Still Cooking, just not Posting

Ok, we really have been eating these last couple of months. Not a lot terribly new or exciting but still cooking.

However, I finally did try out a fun new recipe last night and it was considered a huge hit across the board (the kids and my husband). Here's what we had:

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Meatball Kebabs
(from www.heathersdish.com)

1 pound ground chicken
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs or regular plain breadcrumbs
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce plus more for dipping
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 red onion, shredded
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
1 pineapple, cored and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 red onion, cut into 1-inch cubes
other optional veggies: peppers, zucchini, squash (we used yellow and red peppers)

Mix together the ground chicken, bread crumbs, teriyaki sauce, carrot, onion, garlic, egg, and salt and pepper. Make mini meatballs by forming 1 Tbsp scoops into balls and place on a baking sheet. Refrigerate while you turn on the grill to medium heat and assemble the remaining items for the skewers. As a side note, you don't have to make skewers, but it is definitely more festive. Thread each skewer with a chunk of pineapple, a chunk of red onion, other option veggies and one meatball, then repeat. Spray the grill carefully with nonstick spray or brush with olive oil. Gently place each skewer on the grill. Grill for about 5 minutes on each side until the center of the meatballs are done and the grill marks are beautifully charred. Remove from heat and serve with rice and extra dipping sauce.

Along with the kebabs, I made the following Coconut-Ginger Rice which was super tasty:

Coconut-Ginger Rice
(from www.recipegirl.com)
Yields 8 servings

1/4 cup butter
2 T sushi grade ginger, drained and chopped (we didn't have this so I just added a little powdered ginger)
2 T garlic, minced
1/2 cup sweet onions, finely diced
2 cups white Jasmine rice (I used brown rice which worked great, just needed a lot more cooking time, more like 45 minutes)
1/2 cup coconut milk
4 cups water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper (didn't add)
1 T pesto (didn't add)

Directions
1. Melt butter in medium-sized pot over medium heat.
2. Add ginger, garlic and onions, stir frequently until onions are transparent. Add rice, turning frequently until well coated. Add coconut milk, water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for approximately 20 minutes (until liquid is absorbed).
3. Remove from heat and let stand 5-6 minutes. Turn rice into serving bowl, add basil pesto and toss with fork to fluff and distribute flavor.

I added some fresh steamed snap peas and we had a complete meal.

After our feast, the boys asked for a treat and decided on ice cream. I saw we had some bananas on the counter so I suggested banana-split sundaes. That was their first banana split sundae and after their reaction it definitely won't be their last!!

I'll definitely make this meal again.

Christmas

Yes, I'm doing catch up posts here! Christmas lunch was also successful. Our total was a slightly smaller 9 people (including our immediate family of 4). I decided to rack of lamb and roasted potatoes.

Our official menu was rack of lamb, Honey baked ham, roasted potatoes, green beans, carrot souffle and apple/cranberry crumble pies (from a local bakery - Big Sugar).

For the Rack of Lamb, I didn't find one recipe that really worked for me so I took bits and pieces from a bunch and sort of created my own. I made a homemade breadcrumb mixture in the Cuisinart by processing some wheat bread, some fresh garlic, some fresh rosemary, some salt and then added some olive oil to give it a good texture for staying on the lamb chops.

I put the racks of lamb on a large roasting pan, sprinkled them with salt and pepper, smeared on a small layer of Dijon mustard and then put a good thick coating of the bread crumb mixture. Preheated the over to 450. Roasted for a good 10 minutes and then reduced the heat to 400. The lamb chops took much longer than I expected, probably close to a good 30 minutes. They turned out pretty good (and my nephew who is rather picky ate at least 8-10 lamb chops himself!)

For the roasted potatoes, I just took small fingerling-type potatoes, cut then into small slices, added some olive oil, fresh chopped rosemary, and salt. Put in a large casserole dish and roasted at 375 for a good 2 hours (stirring now and then and also checking to make sure not overly cooked earlier).

For the carrot souffle, I found this on-line and always wanted to try it. I'm really glad I did - I just need to plan better next time. I decided to make this only after I was only about an hour or so out from needing to serve everything. I had to go with the individual ramekins so they'd have the shorter cooking time.

