This week in The Cowgirl Kitchen... with Nichole Laliberte

Wash and dry all produce.  I chopped my Kalamata olives in half, even though the picture shows them whole.  The Rosemary if from a previous video I shared when I harvested it from my garden.  

  Add water to a large pot, about half full.  Add 1 tbsp. Himalayan salt to the water, turn on high heart and wait for the water to boil. 

Chop your onion into large chunks.  finely chop the garlic.  In a large sauce pan melt butter with the 

2 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat.  when butter is melted, add onions and cook until beginning to brown.  Do not allow to burn, so stir frequently.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring so it doesn't burn.  Add olives and sun dried tomatoes, stir until well mixed. Lower temperature to med/low.  Add balsamic vinegar and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.  Turn off heat and let rest.

When your water is boiling, add your cheese tortellini.  Turn heat to medium and allow to boil until tortellini floats and is tender. Drain in a strainer / colander and put into large bowl. Working quickly to keep food warm, move on to step 4.

Chopped washed spinach.  Place spinach over the top of your hot strained tortellini, immediately.  Toss together.  This will slightly cook the spinach.  Quickly move on to Step 5.

Immediately add your sauce mixture to the bowl with the tortellini and spinach. Toss together. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle with half the shredded parmesan cheese.  Reserving the remaining cheese for sprinkling over individual servings.

Enjoy!!!

I also toasted some bread to serve with this dish.  My family loved it.  I will definitely add this to our regular menu!

2 tbsp. organic olive oil

1 tbsp. Himalayan salt

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 tbsp. Balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. fresh Rosemary

1 stick organic butter

1 large yellow onion

4 large cloves garlic

1/2 cup Kalamata olives

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes

2 cups chopped fresh organic spinach

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 large package cheese tortellini

Yes, finally...Here he is.  My Husband,  Chef Larry Laliberte.  In these next 5 videos, we create a easy version of the traditional Chicken Cordon Bleu.  Our goal,  make it "comfort food" style and so easy anyone can make it...anytime! Enjoy!

In this video, my Husband Chef Larry prepares the chicken for the Chicken Cordon Bleu.

Learn the basic ingredients to this dish and how to put it all together!

Dredging is a fancy way of saying coat the chicken in flour!  In this video Chef Larry explains the steps and the reasoning for dredging the chicken first!

It's looking delicious and I can't wait for the next steps.  We keep breaking it down for you, so it's easy to follow and you too can create this amazing meal.

My mom always told me, to have a complete meal, you had to have all the food groups on your plate.  Here we will prepare our side dishes and plate the meal.  I hope you love it!  

https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-Multi-Use-Programmable-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=sr_1_3?crid=202TAQSHU4VLA&keywords=instant%2Bpot&qid=1647526781&sprefix=ins%2Caps%2C205&sr=8-3&th=1

This is just a link to make it easy to acquire, I do not benefit from it at all. 

The first time I had this traditional Irish dish was at a friend's home.  I instantly fell in love and thought I could "Nichole" it!  Ha Ha! I did just that, by roasting my vegetables and using my InstantPot.  It was a huge success and absolutely delightful.

Pre made Corned Beef is in abundance at the grocery stores this time of year, so grab one of these packages.  (I bought another to freeze)  Place all the contents into your InstantPot and follow the directions for Meat Stew at the NORMAL pressure setting.  You want the meat falling apart in the end. I ADDED 2 CUPS OF WATER, then closed it up!  This setting did it's thing for 30 minutes.  I then let it sit without touching it for another 30 minutes.  I then let the pressure out and checked it.  I closed it back up and repeated the process.   

Don't forget to let it sit without opening it for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes remove the meat and place in a bowl and cover with foil to rest while you finish the other steps.

I used a head of white cabbage.  I washed it and removed the core.  I then chopped it into large sections and placed the cabbage into the liquid left from the beef in the InstantPot.  Added 1 tsp. salt and a pinch of pepper.  Stir it a bit.  Then close the InstantPot.

This time you will put the settings to Steam on your InstantPot and LOW pressure.  This won't take long at all.  While this is cooking, wash and dry your  potatoes and carrots.  Preheat your oven to 375.

