Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘Recipes’

Healthy Oven Fries

These very yummy oven fries are the best tasting potatoes I’ve eaten in a long time. I used Russet Potatoes but any type will work. In the picture I’m flipping them so they cook evenly.

These are so good and so easy to make I’m wondering why I never tried them before.

 

Preparation:

  • Cut several clean, unpeeled potatoes into quarter inch slices.
  • Soak in water for about half an hour.
  • Dry off potatoes.
  • Coat with a teaspoon or two of oil and seasonings (salt or spices).
  • Bake at 400°F for about 40 minutes or until crisp.
  • Flip several times so they cook evenly.

Read Full Post »

This is a quick and easy recipe that I like to use when I want fresh fish but don’t have a lot of time to cook. The recipe comes from an article titled The Beauty of Brown Butter by Kathy Hunt.

Add a salad and some steamed vegetables and you have a tasty meal in less than half an hour. Plus scallops are an excellent source of B-12, magnesium, potassium and omega-3 fatty acids.

I cut back on the amount of butter sauce I made as half the recipe was enough for me for this amount of scallops.

Ingredients:

  • 1½ pounds large sea scallops
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons balsemic vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground pepper

Preparation:
Using a small saucepan, melt the butter chunks over medium-low to medium heat, swirling the pan over the heat. Continue cooking and swirling the pan. The butter will foam and then slowly settle. At this point the butter should be turning a golden color with specks of brown forming. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Place the olive oil in a large frying or saute pan and heat on medium high until the oil is smoking. Place several scallops in the pan and cook 2 minutes on each side. The scallops should be browned. Sprinkle fresh ground pepper on top of each and then remove them from the pan and place on a plate. Follow the same steps to sear the remaining scallops.

Before serving the scallops, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of vinegar and the salt to the brown butter. Stir together and taste for seasoning, adding the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of vinegar if necessary. Place the scallops on plates and drizzle the sauce over each scallop. Serve immediately. Serves 4

Read Full Post »

Peanut Butter Suet Dough

The birds love homemade peanut butter suet dough. Today I had chickadees, woodpeckers and juncos nibbling away at it. Here’s a female red-bellied woodpecker and a chickadee enjoying a meal.

Other birds that like this treat are bluebirds, titmice, nuthatches, jays, wrens, thrashers and towhees.

The basic recipe is simple and only takes a few minutes to make. I’d like to take credit for it, but I found it in Bird Watcher’s Digest. I used vegetable shortening instead of lard; the birds didn’t mind.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1 cup lard or vegetable shortening
  • 2 cups plain yellow corn meal
  • 2 cups quick oats
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • raisens (optional)
  • chopped nuts (optional)

Preparation
Melt peanut putter and shortening or lard in large pan on low heat. Add remainder of ingredients and mix well. Pour into a pan allow to harden at room temperature. Chop into chunks or squares for suet cage. I like to use the plastic molds that the store bought suet comes in. Can also be served crumbled in a shallow dish. Store in baggies in refrigerator or at room temperature.

Now sit back and watch the birds. They know a good thing once they find it.

Read Full Post »

Pollo alla Cacciatora or Chicken Cacciatore is a traditional Italian dish of chicken braised in a tomato and white wine sauce with mushrooms and vegetables. It is sometimes referred to as Hunter’s Stew – “Alla Cacciatora” means “Hunter’s Style” in Italian.

This is a great winter dish, one of my favorites and easy to make. It practically cooks itself. I’ve modified it slightly from the traditional by changing the vegetables and using boneless chicken breasts. I serve it over polenta in the traditional northern style but it can also be served over pasta.

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1½ to 2 pounds boneless chicken breast
  • 16 oz can stewed tomatoes
  • ¼ cup dry white wine
  • 1 tablespoon minced onion
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat parsley
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
  • 1 small can pitted black olives
  • 1 small can cut green beans
  • 1 package instant polenta*

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Pancakes

A basic recipe for good old fashioned pancakes. Makes four servings.

