Roasted Broccoli…the unsung vegetable

Broccoli is one of those veggies that you either love or hate.  I actually used to hate it.  But, just after having my little sugar lump of a daughter, I was at a catered dinner where we were served a very miniscule sized main dish.  And it really didn’t even taste that good.  But that’s not what we’re talking about here…so back to broccoli.  So in addition to the teeny tiny main dish we were served some rice and broccoli.  Well, like I said, I had a newborn baby girl, and, well, without getting to personal here, let’s just say I was still eating for two…if you catch my drift.    Think mama cow and baby cow.  Okay, let’s continue with the story.  I knew I needed to eat a substantial dinner because my baby needed nutrients…and I was hungry!  So, after eating the three bites of the main dish (sorry, I said I wouldn’t talk about that any more!) I ate the rice.  I was still hungry.  Bbut I didn’t like broccoli.  What’s a broccoli-hating girl to do?  Well, when that girl is also one that has a sweet little bundle of joy to sustain, she must suck it up and eat the broccoli.  So, I hesitantly stabbed a piece of steamed broccoli and slowly raised the fork to my mouth.  I chewed once.  I chewed twice.  Wait.  This isn’t so bad!  No, this is actually GOOD!  From that day on, I’ve loved broccoli.  And I’m blessed with two kids who like broccoli (maybe it has something to do with mama cow eating broccoli when she was feeding baby cow??).  We eat steamed broccoli all the time.  And I mean All. The. Time.  So much, that we are getting tired of eating plain ol’ steamed broccoli.  So when I came across a recipe(don’t remember where I first saw it)  for Roasted Broccoli I thought I’d give it a whirl.  It was pretty darned good.  I tweaked it just a bit and it was even darneder gooder.  

 

Here’s how it goes down.

You need one or two heads of broccoli…depending on how many you need to feed.  My inlaws were visiting when I took these pics, so I used two heads which was plenty to serve 6 people.  If it was just the four of us, I’d probably just do one.  Give the broccoli a quick wash and cut it into small florets and place them on a baking sheet.

Drizzle it with some olive oil.

Use your hand to toss the broccoli around and get it all coated with the olive oil.  Season it with some salt and pepper.

Now pop it in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Give it a stir and stick it back in for another 10 minutes or so.  The edges should be starting to turn brown, but still be mostly green.   Give it the fork test, too and make sure it’s tender enough for your liking.  If not, give it a few more minutes.

Now, zest a lemon and sprinkle that over the broccoli.  Squeeze a little of that lemon’s juice on it too.

Grate some parmesan cheese on the top and you’re ready to go. 

So far, this is my favorite way to eat broccoli.  But, maybe there’s something better?  Do you have a way with broccoli?  Share it with me…and you just might see it featured here on my blog…and who knows…I might include a gift for ya.  Leave me a comment with your broccoli recipe!

Ugly, but yummy!

Let’s be honest here…this dish is certainly not going to win for best magazine cover photo or anything, but it really tastes great. It’s Artichoke Chicken and even my kids liked it!  I found the recipe on PW’s Tasty Kitchen site and thought it sounded yummy, and I had everything I needed in the pantry, so it became dinner that night.  It’s easy to prepare, and it’s a good way to sneak some veggies into your child’s (or your own!) diet.

Here’s what you’ll need for this one:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or about 8-10 chicken tenders)

1 tbsp butter

6 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained

1/4 cup onion, chopped

2-1/2 tbsp flour

3/4 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 cup chicken broth

 

Star by browning your chicken in a large skillet.

Remove chicken to a an ungreased baking dish.  Coarsely chop the artichokes and arrange them over the chicken.

Now, in the same skillet you used for the chicken, saute the onion until translucent.

Blend in the flour, rosemary, salt and pepper.

Stir in the chicken broth, and cook until thick and bubbly.

Turn off the heat and spoon the mixture over the chicken.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and tender.

Serve over noodles or rice.  I chose rice.

Like I said…not beautiful…but delicious none the less.  And with the artichokes chopped up and hiding in the yummy gravy sauce, the kids never knew it was there and gobbled this up like nobody’s business. 

Have a great day…and Get Cookin’!

{Comfort Food} Potato Soup

Potato Soup.  It’s one of those things that makes you all warm and tingly inside just thinking about it.  I love a good comforting bowl of potato soup on a cool night, but it’s also a nice quick meal that will be on the table in less than 30 minutes.   And with just a handful of  ingredients, it’s super easy to prepare as well!  Let’s get started…

Start by melting 3 tbsp butter in a large saucepan.  When the butter is melted, add in 1/4 cup flour…

Stir that with a whisk until it’s smooth.  Let it cook for about a minute, stirring constantly…this will cook out the ‘raw flour’  taste…

Now, gradually add in 4 cups milk, stirring briskly as you add it in.  Now, dice up about 3 or 4 potatoes, to make around 2 cups of diced potatoes.  Throw those into the pan…

 Dice up half an onion and toss in the pan

 

Add about 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, or to taste.  Then, let the mixture cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until it thickens and potatoes are tender.

