Category Archives: Damn Good Dinners

You fancy huh?

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Lamb Chops scream special occasion. They don’t however have to scream hard work. This is one of the easiest recipes and will please any meat loving man on the planet. I mean ladies, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. So keep this puppy on hand the next time you are in the dog house. Right, like we women ever screw up?! Oh and another great thing is that some of the ingredients overlap from other blog recipes and so you should already have them lying around the pantry!

  • 1/4 cup of chopped fresh mint (buy it! use it in a berry salad or a mojito if you have leftovers).
  • 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons of ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon of dry mustard (I bought this for the recipe, but I doubt if you used Dijon mustard it would change the flavor greatly. Perhaps it would lower the heat kick and make it more tangy, so try to use the dry mustard if you can but don’t be afraid that you will ruin the dish if you are in a pinch).
  • 2 teaspoons of honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (not to be a snob but try & do freshly ground if you can, if not no worries)
  • 8 (4-ounce) lamb loin chops, about 1 inch thick, trimmed (have that done at the store, I wouldn’t even know how to advise you on how to do that yourself).
  • Cooking spray

Combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well.
Place lamb in a single layer in a shallow dish; rub spice mixture evenly over both sides of lamb. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Place lamb on a grill pan coated with cooking spray (or in a non stick pan. I don’t have a grill pan so whatevs).
Cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. (I did this on high heat at first since I wanted a crust to form. I then cut to medium heat for the remaining 1-2 minutes. Also I would say 5-6 minutes on each side if doing in a non stick pan vs. grill). Regardless it cooks fast so serve immediately. I served with a side of cous-cous, but anything works!

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Happy Eating, XO.

Mashed potatoes done right.

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Thanksgiving is exactly 2 weeks away. Don’t act like you forgot. We have FALL everywhere. Notice the red Starbucks’ holiday cups? I know you did. What you may not have noticed is that you need to figure out this food gig for the holiday completely centered around eating. Talk about foodies rejoicing. Anyway, its an overwhelming meal and if you don’t have a game plan, this is an easy way to start. Check out the cranberry sauce recipe too, we are all about hooking you up for the big Turkey day.

  • 1.5 lb. of red skin potatoes
  • 1/2 cup of half & half
  • 2 tbsp. of minced garlic (again I do 3 but I’m a gahhhlliccc addict, nice faux Bahston accent, right?)
  • 2 tbsp. of chopped chives
  • 3 tbsp. of butter
  • Salt & black pepper to taste

Boil potatoes (skin on because I’m lazy, if you hadn’t noticed through most of these quick/easy recipes). While those are cooking, in a separate sauce pan bring the half & half to a boil with the chives, garlic, salt & pepper. Cut the heat immediately once the milk bubbles, we are just trying to heat through not boil or cook.

Drain the potatoes & mash with the butter. (You will notice that the skins just slide off and its edible and it won’t take away from the dish. BUT if you are a hard working home cook then feel free to take the time to peel them prior to boiling). Once thoroughly mashed, add the half & half mixture and whip/stir. This will make the mashed potatoes fluffy and melt in your mouth yum! Plus the chives & garlic will be infused evenly.

Happy Eating, XO.

Sunday Simmer

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People say Sunday is the day of God, Rest, and Football. As you know I am a prolaxer (professional relaxer, for those of you slow on the uptake) So when it comes to a nice Sunday dinner, I am not one to slave over to stove for hours. I want something I can set & forget while I watch some NFL games and pray to God that my team wins! Here is an easy and yummy crock pot special that you can make any day of the week, mine just happened to be on a Sunday.

  • 1 package of  boneless, skinless chicken breasts (dark meat tends to be juicer and less dry so feel free to use chicken thighs vs. breasts. I just had breasts lying around…haha oh breasts.)
  • 3 chopped garlic cloves
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • Pinch of dried basil (if you do fresh, add it at the end and not to crock pot mixture).
  • Salt & pepper to  taste

(So I added a few of my own twists since again god forbid a recipe is too easy or short for me: 1 tbsp. of brown sugar, 1 chopped medium onion, 1 tsp of sri racha or a pinch of cayenne pepper)

Cut your chicken breasts in half, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in bottom of crock pot. Chop up your garlic cloves (or use 3 tbsp. of that jarred minced stuff we keep referencing) and add to the cup and half of liquids listed above (And my additions because I am an over achiever and act like I have an important cooking blog or something). Pour over chicken and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours.
Remove chicken from the crock pot and transfer to covered plate to keep warm. Simmer or reduce the sauce in a pot until thickened to desired consistency. Serve sauce over chicken.
Note, I made the jazzed up rice and steamed some broccoli to go with this and it was pretty yummy!
Happy Eating, XO.
Sunday Simmer

Goan Shrimp Curry

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Goa is a part of India that is on the coast & is a beach town. Known for its great seafood and Thai style cuisine, this is a funky dish to add to your arsenal that will make you seem more global and culinary advanced than is actually required for making this dish!

