Shepherd's Pie

I was looking for a recipe to use up my left-over Thanksgiving mashed potatoes, and this was the perfect fit!

INGREDIENTS:
Mashed Potatoes (or make some!)

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced small
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef or turkey
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen English peas

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the canola oil into a 12-inch saute pan and set over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and carrots and saute just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the meat, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.

Add the corn and peas to the meat mixture and spread evenly into an 11 by 7-inch glass baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up and smooth with a rubber spatula. Place on a parchment lined half sheet pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Thanksgiving 2012

This was our first Thanksgiving in Hawaii, and also the first Thanksgiving I made the turkey! I was a little nervous, but it turned out awesome! I realize I probably need to invest in a roasting pan, a baster and a gravy boat... but we had a really great meal with some wonderful friends!

I had been thawing out the turkey in the fridge for 3 days, and then the day before Thanksgiving, I made Pioneer Woman's Favorite Turkey Brine and put the 23 lb turkey in a big ziplock (like XXL) inside a cylinder igloo cooler (the kind used to dispense liquid!) which turned out to be perfect because the whole bird was surrounded by the brine. Luckily this whole thing fit in our fridge! The next day, we took the bird out and rinsed it off really well. We roasted it, covered in foil, at 275 for about 4 hours.  After that, we took it out and stuffed it with orange and lemon slices, onions, thyme and sage. We then rubbed the butter (that was mixed with rosemary, orange zest and salt and pepper) all over the bird. We had fresh oranges and rosemary in our yard, so we got really lucky to have the freshest brine/butter/stuffing possible! We put the bird back in at 375, uncovered and baked for another couple of hours until the meat temperature reached 170. We let it rest 20 minutes or so before carving it, and while we made gravy. The turkey was SO good!




I put together this little relish plate to look like a turkey- which was pretty fun! I also had pretzels and dill dip out. The other food I made was PW's mashed potatoes (which can be made the day before!), maple glazed carrots, sweet potatoes, corn souffle, stuffing (I want to tweak this recipe- but I had celery and onion sauteed in butter and chicken broth added to a store bought dressing kit), PW's cranberry sauce (yum and easy!), gravy, pumpkin pecan pies and homemade cream! Of course, I made rolls (we took them to Mass that morning and had them blessed!) but I cheat and use the can rolls! We also had each guest tell us what they were thankful for, printed them on strips of paper, sprayed them with cooking spray and rolled them into the rolls before cooking. It turned out really great- they came out super clean and easily, and then we all guessed whose thankful item we got! We also play the "ABC's of Thanks" where we go around the alphabet and every person gets a letter to come up with a word that starts with that letter of something they are thankful for. Our guests brought watercrest salad and the yummiest green bean casserole I've ever had (I have to get her version!) and we had tons of drinks- wine, beer, soda, waters and sparkling juice for a special treat for the kids! It was tricky with only my oven to get everything cooked and ready- but I made a timing list and it all worked out great. If you can make ahead the pies, everything else can be ready to cook as soon as the turkey comes out and it should all work out well!

Grandma's Freezer Pickles

My grandma always makes these with cucumbers from her garden in the summer! I love that it's something I can do without canning and when I found a bulk of keiki cukes from the Big Island on sale, I knew I had to make these! So yummy!

INGREDIENTS:
8 cups sliced cucumbers
1 onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced (I use the mandolin on those three ingredients to get them sliced very thin!)
1 TBL salt
2 cups sugar
1 TBL celery seed
1 TBL mustard seed
1 cup vinegar

DIRECTIONS:
Mix 1st four ingredients and let stand for 2 hours. Drain the mixture. Add last 4 ingredients together in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Let cool. Pour liquid over the cucumbers and put in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Stir once a day. On the 3rd day you can put in freezer contains to freeze (or they are ready to eat!).

Aukauka Place Pasta

It's a NEW favorite, so much a favorite, my husband named it after our new home!

INGREDIENTS:
8 oz uncooked penne rigate pasta
6 oz hot turkey Italian sausage, casings removed
12 oz zucchini, quartered
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
3 garlic cloves
Dash of sugar
2 TBL red wine vinegar
1 28 oz. whole tomatoes
2 TBL heavy whipping cream
Cooking Spray
3 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 oz. Parm-Reggiano cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting fat and salt. Drain; set aside. Heat a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add sausage to pan, and saute for 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Using a slotted spoon, remove sausage from pan. Wipe drippings from pan with a paper towel. Add zucchini to pan; saute 3 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Add oregano and next 4 ingredients (through sugar); saute 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add vinegar; cook 30 seconds or until the liquid evaporates. Drain tomatoes in a sieve over a bowl, reserving 1 cup tomato liquid. Crush tomatoes with hands, and add to zucchini mixture. Add reserved 1 cup tomato liquid; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat; stir in cream. Add pasta and sausage to tomato mixture; stir to combine. Spoon half of pasta mixture into an 11 x 7 inch glass baking dish and sprinkle 1oz mozzarella and 2 TBL parm-reg cheese over pasta. Top with remaining pasta and remaining cheese. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Chicken with Honey-Beer Sauce

Another one I didn't get a picture of!

INGREDIENTS:
2 tsp canola oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp salt
3 TBL thinly sliced shallots
1/2 cup beer (like Blue Moon)
2 TBL soy sauce
1 TBL whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 TBL honey
2 TBL fresh-flat leaf parsley

DIRECTIONS:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swire to coat. Sprinkle chicken evenly with pepper and salt. Add chicken to pan; saute 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Add shallots to pan; cook 1 minute. Combine beer and next 3 ingredients (through honey) in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add beer mixture to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 3 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup. Return chicken to pan; turn to coat with sauce. Sprinkle evenly with parsley.

Three-Bean Salad

I didn't get a picture of this, but we loved it! A nice variety to a vegetable side!

INGREDIENTS:
1 red bell pepper
3/4 cup frozen shelled edamame
8 oz green beans, trimmed
1 1/2 cups coked, shelled fresh chickpeas
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 minced shallots
3 TBL fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 TBL oregano leaves
2 TBL fresh lemon juice
1 TBL Dijon mustard
1 TBL olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat broiler to high. Cut bell pepper in half, discard seed and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil for 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in a paper bag; fold to close tightly. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel and chop. Cook edamame and green beans in boiling water for 4 minutes; rinse with cold water, and drain. Combine bell pepper, edamame mixture, chickpeas, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Combine shallots and remaining ingredients, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle dressing over bean mixture, too.

Bratwurst with Onions and Peppers

This is such a simple way to really make the bratwursts super yummy! We always buy Hillshire Farm Gourment Creations Beef and Jalapeno- they are just the perfect blend of spice!

For the onions and peppers:

INGREDIENTS:
1 white onion
1 red pepper
Salt/Pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Slice the onion and pepper into thin strips. Cover with salt and pepper and put into a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for about 3-6 minutes. Transfer the onion and peppers into a foil packet and add it to the grill with your bratwurst. When done, put the sausages into buns, top with mustard and onion/peppers. Yum!

Oven "Fried" Pickles

I LOVE fried pickles... yummy!! Of course, being pregnant, I can use that as a good excuse to have a craving for them, so when I saw this on Skinny Taste, I had to try it. I just used my own ranch dressing, but the pickles turned out really great! Click HERE for the recipe!

Bacon Guacamole Grilled Cheese

I found this on pinterest, and HAD to try it! Wow- SUPER yummy, but of course it was- all the ingredients are delicious!! Click HERE for the basic recipe I used.

Baked Avocado Salsa

We have 3 avocado trees and since it is officially avocado season- we are SWIMMING in them! It's awesome- so I've been trying every recipe I can that includes avocados! This was super yummy, and we loved it as a salsa or topping! Click HERE for the link.

Enchilada Pasta Casserole

I found this on Pinterest- it looked like a great, easy casserole... and it was! Click HERE for the link.

Chicken and Orzo Skillet Dinner

I actually used pork tenderloin when I made this, but chicken would be good, too!

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite sized pieces
8 cups water
12 oz uncooked orzo
2 cups chopped tomato
2 tsp no-salt-added tomato paste
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 cups baby spinach leaves
3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

DIRECTIONS:
Heat a nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken and saute 6 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Bring 8 cups of water to boil in a large saucepan. Add orzo; cook 8 minutes or until orzo is al dente. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Add reserved cooking liquid, chopped tomato, tomato paste, 1/2 tsp salt, and peppers to skillet; cook over med-high heat for 2 minutes. Add chicken, pasta, and 3 cups of spinach leaves, stirring until spinach wilts. Remove from heat; sprinkle with cheese.

