Ellie Krieger's Edamame "Hummus"

I LOVE this dip! It's easy and really good! Don't let the tofu scare you, it's all put in the food processor so you don't even know it's there. I can't wait to make this again...

2 C frozen shelled edamame, cooked according to package directions

1 C silken tofu, drained

1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste

Pinch of white pepper, plus more to taste

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin, plus more for garnish

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

1/4 C olive oil

1/3 C fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

Place everything in a food processor and process until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the flavor with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if desired.

Serve with chips or veggies.

QUICK Minestrone Soup

I found this one in one of those little recipe booklets at the grocery store checkout. It's quick, hearty, and delicious. I haven't made it in a while, and can't wait to add it back in to my "regulars". It can easily be made for a crowd.

1 (28oz) can Italian-style whole tomatoes, undrained, chopped

1 (15.5oz) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 C frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrots

1 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, sliced

1 1/2 C water

4 tsp beef-flavor instant bouillon

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4-1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 C grated fresh Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine all ingredients except cheese. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Top each serving with Parmesan cheese.

Lasagna - in a CROCKPOT!

This website has been my go-to for crockpot recipes for a while now. She's really good at turning ordinary ingredients into fabulous crockpot meals...and she always gives the verdict, whether it turned out great or not. http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

THIS turned out AMAZING. 2 friends were over for dinner. One doesn't like spinach, and had two helpings. The other said she could eat it every day. Try it!

1 (26-ounce) jar prepared pasta sauce
1 (10-ounce) box lasagna noodles
1 (11-ounce) container pesto (or by all means, make your own!)
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese (I mixed this with the pesto just to make it easier)
1 (12-ounce) bag baby spinach (I only used 1 6oz bag)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
16 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced (I shredded mine)
1/4 cup water

Use a 4 quart slow cooker. Put a spoonful of pasta sauce (about 1/4 cup) into the bottom of your cooker and swirl it around. Add a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles (you're going to have to break them to make a layer). Smear ricotta cheese and pesto onto the noodles. Add a handful or two of baby spinach, and top with a layer of Parmesan and slice mozzarella cheeses. Repeat layers until you've run out of ingredients. The spinach is fluffy, so you're going to have to squish it down to make it all fit. Before closing the pot, put 1/4 cup of water into the empty pasta sauce jar and close and shake. Pour this saucy water over the top of everything.Now cover up and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for about 3 to 4. You'll know it's done when the top layer begins to brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly. It will also pull a bit away from the sides. Taste-test a noodle to check texture. (I just slid a small knife down the middle to check for doneness) Uncover, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Grilled Sirloin Skewers with Peaches and Peppers

From Cooking Light

This was so good and so easy! I didn't skewer them, just cooked it up in a pan. LOVED it!

Kebabs:
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
2 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 pounds boneless sirloin steak, cut into 48 (1-inch) pieces
4 peaches, each cut into 8 wedges
2 small red onions, each cut into 8 wedges
2 large red bell peppers, each cut into 8 (1-inch) pieces
Cooking spray
SAUCE:
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
Parsley sprigs (optional)

Prepare grill.
To prepare kebabs, combine first 7 ingredients; toss well. Thread 3 steak pieces, 2 peach wedges, 1 onion wedge, and 1 bell pepper piece alternately onto each of 16 (12-inch) skewers. Place kebabs on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally. Place kebabs on a platter; cover loosely with foil. Let stand 5 minutes.
To prepare sauce, combine chopped parsley and next 5 ingredients (chopped parsley through garlic), stirring with a whisk. Spoon over kebabs. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired

Maple-Garlic Marinated Pork Tenderloin

From Allrecipes

I wasn't sure about this one. I was afraid it would be too sweet. but it wasn't. It was delicious. Prepare it as written, or cut the pork into chunks and skewer it for the grill.

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp sesame oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 C pure maple syrup

1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin

Combine mustard, sesame oil, garlic, pepper, and maple syrup. Place pork in a shallow dish and coat thoroughly with marinade. Cover, then chill in the refrigerator at least eight hours , or overnight.

Preheat grill for medium-low heat.

Remove pork from marinade, and set aside. Transfer the remaining marinade to a small saucepan, and cook on the stove over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

Brush the grate with oil and place meat on grate. Grill pork, basting with reserved marinade, for approximately 15-25 minutes, or until interior is no longer pink. Avoid using high temperatures as marinade will burn.

