Pesto Aioli

TOTAL CHEATER HERE!!

The other night I made salmon and wanted to mix it up a bit. So - I got my go to Kirkland brand pesto sauce and the mayo out of my fridge. I mised equal parts together and VOILA! Pesto Aioli!!

Serve on top of Simple Salmon - gourmet dinner in less than 5 minutes flat!

Cheesy Onion Soup

I've been making this soup for a few years and I haven't come up with a better name - any suggestions??

I came up with this soup because of my love affair with onions - and my love of cheesy, hearty soups...

Roux
3 T butter
3 T flour
1 1/4 c half and half
Soup
1 medium onion thinly sliced
2 T butter
16 oz chicken broth
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/3 c diced Velveeta (packed down)

Make the roux first. In a small sauce pan, on medium heat, let the butter melt and add the flour - whisking so there are no lumps and whisk until the mixture becomes thick and comes away from the side of the pan. Slowly add half and half stirring constantly. Set aside.

In a large sauce pan sautee butter and onions until the onions are transparent - but not browned (careful here!) Add chicken broth, boullion cubes and salt and pepper to taste. Add the roux (white sauce) and Velveeta cheese. Simmer on medium to low heat until cheese is melted and all ingredients are blended. Turn the heat up to medium and let cook an additional 30 minutes stirring occasionally.

Garnish with shredded cheese.

Butternut Squash Soup with Fontina Cheese Crostinis

I got this recipe from Giada De Laurentis on Food Network - yummy!!
Butternut Squash Soup with Fontina Cheese Crostinis
Ingredients
Soup:
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 7 to 8 cups)
6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crostini:
1/2 baguette, sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch thick slices
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
1 cup (2 ounces) grated fontina cheese
Kosher salt
Directions
In an 8-quart stockpot, add the butter and oil and melt together over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the squash and the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the sage. Continue to boil until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat.

For the crostini: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sage. Sprinkle the cheese on top and season with salt, to taste. Bake until the cheese has melted and the bread is light golden, about 6 to 8 minutes.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the cheese crostini.

Cook's Note: The cooked vegetable mixture can also be pureed (after cooling for about 5 minutes) by ladling, in batches, into a food processor or blender and blended until smooth.

Chinese Simmer Chicken

I got this recipe from my brother in law a long, long time ago. It's his claim to fame.
Chinese Simmer Chicken
2 lbs chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
1/3 c brown sugar
1/2 c soy sauce
1/4 c cooking sherry (which I never use)
1/2 c water
2 T ketchup
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 bunch of green onions, diced
1/2 t red pepper

Thickening agent:
2 T cornstarch
2 T water
1 t sesame oil

Mix the first 9 ingredients together and let marinate for at least an hour. Place in sauce pan and heat to boil. Reduce to simmer over until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan once it is cooked. Bring sauce back to a boil. Slowly add the thickening agent mix, constantly stirring until desired thickness.

Serve on top of rice or noodles. Sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds (if you've got them).

I usually make this without the red pepper flakes b/c of my little kiddos. After everyone is served, I add red pepper flakes to both my plate and my husbands to add that little kick.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup Deluxe!

I am waaaay too excited for fall. It has been in the high 80's here until... Wednesday, when the temp dropped to the low 70's and it rained all day long. I was so excited that I made "Veggie Chow-da".


With my excitement out of control - I also got a serving of pureed sun dried tomatoes and a serving of pesto out of the freezer and into the fridge just so I could make this soup. Even though the weather returned to the high 80's the next day - this was so delicious!


I posted this recipe for Creamy Tomato Basil Soup a while ago. I varied the recipe from the original this time. I wanted to add a few more layers of flavor to give the soup a bit more depth and subtle notes of flavor (woot! listen to me talkin about food - I think I'm so cool - LOL)

I swear that I posted my 'gourmet cheats' but after looking through the blog - I couldn't find it. I'll post it again and it will help this recipe make more sense to you.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup Deluxe!

1/2 c (1 stick) butter

1 c all purpose flour

4 c chicken broth

4 c half & half*

1 1/2 c marinara sauce

1 14.5 can diced tomatoes or 8 to 10 small vine ripened tomatoes, diced

1 c sundried tomatoes, pureed

1/2 c prepared pesto

Coarse salt and ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and stir for 5 minutes to slightly brown the mixture and create a roux. Wisk in the broth. Increase the heat and cook and stir until thickened. Decrease the heat to low, stir in the half and half and simmer for 20 minutes.Stir in the marinara sauce, tomatoes, sundried tomatoes and pesto and cook until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

*I have used both full fat and fat free half & half - since it is used as a thickening agent, the taste is nearly the same using either.

Veggie Chow-da

I didn't realize that Krystal had posted a recipe for her Garden Veggie Chowder already. They are similar - but with enough differences that I thought I'd post.

I looked in my freezer and realized that I had so many veggies just begging to be eaten! I have been trying to do a Veggie entree at least once a week - so I came up with the 'recipe' while on my walk this morning...

*you can use any and all veggies you have - this is just what I threw in the pot today!

Veggie Chow-da
Asparagus, blanched or steamed (or thawed), cut into 1 - 2" pieces
Carrots, diced
Celery, diced
Onion, diced
Broccoli, blanched or steamed (or thawed)
Corn, drained (or thawed)
Potatoes (I use frozen square hashbrowns - and I don't even thaw them)
2 - 3 T EVOO (olive oil)
32 oz (4 cups) stock (veggie, chicken - what have you)
4 T flour
1/3 c butter (softened or room temp)
2 1/2 - 3 c half and half
Garlic powder
Salt & pepper to taste

Put EVOO in a large stock pot. Add onions. Cook them down until they are translucent. Add all veggies and stock. Bring up to a boil then turn down to a simmer for about 20 minutes.

In the meantime, add butter and flour in a small sauce pot and whisk until combined and smooth. Add slowly to the veggie and stock soup you have working. Let simmer for another 5 minutes or so. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Add half and half - continue to simmer for another 10-15 minutes to bring up the soup to temp and also to give the half and half time to thicken the soup.

Garnish with shredded cheese and serve with a big ol' hunk of bread to dunk in this delish soup!

Evans Broccoli Salad

I got this recipe from my sister's Mother In Law. She makes it for every 'special' dinner they have - it's tried and true!
Evans Broccoli Salad
1 lb sliced mushrooms
1 or 2 heads broccoli
1 bunch green onions

Dressing:
3/4 c sugar
2/3 c rice wine vinegar
1/3 c vegetable oil
1 t salt
1 t celery salt
1 t onion powder
1 t paprika
1/8 t pepper

Combine ingredients for dressing and set aside.

Prepare the remainder of the ingredients - combine with dressing. Let refrigerate a few hours before service.

*I didn't use mushrooms - which I usually do. I also make this salad with cucumbers instead of mushrooms - my kids like it better that way!

**I also added toasted almonds for a little 'crunch.' Sun flower seeds would be a good topper too:)

Freezing Veggies

I've probably posted something similar - but it's such a basic that not a lot of people research. I hate to waste food. I've tried to only buy 2 or 3 veggies per week so that they get eaten and don't go bad. BUT, there are always those weeks...

I have a great menu planned for this week - but my husband just told me that he is leaving today to go out of town and won't be back until Friday. That makes a big difference as far as consumption goes.

I usually buy my veggies in bulk (from Costco) and since he won't be here this week - I froze the veggies that won't get eaten this week.

Today, I seperated portions of asparagus and broccoli that will get eaten by me and the kiddos this week - and froze the rest. These instructions go for both:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in veggies (broccoli or asparagus in this case). Par boil them for 3-5 minutes (they will be bright green). Drain the veggie and "shock" them in a bowl of cold water (I put ice cubes in mine to speed the process and lock in that great color). Let the veggie's sit in the cold water for a few minutes. Drain again and put in a freezer safe container or Ziplock bag.

To thaw: set them out on the counter a few hours before you need to use them OR put them in a sink of cold water to thaw them out quicker.

Steakhouse Steaks

I got this recipe from Ina Garten. My husband is the 'steak guy' and thus far I have refused to pick out steaks. If he wants one - he goes and picks out the meat and grills it. In this case - I wanted to treat him and try steaks a different way. I went to my local Butcher (like a real live meat shop that only sells meat) and asked the butcher for 2 10 oz filet mignon steaks (just as BFC said to) and when I took said steaks to the cashier I just about fainted when she rang me up and the total was $25.00.

The steaks were good - don't get me wrong - they were excellent - BUT if you don't want to drop $25 for 2 pieces of meat - I am sure that you could substitute your favorite cut instead.
Steakhouse Steaks - Barefoot Contessa
2 (10-ounce) filet mignon
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon coarsely cracked black peppercorns
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, optional

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat a large, well-seasoned cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot, 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, pat the steaks dry with a paper towel and brush them lightly with vegetable oil. Combine the fleur de sel and cracked pepper on a plate and roll the steaks in the mixture, pressing lightly to evenly coat all sides.

When the skillet is ready, add the steaks and sear them evenly on all sides for about 2 minutes per side, for a total of 10 minutes.

Top each steak with a tablespoon of butter, if using, and place the skillet in the oven. Cook the steaks until they reach 120 degrees F for rare or 125 degrees F for medium-rare on an instant-read thermometer. (To test the steaks, insert the thermometer sideways to be sure you're actually testing the middle of the steak.)

Start checking the steaks after about 15 minutes in the oven. They should be close to done.

Remove the steaks to a serving platter, cover tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Easiest Empanadas Ever!

I have always wanted to work with puff pastry - so I bought some a while ago. I kept seeing it in the freezer but was unsure what to do with it. I knew whatever I made with it that it would be delicious, but since I had never used puff pastry - I felt like I had to make something extra special.

I had all these half-baked (wahaha) ideas that just never came to fruition... finally I just decided the heck with it and that I was going to use it and just wing it - turned out super delish!!
Easy Empanadas
3 medium sized boneless skinless chicken breasts, shredded
Cream cheese (your fav savory flavor - I used chive and onion)
2 sheets defrosted puff pastry
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder to taste
1 egg

I am going to tell you how I did it -there are obviously many, many ways to get shredded chicken...

I put the chicken in my crock pot with 1qt of chicken stock, set it on high for 2 1/2 hours. Pulled it out and shredded it with 2 forks. Seasoned it with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Set out the puff pastry about 45 minutes before you are ready to use it. Make sure you PAM your baking sheet and that you seperate the sheets from each other so they thaw in that time frame.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Unfold the dough and cut each sheet into 4 squares. Put about 1/4 cup of the shredded chicken on one side of each of the squares. Make sure you leave room at the edges to crimp it closed.

Add a small spoonful of your fav cream cheese on top of the chicken. Use a small amount of water on your finger to wet the corners on the 'filled' side of the pastry. Fold the 'unfilled' half of the pastry over the chicken mixture so you have a triangle. Seal the filling in by crimping the edges with a fork.

Use egg wash (one egg + 1 T water) on top of the pastry to get that little golden hint and a bit of shine.

Cook at 375 for about 15 minutes.

I cut them in half and we ate them like pizzas - so super delish!!!

*My hubs dipped his in Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce (by Fischer & Weiser) yummmmm...

I am excited to experiment more with puff pastry! Do you have a fav recipe you use it for?

Bucatini and Broccolini Pasta

I saw this recipe on the Rachael Ray show. I had extra broccoli I needed to use up and this looked like the perfect way to do it!

This recipe is delicious, very healthy and so cheap!
Bucatini and Broccolini Pasta
Salt and pepper
*1 pound bucatini pasta
*2 bunches broccolini, 1 head romanesco or 1 large bunch broccoli rabe
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO )
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and very thinly sliced or chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
A few grates nutmeg
Grated or shaved Pecorino Romano cheese, to pass around the table

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving a ladleful of the pasta cooking water.
Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, bring a few inches of water to a boil. Cut the broccolini into 3-4-inch pieces and halve the larger florets (or trim the romanesco and cut into thin florets, or trim the broccoli rabe and cut into 3-4-inch pieces). Salt the boiling water in the skillet, add the broccolini (or romanesco or broccoli rabe) and parboil for 4 minutes. Drain well and let cool on a clean towel.
In the same skillet, heat the EVOO, four turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for 2 minutes, then add the crushed red pepper and stir for a minute more. Add the broccolini (or romanesco or broccoli rabe) and season with the nutmeg. Add the pasta and reserved cooking water and toss vigorously for a minute or two. Season with salt and black pepper. Pass the Pecorino-Romano at the table for topping.

*I used whole wheat spaghetti and 2 heads of regular broccoli
**I also sauteed 1/2 c onions before I started the garlic (b/c I just LOVE onions!)

Buffalo Salad

My hubs travels a lot. He was coming home tonight so I wanted to serve him something special. He LOVES buffalo wings - like LOVES them. I decided to incorporate his love of that flavor into a main dish - this is what I came up with and it was freakin' delish!!
Buffalo Salad
2 heads romaine lettuce
½ c chopped celery
1/2 c crumbled blue cheese
3/4 c Ranch dressing
3 chicken breasts (bscb)
1 T EVOO
2 T butter
1/3 c Franks Red Hot Sauce
1 T Salad Supreme (spice aisle)

Add EVOO to your sautee pan. Cut your chicken into bite sized pieces and add to the oil. Cook until no longer pink. Add butter, Franks and Salad Supreme. Simmer for a few more minutes to allow the flavors to marry.

Chop and wash your lettuce and celery and plate it. Top with chicken and dressing – top with blue cheese.

*I had soccer practice, so I made the chicken in the afternoon and then put it in the fridge so I could throw this together at the last minute.

Ham & Broccoli Bake

I am in the middle of moving from one side of town to the other - so when I heard little stomach growls from my kids - I knew I needed to whip up something FAST! This is what I whipped up...
This recipe is so versatile. You really can use any protein, veggies and cheese you like.

Ham and Broccoli Bake

2 cups Diced Ham

1 cup Velveeta cheese, diced

1 cup sauteed onions

2 cups broccoli (steamed or frozen and thawed)

Salt & pepper to taste

Pillsbury "pizza crust"

Sautee your onions, add ham, broccoli and cheese. Mix. Spread out pizza crust on a baking sheet (rectangular). Spoon mixture onto the middle of the pizza dough. Bring opposite corners of the dough together and pinch. Fill in the gaps by pinching the dough together so that the the mixture is completely enclosed (we don't want any of that goodness oozing out).

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until the dough is nice and browned. Pull out of the oven and brush with melted butter. Let rest for about 5 minutes and slice into servings. Serves 2 adults and 3 little ones...

*I always have a pack of Farmland diced ham in my fridge - awesome in a pinch

Spinach Salad with Candied Almonds

This salad is so freakin' delish.

Spinach Salad with Candied Almonds
¼ c vegetable oil (I used EVOO b/c I like the flavor better)
2 T vinegar
2 T sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bag baby spinach
1 c sliced celery
½ c chopped green onion
1 can Mandarin oranges
½ c Candied Almonds

Mix first 4 ingredients together (dressing) and set aside. Put spinach in large bowl, add celery and green onions – mix together. Drain juice from oranges and then pour oranges over salad. Add dressing and candied almonds – mix well.

Candied Almonds

Candied Almonds
3 to 4 T sugar
½ c slivered almonds

Stir over low heat until well coated. Grease foil or parchment paper and pour over it. Pat the nuts down so they aren’t so bunched up. Allow to cool and then separate.

Fruit Pizza

I posted this recipe last July - but I'm posting it again b/c it's just that good - the perfect summer dessert!
Fruit Pizza
18 oz package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
8 oz package cream cheese
8 oz frozen Cool Whip, thawed
2 c sliced fresh strawberries
2 cups blueberries
½ c sugar
1 pinch salt
1 T cornstarch
½ c orange juice
2 T lemon juice
¼ c water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice cookie dough and arrange on a greased pizza pan, overlapping edges. Press dough flat into pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool.

In a large bowl, soften cream cheese, then fold in the whipped topping. Spread over cooled crust. You can chill for a while at this point, or continue by arranging the fruit.

For the 4th, I use strawberries and blueberries – but any fruit is good on this! I do alternating ‘rings’ of strawberries and blueberries starting on the outside rim. Spoon sauce over the top. To make sauce, combine sugar, salt, corn starch, orange juice, lemon juice and water. Cook and stir over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat, and add grated orange rind. Allow to cool, but not set up. spoon over fruit. Chill for about 2 hours, then cut into wedges and serve.

Grilled Asparagus

Another recipe I've never posted b/c it's so simple - and it's not really a recipe. We had this for dinner on Saturday night (by request from my 7 & 5 year olds) and then were thrilled to find it on the menu at our friends BBQ for the 4th (first thing gone on both nights).

I didn't take a picture initially, and when I went in for 2nds, my 7 yr old was right on my heels. There were these 2 spears left. For 1/2 a second I thought about splitting these with him, but how can I possibly take good veg away from him - no matter how much I love asparagus!! If you've never tried asparagus on your grill - you've got to do it!
1 lb asparagus spears (washed and trimmed)
Kosher salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
EVOO

Put trimmed* asparagus on a plate or cooking sheet. Drizzle with EVOO then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place on the grill directly or in a grill basket. Grill until just tender and lightly charred, about 5 minutes.

*If you've never made asparagus before 'trimming' is easy. Hold the spear in front of you with your hands on each end of the spear. Bend the spear (move your hands like you are making a horseshoe shape) and the area that needs trimming should snap right off.

Watermelon Salsa

I got this great recipe from my friend Haley - it's a nice change of pace as far as salsa goes - and the kids really dig it:)

Watermelon Salsa
lime juice from 2 limes
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups chopped and seeded watermelon
1 jalapeno seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion diced
3 Tablespoons basil (fresh)-if using dried use 1/2 as much
1-2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Mix together, cover and chill at least 30 min before serving.

*Make sure you taste again before serving - my hubs was my taster and he said 'it's missing something' that 'something' is usually salt - it adds the right complement to most dishes. After another big pinch of salt it was perfect!

Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Dip

I can't believe I haven't posted this 'recipe' before - maybe b/c it's so easy?

Anyway... my friend Valerie asked for an easy app idea and this is what I gave her - she reported back that it was the hit of the party (which is always the case with this one!)

This combo is to die for! You get the saltiness and crunch of the chip, the sweet and the spice of the Chipotle and the creaminess of the cream cheese...mmmmmm
8 oz. brick plain cream cheese
Fischer & Wieser's Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce

Lay the brick o' cream cheese on a plate and smother with the Chipotle sauce. Serve with Chips or crackers.

Divine Crescent Rolls

I've posted my sister's fav rolls here - they are fab - but I've been making these lately (b/c they are eggless and my kiddos have food allergies) and the response to them is ridiculous - they are in high demand:)
Can't you just SEE the love??

My 7 year old (who is the pickiest eater on the planet and who also has food allergies) was surprised to see that there were only 10 rolls left (I made 24). He asked me what happened to all the rolls. I said "well, we all had one straight out of the oven, then we all had another for dinner and I took some over to the Kenny's" "what? Why did you take some to Kenny's?" "well, because they love these rolls too and we love to share with them" "can you check with me next time? I think we gave them too many."

Divine Crescent Rolls

2 T yeast

3/4 c warm water

2 2/3 c warm water

1/4 c sugar

1 T salt

3 T vegetable oil

7-8 c flour

Dissolve yeast in 3/4 c water. Add the rest of the water and the rest of the ingredients except for the flour and mix together. Add flour one cup at a time and stir until you have to use your hands to mix it. Knead dough until incorporated. Put in bowl and cover with a towel and let rise about 1 hour.

Punch dough down and divide in half. With a rolling pin, roll out one of the dough balls into a circle about 12" in diameter. Spread dough with melted butter (about a 1/2 stick will do ya). Cut into 12 pieces (like a pizza). Roll each wedge from the fat end inward. Repeat with other dough ball. Place crescents on cookie sheets - 12 to a sheet. Cover with towel and let rise until double (30 min - 1 hr) Bake in preheated oven at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or until they are nice and golden brown on top. Brush with melted butter and serve.

Make sure you share these with friends - they'll be your friends forever!

*My son loves to eat them warmed in the micro for 10 seconds then spread with butter and cinnamon sugar.

My daughter loves them warmed and spread with her fav jelly

I just love them with butter - warmed or not - they are that stinkin' good.

Jammin' Jambalaya

Lookin' through the freezer today I saw 2 things - sausage and shrimp (oh yeah, a Costco trip is waaaaay overdue). Suddenly - inspiration - why don't I try to make Jambalaya? I've never made it before, OR even tasted it before BUT but I've watched enough Emeril to know that I have to start with the 'trinity' (carrots, celery and onion) and go from there... so I pretty much winged it - but it was GOOD. Do you have a recipe? I'd love to try it!! OK then...

Jammin' Jambalaya
1 lb sausage (I had mild Italian on hand which was delish - if you are in a hurry, I'd suggest Hillshire Farm precooked sausage)
1 lb shrimp
4 celery ribs diced
1 c carrots diced
1 c onion diced
1 can (14.5 oz) fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 diced beefsteak tomato (I added it just b/c it needed to be used)
1 package Zatarain's rice (Jambalaya flavor)
1 c chicken stock

Drizzle a little EVOO in big stock pot (I used my 6 qt le creuset). Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook and stir until vegetables begin to soften - your onions will be translucent. Add tomatoes, chicken stock and Zatarain's package. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 15 minutes.
Add shrimp and (precooked) sausage. Cover and cook 10 minutes longer or just until shrimp turn pink and everything is incorporated. Enjoy!!

My kids even loved it! With all those veggies - I was very happy to serve this to them and to have them lap it up!

Bacon, Guacamole, Tomato and Ham Sammich

At least half the time I prepare a meal - I look in the fridge or pantry to see what has to be used - in this case it was avocados and tomatoes. What a lucky girl! Think of all the things you can do with those 2 ingredients!!
The deciding factor today was that it was lunch time and with a full house - I had to take those factors into account. So I came up with this crowd pleaser...

Bacon, Guacamole, Tomato and Ham Sammiches
Toasted bread
Mayo
Deli ham
tomatoes (whatever you have)
Lettuce
Bacon
Guacamole

I didn't use a recipe for my Guac today. I just smashed the avocados, added salt, pepper, garlic powder and diced onions together. I also added bacon. Drool factor...

Then top your sammich in the order I listed (or however you want!!!) and enjoy!

Grilled Pizza

Just an idea I had the other day... the kids wanted pizza but I did not want to turn on the oven. So, I busted out the pizza stone and cooked it directly on the grill at about 400 degrees for about 10 minutes - delish!
I used this dough recipe, then topped with pesto, mozzerella, salt, pepper, fresh tomatoes and toasted pinenuts. Yum!

Roasted Parmesan Tomatoes

I had some tomatoes that needed to be used - so this is how I used them!
Roasted Parmesan Tomatoes
Tomatoes (I had Roma)
Parmesan cheese
salt
pepper
butter

Cut your tomatoes in half, put a small pat of butter on each. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. (I found this awesome cheese product that I've been using a lot lately from Kraft - it's shredded parmesan, romano and asiago cheese mixture).

Broil for about 10 - 15 minutes and voila!

Breakfast Sandwich

I learned how to make this sandwich thanks to my father in law - super fast - super delish
Pete's Breakfast Sandwich
2 slices of bread (or english muffins, etc)
2 eggs
salt
pepper
garlic powder
cheese

Crack eggs into a small ramekin (you can also do this with just one egg). Season and wisk together. Put in the microwave for 1 min 20 sec (for one egg 45 sec). While that is happening, toast up your bread and slice your cheese. Layer one piece of toast, then the egg (you have to spread it out a bit) then the cheese and top with the other piece of toast!

Sausage & Shrimp in Vodka Sauce

This was a last minute - wanted to make something fabulous but didn't have a lot of time or energy dinner - that came out of my head...
Sausage & Shrimp in Vodka Sauce
Shrimp (as many as you want) *I used precooked, peeled and deveined shrimp
Sausage (I used Hillshire Farm chicken sausage that is also precooked)
Angel Hair pasta
Vodka Sauce straight out of the bottle
Onion

Cook pasta per directions on package.
Cut sausage into bite sized chunks (I used scissors to do this). Put sausage and onion in a large saucepan and cook until the onion is nice and translucent. Add the cooked and drained pasta, the vodka sauce + about a cup of the starchy pasta water. Use tongs to incorporate. Season your shrimp with salt, pepper, etc. (I seasoned them with these ingredients) and add them at the last minute - just to warm them up. Serve and enjoy!!

I asked my husband what else I could add to make this really great and he suggested green peppers or broccoli - the possibilities are endless!

*If you've never had Vodka sauce - you have to try it!! It's like a marinara mixed with an alfredo sauce - so delicious!

Shrimp On The Barbie

I am so bad about remembering where I find recipes...
Shrimp on the Barbie
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
dash allspice
Large shrimp (as many as you need)
fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Place the shrimp onto your hot grill with the seasoning side down. Brush some more melted butter over the other side of the shrimp, followed by another light sprinkle of seasoning.
After 3 minutes or so the face down side of the shrimp should be browned and showing some light charring. Flip the shrimp over and grill for an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until browned on the other side.

*I used precooked, shelled, deveined shrimp on my George Foreman grill – so it was 3 minutes flat (just warming them up).

Carmelized Onion Dip

Carmelized Onion Dip
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 large Spanish onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves OR 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crushed
1/2 cup Best Foods Mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tsp. paprika

Heat olive oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and cook onions, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes or until golden brown. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool.
Process mayonnaise, sour cream and cream cheese in food processor until smooth. Add onions, salt and pepper to taste and pulse a few times just until onions are coarsely chopped. Turn into serving bowl, then sprinkle with paprika. Serve with potato or tortilla chips.

Asiago Toasts

Asiago Toasts
1/3 cup Best Foods Mayonnaise Dressing with Extra Virgin Olive Oil*
1 cup shredded Asiago or Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1 tsp. dried oregano leaves, crushed (optional)
1 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)
1/2 French baguette, cut into 18 slices
Combine all ingredients except baguette in small bowl.
Arrange baguette slices in a single layer on baking sheet; spread cheese mixture on baguette. Broil until the cheese is melted and golden, about 3 minutes.

*I didn't have that particular mayo - so I lightly drizzled the slices of bread w/EVOO and then used regular mayo for the spread - t's good...

Avocado Corn Salad with Creamy Salsa Dressing

I get emails from Best Foods (and coupons too!) and they have recruited Bobby Flay to invent some delicious recipes - this is one of them - so delicious...
Avocado Corn Salad with Creamy Salsa Dressing

1/4 cup Best Foods Mayonnaise

1/4 cup prepared salsa (one made with garlic, chiles and cilantro preferable)

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice OR red wine vinegar

1 medium head romaine lettuce, shredded

1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced

1 large beefsteak tomato, halved, seeded and diced

1 cup fresh corn kernels, or frozen kernels, thawed

4 ounces Monterey pepper Jack cheese, dicedCorn tortilla chips, crumbled

Process mayonnaise, salsa and lime juice in blender until smooth, adding water if necessary to thin to dressing consistency. Season, if desired, with salt and pepper.

Arrange lettuce in large bowl and toss with 1/2 of the dressing. Gently toss in remaining ingredients except corn chips. Drizzle with remaining dressing, then top with corn chips.

*I added cucumber and jicama - so yummy!

Navajo Tacos/Navajo Fry Bread

I overheard someone in the grocery store talking about having a Navajo Taco for lunch and I just HAD to have one too. Making the Navajo Fry Bread is so much easier than I thought it would be - and soooo delicious.
Here is a plain piece of Navajo Fry Bread...
My girls helped me roll them out into 8" circles (see easy!)

and here is the final product... super delicioso!

Navajo Fry Bread
4-5 cups flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 cups water

Mix dry ingredients. Stir in water and milk. Knead dough until incorporated. Cover and let rest 15 minutes.
Heat 1" vegetable oil in a deep skillet to 350 degrees (I use a candy thermometer).
Split dough into 6 pieces and roll them out until they are about 8” big. In the hot oil, quickly brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

Top with ground beef, shredded chicken, refried beans, pinto beans, black beans, corn, grated cheeses, salsa, lettuce, green onion, sour cream - whatever!

Jicama Chips

I LOVE jicama. It's especially good in salads. It's a root vegetable that has a sweet tang. I'm not going to lie. When you pick it up at the grocery store - it's pretty darn ugly. But once you cut away the outer layer - that sweet, delicious veggie comes to life.

I often slice the jicama in half and then make jicama 'chips' as a snack. My kids LOVE them!! I serve them with salad dressing or sometimes with a little honey. My kids will eat them plain too - a delicious, nutritious snack!

Goat Cheese With Figs

Yeah. Uh hu. I was at Costco last week and they were having their annual 'cheese tasting'. Since I love cheese so much that my middle name should be "Fromage" I had to taste all of them.

They were all good - but when I looked at the last cheese in front of me I thought figs?? Do I even like figs? Have I ever eaten a fig??

They had this goat cheese on a slice of LaBrea Rosemary Olive Oil bread. I thought - what the heck? If I don't like it - I'll just have another sample of a cheese I do like to counter act it.
I took a bite and fell in love. I am always extremely concious about samples. If my kids are with me, I let them have samples and I just try a small bite of theirs so that we aren't hogging all the samples. But once this delicious combination reached my pallet - all logic went out the window.

I went back SEVEN times!!!! Luckily for me there was always a big crowd so I could just do a quick drive by without being noticed - but SEVEN times? I was crazed with cheese desire.

On my last drive by, I heard one of the sample ladies say that they weren't going to restock these cheeses until the next tasting. I quickly grabbed 3 logs.

Of course, over the last week - I have eaten an entire log to my own (cheese) head - but I put the other two in the garage fridge to save for a party. And when that day comes - I will be the most loved person in all the land - this cheese is that good.

If your Costco isn't selling these little babies - you can find them HERE .

April Fools Food!!

We love April Fools Day around here - so many fun ways to make food fun!!

These 'cupcakes' are made from little meatballs with mashed sweet potatoes on top...
This 'sushi' is made out of rice krispy treats, gummy worms and fruit roll-ups...

French fries and ketchup? Breadsticks (cut down) sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and served with strawberry jelly. (The french fry bag is just an envelope cut to shape)

Serve it up with Jell-O in clear glasses as 'juice'

There are so many fun ideas for April Fool's Day Food - share your ideas with us!!

Lamb* Ragu with Rotini and Ricotta

I saw Rachael Ray make this and I was seriously drooling...
Since we don't eat lamb - I am going to substitute ground turkey - I'll let you know how it turns out!

Lamb* Ragu with Rotini and Ricotta
2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 pound ground lamb*
A pinch of ground cloves
Salt and pepper
1 small carrot, finely chopped or grated
1 onion, finely chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine*
1 28-ounce can Italian tomatoes and their juice or purée
1 cup whole milk
1 pound whole wheat rigatoni or other short-cut pasta, semolina or whole wheat
1 cup fresh ricotta, fresh sheep milk ricotta, crumbled feta or ricotta salata
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, a handful, finely chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons mint leaves, a small handful, finely chopped

Heat a heavy pot over medium-high heat with EVOO, 2 turns of the pan. Add lamb and brown the meat, season with cloves, salt and pepper. When lamb is brown, add carrot, onions, garlic and rosemary. Cook 7-8 minutes to soften vegetables. Stir in tomato paste 1 minute, stir in wine a minute more, then add tomatoes and crush them with wooden spoon or potato masher. Thicken sauce a couple of minutes then stir in milk. Let simmer to thicken.
Bring a pot of water to a boil for pasta. Add salt then cook pasta to al dente. Drain and toss pasta with Ragu. Serve in shallow bowls topped with cheese to mix in as you eat. Garnish with parsley and mint*.

I am so silly! Originally, I didn't post the directions - oops - sorry!

*I used ground turkey instead of lamb and beef stock instead of white wine

Shredded Tex-Mex Salad with Creamy Lime Dressing

I found this recipe on the Food Network site - it's by Sunny Anderson - I've made it a bunch of times and it's a goodie...
Shredded Tex-Mex Salad with Creamy Lime Dressing
Butter, for preparing 8 by 8-inch glass pan
1 (8.5-ounce) box cornbread mix (recommended: Jiffy)
1 large egg
1/3 cup milk
1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 packet sazon seasoning (it tastes like taco seasoning - so you could use that as a sub)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup salsa
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 head romaine lettuce, cut into strips
Creamy Lime Dressing (recipe follows)
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey jack cheese
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 8 by 8-inch glass pan with butter. Stir together the cornbread mix with the egg and milk. Evenly spread into prepared pan and bake on the middle rack for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan to cool completely. Mix together the beans with the sazon and season with salt and pepper. Toss the salsa with the tomatoes. When ready to serve, cut the cornbread into 1/2-inch croutons. Toss the lettuce with 3/4 cups of the dressing. In a clear trifle dish, layer the Tex-Mex Salad beginning with the black beans followed by the Monterey jack cheese, the tomato salsa mixture, the Cheddar, the dressed romaine and top with the cornbread croutons. Serve the remaining dressing on the side.

Creamy Lime Dressing:
2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon lime zest
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup sour cream
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Blend all the ingredients except the olive oil until smooth. While machine is running, slowly drizzle in the oil until incorporated. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Black Bean Salad

This is one of my FAVORITE FAT FREE SALADS!!! I love it!

Black Bean Salad – Guy Fieri
2 cans black beans, drained, about 30 ounces
1 (15-ounce) can corn, drained
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup diced green onions
1/4 cup diced pineapple
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
4 tablespoons sherry vinegar*
Juice of 1/2 lime
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch ground cumin

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.

*I don't use sherry vinegar regularly, so I substitute it with red wine vinegar - you could even use apple cider vinegar.

BLT Bowties

Rachael Ray has got my number this week! Her Taco Pasta Toss was a huge hit last night and when I saw her making her BLT Bowties on today's show - I just couldn't help myself!

How can you go wrong with bacon, lettuce and tomatoes? Seriously. De-lish.

BLT Pasta
EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling, plus 2 tablespoons
12 slices good quality smoky bacon, cut into half-inch dice
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
A handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
A couple of generous handfuls grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 small red onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped or grated
A pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 pints cherry tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 pound bowtie pasta
4 cups arugula, a couple of bundles, coarsely chopped
1 cup basil leaves, about 20 leaves, torn or coarsely chopped

Heat a drizzle of EVOO in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add bacon and brown to crisp. Remove to plate to drain. Add Panko crumbs to the pan with the bacon drippings and toast to golden brown. Add parsley and a couple of handfuls of grated cheese. Toss to combine, turn off heat and reserve the crumbs.

Heat 2 tablespoons EVOO in a large skillet with tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and cook to soften, 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add red pepper and cherry tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, and cover pan tightly with lid. Cook, shaking occasionally, until tomatoes begin to burst, about 8 minutes. Remove cover and gently mash up the tomatoes a bit with a wooden spoon.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil for pasta. Salt water and cook bowties to al dente. Just before draining, add a cup of the starchy liquid to the cherry tomato sauce. Drain pasta.
Add arugula and basil to the tomato sauce, along with the reserved bacon and drained bowties. Season with black pepper and salt, and toss to combine. Garnish bowls of pasta with the seasoned crumbs and serve.

My husband went to 2 grocery stores to find arugula with no luck, so we ended up using spinach instead. Also - we used BARILLA PLUS pasta which has protein, Omega3 and Fiber!!!

Taco Pasta Toss

I am a big fan of Rachael Ray. I was never a fan of her '30 minute meals' tv show - but she's won me over with her talk show/food fiesta as of late.
The only thing I don't like about her recipes is when she tries to combine 2 different meals that you would never serve together into one meal. It's a weird 'thing' I have.

Today on her talk show she made Taco Pasta Toss. As I watched, I realized I had everything needed to make this dinner and so - our dinner was born...
Taco Pasta Toss
Salt and pepper
1 pound penne rigate or whole grain penne rigate pasta (I used what I had - macaroni)
1 tablespoon EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 pound ground beef sirloin (I used ground turkey)
1 large onion, chopped, divided
1 large jalapeño halved, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise (eliminated b/c of the kiddos)
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder, about 2 palmfuls
1 tablespoon ground coriander, about a palmful
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin, about 1/2 palmful
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 12-ounce bottle beer or cups chicken stock
2 cups shredded cheddar, Monterey jack or any Mexican semisoft cheese (cheddar)
2 small plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped (sweeties - grape tomatoes)
1/4 head iceberg lettuce or 1/2 small heart romaine lettuce, chopped

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and return to the pot.
While the pasta is working, in a large skillet, heat the EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add three-quarters of the onion, the jalapeño, garlic, chili powder, coriander and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook until the onion is softened, 6-7 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cook for 1 minute then stir in the beer.
Add the sauce to the pasta and toss. Spoon into a serving dish, top with the cheese and tent with foil to melt the cheese, about 1 minute. Top with the remaining onion, the tomatoes and lettuce – just like tacos!

My kids flipped over this! Even Mr. Picky loved it. Huge hit!! The kids had it as RR intended - served over pasta - but since I am the crazy person aforementioned, instead of having it served over pasta, hubs and I had it served over a bed of romaine with our fav dressing - such an amazing taco salad!! Yum-O!!

Basil Pesto Pizza

This picture does not do this pizza justice. I need to take photography lessons or something!

This pizza was so yum - really how can you go wrong with any of those ingredients?
For pizza night - I wanted to switch it up a bit. I looked in the fridge to see what I had on hand and what do you know? I had the makings for an amazing pizza!

Basil Pesto Pizza
Basil Pesto (Costco or whatever your fav brand)
Pizza Dough (from scratch or store bought)
Pine nuts (toasted)
Mozzerella
Red onions
tomatoes
Salt
Pepper

Pat out your pizza dough. Spread pesto in an even layer (as you would marinara), salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle mozzerella, onions and pine nuts over the pesto.

My husband and I like our tomatoes fresh and raw on top - but if you don't add your tomatoes too. Bake at 425 for 12 - 15 minutes.

Sweet Jasmine Rice Update

A month ago or so we had dinner with my friend Jenny's family. She asked me to bring a side - I brought my Sweet Jasmine Rice. Her boys are 13 and 10 and are pretty picky eaters. They absolutely LOVED this rice.
She called me last night to ask for the recipe - she said her boys had been begging her to make this rice. I called her a few hours later for something else and she told me that she made the rice with Splenda instead of sugar (her hubs is trying to watch what he eats) and said "we didn't even notice the difference" she also added green onions and red and green peppers.

Don't you just love variety?? Next time I make this rice I'll def try Splenda - hmmmm... and maybe brown rice to make it even healthier!

Challah Bread

My friend and I were talking about bread and eggs. My kids are allergic to eggs and I was telling her that most of my bread recipes don't call for eggs. Then she said "oh... but there is nothing like Challah Bread" and she went on and on about it.

I had never had Challah bread and was intrigued enough to make it myself. I found the recipe online - but I tweaked it so much that the original recipe is barely there.

It turned out so delish!! I took a loaf over to my friend - she called me a few minutes later to praise my work:)
Challah Bread
3 T yeast
4 eggs
2 c warm water
½ c sugar
1 T salt
½ c vegetable oil
6 - 7 c flour

Add water, yeast, salt and sugar in a bowl. Cover and let it proof for 5-10 minutes. It will be foamy and bubbly. Add oil, eggs and half of the flour. Mix to combine, then add the rest of the flour. Mix. Knead until soft and elastic. Cover and let rise at 1 hour. Separate into 3 large pieces. Divide each piece into three more pieces. Roll into snakes and braid together. Let rise for about 1-2 hours or until almost double in size.

Brush with egg wash (1 egg + 1 T water) over bread. Sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds.
Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until nice and golden on top.
Makes 3 loaves

Chickpea Salad with Creamy Dill Ranch Dressing

I saw this recipe on Delish - they also gave nutrition facts - 90 calories per serving 2 grams of fat and 14 grams of fiber - all that and...well...Delish!
Chickpea Salad

1 can(s) chickpeas, rinsed
3 cup(s) cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
2 cup(s) grape tomatoes, halved (or cherry tomatoes)
1/4 cup(s) crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
1/4 cup(s) red onion, diced
1/2 cup(s) Creamy Dill Ranch Dressing, recipe follows
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Place chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, cheese, onion, dressing and pepper in a medium bowl. Mix until coated.

Creamy Dill Ranch Dressing
1 small shallot, peeled
3/4 cup(s) nonfat cottage cheese
1/4 cup(s) reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoon(s) buttermilk powder
2 tablespoon(s) white-wine vinegar
1/4 cup(s) nonfat milk
1 tablespoon(s) fresh dill, chopped
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
1/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper

With the food processor running, add shallot through the feed tube and process until finely chopped. Add cottage cheese, mayonnaise, buttermilk powder and vinegar. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary, about 3 minutes. Pour in milk while the processor is running. Scrape down the sides, add dill, salt and pepper and process until combined.

*I didn't have red onion, so I used yellow

**I also didn't have feta - wish I did!