Summer Lovin'

Summer is coming to an end, and we had not yet crossed "home-made ice cream" off of our bucket list! Labor Day changed that! We did one of our favorites, cinnamon ice cream, and coupled it with fresh peach pie, which made a perfect duo! So... lucky you, you get two recipes!

Fresh Peach Pie

• 1 pie crust
• 1 cup mashed peaches
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• 4-6 fresh peaches

1. Cook single pie crust in pie dish and let cool.
2. Use a blender or food processor to mash 1 cup of peaches (about 2 peaches--measure as you go)
3. Combine mashed peaches, sugar, cornstarch, and water in a saucepan.
4. Stir over medium-high heat until the mixture thickens. Allow it to get pretty thick.
5. Let glaze cool. 
6. Remove skins from 5-6 peaches. (You can blanch them to peel easily.) Slice peaches straight into the pie crust.
7. Pour glaze over the peaches. Enjoy! (Refrigerate to ensure that glaze won't get runny.) 

Someone likes to eat the crust off... ahem, Olivia. This was a store-bought crust, so it didn't fit as many peaches. Typically I would make a crust and put it in a bigger pie dish... all the more to enjoy! Click here for a great and easy pie crust recipe!

 Cinnamon Ice Cream

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar 
• 2 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla (mexican vanilla is my favorite!)
• 1 tsp cinnamon

1. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together the sugars and half-and-half. When the mixture begins to simmer, remove from heat. Briskly whisk the eggs in a separate bowl as you ladle part of the mixture into the eggs to temper them. You don't want scrambled eggs in your ice cream! Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan, whisking constantly. Continue cooking and stirring over medium-low heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat, and whisk in vanilla and cinnamon. Set aside to cool (I put it in the fridge until I'm ready to make the ice cream.) 
2. Pour cooled mixture into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Makes 4 cups.

Zucchini Bread

School has started up again, and that means it's close to FALL! I don't know why, but I always want to cook more when it's fall (okay, I know why... pumpkin, pecans, chili's & soups, sweets for the holidays, warm ovens on cooler days...).
My mom just came for a visit and we hunted for a zucchini bread recipe that had the right spices. We found a delicious one, and just changed the spices up to get what we were craving. I present to you, not one, but two tasty zucchini bread loaves!

 Zucchini Bread

Yields: 2 loaves
Prep time: 20 min.
Cook time: 60 min.

• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2-3 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 3 1/2 cups grated zucchini (can use as few as 2)
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup applesauce (or you can omit this and do 1 cup oil)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8"x4" loaf pans.
2. Shred zucchini, lightly packing it down as you measure it.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs, applesauce, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Mix very well.
4. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda and powder, and spices. Stir gently to combine.
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients, mixing as you go, then beat well to fully combine. 
6. With a rubber scraper, stir in shredded zucchini and pecans into the batter and mix well.
7. Pour half of the batter into each prepared pan. 
8. Bake for 45 to 60 min. or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out cleanly.
9. Remove pans and cool on wire racks.

Rosemary Olive Oil Bread

This bread. So good! And easy! I made a little plate of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and seasonings to dip the bread into, and I felt like I was at Macaroni Grill. :) Give it a try!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup warm water (100-110 F)
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped (or 2 tsp. dried)
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning (or pinch of each ground garlic, dried oregano, and dried basil)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 to 2 cups flour (so dough forms a ball) + extra for kneading
1 egg, whisked + 1 Tbsp. water, for egg wash
dried rosemary, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit 10 minutes to proof.
2. In mixing bowl, stir together the 1 1/2 c. flour (adding more later if needed), salt, rosemary, seasonings, and olive oil. Add the bread yeast, sugar water when ready and mix stir until the dough forms a ball.  Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, adding more flour as necessary to prevent sticking, until smooth.
3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl; cover; and let rise until doubled in size, about1 hour.
4. Punch down the dough and form it into a round loaf. Place it on a cornmeal dusted parchment paper; cover; and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, preheat oven (and pizza stone) to 400 F. Once the dough has risen, gently brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with dried rosemary.
6. Bake on preheated stone for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

Makes 1 round loaf.

