Lime & Cilantro Israeli Couscous with Shrimp

You can get this one-pot meal on the table in about 20 minutes, especially if you cheat like I did and use precooked, ready-to-eat shrimp to speed things up.

This was delicious warm for dinner and cold the next day for lunch.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Lime & Cilantro Israeli Couscous with Shrimp

3 cups Israeli couscous, cooked to package directions
1 cup grape tomatoes, diced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice from 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, cooked and chilled

Using a medium pot or saucepan, prepare couscous as directed. Meanwhile, chop the vegetables. Remove couscous from heat.

Add tomatoes, onions, cilantro and lime juice to the saucepan. Gently mix together and season with salt and pepper. Add shrimp and mix again.

Serve on butter lettuce leaves or simply eat as is.

Baked Tomatoes and Chickpeas with Feta

Fast and friendly weeknight meals are on my radar these days. What I love about this dish is that it uses up a good amount of tomatoes. Our garden is being very generous in that department right now.

Don't have fresh tomatoes? You could easily substitute canned.

Add a chunk of crusty bread and you've got a tasty vegetarian dinner with enough leftovers for lunch.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Baked Tomatoes and Chickpeas with Feta
Inspired by this recipe from the Kitchn

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 pounds of tomatoes, any variety, diced
3 minced garlic gloves
2 teaspoons dried oregano (or use 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano)
3 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces crumbled Feta cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat the oil in a large, oven-safe
skillet. Add tomatoes and cook,
stirring, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

Stir in chickpeas, oregano salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Cover and place in oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until chickpeas have softened and sauce is thickened a bit. Remove cover and top with Feta cheese.

Let bake 5 minutes more, or until cheese melts. Ladle into bowls and serve with bread for dipping.

BLT Pasta Salad

Hey gang, I'm finally able to write a post because:

• We had no baseball games last night!
• I actually cooked something for dinner!

Yes, it's been one of those summers. Last week, I grilled a bunch of salmon at 10 am on a Tuesday and made a bowl of Ramen & Boy Choy Salad so that we'd have something to eat after my boys' games.

My husband and I ate the dinner I pre-made. My boys opted for frozen pizza.

This week I made some pasta salad. Genius, I thought. A hearty, cold salad that will be ready when we are! And since my boys eat bacon almost every morning, on a bagel with cream cheese, surely they would like this BLT Pasta Salad, right?

Sam took a big bowl for lunch yesterday, then told me later on that he threw it out and made a sandwich instead. Max hasn't tried it, but Bob and I enjoyed it.

How do you feed your family during these crazy days of summer? Please share!

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

BLT Pasta Salad
Inspired by this recipe from The Kitchen.

1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup mayo
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
16 bacon slices, cooked crispy and diced
1 pound pasta, cooked to package directions (rotini or ziti) and cooled
3 ounces baby spinach leaves
1 pint curry tomatoes, halved
Salt & pepper to taste

In a small bowl, combine first 5 ingredients and combine with a whisk until smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix cooked pasta, bacon, spinach and tomatoes. Pour dressing on top and mix until pasta is coated in dressing.

Serve right away or refrigerate for 1 hour before serving, to let flavors combine.

Greek Vegetable Bean Soup

The ingredients here are pretty traditional for a veggie bean soup, but the addition of lemon and olive oil to the broth takes this dish to another level — one the Greeks call Fasolada.

I found the recipe in a Costco member magazine and made 3 big batches all at once, so that I could share it with two other families.

And that's how I ended up tweaking the recipe. Because when I got to making the pot for my house, I ran out of a few things.

The end result is a delicious lunch or dinner. You'll have amazing leftovers or enough to freeze for a second meal.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Greek Vegetable Bean Soup
Inspired by this recipe from Costco

3 cans white beans (like Northern), rinsed and drained
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium-large white onions, diced
4 celery stalks with leaves, diced
4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into half moons
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
24 ounces diced tomatoes, with juice
6 cups water
1 large lemon, cut in half
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
Juice of 1/2 a large lemon
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Crumbled feta cheese for topping

Place a stock pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onions, celery, carrots and garlic. Sauté until onion is translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Add drained beans, tomatoes, water, olive oil, halved lemon and salt and pepper to pot. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 1 hour. Add lemon juice and parsley.

