1 box of Far East Couscous. Girls! Couscous is SO easy to make! You simply measure out the couscos and place it in a bowl. Boil your liquid (I always use chicken broth instead of water because it just tastes better), pour the liquid over the couscous, cover with plastic wrap and let it sit until the liquid is absorbed into the couscous. To flavor it it you can toss it with butter or olive oil and salt.
Place 3 cups of cooked couscous in a large pasta bowl, add cooked shrimp (I buy the precooked, frozen shrimp and thaw it and cut the tails off (We are NOT talking fried shrimp!), add 1 can of black beans, RINSED AND DRAINED, one red pepper finely diced, a handful of cilantro minced, 1-2 cups of fresh corn (I get frozen corn and thaw it). Toss all ingredients. To taste, flavor with fresh squeezed lemon juice (probably 3 lemons), drizzle a little olive oil and salt. Add enough lemon and olive oil to make it moist enough but not too moist. I could eat this all day long!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Summer Salad Time!
Hey girls! I know you all probably love salads as much as I do, so I wanted to post these two salad ideas for you! Keep in mind, that if I make stuff up, which these two were made up (one my friend Wendi made up a long time ago), then I don't have exact measurements! But I will try to recreate it on paper for ya! The first will be my Shrimp Couscous salad, it is light and tastey. The second is an Orzo pasta salad with fresh spinach, sundried tomatoes and Grilled chicken!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Turkey Wraps
Hey everyone! Here is a Turkey Lettuce Wrap recipe I tried last week. It was quick and easy and tasty! I waited until the end to add the sauce, and then I cooked the meat in the sauce. My favorite part is wrapping it up in the lettce leaves!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Amaretto Apple Streusel Cakes
I love this recipe. I like to make it as a company breakfast snack or just something different to have around...trouble is I ate like 3 of these on Monday after my company left! So that may not be a good thing, as Martha says. :) Anyway, do use Real Amaretto in these cupcakes. It makes that really yummy. On a particularly stressful day I like to do this, a little Amaretto for me, a little for the cupcake, a little for me, a little more for the cupcake! Anything tastes good when you bake like that! Instead of making them into cupcakes I used this nifty mini loaf pan thing that has like 9 little loaves on one sheet. It worked great!
Amaretto Apple Streusel Cakes
Ingredients
Cooking spray
6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons amaretto (almond-flavored liqueur)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
3/4 cup finely chopped Gala apple
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Streusel:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, chilled
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
4 teaspoons 2% reduced-fat milk
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Place muffin cup liners in 12 muffin cups; coat with cooking spray.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon 6.75 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 6.75 ounces flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine granulated sugar, cream cheese, and 1/4 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add amaretto, vanilla, and egg to sugar mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Combine sour cream and 1/4 cup milk in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until well blended. Combine apple and 1 tablespoon flour in a small bowl; toss well.
4. Add flour mixture and sour cream mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat just until blended. Fold in apple mixture. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
5. To prepare the streusel, combine 2 tablespoons flour, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal; stir in almonds. Sprinkle streusel evenly over cupcakes. Bake at 350° for 27 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes on a wire rack, and remove the cupcakes from pan.
6. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar and 4 teaspoons milk in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle glaze over cupcakes.
Amaretto Apple Streusel Cakes
Ingredients
Cooking spray
6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons amaretto (almond-flavored liqueur)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
3/4 cup finely chopped Gala apple
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Streusel:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, chilled
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
4 teaspoons 2% reduced-fat milk
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Place muffin cup liners in 12 muffin cups; coat with cooking spray.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon 6.75 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 6.75 ounces flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine granulated sugar, cream cheese, and 1/4 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add amaretto, vanilla, and egg to sugar mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Combine sour cream and 1/4 cup milk in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until well blended. Combine apple and 1 tablespoon flour in a small bowl; toss well.
4. Add flour mixture and sour cream mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat just until blended. Fold in apple mixture. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
5. To prepare the streusel, combine 2 tablespoons flour, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal; stir in almonds. Sprinkle streusel evenly over cupcakes. Bake at 350° for 27 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes on a wire rack, and remove the cupcakes from pan.
6. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar and 4 teaspoons milk in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle glaze over cupcakes.
Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches and Roasted Red Potato Salad
Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches
Ingredients
1/4 cup hot jalapeño jelly
1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed
Cooking spray
1/4 cup light ranch dressing
1/4 cup sweet hickory smoke tomato-based barbecue sauce (such as Bull's-Eye)
8 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns or Kaiser rolls
Preparation
Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
Combine jelly and water; set aside.
Combine paprika and next 6 ingredients (through pepper); rub evenly over pork. Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray; cover and grill 15 minutes, turning pork occasionally. Brush pork with jelly mixture. Grill an additional 5 minutes or until thermometer registers 155° (slightly pink).
Place pork on a cutting surface. Lightly cover with foil; let stand 10 minutes. Chop pork into bite size pieces. Combine ranch dressing and barbecue sauce. Serve pork and ranch mixture with buns.
Roasted Red Potato Salad
Ingredients
Potatoes:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
Cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
6 bacon slices, pre-cooked and crumbled
Vinaigrette:
2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°.
