Sautéed Feta Spinach

Up until recently, I only ate spinach raw, mostly in salads.  A few weeks ago, I decided to try cooking it instead and I don't know what took me so long!  Spinach is inexpensive, highly nutritious, and this is such a quick easy recipe anyone could make it, honest!  And, it only requires four simple ingredients, plus salt and pepper.

We've been eating this as a side item once or twice a week, and I'm making it again tonight.   You don't have to use baby spinach... I just like it because you don't have to cut any stems off since they're small.   You can literally buy a large bag of pre-washed baby spinach and dump it right into the skillet.  It may seem like a lot but it instantly shrinks down a ton when it wilts.   A regular bag of baby spinach only amounts to about two servings for this recipe, so buy two bags if you need to feed four people.

Note:  Don't make this until your other dinner items are five minutes away from being ready... it cooks really fast!

Ingredients:
bag of baby spinach
3 garlic cloves (or more, to taste)
3 TBSP olive oil
crumbled feta cheese

Slice garlic cloves into small pieces while heating the 3 TBSP olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.   Add garlic and brown slightly.  Add all of the spinach, stirring to make sure it all gets coated.  It will quickly wilt and reduce down in a few minutes.  Turn down heat to medium low. Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese (whatever amount you desire, a little goes a long way).  (You can use parmesan instead of feta if you prefer.)  It will melt slightly and wala - instant healthy, delicious side dish.  Add salt and pepper if desired.

No, my kids will not eat this.  Yet.  I'm working on that part.

roasted root veggies

Today is the first official day of winter and I'm already missing summer produce.  Its going to be a long time before we'll be enjoying fresh corn on the cob, or delicious caprese salad.  So, may as well settle in and enjoy what the produce department has to offer right now.  And you know...root vegetables are actually quite tasty, inexpensive and nutritious.   

Before last week I had never eaten a rutabaga in my entire life, or a parsnip.   A rutabaga looks like a cross between a turnip, a potato and a beet.  Mine was more white than this one.  And you have to peel off the waxy outside.

And a parsnip looks exactly like a white carrot.

We love sweet potatoes (even the boys love them).  So last week I decided to roast them all up together. 

Its easy...  just buy a large sweet potato, large rutabaga, a couple of parsnips and some baby carrots.  Cut them all into 1 inch chunks.   Cut up some sweet onion for good measure... you can never go wrong by adding onion.  If you want to get fancy, add some fresh sprigs of rosemary. But if you don't have any, don't worry.  Put them all in a ziploc, add a couple TBSP of olive oil. Toss them til coated.  Spread out on sprayed foiled cookie sheet.  Add salt and pepper, and roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Stir them up so bottoms don't burn, roast for another 15 or so til fork tender.

I have to admit, I didn't really like the parsnips.  But the rutabagas surprised me... kind of a cabbage potato sort of flavor, with a sweet tang to them.  And the whole pan full veggies cost less than $5.

Roasted Vegetable Pasta

I'm making this for the teacher luncheon today at D's school and dropping it off in a bit.  Veggies are in the oven roasting now, and it smells amazing!  8:30 is little early for garlic for me (as much as I do love it so), so I'll have to save a little bit on the side for my lunch later.  I love all the colors, and its pretty darn healthy too!

This can be served warm, cold or at room temperature so it makes it a perfect choice for a picnic or potluck.  Roasting the vegetables gives them a sweetness you can't get any other way.

veggies before roasting

Roasted Vegetable Pasta


1 (16 ounce) package farfalle (bowtie) pasta
Olive oil (for amount, see below)
4 or 5 cloves chopped garlic
1 large red onion
1 pound portobello mushrooms (I use Baby Bellas, already sliced)
2 red bell peppers
2 zucchini
1 pint grape tomatoes
2 or 3 yellow squash
1 pound asparagus
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Fresh shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt and black pepper to taste

Wash and chop all vegetables so that they are all about the same size. I like the size to be about 3/4 of an inch. Having the vegetables the same size is VERY important because everything will roast together.

