Wing Ding Chicken Wings

This is a favorite and easy wing recipe from quite a while ago that I decided to make recently. I needed to update the recipe because the original recipe called for apricot baby food which I can no longer find. It is surprisingly yummy for having so few ingredients. 
 

Ingredients

3 to 5 pounds chicken wings

1 cup soy sauce

1 jar mango baby food

1 to 2 Tbls. apricot jam

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions

Combine ingredients to make the sauce. Marinate chicken wings in sauce for at least 3 hours, but best if overnight. Place wings on cookie sheet singly lined on parchment paper and reserve marinade. Bake in 350 degree preheated oven for 1 hour, turning after 30 minutes. Simmer marinade for 10 minutes and baste wings every 15 minutes. Pour marinade over finished wings. Serve thoroughly heated from crock pot or heating tray. Can be prepared ahead of time and frozen. ( I used drumettes and flats, so I removed the flats about 15 minutes earlier than the drumettes so that they wouldn't be over cooked.)

Brisket of Love

This brisket makes the perfect comfort food dinner and is a family favorite! I find it a great meal to serve for a large group and can be served over garlic mashed potatoes or on rolls. What makes it extra nice is that it can be made ahead and frozen.

Ingredients

5 lb. beef brisket flat

Spice Houses "Brisket of Love" seasoning

6 cups of beef broth-divided (I use Better than Bullion)

4 Tbls. butter

1/4 cup flour

Directions

1.  Set oven to 350 degrees

2.  Dry off all sides of brisket flat with a paper towel

3.  Season all sides of brisket liberally with "Brisket of Love" seasoning

4.  Place brisket in roasting pan, fat side up, and place in oven for 1 hr.

5.  Take brisket out of oven and add about 1&1/2 cups of beef broth to the bottom of the pan (about 1/2 

      inch of broth) and cover with foil. 

6.  Place the pan back in the oven and turn oven temp. to 300 degrees and roast for another 4 hours. If

      using a smaller or larger roast you will need to adjust time to 1 hour per pound which includes the 1

      hour at 350 degrees.

7.  Trim off fat slice and then cut into chunks and put back into juices and refrigerate over night. If you

      are making the same day putting it in refrigerator for a number of hours will help to allow the beef

      to soak up the fat and juice which is important for flavor.

8.  Make a roux by melting the butter and adding flour, stirring steadily for about 2 minutes. Gradually

     add 4 cups of beef broth, stirring constantly to create a gravy. Season the gravy with "Brisket of Love" 

     seasoning to taste.

9.  Add gravy to brisket and shred beef further to distribute flavor.

10. Cover pan with foil and return pan to oven and heat at 325 for about 45 minutes or until sufficiently 

       warmed.

11. Serve over garlic mashed potatoes or with your favorite rolls. Yum!

Slow Cooker Beef Pot Roast With Gravy

 

A favorite of mine to make in the cold month is Beef Pot Roast. I am finally taking the time to write out the recipe to share. I love how the meat is so tender when it is done that it falls apart and the gravy is full of flavor. Hope you enjoy!

 

Ingredients

 3lb. (about) beef boneless English roast or chuck roast

 2 tbls. olive oil

 1lb. to 1&1/2lbs. small potatoes, cut up into pieces

 1 bag of petite carrots

 1 medium onion, diced

 6 cloves of garlic, minced and divided

 1&1/2 cup frozen peas 

 8 oz. package of sliced mushrooms (optional)

 1 cup dry red wine (I use a red blend)

 1 bundle of fresh rosemary and thyme

 4 cups (about) of beef  Better Than Bouillon (enough to cover meat and vegetables)

 6 tbls. butter

 6 tbls. flour

 salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions

Salt and pepper roast and sear on all sides in olive oil before placing in slow cooker.  Mince 4 cloves of garlic on roast along with diced onion. Add all the other ingredients with the exception of the peas, mushrooms, butter and flour. Cook on low for 8 hours, add the peas and mushrooms about a half an hour before end of cooking time. Remove roast and shred. Melt butter in small sauce pan and then add butter to make a roux. Gradually add broth from slow cooker and simmer until you have a thick well blended gravy. Add gravy to remaining broth and vegetables and stir well. Add salt, pepper, and 2 cloves fresh garlic to taste. I also sometimes add a tablespoon or less of beef bouillon to gravy. I often take the potatoes out and make them into garlic mashed to eat with the gravy, beef, and vegetables.

