Blueberry Lemon Bread

Baby Girl's camp went blueberry picking last month and she brought home a huge container of blueberries. I had already planned to make this Blueberry Lemon Bread that Melissa has been raving about for years.

I'm not sure what happened but my bread was very, very moist. When I turned it out onto the cooling rack it cracked and almost fell apart. It was inverted on the rack for only a few seconds, but it was enough time for the wire to leave deep grooves in the top. But, all that aside, this was still a delicious dessert and a great way to use up the blueberries.

Blueberry Lemon Bread
As seen on Alosha's Kitchen

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup + 1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons lemon zest (zest of one medium lemon)
1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Butter and sugar a 9- or 10-inch loaf pan; set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl; set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and 1 cup of the sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the lemon zest. Slowly mix in the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Lightly coat blueberries with a small amount of flour. Gently fold in blueberries into the batter. Spoon batter into loaf pan.

Bake for about one hour, or until golden brown and a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

When the bread has about 5 minutes cooking time left, bring remaining 1/3 cup of sugar and lemon juice to boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Once removed from the oven, pierce the top of the hot loaf several time with a cooking chopstick (or knife) without touching the bottom of the loaf in pan. Pour the hot sugar mixture over the loaf.

Cool for 30 minutes in pan on a wire rack, then turn bread out of pan and cool completely on rack.

Chicken Parmesan Salad

A few weeks ago I received an issue of Cook's Country magazine. I used to be a subscriber, but in an effort to save money I cancelled my subscription awhile back. I'm not sure if this was a teaser issue to try to entice me back, but it doesn't have a date on it so I'm assuming that's what it is. SP went through it and picked out a few recipes for me to make, including this one for Chicken Parmesan Salad.

I made a few modifications - I switched up the breading method since I've found that panko adheres better when you coat the chicken in flour first, and I swapped out arugula for Romaine hearts since I always have a package on hand. If only I could buy arugula that didn't spoil immediately...

This was a great salad. We were all big fans. I mean, what's not to like about crispy chicken and the summer trinity of tomatoes, mozzarella and basil? Because of Baby Girl's nut allergy I didn't make traditional pesto, simply processed basil leaves with a little oil, salt and pepper and then grated in some Pecorino cheese. I have to be honest - I haven't made pesto with nuts in years and I don't notice a difference.

Chicken Parmesan Salad
As seen in Cook's Country magazine

1 large egg
1 cup flour
1 cup panko
salt and pepper
4 chicken cutlets
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup pesto
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon juice
12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
5 ounces baby arugula, mixed greens or finely shredded Romaine hearts
4 ounces bocconcini, halved

Beat the egg in a shallow dish with a splash of water. Add the flour to a second shallow dish. Combine panko, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a third shallow dish. Season each chicken cutlet with salt and pepper. Working with one cutlet at a time, coat the cutlet in flour, then dip into the egg, and finally coat in the panko, pressing to adhere.

Heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook 2 cutlets at a time until golden brown and crispy, about two minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining oil and chicken. Tent the chicken loosely with foil and let rest for 5 minutes.

Whisk the pesto and lemon zest and juice together in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, arugula and bocconcini and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the salad on a serving platter. Slice the chicken into strips and arrange on the salad. Serve.

Buttermilk Scones

Whenever I buy buttermilk for a recipe there's always a lot leftover. Usually I can find ways to use it up but this time SP called dibs on it so he could make Buttermilk Scones.

I woke up on Sunday morning to the smell of these baking. Mmmm. While the second batch was cooking I fried up some bacon and then we all sat down to enjoy the delicious, hot scones and crispy, salty bacon. These were incredible fresh from the oven, so light and flaky. Unfortunately, by the time we got them to my parent's house that evening they were a bit mushy and tough. If you aren't going to eat these right away, definitely freeze them so they don't lose their texture.

I've already asked SP to make a savory version with bacon, cheddar and scallions, modeled after an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives where Guy Fieri had savory scones with a bacon gravy. I can almost taste them.

