Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Light Lemony Chicken

I LOVE this recipe, and I love it even more because it is light and fast. Really though, even when not dieting we eat this a lot, in my opinion it has the perfect lemony flavor. Mwah, so good. Four stars. I got this from the Pillsbury Fast and Healthy Cookbook

Light Lemony Chicken


3C rice

2 or 3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 1/3 C chicken broth

2t soy sauce

2t lemon zest

½ C lemon juice

2T sugar

2T corn starch

dash of pepper

1 lb Asparagus

2 C baby carrots

green onions


Cook rice. Mix chicken broth, soy sauce, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, corn starch and pepper- set aside. Spray skillet with cooking spray add chicken and onions (cut in once inch sections) and cook until chicken is brown. Remove chicken and onions, respray skillet with cooking spray. Cook asparagus and carrots (cut in one inch portions) until crisp tender. Add the chicken and onions back to the skillet. Pour broth mixture in and cook until thickened. Serve over the rice. Yum.



** Blaine and I are really in to sauce I guess so here I have doubled the sauce portion of the recipe, if you are not so much into sauce you could half it again.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Asparagus Veggie Melts

Okay, so Blaine is doing weight watchers again (down five pounds in his first week-- yahoo!), so my recipes may seem a little questionable for the next lil' while, BUT, you are a skinny lot so maybe you guys eat like this all the time. I just don't want you thinking I've gone soft and started eating like a bird or whatever. Truth be told I only eat Lucky Charms, BUT this thing I made tonight I remember from when I was on weight watchers and I thought it was pretty darn good.

It comes from one of the best cook books EVER Pillsbury Fast and Healthy Cookbook. You'll see a lot of recipes from there in my upcoming posts. Everything I have made from the cookbook is excellent and everything takes less than thirty minutes to make and uses food you have actually heard of. Awesomeness.

Okay

Asparagus Veggie Melts

6oz fresh Asparagus Spears (there was no asparagus at the store so I got frozen, lame)
1/4 C water
2 Tbs fat free mayo or salad dressing
1/2 tsp dijon mustard or brown mustard
1/4 tsp dried dill weed
1/2 (16-inch) or 1 (8-inch) loaf french bread, split lengthwise
1 C sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 small red bell pepper, cut into rings (red peppers are $2, green are $.50, I choose green)
2 slices mozzarella cheese

Break or cut off tough ends of asparagus. In microwave safe dish arrange spears with tips in center. Add water and cover with microwave safe plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes until it is crisp tender.

Meanwhile in a small bowl combine mayonnaise, mustard and dill, mix well. S0read mixture evenly over cut side of each half of bread. Top each sandwich with mushrooms, cooked asparagus and pepper rings. Cut cheese into one inch wide strips and arrange over peppers. Place on ungreased broiler pan or cookie sheet. Broil 4-6 inches away from heat for 1-2 minutes until cheese is melted.


Oh yeah, one time I made this for my friend Laurie and she thought it was tasty. So HA.

South of the Border Chicken Stew

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
salt
black pepper
2 TB olive oil
1 1/2C chopped onions
1 C seeded, chopped green bell peppers
1C diced celery
1 TB chopped garlic
2 tsp dried oregano
4C reduced sodium chicken broth
1 1/2C frozen corn (thawed)
1 1/2C canned diced tomatoes, with liquid (who measures canned diced tomatoes but the cup? crazy people. we always measure by the can, and thus we just poured a bunch in...)

3C baby spinach
1/4 tsp hot-pepper sauce
1/2C nonfat plain yogurt


Cut chicken into 1 inch chunks and lightly season with salt/pepper.

Heat 1 TB oil in 4-5 qt pot over med-high heat. Lightly brown chicken (about 5 min). Put chicken in bowl.


Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 TB oil, onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 min. Stir in oregano, broth, and dash of salt. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in corn, tomatoes, and chicken and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occassionally. Stir in spinach and hot pepper sauce.

