Month: July 2022

Air Fryer Southwest Chicken Skillet

Last Updated on August 11, 2022 by Jess

I don’t know about you, but our air fryer is perpetually on the countertop during the summer. I’ll be honest, eight times out of ten, I am making homemade fries (SO GOOD!), but sometimes I am cooking protein in it. I love cooking up chicken in all sorts of ways. I dig chicken thighs, chicken breasts, you name it. But one of my favorite ways to cook up chicken is when it’s marinated and cut into bitesize pieces. This Air Fryer Southwest Chicken Skillet is a great way to do just that! 

Reasons I love this recipe? It’s FULL of color and flavor. Don’t skip the cilantro or onions (as long as you aren’t an ‘it tastes like soap’ kind of guy or gal. Man, my heart hurts for you. I could eat cilantro by the bucket!) It adds so much. 

It preps up SO fast with minimal dishes. The chicken gets marinated in a baggy and goes in the air fryer. Everything else goes straight in the skillet! You don’t even need much of a cutting board if you have scissors for the onions and cilantro. It sure made my dishwasher (my 12 year old kiddo) happy to see that I didn’t create a pile of dishes for him. 

Now, I went lighter on the spicy factor here. If you want some extra kick, feel free to top with some sliced jalapeño too! Also, no air fryer? No problem! You can easily cook up the chicken with the rice or on the side. I just like the texture the air fryer brings to the party.

Your Ingredients for Air Fryer Southwest Chicken Skillet 

  • 1 ½ pounds chicken breast, cubed into bitesize pieces
  • 1 cup long grain white rice
  • 1 can unsalted diced tomatoes
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 cup shredded cheese
  • Fresh cilantro and green onions, optional 
  • Salt and pepper to taste 

Seasoning: 

One teaspoon each of:

  • chili powder
  • ground coriander
  • ground cumin 
  • paprika

One half teaspoon each of:

  • salt
  • garlic powder 
  • oregano 

Dash of cayenne pepper, to taste 

Your Steps to Air Fryer Southwest Chicken Skillet

Combine the spices to create a seasoning mix for the chicken. Reserve ½ tablespoon and set aside for seasoning the rice. 

Mix the rest of the seasoning with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon water. Place the cubed chicken in a plastic bag. Pour the seasoning mixture over the chicken, massaging it into pieces. Seal and allow to marinate in the refridgerator for at least 3 hours. 

When you are ready to cook the chicken, start the rice according to the package directions. Once the water is boiling, add rice and the diced tomatoes, black beans, frozen corn, and reserved seasoning blend. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. 

Meanwhile, preheat an air fryer to 380 degrees. Spray with cooking spray. Cook chicken for 10-15 minutes, tossing once or twice. 

Immediately after the rice mixture is done cooking, top with shredded cheese and cover, removing from heat. Serve once the cheese has melted, topping with chicken, cilantro, and sliced green onions. 

Spices make me happy!
Marinate it up!
Cook it up!
Almost there!
That chicken though!
Add the cheese…
And some cilantro.
Chicken on top!
And served.

Looking for other recipes?

Give my cooking page a try! Or maybe you need to add a sweet treat to your dinner? Baking is the way to go!

Southwest Chicken Skillet

Air Fryer Southwest Chicken Skillet

The use of an air fryer and a skillet make this dish a cinch to make! Minimal dishes and full of flavor, you're sure to love this air fryer Southwest Chicken Skillet
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Marinate 3 hours
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American, Southwest
Servings 6 servings

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ pounds chicken breast cubed into bitesize pieces
  • 1 cup long grain white rice
  • 1 can unsalted diced tomatoes
  • 1 can black beans rinsed
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 cup shredded cheese
  • Fresh cilantro and green onions optional
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Seasoning

  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • Dash of cayenne pepper

Instructions
 

  • Combine seasoning mix. Reserve ½ tablespoon and set aside for seasoning the rice.
  • Mix the remaining seasoning mix with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon water. Place the cubed chicken in a plastic bag. Pour the seasoning mixture over the chicken, massaging it into pieces. Seal and allow to marinate for at least 3 hours.
  • When you are ready to cook the chicken, start the rice according to the package directions. Once the water is boiling, add rice and the diced tomatoes, black beans, frozen corn, and reserved seasoning blend. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
  • Meanwhile, preheat an air fryer to 380 degrees. Spray with cooking spray. Cook chicken for 10-15 minutes, tossing once or twice.
  • Immediately after the rice mixture is done cooking, top with shredded cheese and cover, removing from heat. Serve once the cheese has melted, topping with chicken, cilantro, and sliced green onions.
Keyword 30 minute meals, air fryer, chicken, rice, skillet, Southwest, Tex Mex
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Black Raspberry Jam

Last Updated on July 22, 2022 by Jess

It is black raspberry season and with that comes black raspberry jam creating! 

