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Lima Bean Salad with Zucchini….

Posted by on November 8, 2010
This is a great salad to enjoy while we have such excellent zucchini around.  I just love different salads, I get bored with the typical lettuce/tomato/cucumber salad.  I use frozen baby lima beans, simply cook for about 8 minutes, drain and cool.  This is a great side to chicken or fish.  Enjoy!
Lima Bean Salad with Zucchini
1 16 ounce package lima beans, cooked, drained, and cooled
2 small zucchini, cut into small pieces
1 small red onion, diced
1 medium red pepper, seeded and diced
1 small bunch Italian parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1)  Using a large mixing bowl, add cooled lima beans through olive oil.  Toss gently to coat. 
2)  Add salt, garlic powder, and pepper.  Toss to coat.
3)  Add vinegar and mix well.  Makes about 10 1/2 cup servings.

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Whew!

Posted by on November 7, 2010

Good morning.

Last week was very busy.  I hosted a Pampered Chef party on Thursday and then Joe and I attended a very good friend’s wedding Saturday….I’m ready for a quiet dinner at home this evening.  I’m going to make Jamie Oliver’s Roast Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary Roast Potatoes….ummmm can’t wait!  He does some very interesting and simple techniques with the lemon, garlic, and potatoes. 

I haven’t cooked dinner in my kitchen since last Wednesday, I’m missing it!   Luckily I made plenty of my boy’s favorite, pulled pork for my party.  They’ve been noshing on that for days. I did make breakfast Saturday morning.  I made whole wheat pancakes with blueberries (recipe in archives) and bacon..the house smelled dreamy.  I first thaw out frozen blueberries and with a fork, plop them on the top of the pancake batter on the griddle, they come out fantastic!  You will notice that there are tons of juices in the bowl after thawing.  You wouldn’t want to mix this into your batter, it would be compeltely blue!

My friend Genevieve would like a good Thanksgiving stuffing recipe…anyone have any other suggestions/requests?

Have a wonderful day!

Angie

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Iron Foodie BlogRoll Challenge…..

Posted by on November 2, 2010

Foodie Blogroll and Marx Foods have come up with a very exciting food challenge.  To enter, I must post answers to the five questions listed below.  Judges will read posts and choose only 25 bloggers to compete.  The winning recipe must use three mystery ingredients.  The winner will receive a $200 credit to Marks Foods, yippee!  Cross your fingers for me!

1)  Why do you want to compete in this challenge?  Occasionally,  I am able wrestle the TV remote from my testosterone filled sports loving home and watch Chopped, where contestants are given “mystery” ingredients and have to whip up something fabulous…I think this challenge would be so much fun.  I would LOVE the opportunity to compete in such a challenge.
2)  Limitations of time/space notwithstanding, whose kitchen would you like to spend the day in and why?  Julia Child, Thomas Keller, Ferran Adria, James Beard, Marie Antoine Careme, or the Sweedish chef?  That’s easy, Julia Child.  I remember as a child watching her on TV and I thought it so fascinating to watch her cooking and loved her voice and how she spoke.  As an adult, I love that she was able to show flaws and that not everything always turned out perfect.  She seemed like a very real person.  Love that.
3)  What morsel are you most likely to swipe from family and friend’s plates when they aren’t looking?  Bacon
4)  Sum up your childhood in one meal.
Cast iron fried chicken, fried potatoes with onions, and green beans from the garden.  Lastly, a slice of Mom’s homemade bread with homemade apple butter.
5)  The one mainstream food you can’t stand.
About the only thing I’m not crazy about is octopus, not crazy about suction cups in my mouth.

There you have it. 

OH, PICK ME!  PICK ME!

Angie

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Basil Chicken Stir Fry…..

Posted by on November 1, 2010

Stir frys are quite simple, healthy, and delicious.   I think it best to enjoy the ones you make at home as you can control the amount of oil that is used.  Use whatever vegetables you like.  Just remember that when you begin cooking to cook the vegetables that take the longest to cook first.

This recipe is a delicious combination of sweet and spicy with vegetables that have many different textures, so good!  Adjust the level of spice according to your own taste.  If you’d like it to “blow your head off,” add jalepenos at the end of step #5.

Have everything completely pan ready before you begin to stir fry.  Let’s not forget the rice!  Before you begin cooking, put the rice on the stove.  If using brown rice, count on at least 40 minutes of cooking time.  Begin cooking the stir fry after about 20 minutes.   If using white rice, rinse the rice thorougly through a fine sieve.  (this will prevent the rice from being too gummy or mushy)  Cook according to package instructions.  Once it’s on the stove, you’re ready to start cooking.

 I’ve assembled all my ingredients.  You can see in the very back a measuring cup with sauce ingredients ready to go.

Use a large heavy skillet.  It is important not to crowd ingredients in the pan.  Plenty of space will allow for nice browning on the chicken.  It will also make the stir fry cook very quickly.

