Vegetable Frittata

After reading several of your comments on my Baked Frittata post, I decided to give it another shot just using vegetables.  I think I liked this version even better!

6 eggs
1 sweet orange pepper, diced
1/4 of a purple onion, diced
about 5 ounces of fresh spinach
7 ounces Gouda cheese, grated

Whisk eggs then add remaining ingredients.  Pour into a greased 8x8-inch cooking dish and bake at 375F for approximately 20-30 minutes.

Macaroni and Cheese

Considering how much I love cheese, you'd think I would be a big fan of Macaroni & Cheese.  Not so.  It's okay, but I can think of so many other ways I'd rather have my cheese.  Last November Algernon posted his recipe for mac-n-cheese along with photos of the process.  It's simmered in the back of my mind ever since.  I finally got around to trying it and guess what?  It's great!!  I'm sure I'll make it again! 

I didn't have a chance to take any photos of my finished product so you'll just have to go look at Algernon's.  Click here for his recipe. 

Cheese Grits (two recipes!)

I love cheese grits.  For years I've used my aunt's recipe that calls for "old fashioned" grits (not instant or quick-cooking), eggs, and requires baking in the oven.  This week I found another version in Southern Living magazine that uses quick-cooking grits and is prepared on the stovetop.  Both are relatively simple to make and both are delicious.  Here are the recipes.... you decide!


Cheese Grits

1 cup grits (old-fashioned)1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup milk
3 eggs
1/2 pound sharp cheese (grated)
salt to taste

Cook grits as directed on the box (it should be 6 servings of grits). Add ingredients as listed. Beat hard after each addition. Pour into a 9x13" pan. Bake in a moderate oven (325 degrees) until firm and slightly brown on top.


Gouda Grits

4 cups chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 cups uncooked quick-cooking grits
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Gouda cheese
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup butter
2 tsp. hot sauce

Bring first 4 ingredients and 4 cups water to a boil in a Dutch oven over high heat; whisk in grits, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from heat, and stir in Gouda and remaining ingredients.

A trio of recipes

Here are the recipes we tried over the weekend. Sorry I don't have photos of the first two.

Balsamic-Garlic Chicken Breasts
(Southern Living, July 2010)

4 (6-oz.) skinned and boned chicken breasts
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1-1/2 tsp. honey

1. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper.

2. Melt butter with oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add chicken, and cook 6 to 7 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken, and keep warm.

3. Add chicken broth and next 4 ingredients to skillet, and cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Serve chicken with sauce.


Creamy Spinach Noodle Toss
(Simple & Delicious - Josie Smith, Winamac, IN)

1-1/2 cups uncooked egg noodles
2 bacon strips, diced
2 tsp. finely chopped onion
6-1/2 tsp. all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt-free seasoning blend
1/8 tsp. salt
Dash pepper
1-1/4 cups 2% milk
1 pkg. (9 oz.) fresh baby spinach
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon and onion over medium heat until bacon is crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels to drain.

Stir the flour, seasoning blend, salt and pepper into drippings until blended; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add spinach, cook and stir until spinach is wilted.

Drain noodles; transfer to a serving bowl. Add spinach mixture and cheese; toss to combine. Sprinkle with bacon mixture.


Sour Cream Raisin Empanadas

One refrigerated pie crust

2 Tbsp. sour cream
2 Tbsp. golden raisins
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. sugar
melted butter

extra sugar

Cut pie crust into circles using a 3-in. cookie cutter and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. (approx. 13 to 14 circles) In a small bowl, combine sour cream, raisins, vanilla and sugar. Place a small amount of mixture into center of each pastry round. Gently fold over and seal with a fork.

Brush tops with melted butter then sprinkle with extra sugar. Bake at 425F for about 10 minutes.

The Walk (and some slaw)

Younger daughter and I decided we'd better take an extra long walk this morning to counteract some of the good stuff we've eaten lately. We set out before 7:00 a.m. and you'd think with temperatures in the mid 70s it would be pleasant. Factor in humidity of more than 90% and it quickly becomes a sweaty experience. Let's just say after walking close to five miles at a fairly good pace we felt like we'd gotten quite a workout!

