Life Worth Living

I created this meal tonight because I didn't have time to stay home and cook, but I needed to cook the fresh salmon before it went bad. So I did some thinking of how I could do this in the crockpot.  I wasn't sure what to expect with my creation, but it was FABULOUS!  This meal could be easily done on the stove top as well if you don't have a crock pot. Ingredients: 1 can of Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chili's  (If you can't find one of these, you can use a can of diced tomatoes and a small can of green chili's. If you can't find the green chili's then just use 1 jalapeño pepper --seeds make it very hot. If you don't like hot hot, take out the seeds from the pepper) 1 green bell pepper diced 1 small sweet onion diced 2 medium white sweet potatoes peeled and diced 1 pound Wild Salmon All purpose seasoning salt Directions: Put the can of diced tomatoes, green pepper, onion,  sweet potatoes in the crock pot with...

Having a wonderful meatloaf recipe is something I think everyone should have in their recipe box. It's a true comfort food on a cool and rainy fall day. I like serving mashed potatoes and greens with meatloaf. Leftovers taste great for an easy weeknight meal, and you can make meatloaf sandwiches for lunch. I got this recipe from my grandma, who got this recipe from her friend Beverly. It's easy and delicious. I use a "meatloaf pan" because it allows the grease to drain out while it is cooking, but a 9x5 baking pan works well also.  Ingredients: 2 lbs. ground beef 1 egg 1/4 cup ketchup 1 1/2 tsp. worcestershire sauce 1 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 cup chopped onion 2/3 cup oatmeal 1/3 cup water Directions: Mix all ingredients together and put in loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Enjoy!

Hey friends! Check out this soup I made today. Tomato soup has always been a favorite of mine. I chose to put cream in this soup, but it also tastes wonderful with out cream. I also cooked this in my crock pot. If you don't have a crock pot, you can simply make this on the stove top as well. Ingredients: 53oz box of chopped or strained tomatoes. I used "Pomi" 4 peeled carrots 4 stalks of celery 1 small bunch of cilantro 1 bay leaf 2 tsp cumin 2 tbsp salt 1 tbsp honey splash of worcestershire sauce 4 cloves of garlic 1 small sweet onion 1 tbsp butter 1 cup heavy whipping cream (optional) Directions: Blend carrots, celery, cilantro, garlic, and onion in a food processor. When these ingredients are blended all the way, sauté in a little butter for 5 minutes on medium heat and place in the crock pot. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, cumin, salt, honey, and worcestershire sauce. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Stir well and then add the heavy w...

Simple Salad Ingredients: 2 ripe tomatoes sliced 1/2 small red onion sliced very thinly handful of italian mixed olives 2 cucumbers cut to bite size 1 large clove  (or 2 small cloves) of garlic pressed 1 tsp. sea salt 1/4 cup olive oil 4-5 tbsp. fig vinegar Directions: Put all ingredients in a large bowl. Add salt, garlic, olive oil and fig vinegar. Salt will create a lot of juice from the tomatoes to go to the bottom of the bowl after a few hours. Add some lettuce to soak up the good juices. Voila!

Are you looking for a quick and delicious meal during the week. This is the recipe for you, and it only takes about 20 minutes to make. Ingredients: 1 bag of pumpkin or squash tortellini 3/4 stick of butter 4-5 medium size cloves of garlic 9 leaves of fresh sage salt to taste Directions: In a large pot, bring cold water to a boil. Add 1 tbsp of sea salt to the boiling water. Boil the tortellini for 5-6 minutes. The tortellini will float to the top. Meanwhile, in a small food processor, blend the garlic and fresh sage. Melt the butter in a small pot on low, add the garlic and sage mixture. Stir frequently so the garlic doesn't burn. Take 1/2 cup of water from the pot with the tortellini and add it to the butter/sage pot. Stir well, and add a little bit of salt to taste (I used very little- 1/2 tsp). Scoop out the cooked tortellini and add it to the sauce. Stir well. Voila!

photo taken by Brendan Giusti Everything tastes great on the grill! Ingredients: 10 medium size spears of asparagus olive oil 1 tsp. sea salt black pepper to taste Directions: Coat the asparagus spears with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Wrap 5 spears at a time in foil. Twist the ends of the foil closed tight. Place on the hot grill and let it cook for 10-12 minutes or until tender. Enjoy!

If you like Lasagna, you will love this easy pasta bake. I created this dish because making I love lasagna, but it takes so much time to prepare. This has the same flavors and is quick to make. I recommend making your own tomato sauce, but you can use canned as well.  Ingredients: 1 pound spiral noodles (1 box or bag) 1.5 cups of ricotta cheese 1 small ball of fresh mozzarella cheese diced into 1 inch pieces 4- 6 cups of tomato sauce (see recipe under December 2012) 4 sweet sausage links Parmesan cheese to taste 1 tsp. sea salt Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a pot of cold water to a boil, add 1 tsp of sea salt. Then cook your noodles for 8 minutes. They should be almost cooked. Drain the noodles in a colander and set aside. Slice the sausage links into bite size pieces and saute in the same pot with 1 cup of water. The water will evaporate and then the sausage will become nice and brown with out using any oil. In a large casserole di...