Zucchini Bruschetta (or as my kiddos call them Zucchini "Boats")

I made these today for lunch and they were DELISH!  The only way to make them better is to make them on a grill outside!  (I'll post a picture tomorrow.)

Ingredients:

• Zucchini
• Cherry tomatoes
• Grana Padano cheese
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• Diced fresh herbs that you desire
• S&P
• EVOO

1. Preheat the broiler on your oven.
2. Wash and cut the ends off of your zucchini
3. Slice the zucchini long-ways right down the middle.
4. Using a spoon, scoop the "seedy" part out of the center of the zucchini  (You don't need to do too much - just enough to make "wells" in the center)
5. Drizzle some EVOO over the flesh side of the zucchini (into the wells) and sprinkle with S&P to taste
6. Place zucchini skin side down on a cookie sheet (if you're grilling place them flesh side down on the grill)
7. Grill/Broil until zucchini is just tender
8. Meanwhile dice or halve cherry tomatoes & toss gently with 1 clove pressed garlic, more S&P to taste and any other fresh herb you might want.
9. Carefully fill the wells of the zucchini with your tomato-garlic mixture and place back in oven/on grill skin side down until tomatoes are starting to crinkle
10. Carefully sprinkle freshly grated grana padano on top of the tomatoes & place under broiler one last time.
11. Allow cheese to bubble and turn golden
12. Let zucchini cool slightly and serve while still warm!

Roasted Broccolini

I love baby broccoli - or, if you buy it at Trader Joe's "Broccolini."  A crazy lady I used to nanny for used to have broccolini in her house ALL THE TIME and I had to steam it for her kiddos anytime I made them dinner.  If I recall the kiddos never ate the steamed version & now I know why...  BECAUSE ROASTED BROCCOLINI is THE BEST!  :)  This is how I made our broccolini tonight.

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2.  Rinse broccolini and pat dry
3.  Take out a cookie sheet and spread rinsed/dried broccolini on cookie sheet
4.  Drizzle EVOO over broccolini - toss with your hands to evenly cover broccolini with EVOO
5.  Sprinkle some good sea salt over EVOO coated broccolini
6.  Place cookie sheet in oven and roast broccolini until crispy (about 15-20minutes) - It's almost like broccolini chippies!
7.  Let cool slightly and serve as a side.

Tortellini SALAD

Tortellini Salad, a summer favorite in our house! This salad can be served warm or chilled. A great side dish for a summer BBQ's or potlucks! Can even be served as an entree with garlic bread.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

• one package of frozen or fresh tortellini (I prefer 3 cheese filling for this recipe)
• one container cherry/grape tomatoes
• 6 tbl. chopped fresh basil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 c. EVOO
• 2 tbl. white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. sugar

Directions:

1. Cook tortellini according to directions on the package. Drain pasta and run cold water over it once it's done cooking to cool it down a bit. Place in desired serving bowl.
2. Slice tomatoes in half, add to the pasta.
3. Prepare dressing, crush garlic in a small bowl, add chopped basil, EVOO, white vinegar, salt and sugar. Whisk together and drizzle over pasta and tomatoes. Toss to combine then chill in refrigerator or serve right away.

Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons

I love a good Caesar salad in a restaurant but am often disappointed when I try and recreate the dish at home. Often times I'm disappointed because I fall back on a bottled Caesar dressing. This recipe offers an easy dressing that will knock your 'garlic' socks off! :-)

Ingredients:

Serves 4

• 2 garlic cloves
• S&P
• rustic French bread (crusts removed, cut into small crouton size pieces)
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons EVOO
• 2 heads Romain lettuce (outer leaves discarded, inner leaves cut into strips)
• cherry tomatoes sliced in half
• Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, crush 1 garlic clove and blend with some salt and 1 tablespoon of EVOO. Add bread cubes and toss to combine. Spread cubes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until crisp and golden, about 20 minutes, turning once.
2. Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, crush remaining garlic clove (I was tempted to add another garlic clove but was happy that I didn't; since the garlic is raw in the dressing it keeps its strength.) whisk in lemon juice, Worcestershire, mustard and pepper. Slowly whisk in the EVOO.
3. In a large serving bowl, toss lettuce and tomatoes with vinaigrette and croutons. Serve immediately , garnished with shaved Parmesan.

Boeuf Bourguignon with Roasted Vegetables and Mashed Potatoes

When will my Julie and Julia references stop?!?!?!?  Here is another plug for the movie!  Ben has been asking about Boeuf Bourguignon since Julie Powell (Amy Adams) made it in the movie.  I did a little researching online and found Julia Child's recipe, it was far too complex for me.  Something about using wine to deglaze my pan... I don't know what deglazing is let alone why I would use wine to do it.  So I searched some more and found an easier version on my trusty Everyday Food website/magazine!

