4 Ingredient Chili

Posted in food & flavor & recipes by Rosemary Lynn

I really do try to incorporate more organic foods into our diet. I try to avoid things that have preservatives and artificial ingredients.

But, just like how there are some days that I’ll finish off half a box of Cheez-Its in one sitting, there are days when I need something super simple to cook.

This recipe qualifies as “super simple” for a few reasons:

It takes 5 minutes to make.

There are only 4 ingredients (plus a few spices – but these are optional)

It only uses one pan.

All of the ingredients are waiting for me in the pantry, except for the meat, which I usually keep on hand in the freezer.

See? Four ingredients.

Beans (with sauce), tomato sauce, seasoning mix, and meat.

And like I said, the first 3 things are easy to stock up on and have sitting in the pantry.

I usually have either ground turkey or beef on hand, either in the fridge or freezer, so I find that I often have everything to make this dish.

I do like to add a few extra spices, but those are also always in the pantry.

And I like to add some shredded cheese and sour cream to the top, but those are usually in my fridge too, and if not, well, they’re also optional. Just tasty. I like the contrast of the sour cream against the spicy chili.

I like spicy food.

My kids have been eating spicy food forever, so they like it, too.

BUT, if you’re not into spice, feel free to cut out the cayenne, or even all of the extra spices, if you prefer.

I mix the spices into the raw meat just as it’s starting to cook because it helps infuse the meat with a nice flavor.

Here it is all mixed together.

Essentially, after browning the meat, you’re just dumping everything into one pan. How cool is that?

Doesn’t that look delicious?

4 Ingredient Chili

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz.) can Chili beans in sauce
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (1.25 oz.) package chili seasoning mix
16 oz. ground turkey or beef

Optional Extra Spices:

1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Ancho Chile pepper
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Optional Toppings:

Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Sour cream

In a large, deep saucepan, heat a small amount of olive oil. Add ground turkey. If using the optional extra spices, sprinkle them evenly over the meat while still raw and mix them in. Cook the meat until browned. Drain the fat from the pan and return it to the stovetop.

Sprinkle the chili seasoning mix over the meat and mix it in. Stir in the chili beans in sauce and tomato sauce until fully combined.

Bring to a simmer over medium heat and allow to simmer for a few minutes to heat through. You can serve it now, or turn the stove to low and let the chili cook for an hour, covered, to allow the flavors to develop. Stir occasionally.

Serve with shredded cheese and cream cheese, if desired.

********

And to get the free printable PDF, click here: 4 Ingredient Chili

8Aug2014

Easy Flatbread Pizzas

Posted in food & flavor & recipes by Rosemary Lynn

Easy Flatbread Pizzas

This was one of those easy lunch [or dinner] ideas that I just had to share.

My mother has a tendency to stock up on things at Publix when they’re Buy One Get One. So I sometimes have things, like Nature’s Own Sandwich Rounds, that I wouldn’t otherwise ordinarily have in the pantry. Since we don’t eat a lot of sandwiches (bread and meat and cheese, yes, just not in sandwich form for some reason…), I needed to find something to make with them.

I decided to go with pizza.

Which is always a good choice.

For this pizza, I grabbed the Sandwich Rounds, a can of tomato sauce, grated Parmesan, shredded Mozzarella, and some salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Easy Flatbread Pizzas

The first time I made this, I didn’t toast the Sandwich Rounds.

But the sauce made them slightly soggy. Toasting them before baking fixed that.

So don’t forget to give them a quick toast while you’re grabbing the other ingredients.

Easy Flatbread Pizzas

Anyway, throw some Rounds on a baking pan and spread on some tomato sauce.

Then sprinkle on some salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Next, shake on some Parmesan and, finally, top with Mozzarella.

If you’re going to throw anything else on top, like meat or veggies, make sure they’re at least partially cooked, because these really don’t take very long.

Easy Flatbread Pizzas

I put these flatbread pizzas in the convection oven at 350 degrees F until the cheese was melted and slightly browned.

