thentherestwo.com LIFE, Main Dishes, Recipes, side Dishes

Beef and Broccoli Ramen Stir Fry

You know how you go to the Chinese restaurant and eat the most delicious beef stir fry and then you try to make it at home and it just isn’t the same?

Well, I came upon this recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen and had to try it after watching her make a Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry. (She also has helpful videos you can watch.)

It was delicious.

Now, I opted out on the sesame seeds since I realized I was out of them; that’s why you don’t see that garnish.

AND my husband likes his broccoli a little more cooked, hence the lack of bright green color. 🥦 🤗

So I hope you’ll try it! 🍜

Here’s the recipe on her site:

https://natashaskitchen.com/beef-and-broccoli-ramen-stir-fry/#jump-to-recipe

thentherestwo.com LIFE, Main Dishes, Pasta Dishes, Recipes

🌶 Enchilada Pasta 🌶

Once again, I had items in my fridge that needed to be used up. And recently we gathered a bunch of fresh veggies and herbs from our kids’ garden as they are away for two months living in Southern California. 🏖

My son is on a job rotation, left Indiana with his family, and can you believe he’s only minutes from where I grew up? I hadn’t been back since 1992 when he was born. It’s kind of surreal thinking my two grandkids are now placing their little feet on some of the same beaches that I did as a kid. Life has a way of coming full circle doesn’t it?

Anyhow, I used some of those fresh, garden goodies and decided to make another pasta dish. It’s not my usual recipe but it turned out so well, according to the hubs, my main critic, that I decided to share it. It really can be tweaked to your liking. These are mere suggestions. 🤗

But it’s quick, it’s easy and oh so YUMMY!😋🍲

Ingredients:

Note: Ground beef, red chili flakes & garlic not pictured

Directions:

Brown your meat with all veggies and seasonings. (We used beef this time but usually use chicken.)

Lastly, add in fresh tomatoes after all other veggies soften and cook tomatoes briefly. (You can also use canned tomatoes of course. 🍅)

Boil your pasta and add it (along with remaining water) to the ground beef mixture. Stirring in 1 can of red enchilada sauce.

Add 1 block of cubed cream cheese, cover till melted, and blend all together adding in any extra seasonings. I did add some red chili flakes here as well as some extra spices.

Then simmer till all the ingredients heat through

Catch us on Instagram!

You can garnish with anything. 🥑 We loved cilantro, avocado, cheese and a fresh squeeze of lime.

*We felt adding the lime was key! It added just the right notes 😁👌🏼

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Tammy♥️

thentherestwo.com LIFE, Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups and Stews

Corn Chowder

Even though it’s been so incredibly hot this month, this recipe caught my eye. I decided this chowder recipe looked good enough to try even though I’d been sweating bullets lately.

I usually only make soups in the fall and winter. However, my daughter came up from GA with her 4 month old to stay a month. Having been on prednisone for 3 weeks (for my 3 ongoing, herniated discs) well, as usual, it made me SO hyper, able to stand long hours again and cook to my heart’s content. 😜 I really miss doing things pain free and cooking being one of them. Getting old can really stink!

In Indiana, the fresh corn 🌽 is becoming abundant and it just sounded so yummy to add some right off the cob to complete this recipe.

I actually tweaked a recipe from Natashaskitchen.com this time and let me tell you the family absolutely loved it! My husband said it’s one of his new favorites now. Mine too!🤗

Do you love corn? Try it out for yourself?

Here’s the direct link to her recipe:

https://natashaskitchen.com/corn-chowder-recipe/

Note: Hayes never had clothes on because it’s been so hot around here. 🔥 😓

Here’s a picture of our first granddaughter Chloe enjoying her first corn on the cob, too!

thentherestwo.com LIFE, Main Dishes, Recipes

Quick Naan Pizzas

Have you ever used prepackaged Naan bread? What about for individualized pizzas?

I just bought some Naan at ALDI (as well as my other ingredients) and began experimenting and these mini pizzas turned out great! And they are quick and easy to make. Plus it’s fun individualizing them. 🍕

I was thinking I can’t wait for my grandkids to grow up then they can come over to make their own lil pizzas. (Wait, I don’t want them to grow up!) 🤗

You really can use any ingredients you want, but here’s the ingredients I used:

Naan bread

Tomato paste

Italian seasonings ( all types)

Chopped sweet peppers

Shredded cheese

Tomatoes

Pepperoni

Hot honey

Watch our video. 😁

Instructions:

I baked them after they were all assembled for only 15 minutes at 350 degrees but every oven is different, so be sure to watch them; you don’t want them too brown. And then, I broiled them at the last minute to melt everything and make it all brown and toasty on top! Yum!😋 Oh, And I’ve been hearing about people ordering this hot honey from Amazon to put on top of their pizza, but I actually found some at Aldi. I have to say it is delicious on top of pizza.