Sea Asparagus Pesto

I bought a jar of Sea Asparagus Pesto from a Famer's Market (you can find it HERE) and made some shrimp pasta with it. I just boiled the pasta (also homemade organic from the Farmer's Market!) and cooked the shrimp in olive oil in a skillet. It was super light and yummy... although my favorite way to eat the pesto was on my toasty, crunchy bread (also fresh baked at the Farmer's Market!!)! Yum... so awesome to try new things here!

Vanilla French Toast

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup 2% milk
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch salt
• 6 slices texas toast bread
• strawberries
• granola
• whipped cream
• pure vanilla syrup

DIRECTIONS:

In a shallow bowl, beat eggs; add the milk, sugar, vanilla and salt. Soak bread for 30 seconds on each side. Cook on a greased hot griddle until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. Top with strawberries, granola, whipped cream (homemade is the best!), and pure vanilla syrup (my husband recently traveled and brought some home that was from New Zealand... so good!). 

Zucchini Boats

I found this on pinterest- and had some zucchini from a local Farmer's Market and also bought some organic marinara sauce there, too! These were delicious!! Click HERE for the recipe.

Chocolate Avocado Mousse

We have 3 avocado trees, so I am always looking for more ways to use them! This is a paleo recipe, but so yummy and Hawaiian! We ate it the first night with strawberries and vanilla wafers, but then I put it in a graham cracker pie crust and topped it with whipped cream... it was awesome! You can't taste anything but chocolate mousse!

INGREDIENTS:
4 avocados
1 cup agave nectar
1 TBL vanilla
1 cup cocoa powder

DIRECTIONS:
Blend all ingredients together, and enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Florentine Pasta

INGREDIENTS:
2 chicken breasts
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
Cooking Spray
8 oz. linguine
2 TBL canola oil
3 TBL all-purpose flour
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 cup whole milk
1 cup chicken broth
3 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated
4 cups fresh spinach leaves

DIRECTIONS:
Prepare grill to medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill for 8 minutes on each side or until done. Let stand 10 minutes. Carve chicken and thinly slice.
Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain well; keep warm.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add flour and garlic; cook until garlic is browned (about 2 minutes), stirring constantly. Add milk and broth, stirring with a whisk; bring to a simmer, and cook 2 minutes or until thickened. Add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Add remaining 1/2 tsp salt, remaining 1/2 tsp pepper and spinach; stir until spinach wilts. Add pasta and chicken; toss to combine.

Hawaiian Salad

One of my favorite things about living in Hawaii is the Farmer's Markets! The weather here is generous to fresh produce happening all year long! This salad has become one of my favorites- it's a North Shore medley of greens, wild grown tiny tomatoes and Lilikoi Papaya Seed Dressing. If you visit Oahu, make sure you come to a Farmer's Market and try it first hand... but you can also order the dressing on this website: http://hawaiisspecial.com/. The other lettuce that is AMAZING is the Pupukea Greens. YUM!

Pork Chops with Roasted Apples and Onions

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 tsp canola oil
1 1/2 cups pearl onions
2 cups Gala apple wedges
1 TBL butter
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
4 bone-in center-cut pork loin chops
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp cider vinegar

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over med-high heat. Add 1 tsp oil to pan; swirl to coat. Pat onions dry with a paper towel and add them to the pan; cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring once. Add apple to pan; place in oven. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes or until onions and apple are tender. Stir in 2 tsp butter, thyme, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
Heat a large skillet over med-high heat. Sprinkle pork with remaining salt and pepper. Add remaining 1 1/2 tsp oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add pork to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove pork from pan; keep warm. Combine broth and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add broth mixture to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 1 minute or until reduced to 1/4 cup. Stir in vinegar and remaining 1 tsp butter. Serve sauce with pork and apple mixture.

Green Beans with Mustard Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS:

16 oz green beans, steamed

1 1/2 tsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp cider vinegar

1 tsp stone-ground mustard

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the last 5 ingredients in a small bowl, whisk well. Add to the green beans and toss well to coat. 

