Category: Main Dishes


Feb
2014

Italian Stuffed Zucchini

categories: Beef, From Our Veggie Garden, Italian, Main Dishes, Vegetable Dishes
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Baked Italian stuffed zucchini is a large zucchini, halved & filled with Italian sausage, tomato sauce, spices, Parmesan & mozzarella cheese.
Italian Stuffed Zucchini / The Grateful Girl Cooks!
I love to grow our own vegetables in my raised bed garden. Zucchini is one of my favorites, but sometimes they hide under the leaves until they have grown quite large. This recipe for Italian Stuffed Zucchini uses those great big zucchinis…which is why I love it!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

A fairly large zucchini is necessary for this dish. You know, the big zucchini you find you overlooked in your garden, or buy at your local Farmer’s market. It also might be the kind a friend gives you in a grocery bag after their harvest. You want a BIG one, so you have plenty of room for the delicious Italian filling!

Growing zucchini in our garden.
I received this recipe for Italian stuffed zucchini from a friend of mine named Shannon. I worked in a school office with Shannon for many years and love her dearly. She was one of my early inspirations for starting a veggie garden (for which I remain grateful!).

What Is In Italian Stuffed Zucchini?

I’ve made stuffed zucchini several times over the years. The pairing of a large garden-grown zucchini stuffed with Italian sausage, garlic, Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses adds up to a delicious and quick dinner! Italian stuffed zucchini is so easy to prepare, and is an all-in-one meal- meat AND veggies! See how big the zucchini is in the photo below?

Two huge zucchini halves, stuffed, baked, and ready to serve!

Here is a side view of all that melted Parmesan and mozzarella cheese on top! YUM!

Lots of melted cheese on top of the stuffed zucchini.

Have a great day. I hope you will consider trying this recipe for stuffed zucchini, and trust you will enjoy it, too! Thank you for stopping by, and I sincerely hope you will come back again soon.

Looking For More Recipes That Use ZUCCHINI?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A couple recipes with zucchini you might also enjoy include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature
Recipe given to me by Shannon Newton. Original Recipe Source: Unknown

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Italian Stuffed Zucchini
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 

Baked Italian stuffed zucchini is a large zucchini, halved & filled with Italian sausage, tomato sauce, spices, Parmesan & mozzarella cheese.

Category: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: italian stuffed zucchini
Servings: 6 (if using really big zucchini)
Calories Per Serving: 710 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 large zucchini
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 pound Italian sausage (or use 2 links with casing removed)
  • 3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
  • 1 medium onion , finely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoons oregano
  • salt & pepper (to taste)
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 6 ounces can tomato sauce
  • 3 Tablespoons butter , melted
  • 1 pound mozzarella cheese , grated
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (Kraft "green container" Parmesan works great)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Saute hamburger meat, Italian sausage, onion and garlic until cooked. Drain grease. Put meat mixture in large bowl.
  2. Add breadcrumbs, oregano, salt, pepper and tomato sauce to meat mixture. Mix well.
  3. In a skillet, par boil zucchini in water till tender. Remove zucchini and cut in half-length-wise. Remove seeds with a spoon, creating out a "tunnel" indentation in the zucchini (this will hold the filling-see photo below). Poke holes in zucchini with fork, then brush melted butter all over surface of the zucchini. Season with salt and pepper. Place zucchini halves in a 9x13 baking dish.
  4. Stuff both the carved "tunnels" with the hamburger mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
  5. Cover pan with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven. Uncover.
  6. Divide grated Mozzarella cheese in half. Sprinkle across top surface of both halves. Place pan back into the oven (uncovered) and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes, or until cheese has melted.
  7. Remove from oven and cut into serving sizes (can usually get 2-3 servings per half, but it depends of course, on the size zucchini you are using). Serve, and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Italian Stuffed Zucchini
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/6 of total))
Calories 710 Calories from Fat 468
% Daily Value*
Fat 52g80%
Saturated Fat 25g156%
Cholesterol 162mg54%
Sodium 1336mg58%
Potassium 605mg17%
Carbohydrates 16g5%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 41g82%
Vitamin A 970IU19%
Vitamin C 10.3mg12%
Calcium 543mg54%
Iron 3.5mg19%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Baked Italian stuffed zucchini is a large zucchini, halved & filled with Italian sausage, tomato sauce, spices, Parmesan & mozzarella cheese.

 

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Feb
2014

Pasta Carbonara

categories: Bacon, Italian, Main Dishes, Pasta
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Enjoy classic Pasta Carbonara, an Italian dish with pasta cooked in a creamy bacon and onion sauce, with grated Parmesan cheese. It tastes FANTASTIC!Enjoy classic Pasta Carbonara, an Italian dish with pasta cooked in a creamy bacon and onion sauce, with grated Parmesan cheese. It tastes FANTASTIC!

If you love bacon and you love pasta, then you’re going to LOVE this Pasta Carbonara recipe! I love recipes created by Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman, because I love her cooking, photos, and sense of humor. This recipe is adapted from her version of this classic pasta dish. I only made a couple of changes to suit our taste buds.
 
This pasta carbonara recipe is RIDICULOUS! I’m not kidding – the smell of bacon, onions, and garlic is amazing as they cook. I made this (again!) for us last night and my husband and I both LOVED it. We might have even exclaimed several times “Oh my gosh- this is so good!” Honestly, this dish is quite simple to make, economical, and if that’s not enough, it’s incredibly delicious! I’ve made it with spaghetti noodles (as in pic above) and fettucine noodles. Any pasta will do!

This recipe makes enough for 6 small servings or 4 generous servings. Since our sons are grown and it is now just the two of us at home, we always have LEFTOVERS! Yes…this pasta dish is truly a good thing. Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Pasta Carbonara

Bring water in pan to a boil to cook the pasta. While the water is coming to a boil, fry the bacon in a large skillet, until crisp. Drain out the bacon grease, but leave about. 2 Tablespoons grease still in the skillet. Remove and drain the bacon strips on paper towels. When it has cooled, crumble the bacon into small pieces.

Bacon is cooked until crisp, for the pasta sauce.

Return the skillet you cooked the bacon in back to the stove. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook over medium-low heat until golden brown (3-4 minutes). Carefully add the garlic and crumbled bacon, and continue cooking/stirring for one minute. 

Cooking the onions and mushrooms for the pasta sauce.

The crumbled crisp bacon is added to the carbonara sauce.

Time To Make The Pasta Carbonara Sauce

Now it’s time to make the pasta carbonara sauce. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, whipping cream, parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes together. Now it’s time to “temper the eggs”.

