Summer cooking!

It seems appropriate the summer recipes involve fresh veggies or the grill! I have a little garden going. It is more of an experiment. I have a lot of tomatoes on their way to ripening, beans, corn, cucumbers, egg plants... then some carrots and spinach that do not seem to be doing well at all! While we wait on all that veggie goodness, I am enjoying using a lot of the herbs we planted! Lots and lots of basil, mint and cilantro! :) 

Thanks to lots of basil I have been making lots of pesto! Some times I freeze it, but other times we use it right away. I use the recipe found here, but often make some substitutions. I use pine nuts or walnuts, and often add spinach. We use it on pizza or with pasta. The boys love it. Some times I mix in some sausage or other times I saute a bunch of veggies (peppers, zucchini, onions) and we have a yummy meatless meal! 

On the grill we have a new go-to chicken marinade that I found here. We will sometimes substitute mint for the cilantro if we don't have cilantro on hand. This chicken is perfect to cut into long slices and eat on top of salad! The best part is that Will often makes the marinade and then grills it so all I have to do is make a salad! :) 

Photo 70: Tomato

the cute little tomato on my window sill.  He started off green, but has slowly turned red. his siblings are still hanging out on my tomato plant! I can't wait to enjoy them all. ;)

Recipe #355: Grilled Zucchini with Feta

summer vegetables on the grill are my favorite!
You need:
2-3 zucchinis
feta cheese
olive oil
lemon juice

• cut zucchini into thick slices
• spray with olive oil and grill about 5 minutes on a side.
• take off grill top with feta
• drizzle on some lemon juice and olive oil

Recipe #354: Thai Basil Rolls

This was a very "fresh" meal...full of vegetables...but honestly not a favorite. I probably messed up the recipe terribly or something. I found the recipe here but didn't have much meat on hand so i added some shrimp to a couple but honestly i couldn't taste it at all!

You need:
spring roll wrappers (the see through ones)
basil
rice noodles
bean sprouts
cucumber
cilantro

• first boil water and heat the rice noodles for about 5-7 minutes. drain then run water through them
• get a bowl of warm water.
• place a wrapper in the water and let it soften for about 30 sec.
• in the middle of the wrapper place a basil leaf, then add some shrimp, cucumber, rice noodles, cilantro and bean sprouts.
• continue this process until you have made enough!
• I made the sauce that the original recipe had (hoisin sauce and peanut butter mixture) but it seemed really heavy for the rolls so I used my sesame dressing instead! 

Like I said...it was fresh and tasty, but I think I really needed a meat filled meal today! :)

Recipe #353: Grilled Corn and Avovado Salsa

I had an avocado that was about to go bad so I decided that I needed to use it up quick! I did a quick search and found a recipe here that I loosely followed. It was also a perfect way to use up the leftover corn and zucchini I had from last night!

You need:
1 avocado
1 ear of  grilled corn
slice or two of grilled zucchini
lemon juice
olive oil
crushed red pepper

• open avocado and cut into large pieces
• cut corn of the ear and mix with avocado
• add in small pieces of zucchini
• sprinkle in some crushed red pepper
• stir in two spoonfuls of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil

Recipe #344: Baked Zucchini Sticks

I found this recipe a while ago on pinterest, or originally found here. Zucchini was on sale at Aldi today so I decided to make them! They went perfectly with the sweet and sour pork chops we had tonight!

You need:
2 zucchinis
2 cups panko
grated parmesean
dried basil and oregano
2 eggs, beaten

• preheat oven to 425
• cut zucchini in half then cut each half into 9 pieces
• mix parmesan and herbs with panko
• dip in egg and then in panko
• place on a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper that has been sprayed with olive oil
• bake for 12 minutes, turn zucchini and bake for 12 more minutes
• we enjoyed with sesame seed dressing!

Recipe #333 Basil Spaghetti with #334 Cheese tomatoes

Real Simple has this as one recipe, but i am behind and the count down to May 31st is approaching rather quickly! Will loved the spaghetti and said it is such a great summer pasta. I am sure we will make it again. He is not a huge fan of tomatoes so I don't think we will be doing that too much! I highly recommend making this meal with as much freshness as possible! The tastes are so amazing!

You need:
Half a box of spaghetti noodles
handful of fresh basil
a couple leaves of oregano
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
3 cloves of garlic
grated parmesean

• make noodles according to package directions.
• cut up garlic and add to a small sauce pan along with olive oil and red pepper
• heat for a couple minutes then take off heat.
• mix in with drained noodles until they are evenly coated
• stir in torn basil and oregano, along with a bit of fresh, grated parmesan

for the tomatoes...

you need:

4 roma tomatoes

shredded mozzarella (fresh would have been nice but I was out!)

grated parmesan

• turn on broiler
• lightly coat a foil lined baking pan with olive oil
• arrange sliced tomatoes on the baking sheet then top with the cheeses
• broil for 3-5 minutes
• put on top of spaghetti and enjoy!

Recipe #301: Rosemary and Potato Flatbread

The idea originally came from here but I decided to use sweet potatoes instead.

You need:
pizza dough
1 sweet potato, thinly sliced. I used that long slicer on my grater.
rosemary leaves
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

• heat up grill and add baking stone
• roll out pizza dough into a rectangle
• punch down with thumb to create a dimpled look. 
• spread on olive oil
• top with sweet potatoes and rosemary
• sprinkle some salt and pepper
• grill for about 20 minutes....Will took it off a tad early, but it was still very delicious! :)

Recipe #296: Hummus Take 2

Happy Spring Break to me! The house is clean, the fridge is stocked with groceries, and now it is time to catch up on blogging! I have several recipes to share, so we will see how far I get tonight!

So I was trying out another recipe from the fabulous Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day and decided to try their hummus recipe. I have made another one a while back but am still searching for a recipe that I like the best.

This one was pretty delicious, i think because of the lemon zest which was definitely better then just lemon juice.

You need:
1 can of chick peas, drained
juice and zest from one lemon
2 garlic coves, chopped
1/2 cup tahini paste
1/2 tsp kosher salt
paprika
olive oil

• add chick peas, lemon juice and zest, garlic, tahini and salt to a food processor and start mixing until smooth. (if you are using a small one like me I would recommend doing it in two batches...I should have done that!) you may need to add a little water to help produce a smooth dip. 
• spoon into a serving bowl, sprinkle paprika on top and drizzle with olive oil. 

A delicious way to enjoy your veggies or Mediterranean Beef Wraps!

Recipe #291: Asian Beef Salad

Another Real Simple idea, except they did it with ground turkey, also some other ingredients I didn't have! :)

You need:
1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
romaine lettuce
cucumbers
matchstick carrots
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 pack browned ramen (see directions here. it was because I didn't have peanuts but wanted something crunchy)

• brown beef, drain oil
• add water, fish sauce, and brown sugar. stir until liquid is almost gone.
• toss lettuce, cucumbers, and carrots with lime juice.
• top with beef and serve!

Recipe #290: Pasta with spinach, ricotta, and zuchini

I recently went through some old Real Simple magazines to tear out the recipes I wanted to try! I love the recipes in their magazines! The recipe that mine is based off of can also be found here. It was so fresh and delicious! We had some baked sweet potato rounds on the side and that was amazing as usual! :) We had intended to grill the zucchini and sweet potatoes, but our grill was out of gas. :(

You need:
2 zucchini, cut in half then sliced long ways
a couple slices of onion
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
pasta (I used half a box of linguine)
couple handfuls of fresh spinach
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 spoonfuls of ricotta
crushed red pepper

• cook pasta according to package directions
• meanwhile, cook onion and zucchini in olive oil
• save 1/4 cup of pasta water, drain pasta
• add pasta to pan with zucchini, add spinach, pepper and salt, mix up.
• serve with a spoonful of ricotta and crushed red pepper

Recipe #286: Spinach Enchiladas

The idea for these started from a Real Simple recipe found here, but I veered a lot from the recipe! I really liked these and it was a great meatless recipe!

You need:
1 cup of spinach, chopped
1/2 can of pinto beans, drained and washed
1/2 cup of corn
1 1/2 cups cheddar, shedded
paprika
6 tortillas
1/2 cup of sour cream
1 cup (or more) salsa

• mix together spinach, pinto beans, corn, 1 cup cheddar in a small bowl.
• in another bowl, mix together salsa, sour cream and 1/2 cup of cheddar
• divide spinach mixture into 6 tortillas, roll up and put in a 9x13 dish seam side down
• cover with salsa mixture 
• bake at 400 for about 20 minutes

Recipe #276: Asian Corn Salad

Will requested sloppy joes for dinner, and I made this corn salad to go with it!

You need:
sesame oil
2 cups corn

2 green onions, chopped
cilantro
crushed red pepper

• heat a little sesame oil in a pan
• add chopped green onions and heat until starting to brown
• add corn and a couple shakes of red pepper
• heat until corn is cooked.
• add cilantro leaves

Recipe #271 and #272: Grilled Chicken with spicy veggies

I am skipping some recipes to go to tonight's dinner. It was a perfect spring evening. 

So of course we had to grill!

You need:
2 bone in chicken legs
salt, pepper
barbecue sauce

• pat chicken dry
• generously add salt and pepper
• heat grill and cook on each side for about 10 minutes
• add barbecue sauce and heat each side for another 5-10 minutes of until done

Spicy veggies:

you need:

onion, chopped up

red potatoes, cut in rounds

spicy rub found here

paprika

cilantro

• chop up veggies. put in separate bags
• add a little olive oil to each bag
•  add in spicy rub to potatoes 
• add paprika and cilantro to onion
• close each bag and shake up
• grill until browning

Recipe #267: Stuffed Shells with #268 Balsamic Cole Slaw

I bought big pasta shells the other day to try out a new pasta. It was a lot of fun!

