Category: New Favorite

Gluten Free · New Favorite · Skinny

Lemon Rosemary Chicken

cathysmaha3 Comments

Lemon Rosemary Chicken is a new favorite recipe.  I love rosemary with chicken anyway so I knew this would be a winner!  The potatoes also roasted beautifully and complimented the chicken and sauce nicely.  I served this dish with my slow cooked green beans.

The leftovers were wonderful resulting in a fabulous chicken, pesto sandwich (see pesto recipe post of 10/19/12).

Lemon and Rosemary Chicken

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3/4 pound potatoes (small red-skinned) or large cubed potatoes
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 tablespoon rosemary leaves
1 clove smashed garlic
pinch red pepper flakes
juice of 2 lemons (reserve the squeezed half lemons)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons salt

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  • Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and salt the water.  Bring the potatoes to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender; 8-12 minutes.
  • Drain and set aside.
  • Place the rosemary leaves, garlic, red pepper flakes and salt on a cutting board. Mash the ingredients until a paste-like mixture. Transfer to a bowl.
  • Stir in the juice of 1 lemon and olive oil. Coat the chicken breasts in this mixture.
  • Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken , cover and cook until browned. Turn the chicken and brown the other side.
  • Add the potatoes to the chicken and drizzle with the juice of the 2nd lemon and any remaining paste.
  • Add the rosemary sprigs and the squeeze lemon halve to the skillet.
  • Place skillet in preheated oven and roast, uncovered until the chicken is thoroughly cooked, about 30 minutes.

Adapted from eatyourselfskinny Lemon and Rosemary Chicken

Family Favorites · My Roots · New Favorite · Vegan · Vegetarian

Apple Butter…Crockpot Style

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Apple Butter was a fall tradition in my Mother’s kitchen back on the Iowa farm with plenty of local apples to use.  She would can several jars and store in our ‘fruit room’ in the basement.  Neighbors and friends would share the fruits of their apple harvest with the offer to come pick what remained on their trees.  That’s just how neighbors treat neighbors.

Years ago, a co-worker shared her crockpot apple butter recipe with me.  It’s been in my recipe box ready to be used and this was the year.  The process takes a while but you don’t have to stand over the stove watching it to assure it doesn’t stick and burn.  I’m easily distracted so this is the ticket!

What to serve with the apple butter?  I made a loaf of oatmeal quick bread (see post of October 23) and served a slice of the bread with fresh apple butter on top for an autumn dessert to die for.

– Apple Butter Spread on Oatmeal Bread

Apple Butter

12 to 14 apples
2 cups apple juice
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves

  • Wash, core and quarter apples (do not peel).
  • Combine apples and apple juice in lightly oiled Crock pot.
  • Cover and cook on Low setting for 10-18 hours (or on High setting for 2-4 hours).

When fruit is tender, put through a food mill to remove peel. Measure cooked fruit and return to Crockpot. For each pint of sieved cooked fruit, add sugar, cinnamon, allspice and loves; stir well. Cover and cook on High setting for 6-8 hours, stirring every 2 hours. Remove cover after 3 hours to allow fruit and juice to cook down.

You can can the apple butter by spooning into hot sterilized jars and processing according to standard cooking methods.  I chose to refrigerate and share with family for immediate (and I do mean immediate consumption).   It’s too wonderful to last long!

Yield: 5 1/2 pint jars

New Favorite · Vegetarian

Oatmeal Quick Bread

cathysmaha2 Comments

Hearty breads are a favorite of mine and before I try to go gluten-free again (for health reasons), I wanted to try a hearty bread with the apple butter I was making (see my Crockpot Apple Butter recipe on Friday, October 26).  I discovered this recipe on the Good Housekeeping website and it reminded me of an oatmeal bread my Mother used to make.

This is a simple quick bread that would be great for breakfast, with a hearty soup, or, as you’ll see on Friday, a dessert.

OATMEAL QUICK BREAD

1 cup milk
1 cup quick-cooking oats, uncooked
1 tablespoon quick-cooking oats, uncooked
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 8 1/2″ by 4 1/2″ or 9″ by 5″ loaf pan. In large bowl, combine milk and 1 cup oats; let stand 5 minutes.
  • To oat mixture, add eggs, margarine or butter, and brown sugar; mix well, making sure there are no lumps of brown sugar. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt just until blended.
  • Spoon batter into loaf pan. Sprinkle top with remaining oats. Bake 55 to 60 minutes in 8 1/2″ by 4 1/2″ pan (bake 35 to 40 minutes in 9″ by 5″ pan) until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. Cool bread in pan on wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

Recipe from Good Housekeeping, Oatmeal-Quick-Bread

Read more: Oatmeal Quick Bread – Good Housekeeping

Family Favorites · Gluten Free · New Favorite · New Traditions · Vegetarian

Pesto Schmesto…on Pizza and Caprese Salad

cathysmaha3 Comments

Have I told you I love pesto?  Fresh ingredients and CHEESE…what’s not to like?  My basil did well this year and I’ve enjoyed a few batches of this tasty delight. This year I tried a recipe from Iowa Girl Eats blog.  After all, a recipe originating from a cook in my home state of Iowa gets my attention. I like her recipe because it’s small in proportions but you can double, triple, etc. based on your desired volume.

PESTO SCHMESTO

25-28 fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove
salt & pepper to salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • Combine the basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper in the food processor.
  • Pulse until finely ground.
  • Slowly stream in the olive oil and pulse until smooth.

Adapted from Pesto by Iowa Girl Eats

PESTO PIZZA

Udi’s GF pizza crust (or precooked crust of your liking)
Pesto
Thinly sliced zucchini
Slow roast tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes
Turkey or chicken (or omit for vegetarian pizza)
Shredded cheese (Monterey Jack or Mozzarella)

  • Layer the ingredients on the pizza crust in the order given.
  • Bake per crust instructions until pizza is hot, cheese is melted.  YUMMMMM.

PESTO CAPRESE SALAD

Fresh sliced tomatoes
Fresh sliced buffalo mozzarella
Pesto
salt & pepper

  • Layer in order above and enjoy!
New Favorite · Vegetarian

Baked Zucchini Rounds…another zucchini bites the dust!

cathysmaha3 Comments

The zucchini continue to produce and multiply and I continue to seek new ways to use it. I found this recipe at Health.com and really liked it. The rounds are very good hot from the oven, but also very good at room temperature. I served them plain but know they would be great dipped in ranch dressing!

ZUCCHINI ROUNDS

1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons milk
2 1/2 cups thinly sliced (1/4″) zucchini rounds
Cooking Spray

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  • Combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, salt, garlic powder and pepper in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.
  • Place milk in separate, shallow bowl.
  • Dip the zucchini rounds in the milk and dredge in the breadcrumb mixture.
  • Place the prepared slices on an ovenproof wire rack coated with cooking spray. Place rack on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes until browned and crisp.

Adapted from Health.com:  Zucchini Oven Chips

New Favorite · New Traditions · Skinny · Vegan · Vegetarian

Slow Roast Tomatoes…a new discovery!

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Where have I been with slow roasting my own tomatoes?   After discovering two over-ripe black krim tomatoes in my garden, I wanted to make use of these as well as a few roma, green zebra and sungold tomatoes.  I found several recipes online but decided to try a combination of recipes.

There is one big problem with this recipe…they are absolutely, overwhelmingly, delicious.  While my plan was to roast them for future use…I devoured several as soon as their cooled to the touch.  Can’t wait to roast more!

SLOW ROASTED TOMATOES

  • Preheat oveN to 225 degrees.
  • Place a sheet of greased wax paper (or parchment paper) on cookie sheet.
  • Slice large tomatoes into thin slices.  Halve roma tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, lengthwise.  Place tomatoes on the baking sheet.
  • Place 2-3 unpeeled garlic cloves on the sheet with the tomatoes.
  • Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt (I used sea salt) and pepper.
  • Bake for about 3 hours.  When done, the tomatoes will be shriveled and dry.  I found the romas took longer and left them in the oven almost an hour longer.

You can use immediately or store in the frig with additional olive oil.

New Favorite · New Traditions · Vegetarian

Avocado and Goat Cheese Bruschetta

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Avocado + Goat Cheese + basil + olive oil + tomato = taste bud explosion!

AVOCADO AND GOAT CHEESE BRUSCHETTA

Baguette
1 avocado
Juice of 1/2 a lime
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
basil leaves
1/4 cup goat cheese
2 teaspoons olive oil
Salt flakes and freshly ground pepper

  • Slice the baguette and toast the bread.
  • Slice and pit the avocado.  Scoop out the flesh with a spoon, place in a bowl.
  • Mash the avocado and mix in the lime juice and chopped basil.
  • Add the goat cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix together,
  • Spread the mixture onto the toast.
  • Add a basil leaf to each piece of toast and top with a half of a sun gold tomato (or cherry tomato).
New Favorite · Skinny · Vegan · Vegetarian

Summer’s Harvest Salad

cathysmaha2 Comments

Every two months a group of great friends meet for a themed potluck before our book club gathering.  This month, an hour before our meeting, I had nothing.  It had been a busy day and I was fresh out of ideas and time.  After writing about food it seemed tacky to run to the grocery store and buy something…God forbid!

I stood in my kitchen and contemplated my next move when suddenly I saw a bowl of sun gold tomatoes from my garden and an avocado.  Hmmmm.  I quickly looked up a few recipes using those ingredients and then decided, ‘what the heck’, I’ll just through a bunch of vegetables in a bowl and toss with Greek Dressing (or vinaigrette) and call it good.

What resulted was a yummy refreshing summer’s harvest salad.  It’s a keeper!

SUMMER’S HARVEST SALAD

Sun Gold (or cherry tomatoes) halved
Fresh Sweet corn, cooked and cut from the cob
Chopped Avocado
Chopped green or sweet white onion
Chopped fresh basil
Salt & Pepper
Balsamic vinaigrette (or Greek Dressing)

New Favorite · Skinny · Vegan · Vegetarian

Summer Veggie Stir Fry

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Recently I went to the Highland Ranch Town Center Farmer’s Market,  http://www.denverfarmersmarket.com/locations.htm, a dangerous place to be when you are hungry. My daughter, Megan, and son-in-law, Christian, and I strolled through the market sampling and buying more than we really needed.  However, the wonderful dishes that came from the veggies and fruit were summer delicious! There is nothing in the world like fresh vegetables and fruits.

We bought a squash new to us, a round, globe squash. I asked the vendor how she cooks the squash and one of her suggestions was a Vegetable Stir Fry. I also decided to throw in a chopped Japanese Eggplant.   I tried, I liked, I shared.  Enjoy!

SUMMER VEGGIE STIR FRY

Chopped yellow squash, globe squash, zucchini, eggplant (optional), peppers (bell, Anaheim or whatever you like), onion, garlic, fresh sweet corn, fresh tomatoes, herbs of your choice (I used a blend of thyme, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, and basil), salt & pepper.

Sauté the onions, peppers and garlic in about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil.  When softened, add the chopped squash, eggplant, peppers and seasoning. When the squash is beginning to soften, add cut cooked fresh sweet corn and 1-2 chopped fresh tomatoes. Continue to cook/stir until all vegetables are cooked to your liking.

I made a large batch and had leftovers for 2 days. It seemed to get better every day, just like a wonderful batch of soup.

Family Favorites · New Favorite · Skinny · Vegan · Vegetarian

Fresh Peach Salsa…Oh my!

cathysmaha5 Comments

Peach Salsa was a new discovery a few years ago.  We’re lucky to live in the great state of Colorado which produces some of the finest peaches in the world.  I love salsa, but fresh peach salsa is my favorite.  My family has grown very fond of it and we can’t wait to have the first peach salsa of the season.

Peach Salsa was served last year as one of the dishes at daughter Megan’s bridal shower and included in the favor of three of her favorite dips.  Today we’ll savor it and enjoy the last few days of summer in Colorado.

PEACH SALSA

2 cups diced fresh peaches
1/2 cup sweet onion
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely diced
fresh lime juice
salt

Mix all ingredients together. Fantastic with chips; also great with grilled fish or chicken.