Foodie Rachel

Garden Bounty Recipes part 2: Breakfast Fajitas

2010-07-27T20:59:00.004-05:00

These breakfast fajitas will wake you up and fuel you for the day. The pitas were smeared with Einstein Bagel's Jalepeno salsa cream cheese (YUM!) then stuffed with scrambled eggs, sauteed onions, peppers, and cherry tomatoes.

So maybe these were a cross between a fajita and a pita sandwich. It doesn't matter- they were GOOD! Yes, I burnt the pitas while getting them "toasted".

If you haven't made it out to Einstein's yet, give 'em a try. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. The everything bagels are my favorite with (you guessed it) Jalepeno cream cheese.

Other stars are the Mango Peach bagel with Mango Peach cream cheese AND the Turkey Bacon sandwich on a bagel "thin". Hello, bagel heaven :)

Garden Bounty Recipes part 1: Green Bean and Potato Salad

2010-07-24T08:51:00.002-05:00

There is a ton of food spilling out of the garden. Its just that time of year. Its time to eat a lot, and as one fellow blogger puts it, its time to Put up of Shut up.

Since there is food-a-plenty, its time to dish out some new recipes with all the bounty.

First up is Green Bean and Potato Salad. Its a nice fresh mix of green beans, red potatoes, ripe garden tomatoes and (of course) sweet onions.

This is a great side-kick veggie dishes. Its been a loyal crowd pleaser. I mean, if you've got to guess what vegetables your picky friends will eat, its likely they will go for beans and potatoes, right?

Additionally, if you've got a beef tenderloin playing the lead, this dish will compliment without stealing the spotlight (too much).

The ingredient list is so easy for summer- who doesn't have tomatoes coming out of their ears by now? The best part is it can be served warm or at room temperature. There is no mayo or eggs in this potato salad, so you can leave it out at a pot-luck without worries.

Green Bean and Potato Salad

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
1 pound red potatoes, quartered. (I have also used regular russets and it worked fine)
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 Tbs. EVOO
1 Tbs. tomato paste
salt and pepper
optional- whatever herbs you've got plenty of. I used basil, parsley and oregano.

Start by boiling a large pot of very salted water. Throw in the potatoes and let them boil away for about 5-7 minutes.

Trim the beans.

Throw in the green beans, and boil for another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat some EVOO in a saute pan on medium heat. Sweat/saute the onions for about 5 mintues, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Next add the chopped tomatoes and saute for another 3 minutes.

Then add the tomato paste, salt and pepper. Heat for another 1 minutes. Remove from heat.

I love the tomato paste in the tube! If you find this, its a jewel. Buy it. It lasts forever in the fridge too :)

When the potatoes and beans and cooked through (I really can't stand under-cooked green beans) drain off the water and pour the veggies into the serving bowl.

Next pour the tomato-onion mixture on top of the potatoes and mix it all up. If you want to add fresh herbs, now is the time. Don't forget to check for seasonings and add more salt if needed.

Have a great weekend!

CSA July 20th, 2010

2010-07-22T13:43:00.003-05:00

We're in the full swing of things for summer. Here's the pickup for the week!

I love the fun varieties- beautiful colors (but the staple varieties, are well.....staples). This was a yellow watermelon, and to the left is a purple pepper.

In the back is a huge bag of peaches. I am in peach overload and I'm loving it :)

Anybody have beet recipes? I need some!

Blackberry Heaven

2010-07-19T23:11:00.004-05:00

Its officially blackberry season! And while I don't have gallons of them, I have tried to make the most of the blackberries we've found.

First is Pioneer Woman's Blackberry cheesecake. Its really just a plain cheesecake with blackberry syrup on top. But the juice soaks in and....mmmm!

(shh! Don't tell anyone) I'm not even a huge fan of cheesecake. This recipe is lighter than most (while still being very rich), and it was certainly better the next day after the juices had penetrated all the cracks of the cheesecake. :)

The next day I made waffles and topped them with a blackberry maple syrup. I just took the leftover blackberry sauce from the cheesecake, mashed the berries and added enough pure maple syrup to make it the consistency I wanted.

I LOVE blackberry season!

Garden update July 17th

2010-07-17T21:16:00.002-05:00

Here's a few photos watching my garden grow. I didn't document the exact day I put the first seeds in the ground, but it was surprisingly early- first week of March. Everyone said that my plants would freeze, but I took extra care and they survived. One good late spring snow and we would have been toast.

I call it a success from some serious ingenuity and a little bit of luck.
First seedlings on March 19th poking through.

Then recognizable plants by March 31st: (Broccoli, garlic, spinach, mixed greens, radishes.

Here's a close up of the broccoli and garlic. I just took garlic cloves that sprouted in the fridge and planted them to see what would happen. Scroll down to see my beautiful (free!) bulbs :)

Now finally looking like something I would put on my plate by April 12th. At this point the plants had been almost entirely covered by a clear tarp. Only a few warm days were they allowed bask in the sun. Still babysitting them every night with a "freeze" protection.

Then skip 2 months and its gone crazy! At this point I had already harvested so much. The spinach was done, cauliflower, radishes, green onions, red potatoes..... We were just getting warmed up for the real jewels.

Here's a picture of the garlic bulbs about 100 days after planting. Not bad! I think they could have gotten bigger, next time I'll leave them another couple weeks and see what happens.

Next up is the onion boxes. This picture I took 3 days ago. The two left boxes I planted in March with onion seeds. The front right box I planted with onion bulbs 10 days before taking this picture.

It just goes to show that seeds are cheaper, but starters work faster. Just a preference thing I guess. I was just experimenting. But I like the bulbs better :)

Here are harvested vidalia onions approx. 90 days after planting bulbs.

The sunflowers are gigantic. AND JUST IN CASE I HAVEN'T POINTED IT OUT YET.....I planted these bad boys from a seed. From a tiny little seed. And now they are over 8 feet tall.

Here's a side view so you can see how tall they are. My pole bean support is about 5'10", and you can see how much taller they are.

Is taller a word? Or is it more tall? Oh, I hate grammar!

Here's a shot of my cucumber contraption. I needed something to get the cucumbers off the ground. I also didn't want to dedicate lots of raised bed room to cucumbers. So I constructed this handy little PVC number for about $3.

Cucumbers are growing straight too, which is a plus.

There are so many tomatoes that I'll save it for another post. But before I go, here's a quick shot of the back patio remodel. Justin and his dad did a great job. I'm very lucky to have able bodied and willing men in my life to help make my dreams a reality.

Thanks Justin, Dennis and Nick for all your help lately!

