Linguisa & Potatoes

Some days I am just LAZY with cooking. Yep even I have days that I would just rather dump the ingredients into a pan and walk away from it all and POOF, it's all magically done. The leftovers from tonight's dinner will make a yummy sandwich tomorrow. And you all know I love leftovers for sandwiches!


1 package linguisa (I like Silva but buy whatever you have available)
6 potatoes pealed and cubed (you could even micro for a couple minutes)
1/2 red onion chopped
well seasoned cast iron pan
1 Tb oil
creole seasoning or season all
cut the linguisa into thirds this will help in making it all fit
I LOVE this seasoning! A little goes a long way. I have tried the low sodium and it just doesn't cut it for me.
place a Tb oil in the bottom of the pan and toss with the potatoes and onions and season the potatoes, line the sausage around the potatoes
Roast at 450 turning everything. If the meat cooks too fast, remove and cover in foil

Fried Rice (Vegetarian)

So the other day I covered this amazing Sweet and Sour Chicken. It was to die for yummy. I dont usually do Chinese food so well and this was just as yummy as Panda Express. With it I made some fried rice. Mind you, this was not my recipe. I found this from Life as a Lofthouse's Blog

Fried rice
recipe adapted from Life as a Lofthouse's Blog
from the recipe Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken with Fried Rice

Fried Rice

3 cups cooked white rice (day old or leftover rice works best!)
3 tbs sesame oil
1 cup frozen peas and carrots (thawed)
1 small onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup soy sauce


On medium high heat, heat the oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the peas/carrots mix, onion and garlic. Stir fry until tender. Lower the heat to medium low and push the mixture off to one side, then pour your eggs on the other side of skillet and stir fry until scrambled. Now add the rice and soy sauce and blend all together well. Stir fry until thoroughly heated! **You could really play around with this rice too! Try adding some diced ham, or green onion :) Yum!



Melt a TB butter in a saute pan or wok. I dont own a wok so a saute pan will have to do.
Add sesame oil
Add the onions and just cook until translucent

Almost there. I have such a hard time not browning the onions. Add the garlic

Add the peas and carrots. I am using frozen.
Cook until they are warm
move everything to one side and make room for the egg
put the egg in a bowl and whisk up with a fork, pour the egg into the pan. Keep heat at medium heat.
Take your spatula and scramble the eggs
almost done
add all the rice.
Add the soy sauce and serve! I sprinkled sesame seeds over mine and served with Sweet and Sour Chicken
Totally yummy!!

Sweet & Sour Chicken

I crave Chinese food. Panda Express finally opened up in our town and I think I was the happiest person. I have attempted to makes it homemade only a couple times and to be honest it was only ok. And then I came across this recipe on Pinterest and thought I would give it a try. It wasn't very many ingredients which I think is one of the draw backs for making homemade Chinese food. It was not only a hit but requested just about every week after. I also made some homemade fried rice which I will blog later that also was to die for! This is a keeper!!!


Sweet and Sour Chicken
recipe adapted from House 344
from the recipe "Sweet and Sour Chicken"


3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (I used 6 boneless, skinless thighs since you are frying and then baking and I didn't want tough chicken.)
Salt And Pepper
1 cup Cornstarch
2 whole Eggs, Lightly Beaten
¼ cups Canola Oil

FOR THE SAUCE:
¾ cups Sugar
4 Tablespoons Ketchup
½ cups Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Garlic Salt

Cut chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until browned on all sides but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish.

Mix sauce ingredients together and pour over chicken. (I made a double batch of sauce to pour over the chicken rather than make extra on the stove top)
Bake for one hour at 325 degrees F. Turn chicken every 15 minutes. If you like extra sauce, make another batch of sauce and bring it to a boil on the stovetop. Stir constantly and let cook over medium heat until thickened and reduced, about 6 to 8 minutes.


Ok so here is all the goodies you need for that sticky yummy sauce!! The smell of the sauce is too much. I caught the smell on a kitchen towel the next day and was sad I didnt have any leftovers. Make sure you double the sauce.

Get your eggs ready in a dipping pan, I use an old cake pan
Same for the cornstarch
Get your sauce ready. I did it in a mixing bowl. This first time I made it I did not double the sauce. It was yummy as hell but needed more sauce. The next time I made it I smarted up and double the sauce.

Dont think that you can dip egg rolls in this quite yet. If you are thinking that, cook it on the stove.
I toss all the chicken into the cornstarch at once.
Then piece by piece roll into the egg and into the frying pan with oil. Fry until just yellow. You aren't going going for golden brown. It will go into the oven and crisp up and soak up the sauce
Just barely get it crispy
Onto a cookie sheet. Cover with the sauce and cook as directed. I didnt cook as long. It was done in about 30 minutes.
This is 30 minutes later. My family was begging to dish it up. You can see why it needs more sauce.
DINNER!!!!

Bacon, Egg & Potato Burritos

It's been a crazy summer! The ballplayer was playing on two teams at once. We are down to one team which feels so nice. There were weeks we were traveling from three hours south one weekend to an hour north the next day. I try hard to prepare home cooked meals as much as I can since we have been on the road so much. Breakfast is so important, especially for The Ballplayer. I try to fuel him up first thing in the morning. I am personally against snacks. You can find them in our house. I do break down. But as a rule I prefer them to stay away from my house all together. This particular morning I made The Ballplayer Bacon, Egg & Potato Burritos before traveling to a neighboring town for a double header. These are fast to make and fill you up. In fact, my pups were looking to benefit from the breakfast too!
Bacon, Egg & Potato Burritos
4 strips of bacon chopped into chunks
2 potatoes scrubbed and chopped
8 eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
salt and pepper
cheddar cheese
at least 4 tortillas
salsa for garnish

Start by chopping the bacon. I always chop the bacon on a plastic cutting board. I find it is just easier to sanitize.
I am partial to cooking in a cast iron pan. Start cooking bacon in a COLD pan and kick the heat to medium/medium high.
Cook till brown, turning to brown all sides
While I have a chance crack the eggs. I tend to use any bowl or mixing bowl I can grab. Anything is game.
Add milk
And salt and pepper. Honestly I dont measure but since there is bacon in the meal I will go to a pinch of salt and probably 1/2 teaspoon of pepper but I am guessing. I like it peppery tho..
Put the bacon on a paper towel to drain. Leave the oil from the bacon in the pan

Now take the potato chunks and put into a microwave safe bowl. Micro for 3 minutes. This is my shortcut. Take the now soft potatoes and dump into the pan. You now only need to brown and not cook the potatoes. Pepper or season with some creole seasoning
these are looking yummy. Maybe the boys dont need potatoes in their burritos??
Add the bacon back to the pan and turn the heat down to medium if you were not already there
add the eggs and stir gently till the eggs are cooked completely
Warm tortillas either on a tortilla pan (I have one) or in a microwave for ten seconds (I am guilty of doing this on occasion) or my favorite is on a gas stove (which we do not have in this dinosaur kitchen) Load the center with two big scoops of the egg mixture. Cover with about 1/4 cup of cheese (non for The Ballplayer) and salsa.

The Ballplayers
I need salsa for The Fireman tho
Now for me, I go tortilla-less since there is potato in the mixture. So I eat the mixture just in a bowl. Just as good. All it is missing is some green onions but that's ok.
BREAKFAST!!!