 

 

 

Shrimp Pasta Salad With Fresh Dill

I absolutely love dill and love this shrimp pasta salad! I am finally writing down the ingredients for this salad and about how much of each of the ingredients I use. I have prepared it by taste the last few times after asking my sister Miriam to refresh my memory on the ingredients she uses for the salad. Now I can just look it up!

Ingredients

1 Pound Shrimp
1 Tsp. Old Bays Seasoning
Salt
1/2 Lemon 
8 Ounce Medium Shell Pasta  (prepared according to directions)
3/4 Cup Mayonnaise
1/3 Cup Sour Cream
1/3 Cup Plain Yogurt
1/3 to 1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Dill                                                  
1 to 1&1/2 Cups Chopped Sweet Onion
3 Celery Stalks Chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper Chopped
1 to 1&1/2 Cups Frozen Peas or Trader Joe's English Peas found in their produce section.
Season Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions

I like to start by preparing the sauce to use with the pasta salad to give it time to meld while preparing the shrimp and pasta. Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, yogurt, fresh dill, onion, and celery and then refrigerate. Chop up red bell pepper and set aside.
Prepare a pound of raw shrimp by boiling water with 1 tsp. Old Bays, some salt, and half a lemon squeezed into water and throw in. Bring water to a boil and add shrimp simmering until shrimp turns pink and floats to the top, drain, and put into a ice water bath. Shell shrimp and cut into bite sized pieces. While shrimp is being prepared, start water boiling for pasta and prepare according to package directions. Rinse in cold water.
In large bowl combine sauce, shrimp, pasta, red pepper, and peas. Add season salt and course black pepper to taste.

Shepherd's Pie

This has to be one of my all time favorite comfort food meals. Even if you don't think you like lamb,  please give this recipe a try and see if it doesn't change your mind. The original recipe is from Anne Burrell. The only change I made was to top it with garlic mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed

2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder or leg, cut into 1/2-inch dice

Kosher salt

1/2 cup flour

2 large leeks, white part only, cut into 1/2-inch dice

3 ribs celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice

3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice

2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 cup red wine

3 to 4 cups chicken stock

2 bay leaves

1 bundle fresh thyme

2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch dice
1 cup heavy cream

Chef Shamy Garlic Butter melted and to taste (garlic butter sold at Sam's Club or online)

1 cup frozen peas (I use Trader Joe's English peas found in their produce section)

Directions

1. Coat a wide pan with olive oil and bring to a medium-high heat. Season the lamb with salt and toss with the flour. Add the lamb to the pan and brown well on all sides. Remove the lamb from the pan and reserve. Ditch the oil in the pan and add a splash new olive oil.
2. Add the leeks, celery, and carrots to the pan. Season the mixture with salt and cook, stirring frequently until the vegetables are soft and very aromatic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the lamb back to the pan and stir to combine.
3. Add the tomato paste and cook until the tomato paste starts to brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add the wine and cook until it reduces by 1/2. Add enough stock to just cover the surface of the lamb. Taste and season with salt, if needed. Toss in the bay leaves and thyme bundle. Bring the stock to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Partially cover and simmer for 1 hour, or until the lamb is tender. When the stock level reduces replace with more to keep the meat submerged.
5. Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover by 1-inch with tap water. Season the water with salt and bring the water to a boil. Boil the potatoes until they are fork tender and start to break apart when poked, about 20 minutes. While potatoes are cooking,in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream to a boil.  Drain the water from the potatoes and mash with a potato masher. Beat the cold butter and hot cream into the pureed potatoes. Taste and season with salt, if needed. The potatoes should be creamy and very flavorful. 
6. Remove the lid from the lamb and add the peas. Simmer for 15 minutes more to allow the stock level to reduce. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed. When done, the lamb mixture should be thick and stew-like. Remove the bay leaves and thyme bundle and discard.
7. Preheat the broiler.
8. Transfer the lamb to a wide, flat flameproof baking dish. Spread the mashed potatoes over the lamb mixture in an even layer. Place the baking dish under the preheated broiler. Broil until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy. 

