Copper Penny Carrots

 

 

 If you're looking for something new and different to serve at your next BBQ, this might be just the thing. Well, actually, it's not new, but it's definitely different. 

 So, what are Copper Penny Carrots? Or to quote Nicole from All Recipes.. "What in the 1970s Grandma is this dish?" 

 It's a chilled salad made of carrots (sliced into rounds, or rather coins..hence copper pennies), and finely diced onions and bell peppers which are then tossed with a sweet and tangy dressing. From what I've read, it is believed to have originated in the South and Midwest in the 40s and 50s when there was a surge in popularity of using convenience foods... specifically, Campbell's tomato soup, which serves as the base for the dressing. 

 I know, I know, sounds crazy, right? But trust me! It's SO tasty and refreshing, sort of in a gazpacho meets relish sort of a way. It goes extremely well alongside your hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, and potato salad. I mean, we've done other veggie salads, so why not carrots?

 Definitely give this one a try. It just might surprise you ! 

 

 

1 10.5 oz can condensed tomato soup

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 lbs carrots, peeled and sliced into coins

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 medium bell pepper, finely diced

1 rib celery, finely diced

 

 Bring condensed soup, sugar, vinegar, and oil to a boil in a saucepan. Stir well, remove from the heat, and let cool until needed. 

At the same time, bring a large pot of water to a boil; add carrots and boil until just tender, about 10 minutes. 

 Drain carrots and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery. Pour soup mixture over vegetables and stir until coated. Cover and refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight, before serving. 

 

 

 

Tips:

There are many versions of this recipe. Some include mustard and/or Worcestershire sauce. This version is from All Recipes, but of course I can't leave well enough alone, so here are my tweaks:

First, I used baby carrots, because that's what I had on hand. They don't exactly look like pennies as much as the larger carrot slices would, but I was willing to look past it. 

Second, I added half as much onion, and twice as much celery. Why? Because that's what I like! You do you. 

 I also found it to be VERY sweet. The tomato soup is already sweet, so I would cut back on the sugar. I usually like a stronger hit of vinegar anyway. I also added salt and pepper, because I think it needs it. Maybe next time I'll try it with the mustard and Worcestershire sauce.  

Oh! One more thing.. I know it says to refrigerate it for 8 hours, but I don't think it's really necessary. I tasted it as soon as I made it, after it chilled for 2 or 3 hours, and again the next day. The only thing that really changed was the amount of crunch. You want to serve it well chilled, so I think a good 2 hours is the best version. And I think the CRUNCH of the celery is what makes it!

 

 

Joey's Real Deal Green Bean Casserole

 

   For years and years, I've enjoyed the classic Green Bean Casserole recipe, just like the rest of America, especially for Thanksgiving. It calls for canned green beans, canned cream of mushroom soup, and canned French fried onions. But then, a while back, I thought, "What if we don't use canned ingredients and use fresh ones instead? Wouldn't that be much better?"

 So I made a batch using fresh green beans. Great!  It was delicious, as always, and it absolutely elevated the recipe. I was definitely on the right track. Then I thought, "ok what if I make my own mushroom cream sauce instead of the canned soup?" Yes, I know the recipe was developed specifically so consumers would have another reason to buy Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, but I still thought we could do better. Again, absolutely delish, but there was still room to push it higher. And then came the game-changing moment. I decided to make my own French fried onions. 

What? Who even does that?? 

Well, clearly, now I do! And let me just tell you.. it made a huge difference! It was as big of a difference as going from canned to fresh green beans, and there was nothing to it! I made it for our Thanksgiving dinner and everyone absolutely raved about it! NOW it's elevated to where it should be!

 So here's the thing.. it does take a few extra steps to make each component. I know. I know. It's kind of a lot. Nothing too difficult, but it does take time. But then all you need to do is throw it all together and bake! It's seriously worth the extra effort. The good news is you can do all of the components in advance, easily a day or two before Thanksgiving, and then just bake it while the turkey is resting and or being carved. Boom.

Side note, when I asked my nieces, Casey and Carly, what the new version should be called, Casey suggested "real deal" because it's all the same things, but this is the REAL deal. So there we go!

 Give your loved ones a chance to taste this version, and I swear they'll request it every time. In our family, it's now definitely the new classic!

 

 

 

For the Green Beans:

Choose fresh bright green beans, about 3-4  lbs, depending on how many people you're serving, and how big your casserole dish is. Trim the stem end from each of the beans, then cut into 1-2 inch lengths. Place cut beans into a steamer, and steam until almost completely cooked through. Full disclosure, I like my green beans to be COOKED. None of that "crisp tender" hooey. I'm not saying I like them to be cooked to death, but I do like a tender bean. After steaming to your liking, remove to a mixing bowl.

 

 

For the Mushroom Sauce:

1 stick butter

1 lb baby bella mushrooms, sliced

1 medium onion, finely minced

1/2 cup flour

3 cups milk

1 cup half and half

salt and pepper to taste 

In a large sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onions. Saute and cook for a good ten minutes, letting any moisture from the mushrooms evaporate. Add the flour, then whisk to blend with the butter. Continue to cook for a minute or two, then add the milk and half and half. Continue to whisk until the sauce thickens. Season to taste with salt and a good amount of pepper.  Pour into the mixing bowl with the green beans. 

For the French Fried Onions:

2 medium onions (or one large)

Buttermilk

Flour

Salt and Pepper

Oil for frying

 

Peel and slice the onions VERY THINLY into half rings. Place them in a bowl, then pour buttermilk over to cover. Let them sit for at least a good 15 minutes. (I probably left them for more like a half hour).

In another large bowl, place a good amount of flour for dredging, plus salt and pepper. 

In a wide shallow pan, heat oil (enough to go about halfway up the side of the pan) to about 350º. Using tongs, grab a batch of onions, and let the buttermilk drain, then throw them into the seasoned flour and toss until well coated. Gently and carefully drop the dredged onions into the oil. Use a slotted spoon or spider strainer to stir them around so they don't clump together. Let them fry until they are golden brown. Remove to a paper towel or napkin to drain. Immediately sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Repeat until all onions are fried. 

Now it's time to assemble. 

Pour half the fried onions into the big bowl with the beans and sauce. Gently toss to coat everything. Pour all into casserole dish. Cover with foil, and bake at 350ºF for about 30-40 minutes. Remove foil, top with remaining fried onions. Bake for another 10 minutes, just to crisp up the onions. 

