Pommes Puree

 Pommes Puree, or a really fancy way of saying mashed potato, has to be the smoothest and yummiest way I have had potatoes. If you like your potatoes smooth, light and fluffy then these are the potatoes for you! If you do not have a food mill or a ricer, trust me it is worth the investment! I personally have a ricer and it has made a huge difference in the way I finish off my potatoes as well as other vegetables. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did! Don't forget that kitchen scale!

Pommes Puree

4 Servings

Ingredients:

1 lb. russet potatoes

2 oz. unsalted butter, room temp

1/4 cup heavy cream, warmed

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Peel and eye the potatoes and cut them into uniform sizes. Cover in water and simmer until tender. 

2. Drain well and let potatoes steam dry in strainer. 

3. Press potatoes through strainer, ricer, pass through a food mill OR mash with a masher. 

4. Stir in butter and heavy cream. 

5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve and enjoy! 

Carrots Vichy

 Easy side dishes are sometimes a pain to think of when you are wanting o make a quick weeknight dinner. Carrots, which are full of yummy good stuff, are often overlooked. However this is a quick and delicious side with only 5 ingredients! Definitely child and mom approved! Definitely worth a try!!! Make sure you get out your kitchen scale. 

Carrots Vichy

4 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb. carrots, cut oblique style

1 oz. unsalted butter

1 tsp. sugar

pinch salt

pinch pepper

just enough water to cover the carrots in the pan

Directions:

1. Place carrots in a saucepan. Add water to barely cover. Add butter, salt, and sugar. 

2. Bring water just to a boil and reduce heat and simmer until tender and water is nearly evaporated. If done properly, these should happen at the same time. Toss the carrots so they are well coated with the glaze in the pan. 

3. Season with pepper and serve.

Enjoy!!!

Turkey Chili 2.0 (Even healthier version)

I know it has been a while since I have posted anything new and for that I am sorry. I have had some medical issues and it really made me stop and think of what I have been putting in my body. With the thanks of some wonderful women I have in my corner, I am changing my life. That begins with food. Things that I thought were healthy, were not necessarily healthy. Just because it says healthy or lower fat, does not mean it is good for your body. Now, I always read my labels and do research. I also ask myself, is this what my body needs. Not wants but needs. That got me thinking. I have some awesome recipes on here, however most of them are not healthy. So I will be experimenting (which is where I get my best recipes) and try and make them healthier!

It is getting cold outside (well for most of the country, I live in Florida so it is still warm), perfect weather for soups, stews and chili. I have a great turkey chili posted already, but I wanted to have it be more chunky with veggies and protein and not so many beans. So here it is!!!! My spin on a healthier version of my turkey chili! I hope you love it as much as my family did! Again keep in mind that I make a large batch and freeze some. 

  Turkey Chili 2.0

4 lbs ground turkey breast, browned

3 med-lg  red onions, diced

4 medium green bell peppers, diced (you can add more peppers if you like, I typically add an ancho chili, a cubanelle and a jalapeno when I am feeling spicy!!)

8 large garlic cloves, diced

1 can green chilies drained (optional for a spicer flava)

1.5 cans tomato paste (9 oz.total)

2 14.5 oz cans of no salt added diced tomatoes

4 8 oz no salt added tomato sauce

4 cups low sodium fat free chicken stock or broth (more if you like it a little soupy)

2 cans small red beans, drained and rinsed

2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

3 tbs chili powder (I heap it a little)

2-3 tbs cumin (depends on your taste buds)

3 tbs granulated garlic (I love garlic so you may not want to add this if you have heartburn issues)

1.5 heaping tbs oregano

2 tbs pink himalayan salt

1 tbs cracked black pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional) 

At this point you can throw it all in the pot and let it simmer all day, but I like sweating the onions and peppers with a little olive oil before I add them to the pot. It gives them an extra favor profile! Then I add in the meat and seasonings with the peppers and onions to get the flavors really sticking to the meat. Once everything is coated with the seasonings and its smelling really good, add the remaining ingredients. You can wait to add the beans if you want but I dont. Simmer for at least 4 hours or place in crock pot on low for 8 hours. The longer it cooks the more flavor it has (keep in mind the longer it cooks the beans with break down so if you plan on cooking it all day, wait to add the beans until an hour before its done. I like to top mine with a couple of slices of avocado, a spoonful of greek yogurt and just a pinch of cheese. 

Enjoy!!

   

Mississippi Dip Sandwiches

I made my families favorite roast a few days back. I actually doubled the recipe so that we could have leftovers, but even after eating leftovers we still have a ton of meat left so I racked my brain trying to figure out how to change it up and make a new dish and this is what I cam up with. It was super yummy and so easy to make!! Hope y'all enjoy it as much as we did!!!

Mississippi Dip Sandwiches

Leftover meat from Mississippi Pork Roast, we had about 1.5 lbs left after making an 8 lb roast ( *recipe link below)
1 jar of pepperoncini, juice and all (you can use the sliced ones but I put them in whole)
2.5 cups beef broth divided
1 tsp italian seasoning
black pepper to taste
salt to taste
6 hoagie rolls sliced in half and partially hollowed out
cheese of your choice (I used smoked provolone and my hubby used pepper jack)
3 tbs butter 
1 tbs olive oil
2 onions sliced in half then into wedges (like below pic)











In crock pot place the meat in the bottom and top with italian seasoning and black pepper.
Pour in the jar of pepperoncini, juice and all and 2 1/4 cups of the beef broth.
Cook on low for 3-4 hours (remember your meat is cooked you just wanna really marry those extra flavors!)
Once the meat is done its time to make the dip by removing the juice and place it into a pot on the stove and reduce it by about 1/4.
While that is simmering remove the pepperoncinis from the meat.
Remove the stems and slice (you can leave them whole)
In a skillet place butter and olive oil on med high.
Once bubbly, place in the onions (make sure they dont burn you want them to be soft with just a little crunch)
Once the butter and oil starts to soak into the onion and they start to look a bit translucent, pour in the remaining 1/4 cup of beef broth and the pepperoncinis and turn down to med low let them soak up all that yummy goodness. 
Take your hoagie rolls and place the meat then the onions and pepperoncini mixture.
Top with cheese.
Broil in the oven for about 3 minutes or until your cheese is melted and the bread is a bit toasted.
If you like put some mayo on it.
Slice at an angle using the reduced broth as a dip for your sandwich (warning this is extremely messy but so worth it!!)

