ARUGULA SALAD W/ SHAVED FENNEL

Arugula is awesome!  If you have never tried arugula you have to go out to the store grab some and make this salad!  It is spicy and crisp and just the  best greens around.  I found this recipe on a blog that I follow (www.prouditaliancook.blogspot.com).  She always posts fresh, easy and true italian recipes.  This was the first salad I served family style at my parents 40th anniversary party.  It is super simple with just a few ingredients: arugula, shaved fennel, toasted walnuts, shaved parmesan all tossed with a simple balsamic vinegrette.  Although the recipe is super simple...the flavors are tremendous!

CREAMY ITALIAN PASTA SALAD

When I think of summertime food I instantly think of my mom's Creamy Italian Pasta Salad.  Her famous line, "Who wants some hotdogs and pasta salad?", was said a million times while I was growing up.  Everyone...and I mean everyone loves this pasta salad, including kids.  The combination of cheese, salami, grape tomatoes and pasta all mixed in with a mayo based tangy italian dressing is a sure fire way to get in good with your family and friends! I just made this for about 25 people for  an 8th grade graduation party.  It was such a compliment, because the 8th grader actually looked at my menu and chose what she wanted.  She chose the Creamy Italian Pasta Salad among many other things.  I believe it was a hit!   Not only is it really tasty, but it is so simple to make you could do it in your sleep!  Make this pasta salad at your next bbq and you will be the hostess with the mostess!

MEDITERRANEAN COUSCOUS SALAD

I don't know about you guys but when it comes summer time I get addicted to any kind of salads that I can get my hands on.  I just love using all the fresh vegies and fruit from all the farmer's markets and also using the fresh herbs that we  grow in our own garden.  Taking all the fresh ingredients and making wonderful and flavorful salads is a knack that I got from my mom.  Growing up she always put together summer meals that consisted of fresh herbs and vegies.  This week I was visiting my mom and she had a leftover couscous salad that she made for her and my dad the night before.  I had to have seconds it was so good.  I decided to re-create this salad for my husband and I.  I adapted it a bit and added some feta cheese, but all in all it basically was her "brain child".  I served my Mediterranean Couscous Salad with some Lemon Oregano Grilled Chicken and fresh green beans.  Again, this meal was a runner up for a perfect summer meal!

ANTIPASTA PASTA SALAD

Last summer my family and I were going to Indiana to visit my husbands brother and his family.  When I asked what I could bring they said they would love it if I brought an "antipasta salad".  I was not sure if that meant an antipasta appetizer of marinated vegetables or if it meant a pasta salad.  So I decided to make a pasta salad that had marinated vegetables, salami & cheese in it.  I called it my Antipasta Pasta Salad.  It turned out to be a hit.  This past week-end we visited our family in Indiana again.  I decided to make this salad since it was such a hit the first time.  The flavors and ingredients of this salad work extremely well together.  You can serve this salad along side burgers, chicken, pork or steak.

GRILLED SKIRT STEAK W/ GRILLED TUSCAN BREAD SALAD

I believe I have created  " The Perfect Summer Meal"!  This is very exciting to me.  The key to this dinner is to use very fresh ingredients.  It is a simple grilled steak served with a tuscan salad atop a slice of grilled rustic italian bread. My tuscan salad consists of a spring green mix,, fresh grape tomatoes, artichoke hearts, northern beans, kalamata olives, fresh chopped basil and mozerella cheese. It is super simple to make, but the flavors of this dish are outstanding!  I season and layer each component to this salad so that every layer comes together with the best flavors imaginable.  Whether you are making a summer meal for your family or for guests this dish is sure to please!

GREEK PASTA SALAD

My neighbor and friend, Amanda, made this awesome greek pasta salad a couple week-ends ago. She sent me home with a big tupper-ware filled with some leftovers.  It was so good!  I ate it all in one day!  Every time I would go in the fridge for just one bite it would turn into two bites and then three bites...ok you get the picture...I really, really liked it!  I liked it so much that I decided to make my own version of this salad this past friday night.  It was the easiest pasta salad to make.  Just some pasta, tomatoes, cucummbers, black olives, feta cheese and some greek seasonings and you have got a great summer salad.  I served my
Greek Pasta Salad with some balsamic grilled pork chops and called it a meal!

