Roasted Sage Cauliflower with Gnocchi

Hi there! Wow. I really didn't mean to slack off on my blog. September has been a very busy month work wise for me. And I did receive a bit of exciting news! A friend of mine publishes a local magazine here in my town and she asked me to do a monthly recipe feature for her magazine. Cool huh? I do have some recipes in the feature that are new, so once the magazine hits stands, I will post them to the blog.

Let's talk about what I did for dinner tonight. I found this recipe in the latest Real Simple magazine. It looked intriguing. First off, I love gnocchi! No, I didn't make it. It was store bought, but let me tell you that if you ever have the chance to have some homemade gnocchi, take up the offer. It is so good. My friend's mom makes gnocchi all the time. The unfortunate thing is she lives in San Francisco and I have not seen her in 10 years. Perhaps I should fly out :) Second, I LOVE cauliflower. So two things to this SIMPLE weeknight recipe really drew me in! Let's see what you need:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb gnocchi
• 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
  
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 sage leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Yes! That is all you need. Simple right? Let's get cooking:

In a rimmed baking pan, combine the florets, olive oil, sage, salt and pepper. Roast in a 400F oven, tossing once or twice during baking. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cauliflower is golden brown and tender.

While the cauliflower is baking in the oven, prepare the gnocchi according to package directions.

Plate your gnocchi, then the cauliflower mixture, and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. That is it! Now, my husband smoked a chicken yesterday and I took one of the left over breasts and sliced it up to mix in with this dish.

We enjoyed this meal very much! Simple. Tasty! However... there was one problem with it. It was a little dry. Once I plated our meal, I decided to melt about 3 tablespoons of butter with a dash of Terragon and poured over our dinner to add some liquid. I plan to work on this recipe and make it better! When I do, I will revisit it and share! Do you ever watch Giada on Food Network? She always adds some of the pasta water when she is making a butter/olive oil sauce for her pasta. Perhaps that was what I should have done?

Moving on... let's take a look at the finished product.
Mmmmm! Let me add that this cauliflower "topping" would make a fantastic side to any dinner you may make ;)

Alright. What are you waiting for. Head to your kitchen and make something new! Thanks for reading.

South of the Border Lasagne

Happy Sunday!

Two new recipes in two days! How about that?

I have been craving something similar to a Mexican Layer Dip, and I came across this recipe and knew I had to try it. Again, this is from the AJLI Centennial Cookbook and the recipe specifically comes from the Junior League of Austin. This recipe serves 8-10 (so prepare for leftovers!!!).

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground chuck
• 1 onion, chopped (I used a red onion)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 3 cups tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives
• 1 4-ounce can of green chilies (chopped)
• 12 corn tortillas
• Vegetable Oil
• 2 cups cottage cheese, small curd
• 1 egg
• 8 ounces Monterrey Jack Cheese, shredded
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Toppings - use whatever you want - Olives, Sour Cream, Chopped Scallions, Tortilla Chips

Let's get started!!!

First you need to brown your ground chuck over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Then, add the onion, and saute for about 3 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Sprinkle the chili powder and mix. Add the tomato sauce, sugar, salt, olives, and chilies. Simmer for 15 minutes. NOTE: I felt there was too much salt. When I make it again, I will use only 1/2 tablespoon, rather than 1 tablespoon.

In a small bowl, mix together the egg and cottage cheese.

In a small skillet, heat 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil and add the tortillas one at a time to get them soft and pliable. NOTE: Since they hold so much oil, I recommend having a plate with paper towels nearby to put the tortillas on so the paper towel helps pull out some of the excess oil. Additionally, you will need to add more oil as you go through your stack of tortillas, so don't put that up! Also, I don't know if corn tortillas come in different sizes, but our grocery carries the 4 inch sizes, and that is perfect!

In a 13x9 greased baking dish, layer 1/3 of the meat mixture, 1/2 of the Monterrey Jack cheese, 1/2 of the Cottage Cheese mixture, and 6 tortillas. Repeat. Pour the remaining meat mixture over the tortillas and top with the Cheddar Cheese. Bake in a 350F degree oven for 30 minutes. Let the lasagne rest for 5 minutes or so before serving.

Doesn't that look good??? Now, let's plate it with some chips.

This hit the spot! And we have leftovers to enjoy! Even better! You better get a move on! Time is "a wasting". Get in your kitchen and try something new!

Thanks for reading!

Acorn Squash, BBQ, and Tomatoes

Happy Saturday!

Tonight's dinner was a tag team effort. My husband was in charge of the meat, and I took care of the sides. Speaking of the meat, he bought a Boston Butt. He did two days of brining to it in a mixture of several things. Molasses is about all I remember. He smoked it all day today so it would be nice and tender then he shredded it into BBQ. If you are interested in his recipe, I will be glad to get it from him.

Now, let's talk about the sides. The first one was a repeat of last week, sorta. We have a vegetable garden, and we planted Jelly Bean Tomatoes. Basically, they are like cherry tomatoes but are supposed to be red and yellow. Apparently we had cross pollination and they came out orange! Since we have a million of them, I cut up some and added salt, pepper, shredded mozzarella cheese, and a dash of basil. The Acorn Squash recipe was one out of an AJLI cookbook. I spoke of the cookbooks last week. This recipe specifically comes from the Junior League of Greater Vancouver, BC. So, let's see what you need to make Acorn Squash with Applesauce.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 2 acorn squash
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 1/2 cups applesauce
• 1/4 packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
• Butter

Here is how you prepare it. Wash the squash, halve it lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Mix together the lemon juice, raisins, applesauce, brown sugar, and walnuts (I didn't have walnuts, but had pecans, so I used those instead). Spoon the mixture into the squash halves and dot with butter (Mixture and Squash). Place in a baking dish with 1/2 inch of hot water in the bottom. Cover and bake at 400F for 30 minutes; then remove the cover and bake for an additional 30 minutes.

Easy!

When you plate your squash, simply take a fork and mix the squash with the applesauce mixture. So, let's see this dish plated...

Yummy huh? We sure thought so!

Well, what are you waiting for. Get to the grocery, get you some acorn squash, and try something new!! As always, thanks for reading.

Baked Grouper with Mango Salsa and Baked Zucchini

I am back! Sorry that I got slack on posting recipes!

This morning, I pulled out two cookbooks that I have neglected. Both are AJLI cookbooks. AJLI is the Association of Junior Leagues International. Within AJLI, there are almost 300 leagues in 4 countries of women devoted to improve their communities through volunteer efforts.

The two recipes I used for tonight's dinner came out of two different cookbooks put out by AJLI, specifically from the Junior League of Mobile. The Grouper with the salsa was really supposed to be Grilled Snapper, but I decided to use Grouper and bake it. So, let's see what we need to get started:

Baked Grouper with Mango Salsa

• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 grouper fillets
• 1/4 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground pepper
• Mango Salsa

Mango Salsa

• 1 cup chopped Roma tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped mango
• 1 tablespoon chopped red onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Dash of hot sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Baked Zucchini

• 1 1/2 lbs zucchini, scrubbed, and trimmed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Shaved Parmesan Cheese

Let's get started. First, I must admit. I bailed on the Mango Salsa. When I got to the grocery store, the mangos were not ripe. So, I bought a Mango and Peach salsa.

So, on to the fish: Combine the lime juice, 2 tablespoons of cilantro, and olive oil in a large shallow dish and mix well. Place the fish in the marinade, turning to coat. Let it marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes, turning several times. In your baking dish, coat the pan with a little olive oil, and place the fish in the pan. Salt and pepper both sides, and add several pats of butter on the fish. Bake for about 20 minutes at 375F, until the fish flakes.

This baked zucchini was amazing! It is a keeper in my recipe book for sure. Let's put it together. Slice the zucchini in 1/4 inch rounds. Boil gently in salted water with the onion for 7-10 minutes, until fork tender. Drain in a colander and pour into a sprayed baking pan. In a separate bowl, mix the butter, poppy seeds, garlic salt and pepper, then place on top of the zucchini and lightly toss. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 375F.