When I made this, I did it in the morning to have ready for later in the day. After I let it rise for an hour, I put the dough in the fridge. Later I pulled it out and let it sit out a bit to rise a little after I formed the ball. Turned out great!

And here's a tip: I read that the internal temperature of bread should be about 190-200 degrees F, so I tested it with a thermometer before taking it out. Perfect!

Grilled Chicken

It's summer time, and that can't happen without grilled chicken! My husband and I hosted a work party at our house and used our "go-to" marinade recipe for 25 lbs. of chicken (breasts & thighs). It always creates juicy, tender chicken that tastes good with practically any side dish! Many people complimented Ben on his grilling techniques for making such fine chicken, but I knew that it was all thanks to the marinade. :) (...But he is a pretty good with his grill.)

Marinade for Chicken
1/4 cup and 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. and 1 tsp. lemon juice
1-1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. finely minced fresh parsley (I typically do more)

In a small bowl, mix together oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and lemon juice. Stir in dry mustard, salt, pepper, and parsley. Use to marinade chicken--the longer you marinade, the more flavor it will have. This amount serves about 6-8. Happy grilling!

Chicken Breasts with Chive Sauce

Sounds sophisticated, eh? Well I'll let you in on a little secret... my cookbook classifies this as quick and easy. Still somewhat involved, but very doable! You'll use 2 pans, a pot for boiling pasta, and THESE guys:

Chicken Breasts with Chive Sauce  (A Pinch of Salt Lake)

1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, cut into quarters
2 tbsp. sliced green onions with tops
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 whole chicken breasts, skinned, boned and halved
3 tbsp. butter
3/4 c. chicken broth
1 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. butter, softened
1 c. heavy cream
2 tbsp. chopped fresh chives (I used green onions since that's what I have growing out back--basically the same thing!)
*Package of Egg Noodles--the recipe doesn't call for this but I always serve the chicken and sauce over these noodles. If you like the idea, then start the water boiling first so you can throw the noodles in later when you are simmering the chicken. 

In a medium-size skillet sauté mushrooms and onions in 2 tablespoons butter for 2 to 3 minutes. Add lemon juice and set aside.

Slightly flaten chicken breasts. Mix 1/4 cup flour, salt and pepper; coat chicken. Sauté chicken in 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat, turning frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes (do not brown). Add chicken broth and heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm.

Mix 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon softened butter in a small bowl until smooth; stir in 1/4 cup pan juices gradually. Stir flour mixture into remaining juices in skillet. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cream gradually. Cook, stirring constantly, until smooth. Stir in reserved mushrooms, onions and the snipped chives.

Arrange chicken on a serving platter and spoon part of the sauce over; pass remaining sauce. 

 

Pizza Night!

My kids love it when it's pizza night (and so do I)! I love it from Dominos, Papa Johns... but also from scratch. Here is my go-to pizza dough recipe, compliments of the Pioneer Woman! Her cookbook has slightly different cooking instructions than her blog, so here's the book version... which cooks faster so YOU'RE WELCOME!

Pizza Crust (makes 2 pizza crusts or 1 thick cookie sheet crust)
1 tsp. or 1/2 packet active dry yeast
4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling)

Pour 1 1/2 cups warm water (not hot, but not luke warm) into a bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let sit.

Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on low speed, drizzle in the olive oil until just incorporated. Gently stir the yeast/water mixture, then drizzle it into the flour/oil mixture; mix until the dough forms a ball. (You can also mix by hand until the dough comes together.)

Drizzle a little olive oil into a clean bowl. Toss the ball of dough in the bowl and turn over to coat in oil. Cover the bowl with a moist kitchen towel or plastic wrap and set in a warm place for 1-2 hours, or store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days (or frozen for up to 6 months).
     *The dough could also be used for "focaccia like bread". Spread it on a cookie sheet, brush the top with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and dried herbs (i.e. rosemary, basil, Italian seasonings...)

