If you ever lived or visited Bakersfield, and asked where is a great place to eat, more and likely you were recommended a Basque Restaurant. Our town is well known for its Basque foods and we even have four restaurants in an one block area, and all of them are full every night. I’m not even sure why we have such a big Basque culture here, hmm maybe something to look into. One of my favorite things to get is what they all call the “set up” which consists of Basque soup, beans, bread, and salad. My mouth is starting to drool just thinking of this. However, the surprising thing is if you try to look for a Basque soup recipe to make at home, you can’t find one. Some have called recipes Basque soup, but it wasn’t a Bakersfield Basque Soup. Here is my recipe for this amazing soup and I will tell you it is as good as some of the restaurants in town!

Ingredients:

• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 small head of green cabbage, chopped
• 8 cups vegetable broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 16 oz tomato sauce
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• ** Homemade Salad and French Bread, optional but very traditional!

Directions:

1. Sauté your onion, garlic, carrots, and celery
2. Add the broth, tomato sauce, undrained diced tomatoed, and the seasonings
3. Stir it all together and bring it to a boil, then reduce and let it simmer for 30 minutes
4. Add the chopped cabbage and simmer for another 30 minutes
5. Serve with salsa and french bread if desired

“Bouillabaisse, you can’t make bouillabaisse because you are not French.” Sorry if you don’t get that obscured quote. It’s from my favorite cooking show Good Eats’ Episode “Waiter There is a Fish in My Soup”. I love learning new recipes from this show and this was my second time making this one. It is Lentin season and we were having another couple over for dinner this past Friday. I wanted to make something a little nicer than our typical fish and vegetables that we eat during this time. Bouillabaisse is delicious, but it is also a huge task to make, is it worth it? Absolutely! Depending on where you live your seafood choices might be limited; however, this time of year there are always more options.
​The following recipe is adapted from Alton Brown’s Good Eats:
Ingredients:
Fish Stock:
1 pound raw fish heads, bones, tail, and lobster tail shell
4 whole fresh bay leaves
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
6 cups water
 
Stew:
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
6 ounces onion, coarsely chopped
3 ounces fennel bulb, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, divided
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 (3-inch) piece orange peel, optional
1/16 teaspoon saffron
8 ounces firm fish fillets, such as farmed cobia or wild striped bass (1 or 2 types), skin and bones removed, cut into 1-inch pieces, at room temperature (I used bass)
8 ounces flaky fish fillets, such as black cod, wild halibut, or black rockfish (1 or 2 types), skin and bones removed, cut into 1-inch pieces, at room temperature (I used cod)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 ounces mussels, cleaned and beards trimmed, at room temperature (I could only find frozen already shelled)
1 large raw lobster tail, shell removed and meat cut into 1-inch pieces, at room temperature
 
To Serve:
1 baguette, sliced
1 clove garlic, cut in half
1 recipe Rouille, recipe follows, optional
 
Rouille:
1 large red bell pepper
3 large cloves garlic, peeled
1 fresh red chile, stem removed and seeded
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:

1. For the fish stock: Rinse the fish heads and place in a tall 6-quart pot with tails, bones, lobster shell, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon sea salt, black peppercorns, and water. Place over high heat, cover, and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to maintain a bare simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Strain, discard solids and set the stock aside.
2. To make the stew: Place 1/4 cup olive oil in a clean 6-quart pot and set over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onions, fennel, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Sauté until semi-translucent, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Deglaze the pan with the wine and scrape any bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the reserved fish stock, tomatoes, parsley, orange peel, and saffron, if desired. Place over high heat, cover, and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Increase the heat to high. Add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, fish, garlic, and cayenne pepper. Boil rapidly, uncovered, for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pot from the heat, add the mussels and lobster, cover, and let stand until the fish is cooked through and the mussels open, 2 to 4 minutes. Discard any unopened mussels.
3. To serve: Set the broiler to high. Lightly rub the baguette slices on both sides with the garlic. Place the prepared bread slices on a half sheet pan and broil, 1 inch away from the broiler, for 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the slices over and broil for another 1 to 2 minutes. Top with Rouille, if desired, and serve with fish stew.