Tips:

To make it in advance, just assemble everything as directed, store your extra fried onions in a ziploc bag at room temperature, then cover and refrigerate your assembled casserole until your event. Take your casserole out of the fridge about an hour before baking. Bake as directed. 

To steam a large quantity of beans, I like to use my pasta pot. It has an insert for lifting and draining your cooked pasta, which also works great as a steamer. Just fill the pot with enough water in the bottom until it reaches the insert. Easy!

Joey's Broccoli Stuffing

 

 This is an easy way to combine your stuffing with your veggie side dish.

It was inspired by a broccoli and stuffing casserole that I saw on a website called Al Dente Diva, and this is where I landed. I sort of used her recipe as a guideline, but then I added my own spin.. adding celery and onions, etc. The result wound up being pretty similar to the way I would usually make stuffing anyway, only now it has the addition of broccoli. Who knew it would be such a match made in heaven???? I literally couldn't stop myself from going back for more. It's goes perfectly with your holiday turkey or ham, or any Sunday roast dinner. My only question is "Why have we never done this before???? "

 Seriously. I'll definitely be adding this one to the repertoire! 

1 large baguette, torn into pieces
4 cups broccoli florets
1 stick butter
1 onion, chopped
3 ribs of celery, chopped
1 tbs chicken Better than Bouillon 
2 cups milk
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp black pepper


Heat oven to 350ºF.
Place torn baguette pieces on a dry baking tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes to lightly toast. Place in a very large mixing bowl along with broccoli florets. Set aside.
Melt butter in a sauté pan. Add chopped onions and celery.  Sauté until they begin to soften.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients.
Now it's time to assemble. 
Add sautéed veggies and milk mixture to bowl with broccoli and bread. Toss well to combine.
Pour into a buttered casserole dish.
Bake for about 45 minutes, or longer if you like a crispier stuffing.

 

 

Tips:
Be sure to tear the bread into rough craggy pieces, instead of cutting into cubes. They'll soak up the liquid much better, and give you lots of crispy bits on top.
There's no need to add any salt because the bouillon has plenty. If you're sensitive to salt, just hold back a little.

I give it a stir halfway through the cooking, just to insure even cooking. I like a pretty moist stuffing, so I don't leave it in the oven for too long, but you do you!

Baked Apricot Cranberry Sauce

 

 In my never-ending search for new variations of Thanksgiving recipes, I was recently spiraling down the Tik Tok rabbit hole, when I found this little jewel of a recipe. It’s from a blogger who calls herself the Feel Good Foodie. It wasn’t the list of ingredients that I found so intriguing, but rather the cooking method. Now, I’ve made homemade cranberry sauce for years and years, but never BAKED them. What a concept, right?  So, clearly, I needed to give it a try, just to see how it would go. Well, guess what.. it was fabulous!! There was a sort of "roasted" quality that was really nice, and rather unexpected, if I'm being totally honest. Who knew? It was SUPER easy to make and the flavors were out of this world. Perfect for your holiday meal.
 Oh, btw, I should mention that the original video I saw didn’t include any kind of jam, but when I looked it up on her website, she included orange marmalade. I had some homemade apricot jam, so I went with it. Marmalade or without, you should give this a try. It’s always good to switch things up every so often, dontcha think?? Enjoy!


12 oz bag cranberries
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup apricot jam 

 

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Combine the cranberries, sugar, water, and cinnamon in a small baking dish. 

Bake for one hour, stirring halfway through.
Remove the dish from the oven, stir in pecans and preserves. Allow to come to room temperature, then refrigerate.

 

Tips:

Clearly this is a great time saver because you can make this WAY in advance. No need to take up oven space on Turkey Day!
Feel free to double or triple this recipe if you have a crowd to feed. Boom. 

Not a fan of cinnamon with your cranberries? Just leave it out!
 If you’d like to try these flavors, but don’t want to bake them in the oven, you can certainly do this on the stove top. I bet you could even do it in the crock pot as well, but I haven’t tested that idea yet. I’ll let you know when I figure that out!

Cauliflower, Carrot, and Artichoke Bake

 

 

 When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, you really can't go wrong with the classics. You have your turkey and gravy, obviously, and then you have your cranberries, your stuffing, your mashed potatoes, and your green bean casserole, among others. But then I got to wondering.. what if I play around with them a little? Would that be so terrible? 

 So I looked at the ingredients in the classic green bean casserole, or Green Bean Bake, as we used to call it. I thought, what if we swap out the green beans and use something else? So that's what I did! I still wanted the convenience of using the canned cream soups and French fried onions, but just skipped the green beans altogether. 

 OH. MY GOD. Can I just tell you how good it turned out?? Why have we never done this before? I'm not even kidding when I tell you I couldn't stop myself from going back for seconds and it was gone in no time. Who knew something so simple could be so good? 

 So if you're not a fan of green beans, just swap 'em out for something else! I used carrots, cauliflower, and artichokes. Why? because I LOVE them (also I just happened to have them on hand), but pretty much any vegetable(s) will work. Which veggie is your favorite? I betcha it'll be awesome! And who knows? Maybe this will be your NEW favorite classic!! Ok, good talk. 

 

 

 

1 lb cauliflower florets 

1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup 

1 can condensed cream of celery soup

6 oz container of French fried onions

Salt and pepper

 

 

Place carrots and cauliflower in a steamer. Steam until just crisp tender. 

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, stir together remaining ingredients, reserving about 1/2 cup of the onions. Resist the urge to snack on them while you make the rest of the casserole. 

Gently toss the par cooked veggies with the soup mixture. Pour into a 9x13 or similar casserole dish. Sprinkle with reserved onions, if there are any left. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

 

 

 

Tips:

Instead of steaming, you could also par boil the veggies, and then drain well.

I intentionally did not add any kind of cheese because, well, it wasn't included in the original green bean casserole. Also I didn't want to make it too heavy. But I realize, for some people, it's just not a casserole if it doesn't have cheese. So feel free to add 8 oz of any kind of shredded cheese, if you like. I would go with Swiss or Cheddar, but you do you! And for heaven's sake, do NOT use the pre-shredded cheese in a bag. It melts SO much better when you buy the block and just shred it yourself!  

 

Butternut and Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

 

 OK, I have a question for you.