Buttermilk Scones
As seen on All the Cooks

3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted for brushing
1/4 cup sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 425.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with a fork. Add the cold butter pieces and, using your fingertips (or a pastry blender or two knives), work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles course cornmeal. It's okay if you have some larger pieces of butter, it makes the scones flaky.

Add the buttermilk and lemon zest and mix with a fork until the ingredients are just moistened. The dough will be soft. If the dough looks dry, add another tablespoon of buttermilk.

Gather the dough into a ball, pressing it gently so it holds together, and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead it very briefly (about a dozen turns) then cut in half.

Roll one of the dough halves into a 1/2-inch thick circle about 7 inches across. Brush the dough with half of the melted butter and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Cut the dough into 6 triangles and place the triangles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the other half of the dough.

Bake the scones for 10 to 12 minutes, until both the tops and bottoms are golden. Transfer the scones to a rack to cool slightly.

NOTE: These are best served warm or at room temperature. But they do not last long. If you aren't going to eat them immediately, wrap each scone in plastic wrap and put in a freezer bad. They'll stay fresh for one month. To serve, defrost the scones in the plastic wrap, then unwrap and reheat on a baking sheet for 5 minute in a 350-degree oven.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

You know a recipe is good when it pushes you out of your blogging slump. These Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs did just that. I couldn't wait to share them with you guys and I managed to schedule a few more posts while I was at it.

I saw these meatballs on my friend Jaida's blog and she raved about them, so I figured I'd give them a shot. I've been in a cooking rut lately, remaking a lot of old favorites rather than trying new stuff. We've been on a fresh mozzarella kick lately and I knew you couldn't go wrong stuffing it into a meatball. This was an incredibly easy meal to make, perfect for a weeknight. It took less than 10 minutes to make the meatballs and, bonus, I had frozen sauce in the freezer. It took longer to chop the ingredients for the salad I served on the side.

What I didn't expect was for these to be the most flavorful meatballs I've ever made. We were all blown away. Baby Girl said, "these aren't just good, Mommy. They're amazing, awesome and wonderful." It's been awhile since I've photographed dinner outside, so Baby Girl jumped at the chance to have her plate next to mine for a picture.

Despite the fact that I thought I'd sealed the meatballs well, most of mine broke open while they cooked. Fortunately, the cheese didn't really melt or leak out. Just make sure you really, really seal them well. I had 14 mozzarella balls, but you may want to stick with the 10-12 in the recipe below so there's more meat to fully encase the cheese.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
As seen on Sweet Beginnings

1 egg
1/3 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 lb lean ground beef
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
10-12 mini balls fresh mozzarella (bocconcini), or fresh mozzarella cut in small pieces
3 cups pasta sauce

Whisk the egg in a large bowl. Add the bread crumbs, ground beef, chili powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and garlic and mix with your hands until combined.

Divide the meat into 10-12 balls (a couple of tablespoons each). Flatten each section of meat, then wrap it around one mozzarella ball. Squish the edges together to be sure it's sealed. Repeat this process until you've used up all the meat.

Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat (no need to add oil, there's plenty of fat in the meat). Add the meatballs and cook for a couple of minutes on each side, until well-browned.

Add the pasta sauce (enough to coat the bottom and come up about halfway up the meatballs) to the skillet. Simmer for about five minutes, turning the meatballs occasionally to coat them in the sauce.

Serve the meatballs over pasta or rice, as a sandwich, or by themselves.

Breaded Pork Sandwich

SP and I love to watch Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. On one episode, Guy Fieri was visiting a restaurant in Indiana that made these massive Breaded Pork Sandwiches. The pork was lightly breaded and fried until crispy, served on a bun with lots of fresh veggies. I haven't been able to get it out of my head since. I finally decided to put them on the menu and boy, am I glad I did.

Words cannot describe how amazing this was. The crispy pork, the tang from the mustard and pickles, the crunch of the lettuce. Everything came together perfectly. The only way to eat this is to start with the pork that hangs over the edges, but when you finally get a bite of everything together it's incredible.

You want to get the pork as thin as possible. I thought I'd gotten it pretty thin but it puffed a bit while it was cooking. You want a very, very thin pork cutlet for this sandwich.

Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
As seen on The Cooking Channel

4 pieces boneless pork chops
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups Panko
Vegetable oil, for frying
4 hamburger buns, toasted on cut sides
lettuce leaves, tomato slices, red onion slices, dill pickle slices, mayonnaise, mustard

Pound each pork chop with a mallet until 1/4-inch thick and 6 to 8 inches across.

Whisk together the buttermilk, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and sugar in a shallow dish. Add the pork cutlets. Make sure all the pieces are coated well with the buttermilk marinade. Cover and keep refrigerated for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Heat 1/2-inch oil in a large high-sided skillet until shimmering. Set up a breading station of three shallow dishes consisting of the flour in the first dish, eggs in the second and Panko in the third. Sprinkle all three dishes with salt and pepper.

Dredge each cutlet in the flour first, then in the egg and finally in the breadcrumbs. Gently place into the hot oil without overcrowding the skillet. You will need to fry the cutlets in batches. When the cutlets are golden brown on one side, about 2 minutes, carefully flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Drain well on a paper-towel-lined plate.

Build the sandwiches by putting the cutlets between the burger buns and garnishing with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, mayonnaise and mustard. The cutlet should hang generously over the bun.

Chicken Taco Salad

I know, I know. I haven't been a great blogger lately. As I said in my July recap post, I've lost my mojo. I'm not making many new recipes and I've had writers block trying to blog the ones I have made.

But this salad...oh man. I love a good dinner salad and this Chicken Taco Salad from Pioneer Woman fit the bill. Lots of fresh veggies mixed with lettuce and grilled chicken.

I opted to grill the chicken rather than cooking it in oil and butter. I also made a quick rub with various spices (chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper) rather than use taco seasoning. And since I had some tortillas leftover I decided to make some cheese queadillas as a side dish. Man, there is just something about a plain cheese quesadilla paired with a flavorful salad. Yum.

Chicken Taco Salad
As seen on The Pioneer Woman

Dressing:
3/4 cups ranch dressing
1/4 cup salsa
3 tablespoons finely minced cilantro
Chicken:
2 chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
cooking spray
Salad:
2 ears corn, shucked
2 romaine hearts, shredded thin
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup grated pepper Jack cheese
2 whole avocados, diced
3 scallions, sliced
1/2 cup cilantro
Tortilla chips, crushed slightly

Combine the dressing ingredients in a bowl and stir together. Cover and refrigerate.

Generously season both sides of the chicken breasts with the taco seasoning or spices. Spray a grill pan with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes, then flip and cook for another 4 minutes. Remove from the grill pan and set aside to cool slightly, then cut it into cubes.

Place the ears of corn on the grill pan. Cook until the corn is browned in spots. Remove from the pan and cut off the kernels with a sharp knife. Set aside.

To assemble the salad, pile the chicken, corn, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, avocado, scallions, cilantro, and crushed chips on a big platter. Drizzle the dressing all over the top, or serve it on the side so everyone can dress their own salad.

July Re-Make Recap

I know, I know. You're looking at the calendar and thinking "it's August 4. Why is she posting a July recap now?" As you may have noticed, I've been a little lax about blogging lately. Honestly, my heart's just not in it these days. I haven't gone through a phase like this in awhile so I guess I was due. I'm not making a lot of new dishes and I can't find the time or energy to blog the few new things I have made. I'm sure I'll snap out of it soon.

So...July. It was another busy month for us. Baby Girl is still taking swim lessons and this month she finally decided she wasn't scared of jumping in the pool. SP and I ran a 5K race on July 4 and had a great time. Work has been busy for both of us. The weather has been a bit on the cool side, not very summery, so we haven't spent as much time at the pool. And that's about it in a nutshell. On to the food!

Whenever I get a craving for pineapple I turn to these Hawaiian chicken sandwiches. There is just something about the combination of the marinade that makes these delectable.

And, of course, I can't serve the sandwiches without roasted potatoes on the side. Such a foolproof method. They come out perfect every single time.

I decided to combine a few individual servings of spicy pork and asparagus stir fry I had socked away in the freezer for dinner one night. I served edamame and egg rolls on the side and we relived the height of asparagus season.