IMPORTANT – “Temper” The Eggs

Because there are fresh eggs in the sauce, you will want to “temper” them. All this means is introducing hot liquid very slowly into the mixture so when you add the hot pasta to the sauce, the eggs won’t scramble. Okay? It’s EASY.  Don’t freak out… here’s what you do:

Take 6 Tablespoons of the hot, starchy water from your pasta (when it is about half way cooked). SLOWLY add the water, by drizzling one Tablespoon at a time to the egg mixture, stirring continuously while adding. Repeat until all 6 Tablespoons of hot starch water have been added. This helps warm up the egg mixture and “tempers” the eggs. 

Eggs, whipping cream, spices and Parmesan cheese are the base for the carbonara sauce.

The egg mixture is mixed together and eggs are tempered before adding to hot skillet.

Turn the heat on the skillet to low. Slowly pour the mixture back into the skillet with the bacon mixture. Stir continuously, until the egg mixture is fully blended in with the bacon mixture.

The tempered egg mixture is added to the skillet to make pasta carbonara sauce.

Now the pasta carbonara sauce is ready to go! The next step is to add the cooked pasta to the sauce! Add the cooked and drained pasta to the skillet with the sauce. Toss well, to fully combine the pasta and the sauce. Once everything is heated through, the pasta carbonara is ready to serve!

Pasta carbonara sauce is fully blended, and is ready for cooked pasta to be added.

Serve The Pasta Carbonara

When ready to serve, place portions of the pasta carbonara onto each plate. If desired, garnish the pasta carbonara with additional bacon crumbles, parsley, and grated Parmesan cheese. This is optional, but it looks (and tastes) good. Dig in, and enjoy this hearty pasta dish! I bet you will love it!

A plate with a serving of pasta carbonara, and a slice of french bread.

Hope you enjoy this pasta carbonara dish, because it really tastes fantastic! Have a wonderful day, friends. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you will come back again soon.

Looking For More PASTA Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have quite a few pasta dishes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature
Recipe Adapted From: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/05/pasta-carbonara/

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Pasta Carbonara
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

Enjoy classic Pasta Carbonara, an Italian dish with pasta cooked in a creamy bacon and onion sauce, with grated Parmesan cheese. It tastes FANTASTIC!

Category: Entree, Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: pasta carbonara
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 557 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 6 slices thick cut bacon
  • 1/2 medium onion , chopped finely
  • 4 mushrooms , chopped (optional-I added them)
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced
  • 3 whole eggs
  • 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese ,or 1/2 c. fresh and 1/4 c. Kraft "green" can)
  • 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (add more later, to taste!)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 3/4 lb. pasta fettucine, spaghetti or other pasta you enjoy
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. While water is coming to a boil for pasta, fry bacon until crisp. Drain most of the grease from skillet, but leave approx. 2 TBSP bacon grease in the skillet. Remove and drain bacon on paper towels. When cool, crumble bacon into small pieces.

  2. Return skillet to stove. Place onions and mushrooms in skillet w/ bacon grease; cook on medium-low until golden brown (3-4 minutes). Add garlic and crumbled bacon; continue cooking for 1 minute, stirring often.

  3. In a small bowl, beat eggs, whipping cream, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes together using a whisk or fork. Because there are fresh eggs in the sauce, you need to "temper" them. This means introducing hot liquid slowly into the mixture so when you add hot pasta to the sauce, the eggs won't scramble. It's EASY. Here's how (see next step):

  4. Cook pasta according to pkg. directions. When pasta is halfway cooked, measure out 6 Tablespoons of the starchy water. SLOWLY add this water, ONE TABLESPOON AT A TIME, drizzling it slowly into eggs while stirring continuously. Once hot starchy water has been added, the eggs are "tempered". Slowly pour egg mixture back into skillet (on Low heat) with bacon mixture, stirring continuously until egg mixture is fully incorporated.

  5. When pasta is done cooking, drain, then add it to the sauce, stirring while adding. Cook on low heat for 1-2 minutes (do not boil) until pasta and sauce are heated through. Garnish with additional parmesan cheese and bacon crumbles, if desired. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Pasta Carbonara
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/6) of total)
Calories 557 Calories from Fat 288
% Daily Value*
Fat 32g49%
Saturated Fat 15g94%
Cholesterol 157mg52%
Sodium 673mg29%
Potassium 322mg9%
Carbohydrates 46g15%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 21g42%
Vitamin A 725IU15%
Vitamin C 1.5mg2%
Calcium 188mg19%
Iron 1.4mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Enjoy classic Pasta Carbonara, an Italian dish with pasta cooked in a creamy bacon and onion sauce, with grated Parmesan cheese. It tastes FANTASTIC!

 

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Feb
2014

Flour Tortillas DIY

categories: Breads, Mexican / Southwestern
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It’s EASY to make homemade flour tortillas with only a few common ingredients, and no special equipment! Great for quesadillas, enchiladas, or tacos!It's EASY to make homemade flour tortillas with only a few common ingredients, and no special equipment! Great for quesadillas, enchiladas, or tacos!Our family LOVES Mexican food! (It’s my favorite!) I am routinely cooking tacos, enchiladas or quesadillas, and we never seem to get tired of them.  Today I want to show you how to make flour tortillas, because it’s fairly easy!

I’m curious by nature, and love to try and figure out how to make things myself. Because of this, my quest to find a recipe for good homemade flour tortillas began a few years back.

It’s really true that fresh flour tortillas taste better than store-bought (plus you can control what is in them)! These flour tortillas are very easy to make. Why not experiment and give them a try, because there is no fancy equipment needed?

Scroll Down for A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Dough For The Flour Tortillas

Make a simple dough for the flour tortillas by mixing flour, baking powder, shortening, salt and hot water. The photo below shows the dough, mixed and ready to knead.

The dough for the flour tortillas is mixed and ready to knead.

The tortilla dough is then formed into 8 balls, all about the same size.

The tortilla dough is shaped into 8 equal sized dough balls.

Each of the dough balls is rolled out into a tortilla shape, and then it is ready for the hot skillet, to cook.

Each of the dough balls is rolled out to form flour tortillas.

Cook the Flour Tortillas

Cook the tortillas in a skillet, one at a time. When small bubbles appear on the surface, flip the tortilla over, to cook the other side.

The tortillas are cooked on a hot skillet until bubbles appear on top, then they are flipped.

This batch of tortillas was used to make shredded chicken quesadillas. My only regret (see photo below) is that I apparently cannot cut a straight line… ha ha!

Flour tortillas can be used to make quesadillas and other dishes!

It’s actually very simple to make homemade flour tortillas from scratch. I really hope you will give it a try sometime! Have a wonderful day, and please come back again soon for more yummy recipes.