Braised Balsamic Chicken

From Allrecipes

This one is EASY and really good! Oh, and FAST! That should cover all the bases for a weeknight dinner!

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

ground black pepper to taste

1 tsp garlic salt

2 Tbsp EVOO

1 onion, thinly sliced

1/2 C balsamic vinegar

1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 tsp dried thyme

Season chicken with pepper and garlic salt. Heat oil in a medium skillet, and brown the onion and chicken breasts.

Pour tomatoes and balsamic vinegar over chicken, and season with basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme. Simmer until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 15 minutes.

Super-Light Mexican Chili Con Carne with Beans

I really like the flavor in this one. I like the cookbook I got it out of too...I think I need to buy it! I didn't add the cheese, and used red bell pepper instead of green. Oh, and I just added a whole package of turkey instead of 12 ounces.

From Rocco DiSpirito "Now Eat This"

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium yellow onion, cut into fine dice

1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into fine dice

1 35oz can whole plum tomatoes, roughly chopped, juices reserved

3 Tbsp chili powder

2 Tbsp ground cumin

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

12oz ground turkey breast

1 14oz can black beans, drained

1 C shredded 75% reduced-fat cheddar cheese, such as Cabot

In a Dutch oven, combine the garlic, onion, bell pepper, tomatoes and their juices, chili powder, and cumin. Bring to a boil over high heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.

Raise the heat to high and add the ground turkey, stirring to break it up. Add the black beans and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover, and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until turkey is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Serve the chili in bowls, with the cheese sprinkled on top.

Posole

From Cooking Light

This is delicious! Might not be terribly authentic, but it sure is easy! I didn't have the spicy tomatoes, so I just added a seeded, chopped jalapeno (from my garden!). I also skipped the cilantro, mostly because I forgot. But I will be making this again for sure!


The meat develops a rich, full-bodied flavor when it's cooked to a dark brown, so be sure not to stir the pork until it releases easily from the pan. Serve this fiery soup with warm flour tortillas.
Prep Time: 3 minutesCook Time: 30 minutesYield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 teaspoons salt-free Southwest chipotle seasoning blend (such as Mrs. Dash)
1 (15.5-ounce) can white hominy, undrained
1 (14.5-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes with jalapeo peppers and spices (such as Del Monte), undrained
1 cup water
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation
1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle pork evenly with chipotle seasoning blend; coat evenly with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned. Stir in hominy, tomatoes, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until pork is tender. Stir in cilantro.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

I recently started a new health and fitness challenge with my Zumba group, so I'm pretty restricted in what I eat for the first 10 days. It certainly is a challenge to go without wheat, dairy and alcohol for 10 days. But when I find a recipe that follows those guidelines AND is delicious, it gets me really excited for a future of eating healthier. I won't be able to follow the "rules" of healthy eating every day for the rest of my life...because I love all kinds of food, good and bad, but I've got to start somewhere! I used extra lean ground turkey breast in this, and it was delicious. I left out the pickled ginger, but I think I'll add it next time just to see the difference. I also just chopped the lettuce and made it more of a salad, because I was sharing it with my 2 year old and figured it'd be easier that way!

This one is, like most recipes I find, from Allrecipes

16 Boston Bibb or butter lettuce leaves

1 pound lean ground beef

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons minced pickled ginger

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

Asian chile pepper sauce (optional)

1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts,

drained and finely chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil

	Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside.
	In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain, and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, green onions, and sesame oil, and continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.
	Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy!

Almost Guacamole

This is really good! I had just purchased fresh asparagus and tomatoes and was wondering what to do with them. I went to www.bettycrocker.com and found a recipe for, basically, guacamole with asparagus instead of avocado. I changed it from the original recipe because of what I had on hand.

2 bunches asparagus, cut, steamed and drained*

1 large tomato, seeded and chopped (1 cup)

1 small onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro

2 Tbsp reduced-fat mayonnaise

1 Tbsp lime juice (or lemon, whatever you have)

3-6 drops hot sauce

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Baked tortilla chips, if desired

Place asparagus and lemon juice in a food processor and process until smooth. Stir together asparagus and remaining ingredients except chips. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors.

*The original recipe called for 1 can asparagus, drained. I used fresh. I put them in a microwave steamer with some water for 5 minutes to cook.

