Happy Weekend!!!

Hello all and happy weekend! Thought since I couldn't post any kitchen pics until the end of August, I'd just post one of our favorite appetizers that we've enjoyed in the new kitchen!  

Bruschetta with Tomato Basil recipe

This is a wonderful way to capture the flavors of ripe summer tomatoes, fresh garden basil, and garlic and the hubs and I just love it with a crisp bottle of Chardonnay! 

In the new kitchen of course!

Enjoy!!

We did!

The Real Meal Deal...

Hi there again, so on yesterday's post all the photos were courtesy of the Food Network and sort of generic looking and boring so I decided to transform them into a wonderful dinner for another Metamorphosis Monday with Susan at Between Naps on the Porch and Masterpiece Monday. 

Our dinner table had Peony's and Lilacs from my rain soaked garden and my wedding china "Portmeirion Botanic Garden" my best spring time dinnerware!

Here's how my recipes and dinner looked last night. I don't know about you, but sometimes when I do a recipe it doesn't look anything like the pretty pictures they always show...this time, much to my delight, they did! 

Also, this time they were all so delicious that I am posting the recipes from the Food Network.com.

These recipes tasted fantastic and the presentation couldn't have been easier. The only thing I changed was I cut back on the amount of Prawns just because it was only the hubs and I at our BBQ. If I were doing this for a crowd I'd use the entire 2 LBS of Prawns because we ate every last one we cooked! Also, instead of "leaded" Espresso in the Mocha Mousse, I used "unleaded" French Vanilla Espresso otherwise I'd be up all night long from the caffeine and I have to ask someone for their phone number just so I could jabber all night!

So here we go...let's start with a table for two...

Grilled Shrimp Scampi Style with Soy Sauce, Fresh Ginger and Garlic

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 limes, juiced
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, finely grated
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup canola oil, divided
• 1 1/4 pounds large (21-24) shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 stick butter, softened

Directions

Whisk together 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, the lime juice, honey, ginger, garlic and 1/4 cup canola oil in a bowl and add to a food processor. Add the softened butter and pulse until thoroughly combined.

Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and brush mixture onto the shrimp. Place onto preheated grill and cook in a single layer for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until just cooked through.

Quinoa with Garlic, Pine Nuts and Raisins

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Place the quinoa in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until toasted, about 2 minutes. Add 1 3/4 cups water (or use low-sodium chicken broth) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the liquid is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the olive oil and garlic to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer the garlic to the plate, reserving the oil.

Fluff the quinoa with a fork. Add the pine nuts, garlic, reserved oil, parsley, raisins and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and toss.

Avocado Mango Salad

Directions

Whisk 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon each fresh lime juice and orange juice, 1 minced shallot and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add 2 diced avocados, 1 1/2 cups cubed jicama or radishes, 1/2 cup each cubed mango and pineapple and 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro salt gently toss.

Mocha Mousse

Directions

Stir 1 tablespoon chilled brewed espresso or strong coffee into 2 cups prepared chocolate pudding. Beat 3/4 cup heavy cream with 1 tablespoon sugar until soft peaks form. Fold into the mocha pudding. Top with Chocolate Shavings.


This dinner couldn't have been easier and it was so much fun to do that I have decided I'm going to do a once a month "menu" for the hubs and I. It may be dinner, it may be lunch, it may even be Brunch...whatever it is, it'll be fun and hopefully just as tasty every time!

BON APPÉTIT!

and thanks Susan for hosting another Metamorphosis Monday party!

Memorial Day BBQ

Hello everyone, I hope you are all having a great Memorial day and a great 3 day weekend! For those of us that live in Oregon its cloudy and cold...a balmy 50 degrees! But despite the fact that its cold and gray, in my mind, the sun is shining so I decided to have a BBQ! And once we put on the music, pop the cork, pour a glass, don the sunglasses, I know it'll feel like a sunny holiday weekend no matter what. Here's what's on the menu for tonight...all recipes courtesy of the Food Network.com just the best resource ever!

 Grilled Shrimp Scampi with Ginger and Garlic 

Avocado and Mango salad

Quinoa with Garlic, Pine Nuts and Raisins

 and for dessert...Mocha Mousse...can't wait to have this!

