I was in the mood for something with a BBQ flavor. Since I am a flexitarian, BBQ ribs or chicken or wings are not really what I had in mind. I have made BBQ cauliflower bites and a couple others. I have made BBQ potato chips, but not a potato casserole. Once the idea came to mind, dove right into making it! Couldn't wait the results!

• small red potatoes 4 (or 2 or 3 regular size) chopped
• klondike potatoes- 3-4 - chopped
• onion - 1/2 - diced
• celery - 3 stalks - diced
• egg - 1 ( I happened to use and egg from a friends chicken farm!)
• BBQ sauce - 1/2 ( or more)
• sour cream - 2 tbsp
• cheddar - 1/2 cup in mix and some for topping
• parsley - 2 tbsp
• garlic - 1 tbsp powder or 2-3 gloves
• pepper - 2 tsp
• 2 tbsp - sunflower oil
• cooking spray

Add the ingredients and mix it up well. Spray casserole pan and add mix. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes at 450. Turn up to 475ish for another 10 minutes. Only if you would like a bit of browning. Otherwise, bake for 50 minutes at 450. Take out and either top with BBQ only, or cheese only or both or no topping. Whatever you want! Turn of oven and bake for several minutes. Cool for several minutes and serve it up!


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Note: Klondike potatoes take longer to cook, so check them and bake longer if needed! :-)
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Three soup recipes in a row. IT WAS THE RAIN! ;-)
Not that this potato soup is off the normal soup recipes. Just a bit of my own tweeking, that I like to do. I have to say that I haven't followed a recipe to the tee in sooo long. I'm a bit chef-prideful.....thinking, no I will not follow your recipe to the tee, but thanks for some of your ingredient ideas. I will take a couple from a different recipes, then add my preferred twist.

• 2-3 large or 5-6 small red potatoes
• 1 celery
• 1 onion (or a full minced onion)
• 2 jars of pimentos (love!)
• 1 tbsp of chives in mix and 1-2 tsp to add on top
• 1 tbsp of parsley
• 1-2 tsp sunflower oil
• 1-2 garlic cloves (or 1-2 tsp minced garlic)
• 1-2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 marjaram
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1-2  tsp mustard powder
• 1-1.5 cup veggie stock (or 1-2 bouillon)
• 1/2ish cup whipping cream
• 1 tsp dill weed
• 1 tsp smoked paprika

Preheat SC, on high, at least 1/2 hour ahead.  Add oil, garlic, onion, potato & celery- cover and SC for at least an hour. Add the rest of the ingredients, mix well, cover and SC for 2-3 hours on high or 4-5 on low.
Again, this is for my small SC. Double time on larger SCs.
Try it and tell me what you think!
Enjoy!
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Thank God for a break in the rain! Need to do some yard work tomorrow when the grass has dried a bit. 
Nothing like being out in the fall cool air for a while, then coming in to warm-up with some yummy soup! And there is something about having your slow cooker out with something slowly cooking! Open up that lid, put your head down to take a breath of whatever you are cooking- and soups just give that warm, inviting, calming smell to it.
Now, I have made plenty of spinach & artichoke dips in my SC, but this is a first for making the dip into a soup. Soooo glad I did. How amazing to get that taste of a favorite dip, but with that warming sense of a soup! Wonder which dip next I will turn into a soup......