Do you have the same menu every year for your Thanksgiving dinner? Or do you switch things up from time to time? I've asked this question many times, and it seems people like to have the tradition of the same menu from year to year. My family is the same! We have all of our favorite Thanksgiving dishes, and it just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without them.

 For many families, there's one dish that falls squarely into that category, and that's mac and cheese. It just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it, right? Um... well... not for everyone. Full disclosure... as much as I LOVE a fabulous mac and cheese and all its variations, it has never been part of my family's traditional menu. I guess my Mom always figured we have mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and stuffing.. why would we need another starch? But hey, who am I to judge??? So that's why I decided to come up with a new "Thanksgiving" version of mac and cheese. 

 I added some roasted vegetables and some fresh herbs, but still kept it ooey and gooey, just the way mac and cheese should be. It turned out to be absolutely delicious! And it's definitely good enough to be included in one's holiday menu. It goes perfectly with your roast turkey or ham. Maybe this will be your NEW traditional holiday mac and cheese! who knows? It could happen!! Hope you like it!

 

 

1 lb diced butternut squash

1 small head cauliflower, broken into florets

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks

olive oil

salt and pepper

1 lb cavatappi pasta

 4 tbs butter

1/4 cup flour 

4 cups milk 

8 oz Velveeta cheese or American cheese

8 oz Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

8 oz Swiss cheese, shredded

1 tbs brown mustard

1/2 tsp thyme leaves

1/2 tsp finely chopped rosemary leaves

2-3 scallions, sliced 

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

 

 

Heat oven to 400ºF.

Place diced squash, cauliflower, and peppers on a sheet tray. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat. Spread out to a single layer. Roast in oven for about 30 minutes. After they've finished roasting, remove from oven, and reduce oven to 350ºF.

Meanwhile in a large pot of heavily salted water, boil your pasta until al dente. Drain, set aside. 

In a sauce pan, melt butter. Add flour, and whisk to combine. Continue to whisk and cook the flour for about a minute or two, then add the milk, whisking to break up any lumps. Add cheeses, mustard, and herbs, continuing to stir until thickened. 

Now it's time to assemble. 

Place roasted vegetables in a large greased casserole dish along with drained pasta. Stir in cheese sauce and sliced scallions until well combined. Sprinkle bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese over all. Sprinkle some dried parsley over the top, for a little color, if desired. 

Place casserole dish in the oven for 30-45 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from oven and let stand for about 15 minutes. 

 

 

Tips:

You can butter your bread crumbs, if you like, but I had some olive oil left on the roasting pan, so I just used that. Or just sprinkle them dry. It'll all work!

Adding 4 cups of milk may seem like too much, but just trust the process! Your final dish will be the perfect texture. No one wants a dry mac and cheese!

When using shredded cheese in a dish, it's always best to buy the block and then shred it yourself. The pre-shredded cheese has a coating on it so it won't clump, but then it doesn't melt as well. Just FYI! 

Not a fan of butternut squash? Add whichever roasted veggies you like! Any kind of root vegetables would work well here. Could even do broccoli or sauteed spinach. All good! 

 

Pineapple Cole Slaw

 

Are you a cole slaw person? It seems to me that people are very divided when it comes to cole slaw. Either you love it or you don't. I happen to fall squarely into the first category. I absolutely LOVE it. I can even do some brands of store bought slaw, but extra points will always go to a restaurant that makes it home made. 

 When I was growing up, we always had a big bowl of cole slaw on our holiday table, and it was ALWAYS at every barbecue. It's sweet, tangy, creamy, and crunchy all in one bite. What's not to love? 

 Recently, I had bought a large head of cabbage for a smothered cabbage smoked sausage recipe, but I only needed half for the recipe. So what did I do with the other half? Cole slaw! But I thought, ok, what kind of a spin can I put on it? I had also recently baked a Hawaiian Banana Bread and still had lots of fresh pineapple, so I figured, why not? 

 This recipe is so easy, it's barely even a recipe. It's basically just a list of ingredients and it's ready in no time. And guess what?! It's delicious! It goes perfectly with a BBQ pulled pork, or grilled ribs, and it'll be right at home in your summer BBQ spread. It's slightly tweaked from a youtuber called Marcy Inspired. Make sure you have the recipe handy when you serve it because people are gonna ask you how you made it! Even if you're not usually a fan of cole slaw, give this one a try. It just might change your mind!

 

 

 

 

6 cups green cabbage, shredded
2 cups pineapple, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tbs brown sugar
3 tbs vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

 

 

In a very large mixing bowl, simply stir all ingredients together until well coated. Cover and chill for about an hour. Give it another good stir before serving. Garnish with a little chopped parsley, if desired. That's all there is to it!

 

 

 

Tips:

The most important thing about this recipe is WHEN you make it. It's just not one of those recipes you can make days in advance. If you'd like to give yourself a head start, though, just have all your ingredients ready, and then mix them on the day or your event. I shredded and chopped everything fresh, but you could very easily just do a 20oz can of pineapple bits (drained) and a bag of cole slaw mix and call it a day.

 These ingredients are just guidelines. As my Mom used to say "If you like a lot, add a lot!" Would you like more pineapple? Go for it. Would you like it to be more tangy? Add a little more vinegar. Wanna add more carrot? You do you! 

 When you add the mayonnaise, you're immediately gonna think that it's not enough. RESIST the urge to add more! There will be plenty of dressing after it sits for a while in the fridge. However, if you do happen to inadvertently add too much mayonnaise, and your cole slaw is now swimming in dressing, you can easily just pour off the excess. Don't ask me how I know.

Orzo with Asparagus and Peas

 

  Very often, when I'm reading recipes and watching cooking videos, I'll hear the phrase "simplest is best", and that is definitely the case with this recipe. It starts with just a few basic ingredients, but when you put them together, they really sing. 

 I wanted to do a light spring side dish for a recent lunch I was hosting for a few of my dearest friends, and I thought maybe orzo would be a good start. Then I remembered seeing asparagus and peas being paired together in other recipes. Perfect. Awesome.  ok, what else does it need? I thought of adding sliced leeks to the party, just to add a light savory onion note, but decided to go with scallions instead. So far so good.. From there I just added some chopped parsley to keep it fresh and then dressed it with a light not-so-sweet balsamic vinaigrette. It turned out great! Full disclosure, if I'm being honest, the vinaigrette needed a little trial and error until I found just the right balance of sweet and sour. I didn't want it to overpower everything and I must say I was very pleased with where it landed! Definitely keep this one in your recipe rotation. It's as perfect for a roast dinner side dish as it is for a light lunch or summer cook out. 

