Mishi's Masterpieces

Proper English Cottage Pie

2011-09-20T11:47:00.000-07:00

So, I know I once posted a recipe and called it "British," which I suppose it is since it is a recipe from a BRITISH can. However, I would never call that a "proper" British pie (though I did like it). THIS recipe however actually TASTED British to me and it's good! I even got both of my little boys to eat it. My 15 month old ate it without a problem, but it took a lot more coaxing for my 3 year old. But he did eventually eat it ALL up! As an aside, when I lived in America, I often heard dishes like this called "shepherds pie." Here in the UK, I've learned that a shepherds pie has minced lamb. If you use minced (ground) beef, it's cottage pie. Just a little random fact for you! Enjoy!

Original recipe, here.

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (the reviews said the original 1/2 a tsp was a bit much, so I did a little less and liked the flavour)
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 tsp dried parsley
1 1/2 cups beef broth (I did closer to 2 cups based on the size of my bouillon cube over here, since you let the water boil off, it doesn't seem to matter too much)
1 tablespoon tomato paste (I used ketchup because I didn't have tomato paste)
salt and pepper to taste
4 potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup milk (you may want to try a little less depending on the consistency you want)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 pound shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C or gas mark 6).
To Make Meat Filling: Place a large skillet over medium heat. Crumble in ground beef and sauté 1 minute. Add onion and carrot, then continue to sauté until meat is no longer pink and onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Mix in flour, cinnamon, mixed herbs, and parsley.
In a small bowl, combine beef broth and tomato paste. Mix together, then add to beef mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Lower heat and simmer mixture for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until almost all of liquid has been absorbed. Spoon mixture into a 9 inch pie plate or similar sized pyrex.
To Make Potato Topping: Place diced potatoes in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and place over high heat. Allow to come to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Drain.
Mash potatoes until smooth, then add butter or margarine, followed by milk. Whip until fluffy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread potatoes over beef filling. Sprinkle with grated Cheddar cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, until top is browned and cheese is bubbly.

Chicken Continental

2011-09-18T13:51:00.000-07:00

Another recipe without a picture, but it's still a keeper! Tonight I was feeling way too tired to cook and I needed something fast. Some people have elaborate Sunday meals, but Sunday's tend to wipe me out and since I do a lot of intense cooking during the week, Sunday tends to be a "lazier" day. Well, tonight I was looking for something quick to cook based on the ingredients I had on hand in my bare cupboards and found this. Jeff pointed out that it tastes A LOT like rice-a-roni and I'd have to agree with him, BUT it's made from scratch so it's a lot healthier. (Really, I don't cook from a box...ever, unless you count brownies). Plus, it's easy and my boys LOVED it, which is a big plus! I modified the recipe slightly based on other reviews, but it was great! I just served it with some cooked carrots and fruit (I use fruit to bribe my 3 year old to eat, though he didn't need it for this meal!).

Original recipe, here.

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I cubed them first)
2 Tb butter
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 1/2 cups water
2 tsp dried parsley
2 cloves minced garlic
1 stalk of celery, diced
1/4 tsp salt
1 pinch ground break pepper
1 1/2 cups rice

Directions:

In a large skillet, brown the chicken in the butter. Stir in the soup, 1 1/2 cups of water, parsley, garlic, celery, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Add remaining 1 cup of water and stir in uncooked rice. Simmer (covered) for an additional 10 minutes, or until liquid has been absorbed.

Mmmm...I love quick, easy meals that my boys will eat! I make really involved meals way TOO often. Like the lasagna the other day that took THREE intensive hours to make and then my toddler refused to eat!

Creamy Jalapeno Dressing

2011-08-31T14:59:00.000-07:00

I've REALLY been slacking at posting on here, even though we've made loads of new recipes. Jeff reminded me the other day that I really need to post this dressing because we LOVED it and want to have an easy place to find it when we want it again. So, although I don't have a picture, here goes:

Original recipe, here. When we lived in Austin, this was our CSA farm, so we still get emails and love to check out the recipes. This recipe was originally meant to go with pulled pork tostadas also from that link (which we liked, but not really a killer recipe in my mind, but we LOVED the dressing and it works well with any TexMex type meal.)

Ingredients:

¾ cup ranch dressing
2-3 tablespoons pickled jalapenos, chopped, with juice
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
Pinch garlic powder
Kosher salt and black pepper

Directions:

Put all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend well (we sadly don't have a food processor or blender in this country, but basically just chop everything up and mix it together). Allow to sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before using. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Super easy. And super delish! Like I said above, it goes well with any TexMex dishes!

General Tsao's Chicken

2011-05-15T12:22:00.000-07:00

My husband has been making this dish for several years now. I refuse to make it because it's less-than-healthy AND time consuming (and besides, he'll cook it, so why should I?! :) However, I will admit this is an excellent recipe and definitely a keeper! For variety, you can even make the fried chicken pieces using this recipe and then use a different sauce.

Original recipe, here.

Ingredients:

4 cups vegetable oil for fying
1 egg
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white sugar
1 pinch pepper (the recipe calls for white pepper, but we've never had any, so we just use black)
1 cup cornstarch

2 Tb vegetable oil
3 Tb chopped green onion
1 clove garlic, minced
6 dried, whole red chilies
1 strip orange zest
1/2 c white sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
3 Tb chicken broth
1 Tb rice vinegar
1/4 c soy sauce
2 Tb sesame oil
2 Tb peanut oil

2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 c water

Directions:

Heat 4 cups vegetable oil in a large saucepan on high heat.
Beat the egg in a mixing bowl. Add the chicken cubes; sprinkle with salt, 1 tsp sugar, and pepper; mix well. Mix in 1 cup of cornstarch a little bit at a time until the chicken cubes are well coated.
In batches, carefully drop the chicken cubes into the hot oil one by one, cooking until they turn golden brown and begin to float, about 3 minutes. Remove the chicken and allow to cool as you fry the next batch. Once all of the chicken has been fried, re-fry the chicken, starting with the batch that was cooked first. Cook until the chicken turns deep golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Heat 2 Tb vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Stir in the green onion, garlic, whole chilies, and orange zest. Cook and stir a minute or two until the garlic has turned golden and the chilies brighten. Add 1/2 cup of sugar, the ginger, chicken broth, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and peanut oil; bring to a biol and cook for 3 minutes.
Dissolve 2 tsp of cornstarch into the water, and stir into the boiling sauce. Return to a boil and cook until the sauce thickens and is no longer cloudy from the cornstarch, about 1 minute. Stir the chicken into the boiling sauce. Reduce heat to low and cook for a few minutes until the chicken absorbs some of the sauce.

Turtle Bread

2011-05-15T12:01:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I was making one of my favourite vegetarian dishes, ratatouille, and wanted to add a bit more to our meal. I thought bread would add a nice touch, but was short on time. Thanks to my favourite recipe website, allrecipes.com, I was able to find this quick, easy, and tasty recipe that also happens to be kid friendly. Although I will admit that the first time I made it, my son refused to eat it and was appalled that we were eating the turtle's body parts. Also, the original recipe suggests putting raisins for eyes. I tried this the first time I made it, but they fell off. My son got really upset because he thought they were chocolate and he wanted to eat them. Needless to say, now I make it without eyes! Still, I would recommend this to anyone! Quick, easy, and fun! Although it doesn't have to be shaped like a turtle... :)

Prep Time: 40 min

Cook Time: 30 min

Ready In: 1 hour 30 min
Original post, here

Ingredients:

1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast
1 Tb white sugar
1/2 cup warm water (110 F - but I always just guesstimate)
1/2 cup milk
1 Tb butter
1 egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt

Directions:

In a small mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Add the butter and stir until melted; let cool until lukewarm.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the cooled milk, butter, egg, 2 cups flour, and salt; beat well to combine. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes. Cover dough and let rest for 10 minutes.
Divide dough into seven pieces. One round 2 inches in diameter, five rounds 1 inch in diameter and the remainder in one large round.
Place the large round on a lightly greased cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Shape four of the 1 inch rounds into 'feet' and one into a 'tail' for the turtle. Shape the two inch round into a 'head' for the turtle Attach each piece by flattening the end which attaches to the body, wetting it slightly with water and pinching it under the turtle's 'body'.
Cover the turtle with as damp cloth and let rise for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
With a sharp knife, make crisscross cuts in the turtle's body to make the 'shell'. Finally, make a cut for the turtle's mouth. Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Rhubarb Bread

2011-05-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a while, but that doesn't mean we haven't been busy trying new recipes and re-making old favourites! (Pardon my British spelling. I have no idea how to spell anymore!)

Jeff is definitely the baker in our house, so this is actually a recipe he found and has been making quite regularly. This bread is absolutely moist and delicious. Plus, as it uses rhubarb, I can easily rationalize that it's ok to eat half of a loaf in one sitting. I would definitely recommend it to anyone!

Original recipe, here.

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 1 hour

Ready In: 1 hour 20 min

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk (whenever I cook with "buttermilk," I use 1 Tb lemon juice mixed with just under 1 cup of regular milk)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb (we've always used fresh, but you can use frozen as well)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

TOPPING:

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tb cold butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
In a mixing bowl, combine brown sugar and oil. Add egg, mix well. Beat in buttermilk and vanilla. Add salt. Separately mix baking soda with a little bit of a water to make a paste. Then add baking soda paste, plus 1/2 cup of flour into batter and beat well at a high speed. Next, add remaining flour and mix well. Fold in rhubarb and nuts. Pour into two greased and floured 8in x 4in x 2 in loaf pans.
For topping, combine sugar, cinnamon, and butter in a bowl until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter.
Bake for 60 - 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing pans to wire racks.

Creamy Artichoke Pasta in Saffron Sauce

2011-02-08T05:30:00.000-08:00

This is really, REALLY good pasta. I apologize that the picture in no way does it justice. When I was in Germany at the end of last year, my sister (who is a brilliant cook) made this for me and I had to pinch the recipe off of her. I made it on my own (with a few modifications) when I returned home and it was still delicious! Even my 2 year old loves it, which is really saying something!

Ingredients:

1 lb pasta (my sister used linguine, I used spaghetti since that is what I had)
2 Tb extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic
1 big pinch Saffron (I would say this is an essential ingredient - it's fairly pricey, but you don't need a lot and it's definitely worth it)
salt & black pepper to taste
3/4 cup white wine (I don't have white wine hanging around my house, so I substituted 1/4 c of white wine vinegar and it worked nicely)
1 1/4 cup vegetable stock (I used chicken stock instead since that is what I had available)
1/3 cup cream
14 oz jar of artichoke hearts
1/2 cup parsley, fresh (I didn't have fresh parsley, so I just substituted some other dry Italian seasonings)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

Boil Pasta
Meanwhile heat oil in a large skillet and add garlic, saffron, onion, slat, and pepper. Cook until tender. Add wine (or wine vinegar) and cook 3 minutes, until most has evaporated. Add vegetable stock and cream. Bring to a simmer for approximately 4 minutes.
Add artichokes and heat through.
Add parsley and pasta and turn off heat. Add cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Tuna Pie

2010-12-07T00:57:00.000-08:00

I'll admit that when I first heard of this and saw it being made, I was not interested AT ALL. I'm not a huge fan of tuna fish and I'm somewhat hesitant about some "pies," (though they are very common here in the UK) but once I tasted it, I was sold! I saw it being made on Thursday of last week as part of a women's activity at my church. I made it for dinner the following Saturday. I'll definitely make this again. It's easy and tastes BRILLIANT! The woman who made it is actually from Brazil, so I'm not even sure if this can be considered British, but in any case, it is worth tryinig out!

Ingredients:

(Pastry)

4 eggs
1 c olive oil
1 c milk
2 c flour
1 tsp salt OR 1 cube (U.S. size - I broke my UK size in half) chicken or vegetable stock
1 Tb baking powder

(Filling)

2 cans tuna, drained
Mixed vegetables (I used drained, canned corn since that is what I had)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 chopped tomato
1 cup cheese
2 chives, chopped
Salsa (she didn't make it with this and I didn't have any either, but it was listed as an option)
Whatever you have on hand... (She even said you could use chicken,turkey, or minced (ground) meat instead of tuna)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 200 C (400 F).
In a blender (or in a bowl, with a hand mixer), blend the eggs, oil, milk, flour, and salt (or chicken stock cube) until the mixture is smooth. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the ingredients for the filling.
Grease and flour a baking dish (I just used a rectangular, glass casserole dish).
Add the baking powder to the mixture in #2 and blend for a few minutes.
Pour half of the batter into the prepared baking dish.
Add the filling.
Spread the remaining batter over the filling (First pour some around the edges and then go back and forth over the middle until it is entirely covered).
Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes (I think it took me closer to 45) or until golden brown.

Enjoy! Yum!

Creamy Italian Chicken

2010-09-01T14:02:00.001-07:00

No picture, but this is one of my favorites that I have made many, many times. I loved it so much that I made sure to pack some dressing packets to bring across the pond to England when we moved here. This isn't as "made from scratch" as some of my recipes, but it is really easy and a family favorite! This recipe is supposed to be made in a crock pot, but since I don't have one over here, I made it on the stove top and it worked fine. I just boiled the chicken first and shredded it and then simmered it with a little bit of water and the mix, along with the other ingredients for an hour.

Ingredients:

6 to 8 boneless, skinless chicken breast (I usually do less, but then it probably doesn't serve as many people)
1 envelope Italian dressing mix
1/4 cup water
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (cream of mushroom soup works too)
1 (4 oz) can mushrooms, sliced (I've never made it with mushrooms)
pasta or rice to serve it over

Directions:

Put chicken in crock pot (even if frozen). Combine seasonings and water, pour over chicken.
Cover and cook on low heat for 3 hours.
Mix the soup, cream cheese, and mushrooms together and pour over the chicken.
Cook for one hour longer.
Boil the pasta or rice according to package instructions.
Serve chicken over pasta or rice.

Serves: 8

Chicken & Leek Mash Topped Pie

2010-09-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

Not the best picture in the world, but YUM-MY! Trust me! This is my first attempt at making something "British" since we moved here. I found it on a can of condensed cream of chicken soup over here and improvised it based on what I had on hand. In fact, there were no leeks in my version, just a few leftover spring onions and cooking onions. Also, I added carrots to the mashed potato (or mash as they call it here) topping since I didn't have enough potatoes left and had some carrots on hand. I probably didn't make enough of the topping (but, like I said, I was just doing what was on hand), so it didn't brown up as much as it could have. Jeff really liked it and told me to keep the improvised recipe for sure!

Ingredients: (Note: the original recipe has some of the ingredients in weights, since that is how they measure here. I've tried to adjust it to be easier)

3 cups potatoes, peeled & cubed
1 - 2 carrots, peeled & chopped
3 large chicken breasts, cubed
2 leeks, sliced (I didn't have leeks, so I used some spring onions and chopped cooking onions)
1 can condensed Cream of Chicken soup
4 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp butter
1 - 2 cups shredded cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Boil the potatoes and carrots in water until soft.
Stir fry the chicken in oil until almost cooked. Add leeks (or onions) and continue cooking until the leeks are just soft.
Stir in the soup & milk, mix well and pour into ovenproof baking dish.
Mash the potatoes and carrots with the butter and cheese.
Roughly spread over the chicken and cook for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Serves: 4

Grandmother's (not mine) Buttermilk Cornbread

2010-04-26T13:32:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe about a year and a half ago and use it every time I want to make cornbread. It's super easy and tastes DELICIOUS! It's got to be cheaper than buying a mix, plus I can make it with ingredients I typically have on hand. Perfect!

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Ready in: 55 min

Original recipe, here.

Ingredients:

1/2 c butter
2/3 c white sugar
2 eggs
1 c buttermilk (I use 1 cup milk + 1 Tb lemon juice to make my own "buttermilk")
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 c cornmeal
1 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease an 8 inch square pan.
Melt butter. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serves: 9

Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken

2010-04-26T13:14:00.000-07:00

I have actually made this recipe quite a few times, but I've never gotten around to posting it on here. It's one of my favorite ways to serve chicken as a main course. It's quite easy and VERY tasty! Unfortunately I don't have a picture, but next time I cook it, I'll make sure to take one.

Original recipe, here.

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Ready in: 45 min

Ingredients:

2 Tb olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup dry bread crumbs (I use crushed Ritz crackers)
2/3 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
In a bowl, blend the olive oil and garlic. In a separate bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil, and pepper. Dip each chicken breast in the oil mixture, then in the bread crumb mixture. Arrange the coated chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish, and top with any remaining bread crumb mixture.
Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Serves: 6

Cream-less Alfredo

2010-02-28T20:16:00.000-08:00

I wanted to make an alfredo dish for dinner tonight using our leftover broccoli and asparagus that was on its last leg. Unfortunately it is a Sunday (we don't shop on the Sabbath) and I didn't have whipping cream, cream cheese, or half-in-half in the house, so I knew it would be a BIT tricky. Luckily, thanks to my good friend the Internet, I was able to find this recipe and it actually turned out really well. Plus, it's got to be a lot healthier than regular alfredo sauce, so that is a plus! Oh, and sorry, no picture of this one!

Original recipe, here (randomly). It sounds like it is from The Good Housekeeping Step-by-Step Cookbook.

Ingredients:

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups skim milk (I used whole because we had some and I figured it would be closer to cream)
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet on med-high heat, add onion and garlic and cook until golden.
In medium bowl, whisk together the milk, broth, flour, salt, and pepper until well-blended. Stir the mixture into the skillet, turn heat to high, and cook until the mixture boils and thickens.
Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

This is enough sauce to coat a one lb. box of fettuccine when it has been cooked.

Crazy Bread Sticks

2010-02-24T20:38:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from my friend, Anah, and I hope she doesn't mind that I am posting it here. I have made these a few times and like them because, not only do they taste good, they are fairly quick and easy. Plus, every time I have made them (whether a 1/2 batch for just Jeff and I) or a full batch when I've had a handful of people over, they are ALWAYS gone that night. No leftovers! [And, unfortunately, I can't keep the picture from being sideways!]

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c warm water
2 Tb sugar
2 Tb yeast
1/2 tsp salt
3 c flour (*every time I have made these, they have been pretty sticky, so I might try more flour next time)
1/4 c butter
garlic salt or parmesan cheese, optional

Directions:

Dissolve water, sugar, yeast, and salt together. Mix in flour and let sit for 10-20 minutes.
Dump onto a floured cutting board and flatten with hand. Cut into strips with a pizza cutter. (Because of the stickiness, I don't use a rolling pin and I often end up forming the bread sticks with my hand. They don't look the greatest, but they taste good!)
Melt butter and pour onto large cookie sheet, reserving about 2 Tb.
Place strips on cookie sheet. Brush tops with a basting brush dipped in the remaining melting butter. Sprinkle with garlic salt or parmesan cheese, if desired. (You can also add the garlic salt to the mixed butter and spread it on that way.)
Let raise an additional 15 minutes.
Bake at 375 for for 20 minutes.

Cheesy Vegetable Lasagna

2010-02-24T19:53:00.000-08:00

Lest you think I dropped off of the face of the Earth or stopped cooking, don't worry, I didn't! Earlier this month, I was trying to decide what to do with all of my veggies and stumbled across this recipe and made a few modifications. Since I'm borderline vegetarian at times, I loved it. My husband thought it was ok until he had some leftovers the next day and then he thought it was really good! It reheated REALLY well. Next time I think I'll add more tomatoes because they really added a nice flavor. Yum!

Original recipe, here.

Prep Time: 35 min
Cook Time: 45 min
Ready In: 1 hour, 20 min

Ingredients:

12 lasagna noodles
2 Tb olive oil
2 heads fresh broccoli, chopped (I think I only used one since it was big - I also used a food processor)
2 carrots, thinly sliced (I used a food processor for this too)
1 large onion, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 small zucchini, sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
basil, to taste
oregano, to taste
crushed red pepper, to taste
2-3 cups of fresh spinach (the recipe called for frozen, but I used fresh and just guessed how much to use.)
1 (8oz) container small curd cottage cheese
24 oz ricotta cheese (I used less ricotta and more cottage cheese, since it is cheaper. Even then, I think I used less cheese overall and it was still plenty.)
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (I don't think I used this much. I just kind of guessed and used what I had on hand. I did use some mozzarella and some Italian blend, including Parmesan, but it was all kind of guesstimated).
1 tomato, sliced (I added this per one of the suggestions and in the future would probably add more tomatoes and include them between the layers.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. (I used a foil-lined stoneware casserole dish that I had. This makes a really big lasagna, so I'm not sure a regular 9x13 would be large enough.)
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Heat 1/2 of the oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot add broccoli, carrots, onions, bell peppers, and 3 cloves of garlic. Heavily season veggies with basil, oregano, salt (several large pinches), pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Saute for 7 minutes; set aside.
Heat remaining 1/2 of the oil and add zucchini with remaining 2 cloves of garlic. Season the same way as the other veggies, saute, and then set aside.
Place flour in a medium saucepan and gradually whisk in milk until well blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes, or until thick, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and garlic powder (to taste) [can also add a little butter]; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in spinach. Reserve 1/2 cup spinach mixture. In a small bowl combine cottage and ricotta cheeses; stir well.
Spread about 1/2 cup of spinach mixture in the bottom of the prepared pan. Layer noodles, ricotta mixture, vegetables, spinach mixture and 2 cups mozzarella cheese, ending with noodles. Top with reserved spinach mixture, tomatoes, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Cool for approximately 10 minutes before serving.

Serves: 12

Tex-Mex Turkey Soup

2009-12-17T18:39:00.000-08:00

Several weeks ago, in an attempt not to waste all of the leftover (but still unfrozen) turkey from Thanksgiving, I whipped together this tasty dish. Jeff LOVED it and so did I. It's a great way to use up leftover holiday turkey, but I'm sure it would also taste great with chicken. Have I ever said how much I love homemade soups?!

Original recipe, here.

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Ready in: 50 min

Ingredients:

1 Tb olive oil
1/2 c minced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
4 c water
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed tomato soup
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 c salsa
4 c shredded cooked turkey
1 Tb dried parsley
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 (14 oz) can black beans, rinsed, drained
1 (14 oz) can corn
1/2 c sour cream
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro

Toppings

tortilla chips
chopped green onion
shredded Cheddar-Monterey Jack blend
fresh cilantro
sour cream

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add minced onions and cook until onions begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin and oregano and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Stir in water, tomato soup, diced tomatoes, salsa, shredded turkey, parsley and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until bouillon cubes dissolve. Add black beans, corn, sour cream and cilantro. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
Serve soup with crushed tortilla chips, chopped green onion, shredded cheese and additional cilantro and sour cream.

Pumpkin Pie Bites

2009-11-23T21:17:00.000-08:00

I've been in a bit of a cooking funk lately due to the first trimester of my pregnancy. Luckily (or unluckily for my pregnancy weight gain), as the holidays approach, I am finally starting to feel like cooking again. Tonight my husband and I made these little treats for a work meeting he has tomorrow. They are SO cute, SO easy, and SO tasty! The website I found this recipe on may just be my new favorite place. I'm typically not much of a baker, but she seriously makes some SUPER cute stuff!

Original recipe, here.

Ingredients:

3 refrigerated ready-to-roll pie crusts (the original recipe only calls for 2, but we had so much extra filling, that we used 3.)
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Use cookie cutter to cut approximately 12 shapes from each pie crust. You will need to roll the dough thinner than it comes out of the box. (We were able to get a few extra.)
Press dough shapes into a 24 cup mini muffin tray.
Apply egg whites from one egg to the top edges of each pie.
Mix cream cheese, sugar, canned pumpkin, remaining 2 eggs, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice together until thoroughly combined.
Spoon mixture into each pumpkin-shaped pie crust, until full.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Remove pies to cool and repeat with second pie crust. Place the muffin tray in the freezer to cool it quickly for re-use.

Makes: 30 mini pies. Keep refrigerated.

Yum!

Chicken Enchiladas Verde

2009-10-15T19:31:00.000-07:00

I can tell I am starting to get more confident in my cooking because I am getting better at improvising (even though it was just enchiladas, which are pretty straightforward) . After making salsa verde using our tomatillos, I wanted to find a meal I could incorporate it into. I used my favorite allrecipes.com to find a few recipes and then blended them together, using what I had on hand, to make these. They turned out quite tasty and I wouldn't be surprised if my husband took the leftovers to work for lunch tomorrow. That is always a sign of a great meal - if my husband can eat it the very NEXT day for lunch. (And sorry this picture isn't the best. It mostly looks like a ton of cheese, but really they were good, I promise!) The sad thing is that I used cheddar cheese and an Italian cheese mix to make these. During dinner my husband asked if I had used our monteray jack cheese (he thought it tasted like I had because of the salsa verde flavor). I had completely forgotten that we had some! Oops!

Recipe adapted from this and this.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breast halves
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 white onion
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons salt
Green Salsa - recipe on this site, here.
1/2 c sour cream
2 c cheese
4 large flour tortillas

Directions:

In a saucepan, combine chicken breast with chicken broth, one quarter onion, a clove of garlic, and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, and then boil for 20 minutes. Set chicken aside to cool, and discard onion and garlic. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken with your hands.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Coat 8x8 inch baking dish with enough green salsa to cover the bottom. In a small bowl, stir together sour cream and 1/2 of the green salsa.
In each tortilla, spread chicken, sour cream and salsa mixture, and top with cheese. Roll up and place in dish with seam on bottom. When all tortillas are filled and rolled, add remaining green salsa over the top and top with cheese.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until the enchiladas are browned and heated through.

Serves: 4

Green Salsa

2009-10-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

Our tomatillo plant is finally producing, so I wanted to find a great recipe that could use them. This green salsa turned out great and I used it to make chicken enchiladas. Yum!

Original recipe taken from "Vegetarian Classics" by Jeanne Lemlin.

Ingredients:

12 oz tomatillos (about 18 small golf ball sized, or 10 medium)
1 very small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped (wear rubber gloves)
1 Tb lime juice (just under 1 lime)
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tb minced cilantro

Directions:

Remove the husks from the tomatillos, then rinse under cold running water to clean off any sticky residue. Place in a medium-size saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a lively simmer, and cook 10 minutes, or until softened. Drain thoroughly and let cool.
Place the onion, garlic, jalapenos, and lime juice in the container of a food processor or blender and pulse a few times until coarsely chopped. Add the tomatillos and process until finely chopped but not completely smooth. Scrape the mixture into a bowl.
Stir int eh suger, salt, and cilantro. Serve at room temperature.

Makes: 1 2/3 cups

Classic Guacamole

2009-10-15T19:08:00.001-07:00

I decided to have a Mexican-themed dinner tonight and since I had several ripe avacados around, I decided to make some guacamole. Tasty! Next time I might try to cut back on the lime juice and add a little more onion, but even then it was good!

Original recipe taken from "Vegetarian Classics" by Jeanne Lemlin. This is a fabulous book that my friend lent me. It has so many great recipes! The pesto recipe on this site is from this book.

Ingredients:

2 ripe Haas (dark pebbly-skinned) avacados
4 tsp fresh lime juice (approx 1 lime should give you enough)
2 Tb minced red or white onion (I used white because that is what I had, but I bet red would add nice flavor)
1/4 c minced tomato
1/4 tsp salt
Minced cilantro and jalapenos can be used to add flavor

Directions:

Scoop avacado into food processor or blender and add lime juice. Process or blend until smooth and fluffy. Scrape the mixture into a bowl. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 24 hours, then bring to room temperature before serving.

Serves: 4

Creamy Mushroom Pork Chops

2009-09-30T13:58:00.000-07:00

We have a lot of pork chops in our freezer, so I wanted to find a new recipe I could use to make some. My husband LOVED this recipe and ate up his entire pork chop before he even thought about putting salad and potatoes on his plate.

Original recipe, here.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 pork chops
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic and saute until translucent. Add pork chops and brown about 4 to 6 minutes each side, stirring often to avoid burning onions and garlic.
Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together soup and broth. Pour soup mixture over browned chops, stirring well to loosen onions and garlic and to deglaze skillet. Reduce heat and gently simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring and turning chops occasionally, until chops are cooked through (internal temperature should reach 160 degrees F/70 degrees C). Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Serves: 4

Sweet & Sour Chicken

2009-09-30T13:44:00.000-07:00

I've made this several times, but I keep forgetting to post it on here. Instead, I have to go back to the draft folder in my email account and find the recipe that I have pasted in there. Every time I make it, I am reminded how yummy it is! Jeff and I both like it very much. I made it for my family when they were in town a few months ago and accidentally added some spicy peppers. It definitely made it more "hot," but Jeff liked it that way. I like it better with sweet peppers, although the spicy ones definitely gave it a kick! Jeff must like it with sweet peppers too because last time I made it he ate ALL of the leftovers!

Original recipe, here.

Ingredients:

1 pound of boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1" chunks
1 egg white
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 10-ounce can pineapple chunks (reserve juice)
1/4 cup juice from the canned pineapple
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 onion, sliced
1 carrot, grated
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup of rice

Directions:

Prepare rice according to packaging directions.
In a bowl, combine the chicken with the egg white, salt and cornstarch. Stir to coat the chicken evenly. Let sit for 15 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
In the meantime, whisk together the pineapple juice, vinegar, ketchup, salt, and brown sugar.
Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat until a bead of water instantly sizzles and evaporates. Pour in the 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and swirl to coat. It's important that the pan is very hot. Add the chicken and spread the chicken out in one layer. Let the chicken fry, untouched for 1 minute, until the bottoms are browned. Flip and fry the other side the same for 1 minute. The chicken should still be pinkish in the middle. Dish out the chicken onto a clean plate, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible.
Turn the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of cooking oil. Let the oil heat up and then add the bell pepper chunks and ginger. Fry for 1 minute. Add the pineapple chunks and the sweet and sour sauce. Turn the heat to high and when the sauce is simmering, add the chicken pieces back in. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Timing depends on how thick you've cut your chicken. The best way to tell if the chicken is done is to take a piece out and cut into it. If it's pink, add another minute to the cooking.

Serves: 4

Winter Pesto

2009-08-29T18:27:00.001-07:00

My friend, Rebecca, is a fabulous cook and so when I want to try something new, I usually steal a recipe from her blog. I have been wanting to try pesto for a while and since she had a recipe for it on her blog, I decided to give it a try. Yum! This is so quick and easy and is a nice alternative to red pasta sauce. I also loved it because my one year old seemed to like it! I've heard you can use pesto on bread and crackers as well. This recipe makes a decent amount of pesto, but it keeps well in the fridge if it is covered with one tablespoon of olive oil.

Recipe from here.

Ingredients:

2½ cups tightly packed triple-washed fresh spinach, stems removed
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon dried basil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup walnuts (optional - we didn't have any, but I am curious to try it with walnuts next time)
⅔ cup olive oil
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used an Italian cheese mix)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft (we only had salted and it worked fine)

Directions:

Combine the spinach, parsley, basil, garlic, salt, walnuts, and oil in a blender (preferably) or food processor and process until it is a smooth puree. Turn off the machine and scrape down the sides as necessary.
Pour the pesto into a container with a tight-fitting lid and stir in the cheese and butter by hand until well blended. If the pesto is to be used as a sauce for pasta, stir in a few tablespoons of boiling pasta water to thin it out before using.

Get those leafy greens! I love spinach!

Mexican Rice

2009-08-29T18:18:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I was in the mood for Mexican food so I made chicken fajitas and served them with beans and rice. The fajitas were good, but the recipe isn't worth posting. On the other hand, I really really really liked this Mexican rice recipe and I don't even like Mexican rice. So, it's a keeper. The only thing Jeff would like to add is some hot peppers. We'll see.

Original recipe, here.

Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Ready In: 30 min

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked rice
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cups chicken broth

Directions:

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with salt and cumin.
Stir in onions and cook until tender. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Roasted Vegetables

2009-08-23T20:43:00.001-07:00

I signed up to provide a side dish for a funeral a few weeks ago and since I had a plethora of vegetables from our farm, I decided to make roasted vegetables. I've made roasted vegetables several ways before, but this was the first recipe that used balsamic vinegar. I kept a few spoonfuls to taste (to make sure I didn't send NASTY food!) and I thought it turned out quite nicely! I must say, I like roasted vegetables! :) Also, I decided to add okra to this recipe because I had some on hand and I must say that I like the flavor of okra. I want to try cooking with it more. Expect to see some additional okra recipes in the future!

Original recipe, here.

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Ready In: 55 min

Ingredients:

1 small butternut squash, cubed
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 onion, chopped
Additional vegetables as desired (I added okra and carrots because I had some on hand)
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine all vegetables.
In a small bowl, stir together thyme, rosemary, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss with vegetables until they are coated. Spread evenly on a large roasting pan.
Roast for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring every 10 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through and browned.

Serves: 12

Vegetarian Quesadillas

2009-08-23T20:30:00.000-07:00

I needed to use some leftover zucchini and squash, but wanted to try something more "familiar" to my palette. I love "Mexican" food so when I found this recipe, I decided to give it a try. It was REALLY good! Even Jeff who LIVES for meat found them satisfying. Mmmmm...posting these recipes is making me hungry! This recipe is really simple (yet full of natural flavor from the veggies) and you can use any vegetables you like. The author said that eggplant and spinach work well. I bet adding chicken would taste good too.

Original recipe, here.

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Ready In: 30 min

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup chopped yellow squash
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 can black beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
cooking spray
6 (9 inch) flour tortillas
1 1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

In a medium size pot, warm up black beans. Using a large nonstick pan, cook red pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, and onion in olive oil over medium to medium-high heat for about 7 minutes, or until just tender. Remove vegetables from pan.
Coat the same pan with cooking spray, and place one tortilla in pan. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese evenly over tortilla, and layer 3/4 cup of the vegetable mixture over the cheese. Sprinkle another 1/8 cup of cheese on the vegetables, and top with a second tortilla. Cook until golden on both sides, for approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove quesadilla from pan, and repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut each quesadilla into 8 triangles with a pizza cutter. Serve hot.

Serves: 6

Butternut Squash Risotto

2009-08-23T20:04:00.000-07:00

Well, this is my third squash post in a row! Can you tell that we had a lot of squash from our farm that we needed to eat?! I decided that we should probably eat something OTHER THAN soup, so I decided to make this risotto. So far, risotto has been one of my favorite types of meal to eat and this one was no exception. YUM! I wonder how it would taste with some sauteed greens mixed in?

Original recipe, here.

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 35 min

Ready In: 45 min

Ingredients:

2 cups mashed butternut squash (Easy to mash once you cook it - see previous two recipes for both an oven and microwave method)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, minced
1 cup rice, cooked in chicken stock
2 cups hot chicken stock (I changed the recipe a little because I cooked the rice first, so I'm not 100% sure how much chicken stock I used. I think I used about 2 cups - not including the stock used to cook the rice.)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese
salt and ground black pepper to taste

**I've started to add sauteed spinach to this as well. I just saute it separately in olive oil and garlic and then add it at the end. Both of my little boys will eat it this way! Yay!**

Directions:

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir for 2 minutes until the onion begins to soften, then stir in the rice. Continue cooking and stirring until the rice is glossy from the butter, and the onion begins to brown on the edges, about 5 minutes more.
Pour in 1/3 cup chicken stock, stirring constantly, until it has evaporated. Stir in the mashed squash and remaining hot chicken stock; reduce heat to medium. Continue stirring until the risotto is creamy. Finish by stirring in the Parmesan cheese, and seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves: 4

Butternut Squash Soup

2009-08-23T19:53:00.000-07:00

It looks like I'm in the middle of a squash obsession! I promise that all of these recipes are really good! I love making soups, so here is another one. Butternut squash is one of my favorite varieties of squash. I feel like it has such a creamy and cheesy flavor! Yum!

Original recipe, here.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes (depends on how you cook the squash)
Ready In: 1 hour

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 medium potatoes, cubed
1 medium butternut squash
3 cups chicken stock (I can't remember exactly how much I used - enough to get the texture I wanted)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
sour cream

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place butternut squash on cookie sheet and bake for approximately 1 hour. Once cooked, the skin peels right off and it is much easier to seed and cube. Alternatively, you can use the microwave method (see post for Acorn Squash Soup) which is much quicker and works well when making soup.
After the squash is cooked and cubed, melt the butter in a large pot, and cook the onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, and squash 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Pour in enough of the chicken stock to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 40 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.
Transfer the soup to a blender, and blend until smooth. Return to pot, and mix in any remaining stock to attain desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Serves: 4

Acorn Squash Soup

2009-08-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

I think one of my newest favorite vegetables (well, fruit really) is squash. It's hearty, tasty, and healthy. I don't really remember eating it growing up so I wasn't sure what it would be like. I must say that I haven't really been disappointed in any of the recipes I have tried. Squash seems to have a naturally rich flavor - it's GOOD!!! This soup is made from acorn squash and is quite delicious. I used Carnival Squash, which is a variety of acorn squash and it turned out really well! Enjoy!

Original Recipe, here.

Prep Time: 20 Min
Cook Time: 10 Min
Ready In: 30 Min

Ingredients:

1 small onion
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 teaspoon curry powder (I didn't have curry powder, so I used a dash of cumin and a piece of corriander)
dash cayenne pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
3 cups mashed cooked acorn squash (You can bake it in the oven, but I was in a hurry so I put it in the microwave for 8 minutes, then cut it in half and put each half in again for 4 minutes each)
salt and pepper to taste
5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Directions:

In a large saucepan, saute the onion and celery in butter. Stir in flour, bouillon, dill, curry and cayenne until blended. Gradually add broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add the squash, salt and pepper; heat through.
In a blender, process the soup in batches until smooth (I skipped this step and instead left it kind of chunky). Pour into bowls; garnish with bacon (I don't like bacon, so I just ate it plain - still yummy!).

Serves: 6

Grilled Veggie Sandwich

2009-07-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe online while I was trying to decide how to use some of my vegetables. My husband and I ate it together for lunch this weekend and it sure was TASTY! I would definitely make this again! (Of course, we included chicken in this "veggie" sandwich for my husband's sake).

Original recipe here

Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Ready In: 50 min

Ingredients:

1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 cup olive oil
1 chicken breast, cubed
1 cup sliced bell peppers
1 small zucchini, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 small yellow squash, sliced
2 (4-x6-inch) focaccia bread pieces, split horizontally [Update: I tried this again with just plain bread (toasted) and it turned out fabulous! I think I'll always use regular bread in the future]
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Set aside in the refrigerator.
Preheat the grill for high heat.
Season chicken according to preference and brush vegetables with olive oil on each side. Brush grate with oil. Place bell peppers and zucchini closest to the middle of the grill, and set onion and squash pieces around them. Cook for about 3 minutes, turn, and cook for another 3 minutes. The peppers may take a bit longer. Remove from grill, and set aside. (Or, if you use a griddle, cook veggies and chicken in olive oil).
Spread some of the mayonnaise mixture on the cut sides of the bread, and sprinkle each one with feta cheese. Place on the grill cheese side up, and cover with lid for 2 to 3 minutes. This will warm the bread, and slightly melt the cheese. Watch carefully so the bottoms don't burn. Remove from grill, and layer with the vegetables.

Serves: 4

Home Made Chicken Salad

2009-07-26T20:14:00.000-07:00

I made this chicken salad for a baby shower I hosted a few weeks ago. By the end of the shower, all of the food was gone and so I made it again tonight so that my husband could finally try it! He liked it a lot (although before trying it he was a little worried about the ingredients) and so do I!

Original recipe, here.

Ingredients: (I just use how ever much I have on hand, not necessarily these amounts exactly.)

4 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
1 cup mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip - if I use Miracle Whip, I leave out the paprika)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 cup chopped celery
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup minced bell pepper
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise with paprika and seasoned salt. Blend in dried cranberries, celery, bell pepper, onion, and nuts. Add chopped chicken, and mix well. Season with black pepper to taste. Chill 1 hour. Serve on a croissant or with crackers.

Serves: 12

Jerusalem Artichokes and Potato au Gratin

2009-06-24T19:56:00.000-07:00

Our last CSA shipment included Jerusalem Artichokes (aka sunchokes). Well, I had never heard of these, so I searched and searched on the Internet to find a way to cook them. This was one of the recipes I found (amazingly NOT from allrecipes.com) and it actually turned out really well. The picture doesn't do it justice (since you just see the top crust). My husband LOVED it!

Original recipe, here.

Ingredients:

6 Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
Salt
Black pepper
Cayenne
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
1 cup dried fine bread crumbs (I used a cup of crushed Ritz crackers)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Essence seasoning, recipe follows

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the Jerusalem artichokes and potatoes in a mixing bowl and season with the salt, black pepper, and cayenne. Mix in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and toss to coat.
Butter the bottom and sides of a 2 quart baking dish. Put half of the artichoke-potato mixture in the bottom of the pan, then sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the chopped onions, 1 teaspoon of the chopped garlic, and 1/4 cup of the cheese and the flour. Top this with the remaining artichoke-potato mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup onions, 1 teaspoon garlic, and 1/2 cup cheese. Pour the milk over the mixture.
In a bowl, mix together the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil with the bread crumbs, parsley and season with Essence. Spread this topping evenly over the mixture. Bake for 1 hour, or until the potatoes are tender.

Essence: (Emeril's Creole Seasoning)

2 1/2 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried leaf oregano
1 tsp dried thyme

Combine and store in an airtight container.

For those of you who aren't familiar, this is a picture of a sunchoke. They are a PAIN to peel and cut and look a lot like a little Alien plant to me. Although, once peeled and chopped, they remind me of a potato or turnip.

Ratatouille

2009-06-18T17:59:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to try this dish ever since we got eggplant last fall. Unfortunately, last fall we JUST had the eggplant and nothing else. But today my kitchen was full of all the right vegetables and so I gave it a try. Wow, this was a delicious and flavorful blend of vegetables and was pretty quick to make! I ate WAY too much!

Original recipe, here.

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 45 min
Ready In: 1 hour

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried parsley (I used a few bunches of fresh parsley and fresh oregano)
1 eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
salt to taste
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used mozzarella instead, since that is what I had on hand)
1 zucchini, sliced
1 squash, sliced
1 large onion, sliced into rings
1 green bell pepper, sliced
2 large tomatoes, chopped (I think if I had sliced them, it would have been "prettier" - I'll probably try that next time)
1 cup rice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat bottom and sides of a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic until lightly browned. Mix in parsley and eggplant. Saute for about 5 minutes, then add zucchini and squash. Saute for approximately 5 minutes more, or until eggplant is soft. Season with salt to taste.
Spread eggplant mixture evenly across bottom of prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with a few tablespoons of cheese. Spread zucchini/squash in an even layer over top. Lightly salt and sprinkle with a little more cheese. Continue layering in this fashion, with onion, bell pepper, and tomatoes, covering each layer with a sprinkling of salt and cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 - 60 minutes.
Prepare rice according to package instructions. Serve with rice.

Serves: 4

Soft Giant Pretzels

2009-06-16T21:15:00.000-07:00

Oh man, these take me back to when I was 15 and worked at Pretzelmaker. I LOVED those pretzels. Mmmmm... Anyway, tonight my husband said he REALLY wanted a soft pretzel so I thought, "I bet I could make one!" and ran upstairs to my good friend, allrecipes.com. Sure enough, it didn't disappoint and I had all of the ingredients on hand! Unfortunately, my quick pretzel flipping and folding skills are lacking. I'll have to work on that. But they sure tasted good and were super easy!

Original recipe, here.

Prep Time: 30 min
Ready In: 30 min

Ingredients:

1 1/8 cups water (70 to 80 degrees F)
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 quarts water
1/2 cup baking soda
butter/course salt/cinnamon/sugar/whatever you want on your pretzel

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
(The original recipe says to use a bread mixture, but I don't have one, so I improvised.) Mix yeast, water, and sugar together to dissolve. Add flour and knead until well mixed. Cover and place on warming oven for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, grease cookie sheet.
Divide dough into eight balls and roll into rope on a lightly floured surface. Form pretzel shape or cut into bite-sized pieces.
In a shallow saucepan, bring water and baking soda to a boil. Drop pretzels into boiling water for 10-15 seconds. Remove with a slotted spatula and drain on paper towels.
Transfer pretzels to the greased baking sheet and bake in preheated over for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
Lightly brush with butter and sprinkle on course salt or cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Serves: 8

"Mom's" Cucumber Salad

2009-06-16T21:05:00.000-07:00

So, this isn't MY Mom's Cucumber Salad, but apparently it is SOMEONE'S Mom's Cucumber Salad, since that is the name. We had a ton of cucumber left from our last veggie box AND we are going to get more tomorrow, so I knew I needed to use it up. I had all of the ingredients on hand for this, so I decided to give it a try. I actually liked it quite a bit. I LOVE cucumbers! (Sorry this picture isn't the best...just ignore the large pork chop!)

Original recipe, here.

Prep Time: 15 min
Ready In: 35 min

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise (I used Miracle Whip and it was fine - and I used a little bit less than a cup)
1/4 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
4 medium cucumbers, peeled and sliced

Directions:

Salt cucumber slices and put in a strainer for about 20 minutes to help bring out some of the water.
In a large bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, dill, and seasoned salt. Mix in the cucumber slices, tossing to coat.

Serves: 8

Classy Chicken

2009-06-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

Original recipe, here.

I have a plethora of zucchini and don't cook with meat nearly enough, so I wanted to find a recipe that used both. Plus, it has sour cream and I LOVE sour cream! This was SO tasty! I can't wait to eat the leftovers!

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Ready In: 35 min

Ingredients:

1 cup rice
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 zucchini cut in half lengthwise, then sliced diagonally
3 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons dill weed
1/3 cup sour cream

Directions:

Cook rice according to package directions.
Place the flour into a shallow dish. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and then dredge in flour. Shake off excess. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken breasts on each side, about 3 minutes per side.
Pour the chicken broth into the skillet and scrape any chicken residue from the pan for flavor. Stir in the mustard. Cover, and cook for a few minutes until chicken is 'springy', but not cooked through. Add the zucchini, tomatoes, green pepper, and carrot, then season with garlic and dill weed. Cover, and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Remove the chicken to a platter, and remove the pan from the heat. Stir sour cream into the pan liquid. If most of the liquid has evaporated, stir in a bit more broth first. Season with salt to taste, and serve chicken with sauce poured over it.

Serves: 4

I thoroughly LOVE cooking with FRESH ingredients!

Bean Soup With Kale

2009-05-04T21:02:00.000-07:00

I've made this soup several times using my CSA vegetables and I absolutely love it! I think I am slowly and unintentionally becoming a vegetarian.

Original recipe, here.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
8 large garlic cloves, crushed or minced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cups chopped raw kale
4 cups low-fat, chicken broth
2 (15 ounce) cans white beans, such as cannellini or navy, or red kidney beans, undrained
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 teaspoons dried Italian herb seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add garlic and onion; saute until soft. Add kale and saute, stirring, until wilted. Add 3 cups of broth, 2 cups of beans, and all of the tomato, herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes. In a blender or food processor, mix the remaining beans and broth until smooth. Stir into soup to thicken. Simmer 15 minutes. Ladle into bowls; sprinkle with grated cheese.

Serves: 8

Potato, Carrot, and Summer Squash Soup

2009-05-04T20:51:00.000-07:00

This was actually a recipe that MY HUSBAND found online and made (although I helped). The picture really doesn't do it justice. It was delicious and tasty and my mouth salivates just thinking about it. We will definitely make this again! (Oh and I find it amusing that, even with the name, the original recipe doesn't call for squash).

Original recipe, here.

Ingredients:

2 Tb Olive Oil

1 medium onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

3 baking potatoes, diced

1 large zucchini, cut into half moons

1 large carrot, sliced into rounds

1 large squash, cut into half moons

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

5 cups chicken stock

Salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper

2 Tb dried basil

2 cups kale, chopped

Grated Mozzarella or Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Heat oil in a deep pot over medium-high heat.

Add the onion, garlic, potatoes, zucchini, squash and carrot.

Cook until softened and brown, about 7-8 minutes.

Add tomatoes and stock to the pot.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Bring the soup up to a boil then turn it down to a simmer.

Cook for 10 minutes.

Add the kale and basil, cover and simmer 5 minutes.

Taste and re-season before serving.

Top with cheese

Irish Soda Bread

2009-04-21T19:43:00.000-07:00

Original recipe, here.

I wasn't working on St. Patrick's Day, so I decided that I wanted to make something festive. Of course, corned beef and cabbage are also a given, but I didn't have corned beef or access to the car to go buy some. Instead I searched for some St. Patty's Day recipes and found this recipe for Irish Soda Bread. It was really easy and had a great flavor. My husband told me that we needed to make it part of our annual St. Patrick's Day Meal!

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 50 min
Ready In: 1 hr, 5 min

Ingredients: (I did not have buttermilk on hand, so I made "my own" using a ratio of 1 c regular milk and 1 TB lemon juice)

4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup buttermilk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and margarine. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 30 to 50 minutes. Continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.
Serve with jam or on its own!

Cowboy Mashed Potatoes

2009-04-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

Original recipe, here.

A couple of months ago, I needed to use up some vegetables (do you sense a theme, here?) so I decided to try these mashed potatoes. They are very unique, but also very yummy! (Can you really go wrong with mashed potatoes?!)

Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Ready In: 40 min

Ingredients:

1 pound red potatoes
1 pound yellow potatoes
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, sliced
12 oz chopped carrots
12 oz chopped turnips
4 cloves garlic
1 15 oz can sweet corn
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place red potatoes, yellow potatoes, jalapeno pepper, carrots, turnips, and garlic cloves in a large pot. Cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Drain water from pot.
Stir in corn and butter. Mash the mixture until butter is melted and potatoes have reached desired consistency. Mix in cheese, salt, and pepper. Serve hot.

Serves: 10

Beet and Cheddar Risotto

2009-04-21T19:14:00.000-07:00

Original Recipe here

I needed to find something quick to make using the beets that have been hanging out in our fridge and I found this tasty little dish. I decided to go out on a limb, since I usually don't try making recipes that aren't tried and true, but this one turned out great! Plus, it used the beet greens, which I was excited about! I'm finding more and more that I REALLY like risotto. Plus, this one has a very unique color!

Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Ready In: 50 min

Ingredients:

1 beet, peeled and chopped
2 cups loosely packed beet greens, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, minced
1 cup rice
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Start cooking rice following package instructions.
Bring the broth to a simmer in a large pot over medium-low heat.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; cook and stir the onion in the oil until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the rice; cook and stir another 2 minutes. Mix in the beet and beet green mixture, cooking another minute. Pour in the broth mixture 1 cup at a time, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding each batch, stirring continually; reduce heat to medium and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in the Cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Continue stirring until creamy and thick, about 3 minutes more.

Serves: 6

Pineapple Chicken Stir-fry

2009-04-09T20:51:00.000-07:00

Original recipe, here.

I made this recipe a few months ago, but looking at the picture makes me salivate. I'm definitely making this again.

Ingredients:

For the marinade
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1-inch cubes

For the rice
1 1/3 cups water
2/3 cup brown rice

For the sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons unsweetened pineapple juice
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon peanut oil, divided
1 small carrot, thinly sliced into diagonal strips
1 cup chopped red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch diamonds
1 cup chopped bok choy
1 cup unsweetened canned pineapple chunks
1/2 cup sliced green onion
1 cup snow peas

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar and ginger. Pour the marinade into a sealable bag and add the cubed chicken. Seal and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Add the water to a saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Add the rice, reduce heat to low and simmer about 5 minutes, or according to package directions. Remove from heat, stir and cover. Let stand until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender.
In a separate bowl, mix together the ingredients for the sauce. Set aside.
Assemble and measure out all of the remaining ingredients.
In a large wok, heat 1/2 tablespoon of the peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add carrots and red pepper and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the bok choy and pineapple and stir-fry 1 minute. Add onions and snow peas and stir-fry for another minute. Remove vegetables from the wok into a large bowl and set aside.
Return the wok to the burner. Add 1/2 tablespoon of the peanut oil and the marinated chicken. Stir-fry about 3 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Add cooked vegetables. Stir-fry for 1 minute more.
Stir the sauce mixture to make sure the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Add the sauce to the wok and bring to a boil. Cook until the sauce thickens and appears clear and shiny, about 1 minute.
Serve immediately, over rice.

Serves: 4

Kale and Black-Eyed Peas

2009-04-09T20:38:00.000-07:00

Original Recipe here.

I read an article the other day that had ideas for using those "trouble" vegetables from CSA farms. (The ones that you just can't use before they go bad.) We have had a plethora of kale lately and so I wanted to try something new (that wasn't soup). The article mentioned that kale went well with black-eyed peas. Then I remembered that we just so happened to have a bag of black-eyed peas in our pantry so I searched for recipes. This is what I found and it turned out well. I served it with a roll and some fresh fruit. Tasty!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup diced ham
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch kale, stems removed and washed
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 cups cooked black-eyed peas/beans

Directions:

In large nonstick skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, ham and garlic and cook, stirring for about 5 minutes or until onion is softened.
Meanwhile, slice greens thinly and add to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Add stock and cook for 5 minutes or until wilted and tender crisp. Add black-eyed peas and cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes or until beans are warmed through.

Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables

2009-04-09T20:21:00.001-07:00

Recipe found here.

A few days ago, my husband assigned me the task of finding a way to use our asparagus, which was on the verge of going bad in our fridge. Then, while I was catching up on my blogging, I stumbled across my friend's food blog and found this tasty little dish. I happened to have everything on hand and the dish looked easy enough so I whipped it up for dinner tonight. My husband loved it. There are NO leftovers. I liked it too - it's a very flavorful blend of veggies!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup bottled/prepared Italian salad dressing
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 ounces chicken breast, cut into strips
10 ounces asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces (2 cups), or one 10-ounce package frozen cut asparagus, thawed and well-drained
1 carrot, chopped
1 small tomato, seeded and chopped

Directions:

Stir together salad dressing, vinegar, honey, and crushed red pepper in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken; cook over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes or till chicken is tender and no longer pink. Transfer from skillet to a serving platter; cover and keep warm.
Add asparagus and carrot to skillet. Cook and stir for 4 minutes, till asparagus is crisp-tender; transfer to serving platter.
Stir dressing mixture; add to skillet. Cook and stir for 1 minute, scraping up browned bits. Drizzle over chicken and vegetables. Sprinkle with tomato.

Zuppa Toscana

2009-04-05T16:24:00.000-07:00

Original recipe here

This is a hearty soup for my carnivorous husband. It's supposed to be very similar to the Zuppa Toscana at The Olive Garden. Mmmm...The Olive Garden...I want some bread sticks now.

