Some cooking ideas!

1: Chicken tenders cut into smaller pieces, Celery, Two cups water, one bullion paste serving, and some spicy Mrs. Dash seasoning. Serving size amt of whole wheat toast.

2: Chicken tenders cut into long skinny pieces, Serving size of whole wheat crushed toast with lots of seasonings, raw chicken with breading. Cook at 350 degrees. Make sure the chicken is on a rack, so it doesn’t need any greasing or is cooking in fat. Yellow Squash sliced with Mrs. Dash, salt and a little water. You can choose to cook in micro or stove top, but I love stove top.

3. Onion cut into small pieces (how you like them), seasonings of choice. I really like Cayenne pepper, seasoned pepper, and the table blend of Mrs. Dash. Cook this until just before the onion becomes transparent. Add diced apples and small pieces of chicken… It is best that the chicken is pre seasoned and when you put it into the pan, make sure it’s getting seared right on the pan. If you have it on a med-high setting, it should brown nicely, but will not have a problem sticking without oil. Make sure the chicken is browned on all sides and since the pieces are so small it will be done in just about 2 min! This is my most favorite of all times! Sounds crazy with the apples, but hmmm so good!

4. A bed of spinach, boiled chicken and then a mix of (paprika, cayenne, mustard power, garlic powder, and onion powder) seasonings together. Sprinkle the chicken on both sides so it has some extra flavor. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and add diced tomatoes, Dressing: lemon juice, cilantro, salt and pepper. So good and I always think it’s better than a restaurants!
There are just a few ideas that I have come up with!

Zucchini linguine with creamy pesto sauce

Submitted by cupcakes revenge on March 22, 2010 - 4:15pm

Average:

0

Servings: 

4

Easy to make zucchini linguine in a deliciously creamy pesto sauce.
More recipes at http://kellysfacesmells.blogspot.com/

Ingredients: 

To make the pesto
1/4c pine nuts
2T flax or olive oil
1/2c basil
1 clove garlic
Add a bit of water as needed to achieve consistency you want.
To make the pasta
2 zucchini
1 avocado, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped

Preparation: 

Pesto:
blend all ingredients together, adding a bit of water or lemon juice as needed to achieve consistency desired. Normally I just wash the basil and don't dry it off before adding it in - the water from that is usually sufficient.
Pasta:
Using a knife, cut the zuccinni in thirds, but don't cut all the way through. With a vegetable peeler, peel thin slices of the zucchini - because it's cut in thirds, the pieces will be thinner and more like linguine. I didn't use the core of the zucchini (the part with seeds) - I save it for soups.
Assembly
In a bowl, toss the zucchini linguine with the pesto sauce until well coated. Then add the chopped avocado and tomato and toss until mixed well.

Been to a Farm Lately? (Recipe: Asparagus & Cherry Tomato Pizza)

by Cheryl on April 22, 2010

in What's for Dinner?

This summer, take the time to get a little dirty and source your food outside the market. Get to know the people who make your food.  See where your food comes from. And eat it right from the ground, dirt and all.
Photo by Cheryl

Asparagus and Tomato Pizza

Use your favorite pizza dough (or my version) to create a summery pizza.  Vary the toppings according to what’s in season and what you find that day on your farm visit.

• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 bunch asparagus
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Pizza Dough

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Pull out your dough into rough 8-10 inch circles. Place onto a thick cookie sheet or pizza stone sprinkled with cornmeal.
2. Trim any rough bits from your asparagus (if it is farm fresh you shouldn’t have to do a thing). Cook in boiling water for 1 minute then immediately submerge in ice water to stop the cooking.
3. Drizzle your stretched pizza dough with the garlic and olive oil.  Arrange the asparagus and halved tomatoes over the pizza. Sprinkle the feta and oregano on top. Add an extra drizzle of olive oil on top.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes until pizza is cooked all the way through and cheese is bubbling slightly.

Potluck Pockets

Here is another recipe for you today that uses pitas.  I am hoping to try a homemade version of pitas soon.  When I do I will share.
This is a recipe I have been making for a while and is a family favorite.  I found it years ago in a Taste of Home magazine.  The pockets are filled with a savory beef filling.  Then you drizzle it with a sauce.  The recipe is quite salty so if you are not a fan of salty you may not like this one.  The salty flavor comes from soy sauce and worcestershire sauce.  This will be a great recipe for warm weather,  It’s all made on the stove top!  It also comes together in about 30 minutes.

