Category Archives: Cooking

Spicy Black Bean Burgers

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 29 August, 2014 1 comments

Music in the park tonight, yup that was music not movies. As we continually have this discussion all throughout summer about our movie dates we officially ended the movie phase last week and now have transitioned to music nights.

We decided we would continue our Thursday Date Night Park Night (boy was that a mouthful) with whatever decides to land itself in the park and tonight happens to be music.

I had a light bulb moment today while hashing out picnic ideas to myself and a brilliant idea hit–black bean burgers with a titch of spice. Before I get started, I must confess that this idea came to me only, I repeat only because I just made black beans last night. What was I making black beans for you may ask, I’m not entirely sure, they just sounded scrumptious. There was no heartfelt pondering as to what I should make for our dinner park date but that does not mean love is not genuinely wrapped tightly in my non-heartfelt idea. :)

First, let me just say that replacing lettuce for fresh green beans was by far the best idea I’ve had to date. I do not know how to express to you this transitional period in my life. Something about the sweet flavor of the beans along with the crunch lettuce holds, brought this sandwich to a WHOLE new level; unexplainable.

Now here are the magical ingredients for my delicious spicy black bean burgers–

Quantity = 4 burgers

Ingredients:

4 Ciabatta Buns
2 Cups Black Beans
1 Cup Quinoa
1/2 Cup Fresh Green Beans, chopped
1/2 Cup Tomatoes, diced
1 Palm full Cilantro, chopped
1 TBSP Garlic Salt
1/2 TSP Sea Salt
2 TBSP Olive Oil
2 Eggs
1 Lemon
1/2 Cup Shredded Cheese
1/2 Cup Crumbled Blue Cheese
4 Slices of Cheese

Toppings:

Spicy Spread (optional)
Fresh Green Beans (replacement for lettuce)
Tomatoes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine oil, eggs, garlic, sea salt and the juice of 1/2 lemon. Mix well.

Add in black beans, quinoa, green beans, tomatoes and cilantro.

Add in cheese.

Use a 1 cup measuring cup and scoop onto a cookie sheet. Pat down to make flat.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until crispy. Remove from oven and top with cheese slices.

Return to oven and heat until melted; 1-2 minutes.

Lets just say that the blue cheese crumbles melted within this giant black bean burger is to die for. You do not want to opt out of using blue cheese crumbles as this adds lots of flavor and pairs perfectly with the spicy spread.

Top your buns with a black bean burger, a large dollop of spicy spread, green beans and tomatoes. If you love the spicy spread as much as we do, fill each side of your bun with it as well. :)

This meal will knock your socks off guaranteed. Holy smokes you may want to call the fire department, it’s that sizzling good.

Summer Sausage and Orzo

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 28 August, 2014 None comments

Chicken flavored orzo with summer sausage and fresh vegetables.

The great thing with orzo is not only the incredible taste but the simple fact that it can be cooked in so many ways with numerous ways to flavor it. I absolutely love orzo. Mmmm so delicious and versatile.

This particular night, I cooked the orzo in chicken broth leaving the pasta flavored so beautifully that nothing needed to be added to the pasta; not even butter.

This meal is less than 30 minutes and is a very inexpensive option to serve the family for dinner.

Ingredients:

1 lb kielbasa sausage
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, diced
4 tbsp butter
1 tbsp minced garlic
Orzo
1 tbsp Better than bullion chicken flavored
Vegetables of choice

Bring water to a boil, add chicken stock and orzo. Follow package instructions on how long to cook.

Meanwhile, slice sausage, onions and mushrooms. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add in minced garlic. Stir frequently to keep garlic from burning. Roast garlic for 2-3 minutes until fully cooked.

Keep the heat on medium and add in the onions and mushrooms. Continue to saute garlic mixture until onions and mushrooms are nice and tender.

Toss in sausage and heat through.

Serve with vegetables and orzo and enjoy.

BLTA Grilled Cheese

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 27 August, 2014 None comments

Movie in the park date night entailed BLTA’s per the husbands request.

