Pineapple Pork Kebabs (no grill required)

Ingredients

Marinade

• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce $0.30
• 2 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp honey 

Kebabs

• 1.25 lbs. boneless pork chops 
• 1 Vidalia onion 
• 1 green bell pepper 
• 1 20oz. can pineapple chunks (packed in juice) 
• 1 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil 
• salt and pepper 

Toppings (optional)

• ½ bunch cilantro 
• Sriracha (to taste) 

Instructions

1. If using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak the skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to help prevent burning under the broiler.
2. Prepare the marinade by mincing two cloves of garlic and grating about one inch of fresh ginger into a bowl. Add the soy sauce, oil, and honey. Stir to combine.
3. Cut the pork chops into one inch cubes. Place the cubed pork in a bowl or shallow dish and pour the marinade over top. Stir until the pork is coated in the marinade. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
4. Cut the onion and bell pepper into one-inch pieces. Drain the juice from the canned pineapple chunks. Place the onion and bell pepper in a bowl, add one tablespoon of oil, and a liberal sprinkle of salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
5. Thread the soaked skewers with alternating pieces of onion, bell pepper, pineapple, and pork until all the pieces are used. Arrange the skewers on a broiler pan or a sheet pan with wire racks set on top.
6. Adjust the oven rack so that the top of the skewers will be 5-6 inches from the broiler. Preheat the broiler on high for at least five minutes. Place the skewers under the broiler and cook for five minutes, or just until the edges begin to brown. rote the skewers and return to the oven for an additional five minutes. Continue cooking and rotating the skewers until they are evenly browned on all sides.** Top the kebabs with fresh chopped cilantro and a squirt of Sriracha, if desired.

Notes

*The pork chops were on sale.

**Cooking time will vary greatly depending on the size of the pieces of meat, your oven, and the distance from the broiler unit. You'll need to watch the kebabs and rotate often until they are fully and evenly cooked.

Step by Step Photos

Prepare the marinade by mincing two cloves of garlic and grating about one inch of fresh ginger on a small holed cheese grater (or you can mince it with a knife). Add the garlic and ginger to a bowl with 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil, and 1 Tbsp honey. Stir until everything is combined. Set the marinade aside.

Also, before you begin, start soaking your wooden skewers. Making sure they are fully soaked helps prevent them from burning under the open flame. They’ll still burn a little, but it’ll take a lot longer. Always soak a few more skewers than you think you’ll need, just in case.

I got a really great “last day” sale on these pork chops, for only $1.59/lb. What is a “last day” sale? Last day, as in these pork chops need to be used or frozen TODAY. End of shelf life. Get ’em out of here. Anyway, it’s about 1.25 lbs of meat.

Cut the pork chops into one inch cubes.

Place the pork and marinade in a bowl or shallow dish and stir until everything is coated. Cover the dish and refrigerate it for at least a half hour. 

While the pork is marinating, cut one Vidalia onion and one green bell pepper into one inch pieces. Add the onion and bell pepper to a bowl along with 1 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Toss the vegetables until they are coated. Drain the juice from a 20oz. can of pineapple chunks (make sure to get the kind packed in juice, not syrup). If you can’t get a Vidalia onion, a regular yellow onion or purple onion can be used instead.

In preparation to broil, adjust the oven rack so that the food will be 5-6 inches from the broiler unit. The broiler unit in my oven is located on the roof of the main compartment. Some ovens have the broiler in the drawer below the main oven compartment. Put your broiler pan (or make shift broiler pan) in the oven to get an idea how far the food will be from the flame. Remember to estimate an added inch or so for the height of the food. If I had adjusted the rack to the top level, the food would have only been 3-4 inches away and it would have cooked a little too quickly for my liking. Positioning it slightly farther away gives you a little more control and wiggle room, but is still close enough to get the flame broiled flavor. Preheat the broiler on high for at least five minutes before starting, to make sure the ambient air in the oven is also hot.

thread the soaked skewers with pieces of onion, bell pepper, pineapple, and marinated meat. I was able to make ten very full skewers. Line the kebabs on a broiler pan. To make this substitute broiler pan, just set two wire cooling racks on top of a rimmed baking sheet. The racks hold the food off the bottom so air can circulate underneath and fat and juices drip down below. I also like to line the pan with foil for easy cleanup later.

