stromboli

This has to be one of Tech Guy's favorite foods of all time. In fact, he was the one who introduced me to this recipe when we got married. I had never even had Stromboli before much less prepared it! It only takes about 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to bake. I made 1/2 recipe for the 4 of us for lunch and there was only a little left over.

Stromboli

Dough:

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup oil

1 Tbsp instant yeast

1/2 tsp salt

4-5 cups flour

Filling:

3 Tbsp mustard or pizza sauce

4 American cheese slices

Sliced salami

Sliced ham

1/2 lb fried sausage or hamburger (optional)

2-3 cups shredded Mozzarella

Olive oil

Oregano

Italian Seasoning

Mix first 4 ingredients; add flour until a soft dough is formed. Let sit while preparing meat. Roll dough into 2 large rectangular shapes. In middle 1/3 of dough, layer the following: mustard or pizza sauce, row of cheese slices, 1-2 rows of salami, 1 layer of ham, sausage or hamburger, Mozzarella cheese. Fold outer thirds of dough over filling*. Pinch and seal edges. Brush with oil; sprinkle with oregano and Italian seasoning. Lift onto cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until browned.

*I often braid it for a dressed-up look. Just snip sideways into the outer thirds, about 1" apart all the way along, then fold them in toward the middle, alternating sides. (I don't know if that made any sense at all...) :(

quesadillas

Since Tech Guy (dh) comes home for lunch every day, I've racked my brain for new yet simple ideas. Pretty much what I've come up with is that lunch is usually a take on sandwiches, which may include wraps, quesadillas, burgers, burritos, etc. One of the fastest and easiest favorites is chicken quesadillas... If you're in the same rut I am, this one's for you! All measurements are approximate, I just dump and pour:

6 medium chicken breasts
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can green chilies
1 1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese
6 tortillas (any flavor)

Cube chicken and fry in olive oil, add spices and cook until done. Add green chilies and heat through. Place tortillas on hot griddle, add 1/2 to 1 cup meat mixture and 1/4 cheese and fold in half. Turn when golden brown on the bottom. Cut into 3 wedges each and serve with sour cream and salsa.

marinade

To me, summer is all about picnics and barbecues and salads and experimenting with the grill. Of course, I'm always thinking about food, so this comes as no surprise... others think of swimming, hiking, etc. and I think of the food... Anyway, I have found the answer for a multipurpose ingredient that I always have in stock. It's a great dressing, but also an incredible marinade... and they come in the yummiest flavors: Roasted Red Pepper (great as steak marinade), Spring Herb Italian, Sweet Onion Vinaigrette (both super awesome on chicken breasts)... and those are only the kinds I've tried. They have every flavor imaginable, and they are rich, flavorful and oh, so gourmet. And I'm longing to check out these sauces...

Excuse me while I wipe my chin...

honey wheat bushman bread

I have a bread machine. Really, I do. But somehow it gets overlooked in the daily grind of life and I forget that fresh bread is only a push of a button away... until lately, that is. A friend of mine directed me to this recipe, and I've made it 3 times in the last week. Does that tell you anything? It is awesome, sweet, rich and full of wholesome goodness (does that sound like a cereal commercial or what?!) and my friend says it's great with BBQ, which I haven't tried yet, but I believe...

I've changed it a little, made it a little smaller - here's my version:

Honey Wheat Bushman Bread

1 1/4 cup water, warmed
5 tsp. butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp. cocoa
1 Tbsp. instant coffee
2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

My parents were here for night, so I made it this morning for breakfast, using the timed delay option... It was incredible to wake up to fresh bread and coffee without lifting a finger! The only thing to watch is that your yeast doesn't touch the liquids if you're using the delay. Mine did, and the loaf turned out a little heavy.

cashew chicken curry

Do you like curry? I'm in love with the stuff, but as I was Googling recipes last night - it was not curry I entered, but "cashew chicken". I had cashews on hand and wanted to try something new. This is the recipe that caught my eye, mostly because the 3 C's: chicken, curry, and cashew, are all high on my list of foods I love... And, miraculously, I had all the ingredients!

