All four of our children enjoy helping to prepare dinner.  In fact, we often need to divide kitchen assistance so that everyone gets a chance to cut, stir, etc.  After a recent Sunday dinner, in which two of the children helped make dinner, each of them wanted to cook dinner on his or her own.

So, each of them began to envision what dinner he or she would create.  Sammie decided that she would make a pasta dish that could be served cold, as it was a warm end of summer day.  Rather than making a salad with all of the ingredient assembled, she made a choose-your-ingredients pasta salad.  This was a great idea, allowing each of us to choose from an assortment of vegies.  It also allowed each diner to choose the amount of vinaigrette to be placed on the salad.

Rather than using a store-bought vinaigrette for the salad, Sammie and I created our own balsamic vinaigrette.  We wanted something that would have a bit of sweetness but that also would have some tanginess.  Additionally, I prefer salad dressings that are lighter, so we used less olive oil than most recipes suggest.

With a little help from Mom, Sammie made a great meal for a warm summer night.  The combination of farfalle, red and orange bell peppers, broccoli, and olives gave the salad a lot of color, and the homemade vinaigrette added depth to the flavors.

Sammie’s Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried mustard

1 Tb. honey

salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a cruet, cover, and shake well.  Chill until ready to use.

I prefer to eat homemade foods.  If I am asked to bring cookies for a school party, I bake them.  If I am serving chili for dinner, I make it from scratch, not by opening a can.  With that being said, I am not opposed to simple dishes, where one combines two ingredients without any cooking.

This past Monday I found a new simple dish through error.  I attempted making a honey sauce to drizzle over Manchego (a sheep’s milk cheese).  However, when it should have been ready, it was grainy.  Although I tried to fix the sauce, it was beyond repair.  I thought about just serving slices of Manchego, but then inspiration struck.   Why not drizzle plain honey on the cheese?

With that thought, a new snack was created. Being both tasty and simple, this will be a handy “recipe” to have in my repertoire.

Manchego with Honey

4 ounces Manchego

honey

Cut 1/4″ slice of cheese.  Drizzle lightly with honey.  Eat immediately.

Serves 2.

After taking a hike with two of our children yesterday, we decided to cook as a family last night. Having seen a show recently that featured chicken-friend steak, we were craving that as our main course. With the Southern theme beginning, we chose to accompany the steak with homemade onion rings, wilted spinach, and biscuits.

While the guys were busy making the onion rings, my 10 year old daughter and I worked on making biscuits. Although biscuits can be delicious when made plain, I prefer to add some flavors to mine. I have made cheddar biscuits and sweet potato biscuits. For this meal, I wanted something with a bit of sweetness. Cinnamon was deemed to be the best addition.

Working together, we measured, mixed, rolled, and cut our biscuit dough. While not as simple as purchasing biscuits, these baked goods were ready in 30 minutes, from start to finished product. These biscuits were excellent served warm from the oven, split in half, and topped with butter and/or honey. Also, as the kids noted, the leftovers made an excellent breakfast the next morning.

Cinnamon Biscuits

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tb. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

6 Tb. unsalted butter, cut into pieces

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 Tb. skim milk

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tb. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, 1 Tb. sugar, and 1 tsp. cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Add butter pieces and mix with a pastry blender until the butter pieces are the size of grains of rice. Add the buttermilk, and stir to combine.

Place dough on a lightly floured surface, and finish combining by kneading. Pat or roll dough into a square that is approximately 11″ x 11″ and is 3/4″ thick. Using a floured 3-inch round cutter or glass to make biscuits. Place biscuits on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Gather scraps into a ball, pat dough into another square, and cut more biscuits. Repeat process until all dough has been used.

Brush skim milk on tops of biscuits. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1 Tb. cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle on top of biscuits. (Remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture can be saved in a sealed container.) Bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove biscuits from cookie sheet, and place on cooling rack.

Makes 14 biscuits.

