Michele’s Ramon Noodle Salad – Perfect Summer Salad

photoI have already posted my version of a Napa Noodle Salad, which we all love and totally enjoy all summer long. Here is a new spin on it.  So whether you love the other one or never even tried it this one is definitely worthy and will be a part of my Summer Salad Repertoire.   Thanks again Michele! And by the way Joel loved it, and it contains Broccoli Slaw!!!! this was a major shock for sure. Maybe the tide is turning? This is not vegetarian but my Napa Noodle Salad is so just substitute that dressing. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup of olive oil ( you can use a little less)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2 – 3 packages slaw of any style or mix. Michele used 2 12 oz. bags broccoli slaw and one bag regular cole slaw (these bags of slaw are available in almost every supermarket now in the lettuce section) 3 bags will serve 12 nicely and there is enough dressing for 3 .

2 packages beef flavored Ramon noodle soup mix ( I know this is a bummer for the vegetarians out there)

1/2 cup sunflower seed kernels

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1 tbsp. soy sauce

Directions:

Prepare dressing by combining oil, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and two flavor packets from soup mix. Whisk well and chill. Make the dressing early in the day and whisk it a few times throughout the day.

Before you’re ready to serve , crush the ramen noodles. Then combine slaws, seeds, almonds, and noodles.

Dress salad 10 minutes before serving. Put together the salad right before serving so everything stays crunchy.   Enjoy!

Summer Blueberry Cake

I just keep finding new recipes for blueberries. I love blueberries and they are so abundant right now and in peak season. I love them right out of the containers, and I love them in muffins, pies, cakes and cobblers. Here is another delicious cake which you can freeze and a few months from now when fresh blueberries aren’t really around ,you will bring back that summer day that you baked this. I cut this in 1/2 , 1/2 for now and 1/2 for when I return in the winter. You can always make this with frozen berries but I have never done so. To me it’s all about cooking with fruits and vegetables that are seasonal.  There really is nothing like fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, and I can’t get enough of them . This is a fairly easy cake to bake. I baked it for 45 minutes, and the tester came out clean. You’ll have to check your own oven for cooking time . It can vary from 40 – 50 minutes depending on your oven.

I found this recipe on one of my favorite cooking blogs , Smitten Kitchen. I may have made a few changes which I often do, but it is pretty much the same.

 

Ingredients:

2 cups all – purpose flour, plus another tablespoon to dust blueberries with

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon table salt

2 sticks unsalted butter ( softened) YIKES

3/4 cup light brown sugar packed

1/2 cup sugar ( regular granulated sugar)

3 large eggs ( room temperature)

1 cup buttermilk ( I used low-fat buttermilk)

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Topping:

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray and lightly flour a 9 x 13 baking pan. ( I prefer Pam baking spray)

Whisk 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium size bowl. With electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium high-speed until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until each egg is just incorporated. Don’t overbeat. Reduce speed to medium and beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture, and beat in 1/2 of the buttermilk. Beat in another 1/3 of the flour and the remaining milk, and then the remaining flour mixture. Toss  blueberries with a tablespoon of flour just lightly dust them. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in 1/2 of the blueberries. Spread batter into prepared dish.( see photo)

For the topping:

Scatter remaining 1/2 of the blueberries over the top of the batter. Stir sugar and cinnamon together in small bowl and sprinkle all over the top of the batter. Bake until cake tester or toothpick comes out clean in center of cake. I cooked for 45 minutes. It should take anywhere between 40 – 50 minutes. Cool in pan for about 1/2 hour, then turn it out of baking dish or cut out pieces. I turned it out, cut in 1/2 and froze 1/2 of it for the cold months. This is a delightful cake served for dessert, and so perfect for breakfast and a great afternoon snack with ice coffee .

I threw in a photo of me and my grandson, Riley who was out here at the time.

Breakfast in a Jar–Overnight Oats

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This has become one of my favorite go to breakfasts. It is packed with nutrition and delicious not to mention so very filling.  Low in fat and low in sugar. Fiber from the chia seeds and anti-oxidants from the blueberries!  I make 2 of them at nighttime and my breakfast is ready and waiting for me in the morning and then I have one for the next morning. No fuss at all, easy simple ingredients and substitute any fruit you like. I happen to love blueberries but bananas would work as well as peaches, etc. If you don’t like nuts or chia seeds just omit or use any kind of seeds (flax) or nuts you like. Awesome! I used a mason jar because they have such a good lid and you can shake it up and close tight. Take it with you on the go , before the gym, before ski , before a hike and before a bike ride! My new favorite breakfast. If you’re not doing any of those activities it’s still a great go-to breakfast. Enjoy!