 It's not the prettiest but it sure tastes delicious!

Champagne Chicken

I absolutely love the sauce that goes on this chicken, I find it addicting. I like it better without the Grand Marnier added but that's just me. I need to give credit where credit is due. This recipe is from a cookbook I purchased at the Old Ritten House Inn in Bayfield, WI. It's just one of many recipes of delicious meals that they serve at their B&B.

Ingredients                                       

4 to 6 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
1 tsp. fresh garlic
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves as well as 2 sprigs of thyme for sauce
4 tbls. olive oil divided
8 oz. prosciutto , julienned
4 oz. baby bella mushrooms
*1 bottle brut champagne 
2 bay leave

10 peppercorns
2 shallots roughly chopped
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tbls. chicken base
1/4 cup Grand Marnier (optional) *ABK6 Orange Liqueur

Instructions

Combine first 5 ingredients with the exception of 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and the 2 sprigs of thyme in a large bowl. Place chicken in the refrigerator for 2 hours to marinate. While chicken is marinating, prepare champagne sauce. To prepare sauce combine 1 bottle of champagne, 2 bay leaves, 10 peppercorns, 2 sprigs of thyme, and 2 shallots roughly chopped. Simmer until reduces by 75% (takes about 60 minutes). Add cream and chicken base and simmer for an additional 60 minutes. If you would like to add the Grand Marnier, this would be the time to do it. 🙂 Pour sauce through a sieve.
To cook chicken, preheat saute' pan with tbls. of olive oil on medium heat. Sear chicken breast for 6 minutes on each side until done. Take chicken breast out of pan and place on a platter and cover with foil for 5 minutes before slicing and plating. Pour champagne sauce over chicken. I like to serve with garlic whipped potatoes, roasted mushrooms and the julienne d prosciutto as garnishes, and asparagus on the side.
To roast the mushrooms, add cleaned whole mushrooms to baking sheet and roast in 350 degree oven for 7- 10 minutes. Coat with olive oil, add salt and pepper.

* I found a very good brut sparkling wine at Costco, Mumm Napa Brut Prestige. It’s very good and reasonably priced.

* I found the ABK6 Orange Liqueur to be a very good, less expensive, substitute for the Grand Marnier.

Homemade Pesto Pizza

Every year come spring, I purchase multiple basil plants because I use them so much once the tomatoes and summer squash are coming in. Before it's time to harvest squash and tomatoes I love to make pesto from the basil. We also plant arugula from seed and it is the very first thing to come up every year. Arugula makes for great pesto! There are times that I combine both basil and arugula in a pesto, so yummy either way.

Pizza is one of the ways I love to use pesto, but pesto and pasta is a close second

. 

 

 

Pesto

 

The great thing about pesto is that after it is made it can be frozen to use months later.

 Ingredients

1 cup basil or arugula, firmly packed leaves

2 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Place basil, pine nuts, salt, pepper, garlic, and Parmesan cheese into a food processor or blender. Turn the food processor on, and add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Continue processing until a soft paste has formed. Store in the refrigerator or jar and place in the freezer for future use.

