Cowboy Beans and Potatoes

Don't let it's plain appearance fool you. This dish is deceivingly delicious! And since it's got Italian sausage in it maybe it should be call Spaghetti Western instead of Cowboy Beans!🤠

Ingredients:

2 hot Italian sausages, casings removed and broken up

1 onion, cut in wedges 

4 small potatoes, cut in 1" cubes

1 tsp olive oil

2 cups canned diced tomatoes

1 tbsp tomato paste 

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

19 oz (540 ml) canned mixed beans, drained (red kidney, chick peas, Romano and Northern white beans)

Toss the crumbled sausages, onion wedges, potato cubes and olive oil together and spread out in an oiled 10 X 10" baking dish. Bake in 425°F oven for 25 minutes or until you can pierce the potatoes with a fork.

Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, ground cumin, smoked paprika and mixed beans (you could just pick one kind of bean but this mix was interesting).

Return the dish to the oven for another 30 minutes until piping hot.

Makes 2-3 servings

Follow hotandcoldrunningmom on Pinterest. You can scan the pincode seen here with your phone if you're on a desktop. If you're on a phone just screenshot it, go to the Pinterest app, click camera. Then instead of taking a pic use the option to use one of your photos. Click on the screenshot you just took and go right to my Pinterest profile where you can follow me 🙂

Cranberry Walnut Crumb Bars

Nutty, buttery shortbread topped with tart cranberry and a tender walnut crumble. 

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour

6 tbsps brown sugar

2 tbsps ground walnuts

1 cup + 2-3 tbsps cold butter

1 egg

1 tsp almond extract

1 cup cranberry sauce (whole berry store bought or homemade - see link below)

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Spray a 9 X 13 baking pan with cooking oil and line with parchment paper. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine flour, brown sugar and ground walnuts in a food processor. Then add the butter, egg and almond extract. Pulse to a crumbly texture.

Reserve 1 1/2 cups of this mixture then place the rest in the prepared pan. Press evenly with fingers then use the bottom of another baking pan to help even it out. Bake 10 minutes.

Dollop the cranberry sauce over the shortbread and carefully spread evenly. Combine the 1 1/2 cups of reserved crumble mixture with 1/2 cup chopped walnuts and sprinkle over top of cranberry sauce. Gently press. Return to the oven to bake another 25-30 minutes.

Cool completely before cutting.

Makes 24  

Here is the link to the recipe for the cranberry sauce I used:

https://www.hotandcoldrunningmom.ca/2024/12/cranberry-sauce-for-baking.html 

Follow hotandcoldrunningmom on Pinterest. You can scan the pincode seen here with your phone if you're on a desktop. If you're on a phone just screenshot it, go to the Pinterest app, click camera. Then instead of taking a pic use the option to use one of your photos. Click on the screenshot you just took and go right to my Pinterest profile where you can follow me 🙂

Cranberry Sauce for Baking

This cranberry sauce has less water than the one usually served with turkey so it's more spreadable to use in bars and cakes.

But here's the link to the sauce I usually make for dinner if that's what you're looking for:

https://www.hotandcoldrunningmom.ca/2015/10/orange-cranberry-sauce.html 

Ingredients:

3/4 lb whole cranberries

1/4 cup water

1 cup sugar

Optional: zest of 1 orange, 1/4 tsp allspice or 1 tsp cinnamon

Roughly chop the cranberries by pulsing in a food processor. Some berries may still be whole, that's ok. Then add everything to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on medium for 10-12 minutes.

Stir regularly until any remaining whole berries burst. Remove from heat and chill.

Makes 2 cups 

Use it in these Cranberry Walnut Crumb Bars:

https://www.hotandcoldrunningmom.ca/2024/12/cranberry-walnut-crumb-bars.html 

OR

this Pumpkin Cranberry Coffee Cake:

https://www.hotandcoldrunningmom.ca/2024/12/pumpkin-cranberry-coffee-cake.html 

Follow hotandcoldrunningmom on Pinterest. You can scan the pincode seen here with your phone if you're on a desktop. If you're on a phone just screenshot it, go to the Pinterest app, click camera. Then instead of taking a pic use the option to use one of your photos. Click on the screenshot you just took and go right to my Pinterest profile where you can follow me 🙂

Garlic Shrimp and Farfalle

This time of year everyone is busy. Never mind 30 minute meals... you can have dinner on the table in 10-15 minutes with this shrimp and pasta dish! 

Ingredients:

3/4 lb (320g) 51-70 size shrimp

1 tbsp olive oil

3 cups farfalle pasta

3 tsps minced garlic

 2 cups chopped kale or spinach

1/4 cup parmesan

2 tbsps butter

2 tbsps lemon juice

1/4 tsp lemon zest

salt and pepper to taste

 

Boil and drain the farfalle then set aside.

While the pasta cooks heat olive oil in a pan. Add the shrimp and cook for 4-6 minutes. Add the garlic and kale and cook 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and add the parmesan, butter, lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper. Then toss with pasta over to warm burner to heat through.

