Roasted Brussel Sprouts

There is a new restaurant in Lodi-Fenix-and everything I've eaten there I want to try and make at home. Delicious, fresh and unique. These roasted brussel sprouts turned out pretty good if I do say so myself!

roast brussel sprouts that have been seasoned with salt and pepper and tossed with olive oil until crispy and brown;
Make brown rice/quinoa blend (or use the pre-made package from Costco!)

Toss together with this dressing:
sauted chopped shallots
3 T honey
1 T. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
dash cayenne pepper

Top with grated asaigo or another favorite cheese!

5 ingredient Pasta Salad

I made this for recipe club the other day and it was absolutely delicious and totally easy.

(Original recipe/image here)

1 pound (dry) penne pasta

1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers (I used DeLallo) drained and roughly chopped

1 (6-ounce) jar basil pesto (about 3/4 cup)

1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese, diced (I just used the shredded mozarella I had on hand)
3 handfuls fresh arugula (I used the mixed greens I had in the fridge)

DIRECTIONS:

Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water al dente, according to package instructions. Drain pasta and rinse under cold water for about 20-30 seconds until no longer hot.

In a large serving bowl, toss pasta with the remaining ingredients until combined. Serve immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

Broccoli Cheddar Risotto

I saw this recipe in the paper-Yes, the Lodi Paper! The article was called: OATMEAL: It's not just for breakfast. I love oatmeal and broccoli so I thought I would try it out. Delish!! Can't wait to have it for lunch tomorrow.

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 bunch broccoli, cut into small florets

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

1 3/4 cups steel-cut oats

1/4 cup dry white wine

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces) Or substitute my favorite, Lake Country

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring the chicken broth to a low simmer in a saucepan. Toss the broccoli with olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet.

2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large Dutch oven or ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the oats and stir to coat. Pour in the wine and cook until evaporated, about 1 minute. Add the hot broth, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; bring to a boil.

3. Cover and set on the bottom oven rack. Place the broccoli on the upper rack. Bake, stirring the oatmeal and broccoli once halfway through cooking until most of the liquid has been absorbed into the oatmeal and the broccoli is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

4. Remove the oatmeal and broccoli from the oven. Add 3/4 cup hot water, the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the cheese to the oatmeal and stir until creamy (add a little more hot water to loosen, if necessary).

5. Stir in broccoli and serve.

Yields 6-8 servings

Quinoa with Grilled Summer Squash and Green Beans

 -quick and easy recipe to use vegetables from your garden or the farmer’s market!!

ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa

2 cups chicken broth

1 large zucchini-sliced

1 large yellow squash-sliced


1 1/2 cups green beans, ends snapped off


1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic minced


Salt and black pepper, to taste


1/3 cup freshly chopped basil leaves

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, for garnish, optional

directions:

1. First, using a strainer, rinse the quinoa under cold water. Add quinoa, chicken broth to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

2. While the quinoa is cooking, place the zucchini, yellow squash, and green beans in a large bowl. Top with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

3. Heat grill to medium-high heat. Place the vegetables in a grill basket. If you don't have a grill basket, spread out the vegetables on a large sheet of aluminum foil.

Grill until tender crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the grill. (you can also roast them in the oven-450 degrees for about 10 minutes.)

4. Place the cooked quinoa in a large bowl. Add the grilled summer squash, green beans, basil, and stir. Drizzle with extra balsamic vinegar and olive oil, if desired. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish dish with Parmesan cheese.

Orzo Spinach Salad with Lemon and Feta

image and recipe via

1 1/2 cups orzo (small rice-shaped pasta)

3 cups packed fresh spinach, chopped
half a red onion, finely chopped
1/2 – 1 cup crumbled feta
grated zest and juice of a lemon (about 3 Tbsp.)
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. canola or olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the orzo according to the directions; drain well, and rinse in cold water to cool it down.

Roughly chop the spinach, finely chop the red onion, and zest and juice the lemon. 

Toss all ingredients together and chill. 

Serves 4-8

Caprese Quinoa Salad

image and recipe via 

1/2C quinoa

8 oz fresh mozerella

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

fresh basil

2T olive oil

splash of balsamic vinegar

salt & pepper

Cook quinoa as directed on package.

Dice mozerella, grape tomatoes and fresh basil.

Toss all ingredients together and chill.

Cocunut Toasted Brussel Sprouts

this recipe combines two of my favorite things....roasted brussel sprouts and toasted coconut.
Delish!!!

Coconut Toasted Brussels
serves 2-4
1 pound brussels sprouts, stems removed and quartered
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
pinch of nutmeg
1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons lite coconut milk
2-3 tablespoons toasted, shredded coconut
Add quartered brussels to a bowl and sprinkle with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Drizzle with coconut oil and toss to coat.
Heat a skillet oven medium-high heat and once hot, add brussels.
 Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until toasted and charred.
 Reduce heat to low and stir in coconut milk.
Stir in 2 tablespoons toasted coconut, then transfer to a bowl to serve.
 Top with remaining toasted coconut.

Mango Quinoa Salad

1 1/2 cups dry quinoa

1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 medium mangos, peeled and diced (I like to buy the frozen mango chunks from Costco)

1 red bell pepper, diced

6 green onions, thinly sliced (I use red onions if I don't have green on hand)

1 handful chopped cilantro (about 1/2 cup)

4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl. Add mango, red pepper, green onion, black beans, and cilantro. In a small bowl combine vinegar, olive oil, and lime juice. Whisk until smooth and pour on top of salad. Toss to combine and add salt and pepper to taste. Chill for at least one hour before serving.

Quinoa-a super easy, Superfood!!

It seems like I'm reading about quinoa all over the place. It's super high in protein and a multitude of other health benefits. I love the chewy texture and almost a nutty taste. We might not ever eat rice again!! Tonight as a side dish to bbq chicken I made this dish.

Saute in olive oil:

1 red onion-thinly sliced

1 green or red bell pepper-thinly sliced

4-6 cloves of garlic-minced

salt and pepper to taste

Add 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand for 10-15 minutes. I'm also thinking this would be equally as yummy served cold.

Serves 4

Garlic Twist Breadsticks

I made these for dinner last night with a tasty new pasta dish I tried (recipe tomorrow)
and they were absolutely delicious. Knowing that I would have a hard time restraining myself to only a couple, I only made half of a batch. Now I wish I had made the whole thing and saved
some of the dough so I could make a few today. Maybe next time!

recipe and image via

1½ cups warm water

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. yeast

Let that sit for 5 minutes, until frothy.

Then add:

3½ cups flour

1 tsp Salt

Mix until smooth then let raise for 10-20 minutes in a warm place
(I usually turn the oven on low and then turn it off right before I put the dough in to rise).
Roll out dough into a large square on a floured surface.
Brush with melted butter mixed with garlic and then sprinkle with kosher salt.
Fold in half and cut into 1 inch strips. Twist and place on a cooking sheet.
Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes to raise.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Immediately after baking, brush with more garlic butter and sprinkle with kosher salt

Best straight out of the oven :)
enjoy!

Three Grains Blend Risotto

I love it when I try something new and it turns out to be something I love and will make again and again!! It's even better when I make it for company and they love it as well!!

I bought a package of Three Grains Blend from Trader Joe's and made the risotto recipe on the back. The only thing I did differently was substitute asparagus for mushrooms because Emma's not a fan! It was delicious and quick! It had all the creamy, chewy-ness of risotto and it took about half the time.

Waldorf Salad

I made this salad for my friend Diana's baby shower and it was absolutely delicious!

I love the combination of fruit and cheese with the tangy dressing -
Definitely one to make again!!

hearts of romaine, chopped

celery, sliced thinly

gorgonzola cheese

red grapes, halved

braeburn apples, cored and diced

candied almond slivers

dressing:

2 tbsp. dijon mustard

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. plain yogurt
3 tbsp. lemon juice

salt and pepper, to taste

Cranberry Salsa

via

I am a fan of anything salsa, so when I saw this recipe for Cranberry Salsa I knew it was a match made in heaven. And oh boy is it delicious! On my next batch I would cut the sugar in half and maybe even experiment with other additions - peppers, avocado, etc. Try it! You'll love it!

In food processor combine:
12 oz bag of cranberries
1/4 cup chopped green onion, about 4-6
1 bunch of cilantro
In a separate bowl combine
1 cup sugar (I'd cut this in half!)
Juice of two limes
1/4 -1/2 tsp cumin powder depending on taste.
Mix everything together and chill for an hour. Serve over cream cheese or just with chips. Also would be yummy as a side sauce with turkey, pork or chicken.

Cottage Pasta Salad

Besides from my own mother, I received a great deal of instruction and inspiration for cooking from a friend, Maya Larsen, while we were living in Chicago. She taught a cooking class once and month out of her home. And even though I couldn't afford to take her classes (we were "starving students" at the time), she always shared her recipes with me. This is a favorite I got from her.

