Recipes Galore!

I realize that I have not been posting my recipe finds etc. So, I finally figured out a way to do it, with the least amount of lag. I hope you like the selection:

Pinterest: Momma Extraordinaire

I also wanted to share an application that will work on your computer and your phone/tablet. It is called Paprika Recipe Manager. Once bought, it is for life. So they say, and so I hope...things aren't always what they seem 😬. It allows you to download or add recipes at a whim. It helps you organize, and plan meals, and the like. I really like it. I am not a sponsor, but I just wanted to share my app, since this is where I download my favorite recipes from Pinterest. I recommend you copy and paste your recipe's link from the top of the search engine, but not from Pinterest directly. However, that would be nice, if they could adjust for that. Hmm...🤔

Paprika Recipe Manager: paprikaapp

Pages that went missing in the shuffle:

        Instant Pot                        Pot Roast

  This is a recipe that makes a happy family. The recipe is easy as can be and you get to walk away for most of the process. The only effort is braising the meat in the pot. After that, it is simple. The only change I made from this recipe are the spices. I will place my difference in red. I would reccomend having french bread (which is cheap at a grocery store) with butter, and steamed green veggies. Broccoli or Brussel Sprouts are awesome. I would just add butter, garlic salt, and pepper to the veggies once they are steamed. 

Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes Servings: Servings: 6            

     Source: Lecremedelacrumb.com

 

INGREDIENTS:

3-5 pound beef chuck roast - see notes for instructions from frozen

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon salt

I use garlic salt in place of the regular salt

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Using minced garlic, in place of the powder, spread all over the meat before cooking, is a yummy idea. 

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon smoked paprika - optional

Highly recommended!

1 pound baby red potatoes

The little dutch potatoes work well here.

4 large carrots - chopped into large chunks, see note for using baby carrots

1 large yellow onion - chopped

4 cups beef broth

2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

The items below are used after the veggies and meat are finished cooking, to make the gravy:

¼ cup water

2 tablespoons corn starch (Guar Gum is helpful to make it more thick)

DIRECTIONS:

 

Turn on your instant pot and set it to "saute". 

In a small bowl stir together salt (Or garlic salt), pepper, garlic powder ( 0r minced garlic), onion powder, and smoked paprika. Rub mixture all over the roast to coat all sides.

 

Drizzle oil in instant pot, wait about 30 seconds, then use tongs to place roast in the pot. Do not move it for 3-4 minutes until well-seared and browned. Use tongs to turn the roast onto another side for 3-4 minutes, repeating until all sides are browned.

 

Switch instant pot to "pressure cook" on high and set to 60-80 minutes (60 for a 3 pound roast, 80 for a 5 pound roast. see notes if using baby carrots). Add potatoes, onions, and carrots to pot. Just arrange them around the roast) and pour beef broth and Worcestershire sauce over everything. Place lid on the pot and turn to locked position. Make sure the vent is set to the sealed position.

 

When the cooking time is up, do a natural release for 10 minutes (don't touch anything on the pot, just let it de-pressurize on it's own for 10 minutes). After 10 minutes, turn vent to the venting release position, and allow all of the steam to vent and the float valve to drop down before removing the lid.

 

Transfer the roast, potatoes, onions, and carrots to a platter and shred the roast with 2 forks into chunks. Use a handheld strainer to scoop out bits from the broth in the pot. Set instant pot to "soup" or "saute" setting. Whisk together the water and corn starch. Once broth is boiling, stir in corn starch mixture until the gravy thickens. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. These additional seasonings are not necessary, as you just cooked the meat in lots of salt based items already. Be careful. 

 

Serve gravy poured over roast and veggies and garnish with fresh thyme or parsley if desired.

 For Dessert! 

I recommend something a little light. I like to give my kids cookies with some ice cream. Basically, a homemade ice cream sandwich. Some grocery stores sell baked cookies from their own brands for decent cost.  

A tip when cooking this meal, or any meal that might leave residue at the bottom of the pot. Make sure to pour water at the bottom of the pot until you are ready to wash it. It will loosen anything at the bottom, preventing the food sticking at the bottom. It will relieve the kiddos or your tired self from having to work extra hard for no good reason. 

Updated: 6/15/24 

The Largest Lasagna 

Ever!

 Hello Hungry Reader,

      For Christmas, I tend to move towards the lasagna dish over the ham. I am truly not a major fan of ham. While pork is in this dish, it is not the prime flavor component within. Lasagna is a mix of various meats, cheeses, pasta, and sauces. This is an Italian dish that will definitely make everyone feel full and possibly sleepy.

     The recipe is given below, along with ideas for sides and a dessert. I will provide a dessert option that is carb free, for those who would like some options. 

