KFC Coleslaw

I can't believe I haven't shared this recipe yet. Its a must! I used to hate coleslaw. I've found that a lot of people over do the onion and I don't like raw onions (although I do LOVE caramelized onions!). KFC's is good, Mo's is good (especially with their shredded pork sandwiches!)...this recipe is good. The key really is to let it sit in the fridge for some time after you make it. It says refrigerate for 2 hours, but its even better if you do it over night. This goes great on (or on the side of) a burger. I made it today to go with our slow-cooked bbq pork ribs...mmm! Now thats some good summer southern comfort food for ya!

• 1/2 cup mayonaise
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 Tbsp white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 8 cups (1 head) finely chopped cabbage
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot (1 medium or a handful of baby carrots)
• 2 Tbsp minced onion

Be sure cabbage and carrots are chopped up into very fine pieces (about the size of rice - use a food processor). Place in a large bowl. Combine the mayonnaise, sugar, milk, buttermilk, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a smaller bowl and beat until smooth. Add to cabbage, carrots, and onion; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving (overnight is best).

Serves 10-12.

Texas Potatoes

There are so many variations of this recipe.  Some people call it Potato Casserole, some Funeral Potatoes, but I've always known them as Texas Potatoes.  This was a recipe my mom got from a lady at church many, many years ago.  It goes great with Individual Meatloaves...my husband LOVES the combo!  I usually double the cornflake topping for a crunchier bite and since we have a smaller family, I usually put it in 2 8x8 pans and freeze the 2nd pan for another day.  I forgot to take a picture before it was devoured...can you tell my boys like these potatoes?

• 1 (32 oz or 2 lb) bag frozen potatoes, cubed
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp salt (optional)
• dash of pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 (16 oz) carton sour cream
• 2 cups cornflake crumbs mixed with 1/4 cup melted butter (I double this, so 4 cups cornflakes & 1/2 cup butter)

Preheat oven to 350°.  Combine potatoes (it cooks faster if you defrost the potatoes first), onions, and cheese in a large bowl.  Combine soup with butter and heat until butter is melted.  Remove from heat and stir sour cream into soup mixture.  Pour over potatoes and blend carefully.  Pour into 9x13 pan (or 2 8x8 pans) and top with crumb mixture.  Bake uncovered for 45 minutes.

A Feast for the 4th

We had an excellent feast for the 4th of July.  Some friends came up for the weekend and we ate our hearts out (most likely literally...or rather now our arteries are major clogged).  I really wasn't in the creative mood, so I turned to who other than (yes, you guessed right I'm sure) the Pioneer Woman.  She is just the best (if you can find me someone better, let me know).  Here's what was on the menu:

Jalapeno Poppers (I'm SO addicted!)

• fresh jalapenos
• cream cheese, softened
• bacon, sliced in 1/2 or 1/3 depending on size of bacon & jalapenos

Cut jalapenos in half, length-wise.  With a spoon, remove seeds and membranes (if you want it a little hotter, leave a little in).  Smear softened cream cheese into each jalapeno half.  Wrap jalapeno with bacon piece.  Stick toothpick through the middle.  Bake on a pan with a rack in a 375° oven for 20-25 minutes.  You don't want the bacon to shrink too much, but after 20 minutes if the bacon isn't brown enough, turn on the broiler for a couple minutes to finish it off.  

PW's Potato Salad

• 5 pounds potatoes (she uses russet, I used red)
  
• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
  
• 4 Tbsp prepared mustard
  
• 5 green onions, sliced
  
• 8 small pickles (she uses sweet, I used dill)
  
• 1 tsp salt
  
• 1/2 tsp paprika
  
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
  
• 4 hard boiled eggs, coarsely chopped

Cut potatoes in halves or thirds, then boil until fork tender. Drain. Mash potatoes or run them through a ricer or food mill to make them extra fluffy.  Fold potatoes together with mayo, mustard, green onions, salt, pepper.  Fold in pickles and eggs, then taste for seasonings, adding more salt, mustard, or mayo as needed.  If need more moisture, can add a little pickle juice from the jar.