So, I guess it's true! Sometimes simple really is best!

 

 

1 bunch fresh asparagus

1 cup frozen peas 

1 lb orzo

1/4 cup sliced scallion greens

chopped parsley

salt and pepper

Balsamic vinaigrette (recipe to follow)

 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a big handful of salt. Slice off the woody ends from the asparagus spears. Cut into bite size lengths. Add to the boiling water along with the peas. (no need to defrost). Bring back to a boil, and time it for about 4 minutes. In the meantime, fill a large bowl with water. Add a few scoops of ice and another handful salt. Using a spider strainer or slotted spoon, remove the asparagus and peas from the boiling pot, and place directly into the salted ice water. This will stop the cooking and set the beautiful green color. 

 In the same pot of boiling water, add the orzo. Cook according to package directions until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain well. Add the orzo to a mixing bowl along with your drained veggies. Add sliced scallions, (just the green ends), and some parsley. Pour about half the vinaigrette over all, not too much, just to see how much it needs. Then go back and add more if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.

For the vinaigrette: 

1 heaping tbs mustard
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar or honey
1 tsp kosher salt
lots of freshly cracked black pepper
3/4 cup oil

In medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients except the oil. SLOWLY add the oil in a steady thin stream while vigorously whisking constantly. (you can also use a mixer with a wire whisk attachment). 

 

 

Tips:

-When I say to add a handful of salt to your boiling water, I mean a literal HANDFUL of salt. Adding just a little sprinkle from your salt shaker is not gonna cut it. The same with your ice water. Also don't add the salt to the pot until the water is boiling. If you do it sooner, the salt might damage the bottom of your pot!

 -If you don't want to make your own vinaigrette, just use your favorite dressing. I usually don't mention brand names, but one of my favorite things is a packet of regular Good Seasons Italian dressing, mixed according to package directions, only using balsamic vinegar instead of regular. Don't like balsamic vinegar? Use any kind you like!

-The amounts are just guidelines. Do you want more peas or more asparagus? Go for it! 

-You can also swap out the pasta for a different cut. Elbow macaroni or ditalini would be perfect. Wanna add some other herbs? Sure! How 'bout some fresh basil?

-And as much as I love the green on green color aesthetic, it would also be great to add some freshly sliced vine ripened tomatoes. YUM.

 

Peas and Pancetta

  So, since Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching, I was looking for some interesting and different ideas for holiday side dishes, and I happened upon Ina Garten's recipe for Peas and Pancetta. First off, if you're not familiar with pancetta, it's like bacon, but it's just cured, not smoked. Anyway, the recipe sounded great, so I decided to try it. To be quite honest, I thought it was ok, but I immediately knew I'd want to change a few things. Full disclosure, I wound up changing literally everything in the recipe except for the peas and pancetta. Only just small changes, but changes nonetheless. 

 In addition to the two main ingredients, the original recipe called for olive oil, shallots, and fresh mint. Frankly, I don't see what the shallots brought to the party that would be different from just using a regular onion. And if I'm being genuinely truthful, shallots always feel a little pretentious to me. Does anyone really keep a supply of shallots in one's pantry? And conversely, does anyone NOT keep a bag of onions handy? You see my point. I also wondered why we were using olive oil when butter would have been so much better. I mean, you usually put a pat of butter on your regular steamed peas, am I right?? And the biggest deal breaker, I think, was the addition of the fresh mint. Maybe it was originally included to add a freshness to the dish, but it was absolutely not working for me. (Sorry, Miss Ina!) So I chose fresh thyme leaves and parsley as a substitute. For me, thyme makes everything taste and smell like Thanksgiving, and fresh parsley gives everything a fresh hit. So I gave it a try with all of my tweaks, and I must say, I enjoyed it MUCH better! 

  So, here it is. I can't exactly take credit for this recipe, because it wasn't really my idea to start with, but I will happily take credit for the updates. And who knows? Maybe you'll read this and think, Nope, the original sounds much better! and to that I say, Go for it! Cooking is subjective, right? You make it that way YOU like it! That's what makes it fun! That's what I did! 

You should too! 

Enjoy!

2 or 3 tbs butter

4 oz diced pancetta

1 red onion (or onion of your choice), finely diced

1 24oz bag frozen peas

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves removed from the stem

Salt and pepper 

Fresh parsley

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pancetta, and stir to render some of the fat for a few minutes, then add the finely diced onion. Stir and cook until the onions soften and the pancetta starts to brown, a good 10 minutes. Add the frozen peas, (no need to thaw!) and the fresh thyme leaves. Cover the pan and let it cook for a few minutes, stirring every so often, until everything is heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with an addition pat of butter and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

Tips:

One of the best things about this recipe is that it comes together in only a few minutes. The peas stay plump and bright green and sweet and delish! The only down side is that it's not really a good make-ahead sort of dish. I tried making it in advance, figuring I'd just heat it up for serving, and the peas weren't as bright green, and they weren't as plump and fresh. So if you're making it for a holiday meal, stir it up right before you sit down to the table so it's nice and hot when you serve it. 

 One other thing.. be sure you don't over cook the peas. They can go from bright green and lovely to grey and shriveled in a snap. You really only want to cook them until they're just heated through and no longer frozen. If you can't find pancetta, just use regular bacon!

 

 

Creamy Tuscan Parmesan Beans

 

 

 Usually when the summer heat hits, I look for recipes that are quick and easy and don't heat up the whole kitchen. I also look for recipes that aren't too heavy, but still have great flavor. 

That's basically how I found this recipe. It's an ever so slightly tweaked version of a recipe I saw on a site called The Mediterranean Dish. 

 The original recipe started all the way back at soaking the dry beans, but for me, that takes FAR too long.  Besides, I have jars and jars of my own home canned beans that are already ready already, so thats the route I went. The whole dish came together in less than 15 minutes and it was absolutely delish! 

Side note, it's also a great recipe if you're choosing to limit your carb intake. Win-win!

Let me know if you give it a try! 

