Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce

This sauce is so easy to make and it tastes like you were simmering this it all day on the stove top.  


Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce

1# extra lean ground beef
2 tbsp extra light olive oil
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 cup beef broth
1 14.5 oz can chopped tomatoes
2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic & oregano
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste

Turn your instant pot to the simmer function and heat the olive oil.  Add in the ground beef, season and brown.  Stir often.  Add in onions and cook until they are translucent.  Turn off the instant pot and add in the remaining ingredients.  Turn to manual cook to 10 minutes on high pressure.  I let the machine sit for an additional 20 minutes as I was getting the pasta ready.   Release the pressure and open the lid.  Remove the bay leaf and season to taste.  

Chipotle Barbeque Sauce

This is a super easy to make barbeque sauce but it packs so much flavor. 

I put it on top of chicken in the crockpot but it can be used indoors or out.

 

 

Chipotle Barbeque Sauce

½ cup applesauce

½ cup barbeque sauce

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp  chipotle powder

Stir all the ingredients together and baste

over chicken, beef, pork...whatever

you choose.

Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes & Blueberry Lemon Sauce

It's a lazy Sunday.  The sun was shining early this morning but now it's clouded over and the weather forecast has waivered between freezing rain and rain and then topped off with snow.  It was time to bring a little sunshine into a brunch.  

Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds

1 tbsp. lemon zest

2 tbsp. sugar

2 tbsp. butter, melted

1 large egg

3/4 cup milk

Mix together dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.  Stir in wet ingredients.  Heat your griddle.  Melt a little butter on it before starting your pancakes.  When the pancakes are bubbling and turning golden on the first side, flip carefully and cook the second side.

Blueberry Lemon Sauce
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
2 tsp cornstarch
10 oz blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 dash cinnamon (optional)

Whisk together the sugar, water and cornstarch in a small saucepan.  Add in the blueberries, lemon juice and zest and bring to a boil.  Stir until the sauce thickens, remove from heat and stir in the cinnamon.  Serve warm or cold.

Blueberry BBQ Sauce

Sometimes you just want to try something new and I had some beautiful pork chops that I thought needed a new bbq sauce.  I didn’t want to add it on while cooking since blueberries tend to color the meat and a dark gray color.  It’s not very appetizing.  I tried this once with a pomegranate molasses and chicken. 

 

Blueberry BBQ Sauce

1 pint fresh blueberries

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup onion, minced

¼ cup honey

½ cup ketchup

1 tsp ginger

3 T raspberry wine vinegar

 

Place all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently until  sauce thickens.  You can mash the berries and leave it a thicker consistency (which I did) or allow to cool and puree in a blender.  Refrigerate after completely cooled.

Cran-Raspberry Sauce

So I had this idea about stuffing pork chops with wild rice and cranberries.  I still like the idea and plan to do that at a later date but it was Sunday afternoon and I got a later start at dinner than I planned.  So instead of stuffing the pork chops, I made this sauce to top them with.  Luckily I had frozen raspberries and cranberries to harvest from the freezer so it worked out well.

Cran-Raspberry Sauce

1/2 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp raspberry wine vinegar
1 tbsp green chilies

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan.  Simmer until all the juices have released from the raspberries and the cranberries have softened.  Strain and serve over pork chops or a pork roast.

Apple Sauce BBQ Sauce

It's not easy to say 10 times really fast but it is great on top of pork chops and chicken.  Great holiday weekend so far with warm temperatures and just a light breeze...perfect for grilling.  I hope everyone is having a safe and fun weekend.

Apple Sauce BBQ Sauce

1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Place all the ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer.  I seasoned the pork chops and chicken before placing on the grill.  If you are baking the meat with the sauce on, add in 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper.

Homemade Steak Sauce

A beautiful and hot weekend meant grilling time.  I made this spicy steak sauce to go with the filets on the grill.  You can use this for more than beef, it goes well with pork and chicken too.

Homemade Steak Sauce

1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp yellow mustard
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp hot sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan and stir until completely mixed.  Allow to simmer until it thickens (about 15 minutes).

Blueberry Lemon Sauce

I was making Lemon Poppyseed waffles and wanted a blueberry topping for them.  This sauce worked well and the hint of cinnamon added a nice touch.  The leftovers are going to top some vanilla bean ice cream for dessert. 

Blueberry Lemon Sauce

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
2 tsp cornstarch
10 oz blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 dash cinnamon

Whisk together the sugar, water and cornstarch in a small saucepan.  Add in the blueberries, lemon juice and zest and bring to a boil.  Stir until the sauce thickens, remove from heat and stir in the cinnamon.  Serve warm or cold.

Raspberry Chicken

As you might have figured out, I love chicken and I'm always trying something new with it.  I tried a pomegranate molasses baked on top of a chicken one time.  It tasted great but turned the chicken into the most unbecoming shade of gray.  Not appetizing.  Not at all.  Spring cleaning found two opened jars of seedless raspberry jam in my refrigerator.  Not sure how that happens but it did so I wanted to at least get down to one.  This is a nice sauce that you basically put all the ingredients in a pan, stir and let it slowly simmer.  Easy.  It has the raspberry flavor but not the sweetness due to the vinegar and the Ancho Chili Pepper.  I buy my Ancho Chili Pepper from Penzey's.

Raspberry Chicken

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1 tbsp. raspberry wine vinegar
1 tsp Ancho Chili Pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt

Mix together all of the ingredients above in a small saucepan.  Stir and simmer over a low heat.  Stir occasionally but allow it to thicken.  Pound 2-4 boneless chicken breasts until they are an even thickness.  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper on both sides.  Place in a heated frying pan with extra virgin olive oil.  Brown and fully cook on both sides.  Place on a serving dish and allow to rest for a few minutes before topping with the raspberry sauce.

Ricotta Gnudi & Pomodoro Sauce

Light, tender dumplings that are amazingly easy to make.  This was my first time making them and I used a two spoon technique that I had only seen done on a cooking show.  This is not the last time I'll make these.  They are that good.  The sauce I made was also simple.  I pretty much left it on it's own and it thickened to a great consistency that went well with the gnudi. 

Ricotta Gnudi

15 oz ricotta, I used whole
1 extra large egg
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup flour

Mix all the ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.  Sprinkle some flour on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Using 2 large soup spoons, mold the gnudi into football shapes and place on the baking sheet.  Cook in salted boiling water for 7-8 minutes.  The gnudi will sink at first and then rise.  Continue cooking for the entire time.  When done, use a slotted spoon to remove from the pan.  Spoon some sauce on the gnudi and then sprinkle some Parmesan on top.


Pomodoro Sauce

1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic, grated
1 pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp sugar
salt to taste

Place all the ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Allow to cook for a half hour over a medium low heat.  Run an immersion blender stick in so you have a smooth sauce.  Continue cooking over a low heat until it thickens.  This recipe makes extra so you can freeze it for next time.

Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken With Fontina Sauce

My Sunday dinner was leaning towards Italian this week.  I found some nice looking prosciutto and I had chicken breasts so I combined the two with a creamy, Fontina cheese sauce that works to serve with potatoes or pasta on the side.

Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken with Fontina Sauce

2 - 4 chicken breasts, butterflied
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated for each chicken breast
2 - 4 slices prosciutto

Carefully butterfly the chicken breasts.  Season and top with the Parmesan.

Roll up and wrap the prosciutto around and place in a greased pan, seam side down.

Bake at 350° for 40 minutes.  Serve with the Fontina sauce.


Fontina Sauce

8 oz grated Fontina cheese
1/2 cup whipping cream
Salt & pepper to taste
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Heat over a low heat and cook until the cheese melts.

Pizza Hamburgers

And now the reveal as to why I needed the hamburger buns....the pizza burger!  I made a quick pizza sauce to use as the condiment of choice.  You can stuff it with pepperoni or Canadian bacon.  I chose a slice of pepperoni which doesn't show in the photo due to the fresh mozzarella cheese that is oozing out of the burger.

Pizza Hamburgers

1# ground beef
fresh mozzarella
pepperoni or Canadian bacon
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Pizza Sauce

1 - 6 oz can of tomato paste
1 - 8 oz can of tomato sauce
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Put everything in a small saucepan and heat.  Super easy sauce.  Use it on the bun or on the side.

Shape the ground beef into patties.  Make an indent and add mozzarella cheese and pepperoni in the middle.  Cover the cheese and pepperoni completely and cook on the grill or in a pan.

Coca-Cola Ribs & BBQ Sauce

I've created recipes using my favorite wake up beverage for beans and roast beef so I wanted to try using it for ribs.  Not only just marinating the ribs in Coke, but also creating a bbq sauce to baste them with.

Coca-Cola Ribs & BBQ Sauce

Cut ribs into 4 rib pieces.  Place in a large plastic bag that seals and add in one can of Coca-Cola.  Marinate overnight or for at least 8 hours.  Place ribs in a crock pot for 2 hours with juices from bag and heat on medium high.  Remove from crock pot and grill for about 15 minutes, basting with the BBQ sauce below.


Coca-Cola BBQ Sauce

1/2 cup Coca-Cola
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground mustard

Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Cook until it thickens.

Blackberry BBQ Sauce

Here is the BBQ sauce I promised a little over a week ago using blackberries. I'm glad that all my berry bushes are coming up nicely since my freezer is almost empty at the moment. Nautrally I couldn't resist adding a little heat to compliment the berry flavor ~

Blackberry BBQ Sauce

2 cups blackberries, fresh or frozen

1 cup chicken broth

3/4 cup ketchup

1/4 dark brown sugar

2 tbsp raspberry vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp ground ancho chili pepper

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Cook the berries in the chicken broth until tender.  Remove the berries from the pan and strain to remove the seeds.  Add the juice and pulp back into the saucepan and add the remainder of the ingredients.  Simmer until it thickens slightly.  

Orange Honey Glazed Pork Chops

You would think with honey as one of the main ingredients of the glaze that these pork chops would turn out sweet.  That's not the case.  The orange juice and ground ancho chili pepper take out the sweet flavor and give it the right combination of orange and a mild heat.  Plus you can make this marinade after work, let it sit in the refrigerator for a half hour and it's ready for the grill, oven or frying pan.

Orange Honey Glazed Pork Chops

1/3 cup orange juice (I used the juice from one large orange)
1 tsp orange zest
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp ground ancho chili pepper
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mix all the ingredients in a large sealable plastic bag.  Add in 2-6 pork chops and allow to marinade in the refrigerator for at least a half hour.  Remove from marinade and shake off any excess.  Cook with your preferred method.  You can save some extra marinade (before you add in the pork chops) to brush on chops if you desire.

Chili Rum BBQ Sauce

I was watching a news broadcast the other week and the reporters were interviewing on site at a rooftop restaurant in Minneapolis and they were using a chili rum BBQ sauce.  I thought I have chili sauce and rum...game on.  I also conveniently happened to have pineapple juice on hand so here is what I created from what was in my refrigerator and I will be making again.

Chili Rum BBQ Sauce

1/2 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 tbsp pineapple juice
1/3 cup rum
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Combine all the ingredients in a medium sauce pan.  Bring to a simmer and cook down for an hour.  Use what you need and refrigerate the leftovers.

Pepperoni Bolognese Sauce

We're still waiting for Spring but I won't complain since I saw what Wyoming got hit with yesterday.  This creamy sauce has the little spicy bites of pepperoni that are sure to impress all you make it for.  Plus there's enough to freeze for easy future weeknight dinners.

Pepperoni Bolognese Sauce

1# ground beef
3 oz pepperoni, diced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large carrots, grated
1 tbsp celery flakes or 1 stalk diced
6 oz tomato paste
28 oz crushed tomatoes
1 cup mushrooms, sliced (optional)
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
1/2 cup red wine (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat olive oil and add in carrots and onions to gently soften.  After a few minutes, add in garlic and ground beef.  Cook the diced pepperoni in a separate pan and drain off all the grease.  Stir in tomato paste and tomatoes into the cooked ground beef.  Pour in chicken broth and milk.  Add in spices and let simmer for at least a half hour to 4 hours if you feel like.

Mexican Chicken Fingers & Sauce

Spicy chicken fingers and a creamy dipping sauce that compliment each other.  These chicken fingers are a great meal in a hurry or for a snack.  

Mexican Chicken Fingers & Sauce

1 pound of chicken tenders
1/2 cup flour
1 tbsp taco seasoning (I used my homemade recipe)
1 large egg
1 tbsp water


Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup salsa


In a small bowl, mix together flour and taco seasoning.  Whisk together the egg and water in another small bowl.  Dip the chicken fingers one by one in the egg mixture and then the flour mixture.  Place in a greased or non-stick aluminum foil pan.  Spray the top with a light coating of spray cooking oil.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350°.  In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and salsa for dipping.

Raspberry Sauce for Pork Chops

And it would work well for a pork roast also.  Naturally I couldn't resist adding in a little heat.  I just pan fried the pork chops in extra virgin olive oil with sea salt, freshly ground pepper and a pinch of Vegeta.

Raspberry Sauce for Pork Chops

1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp raspberry vinegar
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Put all the ingredients in a small sauce pan.  Cook over medium heat until it reduces and thickens.

Cream Cheese Wontons & Red Plum Sauce

The countdown to the Super Bowl continues with another cheese related recipe.  These wontons are so easy to make and much healthier than those gotten in a Chinese restaurant since they are baked.  The sauce basically makes itself.

Cream Cheese Wontons ~

30 wonton wrappers
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp garlic powder


Mix together cream cheese and garlic powder.  Using a .5 tablespoon cookie dough scoop, fill half full and place in the center of the wonton wrapper.  Dip your finger in water (once for each of the 4 sides) and wet the edge of the wrapper.  Gently fold over into a triangle shape and press down on the edges.  Place on a greased baking sheet.  When all 30 are made, spray with cooking oil and bake for 10 minutes at 400°


Red Plum Sauce

1 - 18 oz Red Plum Jam
2 tbsp raspberry vinegar
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ginger

Put all the ingredients into a medium saucepan.  Stir occasionally over medium heat.  Cook until it thickens, about 20 minutes.  Serve warm.