 

 

Pizza

 

Ingredients

Packaged 12" pizza crust (I prefer thin crust)

1/3 cup pesto

1/3 lb. (about) raw shrimp and  a couple of slices of Prosciutto julienned
or 1/3 lb.Chicken Caprase Sausage 

1/4 cup chopped onion (red onions, shallots or onion of your choice)

1/4 cup Kalamata olives (coarsely chopped) if using shrimp/Prosciutto

1/4 cup sliced black olives if using Caprese Sausage
Thin slices of tomato according to taste
8oz. fresh mozzarella or shredded mozzarella 

1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Fresh basil or arugula to top off the pizza

Obviously you can add or eliminate ingredients as you like. I like Kalamata olives and Prosciutto with shrimp because the shrimp needs something salty to go with it. I also cut the shrimp in two so that it cooks through on pizza.

Directions

Spread pesto evenly over pizza crust. Add meat, onions, slices of tomato, mozzarella, olives and sprinkle Parmesan over entire pizza. Bake in oven using crust instructions provided.

  

I just have to sing the praises of the chicken caprese brats that I use on the pizza. I found these brats at our farmer's market in Brookfield, WI and absolutely love them! I squeeze the meat out of their casings in little blobs onto the pizza just as you would pizza sausage.

It's time to sit down and enjoy the pizza and the beautiful weather!

 

Easy Mexican Lasagna

I recently needed to bring a dish to a church potluck and decided to go to my favorite cookbook, Southern Livings All-Time Favorites, and pick out a new recipe. The dish was a hit and super easy to make, especially if you use a rotisserie chicken. I've decided to make it again for a family that is dealing with cancer treatments to help out with the grind of chemo. Since I'm making one for them I might as well make one for us! 😊

Ingredients

3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2/3 cup canned diced tomatoes and green chilies (or 10-ounce can of Rotel)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup 
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce
cooking spray
10 (6-inch) corn tortillas (it's important that they are corn so the top layer crisps up)
1 cup (4-ounces) shredded cheddar cheese (I'm sure I use more)
1 cup (4-ounces or more 🙂) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

 Toppings: shredded lettuce, tomatoes with green onions and cilantro, sour cream, guacamole, basically anything you enjoy on a taco...

Directions

1. Cook first 6 ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat for about 10 mins. or until heated through.
2. Stir together chicken and mushroom soups, 1/2 cup milk, and can of enchilada sauce in a sauce pan and heat over medium heat for about 10 mins. or until heated through.
3. Spoon 1/3 of the sauce into the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray, top with 3 tortilla shells. Spoon 1/2 of the chicken mixture and 1/3 of the sauce over the tortillas then top with half the Cheddar cheese. Top with 3 tortillas; repeat layers once with remaining chicken, sauce and remaining Cheddar cheese and tortillas, ending with tortillas. *Look at pictures below to see how I place the tortillas in the layers. Top with Monterey Jack cheese.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes of until lasagna is bubbly. If you assemble the lasagna ahead of time and bake the next day, leave in for 40 to 50 minutes.

I cut one of the 3 shells in half and alternated the side I put the half shells in the next layers.

The first time I made this I really liked the way the corn tortillas crisped up on the top so I decided to quarter a fourth tortilla and added 3 quarters of it to the last layer.

Shrimp Taco With Spicy Cream Sauce

Here is yet another recipe from my favorite cookbook "Southern Living All-Time Favorites". I've made some changes to this simple but tasty recipe. Now if only I had a margarita to go with it.


Ingredients
1-8oz. container light sour cream
1&1/2 tsp. chili powder (divided)
3/4 tsp. ground cumin (divided)
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper (divided)
3/4 tsp. salt (divided)
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup milk
1 to 1-1/2 lb. peeled and deveined, medium-size raw shrimp
1- large red bell pepper sliced thin
1- small onion sliced
3 Tbs. orange juice
2 garlic gloves
3 tsp. olive oil
1 avocado sliced
8 (6-inch) tortillas, warmed
(Mexican blend cheese optional)

Direction
1. Whisk together sour cream, 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1/4 tsp. cumin, 1/4 tsp. red pepper, 1/4 tsp. salt,
1/8 tsp. cinnamon. Add 1/4 cup milk, stirring until smooth. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
2. Combine remaining 1 tsp. chili powder, 1/2 tsp. cumin, 1/4 tsp. red pepper, 1/2 tsp. salt in a large zip-top plastic bag; add orange juice and raw shrimp, seal bag, turning to coat. Chill for 1/2 hr. Remove shrimp from marinade, discarding marinade.
3. Saute' red bell peppers and onions on medium, in olive oil in large skillet for about 5 mins., remove from pan and set aside. Add a little more olive oil and garlic and saute' for about 2 mins. then add shrimp and saute' until shrimp turn pink. Return the onions and peppers to the pan and stir and heat until warmed. Serve with sour cream mixture and avocado. Mexican cheese blend can also be added.

