, you know I love to fiddle with a recipe and tweak it to make it the way I like it (which is how I think everyone should cook, tbh.) But this time, it's already perfect as it is and I'm not changing anything! In fact, I liked it so much the first time I made it, I literally made it again the next day. It hits every single note, and it's simple and easy enough for a mid week dinner. Also it's a one pan dinner, and it comes together in a snap! Dinner on the table in a half hour? um, YES. Easy clean up? DOUBLE YES. 

 Now, don't get me wrong.. it's ABSOLUTELY elevated enough to serve to guests for a special dinner, but they don't have to know how simple it was to make. You can tell everyone you fussed about it all day. 

I promise I won't tell!! Enjoy!

 

 

 

2 tsp minced fresh garlic


1 tsp minced fresh ginger


3 tbs soy sauce


1 tbs rice vinegar


2 tsp toasted sesame oil


2 tbs red curry paste


1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk 


1/2 cup water


5 cups chopped bok choy


20 frozen chicken and vegetable or pork and vegetable dumplings


3 tbs chopped fresh parsley


1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion


2 tsp toasted sesame seeds


chili crunch oil (optional)




 

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.


Stir together garlic, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, curry paste, coconut milk, and water in a casserole dish until well combined. 
Add bok choy and dumplings. (No need to defrost dumplings). Toss lightly and cover casserole with foil.
 

Bake until dumplings are heated through at the center, about 25 minutes. 


To serve, drizzle with sauce from the pan. 

Garnish with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, and a drizzle of chili crunch, if desired.

 

 

Tips:

This is usually the part where I would give recipe tips and tweaks, but like I said, this recipe is perfect as is! Wouldn't change a thing! 

The only thing I would advise is to keep the ingredients on hand so you'll have everything at the ready for when you need to make dinner in a hurry! 

Can't find fresh bok choy? Try Napa cabbage or another leafy green like Swiss chard or even just fresh spinach leaves! 

Btw, usually I'll give credit where credit is due, but I have no idea whose recipe this is. I've seen it on several websites and blogs and reels, so who knows? But since I first saw it on Allrecipes.com, I'll give them the credit! Great then. 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Krispie Treats

 

  We all know and love the classic Rice Krispie Treats. Always good, always a hit. But what if we add a little spin to them? NOW we're elevating them to a new level of delicious! 

 I recently hosted a party for some of my dearest and most cherished friends, and I was trying to think of dessert ideas. I kind of like the idea of doing an adult dinner menu, but then choosing something whimsical for dessert. I thought of doing ice cream sundaes. Or S'mores. But then I thought oooo how 'bout rice krispie treats?! But lets have some fun and do them in an elevated way. So in this case, I kept the childhood whimsy and made them with peanut butter and jelly, but instead of doing store bought grape jelly or strawberry jam, I made my own bumbleberry jam. (that's a mixture of strawberry, blueberry, blackberry and raspberry). I also wanted the treats to be nice and chewy, so I added the secret ingredient... sweetened condensed milk. It makes them absolutely pull-apart chewy and it's the perfect thing to keep them from becoming hard and stale. That was all it needed! One bite and it was childhood nostalgia all over the place. Everyone loved it! Who knew? And come to think of it, why haven't I done this before??

 So if you love a good PB&J, give this one try. There's a reason a classic is a classic. Classic flavors, classic treats. And putting them together is the fun twist! Enjoy! 

 

 

 Non stick cooking spray

 1/2 cup butter
1 (10oz) bag mini marshmallows
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tbs vanilla extract
1 tsp kosher salt
6 cups rice cereal
1 cup jam or jelly, any flavor, home made or store bought

Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line with a long piece of parchment paper that extends up and over two opposite sides of the pan.
In a large pot set over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the marshmallows and stir with a flexible spatula until melted and smooth, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt until combined.
Remove the pan from the heat and fold in the rice cereal until combined. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press down lightly to create an even layer. Use an offset spatula to spread the jelly over the treats. Let the treats set up on the counter for at least 1 hour. To remove them from the pan, grip the parchment overhang and lift. Slice into squares and serve.