PW's Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad

Dressing:

• 1 (7 oz) jar sun-dried tomatoes, drained
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Salad

• 16 oz corkscrew pasta
• 1 jar olives (she used Kalamata, I used plain ol' sliced black olives)
• 1 pint ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
• Several basil leaves, chopped or julienne
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare dressing by blending sundried tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, and vinegar until tomatoes are chopped.  Blend while drizzling in olive oil; continue blending until mixed together.  Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, and rinse with cold water until no longer hot.  Pour 2/3 of the dressing over the pasta, add olives, and toss together.  Add remaining ingredients, tossing together and adding more dressing until the salad is coated to your liking.  Serve on a big platter with an extra sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

and these Tasty Burgers of My Husbands Own Creation

I really can't tell you exactly what was in the patty.  Basically into the ground beef he mixed in chopped bacon, goat cheese, Worcestershire, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, cayenne, salt, and pepper (he's the mixing king!).  Then grilled them on up on the bar-b.  I topped mine with sliced avocado, fresh tomato, and caramelized onions.  Oh baby, it was tasty!

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Yay, I'm back online! I apologize for the great lack of posts, but my internet has been down for way too long and I FINALLY have it all sorted out and back up and running again...hip-hip-horray! I'll try to back track and see if there's anything new and delicious I've made in the past few months, so we'll start with this one. It is (again, I know, I know) a Pioneer Woman masterpiece (I can't help it...her stuff is awesome, but I do have to add that my husband has decided he needs to hire her as one of his chefs when he becomes uber rich...but in the mean time I've had to put a limit on PW recipes - 1 a week - our hearts can't handle too much more than that!). So on to the recipes.

I love roasted peppers...my esophagus doesn't always love me for eating them (peppers give me crazy heart burn), but my taste buds rejoice. And of course you can't go wrong with cream, so naturally when I saw this recipe I knew I'd love it (the PW hasn't failed me yet!). I was right. I made it for my hubby for Father's Day 'cause I knew he'd like it too...and oh did he! This pasta has the yumminess of a cream sauce, but the tang and lightness of a red sauce. The only complaint I had was I didn't have orecchiette pasta on hand so I used a fusilli-type pasta which we both agreed was a little too heavy for the sauce...a little too much pasta that is. So next time I will most definitely hunt down some orecchiette. This sauce would even be great drizzled on fish or chicken or something. Try it...it's super yummy!

• 3 red bell peppers
• 2 Tbsp pine nuts (optional)
• 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Flat leaf parsley, finely minced
• Fresh Parmesan, shaved or grated
• 1/2 to 1 lb pasta (orecchiette, penne, fusilli, etc.)

Roast red peppers*. Whether its under the broiler or on the grill, you should blacken them for about ten minutes, then remove them and set them on a plate for a few minutes. Next, place them in a Ziploc bag to allow to sweat. Peel the charred skins from the peppers, then remove seeds & stems. Set aside.

Lightly toast pine nuts in a skillet over medium-low heat for about five minutes. Keep them moving by jiggling the pan now and then. Set aside.

In a blender or food processor purée the peppers with pine nuts. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a skillet or pot over medium heat, drizzle in olive oil. Add diced onions and garlic and cook until soft. Pour in pepper purée and stir together. Add plenty of salt. Just cook the mixture over medium to medium-low heat while the pasta cooks, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn't burn.

Pour in cream and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt, if necessary. Add cooked pasta, then stir together. Place pasta into a bowl, top with chopped parsley and plenty of shaved Parmesan.

*Click here if you'd like step-by-step photographic instructions

Green Smoothie Recipes

I thought I'd post a few our family-favorites! You may need to add less greens in the beginning (especially for the kiddos) and more fruit, but as you do this more and more, they will be able to drink more greens and like them! I sometimes sweeten their smoothies with a little agave nectar or raw honey. However, that's not really necessary if you use very ripe fruits. I hit the sales on super ripe bananas or day-old strawberries and freeze them in large batches. Frozen grapes are really good for smoothies too.

