Baked Parmesan Rounds

Easy, unique, and delicious; if you love Parmesan cheese. Dress up a salad and get rave reviews!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

What to do:

Combine all the ingredients.

Line a 9x13-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly grease.

Pan will hold 6 heaping tablespoons per baking sheet. Pat the mounds to a 3-inch round each.

Bake in a 400-degree oven for 3-5 minutes until set and crispy.

Rest in pan for 2 minutes. Peel off parchment paper onto paper towel lined plate.

Once completely cooled store in the refrigerator.

Pecan Pie

I have not made this pie for awhile. Pecan pie is a fairly decedant dessert, but if you are going to eat sugar, calories and saturated fat; I cannot think of a better way to splurge! The carmelized top, the gooey middle and homemade pie crust... Yum! The recipe is out of the Joy of Cooking.

Ingredients:

• 1 10" pie crust (blog: 1/4/2014 label:pie)
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup light Karo corn syrup
• 1 cup pecan halves
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or rum

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450-degrees and bake the crust partially, about 5-7 minutes. Allow to cool.

Reduce the oven to 375-degrees.

In a standing mixer bowl, combine and beat thoroughly the eggs, salt, sugar, butter and corn syrup. Stir in the pecans and vanilla or rum. I seem to have just a little batter leftover; did not want to overflow..,

Pour into the prepared pie crust and bake for 40-50 minutes; until a knife inserted comes out clean.

Cool completely before serving.

Handsome Grandsons ~ 2016

Zachary James 6 years old!

Eli Matthew 7 years old!

Spagetti Squash with Spinach & Bacon

Comfort food at its best! I combined a few recipes on Pinterest to create this dish; which could be either a side dish or stand on it's own entree. Despite our warm, Colorado fall days, I am craving creamy, comfort food...

Ingredients:

• 1 spagetti squash
• grapeseed oil, for lightly greasing parchment paper
• salt to taste
• 6 nitrate-free bacon, cooked until crispy and torn into pieces (save the bacon grease)
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 5 ounces fresh spinach, cut into strips
• 6 ounces plain greek yogurt
• 6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup mozarella, shredded

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375-degrees.

Wash and dry the spagetti squash. Pierce whole squash in several places and microwave on high 5-6 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. Much easier to cut! Cut crosswise into 4 equally thick rounds.

 Lay on the prepared parchment paper lined baking sheet. Sprinkle tops with salt.

Bake 1 hour, turning over the slices halfway through.

When squash is tender and cooled slightly, run a fork around the inside of the rounds to shred into noodles. Place in a large bowl.

I cook the bacon in a toaster oven at 425-degrees for 15 minutes for less mess.  Save the bacon grease.

Place the bacon grease in a large skillet and saute the shallot. Once the shallot is tender add the spinach and cook till just wilted. Add this to the spagetti squash noodles along with the cooked bacon pieces.

In a small bowl, combine yogurt, Parmesan and mozarella cheese. Add the the squash mixture and combine well. 

I made the dish ahead of time and will heat up at 350-degree oven about 20 minutes. Thinking of adding some gluten-free cracker crumbs to the top for added crunch.

Beautiful Granddaughters ~ 2016

Ava turns 4

Ally turns 3

Creamy Ricotta Zucchini Noodles

This ricotta sauce is spectacular! You would never know this is not a cream sauce made with flour... The dish stands on its own or with not; the options are endless. I added some spice to the original recipe.

Ingredients:

• 6 zucchini, washed, dried and spiralized
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs of choice ( I used rosemary and thyme)
• salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for the Ricotta Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup ricotta cheese (I used full fat Organic Valley brand)
• 1/2 cup milk
• red pepper flakes to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh Parmesan (if desired)

Directions:

Heat one tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat in a nonstick skillet.

Add spiralized zucchini; season with herbs, salt and pepper and cook until tender, stirring frequently. About 7 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Return skillet to stove and heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.

Add garlic and cook 1 minute or until fragrant.

Stir in ricotta cheese and milk; season with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Continue to stir until cheese is completely melted and everything is well combined.

Bring to a steady simmer and cook 3 minutes or until thickened.

