Strawberry and Goat Cheese Bruschetta

Getting your grocery list ready for Sunday? If you want to be the favorite child, make this for Mom. It takes about 20-30 minutes to throw together and will make you look like a pro in the kitchen. Not that you need help in that area.
I made this appetizer a few weeks ago with Cape Cod Chopped Salad,  Lobster Shells and some Baked Lemon Chicken. It's a  delicious, simple and beautiful meal fit for a queen, or in this case, your Mother.

Have a wonderful weekend :)
loves,
Si

Strawberry and Goat Cheese Bruschetta
adapted from Allrecipes.com
print recipe

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 baguette, sliced into 3/4 inch slices
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pint strawberries, washed and diced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
5 oz goat cheese, room temperature
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste


Heat vinegar in a small pan over medium heat. Simmer until reduced by about half, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Prepare a grill for high heat. Place bread slices on baking sheet and brush with olive oil.
Combine strawberries thyme and basil in a small bowl and set aside.

Grill bread on the preheated grill until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Alternately, you may toast the bread under a broiler until light golden.

Spread goat cheese on toasted bread. Add black pepper, salt, and reduced vinegar to the strawberry mixture. Spoon over the goat cheese topped bruschetta. Garnish with additional basil and thyme.
Serves approximately 12 as an appetizer.

Tweet

Cape Cod Chopped Salad and promises

Promises, promises. I know. I told you days ago I would post two more salads and an appetizer for your Mother's Day menu, which is THIS WEEK. It's been a little hectic around here.

For one, Stephen returned home from his mission to Puebla in March. That deserves its own post (later). Here's a little glimpse of the "most wonderful day, ever" .

That was the most anticipated hug, ever. Two years is a long time.

And then, there is/was baseball, baseball, and more baseball. 

My cute mom came to visit...

Cuddling with my favorite 6 month old grand baby. 

Brookie graduated from the U. Two college graduates. Check. 

All good stuff. Just not a lot of blogging time.
Alrightly. The Mother's Day Menu 2013:
Salad number one. Loved this recipe. All of the main ingredients are my favorites alone, but this combo is one of those "match made in heaven" deals. Creamy Roquefort cheese, soft butter lettuce, toasted sweetened walnuts, dried cranberries, a crunchy apple, and bacon.
Your mom is going to love this.

Cape Cod Salad

adapted from Barefoot Contessa
print recipe

8 ounces thick-cut bacon
12 ounces baby arugula, or butter lettuce
1 large apple, I like Gala or Granny Smith, skin on, sliced thin
1 cup toasted walnut halves, 1 tablespoons sugar if desired
1/2 cup dried cranberries
6 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled

Dressing:
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place walnut halves on lined baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes or until fragrant. If desired, sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon of sugar right after removing from oven. 

Remove bacon from package, keeping bacon in one slab, lay on cutting board and slice into 1 inch thick slices. Fry in non stick pan over medium high heat, separating pieces as you cook. When bacon is cooked and crispy , remove from heat. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon onto a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.

For the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, mustard, maple syrup, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.

In a large bowl, toss together the greens, apple, walnuts, cranberries, bacon and blue cheese.

When ready to serve, toss all salad ingredients with just enough dressing to lightly coat leaves of lettuce. 

Toss the salad with just enough dressing to moisten. Serve immediately.

Serves approximately  6 as a side salad.

Tweet

Warm Caramelized Pear and Asparagus Salad

Brookie called me a couple of weeks ago and told me she made the most wonderful salad for dinner. I knew the boys would not be thrilled about a spinach, warm pear and asparagus salad, so I threw it together one night when it was just me and the doggie at home. Since Jack is not generally interested in greens, I was able to have the entire salad to myself.
Oh my goodness.
So simple. So delicious. Sweet, savory. You know how I feel about that combo.
Incredible.
You have to try this.