• 2 cans of artichoke hearts
• 2-3 garlic cloves (I oven-roasted mine...yum)
• 1 veggie bouillon ( or some stock)
• 1/2-full onion ( your choice)
• 4-5 handfulls of fresh spinach (1 for broth blend)
• 3 tbsp of parmesean
• 1/2-1 can of diced black olives (your choice)
• 1 cup of water
• 1/4-1/2 cup of whipping cream
• 1 tbsp of Greek yogurt
• 1/2 tsp of rosemary
• 1/2 tsp of thyme
• 1/2 bay leaf

Turn on SC-high- ahead of time (like an oven). Dice garlic and onions and add to SC. Cover and SC for 1/2ish. Add chopped artichoke and cover for another 1/2 hour. Add spinach, parm. and the rest of the ingredients- mix well and cover and SC for on high for 1ish and low for 1-2 hours.
OR, add all the ingredients, mix well, cover and SC for 2 hours on high or 4 on low. 
I am using my smaller cooker, so my time is for 2.5 quart. If double the size, double the time.
To me, this is sooo good! But, I am a spinach and artichoke lover! 
Try for yourself and let me know!
Enjoy!

Nothing like having some soup during this non-stop rainy time in Northern Ohio. Amazing, how the other night I went to sleep while it was still raining, then woke up and it was still raining, went out later in the day....raining, came home later in the evening....raining. Next day, oh wait!.....a moment of no rain! Few minutes later......RAIN! 
Not trying to sound like I am complaining, because I will take rain over snow ANY DAY! 
Of course, being a healthy-ish flexitarian, decided to make a soup with cabbage. Cabbage is known to be a digestive detox and helps to lose weight. But, that is if you don't put it with a dish that has greasy, fatty meat or a lot of cheese or high in fatty carbs like pasta. 
Put a twist on a cabbage soup and infused it with Asian flavors:

• 1/4-1/2 cabbage- chopped big
• 10-12 green onions- chopped
• 12 cherry tomatoes- sliced and chopped
• 1/2-3/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar (or regular vinegar)
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1/2 by leaf
• 1-2 tsp roasted sesame (better roasted)
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 cup veggie stock or 1 veggie bouillon
• 1/4 tsp siracha green dragon sauce (optional for a bit of a kick)
• 1/4 tsp oyster sauce
• 1.5 cup water
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• olive oil & garlic or garlic oil

Turn cooker on early to high. 15 minutes later either add oil and garlic or garlic oil. 10 minutes later add cabbage. Mix and cover to slow cook for 1 hour. Add green onion, tomatoes, ginger, pepper- mix and cover to cook for another 1/2 hour. Add rest of ingredients and cover for an hour, then turn on low for 1-2 hours.
OR, if you want to do this before work or going out for a while, then add all ingredients, mix it up and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. ***This is if you are using a 3.5 quart or higher. If making a smaller soup (like me) in a 2 1/2 quart, you don't need that much time. Estimate about half the amount. A 2-2.5 quart can serve 4-5 servings- believe it or not. Well, unless you have a really big bowl of soup! :-)
Feel free to top with more green onions or cilantro!
Enjoy!

Feliz Taco Tuesday!

Of course, not making a typical taco for taco Tuesday. I realized a couple things today. First, I haven't made deviled eggs for most of the year. Really odd, for me. Being a deviled-egg lover. Deviled-eggs is one of the first things that I've ever made. And used to be a signature thing that I'd bring to parties and what-have-you.
I have made so many different types of deviled-eggs. But, amazingly enough, haven't made a tacoish-egg.

Ingredients:

• Boiled eggs - about 6 (tip: ice or very cold water shower after boiled for 15 minutes to help separate egg from lining of shell)
• Beans - 1/2-1 cup [all-depending on how many eggs you make- I made 12 -ate 3 :-)][I chose black beans- my fav.] Smashed- not fully.
• Salsa - 1/4-1/2 cup (mixed into smashed beans)
• Cumin - 1 tsp
• Chili Powder - 1/2-1 tsp
• Green Onion - 1 sliced
• Cheddar cheese - for toppings
• Sour cream (or greek yogurt) - for toppings
• Cilantro - for toppings
• Lettuce - if you'd like

Boil eggs. Cut in half & remove yoke and set aside for something else. Mostly smash your beans with a fork, then add salsa, cumin & chili powder. Use mixer to blend nicely. Add to boiled eggs. Then add your other layers: cheese, cream, green onion, cilantro. Feel free to add a little piece of lettuce, if you'd like. 
Serve, or fidge and then serve it up later! 

