Zucchini Pizzas, YUM!

Another recipe with zucchini, we have so many in our garden! These were surprisingly delicious and satisfying. They were so easy to make and would be an easy way to fool your children into eating their vegetables, they'll think it is pizza. It tastes just like pizza too. Give it a try, I think you'll like it, we did!

 

Zucchini Pizza

Slices of zucchini

tomato paste or pizza sauce (we used tomato paste)

mozzarella cheese

I sprinkled some minced garlic and Italian seasoning on the sauce before putting the cheese on. We topped them with pepperoni for some extra flavor. YUM!

BoGo-Two for One

Okay, so this isn't my best post, but they were good so I had to pass it on. Are you every looking for a quick, easy, and healthy breakfast? Or a refreshing taste on water? You have come to the right place! I made this simple breakfast toast this weekend when I was too lazy to make something more time consuming. We simply toasted some wheat bread, spread a little Laughing Cow Garlic and Herb cheese, and add some avocado...YUM! My husband also added some scrambled eggs, but I passed on those. We had a lot of cucumbers popping up in the garden this week, what to use them for? I tried to get creative and I added them to a pitcher of water with a little lemon juice and some chopped mint leaves. YUM! It was a nice refreshing drink for summer and has a subtle flavor.

Watermelon, Feta, and Mint Salad

This salad is delicious, even Sally ate it! It is so easy to make and even helped us use some of our mint from the garden. We also used some mint to make some Bootlegger drinks, although we had to make some minor (major:) ) adjustments to the recipe. Give that a try too, sorry no picture!

   

Watermelon, Feta, Mint, and Balsamic Vinegar Glaze Salad

* 8 cups 3/4-inch Cubes Seedless Watermelon
    * 7 ounces, weight Package Feta Cheese, Crumbled
    * 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar Glaze
    * A Handful Of Chopped Fresh Mint For Garnish
    * Pepper To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Toss watermelon and feta together on a platter. Drizzle with balsamic glaze* and sprinkle with pepper (to taste) and mint.

Ingredient tip: Balsamic vinegar glaze can be found in the vinegar section at many supermarkets. If unavailable, boil 3/4 cup of balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan until reduced to 3 tablespoons, 6 to 7 minutes.

Bootlegger Drinks
32 ounce Sunkist Lemonade (Use the can of frozen concentrate and make as instructed)
A handful of mint leaves

**Put the lemonade and mint leaves in a blender and mix until the mint leaves are fully chopped. Then add Vodka to a glass, top with the lemonade and mint mixture, and top with a splash of club soda or 7Up. Perfect summer drink, if you make it right! :)

I Love BBQ Season!

We had our friends, Jackie and Reid, over for a BBQ last night. I love to try out my new recipes on them. Over the next few days, I'll share the recipes I used. I'll start with the stuffed squash, it was SO good! Our garden is over flowing with zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, and pretty soon, tomatoes, so it was nice to use something that we had grown. I know we will be eating these again really soon, plus they were really easy to make! The picture doesn't do these tasty squash justice. We had stuffed squash, chicken kabobs, and a mint, watermelon, feta salad. Yum!

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Squash
Recipe Compliments of This Site
4 yellow squash and/or zucchini
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 egg
1 c. ricotta cheese
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
pinch ground black pepper
1/2 (26 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Trim off ends of squash; cut squash in half (lengthwise). With a teaspoon scoop out seeds and part of the pulp leaving shells about 1/2 inch thick. In a small frying pan over medium heat, melt one tablespoon of the butter. Add onion and garlic and cook until they are done. Squeeze the spinach to remove extra moisture and add to the garlic and onion and cook until thoroughly heated. In a medium size mixing bowl, combine eggs, ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and spinach mixture. Fill the squash halves with this mixture, about three tablespoons per shell and place squash in a shallow baking dish. Melt the remaining butter and brush over the squash shells. Bake for 20 minutes. If desired, serve with tomato sauce.

Roasted Beet Salad with Walnuts

 Pat picked up some beets at the Farmer's Market today and we were looking for a good recipe to use them for dinner. We found this one, which I think would be really good and got good reviews, but we didn't have the proper ingredients and tried to make due with what we had. We also didn't let the beets cook long enough so they were still a little crunchy. We will definitely try this recipe again as everyone was raving about it on Tasty Kitchen, but next time we will let them cook longer and make sure we use white balsamic vinegar instead of regular balsamic vinegar. Also, cool the beets before serving. Give it a try and let me know how it turns out when you actually follow the recipe. I guess you should follow a recipe for a reason right? :) Next time!

• 8 whole Small To Medium Red Or Golden Beets
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1 cup Walnut Halves
• 2-½ Tablespoons Maple Syrup
• 3 ounces, weight Goat Cheese
• _____
• FOR THE SALAD DRESSING:
• ¼ cups White Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 1 Tablespoon Clover Honey
• ¾ cups Olive Oil
• 3 Tablespoons Chopped Chives

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash and dry the beets and place in an oven-proof casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the beets are tender when pierced with a knife. Allow to cool, then cut off each end and peel.
To prepare the walnuts, heat the butter until sizzling in a frying pan over medium heat and then add walnuts. Cook the walnuts for about 2 minutes, shaking the pan a few times while they cook. Add the maple syrup and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside.
To make the dressing, add all of the ingredients into a bowl and whisk until smooth. To assemble the salad, slice the beets and arrange them attractively onto four plates. Sprinkle with walnuts and crumble the goat cheese over the beets. Whisk the dressing once more, and then drizzle some of the dressing over each plate. Serve immediately.
Note: you will have dressing leftover to use in the future. Feel free to play around with the dressing ingredients and add or subtract the mustard and honey depending on your taste preference.

Just for the Kiddies....well, and me!

Do you love smores and easy "baking" with kids? Then, you will love this recipe that I came up with while nannying yesterday. It was hot out and the kids wanted to bake something and be inside, so this is what we came up with. They wanted Rice Krispie bars, but they didn't have enough Rice Krispies, so I found a box of Golden Grahams and thought, um....how about smore bars? They turned out to be really good! I am sure I am not the first person to think of this idea, but I was pretty proud of myself for thinking of something quick before resorting to chocolate chip cookies that we would end up eating half of the batter before making it to the actual cookies. Give this a try, super good! The pictures are terrible, I used my phone, sorry.

 
6 Cups Golden Grahams Cereal
4 cups mini marshmallows
3 T melted butter
1/2 cup or more of chocolate chips

*Melt the butter and marshmallows on the stove top or in the microwave. Stir until the marshmallows are melted. Pour on top of the cereal and mix together. At this point, you can add the chocolate chips or wait until you have them in a pan and sprinkle them on top. We chose to sprinkle them on top so they didn't melt in the hot marshmallow mess. Put in a ban and enjoy! Then, lick your fingers and the bowl! :)

Zucchini Bread

Vegetables are popping up in our garden everyday. We have been on a hunt for summer squash and zucchini recipes to make sure nothing is wasted. We were told zucchini bread was delicious, although we were a little skeptical, mainly because of my love for banana bread, it was surprisingly delicious. The recipe makes two loaves, I froze one to bring to the cabin in a few weeks. It was super easy to make, give it a try.

Recipe Compliments of All Recipes

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/4 cups white sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Summer Salad

I love salads, especially in the summer. This isn't necessarily a recipe that I am sharing, but rather an excellent dressing and summer salad combo. Did you know that they now make dried pomegranate seeds just like you can buy craisins? They are delicious, give them a try! Enjoy! :)

Spinach Salad

Dried Pomegranate Seeds

Madarin Oranges

Trader Joe's Champagne Pear Vinaigrette-YUM!

Steak and Hamburger with Portobello Mushrooms, Onions, and Blue Cheese

At my cabin, I had a delicious burger at the Chocolate Moose with carmelized onions, mushrooms, and blue cheese. I decided I must recreate this yummy dish. Pat choose steak and I choose hamburger, but it tasted delicious on both. Sorry about the terrible picture, I took it on my phone.

Ground Beef or Steak

1 yellow onion cut into strips

1 container of portobello mushrooms mini-chopped

1 container of blue cheese (use as much as you'd like)

Put a little butter in a frying pan, add onions and mushrooms. Saute until the onions start to caramelize. The very last step, remove from heat and add blue cheese in to melt a little. Put on top of your meat and enjoy!

Bonus....because I have been lazy!

So I have been slacking once again, so I figured I'd give a bonus...two posts in one day. The thing is, I have been cooking and even taking pictures, but the whole uploading and posting thing has been too much for me on my summer break. Pat and I started our own garden, now we are Green Cooks. I should give the credit to Pat, he maintains it, while I just reap the benefits and enjoy the tasty treats. We grew yellow squash and zucchinni in our garden and love to have it as a side dish. Give it a try, yum!

1 yellow squash cut into slices

1 zuchinni cut into slices

** Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper on top. You can cook it on the stove top or on the grill. We prefer the grill in the summer. Then we sprinkle it with Parmesan cheese once it is cooked.

Fusilli with Pisatachio Pesto

Okay, so I didn't use fusilli pasta, I used penne, but I had to include the title since it wasn't my recipe. I got this recipe from Cooking Light. It was very good, but I think I overdid it on the pepper, so it was a little powerful. However, I love pepper so it was still tasty. 