To prepare the pizza, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Divide the dough in half. Lightly drizzle olive oil on pizza pan(s). Using your hands, stretch the dough to the desired shape, pressing the dough into the pan with your fingers. (Surface of dough will be lumpy from finger marks.)

Lay desired toppings over the dough and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges of the crust are golden brown.

As for the go-to sauce... I use THIS ONE from my "Our Best Bites" cookbook. Sooooo much better than anything you can find in the grocery store, and tastes similar to a sauce found on delivery pizza! You can also try a pesto pizza with THIS pesto sauce. Pizza is hard to mess up, have fun!

Basil!

Fresh basil is one of my favorite herbs to have on hand! I have it growing in pots out back so I can pick some off anytime to make a great-tasting meal.
Here are a few tips about growing your own basil:
-It needs full sunlight (at least 6 hours), and they are both indoor/outdoor plants.
-Clip any buds or flowers off your plant as soon as you see them. You don't want a bitter taste or your plant to go to seed.
-Pruning your plant makes more basil!


Now onto using it! Let me share a couple of our favorite recipes-- Avocado Basil Pasta and Fresh Basil Pesto!

Avocado Basil Pasta (from Peacocks on My Porch)

8 oz. bow-tie pasta
2 med. avocados, halved, seeded, peeled and coursely chopped
6 slices bacon crisp cooked, drained, and crumbled
2/3 c. chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp. lemon juice (fresh is ALWAYS best)
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 c. finely shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. In a large bowl combine the avocados, bacon, basil, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, pepper & salt. Add the hot pasta and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with cheese.

Obviously any kind of small pasta will work!

 

Fresh Basil Pesto

2 c. fresh basil leaves, packed

1/2 c. grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/3 c. pecans, walnuts or almonds (pine nuts is traditional, but pricey-I use what's in my pantry)
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and ground pepper to taste

Combine the basil with the nuts in a food processor and pulse a few times. (If your nuts aren't chopped already, pulse them alone first a few times, then add basil.) Add the garlic and pulse a few times more.

Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. (Check the consistency of the pesto and add more oil if it is too thick.) Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

We like to toss this with pasta, or use this as the sauce on home-made pizza! For the latter, I use my go-to pizza dough recipe, spread pesto on top of dough, sprinkle shredded mozzarella (or slices of fresh) all over, and top with bacon (cooked, drained and crumbled) and fresh tomato slices for us grown-ups. My daughter says pesto is her favorite, so kids DO like the green stuff. :)
 

Almond Bars!

One of my most favorite tastes EVER is almond! Anything with marzipan or amaretto immediately grabs my attention! So this little gem of a recipe jumped out at me. It's quick to throw together and always gets raves... if you like almonds. :)

Almond Bars
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 c. butter (salted), melted
2 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. almond extract
Sliced almonds (optional)

1.  In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar until lemon-colored.
2.  Add butter, flour and extract; mix well.
3.  Spread into a greased 9x13 pan, and sprinkle sliced almonds on top. Bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. (Recipe suggests sprinkling with powdered sugar, but I omit that and just go for the sliced almonds).

My mouth is watering!

Chicken Dinners

Lately, I've been liking to do the 2-meals-in-1 thing... saves some time on prep for another meal! As I was flipping through my "Our Best Bites" cookbook, I found a duo that my family loved!

1.  Meal one was easy-- put a whole chicken (insides emptied, chicken rinsed & dried) in a crockpot. I rubbed mine with season salt and stuffed sliced garlic cloves between the skin and the meat. (Book suggests getting foil and making 3 2-inch balls to form a triangle at the bottom of the crockpot to sit the chicken on top of so air will circulate while cooking, which I did.) Cook for 6-7 hours on low. AFTER TAKING 2 CUPS OF SHREDDED CHICKEN AWAY AND STORING IN THE FRIDGE FOR ANOTHER MEAL, I served the remaining chicken with salad for my husband and I, and with mac 'n cheese for the kids... possibilities are endless.