Serve with plain yogurt (or sour cream) and some chopped green onions on top.



We even used the plain yogurt, which was surprisingly delightful. (and I am one to ignore fat and go for all out sour cream!)

Jenny's Caribbean Tuna and Fruit Kabobs

1/2 C lime juice
1 C orange juice
4 Tbl honey
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne

1 lb. tuna steak, cut into 16 1-inch cubes
1/2 tsp salt
24 1-inch cubes fresh pineapple
2 peeled, pitted mangos, cut into 24 chunks


1. Stir lime juice, orange juice, honey, allspice, thyme, and cayenne together in a small bowl. Marinate the fish in 1 C of the lime juice mixture in the fridge for 1 hour. Reserve remaining marinade.

2. Preheat broiler

3. Remove tuna from marinade and sprinkle with salt. Thread fruit and tuna onto skewers. (Fills approx 8 skewers)

4. Place kebobs on baking sheet coated with cooking spray and brush with reserved marinade. Broil 3 mins. Turn kebobs, brush with reserve marinade, and broil 3-4 more minutes, or until tuna is cooked (flaky and not translucent)


Serve with rice.


Obviously you could also grill these and they would be just as yummy. And that is what they are- yummy! This would also be good with chicken, so in the future we will also make a couple chicken kebobs for our younger and pickier child.

mixed bean and portobello ragout

I know, gag right? But really? It's pretty good. Not like I would want it every night (especially not right now), but if you've eaten yucky fast food for three weeks this is a good meal to cleanse and make you feel all earthy and healthy again. Seriously, pretty good for being so darn good for you.


1- 10 oz package frozen baby lima beans
1 C fresh green beans cut into 1-inch pieces (let's be honest, frozen or canned work too, just doesn't taste as good)
1 1/2 C sliced and halved fresh portobello mushrooms or button mushrooms (we used canned one time, obviously it works but definitely not as good)
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs Cold water
2 tsp Corn starch
1 14oz can cajun or italian style stewed tomatoes, undrained (never have these so I usually use 1 can diced tomatoes and add several dashes of cajun seasoning, which you should get if you don't already have, it's yum)
1 Can garbanzo beans rinsed and drained

Cook lima beans and green beans in lightly salted water according to lima bean package directions; drain

Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook mushrooms in hot oil over medium heat for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine water and cornstarch (try not to get distracted playing with this magical mixture); stir into mushrooms. Stir in undrained tomatoes and garbanzo beans. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir two minutes more. Stir in cooked lima and green beans. Cook through.

Go eat ice cream, you deserve it with how healthy this meal was!

I served with cornbread!

Lake Ralphie Dip

I have two similar recipes for chip dips that are both very good, so I took the best of both worlds and made a mega good dip. I'll give the two individual recipes, then my conglomeration.

Lake Powell Dip (from Winder Family Cookbook)

1 Can black olives (chopped)
1 small can diced green chiles
4 green onions (chopped all)
2 tomatoes
1-1/2 T oil
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp garlic salt

mix together and serve with tortilla chips


Ralphie's Famous Salsa (From Ralphie's house)
1 bunch green onions chopped
1 bunch cilantro chopped
1 can of corn drained
1 can black eyed peas drained and rinsed
1 large tomato chopped
2 avacados chopped
1 packet italian seasoning
1/4 C oil
14 C water


Lake Ralphie Dip
4 Green onions chopped
1 can black olives
1 can black eyed peas
1 can corn
2 avacados
3 tomatoes (or more, can't go wrong here)
some garlic salt
splash of white vinegar
bunch of chopped cilantro
1/4 C oil
1/4 C water
splash of lemon juice
salt

Can't go wrong. Run with it.

Favorite Snickerdoodles

Somehow these snickerdoodles manage to be both chewy and crispy, which I think is the perfect combination for dipping in milk! (Recipe comes from Kitchen Keepsakes & More Kitchen Keepsakes by Bonnie Welch and Deanna White).

Ingredients:
1 c shortening (I use butter-flavored Crisco)
1 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 c flour, sifted
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Cream together shortening, sugar, and eggs. Sift together and stir in flour, cream of tartar, soda, and salt. Shape dough into balls the size of walnuts. Roll each in mixture of the sugar and cinnamon. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet (I always put parchment paper on my cookie sheets when I make cookies -- no clean up!). Bake 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees, or until lightly (lightly!!!) browned. Makes 2-3 dozen.

These are Mike's favorite cookies and I usually find myself making these around 11pm while we're watching tv. I don't always have the patience and attention to roll them into balls and in the sugar/cinnamon mixture so I usually delegate that and I recommend doing the same!

4 stars!

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Vaguely Thai-Like Salad

I know that title doesn't sound so fabulous, but the recipe is actually very good. I just couldn't bring myself to actually title it "Thai Salad" like the newpaper clipping it came from did. It's yummy and the dressing is fabulous yet non-oily. I LOVE this for the summer months especially. You'll enjoy it as long as you don't expect authentic Thai fare.

1 lb beef steak (1/2 inch thick) OR 1 lb chicken (I usually use chicken even though beef would make it a smidgen more authentic)

Dressing:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 Tbsp lemon juice (or you know, more if you're me)
3 Tbsp brown sugar (I usually use less than this but M avoids sugar and I like things tart)
2 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed (depending on how strong you like your garlic flavor - I press)
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (this comes out fairly spicy, especially the first serving where all the chili flakes are floating on top - feel free to vary the type of chili and the quantity to taste)

These are the other suggested components of the salad. The recipe states quantities and I never pay attention to them, so I refuse to post them as I can't vouch for them:
lettuce
shredded carrot
thinly sliced green onions
cooked thin spaghetti, or better yet, I use cappellini
fresh cilantro

Cut up your meat and cook it (I usually just George my chicken). Let the meat cool. Same deal with the noodles. Mix all the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well (that brown sugar has a pesky habit of sticking to the bottom). Assemble your salad and enjoy!

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Corn Chowder

I got this recipe from someone in our BYU student ward. I'd give it three stars. Very easy!

4 cups water
2 cubes chicken bouillon
2 potatoes
3-4 slices cooked bacon
1 can corn (undrained)
1 cup grated cheese
1/2 pint cream
1 Tbsp cornstarch

Peel and chop potatoes. Boil in water and bouillon until tender. Add corn and crumbled bacon. In separate small bowl, stir cornstarch into cream, then add to soup. Cook and stir over medium heat until soup begins to thicken. Add cheese and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Skillet Ziti with Chicken and Broccoli

This recipe originally came from America's Test Kitchen, but I got the recipe from Definitely RA.
I'd give this 3+ stars and it's entered our dinner rotation.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts sliced into 1-inch pieces
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp dried oregano
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces ziti (2 1/2 cups) (or penne or whatever other pasta you rustle up)
2 1/2 cups lo-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 bunch broccoli (1 1/2 lbs), stems discarded and florets fut into 1 inch pieces (this seemed like a lot to me, but it might be because I was trying to convert from frozen florets)
1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, rinsed and sliced 1/4 inch thick (I was cheap and tried roasting my own red pepper on the grill - it worked great! I think I liked it better)
1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (or, you know me, maybe more...)

1. Pat the chicken dry, then season with salt and pepper. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in 12 inch skillet (or, in my experience, bigger if you've got it) over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until it is lightly browned but not fully cooked, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a bowl.

2. Add 1 more Tbsp butter, the onion, red pepper flakes, oregano, and 1/2 tsp of salt to the skillet. Cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds.

3. Sprinkle the UNCOOKED ziti evenly into the skillet. Pour the broth and cream over the ziti. Cover and bring to a boil, about 5 minutes.