Warm Caramelized Pear and Asparagus Salad
adapted from Season with Spice
print recipe

2 Bosc pears – cored and cut into 1/2 inch wedges
1 lb of asparagus,  tough ends snapped off
A handful of pecans or walnuts
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Fresh spinach
Crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese, optional

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Dash of cayenne pepper
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the vinaigrette and set aside.
In a large skillet or frying pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add pear wedges and cook for a minute over medium heat (turn wedges over once). Using tongs, move the pears to one side of pan. Add asparagus to pan and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes. Add nuts and cook for another minute until the asparagus is just tender and pear is softened and browned on the edges. Remove from heat and place on top of spinach on serving platter or individual salad plates. If you would like the nuts to be sweetened, sprinkle a little sugar on top of the walnuts or pecans.
Crumble cheese on top if using. Drizzle a small amount of dressing on top of each salad.

Serve warm.
Serves about 4-6

Tips:
-Prepare all of the ingredients before starting to cook. This recipe comes together quickly and it is best to have everything ready so the salad may be served warm.
- Depending on the firmness of the pears and asparagus, cooking time may vary. You may need to turn the heat up a bit to medium-high heat to get the pear to caramelize.
-I left the cheese off and loved this salad. I think goat cheese would be best and add a little creamy tang to the salad.
-Adding sugar to the nuts is optional- I added about a teaspoon at the end of cooking.
-This salad took me less than 15 minutes to make.
-This salad is best served warm, but is also good served at room temperature.

Tweet

Tessa's French Peasant Bread

Guess what the weather forecast is for the weekend. If you said SNOW, you're a winner.  Heavy sigh. Last week, we went to Southern Utah for baseball.

Oh.
Sun. I remember you. Warm. Blue skies. Sunscreen. No boots.
Then Monday came, reality along with it. Back to the North.
Snowy day= The perfect time to bake bread.

If you are a lifer on A Bountiful Kitchen, you know I love my friend Tessa. And I love her cooking. Tessa brought this to a dinner party at Christmas and I fell in love.  So simple. No kneading. No mixer required. Makes two loaves. Perfect for sharing on a cold winter day.


Tessa's French Peasant Bread
Tessa Reinemer
print recipe

1 pkg dry yeast
2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
4 cups flour
oil
cornmeal
melted butter

Place yeast, water, sugar and salt in warm water and stir until dissolved. Add flour and stir until blended. Do not knead.

Cover and let rise for one hour or doubled in size. Flour or grease hands and remove dough from bowl and place in 2 rounds on oiled cookie sheet ( or parchment paper ) sprinkled with corn meal. Let rise and additional hour. Brush top with melted butter.
Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and cook an additional 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and brush again with butter.
Serve warm.

Tweet

Baked Jalapeño Dip

What goes best with the Superbowl? Not beer. FOOD!
Your favorite Neanderthal will love this Baked Jalapeño Dip.
Trust me.
I have loads of experience in this area.

Baked Jalapeno Dip

adapted from Simply Gourmet

print recipe

2  8-oz packages of cream cheese, softened, 16 oz total
1 cup of mayonnaise, regular or low fat
3-6 jalapenos, chopped, seeds removed
1 cup of cheddar cheese grated, sharp is best
1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 cup diced green onion

1 tablespoon lemon juice
few dashes of hot sauce

Topping:
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine all of the ingredients into a medium bowl. Stir until combined.
Lightly grease a 9x13 or other similar size bake-proof dish. Place ingredients in the prepared dish. Place   parmesan cheese and additional 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese on top.
Bake at 350 uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until bubbly. 

Serve with sturdy chips (such as tortilla chips), crackers, or our favorite, sliced pita bread. 

Tweet

Buffalo Wing Dip

Super Bowl. Get on your apron and fire up the deep fryer.
If I had one, (a deep fryer) that's what I'd do. Baking works for me.
Today's appetizer has become a family favorite. Nothing says testosterone like Buffalo Wings. Every time I make this it gets Raven reviews. ha. Rave reviews. Especially from the fist pumping crowd.

Buffalo Wing Dip

printable recipe

originally posted here

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

4 chicken breasts halves, cooked and chopped, or one rotisserie chicken, chopped

1/2 bottle Franks Hot Sauce

1/2 cup grated cheddar/jack mix or pepper jack cheese

1 cup Mozzarella, grated or chopped if using fresh

1 bottle Roka Blue Cheese Dressing

Spread the cream cheese in a 9 x 13 pan. In a bowl combine chopped chicken, hot sauce and 1/2 cup each of the cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Dump this mixture over the cream cheese. Drizzle the Blue Cheese dressing over top. Top with grated mozzarella. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately with tortilla chips or baguette slices.