* recipe link:
 http://yumm-yumm-foodie.blogspot.com/2015/01/mississippi-pork-roast-crock-pot.html 

Enjoy!!!

Thanks!!! <3

Mississippi Pork Roast (crock pot)

Mississippi pot roast has become such a popular dish. All of the ladies in my crock pot group just rave about it. Even the woman bagging my groceries at my local grocery store saw the ingredients and said "someone is making Mississippi pot roast tonight". Why mess with a good thing right? Well as I have mentioned before, I am on a strict budget and most of the time can not afford the cost of beef. So I thought to myself, wonder what it tastes like with pork or with chicken. Sunday night I decided to try it with the pork but I wanted to change it up a bit. Same with the chicken which is currently making my kitchen smell yummy as it cooks away in my crock pot. Hope you enjoy!!!

Mississippi Pork Roast

4 lb boneless boston butt pork roast

1 pkt onion soup mix

1 pkt ranch dressing mix

7-15 pepperocini peppers (found on the isle with pickles)

Some of the brine from the peppers (this is optional but I'm telling you don't skip it)

Not required but if you choose to sear the roast ahead of time...

Heat oil on med-high in a pan large enough to fit your roast.

Once oil is heated brown the roast on all sides.

Place roast in the crock pot, fat side up (if the roast has not been trimmed).

Cover with onion soup mix and ranch mix.

Add pepperocini's and juice right on top. (I usually use about half a big jar)

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, if it has a bone cook it for the full 10 (the longer you cook the yummier it tastes).

I normally remove the juice at this point and make a pan gravy by creating a rue with either bacon drippings or butter and flour (equal parts), then once bubbly and starting to brown add the juice and simmer until thickened.

I served mine with yummy smashed potatoes I made from scratch and fresh green beans, southern style.

Here is a pic of my yummy plate!!

Have a fabulous day everyone!!

Thanks!!

Souper Chicken

I love my crock pot. It makes my job so much easier on long busy days. This recipe I have been playing around with for years. Different seasonings, different veggies and different cuts of meats. I have finally found the perfect combo. It was totally yummy!!! Perfect for those cold days when you need warm comfort food. Well heck it doesn't have to be cold to enjoy yummy food!!! I hope that you enjoy it as much as we did! 

Souper Chicken

4 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (I used bone in skinless)
4-5 carrots cut into chunks (you can use baby carrots to save time)
2 cans golden mushroom soup (I use the healthy request not as much sodium, calories  and fat)
1 family sized can (or 2 regular sized cans) cream of mushroom soup ( I use healthy request, not as much sodium,  calories or fat)
1/2 - 1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbs cumin
1 tbs curry powder
1 tbs garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
salt to taste
1 tsp ancho chili powder (optional, gives it a slight sweet smoky flavor)


In a medium bowl, pour in the soups and seasonings. 
Stir to combine.
Add chicken broth a little at a time making sure that the soup isn't to watery (I used about 1/2 a cup) and set aside.
Place the carrots on the bottom of the crock pot. 
Top with the chicken.
Pour the soup mixture right on top of the chicken.
Cook on low for 7-8 hrs. 
Serve on top of rice or noodles.

Enjoy!!

Turkey Chili

I love chili!! Especially on cold winter days. It seems to warm you up and wrap you like a blanket. Ok it doesn't wrap you but you know what I mean. I have been playing around with recipes for a very long time, trying to perfect the most scrumptious chili. I finally perfected it!! I will warn you, I make a ton of it for various different dishes such as chili mac, chili cornbread casserole and chili dogs. This recipe can be broken up for those not feeding an army. This can be frozen beautifully!! Hope you enjoy!!

Turkey Chili

3 lbs ground turkey
4 bell peppers, diced (I used 2 green, 3 cubanelle peppers and if u wanna spice it up add in a couple jalapeno or an anahiem pepper)
4 small red onions, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
6 cans of diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
3 cans of tomato paste (6 oz)
3 cans small red beans, drained
3 cans light red kidney beans, drained
1 large can pinto beans, drained
1 can dark kidney beans, drained 
3 cans chicken broth (14.5 oz)
6 tbs chili powder
4 tbs granulated garlic powder
2 tbs oregano
3 tbs sea salt
2 tbs black pepper
4 tbs cumin
1 tbs cayenne pepper

In a very large stock pot on med high, heat up 2 tsp olive oil. Once heated add in the peppers, onion, and minced garlic. Saute for a couple of minutes to get them sweating. Add in the ground turkey and saute until browned. Add in the beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and chicken broth. Stir to combine. Add in the chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, salt, black pepper, cumin and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine. Once chili starts to boil, turn down the heat to med low and cover. Make sure you stir periodically. Simmer for 2-3 hours. If it isn't thick enough you can thicken with a little mesa flour and water (I usually use 1/4 cup of water with a tbs of mesa) If you use the mesa let it thicken for 10-20 minutes until the desired consistency. Serve with your favorite toppings. I love mine with sour cream and avocado.   

Thanks!!