Sorry it’s taken a few more days than expected to come back with the blueberry yum yum and spinach salad recipes. I’ll add another one for dynamite roasted asparagus to make up for it. Either spinach salad would go well with the steak – use the kosher salt/pepper/garlic powder rub – as would the asparagus. For the spinach salad, I typically include spinach, 2 hard boiled eggs (chopped), chopped green onion, some sort of fruit (strawberries are great if in season) and bacon pieces. Here are the dressings:
Poppy Seed Dressing – This comes from my grandmother, Immy Withers. I think. It could be my mom’s concoction, but I’m pretty sure it is my grandmother’s. You can make it pink if you use red onion for the onion.
¼ small onion
½ c. sugar
1 t. dry mustard
1 t. salt
1/3 c. vinegar (I use apple cider)
1 c. vegetable oil
1 T. poppy seeds
Put first 6 ingredients in the blender. Gradually pour in the vegetable oil and poppy seeds (while it’s on and mixing).
Spicy Spinach Salad Dressing – compliments of my mother-in-law, Jaquelin Perry. I love a poppy seed dressing, but this is a really great alternative and so, so easy to make – just mix all ingredients together in food processor.
1 c. vegetable oil
¼ c. vinegar (I used apple cider)
½ c. sugar
1/3 c. catsup
1 T Worcestershire
1 t salt
Roasted Asparagus – contributed by Melanie Reid in the March 2005 issue of Southern Living – I forgot how much I enjoyed this dish until we had it over the weekend for my mom’s birthday dinner. It is so tasty and went exceptionally well with the steak, fruit salad, and caramel cake! Dad throws it on the grill for just a minute after it’s finished baking to give it a little char and make it extra good. We omit the almonds.
pounds fresh asparagus
2 T olive oil
garlic cloves, minced
3/4 t salt
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus; place asparagus on a lightly greased baking sheet. Drizzle evenly with olive oil; sprinkle evenly with garlic, salt, and pepper.
Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or to desired degree of tenderness. Transfer asparagus to a serving dish; sprinkle with almonds.
Blueberry Yum Yum – September 1998 issue of Southern Living - A girl I work with introduced me to this dessert. It is an office favorite will usually make an appearance at any sort of office celebration. I tried to make it for Colin for his birthday last week. I omitted the chopped pecans, but I think I like it better with. I also halved the recipe because it makes a lot. The crust tastes like shortbread cookies. Yum Yum!
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
4 cups fresh blueberries
Stir together first 4 ingredients with a fork until crumbly. Press into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch pan.
Bake at 375° for 15 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack.
Beat whipped topping, cream cheese, and powdered sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Spoon over prepared crust. Cover and chill.
Stir together sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan; whisk in 1 cup water until smooth. Stir in blueberries, and bring to a boil. Boil, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cool. Pour over cream cheese mixture. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
New Recipes!
The first two recipes come from The Whole Tulip – thanks Carolyn and Adri! Both call for seafood, the first scallops and the second shrimp, and I was kicking myself for not bringing some home from the beach. I substituted chicken for each. I had some in my freezer I needed to use (and for those of you who don’t have it in your freezer, get the value pack from Harris Teeter, use what you need for these recipes and freeze some for later), so I let it thaw and then cooked it stovetop in a skillet with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar and some salt and pepper. At first I put the whole breast in the skillet and cooked it over medium heat. Then, once it had been on for about 10 minutes, I took it off, cut it into strips, saw that it was still pink and had a ways more to go, and put it back in the skillet. It worked well though. I would have preferred to have grilled it, but this was an easy alternative. Once it was cooked, I added it to the prepared veggies. Very tasty dishes, and I felt good about my healthy eating habits….until we pulled out the Blueberry Yumm Yumm desert. I shouldn’t have had that “one bite,” and would have been better off had I walked away, but it is so good. I’ll include the recipe for that as well now that blueberries are buy one, get one.
Succotash with Grilled Scallops and Parsley Drizzle - Adri Warrick via The Whole Tulip
This dish was especially good because we were lucky enough to have some of my father-in-law’s sweet corn in our freezer. Becoming a Perry has turned me into a bit of a corn snob. I refuse to buy sweet corn at the store (sorry Harris Teeter), and rarely even get it at the farmer’s market. There’s something about eating corn picked the day of that spoils you. And even though this had been in the freezer it tasted just as fresh as that we had over the 4th.
