Herb Roasted Potatoes

Corey loves meat and potatoes, but for some reason I don't make them very much. However, I started making roasted potatoes a few months ago and Corey has been in heaven. It doesn't matter what I serve them with (in fact, a couple of nights ago I just made the potatoes and veggies and he was still happy. If you know Corey, you know it's all sorts of incredible for him to enjoy a meal without meat!) I finally perfected the recipe and Corey made sure that I wrote it down so that these ("best potatoes you've ever made") make it on to our dinner table more frequently.

Herb Roasted Potatoes
Serves 3-4

2 lbs. baby red or yellow potatoes, washed and quartered
2 Tb. olive oil
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely minced (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. dried parsley (or 2 tsp. fresh)
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
2 Tb. Parmesan cheese, grated

Combine all ingredients in a gallon-size Ziploc bag and shake until well coated and combined. Spread potatoes evenly on baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until crispy, stirring halfway through. Enjoy!

Fried Rice

This is a great side dish to go along with Asian-style entrees (like this sticky chicken or these sweet and sour meatballs or these bacon-wrapped chicken and pineapple skewers or this orange chicken). It is also the perfect accompaniment for stir-fried vegetables and sweet-and-sour sauce (I know it might be weird, but I just love the sweet-and-sour sauce poured all over the rice). I make this all the time, sometimes with other entrees, sometimes just on it's own as a stand-alone meal. It's very easy to adapt to whatever meat (feel free to use ham instead of bacon or omit the meat entirely) or veggies you might have on hand. Here is my favorite version, but feel free to fiddle with it to make it how you like.

Fried Rice
serves 3-4

4 pieces bacon
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped carrots
1/3 cup frozen peas
3 cups cooked rice
1 egg
1-2 Tb. soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook in large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon, set aside to cool and crumble.
2. Heat same skillet (without draining grease) to medium. Add onions, celery, and carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Add peas and cook for 3-4 more minutes, until veggies are translucent and peas are thawed.
3. Add rice and stir to break up and heat through.
4. In separate small bowl, beat egg. Pour over top of rice in skillet and continue stirring until egg is completely cooked through. Add soy sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Green Beans with Bacon and Mushrooms

I made this dish three times in less than two weeks...it really was that delicious. Simple ingredients, but together it tastes absolutely delicious. Corey was telling me about a dish his mom used to make with bacon and green beans, and that he really liked it. I took that idea and threw this together based on what we had and what sounded good to me. Corey liked it so much he gave it five stars (out of five. And yes, I really do make my husband rate the food I make every single time I cook. I'm probably crazy, but it lets me know how much he likes or dislikes something and whether I should make it again or not). Yes, Corey actually rated a vegetable five stars, which I didn't know was possible. I have a feeling this is going to be making a very regular appearance on our dinner table.

Green Beans with Bacon and Mushrooms
Serves 4-6 as a side dish...unless your name is Corey...then this will serve two :)

5 oz. bacon (about 5 slices), diced (uncooked)
1 lb. fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed, and broken into pieces
1/3 cup red onion, thinly sliced
4 oz. fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
garlic salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Cook bacon until nicely browned but not quite crispy, 5-7 minutes. Add green beans and onions. Cook until green beans are slightly tender, but still crisp (about 10 minutes). Add mushrooms and cook for 3-4 more minutes. Season with garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Cheddar Garlic Biscuits

I'm not afraid of cooking. I have been cooking for as long as I can remember. My favorite toys when I was little were my little kitchen and the plastic food and dishes that came with it. I loved pretending I was making things in my kitchen and then "eating" them. I had a play-dough toy that I used to make Burger King Whoppers and fries. I had a McDonald's toy that I used to make their little apple pies (out of bread that you flatten down, applesauce, and cinnamon sugar...it makes me sick just thinking about it, but I thought it was amazing when I was seven). I started making cookies with my mom when I was too short to reach the counter by myself. I started making muffins and pie crust when I was ten.

