Summer Pizza...

Fresh vegies and herbs...
Pesto chicken added...
Topped with cheese and baking...yum!

Summer has finally hit, here in San Diego! It took a little longer than I thought it would, but the warm weather inspired this summer pizza. This was a piece of cake to put together. Trader Joe's sells pre-made whole wheat pizza dough, as well as bottled pesto sauce. I often stock up on both for those evenings when I am tired and need a quick and tasty dinner. This pizza I did as a sauceless one, opting to coat the top of the pizza dough with seasoned dipping olive oil (plain olive oil would do just as nicely). I then cooked some sliced chicken breast in pesto sauce. While this was cooking, I then layered fresh tomato slices, yellow bell pepper, fresh oregano, basil, and rosemary on the pizza dough. Once the chicken completed cooking, I then placed that on top of the vegies and topped with sliced mozarella cheese and baked on my baking stone at 400 degrees until pizza dough baked through. Enjoy!!

Roasted Vegie Pasta Primivera with Fresh Pesto

Today as I was taking care of my little "garden" I was happy to see my basil flourishing and it put me in the mood for a nice pesto. So, I made up my own version of Pasta Primivera...This goes down as one of Dave's new all time favorites...

Pesto:
*2 cups of fresh basil (I didn't quite pick 2 cup of basil and to make up the difference I added some fresh parsley, lemon balm, oregano, and a few mint leaves)
*1/4 cup toasted pine nutes (to toast these, place on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 5-10 minutes - watch them closely, as they will burn quickly)
*1/2 tsp salt
*few shakes of freshly ground pepper
*around 2/3 cup olive oil

Combine all the ingredients, except the olive oil in a food processor and combine until well chopped. Slowly add olive oil until a creamy pesto forms to desired consistency.

Pasta Primivera:
*1 - 1 1/2 lbs of chicken thighs
*1/2 pound pasta (Trader Joes has some great organic pasta at very reasonable prices)
*1 red bell pepper
*1 zucchini
*1 large onion
*1 large tomato
*1 cup cherry tomatoes
*2 large carrots
*1 lemon
*freshly grated parmesan cheese
*dried basil and oregano to taste
*salt and pepper to taste

Start by preparing the chicken. Cut the thighs into bite size pieces and place in a baking dish. Cut your lemon in half and squeeze the juice over the chicken and place the two halves in the baking dish. Lightly sprinkle salt and dried basil over chicken. Bake in oven for 35-40 minutes or until done at 350 degrees. Next chop your bell pepper, zucchini, large tomato and carrots into bite size pieces. Place on a cookie sheet that you have sprayed with pam. Salt and pepper vegies and sprinkle liberally with dried oregano. Place in oven with chicken. These should bake for 20-25 minutes so they still have a little cruntch to them. Prepare your pasta. Combine, chicken, vegies, pasta, and pesto in large serving bowl and mix well. Garnish each plate with the parmesan cheese (I use a zester to grate mine). Enjoy!

I have been working hard to switch to all organics. I have found that the food comes out tasting much fresher. Trader Joes has a ton of organic items now, as does Vons (our Safeway out here), and Whole Foods, though I tend to buy here as a last resort because they are often more expensive, with the exception of their organic bulk food section. By incorporting more whole grains and beans into our menu, it has made the shopping more afforable, as I am buying less meat. My goal is 2 bean meals a week. If any of you have any other ideas on organic shopping let me know. I am looking for a co-op out here or if anyone knows of any on-line stores that would be cheaper, I would be interested in that, too.

Gingerbread

*One cup dried brown lentils, washed and picked through (make sure there are no little stones in them)

*3 1/2 cups water

*1/2 tsp salt

*3/4 cup vegetable oil

*1/2 cup brown sugar

*1 cup molassas

*3 large eggs

*1/3 cup half and half (I used 2% milk)

*1 1/2 cups flour

*1/4 tsp salt

*1/2 tsp cloves (I didn't have these, so I use pumpkin pie spice)

*1 tablespoon ground ginger

*2 tsp cinnamon

*1 tsp baking powder

*1 tsp baking soda

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grease a 9X13 inch baking dish. Place the lentils, water, salt, and butter ina saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occastionally. Drain and place the mixture in a food processor or blender. Process until the lentils are smooth.

