Category: New Favorite

Family Favorites · Gluten Free · New Favorite

Easy Peasy Appetizer…Mozzarella and Raspberry Chipotle Jam

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Now that I’m MUCH older, I’m feeling a little lazy around the postings so taking it easy for a week or two and celebrating the rest of my birthday month.

Even though I’m feeling lazy, sometimes you want a wonderful appetizer but don’t feel like putting a lot of time into it.  Are you with me?

Many years ago a popular appetizer was a brick of cream cheese with jalapeno jelly and it is still a favorite but I like to shake it up a little.  I purchased a fantastic jar of Shirley Ann’s Raspberry Chipotle Jalapeno Jam a while back and paired it with slices of Buffalo Mozzarella with crackers and sliced baguette. Yummo! It would be equally wonderful with a fine Brie.

Here’s to a lazy August day!

Family · Garden · Gluten Free · New Favorite · Vegan

Easy Summer Quinoa

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Summer vegetables and Quinoa is the perfect combination.  This recipe is from Iowa Girl Eats.  I follow her blog and love her recipes! Her blog name, alone, was enough to bring me to her blog…Iowa girls stick together!

I loved this dish and the wonderful summer vegetables.  I substituted roast red peppers for the sundried tomatoes with great results.  I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did!

EASY SUMMER QUINOA

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup quinoa
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
pinch red pepper flakes
2 cups chopped kale
1 small zucchini, chopped
salt & pepper
2 ears sweet corn kernels (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes packed in oil, cut into strips (or roasted red peppers or both!)
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup peas
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
shaved or fresh grated parmesan cheese, for topping

  • Bring scant cup chicken (or vegetable) broth to a boil in a small saucepan. Rinse quinoa very well in a fine mesh sieve under running water (quinoa is coated in a natural, bitter coating that needs to be rinsed off) then add to saucepan, place a lid on top, turn heat down to medium-low, then cook until quinoa is tender and broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
  • Heat olive oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots then sauté until tender, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and red chili pepper flakes then sauté for 30 more seconds, stirring constantly.
  • Turn heat up to medium-high then add kale and zucchini. Season with salt and pepper then sauté for 2 minutes.
  • Add corn and sun-dried tomatoes then sauté for 2 more minutes.

  • Add white wine then scrape up brown bits from bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon. When wine is nearly gone, add peas then stir to combine. Add chicken broth and cooked quinoa then cook until broth is absorbed. Remove skillet from heat then add basil and stir to combine. Taste then add salt and pepper if necessary. Serve topped with freshly shaved or grated parmesan cheese.

Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

 

New Favorite · Skinny · Vegan · Vegetarian

Mediterranean Edamame Salad

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Edamame and Edamame Salad was a new discovery about 4 years ago.  I loved Edamame at our favorite sushi restaurant and I’ve enjoyed Edamame Salad at potlucks but have never made one.  When this recipe popped up in a recent issue of Relish.com it inspired me to try it.  As I mentioned on Tuesday, it paired well with the Yogurt Marinated Chicken.

The salad kept for days and I’ve enjoyed it as an entrée as well.  The Salad would be equally good without the Feta cheese, for those that are following a Vegan diet.

Mediterranean Edamame Salad

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad:
2 cups cooked, shelled edamame
2/3 cup thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup black olives (Kalamata–I used mixed Spanish olives), pitted and halved
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 cups lettuce or greens

  • To prepare vinaigrette, combine vinegar, garlic and oregano, and mix with a whisk or in the blender.  Slowly add olive oil and mix well.  Add salt and pepper.
  • To prepare salad, combine edamame, tomatoes, onion, olives, feta and vinaigrette. Let marinate 30 minutes (or longer).
  • When ready to serve, toss or serve salad with lettuce or greens.

Courtesy of Get Fresh Memphis; Relish.com

New Favorite

Yogurt Marinated Grilled Chicken

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Grilled chicken is a summer favorite.  The key is to assure that the chicken is moist and tender.  I’ve always wanted to try a yogurt marinade and when I found this recipe, it fit the bill!  I marinated the chicken for about 4 hours and it was delicious. Next time I’ll try marinating overnight to see if the flavors are even better.

I served with another new recipe for Mediterranean Edamame Salad (post and recipe on Friday) and loved the combination.  The leftover chicken was great afterwards on green salad. Another new favorite for my recipe collection.

The original recipe called for pounding each piece of chicken between 2 sheets of waxed paper, pounding to 1/2 inch thickness. Instead, I cut each chicken breast in half to achieve the same thickness.

YOGURT-MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN

8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 3 lbs.)
2 cups plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for topping
1/2 large onion, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for grill grate
6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon garam masala
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 (2″) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

  • Cut each piece of chicken breast in half to achieve 1/2″ thickness.  Place chicken breasts in plastic ziplock bag.
  • Puree remaining ingredients in a food processor.

  • Pour yogurt mixture over chicken, seal bag, and turn to coat.  Marinate chicken in refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight.
  • Preheat grill to medium-high direct heat.  Brush grill grate with oil.  Scape excess marinade off chicken; season with salt.  Grill until browned and cooked thoroughly, turning once.

  • Top with more cilantro and serve.

Compliments of dashrecipes.com

For Mediterranean Edamame Salad recipe, check my blog on Friday, August 2.

Blueberry Gooseberry Yogurt Smoothie
Beverages · Breakfast · Garden · New Favorite · Skinny

Blueberry Gooseberry Yogurt Smoothie

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How many ways are there to use Gooseberries? Not as many as one would think, at least not many that are documented.  I’ve never tried a smoothie with gooseberries until I found this recipe.  I  substituted almond milk for cow’s milk. Very refreshing!

BLUEBERRY GOOSEBERRY YOGURT SMOOTHIE

1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup fresh or frozen gooseberries
1/2 of banana, frozen
1/2 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt (I prefer Greek yogurt)
1/2 cup almond milk

  • Put all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

Adapted from Sumptuous Spoonfuls

New Favorite · Rheumatoid Arthritis · Vegan · Vegetarian

Summer Quinoa Vegetable Salad

cathysmaha1 Comment

Quinoa salad can be found in my refrigerator about 50% of the time.  Quinoa is full of protein and a great substitute for pasta or rice and great if you are trying to avoid gluten.

The combinations with quinoa are endless. I select vegetables that are in season toss with Gazebo Room Greek salad dressing (or your favorite vinaigrette) and you have a wonderful salad.

This salad has become a favorite at our book club, potluck gatherings made by different people with their own wonderful variations.  What variations have you tried?

SUMMER QUINOA VEGETABLE SALAD

2 cups water (or your favorite stock)
1 cup dry quinoa

  • Bring water to boil.  Add quinoa, cover and return to boil.  Lower heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for another 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool.
  • Chop your favorite vegetables (broccoli, tomatoes, celery, carrots, corn, onions, peppers, etc.).  I also add a can of drained garbanzo beans.
  • Dress with your favorite vinaigrette (I used Gazebo Room Greek Salad Dressing). This great dressing was introduced to me by friend, Chris (aka Grandson Evan’s other grandma).  Since Gazebo Room is not available (yet?) in Colorado, we order from their website.  Still working on King Soopers to carry this great product!

Chill and serve.  The salad keeps well in the refrigerator for several days.

Also reference my recipe for Quinoa Salad with Strawberries and Chicken

New Favorite · Nicaragua

Iced Vanilla Latte, please

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Remember when we used to have a plain cup of coffee brewed in our Mr. Coffee machine or percolator?  Coffee was typically Folgers, always hot, and if it cooled, you nuked it in the microwave. God forbid, I would EVER drink iced coffee, or so I thought.

I clearly remember when my perception of coffee changed…twice.  In the 1980-1990s I traveled on business to Seattle quite frequently and small, gourmet coffee shops and trucks were everywhere.  Seattle was the hot-bed of gourmet coffee yet to hit my home in the Mile-High City.  (Thinking back…why didn’t I invest in Starbucks?)

Ordering a coffee was far beyond the typical ‘I’ll have a cup of coffee, black to go’. Now there were terms like tall, grande, venti, Americano, espresso, skinny, Macchiato, half-caf, blends, etc., etc., etc..  It was an anxious moment when I tried to figure out what to order without embarrassing myself. I can still imagine the people in line behind me rolling their eyes at this out-of-state novice.  Despite my initial fumbling, I started experimenting with difference blends, flavors, iced coffees and loved it!

My second perception occurred when I traveled to Finca Esperanza Verde, a coffee plantation in Nicaragua, in 2012.  My ‘cup of Joe’ would never be the same as documented in my 6/12/12 Fork-Lore post. My daily iced latte is simple:  One packet of Starbuck’s Via, a packet of Stevia with 1/2 cup of boiling water.  Stir.  Add cold water to the cup, stir.  Pour contents over a large glass full of ice.  Top with about 1/4 cup of Almond Milk and stir again.  Add a splash of vanilla or cinnamon to taste. My easy version of an Iced Latte!

When my daughter and fellow blogger, Megan, asked me to join her to make Iced Vanilla Latte I jumped at the chance to 1) spend time with my daughter and 2) make (and drink!) my favorite summer morning picker-upper. Our recipe follows and I’ve enjoyed our creation for the past two days. Megan’s blog, Lifeloveandgarlic, also features the Iced Vanilla Latte AND includes a Seattle’s Best give-away.  Check it out!

Screenshot 2021-09-26 144825

EASY PEASY ICED VANILLA LATTE

2 tbsp. vanilla simple syrup (see recipe below)
1/3 cup whole milk coffee ice cubes (see directions below)
Seattle’s Best Level 4, Medium-Roast Coffee brewed (we used 3.5 scoops for a pot)

  • Fill your cup (or fancy tumbler) with coffee ice cubes.
  • Pour simple syrup and whole milk into the bottom of the cup
  • Fill the rest of the cup with your coffee of choice. Stir!
  • Voila! Enjoy a delicious, easy and perfect drink for summer mornings. *This is the simple syrup, which actually looks like coffee. The brown sugar + vanilla give it the darker hue. 

Vanilla Simple Syrup

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup water
Pinch of cinnamon
4 tbsp. vanilla extract

  • Put both sugars, water and pinch of cinnamon in a pot over medium heat. Bring to boil.
  • Pull the pot off the stove and pour the vanilla into the syrup. Allow to cool. You’re done!
  • Note: Don’t be alarmed that your syrup is quite dark in hue (almost coffee colored). The brown sugar/vanilla have that effect – it’s perfectly normal.

Coffee Ice Cubes

  • Take your left over coffee and pour it in your ice cube tray and freeze! They’re perfect for cooling down your coffee without watering it down!

New Favorite

Mixed Green Salad with Fresh Peaches, Avocado and Pecans

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A potluck to go to and what to fix?  I had beautiful fresh peaches, greens from my garden and avocados.  Why not a salad mixing these ingredients topped with nuts?  After reviewing several recipes, I combined a few to make this my own and it is now on my favorite summer salads list.  Can’t wait for Colorado peach season later this summer!

MIXED GREEN SALAD WITH FRESH PEACHES, AVOCADO & PECANS

1/2 pound mixed greens
1 cup sliced peaches
1 avocado, diced
1/3 cup chopped pecans

Dressing:

1/4 cup champagne or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons minced green onions
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper

  • In a blender, combine the vinegar, honey, onions, mustard and garlic.  Puree until smooth, 10-15 seconds.
  • Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the blender until the dressing is smooth.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Refrigerate until ready to use (up to a week).

In a bowl combine the greens, peaches, and avocado.  Drizzle with 1/2 of the dressing. Add more to taste.  Toss the salad and serve immediately.

Adapted from:  Food Network

New Favorite

Gooseberry Tart

cathysmaha3 Comments

Gooseberry bushes are prickly and the berries are tedious to clean but gooseberries lovers are willing to sacrifice for the greater good of a delicious, seasonal tart, pie, or cobbler.   My gooseberry picking buddy, Joe the Golden Retriever, was anxious to eat these sour gems again this year.  I decided to try giving a raw gooseberry to my grand-dogs as well with an equally positive response.  Who knew that gooseberries were a treat of choice for the canine crowd?

I love the slight sweetness of this crust and the creamy custard surrounding the cooked gooseberries.  My kids and their spouses, however, turned up their noses at my creation since they cannot fathom eating gooseberries.  Oh well…more for the rest of us.  Someday…they’ll wish they had a piece, right?

GOOSEBERRY TART

1 pound cleaned gooseberries
3 eggs
3.5 ounces of sugar
10 ounces heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pastry:

1.2 cups flour (or more to reach desired consistency)
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup very cold, unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
a little ice cold water

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Make the pastry by processing the flour and sugar together.  Chop the cold butter into small pieces and add to the flour and sugar.  Pulse (or blend by hand) until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.  Mix the egg yolk with a little ice-cold water.  Add to the flour mixture and pulse until the pastry forms a soft ball.  Add ice-cold water if needed to achieve desired consistency.  Chill the dough for a minimum of 30 minutes.
  • Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and place on floured surface.  Roll to fit the tart pan and place in pan.  Pierce the bottom and sides of the pastry with a fork. Bake 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and cool slightly.
  • Combine eggs, sugar, cream and vanilla extract.  Place gooseberries in bottom of tart pastry and pour egg mixture over the top.  Bake for 30 minutes until the center is firm.

Servings:  6-8

Family Favorites · New Favorite

Sangria, Mock and Not

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Sangria reminds me of summer, tapas, and good times with friends.  It’s refreshing, light, fruity and delicious.  History states that Sangria was first served at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York.  While interesting, I truly expected Sangria to be the drink of Spanish Royalty (or something equally impressive).

Mock Sangria

Nonetheless, it’s delicioso!  This time, I made a mock Sangria (without alcohol) as well as the real deal.  I enjoyed them both.

 

SANGRIA

1.5L of chilled red wine
3 cups prepared lemonade
1 cup orange juice
4 tablespoons brandy
2 cups chilled club soda
sliced oranges, limes, lemons, apples

In a large pitcher, combine the wine, brandy, lemonade, and orange juice.  Add the fruit slices and refrigerate until chilled.

When ready to serve, add the club soda.  Garnish glass with slice of lime (or other citrus)

MOCK SANGRIA

2 cups orange juice
1 cup white grape juice
1 cup cranberry juice
1 liter bottle lemon-lime carbonated beverage
ice cubes
sliced lemons, oranges, limes

  • In a large pitcher, stir the juices together.  Chill.
  • When ready to serve, add the lemon-lime beverage and stir gently. Fill glasses with ice, then sangria then slices of fruit.  Enjoy!

Mock Sangria adapted from BHG.com