Unstuffed Bell Peppers

You know those days where your husband is working late, the kids have been NOT on their best behavior :) and mama you are just spent? Dinner is the last thing on your mind??! Days like that are tough and nobody wants to cook..I try my best to come up with healthy, flavorful but most of all SIMPLE recipes so that busy mamas can have a balanced meal on the table for their littles and husbands. Tonight's dinner is one of those where I am spent..I don't feel like being a gourmet chef and I just need something quick. 

ALAS my one pot UNSTUFFED Bell Peppers will make an appearance. 

This is actually a keto adapted recipe that I made my own and tweaked it to delight my family's way of eating. You can add an extra veggie or take out what you dislike. The choice is yours!!!

Unstuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients:

1 deep and large pan or Cast iron skillet

1 lb grass-fed organic ground beef ( turkey is an option too)

1 lb pork sausage

2-3 bell peppers ( red, orange, and yellow)

1 can rotel

one yellow onion

small can tomato sauce

shredded cheddar

cooked rice or cauliflower rice

Method:

In a pan over medium heat up two tablespoons of olive oil. Once the olive oil is hot add in the onion and cook until almost soft. Next add in your ground beef and pork sausage ( pork is optional) and seasonings ( salt and pepper and italian seasoning) Then add in the bell peppers. Cook peppers until soft and fragrant..add in your rotel and 1/2 cup tomato sauce ( I used marinara). Cook down for about 5-7 minutes. Then add in your cooked rice ( you can also use quinoa or cauliflower rice). Stir in 1 cup shredded cheddar..add more if desired.

Serve with fresh avocado slices on top :)

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

It is Soup weather here in San Antonio!!!!

Last night a Cold Front blew through bringing our temps down to the low 40's!!!

With those temperatures, this soup is absolutely PERFECT to make on a night like tonight. 

I made this in my dutch oven but it is also a crock pot friendly recipe as well. 

Make this tonight and then cuddle up with a cozy blanket and watch a Christmas Movie!!!

* Tip* I bought a rotisserie chicken and took all the meat off of the bones then chopped it all up to shave off some time on this meal. Also instead of chopping up veggies you can buy a veggie medley in the frozen section and just throw them in the pot and cook them down :) 

Ingredient List:

2 cups cooked chicken- chopped

3 large carrots skinned and sliced

1 yellow onion chopped and diced

3 large celery stalks chopped

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/3 cup flour

32 oz chicken stock low sodium

salt and pepper

 nutmeg 

butter/olive oil

freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese

biscuits or oyster crackers for serving * optional*

Method:

place about a tablespoon or two in a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat and let the pot get warm. Throw the onion, celery, and carrot in and cook them down until soft. Next, add your flour and coat the veggies well, then add your chicken stock and stir well. Add the chicken and peas and your seasonings ( with the nutmeg I eyeballed it but about 1/8 teaspoon should be fine). let this simmer for an hour and then serve with shredded cheddar and warm biscuits. 

HOW EASY IS THIS?! 

One "Pot" Roast

Happy Monday!!!

Hopefully most of y'all aren't to exhausted from the time change. The time change is the death of me every fall and spring.. 

#babies

Speaking of fall.. 

I made a delicious one pot meal last night that had the comfort of fall all wrapped up in one amazing dinner!! Most of y'all are meat and potatoes lovers I am assuming.. and if you're not then surely you know someone who is?! 

I LOVE to make a pot roast when I am serving a bunch of people, for a holiday meal, or just to have some yummy leftovers for lunch throughout the week.  This is definitely a meal that serves plenty but it's a must have for these cooler fall and winter months!!!! 

You can either make this in a dutch oven pot or just your crock pot!!!!

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion chopped

1 beef shoulder roast ( you decide on the LB )

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 sprig of rosemary

1 heaping TBSP of tomato paste

3 large skinned carrots cut on a bias ( slant)

2 cups beef broth

1/2 cup red wine

flour

butter

olive oil

salt and pepper

red potatoes quartered 

Method:

In a large Dutch Oven start by heating up some butter/olive oil on medium high heat. Lightly dust your slab of beef with flour and then lay it in the oven ( you should hear the meat start to sear).
 Salt and pepper ( liberally) the slab of beef that is facing up ( do this to all four sides).
Once you have a nice sear or crusty brown on the outside set the meat aside. IN the same pot add your onions and carrots and allow them to cook down.
Be sure to add more olive oil or butter at this time if you need too. Add in the garlic and continue to stir.. then add your tomato paste and rosemary spring taking care to stir really well for about 4 minutes.
Turn off your heat at this point and then go ahead and add in your wine and beef broth. Deglaze the pan and scrape off any brown bits from the bottom. Once the liquid has set for a few minutes go ahead and turn on the heat once more back to medium heat. Add in the beef and lay the potatoes nicely around it.

 Cook UNCOVERED at 350 for an hour.

THEN 

Put the lid on and cook COVERED at 275 for 2 hours.

The meat will truly just fall apart!!!!

One Pot Southern Shrimp!!!!

Welcome back!!!!!!

I just wanted to say thank you to each and every one of you who has taken the time to post one of my recipes, thrown me a shout out on Instagram, and for ALL the continued encouragement!!!!

I am not sure of the future for Kitchen Diaries but I know one thing. I LOVE to cook and I love to inspire other mamas to cook!!!! One reader or a thousand.. I will continue to keep on posting for you wonderful ladies :)

It is such a pretty day here in San Antonio!! The boys and I got an amazing workout this morning, headed off to vote, then grabbed some lunch on our way home to nap. I think we are going to spend the evening outdoors too!! Weather like this just makes me happy!!!

A while back on stories I created a one pot dinner that included a southern style of shrimp and a variety of veggies!! I cooked it southern style and it came out beautifully!!! I substituted white rice for Cauliflower but again, like with all of my recipes YOU can choose where you would like to mix and match your veggies and starches. 

Ingredient List:

 1 LB wild caught gulf shrimp, cleaned and deveined

1 green bell pepper chopped

1 yellow medium onion chopped

8 oz package sliced mushrooms

1 tub of cauliflower rice

almond flour

worstechire sauce

hot sauce

chicken broth

butter

parmesean cheese

Method:

In a dutch oven ( favorite) or any large pot melt 2 table spoons of butter over medium high heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, bell pepper and cook down a bit. Add the cauliflower rice and cook that down until its nice and browned. Add extra oil if you need too.. you can also salt and pepper and season these veggies how you like.  Once the veggies are browned add parmesan cheese to this and let it mix well. 

In a separate bowl combine your shrimp with a few glugs of worstechire and hot sauce ( we love louisiana). Coat well and let marinate for about 10 minutes. 

In another separate bowl combine a 1 cup of chicken broth with 1/2 cup almond flour and whisk together until slightly thickened. 

add the shrimp to the pot of veggies and pour the almond flour and chicken stock over everything. 

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until shrimp is cooked. DO not overcook the shrimp.

SO EASY!!!