Tips:

- I spread this into two 9 inch round baking dishes.

-I used about 1/2 bottle of the Blue Cheese dressing.

In the photo above, we drizzled the dressing over the top of the baked dish and sprinkled with a little blue cheese. 

Tweet

Poppyseed Dressing

One of my resolutions for 2013. Cook more.
Ok, for reals.
You know what's so great about making your own salad dressing?
You can pronounce all of the ingredients.
I'm posting three recipes this week I tried recently. Loved all three: Poppyseed, Bleu Cheese and Creamy Balsamic. Each one takes about 5 minutes or less to throw together. So simple.
Want to feel accomplished in 2013? Forget about your resolutions; make your own salad dressing. People will praise you. Your lettuce will thank you. You'll feel like a new person.
Serious.
Home made dressing.
Its that good.


Poppyseed Dressing
adapted from Allrecipes.com

print recipe 

1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup mayo, light or regular (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground dry mustard
1 teaspoon grated onion (white, yellow or sweet onion)
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

In a blender or food processor, combine sugar, vinegar, salt, mustard and onion and process for 30 seconds.
With blender or food processor on high, gradually add oil in a slow, steady stream.
Stir in poppy seeds.

Tips:

-If you don't have a blender or food processor, you can make this in a large bowl using a whisk or a hand mixer. 

-You may make the dressing without the mayo and add it after all of the other ingredients if you prefer. If the dressing is not as creamy as you would like, or too tart, add the mayo.
-Keeps for weeks in the refrigerator.

Tweet

Butter Lettuce, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad

After gorging ourselves on turkey, cranberry sauce and stuffing for the better part of a week, We are turning over a new leaf. A healthy leaf. The "I have a physical on Friday because I turned 50 leaf".
Oh.
Dear.
No more pumpkin pie for me.
At least till Saturday.
Try this salad.
I know you'll love it. It's perfect for holiday meals coming up.
Or if you are cramming for your cholesterol test.
Just sayin.



Butter Lettuce, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad
Adapted from Bon Appetit 
print recipe

Dressing:
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1-2 tablespoons minced shallot

1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup olive or canola oil
sea salt

fresh ground pepper

Salad:
8 large butter lettuce leaves, gently washed and dried
3 ripe avocados, sliced into one inch chunks
3 large Ruby Red and/or pink grapefruits, all peel and white pith cut away, 

segments cut from between membranes

Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. If you like the dressing to be on the sweeter side, add an additional tablespoon or two of honey.  Set aside. This can be made in advance and refrigerated until day of serving. 

Place the cleaned butter lettuce on a tray or on individual salad plates. Fill evenly with grapefruit and avocados. Drizzle with dressing and serve immediately. 

Tips:

-If making ahead,  prepare the dressing and refrigerate up to three days in advance. Wash the lettuce and store in a Ziploc bag with paper towels to absorb moisture. Cut up the grapefruit,  store in a bowl in refrigerator. Drain the grapefruit juice before placing the fruit in lettuce leaves. Slice the avocado and assemble salad just before serving. 

-I only used about half of the dressing total. 

Tweet

Day After Thanksgiving Sandwich

Back when Grant was a student and I was a working girl, I had a job at an office building in downtown Portland. On the ground floor of the building, there was a sandwich shop called Freddie Brown's. Their specialty was a roasted turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce.  As I walked past Freddie's every morning,  the aroma of roasting turkey filled the air and I plotted ways to get together enough money to go down for lunch and grab a sandwich. It was a simple sandwich: fresh white bread, mayo on one side, butter on the other, hot carved turkey, white or dark meat (I usually chose a combo), cranberry sauce, salt and pepper. This sandwich usually put me in a bit of a turkey coma, which would lead to a short nap in my cubicle after lunch.
I love the day after Thanksgiving. I'm not much of a Black Friday shopper. Just like to hang out and eat a great sandwich and plan how Christmas is going to happen. The sandwich is made just like Freddie Brown's- except I pile on a layer of dressing as well.
Cheers to the turkey coma.
And a little nap.