If you read this blog frequently, you will know that Monday evenings are crazy in our house. This past Monday was even busier than usual, as our younger daughter had a doctor’s appointment at 5:30 about an hour from home. Therefore, not only were the adults going to have a late dinner, but so were the kids.

Although the kids suggested doing take-out, I thought I would make a quick dinner at home. With vacations and special events, there had been enough fast food already. As a trade, I offered to make homemade waffles, which was accepted as an excellent alternative by all four. So, after the whirlwind of making and serving waffles, coordinating showers, and reading bedtime books, we were ready for dinner for the adults.

Obviously, I didn’t want to make a late dinner that would require a lot of work, but I wanted something with a quiet, romantic twist. I have made fondue many times, but I wanted to try something different, as we had a block of aged provolone cheese in our refrigerator. Adding some fresh mozzarella for gooey-ness and basil for Italian flavoring, it seeemed that this recipe should be a hit.

My next decision was what to serve as dippers for the fondue. My favorite item to dip in any fondue is good sourdough bread. I decided also to use green apple pieces, broccoli florets, and pear chunks. All of these items were delicious, except for the pear. Although I enjoy pear, it’s flavor was too delicate to compliment the fondue.

Served with a glass of Riesling, this made a delicious, late night dinner.

Fondue with an Italian Twist

1 garlic clove

3/4 cup Riesling (or Sauvignon Blanc)

1-1/2 Tb. flour

3/4 fresh mozzarella, diced

1-1/2 cup provolone, shredded

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1 loaf sourdough bread, cubed

2 green apples, diced

1/2 lb. broccoli florets, blanched

Cut garlic clove in half, and rub cut sides on inside of fondue pot. Add Riesling to pot, and place on burner. While wine is heating, toss mozzarella and provolone with the flour. When wine begins to boil, add cheese mixture in small amounts, stirring constantly. When cheeses have melted, add basil, and stir well. Reduce heat, and begin dipping bread, apples, and broccoli!

In my last post, I described the Hawaiian-inspired dinner for two that I created.  As I was visualizing the two dishes (a pineapple and soy sauce marinated pork tenderloin and cinnamon-sugar grilled pineapple) and the accompanying drink (a coconut and pineapple combination), it seemed that the meal might be a little too sweet.  To balance the sweetness, I decided to make a side dish that had no fruit or sweetness.  Also, as it was a late meal I wanted to make something that was light and quick to prepare.

Both of us love cheese, which makes an excellent contrast to fruit, so it seemed like a perfect ingredient in the side dish.  With a refrigerator that always has an assortment of cheeses, I checked out my options.  I found a block of Parmesan and wondered what I could create.

I am an eater who enjoys crunch in her meals, so I decided that I would combine the Parmesan with a few other ingredients, pop them in the oven for a few minutes, and make a fast and tasty side dish.  The result of my experiment was a batch of Parmesan Crisps that both of us enjoyed.  I plan to make them for the kids one day soon, as they, too, enjoy cheese and should find this to be a tasty snack.

Parmesan Crisps

1 cup Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated

4 tsp. flour

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375.  Grease cookie sheet.  In a small bowl, combine the cheese and flour.  Add pepper to season.  Place rounded tablespoons of mixture half inch apart on cookie sheet.  Bake for approximately 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve immediately, or place on a cooling rack.

Makes 1 dozen.

With a live animal show at our local library, the kids needed to have an early dinner last night.  However, with a work meeting scheduled for 6:30, the adults needed a late dinner.  So, in the interest of making dinners that pleased everyone, the kids had hot dogs while I planned a surprise meal for the adults.

Thinking about our upcoming, though delayed, honeymoon to Hawaii, I decided to make foods with that flair.  When I was at the grocery store, I found a special on pork tenderloin, which became the basis for our meal.  I also purchased a pineapple to accompany the pork.

Rummaging through our cupboards, I created what I thought would make a sweet and flavorful Hawaiian marinade.  As I would be grilling the pork, I decided that the pineapple should be grilled also.  Instead of just serving the pineapple plain, I decided to add a little extra flavor to that also.

