Collard Greens

I wrote about my diet changes over on my blog so that's why I'm posting all these new recipes. I'd never had collard greens till about two months ago. Lucky for me, I've always loved vegtables so getting to try new stuff like this and others has been fun. The only draw back would be, I have no idea how to cook this stuff. I eat about 40% of it raw (like when I first ate collard greens it was literally me holding a huge leaf in my hand chewing at it while watching my girls). Here's a little something I've try and was good. Oh, I almost forgot, this amazing-for-you-vegetable is dirt cheap. I'm taking $1.29 for a HUGE bunch of HUGE leaves. Can't beat that.

Collard Greens with Nuts and Other Good Stuff

Put about a tbls olive oil in a pan - bring it to medium-high heat
Put whatever kind of nuts you have on hand (walnuts in my case) and saute about a minute. Be careful not to burn - I did this the first time I made these.
Add about 2-3 leaves of chopped collard greens and cook another minute or three. Remove from heat and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and some dried fruit (raisins and cranberries in my case)

And voila! 

So Incredibly Delicious!

I found this recipe here and it's going to knock your socks off. I'm not gluten-free but if you are, it fits! I've recently discovered the awesomeness (word?) of quinoa. It cooks up like instant rice but is jammed packed with things your body will love and run on for hours so it's a great recipe for moms who need go-juice quickly.


Black Bean, Edamame, Corn and Quinoa Salad

1 cup shelled edamame
2 cups fresh corn kernels (only had canned on hand)
1 cup cooked black beans
2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro (only used 1/4 cup)
1 cup tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 T minced red onion
1 tsp ground cumin
2 T fresh lime juice
2 T red wine vinegar
2 T olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional – and I didn't do this) 

1. In a medium saucepan bring water to a boil. Cook edamame for 10 minutes. (I got a steamable bag to save time)
2. Bring a fresh pot of water to boil and steam corn for 3 minutes.
3. Combine edamame, corn, black beans and quinoa.
4. Make salsa dressing by combining tomatoes, red onion, cumin, lime juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and cayenne.
5. Only dress the amount you are going to eat right away. Combine dressing, cilantro and salad. Toss and serve.


Make it! You won't regret it!

Zucchini Fritters

It's starting again. The time of year where there's so much zucchini people don't know what to do with them.  I think I may add a zucchini tab in my cookbook so I know just where to go once they start rolling in each year. Daniel made these tonight. I'm terrible at frying anything so I gladly hand the apron over to him when the frying starts.

Ingredients

1 cup zucchini, grated

1 cup carrots, peeled and grated

2 T. onion, chopped

1/2 to 3/4 cup flour

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1/8 t. seasoning salt

1/4 to 1/2 c. oil

Mix together all ingredients except oil; set aside. Heat oil in skillet; drop vegetable mixture into skillet by tablespoonfuls. Saute until golden and vegetables are tender. Serve Warm. Makes about 2 dozen.

Recipe from: Gooseberry Patchwork Potluck Edition.

Cheesy Potato Casserole

I'm breaking the silence! :)

This recipe is super simple and you probably have most, if not all the ingredients in you pantry. It is a large amount of food to make for a side dish, so I froze half of it.


Ingredients
1 (2 lbs.) package of hash browns, thawed (I used fresh potatoes, shredded and drained)
1 stick of butter, melted
16 oz. sour cream
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
16 oz. (4 cups) shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Directions
Preheat oven at 300 degrees.

1. Mix all ingredients together except 2 cups of cheddar cheese.
2. Place the mixture in a 9 x 13 inch pan and bake for 50 minutes.
3. Top with remaining cheddar cheese and bake for 10 minutes.

Source: cooks.com

Next to my BBQ chicken

Rice. It's what's for a side dish

My sister gave me this recipe in a cookbook she made me for a wedding shower. If you like rice as a side dish this one is a must try.

Ingredients:
1 T Butter (I used EVOO)
1/2 cup long-grain cooking rice
1 T Onion, minced (I put a little more)
1/4 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste
1/8 tsp. dried tarragon, thyme, basil, parsley
1/2 cup chicken broth

Directions:
Melt butter in saucepan. Cook & stir rice and onion until onions are translucent. Stir in seasonings; cook for 1-2 more mins. Add broth; bring to a boil. Simmer covered until rice is tender & liquid is absorbed. Serves 2

Her notes and I agree: Check your rice's directions as far as how long to cook & how much liquid to use. I used marjoram instead of tarragon

Crispy Seasoned French Fries

We're having dinner guests over and these are on the menu. I haven't made them before but Dan wanted fries with our "one bad meal". We get one bad meal a week these days and tonight is it! I didn't have a recipe for fries so I went searching and I liked this one the most out of what I saw.




INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup water, or as needed
1 cup vegetable oil for frying

DIRECTIONS
Slice potatoes into French fries, and place into cold water so they won't turn brown while you prepare the oil.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. While the oil is heating, sift the flour, garlic salt, onion salt, (regular) salt, and paprika into a large bowl. Gradually stir in enough water so that the mixture can be drizzled from a spoon.
Dip potato slices into the batter one at a time, and place in the hot oil so they are not touching at first. The fries must be placed into the skillet one at a time, or they will clump together. Fry until golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels.



Side Note: You can also bake these at 350 for 45 mintues and get the same thing but healthier.

A Hit!

On Friday night the O'Neils had a going away party at their apartment. I made a nacho dip which was a big hit...at least with my husband! :o) I liked it because it was a crockpot recipe - low maintenance.

Quick and Easy Nacho Dip

1 lb ground beef, browned
dash of salt, pepper and onion powder (if you have it)
2 cloves of garlic, optional (but really...who doesn't love garlic?!)
2 16 oz. jars of salsa (throw in homemade salsa if you want to)
15 oz. can of refried beans
1 1/2 c sour cream
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
tortilla chips

Add salt, pepper and onion powder to ground beef. Combine beef, salsa, bean, sour cream, and 2 cups of the cheese in the slower cooker. Cover and heat on low for 2 hours*. Just before serving sprinkle with the last cup of cheese. Serve with tortilla chips.

*My shredded cheese was still frozen, so two hours wasn't quite long enough to really melt it into the mixture...be sure to thaw your cheese first if you want it melted.

Corn Fritters

Do you have extra corn this season you don't know what to do with? I made these last night and everyone at girls' night seemed to enjoy them. I also doubled the recipe and it worked out just fine.

Ingredients:
3 ears corn, husks and silk removed
1/3 cup milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup cornmeal
¼ cup flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Sour cream (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Remove kernels: Cut off tip of each cob; stand in a wide shallow bowl. With a sharp knife, slice downward to remove kernels. To bowl, add milk, egg, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pepper; mix. Fold in cornmeal and flour.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towel. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Drop batter into pan by heaping tablespoons. Fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt; place in oven. Repeat. Keep warm in oven up to 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream, if desired.