Creamy Caesar Dressing

I found this recipe from Weber's Real Grilling (an awesome cookbook) and I love it!


1 medium garlic clove
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise (Like Hellman's)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1/4 tsp freshly ground black papper

Roughly chop the garlic, and then sprinkle the salt on top. Using both the sharp edge and the flat side of the knife blade, crush the garlic and salt together to create a paste. Transfer the paste to a small bowl and add the remaining dressing ingredients. Mix well. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Risotto

Always a favorite in the fall! I made this the other day for a postpartum visit. Along with the risotto I made a cesaser salad and apple cake.
This take a lot of time so I only make it once a year!

Ingredients:

• 7 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 2 Tbs. minced fresh sage
• 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 2 cups butternut squash puree (I just cook a squash in the oven and make my own)
  
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2/3 cup caramelized onions
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 Tbs. of the butter. Add 1 Tbs. of the sage and heat until the butter browns. Strain the butter into a small bowl and discard the sage. Cover the bowl to keep the butter warm.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the stock and squash puree. Bring just to a simmer, 8 to 10 minutes; maintain over low heat.

In a large saucepan or risotto pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the caramelized onions and rice and stir until the grains are well coated with the oil and are nearly translucent with a white dot in the center, about 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 Tbs. sage and the rosemary. Add the wine and stir until it is absorbed.

Add the simmering stock mixture a ladleful at a time, stirring frequently after each addition. Wait until the stock is almost completely absorbed before adding more.

When the rice is tender to the bite but slightly firm in the center and looks creamy, after about 30 minutes, stir in the remaining 3 Tbs. butter, the cheese, salt and pepper. Add more stock if needed so the rice is thick and creamy. Let stand for 2 minutes. Drizzle with the reserved sage butter and serve immediately. Serves 6.

From Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

Blueberry and wild rice salad

My mom used to make a fantastic blueberry and wild rice salad that we would often have on picnics. Her picnics were fabulous, with several different salads, cheese and fruit, and a wonderful dessert. I don't think we still have her recipe for her salad but I found one online that was similar. I served it with some salmon and it made a delicious supper!
1 cup wild rice
2 cups nonfat chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup lime juice
2 Tbsp. honey
1 1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. grated lime peel
6 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup blueberries
8 oz mixed greens

recipe directions
Wash the wild rice. Combine the rice with chicken broth and enough water to cover by 1 inch in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 40 min. Drain and cool. Stir in hazelnuts, cranberries, apricots and red onion.

Prepare dressing: In a small bowl whisk together the lime juice, honey, grated ginger lime and lemon peel. Gradually whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour over the rice and mix well. Gently fold in the blueberries. Arrange greens on a platter and mound rice on top.

Classic vanilla cake with mascarpone frosting and raspberries--Jason's birthday cake

I've been making this for Jason's birthday for several years now. It is heavenly!
Ingredients:
1 C. unsalted butter, softened
3 C. cake flour
1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 3/4 C. granulated sugar
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean, or tsp. pure vanilla extract (*I always use the vanilla bean)
1 C. whole milk
6 large egg whites, at room temperature

Frosting:
1 lb Mascarpone cheese, at room temp
2 C. heavey cream
2/3 C. granulated sugar
seeds from 1 vanilla bean or 2 tsp pure vanilla (The vanilla bean really makes it pretty with the little flecks of vanilla)
pinch table salt

Fresh Rasberries



Directions:
For the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of two 9 inch round cake pans. LIne the bottoms with parchement and lightly flour the sides. (I didn't do this because I have good, non stick pans).
Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, beat butter until smooth. Add 1 1/2 C. of the sugar and teh vanilla. Continue beating until combined and fluffy. On low speed, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients at a time, alternating with 1/2 cup of the milkat a time, beginning and ending with the flour.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add remaning 1/4 C. sugar. Continue beating until the whites from medium firm peaks. Scoop about 1/4 of the whites and stir them gently into the cake batter to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining whites until just blended.
Scrape the batter into prepared pans. Bake until top are light brown and cakes are done, about 30 minutes. Set pans on rack and let cool 15 minutes. Invert the layers onto the rack. Let cool completely.

Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine the mascarpone, cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed until almost smooth about 30-60 seconds. Bet on medium high speed until the mixture is thick and holds firm peaks, another 30-60 seconds. Try not to overbeat or it will look grainy (I did this)

Assemble cake by putting one layer on a cake plate. You probably will need to take a bread knife and slice off the top to make it flat (a yummy treat for the cook). Spread about 2 C. of teh frosting over this layer. Arrange half the berries on it. Put the second layer on. Apply a very thin layer of frosting to seal in crumbs. chill for 5 minutes. Spread the remaning frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Top with rasberries. Refrigerate cake for 4 hours or up to 2 days. Bring it out about a half hour or hour before serving it to get it to room temperature. Enjoy.


Number Of Servings:12

Corn on the cob with basil parmesean butter

This is one of our absolute favorite recipes. Anything with basil does it for me. We don't always grill the corn, but if you want to that makes it even more summery.

Ingredients:
1/4 C. unsalted butter, softened.
1/4 C. freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. granulated garlic

4 ears corn, husked

Directions:
1. To make butter: in a small bowl, mash the butter
ingredients together with the back of a fork, and then stir to
distribute the seasonings throughout the butter.
2. Brush about 1 Tbps. of the seasoned butter all over each
ear of corn. Grill over Direct medium heat until browned in
spots and tender, 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally. (Or
just boil for 10 minutes or less) Serve warm with the remaining butter
spread on the corn.

This butter is good on anything--bread, veggies, meats, etc.

Chicken Pasta Salad

For lunch in Vermont I made this huge chicken pasta salad. I got the recipe from my friend Laura:

Pasta Cranberry Salad

½ package colored spiral pasta (cook, rinse and drain)

½ package bow tie pasta (cook rinse and drain)

1 20-oz can pineapple tidbits (drained)

2 small cans water chestnuts (drained and chopped)

2 cups chopped celery

4 green onions, chopped

1 package raisins or dried cranberries

1 cup cashew nuts or sunflower seeds

1 cup red seedless grapes, halved

4 chicken breasts, cook and diced

1 13-oz bottle cold slaw dressing with one cup of mayo added

Toss and chill. Makes a very large salad.

Bluebery zuchinni bread

For breakfast in Vermont we made blueberry zucchini bread . I got the recipe from a site called "My baking addiction" which I can't visit very often or I am too tempted to make all the treats!
I used half whole wheat flour like the recipe suggested. The zucchini makes it so moist. I had gotten to zucchini from a local farmers market (all was organic) and the blueberries were local too, so that was fun.
Jason also made his famous eggs (well, they are famous in our house). He mixes cream cheese in so they are extra creamy.
We also had some fresh fruit.

Grilled Asian Chicken with Bok Choy

Jason and I made this the other week. It's straight from the Bon Appetit magazine. I followed everything almost exactly, except I used portabello mushrooms instead of shiitake. We even roasted the radishes. Who would have thought to roast radishes, but they were tasty. It's a keeper! We also made the leftovers as included in the recipe. Here's the recipe as copied from Bon Appetit:

Grilled Asian Chicken with Bok Choy, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Radishes

Be sure to reserve two grilled chicken breasts and a cup of Mango-Sesame Dressing to use in the Asian Chicken-Noodle Salad.