Rouille:

1. Cook the bell pepper over a gas burner set to high, turning every few minutes, until the skin blackens and is thoroughly charred. Remove the pepper to a metal mixing bowl, cover with a spare pot lid, and cool for 5 minutes. Remove the blackened skin from the pepper by rubbing with a clean kitchen towel. Pull out the stem and seed cluster and discard along with the skin.
2. Place the roasted and skinned pepper, garlic, chile, lemon juice, and salt in the bowl of a mini-food processor. Process until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Stop and scrape down the side of the bowl once or twice. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until thick. Serve with fish stew.

Our guest loved the dinner and Jack was extremely impressed as well. Maybe I am a little more French than I thought! BOUILLABAISSE!

I’ve been making and freezing slower cooker meals for years now, but to give our taste buds something new to try I wanted to change it up. Currently, my 14-month-old LOVES meatloaf, loves it. With him teething so badly it’s still one of the only solid foods that he will eat. It also requires a bit of prep work before even cooking for 45 minutes so I decided to make a triple batch and froze two trays of it for a future dinner. The recipe is easy to make, freezing it and cooking it later will be even easier! Just need to make some mashed potatoes, peas, and brown gravy to serve with it before enjoying. Now that’s some good eats!

Ingredients:

2lb ground beef
1 meatloaf seasoning packet
1 egg
10 saltine crackers, crushed
¼ cup milk
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 can tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Ketchup (optional)

Directions:
Mixed ground beef, meatloaf seasoning packets, 1 egg, 10 crushed saltine crackers, milk, green bell pepper, onion and half of the can tomato sauce. If desired salt and pepper.
Place in a loaf pan or casserole dish.
Add the other half of tomato sauce and ketchup on top. Spread to cover completely, add more salt and pepper if desired.
Bake 45 minutes at 425 degrees. Remove lid and bake an extra 10 minutes.

​Or Freeze before cooking. To cook thaw overnight and good as normal.

Its fall and I love soup this time of year. Nothing is better than a warm bowl of soup on a chilly night, and surprisingly it’s already starting to get cool here!

I wanted to add a new soup to the rotation and I came across this one and put my own twist on it.

Indigents:

• 2 lb  ground beef
• 1 cup onion diced
• 14.5 oz diced tomatoes
• 2 cups green peppers chopped
• 15 oz tomato sauce
• 4 cup beef broth
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 1/2 cups Minute Rice uncooked

​Directions:

• Brown the beef with the onion in a pan over medium heat.
• Drain your beef and onions and place in a 6-quart slow cooker.
• Add the tomatoes (juice and all) and the rest of your ingredients.
• Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

 
 It was delicious and filling and even Andrew enjoyed it!

Yesterday was my late father’s birthday. It is the first birthday without him and also being 6 months pregnant it has been very emotional for me. In honor of his birthday I decided to make his favorite meal Cabbage Rolls, but with a twist. I made it into a soup. It was a lot easier than the original recipe and just as delicious!

Ingredients:

• 2 lb ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 small head of cabbage, chopped
• 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 8oz can tomato sauce
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 cup minute rice, uncooked
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook ground beef until done and place in the slow cooker.
2. Place in all the onions, beef stock, apple cider vinegar and tomato sauce, cook on low for 6 hours
3. Add the chopped cabbage, cook on low for 1-2 hours, until tender
4. In the last 15-20 minutes, add the rice and it'll cook on it's own. Check after 10 minutes and then every few minutes until fully cooked.
5. Enjoy!

I can’t wait to make this again!

Need a fast and healthy dinner? Then this one is perfect! Feel Free to change the veggies to your preference. ​

Ingredients:
  3 chicken breasts
  1 1/2 cups bell pepper (I used red, yellow, and green)
  1/2 onion
  2 zucchini
  2 cups broccoli florets (I used frozen)
  2 tablespoons olive oil
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  1/2 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees
• Chop all the veggies into large pieces. Cut the chicken into cubes using another cutting board.
• Place the chicken and veggies in a medium sheet pan.
• Add the olive oil, salt and pepper, Italian seasoning, and paprika.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until the veggies and chicken is cooked.

Enjoy as is or eat with rice or salad.

​It's cold outside and nothing warms me up better than a bowl of homemade stews! It's even better if it is ready for me when I get home from work. This is one of my favorite go to slow cooker winter recipes; it also makes a great freezer meal!
 

 Ingredients:
2 lbs. cut stew meat optional to sheer for more flavor
1 medium sized yellow onion
32 oz. bag of frozen mixed vegetables
Can of tomato sauce
14 oz. can of stewed tomatoes
Salt, pepper, pinch of Cheyenne pepper (optional), cumin, thyme, paprika.
 
Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4.
To freeze place everything in a freezer bag and lay flat to freeze. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before cooking.

Yesterday I shared my favorite grab and go breakfast, today I am going to share you my favorite grab and go lunches. These are easy to throw together a couple at a time before heading off to bed.
​
Mason jar 16 oz.
Salad mix
Dressing
Other salad toppings: Cheese, croutons, dried cranberries, fresh apples (dipped in lemon juice) and/or chicken

Layer each ingredient accordingly:

Layer One: Salad Dressing
Layer Two: Firm Diced Vegetables
Layer Three: Soft Diced Vegetables/Fruit
Layer Four: Cheese
Layer Five: Protein - Cooked Chicken, Beef, Eggs, etc.
Layer Six: Salad Mix
Top with croutons if desired.

Ingredients
     6 chicken breasts
     2 limes, juiced
     2 cups cilantro
     4 minced garlic cloves
     2 tsp cumin
     2 tsp chipotle powder
     Salt and pepper to taste
     *1/2 cup chicken broth for freezer meal.

Instructions

1. If making right away, divide ingredients into two (if serving more than four), place one part in the crock pot and the other in a large freezer bags. See Freezer Meal Instructions below for further details.
2. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours, until chicken shred easily. Serve on tortillas with your favorite toppings.

Freezer Meal Instructions

1. If making for freezer meals, divide ingredients into two and place into two large freezer bags.
2. Add ¼ cup of chicken broth in each bag, label and seal. Place in freezer until ready to prepare.
3. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours, until chicken shred easily. Serve on tortillas with your favorite toppings.

​Once a year I try to get all of the important women in my life together for a brunch. This year I wanted to do a Mardi Gras theme so lots of purple, green, and gold decorations, beads, and masks! I even made one of Jack's favorite slower cooker meals: Jambalaya! Now I know this might not be real jambalaya, but it's what we call jambalaya. The recipe is super easy and super yummy. It also makes a great frozen meal! It's even better with a slice of King's Cake!!!

January is soup weather, but I am not a huge fan of processed canned soup so I decided to make my own. I made a big batch of vegetable soup and sterilized my mason jars. After cooling the pot of soup in the freezer, I ladled out portions of soup into the mason jars, lidded and placed in the freezer. I love taking these to work, not only are they delicious once heated up, they keep my lunch bag perfectly cold as they begin to thaw out!
​
To reheat - remove metal ring and lid. Heat in microwave for one minute, take out and stir. Continue to reheat until desired temperature.

One of the holiday traditions that we have in our family is having a big bowl of Black Eyed Peas on New Year's Day. My grandparents were from the south and traditionally Black Eyed Peas are said to bring you luck and prosperity thought out the year if enjoyed on January first. Apparently the tradition started during the Civil War and something that our family did as far back as I can remember.

Ingredients
     1 pound dried black-eyed peas
     1 large yellow onion, chopped
     3 cloves garlic, smashed
     1 tablespoon coarse salt
     2 bay leaves
     1 meaty smoked ham hock (usually left over from Christmas)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, soak beans overnight covered by at least 2 inches of water. Drain and rinse beans.
2. Place beans, ham hock, onions, garlic, salt, and bay leaves in a large pot and add water to pot just to cover beans. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
3. Remove from heat. Transfer ham hock to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, discard skin and bones, chop meat, and return meat to the pot. Serve beans directly from the pot using a slotted spoon.

I hope you try a bowl and it brings you luck!

I used to take the easy route and buy the canned cranberry sauce until one year I found how easy it really is to make your own homemade cranberry sauce. There is no comparison from the canned sauce to homemade! My family will never go back to the canned route!

Ingredients
     1/2 cup sugar
     1/2 cup Brown Sugar
     1/2 cup Orange Juice
     1/2 cup Water
     1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
     12 oz bag of Fresh Cranberries

Directions

1. In a sauce pan, combine sugar, brown sugar, orange juice, water, and cinnamon. Stir until the sugar has been dissolved.
2. Add the cranberries and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until the cranberries pop. Mash and reduce heat to low and simmer up to another 10 minutes until the desired thickness.
3. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. As the sauce cools it will get thicker.