You need:

1/2 box of jumbo pasta shells

1 lb hamburger meat

1 cup mozzarella

1 cup pasta sauce

• brown meat and drain oil
• add a couple spoonfuls of pasta sauce and mix together.
• boil noodles according to package directions.
• add cheese to meat
• add rest of pasta sauce to the bottom of an 8x8 dish
• drain noodles and start to fill with meat mixture
• place in dish and once it is full cover with cheese.
• bake at 350 for about 20 minutes of until cheese is melted.

I had leftover cabbage and carrots so wanted to make a quick cole slaw. I found a balsamic version here.

You need:

1/4 head of cabbage, cut up

1 cup matchstick carrots

green onion

1 tsp garlic powder

red pepper flakes

balsamic vinegar

• cut up cabbage and green onion
• heat in a pan until cabbage gets limp
• add garlic powder, red pepper, and balsamic vinegar
• enjoy!

Recipe #262: Roasted Veggies

I felt like we had been eating really heavy meals so last week I made a roasted veggies meal and it was the perfect flavors!

You need:
5-6 red potatoes
2 cups of baby carrots
2 cloves garlic
1/2 onion
rosemary, thyme, and some olive oil

• cut the veggies into big pieces 
• spread onto a baking sheet
• drizzle olive oil on top.
• sprinkle on some rosemary and thyme
• stir up.
• roast at 400 for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are getting crispy on the outside.
• mix up at least once during the baking time.

Recipe #251: Baked Sweet Potato Chips

I had one sweet potato left and used the long slicer on my grater to cut thin slices of sweet potato.

You need:
1 sweet potato, skin peeled off (it makes it easier to grate...i found that out about half way through! :) )
olive oil, salt and pepper

• slice sweet potato with the long slicer on grater (or with a mandolin slicer)
• toss wiht some olive oil, salt and pepper
• lay in a single layer on cookie sweet
• bake at 450 until they start to brown, turning one time

Recipe #246 and #247: {Bruschetta} and {Sweet vs Spicy} Grilled Cheese

It was the night of the Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear Grilled Cheeses!

We all started with the same base...Alex's sandwich:
You need:
2 pieces of bread (we used our homemade boule bread)

butter
mozzarella

For Will's Bruschetta Grilled Cheese you also need:
roma tomatoes
olive oil
basil

For Katie's Sweet vs Spicy you also need:
apple, thinly sliced
spicy brown mustard

• butter the outsides of the bread then lay on top of each other
• top some cheese
• add in your other special toppings (i spread the spice mustard to the inside of one of my pieces of bread)
• add a little more cheese on top so that when you heat it up it will melt together nicely
• warm up your fry pan and heat until both sides are a nice golden brown. Be careful when you flip them!

tastes great with some baked sweet potato rounds (basically this recipe here, but parsley instead of garlic) and edamame. I am trying to make my plate as colorful as possible to make sure we are eating a variety of veggies with each meal!

Recipe #244: Baked Avocado Fries

These made me so happy to eat! Even if Alex dumped them on the floor and spilled the dipping sauces, which then I had to clean up! :) I found the recipe here thanks to pinterest!

You need:
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp kosher salt
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cup panko
2 firm/ripe avocadoes

• Pit and peel the avocados, cut into 1/2 in wedges
• coat slices in flour, egg then panko
• lay on a cooling rack that is sprayed with non-stick spray
• when all are finished, put on a baking sheet and spray with olive oil and sprinkle on salt
• bake at 450 for 20 minutes or until golden brown. you can turn up heat to 500 for last 5 minutes.

Enjoy the crunchy goodness!!

Recipe #240 and 241:Spicy Grilled Chicken with Garlicly Sweet potatoes

I love the fact that we are grilling in February because the weather is so nice! 

I found the recipe for the chicken rub here and OH MY. It definitely has a kick to it! Delicious, but my mouth was burning. Will loved it though so if you are a spicy, spicy food person, I think you will like it!

you need:
1 1/5 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1/2 Tbsp salt
1/2 Tbsp thyme
1/2 Tbsp cayenne pepper
1/2 Tbsp rosemary
1/4ish Tbsp pepper
2 chicken breast, cut in half.

• mix spices together.
• use about 3 Tbsp to rub on top of chicken
• grill until both sides are done!

Alex LOVED the grilled sweet potatoes! He couldn't get enough of them!

You need:

2 sweet potatoes

olive oil

garlic powder

sea salt

• cut sweet potatoes into rounds and put into a ziploc bag
• pour in a little olive oil, garlic powder, and sea salt
• grill until well done!