Looking For More Recipes Using TORTILLAS?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few recipes that use tortillas include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signatureRecipe Source: http://www.mennonitegirlscancook.ca/2013/02/homemade-flour-tortillas.html  

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Flour Tortillas DIY
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
17 mins
Total Time
27 mins
 

It's EASY to make homemade flour tortillas with only a few common ingredients, and no special equipment! Great for quesadillas, enchiladas, or tacos!

Category: Bread
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: flour tortillas
Servings: 8 tortillas
Calories Per Serving: 170 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
  • 2/3 cup hot water
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Whisk the flour, baking powder & salt together. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender until crumbly. Pour in the hot water, a little at a time with a fork, and mix until the dough comes together. (I also have made this in the food processor with the dough blade on...works well, also!)
  2. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface, and knead a few minutes until smooth dough ball is formed (use your food processor for this, if using)
  3. Cover the dough with a towel and let it rest for approx. 45 minutes.
  4. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces; roll it with your hands; shape into a ball. Cover the dough balls with plastic wrap.
  5. Using a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 6-7 inch circle. Don't freak out...they do not have to be "perfect" circles... (that gives them their personality!) You can cook one tortilla while you roll out the next one, if you want.
  6. Preheat your skillet (non-stick or cast iron-done it both ways...cast iron is my preference) on medium high heat. DO NOT ADD OIL.
  7. Place tortilla in the hot skillet; cook till small bubbles appear on the surface before flipping the tortilla to the other side. You will end up cooking each side for about a minute (typically).
  8. Stack and cover the cooked tortillas (with a tea towel) as you remove them from the skillet until all the tortillas are cooked.
Recipe Notes

Once done, you are ready to use them for your favorite recipe. They are even good served hot off the grill, with butter (just sayin'). These tortillas can be frozen to use later. If freezing, be sure to wrap them in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil for best storage.

Nutrition Facts
Flour Tortillas DIY
Amount Per Serving (1 tortilla)
Calories 170 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 219mg10%
Potassium 58mg2%
Carbohydrates 23g8%
Protein 3g6%
Calcium 16mg2%
Iron 1.5mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!It's EASY to make homemade flour tortillas with only a few common ingredients, and no special equipment! Great for quesadillas, enchiladas, or tacos!

 

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Feb
2014

Pan Seared Creole Salmon

categories: Main Dishes, Seafood
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Make delicious, lightly seasoned, pan seared Creole salmon fillets, using only a few ingredients, and have it on the table in under 15 minutes!Make delicious, lightly seasoned, pan seared Creole salmon fillets, using only a few ingredients, and have it on the table in under 15 minutes!
If you are looking for an EASY and DELICIOUS way to prepare salmon…look no further. I debated whether even to post this Pan Seared Creole Salmon as a “recipe”, but decided to preserve it on my blog for all time. This is my “go to” way to prepare salmon fillets. Seriously- this is THE way I have prepared salmon fillets in our home for the past several years. It is so easy to prepare this delicious seafood.

One of my dearest friends (who happens to be a fantastic cook) said it was fantastic after being served this for dinner in our home recently. In the summer my husband loves to grill salmon on a cedar plank on our Weber BBQ (when it sunny and dry outside!), but this truly is how we cook salmon 9 times out of 10. We LOVE it!

I sure hope you will give it a try. Salmon is so good for you, and this recipe only takes 15 minutes, from start to finish! EASY! Here’s how to make this yummy dish:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Pan Seared Creole Salmon

Lightly sprinkle the creole seasoning onto one side of the salmon fillets. I used skinless fillets.

Salmon fillets are lightly seasoned with creole (cajun) seasoning.

This is the seasoning I use (shown below) in case you were wondering. NO, I do not receive any compensation for this product. If you do not have access to this seasoning mix, I recommend my recipe for homemade Cajun seasoning mix. It is a great substitute, and is very easy to make!

The seasoning mix used for this recipe.

Pan-Sear The Salmon Fillets

Heat oil on medium high heat in a large skillet. Place the salmon fillets, seasoned side down, into the hot skillet.

The salmon fillets are pan seared, seasoned side down, in hot oil.

When half of the way done, carefully turn the salmon to the other side and continue cooking until the salmon is done. Depending on the size of the salmon used, it “usually” only takes about 8-9 minutes total to cook the fillets.

Pan seared creole salmon cooking in skillet.

Baste Pan Seared Cajun Salmon With Melted Butter

After turning the fillets to the other side, butter is added to skillet. Let the butter melt in the skillet. Continue cooking side 2 of the salmon, and spoon the melted butter up and all over the salmon continuously while it finishes cooking. As the salmon cooks, the butter browns, and will add GREAT browned butter flavor to the salmon!

Melted butter is used to baste the creole salmon.

Once the fish is cooked through and flakes easily, this pan seared Creole salmon is ready to eat. See just how EASY it is to make? Enjoy!

A pan seared creole salmon fillet is served with rice and vegetables on the side.

Hope you enjoy this delicious pan seared creole salmon. We LOVE it! Have a good day, and I hope you will come back soon.

Looking For More SALMON Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have quite a few salmon recipes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

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Pan Seared Creole Salmon
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 

Make delicious, lightly seasoned, pan seared Creole salmon fillets, using only a few ingredients, and have it on the table in under 15 minutes!

Category: Entree
Cuisine: Cajun
Keyword: pan seared Creole salmon
Servings: 2 servings
Calories Per Serving: 353 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 2 Skinless salmon filets (we've used salmon with skin on, it's ok, but messy to remove at serving time).
  • Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning (I'm sure any Cajun or Creole seasoning will work)
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Lightly (do not put too much seasoning on!) sprinkle the surface of ONE side of each of the salmon filets.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is very hot (but not smoking), place the salmon in SEASONING SIDE DOWN. It should sizzle.
  3. After 3-4 minutes (depending on thickness of filets), carefully turn salmon over; continue cooking. After 2-3 minutes (when salmon is right on the verge of being done, add the butter to the pan.
  4. Once the butter is melted, continually spoon up the melted butter and pour over tops of salmon. Continue to "baste" the salmon with butter for a couple of minutes. Remove salmon from skillet and serve!
Nutrition Facts
Pan Seared Creole Salmon
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 353 Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Fat 23g35%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 108mg36%
Sodium 124mg5%
Potassium 833mg24%
Protein 33g66%
Vitamin A 245IU5%
Calcium 20mg2%
Iron 1.4mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Make delicious, lightly seasoned, pan seared Creole salmon fillets, using only a few ingredients, and have it on the table in under 15 minutes!