Balsamic Roasted Peaches with Vanilla Ice Cream

2010-07-14T20:16:00.007-05:00

I don't know about you, but I have to eat ice cream on days like today. The heat index was 106 and there wasn't much wind.

Luckily, I got to drive the van today, which has air conditioning. (Funny what you take for granted when its not 100+ degrees) Ahh, yes the SUV's air conditioning is broken and they want $800 to fix it. Sorry Justin, your sweat glands got a work out today.

Wowza. And sorry to all of you. You're here to read about peaches and ice cream, and here I am talking about sweat glands....

Did you know that sweat glands abscess sometimes? Its awesome. Love it. Really I do.

Okay, really. For real this time.

Since we've been eating "seasonally" we've been anxiously waiting peach season. (And every season, to be exact)

This is my absolute favorite way to eat peaches. (Except eating them raw and unaltered, when they are perfectly ripe of course.)

Simply slice some peaches into wedges, and place in a shallow casserole dish. I used 4 peaches here for 3 people. (I had seconds, but ONLY because my first round of pictures didn't turn out...)

(yes, I realize this isn't white balanced. HELP!)

Sprinkle them with brown sugar. No need to measure here, just a generous sprinkling. Next douse them with balsamic vinegar. I used somewhere between 1/4 and 1/3 cup.

Next is the weird, but TOTALLY ESSENTIAL step of this recipe. Go grab your black pepper grinder and give it a couple grinds right on top of the peaches.

I promise you won't really notice the pepper. It just gives it a nice spiced peach flavor and a "depth of flavor" (cliche, I know...)

Then roast it at 400ish for about 20-30 minutes. You want the balsamic vinegar to begin reducing into a syrup.

Spoon warm peaches onto vanilla ice cream. Then spoon out some syrup too. This spiced peach balsamic reduction is liquid gold!!!

Tri-Tip, Roasted Potatoes and Killer Beans

2010-07-12T17:33:00.007-05:00

I'm racking in some amazing dinners from my hubby's skills on the grill. We've had ribs, fajitas, tri-tip, filets, grilled corn, roasted bananas, grilled mushrooms- and its only July!

Here's a tri-tip meal we loved. I've got it paired with roasted potatoes and onions, and my favorite beans with bacon. Sometimes we have a meal that calls for killer beans- and this was one of them!

The tri-tip was seasoned with Pappy's seasoning. Harter House carries it- just rub 'er on and you're set.

I also splashed on a little Worcestershire sauce and a healthy dollop of Country Bob's sauce. Roast that sucker (225-250) for about an hour or until the middle registers 145 degrees (for medium). Pull it off and let it rest, it should continue to rise in heat to about 150.

(If you can't grill, you can do the same in an oven. Don't cover it, just set it in a roasting pan and go for it.

Slice against the grain and enjoy! These are also good the next day on a sandwich :)

While this tri-tip recipe came from my Dad (who's a pro at tri-tip on the Big Green Egg), we did use some help from Justin's new app to help gauge the cooking times/temps.

The app is called: Weber On The Grill and we've had amazing results ever since. (okay, except for one time, but I think it was a fluke)

Isn't it astonishing that we didn't have iphones 5 years ago? How did we live?

What's even more astonishing is thinking that we didn't have google 10 years ago.
For Justin's sake, I can't even go there.

The taters were home grown from harvest a couple weeks ago. The beans were pulled before the beetles completely took over. Sigh.....

Roasted potatoes are about the easiest and tastiest thing around. You can slow bake them at a lower heat if you've got the time. The onions really caramelize that way. Or you can roast 'em hotter and have a nice crispy crust.

I toss cubed potatoes and onions in olive oil, kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. That's it.

If you have an hour, roast them at 250. If you have 20 min, roast at 425. If you have somewhere in the middle, roast at somewhere in the middle. You can't go wrong (just check on them every once in a while, and do a flip a couple times).

And the beans. There is a correct way of cooking killer beans, and I am happy to never know the real recipe. My coronary arteries are thanking me.

This is, however, "almost" killer beans. My method only uses the rendered fat from the bacon. I don't add any lard or extra butter (cough-cough-Dad).

I start by crisping up 3-4 slices of bacon. Once its crispy, I pull it out to a towel.

Then I add a chopped onion and let it sweat a bit. Next comes the beans. I like them to saute in the bacon drippings, but towards the end if they are still crispy (as in not cooked, not fried-crispy) I just splash in 1/3 c. water and pop the lid on. Salt, pepper, put the bacon back in- now we're ready to eat :)

Carnivors be ready, I have another (gasp!) meat post coming soon.

Fajita Night

2010-07-03T21:05:00.009-05:00

Today was one of the best days I've had in a while. It was nearly perfect. I cooked all day long.

Now will one of you please come do my dishes?? Please?

Okay, I did cook 3 square meals and put a couple pies in the icebox for tomorrow, but what really made my day was who I got to spend it with. I spent the entire day with my amazing husband. Did I mention that he's really good at working on my projects on his holiday vacation?

Oh, and the projects are not done yet :) Deck and patio finishing resumes tomorrow assuming the weather cooperates. I'll be working on the second garden box and keeping both the kids alive in the construction. (Before and after pictures coming, promise!)

Let me see if there's a sneak peak somewhere on my phone....

So back to my perfect day. You have to hear this!

I began the day at 7:30. I got to sleep in! On average we wake up by 6:30 and on rare occasion both kids sleep until 7. But Justin got up with the kids and let me sleep until my "natural alarm" went off at 7:30. I felt amazingly refreshed. Sad, I know.

So we kicked off the day with a pot of coffee, scrambled eggs and toasted bread from Millsap farm.

We played with the kiddos then dropped them off at his parent's house for a bit. We went home and finished the concrete garden box. I applied polyurethane to the top of a planter box that will be seasonally placed in the fire pit. (pictured above)

Then we made lunch: Hickory Ham and Natural Smoked Bacon Panini with cheddar and Dijon mustard. Oh, and there were red tomatoes straight from the vine.

After lunch I made 2 of my Grandma Wright's recipes that must happen at some point every summer or else its not summer. First was a double batch of Cucumbers and Onions. Then a double batch of pink lemonade icebox pie. Oh my.

Before I knew it we had to go get the kiddos. We came back and made Justin's favorite meal: fajitas. I found a sirloin in the bottom of the freezer and we made it work.

It wasn't a flank steak, but it worked fine. Added a quick marinade of garlic, chili pepper, chili oil, salt and pepper. Grilled it up on a hot flame. Then sliced it cross-grain and nobody would have known.

I also made a batch of PW's salsa. Behind it are some smashed black beans.