Preheat oven to 450* F. Cover two large baking sheets with foil (for easier clean up), and spray with nonstick spray.

Place all your vegetables together in a large bowl and coat with olive oil and chopped garlic. You want the pieces covered well with oil, but not dripping!

Spread the vegetable mixture out on baking sheets so that everything is in a single layer. The veggies can be touching, just not piled on top of each other. Two standard baking sheets are usually sufficient for mine. Isn’t it beautiful?

Roast in the oven for about 20 – 30 minutes. Check frequently. You're looking for your vegetables to be tender and a little browned/caramelized but not mushy.

While the vegetables are roasting, prepare the pasta according to package directions.

Toss the roasted vegetables with the pasta, including some of the olive oil from your baking sheets that is leftover from roasting... this makes up part of the dressing for the dish.

Add the balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste and toss gently again.

Serve immediately with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Serves 10 (recipe can be easily doubled)

veggies after roasting

finished dish, scrumptious!

jerk chicken sandwiches and roasted carrot salad

Shopping at the Wegman's today, as I do every Friday, and wondering what the heck to make for dinner tonight.  I feel like we eat so many of the same meals over and over.  I decided to go with a new salad recipe, and a warm sandwich.   I subscribe to a recipe-a-day email from various websites and this one came a while back.  I held onto it, thinking it sounded interesting... 

Utterly delicious.  So flavorful. When you roast the carrots, they get so sweet and the flavor contrast between the sweet carrots, bitter arugula and blue cheese is fantastic.


At Wegman’s, in the cheese department, they sell a Danish crumbled blue cheese with dried cranberries in it. Perfect for this recipe!

Serves 6, but I didn’t use this much carrots or arugula, kept everything else the same and it was a hearty 3 or 4 servings.   Would be great to take to a picnic, there's nothing that would spoil and its really pretty with the orange carrots and deep green arugula.  I wish I had taken a photo but we ate it all!


Roasted Carrot Salad


• 2 pounds carrots, peeled and thinly sliced on the diagonal

• 1/2 cup slivered almonds

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• salt and ground black pepper to taste



• 1 teaspoon honey

• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

• 1/3 cup dried cranberries

• 1 (4 ounce) package crumbled Danish blue cheese  (this seemed like a lot to me, I used maybe 2 or 3 oz and it was perfect and not too overbearing)

• 2 cups arugula



1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Combine the carrots, almonds, and garlic in a mixing bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread out onto an ungreased baking sheet.

3. Bake the carrots in the preheated oven until soft and the edges turn brown, about 30 minutes. Remove and allow to cool to room temperature.

4. Once cool, return the carrots to the mixing bowl, and drizzle with honey and vinegar; toss until coated. Add the cranberries and blue cheese; toss again until evenly mixed. Combine with the arugula and serve immediately.

Jerk Chicken Sandwiches
I cooked 3 chicken breasts in my crockpot on high for 4 hours with 1 can of chicken broth.   Shredded the chicken with a fork, and added this AWESOME jerk sauce (made by Tropical Pepper Company, who also makes my new favorite condiment, which is also great on this sandwich!).   Got some fresh delicious sandwich rolls at the Wegman's bakery and wa-la, dinner was served.    Yummy, yummy, yummy.
 
By the way, I love cooking a few chicken breasts in chicken broth in the crockpot and shredding it up... it shreds so easily and is so moist (as moist as eating dark meat but much more healthy), and you can do so many things with it you can't go wrong.   Use it for chicken salad, add some salsa for shredded chicken tacos, chicken tortilla soup, enchiladas, the list goes on...  Just spray your crockpot with nonstick spray, add a can of chicken broth for every 3 chicken breasts, you can't screw it up and clean up is so easy.

dressing it up

No one really eats a salad just for the veggies right?  Its all about the dressing.  And this dressing is one I find myself making when I get tired of the store bought varieties.  Its quick, fresh, delicious and you could probably whip it up right now based on stuff you have in your pantry.  We're having it over spinach salad tonight, but it would be good over just about any salad.

