Southwestern Pasta…

Quick and easy, and flavorful too… that’s how I’d describe this dish. It’s almost a quirky mix of ingredients, in my opinion, mostly because it’s a pasta dish with salsa and such. But it’s a fun way to mix it up a bit. And as I said, it’s tremendously quick and simple, yet there’s room for variation or doing it a bit more from scratch. Tonight, I was looking for fast and that’s what we got!  Makes about 8 servings…

• 1-lb Pasta of choice – I used medium shells this evening
• 16-oz jar of Salsa – I used mild
• 4-oz can Green Chilies, drained – I used the pre-diced variety
• Green Onions, chopped
• 2 15-oz cans Black Beans, rinsed thoroughly and drained – I used organic*
• 2 cups Cheese, shredded – I used a Monterey Jack and Cheddar blend
• Optional: Lime Wedges – I opted
• Optional: Fresh Cilantro, chopped – I opted out tonight

1.  Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta and cook as directed.

2.  In a medium saucepan, combine salsa, green chilies and black beans.  Warm over medium heat until simmering.  Keep warm as pasta cooks.  (I’m guessing this step could even be omitted and the ingredients mixed in with the pasta once it’s finished cooking.)

3.  Drain pasta.  Add salsa-bean mixture, followed by green onions, and stir together.  Add cheese and stir.  Serve with a sprinkling of lime juice on top, if desired.  Enjoy!

*I had two different brands of black beans, and I noticed quite a difference in the sodium content between the two… one can had 440 mg, while the other had 140 mg.  Either way, thoroughly rinsing canned goods helps rinse away some of the excess.

Chopped Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette…

Yesterday, I saw a comment on Twitter that reminded me… I’ve always wanted to try making a chopped salad of my own, but I’ve never gotten around to it (yet). Our history with chopped salads comes solely from The Outback Steakhouse, but we’ve really liked the ones that we’ve had from there, so I’ve been wanting to do one at home. Yesterday was the day, and it was pretty darn good! I’m not sure what exactly it is, but a chopped salad is quite appealing. Perhaps it’s because everything is already cut into bite-sized pieces, or perhaps it’s because the dressing can coat the ingredients more evenly, or perhaps it’s because it’s simply a slightly different way of presenting a ’salad’… Whatever it is, we enjoyed it!

I cheated a little bit and bought 2 bags of a pre-cut salad mix with romaine lettuce, red cabbage and carrots. Even though it was pre-cut, it wasn’t pre-chopped… So, I chopped about 1/2 of a bag at a time, using my handy-dandy rocking chopping knife:

Next, I added 1/2 of a medium red onion and a handful of green onions, after chopping both, of course… Then, some bacon too. Finally, I added the blue cheese vinaigrette dressing and mixed it all together. I did a Google search for The Outback’s recipe and found this copycat one, and that’s how I came up with the dressing. I must say, it is a delight to make one’s own salad dressing. I know exactly what is in there, and all I have to do is whisk everything together.  I will definitely be using this one again!

• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup White Vinegar
• 1/4 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 2 Tbsp Sour Cream
• 2 Tbsp chopped Fresh Basil
• 1/2 crumbled Blue Cheese

Chopping Fresh Basil…

I do enjoy the task of chopping fresh herbs… I actually have this curved knife from Alaska – you use a rocking motion to cut and/or chop small items, and it works wonderfully! (I love using it on cilantro… it’s perfect for that!) Sometimes I enjoy just using the big butcher’s knife too. And sometimes, I wish the task was quicker because I just want to get something chopped now. But recently, I came up with a quick and clean way to chop basil leaves… I’m sure it’s been done before, but it just hasn’t been done by me before. So, I thought it was pretty darn cool!

First, stack approximately 6-8 fresh basil leaves together and then roll from side to side as tightly as possible.

Next, cut the rolled basil leaves to your desired width. Then, cut the rolled leaves in the opposite direction. If necessary, pile together and give them a few more cuts.