Remove from heat and stir in prepared zucchini. Adjust seasonings. May add some fresh Parmesan if desired.

Carrot, Cucumber and Rice Noodles with Lime-Ginger Dressing

Having just gone from a 4300 sq. ft. home to a 2400 sq. ft. duplex; one would assume we would not be buying anymore kitchen gagets... Introduce the new spiralizer, thanks to my sister, Simone, and brother-in-law, Mark. New obsession: Pinterest searching for spiralizer recipes. Bought mine on Amazon, Veggetti Pro Table Top Spiralizer, $24, delivered to your door. Bobby Flay created this cold noodle salad. He says it makes 2-4 servings, but really 6-8! Would pair well with just about any main protein. Grilled chicken thighs (lightly pat both sides with olive oil, salt and pepper). Grill at 400-degrees till cooked through. Chop and serve atop the salad. This is the bomb (as my friend Karen would say!) May consider adding some heat with red pepper flakes or fresh jalapeno... Be sure to set salad out at room temperature before serving or heat in the microwave to get the chill out. Best to make a day ahead to allow flavors to meld.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• finely grated zest of 2 limes
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from 4 large limes)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons tamari
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped, divided
• 1/2 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts,  roughly chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and spiralized
• 1 English cucumber, halved, seeded, spiralized and patted dry on paper towels
• salt to taste
• 8 ounces brown rice noodles cooked according to directions on package, drained and rinsed in cold water (I cut-up a bit with kitchen scissors)

Directions for Dressing:

In a small bowl, combine the ginger, garlic, lime zest and juice, vinegar, honey, tamari and 1/4 cup cilantro. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours (the longer it sits, the better it tastes).

Directions for serving:
Combine all the prepared ingredients, including dressing, in a large bowl and toss with tongs.

Pork with Peach Salsa

This recipe came from the Boulder Daily Camera recipe section. Fabulous way to use fresh peaches and jalapenos. Make extra salsa; spectacular over plain greek yogurt! Cannot go wrong with pork tenderloin; it is well worth the extra price.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound pork tenderloin
• olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried cumin
• 3 ripe peaches
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 small jalapenos
• salt and pepper

Directions:

Remove the silver skin from the tenderloin. Rub with olive oil. Combine oregano and cumin and rub on all sides of the pork. Cover and refrigerate 1-3 hours. Take out of refrigerater 20-30 minutes before grilling.

To make the salsa:

Wash peaches, remove the stones and cut into 1/4-inch pieces.

Mix lime juice, honey cilantro and jalapenos. 

Toss with the peaches. Salt and pepper to taste.

Grill the pork over direct medium heat (400-degrees), 10 minutes per side or until internal temperature is 145-degrees.

Gas Grill Potatoes

Does this not look tasty? Recipe credit is my friend, Cherie Fassbinder. Little did we know, we lived in the same town, LaCrosse, Wisconsin, when we were in elementary school. Our paths crossed many moons ago again in Colorado. Thank you, Cherie for this timeless recipe!
This is one of those recipes you can change up to what you are feeling that day. Yukon gold, red or just plain white baking potatoes, fresh rosemary, no rosemary, thyme, red onion, shallots, white onion, and butter, herb butter, or olive oil. You get the just...

Ingredients:

• 4 large potatoes
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 small onion
• fresh rosemary
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Peel and slice potatoes and the onion.

Chop the rosemary.

Grease 2 large sheets of heavy duty foil.

Divide the sliced potatoes and slice onions evenly between the two pieces of foil. Sprinkle the chopped rosemary on top evenly. Salt and pepper each.

Dot with butter and fold up the foil to create a tight package by first folding over the top and then the sides of the foil.

Place on a 400-degree grill (close the grill top), for about 30 minutes, flipping every 10 minutes.

Be careful when unfolding the foil, very hot... as the steam escapes.

