Tag Archives: delicious

Apr17

TGI Fridays Cajun Pasta Taste Alike Recipe

Posted on April 17, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! Johnny and I are so lucky to have such a wonderful downstairs neighbor. We make frequent visits to his apartment to hang out or go on adventures like trips to the shooting range. About once a month or so, we also like to do a dinner out and we swap whose turn it is to pay each time. Our neighbor is a huge TGI Fridays fan and we both order the same thing every time: Cajun pasta except hold the meat for mine! After our last TGIs trip, I decided that a recipe for Cajun pasta wouldn’t be too hard to make and found one by My Heavenly Recipes. It turned out heavenly! Check it out:

I came across several taste alike recipes for the TGI Fridays Cajun pasta and all of them looked easy enough. As per ushe, I went with the one by My Heavenly Recipes because it only required nine ingredients, a majority of which I already had. All I needed from the store was red pepper, red onion, and chicken breast. Say what?! I cooked chicken?! Yes, I did for the very first time lol. I am truly expanding my culinary horizons because I recently tried my hand at cooking steak too. It wasn’t the worst thing ever, but I hate not being able to taste something that I have made!

The prep work for this recipe was minimal. I cut the peppers, garlic, and onion and let them saute with cayenne pepper. Then, once the veggies were softened, I added in water and tomato sauce to make the sauce and let it simmer. I also had the chicken that I coated in onion powder, black pepper, and Cajun seasoning cooking too. Although I normally try to follow a new recipe to the T, I did make some modifications this time around. Since I wasn’t going to have the extra heat to my dish sans chicken, I added the same seasoning to the sauce and I am glad I did. I did a quick taste test of it and it definitely needed a little something something.

Once the chicken and sauce were at a good place, I began to boil the fettuccine. During that time, the sauce was thickening nicely and the chicken was getting there. The cuts from the store were pretty big so once I was able to, I cut them up to not only speed up the process but ensure that it was fully cooked as our meat thermometer is useless lol. I couldn’t wait to dig in by the time everything was done and I am pleased to report that it was fantastic. This taste alike recipe was spot on and both myself and my neighbor can attest to it. Considering Cajun pasta is one of our favorite meals, this was the best compliment!

I cannot recommend My Heavenly Recipes’ take on Cajun pasta enough regardless of whether you have tried it at TGI Fridays or not. It was so flavorful and had just the right amount of bold heat without going overboard. It was delicious and I can’t wait to make it again!

What is your go to order at your favorite restaurant? What is one of the best taste alike recipes you have tried? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr9

Fake Chicken & Waffles

Posted on April 9, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy!! Every once in a while, Johnny will announce that he is craving something or another. It might be a candy bar, it could be a cup of tea, a huge burger, and anything in between. This past week, he shared with the bunnies and I that he really wanted some chicken and waffles. He then went to the store after work for supplies and made himself the dinner of his dreams that evening. It was so nice to not have to cook lol! I had to admit that the food looked and smelled delicious so I wanted to try a modified version with my MorningStar buffalo chicken patties. Check it out:

I must give credit where credit is due and say that Johnny hit the nail on the head with his idea. I have never had chicken and waffles before and it was the bomb.com! The waffles that he picked out were an inspired choice because they were thick, fluffy, and infused with maple syrup. It was like a flavor explosion paired with the fake buffalo chicken and I have never tasted anything like it before. This meal required no prep whatsoever and it was a relief to make such an easy dinner after a long day at work. I can’t say that I would make this for myself all of the time, but it was definitely a treat.

If you haven’t tried the MorningStar buffalo chicken patties before, I can’t recommend them enough. They are mine and Johnny’s favorite and we always have them on hand at home. I am so happy that Johnny likes them too because I never have to worry about making something else for him. We love making classic chicken sandwiches with them and Southwest wraps. Now, apparently, we love them for chicken and waffles too. Who knew that I would try a new vegetarian creation thanks to my carnivore husband’s craving of the week?! ❤

Although the kitchen is definitely my domain, Johnny does a banner job making simple, innovative meals and I think that’s great. I can’t wait to see what he’s hungry for next and if I can modify it!

Which brand makes the best fake meat? What is your favorite easy meal to make? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr7

The Vegetarian Cooking Steak

Posted on April 7, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! I have been a vegetarian for a very long time and Johnny very much isn’t lol. However, he eats all of the MorningStar and Gardein products and typically orders out if he’s craving a burger. In our almost half a decade long relationship, I think I have cooked bacon five times and steak once. Twice if you count this past Wednesday! I often get asked if it bothers me to cook meat and it honestly doesn’t so much. I just hate to touch it and also the fact that I’m serving a food that I can’t taste for quality control. I am pleased to report that the steaks I made were top notch according to Johnny and our best boy, Cliff, so that’s not bad at all for a second go! Check it out:

Our bestie has been feeling a little low and Johnny asked me if it would be okay if I cooked a homemade dinner to cheer him up. He is so thoughtful and I was more than happy to accommodate. The guys requested my seasoned baked potatoes and steaks and that seemed easy enough! I decided that if I was going to do steaks, I was going to do it right and wanted to find a mesquite marinade recipe to compliment the potatoes. I clicked around online for a bit and ultimately ended up choosing what was the most simple and had the fewest ingredients from The Spruce Eats.

The recipe for the marinade was easy peasy lemon squeezy and used less than ten items – most of which I already had at home. It needed red wine, rice wine vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper. On Tuesday, I mixed the ingredients and let the steaks sit in zip lock bags until it was time to cook them Wednesday evening. To cook the steaks, I fried them in butter with salt, pepper, and a dash of hope that all would go well…

It went… Fine lol. The meat thermometer I was using wasn’t the best and I couldn’t seem to get a clear read on it. The steaks felt like they took forever to cook and by the time I thought to just cut into it to see what was going on, they were already done and should have come off the heat a few minutes prior. Despite that mix up, I was thrilled that both Johnny and Cliff enjoyed them so much and that the marinade was bold, flavorful, and smokey. They both completely cleaned their plates and that was good enough for me!

The next time we have Cliff over for dinner, I’m going to try cooking chicken for the first time ever so we’ll see what happens!

What is something that you have never cooked before? What is a food that you refuse to eat? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb2

Fried Mozzarella Sandwiches

Posted on February 2, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! This past week, I have been able to cook a lot and it has been awesome. Don’t get me wrong, I love a frozen pizza as much as the next person, but there is something about a home cooked meal for dinner that hits SO much harder. It is always exciting to go grocery shopping with Johnny because I like to find one new recipe to try out each time along with our tried and true favorites. I usually find inspiration on Pinterest and Facebook and while scrolling through The Book, I found a recipe for Fried Mozzarella Sandwiches by The Petitecook. This was something I knew that both Johnny and I would enjoy and I was dead on. They were the bomb.com! Check it out:

When I am looking for meals to cook throughout the work week, I want something with minimal ingredients and prep time. This recipe had that in spades and required only eight ingredients (Most of which I already had) and took about twenty minutes to make. You just can’t beat that! The process was simple and the end result was delicious. All that needed done was to coat the sandwiches in flour, dip them into a wash of egg and milk, coat in breadcrumbs, and fry up in oil. Easy peasy lemon squeezie!

These sandwiches tasted exactly like a gigantic mozzarella stick and Johnny and I were SO there for it. They were ooey gooey from the huge slices of buffalo mozzarella and crisped to perfection on the outside. This was an incredibly filling meal too – I couldn’t even finish mine!! As soon as we were done eating, Johnny declared that he wanted me to make them again, making it a great success. While Johnny opted to have his plain, I made mine with pesto and sun dried tomatoes. Next time I make them, I plan on doing fresh tomato slices, basil, and a balsamic glaze for me. I can’t wait to try it. 😀

The Fried Mozzarella Sandwich (compliments of The Petitecook) was a true game changer in my dinner roster. It is a tasty take on a classic grilled cheese and I highly recommend it!

Have you tried any new recipes recently? How did it turn out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec27

Creamy Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Posted on December 27, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! I always enjoy trying out new recipes and had a few random odds and ends of ingredients that I didn’t end up using for other meals. This included some lemons and a container of ricotta cheese. I originally planned on using the ricotta for baked ziti, but decided that I wanted to try something different. I knew that I could turn lemons into lemonade with these randos in my fridge and found a recipe by Savoring Italy for Creamy Lemon Ricotta Pasta on Pinterest. Both Johnny and I really enjoyed it and it is definitely one that I will make again! Check it out:

I am a huge fan of lemon pasta dishes. Well, let’s be real – any pasta dish lol. What I like about lemon pasta specifically is how light it is. The zingy flavor reminds me of summertime and after lots of snow in Ohio, it is just what I needed! I thought the last lemon pasta recipe I made was good, but the one by Savoring Italy was infinitely better. The ricotta cheese made it so rich and savory and every bite was a little slice of heaven. My only qualm with the recipe was that it tasted much better the second day. While it was very good freshly made, I always prefer something that I am making to taste its best immediately.

The recipe for this pasta was insanely easy and other than cooking the angel hair pasta that I opted for, the prep time took less than five minutes. All I needed to do was zest and juice the lemons, brown some butter in a pan, and mix it all together with the noodles and cheese. This is probably the fastest recipe I have ever made, which was excellent on a work night. It also used under ten ingredients and I didn’t have to buy anything different to make this recipe in its entirety. There is nothing better than that!

I am eager to make the Creamy Lemon Ricotta Pasta by Savoring Italy again. Now that I have made it once by staying true to the recipe, I plan on doctoring it up with some garlic, spinach, and pine nuts to give it a bit more variety. This meal was a huge success because Johnny was SO sure he wasn’t going to like it and ended up having seconds!

Have you tried any new recipes recently? How did it turn out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec17

Chipotle Taste Alike Recipes

Posted on December 17, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Taco Bell will always be my A1 ride or die fast food establishment. However, I also have a very soft spot in my heart for Chipotle too. I like to think that my homemade guacamole is very similar to their recipe and I found an awesome cilantro lime rice taste alike recipe on Pinterest that I love to make. I decided to try making the additional fixings for a Chipotle burrito bowl from home this past week and it turned out pretty good! Thanks to Pinterest, I found tons of recipes for black beans, fajita veggies, and steak for Johnny that all claimed to be just like Chipotle’s. Take a look at some pics and let’s discuss further:

Recipes Used:

Cilantro Lime Rice: Downshiftology

Black Beans: Dinner Then Dessert

Fajita Veggies: Downshiftology

Steak: Culinary Hill

To make my at home Chipotle burrito bowls, I cooked five different recipes that took about two and a half hours to make in total. None of these recipes were difficult to make and the most time consuming thing was chopping all of the different veggies. To start, I prepared my own personal recipe for guacamole which wouldn’t have taken long at all, but the avocados were really hard. To rectify this, I cut each avocado in half, wrapped them in paper towel, and microwaved them to soften them up. It worked like a charm even though it was a slow going process and I was able to cross it off of my “to cook” list.

Next, I started prepping the fajita veggies and black beans. Overall, I was happy with the fajita veggies but they were missing that extra something. The only seasoning this recipe called for was oregano and salt and pepper to taste. When I make it again, I plan on adding a bit of spice to give the veggies some more kick. The black beans was my biggest bugaboo from this cooking session and is the one recipe I wouldn’t make again. This recipe turned out really saucy and I didn’t care for the amount of onions it called for. I almost think I would be better off cooking the beans in vegetable broth along with the seasoning so I will be winging it the next time I have a taste for Chipotle taste alikes.

The final steps in my cookathon was making the rice and steak. As always, the cilantro lime rice turned out delicious and was easily the best copycat recipe out of all of them. It definitely helped invoke all of the Chipotle vibes and I really think it tastes exactly like theirs. This was my first time ever cooking steak and I can’t say if it was a true Chipotle taste alike or not as a vegetarian, but Johnny loved it and that’s good enough for me! The only thing that I would do differently about the steak is marinate it longer. I let mine sit for over an hour and we both felt that it could benefit from some more time. I definitely breathed a sigh of relief when Johnny gave me his stamp of approval, though, because I had no idea how it would turn out!

The finishing touches on my burrito bowl was adding lettuce, cheese, sour cream, and salsa on top. Even though I wasn’t wowed by the black beans, I was pleased with everything else and it was fun to try and make recipes from one of my favorite eateries from scratch!

What is your favorite copycat recipe? What is your favorite fast food spot? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct27

Cacio E Pepe Baked Gnocchi

Posted on October 27, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hellooooo! Johnny and I finally went grocery shopping and it couldn’t have come a moment too soon. We had literally nothing to eat at the apartment and there were several Pinterest recipes that I have been dying to try – one of which being a Cacio E Pepe Baked Gnocchi by Simply Delicious. I am pleased to report that it turned out amazing and both myself and my picky eater husband absolutely loved it. This recipe had minimal ingredients, took under an hour to make, and allowed for plenty of leftovers too. Check it out:

When it comes to cooking during the work week, it is a must for the recipes to be easy peasy. While I really enjoy cooking, I really enjoy relaxing after a long day too lol. The Cacio E Pepe recipe by Simply Delicious was extremely straight forward. All I did was cook the gnocchi, prepare the sauce, stick it in the oven for fifteen minutes and dinner was served. There were no crazy techniques or a litany of ingredients involved and that is something I appreciate. Although I am a great cook, I am definitely no Master Chef!

Speaking of ingredients, there were only ten needed to prepare this dish. The beauty of this recipe is that a majority of the ingredients are things that you more than likely already have. The only items I needed to purchase was the milk, cream, and gnocchi. Not only was the recipe completely new to me, but it included an ingredient that is new to me too – cream!

I have never made a recipe that called for cream and even if it did, I probably would have used milk because that’s what my mom would do. However, I decided to go all out for this dish and use the cream and calories be damned lol. I am so glad that I did because I don’t think the end result would be the same without it. My baked gnocchi turned out divine. It was incredibly rich and just one serving filled me up. Despite it being a short lived meal, each bite was heavenly. The sauce was so bold and flavorful, the gnocchi was tender, and it is one of my favorite things that I have ever made.

As per both mine and Johnny’s request, I will one thousand percent be making the Cacio E Pepe Baked Gnocchi again. Huge shout out to Simply Delicious as the mastermind behind this dish!

What is your favorite kind of pasta? What do you normally cook during the work week? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct5

Quick & Easy Pumpkin Milkshake Recipe

Posted on October 5, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy! The transition into fall is the perfect time to host guest bloggers on lifewithlilred. It is such fun to be inspired by the autumn traditions and joys of dear friends and readers and it adds that extra touch of (pumpkin) spice to my page. Speaking of pumpkins, today, we will be checking out a pumpkin milkshake recipe by Rachael from And Fierce. I have never tried a pumpkin milkshake before, but with a recipe that sounds this yummy, I think I’ll be giving it a shot! Take a look:

Quick & Easy Pumpkin Milkshake Recipe

Compliments of Rachael from And Fierce

One of our local restaurants we like to hit up at the end of their season will have a pumpkin milkshake. Earlier this month, I kept saying we have to go the last day and get one. We ran out of time and never went. After that, I decided I would make my own at home.

Simple and real ingredients but the result is perfection! So let’s go!!

Ingredients:

15 oz can of pure pumpkin

10-12 oz of vanilla ice cream (if you want more feel free to add more)

1/2 cup of milk

1/2 inch nob of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie seasoning

Salted caramel sauce

Real whipped cream

Directions:

Add your pumpkin, vanilla ice cream, peeled and grated ginger, milk, and pumpkin pie seasoning into a blender and mix it up.

Once blended, get a cup and squirt caramel on the sides of the inside of the cup. Squirt or dollop your real whipped cream and add more caramel sauce to the top.

Yeilds: Roughly 32 ounces

As you can see I split mine into three 16 ounce cups to share between myself, Atticus, and Winter.

These really hit the spot and are completely kid approved! I’m sure we will make these again!

Many thanks again to Rachael for sharing her gorgeous Halloween Wreath and Pumpkin Milkshake Recipe here on lifewithlilred. For more from this amazing blogger, check out her page and give her a follow on Instagram @kavebabe !!

What is your favorite fall flavor? Are you team pumpkin spice or apple? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul22

Dinner & A Movie Date Night

Posted on July 22, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Last Friday, Johnny and I had a fabulous date night of dinner and a movie. Applebee’s was running a promo for spend X amount of money and get a free ticket to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and we were so there for it! In fact, we got our Middle Class Fancy on so hard that we ended up with three free tickets lol. It was an absolute blast and was so typically us. Whether we’re all dressed up for Taco Bell or a date night at The Bee’s, we treat everything like a special occasion because it is! Check it out:

Okay, is it just me or did Applebee’s really up their game? Perhaps it was the Margaritas we were enjoying or the thrill of a night out, but our food was so good. We started our meal with Crispy Cheese Bites as an appetizer and they were bomb AF. They were like a mixture of a cheese curd and mozzarella stick and came with Ranch and Firecracker sauce to dip in. If we didn’t have actual dinner ordered too, we easily could have ate the whole plate! Our leftovers were also A1 when we air fried them later that weekend. 😀

For the main course, Johnny got his usual of a bacon cheeseburger and I got the Three-Cheese Chicken Penne minus the chicken. As you can see, Johnny loved his burger and my pasta was awesome. It wasn’t as good as something from Olive Garden, but it was close. My meal also inspired our next Middle Class Fancy outing because I want to hit up the OG. Maybe when I drag Johnny to the Barbie movie with me?!

After we were done eating, we headed to the theater to settle in for the movie. This was the first movie we have seen since we took our niece to see Sing 2 for her third birthday last year! Pre pandemic, Johnny and I used to see movies together pretty frequently and I’m hoping we bring that back. The Regal we went to was so fancy with big reclining chairs that were insanely comfortable. It was the perfect setup to get our Indiana Jones on and I only want to go to that theater from now on. Once you see a movie in a recliner, you can’t go back!

Johnny and I have had a date night two weeks in a row and nothing makes me happier. Even though we are always dead tired by the end of the week, stepping out with my main squeeze is like getting a caffeine IV. I can’t wait for our next date night at the Olive Garden because it’s going to be my turn to pick! ❤

What is your favorite Middle Class Fancy restaurant? What was the last movie you saw in theaters? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun21

DIP ISLAND!!!!!!!

Posted on June 21, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! After being fed the frig up by the sky high prices at Giant Eagle, Johnny taught me the joys of grocery shopping at Aldi’s this past week. It was AWESOME and we saved over one hundred dollars during our shopping trip. We have been enjoying all of the new to us food and drinks and, as lame as it sounds, it is exciting every time I open the refrigerator!

One thing that I was really hoping I would find at Aldi’s was the Pickle De Gallo dip and I was so happy that it was available in mild and medium heat. It is absolutely delicious and a must for any pickle fan! I didn’t have any intentions of buying more dip after that, but I couldn’t say no to a Hummus Quartet and Street Corn dip! Chips, veggies, and dip are mine and Johnny’s favorite snack and these purchases have improved Dip Island a million fold. Check it out:

For those of you who don’t know, Dip Island is how Johnny and I refer to our go to snack. And, yes, all it is is various dips and chips on a table lol. I tried the Street Corn dip when I made cheesy gordita crunches for dinner and it really blew my mind. It was so creamy, cheesy, and flavorful and was amazing on top of the street corn corn chips. Together, it formed a blast of lime and chili spices and I was in heaven. It was also a fantastic deal – I paid three dollars for the chips and three for the dip. At Giant Eagle, a similar purchase would have been close to or beyond ten dollars.

Johnny isn’t a hummus fan at all, but I make up for it for the both of us. I LOVE hummus of any kind and my favorite way to have it is dipped with mini red, yellow, and orange bell peppers. A container of Sabra hummus at Giant Eagle costs around six dollars and the bell peppers are between four and five. At Aldi’s, I only spent seven dollars! I was so excited to have found the Hummus Quartet, which gave the option of alternating flavors with every bite. The Original, Garlic, and Red Pepper ones are all good, but I am especially partial to the Cilantro Jalapeno. I got that flavor of hummus as an appetizer at a restaurant with Johnny and the one from Aldi’s tastes just like it! 😀

Aldi’s has revolutionized Dip Island and I am so grateful. As always, if you are looking for ways to save money on groceries – head to your local Aldi’s. I deeply regret not doing it sooner!

What is your favorite kind of dip? Where do you do your grocery shopping? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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