Another random concoction of stuff I had in my kitchen that shouldn't really be called a recipe, but my family loved it so I thought I would share. All measurements are approximate.
1 pkg. penne pasta
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small summer squash or zucchini, diced small
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. minced garlic
1-2 tsp. kosher salt
7-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1-2 cups ripe cherry, pear or grape tomatoes (or any combination of the 3)
1 Tbsp. corn starch
1 cup feta cheese
Cook pasta according to directions on package. While pasta is cooking, coat bottom of a saute pan with olive oil and add summer squash. Cover. Cook for 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Add balsamic vinegar, garlic, kosher salt, basil leaves, and cherry tomatoes to saute pan. Continue cooking over medium heat, uncovered, until tomatoes have split their skins and squash is soft and cooked through. Add corn starch to veggies and sauce and stir to combine. Turn heat down to low and let simmer for 3-5 minutes to allow sauce to thicken a bit.
When pasta is cooked and drained, place in a serving bowl and toss with feta cheese. Pour veggies and sauce mixture over top and stir to combine and melt feta. Serve hot.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Fresh Salsa
I have been making a lot of salsa lately. There is no secret to this recipe, it is just a list of ingredients which you eyeball and adjust to taste, but my family seems to think that I am the master salsa maker and requests salsa every time I make it (and frequently when I don't). So, here it is...my not-so-secret formula for delicious fresh salsa...just make sure you have a couple bags of chips on hand! Also, a stipulation, use your own jusgement and make sure to taste test as you go because all my measurements are approximates and based on a GIANT batch for freezing.
fresh tomatoes: I like to mix different varieties - for a large batch to freeze, I usually combine a large heirloom or two, 1-2 handfulls of cherry tomatoes, and chunky pear and roma tomatoes which I chop by hand and add at the very end after the other stuff is blended (Before I got into gardening, I used to use 1 can of whole tomatoes, drained, and it was pretty tasty too)
cilantro : I use 1/2 the bunch that you buy in the store or a fistfull fresh from the garden (I usually cut off the long part of the stem so that the bunch is mostly leaves.)
green peppers (or red or yellow or whatever) - 1-2 medium-sized
onion - 1/2 of a large onion - or more if you like onion
minced garlic - 1-2 heaping spoonfulls
kosher salt - 1 tbsp.-ish
lime or lemon juice - just a small squirt, maybe 1 Tbsp.
Add onion, green pepper, garlic, cilantro lime juice, salt and 1 juicy tomato to a food processor (I have been lazily using a vita mix for this, because it holds a lot more than my food processor, but the result is much more liquid salsa) and blend. Add remaining tomatoes and do another quick blend. If you like chunky salsa, cut a couple tomatoes and part of your pepper into larger chunks and stir in by hand at the very end.
fresh tomatoes: I like to mix different varieties - for a large batch to freeze, I usually combine a large heirloom or two, 1-2 handfulls of cherry tomatoes, and chunky pear and roma tomatoes which I chop by hand and add at the very end after the other stuff is blended (Before I got into gardening, I used to use 1 can of whole tomatoes, drained, and it was pretty tasty too)
cilantro : I use 1/2 the bunch that you buy in the store or a fistfull fresh from the garden (I usually cut off the long part of the stem so that the bunch is mostly leaves.)
green peppers (or red or yellow or whatever) - 1-2 medium-sized
onion - 1/2 of a large onion - or more if you like onion
minced garlic - 1-2 heaping spoonfulls
kosher salt - 1 tbsp.-ish
lime or lemon juice - just a small squirt, maybe 1 Tbsp.
Add onion, green pepper, garlic, cilantro lime juice, salt and 1 juicy tomato to a food processor (I have been lazily using a vita mix for this, because it holds a lot more than my food processor, but the result is much more liquid salsa) and blend. Add remaining tomatoes and do another quick blend. If you like chunky salsa, cut a couple tomatoes and part of your pepper into larger chunks and stir in by hand at the very end.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Clam Dip
This is my late grandmother's recipe, and although I'm not a big seafood eater, it really is delicious! You probably wouldn't even guess there are clams in here!
2 pkgs. light cream cheese, softened
1 can minced clams, undrained
1/4 red onion, grated into mixing bowl
1 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbs. dill
seasoned salt (such as Lawry's)
pepper
Mix ingredients together with an electric mixer, then serve with potato chips.
2 pkgs. light cream cheese, softened
1 can minced clams, undrained
1/4 red onion, grated into mixing bowl
1 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbs. dill
seasoned salt (such as Lawry's)
pepper
Mix ingredients together with an electric mixer, then serve with potato chips.