This particular night we wanted a delicious BLTA and received a mushy, soggy replica of what should be a crunchy sandwich. We reached the park, got settled in and began to open the cooler of delicious dinner remedies to fill our tummies. As I was scoping out the cooler and lifting and prodding to get to the sandwiches below the pile of chips, I encounter a white milky substance resembling my sons cup of milk. This liquid was all over everything. I mean everything.

I pull out the sandwiches which were wrapped in foil, to find a disaster of wet soggy bread. My sandwich was completely wasted and was not at all salvageable. My husbands on the other hand was partially ruined. He was gracious enough to share half of his half with me. We spent the rest of the time filling up on chip, nuts and chocolate. Although I had very little BLTA, the little I had was quite delicious.

I’ll be opting for another BLTA in the comfort of our own home soon!

Dinner equaled disappointment. Learn from me, do not put liquid near food while in a cooler.

Ingredients:

Homemade bread (I did not have time for this last minute idea and used Dave’s Killer bread instead)

Homemade Garlic Butter:

Butter
Garlic Salt
Sea Salt
Italian Seasoning

Toppings:

Tomatoes
Bacon
Lettuce
Avocado
Cheese (optional)
Cucumbers (optional)

In a small bowl mix together butter, garlic salt, sea salt and Italian seasoning. I do this to taste depending on how many sandwiches I am making.

Spread on top of bread.

On one half of each sandwich, place a slice of cheese.

Toast bread in a toaster oven or broil in regular oven at 550 degrees until nice and crispy.

Mash avocado and spread on top of the slice of bread without cheese.

Meanwhile, cook bacon and begin to layer your BLTA.

*For bacon tips click here

Layer on cucumbers and tomatoes. (I used fresh cherry tomatoes from our garden)

Top with lettuce and VIOLA you have an incredible BLTA grilled cheese sandwich.

When packing and carrying your meals outside of the home, just remember not to place them by milk or any liquid for that matter that can spill. :) If you follow my instructions, you will be pleased.

Even though our dinner was unsatisfying due to the spillage of milk, we still had a blast with our son and spending time together as a family.

While our sandwiches turned to a disaster, I also forgot Cooper’s meal sitting on the counter at home. So he partook in cashews and cranberries for his protein…..

Always crossing his legs….. like mother like son. :)

Always a happy baby!

2014-08-26 14.52.40

Just goes to show how important family time is. With or without dinner, the night was still a success.

Pizza Bites

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 26 August, 2014 None comments

SNACK TIME!

Is it time for a evening snack? My husband and I have got into a bad habit of eating, what most people would consider to be a second dinner. Not the best idea, especially with summer here. I thought to myself the other day that normally it’s typical to store up chipmunk weight during winter, not summer. So what’s my deal? It’s pretty simple I must say; I eat late at night!

The more unfortunate problem is the reality that I always feel sick afterwards from eating too much and eating not so healthy. I always try and counteract my sweet tooth or carb craving by eating some fruit or vegetables which leads to something even more unhealthy snacks. ;)

Tonight’s snack of choice was a pizza muffin. Pizza toppings on a toasted, buttery english muffin. Yup, yummy.

All I did was toast an English muffin, layer pepperoni and cheese and broiled until crispy. Topped with fresh basil and devoured by me. DELICIOUS!!!!

Easy and very satisfying. Mmmm good!

Mediterranean Chicken

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 21 August, 2014 None comments

I have been making this recipe for years and this recipe is still one of my most favorite meals. I absolutely love and adore this recipe. It’s a top hit with all our friends and family as well and mind you, this is the easiest recipe to date. It will blow your socks off.

It seems as of lately, I have had to step up my game with my sister and her weekly attendance at our abode. She has been seeking and searching for goodies and has officially been spoiled. This was on our lunch menu one afternoon after a long morning of swimming and walks to the river.

It was very satisfying and made everyone quite happy.