Broil the kebabs for about five minutes, or until they start to brown. Remove them from the oven and rotate each kebab. Return them to the broiler for an additional five minutes. Repeat this process until they are evenly browned all around (I cooked mine for a total of 15 minutes). Cooking time will vary a lot depending on the size of your pieces, the type of oven you have, and how far the broiler is from the surface of the food, so make sure to keep an eye on them and rotate often (just like REAL grilling!).

Source from: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/06/pineapple-pork-kebabs-no-grill-required/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BudgetBytes+%28Budget+Bytes%29

Three Pepper Pasta with Crispy Pepperoni

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil 
• 3oz. pepperoni (half of a 6oz. package) 
• 2 cloves garlic 
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 red bell pepper 
• ½ cup mild banana pepper rings 
• 24oz. pasta sauce 
• ½ tsp dried basil 
• ½ tsp dried oregano 
• ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 lb. thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta 

Instructions

1. Thinly slice the green and red bell peppers. Remove about ½ cup of the banana peppers from the brine. Set the peppers aside until ready to use.
2. Begin to boil a large pot of water for the pasta. Break the long pasta in half and then add it to the boiling water. Cook until al dente, then drain in a colander.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pepperoni and sauté the slices until they become crispy on the edges (about 5 minutes). Remove the crispy pepperoni to a plate covered with paper towel to drain.
4. Mince the garlic and add it to the oil in the skillet. Sauté for about one minute or just until the garlic is soft and fragrant, but not brown. Add the sliced peppers and continue to sauté for 5-7 minutes more, or until the peppers have just begun to soften.
5. Add the pasta sauce, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes to the skillet with the peppers. Stir to combine and allow the sauce to heat through.
6. Return the drained pasta to the large pot, then add the pasta sauce and peppers. Stir until everything is evenly combined and coated in sauce. Add the crispy pepperoni and stir to combine again. Serve warm.

Notes

Breaking the pasta in half before cooking makes it easier to stir the larger pieces of pepper into the pasta once combined.

Step by Step Photos

Slice one green bell pepper and one red bell pepper so they’re ready to go when you need them. Take about half of the banana peppers (about 1/2 cup packed) out of the brine. Set the peppers aside until you’re ready to add them to the skillet later.

Begin heating a large pot of water to cook the pasta. Once boiling, break the pasta in half, then add it to the water. Boil the pasta until it is tender, then drain in a colander. This can be in progress as you prepare the sauce. 

For this recipe I used half of this 6oz. bag of traditional pepperoni. Leftovers can be frozen, or saved in the fridge for a pizza later in the week… or sandwich… or snacking. I’m sure they’ll get eaten! You can use turkey pepperoni, but I wouldn’t skip the pepperoni all together because they add quite a bit of flavor.

Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil to a large skillet. Heat the skillet over a medium flame, then add the pepperoni. Fry the pepperoni until the edges get a little crispy. The fat and seasoning from the pepperoni ends up flavoring the olive oil and adding a lot of flavor to the rest of the pasta dish. Plus, the crispy pepperoni is kind of like bacon and just… YUM.

Once they’re a little crispy, drain the pepperoni on a paper towel covered plate. The most difficult part of this recipe is trying not to eat these crispy pepperonis. 

Mince two cloves of garlic and add them to the oil in the skillet (Notice the oil is sort of orange? That’s the flavor from the pepperoni). Sauté the garlic for a minute or so to soften it up, but don’t let it brown.

Add the peppers to the skillet and continue to sauté until they are slightly softened (5-7 minutes).

Add one 24oz. jar of your favorite pasta sauce. I always doctor up my store bought pasta sauce, so I also added 1/2 tsp each of dried basil and oregano, plus a pinch of red pepper flakes. I got this sauce on sale for $1 and it was a “no sugar added” sauce, so it definitely needed some doctoring! Stir and heat the sauce and peppers through.

