Skillet Red Beans [Guest Recipe]

One of my all-time favorite cookbooks is the Kentucky Fresh Cookbook by Maggie Green.  There are so many delicious recipes in this book, but our favorite has been the Skillet Red Beans.  I make it quite often, and everyone loves it.  And, as an added bonus, it freezes well, so I can make a double batch and freeze some for dinner at a later date.  It's a perfect dinner for these cold winter nights.  I'm so happy to be able to share this tasty recipe with you today!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.  And if you'd like to read more about the Kentucky Fresh Cookbook check out this post I wrote a few months back (please note - the giveaway in this post is CLOSED).

Skillet Red Beans

From the Kentucky Fresh Cookbook
By Maggie Green

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 ribs celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried thyme
3 cups diced fresh tomatoes or two 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes
3 cups cooked, or two 15-ounce cans, red beans, drained
4 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion is softened. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook for two more minutes. Add the diced tomatoes with the juice, and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any brown bits. Add the beans and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the juices thicken. Serve over hot rice and garnish with sliced green onions.

*** I like to serve these beans with a wild rice mix and I also add browned cajun andioulle sausage to the mix.

This recipe was printed in it’s entirety with the permission of Maggie Green. Thank you for sharing Maggie! And as a note to my readers…if you do not have the Kentucky Fresh Cookbook yet, you should seriously consider adding it to your collection!

my little kitchen helper :)

Beef Goulash Soup [Guest Post]

One of my favorite resources for tasty recipes is the Oven Light at the Vicky and Jen: What Really Matters website. My cousin Vicky and her friend Jen make up this dynamic duo. They don’t just have awesome recipes on their site, they have a blog, podcasts, fun things for parents to do with kids, and much more. Their goal is to share ways to make life simple and to help parents focus on what really matters. I find their podcasts so refreshing and informative (not to mention fun to listen to!). Today Vicky is going to share a very tasty recipe with us, it’s one of my all-time favorite soups that I make quite frequently during the colder months.

Beef Goulash Soup, courtesy of Vicky Thornton from http://www.vickyandjen.com/ :: Unfortunately, the name "goulash" doesn't do this soup justice. We should clearly re-name it with words like robust, simple, or just plain tasty! This has been a favorite in our house for many years, and most importantly, a quick one-pot meal that makes it to the dinner table with ease. Occasionally, I like to shake it up by substituting stew beef for the ground beef. You can even use your slow cooker for this recipe. Either way you serve it, enjoy your "Simply Robust and Just Plain Tasty Beef Non-Goulash Soup"!

Beef Goulash Soup
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1-2 medium Onions, chopped
4 minced Garlic Cloves
1 lb. Ground Beef
 6 cups Tomato Juice
3 1/2 cups Beef Broth
4 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp. Pepper
Cayenne Pepper to taste
1 1/2 pound Red Potatoes, diced
2 small Green Peppers diced
2 small Red Peppers diced

1. Saute oil, onion and garlic for 2 minutes. Add beef and brown
2. Combine with tomato juice, broth, paprika, black pepper, and potatoes - stir well.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Stir in peppers and cook until potatoes are tender (about 10-15 minutes more).

**Katie’s notes – when I make this I cut the potatoes into cubes rather than dicing them, and I say the more garlic the merrier, I’m a garlic addict. I’d also like to mention that if we have extra it freezes & reheats well. But we usually don’t have leftovers…it’s just that tasty!

Henry just LOVES this soup! 

my very first guest post

Recently I was asked to do a guest post on the blog: It's not just lunch.  It's a great blog, you should check it out.  Kelly Lester has recipes, ideas for lunch packing, giveaways and more!  Kelly Lester is the creator and CEO of Easylunchboxes.com.  I realize I'm going to sound like an infomercial when I say this...but our family is totally digging these lunchboxes!  We have reduced waste in our lunches each day, and it's help me pack more perfect portions for everyone.  My favorite thing about this company though is that it is Mama-owned and operated!  As a small business owner I am a big supporter of other mamas who own their own businesses.  Check it out and take a few moments to read my little guest post about packing lunches at our house.