Grilled Vegetable Cous Cous with Goat Cheese and Lemon May 24, 2012

You have to make this dish the summer!  It would be fabulous for any bbq or picnic!  Got this out of Cuisine at Home – Thanks again Andrea! 

Perfect for summer !

For Vegetable Toss

• 3 cups sliced zucchini
• 1 lb asparagus, trimmed
• 1 red onion, small and cut inot 1/2 inch thick slices
• 1 red pepper, sliced into chunks
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt & pepper
• for the couscous
• 1 (10 ounce) instant couscous
• 1 tablespoon minced lemon zest

Whisk

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups cherries or 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup parsley, fresh & chopped
• 1/4 cup scallion, chopped
• 3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Directions:

1. Preheat grill to medium-highl Brush grill grate with oil.
2. For the Vegetable, toss:.
3. zucchini, asparagus and onion and red pepper with 2 T. oil;season with salt & pepper. Grill vegetables covered, until charred 5 – 6 minutes. Chop vegetables and onion into bite sized pieces. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and steam 10 minutes.
4. For Couscous:.
5. Cook couscous according to package directions with zest added; set aside.
6. Whisk:.
7. Lemon juice and 1 T. oil in a large bowl. Add couscous, grilled vegetables, tomatoes, parsley, and scallions; season with salt & black pepper. Top couscous with goat cheese.

Brown Rice Mushroom Casserole February 7, 2012

This was the second rice dish from a blog on my google reader that did NOT dissapoint!  It tasted like a creamy marsala rice, so yummy.  My absolute favorite is her Garlic Rice which I probably have made 25 times this year, no joke!  It is on my blog too! 

Ingredients:
2 tsp. olive oil
1 lb. brown mushrooms, cleaned and coarsely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups cooked brown rice, at room temperature
2 large eggs
1 cup cottage cheese (reduced fat is fine)
½ cup sour cream (reduced fat is fine)
½ tsp. coarse salt
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Minced fresh herbs, for garnish (optional), such as chives, parsley, etc.

Directions: 
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Lightly grease a 2 quart baking dish.  In a large skillet over medium heat sauté the mushrooms in the olive oil, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released most of their liquid, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the onions to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and tender, about 4-5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Remove from the heat.  Add the rice to the skillet and stir to combine.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, and salt until smooth.  Add in the rice mixture and stir gently until well blended.  Sprinkle most of the Parmesan over the top, reserving a bit for finishing.  Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for 20-30 minutes more, until the top is lightly browned.  Top with remaining Parmesan and fresh herbs, if desired.

Twice Stuffed Sweet Potatoes November 30, 2011

Hope everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving… boy did that fly by!!  Here is a recipe for twice stuffed sweet potatoes – when these were cooking in the oven, they just filled the house with the smells of thanksgiving… so good and so different!!  Here are 2 cute pics of Max and Olivia!

• 2 sweet potatoes, scrubbed 
• 4 Tbs unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs, still somewhat chunky
• 4 tsp chopped fresh sage, divided
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cupitalian cheese mix
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 Tbs  Greek yogurt
• pinch cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Pierce the sweet potatoes a few times with a fork, and place on a baking sheet.  Cook 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until they are cooked through and tender to the touch.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool until they are cool enough to handle.

Cut each potato in half lengthwise, and carefully scoop out the filling and add to a medium bowl.  You don’t want to scoop out all of it, since the skins are pretty thin, but aim to scoop out 90% or so. 

In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat, whisking constantly.  When it reaches a deep golden-brown color and has dark brown specks in it, remove from heat immediately.

In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons of the butter, 2 teaspoons of the sage, 2 tablespoons of sage, and salt and pepper to taste. 

Using a fork, mash the sweet potato filling until it’s smooth.  Add the remaining brown butter, sage, Gruyere, the maple syrup, cayenne, and Greek yogurt.  Mix well to combine.  Divide the filling among the potato skins.  Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the potatoes.

Return to the oven and cook about 15 minutes, or until the filling is heated through and the breadcrumbs are turning light golden-brown.  Serve.

Toasted Quinoa Salad August 1, 2011

Me and Mike bought some Quinoa at Trader Joe’s , and I was looking for a recipe to make for a while, and this one popped up on my google reader!  It was a perfect Friday night dinner served with some red pepper and artichoke foccacia we got down the Strip District!  Yum!

