Posts Tagged ‘Friday Foodie Feature’
Hello Friends and Happy 1st Fri-Yay 2014!
Today’s Foodie Feature is a 4 ingredient 40 minute meal ~ Shrimp Alfredo
Ingredients:
- Ragu Cheesy Sauce – 1 Jar
- Thin Pasta – 1/2 box
- Broccoli – 2 crowns
- Shrimp – small raw, deveined, tail off
Place frozen shrimp in a steamer pot or double boiler (fill bottom pan with water) – cover and steam on low heat until shrimp turns pink.
Rinse and cut stems from fresh broccoli. Steam or microwave if you prefer tender broccoli crowns.
Boil water and cook pasta according to box directions, or for approximately 7 minutes.
Drain but do not rinse pasta and return to pan.
Add broccoli crowns
Pour in entire jar of Ragu Cheesy Sauce, adding a little water to the empty jar, shake and pour into pan. Stir to mix ingredients thoroughly and cook on low for an additional 7-10 minutes to heat sauce and soften broccoli crowns.
Seasoned only with a little black pepper this made for an easy breezy meal and was a big hit with my men.
Stay Blessed ~ No Stress in the New Year!
15 Comments
Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay after Christmas!!!
Today’s Friday Foodie Feature is
Slow Cooked Boneless Beef Ribs & Bean Soup
This recipe would definitely be something to fix during your time off from work. It’s an easy-breezy-no-stress-fix-it and-forget-it hardy meal.
Ingredients
Boneless Beef Ribs or any cheap cut of beef
1 large can of Tomato Sauce
1 large can of Diced Tomatoes
1 medium onion – diced
1 bag of dry beans
seasoning of choice
Cooking Spray
Rinse beans in cool water and strain then dice onion into bite size pieces. Spray Crock Pot with a cooking spray for easier cleanup.
Layer ribs and sprinkle with seasoning of choice, I crushed a Knorr’s Cilantro Bouillon Cube over mine.
Top with diced onions
Add beans and cans of tomato sauce and diced tomatoes
Stir slightly
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4 hours – depending on Crock Pot Model. Needless to say, the house was smelling delicious and my men loved it!
I think this might be my new favorite Crock Pot soup, what is yours?
Linking up with the Northeast Bloggers Network for the
Five on Friday (there ARE 5 ingredients in this recipe) blog hop and Pin It Link Party.
Have a blessed day and be a blessing to others – Smooches!
14 Comments
Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay!
This week’s Foodie Feature is Slow Cooked Oxtail Stew
Oxtails or tails of cattle is a very popular dish in *South Africa and this bony, gelatin-rich meat is usually slow-cooked. In our Delaware home as soon as the weather cools Oxtails are definitely on the menu-of-must-haves and this is how I slow cook mine.
Unfortunately the cost of Oxtails in the grocery stores can be outrageous which is why I stalk Dutch Country Farmer’s Market to get them!
Ingredients:
- Oxtails 6-8 pieces
- Vegetable Broth
- Ground Ginger
- Brown Sugar
- Vegetables: Onions/Celery/Parsley/Carrots
- Canned or Fresh Tomatoes – optional
- Garlic fresh or minced
- Oxtail Seasoning
- Dry Beans or Lentils
- Flour
- Olive Oil
Put Oxtails into a plastic bag and pour in enough flour to coat, adding as little or as much of the Oxtail Seasoning, Ground Ginger and Brown Sugar according to your tastes. Seal bag and rub all dry ingredients onto Oxtails.
Pour in just enough olive oil to cover bottom of a pan, heat on low and add coated Oxtails turning to brown on all sides.
In the meantime, chop and dice veggies
I also added a little Curry to the browning Oxtails, however, this is optional.
Remove browned Oxtails from the pan, then rinse the lentils or beans. Coat inside the Crock Pot with cooking spray for easier clean up.
Put in the Oxtails…
…add lentils or beans
…top with sliced and diced veggies
Pour in 2 containers of broth or use water seasoned with Beef Bouillon Cubes – enough to cover all ingredients
Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 depending on your Crock Pot/Slow Cooker
I had to work late and none of my men took pictures so I don’t have the finished product, but trust me it was good! You can add any vegetable or potato or omit the beans and serve over rice. No matter how you make it, it’s oh so good and filling especially on a cold winter’s night!
What is your favorite Slow Cooked Stew?
