Archive for the ‘Cooking’ Category
Black Bean & Rice Salad
This recipe can be filed under “Quick & Easy” for your weekly menu rotations … Now that the holidays are over, everyone is trying to get back into the groove of jam-packed schedules. I tore this recipe from Three Many Cooks out of the newspaper last spring and have made it in assorted variations several times since — this version is my favorite. It makes a great meatless main dish, but I make it on a regular basis so I’ll have something substantial to take to work for lunch … other than an occasional lunch out with work buddies, I would much rather save my “going-out” funds for spending time relaxing over good food with friends and family (which is not only good for the budget, but also much better for the “healthy” eating I’m trying to do these days)!! Even with the “splurge” of feta cheese (actually the “splurge” is probably the cherry tomatoes — good grief — just cut up a tomato!), I don’t think it costs more than $5-6 to make a large bowlful to enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup uncooked white rice – cooked per standard directions and cooled (I tried it early in my experimenting with this recipe using brown rice and didn’t like it as well, but I’m going to try it again since I’m still working on that “eating healthier” theme)
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels (or thawed frozen corn)
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (or 2-3 Roma tomatoes, diced)
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 4-6 green onions, chopped
- about ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (more or less, depending on how much you love cilantro!)
- Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
- Lime wedges for garnish and to add an extra little kick
Dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 tsps. Lime juice (you can substitute lemon
juice, but I think lime was better for this recipe)
Directions:
Combine the cooled rice, beans, corn, tomatoes, cheese, onions, and cilantro. Make sure you cool the rice before mixing with other ingredients or the feta cheese will melt. The pictures which follow are actually from a double batch I made a while back. This is also one of those recipes that can easily be “stretched” if you are feeding a crowd. You can double the rice and dressing and you still have a good salad; the other flavors will just not be as intense.
Wisk the olive oil and lime juice and pour over rice mixture. Chill in the refrigerator at least one hour before serving. Serve with lime (or lemon) wedges. Salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
Homemade Tomato Sauce (or Where I Learn to Peel a Tomato)
My husband is adhering to a strict Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) and I have been trying to be the supportive wife. It hasn’t been that difficult once I realized I have lost 13 pounds since we started the diet!!!
There is a lot of information out there about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (just google the term!) so I am not going to go into lots of detail (and the information is extensive!) but basically it means we have gotten rid of all processed and boxed food (which we had been slowly getting rid of anyway), white sugars and flours (the kids and I use wheat flour and I do use white sugar in some baked goods that my husband doesn’t eat but my husband has to use almond flour), and buy organic when we can. We make a lot of what we eat from scratch now and the diet is similar to the Paleo diet.
Enter the homemade tomato sauce. Do you realize how many recipes call for tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes or paste? I didn’t until my husband told me that canned tomatoes et. al were off the list. Tomatoes and homemade sauces made following the SCD directions are both fine. I sort of followed a recipe and made my own homemade tomato sauce.
Ingredients:
10 tomatoes
1/2 cup of basil (1/2 a cup?!?! seriously?)
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 medium onion
The first thing you have to do is peel and de-seed your tomatoes. Supposedly, the easiest way to do this is to drop the tomatoes into boiling water for one minute.
Amazingly, this is what happens:
Move the tomatoes into a bowl until they are cool enough to peel. The skin of the tomato falls right off. To de-seed them, the directions that I read said to cut them in half and squeeze the seeds out.
Um…okay…
Squeeze, squish, splat…
So, when I cut the tomato it didn’t exactly cut in half perfectly so there was tomato flesh instead of seed. I ended up just ripping the tomatoes apart and taking the seeds out. My kitchen was a disaster. My hands were covered in tomato juice so I couldn’t take a picture of it for you.
Cook the onions, 2 tablespoons of oil, and three pressed garlic cloves in a large pot until soft. Crush up the tomatoes and add them to the pot. Instead of crushing them, I put them in my food processor. I also added about 3-4 cups of tomato juice (which is SCD legal).
Add the basil. The recipe I (kind of) used said to use 1/2 cup. Measuring out half a cup worried me but I dumped it all in the pot.
Simmer on the stove until the liquid has evaporated.
The recipe makes about 2.5 cups without the juice. With the tomato juice added, I got about 4.5 cups of sauce. I bagged the sauce up in 1/2 cup bags to freeze for use in the future.
And the verdict?
The tomato sauce was a hit. My husband is planning homemade pizza (with almond flour crust) for dinner tonight and I think he is happy that I don’t have to keep asking if he is sure that he can’t have canned stewed tomatoes! I thought that I added a ridiculous amount of basil but it wasn’t overpowering. I didn’t add any salt or any other seasonings so it might need a little bit of salt if it is used as a pizza sauce rather than a mix-in.
