Cowboy Caviar

 

Here's a super quick, absolutely delicious, and healthy dip.  What more can you ask for from an appetizer?  It has a list of wonderful ingredients but it's the dressing that takes this dish to the next level of taste nirvana!  Serve it with Tostitos scoops so you can get a nice chunk of this dip on the chip. This is a great dish to serve at bbq's, picnic's or anytime you want to have a recipe that pleases darn near everyone! This can also be served as a salad or over pasta.  I found this recipe on the Cook Eat Share web site and was submitted by an old friend of mine.  Lynn Yamamoto Dalman.

Cowboy Caviar from  Lynn Yamamoto Dalman

• Ingredients 
• 2 - 15 oz cans black beans rinsed
• 1 - 17 oz can whole kernel corn, drained
• 2 large tomatoes chopped
• 1 large avocado diced
• 1/2 red onion chopped
• 1/4 C fresh cilantro chopped
• Dressing:
• 1 T red wine vinegar
• 4 T lime juice
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t ground pepper

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Chill if making ahead.

Roasted Shrimp and Orzo

Here's another really wonderful recipe from the always incredible, Ina Garten.  I know, I know.  If it's from Ina, it's going to be fabulous!  It is suggested that this recipe be served at room temperature.  Well frankly, it's so darn good, that when I first make it, we end up eating it hot.  We can't wait for the cool down period.  It makes a large batch so there was lots left over.  My family eats the leftovers straight out of the fridge without even bothering to heat it up.  This dish is loaded with delicious roasted shrimp.  The roasting really intensifies the flavor of the shrimp.  There's an incredible amount of fresh dill and parsley.  When you measure out one cup of chopped dill, you'll be amazed at how much it actually is.  There's a generous amount of feta.  The feta I used was pretty strong.  Next time I'll probably use a bit less.  The only thing I don't like about this pasta is eventually my fam eats it all and there's no more in the fridge for moi!

Ina's Roasted Shrimp and Orzo

Ingredients:

Salt
olive oil
3/4 pound orzo
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
freshly ground pepper
2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup sliced scallions, white and green parts
1 cup chopped fresh dill
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 English cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium diced
1/2 cup small-diced red onion
1/2-3/4 pound good feta, large-diced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Fill a large pot of water, add 1 tablespoon salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil.  Add the orzo and simmer for 9-11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente.  Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.

3. Meanwhile, place the shrimp on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Roast for 5-6 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through.  Don't overcook!

4. Add the shrimp to the orzo and then the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss well. Add the feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

How many times have you read a blog post that claims to have the recipe for the perfect chocolate chip cookie.  I've read tons. I don't know if there is actually one perfect recipe. What I do know is, as of right now, these are my most favorite chocolate chip cookies in the whole world.  They're thick, soft, and wonderfully chewy and have lots of chocolate chips.  That's what I want most in my chocolate chip cookie.

Chocolate Chip Cookies-from Allrecipes-Beth Sigworth

Ingredients:

2/3 cup butter flavored shortening
2/3 cup butter-softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans (optional )

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.  Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Stir the pecans and chocolate chips.  Using a large cookie scoop,  scoop dough onto a silpat lined cookie sheet.

3. Bake 14-16 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the centers are set.  Don't overbake.  Cool 5 minutes before removing cookies to cooling rack.

Lindsey's Greek Pasta

Last night I had a wonderful treat.  My daughter cooked me a delicious meal for dinner.  How lucky am I?!!  It was honestly soooo delicious.  It has a wonderful list of ingredients that come together really quickly to make a great dinner.  Give it a try when you need dinner on the table fast and you want something healthy and comforting. When you read the recipe, it might seem to have a lot of garlic.  Don't worry.  Since it's rough chopped it can be cooked with the onion with less worry of it burning and tasting bitter.  Since it cooks until both it and the onion are soft, it becomes sweet, mellow, and even more delicious.  My daughter made it vegetarian, but if would prefer, you can add some grilled chicken.

Ingredients:

1 pound farfalle
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1-13.75 can artichoke hearts, drained
2-14.5 ounce can petite cut diced tomatoes
6 ounces tomato paste
6 ounces water
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 ounces kalamata olives, pitted
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar

1 cup feta, crumbled

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain

2. Meanwhile, add olive oil to a large nonstick skillet (make sure the skillet is large enough to accommodate the pasta when it is cooked.)  Saute onion and garlic until they are very soft.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the pasta and feta, and cook for 10 minutes.  Add the cooked and drained pasta to sauce and toss to coat.  Sprinkle individual portions with feta and serve.

Super Quick Corn and Chili Beer Bread

Usually, I like to make everything from scratch, but sometimes it's soooo nice to have a little help from a friend.  My friend's name is Trader Joe's.  Have you met him?  My daughter found this amazing beer bread mix that she added some Chevre cheese and Trader Joe's Corn and Chile Tomato-less Salsa ( isn't that a relish? ) to.  It's obviously, super quick and easy.  Perfect for those times when you spend lots of time cooking your entree.  I think it would be delicious with the stuffed peppers I just posted or chili, or soup.  Oh, I can't believe I didn't mention the most important part, it's really yummy!!!

Ingredients:

1 box Trader Joe's Beer Bread Mix
1-12 ounce beer
5 ounces Chevre
6 ounces Trader Joe's Corn and Chile Tomato-less Salsa
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Follow package directions adding Chevre and Corn and Chile Salsa with beer.

Stuffed Chilis

This is a wonderful recipe my good friend Debbie created.  She had a similar dish at a restaurant and developed this from her experience.  Now, I have to be honest, when she described this to me I was reluctant.  I'm a dyed in the wool carnivore.  This frankly sounded like it would taste too healthy !  I also thought that without bread or pasta I would never feel full!  Boy was I wrong!  This was absolutely incredible and very filling.  I loved these so much that I made them 2 times within a week.  The second time I  made them, I ate two of them and so thoroughly stuffed myself I felt sick.  Hows that for telling you how fabulous these are!  I can't wait to make them again.  They're unbelievable!  Click Here for another one of my favorite Deb recipes. 

Ingredients:                                                                           

8 pasilla peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded

3 ears of corn, roasted and cut from the cob

2 teaspoons olive oil                                                                                                              
1 medium onion, diced

4-6 cloves garlic, minced              

2 pounds crimini mushrooms, sliced

3 zucchini's diced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

salt and black pepper ( I think I used 1 tea salt and 1/2 tea pepper )

red enchilada sauce, warmed

8 ounces jack or cheddar cheese, grated

sour cream ( you can use fat free )

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. In a large nonstick skillet, saute onion until very soft.  Add garlic and continue to saute for 2-3 minutes.  Add mushrooms and zucchini and continue to cook until all veggies are soft.  Add cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper.

3.  Stuff peppers until they are half full with cooked veggie mixture.  Add a layer of shredded cheese .  fill with more veggie mixture and top with cheese and place in a baking dish. Repeat until all peppers are filled.  Cook in oven until they are heated through and the cheese is melted.  Top with a drizzle of the warmed enchilada sauce and a dollop of sour cream and serve.