Potluck Pockets

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 6 pita breads, halvedon
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 3 cups shredded lettuce
• SAUCE:
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Dash pepper

1. In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, garlic powder, cumin and Italian seasoning; mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 5-10 minutes.
2. In a small saucepan, bring sauce ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 5-10 minutes. Spoon meat mixture into pita halves; top with sauce, tomatoes and lettuce. Yield: 6 servings

Cheese Pancakes and Celery and Walnut Salad

These cheese pancakes are one of our family recipes – I loved them when I was a kid, and not just because they were quite a rare treat on our everyday menu – yes there were times when eggs and cheese were considered expensive products that couldn’t be wasted just like that.
While some magical childhood memories about certain foods die as you grow up and try those foods (my Grandmother, for example, cherished memories of beetroot leaves soup that she once had during the war, until she finally made it many years later and… the dream got ruined: the soup was not too edible), but I have to say these cheese pancakes taste just as good now as they did in my childhood. They look good, too – golden brown on the outside, fluffy and yellow on the inside. The eggs in the batter make them taste a little bit omelet-y. Well, I think there are some flavours that are just impossible to resist – the flavour of melted/fried cheese is one of them, to me.
But, obviously you will want a counterbalance to these pancakes - something green and fresh and preferably crunchy on the side. From the limited choice of fresh greens and vegetables that we have in this time of the year, celery looked like the perfect candidate. Green, fresh and crunchy. We added some chopped parsley leaves and tossed it all with some minced walnuts and garlic. The walnut-garlic-oil paste is close to what you could find inside Georgian eggplant rolls. I found out it could serve as a standalone dip for crackers/tortillas as well.
The salad came out so good that we thought we’d make it next time we have guests. As for the pancakes… isn’t it great we always have enough cheese and eggs to make them nowadays?



Cheese Pancakes
Ingredients
150g mild-flavoured cheese, grated coarsely
3 eggs
150ml wheat flour
150ml kefir (alternatively, sour yogurt/buttermilk)
1/3 tsp baking soda
Salt
Vegetable oil for frying
Serves 4

Combine grated cheese end eggs, add a pinch of salt, and stir well. Add kefir with baking soda, stir and gradually add flour. Stir through the batter well.
Oil a large skillet with vegetable oil, or use your favourite cooking spray. Cook the pancakes on a medium heat until golden on both sides.



Celery and walnut salad
Ingredients
4 celery stalks
75g walnuts
A sheaf of fresh parsley
Juice of ½ lemon
2 cloves of garlic
4-5 tbsp olive oil
Salt
Serves 4

Chop celery stalks and parsley leaves.
Mince walnuts and garlic. Combine walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. Add salt to taste and stir well.
Toss the celery and the parsley with the walnut paste.

Salsa roja (roasted red salsa)

I eat a lot of salsa. A LOT. I am rather notorious for this, in fact. My friend’s boyfriend once innocently asked if I had anything he could snack on — maybe some chips and salsa? My friend nearly fell on the floor laughing at the thought of me not having chips and salsa in the house. There is no risk of that. Ever.
So when my awesome world-traveling chef cousin came to town for a few days, she offered to teach me how to make roasted red salsa and tamales (more on that later). Can you imagine how much I hesitated? Not. At. All.
And people, this salsa. PEOPLE. With a lifetime of tasting, sampling, and gorging research on salsa, I have never in my life had salsa this good.
Note that this makes a lot — a big mixing bowl full. I’m too embarrassed to tell you how quickly it went here. Without further ado, I give you: The Best Salsa Ever:

• 16 full size tomatoes, or nearly a produce bag full of roma tomatoes (we used roma)
• 2-3 yellow onions
• 20-25 Serrano peppers (remove caps) Note: this many peppers makes it hot. Feel free to reduce # of peppers, or scrape the seeds out of them
• 8-10 cloves of garlic
• 1-2 Tbsp salt
• 1-2 bunches cilantro

1. Halve the tomatoes and onions and lay cut-side up on a cookie sheet along with the peppers and garlic
2. Roast at 375 till the onions look nice and translucent (see bottom left of the next picture), tomatoes look soft, and peppers are getting a nice char on them

3. Let it all cool a bit, then run through the food processor with salt and cilantro (we had to do this in two batches)
4. Stir it all together and eat with abandon. Trust me.

Asian Style Beans

Where to Find it: Kayotic Kitchens

Green beans, snap beans, string beans, French beans, whatever you want to call them, they’re in season, they’re cheap, tasty and healthy. Go for it!
We’re very high on vegetables here. We easily eat 10 oz a day (per person), so I’m always trying various ways to prepare vegetables making them slightly different every time we eat them. These have a little Asian twist to them and rank high on the ‘yummy delicious’ list here (‘yummy delicious’ being the English expression for my Dutch 2 year olds favorite foods, thanks to Dora).
For some reason the combination pine nuts & green beans works beautifully in this side dish.

Ingredients:
String beans
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
Garlic (I used 1 clove, grated)
Ginger (thumb sized piece, grated)
1 tbsp sweet soy sauce
1 dsp chili sauce
Chili powder
Handful pine nuts
Oil
Directions:
Coarsely chop the bell pepper and the onion. Trim the beans and break the long ones in half. Give them a good wash.

Parboil the beans in lightly salted water. I like a little bite to them, so I boiled them for about 13 minutes. You can give them a few minutes longer if you like, just don’t over-cook them!

Grate the ginger and garlic. I keep lots of ginger in the freezer, this way I always have some on hand. It works great! The flavor seems to intensify once frozen, so you even need less to get the same result. It’s also easier to peel and grate when still slightly frozen. Nothing but benefits!

Use vegetable oil rather than olive oil because you can use higher temperatures that way, which is much better for stir-frying. I use this oil – it’s an oil that has a slightly Asian flavor to it already. Seems they infused it with garlic, fenugreek, cardamom, cumin, celery, turmeric, coriander etc resulting in an amazingly fragrant oil.

Sautee the bell pepper for about a minute or two, then add the onion. Add the ginger and garlic as soon as the onion turns slightly translucent, not before or you’ll burn the garlic. Don’t let the onions brown, it just doesn’t look good in this dish.

In the mean time the beans will be ready. Drain them and quickly rinse them with cold water – this will stop the cooking process, leaving your beans fresh and green rather than all sad, shriveled up and brown.

Add a pinch of chili powder to the onion mixture. I use incredibly hot chili powder, no clue where they got those chilies from, and have a toddler eating this as well, so I only use a pinch (literally, see?) but feel free to use more. I always sautee my spices for a minute or so, it really gets the flavor going.

Add the beans to the bell pepper/onions and give them a good swirl. Add a tbsp soy sauce. I used sweet soy sauce, but you can also add regular soy sauce and add some additional sugar. Is this a Dutch cooking products 101 or what?

Add a heaping dinnerspoon chili sauce. You don’t want to drown the beans, you just want to coat them. It gives them a real pretty shine. Hey, I’m a girl, I’m all about the bling-bling. Let it all simmer for a few minutes now so the flavors can incorporate.

Toast the pine nuts in a hot skillet. Roughly 30 seconds should do, then shove them around a bit. Give them another 30 seconds and they’re done.

Serve the beans on a pretty platter, sprinkle some of the pine nuts on top and serve with a little extra soy sauce on the side. If you, unlike me, happen to like Coriander, this would be your cue to use it. I can’t stand the smell or taste of coriander, so I don’t even want to use it as garnish.


These taste absolutely great with steamed rice and stir fried chicken or beef strips!

Green Bean Delight


Eat a Veggie Dinner.

When you eat a veggie dinner like this it takes a little longer to eat, but it’s quick to cook. Also, keep in mind that since your body will digest this food faster than animal based food, you will likely need an early evening snack/dessert.

I love Onions, so added some to mine!

Green Bean Delight (feeds 1 person)
Saute in a frying pan:

• 1 large bag of fresh green beans
• 1 8 oz box of mushrooms (your favorite kind) (mushrooms boost your immunity!)
• 1 Tsp of olive oil and/or 1/4 cup water to steam/saute – at the end the water should be mostly all evaporated. Add more water a little at a time if needed during cooking.
• 1 clove grated garlic – add at the end.

Cook on medium high, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are cooked. At that point the beans will be cooked but still crisp. Add the garlic during the last 30 seconds to 1 minute of cooking and stir briskly to keep garlic from burning.

Avacado Salad

• 2-3 mashed avocados
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in halves
• onion to taste
• 1 clove grated garlic
• 1/4 lemon or lime juice
• 1-2 stalks celery

Eat this on either

• 1-2 slices toasted whole grain bread
• several whole romaine leaves as a roll-up

Moroccan-Style Stuffed Acorn Squash found by Colleen Lasko

By: TRUCKERDOO  

"Vegetables, garbanzos, raisins and couscous in a lovely Moroccan broth taste delicious inside butter and brown sugar-brushed acorn squash. You can experiment with different vegetables, or add diced chicken. Feel free to be creative with your amounts - I usually freestyle and end up with leftover stuffing mixture, which tastes great on its own the next day. For vegetarians, substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth."

Prep Time:
15 Min

Cook Time:
45 Min

Ready In:
1 Hr

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 2 large acorn squash, halved and seeded
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 cup garbanzo beans, drained
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 cup uncooked couscous

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Arrange squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes, or until tender. Dissolve the sugar in the melted butter. Brush squash with the butter mixture, and keep squash warm while preparing the stuffing.
3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, celery, and carrots, and cook 5 minutes. Mix in the garbanzo beans and raisins. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper, and continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender.
4. Pour the chicken broth into the skillet, and mix in the couscous. Cover skillet, and turn off heat. Allow couscous to absorb liquid for 5 minutes. Stuff squash halves with the skillet mixture to serve. 

Nutritional Information

Moroccan-Style Stuffed Acorn Squash

Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 502

• Total Fat: 11.7g
• Cholesterol: 10mg
• Sodium: 825mg
• Total Carbs: 94g
•     Dietary Fiber: 10.7g
• Protein: 11.2g

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