White Bean Guacamole

Source: Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 can (15 oz. size) white Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (I just used 2 cups of my cooked and frozen Great White Beans - but I'm guessing the canned kind might be easier to mash)
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice (I used a whole limes worth - because what else was I going to do with the rest of the lime juice?)
¼ cup red onion, chopped (didn't have a red one - so just used a white one)
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1 whole jalapeño, seeded and diced
1 whole avocado, halved and pitted (I had one that I had frozen a few months ago - worked like a charm)
1-½ whole Campari tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped (I don't even know what a Campari tomato is, but I had a Roma and that's what I used.)

Directions:
In a food processor, add the beans and lime juice and pulse to combine. Transfer to a bowl. Next add the onion, cilantro leaves, salt and jalapeño to the processor and pulse until thick and creamy.

Add the avocado to the bean mixture and mash a bit to combine. Keep some of it chunky for added texture.

Seed and coarsely chop the tomato and add to the bean-avocado mixture and stir to combine. Add the onion-cilantro mixture and stir it all to combine. You may need to add a little more lime to ensure the avocado does not turn brown.

Serve right away or refrigerate for up to 1 hour.

Serves 6.

Notes:
I saw this one day and pinned it because it just seemed really unique and I liked the idea of making the avocado go further by mixing it with healthy beans (not that avocado isn't healthy, just they're super expensive here, so I like to spread out the wealth).

I attempted to use my blender for the food processor steps and it wasn't super successful - maybe my blender is just wussy, but I'd suggest following the recipe and using the food processor if you have one.  If not, a potato masher or even a spoon and a lot of elbow grease (thanks, Kim!) will do the trick - maybe not as smooth as a machine could have done it, but I think it worked.

We had this on our sweet potato tacos and it was really delicious!

Garlic Lime Chicken Fajitas

Source:  McCormick Recipe Inspirations

Servings: 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Refrigerate Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 t. minced garlic
• 1 t. minced onion (dry)
• 3/4 t. cumin
• 3/4 t. oregano
• 1/2 t. cilantro (dry. . .but fresh would probably be great!)
• 1/2 t. black pepper
• 1/4 cup each lime and orange juices
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
• 1 medium green or red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 8 flour tortillas (8-inch)

Directions:

1. Mix juices, oil, all of the Spices and salt in small bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add remaining marinade; turn to coat well. Refrigerate 30 minutes or longer for extra flavor.
2. Cook and stir chicken in large heated skillet on medium-high heat 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from skillet. Add bell pepper, onion and reserved marinade; cook and stir 5 minutes or until tender. Return chicken to skillet. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through.
3. Spoon chicken mixture into warm tortillas. Serve with assorted toppings, if desired.

Comments:

These were amazing fajitas!  Much different flavor than the usual ones we make with fajita seasoning packets; very citrusy with the lime and orange juices, and the spice combination was great!  Like the rosemary chicken recipe I posted a couple months ago, I found this recipe on the back of one of those McCormick pre-measured packets of spices. . .just wanted to make sure to document it so we can make these again without having to buy the packet!

Grilled Caprese Chcken

Source


Ingredients:
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (I forgot to pick some up while grocery shopping so I omitted the garlic and substituted pesto - delicious!) 
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/8"-1/4" slices, halved, and patted dry
4 chicken breasts
2 large tomatoes, cored, and cut into 1/2" slices

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine the basil, vinegar, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Slowly whisk in the oil until it is thoroughly incorporated. Transfer 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette to a bowl and toss in the fresh mozzarella pieces, coating the cheese with the vinaigrette. Set aside. Reserve the remaining vinaigrette for the cooked chicken.
2. Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken and tomatoes on a hot charcoal or gas grill until the chicken is browned and cooked through and the tomatoes are lightly charred, about 2-3 minutes per side (depending on the thickness of your chicken and the heat of the grill). Transfer the cooked chicken to a platter. Top with the tomato slices and drizzle with the reserved vinaigrette. Cover the chicken with an even layer of mozzarella and tent the platter loosely with foil. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes. Serve.

Notes: I'm a sucker for anything caprese related, so when I saw this recipe, it was a no-brainer to test it asap! And I'm so glad I did! So light, yet so robust. A perfect summer dinner. To complete the traditional caprese flavor, I splashed a little balsamic vinegar onto my last few bites.

"Curryflower"

Source

Ingredients:

1 medium head cauliflower

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. 

2. Wash and core the cauliflower and cut the florets into bite-size pieces. Place in a large bowl. Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil, salt, and curry powder. 

3. Turn out the cauliflower onto a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 16-18 minutes, stirring every 6-7 minutes, until the cauliflower is browned in spots and is crisp-tender. Serve immediately

Notes: I got a lucious cauliflower in last week's bountiful basket and was looking for more healthy way to prepare it than the au gratin style that I was craving. I stumbled upon this recipe and, viola, one of the most delcious side dishes that I've ever eaten was born. I highly recommend serving immediately out of the oven as the recipe instructs because we took this to a potluck dinner with some friends and the pieces that I sampled before storing and transporting it for 45 minutes were infinitely better than what we ate at the table - the flavor was still wonderful, but the mouth-watering crispy texture was lost. 

