Fresh Italian Salad

Simple and fresh are the two words I'd use to describe this salad. Eat right away or make it a few hours in advance. Delicious either way.

Fresh Italian Salad

2 cucumbers, peeled and diced
1 package cherry tomatoes, halved
1 can black olives, drained and halved
1/4 cup sliced onion
juice of half-whole lemon
Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil (or your favorite Italian seasoning) to taste

Mix vegetables and toss with lemon juice and seasonings. Enjoy!

Zucchini Soup

I found this recipe on the Sisters' Cafe and knew I had to try it. We loved it! In fact Tory just went grocery shopping and came home with a huge bag of zucchini so I can make it again! A great way to use up zucchini if you have a lot growing in your garden. Mmmm...so fresh and very simple to make. I added some yellow crookneck squash as well, just because I had some that I needed to use. Easy to make vegetarian. I didn't add the bacon, half-n-half, sour cream, or cheese. Very healthy. My baby even loved it! The only problem was that there wasn't enough!
**I've made this several more times and have added a can of white beans, rinsed and drained, just before blending. Makes it a little more filling and you never even know they're in there. I've also added walnuts and blended them right up, too. They were very tasty!

Zucchini Soup

1 cup chopped onions
2 T. butter (I used 1 T. olive oil)
3 cups sliced zucchini
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
½ cup half-and-half (Can substitute with regular milk or soy milk)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (optional)
1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, then crumbled

In a large saucepan cook onions in melted butter until tender. Add sliced zucchini and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender (about 15 min.) Add salt and pepper. Cool slightly. Pour mixture into blender and puree it. Stir in half-and-half (or milk). Return to saucepan and reheat, but do not boil. Garnish with grated cheese, sour cream, and bacon bits. Makes 6 servings.

Edamame

Edamame, otherwise known as soybeans, is one of my most favorite things to snack on. My boys and I can go through a sack pretty fast! Quick, easy, and not too shabby on the health factor. I buy the frozen kind so that I always have them ready. I can cook as many as I need and save the rest for later. I bought these at good old Wal-Mart. Make sure they are the kind IN THE POD. Half the fun is getting them out!

The way I cook 'em up is:

Place about a cup of water in a saucepan. Bring to boil. Throw in the frozen edamame, cover. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes (look at package to be sure). While they are steaming away I like to whip up my special dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce:

Mayonnaise, Dijon mustard (I prefer Grey Poupon Mild & Creamy), and a splash of soy sauce-if desired. Sometimes I like to squeeze a little lemon juice in there, too. Feel free to experiment until you find your perfect mix. I use just about equal parts mayo and mustard...maybe just a tad bit more mayo. I don't like a lot of sauce for my edamame but you may want more.

To Eat:

Pile the steamed IN THE POD edamame on your plate. Grab one pod at a time and dip into sauce. (I like just the tip dipped. About 1 cm if you want to get specific. Just enough for a hint of flavor. But if you like more...dive on in!) Now for the fun part. Holding onto the clean, non-dipped end, place the pod between your teeth and gently pull out until the beans are in your mouth and the empty pod is in your hand. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT eat the empty pod (unless you really need something to chew on for awhile and don't have any gum handy. It will keep ya going!) Eat the 2-3 beans and repeat with another pod. Mmmmm....

Guacamole tip

I just learned something new about guacamole and have to pass it on:

After you make guacamole, bury the pit in the center and store in an airtight container.
This keeps it from getting all brown and yucky... also this will keep it from getting all brown if it is out like a dip at a party...

Just tried it and my guacamole looks just like it did yesterday when I made it.

Chili Mac

Let's face it...sometimes we need quick, easy recipes-something that can be whipped up in just a few minutes. Here is a good old standby of ours. It's right up there with spaghetti and enchilada skillet bake (which I really need to post on here because that's by far our favorite quick meal). If you have a bag of salad to serve with it that would be great. If you want it a little bit creamier you can add a few tablespoons of cream cheese. Or you could always put in regular shredded cheese but we try to avoid the stuff around here. If you want to make it vegetarian just use vegetarian chili and leave out all cheese.