Depending on your oven, this should take about 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Roaming Rosie Signature

26Jul2014

Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Posted in food & flavor & recipes by Rosemary Lynn

It’s been awhile since I’ve made these, so I had to come up with an excuse for needing them again.

Luckily, there was a potluck party this weekend.

I used that.

But these crumb cake-like, cream cheesy bars don’t really demand an excuse. They work great even for a random weeknight dessert.

Especially since they’re so easy to make.

{If you keep up with my blog, you know easy=awesome in my book.}

Anyway, these bars start with a cake mix.

And you could probably use real lemon juice/zest, but I’ve only tried it with the extract.

Once you make the cake mix batter that serves as both the crust of the bars and as the crumb topping, you’ll need to set aside a cup of it.

That cup of crumbs will go on top.

What you’re left with won’t look like enough to cover the bottom of a 13×9 baking dish – but it will.

It rises as it bakes, so it’s okay that it’s really thin.

Just go ahead and press it out to cover the entire bottom.

Here it is with the yummy cream cheese mixture spread over the cake crust.

And here it is with the cake-ish crumbs sprinkled over the top, just before baking.

Be careful not to let the edges brown too much. The finished bars should still look a little moist in the center.

But even if the edges cook a little too much, you can always slice them off when cutting the bars to serve. And, you know, throw them in a bowl and devour them by the forkful when your kids aren’t watching.

Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:

1 box (18 oz.) yellow cake mix
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 eggs, separated
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. lemon extract

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, one egg, and the oil until it reaches a crumbly consistency.

In a medium bowl, use a mixer to beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add in the remaining egg, sugar, and lemon extract and continue beating until fully incorporated.

Reserve one cup of the cake mix batter, and press the remaining batter into the bottom of a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish. It will be thin.

Spread the cream cheese mixture over the cake mix batter.

Sprinkle the reserved cake mix batter over the cream cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the edges are just golden brown.

Cool completely before cutting.

************

To PRINT your free PDF of this recipe click here: Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Enjoy!

15May2014

Rigatoni with Orange Flavored Vodka Sauce

Posted in food & flavor & recipes by Rosemary Lynn

Rigatoni with Orange Flavored Vodka Sauce Recipe

This dish has such a fun flavor, and it’s a nice change to the everyday (albeit wonderful) regular ol’ marinara sauce.

Spaghetti with spice.

This recipe is based on Penne with Vodka Sauce by Giada De Laurentiis. I’ve been making it for years, and, in the beginning, I was pretty much following her recipe word for word.

Then, one day, I went to make it and discovered that the only vodka we had in the house was orange flavored.

Hmmm.

Well, I threw caution to the wind and, for one of the first times in my life, I changed up a well-tested recipe.

I was not disappointed.

This stuff is awesome. First of all, the vodka – any flavored vodka – adds a nice sweetness to the finished product. Regular vodka may not have much of a flavor on it’s own, but when you simmer it with tomatoes, it makes a very rich sauce. By using the orange flavored vodka instead, you also give the dish a noticeable citrus touch.

And it makes your kitchen smell amazing as it cooks.

Rigatoni with Orange Flavored Vodka Sauce

I’ve been making this version for quite a while now, and I just can’t go back to the regular recipe. I love the fruitiness. It’s one of the more unique flavors in my repertoire.

And it’s easy to make.

All of the ingredients are pictured above, so the only thing I don’t usually already have in my pantry is the heavy cream. When I pick some up, I make this dish.

I use the Traditional Ragu bottled sauce because it’s a very basic sauce: just tomatoes, mostly. No overpowering herbs, no big chunks of veggies – I don’t want things like that to overshadow the awesomeness of the flavor behind the meal.

It’s also quick. The whole thing from start to finish only takes about a half hour. Just make sure you simmer it for a full 20 minutes, to cook off the alcohol.

Rigatoni with Orange Flavored Vodka Sauce

It’s a pretty basic process.

And the noodles can cook while the sauce simmers.

I usually throw them in some boiling water when the ~~gravy~~ sauce is about halfway done.

