Great Bread Basket

I have a bread basket just like this. I got it years ago as a gift & it is one of my favorite serving pieces. When it is not being used for bread, I leave it on my counter with fruit in it. It is really easy to use & functional too. Place the basket in a 350°F oven for a three minutes; carefully remove and line it with a cloth napkin before filling with warm bread. The thick base will continue to gently radiate heat keeping your bread warm. Genius right? Here is the best part, it is on sale at Williams Sonoma.

Tortilla Soup

This may seem a little strange for the summer, but I love soup all year. Tortilla is one of my favorites. This recipe is also a little more complicated than others that I have shared with you but it is worth it.



7 Large Tortilla chips Broken up but not crumbs
1 onion, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 1/2 quarts canned low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree (one 28-ounce can)
2 bay leaves
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup lightly-packed cilantro leaves
3 cups chopped chicken (You can either cut chicken breasts into cubes & cook them in the soup or use a rotisserie chicken & chop up the breast meat)
1 avocado, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/4 pound cheddar, grated
Lime wedges, for serving

Let's get cooking!

Heat 4 Tablespoons Vegetable oil to a medium heat
Add the onion, garlic, and spices; cook, stirring, for 5 minutes
Add the broth, tomatoes, bay leaves, salt, cilantro leaves and 4 tortilla chips in pieces
Bring to a simmer
Cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes; remove the bay leaves
In a blender, puree the soup in batches; pour it back into the pot
Add the chicken, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook until just done, about 1 minute
Stir in the avocado.
To serve, put the remaining tortilla strips in bowls, top with the cheese, and pour in the soup. Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro, if using, and serve with the lime wedges
I love cornbread with tortilla soup and maybe a nice Spanish red wine.

New Orleans Style Shrimp

This recipe reminds me of tin foil dinners that we made at Girl Scout Camp when I was little, except it is delicious. Serve the shrimp with crusty bread and either salad or rice.

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

1 Tablespoon Melted Butter

2 Teaspoons fresh chopped Rosemary

2 Teaspoons minced Garlic
1/2 Teaspoon dried Thyme

1 Teaspoon Tabasco

1/2 Teaspoon Pepper

2 lb raw shrimp with shells on

2 lemons sliced thin

4 Teaspoons butter divided

Mix all ingredients except 4 tsp butter and lemon slices

Refrigerate for 30 minutes

Heat the oven to 425

Tear off 4 pieces of foil 12x16"

Fold in half to a triangle

Open and divide the shrimp in to the four packets (Save the marinade)

Drizzle the marinade over the four packets & top each one with 1 teaspoon butter

Divide lemons into the packets, close them tightly

Bake for 20 minutes, let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Turkey Meatballs

I love my mom's meatballs. When she makes them Beckie & I can hardly stay out of the fridge. I make a version with Turkey to make them a little healthier. This seems like a lot of meatballs but the only thing better than Spaghetti & Meatballs is Meatball subs, so make extra for sandwiches!

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground turkey
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup water (more or less)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 medium onion
garlic
salt
pepper

Mix all ingredients together except water. Add water slowly. Mixture should be moist but not so that the meatballs fall apart.
Shape meatballs to desired size and place on a broiler pan (I wet my hands before shaping each meatball and it helps make a nice meatball.) Broil until outside is slightly brown on one side and then turn and broil the other side. If you are using them tonight put the meatballs in the sauce for about 20 minutes before serving. Freeze the rest!

Marinara Sauce

This is a combination recipe of a lot of really great cook's Marinara Sauce. This works in my kitchen because you process a lot of the chunks out & Matt likes his sauce smooth.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons butter (This is my mom's trick the combo of butter & olive oil is a winner)

1 small yellow onion

2 cloves garlic

1 stalk celery

1 shallot

1 carrot

2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

4 to 6 fresh basil leaves (if you don't have fresh my mom taught me to rehydrate them in a little white wine)

Optional 1/4 cabernet (gives a nice flavor, but don't rehydrate your basil in white wine if you are going to add the red!)

2 dried bay leaves (My Grandma made great marinara, my Grandpa always teased about the bay leaves that she left the window open)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (A pinch of each to taste)

Before you start chop all your vegetables & herbs except the bay leaves.

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium-high heat add the butter. Add onion and garlic and saute until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrot and season with salt and pepper. Saute about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and reduce the heat to low. (Add your cabernet here if you like) Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and taste for seasoning.
Pour half the sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining sauce.

You can freeze the sauce in Ziploc Freezer Bags. My mom always does this. Even if you need a lot sauce you can add your homemade sauce to store bought to make it nicer.

Buon appetito!

Penne with Vodka Sauce

Penne with Vodka Sauce is the favorite pasta dish at our house. I make a few changes to the traditional to make it a little healthier.
We like the Barilla Pasta Plus Penne, which is a whole wheat. It is so good, once you try it you will always use it. Matt always wants a little meat with his dinner. I make Turkey Meatballs, I make a lot when I make them & keep them in the freezer. (I admit they are not as good as my mom's but turkey is better for you) :)

Sauce:

1 quart Marinara Sauce (I will post my recipe) or store-bought marinara sauce (If you are going to use store bought get one that isn't too chunky)

1 cup vodka

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Simmer the tomato sauce and vodka in a heavy large skillet over low heat until the mixture reduces by 1/4, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Stir the cream into the tomato and vodka sauce. Simmer over low heat until the sauce is heated through. Add your thawed meatballs now if you are having any. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted and well blended.

1 box Pasta Plus Penne
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 11 minutes if you use the pasta plus. Drain the pasta and transfer it to the pan with the sauce, and toss to coat.

Serve with Green Salad. Mangia!

A Cool Day in Arizona

We love to grill out but sometimes it is just too hot here in the summer. Today we had a cooler (90) day, so we decided to grill. We usually do chicken or fish. Today we decided on Grilled Mexican Chicken. Don't be alarmed when you read that you marinade the chicken in yogurt. The cultures in the yogurt really help to tenderize the meat. I try to marinade at least 3 hours.

Marinade:
2 cups plain low fat yogurt
2 medium shallots
3 garlic cloves
¼ cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons lime juice
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
½ teaspoon cumin
salt & pepper

When you are ready grill chicken breast for six minutes per side on a medium hot grill. When we grill I also like to throw some zucchini sliced in half on there. Brush each size with some olive oil then salt & pepper it. Just cook your zucchini three minutes per side. Serve with a green salad or potato salad.

What the French...Toast

French Toast reminds me of three things.

1. My cousin Kaitlin who wouldn't eat anything when she was a kid, but she loved frozen French Toast Sticks.

2. My sister & her husband's wedding in Jamaica, where Matt decided he loved French Toast, which lead to us eating it almost every Saturday morning.

3. The Orbit Gum Commercial.

The second thing lead me to try to come up with a lower calorie French Toast. Everything about French Toast is high calorie, here are some ways to reduce.

Ingredients:

Bread- Sara Lee Delightful White

Eggs- Use a cup of Egg Beaters

Milk- Use 1/8 cup of fat free half & half

Vanilla & Cinnamon-use a teaspoon of each

Mix this all together & dip your bread in.

Fry your bread up on a skillet sprayed with Pam.

Serve with I Can't Believe it's Not Butter Spray & Sugar Free Log Cabin Syrup.

Now go enjoy your breakfast you link licker.

Another Day Another Shrimp Dinner

Well we have talked about it before, Matt loves his shrimp. I can't really object because shrimp do fit well into a healthy diet. When Matt wants his shrimp & I don't want to run to the store I make a version of Shrimp Scampi, because I usually have everything on hand. It's also nice to make something that requires a little wine because then you have a bottle open for a glass while you saute!

Shrimp Scampi

1 1/2 pounds large shrimp (about 16 to 24)
1/4 cup butter

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons minced garlic
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
a shake of Cavender's Greek Seasoning (I confessed my love for this stuff before!)
PREPARATION:
Rinse shrimp and set aside. Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic 1 or 2 minutes or until softened but not browned. Add shrimp, green onions, wine and lemon juice; cook until shrimp are pink and firm, about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Serve over risotto or pasta. Matt & I usually eat Barilla pasta plus.

Salsa!

So maybe the crab picture is in poor taste...
Thinking about our up coming wedding in Cancun has me in the mood for Chips & Salsa. I love that in Cancun about the local food is that they use seafood in the local dishes, where your typical Mexican is beef or Chicken.
This Crab Tomato Salsa is really delicious & sure to impress.

Crab Meat and Tomato Salsa

½ pound crab meat
4 Large Roma Tomatoes cored & diced
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 shallots pealed & chopped diced
1 jalapeno cored & diced
½ teaspoon salt
juice of a lemon

I know that there are a lot of great salsa recipes out there if you have one that you would like to share with me, email me & I will post it!

Perfect Family Barbeque Side

How many times have you been invited to a Barbeque & been told just bring a side? You could always go for the old stand by of Potato Salad or Cole Slaw, but why not mix it up & impress with a beautiful Green Bean Salad. This always gets rave reviews, it is colorful, perfectly crisp and easy to make. This picture was from our cousins Kristin & Brandon's prewedding Barbeque. The newest Bacas (Kris & Brandon got married the day after this party) throw a fab Barbeque!

Green Bean Salad with yellow pepper, jicama & tomato

Salad:
1 pound green beans trimmed
1 yellow sweet pepper, seeded & julienned
1 medium jicama peeled & julienned
15 cherry tomatoes halved

Dressing:
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tsp chopped chives
2/3 cup olive oil
salt & pepper

Cook beans for 7-10 minutes in boiling water, drain & place in cold water to stop cooking drain.
Add jicama, pepper & tomatoes to beans in a large bowl
Whisk dressing ingredients together, pour over beans.
Refrigerate.

Bubba Gump Mexican Style

Matt loves shrimp sometimes I think we should call him Bubba. I think he would eat them every night if he could. He love for shrimp is only second to his love for his mom's enchiladas. This lead me to invent a Shrimp Enchilada recipe. Again a family favorite, I know Uncle Mike was a big fan!

