Author: Michelle

I am a lover of cooking, Disney, traveling, being creative, music and being with my family! I work in computer technology for an insurance company during the day and dream up recipes at night!

Apple and Pumpkin Spice Strudel

A week or so ago, I found the Pumpkin Spice Alouette Spreadable Cheese in my local Aldi. Since then, I’ve been trying to think of how I might use this cheese in recipe – did I want to try for something savory (the cheese is sweet on it’s own) or do a dessert of sweet dish.

This morning, I decided – sweet – and I wanted to pair it with apples. Yes, yes, I know – I’ve been on a huge apple kick lately – my oldest child reminded me of this – but, it is apple season, after all! I have no shame about it, at all!

I started by slicing 4 -5 small apples (I combined a couple honey crisp with whatever ‘baking apples’ that Walmart had on sale, in a bag, last week), thinly.

In a large bowl, I combined the apples with cinnamon, white sugar, brown sugar and flour.

After mixing well, I let the apple mixture sit while I prepped the rest of the strudel.

I used a store bought, refrigerated, pie crust. I just rolled it out on parchment paper, then added 2 tbsp of the Alouette Pumpkin Spice Spreadable Cheese to the center of the pie crust.

I topped the cheese, with the apple mixture.

Then, I closed up the strudel. You can do a full closure by just folding over the pie crust (and put a couple slits to vent the strudel) – or do what I did, and do small slices on either side of the apples and the overlap the slices, in the center.

I then topped the strudel with an egg wash and sprinkled on some sugar. I placed the strudel (with the parchment paper) onto a baking pan and baked in a 425 degree oven, for approximately 30 minutes. Once your pie crust is golden brown, you’ll know you’re good to go!

After removing the strudel from the oven, I let it sit for about 15 minutes. Then, I topped it with melted Cinnamon Bun Spread from Trader Joe’s.

Easy Apple and Pumpkin Spice Strudel

1 refrigerated pie crust
3-4 apples (sliced thin)
2 tbsp Pumpkin Spice Alouette Cheese
1/4 cup sugar (+ 1/2 tbsp for top of strudel)
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
Juice of 1 small lemon (or 1/2 larger lemon)
2 tbsp Trader Joe’s Cinnamon Bun Spread

  • Slice apples thin
  • Mix apples with sugars, flour, cinnamon and lemon juice – set aside
  • Roll out room temperature pie crust
  • Put room temperature Pumpkin Spice Alouette Cheese onto middle of pie crust
  • Top Alouette Cheese with apple mixture
  • Close pie crust, as you wish (I did small slices on each side and tried to overlap them at the center – I left the ends open, for a more rustic appearance)
  • Brush top of strudel with an egg wash
  • Sprinkle sugar over top
  • Bake in 425 degree oven, for 30 minutes (or until the pie crust is golden brown)
  • In microwave, melt 2 tbsp of the Trader Joe’s Cinnamon Bun Spread and drizzle over top of strudel, prior to serving.
by Michelle

Easy Chili Mac

When I was a little girl, I remember having goulash – and this recipe reminds me of that. While this recipe is not the same as the goulash I ate as a child, it is one that I know we’ll make a lot – as it a comforting, filling and easy recipe.

The recipe contains ground beef, tomatoes, onion, kidney beans, noodles, cheese and seasonings. What could be more comforting than that?

I started by chopping an onion and then cooking it, with some garlic and olive oil, in a large dutch oven.

After the onions and garlic sauteed for about 5 minutes, I added in the ground beef and cooked until it was browned. I added in the seasonings and stirred through.

Once the beef was done, I added in the canned ingredients – tomatoes, tomato paste and kidney beans and stirred through. I added in the beef stock and brought the pot up to a boil.

After a boil was achieved, I lowered the heat to simmer and added in the pasta. I allowed the pasta to cook for approximately 13 minutes (just cook until the pasta is done, refer to the box for cooking times).

While the pasta was cooking, I shredded approximately 1 1/2 cups of cheese. I used moneterey jack cheese, but cheddar would be good too!

Once the pasta is done, you’ll want to add in the cheese and stir through. You can add more cheese, when serving, if you like!

Easy Chili Mac

1 lb lean ground beef
1 1/2 onion, diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 16 oz box elbow macaroni pasta
1 large can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can rotel tomatoes with chilis
1 can dark red kidney beans (drained)
3 cups beef stock
1/2 tbsp chili powder
3/4 tbsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups grated cheese
1 tsp olive oil

  • Put olive oil in hot dutch oven (or large pot)
  • Add in garlic and onions and saute for about 5 minutes
  • Add ground beef to pot and cook, until browned
  • Add in seasonings and mix through
  • Add in tomatoes, tomato sauce and kidney beans, bring pot to a boil
  • Reduce heat and add in the box of pasta
  • Cook until pasta is done (around 13-15 minutes should be sufficient)
  • Just before serving, stir in the grated cheese
by Michelle

Rustic Peach and Apple Tart

I have been on a bit of an apple kick – but, I also recently bought some peaches when I was at the grocery store, so I thought that I’d do something with the peaches and one of the apples that I had on hand. Originally, I thought about a traditional pie – but, decided to do a rustic tart, instead.

In addition to the peaches and the apples, I had some delicious peach jam that I decided to use in this recipe – just 2 tablespoons, but it made such a huge impact in the flavor!

I started by slicing up the peaches and the apples (pretty thinly) and then tossing them with the cinnamon, sugar and corn starch. I set the mixture aside, to let it macerate while I prepped the rest of the tart.

I heated up the peach jam, in the microwave, just to thin it out a bit.

