Corn Caprese Salad.

Sometimes simple, fresh ingredients are paired in a recipe so precisely there is no way to improve on it.  And sometimes, I just toss some ingredients in a bowl and I get lucky. You can think of this one either way.

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into chunks
• corn kernels from one cob of corn
• 2-4 basil leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp white balsamic vinegar
• salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in bowl, serve, and enjoy! Simple. Perfect. And maybe a little lucky.

Easy Lasagna.

I drove home tonight, thinking about what I had in the pantry and freezer, knowing that I had no interest in stopping at the grocery store as the temperatures plunged to single digits.  The following recipe for easy lasagna is what resulted - and I must say that it turned out quite well - and if the four servings that my oldest ate were any indication, there was agreement around the table that this is a recipe worth keeping.

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 T fresh basil, chopped
• 1 T fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 24 oz jar spaghetti sauce
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 6 fresh, uncooked lasagna noodles (large enough that two cover the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook ground beef with basil, parsley, and garlic until no pink remains.  Stir in tomato sauce and tomatoes.  Cook for 5 minutes over low heat.  Spread 1/2 the jar of spaghetti sauce on bottom of 9 x 13 inch pan.  Place two noodles over sauce.  Spread half the meat/tomato mixture on the noodles.  Sprinkle 3/4 cup of cheese over meat. Cover with two more noodles.  Spread the remaining meat mixture over noodles, and sprinkle another 3/4 cup of cheese. Place last two noodles on top of meat, cover with remaining spaghetti sauce, and sprinkle last 1/2 cup of cheese on top. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Wild Rice Stuffed Chicken Breasts

This turned out to be a little fussier than I would typically like for a weeknight dinner, but with a little extra time in the kitchen, I would definitely make this again - and it received rave reviews at my table!

• ¼ cup wild rice
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 10 pitted black olives, coarsely chopped
• 10 -12 sun dried tomato halves, coarsely chopped
• ¼ cup Italian parsley, chopped
• 1 clementine or Satsuma orange, peeled, sectioned, and coarsely chopped
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• salt
• pepper
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ¼ inch thickness
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

Bring 2 cups water, salt, and rice to boil in saucepan.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 40 minutes or until rice is cooked and tender.  Drain and cool.  Mix olives, tomato, parsley, orange, and lemon juice together in small bowl.  Add cooled rice and toss to mix.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Pound chicken breasts between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap, until each breast is about ¼ inch thick.  Place ¼ cup of rice mixture on each breast. Roll chicken around rice, tucking in ends and securing with toothpicks.

Heat oil in heavy skillet.  Cook chicken until browned on each side, about 2 minutes per side.  Transfer browned chicken to baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and rice is hot.  Enjoy!

Citrus Pulled Beef Appetizer.

I have experimented with a variety of pulled beef recipes, with most of them prepared in the crock pot.  For this recipe, I wanted to make a smaller quantity for an appetizer, so decided to roast a smaller piece of meat in the oven.  Our family's usual favorite is Tangy Pulled Beef, which has a little zing with pepperocini added as the meat finishes cooking.  For this dish, I wanted something a little fruity and after seeing a Whole Foods recipe for a cranberry pulled beef, decided to see what I could create.  I reached for a can of cranberry sauce and used ingredients I had on hand to make this dish - and it's a keeper.

• 1 – 1.5 pound beef roast
• salt
• pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 1 or 2 clementine or Satsuma oranges (or one small can mandarin oranges, drained)
• crusty bread

Generously sprinkle salt and pepper all over roast. Heat oil in dutch oven, and brown roast on all sides. Transfer meat to an oven-proof baking dish that has a lid.  Add cranberry sauce and orange juice to browning pan.  Stir while the mixture comes to a boil.  Remove sauce from heat and pour over roast.  Cover baking dish with foil and then the lid, for a tight seal.  Bake at 350 degrees for 2-2.5 hours, until meat can be easily shredded with a fork.  Peel and separate oranges into segments.  Cut segments in thirds, and gently toss into meat. Serve on bread, either open-faced or as bite-sized sandwiches.

Simple Shrimp & Crab Cioppino.

This is my simple version of the Italian-American seafood stew, Cioppino.  Cioppino originated in the late 1800s in the San Francisco Bay area, created by Italian and Portuguese immigrants.  Typical recipes call for fish; any combination of fish or shellfish can be added to this recipe, which calls only for our family favorites, shrimp and crab.  Total prep and cooking time is under an hour, which makes it reasonable for a weeknight menu. 

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1.5 cups white wine
• I small can tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 2 pounds uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, & tails removed (thawed)
• 2 - 6 ounce cans lump crab meat
• 2 Tbsp fresh basil or Italian parsley, chopped
• salt & pepper

Heat oil in dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Stirring occasionally, cook until onion and pepper are softened.  Add tomatoes (with juice), broth, wine, tomato paste, thyme, and parsley.  Bring to a boil; cover and simmer 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, add shrimp and crab.  Cook 5 minutes, just until shrimp are cooked.  Stir in basil or parsley and serve.  Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy! Serve with fresh baguette slices.

Raisin Bread Baked French Toast.

This easy baked french toast recipe was adapted from a Whole Foods Market recipe for Baked Panettone French Toast.  I prepared it for Christmas Eve Morning, when I knew I'd be busy with last minute preparations, and still wanted to sit down to a hot, filling breakfast.  This recipe was a snap to prep the night before, and in less than an hour, went from fridge to table in the morning.  It was exactly what I needed for Christmas Eve Morning and will be a great go-to breakfast for feeding a crowd of hungry swimmers after morning practice!

• 6 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted and divided
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp water
• 2 large apples (Granny Smith or Braeburn work well), peeled, cored, & thinly sliced
• ½ cup dried cranberries or raisins
• 6 thick slices Raisin Bread, cut in half
• 4 eggs
• 1.5 cups milk
• ½ tsp cinnamon

Melt 4 Tbsp butter (or margarine) and mix with brown sugar and water.  Spread in the bottom of 9x13 baking pan and set aside.  Saute apple slices in remaining 2 Tbsp butter for 6-8 minutes, or until soft.  Arrange apples on top of brown sugar mixture in pan and sprinkle cranberries evenly on apples.  Lay bread slices on top of fruit.  Set aside to allow apples to cool slightly.  Mix eggs, milk, and cinnamon together. Pour over bread in pan. Cover and chill overnight.  In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 40 minutes, or until toast is browned and egg mixture has set. Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Happy Holidays! And I'm Back!

It has been more than three months since my last post. Of course, I have cooked in the last three months, but I didn't slow down long enough to write about it!  I'm slowing down now, and I'm back.  I look forward to sharing new recipes and strategies for a healthy lifestyle - including slowing down long enough to enjoy the things you love most! - as we turn the corner into 2013.  Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2013 from my family to each of you! 

(The reason I am a busy girl who cooks good food:

two incredible teenage athletes in my family...)

Happy Holidays 2012!