Tuscan Bread Salad

This recipe was sent to me by a blog I follow, suggesting it as an "in between" meal on Christmas Day. I think it sounds yummy enough to try (minus the olives) and would be easy to prepare in advance so all you have to do is throw everything together... I love the idea of adding in shredded rotisserie chicken to make it more substantial.  Apparently it comes from Tom Douglas’ Seattle Kitchen and served at one of his Seattle restaurants, Dahlia Lounge.  

Tuscan Bread Salad {serves 6}

for the mustard vinaigrette:
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 t. Dijon mustard
1 t. minced shallots
1/2 t. chopped fresh thyme
1/2 t. minced garlic
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

for the salad:
1 loaf rustic bread, sliced 1 inch thick
extra virgin olive oil
24 oil-cured black olives, pits removed
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
6 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced or cubed
4 cups loosely packed flavorful salad greens, such as mache, radicchio, arugula, spinach, romaine, endive, washed and dried, torn into bite size pieces
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Freshly ground black pepper

optional: shredded rotisserie chicken

Make the vinaigrette {I use a mason jar and shake to combine}. It will store in the fridge up to a week.

Liberally oil the slices of bread then grill on the grill or under the broiler until golden. Use a serrated knife to cut the bread into bite size cubes.

In a large serving bowl, put the bread in with the olives, tomatoes, mozzarella, parmesan, pine nuts, chicken, basil and greens.  Pour vinaigrette over the salad and mix well.

Iron-fortified cookies

This recipe is great for that picky little eater who is low in iron, or just for a semi-healthy treat. Using iron-fortified infant cereal as part of the flour, it's a tasty way to get some extra iron in your kids' diet or even your own.

Ingredients:
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 Tbsp whole milk
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. infant cereal, any kind
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Cream shortening with sugar until well-blended. Add egg, milk, and dry ingredients. Mix well. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet, and flatten with a fork. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Let cool 10 min. before serving. Makes about 1 1/2 dozen cookies.

Notes: My dough was a little dry, so I added about a tablespoon more milk. And I added chocolate chips because who doesn't like chocolate chips? But they would be good without the chips, or even with raisins.

My hiatus from food

This has been my lunch every day for the last 7 weeks.
Now you can understand why I haven't been blogging much about food! 5 more weeks to go.

Overnight crockpot pumpkin pie oatmeal

Can't eat this just yet, but it sounds delish!  I would use honey or agave nectar for sweetener, if you are trying to avoid processed sugar.

Overnight Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie Steel Cut Oats: No Sugar Added

1 cup steel cut oats – don’t quick oats or you’ll have mush!

3 cups water

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

optional: 1/2 cup honey or 2 teaspoons vanilla liquid stevia*

* Sweetener can be added during cooking or cook it without and each person can add their own sweetener of choice on top after cooking.

Combine all ingredients in your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours. Enjoy!

 

 Coconut Creme Spread

 

I made this marvelous discovery in Costco yesterday.    Walls Berry Farm Coconut Creme Spread

is produced by Trail Blazer Foods in Portland, OR.  It is a slightly tangy creamy spread with real coconut in it.  So far I have had it on graham crackers (at the sample table in Costco), sourdough pancakes (combines with blackberry jam, and on a spoon.  Tomorrow it will be spread on brownies.

If you like coconut you need to try this; it is fabulous!

Low carb is me

In the spirit of dieting and losing some poundage (hopefully), I am going to try my hardest to post some non-sugary, low-carb recipes.  Will they be as tasty as a decadent dessert?  Perhaps not.  Will they be better for my body and help me to reach my goals?  YES!

Asparagus Salad with Shrimp

Yields 4 servings

1 pound asparagus, woody stem ends removed

1/2 pound pink salad shrimp, cooked, shelled

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced (1/2 teaspoon to 1 1/2 teaspoons, depending on how much you like fresh garlic)

1 T lemon juice (more to taste)

1 T minced fresh parsley

Salt and black pepper to taste

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Add the asparagus to the boiling water and boil for 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the asparagus to a bowl to cool. Add the shrimp to the pot of boiling water. If they are pre-cooked, remove after 30 seconds—this is just to warm them. If the shrimp are uncooked, boil them for 2-3 minutes, until cooked through. Remove the shrimp and add them to a large bowl.

