Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Favorite Summer Salad



I love salads that have fruit in them. This is a salad that I make on a regular basis in the summer. You can use any type of lettuce you like. I used spinach leaves & sweet butter lettuce this time.

This salad changes depending on what type of fruit I have. This time I sliced up a few strawberries & cherry tomatoes and added some canned Mandarin oranges. Then put on your favorite vinaigrette. I like to use a balsamic vinaigrette. Then top with dried cranberries and crumbled Gorgonzola cheese or feta.

This salad is great to make ahead and take to a party. Just put the cranberries & feta on top and drizzle the dressing on before it's time to eat!

Give this salad a try - I promise you won't be disappointed!!

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Chicken Smothered with Summer Vegetables on a Bed of Couscous



It seems that I am always looking for new recipes for chicken. We get tired of the same old grilled chicken for summer so I set off looking for something different. I found this great recipe on Eat at Home's blog. We absolutely loved this chicken dish. It's light and flavorful and very colorful! Jordan loves couscous so I knew we had a winner! I served ours with sauteed portabella mushrooms. Delish!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken
olive oil for cooking the veggies
1 onion, sliced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
2 bell peppers, sliced
cherry tomatoes, cut in half or quarters, about 1/2 cup
fresh parsley, chopped, about 1/3 cup
1 box couscous
2 cups chicken broth
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Cook the chicken on a grill. I seasoned my chicken first before grilling. I used pepper and season salt.

While the chicken cooks, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Cook the onions and garlic, stirring for about 5 minutes or until the onions are soft. Stir in the bell peppers and cook for 3-5 more minutes until the peppers are tender-crisp. Remove from heat and add the tomatoes and parsley. (I read the directions wrong and cooked the tomatoes with the bell peppers. Oops! :) But I think it turned out nicely anyways!)



Cook the couscous according to the package directions, using chicken broth instead of water. (Oh, this made the couscous so moist and yummy. Not sure I'll ever use water to cook couscous again!)

To serve, place a mound of couscous on the plate. Top with chicken (I sliced mine) and add the veggies on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.



Enjoy!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Peanut Butter Cookie Pudding



I have both girls in bed and my husband is traveling. I should take this time to go to sleep myself but I really want to share this recipe I found with you. :) We had a 4th of July party on Sunday and I wanted to make a new dessert that I thought both children and adults would like. It needs to sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours which was perfect for me since I like recipes that I can make the day before a party. It's easy and delicious - what more can one ask for?! I found this recipe on Eat at Home, a blog I follow. If you have a chance, check out her blog - she's got some great recipes on there!

Ingredients:

1 package of peanut butter sandwich cookies (Nutter Butters)
2 boxes French vanilla instant pudding mix (3.5 oz each)
3 1/2 cups milk
1 container frozen whipped topping, thawed (8 oz container)
1 stick butter, softened
2/3 cup cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Split all the cookies open using a butter knife. Beat the milk and pudding mix with an electric mixer until thickened. Fold in the whipped topping.



Place a layer of cookies, icing side up on the bottom of a dish. I used 8x11 but I think you could use 9x13 and it would work out just fine.



Add half the pudding mixture on top of the layer of cookies. Place another layer of cookies icing side up over the pudding. Next time I would put the cookies closer together to try and fit as many cookies in as possible.



Add the rest of the pudding. Place the final layer of cookies, icing side down. See how in this photo I squished them a bit more? That's how I wish I would have done the other two layers. I ended up with some extra cookies - which isn't a big deal, they'll get eaten! But I would rather have had them in the dessert. :)



Now you'll need to make the frosting. Beat the butter and cocoa with an electric mixer. Add the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla and beat until smooth. I had to add more milk to get a creamy texture so it would spread well. Probably an additional 3-4 tablespoons of milk.

Spread the frosting on the cookie layer. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.



Everyone at the party seemed to enjoy this dessert - definitely give it a try! I thought it was delicious and could easily eat the whole tray myself! Jordan thought it was just okay but that's because he doesn't care for chocolate. I don't trust his opionion on most desserts anyways, I mean, who doesn't like chocolate?! ;)

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Pioneer Woman's Pineapple Shrimp



I had some shrimp in the freezer I wanted to use so I went looking for a new recipe to try. I found this Pineapple Shrimp recipe on Pioneer Woman's website. It's been a while since I made something of hers and it looked easy - two great combinations!!

We liked this recipe although I would recommend adding a few of the optional ingredients. I added red pepper flakes but next time I would add some chopped jalapeno to add some spice as it was on the sweet side. I also would omit the sugar - the pineapple juice I think is sweet enough!

Ingredients:
1 pound (to 2 Pounds) Peeled, De-veined Jumbo Shrimp
1 can (about 20 Oz.) Pineapple Chunks (or 1 Whole Fresh Pineapple)

Marinade:
½ cups (to 1 Cup) Teriyaki Sauce
2 whole (to 3 Whole) Green Onions (sliced)
3 Tablespoons Garlic, Chopped, to taste
1 Tablespoon (to 2 Tablespoons) Sugar (optional)
Pineapple Juice (reserved From Can If Using Canned Pineapple)
1 dash Lemon Juice
1 dash Kosher Salt
_____
Optional Ingredients
Lime Zest
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Minced Fresh Ginger
Jalapenos Seeded And Chopped

Directions:

In a bowl combine teriyaki sauce, green onions, garlic, sugar, pineapple juice, lemon juice and salt (and any other of the optional ingredients of your choosing, to taste). Mix these together well and set aside.

Wash, then peel and de-vein the shrimp (unless they’ve already come that way). Stir peeled/de-veined jumbo shrimp into the marinade and marinate at least a couple of hours.



Skewer pineapple chunks with the shrimp and grill until done, about 1 to 2 minutes per side on a very hot grill. I broiled mine for the same amount of time. The shrimp I had were medium so I had to cut the pineapple chunks so they would fit in between the shrimp.



Flip again and cook until brown to just slightly blackened.



We had this for dinner but I also think this would be great as an appetizer for a party. I served mine with rice and a salad. I took the marinade and boiled it on the stove and then drizzled it over the rice.



Enjoy!