Recipe Adapted from  World's Best Lasagna

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: ~2 hours

Servings: Plenty to go around...It depends on your spouse, kids, and other eaters 🤣 The recipe this was adapted from was 12, I know this is larger and more complex...so double that?

"Ingredients!"

You Tube Video: The Pasta Queen--My Family's Special Lasagna Recipe

 The video above is not me, sorry to say. This quarky lady knows how to put personality into her food.  🤣  I was shown me this lady's video, and now I can't stop hear the word, "ingredients" the same again. And, due to my due diligence to share, now you get to have this same sound and joy come mind when you read, "ingredients!" Your welcome. 

 

  This recipe has been adapted to make it faster to make. I am using the instant pot and oven ready noodles to make the dish.

1 pound sweet Italian sausage

1 pound lean ground beef

2 medium minced onions

2-4 TBsp minced garlic

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste (I search for the Italian seasoning version)

13oz canned tomato sauce (I search for the Italian seasoning version)

3/4 cup beef broth or stock 

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 ½ teaspoons dried basil leaves

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 ½ teaspoons garlic salt, divided, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

12 lasagna oven ready noodles

16-32 ounces ricotta cheese (I just use a little more to get more creamy flavor)

1 egg

32 oz shredded mozarella cheese

8oz shredded or grated parmesan cheese (not shelf brand, as it has added fillers to keep it shelf stable)

1 instant pot

1 oven

1-2 deep dish lasagna aluminum pans (look at my picture above to see what I used)

aluminum foil

Alternatives for Ricotta  Cheese:

This is another option in place of the ricotta. I was unable to find the ricotta one holiday season and I was responsible to make two. So, I looked online and found alternatives:

Cottage cheese, use the same amount as ricotta

Mascarpone (8oz), and La Bottega BelGioioso Crescenza-Stracchino Cheese Wedge - 8 Oz

DIRECTIONS: (my changes are in green)

 

• Take the thawed ground beef and sausage and mix them together with your hand well. 
• Then, in a small bowl, combine and mix well the various herbs and spices (sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian Seasoning, 1 tsp of garlic salt, and pepper) 
• In a food processor or by hand mincethe onions and place in a bowl.
• In a Dutch oven or Instant Pot, add olive oil (high heat version is best). 
• Turn on the saute function on the Instant Pot, or use medium heat in the Dutch oven. 
• Once the oil is hot, saute the onion and over medium heat or "hi" with the saute function on the Instant Pot for 3-4 minutes, or until the onions are slightly translucent. 
• Add the minced garlic and saute for about a minute. 
• Add the beef and sausage mixture, and sprinkle about 1/2 of the seasoning mixture on the meat at this time, and mix the onion and garlic into it quickly, before it cooks.
• Once the meat is well browned:

Dutch Oven Instructions:

• Stir the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, beef stock or broth, the rest of the seasonings, and 2 tablespoons parsley. 
• Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally in the Dutch Oven.

Instant Pot Instructions:

• Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, beef stock or broth, the rest of the seasonings, and 2 tablespoons parsley. In this order.
• Do not mix the meat and sauce. It will mix on it's own in the Instant Pot. I do a gentle mix of the wet ingredients at the top of the meat mixture. Do not mix the meat with the sauce! 
• In the Instant Pot, place the lid on the pot, and make sure it is sealed. 
• Then, turn it on manually, with the pressure cook function, to 30 minutes. It should be about 20 minutes before it pressurizes. 

Meanwhile:

This is an image of what I use for oven ready lasagna noodles:

The oven ready noodles don't require the next step. They are ready as is. Just remember to add about 1/2 cup or so of beef broth or stock to the lasagna before you place it in the oven.

Regular Noodle Instructions:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. 
• Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. 
• Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. 
• I would place these noodles on a sheet pan laid out with wax paper or parchment. The parchment should have cooking spray or oil on it to preven sticking. Each layer of noodles should have wax paper between them.
• While waiting, place a piece of parchment or aluminum foil to keep the noodles clean. 

After getting the noodles done or going:

• In a mixing bowl, add the egg and scramble it first.
• Then, combine ricotta cheese with the egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt.
• Place a plastic wrap on top of the bowl and leave in fridge until your ready to build your lasagna.

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), once your instant pot has 15 minutes left to cook, or at the last 20 minutes of cooking in your Dutch Oven.
• When the instant pot is warming, let it natural release for 10 minutes, before you release the sealing valve. 