Slice the asparagus spears thinly on the diagonal until you get close to the tip. Cut the asparagus tips off in one piece. (They look prettier that way.) Put the asparagus in the bowl with the shrimp. Add the remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Add more lemon juice if desired, to taste.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

I found this recipe on Your Cup of Cake's blog and pinned it to Pinterest about 14 weeks ago.  Since then, it has acquired 40 likes and 270 repins and counting.  I suppose one of these days I'll have to bake them and see what all the hype is about.  They do sound delicious though, and the perfect fall muffin!  If anyone tries them, please let me know what you think!

Muffins:

1 ½ cups chopped apple

1 ½ teaspoon lemon juice

1 cup sour cream

½ cup butter, melted and cooled

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

Cinnamon Chips

Topping:

1/3 cup sugar

4 tablespoons flour or graham cracker crumbs

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

2 ½ tablespoons cold butter diced

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.    Peel and chop apples (I used granny smith) and then coat with lemon juice.  Set aside. 

3.    In a large bowl, mix sour cream, cooled butter, and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix again.

4.    In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

5.    Slowly add the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture, do not overmix.

6.   Stir in apples and cinnamon chips. (If you don’t have cinnamon chips you can use 2 teaspoons cinnamon.)

7.    Spoon into muffin liners.

8.   Topping: Mix sugar, flour/graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon and butter until it has reached a crumble consistency. 

9.   Top muffins and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Our brave child

Hopefully this video will upload successfully - JB is turning out to be quite the daredevil.  Check out his biking skills, and cross your fingers that he makes it!

Cupcakes!

Carly is watching "DC Cupcakes" as I type, and it is making me crave cupcakes.  Bad, bad tv!  I got this recipe from LDS Living.  I also learned a valuable lesson about baking cupcakes or muffins.  I have a convection oven, with which I use the "convection" function all the time.  HOWEVER, using convection while baking cupcakes is bad because the convection fan blows air and causes the cupcakes to slant.  Ugly, ugly cupcakes.  I've been trying to figure out what the heck I was doing wrong!

Black and White Chocolate Cupcakes

8 ounces all-purpose flour

7 ounces granulated sugar

4 ounces dark chocolate cocoa

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

4 ounces sour cream

3 eggs, beaten

6 ounces chocolate pudding, prepared

4 ounces butter, melted

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake pan cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, measure the dry ingredients and mix together with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds until well combined.

Add wet ingredients and mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl and resume mixing on medium speed for 1 additional minute. Stop mixer and fold in chocolate chips.

Fill the prepared cupcake liners with batter 3/4 full, and bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completely.

White Chocolate Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

4 ounces butter, softened

6 ounces white chocolate, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

10 ounces powdered sugar

To make the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute. Add melted chocolate and vanilla; mix for an additional 1 minute.  Add powdered sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy after each addition.

Frost the chocolate cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting. Ideas for garnishing: fresh raspberry, mini chocolate chips, chocolate sprinkles.  

Cookie dough dip

Okay, the last thing I need right now is to add another 5 lbs. to my "physique" (HA!) so I'm afraid that this one will have to wait.  Hopefully not long.

Monster Cookie Dough Dip

8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 c. Butter, softened

1/2 c. Peanut Butter (at least)

1-2 c. Powdered Sugar (even more if you really want it thick)

3 Tbsp. Brown Sugar

3 Tbsp. AP Flour

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 c. Oats (more or less depending on desired texture)

1 bag Plain M&Ms

1 c. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

In a stand mixer, whisk the cream cheese, butter, and peanut butter until smooth.

Whisk in the powdered sugar, starting with 1 cup (or 2 cups if you already know you want a thicker dip-- I like thick).

Whisk in the brown sugar, flour, and vanilla.

At this point, add in more peanut butter by 1/4 cups if you want a stronger PB taste.

Using a paddle attachment or a wooden spoon, mix in the oats, M&Ms, and chocolate chips. Add more oats if desired (I think I did-- like I said, I like my dip really thick, just like cookie dough).

Serve with pretzels, graham crackers, etc. You may want to provide a knife for "spreading" instead of "dipping" if you went the thick route!

Summer berry suggestions

Believe it or not, I have an abundance of summer berries around me.  Well, aside from blueberries that is.  My strawberry plants are still going strong, and my (few) raspberry bushes are better late than never, and you should see the huge amount of blackberries I can go pick at the school!  Now, what to do with all of them.  Any suggestions?

