Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp... HELLO Summer!!!

Never thought of myself as much of a dessert girl, until I tried this crisp! Completely inspired by one of my idols... Ina! She takes quality ingredients, locally grown, and puts FLAVORS together like a maestro conducts a symphony! I rarely buy cookbooks anymore.. but I do buy hers! So... here's what I did. I started with Ina's crisp, and then I cut a lot of sugar out and made it my own (while it was delicious, it didn't need it). Two components, fruit part, and crisp part... cue friut! It's strawberry and rhubarb season, so buy about 4-5 stalks of fresh rhubarb and at least 4 cups of strawberries. Wash fruit and get ready to prepare the filling! Cut your rhubarb into 1 inch chunks. 4 cups. Add to mixing bowl. Hull (cut green caps off) and cut strawberries in half. 4 cups. Add to bowl with rhubarb. Here's where I made this recipe my own. I added the zest of one orange, and half cup of sugar. After zesting that orange, juice it and mix it with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch (to thicken the juice). Add the mixture to the filling and toss. Spray baking dish with oil and add the strawberry and rhubarb mixture. Now, get ready for the crispy topping! I fitted my processor with the bread blade (white one) and added half cup of sugar, half cup of brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 cup of oats (quick), 1 cup of flour, and 1 and 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter (12 tablespoons). Pulse the crispy topping with the butter for a minute or two until combined. Sprinkle (with your fingers) over the top of the fruit! Are you getting excited? You should be!!! Pop into a 350 degree oven for an hour... yes, 1 hour. If you don't have any vanilla ice cream in da' house, now's the time to GO GET IT!! After 1 hour... this is what you have! Intoxicating strawberry rhubarb crisp! OMG! Once you make this, you will make it again, and again! Top with your favorite vanilla ice cream and sink into strawberry heaven! Mind blowing flavor! Can you handle this strawberry rhubarb crisp? Try it and find out!

Bacon... Bacon... BACON!!!!! Grilled Chicken BLT's!!! Hell YEAH!

Tuesday night... and tonight, we pay homage... to... our love for bacon! Thick cut, salty, tasty, intoxicating, bacon! The ONLY meat my vegetarian friends actually cheat with. And for GOOD REASON, I mean, come on now... bacon ROCKS! Behold some super awesome BLT's... let's begin! I started with thick cut bacon and cooked it in the oven... that's right, NOT ON THE STOVE TOP! This is so easy, set oven to 400 degrees and put bacon on a foil lined baking sheet fit with a rack. Lay bacon on the rack and let it sit in the oven for at least 20 minutes. Check and take out when crisp (20-30 minutes). Easy clean up tip, simply fold up the foil with the bacon drippings and toss! Super easy clean up! While the bacon cooked I washed the super fresh lettuce in a sink of water. Swirl the leaves in the water and let sit while the grit falls to the bottom and take out to dry on towels. Let the lettuce dry while you grill some little chicken tenders to go on our BLT's!! I took a little pack of chicken tenders and brushed them with olive oil and seasoned with garlic powder, salt and fresh cracked pepper. Next I heated up the grill and lay those tasty tenders on the heat for 3 minutes per side. Quick and done! Now, (recite the meat mantra...) cover and let your meat rest for at least 10 minutes so it will be super tender and juicy!!! Time to assemble!!! Lay that chicken, bacon, lettuce and tomato onto your favorite toasted bread and enjoy the bacony flavor of the protein packed BLT... Gremlin style!

Late Night Pasta Plain and Simple!

Long week... busy wet Friday evening commemorating Memorial Day with tuba-Stevie and the marching band! A sweet small town parade full of local officials, first responders, and shiny red "old timey" fire engines... but now it's late, and WE'RE TIRED and HUNGRY!! And there's "nothing to eat"... But wait!! There's pasta... when there's pasta, there's always something to eat! Even this super plain and simple pasta is a late night treat for supper!! I started by cooking my pasta according to the directions (al dente). Now, we started with fresh garlic (4-5 cloves), black pepper and olive oil (2-4 tablespoons). That's it, tasty delicious, peppery, garlicky pasta! But then, these tomatoes came screaming onto the cutting board, ready to join the party, so, we let them!! After draining the pasta, add the garlic and oil to the pot and let it warm up for about a minute. Add your pasta (before it seizes up into a brick) and cover with tons of fresh cracked black pepper! Toss to coat the pasta with all that garlicky, peppery olive oil. You may need to add a little more olive oil, and that's ok! It's really the sauce for the pasta! Next, toss all those party-crashing tomatoes into the pasta and literally 5-10 minutes after you started, you have a fresh tasty simple pasta dinner! You can keep the pasta plain with garlic and pepper, or add anything you have laying around, ready to crash the pasta party! Tonight we had tomatoes (SCORE!)... you might have something laying in your produce bin, waiting to be rescued, or even olives or roasted red peppers from the pantry... When you have pasta and garlic, you always have a fresh tasty late night dinner! So simple and one of my favorites!! YUM!

Chipotle Pork Tenderloin and Jalapeno Slaw!