Ladle into bowls and top with feta cheese. Serve with a chunk of crusty bread.

Slow Cooker Red Beans & Rice

Here's a warm dinner (because spring is taking her sweet time arriving) that is easy to prep.

Set it up in your slow cooker before heading out to work or a busy day of running errands and come home to a slightly spicy, delicious meal.

The leftovers taste even better the next day.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Slow Cooker Red Beans & Rice
Inspired by this recipe from the Food Network

1 pound Italian sausage, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
6 cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
4 cups chicken stock (or broth)
1 smoked ham hock
Sliced green onions for serving
4-6 cups cooked rice for serving

Cook sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat until each piece is nicely browned. (Sausage does not need to be cooked through.)

Drain and transfer sausage to bowl of slow cooker. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, beans, spices and brown sugar. Stir to combine. Add chicken stock and mix well. Nestle ham hock into center of crock.

Cook on low for about 7-8 hours. Alternatively, cook on high for 2 hours, then cook on low for another 3-4 hours or until ready to serve.

Serve in bowls with rice. Top with a sprinkle of sliced green onions.

Green Chile Turkey Quesadillas

I roasted a small turkey over the weekend. Winter's still clinging on here in Peoria so why not keep the oven going?

Now we have lots of leftover turkey. (Of course, you can easily sub leftover roasted chicken in this recipe.) I'll likely be making a batch of Cajun Turkey Jambalaya on Friday.

Last night, we had these quesadillas for dinner. I made them ahead and my boys warmed them up to eat while I headed out to a meeting. Nothing was left when I got home, so yay!

The recipe took about an hour from start to finish and made enough of two meals, so I froze 4 of the quesadillas. That's a win in my book.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Green Chile Turkey Quesadilla

2-3 cups chopped cooked turkey (or chicken)
1 10 ounce can green enchilada sauce
1 4 ounce can diced green chilies
8 large (10 inch) flour tortillas
3 to 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper
Cooking spray
For topping: salsa, sour cream, guacamole, sliced green onions

In a medium bowl, combine turkey, enchilada sauce and chilies. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spread pan with cooking spray. Place one tortilla in pan. Sprinkle cheese (scant 1/4 cup) on one half of tortilla. Top cheese with about 1/3 cup turkey mixture. Sprinkle more cheese on top.

(Note: I just eye balled the amounts of cheese and turkey mixture when I made these, so use an amount that seems best to you.)

Fold other half of tortilla over mixture and press down with a large spatula. Cook until cheese begins to melt, about 1 minute. Then flip quesadilla over to brown the other side, cooking for another minute.

Place on plate and cover to keep warm, or place on a baking sheet and hold in an oven warmed to 250 degrees.

Repeat process with remaining ingredients. You may need to lower the heat on the pan. You may also need to wipe out the pan once or twice to remove any blackened bits.

Serve warm with sour cream, salsa, guacamole and/or sliced green onions.

Connor's Chocolate Chip Muffins

My sister and her family are visiting this week and my nephew Connor needs at least one breakfast with chocolate chip muffins. And there can be no banana mixed into the muffins.

So Connor and my niece Layne helped me whip up a big batch of buttermilk chocolate chip muffins. We made large ones and some mini muffins, so that everyone could taste-test them.

Layne made a list to make sure everyone got a sample. Her Uncle Bob tried to refuse, but eventually ate 3 of them.

My boys, Layne and Connor say these muffins go great with bacon, hard boiled eggs and fruit for breakfast. Connor, who last appeared here when he inspired this cucumber salad recipe, also likes these muffins for dessert.

What's your favorite chocolate chip muffin recipe? Let us know!

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Connor's Chocolate Chip Muffins
Inspired by this recipe from LittleSweetBaker.com

2 /12 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips (mini or regular size)
1/2 cup melted butter, cooled
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or spread with coking spray. (This recipe makes a bit more than 12 muffins, unless you use an extra large muffin tray.)

Melt the butter in a microwave-safe dish and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking power, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla.

Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture in the large bowl. Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry flour and gently stir to combine.

Divide the batter evenly into the muffin tins. Fill about 3/4 of the way to the top.

Layne filling the muffin cups.

Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes. Then lower the heat and bake for about 12-14 minutes or until the muffins are browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Mini muffins will cook faster.

Mini muffins.

Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes before enjoying with cousins for breakfast, lunch, dinner, a snack or dessert!

Connor tested and approved.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice with Spinach and Feta

This is comfort food for me. I've made this recipe many, many times. It's a great dinner for dreary days because it warms you up while delivering bright flavors of lemon and briny feta.

Leftovers make for an easy lunch.

The recipe is from America's Test Kitchen's Slow Cooker Revolution Vol. 2: The Easy-Prep Edition. If you don't have that cookbook and you love your slow cooker, check it out.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice with Spinach and Feta

1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cups Minute Ready to Serve White Rice
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed
Salt and pepper
1 5 ounce container baby spinach (about 4 cups)
1 1/2 cups feta cheese crumbles
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup pine nuts, optional

Put onion, oil, garlic and oregano in a small bowl and microwave about 5 minutes, stirring halfway through. Transfer to bowl of slow cooker. Stir in rice. Season chicken with salt and pepper and nestle into rice mixture.

Cover and cook 3 to 4 hours on low or until chicken is tender.

Transfer chicken to cutting board and shred into bite-sized pieces. Stir chicken, spinach and half-and-half into rice mixture remaining in slow cooker. Add feta and combine. Let sit until spinach is wilted.

Add lemon zest and lemon juice, salt and pepper and stir.

Serve topped with additional feta and a sprinkle of pine nuts.

Creamy Shrimp Salad

When I served this salad, my husband was surprised to see large whole shrimp — which is why I decided to try this recipe.

I usually associate shrimp salad with those tiny "salad shrimp." An email from the Food Network highlighting this dish caught my eye.

This is perfect for a warm day or when you need a meal that you can prep ahead of time. (The dressing tastes even better if it has time to sit in the fridge for a bit.) Creamy shrimp salad is good on buns for lunch or on top of greens for a light dinner. Leftovers stand up well in the fridge, too.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Creamy Shrimp Salad
Inspired by this recipe from Ina Garten

2.5 to 3 pounds of large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail off
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon orange zest (about the amount you can get from 2 oranges)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/4 cup minced dill
2 tablespoons drained capers
2 tablespoons red onion, diced small

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. You will need one or two large baking sheets so that the shrimp can be arranged in a single layer.

Place shrimp, oil, salt and pepper on a large baking sheet and toss together. Roast for 6 to 8 minutes or until is pink and cooked through. Remove from oven and let cool.

In a medium bowl combine remaining ingredients to make the dressing, beginning with the mayonnaise. Stir well. Add shrimp to a large bowl and pour about 1/2 the dressing on top. Gently stir to evenly coat.

Add more dressing to taste or until all shrimp are coated. Save any extra dressing in the fridge to add to leftover salad or to spread on buns or bread if you make shrimp salad sandwiches. A garnish of orange slices would be nice, too.

Arugula, Beet, Quinoa and Orange Salad

Salads that work for lunch and dinner are my best friends this summer. Here's another one I'm loving. So delicious and so easy to make.

My husband and youngest son love beets. When I spotted these sweet little containers of the ready-to-use veggies I snapped up a few.

This colorful dish is great as a side salad or a main entree. It holds up well the next day, too, but the quinoa will start to turn pink.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Arugula, Beet, Quinoa and Orange Salad
Inspired by a recipe in Diabetes Focus Spring 2017 issue

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 large orange
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 cups cooked quinoa
5 ounce package baby arugula
1 seedless orange, peeled and diced
2 6.5 ounce packages prepared beets, diced

In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, orange juice, salt and pepper.

Add quinoa, arugula, orange and beets. Gently stir to combine. Fold ingredients together until everything is coated with the vinaigrette.

Serve right away or chill until needed. Refrigerate any leftovers in an air tight container.

Creamy Tuna Avocado Salad

Baseball season is underway for my two boys, and that means I need to be able to serve up fast and easy meals – or get used to eating hot dogs and concession stand popcorn every other day!

A video for this recipe caught my eye on Facebook, so I gave it a try (with a few little tweaks). The result? Super yummy and super quick to prepare.

