Orzo & Feta Salad

Orzo Salad with fresh basil & feta.

Orzo looks like rice...but it isn't. It is a small type of pasta and absolutely delicious. The most time consuming part of this is the chopping of your fresh ingredients. My tip is to get your pine nuts into a 250 degree oven for about 10 minutes to lightly toast them while you chop. That makes it a race.
I also buy organic pre-washed organic spinach so I don't need to worry about washing and then drying the leaves. Organic basil is fairly easy to find as well.

 
 
 

Combining fresh ingredients for a delicious side dish has never been easier.
What you'll need:
1 package spinach
16 oz. orzo---cooked according to package directions & drained
1/2 red onion-diced
1 red bell pepper-diced
1 10 oz. package sun dried tomatoes-chopped (about 20)
8 oz. feta cheese---I prefer plain but you can find flavored...whatever you like
12 large basil leaves-chopped
1 cup pine nuts-toasted

Dressing:
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp each Salt & Pepper
(feel free to add more oil or vinegar)

I like to drain and cover my pasta with half of the oil and vinegar first so that it can absorb the tang. I then build it first with the onions and peppers and add the basil and spinach. The cheese goes last so that it doesn't melt. Serve immediately.
ENJOY!

The Art of the Panini

All veggie panini

It's really not an art...just a fancy word for a grilled sandwich. Does it take extra time? Yes...most definitely. But it makes a warm melted sandwich which can serve as both lunch and dinner. Make sure you have some butter (preferably) or margarine spread to coat the outsides of the bread so its nice and crispy.

Whatever you want to put inside is fine. My boys like meat so we re-grilled some thinly sliced leftover chicken. Pepper jack cheese is also great for an extra kick. Younger kids sometimes just want a really great grilled cheese. Cheddar or jack? The cheese options are just about limitless.

Find your favorite mushroom and slice them up. Sautee them in butter and garlic salt and you have a perfect recipe for a delicious Panini. I have a George Foreman grill and it fits two very large sandwiches perfectly.

Slather the inside of your bread liberally with mayo before topping with sliced tomatoes, grilled mushrooms, grilled onions, avocado and top with cheese. Place your butter coated bread onto a panini press, or grill and cook about 5 minutes at 350, or until all the cheese is melted and the bread is nice and brown. Slice in half and serve with your favorite side salad or even some chips. ENJOY!

RECIPE:
What you'll need...
Sliced Sourdough
Cheese (any kind)
Sautéed Mushrooms
Grilled Onions

Oozing with cheese....yum!

Tomatoes
Avocado
Mayo





Gluten Free Pasta Salad

Choose your favorite veggies for this high fiber, protein packed, end of summer side dish.


Ingredients:
1 pkg cooked gluten free penne pasta (cook according to directions)
1 head broccoli
1 lb white mushrooms---button or Cremini work well too
2 jars marinated artichoke hearts
1 can black olives-drained (whole or sliced)
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans-drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can kidney beans-drained and rinsed
1 pint cherry tomatoes (whole or sliced...Romas work great too!)
1 large cucumber-sliced into wheels (you can sub zucchini if needed)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend
salt and pepper to taste
Homemade or bottled vinagrette of choice---to add afterwards if desired

***Tip: Add the cucumbers last, so they don't wilt, when you add the steaming pasta. I usually put the broccoli florets in the bottom of a very large bowl before I add the pasta, and then begin layering with the mushrooms and artichokes so they take on that terrific tang.

Enjoy!

 

 

Buttery Grilled Zukes



We added some halibut steaks for the halibut

There is no doubt an abundance of squash in need of picking all over the northern hemisphere as we speak. And let's face it...you can only make so much zucchini bread. I decided to use ours as an extra side dish while grilling some fish and it was super yummy. We tried it two different ways. Fat zukes vs. little zukes.




Grilled Zucchini with Butter and Lemon Pepper




Simply place them on the grill directly with some lemon pepper and butter. It tastes so much better than it looks. Grill at 350 for about 3 minutes a side until fork tender all the way through. They were so good the kids ate them, and they detest any food that starts with "Z."