Ingredients

• 8  ounces  uncooked fusilli pasta
• 2  cups  fresh basil leaves
• 1/4  cup  shelled, roasted pistachios, divided
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 2  garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1/4  cup  (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1  cup  grape tomatoes, halved
• Lemon wedges (optional)

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta through a sieve over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water. Rinse pasta with cold water; drain.
2. Combine basil, 3 tablespoons pistachios, oil, salt, and garlic in a food processor. Process until smooth, scraping sides. Transfer basil mixture to a large bowl; stir cheese and reserved 1/4 cup pasta water into basil mixture. Add pasta and tomatoes to basil mixture; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon pistachios. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

Farfalle with Tomatoes, Onions, and Spinach Cooking Light

 Here is another great recipe from Cooking Light. It is a great summer salad. Full of great flavors and it is fairly healthy. Give it a try!

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon  plus 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8  ounces  uncooked farfalle pasta
• 2  tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1  cup  vertically sliced yellow onion
• 1  teaspoon  dried oregano
• 5  garlic cloves, sliced
• 2  cups  grape tomatoes, halved
• 1  tablespoon  white wine vinegar
• 3  cups  baby spinach
• 3  tablespoons  shaved fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4  cup  (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt. Add pasta, and cook according to package directions; drain.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and oregano; sauté 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and vinegar; sauté 3 minutes or until tomatoes begin to soften. Add pasta and spinach; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat, and stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with feta.

Spinach Yogurt Dip with Walnuts

Looking for a guilt-free dip? This is it and it is full of flavor. I found this in my Rachel Ray Magazine and thought it sounded tasty. I am the person at a BBQ that hovers over the appetizers or the dips and eats so much that I can't eat the meat and meal portion, but this dip makes me feel okay with making dip my meal. It was easy to make. The only change I made that I didn't add the pomegranate juice at the end, as I didn't have any on hand. Give it a try, you'll eat it all!

Recipe Compliments of Rachel Ray Magazine

2-7oz. containers of Greek Yogurt (plain)
2 T Olive Oil
1 T chopped fresh dill (I cheated and used dried)
2 chopped garlic cloves
1/2 t. salt
A dash of pepper
****Whisk the above ingredients together in a large bowl****

1-10oz. frozen spinach (cooked and squeezed dry)
***Stir the cooked, dried spinach into the yogurt mixture above***

Sprinkle with chopped walnuts. I also added a little honey to make it sweeter and take away the tang of the greek yogurt.

Optional (I skipped this step):
Whisk 1 T olive oil and 1 T. pomegranate juice in a bowl and drizzle over the top of the dip. Serve with crackers, pitas, or crudites.

Couscous Salad with Chickpeas-YUMMY!

This was a delicious side dish for our BBQ the other night with a few friends. It had great flavor and was really easy to make, even better, it is from Cooking Light! You can eat it all without feeling guilty. This is very refreshing, I would recommend this for a nice summer side dish. It is a must try, enjoy!

Recipe Compliments of Cooking Light-July

Ingredients

• 1  cup  uncooked whole-wheat couscous
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 1/2  teaspoon  black pepper, divided
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 1  cup  boiling water
• 3  tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil
• 3  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  minced garlic
• Dash of sugar
• 1/3  cup  chopped fresh mint
• 1/4  cup  thinly sliced green onions
• 1/8  teaspoon  smoked paprika
• 1  (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 1  large ripe tomato, chopped
• 3/4  cup  (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

1. Place couscous, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir in boiling water; cover and let stand 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
2. Combine oil, juice, garlic, and sugar.
3. Add oil mixture, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, mint, and next 4 ingredients (through tomato). Sprinkle with cheese.

Black Bean Salad

It is summer, what can I say....I have been a huge slacker, sorry! I know you will all continue to eat without me or my recipes and be just fine, but I feel a little guilty. I hope to get better, but summer has gotten the best of me. Most teachers use their summers to relax, not this girl! I feel like I am even more busy now than during the school year, oh well, let's just hope it doesn't make summer go too fast. I figured this is the perfect recipe to post for the 4th of July weekend, it is the perfect BBQ side salad to bring along to your party. It is healthy for you and has a delicious taste, enjoy! Happy Independence Day!

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 pint of grape tomatoes (I halve mine, but you can keep them whole too)
• 1 can green chiles or jalapenos (I used Chiles)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions

1. Place lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper in a small jar. Cover with lid, and shake until ingredients are well mixed.
2. In a salad bowl, combine beans, corn, avocado, bell pepper, tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro. Shake lime dressing, and pour it over the salad. Stir salad to coat vegetables and beans with dressing, and serve.