Ingredients:

1 medium Onion, yellow or red, chopped
1 tsp sugar
2 Cups Diced Tomatoes
1/3 Cup EVOO
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano Cheese
4 chicken breasts
Garlic salt
Paprika
Cumin
Salt and Pepper
1 1/2 Cups Gorgonzola Cheese Crumbles

In a skillet, add a smidgen of EVOO, onions and 1 tsp sugar for a little caramelization. Slightly saute just until barely tender. Remove from heat and place in a small bowl to cool.

Once onions are cooled, add tomatoes and 1/3 cup oil.

Toss tomato mixture with Romano Cheese and refrigerate until needed.

Meanwhile, cook chicken breasts either in the oven or pan fried; whichever you prefer. Season breasts with a generous amount of garlic salt, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook until no longer pink.

Once breasts are cooked, top with a generous scoop of the tomato mixture and sprinkle with Gorgonzola cheese.

Viola– your meal is beautiful and delectable.

Blueberry Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake Blend

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 20 August, 2014 None comments

This is the perfect combination of a cinnamon roll and coffee cake that I wasn’t quite sure what to call it. So I went basic and called it what it is, a blueberry cinnamon roll coffee cake blend. That pretty much sums it up. It has the glaze of cinnamon rolls and the coffee cake texture. Wow is it mighty tasty.

My sister was coming over for her weekly swim and I had been accused recently of not making any delicious treats as I normally do. She usually comes over with a pastry of some sort for breakfast and a nice big cup of coffee awaiting her arrival. But– lets be honest, I had been slacking for more than one reason and simply hadn’t provided anything baked for a couple weeks. Mind you she always got leftovers for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed those but a pastry or muffin for breakfast is what we love as sisters of a carbohydrate eating family.

So with a loud and clear reminder, I chose to make this delicious mouthful for us all to enjoy and boy did we enjoy it.

My husband sarcastically states that he wants leftovers for breakfast the following morning at work. Although it’s sarcastic, I know he’s being serious. And rightly so, I would never leave him out of the mix. ;)

I made this in the morning and it came freshly hot out of the oven upon her arrival. That’s my favorite part. I love the house smelling of sweet baked goods leaving a person excited for what they will soon be consuming.

Ingredients:

Cake:

3/4 cup white sugar
8 tbsp butter
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp lemon juice
2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup unbleached flour
1 cup blueberries (1 tsp flour, if frozen)

Crumb Topping:

1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
8 tbsp butter, partially melted
1 cup unbleached flour
1/8 tsp salt

Glaze:

3 cups powdered sugar
1 ounce cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened (not melted)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and 8 x 8 cake pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combing sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and Greek yogurt.

In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients, baking powder, soda, salt and flour. Mix and combine with wet ingredients.

Be careful not to over mix.

Fold in fresh blueberries. If using frozen berries, toss with 1 tsp flour to keep juices contained.

Pour into greased cake pan and set aside.

Meanwhile, begin to make the crumb topping.

Combine all ingredients.

Mix until well crumbly.

Layer the crumb topping on top of the cake and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Today my sister was over with my niece and we opted out of the glaze as our little children were acting as if they were malnourished and haven’t ate most their lives. I also believed they didn’t need the extra sugar topping as it was pretty well contained with sugar as is. :)

I topped with extra berries to add additional fruit and flavor.

If making the glaze, while the cake is baking, begin to make this.

Combine all ingredients. If mixture is too thick add additional milk 1/4 tsp at a time. It becomes runny very quickly.

Pour over cooled cake. Yummy!

*Seriously adapted from chelseasmessyapron.com

Pineapple Bacon Sausage Sandwich

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 18 August, 2014 None comments

Oh how I absolutely love grill season. Especially now that I do not count on my husband anymore. “I can do it myself” I proudly think to myself. No more waiting around for him to get home from work; now I can have dinner prepared before he gets home. Yahoo!

I bought these sausages from Costco but you can purchase them pretty much anywhere. They are precooked and have sweet pineapple and juicy bacon wrapped inside them. This grilled juicy sausage leaves for a crispy outside with extreme juice flowing on the inside. Oh my goodness, is your mouth watering yet? Yummy yum yum!

Literally three ingredients is all you need. It is that easy. This meal is a 15 minute quick dinner (with the potatoes, 45 minutes).

From refrigerator to belly in a 25 minuets depending how quickly you gobble down your feast.

The simplicity of it all brings out the flavors of the sausage, leaving this goodness– plain and simple.

Serve on a ciabatta roll which makes this even more delicious.

Served this evening with pan friend potatoes…oh so delish’

Feast your eyes and feast your belly! :) Yahoo take pleasure in the food you eat. Life becomes more enjoy able when we eat and drink with those we love and eat good food!

So here’s the scoop:

Ingredients:

4 Sausages, defrost if necessary
4 Ciabatta rolls
Smidgen of Mayo

Grill the sausage on BBQ- if weather appropriate. I wouldn’t want you all standing outside in the rain and snow to enjoy a delicious sausage sandwich. You could also broil in the oven, boil or microwave though I’m least partial to the ladder.

Lightly toast your ciabatta rolls on the grill (or oven) and spread with a little mayo.

Slice the sausage lengthwise and lay flat on your buns. :) Viola, that simple! Really it sounds very unexciting but a good sausage brings a lot of flavor to enjoy and not be disguised by multiple ingredients. It is really delectable.

Than…. sit on your back porch and enjoy a beautiful sunset. While I was up visiting family, this was a similar meal we had and this was the scenery I was able to gratefully partake in.

So beautiful! Though this scenery is entirely different than my backyard…I love enjoying the scenery from one house to another grateful that God has created a beautiful world that lies before us.

Blueberry Oat Pancake Mix

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 17 August, 2014 None comments

Craving pancakes? Try these oat flour pancakes. In our household we can eat pancakes three times a week and never get sick of them. When I say “we” I mean, Cooper and I. Michael has to be in the mood for pancakes as he is our non carbohydrate man of the family. He could go without carbs for weeks where I can’t go a day without them. I love me some carbs and I love me some pancakes.

Ya’ll have probably caught on extremely quickly to my intense love for carbohydrates.

Ingredients:

2 2/3 Cup Oat Flour
2 2/3 Cup Unbleached Flour
4 TBSP Baking Powder
2 TSP Baking Soda
1 TSP Salt
1/3 Cup Sugar

Mix all ingredients together and keep in a glass container for the days you are craving pancakes.

Making Pancakes:

When you go to make your fluffy pancakes with oat flour you will want to have an egg on hand. This will add a bit of protein as well as help add some fluffiness.

1 Cup Pancake Mix
1 Egg
3/4 Cup Milk (water works great if you want less calories)
Butter or Oil for the griddle
1 cup fresh or frozen Blueberries

Mix everything together minus the blueberries. Once the mix is cooking on the griddle and beginning to bubble, top the pancake batter with a few blueberries. Continue to cook and flip when ready. Continue with each pancake.

*You can mix the blueberries directly into the batter, if doing so, mix frozen blueberries with 2 tablespoons flour to keep from discoloring your batter. I find it easier to wait for each pancake as you can eliminate tossing with flour. Personal preference. :)

These will help make your breakfast brighter knowing you have oat flour and an egg for added health benefits.

These fluffy pancakes are incredible. Served with syrup for the hubby and I. And for little Cooper– he had syrup with almond butter for added protein. Mmmm Delish!

*For additional pancake mixes check out:

Whole Wheat Pancake Mix

Pancake Mix

Pasta Salad

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 15 August, 2014 1 comments

Traditional pasta salad never gets old. With all the creativity in the world and the delicious salads we all come up with, traditional pasta salad still covers most tables all throughout summer.

We ate this while up visiting my parents a couple weeks ago. My mom is the chef I’ve learned to mimic throughout the years. Her great food, amazing desserts and her love for cooking has been exactly what I’ve tried to emulate throughout my years of successful cooking. Love and food will consume a recipe leaving you with nothing left but greatness.

Here is a great staple pasta salad recipe with the secret sauce of—Cesar Dressing. It really is the secret to cut back on the tang from Italian dressing but not take away from the flavor. Try it out, mmm so delicious!