 

Seafood Stew

I saw Michael Symon make this dish on Live with Kelly and Michael, and decided to try it. I loved it and have made it several times since, but was unable to pin it to share with others because there was no picture to go with the recipe. It's not difficult to make, and then there is the fun part where you get to set the dish on fire! :) Symon mentioned that it's important to use San Marzano tomatoes for their taste because they are sweeter, less bitter, and have less seeds. I loved the flavor of the tomatoes and have started using them in other dishes that call for tomatoes. I used some fun pasta I found at World Market to go with the stew.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbl olive oil

6 to10 scallops (drypack)

10 to16 shrimp shell on deveined (I used 1 lb. of shrimp that were shelled and deveined.)

1lb. calamari (I did not include this...maybe next time)

1lb. mussels (I used 6 mussels so we could all try it.)

2 cloves sliced garlic

4 sliced scallions

½ cup chopped parsley                                                          

½ tsp chile flake
                                                                      
2 oz Sambuca (I bought this Italian Anise flavored liqueur in a mini bottle to save on buying something I wouldn't use often.)

16 oz San Marzano tomatoes (chopped)           

10 oz. stock (I used fish stock)

1 pinch saffron

zest of 1 orange

¼ tsp ground coriander

salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Season shrimp liberally with salt. In large pan heat olive oil over medium high heat

Add shrimp and scallops and sear for 1 minute

Flip and add mussels and garlic

Add sambuca and flame (This is the fun part!)

Add stock, tomatoes, pepper flakes, coriander and saffron, then bring to simmer.

When mussels open add calamari, parsley and zest. Remove from heat and serve. Garnish with green onions.

Chalupa Dinner Bowl (Crockpot)

I had a pork loin roast in the freezer that I wanted to use, so I went looking for a recipe in my Southern Living All-Time Favorites cookbook, and I was not disappointed! I actually happened to have all of the ingredients on hand to make this delicious versatile pork-and-bean mixture. This mixture could be used in a burrito, as nachos, quesadillas, or tacos. (I have made a few alterations to the original recipe.)

Ingredients

1 lb. dried pinto beans
1 (3 1/2 pound) bone-in-pork loin roast (my roast was boneless and worked very well)
2 (4-ounce) cans chopped green chiles
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (32 ounce) container chicken broth
(I used Better Than Bouillon, which  is a bit saltier than container broths. If you use a container broth, then go with 2 teaspoons of salt rather than 1 tsp.)
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles with lime juice and cilantro
(I used RO-TEL and added my own cilantro and lime juice, but you can buy the RO-TEL with the lime juice and cilantro already included.)
8 taco salad shells (I used Azteca brand shells that you form and bake in your oven)
Shredded iceberg lettuce

toppings: shredded Mexican cheese blend, or shredded Monterey Jack cheese, halved grape tomatoes, green onions, black olives, chopped avocado, sour cream...(the possibilities are endless)






Directions

1. Rinse beans and place in the bottom of a 5 to 6-quart slow cooker; add roast and next 6 ingredients. Pour chicken broth evenly over top of roast.

2. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour; reduce to LOW, and cook for an additional 7 to 7 1/2 hours. The original recipe calls for an additional 9 hours, but that seemed a bit long, and I was correct. Time may vary depending on your crockpot.

3. Remove bones (if you used a bone-in roast) and fat from roast; pull roast into large pieces with two forks. Stir in diced tomatoes and green chiles. If the mixture seems to have too much liquid, cook, uncovered, on HIGH for 1 more hour to allow the mixture to thicken.