4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the broccoli and roasted peppers. Cover and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta begins to soften and the broccoli turns bright green, about 8 minutes.

5. Stir in the chicken and any accumulated juice. Cover and continue to simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.

6. Stir in the remaining 1 Tbsp. of butter, the Parmesan, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Salmon Mix

Another keeper from Ralphie

Salmon Mix

2 Tbs. melted butter

2 tsp. lemon juice

2 tsp. soy sauce

2 tsp. dried Chives

2 tsp. dried Parsley

¼ tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. onion powder

couple dashes of pepper

Cut small slits in the salmon. Spread the mix over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min or until done. Can also be wrapped in tinfoil and grilled.


Friday, July 18, 2008

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Ball

Very yummy treat, great for game night!
I got this recipe from Ralphie, who got it from Janssen, who I am pretty sure got it from Kayla.

Wonderfully Amazing Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Ball
8 oz cream cheese (soft)
1/3 c. butter (soft)
-blend
add 3/4 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp brown sugar
-mix
add 3.4 cup mini chocolate chips or chopped up regular sized
-mix
-cool for 2 hours
Eat. Eat. Eat. The End.

-Serve with stuff like pretzels and graham crackers that you can dip in the cheese ball thing. Mostly just pretzels, very yum. Also, I didn't let it cool for two hours and hence it was more blob than ball, still tastes good though

My apologies for my lack of contributions, I am on a cooking hiatus for the next nine months, but baby when I get back in that saddle it is going to be awesome.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Crockpot Lasagna

1/2 lb hamburger
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
9 lasagna uncooked noodles broken up
1 1/2 cups of cottage cheese
1 beaten egg
italian seasoning to taste
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Spray non-stick cooking spray in crockpot.
2. Brown hamburger and onion then drain fat in large pan. Mix in spaghetti sauce and water. (Water is for extra liquid to be absorbed by uncooked noodles.)
3. In small mixing bowl, mix 1 beaten egg, cottage cheese, and seasoning. (Sometimes I like to hide veggies in this layer too, like chopped spinach.)
4. Layer in crockpot from bottom up -1/3 sauce, single layer of noodles, 1/2 cottage cheese mixture, 1/3 mozzarella, 1/3 sauce, noodles, 1/2 cottage cheese, 1/3 mozzarella, noodles, sauce
5. Cover and cook on low for 3-5 hours. (My crockpot is a Rival from 2004. It seems to heat very hot and this meal was done in three hours.) When it's done, there should be a little less liquid (it should be hot and bubbling) and the noodles should be tender. It will thicken more as it cools.
6. Turn heat down to warm and cover with remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover. Once the cheese has melted, serve and enjoy!

Serves like a casserole rather than traditional lasagna, but tastes the same. Great for days you don't want to turn on the oven.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Rosemary Chicken Skewers with Berry Sauce

Picture from Simply Recipes

I made this tonight and it was phenomenal. I served it with artichokes and PW's potatoes along with some homemade blackberry lime ice cream for dessert..perfect.

Recipe here.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Texas Sheet Cake

I know a lot of you probably already have this recipe, but oh well. I got this recipe from the illustrious Ralphie. I am now not allowed to come to my neighbors' bible study group unless I show up with this cake. I wish I was joking. Between this and her pancakes, I have to keep a steady supply of buttermilk in my fridge.

Texas Sheet Cake:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter
4 Tbs cocoa
1 cup water
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

Mix flour, sugar, and soda. In a sauce pan melt butter, cocoa, and water. Bring to a rapid boil and pour over dry ingredients. Beat with mixer. Add rest of ingredients and mix well again. Put in greased and floured 12x18 pan (this is a cookie sheet with a lip or a jelly roll pan). Bake at 375 F for 13-15 minutes. Cool before adding frosting.