Another bonus? By swapping out the mayo used in traditional tuna salad for avocado, you get a healthier dish.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Creamy Tuna Avocado Salad
Inspired by this recipe from Natasha's Kitchen.com

1 large can (12 ounces) and 1 small can (3 to 4 ounces) tuna in water, drained
1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
3 medium, ripe, avocados peeled, pitted and cut into chunks
1/2 to 1 small red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1/4 to 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice from 1 large lemon
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
Fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt, more to taste

**Note on the salt: If you are making this ahead, or if you are planning on leftovers, do not mix in the salt. Instead, salt each serving separately. The salt will make the cucumbers release water, which will make the salad soggy after a few hours.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Pour lemon juice and olive oil over ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.

Mix to combine. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Serve alone or on top of mixed greens.

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Molly's Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Sandwiches

This dish is slow cooker gold, my friends. And I can't thank fellow mom Molly enough for sharing it with me. (Molly is also the genius behind Half-Day Chili Sauce.)

Molly's a mother of two boys like me, and we're always running our kids to some activity or another after school. Her creation is the new go-to meal at our house, especially since my son Sam declared, "This chicken is so good! Thank you for making it Mommy!"

When he asked me to pack it for his lunch, I knew we were on to something.

This recipe makes enough for a few meals (dinner and lunch!) which is especially nice.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Molly's Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Sandwiches

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning (I used Penzy's Italian Dressing Base)
1 cup sliced, mild banana peppers
1/2 cup juice from banana pepper jar
1 cup chicken stock
Hoagie buns
Provolone cheese slices
Extra banana pepper slices for serving

Place chicken breasts in bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Top with banana peppers. Pour banana pepper juice and chicken stock over everything.

Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours. Remove chicken to a plate. Shred chicken. Return meat to slow cooker and stir to combine with sauce.

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees.

Scoop chicken and banana pepper mixture into buns. Top with provolone cheese.  Put sandwiches on a cookie sheet and place in oven for about 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Serve with a side of banana peppers.

Ramen with Chicken & Vegetables

My kids keep seeing a commercial for Ramen noodles, so I recently bought a 12-pack at the grocery store so they could try them. It was a trip down memory lane to my post-college, working-as-an-intern days when I often ate cooked and drained ramen mixed with a little butter, the seasoning packet and (canned) chicken.

My kids now bring ramen soup (in a thermos) for their school lunch about once a week. For the dinner table, I decided to see if I couldn't expand my old college recipe a little bit.

Adding lots of veggies and some Asian seasonings did the trick. Go ahead and add more or different vegetables or leave out the chicken for a vegetarian meal and/or experiment with the sauce to find a blend that fits your tastebuds.

The great thing about this recipe is that the day after we have this for dinner, there's enough leftover ramen for my lunch, too!

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Ramen with Chicken & Vegetables

4 packs of ramen noodles, cooked and drained (reserve seasoning packet for another use)
2 tablespoon oil, divided
1 cup carrots, julienned (Make life easy and buy a bag of shredded carrots!)
1 cup snow pea pods, julienned
1/2 a large red bell pepper, julienned
2 cans (5 ounce) or 1 can (10 ounce or 12 ounce) of chunk white chicken, packed in water OR 1 1/4 cups to 1 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 or 2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce (depending on your taste)
1 or 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger (depending on your taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Sliced green onions for serving
Chopped fresh cilantro for serving

Cook ramen noodles according to packet directions. Drain and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Add vegetables and cook, stirring often until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes.

Remove veggies from pan and set aside in a bowl.

Add remaining oil to skillet and add chicken. Cook until heated through. Add vegetables back into pan and stir to combine.

Add soy sauce, Hoisin sauce, ginger, salt and pepper. Stir and cook for a few minutes until sauce begins to thicken. Add more soy sauce, Hoisin and ginger to taste.

Add ramen noodles to pan and stir to combine and to coat noodles in sauce. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to heat through.

Top with green onions and cilantro and serve.

Summer Corn Chowder

My boys are loving all of the fresh corn on the cob I've been serving up lately, but I was ready for a change. And since we had more corn and potatoes than I knew what to do with, chowder seemed like just the thing.