4 servings plus leftovers

by Selma Brown Morrow

Photograph by Marcus Nilsson

June 2010

Ingredients

• 8 1/3-inch-thick rounds red onion
• 8 large shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
• 8 red radishes, trimmed, halved
• 4 baby bok choy, halved lengthwise
• 1 large orange bell pepper, cut lengthwise into 8 strips
• 1 1/4 cups Mango-Sesame Dressing, divided
• 6 boneless chicken breast halves with skin
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray

*
Arrange all vegetables on large rimmed baking sheet. Brush vegetables lightly on both sides with 1/3 cup Mango-Sesame Dressing; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
*
Arrange chicken on sheet of foil. Brush both sides of chicken with 1/3 cup dressing, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Vegetables and chicken can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
*
Coat grill rack generously with nonstick spray and prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill vegetables until just tender, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes for onion rounds and 4 minutes for mushrooms, radishes, bok choy, and pepper strips. Return all vegetables to same baking sheet.
*
Grill chicken until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to cutting board. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Cool 2 chicken breasts; wrap and chill for Asian Chicken-Noodle Salad.
*
Arrange remaining 4 chicken breasts and vegetables on platter. Serve with remaining dressing.


Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2010/06/grilled_asian_chicken_with_bok_choy_shiitake_mushrooms_and_radishes#ixzz0uFMBiAA0

Mango-Sesame Dressing
Ingredients

* 3/4 cup vegetable oil
* 3/4 cup Major Grey's mango chutney
* 6 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
* 3 large garlic cloves, peeled
* 6 3/4 teaspoons soy sauce
* 1 1/2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
* 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper

Preparation

*
Combine all ingredients in blender. Cover tightly; blend until dressing is smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.


Leftovers:
Asian Chicken-Noodle Salad with Snap Peas
Ingredients

* 12 ounces sugar snap peas, strings removed oil
* 1 8- to 9-ounce package fresh Japanese-style noodles (such as udon)
* 1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
* 2 grilled chicken breast halves, cut horizontally in half, then crosswise into thin strips
* 6 green onions, thinly sliced
* 1 cup Mango-Sesame Dressing
* Toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Preparation

*
Cook snap peas in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl.
*
Return water to boil. Add noodles. Cook until tender but firm, 3 minutes (or as directed on package). Drain; rinse under cold water until cool. Transfer to large bowl.
*
Toss noodles with sesame oil. Cut noodles with kitchen shears to shorten. Add peas, chicken, and green onions; toss with enough dressing to coat. Arrange salad on platter; top with toasted sesame seeds, if desired.

Chopped Salad

Oh how I love chopped salad. I at one point had a recipe that was supposed to be like portillos but I can't find it now. This one is good, I think I will make it this week.

2 c. cooked pasta
2 heads romaine
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 c. cooked chicken, cut up
1 c. feta cheese (bleu may be substituted)
1 c. cooked bacon, chopped
1 c. green onions, sliced
dressing: 1/2 bottle ranch, 1/2 bottle honey mustard dressing (Ken's brand is good)
squirt of Dijon in the dressing is also good
(I got this recipe from my friend Yolanda)

rice pilaf

southwest rice and corn salad with lemon dressing

I got this recipe from bon appetit and would consider it more of a pilaf than a salad, but it is good nonetheless.

Ingredients

• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from 2 ears) or frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 cup chopped fresh poblano chiles or green bell pepper
• 1 cup diced seeded yellow bell pepper
• 1 cup 1/2-inch cubes yellow zucchini
• 1 avocado, halved, peeled, diced
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

• Cook rice until just tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Drain again.
• Meanwhile, whisk lemon juice and 3 tablespoons oil in small bowl. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add corn, poblanos, yellow bell pepper, and zucchini. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until vegetables are just tender, 6 to 7 minutes; scrape into large bowl. Add rice, avocado, green onions, cilantro, and dressing; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

fettucini paolo

I love this recipe! I got it from my friend Abbie's blog. It's originally from Runner's World. Here it is.
1 1/3 cups red bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
6 ounces fresh fettuccine
1 1/3 cups chicken stock
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes*
1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts with liquid
1 1/2 cups (about 1/2 pound) grilled chicken, sliced
2 tablespoons fresh basil, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
kosher salt and ground black pepper

How To Make It

*Rehydrate sun-dried tomatoes before cooking. Put tomatoes in a bowl with one cup of warm water and soak for one hour, or until softened. Gently squeeze to remove excess liquid. Cut into thin slices.