These steps should give you a nice-sized chopped herb of choice. Here, I added the chopped basil to some orzo.

The rocking-knife that I sometimes use results in a finer cut, but I’ve found the above method to be quite useful when a rough, yet small-ish cut is desired. It’s a good size for the many caprese-style salads that I will be making this time of year. And I’d imagine that it’s a good way to cut other leafy herbs and greens… But for now and for so far, it’s worked very well for me with my basil. Just see here.

Basil Tomato Mozzarella Orzo Salad…

Well, the title of this dish pretty much names all of the ingredients, aside from the olive oil. I always make caprese-style salads in the summertime. I recently saw a recipe that added orzo… it sounded delicious and it is! The small pasta adds a bit more heft to the salad, and it soaks up the juices nicely. I warmed my first bowl just enough to slightly melt the cheese, but I’ll also be having this cold too. Quick, easy, tasty, and a good way to use my ever-growing basil!

• 1 cup uncooked Orzo pasta
• 2 dozen fresh Basil leaves, chopped
• 5-7 medium-sized Tomatoes, chopped
• 1-lb fresh Mozzarella, cubed
• Olive Oil

Cook orzo according to directions and let cool. Mix everything together with a generous drizzling of olive oil. Let sit in fridge so flavors can meld. Enjoy cold or warmed slightly.

Menu for the Week…

Well, I finally have some meals actually planned again, and they’re going to be warm weather eats, i.e. minimal stovetop or oven time.  Last week’s dinners really ended up being nibbles… It was so hot and humid outside that we really didn’t have any appetites when dinnertime rolled around.  This week, I’m going to have some dishes made in advance and sitting in the fridge, ready to go for 1) when we get hungry, or 2) when we feel we should eat something.

• Lentil Feta Tomato Salad – This will be mostly for lunches.  Along with lunchtime strawberries… I’m really enjoying them this year.
• Basil, Tomato, Mozzarella Salad with Orzo – This is a new one I’m trying, as my basil is growing heartily and needs to be used.
• Southwestern Pasta – I may try this one as a cold version… we shall see.
• Salad Fixings
• Burgers – meaning Cheeseburgers, of course.  In our house, there is no other kind.
• Leftover Chinese Food 

Nothing fancy, nothing extravagent, but the kitchen is stocked, some dishes will be prepped and ready to go, and the strawberries are cut and clean for the munching!

Semi-Homemade Pizza…

So, I felt the need to kind of cook something this evening… Even though it was really too hot to be cooking. Of course, the weather forecast only says that it’s going to get hotter, so I figured I might as well get it out of my system today.

I used a refrigerated roll of pizza dough that I had, and laid it out in a baking pan. Next, for the sauce, I used 1/2 a jar of three-cheese sauce that was in the cabinet. I was slightly smart this time, in that I put today’s date on the now-opened jar of sauce before it went back in the fridge. The plan is that now I will know how long the sauce has been in the fridge, instead of calling out “How long have we had this?” or “When did we last use this one?” I, unfortunately, will usually end up throwing something like that away when I can’t determine how long it’s been in there… I’m hoping seeing the date on it will help me to use up the remainders in good time. Fingers crossed…

Anyway, for the topping, I quickly cooked up some mushrooms and garlic. I then added artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes, and onto the sauce-covered pizza dough it went. Follow that with some shredded cheese and then into the oven. Tasty, relatively quick, and enough for lunches tomorrow. Still warmed up the kitchen a wee bit, but it is what it is…

Springtime into Summer…

Well, this year at least we’re enjoying a springtime into summer. Unlike the past couple of years when it seemed that summer arrived fairly unannounced and with a heat-soaked bang. So for now, I’m enjoying gardening and the beginning of fresh fruits and veggies. Which also means I’m cooking less, but that’s fine by me. We’re eating lighter, prepping fresh goodies for munching, and generally eating less actual ‘meals’…