Arroz Mexicano

That's Mexican Rice you to and me! :) I don't know how traditional or authentic it is, but it tastes good! My brother showed me the recipe, which is Mexican Rice II from www.allrecipes.com. I'm in the process of making it for the 2nd time this week. Eat it as a meal topped with some sour cream and cheese, or wrapped up in a tortilla with your favorite burrito fillings. I sauteed some vegetables the other day (zucchini, mushrooms and bell pepper) and added those, along with sour cream and guacamole. I loved it. My son did as well...in a time where we're lucky if he finishes anything, this he gobbled up!

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 C uncooked long-grain rice

1 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 C chopped onion

1/2 C tomato sauce

2 C chicken broth

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. Or just golden, depending on your rice. While the rice is cooking, sprinkle with garlic salt and cumin.

Stir in onions and cook until tender. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20-25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Fluff with a fork.

A Tale of Two Roasts

I love a deal, really. Garage sales are the best! But, that's not where I get my food. When the grocery store has a BOGO sale on packages of chicken, I'll get as much as I can. It's really a treat when their beef roasts are BOGO. The last time I got BOGO roasts, I asked my dad if he wanted the second one, and he said no. His freezer was stocked. So, I got two roasts for myself and thought about ways to best use them. Fast-forward to a week ago Monday. I had one of those "crock pot cookery" seasoning packets. I mixed it with water, put some carrots, celery and onions in the crock, added the seasoning and the meat and set the crockpot to GO. Then I turned it off and reset it, because I'd put it on the wrong setting. Fast-forward to 8 hours later, I walk in the house and smell the delicious...wait, what is wrong here? I don't smell that wonderful aroma coming from my crock...oh crap. It's off. It's usually on "warm" when I get home. Open the lid to see almost-completely-raw meat. Operator error, I'm sure. I was able to make tacos for dinner that night and pitch the roast. We'll call that one the "Free" one, since it was BOGO and I still had the 2nd one in the freezer.
THIS Monday would be a different story. First, because I forgot to buy the seasoning packet. Improvise...I'm trying to get better at that! So, I looked up some recipes and ideas, and came up with this:

4 celery stalks, rinsed and roughly chopped
4 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 3lb beef roast
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 Tbsp Tastefully Simple Onion Onion (i'm sure you could use raw onion, onion powder, dehydrated onion, anything onion)
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 package Lipton Beefy Onion Soup Mix

Put the celery and carrots on the bottom of the crock. Lay the roast on top of it. Mix together the cream of mushroom soup and onions, slather over the roast. Pour the can of stewed tomatoes around everything. Set on low and cook 8-10 hours.

Use the recipe on the side of the box of soup mix to make gravy. Pull the roast out of the crock and let it rest 10 minutes or so. Slice for sandwiches, and add to the prepared gravy. Let simmer on low until ready to serve. Serve on hoagie rolls for a delicious sandwich that will be devoured. Even my "I don't like roast" husband REALLY liked it!

Where's the food!

I was looking at another food blog (one that is far superior to mine!) and realized I hadn't posted here in a while. I've got some recipes waiting for me to try, but it seems like lately all I've gotten to do is cook up some smoked pork chops (I bought them smoked from Woodman's, so there was no real cooking involved!) and mashed potatoes, or maybe spaghetti with sauce from a jar. You don't need to hear about any of that! But I think things are calming down a little bit...I guess we'll see. OOH, here's a good thought...YOU tell ME what you think I should cook. Give me some good ideas. Maybe a recipe you want to try but haven't yet, or a new idea for chicken that you love. Or beef. Or whatever. I'm up for (almost) anything.

Tonight it's chicken nuggets. I know, so inspiring! <3

Double Cinnamon French Toast

I think I first got this one from the Food Network. Emeril to be exact. I guess I could look it up...but I don't feel like it. I'll give credit to Emeril! This is my go-to French Toast recipe. I haven't found another one that sounds as good. Unless you get into stuffed French Toast, which I haven't done yet. This is the best basic recipe I've seen. And use real maple syrup here, not pancake syrup. It makes a difference!

I usually use cinnamon bread with this one. SO yummy!

1 C maple syrup
3 Tbsp butter
2 tsp cinnamon
3 lg eggs
1 C whipping cream or half-n-half
2 tsp vanilla extract
cinnamon or egg bread

Bring syrup, 1 tsp butter and 1 tsp cinnamon to a boil; boil 2 minutes. Whisk eggs, cream, vanilla, 3 Tbsp syrup mixture and remaining cinnamon in bowl. Place bread slices in baking dish. Pour egg mixture over; turn to coat. Pierce bread. Let stand 5 minutes. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in large skillet. Add bread and cook until browned. Add 1 Tbsp butter to skillet. Turn bread over and cook until browned. Serve with remaining syrup.