 

 

2 tbs olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, minced
2 cans cannellini or any other favorite beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup water
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup combination of chopped fresh herbs: parsley, oregano, basil, rosemary, and/or thyme
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Splash of fresh lemon juice, about 1/2 of a lemon

In a large shallow pan, add oil over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the garlic. Let it get a little brown, being careful not to burn.
Add the beans, water, and tomatoes. Stir and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients, and continue to simmer and stir until slightly thickened.
Serve on toasted crostini as an easy appetizer or with some crusty bread as a side dish with your main entree.


Tips:
Usually, at this time, I would mention what ingredient or part is key to the recipe's success. But in this case, each ingredient brings its own fun to the party. The only thing I'll mention is to be careful when adding the herbs. I find fresh oregano to be quite strong. It's the same with fresh rosemary. Be sure your herbs are balanced!
Also, the cheese is quite salty, so there's no need to add more.
Just sayin'!

Sweet Potato Home Fries

 

 

 

 

First question: Do you like potatoes as much as I do? 

Second question: Do you like sweet potatoes even more?

I have to say, when it comes to potatoes, I've never met one I didn't like. Any kind, any color, I love 'em all. But if I had to choose between a regular white potato and a sweet potato, I'd most likely choose the sweet potato every time. Mmmmm... especially if they're mashed or fried up in a pan, as with this recipe. 

  I'm not even sure where I got this recipe, but it's one of my faves. I realized a few years ago that I tend to enjoy a sweet potato more when it's not completely covered with all the sugary bells and whistles. Don't get me wrong.. Yes, I LOVE the candied ones with butter and brown sugar (and just a touch of orange marmalade), but more often than not, I find myself preparing sweet potatoes as one would prepare a regular white potato. A rich and cheesy gratin would be amazing. Or a nice twice baked sweet potato topped with sour cream and chives... HEAVEN! I just think you can taste the actual potato a lot more. 

 This recipe falls right into that idea. No brown sugar, and for heaven's sake NO MARSHMALLOWS!

Just some roasted sweet potatoes, fried up with some savory aromatics and fresh herbs. Simple and easy! Serve it for breakfast with your perfectly fried eggs, or pile 'em high on top of a big ol' steak just off the grill. I think you just might be surprised at how much you won't miss all that sugar! Enjoy!

 

 

 

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3), peeled and chopped into 3/4-inch pieces 

2 tbs vegetable or preferred oil 

1/2 tsp smoked sweet paprika, divided 

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 

2 tbs butter 

1 onion, finely chopped

1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 jalapeno, seeded if desired, and thinly sliced

2 sprigs fresh thyme 

 

 

 

 

Preheat oven to a hot 450ºF. 

On a rimmed baking sheet, toss sweet potatoes with oil and 1/4 teaspoon paprika; season with salt and pepper. Roast, the potatoes, rotating sheet and flipping potatoes halfway through, until browned, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add chopped onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add roasted sweet potatoes to skillet with vegetables. Toss with remaining 1/4 teaspoon paprika, then strip the leaves from thyme sprigs into skillet; stir to combine. Check seasoning; serve immediately.

 

 

Tips:

Not a fan of jalapenos? Just leave it out! Only have red bell pepper instead of green? Use it! Any kind of peppers or onions will work. 

If you'd like to turn this into a one dish meal, add some diced chicken or shredded beef. You could even serve it alongside your favorite cowboy beans. Yum!

 

Joey's Easy Sauteed Parmesan Veggies

 

  I was recently taking inventory of the contents of my fridge, and quickly realized I had the makings of an easy fabulously delicious side dish. I had already planned to bake some chicken cutlets in the oven, so this simple little veggie saute seemed like just the thing to go with it. 

 I started with a few pieces of bacon, because bacon makes everything better, then I threw in a couple veggies, just to use up what was in the crisper drawer. In this case, it was broccoli, red bell peppers, onions, and some crushed garlic. What's not to love, right? And after they finished cooking, I just tossed the whole thing with grated Parmesan cheese. And that's literally all there is to it! It was heaven in a pan!!! What I had originally thought of as just a little throw together user upper turned out to be a side dish that goes with anything from a piece of grilled chicken or a summer burger to a holiday meal or a roast dinner. Use whatever veggies you have. It will all work! Be creative and enjoy!!

4 strips of bacon, cut into lardons

2 pats butter

1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets

1 medium onion, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

Splash of soy sauce (optional)

1/2 cup (or more) grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, place your bacon and butter over medium heat. Let the fat render, stirring quite often until it starts to crisp. Add the veggies and stir until coated with bacon fat and butter. After a few minutes of stirring and sautéing, add about 1/2 cup water to the pan along with soy sauce, if using. Cover. 

Let it steam for about 10 minutes. Now remove the pan, turn up the heat a little, and continue to cook until almost all of the liquid is evaporated. Top with grated cheese. Toss gently. Serve immediately.

Tips:

The best thing about this dish is that you can change it from season to season. Use whatever is fresh! Add some asparagus in the spring, some zucchini in the summer, some butternut squash in the fall.

Use any veggies you like! Carrots, cauliflower, and sugar snap peas would be awesome!

The soy sauce I used was just one little packet leftover from take out. It just adds a little umami to the dish, but you can't really detect that soy sauce flavor.

Light and Fluffy Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes

 

Usually, when I'm choosing recipes, my first thought naturally goes toward what I like to eat. But then it occurred to me that very often people have food allergies and can't eat certain things that I take for granted.

 So today I decided to do a delicios recipe for mashed potatoes that doesn't have all the heavy cream that I usually add. But how do you make it rich without all the cream?? The answer is coconut milk! Yes, yes, I know, crazy, right? But seriously, trust me on this. No, it does't make them taste like coconut. It just adds the richness that you want! Add whatever seasonings you like, and there you go. Perfectly fluffy delicious mashed potatoes without any of the problems that might come with dairy. 

Surprising? Yes. Delicious? Absolutely! !

5 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 can coconut milk

4 tbs ghee, melted 

Salt and pepper

Chives

Place potatoes and chicken broth in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours until fork tender.

Scoop the potatoes out of the slow cooker, and push them through a potato ricer set at its finest setting. 

Shake the can of coconut milk before you open it.  Now stir in the coconut milk a little at a time. 

Do the same with the melted butter and any broth left in the slow cooker. 

Season with plenty of salt and pepper.  Top with chopped chives.