We did make both blueberry and cherry dumplings the other weekend, but alas, I forgot to check the battery on my camera, so no pictures of that afternoon. We were at an amusement park this past Sunday (don’t get me started on the lack of food options and ridiculous prices there!)… Which meant no weekend cooking then. D. did make a batch of fudge tonight to send to my Dad for Father’s Day, while I cleaned some fruit. And we’ll be making some sort of pasta salad for a luncheon at my work on Friday… And my basil is growing ferociously, so I’ll have to find something to do with it (that really won’t be too hard though). So while there’s food stuff going on, not much of it has involved pictures lately. And I do prefer picture posting over words-only posts such as this one… So, posts will probably be a few more days longer in-between, so be it. That just means we’re out enjoying the season.

White Bean Spread…

I found an ingredient list for a bean spread that looked, well, interesting. Something to try and play around with… And that’s pretty much how it turned out. I was curious to use the white beans as a base. My only other experience with pureed beans would be hummus, and that has a very distinct chickpea flavor (which I adore, mind you). So for the cannellini beans, I was curious.

It came out okay. I’ve used the spread on a sandwich and as a topping for crackers (see above). I can’t say it’s something that I would crave, but then again, I like knowing it’s a good-for-you type of spread. As opposed to, say, a cheese spread or dip (which I also adore, mind you). I liked using fresh herbs from the balcony, and I will definitely be playing with them quite a bit this season. The red onions in this spread were too strong right away… But after it had some time to meld in the fridge, it did, well, mellow out. So, here’s the ingredient list, take it or leave it. I’m of mixed reviews on it right now…

• Cannellini Beans, one can, thoroughly rinsed and drained
• Drizzling of Olive Oil
• Sea Salt
• Red Onion, half of a medium-sized – not sure I’d even add this next time, particularly if I’m adding chives
• Fresh Chives – I think I used 6 stalks, and I’d use more next time, while omitting the red onions
• Fresh Thyme – handful of sprigs

I’d probably add a dash or two of lemon juice next time also.  Basically, I put everything in the food processor and whirled away.  Definitely put in fridge to let flavors mix…

Balcony Gardening…

Here is my newly planted herb container of oregano, chives, and thyme. This is my first time growing oregano, so I’m curious about that. Also, I don’t generally use it a lot, so we’ll see where and how it ends up. It’s about time for my annual online fresh herb recipe search, so I’m sure I’ll get some ideas then. I love having the thyme and chives. I’ll definitely be using them in dips and spreads and such. I was reading this morning about putting fresh herbs in marinades with meats… I will have to try that too! I’ve also got a lavender out there, though that is more for prettiness, in sight and in scent…

And here is my beloved basil container. This pic shows them at one week old (with me), and I’ve already been plucking away at the leaves. I put a chopped tomato and basil mix on top of some pasta last week. Then D. used the rest of it tonight as a topping to a sandwich he made for us. These guys may look a little tall but scrawny now, but they are going to poof out and look more like a mini basil Christmas tree in about a month’s time. At least, if past year’s basil is any indication…

Sneak Preview…

We went over to Granny’s house tonight, because she made her first-ever batch of blueberry dumplings. Oh my, were they delicious! Now, she is famous for her apple ones, and we have been mentioning blueberries for a little while now. They were mentioned again this past weekend, so last night, voila, she called to say that she had tried some with blueberries. Oh my goodness… they are delicious!! Flaky, yet doughy… juicy, yet syrupy… sweet, yet not too much so… with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top!

Needless to say, we’ve got a date with her on Saturday. We’re going to learn how she makes them now. Yum, yum, and big yum! And this is coming from a person who is not a big sweets fan (although I do love blueberries, so that helps). As we were eating and talking food, we got the idea that the dough can really be used for actual dinners too, such as a ham and cheese filling, a shepherd’s pie type of filling, etc. I think this is going to be a very fun day in the kitchen. D. has been wanting to get her dumpling recipe from her for years, so he can start playing with it in various ways. And now, that time has come… I’ll have my camera and notebook on hand…