  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 2.5 tbsp. minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp. of tomato paste
  • 2 tsp. each of: cumin, turmeric, ginger powder, garam masala, cayenne, coriander powder, salt, pepper (Seems like a lot of spices, but these are the staples of Indian cooking and can often be found in packets together)
  • 1 can of coconut milk
  • 2 fistfuls of baby spinach (I know that is a really accurate measurement, but I had some leftover from a salad and I didn’t want it to go bad so I threw it in and I really liked how much heartier it made the curry so its completely optional)
  • 1.5 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp (that’s a lot, but think about it- no one complains that there was too much shrimp in their entree. However 1lb will be fine too if on a budget)
In a nonstick pan (or wok) heat up a good amount of olive oil, I’d say enough to coat the bottom of the pan or about 3 tbsp. When on high heat add the onions and spices. Cook until the spices are all one color and the onions have softened (in Indian cooking this is known as tadka, it will legit make your whole apt/house smell so make sure the exhaust fan is working and the near by windows are open. Also note I don’t love garam masala so I lessen that and in place increase the coriander or cumin…these are all very Indian and very strong spices. Adjust the measurements on what you like and if you don’t know what you like, use equal parts for the 1st try).
Now add the garlic and tomato paste. Simmer until the tomato paste has melted into the onion mixture…keep stirring. (If adding spinach this is where you would, mushrooms would also be a good idea…I don’t know if I would try any other veggies though because the star of the dish should still be the shrimp). Reduce the heat to medium now and add the milk and shrimp. Stir once, but then leave it alone to come to a boil & for the shrimp to cook (approx. 5 min since shrimp really doesn’t take more than that to be done. Also note I am sure this dish would be just as good with scallops too).
Cut the heat, stir, and garnish with chopped fresh cilantro if you want the truly authentic Indian feel. Enough for 4-6 servings. Accompany with rice & Check out the sidekicks section on a quick recipe on how to jazz up rice for company!
Happy Eating, XO.

Turkey Meatloaf

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What a bad rep meatloaf has. Often referred to as: cafeteria cuisine or diner drab, meatloaf is known as dry & un-flavorful. Plus if you take away the fat of pork or beef, you are setting yourself up for failure. FALSE! The old myth that only fat=flavor is debunked with this recipe. Not only is this meatloaf delish, its a great example of comfort food done right.

  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1.5 cups of mirepoix mix (you can chop your own or buy the pre chopped stuff. Its just diced celery, carrots, and onions so don’t be fooled by the fancy French name. Note it can be equal parts of each or adjusted based on what you like. I personally decrease the carrots and increase the onions, but to each his own).
  • 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce (I lied its actually a total of 2 tbsp. 1 will go in the dish and 1 will be used as a glaze: see cooking instructions below).
  • 1 tbsp. bbq sauce (any brand of the bottled stuff, don’t need home made on this one).
  • 1 tbsp. ketchup
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup bread crumbs (I do the Italian seasoned ones, but if you have plain lying around don’t sweat it).
  • 2 tbsp. minced garlic (keep a jar of this in your fridge, upwards of 5 recipes on the blog use it).
  • Salt & Pepper to taste (I add a few pinches of red chili flakes too, but I love spicy).

In a non stick pan, sautee the mirepoix, olive oil, salt pepper, garlic, and chili flakes. Once the veggies are softened (and cooled! don’t add hot, straight from pan. you will end up cooking the egg versus using it as a binder) add to the meat, along with the egg, sauces, and breadcrumbs. Mix well. Pour in meatloaf pan and take the same portions of the sauce (1 tbsp. worcestershire, 1 tbsp. bbq, and 1 tbsp. ketchup, mix and pour glaze on top of the meatloaf (I spread it with the back of  a spoon to coat evenly. Trust me on this, not only does it hold in the moisture, but it adds a great crust of flavor since the sugars will caramelize when baking). Throw into a pre heated oven at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes based on how deep your loaf pan is. Comment below if this hasn’t changed your mind about meatloaf. Note, I served with the pantry gravy (recipe under sauce boss) when my dad came over for dinner. Also note, word on the street is there is a great variation on this using dry French onion soup mix, stay tuned for more on that.

Happy Eating, XO.