* This post was written only a few hours before Mr. Mandela’s death
RIP “Giant for Justice”
26 Comments
Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay!
In today’s Friday Foodie I am featuring the Grand Opening of the Middletown African Market located on 725 North Broad Street. Owners Abena Mansah and Kwaku Duah are recent transplants from the Bronx, by way of Ghana. In partnership with other family members they also owned an African Market in Yonkers, NY.
During their many visits to family and friends in Delaware they were often asked to load up the car with food items to bring with them. These visits also highlighted the need for a place to purchase authentic African and Caribbean foodstuff. However, in not finding anyone who was interested in doing so they decided to take a leap of faith and left New York to open the Middletown African Market in the Middletown Square Shopping Center.
Abena and Kwaku along with their son came to visit Delaware, fell in love with Middletown and never left, “we love it here”, says Abena, “the people are friendly and the school district is wonderful”.
The Middletown African Market hopes to meet the needs of the large African population in Delaware so they no longer need to travel to Philadelphia or as far north as New York. The Market’s shelves are fully stocked with African and Caribbean food items, clothing, music, movies, jewelry, beauty and novelty items.
Freezers are stocked with smoked fish, turkey, chicken, beef, cassava and other root vegetables. Long shelves contain canned meats, fruits, vegetables, bags of rice, wheat, potatoes, dry beans and snack foods. Authentic oils, spices, canned goods as well as fresh Sweet Yams and Plantains are available.
Kente Cloth, Waist Beads, Kufis, and beauty products including lotions with Shea Butter and Coconut Oil, Black Soap, shampoos and conditioners are neatly displayed across the back shelves.
Saturday’s Grand Opening was both exciting and lively with many customers, both African and non-African shopping, sharing and filling their baskets with food items to be used for Sunday’s dinner.
Middletown African Market accepts all major credit cards, EBT and is open Monday to Saturday, 9:00 am to 8:00 p.m., closed on Sunday.
Abena offered to teach me to cook a few authentic African meals, so expect to see them showcased in a future Friday Foodie Features.
Have a wonderful day – Smooches!
22 Comments
Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay
This week’s Foodie Feature is another 4 ingredient, 40 minute meal created with Kraft Recipe Makers. It was an easy breezy mid-week meal that my men enjoyed and got me out of the kitchen in less than an hour!
Ingredients:
Kraft Recipe Makers Chicken Bruschetta Pasta
Wacky Mac Pasta
Chicken Breast
Parmesan Cheese
Cook pasta according to package directions without the salt
While pasta is cooking, cut two chicken breasts into thin strips
Coat pan with Cooking Spray and cook chicken until done and no longer pink, then add 1/2 bottle of Simmer Sauce
Drain pasta and add to skillet with remaining Simmer Sauce and stir lightly
Top with Finishing Sauce and Parmesan Cheese, cover and cook on low heat for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Enjoy this family meal made with Kraft Recipe Makers!
Come back and let me know if you tried it, have a fantabulous day – Smooches!
6 Comments
Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay!
Friday’s Foodie Feature
Slow Cooked Cranberry Turkey
Ingredients:
Turkey Breast Tenderloin
1 small onion diced*
1 can Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
1 cup Barbeque Sauce
Salt and Pepper to season (optional)
Spray Crock Pot with Cooking Spray
Add Turkey Tenderloin and sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired
Add diced onions, cranberry and barbeque sauce.
Cover and cook on LOW 4 hours
When I got home I could smell it, but it wasn’t a good aroma, it was the smell of burning meat, my son turned the Crock Pot on HIGH!!!! “Waste Not Want Not” so we ate it anyway with Stovetop Stuffing and String Beans!
Hopefully our Thanksgiving turkey won’t suffer the same fate!
*tip
cut onions on stovetop with exhaust fan running – no more tears
9 Comments
Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay!
What a perfect way to kick off the month dedicated to all things food!!!
Friday’s Foodie Feature is Slow Cooked BBQ Beef Ribs – this is one recipe that had my mouth watering and my mind on the Crock Pot all day long. Since we don’t eat a lot of red meat it was definitely a treat for the entire family!
Ingredients:
- Beef Ribs
- McCormick Grill Mates
- Bottle BBQ Sauce
- 1 Medium or Large Onion
- Cooking Spray
- Water
Place ribs inside a large plastic bag, add Grill Mates Seasoning then rub to coat each rib.
I usually get a few extra produce or meat bags from the grocery store which comes in handy for marinating or dry rubbing meat so that I don’t have to touch it.
Rub dry seasoning to coat each rib
Lay ribs flat in the bag, then using another bag cover to seal and place in the refrigerator overnight.
Remove ribs from the bag and dice onion
Spray Crock Pot with Cooking Spray then layer the ribs, diced onion and a little BBQ Sauce
Continue layering ribs, onion and sauce
I had some leftover pineapple chunks so I tossed them in over the last layer of ribs. Added a little water to the empty BBQ Sauce bottle, shaken and poured over fruit – “waste not want not”
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours
Oh how I wish this was “smell-o-vision” because when I walked through the door…oh la la the aroma was overwhelmingly delicious and I know you would have loved it!
These finger-licking-good ribs were served with mashed potatoes and string beans to complete our family meal.
If you try this recipe, make sure to come back and let me know how delicious they were!
Have a fantabulous day – Smooches!
16 Comments
Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay!
Today’s Crocktober Foodie Feature is Cajun Chicken (of course) AND Shrimp
Ingredients:
- 1 pound skinless chicken thighs
- 1 large onion
- 1 can stewed tomatoes – undrained and chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound shelled shrimp, deveined and cleaned
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Hot Sauce to taste
- 1 cup of prepared rice
- * diced red pepper and celery rib can also be included
Spray Crock Pot with cooking oil
Place chicken thighs in Crock Pot, top with onion, garlic, tomatoes with juice, paprika, pepper, sugar, and Cajun seasoning
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours – depending on Slow Cooker
In the last hour of cooking add the shrimp, lemon juice and hot sauce.
Serve over hot cooked rice
It is always great to come home to a fully cooked meal with a wonderful aroma.
12 Comments
Hello Friends and Happy Crocktober Fri-Yay!
I missed a few Friday Foodie Features last month but the timing is now right with the official start of Autumn. October begins the season of football, family and comfort foods and it also means a return to my all time favorite way to make a meal and that is with the Crock Pot or Slow Cooker.
It wasn’t too long ago that there were only a few Slow Cooker Seasonings available at the grocery stores, now there are several more options available on the supermarket shelves. I’ve tried a few of the new ones by McCormick’s and the Fiesta Chicken was a hit in my house, my men loved it – ‘ole
Ingredients:
- 1 can of black beans
- 2 cans of diced tomatoes
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1-2 lbs or chicken thighs or breasts
- 1 packet of McCormick’s Slow Cookers Seasoning – Fiesta Chicken
Spray Crock Pot with cooking spray or use liner, put in chicken thighs or breast – remember NOT to wash the chicken.
Mix all ingredients into a bowl and stir
Pour mixture over chicken
I had this frozen tomato so I added it
tip when a tomato begins to soften, don’t throw it away, put it in the freezer to use later in sauces or the Slow Cooker.
Cook on low 7-8 hours
Served over rice – Cilantro optional – dinner is served!
Have a fantabulous Day – Smooches!
11 Comments
Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay!
You’ve heard me say this before, “we eat so much chicken that I’m afraid one day we’ll wake up with feathers!” No seriously, I cook chicken or turkey at least 3 times a week and it’s not that we tire of it, it’s just I have to find new ways to make it differently. There are times when I am too tired to cook from scratch so I’m always looking for products that makes meal planning easier.
Betty Crocker, the maker of Hamburger and Tuna Helpers recently introduced Chicken Helpers and we loved it. After dicing up skinless *Chicken Breasts, I followed the directions on the box to make the Sweet and Sour Chicken. While the chicken cooked I boiled a pot of Jasmine Rice, dinner was done in less than an hour, tasted better than Chinese Takeout and there were no leftovers!
TIP: grab a few extra bags from the produce department to use as a shaker bag
Grocery store sales coupled with coupons from the Sunday paper and the Betty Crocker website is incentive enough for me to keep a few boxes of Chicken Helper in the pantry!
Have a fantabulous day!
* According to a recent report (see here), it’s more sanitary NOT to wash raw chicken as it spreads more bacteria, just cook it thoroughly.
00
Share your thoughts
Drain but do not rinse pasta and return to pan.
Seasoned only with a little black pepper this made for an easy breezy meal and was a big hit with my men.