Caramel brownies

Stole this from Pinterest - so long diet!
Caramel Brownies

Yield: 24+ brownies

Ingredients:
For the brownies:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
12 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1½ cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
1½ cups pecan, coarsely chopped (optional)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

For the caramel filling:
14 oz. caramel candies, unwrapped
1/3 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with foil and grease the foil well with butter or cooking spray. Combine the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until completely melted and smooth. (Alternatively, microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted.) Remove the bowl from the heat. Whisk in the sugar, eggs and vanilla until incorporated. Stir in the flour and salt just until combined. Spread about half of the brownie batter in the bottom of the prepared pan in an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, maintaining the oven temperature, and let cool for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the chopped pecans (if using) to a medium skillet over medium heat. Toast, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and light golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside. To make the caramel filling, combine the caramel candies and cream in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth. Stir in half of the pecans. Immediately spread the caramel mixture over the bottom brownie layer. Pour the remaining brownie batter over the caramel layer, taking care to pour and spread it evenly otherwise it will be difficult to spread evenly over the caramel layer. Sprinkle the chocolate chips and the remaining pecans on top of the final brownie layer. Bake for 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing and serving. (To speed cooling, chill in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.)
Lift the brownies from the pan using the edges of the foil. Remove the foil and cut the brownies into individual squares. Store in an airtight container.

Let's go for a dip!

I love a good spinach artichoke dip, but having the same-old, same-old gets to be a bit...old.  I saw this on Martha this morning and will give it a try at my next gathering for sure.

Kale, Sausage and Mushroom dip (hot)

Yields 6 cups

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish

Coarse salt

2 small bunches curly kale (about 1 pound), stemmed and torn

1/2 pound spicy Italian sausage, casings removed

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces button or cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 tablespoon sherry-wine vinegar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups finely grated Gruyere cheese

1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Tortilla chips or toasted baguette slices, for serving

Preheat oven to 375 degrees; butter a 1 1/2-quart baking dish and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat; generously salt water and return to a boil. Add kale and cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water to cool. Squeeze water from kale until completely dry. Finely chop; you should have about 2 1/2 cups chopped kale. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

Place sausage in a large skillet and cook, stirring, until brown; drain fat from skillet and transfer sausage to a bowl with kale.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter and oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until lightly brown and tender, about 5 minutes. Add vinegar to deglaze and transfer mushrooms to bowl with kale and sausage.

In a medium saucepan, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook, whisking, until thick and bubbly, about 3 minutes. Whisk in milk and cream. Increase heat to medium-high; cook until mixture just begins to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, whisking often, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup Parmesan and 1 cup Gruyere; stir in lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt, and pepper. Transfer cheese mixture to bowl with kale mixture and mix until fully combined.

Transfer kale mixture to prepared baking dish; top with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and Gruyere. Bake until heated through, about 25 minutes.

Preheat broiler. Transfer baking dish to broiler; broil until browned and bubbly, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve dip with tortilla chips or toasted baguette.

Cinnamon Ice Cream
This is really not a recipe, but I think one could easily do it anyway.  This was a pre-birthday treat last night following a fabulous dinner at a local restaurant.  It is elegant yet simple: homemade (with extra cream) vanilla ice cream made with a generous amount of cinnamon in it, then topped with fresh blackberries and sliced strawberries.  It was to die for!!   Obviously, homemade ice cream would work best, allowing you to evenly distribute the cinnamon.   But I liked it so well I might be temped to soften some store bought ice cream, stir in cinnamon, and then refreeze it. 

Spaghetti Squash

I've never had spaghetti squash before. I'm not really fond of any kind of squash, and neither is Clayton, but I'm more willing to try new things in the vegetable department than he is. He's convinced that squash and broccoli, to name a few, are secretly bad for your health because they taste so bad to him. We keep getting various squashes in our Bountiful Basket, and after last week's disastrous acorn squash attempt (he hated it!), I was pretty hesitant to serve spaghetti squash. But I found this recipe online and it turned out to be delicious. Clayton surprised himself by eating not one, but two servings, and cleaned off his plate!