 

 

Tips:

The original recipe (which is actually from The Today Show, btw) directed you to press half of the mixture into an 8x8 square pan, spread with jelly, then press the other half on top, to make a literal PB&J sandwich. I think that makes too thick of a bite and decided to do the 9x13 pan instead, with the jelly on top. But if you'd like to do the sandwich, go for it! You'll only need about 1/2 cup of the jelly. 

Like I said, the key to making chewy treats is the sweetened condensed milk. And there's also one other key ingredient, which is, believe it or not.. SALT!  Don't omit it! It really makes the peanut butter taste like peanut butter. And if you really want to pump up the peanut flavor, add some chopped peanuts! Because why not???  

 

 

Slow Cooker Creamy Mushroom Chicken and Potatoes

 

 This recipe comes from the category of “what do I have in my pantry to throw into a slow cooker?”
 Do you ever do that? After taking a quick inventory, I realized I had a few Yukon Gold potatoes that needed to be used. I’ve also been working on finishing some of the items in my freezer before they get burnt. So that landed me with a package of boneless chicken thighs. So far so good. Add a few sauce ingredients to the equation, and there we have it! Easy right? (BTW, I must say that having a supply of home canned ingredients such as fresh mushrooms is always a good thing for occasions such as this!)
 It turned out so good that I immediately wrote everything down! This was too good and too easy not to share! Especially at this time of year when kids are starting back to school, schedules are crazy, and you just need to get dinner on the table. All you need is a steamed veggie and maybe some fresh buttered rolls to sop up the delicious sauce. SO good! Definitely keep this one in the rotation!



2-3 lbs of Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1-2 cups canned button mushrooms, drained
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can condensed cream of celery soup
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder

Fresh parsley for garnish, if desired


In a large slow cooker, add the potatoes first, then add the chicken pieces on top.
For the sauce, simply stir together all remaining ingredients. 
Pour over the chicken. Cover.
Cook on low, for 4 - 4 1/2 hours, but no longer.
That’s all there is to it!
If you’d like a thicker sauce, remove the chicken and potatoes to a serving plate. 
Make a slurry of 2 tbs corn starch and two tbs water. 
Whisk into sauce, and turn the slow cooker to high. Let it cook for an additional half hour. 

Pour sauce over chicken and potatoes.

Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
Serve with your choice of green veggie for a pretty presentation. 




Tips:
The most important thing with this recipe is your cooking time. Many recipes instruct you to cook chicken in a slow cooker for 7 or 8 hours, or even longer. That’s WAY too long. Poultry just doesn’t take that long to cook. You definitely don’t want to wind up with rubbery and/or dry chicken. 4 hours, 4 1/2 tops. That’s it. If you need the extra time, start with frozen chicken. That’ll buy you another hour…-ish.
Don’t have cream of mushroom or celery soup? Use any kind of condensed cream soup you have! You could also make your own cream sauce, if you feel so compelled. Who am I to stop you? 
Want to make it cheesy? Add a handful or two or shredded Cheddar or Gruyere Swiss cheese over the top for the last hour. 
Want to add veggies? Baby carrots would be great.. add them with the potatoes.. or peas… just add them for the last hour of cooking time. I served mine with steamed green beans on the side and it was the perfect accompaniment. . 
The seasonings are just guidelines. Want to add a lot of black pepper? Go for it. Want to use fresh thyme instead of dried? Definitely. I added a sprinky dink of dried onions too, just for funsies. You could also add a splash of white wine to the sauce. OOOH that’s actually a great idea, come to think of it!
Wanna use boneless pork chops instead? Great! NOW you can increase your cook time to 7 or 8 hours. 
I used my own home canned mushrooms, but you do you. Canned, fresh, whatever you like, and as much as you want. It’ll all work!

Joey's Pineapple Peach Salsa

 

 Every summer, I always look forward to diving deep into the canning season, preserving all of my favorite Jersey produce. Of course I can never get enough of my Jersey corn and tomatoes, but the other favorite is PEACHES! I love to do jars of peaches in syrup, peach jam, spicy peach chutney, and of course I can't let the summer end without making jars of fabulous peach pie filling. 

