Cucumber Avocado Feta Salad

This is a delicious no cook side dish. It can go on top of salmon, on the side to almost any meat, or just be a tasty snack. I found a few different recipes through Pinterest but tweaked each until I settled on this. I apologize for the poor quality of these pictures, they were taken with my phone this time.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 medium cucumber
1 medium to large avocado
4 oz crumbled feta cheese
Small bunch of fresh mint
2 to 3 tbsp lime juice



Instructions

 Peel and chop the cucumber in to small quarters. You can remove the seeds before also if you prefer to not have them. Throw in a bowl.

Finely  chop the mint and add to the bowl.

 Peel and chop the avocado into small chunks. Add to the bowl.
Next add the lime juice and as much feta cheese as you desire.

Stir and serve immediately.
I had some leftover that I had the next day, and the avocado did not brown because of the lime juice in the recipe. It definitely was not as good as it is freshly made though.

From one newbie to another, enjoy!
Lindsay

Brussels Sprouts Pasta

This recipe is delicious! I found is on twopeasandtheirpod.com. It took a little more prep, but totally worth it!

Serves 4 to 6 

Ingredients

6 tbsp butter
8 oz pasta (I used elbow)
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped brussels sprouts
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 Cook pasta according to instructions, set aside.
In the meantime, brown the butter. Cook over low-medium heat until golden brown. Pour into a bowl and set aside.

 Toast the hazelnuts over medium heat, 5 to 7 minutes. Place on a towel and rub the skins off. This step takes more time than I thought it would so be ready for that! Roughly chop the peeled hazelnuts.

Heat the olive oil and saute the brussels sprouts, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir in the garlic, pasta, hazelnuts, browned butter, and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper, and then serve.

From one newbie to another, enjoy!
Lindsay

Balsamic Beef Roast

Hi there! Sorry I have taken a very long break from blogging! Life has been very busy. This recipe is a slow cooker recipe I found on keyingredient.com. It has minimal prep time, and it is super easy. You can serve it several different ways, so it is a fairly versatile recipe.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

 1 2-3 lb Beef Roast
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
4 cloves garlic chopped


Instructions

Mix together all of the liquid ingredients and the garlic in a bowl.

Place the roast in the crock pot and pour the mix over top.
Cook for 6 hours on low.

We chose to serve ours with potatoes and veggies. You can shred the meat and put it on sandwiches, and a bunch of other options as well.

From one newbie to another, enjoy!
Lindsay

Bacon-Cheddar Frittata

I found this recipe on www.walmartlivebetter.ca surprisingly. I was searching for cast iron skillet recipes because I finally took the plunge and bought one! It was super fun to cook with. This recipe was easy adn delicious.

Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients

 non-stick cooking spray for skillet
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small bell pepper, thinly sliced
3 large eggs
1 cup fat-free milk
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Spray skillet with non stick cooking spray and cook the bacon. Set aside. Add onion and bell pepper to skillet and cook about 5 minutes. Set aside. Preheat the broiler.

Whisk eggs and milk together. Stir in bacon, tomato, bell pepper, cheese, and onion.

Spray the skillet again with non stick cooking spray. Add the egg mixture to the skillet. Cook over low to medium heat undisturbed for about 8 to 10 minutes.

Place the skillet under the broiler for 5 minutes or until the frittata is set in the center. Cut into 4 wedges and serve at once.

My husband even liked this recipe and he is not big on eggs. From one newbie to another, enjoy!
Lindsay

Almond Turkey Stir-Fry

I found this recipe in the cookbook Busy Family Favorites. It is an easy and yummy spin on chicken or beef stir-fry.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients 

1 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 lb turkey breast (cubed or chopped up deli slices)
4 tsp canola oil
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped or shredded carrot
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup slice mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (8 oz) sliced water chestnuts, drained
2 cups (after cooked it will be 4 cups) of white rice, cooked

Instructions

 Combine corn starch, chicken broth, water, soy sauce, sugar, and some salt and pepper in a bowl. Set aside for later.

In a skillet, heat canola oil. Stir fry celery, carot, onion, mushrooms, and green onions until crisp-tender, about 5 or 6 minutes.

 Add garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Add water chestnuts and reserved turkey, heat through.  Stir in broth mixture and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened.

 Stir in rice and heat through.

Sprinkle with almonds and serve.


From one newbie to another, enjoy!
Lindsay

Pork with Cucumber-Peach Salad

I found this recipe in Real Simple magazine a long time ago. It is just a normal pork tenderloin, but the real thing I wanted to post is the Cucumber-Peach salad. It is delicious!

Serves 4

Ingredients 

 1 lb pork tenderloin
2 peaches
2 cucumbers
Bunch of green onions, chopped
1/4 cup dried cilantro
1/2 cup finely chopped mint
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp lime juice
2-3 tsp salt

Instructions

 Peel and dice cucumbers. Dice peaches. Set aside in a bowl.

 Season pork tenderloin with the seasoning of your choice. I use an all-blend spice from a local farmers market vendor, Grateful Bread.

 Whisk olive oil, lime juice, and salt. Set aside.

 Cook pork tenderloin with green onions in a skillet until barely pink in the middle, about 15-20 min.

 Slice pork tenderloin.

Combine the lime juice mixture, cilantro, mint, peach, and cucumber.


I served the two with some plain greek yogurt and naan bread. The combination of all these flavors was delicious!



From one newbie to another, enjoy!
Lindsay

BBQ Apple Bacon Chicken

I have not had a chance to bog in a long time. Work got really busy and we traveled a bit. Finally I was able to make a new meal worthy of sharing! This honestly might be my new favorite way to prepare chicken. It was absolutely delicious. It had a little bit more prep than some of the other meals I have made in the slow cooker, but it really was easy. It is one of those meals that is really easy to adjust quantity of ingredients according to how many people will be enjoying it! I found the recipe through Pinterest on www.chef-in-training.com.

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 small red apples
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/8 cup lemon juice
1/8 cup brown sugar
2 chicken breasts
6-8 slices of bacon



Instructions

Peel and chop both apples into small bite-sized pieces.

 Combine all the ingredients except the bacon and chicken in a bowl.

 Wrap the chicken in bacon. I didn't need to fasten the bacon on in any. Place the chicken in the slow cooker and pour the apple mixture over top. Cook on low for 6 hours.

I served mine with brown rice pilaf and steamed corn. It really was absolutely delicious!




From one newbie to another, enjoy!
Lindsay