Tips:

Usually, at this point, I'll mention what I believe to be the "key" to the recipe. Well, in this case, there are several:

First, you want to make sure you use the right kind of potato. Yukon Golds give you just the right amount starch without turning into spackle. 

Next is the potato ricer. If you've never used one, it kind of looks like a giant garlic press, and it's the best tool for mashing potatoes. Of course, you can use a hand masher, but I wouldn't use a mixer. Again, spackle.

Have you ever used ghee? It's just clarified butter with all of the milk solids removed. It works much better for people who don't do well with dairy. Of course, regular butter also works.

And finally, it's all about flavor! Use any seasonings you like. Garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, all good! And remember, it will need more salt than you think it will!

Cooking the potatoes in chicken broth adds lots of flavor too, but you can easily keep it Vegan. Just use Vegan butter, and use water or a vegetable broth.

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles

 

   This recipes is from Trisha Yearwood, and it's sort of an alternative (or maybe just a nod) to the favorite green bean casserole. They're super easy to assemble in advance and then bake while your turkey is doing its resting after roasting.
Oh! And don't forget the cheese sauce and crumbled French fried onion rings! Thats what really makes it! Absolutely delish!

 

1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus, ends trimmed
8 slices bacon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup crispy fried onions


Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Divide the asparagus spears into 8 bundles. Wrap each bundle in the middle of the spears with one piece of bacon. Place the bundles seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bake until the bacon is fully cooked, about 25 minutes.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and stir. Cook until the mixture is golden brown and has a nutty aroma, about 1 minute. Stir in the mustard powder, onion powder, nutmeg and remaining 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the milk a little at a time and continue cooking and whisking until the mixture thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cheese until melted, then take off the heat.
Carefully transfer the bacon bundles to a serving platter. Pour the cheese sauce over the asparagus and sprinkle with the fried onions. Serve warm.


Tips:
-I’ve decided that the whole bundle should be wrapped in bacon, instead of just the center. So, I think the next time I make this, I’m gonna wrap the bundles from end to end. That way everyone can have bacon in every bite! More is more!
-If you can’t find Gruyere, just use any Swiss cheese.



 

Simple Summer Squash Starter

 

This is an easy side dish that is as simple as can be. If I’m being completely honest, I debated on whether or not to post it, because it’s not really a recipe, exactly. It’s just a few veggies sautéed together. Does that count as a recipe? I guess it doesn’t really matter. Anyway, I’ve made it several times over the last few weeks because it’s just so good, so I figured I’d share.
 So lets talk about it for a second. Want to?
It’s just any combination of sliced summer squash… Zucchini Yellow Crookneck, Pattypan, any kind you like… sauteed together with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and fresh basil. Thats it. No bells and whistles, just as simple as that. But here’s the thing.. You can either serve it as its own side dish, along with grilled chicken, or fish or any other main dish you like. Or else you can use it as a starter for other dishes. Toss it with any kind of pasta for a main dish. Add some sautéed diced chicken and a little heavy cream for a rich and creamy sauce. Toss it into any casseroles, soups or stews whenever your dish needs some fresh vegetables. The possibilities are endless!
Last week, I made a casserole that I’ve been calling the Kitchen Sink Casserole, because it had everything in it but the kitchen sink. I started with the summer squash, added cheese tortellini, then added shredded chicken, basil, oregano, parmesan cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese on top, and then baked it in a giant casserole dish. It was a HUGE hit and it fed a crowd. Doesn’t that sound amazing?? it’s also a great way to use up all that extra zucchini from your garden. So, I hope you’ll give this a try. I’m sure you can think of loads of other ideas! Enjoy!

vegetable oil
Zucchini or any other kind of summer squash, sliced or diced
Onions, diced
Tomatoes, either fresh or canned
Garlic, minced
Fresh herbs, such as basil, oregano, thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Use as much or as little of each item as you like.
Slice or dice all the veggies. Toss them into a big skillet or wok with a little oil. Toss them around the pan until they’re tender and cooked through. That’s all there is to it. Add fresh herbs, and season to taste.
Depending on the size of your skillet and how many veggies you have, you might want to sauté them separately or in batches, and then toss everything together after they’re cooked. That’s it!

Tips:
I like to use canned sliced stewed tomatoes. You could also use diced or whole canned tomatoes and then cut them up. I wouldn’t use puree or crushed, because I like the large pieces of tomato. If you’re using fresh, you can choose to peel them or not. Either way would be fine.
If your squash is not too large, you don’t have to peel it. The skins are very tender and add delicious color to your dish. If you let your garden squash grow quite large, then the peels became quite tough and much less palatable, so peeling them would definitely be a must.
You can make a big batch and then just store it in the fridge or freeze in ziploc freezer bags. I made a giant batch and then pressure canned it in jars (which is actually not recommended, but what can I say… I’m a rebel.) You do you!

Better than Plain Roasted Potatoes

   Roasted Potatoes. What's not to love, right? They're the perfect side dish and they go with anything and everything. So lets talk about 'em for a quick sec, want to?
  At the very base, roasted potatoes are just that.... potatoes that are often peeled and diced, seasoned, tossed with a little oil, and roasted in the oven. Fabulous. Can't go wrong. But there are a couple things I like to do to make them a little easier, and definitely better than plain.
 For one thing, I like to use baby potatoes. Red, gold, any color you like. The point is that they're small, they require minimum prep, and the skins are tender so they don't need to be peeled. All you need to do is cut them in half and they're good to go.
Now lets talk about seasoning. You can't go wrong with just your basic salt and pepper. But the thing about this one is that you need more salt and pepper than you think you do. My friends always rave about my potatoes, why? Because I aggressively season them! It really does make the world of difference. You can use other seasonings too.. Old Bay is a personal fave.. or you could even do curry or cumin, depending on which direction you'd like to go. Love it. You could even use herbs to flavor your potatoes. Just be sure to use herbs that can hold up to the roasting. Thyme and rosemary would be fabulous. I'm a HUGE fan of rosemary roasted potatoes with a nice roast beast. Yum.
Next... the other thing that I feel is a MUST with roasting potatoes is the addition of onions. Potatoes and onions are a match made in culinary heaven. Even when I'm out at a diner and ordering a fabulous breakfast, I always ask them to add onions to my home fries. The same applies here. Yes, you could just peel and chop up an onion and toss it with the potatoes or do the favorite Onion Soup Mix potatoes. YUM. But this time, I made it easy and just chopped up some scallions. No onion-peeling necessary, and you still get delicious onion flavor and the bonus of a nice pop of green. Easy!
 The only thing left to talk about is fat. You need some kind of fat to coat them for roasting. Usually, I just go with your basic vegetable oil. It's simple and does the job. Sometimes, if I happen to have some saved bacon fat, I'll use that (which is FABULOUS btw). You could also use olive oil, but that's a little more expensive. The one thing you don't want to use is butter. Why not? Usually you think of butter on potatoes.. perfect, right? Wrong! If you toss your potatoes in melted butter and then roast them, you run the risk of burning the milk solids that are in the butter. I suppose you could use clarified butter to eliminate that risk, but that adds more work. I'll just stick with vegetable oil, thank you very much. If you want buttery flavor, you can always toss the already-roasted potatoes with a little butter just before serving.
 So there we have it. Everything you need to know about roasted potatoes. Make a ton for dinner, and then serve the leftovers at breakfast the next day. SO good. You really can't go wrong!

