Tag: quick and easy

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Back to Basics Featured Recipes Side Dishes

Oven Roasted Asparagus

Oven Roasted Asparagus from www.jasonscooking.com
Temperature400°Time10 – 12 mins

Oven Roasted Asparagus from www.jasonscooking.com

BackgroundAsparagus? Asparagus.

The first recipe back in the saddle is roasted asparagus. Why roasted asparagus, you ask? I will answer your question with a multiple choice:

A. Because it’s spring and asparagus is in season.
B. Because we need some more vegetable side dishes on this site.
C. Because asparagus is delicious.
D. Because I already had the picture and recipe ready to go in my Google Drive.
E. All of the above.

If you chose E, dear reader, you are correct. At this time of year, asparagus is tasty, vegetabley, and already photographed-ey! My favorite way to cook asparagus – or really any vegetable for that matter – is to roast it in a hot oven just until it picks up a bit of color. A simple seasoning of salt and pepper allows the flavor of the asparagus to shine through.

Warning: This recipe is no doubt a tasty way to cook asparagus but it’s still asparagus. Kids seem to have a natural hatred of these little trees and roasting them isn’t likely to change that. If this describes your kids (or husband or wife) hopefully they/he/she will grow out of it and learn to love these spring vegetables.

The RecipeRecipe
Oven Roasted Asparagus
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 tsp Olive Oil (you can also use vegetable oil)
  • 1 Bundle Asparagus, rinsed
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°
  2. Using a big knife, cut off the bottom half to one inch of the asparagus.
  3. Toss the trimmed asparagus, oil, 2 big pinches of kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper together in a large bowl.
  4. Spread out in a single layer on a sheet pan and cook for 10 – 12 minutes until your asparagus is tender-crisp and oxymoronically delicious!
Tips and TricksTips and Tricks

Here’s a tip to use when rummaging around the produce aisle for asparagus. Thinner stalks are more tender and a bit sweeter, while thicker stalks have a more asparagussy flavor.

Feed the FreezerFeed the Freezer

Freezing asparagus, like most other vegetables, requires a quick blanching in salted boiling water (maybe 60 seconds) and then an immediate dip in an ice bath to stop the cooking. Drain, freeze in a single layer on a sheet pan until solid, transfer to a zip-top bag and store for about 6 months.

Fun FactsFun Facts

Michael hates asparagus so I don’t make it for us that often. If you ever invite us over to your house and are wondering what sort of vegetable to cook, I’d enjoy some asparagus!

Categories
Featured Main Dishes Recipes Snacks

Individual Cast Iron Tortilla Pizzas

Cast Iron Pizza from www.jasonscooking.com

Cast Iron Pizza from www.jasonscooking.com

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Believe it or not, this is the 100th Recipe on Jason’s Cooking!! I’ve had a blast over the past 6 months cooking and photographing and posting and I’m looking forward to the next 6 months of tasty food. Thanks for supporting me on this adventure and I hope you’ll tell your friends about the site!

Today we’re making some amazing and quick individual pizzas that I saw on Serious Eats a couple of months back. This was one of those rare recipes that showed up in my Facebook feed in the afternoon and I went home and cooked it that night.

These pizzas are super quick to put together (10 minutes from “Let’s have pizza tonight!” to eating tasty pizza) and are better than a lot of delivery pizzas. It’s also way less expensive to make these yourself than it is to buy from a pizza joint. Give these quick, delicious, crispy, and dead simple pizzas a shot tonight and let me know what you think.

The RecipeRecipe
Individual Cast Iron Tortilla Pizzas
 
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Serves: 1 Pizza
Ingredients
  • ½ tsp Olive Oil (you can also use vegetable oil)
  • 1 8” Flour Tortilla
  • 2 – 3 Spoonfulls* Store Bought Marinara or Pizza Sauce (see Tips and Tricks)
  • 1 Hand Full* of Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
  • Pepperoni Slices
  • Hot Italian Sausage (bulk or links with casing removed)
  • Any other pizza toppings you love. This “recipe” is more of a method than a recipe.