Creme Brulee

I have not posted much in the last couple of months; that is what a major move will do to you! Now we are all settled in the new duplex in Boulder. Love living in Boulder; so very bike friendly and independent restaurant plentiful, this girl is in her element... This dessert recipe is from the Colorado Collage, a much loved cookbook from the Denver Junior League. We have a butane torch, so the sugar caramelization is a cinch and you get to play with fire! Elegant, easy and yummy all rolled into one. Fresh sliced strawberries add the finishing touch.  Serves 6 lucky guests.

Ingredients:

• 5 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300-degrees. Do not use the convection setting, just plain ole' bake. 

In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar.

In a heavy saucepan, heat cream until simmering over low heat. Temper the yolk mixture by adding a little of the hot cream from the sauce pan, stirring well. About 1/4 cup.

Add the tempered yolk mixture to the hot cream, whisking constantly. Add the vanilla, whisk to blend and set off of the heat.

Ladle the cream into 3/4-cup custard dishes. Place in a 9x13-inch baking pan and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the cup.

Carefully place the pan in the preheated oven and bake until the center is set, about 55 minutes. Remove from the water (I use rubber gloves) and cool completely on racks.

Cover and chill overnight. 

To serve: sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon sugar over the top of each chilled mixture. Either use a torch or place under a preheated broiler, watching carefully, until sugar melts and browns slightly.

Thai Baked Salmon

I have not added new recipes for quite sometime...  Reason being: our house is under contract and we are moving to Boulder! Well, rent in Boulder; as the inventory is tight. Hopefully, we will find our "down-sized" dream condo, duplex someday.
This recipe is from ifoodreal.com The Thai sweet chili sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated for a month or so. Love those homemade condiments that you can just whip out of the frig and your ready to go!
As mentioned before we buy frozen salmon fillets from Vital Choice. The salmon fillets are broiled in this recipe and as promised; fantastic...

Ingredients:

• 2 salmon fillets, deboned and skin off
• Thai Sweet Chili Sauce 

Ingredients for Thai Sweet Chili:

• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

Directions for Thai Sweet Chili:

Dissolve the cornstarch in the water. In a small saucepan, whisk all the ingredients until combined. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes or until thickened. Transfer to a glass jar and use with meats, seafood, vegetables and for dipping.

Refrigerate for up to a few months.

Directions for Salmon:
Wash and pat dry the salmon fillets. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and top with 1 tablespoon each Thai Sweet Chili Sauce. Rub with your fingers to coat fish with sauce evenly on top, bottom and sides. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight is the best. Up to 24 hours.

Turn on the oven broiler on high and position top oven rack 5" or so below the heat source. Place the salmon fillets on a foil-lined baking sheet. Coat with remaining marinade from the dish.

Broil for 8 minutes, rotating baking sheet once. Remove from the oven and brush top of each fillet with 2 teaspoons of Thai Sweet Chili Sauce. Return to the oven and broil for another 5 minutes or until salmon has caramelized.

Sweet Mustard Dressing

This dressing was from Well Fed cookbook which Jesse, my kid,  shared the digital version. I have to laugh because I did not follow the recipe at all! Instead of 1/4 cup homemade olive oil mayonnaise, I used olive oil. Instead of the dry mustard, I used two kinds of refrigerated mustard and instead of applesauce I substituted honey. So I guess you could say this is really my original recipe! It is yum!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (I use Newman's Own Organic)
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 2 teaspoons raw honey
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon regular mustard (taste may want to add more)
• 1 teaspoon merfs curry honey mustard (purchased at Savory because they sent me a $10 coupon)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine honey and mustards and beat till smooth. Add vinegar stirring well. In a slow steady stream incorporate the olive oil till emulsifies. Add garlic, salt and pepper.

Refrigerate the unused portion. Makes enough for 4 portions.

Paleo Margaritas

Thank you to our friend's Terry and Larry Longseth for turning us on to this amazing, easy, delicious margarita! And thank you Danielle from her blog AgainstAllGrain.com for the recipe. I know what we will be drinking on the patio this summer! One ounce = 2 tablespoons  8 limes = 1 cup lime juice

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces blanco tequila (100% agave)
• 1 ounce fresh squeeze lime juice (one lime equals about 2 drinks)
• 1 ounce honey syrup

Honey Syrup:

Equal parts raw clover honey dissolved in hot (not boiling water). You can make 8-16 ounces and store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to one month.