Ingredients

For the salad:
1 1/2 cups quinoa
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears)
1 cup diced (1/2 inch) cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup thin-sliced (1/4 inch) scallions (white and green parts)

For the dressing:
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh lime juice, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded jalapeno pepper, plus more to taste
1 garlic clove, grated
1 teaspoon coarse salt

For the garnish:
1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and diced (1/2 inch)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water for at least 45 seconds. Shake the strainer to remove as much water as possible.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the rinsed quinoa and cook, stirring, over medium heat until it is light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add 2 cups water to the quinoa, and bring to a boil. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is translucent, 18 to 20 minutes.

Let stand, uncovered, until cool, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the dressing: sprinkle the cumin in a small skillet and toast over medium heat, stirring, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. When the skillet is cool to the touch, add the oil, lime juice, jalapeno, garlic and salt. Transfer to a large bowl, and whisk to blend.

Add the cooled quinoa, corn, tomatoes and scallions to the dressing, and toss to blend.

Spoon the salad onto a large platter, and garnish with the avocado and cilantro

Watermelon,Tomato, Feta Salad with Basil Olive Oil August 1, 2011

Mike said this was one of the best salad’s he has ever eaten!  This was perfect on a day that was oooo about 102 degrees, and when you walked outside it felt like you were walking INTO a grill.  It was soo refreshing and cooled you down , even if just one degree!  So simple!

1/2 small Watermelon – cut in cubes

Pint of Grape Tomatoes

1/2 brick of Feta – cut in cubes

handful of basil, chiffonade

couple tablespoons of olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in large salad bowl – Toss and serve!

Garlic Rice Pilaf August 1, 2011

I starred this recipe as soon as it came up on my google reader, and it did not dissapoint!  So much better for you than those boxed brands that are full of salt!

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 cup long-grain white rice
2½ cups chicken broth, divided
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
Squeeze of lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375° F.  Have ready a covered casserole dish.  In a saucepan or skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and rice to the pan and cook until both are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes.  Stir in 1 cup of the chicken broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Pour the mixture into the casserole dish, cover, and bake for 25 minutes.  Stir in the remaining 1½ cups chicken broth and bake, covered, for another 45 minutes.  About 15 minutes before it is finished baking, stir in a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Bacon and Sweet Corn Pasta July 5, 2011

This was PERFECT as a great mid-summer side dish for our 4th of July cookout!  It was so different from your run of the mill pasta salad – I will definitely be making this again!  From Cuisine at Home

8 oz campanelle cooked

4 strips of bacon – cooked and chopped

1.5 cups chopped zucchini

1 and 1/4 cups fresh corn kernels

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup chopped basil

1/4 cups pine nuts

Salt and pepper to taste.

Cook bacon in large skillet – transfer when crisp, then saute’ zucchini and corn in drippings until tender.  Add Pasta.  Stir in bacon, cream, basil, and pine nuts.  Add reserved pasta water to loosen sauce.  Season with salt and pepper.

 

Green Bean & Potato Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette July 5, 2011

This was the perfect substitute for your regular old potato salad ( which I really don’t like!)  So easy , and sooo good!

From Cuisine at Home!

For Vinaigrette whisk:

1/2 cup EVOO

1/4 cup white wine

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

3 tbsp dijon mustard

2 tbsp minced shallots

2 tsp minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

 

For the salad:

3 lb red potatoes – cooked

1 lb green beans – cooked

6 strips bacon , cooked and diced

1/2 cup chopped scallions

Combine all in large bowl, pouring the vinaigrette over salad and toss – season with the salt and pepper.

Cilantro Noodles April 6, 2011

I got this recipe from Cuisine at Home  – it was a very fast, very quick dish that I served along marinated teriyaki grilled chicken … would be perfect for the summer, so quick and easy!

Cilantro Noodles
Adapted from Cuisine at Home

3 packages ramen noodles (3 ounces each)
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped scallions
2 Tablespoons minced shallots
2 Tablespoons low-sodium teriyaki sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Blanch noodles in boiling water in a medium pot, 3 minutes.  Drain noodles and rinse under cold water.  Use a salad spinner to remove excess water.

Heat canola oil and sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high.  Add shallots and saute until softened, about 1-2 minutes (do not burn).

Deglaze skillet with soy sauce, then add noodles, tossing to combine.  Season noodles with salt; stir in cilantro right before serving.

Mexican Sour Cream Rice August 4, 2010

This was the PERFECT side dish at our Cinco De Mayo party!  So delicious!

1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 (8.75 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
salt and ground black pepper to taste
In a large pot, bring the rice and chicken broth to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish.
In the pot with the cooked rice, mix the sour cream, green chile peppers, 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, corn, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish, and top with remaining cheese.
Bake uncovered 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.