 

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Feb
2014

Italian Sausage and Spinach Quiche

categories: Breakfast, Main Dishes, Pork
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This delicious Italian sausage spinach quiche (with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses) is a meal you can enjoy for breakfast, lunch or dinner! This delicious Italian sausage spinach quiche (with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses) is a meal you can enjoy for breakfast, lunch or dinner! Nothing like a great piece of Italian Sausage Spinach Quiche to satisfy your hunger pangs, right? I think it’s going to be a great day!  It’s a great day to make a yummy Italian Sausage Spinach Quiche!

I woke up this morning with such peace and anticipation about what God will bring into my life today. I am so grateful He has proved Himself over and over through the years to be completely worthy of my trust and whole heart. “I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth”. (Psalm 121:1-2). I sure do love that Bible verse.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Breakfast For Dinner!

Sometimes I feel like having “breakfast” for dinner. Do you ever feel that way? Yesterday I asked my husband for his input on choices for dinner. One of the ideas I gave him was quiche, but I really didn’t think (i.e. never dreamed) he would choose this option. But he did! He constantly surprises me. Hmmm… breakfast for dinner (I know some think of quiche as a lunch entree, but for us it’s been a breakfast option). This sounded like a good plan to me.

So… in the afternoon I checked out the ol’ refrigerator to see what my options were. I also found my old “faithful, tried and true” Quiche Lorraine recipe (handwritten on a 3×5 card), that I’ve used for over 25 years, but since I didn’t have any bacon or Swiss cheese in the fridge (bummer!), I decided to experiment with my original recipe a bit and make a quiche with what I DID have!

Necessity Is The Mother Of Invention, Right?

This monumental decision was influenced by the fact that 1) I was sick, 2) I remembered my car battery had died (again…ugh) during our recent snowstorm and 3) my husband was away working on inspections for the afternoon. I knew I wasn’t going to be headed to the grocery store any time soon.

So…being the determined woman I am, I decided to make our quiche with Italian sausage, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, and spinach. Sounded promising…I mean, really…how bad could THAT be? Right?

One More Mouth To Feed!

Success! It turned out to be quite delicious. Our oldest son, the same one who asked me a few weeks ago to teach him how to make quiche since he was craving it, but our schedules never came together, happened to drop by after work. He was surprised we were having quiche for dinner.

I was pleasantly surprised and thrilled to have an extra mouth to feed. Perfect! It was wonderful to have him join us. We really enjoyed the quiche, and even had seconds (yep…it WAS good)!  I promised him I would put the recipe on my blog so he could make one, also! So here ya go, Michael…this one’s for YOU! Hope you enjoy it! Love, Mom.

Preparing The Italian Sausage Spinach Quiche

Cooking the Italian sausage and onion…

Italian sausage slices and onions are cooked in skillet.

Spinach and garlic added to Italian sausage and onion…

Spinach and garlic are added to the skillet of sausage and onions.

Pie crust is pricked, and is ready to add the ingredients for quiche.

Pie crust is made and is ready to fill.

Ingredients added to pie crust… now for the egg filling…

Cheeses and meat mixture is added to the unbaked pie crust.

Whipping cream/egg mixture is added to pie shell, and ingredients are gently mixed together. In to the oven it goes!

A whipping cream and egg mixture is added to the quiche filling.

Hot and straight out of the oven!

The Italian Sausage Spinach Quiche is golden brown after baking is complete.

Time for a delicious slice of Italian sausage spinach quiche!

A side view of a slice of Italian sausage spinach quiche on a plate.

Hope you enjoy this Italian sausage spinach quiche! Have a great day.

Looking For Other QUICHE Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A couple quiche recipes you might enjoy include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Italian Sausage and Spinach Quiche
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
50 mins
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
 

This delicious Italian sausage spinach quiche (with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses) is a meal you can enjoy for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Category: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Italian sausage quiche
Servings: 8 servings
Calories Per Serving: 484 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 unbaked deep dish pie crust (make sure it is a deep-dish crust/pan)
  • 2 links mild Italian sausage , sliced 1/2 " thin, then quartered (**slice while sausage is still partly frozen...makes it so much easier to slice. You can also remove sausage casing and crumble the sausage, if you prefer!)
  • 1/3 cup onion , finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (the real stuff)
  • 2 Tablespoons grated Kraft Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 box frozen chopped spinach (thawed, cooked according to pkg. and drained well)
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • small pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. While oven is preheating, cook the Italian sausage and onion in a non-stick skillet, till completely cooked through. (5-10 minutes approx.). Drain grease.
  2. In a separate saucepan, cook the spinach per pkg. instructions. Remove from heat, and drain really well to get excess moisture out. Add the cooked/drained spinach and the minced garlic to the skillet with sausage/onion mixture and mix well. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
  3. Prepare the unbaked pie shell by piercing shell with the tines of a fork - (this is to prevent the crust from creating air pockets and puffing up too much while baking)
  4. Add cooked sausage, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, garlic, onions, and spinach to the unbaked, prepared pie crust.
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk together whipping cream, eggs, sugar, cayenne pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes, until well blended.
  6. Pour egg mixture on top of the sausage/spinach/cheese mixture in pie crust. Gently mix ingredients together (I use a fork-be careful not to mix too hard or you will damage the crust. Just enough to blend the ingredients evenly together!)
  7. Carefully put quiche into the preheated 425 degree oven. Don't spill it!
  8. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 300 degrees and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes. (quiche is done when a knife comes out clean).
  9. Remove quiche pan to a wire rack. Let it cool a bit, slice, serve... and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Italian Sausage and Spinach Quiche
Amount Per Serving (1 slice)
Calories 484 Calories from Fat 396
% Daily Value*
Fat 44g68%
Saturated Fat 21g131%
Cholesterol 194mg65%
Sodium 720mg31%
Potassium 189mg5%
Carbohydrates 16g5%
Protein 13g26%
Vitamin A 1110IU22%
Vitamin C 1.6mg2%
Calcium 170mg17%
Iron 1.4mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!This delicious Italian sausage spinach quiche (with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses) is a meal you can enjoy for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

 

 

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Feb
2014

Orange Glazed Pork Roast

categories: Main Dishes, Pork
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You’ll really enjoy this delicious Orange Glazed Pork Roast, with dry rub spices, baked until tender, coated and served with a sweet citrus glaze.You'll really enjoy this delicious Orange Glazed Pork Roast, with dry rub spices, baked until tender, coated and served with a sweet citrus glaze.
Today’s recipe is for an Orange Glazed Pork Roast I made recently for the first time.  We loved the flavor the pork receives from the orange sauce… totally scrumptious!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Why I Decided To Try This Recipe For Orange Glazed Pork Roast

So here’s the “back story”…  My husband and I shop at Costco occasionally when we feel the urge to buy a 20 pound jar of peanut butter or some other “can’t live without this” product.