You’ll also need an 8” Cast Iron Skillet
Instructions
  1. Preheat your broiler to high and heat the oil in the cast iron skillet on the stove top over high heat until it shimmers. Once the oil shimmers, reduce the heat to medium low and follow the remaining steps quicklyish. These pizzas start out on top of the stove and finish in the oven.
  2. Place the tortilla on in the skillet, top with sauce (don’t go crazy or you’ll have a sloppy mess), cheese, pepperoni, and little dots of the raw sausage.
  3. Season with salt and pepper and, using a pot holder, place the skillet under the broiler and cook until the cheese melts and browns a bit.
  4. Slide pizza onto a cutting board, cut and serve immediately.
Notes
Note: for a crispier crust, put the skillet back on the stove top over medium heat after you remove it from the broiler. Use a spatula to lift up the pizza to check your progress.
Tips and TricksTips and Tricks

269_MEDimgThe best store-bought marinara in the whole world is Buitoni Roasted Garlic Marinara Sauce. It looks like this and you can find it in the fresh pasta section of the grocery store. It’s near the lunch meat in my Publix.

Feed the FreezerFeed the Freezer

I suppose you could assemble the pizzas, freeze them and then cook from frozen if you want to but I wouldn’t recommend it. These pizzas are so quick and easy to make, however, I recommend keeping the ingredients on hand so you can whip them up whenever you want them.

Fun FactsFun Facts

My favorite pizza from California Pizza Kitchen is the California Club without avocado. Don’t worry, you’ll see that recipe on the site soon.

Categories
Breakfast Featured Main Dishes Recipes

Chicken Sausage, Tomato and Green Onion Wraps

Sausage, Green Onion and Tomato Wrap from www.jasonscooking.com

Sausage, Green Onion and Tomato Wrap from www.jasonscooking.com

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If you like quiche, omelets, breakfast burritos, or breakfast for dinner, you should give this Sausage, Tomato, and Green Onion Wrap a try. It’s quick and easy, healthy, inexpensive and is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. We went with sausage, tomato and green onions but you can switch those out for any meats and/or veggies that you like. If you think of it as a handheld omelet, it’s easy to come up with ingredient combinations that you will love.

This is probably the first recipe that Michael and I disagreed on since we launched Jason’s Cooking. Michael liked it and I wasn’t a huge fan – mostly because I found it bland and boring. I’m not going to write this recipe off completely because I do think it has potential…I’m just not in a hurry to make it again. Next time I will definitely add cheese!!

The RecipeRecipe
Chicken Sausage, Tomato and Green Onion Wraps
 
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Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 Tbs Butter
  • 6 Eggs
  • ¼ Cup Milk
  • 2 Green Onions, Sliced
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • ½ tsp Black Pepper
  • 2 Chicken and Apple Smoked Sausages
  • ¾ Cup Cherry Tomatoes, Quartered
  • 4 Whole Wheat Wraps
Instructions
  1. Melt the butter in a medium-sized non-stick pan over medium heat.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper until they are well scrambled.
  3. Split the sausages in half lengthwise and then cut into ¼ inch thick slices.
  4. Add the sausage and the green onions to the egg mixture and pour it into the pan to cook. Leave the eggs alone for about a minute so that the bottom layer can set up a bit.
  5. Using long strokes with a rubber spatula, gently push the eggs around every 30 seconds or so. Don’t fuss with them, you’re looking for big, creamy curds.
  6. The eggs are done when they set and still look a little moist (about 3 minutes). Stir the tomatoes into the egg mixture, and remove the pan from the heat.
  7. Divide the egg mixture among the 4 wraps, wrap them up like a burrito and serve!
Tips and TricksTips and Tricks

Remember: if your eggs look done in the pan, they’ll be overcooked on the plate. Take them off the heat when they still look a tiny bit moist and let carryover cooking do the rest.

Feed the FreezerFeed the Freezer

This recipe is the epitome of quick and easy so freezing isn’t necessary.

Fun FactsFun Facts

Michael doesn’t like uncooked tomatoes but he loves green onions.

Categories
Featured Jason's Favorites Main Dishes Recipes

Healthy Flank Steak Fajitas

Healthy Flank Steak Fajitas from www.jasonscooking.com
TemperatureHigh BroilTime10 mins

Healthy Flank Steak Fajitas from www.jasonscooking.com

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It’s Taco Tuesday at Jason’s Cooking! And while I know that tacos and fajitas aren’t the same thing, they’re pretty darn close so these quick and healthy flank steak fajitas are on the menu today. I made these for the first time a couple of weeks ago for the blog and they were absolutely delicious. The only thing that didn’t turn out on the first batch was the picture so I had to make them again last night – oh darn!

