I am on the countdown- 6 more days of students and 1 teacher workday!!! I LOVE summer! I especially love all of the fresh fruits and vegetables! Here is a great slaw recipe if you are tired of traditional slaw. It is sweet and crunchy, a favorite combination of mine! Enjoy :)
Strawberry Apple Slaw
Ingredients:
3 Cups Cabbage, shredded
1 Red Bell Pepper, thinly chopped
1 Apple, thinly chopped
8 to 10 Large Strawberries, chopped
1/4 Cup Red Onion, finely diced
3/8 Cup Vinegar & Oil Fruit Based Salad Dressing (E.g. raspberry vinaigrette, strawberry balsamic, etc.)
1/8 Cup Honey
Juice of 1/2 a Lime
1/2 Cup LaChoy Rice Noodles (the crunchy, salad topping kind)
In a large bowl, mix together cabbage, pepper, apple, strawberries, and onion. In a separate bowl, mix together salad dressing, honey and juice of 1/2 a lime. Pour over salad and mix gently. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Immediately before serving mix in the LaChoy rice noodles. Serves 6 to 8.
I've posted a lot about a little bit of dip, but it always seems like we have a tablespoon or two left in the containter and I can't throw it out. I made these potatoes the other night and they were E.A.S.Y. There are only 3 ingredients! They would be great with bbq chicken or ribs this summer. Once again, I ate them cold for lunch the next two days (I am a traveling teacher and I have to eat lunch in my car). They were still great! Enjoy!
Weeknight Potatoes
Ingredients:
6 Small Baked Potatoes
3 TBSP Dip (I used French Onion, but Ranch, Dill, Spinach or Bacon would work just as well)
1 Cup Shredded Cheese (I used Colby)
1. Thoroughly wash potatoes (you're going to keep the skin on so this is important). Cut off the ends and cook in the microwave for about ten minutes until soft. I usually check at 5 minutes, and 7 minutes to make sure they're not finished yet. You don't want your potatoes exploding!
2. When potatoes have cooled, slice into thin slices. Pour into a bowl. Mix in cheese and dip. Spray a large skillet with non-stick spray. Spread potato mixture into the skillet. Broil on high for 8 to 10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly (keep an eye on them, you don't want to burn them). Serves 5 to 6
I love zucchini! Celia, Charlie, and Andy- not as much. However, it is my goal in life (while this seems like a strange goal, it's true!) to get my family to eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible. I strictly stick to the 5 to 9 a day rule and try to sneak them in as many meals and dishes as possible. Last night for dinner I made these Zucchini Pancakes as a side dish. I loved them! In fact I ate them cold for lunch the next 2 days. Charlie and Celia did not like them as much, but Celia did eat the batter before I cooked them and Charlie was impressed that they were green. I think in general, it is an adult recipe, at least for our family. They would be great served with Tzatziki sauce.
Zucchini Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 Small to Medium Zucchini
1/2 Cup Cooked Oatmeal (I used plain, but I think Apple Cinnamon would taste okay too)
1 TBSP French Onion Dip I(if you don't have this, use salad dressing)
1 Egg
1/3 Cup Chopped Green Peppers
2/3 Cup Flour
1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
1/2 Tsp Curry Powder
1. Cook oatmeal in microwave following oatmeal directions.
2.. Chop Zucchini into large chunks. Put into Magic Bullet, blender or food processor with dip, egg and green pepper. Blend until at least semi-smooth. Small bits of pepper or zucchini are okay.
3. In a bowl, mix together zucchini mixture, oatmeal, flour, sea salt and curry powder.
4. Heat a large skillet to med-high. To cook mine, I used 2 TBSP of coconut oil, but olive oil would work as well. When oil is hot, add scoops of batter to the pan. Cook on each side 1 to 2 minutes until lightly browned. Add more oil as needed. Makes 10 - 12 pancakes.
Happy Sunday! I recently discovered our local CSA. For an incredibly reasonable price I got a huge bag of fruits and vegetables for our family from local farms. I love that in the bag there are tons of kinds of fruits and vegetables that I wouldn't normally buy. Here is a recipe using Kale. I have never bought Kale in my life, but my children not only ate it, they loved it in this dish! Plus, it's a great way to use leftover coleslaw. I used a vinegar and oil based coleslaw, but I think a mayo based one will work as well, it will just be creamier.
Kale with Bacon and Onions
4 Slices Bacon (ours was brown-sugar which added to the taste!)
1/2 Cup Chopped Red Onions
4 Cups Kale, torn and lightly packed
1 Cup Cole Slaw
1 Hard Boiled Egg
1 Large Pinch Sea Salt
Chop bacon into bite-sized pieces. Throw into a large skillet and start sauteing. Add chopped onions to the skillet. Cook bacon and onions while washing and tearing the kale. Add kale to the skillet and stir. Next add coleslaw and stir. Chop hard boiled egg and add it to the skillet. Sprinkle the sea salt on top and stir. Cover and continue cooking for another 5 to 8 minutes until bacon is finished cooking, onions are translucent and kale has wilted completely. Stir occasionally during this time. Serves 4 to 5.