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) package smoked sausage
2 potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
3/4 cup chopped onion
6 slices bacon
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups kale - washed, dried, and shredded
2 tablespoons chicken soup base
1 quart water
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

Cook sausage according to packaging. Cut links in half lengthwise, then cut at an angle into 1/2-inch slices.
Place onions and bacon slices in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until onions are almost clear. Remove bacon and crumble. Set aside.
Add garlic to the onions and cook an additional 1 minute. Add chicken soup base, water, and potatoes, simmer 15 minutes.
Add crumbled bacon, sausage, kale, and cream. Simmer 4 minutes and serve.

Serves: 6

Swiss Chard with Black Beans and Feta Cheese

2009-04-02T10:48:00.000-07:00

Original recipe, here.

I needed to find something that used Swiss chard and this is what I came up with. It actually turned out really well. I served it over rice, with some grilled chicken (for my carnivorous husband) and some fresh cantaloupe.

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Ready In: 40 min

Ingredients:

1 cup rice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 bunch Swiss chard - rinsed, stems removed and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small tomato, chopped (or 1 can diced tomatoes)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons feta cheese

Directions:

Cook rice according to package directions.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add Swiss chard, cover and cook for 4 minutes. Uncover and mix in the black beans, tomato, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cover and continue cooking until the chard is wilted, about 4 more minutes.
Transfer the chard to the baking dish and dot with goat cheese, pushing it down into the dish.
Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the goat cheese is warmed.
Serve over rice.

Serves: 4

Quick Quiche

2009-04-02T10:35:00.001-07:00

Original Recipe, here.

Way back when Jeff and I were newlyweds, I made him quiche for our one month anniversary. It took FOREVER and didn't turn out so well (although I did make a smiley face on top and that was cute). After that and making this, I don't know if I'll ever tackle "real" quiche again. Especially since THIS is SO quick and SO easy and SO tasty. I definitely need to make this again.

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 35 min
Ready In: 50 min

Ingredients:

Diced tomato, spinach, chopped/cooked ham, blanched/chopped broccoli (whatever you have on hand!)
4 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 inch pie pan.
Line bottom of pie plate with cheese and other "fixings." Combine eggs, butter, onion, salt, flour and milk; whisk together until smooth; pour into pie pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, until set. Serve hot or cold.

Serves: 6

Tossed Salad with Citrus Dressing

2009-03-25T20:31:00.000-07:00

Original recipe, here.

Quite possibly my favorite salad of all time...at least so far. This picture really doesn't do it justice.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

4 cups torn fresh spinach
1 small can of mandarin oranges
2 TB thinly sliced radishes (or kohlrabi)
1 whole avocado, peeled and sliced
1/4 c feta cheese
1/4 c toasted walnuts, chopped
DRESSING:
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 Tb honey
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. In a salad bowl, toss the spinach, oranges and radishes/kohlrabi. In a separate container, combine the dressing ingredients; whisk until blended. Serve with salad. Refrigerate any leftover dressing.

Serves: 8

Quick Collard Greens and Beans Risotto

2009-03-25T20:10:00.000-07:00

Original recipe here

So far this is my favorite way to eat collards. Not that I have tried a TON of recipes, but I could eat this over and over again!

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ready In: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped fresh collard greens
Enough water to cover greens
1/2 Tb salt
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 large)
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 Tb Olive Oil
3 cups chicken broth
2 Tb all-purpose flour
1 (15.5-oz.) can cannellini beans (or other white beans), rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup Brown Rice
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper (same as one packet of crushed red pepper from Papa Johns)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions:

1. Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1/2 Tbsp. salt, and stir until dissolved. Add collard greens to pot, and cook 2 minutes or until wilted. Drain greens in colander; rinse with cold water. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.

2. Sauté onion and garlic in hot oil in pot over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes or until tender.

3. Whisk together 2 of the cups of chicken broth and flour; add to pot, and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, in a separate pot, start cooking the rice in the remaining cup of chicken broth. Add cannellini beans, 1/2 tsp. salt, pepper, and collard greens. Simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.

5. Reduce heat to low, and stir in rice and red pepper. Simmer, stirring frequently, 10 minutes or until greens and rice are tender. Remove from heat, and stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

4. Sprinkle each serving with remaining 1/4 cup cheese, and garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.

Serves: 4

Chicken Broccoli Hot Pockets

2009-03-24T18:57:00.000-07:00

I took the recipe from here.

I took this from my friend's food blog. It looked to good not to try. I made the puff pastry myself, below. Not a "healthy" dish (LOTS of butter in my pastries), but definitely tasty.

Ingredients:

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
3/4 c broccoli or broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
1/2 T butter
1 T all-purpose flour
3/4 c half and half
1 c cheddar cheese, grated
big pinch of ground mustard
dash ground thyme
salt and pepper
1/2 c cooked chicken, chopped
1 well beaten egg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 ℉.
Blanch the broccoli in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and set aside.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour. Cook the flour while stirring for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the half and half. Cook while stirring until thick and bubbly. Turn the heat to low and whisk in the cheese. Once the cheese is melted in, stir in the mustard and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Stir the broccoli and chicken into the sauce.
Using a rolling pin, roll the puff pastry dough out to make it into a little bigger rectangle. Cut into 4 rectangles. Put 1/4 of the sauce into the middle of each rectangle. Fold over to make a triangle and press the edges together to seal (you may need to stretch the dough a little). Place on a prepared baking sheet. Brush each turnover with beaten egg.
Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 ℉ and bake another 10 - 15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool a few minutes before serving as the filling will be really hot.

Serves: 4

Next time I might try adding some new spices/flavorings for fun. My husband suggested jalapeno! We'll see about that...

Puff Pastry

2009-03-24T18:47:00.000-07:00

Original recipe here.

My friends posted a recipe on their food blog showing how to make little hot pockets. The recipe called for puff pastry (which can be found in the freezer aisle) and so I decided to try to find a recipe to make some from scratch! This is the result. The whole process takes a while (with a lot of stopping and starting), but it is a lot easier than I thought it would be!

Prep Time: 1 hour and 40 min

Ingredients:

5 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups water, or as needed
2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature (That's A LOT of butter, but it helps it "puff." Some people suggested using less. I may try that next time)

Directions:

Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Gradually stir in water until the dough holds together enough to clean the sides of the bowl. You may not need the full amount of water. Shape into a flat ball, and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes.
Place the butter between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound into a flat disc using a rolling pin or other heavy object. Refrigerate (or freeze) until firm, about 20 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a large rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Place the disc of chilled butter in the center and fold the two ends over it so that it is completely encased in dough. Roll out the dough again, taking care not to let the butter break through the dough, to about 1/2 inch thickness. Fold into thirds. This is the first ''turn''. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and roll out into a rectangle again. Fold into thirds. By this time the butter is starting to warm up. Place the dough on a baking sheet and mark it with two pokes from your finger (two turns). Wrap in plastic and refrigerate (or freeze) for at least 30 minutes.
Repeat this rolling, folding and turning two more times, then refrigerate (or freeze) until firm. Repeat two more times for a total of 6 ''turns''. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate or freeze. The dough is now ready to roll out and use in any recipe calling for puff pastry. Roll the dough out as thin as 1/4 inch to make pastries. Bake in a preheated oven of at least 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) to get the maximum puff from your pastry.

Makes: 24

Look at those flakes!

Feta Cheese and Arugula over Penne

2009-03-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

As usual, I got the original recipe from www.allrecipes.com.

This is easy and delicious! It's so quick that I was able to whip it together for lunch today!

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Ready In: 25 min

Ingredients:

5 1/2 ounces feta cheese
2 cups coarsely chopped arugula (or spinach), stems included
1 cup diced tomato
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic (I actually forgot to add this ingredient when I made it and it was still yummy!)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces penne pasta
Handful of grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta in a large pot of water until al dente.
Crumble feta cheese into a large serving bowl. Add arugula, tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper.
Drain pasta, top with Parmesan cheese, then toss with feta cheese mixture.

Serves: 6