While at our trailer the weather was bad and we had to use an indoor flat grill, but the result was the same. Delectable. We also made shrimp over some wild rice for non-fish eaters and it was fantastic.

I hope you will try this at home!
Enjoy...

Staright from the Garden Marinara with Prawns

                                   

Hi Everyone! Are you trying to figure out what to do with all of those summer veggies? It all seems to be ripe at the same time. At our house we like to make a homemade chunky marinara sauce. It can go over the top of any pasta you have on hand. Last night we used macaroni. Really anything goes.

We had a bumper crop of tomatoes and squash. If you happen to have an onion on hand and some olive oil you are all set to go. We love shrimp at our house and I purchased a bag of shrimp pre-cooked and pre-cleaned to save on prep time. Just be careful not to over cook them.



What you'll need:
3 medium sized summer squash-cut into spirals and then fourths
6 cups diced fresh tomatoes
1 yellow onion-diced
4 tbsp. EVOO divided
2 tbsp. Italian Seasoning
1 tbsp. fresh oregano
6 cloves garlic (diced or minced)
1 14 oz. can stewed tomatoes
2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. garlic salt
pinch cayenne
grated parmesan or other hard Italian cheese
1 lb. large shrimp or prawns deveined (I remove the tails but its up to you)




Pasta sauce without shrimp is tasty too!

Directions:
Simmer the chopped fresh garlic in a sautee pan for about 60 seconds and remove from heat. In a large pan add the remaining olive oil and sautee the onions and squash. Cook 3-4 minutes over medium high heat and then add in the tomatoes and garlic. Next add salt and herbs and let simmer on low for 30 minutes. I added a can of stewed tomatoes for their flavor. The sauce will be healthy and chunky. After sauce is done add in the shrimp and let simmer for 3 minutes. Top over your favorite pasta and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Tip: For finicky kids we often add several cans of marinara sauce and chop the veggies super fine. You can even blend them if needed.

Chunky Mango Salsa

Are you looking for a perfect accompaniment to the fresh fish you caught?

Mango Salsa is my favorite topping for fish. Which makes sense this time of year when everyone is enjoying those summer camping vacations. Those who don't like fish will certainly love this salsa topped on a salty tortilla chip! Grab the ingredients at the store and bring a knife. You can still eat healthy, fresh, delicious food while camping! Now isn't that refreshing?


The recipe is simple.  Here's what you will need:

1 jalepeno (diced)
5 mangoes (chopped)
6 cloves garlic or more (minced)
2 limes (juiced)
1 bunch cilantro-chopped with the leaves de-stemmed

Combine all ingredients and let flavors meld for a few hours for the best taste.

ENJOY!!!

No-Bake Strawberry & Graham Cracker Pie

No-Bake Strawberry Graham Cracker Pie

Right now strawberries are in season and plentiful. The stores have some great buys. We love their many uses at our house and sort of stumbled upon a new dessert.

Whenever my kids go camping we have to have S'Mores. I must say that they are not one of my most favorite things due to the dryness of the graham crackers. So when we get home and unpack...we end up finding we have roasted all of the marshmallows, and the chocolate is long gone. So what do we do with all of those grahams?

Make a pie crust!

I found some disposable pie tins in the cabinet and an entire tub of non-dairy whipped topping in the freezer from a prior dessert that we had never used. So we made a layered pie.  

The ingredients you will need:

1 box Honey Grahams (generic is fine)
6 pints fresh strawberries
1 large tub whipping topping
9 tbsp honey or agave syrup
(Makes 3 pies)


Feel free to test this out by making only one pie. I used just one of the packs of grahams per pie so it's pretty easy to adjust to taste,

To prepare:
The bottom layer of grahams need to be crushed and I did not mix them with butter as we are trying to be healthy. I simply drizzle 2 tbsp. of honey over the top for the sticky and sweet factor. This also gives the strawberries something to adhere to!

To make this healthy it's smart to triple the fruit factor and use a non-fat or sugar free topping. You know what's best!

Layer the strawberries over the grahams and then smother them with whipped topping. Do this again and finish off the top with sliced strawberries on top. Make a pattern if you would like it to look pretty. It's up to you!

Hint:  This would also work well as a trifle.