While the soup is cooking, dice up some bacon (I use turkey bacon, but use whatever you like) finely…

And fry until crisp…

 

Spoon the soup into bowls and top with bacon

Then top with cheese and croutons or whatever else tickles your fancy.

Try this homey recipe…and you’ll be snuggled up on the couch in a blanket in no time! 

Potato Soup

3 tbsp butter

1/4 cup flour

4 cups milk

2 cups diced potatoes

1/2 onion, diced

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

4-6 slices bacon, diced

shredded cheese

croutons

 

Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat.  Add flour, stirring until smooth.  Cook for one minute, stirring constantly.  Gradually add milk.  Stir in potatoes, onions, salt and pepper.  Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until thickened and potatoes are tender.

Top with diced cooked bacon, shredded cheese and croutons

Simple Rice Pilaf

‘Sup Pilaf?  Sorry…if you don’t have kids who watch “iCarly” you probably have NO IDEA why I just said that.  If you DO have kids who watch iCarly, then you probably just chuckled along with me.  Ever since that episode where Mrs. Pilaf comes to talk to Carly about their private school and Sam greets her with ” ‘Sup Pilaf?” and a high five…I can’t say Rice Pilaf without chuckling and thinking of Sam.  Tell me I’m not the only one who thinks that’s hilarious?    We also use the phrase “How are your buttocks?” a lot now too…thanks to that same episode.  But, I digress.  And you probably think I’ve lost my mind.  Maybe I have. 

But, lost minds aside…I wanted to share with you today how I make a simple rice pilaf (heehee).  Sorry, I’ll try to contain myself.  This is a very versatile side dish because you can basically throw in whatever you have on hand and make it different every time.  Once you know the simple “formula” then you’re good to go.  So, let’s get started!

First, you want to add a good hunk’a butter to a skillet.  I’m making enough rice pilaf for 4, so I’m using probably 2-3 tbsp here.  It’s not an exact science, so don’t sweat it too much.  Let that butter get nice and melty.

Now, add your rice.  I used about 1-1/2 cups here. 

Add in any ‘aromatic’ vegetables that need a while to cook down…like onions, garlic, carrots, etc. at this point.  I added chopped onions and some garlic today.  Let this cook until the rice is a nice golden brown.  The veggies should be somewhat soft at that point as well.

Now add liquid…about double the amount of rice you used.  So, I used about 3 cups of liquid…in this case, chicken stock.  Chicken stock is what I use 90% of the time, but occasionally I’ll use beef stock, or just water.  You coud even use white wine for this, or a combination of wine and stock.

Now, put a lid on it and let it simmer until the rice is almost cooked through.  Then add any vegetables you have that don’t need a lot of cooking time…brocolli, peas, artichokes, etc.  I used some roughly chopped cooked brocolli I had left over from dinner the night before, so I just tossed it in at the very last.

 Add in any herbs you want, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Now you’re ready to eat!  Sometimes I even add some fresh parmesan cheese on top…yumm!

Now, let me run down that ‘formula’ again for you.

1. Melt butter in pan.
2. Add dry rice and any ‘firm’ veggies/aromatics; cook until rice is golden.
3. Add liquid, about twice the amount of rice you used.
4. Cover and cook until rice is tender.
5. Add ’soft’ veggies, herbs, salt and pepper.

So there you go, Simple Rice Pilaf that can be adjusted according to what you have on hand.  This is a good one to make on “clean out the fridge night”.    You can even add leftover cooked meat to this recipe (at the end, after the rice has cooked) and basically make it a meal in and of itself.

‘Sup, Pilaf?

Fiesta Black Bean Salsa…or Salad, whichever.

Today I wanted to share a super super simple adn quick recipe with you.  This is a great side dish with any Mexican-style meal.  And it makes a GREAT dish to take with you to your next pot-luck or picnic because there’s nothing in it that would really go bad…well, I mean, you wouldn’t want it to sit out for like, oh, a week and then eat it.  Um…that would just be gross!  But, like I said, it’s something you CAN take to a picnic or potluck and not have to worry about it spoiling.  And did I mention it was simple and easy?  And quick too?

