Roasted Two Potato Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Today was pretty much a big pile of suck. So sucky in fact, that the only reason I didn't bail on cooking dinner altogether was because I had already hard boiled the eggs. I didn't want to waste my efforts on the eggs, so I went ahead and started roasting the potatoes. Once I got to the "chop the hard boiled eggs" step (original recipe found here), I realized that these lovely eggs were most certainly not hard boiled--who knew it was even possible to screw up hard boiling eggs??! Par for the course on this particular day, apparently. I checked the fridge for anything else I could add to jazz up this salad and came upon some feta. The feta actually worked out perfectly and I'll probably skip the eggs next time I make this anyway--finally a success today!

1 lb. red potatoes
1 large sweet potato
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Pepper
1/2 red onion
1/4 cup feta
Salad greens (I used spinach)

Preheat oven to 450. Chop red potatoes into bite sized pieces. Peel sweet potato and then chop into bite sized pieces. Put all potatoes onto rimmed baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, thinly slice the red onion, then make the dressing. Put spinach, onion and feta in a large bowl. Top with warm potatoes and dressing, then toss and serve.

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine honey, mustard and vinegar in a small bowl. Stream in olive oil while whisking to combine. Taste and adjust as necessary.

Source: acouplecooks.com

California Rice

I made this waaaaaaaay back while I was pregnant and having a sushi craving. This was quick, easy, cheap and (mostly) satisfied my craving--perfect!

Rice
1/2 avocado, diced
1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced
Sesame seeds
Soy sauce

Cook rice and top it with the avocado, cucumber and a sprinkling of sesame seeds. Add soy sauce to taste. The end.

Jalapeno Popper Quiche

We just had this for dinner tonight and Colin loved it so much that I wanted to make sure to post it before I forgot because this will definitely be one I'm making again! It's really easy (although all of the cooking time means it's not the world's quickest thing to throw together) and so delicious. The blog that I originally got the recipe from mentioned that this was served for breakfast, but I thought it worked equally well for dinner. Make this and you won't regret it!

1 9-inch pie shell, pre-baked (I'm sure homemade crust would be even better, but store bought worked just fine)
1/2 cup cream cheese, room temperature
2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cream
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 jalapeno, sliced

Preheat the oven to 350. Spread the cream cheese over the bottom of the pie crust and sprinkle with the diced jalapenos. Heat the milk and cream over medium heat until just before it boils, about 5 minutes, and transfer to a large bowl. Pour the eggs into the heated cream mixture, stirring constantly. Mix in the paprika and salt. Pour the mixture into the pie crust and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with the cheddar cheese, arrange the jalapeno slices on top and bake until the cheese has completely melted and turned golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Source: closetcooking.com

Butternut Squash Soup

Somehow I've gone all my life without ever cooking with butternut squash. I always see recipes using butternut squash, but for some reason I've been a little intimidated to try it. When I finally decided to try this soup I started by Googling how to cut a butternut squash--and good thing I did, because I had no idea where to start and I learned some very handy tips! I'm glad I ventured into a new territory because this soup was so good and was the absolute perfect thing to have on a chilly winter night!

1 tablespoon butter
3 1/2 cups peeled, cubed butternut squash (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
3/4 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup half and half
1/8 teaspoon salt

To prepare soup, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add squash, carrot, and onion; saute for 12 minutes. Add chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in half and half and salt. Place squash mixer in a blender (or use a hand blender) and blend until smooth.

I also made some homemade crutons to add to the soup and served it with a simple salad and cheesy toasts---soooooo good!!

Source: Cooking Light

Easy Thai Pasta

I definitely have tried a few recipes that are pretty similar to this, but what can I say? I'm a sucker for easy recipes and I always LOVE a good peanut sauce!

1/2 cup Italian dressing
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 lb. whole wheat pasta (any shape is fine)
Peanuts, snow peas, celery and bell pepper

Cook pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, in another pot add the Italian dressing, soy sauce, honey, PB and red pepper flakes and stir together to combine. Continue to heat sauce, stirring occasionally. Add veggies and cover, when there is about 5 minutes left for the pasta to cook. When pasta is done, drain and add to pot with sauce and veggies. Stir to combine and serve warm.