And I can't forget the onions and peppers. I could eat a whole pan of these for a meal. It helps that I didn't clean out the saute pan from bacon earlier and just used the bacon fat to cook these in. I'm sure my coronary arteries will be thanking me in 30 years.

Hey, I served it all with whole grain tortillas. That's gotta count for something.

So for my perfect day- I got things accomplished around the house, cooked and ate good food, and spent quality time together. Maybe not everyone's idea of a perfect day, but it was just what I needed. :)

Chillin with Blueberry Soup

2010-06-24T21:30:00.006-05:00

I'm sort of obsessed about cold soups right now. I've got produce busting out of my fridge and I'm in the market for refreshing new ways to use all the bounty.

This one was particularly good. I love the colors!

This soup had the perfect amount of sweetness (not too much) and it is rich enough to satisfy the sweet tooth that hits me EVERY SINGLE DAY around 7pm.

Justin was a little confused by the thought of having "soup" for dessert, but he came around rather quickly after one taste, and I didn't hear any complaints after that :)

This recipe has 4 simple, everyday ingredients. Okay, 5 if you include water. You can make it advance and pull it out without any fuss.

Cold Blueberry Soup

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
3 T. orange juice concentrate
1/2 c. water
3 T. honey

(You could easily use orange juice, just adjust the amount of water accordingly. Also, if using frozen blueberries, cut back the water to 1/3 cup)

Bring to a boil over medium heat. Let simmer for 3-5 minutes. The blueberries will just start to burst open. I smashed some with a spoon just for fun :)

Let this mixture cool slightly, then puree in a blender/MagicBullet/Food processor. If the mixture is still warm, place it in the fridge until cooled before the next step. If its cooled to room temperature, you are okay to proceed.

Now just add 3/4-1c. yogurt. I used Greek gods (full fat) honey flavor. Its my absolute favorite yogurt out there. Mix it well and let it chill until ready to use.

To make the yogurt swirl, just dollop some yogurt right on top. Then run a knife (or the other end of the spoon) through it a couple times.

I really like what the orange juice does to this soup. You really can't taste the orange much (which is good, otherwise I'd have to call it an orange soup. And um...its not exactly orange in color. Can you imagine the hate mail I would get??)Anyway, it gives it this zing that makes the whole thing wonderful! Combined with the cooling, creamy, decadent Greek yogurt- this one hits a home run!

Want some more cold soup ideas? Here are a few links:

Pioneer Woman's Garden Gazpacho
Clair Robinson's White Grape Gazpacho
Creamy Cucumber Gazpacho with Wasabi Cream
Glenna's Fresh Corn and Cucumber Soup

Garden update

2010-06-21T21:25:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure why, but this big bowl of freshly dug potatoes makes me happy. Remember when we planted them about 3 months ago? We used potatoes that sprouted in the cabinet and planted them.

Maybe that's why I'm so proud of the bounty- they were free!

Here's an update to all that's growing around my place:

The first red tomatoes. Something absolutely wonderful about the first tomatoes every year. They're like little jewels.

The lettuce. I'm at a point now where I'm having trouble eating more lettuce. We're nearing the end of the salad green season, and I'll honestly be happy when its over. I overdosed on lettuce this year.

This particular crop was cut last night and will be brought to work today for whoever wants it!

But as far as an investment crop, this was certainly worth it. I planted a $2 seed packet the first week of March. With about $10 worth of materials (that I will use again next year) I kept it from freezing until threat of frost was gone. I have cut this 2 square foot section of lettuce at least 6 times. Each time filling a grocery sack- and a few times filling 2 sacks.

Certainly worth the $12 I had invested for fresh, organic, and constantly available lettuce this spring. Will certainly be doing the same next year.

Broccoli- starting to slow down. I've got tons already eaten and frozen for cheesy broccoli soup on a cold day :)

Onions are looking good!

Two small peppers that will hopefully turn bright red :)

Some heirloom tomatoes that will be bright orange when ripe. Can't wait to see them. I also have a stripy heirloom tomato plant that isn't producing any fruit. Its huge, tons of blooms- no fruit. I'm bummed about it.

And last the herb bed. I'm always growing some sort of herbs, but when the basil gets big like this its pretty impressive. Pesto time!

Spinach Burgers

2010-06-10T13:38:00.003-05:00

I know, I know. Its a meatless meal. Go ahead and whine about it. Then get over it because this is a burger worth telling you about.

Its savory. Its cheesy. Its comforting. Its delectable, and its green. Its a "Popeye Patty" that won't leave you wishing for a regular burger.

You can dress it up with lettuce, tomato, mayo, and red onions.

You could make it Greek by adding some Cavender's all-purpose seasoning- and slather your bun with Greek yogurt.

Or make it more Italian by up-ing the garlic ante plus some fresh basil. How about some roasted red pepper or a grilled portabello right on top?

Now we're talkin.

Try this burger- you will LOVE it!

Spinach Burgers

In a medium bowl combine:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried dillweed
1/4 tsp black pepper

Stir in to coat thoroughly:
1 cup herb-seasoned stuffing mix (you know, Stove Top)

Stir in:
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 10-oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained (I actually squeeze it out)
1/2 cup feta cheese

Mix well and then shape into 4- half inch thick patties

Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Add patties. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until browned and heated through.

We served these with bagel thins, but you could use any bun.

Thank you Karen!!! I'm in LOVE with this recipe- can't you tell?

Stir Fry 1,000 different ways

2010-06-07T20:08:00.008-05:00

My dear friend Cinnamon leaves me her old Food Network magazines every once in a while at work. Several months back I took some home to pilfer through and tear out anything worthy of my recipe scrapbook. Its just an empty notebook where I glue down any scrap papers that might someday provide inspiration.

I have one for food, home organization, eco-friendly stuff, and crafts. Its funny how organized that is, but how dis-organized the rest of my life is :)

ANYWAY, I found this Stir-fry page that looked amazing. Its a few basic steps, all tailered to what you have in our house (on hand) with some must-have stir-fry items (that you probably already have also).

I like to call this my "Clean out the fridge" dinner. Sort of like a big pot of Jambalaya, only..... Asian food.

Because this recipe is long, I'm going to number the steps. It doesn't really take long to put this together, its just so versatile that I'm giving you all the options forthright.

Step 1: Pick ONE protein. It can be chicken, pork, beef (preferably a steak or any other tender cut of beef), shrimp or tofu. If you want to skip the tofu then you will only end up with "Stir-fry 800 ways". Your choice.

The recipe calls for 3/4 pound (and 12oz. tofu), but use however much you want. Thinly slice the meat (against the grain), peel and de-vein the shrimp and/or cube the tofu.