I rediscovered my love for this antipasti pasta salad this month. I've made it at least three times. It's so good and so easy.

I brought these sopapilla cheesecake bars to my friend MaryEllen's house for dinner. She loved them so much she didn't fight me about keeping the leftovers and ended up serving them to her parents for breakfast the next day.

These crunchy baked tacos are our new favorite beef taco. We all love the crispy shell and I love how easy they are to make.

No Mexican night is complete without these homemade refried beans.

Once again, I made this recipe into fish sticks. I was never a fan of the frozen kind as a kid but these are head and shoulders above those. Positively addicting.

We've been loving cheesy zucchini rice now that zucchini is in season. I need to get this made a few more times before Fall.

I was cleaning out the freezer and found a package of meat sauce bolognese tucked away. Perfect for an easy weeknight meal.

Now that it's warmer I'm alternating making burgers and these flatbread pizzas on Fridays. I love roasting the tomatoes so they get super sweet. And the flatbreads are such a perfect vehicle for the tomatoes and cheese.

When I was cleaning out the freezer I made an amazing discovery - a lone package of homemade chorizo. I thought I'd used it all up, which was very sad since it meant no more chicken chorizo patty melts. Of course I had to make them and they were just as divine as ever. One of our all-time favorites.

I was stumped for an easy sandwich idea for dinner until Baby Girl turned on The Pioneer Woman. She was making these hot roast beef sandwiches so I added them to the menu for the following week. Yum!

These citrus chicken burritos require a lot of work, but are so, so worth it. Another all-time favorite recipe around here.

As much as we love regular tacos, taco rice is a nice change of pace. We all love mixing all the ingredients together in the bowl.

I wanted something healthy, bright and flavorful and SP said we hadn't had black bean patties in awhile. I decided to make these black bean patties with corn and avocado cream because I love, love, love the corn salsa and the avocado cream (and the patties, too. The whole meal is great).

I wanted an easy chicken taco recipe and remembered how much we liked these grilled chicken tacos with spiced mayo. I love how easy these are to make. I turned the leftovers into a quesadilla for lunch the next day and I think I may make them that way from now on.

Junk Yard Special

This sandwich. Oh, this sandwich. Nichole posted this recipe for Sarcone Deli's Junk Yard Special awhile back and I've had it on my short list to make. I've been trying to use up things I've squirreled away in my freezer, so when I found some prosciutto I'd been saving I knew I wanted to finally make this sandwich.

This was so, so worth the wait. Everything combines together beautifully to make one awesome sandwich. My only (minor) complaint is that the spinach gets lost in the flavor profile because of the roasted red peppers. I'd consider swapping out some of the peppers for sliced tomato next time, just so the spinach has a chance to shine through.

Junk Yard Special
As seen on The Cookaholic Wife, from Sarcone's Deli

4 hoagie rolls
1/2 cup mayo
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 8-oz bag baby spinach
salt and pepper
dash of nutmeg
16 slices prosciutto
16 slices deli turkey
8 slices provolone cheese
8oz fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1 cup minced roasted red peppers
fresh basil, shredded

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Cut a slit into each roll lengthwise, leaving the bread hinged at one end. Mix the mayo, red wine vinegar and Italian seasoning together in a small bowl.

Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add a few handfuls of the spinach to the pan, turning to wilt the leaves. Season with salt and pepper and a dash of nutmeg. Add more leaves once the first batch of leaves are wilted enough that there's space in the pan. Cook until all the spinach is wilted. Set aside.

Spread some of the mayo onto each roll. Place 4 slices each of prosciutto and turkey on each sandwich. Add two slices of Provolone cheese, 1/4 of the mozzarella, 1/4 of the roasted red peppers, and 1/4 of the sauteed spinach to each sandwich. Sprinkle each sandwich with 1/4 of the fresh basil.

Place the sandwiches on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until the bread is crusty and the cheese is melted. Serve warm.

Krispie Chocolate Chip Cookies

I needed a dessert for Fourth of July. I've had Stephanie's Krispie Chocolate Chip Cookies printed out for awhile, I even bought the Rice Krispies to make them awhile back, so I figured it was time to make them happen.