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
1 med. onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
fresh basil, chopped
feta cheese
parmesan cheese

I followed the instructions on the sticker label on my squash, which said to stab the squash rind multiple times, and then microwave for 5-6 minutes per pound. I didn't really know how many pounds my squash was, so I stabbed the squash, and stuck in the microwave for 15 minutes. When there was 2:46 left on the clock, I heard a noise and looked to see that the squash had erupted and the back half was split all the way open. I took that to mean that the squash was done cooking. (You can also cook the squash in the oven, either whole or split, with seeds removed, but I didn't want to heat up my house with the hot oven) Set the squash aside and let it cool.

In a sautee pan, heat 1-2 tbsp butter. Place the onion in the pan, and sautee until soft and beginning to brown. Add the tomato and garlic, stirring frequently. Do not let the garlic burn.

Using a fork or a large spoon, scrape the squash "noodles" out of the rind. If you haven't already removed the seeds, remove them now and discard. Add the noodles to the pan with the vegetables and stir to combine. Add the basil, and feta and parmesan cheese to taste.

Serve as a side dish or as a low-carb main dish. Try it, you might be surprised and actually like it!

fresh herbs

I don't know about you, but this crazy Portland weather has been making the herbs in my garden go nuts.  My purple sage plant is enormous, and my rosemary and golden oregano are monstrous as well.  I'm always on the lookout for recipes in which I can incorporate fresh herbs and stumbled upon this one today.

purple sage

Golden oregano and rosemary

Orange mint

Rosemary Olive Oil Bread

INGREDIENTS
1 cup warm water (100-110 F)
1 Tbsp. organic cane sugar
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped (or 2 tsp. dried)
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning (or pinch of each ground garlic, dried oregano, and dried basil)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup bread flour + extra for kneading
1 egg, whisked + 1 Tbsp. water, for egg wash
dried rosemary, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit 10 minutes to proof.

2. Stir in the salt, rosemary, seasonings, olive oil, and whole wheat flour. Add the bread flour and stir until the dough forms a ball. Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, adding more flour as necessary to prevent sticking, until smooth.

3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl; cover; and let rise until doubled in size, about1 hour.

4. Punch down the dough and form it into a round loaf. Place it on a cornmeal dusted pizza peel or parchment paper; cover; and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, preheat oven (and pizza stone) to 400 F. Once the dough has risen, gently brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with dried rosemary.

6. Bake on preheated stone for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

Makes 1 round loaf.

Creme Brulee French Toast

This was served at our Stake RS Broadcast, and was really, really good, and would be over the top delicious if served with buttermilk syrup (there's a recipe for this in the Macbeth cookbook).

Creme Brulee French Toast

1/2 cup butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 tbsp corn syrup

1 loaf Texas Toast bread or other thick sliced bread (we used french toast and cut it in thick slices--you have to squeeze the pieces tight to have most of the loaf fit in a 9x12 pan)

5 eggs

1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

dash of cinnamon

In a small saucepan melt butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup over medium heat until smooth, stirring occasionally. 

Pour mixture onto large, greased jelly roll pan (18x1x1") (we used 9x13 pans). 

Spread around to cover surface.  Place 12 slices of bread in a single layer to cover pan. 

Mix together eggs, cream, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Spoon mixture over each piece of bread. 

Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes. 

 Remove from pan and serve.  If not serving immediatly, turn each slice of bread over (this will prevent bread from sticking to the bottom of the pan).

Cake update

Well, my attempt at the cake was a success! Here are the results, and I'll let you know how it tastes after I have a slice for breakfast!

going on a hiatus

We are officially bringing our main bathroom into the 21st century, saying goodbye to the original tiles, fixtures, floors, and BLUE toilet, bathtub and sinks.  We have already removed the original linoleum and the sub-floor, which was not an easy task, removed the toilet, and the shower doors.  And today I get to remove all of the ugly, mustardy-gold tile from the tub surround.  Yippee!
We are keeping the cabinet, mirror and lights, but that's about it.  And on top of it all, our nights are booked through this week, Aaron is leaving for his annual golf outing on Thursday morning (for 3 days), it is Carly's birthday on Friday, and Saturday is jam-packed with other activities.  Oh, and I get to host book club at our house Monday night.  In other words, my family will be eating lots of ramen noodles and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the next 3 weeks.  And YES, we will have it finished in time for guests in July :-)

Birthday cakes

I'm no Eric.  I don't seem to have the knack for art in general, and that doesn't translate into any sort of talent when it comes to decorating birthday cakes.  We have 2 birthdays coming up in our family and I would like to be able to make some sort of cake that isn't plain and boring.  I came across this one in my email this morning and just might get up the courage to try it.  Test runs never hurt, and I'm sure it will at least taste good if it doesn't look good!  The recipe below is for the chocolate layer and the base for the buttercream frosting, but I'm sure you can change it up to make the other 2 flavors.

