Allison's Salad

Melissa's Notes: I'm always looking for good, easy salad recipes.  This one fits the bill!  My friend Allison brought it to a picnic and I couldn't stop eating it.  A good kitchen tip I have learned about red onion is that if you let it sit in some kind of acid (lemon juice, vinegar, etc.) for at least an hour, it totally relaxes it so it doesn't overpower your dish.  You can also substitute the apple for a crispy pear.

Salad:

10 oz. bag spinach
3/4 c. slivered almonds, toasted at 350 for 8 min.
1 medium granny smith apple
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/8 red onion, chopped (optional)

Dressing:

1/3 c. oil
1/4 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/8 red onion, finely chopped

Mango, Tomoato, and Avocado Salad

Melissa's Notes: James and I have been on a health kick this last week.  We're trying to eat more fruits and vegetables and less meat and processed foods.  So far (with the exception of a church picnic today) I have felt so much better and haven't really felt deprived at all.  I will say that I have had a much higher grocery bill this week and have spent more time in the kitchen than I care to share.  So if anyone has any words of advice for me, I'm listening!  I made this salad with flank steak tacos and it was delicious on the tacos, or it would be great over a bed of greens as well.  This is a nice side dish for Mexican food that is not too heavy and can easily be adapted for kids by just putting the ingredients they like to the side before you mix in all the dressing.

Mango, Tomato, and Avocado Salad

recipe courtesy of Good & Fresh Magazine

1 mango, seeded, peeled, and cut into chunks
1 tomato, cut into chunks
1/3 c. thinly sliced red onion
2 Tbsp. snipped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 avocado, cut into chunks
lettuce leaves (optional)

1.  In a medium bowl combine mango, tomato, and red onion.  For dressing, in a screw-top jar combine cilantro, oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Cover and shake well.  Pour dressing over mango mixture.  Toss gently to coat.  Cover and chill for 1-4 hours. (I didn't have time to do this and it still tasted great)
2.  Just before serving, stir in avocado.  If desired, serve with lettuce leaves.  Makes 4 servings.

166 calories per serving

Orzo Pilaf

Melissa's Notes: Side dishes are hard for me, I always revert back to a simple garden salad and rice when I'm at a loss. Which is tasty, but sometimes can be a little boring. Here is a side dish that is a little off the beaten path, though a little more labor intensive than rice-a-roni. It can be eaten hot or cold, I tried both and liked it either way. It would also be easy to substitute your favorite veggies in it.

recipe courtesy of Favorites

Orzo Pilaf

3 c. chicken broth
1 c. orzo
4 slices bacon
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c. grated carrots
1/4 c. finely chopped green pepper
1/4 c. finely chopped red pepper

Bring chicken broth to a boil and add pasta. Boil for 10 minutes (you may need to stir it a little near the end of the 10 min.). Cook bacon and crisp and crumble; set aside. Drain all but 3 Tbsp. of bacon drippings from skillet and cook onion and garlic until tender. Add orzo, carrots and peppers. Heat through, tossing to coat and sprinkle with bacon.

Sauteed Shredded Zucchini

Melissa's Notes: This is a great side dish that is super easy, but just a little fancier than your usual sauteed vegetables. It's good to mix things up a bit. I bought the zucchini when it was on sale, then shredded it in my Cuisinart and froze what I didn't use in the side dish to put in soups and such.

Sauteed Shredded Zucchini

1-2 zucchini shredded (if you don't have a cuisinart, you can use a plain old cheese grater)
1-2 Tbsp. shallot, or onion
1 Tbsp. butter
1-2 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste

Saute shallot or onion in the butter for about 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add zucchini and salt and pepper. Saute for another couple minutes, and then stir in whipping cream. Start with 1 Tbsp. and add more as needed. Voila!

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.

What Should I Make?

Menu:

Chicken with Cashews and Broccoli (recipe follows)
Brown or White Rice
Orange slices and Avocado over butter lettuce, with Asian dressing

Melissa's Notes: This dinner was really good, and really healthy, too. Stir fry takes no time at all, as long as you prep during the day when you get a moment. Sometimes I'll just put all the veggies in a bowl, chopped up, and store it in the refrigerator until it's time for dinner. You could do this with the meat and sauce as well. I love the brown rice in the frozen section at Trader Joe's. You pop it in the microwave for three minutes and it's done, it tastes great! A really good Asian dressing is Brianna's Ginger Mandarin. I halved this recipe and it was enough for James, Annie, and I (Nat was at her cousin's house), plus leftovers for James' lunch.