Here's the link and recipe for the carrot souffle:

http://www.stephmodo.com/2007/12/carrot-souffle.html

Carrot Souffle

1 3/4 lbs. carrots, peeled and chopped
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla
2 tB. all purpose flour
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup butter
confectioners sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large pot of boiling water, cook the carrots until very tender. Drain, and transfer to a large mixing bowl. While the carrots are warm, use an electric mixer to beat with sugar, baking powder and vanilla extract until smooth (I think my steamed carrots were not quick soft enough when I started mixing everything so I transferred the mixture to my Cuisinart and pureed with that - made things super smooth and definitely easy). Mix in the flour, eggs, and butter. Transfer to a 2 quart baking dish. Bake one hour in the preheated oven, or until top is golden brown. Dust lightly with confectioners' sugar before serving.

Note: If you want to use individual ramekins instead of one dish, adjust the cooking time to about 30-35 minutes depending on your oven. Keep an eye on them to avoid over-cooking them. I read online that one person liked to puree the carrots with the butter, sugar and vanilla and then add in the baking powder with the eggs and flour. Apparently the souffle rises better. I think I'll try that next time.

Thanksgiving

Almost hard to remember back as far as Thanksgiving since I've taken so long to post. We had a wonderful lunch for 14 people. We were worried about the prospects of rain so we even set up for indoor seating for everyone. Tables looked great!

Our menu consisted of

• A dry-brined natural (non-frozen) organic turkey (dry brine was lemon zest, salt and rosemary)
• Honey-baked ham (MIL brought)
• Great cheese platter with various cheeses and fruits and nuts and crackers
• Stuffing with ciabata bread, dried apricots and sausage
• Green beans
• Cranberry sauce (recipe to follow as this is my go-to recipe for cranberry sauce and I can't imagine any other turning out this tasty)
• Mashed potatoes
• My mom's yam casserole
• My mom's famous gravy
• Homemade pumpkin dinner rolls
• Julienne apple pies
• Costco pumpkin pie

Here's the cranberry sauce recipe from recipegirl.com (http://www.recipegirl.com/2007/11/12/maple-tangerine-cranberry-sauce/)

MAPLE- TANGERINE CRANBERRY SAUCE
www.RecipeGirl.com

Servings: 12

2 cups strained fresh tangerine juice (from about 12 tangerines)
3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (12 ounce bag)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup, preferably Grade B
1 whole cinnamon stick
1 tsp finely grated tangerine zest
pinch of kosher salt

1. In a 10-inch skillet, combine all of the ingredients. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and then reduce to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has thickened somewhat and looks slightly syrupy, about 30 minutes.

2. Remove the cinnamon stick and let the cranberry sauce cool in the pan- it will thicken a bit more as it cools. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature.

Cooking Tips
*12 tangerines is an estimate (depends on the size of your tangerines and how juicy they are). You can also buy fresh squeezed tangerine juice and strain out the pulp. I used half tangerine juice and half orange juice and it turned out wonderful. You do need the zest from a tangerine, so be sure to use at least one fresh one.
*Be sure to remove the cinnamon stick when the sauce is done simmering. The cinnamon flavor will be plenty noticeable, but you don’t want it to overpower.
*This sauce may be made up to a week ahead. Cover and chill.

Fall Has Hit - Pumkin Scrumptiousness!

Okay, based on my lack of posts, it looks like I haven't cooked in 2 months. I have but not much. I think I have a couple good finds to eventually get up here but on the most part it was very simple fare around our house for two reason - 1) crazy busy at work so getting home too late to spend any time on dinner, and 2) I fractured my hand so I had a cast - ever tried to prep, cook, clean, etc with a cast? Doesn't work so well. Finally got my cast off late last week.

