recipes

Tasty Homemade Chicken Burgers

July 10, 2015 By LovingOurHome.com Leave a Comment

You will be amazed at how tasty and juicy these tasty homemade chicken burgers are. Plus, it’s a healthier choice.

I found chicken burgers at an upscale grocery store, but OMG the amount of sodium in each burger was amazingly high. This recipe for chicken burgers will yield 6 full size burgers or 12 sliders (plus chicken thighs are very affordable). So here we go!!!

Ingredients

4 deboned chicken thighs with excess fat and skin removed
1 medium size white onion
4-6 garlic cloves
1 jalapeno pepper
1 tablespoon cumin
1-2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup unseasoned bread crumbs

Instructions

Peel and cut onion into quarters. Then peel garlic cloves. Cut and de-seed jalapeno. Place these items into your food processor, add cumin and salt. Pulse until well blended with no chunks. Place mixture in a bowl and set aside.

Now, place the chicken thighs into the food processor and pulse for 10-15 seconds. Get a large bowl, add chicken along with the garlic, onion, jalapeno and spice mixture. Sprinkle in bread crumbs. Mix together with a large spoon or with your hands. Now form all of your burgers and place onto the baking sheet. Wrap sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Cook burgers on the grill or on the stove top in a fry pan. Serve on a bun. Condiments such as colby or mozzarella cheese are a perfect topping. Or even better, top it with salsa or pico de gallo. (A recipe for homemade pico de gallo is on this site). The choice of toppings is totally up to you.

Enjoy and share with your friends!

Posted by Lorraine

Meatball Stroganoff with Rotini Pasta

July 4, 2015 By LovingOurHome.com Leave a Comment

This is a delicious dish to make and rather simple to prepare. You can use ground beef, turkey, pork or chicken when making your meatballs. The meatballs and sauce in this recipe for Meatball Stroganoff with Rotini Pasta — full of herbs. #YUM

Ingredients for Meatballs

1 Lb Ground Beef
1 1/2 Tablespoons Basil (dried)
1 1/2 Tablespoons Oregano (dried)
1/2 Teaspoon Rosemary (dried)
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper

Ingredients for Sauce

2 Cups of Beef Broth
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 Tablespoon Basil
1/2 Tablespoon Oregano
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper

Preparing Meatballs

In a large bowl place ground beef and spices. Mix together using your hands. Make individual meatballs the size of golf balls. Then, in a large skillet on medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil. Place meatballs in skillet and brown on all sides. When done remove meatballs from skillet and set aside.

Preparing Sauce

Now, in that same skillet add beef broth, to deglaze and bring to a boil. Allow broth to reduce by half. Then lower heat, add herbs, salt, pepper, whipping cream and sour cream. Whisk ingredients together. Place cooked meatballs into the sauce. Allow to simmer for five minutes.

Serve over rotini pasta, that is al dente.

You can use what ever type of pasta you like. I prefer rotini because it holds onto the sauce better than the traditional egg noodle. The choice is yours!

Enjoy

Posted by Eve

How to Make Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag

June 17, 2015 By LovingOurHome.com Leave a Comment

We’ve all had those moments of craving a pint of cold ice cream on a hot summer day or night. If you don’t really feel like running to the supermarket to pay $5.99 or more for a name brand ice cream, try making Ice Cream in a Bag. This is a simple way to make homemade ice cream without buying an ice cream maker.

Making ice cream in a bag is also great because you get to add your own ingredients. You can use a sugar substitute like Splenda or Stevia instead of white sugar and add sugar-free cookies and fresh fruits. You can also reduce sugar intake by using Half and Half instead of regular milk. The ideas are endless.

On this particular occasion, I decided to make chocolate ice cream with chocolate chip cookie pieces and strawberry ice cream with shortbread cookie pieces (see pics).

What You’ll Need…

About a cup of Half and Half or heavy cream (heavy cream is probably best for creamy ice cream, but Half and Half is the lowest in sugar)
The added ingredients you want (such as sliced frozen strawberries, cookies, Oreos, a bit of vanilla extract or vanilla beans for vanilla ice cream or a scoop of chocolate powder to make chocolate ice cream)
One tablespoon of Splenda, Stevia OR regular sugar
1 or 2 small, strong zip lock bags
2 large, strong zip lock bags
At least 2 cups of ice
3 tablespoons of Kosher Salt

(Whatever you do, don’t add any water to the small bag full of cream! That makes it too icy.)

Instructions

Add your half and half, Splenda (or sugar), and all of your other desired ingredients to the small Ziploc bag and seal it securely. You might also add a tiny sprinkle of salt to the cream to bring out the flavor more. Reinforce with an additional small ziploc bag if you think it’s needed. Shake everything together thoroughly and make sure that there aren’t any leaks.

Now get the large Ziploc bag. Add ice along with the salt. Reinforce it with another large Ziploc bag just in case.

