Marinated Squash and Zucchini Salad

Ok, I came upon this one by accident, but somehow the ever so thinly sliced discs of squash, zucchini and red onion were dying to be eaten raw...so we obliged.  And wow, were they yummy.

Marinated Squash and Zucchini Salad

1 yellow squash, thinly sliced
1 green zucchini, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

For this recipe, it is much easier to get the vegetables sliced thin using a simple hand mandoline, I have one like this that I picked up for a few dollars at the grocery store.  The vegetables should be so thin that they easily bend in half when held up between your fingers.  As thin as you can get them. 

Add the vegetables and garlic to a medium-sized mixing bowls, and then drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.  Set aside for 20-30 minutes on your countertop.  This allows the vegetables to soften and mascerate slightly, and they should taste completely "cooked" and not crunchy.  These veggies were delicious alongside my Feta and Fresh Oregano Stuffed Chicken Breasts...which I will share shortly.

Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing

Nick wanted Caesar Salad to accompany our handmade Veal Cannelloni last night, which I will post and share separately.  I went through every one of my favorite cookbooks and could NOT find a recipe for Caesar Dressing.  I was really surprised.  Then I turned to my Cooking Light cookbook and was pleasantly surprised.  This is a refreshing, easy, simply and zingy dressing that is light on fat, and heavy on flavor.

Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing

6 tbsp light mayonaisse (I used Hellman's)
3 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons)
1 1/2 tbsp anchovy paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Simply mix all ingredients together in a small bowl, and then refridgerate until serving.  I served this with a variety of Artisan Lettuces in green and purple with fresh shaved Parmesan Reggiano.  I topped the salads with Texas Toast Garlic Croutons.  Yumm!

Chicken Tortilla Soup (Crockpot)

This recipe is so easy and just the ticket for a chilly day. 

Chicken Tortilla Soup (Crockpot)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped small
juice 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 can kernel corn, drained
1 can Rotel (tomatoes and chiles)
1 4 oz can diced green hatch chilis
48 oz or 6 cups chicken broth
1 bunch cilantro, stemmed and rough chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper (to season chicken)
2 tbsp olive oil

Toppings:

crushed tortilla chips per bowl
monterrey jack cheese
sour cream

Combine main list of ingredients in crockpot, and cook on high for 4-5 hours.  Remove chicken and shred, and return to pot.  Serve immediately, or set to low until ready to serve.  Alternately, cook on low for 7-8 hours (just enough time to set the crockpot and go to work!).

This recipe is on the spicy side, but the toppings do well to cut the heat, but still allow a nice spicey note at the end.  This will definitely make it into rotation at our house!

Chicken and White Bean Chili (Crockpot)

This next recipe is a family favorite and was passed to me, after begging, via my husband's aunt.  It originally hails from a 2002 edition of Bon Appetit magazine, and I can certainly see how this recipe continues to be shared again and again, years after its original publishing date...

Chicken and White Bean Chili (Crockpot)

1 pound dried small white beans (I used navy beans)
16 oz. canned diced green chilis – mild, including liquid in can
¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 large onions, chopped
1/3 cup all purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
3 cups half and half
4 cups shredded cooked chicken (See Easy Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon white pepper

1 cup sour cream
1 ½ cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
prepared green chili salsa
fine chopped red onion for garnish

Cook whole chicken in crockpot the day/night before, via instructions linked above.  Or otherwise cook/purchase chicken, and shred as desired.

Place beans in large pot or bowl with enough cold water to cover by at least 3 inches. Let stand overnight. Drain beans, return to pot. Add enough cold water to pot to cover beans by 3 inches. Simmer until beans are almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Drain well.

Note: You can do this all on the same day by following directions on package to boiling the beans and then letting them simmer.

Melt butter in clean heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until tender, about 15 minutes. Add flour and stir 5 minutes (do not brown). Gradually whisk in chicken broth and half and half. Simmer gently until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add reserved white beans and roasted chilies, shredded chicken, and next 5 ingredients. Simmer gently to blend flavors, about 20 minutes.

Note: At this point, you can add chili to your crockpot if you choose.  Set to low until just before serving, I left mine for 3-4 hours.

