Wrapping Up the Summer Garden

Since we had such a mild beginning to Fall in Dallas, our garden actually spit out a few more pieces of fruit and veggies this last month.  Yesterday I picked 8 eggplants!  They were little guys but still a great addition to our Loaded Baked Pasta last night.  

A big thank you to Lowes for our Meyer Lemon Tree!  Wow! I can’t believe how many lemons we got our first year, and from a “Lowes” tree.  I had my doubts buying one from there, but I was wrong.  Can’t wait to see what happens next year.  I'm on the hunt for a Lemon Infused Vodka Recipe.  Any suggestions??  I've found a few but I'm not completely sure how to store it in the freezer. . .

And I think I picked the biggest and sweetest strawberry of the season a couple of weeks ago.  Not many berries survive in our backyard.  We have a strawberry thief around here.  No, I’m not talking about squirrels or birds, it’s way worse -- a TWO YEAR OLD!  She loves pulling off the green ones and eating them!  Lovely! 

Mixed Green Salad with Salmon

Now that summer has officially begun in Texas I am craving light dinners.  I need more salad recipes!  I really only have a few go-to ones, and I am so tired of those!   These hot summers leave me craving salads, fish, fruit and white wine.

I ran up to Whole Foods hoping to find a salad inspiration.  Salmon sounded good, but I wasn't sure what to put in with it.  Definitely some avocados and cucumbers, but aside from that I had no I idea.  Here's what I came up with . . .

Mixed Green Salad with Salmon
(no measurements here, equal parts of each)

mixed greens
red onions, sliced
green beans, steamed then cooled
avocado
tomato
cucumber
dijon & maple baked salmon filet
goat cheese

I tossed all the ingredients (except the goat cheese) together with the best vinaigrette (it's just a bit sweet).  And because the goat cheese is so soft, I sprinkled it on top just before serving.

Standby Vinaigrette  
from Gwyneth Paltrow's, My Father's Daughter

2 tsp   dijon mustard
1 tsp   maple syrup
1/4 c   red wine vinegar
2 tbl   vegetable oil
1/2 c  extra virgin olive oil
coarse salt
fresh ground pepper

Meatless Monday Challenge: Accepted

I eat meat.  I like meat.  I eat meat at most every meal.

I commend all my veggie and vegan friends but have absolutely no desire to choose that lifestyle.  No apologies and no judgement, just being truthful.  Basically I have no self control : )  Sunday night Chase proposed we start "meatless Mondays."  I was completely shocked!  This coming from my man who insists on having meat at every meal!  I had actually brought this up years ago and I'm pretty sure I was laughed at.

He started by asking me the rules to our Meatless Mondays.  I laughed and I told him that the rules are whatever we make them to be!    Maybe let's start with dinner? Let's also be realistic.  My favorite word! REALISTIC.  I don't want to start something and not accomplish it because it doesn't fit our lifestyle.  So basically, we didn't make up any rules yet.

May 20 marks my first Meatless Monday!

Breakfast      (I didn't have to change my normal breakfast)
Coffee.  Yogurt.  Granola.  Blueberries.  Rasberries.  Strawberries

Lunch     (Definitely a change from my usual turkey sandwich)
Open faced sunny side up sandwich.

Dinner    (A typical dinner for us, but no ground beef)
Spaghetti.  Salad

Not too bad for my first day!  Lunch will probably be the most challenging meal.  I am completely addicted to turkey sandwiches!!!!!  Wish us luck : )

Open Faced Sunny Sandwich

1/2 piece of naan (or any bread)
1  piece of swiss cheese
1/4  avocado
1/2  tomato
1 1/2 egg (1 whole egg and just the white of the second)
pinch of sea salt

There are so many variations to this!  I happen to have all these delish things at home today.

Veggie Spaghetti

1 eggplant, cubed
1 zucchini, cubed
8 oz  mushrooms
1 lb. whole wheat spaghetti
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
salt and pepper
olive oil

I roasted all the veggies together with olive oil, salt and pepper (you could also do this step in a skillet). In a large pot I added the roasted veggies to my spaghetti sauce and kept them on low while I cooked my pasta.

So many possibilities to this one too!  The mushrooms added some hearty "meat-like" texture.  Can't wait to eat this again!

Veggie Garden Start

For a couple of months now we've been talking about wanting to start a "veggie/herb/fruit/anything that is edible and will grow" garden.  I searched around for planter boxes to buy, since the hubby isn't the most handy of men.  I came up empty handed, there is not much out there to buy.  Lot's of how-to's on building them though!  Chase agreed to take on this challenge and was actually pretty excited about it.

After a trip to Home Depot, he and Elle got to it in the garage a few Sundays ago.  I was quite impressed with the final product!!  They may not last for 20 years, but hey we will out of this house by then.  Somebody else's problem! haha : )  We used cedar wood planks (I wish they were a little thicker but that's all we had to choose from)

I had our landscaper bring us dirt, some of the good stuff that you can't buy at Home Depot.  And then we got to planting!  So far we have . . .

Tomatoes (2 different varieties)

Zucchini

Cucumber

Green Beans

Cilantro

Parsley

Thyme

Rosemary

Dill

Basil (heat tolerant variety)

Strawberries

Lemons

(l to r) zucchini. tomoatoes. zucchini. cucumbers down in front are green beans who haven't sprouted

(l to r) cilantro. basil. rosemary. dill. thyme. parsley. green beans along back who haven't sprouted

Loaded Baked Pasta

Sunday nights Chase really loves a big pasta dish for dinner.  I found my inspiration for this on Pinterest, then combined with a baked ziti recipe I have.  And this is what I came up with...

