Sunday, November 6, 2011

Molly's 4th Birthday




Monday, August 1, 2011

Mika's Salsa

I ate this whole batch myself over the course of a day and a half!

Blend in a food processor:
1 large can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can rotel tomatoes with juice
1 medium onion
1/2 bunch cilantro
juice of 1 lime
3 spoons of jarred jalapenos
1 T garlic salt
1 1/2 t cumin

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Fattoush

This is a flavorful Middle Eastern salad recipe from my friend Rachel.  I make it whenever fresh tomatoes and cucumbers are abundant.  Enjoy!

1 cucumber, chopped and peeled
1 tsp salt
Mix and let stand to drain 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350 deg.  Open 2 7-inch pita and bake until lightly browned.  Break into bite-sized pieces.  Press water from cukes.  Rinse and blot dry.  Combine cucumbers with:
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
6 scallions, chopped
1/3 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 T chopped cilantro
1 T. chopped mint

Whisk together:
1/3 c. olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 t. salt 
Pour dressing over veggies and toss.  Add pita, toss.  Serve immediately.

I also like to add a healthy sprinkling of sumac, a Middle Eastern spice. 

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Super Cute Easter Nest

I wanted to share this post from my friend Tricia's site, onceamonthmom.com.  This is a chocolatey Easter nest perfect for adorning the table.  Check it out here.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Stuffed Peppers

This is one of my favorite stuffed pepper recipes.  It uses Jennie-O Italian turkey sausage and great northern beans in place of rice.  This recipe is copied from Jennie-O.com.  Delicious!!!

Italian Sausage & Bean Stuffed Peppers


Total Time  More than 1 Hour
Preparation Time  Under 30 minutes
Serving Size 4
Preparation Method Stove-Top
Level of Difficulty Moderate

Ingredients

4 bell peppers, any color or a combination

2 teaspoons garlic-infused or extra-virgin olive oil

1 package JENNIE-O TURKEY STORE® Sweet Lean Italian Turkey Sausage

1 (15-ounce) can Italian-style or regular tomato sauce

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil leaves

1 (16-ounce) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

Directions

Heat oven to 375ºF. Cut peppers lengthwise through stems keeping stem halves intact to hold stuffing. Discard seeds and veins. Cook in boiling salted water 5 to 6 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain well and place cut side up in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Heat oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Remove sausage from casings; crumble into skillet. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomato sauce and basil; continue to cook 5 minutes. Stir in beans; heat through. Mound mixture into pepper halves. Sprinkle cheese evenly over filled peppers. Bake about 25 minutes or until filling is hot and peppers are tender. Makes 4 servings.