Served with my own version of a Hawaiian cocktail and parmesan crisps, this was a wonderful dinner for us.

Hawaiian Pork

1 4-ounce can pineapple juice

1/4 soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1 lb. pork tenderloin

Cut pork into 1 inch slices.  Combine first four ingredients in a resealable gallon bag and add pork.  Seal and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours.  Preheat grill to medium heat.  Place pork slices on grill and cook for 4 minutes per side.  (Times may vary for each grill.)  Discard marinade.  Serve pork immediately when done.

Grilled Pineapple

1/2 pineapple, cored and peeled

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tb. cinnamon

Cut pineapple into 1-1/2 inch cubes. Pour coconut milk into a small bowl.  Combine the sugar and cinnamon in another small bowl.  Preheat grill to medium heat.

Make an assembly line starting with cubed pineapple, then a bowl of coconut milk, next a bowl of sugar and cinnamon, and finally an empty plate on which to place the completed cubes. Dip one pineapple cube in the coconut milk and allow the excess to drip off.  Then place the pineapple in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Finally set cubes on the last plate.  Put completed cubes on metal skewers.

Put skewers of pineapple on grill and cook for approximately 3 minutes per side.  Serve immediately.

July is full swing, and the dog days of August are almost upon us. What’s a cook to do when the kitchen is sweltering – and the oven isn’t even on?

Grill it. Smoky, chargrilled dinners are a summertime staple. Invest in a grill pan and some skewers, and you can cook almost any food over a fire. When the food’s done, make s’mores by roasting marshmallows over the coals for a fun, summertime dessert. (If you have never made s’mores, read the how-to article on our sister site, Outdoors Eagle.)

Use a slow-cooker. It’s not just for cheese dip anymore! The internet abounds in recipes for the slowcooker, and almost any recipe, including bread, cakes, and casseroles can be adapted. It’s a very forgivable method of cooking, and food will stay hot, without getting burned, if that baseball game runs long. For an even cooler kitchen, set up a table outside on the patio or in the garage, and cook there. All you need is an electrical outlet!

Cook once, eat lots. When you do bake in the oven, make extra. Baking an extra fillet of salmon or some chicken breasts won’t make the kitchen any hotter but will save heating up the oven later. Use the extra for cold dishes such as sandwiches, chicken salad, or topping a bagel.

Eat raw. Salads are a natural fit for summertime. Get some ham, chicken, or turkey from the deli, open a can of beans, and wash up some greens to make a meal of it. Canned tuna and cannellini beans, or black beans and corn are great combos packed with protein. Put a stack of plates in the refrigerator to chill and enjoy a healthy, refreshing meal.

With these tasty ideas, there’s no reason to sweat your way through meals ever again. Happy summertime eats!

Monday night is our late dinner night.  With a weekly work phone call for my fiance that lasts until 6:30 and then the drive home, dinner for the adults isn’t before 7:30.  So, the kids get some sort of exciting kid dinner, such as hot dogs or chicken nuggets, and we get a fun adult dinner.  This plan makes all parties happy.

With it being summer, I enjoy making lighter meals.  For our grown-ups only meal, I also try and use as many non-kid friendly ingredients as possible.  We can enjoy a more adventurous meal without seeing little noses crinkle.

As we had leftover Champagne Vinaigrette, I wanted to make a salad that would work with this dressing.  Spinach salad is not popular with the youngsters, so that seemed to be the perfect base for our meal.  Add a a few ingredients, serve it with some multi-grain pita bread and dipping oil, and we had the makings of a delicious dinner for two.

Spinach Salad with Pear and Bleu Cheese

6 oz. bag baby spinach

1 bosc pear

2 oz. bleu cheese

1/4 cup pecan halves

Champagne Vinaigrette

Rinse spinach and drain well.  Core pear, and dice into bite-sized pieces.  Divide spinach into 2 large salad bowls.  Sprinkle pear, bleu cheese, and pecans atop spinach.  Serve with vinaigrette.

