Winter Pear Salad

Staying in this Valentines Weekend?  

Enjoy this beautiful salad as part of your Valentines dinner menu!

Winter Pear Salad

Dressing:

5 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon chopped green onions

Salt and fresh ground pepper

Mix dressing ingredients in jar, shake well and refrigerate.

Salad

½ head green leaf lettuce, washed and torn

½ head red leaf lettuce, washed and torn

2 ripe d’anjou pears, thinly sliced

2 ounces Asiago cheese, shredded

½ cup cashews, toasted*

In salad bowl, combine greens, 1 ½ sliced pears, cheese, and ¾ of the dressing. Arrange remaining pears, cashews and sprinkle some extra cheese over salad. Drizzle remaining dressing.

*Toasted cashews: place on foil-lined baking sheet and toast at 350°F for 10 minutes.

Italian Soup

ITALIAN SAUSAGE PASTA SOUP

1 POUND MILD ITALIAN SAUSAGE
2 CARROTS- PEELED AND CHOPPED
1/2 ONION- CHOPPED (COOK WITH SAUSAGE)
2 CLOVES OF GARLIC-CHOPPED FINE
6 CUPS CHICKEN BROTH
1 CAN DICED TOMATOES (14.5 OZ.)- CHOPPED FINE WITH THE JUICE INCLUDED
1 CAN NORTHERN WHITE BEANS- (15 OZ. CAN-RINSE AND DRAIN FIRST)
1/2 T. DRIED BASIL
1 CUP PASTA ( LITTLE SHELLED TYPE)
1/2 CUP PARMESAN CHEESE (PARMESAN CHEESE SHREDDED IN PACKAGE)


COOK MEAT AND ONION TOGETHER. DRAIN AND RINSE WITH WATER.
ADD CARROTS AND GARLIC.
ADD BROTH, TOMATOES, BEANS AND BASIL. BRING TO A BOIL.
ADD PASTA- COOK FOR 7 MINUTES.
STIR GOOD AND LET SIMMER.
SPRINKLE CHEESE ON TOP WHEN YOU SERVE THE SOUP.

Chile Corn Bread Salad

Chili Cornbread Salad
(Southern Living)

1 (6 oz.) package Mexican Cornbread Mix
1 (4.5-oz) can chopped green chilis (optional)
1 (1 oz) package Ranch dressing mix
1 (8 oz.) container light sour cream
1 cup light mayonnaise
2 (16 oz.) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 (15 oz.) cans whole kernel corn, drained
3 tomatoes, chopped
10 bacon slices cooked and crumbled
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup sliced green onions
Lettuce leaves

PREPARE cornbread mix according to package directions, adding chopped green chilies, if preferred; cool.
COMBINE dressing mix, sour cream and mayonnaise

CRUMBLE half of cornbread into a large bowl. Top with half of each of pinto beans, sour cream mixture, chopped bell pepper, and next 5 ingredients. Repeat layers, starting with cornbread and ending with green onions.

COVER and chill 2 hours. Serve salad in lettuce-lined bowls.

**Serving a salsa on the side is a nice addition.

Spinach Salad

I first experienced this yummy salad 9 years ago when a dear friend invited us over for dinner. It still remains one of my favorite salads as well as a favorite for many others, hope you enjoy it.

Spinach Salad
2 Bunches fresh spinach
1 Small purple onion
3/4 lb Fresh mushrooms
3/4 lb. Swiss cheese
1 Cup Cottage cheese
1/2 lb bacon - crisp and crumbled -- toss all ingredients together

Dressing
3/4 T. Poppy seeds
1/3 Cup white vinegar
1/2 Cup oil
1/3 Cup sugar
3/4 T. Grated onion
3/4 Tsp. salt
1/3 Tsp. mustard

Grilling for Dad!

Happy Father's Day to all of our Favorite Dads - there is nothing better than enjoying an outdoor BBQ with the friends and family that you love. One of our favorite picks is KC Masterpiece, not too sweet but with the perfect zest and tang! http://www.kcmasterpiece.com/

Dinner Accessories

The perfect "accessory" to any main meal. Here is a yummy option to try out.

Steam your green beans just until slightly soft but still crunchy -- drain any water.
Sprinkle and toss with Olive Oil and Garlic Salt -- for an extra flare you can add in some sliced almonds.

Enjoy!

Magical Stew

Magically Easy Stew

1 ½ pounds beef stew meat, cubed

1 onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, diced

½ green pepper, coarsely chopped

6 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces

3 large potatoes, peeled & cut into large pieces

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. ground pepper

1 tsp. sugar

1 bay leaf or oregano to taste

2 Tbls. parsley

3 Tbls. Minute Tapioca

2 cups tomato juice or V-8

Place beef in large heavy casserole cooker with a tight fitting lid (DON'T BROWN THE MEAT FIRST). Add onions, celery, green pepper, carrots and potatoes. Combine the salt, pepper, sugar, seasoning, parsley and tapioca with the two cups of tomato juice. Pour this mixture over the vegetables and meat. DO NOT STIR. Cover tightly and cook 3 hours at 325 degrees or 4 hours at 275 degrees.

