Smoky Lavender-Rosemary Lemonade

Photo: Unsplash

So much goodness all in one glass.

Ingredients

• 8 lemons, halved

• 6 cup water

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 tablespoon dried lavender buds

• 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary

• Sparkling water (optional)

Instructions

1. If desired, preheat grill. Place lemon halves, cut sides down, on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium heat. Grill for 5 minutes or until cut sides are charred. Remove and cool.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan combine 1 cup water, sugar, lavender, and rosemary. Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat. Let stand until cool. Pour through a sieve; discard solids.

3. Juice the lemon halves. In a pitcher combine the lemon juice, syrup, and remaining water. Chill until needed. Serve over ice topped off with sparkling water and with additional rosemary and lavender, if desired.

While you’re sipping your newly created concoction, check out more fabulous recipes on the Better Homes and Garden site. Thank you BHG for this recipe!

Monkey Bread

Photo: Unsplash

Serve it for breakfast, lunch or dinner (we’re not judging).

Ingredients

• 3 cans of buttermilk biscuits (the non-flaky ones)

• 1 cup of granulated sugar

• 2 to 3 tsp. of cinnamon

• 2 sticks of butter

• 1/2 cup of brown sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.

2. Open up all three cans of biscuits and cut each biscuit into quarters.

3. Next, combine the white sugar with 2 to 3 teaspoons of cinnamon. (3 teaspoons of cinnamon gives it a fairly strong cinnamon flavor. If you're not so hot on cinnamon, cut it back to 2 teaspoons.) Dump these into a 1 gallon zip-up bag and shake to mix evenly.

4. Drop all of the biscuit quarters into the cinnamon-sugar mix. Once all the biscuit quarters are in the bag seal it and give it a vigorous shake. This will get all those pieces unstuck from one another and nicely coated with cinnamon sugar. Spread these nuggets out evenly in the Bundt pan.

5. At this point, you're going to want to melt the two sticks of butter together with 1/2 cup of brown sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. This can be light or dark brown sugar. Cook butter-sugar mixture, stirring for a few minutes until the two become one. Once the brown sugar butter has become one color, you can pour it over the biscuits.

6. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes until the crust is a deep dark brown on top. When it's finished cooking, remove it from the oven. If you have the willpower, allow it to cool for about 15 to 30 minutes before turning it over onto a plate.

Who doesn’t love The Pioneer Woman? Thanks to Mrs. Drummond for this crowd-pleasing recipe. Make sure you check her out for more goodness served up on a plate.

Lasagna Soup

Photo: Skinny Taste

A twist on a classic.

Ingredients

• 14 oz sweet Italian chicken sausage, casing removed

• 1/2 onion, chopped

• 2 crushed cloves garlic

• 4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, divided

• 3 cups low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth

• 2 1/2 cups water

• 2 cups marinara sauce

• 2 bay leaves

• Fresh cracked black pepper

• 6 oz broken lasagna noodles, whole wheat or gluten-free

  FOR THE TOPPING

• 6 tbsp part skim shredded mozzarella cheese

• 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

• 3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

• 1/4 cup fresh basil chiffonade

Instructions

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, spray with oil and add the sausage; cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks with a wooden spoon about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chopped onion and crushed garlic and cook until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Transfer to the slow cooker and add the parsley, broth, water, marinara sauce, bay leaves and fresh black pepper. Cover and set the slow cooker to low 8 hours or high 4 hours.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine the ricotta, parmesan, and 2 tablespoons of the parsley and mix well; set aside until the soup is ready.

4. About 30 minutes before the soup is ready, remove the bay leaves and add the broken pasta, cover and cook until the pasta is cooked, about 30 minutes. Divide between 6 bowls and top each with 2 tbsp ricotta cheese mixture, mozzarella, fresh cracked pepper and fresh basil on top.

We love everything that Gina at Skinnytaste makes. Head over to her website for this recipe in an instant pot or on the stovetop and to check out her other amazing (and easy) recipes.

Bacon Fried Rice

Photo: Unsplash

Breakfast for dinner never looked so good.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces of bacon, chopped

• 1 small white onion chopped

• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots

• 3 eggs lightly beaten (omit for vegan)

• 3 cups cooked white rice

• 2 teaspoons sesame oil

• 2-3 tablespoons soy sauce to taste

• Green onions, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

1. Add your chopped bacon to a medium-sized skillet or work. Cook over medium-high heat until it is crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain the grease leaving about 1 tablespoon.

2. Next, add your chopped onion and frozen peas and carrots and sauté for 1-2 minutes until they are tender.

3. Slide your veggies to one side and add the beaten egg to the other side. Scramble the egg until it is cooked through. Combine it with the peas and carrots.