Texas Sheet Cake Frosting (It's a must!)
1/2 cup softened butter
4 Tbsp cocoa
6 Tbsp buttermilk
1 lb powdered sugar (this is about 3 3/4 cups)
nuts (optional)

Beat together with mixer until frosting is lighter in color and fluffy. Spread onto cooled cake.

This makes a whole lotta cake but it can be halved. A half recipe turns out nicely in a 9x13 pan.

Ralphie swears by this cake cold. Like "next day sat-all-night-in-the-fridge kind of cold." I however have found I prefer it warm (a few seconds in the microwave to the rescue!). In other words, it's delicious no matter how you eat it!

Grilled Mediterranean Chicken Vegetable Kabobs

I got this recipe from Emily Page. I actually never use all the (expensive) suggested ingredients (read: I don't splurge on asparagus, orzo, and feta). I usually use whatever we have around (onion, tomatoes, bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, etc.). I'm sure it would be even tastier if you actually followed the whole recipe, crumbled feta cheese and all. But even with just chicken in this marinade and whatever veggies you have around over rice, I might give this 4 stars.

Rosemary-Lemon Marinade:
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsps fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Chicken and Vegetables:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
1 lb asparagus spears
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

In shallow glass or plastic bowl or resealable food-storage plastic bag, mix all marinade ingredients. Add chicken, stirring to coat with marinade. Cover dish or seal bag. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, at least 30 min but no longer than 6 hours.

Preheat grill. Remove chicken from marinade and reserve marinade. Thread chicken and all veggies except asparagus on skewers. Brush vegetables with marinade.

Grill kabobs covered over medium heat 10 to 15 minutes, turning and brushing frequently with marinade. (Or you could be lazy like me and just pour all the marinade over the kabobs just before you grill them and call it good... it still turns out good.) Cook until chicken is no longer pink. Add asparagus to grill for the last 5 minutes of grilling, turning occasionally, until crisp-tender. Discard any remaining marinade.

Sprinkle feta cheese over kabobs. Serve kabobs with asparagus. The recipe also suggests tossing rosamarina (orzo) pasta with chopped fresh herbs (thyme, oregano, or marjoram) for a delicious side dish.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Grilled Pizza

This is quite possibly the easiest pizza dough ever. You don't need a mixer. You don't need a pizza stone. And if you grill it, you don't even need an oven. And the end result is some of the best homemade pizza I've had.

This recipe yields one smallish (10 inch?) thin crust pizza.

1 1/2 cups flour (can replace up to half of this with whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water (you may need to add another tablespoon or 2)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Also: toppings, sauce, cheese (I recommend using a nice mix of different cheeses. We did mozzarella and parmesan and I think our pizzas could have benefited from a little romano and asiago thrown in the mix as well), etc.

Stir dry ingredients, including yeast, in a large bowl. Add water and olive oil, stirring mixture into as close to a ball as you can (in my case: not like a ball at all), dump all clumps and floury bits onto a lightly floured surface and knead everything into a homogeneous ball (if you are finding this difficult just leave the dough on your floured surface, covered by the upside bowl, for 2-5 minutes. It should be easier to knead after).

Knead just for a minute or two. Lightly oil the bowl with a spritz of cooking spray, dump the dough in, turning to coat, cover with plastic wrap and leave undisturbed for an hour or two until it has doubled in size.

Dump onto a floured surface and gently press the air out of the dough with the palm of your hands. Fold the piece into an approximate ball shape and let it sit under the plastic wrap for 20 more minutes.

Preheat the grill on HIGH. Roll out dough, brush oil on one side and sprinkle with cornmeal. Turn the grill down to MEDIUM and flip the dough on to the grill (oiled side down) directly over the heat. While it is cooking coat the other side of the dough with oil and cornmeal and then flip it over (give it a minute or 2 to cook...it should have grill lines and maybe a little charring by the time you flip it). Turn the grill off (or, if you have other burners off to the side, turn off the one directly under the pizza and leave the other ones on to keep the internal temperature up). Quickly add sauce, toppings, cheese, etc. and close the grill lid. Cook 5-8 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly around the edges, toppings are cooked, etc.

