a Stefani Hood Blog

Bolognese

This recipe was given to me by a very sweet lady I met during a trip to Hawaii. I know you don’t expect to find great Italian food in Hawaii, but this stuff was amazing! I have tweaked it over the years to make it easier and more home cook friendly.

Now, you need time to make this recipe. Not hands on time, but it needs to simmer for a few hours to bring out all the fabulous flavors. Just make it in the morning and let it simmer on low all day. Or if you are one of those weekend organized cooks then by all means make us all look bad and make it on the weekend and pop it in the freezer or fridge until you are ready to use it.

Bolognese

A classic Bolognese sauce

1 (16oz) Cans crushed tomatoes
4 Tablespoons Olive oil
1/2 medium Onion
3 Stems celery
2 Large carrots
4 Garlic cloves
2 lb. Ground meat (can be 100% beef, or or 50% of any two or 1/3 of each of […]

Stefani Hood2021-07-17T23:21:14+00:00March 22nd, 2016|Pasta|0 Comments

Savory Breakfast Waffles

I don’t make much in advance, but I do make these savory waffles. I am not the kind of cook that can make 25 freezer crock pot meals. I just don’t have it in me and I frankly forget what is in the freezer. I know it would probably make life easier, but like I said in my bio I am not a cupcake mom-I am lazy!

But, with all that being said, when I make these waffles there are always enough to save for breakfasts during the week. I have to say it does make mornings easy when all I have to do is pop one of these in the toaster and pour syrup over it. Because sometimes walking to the pantry and grabbing a box of cereal and pouring it in a bowl and then hiking over to the fridge to get the milk is just too much!

So here is the recipe for the all in one breakfast waffle-yum!

Makes about 12 waffles

6 oz. breakfast sausage (such as Jimmy Dean)

1/2 bag hash browns (such as Simply Potatoes)

4 Tablespoons […]

Stefani Hood2018-02-15T21:28:30+00:00March 22nd, 2016|Breakfast & Brunch|0 Comments

Hominy Casserole

Hominy Casserole 1

This was the second side dish I made this weekend to go along with the baked beans and brisket. It is a casserole we would eat at family gatherings in Lubbock, Texas with my Mom’s family when we went to visit. It’s one of those dishes that I assume was in a church cookbook and it is very representative of West Texas with the green chilis.

I used canned white hominy that you can find in almost any grocery store, except Trader Joes. If you can’t find white them use the golden. No biggie! Another thing to keep in mind is pre-shredded cheese comes with an anti caking agent on it (that’s all the white flecks on the cheese in the bag). It will melt so much better if you can grate a block of cheddar by hand or using your food processor. Trust me! you know I like short cuts, but this is one you need to take the time. It will make a difference!

I didn’t have […]

Stefani Hood2022-04-11T22:50:59+00:00March 22nd, 2016|Sides|2 Comments

Baked Beans

Being the first day of spring in Texas the sun is shining, but it is still a bit chilly. Now keep in mind that chilly to Texans means below 60 degrees. A “cold” front came through on Saturday night and I got out of going to lacrosse games on Sunday. I mean I LOVE watching my boys play, but seriously we had 7 games this weekend and I am tired of cheering, sitting and small talk. So I sent my husband to be the parental representative and I stayed home and cooked, kinda. Don’t tell, but I watched the last episode of Downton Abbey. I did cook, but it was so easy that it really doesn’t count as cooking.

I threw a brisket on the smoker and made a couple sides. And VoilÃ¡ dinner! I forgot to take a picture of the brisket so I will add that recipe at a later date, sorry!! But here is the recipe for baked beans. Oh, side note… I did not have 2 cans of navy beans. I had one can of navy and one can […]

Stefani Hood2018-02-15T21:28:30+00:00March 22nd, 2016|Sides|0 Comments

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Having three boys that play sports our weekends are consumed with games. We rarely have time to just hang around on Saturday or Sunday. But this weekend our first game was not until 12noon on Saturday so I had time to make breakfast for the family. This is a really easy recipe. You can mix the dry ingredients and double the batch and save half in an air-tight container for later use. Then all you need to do is add the wet ingredients!

Blueberries and lemon go so great together and you can almost always find blueberries year round, but if you cant then use strawberries or blackberries or raspberries.

