Eat Together, Make Life Delicious...

This year if you are looking for a tailgating recipe that will impress your guests, consider this one. It's super easy and oh so delicious. Make sure to serve with lots of napkins, a lobster fork, and a nut cracker. If you are tailgating on the parking lot, this is portable and can be reheated in its own juices. Create a foil pouch with the legs inside and place it on the grill for 10 minutes. And definitely bring a bib, because you'll need it!

Tomato-Garlic Snow Crab Legs
makes 2 servings

2 tablespoons store bought minced garlic (roasted works really nice, so give that a try too!)
1 cup dry white wine
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
16 ounces diced tomatoes (if you are rushed for time, use canned, otherwise fresh is nice. Just seed and core the tomatoes first)
¼ celery stalk, finely chopped (this is optional)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 pounds snow crab legs, with slits cut into legs lengthwise so the juices will penetrate the meat
Sliced rustic country bread

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large Dutch oven, combine the roasted garlic, wine, butter, tomatoes, celery, Worcestershire, and salt. Add the crab legs and mix well so the legs are covered with the mixture. Place the lid on top and place it in to the oven to bake for 10 minutes. Remove the crab legs from the oven and baste them in their own juice. Make sure to pour the juice over the slits in the leg so it gets into the meat. Return the crab legs back to the oven to bake for another 7 minutes or until piping hot. Serve in a deep bowl with bread for dipping. Carefully these legs are hot!

Labels: Comfort Food, seafood, Snow Crab

My favorite homemade soups take as little as 20 minutes to prepare from start to finish. I like to make small batches that serve about 4 people modestly as an appetizer. So if you want a huge bowl, double up this recipe.

This soup recipe, though quite good as a leftover, is so easy to prepare, I'd consider making it fresh every time.


Instructions
- Pick our your ingredients (see suggestions below)
- Washing veggies and peel away any skin
- Cut them into bite size pieces
- Heat a medium sauce pan over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- Saute the veggies until they are soft and golden, which can take 5 to 7 minutes (the smaller you dice the veggies, the faster they will cook, so keep that in mind!)
- Add in 4 cups of water and one organic low sodium chicken or veggie soup Bouillon
- Cook the soup another 5 to 10 minutes on medium low heat
- With an immersion blender, carefully blend up the soup
- Add any seasoning you might like (see suggestions below)
- Serve hot

Carrot Soup
6 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon coconut milk

Leek Soup
1 large leek stalk, sliced, rinsed and chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme

Lentils
1 tomato, cored, seeded, diced
15 ounces canned lentil beans
1 teaspoon ground curry

Potato Soup
2 potatoes, peeled, finely diced (these will take 15 minutes to boil until soft)
1 teaspoon fresh chives

Corn Soup
15 ounces canned corn
1 heaping tablespoon chopped onion
2 saffron threads (Add this at the end!)

Squash Soup
1 small butternut squash (peeled, seeded, and cut up into small pieces) depending on size may have to add more water
1 pinch paprika
1 pinch chili powder

Fast Split Pea Soup
4 cups frozen peas
1 piece bacon into bits
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Labels: Comfort Food, home made, soups

When I am in a hurry, which is really most of the time, I appreciate the versatility of meatloaf: it’s a hearty meal that is great fresh out of the oven, in a sandwich, or even a cold snack with a good squirt of ketchup. I also love to prepare meatloaf in individual serving ramekins, the kids like it and this way everyone can top the meatloaf with whatever they want. My husband drizzles it with Tabasco, where the kids go for shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese!

Also, to make this healthier, consider using ground turkey instead of beef and pork.

Gluten Free Meatloaf
Makes 8 Servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 cup coarsely chopped parsley leaves, loosely packed
5 roasted garlic cloves, mashed,OR raw garlic cloves, minced
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
½ cup milk
4 slices soft whole grain gluten free bread, coarsely chopped (if gluten is not an issue for you, just use whatever bread you like)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 pounds ground sirloin
1 pounds ground pork
1 pound ground chuck
½ cup ketchup, plus 1/3 cup for the glaze (make sure this is gluten free!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven.

Heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat, and swirl in the oil to coat the pan. Lightly sauté the onions for about 10 minutes, of until soft. Add the parsley and garlic, then reduce the heat to low. Stir continuously to mix well. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese, salt, and pepper. Set the mixture aside to cool.

In a large bowl, pour the milk over the bread and let it soak for a minute or two. Add in the eggs, sirloin, pork, chuck, ½ cup of the ketchup, and the onion-cheese mixture. Carefully combine with your hands until it just comes together. Try not to overmix or the finished texture will be too dense. Divide the mixture in half and form it into two logs and place them in to an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan. Don’t over press, just pat the mixture into place.

Bake the meatloaves for about 45 minutes and remove from the oven to brush the tops of the loaves with the remaining ketchup. Return the meatloaves to the oven to bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 160°F and the juices run clear. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it rest for about 7 minutes before turning the loaves out of their pans. Slice to your desired thickness and serve.

If you use Ground Turkey, the internal temperature must reach 165°F, which usually takes an extra 10 minutes. But check it at the 60 minute baking point just to be sure.