Enter my Fiesta Black Bean Salsa…or Salad.  I call it salsa because we eat it with tortilla chips, but you could call it a salad if you were just eating it as a side dish with your meal.  Either way, I think you’ll love it.

Here’s what I put in mine…but like I’ve said before…you can always add other things that you like.  I’m kinda picky, so there are some things that I do NOT add purposely…like jalepenos for instance.  Sweet Georgia Brown, my mouth burns just thinking of those suckers.  No WAY am I puttin them in my salsa!  But if you like a little heat…throw one in.  And anything else you like that would fit in well with this salsa.  So…the recipe…

3 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp olive oil (I use extra virgin)

1 garlic clove, minced (or, I like to grate it over a microplan for better distribution)

1/2 tsp ground cumin (adds a nice, yet subtle smoky flavor)

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper (everyone should own a peppermill…even if it’s the little McCormick kind!)

one 19 oz can of black beans, rinsed well and drained

2 cups fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels*

1/4 onion, finely minced (or use more of the onion if you like, and feel free to use bigger chunks than I do…I have a wierd thing about crunching into a fresh onion.  Shudder!)

1-2 tomatoes, diced

1-2 avocados, diced (I didn’t put it in the salsa this time, b/c we’d already eaten all the avocados we had!)

 

In a big bowl, just toss all the ingredients together well.  Serve with tortilla chips or as a side to your favorite main dish.

*About the corn…if you’re serving this at home, right away, I’d either use fresh corn or use thawed frozen corn to prepare this.  BUT, if you’re taking this to a pot-luck or picnic, I’d use the corn FROZEN and make it as late at possible.  That way the corn will thaw in transport and keep the dish colder longer.  But that’s just my opinion.

And like I said, add other ingredients as you like…diced jalepenos, bell peppers, even add some little chunks of cheese if you want.  Some quinoa would even be good  (Jo…I’ve not gotten any in forever…I need to get some more…wanna make a road trip when you visit?)   There’s no wrong way to do this salsa!

 

Have you all seen Julie and Julia yet?  I want to see it this week. Who wants to go with me????

Quick Quesadillas – Choose your flavor!

Quesadillas are a great way to use up leftovers you find in the fridge.  Meat, vegetables, and cheese!  They’re so easy to throw to together too, that they make a perfect quick meal.  And you could even take them on the go!

Here’s how to make a simple quesadilla.

Put a little oil in a hot pan and place one tortilla in.

Now, add your fillings – cheese first, then any other items such as meat and veggies, then another bit of cheese.  The cheese on the top and bottom helps everything to hold together when you flip the quesadilla.  Cook until browned on the bottom.  On this quesadilla I used cheese and some leftover steak that I just cut into bite size pieces. 

Add a tortilla on top.  Before you flip, drizzle a little oil on the top tortilla.  Now flip and cook until browned on the bottom again. 

Remove from pan and cut into wedges.  Keep warm in 200 degree oven while you cook the rest of your quesadillas.

I also did potato quesadillas this day.  Just mix leftover baked potato (just the flesh, not the skin) and cheese and layer between two tortillas.

 

If you have leftover veggies such as peppers, onions, etc, throw those in the mix too! 

So next time you are cleaning out your fridge…make quesadillas for dinner!  They are a family favorite around here.

Tomorrow I’ll show you a great side dish to go with those quesadillas!

Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip

I never thought I would like something that included not only spinach…but artichokes too?!  Yes, I was greatly surprised.  Like I said…I’m a bit of a picky eater.  But once I tasted it, I knew that I would be making this alot!  It’s a dish I often take to potlucks and parties.

I’ve tried several recipes, trying to find the one that I liked the most.  This is it.  Simple.  Quick.  Delish.  Can’t get much better than that!

Here’s what you’ll need for this one:

1 tbsp butter

8 oz cream cheese

1 garlic clove

1 cup frozen spinach, cooked and drained

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Start out by preheating your oven to 350F.

Cube the cream cheese and place it in a skillet with the butter over medium heat.

 Stir occasionally while it melts down.  Meanwhile, cook spinach in microwave following package directions.  Thoroughly drain spinach by placing it in a colander or seive over a bowl and pressing down firmly on the spinach.

When cream cheese starts to melt down, grate the garlic into the pan.  You can mince it finely instead, but I like to grate it b/c you don’t end up with any big hunks of garlic in the dip and the juices are released a bit more when grating, so that helps the flavor really distribute through the dip as well. 

 When the cream cheese is completely melted, stir in the spinach and chopped artichokes

along with the sour cream and half of the shredded cheese

Stir well and pour into a baking dish

Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Serve with chips or bread cubes.

That’s it!  Super simple, yet super delicious!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Printable Version of Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip