Simply Tweaked

Pretty much every year I look forward to having this stew. Why you ask? Well every year on January first my mother makes this. It is a traditional meal to celebrate Haitian independence day. But, there are times I cannot wait a whole year for this yummy stew, like now...so I made it. I always feel like I should consult my mother to re-tell me how to make this so I don't stray to far from the recipe. But I still like to make it my own. The original recipe calls for squash, but I decided to use pumpkin instead. Tis the season! I just love the feeling of picking my own fresh veggies and cooking with it, it is very rewarding! I ended up taking this little guy home with me! So I broke down this missive delicious pumpkin (used about half of it and stored the rest), cooked it in chicken stalk, and pureed it with sauteed garlic and shallots. To accompany it, I quartered 6 small yukon gold potatoes, chopped cabbage, 4 celery stalks chopped, 5 small carrots ch...

If you are strapped for time, in a rush with about an hour and change to dedicate to finding something super easy and quick to make, then this is for you.The aroma and flavor of this stew will have you putting this on your bi-weekly 'To-Make' list. Now this recipe was originally vegan friendly, but a meal is not a meal if it doesn't have meat in it, to me any ways. So my simple tweak for this recipe, Moroccan seasoned meatballs. Make sure to preheat your oven to 400 degrees. What goes into this is about a pound of ground beef, coriander, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley.  Now for the measurements of the seasonings I used the 'That looks about right' method, where you sprinkle each until it looks about right. Sorry, but no measurements here, next time I promise! But! I used about a table spoon of chopped fresh parsley.  Once you have mixed all of these ingredients, scoop out one table spoon of the meat mixture and place ...

These are the sweet fix I needed for the week. I had peaches sitting on my counter and I had no clue what to do with them. I stumbled onto this recipe while scrolling through my pinterest and knew I had to do make it. The creamy center is a great compliment to the wonderful crust and and topping. My simple tweak was using coconut milk instead of regular milk for the filling and glaze.  As well as using my food processor to blend the dough for the crust and topping.  Super simple and super easy. Make sure to let it sit in the refrigerator for about 2 or three hours to solidify the center, and have at it! I enjoyed mine with a scoop of So Delicious coconut ice cream, and it was a perfect pair! Try out this recipe and let me know what your simple tweaks are. Ingredients Crust and Topping 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats (or quick oats) 1/3 cup dark brown sugar  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 10 Tablespoons ...

The original recipe called for the use of a pressure cooker, yet one more handy dandy thing I do not have in my repertoire of kitchen gadgets. So for this I used my regular slow cooker, just for the first bit. I used dried shitaki mushrooms instead of porcini (I couldn't find them in my local grocery store). While I had those steep in some hot water, I started browning my short ribs, which I cut in half. I set them aside to rest and in the same oil I added in my onions and mushrooms and cooked until they became golden. I added the remainder of the ingredients and let simmer for a few minutes.  I then transferred the meat and veggies to my slow cooker and let it cook away on low for 4 hours. Afterwards I removed the meat and set it aside, and transferred the sauce to a deep pot, set it on high and added in my egg noodles when it began to boil.  While the pasta cooked I sliced the beef, once the pasta was cooked through I added in the beef, dijon m...

After visiting Cafe Bella in Boston (I suggest if you're ever in the Randolph MA area you must go!) I have been thinking, nay, dreaming of their braised beef dish. Since I am no longer in Boston I had to find a recipe for this, and thank goodness I did. This dish takes a lot of dedication if I must say. The braising liquid itself asked for about 8 hours on low to simmer away. Now I'm not one to just have a pot on the stove for hours and hours. So my simple tweak to this recipe simplifies this and has you sleeping easy and waking up to the smell of an Italian bistro.  I could not for the life of me figure out what meaty beef bone to buy so I opted for beef broth. I didn't have fresh oregano so I just used a table spoon dried oregano. I added all of the ingredients for Yai Yai's Sunday sauce into my trusty slow cooker and set it on low and let it simmer away while I rested peacefully throughout the night.  The next day I started on my braised beef, first sear...

I have always loved chia seeds, but rarely used them. When I saw that you could actually make pudding with them I just had to try it. This is a yummy simple treat to either have as dessert, or for breakfast. My simple tweaks were instead of greek yogurt, I switched it for some So Delicious vanilla coconut milk  yogurt. I thought the consistency of the coconut milk yogurt would have been a lot better for the thickness of the pudding than soy milk yogurt would have. I also used praline maple syrup instead of just regular maple syrup, and used two additional tablespoons of it in the pudding. I wanted it to be a little sweeter than what the recipe called for and it was perfect.  Try out this super yummy, try it out and let me know what your simple tweaks are! Ingredients 1 cup vanilla-flavored unsweetened almond milk 1 cup So Delicious coconut milk yogurt 4 tablespoons Praline Maple Syrup, plus 4 teaspoons for serving 1 teaspoon pure   vanilla extract Kos...