Fresh Salsa

I was getting tired of finding whole recipes because I am not a huge fan of big meals in the summer.  The heat murders my appetite and I tend to snack more.  We love salsa so I figured I'd give it a whirl to go with the tacos I was making for Eric tonight.  This recipe seems to taste best the day after it's been made.  The flavors seem to distribute better then (I actually made this yesterday) and it's super delish.  Next time I will likely double to recipe.  This makes about 4-5 cups.

5 roma or plum tomatoes, chopped
3 green onions, sliced thin
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, chopped
1/4 to 1/2 c fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp lime juice

In a blender or food processor, pulse the tomatoes, green onions, jalapeno peppers, cilantro, red onion, and garlic cloves to desired consistency.  Transfer to a bowl and mix in lime juice, salt, and pepper.  It had a medium heat to it so next time I may either add another jalapeno pepper or some cayenne pepper.  Refrigerate for at least a day for maximum tastiness.

Baked Chicken Chiles Rellenos

Slightly a pain to make.  It's awkward dredging the chicken in the egg and flour when it's supposed to be rolled up with toothpicks.  Other than that, it's tasty.

2 boneless skinless chicken breast, approx 1/3-1/2 lb each
1/4 c flour
2 tbsp cornmeal
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 egg
1 tbsp water
1 4-oz can green chile peppers, drained well and chopped
1/2 c Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 tbsp snipped fresh cilantro
black pepper
2 tbsp butter, melted
salsa and/or rice to serve with

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Place each breast between plastic wrap and pound till 1/8 inch thick and in a rectangular shape.  In shallow dish combine flour, cornmeal, and red pepper.  In another shallow bowl, lightly beat egg and water.  For each roll, sprinkle chicken with chopped peppers, cheese, cilantro, and black pepper.  Fold and roll chicken, securing with wooden toothpicks.  Dip each roll up in egg mixture then flour mixture and place on a greased, shallow baking dish, seam side down.  Drizzle with melted butter.  Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink or reads at 170 F.  Remove toothpicks and serve with salsa and/or Spanish rice.

*Deep Fried* Sweet Potato Fries

So I heart fried food (yes, I know it's bad for me... blah blah) but my Fry Daddy has been on vacation for the past few months.  We whipped it out today to try deep frying our new favorite vegetable and we're very pleased with the result.  If you've read any of my posts before, you know we've had Garlic Sweet Potato Fries a lot recently, which are great.... but.... they're baked, not fried.  I think I like these more... surprise surprise ;)  I wouldn't call this a recipe because I don't have exact measurements... just a general idea of what to do.  If you don't have a deep fryer, then shame on you but I guess you could fry them on the stove top in a pot of oil... which sounds almost as dangerous as me wanting a blow torch to make creme brulee and considering what I continually do to my thumb with the box grater, you know a blow torch is a bad idea for me.

2 sweet potatoes, washed, patted dry and cut into french fry shape
egg ( we used 3)
milk (maybe a cup or so)
flour (about a cup)
seasonings (garlic powder, salt, cayenne pepper... or whatever you like)
vegetable oil for deep frying

Heat oil to 350 F.  Combine egg and milk in a shallow dish.  In another shallow dish combine flour and seasonings.  Dredge fries through egg mixture then flour mixture.  In batches, deep fry the sweet potato fries till golden brown.  Place on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up excess oil and salt or season.  Continue to deep fry.  Eat and enjoy and then go run a few miles to counteract what the oil is doing to your arteries ;)

Minestrone Plus

I know... it's the summer---who eats soup in the summer?!  I do.  I hate eating very heavy food in the summer.  I hate the heat-it does a number on my appetite so my day to day diet typically consists of fruit, salads, and sometimes soups.  I liked this one a lot.  I actually made it Tuesday but hadn't gotten the chance to blog it.  I also have been eating the left overs since Tuesday (bonus points).  It was super easy, minimal mess (triple bonus points) and I got to use my crock pot for the first time in a while.  It reminds me of another one of my favorite recipes, Italian Sub Stoup (which I love love LOVE) and that also gives this huge bonus points... although the Italian Sub Stoup was waaayyy more awesome than this.  I also made Winter Minestrone, which was pretty tasty as well.  Both of those were adapted Rachael Ray recipes... this came from a Better Homes and Garden slow cooker cookbook.  Enjoy... I did :)

1 lb lean ground beef
1/4 onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 19-oz cans of preferred minestrone soup (I use Progresso High Fiber Minestrone)
1 14.5-oz diced can tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
2 c vegetable broth or stock
handful of basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1 medium potato, diced into bite size pieces
1/4 c finely shredded parmesan cheese
kosher salt, black pepper


In a large skillet cook meat, onion, and garlic until meat is browned and onion/garlic are tender.  Drain fat.  In a 3 1/2-4 quart slow cooker combine meat mixture, minestrone soup, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, potato, and basil leaves.  Stir well.  Season with salt and pepper.

