I've started watching the Pioneer Woman again. It's great to have on while I'm cooking or doing something. I also love how her show has so many different parts. She does healthy meals, comfort meals, 30-minute meals, 16-minute meals, even a 10-minute meal! She answers questions from her fans and even shows how she decorates on occasion.
One of my family's favorite recipes is the Pioneer Woman Lasagna, her food always looks amazing and never seems to disappoint. Nothing beats that Lasagna.
I love how she calls herself an "accidental country girl". She includes a glimpse into her life too in the show showing her family and their ranch, even their dogs. She show's celebrations and things she does in the community like birthday parties and making food for people in the community.
The Pioneer Woman aired on the Food Network beginning in 2011.There are currently 37 seasons of the Pioneer Woman! I'm currently on season 6. You can also stream Pioneer Woman on Max.
What do I like about the show? I like how you see her ranch; I like that there is a variation of types of recipes, and she almost always includes dessert! I like that her recipes are nothing overly fancy just regular cooking that most people would do. She just makes them look amazing. I like that they always finish the episode eating a meal together. She is actually cooking for her family, and she lets you see that. The show is just really well done, and it looks so good.
I have really enjoyed cooking more with quinoa. It's easy and usually the meals can be thrown together pretty quickly. On top of that, the meals are healthy. I also get about 4 meals out of this. This Korean Beef one was very good. I will definitely make this one again. I also am really enjoying adding sriracha as a topping of course with my cilantro. If you like Asian flavors and want a quick meal this one you should try.
The recipe:
1 C quinoa cooked
1 TBSP of olive oil
1/4 tsp ground ginger
3 cloved garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef lean
1/4 C low sodium soy sauce
1/4 C brown sugar or coconut palm sugar
1 TBSP sesame oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
salt and pepper to taste
2 green onions thinly sliced or other veggies like zucchini, green pepper strips, etc
*I used 1lb beefalo, coconut palm sugar, I omitted sesame oil and replaced with avocado oil, and used zucchini instead of green onions.
Toppings if desired: cilantro, sriracha, or thai basil
The recipe:
Cook quinoa according to directions of in a rice cooker or instant pot. I cook my quinoa in broth. For this recipe I used beef broth. 1 C of quinoa to 2 C liquid.
Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the beef and brown completely. Drain most of the fat. Clear room in the pan to cook the garlic and ginger for about 1 min. If adding veggies add them after meat is brown and cook until softened slightly.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
Add soy sauce mixture to meat mixture and let cook about 3-5 minutes to allow the flavors to set.
Serve beef over the quinoa and top with additional toppings. I used cilantro and sriracha.
Earth Day is a great day to celebrate what the Earth has given us and what we can do to make the Earth a better place. You have the normal things like recycling, pick up trash on highways, try to me more aware but I want to give you some things you can do every day or regularly that will help the Earth and our lives on it.
1. Educate yourself.
You can do this by listening to podcasts, reading books, learning about farming practices. I have been really interested in the farming practice of regenerative farming and agriculture. It's a movement that is all about soil health as a way to combat climate change. There is a regenerative agriculture podcast, and I was introduced to this through a film on Netflix call Kiss the Ground.
The producers are also releasing a new documentary in limited series on Earth Day, April 22nd, called Common Ground. This is a follow up to the Kiss the Ground documentary. Currently Springfield is not on the release schedule for the theater.
Regardless of what your interest. Do your research in better food practices. Whether it be technology in farming or regenerative, or single origin, or learning about food deserts. There are so many things involved in your food and it's important to be educated.
2. Plant a garden
I wish I could do this one and had the talent for it, but I live in an apartment so no garden space. I do a little bit of herb plants in my apartment which I love using. There are so many types of gardens you can do. Vegetable gardens, herb gardens, pollinator gardens, and orchards or fruit trees are great options. Planting a garden is a great way to grow your own produce. Bonus, you can research ways to do regenerative gardening or organic to make the produce healthier without pesticides. If you plant a garden and have too much of something don't forget to hit up your friends and share in the wealth! I also love the idea behind a community garden and Springfield actually has one at least that I know of. This is a great idea for your community or neighborhood to be able to get the benefits of having a garden.
