Flip Flop Nutter Butters

For those of you who know me personally, you know that I am on a new wellness journey to good health and weight loss. This might answer your question as to why I have not been "blogging" lately. I am on a whole new nutrition and health plan that includes ONLY natural and organic foods. That being said, I stopped blogging because I haven't been able to make anything terribly exciting lately with my limitations in the food department as of now. But good  news...I feel fantastic and it's working! When I can begin to add some foods back, I will start blogging some good eats again. :)

Doesn't this make you wonder why I am posting a recipe for cookies I just made? We have an end of summer, family BBQ to attend tomorrow. I pondered whether or not I should make a dessert, but I decided in the long run, that temptations will always be in my way, so I better start learning how to resist them. I made these cute little summer cookies to take tomorrow and NO, I did NOT eat a single one. Not even a crumb!! *Thank you...Thank you* (I would take a bow, but if I did, I just might be tempted to pick up one of those cookies in my mouth on the way back up!)   ;)

1 pkg Nutter Butter cookies
1 tub store bought white frosting
Food coloring (I used gel color as it's easier to mix)

These are super easy to make. Lay out all your nutter butters in a single layer on a cookie sheet or foil. Place small amounts of white frosting in a few separate bowls. Using food coloring, dye each small amount of frosting the color you would like to decorate your cookies with. Using a small round tip, pipe the colored frosting onto each cookie to resemble the straps. Continue with each color using a new bag or cleaning the bag in between colors. **(It might be easier if you just use baggies and snip the corner off to decorate these, then you can just throw  away the bag...no muss, no fuss. But I was out of baggies!) Change the tip to a small flower tip if you want to put the flower at the top of the flip flop. If not, it looks just as cute without one! Make sure you let the frosting completely harden before you try to store the cookies, and they must be stored in a single layer.
**Recipe Source: http://www.paisleypetalevents.com/2011/07/24/surfs-up-summer-party/

Asparagus Gratin

As a kid, I despised asparagus. Hated it beyond words. I thought it was the most foul looking and smelling food imaginable....besides meatloaf, but that's another story for another day. Well as a grown up, I have actually learned to like asparagus. I like it steamed, broiled, grilled, just about any way you can fix it. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that this is my absolute new favorite way of eating it. Cheesy, creamy, just the right amount of salty and boy oh boy, you have a wonderful new way of having asparagus as a side dish. Well honestly, I could eat this as a meal, but the hubby always says "gotta have meat to make it a meal" and as much as I disagree with that statement, I always try to keep the hubby happy. After 29 years,  yes, I can still say that! :)

Recipe Source:
http://apronappeal.blogspot.com/2011/06/asparagus-gratin.html

2 pounds thin asparagus

3 cups water

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

¾ cup Parmesan cheese, grated and divided

½ cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat broiler to high. Line broiler safe baking dish with paper towels. Snap the woody ends off the asparagus and set both stalks and ends aside.

Bring water to a boil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus ends and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook covered, for 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, remove asparagus ends and discard. Add asparagus stalks to skillet, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until nearly tender, 2-4 minutes. Transfer asparagus to paper towel lined baking dish. Pour asparagus water into liquid measuring cup. If liquid does not read 1-cup mark, add water until it does. Melt butter in now empty skillet over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly until golden, about 1 minute. Stir in reserved asparagus water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, 3-5 minutes. Off heat, stir in ½ cup Parmesan and Monterey jack until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and let stand for 5 minuets. Remove paper towels from baking dish. (most of the moisture should have been retained from the asparagus into the paper towels. Drizzle sauce over the asparagus and top with remaining Parmesan. Broil until cheese is golden and asparagus is tender, 4-8 minutes. Serve.

Spicy Sausage Pasta

After a week of excruciating humidity (well humid for So Cal) and heat, I had been so lazy about cooking and preparing much for dinner. Dollar tacos at the local Mexican restaurant, salads and well...just about anything that didn't require me being in the hot kitchen, was what we were eating. Last night, I finally snapped out of it, bit the bullet, (ok not literally or I wouldn't be able to be sitting here typing this) and made us something to eat. Scouring my Pinterest boards to come up with a recipe that sounded good, I decided on this Spicy Sausage Pasta. Can I just say "wow?" This pasta is so amazing, spicy just how I like it and super easy to prepare. If you are having company for dinner and they like a little bit of zip or spice to their foods, this would be a great meal to make for them.