4. Heat taco salad shells according to package directions; place shredded lettuce evenly into shells. Spoon about 1 cup pork-and-bean mixture into each shell using a slotted spoon. Serve with desired toppings.

I was very happy with the results, and think this makes an ideal make ahead meal to serve for a party.

Taco Stuffed Yellow Squash/ Zucchini Boats

One of my favorite bloggers for healthy lower calorie dishes is skinnytaste.com. She's very creative with her ingredients when coming up with great low cal. healthy recipes. I've made a few adjustments in the seasonings in this recipe because I thought it needed a bit more flavor. Seasonings don't cost you calories, but okay I added more cheese...  I'm using yellow squash instead of  zucchini, only because we have a bumper crop of yellow squash. 


Ingredients

• 4 medium (32 oz.) zucchini or yellow squash, cut in half lengthwise
• 1/2 cup mild salsa or salsa to your liking
• 1 lb. 93% lean ground turkey
• 1&1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1&1/2 tsp.cumin    
• 1&1/2 tsp. kosher salt 
• 1 tsp. chili powder 
• 1 tsp. paparika
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 tbsp bell pepper, minced
• 4 oz. can tomato sauce (I used a med. *homemade salsa instead)
• 1/4 cup water (I used *tomato juice instead)
• 1/2 cup reduced fat Mexican blend shredded cheese or more if you're a cheese lover like me

*sliced whole scallions, chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, or any of your favorite taco toppings

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place 1/4 cup of salsa in the bottom of a large baking dish.

Using a small spoon, hollow out the center of the zucchini or yellow squash halves, leaving about a 1/4-inch thick shell on each half. Chop the scooped out flesh of the zucchini or squash in small pieces and set aside about 3/4 to 1 cup to add to the taco filling. Drop zucchini/squash halves in boiling water and cook 1 to 2 minutes and remove from water.

Brown turkey in a large skillet, breaking up while it cooks. When no longer pink, add the spices and mix well. Add onion, bell pepper, reserved zucchini/squash, *salsa, and *tomato juice. Saute for an additional three minutes and cover, simmer on low for about 20 minutes. After cooking, I add a little cheese to the mixture to make it thicker, yummier, and easier to put in the cavity of the squash.

Fill the hollowed zucchini/squash boats, dividing the taco meat equally, about 1/3 cup in each. Top each with cheese. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes until cheese is melted and squash/zucchini is cooked through. *Top with toppings of your liking.

 Original recipe

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/07/taco-stuffed-zucchini-boats.html?_ziplist=disable

One-Pan Harvest Pasta

Now that all the vegetables are coming in, I was excited to find this recipe in Midwest Living magazine. It makes use of a lot of what is ripe in our garden...eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, basil... It's one of those dishes where you cook everything in one, including the pasta.

Prep 20 mins. cook time14 mins.

Ingredients
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 small eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces (4 cups)
1 medium zucchini, coarsely chopped (2 cups)
2 tomatoes or 4 roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped (1to1&1/2 cup)
1/3 cup chopped red onion (I would use 2/3 to 3/4 cups)
2 cloves of garlic, minced ( I would use 3)
1 19-oz. can cannellini beans (white kidney beans) rinsed and drained
1& 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 cup uncooked whole wheat pasta (regular pasta is fine)
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (I used about 1/2 Tbs. diced jalapeno pepper because we have some in our garden)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Snipped fresh basil
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I used plenty)

Directions 

1. In a very large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, red onion and garlic (and jalapeno if you're not using red pepper). Cook, uncovered 7 to 10 minutes or until almost tender, stirring occasionally.

 

2. Add beans, broth, pasta and crushed red pepper (if not using jalapeno). Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and  simmer 7 to 10 minutes more or until vegetables and pasta are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper, serve topped with basil and Parmesan cheese.

Makes 4 servings

Nutritional facts per serving:

357 cal, 10 g fat, 4 mg chol, 52 g carbo, 14 g fiber 16 g pro.