 But just when I thought I was finished with all of my peach canning, I went to my favorite farmers market, and the peaches looked so gorgeous and so fabulous, I just knew I had to find yet another something to make. And then I thought, "wait.. why have I never canned peach salsa??" THIS was the thing I had been missing!!

 So then I wondered how I could switch it up a little, just to add a little spin to make it fun and new. I looked at a few of the other ingredients I happened to have on hand. And then I thought aha! Pineapple! Here's the thing.. I always like to keep fresh pineapple at the ready because I use it just ALL the time. Very often, when I'm making jam, I like to pair different fruits together, and the one fruit that goes with literally everything is .. you guessed it.. pineapple!! Not even kidding.. I've paired it with all kinds of berries, mangoes, tomatoes, and even fresh basil (yes, pineapple basil jam is amazing!) And so I figured... since I had made pineapple peach jam before, why not put them together again to make salsa! Perfect. 

 Next thing you know, I had a giant pot simmering on the stove, and it turned out to be one of my favorite things I've ever made! So much so that I ran out of it in less that two weeks, and needed to make another batch. Who knows, I might even need to make a third one! Either that, or I need to make bigger batches!

 So if you like a fruity salsa that's both spicy and sweet, give this one a try. It's great on everything! Yes, of course, you can serve it with a bowl of tortilla chips... or on a cracker with a schmear of cream cheese... but it's also fabulous on grilled chicken.. or pork chops... or better yet.. try it poured over some air fryer salmon. Absolutely DELICIOUS! Time for another trip back to my favorite farmers market!

 

 

 

4 cups fresh peaches, diced
2 cups fresh pineapple, diced
2 cups tomatoes, diced
2 cups red, yellow, and/or orange bell peppers, finely diced

2 jalapeño peppers, finely diced
1 red onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup lime juice
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbs ground cumin
1 tbs paprika
2 tbs corn starch (or Clear Jel if canning)

Place all ingredients in a large stock pot over medium heat. 
Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. 
Let it continue to simmer for about 20 minutes. 

For canning:
Fill pint jars leaving 1/2 inch head space. 
Use the waterbath or steam canning method to process for 15 minutes. 
Note- this exact recipe was not officially tested, but was based on an officially tested canning recipe. 


Tips:
The peaches, pineapple, and tomatoes should be a slightly larger dice, the peppers and onions should be more finely diced, and the parsley and garlic should be very finely minced. I also included the jalapeño seeds. I just think it tastes better that way. But hey, you do you!
If you're canning, you definitely need to let it simmer for a good 20 minutes. It helps remove the air that is in the peaches, which leads to more successful canning endeavors. Also, cooking it down really mellows the heat factor. Time will do that too. After a while, the heat will dissipate quite a bit. So if you want to keep the heat, go a little heavier with the crushed red pepper flakes and maybe add a little cayenne pepper. 
Yes, I know I didn't explain all the canning how-to. If you'd like to learn, Youtube is your best friend. 
You can also read all you need to know from the National Center For Home Food Preservation. 

Joey's Potato and Green Bean Salad

 

 

 One of my favorite things in the whole wide world is potato salad. Well, specifically My Mom's potato salad. Not to brag, but my Mom used to make the best potato salad in the history of ever, and you'll never convince me otherwise. She would boil a 5 lb bag of red potatoes... dice celery, onions, and hard boiled eggs...  and then make a fabulous dressing with mayonnaise, mustard, and her secret ingredient, evaporated milk. It was smooth and velvetty and comforting and fabulous and absolutely delicious! EVERYONE always loved it. The only thing is, I can only ever make 5 lbs of it at a time! I mean, that's the recipe, so that's what you do!

 So this time, since I was only making a small batch, I thought I'd save Mom's famous potato salad for another time, and just do a simple salad instead. I remembered many years ago, my brother Denny made a fabulous summer salad with potatoes and green beans, so I thought I'd run with it. I seem to think he did a raspberry vinaigrette, but I just stuck with my favorite Good Seasons mix. I added some tomatoes, fresh Mozzarella and basil, and there it is! Simple, light, and perfectly summer-y! Plus it's a different take on a potato salad. I think I need to keep this one in the rotation!