Recipe Source:
http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/spicy-sausage-pasta.html

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb smoked sausage
1.5 cups diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth
1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel tomatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 oz penne pasta
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup Jack cheese, grated
1/3 cup green onions, sliced

Heat olive oil on medium high heat in a large skillet. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 3 - 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, heavy cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the jack cheese. Transfer from the skillet into a greased 13 X 9 pan. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with green onions. Broil until cheese is melted, slightly brown, and bubbly.

Lemon Zucchini Bread with Lemon Glaze

I think I have found my favorite zucchini bread recipe in the world. Since I am growing copious amounts of zucchini in my garden, I am always on the lookout for new ways to cook it or incorporate it into my meals. So when Pinterest brought this lemon zucchini bread to my attention, I couldn't help but want to try it. I found it at a site called nancycreative.com
(If you get a chance to check out her blog, she has quite a few great ideas and recipes on there.)
I'm not sure who Nancy is, but I am so thankful that she is creative, because  I will forever be thankful for this recipe!! It's got just the right amount of sweet, just the right amount of tart, and it turns out moist each time I make it. Next time, I might even try making it with lime, since my lime tree is beginning to show some signs of life. Now begins the prayers that the 200° summer days we are having don't burn up the limes. If they survive, then i will definitely try it with lime next time. Sounds yummy to me.  Ok, ok so I exaggerated just a wee bit with the 200° ....but 103° today was pretty bad and to me anything over 70 is just WAY too hot. I still haven't figured out why I live in So Cal when these hot summers hit! 

The original recipe is found here:
http://nancycreative.com/2012/03/25/lemon-zucchini-loaf-with-lemon-glaze/

Bread:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk

Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice)

Zest of 1 lemon

1 cup grated zucchini (no need to peel it first)

Glaze:
1 cup sifted powdered sugar

Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice)

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 9×5 loaf pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, blend flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
In a medium bowl, beat 2 eggs, then add vegetable oil and sugar. Blend well. Add the buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest and blend well. Fold in zucchini and stir until evenly distributed.
Add the zucchini mixture to the dry ingredients in the large bowl and blend everything together, but don’t overmix.
Pour the batter into the 9×5 loaf pan and bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for 45 minutes to an hour and then remove the bread from the pan onto a wire rack and cool completely.

While loaf is cooling, make the glaze by mixing the sifted powdered sugar and the lemon juice. Stir until thoroughly combined. Spoon the glaze over the completely cooled loaf  of bread. Let it drizzle down the sides. Let glaze set and firm up. Glaze will set in about 15 minutes. Serve.

Tequilla Chili Watermelon

Can I see your ID please? That is what you would have to ask, I guess, if you served this fruit at a party. But then again, if you are having a party, chances are, you will not be asking for ID at the
 door ;)

I for one, happen to love chili powder on my fruit. I love spicy and sweet together. Ok truth....I love sweet with anything!! So when my daughter happened to mention drizzling tequilla over the melon, at first I couldn't imagine the combination. But last night, I decided to try it out. Would I say it's my favorite way to eat melon? No, but it sure was tasty. It's always nice to make a simple change and try something new.

 Watermelon, cut into chunks
Tequilla
Chili Powder
Coarse Sea Salt

*There are no measurements for this snack. Just put your chunks of watermelon in  dish. Drizzle a tiny amount of tequilla over the chunks. (If you drizzle too much, the tequilla flavor overpowers the melon flavor). Shake on a little bit of chili powder and shake on a very little amount of coarse sea salt. Enjoy!

Turkey and Italian Sausage Meatballs

♫ When the moon hits the sky like a big pizza pie that's Amore ♫
Sorry...... I just felt so Italian after making and serving these meatballs that I had to break out in song. Ok, Ok, I will stop singing. I promise!
These meatballs were great served with spaghetti sauce and a piping hot plate of pasta. I kept commenting while I was eating them, that they were ssssoooo  good and even after I was about to self combust from enjoying way too many, I was still commenting on how great they tasted.
So go make these and see for yourself how delicious they are. Then say to yourself "thats uh one uh wonderful meata balla"!!!

*Serve with your favorite spaghetti sauce. This is a home made sauce I have been making for years and if I get some extra time, I will sit back down here and type out the recipe.

**Recipe adapted from:  Mario Batali's Meatballs

2 Cup panko bread crumbs
1 lb ground turkey
4 oz prosciutto, diced
16 oz sweet Italian sausage (casings removed)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan Cheese
1/8 cup Fresh grated Romano cheese
1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped
2 dashes of nutmeg
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt/Pepper to taste
2 cups tomato sauce
1 1/2 -2 cups milk




Soak the bread crumbs in water to cover for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water.In a large bowl, combine the turkey, prosciutto, sausage, bread crumbs, eggs, milk, Romano Cheese, Parmigian Cheese, Italian parsley, nutmeg, and olive oil and mix very gently with your hands. Season with salt and pepper. Form the mixture into 1-inch balls. Place the balls on a baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend. Place the meatballs in your favorite spaghetti sauce and simmer them over a low-med fire for 30 minutes or until done.

Chili

As I'm typing this, I am thinking "Why are you even putting this recipe on this blog Joni, everyone had their own chili recipe." I had mine own too, from my mom that I had made for years. Too many years too mention as a matter of fact. So when I stumbled upon a chili recipe on the Internet that sounded good, I thought I'd give it a try. I doctored it up a little to suit my tastes, but it was really good. I actually think this will be my new "go to" chili recipe from now on. I was going to say that I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks, but then I would be referring to myself as old and as a dog. So with that being said "woof woof" ...until next time! ;)
*Sorry the pics are still horrible. My camera is still not cooperating with me!

2 lbs ground beef, browned and drained 

1 large onion, chopped 

3 large bell peppers, chopped 

2 stalks of celery, chopped 

3 large garlic cloves, chopped 

1 (15 oz) can Ranch Style Beans, don't drain

1 (15 oz) can kidney beans,don't drain 

1 (10 oz) can Rotel Tomatoes 

1 (15 oz) can stewed tomatoes

30 oz tomato sauce

1 pks Chili seasoning (use your favorite brand)

1 tsp salt

2 jalapenos, chopped (chop with the seeds if you want extra heat. If not, remove the seeds first)

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

Combine all the ingredients together in a large pot. Turn heat on high. After the chili begins to boil a little bit, turn down the fire to low. Simmer for 4 hours. Serve.

Zucchini and Tomato Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce

Last night I made a great dinner. I took a bunch of pictures, only to figure out that something is wrong with my camera and all the pictures were dark and blurry. None of them even showed how wonderful the meal looked. Unfortunately I didn't figure all this out until after the food was gone. Oops! Since I had some leftover cooked linguini from last night's meal, I decided that for lunch today I would make another meal like last night's, only I didn't have all the right ingredients. So I had to get creative. I'm glad I did because it actually worked well. The link to the original recipe  can be found here: Linguini with Garlic and Mushrooms.

8 oz linguini
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 large zucchini, cut into bite sized pieces
2 leeks, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
15-20 cherry tomatoes
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup half and half (you can use regular cream also)
Salt/Pepper to taste

1 tsp cornstarch
Fresh oregano, chopped
Fresh Parmesan Cheese

Chop all the vegetables. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguini and cook for 10 minutes. While the linguini is cooking, heat the tsp of olive oil in a large skillet. When the olive oil is hot, add the zucchini and leeks. Cook until tender, but still firm. Add the tomatoes and garlic. Cook for another couple of minutes. Add the lemon juice and the cream. Stir well. Add salt and pepper and stir again. Heat through. In a small bowl, put the cornstarch along with a little bit of juice from the zucchini skillet and stir together. Add this cornstarch mixture to the skillet to thicken the lemon/cream mixture. Serve the zucchini and sauce mixture over the hot linguini. Top with fresh oregano and Parmesan cheese.