Chili Mac

1 (16 oz.) package elbow macaroni pasta
2 (15 oz. each) cans pre-made chili-I like to use vegetarian or turkey
1 cup salsa
3 Tbsp. cream cheese, optional
shredded cheese, optional

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Add chili and salsa and mix well. Cook over heat until warmed. Add cream cheese, if desired, and stir until melted. Serve with a salad or veggie tray. Quick and easy!

Creamy Strawberry-Lemon Squares

I found this recipe in a magazine 5 years ago or so. It's become our traditional Easter dessert. I love the three layers with the pastel colors and the fresh, light, fruity flavors. Perfect for Spring! It uses the Strawberry Cool Whip (seasonal flavor) for the top layer. If you can't find any then just put a drop of red food coloring in regular Cool Whip to make the pink layer. (Just wouldn't be the same without it!) The recipe is for a 9x13 size pan but I often half it and make it in a square pan. This year I went even further and cheated on the crust. I just used a store bought graham cracker pie crust. The half recipe fit perfect! I might have to remember that little shortcut!

Creamy Strawberry-Lemon Squares

1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers (about 21 squares)
1/2 cup sugar, divided
6 Tbsp. butter or margarine, softened
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened (very important!)
3 cups cold milk, divided
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Strawberry Whipped Topping (seasonal flavor), thawed

MIX graham crumbs, 1/4 cup of the sugar and butter until well blended. Press firmly onto bottom of 9x13 inch baking pan to form crust. Set aside. (I put mine in the freezer for 10 minutes and it makes it a little easier to spread the cream cheese layer on top.)

BEAT cream cheese, remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of milk in a medium bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Spread over crust.

POUR remaining 2 3/4 cups milk into large bowl. Add pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. Pour over cream cheese layer in pan. Let stand 5 minutes or until thickened. Cover with whipped topping. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Cut into 24 squares to serve. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator.

The best pizza ever !

This pizza is the one I like the most! I discovered it several weeks ago and I make it twice a month! We really do like it! It's easy to do (just plan for 1/2 h to let the leeks cool) and so easy to eat! AND, it is not too calorie!! Hope the translation will be "understandable"...

Leek and ham pizza

4 leeks (white)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp miwed herbs (oregano, parsley, marjoram)
1 pizza pastry
5 ounces of cooked ham, cut in little bands (“julienne”)
3 Tbsp parmesan
2 ½ ounces of mozzarella, cut in small dices
½ lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven 500 ° F

1- Cut the leeks in four till 1 inch of the base. Good wash under cold water.
2- Put the leeks in boiled salted water. Add lemon juice and bake for 15 minutes.
3- Remove from water and drain. When they are cold enough to be manipulated, squeeze them to extract all the juice, and cut them.
4- Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil, add the leeks and the herbs and bake for 3 minutes.
5- Put the leeks on the pastry. Add the ham, furnish with the cheeses. Indeed pepper and add the rest of the olive oil.
6- Bake in oven for 10 to 12 minutes

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Pizza aux poireaux et au jambon

4 blancs de poireaux
3 c.s huile d’olive
1 c.s fines herbes mélangées (origan, persil, marjolaine)
1 abaisse de pizza
150g de jambon cuit, coupé en julienne
3 c.s parmesan
60g de mozzarella coupée en dés
Jus d’ ½ citron
Sel et poivre

Préchauffez le four à 260 °C.