Now if I find a recipe that calls for tomato sauce, canned tomatoes or tomato past, I have a substitute ready to go!
Grilled Chicken & Zucchini Wraps
A few weeks ago, I shared a great seafood salad recipe from Gooseberry Patch’s 101 Soups, Salads and Sandwiches. Since I shared that recipe, I have made the salad at least three times. It is the perfect meal for me because I am watching what I eat. I am able to make a big enough salad to last a couple of meals and it makes for a healthy lunch.
We recently tried another recipe from the book that was just as healthy and delicious.
Grilled Chicken & Zucchini Wraps
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 to 6 zucchini, sliced lengthwise
olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2c ranch salad dressing, divided
8 10inch whole-grain flour tortillas
8 leaves of lettuce
Brush chicken and zucchini with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Grill until cooked thoroughly. Doesn’t that look awesome?! Chicken, zucchini and steak (for my husband, not related to this recip!)…yum!
For the record, we have never grilled zucchini and have never grilled chicken with just olive oil, salt and pepper. I am amazed at how tasty it was with no added calories from sauces or marinades!
Slice cooked chicken into strips. For each wrap, spead one tablespoon of salad dressing on a tortilla (we used a carb control wheat tortilla). Top with a lettuce leaf (we used romaine), chicken strips, and zucchini.
Sprinkle with cheese of your choice (we used cheddar), roll up, and enjoy.
Aunt Christine’s Cheese Ball
Yep, just checked the calendar and it is December 23. How did that happen? Are you ready? Do you need a quick appetizer? You just might have all of the ingredients on hand for this one, and it is quick and easy! If you have a food processor, it will be even quicker and easier!! This cheese ball is always a crowd favorite — as in, they-practically-lick-the-plate-clean favorite! We call it “Aunt Christine’s Cheese Ball” because I got the recipe from my sister about 20 years ago.
Ingredients:
1 – 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
½ tsp. season salt
1 ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 green onions
1 package luncheon meat, thinly sliced (the cheap stuff!)
Directions:
Finely chop the green onions. Chop the luncheon meat (I like to use Buddig beef), reserve half. Combine the remaining beef, onions and all other ingredients.
Refrigerate for a while so that it isn’t “sticky”; form into a ball and roll the ball in the remaining chopped beef. Serve with crackers.
Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a health, safe, and Happy New Year with friends and family.
Tags: Appetizer, Christmas, Cooking, Debbie, Entertaining
Gooseberry Patch 101 Soups, Salads, and Sandwiches Giveaway Winner
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Gooseberry Patch cookbook giveaway. It was so fun to read about everyone’s favorite soups, salads, and sandwiches…so many tasty choices!
The winner, selected randomly by a random number generator, was Sandra W. who said that her favorite was “Potato soup and my own recipe for Curried Chicken Salad. MMMMM!!!”
Congratulations Sandra! Please email me at jennifer at twokidsandamap dot com or use the contact form as soon as possible (within three days) with your contact information to confirm the prize! I wonder if we could talk you into sharing your curried chicken salad on our site!?!
Stay tuned! I will be sharing some more recipes from the cookbook and we will have another early review for you soon!
Tags: Giveaways, Gooseberry Patch
Beef Tortellini Soup
October is one of my favorite months…I love the sights, smells, and tastes of fall! Even here along the Florida Gulf Coast there is a little chill in the air, especially in the evening. I was done with soups last spring, now I’m tired of salads — it is time again for soup! This is one of my favorites, and it is also one of those easy-to-keep-all-of-the-ingredients-on-hand-in-case-you-have-impromptu-company kind of recipes. It is fairly economical and healthy, and can even be made meatless (but then I would probably “beef” up the veggies).
I love this recipe and it is very “forgiving” … if you can’t find frozen French cut green beans, then use canned. If you’re watching the budget, get a bag of
frozen tortellini and use those cute little bouillon cubes with water for the beef broth. Every ingredient can be adjusted to taste, or doubled/tripled to
make a larger pot of soup. In fact, this is such a rich, hearty soup, if you’re trying to stretch it for a large group (or for extra leftovers!) you can just add
2-3 more cups of water and an extra bouillon cube without it tasting “watered down”!
Note: This recipe doesn’t lend itself well to the crock pot … the tortellini tend to absorb the liquid and EXPLODE in size.
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained (I also rinse mine with hot water)
1 large can crushed tomatoes
6 cups of beef broth
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 package frozen French
cut green beans
1 – 9 oz. package “fresh” cheese tortellini (usually found in refrigerator section of your local grocery store)
1 medium zucchini, grated (skin on)
1 tsp. dried basil
Grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Directions:
In a large pot on top of the stove, cook the onions in the beef broth until tender.
