Watermelon and Feta Salad

Posted on July 17, 2011 | 1 comment

Watermelon and Feta Salad

Your first reaction to this combo is probably: Ew?!?! Why, oh why would anyone do this?!?! However, it is a delicious, cool, sweet and savory summer salad with real bite. I have to admit that when I put it out, my husband, Joel, first thought it was tomatoes, but I had to fess up before he would touch it (he is very, very picky). The feta got him (he’ll eat almost anything with feta on it). Well, low and behold, he liked it; and even helped himself to seconds. This is just a wonderful, different approach to summer salads. I hope you enjoy it and let me know how it goes for you.

INGREDIENTS:

3 lbs. watermelon, cut into small cubes (pits and rind removed)

6 oz crumbled feta cheese

1/3 cup toasted pecans or pignoli, whatever you like (toast nuts for about 5 minutes in oven at 400 degrees)

VINAIGRETTE:

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (please use real limes)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon sugar

Approx. 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped (This is optional because some people hate cilantro. It won’t make a big difference if you don’t use it.)

Directions:

Place the melon pieces in a large bowl. In another small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Pour dressing over melon. Toss gently to coat. Add the feta, nuts, and cilantro (if you’re using) and toss to blend. I usually let it sit for at least an hour to blend flavors together in fridge. Take out half an hour or so before so that the cheese is room temperature.

Serves approx. 6 as a side

Of course, this would be delish with some heirloom tomatoes or some seedless Kirby cukes added. Take out a little watermelon if you’re including cukes and tomatoes (take watermelon down to 2 lbs. and substitute for 1 lb. of tomatoes and cukes.) You can use chopped up mint leaves instead of cilantro and you can substitute the nuts for peanuts, cashews, pignoli or pecans. I like pecans and pignolis best. You can also choose to leave the nuts out entirely.

1 Comment

Posted in Salad

Bowtie Pasta with Sausage, Peas, and Mushrooms

Posted on July 12, 2011 | 1 comment

Made with Chicken Sausage Tonite

 

Pan with Turkey Sausage, Crimini Mushrooms, and Peas

 

Cremini Mushrooms roughly chopped

This is a sauceless pasta. Very light, very tasty, and very easy to make. There aren’t a lot of ingredients, and it doesn’t take a long time to make. My husband, Joel, hates green things and loves this dish. And he even eats all the peas on his plate, which makes me very happy. A shout out to Giada de Laurentis for the inspiration here. 

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup olive oil

1 lb turkey sausages, casings removed (just squeeze all the meat out; I like Italian-style turkey sausage)

1 box of cremini mushrooms (Baby Bella), approx. 10 oz. (roughly chopped)

About 3/4 bag frozen peas (take them out of freezer about an hour before, just slightly thawed is perfect)

1 lb Farfalle pasta (bow ties)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Freshly grated parmesan, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

In a large, sauté pan, heat up two tablespoons olive oil (medium to high flame). Add the broken up turkey sausage and make sure to break up the large clumps. Cook for about 10 minutes (I like the sausage browned). When finished cooking, remove sausage from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Heat a little more olive oil (approx. 2 TBSP). Add the chopped up cremini mushrooms and kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (approx. a little less than a teaspoon of each, depending on your taste. Keep in mind that sausage is naturally salty.) Sauté until all the liquid is gone—about another 10 minutes. Add the frozen peas and cook for a few minutes. Return the sausage to the pan and cook for another few minutes (I turn off the heat at this point and just let the flavors blend.) 

In the meantime, cook pasta (according to package) al dente. Drain the pasta, reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water from pasta (this is the trick with “sauceless pasta”) and add pasta to the pan with all other ingredients. Combine well, adding some of that pasta water at a time; as needed. Drizzle in the 1/2 cup of olive oil, mixing as you go. Taste for salt and pepper. I also add red pepper flakes, but I love spicy. 

Serve with freshly grated parm cheese and you’re good to go. 

*Serves 4 as a main dish and 8 as a side.