These cookies take some planning because you need to chill the dough twice before baking. I can't stand when cookies spread because the butter in the dough is too warm, so I appreciate taking the extra time to make sure these don't do that.

The Rice Krispies add an interesting texture to these cookies. Even after we finished the batch I still couldn't decide if I was a fan or not. Don't get me wrong, the cookies were delicious, but the cooked cereal gets chewy and I prefer a moist, cakey chocolate chip cookie rather than a chewy one. It didn't stop me from eating them, though. Wink, wink.

Krispie Chocolate Chip Cookies
As seen on Stephanie Cooks

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 teaspoons hot water
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup chocolate chips

Whisk or sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, beating until just combined. Add the hot water and vanilla and beat until combined.

Add the flour mixture, in two batches, beating just until combined – be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Using a wooden spoon, fold in the chocolate chips and Rice Krispies. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer.

Scoop out 1 tablespoon of dough at a time and roll into a ball. Place all the dough balls on one baking sheet and chill at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Remove the dough from fridge and place 12 balls on a cookie sheet, evenly spaced apart. Bake until the middle looks just set and the edges begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Don't overcook. Remove and let sit on the baking sheet for 1 minute. Move the cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Caprese Macaroni and Cheese

It's no secret that I love all things caprese. So when Stephanie posted this recipe for Caprese Macaroni and Cheese I was intrigued. Why had it never occurred to me to combine two of my favorite things into one dish?

This will come as no surprise, but this dish was outstanding. The gooey, cheesy mozzarella, the bright tomatoes and the fresh basil all worked so well with the creamy sauce. In an effort to make this a wee bit healthier I omitted the cream and upped the amount of milk. I also upped the amount of flour so the sauce would thicken. I used canned diced tomatoes, but if you've got tomatoes and basil in your garden I highly recommend using those instead. When I made this my basil plant hadn't started growing yet but thankfully my neighbors were overrun with basil and gladly shared some with me.

Caprese Macaroni and Cheese
As seen on Stephanie Cooks

1/2 pound elbows (or other short-cut pasta)
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic (I omitted)
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Black pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
minced fresh basil, to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and place back in the pot.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and garlic (if using), stirring well. Add the flour, mixing, until a paste forms. Slowly whisk in the milk, broth, garlic salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and basil. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Add the cooked pasta, stirring, until covered in cheese sauce. Serve immediately.

Recipe Redo: Mexican Sour Cream Rice

I've been making this Mexican Sour Cream Rice for years. I used to make it any time we had anything even slightly Mexican-inspired for dinner. It was definitely my go-to side dish.

I've been recommending the dish to friends a lot recently and I figured it was time to update my blog with some better pictures. Please forgive those early blogging pics - I may not be a professional photographer but I think my photos have come a long way since then.

The last time I made this I used regular Monterrey Jack cheese instead of pepper Jack because Baby Girl doesn't like spicy things. We both felt it lost a little something with the milder cheese so next time I'm going to throw caution to the wind and go back to pepper Jack. We don't remember it being super spicy that way so hopefully Baby Girl won't refuse to eat it.

Mexican Sour Cream Rice
Modified from All Recipes

1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
2 cups shredded Monterey or pepper Jack cheese
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a large sauce pot. Add the rice, stir and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish.

Add the sour cream, green chile peppers, cheese, corn, and cilantro to the pot with the rice. Stir to combine, then season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the greased casserole dish.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes until the top is lightly browned.

Pepperoni Pizza Burgers

As much as I love summer, I always miss Pizza Fridays once the hot weather arrives. I just can't justify cranking my oven to 500 degrees when it's in the 90s. I needed a plan for Friday night and found myself craving both pizza and burgers. A quick spin around the interwebs brought me to Pioneer Woman's Pepperoni Pizza Burgers.

Because of the sausage in these burgers you have to cook them all the way through. Thankfully the fat from the sausage helps keep these burgers from drying out. SP was a bit skeptical of topping a burger with pizza sauce, pepperoni and cheese but he admitted these were good. I was a big fan. I loved the combo of the meats in the patty, the sauce, gooey cheese and tangy pepperoni. I even dipped my burger in some of the leftover sauce as I ate. Yes!

Pepperoni Pizza Burgers
As seen on Pioneer Woman Cooks

1-1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound Italian sausage
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
8 slices (or 1/2 cup shredded) mozzarella cheese
Pepperoni slices
Pizza sauce
Grated Parmesan cheese
4 whole rolls/buns, toasted

Combine ground beef, Italian sausage, and Italian seasoning in a bowl. Knead it together and then form into four patties.

Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium heat. Add the burgers and cook on one side for several minutes, then turn the burgers. Lay 2 slices of cheese (or a mound of shredded cheese) on each patty, followed by several slices of pepperoni. Allow the burgers to cook all the way through while the cheese melts and the pepperoni warms.

Spread both halves of each roll with some pizza sauce and sprinkle the sauce with Parmesan cheese. Lay the patties on the bottom buns, then top with the top buns.

Pasta with Smashed Peas, Sausage, and Ricotta Cheese

We had an almost-full container of ricotta cheese in the fridge, so I asked SP to search for a recipe to use it up. He found this one for Tagliatelle with Smashed Peas, Sausage, and Ricotta Cheese that sounded both easy and delicious.

Like I do with most pasta recipes these days, I only used a half pound instead of the full pound. Cutting down on the pasta while keeping the filler ingredients the same is an easy way for us to get our pasta fix without going overboard. I also cut the peas down from a full pound to a half pound because, wow a pound is a lot of peas. SP wanted the sauce to be smoother. We couldn't taste the ricotta at all, which was disappointing, but we still enjoyed it.

Pasta with Smashed Peas, Sausage, and Ricotta Cheese
Giada De Laurentiis

1/2 pound fresh or dried tagliatelle pasta (or other wide, long pasta)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 pound frozen peas, thawed
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 bunch fresh basil leaves chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1/4 cup fresh grated Pecorino Romano cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet heat the olive oil and garlic over medium-high heat and add the sausage. Use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage into bite-sized bits.

Once the sausage has browned, about 5 minutes, remove and set aside. Add the peas to the pan and, using the back of the wooden spoon, smash the peas.

Turn off the heat. Add the ricotta cheese along with the cooked pasta and toss to coat, adding the pasta cooking water in 1/4 cup additions, if needed, to make the pasta moist. Return the sausage to the pan. Add the basil, Pecorino Romano cheese, and salt. Toss gently to coat and serve immediately

Grilled Chicken Tacos with Spiced Mayo and Avocado Salsa

These Grilled Chicken Tacos with Spiced Mayo and Avocado Salsa are, hands down, my new favorite taco. As soon as I saw them I knew I had to make them. I could almost taste them just by reading the recipe.

I had to make a slight modification because I refuse to pay $1 for one lime when I can't even be guaranteed the lime will have any juice in it. Have you ever bought a lime and found it completely dry? How does that even happen? Lemons are still cheap so I just swapped it out. I also left out the hot sauce because Baby Girl isn't a fan of spicy food.

I prepared these on my indoor grill pan because, as I've mentioned before, we have a charcoal grill and getting that set up on a weeknight just doesn't happen. Since skewers won't fit on the grill pan I cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise and grilled them before cutting into cubes. Same for the onion - I grilled it in rings and then chopped them. These tacos were so delicious we barely had enough leftover for one lunch the next day.

Grilled Chicken Soft Tacos with Spiced Mayo and Avocado Salsa
As seen on Seeded at the Table, originally from Weber's New Real Grilling

For the chicken:
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt & pepper
Olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise
1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch rings

1/2 cup mayonnaise
Juice from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cumin

For the Avocado Salsa:
2 large avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
2 medium Roma tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
3 scallions, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
8 taco or fajita-size flour tortillas

Preheat grill pan over medium-high heat.

In a large bowl or plastic food storage bag, combine the lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and a few tablespoons of oil. Place the chicken pieces into the bowl or bag and toss to combine until evenly coated with the seasonings. In a separate bag or bowl, toss the onion rings with some oil, salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, hot sauce (if using), and 1/4 teaspoon cumin. Stir in water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the mixture can be drizzled.

In another bowl, toss together the salsa ingredients and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Add the onion rings to the grill pan and cook, turning often, until the onions are soft and blackened in spots. Remove from the grill to a bowl and cover with foil or plastic wrap. Add the chicken to the grill pan and cook 5 minutes on one side, then flip and cook another 4 minutes. Remove from the grill and let rest. Add the tortillas to the grill pan to warm and brown in spots, turning once. Cut the chicken and onions into bite-size pieces. Let everyone assemble their own tacos with the mayo and salsa.

June Re-Make Recap

I've been a horrible blogger lately. I've been remaking so many recipes I haven't had enough content for new blog posts. And I can't find the time to blog about the new things I have made. Sunday night I vowed to get a blog post done and when I went to schedule it for Monday I realized Monday was the end of June. Eeeek. How did that happen? For some reason June always flies by for me. I truly cannot believe it's already June 30 and tomorrow is July 1. At my previous job we had a big annual meeting mid-June and I always thought that being caught up in preparing for and running the meeting was the reason June flew by, but I haven't been at that job for a few years now and June still flies.

Unfortunately we only made it to the pool once this month and it wasn't even a good pool day - windy and overcast and not quite warm enough. Baby Girl is still taking swim lessons and gaining more confidence. She started summer camp at her daycare this month and has gone on a few field trips already. Today is their first swimming lesson in our community pool. Work has been busy for both of us as well. Today we're getting a new roof. Yay for home ownership!

As I said, I've been remaking a lot of family favorites and this month was no exception.

I've been wanting to remake these chicken nuggets with honey mustard dipping sauce for ages and finally got the chance this month. These are so good I have to make way more chicken then I think we'll eat because we have no self control. Absolutely delicious.

And to go with the nuggets, cheesy zucchini rice. This is my favorite summertime side dish because it's a starch and vegetable in one. Plus we all love it.

Baby Girl had one request this month: pasta with asparagus and peas. It's an easy, light dinner, perfect for summer. Asparagus is no longer in season so this wasn't as good as it was a few months ago, but we still enjoyed it (without the egg this time).

No roundup is complete without the TRH salad.

I brought these salted fudge brownies to C&T's house for our BBQ cookout and they were a big hit, even if I did undercook them.

I love the ease of these crunchy baked tacos. I had some leftover taco filling frozen from the previous batch so all I had to do was defrost it and chop up the toppings.

We can't have Mexican food without homemade refried beans.

Whenever I'm in the mood for a big dinner salad I turn to the california club blue cheese chopped salad. We had blue cheese leftover from C&T's BBQ, but I think I might prefer this salad with feta. It's milder and doesn't overpower the other flavors.

I needed an easy dinner one night. I had some cooked pork tenderloin in the freezer and immediately thought of pork with noodles. I made a few changes - used fettuccine instead of rice noodles and added chopped bok choy and shiitake mushrooms to bulk up the dish. We all loved the changes so I think that's how I'll make it from now on.

I found two more balls of pizza dough in the freezer so of course I had to make 3 cheese pepperoni pizza. Unfortunately I was out of rosemary, but those two pizzas were still delicious. I don't want to rush through summer but I'm definitely looking forward to revisiting this pizza when the weather turns cool again.

I actually made these bang bang chicken skewers twice this month - once for dinner with our new neighbors and again for my parents for Sunday dinner. The original recipe calls for red pepper, but we're not big pepper fans. I actually like to grill zucchini, grape tomatoes, red onion and mushrooms. I always serve it with couscous to soak up the extra sauce.

Another meal we can't get enough of lately is crispy fish. This month I turned them into fish sticks and we ate them with more of the cheesy zucchini rice. The tangy dipping sauce is perfect.

Taco rice is one of those meals that never gets old around here.

You probably know by now that whenever I buy a bag of tilapia filets I have to make crispy fish and tilapia francese.

Now that we aren't doing pizza on Fridays I'm bringing back flatbreads. This month we had our old standby, chicken caesar flatbreads.