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It seems like a bag of baking potatoes lasts us forever! I looked in my crisper drawer just the other day and I have a 5 pound bag that desperately needs to be used. Since the weather has been fabulous lately, we've been spending as much time outdoors, soaking up the sun before cold, yucky weather starts. Here's a veggie recipe for the grill to make during those beautiful, golden fall days.
Potato Packets
Ingredients:
3 Large Baking Potatoes
2 Apples
1 Small Onion
2 Green Peppers
1 Red Pepper
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 Tsp Pepper
1/2 Tsp Salt
1. Wash potatoes, trim off ends and microwave for 90 seconds.
2. Chop potatoes into large chunks. Chop apples, onion, and peppers into chunks 1/2 the size of the potato chunks.
3. In a large bowl, mix together potatoes, apples, onion, peppers, olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar, salt and pepper.
4. Fold veggie mix into 3 large pieces of aluminum foil. BBQ on the top rack of bbq grill for 25 minutes on high.
Whenever we go to restaurants, it seems like such a waste to throw away all of those bread sticks or rolls that they give you. Often their servings are so large, we end up with 5 to 6 leftover. Here is a recipe that uses those bread sticks or rolls. If you don't have the bread sticks, simply substitute torn up bread pieces. If you don't have leftover pasta salad, use leftover or fresh cooked pasta. To make this recipe a complete meal, add cooked chicken and serve a salad on the side. Enjoy!
Baked Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
4 Cups Bread sticks, toasted
4 Cups Pasta Salad
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1 Can Cream of Soup
1/2 Cup Milk
1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 Envelope Onion Soup Mix
Parmesan Cheese
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut or tear bread sticks into large chunks and put in the oven until lightly toasted. Let cool before mixing with other ingredients.
2. Mix together bread sticks, pasta salad, egg, sour cream, soup, milk, mozzarella cheese, and onions soup mix in a large bowl.
3. Spray a large baking dish with Pam. Pour mixture into dish. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes. Dish is finished when top is starting to brown and bubbly.
Cauliflower and cabbage are not my favorite veggies. I love cole slaw and I love fried cauliflower, but beyond that they're just okay. My family feels the same way. We had a whole bunch of frozen cauliflower and cabbage that we needed to use up. This dish was a huge hit for everyone. Celia even had thirds! So now I have a third way to serve these veggies that everyone loves.
Au Gratin Cauliflower & Cabbage
Ingredients:
4 to 5 Cups of Cooked Cabbage, Chopped
1 to 2 Cups of Cooked Cauliflower, Chopped
1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Milk
1/4 Tsp Dill Weed
1/2 Tsp Onion Powder
1/4 Tsp Salt
Large Squirt of Mustard
1/2 Cup Shredded Parmesan or Roman Cheese
2/3 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/3 Cup Bread Crumbs
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put cabbage and cauliflower in a large baking dish or bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together mayo, egg, milk, dill, onion powder, salt, mustard and parmesan cheese. Pour over cabbage and cauliflower and mix.
2. Bake for 20 minutes. Spread cheddar cheese and bread crumbs over top. Broil for 5 to 7 minutes until cheese has melted and bread crumbs have browned.
Celia and Charlie LOVE corn on the cob, but after they eat so many pieces I have to draw the line. Celia has eaten leftover corn on the cob for breakfast many times. Over the holiday weekend, we found ourselves with 4 halves of corn on the cob leftover and I was tired of serving it that way. The corn found itself in a great corn and bean salad. The first night we at it as a side dish salad, the second night I used it on steak tostados, the third night I topped nachos with it and brought them to our neighbors for dinner. Needless to say this is a very delicious and versatile dish. Let me know how you use it!
Corn and Black Bean Salad
Ingredients:
1 Can Black Beans Drained
1 Can Rotel, Mexican Lime & Cilantro Style, Drained
2 Cups Cooked Corn (about 2 ears, corn on the cob)
4 oz Chive and Onion Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup Diced Vidalia Onion
1/2 Tsp Taco Seasoning
2 & 1/2 TBSP Guacamole Dip (the pre-made dip style)
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Refrigerate until ready to eat or use.
Now that Spring is in full swing and Summer is right around the corner (hallelujah!) fresh fruits and veggies are popping up everywhere. We have the cutest little vegetable stand right down the street from us and everytime I go there, I buy just a little too much! It all looks so good and the prices are very reasonable. We're also attempting to grow our own fruits and veggies this year. I'll keep you updated on how it's going. So now I'm motivated to create some new vegetable recipes. Here's the first for the season- Italian Style Cabbage.
Italian Style Cabbage
Ingredients:
1 Head of Cabbabge
3/4 Cup Spaghetti Sauce
2 TBSP Grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese
Olive oil
1. Wash and chop cabbage into small strips.
2. Pour a thin layer of olive oil into the bottom of a large frying pan. Toss cabbage into pan. Start frying. Stir while frying so cabbage doesn't stick to bottom of pan.
3. When cabbage turns brighter, stir in spaghetti sauce. Continue cooking until cabbage is cooked all the way through (7 to 10 minutes). Add parmesan cheese. Let melt and serve.