Day After Thanksgiving Sandwich
A Bountiful Kitchen 
print recipe

fresh sliced bread, any type
Best Foods or Hellmann's mayo
butter
Sausage and Apple stuffing, heated recipe here
fresh cranberry sauce recipe here
Turkey, white or dark meat, heated just a bit
s&p

Spread the bread with butter on one side and mayo on the other. Don't be stingy.
Layer: warm dressing, cranberry sauce and warmed turkey.
Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
Eat right away.

Tweet

Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce

Here's the recipe I used for enchilada sauce when I made Honey Lime Enchiladas a few weeks back. It takes about 10 minutes to cook up and blend. The comparison to pre-made canned sauce? Let's see. Kind of like the difference between a pop-out-of-the-can biscuit and homemade.
Canned biscuits.
Don't go there.
That's all I'm going to say.







Homemade  Green Enchilada Sauce
A Bountiful Kitchen
print recipe

2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1-16 oz jar Salsa Verde
12 oz tomatillos, chopped (about 1lb before husking)
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1-14 oz  chicken or vegetable broth
Salt to taste

Saute chopped onion in olive oil in medium saucepan. Cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for another two minutes. Remove from heat.
Place all of the remaining ingredients in a blender, or use a hand immersion blender, and blend until smooth.
Use in recipes calling for green enchilada sauce.
Yield about 5-6 cups sauce.

Tips:
-Leftovers may be frozen.

Tweet

Cobb Salad with Creamy French Dressing

Don't you love a good Cobb Salad? Cobb Salad usually consists of a combo of bacon, chicken, avocado, tomatoes, green onion, eggs and cheese on top of a bed of greens. I love the way it looks with the toppings lined up in neat rows.  Why is this appealing to me?
I like to make Cobb Salad without chicken, because I usually serve it with a main dish. Traditionally it is served with French or Roquefort dressing. I made three dressings last month: French, Roquefort, and Balsamic. All keepers.  I'll post the Roquefort and Balsamic soon, so you can whip some up on your own.
I know you want to make your own dressing.
Yes. You do.






Cobb Salad with  Creamy French Dressing
A Bountiful Kitchen
print recipe

1 lb bacon, cooked crisp, drained, cooled and chopped
6 eggs, hard boiled, cooled and chopped
Green, washed, dried and chopped about 12-15 cups or two large heads of lettuce
4 medium tomatoes or grape tomatoes, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
3-4 avocados, chopped (still fairly firm)
two cucumbers, seeds removed and chopped
2-3 chicken breast halves, cooked and chopped (optional)
Roquefort cheese or other grated cheese (optional)
green onions, chopped, (optional)

Place the greens in a large bowl. Layer all desired ingredients in rows on top of the greens.  Chill thoroughly and serve with home made dressings.
Serves about 25 as a side dish.


French Dressing

4 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed (optional)
1/4 teaspoon  red pepper
1 1/2 cups vegetable, canola or olive oil

Place all ingredients in blender or bowl and blend on medium or using beaters or immersion blender for about 2-3 minutes. Mixture will thicken. Cover and store in fridge for up to three weeks. Stir before serving.
Makes about 2 2/3 cups or twenty-two 2 tablespoon servings.

Tips:
-Make sure to wash and dry the greens and toppings thoroughly. You don't want water in the bottom of the bowl.
-I like to use either Romaine or a combo of Romaine and other greens. Although Cobb Salad is traditionally made with Iceberg lettuce, I think it looks better when made with a dark lettuce. And it's better for you :)
-If at all possible, serve this with a home made dressing. Trust me, you will be glad you took the extra two minutes to make your own.

Tweet

Mango-Peach Tango

Hooray, our plums are finally ripe!  I found this recipe in the August Southern Living Magazine and thought it would be a perfect way to use up some of our fruit. We served it with Honey Lime Enchiladas.
Everyone at dinner agreed- it's a keeper.

