Curried Chicken, Veggies, and Pineapple ala ~DKBB~

Curried Chicken, Veggie, and Pineapple ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from The Wanderlust Kitchen)

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 to 2 cups fresh pineapple, in chunks

Several small peppers, left whole but top/seeds removed (color, kind is all up to you)

Mushrooms (leave whole)

Onion, cut in big chunks

2 to 3 Tbsp. coconut oil

1 to 2 Tbsp. curry powder

¼ tsp. ground cayenne pepper

¼ tsp. salt

This dish is to be grilled; it can be done with skewers or put into a veggie grill basket. If using wood skewers, place them in a water bath to soak for 30 minutes.

• Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and place in large bowl with the peppers, mushrooms, and pineapple (do not add the onion if you are using skewers); toss with coconut oil, curry, cayenne, and salt; let sit at least 30 minutes.
• Prepare the grill; if using skewers, thread chicken, veggies, and pineapple into skewers in an alternating pattern and cook on grill under chicken is cooked through (about 10 to 15 minutes); if using a veggie grill basket, toss all into grill pan over prepared grill; stir or toss often to allow even cooking until chicken is cooked through.
• Serve with rice.

Bavarian Lentil Soup ala ~DKBB~

Bavarian Lentil Soup ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from The Wanderlust Kitchen)

4 to 8 slices of bacon, roughly chopped

½ c. diced onion

½ c. diced leeks (white parts only)

½ c. diced celery

½ c. diced carrots, unpeeled

1 qt. chicken broth

1 c. brown lentils

1 tsp. thyme

2 bay leaves

½ tsp. black pepper

¼ tsp. garam marsala

2 c. diced raw potatoes, unpeeled

2 Tbsp. white vinegar

1 Tbsp. sugar

Salt to taste

·       Heat a dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat; cook the bacon until the fat has rendered into the pot and the bacon is crispy.

·       Add the onion, leeks, celery, and carrots to the pot; sauté for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden.

·       Pour in the broth and scrape any brown bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon; add the lentils, thyme, bay leaves, pepper, and garam marsala; cook for 30 minutes on medium, covered.

·       Add the potatoes and cook an additional 20 minutes, or until lentils and vegetables are tender; using an immersion blender (or regular blender if you don’t have an immersion blender), blend until there is approximately 1/3 of the veggies left intact.

·       Stir in vinegar and sugar, then salt to taste.

·       Serve warm with bread and butter or naan.

Sausage & Crescent Roll Casserole ala ~DKBB~

Sausage & Crescent Roll Casserole ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from by Melody Craft on tasteofhome.com)

½ lb. bulk pork sausage (I prefer maple sausage)

½ tube 8 oz refrigerated crescent rolls

1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, 4-cheese Mexican mix, pepperjack…your choice)

4 eggs

1 cup milk

¼ tsp. salt

⅛ to ¼ tsp. pepper

• Preheat oven to 375° F.
• In a skillet, cook sausage over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles; drain.
• Unroll ½ of the crescent roll dough into greased 8x8-inch baking dish, sealing seams and perforations; sprinkle with sausage and cheese.
• Roll remaining 4 crescent rolls into crescents and place on lined baking sheet.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper and pour over sausage and cheese.
• Bake, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean; add the 4 crescent rolls to the oven when the timer reaches 10 minutes.
• Let the casserole stand 10 minutes before serving; serve it with the crescent rolls as a side.

German Goulash ala ~DKBB~

German Goulash ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from The Wanderlust Kitchen)

(photo from The Wanderlust Kitchen)

1 tsp. vegetable oil

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. seasoned salt (such as Lawry’s)

¼ c. red wine -OR- red cooking wine

2 15 oz. cans fired-roasted diced tomatoes

2 c. uncooked macaroni noodles

• Heat the vegetable oil in a very large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add the ground beef, onion, garlic, and celery and cook until the ground beef is cooked through; add the red wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan to release any stuck on pieces.
• Season with oregano, black pepper, and seasoned salt, then add the 2 cans of tomatoes; turn the heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the macaroni noodles in a pot of salted water until al dente; drain well and set aside.
• Add the drained noodles and toss to combine; let all simmer for an additional five minutes; serve hot.