After rolling out the pie crust (you’ll want to let it get about to room temperature, to make it easier to work with), I added a bit of the peach jam to the bottom, then piled on the fruit mixture, topped with the remaining peach jam (it’s thin enough to just pour over, after microwaving for a few seconds) turning the edges of the pie crust up over the fruit. As a finishing touch, I applied an egg wash (just a whisked egg, with a bit of water) to the edges of the tart and topped with about 1 tbsp sugar – spreading the sugar over the edges of the tart and the exposed fruit.

I baked the tart in a 400 degree oven, for about 30 minutes – or until the pie crust was golden brown.

Rustic Peach and Apple Tart

3 peaches, sliced
1 large granny smith apple, sliced
1 refrigerated pie crust, let sit out until it is at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar (+ 1 tbsp for top of tart)
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp peach jam
Egg wash

  • Slice peaches and apple
  • Add 1/4 cup sugar, corn starch and cinnamon to a bowl, with the fruit and stir well – sit aside
  • Heat up peach jam in microwave, just to thin it out a bit
  • Roll out pie crust, on baking pan (I put it on some parchment paper for easier clean up)
  • Put a little of the thinned peach jam in the middle of the pie crust (leaving about 2 inches on outside of crust) – keep remainder!
  • Pile fruit into the center of the pie crust, keeping the same 2 inches on outside of crust
  • Pour remaining
  • Fold up the edges of the pie crust, around the fruit
  • Apply egg wash to folded up edges, and sprinkle sugar over entire tart
  • Bake in 400 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until pie crust is golden brown
  • Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into the tart
by Michelle

Easy Salmon and Pasta for One

One night last week, I found myself home alone – needing only to cook for one. Of course, for me, this means pasta 90% of the time. What can I say? I love pasta – so easy (and super easy to cook for 1)!

I had some salmon fillets in the freezer that I thought would work well (single serve and easy to cook in the oven). You could certainly use any salmon fillet – but, I used these by Gorton’s, since I had them on hand.

While the salmon was cooking in the oven, I was deciding what I would do with the pasta. I had some cherry tomatoes and spinach. And, lemon was an obvious addition, given that I was eating salmon.

I halved the tomatoes and chopped the spinach (I didn’t have baby spinach) and removed any stems.

Both were put in a hot skillet, with a little bit of avocado oil, salt and pepper. Once the spinach was wilted and the tomatoes were warmed through, I added the juice of 1/2 a lemon.

I dished up a serving of cooked spaghetti, added the cooked salmon and topped with the veggies.

A quick and easy (and delicious) meal for one!

Easy Salmon and Pasta for One

Cooked salmon fillet (use fillet of choice, I used a bake in the oven Gorton’s fillet)
Single serving of cooked spaghetti
Handful of fresh spinach, chopped
Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Avocado oil spray

  • Cook salmon, per package and set aside
  • Cook a single serving of pasta, set aside
  • Chop spinach and halve tomatoes
  • In hot skillet, with avocado oil, wilt spinach and warm tomatoes through
  • Add juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • Plate spaghetti, top with salmon filet and add the vegetables on top

by Michelle

Chicken Taco Soup

We are in the south, so the reality is that it doesn’t really get cold – especially not in October – but, today was definitely a dreary, rainy day with milder temperatures than we’ve been experiencing – the perfect day for chicken taco soup!

The ingredients couldn’t be more simple. In addition to chicken and garnishing touches, this recipe consists of some tomatoes, onion, beans, corn and spices.

I started by cooking the chicken. I had approximately 2 pounds of chicken tenders that I cooked in the instant pot. As I have said before, I discovered that the easiest way to do shredded chicken (and I’ve even done pork this way) is to cook it in some stock in the instant pot and shred it with a hand held mixer. You can find more about that, on this post.

While the chicken was cooking, I rough chopped one onion.

In a dutch oven, I added oil and brought up the heat. I then added the onion and sauteed until soft. I added in all the seasonings (except salt) to the onions and stirred it around in the pan to let the seasonings kind of ‘toast’.

Next, I added the chicken into the dutch oven and mixed the onions (and seasonings) in with the chicken. As I used my instant pot to cook the chicken, there was stock still in the pot – I added it all into the dutch oven. The stock helped to pull up any stuck on bits on the bottom of the pan – be sure to stir everything well, to pick up that extra flavor.

After the chicken has been added – it’s time to add in the other items. Dump all the cans into the pot (no need to drain). Add in your salt and bring the pot up to a boil.

Once a boil is achieved, lower the heat to simmer, cover and let simmer for at least 30 minutes (longer is fine too!).

Serve with garnishments of your choice! A perfect meal for a cold(ish) and dreary day!

Chicken Taco Soup

2 lbs chicken breast, shredded
1 onion, rough chopped
1 large can crushed tomatoes
2 cans tomatoes and chilis
1 can light red kidney beans
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can whole kernel corn
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
2/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil

Garnish:
Sliced avocado
Sour cream
Grated cheese
Chopped cilantro
Pickled Jalapenos
Tortilla chips

  • Cook chicken and shred
  • In large pot or dutch oven, add olive oil and onions – saute onions until tender
  • Add in cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning and stir well (allowing seasonings to ‘toast’)
  • Add in shredded chicken (I cooked my chicken in the instant pot, with approx 1 cup of chicken stock – I added it all into the dutch oven, including the stock) and stir
  • Add in the cans of vegetables and mix through
  • Add in salt
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and cook for at least 30 minutes (longer is fine)
  • Top with garnishments of choice

by Michelle