We have a con artist on our hands.

Meet Bennie, our newest member to the family, a.k.a. Bendini. Also known as Benlasimo, Benzini, or Benfasa. The names just keep on coming, thanks to Chris.

He is a cutie. He is also a mastermind escape artist. Or maybe possibly a genius.

See, I'm not big on crates. Bennie roams the apartment at his leisure (under a close watch of course), but for the sake of keeping the wee one safe on the occasion we can't tuck him away with us, he gets put up in his comfy crate. Equipped with an oversized, plush dog bed, this thing is a puppy's dream and safe haven. Bennie loves his "home"...as long as the door is open, that is. Once the crate door gets shut and safely locked, not so much. I figured it would take a few times for him to get comfortable with being left in his crate while we were out. Boy, was he fooling us. Get used to it? More like overcome it!

The other day, when I ran out to get groceries and walked up to a suspiciously quiet front door, I had the feeling something was up. Sure enough, I opened the door just to be greeted by a wagging, black ball of fur. He had escaped!

He has escaped the last three times he's been put in his crate. I'm still stumped. I have NO idea how he does it, especially since it take a certain finesse to even close the thing. Chris and I played and tweaked with the door, trying to figure out how he could manipulate the lock and door to open it on his own. No dice. He's obviously a magician. A very sneaky magician.

Speaking of sneaky. I made this soup the other day when I was craving italian wedding soup. You know the one with the meatballs? I think when I was craving it, I had the one in mind I used to order at Olive Garden back in the day for their endless soup and salad lunch deal.  I haven't been to good 'ol Olive Garden in ages, so if you have no clue what I'm talking about, just ignore what I'm writing.

Let's move on.

This soup.

Traditional italian wedding soup has meatballs and cute little pasta, and a bunch of other stuff that is amazing. Don't get me wrong, I love a good recipe and I don't mind taking the time to do it right, but on most days, especially when I have a craving (which is usually all the time), I want it then and there. If it's going to take me longer than 20 minutes to make, then I'm tempted to just eat a jar of olives and move on.

So, when I was craving the heck out of this soup, I decided to take matters in my own hands and improvise. Are you starting to sense a theme with my recipes? Anyways...

Wannabe Italian Wedding Soup

Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground turkey breast
1 tbsp olive oil (for sautéing)
1 tbsp butter
1/2 onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper
2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
64 oz chicken stock/broth
1 cup cooked quinoa

garnish -
parsley, chopped
green onions, sliced
parmesan cheese

Directions:

Quinoa Prep -

If you don't have any cooked quinoa on hand, go ahead and begin preparing your quinoa. I rinsed 1 cup of dried quinoa in a fine mesh strainer, then poured the quinoa into a small/medium sized pot on low/medium heat. Let the quinoa sizzle a bit (~1 minute) to help bring out the natural nutty flavor. Then pour 2 cups of water or broth over the quinoa (2:1 ratio - 2 cups liquid per 1 cup quinoa). Bring to a light boil, reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. After cooking, remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

Soup -
In a medium sized pot or dutch oven, drizzle about 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil over medium to high heat. Season the ground turkey with salt and pepper, then add to the pot and brown until cooked through (about 7 minutes). Remove cooked turkey from pan onto a separate plate or bowl.

To the same pot, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter over medium heat. Once heated, add onions. Sauté for a few minutes (~ 5 min) until translucent. Add carrots, celery, garlic and red pepper flakes. Continue to sauté for an additional 5 minutes. Add cooked turkey. Season all with salt, pepper, and oregano. Add broth, bring to a light boil. Turn heat down to a simmer. Add the spinach. Simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes.

To prepare - 
In the serving bowl, add a couple spoonfuls of cooked quinoa, pour soup overtop. Garnish with green onions, chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese.

Notes:
If you happen to be super on top of your game, and have quinoa and ground turkey made in advance, this soup can be brought together in no time! Great for quick lunches or a quick dinner on those busy weeknights. Just some food for thought. Enjoy!

lazy bake a.k.a. "refrigerator surprise bake"

Growing up, my Dad would sometimes make what he coined as "refrigerator surprise." He would take all the leftovers sitting in the fridge from that week and somehow magically whip up a culinary masterpiece. I can't say the dinner always looked appealing as my brother and I would cautiously poke at the plate. But, nevertheless, it always tasted great.