So, I'm a pizza freak....or pizza chick.....or pizza lover. And I will figure out ways to make something different into a pizza. Like I have made the pita pizzas...so yum. I have made a cauliflower pizza, but haven't posted one....YET.
If you get a standard pizza from a place, the pizza dough and ingredients have that extra fat, salt, etc. for you to really like their type of pizza. I try to stay away from s.s.s.s.salt as much as I can. :-)
So, you get all the goodness of a pizza, without all that extra calories from fat and salt. Are you okay with that? lol. If so, let's make a frittata pizza!

Ingredients:
For frittata:

• 4 eggs (beat or whipped)
• 1-2 tsp cream (or melted greek yogurt)
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1-2 garlic clove ( or 1 tsp powder or minced garlic)
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil

For Sauce:

• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 3 tsp tomato sauce
• 1 tsp garlic oil (or olive oil)
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp pepper

For Layers:

• 1/4 onion (sauteed)
• 3 handfuls of mozzarella (for each layer)
• 1 jar pimentos
• cherry tomatoes (thinly sliced- enough to cover a top layer)

Preheat oven to 450. Mix first 6 ingredients and add to round baking pan. Bake covered for half for 15 and uncovered for 15ish (until mostly baked). Take out, flip onto foiled-lined baking sheet & flatten. Mix sauce together and add as 1st layer. Then add onions (or not, if you don't like onions). Add handful of sprinkle mozz. & then pimentos, then next handful of cheese, then tomatoes, then top layer of cheese. Feel free to sprinkle some more oregano. Bake for another 20-25min. If you like a little crispiness, put on broil for the last 5 minutes.
Let set for a bit, then......serve it up!
Enjoy! 
Leave some yummy, or not so yummy comments! :-)
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So, I originally was going to make this a cajun shrimp & scallop pasta. But, opted out for carbs today.
I know, it looks more like a jumbaly, stewy dish. Which it can be an infused-type of one. It can be whatever you choose it to be! I left it open! :-)

Ingredients:

• frozen shrimp - 1/2-1 bag (thawed: either overnight in fridge or under cold water for few minutes)
• frozen scallops - 1/2-1 bag (thawed)
• onion - 1 (any kind) chopped
• pimentos - 2 jars
• tomatoes - any kind (I used 3 -4 roma)
• minced garlic - 1 tsp for saute onions
• minced garlic - for mixture
• tomato paste - 1-2 tsp
• ricotta - 2-3 tbsp
• pepper - 1 tsp
• cajun - 1 tsp (or more if you like it spicy!)
• honey - 2 tsp 
• thyme - 2 tsp
• chives - 2 tbsp

In med-low heat, add onions and garlic- saute for several minutes. Then add pimentos & tomatoes. Saute/ cook shrimp & scallops (I did separately) for 5ish  min. on med-low heat. Add to dish. Add the rest of items, one-by-one while mixing. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Taste test. If you like, you serve it up!

What a day! Was feeling the fall hazy day today. :-(  Needed some comfort.....food. So, while watching the Brownies, decided to make a lasagna! Then, off to teach a yoga class. (Well needed on this blundering hazy, cloudy day.)
I haven't had lasagna in a while! It has been since winter. So, I was over-due!
And, it is the season for more comfort casserole foods!
Of course, my version is has not been made by me before, because I never make the same thing twice! :-)

Ingredients:

• lasagna - 12  (I used wheat)
• tomato sauce - 2 cups
• oregano - 4 tsp (split on each mix)
• basil - 2 tsp (split on each mix)
• parsley - 2 tsp (split.....)
• thyme - 1 tsp (split.....)
• margaram - 1 tsp (split.......)
• garlic cloves - 2 or 2 tsp of powder (split......)
• pepper - 1 tsp (split.....)
• feta - 1 cup or package
• eggs - 2 (beat)
• mozzarella - 1-2 bags
• parmesan - 2 tbsp
• rocotta - 3 tbsp
• provolone - 1 package

