in the kitchen Archives | Page 23 of 23

seasoned oven fries

February 5, 2015 by Abby

I mentioned in a recent what i’m loving wednesday post that I am so in love with my new French fry cutter.

We don’t have fries too often, but I do make them occasionally because they’re a great crowd-pleasing side. And now, with this new French fry cutter, they’re also super easy. It perfectly cuts a potato into fries in a matter of seconds, so you can get these babies in the oven and move on to the main dish.

This seasoned oven fries recipe bakes up in about as long as it takes to throw a few turkey burgers on the grill. With minimal effort, you have a side dish that’s hands down better than anything you’d pull out of the freezer section at the grocery store.

I used several of our favorite spices and seasonings in this recipe, but it’s completely adaptable to what you prefer and what you have on hand. And if you’re feeling naughty, go ahead and take the baked fries, sprinkle them with cheese and jalapenos and bacon, and toss them back in the oven for a few more minutes.

seasoned oven fries

3 large baking potatoes, scrubbed and patted dry
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
dash of red pepper flakes (optional)

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garlic parmesan pasta

February 2, 2015 by Abby

Pasta gets a bad rep. Sure, most people agree that it’s delicious.But then there’s talk of the carbs and the glycemic index and suddenly pasta doesn’t seem like a great option.

Though I am by no means a nutritionist, I’m here to tell you that pasta can be healthy. If you choose a whole grain version and eat just one serving, you don’t have anything to worry about.

The best way to ensure your pasta is good for you is to add good stuff to it. Chicken, broccoli, milk, peas. Of course you’ll likely want to add cheese, too, but with moderation, it’s all good.

This pasta is delightful on its own. It’s coated in the creamy cheese sauce and sprinkled with herbs. The sauce is garlicky and flavorful without being heavy. In the batch pictured here I added just chicken, but I’ve also made it with onions and peppers and it was brilliant.

Garlic Parmesan Pasta
adapted from Lil’ Luna

1/2 box whole grain pasta
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup milk (I use skim)
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
additional add-ins, such as chicken or vegetables (optional)

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what i’m loving wednesday

January 28, 2015 by Abby

Happy Hump Day! Here are the five things I’m most in love with this week:

serial podcast

I knew this podcast was a big deal because of the number of articles I’ve seen about it on news and magazine websites. I never listened, though, because I wasn’t sure I could get behind the whole podcast thing. I imagined it would be like talk radio, which was my favorite thing to fall asleep to in the car when I was little. Finally, it was the subject of the podcast that intrigued me enough to listen to the first episode.

The whole thing is told by a reporter who is looking into a 1999 murder. A guy, Adnan, is in jail for killing his ex-girlfriend, Hai, when they were both seniors in high school, but the reporter isn’t so sure Adnan is guilty. If you’re at all into true crime as a genre- I so am- you have to listen to Serial. Be warned, though: you won’t want to read, watch, or listen to anything else until you’ve finished.

thinking out loud

I know this song has been out for a while, but I’m just now discovering it. The video, the lyrics, his voice- I love everything about it. If you’ve not yet watched the video, you should. Ed Sheeran is quickly becoming one of my top five favorite gingers.

caesar vinaigrette

Caesar dressing is one of my favorites. When I’m trying to make smarter food choices, though, cutting out creamy dressings is a no-brainer. That’s okay, because I also love balsamic vinaigrette. Sometimes you have to mix things up, though, which is why I’m so glad I recently found a Caesar vinaigrette dressing. I haven’t yet found it at a grocery store, but Amazon keeps me stocked up.

trivia crack

You’ve heard of this, right? It’s a trivia app. You answer questions in different categories and play against opponents, either friends or random people. There’s a little more to it, but basically the player who answers the most questions correctly wins. As someone who relishes the chance to put my wealth of trivial knowledge to the test, I can’t get enough of this app.

potato cutter

I know, I know. In one paragraph I’m discussing making healthy food choices and in the next I’m introducing you to my new favorite French fry-making kitchen product. But potatoes aren’t bad, especially when eaten in moderation. And with this potato cutter, you can have a batch of crispy oven-baked fries whipped up in less time than it takes to cook a turkey burger. If you’re looking for an indulgent French fry recipe that doesn’t bankrupt your calorie allotment, I highly recommend these skinny Texas cheese fries from skinnytaste. And did I mention the fry cutter costs under $5?