We spend a lot of time in Colorado in the summers and there is a restaurant we go to often that makes these amazing pancakes. I had to try and recreate them when I got back. So here is my version of Lemon Ricotta Pancakes.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

A decadent breakfast or brunch that is easy enough to make on a weekday morning. Use whatever fresh fruit […]

Stefani Hood2022-01-25T21:01:53+00:00March 22nd, 2016|Breakfast & Brunch|0 Comments

Salsa

So in Texas we call Salsa, Hot Sauce. I remember living in California and asking for hot sauce at a Mexican restaurant and they brought me Tabasco. A reminder that I was not in Texas anymore. I loved our time in CA, but I missed my Tex-Mex. Being back in the Lone Star state I can get all the “hot sauce” I want!

I came up with this recipe because my dear friend, Jean, gave us a jar of homemade salsa for Christmas a few years back. My boys ate the entire jar in one afternoon. They LOVED it. I asked her for the recipe, but I could not make it as good as she did, according to my boys. So, I came up with this recipe and they approve! YAY! You know its all about making the princes happy.

Salsa

A spicy, tangy Tex-Mex salsa that goes with anything!

1 14.5 oz Cans diced tomatoes (if you can find fire roasted even better)
1 small can Rotel tomatoes
1 1 jalapeno (if you […]

Stefani Hood2020-04-25T22:18:52+00:00March 22nd, 2016|Starters|0 Comments

Pasta Pesto Salad

Being a stay at home mom with nothing to do but eat bon bons and watch Family Feud I try to fill my days with fancy Chanel lunches. Just kidding all you SAMs (stay at home moms)! But because I am home during the day my friends and I have created all kinds of groups to get together and stay in touch now that the play groups with babies are over-boo. One group I have been lucky enough to be a member of for 10 years. We used to meet once a week, but as kids have grown and some of us have gone back to work we have changed it to once a month. We have been though a lot together and its always fun to meet at someones house and chow down on good food and chit chat. Is chit chat still a word? Anyway, we are all asked to bring one dish to these lunches and when I brought this salad everyone loved it! This salad is a great one to bring to parties or BBQs because it […]

Stefani Hood2018-02-15T21:28:30+00:00March 22nd, 2016|Sides|0 Comments

Strawberries with Black Pepper

Don’t pass over this recipe because it sounds strange. I promise you will love it! This is probably not a dessert you want to serve to your kids unless you want them to go to sleep, then give them a big helping, just kidding. Because it has a lot of alcohol in it and it is not cooked the alcohol does not burn off so it’s not really for kiddos.

You can make this year round, but it is especially delicious when strawberries are in season. It is the perfect dessert to serve after a heavy meal and people are still finishing their red wine.

Strawberries with Black Pepper

4-6 servings

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

2 pints strawberries, stems removed and cut in half or you can just cut in half if you want the pretty stems

1 Tablespoon sugar (you can use more if the strawberries are out of season and a bit tart)

1 1/2 Tablespoons Cognac

2 1/2 Tablespoons Grand Marnier

1-2 cups whipped cream* (Canned whipped cream, whip your own or even use Cool-Whip if you are desperate)

Place peppercorns […]

Stefani Hood2018-02-15T21:28:30+00:00February 26th, 2016|Desserts|0 Comments

Chicken with White Wine and Mushrooms

Well, tonight is one of those nights where all 3 boys are going in three different directions. Normally on nights like this if my husband was out of town I would just run by good ol Chic fil A and call it a night, but my husband is in town. So, I am going to try and get my act together and make dinner ahead of time. I know gasp! Sounding a lot like a cupcake mom, but I will not have even 10 minutes in between my chauffeur shifts to make dinner. So I am putting on my apron and pearls and getting started.

This recipe I have been using for so many years and if you are a friend of mine that has been in need of a meal I can guarantee you have received this in your cooler on your porch. It’s so easy and can be dished out in shifts if thats how your family eats with kids that are all over the place on weeknights. Just pull out of the oven and leave on the […]

Stefani Hood2021-06-23T23:03:39+00:00February 26th, 2016|Meats & Fish|0 Comments

Chili Lime Sweet Corn Salad

When corn starts showing up in the grocery stores I get so excited. I know, I know it is not the “thing” to eat right now, but it is so good and I really feel that eating everything in moderation, oh hell who am I kidding, just eat and enjoy one of the greatest pleasures in life-FOOD! Anyway, back on track…. corn, corn, corn. So many ways to serve it. This recipe I developed because I had a ton of corn from Costco, don’t get me started on my love affair with Costco, but I had a ton, quite literally, and I needed to use it. We were having people over and I came up with this. It’s very summery and Texas, but with corn available all year round you can serve this whenever you want.

This can be served as a side dish or a dip with corn chips at a party. And, as with all my recipes, adjust the measurements to your tastes. Nothing has to be exact.

Chili Lime Corn Salad

6-8 side servings

6 ears of […]

Stefani Hood2018-02-15T21:28:31+00:00February 26th, 2016|Starters|0 Comments

Pimento Cheese

I have been trying to create the perfect recipe for Pimento Cheese for YEARS. I have finally mastered it-woohoo! I can now rest. I know you are saying, what? But it has been a mission of mine to get it right. And Lord have mercy I did it! My family is now sick of Pimento Cheese, but they will just have to get over it because I love it. And let’s face it, the cook gets to choose what the rest of the minions eat. So Pimento Cheese it is for the rest of their lives in my house.

Now, if you are Southern or Texan you have had Pimento Cheese. It is quintessentially Southern. Fun fact, it was created in New York in the 1880’s with the import of Spanish sweet peppers and the availability of cream cheese. In the 1920’s farmers in Griffin, Georgia began producing and canning Pimentos. And the magical spread we call Pimento Cheese began showing up in Southern cookbooks about the end of World War II. Anyway, enough history class lets eat!!

Pimento […]

Stefani Hood2018-02-15T21:28:31+00:00February 25th, 2016|Starters|0 Comments

Banana Nut Rum Bread

So today is a yucky cold day and I just can’t seem to get fired up about going out and running all my errands so instead I am staying home and cooking. Actually these are my favorite days. The house is quiet and I have the fire going in my office with music playing and my most dedicated taste tester next to me.

I had some bananas that were about to go bad so I decided to make banana bread, but this banana bread has a slight twist. It has RUM in it. And oh is it good! It is actually better after it sits for a day and the rum has a chance to settle into the bananas and nuts. So, if you make this bread and cut into it right away you won’t be able to taste the rum. It will still be delicious, but if you can wait until the next morning to cut into it, yummmmm. And don’t worry about the kids eating it since the alcohol is cooked out and all that is left is […]

Stefani Hood2020-04-05T20:28:55+00:00February 23rd, 2016|Breakfast & Brunch|0 Comments

Greek Orzo Pasta

Well it’s Monday and I am exhausted from the weekend. I don’t know about you, but I look forward to the weekdays when the kids are in school and I don’t have to drive hours to cheer on someone for some game. Don’t get me wrong I do love watching my boys, but we have 6 teams between the 3 boys and our weekends are ALL games. I know, I know one day I will miss these days, but right now I am tired and I have lost my voice from screaming their names and talking with my friends. I promise I am watching the games, but while I am there I might as well catch up with my friends, right?

Anyway, I had my cooking club lunch today and the theme was healthy dishes. I had to bring a side and I brought my super easy and very flavorful Greek Orzo Pasta. This is a great side that can be made into a meal by adding chicken, steak, fish, shrimp… It can be served warm or room temperature so if you are having […]

Stefani Hood2018-02-15T21:28:31+00:00February 23rd, 2016|Pasta|0 Comments

Texas Nachos

As promised from my last post, we are having Texas Nachos for snacks today. With boys you have to have SNACKS or they will eat everything that is junk in the house. So these nachos should tide them over until dinner. Oh crap I need to come up with something for dinner. I swear they want to eat EVERY night, ugh! Ok I will work on that after this post.

Texas Nachos are different than restaurant nachos. At a restaurant or bar they pile tortilla chips way high and cover them with liquid cheese, sour cream, salsa, and whatever else they can think of. And the result is a hard to eat plate of soggy bottom tortilla chips doused in “tex-mex” condiments. Texas Nachos are individual chips that are spread with refried beans (I use the fat free) then topped with meat-you can use left over ground taco meat or brisket or in my case left over French Dip pot roast. Then top with shredded cheddar cheese and baked in the oven until the cheese is ooey gooey. When it comes out of the […]

Stefani Hood2018-02-15T21:28:31+00:00February 18th, 2016|Meats & Fish|0 Comments

French Dip Sandwiches

So tonight is a really busy night for us. My husband is traveling and all three of my kids have a practice to be at and its Wednesday so in the South its church night. My boys go to church for their youth group meeting and its really hard to squeeze in dinner, but I am going to try. I feel like raising my fist in the air like that woman in the poster from World War 2 “We Can Do It”!!!

Anyway, we are having French Dip Sandwiches. First because they are SUPER easy and second I can use the leftover meat in nachos for snacks tomorrow after school. Now, please, please know that I HATE leftovers so this is really unusual for me, but the roast I bought is really big so I had to think of a […]

Stefani Hood2018-02-15T21:28:32+00:00February 17th, 2016|Meats & Fish|0 Comments

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