4. Add cooked rice and bacon back to the skillet and combine. Add sesame oil and soy sauce to taste. Let it heat through and garnish with chopped green onions.

Thanks to The Recipe Critic for this outstanding recipe. She has so many more delicious dishes on her website so check it out.

Blackberry-Basil Mule

Photo: Unsplash

A party in a glass - no alcohol needed.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sliced ginger

• 1/2 cup coconut sugar

• 3/4 cup filtered water

• 1 cup blackberries

• 3 fresh basil leaves, chopped

• 1 lime

• 1 cup sparkling water

Instructions

1. To make ginger concentrate, add ginger, coconut sugar, and water to a saucepan.

2. Bring to a boil; lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and let cool for 1 hour.

4. Strain out the ginger. Divide blackberries and basil between two glasses. Muddle into the bottom.

5. Squeeze 1/2 lime into each glass. Add 3 tablespoons ginger concentrate to each glass, then add 1/2 cup sparkling water to each and mix to combine.

Thanks to Amy Myers, author of The Autoimmune Solution Cookbook: Over 150 Delicious Recipes to Prevent and Reverse the Full Spectrum of Inflammatory Symptoms and Diseases, for this recipe. Published on Epicurious.

Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp

Asking for a friend - does an apple a day (even if it’s covered in sugar) keep the doctor away?

Ingredients

• 6 golden delicious apples, peeled and chopped (other varieties can be used, can also be sliced)

• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar

• 1 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon, divided

• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

• 1 cup light brown sugar

• 3/4 cup old-fashioned oats

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, diced into small cubes

• Pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Butter an 8×8 baking dish, or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, add chopped apples, granulated sugar, 3/4 tsp of cinnamon and lemon juice. Stir to combine, then transfer to the prepared baking dish.

3. In a separate mixing bowl, add the topping ingredients (brown sugar, oats, flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, salt, and diced cold butter). Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the oat mixture, using a slight downward twisting motion, until the mixture resembled pea-sized crumbs. Alternatively, you can use two forks or even your hands to cut butter into the mixture.

4. Spread topping over apples in a baking dish, and gently pat to even it out. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.

5. Serve warm and enjoy (maybe even with a scoop of vanilla ice cream…)

There are so many great recipes out there but this one from The Chunky Chef is a winner.

Cheese And Garlic Pull-Apart Bread

Photo: Delish

Bread and cheese, what else does one need to be the best chef at the party?

Ingredients

• 1 crusty loaf of bread, preferably sourdough. If you’re cooking for some gluten-free friends, they make gluten-free sourdough loaves, usually in the freezer section of the grocery store.

• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese (or other melty delish cheese)

• Garlic butter

  • 1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened

  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced

  • 3/4 tsp salt

  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.

2. Melt the butter, garlic and salt in a bowl in the microwave and stir in the parsley when melted.

3. Cut the bread on a diagonal into 1" diamonds but do not cut all the way through the bread.

4. Use your fingers or a knife to pry open each crack and drizzle in a teaspoon of butter and stuff in a pinch of cheese.

5. Brush the surface with the remaining butter.

6. Wrap with foil and bake for 20 minutes until the cheese has mostly melted, then unwrap and bake for 5 - 10 minutes more to make the bread nice and crusty.

7. Serve immediately.

There is an underground of pull-apart bread recipes from cranberry gouda to spinach dip if you want to take a deep dive.

10-Can Chili

A few years ago we watched Jesse James Decker on “Good Morning America“ where she shared her favorite chili recipe. It was so good that we had to bring it back.

This recipe is a great one to adopt for a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle. There are so many veggies in it that you won’t miss the meat.

Prep time: 15 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 3 carrots, chopped

• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped

• 1 pound ground beef (or ground turkey or chicken - leave out for vegetarian/vegan)

• 1 (10-ounce) can Ro-tel diced tomatoes and green chilies

• 3 (15.5-ounce) cans of kidney beans, rinsed and drained

• 2 (15.25-ounce) cans of white corn

• 1 (15-ounce) can of vegetarian chili

• 1 (15-ounce) can of tomato sauce

• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans of cut green beans

• 2 tablespoons chili powder

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Shredded Cheddar cheese, for serving (leave our for vegan)

• Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

• Tortilla chips, for serving

Directions

• In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the carrots and onion and when they start to soften, after about 5 minutes, add the beef and brown for about 7 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spatula or spoon. Drain the fat from the meat and discard the drippings.

• Stir in the tomatoes with green chilies, kidney beans, corn, vegetarian chili, tomato sauce and green beans and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, Tony's seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until you are ready to eat.

• Top with cheddar, garnish with cilantro and serve with tortilla chips.

From JUST FEED ME by Jessie James Decker Copyright © 2020 by Jessie James Decker. Reprinted by permission of Dey Street, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

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