If your skillet is big enough, you can add the drained pasta straight to the skillet with the sauce. Otherwise, return the cooked and drained pasta to the pot it cooked in, then add the sauce to that. Stir until everything is combined and covered in sauce.

Finally, add the crispy pepperoni to the pasta and stir to combine. It’s okay if they crumble a bit like bacon.

And there you have it!

Source from: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/06/three-pepper-pasta-with-crispy-pepperoni/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BudgetBytes+%28Budget+Bytes%29

Creamy Mushroom Pasta

Fast and easy pasta with a creamy mushroom sauce.

Serves: 4

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INGREDIENTS

·      2 tablespoons olive oil

·      1 large onion, roughly chopped

·      2 cloves garlic, chopped

·      20 small mushrooms, sliced

·      ½ teaspoon salt

·      ⅔ cup heavy cream

·      8 oz pasta

·      ½ cup goat cheese, crumbled

·      ½ cup milk

·      ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

·      2 tablespoon parsley, chopped

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INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Heat olive oil on high heat and saute chopped onion and garlic over medium high heat.

2.  Add in sliced mushrooms when the onion is golden, stir.

3.  Sprinkle salt and cook it over medium high heat until almost all the juice is gone. Leave about 2 tablespoons of juice in the skillet.

4.  Pour heavy cream, stir well and cook for about 5 minutes over low heat. Set aside.

5.  Cook pasta according to the package instructions. Drain.

6.  Put the skillet back on the stove over medium high heat.

7.  Transfer pasta into the skillet with the creamy mushroom sauce.

8.  Add crumbled goat cheese (The cheese I use is not a melting one, so you can feel the crumbled pieces in your pasta. You can use parmesan or mozarella to add more creaminess if you like) and milk. Mix well and cook about 5-10 minutes over low heat until the sauce coats all the pasta.

9.  Sprinkle black pepper and mix.

10.    Toss in parsley and serve warm.

Source from: http://www.giverecipe.com/creamy-mushroom-pasta.html

CREAMY CAPRESE PASTA

Creamy pasta loaded with tomato and cheese flavors. No cream is used in the recipe. Milk and cheese give the creaminess to the pasta. 

Serves: 6 

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Ingredients

·      1 lb pipe rigate pasta

·      1 teaspoon salt

·      2 tablespoons olive oil

·      ½ tablespoon butter

·      1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

·      1 tablespoon tomato paste

·      ¼ cup milk

·      3 ounces mini mozzarella balls

·      A few fresh basil leaves

·      A few fresh mint leaves

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Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to the package in a pot of salted water. When it’s completely cooked, drain leaving a little water in the pot.
2.  Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté halved grape tomatoes and tomato paste in it.
3. Pour milk in it and stir.
4. Transfer the pasta into the pan with that little juice and stir.
5. Add in mozzarella balls and butter and cover the pan. Let them melt in the pan for about 2 minutes. Finally toss in the basil leaves and stir to combine them all well.
6. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and serve hot or warm.

Source from: http://www.giverecipe.com/creamy-caprese-pasta.html

Baked Cheesy Ranch Potatoes

Ingredients for oven roasted baby red potatoes: 

• 3 lbs baby red potatoes, unpeeled
• ½ cup buttermilk ranch or yogurt ranch dressing
• Garlic salt, to taste
• 1 to 1½ cups finely shredded Mexican cheese blend

How to make oven roasted potatoes:1. Cut potatoes into 1″ to 1 1/2″ pieces. Fill a 5 Qt pot half full with salted warm water (about 7 cups water and 1 tsp salt). Add potatoes and bring to a boil then cook at a low boil for 8-12 min depending on size of potatoes (they should be nearly done and should be fairly easy to pierce with a fork) Drain well.



2. Drizzle 1/2 cup ranch dressing directly into the pot with drained potatoes and gently toss – just enough to coat evenly.