Place the small bag of cream inside of the larger Ziploc bags and zip those closed securely as well. Shake vigorously for 10-15 minutes. (The shaking process takes some time, but you can look at it as a moment to get some exercise and burn off some calories before you enjoy your cold treat 🙂

Scoop the ice cream out of the Ziploc bag, add any toppings you like and enjoy!

Make this Ice Cream in a Bag whenever you get a craving for something cold and sweet!

Posted by Jade

Delicious Homemade Chicken Salad

June 14, 2015 By LovingOurHome.com Leave a Comment

This recipe for Delicious Homemade Chicken Salad is one of my favorite summer go-to meals. I really love the versatility of this salad. It can be a sandwich that is enjoyed for lunch or a main course for dinner with some veggies. Since my schedule can be erratic in the summer, I prepare a large quantity ahead of time. Another great thing about chicken salad is that you can use your favorite part of the chicken. For example, you can use the leg meat, thigh meat or breast. The choice is yours!

Ingredients

3 Cups Chicken Breast ( deboned and shredded )
2 Large Stalks of Celery ( finely diced )
1/4 Small Red Onion ( finely diced )
2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise ( more or less depending on your preference )
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1/4 Cup Raisins or Seedless Grapes Cut In Halves (optional)

Instructions

In a large pot, fill half way with water and add desired chicken pieces. Boil chicken pieces until done. For about 30 minutes on a high heat. Remember, that if you use chicken breast, it cooks faster than the other parts. Remove chicken parts from pot and let meat cool, in a large bowl, at room temperature or in the fridge for 20 minutes. Now, with either your hands, fork or knife shred or cube your chicken pieces. Return chicken to the large mixing bowl and add all other ingredients. Mix well and serve on bread or on top of salad.

Enjoy your delicious Homemade Chicken Salad!

Posted by Eve

Photo credit: Flickr/stuart_spivack

Easy Homemade Coleslaw

June 14, 2015 By LovingOurHome.com Leave a Comment

Coleslaw is an all-American side dish and a summer must-have. I can’t imagine enjoying a cook out without having a spoonful of coleslaw on my plate. This recipe is sweet, creamy and tangy. The secret to great coleslaw is that the finer the cabbage is cut, the better the coleslaw will taste. So make sure you have either a really sharp knife (be careful when using) or a mandolin to shred your cabbage. This recipe for homemade coleslaw is best when prepared the day before, so that all of the flavors can marinate well into the cabbage.

Ingredients

1 Large Head of Cabbage (finely shredded)
1 Large Carrot (peeled and shredded)
1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons White Vinegar
2 Tablespoons of White Sugar (or 1 tablespoon of your favorite sugar substitute)
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

Instructions
In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar and black pepper. Mix well. Then, add the cabbage, a handful at a time, tossing it to coat the cabbage. Now, add the shredded carrot and mix well. Store in the refrigerator for at least two hours. For the best results refrigerate over night. Give the coleslaw a toss before serving.

Posted by Lorraine

Homemade Bolognese Sauce with Penne Pasta and Sour Cream

June 13, 2015 By LovingOurHome.com Leave a Comment

This recipe for Homemade Bolognese Sauce with Penne Pasta is one of my all time favorites. This is not a loose type of sauce but rather a meaty, rich and super tasty meal. Many people use a combination of ground beef and pork, but I really enjoy using just ground beef. As for the pasta, you can use what ever pasta that you enjoy the best. I prefer penne because the hollow middle fills up with the thick meat sauce.

Ingredients

1 box of Penne Pasta (Cooked Al Dente)
2 Pounds of Ground Beef (80% meat, 20% fat)
2 Tablespoons Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 6 Ounce Can Tomato Paste
3 8 Ounce Cans Of Tomato Sauce
1 Teaspoon Of Sugar
1 Small Onion Diced
1 Small Green Pepper Diced
2 Stalks Of Celery Diced
2 Medium Carrots Diced
3 Cloves Of Garlic Grated
1 Beef Bouillon Cube (dissolve cube in 2 tablespoons of very hot water)
2 Tablespoons Of Dried Oregano
1/2 Teaspoon of Dried Chili Flakes
1/4 Of Red Wine
1/2 Teaspoon Of Salt And Pepper ( to taste )

Instructions
In a large sauce pan on medium heat add the olive oil, diced onions, peppers, carrots and celery and sauté until soft. Remove from pan and set aside. In the same pan, on medium heat, brown the ground beef until done. Remember, not to mince the beef. You want the meat rather chunky. Drain excess oil and discard. Now add the sautéed vegetables to pan. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar and stir well. Bring mixture to a simmer, then set heat on low. Add the grated garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and cook on low for 30 minutes. Remember to gently stir sauce during this time so that sauce does not stick to bottom of pan. After 30 minutes add red wine and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serve meat sauce over pasta with a dollop of sour cream.

Make this delicious Homemade Bolognese Sauce with Penne Pasta for family dinner tonight!

Posted by Eve

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