Loaded Baked Pasta

8 oz  sliced mushrooms
baby spinach, I did 2 big handfuls (or one pkg of frozen)
1  medium yellow onion
2   zucchini
1 lb  italian sausage
1 lb  pasta  (I used spinach penne)
2  garlic cloves, minced
marinara sauce (1jar)
1 c   mozzarella
1/2 c parmesan, or more : )

Cook pasta according to package.  In a small skillet saute the baby spinach with a little olive oil and salt.  Heat a glug of olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat.  Add the mushrooms, onions, and zucchini, cook until softened.  Add the italian sausage into the skillet and cook.  When the sausage is cooked all the way, add in the cooked spinach, marinara sauce, and cooked pasta.  In a 9x13 dish pour half your pasta, then a layer of mozzarella cheese.  Add the rest of your pasta and top with mozzarella and parmesan.  Cook for about 20 minutes at 425, or until the cheese is bubbly and yummy!

There are so many different variations of this you could try!   Add different seasonal veggies, different meats, or no meat at all, add some herbs (I forgot to buy some at the store that day)... Oh the possibilities!

Chops

A few months back some friends had us over for dinner.  We never turn down dinner with these friends, Brooke is an amazing cook!  Check out her blog Plum Pie Cooks.  She made pork tenderloin, mac and cheese, asparagus and amazing pear and pomegranate salad.  I'm usually not a huge fan of pork but the marinade she used was so delicious!  It was so yummy that I copied her and made this meal for Christmas Eve dinner, and wow was it a hit!!

Since then I use this marinade any time I make pork chops.  This is not my recipe at all, but I had to share it with you.  A couple of the times I've used it, I didn't one or two of the ingredients on hand.  The chops were just as good without them though!  Check out the full recipe here.

Pork Marinade

1/3 c   dried cherries
1/3 c   dry red wine
1/4 c   balsamic vinegar
3/4 c   cranberry juice
4  garlic cloves, minced
6  shallots, sliced
3 tbl   rosemary, chopped

The original recipe says to marinade anywhere from 2 hrs to overnight.  When I use this on pork chops I grill them in a skillet.  The tenderloin I sear on the stove top, then finish it off in the over.

Pesto Pasta Salad

When we were living in Dallas 4 years ago, the hubby's favorite lunch spot was TABC in Uptown.  Once we moved up here he always asked me to make his favorite pasta salad from TABC.  Me, never having tried it or never really wanting to (it never sounded that great to me),  attempted to make it.  And according to Chase he says it's just as good -- maybe he's just being nice, but it still tastes pretty darn good whether or not it's the exact same.  Now I think I crave it more than he does!


It's such an easy weeknight dinner.  Most of it you can make ahead and pull out the night you need it.  Or if your hubbs works a ton like mine, this is the best meal for one.  I can eat off this one recipe a few times in a week.  Many times I'll make the pesto and grill the chicken breasts ahead of time then all I have to do is boil some pasta for that night.

Pesto Pasta Salad


Pesto
3 c  basil leaves, washed
3 tbl  grated parmesan cheese
1 tbl  fresh lemon juice
1 tbl  toasted pine nuts
1 tsp  kosher salt
1/2 tsp  ground black pepper
1 clove of minced garlic


Use a food processor to blend together.
I make my pesto according to taste.  Taste along the way and add more to perfect your own.


Pasta Salad
1 lb  shredded or chopped grilled chicken breast
3/4 c  pesto
spring salad mix
olive & oil dressing (Paul Newman's is my fav)
parmesan cheese
fusilli or rotini pasta


Combine pasta with pesto sauce.  Set aside.  Toss spring mix with dressing and chicken.  To prepare plates, place dressed salad and chicken on plate, then set pesto pasta a top salad.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve with garlic bread.

Maw Maw Kitty's Blueberry Pie

I wasn't the one to name my grandparents, my older brother did the honors.  Some how he chose Maw Maw & Ging Ging Kitty, and wouldn't you know they had a cat.  Since then Maw Maw Kitty has always had a kitty.  When your name has the word Kitty in it, you most certainly should always have a cat!  


She is one of the most sweet, gentle, loving, sophisticated, down to earth, and silly woman that I know.  She always is so well put together even when she is going to Home Depot.  The other day I complimented her on the top she was wearing, she told me she got it at Zara!  Does anybody else have an 84 year old granny that shops at Zara?  Most people find it very strange when I tell them that I borrow clothes from my grandmother...but when you see her you would understand.  At my brother's wedding you could have caught on the dance floor getting down to the Black Eyed Peas! 


Back to cooking...Maw Maw Kitty has been the cooking teacher to my mother, aunt, and I.  Hands down my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving only because of the feast that we prepare.  It's all recipes from my grandmother and her mother.  I'll of course post those around Thanksgiving!  


This Blueberry Pie is soooooo easy you can put it together in 5 minutes and my friends are always so impressed!  


Maw Maw Kitty's Blueberry Pie
5 c  fresh washed blueberries
1 tbl  fresh lemon juice
15 oz  pie crust (package of 2 crusts)
1 c  sugar (plus a little extra to sprinkle on crust top)
1/3 c  flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp  cinnamon
2 tbl  butter


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix berries and lemon juice in a small bowl.  Let sit while you combine the rest.  In separate bowl sugar, flour, salt, and cinnamon.  Mix berries into dry ingredients gently.  Pour mixture into pie crust.  Use the second crust for the top -- cut into 1/2 strips and lay in a lattice pattern.  Place small chunks of butter around the top.  Sprinkle crust with sugar.  Bake for 30-45.  

*Don't judge me on the appearance of my pie!  My husband took a knife to it before I could get a pretty picture.  The best foods don't always look it : )