Image from konaraw.org

Step 2: Marinate the meat. This is done for at least 30 minutes-12 hours before you begin cooking.
marinade: 1 egg white
1 T. rice wine or dry sherry
1 T. cornstarch
Whisk these three together and toss with the meat. Cover and refrigerate.

Step 3: Prep 3 cups vegetables (in any combination) Ideas are:

sliced carrots
sliced celery
sliced bell peppers (or any other peppers you dare)
1 inch scallion pieces
sliced onions or shallots
quartered mushrooms
sliced bok choy/pac choi or any other cabbage
sliced leeks
snow peas
sliced asparagus
quartered plum tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes
baby spinach
cooking greens (mizuna, chard, radish tops, etc.)
broccoli or cauliflower florets
de-shelled edamame
sliced zucchini and yellow summer squash
green beans
alfalfa sprouts

You get the idea. Pretty much any vegetable that may be lingering in your fridge can be chopped and stir-fried. Heck, I added a lot more veggies to this list.

By now we've probably got "Stir-fry 2,000 ways".

Step 4: Choose a sauce.

For this step I just took a picture of my magazine cut-out. There are 5 different sauces. Like most Asian sauces, they consist of the typical ingredients just mixed around a bit. It was just easier to understand this way rather than re-writing it all.

You may have to click on the photo to enlarge the text.

I found that the brown sauce and oyster sauce were particularly good with beef, and spicy sauce good with shrimp. I think chicken and pork would go well with any of them. And the tofu? Haven't tried it yet (guilty!).

The sauce ingredient list looks long, but once you buy these "Asian" sauces, they won't go rancid for a very long time and you can use them for so many things.

Go ahead and mix the sauce ingredients together. You will have to give them another stir right before use to keep the cornstarch off the bottom of the bowl.

Step 5: Cook so we can EAT!

Heat a large skillet or wok on medium-high heat with peanut or vegetable oil. I only use a few tablespoons, but the recipe calls for 1/4 inch deep.
Drain the excess marinade from the meat. Add to the hot wok and slowly stir until its almost cooked. Transfer to a plate (we will continue cooking it in a moment).
Discard oil and re-heat with new oil- about 2 T.
Add 2 cloves minced garlic, 1-2 T. minced ginger, and 2 minced scallions. Also add a pinch of each salt and sugar. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds.
Add the vegetables, starting with the ones that take the longest to cook. Stir-fry until crisp-tender.
Add the protein back into the wok and the sauce. Stir until the sauce has thickened and the veggies and protein is cooked through- about 3 minutes. Thin the sauce with chicken broth if needed.
Garnish with sliced scallions, peanuts, sesame seeds, sliced jalepenos, limes and cilantro.
Serve with hot fried rice or quick Asian noodles. I like Jaden's 15 minute Noodle recipe and I make a rice similar to Jake and Rene's fried rice.

Okay, so that last step is a little deceiving, isn't it? I'm telling you this recipe is worth it- if only to make a meal out of what is lingering in your house already. Don't have all the ingredients? You can ad lib this one. That's the beauty of stir-fry. :)

Hope you like it!

Carrot Cake Jam

2010-06-04T15:23:00.003-05:00

We just returned from a great family trip this week. We visited my cousin Rob and his adorable family up in the big city.

We went to a Cardinal's game, visited the Zoo, sword fought in the backyard, and played Mario on the Wii. Oh, and we ate. Did I mention that I come from a whole family of foodies??

They welcomed us with lip-smackin' ribs, done two different ways- including a homemade mop sauce, balsamic marinated grilled vegetables, creamy mashed potatoes, watermelon lemonade, and double chocolate cookies.

The next day started with breakfast casserole and lemon ricotta pancakes, followed by spinach burgers for lunch.

And Oh. My. Goodness. The spinach burgers were amazing! I know half of you are cringing, but seriously- they rocked! (recipe to come)

ANYWAY.....
I had to squeeze in shopping at my favorite St. Louis shops like REI, The Container Store, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods.

Which brings me to the topic of this post: a vehicle to eat my carrot cake jam.

When we go to Whole Foods I have to buy two breads: Seeduction and Cranberry Walnut.

The bread pictured is the Seeduction bread. Its a hearty whole grain loaf made with um....seeds. Love it.

And then topped with this carrot cake jam, you'd think it was dessert. I think this would be really great on a toasted bagel with cream cheese also :)

This jam has a tropical feel. It hits notes of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, and sneaks in a little veg. Don't be fooled and think this one's just for health nuts- its got plenty of sugar. Next time I'm trying it with more fruit and a low-sugar pectin.

Carrot Cake Jam
-From the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

1 1/2 cups grated peeled carrots
1 1/2 cups chopped peeled pears
1 3/4 cups chopped pineapple (recipe calls for canned, and include the juice)
3 T. Lemon juice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 package regular pectin
6 1/2 cups sugar

In a large saucepan, combine carrots, pears, pineapple, juices and spices. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently.

Reduce heat, cover and boil gently for 20 minutes (or until the carrots are softened), stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and whisk in pectin until dissolved. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently.

Add sugar all at once and return to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly.

Boil hard for 1 minutes. Remove from heat and skim off foam.

Pour into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process in water bath for 10 minutes.

Have a great weekend!

CSA harvest and a garden update!

2010-05-27T14:40:00.013-05:00

I'm a couple days late at getting this out. But look at those strawberries! I'm in love.

Then starting in front left: eggs, radishes, mizuna, mixed greens (which you can barely see), cinnamon raisin bread, red Russian kale, and flame lettuce.

This is some cool looking lettuce!

There was also Japanese turnips and arugula. And another shot of those strawberries just in case you didn't see their awesomeness the first time :)

And here's a garden update from my own backyard. Here's a view of the whole box:

Then close-ups of my little darlings. Broccoli- I snapped this bad boy off yesterday and gobbled it up :)

Spinach- 1 cutting already, and still going strong.

Baby greens, 2 cuttings already...

Onions, lots and lots of onions.

This next picture is a little hard to see- it looks like a jungle! There's a head of cauliflower in the center, giant sunflower stalks on the left, marigolds for bug control, and red potatoes on the right. In the background you can barely see the pole beans starting to climb

Check out some taters I've already dug up! :)

And last but not least, I promised weeks ago to do a stir-fry post. (I have forgot, Joel!) Its quite extensive, and taking me a while to put together. Don't give up on me- it'll a good one!

Curried Egg Sandwiches with Dill

2010-05-25T14:12:00.003-05:00

Recently, I've been thinking that I'm a little sheltered when it comes to spices. So I decided to try a little something different with my egg salad.