*If desired, add 1/4 cup of Orange Marmalade when adding the cranberries for a tangier taste

Did you know that what most people call a yam is not a yam at all? The bright orange baked yam at the fair or the candied yams you have every Thanksgiving with globs of melted marshmallow are actually sweet potatoes. I'm not sure where the confusion came from because I still get confused when I see them being called one name on Food Network and another name at the grocery store. How I remember which is actually is which is Sweet Potatoes don't look anything like a potato, they are orange and Yams looks like a potato, they are a light beige color.  After suffering years of candied yams (sweet potatoes) with burnt marshmallow I decided it was time for a change. I came across this recipe watching Trish Yearwood's cooking show. However, I switched up a few things in her recipe. I prefer an actual yam instead of the bright orange sweet potatoes, after all the Pumpkin Pie has the orange color covered!

Ingredients
     5 medium Yams
     2 Eggs
     1 cup sugar
     2 tsp Vanilla Extract
     1/2 cup Milk
     1/2 cup Butter, Soften
     1/8 tsp Salt
Topping
     1 cup Brown Sugar
     1 cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts
     1/2 cup Flour
     1/4 cup Butter, Soften

Directions

1. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees. Grease a 2.5 quart baking dish with butter.
2. Poke the yams with a fork and place in a microwave safe dish and cook until soft (my microwave setting is Level 4 and is 13 minutes). Once cool enough to pick up, peel the potatoes and place into your standing mixing bowl and mash until smooth. Add the eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, milk, and salt. Combine, then pour into a the prepped baking dish.
3. Topping: Mix the pecans, brown sugar, flour, and butter in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Sprinkle the topping over the yams and bake the soufflé for 40 minutes or until slightly browned.

Trick-or-Treat! While we are passing out candy tonight in Amber’s drive way, we will be happily enjoying a tasty creepy dinner. The other days I shared my Mummy Meatloaf recipe and now I will be sharing our annual Halloween dinner, Mini Mummy Pizzas. Its fast, fun, and easy to eat in the middle of Trick-or-Treaters.

Makes 12 Pizzas

Ingredients
     Package of 6 English Muffins
     Pizza Sauce
     Pepperonis
     Sliced Black Olives
     Mozzarella Cheese cut into strips

Instructions
     Preheat oven to 375. Split the English muffins and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes or until crispy. Remove the muffins from the oven and spread a spoonful of pizza sauce on each muffin. Top with pepperonis. Cover with the strips of cheese in a mummy pattern. Use the sliced olives for the eyes. Bake for another 7 to 8 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Enjoy with a glass of Witches Punch or a bottle of Pumpkin Beer.

Happy Halloween!!!

Nothing is better than homemade meatloaf. This is a fun and spooky twist on a homemade classic.

Serves: Makes 10 servings
Prep Time 10 Minutes, Cook Time 1 hour

Ingredients
     2 pounds lean ground beef
     2 eggs
     1 chopped green bell pepper
     ½ chopped red onion
     ½ cup milk
     ¼ cup crumbled saltine crackers
     ½ 8oz canned tomato sauce
     1 package Meat Loaf Seasoning Mix
     Salt and Pepper to taste

Topping
     ½ 8oz canned tomato sauce
     ½ cup ketchup
     White Sliced Cheese of your choice, cut into strips

Instruction

Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix all ingredients in large bowl until well blended.

Shape meat mixture into a mummy in a casserole dish. Top with other half of canned tomato sauce and ketchup. Cover with tin foil. 

Bake 45 minutes or until cooked through. Remove tin foil and cook for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and cover with the strips of white cheese in a mummy pattern and add olives or slices of bell pepper for eyes. Cover with tin foil for 5 minutes or until cheese has slightly melted.

Enjoy!

Last week I shared my recipe for Turkey Pumpkin Chili, this week I am going to share another great dinner recipe that's made with pumpkin. The smells in this dish just makes it the perfect comfort food on a chilly fall night!

Ingredients
     2 Pounds Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breast, cubed
     3 Pounds Pumpkin, cubed
     1 Onion, chopped
     1 Can Garbanzo Beans
     2 14.5oz Cans Diced Tomatoes
     1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
     1 Tbsp Ground Coriander
     1 tsp Ground Cumin
     1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
     1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
     Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
     Place tomatoes, brown sugar, coriander, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and salt and pepper and stir to combine. Mix in the chicken, pumpkin, onions and garbanzo beans. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

***To freeze the meal, put everything together and freeze until needed. To Cook thaw overnight in the refrigerator and follow the directions above.  