I used a mixed variety of baby potatoes and regularly carrots.  I halved my potatoes and cut my carrots into large chunks.  I placed them into a metal roasting pan and sprinkled with Olive Oil, a dash of salt and pepper.  Mix it up to make sure everything is coated well.  Roast in your preheated oven until vegetables are tender, approximately 20-30 minutes, then remove.

The meat was so tender, I used a fork to break into large sections to serve.

I used a pasta bowl to plate this meal.  There is a lot of juice and the meal is meant to be all together, so to me, it made sense to keep it all in a shallow bowl.  You can add salt and pepper to taste.  I sure hope you love it!  Enjoy!  Happy St. Patrick's Day

Need a quick and yummy snack???  This is so good, quick and packed full of goodness.  I hope you love it as much as we do.  Enjoy!

In this video, I show you how easy it is to throw together this delightful snack of Italian Sushi.  You can pause each step as you follow along.  It is both delicious and nutritious! Have fun! 

This recipe is my youngest daughters favorite dinner.   You can make it as a lettuce wrap, like tacos or serve it in a bowl of steamed rice.  I hope you love it as much as we do.  Enjoy!

In this video, I break down the making of my pickled veggies, which are essential for this delicious recipe.  You can pause each step as you follow along.  It is both delicious and nutritious! Have fun! 

In this video, I break down the making of the sweet beef.  I used a combo of ground beef and ground pork.  You can use both, one or the other.  You can pause each step as you follow along.  It is both delicious and nutritious! Have fun! 

In this video, I break down the two ways we enjoy serving this delicious recipe.  You can pause each step as you follow along.  It is both delicious and nutritious! Have fun! 

This recipe is a first for me and one I made up in my head.  It received rave reviews from my pickiest eater too!  You start with a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and the making of a rue.  I hope you love it as much as we did.  Enjoy!

In this video, I break down the making of a rue and the sauce needed to make this delicious recipe.  You can pause each step as you follow along.  It is both delicious and nutritious! Have fun! 

In this video, I we put together the ingredients and assemble our enchiladas.  You can pause each step as you follow along.  It is both delicious and nutritious! Have fun! 

In this video, I we plate this delightful meal and go over the process to freeze leftovers or additional portions.  You can pause each step as you follow along.  It is both delicious and nutritious! Have fun! 

This is one of my favorite meals.  I make it often with salmon, however, you can use shrimp, any other fish or chicken.  I hope you love it as much as I do.  Enjoy!

In this video, I break down the making of this delightful meal.  You can pause each step as you follow along.  It is both delicious and nutritious! Have fun! 

Don't judge!  Monday's are hard.  It's a great day to have a fun dinner! 

Sausage Crescent Rolls

1 Package Little Smokies

1 tube Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

1/3 c shredded cheese

Unroll crescent wedges and seperate

Place 1 sausage smokie at wide edge of triangle and top with a sprinkle of cheese.  Begin to roll wide edge first until rolled into a crescent.  Place on baking sheet.  Complete remaining rolls and follow baking instructions on tube. Serve warm.

Mixed Salad

Slice up your favorite veggies to add to mixed greens and toss in your favorite dressing.

Apple Slices

Slice your favorite apples and sprinkle with cinnamon for an added spice.  We dip our crescent sausage rolls in mustard.  

Enjoy!

In the Theme of "TACO TUESDAY"

Creamy Bean Soup with 

Tortilla Wedges

1 bag dried Pinto Beans

5 slices of Bacon

1 Box Chicken Bone Broth

4- 6 cups water

1 Tablespoon Himalayan Pink Salt

1 Tablespoon Cumin

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup Sour Cream 

1/2 cup chopped Cilantro

Cook bacon in a pan until crispy, but not burned.  Chop into crumbles.  Add oil from bacon and chopped bacon into your large sauce pot. Rinse your dried Pinto Beans in a strainer.  Add to large sauce pot.  Pour in 4 cups water, 1 box of chicken bone broth, and dried spices.  Bring to a boil on high heat, then reduce heat to med/low to simmer for about 90 minutes.  Continue to check tenderness of the beans and add additional water to keep liquid thinner while cooking beans, it will thicken as beans soften and break up.  If you need more time to reach tenderness, keep cooking.  When beans are tender and soup has thickened, your soup is done.  Taste for flavor.  You can increase the spices above as need for your desired taste.  Soup will be creamy thick.  Add a dollop of sour cream when serving and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serve hot.