Granted, this isn't an authentic middle eastern recipe. But its a baby step, ya know?

I could have eaten ten of these sandwiches. The flavors (including the eggs) were so fresh and satisfying. And I just love the vibrant color- mostly from the farm eggs but part from the mustard and curry.

This isn't a precise recipe, as everyone likes their egg salad a little different. For instance, I used Miracle Whip. (gasp!)

I know, I know......but I like it, so lay off.

Curried Egg Sandwiches
4 medium boiled eggs
1/4-1/3 c. mayo
1 T. stone ground mustard
1/2 t. yellow curry powder
1-2 T. chopped fresh dill
generous amount of salt and pepper.

Just cube the eggs and mix it all together. This is great even without the bread. Serves 2.

ALSO, I have an announcement to make!!!

No, I'm not pregnant. This is better- really!

I have finally archived all my recipes. Yes, I was aware that my archives previously only covered the first 2 years of this blog. And now they are completely up to date- thanks to a little help from my friends..... :)

Having programmers who can build HTML and JAVA from scratch is really helpful. I only had to make them a bunch of Orange Julius. Sounded like a fair trade to me! :) THANKS JUSTIN AND JUSTIN!

Balsamic Strawberry Arugula Salad

2010-05-21T13:25:00.011-05:00

This salad totally hit the spot. These fresh bold flavors were just what I needed after days of rain.

It was spicy, sweet, tangy, crunchy. I got the idea from my new favorite app: How to Cook Everything.

Begin by quartering the strawberries, then toss them with 1-2 T. aged balsamic vinegar and black pepper. Let them sit for 5-10minutes.

Next get out that wonderful arugula. (I know you either love it or you hate it. I happen to love it. If you are a hater, try any other salad green. It won't have the bite, but that' s okay)

Toss it with some EVOO and salt.

Then add the strawberries.

Now I could stop here and dig in, but I thought it needed a little something.

I was feeling wild, so I added some goat cheese. I happened to LOVE this combination- and I'm not always a fan of goat cheese. It has to be the right combination, ya know?

Oh, and I added some walnuts.

So fresh. So many wonderful flavors. :)

Here's the app information if you are interested:

How to Cook Everything is actually a great book that is a favorite among home cooks. It has lot of basic information and leaves the "tweaking" up to you. The book is $35 on the shelf, but the app is only $4.99 and it contains the entire contents of the book. (I got it 2 weeks ago for $1.99, it was only that price for a limited time- booya!) But you could still save $30 if you were interested in this book to begin with.

What I like is I can search by vegetable. I get lots of veggies from our CSA that are new to me. I want to cook them right, but sometimes a google search can get overwhelming. And who's to say that's the best way to cook said vegetable.

Example: take a jerusalem artichoke. A what? What the heck should I do with it? This app had 2 customizable recipes. It gives you a start, and then you take it from there.

Here's the link to check it out.

New look :)

2010-05-20T09:41:00.004-05:00

Jude has decided that this is new look. No diaper, no shoes, only a fuzzy blanket. And a smile- a Mama can't resist that smile!

Joslyn has a new look too.

She got it from her Daddy.... who was cross-eyed after fixing my website. Oh, and we're not even close to being done.

Notice I have no category archives?

Notice the random eraser halfway down the page?

And some of these pencils may magically change into spoons.

I've been talking about a new website forever now. I keep promising it will be up- soon! And while we've taken many different approaches, we finally found a simple solution that works.

And when I say "we" I really mean Justin, and his brother Jeremy. They've got this dynamic duo thing going on, and they're really kicking some butt pimping out websites.

And guess what? Its MY turn! Thanks boys!!!

This $@*& is Bananas!

2010-05-19T06:38:00.012-05:00

I have a HUGE summer dessert secret to share. This is seriously one of the most exciting things I've made in a while.......are you ready?

Its a sweet frozen treat that you can (and will!) enjoy all summer long.

Its Banana Ice Cream. Made from bananas...... and nothing else.

Yup, that's right. There is one ingredient in this bad-to-the-bone treat: Bananas (preferably over-ripe, but not black and mushy.)

You can serve this to all your picky friends with dietary restrictions a mile long. Its guilt free, dairy free, no high-fructose corn syrup, soy-free, gluten free, vegan.....and so good you won't believe your tongue.

I got this fabulous secret from TheKitchn, head over to find step-by step photo directions.

The best part about it all? Its REALLY easy to make. I'm talking, anyone could do it- easy. You don't need your ice cream maker. Just a food processor or equivalent kitchen appliance.

With that being said, I have a blender, a magic bullet, and a miniature food processor, but I wouldn't trade by big pink Kitchen Aid FP for the world. :)

I'll give you a quick run-down just in case TheKitchn link doesn't work. First choose 3 or 4 over ripe bananas. (4 bananas made almost a full quart)

Peel them, chop them into 1 inch sections, and place on a plate/bowl and set in the freezer for 1-2 hours, or until frozen.

Throw the bananas in the food processor and turn the sucker on. It will crumble first, scrape down the sides and keep going. You may have to stop and scrap the sides a couple times.

This process may take about 5 minutes, just keep truckin' cause eventually it will turn into a smooth, velvety, thick cream. When its completely free of chunks, its ready.

The folks at TheKitchn suggest now is the time to add extra flavors, but I think its awesome all on its own. They suggest a dab of honey, peanut butter, yogurt, etc.

The ice cream should be the consistency of a soft serve. Scoop it into a bowl and back into the freezer to get it really hard.

Now I know I just boasted about this super yummy dessert......and it really doesn't need anything added to it. But I wanted to play, ya know?

Me: Lovely Banana Ice Cream, you are beautiful. Just the way you are.
Ice Cream: Lets play dress up
Me: you don't have to ask me twice!

So I did this:

Those strawberries aren't edited, btw. I got them from our CSA looking that gorgeous:)
Then this:

I'm sorry, couldn't resist

Oh, did it again

....I'm missing something...hmm.....yes!

Now there's a real slice of heaven :)

The Nitrate Debate

2010-05-16T02:30:00.006-05:00

I'm sure most of you know I have strong opinions when it comes to things being added to my food. And usually I don't go on and on about it. But today I am. Sorry in advance.

I've only recently been introduced to this food additive: Nitrates.... although we've been an acquaintance for years. Nitrites (or nitrates) have been added to processed meat for the last 50 years to prevent botulism (food spoilage). They are also used in fertilizers, pyrotechnics and rocket propellants.

While I'm not going to write a thesis here, it thought you all would appreciate a short run-down of this controversial chemical. (BTW- its been controversial since we started using it in meats 50 years ago, yet somehow it has been allowed in our food anyway. I think that should be clue #1 that we should steer clear)

Sodium nitrate looks like this:

But when purchased for home use, its dyed pink. Like this:

“Photo by Rich Food for Lean Times.”

They do this so people don't confuse it with table salt- it also colors the meat and makes it more pleasing to the eye. It is so highly toxic that it would devastating should it be confused with regular salt. So they sell it to consumers for use on preserving meats....... that you eat. Makes sense, right?

I didn't think so either. Here's a fellow food blogger that documents how she uses it to make corned beef if you want to know how. (Even she calls it highly toxic)

Nitrites are found in hot dogs, deli meat, canned meat, bacon and any other processed meat. When you eat nitrites, they are converted in your body to nitrosamines. These nitrosamines are directly linked with causing colon cancer, stomach cancer and pancreatic cancer.

Now, we can talk all day about what causes cancer and in the end, we wouldn't feel comfortable breathing the air. But since I am going to talk about cancer.... I'd like to point out two things:

#1- these (stomach/pancreas/colon cancer) are ones that are becoming more prevalent and they are more aggressive- aka. they kill you FAST. If I had to choose my (cancer) poison, this would not be the road I would choose.

#2- Nitrites have been DIRECTLY linked to cause these cancers. Kind of like smoking is directly linked to causing lung cancer and STD's are directly linked to causing cervical cancer.

And to be fair I should mention that nitrates are also found in drinking water, many leafy green vegetables and root vegetables. However the difference in these nitrates and the ones added to meat are the nitrates in vegetables are thought to inhibit conversion of nitrates into nitrosamines- the chemical that is most worrisome.

AND- if we didn't have such bad water contamination from feed lots, we would not have nitrates in our water. BUT THIS ISN'T A RANT ABOUT FEED LOTS.

~Deep Breath~

SO, I am pleased to announce that some commercial food manufacturers are trying to listen to their consumers and make their products less harmful.

A hot dog. A tube steak. A weiner. A frenkfurter. A meat slurry.

Whatever you call it, someone decided to make a hot dog that is slightly healthier than your average hot dog.

If you have to buy hot dogs because they are one of 2 meats that your toddler will eat, you now have a choice to purchase a nitrate free hot dog or not (and save about $2).
So all of that to say this: Price Cutter has Nitrate free hot dogs now. They aren't the cheapest hot dog (about $3/pkg), but they might be the healthiest. They also have "all beef" in addition to the turkey dogs.

Supposedly Oscar Meyer also makes a Nitrate free bacon. And a quick google search showed some Hormel products (like deli meats) are nitrate free now too.

Just thought you would like to know :)

Dinner as usual

2010-05-13T12:34:00.010-05:00

Whew! Is it the middle of May already? So I've been a bad blogger. We've started our summer CSA, have a smashing new stir-fry secret to share and my house is clean. (That's what I've been doing......instead of blogging.)

Oh, I've been cooking and eating, all right. But all this spring cleaning has made me really hungry! You should see my office- I haven't seen it this clean in almost 3 years. Its funny how kids take priority over some things in your life. When they take over, regaining that control is hard.

Here's some sneak dishes we've been cooking up. Honestly, I don't remember most of the recipes (oops!) because its been at least a day and my mind is fried (did I mention the part about kids and control?)

Here's Jude at the summer kick-off bonfire. He was so happy with his carrot. He wanted to eat since everyone else was, but I forgot his baby food. He gummed that bad boy for over an hour:)

First up is a broiled Tuna steak with a brown sugar basalmic glaze. Its on an arugula salad with roasted potatoes and onions. Why have I not done tuna steaks before? They are awesome!

Next is my eggs florentine open-faced sandwich. Its just toast, fresh spinach, a fried egg and PW's hollandaise sauce. Oh it was good!

Here is a shot of my salad-prep day. I got tired of prepping greens and veggies for salads every day, so I started just doing it once every 4 days or so. That way I grab my "to go" salad and head to work.

Speaking of salad, I grew those radishes, and these too!

We had a gals night at Fedora- this is the meat course. Tuna and 2 kinds of steak, cooked in red wine fondue or garlic butter fondue- we were in heaven!!! Sorry about the low quality photo- it was on my phone....

...and yes I realize that this isn't the most appetizing picture, but it was oh, sooo good.

I made these amazing pancakes- I know the picture turned out yellowish. They are made with whole wheat flour and cottage cheese- only lightly sweetened with a hint of cinnamon. You can't tell there is cottage cheese in these- it just gives them a hearty but light texture and lots of protein! I make double batches and eat them with Greek Gods Honey Yogurt. Soooooo good. (Previous blog post here)

Stir fry 1,000 different ways coming next week. I have one more sauce to tweak and we'll be there! So right now its only stir-fry 800 different ways :) Seriously, this will change the way you go through your fridge- and will help get dinner on the table with less fuss, less groceries, less processed food and tons more flavor!

One more! Joslyn is playing with her food too! (makes Mamma proud....) This is her purse filled with play food. If I go to pull a fake food out of her purse she points her finger at me and shouts, "No! Its still HOT!".

And yes, I taught her how to say "Super Star" just like they do on SNL......couldn't resist :)

Whole Wheat Honey Grahams

2010-05-05T14:46:00.005-05:00

These tasty little crackers are crispy on the outside yet soft in the middle. They are sweetened with honey, 100% whole grain, preservative free, only contain 6 ingredients and you can make them in the next 15 minutes.

Oh, and I happen to think they kick the pants off the stuff in a box.

Aren't the little ones cute?

I made them for 2 reasons: we had a spa/fondue night at MOPS and I knew it would be just enough of an excuse to try these out. :)

And I'm getting a box of homemade marshmallows for Mother's Day.

Oh, and did I mention I have a camping trip coming up too? Roasted homemade marshmallows, perfect graham crackers and a square of Lindt 70% cocoa dark chocolate.....a small slice of heaven in my opinion.

My sister-in-law is confectioneering (I know, its not a word) some splendid stuff for Mother's Day. Besides the super soft marshmallows, she is hand dipping chocolate covered cherries too.

Check out her Desserted Planet blog here to see all the sweet tooth snacks!

Did I mention that these only contain 6 ingredients? And you are likely to have them in your house right now because they are nothin' fancy?

Whole Wheat Honey Graham Crackers

2 cups whole wheat flour (I used 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour and 1 cup white whole wheat, but I think any combination would work)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt, if you are using kosher salt- use 3/8 tsp.
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Melt butter, whisk in honey with butter. Pour honey/butter over dry ingredients and stir together.