 Even though I never really think about this as a recipe... this is how I do it..

2-3 lbs baby potatoes, rinsed, dried, halved or quartered
3 or 4 large scallions, sliced
kosher salt and black pepper, or other seasonings, if desired
vegetable oil or rendered bacon fat to coat

Heat oven to 400ºF.
Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Toss until well coated.
Pour all onto a parchment lined baking sheet and spread into one even layer.
Roast in oven for 45 minutes until fork tender. Garnish with fresh chopped scallions.


Tips:
One of the great things about this is that you can cook these potatoes while you have something else in the oven, even though it may be at a different temperature. If you're roasting a chicken or a roast beast, you could place the potatoes in the same pan, and then baste them with the juices, or just roast them as directed on a lower rack in the oven. The lower temperature will just mean that the potatoes might take a little longer.
When you arrange them on your baking sheet, be sure to spread them out into one even layer. It really helps everything too cook evenly and aids in roasting instead of steaming. Also, arrange them so they're cut side down for best results. Also, I like to turn them about half way through the cooking. I just use a flat edged spatula to flip them over, like you're turning over a pancake. Helps to brown everything evenly, and also makes sure the potatoes aren't stuck to the pan!

Joey's Favorite Broccoli and Cheese Mac

 

 Ok ok, I know I have MANY recipes for mac and cheese, but seriously, can one have too many?? I think not! So this is another variation. It’s literally as simple as it sounds: Regular mac and cheese with broccoli added to it. Simple, right? But it’s definitely proof that sometimes the simplest things are the best.  
 Now, before you cheese purists out there go all Judgey McJudgerson on me about using Velveeta “processed cheese product”, all I have to say is don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it! I’m not saying I don’t love cheddar or Swiss or any other variety of gooey cheese… but I just love how Velveeta melts, and it’s ALWAYS a big hit. Not only that, I just love how it tastes. I don’t even care if it’s not REAL American cheese. I still wind up cutting off little chunks for tasting whenever I use it. (It’s great in an omelette btw, and it makes fabulous queso!)
 This recipe is basically a riff on my sister Jeanie's recipe, and it's my go to for all things mac and cheese. It's a great side dish for, say, a ham dinner, and it also goes great with your Sunday roast. You can also just leave it as a stand alone dinner. This is definitely a great one to keep in your arsenal of recipes!


2 crowns fresh broccoli, cut into florets
1 lb cavatappi noodles or other favorite cut pasta
4 tbs butter
4 tbs flour
4 cups milk
2 tbs prepared mustard
1 lb Velveeta cheese, cubed


Heat oven to 350ºF.
Spray a large casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large pot of salted boiling water, add broccoli florets. Stir them around for a minute or two, and then scoop them out, using a slotted spoon. Place them in the casserole dish. Set aside.
Add the pasta to the same boiling pot of water. Stir them around so they don’t stick together. Let it boil until about 2 minutes before they’re done.
Meanwhile, in another sauce pot, over medium heat, add the butter until melted. Add the flour and whisk to form a paste. Let it cook for about a minute, then add the milk, mustard, and cubes of velveeta. Stir over medium heat until the cheese is melted, and the sauce has thickened.
Drain the pasta, then add to the broccoli. Now pour the cheese sauce over the broccoli and pasta. Stir to coat well and evenly distribute the broccoli throughout the dish. Place casserole in oven, and bake for about 30 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for a good 10 minutes before serving.

Tips:
Make sure you include the mustard. It makes the sauce taste cheesier!
Don’t like broccoli? Try another veggie instead! How about asparagus? or how about carrots and cauliflower? Seriously any veggie will work.
For an added touch, sprinkle some shredded cheddar over the top before you bake.
For an EXTRA added touch, add some panko bread crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese to a little melted butter. Then sprinkle the buttered bread crumbs over the top for the last 10 minutes of baking. Perfectly golden crust!

Joey's Creamed Spinach and Potato Casserole

 

 I was recently trying to think of something interesting to do with a basic creamed spinach recipe. Yes, of course, I love it just as it is, with its delicious cream sauce, and the onions and garlic, but I wondered what else might go in with it. In my family, 2 little boxes of frozen chopped spinach wouldn’t go very far, so I was thinking of what else I could add to it, to stretch the dish and make it go a little further.
 Then I thought of my Dad. It was always a running joke that whenever any of us brought friends home for dinner, my Dad would tell my Mom “I guess you’d better throw another potato into the pot!”  I thought “Ah! potatoes! of course!”
So that’s what I did. Just some par-boiled potatoes, added to your basic creamed spinach, baked into a casserole, and now you’re ready to feed an army. It’s quite economical too, because it doesn’t cost all that much and fills a lot of bellies.
 Then I thought, ooo this would make the perfect addition to a Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner, just as an alternative to the usual mash. Why not? It’s always  nice to have a variety!
 Even if it’s not Thanksgiving, keep this recipe in your back pocket and serve it up with some baked chicken or a roast beast. Super delish!



3 lbs red potatoes, peeled and sliced to bite sized pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
4 tbs butter
2 (10oz) boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbs flour
2 cups milk
1 cup cream or half and half
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of nutmeg
1-2 cups mozzarella cheese

Place potatoes in a large pot with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. You want to simmer them until they’re almost cooked through, but not quite. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large sauce pot, sauce the onion with the butter. Add the spinach and garlic and continue to saute. Let any excess moisture evaporate, then sprinkle the flour over all. Give it a good stir until there flour coats everything for a good minute or two.Add the milk, cream, grated cheese, salt and pepper, and nutmeg. Stir all together until it thickens. Add your potatoes to the pot, and stir to combine well.
Pour into a 13x9 casserole dish. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake in a 350 oven for about 30-40 minutes or until bubbly.


