• 1.5-2 lb eye of round beef roast (if you can only find a larger one which was our case don’t be afraid to cut it in half and make two. We weren’t)
• olive oil
• sea salt and cracked black pepper
• Dried rosemary seasoning or a blend that includes rosemary

Let the roast come to room temperature. It doesn’t have to be exact you just don’t want it to be ice cold when you put it it the pan. That would cause the meat to be shocked and sort of seize up making for a tough roast.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees

Season the roast with salt, pepper, and your rosemary.

Preheat a Dutch oven or a large iron skillet over high heat. You want it’s to be very hot. Add a few table spoons of olive oil to the pan and brown it on all sides for a total of about 5 minutes. Then transfer the skillet into the oven. Let cook about 30 minutes or until the internal temperature is 120. It is going to be pink in the middle and that’s good in my book.

You then want to slice the roast very thinly. Think roast beef sandwiches here. An electric knife is good for this job. Dip the meat in some warmed beef stock. This turned out way better than expected and I expected greatness.

Here we go!

Olive oil
1 cup each of diced celery, onion, and carrots
Diced ham
1 can of diced tomatoes
1-2 tbsp italian seasoning
16 oz of dried lentils, rinsed and drained
32 oz chicken broth

Warm a couple tbsp of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Cook veggies until softened. Season them with salt and pepper. Add ham and cook until browned. Add tomatoes and seasoning. Stir to combine and cook until warm.

Add rinsed and drained lentils and stock. Bring to a simmer. Cover and let cook for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.

Enjoy this simple, warm, and filling dish.

This overtime is really putting a damper on my blogging. Hoping to be able to blog more soon.

Enjoy.

3 lb brisket (the flat half)
Garlic salt and pepper
3 onions (ours were Vidalia), sliced
1 bottle of chili sauce
1 cup of water

Season brisket with garlic salt and pepper. Place half of the onions in the bottom of a slow cooker. Cover with 1 cup of water. Place meat on top, seasoned side down. Season top side.
Cover meat with the bottle of chili sauce. Use a knife or spoon to make sure it is spread out evenly.

Place the rest of the onions on top. Cover and cook on low for ~10 hours.

Once done, remove from slow cooker and let rest for 30 min. Meat will shred but you want to slice it across the grain for the most tender cut.

1/2 an onion, chopped
2 zucchini, chopped
Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper
2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 quart of chicken stock
2 cups of cooked chicken, diced
1/2 cup of pasta

Sauté onion and zucchini in a pot prepared with cooking spray until the veggies are tender. Add Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir.

Add undrained tomatoes, broth, and chicken. Bring to a simmer and cook 15 minutes.

Add pasta and cook for time indicated on package for al dente.

I have been snacking on raw red bell peppers, raw mushrooms, baby carrots, and cucumbers.  I have them with a dip made of light sour cream, feta cheese, and ranch seasoning.  Crunchy, creamy, and good for you.  I’ve been adding more veggies into meals I normally make like adding zucchini into spaghetti sauce or a handful of spinach into other sauces.

I have tried a couple of new to me meat substitutes as well.  I’ve used Morning star Farms and Boca products before which are good but these new products will definitely be making a reappearance in my kitchen.

First, I bought some Lightlife Smart Ground.  It can be used any way you would use ground beef.  Spaghetti and tacos would be good.

I put it in a batch of taco soup.  I made my own taco seasoning mixture because I didn’t have any using chili powder and cumin.  In this version of taco soup I also added some lentils.  I added 1 cup of red lentils and an extra cup of water to the pot once it was nearly ready.  They werent noticeable taste wise but added a nice visual flair not to mention nutritional powerhouse.  I’ve said it before but lentils are high in protein, low in fat and calories and high in fiber.  Try adding some to your next soup.

I added a dollop of 0% greek yogurt to the top of mine instead of sour cream.

Another meat free option I tried was soyrizo.  It is a soy version of chorizo which is typically a pork sausage seasoned heavily with paprika.  The soyrizo comes in a casing that is very much like plastic.  You squeeze the meat out into the pan and break it up like you would regular sausage.  It crumbles nicely and has a sweeter flavor than traditional chorizo.

I put this meat free alternative into some chili.  It was good.  I went a little heavier on the spice to counteract the sweetness of the soyrizo.  It was good.