Growing up, I have fond memories of harvesting wild red raspberries while my dad set up deer stands, checked for hunting activity, and the like. My sister and I would keep containers with us and would harvest away, swatting bugs and getting scratched by the branches. It wasn’t until I met the Mr. that I even knew black raspberries were a thing. 

Around our home, the red raspberries are referred to as “mama’s raspberries” and the black are “daddy’s raspberries.” As I started to learn to can early in our marriage, the first thing my husband requested was black raspberry jam. Of course, I had to oblige. 

I do want to share that I did not grow up in a canning household. I learned about ten years ago, as soon as we bought our home and started our first garden. And while I had some support of my mother in law (thank you so much!), I learned SO MUCH from reading. If you are a first generation canner like I was, let me share some of my favorite resources: 

Ball Complete Book of Home Canning: This book gives you a good idea of all the basics from the people who know canning forwards and backwards. I love that I can dig in and get just what I need. 

Not Your Mama’s Canning Book: Modern Canned Goods and What to Make with Them: This book is SO FUN. It has some out of the ordinary recipes. We especially love the tomato soup and seasoned black bean recipes. 

And finally, the National Center for Home Food Preservation has all the information you need for all sorts of food preservation, not just canning. I reference it often! 

But enough about resources, you want to can right? (But seriously, I am going to give you the basics. If you are a newbie (Yay!), head to any of those resources for more detailed information)

Your Ingredients for Black Raspberry Jam

For approximately 4 half-pints, gather: 

  • 5 cups black raspberries
  • 3 cups sugar 

(Yes, that’s it! No, you can’t swap out the sugar for a different sweetener. Canning is finicky like that)

The Prep Work

Fill the canning kettle with enough water that the jars will be covered by at least 2 inches of water. More is better in this case so overestimate. Begin to heat over high heat. Place the canning rack so that it is hooked over the side of the canner and put clean jars on it to keep them warm. Note: You don’t have to keep the jars in the rack, although it is helpful to keep them warm. You want the jars warm to prevent breaking when they are being filled. 

Set the clean rings aside. I like to simmer my lids on low low heat in a small saucepan. Not necessary, but I like to think it helps them seal better. 

If you have not already done so, measure out the sugar and the berries. 

Measure the berries!
Smush, smush, smush
Add the sugar.
Mix and cook, cook, cook.
Almost there!
Oh yum!
And fresh bread? I am here for it!

The black raspberry Jam Making

In a large, preferably shallow kettle, smash the black raspberries with a potato masher. Stir in the sugar. Begin to heat over medium-high heat, stirring often. I like to smash the berries more as they are cooking down. 

Your end goal is to reach the gelling point. There are lots of tests for this, but I prefer the temperature test. If you are at sea level, the gelling point is at 220 degrees. For every 1000 feet of elevation, you subtract 2 degrees. For me, the gelling point is 218 degrees. Don’t have a decent food thermometer? Check out the National Center for Home Preservation website for other ways of testing for the gelling point. 

It takes longer to reach the gelling point than I think it should. It also goes from needing 3 degrees to reaching the gelling point fast. You can get complacent while you are waiting and suddenly hit the temperature, so I am trying to warn you 🙂 

Once the jam has reached the gelling point, remove from heat. Ladle into prepared jars, leaving ½ inch head space. Wipe rims of the jars with a damp, clean cloth, add lids and rings, tightening to fingertip tight. Place in the canner, increasing the heat to high. Once the canner reaches a boil, process for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow jars to cool in the canner over 5 minutes. Remove from canner, placing on the counter. Listen for the ping of the lids over the next 12 hours. Sealed jars are self stable. If any jar doesn’t seal, simply place it right in the refrigerator. 

Note: You can skip the processing step all together if you feel more comfortable. If you do so, the black raspberry jam will need to be stored in the refrigerator. The process of water bath canning creates a self-stable jam. That is, a jam that can be stored on the shelf. 