We live in a rural area with no leash law, so we always hope that none of the dogs along the route bite..... and believe me, there are LOTS of dogs in our area! Many barked at us, a few came to the edge of their yards, and one came up to give us a sniff or two. Some of you might remember that two years ago we sold Debby to some friends up the road. She was pregnant at the time and gave birth to a little girl they named Bella. Evidently Bella's new family gives her lots of attention. As we walked past her pasture she started plodding her way towards us, clearly expecting something. She tuned up and gave a little bray as we passed her by. I sort of felt bad that we didn't stop and pet her! On the return trip she didn't come to the fence, but kept a close eye on us until we were out of sight. I think the most disconcerting part of the walk was when we passed under a high-voltage powerline. You could actually hear the surge of electricity coming from the wires!! Maybe next time we walk I'll take the camera along so I can illustrate my narrative.

My family isn't much on slaw, especially when it's not the mayonnaise variety. The vinegar types are healthier, though, and I really like this version I put together this morning.

Colorful Coleslaw

1 pkg. (10 oz.) angel hair coleslaw mix
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium yellow summer squash, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red (purple) onion
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
3 Tablespoons lime juice
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1-1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper

Combine first five ingredients in a serving bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour over vegetables in serving bowl and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least a half hour before serving.

A pretty good dinner

It's been a busy week, but not too busy to try a few new recipes (although some of them aren't worth mentioning here). Tonight's were pretty good. Both were adapted from recipes I clipped out of Simple & Delicious magazine. The entire meal was ready within half an hour. Great for when you don't have much time!

Potatoes with Feta Cheese

1 pound small red potatoes, halved
1 cup (4 oz.) crumbled feta cheese
1 teaspoon dill weed
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until tender, approximately 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in a serving bowl. Drain potatoes and add to serving bowl. Toss gently to coat.


Ranch Chicken

1 box (8-1/2 oz.) Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
1 envelope buttermilk recipe ranch salad dressing mix
milk
boneless, skinless chicken tenders

vegetable oil

Combine corn muffin mix and ranch dressing mix in a resealable plastic bag. Pour milk into a shallow bowl. Dip chicken tenders in milk, drop into plastic bag, then shake to coat.

In a large skillet pour a thin coating of vegetable oil (approx. 2 Tbs.). Cook chicken tenders, uncovered, over medium heat, turning several times until juices run clear. (approx. 15 minutes)

Soup for a Winter day

It's the right time of year for a warm, comforting bowl of soup so I thought I'd rehash a couple of recipes from my old blog. Both are quick, easy, and delicious.

Easy Tortilla Soup

2 (10.5 oz.) cans condensed chicken and rice soup
1 (10.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chili peppers
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
8 ounces tortilla chips
4 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, combine the soup, tomatoes & chilies and tomato sauce. Bring just to a boil and remove from heat. Place some tortilla chips in the bottom of an individual bowl and sprinkle cheese over the chips. Pour soup over the chips and cheese. Yield: 2 servings.

This recipe is easy to double or quadruple for more people. It's also easy to tweak with different varieties of cheese, chips, canned tomatoes, or the addition of meat.

Refried Bean Soup

Darlene Brenden of Salem, OR in Simple & Delicious

1 can (16 oz.) spicy fat-free refried beans
1 can (15-1/4 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) chicken broth
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) stewed tomatoes, cut up
1/2 cup water
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies
1/4 cup salsa
Tortilla chips

In a large sauce pan, combine the first eight ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until heated through. Serve with tortilla chips. Yield: 8 servings (2 quarts).

Again, this is an easy recipe to change to fit the tastes of your family. It's on the menu at our house tonight. Yum!

Dijon Chicken Salad (& a rehash)

My church Circle group had their annual Christmas salad luncheon today. In addition to the marinated carrots* I always take, I tried a recipe for chicken salad that I found at Allrecipes.com. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, so it will be a keeper.

Dijon Chicken Salad

2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken

1 cup sliced celery

1 cup halved seedless green grapes

1 cup halved seedless red grapes

1/4 cup dried cranberries

2 teaspoons dried chives

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Mix together the chicken, celery, green grapes, red grapes, cranberries, and chives in a bowl. Whisk together the honey, mustard, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl. Add the mustard mixture to the chicken mixture, stir to coat.

*I thought I'd already "rehashed" this recipe. I couldn't find it, so here it is again. This is for you, Barbara.

Marinated Carrots

1 cup sugar

1 cup vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 stick cinnamon

1 bay leaf

18 whole cloves

18 whole allspice

2 cans baby carrots, drained

Combine first seven ingredients, bring to a slow boil and simmer five minutes. Pour over carrots. When cool, cover and place in refrigerator for 24 hours before serving. Keep refrigerated.

A pot of soup

It got cold this week. Perfect weather for soup!

My mother made a wonderful vegetable soup when I was growing up. She's been gone for many years now, but my sister and I have carried on the tradition with our own takes on the original. Mine has evolved into more of a cabbage-tomato-barley soup. Here's how I make it:

Put a soupbone, an onion or two, and some seasonings in a soup pot half filled with water. Bring to a boil then simmer about 45 minutes to an hour to form the stock. After removing the soupbone add a chopped head of cabbage, some diced fresh carrots, a large can of crushed tomatoes, and a can of tomato paste. Top off with tomato juice until the soup pot is full. Simmer on medium low heat all day. An hour or so before serving add a can of green beans (drained) and about 3/4 cup of barley.

Mmm, mmm good!

A weekend of eating

My sister came for a quick visit this weekend. That meant lots of talking, laughing and, of course, eating. I always like to experiment with new recipes when she’s here. This time I tried three, all from past issues of Simple & Delicious magazine.

Festive Feta Cheese Ball
Contributed by Cinde Ryan of Gig Harbor, WA

2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

½ cup crumbled feta cheese
2 teaspoons ranch salad dressing mix
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
¼ cup crumbled cooked bacon
½ teaspoon dill weed

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add feta cheese and dressing mix; mix well. Shape into a ball. Combine the Parmesan cheese, bacon and dill week; roll cheese ball in Parmesan mixture. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until firm. Serve with crackers. Yield: 2 cups.

Confetti Corn Salad
Contributed by Tonia Mahnke of Sun Prairie, WI

1 can (7 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (2 ¼ oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
½ cup chopped green pepper
½ cup chopped sweet red pepper
2 radishes, sliced
¼ cup prepared Italian salad dressing

In a small bowl, combine the corn, olives, peppers and radishes. Add salad dressing; toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 3 servings.

Peanut Butter Jumbos
Contributed by Deborah Huffer of Staunton, VA

1 ½ cups peanut butter
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ½ cups quick-cooking oats
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup M&M’s miniature baking bits

In a large mixing bowl, cream peanut butter, butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine oats and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and baking bits.

Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350º for 12-14 minutes or until edges are browned. Remove to wire racks. Yield: 9 dozen.

Recipe Rehash

Here are a couple that are great for summertime.

This first one comes from the 1959 edition of the General Foods Kitchens Cookbook.

Tomato & Onion Salad

1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1/4 cup olive oil or salad oil
2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
6 firm tomatoes, sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
Chopped parsley

Combine garlic and salt in small bowl;mash with a spoon. Stir in sugar, pepper, mustard, oil, and vinegar. Pour over tomato and onion slices. Sprinkle with parsley. Chill. Serve plain as a relish salad. Or serve on crisp greens. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Now, here's how I change things around. I triple all the dressing ingredients, except for the oil, and put them in a glass jar with a lid. Shake well and pour over sliced tomatoes and onions that have been layered in a bowl. We think it's best if it's marinated awhile in the fridge before eating.I often substitute minced garlic for fresh and never include the parsley.

This is also quite good over canned green beans (drained, of course) and onions!

Squash Casserole

Approx. 2 cups cooked summer squash
3/4 stick butter or margarine
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup grated cheese (I use the fiesta blend from WalMart)
1 cup evaporated milk
2 cups cracker crumbs (I use one tube of reduced-fat Ritz)
2 Tbs. sugar

Mash cooked squash, add other ingredients and mix well. Pour into a greased dish and bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Vegetable Chili

Here’s another recipe I tried this week. It came in an “e-letter” from Taste of Home and was provided by Charlene Martorana of Madison, OH. I thought it was good, but my husband wants me to add ground beef or venison to his portion next time.

2 large onions, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
2 medium carrots, cut into chunks
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 to 2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 small zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 small yellow squash, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 cans (28 ounces each) crushed tomatoes
1/3 cup ketchup
1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15-1/2 ounces) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, saute onions, green pepper and garlic in oil until tender. Add water and carrots; cover and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add potatoes, broth, chili powder, sugar, cumin and oregano; cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add zucchini, squash, tomatoes and ketchup; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in beans and peas; simmer for 10 minutes. Yield: 12-16 servings.