This recipe comes from my local farmer's market. Each week the market provides recipes that feature something for sale and in season that week. Once I sampled the bruschetta, I was addicted. It's very easy to make, just a little time consuming with all of the chopping. I tend to like my chunks pretty small, so it may take less time if you prefer larger pieces of tomato, mozzarella, etc. One thing I have noticed, though, is that a lot of the flavor depends on the variety of garlic used. We get our garlic from the market, our CSA, or from Trader Joe's, and it tends to be good and flavorful. Last summer I bought some garlic at the super market at the shore and the bruschetta wasn't nearly as good. For this recipe both the marinated mozzarella and the jarred sun dried tomatoes come from Trader Joe's. I'm sure that you could just as easily use dry sun dried tomatoes, but I prefer to use these. For more recipes, and to view this original recipe, check out the Glenside Farmer's Market's web page.
J'adore: Sun dried Tomato Mozzarella Bruschetta
Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium tomato, finely diced
1 pint grape tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, thinly sliced and diced
1/2 container (approx. 8oz.) marinated mozzarella balls, finely diced
Directions:
Chop and dice all ingredients accordingly. Combine all ingredients and add sea salt to taste. Serve on toasted French bread.
Showing posts with label cherry tomatoes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cherry tomatoes. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Maeve's Southwest Quinoa Salad
A few months ago my mom sent me a link to a childhood friend's blog for vegetarian recipes, which is really what got me blogging in the first place. One of the recipes she had on her blog was for a Southwest Quinoa Salad. It looked delicious, so I decided to try it. (Maeve takes beautiful pictures of everything she makes as she's making it. To view her pictures click on the hyperlink above.) I have to admit that the first night I thought there were too many flavors competing for attention. It wasn't that I didn't think it was good... I just wasn't sure I'd be making it again. And then I took it for lunch the next day... and the day after that... and then I made it a week later... and now I'm pretty much hooked. Even Scott liked it, and he doesn't eat salad! I'll be making it tomorrow for Mother's Day, so we'll see if it passes the Mommo test.
I didn't really alter the original recipe, but I will note the following:
1. I tried using pre-roasted frozen corn from Trader Joe's. Not a fan. The corn tastes more charred than anything, so consider yourself warned.
2. I don't recommend using falvored orange juice for the glaze. I tried Orange Peach Mango juice the second time around and found it entirely too sweet.
3. DO add tomato chewies. In the summer, when cherry and grape tomatoes are in season and you have more of them then you know what to do with, do the following: slice the tomatoes in half. Lightly oil a baking sheet with olive oil. Place tomato halves onto oiled baking sheet in a single layer with the skin side down. Turn the oven on to 200°F and bake tomatoes for at least an hour or two. You'll know they're done when they're shriveled and dried looking. Cool these and stick them into a container. Freeze them and use them all winter for fresh tasting roasted tomatoes in your salad.
J'adore: Maeve's Southwest Quinoa Salad
Ingredients:
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup vegetable stock
2 cups mixed greens, washed dried and torn into bite sized pieces
1 avocado, peeled cored and diced
1 mango, peeled cored and diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or tomato chewies (see above)
1/4 cup frozen corn kernels
1/2 (15 oz) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp roasted salted sunflower seeds or pepitas
4 1/2 inch slices firm tofu, pressed in a paper towel to removed excess water
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt to taste
2 tsp honey
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp chipotle ranch dressing, or substitute any southwest dressing
Directions:
Combine quinoa and vegetable stock in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes, then turn off heat and let cool slightly. Fluff with a fork before serving.
Meanwhile, prepare fruits and vegetables. Heat a small skillet to medium high (without oil). Toss in frozen corn kernels along with a pinch of chili powder and allow to blacken in spots, one or two kernels may pop out of pan. Turn out onto cutting board and allow to cool.
