It’s that odd time of year again. The period where it’s definitely NOT cool, fall weather yet, but I’m sick to death of summer and want warm, comforting meals. I’m tired of ice cream and popsicles and watermelons. I want fall food. I want sweet potatoes and pumpkins and SOUP! Well, today, I gave myself the best of both worlds! I managed to satisfy my craving for cool weather food, while still taking advantage of summer vegetables. I decided to make a hearty, delicious minestrone using veggies that are still in season. A great success! I went to Sprouts and loaded up on fresh summer vegetables- fresh green beans, tomatoes, zucchini, spinach- tons of goodies! This was a really delicious pot of soup! Plus there’s plenty for our dinner tomorrow night too (I go back to start teaching the kiddos tomorrow, so coming home to a ready-made meal will be quite nice!). Give this one a try- it’s definitely satisfying and comforting, yet really fresh and bright!
Minestrone with Summer Vegetables
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
*4 roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (alternatively, you can use one 14-oz. can)
3 carrots, chopped
2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed (snap off the ends, then snap in half)
2 medium zucchini, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 bunch fresh spinach, thoroughly washed and roughly chopped
1 can Cannellini beans, drained
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 cup ditalini pasta (any small pasta is fine)
1/4 cup dry red wine (you can leave this out if you want)
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1 bay leaf
Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add in the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for one minute more. Add in the tomatoes, carrots, green beans, zucchini, mushrooms, chicken broth, water, wine, salt and pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the spinach, cannelloni beans and pasta. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, then check for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Stir in the parsley at the last minute. Remove the bay leaf. Serve.
Top with fresh grated parmesan cheese, a drizzle of olive oil and parsley. Enjoy!
*To peel the tomatoes, cut a small ‘x’ in the bottom and place in a pot of boiling water for about 1 minute. Remove from water and immediately place in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. The peels should come right off.
One of my great loves is peach tea. There’s just not much better than sipping a cold, crisp glass of iced tea with the subtle kiss of peach on a hot summer day! For awhile now, I’ve been making my own. It’s so amazingly simple- all you need is a little peach simple syrup. Make one batch and add a little to individual glasses, or just dump the whole thing in a large pitcher for a crowd. You can also use it for tons of other things- drizzle it over a warm pound cake just out of the oven, flavor mixed drinks with it, brush a little over the tops of cupcakes before icing them to keep them moist…the list goes on! There are so many great uses for simple syrup, and this peach flavored one is definitely a keeper!
Peach Simple Syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 peaches, pitted and sliced
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together the water, sugar and peaches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
When the syrup is cooled, line a strainer with a paper towel (this will help catch all the peach fuzz and small bits) and strain the syrup into a storage container. Refrigerate until needed.
*This recipe only makes a small amount (enough to flavor one pitcher of tea), so I’d recommend doubling it if you want to use it for multiple things. Never hurts to have too much! 🙂 It will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks at least!
Mmmm, yummy peach tea!!!
Speaking of quick, easy meals you can throw together on a moment’s notice… Quiche is always a perfect solution for a busy weeknight. Not only that, but it’s down-right delicious and satisfying! I think the thing I love most about quiche is its versatility- you can throw in almost any kinds of vegetables, cheeses or seasonings you want! I mean, anything you’ve got in your pantry, freezer or crisper drawer can be baked into a quiche- amazing!
Here’s some good news: I’m getting a new car!! WOAH! That IS good news, eh? 😉 So that means, instead of meal planning and focusing on what kinds of things I should cook for dinner each night, I’m thinking about what color I’d like my new SUV to be, what kinds of music should I listen to while I’m cruising around town, and most importantly, what kind of outfits go best with my new car. Yeah, that’s right. I went “new car clothes shopping” yesterday. If I’m going to have a spanking fresh, new car, I’m going to need a couple of new outfits…DUH. 😉 So, obviously, that didn’t leave a lot of time for meal planning. That’s why this quiche is perfect- I had no idea what I was going to make for dinner, and somehow, at the last minute, I ended up with a beautiful meal! TA-DAH!! And so far, I think this is my favorite combination of vegetables in a quiche- they all went really well together and we ate like pigs, it was so good! Give it a try!