Directions:

Combine all 3 ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour over fresh ice. Garnish with slice of fresh lime. Salute!

Zucchini and Onion

I have been trying to add more vegetables into our lives. Rob is fairly limited on those that he likes; zucchini being one of his least favorite. This recipe I put together after searching for a new zucchini recipe. Squeezing the moisture out of the shredded zucchini in a towel, seemed to make a difference in the texture of the zucchini not being so mushy and the red onion added some crunch.

Ingredients:

• 4 small green zucchini, shredded
• 1/2 large red onion, chopped
• ghee
• pesto, homemade or not
• feta cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash and remove ends from the zucchini. Grate the zucchini with the large holes of a hand grater.

Place the shredded zucchini in a cotton towel and wring out the moisture several times.

In a large skillet heat 1 teaspoon ghee or unsalted butter. Add the red onion and saute till softened. Add the zucchini and cook until just tender. Remove from the heat.

Add pesto sauce, feta, salt and pepper to taste.

Great side dish with just about anything! 

The dish certainly can be tailored to your tastes: fresh garlic, parmesan cheese, mushrooms etc.

Teriyaki Thighs

This recipe is from kiwiandbean.com from Pinterest. I renamed the dish from One Skillet Sweet 'n Salty Chicken Thighs. I added a rub to the thighs and instead of searing in a skillet; I grilled (or rather Rob grilled!) the thighs for 3-4 minutes on each side to sear in the juices. From there I did follow the original directions. Or of course you can pan fry in a little olive oil...Thighs really retain their moisture and this dish is a keeper!

Ingredients for Dry Rub:

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 2 teaspoons smoky paprika
• 6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Directions for Dry Rub and Grilling:

Combine the Dry Rub ingredients.

Brush both sides of the thighs lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle the rub generously on both sides of the chicken thighs.

Preheat your grill to 400-degrees.

Grill the chicken thighs for 3-4 minutes on each sides.

Remove and place in a large skillet.

Ingredients for Teriyaki Sauce:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tamari
• 1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions for finishing the thighs:

Combine the Teriyaki Sauce ingredients and pour over the thighs that have been seared on the grill. Bring to a boil.

Turn down the heat slightly and let the mixture lightly boil to reduce. Flip the thighs every minute or so; to ensure they are completely coated in the glaze.

Remove from the heat when the thighs are cooked through and the sauce becomes thick and syrupy.

Note to self: 

If freezing serving here is an excellent accompaniment.

Stir Fry with Rice Noodles (blog: 8-20-2020 label: rice)

Spinach and Cheese Egg Bake

This is so easy and so good! I changed up the original recipe from kalynskitchen.com to suit what I had in the refrigerator. The recipe called for 1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions, which I did not have on hand. So I substituted two slices of cooked bacon, crumbled on top. She also used mozzarella cheese and I used cheddar goat cheese. I love recipes that you can tailor to your own or not... This is good both warm or cold and I am sure would have Freezer Queen stamp of approval. If you do freeze; I would unthaw completely in the refrigerator and to heat up; do so in the oven, not the microwave.

Ingredients:

• 5 ounces fresh spinach, cut-up
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1- 1 1/2 cups cheese of choice, shredded
• 2 slices nitrate-free bacon, cook till crisp and crumbled
• 4 eggs, beaten
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Grease a small baking pan. Mine was 10x7-inch.

Heat the oil in large skillet over medium-high heat and add the spinach all at once and stir until just wilted, about 1 minute.

Transfer the spinach to the baking pan, spreading evenly over the bottom. Layer cheese and bacon on top.

Pour the eggs over the spinach/cheese combination and salt and pepper to taste.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until mixture is completely set and starting to lightly brown. 

Allow to cool 5 minutes before cutting.

If you do reheat; do so in the oven, rather than the microwave.

