September 28, 2007
Tortellini Salad
Tortellini Salad is a quick, easy and delicious way to utilize those end of season veggies that are coming in in the garden and farmer's market right now. This is another good pot luck special and with no vinegar you could easily make it the day before to make things even more simple. Simple is always good.
What You'll Need:
1 - 8.9 ounce package of tortellini, cooked according to package directions (Note: This is an approximation as I don't know what other sizes the packages come in. Between 8-10 ounces would work fine. You can also pick whichever flavor you prefer. I chose spinach and ricotta.)
2 cups of tomatoes, chopped
2 cups of cucumbers sliced (Note: I like the little pickling cucumbers for this salad. They make perfect bite sized slices.)
1/3 cup of parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Cook tortellini according to package directions, drain and sit aside to cool. (Note: If you want to do a rapid cool down you can drain the tortellini and then rinse it in cool water to cool it down quickly to use immediately.)
In a large bowl toss together cooked tortellini, tomatoes and cucumber. Add parmesan and toss. Stir in olive oil, oregano, a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper and stir to coat. Serve immediately or put in the fridge and serve later.
Notes: Other end of the season veggies would be good in this too. Squash or zucchini would be a very nice addition, as would any late season peas. You could also add dried basil in addition to or in place of the oregano.
Posted by Dianne at 11:39 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
September 27, 2007
Simple Baked Chicken with Rosemary
This week it has been all about simple in terms of food here at our house. I got through stages where I like things a bit more complicated and then I go through stages where I like simple, straight forward food. Baked Chicken is one of those simple and straight forward type dishes that always hits the spot.
There are so many things you can do while baking a chicken. You can mix up the spices, you can go with barbeque, you can make it plain Jane, but no matter what you do the key is making it what you like. It's versatile and easy, both of which are nice especially on a week night when things can be a little crazy. My personal favorite herb for chicken is rosemary. It's the perfect compliment.
What You'll Need:
1 chicken, rinsed and dried
1 small onion, chopped in half (Note: You don't even have to peel the onion.)
1 lemon, chopped in half (Optional)
Extra virgin olive oil (Note: You can use butter if you like, BUT olive oil is healthier and I think it tastes better for chicken as well.)
Rosemary leaves pulled from the stem (Note: I think the more rosemary the better, but if you want to go with less that's ok too. I wouldn't use less than a tablespoon though.)
Coarse sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
First when baking a chicken you need to decide which way you're going to go. You can either preheat the oven to 350 F and bake the chicken for a couple of hours or until internal temperature reaches around 180 F OR you can preheat the oven to 450 F and cook it for an hour or until internal temperature reaches around 180 F. Either way works and both ways are delicious. The 350 F method is a bit juicier, but the 450 F makes for a crisper out shell. Last night I chose to go with the 450 F route. So which ever method you choose preheat your oven to that temperature.
Rinse your chicken and pat dry. Place in a baking dish. Stuff the chicken with the onion and/or lemon. Cover the outside of the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary, coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake according to the temperature instructions above. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes before cutting.
Notes: Like I said above there are numerous ways you can bake a chicken. You can make an Old Bay Chicken by covering the chicken in Old Bay. You can use thyme instead of rosemary or even sage. What you choose is completely up to you and each time it's like you've made an entirely different dish. You can also use different stuffing medium such as garlic and/or apple. Mix it up.
Posted by Dianne at 2:08 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 26, 2007
Roasted Carrots with Dill
Dill and carrots? Surprisingly dill complements the taste of carrots quite well. The two pair very nicely and this is a lovely side dish that always draws raves. That's always a good thing. Another added benefit is that carrots are very healthy and chock full of vitamins and minerals. That's a good thing too. ;o)
What You'll Need:
6-8 carrots, cut into chunks
Extra virgin olive oil
1 heaping tablespoon of dried dill
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 375 F.
In a medium sized baking dish toss carrots with a little extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with dill, sea salt and a little freshly ground black pepper. Bake for 30-40 minutes until carrots are tender. Serve immediately.
Notes: No real notes for this one, but old habits die hard! ;o)
Posted by Dianne at 7:38 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 25, 2007
Avocado and Red Bean Salad
Who says salad has to have lettuce? It's fast and easy to toss together some great ingredients and come out with a wonderful salad sans the lettuce. This particular combination has a bit of a Mexican flare. It makes a great lunch or even a good pot luck type dish. The best part is that it's quick, easy and healthy. What's better than that?
What You'll Need:
1 - 15.5 ounce can of red beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup of red onion, chopped fine
1 large avocado, chopped
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
A pinch of sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
A pinch of paprika
A pinch of cayenne pepper
A pinch of chili powder
A pinch of of cumin
Toss together all ingredients and serve immediately.
Notes: Due to the avocados you want to make this right before serving and no more than 30 minutes ahead of time. You could also add the avocado later and mix up everything else ahead of time. You can add other types of beans in place of or along with the red beans. Corn and/or tomatoes would also be a nice addition.
Posted by Dianne at 11:47 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
September 24, 2007
A Birthday Party: Beef Stroganoff and Chocolate Cake with Almond Buttercream Icing
Saturday was my sister's birthday and I'm a big believer in celebrating a birthday! Some people as they get older don't want to celebrate their life anymore and choose to mourn the day instead, but I think birthdays should be embraced and reveled in. Life is a grand adventure and birthdays simply remind us of our many adventures along the way!
I invited Katherine, Ben and Nelson over for dinner to celebrate. The tradition at our house growing up was that you got to pick what we had for dinner on your birthday and you got to pick your cake. Katherine chose Beef Stroganoff and chocolate cake with almond buttercream icing. Katherine also wanted a salad, some sort of veggie and some yeast rolls, so I made a big spinach salad with a choice of homemade ranch or blue cheese dressing, some roasted asparagus and a batch of Parker House rolls. We broke out the good china and had a grand old time!
Over all everything came together well. The rolls could have risen a bit longer, but I got side tracked. The Beef Stroganoff was a play on the one my mom used to make as a child, that I adapted into Mushroom Stroganoff over the years. This go around though I skipped the onion soup mix and used all fresh ingredients and instead of ground beef I took a pot roast and sliced it across the grain into somewhat bite sized chunks. The result was wonderful! I highly recommend this if you like this sort of dish!
What You'll Need For the Beef Stroganoff:
Extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 small package of mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of flour
2 1/2 pounds of beef tips or other type of beef cut into chunks
1 15 ounce can of tomato sauce
1 cup of sour cream
1 package of egg noodles cooked according to package directions
In a large pot or skillet (and I mean LARGE!) sauté onion, mushrooms and garlic until tender with a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Once the veggies are tender add two tablespoons of flour and cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Add beef and cook for about 15 minutes until it's mostly brown stirring occasionally so it won't stick. (Note: A little red here and there is not a problem as you'll be cooking the dish a while more.) Add tomato sauce and cook for 35-40 minutes to allow the beef to become tender. Add sour cream and cook for 2 minutes or until heated through. Serve over egg noodles.
Notes: In a pinch you could use onion soup mix. Just omit the onion and garlic. You could also use garlic powder or salt if you're out of fresh garlic. Having made it both ways I highly recommend the fresh onion and garlic. Both variations are good, but the fresh version definitely was the best! You can also substitute more mushrooms for the beef to make the vegetarian equivalent.
After dinner we dug into the cake!
The basket weave wasn't as neat as I would have liked, but the icing was having issues on Saturday so we went with what came out. It turned out ok in the end and it tasted delicious, so that's all you can ask for. :o)
Posted by Dianne at 8:37 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
September 21, 2007
Avocado and Grapefruit Salad
I'm a big fan of both avocados and grapefruit and lately I've seen them paired together quite often. I decided to throw together a little salad and see what the taste combination was like. I must say I really like the combination! It's simple, healthy and a quick fix for lunch or a light dinner. If you like avocado and grapefruit, you'll love this!
What You'll Need Per Person:
1 avocado
1/2 a large red grapefruit
Avocado oil (Note: If you can't find avocado oil then extra virgin olive oil will work fine.)
Freshly ground black pepper
Coarse sea salt
Slice avocado and grapefruit into wedges and arrange in a fan pattern around a plate. Drizzle with some avocado oil, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and coarse sea salt. Serve immediately.
Notes: Due to the avocado this salad is an eat it when you make it kind of deal. If you try to store it the avocado will turn brown and mushy. I wouldn't make it more than 30 minutes before you plan to serve.
Posted by Dianne at 9:39 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
September 20, 2007
Chicken and Spinach Lasagna
Lasagna is one of those quintessential comfort foods. Normally it's tomato based, but it doesn't have to be. I had some chicken left over from this weekend from when I made some chicken noodle soup and thought this would be an interesting way to use what I had left. Throw in a little spinach along with the chicken and you've got a hearty twist on the classic, that will fast become a favorite. It's nice to have a twist to pull out to surprise those you might be serving. Try it, you'll love it!
What You'll Need:
Extra virgin olive oil
1 purple onion, chopped
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
6 cups of spinach leaves, washed and chopped
3 cups of shredded chicken
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Lasagna noodles
Mozzarella
Parmesan
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Sauté onion and garlic in a little extra virgin olive oil until just tender. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Stir in chicken and add a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.
Brush an 8 X 8 inch dish with olive oil and place a layer of lasagna noodles on the bottom of the dish. (Note: If you want to make the dish go faster pre-cook the noodles and decrease cooking time in the oven by 45 minutes. Otherwise just put the noodles into the dish straight out of the package.) Add a layer of chicken/spinach mixture and top with Parmesan and mozzarella. Repeat these steps until you run out of chicken/spinach mixture, ending with a layer of spinach/chicken topped with cheese.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50-60 minutes until noodles stick tender. Cook for the last 10 minutes with foil removed. Remove from oven when done and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes: You could use mushrooms and leave out the chicken to make it vegetarian.
Posted by Dianne at 8:03 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
September 19, 2007
Whole Grain Pumpkin Pancakes
Yesterday just slipped right by me! I was working on a quilt and then bang! It was evening and I hadn't cooked a thing! This cool weather just makes me want to be creative! I've been working on a travel quilt for Alexis for over a year and since we have some fun adventures planned over the next few months and she has grown too tall for her other quilts it's time to finish this one so her little toes won't get cold when she's sleeping on her travel bed! I hope to finish it today. We'll see how that goes! ;o)
Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin! Alexis and I decided to use the last of our pumpkin and make some pancakes. These are a great fall time treat. You probably won't see anymore pumpkin recipes for a while, but then again never say never! ;o)
What You'll Need:
2 cups of white whole wheat flour (Note: If you don't have white whole wheat flour or can't find it then regular whole wheat flour will work too. All purpose flour would work as well, but then you'd knock out the benefits of whole grain.)
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 cup of mashed pumpkin
1/3 cup of maple syrup (Note: Real maple syrup, not pancake syrup. You can also use honey or molasses.)
1 3/4 cups of buttermilk
2 eggs
3/4 cup of raisins
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
Mix dry ingredients to incorporate. Stir in pumpkin, maple syrup, buttermilk and eggs mix until mixture is smooth. Add raisins and walnuts and stir to mix. Cook batter as you would regular pancakes in a large preheat skillet or griddle with a little non-stick spray.
Notes: You could use any kind of nut you liked. Also you may need a bit more or less buttermilk depending on the humidity. When the batter forms stop adding milk. If need be add a little more. The batter should be thin, but not completely runny.
Posted by Dianne at 11:01 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
September 17, 2007
Pumpkin Soup
I just love this time of year! The mornings are brisk, the days are cool and those beautiful fall leaves are right around the corner!
Ah...Fall! My second favorite season, Winter being my favorite. Winter, Fall, Spring and then Summer. That's my list! ;o)
My sister commented the other day that it has become Pumpkin Central around here at Dianne's Dishes the past few days and Alexis and I have certainly been rocking the pumpkin recipes! I mentioned before that it is amazing how many things you can make with three small sugar pumpkins! But when they are local, fresh and oh so lovely, why not utilize them?