And you don’t have to use Rigatoni. I’ve used Penne as well, but I prefer the bigger noodles for this.

Also, once you mix the sauce and the noodles, it may appear at first as though there is too much sauce. Keep mixing and the sauce will absorb into the macaroni.

When I dish it up, I sometimes add a scoop of Ricotta to the top. Some people like to mix it in, but I leave it like that, picking up a little cheese and a couple noodles in each bite. I like the contrasting textures. But the Ricotta is not necessary. Just a nice touch.

Rigatoni with Orange Flavored Vodka Sauce

Rigatoni with Orange Flavored Vodka Sauce

Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6+

Ingredients:

1 quart (or 6 cups or 2-24 Oz. jars) of smooth marinara sauce
1 cup Orange-flavored Vodka
1 tsp. each pepper & garlic powder
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 grated Parmesan
16 Oz. Rigatoni
Ricotta, to taste (optional)

Cook the pasta, according to directions.

In a large saucepot, combine the marinara sauce, vodka, and spices. Bring the marinara sauce and vodka to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. The sauce should reduce by about 1/4.

Stir in the cream and gently simmer for a few minutes until heated through.

Stir in the Parmesan. Continue to heat until the cheese is melted and fully combined.

Stir the cooked and drained pasta into the sauce. Mix well.

Serve with a scoop of Ricotta, if desired.

*****

Click for the Free Printable PDF: Rigatoni with Orange Flavored Vodka Sauce

Enjoy!

Roaming Rosie Signature

14May2014

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

Posted in food & flavor & recipes by Rosemary Lynn

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies {just add chocolate chips to 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies!}

I love these cookies.

First off – it’s tough to beat a 3-ingredient cookie. Especially one that tastes this good.

But add chocolate: pure, unadulterated awesomeness.

And the darn things taste like Reeses peanut butter cups!

Seriously.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

Okay, look at that photo. Four things in this cookie.

That’s it.

You have no excuse not to make these.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

First, mix together some peanut butter, sugar, and an egg.

Then stir in chocolate chips.

Roll up some dough, flatten with fork, sprinkle with extra sugar.

Try not to devour them before you bake them.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

My little helping hands decided the remaining chocolate chips should be spread over the counter.

Easier access. :)

And my oldest daughter decided that we should put chocolate chips on top of most of the cookies before baking them, but, just so you know, they didn’t stick.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

Look at that beautifulness.

These cookies are seriously addicting. Very tempting.

I may have to make half a batch next time.

{And I think I forgot to include the yield amount in the printable recipe… it makes 24 cookies.}

And, below, is a photo of little fingers making off with my photo props. :)

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies {and sneaky fingers!}

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Mix the peanut butter, sugar, and egg until combined.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Shape a generous teaspoonful of the batter into a circle. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and flatten by pressing a fork into the top in an X pattern.

Generously sprinkle granulated sugar over the top of the cookies.

Bake until set, about 18 minutes.

Cool on pan for two minutes, then move to wire racks to cool.

*****

Click for the Free Printable PDF: Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

Enjoy! {I know you will.}

Roaming Rosie Signature

22Mar2014

Mint Chocolate Croissants

Posted in food & flavor & recipes by Rosemary Lynn

Mint Chocolate Croissants Recipe

Once, when I was exploring heart of Metz, France, I came upon a little bakery. I was entranced. There in the bakery case were row upon row of sweet sugary goodness, and there was a particular chocolate croissant loudly calling my name.

And, since I suddenly lost every French word I knew, I clumsily, and with much waving of hands and pointing, ordered said croissant in a strange mumble of English, Spanish, and German (three more languages I can barely manage…)

But what can I say? Chocolate pastries do strange things to me.

Anyway, enjoying the flaky delicacy in the shadow of an ancient (by American standards) limestone church is a happy memory for me. It was a beautiful city.

And a damned good croissant.

Mint Chocolate Croissants Recipe

What you see here is a shadow of that memory, with a mint twist: a super, super easy-to-make mint chocolate croissant.

If you live in North America, then you’re probably familiar with Pillsbury crescent dough. The only change I made to the basic procedure was adding in some mint chocolate candy. I just rolled the candy up inside the crescent before baking it according to the package directions, which I tried to demonstrate in this photo:

Mint Chocolate Croissants Recipe

Make sure you tuck in the ends to keep any melted chocolate from escaping.

Also, I melted an additional 10 candies so that I would have something to drizzle over the top. I didn’t want to scald the chocolate in the microwave or bother with a double boiler, so I put them in a tiny glass dish and stuck the bowl of candy into the oven with the croissants while they baked:

Mint Chocolate Croissants Recipe

I left the candies in the oven the whole time the pastries baked, then stirred the melted chocolate with a spoon to smooth it out before drizzling it over the croissants in a criss-cross pattern.

I didn’t even wait for them to cool – just drizzled it on straight out of the oven.

I may have waited a minute or two before eating one. And another minute before eating a second.

Maybe.

Or maybe I just shoved them right into my drooling face as soon as I was finished snapping pictures.

Mint Chocolate Croissants Recipe

Either way, I suggest you eat them warm.

And, IF there are leftovers, I suggest you warm them a little because the chocolate inside will harden once completely cooled.

Mint Chocolate Croissants Recipe

Since this recipe really only had two ingredients, I tried to tell the story mainly with pictures instead of a list of instructions. BUT, I still wrote up a recipe (including extra pictures), in PDF form which you can get here: Mint Chocolate Croissants.

Also, I made a little graphic with the instructions right on top of a *yummy* photo, so it’s perfect for your Pinterest recipe album:

Mint Chocolate Croissants Recipe

Enjoy!

And Happy Baking! :)

Roaming Rosie Signature

5Feb2014

Easy Spinach Alfredo with Chicken

Posted in food & flavor & recipes by Rosemary Lynn

Spinach Alfredo with Chicken

This is one of my go-to recipes when I want something easy to make that my kids will eat.

I know it may seem strange, but my girls have always eaten this, ever since they started on solid foods, and even though it has spinach in it.

Maybe it’s because I’ve always served spinach, but my kids like it. Of course, they like it best smothered in Alfredo sauce.

So I’m advocating this recipe as not only “easy,” but also “kid-friendly.”

Spinach Alfredo with Chicken

Anyway, the recipe can be altered to your tastes. For example, I tend to change up which Alfredo sauce I buy. Depends on what’s on sale. :)

And I always make this after I’ve made chicken of some kind. The chicken seen here is shredded chicken thighs that were “grilled” on the stove top the night before. You can use white or dark meat, or both. Just make sure it’s seasoned. Plain chicken is sooooo boring. To me, at least. So make your chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, or whatever you normally use.

I like to shred it by pulling it apart with my fingers (which is the fastest method I’ve found) the night that it’s cooked. That way I can just pull the shredded meat out of the fridge when I’m ready to make this.

Spinach Alfredo with Chicken

And when it comes to the spinach, I have no idea how much you would use if you’re using fresh. I’ve always used frozen for this, because I always have frozen spinach on hand.

Here I used the steam-in-the-bag spinach from Target, because that’s what was the cheapest when I went shopping, but I usually stock up on the boxes (that are the same size: 10 oz.) when they’re on sale.

Either way, make sure you drain the spinach really, really well. Spinach holds a lot of water and that water will make your dish far too soggy and keep the sauce from sticking to the pasta.

To drain the spinach, I usually press it into a mesh colander with a fork until no more water drips out.

And I suggest mixing in the spinach before stirring in the chicken or noodles, to make sure there are no dense clumps of spinach hiding in your finished meal.

Spinach Alfredo with Chicken

And that photo is just a close up to show you what I used this time: Roasted Garlic Parmesan Alfredo. But any type of Alfredo will work. Could even make your own Parmesan white sauce instead.

Also, taste it before serving, because, if you’re like me, you may want to mix in a little extra pepper or garlic powder if your chicken wasn’t seasoned enough. I like my spices to be noticeable. :)

Easy Spinach Alfredo with Chicken