1 Comment

Posted in pasta

Tagged , , , ,

Quinoa Salad with Red Wine Vinegar Dressing ( so good for you)

Posted on July 6, 2011 | 2 comments

 

I always hesitate to use the word ‘healthy’. It seems that while some people are attracted to it, the rest of us tend to move past it to the next thing on the menu. So, I will not use the word ‘healthy’; I will instead just say that this is a most yummy grain, and while using the quinoa, you can also use that corn on the cob from the other night, the leftover roasted peppers and those cherry tomatoes on the verge of going bad. Now, don’t you feel so much better about making this salad already?

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz. quinoa (I often buy the organic red quinoa in a bag), follow directions on package for prep.

1 red pepper, preferably roasted already (I use the pepper that I grilled previously from the fridge but you can use roasted red peppers from the jar and just eyeball the amount. I have also used yellow and orange, just never green.)

Approx. 1 cup red cherry tomatoes (any small tomatoes will do)

1 cup Kalamata pitted olives, chopped (optional)

1 cup garbanzo beans, drained ( i use organic canned)

1 cup corn kernels (I use the corn from the night before that I grilled. You can use fresh or frozen.)

1/4 cup scallions, chopped

* Crumbled feta cheese (adjust amount to your liking)

* tonite when I made this I added fresh cilantro ( which I love) and 1/2 a jalapeno pepper chopped up, you can also add chunks of avocado (which I like in all salads) and olives as I’ve said are optional.

I also used almost all of the dressing for this salad. That is a matter of taste, and I did add about 1/2 tsp. of kosher salt when the salad was all said and done. And a bit more black pepper

You can use my lemon vinaigrette dressing but I also use this nice Mediterranean vinaigrette:

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I am very generous with this. I like a strong mustard taste.)

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

Kosher salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Oregano to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Prepare the quinoa according to directions on the package. Let it cool.

  2. Prepare the vinaigrette. I always use the food processor and put all ingredients except for the olive oil and pulse a few times before slowly streaming in the olive oil.

  3. Salt and pepper to taste.

  4. In a bowl, toss all ingredients except the feta. Add the dressing to your desired taste and check for seasonings (you will probably need a touch more salt and pepper.)

  5. *Add feta. You can leave out the feta and have a vegan salad.

  6. Serve and enjoy!

2 Comments

Posted in Salad, vegetables, vegetarian

Tagged ,

Happy Fourth of July and the Pursuit of Happiness

Posted on July 1, 2011 | 3 comments

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!

3 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

What to do with Rotten Bananas (Bake a Bread)

Posted on June 28, 2011 | 6 comments

Banana Bread before cooking

Banana Bread
What to do with Rotten Bananas

Why do I always end up with rotten bananas? EVEN THOUGH we eat them daily, tHIS seems inevitable. sometimes i actually freeze the banana without the skin. i cannot vouch for the vitamin factor of doing this, BUT it’s worked fine in my banana breads. if you find yourself with 5 rotten bananas (and i do mean very black yuCky ones), this is a delicious bread to bake. you’ll need a 9 x 5 loaf pan.

INGREDIENTS:

8 tablespoons (one stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 tablespoon milk (use whatever you have in fridge) i use buttermilk if i have it on hand

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups (app. 5) OverLy ripe (black) bananas, mashed

For optional topping (but not really optional BECAUSE I always do it):

3 tablespoons chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

mix these ingredients and set aside in a small bowl

DIRECTIONS:

preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 5 loaf pan with pam baking spray, and lightly butter.

Using electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

in a small SEPARATE BOWL, mash the bananas with a fork, mix in the milk and the cinnamon, AND add this to the electric mixer. mix ‘til bananas are almost fully integrated. (you will see small specks of banana.)

put your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) IN ANOTHER BOWL and add them to the mixer, mixing just until the flour disappears.

pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. If you are using topping (and you are), sprinkle it over the batter. Bake for appROX. 50 – 55 minutes. check after 50 minutes with cake tester or toothpick. if it needs more leave it in for a few, and keep checking till you get to know your oven.

let bread cool completely in pan THEN Turn it out and enjoy.

I sometimes freeze this. it’s a most perfect bread to freeze and enjoy another time. just wrap it tightly when it completely cools down, and put in freezer. it defrosts in a few hours.

*sometimes i add 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup chocolate chips for a different type of banana bread 🙂

6 Comments

Posted in dessert

Tagged , ,