Mediterranean Pasta Salad

I made this yummy salad full of fresh veggies and tossed with a unique vinaigrette for our Fourth of July get together with friends. It made a huge portion, perfect for potlucks. It can be made ahead of time and chilled - a bonus for this busy Mommy who's one year old is constantly keeping me on my toes!

Mediterranean Pasta Salad
From Family Circle Magazine 
Makes 12 servings (more if using potluck sized portions)
Printable Version

Ingredients

1 box of your favorite pasta

8 ounces snow peas (I used regular frozen peas that I thawed)

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 sweet orange pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1 ¼ inch strips

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

½ medium red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

For the Vinaigrette

¼ cup distilled white vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sugar

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions Cook noodles according to directions. Add snow peas during the last minute. Drain and rinse in cold water. Drain again. Meanwhile place tomatoes, pepper strips, feta and onion in a large bowl. Whisk together all ingredients for the Vinaigrette and whisk. Place pasta and snow peas in a large bowl with the other ingredients with Vinaigrette. Toss gently to combine. Scatter sliced basil on top and gently stir. Refrigerate until serving.

Vegetarian Curry

Hooray I have a Meatless Monday recipe to share with you! I have made this vegetarian curry dish several times now. It's so easy and so good and so healthy! If you don't like a lot of heat be sure to leave the pepper out of this, as just with curry alone it has a little kick. 

You can add or subtract whatever veggies you like or have on hand. This time I forgot to get chickpeas so I substituted some small potatoes. I think sliced summer squash or zucchini would also be excellent in this! It also is a great recipe to make ahead and keep warm in the crock pot. My friend Jess shared this recipe with me after she got it from our friend Kelly. Thanks ladies! :)

Vegetarian Curry

Serves 4

Printable Version

Ingredients

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small yellow onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon ginger

1 thai or jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon pepper

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes

1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed

1 can coconut milk

½ cup water

½ cup frozen peas

½ cup diced tomatoes

Directions

Warm oil in dutch oven at medium low. Add garlic, ginger, onion and pepper. Cook until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in curry and season with salt and pepper. Add sweet potatoes, chickpeas, coconut milk and water. 

Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for ten minutes. Add peas and tomatoes and cook until heated through. If you want to keep warm in a crock pot, this is time time to transfer everything over. Serve over rice.

Pea, Almond, and Blue Cheese Salad

This scrumptious pea salad recipe is from my wonderful sister-in-law (who is truly like a REAL sister to me). The flavors in this pea salad might sound interesting but they work together beautifully especially with the vinaigrette of mustard, olive oil, garlic, mint, green onions and lemon juice. It's savory, tangy, and has excellent textures from the pop of the peas to the crunch of the toasted almonds. I've made this salad twice since Marg gave me the recipe, once with goat cheese crumbles and once with blue cheese and I must say the blue cheese is much better. But if you aren't a blue cheese or goat cheese fan it would also be delicious with chunks of fresh mozzarella or even grated fresh Parmesan cheese. It only takes as long to make as it does to boil the peas and goes great with just about anything you're making for dinner! 


Pea, Almond, and Blue Cheese Salad
From my lovely sister Margaret
Printable Version
Ingredients
1 package of frozen peas
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh mint, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup slivered or sliced almonds, toasted in a pan for about 5 minutes over medium low


Directions
Boil peas in salted water according to directions on package. Drain and cool, the pat to remove excess water. In a large bowl whisk all of the remaining ingredients except for the blue cheese and almonds. Add the peas to the vinaigrette and combine. Top with blue cheese and sprinkle with almonds. 

Chicken Pot Pie

I've been really into comfort food lately and chicken pot pie is the quintessential comfort food. I decided to go all out and to make this chicken pot pie completely from scratch, with homemade crust, fresh veggies and herbs, and oven roasted chicken. Unfortunately my pie crust did not turn out. It was too sticky to roll and even though I kept adding flour it still didn't work out. I consulted my mom on what to do and she told me to  just piece it on. That was great advice because while it wasn't the prettiest pot pie in the world, it still tasted incredible. 

The best part was honestly the smell it created in my house while it was baking. It reminded me of my Gram's house when she was cooking. I feel like I get my Gram back for a little while when I am making her food or when my food smells like her food.  