Enjoy!

Recipe and cooking method pulled from posts and comments over at Smitten Kitchen

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Caramel Chocholate Bars ie Best Treat EVER

From: www.sotastytoo.blogspot.com
FIVE STARS

48 caramels
½ cup evaporated milk
2 cups chocolate chips
1 ½ cup flour > 1/3 t. salt
1 1/8 cup brown sugar
1 ½ cup quick oats
2/3 t. soda
1 cup butter softened
  • Melt caramels and milk in a glass dish in microwave.
  • Stir every few minutes until smooth.
  • Mix the dry ingredients and butter until crumbly.
  • Press 2/3 crumb mixture into a greased 9X13 pan, and set aside the rest of crust.
  • Bake crust at 350 for 5 min.
  • Take out of oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips while crust is hot. Pour caramel over top. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture on top. Bake again for 15 minutes, top with barely start to brown.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Chicken & Noodle Casserole

One of my besties in the ward brought this over right after I had my son. It's nothing fancy, but it hits the spot and works well for a weeknight dinner. Plus, it's super easy.

1 can Cream of whatever soup (we like mushroom, but pretty much anything works)
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
1/2 cup milk
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
2 cups medium egg noodles, cooked and drained
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Stir soup, milk, black pepper, parmesan cheese, vegetables, chicken and noodles in 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until hot. Stir.

Top with cheddar cheese and serve

Couscous and Black Bean Salad

I have just been too busy unpacking and getting my internet connected to actually post what I have been cooking (frozen lasagna, anyone?). Now we are finally back into the swing of things, and lest ye think that I never cook, I think I should finally contribute. Here is a salad my little sister sent to me that I made last week to go with some steaks Jim grilled up.

We give it 3 stars (Jim said he would have preferred less couscous and more of the "other stuff")!!! I thought it was super yummy!

Couscous and Black Bean Salad

1C uncooked couscous
1 1/4C chicken broth
3T olive oil
2T fresh lime juice
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp ground cumin
8 green onions, chopped (I didn't have any, so I threw in 1/4 red onion, diced)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4C fresh cilantro
1C frozen corn kernals, thawed
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed (I did 1 can black beans and 1 can kidney beans)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Bring chicken broth to a boil in a 2qt or larger sauce pan and stir in the couscous. Cover the pot and remove from heat. Let stand 5 min.

In large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, and cumin. Add green onions, red pepper, corn and beans and toss to coat.

Fluff the couscous well, breaking up any large chunks. Add to the bowl with the vegetables and mix well. Season with salt/pepper as desired.

Serve immediately or refridgerate.


Oh, FYI- we served this freshly made the first time and then for leftovers we never heated it up. It was just as good cold as when first prepared.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Homemade Fettucini Alfredo

I made this for dinner tonight and it was really good and super easy. The alfredo sauce is probably the easiest I've ever attempted but one of the best tasting.

For the pasta:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

Mix flour and salt in medium bowl. Make a well in center of flour mixture and add eggs, water and oil to well. Mix thoroughly, adding more water or flour as needed to read a dough-y consistency.

Gather dough into a ball. Knead on lightly floured surface 5 to 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 15 minutes.

Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Roll one quarter at a time into a rectangle about 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick. Loosely fold rectangle into thirds and cut crosswise to desired noodle thickness. Unfold noodles and arrange on paper towel for 30 minutes or until dry.

Boil uncovered 2 to 5 minutes until firm but tender.


For the alfredo sauce:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup heave whipping cream
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper

Heat butter and whipping cream in 10 inch skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until butter is melted and mixture starts to bubble. Reduce heat to low, simmer 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat, stir in cheese, salt and pepper. Pour over noodles.