A recap of my most popular recipes from last month (October 2015).

I took some time off this month so not only are these recipes the most viewed of October 2015, but they are also my only recipes from this month.  I hope you enjoy(ed) them.

First let's look back at 2013's best of October:



Beef roast slow cooked in broth and beer until tender then placed on a baguette and topped with melted cheese.  The cooking liquid can be used as a dipping sauce.  Now has 1766 views, 48 +1s, 388 pins, and 37 'yums'.  This is one of the most popular recipes on my blog.

and 2014's best of October:



White rice, smothered in brown gravy and a beef patty, topped with a fried egg.  The Hawaiian breakfast of champions.  Now has 896 views, 47 +1s, 56 pins, and 39 'yums'.

Now this years best of October:

Slow Cooker Shredded Barbecue Chicken

A very simple and delicious recipe with only 2 ingredients, cooked in a slow cooker.  Great for parties, gameday, or weeknight dinners.  This is a re-post from September of 2013.  It was one of my best of the month recipes then and now.  Now it has 1189 views, 51 +1s, 73 pins, and 47 'yums'.

#SlowCooker ShreddedBBQChicken | #BestoftheMonth Oct2015  [Tweet this]

Easy Marinara Sauce

A quick and simple marinara sauce made with tomato paste and spices.  Great for pizzas and dipping.  314 views, 33 +1s, 31 pins, and 40 'yums'.

Easy #Marinara Sauce | #BestoftheMonth Oct2015  [Tweet this]

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Meat

A simple slow cooker recipe of chicken cooked in salsa and spices.  Great for tacos, taco salad, burritos, or even over rice.  233 views, 41 +1s, 13 pins, and 8 'yums'.

#SlowCooker ChickenTacoMeat | #BestoftheMonth Oct2015  [Tweet this]

Spanakopita Quesadilla

A fusion of Mexican and Greek cuisines.  Spinach, feta, and mozzarella packed into a whole wheat tortilla and fried.  214 views, 73 +1s, 21 pins, and 8 'yums'.

#Spanakopita Quesadilla | #BestoftheMonth Oct2015  [Tweet this]

Crispy Pizza Sticks

Crispy cheesy bread sticks with garlic and salami dipped in marinara sauce.  A great finger food for gameday or a snack any day.  163 views, 35 +1s, 22 pins, and 1 'yum'.

Crispy #Pizza Sticks | #BestoftheMonth Oct2015  [Tweet this]

Check out my bests of October from previous years:

Best of the Month October 2013

Best of the Month October 2014

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A simple slow cooker recipe of chicken cooked in salsa and spices.  Great for tacos, taco salad, burritos, or even over rice.

This is a great multi-purpose recipe.  It's a simple chicken recipe that can be cooked all day, in a slow cooker, while you are out of the house.  Best of all it can be used for so many meals.  Don't feel like tacos?  Try taco salad, burritos, taquitos, or just serve over rice.  You could even make a soup just add some frozen veggies, maybe beans, and chicken broth.  I only made enough for about 4 servings, but I'd suggest doubling or tripling the recipe so you can cook once and eat all week.  You can use the chicken as the base for a different meal every night.  I love multi-use recipes.





For more slow cooker recipes check out:


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A very simple and delicious recipe with only 2 ingredients, cooked in a slow cooker.  Great for parties, gameday, or weeknight dinners.

Repost of original from 09/2013 minor editing, tweetable, pinnable image 770 views 0 +1s.


I was first introduced to this recipe when I was in college (what better place to have some easy recipes up your sleeve).  This recipe is perfect for a simple dinner.  It's also a crowd favorite at parties and perfect for gamedays.  This is a great recipe for beginner cooks or anyone who doesn't have a lot of time to prepare dinner.  The ingredients are added to a slow cooker and can cook while away at work.  I don't know anyone who doesn't like this chicken it pleases even picky eaters.

Slow Cooker Shredded Barbecue Chicken

Servings:  6

Ingredients:

2-3 pounds boneless chicken
2 cups barbecue sauce

That's it.  Seriously, only 2 ingredients.


Place your thawed chicken in the bottom of a slow cooker.  Pour about 2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce on top (enough to cover the chicken).

Turn the slow cooker to low and cook for about 5-8 hours until chicken is cooked.  Using 2 forks shred the chicken right in the cooker and mix well with the sauce.


Put the chicken on a bun and serve with sides of your choice.  It's great with slaw or Moroccan Raw Carrot Salad.

I like to make homemade buns (try Best Burger Buns) and barbecue sauce, but this recipe works great with store bought too (and it is that much simpler).


Make plenty, you can use much chicken as you like just make sure you use enough barbecue sauce to cover it because people will go back for seconds.

Enjoy.





Recipes mentioned in this post:



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Chicken and chickpeas slow cooked in a flavorful Moroccan spiced broth and served over brown rice.

My husband had a sore muscle.  Not just the kind you get from regular exercise (he's very active and not one to complain), but one like a tweak or a strain.  It was bothering him for a while so on top of resting, icing, and taking NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) he also wanted to eat anti-inflammatory foods.  This is where I came in and looked up some information online.  For an anti-inflammatory diet, foods low in saturated fat are good.  So are vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and spices.  Spices like cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, and chili pepper are all supposed to be anti-inflammatory.


Moroccan dishes often include many spices so I looked up common Moroccan spices.  Then I made a Moroccan spice blend with plenty of spices said to have anti-inflammatory properties.  (It's a good thing I love spicy foods and Indian foods because I have a huge cabinet full of spices so I had everything on hand.)  This spice blend was the main inspiration for this dish.  I just added veggies, chicken, and a few other healthy ingredients then cooked it all in a slow cooker for a simple and nutritious meal.

This was not a miracle cure for my husband's pain.  I won't make any unbelievable claims.  We ate anti-inflammatory foods for a couple of weeks (we still include many in our regular meals) and maybe they helped or maybe they didn't.  I just think eating healthy and flavorful foods is never a bad thing.  Most importantly we really enjoyed this meal and will make it again (sore muscles or not).

Moroccan Chicken

For more Moroccan and other dishes using anti-inflammatory spices check out:

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A fresh salad with herbs, vegetables, and rice noodles topped with juicy chicken flavored with lemongrass and other southeast Asian flavors.

I make vermicelli often for dinner.  It's a simple, fresh, and filling salad with bean sprouts, lettuce, rice noodles, carrots, mint, basil, cilantro, green onions (as many vegetables and herbs as you like), and some type of protein.  My usual favorite is Char Siu (BBQ pork) Vermicelli because I almost always have store bought Char Siu in the freezer which makes this salad super simple.  I've also used all types of meats/protein like leftover steak, chicken, tofu, shrimp, and I even used fish sticks once.  I love this salad because it makes a delicious, healthy, versatile, and simple meal.  With just a little prep work, this salad is ready to throw together in minutes.



When I made this version of vermicelli I wanted to try something new and thought of lemongrass chicken.  Lemon grass is easy to find in Chinatown and many grocery stores it's also easy to grow.  It's a grass that smells wonderfully of lemon.  What you usually find are just the stems.  When using it for cooking I just use the bottom thickest white part of the stalk and mince it.  There are instructions on how to prepare lemongrass in my How to Make Lemongrass Green Tea as well as instruction on many sites (just google it).



I used skin-on chicken breasts, marinated in a salty, sweet, and sour sauce flavored predominately with lemongrass.  The lemongrass added a lovely subtle lemony flavor to the chicken that you can't get from an actual lemon.  It's difficult to describe, but it was delicious.  The only criticism I have is that the marinade did not permeate the entire chicken breast.  It mostly stayed on the skin and outside flesh.  Maybe with a longer marinating time or I wonder if I could try poking holes in the chicken for some sauce to seep into.  No matter, it smelled great while cooking and it tasted great too.  This chicken made a great vermicelli and it was delicious to eat on its own too.




For the recipes mentioned in this post and more vermicelli and lemongrass recipes check out:



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