Citrus Ginger Dressing

I love watching Ellie Krieger, so I picked up a couple of her cookbooks. I love ginger and citrus, so this looks fantastic. I'm looking really forward to trying it!

1/4 C fresh orange juice

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp canola oil

1 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp grated ginger

Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together until well blended

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This is absolutely DELICIOUS. My brother-in-law had it at his house for a family gathering one year, and I've been making it as often as possible ever since. My brother has now started requesting I make it for family gatherings as well...including this Easter. It's so easy and so good. It's pretty hard to mess up. But it's a lot hotter when you switch the amounts of hot sauce and ranch dressing because you think you remember in your head what to do instead of looking at the recipe :)

I've adjusted it to the way I make it...and what I serve with it

• 2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken, drained
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup Ranch dressing
• 3/4 cup pepper sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot®)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 
  Put everything in the crock pot. Heat on high for about an hour, stirring occasionally to mix well. Switch to low and keep it there until ready to serve, stirring occasionally. Turn it to warm if it starts to burn. :)

Serve with crackers (the pretzel flips are really good here!) or tortilla chips.

Turkey Tater Hot Dish

There are so many versions of this, it's really up to you what you put in it. I used what was in my cupboard, which happened to be Penzey's Mural of Flavor. We'd gotten some as a gift, so I thought I'd try it. I also added pizza sauce because there was some in a bowl in the fridge. I'd opened it on accident when I meant to open tomato sauce. Add any veggies you like, and you've got a really tasty comfort meal! I'm not going to list the ingredients and then a recipe, because with the way my mind is (not) working right now, it seems like to tough a task. So, here goes.

Make mashed potatoes. I used two large baking potatoes to top an 8x8 dish. Brown 1 pkg lean ground turkey (I used Jennie O) in olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste, and about a teaspoon of your favorite seasoning blend. Italian seasoning would probably work really well here. Add 1 small can pizza sauce and about 1 cup of frozen vegetables. Pour into an 8x8 baking dish. Top with mashed potatoes and 1-2 cups of shredded cheese (I used monterey jack). Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Turn the broiler on high and broil about 3 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Enjoy!

Ground Beef Tacos

Another one from Joy of Cooking. Tacos seem so simple, but I get tired of the taco seasoning packet. This is really delicious. I think the tomato sauce adds something great here, but not too tomato-y. I didn't add the jalapenos at the end, because of my 2 year old son, so it's pretty mild as-written, but I found adding a couple dashes of hot sauce to my taco made it just right. Top with a little cheese, sour cream, lettuce, or whatever toppings you like, and it's a great basic beef taco!

Heat in a medium skillet over medium heat:

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Add:

3/4 C chopped onion

Cook, stirring often, until softened, 4-5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add:

1 pound ground beef

Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until it is no longer pink, about 3 minutes (?). Stir in:

1-3 garlic cloves, minced (I grate mine with a fine grater)

1 Tbsp chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

(or 2 tsp ground coriander)

Salt to taste

Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add:

1 C tomato sauce

Minced fresh jalapenos, chopped drained canned jalapenos, or chile or hot pepper sauce to taste

Cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat for 10 minutes.

Cheese Manicotti

The first thing I cooked for my husband was manicotti, and that was Valentines Day 2004. I made it again this year and shared it with the guys that game at our house on Mondays. They loved it, and so did I. I used the recipes for Cheese Filling, Tomato Meat Sauce and Baked Manicotti from the 75th Anniversary Joy Of Cooking cookbook. The recipes in the book are written out differently than traditional cookbooks, and I like it. So I'm going to do it the way the book does on this one.I actually came across the book at the library so I grabbed it. I think I have it in my collection, but I haven't gone downstairs to look yet! It seems like a big recipe, but if you do the filling and sauce (or one of them) the night before, it's not nearly as daunting as it looks!

Cheese Filling

Beat in a bowl until fluffy:
15 ounces ricotta

Beat in one at a time:

2 large eggs

Add:

1 Tbsp chopped parsley

1/2 C grated Parmesan (2 ounces)

Salt and black pepper to taste

Tomato Meat Sauce

Heat in a large heavy casserole or skillet over medium heat.