Lay tofu slices out in a single layer. Season liberally with chili powder and lightly with salt, press seasoning into surface, flip and repeat on other side. Heat a very small amount of vegetable oil - just enough to lightly coat the bottom - in a small frying pan on medium high. (This technique for cooking tofu is easy in a nonstick skillet, can be done in a well seasoned cast iron pan with a flexible spatula, and proves very difficult in a stainless steel pan.) Lay tofu slices in pan shaking pan after they're in place to make sure they do not stick. Allow to cook on medium high heat for about 2 minutes per side until a slight crust has formed. Quickly add orange juice, soy sauce, and honey to pan (they may spit at you, but it's worth it) allow to bubble away and reduce into a glaze, flip tofu slices, turn off heat and allow to cool slightly in pan.
To assemble salad, lay out a ring of mixed greens, pile quinoa in center, then sprinkle on black beans, corn, avocado, mango, and tomatoes. Then top with tofu slices drizzle on dressing and top with sunflower seeds.
I didn't really alter the original recipe, but I will note the following:
1. I tried using pre-roasted frozen corn from Trader Joe's. Not a fan. The corn tastes more charred than anything, so consider yourself warned.
2. I don't recommend using falvored orange juice for the glaze. I tried Orange Peach Mango juice the second time around and found it entirely too sweet.
3. DO add tomato chewies. In the summer, when cherry and grape tomatoes are in season and you have more of them then you know what to do with, do the following: slice the tomatoes in half. Lightly oil a baking sheet with olive oil. Place tomato halves onto oiled baking sheet in a single layer with the skin side down. Turn the oven on to 200°F and bake tomatoes for at least an hour or two. You'll know they're done when they're shriveled and dried looking. Cool these and stick them into a container. Freeze them and use them all winter for fresh tasting roasted tomatoes in your salad.
J'adore: Maeve's Southwest Quinoa Salad
Ingredients:
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup vegetable stock
2 cups mixed greens, washed dried and torn into bite sized pieces
1 avocado, peeled cored and diced
1 mango, peeled cored and diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or tomato chewies (see above)
1/4 cup frozen corn kernels
1/2 (15 oz) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp roasted salted sunflower seeds or pepitas
4 1/2 inch slices firm tofu, pressed in a paper towel to removed excess water
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt to taste
2 tsp honey
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp chipotle ranch dressing, or substitute any southwest dressing
Directions:
Combine quinoa and vegetable stock in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes, then turn off heat and let cool slightly. Fluff with a fork before serving.
Meanwhile, prepare fruits and vegetables. Heat a small skillet to medium high (without oil). Toss in frozen corn kernels along with a pinch of chili powder and allow to blacken in spots, one or two kernels may pop out of pan. Turn out onto cutting board and allow to cool.
Lay tofu slices out in a single layer. Season liberally with chili powder and lightly with salt, press seasoning into surface, flip and repeat on other side. Heat a very small amount of vegetable oil - just enough to lightly coat the bottom - in a small frying pan on medium high. (This technique for cooking tofu is easy in a nonstick skillet, can be done in a well seasoned cast iron pan with a flexible spatula, and proves very difficult in a stainless steel pan.) Lay tofu slices in pan shaking pan after they're in place to make sure they do not stick. Allow to cook on medium high heat for about 2 minutes per side until a slight crust has formed. Quickly add orange juice, soy sauce, and honey to pan (they may spit at you, but it's worth it) allow to bubble away and reduce into a glaze, flip tofu slices, turn off heat and allow to cool slightly in pan.
To assemble salad, lay out a ring of mixed greens, pile quinoa in center, then sprinkle on black beans, corn, avocado, mango, and tomatoes. Then top with tofu slices drizzle on dressing and top with sunflower seeds.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Menu for feeding 30 (Mom's 60th birthday bash)
It's always hardest trying to figure out how much food to make and what people will eat when having mixed company over for a party. I had no idea what to make at first, but then I remembered some favorites and, with the help of my sister, came up with the following menu:
J'adore: Spinach and White Bean Crescents
I discovered this recipe in the November/December 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times. It originally calls for broccoli raab, but I substituted spinach for a milder flavor. Click on the hyperlink to take you to the original recipe. My modifications are below:
Ingredients:
1 package of frozen spinach
1/2 jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, plus 1 Tbs. oil from jar (I use the ones from Trader Joe's)
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed with garlic press
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
Directions:
1. Thaw spinach and squeeze out most of the liquid. (I generally throw the frozen spinach in a strainer, run some warm water over it until it's thawed, and then squeeze out all of the water.) Add oil, garlic, and pepper flakes to a non-stick skillet and cook on low heat. Add spinach and sauté for a few minutes. Stir in sugar and balsamic vinegar, and season with salt. Remove from heat and stir in beans and sun-dried tomatoes. Set aside to cool.