They were hubby approved, and we’ve now made them more than once. 👌🏼

Tell me if you try making them.

Follow us on Instagram for more recipes and decor!

@morgie_and_me

thentherestwo.com LIFE, Main Dishes, Recipes, Salads & Dressings

Mexican Pork Carnitas Bowls

When I’m bored I cook.

When I’m stressed I cook.

When I’m wanting to rest my mind, I experiment with recipes. 👩🏻‍🍳

Well, I’ve been laying around the house for three weeks after surgery hardly able to move. So today, I can finally get up and move more freely able to do a little more, and use my arms. I’ve been so stir crazy I felt I should cook. I mean really cook. I mean like cook all day into the night cook. (Presently, I have a bowl of potato salad in the fridge that could feed an army.) We’re empty-nesters, there’s only two of us. Yep, I made enough food for an army today ha!

We usually shop at ALDI, so I tried to use up items we already had on hand.

One item we have really enjoyed are these packages of pork carnitas from ALDI. You just place them in the microwave, so they’re so easy to use. I usually shred the meat after I heat it.

Here’s the microwaveable package from ALDI.

I mean this was a really yummy meal with great flavor.

Here’s the ingredients:

1 pkg pork carnitas from Aldi.

Romaine lettuce, chili beans, shredded cheese, sour cream, sweet onions, rice, bell peppers, butter, olive oil, taco seasoning, avocado, salsa, Catalina salad dressing…really just anything else you want in your bowl.

I made mine different from my husband’s to try to be more “keto friendly” so I didn’t add the rice, beans nor the salad dressing. I also substituted the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt.

Instructions:

First, I thinly sliced bell peppers and onions and sprinkled them with the taco seasoning, then grilled them in olive oil and unsalted butter. These added the best flavor to our bowls! Do this step!

Yum!

Then, I heated up my Package of Carnitas as well as the chili beans and I just begin preparing my bowl with all the items listed above.

For our salsa recipe go here:

https://thentherestwo.com/2017/01/12/easy-salsa-recipe/

thentherestwo.com Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups and Stews

A Quick White Chicken Chili Recipe

Today, my husband came home early from work because he was down in the back, again. 😞 He had a long drive home, and then I heated up a water bottle and sent him off to bed. Poor guy! I know all about horrible back pain. It ain’t no fun!

Meanwhile, I got busy on a cozy fall meal. A quick white chicken chili for when he woke up. 😊

I had previously shopped at ALDI and this was a last minute dinner idea, but I had everything I needed already on hand. (ALDI is our favorite store!👍🏼)

Here’s what you’ll need:

Olive oil & butter

2 large skinless chicken breasts or 8 tenderloins-cubed

3 stalks of green onions-chopped (I like to use scissors) or 1 small, sweet onion cubed

*8 small sweet peppers-from ALDI-cubed (adds variety of color & sweetness.

Seasonings to your taste: garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, cumin, basil & thyme (basically anything you personally like😁)

1 T chicken base (optional)

2- 15.5 oz. cans of great northern beans (Any white bean will do.)

1 can of chicken broth

1 C water (add water according to how thick or thin you like your chili)

1 small bunch of chopped cilantro

1 pint heavy whipping cream

*And if you want it a little spicy, add some chili flakes, jalapeño or green chilis. 🌶

Directions:

Season the cubed chicken very well.

Cook the chicken in a skillet with olive oil and butter. Slightly undercook it so that when you continue cooking it with all the vegetables, it doesn’t get tough.

Remove from skillet and sauté peppers and onions adding a little more oil and butter.

Add the chicken back with water along with the remainder of the ingredients except the heavy whipping cream. You’re going to bring everything to a boil, and you don’t want the cream to curdle. Once roughy to boil, and the chicken is completely done, add in the cream and bring it to a slow simmer. Now you’re ready to serve!

It is so yummy!

I must admit I went back for a couple bowls. 😉 It was a perfect meal for this cozy, fall day. And hopefully it will help the hubby feel better too!