Add:

1/4 C olive oil

(or 2 ounces pancetta or bacon, diced)

If using pancetta or bacon, cook, stirring, until it renders its fat, about 3 minutes.

Add:

1 pound ground beef or sweet Italian sausages, casings removed and crumbled

Cook, stirring, until the meat loses its pink color, about 5 minutes. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan. Add and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes:

1 medium onion, chopped

Add and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds:

2 to 4 garlic cloves, minced

Stir in and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes:

1 Tbsp tomato paste

Add:

Two 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes, with their juice

(1 tsp fresh thyme or oregano leaves or 1/2 tsp dried)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp sugar

Cook, uncovered, crushing the tomatoes with the side of a spoon to break them up, until they have cooked down and smell very fragrant, about 15 minutes. Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce is thickened. Stir in:

2 to 3 tablespoons slivered basil or chopped parsley

Salt and black pepper to taste

For manicotti

Have ready:

3 cups Tomato Sauce

2 1/4 cups Cheese Filling

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease a shallow 3-quart baking dish. Cook in a large pot of boiling salted water until barely tender:

8 ounces manicotti or jumbo shells

Drain. Using a small spoon, fill the pasta with the filling. Arrange the pieces side by side in the baking dish. At this point, the dish can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Spoon the tomato sauce over the pasta and sprinkle with:

1 C shredded mozzarella (4 ounces)

6 Tbsp grated Parmesan or Romano

Cover with aluminum foil and bake until heated through, about 40 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Stuffed Zucchini

This one was on 30 Minute Meals, and it looked really easy and delicious. I thought I'd try it on my parents, since they like vegetables and my husband does not. It is really good...and very satisfying. I'm thinking next time I will mix all the parmesan in and top it with some monterey jack at the end. Make sure your zucchini are thick enough around to halve and scoop out the insides. The first store I was at had about pencil-thick zucchini. That would have been tough to stuff!
We had apple pie and vanilla ice cream afterwards, but you certainly don't have to do that. You should though, because apple pie and ice cream are wonderful!

4 small zucchini, 5 to 6-inches long, 1 1/2-inches thick
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 crimini mushrooms, chopped
1 small to medium yellow onion, chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, grated or chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 vine ripe tomatoes or Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 slices white toasting bread
Softened butter
A small handful flat-leaf parsley
A few sprigs fresh tarragon or a small handful basil leaves
3/4 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 egg, beaten

Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Halve 4 of the small zucchini lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and soft center flesh with a spoon to produce a set of shallow shells to hold the stuffing. Reserve the center flesh. Arrange the small hulls in a baking dish. Drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Chop the reserved zucchini flesh and set aside.
Heat the remaining extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and saute the mushrooms, onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Add in the reserved zucchini and tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, to taste and heat through for 1 minute, then remove from the heat.
While the veggies cook, toast the bread in a toaster, then spread liberally with butter and tear into pieces. Add the bread to a food processor along with the parsley and tarragon or basil, and pulse into herb crumbs.
Fold the herb crumbs into the veggies along with 1/2 cup Parmesan and the egg. Mound the zucchini stuffing in to the shells and roast for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle the tops with remaining cheese and broil for 2 to 3 minutes to brown.

Yakitori Noodle Bowls

This one comes from Rachael Ray (big surprise!). It calls for soba noodles, which can be found in the Asian foods aisle, but I bet you anything it would taste really good on linguine or thin spaghetti too. I liked the soba noodles, and I have a TON left over (as well as the tamari, sesame seed oil and sherry) , so I'll make it again. I will cook the noodles less this time though than I did before. They got a bit mushy for me. I also think I might make this up ahead of time and cook the noodles as-needed. Otherwise, this was really tasty and I liked it a lot!

Salt
1 pound soba noodles
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders, cut into bite-size pieces
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated or finely minced
Freshly ground black pepper
2 bunches scallions, trimmed of roots and cut into
2-inch pieces on an angle
1/3 cup dry sherry (eyeball it)
1/3 cup tamari (eyeball it)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Place a large pot of water over high heat for the noodles. Once boiling, add some salt and the noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain thoroughly.While the water is coming up to a boil, place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of vegetable oil, about 2 tablespoons. Toss the chicken with the grated ginger and season with some pepper. Add the chicken to the hot skillet, spread it out in an even layer and let it brown up a couple of minutes.Shake and stir the skillet to turn the chicken pieces then add the scallions, sherry, tamari, sugar and sesame oil, bring up to a bubble and simmer one minute.Add the drained noodles to the skillet and toss to combine. To serve, transfer to serving bowls and sprinkle with some of the toasted sesame seeds.

