Columbian Lentils

I give up meat for all of Lent every Easter season and every year need to find creative dishes chocked full of protein sans meat.  Lentil dishes fit the bill.  They are low fat and filling.  Work at the barn has been steady but landscaping has been rocking the last few weeks so I've been making a slew of one pot wonders lately and decided to revisit this healthy fella.  This original recipe I think uses green lentils, though it's not specified, just judging by the cooking times but I use red lentils which are smaller and cook faster (no soaking needed!).  My parents cooked lentils one way for years so I steered clear as an adult but have recently given them another chance and so should you! Go ahead...you know you want to...

Columbian Lentils

Columbian Lentils

1 cup red lentils
2 tbs olive oil
2 green onions, sliced
1 tbs cumin
1 tsp salt
1 bay leaf
6 cups chicken stock
2 medium tomatoes
1 tsp garlic powder
5 baby red potatoes, half inch cubed
salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil over medium and saute onions, cumin, salt, bay leaf, garlic powder  just a minute or two then add lentils.  Stir to coat one minute and add stock and tomatoes.  Bring to boil while stirring and boil about 10 minutes.  Add potatoes and cook until lentils and potatoes are cooked.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve over rice and feeds 6.  This can be gluten free and is even better the next day.

Tweaked from All Recipes

Weeknight Chicken Cacciatore

As a young girl,  cacciatore (Italian for "hunter") was a staple in my house.  My father's background is predominantly Italian and my mother is from the Phillippines so we always had a great meal on the table no matter what night of the week it was.  Though the following recipe isn't my mother's cacciatore, it's still darn good for a quick weeknight meal.  Hubs and I had it over my fave jasmine rice but it's fantastic with pasta too.  Ma's recipe didn't use balsamic but she did use chicken pieces with skin on that were dredged in flour first to help thicken the dish. I made this using what I had in the fridge so you're not going to see mushrooms which are traditionally part of this dish also.  My measurements are estimates but you can totally tweak it to utilize what you have to work with or to make it gluten free! :)

Weeknight Chicken Cacciatore

Weeknight Chicken Cacciatore

3 skinless chicken breasts, cut into bitesize pieces
1 bag of frozen onion, red and green pepper mix ( but use fresh veggies if you got em!)
2 minced garlic cloves
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs butter
salt & pepper to taste
2 tbs fresh basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Half jar of your fave marinara (about 12 ozs)

Sear the chicken in the oil and remove.  Add the butter to the pan and garlic, veggies, salt, pepper to the pan and cook about halfway.  Add the oregano, basil, vinegar and cook a few more minutes.  Add the sauce then the chicken.  Keep on med/med high heat (little bubble in the sauce) and until the chicken is cooked through.  I cooked mine about 20 more minutes but it will depend on the size of the chicken pieces.  Taste sauce and salt & pepper to taste.


Tweaked from a Family Recipe :)

Tom's Coconut Curry Chicken

I am visiting family in beautiful New Hampshire this weekend for my niece Giana’s 4^th birthday.  The comfortable daytime temps here are a far cry from the nearly unbearable humidity left behind in Virginia.  The day of my departing flight was high 90s but with the heat index was a mere 110! The summers in New England are absolutely gorgeous with highs in the 80s and overnights in the 60s. Unfortunately, the south’s mild winters have spoiled me so I have long ago decided that the New England winters are ones I can no longer deal with (unless I am on Christmas holiday) but I will always adore my summer visits.  Today’s dish is my brother’s Coconut Curry Chicken.  Of course, I tweaked it some but Tom gets the credit for this welcomed addition to the old recipe box.  This one pot wonder is clean, light, and if you read the labels on the coconut milk and chicken stock (if not using homemade) is gluten free.  So easy and fast! Serve this baby over white jasmine rice and oh mama!

Tom's Coconut Curry Chicken

Tom’s Coconut Curry Chicken

2 cups chicken stock
1 can coconut milk
3 tbs curry powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbs olive oil
¼ cup brown sugar
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb chicken breast strips
4 small or 3 medium zucchini, peeled and ½ inch quartered
1 large carrot, peeled and halved in ¼ inch slices
1 red pepper, sliced
2 small or 1 large can pineapple chunks with juice
*optional* cubed potatoes, peanuts, scallions

In large pot, cook onions and garlic in oil until a little soft and translucent, careful not to burn garlic then remove.  Cook chicken in same pot until no longer pink then pour in coconut milk, stock, curry, powders, brown sugar, and pineapple juice.  Bring to simmer then add carrots and simmer for 5 mins.  Now is the time to add potatoes if using and add cooked onion/garlic mix, zucchini, red pepper.  Simmer for 10 mins.  Total simmer about 20 mins,  Serve over rice and top with chopped peanuts/scallions.

Tweaked from Family Recipe :)

Easy Cheesy Ham Potato Soup

First things first, thanks for showing up. If you've had a chance to poke around my page you've probably noticed this is my first post.  I love to cook:  the creation, the tweaking, the trial & error.  Let's not leave out the best part, darlings...the eating!  If you're still reading this, chances are you feel the same way I do.  I love finding ways to save time in the kitchen and to cut a little fat and calories here and there while still pumping out a pretty fabulous meal.  So if you want to impress your friends and family and keep it cool when the kitchen starts getting hot, stick with me.


Easy Cheesy Ham Potato Soup

I fired the stove up around 6 and my love and I were devouring this delectable dish by 7.  Serve it with crusty bread/salad and if there's any leftover, it's even better the next day.  To cut fat and calories, I've successfully used 1% milk,  turkey ham, and whole wheat flour in this and no one was the wiser.


Ham Potato Soup (Serves 6 with plenty leftover)


4 medium red potatoes, peeled and 1"cubed
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 tbs butter
3 tbs flour
3 cups milk
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups cubed ham
pinch cayenne
couple dashes garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste


Bring some water to a boil (enough to cover potatoes) and cook potatoes until tender, reserving a cup of the cooking liquid when done.  While that's going, saute the onion in butter until translucent.  Add flour and spices and cook for 4 mins.  Stir in  the cooked potatoes, milk and reserved liquid (add more water if there isn't enough to make one cup).  Mix in cheese and ham. Simmer around 20 mins and you're good to go.

Tweaked from Family Recipe :)