Apple, Pear, Gorgonzola Salad

without blue cheese 

with blue cheese

I just made up this recipe last night and used a recipe for the dressing that my mom had given me awhile ago for a different salad.  I needed something light after last week's heavier meals.  I was in heaven as I was eating this salad and I hope you will be too.  

I don't like blue cheese/gorgonzola but Lover Boy LOVES it, so I had to sprinkle it on for him.

The kids ate meatless chicken nuggets (from Trader Joe's) tonight with pears and bran muffins that I made earlier today.

Dressing:

1/2 c. oil

4 T. red wine vinegar

4 T. sugar

1 t. salt

1/4 t. cracked pepper

3 dashes Tabasco sauce

Combine all ingredients and quickly whisk until thickened.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Salad:

1 bag butter lettuce (from Trader Joe's)

1 apple, sliced thin

1 pear, sliced thin

1 avocado, sliced thin

1 pkg pomegranate seeds, or you can buy a pomegranate and take the seeds out yourself

1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted

thin slices of red onion (as thin as you can get)

blue cheese crumbles

cracked pepper

In each bowl, layer two large handfuls of lettuce, apple slices, pear slices, and avocado slices.  Sprinkle on a handful a pomegranate seeds and pine nuts.  Top with red onion, blue cheese, and pepper.  Drizzle on the dressing a serve (see pictures above to assemble salad).

Hope you love it as much as I did!

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 12-SEPTEMBER 18

MONDAY- Apple, Pear, Gorgonzola Salad
TUESDAY-Vegetable Roti
WEDNESDAY- Mozzarella Panini Sandwiches
THURSDAY- Breakfast Burritos
FRIDAY- Fall Festival at Elementary School
SATURDAY- Navajo Tacos
SUNDAY- Parker's Split Pea Soup, Salad




Grocery List:
bananas
bacon (breakfast burritos)
baby jazz apples
romaine (salads, navajo tacos)
butter lettuce (apple, pear salad)
carrots (running low, soup)
asparagus (vegetable roti)
yellow squash (vegetable roti)
basil (pesto, panini)
pomegranate seeds (apple, pear salad)
cantaloupe
avocados
6 small red potatoes (soup)
2 yellow onions (soup)
fresh mozzarella (panini)
ciabatta (panini)
baguette (toasts for soup)
sparkling drink
tater tots (breakfast burritos)
bottled yellow curry sauce (vegetable roti)
2 lbs dried split green peas (soup)
1 can vegetarian chili (navajo tacos)
eggs (breakfast burritos)
vanilla greek-style yogurt (for parfaits)
milk
orange peach mango juice (smoothies)
refrigerated biscuit dough (navajo tacos)
tortillas (breakfast burritos)
whole wheat sourdough bread (toast)



THINGS I ALREADY HAVE

Salad:
ripe pears
blue cheese crumbles
pine nuts
red onion

Vegetable Roti:
tortillas
sweet potatoes
white potato

Panini:
tomatoes

Navajo Tacos:
tomatoes
sour cream

Split Pea Soup:
garlic
olive oil
oregano

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Ina Garten is probably my favorite chef.  Everything I make of hers is amazing...including this soup.

We had some friends over for dinner tonight.  I made this soup, a salad, and Amalfi pasta.  Susan brought homemade rolls, homemade salsa with chips, and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.  We ended the night around our backyard fireplace with some s'mores.

What a feast!

(picture from foodnetwork.com)

Ingredients

• 3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (28-ounce) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice
• 4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 quart chicken stock or water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.

In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Pass through a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade. Taste for seasonings. Serve hot or cold.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-tomato-basil-soup-recipe/index.html

Another night off

Going to enjoy food at my sister's house tonight for a double-birthday party.

Hope you liked the meals this week.  They were a little creamier than I usually make on an day-to-day basis...which makes them taste even better!

Pasta the Amalfi Way

I was going to post this last night--BUT the power was out!!!  

I am sure many of you experienced that as well.  We spent the night in a house full of candles--very romantic--which makes me think of Amalfi, Italy.

(actual picture taken in Amalfi, Italy)

Lover Boy and I visited Italy and fell in love with the coast there.  Lemons were everywhere: on the landscape, in the marketplaces, in the chocolate, in the pasta, in everything!  After having this meal at a little restaurant in Amalfi, I had to try to duplicate it at home.  On the menu, it was called "Pasta the Amalfi Way," and that is what we call it at home.

1 pkg angel hair pasta, or whatever you prefer

2 pts. heavy cream

2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Juice and zest of 2 lemons

4 T. sour cream

garnish with chopped chives or parsley and lemon slices

salt to taste

 Cook pasta according to package.  In a med-large saucepan, combine cream and Parmesan until Parmesan is melted and cream is at a low simmer.  Add lemon zest and juice.  Bring to a low boil, remove from heat.  Add sour cream.

Pour over pasta and top with garnishes.  The sauce soaks into the pasta quickly, so I like to "drizzle" some extra on top.  This recipe makes a lot.

Creamy Black Bean Enchiladas

My mother-in-law gave me a great chicken enchilada recipe that Lover Boy loves, but I changed it around a little so I can enjoy them too!

White Sauce:

2 1/2 T. melted butter

3 T. flour

1 c. water

salt and pepper to taste

small can chiles

1 c. sour cream

Heat butter and flour in a saucepan on low until it makes a thick paste.  Slowly add water and whisk.  Let thicken by bringing it to a boil, stirring continuously.  Remove from heat; add salt and pepper, chiles, and sour cream.  Mix well.  Spread 1/2 c. of mixture into the bottom of an 11x7" glass baking dish (or you can use a 9x13" if you have a large family...and double the sauce).

Enchiladas:

flour OR corn tortillas (whichever you prefer)

1 can black beans OR 2 c. cooked, shredded chicken

1 c. chopped onion

2 c. grated jack cheese

The easiest way to soften the tortillas is to wrap a stack of them in damp paper towels and heat in the microwave for about 1 minute.  If they are not soft enough, heat them at 30 second intervals until they are soft.

Working with the softened tortillas, fill with cheese, black beans, and onions.  Roll up and place in the prepared baking dish.  Continue until you cannot fit any more enchiladas in the dish; top with remaining sauce.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly and cooked through.

Tell me how you like them!

Chicken/Veggie Pillows

Tonight we had our special "School Year's Eve" dinner for our second child.  He is starting his second year of preschool tomorrow.  His older brother started first grade three weeks ago, and Bigger has been waiting his turn.  He got to choose the menu for tonight:

Chicken/Veggie Pillows

Rice Pilaf

Watermelon

Root Beer Floats

We had some unexpected visitors come and join us for dinner, so I added a green salad and wild rice to the menu.  What a treat to have Grandma and Pop-pop join us on this special night!

Chicken/Veggie Pillows
This recipe comes from one of my dearest friends, Heather.  When we were roommates in college, she made these for us.  They are such a comfort food.  The original recipe calls for chicken.  I'll add my notes to the bottom of the recipe of what I have changed to make it vegetarian.  This meal is always a hit at the dinner table.  The kids love these things!

6 chicken breasts, boiled 20 minutes (cooked through) and shredded
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 t. garlic salt
1/2 c. chopped mushrooms
3/4 c. chopped green onions
2 cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
1/2 c. butter, melted
1-2 c. bread crumbs
1 can chicken gravy

1. Mix first even ingredients
2. Separate rolls into triangles and place 1/4 c. of mixture into center.  Form the crescent into a ball around the filling; seal all holes
3. Dip ball into butter; roll in bread crumbs
4. Place on baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through
5. Serve with heated gravy


***For vegetarians***
I combine all the ingredients except the chicken into a mixing bowl, then I add about 1 cup grated zucchini into the bowl and mix well.  I fill enough vegetarian pillows for me and then add only 3 chicken breasts for the rest of my family.  Then I fill the rest of the pillows.  I don't top my veggie pillows with any gravy.  What I like about these is that my kids are eating vegetables without even knowing it.

One of my all-time favorite simple salads:

• romaine
• grated carrots
• grated Parmesan
• croutons from Trader Joe's (they're the best)
• rosemary Marcona almonds from Trader Joe's
• avocado
• Good Seasons Italian Dressing (that you mix up yourself)

I scraped out half of a watermelon and filled it with cantaloupe and watermelon balls 

(my mom helped scoop the cantaloupe tonight with the melon-baller)