3. Buy Sustainably Produced Products and shop smarter
How products are made is also important and not something we think of often. If it is sustainably produced it means it is produced in a way that protects the environment, makes efficient use of the natural resources, ensures farmers can support themselves, and enhances the life of the community including the animals. Being sustainably sourced is something that is now being labeled on packaging like my favorite rice company Lundberg has sustainably produced wild rice and brown rice blend. Another one of my sustainable companies to buy from is my favorite spice company Burlap and Barrel. You can research companies that use sustainable practices.
"As consumers, we have so much power to change the world just by being careful in what we buy." Emma Watson
4. Shop local
Shopping local is a great way to help the environment. Shopping local reduces resources needed to get food to you at the grocery store. It is fresher, often organic, and you are buying directly from the person who farmed it. The downside is you have to rely on seasonal foods. Is this realistic to only buy locally maybe not if you want strawberries in December. But you can't beat the taste and quality of shopping local. I am challenging myself this year to make a whole meal out of food bought locally.
This also includes your meat. There are a lot of local farmers that will sell you meat directly either by purchasing a portion of the animal or by buying specific cuts. The meat is fresher, you know the farmers so how the animals are raised, and you know exactly what you are getting. For example, I bought some beefalo at the farmers market yesterday. I bought ground meat. The farmer mentioned one thing that is better than store bought ground beef is that when you buy from the store what you actually are buying is a mix of meat from hundreds of animals but when you are buying locally you know exactly what you are getting.
5. Raise livestock
This is of course not for everyone. A couple things that have really become popular since COVID I would say is raising chickens and bees. I know numerous people who do both. If you ever wanted to start raising livestock it is a great time to do it. There is some research involved in to see if it's the right thing for you. I wish I could raise chickens but not in the plans for me. But if you decide to try it or already do, invite me over! I love chickens, they are so cute! Even if you can't, buy your eggs locally. It seems like everywhere there are posts about people having farm fresh eggs. Raising bigger animals will of course involve quite a bit more and much more cost. This is not for everyone but if you can do it and have the desire to you should. There is some debate on whether this would be good for the environment, but the population of bees is in danger so if you would like to take care of bees that would only help. Chickens may not be in danger, but you can get eggs from them and if you have them or get your eggs locally that will help.
6. Dine at Farm to Table Restaurants
Another great way to support local farmers is to dine at restaurants that are farm to table. Meaning, they purchase as much meat, dairy, and produce from local farmers. There are a few local restaurants that are farm to table. In Springfield you have Engrained and Luminary. In Petersburg, you have Mom and Pops and Broadgauge. In Jacksonville you have Proud Richards. Make sure you are supporting these local eateries that go out of their way to support the local farmer.
A couple things to remember. We all must do our part to make this world a better place. We have to educate ourselves to know what to do. Any way that you can help will make a difference. It may not seem like it your only one person but if one person makes changes then the next person does and so on and so on. There will be a snowball effect. Overall, you may not feel like you do much, but every little bit helps.
"What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make."
While I was raving about my love of ground pork, my cousin Holly sent me a recipe her family loves that she said I should try. I finally got around to making it tonight. It was very good. It has an Asian inspired taste with the use of soy sauce and ginger. It makes 4 servings and only takes about 25 minutes to make. This would be a great weeknight meal when you don't have a lot of time. I really loved the freshness of adding the cucumber and herbs.
It is pretty healthy as well. It does use some brown sugar so keep that in mind if you have dietary restrictions. I wonder if it would work with coconut sugar in place of the brown. Something to try for next time.
Ingredients:
6 green onions finely chopped
3 TBSP soy sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 TBSP oil
1 TBSP minced ginger
1 garlic glove minced
1 lb ground pork
1 medium cucumber peeled and cut into 1/2 in cubes
1/2 C Herb leaves like mint, cilantro, or basil
hot cooked brown rice
lime wedges and/or Sriracha sauce optional
* I'll admit I accidentally used too much ginger this would probably be even better with the right amount. Also, I don't like green onions, so I omitted them. I used mini cucumbers since I will have leftovers, I can make up the cucumber mix when I am ready. I also left the peel on the cucumber. I also forgot to add the lime juice. I also used tricolor quinoa instead of brown rice. Quinoa has more fiber and reheats better.
The recipe:
In medium bowl, stir together half the green onions, the soy sauce, sugar, and crushed red pepper.
In a large skillet heat oil over medium high heat add ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant approx. 30 seconds.
Stir pork into the garlic and ginger, and then press flat to make one large patty. Cook 3-4 min until browned and crisp on bottom.
Break up the patty and stir in the soy sauce mixture, reserving the bowl.
Stir until pork is completely cooked and crumbled 2-3 minutes.
In reserved bowl, combine the remaining green onions, cucumber, and herbs.
Spoon pork mixture over rice and top with cucumber salad.
Serve with lime wedges and or Sriracha sauce if desired,
My takeaways are:
1. use the right amount of ginger
2. try an alternative to brown sugar like the Splenda brown sugar or coconut sugar to avoid glucose spikes.
3. Remember to add the lime juice
4. This could also be good using sesame oil.
Final thoughts...I hope you enjoy this recipe as well. If you have a recipe you would like to share and maybe see featured feel free to send it to me!
When you have a bunch of potatoes that need used before they go bad, what do you do with them? Soup of course! I really wanted a southwestern type of potato soup and could not find anything I liked so I decided to be adventurous and create my own recipe. In this case it was a hit in my opinion. I found a loaded potato soup recipe to get my base started then added my own additions.
The base:
2lb of russet potatoes cut up, I left the skin on, but you can peel
3 C chicken broth
3 tsp garlic powder
1.5 tsp salt
Combine all in the slow cooker and cook on Hi for 4 hours. Once done, use an immersion blender to blend up the potatoes leaving some chunky parts. This also thickens the soup.
The additions:
1 can of Rotel
1 roll of chorizo or more if desired
1 tsp of taco blend seasoning from Burlap and Barrel (or regular)
1 tsp of black lime seasoning from Burlap and Barrel
1/2 C of spicy cheese pepperjack or I used smoke spicy gouda
Mix all together well and cook for an additional 30 minutes or so until all combined and heated.
Finish by adding in 2 C of milk or half and half and stirring until combined. I used half and half. Cook for an additional 30 minutes until warmed through.
Add toppings when serving. My favorite are blue corn tortilla chips and fresh cilantro. This really gives the soup some bright color too. You could also add salsa, more shredded cheese, or guacamole.
This really turned out well. It has the texture of the potato soup but has a spicy kick like a tortilla soup. Good thing since I have leftovers for my lunches this week! I really think it made for a pretty soup too. The taco seasoning gives it a bit of a different color that I like. I also used chicken bone broth which is darker so if you use regular bone broth the color will probably be different. Rotel has really become a favorite ingredient that I use a lot, so I loved being able to use it in this recipe.
A while ago I bought some cauliflower gnocchi from our local farmers market, but I had never had gnocchi before, so I was not sure how to use it. I looked around for some recipes and found one that looked good and not too difficult to make. This was a very easy recipe to make and tasted very good. The gnocchi were like little dumplings and didn't have a big taste. It just kind of took on the taste of the rest of the dish. Now this recipe calls for potato gnocchi but using the cauliflower is a bit healthier. I will say this was a bit of an extravagant farmers market purchase meaning it was not cheap. 12oz of gnocchi was $20. It definitely will not be a weekly purchase but on occasion it would be nice.
This is a great recipe if you want the taste of lasagna without all the hard work. I do wonder how this would be if cottage cheese or ricotta was added. I bet it would be more like traditional lasagna. This recipe will be completed in 40 minutes and is a one pan meal.
Ingredients:
1lb ground beef
1 TBSP olive oil
1 small onion chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano dried
1/2 tsp parsley or basil dried
1/2 tsp salt
pepper
28oz marinara (I use Rao's and mine was 22oz)
1/2 C chicken broth
4 oz mozzarella shredded or sliced
1/4 C parmesan grated
24 oz gnocchi (mine was 12 oz)
fresh basil optional
Recipe:
Brown the ground beef in a large pan, drain excess grease
Add to the pan the olive oil, onion, garlic, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper cook 3-5 minutes.
Stir in the marinara and chicken broth.
Turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Stir in the gnocchi, cover, and simmer an additional 10 minutes.
Stir in the mozzarella cheese.
Sprinkle the top with parmesan.
Serve and enjoy!
Couple things I did differently of course. I cooked the meat with the onions and seasonings from the start combining steps. When I added the gnocchi, it was frozen, so I just turned the heat up a tad and cooked a bit longer until the gnocchi were done. I also added pizza party seasoning and silk chili from Burlap and Barrel. If you have fresh basil, it would be really good here.