The Lasagna Tower Build Begins:

• To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups, or big ladle and a half,  of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish, or the aluminum pan. ( I shake it a little to spread it out)
• Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. I tend to not use half, but enough to spread it out on the noodles. 
• Top evenly with mozzarella cheese. Not all of it.
• Spoon meat sauce, one ladle's worth, over mozzarella
• sprinkle evenly with 1/4 of your Parmesan cheese. 
• Repeat layers a few times. I can usually use 18 noodles worth of layers.
•  Once you are left with just enough meat sauce to cover the top, then you are done making layers. 
• Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. 
• Add a sprinkle of the parsley and Italian seasoning.
• Prepare your lasagna's foil. This will prevent the cheese from sticking:

Add a light layer of cooking spray or olive oil to the back. Make sure the foil is lifted up in the middle. I add folded foil on the sides to support the lift of the foil. 

• Cover with foil

This is what the lasagna looks like before the foil:

 

Bake Time and your Rest Time:

• Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. 
• Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Sides to consider:

 The sides I like to include are some vegetable and a bread. The veggie to get things moving, and the bread to sop up all of that sauce. 

This image is an example of something I like to throw together to have on the side:

This is steamed broccoli and yeast rolls. I sometimes have garlic cheese bread and salad. 

Dessert Option:

For a dessert that is carb free, lets consider a mug cake as an option:

This dessert is from Keto Connect: 

Keto Mug Cake

Prep Time: 2 minutes Cook Time: 2 minutes Servings: 1 cake Source: Ketoconnect.net

INGREDIENTS:

Coffee Mug

MUG CAKE BASE-VANILLA

1 tbsp Butter

1/4 cup Almond Flour or 1.5 tbsp coconut flour

2 tbsp Low Garb Sugar Substitute

1/8 tsp Pink Himalayan Salt

1 tbsp Heavy Cream 1/4 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 tsp Baking powder 1 large Egg

PEANUT BUTTER MUG CAKE

1 tbsp Peanut Butter BLUEBERRY

1/4 cup Fresh Blueberries CHOCOLATE

2 tsp Low Garb Sugar Substitute additional 1 tbsp Cocoa Powder

PUMPKIN

1 tbsp 100% pumpkin puree 1/4 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

DIRECTIONS:

TO MAKE THE BASE OR VANILLA MUG CAKE

• In a mug melt the butter for 30 seconds, or until a liquid. 
• Next add in all the dry ingredients and mix well.
• Add the cream, vanilla, and egg, mix again to avoid clumping. 
• Microwave for 45-75 seconds or until mug cake is fully cooked. 
• Allow to cool a bit before topping

TO MAKE ALL OTHER VARIATIONS

• Prepare base according to directions above DO NOT COOK YET
• Once the batter is ready simply mix in all additional ingredients depending on the base of choice. 
• Microwave the mixed batter for 45-75 seconds or until cooked all the way through.

 Updated: 6/15/24

https://www.rawpixel.com/image/5905139/photo-image-background-public-domain-abstract

     Instant Pot Ribs from Natasha's Kitchen

    This is an awesome recipe for ribs. You use your instant pot or pressure cooker to make these. While this is a recipe for an instant pot, you can make this in a pot and get a similar effect. Take a look at the link above to see how the original cook made this recipe. She might have an idea for those who don't have an instant pot.

     This recipe is easy. I looked online for ideas about how to break off the layer on the inner side of the bones. I use paper towels, as they have a pretty good grip on the white layer attached to inner ribs.  

   I would put the rub onto the ribs and let it sit on them in the fridge for while. It will help the ribs have more flavor, and the salt will help with the breakdown of the meat. 

   I make my own recipe for the rub. I found one online, through Pinterest, to use for the meat. Here is the link:

Copy Cat Texas Roadhouse Rub

My reccomendations:

 1.  My favorite BBQ sauce is Baby Ray's "no sugar added" Barbeque Sauce.

 2. I use real apple juice, not the flavored apple juice varieties. 

 3. My recommendation is to make only one set of ribs at a time. 

 4. I bring them to the grill to help add a char. I wouldn't walk away from them though. As the ribs could burn or stick heavily to the grill. Keep the grill on low at all times. 

  5.  I have a family that goes from about 5-7, depending on who is home. While one rack can still work with this group, it might be prudent to have another rack cooking in the instant pot, as you are serving the family the meal you already made. 

   It doesn't take that long to make them.

   Our favorite pairings with these:

 1. french fries and raw veggies (with ranch) 

 2. steamed veggies and potatoes (baked or mashed)

   Since this is a very filling meal, I would ensure that the dessert (if any) is lighter. I usually tell my kids that they have to wait until the last person is done and it has been about 30 minutes to an hour. It gives their bellies a chance to realize that they are not THAT hungry. Then, they won't over eat.

  Well, I hope that you give this a try. It is a very good meal and I find it quite easy to make. 

Please let me know if you have tried other methods or rubs to make this, as well as how it went. If you found another way, let me know. 

Be blessed and Be filled!  💓