BLT Chopped Salad

with Corn, Feta and Avocado

Um, I think the name says it all! I hosted Girls' Night last night, and wanted a hearty "dinner salad".  Lo and behold, on Pinterest :) I found just what I was looking for.  Just a little prep (chopping and such) and quick assembly and you have yourself a savory and healthy meal! I added chopped chicken breasts to amp up the heartiness of the salad, and substituted turkey bacon.  I served it with a super simple dressing and a side of ooey, gooey cheesy bread - mmmmm!

BLT Chopped Salad with Corn, Feta and Avocado 

(adapted from www.howsweeteats.com)

2 cups butter lettuce, chopped

2 cups baby arugula, chopped

1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered

5-6 strips turkey bacon, fried and crumbled

1 cup sweet corn (I used canned)

one avocado, diced

4 ounces crumbled Feta cheese

2 chicken breasts, grilled and diced

Dressing:

2-3 Tablespoons olive oil

juice of one lime (or 2-3 Tablespoons of lime juice)

salt and pepper to taste

Tear, rip or chop the lettuce and arugula into bite-sized pieces. Combine with tomatoes, corn, avocado and chicken. Gently fold in the bacon and Feta cheese.  Whisk together the dressing and drizzle over the top of the salad.  Toss gently and divide evenly on two plates. Serve!

Tuscan Vegetable Stew

Autumn is upon us, and so is soup-making season! I've had some kind of bronchial virus for the past month, and a batch of hearty veggie soup sounded wonderful! And, I can still get fresh tomatoes and zucchinis at our local Amish produce stand! Anywhoo....this recipe is actually for the Crock Pot, but I was in a hurry to make it and eat it, so I simmered it on the stove top instead. I think it is one of the prettiest soups/stews I've made! And mighty delicious too, especially served with a tasty pepperoni cheese bread! Enjoy!

Tuscan Vegetable Stew 

2 cups chicken broth/stock (I made mine with bouillon)

14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes (with juice)

15-ounce can of Cannellini beans, drained

15-ounce can green beans (I used French cut)

1 medium zucchini, diced

1 cup uncooked small shell pasta

dried, minced basil and/or oregano

salt & pepper

grated Parmesan cheese, optional 

Combine chicken broth, tomatoes, beans, zucchini and basil/oregano in a medium stock pot.  Let simmer uncovered for an hour or two, until all veggies are cooked through.  You may need to add some more water. Add the pasta and continue to simmer until pasta is cooked.  Season with salt and pepper (or an "Italian herb blend", as I did) and serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, if you like. 

I just love how "harvest-y" it looks! Yum!

Apple Cinnamon Doughnut Holes

(using a cake pop maker)

Brr! Yesterday's high temperature was 43 degrees; guess fall is officially here now! My daughter has been begging to use the cake pop maker she got for her birthday ages ago, so it seemed like a good day make seasonal treats! The manufacturer's website had tons of recipes you can make from scratch, this one included. I "tweaked" it, and tried to make it a tiny bit healthier by substituting some of our homemade applesauce. These turned out moist and cinnamon-y! Not super sweet either, which is okay! We made two variations, because, if your cake pop maker comes with sticks, you should probably make something on a stick! 

Behold the never-before-used cake pop maker! 

Well, it's been broken in now!

Apple Cinnamon Doughnut Holes  

(adapted from www.thebabycakesshop.com)

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/2 applesauce

Cinnamon Sugar Topping:

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl (I used a whisk). Add vegetable oil, egg and applesauce. Stir until just blended (don't over-mix).  Pour batter into a Ziploc bag, cut off a corner, and squeeze into the cooking reservoirs of a pre-heated cake pop maker (about a Tablespoon of batter).  Bake 4-5 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a doughnut hole comes out clean.  Prepare the cinnamon-sugar topping in a small bowl, and immediately toss hot doughnut holes in the mixture. Serve warm! Try not to eat 6 in a sitting!

I made two dozen of the cinnamon-sugar coated doughnut holes, and then made one dozen "plain".  I let them cool, then inserted sticks and drizzled with a simple glaze made by combining confectioner's sugar and apple cider - they were awesome!

Today's Brilliant Idea; Afterschool Snack Edition

How about THIS for a yummy afterschool snack; chocolate graham crackers with peanut butter sandwiched between them? My five-year-old gave them a thumbs up!

The end of Summer, Football and Munchies...

It's THAT time of year again; time to put away the wading pool, buy school supplies and prepare for some college football action! We usually host a season-opener party, and I'm always on the lookout for something new to try (foodwise)! Behold the Dill Pickle Dip; so trendy and so tasty! And what a great way to use the dill pickles I made earlier in the summer!

Dill Pickle Dip  

(adapted from Foodie with Family)

one 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened to room temperature (I used Neufchatel cheese, cream cheese's skinny cousin)

1 1/2 cups finely chopped dill pickles

1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion

2-4 Tablespoons pickle juice

1 teaspoon dried dill weed

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

In a standing mixer, beat the cream cheese till smooth.  Stir in all of the remaining ingredients until evenly distributed.  Transfer to a serving bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving with any pretzel-type snack food. Yum!

Got Tomatoes? Make Italian Tomato Sauce!

In late summer, my garden produces a dozen ripe tomatoes a day (or so it seems). I've already made some lovely Spicy Peach/Tomato Salsa (see 8/29/11 post for recipe), so making a batch of tomato sauce seemed to be the next logical step. I JUST saw this recipe on Pinterest (of course) two days ago, and HAD to try it! I had originally planned to freeze the sauce, but it smelled so good while simmering, that I decided to serve it for dinner instead! No worries, I will have plenty more tomatoes in no time!

Italian Tomato Sauce   

(adapted from www.afamilyfeast.com)

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

pinch of red pepper flakes

4 peeled and crushed garlic cloves

1 teaspoon fresh chopped oregano (or 1/2 tsp. dried)

1 Tablespoon fresh chopped basil (or 1/2 Tbl. dried)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 quarts tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Reggiano cheese

2 Tablespoons butter

In a large heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, on a burner with the heat OFF, pour in olive oil and add red pepper flakes, garlic, most of the oregano and basil (set some aside for adding right before serving), sugar, salt and pepper. Turn ON the burner and slowly bring up to medium hot.  When the garlic starts to cook, stir and heat for five minutes. 

I bought this mezzaluna knife about 10 years ago (after watching one of Nigella Lawson's cooking shows), and it makes finely chopping ingredients a breeze!

Add the tomatoes and heat until boiling, then reduce to a simmer, partially cover, and simmer for 60 to 90 minutes. 

After simmering for your desired amount of time, remove from heat and add the reserved herbs, shredded cheese and pat of butter.  Stir and then serve over pasta. 

And enjoy! Try it, you'll like it!

Chicken Ranch Tacos for Taco Tuesday!

Mmm, such a nice twist on the basic chicken soft taco! A super simple recipe to liven up your next "taco Tuesday"! It is totally kid approved, too! 

Chicken Ranch Tacos

3 cups cooked chicken, cut into pieces
1 package taco seasoning
1/2 cup ranch dressing
taco shells (soft or hard)
lettuce
shredded cheese (I used co-jack)

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add cooked chicken, warming it for a few minutes.  Sprinkle on the entire package of taco seasoning (do not add water!) and heat for 5-7 minutes, until heated through and the seasoning is stuck to the chicken. Add the ranch dressing and heat an additional 2-3 minutes to warm through.  

I made my tacos using the zesty chicken,  shredded lettuce, shredded cheese and a dollop of ranch dressing (in a soft flour taco shell). Yummo!