So it was a shock to me yesterday when I realized that I had never made homemade biscuits. I'm not a huge biscuit fan, but my husband absolutely loves them. Why haven't I ever tried making them? They couldn't possibly be that difficult and I figured the from-scratch ones had to be leaps and bounds better than the ones from a can or a mix. So I decided to find me a good recipe and set to work while the baby took her nap.

I found this recipe on one of my favorite blogs, My Kitchen Cafe. Mel seems to know how to cook anything and everything, and her recipes never disappoint me. This was no exception. It was easy to throw these biscuits together, they have a great flavor, and the texture is phenomenal: light, fluffy and flaky all at the same time. These were the perfect comfort food to go with chicken and potatoes while we watched the snowflakes swirling around our yard. I had mine with homemade jalapeno jelly (YUM) and Corey enjoyed his plain, warm out of the oven. I definitely won't be waiting another 25 years to try my hand at biscuits again. I'm thinking I'll be making these often this winter...I'm already craving them again!

Cheddar Garlic Biscuits
adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening
3 tablespoons butter, cold
1 1/4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup buttermilk

2 Tb. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
dash salt

1. Preheat oven to 425. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the shortening and 3 Tb. butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender, fork, or your fingers, until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Mix in cheese (I just used my fingers). Stir in buttermilk until just moistened. Do not overmix.
3. Drop dough onto prepared pan, using about 1/4 cup dough per biscuit. (I used a 1/4 cup cookie scoop and it worked beautifully, you could also use a tablespoon and heap it extra large or a 1/4 cup measuring cup.)
4. Bake 12 - 14 minutes or until golden brown. Mix 2 Tb. melted butter, the dried parsley, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, and dash salt in a small bowl. Brush over warm biscuits and serve immediately.

Sweet Mexican Rice

This is a perfect Mexican side dish, or perfect wrapped up in a delicious burrito. I made a big batch of this last week and used it as a side for quesadillas, inside a hugely delicious burrito, and on top of a yummy salad. It's quick and simple, but full of flavor--a nice change from your average white rice.

Sweet Mexican Rice
serves 6 - 8

2 Tb. butter
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups white rice
3 cubes chicken bullion
3 cups water
2 Tb. sugar
juice of 1 lime
2 Tb. cilantro, finely chopped (optional)

1. Melt butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, pepper, and garlic. Saute until translucent. Add rice and cook until lightly browned. Add chicken bullion and water, cover and simmer over low heat for 25 minutes or until water is completely cooked out. Let stand 5 minutes.
2. Mix lime juice with sugar, pour over rice and fluff with a fork. Top with cilantro if desired.

Pickled Cucumber Salad

I love this salad: let me just get that out in the open right now. This is a salad that my sister Mica has made for several family get-togethers. Every time she makes it, I savor it and love every bite, then beg for the recipe...and then she promptly forgets to give it to me. I was finally able to get the recipe from her (because I needed to bring this to her birthday dinner!) and I am thrilled to be able to make it any time I want to now.

It's super simple (only 5 ingredients) and even quicker if you use a food processor to slice the cucumbers. This is a great way to use up extra cucumbers from your garden (and shallots and jalapenos if you grow those too--our jalapenos died but our shallots did great!). It tastes fresh and delicious, just perfect for enjoying during these last weeks of summer (can you tell I'm going through summer-is-ending denial? I keep posting all sorts of summery recipes because I want to hang on to summer just as long as I can). We served this with Thai chicken, rice, and Matt's Thai Chicken soup (how do we not have a picture of that? It is amazing)! I had the leftovers the next day with a BLT. Pretty much, it's good with just about anything, and makes for a very refreshing side dish!