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Source: inspired by here, with some additions by me

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 Tablespoons ground cumin
2 Tablespoons garlic powder
2 Tablespoons onion powder
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 Tablespoon oregano
1/2 Tablespoon crushed red pepper

Directions:
Mix spices together and store in an airtight container (I use a small tupperware or empty spice jar).  2 Tablespoons of this mix is equal to one package of taco seasoning from the store.

Notes:
I've linked to this recipe a few times in various "taco-ish" recipes I've posted, but I decided that I use it enough that I just need to make it it's own post so I can find it quicker.  Ha.  Anyway, I'm quite happy with it - it's cheap and yummy and tastes just like the real thing.

Crispy Chicken Wraps

Source: adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:
1/3 cup mayonnaise, light or regular
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 scallions, sliced very thin (I didn't have any - so I just just 1/4 of a regular white onion, diced fine)
2 celery ribs, chopped fine
2 tablespoons sour cream, light or regular
2 teaspoons hot sauce (I wish I had some true hot sauce, but I didn't, so I just added some of my Pace chunky salsa)
1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded into bite-sized pieces (about 3 cups) (I had some cooked, shredded chicken in the freezer - about a cup - and it worked awesome)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 (12-inch) flour tortillas

Directions:
Whisk the mayonnaise, cilantro, scallions, celery, sour cream and hot sauce in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to combine. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open.  (I found that it's more a folding motion than a "roll" per se - just fold one side of the tortilla over the filling down the middle and then carefully fold the other side over - like you're folding a piece of paper in thirds.) Spray the seam side of the tortillas with cooking spray. Heat a large non-stick griddle on medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange wraps, seam-side down first (this will help the wraps to not fall apart), on pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Serve.

Notes:
I saw this pop up on Pinterest and it really got me salivating.  I had actually pinned a variation of this recipe from Mel's site a long time ago, but had never gotten around to making it.  It was a bit of a debate once I figured out there were two options for me to choose one for dinner this week, but I ended up making this one because I didn't feel like cooking up some rice.  (Next time I have leftover rice hanging around my fridge  you can bet that those Crispy Southwest Wraps are going to be on my plate!)  Gregg and I both loved these - they were quite filling and totally yummy.  Kind of like a "grown-up" quesadilla.  I also turned some leftover Sweet Potato Taco filling that I had made earlier last week into a crispy wrap for lunch one day.  The possibilities for this technique are endless!

Lemon-Garlic Herb Marinade

Source: inspiration came from Our Best Bites and Recipe Girl

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Tablespoons finely minced or pressed garlic (I think I used 3 cloves, pressed)
1 large or 2 small lemons, zested and juiced (I had one and a half medium lemons, so that's what I used)
1/3-1/2 cup minced fresh herbs, preferably a combo of basil, rosemary, and oregano (I'm sure fresh would have been lovely, but I just had dry so I added a few shakes of each)
1 teaspoon kosher salt (forgot the salt and pepper - whoops)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 Tablespoons (or more) extra virgin olive oil (I might have used just regular canola oil - but it's been too long since I made it that I can't remember all the details!)
1 1/2-2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (we did chicken, but I think it would be even better on fish - also vegetables were suggested which sounds yummy!)

Directions:
Add garlic, lemon juice and zest, herbs, salt, pepper, and oil to a gallon size ziplock bag (we only needed one because we just did two chicken breasts - but if you have more, you might need to divide it into multiple bags).  Squish it all around to mix.  (If you have fresh herbs, you might want to do like the OBB ladies and pulse it all in a food processor till it's the consistency of "a chunky pesto".)  Add your chicken (or fish or vegetables) and let marinate for about 30 minutes.  Cook your chicken on a pre-heated grill for a few minutes on each side until done.

Notes:
This was really lemony-good flavor on the chicken, but I felt like it would be amazing with some fish - fresh caught trout or something.

Polish Plum Cake

Makes 12 servings of Polish Plum Cake

Source: About food.com

(with a Kim Blanchard adaptation)

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 + 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) soft butter + 3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 large eggs
• 40 fresh any variety plums, pitted and halved
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves (I omitted these)
• and added 1/4 teaspoon of almond flavoring

Preparation:

1. Lightly coat a 13"x9" pan with cooking spray. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and 3/4 cup sugar. Add 1/2 cup softened butter, milk and eggs. Beat at medium speed 4 minutes.
2. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place plums on top, cut side up, pushing down slightly into batter.
3. Cut remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cloves into 3 tablespoons cold butter and sprinkle over plums. Bake about 40 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean.
4. Let the cake cool in the pan so the plum juices will be reabsorbed to create a moist cake. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, if desired, and cut into 12 squares.