At the time, I don't think I truly appreciated or understood the genius in throwing together a complete family meal made entirely from the week's leftovers. But now that I'm older... and the days are undeniably shorter...whipping up something that is not only satisfying, but also quick, easy, and reduces waste. Well. That's just pure genius!

This dish isn't exactly the "refrigerator surprise"I grew up with. I know... I got you all worked up. But, this does have a similar concept and is a great dish to throw together on those "long, busy days you come home exhausted and starved, but have nothing in your fridge and need to go to the store" days.

Yeah, those days.

This dish is super simple and doesn't follow an exact science. You can pretty much throw whatever you have on hand in this dish.

Just take some old, crusty bread and toss it in a dish. Then top with some cheese. I had a little bit of cream cheese and some shredded cheese almost at it's end on hand, so I threw both of those in the dish with the bread.

Then I took all of my four eggs left and whisked them together with my last bit of half and half. I threw in some sliced green onions, then poured the mixture over the bread and cheese. At this point, you could probably throw this in the oven, but I knew I had a few leftover scraps that would make this even better. Plus, I always celebrate a small victory when I find a way to use up leftovers.

Throw in whatever leftovers you have sitting in your fridge - chopped veggies, pasta sauce, sauteed onions, peppers, salsa, whatever! Then throw the whole thing in the oven and boom! Refrigerator surprise, folks!

Lazy Bake a.k.a. "Refrigerator Surprise Bake"
inspired by Pioneer Woman's Bagel and Cream Cheese Baked French Toast

Ingredients:
old crusty bread, cubed or torn into chunks (I used old sourdough bread)
4 eggs
1/3 cup half and half
cream cheese (enough to drop a few dollops throughout)
shredded cheese (about a handful or two)
2 green onions, sliced
salt to season
dash of cayenne
dash of ground mustard

optional leftover topping ideas:
pasta sauce/marinara
diced onion, peppers
chopped veggies
cilantro
salsa

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease a small oven-proof casserole dish (I used a 3 cup, 7x5 inch pyrex) with butter or coconut oil. Spread the bread cubes in the dish. Add in a few small dollops of cream cheese throughout the dish (I put about 7-8 dollops). Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top.

In a separate small bowl, add the eggs, half and half, green onions, salt, cayenne and ground mustard. Whisk until combined. Pour the egg mixture in the casserole dish over the bread. This is your "bake" base.

Pull out whatever leftover scraps you may have on hand to add as toppings to your base. Add whatever you choose over the top of the bread, cheese and egg mixture.

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake covered for about 15-20 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for an additional 7-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for a minute. Cut into squares and serve!
For this particular bake, I used leftover pasta sauce and some diced sauteed onion and peppers I had from the previous night's dinner. I also used leftover pico de gallo and cilantro I had on hand to garnish after baking the dish.

seared bone-in pork chops with spicy cranberry chutney

Is anyone else as ready for Thanksgiving as I am? The other day I was stumped on what to make for dinner. All I could think about was turkey and cranberry sauce. Well, really just the cranberry sauce. Does anyone else crave cranberry sauce in November? Just me?

I knew I wanted something different than the usual suspects, but I still wanted it to feel like Fall, if you know what I mean. I wasn't about to roast an entire turkey on a random weeknight, so that was out. That left me with just the cranberry sauce. And no, I'm not talking about that canned version in all its cylinder mold perfection (though, that stuff is pretty freakin' awesome). No, I'm talking about chutney folks. Spicy cranberry chutney. The real stuff.

You know what goes well with cranberry chutney, aside from turkey? Yep, you guessed it! Pork chops! At least it does in my book. Especially when the chutney has a kick like this one.

Want to know the best part? These chops are super simple to make! I never realized how easy and amazingly delicious pork chops were until...well, until I made them for the first time! Yep. Pork chop newbie over here. So, if I can make them on my first try, that means you can too. No joke.

You're going to want to buy the bone-in pork chops that err on the thick side. The bone is what makes these things incredibly flavorful, moist and juicy. Trust me.

In about ten minutes these babies are cooked and good to go! How can you beat that? This may not be the turkey feast your salivating for, but it sure does come in a close second...maybe a first once you whip it up for yourself and have a bite!

Seared Pork Chops with Spicy Cranberry Chutney

Ingredients:

2 bone-in, thick cut pork loin chops

salt and pepper 

olive oil for searing

parsley, chopped for garnish

cranberry chutney:

2 cups fresh whole cranberries

juice from one orange

2-3 tbsp maple syrup

1/4 tsp cayenne

dash of salt

Directions:

Season the pork chops with salt and pepper on both sides and set aside. 

