Minted Watermelon Salad

This is a very refreshing summer salad that goes great with most grilled meats and fish. We had it here with the Horseradish Steak Wraps.

4          cups    seedless watermelon, cut up in thin pieces

1                       cucumber, halved ,seeded, and sliced thin

1           large    shallot, thinly sliced

1/4       cup      fresh mint, chopped

1 1/2    tbsp     lime juice

1 1/2    tbsp     canola oil

                       salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and toss well to coat. Chill for 30 minutes.

Serves 4

Recipe adapted from:  Real Simple

Enjoy!!!

Horsradish Steak Wraps

For those of you who love horseradish this wrap is fabulous. It.s not too spicy with just enough tang. The recipe out of the Rachel Ray Magazine called for filet mignon. I can't always afford that so I went with a cheaper flank steak. It turned out great as far as I'm concerned and I didn't get any complaints from my family either. I served it here with a minted watermelon salad that's also fabulous and refreshing in the summer.

1/4       cup      2% Greek yogurt

2          tbsp     mayonnaise

2          tbsp     prepared horseradish, drained

1           clove   garlic  

                        olive oil for brushing

2                      onions, thick sliced and left in rings

                        salt and pepper

1 1/2    lb         flank steak, trimmed

4                      wraps

1           bunch  spinach, stems removed

Preheat your grill to medium.

Combine yogurt, mayonnaise, horseradish, and garlic. Set aside.

Brush the onions with olive oil and place them, rings intact, on the grill; season with salt and pepper. Cover the grill and cook until softened and lightly charred, turning once, about 5 minutes, then transfer to a bowl.

Pat the beef dry and brush with olive oil and season with the salt and pepper. Grill to desired doneness and transfer to a cutting board; let rest about 5 minutes. Thinly slice the meat cutting crosswise.

Grill the wraps just until warmed through but not crisp. Spread a heaping dollop of the horseradish sauce and layer the spinach, meat and grilled onions then roll up.

Serves 4

Recipe adapted from: Rachael Ray  |  June 2011

Enjoy!!!

Greek Bulgur Salad with Shrimp

The picture doesn't do this dish justice. I love salads and this one is particularly good because the bulgur keeps you full longer. The dressing is light and tangy and goes great with the shrimp.

For the dressing

3          tbsp     lemon juice

3          tbsp     olive oil

1           tsp       prepared mustard

1           tsp       fresh oregano, chopped

1/8       tsp       each,  salt and pepper

For the salad

1           cup      bulgur wheat

2                      plum tomatoes, chopped

1                       cucumber, peeled and chopped

1/4       cup      flat- leaf parsley, chopped    

1/4       cup      fresh mint, chopped

2          lb         cooked, peeled shrimp

1           bag      baby spinach

1/2       large    red onion, sliced

12         pitted  black olives

2          oz        feta cheese, crumbled

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, oregano, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Pour the bulgur in a large bowl and stir in 2 cups of boiling water. (the water has to be boiling to cook the bulgur) Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for about 10 minutes. Test the bulgur to make sure it's not underdone, if it is let it sit a little longer. If there is still water in the bowl you can drain it out. Stir in the tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, mint, and 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Toss the shrimp with 1 tablespoon of the dressing and set aside.

In a separate bowl toss together spinach, onion, olives and remaining dressing. divide spinach mixture among 4 plate and top with bulgur, shrimp, and feta

Serves 4

Recipe adapted from:  Family Circle  |  July 2011

Enjoy!!!

Balsalmic White Beans with Spinich

This is a very simple bean dish with lots of flavor. You can change it up by using a different dressing, just be sure to use one thats oil based.

1              tbsp       olive oil

1              tbsp       minced garlic

1/2         large      onion

1/2         cup         shredded carrots

1              can         cannellini beans or other white beans

2              tbsp       balsamic salad dressing

2              cup         fresh spinach leaves

                                salt and pepper to taste

Heat skillet to med-high and add olive oil to pan. Add garlic and onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add carrots and sauté 2 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Add beans and dressing, stirring to combine. Cook until dressing is reduced by half. Add spinach and cook just until wilted then remove pan from heat. Spinach will continue to cook a little more in the pan. Serve immediately.

Yields: 4 small servings or 2 big ones

This is one of my own throw-togethers that we ended up really liking.

Enjoy!!

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies

I came across these while surfing the web and thought they sounded good for Fall. OMG! These are some of the best tasting cookies I've come across in a long time. We will definatly be making these again.

2              sticks     butter, softened  + 3 tbsp for sautéing apples

2                              apples, peeled and chopped
2                              eggs, at room temperature
3              cups       oats
2              cups       flour
1              cup         sugar
1              cup         brown sugar  + 3 tsp for sautéing apples
3              tsp          cinnamon
1              tsp          salt
1              tsp          baking soda

Preheat oven to 375°.

Melt 3 tbsp butter on med-low heat in a non-stick pan. Add apples, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 3 tsp brown sugar and stir until bubbly. Reduce heat and let apples simmer for 3 minutes then remove from heat.

I used one green and one red apple to give it a little tange but I think they would be good with two of either color as well.

Yum!!!

In a large mixing bowl combine oats, flour, 2 tsp cinnamon, and salt. Set aside

In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer, cream together 2 sticks butter, 1 cup brown sugar,  and 1 cup granulated sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mixing between each. Add dry ingredients; mixing until well combined. With a wooden spoon fold  in apple mixture.

Spoon dough on to greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart and bake for 12 minutes

Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks.

