Greek Orzo Salad

I love the Greek flavor profile and always need my fix regularly. Luckily a few weeks ago our local Greek Orthodox church had a festival which I attended to get us food two days in a row. Last week, I decided it was again time to ind luge in some classic Greek flavors so I threw together this orzo salad. I always love how the perfect bite has all different tastes and textures. The cool cucumber with the juicy tomato, the saltiness from the olives and the creaminess from the Feta cheese!! John and I had it for dinner with some grilled shrimp and chicken which made for a light and summery dinner. It also would be great as a side dish for a BBQ with your burgers and dogs.

Ingredients:
1/2 Box Orzo (About 1 1/4 cups)
1 Large Red Pepper - Diced
1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes - Halved
1 Large Cucumber - Peeled, Seeded & Diced
1 Cup Kalamata Olives - Pitted & Halved
12 oz Reduced Fat Crumbled Feta Cheese
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Minced Fresh Oregano
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Pepper

Adapted from www.food.com - Christine's Yellow Kitchen

Start by bringing a pot of salted water up to a boil for the orzo and cook it according to the package. Drain the pasta and let it cool. While the pasta is cooking and cooling you can prep your veggies. Peel, seed and dice your cucumber, dice your tomatoes and dice up your peppers. The olives I bought were already pitted and sliced, I rinsed them off a bit so they wouldn't be overly salty. Put all of the vegetables in a very large bowl. Set aside.

Now it's time to make your dressing for the salad which is just a basic red wine vinaigrette. In a small bowl combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. If you don't have fresh oregano on hand it is perfectly fine to use dried oregano instead, use 3/4 Tsp. Set aside.

Once the pasta has cooled completely add it to the big bowl of vegetables and stir to combine. Pour the vinaigrette over top and toss so that it has covered everything completely. Allow the salad to sit in the in the fridge for a few hours before serving. Since we had this for dinner with grilled shrimp and chicken we just topped our bowls with the crumbled feta cheese before we ate but if I was serving this as a salad I would mix in the feta right before serving and leave a little to sprinkle on the top.

Enjoy!!

Linked at: http://www.thecountrycook.net/

Carrot Slaw with Citrus Vinaigrette

 

I lack creativity when it comes to making side dishes, always concentrating on the main menu item and serving it with one of my usual starch or rice dishes. This carrot slaw came out of no where and I'm sure glad I stumbled upon it. I served it alongside a sandwich filled with my favorite avocado based chicken salad. This carrot slaw turned out to be light and summery just like our entree. The carrots are crisp, the craisins sweet, the pecans crunchy and the vinaigrette is bright. This slaw could also work well as a salad for a BBQ picnic you would just have to double or triple the recipe.

Ingredients for Slaw:

1/2 lb Carrots - Shredded

2/3 Cup Craisins

1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts

Ingredients for Citrus Vinaigrette:

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Honey

3 Tbsp Orange Juice

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 Tsp Lemon Zest

1/8 Tsp Pepper

1/4 Tsp Salt

Garnish with a few Tbsp of fresh chives

Adapted from: http://www.onceuponachef.com/

In a medium sized bowl whisk together the ingredients for the citrus vinaigrette (Olive oil, honey, orange juice, lemon juice, lemon zest, slat & pepper)

I had a bag of baby carrots that needed to be used so I tossed them in my food processor using the shredding tool. You can also buy carrots that are shredded.or full size carrots to peel and shred yourself. Add your carrots, craisins and pecans to the bowl with the vinaigrette.

Mix everything together well so that the vinaigrette has dressed all of the slaw. Allow to sit in the fridge for a few hours so the vinaigrette has some time to soak into the carrots and craisins. Top with some fresh chives and serve immediately as a side with your favorite summer sandwich or at your next BBQ.

Enjoy!!

Linked at: http://www.thecountrycook.net/

Parmesan Asparagus Breadsticks

It's finally springtime here in New Jersey and asparagus are a great vegetable to use during this beautiful season. These Parmesan Asparagus Breadsticks were a big hit at our Easter dinner as an appetizer plus they were super easy to make. If you are planning on making brunch for Mother's Day be sure to add these to your menu, I promise they won't disappoint. 

Spring is such a nice season especially after having a terrible winter. It makes me so happy to hear the little birds chirping outside our windows. I love watching the flowers bloom a little more everyday making our neighborhood look colorful and alive. Plus taking Owen to the park to go on the swings when the sun is out is so much fun!!