This was the case recently when we decided to buy a 4 pack of pork roasts. The price was right, so even though it’s usually just the two of us here for dinner, we grabbed a package and threw it into the cart. Can you believe it? FOUR roasts for TWO people.

What On Earth Do You Make With FOUR Pork Roasts?

Then the fun of figuring out new ways to cook 4 pork roasts began for me. Hmmmm. Well, let’s see- the first one I threw in the crock pot with seasonings. This was used for shredding, for pork enchiladas. The next roast was used to make BBQ pork for sandwiches.

Now for the one I pulled out of the ol’ family freezer this morning. I’ve been sick for a week now and snowed in. Really snowed in. I needed to fix something that would taste good with food items we already had around the house. Dinner needed to be not too hard…not too fancy…but tasty. I searched online for recipes and came up with this one to try.

A Dry Rub And Orange Glaze Give This Pork Roast GREAT Flavor!

A dry rub on the pork (garlic, ginger, brown sugar, thyme, etc.) gives GREAT flavor to the roast. The real star is the the orange flavored glaze that is “brushed” onto the meat for the second half of cooking! Orange marmalade and juice in the citrus glaze is a perfect flavor addition for this orange glazed pork roast.

My husband and I totally enjoyed our dinner, and look forward to the leftovers! Hope you will enjoy this recipe as much as we did. My husband declared it “A KEEPER”! It is delicious!

Prepare The Pork Roast

A small pork roast is coated with a dry rub mix (including garlic!), then it is baked. The original recipe calls for a 4 pound roast, but I used a 2.5 pound roast, with no problem.

Pork Roast is covered with spice rub (including garlic).

While the pork roast is baking, a simple orange glaze is mixed together. The glaze is simmered on the stove top while the pork bakes.

Orange glaze for pork roast is cooked on stove.

Orange Glaze Is Added To Pork During Baking Time

After the first 2 hours of baking, the glaze is brushed onto the pork roast. The glaze is brushed on, in 15 minute intervals for the rest of the baking time. The slow baking time ensures this orange glazed pork roast is tender and juicy. Who wouldn’t want that, right?  As an added benefit, your kitchen will sure smell good while it bakes!

Here’s a photo of the first time the orange sauce was added to make this a true orange glazed pork roast!

The Pork Roast being brushed with orange glaze part way through baking time.

Continue to glaze the pork roast with the orange sauce every 15 minutes.  Think of it as adding layer upon layer of delicious orange flavor! The pork roast is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

Orange Glazed Pork Roast is ready when internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.

Orange Glazed Pork Roast Is Ready To Eat!

Here is the finished orange glazed pork roast! The roast is golden brown on the outside, and rests for a few minutes before being sliced.

Orange glazed pork roast is finished baking and rests for a few minutes before slicing.

To serve the orange glazed pork roast, place a couple thin slices of pork on plate. Spoon some of the orange glaze over the top. Once that is done, all that is left to do is dig in! I served the pork slices with mashed potatoes and garden peas on the side. It tasted so GOOD! the pork was very juicy, full of flavor, and quite tender!

Mashed potatoes and peas are served with orange glazed pork roast.

I really hope you enjoy this delicious recipe for orange glazed pork roast! We sure did! Hope you have a wonderful day, full of encouragement and good things!

Looking for More PORK Recipes?

You can find ALL my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I hav lots of great pork recipes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Recipe Adapted from: Cookingwithdoyle.com/index.php/orange-glazed-pork-roast  

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Orange Glazed Pork Roast
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
3 hrs
Total Time
3 hrs 10 mins
 
You'll really enjoy this delicious Orange Glazed Pork Roast, with dry rub spices, baked until tender, coated and served with a sweet citrus glaze.
Category: Entree
Cuisine: American
Keyword: orange glazed pork roast
Servings: 8 servings
Calories Per Serving: 358 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 4 lb. boneless pork roast
For the rub:
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 clove garlic , minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon thyme (dried)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger (dried)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the orange glaze:
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 cup orange juice (I use fresh squeezed)
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard (I used Dijon - original recipe calls for spicy brown)
  • 1 Tablespoon soy sauce (I added this just because I thought it would be good.)
  • 2 Tablespoon orange marmalade ( I added this to original recipe)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Combine the rub ingredients in a small bowl. Rub this mixture over the entire pork roast; then place the roast in a baking pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 2 hours.
  2. While roast is cooking, make the orange glaze. In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar and cornstarch, then stir in the remaining glaze ingredients. Bring this mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for two minutes, then remove pan from the heat. The mixture should have thickened a little bit. Set aside 1/3 of the glaze to drizzle over the meat slices when you serve them.
  3. After the roast has cooked for the first two hours, remove it from oven. With a pastry brush, "paint" the rest of the glaze (the non-reserved) over the roast every 15 minutes for another 60-90 minutes, or until the roast reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees (check in the thickest part of the meat with a meat thermometer). Once the internal temperature of the roast has reached 160 degrees, remove it from oven. Let it stand for 10 minutes before slicing (if you cut into it too soon, all those great juices will run out...be patient).
  4. When meat has rested for 10 minutes, slice and serve, with additional glaze spooned over the slices of roast. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes

NOTE: I used a smaller 2 1/2 lb. roast and adapted the baking times to match, but have kept the recipe as originally written for a 4 lb. roast. I also used the glaze and rub ingredients in the amounts as originally written.

Nutrition Facts
Orange Glazed Pork Roast
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 358 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 142mg47%
Sodium 494mg21%
Potassium 919mg26%
Carbohydrates 14g5%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 51g102%
Vitamin A 60IU1%
Vitamin C 15.8mg19%
Calcium 22mg2%
Iron 1.4mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!You'll really enjoy this delicious Orange Glazed Pork Roast, with dry rub spices, baked until tender, coated and served with a sweet citrus glaze.

 

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Feb
2014

Fiesta Rice

categories: Meatless Meals, Mexican / Southwestern, Side Dishes
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Fiesta Rice is a totally EASY, hearty, and delicious side dish made with white rice, black beans, corn, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro and lime juice.Fiesta Rice is a totally EASY, hearty, and delicious side dish made with white rice, black beans, corn, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro and lime juice.
This fiesta rice just might be one of the easiest side dishes ever created. Really. It’s almost too easy to call it a “recipe”, but yet it is! Guess what? It is DELICIOUS!

I discovered the recipe on Pinterest, and found it to be a perfect accompaniment for Taco Night! The flavors in the fiesta rice are a refreshingly nice change from my recipe for Spanish Rice that I have made and served over the years.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Fiesta Rice Is So Easy To Make

Basically to make fiesta rice, all you will need to do is cook rice, and then add the remaining ingredients and mix them all together. That’s it!

This rice is so good, I suppose you COULD just eat it right out of the bowl before it gets to the table. Not that I would ever do such a despicable thing (*cough, cough). Didn’t take photos other than the finished product, because, honestly, it’s SO EASY!

Fiesta rice is a great side dish, and it’s super easy if you already have leftover cooked rice to use. This would be delicious paired with chicken, pork, shrimp.

You could also morph it into a yummy burrito bowl, and add some barbacoa shredded beef, etc.! Hope you enjoy it!

Looking For More Mexican-Style Dishes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have a good variety of Mexican-style dishes (and side dishes), including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

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Recipe Source: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/04/fiesta-lime-rice.html

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Fiesta Rice
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 

Fiesta Rice is a totally EASY, hearty, and delicious side dish made with white rice, black beans, corn, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro and lime juice.

Category: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: fiesta rice
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 295 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked , long-grain rice
  • 1 can black beans-rinsed and heated
  • 1 cup corn (canned or frozen), heated
  • 1 large tomato , diced
  • 1 large scallion , finely diced
  • 2-4 Tablespoons chopped cilantro (I used 4)
  • 1 heaping Tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice (I added an extra Tablespoon)
  • Salt (to taste)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Cook the rice.
  2. In a large serving bowl, mix the hot rice with the remaining ingredients (salt to taste).
  3. Toss and Serve.
  4. The End. Wasn't that EASY? Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Fiesta Rice
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 295 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 5mg0%
Potassium 437mg12%
Carbohydrates 61g20%
Fiber 8g33%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 11g22%
Vitamin A 330IU7%
Vitamin C 6.4mg8%
Calcium 35mg4%
Iron 2.1mg12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Fiesta Rice is a totally EASY, hearty, and delicious side dish made with white rice, black beans, corn, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro and lime juice.

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Feb
2014

Olive Garden Toscana Soup

categories: Copycat Recipes, Italian, Main Dishes, Soups
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Olive Garden Toscana Soup is a delicious copycat recipe for a beloved, hearty soup with potatoes, Italian sausage and kale, in a seasoned broth!Olive Garden Toscana Soup is a delicious copycat recipe for a beloved, hearty soup with potatoes, Italian sausage and kale, in a seasoned broth!
I’m sitting in my office at home looking out the window at freshly fallen snow in our backyard. We had a crazy snowstorm yesterday (it gets crazy in Portland when we have significant snow). Today another 3-5 inches of snow is expected. Whoa! 

This is a great day for Olive Garden Toscana Soup! My husband and I have both been fighting pesky head colds for several days now, and we decided a big pot of soup was what we needed.

This way we can have soup made for 1) the snowstorm, and 2) leftovers (so I don’t have to cook much while sick). It was a really good idea (we occasionally have good ideas!).

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Where I Found The Recipe For Olive Garden Toscana Soup

Once my hubby and I settled on what KIND of soup it was easy: A big pot of Toscana Soup, a copycat version of the popular soup found at Olive Garden restaurants nationwide. It is also known as Zuppa Toscana.

I dug out my trusty cookbook called “Top Secret Restaurant Recipes”, by author Todd Wilbur, and got busy in the kitchen. Honestly, I can’t count how many times I’ve made this recipe over the years.

We find this soup wonderfully tasty, filling, and it’s ridiculously easy to make. The blended flavors of Italian sausage, potatoes and kale are enhanced by a light, creamy broth.

Olive Garden Toscana Soup is a seriously good soup to cozy up with on a cold, snowy day, or any time you want a great bowl of soup!

How To Make Olive Garden Toscana Soup

Place four Italian sausage links into a large skillet. Pan-sear the sausage links on medium heat until they are browned, and cooked through.

Cooking the sausage links will take between 10 and 15 minutes to cook the sausages all the way through.

Italian sausage links are pan-seared in skillet.

Once they are finished cooking, transfer the sausages out of the skillet, and let them cool for about 10 minutes before attempting to slice them..

Use a sharp knife to slice the cooked Italian sausage links into thin rounds. Set the sausage slices aside to rest while you add other ingredients to the soup.

The cooked Italian sausage links are cut in thin slices.

Time To Slice Those Potatoes!

Slice the cleaned, unpeeled potatoes into thin slices, and then cut them into quarters. The potato slices will cook more evenly if they are all cut about the same size.

Unpeeled russet potatoes are cut into thin slices, then cut into quarters.

Add Potatoes And Kale To The Toscana Soup

Add the sliced potatoes (make them “walk the plank”) to the Toscana soup base that is simmering in a large soup pot.

Potatoes being added to the Olive Garden Toscana Soup in pan.

Next into the soup pot goes the kale. Yes… this recipe calls for lots of fresh chopped kale (the HEALTHY veggie)! Stir to incorporate the potatoes and kale into the soup.

The kale will wilt and reduce in volume as it heats in the hot broth. Now your big ol’ pot of Olive Garden Toscana Soup is almost ready to eat! Are you getting excited? I know I am!

Chopped kale is added to the soup in pan.

Final Step, Then It’s Time To EAT!

Add the cooked and sliced Italian sausage to the soup, and stir, to combine. Continue to heat the soup, until it is very hot, and then get ready to serve it!

Ladle the hot Toscana Soup into individual serving bowls. Serve Olive Garden Toscana Soup with some crusty Italian bread on the side, and enjoy!

The sliced, cooked Italian sausage pieces are added to the pot of Olive Garden Toscana Soup.

Hope you will give this Olive Garden Toscana Soup a try and will discover (if you haven’t already), how delicious it really is!

It’s pretty easy to make a big pot of this soup to enjoy! Sure hope you like it!  If you enjoy the soups at The Olive Garden, be sure to check out my recipe for Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup! It is fantastic, and is one of my all-time favorites!

Thanks for stopping by today. Please come back soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, and have a great day.

Looking For More SOUP Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of delicious soups for you to enjoy, including:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.

Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Recipe adapted from the cookbook: “Top Secret Restaurant Recipes”, by Todd Wilbur, (published 1977).
 

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Olive Garden Toscana Soup
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
 

Olive Garden Toscana Soup is a delicious copycat recipe for a beloved, hearty soup with potatoes, Italian sausage and kale, in a seasoned broth!

Category: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Toscana soup
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 396 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 4 Italian sausage links (mild or hot flavors are okay-I typically use mild)
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 3/4 cup milk (for an even creamier version, use heavy whipping cream, then omit the butter)
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 3 cups chopped kale
  • 3 small russet potatoes- unpeeled (or 1 1/2 large potatoes-unpeeled)
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Grill or sauté the sausages till done (approx. 15 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool. Once sausage has cooled, slice the sausages at an angle into slices about 1/2 inch thick.