2.  Meal two was more of the tasty one and motivation for the first, so let me share!

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

1/3 c. (3 oz.) cream cheese
1/4 c. green salsa
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. granulated garlic (which is equivalent to 1 clove of garlic)
3 tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 tbsp. chopped green onions
2 c. cooked, shredded chicken
1 c. shredded pepper jack cheese (I used monterey jack--for the kids)
corn tortillas

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add in next 6 ingredients and stir to combine. Add in cilantro, green onions, chicken and cheese and stir.
*For my kids, I did a separate batch where I omitted the green salsa, cilantro, and green onions--they don't like "green things" or onions in their foods.

I put about 10 tortillas in my tortilla warmer at a time, with a splash of water, and microwaved for about 45 seconds.

 If you don't have a warmer, you can wrap 3-4 tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for 20-30 seconds so they are soft and pliable. If tortillas crack when rolling, use damper towels and more microwave time.

Place 2-3 tablespoons of chicken mixture on the lower third of each tortilla, and roll it up.
This recipe says you can BAKE these at 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray it lightly with cooking spray. Place seam-side down in a single layer and spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or brush with vegetable oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and ends start to get golden brown. My husband convinced me to do it right and FRY them in oil on the stove-top...  We don't fry much so why not?! If you choose to fry, warm about an inch of oil in a frying pan over medium-high and when it's hot, place the taquitos in oil, seam-side down. It doesn't take long to fry the tortillas and warm the insides, maybe 1 minute. When you flip it over, the seam should be securely attached, and a golden yellow color. When taking them out of the oil with tongs, let the oil drip out of the ends, then place on a paper-toweled (I made up that adjective) plate.

Since I already had the green salsa, cilantro and limes for this meal, I went ahead and made THIS dressing to go on a side salad and to dip the taquitos in. YUM!! Guacamole, sour cream, salsa... you pick!

Salmon Chowder

It's finally soup weather here in Texas, so I was excited to make it all day! My husband requested Salmon Chowder, which I have made before from a recipe from my sister. I adjusted it to our tastes/what I had, and we loved it even more, so here is the new and improved soup:

Salmon Chowder
3 tbsp. butter
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 cups diced potatoes
2 carrots, diced
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. dill weed
1 tbsp. corn starch
1 (6 oz.) can salmon, skinless & boneless
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 cooked corn on the cob, kernels cut off
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Saute onion, celery, and garlic powder until onions are tender. Stir in potatoes, carrots, broth, salt, pepper, and dill weed. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. In a small bowl mix the corn starch and about 1 tbsp. of cold water to a smooth consistency. Add to the soup and stir in. Stir in salmon, evaporated milk, corn and cheese and cook until heated through and thickened.

Pumpkin Smoothie

I found the Pioneer Woman's recipe for Pumpkin Smoothie's and couldn't wait to try it. It calls for a 15 oz. can of pumpkin pie filling, but I could only find the 29 oz. cans in my store, so I bought a 15 oz. can of pure pumpkin puree. I tried it today and loved it, though my ingredients and quantities differed some. Here's what I threw together (and my version is healthier!):

15 oz. can pure pumpkin puree
3 cups 2% milk
1/2-1 cup vanilla yogurt
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup sugar (or less, to taste)

AT LEAST A FEW HOURS BEFORE, put the pumpkin puree in a small freezer-safe dish and place in the freezer. This gives it the icy texture needed for smoothies.