Mango-Peach Tango
Southern Living Magazine, August 2012
print recipe

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon seeded and minced jalapeño pepper
2 mangoes, peeled and chopped
3 large peaches, peeled and chopped
3 cups chopped plums
1-2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1-2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Stir together first 3 ingredients in a large bowl until sugar dissolves.
Add mangoes and next 4 ingredients, tossing to coat.
Cover and chill 2 to 6 hours.

Tips:
-I made this immediately before serving, chilling for 2-6 hours is not necessary, but allows flavors to blend.
-You may slice or chop the fruit, I preferred it chopped.

Tweet

Fresh Peach and Blackberry Slaw

You know all of those jokes about zucchini showing up on your porch while you are sleeping? At my home, it's usually peaches, or tomatoes or other various fruits and veggies. The zucchini usually comes via the back fence from my friend Chris, who keeps me in zucchini in the warm summer months.  My friend Marsha gave me some of her absolutely delicious white peaches a while ago. I can't get over how wonderful they taste. In my next life, I am going to be a farmer. Or at least own a peach tree.   Last week, the Tingey's gave me some of their peaches and cabbage. Oh-so-good.  Remember that year I thought instead of canning, I could just make loads of peach desserts? Remember how I thought I could just make Perfect Peach Crumble for everyone so I could get out of canning peaches?
Hello Einstein.
Flash of brilliance stupidity.

Making enough Perfect Peach Crumble to use up a bushel of peaches? Not a good idea. 

In the next day or two, I'm going to can peaches. I am. I will not just talk about it. I will do it. I will.  I think I've talked myself into it.
Last week, I was in the cooking (or for this recipe, chopping) mode, and made several recipes using up the fresh fruit and veggies that found their way into my kitchen. I was playing nurse to Jake, who got his wisdom teeth out. Needless to say, he ate a lot of peach shakes.
This slaw recipe is perfect if you have some fresh cabbage, peaches and blackberries around. I liked the crunch of the cabbage with the soft peaches and blackberries. Tangy and sweet, crunchy and soft.  Lots of interesting textures and flavors. Great summer side dish.
Not that it's summer anymore. Tomorrow is the first day of school.
Yikes.

Is this the most beautiful cabbage you have ever seen? I thought so.

Fresh Peach and Blackberry Slaw
adapted from BHG

1/4 cup vinegar, white balsamic or cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive or canola oil
4 tablespoons brown sugar
pinch of salt
1 small head of cabbage, washed cored and sliced or shredded
3 white or yellow peaches, or a mixture of both
1/2 pint blackberries
2 oz crumbled blue cheese, optional
snipped fresh chives, bail and or tarragon

Make the dressing:
Whisk together the vinegar, olive or canola oil, brown sugar and salt. Pour over the cabbage. Toss well.
Add the peaches, blackberries and blue cheese, if using. Gently fold together. Place in serving bowl or platter, top with snipped fresh herbs.

Tips:
-I found half of the dressing was more than enough for this amount of cabbage. Toss the salad with half of the dressing and put the other half in a bowl and pass alongside the salad.
-Reviewers on the BHG site recommended using a broccoli slaw, purchased at the grocery. Sounds like a good combo if you don't have fresh cabbage available.
-You don't need to worry about the peaches going brown in this salad the vinegar will prevent that from happening. Remember to keep the salad cool.

Tweet

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

It's the last weekend of summer. I know, summer is not officially over until September 22nd  (Melinda reminded me of this on our morning walk), but it feels like it's over when the kids go back to school.
With the end of summer, comes the end of local fruits and veggies. It was a hot summer here, and the peach crop came on unusually early. Tomatoes have been plentiful. Local corn has been amazing. I've been eating lots of these:

Tomato Toast

Yum.

I cooked like a crazy person last week. I tried to keep up with the fresh peaches, tomatoes and corn on my counter before they attracted my personal favorite, fruit flies. What is it about fruit flies??  I have a serious hate relationship with fruit flies and moths. I'll spare you a crazy rant about both :) 

I've been making this Black Bean and Corn Salsa for years. The recipe originally came from a cookbook in my collection. It's simple and can be made anytime of the year, from summer to the dead of winter. In September, it's a crime to use anything but fresh tomatoes and fresh corn. If you haven't ever made black bean salsa, this is the recipe for you. It's foolproof and absolutely delicious. Enjoy your last weekend of summer! 