DO NOT PEAK!

*you can do this in a crockpot, four hours on high and again, do not peak! If your crockpot tends to cook HOT (like mine does, you may want to stop at 3 1/2 hours)

Winter Cheese Soup

Feeling the Chill in the air? -- Well actually, we are still very hot in CA but I like to pretend it's turning cold and get out our favorite Soup recipes. Enjoy this one,
we have been loving it for years.

Cheese Soup
In a Heavy Soup pot:
Melt 2 Sticks Butter
1 Cup Flour
stir to make a paste

Add in:
4 Cups Water
4 Cups Broth
begin stirring until thickened

Add in:
1 lb. Velveeta Cheese (cut into squares)
1 - 2 Cups diced carrots
1 - 2 Cups fresh broccoli
optional: 1 Cup diced potato's
note: vegetables need to be steamed before adding to soup
and vegetables can be any desired amount

Simmer on stove for 20 minutes

Serving tips, works well to cut recipe in half if serving for a smaller group. And, for something fun, try serving it in bread bowls or serve with french bread and a fresh bowl of grapes for a complete dinner.

Ultimate Friday Night Pizza Party!

Friday Favorite, Pizza Night!

Stay in tonight, watch your favorite movie and whip up some fresh homemade pizza's!
Your family and friends will be coming back for more!

Ultimate Pizza Dough
(From the Disney Family Cookbooks)
You can prepare this dough ahead of time and store the rolled out rounds in the freezer (stack them between sheets of waxed paper.

2 Tsp. active dry yeast
1 Cup warm water
1 Tsp. salt
3 Cups all-purpose flour
1 to 2 Tbls. virgin olive oil
additional flour or cornmeal for rolling out your dough

In a bowl of a mixer, dissolve the yeast in water and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the salt, flour and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mix until the dough forms a ball. If using a mixer, gradually add flour 1/2 cup at a time (if the mixture is hard to work, add extra olive oil). Turn the dough out onto a surface dusted with flour or cornmeal and knead briefly until smooth. Lightly oil a med. size bowl and turn the dough in the bowl to coat. Cover with a damp dish towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free area for 1 to 2 hours.

Punch dough down and place onto floured surface. Flatten into a disc and divide into four or eight equal portions with a knife or spatula. Roll out each portion, stretching gently with your hands and set on a cookie sheet. Makes 4 12-inch crusts or 8 individual ones.

Top your ultimate pizza dough round with your favorite toppings and place in a pre-heated oven at 450 degrees. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese melts and the crusts are golden brown.

Topping Ideas:
Pizza Sauce
Cheese
Pineapple
Canadian Bacon
Mushrooms
Green Pepper
Onions
Pepperoni
Olives
Basil
Tomatoes

Tuscan Bread Salad

Tuscan Bread Salad

1 loaf dense crusty bread

1 large ball of fresh Mozzarella cheese

1 large tomato

1 yellow or red pepper

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

Dressing:

1 clove garlic, minced

6 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons Balsamic or red wine vinegar

salt and pepper, to taste

Combine dressing ingredients and blend well; set aside. Cut cheese, tomato and pepper into 1-inch cubes and transfer to salad bowl with chopped basil. Pour dressing over cheese and veggies to marinate while cutting and toasting bread. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes and toast in oven until lightly brown. Add bread cubes to salad bowl and mix well to coat all pieces. Serve immediately.

Southwest Pork Tortilla's

Southwest Pork Tortilla's

6 lbs. pork

1 16 oz. salsa

1 can coke (do not use diet)

2 cups brown sugar

Place pork in crock pot and fill it ½ way up the pork with water. Cook on high for 5 hours. Drain off water. Cut pork into thirds. Mix together sauce and put on top of pork. Cook an additional 3 hours on high. Shred pork with forks. Leave on low until ready to serve.

Creamy Cilantro Dressing

Make one packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing according to directions. Once set, put into blender with:

2 tommatillos (peel off their little shell) (use 3 if they are small)

2 jalapeno peppers (cut off tops and cut out all seeds)

2 tsp. lime juice

¾ bunch cilantro

1 clove garlic

Dash of salt and pepper

Blend – let sit in fridge for 20 minutes.

Stuffed Mushrooms

With the holiday season quickly approaching, here is a recipe to pull out and share. Whether it is the neighborhood open-house potluck, the PTA-sponsored parent-teacher conference meal, or having friends over for an evening of fun, this hot appetizer will not disappoint.