The package says crumbles like chorizo with 75% less fat and no cholesterol.  It is also gluten-free.

I made the chili with fire-roasted tomatoes which was a new thing as well.  I also topped mine with the 0% greek yogurt.

And that’s what I’ve been up to in the kitchen lately.  

• 1 box of no-boil lasagna noodles
• 1 TBSP olive oil/ generous coat of cooking spray
• 1 lb. of lean ground turkey
• 1 cup diced onion
• garlic salt and black pepper
• few dashes of worchestershire
• 2 cans of diced tomatoes with juices
• 15 oz part skim ricotta
• 2 eggs
• 2 TBSP Italian seasoning, divided
• lots of mozzarella (2-4 cups)
• little parmesan, 1/4 cup

Preheat oven to 375.

Brown the meat and onion in the oil.  Season with garlic salt and black pepper.  Add worcestershire.

Add tomatoes and a TBSP or so of Italian seasoning.  Stir to combine.  Once up to a bubble, reduce the heat to simmer and cook stirring often for about 20 minutes.

Mix ricotta, beaten eggs, and a TBSP of Italian seasoning in a separate bowl.

Layer it up!  Put a little of the sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 pan.

• Add 4 noodles.
• Add some sauce.
• Add some ricotta mixture.
• Add some mozzarella cheese.
• Repeat layers 3 more times.
• End with a generous layer of mozzarella and the parmesan on top.

Bake for 30-45 minutes.

This lasagna held together very nicely.  I prepared it early in the morning, refrigerated and then baked it that night.  Super good.  Some attendees had seconds.

This recipe is from Alton Brown and Good Eats.  Here is the original recipe.  I have not seen the episode so I was just going off of the written recipe.  I followed the instructions with the substitution of some Splenda brown sugar blend but then had to bake it a little longer because it wasnt done in the middle.  Apparently they were super good. I thought that they were rich but still wonderful.

I already had all the ingredients on hand which was nice.  I must be doing ok at stocking my pantry because I had all the ingredients for the main dish I made on this night too.

Try these out.  You may already have all the ingredients.

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup Splenda brown sugar blend
• 1-1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 sticks of melted butter (I did this in the microwave)

Preheat oven to 300º.  With a hand mixer, beat the eggs until light yellow and fluffy.  Add both sugars and mix until combined.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until just combined.

Add the mixture to a greased 8×8 pan.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Test the middle with a toothpick or a knife.  I was cooking something else at the same time.  I bumped the temp up to 375º and cooked for another 15 minutes.

*Warning: the peas may pop during the roasting process.  sometimes they do; sometimes they don’t.  It’s ok either way.  I just warn you.”

• 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• sea salt

Preheat oven to 400º.

Spread chickpeas in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Toss with 1 TBSP olive oil and 1-2 TBSP salt.  Roast for 50 minutes.  Check on and toss every 15 minutes.  When done they will be crunchy and toasty brown.

Kids love them too!

I used the meyer lemon olive oil again in this recipe and some herbs de provence.  This is a seasoning blend that can  include rosemary, lavender, savory, fennel, basil, and thyme.  This is the first time I’ve used it but it was delicious.

• 2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 3 TBSP red wine vinegar
• 2 TBSP olive oil, I used the meyer lemon flavor
• 2 tsp of herbs de Provence
• salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 425º

In a gallon zip top bag combine the vinegar, oil, and herbs de Provence.  Mix it up (This is a good job for a little boy or girl).  Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat.  Marinate for 15-20 minutes.

Place the chicken thighs in a single layer on an aluminum lined baking sheet.  Season with salt and black pepper.

Roast for 30 minutes.  Then place your oven on broil for 5 minutes.  This is going to help brown the top of the chicken so watch it carefully.

I also like roasting the thighs because you can lift them out of the excess fat and oil.  When you cook with them in a stew or sauce that fat can leach out into the liquid.  This way you can leave it behind.

I served it with roasted teeny tiny potatoes and broccoli.

Kids loved it and asked for seconds.

• As many teeny tiny potatoes as you would like
• olive oil to coat (I used meyer lemon flavored)
• sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 425º

Wash and dry potatoes and then place in a single layer on an aluminum foil baking sheet.  Drizzle 1-2 TBSP of olive oil on the potatoes and then toss.  Season with salt and pepper.

Roast for 30 minutes, shaking the pan half way through.  They should be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Amazing!