Author: cathysmaha

I am a country girl, born and raised on a farm in Central Iowa. I am the youngest of three children by 9 and 14 years….I was the OOPS! Being younger had its advantages in that I was an Aunt at age 7 and grew up with my niece and nephews. My Father died from a farm injury when I was 12, which forever changed my life and strengthened my bond with my Mother. I tagged along with my Mother to visit older people in our community and learned about their lives in the early 1900s, enjoying the many wonderful traditional foods and family stories. I graduated from a class of 25, which gave me the advantage of being involved in sports and clubs that would not have been possible in a large High School. At that time, Home Ec was still an elective and I loved the cooking lessons (not so hot on the sewing classes). While at the University of Northern Iowa, I began to collect and read cookbooks. Perhaps it was the absence of Mom’s home cooking that drew me to dream about cooking (and eating) wonderful food. After college I moved to St. Joseph, MO and then to Scottsdale, AZ and began to experiment with traditional recipes and discovering those of my own. It was such an adventure to discover new dishes and restaurants in historic St. Joseph, Kansas City, then Scottsdale, Phoenix, San Diego…and the list goes on. In the early ‘80s, I moved to Denver, got married, started my telecommunications sales career and discovered the fabulous restaurants in Denver and Aspen. My career took me to cities never before experienced and the seafood in San Francisco, Cajun fare in New Orleans, Tex-Mex in Dallas, Italian in New Jersey, etc. are experiences I will cherish. In 1986 our first daughter, Megan, was born and then Sarah in 1988. Instead of indulging in dinners out, we were cooking more at home and seeking ways to have good meals with limited time. Dinners went from adult gourmet to more kid friendly meals. Megan’s tastes were more basic while Sarah adopted a gourmet palate at an early age. At age 6 her favorite meal was steamed artichokes and crab legs with drawn butter…still her favorite. Megan’s tastes expanded rapidly when she went to college and started cooking for her roommates and now loves to whip up gourmet dishes. I am blessed to have many gal pals that also share my passion for good food. I love to try new restaurants and look forward to the ‘pot luck’ feasts at our book club meetings and other gatherings. It isn’t just the good food that brings us to together, but the great love and admiration we all have for each other. We are addicted foodies…but we try to remember our 12-step foodie program is needed. God grant me the serenity to only eat the food that I LOVE, the courage to walk away from junk food, and the wisdom to recognize the difference. Oh YEAH!
Poultry · Salads

Grilled Chicken Salad: 2 Ways

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Grilled Chicken Salad is an easy summer meal and so good. The first picture below shows the recipe made as instructed using the Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette. I have to admit it wasn’t my favorite. I made a second salad the next day with a BBQ ranch dressing and cutting back on the red onions and greatly preferred the second salad. You can serve the large salad and offer 2 or more dressings.

Grilled Chicken Salad: 2 Ways

INGREDIENTS:
  • 5 oz lettuce, any kind
  • 2 chicken breasts, ~1lb, pounded to an even thickness
  • 1/4 cup prepared pesto, see notes
  • 2 ears sweet corn
  • 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • For the Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette:
    • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
    • 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • 1 Tablespoon honey
    • salt and pepper
  • For the BBQ Ranch Dressing:
    • 1/3 cup BBQ sauce
    • 1/3 cup ranch dressing or dip
DIRECTIONS:
  1. For the Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette:
    • Add all ingredients into a jar with a tight fitting lid then shake to combine. Can be made ahead of time.
  2. For the BBQ Ranch Dressing:
    • Combine the BBQ sauce and ranch dressing/dip together. Store until ready for use.
  3. For the Grilled Chicken Salad:
    • Preheat grill to 400 degrees (medium-high for a gas grill). Meanwhile, add chicken breasts, pesto, and a big pinch of salt to a Ziplock bag then squish to coat. Allow chicken to marinate while grill is preheating.
    • Once grill is hot, spray both sides of each chicken breast with nonstick spray then grill for 3-4 minutes a side or until cooked through. Remove to a cutting board then let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. Add sweet corn cobs to the grill at the same time as the chicken then grill, rotating often, until kernels are softened and slightly charred, 8-10 minutes total. Slice kernels off the cob.
    • Arrange lettuce on a platter (or on plates/in bowls) then arrange grilled chicken, corn, tomatoes, red onion, and avocado on top. Drizzle with prepared vinaigrette (or other dressing) then serve.