Cover and cook on low heat for 7 to 8 hours or on high heat for 3 to 4 hours.  Sprinkle each serving with parmesan cheese and service with slice of garlic toast.

Lemon Pesto Chicken=Disappointment

I found this recipe on the back of a Knorr sauce packet (Creamy Pesto Sauce).  It seemed easy enough to dress up, which I am glad I did since the end result was lacking flavor.  Needless to say, we were both disappointed.  They can't all be winners...

2 tbsp EVOO

1 1/2 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips

2 tsp lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 to 1 3/4 c milk

1 package Knorr Creamy Pesto sauce mix

1/2 c grated parmesan cheese

1/2 c steamed broccoli

black pepper, salt

8 oz pasta, cooked and drained (I used Ronzoni Garden Delight)

Heat EVOO in a large skillet over medium high heat.  In sealable bag, combine flour and garlic salt.  Toss chicken in mixture to coat.  Shake off excess and place in heated pan.  Brown chicken, stirring occassionally.  Stir in lemon juice and garlic.  Cook 1 minute.  Stir in contents of packet and 1 1/2 c milk.  Bring to a boil.  Stir in cheese.  Reduce heat and simmer.  Stir in broccoli, cook till heated through about 3 minutes.  Toss with pasta.  Add additional 1/4 c milk if needed to make sauce less thick.

Fiesta Meatballs

I did not taste this.  I got super grossed out when I was mixing the ground beef.  However, Eric enjoyed it and ate half of what I made.  Maybe I'll try it tomorrow when I've forgotten what it was like to mix the ground beef with my hands.  He added some pasta since the picture below is the end result of the recipe and he said it was ridiculous that there was no carbs involved.

1 egg
1 tbsp dried onion flakes
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 1/2 tsp garlic salt, divided
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb ground beef
3/4 c bread crumbs
1 tbsp corn starch
1 c beef broth
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 can (14.5oz) of diced tomatoes
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp sugar

Preheat oven to 375.  In a large bow, combine egg, onion, celery, 1 1/2 tsp garlic salt, and pepper.  Crumble beef into bowl and mix well (this is where I started to gag).  Sprinkle in bread crumbs and mix until just combined.  Shape into 2 inch balls and placed on a large foil lined cookie sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile in a sauce pan combine corn starch and broth until mixture is smooth.  Stir in tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, zucchini, and seasonings (including remaining garlic salt).  Bring to a boil; cook for 2 minutes, stirring.  Remove from heat.  Drain meatballs well after finished cooking.

In a 2 1/2 quart baking dish, place meatballs in a single layer.  Pour tomato sauce over top of meatballs.  Bake 10 minutes.  Serves 2-4

Creamy Chicken Florentine

I loved this.  I made something similar to this before (Pesto Chicken Florentine)-Eric reminded me.  These Philly Cooking Cremes make it super easy to make up an awesome dinner... (no, I am not getting paid to support Kraft products).   This recipe was on the back of the Savory Garlic version-I just jazzed it up a bit... of course. I totally hearted the pesto version but this was still pretty damn tasty as well.  I even asked Eric to save some of his so I could take it as left overs (since he had already eaten a bowl of potato salad prior to dinner).

1lb boneless, skinless chicken chicken, cut into cubes
1 tbsp EVOO
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp McCormick Perfect Pinch Garlic and Roasted Red Bell Pepper
1/2 red pepper, cut into thin strips
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 c frozen spinach, defrosted and drained well
1 tub Savory Garlic cooking creme
2 c cooked penne or rotini pasta
2 tbsp pasta water, reserved
Salt, pepper
Freshly grated parmesan cheese to top if desired

Heat a large non stick skillet to medium heat with EVOO.  In a plastic bag, combine flour and seasoning.  Add chicken and toss to coat well.  Add chicken and red pepper strips to hot oil.  Cook 5-6 minutes or until chicken is done.  Add minced garlic.  Cook 1 min longer.  Add spinach.  Cook for 2-3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add 2 tbsp of pasta water as well as cooking creme.  Stir well and continue cooking for 3 minutes.  Stir in pasta.  Serve with grated parmesan cheese if desired.  Good meal for 2-3.

Our Sunday [Grilled] Dinner

Not a recipe... just how I like my steak... marinade well with Worcestershire sauce and Weber Chicago steak seasoning for at least a few hours.  Take out of refrigerate to bring to room temperature before grilling and sprinkle both sides well with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Grill to desired doneness (I prefer medium rare for steak... Eric says it's gross to eat bloody steak... he's just mad because he can't then eat what I can't finish).  Top with bleu cheese crumbles.  We had corn on the cob (for some reason, this is the only way I'll eat corn since being a kid... if you don't digest something, what is the point of eating it?  However, there is nothing like well buttered, well salted, and well peppered grilled corn on the cob) and Garlic Sweet Potatoes because we cannot get enough these.... they are good for you, right?!