"HERBED" THEME TEA PARTY MENU

I made it!  I officially made it through my first ever cooking "gig" without even breaking a sweat (well I think I did a little bit the last 10 minutes), but other than that all went extremely well.  My husband kept asking me if I was nervous and I just kept saying " Well, no I am not nervous at all...but I feel like I should be".  All went smooth and the good turned out fabulous!  I got to spend my day doing things I love...making food and watching people enjoy it.  I want to than Vignette's for giving me this oppurtunity!  I am including all my tea party menus and recipes for all to enjoy.

MENU:

-Tarragon & Thyme Chicken Salad
-Assortment of rolls with Honey-Chive Whipped Butter
-Grilled Asparagus Salad
-Minted Strawberry & Cantelope Salad with a Limoncello Syrup
-Lemon Verbena & Blueberry Teacake with Fresh Whipped Cream
-Mini Cherry Babycakes

OLD FASHIONED MACCARONI SALAD

Usually someone who likes to cook has a certain way of cooking.  For instance I usally cook a bit more gourmet, but I would not say that I cook "fru, fru" gourmet.  I would say I love to make interesting dishes with fresh ingredients which tend to be very italian and mediterranean.  Every now and then I do however like to venture into the "good ol' home cookin' " realm.  I don't go as far as a Paula Dean...she is a great cook, but she does use a lot of butter and oil and grease in her cooking.  So I would not say I go as "good ol' " as Paula Dean, but at times I can get pretty up there on the comfort food level.  Summer cook outs is usually when I bring out the oldies, but goodies recipes such as potato salad, summer tomato salad, baked beans, brats, burgers, hotdogs and a really good maccaroni or pasta salad.  I have a million different pasta salads up my sleeves.  Most of them contain fresh vegies that are either left raw or yummily (is that a word?)...yummily grilled and added to the pasta with a lemon or vinegar based dressing.  Last  year however, I came up with a maccaroni salad that was out of this world!  I made sure I jotted down the recipe so I could make it again this year.  This past Memorial Day I made this salad.  Let me tell you it was a hit!  My Old Fashioned Maccaroni Salad goes perfect with any summer cook out and BBQ!

MOTHER'S DAY - Part 3

Ok...so I made a lot of food for Mother's Day and now I cannot find the time to post all my recipes.  Bare with me because I know I will not have enough time to post them all in Mother's Day - Part 3 and there will be a Part 4 coming your way.  In this post I am going to try and focus on the remainder of my salads:  Eggplant Caponata & Orecchiette with Fresh Mozarella, Grape Tomatoes, and Garlic Chives.  Coming up in Part 4 I will post my recipe for Red Potatoes Roasted with Garlic & Dijon Mustard along with my Flatbeads: Tomato & Basil and Artichoke & Green Olive.  If I have enough time I will also post my desserts:  Lemon Layer Cake w/ Raspberry Curd & Whipped Cream and Cherry Baby Cakes, which by the way were to die for!

MOTHER'S DAY - Part 2

We hosted a Mother's Day party this past week-end and I came up with a menu where I could make everything before my guests arrived.  There is nothing worse than a host or hostess that works and works and works and does not take at least a few minutes to enjoy her guests.  So that being said.....here is the menu with recipes following for our special Mother's Day Party:

Speciality Cocktail: 
    - Viognier Fruit Spritzer (see Mother's Day - Part 1 post for recipe)

Dinner:
   -  Grilled Lemon & Oregano Chicken (see Mother's Day - part 1 post for recipe)
   -  Honey & Orange Marinated Pork Tenderloin Kabobs
   -  Orange Salad with Basil & Feta
   -  Fresh Bean & Bell Pepper Salad
   -  Orecchitte w/ Fresh Mozerella, Tomatoes & Garlic Chives
   -  Red Potatoes Roasted with Garlic & Dijon Mustard
   -  Eggplant Capanata
   -  Flatbeads:  Tomato & Basil  and Artichoke & Green Olive