 

Chocolate wedding cupcakes

Yield: 36 cupcakes

CUPCAKES:

One 18.25-ounce box of chocolate cake mix

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated white sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups water

2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

4 large eggs

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:

(double this recipe if you want to pipe the frosting)

1/2 cup salted butter, at room temperature

3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 pound powdered sugar, sifted

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup dark chocolate chips (or chopped dark chocolate)

1. Prepare the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 325°F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans (you'll need approx. 36).

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix, flour, sugar and salt. Add the remaining ingredients and beat with hand mixer for 2 minutes, or until well blended.

3. Use ice cream scoop to fill prepared cupcake tins- fill about 3/4 full. Bake about 18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

4. Frost the cupcakes: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Increase speed to medium, and slowly add milk and vanilla, beating until smooth.

5. Microwave the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30 second intervals. Gradually add melted chocolate to mixture; beat until blended and smooth. If the frosting is too soft for piping, cover and refrigerate for a few minutes until it firms up a little bit. Otherwise, spread frosting on top of cupcakes and decorate as desired.

tips:

*If you are swirling the frosting on with a tip (to use a generous amount of frosting), you'll want to double the recipe for the frosting. If you're just spreading it on, the recipe listed will be fine as-is.

*You can use either regular or light sour cream for this recipe, but heck... since it's a wedding cupcake and you want it to be as delicious and moist as possible, I recommend going for the full-fat kind.

*Using an ice cream scoop is perfect for getting the batter into the cupcake tins without spilling.

*You can also use this mix to make cake. Pour into greased and floured cake pans. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

*For best results, keep the cupcakes refrigerated until ready to serve.

Yummy Couscous with Chicken

I've been trying to eat healthier and come up with alternatives to white rice, pasta and potatoes as my traditional staples in dinner. I made these recipes found at allrecipes.com, and after some adjustments to meet my family's tastes, I have a new favorite, easy dinner recipe. Seriously, the chicken smelled and tasted so delicious I could not believe it! Sure, it was sauteed in butter and EVOO, so not the healthiest option in the world, but SO worth it! I ate my chicken (after sampling several bites to make sure it tasted okay) mixed in with the couscous salad. Yummy!!

Black Bean and Couscous Salad

• 1 cup uncooked couscous  (I used the tricolor couscous, and loved the color!)
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 8 green onions, chopped  (oops, left these out. totally forgot about them.)
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped   (used a green bell)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro  (mine was unusable, but I had some dried that I used)
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed   (used a can)
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained  (only used one can)
• salt and pepper to taste
• **not in the original recipe, but I added diced tomatoes, and other readers suggested adding cucumbers and olives

Directions

1. Bring chicken broth to a boil in a 2 quart or larger sauce pan and stir in the couscous. Cover the pot and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. (one comment warns about not letting it get too mushy by overcooking, so I took the lid off after 4 1/2 minutes and fluffed it then--just right)
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, vinegar and cumin. Add green onions, red pepper, cilantro, corn and beans and toss to coat.
3. Fluff the couscous well, breaking up any chunks. Add to the bowl with the vegetables and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve at once or refrigerate until ready to serve.  

Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken

Ingredients

• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper   (I left this out in an attempt to get my children to eat)
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme   (left out)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
•  
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder (left this out because I didn't want it to be "too garlicy" for the kids)
• 3 tablespoons lime juice

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix together salt, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, onion powder, thyme and parsley. Sprinkle spice mixture generously on both sides of chicken breasts.
2. Heat butter and olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute chicken until golden brown, about 6 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons garlic powder and lime juice. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently to coat evenly with sauce.

It's official...

I'm a quitter.  I enjoy food too much, and was tired of being the only one in my house on this stupid diet.  So I quit :-)  On a lighter note, I found a fabulous recipe on Pinterest today:

Buttermilk-Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Yields 6-8 servings

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon

7/8 cup* + 1 tablespoon sugar**

1 egg, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 cups fresh blueberries

½ cup buttermilk

* 7/8 cup = 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons

** This 1 tablespoon is for sprinkling on top

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and 7/8 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.

4. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan (or something similar) with butter or coat with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.) Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

You could also turn these into muffins, cooking at 375 for 30 minutes.  Makes 12 standard muffins.         

For a 9 x 13 -inch pan, double the recipe and add about 10 minutes (maybe more) of cooking time.

1 down, 20 days to go

Today is the first day of my hypoallergenic elimination diet. No, I don't think that I have any food allergies, so that is not the reason for doing it. I don't eat that horribly, but I could stand to cut down on a few things. I also could stand to lose a couple of pounds, so that is a motivator too. So for the next 20 days I will be eliminating the following from my diet: gluten, all dairy, including eggs, red meat (pork too), corn, soy, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, citrus, sugar, and caffeine. What does that leave?  Most veggies and fruits, beans, brown rice, rice milk, chicken, fresh fish, and other tasteless things.
Day 1 went surprisingly well, aside from the raging headache from caffeine withdrawl. I ate my fruit and veggie smoothie for breakfast, and had some chicken with hummus and grapes for lunch, veggies too. Dinner was the remainder of the chicken "salad" with some spinach. I snacked on a brown rice cake with some almond butter. Almond butter is about the blandest thing in the world. So my one cheat was to add a little bit of honey to the almond butter to make it palatable. Fun times. I am very proud of myself, especially considering the leftover rhubarb strawberry custard pie staring at me all day. I can do this.

A lighter take on pound cake

I got my first issue of Bon Appetit in the mail today, and flipped right to a page that was near and dear to my heart.  Pound cake.  Traditional pound cake is very high in sugar and fat, but is oh so good.  This recipe still has a bit of sugar, but the yogurt helps to bring the nutritional value up a notch.  Maybe a little.  Anywho, it is baking away in my oven right now, and smells fantastic!  I'll have to take some pictures and give a real review once it is cool enough to eat.

French Yogurt Cake

Think of this as a healthier pound cake with a bit more going on (thanks to yogurt and lemon zest).

8 SERVINGS

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

3/4 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat pan with vegetable oil spray. Dust with flour; tap out excess.

Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and kosher salt in a medium bowl.

Using your fingers, rub sugar with lemon zest in a large bowl until sugar is moist. Add yogurt, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract; whisk to blend. Fold in dry ingredients just to blend.

Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until top of cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 50–55 minutes.

Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert onto rack; let cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Off-topic

This isn't going to be a post about food, which I know is not the norm.  This post is going to be about my kids. I've been a mom for almost 18 years now (WOW!), and I'm still learning.  I am in no way an expert in parenting, nor will I ever be.  As parents we have tried to instill good manners and values in our children, and in return they are very respectful toward us.

We do not kowtow to their every whim, nor are we entirely focused on being their "friends."  Our children are well taken care of, yet not spoiled.  They all know how to speak with adults, and enjoy being treated with respect by adults in return.

Yes, we have our issues.  We don't always agree about things, but we can communicate and come to a mutual agreement to resolve conflicts.  All in all I'd say we were doing a pretty good job at this parenting gig.  I'm happy with it.

Here are some other things about my kids that make me happy:

• they love to go to church, especially the teenagers!
• they (generally) get along with each other, EVEN the teenagers!
• they are good eaters, and will try pretty much anything.  Except for Jack.  He is not a good eater, but he's 2.  Typical.
• they are all very excited to see whomever walks in the door, be it Mom, Dad, or their siblings.  
• they are not afraid to say "I love you," even in front of their friends - even the teenagers!

Vince is a voracious reader, and usually has 3 books in hand at all times.  He also has a great passion to write.  His new nightly ritual is to read the Book of Mormon with his little sister.  LOVE that.  Oh, and he is going to baptize her in July.  This child does, however, still make me want to pull my hair out at times.  But he has a good head on his shoulders, and is maturing every day.  He will do great things in his life.


Carly is the best at taking care of things that need to be done.  I'm a busy woman, and I admit that sometimes I don't wipe the counter down, or put everything in its place.  Carly sees things that need to be done and does them without being asked.  I love this girl.  She is my rock.  The Lord must love me, because if he didn't, he would have sent me an awful teenage girl (like some I know), but instead I have Carly.  Sometimes I wonder if I really deserve having her as my daughter, considering what an AWFUL teenager I was (sorry Mom and Dad).