Spinach, Zucchini and Mushroom Quiche
1 9-inch pie crust, unbaked (store-bought works just fine here!)
7 large eggs
3/4 cup half and half
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1 medium zucchini, cut in half and sliced into pieces
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 small box frozen spinach, thawed and drained of all water
1 small can mushrooms (fresh would be even better)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Press the pie crust into a quiche pan or a pie plate. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the half and half; stir in the salt, black pepper, white pepper and cheese. Add in the vegetables and stir to combine. Pour into the prepared pie crust and bake for 35-55 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted comes out clean (*My oven cooks a little faster, so it only took 35 minutes, but it could take longer in different ovens. Just keep an eye on it after about 30 minutes). It shouldn’t be too jiggly when you pull it out. Let sit for 5 minutes before cutting.
Yep. School has started up again. Moms and dads find themselves suddenly without the comfortable breathing room summer brings and back into that familiar, constantly hurried schedule for the next 9 months. Band practice, football scrimmages, choir concerts, student council meetings…. It’s the same story for me, even. Although I have no kids, it’s time for me, too to get back to school. Back to preparing high school girls for their All-State Choir auditions coming up. Back to being forced to constantly listen to, “OMG, did you see Glee last night?! It was like, SO awesome!”(….I’m SICK of Don’t Stop Believin’). And back to being really, really busy. But that’s really ok. I like my job very much. But like busy moms and dads, I know how hard it is to come home after a long day and get a nice meal on the table (except parents have to do it before it’s time for band practice). That’s why I’ve decided to help you out a little. Here are some of my favorite, EASY, quick meals, perfect for a busy weeknight. Hopefully it’ll help make your life a little easier. At least on the dinner front. 😉
Creamy Taco Mac – just like it’s evil, store-bought twin, Hamburger Helper, this is super quick and super easy! Although, not nearly as bad for you! You control what goes in it, and most importantly, it’s super yummy!
No-Bake Stuffed Peppers – since you don’t have to wait for these to bake in an oven, they take no time! This is my mom’s recipe and every single time I make it, it’s perfect. No fuss, and really, really good!
Southwestern Skillet – this literally takes minutes to make. Stock up on cans of corn, black beans and Ro-tel tomatoes, and you can make it anytime! This is perfect for leftover chicken or beef, and extremely versatile – add in any veggies you like!
Texas Chicken Quesadillas – I love these. My hubby loves these. How can you go wrong with caramelized onions, chicken, bbq sauce and cheese?! Golly, I’m drooling just thinking about them! If you have kids, they may not love the caramelized onion part, but who knows- they may discover a new favorite! You could always leave the onions out of the kiddos’…that leaves more for you! YUM!
Kung Pao Chicken and Fried Rice – don’t order out for greasy Chinese food! Make this instead! Not only is it insanely quick and easy (the fried rice takes about 5 minutes, no kidding), it’s GOOD! This is a favorite in our house!
Easy Weeknight Casserole – I think the title says it all. I make this all the time. It’s comforting, hearty and most importantly, quick. Serve with a nice salad and you’ve got a good meal on the table in no time!
And since you can never go wrong with soup, I’m adding my ‘Soups/Stews’ tag to the list. They’re all really, really easy and don’t require much cooking time.
So there you have it- some of my favorite go-to meals when I’m tired after a long day. Hopefully they’ll be helpful to you; who knows, you may even find some future favorites!
Fried pies are a very old thing. Old as in, my great-grandmother and her mother before her were making them for their kids’ lunch pails a loooong time ago. Anytime there was leftover fruit or pie crust, you made fried pies. Simple as that. They’re the perfect hand-held size with the perfect fruit-to-pastry ratio. A genius little invention, the fried pie. My mom makes them a lot now, too. She made these, in fact. You can use your favorite pie crust, or if you’re in a hurry you can use a refrigerated one. These are so simple, and since they’re baked instead of fried, you don’t get near as much of the fat (although, they sure taste good fried!). These are flaky, sweet, and full of delicious fruit filling- I love them. And I love their simplicity.