Black Raspberry Jam

Two little ingredients (sugar and black raspberries) combine to make this wonderful taste of summer treat!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Canning
Servings 4 1/2 pint jars

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 5 cup black raspberries
  • 3 cups sugar

Instructions
 

  • If you have not done so, measure out raspberries and sugar.
  • Wash and sanitize 4 1/2 pint jars, rings, and lids. Keep warm. Fill the canner with enough water to cover the jars by at least 2 inches of water. Cover and heat on high. Watch the temperature, you want a simmer but not a boil when you place the jars in the water.
  • In a large, shallow kettle, smash raspberries with a potato masher. Stir in sugar. Begin to heat over medium-high heat, stirring often. Smash more as they are cooking down.
  • Heat to 8 degrees above the boiling point of water. If you are at sea level, the gelling point is at 220 degrees. For every 1000 feet of elevation, you subtract 2 degrees.
  • Once the jam has reached the gelling point, remove from heat. Ladle into prepared jars, leaving ½ inch head space. Wipe rims of the jars with a damp cloth, add lids and rings, tightening to fingertip tight. Place in the canner, increasing the heat to high. Once the canner reaches a boil, process for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow jars to cool in the canner over 5 minutes. Remove from canner and allow to rest for 12 hours before storing.

Notes

You can skip the processing step all together if you feel more comfortable. If you do so, the jam will need to be stored in the refrigerator. The process of water bath canning creates a self-stable jam. That is, a jam that can be stored on the shelf.
Keyword black raspberry, Jam, Jam Recipes, Jellies and Jams, raspberries
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other canning inspiration?

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JessLeave a comment

Korean BBQ Inspired Beef and Broccoli

Last Updated on July 15, 2022 by Jess

This Korean BBQ Inspired Beef with Broccoli has been are recipe that has hung out on my Instagram page for a long time and is an ultimate go to dinner for our family when time is short. Sitting down together for meals is incredibly important to everyone in our house, but basketball, baseball, barre classes, and the like can make that challenging. This complete meal can be done in under 25 minutes (depending on your rice) and provides a healthy and nutritious meal everyone can love!

What I love best about it (besides the flavor of course!) is that it truly can be a pantry meal that gets thrown together last minute. We are a hunting family which means our freezer is full of home-ground venison, which is what we use in place of ground beef 90% of the time. We always have Minute Rice on hand (they make a great brown rice), and if we don’t have fresh broccoli, we will definitely have some frozen. As long as we don’t run out of the sauce ingredients, we are golden and can make this any day of the week. 

Also, I ADORE these steamer bags by Ziploc. It allows us to quickly cook up some broccoli (fresh or frozen) without heating up the house. We use them for cooking vegetables on a regular basis!

Ready to get cooking?! Let’s go! 

Your Ingredients For Korean BBQ Inspired Beef and Broccoli 

  • 1 pound ground protein (beef, venison, turkey)
  • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
  • ⅛ cup water
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger 
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil 
  • Red pepper flakes, to taste 
  • 3 cloves garlic 
  • 4-6 servings brown rice, cooked 
  • Two heads of broccoli, chopped into bite size pieces (four servings frozen broccoli florets) 
  • Sesame seeds 

Your Steps 

Over medium heat, brown protein, adding oil as needed. Venison benefits from a ½ tablespoon of olive oil in the pan to help keep it from sticking. Meanwhile, steam broccoli and cook instant brown rice if you haven’t already. 

I highly recommend these Ziploc steam bags for all things vegetables. I think we cook our vegetables in these bags 2-3 times a week for simplicities sake. They are amazing and come with timings for all types of food, fresh and frozen! I dig any kind of instant brown rice and have also fallen in love with frozen, par-cooked rice for those busy nights! 

While your meat is browning and rice and broccoli are cooking, mix your sauce. I like to add the liquids in a 1 cup liquid measuring cup and then add the rest of the spices. Don’t skip the sesame oil! It makes the dish! 

Once the meat is cooked, drain if necessary. Pour sauce over the browned protein, cooking over medium for 4-5 minutes, until slightly thickened. 

Serve protein over rice, topped with steamed broccoli and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Good luck having any left overs! 

Mix up the sauce!
Add it to the browned protein.
Top it off!
Get in my belly!