Smoothie #1

• 3 bananas
  
• 1 cup of papaya
  
• 4 big handfuls of baby spinach
  
• 2 cups of water
  

Smoothie #2 (similar to #1, but very still a hit)

• 3 bananas
  
• 3 huge handfuls of baby spinach
  
• 2 cups of water
  

Smoothie #3

• 2 bananas
  
• 6-7 strawberries
  
• juice from 2 oranges
  
• 2 handfuls of romaine
  
• 1 cup of water
  

Smoothie #4

• Half a head of green leaf lettuce
  
• 2 bananas
  
• juice from 2 tangelos
  
• 1/2 a bag of frozen mangoes
  
• 1 pear
  
• 1 cup of water
  

Smoothie #5

• 6 ounces of orange juice
  
• 1 cup of pineapple
  
• 1/2 cup of coconut milk (this is the best if you get a Thai coconut and use the water and meat, but the canned stuff works too)
  
• 2 handfuls of romaine
  

Smoothie #6

• 1 stalk of celery
  
• 2 cups of blueberries
  
• 1 banana
  
• 2 cups of water
  

Smoothie #7

• 6 to 7 romaine leaves
  
• 1 cup of red grapes
  
• 1 medium orange (peeled, but whole, not juiced)
  
• 1 banana
  
• 2 cups of water
  

Smoothie #8

• 2 large grapefruits- juiced
  
• 6-7 frozen strawberries
  
• 1 cup of peaches
  
• 2 handfuls of lettuce
  

Smoothie #9

• 4 ripe pears
  
• 4-5 kale leaves
  
• 1/2 bunch of mint
  
• 2 cups of water
  
• (I would add sweetener on this one!)
  

Smoothie #10

• 2 bananas
  
• 2 large collard or chard leaves
  
• 1/2 pack of Trader Joes frozen "Mangolicious" blend (has frozen mango, raspberries, and blueberries in it)
  
• 1-2 cups of water or orange juice
  

**You can substitute water with any juice you like. The amount you put in depends upon the consistency you like. My kids like it thick like ice cream...I like it almost as thin as juice.

The possibilities are endless really. You can add greens to any of your usual smoothie favorites. It will change the color, but if you do it in a small amount, it shouldn't take away from the flavor much. You can substitute in these recipes for any greens you like. The greens we use the most are kale, collard greens, chard, spinach, romaine, and bok choy. I try to use the dark leafy greens that my kids won't eat on their own, cooked or otherwise. I sometimes also add ground flax or nuts/nut butter for added protein. Most of these recipes will yield a quart of green smoothies (32 oz). Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Holli W.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Other than wearing green so I wouldn't get pinched, I've never been big on celebrating St. Patrick's day.  My mom used to bake green bread and die our milk green and all that fun stuff, but thats about it.  I guess I just never really knew why we celebrated it in the first place.  Now that I have kids old enough to care, I'm big on holiday celebrations, so today I thought I'd find the real reason why we celebrate St. Patrick's Day (and since I'm not Catholic or a beer drinker, it might be a good idea).  Here's a few of the facts I found, so I'll pass them on to you.  You can go here or here or even here.  There's fun facts like the color of St. Patrick used to be blue not green (I personally think the green came from Ireland being so green...took a lot to figure that one out!) or that the shamrock was St. Patrick's way of teaching the people about the holy Trinity or that St. Patrick was said to have rid Ireland of all snakes (did you know that Ireland has NO snakes?), but really they think that the snakes meant Druids, who's symbol was the snake.  Anyhow, St. Patricks Day is (obviously) big in Ireland, but it seems that it came to the good ol' USA with the Irish settlers here.  I guess its a good thing I've got some Irish in me (I think) and that I like Ireland - I'd really LOVE to visit there some day and even though I can't understand 1/2 of what they say, I LOVE their accents! ;)