I made it on Halloween for Ben and our friends Tyler and Stacy.  I'm not sure how it differs from Julia Child's recipe but it got RAVE reviews!  Ben and still talking about it.  I will definitely be making this recipe again, it was delicious and fairly inexpensive to make!

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 4 slices bacon (1/4 pound), cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
  
• 3 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, large pieces of fat trimmed, cut into 2-inch chunks, patted dry  I used the "stew meat" that is already precut into chunks.  I was able to get 2lbs. for $4.00!
  
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
  
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
  
• 3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
  
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  
• 6 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 3/4-inch slices
  
• 1 bottle dry red wine (3 cups) The cheapest bottle you can find, I found a bottle for $3.99!
  
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  

Directions:

1. In a 6-to-8-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, cook bacon uncovered over medium-low heat until browned, 10 to 15 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate; set aside. Reserve bacon fat.
   
2. Season beef generously with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, dredge beef in flour, shaking off excess. Raise heat to medium. Working in two batches, brown beef in bacon fat on all sides, without crowding, about 10 minutes per batch. Transfer each batch to a bowl.
   
3. Pour 1/2 cup water into pan; bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, to loosen browned bits, until liquid has reduced to a few tablespoons, 2 to 3 minutes.
   
4. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 3 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook 1 minute.
   
5. Add carrots, meat (with juices), wine, thyme, and reserved bacon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer over low, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender, but not falling apart, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
   
6. Skim fat off surface of stew; discard. Stir Roasted Mushrooms and Pearl Onions into beef; season with salt and pepper. Serve, or refrigerate, covered, up to overnight.
   

I served this meal with roasted mushrooms, zucchini, and pearl onions.  Here is how I roasted them:

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place whole mushrooms, (stems trimmed) zucchini, (sliced in thick strips) and thawed pearl onions on a rimmed cookie sheet.  Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the vegetables, mix the vegetables to coat.  Season with S&P.
3. Roast for about 25-30 minutes in the oven.

I also made mashed potatoes and our friends brought bread.  I know carb overload, but a small french baguette was nice to have with this meal because it helped soak up the yummy sauce from the meat.

Update and Sauteed Mushrooms

I've had a few people ask if I've been sticking with my resolution to make every recipe out of my magazine clipping collection before I have any repeats. The answer is YES! It has been fun, but sometimes Ben gets depressed when I make something he really likes. He says, "You're really not going to make this again until your done trying every recipe?" I suppose I can make a exception here and there but so far I haven't had any repeats. The following posts are a few of my newest finds/favorites.

I've had fun tracking our poll lately. Soup continues to be the winner, so all you Dinner-Belles out there lets post some good soup recipes! Here are the rest of the results to the poll for those who are wondering:

Soup - 25%

Dessert- 14%

Easy Meals (5 Items or less) - 14%

Gluten Free - 14%

Crockpot - 11%

Salads - 7%

Vegetarian - 7%

Steak - 4%

Pork - 4%

Chicken - 0%

Now for the sauteed mushrooms... I was making a salmon dish one night and decided to serve it with mushrooms. Things got a little crazy, I had too many pots going at once so I hollered for Ben to help. He happily took care of the mushrooms. As he was making the mushrooms he was quoting from Julie and Julia, "don't crowd the mushrooms!"

Ben did an excellent job at sauteeing the mushrooms they turned out to be the best thing on the plate that night. The salmon I was making had a white sauce over it and neither of us cared for the sauce, so I won't be posting that one!

These mushrooms are truly tasty and would be a great side kick to any meal, try em out!

Ingredients:

Serves 2

• >1 tsp. EVOO
• 1/2 lb. mushrooms (I got the cheap cremini kind)
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 tsp. red wine vinegar

Directions

1. In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms; season with S&P, and cook until tender and lightly browned, 12-13 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vinegar.

Ham Fried Rice

I have tried to make chinese at home before but it never quite turns out right, this time it worked pretty well with a little help from Simply Asian sauce and spice packets. Kerry said it was better than our local chinese and tasted fresher! They have packets for about 6 different dishes- they have recipes on the back, but I made up my own.

4cu. short grain rice cooked (I used Minute Rice Brown rice to save time)
1 tsp sesame oil
2 eggs beaten
2 carrots diced
2 cu. bean sprouts
2 cu. frozen peas (defrosted)
1 tsp. minced garlic
5 green onions sliced
6 oz. diced ham
2 Tb. canola oil
1 packet Simply Asian Fried Rice spice Mix (optional-works well without it too- I don't think it's gluten free)


1. Heat canola oil and sesame oil in large skillet or wok on med/high heat. Add ham carrots and garlic stirring constantly for 2-3min.
2. Add onion, bean sprouts, and peas, stirring constantly and cook for 2-4 min.
3. Push mixture to side of pan and scramble egg in the middle, once egg begins to set, stir in with other ingredients. Add rice, soy sauce, and spice packet and continue to stir until warmed through.

Broccoli Tomato Salad

This is a delicious summer time salad, and a nice alternative to a pasta salad! 

Ingredients:

Serves 6

• Large bunch of broccoli
• 1 pint of little tomatoes, I've used cherry or grape both are great.
• 4 green onions sliced thinly
• Cheddar Cheese Chunks, as many as you would like.  
• 1/2 c. mayo
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

Directions:

1. Cut the broccoli flowerettes off and steam in shallow boiling water for 2-3 minutes.  Remove from the boiling water immediately and place in a colander.  Rinse with cold water to get the broccoli cooled down.
2. Slice the tomatoes in half, chop the onions, and cheese.  Combine in a bowl with broccoli.
3. Put mayo, sugar, and red wine vinegar in a bowl and whisk together. 
4. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and combine.
5. Serve right away or place in the refrigerator and serve later.  I've even made it a night before and taken it to work for lunch and it still tastes fresh! 

Pennies From Heaven

I think several of the "Dinner-Belles" have made pennies from heaven, but I thought I'd include the recipe/how to do on our blog. Pennies from heaven were created by the kids I nanny, they are a lunch time favorite! I don't remember exactly how the name came about, I think while I was making them one day and I was in a silly mood and told they kids they were pennies. Natalie and Andrew were commenting on how much they LOVED the pennies, that I must have said "they are like pennies from heaven!" The name stuck and to this day they ask for pennies from heaven quite regularly!

1.  Slice your zucchini in semi-thick circles.

2.  Sometimes I chopped the zucchini circles in half, I know, they don't look like pennies anymore but they are easier to flip around in a pan.  So, whatever you prefer.

3.  Heat about 1 Tablespoon of EVOO in a larger pan over Medium-High Heat.  Coat the pan evenly, and add the zucchini.  Fry the zucchini in the pan for about 2 minutes, mixing them around getting them evenly coated with the oil.  Make sure to keep the zucchini moving in the pan our they will burn. 

4.  Add 1/4 Cup of water to the pan and cover.  Let simmer for about 1 min, no more than 2... depending on how "cooked" you like your vegetables.

5.  Serve as a side dish with a little salt cracked over them.

Sweet Potatoes: "We be yammin'!"

I'm excited about sweet potatoes. After recently tasting the scrumptious baked sweet potato fries at Au Naturale Restaurant, I knew I needed to be able to make this treat at home for a fraction of the cost. In searching for recipes and nutrition info., I learned that this homely tuber is kind of like a geode, ugly on the outside, but truly a gem on the inside--a nutritional gem. In fact, The Center for Science in the Public Interest rated it as the best vegetable you could eat. (I don't think that applies if they're smothered in brown sugar, swimming in butter, and topped with a fluffy crown of marshmallows.) If you do a "google search" there's lots of interesting nutrition facts on the web. BTW, when the orange fleshed sweet potatoes entered the market, they were called "yams" to differentiate them from the white fleshed sweet potatoes. However, they are not even in the same botanical family as true yams. Nowdays there are several varieties of sweet potatoes with various colors, so don't be confused if you can only find something labeled "yams" in the produce department. They are really sweet potatoes.

This is the recipe I tried for sweet potato fries. The basic process remains the same, but there are many seasoning combinations you could try, both sweet and savory. Keep an eye on them as they cook. They need to be turned to prevent burning. Also, don't cut them too thin.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons EVOO
• 1-2 teaspoons italian spice blend
• 1 teaspoon crushed rosemary
• sea salt
• pepper

Method:

• Wash and dry sweet potatoes (if using organics, no need to peel them--amazingly, the price at my local grocery store was the same)
• Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees
• Cut potatoes in half, then cut each half into uniform sized rectangles, not too thin
• Put potatoes into a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat, sprinkle with italian seasoning, rosemary, salt and pepper and toss again
• Arrange on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
• Bake for 30 min. turning potatoes after 15 min. (watch closely, they burn easily)
• Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes. Serve with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauces: (endless variations)

• Equal parts mayo and sour cream or yogurt with a minced garlic clove added
• Equal parts mayo and ketchup
• Mayo with curry powder or paste