  2. In a large saucepan, combine the chicken stock and the milk/butter (or heavy cream) over medium heat. Add the grilled Italian sausage slices and kale to the soup. Slice the unpeeled potatoes into 1/4 inch slices, and then quarter each slice. Add the quartered potato slices to the soup.

  3. Add the spices (salt, pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes) to taste. Let the soup simmer on low, uncovered for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Serve, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Recipe adapted from the cookbook: "Top Secret Restaurant Recipes", by Todd Wilbur, (published 1977).

Nutrition Facts
Olive Garden Toscana Soup
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/6 of total))
Calories 396 Calories from Fat 279
% Daily Value*
Fat 31g48%
Saturated Fat 12g75%
Cholesterol 77mg26%
Sodium 1245mg54%
Potassium 1000mg29%
Carbohydrates 28g9%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 20g40%
Vitamin A 3560IU71%
Vitamin C 47mg57%
Calcium 116mg12%
Iron 2.6mg14%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Olive Garden Toscana Soup is a delicious copycat recipe for a beloved, hearty soup with potatoes, Italian sausage and kale, in a seasoned broth!

 

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Feb
2014

Orange Beef Stir Fry

categories: Asian, Beef, Main Dishes
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Enjoy an Orange Beef Stir Fry, with marinated steak cooked with broccoli, carrots and red bell peppers, in an Asian-inspired soy and marmalade sauce!Enjoy an Orange Beef Stir Fry, with marinated steak cooked with broccoli, carrots and red bell peppers, in an Asian-inspired soy and marmalade sauce!

Last year I bought a cookbook called “Hungry Girl To the Max!” – The Ultimate Guilt-Free Cookbook”, by Lisa Lillien. I found this recipe for Orange Beef Stir Fry in the cookbook and enjoyed giving it a try. We ended up really enjoying this delicious meal.

I don’t eat very much beef, but this recipe sounded good to me (I’m a sucker for anything with orange in it), and I love the fact that the author has taken steps to cut the fat in a lot of her recipes.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

The Marinated Steak Is Full Of Flavor!

The steak marinades until time to cook, so it helps to tenderize it, and allows the wonderful, delicious combination of orange marmalade, soy sauce, ginger and garlic flavors to permeate it!  Add to that some good stir-fried veggies, and you’re in for a treat!

The orange sauce would be great just on the veggies alone, if you don’t eat meat…(just sayin’ that for all you vegetarians out there!) Or swap out the beef for chicken if you don’t like red meat. This is a very versatile recipe- the flavor is in the sauce!

My suggestion would be to get the beef marinating in the refrigerator early in the day…then the recipe will be a snap to throw together later, for a delicious dinner. Hope you enjoy it! Making the sauce is EASY! Simply whisk the ingredients together.

An Asian-inspired orange and soy sauce is mixed for the stir fry.

Slice the steak very thin. TIP: You will find it’s easiest to slice thin if the meat is partially frozen before cutting.

Steak is cut into thin strips for the orange beef stir fry.

Marinating The Steak Strips For FLAVOR!

The steak slices are marinated in a delicious soy and marmalade Asian-inspired sauce, before stir frying.

Steak marinates in orange and soy sauce before cooking.

While the steak marinates, I prep the veggies for the orange beef stir fry. The veggies are prepped and ready to go. I love the colors of the veggies in a good stir fry, don’t you?

Broccoli, bell peppers and carrots are chopped and prepped before stir frying.

Stir Fry The Veggies

The colorful veggies are stir-fried in some reserved delicious orange and soy sauce mixture.

Broccoli, bell peppers and carrots are stir-fried in orange sauce.

Finish Cooking The Orange Beef Stir Fry And Serve!

The marinated beef slices and the reserved sauce are then added to the veggies. The dish is cooked until the steak is cooked through, and the sauce has thickened. The finished orange beef stir fry is served on top of a bed of rice. Yum!

Orange Beef Stir Fry is served on top of white steamed rice.

Hope you will consider trying this yummy orange beef stir fry. It is really scrumptious! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you will come back soon for more delicious recipes. Have a GREAT day!

Looking For More BEEF Recipes?

You can find all of my beef recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. These recipes include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signatureRecipe Adapted from “Hungry Girl To The Max-The Guilt-Free Cookbook, by Lisa Lillien, published 2012.

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Orange Beef Stir Fry
Prep Time
1 hr 30 mins
Cook Time
12 mins
Total Time
1 hr 42 mins
 

Enjoy an Orange Beef Stir Fry, with marinated steak cooked with broccoli, carrots and red bell peppers, in an Asian-inspired soy and marmalade sauce!

Category: Entree
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: orange beef stir fry
Servings: 3 servings
Calories Per Serving: 243 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 3 Tablespoons orange marmalade (author recommends low-sugar)
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons reduced sodium/light soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 3/4 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 8 oz. raw lean beefsteak fillet (I used a rib eye steak I found in the freezer...heh heh heh!)
  • 2 dashes Couple dashes of salt
  • 3 cups broccoli florets
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped red bell pepper (I used a combination of red and yellow peppers for color)
  • 3/4 cup shredded carrots
  • Optional seasonings to taste: additional salt , pepper, and red pepper flakes (I used all of them)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Make the sauce: In a medium bowl, mix the marmalade with the soy sauce until blended. Add the vinegar, cornstarch, ginger and garlic powder and mix well. Add 1 cup of water to this and whisk together until the cornstarch is completely dissolved.
  2. At this point, reserve 1/2 cup of the marinade in a separate bowl. Cover and refrigerate. This will be used later in the recipe.
  3. Thinly slice the beef (trimming the visible fat) and season with salt. (Hint: the easiest way to slice the beef thin is to slice while the beef is semi-thawed, but still firm. Trust me.) Add the beef to the bowl w/ the remaining marinade (NOT the 1/2 cup you reserved earlier) and coat well. Cover the bowl and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour (I recommend all day)
  4. Chop and grate the veggies. Spray a large skillet with non-stick spray, and bring to medium-high heat. Add the broccoli, bell pepper, carrots, and the 1/2 cup of the marinade that you reserved earlier. Cook this on medium-high for approximately 5 minutes, stirring, until the veggies have slightly softened.
  5. Add the 1/2 cup of leftover marinade and the beef into the skillet. Cook on medium-high until the veggies are tender, the beef has cooked through, and the sauce has thickened (approx. 4-5 minutes). When done, remove from heat, and serve! We had rice on the side and it was a perfect accompaniment to the stir-fry. ENJOY!
Nutrition Facts
Orange Beef Stir Fry
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/3 of total))
Calories 243 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 46mg15%
Sodium 871mg38%
Potassium 824mg24%
Carbohydrates 31g10%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 18g20%
Protein 21g42%
Vitamin A 8245IU165%
Vitamin C 179.2mg217%
Calcium 87mg9%
Iron 2.6mg14%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Enjoy an Orange Beef Stir Fry, with marinated steak cooked with broccoli, carrots and red bell peppers, in an Asian-inspired soy and marmalade sauce!