[Baked] Apricot Fried Pies
*the dough and assembly process is taken from The Pastry Queen (seen on Delish); the filling is my mother’s.
For the pastry:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup ice water
1 egg, beaten with a tablespoon of water (for egg wash)
Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes. Work the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Add the ice water and gently form the dough into a ball. Divide the dough into two halves.
For the Filling:
approx. 15 fresh apricots, pitted and cut into halves
1 cup sugar
water
Put the apricots and sugar in a large pot and fill with just enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for at least 20 minutes, or until most of the water has cooked out and you have a thick fruit filling. Let cool.
To assemble the pies:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Flour a smooth surface and roll out each half to 1/16-inch thick (just thicker than a tortilla) and cut into 5-inch rounds. Re-roll the scraps and cut additional rounds. Fill each round with 1 heaping Tablespoon of filling. Fold the dough into a half-circle; wet your fingers and press to seal the edges with water. Crimp the edges with the tines of a fork to seal the pies. Cut two 1/2-inch slits in each pie. Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with a little sugar.
Bake on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Makes approx. 12 pies.
Here’s another one of those versatile, simple meals that requires little time and can be made with things you already have in your pantry. It’s relatively low-fat too! It starts out with a little macaroni pasta and the Sing For Your Supper Holy Trinity – Ro-tel Tomatoes, Mexi-corn and black beans. Throw in a packet of taco seasoning, a little milk for creaminess and cubed chicken and you’ve got a pretty tasty meal all ready to go! Some sliced zucchini or squash would be fantastic in here, too! Any veggies you like! Alternatively, you could use some ground turkey or beef if you don’t have chicken on hand. That’s the beauty of this dish- you can add in or take out anything you want to make it your own!
Creamy Southwestern Pasta
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 pound macaroni
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes
1 can Mexi-corn, drained (if your grocery store doesn’t have this, regular corn is just fine. This is just corn with green and red peppers)
1 small packet taco seasoning (or you can use a homemade blend)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cheese, divided
Boil the pasta until al dente. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil and saute the onion and pepper over medium heat for about 7-10 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add in the cubed chicken. When the chicken is cooked through, add in the tomatoes, beans, corn, seasoning and milk. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Stir in the pasta and half of the cheese. Cook for 5 more minutes. When ready to serve, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Enjoy!
*I also threw in some pickled jalapeno peppers at the end, but if you don’t like heat, leave them out!
Since music is such a big part of this blog (and my life), I thought it might be fun to introduce the song that started it all to all of you. I realized that many of you probably have never even heard the song “Sing For Your Supper”…so I set out immediately to fix that. Here’s just a silly little video of all my favorite food pics set to Dawn Upshaw (my favorite opera singer) singing “Sing For Your Supper” from The Boys From Syracuse by Rogers and Hart. Like I said, just a little something silly that I wanted to share with you…
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And just so you know, this video will be on my ‘About’ page from now on, so now there will be a song to go along with the description! Fun! 🙂
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Anybody who knows me, reads my blog, or has been in a room with me for at least 3 seconds knows that I crave chocolaty, rich, over-sweet desserts (well, that and the fact that I’m a little weird and kind of “all over the place”, but that’s neither here nor there); but lately, I’ve had a taste for something different. I’ve never been a huge fan of those desserts that are only a little sweet (i.e. pound cake), but yesterday, the craving hit and I decided it was imperative that I bake a pound cake. For some reason I was craving that slightly sweet, dense, buttery taste that comes only from a pound cake. And, as luck would have it, I remembered some gorgeous blueberries I had bought and frozen earlier in the summer. Perfect. I chose Paula Deen’s recipe for her mama’s pound cake (if P.D.’s mom made it, it’s probably really good). I was more than pleasantly surprised. I had a piece warm out of the oven with a little (ok, a lot) of butter smeared on it….heavens to Betsy! My craving was satisfied. This was one fantastic pound cake! The blueberries don’t add a lot of extra sweetness- just a fresh, subtle blueberry flavor that goes perfectly with the buttery, tender cake. I’m in love, I tell you!
