Fruit with White Wine and Mint

Last time my father-in-law came to visit, he brought me a Giada de Laurentiis cookbook as a gift. I had previously not ever used a Giada recipe, but as I flipped through the book, there were several that piqued my interest. This was the first thing I tried from the cookbook and I was definitely not disappointed--this is the perfect summertime dessert! It works with any of the delicious fruits in season (I used cantaloupe, strawberries and grapes as the recipe calls for, but really any fruit combination you prefer would be good), is easy and is a very light and refreshing dessert.

1 1/4 cups dry white wine
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1/2 ripe cantaloupe, halved, seeded and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
8 oz. fresh strawberries, quartered
1 cup seedless green grapes, halved lengthwise

In a small saucepan, bring the wine and sugar to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the mint. In a large bowl, combine the cantaloupe, strawberries and grapes. Pour the warm wine mixture over and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until cold, stirring occasionally, at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours. Transfer the fruit mixture to serving bowls and serve chilled.

Source: Everyday Italian by Giada de Laurentiis

Homemade Ranch Dressing

I have a love affair with Ranch dressing, just as any true Texan does. It is a tasty salad dressing and yes, I even love to dip both french fries and pizza crusts in Ranch. I'm also a girl who loves "homemade" anything more than the store bought version, so I was pretty sure that I would love this homemade Ranch recipe. Indeed I did and this will definitely be making regular appearances on my salads!

3/4 cup mayo (I used light)
3/4 cup sour cream (again, I used light)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup buttermilk
1 small bunch chives
small handful parsley
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, starting with 1/4 cup buttermilk and blend for 10 seconds. Check the consistency and taste and blend in additional buttermilk as desired. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Source: annies-eats.com
FYI, I served this Ranch over the salad that Annie described on her blog: Romaine, tomatoes, red onion, homemade croutons and grilled chicken. Delicious!

Ham and Cheese Sliders

I used to think that I didn't like ham--I'm not totally sure where this idea came from, but lately I've been revising my ham stance. I thought these ham and cheese sliders sounded good and in the past, I probably would've subbed in turkey for the ham (which I'm sure would be delicious also), but I went with ham as the original recipe called for. These were very yummy and I didn't regret going with the ham a bit!


24 slider rolls (I used mini Hawaiian honey wheat rolls)
24 slices honey ham
24 small slices Swiss cheese
Mayo

Sauce:
1 1/2 tablespoons yellow mustard
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon finely minced onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Poppy seeds, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350. Split the slider rolls and spread the insides lightly with mayo. Fold a slice of ham to fit on the roll and top with a slice of Swiss. Replace top bun to assemble the sandwiches. Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet. To make the sauce: combine all ingredients except the poppy seeds and a small bowl and whisk to combine. Drizzle the sauce over the tops of the slider buns. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove the foil and bake for 2 minutes longer. Serve warm.

Source: annies-eats.com

"Fancy" Eggs and Hash Browns

I recently caught the end of a Barefoot Contessa episode where the dish was a breakfast that looked absolutely amazing! Since I only saw a few minutes of the episode, all I knew was that it involved scrambled eggs and goat cheese, but with the power of Google, that was all I needed to know! I found the recipes I was looking for and cooked this on a leisurely Saturday morning--what a delicious breakfast! If you are a fan of goat cheese (as we are in the Sanburg household), you will definitely love these eggs!

Slow Cooked Scrambled Eggs with Goat Cheese

6 Servings

16 extra large eggs
1 1/4 cup milk or half and half
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
6 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced

Whisk eggs in a bowl with milk, salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large saute pan. Add eggs and cook until desired doneness, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add goat cheese, chives and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir and allow the eggs to sit for 30 seconds, until the cheese begins to melt. Check for seasoning, then serve hot.

Country Hashed Browns

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 lb. boiling potatoes, peeled and 1/2 inch diced
1 1/2 cup chopped yellow onions (about 2 onions)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons minced scallions, white and green parts
1/2 lb. smoked ham slices, 1/2 inch diced

Melt butter in a large saute pan. Add potatoes, onions, salt and pepper and cook over medium low heat for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally with a flat spatula until the potatoes are evenly browned and cooked through (allow the potatoes to first cook for 5 minutes before turning). Turn off heat and add parsley, scallions and ham.

Source: Ina Garten

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

In my opinion, you simply can't go wrong with a peanut butter cookie. This particular cookie is basically 2 peanut butter cookies with a creamy peanut butter filling in the middle--pure cookie deliciousness! I know it sounds like it could possibly PB overload, but I'm sure that if you like peanut butter cookies, you will like this one too!

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

For PB filling:
6 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 350 and place rack in the center of the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
For the cookies: In the bowl of your electric mixer, cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the peanut butter mixture and beat until incorporated. Put 1 tablespoon of dough on cookie sheet, leaving about 2 inches between mounds of dough. Press the dough flat with the back of a fork that has been dipped in granulated sugar. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges. Cool completely on a wire rack.
For the filling: In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the softened cream cheese, peanut butter, vanilla and sugar until smooth.
To assemble: Take 1 cookie, spread about 1 tablespoon of the filling on the flat side, then top with another cookie, flat side down, to make a sandwich. If not serving right away, cover and store in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before serving. Makes about 18 sandwich cookies.

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

Orzo with Salmon, Lemon and Dill

Colin loves both salmon and orzo, so when I saw this recipe, I knew that it would be something he would like. I was right, of course! He loved it and has asked for it a few times since then. I also loved the combination of flavors (and it went especially well with a simple Greek salad) and will definitely be making this one again.

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 lb. orzo
4 oz. crumbled feta
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
Zest of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
1 lb. salmon, skinned and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400. In a medium saucepan, combine chicken broth, water, salt, butter and pepper and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, in a 3 quart baking dish, combine the orzo, feta, dill, parsley, shallots, wine, garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice. Pour the chicken broth over the orzo mixture and stir to combine. Bake for 25 minutes, then stir and add the salmon. Stir again to combine. Cook and additional 10-15 minutes, or until salmon is cooked through and orzo is al dente. Remove from oven, sprinkle with Parmesan and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Source: pinkparsleycatering.blogspot.com