Alright, enough of the trivia and on with the food.  Of course I had to throw in some green food for the kids, but I wanted to make some good ol' Irish food.  I opted out of the Corned Beef & Cabbage because (gasp) I can't stand corned beef.  I know, I know.  My husband loves it, but everything about it just grosses me out.  Soooo, instead we had the following (oh and I didn't mention that we had green eggs for breakfast):

• Oven Baked Fish
• Colcannon - a traditional Irish potato dish.
• Pot O' Gold Jello - lemon (yellow) jello jigglers made in ice cube trays and stacked like gold bars.
• Irish Soda Bread
• Ginger Beer for my hubby (I can't stand the stuff).  It's not Irish, in fact its Caribbean, but the bottle was green and it gave us the feel for the Irish beer tradition without actually drinking beer...silly us!
• Sprite for the kiddies - those mini green cans were perfect!

For dessert we enjoyed:

• Shamrock Truffles from Bakerella of course!  I couldn't find Double Stuffed Mint Oreos, so I just used Mint Joe-Joes from Trader Joes and they turned out excellent!
• Leprechaun Pudding - Pistachio pudding topped with homemade whip cream.

I hope all of you had as tasty of a St. Patrick's day as we did!  

Baked Asparagus

Asparagus, like eggplant and okra, is one of those vegetables that, as a child, was never introduced in my home. I never really tried until I was married. They're also those types of vegetables that if cooked right is absolutely delicious, but when done wrong, are absolutely disgusting (hence the reason why they weren't introduced in my family growing up)! I've been on somewhat of an asparagus kick lately. It seems to me that asparagus can be pricey - when this is the case or when its not in season, I turn to T.J.'s frozens. Last night we had fresh asparagus...mm, mm, mm! Frozen tastes good baked, but there is certainly nothing like fresh! Its so much crunchier! So I encourage you to try asparagus if you haven't already...I dare you!

• Asparagus
• Olive Oil
• Salt (or garlic salt if you'd like)

Preheat oven to 400°.  Wash asparagus.  Cut tips of ends off (on the non-leafy/flowery side).  Place in a large ziplock bag.  Drizzle with olive oil until lightly coated.  Sprinkle in some salt to your liking.  Close bag and toss.  Dump asparagus onto a baking sheet.  Spread out, making sure none are on top of each other (they can touch, just don't pile them).  Bake for about 10-12 minutes until cooked through to your liking (I like it crunchier, which takes 10 minutes, if you like them softer, leave in longer).  I usually like to flip them over 1/2 way through.  Cool slightly and enjoy!

Julie R.

Yummy Sandwich

I have a plethora of fresh avocados right now....my in-laws brought me over a huge box of them off their tree.  They are the BEST avocados...seriously!  They're so rich and creamy and delicious!  So I've been trying to make more then just guacamole with them (although ain't nothin' like fresh guacamole!), so I came up with this delectable dish.  Wow was this sandwich good!

• 2 slices of bread, slightly toasted
• tomato, sliced & slightly salted
• avocado, sliced
• fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
• caramelized sweet onions

Slightly toast slices of bread.  Layer the tomatoes, avocados, mozzarella,  and onions atop one slice of bread.  Top layers with the remaining slice.  If your sandwich seems a little dry, you can drizzle a little olive oil over the layers.  Mmm...enjoy!

Thanksgiving: Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potato Casserole

I haven't tried this yet, but definitely plan to soon!  It comes from The Cooking Divas.  Lately I am just in love with sweet potatoes...mmm!

• 3 c. cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
  
• (about 2 large or 3 medium)
  
• 1 c. sugar
  
• 1/2 c. butter
  
• 2 eggs, beaten
  
• 1 tsp. vanilla
  
• 1/3 c. milk
  

Peel, slice and boil potatoes for 20-25 min. Mix other ingredients in a bowl. Drain potatoes and add to mixture, beat with mixer until smooth. Pour into lightly buttered 9x13 dish. Top with the following:

• 1/2 c. brown sugar
  
• 1/4 c. flour
  
• 1/4 c. butter, softened
  
• 1/2 c. chopped pecans
  

Cut brown sugar, butter and flour together until crumbly. Add pecans and sprinkle on top of potato mixture. Bake at 350 for 30 min.

