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.

Mexican Style Beans and Greens

Kale gets such a bad rap, but I love it. I mean, it's a little bit of a pain to strip the thicker stems, but the end result is worth it.

Mexican Style Beans and Greens

2 c. basmati rice

2 t. salt

Olive oil

One onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 c. greens (your choice, but I used kale)

One can black beans, rinsed and drained

One can diced tomatoes with chiles

1/2 t. black pepper

1/2 t. oregano

One bunch scallions, sliced

Cook the rice according to package instructions, adding salt and some olive oil. While rice is cooking, saute the onion. Add the garlic and cook until soft and fragrant. To this add the greens and cook, stirring frequently, until greens are wilted. Stir in black beans, tomatoes, black pepper, and oregano. Cook until heated through. Divide rice into bowls, and top with the greens mixture. Garnish with scallions. You can add shredded cheese and/or sour cream if you like, but we didn't. Enjoy!

Coconut Rice with Red Beans and Mango (for the rice cooker)

 Ever since I got my rice cooker, I think I cook all my rice dishes in it. Even though I have an Instant Pot, I just like the convenience of my rice cooker better for rice. Dump in the ingredients, give it a swish, close, hit the appropriate button, and wander off to do whatever I need/want to do. One of these days I'll try making grits in it.

Coconut Rice with Red Beans and Mango

2 c. brown rice

One onion, diced

1 t. ginger

One can of coconut milk

2-1/2 c. vegetable broth

1/8 t. cayenne

One mango, peeled and diced

2 cans of red beans, or 1-1/2 c. cooked from dried

Cilantro, chopped

Dump all the ingredients except for the mango, beans, and cilantro into the rice cooker. Stir to mix well. Close lid and follow manufacturer's directions. When done, stir in the mango, beans, and cilantro. Enjoy!

Chick'n Vegetable Spaghetti

 Like I mentioned last week, I have a freezer full of Gardein. My son developed an obsession for the Gardein Chick'n Scallopini, so I wanted to find a recipe for it that did more than just season and grill.

Chick'n Vegetable Spaghetti

One package Gardein Chick'n Scallopini, thawed enough to cut into chunks

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 zucchini, chopped

One onion, chopped

One package sliced mushrooms

One can of sliced black olive, drained

One 15 oz. can tomato sauce

2 t. dried basil

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. black pepper

One package of your favorite pasta (I like angel hair), cooked according to package directions

Saute the scallopini chunks and garlic in oil until garlic becomes fragrant. Add the zucchini and onion and saute until vegetables are tender. Add the olives and mushrooms and heat through. Add the tomato sauce and seasonings until thoroughly heated. Serve over the cooked pasta. Enjoy!

Hawaiian Porq

 I realized my freezer was being overrun with Gardein products, so I started considering ways to use them.

Hawaiian Porq

One package Gardein Sweet and Sour Porkless Bites

One onion, chopped

One can of pineapple chunks, drained and juice reserved

1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

1/4 c. brown sugar

One green bell pepper, chopped

2 T. soy sauce

4 T. cornstarch

Saute the porkless bites, onion, and bell pepper until the vegetables are softened. Add the pineapple chunks, vinegar, brown sugar, and soy sauce, stirring to mix well. I added the sauce packet from the porkless bites, as well. Mix the cornstarch into the reserved pineapple juice until dissolved. Pour this into the pan with the other ingredients and stir until thickened. Serve over rice. Enjoy!