"We're hungry!!"... "When's dinner?" Tonight, a quick and easy "go to" dinner! This pork and slaw together are super tasty and gone in seconds! Pork tenderloin, jalapeno slaw, and quick and easy mashed potatoes! Start with the slaw! How many times do I make this slaw?? TOO MANY!! Because it's so freakin' GOOD! Fresh crispy tender cabbage and carrots with scallions, cilantro, and tonight... 2 chopped jalapeno peppers!! BRING IT!! Tonight I chopped half of one red cabbage, a super small Chinese cabbage, one bag sliced carrots (easy... guilty), 6 sliced scallions, one cup cilantro, and 2 chopped fresh jalapeno peppers (seeds and veins removed). Looks like too much, and that's a good thing, cause you'll want more later!! Next... guilty favorite short cut... fancy pants prepared chipotle dressing! I poured about a half cup dressing over all this slaw... and it was perfect. Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste! Toss your delicious crispy tangy spicy (prom queen) slaw together and park on the side while the pork get's ready to meet it's prom date!! Tonight I covered 2 pork tenderloins with salt, garlic powder, and chipotle seasoning and seared it in a hot pan on all sides using tongs to turn the pork! Pork is sizzling with chipotle flavor! After searing all sides, pop into a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 137 to 140 degrees! Tonight, after 15 minutes, I was only at 130 degrees, so I popped it in for 5 more minutes, and it was perfect! Now, take this seriously... let the meat rest!!! Cover for 10 minutes (at least) with foil. Last minute idea... mashed potatoes... HECK YEAH!! I had 5 or so, sad little red potatoes watching pork and slaw get all the attention, so we invited them to the party! I literally gave them a quick wash, chopped in half, boiled in salted water for 20 minutes (while pork cooked) and drained out the water. Then, simply add salt and fresh ground pepper to potatoes and mash with a masher (old school). Add half a cup of milk and 2 Tablespoons of butter with half a cup of buttermilk and keep mixing with the masher! Some people add more butter to mashed potatoes, I don't... too much fat. The buttermilk is the secret to super amazing mashed potato flavor! While this looks like a simple, modest, humble little pork dinner, it's anything BUT!!! This pork packs so much tender flavor... and with the creamy tangy potatoes and crispy fresh spicy slaw, it's a winner, for sure! Easy and crazy-delicious for any busy week night!!!

Pesto... Pasta, YEAH!!! With Tofu... Wha'?

Pasta with pesto! Yumm! But, tofu??? HECK YEAH!! Delicious roasted veggies and pasta with pesto... and tofu? Hmmmm... I started with extra firm tofu, because I don't like mushy food, but I love lean protein!! Start by cubing the tofu into chunks and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle on some salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Roast in a 375 degree oven for at least (get this) about 45 minutes. Now, tofu tastes like... nothing. Absolutely nothing. That's why it gets a bad rap! But I love it, because it will take on the flavor of whatever you give it, and deliver protein. Just give it some FLAVOR!! So, as you may have noticed... I'm trying to turn bland, boring tofu into a super tasty, chicken nugget style rock star of flavor. This is how I always do tofu. Treat it like MEAT! Next, chop some veggies to go with your pasta! Tonight I had red pepper, zucchini, and asparagus! YUM! Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder, and roast for 10 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Meanwhile, cook your favorite pasta according to the directions (al dente). Top with home made, or prepared pesto! Now, if you know me, and my addiction to garlic, YOU KNOW I added some garlic to that pan with some olive oil before tossing everything together. Extra garlic... GUILTY! After adding your pesto to your pasta, throw in handfuls of spinach and toss. It will disappear quickly! Then, add your roasted veggies and toss everything together in the pot with the pasta. You may have noticed how lazy I am, and how everything is in that same pasta pot. Guilty! The big finish! Get ready to top your pasta with some fresh Parmesan cheese and some toasted pine nuts! And, don't forget the protein packed tofu nuggets of flavor! Tonight, tofu meets pesto pasta! Scared of tofu? Leave it out... this pasta is super easy, quick and delicious, with or without tofu!!! Pesto pasta with tofu and roasted veggies.... YES, PLEASE!!

Easy Peasy Apple Pie!

OH! Hell Yah! That just happened tonight! Apple pie! We cheated with the crust, and we're not sorry! One unexpected cold, rainy, spring night... now warm and cozy with fresh homemade apple pie! Cheating... let me explain... Buying store bought prepared pie crust is totally cheating, and not beneath me one bit! This is one brand that is high quality and delivers tasty flaky crust to all us cheaters! Now... this is so simple! I used 5 apples, 3 granny (green) and 2 fuji. Take 10 minutes out of your busy life and make a date with these apples... they will love you back I guarantee! I quarter, core, peel, and slice the apples right into the bowl. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar (to taste), 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 3 Tablespoons of flour and toss with those fresh apples! Lay them in the bottom crust and dot with butter... about 1-2 teaspoons. Add the other crust on top. Use a tiny bit of water on your finger tips to dampen the bottom crust so it will seal with the top crust. Crimp, or pinch the top and bottom crust together to seal. Use a sharp knife to create slits in the top crust (allowing steam to escape)! Now, cue kitchen gadget addiction. I have this little "pie cover" skirt kinda thingy. It covers the outer crust so it doesn't burn. If you don't have one (and who would??) use some foil and cover the crust while the pie cooks in a 425 degree oven for 40-50 minutes. Juices will bubble from the slits and crust will be golden, and your house will smell like apple cinnamon heaven when done! And... YEAH! That just happened! On a Wednesday!! Fresh apple pie, cheating is allowed! Make your peeps warm and cozy on a damp, cold night with apple pie! Apple pie with vanilla frozen yogurt! Amen!