Dessert:
   -  Lemon Layer Cake w/ Raspberry Curd & Whipped Cream
   -  Cherry Baby Cakes
   -  Store bought Brownie Bites

THE FIRST OFFICIAL COOK-OUT OF THE SEASON

Is anybody else as excited as I am about cooking out?  Finally the weather is getting warm enough where we have all started to think about grilled food and eating outdoors.  We had a busy day spreading about 15 yards of mulch around our plant beds this past saturday.  We enlisted the help of my 7 year old nephew (I know, I know child labor laws..).  He was really a good worker!  After they finished I invited my brother and sister n'law and thier kids over to our house for the first official cook-out of the season.  Here is what was on my menu:  Grilled Balsamic & Rosemary Porkchops, Italian Bread Salad, Fresh Green Bean Salad with Shallots, Bacon & Blue Cheese.  We washed it all down with some ice cold beers and the official summer cocktail: Spiked Lemonade!  Since there is always room for dessert I made a quick Open Faced Strawberry Shortcake.  This meal was quick and easy to make. I actually came up with it based on what I had in my pantry, fridge and freezer.  Sometimes spur of the moment dinner parties turn out to be some of the best!

WHOLE WHEAT PASTA SALAD WITH OLIVES AND ARTICHOKES

I officially stepped out of "the box" and have crossed over to loving whole wheat pasta.  I especially love it now when I make my pasta salads.  Whole wheat pasta cooks up perfectly al'dente for a nice fresh pasta salad.  Load the salads with some nice fresh vegies and you have got yourself a healthy and colorful side dish!  In my Whole Wheat Pasta Salad with Olives and Artichokes, I mixed in some black olives, canned artichoke hearts and tossed it all with a lemony olive oil and dijon mustard vinegarette.  You can serve this pasta salad along side any meat, poultry or fish.  Serve it along side some grilled turkey burgers and you have got yourself a healthy BBQ!

Marinated Grilled Flank Steak with Rosemary Mashed Sweet Potatoes & Spinach Salad

The flu had overtaken our home since last Thursday. So for about one week most of us only had the taste for noodles and chicken broth.  I thought tonight was a good night to finally make a home-cooked dinner for us, but I wanted something light.  Marinated Grilled Flank Steak was first I mine mind.  I decided to marinate it in some olive oil, worcestshire sauce, balsamic vinegar and some garlic.  I marinate it for a few hours and then pop it on the indoor cast iron grill....it turned out awesome!  I also mashed up some yummy sweet potatoes and seasoned them with a bit of rosemary for a different flavor.  For a little something green I put together a super simple baby spinach salad with blue cheese and dried cranberries.  This salad goes perfect with any kind of steak.  The flavors of all three of these recipes go so well together they seem made for eachother. 

The Best Chopped Italian Salad!

I don't know about you guys...but my very favorite salad is a Chopped Italian salad.  I am very picky when it comes to this salad.  It must have pieces of white meat chicken, it must have some sort of small pasta, another must is a bit of bacon to add a smokey flavor.  Through the years I have been trying to perfect this salad...and I must say I believe I have accomplished this task!  My Best Chopped Italian Salad is a meal in itself....you need nothing else...it has its protein, it has its carbs, it has its vegies and some olive oil for a good fat!  Please try this salad....it is awesome!!

Monday Night Book Club

 A few neighborhood ladies and I started a monthly book club. This is just a reason for us to read some great books and get together once a month for some gabbing, drinking and nibbling!  It is my turn to host the meeting, therefore; I am in charge of making a few tasty treats and a signature cocktail.  I decided on a Blueberry & Lemon Teacake and  Fresh Fruit Salad with Mint to munch on.  Also, since our book (Sarah's Key) takes place in Paris, I thought I would keep with the French theme and make a French Martini.

Mediterranean Tuna & Potato Salad

For all of us Catholics out there...this past Wednesday was Ash Wednesday.  This is the start of Lent for us, which means it is time to dig out all of our "non-meat" recipes.  Catholics are also supposed to fast or eat very little on Ash Wednesday.  I decided to make a light salad that combined romaine lettuce, tuna fish, boiled new potatoes, artichoke hearts and other great ingredients all combined with a dijon mustard and lemon vinegarette.  This is a great salad!  It is so light and tasty and the ingredients all come together nicely. Even if you are not Catholic this is must try salad that will be different than all the rest!

A Family Valentine's Day Dinner

We are having some family come over for dinner on Valentine's Day.  The perfect way for me to show them that I love them is to cook for them.  One other way for me to show them I love them is to actually spend time with them and enjoy their company instead of  cooking and cleaning the kitchen the whole day and night.  So I decided to make a dinner where I could make most of it before hand to make it    bit easier on me.  I made an awesome Tomato Basil Sauce today which I can keep in the fridge until Sunday.That will be served over some store bought ravioli.   The morning before they come I am going to make a  huge roating pan filled with Sausage, Peppers and Potatoes that I will roast in the oven while they are here.  Also, the morning before they come I am going to make an Italian Layered Salad with  a home-made Balsamic Vinegarette.  For a special Valentine's Day "touch" I made a home-made loaf of Italian Bread that is formed in the shape of a heart!  For dessert I am  making an awesome White Chocolate  & Lemon Mousse Trifle!  You don't want to miss this special Valentine's Day menu!

Superbowl - 2010

We did not have a wild and crazy superbowl sunday here at our house.  My husband is a huge...no wait huge is an understatement...my husband is crazy Steelers fan!  So since the Steelers were not in the Superbowl we decided to have a laid back day and night and invited my parents over for some snacks and dinner.  I am wondering who made Superbowl Sunday the designated day of junk food?  I don't know who did that...but we follow that rule!  Junk food Sunday....that is what they should call it!  We had dips, chips, cheese and two kinds of wings.  My daughters tasted the most bad for you food...food they had never had before in their two short years.  "More cheese balls mommy, more cheese balls mommy!", the said with dyed orange fingers and mouths!  Ugh...did I create monsters?  Anyway I have included some of the items I had on our appetizer menu and dinner menu for you.

Taco Salad

My taco salad might possible one of the very first recipes that I made up on my own without using a recipe.  I remember making this for my friends in college.  It was something fast, easy, healthy and cheap!  Even the guys in my dorm would come over when I made this salad.  In college I added small noodles to the salad to make it even heartier.  Even though I have eliminated the noodles from my "grown up" recipe this salad is still very hearty.  My husband likes to heat up some tortillas and eat those on the side as well.  There are so many different things that you can add to this salad to make you own as well.  My recipe has a great mix of black beans, corn, black olives, tomatoes, onions, etc.... that really bring out the mexican flavors.  I also add some chopped cilantro to my salad which really adds a little "south of the border" flavor as well.  You can use any kind of ground meat, but I usually use ground turkey or chicken...less fat and a bit lighter which we like. Try out my recipe for a fun, fast family meal....I promise you ....you will make it again and again!

It's Greek To Me

So....we celebrated the Lost Premiere this past Tuesday night!  For those of you who watch it, I know you shared in my excitement!  Once again our mind is swamped with unanswered questions, but it was well worth it because it gave us a chance to sit down together (yes, in front of the t.v.) and have a quiet meal together.  Our moto around this house is to make an ordinary day a special day and try to do this through cooking of course.  So in honor of the big premiere we were Greek for a night.  I know, I know that show takes place in Hawaii, but it felt like a Greek night to me.   I  set up a little "Pita Bar" in our family room.  It was kinda like a taco bar, but instead of filling up our tacos with Mexican ingredients we filled up our pitas with Greek flavors.  I got the idea from my August 09 - Bon Appetit.  They had what was called a Greek Meze Platter.  They described it as " ....a fun assortment of flavorful nibbles...".  I decided to use their idea, but come up with some of my own recipes. Here is what was on the menu:  Oregano & Lemon Shrimp (with feta), Cucumber Salad, Marinated Kalamata Olives, Artichoke Hearts, Wedges of Lemons, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Chopped Tomatoes and fresh pita wedges.  You can either eat all the fixin's on their own or you can pile them up all together in your pita.   We cozied up on the couch for the three hour premiere, watched our show and made some pitas! It was pretty fun...and something different.