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small onion diced
2 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed (or 4 ears corn)
1 package frozen lima beans, thawed
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced
1 pint grape tomatoes, havled
1 1/4 pounds large sea scallops
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
Parsley Drizzle:
1 cup lightly packed flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon water, as need to slacken
Combine all ingredients in blender or puree
Directions:
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook about 2 minutes. Add the garlic (it doesn’t say how much in the ingredients, but I did two cloves and that worked well) and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the corn, lima beans, zucchini, and tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionly, until the veggies are tender.
(This is where I cooked chicken)
Meanwhile grill scallops (either grill pan, outside grill, george foreman, etc..) Pat them dry and season with salt and pepper. Cook scallops until middle is opaque 5-6 min, turning once.
Stir the vinegar and basil into succotash, season and top with grilled scallops (or chicken or shrimp or whatever you’d like).
Soba Noodles with Veggies and Shrimp - Adri Warrick via The Whole Tulip
I substituted spinach for the kale and added squash and zucchini. The amount of veggies you use depends on your preferences. You can even add different veggies if you’d like. This was a delicious stir-fry, I loved using the soba noodles. They only take 3 minutes to cook. I think I probably put a little too much olive oil in the skillet when I started sautéing, but the soba noodles absorbed it once I added them. The Tamari sauce is a healthier alternative to soy. I read on the label (I bought San-J Organic) that 1 tsp has 313 mg sodium vs. the 590 mg found in only ¼ tsp. of salt. We were very generous with the Tamari sauce. It makes the dish.
1 package soba noodles (I used two rolls of the noodles. The brand I bought had 3 rolls of noodles in it. The 2 rolls was plenty for us)
Kale (3 or 4 handfuls of spinach…probably could have used a little more)
snap peas (actually did not use these)
shredded carrots (I think I used 3 carrots)
mushrooms (I did one pack or pre-sliced mushrooms)
frozen or fresh shrimp (whichever you have on hand)
Tamari sauce
Bring pot of water to a boil.
Chop vegetables
Add olive oil to pan and sauté vegetables and shrimp (I let the veggies sauté and then I added the cooked chicken once they were almost done).
Once water boils add soba noodles and cook for 3 min. Drain water and add noodles to stir fry. Once everything is heated and cooked through add tamari sauce (amount will depend on your taste buds)
Pork Chops with Squash Casserole
I concocted both recipes. Well actually I stole the idea of using my go-to steak rub for the pork chops from my parents. So you don’t have to look back to previous posts to see what goes in the rub, here you go. It’s a mixture of kosher salt, pepper (fresh ground is probably better) and garlic powder. I have no measurements for you, but you can’t go wrong. I put all in a little ramekin and kind of swish it around to mix it together. Sprinkle the rub on all sides of the pork chop and put it in a shallow casserole to cook. It probably would have been even better on the grill, but I was impressed with it in the oven. I cooked it on 350 for about 20 minutes (maybe???) you may need to adjust the cooking time. I definitely had to cut it in the middle to see how it looked a few times. Colin likes his pork on the lesser done side than I do. I prefer medium rare for steak, but don’t like to see any pink in the pork.
Squash Casserole
2-3 squash
Onion
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Breadcrumbs
Shredded cheese
I love cooking this. All I do is cut up the squash and onion and put them in a pot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add a little olive oil and water to the veggies and toss to coat. Once they begin to cook, the veggies will lose additional water and cook in their own juices. Let the squash and onions simmer on low for about 45 minutes. Once the veggies are very well done and extremely tender – the squash is basically falling apart – spoon them into a casserole dish with a slotted spoon. Top with breadcrumbs and cheddar cheese. Pop into oven and bake at 350 until cheese is melted – about 15 minutes.
Baby Crying – better go! Will be back with blueberry yumm yumm and some spinach salad recipes!
Succotash with Grilled Scallops and Parsley Drizzle - Adri Warrick via The Whole Tulip
This dish was especially good because we were lucky enough to have some of my father-in-law’s sweet corn in our freezer. Becoming a Perry has turned me into a bit of a corn snob. I refuse to buy sweet corn at the store (sorry Harris Teeter), and rarely even get it at the farmer’s market. There’s something about eating corn picked the day of that spoils you. And even though this had been in the freezer it tasted just as fresh as that we had over the 4th.
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small onion diced
2 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed (or 4 ears corn)
1 package frozen lima beans, thawed
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced
1 pint grape tomatoes, havled
1 1/4 pounds large sea scallops
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
Parsley Drizzle:
1 cup lightly packed flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon water, as need to slacken
Combine all ingredients in blender or puree
Directions:
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook about 2 minutes. Add the garlic (it doesn’t say how much in the ingredients, but I did two cloves and that worked well) and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the corn, lima beans, zucchini, and tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionly, until the veggies are tender.
(This is where I cooked chicken)
Meanwhile grill scallops (either grill pan, outside grill, george foreman, etc..) Pat them dry and season with salt and pepper. Cook scallops until middle is opaque 5-6 min, turning once.
Stir the vinegar and basil into succotash, season and top with grilled scallops (or chicken or shrimp or whatever you’d like).
Soba Noodles with Veggies and Shrimp - Adri Warrick via The Whole Tulip
I substituted spinach for the kale and added squash and zucchini. The amount of veggies you use depends on your preferences. You can even add different veggies if you’d like. This was a delicious stir-fry, I loved using the soba noodles. They only take 3 minutes to cook. I think I probably put a little too much olive oil in the skillet when I started sautéing, but the soba noodles absorbed it once I added them. The Tamari sauce is a healthier alternative to soy. I read on the label (I bought San-J Organic) that 1 tsp has 313 mg sodium vs. the 590 mg found in only ¼ tsp. of salt. We were very generous with the Tamari sauce. It makes the dish.
1 package soba noodles (I used two rolls of the noodles. The brand I bought had 3 rolls of noodles in it. The 2 rolls was plenty for us)
Kale (3 or 4 handfuls of spinach…probably could have used a little more)
snap peas (actually did not use these)
shredded carrots (I think I used 3 carrots)
mushrooms (I did one pack or pre-sliced mushrooms)
frozen or fresh shrimp (whichever you have on hand)
Tamari sauce
Bring pot of water to a boil.
Chop vegetables
Add olive oil to pan and sauté vegetables and shrimp (I let the veggies sauté and then I added the cooked chicken once they were almost done).
Once water boils add soba noodles and cook for 3 min. Drain water and add noodles to stir fry. Once everything is heated and cooked through add tamari sauce (amount will depend on your taste buds)
Pork Chops with Squash Casserole
I concocted both recipes. Well actually I stole the idea of using my go-to steak rub for the pork chops from my parents. So you don’t have to look back to previous posts to see what goes in the rub, here you go. It’s a mixture of kosher salt, pepper (fresh ground is probably better) and garlic powder. I have no measurements for you, but you can’t go wrong. I put all in a little ramekin and kind of swish it around to mix it together. Sprinkle the rub on all sides of the pork chop and put it in a shallow casserole to cook. It probably would have been even better on the grill, but I was impressed with it in the oven. I cooked it on 350 for about 20 minutes (maybe???) you may need to adjust the cooking time. I definitely had to cut it in the middle to see how it looked a few times. Colin likes his pork on the lesser done side than I do. I prefer medium rare for steak, but don’t like to see any pink in the pork.
Squash Casserole
2-3 squash
Onion
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Breadcrumbs
Shredded cheese
I love cooking this. All I do is cut up the squash and onion and put them in a pot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add a little olive oil and water to the veggies and toss to coat. Once they begin to cook, the veggies will lose additional water and cook in their own juices. Let the squash and onions simmer on low for about 45 minutes. Once the veggies are very well done and extremely tender – the squash is basically falling apart – spoon them into a casserole dish with a slotted spoon. Top with breadcrumbs and cheddar cheese. Pop into oven and bake at 350 until cheese is melted – about 15 minutes.
Baby Crying – better go! Will be back with blueberry yumm yumm and some spinach salad recipes!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Summer Break
Well it looks like it’s been about 2 months since my last post. We celebrated Memorial Day, beached it with friends, went to a wedding, beached it again, celebrated the 4th (at the beach), had a week vacay (at the beach again), went to another wedding (at the beach), and came home in time to celebrate Colin’s 31st birthday. This week was back to reality, and I can only daydream about fresh mint mojitos, sand almost too hot to walk on, seeing the sunrise over the ocean – ok, that wasn’t by choice, but if you are up at 5, it’s nice to have the ocean to look at – my comfy beach chair with the cushioned head rest, and the smell of Coppertone.
While on vacation, I delved more into the world of blogs. I’m very impressed with my sister-in-law, Carolyn, and her new venture as a health coach: http://websites.integrativenutrition.com/challett/Index.aspx
She and her sister, Adri, have created a very cute and informative blog with different tidbits and easy recipes for healthy eating and living. It also talks about “super foods” and ways you can incorporate them into your diet. I’m sure I will reference many of their recipes in future posts. Here is a link to The Whole Tulip (what a great name!) -- http://thewholetulip.blogspot.com/
Adri was also recently mentioned in Charlotte Smarty Pants as a smarty pants mom. Go Adri! http://charlottesmartypants.blogspot.com/2010/06/smarty-mom-adri-warrick.html Great idea to cut up all the veggies on Sunday for a quick and easy stir fry during the week. Wish I had one of her “super pops” now!
Another obsession, and not to get too off-subject but we are talking about blogs, has become design blogs. Where have I been? I felt an immediate bond with these talented and creative girls who have introduced me to the world of Katie Ridder and Windsor Smith. They are so fun and remind me of my best buds. This blog in particular just made me laugh out loud. I navigated from my friend Andrika’s idea inspiring nursery design blog, Nursery Notations: http://www.nurserynotations.com/
to Simply Seleta: http://simplyseleta.typepad.com/. Here I met Seleta and admired her at once after reading this post: http://simplyseleta.typepad.com/simply_seleta/2010/06/shocking-doggie-do.html
Maybe I should just shave Otis’s hair into a mohawk and stop complaining about his non-stop shedding!
Sorry for all my rambling. I’m trying to get back into the habit of blogging. I will be back with recipes. Have to think of some things to go with these specials:
Sample of Harris Teeter specials for 7.14.10 – 7.20.10
Center Cut Pork Chops - $2.99/lb (save at least $1.50/lb)
Value Pack Chicken breasts - $2.49/lb (not quite the BOGO from last week, but still saves at least $1.50/lb)
Filet Mignon - $9.99/lb (need to splurge when on sale…saves at least $6/lb)
Blueberries – BOGO
Rasperries – BOGO
Blackberries – BOGO
Asparagus - $2.99/lb
Green Peppers - $0.99/pound
Squash and Zucchini - $1.29/pound
Earthbound Farms Salad Mix – 2 for $7
Mushrooms – 2 packs for $4
Lots of good veggies on sale! Will consult The Whole Tulip!
While on vacation, I delved more into the world of blogs. I’m very impressed with my sister-in-law, Carolyn, and her new venture as a health coach: http://websites.integrativenutrition.com/challett/Index.aspx
She and her sister, Adri, have created a very cute and informative blog with different tidbits and easy recipes for healthy eating and living. It also talks about “super foods” and ways you can incorporate them into your diet. I’m sure I will reference many of their recipes in future posts. Here is a link to The Whole Tulip (what a great name!) -- http://thewholetulip.blogspot.com/
Adri was also recently mentioned in Charlotte Smarty Pants as a smarty pants mom. Go Adri! http://charlottesmartypants.blogspot.com/2010/06/smarty-mom-adri-warrick.html Great idea to cut up all the veggies on Sunday for a quick and easy stir fry during the week. Wish I had one of her “super pops” now!
Another obsession, and not to get too off-subject but we are talking about blogs, has become design blogs. Where have I been? I felt an immediate bond with these talented and creative girls who have introduced me to the world of Katie Ridder and Windsor Smith. They are so fun and remind me of my best buds. This blog in particular just made me laugh out loud. I navigated from my friend Andrika’s idea inspiring nursery design blog, Nursery Notations: http://www.nurserynotations.com/
to Simply Seleta: http://simplyseleta.typepad.com/. Here I met Seleta and admired her at once after reading this post: http://simplyseleta.typepad.com/simply_seleta/2010/06/shocking-doggie-do.html
Maybe I should just shave Otis’s hair into a mohawk and stop complaining about his non-stop shedding!
Sorry for all my rambling. I’m trying to get back into the habit of blogging. I will be back with recipes. Have to think of some things to go with these specials:
Sample of Harris Teeter specials for 7.14.10 – 7.20.10
Center Cut Pork Chops - $2.99/lb (save at least $1.50/lb)
Value Pack Chicken breasts - $2.49/lb (not quite the BOGO from last week, but still saves at least $1.50/lb)
Filet Mignon - $9.99/lb (need to splurge when on sale…saves at least $6/lb)
Blueberries – BOGO
Rasperries – BOGO
Blackberries – BOGO
Asparagus - $2.99/lb
Green Peppers - $0.99/pound
Squash and Zucchini - $1.29/pound
Earthbound Farms Salad Mix – 2 for $7
Mushrooms – 2 packs for $4
Lots of good veggies on sale! Will consult The Whole Tulip!
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