To prepare potatoes, combine first 3 ingredients. Arrange evenly on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 30 minutes or until tender. Let cool. Combine potatoes, onions, parsley, and bacon.
To prepare vinaigrette, combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in a jar. Cover tightly; shake vigorously. Add vinaigrette to potato mixture; toss well. Serve immediately.
Ingredients
1/4 cup hot jalapeño jelly
1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed
Cooking spray
1/4 cup light ranch dressing
1/4 cup sweet hickory smoke tomato-based barbecue sauce (such as Bull's-Eye)
8 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns or Kaiser rolls
Preparation
Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
Combine jelly and water; set aside.
Combine paprika and next 6 ingredients (through pepper); rub evenly over pork. Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray; cover and grill 15 minutes, turning pork occasionally. Brush pork with jelly mixture. Grill an additional 5 minutes or until thermometer registers 155° (slightly pink).
Place pork on a cutting surface. Lightly cover with foil; let stand 10 minutes. Chop pork into bite size pieces. Combine ranch dressing and barbecue sauce. Serve pork and ranch mixture with buns.
Roasted Red Potato Salad
Ingredients
Potatoes:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
Cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
6 bacon slices, pre-cooked and crumbled
Vinaigrette:
2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°.
To prepare potatoes, combine first 3 ingredients. Arrange evenly on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 30 minutes or until tender. Let cool. Combine potatoes, onions, parsley, and bacon.
To prepare vinaigrette, combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in a jar. Cover tightly; shake vigorously. Add vinaigrette to potato mixture; toss well. Serve immediately.
Grilled Pork Tenderloin and Yummo Red Potato Salad
Okay. This weekend I decided to make something different for Easter lunch. I love this meal in the summer time, and it is a great "dressed up" casual meal that is good for guests. The rub on the pork tenderloin really makes it! You can buy the pepper jelly anywhere. I just heat it up in the microwave and then use it to base the tenderloin. I let the meat rest for a while after it is done grilling and then chop it up into little pieces. I like to use big fluffy Kaiser rolls too! I am split on the ranch/bbq sauce dressing. Try it and see what you think. The red potato salad that goes with it is great! It does NOT feel a huge crowd though, like regular potato salad. But it is tastey and a nice "grown up" potato salad. Enjoy!
Let's give it the paddles!
Okay, Girls! Hand me the paddles and stand back, because I am reviving my blog! As you can see, my last post was somewhere around September. Life got crazy after that. Our house quickly sold, we moved, and life just got in the way. I barely had time to cook, or talk...okay, I still had time to talk, but I didn't have time to bake something, take a photo of it and write a recipe. I don't have that much time now, but I have found myself giving out recipes verbally, realizing I could just post them to my blog! :)
For all of my friends who enjoy a story or two with a recipe along the way, tune in from time to time and I hope to give you something you enjoy.
As you all know, we are enjoying life in the country! I have learned so far that if you let a 10-year old drive a riding lawn mower you run the risk of him running over some prized landscape possessions, trying to use it has his personal car, and that your lawn may not be mowed, but you sure have some nice tire tracks in your yard! We don't have a horse yet but we have chicks! Two have left us already for the great beyond...guess life in our chicken coop just doesn't look that promising to them. Hopefully we will get an egg or two out of the deal when all is said and done. :)
If anyone saw a nuclear sized fire plume blowing sky high from our backyard this weekend, have no fear. We were not in any DIRECT danger. We were just doing a little tree trimming and burning Wickstrum Style. In our family....or should I say my husband's....we have no time for matches and simple fires. Ya gotta get that baby burning with a gallon or two of diesel fuel! My husband thinks he now has a nice "tan" out of the deal.....they way I see it, he has two less eyebrows and the glow on his cheeks is just from standing too close to the fire.
I have a few good recipes I have tried that I hope to post soon. One is a great Asian Turkey Lettuce cup, maybe a lime cake recipe...gotta try that one first and some homemade chicken nugget recipes. :) Stay tuned. :)
For all of my friends who enjoy a story or two with a recipe along the way, tune in from time to time and I hope to give you something you enjoy.
As you all know, we are enjoying life in the country! I have learned so far that if you let a 10-year old drive a riding lawn mower you run the risk of him running over some prized landscape possessions, trying to use it has his personal car, and that your lawn may not be mowed, but you sure have some nice tire tracks in your yard! We don't have a horse yet but we have chicks! Two have left us already for the great beyond...guess life in our chicken coop just doesn't look that promising to them. Hopefully we will get an egg or two out of the deal when all is said and done. :)
If anyone saw a nuclear sized fire plume blowing sky high from our backyard this weekend, have no fear. We were not in any DIRECT danger. We were just doing a little tree trimming and burning Wickstrum Style. In our family....or should I say my husband's....we have no time for matches and simple fires. Ya gotta get that baby burning with a gallon or two of diesel fuel! My husband thinks he now has a nice "tan" out of the deal.....they way I see it, he has two less eyebrows and the glow on his cheeks is just from standing too close to the fire.
I have a few good recipes I have tried that I hope to post soon. One is a great Asian Turkey Lettuce cup, maybe a lime cake recipe...gotta try that one first and some homemade chicken nugget recipes. :) Stay tuned. :)
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