Orange-Raspberry Cream Cupcakes
I made these for a bridal shower this past weekend, and they turned out great!*Cake:
1 Duncan Hines orange supreme cake mix
Ingredients called for on package
**Cream Filling:
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 pint fresh raspberries
***Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. orange zest
juice of 1 orange
2 lbs. powdered sugar
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325. Line nonstick muffin tins with paper cups.
2. Mix cake batter according to package directions, but follow the high altitude directions (usually a little extra flour and water).
3. In a separate bowl, mix together filling ingredients. For a smoother filling, add raspberries before mixing everything together with an electric mixer. For bigger raspberry chunks, whip filling together before stirring in raspberries by hand. I like to go half and half--put half the pint in and blend with mixer, then stir in other half by hand.
4. Fill muffin cups half full with cake mixture.
5. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of cream filling on top of each muffin cup.
6. Tap muffin tins on counter so everything settles in--they should be about 3/4 full.
7. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean except for a few very tiny, moist crumbs.
8. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then loosen edges to remove cupcakes from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack.
9. To make the frosting, combine all ingredients except powdered sugar in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer. Then gradually add powdered sugar until it is stiff yet still spreadable (about 2 lbs.).
10. Frost and decorate as desired. I like to use a pastry bag because it looks clean and really is a lot faster.
11. Store cupcakes in the fridge--it makes the cream cheese filling taste better and is there anything yummier than cold cake? I think not.
*I adapted this recipe from one of my mom's for "black bottom cupcakes". The original recipe used a devil's food cake mix, but I've done this with white cake, yellow cake, lemon cake, spice cake, carrot cake, etc.
**The original recipe just calls for the sugar, salt, cream cheese, and egg, plus chocolate chips. But I've added cinnamon, mint extract and green food coloring, orange extract and orange food coloring, etc. You can change this up a million ways.
***This orange frosting is really just a dressed-up version of vanilla buttercream, which is my favorite frosting ever. Just omit the orange zest and juice for plain vanilla, or add mint, cocoa powder, various extracts, or food coloring to customize it.
Monday, August 10, 2009
The Best Chicken Enchilada Casserole Recipe (& healthy too!)
Yield
10 servings (serving size: 1 casserole slice and 1 tablespoon sour cream)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup prechopped fresh onion
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
Dash of ground red pepper
2 (15.5-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken
1 cup thinly sliced green onions, divided
1/2 cup sliced ripe olives, divided
18 (6-inch) corn tortillas, divided
Cooking spray
2 cups (8 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (16-ounce) jar green salsa
10 tablespoon reduced-fat sour cream
Cilantro sprigs (optional)
Preparation
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add prechopped onion; cook 3 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in cumin, chili powder, garlic salt, and pepper; cook 1 minute. Stir in beans; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chicken, 1/2 cup green onions, and 7 tablespoons ripe olives; stir well.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Layer 6 tortillas on bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread 2 cups chicken mixture over tortillas; sprinkle with 3/4 cup cheese. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining 6 tortillas.
Combine milk, chopped cilantro, and salsa in a blender, and process until smooth. Pour over top of tortillas. Cover and bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, remaining 1/2 cup green onions, and remaining 1 tablespoon olives. Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve with sour cream. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.
Nutritional Information
Calories:
353 (30% from fat)
Fat:
11.8g (sat 4.2g,mono 4.2g,poly 1.8g)
Protein:
23.5g
Carbohydrate:
45.8g
Fiber:
7.9g
Cholesterol:
45mg
Iron:
2.5mg
Sodium:
734mg
Calcium:
396mg
10 servings (serving size: 1 casserole slice and 1 tablespoon sour cream)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup prechopped fresh onion
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
Dash of ground red pepper
2 (15.5-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken
1 cup thinly sliced green onions, divided
1/2 cup sliced ripe olives, divided
18 (6-inch) corn tortillas, divided
Cooking spray
2 cups (8 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (16-ounce) jar green salsa
10 tablespoon reduced-fat sour cream
Cilantro sprigs (optional)
Preparation
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add prechopped onion; cook 3 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in cumin, chili powder, garlic salt, and pepper; cook 1 minute. Stir in beans; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chicken, 1/2 cup green onions, and 7 tablespoons ripe olives; stir well.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Layer 6 tortillas on bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread 2 cups chicken mixture over tortillas; sprinkle with 3/4 cup cheese. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining 6 tortillas.