Isabelle - ah, Isabelle.  Such a sweetheart.  Such drama.  Such emotion.  We are in trouble when this one is a teenager.  Belle is our princess, or rather plays princess at every possible opportunity.  She is all girl.  She doesn't like to clean her room.  She has such a sweet spirit, and loves to have her big brother read with her.  She is enjoying her piano lessons, and is excited to be baptized this year.  She is a little love-bug.

T-R-O-U-B-L-E, aka. Jack.  Oh my.  Just as Isabelle is all girl, Jack is 100% boy.  Bumps, bruises, scars, slivers, dirt and sticks.  He growls, he makes car noises, runs, jumps, and plays until he drops.  Or until I drop - he may keep going after I am unconscious.  He cuddles on his time, and his time only.  Sometimes I think he is the devil in disguise, but then I stop and remember that he is a 2-year-old boy.  Then I take a chill pill.  Literally.  I can't wait until he is old enough to be in some type of sport, if only to burn off some of that energy, and so I can have some time to sit down.

I can go on and on about my kids.  Yes, I'm bragging.  Yes I'm a proud parent.  Yes, I love them.

Balsamic Chicken Tortellini Salad

Sorry I've been MIA for awhile - sick kid off and on, work, life.  You know.  The usual excuse.  Anywho, I have had zero motivation towards cooking lately, so today I have decided that it is past time to sit down and do some menu planning.  We've got a lot going on during the week, so the more advance planning I can do, the better.  I'm going to gravitate towards fast and easy, or no-brainers like the crockpot.  This one is more on the side of the fast and easy, so perhaps it may get added to the list of repeats.  If it is any good.

Balsamic Chicken, Spinach and Tomato Pasta Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yields 6-8 servings

1 (20-ounce) package cheese tortellini

1 pound  skinned and boned chicken breasts

1 1/2  cup  Newman’s Own Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing, divided

1 teaspoons  Dijon mustard

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 cups firmly packed fresh spinach, chopped

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

1 1/2 cups fresh cherry tomatoes, halved (or grape tomatoes)

1/2  cup yellow bell pepper, diced

Place chicken in a zip-lock bag and pour 1 cup of balsamic vinaigrette in bag with chicken.  Marinate for at least 2 hour, but best if marinated overnight.  Take chicken out of zip-lock bag and discard marinade.

In a grill pan, grill chicken breasts, about 5 to 6 minutes on each side until cooked through.  Place yellow bell pepper slices in grill pan and grill about 2 minutes on each side.  Once cooled, dice chicken up in small bites.

Whisk together remaining 1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing and mustard in a small bowl.

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Transfer pasta to a large bowl and drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Let cool 10 minutes.

Toss together pasta, chicken, balsamic mixture, spinach, and remaining 3 ingredients in a large bowl.  Serve immediately, or, if desired, cover and chill 1 hour before serving.

Kani's Biryani - from Carla

We had a fun get together at Rhonda's with most of the Westovers. This is what I brought and it met with good approval.

2 c. basamati rice (I buy this from the bulk bins at the grocery store)
chicken pieces - Kani says the bones add flavor, so I usually use skinless legs or wings and after it is done cooking, I pull the meat off and throw away the bones, but you can use breast meat if you like.
1 large onion - sliced thinly
1 large tomato - diced
1 Tblsp fresh ginger - finely chopped or ground
4 serrano chilis - more if you like it hotter
4 large garlic cloves - minced
1/2 cup plain yogurt or greek yogurt
1/2 bunch cilantro - pull off the leaves and chop really fine with the mint leaves
fresh mint leaves - a little more than the cilantro
4 whole cloves
4 cardamoms (buy them from the bulk spices - they are quite cheap there)
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 to 1 tsp salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup butter - unsalted if you wish, but I don't think it matters

Cut and wash the chicken and cover it with 2 Tbsp of the yogurt mixed with the salt, tumeric, chili powder and garam masala. Refrigerate overnight.

Melt the butter in large frying pan. Add cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon stick and cook til the butter turns golden. Add the oil and heat. Add the onions and cook til golden (this takes about 45 minutes in Salt Lake - you will see the color go from whitish to golden.) Add ginger, garlic and serrano chilis - just wash them and cut a slit down one side. Cook for 2 minutes. Add tomato and cook another 2 minutes. Add the chicken covered with the yogurt. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the cilantro and mint and the rest of the yogurt and cook for about 10 minutes.