Pesto Grilled Cheese

OMG, these were amazing! There isn't really any special recipe to follow (I did get the idea, though, from closetcooking.blogspot.com--one of my very favorite cooking blogs) since it's basically just a grilled cheese with some pesto added in. But seriously, if you love grilled cheese and if you love pesto (which really, why wouldn't you??) you must make this immediately!

It's just these four little ingredients:
Good bread
Butter
Pesto (I just used store bought)
Provolone

I served this with my easy cream of tomato soup and it made for quite the delicious dinner!

Onion, Pepper, Spinach and Pancetta Frittata

I LOVE a good omelet for breakfast, but making my own omelets kinds of intimidates me for some reason (maybe I need to try that "As Seen On TV" special omelets-for-dummies pan?). Luckily, frittatas can pretty much do the job of an omelet without all that scary egg flipping required!

Onion, Pepper, Spinach and Pancetta Frittata

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced pancetta (regular old ham works too or you could omit it all together to go vegetarian)
1/2 cup sliced bell peppers (any color works, I prefer a mixture just for added color)
About 8 oz. of spinach
8 large eggs
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup crumbled feta


Move oven rack to position nearest to broiler and set oven to broil. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Saute onion until translucent and soft. Season with salt and pepper, and add pancetta, spinach and bell peppers. Cook for 4 minutes. Whisk together the eggs and half-and-half and pour mixture into skillet. Stir to arrange fillings evenly and cook until bottom is set. Sprinkle feta on top. Transfer skillet to oven; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until top is set. Cut into slices and serve. Makes 3 servings.

Source: Glamour magazine

Cream of Mushroom Soup

I'm sure I've mentioned before that I am a mushroom lover, and lucky for me, so is Colin! I love pretty much anything and everything with mushrooms and this soup was no exception.

1 lb. mushrooms cleaned and sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup heavy cream
Small handful of parsley, chopped

Toss mushrooms in olive oil, add 1 tablespoon thyme and salt and pepper. Roast the mushrooms in a preheated 400 degree oven until golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. Heat oil in a pan. Add onions and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic, remaining 1 tablespoon thyme and sage and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add roasted mushrooms and broth and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper. Remove from heat and puree with a hand blender. Mix in heavy cream. Garnish with parsley.

Source: closetcooking.blogspot.com

Spinach Artichoke Bread

I LOVE spinach artichoke dip so much that I sometimes want to just order it for my meal instead of being more appropriate and just having it as an appetizer! Colin also would not be thrilled if I told him we were having a dip for dinner, so this gives me my spinach artichoke dip fix, while seeming more like an actual main course--perfect!

1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
10 oz. fresh spinach
2 green onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 package (4 oz.) light cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup grated mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 loaf Italian bread, sliced in half length-wise

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients through Parmesan together, reserving some of the cheese. Hollow 1/2 inch out of the center of both halves of the bread. Spread the mixture into the holes in the bread slices and top with the reserved cheese. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, covered in foil. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Serve warm.

Eggplant Parmesan

Colin has a slight obsession with eggplant parmesan, so I had been wanting to make it for a while, but for some reason was slightly intimidated. I was worried I couldn't make something that would measure up to Colin's restaurant favorites! I'm so glad I went ahead and attempted it anyway because this was SO good and Colin absolutely loved it!

1 large eggplant
Salt
1 1/2 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 eggs
4 tablespoons heavy cream
Tomato sauce
Parmesan cheese
Shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 400. Slice eggplant into 1/2 inch thick rounds. Salt both sides of the eggplant slices and let sit in a colander for 15-20 minutes to draw out bitterness and excess moisture. Place breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. In a second shallow bowl, add eggs and cream and mix well. Pat of moisture from eggplant with paper towels. Dip in egg mixture, then breadcrumbs and place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining slices. Bake for 15 minutes. Place a layer of tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish. Remove eggplant from baking sheet and place on top of sauce layer. Top each piece of eggplant with a spoonful of sauce, dust with parmesan and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake for another 15 minutes until cheese is melted and beginning to brown.

Source: dailydeliciousness.com

Rice, Black Bean and Feta Salad

This was really good when we had it as a side dish with Colin's famous grilled salmon, and it was even better as leftovers the next day.

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 cup cooked rice (I used orzo because, as I've previously mentioned, I have a slight obsession with orzo!)
1 (3.5 oz) package crumbled feta (I used reduced fat)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup green onions
1/2 cup Italian dressing (I don't love Italian dressing, so I subbed in balsamic vinaigrette and it worked perfectly!)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro or parsley (I went with parsley)

Mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate.

Source: Feta cheese package

Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta-Lime Slaw

YUM! These were so good and ended up definitely being worth the effort make the taco shells myself. The feta-lime slaw added a really light, flavorful, fresh taste. I've already used it as a topper for tostadas and shrimp tacos and it was perfect for those as well.

15 oz. can black beans, drained
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 lime, juiced
2 cups premade coleslaw mix
2 green onions, green part only
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
8 corn tortillas
1/2 cup feta

Place beans, cumin and garlic powder in a bowl and partially mash. In a separate bowl, combine coleslaw mix, green onions, cilantro, lime juice, feta and 2 teaspoons oil. Season with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tortillas and heat for 1 minute. Top half with the bean mixture and fold over. Heat 1 minute on each side until crispy and browned. Remove from pan and stuff with coleslaw mixture. Serve immediately.

Source: Bon Appetit magazine

Baked Potato Soup

My attempt at this didn't really turn out all that "soupy", but it was delicious nonetheless.

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
3 cups milk
Salt and pepper
1/2 head cauliflower, cored and chopped
1 bunch scallions, white and green portions thinly sliced separately
4 slices bacon (I omitted the bacon)
1 cup shredded cheddar
1/4 cup sour cream (I used light)

In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes, 2 cups milk and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium-low, add the cauliflower and scallion whites, cover and simmer until tender, 10-15 minutes. Add the remaining one cup milk, then puree the soup. Season with salt and pepper. Microwave the bacon at high power until crisp, 3-4 minutes; crumble (I skipped this step, obviously). Divide the soup among 4 bowls and top with the shredded cheese, sour cream, crumble bacon and scallion greens.

Source: Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine

Tuscany Bread with Cream of Tomato Soup

I made this for lunch on our "snow" day when Colin and I were stuck inside all day. I'm so glad I happened to have all the ingredients on hand because this was soooo good and the perfect warm and cozy (but easy!) meal!

Tuscany Bread

1 small loaf French baguette
Pesto
Couple of handfuls of fresh spinach
4-8 mozzarella slices, just enough to cover the bread
1 small tomato, diced
A few lemon wedges

Heat oven to 375. Brown baguette until the outside is crusty (about 5-8 minutes). Halve bread lengthwise and spread pesto on the cut sides. Add spinach leaves, a few tomatoes and then the cheese. Sprinkle a few more tomatoes on top of the cheese. Place under a broiler until cheese is melted and starting to brown. Remove from oven and cut into pieces. Serve with lemon wedges.

"Cheater's" Cream of Tomato Soup

Fresh herbs of choice (I used basil)
Butter
1 jar spaghetti sauce
2 cups water
1/2 cup heavy cream
Pinch of nutmeg

Saute fresh herbs in butter. Add all other ingredients. Simmer for 5 minutes and that's it--couldn't be easier!

Source: Food Network Magazine

Fettuccine with Basil, Ricotta and Tomatoes

This was pretty tasty and super easy. I served it with oven roasted red potatoes so we had quite the carb-fest!

Oven Roasted Red Potatoes

4 red potatoes
Olive Oil
Thyme
Rosemary

Cut potatoes into bite-sized pieces and put them in a single layer on baking sheet. Toss with olive oil to coat, add thyme and rosemary. Salt and pepper to taste. Roast in a 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Fettuccine with Basil, Ricotta and Tomatoes

1 9 oz. package refrigerated fettuccine
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
3/4 cup ricotta
1/4 cup Parmesan
Several grape tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil

Cook and drain fettuccine as directed on package. Return to saucepan. Stir together butter, ricotta and 1/3 cup Parmesan. Toss with hot pasta. Top pasta with tomatoes, basil and remaining Parmesan.

Tortellini Bake

1.5 cups tortellini (I used mini ravioli)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup fresh spinach
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup light cream
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella or Parmesan
Olive oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch or flour
Chopped prosciutto, optional

Cook pasta, drain, set aside. In the meantime, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, saute 1 minute. Add tomatoes, saute 1 minute. Add spinach, let wilt for about 30 seconds. Transfer to a baking dish. Add another teaspoon of olive oil to the hot pan. Add cornstarch and mix until you have a nice roux. Add light cream, bring to a simmer. Add cheese, stir until creamy. Mix the pasta, veggies, and cream sauce. Bake at 35o for 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Source: mecookingcreations.blogspot.com

Stuffed Pizza Pie

Yum--this was really good! Unfortunately I'm having some computer issues so I don't have a picture, but that's ok, because this meal isn't really about the looks!
Update: Computer is fixed, so here's the lovely pic!

