Zucchini Tomato Casserole

I got this recipe from a friend.  It is extremely vague, so use your own judgement about how much you want of each thing!

This was a great side dish for Homemade Rotisserie Chicken.

Zucchini Tomato Casserole

Layer the following:

sliced zucchini
sliced tomatoes, peeled (I used quartered cherry tomatoes, not peeled)
sliced onion
grated cheese (I used extra sharp cheddar)
salt & pepper

Top with croutons (I used garlic cheese -- you can put them in the layers too, if you want -- but the layers inside the casserole will get soft)

Bake, covered, for one hour at 350 degrees.  Remove cover, top with more cheese, and bake uncovered until cheese melts.

Wild Rice Salad with Cashews

I served the rice salad with a BLT (and C!) with a tomato from the garden!

This recipe is a delicious side dish, but you could easily make it into a main dish by adding some chicken or shrimp.

I couldn't find wild rice, so I made it with brown rice.  One thing to note:  you have to chill it for two hours before eating it -- I didn't notice that and had to save it for the next day!

This recipe comes from the July 29, 2012 issue of Parade magazine.  It is author Patricia Cornwell's contribution to the "Sunday Dinner" column.  She serves it with hamburgers and hot dogs.

Wild Rice Salad with Cashews

1 cup uncooked wild rice
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups chopped red or green bell pepper
3/4 cups cashews, coarsely chopped
2 green onions, sliced

Dressing:
3 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp Asian sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
Dash of freshly ground pepper

1.  In a strainer, rince wild rice under cool running water. Drain well.

2.  In a 3 quart saucepan, bring rice and broth to a boil over high heat.

3.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 45 to 50 minutes or until rice is tender.  Drain excess liquid and set rice aside.

4.  In a medium skillet, heat 3 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add peppers and cook for 3-5 minutes or until tender.

5.  Add cashews and green onions.  Cook for 2-3 minutes or until nuts begin to brown.  Remove from heat.  In a large bowl, stir wild rice with bell pepper mixture.

6.  For dressing, combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.  Shake well.  (I just whisked it in a bowl)  Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Cucumber and Blueberry Salad with Feta

I saw this last year on the Wegmans website and have been meaning to make it since last summer.  I finally got around to picking up all the ingredients tonight and put it together.  I enjoyed it although it's not a salad I would eat every day; it's more of a special occasion kind of dish.



3 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced thinly (half moon shape) (about 4 cups)
1 pint (2 cups) blueberries, rinsed and picked over
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup Wegmans White Balsamic Vinaigrette (Produce Dept)
3 Tbsp thinly sliced Food You Feel Good About Fresh Mint Leaves
1 cup (about 1/4 lb) Wegmans Traditional Crumbled Feta Cheese (Cheese Shop)

Directions:
    Combine cucumbers and blueberries in large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

    Add white balsamic vinaigrette, mint, and feta. Toss gently to combine.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

I've had a recipe for strawberry spinach salad kicking around for ages from a friend of the family.  When I brought home yet another quart of strawberries, it seemed like it was time to dig it out.  Unfortunately when I looked at it, I realized the friend had typed it up much too quickly and it called for nearly 2 tablespoons of paprika, so I turned to allrecipes.  It turned out excellent!  Forgive the picture though, I took it after we'd eaten and that was the leftovers.  Still tastes good, just doesn't look as pretty after the dressing's sat on the spinach for awhile.  And I used a 1/2 cup of almonds, since I didn't want a half package of them leftover and we both love nuts.

Ingredients

    2 tablespoons sesame seeds
    1 tablespoon poppy seeds
    1/2 cup white sugar
    1/2 cup olive oil
    1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
    1/4 teaspoon paprika
    1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
    1 tablespoon minced onion
    10 ounces fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
    1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced
    1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

Directions

    In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Cover, and chill for one hour.
    In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Fiesta Corn Chip Salad

OK, this sounded a little odd, but I took a chance on it.  And oh. my. GOD.  It is GOOD!  It makes a lot, so cut it down a little if you're not having a cookout!  We ate it for three days.  (And yet, I never got a picture of it!)

To keep the chips from getting soggy, I kept them separate and just added them to the amount we were planning to eat right away, rather than add them all at once since I knew we wouldn't eat it all in one sitting.

This recipe comes from Taste of Home Simple & Delicious, June/July 2012.

Fiesta Corn Chip Salad

2 cans whole kernel corn, drained (15.25 oz each)
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese (8 oz)
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1/8 tsp salt (I skipped it, didn't miss it)
1/8 tsp pepper
1 9.25 oz chili cheese flavored corn chips, crushed but still in big pieces

Mix all ingredients except corn chips in a large bowl.  Chill.  Stir in chips just before serving.

Praline Sweet Potatoes

Located at 4 o'clock in the picture, the Praline Sweet Potatoes is a recipe I've been meaning to try for ages (I printed the recipe out in 2001!!!)  Very sweet and decadent - not a recipe for your everyday sweet potatoes, but for a special meal, definitely a treat.  The recipe calls for four cups of mashed sweet potatoes, so I guessed at four potatoes.  Well, by the time I finally made it (the ham dinner was delayed a couple of times), two of potatoes no longer looked so appetizing, so I halved the recipe.  I think I ended up with a bit more than two cups though.  But even so, I halved everything else and it still came out absolutely amazing! (edit December 15 2016 to add a new picture taken on Thanksgiving)

Ingredients

• 4 cups mashed sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 pint heavy cream (1 cup)
• 1/4 pound butter (8 Tbsp)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups chopped pecans

Directions

1. Butter one 2 quart casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, sugar, vanilla extract, eggs and cream. Blend well, and spread evenly in casserole dish.
3. Prepare the topping by combining the butter, brown sugar, flour and pecans. Mix until crumbly, and sprinkle over sweet potato mixture.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven.
   

Scalloped Corn

This recipe is from my mother's copy of Better Homes and Gardens. I'm sure they still publish it, but I've adjusted the milk measurement, since the original said to use either whole kernel or cream style corn and I use a combination. I think that gives the best result, enough whole kernels and enough creaminess.

1 regular can whole kernel corn
1 regular can cream style corn
10 oz milk
2 cups saltine cracker crumbs, plus more for top (about 1 sleeve)
dried minced onion to taste
4 Tbs butter

Combine corns, milk, cracker crumbs, and onion. Pour into greased 2 qt casserole, sprinkle additional cracker crumbs, dot with butter. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. 12 servings (officially -- it never seems to go that far around here!)

Broiled Parmesean Tomatoes

This is an excellent side dish, but would also make a wonderful vegetarian main dish.  If you made it with cherry tomatoes, they would make great appetizers too!

This recipe comes from the June/July 2011 issue of Simple & Delicious.

Broiled Parmesean Tomatoes

2 medium tomatoes, halved
2 Tbsp, plus 1/4 cup butter, divided
4 green onions, chopped
3 Tbsp dry bread crumbs
1 Tbsp grated Parmesean
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese (I used sharp cheddar)

Place tomatoes, cut side up, in an ungreased 15x10x1 baking pan.  Dot with 2 Tbsp butter (split it over the 4 halves).  Broil 4 inches from the heat for 4-6 minutes or until butter is melted.

Meanwhile, in a small microwave safe bowl, combine the remaining butter and onions.  Microwave, uncovered (I used a paper towel anyway -- otherwise it will make a huge mess!!), on high 2-3 minutes or until onions are tender.  Stir in bread crumbs, Parmesean, salt and garlic powder.  Spoon over tomatoes.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Broil 1-2 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Colorful Couscous Salad

I originally found this bright refreshing salad recipe on allrecipes.com and made a few changes. Except for the time to chop the vegetables, it is easy to prepare. I make it ahead of time and let it set in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. The amounts and kinds of vegetable can vary according to how you feel and what is available. Enjoy!

Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup uncooked couscous

1 1/4 cups water or broth

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons ground cumin

Cayenne pepper to taste

Chili powder to taste

4 green onions, chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped (or a combination of different color peppers)

½ English cucumber, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

½ cup carrots, chopped

Several cherry tomatoes, quartered

¾ cup frozen corn kernels

1 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring water or broth to a boil in a 2-quart or larger saucepan and stir in the couscous. Cover the pot and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, cumin, cayenne pepper and chili powder. Add vegetables and toss to coat.

3. Fluff the couscous well, breaking up any chunks. Add to the bowl with the vegetables and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and

Broccoli with Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce

This is a super easy side dish you can throw together in minutes.  If you don't over microwave frozen broccoli, it tastes just as good as fresh!

Broccoli with Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce

2-3 cups broccoli florets, steamed if fresh or microwaved 2 minutes if frozen

1 Tbsp butter, melted
1/8 tsp minced garlic (I buy the kind in a small glass jar that you refrigerate)

6-7 drops of lemon juice or to taste

Mix butter, garlic and lemon together and pour over broccoli just before serving.  And that's IT!  Adjust the proportions of the sauce to make it buttery, garlicky or lemony.  This sauce is also excellent over green beans (I ALWAYS use fresh green beans steamed rather than frozen, however!).

Awesome and Easy Creamy Corn Casserole

This is another from allrecipes.com.
It's a great recipe for people that love corn. Also, I recommend serving it with something light as the entree. Tonight I paired it with a simple cube steak grilled on the grill / panini press.




Ingredients

* 1/2 cup butter, melted
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1 (8.5 ounce) package dry corn bread mix
* 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
* 1 (14.75 ounce) can creamed corn
* 1 cup sour cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and lightly grease a 9x9 inch baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, combine butter, eggs, corn bread mix, whole and creamed corn and sour cream. Spoon mixture into prepared dish.
3. Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden brown.

Rosemary Potato "Chops"

I love the taste of rosemary and potatoes.  I created this recipe as a cross between a potato chip and potato wedges.  I call it a potato "chop."  You could make it a "chip" if you cut them thinner!

Rosemary Potato "Chops"

3 medium sized potatoes (I use red unpeeled or Yukon gold peeled)

generous pinch of salt

pepper to taste

1/4 tsp rosemary

1 Tbsp olive oil

1.  Cut up potatoes into 1/8 inch slices.  If the potato is large, cut it in half first and make "half moon" shaped slices.

2.  Place potatoes in a large zip-lock bag.  Add oil and spices.  Shake to coat completely, being sure to separate any slices that stick together.

3.  Spread potatoes in a single layer on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes.  Flip potatoes over and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.  Cooking time will be less if you cut the potatoes very thin.

Green Bean Casserole

Never Enough Green Bean Casserole
from Allrecipes.com

We had ham steaks with pineapple as the entree tonight, and the green bean casserole as the side. The ham was grilled on the combination grill / panini press, as was the pineapple for a few seconds.



Ingredients:

1 (10 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

3 ounces processed cheese (i.e. Velveeta®), cubed

1 tablespoon real bacon bits

1 (4 ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained

2 (15 ounce) cans cut green beans, drained

1 (2.8 ounce) can French-fried onions

Directions:

1.	Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2.	Heat the undiluted cream of mushroom soup in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the processed cheese and bacon, and continue stirring until completely melted. Remove from the heat, stir in the mushrooms, then the green beans until evenly coated. Pour the mixture into a casserole dish, and top with the fried onions, leaving a 1 inch margin around the sides.
3.	Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until heated through and bubbly. Check near the end of cooking to make sure the onions aren't getting too brown.

Sage and Potato Cheddar Gratin (Scalloped Potatoes)

This recipe was published in our local newspaper a few years ago and was cited "recipe from McCormick."  It is THE BEST scalloped potato recipe I have ever tried!!

Be sure to cut the potatoes really thin.  Nothing is worse than undercooked scalloped potatoes.

I usually make half the recipe, and I use reduced sodium chicken broth and less salt.  I made it as written the first time and it was a bit too rich.

Sage and Potato Cheddar Gratin

2 tsp rubbed sage or dried sage leaves
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken broth

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix sage, salt and pepper in small bowl.  Layer 1/3 of the potatoes and 1/2 of the onion in lightly greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish.  Sprinkle with 1 tsp of the sage mixture and 1/3 of the cheese.  Repeat layers.  End with sage mixture and cheese.

2.  Stir broth and cream in medium bowl with wire whisk until well blended.  Pour evenly over potatoes.  Bake uncovered 1 hour or until potatoes are tender and top is golden.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Chicken with Tomatoes and Mushrooms & Sweet Peas

Chicken with Tomatoes and Mushrooms
Sweet Peas
crusty bread with butter

My notes: the chicken breasts I found at the store were rather large. Next time I'd butterfly them or just cut them in half crosswise. The sweet peas turned out tasty enough, but not very green after a 4+ hours in the crock pot. I would try the shorter, higher temperature another time. Plus, if the chicken didn't take longer, as it did because of the size, maybe they would've been greener. Probably any crockpot would work for the peas.

Chicken with Tomatoes and Mushrooms
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chicken-with-tomatoes-and-mushrooms

Ingredients
Serves 4.

* 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 1 1/2 pounds
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 pound mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 can (14.5 ounces) stewed tomatoes
* 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large (5-quart) saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, heat oil over medium-high heat; swirl to coat bottom of pan. Cook chicken, turning when it easily releases from the pan, until golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add mushrooms; cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, and oregano. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, until tomatoes have broken down, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pan; cover, and cook until chicken is opaque throughout, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn chicken to coat with sauce, and serve.



Sweet-Peas
from Hamilton Beach Party Crock

1 package (16 oz) frozen green peas
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

1. Place all ingredients in cast iron dish.
2. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours or MEDIUM for 4 hours.
6-8 servings