Recipe adapted from www.kitschygirlsguide.blogspot.com

Enjoy!!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Here in southern Texas fall is pretty much nonexistant untill November and the only way to tell that the seasons are changing are the Christmas decarations that start showing up in the stores in September and the cans of pumpkin that finaly arrive back on the shelves at the grocery store. During this last weeks grocery store trip low and behold there they were; just in time for a baking spree this last weekend. So, in honor of the Fall we won't have, E and I decided to make these cupcakes. They truly are a little slice of heaven!!!!

For Cupcakes

2              cups       flour

1              tsp          baking soda

1              tsp          baking powder

1              tsp          salt

2              tsp          cinnamon

1              tsp          nutmeg

1              tsp          ginger

1/4         tsp          allspice

1              cup         packed brown sugar
1              cup         granulated sugar
4                              eggs
2              sticks     butter, melted
1              15oz       can pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare muffin tins with paper cups or coat with cooking spray.

In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt. Add both sugars slowly and whisk until there are no lumps. Set aside.

In a separate bowl beat eggs with an electric mixer until well combined and lighter in color. Add pumpkin and mix to combine. Add butter and mix again. Slowly add dry ingredients and mix until well combined.

Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in tins and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

For Frosting

8              oz           cream cheese, softened

8              tbsp       butter, softened
4              cups       powdered sugar
1              tsp          vanilla

 Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer until very smooth.

This isn't a very stiff frosting so you will want to keep the piping simple if that's how you're going to apply the frosting. Slathering it on with a pastry spatula always works great too. Either way these cupcakes taste great.

Recipe adapted from  www.kitschygirlsguide.blogspot.com

 

Enjoy!!

They were so good I put two pictures!

Ancho Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Slaw and Avocado Cream

I loved these tacos because of all the lime. There's just something about citrus that wakes your taste buds up; so refreshing. The kids loved them because, you know, anything they can eat with their hands. So all around I would say these were a winner. I served them with a bean salad that really complimented the tacos.

For the avocado cream

1/8         tsp          grated lime rind

1              tbsp       lime juice

1/4         cup         low-fat sour cream

2              tbsp       low-fat milk

1              small      avocado, diced

For the slaw

1 1/2      cups       angel hair slaw mix

1/2         cup         shredded carrot

1/2         cup         thinly sliced green onions

1/4         cup         fresh cilantro, chopped

1              tbsp       lime juice

1              tbsp       olive oil

1/4         tsp          salt 

For chicken

1              lb            skinless, boneless, chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips

3/4         tsp          ancho chile powder

1/2         tsp          garlic salt

1/4         tsp          ground cumin

8                              corn or flour tortillas

1. Combine rind, juice, and next 3 ingredients in a blender; process until smooth and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl combine slaw mix and next 6 ingredients; tossing well to coat and set aside.

3. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Sprinkle chicken evenly with spices. Coat pan with cooking spray or olive oil and add chicken to pan, stirring frequently. When cooked through remove chicken from pan and serve warm.

Serve chicken with slaw on the tortillas and top with the avocado cream.

Yields: 4 servings

Recipe adapted from: Cooking Light / May 2011

Enjoy!!

Getting Organized

The first stop on my journey  is to get more organized and I have decided to start this quest for organization by first de-cluttering the house. My husband (hence forth referred to as TechMan) and I are considering downsizing in the spring to a town house. It would be the same amount of rooms but a little less square footage and less back yard and no front yard. I think this is actually TechMans  main motivation for the move, no more mowing in over 100 degree, 90% humidity weather. (Welcome to Houston) Needless to say we won't have room for all the "stuff" we've seemed to accumulate over the years. I'm not talking about the furniture, although doubtless some of it will need to go. No, this is all the little stuff that just seems to pile up;  you know all that stuff that you told yourself you'd use one day so it got thrown in a closet or cupboard and there it sat. It's still sitting there now, waiting for you come and put it to good use.

Nowhere else, at least at my house, is this more evident than in the kitchen. I love kitchen stuff, and when I say love kitchen stuff I mean I LOVE kitchen stuff. Bed Bath and Beyond is like heaven for me, and although I don't buy a lot of stuff from them, unless I have a coupon and I just can't live without it, I seem to have acquired a lot of the stuff that lines their shelves. You see my family knows that I love kitchen stuff and so when they are cleaning out their kitchens and feel guilty about throwing certain things away they think "a ha, Alysia loves kitchen stuff, I'll give it to her. She'll put it to good use".  And so it comes to my house and sits in my cupboards. Yay me. It's sad, I know.  

But no more. I will not feel guilty for getting rid of things I don't use! (Well, maybe a little.)

And so I set out on my quest. I emptied all the cabinets and drawers in the kitchen and went through everything one piece at a time. My rules were simple.

1. Have I used it in the last six months?

2. Is it something I will use for the holidays?

3. Do I have more than one of this item and if so do I need more than one of this item?

With my rules in hand I rolled up my sleeves and got to work

After several hours of slogging through pots and pans, utensils, bake ware, casserole dishes, etc.,  I finally got the pile down to a more manageable size and actually freed up a whole shelf. Score!!!

Inspired by my success in the kitchen I am ready to tackle the rest of the house.

You should have seen the kids faces when they were informed that their rooms where next on my hit list. Priceless.

These are a few of my favorite pieces.
1. Casserole/Baking dishes. I got rid of all the ugly ones and kept these. There is actually a third one that goes with this set as well but I thought it might be overkill.
2. The Calphalon non-stick pans. These are my all time favorite pans to use. They go straight from the stove to the oven and are great for making fritatas.
3. Dutch Oven. Great for stews or roasts.
4. Nesting bowls. You can never have enough mixing bowls.
5. Mixer. This is my go to item when ever I'm in the mood to bake, which is often. It's really a life saver.