Combine milk, chopped cilantro, and salsa in a blender, and process until smooth. Pour over top of tortillas. Cover and bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, remaining 1/2 cup green onions, and remaining 1 tablespoon olives. Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve with sour cream. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.
Nutritional Information
Calories:
353 (30% from fat)
Fat:
11.8g (sat 4.2g,mono 4.2g,poly 1.8g)
Protein:
23.5g
Carbohydrate:
45.8g
Fiber:
7.9g
Cholesterol:
45mg
Iron:
2.5mg
Sodium:
734mg
Calcium:
396mg
Friday, August 7, 2009
Grilled Eggplant and Veggie Sandwiches
Eggplant? Wait... just give it a try!
4 hoagie buns, split in half lengthwise
1 medium eggplant, sliced in 1/4 inch slices, lengthwise
1 -2 green or red peppers, sliced in rings
1 large Portabello mushroom, sliced (or sliced button mushrooms)
(caramalized onions are also a great topping)
4 slices swiss cheese
Olive Oil
topping:
1/2 c. Mayonaise
1 tsp. Lime juice
1 Tbsp. season salt (I use greek seasoning or Lawreys)
2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese (kraft kind is fine)
Sprinkle salt onto eggplant and let sit for a few minutes, then wipe off moisture that beads on top. Brush eggplant, green pepper, and portabello mushrooms with olive oil and place on grill. (if using button mushrooms, slice but do not grill.) Grill until eggplant begins to brown and is softer. Salt and pepper to taste. While veggies are grilling, brush buns with olive oil and place on grill to toast. Mix up the topping while waiting.
Stack the green peppers and mushrooms onto eggplant and cover with cheese, close lid of grill to let cheese melt. (remove buns when toasted!) Spread topping onto each bun lid and place veggie stacks onto the bun bottoms. Eat and enjoy!
*can substitute zucchini for the eggplant if you have lots of zucchini to get rid of. It tastes fantastic too!
4 hoagie buns, split in half lengthwise
1 medium eggplant, sliced in 1/4 inch slices, lengthwise
1 -2 green or red peppers, sliced in rings
1 large Portabello mushroom, sliced (or sliced button mushrooms)
(caramalized onions are also a great topping)
4 slices swiss cheese
Olive Oil
topping:
1/2 c. Mayonaise
1 tsp. Lime juice
1 Tbsp. season salt (I use greek seasoning or Lawreys)
2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese (kraft kind is fine)
Sprinkle salt onto eggplant and let sit for a few minutes, then wipe off moisture that beads on top. Brush eggplant, green pepper, and portabello mushrooms with olive oil and place on grill. (if using button mushrooms, slice but do not grill.) Grill until eggplant begins to brown and is softer. Salt and pepper to taste. While veggies are grilling, brush buns with olive oil and place on grill to toast. Mix up the topping while waiting.
Stack the green peppers and mushrooms onto eggplant and cover with cheese, close lid of grill to let cheese melt. (remove buns when toasted!) Spread topping onto each bun lid and place veggie stacks onto the bun bottoms. Eat and enjoy!
*can substitute zucchini for the eggplant if you have lots of zucchini to get rid of. It tastes fantastic too!
A Call for Grilling Recipes
If you are like me, you probably do a lot of grilling during the summer months (or, more accurately, have your husband do a lot of grilling - haha). So, I thought it would be fun to add your favorite recipes for the grill. I have a few I will be posting over the next couple of days, too. It can be for meats and marinades, grilled veggies, grilling tips (so you don't have to wait for your husband to fire up the grill), or even side dishes or desserts that are perfect for an outdoor barbecue! Can't wait to see all of your favorites for the grill! Isn't summer the best!?
5 Ingredient Potato Salad
I very strongly dislike potato salad. I think I can count on one hand the number of times I have had a palatable potato salad (not to the fault of anyone who has made them...I just don't like traditional potato salad), but this recipe has changed that forever! Not only is it the best potato salad I've ever eaten, it is so easy! All of the measurements are approximates and can be adjusted to your liking.
7-8 large (Costco-sized) potatoes (or 12-14 smaller potatoes)
8-10 hard boiled eggs
2 cups mayonnaise
2 Tbsp (or so) Lawry's Seasoned Salt
2-3 chopped Green Onions
Mix together. Serve warm or cold.
7-8 large (Costco-sized) potatoes (or 12-14 smaller potatoes)
8-10 hard boiled eggs
2 cups mayonnaise
2 Tbsp (or so) Lawry's Seasoned Salt
2-3 chopped Green Onions
Mix together. Serve warm or cold.
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