Pickled Cucumber Salad

2 English (hot house) cucumbers, thinly sliced
2 Tb. salt
4 medium shallots, thinly sliced
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup + 2 Tb. granulated sugar

1. Toss sliced cucumber with salt (the salt draws the excess liquid out of the cucumber, this is important so that the salad is not waterery). Let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature, discard liquid, and pat cucumber dry with paper towels.
2. Toss together cucumbers, shallots, and jalapenos. Combine vinegar and sugar in small bowl and mix well. Pour over cucumber mixture and stir to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 24 hours. (I think this is best about 2 hours after it is made, that way the cucumber has time to soak up the vinegar but it doesn't get mushy).

Italian Pasta Salad

If you are like me, during the summer you have approximately 593,000 barbecues and potlucks to attend. I'm always trying to think of salads, side dishes, and treats to bring along with me. This is one of my favorites to make--it is quick, delicious, cheap, and it's always a hit. One of the great things about this salad is that it's very versatile. Swap out the olives for cucumbers. Omit the pepperoni. Change the cheddar for mozzarella. Use balsamic vinaigrette instead of Italian dressing. Leave out the crushed red pepper if you don't want it spicy. My favorite dressing to use on this salad is Kraft Roasted Red Pepper or Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette. The possibilities are endless!

Italian Pasta Salad

1 lb. tri-color rotini, cooked and cooled
8 oz. cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes (1/4 - 1/2 inch)
1 can (6 oz.) black olives, drained and sliced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 oz. pepperoni, sliced or cubed
1/2 bottle Italian salad dressing, or to taste
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)

Combined all ingredients and toss. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 8 hours. Enjoy!

World's Best Breadsticks

This recipe is adapted from a recipe I got from my friend Kim. Her mom used to make them for her family all the time growing up, and now that I have tried them I can definitely see why. My husband says that these are the best breadsticks ever. In fact, they're so good that I made them especially for him for father's day today. Everyone else that had them loved them too. And they're simple to whip up and can be ready in less than an hour.
World's Best Breadsticks

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tb. SAF instant yeast
2 Tb. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 1/4 cups flour
1 cube butter
garlic salt
Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook, combine yeast and water until yeast is dissolved and frothy. Add sugar, salt, and flour. Mix until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Let rise for 10 minutes.
2. Melt butter and pour into a large (half-sheet) baking pan.
3. Spray clean counter top, rolling pin, and hands with cooking spray (the dough is very sticky so don't skip this step!). Roll dough out into a large rectangle. Cut dough with pizza cutter (sprayed with cooking spray) into twelve long pieces. Roll each dough piece in butter, and twist to form a breadstick, then place in pan. Sprinkle with garlic salt and Parmesan to taste.
4. Let raise 15 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 - 18 minutes. These are best warm out of the oven. Enjoy!

Balsamic Brown Butter Asparagus

I love asparagus. Nothing says spring to me like crispy, fresh green asparagus. It might have something to do with the fact that my grandpa had an orchard and grew asparagus in the orchard...so I grew up not only eating it (a lot) but also picking it fresh from the orchard. I thought this recipe was a WOW...and even my asparagus-hating husband said "it's not too bad." I take that as a high compliment since he normally won't even look at it, let alone taste it. If you like asparagus, definitely try it--it's great!


Balsamic Brown Butter Asparagus

1 lb. asparagus spear, washed and trimmed
cooking spray
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
2 Tb. butter
1 -2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay asparagus in single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook for 3 minutes or until lightly browned, shaking pan occasionally so it doesn't burn. Make sure to watch carefully--you want it to brown, but not burn!
3. Remove butter from heat and stir in balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. Drizzle over the roasted asparagus, tossing to coat well.

Baked Beans

Hello friends! I've missed you! Sorry that it's been so long since I've written. Here's the thing: I'm 13 weeks pregnant and food is just not appealing to me right now. But, today I had a hankering for some baked beans so I whipped these up for dinner. This recipe comes from my mother-in-law Sandy. The first time she made these baked beans, I begged for the recipe, and I've never gone back. I know there are some kind of strange ingredients in this recipe, but trust me, these are delicious. Enjoy!

Baked Beans

4 small (or 2 large) cans Pork & Beans
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 pound bacon, diced
1/3 cup molasses
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 Tb yellow mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. parsley flakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook bacon & onion in large skilled. Drain.
3. In large casserole dish or 9 x 13 pan combine all ingredients. Mix well. Cover with tinfoil.
4. Bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake for another 30 minutes.

Lemon Fruit Salad

Let's just say this. This is my very favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner. I love it. Can't get enough of it. And look forward to it all year long. It's a classic from my Aunt Mary. Make it. Enjoy it. Love it. Come back for more. Sorry about the horrible pictures...just know it's amazing.

Lemon Fruit Salad

1 can lemon pie filling
1 8 oz. package cool whip
1 lb. strawberries, sliced
3 bananas, sliced
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 1/2 cups pineapple chunks
2 cups miniature marshmallows

Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve, not more than 12 hours. Enjoy!

Honey Chipotle Black Beans

This is a recipe I've been fiddling around with for a while. I think I've pretty much got it down now.

Super Easy Honey Chipotle Black Beans:

Ingredients-
3 cans black beans (yes, canned beans- this is where the easy part comes in)
1 TB vegetable oil
1 medium onion- diced
1 green pepper- diced
1/2 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce- peppers removed and minced
(this will make it about medium heat- adjust the amount to your desired heat)
2 cloves garlic- minced
Honey
Salt
Pepper
Cumin
1 lime- juiced
Cilantro- finely chopped

Directions-
1- Open one can of black beans, dump into a bowl and mash them. You're trying to make a paste that thickens the beans. I usually just use the back of a large spoon to crush it. Once this can is mashed combine it with the other two cans.
2- On medium, heat the vegetable oil in a large pot (a 6 quart or so Dutch oven works great).
3- Add the onion, green pepper, chipotle peppers and garlic to the heated oil to make a sofrito. Sautee over medium heat until onions and peppers are soft and tender.
4- Add the beans and turn the heat down to low. Let it simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes or so. Just look to see when it gets to the thickness you want. The longer it cooks, the thicker it will get.
5- Add salt, pepper and cumin to taste (I like a lot of cumin). Add in the honey. (Really the amount depends on how sweet you like it. I would say I do around a tablespoon or so, which is fairly moderate sweetness.) Simmer for a few more minutes, stirring more frequently.
6- Take off the heat. Add the lime juice and cilantro, mixing them in with everything else. Let cool just a little before serving.

I think that you'll find that these are some very tasty beans. Much better than just opening a can. This is a vegetarian recipe, but if you wanted to add a little meat, bacon is mighty tasty in it. It's also possible to omit the chipotle peppers, making it much milder, but I'd recommend increasing the cumin and decreasing the honey then. Serve this with rice and your favorite Latin dish (be it Mexican, Cuban or what have you).

Grilled Pineapple

If you have ever been to Tucanos or a similar Brazilian grill, you know how good their grilled pineapple is. That is my very favorite thing there, and I'm lucky if I can leave without having at least 4 pieces of pineapple. Since it is so delicious, we decided to try it at home...and it turns out nearly as good (not quite since we're not slow roasting it over an open flame for hours). We've been having this every couple of weeks lately and it's always a hit. Grilling the pineapple adds a lot of flavor and really intensifies the sweetness. You can serve it with any meat (teriyaki chicken is very good with it) or chop it up and use it on pizza or in salads. You could also drizzle with a little caramel and pecans and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Grilled Pineapple

1 fresh pineapple, outside and core removed, and cut into slices or spears
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 - 3 T. water
dash cinnamon

Combine brown sugar, water, and cinnamon. Brush over pineapple slices/spears. Grill on medium heat for 3 - 5 minutes on each side, turning once.