For a very festive dinner, serve in a hallowed out Pumpkin!

October is Pumpkin time! Everyone always thinks of pumpkin bread or pie when cooking with pumpkin, but pumpkin is after all a squash! A recipe I came across years ago and have altered over time is a great turkey pumpkin chili. It is a perfect meal on a chilly fall night, throw all of the ingredients in a slower cooker and by the time it's ready your house will be filled with the smells of fall.

Ingredients
     2 Pounds Ground Turkey 
     1 Yellow Onion, chopped
     1 28oz Can Diced tomatoes
     2 Cups Cubed Fresh Pumpkin
     1 Can Chili Beans
     1 Can Black Beans
     3 Tbsp Brown Sugar
     1/8 tsp Pumpkin Spice
     1 Tbsp Chili Powder

Directions
     Crumble the raw ground turkey in the bottom of the slower cooker. Add the chopped onions, tomatoes, pumpkin, chili and black beans, sugar, pumpkin spice, and chili powder. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

***To freeze the meal, put everything together and freeze until needed. To Cook thaw overnight in the refrigerator and follow the directions above.  

Similar to my Slower Cooker Chicken and Dumplings Recipe, this is a great recipe to put together before work and come home to delicious meal. Its perfect over some fresh baked biscuits!

Ingredients
     4 Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breast, cubed
     10 Red Potatoes, quartered
     1 Small Bag of Frozen Vegetable Mix
     2 Cans Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
     Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
     Place the chicken, potatoes, vegetables, soup and salt and pepper in a slower cooker. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours.

***To freeze the meal, put everything together and freeze until needed. To Cook thaw overnight in the refrigerator and follow the directions above.  

This is not my mom's chicken and dumplings, but when it comes to a no fuss dinner its perfect. Put this together in the morning and by dinner time you will have a nice savory meal by dinner time.

Ingredients
     4 Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breast
     1 Yellow Onion, diced
     2 Cans Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
     Peas and Carrots to taste, I use the frozen kind
     1 Cup Chicken Broth
     Salt and Pepper to taste
     2 Packages of Refrigerated Biscuit Dough

Directions
     Place the chicken, onion, soup, peas and carrots, chicken broth, and salt and pepper in a slower cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.  30 minutes before services, tear the biscuit dough into pieces and place on top of the soup in the slow cooker.

***To freeze the meal, put everything together expect the Biscuit Dough and freeze until needed. To Cook thaw overnight in the refrigerator and follow the directions above.  

I love to throw a few things together in the slow cooker in the morning and walk into the house smelling delicious by dinner time. This is great meal to freeze until ready to eat or put together before work. It's quick, easy, and no precooking involved. I love to top mine off with sour cream, a little shredded cheese and a slice of homemade cornbread! Yummy!!!

Ingredients
     2 pounds Carne Asada, preseasoned - if not add one packet of Taco Seasoning
     1 Red Onion, chopped
     1 16oz can Chili Beans, undrained
     1 16oz can Kidney Beans, undrained
     1 16oz can Black Beans, undrained
     1 16oz can Whole Kernel Corn, undrained
     1 16oz can Diced Tomatoes, undrained
     1 4oz can Diced Green Chile Peppers, undrained
       
Directions
     In a slower cooker add all of the ingredients and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Stir before serving and top with your favorite tops! So Easy and So Yummy!!!   

***To freeze the meal, put everything together and freeze until needed. To Cook thaw overnight in the refrigerator and follow the directions above.  

Who doesn't love homemade cornbread? The country raised girl loves cornbread, but sadly I have fallen to the cheap and easy pre-made, overly processed box stuff from the store. Well not anymore! I found a simple recipe that is comparable if not better than any store product. I now can make my own pre-made cornbread mix and keep them on hand for anytime I need them. Follow the recipe to make your own.
 
Dry Ingredients for each Pre-Made Bag
     2/3 Cups All-purpose Flour
     1/2 Cup Yellow Cornmeal
     3 Tbsp Sugar
     1 Tbsp Baking Powder
     1/4 tsp Salt

I liked to create 10 bags at once since we go through them so often. I would add each ingredients one at a time and place it in a labeled sealable bag. Label each bag with the wet ingredients and baking instructions:

Pre-Made Cornbread Mix
Add:
     1 Egg
     1/3 Cup Milk
     2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

Mix well. Pour in a buttered pie dish or muffin pan. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.