1 lb. cooked pasta-rinsed and drained (the recipe calls for linguini, but I've used a variety of different shapes)

Dressing:

1 c. olive oil

1/2 c. red wine vinegar

1-3 cloves garlic-pressed

1 tsp. oregano

1 T. dried parsley

1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

1/2 tsp. sea salt

dash worstershire sauce

1/4 c. chopped sundried tomatoes

1/2 c. pine nuts

1 c. asiago cheese-grated

Mix dressing and pour over fresh cooked pasta. Toss. Marinate 4-6 hours. Sitr in 3/4 c. cheese, tomatoes, and pine nuts. Top with remaining cheese.

Bread and Sausage Stuffing

I tried this recipe from the Williams Sonoma cookbook, Entertaining, and loved it! It's definitely what's going inside our bird this Thanksgiving....(o.k. I confess, I don't put the stuffing inside the turkey, so technically it's called dressing)

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf sourdough French bread, about
  1 lb., cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings
  removed
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 leek, white and light green portions,
  chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh sage
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper,
  to taste

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350ºF.

Spread the bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. (can be made ahead and stored in ziploc bag)

In a large fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the sausage, onion, leek, celery and sage and cook, breaking up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the meat browns and is cooked through and the vegetables are translucent, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and fold in the bread cubes, parsley and half-and-half. Stir in the stock until the mixture is evenly moistened. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool completely before stuffing into the cavities of the turkey.

If cooking outside of the bird, put in greased 9x13 inch pan. You can make the day ahead and refrigerate.

On the day you want to eat, removed from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Bake covered at 350 degrees until very hot in  the middle, about 45 minutes. Remove foil and let it get slightly browned for the last few minutes. 

 Serves 8 to 10.

Stuffed Pizza Rolls

I've seen these in a few different places

and have been dying to try them.
I made them for dinner tonight and
with delicious fluffy bread dough,
cheesy goodness
and savory peperoni,
it's no wonder they did not disappoint!
This is definitely topping our list of favorites :)

Pizza Dough
1 1/2 c. warm water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 1/2 c. flour

In a large bowl (the bowl of your mixer, if you have one), combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly.

Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 c. flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups, depending on your elevation and your humidity) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger.

Spray a glass or metal bowl with cooking spray and place dough in the bowl. Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Remove from bowl and place on a lightly-floured surface. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll into a rectangle and cut into 2x2 inch squares with a pizza cutter.

Fill each square with whatever pizza toppings you want. We used peperoni and mozzarella, but you can be creative - Canadian bacon, pineapple, bbq chicken, bacon, etc.

But DON'T put the marinara sauce inside, that will be for dipping after they're baked!

Pull the corners of each pizza dough square into the center, pinch and place into a
greased pie pan seam side down.

Once the pan is full, brush the tops with olive oil or butter and sprinkle with garlic seasoning (recipe below)


Garlic Seasoning

1/4 c. powdered Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 Tbsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. marjoram

1 tsp. parsley

Bake for 10-15 minutes at 425 degrees or until the tops of the rolls start to turn a golden brown.
Dip in marinara sauce and ENJOY!

Penne Frittata with Basil and Ricotta

This was a delicious and unique dish
that was featured on Martha Stewart.

I didn't have a oven-proof skillet,
so I would suggest baking it the entire time in a glass baking dish.

Makes one 10-inch frittata; Serves 10 to 12

• 6 large eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 cups cooked and drained penne rigate pasta (from 7 ounces dry)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Garnish: fresh basil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together eggs, milk, ricotta, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir in cooked pasta and chopped basil.

Heat a 10-inch ovenproof skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat. Add oil; swirl to coat bottom and sides of skillet. Pour in egg mixture, and cook until edges are just beginning to set, about 2 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven, and bake until eggs are completely set, 10 to 12 minutes. Invert onto a plate, and re-invert onto a serving dish. Let stand for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges. Garnish with basil.

Cafe Rio Black Beans

(via Favorite Family Recipes)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

Cafe Rio's Cilantro-Lime Rice

(via Favorite Family Recipes)
1 c. uncooked rice (long-grain, white rice)
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

Artichoke Risotto

This might be my favorite risotto combination ever-I like fresh spinach added, asparagus is wonderful, but artichokes are the perfect addition to an already delicious dish.

5 1/2 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
8 baby artichokes, trimmed, halved-or the frozen bag from Trader Joe's
1 1/2 cups arborio rice (about 10 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

To prepare:

Bring broth to simmer in saucepan. Remove from heat. Cover; keep warm.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter with oil in heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Pat artichokes dry and add to pot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until artichokes begin to brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Add rice; stir 2 minutes. Add wine; stir until absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 1 1/2 cups warm broth; cook until absorbed, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add more broth, 1/2 cupful at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding next and stirring often, until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes longer. Remove from heat; stir in cheese and 1 tablespoon butter. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.