Chicken with Cashews and Broccoli

recipe courtesy of a Junior League Cookbook

1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 c. chicken broth
2 Tbsp. soy sauce (add more if it needs more salt)
1/4-1/2 tsp. Tabasco (I left this out)
1/4 c. peanut oil (I used Canola)
3 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 slices fresh ginger (1/2 tsp. powdered)
3 c. broccoli flowerets
1 medium, sweet red pepper, cut into 1-inch squares (I left this out and instead added yellow squash)
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced (I left this out)
1 bunch scallions, slivered
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 c. dry roasted cashews (I used honey roasted peanuts)

Combine the cornstarch, chicken broth, soy sauce, and Tabasco in a small bowl. (I also added some orange juice from the orange I segmented for the salad)

Ten minutes before serving, heat the oil in a hot skillet or wok. When oil is very hot, add chicken and ginger (I used powdered ginger, and coated the chicken with it before putting it in the skillet). Cook, stirring constantly, until chicken turns white. Remove chicken and discard ginger slices.

Place the broccoli, red pepper, mushrooms, scallions, and minced garlic in the skillet. Cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Combine the chicken and cornstarch mixture with the vegetables and continue stirring until the sauce thickens slightly. Sprinkle with the cashews and serve immediately with steaming hot rice.

What Should I Make?

I make dinner about 5-6 times a week. And I like to mix it up. So, I'm often asking the question: what should I make? I thought I would start posting "What Should I Make?" ideas for myself (and hopefully others). That way I can just refer to these when I'm wondering what to make; there will even be a link on my side-bar titled "What should I make?". So here's a menu for a great dinner, that is minimal effort:

The Menu

Easy Grilled Tri Tip
Twice Baked Potatoes (recipe to follow)
Caesar Salad-use a mix or toss romaine lettuce with parmesan cheese and your favorite dressing, add croutons if desired.

Twice Baked Potatoes
this recipe takes awhile, but it's not very labor intensive, you just need to leave enough time for the potatoes to bake in the oven.

Serves 4

2 medium baking potatoes
oil, for rubbing potatoes
2 Tbsp. light sour cream
2 Tbsp. milk (or buttermilk)
1 Tbsp. butter
salt and pepper, to taste
Cheddar cheese, shredded (for topping potatoes)

Preheat oven to 400. Clean potatoes, rub with oil and prick with a fork multiple times. Bake in oven for about an hour (just stick them on the rack). Cool for 5 minutes or so. Cut in half, scoop out potato and put in a medium bowl. Mix milk, sour cream, and butter in a measuring cup with spout, stick it in the microwave for about 30 seconds to melt the butter. Use a mixer to mash the potatoes, gradually stir in liquid until desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Put mashed potatoes back into their skins and top with cheddar cheese. Put into a 350 degree oven until heated through and cheese is melted.

Brown Rice Salad

recipe courtesy of Penzey Spices

Melissa's Notes: This would be a great side salad to bring to a potluck, or a nice light lunch. I wouldn't serve it as a main dish, personally. I just cooked my rice in my steamer and added the garlic cloves whole, then took them out before making the salad. You could eat it right away, or put it in the fridge and let the flavors meld together overnight. I ate it cold the next day, and really liked it, it was very filling. I think marinated artichoke hearts would taste great in it as well. I love the citrusy hints in the dish.

Ingredients

1 c. uncooked brown basmati rice, or white if preferred
3 cloves garlic
2-3 c. diced, cooked chicken
1/2 c. thinly sliced green onions
1/4 c. chopped sundried tomatoes
1 tsp. fresh lemon rind
1 16-ounce can garbanzo beans, juice reserved
1 8-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

Cook rice with garlic. Add other ingredients and drizzle with dressing.

Dressing

1/4 c. garbanzo broth
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. dijon mustard
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. oregano