 

 

 

Salad:

Baby red potatoes

Fresh green beans

Red cherry tomatoes

Yellow cherry tomatoes

Small fresh Mozzarella cheese balls

Fresh basil leaves

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

Vinaigrette:

1 pkt Good Seasons Italian Dressing mix

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tbs honey

1/2 cup vegetable oil

 

 

 

Place potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Place it over high heat. Add a handful of salt to the water and stir until it dissolves. While they're cooking, cut your green beans into 2" lengths. Boil potatoes until fork tender. Using a large slotted spoon or a spider strainer, remove potatoes to a sheet pan to cool. Now place your cut green beans into the same boiling water. Boil just a couple minutes until desired doneness. While they're boiling, fill a bowl with water and ice. When the beans are done boiling, immediately plunge them into the ice water to stop the cooking and set the bright green color. Strain. 

To assemble the salad, slice the potatoes, tomatoes, and cheese balls in half. Toss everything in a bowl with basil, salt, and pepper. To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the dressing mix, vinegar and honey. Gradually pour the oil in a steady stream while whisking. You could also just put all the vinaigrette ingredients into a tightly sealed mason jar and then shake shake shake. Gently toss all salad ingredients with as much dressing as you like. 

 

 

Tips:

As you can see, I listed the ingredients, but not the amounts. Just add as much or as little as you want, depending on how many people you're serving. 

Feel free to add or omit any ingredients to suit your taste. 

Not a fan or balsamic vinaigrette? Use whatever dressing you like!  

 

 

Crab and Corn Chowder

 

 

 

 Every summer, all I want to eat is fresh Jersey produce. And if I’m not eating that, all I want to eat is seafood. So I figured, why not make both?
This recipe pairs fresh sweet Jersey corn with luxurious lump crab meat. It's a match made in culinary heaven! It's also rich and decadent but still light at the same time. It works perfectly as a first course as well as a main dish. Serve it with a crisp leafy salad, or better yet, some warm crusty bread. 
It just doesn't get any better! 




5 strips of bacon, cut into lardons
1 small onion, finely diced
3 ribs of celery, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
3 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups any kind of stock (chicken, seafood, vegetable, etc)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning, or more to taste
3 cups corn, preferably fresh, about 3-4 ears)
1 pint half and half or heavy cream, plus more to taste
1 lb imitation or fresh lump crab meat
Chopped chives or green onions, for garnish


In a large pot, cook the bacon lardons over medium heat. When the fat is begins to render, add the onions, celery, peppers, and potatoes. Stir and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Now add the wine, stock, salt, pepper, and Old Bay Seasoning. Bring it to a boil, then reduce it to a low simmer. Continue to simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add the corn, give it a good stir, and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes. Now add the half and half and crab meat. Gently stir and bring it back up to heat. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Garnish with chopped chives or green onions, if desired. Serve with saltines, oyster crackers, or warm crusty bread. 

Tips:
This recipe is perfectly adaptable to fit whatever ingredients you have on hand. The ingredients and amounts are just guidelines. For the bacon, any kind will work. Thick, thin, pancetta, guanciale, anything. For the aromatics, any kind of onions, any color bell pepper, any kind of starchy potato. And feel free to add as much as you like. Do you like a lot of potatoes? Add a lot of potatoes! Same goes for the stock. What kind do you have? Chicken stock? Perfect. Shrimp or seafood stock? Great. I made a stock from the fresh corn cobs and it was fabulous. You could even use bouillon. You do you! For the dairy, I used half and half because I think it’s the sweet spot between milk and heavy cream. If you only have heavy cream, go for it! If you want to use regular milk, I’d add a little melted butter, just to keep it nice and rich and velvety. 
For the crab, I'm fine with using imitation. I usually don’t mention specific brands, but in this case, my favorite is Gadre Surimi Style Snow Legs. But if you feel compelled to use fresh lump crab, all the better! Just be VERY gentle when stirring it into the soup so you can keep all those gorgeous lumps intact! Wanna add other seafood like shrimp or lobster? Why not?! 

Btw, not only is this a great chowder, but it's also fabulous as a pasta sauce. Just leave out the potatoes, and toss it with your favorite cooked pasta! Oooo.. that sounds kind of fabulous, actually. 

I think I need to make another batch!