In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add pepper and cook three minutes, or until soft. Add garlic, and saute for 30 seconds.

Add stock and vinegar, bring to a boil, and simmer until reduced by half. Add sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and liquid, chicken, and basil.

Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook fettuccine for two minutes, stirring periodically. Drain fettuccine, add to pasta sauce, and mix thoroughly. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Serves two.

Chinese chicken salad

I made this the other day and really liked it! Jason grilled the chicken and it was even tastier.


http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/chinese-chicken-salad-recipe/index.html

• 4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 head napa cabbage, thinly shredded (about 6 cups)
• 1/4 head red cabbage, shredded (about 2 cups)
• 1 large carrot, shredded (about 2 cups)
• 3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, greens included (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts
• 1 (11-ounce) can Mandarin oranges in water, drained
• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce or chili sauce
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil and brush onto chicken breasts. Arrange in a baking dish and bake until juices run clear, about 13 to15 minutes. Remove from oven, cool completely, and cut into 1/4-inch slices.

In a large bowl, combine Napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrot, scallions, water chestnuts, Mandarin orange and sliced chicken. In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil, brown sugar and chili sauce. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine. Divide among bowls and top each serving with 2 teaspoons toasted almonds.

Granola

Foster's Homemade Granola
2 Cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 C. shredded sweetened coconut
1 C. sliced almonds
1 tsp kosher or sea salt
1/4 C. canola oil
3/4 C. maple syrup
1/4 C. honey
1/2 C. dried cherries or cranberries
1/2 C. dried apricots, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 275.
2. Spread oats, coconut, and almonds on a large baking sheet with sides. Sprinkle with salt and bake for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the ingredients are lightly toasted but not yet golden. Transfer the ingredients to a large bowl.
3. Increase oven temperature to 350. Lightly grease the baking sheet.
4. Stir the maple syrup, oil, and honey together in a small bowl, pour over the oats, nuts and coconut, and toss to coat evenly. Spread granola onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes until the granola is just crispy and golden brown, stirring several times while baking. Let the granola cool completely on the baking sheet, breaking up any large clumps while it's still warm.
5. When the granola has cooled completely, add the cherries and dried apricots and toss to mix.

Valentine's dinner

Jason and I thought that instead of going out to eat this year we'd make a Valentine's dinner at home. We shipped the kids over to Grandma's and created a feast. It was fun because I didn't plan it like I usually plan a menu for a special event. Instead we just thought of what we wanted and winged it. Jason went to Costco and bought the seafood that looked good to him (scallops, shrimp, and crab legs) and I was craving steak so we bought two small fillets. We rounded it out with a light salad and some asparagus. We didn't make dessert, but had some chocolates in bed. We don't normally eat like this but it was fun to splurge, and it still would have cost less than going out to eat at a fancy restaurant.
My favorite part was the crab legs--and we did the least to those, just heated them in the oven and dipped them in butter. YUM! The scallops were also delicious. We marinated them in lemon juice and olive oil for about 15 minutes before we seared them and served them over some lightly dressed greens.
I love food. I also love my husband, so it was an all around great night!

Turkey meatloaf

I got this recipe from Michelle, originally from Health magazine. It is a delicious meatloaf. I usually bake it in a meatloaf pan as opposed to shaping a loaf.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons ketchup, divided
• 1 3/4 pounds ground turkey, 97% lean
• 3/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, broth, and 1 tablespoon ketchup; transfer mixture to a large bowl, and cool.

2. Add turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, egg white, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to mixture in bowl, and mix well. (Mixture will be very moist.)

3. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and coat lightly with cooking spray. Form the turkey mixture into a loaf, and place on the pan. Brush meatloaf evenly with remaining 2 tablespoons ketchup. Bake 1 hour or until thermometer inserted into center registers 170°. Let meatloaf stand 5 minutes before serving.