16 oz. pizza dough (I took the easy route and used pre-made, refrigerated dough)
1 cup ricotta
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups fresh broccoli, steamed until fork tender, about 3 minutes in boiling water (Colin said he thought broccoli and pizza was a weird combination, so I subbed in mushrooms instead)
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 375. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Spread and press one piece of dough into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix together ricotta and Parmesan until well combined. Spread into pressed pizza dough. Place 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a medium skillet over medium heat. Saute spinach until wilted down and mushrooms until browned. Place spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes evenly over ricotta layer and sprinkle garlic on top. Season with a pinch or 2 of salt. Layer mozzarella on top. Press out remaining piece of dough and place over filling, tucking edges inside of pan. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.

Veggie Fried Rice

This was a really good vegetarian meal--it's pretty healthy, filling, colorful and cheap. Can't beat it! I'll definitely make this again, and if you wanted to add some chicken or beef to it, that would also be really yummy.

4 cups prepared rice (white or brown)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium white onion, diced
2 cups veggies of choice, chopped (I used carrots, red bell pepper and frozen edamame)
1 teaspoon Siracha sauce (Asian chili sauce--I had a slight mishap here, since I misread the recipe and used a tablespoon of the sauce! It was really hot at first, but luckily I like things a little bit spicy and we just added some more soy sauce, so that balanced everything out)
3-4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2-3 large eggs, beaten (I used 2 eggs since that was all I had, but Colin requested more eggs next time)
3 scallions, white and light green parts trimmed and chopped

In a non-stick wok, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Over medium-high heat, add onions and veggies and saute until softened. Add Siracha sauce to season veggies. Add rice and drizzle with remaining oil and soy sauce. Add garlic powder. Stir rice until even in color and soy sauce has been thoroughly mixed in. Stir occasionally while allowing rice to warm up. Make a well in the middle of the wok and pour in beaten eggs, scrambling the eggs, while incorporating more and more rice. Add green onions. Continue to heat rice until egg is fully cooked. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Summer Vegetable Orzo

This was SO good! I've been trying a lot of orzo recipes lately and Colin said this was his favorite one so far.

8 oz. orzo
5 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, divided
2 zucchini or summer squash, cut length-wise into 1/4 inch thick slices
1 red or yellow bell pepper, quartered
3 tablespoons pesto
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
8 oz. ball fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Cook orzo in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse with cold water, drain well. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon oil. Whisk 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon vinegar in a small bowl. Brush zucchini, squash, and bell pepper with oil mixture, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil veggies until crisp-tender, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer to a work surface and let cool. Chop veggies and add to bowl with orzo. Whisk pesto, lime juice, 3 1/2 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons vinegar in small bowl for pesto vinaigrette. Add vinaigrette, tomatoes, basil and mozzarella to orzo and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Source: epicurious.com

Spinach Lasagna with Baked Zucchini Coins

Spinach Lasagna

2 eggs, beaten

1 container low-fat ricotta cheese

1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained

1 cup chopped mushrooms

3 cups reduced fat shredded mozzarella, divided

1/2 cup grated Parmesan, divided

1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce, divided

9 whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

Heat oven to 350. Mix eggs, ricotta, spinach, mushrooms, 2 cups mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Layer 1 cup spaghetti sauce, 3 lasagna noodles and 1/2 the ricotta mixture in a 9x13 pan. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles, sauces and cheeses. Bake 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Baked Zucchini Coins

1/2 cup corn meal (I used bread crumbs)

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried basil

Pepper

1 zucchini

1 egg

Olive oil

Preheat oven to 425. Mix flour, corn meal, salt, basil and pepper on a plate. Beat egg in a small bowl. Slice zucchini into 1/4 inch thick coins. Dip into egg and then into corn meal mixture. Coat a parchment lined cookie sheet with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Arrange zucchini coins on cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Serve with ranch or marinara for dipping.