This is summer comfort food all the way. The creamy soup is sweet and smoky, thanks to some bacon. It makes for a hearty lunch or pair with a green salad — and dinner is served.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Summer Corn Chowder
Inspired by this recipe from Kroger

2 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels
5 slices bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups chicken stock, plus more for thinning out chowder as needed
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced and diced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Optional: your favorite hot sauce, shredded cheddar cheese

Using a sharp knife, stand corn cob in a shallow bowl or plate and slice off the corn kernels. After kernels are removed, scrape the cobs with the knife to squeeze out any remaining corn juice. Set aside.

In a Dutch oven or large pot, fry bacon until crisp over low heat. Remove bacon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

Add the onion to the hot bacon grease and cook about 5 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and potatoes and cook another 2 minutes. Add chicken stock. Increase heat and bring to a simmer. Cover pot, lower heat to maintain the simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes.

Add corn and milk and continue to cook with the pot covered, for about 10 more minutes, or until you can easily insert a knife into the potatoes.

Turn off heat. Use an immersion blender to roughly puree the soup to make it thick and chunky. (If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer about half of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return pureed corn and potato mixture to pot.)

Stir in Greek yogurt and salt and pepper to taste.

If the chowder is too thick, stir in more chicken stock, 1/2 cup at a time, until your reach a consistency to your liking.

Dish up into serving bowls and top with bacon, red pepper and green onions. A dash of hot sauce and a sprinkle of shredded cheese is also nice.

Katrina's Gazpacho

A few weeks ago my boys and I took a trip to New York to visit family and friends. It's been a few years since I was last in my old stomping grounds and it was nice to see how some things have changed – or not.

We took a trip into Queens to see two of my friends from high school and their families. Anne and Katrina are the kinds of friends I know I'll have for life. We spent our formative teen years together. Even if many months go by between visits, we easily pick up where we left off whenever we do see each other.

My boys were super excited to see how people live in the city. They couldn't imagine living in an apartment. They were pleasantly surprised by Katrina's Jackson Heights home, complete with a large outdoor courtyard that provided plenty of room to play — you guessed it — baseball.

Katrina went all out and made a delicious lunch, including this amazing gazpacho. People, this is one of the best things I've eaten. The cold soup is more like summer in a drink and it is just perfect for a hot day.

Lucky for me, one of my boys didn't want his serving so of course I couldn't let it go to waste! Katrina kindly shared her recipe. She started with this New York Times version and tweaked it to her liking. I made it as soon as we were back in Peoria. I was going to bring it to a gathering of girlfriends, but the husband and I slurped it down ourselves instead.

I think the key to making this recipe work is good tomatoes, preferably homegrown or locally farm grown. It's perfect for a midday meal, dinner or a snack.

Katrina's version was less pulpy than mine. I think this is because she used a small mesh strainer to painstakingly remove all of the solids from the soup. I used a larger non-mesh strainer. It definitely removed a lot of the solids, but some still made it into the final product.  If you have a mesh strainer or cheese cloth, I recommend one of those methods.

Mangia! Mangia!

Andrea

Katrina's Gazpacho

2 pounds of  ripe red tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks

1 cucumber (about 8 inches long) peeled and cut into chunks 

1 small yellow or white onion, peeled and cut into chunks

1 or 2 garlic cloves

1 long, light green pepper, cored, seeded and cut into large pieces (Adjust your choice based on your preferred spice level: Try an Anaheim or cubanelle. I used a Hungarian wax pepper.)

2 teaspoons sherry vinegar, plus more to taste

2 teaspoons salt

1/8 to 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Add tomatoes, cucumber, onion, garlic and pepper to a blender or food processor (you may need to work in batches.) Blend at high speed until very smooth, between 2 and 5 minutes. Stop blending and scrape down the sides as needed.

Add vinegar and salt and continue to blend. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil. The mixture should become an orange or pink color. It should transform into a smooth texture like a salad dressing. If the mixture is watery, add more oil until it achieves a creamy consistency.

Strain mixture into a large bowl to remove solids. Use a rubber spatula to push the liquid through. Discard solids. 

Pour gazpacho into a large pitcher (glass is preferred) and cover top with plastic wrap. Chill overnight (or for at least 6 hours.) Pour into cups or bowls and drizzle with olive oil before serving.

Gazpacho is great for sharing with friends.

Amy's Pimento Cheese

I have loved and craved pimento cheese, a Southern staple, since I was pregnant with Lucy, who is 9 1/2. Fortunately, in Charlotte it's not hard to find good pimento cheese in restaurants and grocery stores, not to mention at get-togethers with friends. I just can't believe it took me this long to make my own.

On crackers or pita chips, plain or in a sandwich, I really love pimento cheese. My girls like to take pimento cheese in their school lunches. Bless their little Southern hearts. If you have never had a grilled pimento cheese sandwich ... well, get on that.

You might also consider making pimento cheese a day or two ahead of when you want to serve it. I noticed mine tasted better after it sat for a few days in the fridge; it was less mayonnaise-y than the very first day. My N.C.-born and bred friend Ashley came over several days after I made my pimento and declared, "This is very good."

XOXO,
Amy

PS: Pimento cheese joins my other Southern dishes — collards, cornbread, deviled eggs and low country boil.

Amy's Pimento Cheese

16-ounce block of extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 ounces cream cheese softened
Scant 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder — or extremely finely grated onion
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
4-ounce jar of diced pimento, drained
Salt and pepper to taste

First, make sure to buy a block of extra-sharp cheddar cheese and shred it yourself, using the side of the grater that make larger shreds. Pre-shredded cheese that you buy at the store has been dusted with cellulose to keep the shreds from sticking together, which doesn't make for good pimento. And now that I know this I may never buy pre-shredded cheese again.

Place cream cheese in large bowl of electric mixer and mix at medium speed until lighter and no big chunks remain. Add in remaining ingredients and mix on medium, occasionally stopping to use a spatula to turn the mixture by hand so that all is blended together.

Refrigerate in an air-tight container a couple hours before eating. Can last a week or more in the fridge.

Don't forget to make some grilled pimento cheese sandwiches!

Greens, Chicken & Pasta Salad

As I may have mentioned, I'm a baseball mom. This means many of my waking hours are spent on a ball field in the spring, summer and fall months, but especially in the summer. Last Saturday I was at the diamond for 12 hours straight.

This doesn't leave much time for cooking and a mom can only stomach so many hot dogs and pork chop sandwiches for lunch and dinner.

Enter the summer salad. If it can be made ahead and holds up for a few days in the fridge, I am all over it. Last season, Amy's Chickpea Salad was my go-to meal. 

This year, it's going to be this yummy spin on pasta salad, thanks to my latest issue of Cooking Light magazine, which features simple summer dinners. I made some changes to the original recipe to help it keep longer in the fridge and to use what I had on hand. I also prefer to double the recipe, so that I can feed a crowd. Let me know how you make it your own!

Mangia! Mangia!

Andrea

Greens, Chicken & Pasta Salad

Inspired by this recipe from Cooking Light

8 ounces uncooked whole wheat pasta, fusilli or your favorite shape

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

3 ounces Brie cheese, rind removed and finely chopped

2 cups of skinless, shredded boneless chicken breast (make it even easier and use a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken)

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1 teaspoon ground pepper, divided

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

5 ounces of arugula, spinach, baby kale or baby chard (or a mixture of these)

1/2 a pint of grape tomatoes

Cook pasta until al dente. Do not add any salt or oil to the water. Set aside 1/4 cup pasta liquid before draining the pasta. 

Place sliced shallot and garlic in a small bowl. Pour pasta water on top and let sit for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl combine hot pasta and Brie cheese. Stir until cheese melts. Add chicken, vinegar, shallot mixture, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and salt.

In a separate bowl, toss greens with olive oil and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add greens to pasta mixture. Add tomatoes and stir to combine. 

Serve immediately or chill. Holds up well in the refrigerator for about 3 days.

Oven Fried Chicken

Summer and fried chicken seem to go hand-in-hand, but I've never really made it before. So when Max and Sam started asking for fried chicken that didn't come in a bucket or a box, I figured why not? I can compete with Popeyes, right?

My mom used to make a corn flake fried chicken in the summers that I remember taking to picnics. I'll have to ask her for the recipe and a demo when she visits this summer!

Until then, I'll tide my boys over with this version, inspired by two different recipes from Farm Journal's Best-Ever Recipes. This main dish is perfect for lunch or dinner.

Next time, I want to try soaking the chicken in buttermilk overnight before frying it up in a Dutch oven. Stay tuned.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea


Oven Fried Chicken
3 to 4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces, or one whole chicken, cut up
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray bottom of a roasting pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Pat chicken pieces dry with paper towel.

Pour milk into small bowl.

In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, spices, salt and pepper.

Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dip chicken into milk, then coat with bread crumb mixture. Place chicken in roasting pan with the skin side up. Repeat until all chicken pieces are coated in bread crumbs.

Cook for 30 minutes, then drizzle with melted butter. Cook for another 20 minutes until golden brown.

Serve warm or cold. Delicious either way!

Curry Chicken Salad with Grapes and Cashews

Our friends Cathy and Daniel picnic like it's their job. They take it seriously and they're good at it. We experienced this firsthand when visiting them in Baltimore while on Spring Break. We met up at the park atop Federal Hill. They brought a delicious picnic lunch in a beautiful traditional picnic basket, because details matter to Cathy, a former opera director and stage manager turned interior designer.

Together we unpacked curry chicken sandwiches in mini pitas and -- for dessert -- homemade (by Daniel and nearly 3-year-old Gregory) oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. We poured Orangina into plastic picnic stemware.

The chicken salad was sooooo good that I had to make it as soon as we got home. Cathy told  me all of the ingredients, which she mostly eyeballs. That's what I do a lot when I cook, too. I would say my version (below) turned out slightly more powerful on the curry than Cathy's, while hers was creamier. I still want to work on getting mine to be more like Cathy's in creaminess.

Anyhow, play with it and make it your own. My tweaks included using some of the whites of the green onions and adding some red bell pepper.

One thing Cathy and I agree on: the mayonnaise. I've said it before and I will again. It's gotta be Duke's. (See my Deviled Egg Sampler.)

I love how Cathy used mini pitas, which sadly I didn't find at the grocery. The ones I bought were too teeny to be filled with more than a thimble-full of chicken salad.

So, I wish I'd taken a picture of Cathy's sandwiches, because they were so cute and pretty. Oh well...I was too busy stuffing my face. And taking in a beautiful day in Baltimore. And picnicking with my friends, the professional picnickers.

XOXO,
Amy

PS: I did get Penny to eat this in her school lunch.

Curry Chicken Salad with Grapes and Cashews

1 1/2 to 2 pounds of boneless chicken breast, cooked and diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 heaping cup of seedless grapes -- red or white -- cut in half
3 green onions,  white and green parts sliced ultra thin
1/2 to 1 whole red pepper, diced small
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 teaspoons curry
Salt and pepper to taste
Cashew pieces for garnish

Mix all ingredients except for cashews together and chill thoroughly before serving. Add cashews just before serving.

And here is a trick with the red pepper, which can make a salad super watery if you aren't careful. After you dice the pepper, roll the pieces in a paper towel to get out some of the water.

Pressure Cooker Potato Soup

I'm trying to perfect my mom's soupy potatoes -- that's what she calls this dish. It's a work in progress and a goal I don't think I will ever quite achieve. Some things just taste better when someone else prepares them for you. Like Mom's soup and tuna salad. Like my husband's vodka gimlet.

Anyhow, in this rendition of soupy potatoes, I use the pressure cooker, so I get to enjoy my soup right away. I also added pancetta for a little more flavor. It hit the spot. My husband and our two daughters enjoyed it with the girls asking for it in the next day's lunch -- and that's quite the achievement, let me tell you.

XOXO,
Amy

PS: This isn't the first of Mom's soups I've done in the pressure cooker. Check out my Midwestern Vegetable-Beef Soup.

Pressure Cooker Potato Soup

4 ounces pancetta
2 medium to large onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme (or oregano)
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
5 pounds potatoes (russet, Yukon gold, red), peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Sautee pancetta, onion, thyme and parsley inside pressure cooker for a couple minutes, until fragrant. Deglaze inside of pressure cooker with some of the broth, scraping pan of crunchy bits of onion and pancetta. Add potatoes and remaining broth. Cook under high pressure for six minutes and do a quick release when time is up.

Note: You could cut the ingredients in half. I like to make a lot so we can eat soup for days and share with our neighbors.