Add all of the other ingredients, except for the tortellini. Bring to a boil and then lower heat, cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tortellini and cook until done.
Serve with a sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese (optional).
Serve with a salad and nice crusty bread and you’ve got a hearty meal to chase the chill away!
Makes 4-6 servings.
Enjoy!
Joan’s Homemade Hummus
I LOVE hummus … I do NOT love paying for it in the grocery store, especially for the good stuff; in addition, when you make it yourself you can control the ingredients/taste – I added some extra garlic to mine. Jen alerted me to her friend Briony’s blog several months ago, Freeze Your Way Fit, and this yummy recipe for homemade hummus. Full disclosure here – I make a HUGE mess in the kitchen when I make this recipe so I make a lot of it at one time. I can fit 3 “batches” into my 9 cup Kitchen Aid food processor; this time I made a total of 6 “batches”. Tahini is the most expensive ingredient, and it is also the messiest! Even our local Walmart here in L.A. (lower Alabama, also known as NW Florida) carries tahini, $4.75 for the amount needed to make all of these batches — it probably cost me about $12.00 to make all of the hummus shown below.
Ingredients (for one batch – multiply by 3 to fill a 9 cup food processor):
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (I grew up calling these garbanzo beans!)
1 small garlic glove, minced
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground cumin
Pinch of cayenne (red) pepper
3 Tbsp. juice from lemons (I uses concentrate this time and it worked just as well)
¼ cup water
6 Tbsp. tahini, stirred well
2 Tsp. extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
Step One: Put chickpeas, garlic, salt, cumin, and cayenne in a food processor; process until fully ground. Scrape down sides with a spatula. Make sure all parts of the food processor are put together before you put the ingredients in!
Step Two: With the food processor running, slowly add the lemon juice and water and continue to process for one minute. Scrape down the sides with a spatula again.
Step Three: In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini (easier said than done – it is the consistency of tile grout!) and 2 Tbsp. oil.
With the food processor still running, add the oil-tahini mixture in a steady stream through the feed tube. Continue to process until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides as needed.
Can be served immediately with crackers. Refrigerate any not used immediately. Also freezes beautifully! Freeze small portions. Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds on full power, stir, and heat another 5-10 seconds. If it seems a little dry, just add a little bit of olive oil.
Enjoy!
Party Pea Salad
Yes, it is a post! I think all of us here at Threaded Together must have been in summer “vacation” mode the last couple of months, at least when it came to writing, crafting, cooking, etc. The days may be “longer” but there is only so much time to squeeze in everything that needs to be done!
It is hard to believe that it is already half-way thru August! In this part of the country school starts early (August 22) – I prefer the model we had when the girls were in school in California … classes didn’t start until after Labor Day. I love the smell of new school supplies, but it is hard to get excited when the temperatures are hovering just this side of 100°
Depending on how you feel about peas, you will either LOVE or HATE this recipe which came from a co-worker after an office potluck decades ago! I fall into the category of LOVE it, but never make this dish unless I have somewhere to take it since I’m the only fan in the family! Yesterday it was part of the menu for the surprise party in celebration of my friend, Eileen S., turning the big 5-0 in a couple of weeks (sorry, E, but since you are pretty much the youngest of your “friends your own age” this secret is out!). If you’re lucky enough to have a garden, or access to a farmer’s market where they sell fresh peas, substitute fresh for the frozen.
Ingredients:
20 oz. peas, frozen or fresh (I don’t really worry about exact amounts – I use two of the smaller bags)
1 cup celery, chopped
½ cup green onions, chopped
½ cup salted cashew (pieces—not whole, not chopped)
½ cup bacon, cut into small pieces and cooked/drained — isn’t everything better with bacon?!
1 cup sour cream
1 Tblsp. Lemon juice
3 Tblsp. Mayonnaise
Salt & pepper
Directions:
If using frozen, thaw the peas in a colander.
Mix peas with sour cream, mayo, and lemon juice. Add cashews, green onions, bacon, and celery. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.
If you don’t think it will all be eaten right away, reserve cashews and sprinkle on top as served—they tend to soften in the salad, especially overnight – doesn’t seem to bother people around here, but then again, boiled peanuts are a regional delicacy … Yuck!
So, enjoy the “fruits” of your harvest or head to the freezer section of your favorite grocery store, and celebrate something with Party Pea Salad!