For more great recipes just head on over to The Food Network! and while you're at it have a great week

Homemade Low-fat Granola

Ingredients

3 cups uncooked quick oats

2 cups Rice Crispys

6 Tbsp honey

1 tsp oil

1/4 cup apple juice

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup raisins

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350, Mix oats and Rice Crispys together, spread on non-stick baking sheet with sides; bake for 10 minutes, stirring once.

Meanwhile, mix honey, oil, apple juice, spices, vanilla in bowl.

When oat mixture is done in oven, put in large bowl, set pan aside.

Add almonds to cereal mixture and stir to combine.

Pour honey/spice mixture over cereal and mix thoroughly to coat completely; spread mixture back into baking sheet.

Return to oven, bake for 15-20 minutes stirring every few minutes

Note; be careful that granola doesn't burn especially cereal along sides of pan...mine did just a weensy bit:)

Remove from oven and pour back into bowl. Stir in raisins and cranberries into mixture; let cool.

Store in airtight container.

Enjoy!

Ding-a-ling-a-ling...d-i-n-n-e-r...

I believe in "copyright laws" so I'm giving my friend Joan Walker full credit for this recipe even though she could care less if I did, but I will anyway. She and I are avid students of Weight Watchers (some of us more successful than others) she has made it to goal and I am still diligently working on chipping off a pound at a time. So she is always trying to come up with great recipes that are Weight Watcher worthy, or as I like to call it; "Chub Scout" friendly. Here is one of our favorites:

"Roasted Vegetable Fajita's"

(not the best copy, just click on picture then print)

Bon Appetite!

Sit there and finish your dinner or you'll be going to bed without dessert!

Its always worth it finishing dinner...

Today's dinner and dessert was to honor my husband Mark and give him a soft place to fall upon his return home tonight.

He did a 100 mile bicycle ride today called the "RACC", or "Ride Around Clark County" to be exact. As I have said before, he is one of the most awsome people I know!

What's For Dinner?

Well first you go to your favorite cooking site, go to your recipe box and pull up one of your favorites: HERE, grab your little basket (because you like to make everything you do fun) and gather up this:

open up everything and put it all in here:

your favorite Slow-cooker from Williams Sonoma that your husband gave you for Christmas

if you're lucky enough to have one...husband and slow-cooker that is...

looks good doesn't it?

Now you wait about five hours to sit down to dinner. 

In the meantime go outside to play in the garden 

but dress warm its cold and rainy out again.

Check back in later on, dessert will follow,

and you won't want to miss that recipe

unless you have something against chocolate...

Quiche anyone?

OK, since posting my original photo of my Easter Quiche, many of you asked for the recipe. Thanks for your patience, I was waiting for my new scanner to arrive but once I got it, I didn't like the way my original recipe copied! Oh well such as life...so I'm sending you straight to the link for the crust I use, but the filling is my own concoction.

Note: for the Quiche pictured, I divided my dough for two fluted Quiche pans instead of my 9x13 casserole dish. Freezes well.

 

Here's the Crust recipe I like to use from my favorite cooking site; "Taste of Home".

FILLING:

3 cups ham, diced (Honey baked is best)

1 lb. maple smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled

10-12 eggs beaten

2-3 cups milk

1 1/2 lbs. Swiss cheese, shredded

1/4-1/2 lbs. mushrooms thinly sliced

1 sm. bunch scallions, (green ends only), finely chopped

Red bell pepper, finely diced

(for vegetarian option, omit meats)

Pour above ingredients into one 9x13 casserole dish (see above) or pour into two (small) prepared fluted Quiche pans. Bake at 350* for 35-45 mins or until set. It may be a bit wiggly when you first take out but it cooks as it cools.

If you don't want the challenge of making crust from scratch, you can use the cheater crusts' (refrigerated section) and call it good. These work in the fluted pans as well as a 9x13 (you just smoosh the edges together).

Garnish with fresh (chemical free) flowers, basil, or mint sprigs.

BON APPETITE!

Easter Quiche

Ok so this was from last year...no not the actual Quiche, just the photo! I didn't do Easter brunch this year but I had so much fun last year with this I just had to capture the Kodak moment. This is from a recipe I made up along the way, its called "Terry's Easy Quiche" and really, it is easy just like the name says. Oh and yes those are real flowers which I love using.

Happy Easter everyone!