Lemony Grilled Shrimp Salad

INGREDIENTS:

2 tsp grated lemon rind

1/2 tsp smoke paprika

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

7 tsp olive oil

24 shrimp- peeled and deveined, tails off

Cooking Spray

6 cups baby arugula

1 avocado, peeled and diced

1 cup peeled jicama, cut into strips (optional)

2 TBL lemon juice

1 TBL white wine vinegar

1/4 tsp sugar

1 oz queso fresco, crumbled

DIRECTIONS:

Combine rind, paprika, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 tsp oil and shrimp in a medium bowl. You can either cook them on a grill (thread them through a skewer) or sauté them in a skillet. Combine the arugula, avocado and jicama in a large bowl and toss gently. Combine the remaining 2 TBL oil, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, lemon juice, vinegar and sugar in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add just mixture to shrimp mixture and toss gently to coat. Divid the salad among 4 plates and sprinkle evenly with queso fresco. 

Black Pepper and Molasses Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with Mango Slaw

I found this great recipe in an old Cooking Light magazine I had! So yummy and easy... I picked up some jalapeno cheese buns from our deli and warmed those up in the oven- perfect! I did make double the sauce to cover the chicken! 

INGREDIENTS:

Rotisserie Chicken, pulled apart

3 TBL ketchup

1 TBL cider vinegar

1 TBL prepared mustard

1 TBL molasses (or honey)

3/4 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/8 tsp ginger

Sandwich Rolls

Dill Pickle Chips

DIRECTIONS:

Combine first 9 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover and cook, stirring occasionally about 20 minutes. After warming and pulling apart chicken, fill the buns and top with sauce and pickles!

For the Mango Slaw:

INGREDIENTS:

Package of Cabbage and Carrot Coleslaw

1 cup chopped mango

1/4 cup vertically sliced red onion

1/4 cup canola mayo

1 TBL cider vinegar

1 TBL sugar

1/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the last 4 ingredients in a small bowl and stir well to make the dressing. In a larger bowl, combine the coleslaw, mango and red onion and toss well with the dressing. 

Grilled Potatoes

These are SO good- just like fries! I have some purple potatoes because I used a bag of variety- but they all turned out great! Click HERE for the recipe!

Avocado and Grilled Corn Salad

I found this on Pinterest- thought it would be a light, yummy side to our turkey burgers! It was good- click HERE for the recipe.

Turkey Burgers

I found this recipe on Skinnytaste- it was so yummy! We grilled them on the charcoal grill and loved the results- click HERE for the recipe.

Chicken Rollatini with Spinach

I found this on Skinnytaste- it was yummy and easy! Mine didn't turn out quite as pretty as hers, but it was still just as good! Click HERE for the link.

Kara's Chicken Soup

My friend, Kara, brought us this soup when my son was born. Here's what she does:

 INGREDIENTS:
3-4 peeled and chopped carrots
3-4 chopped stalks of celery
1 onion, chopped
Olive Oil Chicken (cooked/shredded)
Mrs. Grass' Chicken Noodle Soup Mix
6-8 cups of water
Corn
Peas
Egg Noodles

DIRECTIONS: In a large pan, heat olive oil and cook carrots, celery and onion until tender. Add in chicken, soup mix and water. Add salt and pepper to taste and corn, peas and egg noodles if desired. Cook for 30 minutes.

Picnic Sandwich

Another great find on pinterest! Click HERE for the link.

Campfire Cones

I saw this idea on Pinterest- and it was SUCH a hit! I dare say, it was better than S'mores?!! A must-do if you are camping!

 INGREDIENTS:
Sugar Cones
Mini-Marshmallows
Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chips (or other flavors)
Banana (diced)
Foil

 DIRECTIONS: Fill the sugar cones with the marshmallows, chocolate and peanut butter chips and banana. Wrap in foil and set over the fire. When the marshmallows and chocolate are melted, unwrap and enjoy!

Muffin Melts

These are awesome, too! Love them!! Pioneer Woman's Make-Ahead Muffin Melts. Click HERE for the link.

Cinnamon Baked French Toast

For a special breakfast, I turned to Pioneer Woman for a couple great recipes- and she did not disappoint! Yummy!! Click HERE for the recipe.

No-Potato Potato Salad

INGREDIENTS:
1 head cauliflower
2 stalks celery, diced
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 3-4 TBL)
1 TBL parsley, finely chopped
2 eggs, hard boiled and diced
2 TBL grapeseed oil
1 TBL dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sea salt

DIRECTIONS:
Chop cauliflower into small florets (1/2 inch). Steam cauliflower until fork tender (not more or a stronger cauliflower taste develops). Allow cauliflower to cool then place in a large bowl. Add celery, onion, parsley and egg. Stir in oil, mustard and salt. Serve.