These fajitas were slightly adapted from a Weight Watchers recipe. I have made quite a few WW recipes in my day and I have to say that they’re all really good. No one is paying me to say that, I just really like the recipes that they come up with. These fajitas have a minimal amount of oil, are packed with veggies and only take about 20 minutes to make, making them the perfect healthy weeknight dinner.

The RecipeRecipe
Healthy Flank Steak Fajitas
 
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Recipe type: Main
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the Spice Rub
  • 1 ½ tsp Ground Cumin
  • 1 ½ tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 ½ tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 tsp Chili Powder
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ¼ tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

For the Fajitas
  • 1 lb Flank Steak
  • 1 Tbs Vegetable Oil, Divided
  • 1 Bell Pepper, Thinly Sliced
  • 1 Zucchini, Sliced into Sticks
  • 1 Large Onion, Thinly Sliced
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 8 Tortillas
  • Shredded Cheddar Cheese, Shredded Lettuce, Sour Cream and Salsa for serving
Instructions
  1. Preheat the broiler to high and position a rack close to the flame.
  2. Mix all of the ingredients for the spice rub together in a small bowl.
  3. Rub 1 tsp vegetable oil on the flank steak and season the steak with a generous amount of the rub. You probably won’t use all of the rub so save it for the next time you make this dish.
  4. In a large bowl, toss the pepper, zucchini, and onion with the remaining vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Spray a half sheet pan with non-stick cooking spray and spread the vegetables all over the pan. Place the steak on top of the veggies and broil for 5 minutes. Flip the steak and then broil for another 5 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 135°.
  6. Remove the steak from the pan and let it rest on a cutting board for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir the vegetables around and return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes to finish cooking.
  7. Slice the steak very thinly against the grain and serve with tortillas, cheese, lettuce, sour cream and salsa!
Tips and TricksTips and Tricks

Not a fan of zucchini? Only have red onions on hand? The great thing about this recipe is that you can switch the veggies for whatever veggies you like. Give it a shot!

Feed the FreezerFeed the Freezer

While the cooked veggies won’t do great in the freezer, the cooked fajita meat will. Portion leftover fajita meat into small zip-top bags for a quick grab-and-go taco.

Fun FactsFun Facts

In Mexico, Tacos are almost exclusively made with soft flour tortillas. The crispy corn taco shell is an American invention.

Categories
Featured Main Dishes Recipes

Weeknight Low Country Boil

Weeknight Low Country Boil from www.jasonscooking.com
TemperatureHigh°Time20 – 25 mins

Weeknight Low Country Boil from www.jasonscooking.com

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It seems that almost everyone we know was born in September/October so I think a lot of the upcoming posts will start off with, “I was at a birthday party the other day…” Anyway – I was at a birthday party the other day that featured the mysterious and elusive Low Country Boil.

Having never been to a low country boil*, I was excited and imagined Jeff, the birthday boy, slaving away for hours over a large pot set atop an open flame. On Saturday, Jeff called and asked if he could borrow a pot for the boil and I said sure but you have to come and get it. He asked if I could just come over early and bring it with me. Thinking that a boil would take hours, I suspiciously asked how early and his answer shocked me.

“About 30 minutes…”

Abwah?!? That’s right…it takes about 30 minutes to do an honest to goodness low country boil, making it a perfect candidate for a weeknight dinner. It should have clicked earlier with me since you’re using one of the fastest cooking methods to cook food that doesn’t take very long at all to cook. Swing by the store on the way home and have a low country boil tonight!

For those of you who don’t know what a LCB is, it’s a party where you boil up a bunch of seafood, meat and vegetables in a large pot, dump it out onto a newspaper-lined table and invite your friends to dig in with their hands.

*I have a very hazy memory of going to a boil once but I could be making that up.