Roasted Rosemary Cashews

Ok, you had better hide these from me. They are so good and so worth the time! The original recipe called for skin-on whole raw almonds, but I had a bag of raw cashew pieces and I thought, why not!
I used a non-stick skillet and raised the heat just a tad from the original recipe found on nomnompaleo.com

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw cashews
• 1-2 tablespoons dried cracked rosemary (found a Savory)
• 1-2 teaspoons coarse salt (I use Celtic)
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter or ghee (I use Organic Valley Ghee)

Directions:

Melt the ghee in a non-stick skillet over medium-heat. When ghee starts to bubble, add the cashews and stir to coat.

Add the rosemary, salt and pepper.

Toast in the skillet, stirring often, until golden brown. You may have to adjust your cooktop to a lower heat to prevent burning.

Remove cashews and place on paper towel until cooled to room temperature.

Store in a sealed container and hide in a safe place!

Thinking of trying with slivered almonds. Could be yummy!

Asparagus Soup

Vitamin Cottage had frozen asparagus on sale, Organic Cascadian Farms. You may also make this with fresh asparagus, just will require a little more prep. I tweaked the recipe from Emeril Lagasse to suit my tastes and the use of the frozen asparagus. Asparagus is rich in B6, calcium, magnesium and zinc. Plus it is delicious.
Ingredients:

• 3-9 ounce packages frozen asparagus, defrosted over night in the refrigerator
• 1 cup shallots, chopped
• 2 cups leeks, white parts, chopped
• 3 tablespoons garlic, chopped
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 cups chicken broth
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 ounces herb and garlic Chevre, crumbled and dissolved in 1/2 cup boiling water (or cream!)

Directions:

In a stockpot over medium-high heat, melt the butter. When foamy add the shallots and leeks and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minutes. Add the asparagus, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and simmer until asparagus is very tender, about 20 minutes. Cool about 10 minutes.

With a hand-immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Adjust the seasonings and incorporated the dissolved goat cheese.

Grilled Romaine

If you are going to be firing up the grill, try this salad. I have had grilled romaine in several restaurants, Fresh Craft in Denver, comes to mind; but have never attempted to make at home. Super quick and easy. Give it a try and I promise you will be hooked! I tweaked the original recipe, so the sky is the limit with what dressing and cheese you use!
Ingredients:

• 1 head romaine lettuce
• extra virgin olive oil
• Champagne Vinaigrette (blog: 12/20/2015 label: salad)
• Goat Cheese Feta, crumbled

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.

Rinse and pat dry the lettuce.

Cut the head in half lengthwise. Brush surface with olive oil.

Grill about 4 minutes total, turning occasionally.

Place each wedge on a plate and drizzle with Champagne Vinaigrette or your favorite Caesar dressing. Sprinkle with feta cheese or your favorite cheese.

Simone's Cheesecake

This is the only Cheesecake Recipe you need... The recipe will make two-10-inch cheesecakes. The cheesecake slices best with a knife run through hot water after each cut. The cheesecake slices best once cooled and at room temperature; not chilled. To serve: slather the slices with heated strawberry jam and set out at room temperature for about 1/2 hour.
Freezer Queen stamp of approval.  Lay out the slices on a baking sheet lined with saran wrap. Freeze the slices first uncovered, then wrap the individual frozen slices in saran wrap. Unthaw in the refrigerator.

Ingredients for Crust:

• 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (2 packages in 14.4 oz box) 
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

Direction for Crust:

Use a food processor to grind the graham crackers into crumbs. Combine with sugar and melted butter. Divide into 2 equal portions and pat into bottom and sides of the glass pie pans.

Ingredients for Filling:

• 24 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cup sugar (12 ounces)
• 4 teaspoon vanilla
• 2-4 teaspoons fresh lime or lemon juice (to taste)

Directions for Filling:

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

With a standing mixer whip the cream cheese. Add the eggs, sugar, vanilla and lime or lemon juice. Beat until fluffy. Fill the two graham cracker crusts evenly.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until center is set. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Add the Topping ingredients evenly on top of the two baked cheesecakes. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes.

Ingredients for Topping:

• 2 cups sour cream
• 7 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions for Topping:

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

Allow the cheesecakes to cool to room temperature and once cooled, store in refrigerator or freeze.