For years I've read about Pumpkin Soup, but I had never tried it because it sounded odd to me. I'm not sure why that is given I love Butternut Squash Soup and the two are very similar, but sometimes you just get an idea about food in your head and it takes actually trying something to knock out a preconceived notion.
I decided to whip up a batch of soup and much to my surprise I loved it! Alexis did too. It's warm, healthy and hearty. Who can ask for a better combination?
What You'll Need:
4 cups of raw pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks (Note: I like to cut the sugar pumpkins into slices as you would a cantaloupe. From there you can scoop out the seeds on one side and use a potato peeler to peel the skin off the other side. Then it's simple to cut the slice into chunks once it is scooped and peeled.)
1 large sweet potato or yam, chopped into chunks (Note: You don't have to remove the skin from the sweet potatoes. They have a lot of vitamins and such you don't want to get rid of, especially in this soup where it's all blended in the end anyway.)
2 large carrots, cut into chunks (Note: Again there's no need to peel them.)
1 small onion, skins removed and cut into chunks
3 or 4 thyme branches (Note: If you want you can strip the leaves off the branches, but you don't have to. As the thyme cooks the leaves will fall away from the stem and then you can remove the stems before you blend.)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Water
Dump all of your ingredients into a large stockpot. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt (about a teaspoon or so) and freshly ground black pepper. Cover the ingredients with water and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and cook until ingredients are all completely cooked through and tender.
Remove veggies from cooking water and reserve water. Remove thyme branches and discard. Process veggies in a food processor or blender until smooth adding some of the cooking water to help smooth out the mix. You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your food processor or blender. Return pureed mixture to your empty stock put and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes over medium to ensure it is warm through. Serve immediately.
Notes: You could add any root vegetable that you like to the mix. Parsnips would be good especially. It's a very simple mixture, but it's delicious none the less. You could also make this with a couple of cans of canned pumpkin by adding it during the processing stage or you could freeze pumpkin to use later.
Posted by Dianne at 1:06 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
September 14, 2007
Pumpkin Smoothie
It's amazing how much pumpkin three small sugar pumpkins actually put out! So that just encourages me to come up with new uses for pumpkin. This morning I was thinking about pumpkin and I wondered how a pumpkin smoothie would taste, so I whipped one up. If you like pumpkin then this little gem makes a great fall time breakfast or snack!
What You'll Need:
1 ripe banana
1 cup of cooked pumpkin
1 cup of milk (Note: I used EdenBlend's Rice Soy blend, but you can whatever type of milk you like.)
1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter
1 cup of ice
Dump all the ingredients into the jar of your blender and blend on high until smooth. Serve immediately.
Notes: If you wanted to add some cinnamon they that would be a great addition, but I'd leave out the peanut butter. Also I think the banana and pumpkin "sweetens" the smoothie without having to add any other sweeteners, but if you think it needs something more then I would go with either a tablespoon of honey or a tablespoon of maple syrup. I'ts nice to stick with natural sweetners and not processed ones.
Posted by Dianne at 7:49 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
September 13, 2007
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
One of the best things about getting pumpkins is being able to make roasted pumpkin seeds! There are so many ways to roast them...With herbs...With honey...Or even just with a little sea salt! No matter how you roast them you've got a fun and easy snack. These are one of Alexis' favorite go to snacks...Mine too! ;o)
What You'll Need:
Pumpkin seeds, rinsed and cleaned
Sea salt
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Rinse the pumpkin seeds in water and drain. Make sure the seeds are cleaned and the pumpkin "string" are gone. Spread the seeds onto a large cookie sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper. Sprinkle with sea salt and bake for 15-20 minutes until seeds are browned. Let cool and store in an air tight container.
Notes: Roasted pumpkin seeds are good as a yogurt or ice cream topping. They are also good in granola. Some people use oil to roast them, but I don't think it's necessary. I think they taste better without the oil.
Posted by Dianne at 7:44 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
September 12, 2007
Pumpkin Surprise Muffins
Last weekend Alexis saw some local sugar pumpkins and wanted to get some. She's all about pumpkins. Loves them! We decided one of the things we could do was to make some Pumpkin Muffins and I decided it would be fun to add a little twist, a "surprise" if you will. What's better than a surprise? Most people like surprises. The "surprise" in these muffins is a little bite of cheesecake in the middle of each one! I decided this would make a good treat for Jamison to take to work since Fall is on our doorstep. I'm really enjoying making up new recipes and testing them out on Jamison's coworkers! Hopefully they are enjoying it too. :o)
What You'll Need for the Pumpkin Batter:
3 cups of unbleached all purpose flour (Note: I had intended to use White Whole Wheat flour, but I realized I was out. You could easily substitute it for all of or part of the white flour.)
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of sea salt
2 cups of mashed pumpkin
1 stick of butter, melted (Note: You could use unsweetened apple sauce instead of the butter. Again this was my intention, but I realized I was out of apple sauce.)
1 cup of natural brown sugar
1/2 cup of maple syrup
1 cup of light or fat free sour cream
3/4 cup of light or fat free buttermilk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
2 teaspoons of vanilla
What You'll Need for the "Surprise":
1 package of cream cheese, softened (Note: Any variety is fine...Regular, light or fat free)
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/8 cup of unbleached all purpose, flour
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Mix dry ingredients (flour through sea salt) in a large bowl and set aside.
In a separate bowl mix remaining ingredients (pumpkin through vanilla) and stir until incorporated. Mix dry mixture with wet mixture and stir until completely mix. Set aside.
Cream together cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. Add flour and mix until just incorporated. Set aside.
Spray two muffin pans with non stick spray. Fill each cup 1/4 of the way full with pumpkin batter and then add a dollop of the "Surprise" mixture (roughly 1 tablespoon or less) into the middle of each cup. Top with more pumpkin batter to cover the "surprise".
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until muffins stick done.
Makes about 24 muffins
Notes: You could add a cup of nuts and/or raisins to the pumpkin batter for even more yummy goodness. We used fresh pumpkin that we roasted in the oven and mashed ourselves. This process gave lovely little bits of pumpkin throughout the muffins. You could easily used canned pumpkin instead.
Posted by Dianne at 7:37 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
September 11, 2007
Fresh Tomato and Thyme Risotto
9/11...Who can forget that day? I can still tell you exactly where I was and what I was doing that morning when I found out what was happening and how Jamison's dad and I had been in DC just a few days before. The whole day was surreal, but then again you can probably tell me the exact same things about your day that horrible morning as well.
It's hard to beleive it's been six years. On days like this you just need a little comfort food! Add in some fresh veggies and herbs to this dish and you've got the perfect mix of fresh and comfort. Sometimes you just need to indulge and why not do so with some good stuff thrown in as well.
What You'll Need:
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter
1/2 a red onion, chopped
4 cups of grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced into quarters (Note: I used two cups of orange cherry and 2 cups of red cherry tomatoes.)
2-4 tablespoons of fresh thyme leaves
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups of risotto rice
2 cups of broth
Water
2 1/2 ounces of goat cheese, crumbled
1/3-1/2 cup of Parmesan, grated
In a large pot or skillet sauté onion, tomatoes and thyme with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper in extra virgin olive oil until tomatoes and onion are soft. Stir in risotto and cook for 2 minutes. Add broth and stir occasionally until broth evaporates. Add water 1 cup at a time and repeat the stirring until it evaporates. Keep adding water 1 cup at a time until the rice is tender. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted. Let sit for at least 5 minutes until serving. (Note: The longer it sits the creamier it gets.)
Notes: As always risotto is not a hard dish to make and you can tweak this until your hearts content. You could use different cheeses or add other veggies. You could use rosemary instead of thyme or another herb of your choice. It's an easy dish to mix and match.
Posted by Dianne at 12:28 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
September 10, 2007
Quick and Easy Veggie Soup
One night last week we decided to have a simple dinner. Jamison wanted grilled cheese sandwiches and I decided to whip up a quick pot of Veggie Soup to go with them. This soup is quick, easy and healthy. What's not to like?