The RecipeRecipe
Weeknight Low Country Boil
 
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Recipe type: Mains
Serves: 4 - 6
Ingredients
  • 1 Pouch Zatarain’s Crawfish, Shrimp & Crab Boil in Bag
  • 1 ½ - 2 lbs Small Potatoes, (we used petite red, white and blue potatoes but you can use new potatoes)
  • 1 lb Kielbasa Sausage, Cut into 1” Chuncks
  • 4 Ears of Corn, Shucked and Cut in Half
  • 1 – 1 ½ lbs Raw Easy Peel Shrimp, Rinsed and Deveined
  • 1 Lemon
  • Old Bay Seasoning
Instructions
  1. In a really large pot, combine potatoes, sausage, seasoning pouch and enough water to cover everything by 2 – 3 inches and bring to a boil over high heat.
  2. After about 10 minutes of boiling, add the corn to the pot and let everything boil for another 10 minutes.
  3. Test the potatoes for doneness by fishing one out and poking it with a skewer, if it encounters little to no resistance, it’s done.
  4. Once the potatoes are done, add the shrimp and let it cook until they are just pink. This should only take about 2 – 3 minutes and overcooked shrimp is gross.
  5. Drain the water from the good stuff and serve on a large platter or on a newspaper-covered table.
  6. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of Old Bay.
Tips and TricksTips and Tricks

The possibilities are endless with a low country boil so add crawfish (yuck), chicken thighs, crab legs, lobster, or anything else you can think of to this tasty dish.

Feed the FreezerFeed the Freezer

Can you use frozen shrimp for this recipe? Heck yes! Most shrimp is processed and frozen on the boat and then defrosted in the store so feel free to skip the middle man and head to the freezer aisle. Defrost them in cold running water for about 15 – 20 minutes while you’re prepping and cooking everything else.

Fun FactsFun Facts

I once lived in Charleston, South Carolina and was surprised to find out that there were 2 regions in the state. The southernmost counties that are on the near the water are known as “the Low Country” and the rest of the state is called the “Upstate.”

Categories
Featured Recipes Sauces

Homemade Ranch Dressing

Ranch Dressing from www.jasonscooking.com

Ranch Dressing from www.jasonscooking.com

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Everyone knows that ranch dressing is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. That’s the only way to explain how an American hero like Steve Henson came up with the brilliant idea at his Hidden Valley Ranch to mix buttermilk, mayonnaise and some herbs together to create the beautiful nectar that is Ranch Dressing.

The best news about this sweet sweet nectar is that it’s super simple to make at home and you probably have most, if not all, of the ingredients in your house right now. Grab a mason jar, a bunch of herbs and spices, mayo, buttermilk, sour cream, and a mason jar and make a batch today. You’ll remember this day as the day that your life finally began.

Too much? Nah.

The RecipeRecipe
Homemade Ranch Dressing
 
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Recipe type: Other
Ingredients
  • ½ Cup Buttermilk
  • 2 tbs Sour Cream
  • 1 tbs Mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp Dried Parsley
  • 1 tsp Cracked Black Pepper
  • ½ tsp Dried Chives
  • ¼ tsp Garlic Powder
  • ¼ tsp Kosher Salt
  • ½ tsp Dijon Mustard
  • 2 Dashes Hot Sauce
Instructions
  1. Put all ingredients in a mason jar and shake very vigorously.
  2. Store the dressing in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving. It should keep in the refrigerator for about a week.
  3. Shake again before serving.
Tips and TricksTips and Tricks

As with most things, you can add bacon to this dressing and call it Bacon Ranch Dressing!

Feed the FreezerFeed the Freezer Make Ahead

You can keep this dressing for up to a week in the refrigerator so feel free to make it ahead of time.

Fun FactsFun Facts

Hidden Valley Ranch, the original and most popular brand of ranch dressing, is owned by Clorox.

Categories
Featured Main Dishes Michael's Favorites Recipes Snacks

Chunky Chicken Salad

Jason's Chicken Salad

Jason's Chicken Salad

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Grapes in chicken salad?!? A coworker of mine turned me on to putting grapes in chicken salad about 10 years ago and I haven’t made chicken salad without them since. She called it Summertime Chicken Salad but I just call it delicious.

This is my go-to chicken salad recipe. It’s not too wet, has just the right amount of crunch and the grapes are a nice surprise. In fact, with only ½ cup of mayonnaise in the whole batch, it’s actually not too bad for you either. Michael and I make this on the weekend and it’ll keep in the refrigerator all week to use on tasty sandwiches.

The RecipeRecipe
Chunky Chicken Salad
 
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Recipe type: Mains
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 2 ½ - 3 Lb Chicken, Cooked and Shredded
  • 1 Cup Celery, Chopped (about 3 ribs)
  • ½ Cup Pecans, Toasted and Chopped
  • 1 Cup Red Seedless Grapes, Halved
  • ½ Cup Mayonnaise
  • Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine.
  2. Season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste.
Tips and TricksTips and Tricks

I use my hands to toss this salad. Using your fingers helps you mix everything evenly and allows you to use less mayonnaise.

