IN THE KITCHEN â—½ TIPS
I tried some new recipes lately, and some oldies but goodies. All worth sharing with you, this month! I hope you print them out and try one or two or all.
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Pico de gallo
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You can buy this at the store, but it has to be used quickly or it goes bad. So, just make it the day you need it!
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1lb medium roma tomatoes, finely diced
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½ medium white onion, finely diced (3/4 cup)
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Peppers – 1-2 serranos or jalapenos, seeded and minced
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½ c fresh cilantro chopped
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Juice of 1-2 limes (2-4 T)
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½ to 1 tsp kosher salt
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1 clove minced garlic (optional)
Add tomatoes, onion, peppers and cilantro to a medium bowl. Pour the lime juice over top and season with salt. Let mixture sit in fridge 15-30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Add salt or lime juice if needed.
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We served this as pictured above, over tostones (from the frozen section) - so good!
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Cacio de Pepe
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Just a few ingredients, and yet this turned out so well and yummy.
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8 oz dried linguine
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2 T olive oil
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½ - 1 t coarsely ground pepper
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1 c very finely shredded parmesan cheese, divided
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1 ½ c chopped cooked chicken
Cook pasta according to directions; drain, reserving 2 c of the cooking water.
In a 12 in skillet, heat oil and add pepper, stirring till fragrant, about 20 seconds. Remove skillet from heat, carefully add ¾ c of reserved water. Return skillet to heat and bring to a boil.
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Add pasta to skillet, tossing with tongs to coat, gradually add ¾ c of the cheese, tossing to coat and add enough reserved water to reach a creamy consistency. Stir in chicken and heat through. Top with remaining ¼ c cheese and if you like, additional pepper.
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We added chicken to ours...
Carrot salad
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I can’t find my recipe, but this was surprisingly so delicious, I still want to share it. Just use your best judgment – I think it’s 2-3 celery sticks and carrots.
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Celery
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Carrots
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Mayonnaise
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Lemon juice
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Dill
Thinly slice celery and shred the carrots. Salt and pepper to taste, mayo to taste, lemon juice. Dill. That’s it. And it’s so good.
Chili
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This is a recipe from my own archives, and I go back to it over and over again. It’s super easy and tastes great.
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1 lb ground meat
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1 red or green pepper, diced
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1 small onion, diced
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15 oz Pinto beans undrained
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1 can 28oz whole tomatoes undrained, cut up
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1.25 oz pkg chili seasoning
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3 T Worcestershire
Brown the meat with onions and peppers, drain. Stir in remainder of ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered, 10 min. stirring.
Cornbread
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This is a cast iron skillet recipe and I absolutely loved the cornbread. And…it was so good leftover, especially used a croutons..
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2 c finely ground cornmeal
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1 c flour
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¼ c sugar
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2 t baking powder
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1 t baking soda
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1 t salt
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5 T unsalted butter, divided
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1 ½ c milk
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2 eggs
Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl combine cornbread, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Put ½ c milk in measuring cup. Add 2 T butter cut into pieces. Put in the microwave on high for 1 minute so that butter melts into milk. Pour this over dry ingredients and stir. Gradually add the additional cup of m ilk and stir, then add the eggs and continue stirring until thoroughly combined.
Heat the skillet over med heat and melt 3 remaining T of butter. Add batter and shake to distribute. Transfer skillet to oven and cook for 25-30 minutes, until light golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
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Using pot holders or mitts, remove skillet from oven and let bread cool 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
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For croutons with leftover cornbread – slice the cornbread into cubes, melt butter in the pan, and grill til golden. These are great over chili or atop salads!
Muffaletta Wellington
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These were good, but they were even better the next day, and a great sandwich to add to a lunchbox.
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18 slices thinly sliced hard salami
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12 slices thinly sliced black forest deli ham
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1 tube (13.8oz) refrigerated pizza crust
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6 slices mozzarella
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6 slices provolone
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3 T melted butter, divided
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6 T olive bruschetta
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T Cornmeal
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1 T sesame seeds
Preheat oven to 425°. Grease a 12-in. cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet with 1 tablespoon butter. Sprinkle with cornmeal.
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Unroll pizza dough; cut into 6 portions. On a floured surface, roll each portion into a 6-in. square. Place 1 tablespoon olive bruschetta in center of each square; top
with salami, ham, mozzarella cheese and provolone cheese. Bring 4 corners of dough together above filling; pinch edges to seal.
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Place in prepared skillet, seam side down. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons butter; sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Spinach potato
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3 baking potatoes
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Fresh spinach cooked
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Grated onion
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Salt and pepper
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Celery salt
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Finely chopped cooked bacon
Cook the spinach with grated onion, salt and pepper, and celery salt. Wash the potatoes and bake them til done. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the pulp. Mash and beat til fluffy, adding 2 T butter and ½ c milk, season with S&P.
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Fill potato shells with spinach, making a border with the potatoes. Cover the spinach with finely chopped bacon
Tartar sauce
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I like homemade tartar sauce, better then store bought, and it’s so easy to make.
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mayonnaise
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Lemon juice
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Olives
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Capers
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Pickles
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Chives
I don’t know the amounts. Just mix and stir and taste until it’s perfect.
The Best Salad Hack
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We were having guests for lunch, unexpectedly, and wanted to serve lunch…not go out. I wasn’t sure what to put together so this is what I did, and it was so delicious and perfect. I will definitely do it again and again.
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3 Chick Fil A cobb salads (for four people)
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Pour all in a large bowl and add in:
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Avocado
Red onion
Cheddar cheese
Any fresh herbs you have
Top with the cornbread croutons
Use the salad dressing from Chick Fil A
It worked and was the best lunch in a pinch!