Monthly Archives: July 2011

July 31, 2011 · 2:07 pm

French Peach Pie

My friend Christie had posted a wonderfully yummy-looking picture of a peach pie on her blog. I inquired about it and she was more than happy to share. I like it because, as far as pies go, it’s pretty easy to make and it’s a great way to eat some of those yummy summer peaches. Also, it makes a great dessert and an even better breakfast the next day.

Ingredients:
Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar (or less)
7 T unsalted butter, melted

In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs (you can either buy the crumbs or just put whole graham crackers in the food processor), the sugar and the melted butter. Press firmly and up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish. Bake for seven minutes at 375 degrees. Let cool for about 15-20 minutes and then stick in the freezer to really cool it off.

Filling:
Slice 8 ripe peaches (I left skins on, but could remove)
1/2 c sugar (or less)
1/3 c flour
juice from a medium lemon
2 T butter, sliced thinly

Mix sliced peaches with sugar, flour, and lemon. Pour into cooled graham crust. Top filling with thinly sliced butter. Bake 35-40 minutes at 350, or until golden.

Did I change anything? I had to change the crust a little because I didn’t have the right kind of graham crackers. I also didn’t use as much sugar as the above recipe calls for in the crust, maybe half of that.

What did the family think? I knew when I was making this that I would be the only one eating it. No one in my house likes peaches. I know. They have no idea what they are missing.

Where did this recipe come from? my dear friend, Christie

photo from Christie

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Filed under After School Snacks, Breakfast, Desserts, Easy, Vegetarian

July 28, 2011 · 4:21 pm

Make-Ahead Burritos

You can make these in the morning or the night before you need them and just pop them in the oven when you are ready to eat. (These might be a staple in our house when school, sports, violin lessons, etc., etc. start back up again.) You could also just assemble them, put them in the oven and eat them right away.

Ingredients:
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 jar (16 ounces) salsa
1 can (16 ounces) refried beans
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies, drained
1 envelope burrito seasoning
1/2 cup water
16 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
16 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, cook the meat until done.

Next, add, salsa, beans, chilies, seasoning and water. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until heated through.

Spoon about 1/3 cup off-center on each tortilla; top with a little cheese (however much you want). Fold edge of tortilla nearest filling over to cover. Fold ends of tortilla over filling and roll up.

Place in large casserole dish. Top with cheese.

Either bake them right away for about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted or cover them with aluminum foil and put them in the frig for later. If saving them for later, when you are ready to cook them, bake them for about 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and they are heated through. Remove the aluminum foil first.

Did I change anything? I left out the water. I didn’t do it on purpose, but I think they would had been too watery if I had added the water. I didn’t use shredded meat, I just used ground turkey. Also, the original recipe didn’t call for cheese on top. The more cheese, the happier I am, so I added it.

What did the family think? Hubby and I really liked them and we are going to have them for leftovers tonight. The kids weren’t too thrilled with them. They did eat a little, but it definitely wasn’t their favorite.

Where did this recipe come from? Taste of Home

photo from Taste of Home

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Filed under Mexican

July 27, 2011 · 3:24 pm

Green Beans in Tomato Vinaigrette

I made these in the morning and let them marinate all day on the counter. They were SO good and went really well with the herbed chicken kabobs we had with them.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 lb. green beans, washed and trimmed
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 large garlic clove, minced
6 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. each minced fresh basil and flat-leaf parsley
Salt to taste
1 lb. plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup minced red onion

Instructions:
Boil the beans for 5 minutes, then rinse quickly in cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well.

In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar, mustard and garlic. Gradually whisk in the oil. Add the herbs and salt, whisking thoroughly. Add the vegetables and toss everything together.

Let the beans marinate, unchilled, for at least 2 hours. Serve at room temperature. (If you prepare them earlier in the day, go ahead and chill them. Just make sure to take them out of the refrigerator at least 2 hours before dinner. They are not very tasty cold.)

Did I change anything? I left out the red onion. I didn’t use as many tomatoes because I didn’t have enough. I didn’t use parsley because I don’t like fresh parsley.

What did the family think? Hubby and I LOVED these. They were so good. Our oldest tried them, but was not impressed. I am not sure if our youngest tried them, but I am guessing he didn’t.

Where did this recipe come from? Family Fun

photo from Epicurious

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Make Ahead of Time, Salad, Side Dish, Vegetarian

July 26, 2011 · 10:30 am

Raspberry-Topped Lemon Muffins

These just scream summer and they are so incredibly delicious that you should probably just go make them right now. Seriously. Go.

Ingredients:

1 1/8 cups sugar, divided
4 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel (from two large lemons)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 1/2-pint containers (about) fresh raspberries

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.

Line 14 standard muffin cups with paper liners.

Mash 1/8 cup sugar and lemon peel in small bowl until sugar is slightly moist.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat remaining 1 cup sugar and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in egg. Beat in buttermilk, then vanilla and lemon sugar. Beat in flour mixture.

Divide batter among muffin cups. Top each large muffin with 3 or 4 raspberries.

Bake muffins until lightly browned on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Did I change anything? I left a few without raspberries just in case someone decided they were opposed to raspberries on their muffins.

What did the family think? Thumbs up from everyone!

Where did the recipe come from? Smitten Kitchen

photo from Nom and Glug

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Filed under After School Snacks, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Everybody Ate It, Vegetarian

July 25, 2011 · 9:38 am

Corn, Avocado and Tomato Salad

This salad is so bright and summery. It’s beautiful on the plate and it tastes great, too.

Instructions:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 5 ears)
1 1/2 cups diced avocado (1/2-inch pieces)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup finely diced red onion

Instructions:
In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper.

Add the corn, avocado, tomatoes, and onion and toss to mix. Serve at room temperature.

Did I change anything? I didn’t use fresh corn. I used canned corn. I know, I know. I should have used fresh, but I knew it would be way faster if I just used canned. I also used way, way, way less red onion than this recipe calls for.

What did the family think? Note to self: Hubby does not like canned corn in any dish ever. I thought the salad was awesome. It was so summery and it went perfectly with the salmon we had with it.

Where did this recipe come from? Family Fun

photo from Family Fun

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Salad, Side Dish, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

July 23, 2011 · 3:49 pm

Heirloom Tomato Sandwich

I wait every year for JUST the right time to make these. It’s a small window, but it is worth the wait every time.

Ingredients:
1 heirloom tomato
2 pieces of good quality sandwich bread, toasted
Mayonnaise
Salt, optional

Instructions:
Slice the tomato into thick slices.

Spread mayo on the toast.

Put about two tomato slices on the toast. Sprinkle with salt if you’d like.

Assemble your sandwich and eat. Enjoy!

What did the family think? I am the only one who eats these. They just don’t know what they’re missing which is fine with me because I wouldn’t want to share anyways.

Where did the recipe come from? My dad used to eat tomato sandwiches all the time with TONS of mayo.

photo from Skippy’s Vegetable Garden

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Sandwich, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

July 21, 2011 · 10:27 am

LeeAnn and Alton’s Mac and Cheese

We are always willing to try a new mac and cheese recipe and this one did not disappoint. The best part was that my 9-year old made it almost entirely by himself.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
6 ounces evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
8 to 10 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

Instructions:
In a large pot cook the pasta to al dente and drain. Melt the butter in the pot and return pasta to the pot. Toss to coat.

In the meantime whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and mustard. Mix into the pasta. Add the cheese and stir over low heat until melted and creamy.

We had this with rotisserie chicken and some cantaloupe.

What did the family think? We’ve never met a mac and cheese we didn’t like.

Where did this recipe come from? I got it from LeeAnn. She got it from Alton.

photo from LeeAnn

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Lent, Side Dish, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

July 20, 2011 · 9:44 am

Blueberry Yogurt Multigrain Pancakes

We had these for dinner last night with some eggs, breakfast sausage and some blueberries. Yum!

Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1 cup plain, full-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons butter, plus extra for buttering skillet
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup barley or rye flour (I bought some rye flour in the bulk food section for ten cents.)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 cup blueberries, rinsed and dried

Instructions:
Melt half of butter. Remove from heat and stir in second tablespoon of butter until melted. This keeps your butter from being too hot when you next want to add it to the wet ingredients.

Whisk egg and yogurt together in the bottom of a medium/large bowl. Whisk in melted butter, zest and vanilla extract.

In a separate, small bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Stir dry ingredients into wet only until dry ingredients are moistened. A few remaining lumps is fine.