Cook lasagna to instructions. Spray with non-stick spray to they will not stick when set aside. Ingredients from tomato sauce to feta cheese, mix into one bowl. Ingredients from eggs to provolone, mix in another bowl. Spray casserole dish and pour some sauce to bottom. Add a layer (4) of noodles. Spoon some of sauce mix, spread. Spoon cheese mix and spread. Add another layer of noodles. Repeat. Add last layer of noodles and add some sauce, then mozzarella, then sprinkle parmesan, then sprinkle herbs. Bake at 425 for 25 minutes (covered). Let sit covered for 25-30 minutes. Serve it up! Cheesy, yummy goodness! ;-0

Happy National Taco Day!
In honor, I taco'd it up with a grande shrimp taco and taco soup!  :-0
The thing about this taco is that it is so large, that if not held and eaten right can turn into a mess and then you might end up eating the rest like a taco salad. You could also grab a for or spoon and eat it like a taco salad for a bit, then take some mighty bites! 

Ingredients:

• frozen shrimp -8 (thawed & cooked with avocado oil)
• tortilla
• frozen corn (thawed)
• salsa - 2 tbsp
• green chiles - 1 tbsp
• pinto beans - 1 tbsp
• cheddar- as much as you want
• sour cream - as much as you want
• lime juice - a dash
• avocado oil - some for cooking shrimp & green pepper
• garlic clove (or powder)- a small cloves or a couple dashes

Spread oil on tortilla, use prop to have an open fold and bake for 10 min at 450- let sit. Cook and saute shrimp, let cook and finish devine. Start layering your taco with ingredients of your choice. I started with spinach, then salsa & garlic, then beans, then corn, tomatoes, shrimp, green chilies, cheddar, sour cream, juice. Sprinkle with cilantro. Then.....eat the yummy big thing up! ;-0
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Taco soup ingredients:

• garlic cloves - 1 or 2
• tomatoes - as much as you want
• green chilies - 2 cans
• 1 green bell pepper - sauteed
• red onion - sauteed
• salsa - 1/4 cup
• 1 cup of water
• taco sauce - 1-2 tsp
• cilantro - 1 tsp or more
• oregano - 1-2 tsp
• 1 tsp chili powder (not too much to make it taste like chili)
• 1 tsp cumin
• bay leaf
• thyme - dash
• coriander - 1/2 tsp

Add ingredients to slow cooker. Set on low for a few hours, or high for a couple. Stir, taste test....enjoy!

Feel like a bit of some Asian takeout? BUT, don't want to digest all that extra fat, sugar, salt and starch?
Maybe make a little stir fry of your own!

Ingredients:

• bag - thawed scallops (patted dry)
• 15-20 - precooked shrimp (save on time) (chopped big)
• 6-8  - scallions (from the market?) (chopped big)
• 10-12 - fresh button mushrooms (chopped big)
• garlic cloves - 2
• 1 or 2 belle pepper - (chopped big)
• 12 - baby carrots cooked and chopped long and thin
• 2 tsp - black pepper
• 2 tbsp - soy sauce
• 2 tbsp - oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp - fish sauce
• 1 tbsp - sesame oil
• dash of ginger
• 1 tbsp - sunflower oil (SO)

With SO and 1 garlic, saute scallops for a 5-10 min on med-low heat. Set a-side. A little more SO on med-heat and add bell pepper for several minutes, then add mushrooms and scallions for another several minutes. Then add cooked carrots, shrimp and scallops and other garlic and cook on med-low for a few minutes. Then add pepper, soy, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil and ginger, then cover and cook on low for about 10ish minutes. Uncover and stir-it-up! Taste test and add a bit if you'd like! The, serve it up!!
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