Mashed Sweet and Russet Potatoes with Herbs

This comes from Martha Stewart.  I would have never thought to put sweet potatoes in with normal ones for a heavenly mashed potato combo!

• 4 garlic cloves (do not peel)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, pricked with a fork (about 1 pound total)
  
• 2 medium russet potatoes, pricked with a fork (about 1 pound total)
  
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus a sprig for garnish
  
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
  
• 1 3/4 teaspoons coarse salt
  
• Pinch of freshly ground pepper
  
• 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
  

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in center and lower thirds. Put garlic on a small piece of foil; drizzle with oil. Fold to form a packet, and crimp edges to seal. Place garlic packet and the potatoes on center rack; place a baking sheet on lower rack to catch the juices.

Bake, flipping halfway through, until the sweet potatoes are very tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 45 minutes. Remove sweet potatoes and garlic from oven; set aside. Continue to bake russet potatoes until very tender, about 15 minutes more. Remove from oven; let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

Peel potatoes. Pass through a ricer or a food mill into a medium bowl. Squeeze garlic from skins into bowl with potatoes. Stir in butter, parsley, sage, salt, and pepper. Stir in yogurt, and serve.

Serves 4.

Some other yummy looking Sweet Potato recipes:

• Mashed Sweet Potatoes (Martha Stewart)
  
• Butter-Pecan Sweet Potatoes (Martha Stewart)
  
• Sweet Potato Cannelloni (Martha Stewart)
  
• Oat-Topped Sweet Potatoes (Kraft)
  
• Baked Garlic Sweet Potatoes (Taste of Home)
  

Julie R.

AG, CA

Thanksgiving: Stuffed Mushrooms

• 12 ounces sausage
  
• 1 (8 ounce) pkg cream cheese
  
• 2 lbs fresh mushrooms
  
• 2-3 cups breadcrumbs

Brown sausage until cooked through. Remove from heat and drain fat. Stir in cream cheese. Wash and remove stems from mushrooms. Chop the stems and mix in with sausage mixture. Fill caps with mixture. Turn stuffed mushrooms upside-down and dip in breadcrumbs. Turn back right side up. Bake on baking sheet at 350° for 15 minutes.

Makes 40 medium stuffed mushrooms.

Julie R.

AG, CA

Ode to Carrots!

The other day my son surprised me by saying, "Mom, can you buy me some carrots?  I want to bring some for snack at school...Did you know that carrots make you see in the dark?"  Well, how can I say no to a healthy snack?  Since I've been a slacker cooker lately (or rather I've only really made things I've already posted), I'm having to go to my old archives of favorites.  So to commemorate a joyous occasion (of my son requesting a healthy snack), here's 2 carrot recipes totally worth trying!

Cumin and Orange-Glazed Carrots

I think this may have originated from Gourmet Magazine, but I'm not really sure.

• 3 navel oranges
  
• 4 lb medium carrots, peeled
  
• 3 1/2 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil
  
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  
• 1 3/4 cup water
  
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  
• 1 Tbsp sugar
  
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
  
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
  

Cut out round from parchment paper to fit just inside 12” heavy skillet, then set aside. Squeeze oranges until you get 1/2 cup juice. Cut 1” slices of carrots. Heat oil in skillet over moderate heat until hot, but not smoking, then add cumin seeds and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add carrots, water, orange juice, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cover carrots directly with parchment paper, then continue to simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. Remove parchment paper, then continue to simmer, stirring occasionally until most of liquid is evaporated and carrots are tender and glazed, about 20 minutes more. Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with chopped orange (this is optional).

Serves 10. (can 1/2 the recipe if desired)

Vintage Press Carrots

The Vintage Press is the fanciest restaurant in the town where my husband grew up. Occasionally they have cooking classes where they teach you how to cook a meal, then feed it to you and send you home with the recipes (a great thing!).  My mother-in-law went to one and obtained this recipe. It is really easy, yummy and creamy (can you tell yet that my family and I like creamy?).