Slow Cooker Pizza Soup

A while back I heard about this woman who decided to make something in her crockpot every single day for a year. That year has passed, she accomplished it, and she's still cooking in her crockpot. I think I first saw her on Rachael Ray actually, and have had her blog on my update list since then! I haven't made a lot of her recipes, but this one is a keeper for sure. She even has a cookbook, you can find that on her site. The only thing I did was leave out the green pepper and add salt & pepper at the end. Oh, and I was going to freeze some of this (but it's so good, I keep eating the leftovers) that I scooped out what I was going to freeze before adding the noodles. That way your noodles don't go all weird and soggy when you freeze and reheat. If you do freeze and reheat, just add some cooked noodles to the soup. It's delicious...with or without noodles!

1 jar (14 oz) of pizza sauce
3 empty jars full of water
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup baby tomatoes, cut in quarters (or 1 can diced tomatoes, drained)
2 already-cooked Italian sausage
1 cup sliced pepperoni, sliced in quarters
8 fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 1/2 T dried)
1 T dried oregano
1/2 to 1/3 cup of dried pasta (if your pasta is tiny, use 1/3 cup. if it's big, do 1/2.)
shredded mozzarella cheese (to add later)

Use a 5 or 6 quart crockpot for this recipe. Serves 4 hungry adults, or 2 hungry adults and 2 kids with enough leftovers to feed them all again.Wash and prepare veggies. Dump them into the crockpot. Cut up the sausage into small pieces--I sliced, then cut the pieces in fourths. Add to crockpot. Cut up the pepperoni, add it, too. Add basil and oregano. Pour in the pizza sauce, and follow with three empty jars of water.Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours. Everything in this is already cooked, so you are really only heating through and allowing the flavors to meld.Thirty minutes before serving, add the dry pasta, and turn to high. My pasta only took 20 minutes to soften quite nicely.Garnish/top with shredded mozzarella cheese.

HERE is her website. Definitely one to bookmark!

"Real" Texas Chili

Searching for a chili without beans, I came across this one on allrecipes. I decided I'd try it, and also looked for a video telling me how to cube a chuck roast. I found a video that really showed me how to break it down, so I did. Got rid of all the connective tissue and cut it into cubes. Man, I wish I had a butcher. But, this is DELICIOUS. I made it as-is, except I used 1 can of chicken broth because I only had 1 can of beef. After it did all it's cooking, I mashed it a little with a potato masher to get more of a chili consistency and to break up the meat. I also added cooked macaroni noodles to it later, because 3 pounds of roast is not enough to serve 4 hungry men. They loved it. Scraped the pan clean. I will certainly make this again. Maybe with hamburger next time...it's a little cheaper!

3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast - cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute the beef cubes in the oil for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and stir in the garlic.
In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin and flour. Sprinkle over the meat and stir until evenly coated. Crumble the oregano over the meat and pour in 1 1/2 cans of the broth.
Add the salt and ground black pepper, stir together well, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer, partially covered for about 90 minutes. Pour in remaining broth and simmer 30 minutes more, until meat begins to fall apart. Cool, cover and refrigerate to allow the flavors to blend.

Edamame Dip

I really like edamame, so when I see that Alton Brown has an entire episode of "Good Eats" dedicated to it, I set the DVR to record. What a good idea that was! He made this dip that is so easy and so delicious! I had to search (and have someone else search too) for the miso, but it's in the refrigerated section by the tofu...at least at my local store. It comes in a big tub and you only need a tablespoon, but I guess that just means I have to make it again...or find another recipe that requires miso. Oh, and it calls for brown miso, but my package said red (brown wasn't an option). The miso is brown. Not sure how "red" got on the label!

• 12 ounces shelled, cooked, and cooled edamame
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup tightly packed fresh cilantro or parsley leaves
• 1 large garlic clove, sliced
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon brown miso
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon red chili paste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 5 tablespoons olive oil

Place the edamame, onion, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, miso, salt, chili paste and pepper into the bowl of a food processor and process for 15 seconds. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl and process for another 15 to 20 seconds. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Once all of the oil has been added, stop, scrape down the bowl and then process another 5 to 10 seconds. Taste and adjust seasoning, as desired. Serve with chips or crackers. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.