In a separate small pot, over medium heat, add the cranberries and orange juice. Allow the cranberries and orange juice to come to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Stir in the maple syrup, cayenne and dash of salt. Let the mixture simmer, while mixing every so often. The cranberries will pop and the mixture will begin to thicken as it cooks down. Simmer for 5-6 minutes, until mixture has thickened. Add more orange juice if the mixture becomes too thick. Remove from heat and set aside covered.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add olive oil (about 2-3 tbsp). Once the olive oil is heated, place the seasoned bone-in pork chops in the skillet and sear on both sides until brown (about 4-5 minutes each side). Remove the skillet from the heat and using a meat thermometer, make sure the internal temperature of the pork reads 145 degrees. 

Let the pork chops sit in the skillet and "rest" for about 5 minutes before plating. Top pork chops with cranberry chutney and garnish with chopped parsley.

simple fall chili

Fall has officially arrived here in Wisconsin. The temps are hovering in the 40s and the hazy gray skies that usually accompany winter make their debut each day. Chris mentioned the other day how gray it has been and I had to remind him that we aren't in North Carolina anymore - the land of blue sunny skies and mild 50 degree weather that we call "winter". This is the real deal folks. Fall brings 40s and winter, well winter is going to bring arctic weather that I am not quite sure I'm prepared for...

Anyway, back to this chili. Fall makes me crave chili! I absolutely love it. I prefer it to soups even. They are heartier, meatier and just down right satisfying. In the past, I typically made chili with a tomato base, but then I came across an old recipe I had cut out from a magazine years ago and saw chicken broth as an ingredient. Ah ha!

If you like a soupier chili, as I do, this one is for you. If not, you can absolutely reduce the amount of broth to make it a thicker. Either way, I think the broth does some magic to the land of chili. It brings a certain "je ne sais quoi", and I don't think I'll ever go back to using tomato sauce.

Just a warning though, this recipe has a kick! We like things hot and spicy around here ;) The only way I can make the man eat vegetables is to add some spice. So, if spicy isn't your thing feel free to cut back on the red pepper flakes and cayenne. But, for all intent and purposes, I say go for it!

Simple Fall Chili

Ingredients:
1 lb grass-fed beef
2 cans rinsed and drained kidney beans (15oz cans)
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes (14oz can)
olive oil for sautéing
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 stalks celery, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 3/4 cups chicken broth

spices:
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp cayenne
salt and pepper

Directions:
In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil on medium-low. Add the onion and saute until soft (3-5 minutes). Add the beef and brown (5-7 minutes). Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and peppers, sauté for a minute or two, then add the celery. Saute the mixture for about 5 more minutes. (Fun fact: by sautéing the red pepper flakes, you release the oils of the red pepper which brings out its spiciness!) 

Next add the tomatoes and kidney beans. Stir and let mixture continue to sauté for a minute or so. Add in the spices, stir, and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Add in chicken broth. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer without the lid (20-30 minutes). Don't worry if your chili seems too soupy - by simmering without the lid, the chili will reduce and become thicker.

Enjoy with sharp cheddar cheese and sliced green onions! Make sure to save the leftovers, they are even better the next day! Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 3-4 days in an air-tight container.

banana blueberry muffins sans baking soda

I am not a big baker, but in the off chance that I'm craving a baked good I'm usually SOL. Having all of the ingredients on hand to bake cookies, cake, or muffins even, always seems like an issue for me. Those who seem to always have the ability to whip together a hand-made dessert or a fresh batch of dough on a whim - you've got your life together. Teach me your ways, please.

Enter this morning. I was really craving muffins. Something different than my typical toast with peanut butter. I thought about it for a while. I had bananas. I had blueberries (frozen, albeit). I had flour - wooohoo! I had sugar and baking powder. I was on a roll. My excitement was pretty high realizing these muffins could very well become a reality. Then, after looking through a few on-line recipes, I realized I was missing a pretty standard ingredient - baking soda. Go figure.

I was about to ditch the whole thing and settle with the toast, when I decided to just go for it. Isn't part of the fun of cooking to try new things? Why does it have to be perfect?

So, I went for it. Blueberry muffins with frozen blueberries and no baking soda. This may not be anything new to some, but to those, like myself, who have a regular aversion to baking and its misconceived perfection. Here is your hope.

You can change the rules.

You can bake without baking soda.

You can have muffins!