Anyway, last night we had a hectic evening of gym class but I was determined to make this recipe and ultimately it worked out great with our schedule. I made the rice in the microwave (since I used brown rice it was going to take a long time on the stove - next time I'll try to make the rice a day in advance to make this even easier), cooked the bacon, chopped the cheese and the fresh herbs and smashed the garlic. While the rice was cooking, I opened up the pumpkin and cleaned it out. Stuffed everything in and popped it into the preheated oven... off we went to gym class while it cooked (it needed to cook a good 1 1/2 to 2 hours) and voila, we had an awesome smelling house when we got home and a great dinner too.

Here's the recipe... http://weekofmenus.blogspot.com/2010/10/pumpkin-stuffed-with-deliciousness-and.html

Pumpkin Stuffed with Deliciousness and More
adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table
Serves 2 as a main course; serves 4 as a side dish

1 3lb sugar pumpkin
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled OR 1 sausage chopped (pre cooked kind), OR ham or any other cooked meat
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped or pressed (add more if you like)
1/4 lb of cheese - choose cheddar, gruyere, gouda, jack, Emmenthal - cut into cubes (rough chop is fine)
1/4 cup chives or scallions (I used rosemary and sage)
1/2 cup heavy cream (or less depending on how much rice actually fits into the pumpkin)

Preheat oven to 350. Using a sharp knife, cut the top of the pumpkin off. (Inserting your knife at 45 degree angle and slowly cutting around works best.) Carefully remove the top.Scoop out all the seeds and all string. Using a spoon to scrape the inside and then scooping out with your hands is the best method. (Daughters did this.) Season inside liberally with salt and pepper.

In a bowl, get all bacon or sausage, cheese, garlic, chives and rice all mixed together. If you want a short cut, use a pair of scissors to cut up all the ingredients. Season if necessary. (Cheese and bacon will season, but just in case.) Place pumpkin into casserole dish. Take rice filling and begin stuffing the cavity of the pumpkin with the rice mixture. Pack it almost to the top. Carefully pour 1/2 cup of cream over the mixture. You want it well moistened but not swimming in cream. Seal the pumpkin back with the lid.

Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the side of the pumpkin can be easily pierced with a knife. Check oven at 1 1/2 hours to make sure it is not over cooked. (Although it is pretty hard to mess up.)When the pumpkin is tender enough, remove lid.

Begin pulling cooked pumpkin from the side into the center of the rice and mixture and being swirling it together. Scoop out fragrant, steaming spoonfuls into bowls. Enjoy! (I served at the table in the pumpkin and let everyone scooped out their own.)

Verdict: Definitely a keeper. Will be making this again. Presents nicely too. Will probably need to make a double recipe next time. Also, might be able to add some mushrooms and/or a little bit of chopped fresh spinach.

Zucchini, Carrot and Cranberry Muffins

From the following blog: http://tendercrumb.blogspot.com/2010/08/zucchini-carrot-and-cranberry-muffins.html

Zucchini, Carrot, and Cranberry Muffins
barely adapted from The SoNo Baking Company Cookbook by John Barricelli
makes 12 muffins

2 C AP flour (used white whole wheat flour)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
1 C sugar (used about 3/4 cup instead)
1 C canola oil
2 large eggs, room temp
3/4 C finely grated carrots (approx 1 medium)
3/4 C finely grated zucchini (approx 1 medium)
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 C whole fresh or frozen (unthawed) cranberries

Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Grease a standard 12 cup muffin pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Mix in the grated zucchini and carrots.

Fold in the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until combined. Fold in the cranberries.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the muffins are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Rotate the pan mid way through the baking time.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Turn out muffins on their side in the muffin cups, and let cool in the pan. Serve warm or at room temp.

Mmmm. Tasty. Made some without cranberries for the pickier kids. My boys LOVE cranberries so they preferred those.

Mini Shells and Cheese Ramekins

From the following blog: http://www.theknead4speed.com/2010/08/lets-go-somewhere-where-theres-cheese/

Mini Shells and Cheese Ramekins

Yield: two 6-ounce or one 10-ounce ramekin(s)

• 2.5 ounces mini shells pasta
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/8 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• dash of cayenne pepper
• ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) shredded mild or sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 Tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1.5 Tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese, divided (for topping)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease two 6-ounce ramekins with butter or cooking spray.
2. Place a small pot of water over high heat. Bring water to a boil and then add shell pasta. Cook for 8 minutes and drain.
3. Melt butter in a separate saucepan over low heat. Add flour, stirring with whisk.
4. Once butter appears slightly foamy, add milk and cook until smooth. Turn off heat.
5. Add cheese and seasonings to hot butter mixture, stirring to combine. Add cooked shell pasta and stir well.
6. Divide shells and cheese between ramekins. Divide 1.5 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese and sprinkle onto pasta.
7. Bake for 11-13 minutes and serve.