We grow tomatoes, and since we had one that needed to be eaten, I sliced it up, gave it a sprinkle of salt and pepper, topped it with slices of fresh mozzarella and dried basil.

So, let's check it out.

A nice easy meal! Just the way I like it. The baked zucchini was a surprise! My husband went back for seconds! When he does that, I know he really enjoyed what was served to him!

As always, thanks for reading. Now, get into your kitchen and make something new!!!

Marbled Chocolate Bark

Hi there!

I have fallen behind and I apologize. We are going to a friend's house tonight, so there won't be a "new" recipe to share... well, not exactly. I first tried this recipe back in 2007, I think. It came out of the Kraft Magazine. It is a really simple and yummy dessert. I am sharing with you because I made it last night to take over to my friend's house for our gathering tonight. (As usual, I had two helpers!)

Ingredients:

• 8 to 9 HONEY MAID Honey Grahams
• 6 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 squares BAKER'S White Chocolate

Let's make it!! Line a 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Arrange grahams on bottom of pan, cutting as needed to completely cover bottom of pan; set aside.

Microwave the semi-sweet chocolate and peanut butter in medium microwaveable bowl on igh for 30 seconds. Stir. Repeat until it is well blended. Pour over grahams; spread with spatula to cover completely.

Repeat the above microwave melting steps with the white chocolate. Drop spoonfuls of the white chocolate over chocolate-covered grahams. Immediately cut through the chocolate mixtures with knife (or use a toothpick or chopstick) several times for tiger-stripe effect.

I would place in the fridge at least 1 hour or until firm. (I like to make the night before and let them get nice and firm overnight.) Use foil handles to remove dessert from pan. Peel off foil. Break the dessert into bars. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

Let's see what it looks like. (Please note my assistants! And don't worry, they were not allowed to taste test!)
A simple and easy fun dessert! Thanks for reading and go ahead and get into your kitchen and try something new!

Island Bird: Pineapple-Rum Chicken

Hi there!

One think you will learn about me is I LOVE PINEAPPLE! Remind me to share a great pineapple casserole with you later! Once again, I am going into the recipe file on my Mac and sharing with you all a recipe that was new to us about a month ago! Fun, huh?

Island Bird: Pineapple-Rum Chicken

• 1 ½ cups jasmine rice
• 1 whole pineapple, cored and peeled (or a can of pineapple tidbits)
  
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced (again, I prefer red onion)
  
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• Coarse Salt
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup spiced rum (I just used light rum)
  
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 4 6-oz boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• Coarse black pepper
• ¼ fresh flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Let's make it!!!

Cook the rice according to package directions. We have a rice cooker, which when we finally got one, I wondered what took me so long to get one!

Cut the pineapple into bite size chunks. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onions, garlic, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the pineapple chunks and the juice from the container, no more than ½ cup, and stir to combine. Remove the pan from the heat and add the rum. Return the pan to the heat, keeping a little distance in case the pot flames up. Let the alcohol cook away, about a minute. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer, then cook until it is reduced by half and has thickened slightly. (I actually ended up spooning out some of the extra liquid as it didn't really reduce for me.)

While the sauce is simmering, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet. Cook the chicken for 6 minutes on each side.

Time to serve! I forgot the parsley and cilantro. Whoops! Still tasted good.

I also paired this meal with a Mediterranean Chopped Salad. Read down and you will see the recipe on how to make it.

Thanks for reading and get out there and try something new!

Mediterranean Chopped Salad

Hi there!

Yesterday I shared a Pineapple-Rum Chicken recipe with you. With that meal, I added this chopped salad. Let's see how to make it.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup flat leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
  
• ½ seedless cucumber, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 3 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 1 cup feta cheese crumbles
• 8 pepperoncini peppers, chopped (or Roasted Red Peppers)
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Combine all vegetables with the parsley, the olives, cheese, and hot peppers. Dress the salad with the juice of 2 lemons and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Season the salad with salt and pepper.

Easy! Let's look at the salad again.

Thank you for reading. Much appreciated. Now, get in the kitchen and try something new!