Ingredients:

1 Sheet Seamless Pillsbury Dough

24 Asparagus - Medium thickness
2-3 oz Reduced Fat Cream Cheese - Softened
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese - Grated

Adapted from: www.tasteofhome.com

Start by preheating your oven  to 400 F. Wash and cut the bottoms off of your asparagus. It is important when you are buying your asparagus to find stalks that are medium size in thickness. Really skinny stalks will burn or not be able to hold the dough.

 On a lightly floured surface, roll your dough out until it's about 1/4 inch in thickness trying to keep the rectangular shape as much as possible. When you've reached the desired size spread the cream cheese over the dough, this will be the easiest if the cream cheese has had some time out on the counter to soften. You do not need to leave a border so make sure you have a thin layer over the entire surface.

 Using a pizza cutter slice your dough into thin strips about a 1/2 inch in thickness should be fine, not all my slices were the same but it won't really matter. If you end up with some dough strips that are thicker than others just put them on thicker asparagus'.

Take each dough strip and wrap the asparagus starting from the bottom and swirling it all the way to the top, you can stretch the dough a bit if you need more height. Place the wrapped asparagus with the end of the dough side down on a nonstick baking tray or one that has been sprayed with Pam or has a piece of parchment paper. Make sure they are at least an inch or so apart since the dough will rise a bit you don't want them to stick together.

Using a fork whip the egg in a small bowl. Coat the asparagus breadsticks with the egg wash using a brush, making sure to get some egg over both the dough and the asparagus.

 Using a spoon sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over top of the asparagus breadsticks, this was messy for me and the cheese that wasn't on anything ended up burning so try your best to keep it on the asparagus and not the tray. Bake 10-12 minutes until the asparagus has softened and the dough has browned a bit. Serve immediately if possible or make them ahead of time and reheat them in an oven at 325 for 5 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Linked at: http://www.thecountrycook.net/

Sweet Potato Casserole & Happy Thanksgiving

I will be enjoying Thanksgiving tomorrow at my house with 17 people in my family.  Luckily for me my four daughters will be helping with the sides dishes and desserts.  My mom is here from Florida so she has been helping me all day getting the tables set, polishing the silver, and cleaning up everything as I cook. There is nothing better than a helper on a day like today. This recipe has been a family favorite for many years.  The pecan topping makes the sweet potato casserole so delicious you could almost eat this for dessert.  I hope every one has a very Happy Thanksgiving Day!      

Ingredients:
3 cups cooked, peeled sweet potatoes
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) softened
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

Topping:
1 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel sweet potatoes.

Mix sugar, butter, milk, vanilla and eggs with sweet potatoes in stand mixer. Pour into a greased casserole dish.

Mix topping together by cutting semi-soft butter into chunks and then cutting into mixture with a fork or a fork and knife. Sprinkle on top of sweet potatoes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. This can be made a day ahead of time and warmed up in the oven or microwave the next day.

Enjoy!!



Linked at: http://www.thecountrycook.net/

Pan Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

Brussel Sprouts have been given a bad rap and are an under used vegetable in my opinion. People tend to shy away from them but they can be made tender and delicious with minimal effort and ingredients. If you are looking for a side dish that isn't a casserole and doesn't require space in your oven on Thanksgiving day these Pan Roasted Brussel Sprouts may be for you. They have a sweet flavor from the caramelization that occurs as they roast in the salty bacon drippings...Yum!! Pan-Roasted Brussel Sprouts as well as Brussel Sprout Salad with Pancetta and Craisins are both easily prepared on the stove and could be made right before your turkey is served next Thursday.

Ingredients:

2 lbs Brussel Sprouts

4 Pieces Low Sodium Bacon

1/2 Cup Yellow Onion - Thinly Sliced

S&P

Adapted from: http://www.kneadforfood.com/

To prepare your sprouts you want to slice off the bottom stem area which was connected to the stalk and take off the two outer leaves, then wash and slice them in half.  

Slice each strip of bacon into 3-4 pieces. In a large pan over medium heat cook your bacon until crispy. When it is done take out the bacon and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pan.

Put all of your brussel sprouts cut side down into the hot pan. Put the top of the pan on so the brussel sprouts steam and cook evenly as they caramelize for about 7 minutes.

Add the onion slices and put the top back on to steam for another 2-3 minutes. Once everything is cooked through stir back in the crispy bacon slices and allow the onion to caramelize as well. Serve immediately.  