3. Transfer potatoes into greased casserole dish. Sprinkle potatoes with garlic salt to taste. Bake uncovered at 400˚F for 20-25 minutes. Remove casserole from oven and set oven to broil.



4. Sprinkle the top with 1 cup Mexican cheese blend, return to oven and broil for 2-3 min or until cheese is melted. It’s perfectly ok to add more garlic salt at the end if you under-seasoned it the first time (speaking from experience).







Source from: http://natashaskitchen.com/2015/03/11/baked-cheesy-ranch-potatoes/

Crepes

Ingredients

• ½ all-purpose flour 
• ½ cup whole wheat flour 
• ¼ tsp salt 
• 2 large eggs 
• ¾ cup milk 
• ½ cup water 
• 3 Tbsp butter, melted 
• 1 tsp (or less) vegetable oil for cooking 

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and water until smooth. Add the flour mixture and melted butter to the whisked milk and eggs, then whisk again until no lumps remain.
2. Cover the batter and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to two days.
3. When you're ready to make the crepes, lightly oil an 8" to 10" non-stick skillet. Pre-heat the skillet over medium flame. When the skillet is fully heated, scoop about ⅓ cup of the batter into the center of the skillet. Immediately lift the skillet and tilt it in a circular motion to allow the batter to run in a circular pattern and fill the bottom of the skillet. This is a quick motion and the batter should run and spread readily to a very thin layer on the surface of the skillet. If the batter is too thick to easily run and spread, whisk in a couple tablespoons of water and try again. If the skillet is too hot and the batter solidifies too fast, try lowering the heat a bit.
4. Once the batter has spread over the surface of the skillet, return the skillet to the burner and cook until golden brown on the bottom. Flip and cook until golden brown on the second side. Remove the cooked crepe to a plate and start on the next one. Continue until all the batter has been used (6 to 8 8" crepes).

Notes

The crepes should be very thin and floppy. The batter should be the consistency of thick cream. If it's too thick to spread easily on the skillet, add a little water and try again. The first crepe or two are usually "test crepes" and will let you know if you need to adjust the heat under your skillet or the consistency of your batter.

Step by Step Photos

In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir until evenly combined. I decided to make my crepes with half whole wheat flour for a little more texture, fiber, and flavor, but you can use all all-purpose flour if you prefer.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs, 3/4 cup milk, and 1/2 cup water until smooth.

Add the bowl of dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, along with 3 Tbsp melted butter.

Whisk all the ingredients together until the mixture is smooth, there are no lumps, and it’s about as thick as heavy whipping cream. Cover and refrigerate the batter for at least 30 minutes and up to two days. You can make the batter the night before so the crepes are ready to go in the skillet when you wake! Woot! (I’ve heard that you can just put all the ingredients into a blender and once and pulse until smooth, but I haven’t tried that. I hate cleaning blenders. Ha.)

When you’re ready to make the crepes, add a touch of oil to an 8-10 inch non-stick skillet. This is one of the few recipes that I really suggest using non-stick. Preheat the skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, pour about 1/3 cup of batter into the center of the skillet. Pick the skillet up and quickly tilt it around in a circular motion to make the batter run out to the edges of the pan. It should form a super thin layer over the entire surface of the skillet. If the batter is too thick to run easily when the skillet is tilted, whisk in a couple tablespoons of water and try again. The first crepe or two usually help you get a feel for the batter and the heat under the skillet. You may need to adjust either one. It’s a little like riding a bike, so don’t stress it. My first crepe looked like an amoeba!

After you’ve successfully spread the batter over the surface of the skillet, return it to the heat and let it cook until golden brown on the bottom. Flip the crepe and cook on the second side until golden brown. I promise this is quick and easy, but it may take a crepe or two to get the hang of. :)

As you cook the crepes, remove them to a clean plate until all the batter is used. You can cover the plate with foil to keep them warm. If you want to freeze your crepes, let them cool completely and then transfer them to a gallon sized freezer bag (laying flat). To thaw, just transfer them to the refrigerator or let them stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Source from: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/05/homemade-crepes/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BudgetBytes+%28Budget+Bytes%29