Feed the FreezerFeed the Freezer

This chicken salad will freeze for up to 3 months. The quality might diminish slightly but it’s a great way to store excess chicken salad.

Fun FactsFun Facts

The chicken salad that we know and love was invented in Rhode Island in 1863. The original version featured leftover chicken, mayonnaise, tarragon, and grapes. Grapes! Who knew?

Categories
Drinks Featured Recipes

Sweet Tea

Southern Sweet Tea

Southern Sweet Tea

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There is nothing more southern than a good glass of sweet tea. This is simple iconic drink goes great with pretty much any meal and is the perfect cool drink to enjoy while sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch. If you’re going to get into southern cuisine, you’ll need a great sweet tea recipe under your belt.

Sweet tea is one of those things that seem simple but without the right technique can turn out bitter and blah. My mom makes the best sweet tea in all the land and her trick is to not let the tea boil. If you let it boil, it’ll be bitter.

The RecipeRecipe
Sweet Tea
 
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Recipe type: Drinks
Ingredients
  • 3 Family Size Iced Tea Bags
  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • 7 Cups Water
Instructions
  1. Put the 3 tea bags in a small pot with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil over medium heat.
  2. As soon as the water boils, turn off the heat and let the tea steep for about 5 minutes.
  3. Remove the bags from the hot tea and pour into a pitcher with the sugar. Stir to combine.
  4. Once all of the sugar has dissolved, add the remaining water and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tips and TricksTips and Tricks

Don’t let your tea boil or it will get bitter. The key is taking it off the heat just before the water and tea boil.

Feed the FreezerFeed the Freezer Make Ahead

If you’re making tea for a crowd, double the tea, double the sugar and use a gallon container of water from the grocery store. Once you’ve mixed everything up, put the tea back into the gallon jug and you have a container to transport your tea in!

Fun FactsFun Facts

My mom uses her own blend of teas when she makes sweet tea. She uses 1 Tetley and 2 Luzianne tea bags.

Categories
Featured Main Dishes Michael's Favorites Recipes

Quick and Easy Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

Quick and Easy Spaghetti and Meat Sauce from www.jasonscooking.com
Quick and Easy Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
TemperatureMedium LowTime20 mins

Quick and Easy Spaghetti

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Do you want spaghetti and meat sauce for dinner but you don’t want to go brew a pot full of sauce all day? Well this recipe is for you!

This spaghetti recipe is adapted from my sister’s quick and easy spaghetti recipe. The main difference between our recipes is that I start with onions and garlic and she leaves them out because she’s not a fan of onions. The basic idea of this recipe is to take a store-bought jar of spaghetti sauce, add a couple of things, and make it taste more like homemade spaghetti sauce. This is a good weeknight recipe that tastes like a weekend!

The RecipeRecipe
Quick and Easy Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
 
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Recipe type: Main
Serves: 6 - 8
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbs Olive Oil
  • 1 Medium Onion, Diced
  • 3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
  • 1 – 1 ½ lb Ground Beef
  • 1 Packet Spaghetti Seasoning Mix
  • 1 12 – 16 oz Jar of Your Favorite Spaghetti Sauce
  • ¼ Cup Water
  • Spaghetti Noodles, Cooked to Al Dente in Salted Water and Drained
  • Parmesan Cheese for Serving
Instructions
  1. In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic with salt and pepper until they are tender and translucent (about 5 minutes).
  2. Add the beef to the pot, crumble and cook until the meat is browned.
  3. Add the spaghetti seasoning mix, sauce and water (see the tip below).
  4. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Serve with cooked spaghetti noodles and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
Tips and TricksTips and Tricks

Swirl the water around in the jar before adding it to the pot to get any stubborn sauce out.

Feed the FreezerFeed the Freezer

If you don’t have cooked spaghetti sauce in your freezer, you should! Store any leftovers in zip-top bags in the freezer for up to 6 months. When you have a hankerin’ for spaghetti, thaw, heat and enjoy!

Fun FactsFun Facts

Spaghetti Bolognese, or spaghetti and meat sauce, gets its name from the Italian town called Bologna. Apparently they made the best ragu (meat sauce) in all of Italy.