I also made my favorite cornbread recipe to go along with this yummy chili.

Here is the link to that recipe: cornbread

Do you like a white chili? **************************Here’s a little fall video I made for ya to put you in the cozy mood. 🤗🍁

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thentherestwo.com Main Dishes, Recipes, side Dishes

Yummiest and Easiest Cauliflower Mac-n-Cheese (gluten free)

Ok, I happen to be a person who actually likes cauliflower. But all my life, I have LOVED macaroni and cheese. I could’ve solely lived on it actually. (Well anything with cheese.) 🧀🧀

But I’m also now trying to avoid gluten in dealing with this Sjogren’s and Lyme Disease. Sooooo I thought this might be a good combo and away I went with experimentation. 👩‍🍳

My husband is the official taste tester around here and if he says a recipe I come up with is delicious, like this cauliflower mac-n-cheese, then I publish it!👌🏼😁

And we BOTH really loved this, so we hope you do too!

Ingredients:

1 Head of cauliflower

1 Block of softened cream cheese

2 Cups sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 Cup parmesan cheese (opt)

1 Pint of heavy whipping cream

2 T. Plain Greek yogurt (optional) or sour cream

5 Strips of thick bacon (diced) or 1-2 (3 oz. pkgs) of “real” bacon bits

Panko bread crumbs

Seasonings: Black pepper, garlic powder, salt, smoked paprika, sriracha hot chili sauce. (To taste… but let me tell you, the more seasonings the better, in my opinion.😁 I’m kind of the seasoning queen, ha. )

Directions:

Chop up the cauliflower. Then boil till it is slightly tender. Drain the water. Mix all the above ingredients except the cauliflower and melt together on stovetop lastly add in the cooked bacon or bits. (But also save back some cheese and bacon bits for toppings.) Place everything in a baking dish and cover with bread crumbs, more shredded cheese, bacon bits and finish with sriracha hot chili sauce.

Finally, broil till everything is lightly browned and crispy on top. 😋

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. 🥄🥄

This is not a sponsored post, but I did find everything at ALDIS…Love ALDIS!

thentherestwo.com Family, LIFE, Main Dishes

Garlic Buttered Shrimp and Asparagus

When I was younger, you couldn’t get me to eat ANY kind of seafood. None. Nada.

The thought of going to Red Lobster after church…just yuck.

I think it had something to do with the fact my dad used to take me fishing with him out on Balboa Bay in California. We used to be out for hours trying to catch fish…many a time we caught seagulls. 🎣 They’d sweep down and pick up our bait as the line was spinning out into the sky. Oh, the memories. But during those long hours of baiting, and smelling stinky fish all while drinking V8 out in the heat of the day, 🤢 well, it just seared it in my brain. “NO, YOU WIll NOT LIKE SEAFOOD!” 🐟🐠🦑🦐🦀

And I didn’t for many many years.

Then, somewhere between high school and college I was asked pleaded with (more than once) to try fried shrimp, and I actually “tolerated” it. (I think because it was fried, so I barely tasted anything seafoodish.) I later graduated on to trying grilled shrimp and scampi.

It was a big leap for me. 😂 I guess anything with garlic and butter on it has resonated with me.

So, here I am. Now sharing my own shrimp dish. Unreal.

But this turned out better than I would’ve thought as I’ve literally only made shrimp twice in my life. It met the hub’s satisfaction, so it’s going on the blog. 🙂

You will need:

1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp (Yes, I actually did this myself..I know!😱)

Olive oil to coat your pan

5 cloves of crushed Garlic (or jarred minced garlic can be used.)

1 stick of butter

Salt

*Red pepper flakes

*Smoked paprika

1 & 1/2 Lemons

*Parsley

*Asparagus cooked

*optional items

Instructions:

In a hot skillet, add olive oil just to smoking temperature. Next, add in the shrimp, constantly tossing till slightly pink (roughly a minute) and then add in your garlic and red pepper flakes (small amt) turning everything for about another minute being careful not to burn seasonings. Add butter to your liking. (If your butter is salted no need to add salt.) Add paprika, and finish with chopped parsley and lemon juice. You just want to toss your shrimp till they turn a darker pink and curl slightly. I then added steamed asparagus mixing it all together and added a bit more of the seasonings also more lemon juice. (This is all to taste.)