Grilled Salmon with Chili-Lime Sauce and Scallion-Ginger Fried Rice

I always love the chance to get together with family! My sister-in-law Beth arranged for some of us to take a cooking class at The Savory Spoon Cooking School in Ellison Bay, WI (Door County). The theme for the evening was Elegant Asian, and it was delicious! I decided to make 2 of the dishes tonight, and thought I'd share them on my blog. I will eventually make all of the courses and share them with you, but will start with these 2 dishes.

Recipes by Janice Thomas
Scallion-Ginger Fried Rice

Fresh ginger root should be shiny and firm

Rice Ingredients
5 cups cold cooked rice (I used brown rice) (See easy directions for making perfect rice in the oven on my wild rice recipe post)
Canola or peanut oil
3 Tbsp. peeled, minced fresh ginger root
3 bunches scallions
1/2 cup green peas
1/2 cup chopped ham
4 mushrooms sliced (I'm using a pre-sliced 4 oz. package of a gourmet mushroom blend that includes baby bellas, shitake, and oyster mushrooms.)
2 eggs beaten

With all of the prepping all of your ingredients for stir frying, I was pretty happy to find ham already diced.

Seasoning Liquid
3 Tbsp. chicken broth
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1/3 cup Chinese rice wine or sake
Freshly ground black pepper
Dash Tabasco

Finely chop scallions, enough to make 3 cups. (Use all of the scallion, not just the white portion.)

In a small bowl stir together seasoning liquid ingredients and set aside.

Separate grains of rice with a fork or your fingers, breaking up any clumps. Place wok over high heat and heat until very hot and almost smoking.
"Necklace" the wok with 1 Tbsp. oil. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly until rice is crisp and crunchy.
Add scallions, ginger root, and mushrooms and stir fry quickly. Add peas and ham.

Making a well in the center, add the beaten eggs and scramble. When done, stir into the rice mixture.
Season to taste and serve hot.
Serves 4

Grilled Salmon with Chili-Lime Sauce

Fish Ingredients
3 Tbsp. chopped garlic
3 Tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh cilantro roots, or stems and leaves
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce or soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp. veg. oil
1 1/2 pounds fish fillets, such as salmon, tuna, snapper, cod, halibut, catfish, or tilapia

In a work bowl of a small food processor or a blender, comine the garlic, cilantro, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, and oil.

Grind to a fairly smooth paste, stopping now and then to scrape down the sides and adding a little water as needed to bring the ingredients together. Scrape the cilantro-garlic paste into a medium bowl, add the fish fillets, and toss to coat everything well. Set aside for 20 to 30 minutes; longer is fine, covered and refrigerated, up to 1 day.

Prepare a very hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill or oven to 425 degrees F.

To cook the fish, place in on a lightly oiled grill rack (I sprayed mine with cooking spray), or in a shallow baking pan in the oven. Cook until browned and done to your liking, carefully turning once, about 5 minutes on each side, or longer for thicker fillets. Serve hot or warm, with the bowl of sauce on the side. I found the sauce to be quite salty, so use sparingly on filet so you can decide how much you'd like.

It just happened that my brother Peter and his wife Beth were making the same meal on the same night. Peter put his salmon directly on the grill and got the desired  browned effect.  I was afraid to put mine directly on the grill for fear it would stick. Our salmon was very good, but didn't look quite as tasty as Peter and Beth's.

Peter and Beth's Salmon

Our instructor showed us an easy way to "seed" a jalapeno pepper. Hold up and slice down the edge of the pepper on four sides, leaving the hottest portion, the seeds and membrane behind.

Combine the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and garlic in a small bowl. Stir well intil the sugar dissolves, and then sprinkle with the chilies and cilantro. Set aside until serving. Drizzle on salmon when serving.

Sauce
1/4 cup fish sauce
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. finely chopped garlic
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh hot green chilies
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro






I love how moist the salmon comes out of the grill when prepared this way.
Serves 4 to 6