Korean BBQ Inspired Beef and Broccoli

Dinner in under 25 minutes is possible with this complete meal of Korean Inspired BBQ Beef served with broccoli over rice.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ground protein beef, venison, turkey
  • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
  • ⅛ cup water
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • Red pepper flakes to taste
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 4-6 servings brown rice cooked
  • Two heads of broccoli chopped into bite size pieces (four servings frozen broccoli florets)
  • Sesame seeds

Instructions
 

  • Over medium heat, brown protein, adding oil as needed. Venison benefits from a ½ tablespoon of olive oil in the pan to help keep it from sticking.
  • Meanwhile, steam broccoli and cook instant brown rice if you haven’t already.
  • While the meat is browning and rice and broccoli are cooking, mix your sauce.
  • Once the meat is cooked, drain if necessary. Pour sauce over the browned protein, cooking over medium for 4-5 minutes, until slightly thickened.
  • Serve protein over rice, topped with steamed broccoli and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Good luck having any left overs!

Notes

I like to add the liquids in a 1 cup liquid measuring cup and then add the rest of the spices. Don’t skip the sesame oil! It makes the dish! 
Keyword broccoli, Brown Rice, ground beef, quick meals
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other delicious dinner inspirations?

You can also head to my cooking page or perhaps the baking page for other meal and dessert ideas!

Jess3 Comments

Rhubarb and Almond Cookies

Last Updated on August 15, 2022 by Jess

Yes, I know I have shared a lot of rhubarb recipes this spring. That’s good, right? And my goodness, I adore baking cooking so rhubarb and almond cookies seemed the next logical step! 

So often, I miss rhubarb season because I am too busy getting the garden ready and ending the school year, that I can’t even think about using the rhubarb. And perhaps I am alone in this, but I always associated rhubarb with only being harvested in the spring. I am not sure where I learned that information, but it’s been in my head for as long as I can remember. However, I learned this year that rhubarb can be harvested late into the summer, although you want to do it before it seeds out. Good news, right?!

Initially, I tried to skip adding oatmeal in these cookies for those non-loving oatmeal friends. It just didn’t fly. The moisture from the rhubarb was simply too much for flour to handle. This cookie bakes up nicely and will seem like a crisp cookie straight out of the oven. However, it will soften up as they rest on the counter. Be careful to store them in a flat, covered container to prevent them from breaking apart before you can enjoy them! 

I love the tartness that can be found in these rhubarb and almond oat cookies. The oats and sliced almonds at the bit of texture we all know and love and the use of almond extract rather than vanilla makes for a surprise! Ready to bake? Let’s go! 

Your Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup white sugar 
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour 
  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats 
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt 
  • ¾ cup diced rhubarb, cut small 
  • ½ cup sliced almonds 

Your Steps to Rhubarb and Almond Cookies

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add egg and almond extract. Beat until incorporated completely. In an additional bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients along with the oats. Stir until just combined. Fold in the rhubarb and sliced almonds. 

Drop by tablespoonsful 2 inches apart on lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 11-12 minutes or until set. Allow to cool a few minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. 

Creamed and dry ingredients!
Some little diced rhubarb and almonds.
Baking time!
A little tart and a little sweet!

Tools of the trade

If I am baking cookies, I am using my Chicago Baking Set. I got it for Christmas from the Mr. a number of years ago and I just love them. The cooling rack is a perfect size and the baking sheets are of great quality! I also recently gifted myself a cookie scoop and holy man, it rocks. If you don’t have one yet and you bake cookies, you probably deserve to gift yourself one too.

Rhubarb and Almond Cookies

These Rhubarb and Almond Cookies are a delight with the tartness of the rhubarb and the texture of the almonds and oats! Give them a try!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Course Cookies
Cuisine American
Servings 32 cookies

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup butter softened
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup diced rhubarb small
  • ½ cup sliced almonds

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add egg and almond extract.
  • Beat until incorporated completely.
  • In an additional bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients along with the oats.
  • Stir until just combined. Fold in the rhubarb and sliced almonds.
  • Drop by tablespoonsful 2 inches apart on lined baking sheets.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 11-12 minutes or until set.
  • Allow to cool a few minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Notes

These will be a soft cookie. Be sure to keep them in a flat container to make sure they don’t fall apart. 
Keyword almonds, chocolate chip cookies, Rhubarb, rhubarb cookies
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other sweet treats?

Check out the recipes below or head to my Baking page for all the treats!

JessLeave a comment