Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Zucchini & Potato Latkes



Zucchini and Potato Latkes
Serves 4-6

1 lb. red potatoes
2 zucchini
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c. flour

Preheat large skillet over medium heat.


Grate potatoes and zucchini. Squeeze to wring out excess moisture. Add remaining ingredients. Toss until well combined. Press mixture into thin patties. Fry on hot skillet and flip once they turn golden brown on one side. Remove from pan and sprinkle with salt. Serve 'em up with some ketchup. YUMMY!!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Homemade Rosemary Focaccia


Focaccia is a flat, oven-baked Italian bread. It has a soft, spongy texture and is perfect for eating alone or making sandwiches. It isn't traditionally made with whole wheat flour, but I found that its' addition lends a heartier quality to the bread, while still maintaining that soft texture we all love.

2 cups stoneground whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 cups warm water (105-110 degrees)
1 tbsp. raw honey or sugar
1 package active dry yeast (I use Rapid Rise)
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
3 garlic cloves, minced
fresh rosemary
sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine flours and salt. Next, in a glass measuring cup, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Stir in honey and let it sit for 5-10 minutes, until it begins to bubble. Add to dry ingredients, along with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix until dough comes together, adding a little more unbleached flour if necessary. Knead for a few minutes. Transfer to a well oiled bowl and let rise (in a warm place) until doubled in bulk. This takes approximately 30 minutes for Rapid Rise yeast and an hour for standard yeast.
Punch dough down and transfer to a ceramic casserole or baking sheet. Roll out, about 1 inch thick. With your fingertips, press rows of deep holes into the dough. Sprinkle with minced garlic, fresh rosemary and sea salt. Drizzle with olive oil.
Cover and let rise for 20 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before slicing & eating.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Veggie Tacos

  • Veggie Tacos

  • 4 cups brown rice cooked
  • 8 ounces chunky salsa
  • 16 ounces pinto beans drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups frozen corn
  • 2 cups chopped lettuce
  • 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
  • 12 large flour tortillas
  • 1 package taco seasoning mix
  • 1/2 pound pepper jack cheese shredded
  • 1/2 cup sour cream



  • Mix rice, salsa, taco seasoning, corn and beans then heat through.
  • Spoon into tortillas and top with cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and sour cream then serve immediately.
This recipe has the CODY STAMP OF APPROVAL! He even said he'd consider going vegetarian if all the food tasted like this. LOL. No worries, Hubby, I want to eat healthier, but I won't make you go that extreme. :o)

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Tortilla Pizza

I love making lunch for the boys, but Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches only last so long until I'm ready to throw them out the window. So I made this:



Ingredients:
• Tortilla's (I used Fajita sized)
• Spaghetti Sauce
• Cheese
• Pineapple
• Olives
• Pepperoni
• Any other toppings you want - This is all I had in the house at the time.




Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350˚F.
2. Place Tortillas on a baking sheet.
3. Spread 2 Tbl of Spaghetti Sauce onto the Tortilla.
4. Place toppings on.
5. Sprinkle Cheese on top.
6. Cook 10-15 minutes or until Cheese is melted and Tortilla edges are browned.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Chicken Chili

Chicken Chili

2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed
1 tbsp. butter
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 box of chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 cup cooked yellow rice
1 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper

In a large pot, saute onion and celery in the butter over medium heat. When onion has softened, add in the remaining ingredients, using enough salt and pepper to suit your taste buds. Heat to a low boil, stirring occasionally. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes and then serve and enjoy! 

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

I really love the flavor of this sauce - I've been seriously craving it ever since I made it. The tomatoes with the sweet onions, garlic and herbs is just too good.



3 medium sized fresh tomatoes
1 28 oz. can whole, peeled or diced tomatoes in tomato juice
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic
a little fresh oregano or basil (or both), stems removed
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt


Dice the onions and mince garlic. Cut tomatoes into quarters. Heat a saucepan or dutch oven to medium heat. Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil, fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes, onion and garlic. Throw in the fresh herbs and about 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until the tomatoes have burst and the veggies are tender. If you like things spicy, add some red pepper flakes at this point. Puree it in a blender or food processor (I puree about half of mine and leave the other half chunky).


Toss with 1/2 pound of whole wheat pasta and top with grated parmesan.


serves 4-6

Whole Wheat Crust & Pizza

Homemade Pizza (Curst Too!)

1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1¼ tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp salt
½ tsp granulated sugar
¾ cup hot water (120° to 130°F)
1 Tbs extra- virgin olive oil

1. Combine flours, yeast, salt and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. COmbine hot water and oil in a measuring cup. With the motor running, gradually pour in enough of the hot liquid until the mixture forms a sticky ball. The dough should be quite soft. If it seems dry, add 1 to 2 Tablespoons warm water; if too sticky, add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of flour. Process until dough forms a ball, then process for 1 minute to knead.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Coat a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place it, sprayed-side down, over the dough. Let the dough rest for 10 to 20 minutes before rolling.
3. Place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the lowest oven rack; preheat oven to 500°F. or highest setting. Roll and top the pizza as desired and bake the pizza until the bottom is crisp and golden, 10 to 14 minutes.
Yield: 1 pound of dough – enough for 1 pizza crust

No put whatever toppings you want. SOOO GOOD!! Again, Cody stamp of approval! Even the boys LOVED it!