What You'll Need:
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of onion, chopped
1 rib of celery, chopped
1 small carrot, sliced in half and chopped
1 small leek, chopped
1 cup of spinach, chopped
2 large button mushrooms, chopped
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup of frozen peas
1/2 cup of frozen corn
1 box of broth (Note: Veggie, chicken, beef...Whichever you prefer.)
Sauté onion through mushroom in a little extra virgin olive oil with a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper until veggies are just tender. Add broth and cook for 10 minutes and then serve immediately.
Notes: You can add any veggies that you like. If you want to change this to a "tomato" based soup then add a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste. You could also add a cup of freshly chopped tomatoes. If you like noodles you could add some sort of pasta or even add chicken or seafood to "beef" it up a bit.
Posted by Dianne at 8:21 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 7, 2007
Tomato Salad with Fresh Dill and Mozzarella
Tomatoes, tomatoes everywhere! I just love this time of year! And there are so many lovely things to do with those tomatoes! This salad, is quick, easy and delicious. It's perfect for a fast lunch or even an easy dinner!
What You'll Need Per Person:
1 cup of grape tomatoes, sliced in half (Note: You can use all one type or mix and match. It's up to you. I used roughly 1/2 cup of yellow grape tomatoes and 1/2 cup of red.)
1/4 cup of fresh mozzarella, torn into shreds
At least 1 tablespoon of fresh dill, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
Toss all the ingredients in a bowl and serve immediately.
How simple is that?
Notes: You could substitute goat's cheese for the mozzarella, but if you do that I would advise using thyme or rosemary leaves instead of dill. Onion would also be a good addition. This salad doesn't store well. Only make what you will eat in one sitting. Also remember that fresh mozzarella is very tender and is much creamier and less salty than the type you buy preshredded and such. If you're making this as a main course instead of a side dish then you might want to double the numbers above for everything but the olive oil.
Posted by Dianne at 12:38 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 6, 2007
Semi-Recipe: BLT on Pumpernickel
There are numerous ways to make a BLT sandwich. You can use red tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, orange tomatoes, wheat bread, white bread, Pumpernickel...You can toast the bread or leave it like it is, you can add some mayo or mustard or...Well you get the picture! No matter how you make it, it's bound to be good!
What You'll Need:
Bread of your choice
Tomato slices of your choice
Lettuce
Mayo (optional)
Bacon slices
You guys know how to make a sandwich so I won't insult your intelligence! I'll just tell you what I used. ;o)
I used pumpernickel bread, red tomatoes, romaine lettuce, center cut bacon and mayo. It was delicious!
Notes: I used center cut bacon because it has more meat to it and less fat. If you can find center cut AND low sodium then go for it! Turkey bacon would work too. Or even veggie bacon if you can find one you like, I have yet to do that though. I keep trying new veggie brands as I come across them, but I haven't cared for any of them so far.
Posted by Dianne at 7:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 5, 2007
Wordless Wednesday
Posted by Dianne at 9:09 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Not Your Mama's "Fried" Okra
Fried okra is one of those quintessential Southern foods that automatically makes you think good, not to mention heavy and fat laden, but it doesn't have to be that way. Growing up in Tennessee it was amazing the many different ways that I had this dish. Some people dipped the okra in batter and then deep fried it, others fried it up in a pan with bacon fat or lard. My mom's method of cooking was pan fried in melted shortening, but regardless of how it was made and no matter how good it tasted you could bet it was heavy as all get out!
When we moved to Maryland it obviously became harder to find okra as it's more of a southern crop. I finally found a local farm owned by some older folks who grew it and that is where I picked it up, that was until last summer. Last summer, and I'm not sure why, the local farm closed and I think it's because the couple became too old to farm the land. They were the sweetest little couple. The gentleman reminded me of my grandfather, but I digress.