This meal takes a while, but is well worth the time and effort. It's creamy, rich, and belly and heartwarming! 

Chicken Pot Pie
Adapted from Simply Recipes and Baking Bites
Printable Version


Ingredients
For the pie crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced into 1/2 inch cubes (best to chill cubes in freezer for at least 15 minutes before using)
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
3-4 tablespoons ice water

For the filling:
3 cups of chicken, cooked and diced (I oven roasted my chicken with thyme, rosemary, and olive oil)
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup onion, thinly sliced
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
1 cup carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup flour
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 cups peas
Salt and Pepper to taste


Directions
Prepare the crust. Combine the flour and salt in a food processor. Add the chilled butter cubes and pulse 5 times to combine. Add the shortening and pulse a few more times until the dough resembles a coarse cornmeal with some pea-sized pieces of butter. Slowly stream in ice water, one tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition until the dough sticks together when you press some between your fingers. Empty the food processor, placing the dough on a clean surface. Use your hands to mold into a ball, then flatten the ball into a disk. Sprinkle with a little flour, warp in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 days) before rolling. 

Preheat the oven to 400. In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat. Add in onions, carrots, and celery and cook for 5-10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. 

Stir in the flour and cook, stirring continuously for one minute. Stir in chicken stock and milk. Bring to a simmer then decrease the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chicken, peas, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour filling into a 9 or 10-inch pie plate. 

Take the chilled dough fro the fridge and roll it out on a lightly floured surgace until it is large enough to cover the top of the pie plate. Cover the filling with the dough, pressing around the edges of the plate. Cut 4-5 slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake for about 30-35 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the pie crust is golden. Let pie sit for about 5 minutes before serving. 

Seven Layer Salad

This beautiful layered salad makes a regular appearance at our family celebrations. In fact, since I've been home for Christmas we've had it twice. It's super easy and you make it ahead of time, so on the the day you are serving it all you do is get it out. You can substitute your favorite veggies in this recipe - for example, we were out of green pepper so went with yellow and red. I think that tomatoes and mushrooms would also be yummy. Some people also mix in parmesan cheese with the mayo and then omit the shredded cheese on top. If you are feeding a larger crowd you'll want to double or triple the recipe.

Seven Layer Salad 
From Aunt Marlene
Printable Version


Ingredients
3/4 head lettuce (we used two stalks of romaine, torn into pieces)
1/2 cup chopped pepper
1/3 cup chopped onion (can use white or green onions)
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 package frozen peas
3 hard boiled eggs, thinly sliced
1 cup mayo
Bacon bits or crumbles
Shredded cheddar cheese



Directions
Place ingredients in 9X13 pan or salad bowl in the order given.

Spread the 1 cup of mayo over the top of the eggs with a spatula to form an even layer and seal the top completely. Sprinkle the top generously with shredded cheese and bacon. 

Refrigerate overnight or for 24 hours. 

Scentsy Giveaway Winner and Orzo Alfredo with Bacon and Peas

Thanks to everyone who entered the Scentsy Giveaway! I used Random Number.org to choose the winner and here are the results:

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:9Powered by RANDOM.ORG

The ninth person to comment was one of my favorite food bloggers, ButterYum!

ButterYum said...

Neat giveaway. I've never heard of Scentsy before. They have a lot of neat looking stuff on the website. I like the sound of the Cinnamon Vanilla. The warmers are neat too - I don't like the idea of burning candles, so they sound much safer.

:)
ButterYum

November 7, 2010 9:02 PM 

Butter Yum - you are in for a treat! You are going to love your new Scentsy products, just in time for the Holidays too! :) Thanks again to my awesome cousin Lindsey for helping me host this giveaway! Be sure to visit her site to check out the great things that Scentsy has to offer to make your house smell amazing!

Speaking of amazing, you  are going to want to go ahead and make this Orzo Alfredo with Bacon and Peas right away. I came across the recipe on A Whisk and A Prayer, who found it on Food and Wine Magazine. It's so creamy and buttery and the combination of peas and bacon is so delicious, even though I'm not a huge bacon lover. I really like using Orzo pasta for a change too. Do yourself a favor and double this recipe when you make it because you are definitely going to want more and more and more.

Orzo Alfredo with Bacon and Peas
From A Whisk and A Prayer
Serves 3
Printable Version

Ingredients
1/2 pound orzo
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cup oeas
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnishing
5 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Cook orzo according to directions on box. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan mix cream, peas, butter, Parmesan, and bacon. 

Heat over medium low heat, whisking constantly until Parmesan and butter have melted. Combine with orzo.

Season with salt and pepper and serve with additional Parmesan cheese. 

Blogiversary Giveaway Winner & Shepherd's Pie

Thanks to everyone for helping me celebrate my Blogiversary and commenting on the Williams-Sonoma gift card giveaway!


I used Random.org to generate the winning number (I promise I used 22 as the Max Number! For some reason it changes to 100 when I copy it.)

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:3Powered by RANDOM.ORG
The third person to comment was Jen B! 

Jen B said...

you're on my facebook!

November 1, 2010 8:14 AM 

Congrats Jen! I know you are going to enjoy using your $25 gift card to Williams Sonoma! Thanks for being a follower and for posting about my blog on your Facebook page! 

I've got a couple more giveaways in the works to celebrate the one year anniversary of my cooking blog, so be sure to keep checking back!

Now that my hubby is back (he had to work in a different state for 6 long, lonely weeks this fall) I have been cooking up a storm! It feels great to be back in the kitchen - and to have someone to eat with!! :) For one of our first dinners after he was back I made Shepherd's Pie. I found this recipe by googling "ground turkey" because I had a pound of ground turkey I wanted to use. 

Holy Moly, this may be the best use of ground turkey I've ever tasted! This shepherd's pie is incredible! With seasoned, juicy veggies and turkey topped with a layer of creamy, buttery mashed potatoes, this dinner is comforting and belly warming. I loved how this recipe called for chopped chives and rosemary. Fresh herbs make this dish just pop with flavor. This meal is perfect for a chilly fall night!

Shepherd's Pie
From Brood
Printable Version

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds of potatoes (I used two large russet potatoes and it was more than enough)
3 tablespoons butter
Splash of milk
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup chopped celery - add in some celery leaves too
1 pound ground turkey
1 cup vegetable stock
1 10 ounce bag frozen peas and carrots
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 teaspoon paprika
a pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
Fresh chives

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Dice and boil the potatoes until tender (about 10-15 minutes). Mash potatoes, mixing in 2 tablespoons of the butter, milk, salt an pepper. 

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet add the onion and celery and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add in the turkey and cook through, stirring frequently and breaking up the meat (another 10 minutes). Add the peas and carrots, vegetable stock and sprinkle with flour to thicken. cook for a few minutes. Add spices and let simmer for an additional five minutes.  

Transfer to a medium sized casserole dish. Cover with the potatoes, making irregular peaks with a fork. Dab with 1 tablespoon of butter and garnish with rosemary and chives. 

Bake for about 30 minutes, uncovered. The potatoes should be golden brown around the edges.

Fresh Green Pea Salad with Bacon and Red Potatoes

Have you ever spent close to an hour shucking fresh peas? I have and let me tell you, it's not fun, but it's totally worth it! One of our CSA goodie bags this spring contained a huge amount of fresh May Peas still in their pods. This recipe for Fresh Green Pea salad was also in our goodie bag and since one of the chief ingredients is bacon I knew my hubby would approve of this for dinner on a night that I just didn't have the energy to cook a bunch of things. I plopped myself down in front of a TiVOed show and set about opening up countless pea pods. The result was big, beautiful and incredibly flavorful fresh peas.

I decided to add in boiled red potatoes to make this a more filling "meal" and I am really glad I did. This salad is creamy, salty and the combination of fresh peas, crumbled bacon, chives and potatoes make every bite a little different. 

Fresh Green Pea Salad with Bacon and Red Potatoes

Ingredients

3 cups fresh green peas or 10 ounces of frozen, thawed peas

4 to 5 slices of crisply cooked bacon, crumbled

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup chopped green onions or chives

6 boiled potatoes, sliced into bite sized pieces

salt and pepper to taste

mint or fresh dill, if desired (I didn't have any on hand but I'm sure it would have been even better with one of these!)

Directions

Cook peas until barely tender. Drain well and chill. 

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve.