Potatoes That Don't Stick

More of a method than a recipe..

Heat oven to 425.

Cut potatoes as desired and soak in cold water for at least 10 minutes. I usually soak while my oven heats up.

Spray your baking sheet with non stick cooking spray.

Drain potatoes, rinse once and shake them dry.

Place on cookie sheet. Lightly drizzle with olive oil, just a couple teaspoons. Season as desired.

Toss potatoes around to coat evenly. Arrange in a single layer, well spaced.

Bake fries for 30 mins... wedges and large dices about 45.... hash browns about 20.

Allow to sit for a minute or two before removing from pan.

Brown Rice Jambalaya

A healthier alternative to one of my favorite one pot giant eat for a few days dinner.

It is essential that you use low sodium chicken stock as creole seasoning is salty and if you use full sodium stock you will end up with a salty mess.

Brown rice takes a considerable amount of time to cook compared to white rice, so be prepared.

Feel free to add raw shrimp when you add the other meat back in toward the end of the cooking process. I did not make it with shrimp this exact time, but I've done so in the past. 1 lb is perfect.

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 inch diced
1 14oz turkey smoked sausage, sliced in to 1/2 inch half moons

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium sized yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
2 celery stalks, diced

2 cups long grain brown rice
2 cups canned or fresh diced tomatoes (fresh is always best when in season)
4 cups low sodium chicken stock
2 tablespoons creole seasoning (I use Tony Chachere's)

1 cup water

In a large pot, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil.Add chicken and sausage and cook until caramelized. Remove from pan. Reserve.

Add 2 teaspoons olive oil and saute all vegetation until onions are soft, 3-4 mins.

Add rice and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes, chicken stock and creole seasoning. Bring to a boil. Turn heat to low, cover and cook for 40 minutes.

Stir in reserved chicken, sausage and 1 cup of water. Continue cooking covered on low for 10 minutes.

Remove pot from heat and allow Jambalaya to sit 15 minutes covered to finish cooking.

Perfect Vanilla Cake

Searching for a from scratch Vanilla Cake Recipe??? Search no more. I have been working on this cake for years.. and am happy to announce that it is done!!!!

I could go on and on about the crumb, the flavor, the texture... but if you've had as much of an issue with vanilla cake as I have.. I know you might be skeptical. Just trust me on this one.

2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
2 cups Granulated Sugar
1 tablespoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 Eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

1/2 cup Canola Oil

1 cup Whole Milk

1 cup Hot Water

Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in remaining ingredients and whisk for 30 seconds.

Bake at 350 for 16 minutes for cupcakes. 20-25 for a round layered cake. 30 for a 13x9.

Salsa Roasted Chicken

This is perfect for making quick fajitas.

1 cup of your favorite salsa
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree.

Pour salsa over 1 lb of boneless skinless chicken breasts in a baking dish.

Roast at 425 for 20-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken.

Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes, then slice or shred. Mix chicken back in with sauce, adding a couple teaspoons of water if necessary.

Granola Bars

These are so yummy. I love making granola and granola bars at home because I can control the quality of the ingredients and the balance of sweetness.

This is totally a customizable recipe. My personal favorite mix-ins are dried cranberries, finely chopped almonds and white chocolate-semi sweet swirled chips. But you can use whatever you like- raisins, dark chocolate, pecans, macadamia nuts, white chocolate....

Preheat oven to 275

2 eggs
3/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cup mix ins

Combine eggs, oil, honey, sugars, salt, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix in flour. Stir in oats and mix ins.

Spread dough into a parchment paper (or aluminum foil) lined 13x9 pan. The easiest way to press the dough in is to wet your fingers with a little tap water and spread it around. Bake for 45 minutes on the top rack.

Allow to cool completely before cutting.

All Purpose Red Sauce

This is my favorite "gravy" as the Italians call it. My grandma cans tomatoes from her garden and I use them to make this sauce. I wish everyone had a grandma like mine, but I know that's not the case :) I highly recommend to use fresh tomatoes, but ONLY when they're in season. Otherwise, whole canned tomatoes are the best option. Buy the regular sodium kind, I've never had good luck with low sodium canned tomatoes.

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large sweet yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons Italian seasoning blend
2 teaspoons Oregano
1- 18 ounce can tomato paste
3- 29 ounce cans whole tomatoes (OR 12 cups chopped fresh tomatoes)
1 cup water
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar

In a large stock pot, saute the onions, garlic, salt and pepper in the olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the seasoning and oregano, cook until fragrant. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, water, vinegar and sugar.

Simmer on low for 2-4 hours (the longer the better. I usually simmer for 2 hours with the pot covered and 2 with the lid off.

Puree sauce in batches in a blender. Season with additional salt and sugar to your taste

You can freeze this sauce in a plastic bag and it keeps really well.

To finish sauce for other dishes:
A little more sugar makes it perfect for pizza.
Red pepper flakes are good in sauce for spaghetti and chicken for a spicy sauce.
Fresh chopped basil for pasta.
Blend in some roasted red peppers for a great sauce for stuffed shells.

Vegetable and Chicken Lasagna

Just make it- then you'll understand

5 cups All Purpose Red Sauce (written in recipe above this post), or your favorite tomato sauce
1 large eggplant, peeled and sliced in 1/4 inch disks
4 small organic Zucchini (best quality you can get-worth the $), sliced into 1/4 inch disks
1 13.5 ounce package whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked for 10 minutes and drained
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 1/4 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
1 batch of "Lasagna Bechamel Filling" (below)

Lasagna Bechamel Filling:
12 ounces crimini mushrooms, diced
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half and half (you can use whole milk or fat free half and half if you want to cut a couple calories)
8 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 pinch of nutmeg
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1 small box frozen spinach, defrosted and water squeeezed out

Cook mushrooms in butter and olive oil for 2 minutes. Add flour and cook for one minute. Add half and half slowly. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add cream cheese, mozzarella and parmesan, melt. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, chicken and spinach.

Building the lasagna:

I'm just going to write this in how I build the layers, from the bottom to the top.

13x9 pan
1 cup red sauce
4 lasagna noodles
2 cups bechamel filling
1/2 of the sliced zucchini
1 cup red sauce
4 lasagna noodles
2 cups bechamel filling
Eggplant slices
1 cup red sauce
4 lasagna noodles
2 cups bechamel filling
1/2 of the zucchini
1 cup red sauce
4 lasagna noodles
1 cup red sauce
1 1/4 cup mozzarella
1/4 cup parmesan

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes if baking just after assembling. 40-50 if from the fridge. The lasagna will be almost bursting out of the pan, so it's safer to bake it on a baking sheet or place a baking sheet on the rack below to prevent oven messes. Mine usually bubbles over a teeny tiny bit in one corner.

For best slicing and removing results, allow lasagna to rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

I always make a big lasagna because it can be frozen. Individual portions can be placed in ziplocks and frozen for a quick lunch or dinner down the road when you don't feel like cooking :)