Cashew Chicken Curry

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 large onion, diced
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1 – 3 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 - 1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 lb. chicken breasts, cut in bite-size pieces
29 oz. canned diced tomato
1 lb. carrots, diced
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup ground cashews
1 cup nonfat yogurt
1/2 cup light coconut milk
8 oz. frozen peas

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven on medium-high. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook until soft. Stir in the next 4 ingredients (curry through salt). Add the meat in batches, cooking each one through. Add the tomato, carrots, mushroom and cilantro. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Stop here if you’re cooking ahead.) Stir in remaining ingredients and heat through but do not boil, about 5 minutes. Serve over basmati rice.

fresh

I've read with envy these blogs, women telling how they drove 2 miles down the road for fresh organic produce, and wished I had a place nearby. But I realized one day that I actually am blessed with being close to several Hutterite colonies, so today I stopped by one. I was actually in a search for green beans - I like to blanch and freeze them whole - but this particular colony had just done up all their beans the day before. Somehow I ended up with this huge produce box full of potatoes, onions, carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower and fresh honey. When I asked the sweet older woman what I owed, she replied "$20". What?! I would spend at least double that in the grocery store and it sure ain't this fresh! For supper dh grilled precooked ribs in BBQ sauce (from Walmart!), I made these potatoes, and we had a whole pile of fresh veggies to munch on. I think it's hardest on me this year not to have a garden, we're living in our new house but not much else is finished on the yard. Hopefully next year I can have a little green patch! What do you look forward to the most about fresh summer eating? 

gourmet pork chops

Back when I was on one of my low-carb diets, I would google all kinds of recipes... some were total failures and some became family favorites. This is one recipe that finally stuck - it's very low-fat and full of flavor. Dh has always loaded his meat with BBQ sauce at the table, but this one he actually doesn't, so that says a little! 

Gourmet Pork Chops

Pork chops
Olive oil
Any or all of the following: rosemary, thyme, marjoram, savory, oregano, basil
Garlic powder or minced garlic cloves 
Salt and pepper or Lawry's seasoning salt

Make a thick paste with the oil and seasonings; rub into pork chops and grill. Enjoy!

summer berries and cream

This is what summer is all about...

1. Slice fresh strawberries into a bowl. 

2. Dump in lots of sugar and cream. 

3. Close your eyes and inhale.

Bet you thought it would be more gourmet, more complicated than that, huh?!

summery sweet tea

For all you sweet tea lovers out there, have I got a recipe for you! This comes from my good friend and it's tangy, sweet and tastes like summer.

Summery Sweet Tea

6-7 tea bags (I use 4 regular and 3 Earl Grey)
6 cups water
3/4 - 1 cup sugar
1 lemon, sliced
1 lime, sliced
1 orange, sliced
Ice

Combine tea bags with water and microwave on high for 6-8 minutes. Remove tea bags and add sugar; mix well. Put fruit slices in a gallon pitcher 1/3 full with ice and pour tea syrup over. Let sit 30 minutes and fill pitcher with water. Serve over ice. Makes 1 gallon.

lemon dill salmon

I tried this recipe for our supper tonight and it was really good. Even dh, who despises garlic, cheerfully ate more than one helping. The boys asked for more as well, so mark this one down as a kid-friendly (and hubby-friendly) food to try! Great with wild rice and a summery vegetable salad, e.g. Greek.

Grilled Salmon with Lemon & Dill

4 salmon steaks or fillets

Marinade:
juice of 1 large lemon or 2 small lemons
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. dried dill
1 clove garlic, minced

Place salmon in a shallow non-reactive dish. Combine marinade ingredients; pour over salmon. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. Grill salmon directly over medium coals, basting with marinade, for about 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily. Serves 4.

Note: instead of lemon zest, I sliced a lemon into paper thin slices and placed them all over the fillet. Beautiful and delicious!