Next week, two more early harvest recipes: Fresh Peach and Blackberry Slaw  and Mango-Peach Tango. 

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

print recipe

15 oz can black beans, rinsed with cold water and drained ( I like S&W brand best)

2-3 ears corn, cooked and cut off cob, or half of one small bag of frozen corn, about 1 cup

1/2 bunch chopped cilantro, about 1 cup

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

1/2-3/4 cup chopped red or purple onion

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 fresh medium size tomatoes, chunked or 1/2 can of *Rotel (pureed if desired)

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix gently with a large spoon. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours if possible. Serve with tortilla chips or as a side dish with enchiladas or other Mexican dishes. 

Tips:

-If you want to make a large amount, this recipe is really easy to double. I often spoon half of the salsa into a mason jar, top it with a screw on lid and share with a friend

-*Rotel is a mixture of tomatoes, spices and green chilies.  

Tweet

Sour Cream Biscuits

Are you still making biscuits with a mix or (gag) eating biscuits out of a can?
STOP IT.
Biscuits are one of the easiest recipes to experiment with if you are feeling uncertain about trying your hand at baking. Here's the scoop- these are absolutely melt in your mouth delicious. And simple. What more could you ask for?
Oh, Strawberry Jam. Get some.

Sour Cream Biscuits
adapted from Allrecipes.com

print recipe

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons water

Mix together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in medium bowl. Add sour cream and mix to a soft dough. Add additional water if necessary.
Turn dough out onto floured surface. Pat dough to about one inch thick. Cut with biscuit cutter or glass about 3 inches in diameter.

Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 12 minutes.

Tips:

-a review on Allrecipes said the tester used fat free sour cream and loved the result.

Tweet

Team USA Crepes

What's better (and easier) for brunch than home made crepes?
Don't say cereal.
Never made crepes? If you have a blender, they take about 2 minutes to throw together.
Hello Olympic crepe brunch party. Ready for 17 days of TV in the summer?
USA USA USA.
Shoot. Should have thrown some blueberries in there.

Team USA Crepes
A Bountiful Kitchen
print recipe

2 eggs
1/2 to 3/4 cup milk (any type skim to whole)
1/3 cup water
1 cup all purpose flour
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons melted butter

Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse 10-12 times.
At this point, batter may be stored in fridge for up to two days.
Refrigerate batter for one hour if time allows. This will allow the batter to thicken a bit and produce a crepe that is easier to handle.
Heat a crepe pan* or small pan (6-8 inches) coated with teflon over medium high heat. Once the pan is heated, spray with non stick cooking spray or drop a small amount of butter into the pan and coat the pan evenly. Pour just enough batter into the pan to coat the bottom of the pan. Tip the pan until batter is evenly distributed.  If the pan is heated properly, the batter should cook quickly.   After about 20-30 seconds flip the crepe and cook on the opposite side. Cook for about another 20 seconds and remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Continue to cook the crepes until all of the batter is cooked. Stagger the crepes on the paper towel so they cool and the paper towel absorbs the moisture from the cooked crepes.
To serve, roll up fresh fruit in crepes and top with sweetened whipped cream and more fresh fruit.
See other topping ideas below.


Tips:
-*No need for a fancy electric crepe cooker. I use a simple 6 inch teflon-coated crepe pan that I've had for about 25 years. You may also use a small teflon pan.
-Other toppings: Nutella, a popular chocolate spread in Europe is wonderful drizzled (heat up the Nutella a bit)  on top of crepes or spread inside. Top with fruit and more Nutella and cream if desired.
-Cook several crepes ahead of time and have a crepe bar for brunch. Crepes may be served at room temperature. Serve with fresh fruits, nuts, Nutella, whipped cream, yogurt,  powdered sugar, cocoa powder, etc.  Let everyone build their own crepe.

Tweet

Limeade Slush

Last night my friends Mel and Jo put on a party for 60 ladies in our neighborhood. They served Southwest Salad with Cilantro Honey Lime Dressing, Chicken Taquitos, chips and salsa to go with the Mexican Fiesta theme. 
We read Mexican sayings/quotes: 
La suerte no es como la preñez, que dura nueve meses 
translated-
Luck is not like pregnancy which lasts for nine months
Um, ok. 
Put flowers in our hair. Is this a Mexican tradition? We had a long conversation about this. 
Broke a pinata, filled with (of course) Chicklets. Laughed and visited until the sun went down. 
For dessert they made Mexican Wedding Cookies (Cooks Illustrated version) which were absolutely delicious. And a chocolate cinnamon chile cookie. Yum. To top it all off we had a refreshing lime slush. 
Making slush is really simple. Throw all of the ingredients together, freeze, and a few hours later scoop it into cups and top with a little soda. You're going to love this . 
Ole. 





Limeade Slush
Jo Cash
print recipe


1-12 oz can of frozen limeade, mixed up according to directions
3 cups sugar
8 cups water (in addition to the water you will add to the limeade concentrate)
Juice of 5 limes (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup)
2 drops green food coloring


10-12 oz cups, about 30
1- 2 litre bottle 7-Up


The day before serving:
Mix first 5 ingredients together in large container. Stir until all sugar is dissolved. 
Freeze overnight or until completely solid. 
Take mixture out of freezer about 1/2 hour before serving and set on counter to thaw slightly. 
When ready to serve, use a large serving spoon to scrape the frozen mixture into cups. 
Fill with frozen limeade to top of cup.  Slowly pour in soda until cup is filled. 
Makes about 30  10-12 oz servings. 
Tips:
-A deep container works best for serving purposes (easier to scrape out frozen juice). A shallow pan (9x13) will freeze faster. You will need 2-3 9x13 pans. 
-I've also had this slush with diet grapefruit soda in place of the 7-UP. 

Tweet

Grilled Salmon with Simple Lemon Aioli

Did you think I had fallen off the face of the earth? I'm still here. Just returned from a vaca with Grant. Celebrating our 30 years of wedded bliss.
Fish is one of my favorites. It probably doesn't seem like it, since I don't post a lot of fish recipes. Here's the deal- my favorite recipe for fish is: a little lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cook until barely done.
A few thoughts about fish from my fuzzy mind at 3:30 in the morning. Insomnia/jet lag. It's a beautiful thing...

The first pic is of a sea bass we ate in Greece. Absolutely melt in your mouth delicious. The price tag? Not so wonderful. Let's just say, never, ever, sit down to lunch in Greece (or anywhere else for that matter) and let the restaurant owner give you suggestions without seeing the printed menu. The bill may form undesirable negative attitudes about Greece in general. No worries though, Greece's economic  woes may now be repaired. eh eh eh.

Here's another pic from the trip. I know, you wanted to see photos of ruins, but I thought you would enjoy this special treat. A fish pedicure. It's all the rage in Europe and Asia. Yes. That's right. Tourists lining up to pay money to plunge their feet into a tank (not cleaned in between pedicures) of small fish who then eat the dead skin off of their feet. Really? Am I the only one who thinks this is really disgusting?

Alright. Back to my dish. I wanted to serve salmon for Brookie's birthday a few weeks back, but also  wanted it to be a little out of the ordinary.  It was June, so we fired up the bbq.  Thought maybe some type of lemony drizzle would be festive. I Googled "Aioli and lemon" and came up with a recipe calling for mayo and lemon juice. Typically aioli is made with crushed garlic, egg yolk and olive oil. Whisking those ingredients together will produce an aioli. I was in a hurry, so I improvised and came up with this quickie sauce.
If you love simple, fresh and delish, you'll love this.