*For a more filling salad, grilled chicken can be added.

As I mentioned in a previous post, we took a trip to Whole Foods the other weekend.  Both my fiance and I enjoy a wide variety of cheeses and were not disappointed with the cheese counter at that store.  Perusing the selection, I noticed some wedges of Wensleydale with cranberries.  I asked the clerk behind the counter about this cheese, and he generously offered samples to us.

The cheese was slightly crumbly with a hint of acidity to its flavor.  The cranberries offered a nice contrast to the taste of the cheese.  Upon first bite, I knew we would need to bring some home.  What would take more time was deciding how to serve the cheese.

I knew that the cheese would be popular with none of our four children, so that gave a greater range of options for recipes.  Having recently seen recipes for grilled cheese and fruit sandwiches, I decided to make a slightly different version, which led to our French toast combination.

I found that it tasted best with a drizzle of maple syrup, while my husband-to-be opted for honey.  Served with a glass of Merlot, this made for an excellent dinner for two.

French Toast with Apples and Cheese

4 slices multi-grain boule, cut 1/2″ thick

1/3 cup egg whites

1 tsp. vanilla

dash nutmeg

unsalted butter

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced

4 oz. Wensleydale cheese with cranberries, thinly sliced

In a wide, shallow dish (such as a pie pan), mix the egg whites, vanilla, and nutmeg.  Preheat griddle or large frying pan over medium heat.  When heated, melt a small amount of butter in the frying pan, just enough to coat the bottom lightly.  Place one piece of bread in the egg mixture, coating the bottom.  Flip the bread, so that the second side gets coated with egg mixture.  Remove bread from pie pan, and place in frying pan.   Cook for 2 minutes, or until the bottom is golden brown.  Flip, and continue for an additional 2 minutes. Repeat process with remaining pieces of bread.

Place french toast on a broiler-proof pan.  Top each slice with 4 - 5 apple slices.  Place slices of Wensleydale on top.  Put tray under broiler for 1 or 2 minutes, watching to ensure that the cheese doesn’t burn.

Serve immediately, with honey or maple syrup, if desired.

Looking for an interesting Saturday night dinner, we decided to try a dish that had fruit included.  Although native blueberries weren’t quite ready, we knew we would be shopping at Whole Foods and decided that we would be able to find some decent produce there.

So, this past Saturday, with just us two adults in attendance, we embarked on the 35 minute drive to the nearest Whole Foods.  Knowing that we would have an afternoon of shopping, we packed a cooler in hopes of finding interesting foods that would need to be kept chilled.

We were not disappointed.  We found 3 varieties of hummus, 2 unique cheeses, excellent salami, and delicious green olives, among many other items.  We even found some organic blueberries to use for that night’s dinner.  With everything packed in the cooler, we spent several hours shopping and browsing at an area mall (especially enjoying all of the cooking stores).  Upon returning home, together we cooked this delicious meal for two.

With blueberry season beginning just today in our area, I am sure this recipe will be on our menu again in the next couple weeks.

Blueberry Salsa-Topped Chicken

2 boneless chicken breasts

juice of 1 lime

1 Tb. extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

blueberry salsa*

Place chicken, lime, and olive oil in a medium bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover and place in refrigerator to marinate for 1 - 2 hours.  Preheat grill.  Cook chicken over medium heat for 3 -4 minutes per side.  Make sure chicken is fully cooked before removing from grill.

Place chicken breasts on dinner plates, and top with blueberry salsa.

Serves 2.

Blueberry Salsa

1 pint blueberries

1 Tb. habanero pepper, finely chopped

2 Tb. shallot, minced

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. dried cilantro

1 tsp. dried basil

1 Tbsp. fresh mint, finely chopped

juice of 1 lime

Put 1 cup of blueberries in a medium bowl, and mash with a fork.  Add habanero, shallots, salt, cilantro, basil, mint, and lime juice, and mix well.  Add remaining blueberries, and stir.  Chill, if desired.