Basil Chicken Stir Fry

2 large boneless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 pinches kosher salt
1 pinch black pepper
3 large cloves garlic, minced

For the veggies:

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small red pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 small orange pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
6-8 button mushrooms, quartered
2 cups bok choy, chopped
1 cup sugar snap peas or pea pods
5-6 green onions, thinly sliced
1 small bunch fresh basil leaves
1 small jalepeno thinly sliced (optional, will really spice up the dish, use carefully)

For the sauce:

1 cup chicken broth (Better than Bouillon is great, mix just what you need)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon chili garlic sauce (you can find in the Asian food section of the grocery store)
Sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

White or brown basmati rice cooked according to package directions

1) On a cutting board designated just for meat, cut the chicken breast into small pieces. Season with salt and  pepper and toss well with one teaspoon cornstarch to coat. (this will allow the chicken to brown nicely) Refrigerate until you’re ready to cook.
2) Prepare all vegetables and put into separate bowls.
3) Prepare sauce. Mix cooled chicken bouillon with cornstarch, whisk until blended. Add the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and chili sauce, whisk. Set aside.
4) Heat a large heavy non stick skillet or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add one tablespoon oil and add chicken breast. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until chicken is nicely brown. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Remove from pan into a large bowl, cover with foil.
5) Add remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the bell peppers, cook for about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and bok choy. Stir fry for about 5 minutes stirring often. Add snap peas and green onions. (add jalepenos here if you wish)  Cook for a couple of minutes.
6) Whisk the sauce ingredients until well blended and add to the pan with the veggies. Bring to a bubble. Add chicken back to the pan.  Add basil and mix well. Serve over brown basmati rice and garnish with sesame seeds. Serves 4.

Filed Under: Asian, Poultry, Quick Weeknight Dinners, Uncategorized | Tagged: Tagged With: , ,

Happy Halloween!

Posted by on November 1, 2010

Happy Halloween!  Ryan and I dressed up Thursday for his Kindergarten Halloween party, Saturday for a party at my friend Kathleen’s house, and today, of course, for Halloween.  Next Halloween, I’m dressing up as something that does not require a wig and I’d like for Ry to wear something that shows his cute face!   And how about my husband Joe???  Nice mullet, ay?  He went as a very fashionable hockey fan…

 I’m sad to see Halloween go.  I love everything about it.  I love seeing it through a my five year old’s eyes.

I love how he enjoys absolutely everything.  I helped him rake the leaves into a pile so he could jump in them repeatedly.  I loved the running from house to house trick or treating.  So fun.

I hope you had a wonderful and safe Halloween.

Angie

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Memories and Your Sense of Smell…..

Posted by on October 29, 2010

I read once that the most memory inducing one of our senses is smell.  I believe it.  Every now and then I’ll smell something that brings a smile to my face.

1)  Homemade Gingerbread Cookies.  Every Christmas my Mom would make these delightful cookies and we would go crazy for them!  We had to walk a couple of blocks from the bus home and about half way home we could smell them.  We weren’t walking then, we were running!
2)  Mom’s homemade bread.  Talk about “warm fuzzies.”  Again, the smell the bread wafted half way down the street.  She timed it perfectly, still warm out of the oven.  She’d have the butter and jam on the counter and immediately we’d devour one whole loaf! (there were 5 of us)
3)  The smell of my Grandma Henderson’s house.  I know it sounds weird, but her house had a very distinctive smell that cannot be described.  She was an avid cook and owned many antiques.  I think it was a combination of those two things.  Once in a blue moon, I will come across this scent.  I LOVE it!  She was an awesome Grandma.

We have many food traditions in our house.  Things like gingerbread cookies, iced sugar cookies, cinnamon rolls, Saturday breakfast, oven fried chicken, and spaghetti with meatballs, just to name a few, are a huge treat and conjure up great memories from when my big boys were little.

What are some of your favorite “scent” memories?   If you have a moment, leave me a comment about your favorite memory. 

Thanks, have a safe Halloween weekend!
Angie

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Zucchini & Banana Chocolate Chip Bread…..

Posted by on October 27, 2010

My friend Kathleen mentioned that she used to make a very moist bread with these ingredients and could not find the recipe…wha-la…I did it.  OMG it is so incredibly moist!  Another “One Bowl” recipe.  You MUST try this one.

Banana Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bread

2 cups shredded zucchini
2 cups mashed banana
3 eggs
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi sweet or milk chocolate chips

1) Preheat oven to 350’. Coat 7 small loaf pans with cooking spray, set aside.
2) Into a large mixing bowl, add shredded zucchini, mashed banana, eggs, oil, and sugar, mix well.
3) Mix flour, soda, *chocolate chips, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Add all at once to wet mixture. Mix until just blended, do not over mix. Pour evenly into prepared loaf pans.
4) Bake for 30 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven onto a cooling rack. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans. Cool completely.