 

 

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Feb
2014

Tuscan Garlic Chicken

categories: Chicken, Italian, Main Dishes
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This easy, stove top Tuscan Garlic Chicken features lightly seasoned chicken, with a spinach, red pepper, garlic and Parmesan cheese sauce, on fettuccine pasta.
This easy, stove top Tuscan Garlic Chicken features lightly seasoned chicken, with a spinach, red pepper, garlic and Parmesan cheese sauce, on fettuccine pasta.
“Winner, Winner…Chicken Dinner”! I might have said these words after making this amazing recipe for Tuscan garlic chicken last night for dinner.
 
I love to search for new recipes and try them out for my husband and myself, and when I find a great one, like Tuscan garlic chicken, it’s a “Christmas miracle”, as I like to say!  I made a few small changes to the original recipe, utilizing ingredients I had on hand. The end result? We totally enjoyed this dish.
 
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

About This Recipe For Tuscan Garlic Chicken

The Italian flavors of lightly seasoned chicken, spinach, red peppers, garlic and Parmesan cheese on a bed of fettuccine pasta are wonderful! As I made the sauce, I kept tasting it. Yes, it’s a tough job, but “someone” has to do quality control, right?
 
The original recipe calls for 4 chicken breasts, but I only used 2 for this recipe. After pounding them out thinner and cutting them in half (total of 4 pieces of chicken breast), my husband and I ended up having 1 half piece each (with 2 pieces leftover for “leftovers”).That portion size of chicken was more than enough, so that cut the already inexpensive price of this delicious meal way down!
 
I’m very glad I tried this recipe, and look forward to making it again. This would be a great meal to cook when company comes over for dinner! I hope you will give it a try – AND I hope you enjoy it! Here are a few pictures taken while cooking Tuscan garlic chicken:

Some Photos Of The Process

Pounding the chicken breasts between plastic wrap with a meat mallet is good, cheap therapy! Keep pounding until the chicken breasts are fairly flattened.
 
Pound the chicken breasts with a meat mallet, to flatten them.

You will cook red peppers and garlic together in a large skillet, before adding the rest of the ingredients needed to make a colorful, creamy sauce for the chicken.
 
Red bell peppers and garlic cook in skillet before adding more sauce ingredients.
 

The Sauce For Tuscan Garlic Chicken Is Very Colorful!

This is what the sauce for Tuscan garlic chicken will look like once all ingredients are added. It is very creamy and full of flavor.
 
The creamy sauce for Tuscan garlic chicken is very colorful in the skillet.

Serving Tuscan Garlic Chicken

And that’s it! The Tuscan garlic chicken is wonderful, served on top of fettucine pasta. Doesn’t it look good? Well, let me tell you, it IS absolutely DELICIOUS!

Tuscan Garlic Chicken, served on a bed of fettucine noodles.

This chicken dish really is a simple meal to prepare, and it tastes wonderful! Sure hope you will consider making this Tuscan garlic chicken! Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you will come back soon. Have a great day.

Looking For More CHICKEN Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have LOTS of delicious chicken recipes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe! 

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks


Author's signature

 Adapted From: http://www.tastesbetterfromscratch.com/2014/01/tuscan-garlic-chicken.html 

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Tuscan Garlic Chicken
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 

This easy, stove top Tuscan Garlic Chicken features lightly seasoned chicken, with a spinach, red pepper, garlic and Parmesan cheese sauce, on fettuccine pasta.

Category: Entree
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Tuscan garlic chicken
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 540 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 2 large chicken breasts
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
For the chicken coating:
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
For the sauce:
  • 1/2 large red bell pepper , diced
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 Tablespoon flour
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon corn starch
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt & pepper , to taste
  • 1/2 small box frozen chopped spinach (cooked according to pkg. & drained well) You can also substitute 2 cups of chopped fresh baby spinach, if desired)
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (I used the real stuff!)
For the pasta:
  • 1/2 lb. fettuccine noodles , cooked according to pkg. directions)
  • * Note: I'm sure any pasta would work great...the fettuccine noodles were fantastic though; they really handled the sauce well!)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Cut the chicken breasts in half. Place each piece between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until much thinner (think of this as good therapy...pound, pound, pound!). You can also cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally, if desired. I pounded away!
  3. On a large plate, mix together the chicken coating ingredients (flour, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, onion powder and garlic powder). Dredge the chicken in the mixture, coating both sides.
  4. Heat 2 TBSP olive oil in a non-stick skillet on medium high. When the oil is really HOT, add the chicken. Brown the chicken on both sides (approx. 1-2 minutes per side-till golden brown), then remove chicken from skillet and place in a baking dish and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes (or until fully cooked). Keep chicken warm.
  5. While the chicken is in the oven, whip up the sauce. (Easy so far, right?)
  6. To make the sauce, start by sauteing the diced red peppers in just a touch of olive oil for about 5 minutes. Then add the minced garlic and saute for another minute or two (being careful NOT to burn the garlic!). Once done, remove from skillet to a small plate and set aside.
  7. Add the 1 1/2 TBSP olive oil to the warm skillet. Add in the flour and whisk into the oil to blend. Add the chicken broth to this mixture and whisk until smooth. Slowly bring this sauce to a boil.
  8. In a small bowl, combine the milk and the cornstarch until dissolved. Add this to the boiling sauce, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
  9. Stir in the cooked, well-drained spinach (or 2 cups fresh chopped baby spinach), the peppers and garlic mixture, the Parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Season with a touch of salt and pepper (to taste).
  10. Simmer the sauce until it thickens, stirring occasionally. If sauce is too thick, you can always add in several tablespoons of the starchy hot pasta water. (I added 3-4 TBSP of pasta water)
  11. Place fettuccine noodles on plates, top with the sauce and then place the chicken on top. Garnish with a bit of fresh, chopped basil (optional) and some additional shredded Parmesan cheese. ENJOY!
Nutrition Facts
Tuscan Garlic Chicken
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 540 Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Fat 20g31%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 97mg32%
Sodium 1000mg43%
Potassium 584mg17%
Carbohydrates 59g20%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 28g56%
Vitamin A 2120IU42%
Vitamin C 26.6mg32%
Calcium 235mg24%
Iron 2.8mg16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!This easy, stove top Tuscan Garlic Chicken features lightly seasoned chicken, with a spinach, red pepper, garlic and Parmesan cheese sauce, on fettuccine pasta.

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