Add grated cheese and sour cream to chili; stir just until chili is heated through and cheese melts (do not boil). Ladle chili into bowls and garnish with cilantro, green salsa and chopped red onion. Serve.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Easy Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken

This is a really easy method for creating a rotisserie-style chicken in your crockpot at home.

Easy Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken

1 whole chicken (mine was about 5 lbs)
salt, pepper and garlic salt

6-8 tin foil sheets, crumpled into balls, about 2-3" in diameter

Rinse and pat chicken dry inside and out.  Season evenly with salt, pepper and garlic powder, on skin, inside cavity and under skin (if desired).

Set foil balls into base of crockpot.  Place chicken, breast side down, on top of foil balls.  (Foil balls elevate chicken so that the fat drains off, and meat is not saturated/mushy by the time its cooked).

Cook on high for 5-6 hours, or low for 8-9 hours.

Enjoy alongside your favorite side dishes.  I have also used this for shredded chicken that I needed for a Chili recipe...to be shared later.

Yummy Beef Stroganoff

I looked in my fridge last week and saw two lonely ribeye steaks staring back at me.  What was I going to do with them?  I didn't want to do a traditional steak and a potato.  So what...  What, what, to do??  I have no idea where the idea for Beef Stroganoff came from, but there it was in my head.  So I searched for a good recipe, that had most if not all of the ingredients I had on hand...

And I found a really yummy one, courtesy of Paula Deen...  How can you go wrong?

Beef Stroganoff

Here's what I used:

1.5 lbs cubed round steak (I cubed my ribeye steaks
All-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, sliced
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can beef broth
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
Salt and Pepper
Garlic Powder
1 cup sour cream
1 bag egg noodles

Here's what I did:

Set a large stock pot to boil with enough water to cook egg noodles.  Season water with salt once it reaches a boil.  Add noodles and cook until al dente.  Set aside.

Season the steak strips with salt, pepper and garlic powder, then dust with flour. In a large nonstick pan,  brown them on both sides in the olive oil and butter. Remove the steak from the pan. Add the onion slices and mushrooms to the pan drippings. Saute for a few minutes, until the onion is tender. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon flour. Put the steak back into the pan with the onion and mushrooms. Add the mushroom soup and beef broth. Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, covered. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding salt and pepper, as needed. Stir in the sour cream the last few minutes, right before you serve. Serve over cooked noodles.


This was a big hit.  For an extra burst of flavor, a little shredded parmeson on top is, how you say, magnifique.  ;)

Pear and Goat Cheese Salad

This salad was a hit on Christmas day.  The Bosc pear with the Goat Cheese and simple, simple lemon viniagrette, tossed lightly with mixed greens was the perfect way to start our large family gathering.

Pear and Goat Cheese Salad

1 Bosc Pear, pitted, sliced thin wedges
6 oz plain goat cheese, crumbled small
1 head butter/bibb lettuce, or mixed mesclun
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
9 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste





I'm a huge fan of the Costco mesclun mix, which includes several delicate varieties of lettuces, and also has a really nice color and texture variation.  If you can't find that, one to two small heads of delicate lettuce varieties work well (butter and bibb lettuce are two really nice options).

Rinse and spin or blot lettuce dry.  In a large serving/salad bowl, place lettuce.  If lettuce is in larger leaves, tear into 2-3" pieces for a more rustic presentation than chopping.  These smaller varieties of lettuce often don't require chopping, however, so if you can leave it in its original state - all the better. 

At this point, season lightly with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.  In a small bowl, combine fresh lemon juice with olive oil.  This should be a 1 to 3 ratio of lemon juice to olive oil.  Then add a little salt and pepper, and using a fork or small whisk, mix the dressing into an emulsion, whereby the lemon juice and olive oil are not separated but fully incorporated. 

Drizzle about 1/2 of the dressing over the lettuce, and toss lightly to incorporate.

Top salad with Bosc pear slices and crumbled goat cheese.  Serve remaining dressing on the side.  I also served extra cheese crumbles in a small ramekin so that my guests could further dress their salad.

This salad got high praises from all of the guests.  The subtle sweet of the pear against the acid of the lemon viniagrette and savory goat cheese was a really nice balance.