Enjoy!!, 

Linked at: http://www.thejennyevolution.com, http://www.happyandblessedhome.com/, http://www.notyourordinaryrecipes.com/, http://www.thecountrycook.net/, http://www.whatscookingwithruthie.com/, http://www.mandysrecipebox.blogspot.com/, http://insidebrucrewlife.com/, http://www.chef-in-training.com/, http://www.nap-timecreations.com/ http://momstestkitchen.com/, http://thenymelrosefamily.com/, http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/, http://www.mostlyhomemademom.com/, http://www.lifewiththecrustcutoff.com, http://www.ladybehindthecurtain.com/, http://www.housewivesofriverton.com/, http://www.ducksnarow.com/, 

Apple, Sausage and Leek Multi-Grain Stuffing

Since the beginning of the holiday season is upon I wanted to share this recipes before everyone makes their Thanksgiving day menus. This stuffing is amazing and basically could be the only side you need on Turkey day because it is loaded with all the traditional Thanksgiving foods. The apples and cranberries give it a sweet tart flavor while the multi-grain bread and fresh sage make it earthy. It is moist while still being able to have a nice crunch from the toasted bread. Our past Thanksgivings we have always served Stove Top, one  made with sausage and one plain but if meat in your stuffing is not for you, you can always just leave it out. If you are still using Stove Top Stuffing for Thanksgiving I urge you to try making a homemade version instead. I actually made this stuffing for last years Thanksgiving and it was the 1st time we didn't have Stove Top at our table. I promise you, your family will love it and you will never go back to the carton or the boxed stuff. 

  Thanksgiving happens to be my favorite holiday and it bothers me that the American people have no problem skipping right over it and concentrating on Christmas. I proudly took out our turkey decorations yesterday and will keep celebrating Thanksgiving and autumn until December 1st!!

Ingredients:
6 Medium Braeburn or Macoun Apples - Peeled & Cubed
12 Slices 12 grain bread - Cut into 1/2 in cubes
1 lb Sweet Italian Sausage - Casings removed & crumbled
3 Leeks - Halved & Thinly Sliced
6 Celery Stalks - Diced
1 1/2 Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
5oz Craisins
10 Fresh Sage Leaves
1 1/2 Stick Unsalted Butter
1 Tbsp Honey
1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp Thyme
1  Tbsp Rosemary
S&P

Adapted from Food Network Magazine November 2012

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Slice up all of your bread, I made 3 slices across and then 4 down to make 1/2 cubes. In an effort to save time I toasted the bread in two separate pans at the same time. Melt 2 Tbsp of butter in each skillet over medium-low heat, put in the bread and toss to coat. Transfer them to a baking tray making sure to make a single layer.

Peel, core and dice up your apples. In the same skillet you used for the bread, melt another Tbsp of butter over medium-high heat. Add the apples and cook stirring until slightly tender 4-5 minutes. Stir in the honey and apple cider vinegar, then transfer to a large bowl to cool.

Finish toasting your bread in the oven about 8 minute, I gave the pan a shake about half way through. On another baking tray arrange your sausage and bake them as well. They will need 12 minutes if you leave them whole and dice them up afterwards or 8-10 minutes if you take the casing off and crumble them up. When both are finish add them to the bowl with the apples. Then add your sage & thyme.

Using only the white and light green parts of the leek slice them in half and then thinly slice them into strips. Make sure you soak them for a few minutes before you cook them to get all the grit out, then dice up your celery. There is a lot of veggies so you may need to go back to your two pans or cook it in two shifts. In your apple skillet, melt another Tbsp of butter over medium heat and add the two vegetables. Add about 2 Tbsp of water and season with salt & pepper. Cook until they are translucent about 8-10 minutes, then transfer to the bowl with the apples, bread, sausage and spices.

Add your craisins and toss everything together. It is important to taste your stuffing while it is warm to get a sense of the seasonings and flavors that way you can adjust if need be. I think I ended up adding some more thyme and salt but you be the judge. Add 1 cup of chicken stock to the bowl and toss again.

Reduce the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with a Tbsp of butter and transfer the mixture to the dish. Cut 3 Tbsp of butter up into cubes and spread them out over top of the stuffing to melt as it bakes. Cover it with foil and bake 40 minutes, then uncover and continue to bake until golden brown about 40 more minutes. I prepared this the day before so I only cooked it with the foil off for 20 minutes and then on Thanksgiving it took about 30 minutes to heat through. Pour the extra 1/2 cup of chicken stock over top before reheating on the day of to make sure it is nice and moist.

 Enjoy!!

Linked at: http://www.callmepmc.com/, http://www.whatscookingwithruthie.com/, http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com, http://www.flourmewithlove.com/, http://www.mandysrecipebox.blogspot.com/, http://insidebrucrewlife.com/,  www.foodiefriendsfriday.com   http://www.nap-timecreations.com/, http://momstestkitchen.com/, http://www.ducksnarow.com/, http://thenymelrosefamily.com, http://www.mostlyhomemademom.com/, http://www.bunsinmyoven.com, http://www.lifewiththecrustcutoff.com, http://www.housewivesofriverton.com/, http://www.thejennyevolution.com/, http://www.notyourordinaryrecipes.com/, http://www.happyandblessedhome.com, http://www.mandatorymooch.blogspot.com/, http://www.posedperfection.com/, http://www.mizhelenscountrycottage.blogspot.com/, http://www.thecountrycook.net/

Autumn Panzanella with Cranberry Vinaigrette

This salad features all of the delicious autumn fruits and vegetables everyone loves this time of year. The combination of roasted butternut squash, apple, sweet potato and cranberry make the perfect blend of fall flavors with warm toasty bread and crisp peppery arugula. I've made two other versions of Panzanella both with summer vegetables - Greek Panzanella Salad & Asparagus & Pea Panzanella. This version of Panzanella in my opinion is the best one yet. John was away for the weekend in Pennsylvania on his annual paint ball trip so I made this for myself while Owen was napping and ended up having it for both lunch and dinner. 

Ingredients for Panzanella:
1/2 Loaf (3-4 Thick Slices) Multigrain Bread - Cubed
2 Apples - Cored & Cubed
2 Sweet Potatoes - Peeled and Cubed
1/2 Large or 1 Small Butternut Squash - Peeled and Cubed
3-4 Cups Arugula
1/2 Cup Craisins
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Pepper
1/4 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Chili Powder

Ingredients for Cranberry Vinaigrette:
1/3 Cup Cranberry Juice
1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tsp Honey
1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
Dash of Nutmeg
S&P

Adapted from: www.howsweeteats.com

Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a small bowl combine the spices together - salt, pepper, cinnamon & chili powder. Peel and cube your sweet potato and butternut squash, place them in a medium sized bowl. Pour most of the spice mixture over top of the veggies with a Tbsp of Olive Oil and toss to coat. Spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, giving them a shake or a flip about half way through.

While your veggies are roasting you can make the vinaigrette. Jess made a pomegranate vinaigrette and topped the salad with pomegranate seeds but I chose to go with Cranberry mostly because we keep craisins in the house and cranberry juice was cheaper and comes in a smaller container than pomegranate. In a medium sized bowl whisk together the cranberry juice, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, nutmeg salt & pepper. Set aside.

When the vegetables have finished roasting, cube the apple and toss it in the remaining spices. Add the spiced apple to the pan with the sweet potato and butternut squash, making sure it still remains to be a single layer and all spread out. Roast everything another 25 minutes until all the fruit and vegetables are soft and cooked through.

Take the pan out of the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes. If not they will wilt the arugula when you put the salad together. While the vegetables are cooling you can cube and toast the bread. I just put it in the oven for 10-12 minutes but you can also toast it in a pan if you choose. 

 

Now it's time to put the panzanella together. In a large serving bowl put down your arugula, top it with the toasted bread cubes and then put the roasted fruit and vegetables on top. If you aren't serving and eating this all at once I would wait to dress and toss it together right before you eat it. You don't want the bread to get soggy, plus I liked having the fruit and vegetables still slightly warm. This is what about half of the salad looks like.

Pour a little bit of the dressing over the top and then give it a good toss. When dressing a salad it's always good to start with less and then add more if you need it you don't want it to be swimming in the dressing. Sprinkle the craisins over the top and give is another toss. Serve immediately. Just an FYI this portions out to be either two meals or 4 side salads.

Enjoy!!

Linked at: http://www.mandysrecipebox.blogspot.com, http://insidebrucrewlife.com/, http://www.nap-timecreations.com, http://www.chef-in-training.com/, http://cathithebookishbaker.blogspot.ca/, http://thenymelrosefamily.com, http://www.ladybehindthecurtain.com, http://www.lifewiththecrustcutoff.com/, http://www.mostlyhomemademom.com/, http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/, http://www.housewivesofriverton.com/, http://www.posedperfection.com/, http://www.mandatorymooch.blogspot.com/, http://www.happyandblessedhome.com/, http://www.thejennyevolution.com/, http://www.notyourordinaryrecipes.com/, http://www.apeekintomyparadise.blogspot.com/, http://www.thecountrycook.net, http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/, http://www.cheeriosandlattes.com/, http://whoneedsacape.com, http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com/, http://www.flourmewithlove.com, http://www.sweetsav.blogspot.com/