2. Roll 1 sheet of thawed puff pastry onto floured work surface. (The thinner the pastry, the easier it is to stuff and the better the pockets hold together, but be careful not to make it too thin or the pastry will tear when you are folding it in half. Allow for a little bit of trial and error.) Cut out circles using a 3 ½-inch cutter. (Feel free to play with the size. I’ve used the rim of a jelly jar lid, which made very tiny pockets, or an over-turned plastic container for slightly larger circles). Cover baking sheets with parchment paper. Place pastry circles onto parchment paper. Spoon approx. 1 Tbs. of spinach mixture into the center of each circle. Brush or dab water around the edges of the pastry. Press edges together and press down with fork tines to seal. Repeat with scraps and remaining dough. Bake at 375°F for approx. 20 minutes or until golden brown.
J'aime: Cheese Platter with fruit, nuts, and honey-wheat black bread
Cheese platters can obviously be made with any assortment of cheeses, breads, crackers, fruits, or nuts. For ours we chose Saint-André, Port-Salut, Emmental, and some sort of bleu cheese (not sure which one specifically). The platters were decorated with almonds, walnuts, red grapes, strawberries, and dried cherries. Assorted crackers were available in a basket, and slices of a whole wheat baguette and honey-wheat black bread were arranged with the cheeses. We bought the baguette and the crackers at the super market, but the following is Abigail's recipe for the black bread. It is a modification of this original recipe.
Honey Wheat Black Bread
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) warm water
1 packet yeast
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
Scant ¼ cup honey
Scant ¼ cup molasses
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) unbleached Bread Flour
1 2/3 cups (6 3/4 ounces) Whole Wheat Flour
2-3 tablespoons cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Directions:
Sprinkle yeast in warm water and let sit for approx. 2 mins. Add honey and molasses and stir, then add salt. Add all dry ingredients and stir (be sure to stir only in one direction) until it becomes hard to stir then knead in bowl until all flour is mixed into the dough. (If the dough seems too wet sprinkle in a small amount of additional flour).
Remove dough from bowl, clean bowl and lightly oil it, then return dough to bowl. Cover with a damp towel and place in a warm oven until it doubles its size (approx. 1 hour). Remove bowl from oven and knead directly in bowl. Can be put into a liberally floured bread pan or can be divided into two pieces and placed onto a liberally floured baking sheet. Cover again with a damp light weight kitchen towel and let rise for another hour. Remove towel before baking. Bake at 350°F for approx. 45 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when you tap on it.
J'adore: Roasted Asparagus with Cherry Tomatoes
This recipe is simple, fast, and requires very few ingredients.
Ingredients:
Asparagus (as much as you like)
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Garlic
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Olive oil
Directions:
Wash asparagus and trim bottoms of stalks. Toss into a baking dish. Add olive oil to coat (maybe 1-2 Tbs.) Add minced or pressed garlic (at least 3 cloves, more for more punch!) Toss in halved cherry tomatoes. Add sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (be liberal, but not overly liberal with the salt). Toss everything to coat and throw it into the oven at 400°F for approx. 10-15 mins.
*During the summer when cherry tomatoes are in peak season we like to half them and freeze them for winter use. They hold up great, maintain floavor, color, and freshness, and save you a lot of time and effort if you need them in a pinch for a dish like this one.
J'adore: Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers
This recipe appeared in the February 2009 edition of Vegetarian Times. I haven't varied too much from the original recipe except to use a little less cumin, a little more celery, and more black beans.
Ingredients:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3-4 ribs celery, finely chopped
scant 1 Tbs. ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
1 or 1.5 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup quinoa
3 large carrots, grated
1 1/2 cups grated pepper jack cheese
6 large bell peppers (red, yellow, and orange are best), halved lengthwise, ribs removed
Directions:
1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and cook 5 minutes, or until soft. Add cumin and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in spinach and drained tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.
2. Stir in black beans, quinoa, carrots, and 2 cups water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Stir in 1 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour liquid from tomatoes in bottom of baking dish.
4. Fill each bell pepper half with heaping 3/4-cup quinoa mixture, and place in baking dish. Cover with foil, and bake 1 hour. Uncover, and sprinkle each pepper with 1 Tbs. remaining cheese. Bake 15 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned. Let stand 5 minutes. Transfer stuffed peppers to serving plates, and drizzle each with pan juices before serving.
*We find that we always have too much stuffing left over, so the next night we make quesadillas. Place a whole wheat tortilla on a lightly oiled non-stick skillet. Spread stuffing evenly on half of the tortilla. Add some pepper jack, cheddar, or American cheese if desired. Fold tortilla over to cover stuffing and cook on each side until inside is warm and outer tortilla is crispy. Serve with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. Leftovers never tasted so good!
Je ne peux pas vivre sans: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
See my March 10 post or go to Vegetarian Times February 2009 to see the original recipe. I didn't make any modifications (except to add more chocolate chips); this recipe is perfect as is!!
J'adore: Wendy's Russian Tea Cookies
I don't really know how Russian these cookies are. This recipe has been in the family for years, and we attribute it to my Aunt Wendy. My sister loves to make them for holidays and parties. They're nearly always the first to disappear from the cookie platter!
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
Directions:
Cream butter and sugar with mixer or in food processor. Add all other ingredients and mix until smooth. Roll dough into small balls and press with thumb to indent. Fill indent with jam. OR roll dough into two long logs and press thumb down the center of the length of the logs to make a channel. Fill channels with jam. Bake at 325°F for 15-20 minutes or until light brown. Drizzle with confectioners' icing (confectioners' sugar mixed with a small amount of water or lemon juice). Once logs have cooled slice diagonally and place cookies on serving plate.
Je n'aime pas tellement: Seven-Layer Bars
I clipped this recipe out of Philadelphia Home Spring/Summer 2009 because I thought it looked tasty. I have to admit that I wasn't crazy about it; the bars were entirely too sweet for my taste. I was also pretty disappointed when I looked at the condensed milk can and found the same recipe! What the heck Philadelphia Magazine!?! Anyway, my dad, my uncle, and my grandfather all liked them, so if you know a sweet-tooth, this recipe might be for you! I'll be bringing the rest of mine in to school for my students. Teenagers live to eat! :)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers (I used Annie's Bunny Grahams: half cinnamon and half chocolate)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cups peanut butter chips
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 cup dried cranberries (I used dried cherries)
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cups coconut flakes
cooking spray (or margarine)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease an 8x8 or 9x9 pan or dish. Mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter and coat the bottom of the baking pan with mixture, pressing to bottom of pan. Combine chocolate and peanut butter chips and spread on graham cracker crust, pressing firmly. Continue to layer with almonds and cranberries/cherries. Pour condensed milk over mixture, top with coconut, and bake for 25 minutes. Let cool completely and cut into bars. Do not refrigerate. Can be kept overnight.
*A couple of notes: 1. Be sure to use unsweetened coconut. I didn't notice there was a difference when I was buying it at the store. 2. Only use a cup of the condensed milk, not the whole can. Again, I wasn't paying attention, BUT the recipe on the can does say to use the whole can, and, honestly, what are you going to do with a few extra ounces of sweetened condensed milk? 3. I froze them and then thawed them before serving and they were fine. I don't know why it says not to refrigerate them.
- Spinach and White Bean Crescents
- Cheese Platter with fruit, nuts, and honey-wheat black bread
- Roasted Asparagus with Cherry Tomatoes
- Stuffed Peppers
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Russian Tea Cookies
- 7-Layer Bars
- Fruit salad (pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, banana, and red grapes)
- My Aunt Carol made chicken salad with cranberries on mini croissants that was apparently delicious.
- My mom's friend Connie brought a summer pizza. It's one of my favorite party dishes. As soon as she sends me the recipe I'll post it. Yuuummmm!
- My mom's friend Jan brought a salmon spread with crackers and white chocolate cherry cookies. I didn't try the spread, but I can vouch for the cookies!
- My mother-in-law brought the birthday cake from a bakery in Vineland, NJ. We love this woman's cakes-- they are amazing. There were outcries when there wasn't enough for seconds!
J'adore: Spinach and White Bean Crescents
I discovered this recipe in the November/December 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times. It originally calls for broccoli raab, but I substituted spinach for a milder flavor. Click on the hyperlink to take you to the original recipe. My modifications are below:
Ingredients:
1 package of frozen spinach
1/2 jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, plus 1 Tbs. oil from jar (I use the ones from Trader Joe's)
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed with garlic press
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
Directions:
1. Thaw spinach and squeeze out most of the liquid. (I generally throw the frozen spinach in a strainer, run some warm water over it until it's thawed, and then squeeze out all of the water.) Add oil, garlic, and pepper flakes to a non-stick skillet and cook on low heat. Add spinach and sauté for a few minutes. Stir in sugar and balsamic vinegar, and season with salt. Remove from heat and stir in beans and sun-dried tomatoes. Set aside to cool.
2. Roll 1 sheet of thawed puff pastry onto floured work surface. (The thinner the pastry, the easier it is to stuff and the better the pockets hold together, but be careful not to make it too thin or the pastry will tear when you are folding it in half. Allow for a little bit of trial and error.) Cut out circles using a 3 ½-inch cutter. (Feel free to play with the size. I’ve used the rim of a jelly jar lid, which made very tiny pockets, or an over-turned plastic container for slightly larger circles). Cover baking sheets with parchment paper. Place pastry circles onto parchment paper. Spoon approx. 1 Tbs. of spinach mixture into the center of each circle. Brush or dab water around the edges of the pastry. Press edges together and press down with fork tines to seal. Repeat with scraps and remaining dough. Bake at 375°F for approx. 20 minutes or until golden brown.
J'aime: Cheese Platter with fruit, nuts, and honey-wheat black bread
Cheese platters can obviously be made with any assortment of cheeses, breads, crackers, fruits, or nuts. For ours we chose Saint-André, Port-Salut, Emmental, and some sort of bleu cheese (not sure which one specifically). The platters were decorated with almonds, walnuts, red grapes, strawberries, and dried cherries. Assorted crackers were available in a basket, and slices of a whole wheat baguette and honey-wheat black bread were arranged with the cheeses. We bought the baguette and the crackers at the super market, but the following is Abigail's recipe for the black bread. It is a modification of this original recipe.
Honey Wheat Black Bread
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) warm water
1 packet yeast
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
Scant ¼ cup honey
Scant ¼ cup molasses
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) unbleached Bread Flour
1 2/3 cups (6 3/4 ounces) Whole Wheat Flour
2-3 tablespoons cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Directions:
Sprinkle yeast in warm water and let sit for approx. 2 mins. Add honey and molasses and stir, then add salt. Add all dry ingredients and stir (be sure to stir only in one direction) until it becomes hard to stir then knead in bowl until all flour is mixed into the dough. (If the dough seems too wet sprinkle in a small amount of additional flour).
Remove dough from bowl, clean bowl and lightly oil it, then return dough to bowl. Cover with a damp towel and place in a warm oven until it doubles its size (approx. 1 hour). Remove bowl from oven and knead directly in bowl. Can be put into a liberally floured bread pan or can be divided into two pieces and placed onto a liberally floured baking sheet. Cover again with a damp light weight kitchen towel and let rise for another hour. Remove towel before baking. Bake at 350°F for approx. 45 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when you tap on it.
J'adore: Roasted Asparagus with Cherry Tomatoes
This recipe is simple, fast, and requires very few ingredients.
Ingredients:
Asparagus (as much as you like)
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Garlic
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Olive oil
Directions:
Wash asparagus and trim bottoms of stalks. Toss into a baking dish. Add olive oil to coat (maybe 1-2 Tbs.) Add minced or pressed garlic (at least 3 cloves, more for more punch!) Toss in halved cherry tomatoes. Add sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (be liberal, but not overly liberal with the salt). Toss everything to coat and throw it into the oven at 400°F for approx. 10-15 mins.
*During the summer when cherry tomatoes are in peak season we like to half them and freeze them for winter use. They hold up great, maintain floavor, color, and freshness, and save you a lot of time and effort if you need them in a pinch for a dish like this one.
J'adore: Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers
This recipe appeared in the February 2009 edition of Vegetarian Times. I haven't varied too much from the original recipe except to use a little less cumin, a little more celery, and more black beans.
Ingredients:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3-4 ribs celery, finely chopped
scant 1 Tbs. ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
1 or 1.5 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup quinoa
3 large carrots, grated
1 1/2 cups grated pepper jack cheese
6 large bell peppers (red, yellow, and orange are best), halved lengthwise, ribs removed
Directions:
1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and cook 5 minutes, or until soft. Add cumin and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in spinach and drained tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.
2. Stir in black beans, quinoa, carrots, and 2 cups water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Stir in 1 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour liquid from tomatoes in bottom of baking dish.
4. Fill each bell pepper half with heaping 3/4-cup quinoa mixture, and place in baking dish. Cover with foil, and bake 1 hour. Uncover, and sprinkle each pepper with 1 Tbs. remaining cheese. Bake 15 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned. Let stand 5 minutes. Transfer stuffed peppers to serving plates, and drizzle each with pan juices before serving.
*We find that we always have too much stuffing left over, so the next night we make quesadillas. Place a whole wheat tortilla on a lightly oiled non-stick skillet. Spread stuffing evenly on half of the tortilla. Add some pepper jack, cheddar, or American cheese if desired. Fold tortilla over to cover stuffing and cook on each side until inside is warm and outer tortilla is crispy. Serve with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. Leftovers never tasted so good!
Je ne peux pas vivre sans: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
See my March 10 post or go to Vegetarian Times February 2009 to see the original recipe. I didn't make any modifications (except to add more chocolate chips); this recipe is perfect as is!!
J'adore: Wendy's Russian Tea Cookies
I don't really know how Russian these cookies are. This recipe has been in the family for years, and we attribute it to my Aunt Wendy. My sister loves to make them for holidays and parties. They're nearly always the first to disappear from the cookie platter!
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
Directions:
Cream butter and sugar with mixer or in food processor. Add all other ingredients and mix until smooth. Roll dough into small balls and press with thumb to indent. Fill indent with jam. OR roll dough into two long logs and press thumb down the center of the length of the logs to make a channel. Fill channels with jam. Bake at 325°F for 15-20 minutes or until light brown. Drizzle with confectioners' icing (confectioners' sugar mixed with a small amount of water or lemon juice). Once logs have cooled slice diagonally and place cookies on serving plate.
Je n'aime pas tellement: Seven-Layer Bars
I clipped this recipe out of Philadelphia Home Spring/Summer 2009 because I thought it looked tasty. I have to admit that I wasn't crazy about it; the bars were entirely too sweet for my taste. I was also pretty disappointed when I looked at the condensed milk can and found the same recipe! What the heck Philadelphia Magazine!?! Anyway, my dad, my uncle, and my grandfather all liked them, so if you know a sweet-tooth, this recipe might be for you! I'll be bringing the rest of mine in to school for my students. Teenagers live to eat! :)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers (I used Annie's Bunny Grahams: half cinnamon and half chocolate)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cups peanut butter chips
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 cup dried cranberries (I used dried cherries)
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cups coconut flakes
cooking spray (or margarine)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease an 8x8 or 9x9 pan or dish. Mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter and coat the bottom of the baking pan with mixture, pressing to bottom of pan. Combine chocolate and peanut butter chips and spread on graham cracker crust, pressing firmly. Continue to layer with almonds and cranberries/cherries. Pour condensed milk over mixture, top with coconut, and bake for 25 minutes. Let cool completely and cut into bars. Do not refrigerate. Can be kept overnight.
*A couple of notes: 1. Be sure to use unsweetened coconut. I didn't notice there was a difference when I was buying it at the store. 2. Only use a cup of the condensed milk, not the whole can. Again, I wasn't paying attention, BUT the recipe on the can does say to use the whole can, and, honestly, what are you going to do with a few extra ounces of sweetened condensed milk? 3. I froze them and then thawed them before serving and they were fine. I don't know why it says not to refrigerate them.
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