Taco Filled Pasta Shells

Let's just say that there were 12 shells to start, I only ate 2 and there are now none left and yes, only Eric is here....

1 lb ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
12 uncooked pasta shells
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 c salsa
1/2 c taco sauce
1 1/2 to 2 c of shredded Mexican or Taco cheese
1 c crushed multi grain tortilla chips, crushed
1 green onion, thinly sliced
sour cream

In skillet, cook ground beef till no longer pink; drain well.  Add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions.  Add cream cheese; stir well to melt and combine.  Simmer 2-3 minutes till cream cheese is melted completely.  Remove from heat to allow to cool. 

Meanwhile preheat oven to 350 F and begin cooking pasta shells as directed on package.  Rinse with cold water.  Drain well and toss with melted butter.

Grease a 9 inch square baking dish.  Spread salsa into bottom of dish.  Fill each shell with 1 heaping spoonful of meat mixture and place shell side down.  Pour taco sauce over shells.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover; top with crushed chips shredded cheese, and green onions.  Bake for 15 minutes.  If desired, place under broiler turned to high for 1-2 minutes to crisp top of dish.  Serve with sour cream.

Ricotta Pasta with Grape Tomatoes, Basil, and Sausage=DISAPPOINTMENT

So in the process of making this meal that I was not satisfied with, I lost a portion of my thumb skin while using the box grater.  This is something I had done repeatedly about a year ago, so much that the skin on the knuckles of my thumbs are dotted with battle wounds from losing to the box grater.  Eric has tried to replace my need to use a box grater.  One year he searched everywhere to find me an "Olive Garden" grater.  However, I turned it down and had him return it (the box grater has different sizes-the 'Olive Garden' grater does not).  He had me only buy preshredded cheese for a while.  But that's just not the same as freshly grated cheeses.  Then we found an electronic shredder at Target on clearance with a variety of sizes for blades.  There was a reason it was on clearance (it ran *only* on batteries and it was super slow... even for me).  So I got better at grating cheese.... till today.

Besides all of that, I started off with inspiration from a Rachael Ray recipe and ended up disappointed.  It needed more flavor and Ricotta cheese is a strange base to coat non baked pasta... in my opinion.  Eric looked at it and as I knew he would said, "Is red sauce going on this?"  Once he added red sauce, he was good to go.  I, on the other hand, was left disappointed and wounded and hungry :(  I share it only because maybe you will like it.

1/2 lb penne or rotini pasta
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 c ricotta cheese
2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 c parmesan cheese
2 tbsp EVOO
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp onion, chopped
10 basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 lb hot Italian sausage

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Cook sausage for 20 minutes.  Slice into 1/4 inch pieces once cooked.  Prepare pasta as directed on packaged.  Cook to al dente.  In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and butter.  Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add EVOO.  Add onions, garlic, and slices of sausage.  Cook for 7-8 minutes.  Drain pasta and add to bowl of cheeses.  Toss to melt butter and be sure that pasta is evenly coated.  Season with salt and pepper.  Top the pasta with sausage, garlic, and onion mixture.  Add basil and grape tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.

And then... add red sauce as Eric did ;)

Chicken with Creamy Dijon Herb Sauce

I'm not a huge fan of condiments as some of my friends are ;) and I am also not a huge fan of mustard flavored foods.  I skimped on the sauce for my plate but Eric poured it on and loved it.

1/4 c chicken broth***
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 1/2 tbsp cream cheese, softened
6 basil leaves, minced
EVOO cooking spray
2-6 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 garlic clove, minced

Combine broth, mustard, cream cheese, and herbs until well blended.  Cook chicken in hot skillet coated in EVOO cooking spray until brownded on both sides.  Stir in mustard sauce and garlic. Simmer over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes until sauce thickens and flavors are well blended.  Serve with vegetables for a low carb meal for two.

***I use granules to make beef, chicken, vegetable broth or stock because I typically do not need a whole can of broth or stock and the carton goes bad before I use it all.  So in the case of this recipe, I microwaved 1/4 c of water till boiling and stirred in 1/4 tsp of chicken granules to make a 1/4 c of chicken broth.

Summer Pasta Salad

Everyone can make pasta salad, I know this, but we happen to love mine :)  My secret: Old Bay seasoning.

2-24 oz boxes of Ronzoni Garden Delight Rotini pasta
1-16oz Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing (possibly a little more if it gets too dry)
1 large broccoli crown, stems cut completely off and chopped into small pieces
1/2 to 3/4 c finely chopped carrots
1 medium cucumber, sliced and cut into quarters
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp black pepper

Cook pasta to al dente (this type of pasta calls for 8 minutes for al dente but I think 7 minutes is enough).  Rinse with cold water to stop cooking.  Combine pasta and vegetables.  Add dressing, mix well.  Add seasonings and cheese. Mix well.  Refrigerate for a few hours before serving.