The Wedges

I like to take round flour tortillas and cut them into wedges.  I spread them out on a baking sheet, spray with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Bake at 375 until golden brown.  Allow to cool and serve with soup.

Veggies

Slice up some fresh celery and carrots and serve with ranch dressing on the side.

Eggplant Parmesan 

For the Recipe: 

(phote credit to Bon appetit)

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/bas-best-eggplant-parmesan

I found this recipe to begin delicious and fairly easy to prepare.  It makes 12 servings so I am able to freeze portions for other days I don't feel like cooking.   

Garlic Bread

1 loaf Sour Dough Bread

1 Stick Salted Butter Softened

1 Tablespoon dried parsley

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon salt

Mix butter, garlic and spices together until creamy. Slice bread loaf length wise in half.  Spread butter mixture evenly over each half and bake 350 until golden brown.  Serve HOT!!!

Caesar Salad 

Honestly you can really take some liberties here.  A salad kit would be fine.  But, if you would like to do what I will be doing, follow this recipe!

 For the Recipe: 

https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/easy-caesar-salad-for-a-crowd/4c4c3458-9a02-462f-bd2c-28fc9ed0a8b1

Yummy Day!  I am excited for this one.  I just got an air fryer for Christmas and I am excited to experiment.  I found this cook recipe for the Rosemary Chicken

https://simply-delicious-food.com/lemon-rosemary-air-fryer-chicken-thighs/

I usually do my own thing for mashed potatoes, but in the spirit of learning new things, I found this recipe using red potatoes, my favorite!  I love the skin on too!

https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/red-skin-potato-mash

Veggies are a must in every meal I prepare.  Even if it's just raw veggies to dip in ranch.  But roasting veggies makes my mouth water.  I have been roasting vegetables using a method very similar to this recipe for years.  Give it a try...

https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-roast-any-vegetable-101221

 Who doesn't love to Grill?  I used this recipe to spice up my steaks and zucchini from the Food Network.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/grilled-steak-and-zucchini-recipe-2107915

I made my noodles from scratch with a pasta maker.  I posted the video below.  It's pretty entertaining.  If you don't want to make your noodles from scratch, like I did, just pick your favorite pasta and cook as desired.  I like a good Paul Newman's Alfredo Sauce, but if you want to make your own, follow this recipe...

https://thesaltymarshmallow.com/best-homemade-alfredo-sauce/

This is a perfect menu day to have extra for left overs on Sunday!  You can also make sandwiches with extra steak and veggies or chop them up for a nice steak and veggie salad for lunch.   

Are you a Hot Dog Fan, like my crew?  I get bored with plan hot dogs.  This is a great way to make your time in the kitchen simple and fun, while pleasing the pickiest of eaters.  

You can boil hot dogs, add them to a bun, open a can of chili and pizazz it up a bit or you can check out this recipe for a delicious Chili Dog Dish.

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a54504/grilled-chili-cheese-dogs-recipe/

Pasta Salad

Now, when I mention a Pasta Salad, I don't mean macaroni salad.  I mean Italian Pasta Salad, like my Grandma used to make.  This recipe is just like my Grandma's and it will pair nicely with this meal, I think.

https://togetherasfamily.com/easy-italian-pasta-salad/

The Cowgirl Brule

Delish!!!! This recipe is Highlighted in the Dessert of the week!  

It's time to rest.  I will be preparing next weeks menus.  Enjoy some left overs today.  Freeze what you can and devour the rest for tonight's meal.  You deserve a break!

The Cowgirl Yogurt Brule'

by Nichole Laliberte

1 heat tolerant dish. Like a ramakin.  

1/4 cup Greek Honey Vanilla yogurt.

3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar

Cooking Torch

(SINGLE SERVING)

Add your yogurt to a ramakin dish, leveling the top with spoon.  Evenly spread sugar over yogurt so it is completely coated over the surface.  Torch the sugar until it bubbles consistently.  Allow to cool.  It should create a hard shell on top of the yogurt.  You can add berries or a dollop of whipped cream.  Enjoy!