Tags: Debbie, party, Salad, vegetables
Refrigerator Bread & Butter Pickles
It is summer, and the living is easy — 99° here at 6 pm on June 4 — after an absolutely beautiful spring, I think we’re going to have a Long. Hot. Summer. We made the first of our annual visits to A & N Blueberry Farm early Friday morning to pick blueberries (I got 10.5 pounds and Jen got around 7… pretty sure we’re going to have to squeeze in another trip!). They also had some other fresh produce for sale and I picked up some of Sarah’s delicious blueberry jam (because I don’t can), cucumbers and a nice big zucchini … I already have some yellow squash in the fridge, so just might have to make some zucchini bread later this week.
I don’t can, did you catch that above? I love the idea of canning and once helped my friend, Jenny K. (Jen’s namesake!), can about 400 pounds of tomatoes (we washed them in the bathtub). My sister-in-law, Rhonda D., is the canning queen — I love visiting when the pantry is full of homemade grape jelly, corn, tomatoes and other yummy treats from their garden. So, since I don’t can, I freeze and refrigerate! I bought these cucumbers specifically to make some EASY refrigerator pickles.
Ingredients:
7 cups cucumbers (number of cucumbers needed depends on how big they are — I used 4 today)
2 Tbsp. salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp. celery seeds
Directions:
Thinly slice cucumbers — or thickly slice, up to you! I prefer a thinner slice. Place in a colander and sprinkle cucumber slices with salt. Let stand at least 2 hours.
Meanwhile, combine the sugar, vinegar and celery seeds. Let stand until the sugar completely dissolves, stirring occasionally.
Rinse the cucumber slices and drain well. Put the cucumber slices in a large canning jar—my original recipe from about 30 years ago says “or a mayonnaise jar” … can you even buy mayo in a jar these days?? Really cram the cucumber slices in tightly. I finally had an opportunity to use this cute jar that Jen made for our annual holiday cookie exchange!
Pour the vinegar mixture over the top.
And, refrigerate. Done!
Now, try to wait 24-48 hours before snacking on these tasty morsels. Won’t kill you if you don’t wait, but they are better the longer they sit in the cider-sugar solution. I’m not sure if these ever have an “expiration” date … I’ve kept them in the fridge for weeks and they’ve been just fine.
Enjoy!
Basil-Tomato Tart
As the rest of the girls have recently commented, it has been a busy spring. We’ve been spoiled here along Florida’s NW Panhandle with unseasonably cool temperatures and low humidity – I think this is the latest I’ve turned on the air conditioning in years!! So, any free time I’ve had not dedicated to work and school deadlines has been spent outside trying to mitigate several years of benign neglect to my landscaping, especially in the backyard. It is looking good enough that I wouldn’t be embarrassed if unexpected company stopped by, so now that the house is shut up and the air is back on, I’m chained to my desk in front of the computer!
I got the original recipe for this dish out of a Better Homes and Gardens magazine, probably about 15 years ago; and with a couple of minor modifications, it has been a friends and family summer favorite ever since. It is best with fresh ingredients, so if you don’t have a garden in your backyard or in pots on the deck/patio, head down to your local farmers market to pick up ingredients. We love the Palafox Farmers Market here in Pensacola! In fact, one of my basil plants came from a vendor there last year. It barely survived the winter in a kitchen garden window, but a few days ago I got enough leaves off of it to make this tasty dish. So let the official summer cooking season begin …
Ingredients:
1 pie crust (you can use homemade, frozen, or refrigerated—which is always my first choice)
1 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
3-4 tomatoes (I like Romas)
Left: cherry tomato from my garden. Right: Roma tomato I had to buy in order to make this recipe!
1 ½ cup mozzarella cheese, grated
4 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
¼ cup Parmesan cheese (if you don’t use freshly grated, please at least buy the grated in the refrigerator section – do not use the powdered stuff off the supermarket shelves!)
½ cup mayonnaise (do not use Miracle Whip!)
1/8 tsp. pepper
Directions:
Bake the pie crust according to directions. Remove from oven. Sprinkle bottom with ½ cup of the grated mozzarella. Cool completely.
Cut tomatoes into thin slices; drain on paper towels.
Arrange slices in layers on top of melted mozzarella (usually go 2-3 layers, depending on how thin I’ve sliced the tomatoes). In a small bowl, combine basil and garlic with remaining mozzarella, mayonnaise, Parmesan, and pepper. Mix well.
Spread evenly over the top of the tomato slices. Note: I like to let a little glimpse of the tomatoes peek out so I don’t completely cover!
Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes, until top is golden brown. Let set for 10-15 minutes before cutting into wedges.
Serve with a green salad and you’ve got a refreshing summer meal for brunch, lunch or dinner! Enjoy!
Tags: Cooking, Debbie, fresh produce, summer