Pull out the pumpkin and scoop it into the blender. I actually only used about 2/3 of the can and it was plenty pumpkiny for me. It wasn't all that "icy" so if you like thickness in a drink, you could add some ice. Add the rest of the ingredients to the blender and blend. Simple, quick and delicious! No pictures because my friends and I drank them up too quickly. :)

Pumpkin Bread

PUMPKIN bars, PUMPKIN cobbler, PUMPKIN custard, PUMPKIN cheesecake... so much to do this season!  PUMPKIN bread was the first this fall, and what a fabulous start! It was my meal for breakfast, lunch and snacks in-between until it was gone. Perfect combo of spices, and dense and sweet... what's there not to like?! 

Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Loaf

3 c. flour
3 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. oil
4 eggs
2/3 c. water
2 c. canned pumpkin
12 oz. bag chocolate chips

Mix everything together except pumpkin and chocolate chips. Mix well. Add pumpkin and mix. Fold in chocolate chips. Divide mixture between two greased and floured 9x5x3" loaf pans.
Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Might make a great gift for someone if you can handle not eating it all. :) Enjoy!

Flan

Mexican food is one of my favorites, and the desserts are surely included! Flan doesn't taste like it should be this easy to make, but it is! All it takes is:

3/4 c. sugar

1 can (12 fl. oz) evaporated milk

1 can (14 fl. oz.) sweetened condensed milk

4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

 Heat sugar in small, heavy-duty saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes or until dissolved and caramel colored. Quickly poor onto bottom of deep-dish 9-inch pie plate; swirl around bottom and sides to coat.

Combine all other ingredients in a blender. Blend until well mixed and pour into the prepared pie plate.

Fill a roasting pan with warm water to about 1-inch depth. Place the pie plate in the roasting pan. (The water provides an even, moderate temperature, so the eggs won't curdle.)

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Remove flan from water. (This can be tricky since the water and pie plate are hot. You can use a ladle to remove water before taking out flan... just be careful.) Cool. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. When you are ready to serve the flan, run a small spatula or knife around the edge of the pie plate. Invert serving plate over the pie plate, and flip it over (shaking gently to release). The caramelized sugar forms the sauce on top of the flan. 

¡buen provecho

Banana Muffins

What a glorious sight! When my bananas look like these (or even black), my mind immediately goes to my mom's banana muffin recipe. I make them for breakfast or an after-school snack... my whole family loves them!

Ingredients
3 ripe bananas (large)
1 stick of butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease muffin tins. Mash the bananas on a plate with a fork and set aside.

Add butter to mixing bowl and beat in sugar for about 2 minutes or until it looks whipped. 

Add eggs and mix lightly.  Add baking soda, flour and mashed bananas to the mixer and mix until well incorporated. If I only have 2 bananas, I use a little applesauce to fill in for the 3rd.

Fill the muffin tins about 3/4 full, and bake for 20-25 minutes. If you use mini-muffin tins, bake for 13-15 minutes. Let cool a little, then pop them out of the tin and enjoy!! I like them plain, but my mom would eat with a smear of butter, peanut butter or cream cheese. You pick... bananas have lots of friends!

Soup de jour

My eight year-old loves the Broccoli Cheese soup at Panera, so she lucked out when I came across this recipe. She confirms that it is just like theirs.

Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 medium chopped onion
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half cream

2 cups chicken stock
1/2 lb fresh broccoli (which is about 1 cup)
1 cup carrot, julienned
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

1) Sauté onion in butter. Set aside.

2) Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and add the half & half (keep whisking, it'll be lumpy at first).

3) Add the chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.

4) Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat 20-25 minutes. 

5) Add salt and pepper to taste. At this point, you can blend it if you like your soup if you like it less chunky and more of a smooth constistency. Add cheese. Stir in nutmeg. Yields about 6 servings.

(Not my picture, but that is what it looked like)

And here is a fabulous tip if you like hot rolls, but don't have time to do them from scratch...

Sister Schubert's Diner Rolls!!