Shrimp 2 pounds (cooked if you are busy)
Block of cream cheese (reduced fat is okay)
Tortillas (soft taco size)
8 oz whipping cream
2 chipotles adjust for spice level ( small can)
1 can diced tomatoes
Grated Monterrey Jack Cheese

Spray the bottom of the 9 x 13"pan
Cook your shrimp if you are not using cooked.

In a tortilla spread cream cheese and shrimp
Roll up place in pan
In a blender mix chipotles, tomatoes & cream
Pour over tortillas
Add cheese to the top
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes

If you want to cook the shrimp heat about a table spoon of cooking oil, add 2 chipotles & shrimp. Sauté until pink. Remove chipotles before adding shrimp to tortillas. Enjoy. Makes about 8 enchiladas

I serve with some Mexican Style Rice and maybe a Margarita!

Cavender's Greek Seasoning

The number one spice I use in our kitchen is Cavender's Greek Seasoning. It is sold at Safeway in Arizona but if you can't find it, you can order it. When we grill we shake it onto meats. I add it to salad, just about anything. With it being summer if you grow squash or zucchini you probably have a ton of it. Here is a yummy side made with the seasoning. (And something vegetarian for my friend Carol)

Stuffed Squash

• 4-6 medium yellow squash (crooked neck) or Zucchini
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 yellow onion (chopped)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 tsp. "Cavender's Greek Seasoning"
• 1/2 cup Bacon Bits
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup plain breaad crumbs
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Boil squash in lightly salted water for 10-15 min. Cut into lengthwise pieces, place on greased baking dish. Scoop out squash and mix this with Bacon Bits, eggs, and cracker crumbs and shredded cheese. Put this mixture back into the squash halves and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 10-15 min. until slightly browned.

Figs!

On our trip to Costco today, Matt & I found a little bit of heaven in the fruit cooler. They had fresh figs! We love figs, Matt really doesn't even eat fruit or vegetables so that tells you how good they are. On a side note we had a fig tree in our yard when I was a kid in Italy, we didn't even realize that we liked them until my mom's friend Becky came over to show us the finery of figs. We bought some & had some really yummy open faced sandwiches.

Fig, Marscapone & Prosciutto Baguettes

Slice your baguette in half.

Spread a layer of Marscapone cheese.

Layer thinly sliced figs.

Top with Prosciutto.

Toast in your toaster oven for just a minute.

Now if you sliced your baguette thinner you could make a bruschetta like at Postino's in Phoenix, but we were eating lunch & feeling decadent.

Honey Barbeque Chicken

My dad was in the military when I was growing up. As a result we lived everywhere! Living in the Southern States I grew an appreciation for Barbeque. You can find great Barbeque restaurants in a lot of places, my parents live in Utah now & they eat at Sugar House Barbeque, it is awesome. My mom & my Uncle Mike also make some fab Barbeque, but we will get to those at another time!
This is a Honey Barbeque Chicken Recipe, that is not a saucy as most, but eliminating all that sauce will seriously reduce the calories.


Honey Barbeque Chicken
1 2-1/2- to 3-pound broiler-fryer chicken, quartered
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram, crushed
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1. Remove skin from chicken quarters. Stir together garlic, marjoram, mustard, salt, and pepper and rub mixture into chicken pieces. Combine honey and vinegar; lightly brush over entire surface of chicken pieces. Cover chicken and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
2. Arrange medium-hot coals around a drip pan in a grill with a cover. Test for medium heat above the pan. Place chicken pieces, bone side down, on the grill rack over the drip pan. Cover and grill for 50 to 60 minutes or until chicken is tender and juices run clear, adding more coals as necessary to maintain heat.
Option: If you don't have a grill you can do this in your oven. Heat the oven to 425, place in a roasting pan on the rack. Put a cup of water in the base of the pan. Cook for 60 minutes.

I would serve this with a red potato salad (mine by the way is awesome) and corn on the cob. If my mom is around you can get her to make you some corn bread, if not just buy a mix!

Chic Aprons

I have always liked to wear an apron even when I was a kid helping my mom. I even had this really great red one with little white hearts that my mom's friend Val made me. Here are a few links to some that I think are really chic. Because it is more fun to cook if you look cute doing it!

Williams Sonoma is having their Summer Sale, some things are even half off. I have had my eye on this cute apron and now it's on sale.

I love Anthropologie's half aprons. Some if the styles have a matching child's apron which is adorable!

The Jessie Steele apron's so pretty, you could throw them over your party clothes while making your finishing touches & still be gorgeous for your guests. They also have matching little girl's styles for your little hostess.

Friday Pizza!

By the end of the week, I want to fix something quick for dinner. This pizza is a big family favorite even though it is simple.

Greek Pizza

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees

Ingredients:

1 thin crust Boboli

1 cup of pesto (if you don't make it I like the Classico Brand)

1 cup shredded chicken (Use your left overs or buy a Rotisserie at the grocery store)

1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives

1/2 cup chopped Roma tomatoes

3/4 cup crumbled feta

Spread the pesto onto your crust, top with chicken, feta, olives & tomatoes. Bake for 10 minutes. Serve with a green salad (Ken's Greek dressing would be good) & a bottle of Pinot Grios-it is Friday!