Tips:
Instead of peeling and slicing the potatoes, you can just use baby potatoes and cut them in half. The skins are tender enough that you don’t need to peel them!
To remove the most moisture from your thawed spinach, place a clean tea towel flat on the counter. Plop your drained spinach onto the towel in one mound in the center. Gather all four corners of the towel together, making a little bundle of spinach. Now twist the bundle until it squeezes out all of the excess water. You’ll be amazed at just how much more water can be extracted!
If your sauce pot is not big enough to accommodate adding the potatoes to it, just toss everything in a large mixing bowl before transferring it to the casserole dish.
When adding the nutmeg, you only want just a tiny pinch. It’s a classic addition to any cream sauce, but you don’t want it to come out tasting like egg nog. Just a tiny pinch is enough!

 

 

Creamy Grape Salad

  When I first saw this recipe, it reminded me of your good old fashioned Southern type of recipe. Lots of sweet juicy grapes in a sweet creamy dressing.. it sort of has that "down home country" thing goin' on. I'm not even sure whose recipe it is because I've seen this exact recipe on many sites. But here's the thing.. whenever I see the SAME recipe posted over and over on different websites, that usually means it's a great recipe that everyone makes the same way. I mean, I suppose everyone tweaks the amount of sugar, and that's fine, but still, it's the same recipe. That's good enough for me!

  So exactly what is a grape salad? Is it a side dish? Is it a dessert? Well, TBH, it can be anything you want it to be. When I first read it, I pictured it as a sweet cold side dish.. kind of like applesauce with pork chops, or cranberry sauce with turkey. But when I first TASTED it, I immediately got the fruit and yogurt with granola vibe. Perfect for a light summer breakfast or brunch. But then I read a few of the comments and tweaks on different sites... and many people said they like to chop up frozen Snickers or Milky Way bars and sprinkle them over the top. Or do the same with a candy toffee bar. Well, now we've taken it in a whole other direction! That clearly crosses over into dessert territory. So I guess it's up to you how ever you'd like to serve it.

 The point is that it's really tasty and everyone will love it! Personally, I'm not one to add candy bars to my fruit salad, but hey, you do you! For me, the kicker is the addition of the brown sugar and chopped pecans over the top. SO GOOD! The brown sugar makes it just sweet enough, and the pecans add just exactly the right amount of crunchy texture! It's the perfect bright and refreshing thing to bring to a summer family event. It's a great do ahead too, so make it the night before, and then serve it nicely chilled. I promise it'll be a big hit!

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup sour cream

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 lbs seedless red grapes

2 lbs seedless green grapes

3 tbs brown sugar

3 tbs chopped pecans

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla until blended. Add grapes and toss to coat. Transfer to a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Sprinkle with brown sugar and pecans just before serving.

Tips:

ok, so, a few things...

It seems to me that this recipe makes quite a lot. If you don't need FOUR POUNDS of grapes., just cut the whole recipe in half. Then again,  I don't think leftovers would be a terrible thing in this particular case.

Speaking of cutting things in half, I wanted a smaller bite, so I decided to cut all the grapes in half. It's actually a pretty good idea, especially if you have little ones who might try to swallow a whole grape.
If you're not a fan of pecans, try any kind of chopped nuts. You could even do granola instead of nuts, if you're so inclined.

If you'd like to lighten it up a bit, try using plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. It works quite well! (especially if you're doing granola!) Another thing that works quite well is adding or substituting a different kind of fruit. How about pitted fresh cherries? (I've tried it.. they're fabulous) Or fresh blueberries and sliced strawberries? I bet it would also be great to add some diced apples to the grapes. Mmmm... Might need to try that next time!

Summer Panzanella

  Ok this one is as simple as can be and it has summer written all over it. I was looking for something fresh and light, which is always a welcome break from the all-too-convenient heavy deep-fried take out that happens far too often. For me, summer always means tons of fresh tomatoes and basil, and this recipe is the perfect way to use them. The thing that makes it a Panzanella, and not just any old salad is the inclusion of the bread cubes. This was a way of using up stale bread because it soaks up all that delicious dressing as well as the juices from the tomatoes and cucumbers. The result is a fabulously fresh salad that hits all the right notes. And the bread makes it hearty enough to be a meal, all on its own. Full disclosure, this recipe is actually my tweaked version of the original recipe from Delish. What can I say? I wanted to add artichokes, avocado, and fresh mozzarella! Not sorry! Hmmm... I think maybe one of these days I might even add some grilled shrimp to it. Doesn't that sound amazing?

Now THAT says summer to me! LOVE.

1 large baguette or Italian bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

3 tbs red wine vinegar

1 tsp honey

kosher salt

black pepper

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large seedless cucumber, roughly chopped

2 pts cherry tomatoes, halved

1 red onion. chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 avocado, diced

1 jar marinated artichoke hearts

balls of fresh mozzarella

1 bunch basil, torn

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss bread with 1/4 cup olive oil. Add bread to skillet and toast until golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together red wine vinegar, remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and honey. Season with salt and pepper.

To large bowl, add crispy bread, and remaining ingredients. Toss with dressing until evenly coated and season with more salt and pepper. Garnish with basil and serve.

Tips:

TBH, I didn't even measure anything. For each vegetable, I didn't even look at the amounts... just cut up everything and threw it into the bowl. For the bread, I just cut it up, drizzled with olive oil until it was enough, then crisped it in a pan. I had a lot of bread, so I did it in two batches. And as always, if you like a lot of something, add a lot!

This recipe lends itself to any number of variations, not only with the ingredients but also with the amounts, as well. Feeding a big crowd? Use a lot of each ingredient! Only a few of you? Scale it back a bit. There's really no wrong way to do it. Be creative! Not a fan of red onion? Try chopped scallions instead, for a milder onion flavor. Want to use a different kind of vinegar? Go for it! Want to add a protein? DO IT! Or how about adding other veggies? Red or yellow bell peppers? Zucchini? Perfect!

You do you!