In a large bowl, cream the oil and brown sugar. Add molasses, beating well. Add eggs and half and half, beating again. Combine the puree and sugar mixture and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and beat another 3 minutes.

Transfer batter to the prepared cake pan and bake for 35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Enjoy!! If you like, add a little whip cream on top!

Blackbeans topped with Cornbread...

I've adapted this recipe from one of my bean cookbooks...when I try this recipe again, I will double the black bean mixture, as I thought it was a little much cornbread for the amount of beans the recipe called for.

*3 cups cooked black beans (I did mine from dry bean - I did about 2 cups dry beans, covered them in 2-3 inches water and brought them to a boil, then removed them from heat and let them sit for an hour, then drained them, added them to new water and brought them to a simmer for about 45 minutes. You want them to be soft but not mushy. It might sound like a lot of work, but it was really quite easy...)

*1 15 oz jar salsa (I used Peach salsa from Trader Joe's - absolutely delicious)

*4 scallions, chopped

*salt and pepper to taste

For the cornbread topping....

*1 1/4 cup cornmeal

*1 cup all-purpose flour

*1/4 cup sugar

*1 tablespoon baking powder

*1 teaspoon baking soda

*2 cups corn

*2 large eggs

*1 cup non-fat milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9X13 inch baking dish with PAM. Combine the beans, scallions, salsa, and salt and pepper, and pour into baking dish. For the cornbread, combine all the ingredients and stir until well mixed. The batter may be slightly lumpy. Spread the mixture evenly over the beans until they are completely covered. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until cornbread topping is done. Top with salsa and sour cream. Enjoy!!

Island Baked Beans...

Well, I loved the bean recipe below, but I think this one is even a bit better, though they are both very yummy. This one is a little easier, as it is adapted for canned beans, but you could certainly cook up your own. Dave really liked this recipe. I served it over a basmati rice medley that I had bought from Trader Joe's.

*1 15 ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (rinsing removes all that sodium)
*1 15 ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
*1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
*1 red onion, chopped and sauteed in olive oil
*1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple in natural juice
*1/2 cup orange juice
*1/4 cup molassas
*1/4 cup maple syrup
*1 tbsp curry powder
*1 tsp pumpkin pie spice or Chinese 5-spice
*1 tbsp dry mustard

Combine all ingredients in casserole dish and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours at 325. This is great served on basmati rice. Leftovers are almost better than the first day, so don't worry about extras!

This recipe came from the daily bean. I did not have a red onion, so I used a white one and didn't bother to saute it. I also had bought a 20 ounce can of pineapple and used the whole can. I didn't have black beans, so I doubled the kidney beans. Still came out absolutely yummy!

The best ever homemade baked beans!

Recipe soon to come...

Lemon Curd and Strawberry Trifle with Triple Sec...

This trifle is super yummy and super easy because there is no baking involved.

*1 - 1 1/2 packages ladies's fingers depending on bowl size
*1 jar lemon curd
*2 large containers of organic whipping cream
* Triple Sec
*1 large container organic strawberries, sliced

Basically, this is just an assembly project. Start by whipping your whip cream. I added just a dash of sugar to it and about 4 tablespoons of Triple Sec. You want just enough to add a zip to the whip cream, but not enough to overpower it. Next, cut your ladies' fingers in half with a sharp knife. Scoop out about half of the lemon curd and set aside. Fill the remaining space in the lemon curd jar with Triple Sec and shake or stir until blended. It should be a slightly thickened pourable liquid. Put a layer of ladies' fingers on the bottom, pour some of the lemon curd/Triple Sec liquid on the ladies' fingers, just enough to lightly coat, you don't want to soak them. Next add a think layer of whip cream, then cover with a layer of strawberries. If you have a clear glass triple bowl, you may want to line the edge of it with ladies' fingers, just to make it look pretty. I did that with the sugar coated side of the ladies' fingers. Once that is done, keep layering the ladies' fingers, whip cream and strawberries, ending with a layer of whip cream on top. You can garnish with a cut strawberry if you like. This is great after a heavy meal - it's very light and refreshing and not too sweet. If you prefer to make it without alcohol, simply leave out the triple sec and just spread lemon curd on each ladies' finger with a butter knife. I made it both ways and it came out great either way!

Salmon Burgers

I've had this post as a draft for a week now, thinking I'd post pictures with it. But I haven't had the time yet. So I will post it now and hopefully add pictures soon. :)

This year for Mom's birthday, I got to host her party in our new house! I also got to make the birthday meal (minus the cake--La's territory). I chose salmon burgers, Oaxaca corn, and a fresh salad with cilantro dressing. It was a refreshing and tasty meal for a warm spring day. I'm posting the salmon and corn recipes. By the way, we thought the salad dressing was quite good--I found it at Trader Joes and it is called simply 'Cilantro Salad Dressing.'

For the salmon burgers, I combined a few recipes and came up with this:

Salmon Burgers w/ Lemon Aioli
makes: about 10 good-sized patties

2 lbs of salmon fillets
1/2 of a large white onion
2 celery stalks
5 garlic cloves
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups bread crumbs (possibly more, if needed)
2 lemons, zest and juice
4 eggs
1 tbsp mustard
1 tsp chili powder
salt
pepper

Cook the salmon until just done or slightly underdone--I did 10 minutes at 400. Let the salmon cool until you can comfortably touch it. While salmon is baking and cooling, mince the garlic, onion, and celery. Put in a large mixing bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients. Flake the salmon and add. Mix it all together really well. Start forming your patties. If your patties do not form easily, add more bread crumbs and remix everything.

Heat a large frying pan to medium high heat. Spray with cooking spray. Cook patties about 3 minutes per side, or until browned. Serve warm on hamburger buns with the lemon aioli.

Lemon Aioli

2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp mustard
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 tbsp sugar
dash salt
1/3 cup olive oil

Add everything but the olive oil to a blender or food processor. Blend well. Slowly add the olive oil while the mixer is running. Serve as a topping for the salmon burgers.

Oaxaca Corn--okay, this recipe sounds really weird but you have GOT to give it a try! I first tried it because it sounded so odd I had to try it. Braden and I were both surprised at how yummy this recipe was. I found the recipe in my Southern Living magazine, but as usual I have changed it a little. But I still want to give them credit for it, because it's mostly the same.

6-8 fresh ears of corn
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp sour cream
3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp chili powder (or up to 2 if you desire--start with one, though)
2 limes

Cook your corn. Roasting your corn over a grill is going to be the tastiest way. You can find lots of ways to do this (or roasting in your oven) on the internet.

While your corn is cooking, mix the mayo, sour cream, cheese, and chili powder together. Cut your limes up in wedges.

Serve your corn hot. Spread the mayo mixture over your corn, then squeeze a lime wedge over the corn. Eat your corn!

Teriyaki Turkey and Vegetable Medley in Lettuce Cups...

This recipe is so quick and easy and is a fabulous way to get all your vegies for the day. I love how bright and colorful these vegetables make this meal look. For those of your who work and need a meal to make that takes under 20 minutes, this is the one for you!

*1 pound ground turkey or chicken

*3/4 - 1 cup Island Teriyaki Sauce (they sell it in Trader Joes)

*1 tbsp rice vinegar

*couple of shakes of red pepper flakes

*1 tbsp minced fresh ginger (1 tsp powdered if you don't have fresh)

*2 red bell peppers

*1 bunch spring onions

*1 small head of red cabbage

*1 tbsp peanut oil

*1 head of iceburg lettuce

Start by sauteeing your ground turkey in 1/2 cup of the teriyaki sauce with the rice vinegar and ginger. Cook completely. While the turkey is cooking, chop your cabbage, onion, and peppers. Once the turkey is cooked, add your vegies, with the remaining teriyaki sauce. Saute the vegies for 5-7 minutes (cooking them longer will deplete them of their nutrients). Before serving sprinkle on the peanut oil. Serve in large leaf of iceburg lettuce. Enjoy!

Navy Bean and Sausage Stew with Sauteed Vegetables

For those of you brave enough to try cooking with dried beans, here is a very tasty stew, perfect for these cool spring evenings!

*2 cups dried navy beans
*5-6 cups chicken stock
*1 white onion

*1 3/4 cups lowfat milk

*1/2 cup flour
*2 bay leaves
*1 tsp dried thyme
*2 leeks
*8 ounces button mushrooms
*2 stalks of celery
*1 cup frozen peas
*1 cup white wine
*3 tbsp butter
*4 carrots
*6 small potatoes, cooked
*3 organic turkey pre-cooked sausages
*salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, pour dried beans. Be sure to pick them over, looking for any cracked beans or small stones. Cover the beans in 2 inches of water. Bring to a rolling boil. Cover and remove from heat. Allow beans to sit for 1 hour, then drain. While the beans are sitting, use this time to prepare all your vegies. Chop the leeks, mushrooms, celery and set aside. Chop potatoes and sausages and set aside. Lastly, chop your carrots and set aside. Keep each grouping separate. Once you are finished chopping, sautee the leeks, mushrooms, and celery in the butter and wine, allowing them to simmer at least 20 minutes to soak up as much wine as possible. Drain remaining wine and set aside when finished sauteeing. Once the beans have set for 1 hour and are drained, add 4 cups of chicken broth and return to a boil. Chop your onion and add to the boiling beans. Once the beans are boiling, cover and reduce to simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until beans are soft, then add the milk and flour and stir until flour is disolved. If you are in a hurry and need to eat quickly, add all remaining vegetables and sausage and simmer on low for 30 minutes. If you have the time, add the leeks, mushrooms, peas, and carrots and simmer for 45 minutes. Then add the potatoes and sausage and simmer another 30 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Be sure to remove the two bay leaves before serving. Enjoy!

Easy Corn Chowder...

*1/4 cup finely diced celery

* 1 yellow onion finely diced

*2 cups chicken broth

*3/4 pound new red potatoes, peeled and cut in small pieces

*2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

*1 bay leaf

*1/2 tsp salt

*1/2 tsp pepper

*2 cups lowfat milk, heated

*4 cups corn

*3-4 slices of lowfat turkey bacon (with no nitrates!!), if desired

In large pan, saute the onions and celery in a small amount of the chicken broth for 5 minutes. Raise the heat to high and add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper and return to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cook until the potatoes are just tender - about 10-15 minutes. Add milk and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the corn and simmer just until corn is tender for 3-4 minutes. If desired, add some cooked and chopped bacon when you add the potatoes. I get a low-fat turkey bacon from Trader Joes with no nitrates that tasted great in this chowder...enjoy!

Sundried Tomato Pesto

This is one of the easiest and yummist ways to make a great pasta dish super quick! Serve it will a great cheese and some Italian bread, maybe a green salad and you have a fantastic meal ready in minutes!

*1 pound of pasta of your choice
*1 medium jar of sun dried tomatoes in olive oil
*few cloves of garlic
*handful of fresh basil
*olive oil

Boil your water for your pasta. While the water is heating up, combine your sundried tomatoes and garlic and pulse until well mixed. Add the basil and enough olive oil until the mixture is a sauce consistancy. Place in a bowl and add cooked pasta. Stir until well mixed! This is one of the best pestos I have ever had and SO easy to do!

Zucchini Flower Pancakes...

One of my favorite memories as a little girl was sometimes on Saturday mornings, my dad would make us zucchini flower pancakes. This might sound like an odd combination, but it is very delicious, and an age old Italian recipe. Zucchinis have male and female flowers, the females producing the zucchinis, so my dad would pick all the male flowers from our backyard garden for our pancakes. I found these flowers at the farmer's market yesterday, but these had mini zucchinis still attached. That is fine, and we just saved the zucchinis for later to sautee with dinner. Whole foods will sometimes carry the flowers, though they can be very expensive, so I would check at a local farmer's market. I was able to find 8 flowers for about $2.50.
All you need to do is mix up pancake batter (Trader Joes has a great whole grain pancake mix), and coarsely chop 6-8 flowers into the batter.
Cook them just like you would regular pancakes...
And you will have quite a feast! Dave had them for the first time today and loved them! They are great topped with butter and maple syrup and if you are brave enough to try, I love my with a little sour cream, as well.

Pound Cake with Marscapone...

My mom and I have had fun this week watching the cooking channel and getting ideas for dinner and dessert. Here is a delicious recipe we tried after watching Everyday Italian with one of my favorites, Giada de Laurentiis...

Here are the ingredients:
*1 pound cake (store bought or home made - we made one pretty quickly)
*1 8 ounce container marscapone
*1 jar organic apricot preserves
*2-3 teaspoons amaretto
*sliced almonds

Slice the pound cake into 1/2 inch thick slices and place on cookie sheet (we did smaller portions and took each slice and cut it in half). Place cookie sheet under the broiler and toast until lightly brown - these cook fast, so watch them closely. While the pound cake is browning, place the marscapone in a bowl and add the amaretto and stir with a fork (like you see Dave doing! =), until blended. Place a few spoonfuls of the apricot jam in a bowl and microwave until just warm. Take the toasted pound cake and lay one the the pieces on a plate, toasted side down, then dollup a generous mound of marscapone on top and add another slice of pound cake, toasted side out. To top this off, add a spoonful of apricot jam and a sprinkle of almonds. We loved this dessert because it was so easy to do, everyone could participate, including my hubby!!, and it was a light and fragant dessert! Enjoy!!
The finished product...

Everything Chicken...

This is a fabulous chicken recipe that is quick and easy to make and tastes amazing! When making this, it is best to use chicken tenders. Depending on the size of your package, you will need to make a little more of less of the following topping...

* 3 tablespoons coarse sea salt (you can get this at the regular grocery store in the spice section)

* 3 tablespoons poppy seeds

* 3 tablespoons sesame seeds

* 3 tablespoons garlic

* few shakes of dried basil or oregano, or both!

Combine all the above ingredients in small bowl.

Take your chicken tenders and dredge each one (both sides) in the mix and lay on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 25 to 30 minutes, or until done. Serve with your favorite vegies.

These tenders will come out incredibly juicy and full of flavor! Enjoy!

The Busy Day Cake

I made one of my favorite cakes, the busy day cake and, well, the cakes came out of the pans great, but the gas stove in this oven burns things that are baked on the far sides of the oven. At first I thought I had a disaster on my hand, but after shaving off the burnt areas and filling the layers with jam, I was able to salvage the cake, remembering that my mom has told me icing can cover almost anything. I used non-stick pans that worked just great and it was easy to put the jam in the middle and lift each layer on.
Frosting was a bit tricky. I had made the frosting and cake a few days ahead, so I had to take the frosting out of the fridge a few hours before I frosted. I popped it in the microwave for about 25 seconds and it softened up nicely. Be very careful if you use the microwave, as you don't want to melt your icing. Because there were a lot of exposed crumbs, I had to glop the frosting on and slide the knife over it. If any crumbs got on the knife, I simple wiped the edge of the knife on the edge of a bowl.
The cake came out great and I added the pansies for the final touch! The recipe for the cake and frosting is as follows:
Busy Day Cake:
1/3 cup oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour

In mixing bowl combine all ingredients except flower and beat until well mixed. Add flour and whisk until batter forms. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until done. Make one round 8 inch cake. Recipe can be doubled.

Cream Cheese Frosting (One of my all time favorites!!! My mom uses this frequently on the wedding cakes she makes.)
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups confectionary sugar

Mix until well blended. Will cover an 8 inch cake, but 1 1/2 times the recipe will do an even better job!

My new favorite Nutrition Book...

This book is fabulous! The nutritionist in me loves the detail in the beginning of the book where the cell and it's functions are reviewed and also his discussion on nutrient rich foods. If you don't have time to read this, it can easily be skipped and no harm done. Once you are passed the beginning sections, this book is mostly made up of sketches on fruits, vegies, meats, grains, beans, and dairy products. He takes each item and talks about how to select it, store it, the best way to prepare it including cleaning instructions and recipes, shares the nutritional values, and does a very detailed description of why it is healthy for you. He also includes how many serving of fruits and vegies and other things that you need each day. In additon to this he has a 4 week meal plan to help you learn how to incorporate all the needed items into your diet. Dave and I will start at the end of this week. It is very easy to use and includes all the recipes and items needed for each day. Make meal planning easy and it is full of variety. I think this is the best layout of a nutrition guide I have seen. I can't wait to incorporte it into my kitchen! My goal is to read about 2-3 different foods a day and then try to use them in my cooking. You can get this on Amazon for about $26. I think it is well worth the cost!

Tropical Fish

Last week, we had a beautiful sunny day, the air was warm and fresh, the sky blue. It reminded me that spring was just around the corner and sent my thoughts toward sunshine and Hawaii. It just so happened there were mahi mahi fillets thawing in the fridge, so I set about to cook up some mahi mahi reminiscent of Hawaii. It came out quite tasty, so I will share it here.

Tropical Mahi Mahi with Salsa
olive oil (I used lemon infused olive oil)
basil
coarse salt
freshly ground pepper
pineapple rings
coconut

for the fruit salsa
2 kiwis
1 mango
olive oil (lemon infused)
balsamic vinegar
honey
ground cloves
salt
pepper

I drizzled the filets with olive oil, sprinkled on the basil, salt and pepper. Then I laid rings of pineapple on top. I baked it at 400 for about 10 minutes. I think broiling it would have been a better idea, but I didn't think about it until half-way through baking. If you try this, try broiling it. About half-way through I sprinkled coconut on top.

For the salsa, I chopped the mango and kiwis. I tossed them with a little olive oil (2 tbsp), balsamic vinegar (1 tbsp), honey (1 tbsp) and the seasonings--just a few shakes of each. As I served the fish, I spooned the salsa on top. It was fresh, flavorful and delicious!

Hints for Minestrone

This is actually a post within a post, but it all starts with a hearty minestrone. I'd like to share two hints for making a good minestrone that Mom and I discovered when we made minestrone the other night. It was one of those spur of the moment, what sounds good dinners, and the minestrone came out fabulous! I think the reason it was so tasty was because of two key ingredients.

The first key ingredient: homemade broth.
We started with frozen broth from our Thanksgiving turkey. If you've never made a broth from your turkey remains (or chicken or roast, for that matter), you've got to give it a try. It's very simple. Throw all the turkey remains in a large pot or crockpot, cover with water and let simmer for 48 hours. Yes, 48 hours. At that point, you'll be able to pull your bones out and they'll be softer, not a thing will be left on them, and you'll even see that the marrow is gone. Somewhere during that 48 hours, make sure you add several carrots, some celery stalks, an onion, and really whatever seasoning tempts your fancy (bay leaves, fresh herbs, salt and pepper...). After your 48 hours is up, strain your broth to eliminate bones, skin, herbs, and the mushy vegetables. What you will be left with is a flavorful and rich broth that makes the best of soups! You can use it right then, or you can freeze it for later. You will probably find that it is so rich that you can dilute it with extra water without losing flavor. (See what I mean, post within a post!)

Back to the minestrone...The second key ingredient: prosciutto.
Braden and I were at Balduccis and saw "prosciutto ends" in tubs in the refrigerated section. These are simply the ends of the prosciutto hunks, after the prosciutto has been sliced. We grabbed a tub knowing it would be tasty for something. And sure enough it was! My mom chopped these ends up and threw them in the minestrone early on so they could simmer for a while. It added a hearty, slighty smokey flavor to the soup.

Minestrone is one of those great meals that you can make with what you have on hand (or what you don't!) Here's what we put in our minestrone:
broth
prosciutto
cannellini beans (canned)
kidney beans (canned)
chicken breast
carrots
celery
onion
garlic
potatoes
mushrooms (I didn't prefer these in the soup, I'd leave them out next time.)

I can't say for sure that this is what mom did--I kind of added my 2 cents more than I cooked the minestrone, as I was busy with the kiddos--but when I make minestrone I start by chopping the carrots, celery, onion. Drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom of the pot, add the minced garlic and saute until you begin to smell the garlic. Throw in the minced vegetables. Saute until the onion is translucent. Then add the broth, prosciutto, and potatoes and let simmer about 30 minutes. If the chicken is uncooked, add with the broth. About 15 minutes before you're ready to eat, add the beans (and chicken, if pre-cooked) and let simmer. Serve with parmesan shaved on top and a crusty loaf of bread! Yum!

I have one more hint. Sometimes I like to put pasta (like a rotini or macaroni) in my minestrone. Although all the recipes I've seen say to add the pasta to the soup, don't do it! If you have any soup leftover, when you go to eat it the next day, the pasta will be overly mushy. The best way I've found is to cook the pasta separately and toss it lightly in olive oil. When you go to serve the minestrone, put a serving of pasta in the bowl first, then ladle the minestrone over the noodles.

Yummy Egg Salad

Maddie would like to share one of her favorite recipes. She can almost make it by herself already! :) If you ask her what goes in egg salad, she can tell you: an egg, mayonnaise, mustard, pickle relish, and salt and pepper. "And then you mash mash mash mash." Not bad for 2 years old.

Here's the recipe, "maddie-sized"--
1 hardboiled egg
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp pickle relish
salt and pepper to taste

Place everything in a bowl and mash mash mash mash.
Make sure you do the taste test! Yep, it tastes good.


If you like, spread on bread for an egg salad "samich."

Lentils - Fabulous Recipe!!

This lentil recipe is becoming a favorite for me and Dave. It is SO yummy and full of vegies! I have adapted it from a recipe I found on Mrs. Jansen's blog...One change I also made was that I bake it in my Schlemmel Toft.

*2 cups water

*1 3/4 cups lentils

*2 tsp salt

*few shakes of red pepper flakes

*1 tsp each of fresh majoram, thyme, and sage (if you don't have fresh, just use 1/2 tsp dry)

*2 cups fresh or canned tomatoes, chopped

*2 cloves garlic, minced

*2 large onions, chopped

*3 parsnips, chopped (optional, though they do add great flavor)

Cover and bake 30 minutes at 375 degrees. Uncover and stir in:

*2 large carrots, sliced

*1 cup celery, sliced

Cover and bake for 35-40 more minutes at 375 degrees. Uncover and stir in:

*2 tbsp fresh, chopped Italian parsley

*1 red pepper, chopped

Sprinkle on top 3 cups cheddar or famers cheese. Bake uncovered for 5 minutes until cheese melts.

Serves 6.

Dave's favorite morning omelette...

I made this for Dave this morning; it's one of his favorite breakfasts (and sometimes dinners too!) It's a great way for me to use up leftover vegies and cheeses and get in some of the 7-13 servings of fruits and vegies many nutritions now recommend. And it's a fun recipe because there are no strict instructions to follow - you can make it your own!

*1 tbsp olive oil

*few handfuls of vegies of choice (ones I often use are onions, tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, spring onions, and bell peppers) chopped

*if available, non-nitirate bacon or sandwich meat chopped bite-size

*4 eggs, slightly beaten

*handful grated cheese (a sharp cheddar or mild white cheese such as mozarella or farmers cheese tastes best)

*handful of fresh herbs (today I used a medley of parsley, cilantro, basil, oregano, chervil, majoram, rosemary, and thyme) finely chopped - if you have no fresh herbs, use any of the above, dried, and season to taste

*salt and pepper to taste

1) In non-stick pan pour 1 tbsp olive oil and saute vegetables until soft

2) Add eggs

3) For fresh herbs, cook until eggs almost solidified, then add fresh herbs and cheese

4) For dried herbs, add immediately after eggs and toss through omelette, add cheese just before eggs are completely cooked through

5) Can serve plain or in a wrap of choice (Trader Joe's organic flour ones are great!)

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