Anyway, I could occasionally find okra at Whole Foods and once in a blue moon it would show up at my local Giant store, but it was definitely harder to find. At the Farmer's Market on Saturday one of the vendors had okra and I was excited to see it as I hadn't seen it all summer! Over the years my sister and I have slimmed down the "fried" okra and substituted the healthy fat of olive oil, for the heavier unhealthy fats and/or trans fats. You still "fry" it, but you use a lot less frying medium and as I mentioned that medium is healthier too.
Oh and it's easy to make to boot! That's always an added plus! If you like okra, then you'll love this!
What You'll Need Per Cup of Okra:
Okra, sliced
1/4-13 cup of corn meal
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Preheat a large pan over medium heat with a thin layer of olive oil (just enough to coat the bottom of the pan).
In a bowl mix corn meal, sea salt and black pepper. Add okra and toss to coat.
Add prepared okra to the preheated pan and cook stirring occasionally until golden brown. Serve immediately.
Notes: You can also use this method for zucchini, squash or green tomato slices.
Posted by Dianne at 7:23 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBack
September 4, 2007
Shrimp and Veggie Kabobs with Thyme
These kabobs are so versatile! You can add the veggies you like and/or meat of your choice. You can bake them, pan fry them or even cook them on the grill. It's a perfect way to utilize fresh veggies from the garden for a quick, easy dinner. Pair with some wild rice and you've got the perfect, healthy, summer meal!
What You'll Need For Two People:
1 small zucchini, cut into chunks
1 small yellow squash, cut into chunks
4 small tomatoes, your choice of type
4 whole mushrooms, your choice
2 small chunks of onion, your choice of type
8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Extra virgin olive oil
Fresh thyme leaves
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Kabob sticks (Note: If you choose to grill the kabobs it is wise to soak the kabob sticks in water for at least 20 minutes so that they won't catch on fire.)
Preheat oven to 425 F, heat frying pan over medium heat or ready grill.
Arrange veggies on kabob stick. Brush each kabob with olive oil, sprinkle with thyme leaves, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Repeat process with shrimp by placing 4 large shrimp per kabob.
Bake vegetable kabobs for 25-30 minutes, pan fry with a little non-stick spray for 20-25 minutes or grill for 10-15 minutes until veggies are tender. Bake, pan fry or grill shrimp kabobs for 3-5 minutes until pink. Serve immediately.
Notes: I used both red and yellow tomatoes. I also used button and baby portabella mushrooms. I also chose red onion. Asparagus would be a nice addition. Leeks would be good too. Any veggies that you like works. Mix it up! You could also use chicken or beef in place of the shrimp. Beef and chicken would take longer to cook than the shrimp so they could be placed on the same kabob as the veggies.
Posted by Dianne at 7:07 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 1, 2007
Saturday Farmer's Market
* Thanks to A Veggie Venture for this great Farmer's Market icon! :o)
Alexis and I usually venture over to the Farmer's Market on Tuesday mornings, but this week we didn't make it so we decided to swing by Saturday morning instead. Oh my! What a chaotic mess! They even had two police officers directing traffic! We'll be sure to go on Tuesdays from now on, but we got some lovely fruits and veggies and after all isn't that what it's all about?
Alexis also picked out a cucumber, but it didn't make it into the picture because he was still hiding in the bag.
The sweet banana peppers were gorgeous this morning. They are a childhood favorite. My grandfather used to grow them each summer and now I do, though my plants succumbed to the drought this year. Alexis has grown to love them too. We usually just eat them raw as a snack or in a salad.
They called these "Fairytale" eggplants, but it's basically just a baby eggplant. I like to sauté them with a little garlic and olive oil or stuff them mushrooms and spinach. They are also good in lasagna.
The yellow grape tomatoes were also lovely this morning. I'm going to make some veggie and shrimp kabobs for dinner with wild rice.
Ditto for the red grape tomatoes.
We even lucked upon some okra! You'll be seeing that coming into play this week too! ;o)
And lastly these tiny little plums! They are roughly the size of large grapes and the lady who sold them to me told me they aren't "eating" plums, but cooking plums. I don't know what I'll do with them yet, but most likely I'll make some plum jam or something of that nature.
I hope you are all having a wonderful Saturday! I know we are! :o)
Posted by Dianne at 12:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack