Orzo comfort

I love orzo period.  Normally I like big, chunky food.  Tonight I diced the veggies small with my Progressive chopper.  Love the way it turned out! 

Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 med onion, diced small 

1/2 red pepper, diced small

1/4 to 1/2 cup butternut squash, diced small 

1/4 to 1/2 cup acorn squash, diced small 

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup spinach, stems removed
1 cup orzo
2 1/2 (approx) cups chicken broth
2 TB Agave nectar
Juice from 2 limes
handful of cilantro, sliced
sprinkle of sea salt
fresh ground pepper

Directions:
Cook orzo in chicken broth until all liquid is absorbed.  While orzo is cooking, saute garlic, onion, pepper and squash in a 3QT saucepan till translucent, about 8 minutes.  Add spinach and cook till spinach is wilted.  Add beans, agave, lime juice, salt and pepper and mix well.  When the orzo is done and the liquid is absorbed, mix it in with the bean mixture.  Stir in cilantro just before serving.  YUM!
**variation**  Serve with a sprinkling of feta cheese.

Corn & potato chowder

It's a great time of the year for soup!  I updated Meam's (my grandma) version.

Ingredients:

3 ears of corn, cut off the cob

3 med potatoes, peeled and diced

32 oz chicken broth

1 med onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 TB butter

6 tsp flour

12 oz half-n-half

sprinkle of sea salt and fresh ground pepper

2 TB cilantro, sliced

Directions:

Wash, peel and dice potatoes and bring just to a boil in a saucepan.  When the water starts to boil, remove from the heat and drain.  Melt butter in a 5 QT stockpot.  Saute onions, garlic and 2/3 (approximately) of the corn for about 5-7 minutes.  Add the flour and mix well to make a rue.  Mash the rest of the corn (I used my small food processor), and add to the pot.  Add the chicken broth and whisk until the rue is dissolved.  Add the potatoes, and keep the heat on med until it starts to boil.  Add half-n-half, a couple of shakes of sea salt and the fresh ground pepper and stir well.  Once the soup starts to bubble, turn down the heat to med-low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.  It should thicken once it has bubbled.  Slice cilantro and add just before serving.

Blackberry turnovers

This is so easy!
Ingredients:

1 sheet puff pastry (I use Trader Joe's)
4 heaping tsp blackberry jam
egg wash
butter (to grease the pan)

Preheat oven to 400.  Butter a baking sheet.  Take one sheet of puff pastry out of the freezer and let it thaw for about ten minutes.  If you use TJ's puff pastry, I took one sheet and cut it into 6 pieces, making individual turnovers for my family members.  Eggwash the edges of pastry and spoon jam into the middle.  Fold over and "seal" the edges.  A little jam may squirt out, that's ok.  Eggwash the top and bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

Squash gratin

Squash Gratin Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb total, peeled, sliced butternut and acorn squash

1/2 cup half-n-half

sprinkle of nutmeg

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup crushed honey graham crackers

8 oz shredded white cheddar cheese

2 TB butter

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a 2 QT dish with non stick spray.  Peel and slice squash. In a mixing bowl, toss squash with a light sprinkle of nutmeg.  Layer the squash and the cheese in the baking dish and add half-n-half.  Top with breadcrumbs and graham crackers.  Dot butter over breadcrumbs.  Bake at 375 until golden brown, about 45 minutes.  

**variation** I'm dying to try this with sautéed, sliced onions and apples mixed in with the squash!  

I think apples, onions and white cheddar is such a nice combination!  Let me know what you think!

RUB

1-2-3-4-5 ALL PURPOSE RUB:

Mix equal parts of the following:

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

paprika

granulated garlic

brown sugar

This is good on any kind of meat, home fries, grilled veggies, just about anything!

Fall is finally here!

I so look forward to fall after all the hotness of summer.  Now I think it's my favorite time of the year.  What's not to love about fall...cooler weather, apple picking, pumpkin anything, and all the comfort foods!  Since we had the parents over for dinner tonight, here's what was on the menu tonight for the family:
Glazed Pork Loin
Noodles
Mashed potatoes
Squash Gratin
Blackberry turnovers

The pork roast was so incredibly easy and the glaze really was tasty.  Here's what I did:

Glazed Pork Roast

Ingredients:

1 pork loin roast (3 lbs or so)

1 tsp dried sage

2 TB all purpose rub (recipe below)

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1/2 cup chicken stock

Directions:

Sprinkle rub and sage onto the pork on both sides.  Put in crock pot on low along with the garlic and chicken stock.  Cook for 8 hours.  It literally will fall apart when you take it out.  You will not need a knife, just a fork!  About 1/2 hour from serving time, remove the liquid from the crock pot and add 1/2 of the glaze and continue to cook on low.  Reserve the other half of the glaze for basting just before serving.  The glaze is what makes this dish!!!!

Glaze:

1/2 heaping cup brown sugar

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup red wine

2 TB soy sauce

1 TB cornstarch

2 TB honey mustard (or Dijon mustard)

Whisk ingredients in a saucepan and heat till thick.  Baste pork just at the end of cooking.   

1-2-3-4-5 ALL PURPOSE RUB:

Mix equal parts of the following:

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

paprika

granulated garlic

brown sugar

This is good on any kind of meat, home fries, grilled veggies, just about anything!

Squash Gratin Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb total, peeled, sliced butternut and acorn squash

1/2 cup half-n-half

sprinkle of nutmeg

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup crushed honey graham crackers

8 oz shredded white cheddar cheese

2 TB butter

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a 2 QT dish with non stick spray.  Peel and slice squash. In a mixing bowl, toss squash with a light sprinkle of nutmeg.  Layer the squash and the cheese in the baking dish and add half-n-half.  Top with breadcrumbs and graham crackers.  Dot butter over breadcrumbs.  Bake at 375 until golden brown, about 45 minutes.  

**variation** I'm dying to try this with sautéed, sliced onions and apples mixed in with the squash!  

I think apples, onions and white cheddar is such a nice combination!  Let me know what you think!

BBQ meatloaf

When I was eating beef, I always enjoyed cold meat loaf with cold corn on the cob.  I made BBQ meat loaf last night and let it cool overnight.  Tonight I sliced it thick, grilled it, added caramelized onions and cheddar cheese and served it all on a toasted Italian roll for my husband.  It's always so much easier to cut and handle after it's cold.

BBQ meatloaf ingredients:

1 lb ground chuck

1/2 cup diced onion

1 egg

2 cups bread crumbs (approximately)

2 TB mustard

2 TB honey

2 TB ketchup

2 TB BBQ sauce

1 TB Worcestershire 

2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp granulated garlic

1/2 onion, sliced (for caramelizing)

2 TB butter (for caramelizing)

pinch of sugar (for caramelizing)

Directions:

Mix ingredients in a mixing bowl and either form into a loaf shape, or put meat in a loaf pan that is safe on the grill (a baking stone pan is great for this)  Cover meat loaf with a nice helping of ketchup and BBQ sauce mixed (maybe a cup total ).  If you don't have a stoneware pan, shape the meat loaf, cover with ketchup/BBQ, and wrap loosely in foil.  Grill for about an hour.  If you have a thermometer on the grill, it should run right around 325 degrees.  Let cool completely, or better yet, overnight.  Saute' 1/2 onion, sliced in 2 TB butter until nice and brown, about 15 minutes.  Add a touch of sugar at the end.  Onions will be nice and caramelized.  While onions are cooking, slice meat loaf into 1 inch thick slices and heat in a frying pan or on the grill.  Top with the caramelized onions and a slice of cheddar cheese and cover with a lid till cheese is melted.  Serve on a toasted bun.

Salted caramel apple crisp

I've been craving something sweet/salty for a couple of days now.  Since apple crisp has been on my brain as well, I thought I'd try to concoct something that would satisfy both.   This turned out much better than I pictured in my head!  Crave no more!  This is so unbelievably good, especially now when apples are ripe for the picking.  Top this with Cool Whip or ice cream.

Ingredients for Apple Crisp:

4 Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Trader Joe's baking mix (or flour)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 Trader Joe's honey graham crackers, crushed
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp water


Preheat oven to 350.  Spray an 8 inch baking dish with nonstick spray.  Core, peel and slice apples.  In a mixing bowl, toss apples with white sugar and 1 tsp of the cinnamon.  Pour into baking dish and squeeze  1/2 of a lemon over apples and add 1 tsp water.  In the same mixing bowl, mix oats, brown sugar, baking mix, butter, 1 tsp cinnamon and graham crackers.  Mix with your fingers or a fork until the butter is blended and topping resembles pea sized pieces.  Cover apples with topping.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until apples are tender.  While crisp is baking, make the caramel sauce.  Caramel sauce is crazy easy to make!  You will need a candy thermometer or one that goes to at least 350 degrees.

Ingredients for salted caramel sauce:

2 cups white sugar
12 TB unsalted butter, room temperature and sliced into chunks
1 cup heavy cream, room temperature
1 TB coarse sea salt

In a heavy bottom 5-6 QT stock pot, heat and whisk sugar on MED heat until it starts to melt.  I kept my heat just a tad below med because I didn't want to burn the sugar.  Whisk, whisk, whisk.   Keep whisking until the sugar is melted and reaches 350 degrees.  Slowly add the butter all at once but be careful it doesn't splatter up out of the pan.  Remove from heat and keep whisking.  It should have a nice, creamy, brown color to it.  Add heavy cream and whisk well.  Remove from stove top and whisk in sea salt.   It should have a beautiful deep brown color to it now and be creamy.  Cool and store in a glass jar or bowl.
When the crisp is done, top with caramel sauce, and/or Cool Whip and/or vanilla ice cream.  Y-U-M!  This is my new favorite way to eat apple crisp!

Tomato avocado salsa

  I love to wait to pick the tomatoes until they are a deep cherry red.  That's how they are right now.  The are abundant and sweet, although whenever I use tomatoes, I always use a little sugar (or a carrot if I'm making spaghetti sauce) to help cut the acid. This recipe is best with fresh tomatoes, whether they are out of your garden, or from the grocery store.

Ingredients:

1 avocado, peeled and diced

3-4 large tomatoes, seeded and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cherry (or jalapeño) pepper, seeded and minced

1/2 to 1/2 cup diced green and red pepper

1/4 to 1/2  cup onion, diced

Juice of two limes

2 TB agave nectar or sugar in the raw

1 TB olive oil

1 TB red wine vinegar

pinch of sea salt

dash of pepper

1 TB basil, chopped

1 tsp cilantro, chopped

Mix well.  Eat and enjoy!  I think the secret ingredient is the sugar!  Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

Asparagus & tomato risotto

This dish is creamy, hearty and wonderful on a cool evening.  I love the combo of asparagus, lemon and basil, and let's face it, a little wine!  I like to put wine in the dish, too!  Since we make our own wine, we always have an ample supply.  More about how to make wine later.  I use grape tomatoes (I call them Jael's tomatoes because she loves to pick them off the vine and eat them like candy), but you could certainly use cherry tomatoes!  This dish is great for Meatless Monday!

Ingredients:

1 cup Arborio rice
3 cups vegetable stock (I use Trader Joe's)
1/4 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 TB butter
1 lb asparagus (top halves of the spears only) cut into 1 inch pieces
Juice and zest of 2 lemons
handful of basil, sliced
15 or so grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
1 5-8 oz tub shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup red or white wine
pinch of sea salt
dash of fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Saute' onion and garlic in butter in a medium sauce pan.  Cook 5-8 minutes or just until the edges of the onion are brown and add the rice.  Stir around and cook for another 5 or so minutes, until the rice starts to brown.  Add one cup of stock, stir and cook until all the liquid is absorbed.  Add another cup of stock, stir and cook until all the liquid is absorbed.  Add the last cup of stock, stir and cook until the liquid starts to absorb.  Add the asparagus, zest and lemon juice, tomatoes and wine.  Cook until all liquid is absorbed and the rice is nice and creamy.  Turn off the heat and add the basil, salt & pepper and parmesan cheese and mix thoroughly.  Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top.

Servings: 4-6

Apple tart

I crave warm food when the weather turns cooler.  You can make these as individual tarts, or as one big one.
Ingredients:
4 granny smith apples, cored peeled and diced ( I use my chopper....love the chopper!)
2 tsp cinnamon
4 TB sugar
4 TB apricot preserves
3 oz (approximately) fresh raspberries
2 sheets puff pastry ( I use Trader Joe's)
2 TB butter
1 egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400.  Place puff pastry on a baking sheet that's been lightly buttered.  If you are doing individual tarts, cut pastry into 4 squares.  Let puff pastry sit at room temperature while the apples cook.   In a saucepan, simmer apples, butter, cinnamon, sugar and apricot preserves.  Cook just until apples are tender, about 15 minutes.  Beat one egg in a bowl, and eggwash the edges of the pastry.  Place apples in the center of the puff pastry.  Sprinkle raspberries over apples.  Fold over into a triangle shape and seal the edges with your fingertips.  If you are doing a large pastry, place all apples in center of pastry, add raspberries,  then put another sheet of pastry on top.  Seal the edges with your fingertips.  Eggwash the entire top of the pastry.  With a knife, cut a slit in the top to vent the steam.  Bake for 15 min.  Cool for 10 minutes before cutting or eating.
*Option*  Serve with vanilla ice cream.

eggwashed before baking

Warm and gooey

Sloppy joes

Now that cooler weather is (finally) here, so is the comfort food.  These are quick, easy and great for game day (like today)!  They don't take long at all and you can keep them warm in the crock pot while you're watching the game.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground chuck
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup red & green pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 TB tomato paste
1  151/2 oz can tomato sauce  (or 6 fresh tomatoes, peeled and rough chopped)
4 TB Worcestershire sauce
2 TB red wine vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
sea salt, pepper
olive oil, for frying

Directions:

Brown and drain ground chuck.  Keep the meat warm in the crock pot on low.  Heat 1 TB olive oil in a frying pan and saute' the onions, pepper and garlic.  Add to the crock pot.  Add the remaining ingredients and let simmer for an hour or until the sloppy joes thicken a little.  Serve on toasted onion buns, or Trader Joe's makes these wonderful  pretzel rolls.