Recipe from IowaGirlEats

Desserts

Peach Roll Ups (or are they dumplings?)

cathysmaha2 Comments

This recipe caught my eye and I took a screenshot of it but didn’t save the source. Darn! Anyway, I tried the recipe and made 8 individual rolls or dumplings. They were quite good and the grandboys loved them. I am not a big fan of Crescent rolls so next time I would make them with Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry.

They were easy and would be great for a quick dessert. I made them with fresh peaches and honey but you could easily substitute canned peach halves or sugar for the honey.

Peach Roll Ups

INGREDIENTS:
  • Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
  • Fresh Peaches, peeled and cut in half (or canned peach halves)
  • butter
  • honey
  • cinnamon
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Peel and pit fresh peaches, cut in half
  3. Roll out the crescent rolls into rectangles.
  4. Add the half peach, cut side up, on top of crescent roll rectangle.
  5. Add a dollop of butter to the center of each peach.
  6. Drizzle each peach with honey.
  7. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
  8. Fold the crescent rolls from the corner and pinch along the seams.
  9. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
  10. Remove from the oven and let cook for a few minutes for the syrup to thicken.
  11. Serve warm with or without ice cream.

I took a screenshot of the recipe and now I cannot find the source. If anyone knows the source, please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due!

Meats

Tri-Tip Steak

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Tri-Tip steak is rather new cut to prepare but I have found it to be tender and delicious. The rub for this recipe is bursting with flavor. If you are sensitive to spicy heat, you can tone down the spice. I prepared the steak on the grill as directed and it turned out perfectly. Using a Meater Pro thermometer has helped me assure that I am not over or under cooking meats.

I served the steak with steamed baby potatoes and broccoli. The plate looks messy because of all of the juiciness of the steak. Yummo!

Tri Tip Steak

INGREDIENTS:
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 beef tri-tip roast (2 pounds)
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • Optional: Condiment of choice such as chimichurri, herb garlic butter, or bourbon cream sauce
DIRECTIONS:
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire, vinegar and honey. Place steak in dish; pour marinade over steak; turn to coat. Refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.
  2. Preheat oven to 375°. Remove steak from the marinade; discard marinade. Pat steaks dry with paper towel. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder; sprinkle over steak.
  3. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Brown steak on all sides.
  4. Place steak on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, fat side up. Roast until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 135°; medium, 140°; medium-well, 145°), 50-55 minutes. Remove from oven; tent with foil. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. If desired, serve with condiment of choice.

Recipe from TasteofHome

Breakfast · Cookies and Bars · Health

No Bake Energy Cups

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Peanut butter, oat and chocolate are a winning combination and I love having these in the frig for a quick snack or healthier dessert. I’ve made similar cups or bites but never with chocolate topping. Yum! I forgot to add the flaky sea salt, which would have been delicious, but I enjoyed them nonetheless.

No Bake Energy Cups

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup crunchy natural peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (I used regular milk)
  • 3 T. chia seeds
  • 2 tsp. honey
  • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (53% cacao)
  • 1 T. unrefined coconut oil
  • 3/4 tsp. flaky sea salt (I forgot this step!)
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Line the cups of a 24 cup mini muffin tin with silicone or paper liners.
  2. Combine the oats, peanut butter, almond milk, chia seeds, honey, vanilla and salt in a large bowl; stir to mix well. Divide the mixture among the prepared cups, about 1 heaping tablespoon each; firmly press the mixture into the cup bottoms.
  3. Combine chocolate chips and coconut oil in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until the oil is melted and the chocolate chips have softened, 45 to 60 seconds. Stir until the chocolate chips are completely melted and incorporated into the oil.
  4. Spoon a scant teaspoon of the melted chocolate mixture over the oat mixture in each cup, spreading to cover the entire surface. Refrigerate, uncovered, until the chocolate layer is beginning to set (the surface will begin to lose its shine and become dull) 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with the flaky sea salt; refrigerate, uncovered, until chilled and the layers are fully set, about 1 hour.

Recipe from EatingWell

Breads

Blueberry Banana Bread

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Banana bread is always a hit but with extra blueberries on hand, I had to try this recipe. The grandboys went crazy over it. Who knew this combination could be so good!