Grilled Salmon with Simple Lemon Aioli
A Bountiful Kitchen
print recipe

Wild Salmon fillet, about 1 1/2  lbs
one fresh lemon
salt and pepper
cilantro or parsley for garnish

Heat grill to medium high heat. Coat grill with non stick cooking spray.
Squeeze the juice of one lemon on to fish. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
Place fish on grill, skin side down.
Cover with lid of grill and cook for about 8-12 minutes. Do not turn over.
Check to see if fish is done by using a fork and pulling apart the fish gently at the thickest part. If the fish flakes apart easily, and is not fleshy looking inside, it is done. Do not overcook. The fish should be done in no more than about 12 minutes. Using a large spatula, transfer the fish to a plate. Cover with foil until ready to serve. Garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley.
Serves about 4-6

Simple Lemon Aioli
1/2 cup mayo (not low fat)
1/4 cup yogurt, plain
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon rind, grated
fresh ground pepper and coarse seal salt to taste

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Pass alongside fish, vegetables, chicken.
If desired, spoon into a small plastic bag. Snip off small corner of bag, squeeze sauce onto fish in zigzag pattern.

Tips:
-I have found the freshest fish in Btown is sold at Costco. A few years ago I took a series of sushi making classes at Orson Gygi in SLC.  Jonas Otsuji, Sushi Chef (Survivor 2012 contestant) who taught the class recommended Costco as a source of fresh fish for those who live in mountain states.  I've purchased it several times over the years to make sushi and fresh fish dishes. I highly recommend cooking fish the same day it is purchased.
-I also highly recommend spending a few extra bucks and buying wild salmon, instead of the farm raised. It's seasonal, so it is not available year round. Wild vs farm raised? Remember the story about the fish pedi's?
Same concept.
In my mind.
The farm raised are swimming around eating everything in the tank. Ok, Ill stop there. Just buy the fresh and not farm raised when you have the option. Enough said.
-Broiling as an option- I broil fish all of the time. Simply place on a cookie sheet, line it with foil if you like for easy clean up. Spray the surface of the pan or foil with cooking spray. Place the rack on the second to top rack in the oven. Broil on high for about 8-10 minutes. Do not turn over.
-Make sure to snip a small corner of the bag if you want your aioli drizzle to look beautiful. I obviously was in  a hurry and snipped off a large hole, hence the thick, unattractive drizzle  :o
-If your grill has grates that are spaced quite far apart, you may want to use a soaked cedar plank to cook the fish, so it doesn't fall into the grill. Another option is to place the fish on a layer of foil, (double layer is best) then grill over the flame. You won't get as much of the bbq flavor, but if the option is foil or losing the fish in the grates, I choose foil. 

Tweet

Italian Oven Fries

We had these at River's Run last time we visited Mary and Will in Mississippi.  I use this recipe when I'm short on time and want to whittle away at the 50 lb bag of Idaho potatoes in my garage. It's a quick, kid friendly side dish that goes with almost any meal. YUM.

Baked Italian Fries
adapted slightly from Mad Hungry
print recipe

6 or 7 Idaho Russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/3-inch-thick French fry-style strips, soaked in cold water
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs or some combo of dried oregano, thyme, marjoram, and basil
2 cups freshly grated Romano cheese
1/4 cup parsley leaves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) salted butter, cut into cubes
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400* degrees.
Drain the potatoes and pat dry with paper towels. Spread 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on each of 2 rimmed baking sheets and spread out the potatoes. Overlapping is fine.
Sprinkle the dried herbs evenly over the potatoes. Liberally spread the cheese and parsley on top. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the cheese. Scatter the cubed butter around the pans.
Bake until the potatoes are golden brown, rotating the pans after 30 minutes, for 45 to 50 minutes total. Use a spatula to lift off the potatoes with all the crusty cheese adhered to them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot. 

Potato Prep: For a French-fry cut, peel the potatoes and slice lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Stack the slices on top of one another, a few at a time, and slice lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick strips. Peeled and sliced potatoes can turn brown pretty quickly. To avoid this, try floating the peeled, cut pieces in cold, salted water. When you're ready to cook, drain them and pat dry.

Tips:

-Soaking the potatoes in water is not necessary if you are in a hurry. I have made this recipe several times and skipped this step.

-You may also skip the peeling step. Just scrub the potatoes clean before slicing. 

-* I turn the oven to 425 convection and bake them for about 20 minutes total.

Tweet