1- Fendre les poireaux en quatre jusqu’à 2,5 cm de la base. Bien les laver sous l’eau froide
2- Mettre les poireaux dans de l’eau bouillante salée. Ajouter le jus de citron et faire cuire 15 minutes, à feu moyen.
3- Retirer les poireaux de l’eau, égoutter et réserver. Lorsqu’ils sont suffisamment refroidis pour être manipulés, les presser pour en exprimer tout le liquide, puis trancher.
4- Faites chauffer 2 c.s d’huile d’olive dans une poêle, à feu moyen. Ajouter les poireaux et les fines herbes ; faire cuire 3 minutes.
5- Disposer les poireaux sur la pâte à pizza. Ajouter le jambon ; garnir des fromages. Bien poivrer et arroser avec le reste de l’huile d’olive.
6- Faire cuire au four 10 à 12 minutes.

Whole Wheat Blender Pancakes

These pancakes are very quick, easy, and delicious! And the best part is that you just make them right in your blender. You don't need any ground up flour. You just use whole wheat and it grinds itself up in the blender. Cool! My mom used to make these all the time when we were growing up. There were always a few crunchy pieces of wheat in the pancakes which made them slightly crunchy and extra delicious! This particular recipe is from The Sisters' Cafe. I make it so often that I'm just going to post it here so I don't have to keep going back to their site to look for it. I don't use as much oil as it calls for. I reduce it to 1 Tbsp. I also leave out the sugar. I usually make them up as pancakes but you can use the recipe for waffles, too.

Whole Wheat Blender Pancakes
1 c. plus 1 Tbsp. whole wheat berries
1 c. milk
2 eggs
4 Tb oil
2 Tb sugar (or honey)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Blend wheat berries and milk on high for 4-5 minutes, until batter is smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend on low for a minute, or until incorporated. Cook on hot waffle iron. (Stir batter before pouring into waffle iron, because the heavier wheat particles will settle at the bottom.) Makes about 10 waffles.(To make pancakes instead of waffles, use 1 c. wheat berries and 2 Tb oil.)

**I have found that my blender will do 1 1/2 recipes just fine. So for instance I use 1 1/2 cups wheat, 1 1/2 cups milk, 3 eggs, etc.

Buttered Lime Asparagus

Although you don't really need a "recipe" to make asparagus, this topping is extra yummy! I like to try to get the pencil-thin asparagus. Nice and tender!

Buttered Lime Asparagus

1 bunch asparagus, rinsed and prepped (*see note below)
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. lime juice
Mrs. Dash-Garlic Herb seasoning


Place 1 bunch prepped asparagus in a large skillet with about 1/4 inch of water. Heat until simmering, cover with lid, and simmer for about 4 minutes. Pour off water, return to heat and add butter and Mrs. Dash seasoning (or garlic and pepper if you don't have any Mrs. Dash). Saute for about 2 minutes and add fresh (or bottled) lime juice. Serve immediately. So good!


*Note: To prep asparagus, gently bend spear about 2 inches from the stem end until it breaks naturally. Leave whole or optionally cut into 2-inch lengths. Sometimes it's easier for little children to eat asparagus when it's in smaller pieces and it is much easier to cut before it is cooked!

Lentil-Rice Balls

In case you haven't noticed, my family doesn't eat a lot of meat. We're not totally vegetarian since we do eat meat occasionally. I like to refer to our diet as "plant-based". The majority of our diet comes from vegetables including beans and lentils, fruits, and grains. We love eating this way. It fits our lifestyle perfectly and keeps us healthy. In my cooking I have tried to adapt many of our "old favorites" into healthier versions. I just ran across a recipe for "meat"-balls and they are sooo good! They are made with brown rice and lentils. Plain and simple. Nothing weird or unheard of. Even if you're not vegetarian you can eat these. Maybe you just want to add more fiber to your diet or maybe you need a recipe to use lentils in or maybe you'd like a nice high protein dish that costs only a dollar (or less) to make...give these a try. Serve them plain or with pasta and tomato sauce. In the "meat"balls pictured I added 1/2 cup finely diced onion. I browned my "meat"balls on the stove in some olive oil and then turned them into one of our favorites...bar-b-que porcupine meatballs. I served them with Buttered Lime Asparagus and some Quinoa. The possibilities are limitless!  Another great thing about these meatballs?  You can sample them before you cook them!  And they're pretty darn tasty "raw". :)

Lentil-Rice Balls

1/2 cup brown rice, uncooked
1/2 cup uncooked lentils, rinsed and sorted to make sure there aren't any stones
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
1 tsp. Italian herb seasoning blend
1/4 tsp. garlic granules
1 tsp. cumin
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup onion, finely diced (optional)

Place the rice and lentils in a small saucepan and add 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cover with a lid. Cook on low for 40 minutes, until rice and lentils are soft. Remove from heat and drain thoroughly to remove any excess water.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and/or spray with nonstick spray and set aside.

When the rice and lentils are cool enough to touch, place them in a mixing bowl and add the flour, baking powder, salt, Italian seasoning, garlic, cumin, onions (if using), and pepper to taste. Mix well. Use a 1-ounce cookie scoop or a tablespoon to scoop out about 1 heaping tablespoon of the lentil mixture. Use your hands to squeeze and shape the mixture into tight balls about the size of a walnut. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet.

If not baking right away, cover baking sheet with balls with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil on top of each ball. Bake them in the oven, turning the balls occasionally, until browned and crispy on the outside, about 30-35 minutes. Serve as desired.


**Optional cooking method: After forming balls, I often just saute in a large skillet with olive oil. On medium heat, turn occasionally to brown each side. When browned and heated through, add sauce or serve plain.

Bar-b-que Tomato Sauce:
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup bar-b-que sauce

Mix together and pour over browned "meat"balls. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Santa Rosa Valley Salad

This is a very fresh salad that can be served as a main course. I personally think it is best the day after you make it. The flavors are all blended and the dressing soaked in by then. I usually just wait to add the chicken until right before I serve it. In the picture I didn't have a red bell pepper so I used green but that's the only difference. It even freezes well! My mom made up a couple batches right before my son Coen was born and it was great! Just don't add the garnish until you serve. You'll probably want to make a double batch anyway because let me tell ya...it's GOOD!

Santa Rosa Valley Salad

1 box Uncle Ben's seasoned long grain and wild rice (NOT instant)
Juice of 1 lemon (sometimes I leave this out)
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 green onions, chopped
3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced or 1 large can chicken breast
3 ounces snow peas ends removed, optional
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
2 avocados, diced
red leaf lettuce for garnish

Cook the rice according to the package, but reduce water by 1/3 cup to prevent overcooking and the rice getting too mushy. Salad looks best with a firmer grain. Cool rice. Combine rice with lemon juice, red pepper, onions, and peas if using. Prepare dressing:

Dressing
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. Dijon style mustard
1/2 tsp. salt (I usually reduce to 1/4 tsp. or omit entirely)
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until emulsified. Pour over rice mixture and mix well. Refrigerate 2-4 hours or overnight. Add chicken about an hour before serving. Just before serving, add pecans and avocados. (I usually just let each individual put the pecans and avocados on rather than mixing it into the salad in case there is leftover salad that I can save for later.) Serve on a bed of red leaf lettuce.

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

Tory made this for my birthday this year. It was nice and easy and we just happened to have all of the necessary ingredients. The only thing we were missing was the whipped topping on top! We also used cheesecake flavored pudding instead of vanilla because that's all we had. This is a no-bake recipe which makes it perfect for a cool summer dessert. Enjoy!

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake


1 graham cracker pie crust
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened (we used the 1/3 less fat-Neufchatel cream cheese)
1 cup + 1 Tbsp. milk, divided
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip, thawed, divided
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
2 packages (3.4 oz. each) instant vanilla pudding
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves


-Beat cream cheese, 1 Tbsp. milk and sugar in large bowl until well blended.
-Fold in 1/2 of whipped topping. Spread into crust.
-Mix remaining milk, pumpkin, pudding mixes, and spices 2 min. Mixture will be thick.
-Spread over cream cheese layer.
-Refrigerate 4 hours or until set. Top with remaining whipped topping just before serving.