Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

I have a real love for Panera's Broccoli Cheddar Soup. In fact, I get it 99.9% of the time that I go there. It can be 100 degrees out and I will order my soup with a smoked turkey sandwich (or a sierra turkey if I really want to be bad). The calories aren't really that high for the 1/2 portion, but when I moved to Nashville I moved away from Panera. I have one by work, but I really don't have time to get there and it isn't conveniently on my way home (especially now that I have a baby in tow).

Anyway, I can safely say that I was having some serious withdrawls. Especially when the fall weather hit, I needed some soup and stat. Enter in Pinterest. Adam helped me whip up this soup and it was seriously so easy and so delicious. We both really enjoyed this and next time I will double the recipe and freeze half.

I love that there is no heavy cream involved. And I used skim milk. It was still creamy and perfect with a baguette, a la panera :) the only thing that I had to change was the rue (the water and flour mix) - the soup wasn't thickening up enough so at the end we added in another portion of rue, only less water and more flour - and it thickened up perfectly. So you may have to play around with that, but leave it until the end to see. Sorry for the crap pic, we ate it at night and had no leftover to photograph the next day.

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder (from LuLu the Baker)

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped carrot

1 celery stick, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

4 cups chicken broth 1 Tablespoon flour

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup milk

2 cups chopped broccoli

2 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large soup pot.  Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender.  Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes. 

Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook 25-30 minutes.  

Mix flour with water, add, and simmer until soup is slightly thickened.  

Add milk and broccoli and cook until broccoli is just tender and soup is heated through.  Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve.

Biggest Loser Sweet Potato Skins

Fall Sundays = Football. Football = Snacks. Snacks = High Calorie Yumminess.

I love to snack. I love to pick out what Im going to make, prep it, whip it up and sit back and enjoy it. Any time of sport is the perfect excuse for eating snacks. All day. I dont care what sport it is, just let me eat while I watch and it'll all be ok. Of course, if you care at all about what you're putting into your body then you probably have a guilty feeling after the day is over and you go to tally your calories.

So, I've turned to pinterest for my spruced up versions of typical snacks. For example - potato skins. You love them loaded with gooey, stringy cheese and bacon, sour cream and chives. I promise you that this skinny version tastes just as fantastic. The spices give it a kick and a flavor that just mixes really well with the sweetness of the potato. Try this and I promise it won't disappoint. It would even be perfect for your holiday party since it's in and out of the oven then onto the table.

Biggest Loser Sweet Potato Skins (slightly adapted from prevention.com)
16 ounces, 1/2"-thick sweet potatoes (I have no clue how many ounces I used but I did about 2 medium sized potatoes)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
2 ounces shredded  low-fat Cheddar cheese
3 strips Turkey Bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 tbs finely chopped scallions (i personally don't think you can ever have enough green onion so I load it on)
2 tablespoons Fat Free Sour Cream

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with foil.

In a large bowl, toss the potatoes and oil together until the potatoes are well coated.

Place the potato rounds in a single layer on the prepared pan so they do not touch. Sprinkle the salt, garlic powder, and cayenne evenly over the top of the potatoes. Bake them for 10 minutes. Flip them and bake for 7 to 9 minutes longer, or until they are tender inside and starting to brown lightly on the outside.

Push the potato rounds together so that they touch and you can easily top them in a single, even layer. First place the Cheddar, then the bacon, and then the scallions over the rounds. Bake for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Serve immediately with sour cream.

Zucchini Rice

This is a pretty awful photo but don't let that deter you - this was a nice twist to regular, plain brown rice. I had zucchini leftover from the fries and I saw this recipe in my google reader and concluded that it was meant to be. I made 2 cups of rice and then used half for this recipe and will use the leftover for some shrimp fried rice later in the week - killing 2 birds with one stone on a weeknight is always a plus!

Zucchini Rice (slightly adapted from A Taste of Home Cooking)
1 cup minute Brown Rice, uncooked
1 cup Chicken Stock
1/2 Tbsp Butter (I chose smart balance)
1/4 Zucchini, grated or matchstick
Cheddar Cheese -  I used under 1/4 cup and just eyeballed it to add a touch of flavor but not overpower
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper

Cook rice according to package using chicken stock instead of water. Once done add in butter and zucchini and cover. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add in cheese, salt and pepper and serve.

Zucchini Fries

I have a massive love for sweet potato fries. When they brown and caramelize the flavor that mixes with the salt is unbelievable and I could eat them all day. I think that Adam gets tired of them and so one day he made us Zucchini Fries. I wanted to add them to our football sunday mix last week so this time I was in charge of preparing. The are a bit time consuming simply for the fact that they need to be thin in order to crisp up and reach the perfect consistency, but they are worth the effort and they reheat very well in the toaster oven (in fact I am eating leftovers right now as I watch Titanic!).

Zucchini Fries
2 large Zucchini - halved lengthwise and sliced thin
Italian Breadcrumbs
Kosher Salt
Pepper
TJ's Everyday Seasoning (although you can use anything on hand or nothing at all)
2 Eggs, whisked

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a shallow bowl.

Dredge zucchini strips in egg and then coat with the dry mix. Place on baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Flip and increase the temperature to 450 - bake another 12 minutes. Serve hot

Parmesan Orzo

Orzo is the perfect combination of rice and pasta and warm goodness. I love getting it out at restaurants but have not actually made it myself. I have to highly recommend this as a side for any meal! It was cheesy and wonderful, light fluffy and just dreamy. I loved it and the serving size was perfect for 2 people, plus a little bit of leftover. It took about 15 minutes to come together, so it wont take over your night, but will taste like it did!

Parmesan Orzo (from Stephanie Cooks)
1 Tbsp butter
1 cup orzo
1 can of chicken broth (I made my own broth with the bouillon packets and 2 cups water)
A few shakes of parsley
A few shakes of garlic powder
1/2 cup of freshly shredded parmesan cheese, plus 4 tbsp for topping
Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

 Heat butter and dry orzo over medium/high heat until pasta is toasted and golden (not all of the pasta, just some)

Pour in the can of broth and seasonings. Cook on medium heat. The orzo will absorb the broth. Once most of the broth is absorbed, remove from the heat.

 Mix in the parmesan cheese and stir until smooth and creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle with additional cheese when serving if you like.

Pretzel Rolls

These pretzel rolls were one of the first things that I ever logged into my google reader as a must make. Obviously time got away from me and I just ended up making them yesterday. I was really surprised at how simple they were! I really recommend eating them fresh out of the oven, and if not you should warm them again in the oven before serving. They are pretty tasty and I will make them again for sandwiches!


Pretzel Rolls (from Homemade by Holman, originally Three Square)
This recipe made 8 rolls for the other bakers, but only 6 for me

2 3/4 cups bread flour

1 envelope quick-rising yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 c. plus 2 tbsp hot water (approx. 125F)

8 cups water

1/4 c. baking soda

2 tablespoons sugar

1 egg white, beaten to blend

Coarse salt

Combine bread flour, 1 envelope yeast, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon sugar and blend. Gradually pour hot water, adding enough water to form smooth elastic dough. Knead for 1 minute. Grease medium bowl. Add dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then towel; let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 35 minutes.

Flour clear area of counter. Punch dough down and knead on lightly floured surface until smooth. Divide into 8 pieces. Form each dough piece into ball. Place dough balls on prepared surface, flattening each slightly. Using serrated knife, cut X in top center of each dough ball. Cover with towel and let dough balls rise until almost doubled in volume, about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bring 8 cups water to boil in large saucepan. Add baking soda and 2 tablespoons sugar. Add 4 rolls and cook 30 seconds per side. Using slotted spoon, transfer rolls to prepared sheet, arranging X side up. Repeat with remaining rolls.

Brush rolls with egg white glaze. Sprinkle rolls generously with coarse salt. Bake rolls until brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool 10 minutes. Serve rolls warm or room temperature.

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

I have had these biscuits bookmarked/starred in my reader for over a year, courtesy of Stephanie Cooks. The thing I enjoy about red lobster is their biscuits, and I always happen to overindulge in them. I only go the that restaurant once every few years, so the fact that I waited so long to make these surprises me a bit. These are spectacluar. They are the most amazing combination of bread, cheese, garlic and salt. I could eat them all day and not care about anything else. I am not even exaggerating - they are that good! And there's really nothing else to say!

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits
made 6 large biscuits for me
2 cups Buttermilk Biscuit Mix (Bisquick of Jiffy)
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1.5 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
2/3 cup Milk
2 tbsp Butter
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Garlic Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Stir biscuit mix, cheese and garlic powder until combined. Add milk and continue stirring. The mix should be thick.

Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Melt butter in a small bowl and add oregano and garlic salt. Using a pastry brush, brush the butter mix onto the tops of the biscuits.

Bake for another 2-5 minutes. Serve hot!

Easy Peasy Fried Rice

When I decided to cook some Mongolian Beef last night, I wanted to do something other than regular brown rice as the side dish. The logical solution is obviously Fried Rice! This is extremely easy and quick and also a great way to use up some leftover plain rice that you have sitting in your fridge. Also, I always think that it's fun to use the wok, the way everything smoothly slips and slides around the sides. I do have to say that the sauce of the beef went really well with this dish, better than adding more soy before eating.

Easy Peasy Fried Rice
2 cups Brown Rice
1/2 package Frozen Carrots and Peas
2 Large Eggs
1/2 White Onion
3 Green Onions, chopped
4-5 tbsp Soy Sauce (add according to taste, I didn't measure)
1.5 tbsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp Olive Oil
1.5 tsp Rice Vinegar

Cook rice according to package and set in the fridge until cold, about 30 minutes or overnight.

Place your wok on high heat and add olive oil followed by peas, carrots and white onion. Toss and cook until tender. Move vegetables to one side of the wok and crack eggs on the other side. Let sit for about 30 seconds, then scramble.

Add rice, Sesame Oil, Rice Vinegar and Soy Sauce. Toss to coat and combine and cook until heated through. Add green onions and serve immediately.

Lime Cilantro Sweet Potatoes with Black Beans

Excuse my awful photo

When I saw this recipe come up in my google reader from Beantown Baker, I tagged it under my 'potatoes' folder and kind of forgot about it. When I was looking for some dinner ideas I stumbled upon it again and decided it would be perfect for this week. I made the whole batch on Monday night and now it will last me through Thursday. It was simple, fast and DELICIOUS. When I work out after 9 hours at work and a 45 minute commute home, I am hungry and not in the mood to wait 2 hours to eat. This is easily a go to side dish that requires little effort and time. It would also be a good addition to any BBQ or cook out in the summer months.

I love roasted sweet potatoes, I love cilantro and anything mexican-feeling. This went well with the cuban wrap that I made, and I will definitely pair it with anything from tacos and fajitas to enchiladas. Pop the potatoes in the oven while you get something done around the house, then mix everything together and youre good to go. I think it may just save you on a hectic night.

Lime Cilantro Sweet Potatoes with Black Beans (From Beantown Baker, originally Epicurious)

2 tbsp olive oil

3 medium Sweet Potatoes
1 large can of Black Beans, rinsed
Juice of 2 Limes
1 tsp Kosher Salt, divided
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/4 cup Chopped Cilantro


Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
Toss the diced sweet potatoes with oil and 1/2 tsp of salt and spread evenly on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake about 20 minutes (time will depend on the size of the sweet potato pieces), or until tender. Remove and let cool.

Combine the lime juice, remaining salt, and cayenne together and mix well in a large bowl (big enough to fit all of the potatoes). Add the black beans and sweet potatoes and toss well. Sprinkle with cilantro and toss again.

Bacon-Cheddar Grits

I have never been much into grits, because I really didn't grow up on them. I would have never tried them if Adam wasn't such a fan, either. Everytime we go out to breakfast he orders a side of them, and I was convinced that I did not like them at first. They did look sort of like a thicker cream of wheat though, which I did eat a lot as a kid. Eventually I tried a spoonful from his bowl and decided that I may like this! Especially with cheese.....mmmmm. So, when a recipe for Bacon and Cheese Grits popped up on Google Reader, I decided to bookmark it and save it for the perfect time. They are from the Pineapple Grass blog, which is a blogger I deeply relate with, food-wise. Some blogs I follow just for pretty pictures, but this blog actually offers me dishes that I want to make, and they always come out great.

5 months after bookmarking, I decided to make these grits for Adam's birthday weekend. They have bacon, cheddar and jalapenos so I really didn't think that much could go wrong with them, and I was right. Pineapple Grass hit a home run again! It was like a complete breakfast, rolled into one single bowl. I served it as a side with bagels and eggs, but it could definitely be a complete breakfast itself. This made a lot, so if you're making it for 2 you will definitely have leftovers, which is a really good thing because they were even better the next day, once the flavors were able to meld together and sit for a while.

Bacon-Cheddar Grits (from Pineapple Grass)
4 slices bacon, finely chopped (you could definitely up this to 6 slices)
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
4-1/2 c. water
1 c. quick-cooking grits
salt and pepper
1-1/2 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese (or a cheddar blend)

In a medium saucepan, cook bacon and jalapeno over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bacon is browned, about 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon and jalapeno to a small bowl. Remove pan from heat and carefully add 4-1/2 c. water.

Bring liquid to a boil over high heat and whisk in grits. Whisk until mixture begins to thicken, then reduce heat to low and gently simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, 25 minutes or until creamy. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper.

Whisk in 1 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese and 3/4 of the bacon mixture. Pour into a 2-quart serving dish and top with 1/2 c. cheddar and remaining bacon mixture

Twice Baked Potato Cups

Tonight half of the family was out of town, so I cooked up dinner for Meaghy, my dad and Myself and Meaghy made the dessert. I did chicken and decided it was time to try out these Potato Cups from The Way The Cookie Crumbles. I made a few changes, but I loved how simple they were to throw together. The cayenne pepper gave it a really nice flavor without being overly spicy. Meaghy thought it was Old Bay when I was putting it all together, which made me think that Old Bay would be a really good taste to add too, so maybe next time! You can change the ingredients to suit your taste, and these would be great for a dinner party.

Twice Baked Potato Cups (adapted from The Way The Cookie Crumbles)
2 extra large russet potatoes, scrubbed
1 cup coarsely grated parmesan cheese + 1/4 cup
½ cup light sour cream
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 tablespoons butter
4 Green onions, chopped



1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Pierce potatoes in several places with fork, then place potatoes directly on oven rack and bake until tender when pierced with fork, about 55 minutes. Cool potatoes slightly.

2. Cut off thin slice from both short ends of each potato and discard. Cut each potato crosswise in half; stand each half on its small flat end. Using teaspoon, scoop out cooked potato pulp from each half, leaving ⅓-inch-thick shell and forming potato cup. Place potato cups in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Place potato pulp in medium bowl; add cheese, sour cream, onion, butter and cayenne. Using potato masher or fork, mash until well blended and almost smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place some extra cheese at the bottom of the cup, then mound mashed potato mixture in potato cups. Sprinkle a little more cheese on top. For any extra filling, place in a ramekin and sprinkles cheese on top, then bake.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake potato cups until heated through, about 20 minutes.

Pioneer Woman's Macaroni and Cheese

There seems to be only 2 sides to thoughts of the Pioneer Woman and her recipes and it's a love/hate kind of thing. I have not made any of her recipes yet, but I have been drooling over this Macaroni and Cheese from my google reader from My Baking Heart, originally taken straight from the pages of The Pioneer Woman Cooks. It turned out perfect, just the way I like my mac'n cheese; creamy but a but chunky.

I made very minor changes to this, and I also put about half away in the freezer, so that we can pull it out later and just bake it up. The skim milk that I used still lead to a great dish, so something to consider if you're trying to cut down calories/fat.

Macaroni and Cheese (from My Baking Heart, originally from The Pioneer Woman Cooks)
4 c dry macaroni
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c butter (1/2 stick or 4 tbsp)
1/4 c all-purpose flour
2-1/2 c whole milk (I used 2 1/4 cups skim milk and 1/4 cup heavy cream)
2 heaping tsp dry mustard (or more to taste)
1 lb cheddar or other desired cheese, grated (I added about 1/4 cup Parmesan for topping at the end)
1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp seasoned salt (or more to taste) (I just used another 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper)
1 tsp ground black pepper

Cook the macaroni until very firm. The macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. (If you’re in a hurry and don’t want to bake the macaroni and cheese, cook it now until it’s done.) Drain.
In a small bowl, beat the egg. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a large oval or rectangular baking dish. In a large pot, melt the butter and sprinkle in the flour. Whisk it together over medium-low heat. Cook for 5 minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn. Pour in the milk. Add the mustard and whisk until smooth. Cook for 5 minutes or until very thick, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to low.

To temper the egg, slowly pour 1/4 cup of the sauce into the beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the egg. Whisk until smooth. Pour the egg mixture into the sauce, whisking until smooth. Add in all but 1/2 cup of the cheese and stir until melted.

Add the seasonings. Taste the sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed. Do not undersalt or you’ll regret it for the rest of your life! Pour in the cooked, drained macaroni and stir to combine. Serve immediately or pour into the baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until bubbly and golden on top. Serve to hungry humans.

To freeze, simply follow directions up to baking. Instead of baking, put into individual size containers and wrap for freezing. When you're ready to eat, just thaw and bake!

Champagne Risotto

If you like risotto, you have to put this on your meal plan! It was my first time making risotto, so I literally researched recipes and tips for about 2 hours. I had this recipe from Telly's Tasty Tidbits in my google reader and ultimately decided to go with it. It was very easy and the time put forth was so worth it. I left out the chicken since I was using it as a side dish, but it would be good with the chicken in the dish also. For me, this made 4 large side portions.

This recipe does inform you to keep your ingredients warm, but some do not. So if you are new to making risotto, as I am, just remember to use all ingredients warm so that you don't bring down the cooking temperature. I literally put my sweat into this, as the house hadn't cooled down from it's 82 degree temp from the daytime, so make sure it's cool enough to stand over your stove for 30 minutes!

Champagne Risotto (from Telly's Tasty Tidbits)
2 Tablespoons butter
1 shallot, finely chopped (I used half of a white onion)
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup arborio rice, or medium-grain white rice
1 cup dry champagne
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 - 3/4 pound chopped grilled chicken
1 Tablespoon heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
S & P to taste

In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil, reduce heat and simmer.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Add the shallot and cook until tender, about 2-3 minutes.  Toss the garlic in with the onion about 1 minute in to the cooking to so it doesn't burn.  Add the rice and stir to coat in the butter.  Continue roasting the rice, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes.

Add champagne and simmer until most of the liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup of the broth and stir until almost completely absorbed by the rice, about 2 minutes.

Continue cooking the rice, adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still al dente (firm to the bite).  About 20 minutes total.  Remove from heat.

Gently stir in heavy cream, cooked chicken, Parmesan and S & P to taste.

Baked Potato

I know that people think baked potatoes are the easiest thing to make, but I like to think that mine are better than average. This was confirmed when I made them the other week and got a big eyed look from Adam who proclaimed 'This is the best potato I've ever had at home!' I had to agree that these just came out perfect, we even baked one up the next night. I know that people will call potatoes baked in foil 'steamed' but they are still baking in the oven, and the foil really keeps in the flavor and texture and keeps the skin soft and moist. I loaded them up, since it was the weekend and all, but you could really eat this as a meal itself, and it wouldn't be too bad for you.

Baked Potatoes
2 Large Baking Potatoes
4 tbsp Fat Free Sour Cream
2 tbsp Butter - I use Smart Taste with Flax Seed Oil
4 Green Onion, chopped
4 tbsp Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Aluminum Foil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While it is heating up, clean potatoes and puncture with a fork all the way around. Microwave both potatoes at once, for 5 minutes.

Drizzle olive oil on the potato and rub in so that the entire surface is covered. Sprinkle kosher salt and wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Place on center rack in oven and bake for 50 minutes, turning over half way through.

Remove from oven and foil. Make a slit in the top of the potato and carefully mash, with a knife, the inside of potato while keeping the skin intact, add cheese, butter, sourcream, s&p and green onion.

Lemon Mayo

A few weeks back, we decided to take advantage of the fresh fish market in Gaiensville. We got some fresh tuna steaks and swordfish. I was looking for different sides to make and found this lemon mayonnaise idea from Jamie Oliver. Although mine ended up being differemt, because the single lemon that I used was extremely potent. I had to add a lot of different things to calm down the flavor, and it ended up pairing nicely with both the asparagus and all of the fish. I even ended up making a sandwich with the leftover fish the next day, buy simply using some sourgdough slices, slapping on some oof this mayo and then the fish. For the asparagus, I simply cooked in a skillet on high heat, while we grilled the fish.

Lemon Mayo
Mayonnaise - Light with Olive Oil
1 large Lemon
Garlic Powder
Kosher Salt
Pepper

Use all according to taste. Squeeze lemon juice into mayo, and add garlic powder, salt and pepper until you get the desired flavor. Serve with fish or veggies.

Tomato/Mozzarella/Basil 'Skewers'

I was looking for an easy and light app to make this weekend, and this is always a good combination. The way I see it, you just can't go wrong with cheese tomato and basil. Adam has been growing some veggies and herbs, but the tomatoes weren't ripe yet, so we only got to use the basil from the 'garden'. It's something that isn't too filling and is fun to munch on. I read about people putting these on wooden skewers for parties and such, but since it was just two of us I stuck them on toothpicks. I snapped this picture before I drizzled balsamic vinegar on the bottom of the plate, this lets the cheese soak all of the flavor up. But that's another good thing about this, it can be made in advance and placed in the fridge until you're ready.

Tomato/Mozzarella/Basil 'Skewers'
Large Tomatoes
Fresh Basil Leaves
Balsamic Vinegar
Wood Skewers or Toothpicks

Cube mozzarella and tomato. Cut large basil leaves in half. Place on your skewer or toothpick and arrange on a plate.