Serves 4

Follow hotandcoldrunningmom on Pinterest. You can scan the pincode seen here with your phone if you're on a desktop. If you're on a phone just screenshot it, go to the Pinterest app, click camera. Then instead of taking a pic use the option to use one of your photos. Click on the screenshot you just took and go right to my Pinterest profile where you can follow me 🙂

Old Fashioned Pecan Date Balls

These old fashioned pecan date balls are a "somewhat" healthy snack. Dates and pecans are good for you but temper that with the fact that there is a high amount of sugar. So enjoy responsibly!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter 

1 1/2 cups sugar 

17 oz (500g) pitted dates, finely chopped 

2 cups ground pecans (I used a coffee bean grinder)

2 tsps vanilla 

4 cups Rice Krispie cereal (holiday edition or plain)

1/2 - 3/4 cups granulated sugar for rolling

Heat butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar and dates in a saucepan on medium low heat until dates are softened and in a paste consistency. 

Remove from heat and add the vanilla, pecans and cereal. Stir well to combine then, when cool enough to handle, scoop up 1" balls and roll in hands to form firm balls. Roll in sugar to coat and place on lined sheets to set. They can also be rolled a second time if more sugar is desired. 

Store in airtight containers 5-10 days at room temperature or refrigerate up to 1 month.

Makes 86

Adapted from: browniebites.net

 

Follow hotandcoldrunningmom on Pinterest. You can scan the pincode seen here with your phone if you're on a desktop. If you're on a phone just screenshot it, go to the Pinterest app, click camera. Then instead of taking a pic use the option to use one of your photos. Click on the screenshot you just took and go right to my Pinterest profile where you can follow me 🙂

Beef, Kale and Bean Sprout Stir Fry

This healthy stir fry is made even easier when you prep all the veggies ahead of time. Keep them in a container and when you're ready to cook just dump them in the pan. Dinner will be ready in literally minutes!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, sliced

3 celery stalks, sliced

4 mushrooms, sliced

1 large carrot, sliced

1 cup chopped kale

2 tsps fresh grated ginger

1 tsp minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

370g (13 oz) bag bean sprouts

1/2 - 1 tsp hot sauce 

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup soya sauce 

2 tbsps cornstarch 

In a wok or large frying pan brown the ground beef. When no pink remains add the onion, celery, mushrooms and carrot. Cook covered for about 5 minutes, then add the kale, ginger, garlic, salt, pepper and bean sprouts. Stir to combine.

Next mix the hot sauce, broth and soya sauce together with the cornstarch. Make a well in the center of the pan and pour in the liquid. Stir everything together. Cook on medium heat a couple of minutes until the sauce slightly thickens.

Serves 3-4

Follow hotandcoldrunningmom on Pinterest. You can scan the pincode seen here with your phone if you're on a desktop. If you're on a phone just screenshot it, go to the Pinterest app, click camera. Then instead of taking a pic use the option to use one of your photos. Click on the screenshot you just took and go right to my Pinterest profile where you can follow me 🙂

Crack Cookies

Crack because they are just that addictive!

Start off with graham cracker/toffee/chocolate crack a.k.a. heaven. Combine that with a buttery cookie dough for the most decadent cookie ever!

Ingredients:

For crack/heaven:

1 cup butter 

1 cup brown sugar 

1 sleeve of graham crackers

1 cup chocolate chips 

For the cookie dough:

3 1/2 cups flour

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 1/2 tsps baking powder

1 1/4 tsps baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups butter, at room temperature

1 1/3 cups brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 tsps vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 egg white

First, make a pan of crack/heaven.

Boil the brown sugar and butter together in a saucepan. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper then lay out the graham crackers side by side to cover the pan. Pour the hot toffee mixture over the crackers. Bake at 350°F for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. Cover loosely with foil for 5 minutes. Then uncover and spread the melted chocolate with a silicone spatula. Pop in the freezer for about 10 minutes to set. When cold break into small pieces (try not to eat too much of it while you do that!)

For the cookie dough, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Add the vanilla, eggs and egg white and beat until frothy. Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions and mix until combined. Now, if using a mixer bowl, empty the contents into a much larger bowl (my Kitchen Aid bowl wouldn't cut it! Not big enough!) 

Reserve 1 1/2 cups of crack/heaven then fold the rest into the cookie dough. Roll into plum sized balls adding more crack from the reserved stuff with a piece or 2 on the top.

Place on parchment lined sheets 2" apart. 

Bake at 350°F for 12-14 minutes.

Makes 54

 

Here's my original link to the Heaven recipe with more pictures: https://www.hotandcoldrunningmom.ca/2016/10/heaven.html

Hmmm, SO good! 

Follow hotandcoldrunningmom on Pinterest. You can scan the pincode seen here with your phone if you're on a desktop. If you're on a phone just screenshot it, go to the Pinterest app, click camera. Then instead of taking a pic use the option to use one of your photos. Click on the screenshot you just took and go right to my Pinterest profile where you can follow me 🙂