Notes from Kim: I have noticed over the years that the French use a lot of plums in their cooking, plum tarts are especially yummy looking.  I got a bunch of plums this morning in my Bountiful Basket and decided to try my hand at making one, so instead of a French Plum Cake, I found a Polish recipe.

I halved the recipe for Paul and I in an 8 x 8 pan. I added almond flavoring and omitted the cloves. And then I could only fit about 8 - 9 plums (pieces) on the top of my cake, even with pushing them down into the batter.  I am not sure of the plum variety, but they are dark skinned, sweet golden light yellow flesh and  tart by the pit.  I just sliced off big pieces since the pits don't come out without cutting.

We ate this hot out of the oven and it was wonderful!!!

Teriyaki Meatballs

Inspiration Source (altered by me)

INGREDIENTS:
1 med-lg sweet onion, diced
1 bag frozen stir fry vegetables
1 bag frozen meatballs (I used turkey)
1 can pineapple tidbits or chunks
1 recipe Teriyaki Sauce:
     1/2 cup soy sauce
     1 3/4 cups water
     1 tsp ground ginger
     1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
     1/2 cup packed brown sugar
     2 tablespoons honey
     3 tablespoons cornstarch
     1/2 cup cold water

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large frying pan or wok, saute diced onion in olive oil until soft. Add vegetables and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until onion is translucent.
2. In the meantime, in a medium bowl mix the soy sauce, water, ginger, garlic powder, brown sugar, and honey together. In a separate small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch into the 1/2 cup cold water. Set both bowls aside
3. Add meatballs and teriyaki sauce to vegetables. Heat on medium-high until sauce is boiling, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes or until meatballs are heated through/cooked, stirring occasionally. In last 5 minutes of cooking time, add your cornstarch mixture and stir well.
4. Serve over rice or couscous (I used couscous and prepared it with the drained pineapple juice - yummy!)

NOTES: I still haven't done a major stock-the-fridge grocery shopping trip after moving, so my ingredients are limited to what's in the pantry and freezer. Despite being simple, I'm pleased with how this turned out! The flavor of the sauce was one of the best I've ever had in the meatball department - not too strong/vinegary (like the Farrer's Swedish Meatballs), not too creamy/fattening (like my Stroganoff Meatballs), and not too traditional (like the Meatball Subs with marinara sauce that I was about to prepare).

Fresh Sweet Cherry Crisp

Source: here

Ingredients:
for the filling:
about 2 pounds of fresh, sweet cherries, pitted (I read somewhere else that this is about 5-6 cups)
1/8-1/4 cup sugar (depending on sweetness of cherries)
2 Tablespoons tapioca
zest of 1/2 lemon (side note: I just bought a zester (microplane) while we were in Logan with a gift certificate from our wedding that was going to expire next month - LOVE it! - not sure how I lived without it till now!)
juice of 1/2 lemon
pinch of salt

for the topping:
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup butter, cold and diced
pinch of salt

Directions:
After pitting your cherries (this took the longest time of the whole process and my hands looked like a bloody mess when I was done - so wear an apron!), sprinkle the sugar, tapioca, lemon zest and juice, and salt over the cherries in a medium bowl and stir to coat.

In a separate bowl, add the topping ingredients and mix together using a pastry cutter or two knives or a fork until it resembles coarse pebbles.

Butter individual ramekins (about six 1-cup ramekins) or a 9x9 baking dish and spoon the cherry mixture into the bottom.  Top with the brown sugar/flour/oat mixture.  Bake at 375 degrees F for 27-35 minutes (mine were done at exactly 27 minutes) until golden brown on top and the cherry mixture is bubbling.  Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Notes:
Cherries were on sale this week at our local City Market, and I just couldn't help myself to a big bag.  Then I realized that I just couldn't eat that many cherries before they'd go bad, so I started looking for recipes to use them up.  I know normally cherry crisps and pies are made with the sour pie cherries, but I stumbled across this recipe for a sweet cherry crisp, so I knew I had to give it a try.  Oh my goodness, yum!  Seriously.  This stuff is goooood.  And luckily I have some left over for tonight!

I did cut this recipe in half because while I felt like there were a lot of cherries, I don't think I had quite enough for a full recipe.  So I used ~2 1/2 cups pitted cherries (I just cut them in half and pulled out the pits, though a pitter machine was sounding mighty tempting by the time I was done!), probably 1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar, and I dumped in the full amount of zest (half a lemon-worth).  I just couldn't help myself - it smelled SO good - but it definitely gave the crisp a very lemon flavor, which I thought was delicious, but if you don't want it too lemony, I'd stick with the recipe (so if you're halving it, too, just a quarter of a lemon-worth of zest).  Everything else I just cut in half.  Well, the butter was a little tricky - I think I used like 2 1/2 Tablespoons.  Anyway, it seems to be pretty forgiving.  My half-recipe fit perfectly in two 16-ounce ramekins.  I originally thought Gregg and I would each have one with a nice scoop of ice cream on top, but we decided to split one and save the other for later, which I think was a good idea because it was pretty rich.