Friday, September 17, 2010

Loaded French Bread Pizzas

Melissa's Notes: So I love this recipe because I'm a big fan of recipes that have a lot of veggies in them, but it doesn't seem like it, and it's still very satisfying to eat. I don't think my kids would really eat this, but it would be easy enough to just make a cheese french bread pizza for the kiddos along side the grown up version.

recipe adapted from Weight Watchers Magazine

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1/4 c. onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (I used yellow)
2 links sweet italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup marinara sauce (I used Prego)
1 loaf french bread (I used the skinny kind)
mozzarella cheese, shredded.

Preheat oven to 425. While oven is heating, add olive oil to skillet and heat to medium-high heat. Add in mushrooms, onions, and pepper and cook until veggies are soft, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle some salt on the veggies during this at some point. Add the italian sausage and brown, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Add in your marinara sauce and heat through. Cut your french bread into 4-6 "boats". Top with the sauce and shredded mozzarella. Bake in oven until cheese browns, about 10-12 minutes. Enjoy!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Cilantro-Lime Dip

Melissa's Notes: This is a nice alternative to the same old seven layer dip for tortilla chips. It is a Mexican twist on hummus, so it would go very nicely with pita bread as well. My brother Jeff, who is a connoisseur of anything resembling nachos, liked the dip, success!

recipe courtesy of Nordstrom Friends and Family Cookbook

1 c. packed cilantro leaves and tender stems
1 clove garlic
2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped red onion
2 14.5-oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp. EVOO
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 c. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 plum tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced
1 bag tortilla chips

In a food processor, process the cilantro, garlic, and onion until finely minced. Add the cannellini beans, olive oil, lime juice, lemon juice, milk, salt, and pepper and process until a smooth puree forms. Transfer to a serving bowl, stir in the tomatoes, and then taste and adjust the seasoning. Cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours before serving. Remove the dip from the refrigerator 20 minutes before serving. Accompany with tortilla chips. (Makes enough dip for 1 bag of chips)

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Corn Chowder

Melissa's Notes: I've tried a lot of different recipes for Corn Chowder, and most of the time, it just doesn't do it for me. But when I had my second child, Annie, my good friend Jen brought this over for dinner one night and it was delicious! So even if you don't get excited at the thought of Corn Chowder, give this one a try, it might just change your mind. Serve with Cornbread Muffins.

recipe courtesy of Jen

Ingredients

1 stick butter
1/2 c. flour
2 cans chicken broth
2 c. fat-free half and half
1 c. onions, chopped
1 c. celery, chopped
1 c. carrots, chopped
2 c. potatoes, cubed (I used yukon gold)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 can corn

Melt butter and add flour, quickly stirring. Cook about 1 minute, then slowly add chicken broth and half and half, continually stirring. Add the salt, and all the vegetables, except corn. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, until vegetables are fork tender. Add extra chicken broth or milk if soup is too thick. Add the canned corn, and heat through. This makes enough for 6-8 adult servings.

Cornbread Muffins

Melissa's Notes: These are so good! I just finished off my fifth muffin (three yesterday, two today), yikes! My girls loved these too, Natalie wanted three last night at dinner. I made them with Corn Chowder, it was a great combination. They were also super easy to whip up, they use only one bowl, and if you use muffin cups, you don't even have to wash the pan!

recipe courtesy of Favorites cookbook

Ingredients

2/3 c. cornmeal
1 1/4 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 c. milk

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the oil and milk and stir just until moistened. Spoon into muffin tins sprayed with Pam, or lined with muffin cups. Fill a little more than half full. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees. If you want mini muffins, bake for 12-14 minutes.