Spoon onto baking sheet. (I used a baking stone, but if you had a metal pan, I would line it with parchment paper.) Rub a little oil on a rolling pin and roll out dough until its very thin, about 1/8th inch thick. You may need 2 small baking sheets or 1 very large one.

Using a pizza cutter, score dough into squares to your liking. Prick the squares with a fork or toothpick. (Why do we do this with crackers? Is it because its pretty, or is there some purpose? Oh, and you could use a ruler if you are OCD about your perfect squares and rectangles.)

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

When you remove them from the oven, take the pizza cutter and cut the crackers (on the lines you made before baking) while they are still warm. Let them dry completely and store in a air-tight container.

Optional: you could sprinkle sugar or a cinnamon/sugar mixture on the dough before baking or drizzle some chocolate sauce when the are fresh out of the oven. (The top two photos have a sugar "dusting" where the third photo is a pure, unaltered naked cracker. Both rocked.)

Dishwasher Drama

2010-04-23T14:51:00.004-05:00

Me and my dishwasher haven't been getting along lately. Usually I'm a fairly easy going person, but lately a feud has been brewing.

The dishwasher is lucky it hasn't been taken to an empty lot and had an introduction to my baseball bat (rap music in the background, of course).

You see I just want it to do one job: wash the dishes. Is that too much to ask?

I could give it the excuse of age. My house was built in the late 80's, so its safely into the mature stage of its life. But retirement? No, no noooo.

I could try a different detergent. Oh wait. I've tried EVERY SINGLE ONE out there. I've done the cheap brands, the expensive brands, the eco-friendly stuff, I've even made my own. I've used less, I've used more. Results are the same.

Everything has this chalky white residue and food/grease is just not coming off well.

Recently I've explored the thought that our hard water in the Ozarks is taking a toll.

But for whatever reason one day last week I decided to try something strange. I filled the lidded soap bowl with regular dishwasher soap (the powder stuff) and the other with white vinegar.

The results were amazing.

Previous method on the left, vinegar method on the right.

Same thing with the flatware.

Hello dishwasher. Maybe we will get along afterall. I'm sorry I had just 'hard' feelings. Can vinegar fix all the drama in my life?

Its Earth Day!

2010-04-22T08:14:00.012-05:00

Today I have a mishmash of things to share with you. Well, its Earth day, so I thought I would show you some of my favorite "green" things.

We've got soap, composting, gardening, diapers, saving trees and eating your greens. Then I promise not to post about greens for at least a week. ;)

Lets start with dirt. I was going to show you a picture of my compost pile, but I woke up to the beautiful sound of rain. And no one is here to twist my arm into walking outside just to get a picture. So just imagine it with me:

Its a regular size outdoor trash can without the lid. I have made 2 inch diameter holes (with a hold saw) all around it, about 6-8 inches apart. Its about half full with kitchen scraps and yard clippings.

Because this particular set-up is difficult to "turn over" it takes a little longer to get good quality compost. But if you had a system that really churns it all up, that would be good. But it would cost you a little $, now wouldn't it?

Here's my kitchen scrap pile. Its ready to go out, but alas, its raining. In the winter I just pile it all in a gallon size zip lock bag and keep it in the freezer. When the bag gets full, I just dump it out in the compost pile. It will defrost eventually :)

Again, they make super cute counter top scrap bins. Maybe someday I'll buy one, but for now I really like my sherbet container.

So now you may be asking what kinds of things are growing out there. I'm just going to share a couple things, because anyone can go to Lowe's and buy a plant.

But I'm going to show you how to grow potatoes and garlic from well, potatoes and garlic that you already have.

I took some soft potatoes that had sprouted in my pantry. (You know the smell, its that horrifying sour smell when a potato has fell behind the basket and it growing teeth!) I sat them in a shallow tray with about 1/2 inch of water and placed it in the sun. Soon the sprouts got bigger. That's when they went into the ground.

Here's a picture from about 3 weeks ago. They are a lot bigger now!

Same thing with garlic. I took the small cloves that are a pain to peel and chop. All I did was plant them, and show them lots of watering love. Here they are surrounding this broccoli plant.

Okay, how that we've covered dirt in detail, lets clean up. Shall we?

I've run the gammot when it comes to biodegradable soaps. Most people ask the question, "Why use them?" and because I don't want to bore you about sulfates, the easy answer is like this: Remember the Nemo phrase, "all drains lead to the ocean"? Well, while its not entirely true, all drains do lead somewhere where their might be natural wildlife. And no amount of water treatment is going to rid the water of all the hazardous chemicals. Chemicals end up in the water, fish swim in the water, we eat the fish, water pollutes the soil around it...yada yada...

Have you ever been to a river that is downstream from a water treatment facility? Its not exactly paradise. Point taken?

So what about using these soaps? Most people find they feel "hard" and like it doesn't get them clean enough. And here's the short story: after you get over the fact that its not going to "lather" like you are used to, they work just fine. The lather isn't what gets it clean, it just helps coat whatever it is you are cleaning.

Most soaps are an easy switch. Laundry detergent, dish soap, bathroom cleaners, even bar soap. Its all about the same. But shampoo? People get really nasty when they have dry rope-like hair. So here's my suggestions when it comes to shampoo. If you can handle it, go for the Jason Tea Tree shampoo. It has some lather, and its really soft on your hair.

But if you can't handle it (or your grocery store doesn't carry it) try the TreSemme Naturals. It has less chemicals, so it washes like you would expect, but its a little better on the earth.

And while we are on the subject of cleaning up. Lets talk about paper towels. I hate them. But I still buy them, just being honest. The idea, though, is to off-set the amount of paper towels we use. We used to go through a roll every other day. Now a roll lasts about a week.

That's a significant difference if you ask me! We use a lot of cloth napkins. Yes, it creates more laundry. About 5 or 6 more squares to fold per day. Big whoop.

They are cheap and they launder well. I actually really like my napkins. There is something about them that makes dinner feel a little nicer, even if we are having chicken fingers and french fries. I use them for easy clean-ups and even for greasy bacon.

It took me a while to be able to get them really dirty, but after realizing that it is (after all) a napkin, we get along just fine.

Now for our next topic, diapers, let me just preface it with this: I still use plenty of disposable diapers. I refuse to carry around a poopy diaper in my purse. Thank you for generations of women to washed every single diaper for all 11 children. You are amazing. This, however, is the 21 century.

Huggies are super easy to use. They never biodegrade and they swell to the size of watermelons. (Trust me, a few have made their way out the doggie door a few times) They are not super cheap. But I am cheap, therefore we use cloth diapers.

For the baby years I have loved by BumGenius diapers. They fit a 10-35 lb kid. Here they are shown in the medium size. They fit like a regular diaper with the velcro tabs. When you are done, just pull out the insert and wash.

For toddlers, we have used these great ImseVimse training pants. They have a waterproof layer tucked inside, and a terry cloth liner. They are great for long car rides or occasions when you don't want to ruin an entire outfit with one accident.

And last but certainly not least, we have a recipe! This is a clean-out the fridge recipe for quiche lorriane. It has ham, localy grown eggs, swiss cheese and swiss chard. Its a very flexible recipe. You can saute up just about any veggies lurking in the crisper and about any cheese that needs eaten.

I used a refrigerated pie crust. For the filling:
5 eggs, beaten
1/4 c. cream
4 slices swiss cheese, chopped
1/4 c. cubed fresh mozzerella
5-6 slices ham, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 small bunch of swiss chard, stems removed
2 cups baby spinach

Melt 2 T. butter in a large skillet. Saute onion until softened. Add plenty of salt and pepper. When the onions are soft and starting to turn brown, add in the chard and the spinach. Saute until the leaves and completely wilted and begin to stick to the pan. Let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, beat eggs and cream in a bowl. Add plenty of salt and pepper. Stir in cheese, ham and greens mixture. Pour into pie crust.

Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Enjoy!

Have a happy earth day everyone!

Greens and Four Cheese Lasagna

2010-04-16T17:34:00.021-05:00

I really really like cheese. And this recipe has some of my all-time favorite cheeses: asiago, parmigiano-reggiano, mozzarella and ricotta. Its got garlic, cream, caramelized onions and basil.

Fortunately for your coronary arteries, it also contains whole wheat pasta and greens. I used a combination of swiss chard and spinach. Why does a little bit of green always make me feel better about all the cheese?

And cream. Dooooon't forget the cream :)

Oh, and its a meatless meal. I know some of you are gearing up for Meatless May. And I just wanted you to know this: I've got your back. Who could have a vegetarian month without cheese? And cream?

Lets get started.

Lets start with the swiss chard. I know this isn't a terribly common green, but of all the greens its my favorite. If you don't have any, you could use mustard greens, but I wouldn't use collards or anything you have to cook for a long time. Unless you cook them for a long long long time. But who has time, ya know?

First I'm going to show you how to separate the stems from the leaves.

Take a fine specimen like this one- washed and dried, of course.

Next put your thumb on one side of the stem, your index finger of the other.

Then in one big motion, lift the stem "off" of the greens. (its very difficult to photograph myself using my right hand!)

When you are done, it should look like this:

Do this with a whole bunch of chard. Then chop up the stems like celery. Like this:

Next heat up a big pan to medium heat with 3 T. olive oil. Throw in the chopped stems and one chopped onion. I used a red one because I love how sweet they get, but feel free to use whatever you've got on hand.

Once the onions have caramelized and the chard is softened, throw in 4 minced cloves of garlic. At this point the oil may get a little low. Feel free to add in another tablespoon oil and/ or 3-4 T. water. Let it all get really brown and delicious!

Don't forget to season this step! (salt and pepper)

Now grab that huge pile of chard leaves and give it a rough chop. Just enough to break up the big leaves.

And throw it in the pot.

It will look like too much, but it will cook down. Now while its cooking down, rummage through your fridge for any other greens.

I found some sad looking spinach that desperately needed to be used, so I threw it in :)

When its all cooked down, it will look like this:

Now its time to get our ricotta mixture ready. Have you ever seen such a beautiful photo? All this goodness in one shot, it almost brings a tear....

Combine in a bowl:
1 c. ricotta cheese
1/4 c. cream
1 egg
2 T. freshly grated Parmigiano-reggiano cheese
2 T. chopped fresh basil. (Since it is early April, my basil is only about 2 inches high, still in the jiffy pot. I used dried and cut it in half.)

Go ahead and get the asiago shredded up and the noodles cooked.

I always add a lot of salt to the water when I'm working with whole wheat pasta. I think it really helps take away the "whole wheat" taste.

Cook the pasta just shy of al dente.

Now we're ready to start layering! Brush 1T. olive oil in the bottom of your pan. I like to do mine in a few smaller dishes- makes getting leftovers ready a lot easier. :)

Start with a layer of pasta, followed by using half of the ricotta mixture.

Next use half of the greens.

Then half the asiago. And repeat-starting with noodles, ricotta, greens and asiago.

Finish with a sprinkling of mozzarella on top. (I forgot to take a picture of that step!)

Next cover with foil and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, or until all of the cheeses have melted. Then take off the foil and bake for another 5-8 minutes to let the cheese get really bubbly and golden :)

Now its time to dig in! Enjoy all the cheese and be happy knowing you've eaten your greens :)

Shredded Beef Quesadillas

2010-04-16T17:32:00.002-05:00

I will forever be looking for "Round 2" recipes (aka. leftovers). People like Robin Miller and Sandra Lee wouldn't be here if it weren't for the second round. I love these recipes because:

1. Contrary to popular belief, I do not like to cook dinner every day.

2. Its impossible to buy meat for 2.5 people, so I have to buy it for 4 and make do.

3. Its more economical. If you can buy something and stretch it, why not? Call me cheap, I don't care!

4. Its eco-friendly. Buying less meat makes a big difference in the toll raising animals (for human consumption) has on the earth.

5. And finally because my family won't eat leftovers unless they have gone through a transformation.

I've been enjoying cooking one big meal (too much food, lots of leftovers) and toying around with what I can make it into for an second evening's meal. This week was a roast with the typical veggies.

There was actually so much left over, that we made it into TWO Round 2 meals- BBQ beef sandwiches and shredded beef quesadillas.

These were dead simple. Really.

I heated up a large skillet on med-hi heat. I threw in some frozen chopped onions and peppers (you could use fresh, but I'm cleaning out the freezer to make room for more bounty!). I let them soften and sweat.

Then added salt, pepper, 1 tsp cumin, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper. Next I threw in the shredded beef along with about 1/2c. beef broth.

The broth reduced down quickly, helping all the spices and veggies find their way into the nooks and crannies of the beef shreds. Then it transformed the beef into super tender, moist, succulent strands of roast.

When it was heated through, I spread it all over a tortilla, topped with plenty of cheese, and threw it back on the hot griddle to crisp up.

These were awesome with a little salsa and sour cream on the side. YUM!

My other "southwestern" roast beef round 2 recipe is chimichangas- check 'em out!