Its also easily doubled.  I think the ingredients listed here would make enough dressing for about 2 - 3 dinner size salads so just double everything if you need for more peeps.

Zesty Salad Dressing

1 TBSP toasted sesame seeds (just throw them in a little skillet over med heat for 5 minutes until they get browned)
1 1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon minced white onion
1/8 teaspoon paprika
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
2 TBSP cider vinegar
1/4 cup canola oil

Whisk all ingredients together, drizzle over spinach salad, or your favorite kind of salad.

mean mommy

I am a mean, mean mommy. Last night, I made brussel sprouts for dinner, and I asked the kids to try them. They don't eat nearly enough vegetables and I just wanted them to try something new. I don't believe in frozen brussel sprouts... they're horrendous and disgusting. I wouldn't eat one if it were the last vegetable on Earth. Nope, these were fresh delicious little tiny cabbages and I told the kids leprechauns eat them, to get them into the St. Patrick’s Day spirit. I also told them if they didn't eat them, there would be no dessert and I meant it. I gave them eat a tiny little bit next to their chicken piccata and corn casserole.

Did they eat it? Dylan may have taken a small lick and declared them inedible. Logan didn't so much as even look at them. I did allow them have some fresh pineapple for 'dessert' but I stuck to my guns with the no sweets for dessert. Mean mommy!

Me? I had two servings and I'm eating the rest for lunch today. Delicious, I say! You have to buy fresh, and either pan sauté or roast them in the oven. No frozen box brussels, and I also don't think they're very good boiled.

Here is how I usually like to prepare them:

1 lb fresh brussel sprouts
3 cloves garlic, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
sea salt
pancetta or bacon, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

• rinse and chop of the bottoms, peel off any loose or yellow leaves, then cut each one about four times so it resembles shredded cabbage
• heat olive oil in deep frying pan over medium heat
• add pancetta and garlic, sauté until slightly browned
• add brussel sprouts, stir until all leaves are lightly coated with oil
• sauté approximately 10 minutes, until sprouts are a nice bright green, add a dash of sea salt
• add balsamic vinegar, sauté an additional 5 minutes, vinegar will start to caramelize the leaves
• turn burner down to low, sprinkle sprouts with parmesan cheese until melted
• Serve and enjoy! They have a nutty, sweet and sour taste thanks to the vinegar along with a great chewy texture.
• If you're vegetarian, omitting the bacon or pancetta wouldn't take away from the flavor.  Perhaps adding some walnuts would add another layer of flavor and chewiness.  I may try that next time.

Now, what are the odds I can get the boys to eat carrots and cabbage I'm making tomorrow for St. Patrick’s Day?   Hmmmmm...  Probably as likely as my seeing a leprechaun run through our backyard. 

best potatoes, ever.

I'm a meat and potatoes girl. What can I say, I was born in Ohio.  Hash browns, french fries, tater tots, baked, mashed, au gratin, in salad, pierogies, in soup.  I love me some potatoes, I do.  I've really been missing summer produce lately and that fresh taste only summer can bring.  Andrew has started planning our garden for this year and has already started some seeds inside.  My mouth waters thinking of sweet corn and tomato mozzarella salad.  But potatoes are your friend year-round (yes, I realize they're a starch, not a veggie but just let's just go with it...).

When we need an easy, delicious side dish (winter or summer), this one gets heavy rotation at our house.  So simple, so delicious, and as an added bonus, easy on the wallet!  It goes with just about anything, too.

Super Easy Delicious Roasted Potatoes

• medium sized red potatoes (use about 1 per person you're serving)
• one medium yellow onion
• olive oil (about 1/8 to 1/4 cup, depending on amount of potatoes)
• seasoned salt  (I like to use this one, but you could use any kind of seasoned salt that is a blend of sea salt, garlic, onion, paprika, and red pepper).
• black pepper

Preheat oven to 425.  Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray.


Cut up potatoes into bite size chunks (eighths).  Dice onion.  Place it all into a large ziploc bag.  Pour in olive oil just to evenly coat them.  Sprinkle seasoned salt and pepper (to taste).  It doesn't have to marinate long, maybe 20 minutes to let it soak in a bit.

Dump potato/onion mixture onto baking sheet into one even layer.   Bake for 45 - 50 minutes until potatoes are brown and crispy and onions are carmelized.

These are great with any sort of meat/pork or chicken entree, and lovely with a dollop of sour cream for dipping.  If you have fresh herbs, dice up some chives and throw on top before serving. Delish!

Cranberry Sausage Stuffing

My Mom found this recipe a few years ago and its been inducted into our family recipe box forever. There's just no other stuffing that even compares, and I don't even really like stuffing. You can stuff some of this into the turkey if you prefer but that kind of grosses me out. I prefer to make it all in a casserole dish. Lord knows it has enough butter in it already without adding all the turkey drippings.


Sausage Cranberry Stuffing
Serves 14
Ingredients
2 (1 pound) tubes of breakfast sausage like Jimmy Dean or Bob Evans
1 cup butter
6 celery stalks, finely diced
2 large onions, finely diced
2 (12 ounce) packages herb flavor stuffing mix
2 cups dried cranberries (Craisins)
2 teaspoons salt
4 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth

In large skillet, crumble and cook sausage until browned. Remove from pan. In same skillet melt butter over medium heat. Saute celery and onions until softened, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine celery, onions, sausage, stuffing mix, cranberries and salt. Add the broth and stir until well combined. If desired, loosely stuff some of the mixture into a turkey just before roasting. Place the rest of stuffing mix into a casserole dish. Cover and bake in a 325 F. oven for 1 hour or until hot.

Best Sweet Potato Casserole Ever

I'm taking a little break from posting about our everyday family trials and tribulations, and instead I thought I'd share some of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes over the next few days. You know, since we are T Minus 5.5 days until Turkey Day. And also, I have a head cold and feel like my brain is numb from a zesty combination of snot and over the counter decongestant.

I don't promise any of these recipes are healthy, but they are all deeeeeelicious.

Best Sweet Potato Casserole EverServes 12-14

6 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 butter (one stick), softened
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. Put sweet potatoes in a large stockpot with water to cover. Boil for 20 minutes or until fork tender.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix (with electric beater) together the sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish. Allow fibers to remain on beater and discard.
4. In medium bowl, mix the sugar and flour. Cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse. Stir in the pecans. Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potato mixture.
5. Bake in the preheated oven 40 minutes, or until the topping is lightly brown.
Enjoy. Its like having dessert on the same plate as your turkey. I guarantee everyone will be fighting for the leftovers.

Zucchini Squares

Its the height of fresh summer produce, and maybe you have so much zucchini, you don't know what to do with it all. My Stepmom gave me this recipe, and she got it from my Aunt Suzy. Its delicious, and everytime I make it, it all gets eaten. Its a great side dish, but could work for a brunch, or you could experiment and add cubed ham to make it more of main dish. I might try that next time!

3 cups of grated fresh zucchini (use a mandolin or food processor for quickest results)
1 medium onion, grated
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup reduced fat Bisquick
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 tsp garlic powder (or more if you like garlic flavor)
1/4 cup canola oil
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup of milk

Wash zucchini, but do not peel. Grate zucchini and onion, combine with Bisquick, cheese, oil, egg, milk, salt and garlic powder. Pour into a 9" square pan (coated with nonstick spray), and bake at 325 for approx 45 minutes, until middle is cooked through. Cut into squares for serving.

Delish! Maybe you can even get your kids to eat it by telling them its cake. My kids didn't buy it, but....