Blueberry Banana Bread

INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 3 mini loaf pans.
  2. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
  3. Beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light in color and fluffy.
  4. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract; beat in mashed bananas.
  5. Add flour mixture a little at a time, beating until just combined into a thick batter. Fold in blueberries until evenly distributed.
  6. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pans.
  7. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer loaves to cool completely on a wire rack.

Recipe from AllRecipes

Fish

BBQ Salmon Bowls With Mango Avocado Salsa

cathysmahaLeave a comment

BBQ Salmon Bowl with Mango Avocado Salsa is absolutely delicious! The salmon is so quickly roasted in the oven and 6 minutes was perfect for the salmon filet I made. The mango salsa is delicious by itself. I served this dish with the Cucumber Edamame Salad. Eating the leftovers, cold, was great the next day and so refreshing on a hot day. I’ll be making this recipe over and over again.

BBQ Salmon Bowls with Mango Avocado Salsa

INGREDIENTS:
  • Salmon:
    • 1–2 lbs. fresh salmon
    • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
    • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
    • 2 teaspoons onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (more for a larger filet)
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Mango Avocado Salsa:
    • 2 mangoes, diced
    • 1 avocado, diced
    • 1/4 cup minced cilantro
    • 1/4 cup minced red onion
    • 1/2 jalapeño, minced (optional, to taste)
    • 1 teaspoon honey
    • 2 tablespoons lime juice + 1 teaspoon lime zest
    • salt to taste
  • For Serving:
    • 1 1/2 cups of rice cooked according to instructions
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Mango salsa: Toss all ingredients in a bowl to combine. Taste, adjust, try not to eat the whole bowl.
  2. Cook your rice: Get your rice cooking according to package directions.
  3. Get the oven ready: Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Alternatively, you can set it to 500 degrees on the broil setting for medium rare with a yummy crispy top – the risk here is that you have to watch closely so it doesn’t burn the sugar. If taking this route, make sure one of the oven racks is close-ish to the top, about 6 inches or so.
  4. Salmon: Mix the spices and the olive oil to make a paste. Place the salmon skin side down on the baking sheet. Rub the paste liberally over the top part of the salmon. Bake for 6-12 minutes depending on the thickness of your salmon and your desired doneness. See notes if you’re not sure.
  5. Bowl it up: Pile up some rice, pull off some of salmon, and spoon that mango avocado salsa over the whole thing. Add a lime squeezer for good measure. IT’S SO GOOD.

Recipe from PinchofYum

Asian Dishes · Salads

Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Thai flavors are so delightful that I can’t seem to get enough. This Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing is so delicious and packed with protein. I used spinach and the salad kept well for a couple of days. You could optionally serve the dressing only at the time of serving to better preserve the lettuce or spinach. A delicious favorite of mine!

Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing

INGREDIENTS:
  • For the Salad:
    • 1 cup cooked quinoa
    • 2 big handfuls mixed greens OR baby spinach
    • 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped or thinly sliced
    • 1/2 cup shredded carrot
    • 1/2 cup shelled edamame
    • 2 green onions, chopped
    • 3 tablespoons peanuts, minced
    • handful fresh cilantro, chopped
  • For the Peanut Dressing:
    • 1/4 cup peanut butter
    • 2 tablespoons honey
    • 1-1/2 Tablespoons gluten free Tamari
    • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
    • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
    • heaping 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
    • 1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, pressed or minced
    • juice of 1/2 lime (other half sliced into wedges)
    • 1/8 teaspoon salt
    • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
    • 2 Tablespoons hot water
DIRECTIONS:
  1. For the Peanut Dressing: Add all ingredients to a bowl or mason jar with a tight fitting lid then whisk or shake well to combine. Set aside.
  2. Divide remaining salad ingredients between two bowls then drizzle with dressing and serve with lime wedges.
  3. Optional: Cook quinoa in chicken stock for more flavor. You can also add chicken or another protein.

Recipe from Iowa Girl Eats

Desserts

Rhubarb Pudding Bars

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Rhubarb recipes are always on my search list and this recipe didn’t disappoint. Although the photo in the original recipe showed a crumble top, the recipe calls for whipped cream. I followed the original recipe and was very happy with the results. I first served this to my two grandsons and expected a ‘yuck’ when they saw the fruit filling, but no! They both thought it was yummy and asked for seconds.

It would be fun to play with this recipe and use cherry filling instead of the rhubarb, or any other fruit. It’s a refreshing dessert for the warm spring and summer months.

Rhubarb Pudding Bars

INGREDIENTS:
  • For the Crust:
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
    • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • For the Filling:
    • 3 cups chopped fresh rhubarb
    • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
    • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
    • 3 large eggs
    • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • For the Pudding Layer:
    • 1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
    • 2 cups cold milk
  • For the Topping:
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 2 tbsp powdered sugar
    • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:
  1. For the Crust: Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper. (Fork-Lore Note: Next time I would butter the baking dish instead of fighting the parchment paper to cut and serve.) In a medium bowl combine 1 cup flour and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
  2. For the Filling: In a large bowl, mix together the chopped rhubarb, 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 1/4 cup flour, eggs and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract until well combined. Pour the rhubarb mixture over the cooled crust. Return to the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the filling is set. Let cool completely.
  3. For the Pudding Layer: In a medium bowl, whisk together the vanilla pudding mix and cold milk until smooth. Let sit for 5 minutes to thicken. Spread the pudding layer over the cooled rhubarb layer. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.
  4. For the Topping: In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream over the pudding layer. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, before serving.

Recipe from Eva Recipes

Salads · Vegan · Vegetables · Vegetarian

Marinated Vegetable Salad

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Marinated Vegetable Salad to the rescue when I needed to use fresh vegetables from the frig. I substituted celery for cucumber and liked the crunchiness it added. It’s a flavorful salad but I sprinkled with crumbled feta (second photo) and enjoyed the addition.

Marinated Vegetable Salad

INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 cups cauliflower florets
  • 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, ~10oz
  • 2 cups chopped carrots, ~4 medium carrots
  • 1 cucumber, seeded then chopped (I used celery)
  • 1 bell pepper, any color, seeded then chopped
  • For the Vinaigrette:
    • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
    • 2 Tablespoons minced shallots (I used green onions)
    • 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
    • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
    • 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
    • salt and pepper
  • Optional Topping: I sprinkled the salad with crumbled feta cheese
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Add ingredients to a jar with a tight-fitting lid or bowl then shake or whisk to combine. Taste then add more salt, pepper, and/or oil if necessary (this dressing is very tart so add more oil if it’s too tart for your tastes.)
  2. Add vegetables to a very large bowl then dress with 3/4 of the vinaigrette. Toss then refrigerate for 4 hours or up to overnight. Toss with remaining vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper to taste just before serving.

Recipe from IowaGirlEats

Desserts · Uncategorized

Lemon Bars

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Lemon Bars are a favorite of mine and I rarely make them. However, when we were planning our family high tea, I knew they had to be in the dessert tiers. The photo below seems to highlight the Macaroons, a great Costco find. However the lemon bars on the bottom are the star of this recipe.

After the tea, I had several leftover and discovered they freeze really well.

In case you’re interested in the tiered plate, I bought the plates from Goodwill and used glasses to glue between the plates. It was fun and added a bit of ‘fancy’ to our tea.

Lemon Bars

INGREDIENTS:
  • For the Crust:
    • 2 cups flour
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 1/4 tsp. salt
    • 1 cup salted butter, cut into small cubes, plus more for greasing
  • For the Filling:
    • 1 1/2 cups sugar
    • 1/4 cup flour
    • 4 large eggs
    • Zest and juice of 4 medium-sized lemons
  • Powdered sugar, for topping
DIRECTIONS:
  1. For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 13-by-9-inch pan with butter. (Use an 8-by-10-inch pan if you’d like the layers to be a little thicker.) In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and use a pastry cutter to cut it all together until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Press into the prepared pan and bake until golden around the edges, about 20 minutes.
  2. For the filling: In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar and flour. Crack in the eggs, and whisk to combine. Add the lemon zest and juice, and mix until combined. Pour over the crust and bake until the filling is set, about 20 minutes.
  3. Allow to cool in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, then sift powdered sugar over the top before cutting into squares.

Recipe from ThePioneerWoman