Roasted stuffed jalapenos

Of course we are having these today as we watch Ohio State play.  Thanks to John of Knowyourcustomers.com for this recipe!  Great game day food!

Ingredients:

2 dozen jalapenos, cored
1 pkg cream cheese
A jar of your favorite BBQ sauce

Core and cut the end of the jalapenos off.  Roast them in a toaster oven or your oven for about 20 minutes.  Stuff with cream cheese and toss in warmed BBQ sauce in a saucepan, or just keep them warm in the crock pot.  Tasty!

Honey Mustard Dip

This is good for veggies, to dip chicken in or as a glaze for ham.

Ingredients:
1/2 c mayo
1/4 cup agave nectar (or sugar)
2 TB Inglehoffer brand horseradish mustard
1 tsp canola oil
1-2 tsp granulated garlic

Mix, let it sit a few hours to marry.  The longer it sits, the better it is.

Black bean & corn salsa

 This recipe can be used as a dip, a topping for nachos, or a side dish. 

INGREDIENTS: 
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 
 1 ear of corn cut off the cob
 1/4 cup diced red onion
 1/4 cup diced red pepper 
1/4 cup diced green pepper
 1 jalapeno or cherry pepper, seeded and finely diced
3 Roma tomatoes, diced (or 1 can diced tomatoes if fresh aren't available)
 2 cloves garlic minced 
Juice from 2 limes 
2 TB fresh cilantro chopped 
a pinch of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
 a tsp of sugar (I use sugar in the raw) OR agave nectar

 DIRECTIONS: Mix together in a mixing bowl and enjoy! It tastes better the longer it sits.

White bean nachos

 INGREDIENTS:
 1 can white beans, rinsed and drained ( I use white kidney beans)
 1/4 cup scallions
 1/2 cup diced white onion
 1 jalapeno, finely diced
 8 oz shredded co-jack or Mexican blend cheese 
1 bag blue corn chips

 DIRECTIONS: 
Preheat oven to 350. Cover a cookie sheet with foil. (The nonstick side of foil is the DULL side) Layer nacho chips over the foil. Sprinkle beans, onions, jalapenos and cheese evenly over nachos. Bake at 350 for 5-8 minutes, or until cheese melts. **Note**  These can also be done on the grill without the cookie sheet, just on the foil. Great in the summer when you don't want to turn on the oven! 

Lemon-zuchini pasta

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz. linguine

1/2 cup fontina cheese

8 oz container feta cheese

1 container honey greek yogurt

8 oz. sour cream

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 med zucchini, sliced in  half moon shaped pieces

3 tomatoes, peeled and rough chopped

Juice and zest of 2 lemons

1 TBL olive oil

2 TBL basil, sliced thin

1/2 cup half-n-half

2 TBL red pepper spread (Trader Joes)

sea salt, fresh ground pepper, dash of  sugar in the raw

DIRECTIONS:

Cook linguine according to package directions.   Drain, rinse and set aside the pasta.  While the linguine cooks, heat olive oil till hot and saute' zucchini till lightly browned. . Thinly slice a handful of fresh basil and set aside.   Add garlic, salt, pepper and sugar to the zucchini  and saute' for another 3 minutes.  Add chopped tomatoes and let the veggies simmer.  While the veggies simmer, mix together the half-n-half, cheeses, yogurt, sour cream, lemon juice and zest in a bowl.  When the veggies are soft and browned (about 10 minutes), add the cheese mixture and heat till the mixture bubbles.  Serve over linguine noodles and top with a sprinkling of the fresh basil.   Loving the lemon!!!  

Sweet potato/zucchini cakes

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium zucchini, shredded with skin on

2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded

1 med onion, shredded

2/3 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup Trader Joes baking mix (or flour)

1 egg

a handful of basil, chopped

1 tsp grated lemon peel

a couple of shakes of sea salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Heat 1 TBL olive oil in a pan.  Scoop out zucchini mixture with an ice cream scoop, or just use your hands like I do.  Make a ball, place in pan and flatten.  Cook on med low heat (gas stove) until browned and flip.  Depending on the pan you use, you might need to add a little more olive oil.  Remove from pan when browned to your liking.  I like mine a little dark.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve.  I got about 8 medium sized cakes with these measurements.  


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Zucchini cakes

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup shredded zucchini with skin on

1 cup shredded onion

1 cup shredded white potatoes

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 egg

1 cup Trader Joes baking mix (or flour)

1/2 tsp sea salt and pepper

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Heat 1 TBL olive oil in a pan on med low heat.  Scoop out the zucchini mixture with an ice cream scoop or just use your hands like I do.  Roll into a ball, place in pan, and flatten.  Cook until brown, and flip.  Cook until browned to your liking and place on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve.
**note**  the baking mix is what makes this recipe so good!
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