Banana Blueberry Muffins sans Baking Soda

Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas
1/3 cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup frozen blueberries (you can use fresh, but I only had frozen on hand)
2 teaspoon baking powder (this is where you make up for not having baking soda!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup flour


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a muffin pan either by lightly greasing with coconut oil, adding muffin liners or use a silicon pan which requires no prep.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine bananas, milk, egg, sugar, and butter. Mix thoroughly, making sure to smash the bananas to get a semi-smooth consistency. The mixture will be lumpy.

In another smaller mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Mix gently.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix together until fully combined. Gently fold in the blueberries. Scoop the batter evenly into the muffin pan, about 2/3 of the way. Try not to over fill them.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25-28 minutes, or until golden brown.

Enjoy right away with some butter, or store for later! Can be saved for about 3-4 days in air tight container/ziplock. To reheat, lightly wrap a muffin in a damp paper towel and pop in the microwave for  about 30 seconds.

lemon cayenne green smoothie

Anyone seen all the new juice lines that are invading the grocery stores lately? The other day I was in Whole Foods and a woman was passing out samples of this new line of juices. Awesome! There were about ten different flavors to try and I, of course, ended up trying every single one. I tried to approach the free samples as though I was curiously trying juice for the very first time - wink, wink. After trying basically every combination known to man, I settled for one and delicately asked how much the bottle was...$15.95. Whaaaatttttt! Are they smokin' dope?! Don't answer that...

Needless to say, I did not end up buying the liquid gold. However, I did get some inspiration on a few ingredients to add to my green smoothies!

Ever heard of the lemon-cayenne cleanse? Yeah, well this is most definitely not it. I've never tried the cleanse, but I can't fathom I ever would. I love lemon and I love cayenne...but living on that in liquid form for a few days? Eh, I'll pass. I will, however, add those ingredients to my smoothie!

So here you go, this recipe really isn't rocket science or anything new. Just a little something I enjoyed and thought I'd share. This takes on the ingredients of any ol' traditional green smoothie, but with a little added tang and kick! It's a smoothie that will add a little spice to your life (literally) and give you an extra pep in your step!

Lemon Cayenne Green Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 pear
1 apple
2-3 cups of romaine, kale, spinach or chard
1-2 stalks of celery
2 cups water
1 tbsp ginger (approx. 1 inch knob of ginger, peeled)
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:
Add all the ingredients to your blender and pulse away!

Drink immediately. Leftovers can be saved for up to a day in the fridge.

zesty white bean salad

One of my favorite things to do on a Saturday morning is to get up early, strap on my running shoes and take a run to the farmer's market up the street. That is, if I a manage to wake up early enough...that's a whole different story.

Anyway, there is something about getting up early on a non-work day and having the entire day ahead of you. Your very own blank canvas. No limits.




The cool, crisp air of dawn filling your lungs. The delicate noises of the morning starting to fill the air. Mornings have a special magic to them. Or maybe that's the effect of still being half asleep before your coffee has started kicking in...either way, morning runs to the farmers market are awesome and invigorating.

What's even more awesome is making it to the market, beating the crowds, and being greeted by tables after tables filled with fresh, vibrant fruits and vegetables just waiting to be eaten or turned into an amazing creation.

That's what brings me to this Zesty White Bean Salad.

Coming back from my run and trip to the market, after hauling my bags of fresh produce all the way back, I wanted something light, filling and bursting with flavor. This salad did the trick! A great way to incorporate all of the fresh veggies I just picked up and get a healthy, balance meal that would nourish my body. Yummmm. It's sooo good!

Zesty White Bean Salad

Ingredients:
1 19oz can of cannellini beans / white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
handful of grape or cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
half of a red or orange pepper, cubed
2 small green onions, sliced
1/4 red onion, diced

dressing -
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp wortcheshire
1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
juice from 1/2 lemon
juice from 1/4 lime
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
drizzle of olive oil (about 1 tbsp)
handful of cilantro, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
salt and pepper

Directions:

Mix together the beans, tomatoes, pepper, green and red onion in a medium size bowl.

In a separate bowl whisk together the garlic, wortcheshire, dijon, lemon and lime juices, red wine vinegar, cilantro and salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Continue to whisk to combine all of the ingredients.

Pour the dressing over the bowl of veggies and beans. Carefully toss together to combine.

Serve cold or at room temperature. Or like me, eat it right then and there out of the bowl! This can keep for 2-3 days refrigerated.

Enjoy!!