• 1 lb carrots, peeled & cut
  
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
  
• salt & white pepper
  
• ground nutmeg
  
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
  

Cook carrots, drain. Combine ingredients in a blender. Serve immediately.

Julie R.

(Next time I make either of these I'll try to remember to take pictures)

Canning Tomatoes

We have tomatoes coming out of every direction and we can only eat so much salsa and tomatoes sandwiches, so I decided to can some.  In one day of picking (and mind you there was still PLENTY on the vine!), I got enough tomatoes for 1 batch.  I've always thought canning tomatoes would be difficult, but it really was easy!  This recipe is for 9 pints - I only made 7 because thats all that could fit in my canner.

• About 21 lbs whole tomatoes
• 7 quart size canning jars
• 7 lids and screw tops
• salt
• lemon juice or citric acid

To remove skins, wash tomatoes and dip in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until the skins begin to split. Then dip in cold water, slip off skins, core and remove any blemished or discolored parts. Leave whole or cut in half or quarters.

Heat water, for packing tomatoes, to a boil.
Add lemon juice (2 teaspoons each) or citric acid to canning jars along with 1/2 teaspoon salt to each quart jar, if desired. Pack hot jars with prepared tomatoes and fill with boiling water leaving ½-inch head space. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim and screw threads and adjust lids and screw bands.

Place jars in Water Bath Canner (be sure water is warm, but not too hot as to crack the jars).  Bring water to a boil.  When water starts boiling, leave in for 45 minutes.

After processing, remove jars immediately, place on a rack to cool or towel.  When cooled, test lids to make sure they are sealed (when you press down on them, if they pop, they did not seal and need to be refrigerated.  Sometimes if they are still warm, they will pop, so be sure to check after they've cooled enough).

For detailed picture instructions, check out Pick Your Own.

(recipe adapted from Canning Food Recipes)

Julie R.

AG, CA

Fresh Salsa

Our garden seems to have tomatoes growing in every direction, so today we decided to make some fresh salsa.  I didn't use a specific recipe and everything is pretty much "to taste," so you can make it to your liking.  Am I the only one who has a problem chopping cilantro?  Every time I do, my eyes tear all up and it kind of hinders my breathing - its worse then when I cut onions...am I just weird or is there someone else out there who has this problem, too?  Anyway, as I was making the salsa my son said "yuck, I hate salsa!"  When I was done, I was tasting it and he came over and said "mmm, that looks good."  He tried it, then took the bowl and bag of chips from me and scarfed it all down.  When he was done he said "that was so good I even drank the juice!"  It WAS good!

• Fresh tomatoes
• Sweet onion 
• Cilantro
• Garlic clove, minced
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Hot Sauce to taste (optional)

Chop tomatoes, onion, and cilantro;  place in a bowl (if you like juicy salsa like me, then include the tomato juice too).  Add minced garlic, salt and pepper.  If you'd like a little kick, add a few drops of hot sauce to taste.  Enjoy!

Julie R.

AG, CA

Sweet Potato Fries

I know I already posted today, but we had these for dinner tonight and they were SO good I just had to share the recipe with you!  My mom introduced them to me a few months ago, but this is the first time I actually made them.  Every time I eat them I just can't stop!  They're a great healthy alternative to real fries or potato chips.

(photo courtesy of veganfamilyfavorites.com)

• Sweet potatoes
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Any other seasoning you might want to add (pepper, rosemary, cinnamon, etc.)

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Slice sweet potatoes into 1/4" thick strips like fries (you can buy them already sliced at Trader Joe's).  Place sliced sweet potatoes in large ziplock bag.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Seal bag and toss until coated.  Pour in single layer onto cookie sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes, flip fries and bake for 10 more minutes.  Enjoy!

Tilapia, Potatoes and Zucchini

I'm not really a big fish eater, but I decided to try my hand at some Tilapia. Its healthy, easy to make, and delicious! I added Rosemary Potatoes and "fried" zucchini to complete tonight's dinner.

Lemon Garlic Tilapia

Honestly, I didn't actually  measure anything except the butter. Just have enough juice to generously cover all fillets-and sprinkle spices on top.

4 Tilapia fillets

3 tablespoons Fresh lemon Juice

1 Tablespoon melted butter

1 clove garlic (I didn't have any cloves-so i just used about 1 Tbsp garlic salt)

1 tsp dried  parsley flakes

pepper to taste

-Preheat oven to 375 F (middle rack). spray baking dish with pam.

-Place fillets in dish, pour lemon juice over fish, and butter on top of that. Sprinkle garlic, parsley and pepper.

-Bake until white and flakes when pulled with fork. Check every ten minutes for 30 mins. (it may be done in 10)

Rosemary Potatoes

9 red potatoes

Rosemary

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cube potatoes into small chunks. Lay on cookie sheet in a single layer. Cover lightly with E.V.O.O., flip over and drizzle again. generously sprinkle rosemary, salt and pepper on top.

Put pan in with fish (rack on top of) cook for about 30-45 minutes until soft. (move to middle when fish is done)

"Fried" Zucchini

1-2 large zucchini

Extra Virgin olive oil

Grated Parmesan Cheese

dried Oregano

Slice Zucchini Lengthwise into 1/5 inch slices.

Brush on E.V.O.O. and cover with cheese, flip over and repeat with more more cheese and lightly sprinkle with oregano.

Cook on sheet for about 10 minutes on each side @ 375F

(I made the potatoes and zucchini on the same sheet/the fish and zucchini were done at about the same time)

Carina d.

SLO town, Cali

Hearty Quesadillas

We had these tonight and they were oh so good.  There isn't really an actual recipe for this - you really can put in whatever you want.  In fact I threw in some zucchini (since I've got a plethera right now), which I had never done before.

• Flour tortillas
  
• Bell peppers, julienned
  
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Salt, to taste
• Mozzerella or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• Corn (fresh, canned, or frozen)
• 1 can black beans
• Lime juice
• Olive oil
• Cayenne pepper
• Can also add: onions, chicken, meat, zucchini, etc.

Heat oil in pan.  Add bell peppers (and onions and/or zucchini if you choose) and cook until soft.  Add garlic.  Add black beans, corn, lime juice, salt, and cayenne pepper (all to taste).  Simmer until heated through.  

Brush one side of tortilla with olive oil (or use olive oil spray) and place oil-side down on pan.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Put bean mixture on top of cheese.  Top with another oiled tortilla, facing oil-side up.  Cook until browned on each side and cheese has melted.

Julie R.

AG, CA

Tomatoes, Tomatoes, and More Tomatoes

My father-in-law has the most amazing garden where one of the many things that he grows are the tastiest tomatoes you'll ever have...they're so good that you can eat them like apples.  We don't live too close, so when we see him, he stocks us up with a BIG supply, so we've had to get creative on how to eat them so we don't waste them.  If you don't like tomatoes, then you haven't had a good one!  Here are 5 of our favorite tomato recipes thus far.

Fresh Tomatoes & Cheese on Bread

This is my husband's favorite midnight snack.  The picture doesn't quite do it justice.

• Slice of bread (we like Trader Joe's' par baked Artisan bread, but French bread will do as well)
• Fresh tomatoes, sliced
• Fresh Mozzarella log, sliced
• Olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Sea salt
• Fresh basil, optional

Place slice of bread on plate. Sprinkle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (or if you're like my husband, you might want to add the olive oil on top of the tomatoes instead).  Layer with tomato slices.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Layer with mozzarella slices.  If you'd like you can add a leaf or 2 of fresh basil.

Fresh Mozzarella Ball & Tomato Salad

• Fresh small Mozzarella balls, halved (or cubed fresh mozzarella log)
• Grape tomatoes, halved (or if you have Roma tomatoes from your garden, they're great sliced)
• Garlic salt, to taste
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste
• Olive oil, to taste
• Balsamic Vinegar, to taste
• Fresh basil, to taste

Mix all ingredients and serve.

Tomato Sandwich

I had one today and it was SO good!

• Bread, sliced
• Mayonnaise
• Mustard
• Fresh tomatoes, sliced
• Fresh mozzarella, sliced
• Avocado, sliced (optional)
• Fresh basil leaves (optional)
• Armenian cucumbers, sliced (optional, but gives a great crunch!)
• Sea salt
• Olive oil (optional)
• Balsamic vinegar (optional)

Spread mayonnaise and mustard on bread slices.  On one slice of bread, layer with sliced mozzarella.  If desired, layer with avocado, basil, and/or Armenian cucumber slices.  Layer with sliced tomatoes.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  If desired, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Top with remaining bread slice.  Eat with caution - it's delicious and messy!

Artichoke & Tomato Salad

• 1 can artichoke hearts in water, quartered
• Fresh tomatoes cut into bite size chunks
• Italian salad dressing

Mix all ingredients and enjoy!

Fried Green Tomatoes

These are great at the end of tomato season when the tomatoes just don't quite cut it.  Pick them before they turn red and they are delicious!  I had never heard of them before (just the movie), but my mother-in-law makes them and I could seriously eat an entire plate myself.

• Green tomatoes (unripe tomatoes), sliced
• Seasoned breadcrumbs
• Salt
• Pepper
• Eggs, beaten
• Cooking Oil (I prefer Olive Oil)

Mix breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper in pie dish (or any shallow dish).  In another shallow dish, beat eggs.  Warm up skillet with some oil.  Dip tomato slices in egg, then coat with breadcrumb mix.  Place in skillet.  Cook until both sides are golden brown and tomatoes have softened.  Serve warm.

Julie R.

AG, CA

Sneaky Lasagna

sneaky lasagna:
i snuck in some veggies you can't taste to make this nutritious and delicious!

sauce:

2 jars of cheap spaghetti sauce (hunt's, store brand, etc.)
1 can of diced tomatoes, or 1 cup of fresh diced tomatoes
half an onion (white or yellow)
3-5 peeled garlic cloves
1/8 cup olive oil
2 cups of well-steamed carrots (optional, but healthy!)
italian seasoning
fresh rosemary (snip a sprig, beat with back of knife blade to bruise and bring out flavor, then snip bits directly into sauce)

filling:

first layer:
1 2 lb. tub of ricotta cheese
1 ball of mozzarella cheese, grated (save some for topping)
1 cup of parmesean cheese
2 eggs
10-12 fresh basil leaves, snipped into small bits or strips

second layer (optional):

1 lb. ground beef, browned
1-2 cups of finely chopped zucchini (saute with beef)

1 package of oven-ready lasagna


start by preparing the sauce. in a pot, cover the bottom with a thin layer of olive oil. heat at medium temperature, then add finely chopped onion and garlic. saute until both ingredients are lightly browned. once browned, dump in the tomatoes. if using steamed carrots, puree with a little bit of the jar sauce, then add to the pot. add the rest of the sauce, then season to taste with italian seasoning. allow to simmer until the rest of the ingredients are prepared; add fresh rosemary before assembling lasagna.

for the cheese filling, combine ricotta, mozzarella, parmesean, eggs, and fresh basil leaves. stir and set aside.

for the meat layer, brown the beef, then add finely chopped zucchini. you can season the meat with italian seasoning for more flavor.

assembly: in a 9x13" pan, spoon enough sauce to coat the bottom of the pan. lay out a layer of the dry oven-ready noodles (4 overlapping covers the pan well), then cover with 1/2 of the cheese mixture. next, apply half of the meat and veggie layer over the cheese mixture, cover with 1/3 of the sauce. repeat noodles, cheese mixture, beef and veggie layer, and sauce. top with one last noodle layer, sauce, and then sprinkle the top with cheese. cover with a slightly tented piece of foil (to avoid cheese sticking to it) and bake at 375 degrees for one hour. to make it extra yummy, throw the pan in the broiler for 60 seconds at the end for bubbly cheese.