Preheat your oven to 200°F and have a baking sheet ready (to keep pancakes warm).

Heat your skillet or saute pan to medium.

Melt a pat of butter in the bottom and ladle a scant 1/4 cup (about 3 tablespoons) batter at a time, leaving at space between each pancake. Press a few berries into the top of each pancake.

When the pancakes are dry around the edges and you can see bubbles forming on the top, about 3 to 4 minutes, flip them and cook for another 3 minutes, until golden underneath. If pancakes begin cooking too quickly, lower the heat. Transfer pancakes to warm oven as they are done cooking, where you can leave them there until you’re ready to serve them.

Did I change anything? Some of us wanted blueberries in our pancakes and some of us didn’t. So I left out the blueberries in some of them. Next time I think I might try blueberry yogurt instead of plain yogurt though to make it even more blueberryish.

What did the family think? There were no leftovers.

Where did this recipe come from? Smitten Kitchen

photo from Smitten Kitchen

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Filed under After School Snacks, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Lent, Vegetarian

July 19, 2011 · 10:01 am

Pepperoni, Roasted Red Pepper and Spinach Pasta Bake

This makes A LOT of pasta. It’s a great dish if you want to have leftovers for lunch and would also be a great dish to make if you are taking dinner to someone.

Ingredients:
1 lb. penne pasta
2 jars pasta sauce
1 cup pepperoni, chopped
1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
1 cup spinach, chopped and sauteed
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup basil
2-3 cups fresh mozzarella, cubed, divided
1 cup Parmesan, divided
Cooking spray

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Cook pasta until al dente. Heat sauce in a medium saucepan.

Saute spinach in olive oil over medium heat.

In a large mixing bowl combine cooked pasta, pasta sauce, pepperoni, red peppers, spinach, basil, 1/2 of the mozzarella and 1/2 of the Parmesan. Stir well.

Spray a 3-4 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Spread pasta mixture in the baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over pasta.

Bake, uncovered for about 15 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

We had this with salad and grapes.

What did the family think? Everyone loved it and it’s a good thing because they’ll be eating it for lunch today, too.

Where did this recipe come from? Food Network Magazine, March 2011

Photo by Me

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Pork

July 18, 2011 · 9:47 am

Cherry Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake

Right now is the BEST time to make this. It is cherry season and this dessert shows them off perfectly.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
1/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
3 cups whole pitted fresh Bing cherries or other dark sweet cherries (without the pits)
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal (preferably stone-ground medium grind)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, separated
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Instructions:
Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F.

Combine 1/4 cup butter with brown sugar and vinegar in 10- to 11-inch ovenproof skillet with 2-inch-high sides. Stir over medium heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Increase heat to high; add cherries and bring to boil. Remove from heat.

Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend.

Using electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter in large bowl. Add sugar; beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla.

Add flour mixture alternately with milk in 2 additions each, beating just until blended and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl.

Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another medium bowl until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat until whites are stiff but not dry. Using rubber spatula, fold 1/4 of whites into batter to lighten slightly. Fold in remaining whites in 3 additions (batter will be thick). Spoon batter over cherries in skillet, then spread evenly with offset spatula to cover cherries.

Bake cake until top is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool in skillet on rack 5 minutes. Run spatula around edges of cake to loosen. Place large serving platter upside down atop skillet. Using pot holders or oven mitts, firmly hold platter and skillet together and invert. Leave skillet atop cake 5 minutes. Remove skillet. If necessary, rearrange any cherries that may have become dislodged. Let cake cool at least 45 minutes. Cut cake into wedges and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Did I change anything? I started to beat the egg whites and then realized it was taking way too much time (I needed to get dinner in the oven, too.) so I just stirred them in. The cake turned out just fine. Also, I let the cake cool for about five minutes when it was done and flipped it over. It came right out and there was no need to leave the skillet there for five minutes. I did have to scrape a little of the cherries out of the pan and put them back on the cake.

What did the family think? Only two of us have had some so far and we both thought it was fabulous. Last night we had it with ice cream and then we had some for breakfast this morning. (Don’t judge…it’s got fruit in it.) 🙂

Where did this recipe come from? I got it from Smitten Kitchen and she got it from Bon Appetit.

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Vegetarian