Blueberry Pound Cake
-adapted from Paula Deen
1 stick butter, plus more for pan
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 heaping cup fresh blueberries (If you’re using frozen, don’t thaw beforehand)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
With a mixer, cream butter and shortening together. Add sugar, a little at a time. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Stir dry ingredients together in a bowl and add to mixer alternately with milk, starting with the flour and ending with the flour. Mix in vanilla. Gently fold in the blueberries. Pour into a greased and floured 9×5 loaf pan and bake for 60-70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
*Toss the blueberries with a little flour before stirring them into the batter- this keeps them from sinking to the bottom during baking.
I don’t know if you can tell from the picture (that was my hope), but this cake is incredibly moist and has a beautiful, tender crumb! SO good!
Good mornin’, good moooornin’! It’s great to stay up late, good mornin’, good mornin’ to you! Sorry. Hope you don’t mind if I hit you with a little Debbie Reynolds this morning! A personal favorite of mine…Anyway, I’m particularly excited about these muffins- they’re the perfect way to wake up in the morning! They’re cheery, colorful and full of tons of juicy, delicious fruit – who wouldn’t want to have one of these first thing in the morning?! I got the idea for these from my favorite kind of yogurt – Yoplait makes a strawberry-orange-banana yogurt called “Strawberry Orange Sunrise” and it’s super delicious! I thought it would be fun to create a muffin based on these flavors, and while I’m at it, go ahead and add in a little fresh peach (YUM!). So I got in the kitchen with my Michael Jackson blaring (yes, there was indeed some booty-shaking involved…not gonna lie) and whipped these little babies up. They’re moist, fruity and just perfect with a cup of hot coffee bright and early in the morning! Enjoy!
Strawberry Orange Sunrise Muffins
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 stick butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ripe bananas
1 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and chopped
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 medium-sized peach, peeled and chopped
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners. In a small bowl, mash the bananas. Add the strawberries, orange juice and peach. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar, cooled butter, eggs and vanilla extract.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined (you’ll have a very thick batter). Gently stir in the fruit mixture. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Makes about 18 muffins.
I tend to forget about Cajun food. It’s pretty simple and straight-forward and always totally delicious, yet for some reason, I never think about making it. However, every time I do, I always think to myself, “I really should make this more often!”. Just one of those things, I guess. But not anymore! I promise, dear Cajun food, that I won’t neglect you anymore!
Now, I know I already have a recipe for okra gumbo posted, but this one is a teensy bit more involved and more complex than the other. Plus, it’s pretty much an entirely different recipe, and I thought you should have both! This isn’t a real, honest-to-goodness ‘Nawlins style gumbo that starts with a roux. Honestly, I’m not a big fan of that “deep” (*cough* burnt) flavor it gives, so I started mine with some good ‘ol bacon grease (to all my gumbo aficionados out there, please don’t hate me). I sort of just threw some things together and ended up with one fantastic tasting gumbo! The great news is, this made a giant pot, so we had enough for 2 meals!
Sausage and Okra Gumbo
3 or 4 strips bacon
1 small onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 15-oz. can chopped tomatoes
1 bag frozen okra (I don’t actually know the size- it’s probably around 4-6 cups), thawed
1 package fully cooked turkey sausage (14 oz.), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup rice
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s seasoning
4 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste (you won’t need much salt at all since Tony C. has salt in it)
Cook rice according to instructions on packaging. In a large dutch oven or stock pot, heat the bacon over medium heat and render fat. Remove the bacon and set aside. Add onion, pepper and celery and cook for 7-10 minutes, or until onions are slightly translucent. Add tomatoes (with their juice), okra, seasonings and chicken broth. Add the bacon back to the pot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Add sausage and rice. Cook for 10-15 more minutes (if it gets too thick for your liking, feel free to add a little more chicken broth or even a little water). Remove the bacon and bay leaves and serve.
*The okra can be a little “slimy” sometimes; adding a splash of white vinegar at the end helps to cut through the sliminess, and you’ll never know it’s there.