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Ingredients:

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

1 Tbsp. slivered almonds

1 Tbsp. Chia Seeds

1 Tsp. Brown Sugar (now this is such a little bit of sugar but if you like a substitute you can do what ever makes you happy) I personally like the brown sugar flavor

dash of cinnamon

app. 1/3 cup of blueberries

3/4 cup of milk ( any milk you like) I use fat-free and 2% depending on what I have in the house.

Directions:

Load it all in the mason jar and shake it up good.

Place in the refrigerator overnight and there you have a delicious healthy breakfast ready for you before you start your

Blackberry Clafouti (Blackberry Cake)–Simple and Easy to make

I made this cake because I love blackberries and I had all the ingredients in my house. If you like blackberries, this is a light cake which will be perfect for dessert and not too heavy at all.  Clafouti is actually french for a cake made with cherries. If it’s made with blackberries or other berries it is called a Flaugnarde, which sounds super fancy and difficult to make and this is anything but that so we’ll just call it Clafouti! We aren’t going to get too technical here and I hope I don’t offend the French chefs out there. This is pretty much the same as the cherry Clafouti which I plan on baking soon and will post that once I’ve cooked that, but we have to wait for the cherries to be super ripe.  This cake is so very easy to make, requires no fancy equipment, and you can whisk ingredients in one bowl. Just use a pie baking dish to bake in. I had a glass dish and am happy that I did, because I could see the blackberries in the cake. This cake would be a most amazing breakfast type of cake–not too thick, but sort of like a blackberry muffin flattened out. Blackberries are so plump and delicious right now, you gotta cook this as soon as possible.

*In order for the blackberries not to sink in cake, I made sure they were dry after rinsing and then I put in a bowl with some flour and coated the berries in flour before adding them , not too heavily floured just a dusting.  It came out perfectly. I have made it where I forgot to dust with flour and they did sink. It didn’t look as pretty but it tasted just fine.

Ingredients: 

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup sugar plus 1/4 cup of sugar for top of cake

1 cup Self-Rising Flour  Presto), sifted

1 cup whole milk

2 cups blackberries, fresh or frozen (I used fresh)

* A little extra flour for dusting the blackberries before baking with them (see note)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I sprayed the baking dish with baking spray but you can also butter it.

Rinse and pat dry the blackberries. Melt the butter in microwave. Pour 1 cup sugar and flour into a mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the milk and mix well. Then pour in the melted butter and whisk it all together well.

Dust blackberries with a little bit of flour and mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle blackberries over the top of the batter, distributing evenly.  Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar over the top.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until golden.  Yum!

A Real Deal Blueberry Cobbler

I recently found this recipe and realized it was a combination of 2 separate recipes–one for the blueberry filling and one for biscuits. When combined, this is a true cobbler and not a crisp. Yum!

Make it for company and at least six people so you have a teensy bit left over , these leftovers are just amazing the next day and hard to resist eating !

Use fresh blueberries which are in abundance now and if you want to make this in the winter and blueberries aren’t around you can always use frozen blueberries. It’s almost a must to serve this with vanilla ice cream, as it complements it so well! If you’d like, you can make this a day ahead for sure, I’ve even frozen it. It comes out perfectly. Now is the time to try and bake this delightful dessert with all of the beautiful blueberries out there.

Ingredients:

1 pound blueberries or 3 1/2 cups – obviously fresh is best but if you want you can use frozen blueberries

1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot

2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh)

1 cup all -purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar ( you can use turbinado (raw ) sugar as well ( divided)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk ( don’t use fat free, if you must, use 2%) I prefer whole milk in baking or low-fat buttermilk always works.

3 tablespoons butter, melted

3/4 cup boiling water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the blueberries in an ungreased but sprayed ( I always use Pam to help with the clean-up) 8 or 9 inch square baking pan. Sprinkle with cornstarch
and drizzle with lemon juice. Set aside.

In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the milk and the butter.

Stir until just combined ( shouldn’t be smooth) then drop mounds of dough onto the blueberries.

Pour boiling water over the dough and fruit. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/4 cup sugar.

Bake until the biscuits are golden brown and the blueberries are bubbly. 45- 60 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature. If you are preparing ahead , either frozen or in fridge, take out of freezer or fridge and bring to room temperature, I then put in oven till it starts to bubble.

Should serve 8

Broccoli Salad–no cooking involved here

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Brocccoli Slaw with same dressing

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Original Broccoli Recipe made with whole florets

I had this broccoli salad recently at a friend’s house and completely fell in love with it. It was so delicious.  Mind you I don’t even love raw broccoli , I usually prefer it cooked. This was really good and I even broke my own rule and made a new recipe for company. It is so simple to make and ingredients are easily obtainable.  So give this a try and Thanks to Huddy for this wonderful recipe which I will use again and again . No fuss and no muss here.

I put it together in the morning but you can definitely put together the night before. I would suggest making it at least 8 hours ahead of time so broccoli softens and soaks up some of the delicious marinade. Mix bowl throughout the day .  I left it out for 2 hours before serving to bring it to room temperature. It’s a great summer salad that you can make ahead of time and doesn’t require any cooking!

I also made it with broccoli slaw ( you can shred yourself or buy bags already made) Pre-made broccoli slaw is available almost everywhere now. If using the slaw I would use 3- 12 oz. bags . Just keep mixing it and make ahead so it can absorb, it was equally as yummy. I put photos of both salads on here.

Great recipe for those of you who don’t want to turn on the oven!!!!

Ingredients:

1 Large Bunch of Broccoli, broken up into florets

1/2 cup Red Grapes, I sliced them in half

1 cup chopped celery

1 bunch of scallions greens and whites only , sliced thinly

1/2 cup pignolli nuts or sunflower seeds

Dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise ( you can use light but not fat-free please)

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice , I used the juice of one small lemon.

Directions:

In a large bowl mix all the ingredients for the salad.

In a small bowl whisk together the mayo, sugar and lemon juice.

When dressing comes together and has a nice consistency pour over the broccoli give it a good mix and refrigerate. Give it a few mixes during the day and that’s it!

 

Lime Shrimp with Corn and Avocado

IMG_8249 (2) IMG_8233 IMG_8228 (2)All I can say is Wow!!!!  I cooked about a lb.of beautiful shrimp and I wanted to use it in a delicious light salad incorporating some fresh corn and avocados. This salad has some of most favorite ingredients in it.  I used fresh corn, fresh tomatoes, jalapeno, red onion, and shrimp! Limes are the secret ingredient here because they add all the flavor to this super light dressing.  This has got to be one of the healthiest most delicious salads.  Totally not fattening but filling because of the shrimp , corn and avocados. If you don’t like the ingredients you can Pasadena on this recipe because it’s definitely not for you. For those of you into it this is a must go to for summer entertaining. Light and Fresh , low in calories and so so easy to make.

If you like cilantro I would chop some up and add it, but a lot of people hate it so much I chose to not add. I removed all the seeds from the jalapeno and probably used 3/4 of a large one. One small seeded jalapeno is perfect and not hot at all. Be careful handling the peppers and the seeds,  I’ve taken to wearing surgical gloves to cut up the peppers.

This is a perfect summer salad, just don’t add avocados till you’re ready to serve,  everything else can be assembled ahead of time. I put together in the morning of the day I was serving and then added my avocados right before I served. This is what I did.

 

Ingredients:

1 lb. cooked shrimp (after cooking it should be 1 lb.) I then cut it up into smaller pieces. I probably cut each shrimp into 4 pieces. Remember I used under 10’s. So that’s 10 shrimp to a pound. You want the shrimp pieces to be bite size but not too small.

1/4 cup chopped red onion

3 cobs of fresh cooked corn ( just put cobs in boiling salted water, bring to a second boil and remove and plunge into an ice bath) let corn cool and remove kernels from cobs.

2 limes-juiced , I use my juicer to juice because it’s tough with limes and you need as much lime juice as possible from 2 limes. I squeezed a third lime over at the end, but it’s probably not necessary. The citrus helps keep avocado from turning brown as well.

1 Teaspoon Olive Oil

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

a few grinds on the pepper mill–to taste

I put in about 1/2 pint of small grape tomatoes, but you can eyeball if using larger tomatoes, I didn’t want tomatoes to over power the other outstanding flavors

2 avocados–sliced and cut into cubes

1 small-medium jalapeno–seeded and minced

*a handful of chopped fresh cilantro if you love it

Directions:

Cook shrimp- peel and de-vein or buy it cleaned and de-veined whichever works best for you. I like cooking my own shrimp but you can certainly use a “cooked shrimp” readily available in most markets.

Cook corn and allow to cool down. When corn is cooled completely down I cut kernels off.

In a separate small bowl, place chopped red onion, lime juice, olive oil and salt and a little black pepper. Whisk together .

I placed Shrimp, Corn, Jalapeno and Tomatoes into a large bowl. About an hour prior to serving I poured the lime juice combination over the bowl of Shrimp.

Mix well and allow to sit and marinade. You’ll want to mix a few times before adding avocados to circulate the marinade.