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1½ cups milk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Preparation:

Lightly beat the egg in a medium bowl. Add the milk and bring to room temperature. Add the melted butter and mix.

In a large bowl sift together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add the combined egg, milk and butter to the large bowl and whisk until smooth.

Bring a lightly greased griddle to medium high heat. Cook pancakes until lightly browned on each side.

For thicker pancakes use ¼ cup less milk.

Makes 4 servings.

Read Full Post »

Chicken Broth Soup

In an effort to ward off cold and flu season, I brewed up a big pot of chicken broth. This recipe will make about 12 bowls.

Veggies for SoupIngredients:

  • 4 pounds chicken
  • 2 carrots
  • 4 celery stalks
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 medium tomato
  • 1 small potato
  • 1 sml bunch flat parsley (3-4 sprigs)
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1/8 tea pepper or 3 peppercorns

Preparation:
Fill large pot ¾ with cold water. Rinse and cut up chicken. Place in pot and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes skimming off any scum or foam. Add the vegetables, salt and pepper. Return to a boil and simmer for 2 to 2½ hours. Cool and strain broth into jars. Chopped up veggies and chicken can be added back to the soup.

Read Full Post »

Zucchini Muffins

Zucchini Muffins

There are probably a zillion different zucchini bread recipes. I use the same recipe for muffins and bread. It’s easy to make and it stays nice and moist, even if you bake it a few minutes too long. So, here’s mine…

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts
  • 2 cups grated zucchini

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a medium bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. In a large bowl beat eggs, oil, vanilla and sugar. Add the flour mixture to the ingredients in the large bowl and mix well. Add the zucchini and walnuts and stir until combined.

Pour into muffin pans or two 8×4 loaf pans. Grease or spray pans with non-stick cooking spray. Bake 40 to 60 minutes for loaf or 25 to 30 minutes for muffins. Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes then remove.

Read Full Post »

Tarragon Egg Salad

Tarragon Egg Salad
Fresh herbs go wonderfully with eggs. Here’s an egg salad that looks and tastes delicious using fresh parsley and tarragon. Serve it on whole grain bread instead white bread for a delightfully tasty sandwich.

Ingredients:

  • 6 large eggs
  • 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon freshly minced flat leaf parsley
  • 1 tablespoon freshly minced french tarragon leaves
  • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon celery seed
  • freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation
Place eggs in medium sauce pan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil, turn off heat, cover and let cook for 12 minutes. Immediately cool eggs in cold or ice water to stop the cooking. Let sit a few minutes, then peel and chop eggs.

In a medium bowl mix together the tarragon, parsley, mustard, mayonaise, celery seed, salt and pepper. Stir in the eggs.

Recipe makes 4 sandwiches.

Read Full Post »

Grilled Zucchini Slices

Grilled Zucchini Slices

Grilled Zucchini Slices

If you’re looking to use up some of those late summer zucchini squash, throw some slices on the grill for a quick vegetable side dish.

Pick them young and tender. When they get too big they have too much pulp and won’t do well on the grill.

Ingredients:

  • Zucchini squash
  • Olive oil
  • Garlic pepper seasoning

Preparation:
Cut zucchini lengthwise into slices about ¼ inch thick (½ cm). Brush olive oil on both sides and season with garlic pepper.  Grill on medium-high heat turning after 3 minutes. Grill other side for about 2 more minutes.

Read Full Post »

These are great for the grill. Easy to make and clean up is quick.

Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Rosemary and Garlic

Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Rosemary and Garlic

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 4 teaspoons fresh rosemary
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper

Preparation

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Chop into small pieces, about one to two inches square. Place chicken in a ziploc baggie.

Finely chop garlic and rosemary and add to chicken along with salt, pepper, wine and olive oil. Shake bag and mix well. Let marinate in refrigerator for ½ to 1 hour.

Put chicken on skewers and grill for about 10 minutes until cooked through turning several times.

Read Full Post »

Older Posts »

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.