This was a very good meal, and it was easy to make. Next time I'd like to try adding some cottage cheese for a more traditional lasagna taste. The cauliflower gnocchi was a great alternative if you need to watch carbs or are vegan.
Nutrition info estimates:
Yields 8 servings
Calories: 461
Total Fat: 18g
Saturated Fat: 7
Unsaturated Fat: 9g
Cholesterol: 90mg
Sodium: 920mg
Carbohydrates: 46g
Fiber: 4g
Sugar: 7g
Protein: 27g
Note: if you make any changes like use less of an ingredient, or more, or change like using the cauliflower gnocchi then these amounts will not be accurate.
*This recipe comes from Modern Crumb via pinterest. www.moderncrumb.com
I feel like a lot of people say you should support local businesses but sometimes when we buy our food, we do not think about shopping local for our groceries. There are a few different ways this can be done.
However, first, why do we want to shop local. What are the benefits?
1. Supporting local farmers and food producers strengthen your community and local economy. On average, only 10 cents of each food dollar return to the farmer. The other 90 cents? It goes to packaging, marketing, and transportation. Farmers who sell directly to consumers receive on average 80 cents of each food dollar. That is a huge difference that affects the farmers in our community. Not to mention, a lot of the farms that sell to big box stores are large corporations not the small local farmer.
2. Buying local ensures you get freshly picked, in season produce at the peak of its flavor and nutrition. Nothing annoys me more than buying produce that looks good in the store but only lasts a couple days then goes bad. A lot of this has to do with the fact they are not fresh. Plus, if you don't buy local then it is picked too early then has to be transported to your store. This all affects the freshness and flavor.
3. Buying local from farmers markets allow you to buy food from a variety of food groups that contribute to healthy eating. These include fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy. The markets will also include special treats that are all part of healthy balance of eating.
4. It's a learning activity. When you buy from the farmer, they can provide recommendations on how best to prepare the food. They can explain the process of growing or harvesting the food. In a 5-minute conversation with a local farmer, I learned more about one of the challenges the farmers have of getting their meat processed. When you buy from the farmer you can ask questions, learn about farming, and see how challenging it is for farmers to produce the food we eat. When you go to the store, I personally take this for granted. I forget there is a family behind those beans I buy and the steak I grill. Buying locally makes you more aware.
5. You can try something new. You can find more varieties from the local farmer than you will find at the grocery store. You also may be more apt to try something new if you can buy it fresh, speak to the farmer, and get some ideas on how to use it.
So how do you shop locally for your food products?
Farmers Markets are a great way to get a lot of local farmers in one place and to find a variety of products. Farmers Markets can be found all over. Springfield, Jacksonville, Champaign, and Havana are just a few places that have Farmers Markets in the area. Not to mention going to a farmers' market is a great seasonal activity. If you have a kid that likes to cook, maybe take them to the market and let them plan a meal from what they can find at the market. It would be a great learning experience and a challenge.
Buy your vegetables from a greenhouse and start a garden and grow your foods or you can buy seasonal produce from a produce stand. I do not have a great green thumb. I tried last year but was not super successful but there are some great food stands in my area that I love supporting. What's different than a farmers' market is that it is one farm, and they may have a limited amount of product.
Buy meat and eggs from a local farm. This has been something I have wanted to do, and it does take a bit of research unless you know someone. You have to look for farms in your area that sell what you are wanting. I've found people in the community are very helpful in suggesting farms. I know what you are thinking...it's got to be super expensive right? Well, not necessarily, I've found that the amount I spend for a good product in the store is not much different than buying directly from the farmer. I have successfully found farms in my area that I can buy my meat products from, and I am super excited. There is just something so cool about driving out to the farm to buy your meat.
Lastly, find a local grocer that buys from local farms. For instance, in Springfield there is Harvest Market and the Country Market. The Country Market buys all their meat from Illinois producers. Their produce comes from Illinois. All of their products come from Illinois actually. It is a small, family owned, all local, grocery store. This is a great way to support local. Harvest Market is not all local, but they do spotlight local companies and food products in the Midwest. This is a great place as well if you just can't get something from a local farmer, or it is off season for produce.
You know when you make a plan for dinner pull the meat out the night before to defrost then forget to pull it out of the fridge? Well, that was me tonight. I only had kielbasa thawed out and I had pizza last night so what to do? Find a recipe on Pinterest of course.
Step one: find a recipe that I have the ingredients for
Step two: make sure meat is thawed.
So, tonight I found a recipe that also allowed me to use my new Creole seasoning! Creole Sausage Pasta using carbanada pasta, which barely affects my sugar!
Ingredients:
Sausage and Peppers:
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 lb anouille or kielbasa sausage cut into 1/4 in slices
1 small onion diced
2 red or yellow peppers sliced
3-4 garlic cloves minced
Pasta:
15 oz can of diced tomatoes (I used rotel)
1.5 C water
8 oz of pasta
Sauce:
2 C Milk
3 oz cream cheese softened
1 tsp creole seasoning
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
2 TBSP flour
2 TBSP butter salted
1 tsp minced garlic
1 C freshly grated parmesan
The recipe:
Heat olive oil in skillet over med-hi heat add sausage and cook 2-3 minutes to sear slightly.
Add onions and cook 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add sliced peppers and garlic. Cook 3-5 minutes. Transfer mix to a bowl or plate and set aside.
Add diced tomatoes and water to pan scraping up any browned bits.
Bring to boil over high heat then add pasta.
Cover and reduce heat to medium-low simmering until pasta is al dente and has absorbed most the liquid.
Meanwhile, blend the milk, cream cheese, creole seasoning, smoked paprika, and flour.
Melt butter in a large pot over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
Add the blended milk mixture to the butter and garlic. Cook and stir until slightly thickened.
Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese.
Add sausage and vegetables along with the cooked pasta to the sauce, stir to combine.
When you are cooking your dinner what is a must have ingredient? Oil, but did you know that there are good and bad oils in regard to your health? Did you know that the smoke point plays a role in how healthy an oil is. Another thing that affects the health of an oil is how it is processed. Unrefined oils are healthier and less processed but more expensive. Refined oils tend to have higher smoke points.
What are some of the best oils to use in cooking?
1. Olive Oil
The smoke point is approximately 350 degrees. It is versatile. Olive oil is rich in vitamin E, which is an antioxidant. It has oleic acid which may have anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties. Olive oil can also help with lowering blood pressure and helping prevent LDL (bad) cholesterol from oxidizing. Olive oil contains heart healthy compounds and may help prevent conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes.
I personally love Spartan Valley Olive Oil from Springfield IL. It is a Greek product and is so good. I love to use it when popping popcorn.
2. Avocado Oil
The smoke point is approximately 520 degrees. It is great for high heat cooking and frying. It has a neutral flavor making it a very versatile oil to use in sweet and savory dishes. The nutritional elements are similar to olive oil. Avocado oil has the same health benefits as olive oil but also may be beneficial in helping joint pain from osteoarthritis, post-meal blood sugar, and total cholesterol levels.
I like the Chosen Foods Avocado Oil and Avocado Oil Cooking Spray. I use avocado oil for most of my cooking needs due to its neutral flavor except for certain things. I tend to use Olive oil in Italian dishes but avocado oil for most other things.
3. Sesame Oil
The smoke point is approximately 410 degrees. It is high in the heart-heathy antioxidants and has been shown in one study to benefit those with type 2 diabetes with their fasting blood sugar. It works well for sauteing, general cooking, and in salad dressing. It has a mild nutty flavor.
I don't use this one much, but I do like to use sesame oil when making Asian dishes and things like stir-fry.
4. Safflower Oil
The smoke point is approximately 510 degrees. It is made from seeds of the safflower plant. It's low in saturated fat and contains a higher amount of unsaturated fatty acids. It you purchase one with at least 70% linoleic acid it could help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. It has a neutral flavor that works well in marinades, sauces, dips, barbeque, and frying.
I have never personally used this oil type. If you have, what do you think?
There are some honorable mentions where there is some controversy on whether they are good for you or not. Like coconut oil. It may be better than some other options, but it is not as heart healthy as the ones listed above. Canola oil is another one. The issue may be more in how the oil is being used and not necessarily in the oil itself.
The bottom line, if you have any health conditions like me you may want to choose some of the healthier oil choices. If not, choose the oil you prefer. Just remember if you are using the oil to fry a bunch of food its ultimately not going to be very healthy.