Ingredients:

1 lb Spiral Pasta
1 can Olives, sliced
Handful Kalamata Olives
1 large Carrot, chopped
1 large Green Pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cup Tomatoes, chopped
1/2 medium Onion, diced
1/2 cup Italian Dressing
1/2 cup Caesar Salad Dressing

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and let cool.

Meanwhile, while the pasta is cooking, begin to dice and chop all vegetables.

Sprinkle vegetables on top of cold pasta and add dressings.

Mix well while trying not to eat all of the olives. :)

Of course pasta salad is so divine, you could always eat it by itself, but tonight’s menu was Sausage Sandwich with rice.

I must confess, Cesar salad dressing gives the perfect flavor to this salad with a bit of tang from the Italian Dressing. Yummy!!!

Don’t go fancy tonight, make this staple pasta salad before summer ends!

Baked Taquitos

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 13 August, 2014 None comments

Yesterday was another strong blast of heat. Our house has withstood the heatwave until now. This morning when I woke up and the house still sat at 75 degrees- I knew there was a problem. This weather has kicked in full gear and is not backing down. We are supposed to reach 100 degrees today and while Portland typically hasn’t reached this high heat on a regular basis, we are now. It seems the past few years have consistently remained hot, smokin’ hot.

I remember long ago, moving to Portland–okay it was only 11 years ago, but I was utterly shocked that the majority of the city does not support central air. Portland never got that hot where AC was worth the investment. It seemed only the million dollar homes carried central air while now a days– Portland has had to adapt. Our heat wave the past few years has gained quite steadily leaving us with no choice but to have AC. And for all my sorry pregnant friends out there with no AC, my heart goes out to you!

It’s pretty insane how our weather has changed so significantly over the years. My family back up in Washington is experiencing temperatures in the low 100’s on a too regular basis. It’s almost as if it’s becoming the new Arizona state while mimicking the high heat. Nothing else of course resembles Arizona in the slightest.

Anyway, today Cooper and I were outside preparing for our park date tonight with daddy. I tried to quickly bake our dinner and scurry outside to play with my son. (Sometimes I feel he has too many independent play days)

This was his snack of choice:

Orange Juice
Chow Mien Noodles (4 gms of protein- shocking)
Glazed pecans
And sour little worms that his Grammy bought him

He has been having a great time pulling his toys around lately. He typically loves to push and run rampant with everything but, this little helicopter makes him slow down making sure it doesn’t fall sideways off it’s track and lose balance, boy does that cause for some frustartion. He keeps it on track and walks it through the grass, dirt and up the sidewalk by our house stopping for treats along the way.

While he was playing, I would run back and forth from the kitchen to play with him as I began to make this incredibly quick dinner. This meal allowed me to spend most of the time with him while stepping outside to let the taquitos crisp up in the oven… ooohh ya! I had you at crisp!

Tonight’s menu: Baked Taquitos with cucumber tomato salad

Venue: Hammerle Park

Guests: You, Me and Dupree

Requirements: Please bring a fun attitude, adventurous toys for the kids and chocolate for my love of desserts.

Ingredients:

½ lb chicken, chopped (2-3 breasts)
1 can kidney beans
3 large mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp Paprika
½ tsp garlic salt
½ cup blue cheese or ranch
4 ounces cream cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
8 tortillas

Chop cooked chicken and add to saucepan.

Add blue cheese and kidney beans. Begin to heat through on low heat.

Add in mushrooms and saute until tender.

Once the mushrooms are tender, turn the heat off. Add in cream cheese, garlic salt and paprika. Stir until cream cheese is melted.

Lay one heaping 1/2 cup onto a tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. Roll up leaving the edges open. Repeat until your mixture is gone.

Place on a foil lined baking sheet.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown.

Aren’t they so pretty and ooey-gooey delicious looking?

I allowed ours to cool a bit and then wrapped them in foil to pack for our picnic. They remained perfectly warm until we enjoyed them on our blanket at the park. We had cucumber tomato salad with our taquitos along with chips and salsa and dark chocolate peanut butter cups for dessert. Yummy!

What will you be serving your taquitos with tonight?