If using toothpicks, drizzle balsamic vinegar on hte bottom of the dish until it covers all servings. If using skewers, you can drizzle on top of them.

Macaroni Salad

We pretty much used the grill the entire weekend, grilling burgers, hot dogs, steaks and ribs, so all of our sides were consistent with the bbq theme. I can't express our love for macaroni salad enough, we usually buy it from publix and devour the whole container in one sitting, just the two of us. It really is sick, especially when you look at all of the calories in it. Adam decided to make his own (although I played sous chef) and tried out this recipe from allrecipes.com. We were conisistent with the instructions, only making a few minor changes, and it turned out great, the 4.5 star rating is not a lie! I would suggest letting it sit overnight, as it had to best flavor the next day. Now I am left wondering if Adam has devoured the entire bowl of it by now.....thank goodness I didnt bring any home with me!

Macaroni Salad (from AllRecipes.com)
4 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1 cup mayonnaise (we used light mayo....and I admit we used 2 cups, it was jsut too mustardy without it)
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
2/3 cup white sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup grated carrot (optional) -omitted
2 tablespoons chopped pimento peppers (optional) -omitted


Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain.

In a large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir in the onion, celery, green pepper, carrot, pimentos and macaroni. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving, but preferably overnight.

I would wait until this point to add extra mayo, if you choose to.

Sweet Potato Wedges

A little over a year ago Adam introduced me to something that would seriously change my life: roasted sweet potato wedges. I wasn't a big SP person before, and once I took my first bite I was hooked. I'm sure he regretted it, because everytime he asked what we were making for dinner/snack/lunch I offered up the suggestion of 'SWEET POTATO WEDGES!!' I made minor changes, to make them my 'own,' but they are pretty basic. I can literally eat a whole bowl of these by myself. In fact, I made them 3 times over the weekend!

Sweet Potato Wedges
Large Sweet Potaotoes
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Ground Black Pepper
Dried Oregano

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cut Potatoes in half, and keep halving until you have wedges that are about half an inch thick on the bottom. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with Olive Oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano. Flip potatoes to the other side, using a spatula, and repeat.

Baking time will depend on how many potatoes you have. When I do a whole baking sheet, I usually bake for 20 minutes, flip potatoes, and bake for 20 more. The potatoes will brown on the bottom when it is time to be flipped.

Taco Pasta Salad

I mentioned how I have been wanting to try this Wagon Wheel Taco Pasta Salad for almost a year now; it has been blogged by so many people, but originated here, on Cara's Cravings. I think it was so hyped that I expected too much. Everyone loved it, especially all of the cilantro. I thought it was good, but this left something to be desired for me, personally. Maybe it was because I couldn't find wagon wheel pasta and had to settle for another, or because I left out the avacado since Adam hates it. It really is something different to whip up and bring to a party or to serve, because it is not your ordinary pasta salad. I will say, there was half the bowl gone so everyone enjoyed! I am inputting the original recipe here, since I followed it exactly, except for the 2 changes mentioned above.


Taco Pasta Salad (from Cara's Cravings)
1lb wagon wheel pasta
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 10oz package frozen corn (I don't even bother thawing it, because I always make this at least a few hours before serving, so it plenty of time to defrost)
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
8oz shredded Mexican-blend cheese
1 1/2 cups salsa
1/2 cup olive oil
3-4 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp cumin
1-2 tsp chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
freshly ground salt & pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 avocado, diced

Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.

In a large bowl, combine the black beans, corn, tomatoes, salsa, and cheese. Add the cooled pasta and mix well.

In another bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin and chili powder. Pour over the pasta salad, add the cilantro, and mix well. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Just before serving, stir in the diced avocado.

Crash Red Potatoes

It is not a secret that I love potatoes. Mashed potatoes were one of my top foods growing up, and everywhere I go I like to get a side of them with my meal. I can make a mean baked potato, and most recently I've become addicted to roasted sweet potatoe wedges. I was wanting to do soemthing a little different, so I did crash potatoes the other night. They are simple and when you have a dinner that takes a while to make, its nice to be able to throw these in some water then into the oven.

Crash Red Potatoes
Red Potatoes
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Oregano

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place potatoes in a pot of boiling water, for about 40 minutes, depending on how many potatoes you are making. When they are fork tender, they are ready to be taken out.

Place on a baking sheet and using a potato masher, or the top of a meat pounder like me, smash down the potatoes so that the inside is exposed.

Drizzle with olive oil and top with salt, pepper and oregano. Bake in the over for about 15 minutes, or unti lcooked all the way through and the skin is crisp.