Homemade French Bread

Homemade French Bread

2 tablespoons dry yeast I prefer SAF brand
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups warm water*
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon (yes tablespoon!) sea or Kosher salt
5 tablespoons Olive oil, Canola or vegetable oil*
6 cups flour (4 cups bread flour and 1 1/2-2 cups All Purpose)

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.
In a separate large bowl combine warm water*, sugar, salt, oil and 3 cups of the flour. Stir well.

Add the yeast mixture to the warm water-flour mixture. Mix together with large wooden spoon or paddle attachment.

Add the remaining 3 cups of flour, a cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
After all of the flour is added and mixed in, let sit in bowl for 10 minutes.

When the dough has risen, stir down with a large spoon. If making in a stand mixer, turn the machine on low for a few seconds until the dough is deflated, and push dough to bottom part of bowl with a spatula.

Repeat 5 times, every ten minutes, for a total of 60 minutes of rising and then punching (or pushing) down.

Divide the dough in half. Roll each half of dough in a 9×12 rectangle on a floured surface.

Roll the dough up like a jelly roll (long way). Place the dough on a greased baking pan (jelly roll pan), with the seam side down. Both loaves will fit on one pan.

Score the bread across the top 3 or 4 times, and brush with beaten egg (if using).

Let rise for 20-30 minutes in warm place.

Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes in lower half of oven, until golden brown. Or you may bake at 350-375 convection for 18-20 minutes until golden.

Herbed Focaccia Bread

I made this and it was FANTASTIC!!! The only thing I'll do differently next time is make double! The loaf this made went in one sitting at the dinner table!

This Easy Herbed Focaccia Bread such a simple bread recipe to make, but the flavor is outstanding! This bread is light and airy, with a yummy olive oil saltiness and those fresh herbs bring the whole loaf to life.

2 c Bread flour, (or all-purpose)
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 c Water Warm
1 1/8 tsp Instant Yeast
1/2 tsp Granulated Sugar
Olive Oil
1 tsp Rosemary Fresh , chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)*
1 tsp Parsley Fresh, chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)*
1/2 tsp Thyme leaves Fresh , chopped (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)*
Maldon Flaked Sea Salt

In a glass bowl, add the flour and salt. Mix to combine.
In a glass measuring cup, mix the warm water, yeast and sugar. Allow to sit for a minute* and stir into the flour with a wooden spoon until the dough just comes together.
Cover the bowl with tight plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 8 hours or up to overnight.
Remove the bowl from the fridge.
In an 8-inch round cake pan, drizzle oil and place the dough in the center, tucking ends under.
Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise 2 hours.
Heat the oven to 450ºF.
Once risen the dough should fill the pan. Drizzle with additional oil and use your fingers to press holes down to the bottom of the pan but not through the dough.
Sprinkle with herbs and salt.
Place in the oven and turn down to 425ºF and bake 22-24 minutes or until golden.

*Yeast should bubble and foam up within a few minutes to let you know it's activated

The Cheesecake Factory 4 Cheese Pasta Dupe

We just got back from a soccer tournament in Las Vegas. I feel like we ate 24/7 - we always chose somewhere easy to get into. So our last dinner there was at the Cheesecake Factory.

Our 10 year old ordered this dish and she FELL IN LOVE. She took her leftovers back to the hotel and her sister (who chose to go bowling w her teammates instead of go with us) came back starved and asked to eat those leftovers - our 10 year old wouldn't share no matter what. I ended up promising her that I would find a dupe and make it for dinner later that week. It was a deal - so here is the recipe I followed! The only real difference in the one I made from all the other recipes out there is that I didn't add eggs - we have a child allergic so I just omitted them.

Doesn't look real pretty - but she was OVER THE MOON!

Cheesecake Factory 4 Cheese Pasta Dupe

8 oz Penne pasta
24 oz Marinara Sauce
1 c Ricotta
2 ¼ c Mozarella, grated
¼ c chopped fresh basil
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp pepper, freshly ground
4 Fresh mozzarella balls, cut into quarters
¾ c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Salt & pepper to taste

Garnish
2 T ricotta cheese
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 11x8-inch (3.5 Quart)baking dish.
In a large pot of boiling, lightly salted water, cook Penne pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain.
Meanwhile, while pasta is cooking, heat marinara sauce in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat.
In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella, fresh basil, garlic powder and pepper. Stir until well combined.
Add hot pasta and the heated marina sauce to the ricotta mixture. Stir until pasta is thoroughly coated with the creamy sauce.
Transfer pasta mixture to greased 11x8-inch (3.5 Quart) baking dish. Place quartered mozzarella balls evenly over top of pasta. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake, covered in 350°F oven for 25 minutes.
Remove foil and place under broiler for 3 to 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly.

Garnish: In a small bowl, combine 3 Tablespoons ricotta cheese and 2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Divide evenly among four individual servings and top with freshly chopped basil.

Christmas Caramels

Christmas Caramels!!

This is the first year we are going to do neighbor gifts in a long time! Our neighborhood participates in an Annual Food Drive that benefits the Utah Food Bank. We have a big get together in the neighborhood on donation night. Sometimes we watch a small version of the Nativity Scene, sometimes we have hot cocoa and listen to some of the beautiful voices in our neighborhood sing carols and this year, we had a full sit down dinner WITH short Nativity done by the kids in our neighborhood.

Food Donations and spending time together is IN LIEU of Neighbor Gifts. BUT - this year is a little different. We have been in this neighborhood for 8 years but just moved 1 street over almost a year ago. It's our first Christmas in our new house with our new neighbors. We live on a circle and we are the ONLY FAMILY on the street! Everyone else has lived here for years and their children have all grown up and moved away. We didn't see anyone from our little street at the Neighborhood Party but I wanted to let all of them know how much we love living here and that we appreciate them - so I came up with this!

I buy a 5 lb loaf of Peter's Caramel every year at Orson Gygi. It's a lot of caramel - but it stays good for such a long time - as long as it's stowed away in a zip top bag.

I bought the Caramel loaf in September and we've made a bunch of treats - well MAINLY white chocolate covered caramel apples with cinnamon sugar sprinkles (we are ALL obsessed!!)

It's a few days before Christmas and I came up with a brilliant idea! I already had the caramel loaf, I had the foresight to buy individual candy wrappers a few months ago - so here's what we did.

Lay parchment paper on a baking sheet. Put caramel loaf on top of the parchment paper. Set in the cold oven and heat to 200 degrees. When the oven reaches 200 degrees - turn it off. Pull the baking sheet out of the oven and set a piece of parchment paper on top of the caramel - then put the underside of a second baking sheet on top of that. Use the baking sheet to press the caramel into about a 1/2" sheet of caramel. I also used a rolling pin. If you need to - return it to the cooling down oven to get it a bit easier to work with.

Use a pizza cutter or food scraper to cut the large caramel slab into 1 1/2" rows. Then cut those rows down into about 1 1/2" pieces. Roll the caramel into a cohesive piece and wrap individually. 

We put them into a clear baggie - tie with some Merry Christmas ribbon and add a note!

Strawberry, Black Pepper & Basil Tea Sandwiches

I hosted a Nutcracker Tea Party last night before all the girls in my family went to see the Nutcracker (a tradition my girls and I started 14 years ago!)

I wanted to serve a few different tea sandwiches, but I wasn't sure which ones would be enjoyed by everyone. I came across this recipe and tested it out on some of my kids 19, 18 and 10. It passed their test - so I went for it! They were surprisingly good! I added our much loved balsamic glaze for that extra punch!

Strawberry, Black Pepper & Basil Tea Sandwiches

Soft white bread

Strawberries (sliced 1/4 thin)

Black Pepper Boursin

Fresh basil

Nona's Balsamic glaze

I was worried about the cheese tearing the soft white bread - so I let it sit out for about an hour before I used it. It spread very easily after that.

Use an offset spatula/knife to spread the cheese on both sides of the white bread. On the bottom piece of the bread, add 2 strawberries, a small piece (1/2" size) fresh basil, drizzle with balsamic glaze and top with the top piece of bread. I cut these into squares - so I got 4 sandwiches from 2 pieces of bread.

*TIPS: I made several sandwiches yesterday so I learned a few tricks to make it go a bit quicker. I cut the crusts off all the bread for the type of sandwich I was going to make first. Then - I added the spread - THEN I cut them into squares and topped them. I also wiped the knife clean when it got too goopy.

Also, after assembling the sandwiches I put a damp paper towel over them so they wouldn't dry out.

When I finished each type - I covered them with plastic wrap and refrigerated them until it was time to eat. 

Next time I think I will assemble all the sandwiches except for the Cucumber Tea Sandwiches the night before. Then I will assemble the Cucumber Tea Sandwiches just before serving.

Peppermint Pie

I saw this on social media - and it is THE EASIEST, FASTEST, MOST DELICIOUS Holiday dessert I have ever made or eaten!

My kids went absolutely CRAZY for it. So crazy, that I've made it TWICE already in the last 2 days.

Peppermint Pie

1/2 gallon Peppermint Ice Cream (we like Farr's)

1 Oreo Pie Crust

1 c Milk Chocolate Chips

1/2 c Heavy Whipping Cream

Let the ice cream sit out for a bit to let it soften so it will be easier to manipulate. 

Scoop the ice cream into the pie crust and spread out into the entire area. Put the pie into the freezer to set up.

Combine the chocolate chips and cream in a microwave safe bowl. Melt for 60 seconds. Then melt at 30 second intervals until combined. 

Let the ganache sit and firm up a bit while the ice cream is setting. It won't completely set up - initially I made too much and kept it covered on the countertop and used the rest the next day when I made another one.

When you are ready to eat - pour the ganache on top of the pie. Garnish with peppermints, candy cane pieces or red and green sprinkles!

No Bake Chocolate Cream Pie

My girls LUUUV a no bake chocolate pie. They volunteer to make it every Thanksgiving and definitely would make it more often if we had Jell-O pudding on hand! I saw this recipe on Six Sisters Stuff and knew my girls had to try it for this Thanksgiving coming up. I'll post a picture and give a review as soon as they make it!

No Bake Chocolate Cream Pie
3 ounces cream cheese softened
2 Tablespoons sugar
1¾ cups milk divided
8 ounces Cool Whip Whipped Topping 1 container, divided
1 Oreo Cookie Pre Made Pie Crust (9 inches)
3.9 ounces instant chocolate pudding mix 1 package
mini chocolate chips optional

Instructions
In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and 1 Tablespoon milk until smooth (I used an electric mixer, but you could also do it by hand).
Fold in 1 cup Cool-Whip topping and mix well.
Spread mixture evenly into the bottom of the crust.
In another mixing bowl, whisk pudding mix and remaining milk for 2 minutes.
Let pudding stand for 2-3 minutes or until it is soft-set (just barely setting up).
Gently spoon pudding mixture on top of cream cheese mixture and spread carefully.
Place in the fridge until set (1-2 hours or longer if needed).
Just before serving, top with remaining Cool Whip topping and mini chocolate chips (if using).

Monster Munch

Monster Munch! A fun spin on chex mix!! My kids and their friends loved it!

Monster Munch
5 ounces pretzels
2 ½ cups Apple Jax Halloween version
2 ½ cups Corn Chex
2 cups M & M's chocolate candies Halloween edition
2 cups white chocolate chips (12 ounce bag)
1 ½ Tablespoons vegetable oil
Candy eyeballs

In a VERY large bowl (or two medium bowls), combine the first 6 ingredients. Set aside.

In a microwave safe bowl, heat white chips and oil on high for 60 seconds (you could also melt chocolate and oil in a double boiler pan).

Stir and microwave for another 30 seconds and stir until completely melted and smooth (you may need to microwave for a couple more seconds).

Pour melted chocolate over cereal mix and stir until all the cereal is evenly covered with white chocolate.

Spread cereal mix on 2 large baking sheets (I used cookie sheets) lined with wax paper.

Let cool and then break apart into chunks.

Store in an airtight container.

*This time I added Hocus Pocus cereal (it has purple, orange and green cereal and tiny cereal marshmellows)

BEST BLT's

BEST BLT's
10 Slices Sour Dough Bread
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 lb Thick or Thin Sliced Bacon cooked, (preference is thin and use multiple for me as it's easier to eat)
1 Cup Dukes Mayo if possible
2 Cloves Garlic
Pinch Salt
2-3 Fresh Tomatoes beefsteak are best
1 Head Iceberg or Green Leaf Lettuce
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and melt the butter in the pan.
Place each piece of bread face down on the skillet and cook on one side until golden and toasted. Repeat with all the pieces of bread. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise and garlic and whisk together.
Slice your tomatoes fairly thick and season well with salt and pepper.
Prepare your lettuce.

Assemble your sandwiches right before serving by spreading the mayo mixture on the untoasted side of all the pieces of bread.

Top one piece of mayo'd bread with several pieces of lettuce, slices of seasoned tomatoes and as much bacon as you want. Then place another piece of mayo'd bread on top (mayo side down of course!) Repeat with all the rest of your bread and ingredients.

*Got this recipe from Oh Sweet Basil

Biz's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Every once in a while Biz gets bored and decides to bake. My other daughters get SO EXCITED - of course to eat the dessert - but it's extra special because I personally VERY RARELY bake. My son is allergic to eggs - so even when I tried recipes for desserts with egg substitutes or no eggs at all and he just wasn't impressed or interested and to be honest - they just weren't that good.

Last week she got bored and found a recipe online and then tweaked it and made this recipe and MAN-O-MAN we all flipped out! They were the best, softest, yummiest cookies we've ever had. We never want to lose this recipe! The cookies were eaten so fast we didn't get a picture - but next time for sure!

Biz's Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c sugar
1 3/4 c AP flour
1/2 c melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 c Milk chocolate chips*

Throw everything into one large bowl and mix. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 7-10 minutes.

(Biz just added that she likes to melt a little butter and add it on top when the cookies come out of the oven!!)

*Can use semi-sweet but we LOVE milk chocolate!

Mini Individual Pizookies

Mini Individual Pizookies

Mini Pizookies
1 cup Butter divided
1 cup Brown Sugar
½ cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 cups + 2 Tablespoons Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
½ teaspoon Salt
1 ½ cups Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a skillet, melt 4 Tablespoons of butter over medium heat stirring often, until it starts to bubble and is completely melted.

In mixing bowl, cream together remaining 12 Tablespoons of butter, sugar, and brown sugar for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Drizzle in warm, melted butter and cream for 1 minute longer.

Add eggs and vanilla and stir well.

Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt.

Mix in chocolate and stir to combine.

Place in ramekins and chill for 30 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 18-24 or until the edges are lightly golden brown, depending on the depth of the ramekin. Let set up for 4-5 minutes.

Top with vanilla bean ice cream and eat warm.

West's Favorite Salad

M goes to Lake Powell every summer with a bunch of friends. The Mom who is in charge of everything is a GENIUS. M always comes home raving about everything including the food.

She got this recipe from Mrs. West and said "Mom - this is literally the best salad on the planet." Quite the salesperson!

West's Favorite Salad

Romaine Lettuce
Cardini's Caesar Dressing
Sugared almonds
Red grapes
Grated Swiss and parmesan
Bowtie pasta
Grilled chicken breast

Sugared Almonds: add almonds with about 1/2 cup sugar in a pan on the stove top. Cook until the sugar sticks.

Boil pasta according to package directions. Don't rinse. Add dressing and stir to combine. Let chill for an hour or longer. Just before serving - combine everything else and eat!

EASY PEACH CRISP

My husband went to the grocery store the other day and brought home peaches and plums. He told us that growing up he used to love them. Plums reminded him of boating and peaches reminded him of summer - a couple of fun memories he had never shared with me before! He mentioned his love of peach crisp - also - one I've never heard before.

A few days later I tried one of those peaches and man o man was it delicious!! So I set about to surprise him and with research - I found this recipe for Peach Crisp - I changed it a bit - went heavy on the crisp since I know that is more of what my kids love. 

EASY PEACH CRISP

FILLING:

3 pounds peaches, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch slices (3 large fresh peaches & 2 cans of peaches)
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

TOPPING:

1 c all-purpose flour
1 c brown sugar
1 c rolled old-fashioned oats
1/2 c butter, cold but slightly soft
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
dash salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and grease an 8x8 square baking dish.

Prepare the filling: In a large bowl, add the sliced peaches, white sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt. Toss until well coated and pour into prepared pan.

For the Topping: In a medium bowl, add the flour, brown sugar, oats, butter, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix together with a pastry cutter, fork or use clean hands to make sure the topping is well combined. Sprinkle over the peach filling.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until topping is brown and crisp. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Frozen Lemon Pie

Frozen Lemon Pie

2 cups heavy cream
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 large lemon juiced, then zested, 

1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 pre-made graham cracker crust

For the filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Transfer to a medium bowl and refrigerate.

In the same mixing bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Slowly pour in the condensed milk and continue to mix until incorporated and smooth. Add the lemon zest and juice and salt and beat on medium-high speed until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. 

If necessary, transfer the mixture to a large bowl to allow for the whipped cream. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the whipped cream.

To assemble: Spoon the filling into the crust. Freeze the pie for at least 6 hours, up to 12 hours.

For the topping: Zest a lemon over top and add 2-4 lemon twists in the center. 

Frozen Strawberry Pie

Frozen Strawberry Pie
2 cups heavy cream
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 large lemons, 1 zested, both juiced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pint strawberries, lightly crushed
1 Tbsp dark brown sugar

1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1 pre-made graham cracker crust

For the filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Transfer to a medium bowl and refrigerate.

In the same mixing bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Slowly pour in the condensed milk and continue to mix until incorporated and smooth. Add the lemon zest and juice and salt and beat on medium-high speed until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. If necessary, transfer the mixture to a large bowl to allow for the whipped cream. Use a rubber spatula to fold the strawberries into the filling mix, then fold in the whipped cream.

To assemble: Spoon the filling into the crust. Freeze the pie for at least 6 hours, up to 12 hours.

For the topping: In a medium bowl, toss the strawberries with the brown sugar and vinegar. Remove the pie from the freezer, top with the strawberry mixture and serve.

Decadent Mac and Cheese

In the last year this Macaroni has officially become our family favorite. I don't make any other version - unless I'm cheating and make Cracker Barrel Sharp White Cheddar - LOL. 

Decadent Mac and Cheese via Kardea Brown

1/4 cup unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the dish

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound elbow macaroni
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more if needed
4 ounces cream cheese
One 16-ounce block sharp Cheddar, shredded
1 1/2 cups extra-sharp Cheddar, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
2 large eggs (egg replacer)
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with butter.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the macaroni and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 7 minutes. Strain in a colander, run cold water over the pasta and set aside.
Using the same pot the macaroni was cooked in, melt the 1/4 cup butter over medium heat, add the flour and whisk until smooth. While whisking constantly, slowly add the milk and then the cream. Bring to a simmer, add the cream cheese and the shredded Cheddar except for 1/2 cup and stir until melted. Stir in the granulated garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove the cheese sauce from the heat and stir in the macaroni. Season with salt and pepper.
Whisk together the eggs and sour cream in a small bowl and then fold into the macaroni and cheese. Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish, fold in the cubed Cheddar and top with the reserved 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar. Bake until the top just begins to brown, about 20 minutes. Loosely cover with foil and bake 10 to 15 minutes more.

Glazed Grilled Pineapple

One of my kids begged for grilled pineapple tonight. This is the first time since last summer we've made it - so I hopped on here to find the recipe - and whaddya know? I've never written it down! DUH!!

I probably haven't written it down because we don't really use measurements.

Glazed Grilled Pineapple

1/2 c butter
1/4 c honey
2 Tbsp hot sauce (we love Cholula Sweet Habanero)

Cut your pineapple into spears (or rounds). Put the butter, honey and hot sauce in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high in 30 second intervals until the butter is melted and the honey has thinned. Baste the pineapple with the glaze and grill until it's done to your likeness - my husband usually grills them right before we sit down - takes 10 to 15 minutes at 400 degrees on the Traeger. 

Everyone goes NUTS for these!! We always make ton - and they are always the first to go!

Avocado Quinoa Salad

Thought of this one on the spot with what we had.

There are 2 pictures because my family ate SO MUCH of this salad - I was lucky that I had premade quinoa in my fridge and more avocados - so that I could enjoy it too!! I'm telling you - every. single. one. of my 4 kids and my husband couldn't get enough. The top picture is the quinoa, avocado and dressing (mine). The bottom picture is the very last of the salad my youngest (who literally lived on dry cereal and quesadillas for 2 years - very recently) scraped into her bowl for a second helping.

Avocado Quinoa Salad
2 c quinoa
1/3 c diced onion
1 c diced cucumber
2 avocados diced
1/3 c Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette

Greek Feta Salad

Greek Feta Quinoa Salad

2 c quinoa

1 medium cucumber, sliced and cut into fourths
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/4 red onion, chopped
1 can medium olives, drained
1/3 - 1/2 c Feta Greek salad dressing
1/4-1/3 cup feta cheese crumbles

Add all vegetables to a medium bowl and stir to combine. Add the quinoa and salad dressing and stir. Top with the feta cheese crumbles. Serve immediately.

Red Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mangos

This salad is a big winner with my teenagers. They've been packing it for school lunch. It's so delicious - even at room temperature!

Red Quinoa Salad With Black Beans & Mangos

1 c. red or white quinoa, dry (cooked according to directions)

2-3 avocados
2 mangoes, diced
1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper (or 4 baby ones), finely chopped
1 can corn, rinsed
1 can low sodium black beans, rinsed
1 c. tomatoes, chopped (I prefer grape or cherry tomatoes)
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely diced (optional)
½ red onion, finely chopped

I used Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette as the dressing - it makes everything taste good!!

*Suggested Dressing

1 lime, squeezed
2-3 T. red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
S & P to taste

Cook quinoa according to directions & chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. You can cook it in advance up to a day or two before.

Chop all ingredients and toss them together in a bowl.
Drizzle with vinegar, lime juice & oil. Make sure your oil is extra virgin and if possible, get a good vinegar from the health food store that is “raw.” Then you will reap the good health benefits from your vinegar!

Pistachio Grilled Salmon

I saw this on tv and it sounded good. I thought it was going to be spicy because of the Mike's Hot and the red pepper - but it wasn't. My youngest refuses to eat anything remotely spicy and she LOVED it!

Pistachio Grilled Salmon

2 lb. salmon filet 

¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp. Mike’s Hot Honey
1 lemon juiced
½ tsp. salt
½ cup chopped roasted pistachios
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated fine
Pinch of red pepper flakes
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat your grill to 400 degrees.
Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
Place the salmon on the lined baking sheet. (In the center)
In a small bowl combine the olive oil, honey, lemon, and salt. Whisk to combine. Then drizzle it onto the salmon filet covering generously.
In the pistachio bowl, combine the pistachios, breadcrumbs, cheese, and parsley. Gently mix and the place the mixture on top of the salmon filet.
Place the baking sheet with seasoned salmon onto the grill (or even your oven) and grill for 16-20 minutes, until the salmon is tender and flaky. 

*My kids drizzled theirs with a balsamic reduction. 

Quatro Verde Citrus Salad

This salad is INCREDIBLE. INCREDIBLE. I'm not a huge fan of kale and I don't like olives in general - but OMG. This completely changed my mind about those ingredients! The olives ALONE had me eating them one by one - I had to stop myself from eating them all before I made the salad for my family.

Quatro Verde Citrus Salad

Dressing
2 lemons, zest and juice
2 Tbsp honey
1 shallot, medium, finely chopped
2/3 c olive oil, extra virgin
black pepper, crushed

2 Tbsp sugar

Salad
2 bunch Lacinato Kale (a.k.a. blue dinosaur) stemmed & chopped

1 c basil, chopped
1 c green olives, divina chili and tangerine marinated
1 avocado
4 oz dubliner cheese, micro bladed (sub with parmesan or romano)

Whisk together all the ingredients for the marinade and set aside. I made this ahead of time so it had time to marry a bit.
Remove the stems from the kale and chop.
Pour the dressing over the kale and massage it into the leaves to soften and distribute the dressing evenly.
Top with the additional salad ingredients and toss. Enjoy!

Super Bowl LVI

 We hosted the Super Bowl this year and I did some fun charcuterie boards! Look how fun!!

Ultimate Quick Ramen

Ultimate Quick Ramen

3 qt. stock pot

Ramen noodles

Add 1/8 c better than bouillon (chicken)
1/8 c miso paste
1 T ginger
1 T Gochujang
1 tsp worcestershire
1 T Hoisin sauce

diced green onions - whites and green parts

mint

cilantro

Pot stickers

Fried egg

Fill stock pot 3/4 of the way with water. Add bouillon, miso, ginger, gochujang, Worcestershire and hoisin. Bring to a boil. Whisk ingredients to make sure they are all incorporated. Add Ramen noodles and cook per package directions (3 minutes). 

Add additional toppings. Tonight we had potstickers, fried eggs, green onions, mint and cilantro. 

Hot Dog Burnt Ends

Labor Day without all the labor!!

Hot Dog Burnt Ends

Two 8-count packages hot dogs
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
2 tablespoons barbecue rub, preferably Hey Grill Hey Signature Sweet Rub
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Prepare a smoker or charcoal grill for indirect cooking at 225 degrees F.
Slather the hot dogs with the yellow mustard and sprinkle all over with the rub. Add wood to the smoker or grill, then place the hot dogs directly on the grill grates, close the lid and smoke for 1 hour.
Remove the hot dogs and slice into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Increase the heat on your smoker or grill to 375 to 400 degrees F. Place the hot dog pieces in a disposable baking pan. Top with the butter, brown sugar and barbecue sauce. Place the pan of hot dog burnt ends on the grill grates and cook, stirring regularly, until the butter is melted and the sugars have started to caramelize on the hot dogs, an additional 15 to 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Snack Attack

I've gotten B.U.S.Y!! Like INSANELY busy. We have AT LEAST 6 soccer games our kids are playing in every. single. week. We often get home after 8pm week nights and still haven't eaten dinner! 

A lot has dropped off my plate.   

I have decided that one thing I can do right before I run out the door to get the girls from school is provide them a PLENTIFUL snack (first dinner) with some healthy stuff and some fun stuff! 

Here's an example of a board I did earlier in the week...

Blueberry yogurt covered pretzels
Mini Bagels
Chive and onion cream cheese
Brown sugar and cinnamon cream cheese
Mini pretzels (these were tiny bats!)
Smartfood popcorn
Goldfish crackers
Gummy bears
Mango slices (dried)
Deli ham rolled up with colby jack cheese
Pirouline cookies

Egg Breakfast Muffins

We go back to school tomorrow!!! How did that happen? In a rush today with last minute details - but I did manage to try out this idea and it was a BIG HIT!! Super easy and delicious.

Egg Breakfast Muffins

12 large eggs
Salt
1 c ham or sausage cooked and diced
1/2 - 1 c pico or your favorite salsa
1 c whatever shredded cheese you have

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray
In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs. Add in remaining ingredients and mix together.
Scoop 1/3 cup of mixture into each muffin spot
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the center of the muffin is completely cooked.

Six Cans Away!

This is a recipe I threw together as a "tester" for my too soon to be college Freshman. I wanted to make it in the crock pot I'm sending with him and I wanted to have his approval taste-wise before I committed. 

This recipe is perfect for when you are tired, hungry, poor - game night busy - all of the above! You can grab these 6 cans (plus taco seasoning) and have a delicious, filling meal in no time flat - or waiting for you when you come home... so I'm calling it Six Cans Away - bc you are literally 6 cans away from exactly what you need.

Six Cans Away!!!

1 15 oz can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 15 oz can pinto beans (drained and rinsed)

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (drained)
1 15 oz can sweet corn (drained)
1 10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 10 oz can green enchilada sauce
1 packet taco seasoning mix

Throw everything together and heat up on the stove top on Medium Low until warm (20 minutes).

OR

Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
Pour all the ingredients into slow cooker and stir together.
Cook on low heat for 2 hours.

Serve as a SOUP by adding 14 oz can of chicken broth.
Serve as MACHO NACHOS with shredded cheddar cheese and tortilla chips.
Serve as a BURRITO in a flour tortilla.

AMP IT UP with an 8 oz block of Velveeta cheese melted in for the ultimate queso.

*Add left over chicken or ground beef to AMP it up

Coq au Vin Blanc

My husband and I celebrated another Anniversary and this year we decided to go French. We went to a quaint Victorian home built in 1878 that has been converted into a restaurant. It was AMAZING. If you are in our neck of the woods - eat at The Charleston in Draper.

We started our meal with the Baked Brie appetizer - served with figs, strawberries, crostini and honey. For our entrees - my husband had the Gaucho Steak 7oz grilled Filet Mignon, celery root & potato puree, garlic sautéed shrimp, grilled asparagus, and Argentinian Chimichurri vinaigrette served on the side so delicious - and I had the Coq!! 

It brought back so many memories of the years I spent living in Brussels. Here is the description of the dish on their menu: Chicken braised with white wine, heavy cream, carrots, celery, mushrooms, lardons, leeks over creamy celery root & potato puree

Coq au Vin Blanc
1 3 1/2-pound chicken, in 10 pieces without backbone, dried
Salt and ground white pepper
4 oz pancetta (or bacon in a pinch)
8 oz white pearl onions (frozen)
1 med onion, finely chopped
1/2 lb celery cut diagonally into 1 inch pieces
1/2 lb carrots cut diagonally into 1 inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, sliced
9 ounces oyster mushrooms, trimmed, clumps separated
2 cups chardonnay (or chicken stock)
1 cup heavy cream
2 T butter (unsalted or black truffle)

Cook the pancetta until crisp in a 4-quart stovetop creuset. Remove pancetta and drain on a paper towel. Add the chicken, skin side down, as many pieces as fit comfortably. Cook until lightly browned, season with salt and pepper and turn to brown other side. Remove to a platter when done and repeat with the remaining chicken.

Reduce heat, add the pearl onions to casserole and toss in fat until lightly browned. Add the chopped onion, celery, carrots and garlic, cook until softened, and stir in the mushrooms. When they wilt, return chicken, onion, garlic and bacon to the pan, pour wine all over, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes.

Add cream and simmer for 10 minutes longer. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

Now to just make it and tweak it to perfection. Also - on the hunt for a recipe for the insane celery root and potato puree!! 

Chips and Dips

We had an Olympic Party for the 2020 (2021) Tokyo Summer Olympics!!!

There are 6 of us. Sweetness works his butt off. Literally dawn to dusk and beyond. He also travels. Just to give you an example - this week he literally left our house Monday early early - got home Tuesday night expecting to stay the night and had a customer ask him to be at a location 3 hours away at 6am. He ate dinner with us and was out the door. 

Our oldest is currently working a summer job full time in anticipation of his Freshman year at college. #2 is busy with soccer, work and social life. It's a struggle to get the 6 of us together. 

It's honestly the hardest phase so far in my life - and that is saying a lot! I'm probably just saying that because I'm in that phase - but whatever. 

In hopes of making the most of what could be the last year with our six pack - I bought a book called Adventure Challenge (family version) I'll link it when I get a sec. I had each of my kids randomly pick a challenge (scratch off) and be in charge of that challenge - I went along with them and paid - left all the planning up to the child. I was hoping to accomplish at least 4 challenges on our 3 day trip together - but we only got around to 2 of them. 2 more to go - posts to follow. 

Then I was SO INSPIRED by a segment I saw on Studio 5 that I wanted to do an Olympic party as well. Considering our schedules - I decided to combine several things into one 90 minute 6 pack moment.

CHIPS and DIP ideas: 

Rosemary, Black Pepper & Parmesan Chips

Lemon, Pink Peppercorn & Asiago Chips

Lime, Chile & Coijita Chips

Basil, Roasted Garlic & Romano Chips

Orange, White Pepper, & Manchego Chips

Specialty Chips Recipe: 14 oz bag Sea Salt Kettle Chips •Fine grated cheese of choice •Pepper, and spice of choice. •Infused olive oil, of choice

Line baking sheet with parchment. Place chips on sheet in a thin layer. Spray lightly with oil, or drizzle and toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese, and pepper, or spice. If desired, bake at 350 until hot. Cool.
Serve with specialty dips!

Specialty Dips

BBQ Spice • 2 tsp 

Hearty Garlic • 1 1/2 tsp 

Beer Can Classic • 1 1/2 tsp 

Parmesan Alfredo • 2 tsp 

Nantucket •1 tsp

Stir above choice of spice mix into 1 cup sour cream. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Alright. I am known for my Chicken Enchiladas. I taught my daughter, Biz, to make these a couple years ago and she makes these every couple months and always gets rave reviews. 

Another of my daughters, Maisie, just came back from a trip with her friends and told me she helped make Chicken Enchiladas that in her opinion are even BETTER than ours. Having lived in New Mexico for several years - I was shocked - and I immediately knew we just HAD to make this new recipe to get a verdict from all 6 of us.

To be honest - this recipe looks much more "Utah" and "kid" friendly than my New Mexican recipe - but I live in Utah - and I have kids - so - bring. it. on.

This recipe is from Six Sisters Stuff - a popular food blog.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
Marinade
6 Tablespoons honey
5 Tablespoons lime juice
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and shredded

Enchiladas
16 ounces green enchilada sauce divided
10 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
1 cup heavy cream

Whisk together marinade ingredients and toss with shredded chicken in a resealable gallon-sized bag or airtight container.
Let chicken mixture marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, but preferably a few hours. I watched the video on this recipe - and she actually said she prefers an overnight marinade.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Pour 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9 X 13 inch baking pan.
Fill the tortillas with chicken, saving marinade (if any left), and shredded cheese, reserving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas.
Placed rolled (not tucked burrito) tortillas into prepared pan.
Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with heavy cream and leftover marinade, if any, and pour on top of enchiladas.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for 30 minutes or until brown and crispy on top.

Sheet Pan Sausage and Pepper Hoagie's

I had my soon to be on his own son make this for dinner the other night - HUGE HIT!!! And BONUS - SO incredibly easy!!!

Sheet Pan Sausage and Pepper Hoagie's

6 hoagie or sub rolls
3 bell peppers (red, yellow and/or orange), seeded and cut into large chunks
2 red onions, trimmed and cut into quarters
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
12 Italian sausages (hot and/or sweet)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup whole-grain mustard

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Toast the rolls on a sheet pan for 5 minutes. Set aside. Lower the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.

Spread the peppers and onions on the sheet pan. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with the sage, salt and some pepper and toss, breaking up the onions a bit as you do. Nestle the sausages in and around the vegetables. Bake until the sausages are cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, create your sandwich spread. Mix together the mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.

Transfer the sausages to a cutting board and slice into coins. Spread each roll with as much or as little sandwich spread as you want, then load up with sliced sausage and roasted vegetables.

Chef Salad

 

Chef Salad
Ham, diced
Turkey, diced
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Hard boiled egg, sliced
Cucumbers, diced
Lettuce, chopped
Ranch dressing

Croutons*

Chop lettuce and put in your bowl. Top with all other ingredients and eat!!

*My FAVORITE "croutons" are the premade Crostini from Harmons. If you can't find them - get a baguette, thinly slice, drizzle with evoo, sprinkle with salt and bake at 450 degrees for a couple minutes until they get brown on the edges.

Cheater Millionaire Bars

Cheater Millionaire Bars

15 whole chocolate graham crackers
2 c chopped semisweet chocolate or Chocolate sauce
1/4 c coconut oil
1 c M and Ms
2/3 c Twix, chunked up*
2/3 c Snickers or Kit Kat, chunked up
2/3 c Milky Way, chunked up
27 oz dulce de leche or caramel

Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with an even layer of cooking spray. Lay the graham crackers out on the baking sheet in a single layer. Set aside.
Add the chopped semisweet chocolate to a heatsafe mixing bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Add the coconut oil to the bowl with the chocolate and allow it to melt. Heat, stirring, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Leave the mixture in the pan, over the water, until ready to use.
In a separate bowl, add the chopped chocolate candies and candy bars and mix to combine.
Spoon the dulce de leche into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 15-second increments, stirring in between to make sure it doesn't burn, until slightly softened and more spreadable. The time needed will vary on your microwave--roughly 30 to 90 seconds.
Scoop the warm dulce de leche onto the graham cracker base and spread it nearly to the edges using an offset spatula.
Give the melted chocolate and coconut oil mixture a quick stir and pour it over the dulce de leche, spreading it evenly with a clean offset spatula. Working quickly, sprinkle the candies over the top of the dulce de leche.
Transfer the baking sheet to the fridge and chill, uncovered, until set, about 2 hours. Once chilled, carefully remove from the baking sheet to a cutting board. Using a long serrated knife, cut the slab into 30 roughly 2-inch squares. Smaller is better as they're rich! Serve cold or at room temperature.

*Chunked Up = chopped into bite sized pieces.

Pepperoni Pizza Queso

Pepperoni Pizza Queso

2 T vegetable oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
One 10-oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles
One 4.5-oz can chopped green chiles
8 oz Velveeta, cubed
4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
4 oz mozzarella, shredded
4 oz fontina, shredded
2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
Milk, as needed
1 t fresh oregano, torn `
1 small jalapeno pepper, diced
1 c sliced pepperoni, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, small dice
2 T fresh basil leaves, torn
Tortilla chips or Doritos, for serving

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes and green chiles and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and stir in the processed cheese until smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Cheddar, mozzarella, fontina and Parmesan until melted. If it is too thick, add room temperature milk to thin it out; if milk is needed, add it slowly, stirring in between additions to make sure you achieve the desired consistency.
Stir in the oregano, most of the jalapeno (saving a pinch or two for garnish), 3/4 cup of the pepperoni and half of the tomatoes.
Transfer the queso to a serving dish. Garnish with the remaining pepperoni, jalapenos, and tomatoes, as well as the basil leaves. Serve with chips.

Raspberry Salad

Raspberry Salad

1-2 heads of Romain - or your favorite salad greens - chopped
1 can Mandarin Oranges drained
1 c Celery, diced
1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced
1 can Pineapple Chunks drained
4 Green Onions chopped - white and green parts
1 cup Raspberries
1 cup Cashews - or your favorite nut 

Dressing 

3/4 Cup White Sugar
1 Teaspoon Dry Mustard
2 1/2 Tablespoons White Vinegar
2 1/2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Diced or grated Red Onion
1 Cup Canola Oil
1 1/2 Tablespoons of Poppy Seeds

In a large platter, flat to spread out, arrange the lettuce with all of the other ingredients on top, leaving the cashews to be added right before serving, so as to not get soggy. Sometimes it's also nice to just arrange the ingredients around the side, so everyone can take what they want if it is being served family style in a casual setting.
Drizzle the dressing and top with cashews, serve immediately.

For the Dressing
Blend the sugar, mustard and vinegars on high until thoroughly mixed, this should only need a few pulses. Turn off the blender. Add the red onion. Turn the blender back on and in a slow, steady stream drizzle in the canola oil. Add in the poppy seeds and give the blender a few quick pulses to mix in the poppy seeds.
Chill and serve over the salad.

Instant Pot Refried Beans

Yummy!!!

Instant Pot Refried Beans
6 Cups Dry Pinto Beans12 Cups Chicken Broth (*see note)
2 1/2 Teaspoons Ground Cumin
1 1/2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
1 1/2 Teaspoons Onion Powder
2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
2 Teaspoons Salt

Toppings:
Cotija Cheese
Jalapenos , sliced
Salsa or tomatoes
Cilantro , chopped
Sliced Limes

Dump the beans in a large bowl and cover completely with water. Allow to soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse the beans.

Dump the beans into the instant pot.
Add the chicken broth and water (we use all chicken broth) and put the lid on with the valve on seal.
Turn the instant pot on to high pressure for 30 minutes.

Allow a natural release for 10 minutes and then quick release.

Drain all of the liquid off of the beans, reserving 2 cups of the liquid.

Add 1 cup of the liquid back in the pot along with all seasonings and using a potato masher, smash the beans. Add more liquid as needed from the second reserved cup.
Serve with toppings if desired.

Notes
*You can substitute some broth with water if you want to cut calories or sodium, just make sure the total amount of liquid is 12 cups. You will lose some flavor the more water you use. You can easily halve or even quarter this recipe. It's 1 cup of beans to 2 cups of water and reserve only 1/2 cup of the liquid for mashing.
Refried beans will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Lemon Dressing

 

To be honest - I REALLY have to LOVE a salad dressing to make it from scratch. I'm very adept at finding a store bought replacement for most of the homemade dressings I like on my array of salads.

This one BREAKS all the rules. I've never had anything like it - and although I searched my heart out and now have several Lemon Dressings in my refrigerator - nothing comes close.

Lemon Dressing
1 Cup Lemon Juice use as much fresh as you can (about 5 lemons)
1/2 Cup Oil canola or vegetable
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Ginger ground
1/8 Cup Lemon Zest 2 tablespoons

Zest 2 lemons.

Juice all the lemons - a great trick is to microwave them for 15-20 seconds before cutting them in half - it will yield more juice. Add all other ingredients and shake until combined. 

Serve on top of anything you fancy! I love it on this Strawberry Salad with Lemon Dressing

Strawberry Salad with Lemon Dressing

I AM OBSESSED with this salad - and this salad dressing!!!

I crave it like crazy. I made the dressing a few days ago and I've served it for dinner every night since. We've come up with some great substitutions to keep things fresh. My youngest and my husband aren't as crazy about the dressing as I am - so they've been using Brianna's Raspberry Poppy Seed Dressing instead.

I've made this salad the original way, the picture above is from tonight when we were out of spinach - but had romaine. We've also substituted quinoa for lettuce/spinach. SO GOOD!

Strawberry Salad with Lemon Dressing
Candied Almonds
1 Bunch Spinach baby, washed (or romaine or quinoa)
Strawberries sliced
Mandarin Oranges drained, or any other berry you have/love

Candied Almonds
1/2 Cup Almonds Slivered
2 Tablespoons Butter
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar or more
1 teaspoons Cinnamon

Toast the almonds over medium heat, watching carefully so as to not burn until slightly browning. Add butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Continue to cook, stirring frequently until brown sugar begins to bubble and stick to the almonds. Remove from heat and spread almonds on parchment paper to cool.

Dressing
1 Cup Lemon Juice use as much fresh as you can (about 5 lemons)
1/2 Cup Oil canola or vegetable
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Ginger ground
1/8 Cup Lemon Zest 2 tablespoons

Zest 2 lemons.

Juice all the lemons - a great trick is to microwave them for 15-20 seconds before cutting them in half - it will yield more juice. Add all other ingredients and shake until combined. 

Simple Corn on the Cob

Another recipe I make ALL THE TIME that I've never put on the blog. J is headed to college and asked me to include this recipe - so here goes...

I'll just tell you what I do and know that you can make adjustments regarding amount of cobs, etc.

Simple Corn on the Cob

8 Cobs of corn (shucked and cleaned)
Largest pot you own - filled 2/3 full with water
1 c milk

1 stick butter

Bring the pot of water to a boil. Turn heat down to medium and add milk and butter - simmer until butter is melted. Watch the pot carefully. The fat in the milk and the butter will cause it to foam and overflow in seconds if you turn your back.

Once the butter is melted - add the cobs. Cook for about 10 minutes. Use tongs to pull each cob out and rest on a plate to cool a bit.

The result? Sweet, buttery, perfect corn without having to slather it in butter!!

*We usually do full cobs of corn - but lately I've been breaking the cobs in half so we have 16 little servings.

Ironman Salad

Ironman Salad

Raw Kale
Edamame
Blueberries
Dried cranberries
Matchstick carrots (buy them already matched)
Red onions
Salted peanuts
Sunflower seeds
I added roasted salted pistachios

Dressing
Red wine vinegar
Honey
Raspberry puree
Dijon mustard
Seasoned rice wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
SEE SUPER CHEAT AT BOTTOM

It looks like a long list - but this really is a quick salad.
As with most salads - you just add the amounts pertaining to what you have on hand - and what your preference is for that ingredient.

With the Kale - you have to remove the rib (hard stalk) just tear the lettuce off the stalk.
Cook Edamame according to package directions and let cool - or remove from pod and let cool.
Slice or dice red onion (if you don't want an overpowering taste - soak the slices in ice water for about 10 minutes while your getting everything else ready).
If you want a SUPER CHEAT - you can buy Brianna's Raspberry Poppy Seed Dressing

Muffaletta Sandwich

This was a REAL crowd pleaser - and half of us don't particularly care for olives. This is Jeff Mauro's recipe:

 

Muffaletta Sandwich
1 large round boule or round Italian loaf bread or 4 individual ciabatta rolls

Olive Giardiniera Salad, recipe follows
1/4 pound sandwich sliced sharp provolone

1/4 pound sandwich sliced mortadella
1/4 pound sandwich sliced Genoa salami or sopresatta
1/4 pound sandwich sliced hot capicola *I used deli ham 

Olive Giardiniera Salad:
1 cup pitted green olives
1/2 cup drained roasted red peppers
1/2 cup hot giardiniera with oil (16 oz yields 4 helpings)
1/4 cup drained capers (a 3.5 oz bottle yields 2 batches)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh parsley

1 teaspoon sugar

**This Olive Giardiniera Salad makes EXACTLY enough for 1 boule or 4 individual ciabatta rolls.

Cut the loaf in half horizontally. Spread the Olive Giardiniera Salad crust to crust on both sides of the bread. Then, layer the cheese on the bottom, followed by high ribbons of the mortadella, salami and capicola. Cover with the top half of the bread and let sit 20 to 30 minutes so the salad's oil can soak into the bread. Cut into pie-shaped wedges and serve to the masses.

Olive Giardiniera Salad:
Put the olives, red peppers, giardiniera with oil, capers, vinegar, parsley and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 8 to 10 times until a coarse relish forms.

You can let this sit, in a Ziplock or Saran Wrap for a while... I've made ours 30 minutes in advance up to 3 hours in advance. 

Greek Pasta Salad

It's my Father In Law's birthday tomorrow and we want to make it a really special one for him. He LOVES salt - even more than I do! He also loves a little spice (like from a good peperoncini), the briny flavor of every kind of olive you can think of - so while a couple of my kids will only have a "no thank you bite" I only care whether or not Papa likes it!! I'll let you know how it goes with my picky kids!

Greek Pasta Salad
Bow tie pasta

Ken's Greek Salad Dressing (or your fave)
Cucumbers
Red onion, diced
Sundried tomatoes
Artichoke hearts (usually I have them in a can quartered)
Bell peppers, diced (multi colored)
Peperoncini (whole)
Feta, crumbled

Cook pasta to directions on package. Drain, rinse with cold water. Drain cold water off and add to a container with an air tight lid. Add about half the salad dressing to the pasta and put in the refrigerator while you prep everything else.

I peel, slice and quarter the cucumbers - do what ever you like! Then I dice about 1/2 a large red onion, dice the bell peppers (my favorite are red, orange and yellow - no thanks green!) Drain the artichokes and cut them into bite sized pieces. Do the same for the sundried tomatoes*

Combine all ingredients with the pasta that has been marinating in the Greek Dressing. Stir to combine and get that salad dressing all over the other ingredients.

Let refrigerate for as long as you can - at least 1 hour - I like to make the pasta/dressing the night before.

About 30 minutes before serving - check out how the dressing is doing. If it's had enough time - most of it should be absorbed into the pasta. Check for taste. I generally add the remainder of the dressing to keep the salad from being too dry while adding more flavor. Add the peperoncini's and feta very last - just before serving - if you are worried about the peperoncini's affecting the entire salad, serve them on the side.

*You can use cherry or grape tomatoes in lieu of sun dried

Oreo Cookie Strikes Again

Another Sunday - another batch of cookies - another recipe from Spencer Lawson here on SMALL KITCHEN SWEETS this batch was made by Miss Bee.

Oreo Style Cookies

1 cup vegetable shortening (we tried butter flavor this time)

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup Black Cocoa Powder
1/2 cup hot water
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
4 1/4 cups flour
Cookie crumbs/sprinkles/candy for decoration (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting
2 sticks unsalted butter (slightly cold)
2 8oz packages cream cheese (slightly cold)
6 cups powdered Sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream shortening and sugars together on medium-high speed for 5-7 minutes. The mixture will be light and fluffy and the sugar should be mostly dissolved. Add black cocoa powder and mix again to combine. Add hot water and extracts. Mix thoroughly.

Add eggs one at a time. Once mixed, add baking soda and salt. Mix thoroughly.

With the mixer off, add all of the flour. Pulse the mixer to incorporate. Then let the mixer run on medium-high speed for about 60-90 seconds to ensure the dough has fully come together. Turn mixer off.

Portion out large scoops of dough (2.5 - 3 oz). Place the balls of dough on a sheet tray and let them chill in the freezer for at least 10 minutes. You will bake them right out of the freezer which helps them stay fluffy and not spread out too much!

Bake for 12-14 minutes. (I usually rotate the pan halfway through baking.) The cookies will look slightly doughy, but don’t worry – they will continue to bake on the hot tray.
Cool for 10 minutes or until firm, then remove cookies to a cooling rack.

For extra flair, use a round cookie cutter to scoot each Oreo cookie into a perfect circle IMMEDIATELY after taking them out of the oven.

*Cream Cheese Frosting - we cheated and used store bought
In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, add butter and cream cheese. Mix together for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Add half of the powdered sugar (about 350 g) and mix for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides.
Add remaining powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix for 1 minute.
Switch to the whisk attachment and whip the frosting for 3-4 minutes.
Place bowl of frosting into the fridge for about 20 minutes (it will be quite runny and you need to do this step in order to pipe it on to the cookies)

Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe frosting on to cookie in either a round or zig zag pattern.
Sprinkle cookie crumbs, sprinkles, or other candy on to the top.