Easy, tasty and love that they are made in little individual containers.

Rustic Roasted Chicken

Found this on a food blog... http://www.kayotic.nl/blog/rustic-roasted-chicken

Rustic Roasted Chicken

4 chicken legs (or a couple of bone-in breasts, thighs, etc.)

1 pound small potatoes

1 large carrot

4 big shallots (I've done with just a couple)

5 garlic cloves

1 bell pepper

4 oz bacon

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup water

1 chicken bouillon cube

3 tbsp oil

1 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt (I've just used regular Kosher salt)

1 tsp sweet paprika powder

1/4 tsp dried thyme

fresh sage

Combine the oil with the seasoned salt, paprika powder, and thyme. Place the chicken in a roasting tray and brush with the marinade. Peel the carrot and potatoes (I've not peeled the potatoes) and cut them, along with the bell pepper, in bite-sized pieces. Peek and cut the shallots in half (I've chopped up a bit smaller and prefer it that way). Place the vegetables around the chicken. Toss a few pieces of carrot underneath the chicken to elevate them a little. Cook the bacon until brown (drain fat) (I also under cooked bacon and put on top of chicken at that point) and pour in the white wine and water. Crumble in the chicken bouillon cube and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the liquid and bacon over the potatoes and vegetables. Don't rinse the marinade off the chicken when pouring in the liquid. Randomly throw the unpeeled garlic (I peeled and chopped into 1/4th's) in the tray and add some sage. Roast at 400 F for 55 to 60 minutes. Drizzle cooking juices over the chicken and veggies half way through the cooking time. Remove the charred sage and then serve.

Mmmmm tasty. Can make everything but the bacon and then the white wine water mixture the night before.

Zucchini, Carrot and Cranberry Muffins

Tried these out tonight... very tasty. Made most without the cranberries since some kids aren't big into those. My boys of course LOVED the ones with the cranberries though.

2 cups white whole wheat flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp cinnamon

pinch ground nutmeg

1 cup sugar

1 cup canola oil

2 large eggs, room temp

3/4 cup grated carrots (about 2)

3/4 cup grated zucchini (about 1)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup whole fresh or frozen (unthawed) cranberries

Preheat oven to 375. Grease muffin tins

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, b powder, b soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Mix in the grated zucchini and carrots.

Fold into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until combined. Fold in the cranberries. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the muffins are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

http://tendercrumb.blogspot.com/2010/08/zucchini-carrot-and-cranberry-muffins.html

Picnic Fare

We went to an outdoor garden concert this last weekend and invited our neighbors. I didn't plan too well in advance but did make one nice dish that turned out to be perfect for something like this and really a nice dish in general for the summer. I made a "normal" tomato, basil, mozzarella salad but augmented it some by using heirloom cherry tomatoes (I cut them in half), very fresh farmers market basil, and a chopped up fresh peach. Added some salt, fresh mozzarella, ground pepper, olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Turned our surprisingly tasty. So summery and fresh.

Fruit on the Bottom Baked Oatmeal

Great breakfast meal - can combine the dry ingredients, wet ingredients and put fruit in the bottom of the pan (all three separately) and then mix up in the AM quickly.

From Tasty Kitchen (http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/breakfastbrunch/fruit-on-the-bottom-baked-oatmeal/ )

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced fruit (I typically add a little extra fruit)

1/2 cups whole milk (I've used low fat milk which works out fine)

2/3 cup maple syrup

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup butter, divided

2 cup oatmeal

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

4 T demerara sugar or sucanat, divided

1/3 cup sliced almonds

Preheat over to 350. Melt butter, pour 1/4 cup into the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish. Arrange sliced fruit on top of the butter and sprinkle with 2 T demerara. Set aside. (I've skipped the butter)

In a medium bowl, mix together milk, maple syrup, eggs, remaining butter and vanilla.

In a large bowl, whisk together oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour over the fruit and smooth the top. Sprinkle with almonds and remaining 2 T demerara.

Bake at 350 for 40 to 50 minutes, or until browned on top and fruit is bubbly. Allow to cool slightly. Serve with milk, cream or vanilla sauce.

MMMMM.

Laura's Famous Strawberry Salad (my new favorite salad)

My friend Nameeta gave me this recipe. I now make the dressing and make a version of this all the time.

Ingredients

1/3 cup raspberry vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar (I try to cut this back some)

1 T poppy seeds (these aren't necessary)

1 cup canola oil

green onions (not yet put these in)

strawberries

pine nuts

spring mix

mix vinegar, salt, sugar, poppy seeds and canola oil together.

Wash and slice strawberries, wash and slice the green onions, wash and chop the lettuce, and toss all of the ingredients in a bowl. Add dressing to lettuce mix and sprinkle with pine nuts.

Sometimes, I add a little goat cheese which is a nice addition.

Any Cooking Going on Around Here?

So no new exciting dinners lately... sort of sticking with the old standbys (roasted chicken, chicken tenders, ribs, black beans, etc.) but we have tried out a couple new recipes that are worth mentioning:

Scintillating Sangria
From TheCitySisters.com (http://www.thecitysisters.com/entertaining/scintillating-sangria)
1 12-oz can frozen lime concentrate
1 12-oz can frozen orange concentrate
1 bottle Cabernet
2 liter bottle grapefruit soda

Mix the first 3 ingredients well and put in freezer. When ready to serve, pour in pitcher and add the grapefruit soda. Surprisingly tasty.


Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad
This has been a staple in our house for a couple of years. It is such a great summer salad, great for pot-lucks, surprisingly fresh tasting (one of those dishes that the sum of the parts tastes better than you'd expect from the list of ingredients)
2 cups fresh grilled corn
1 diced avocado
1 pint halved cherry tomatoes (or a couple chopped up larger tomatoes works just fine)
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 T olive oil
1 T lime juice
1/2 tsp lime zest (just grate the zest from one lime)
1/4 tsp salt

Combine corn through cilantro in a large bowl. Mix olive oil, lime juice, salt and zest in a small bowl. Add to corn, avocado, tomato mixture. Serve.


Fruit on the Bottom Baked Oatmeal
From Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen

1 1/2 cups fresh fruit (thinly sliced if something like apples, etc.) (I use 2 cups)
1/2 cups milk
2/3 cups maple syrup
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup butter, divided
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 1/2 tsps baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 T raw sugar
1/3 cup sliced almonds (I've left these out many times and it works fine without them)

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter, pour 1/4 cup into the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish. Arrange sliced fruit on top of the butter and sprinkle with 2 T raw sugar. Set aside. (When I've made with berries of any sort, I've not put in the melted butter and I've added some cinnamon sugar)

In a medium bowl, mix together milk, maple syrup, eggs, remaining butter and vanilla.

In a large bowl, whisk together oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour over the fruit and smooth the top. Sprinkle with almonds and remaining 2 T raw sugar.

Bake at 350 for 40 to 50 minutes or until browned on top and fruit is bubbly. Allow to cool slightly. Serve with milk, cream or vanilla sauce.

July 4th

Okay, so not a lot of exciting cooking going on around here... the most exciting thing lately (if you want stretch things by calling it exciting!) was our block party for July 4th. Each family was supposed to bring something to grill and then a side dish to share. Our family and the family next door were hosting the event so I planned to bring a little extra.

We brought our favorite ribs:
They are Brown Sugar and Bourbon Ribs from Epicurious.com

Basting sauce
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup apple butter
1/4 cup bourbon whiskey
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons apple cider
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard Ribs
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1 tablespoon (packed) golden brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 2- to 2 1/4-pound racks baby back pork ribs
1 large onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
6 thin rounds peeled fresh ginger
1 1/4 cups apple cider

For basting sauce:Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl to blend.

For ribs:Mix first 7 ingredients in small bowl. Using small sharp knife, loosen membrane from underside of each rib rack and pull off (or score membrane). Rub 1 tablespoon seasoning mix into each side of each rib rack. Place ribs in large roasting pan. Cover and chill at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Lift ribs from pan. Scatter onion, cinnamon stick, and ginger in pan. Pour in cider. Return ribs, meat side down, to pan; cover pan with foil. Roast ribs until meat is tender and begins to pull away from bones, about 2 hours. Uncover; cool at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill ribs until heated through and slightly charred, about 5 minutes per side. Brush generously on all sides with basting sauce. Grill until sauce becomes sticky glaze, about 3 minutes longer per side. Transfer rib racks to cutting board. Cut racks between bones into individual ribs. Arrange on platter and serve, passing remaining sauce separately.

We also brought one of my favorite summer side dishes:
Corn, Avocado and Tomato Salad (I don't recall where I got this recipe but it is definitely a keeper and works best when you use fresh in-season ingredients)

Place 2 cups cooked corn in a large bowl. Add 1 diced avocado (1/2-inch pieces), 1 pint halved cherry tomatoes, and ½ cup finely diced red onion. In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, ½ teaspoon lime zest, ¼ cup chopped cilantro, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Stir the vinaigrette into the salad and serve.

I also sliced up a watermelon and using a star cookie cutter, cut a bunch of star-shaped pieces and put them on a platter. Relatively easy but adds a really nice touch.

Lastly, we made red, white and blue striped Jello and using the small star cookie cutter, cut those into star shapes. Hardest part of that was the cutting into the shapes and getting them onto the platter cleanly. For the middle white layer, I found a recipe on line to take plain gelatin and mix it with water and a can of condensed milk.

Not Cooking Much?!

I realized by my lack of posts, I really haven't been cooking this month. I did make another batch of the black beans, the butternut squash gnocchi, and skirt steak. Otherwise, nothing new. How boring! I guess I need to get a little more motivated...

A couple simple dinners

Last night, I marinated a package of TJ's chicken tenders in a mixtures of fresh lemon, lime and orange juice, olive oil, salt, and fresh chopped rosemary, parsley and oregano. I let it marinate at room temp for about an hour and then had J BBQ it on the grill. Turned out great. Our side dishes were fresh steamed French green beans (so happy they are back in season!) and roasted BN squash.

Tonight, our neighbors emailed late in the afternoon and asked us over for dinner. I had already made the cuban black bean crock pot recipe and asked if they wanted to plan dinner around that and we'd just bring the beans. They made some Mexican rice, some fresh guac, shredded cheese, blue corn chips, and some fresh corn on the cobb. It all went really well together.

Salmon Tacos

Tonight we grilled fresh salmon and made salmon tacos. I made homemade flour tortillas (an easy recipe I found which is 2 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsps baking powder, 1 tsp salt and 2 tsp vegetable oil. Add 3/4 cup warm milk and let the Kitchen-aid run on knead for a good 2 -3 minutes. Let sit in covered bowl for 20 minutes; separate into 8 or so balls and let sit (covered) another 10 minutes. Roll thin and then grill or fry in a cast iron pan. We tried grilling them for the first time and it was great - at least in terms of ease. They seemed a little heavier than when I've cooked them inside on the cast iron pan.

I added a marinade for the salmon (olive oil, lime juice, cumin, honey, chili pepper, apple cider vinegar) - it was okay. Not sure I'd do the same thing again - didn't really add anything.

I also made a sauce of yogurt, mayo, lime juice, cumin, cayenne pepper and fresh cilantro. It was okay; again, not great.

And of course guacamole - mmmm. Can't go wrong with guac.

Served the tacos with left over kale salad. For desert we had fresh watermelon.

Salmon, Kale Salad, and Roasted Potatoes

After our (one-day) camping trip, we had a lovely dinner at home. It was BBQ'd salmon, kale salad and roasted potatoes.

Salmon - start with some really good fresh salmon, a little bit of salt and seasonings, and BBQ on the grill.

Roasted Potatoes - slice up some potatoes, some olive oil, salt, fresh oregano and rosemary. Roast in a 350 degree oven until soft but also

Kale Salad - a favorite recipe for our house.http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lacinato-Kale-and-Ricotta-Salata-Salad-236940

Only change we make is to not add the black pepper.

Lacinato Kale and Ricotta Salata Salad

3/4 to 1 pound lacinato kale (also called Tuscan kale) or tender regular kale, stems and center ribs discarded

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 ounces coarsely grated ricotta salata (1 cup)

Working in batches, cut kale crosswise into very thin slices.

Whisk together shallot, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined well.

Toss kale and ricotta salata in a large bowl with enough dressing to coat well, then season with salt and pepper.

The Usual

There is a running joke with my neighbors that they guess roasted chicken when asked what I'll be having for dinner and be correct pretty much every time. That is definitely my fall back dish. Last night, we had roasted chicken (whole chicken stuffed with lemon and salt, roasted at 425 for first 20 minutes and then 400 until it reaches the right temp), roasted butternut squash, and steamed broccoli. For dessert the boys had fresh cherries, peaches and strawberries and we all shared some left over cookies from Sunday.

Mother's Day Feast

Mother's Day started with a brunch consisting of our favorite (at home) French toast (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Creme-Brulee-French-Toast-15213). J made this the night before and even "went for it" by using the half n half as the recipe calls for (normally, I'll either do whole milk or some combo of low fat milk and half and half). That and some fresh juiced OJ from oranges in our backyard (and juiced by S!). Topped off with some fresh steamed asparagus and some fresh strawberries and blueberries from the Farmer's market that morning. mmm.

Dinner was late but tasty... J BBQ'd some lamb chops (one of my favorites) and I have to say he did a fabulous job. I put together a quick marinade/basting sauce of olive oil, fresh rosemary, fresh mint, pressed garlic, and salt. With no recipe! Along with the lamb chops we had roasted potatoes and kale salad (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lacinato-Kale-and-Ricotta-Salata-Salad-236940) - one of our go-to green side dishes. Some fresh peaches and cherries and also a sugar cookie from the Farmer's market and I'd count that as a great Mother's Day fest.

Butternut Gnocchi with Lemon Sage Butter

I can't find where I got this recipe from... but it is a keeper.

Serves 4 to 6 (I'd say 4)

Gnocchi

2 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced into large chunks

2 tbsp butter

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 egg yolk

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly grounded

Sauce

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup whole fresh sage leaves

zest of 1 lemon, grated

1/2 cup Parmesan, grated

1. Cook squash in boiling water until tender (I steamed mine vs boiling)

2. Gently puree squash by pressing through a sieve or gently mashing with a potato masher (I used a potato ricer and it made things super easy)

3. Put puree into large sauce pan with 2 tbsp butter. Cook gently, stirring until the squash has dried a bit. Then remove from heat.

4. Add the flour, yolk, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix until combined and the dough forms a soft ball. You might need to add more flour (I did) if it's sticky.

5. Knead a few times on a floured board and let rest 10 minutes or so.

6. Pat the dough into a rectangle about 1/2" thick. Cut the gnocchi in strips about as wide as your index finger. Roll the strip in flour to coat. Cut each strip into a bit-sized piece.

7. Roll the piece down a fork, pressing lightly with your finger (I skipped this step - it is purely for aesthetics)

8. Put a large pot of water onto boil.

9. As the water heats, make the sauce by melting the butter in a small sauce pan along with the sage. Simmer for a minute. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon zest (I skipped lemon zest as I didn't have any)

10. Cook the gnocchi in boiling water, adding only a few at a time so the water doesn't cool.

11. When the gnocchi is done, it rises to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon or drain in a colander.

12. Drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Verdict: tasty! The boys love this dish. Only deviations I made from the recipe were to use 1 cup white flour and 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (I could probably even use 1 cup white whole wheat, 1/2 cup white next time and see how it goes) and not using the lemon zest. There were no leftovers. Served with some sausage meatballs and a big green salad.