Slow-Cooker Minestrone Soup

 

This is a great new recipe for slow-cooker minestrone soup.  I adapted this from a great recipe from EatingWell.  It is fairly low in calories and has a good deal of protein from the beans that you are using in this vegetarian dish (if you do not use chicken broth).  However, it makes a ton of soup, so you might either want to cut the recipe in half, or use a large slow cooker.  I wished I used my larger one (as opposed to my standard size one), but it all fit.  I also used dried beans that soaked overnight to reduce sodium.  I let this cook a long time and it just was fantastic.  This was a perfect dinner on a cold day in Michigan.

Ingredients (serves 8-10 portions)

1 1/4 cup Mixed Dried Beans (light red kidney and small red work well)

4-5 large Carrots, peeled and chopped (or around 14-16 baby carrots)

2 stalks Celery, chopped

1 small Red onion, chopped 

3 tsp (or cloves) garlic, chopped

2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 15 ounce can Petite diced tomatoes, undrained

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

8 cups Vegetable or chicken broth (low or no sodium works well)

1/2 tsp Kosher salt (adjust to taste)

1/2 tsp Black pepper (adjust to taste)

4 ounces Pasta (rotini, elbows or any small shape) - about 1 cup

Directions

1. Place the mixed dried beans in a bowl and soak with around 6 cups of water overnight. 
2. Combine carrots, celery, red onion, garlic, green beans, diced tomatoes (with liquid) and Italian seasoning in the slow cooker.  
3. Drain and rinse the beans and add to the slow cooker with broth.  Add Kosher salt and black pepper to taste.  
4. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 9 hours (it can go longer if needed).
5. 30 minutes before you want to eat, add dried pasta to the soup and cover.

Enjoy!

Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

 

There are a great number of ways to make fries in the air fryer.  We found a great recipe (from Yumna Jawad's Feel Good Foodie) to serve as a base and started mixing in different spices until we found a great taste.  These are a quick and easy way to add a great side to your meal (if you have an air fryer).  Since sweet potatoes are a super food - it is a nice way to get them into your diet more.  The trick here is to be patient and not overload the sweet potatoes in the air fryer.  Working in batches might be in order if you are cooking for a crowd.  They need a bit of room to cook!

Ingredients (2 servings)

2 medium or 1 large Sweet potato
1 tsp Olive oil
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 tsp Onion powder
1/2 tsp Paprika
Pinch of Black Pepper (adjust to taste)

Directions

1. Preheat the air fryer to 380°F. 
2. Peel the sweet potatoes, then slice each potato into 1/3 inch thick sticks.  
3. Place the sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl, and toss with olive oil, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder paprika and black pepper.
4. Cook without overcrowding the pan.  This will be between 13-14 minutes.  Half way through, shake the basket to get all sides cooking.  

Enjoy!

Air Fryer Crab Cakes

 

We love crab cakes at our house and are always looking for a recipe that is easy and delicious.  I have been enjoying the air fryer a great deal lately and we found this recipe on EatingWell.  This came out fantastic.  They looked a bit well done, but they were nice a moist inside.  We served them with a caesar salad.  This is going to be a regular in our house.  

Ingredients (makes 4 crab cakes)

• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp Butter (unsalted if available), melted 
• 1/2 tsp Basil, dried
• 1/2 tsp Tarragon, dried
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 
• 1/2 tsp Lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp Paprika
• 1/2 tsp Garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp Onion powder
• 2 tbsp Sour cream
• 8 oz. Lump crabmeat (fresh if possible), drained
• 1/2 Red bell pepper, finely chopped.
• 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• Cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat a larger air fryer to 390°F. 
2. Whisk eggs, butter, basil, tarragon, Worcestershire, lemon juice, paprika, garlic salt, onion powder,  and sour cream together in a large bowl. Add crabmeat, bell pepper, and panko and stir gently.
3. With clean hands, shape the mixture evenly into 3 or 4 crab cakes (around 1/3 cup each). Generously coat the fry basket with cooking spray. Add 3 crab cakes to the basket; coat the top of the crab cakes with cooking spray. Cook until deeply browned and crispy on both sides, 14 to 16 minutes.  

Enjoy with Salad or shredded lettuce.

Long-Life Noodles with Chicken and Broccoli

 

I wanted to start mixing up my dishes for the new year.  We love a Chinese noodle dish and I found this late last year.  What a great way to start the new year with Long-Life Noodles, a recipe I found on the EatingWell site.  We changed the protein to chicken and tweaked a few things and loved the way it came out.  We think this is going to be a regular!

Ingredients (3-4 servings)

• 6-8 oz Thin spaghetti
• 1 tsp Sesame oil
• 3 tbsp Oyster sauce
• 3 tbsp Cooking sherry
• 2 tbsp Soy sauce
• 1 ½ tsp Cornstarch
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 10-12 oz Broccolini, stalks trimmed with larger pieces cut in half.  
• 12 oz Mushrooms, sliced thinly
• 2 Chicken breasts, trimmed and thinly sliced.  
• 2 tsp Garlic, chopped (or cloves)
• 1-2 tsp Sesame seeds

Directions

1. Cook thin spaghetti according to package directions. Rinse and drain well. Toss with sesame oil. Set aside.
2. Whisk together oyster sauce, cooking sherry, soy sauce, and cornstarch in a small bowl.
3. Heat a large flat-bottom wok or large pan over medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil and swirl to coat. Add broccoli and mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add chicken and garlic.  Saute for 4 minutes, stirring continually.
4. Add the sauce and bring to a boil; cook for 1-2 more minutes. Add the noodles to the pan and toss to coat. 
5. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.  

Enjoy!

Tortilla Espanola (also Tortilla Espagnola or Tortilla de patatas)

Tortilla Espanola (also Tortilla Espagnola or Tortilla de patatas)

I have not made this dish in a long time.  I modified my recipe a bit from when I first wrote this down nearly 20 years ago.  We will definitely make this again before too long. Once you get the hang of this dish, it will be very easy to make and something that will be welcome for any meal! This dish is basically a Spanish potato omelet. I have heard that the word "Tortilla" in this dish comes from its circular shape, but it could also come from the fact that it will end up "cake" like. If you called this "Fred", it would still taste great.

Ingredients:

3-4 tablespoons Vegetable oil
4-5 medium white potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (around 1/8" thick with a mandolin)
1 medium onion (yellow or vidalia), thinly sliced (around 1/8" thick with a mandolin)

Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
6 Eggs

Cooking spray (if needed)

Directions
1. In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat. Add potatoes and onions and stir every few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. The potatoes should cook for around 15-18 minutes. The potatoes and onion should brown in the process.  Lower the heat to prevent it from burning.  
2. In a large bowl, beat 6 eggs and add salt and pepper to taste. When potato and onion mixture is finished, add to the bowl with the eggs. Mix thoroughly.
3. Add one tablespoon oil to a skillet over medium heat (it can be the same used in step number 1. The ideal skillet for this step will have curved sides). Let heat up and then add the potato/onion/egg mixture spread evenly into the skillet.
4. Cook over medium heat for around 6-7 minutes until firm on the top (you do not want to burn the bottom).  Use a spatula to make sure it is not sticking to the sides.

5. Flip the tortilla.  There are two ways to do this.  Option one: you can take a large plate and place it over the top of the skillet. Make sure the smooth side of the plate is next to the food. Flip the skillet onto the plate. (If it falls apart, you did not cook it long enough.) Then slide it back into the skillet to cook the other side of the tortilla. Option two: you can use another skillet and just flip the tortilla from the pan into the new one.  Make sure that you have sprayed the other pan with cooking spray.

6. Cook for an additional 5-6 minutes.  Remove from heat and serve. Slice with a bread knife or pizza cutter.

Enjoy!

Panko & Pecan Crusted Mahi Mahi

 

We have been getting Hello Fresh meal kits since 2020 upon the recommendation of my son. At first, I was not crazy about the idea, but I tried it and really liked it. We started during the pandemic when we were not going out to eat. It provided a much needed diversity to our menu and after long days at work, it was nice to have everything you needed (for the most part) to prep a delicious meal. I also learned a great deal of recipes and new ways to prepare items that really improved my cooking skills. One entree we tried was Pecan-Crusted Trout that I adapted into this recipe. I also changed how I cooked it - opting for an air fryer method. This came out perfectly and it will be a regular addition to our menu planning!

Pictured above with a salad (but you have figured that out already).


Ingredients (Two Servings)

2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Honey
1 tbsp Mayonnaise (olive oil is preferable)
2 tbsp butter
2-3 tbsp pecans, crushed (may use walnuts or other nuts)
3-4 tbsp Panko bread crumbs
1/2 tsp Thyme (dried)
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp Black pepper
2 Mahi mahi fillets (or other white fish such as cod).
Cooking spray

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix together dijon mustard, honey and mayonnaise. Set aside.
2. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter and let it cool slightly.
3. Add pecans, panko bread crumbs, thyme, Kosher salt and black pepper to the butter. Mix until well combined.
4. Pat dry the Mahi mahi fillets with paper towels. Season to taste with Kosher salt and black pepper
5. Add a thin layer of the mustard mix to each fillet, and coat the top evenly.
6. Evenly divide the pecan and panko topping and cover each fillet. Press firmly to adhere to the fish.
7. Preheat the air fryer to 400°.
8. When it is preheated, spray the tray with cooking spray and place the fillets (carefully) on the cooking tray. Cook for 11-12 minutes.
9. Remove and let cool slightly before serving.

NOTE: Alternative recipe for the oven - 450° at 10-12 minutes

Enjoy!

Mediterranean Chicken with Oranges and Olives #AirFryer

We are the happy owners of a Gourmia Air Fryer, and had this recipe in the small recipe book that came with the appliance.  (NOTE: for more recipes - visit this page).  We love this addition to our kitchen and think it really does a great job.  I found this recipe for chicken and we decided to give it a whirl.  Tweaked it a bit and loved the way it came out.  I do not have the nutritional information - but there is not much here that is bad for you.  We cooked this with roasted carrots and green beans for a great dinner.  Definitely make this again.  This makes 2-3 servings and does not take too long (outside the marinating time).  

Ingredients (2-3 portions)

1/2 cup Orange juice

2 tbsp Orange zest
1/4 cup White wine (or white cooking wine)

1 tbsp Olive oil
2 tsp (or cloves) Garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp Thyme, dried

1/2 tsp Kosher salt 

1/4 tsp Black pepper

1/4 tsp Fennel seeds

2 Chicken breasts (boneless & skinless) , sliced in half across to make four thinner pieces.

1 tbsp Olive oil
Kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, sliced or chopped

1/4 cup Broth (chicken or vegetable)

Cooking spray

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix together orange juice, orange zest, white wine, olive oil, garlic, thyme, Kosher salt, black pepper and fennel.  Remove half the marinade and reserve for later.

2. Add chicken to the bowl with the marinade and marinate for around one hour in the refrigerator.

3. After the hour is up, place paper towels on a large plate and pat the chicken dry.

4. Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees in "Air Fry mode"

5. When preheated, spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray.  Arrange the chicken in a single level and cook for 15 minutes.  
6. While chicken cooks, add reserved marinade, olives and broth a small saucepan.

7. Bring sauce pan to a boil and lower heat to simmer for 10 minutes.  

8. When chicken is done, serve with the sauce.

Enjoy!