(Note: this post contains affiliate links. When you click those links and make purchases, you support me, this blog, and my family.)

my 5 favorite kitchen tools for under $10

January 26, 2015 by Abby

The kitchen is my happy place. There’s something about taking ingredients, items that are often useless on their own, and creating something that nourishes people, that brings them together. Sometimes I love the quiet comfort of a familiar recipe, of careful measurements. Other times, I love the unknown of experimenting, of wondering what the end result will be.

I have some pretty treasured gadgets in my kitchen, including my KitchenAid mixer. I use it several times a week. Most of my most frequently used tools, though, are inexpensive and versatile. Today I’m going to share a few of my favorites.

cheese slicer

This exact cheese slicer is the one J. and I have owned for nearly seven years. As two cheese-loving parents of two cheese-loving kids, we use it a lot. It’s sturdy and slices at the perfect thickness for a grilled cheese- we call that cheese toast around here- with the added perk that it can double as a spatula to flip and cut your sandwich.

Bonus: in a pinch, it makes a a workable bottle opener.

bamboo spoons

I use at least one of these bamboo spoons every day. They come as a set of six and cost just over $1 each. I’ve had my set for more than two years and they’re still holding up well, even though I wash them in the dishwasher. I use them for anything you’d use a regular wooden spoon for, and I use the squared off ones as spatulas.

Bonus: you can try this cool DIY.

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brown sugar balsamic strawberries

January 24, 2015 by Abby

Strawberries. Balsamic vinegar. Sugar. These are a few of my favorite things. They’re also three things I never would have imagined combining into one dish, let along enjoying. But a few years ago, I stumbled across a recipe- if you could even call it that; it basically just listed the three ingredients- on a blog I don’t recall. I was intrigued, and I happened to have everything I needed, so I threw it together.

The berries get tossed in the rich brown sugar and the acidic balsamic vinegar. Everyone rests in the fridge for a few minutes, getting chilled and cozy. When you pull it out to eat, the sugar and vinegar have come together to form a sweet and tangy sauce. The vinegar has begun to break down the berries, making them soft and delicate. It’s all a pretty lovely process.

It’s important to note that I’ve never followed a recipe when making this dish. I measured the last time I made it so that I’d be able to provide a recipe here, but keep in mind that there’s not really a wrong way to combine these three ingredients, so feel free to play around with it.

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sausage, egg, and cheese crescent roll bake

January 19, 2015 by Abby

We’re no strangers to brinner- breakfast + dinner- around my house. In fact, we probably have it at least twice a week. I love it because most breakfast options are fast and frugal, which are two huge factors I use in determining what we’ll be eating each week.

The other thing I love about the meals in my brinner rotation is that they can all be easily customized. One meat can be subbed for another, vegetables can be switched out based on what you have around, and using a specific kind of cheese isn’t that important.

All of the above apply to this sausage, egg, and cheese crescent roll bake. You could easily use bacon or ham instead of sausage and add any kind of veggies you like (to the whole dish or just to a portion). I use a cheddar cheese blend, because that’s what I usually have on hand, but most anything would work.

That’s a chubby toddler hand sneaking in to steal a grape 🙂

sausage, egg, and cheese crescent roll bake
adapted from Six Sisters’ Stuff

1 small can of crescent rolls (you only need four rolls; you can always buy the regular size and find another use for the leftover four)
1/2 pound ground sausage, cooked and drained
3/4 cup shredded cheese
4 eggs
2 tablespoons of milk
1/2 teaspoon Oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon minced onion

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