Stuffed Mushrooms
1 lb. fresh & large mushrooms
1 lb. pork mild sausage
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 onion, finely chopped
1/4 c. stuffing mix (Pepperidge Farm brand is great)
Garlic salt
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Remove stems from mushrooms by carefully twisting the stem. Save about 10 stems and chop. Brown sausage, add chopped onions and stems. Add cream cheese and stuffing mix; season with garlic salt and Worcestershire sauce. Stuff each mushroom cap with a spoonful of the mixture. Bake at 350°F in a 9x13 baking dish until water starts to come out of the mushrooms (about 10 minutes). Serve warm.

Fabulous Pasta Salad

When you are in a pinch, we have a solution. I make sure to always keep a few of the salad ingredients on my pantry shelf and then improvise with what is in the refrigerator's crisper. In minutes you have a colorful pasta salad to share with a crowd!

The Perfect Pasta Salad

1 lb. pasta cooked to package directions (I like bow tie or tri-colored spirals)
1 16 oz. bottle Zesty Italian Dressing
1 Tbls. Italian Seasoning
1 Tbls. Salad Supreme
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1 can chick peas, rinsed
1 small can sliced olives

From here you can be creative:
cherry tomatoes
cucumber
small broccoli florets
1/2 - 1 green or red pepper, chopped
1/4 purple onion, chopped
carrot, chopped
pepperoni or diced ham

Toss all ingredients, except Italian dressing, in large bowl. Add approx. 3/4 of the dressing and toss well. Refrigerate. Before serving, stir and you may want to add some additional dressing. The salad is even better the next day!

Stuffed Chicken Pillows -- Delightful!

This is a family favorite at our house. Hope you enjoy!

CHICKEN PILLOWS

2-3 cups chicken (cooked and cubed)
2 cans Pillsbury crescent rolls (I use reduced fat)
6 oz. cream cheese (softened)
1 to 1½ Tbls. Chives
⅛ tsp. salt
⅛ tsp. pepper
4 Tbls. margarine or butter (softened)
3 oz. can mushrooms drained (save juice)*
½ c. chopped nuts (optional)
bread crumbs or crushed seasoned croutons
1 can cream of chicken soup (condensed)
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. lemon juice

Mix nuts and crumbs together and set aside.

Mix cream cheese, chives, salt, pepper and margarine until smooth. Add mushrooms and chicken to filling (may want to add some of the mushroom juice to filling if too thick – I usually do not). Take crescent rolls and stretch to a triangle. Put ⅛ to ¼ cup filling in triangle and pinch two corners to top corner together to make a square.

Melt 2 to 3 Tbls. butter and brush each side of roll and then roll into seasoned crumbs. Bake at 350º F for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.

SAUCE:

Combine 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 one cup sour cream and lemon juice. Heat until warm. Serve sauce over the puffs.

*I usually make 1/2 of the batch with mushrooms and the other half plain

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Rice Pilaf
Steamed carrots and broccoli
Fresh fruit

The Perfect BLT

Take Advantage of the Fall Tomato Harvest, indulge in making your favorite whole wheat bread and enjoy a forever CLASSIC!

Whole Wheat Bread
Crisp Bacon
Fresh Sliced Tomatoes
Fresh Lettuce
1 tsp. mayo

And, Enjoy!

Sizzling Homemade Fajitas

A Perfect Summer Dinner!

Fajita Marinade

2 ¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
¾ tsp. garlic powder
¾ tsp. oregano
1 1/3 Tbls. vegetable oil
1 cup orange juice
3 Tbls. lemon juice
2 tsp. vinegar

Mix well. Pour over 2-3 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or flank steak (cut flank steak diagonally into strips). Marinade at least 3 hours. (I marinade in a Ziploc bag.) Grill meat and slice into strips. Saute onion and green, red and yellow peppers in 1-2 Tbls. olive oil. Combine meat and vegetables. Serve with pico de gallo, cheese, tomatoes, guacamole, and sour cream on fresh tortillas.

Southwest Turkey Burgers

These have become a favorite in our house! They are healthy, full of flavor, easy to make!

3/4 cup Salsa (reserve 1/4 cup for sauce)
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cayenne pepper
1 pound extra lean ground turkey

1/4 cup sour cream
4-6 hamburger buns, depending on how big you like shape the burgers
1/2 cup torn endive
avocado slices
1 medium tomato, chopped

In a large bowl, combine 1/2 cup salsa, cheese and spices into the crumbled ground turkey. Mix well and shape into burgers.

If grilling burgers, coat grill rack with cooking spray. Grill covered over medium heat. Or, you can broil 4 inches from the heat for 7 minutes on each side, thermometer should read 165 degrees and juices run clear.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream and salsa. Place burgers on the buns and top with endive, avocados, chopped tomatoes and sour cream mixture.