I've always used Rhode's Rolls but was introduced to this delightful roll by my mom. Get this-- you take however many you need out of the bag (kept in the freezer), set it out on your baking sheet while your oven preheats, then bake them for about 5-8 minutes. NO forgetting about defrosting Rhode's Rolls and trying to do the quick method for odd-shaped rolls. These are light and taste home-made! AND, they are about $3 for a pack of 10. Try them! 





Stromboli

School days have resumed and I am trying to get the kids back to a decent schedule, so the last thing I want is a fight over dinner... therefore, I am making kid-friendly things (this week) that they can be happy about. Last night was fruit salad and a "Stromboli" which is more like a home-made hot-pocket. When I lived in Pennsylvania, there was an Italian family-owned Pizzeria/Stromboli place... This isn't quite up to par as the real stuff, but it'll do!

Ham and Swiss Stromboli

1 tube refrigerated French Bread (or tube of pizza dough, which I used last night)
6 green onions, sliced (which I didn't use last night but normally would on at least half)
1 1/2 c. shredded Swiss cheese
6 oz. sliced deli ham
8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Unroll dough onto baking sheet (ungreased).

Place ham over dough; sprinkle evenly the rest of the ingredients.

Roll up jelly roll style and pinch seam.



 Place seam side down on baking sheet. Cut 3 or 4 slits on top of loaf.



Bake at 350 degrees for 26-30 minutes until golden brown. Easy, quick, tasty and kid approved. :)

Salad 101

Dear Martha,
This post is for you! One salad can be so totally different from another, so it's best to make your own dressings for the crave of the day! Plus, it's always tastier! First, meet your general cast of characters that you should always have on hand in your pantry:

• Vinegars- usually red wine & white wine vinegar. I have a healthy stash of lots- apple cider, rice, balsamic... you never know what you'll need :) 
• Vegetable and olive oil
• Ground mustard (found in spices in baking aisle)
• Garlic (I buy the jar of minced garlic packed in oil--so easy to pull out and use in everything without the work)
• Onion powder/garlic powder
• Sugar, and salt & pepper

Here are some different types of dressings to go with your different salads choices...

Poppy Seed Dressing (from Our Best Bites)
1/3 c. white or white wine vinegar
1 tsp. kosher salt (different than table salt, more coarse and not as strong)
A dash or ground black pepper
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. prepared mustard (now this is the real mustard you keep in the fridge, not the dry ground mustard I mentioned earlier)
2 tbsp. sliced green onions (if you don't have this, you could use 1/4 tsp. onion powder)
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. poppy seeds (also found in spice aisle)

1. In a blender, combine vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar and mustard. While blender is running, add green onions. Continue running blender and add the oil in a  steady stream until it is fully incorporated into the dressing.
2. Pour dressing into a serving or storage container and whisk in poppy seeds. Serve over leafy greens or spinach and any combination of things good in a sweet salad.

Here are some possibilities, but mainly, keep it to fruits/nuts/cheese combos--grilled/roasted chicken would be good added to any of these as well:

• spinach, romaine lettuce, sliced red onion, cubed avocado, shredded mozz or swiss cheese, cooked and crumbled bacon (for the husband), 12 oz. can drained Mandarin oranges.
• spinach/lettuce, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, feta, sliced almonds, sliced celery
• Mixed greens, roasted walnuts/pecans (sprinkle chopped nuts on ungreased shallow pan and bake at 350 degrees for 6-10 min., stirring frequently--keep a close eye on them), sliced pears/apples, feta/blue cheese crumbled, bacon (opt.)

Another tasty sweet one (to use on same kind of salads) with a different twist is this:

Red Wine Vinaigrette (from Peacocks on My Porch)

1/2 c. olive oil

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

1/4 c. sugar

2 garlic cloves, crushed (or 1 tsp. of the bottled minced garlic I use)

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. dry ground mustard

1/4 tsp. onion powder

 

Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake to mix. Chill until serving time.

 

If you are in a Mexican mood, here are a couple winners!