While you are waiting the 10 min, boil 3 cups of salted water and add the rice. Stir it and cover it and turn it off while you do the rest.

The chicken stuff should cook over medium heat til the oil comes to the top, and it should be thick, not runny.

You need a covered casserole dish to bake the biryani. Put 1/2 the chicken stuff in, then 1/2 the rice, then chicken and end with rice. Wet a thin cotton dish towel, wring it out and spread it over the rice. Put the lid on and put it in a hot 400% oven for 15 minutes. Take it out and let it sit for 15 minutes and then gently stir it. Serve.

This makes about 8 cups of biryani. I like to fish out the whole cloves and the cardamoms before I bake it because they taste nasty if you bite them and it is hard to find them in the rice. I also take out the chilis and the cinnamon stick when I stir it up.
It is not hard, it just takes time and you have to plan ahead a little.

Orzo with roasted vegetables

I'm going to make this recipe as a side dish to the chicken w/ prosciutto and asiago - two of my favorites!

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

Yield: 6 servings

1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4-inch diced

1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced

1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced

1 red onion, peeled and 1-inch diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup good olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 pound orzo or rice-shaped pasta

For the dressing:

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)

1/3 cup good olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To assemble:

4 scallions, minced (white and green parts)

1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts), toasted

3/4 pound good feta, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled)

15 fresh basil leaves, cut into julienne

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large sheet pan. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.

Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.

For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pignolis, feta, and basil. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature.

Street tacos

Granted, I've never actually eaten a taco on the street, but I've had my share of "street tacos" and I love them.  Pork Carnitas are my personal favorite, but I can eat pretty much any meat in them.  Simple, yet satisfying.

Cuban Street Tacos

printed from melskitchencafe.com

*Serves 8

INGREDIENTS:

Shredded Pork:

4-pound boneless pork butt or boneless pork top loin roast, cut into 2-inch chunks

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

1 cup water

1 cup chicken broth or stock

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 bay leaves

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeño, minced

1 onion, peeled and halved

juice of 1 lime

1 medium orange, halved and juice, rinds reserved

Tortillas & Garnishes:

8 small corn or flour tortillas

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Sour cream/avocados, if desired

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese

2 limes, cut into wedges

DIRECTIONS:

Rub the pieces of pork all over with salt. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, until the oil is shimmering and hot. Add the pork and sear each piece on all sides, working in batches, if needed. Once browned, remove the pork to the slow cooker. Into the same pot used to sear the pork, pour in the water and chicken stock, scraping the bottom of the pan with a flat-edged spatula or wooden spoon to get up all the delicious brown bits from the bottom. Add pepper, cumin, chili powder, oregano, bay leaves, garlic, jalapenos, onion, lime juice, orange juice and orange rinds and bring to a simmer. Pour the mixture over the pork in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours, until the pork is very tender.

Remove the bay leaves, onion and orange rinds from the pot and discard. Remove the pork and place in a bowl and set aside. Pour the liquid from the slow cooker into a pot on the stove and over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Let the mixture boil until it reduces to about 1 cup and is thickened slightly, about 10 -15 minutes.

Shred the pork and place on a large patter. Spoon the sauce over the pork. Serve in tortillas garnished with onions, cilantro, cheese, sour cream, avocado and additional lime wedges, if desired.

Beef barley soup

Okay, here's the other recipe I'm making for the crockpot thingy.  Haven't tried it yet, a little scared of the barley part, but I'm willing to give it a try at least once.

Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup

Yields 4 servings

5 cups water

2 tsp Shirley J beef bouillon or 4 tsp regular bouillon granules

1/3 cup pearl barley

1/3 cup lentils

1 Tbsp dehydrated onion flakes (you could use fresh onion instead)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 bay leaf

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 1/2 lbs stew meat (preferably made with a roast from the chuck)

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar (plus more, if needed)

Place water, bouillon, mushrooms, barley, lentils, onion, garlic, bay leaf, stew meat, thyme, basil and salt in the slow cooker.

Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, until lentils are cooked and stew meat is tender.

Add in the pepper and red wine vinegar.  Add in more basil, thyme and salt to taste.  Serve with warm bread.