Potato Kielbasa Skillet ala ~DKBB~

Potato Kielbasa Skillet ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from www.tasteofhome.com)

1 lb. small potatoes, sliced thin (about ¼ to ½ inch) or chopped (as above photo)

3 Tbsp. water

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. cider vinegar

1 Tbsp. Dijon or spiced mustard

1½ tsp. fresh thyme, minced -OR- ½ tsp. dried thyme

¼ tsp. pepper

1 Tbsp. olive oil

½ c. chopped onion

¼ to ½ c. chopped green pepper

¾ lb. smoked kielbasa, cut into ¼-inch slices

4 c. fresh baby spinach

4 to 6 slices bacon, diced, cooked, and drained

·       Place potatoes and water in microwave-safe dish; microwave covered, on high until potatoes are tender, 3 to 5 minutes; drain.

·       Mix brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, thyme, and pepper in small bowl.

·       In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; sauté onion and green pepper until tender.

·       Add potatoes; cook and stir until lightly browned (3 to 5 minutes); stir in brown sugar mixture; bring all to a boil.

·       Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally; stir in spinach until wilted; stir in bacon.

Indian Mulligatawny Soup

Indian Mulligatawny Soup ala ~CHB~

(original recipe from The Wanderlust Kitchen)

(photo from The Wanderlust Kitchen)

¼ cup butter (or olive oil)

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. minced ginger root

2 small firm apples, peeled, cored, and diced

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (do not drain)

1 Tbsp. curry powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. paprika

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground turmeric

¼ tsp. cardamom

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp. dried thyme

½ c. red lentils (uncooked)

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2/3 c. canned unsweetened coconut milk

Salt and black pepper to taste

Roasted cashews for garnish (optional)

Chopped cilantro and/or scallions for garnish 

• Melt the butter or a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add the onion, carrot, and jalapeno; sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or until the onions have softened.
• Add the garlic, ginger, apples, and diced tomatoes to the pot; sauté for another 3 minutes; mix all the spices together in a small bowl, then add them in and toss to coat.
• Add the lentils and broth and let the contents come to a boil; turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
• Puree about 75% of the ingredients using an immersion blender (or if you don’t have one, put about ¾ of the soup and puree it in a blender); leave some of the chunks whole, as it adds a nice texture and consistency of the soup.
• Return the soup to the pot if needed, then sit in the coconut milk and mix well; add salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve topped with cashews, cilantro, and scallions as desired; also serve with naan bread for dipping.

Pull-Apart Meatball Sandwiches ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from www.mccormick.com)

1 sm. jar pizza sauce (I prefer Paesana New York’s Classic Pizza Sauce, 8.5 oz)

1 16 oz. pkg. Italian-style meatballs (I prefer Carando Spicy Sicilian)

1 pkg. sweet Hawaiian dinner rolls (or 3 sm. pkgs. for a total of 12 rolls)

6 slices provolone cheese

1 to 1½ cup(s) shredded mozzarella cheese

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

½ tsp. garlic powder

3 Tbsp. butter, melted

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cook meatballs as directed on package; cool a bit then cut each one in half.
• Put pizza sauce in bowl, toss cooked cut meatballs in sauce.
• Remove rolls from packaging but do not separate; cut entire package in half horizontally, leaving bottom half slightly thicker than top half; place bottom half of rolls in baking dish large enough to hold them all.
• Layer provolone cheese over bottom half of rolls; top with meatballs and more sauce; sprinkle mozzarella cheese, then place top half of rolls, cut side down, in top of mozzarella.
• Mix melted butter with seasonings and brush tops of rolls with butter mixture.
• Cover with foil and back 25 to 30 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is all melted.