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette (from Our Best Bites):

1/4 c. fresh lime juice (about 2-3 juicy limes)
1/4 c. white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
4-5 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. Kosher or sea salt
2 tsp. sugar
1 c. canola oil (or whatever oil I have besides olive)
1/2 c. roughly chopped cilantro, stems removed

In the jar of your blender, combine lime juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, and sugar. Blend until ingredients are completely combined. With the blender running, add the oil in a steady stream. Add cilantro and blend until the cilantro has broken down but still maintains some of its texture. Serve with greens, on any type of Mexican salad, or use as a marinade.

This would be good over a salad of mixed greens, avocado, tomato, grilled chicken, drained & rinsed black beans (you could even layer all of that over rice). You could also use this dressing to pour over raw chicken in a baking dish, and roast at 350 degrees for 30+ minutes (checking to make sure chicken is to 160 degrees all the way through, or not pink when cut). Also on fish for fish tacos!

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Ranch Dressing (from Our Best Bites)
1 c. mayo
1/2 c. milk or buttermilk
1 packet (1oz) Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix (ignore directions on packet)
1 lime, juiced (about 2 tbsp. lime juice)
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped (or 1 tsp. of the minced bottled garlic)
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro
1/4 C green salsa (La Costena is their preferred brand)
hot sauce, to taste (like tobasco, opt.)

Combine mayo, milk, lime juice, and the contents of the ranch packet in a blender. Add garlic, cilantro, and green salsa and blend to thoroughly mix all the ingredients. Season with hot sauce, if desired. If possible, refrigerate for several hours to allow the dressing to thicken and flavors to meld.
Would be great on same type of mexican salad, or as a sauce to "Chipotle" style burritos (with rice, beans, lettuce, chopped tomatoes, shredded chicken...)

If you want an Asian flavor, I like this recipe:
Crunchy Oriental Salad (Betty Crocker's Cookbook)
2 tbsp. butter/margarine
1 package Oriental-flavor ramen noodle soup mix (the little packet inside)
2 tbsp. sesame seed
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. white vinegar
1 tbsp. sesame oil or vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
1 bag (16 oz.) coleslaw mix
1 can (11 oz.) mandarin orange segments, drained
1/4 c. dry-roasted peanuts (if desired)
2 c. cut-up cooked chicken (I usually don't add this if this is a side salad, but adding the chicken would make it a complete meal for the husband)

1) Melt butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Stir in seasoning packet from ramen. Break block of noodles into bite-size pieces over skillet; stir into butter mixture.
2) Cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in sesame seeds. Cook about 2 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until noodles are golden brown; remove from heat.
3) Mix sugar, vinegar, oil and pepper in large bowl. Add noodle mixture and remaining ingredients; toss. (Serves 6)

And here's a salad WITHOUT making a dressing. :)
BBQ Chicken Salad
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
1/2 head romaine lettuce, chopped
3-4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 c. frozen sweet corn, thawed
Monterey Jack cheese, grated
Chicken-- PURCHASE A CROCKPOT :), then place 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in it. Add about 1 bottle of BBQ sauce with 1/2 c. water and cook on low for 4 hours. When done, shred chicken (with 2 forks, pulling it all apart) and use that on top of the salad.

Toss all ingredients together and dish onto plates. Drizzle with Ranch dressing and then with your favorite BBQ sauce. Crushed corn tortilla chips are also good sprinkled on top.

These recipes are bigger scale than you need for the two of you, so scale down accordingly. Once you toss salads with the dressing, they don't save well as left-overs so keep that in mind. However, the dressings will be good for a couple of weeks in the fridge. And if there are any ingredients you don't like, or want to substitute, feel free. Salads are easy that way. Cater them to what you like.

And last tip, get one of these:

Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mixes with Glass Cruet
You can probably find this at Walmart/HEB and it's so easy and good. It has directions on the box, but it's just water, oil, vinegar and the mix packet. Perfect for your Italian Dressing fix and also great for baking chicken in a crockpot or oven.

Good luck!