Snack Time!

Who doesn't like snacks? Whether it's Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, ball games, or heck, just a Friday night, having nibbles is always fun food.

Cajun Pecans

1# pecan halves

Melted butter

1 T. chili powder

1 t. basil

1 t. oregano

1 t. thyme

1/2 t. onion powder

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. cayenne pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a crockpot. Make sure you have enough melted butter to thoroughly coat the pecans. Cover and cook on high for about 15 minutes. Turn to low and stir occasionally until ready to serve. Transfer them to a serving dish and allow them to cool completely.

Whiskey Sausage

2 pkgs. vegan sausage (we used Field Roast), sliced into coins

2 c. brown sugar

2 c. ketchup

4 oz. whisky

Mix the sugar, ketchup, and whiskey. In a crockpot, layer sausage, sauce, sausage, sauce, etc. Cook overnight on low. Serve speared with pretzel sticks.

Pomegranate Guacamole

Seeds from one pomegranate

One avocado

One red onion, diced

One jalapeno, diced

One small bunch of cilantro, chopped

Juice of one lime

1/4 t. cumin

Mix everything together until well mixed and avocado is slightly chunky. Serve with chips.

Meatball Stew (Instant Pot)

I love when I'm looking for something to make, and already have all the ingredients on hand. It definitely makes my life a lot simpler!

Meatball Stew

One package Gardein meatballs

1 c, frozen green peas

2-3 carrots, chopped or sliced

5 potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

2 c. vegetable broth

1/4 c. dry white wine

1 bay leaf

As with most recipes in the IP, add everything to the pot and give a good stir. Set the timer for 5 minutes. I always let mine naturally release for a few minutes before doing a quick release. It just means I don't have to rush back when it's done. Discard the bay leaf and serve this with a good thick bread. Enjoy!

Pasta with Spicy Garlic Sauce

I love pasta. I love finding new recipes to try out a different sauce, or a different pasta shape, or a new pasta salad. In fact, for Christmas I got a pasta machine, and I can't wait to try making my very own pasta noodles! But that's a future project.

Pasta with Spicy Garlic Sauce

One package of your preferred pasta, cooked following package instructions

2 cans of Italian style tomatoes

1 t. basil

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. crushed red pepper

1/4 t. black pepper

Olive oil

6 or more cloves of garlic, minced

In a bowl, mix the tomatoes, basil, salt, crushed red pepper, and black pepper. Set aside. In a pan, saute the garlic in oil over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is a light golden color. Add the tomato mixture to the pan and simmer for about 5 minutes. Pour the sauce over the drained pasta. Serve. Enjoy!

Feel free to add more of the crushed red pepper to the mix if you like more heat.