Taste for Salt and Pepper but it should be good.

I added the 2 Avocados right before serving and squeezed a little more lime over it, probably not necessary but I did. If you’re adding the cilantro go ahead and add it now.

That’s it–perfect summer salad.

Happy Fourth of July and the Pursuit of Happiness

It’s the fourth of July again! Happy happy! Celebrating the fourth is always so much fun, bringing back memories of being a kid. Have fun, pursue a little happiness and please do check in on some of the recipes on my site that may help you celebrate the Fourth. Please subscribe for free and you will receive my emails and hopefully be inspired to cook something new. Happy birthday America!

Lentils–a side dish

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Lentils cooking on stovetop

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lentils and mustard glazed salmon

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lentils and mustard glazed salmon

IMG_7565 I was preparing Mustard Glazed Salmon for dinner and wanted something alongside that was a little different.  Original inspiration comes from Ina Garten’s Barefoot in Paris book. I made a few changes to suit my self and it came out totally delicious and a most wonderful accompaniment for Salmon or any fish or any thing for that matter. Joel even liked it!!!! which was the greatest shock of all!!! Not just a fabulous side dish but a nutritious one at that. Win Win on the Lentils! Of course this can be made vegetarian by subbing out the chicken broth for vegetable broth.

*Good the next day if not better and can be served at room temperature or even cold right out of the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. Lentils–if you can find French green lentils great if not no worries get whatever kind of lentils you can find

1/4 cup olive oil

app. 2 cups chopped yellow onions

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon kosher salt

app. 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced (app. 1 Tbsp.)

app. 4 stalks of celery , chopped

app. 3 average carrots, chopped

1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock/broth

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 Tablespoons good red wine vinegar

Directions:

Place the lentils in a heat-proof bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for 15 minutes, then drain.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan, add the onions, thyme, salt and pepper and cook over medium heat without burning till onions become translucent.

Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes.

Add the drained lentils, celery, carrots, stock and tomato paste. Cover pan and simmer over low heat for about 1/2 hour.

Add the vinegar before serving mix and taste for salt and pepper.

Chicken and Potatoes in one Pan

photo 1 (2) photo 1 (3) photo 3 (2) photo 3 photo 4 (2) photo 4This is one of those awesome one pan meals which I absolutely love to make and couldn’t be more perfect for the cold winter nights ahead. Not to mention a snow storm about to hit NY where we are now.  I am still cooking my way through Jessica Seinfeld’s ” Can’t Cookbook” even though I can cook. I happen to be a huge fan of one pot meals and I love how easy it is to clean up afterwards.  The chicken crisped up beautifully and the potatoes were out of this world.  The coriander flavor is very strong and is very distinct. If you know ahead of time that you’re not a fan I guess this one isn’t for you although I would maybe try it with a rub of spices like paprika, garlic powder and salt and pepper.  The cooking method is important here, you’ll need a large oven-proof skillet. Give this one a try you won’t be sorry. It tasted as good as it looks. Enjoy and thanks to Jessica Seinfeld for another great recipe.

www.doitdelicious.com

The Can’t Cook Book by Jessica Seinfeld

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion sliced into thin slices

1/2 cup water

app. 5 medium-sized Yukon Gold or Russet Potatoes ( 1 1/4 lbs. app. )

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 Tablespoons fresh Rosemary Leaves ( I used about 3 sprigs)

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

4 bone-in , skin-on chicken thighs (small ones) app. 1 1/4- 1 1/2 lbs.

4 chicken drumsticks (app. 1 lb.)

1 Tablespoon ground coriander

Directions:

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Get out a large oven-proof skillet.

Thinly slice the onion and scatter over the bottom of skillet. I sprayed with cooking spray first as I always do. Add the water over the onions. Wash but don’t peel potatoes and slice them into 1/4″ rounds. Lay the potato slices right over the onions, over-lapping as necessary. Drizzle with the olive oil. Wash and dry the rosemary sprigs and sprinkle over the potatoes , just the leaves which you’ll pull from the rosemary sprigs. Sprinkle 1 tsp. salt and  1/4 tsp. of pepper as well.

I wash the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels. In a small bowl you will combine the coriander and the remaining 1/2 tsp. of Salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Using your hands rub the spices all over the chicken on both sides. Lay the chicken , skin side up, over the potatoes. Remember to always wash your hands after handling raw chicken and before touching any other foods you may come in contact with.

Roast until the chicken is cooked through, you can always cut into a piece to make sure it’s no longer pink. The potatoes should be tender after about an hour. These were some delicious potatoes! Perfection on a plate.



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