Easy Chicken Parmesan

I saw that Kraft had a new Fresh Take Cheese and Breadcrumbs Mix- and it was on sale at my grocery store! So, I figured I'd try it with some canned marinara and mozzarella to make it into an easy meal. It turned out easy and fairly good!

INGREDIENTS:
Kraft Fresh Take Cheese and Breadcrumbs: Italian
Chicken Breast
Marinara Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Follow instructions for cooking chicken on the Kraft bag. Preheat oven to 400. Once cooked, place the chicken in a casserole dish and top with marinara and cheese. Cook until melted.

Cheesy Enchilada Casserole

This was vote #1 on Taste of Home's Casseroles, so I had to try it! It's definietly good- I don't know if it's my favorite casserole of all time, but might be something nice change from the traditional meals you bring to people.

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cups of salsa
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
2 TBL taco seasoning
1/4 cup reduced fat Italian dressing
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 small can of corn, drained
6-8 corn or flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheese
Lettuce, Tomato, Cilantro for Toppings

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400. Cook beef and onion in a large skillet. Add in salsa, beans, taco seasoning, dressing, cumin, sour cream and corn. Spoon a generous serving of the meat mixture into a casserole dish, top with cheese and a tortilla. Repeat as many layers as you can. Finish with a generous serving of cheese. Bake for 25 minutes (you may want to cover with foil) or until bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving- dish servings and add toppings. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Bake

Wow- this was so easy and so good!

INGREDIENTS:
1 roll of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
8 oz of cream cheese, softened (I used low-fat)
1/2 cup of sugar
1 egg

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and egg. In an 8 inch square baking pan, line half the cookie dough down as the crust. Pour in the cream cheese mixture and top with remaining cookie dough. Cook for 35-40 minutes and let cool. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, or until chilled. Cut into bars and enjoy!

Poolside Dip

This dip was pretty easy to make- and I would suggest eating them with a tortilla multi-grain scoop chip or fritos. I tried it with crackers, and it just wasn't very good that way. It would be a good dip for tortilla wraps, too!

INGREDIENTS:
1 red pepper, diced
2 jalapenos, diced (I took the seeds out of mine)
1 small can of corn (optional)
1 small can of diced black olives
16 oz of fat free cream cheese (softened)
1 pkg of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
~I added some Accent Salt and a couple dashes of Worcestershire

DIRECTIONS:
Mix all ingredients together, refrigerate and serve!

Publix Goodies!

I posted earlier on the Hummus I was trying to make to re-create of the Publix version. I'll also miss their bakery- this is my FAVORITE bread and their Italian Whole Grain loafs are awesome, too. They also carry this Dei Fratelli Pizza sauce (that I use on their home-made pizza dough they sell in their bakery section!) that is amazing. I haven't found it anywhere else, but I'm determined to keep looking. Anyways, if you have a Publix Store nearby- GO and try these things!

PW's Aunt Trish's Salad Dressing

I saw this on PW's cooking show on Food Network. It was so mild and good! HERE is the link to the recipe.

Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Alfredo

This caught my eye online because I love goat cheese, pasta and roasted red peppers! I added spinach to ours, as well. HERE is the original link.

Grilled Chicken Marinade

Another great find online- this marinade could be used for other meats, too! Click HERE for the link.

Olive Cheese Bread

Another great recipe from Pioneer Woman (and like she says- mainly for the chicks... or at least not for my husband who doesn't like olives!) HERE is the link! I made it with a Cobb Salad and it was a yummy dinner!

Portobello Mushroom Burgers

Another idea I have seen online and wanted to try. Here is my version (but please note, I had to have buns for my husband and kids- who don't like mushrooms!)

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb ground sirloin
Salt/Pepper
1 egg
3-5 dashes of Tabasco Sauce
Portobello Mushroom Caps
Olive Oil
Mayo/Basil/Lemon (mix all together for the topping)
Tomato/Avocado/Lettuce (whatever toppings you want)

DIRECTIONS:
Mix the ground meat with salt and pepper, egg and tabasco. Form into patties. You can either grill them or cook in a skillet. Then coat the mushroom caps (after cleaning them!) in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook about 5-7 minutes on each side. To serve, start with the mushroom, then the burger and last the toppings.

Bean and Veggie Salad

This is a little bit of a fresher take on the Vegetable Salad I've made before- I liked the ingredients in this one, but the flavor fell a little shy. I think next time I'll use these ingredients, but go back to my Granny's dressing. I found the recipe on Echoes of Laugher, but I did use the entire cans of beans- she mentions freezing half of each can, but we're getting ready to move and I don't need to store anything up!

Kale Chips, Take 2

I found some new ideas on how to make these on Pinterest. One good suggestion was to hold each stem and run your fingers down, stripping the stem of all the edible parts! WAY easier than what I had done the last time (it might be obvious to some on how to do this, but I'm new to Kale!).

INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch Kale
Pine nuts
Olive Oil
Sea Salt/Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes
Parmesan Cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Clean (let soak in a clean sink of water) and prepare kale (tear the bigger pieces into smaller ones). Heat the olive oil in a skillet and let heat up. As you add the kale, it should sizzle and pop (and wilt slightly). Add in the pine nuts, seat salt and red pepper flakes. When finished cooking (5-7 minutes) remove from heat and top with parmesan shavings.

*I ended up putting these on a cookie sheet in the oven for a little before I added the Parmesan cheese because I had added too much olive oil and my kale wasn't crisping up like I wanted in the skillet.

Barley Salad

My friend, Kristiana, made this for us at her house, and I had to get her recipe! It's so yummy- a perfect cookout or summer side dish! I made it with portobello hamburgers.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of cooked barley (or brown rice- I used barley)
12oz Prosciutto (optional)
6 Cherry tomatoes, quartered
3/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped greed onions
1/3cup chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 cup thinly shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
2 TBS Olive oil
4 tsp lemon juice
1/2tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Toss all ingredients in a bowl, and voila! 

Cauliflower Fiesta Rice

I made this to go along with the Collard Green Burritos- I have been wanting to try to rice my cauliflower, and this was the perfect opportunity!

INGREDIENTS:
1 head of cauliflower
Olive Oil
1 can of black beans
Cilantro
Green Onions
Cilantro
Chili Powder
Garlic
Salt and Pepper
Canned Tomatoes/Chiles (I just used a little that was left over from my burritos)

DIRECTIONS:
Rinse and cut up the head of cauliflower. Put pieces into a food processor until they are 'rice like' texture. (Do not steam or cook!) In a skillet, heat up some olive oil and minced garlic. Add in the cauliflower, and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add in the seasonings (I didn't measure any of the spices- just kept adding until it tasted right) or you could add in some salsa. It turned out really yummy- I definitely like this as much as the real thing!

Collard Green Burritos

 My friend, Jennifer, is doing a Whole30 day eating challenge, and she's been posting tons of her recipes on her blog. She linked to THIS one and I was so curious, I had to try it out. I love packing in tons of veggies for the kids- and it was pretty good! It can't replace the good ol' real tortilla, but nice for a lighter change!

Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs

I found this on my friend Elizabeth's blog, and you can find her recipe HERE. The only changes I made was that I went ahead and made the full amount of marinade (the only can of pineapple juice I could find was the full 46 oz) and then I divided it into three parts- one for the chicken, one for the veggies and then one to make the sauce. I boiled the third down the entire time the chicken and veggies were being prepared, and it got to be a real thick, sticky, yummy sauce for dipping. I had bought a pineapple to cut up and add on the veggies skewers, but realized today that it's still sitting in my fruit bowl! OOPS! I also made Mexican Green Beans for a side. Love those!

Jalapeno-Cilantro Hummus

I got the idea to make this from Publix- their deli section has this variety of hummus and it's our favorite! We are getting ready to move where there won't be a Publix, so I'm trying to figure out how we're going to live without our staples from there!

INGREDIENTS:
1 can of chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1/4 cup Lemon or Lime Juice
2 TBL Olive Oil
1 clove minced garlic
Splash of Water
1/8 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Salt
Cilantro
Jalapeno- I used the pickled kind from the jar, and just put in about
(I've used Tahini before, but I just sprinkled in a few seasame seeds and called it good- I honestly didn't notice any difference in the flavor or consistency)

DIRECTIONS:
Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Serve with Stacey's Pita Chips... we like Parmesan Garlic and Herb flavor!

Creamy Sundried Tomato Chicken Breast

Another great find on the Internet! I found this recipe HERE and we liked it! I made it with one of my favorite salads- Avocado Butter Salad.