*when you add chocolate chips to the flour, they won’t all settle to the bottom of the bread.
**If you buy bananas on a weekly basis, you will have a couple that get too ripe to eat.  Peel and put into a heavy zip bag, freeze.  They will be a bit watery when you thaw them out, but they work just fine in any recipe.
***I bake quick breads in small pans because it drastically cuts down on baking time.  The end result is much more moist as when the bread bakes over an hour in a large loaf pan it dries it out.

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Recipe correction and Oh My Gosh!

Posted by on October 25, 2010

Hi everyone!

Just a quick note about my Iced Pumpkin Cookie recipe. (you can find below)  In the instructions I originally said to roll out the dough to 3/8″, please make a correction on your copy, it should be 1/8″.

I had the vegetarian chili for lunch today, if I may say so myself, “It’s to die for!”  Soooo good.  I topped the hot chili with a small amount of cheddar cheese and crushed tortilla chips….YUMMY!

Have a great day!
Angie

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Hearty Vegetarian Chili…..

Posted by on October 25, 2010

I don’ know about you but I am trying to cut back on the amount of meat my family is consuming on a weekly basis.  Try this alternative to any meat chili.  This thick and hearty chili is loaded with healthy vegetables and is extremely flavourful.  Do not be deterred by the zucchini and the yellow squash, it is undetectable after simmering and it adds body to the chili.  Garnish with extra sharp cheddar cheese and sour cream if you wish.   The recipe is large enough for freezing.  Be sure to label and date everything you put into the freezer.

Hearty Vegetarian Chili

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 stalks of celery, finely chopped
1 medium green pepper, seeded and chopped
5 large cloves garlic, minced
2 medium zucchini, shredded (about 3 cups)
1 medium yellow squash, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons cumin
4 tablespoons chili powder
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon chipotle powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 28 ounce can petite diced tomatoes with juices
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes with juices
2 28 ounce cans of water
2 14 ounce cans black beans, drained
2 14 ounce cans red kidney beans, drained
2 14 ounce cans pinto beans, drained
Sour cream and shredded cheddar for garnish (optional)

1) Heat a large soup pot over medium heat, add olive oil. When the oil is hot, add onions, green pepper, and celery. Cook for 7 minutes. Add garlic cook one minute.
2) Add shredded zucchini and yellow squash. Cook for 10 minutes.
3) Add oregano, cumin, chili powder, tomato paste, chipotle, salt, and pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes stirring often. Add diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, sugar, and water. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
4) Add all drained beans. Simmer another 10 minutes. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and green onions if desired. Makes 20 1 ½ cup servings.

*you can easily cut this recipe in half.  Freeze any leftover tomato paste.  Use one small yellow squash.

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Spaghetti and Meatballs…Oh Boy!!!

Posted by on October 21, 2010

This is one of my favorite Sunday suppers.  It’s so cozy to fill your home with the smells of simmering homemade pasta sauce and meatballs.  The longer you let the sauce simmer, the better it is.  Add to that tender, flavourful meatballs and oh my goodness, a dinner that will have your family not walking but running to the table!  This recipe is large enough to freeze.  I love pulling this out of the freezer when I don’t feel much like cooking or am pinched for time.

Oh, one more thing…what’s a spaghetti dinner without some killer garlic bread?  See that recipe below.

Homemade Meatballs and Sauce

For the sauce:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
5 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 28 ounce can tomato sauce + 1 ½ cans water
2 28 ounce cans crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper

1) Heat a large stock pot over medium heat and add olive oil. Add onions, oregano, thyme, and basil. and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic, cook for one minute.
2) Add tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.   This gives the paste a chance to caramelize or sweeten.
3) Add canned tomatoes, water, sugar, salt, and pepper. Turn the heat down to low and allow to simmer.  Stir every 10-15 minutes.  Prepare meatballs.

For the Meatballs:

1 ¼ lbs. ground turkey 93/7
1 ¼ lbs. lean ground beef
1 cup bread crumbs
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
¾ teaspoon granulated garlic powder
½ teaspoon granulated onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 eggs
1 cup water
1 lb. spaghetti

1) Preheat oven to 375’. Line a cookie sheet that has sides with non stick foil. Set aside.
2) Add meats to a large mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well with hands. (use gloves or meticulously clean hands with no cuts)
3) Scoop meatballs with a large cookie dough scoop. Shape into balls and place on sheet.
4) Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and add immediately to sauce. Simmer 30-60 minutes. Makes about 32 large meat balls.  (be careful not to simmer much longer with the meatballs in the sauce or they will fall apart)
5)  Cook pasta according to package directions less a couple of minutes.  (if they say to cook for 10 minutes cook for 8)  Put the pasta back into the cooking pot over medium heat.  Immediately add a couple of ladles of sauce and cook for two minutes.  The flavor of the sauce will cook into the pasta for the remaining couple of minutes.  Serve immediately.  Top with cheese and serve with a simple salad and garlic bread.  YUM!

*try adding cooked Italian sausages to the sauce for an alternative to meatballs.  Cut them into 2″ pieces.
*meatballs can be frozen with or without the sauce and can be easily used in other recipes.

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