It assure you it will be delicious! 👌🏼

Just ask my hubby and this shrimp 🦐 eatin’ gal now. 😉

What is your favorite seafood and where would you like to be eating it about now? We just got a snowstorm, so I vote Hawaii!

Items to buy:

I love my pan: https://amzn.to/2DkT2Ar

Peeled & Deveined shrimp: https://amzn.to/2MoNqbC

WOK: https://amzn.to/2Cv7l3W

thentherestwo.com Main Dishes, Recipes, Salads & Dressings

Chicken Salad Recipe

We recently bought some organic chicken breasts on sale and cooked them on the grill. They were so large, we had a lot of chicken left over, and I thought hmmm…what else can I make out of this chicken? 🤔 I remembered I used to make chicken salad often and hadn’t made it in a long time.

We just had a snowstorm overnight and since my hubby was preparing to watch the Colts playoff game, he asked if I’d make him some sandwiches.

Every time I’ve made chicken salad, it has turned out differently adding or omitting different ingredients.

But, I did my best to try and keep track of all the ingredients as I used them today. (You know me, I rarely follow a recipe, never measure anything, and just throw stuff together. 🤪)

Ingredients:

3 large, diced chicken breasts

Red grapes halved

1 diced boiled egg

4 diced celery stalks

3 diced green onion stalks

Mayonnaise as needed (I used low fat.)

Seasonings: onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and fennel. (But you could use just about anything you want.)

Instructions:

I previously seasoned the chicken and grilled it. You could also boil your chicken, use canned chicken, or make things really fast and simple and go buy a rotisserie chicken.

Next, I cut the chicken up smaller to make it easier to add to the food processor. And, I added a little mayo to help it break down easier.

Food Processor: https://amzn.to/2TVcnh9

After the chicken was the consistency I wanted, I added it to the bowl of diced celery, green onions, and egg and added about a cup more mayo till it was even creamier.

I then added the seasonings to taste and that was it!

You could even add walnuts, cranberries, or apples to your chicken salad. Initially, I thought about using sweet pickle relish until my husband requested grapes. There’s really 1 million ways you could make it. Ok not a million, but you get it.

My hubby loved it and wanted his chicken salad on Hawaiian bread. He’s presently waiting for the Colts to play in this snow. (They’re one game away from the AFC Championship game.) 🤞🏼

As for me, I went gluten free, so mine was on top of greens. 👌🏼 Once again, my chicken salad was a different recipe, but oh so good!!

thentherestwo.com Main Dishes

Ham and Beans with Moist Cornbread

ham bone for ham and beans

Ham & Beans with Moist Cornbread

Never know what to do with that ham bone after Easter?

Well, wrap it in foil, put it in a freezer, Ziploc bag and store it away in the freezer till it’s chilly outside and you get a hankerin’ for some bean soup! 🙂

Preparing the Beans

I recommend soaking any DRY beans, whether they be pinto, white (or whatever) overnight to diminish the cooking time the next day.

First, wash the dry beans (careful to look for those pesky little rocks) and then make sure your beans are covered with water and place them in the fridge to soak overnight.

Adding to the Beans

The next day rinse the beans and add your salt and pepper, any other seasonings you prefer and 1 small onion. And make sure you have a big enough pot to add that bone you’ve been saving. it will add more flavor to your soup.

Later add items that won’t need to cook as long. Add some diced (cooked) ham and any other veggies you might like to add.

In the end, I like to mash a few beans to add a thicker broth to the soup.

Then make my fav cornbread recipe!…so moist & very quick!♥

(I’m not sure where I got it, perhaps off a Jiffy box; I would give credit if I knew who to give it to. 🙂 )

NOTE: I don’t use the skillet for baking, but just use a regular loaf pan. I just watch it for doneness.

Jiffy Corn Bread with Creamed Corn Recipe 🌽

2 boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

2 eggs

2/3 cup milk

14oz can of creamed corn

2 tablespoons butter

Put a #8 – or 12″ cast iron pan in the oven at 375F for about 15 minutes

Mix together the 2 boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix with the eggs, milk, creamed corn.

Pull the cast iron pan out of the oven, drop in the butter and swirl it around, make sure it gets up on the walls of the cast iron pan.

Pour the batter into the cast iron pan, and bake for 30 minutes.

Check for doneness, the edges of the crust should be starting to brown.

Let it cool for a few minutes, run a spatula up under the pan to loosen the corn bread.

Flip onto a plate.

I’ve also made it into muffins.

ENJOY!!