Lemon Vegetable Salad

After speaking  with my sister on the phone yesterday, she had mentioned that she had friends from South Africa that make a salad called "Sambal". I decided that I just had to have some of it because it sounded so light and refreshing, not to mention delicious! I have always known Sambal to be a chili type sauce, so I decided to change the name to a lemon vegetable salad just in case the title was lost in interpretation or something. There is no recipe, as it just required blending a bunch of vegetables together and tossing with lemon, salt and pepper. So next time you want to have a side salad and you want it to be lighter and hardly any calories  at all, try this one. Super healthy and amazingly tasty!
*Next time I make it I will try adding avocado and some crushed red pepper. 

Cucumber
Fresh Tomatoes
Red Onion
Fresh jalapenos
Cilantro
Fresh garlic
Bell pepper
Lemon Juice
Salt/Pepper to taste

Chop all vegetables into bite size pieces. Toss together with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Lemon Chicken with a Kick

I know, I know, another post with spicy ingredients. It's a problem of mine. I admit it. The first step in getting help, is admitting you have a problem, so does that mean I should go to "spicy eaters anonymous?" I think NOT! If any of you want to make this and don't like spicy food, I'm sure it would be just as good if you cut back on the amount of jalapeno, or just don't use it at all. Using lemons from my sister in laws house and jalapenos from my garden ( I wish my garlic was ready in my garden, but it's not) sure made this recipe inexpensive and home grown!

                                          *Right before putting the chicken in the oven

                        
                                          *It might not be as pretty after it's cooked, but it sure was tasty!

*This recipe is for 7 chicken breasts

Zest of 4 large lemons
Juice of 4 large lemons
4 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 jalapenos, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
7 chicken breasts

Heat oven to 375°.
Make the marinade in a shallow dish by combining all of the ingredients except the chicken. Stir together to combine everything. Add the chicken breasts and marinate for a few hours. Bake chicken in 375° oven until cooked through. This time will vary depending on the size of your chicken breasts. I cooked these for 35-40 min and they were rather large chicken breasts. 


Recipe adapted from: http://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/grilled-chile-lime-chicken-recipe/1/

Spicy Ceviche

I'm sensing a theme here. My last couple of posts have begun with the word "spicy". I guess that's what happens when all your chili peppers ripen at once in your garden. That, plus the fact that I can't get food spicy enough anymore for me. I think I must have burned a hole in my stomach that the spice goes through, because I almost don't taste it anymore. I watch people at work actually break into a sweat when they barely dip their chip into the salsa and I almost want to burst out laughing. Me? Give me the spiciest version of food and I probably won't think it's spicy. So for those of you that wouldn't want your food so spicy, just be sure to take the seeds out of the jalapenos as you make this ceviche. Try it spicy...you just might like it!

3 Tilapia Fillets, chopped into bite size pieces
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup tomatoes - diced
2 fresh jalapeno peppers, diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, choppped
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon Franks Red Hot sauce or Tabasco sauce

In a bowl, mix together the fish and lemon juice. Place the bowl into the refrigerator for 4 hours. (No less than this...the lemon needs this long to absorb into the fish and change the texture)

After it has been in the refrigerator for 4 hours, drain off the excess lemon juice. Add the tomatoes, jalapenos, bell pepper, onion, garlic, garlic salt, cilantro and red hot sauce. Stir well. Keep in the refrigerator until serving time. Serve with tortilla chips or over shredded cabbage.

Spicy Roasted Vegetables

There are no words to explain how happy I am to be off of work for the summer. I am able to spend much more time in my garden, reading and cooking! Today I found out that our city offers a rebate program if you buy a fruit or shade tree. So off to the nursery I went. I wish I could confess that all I came home with was a fruit tree, but of course I picked up some other things while I was there. Me in a garden nursery is almost as bad as my hubby in a Lowes or Home Depot. So after we planted the new peach tree, I picked some zucchini and some jalapenos out of the garden and went inside to make some dinner. This dinner was healthy, yummy and satisfying.

 *There is  no definite amounts in this recipe because it depends how many vegetables you are making. Just use all seasonings to taste. Top with as much Parmesan as you would like

Carrots, thinly sliced or shredded  (I used shredded)
Zucchini, thinly sliced
Onion, thinly sliced
Italian Seasoning
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Salt to taste
Fresh grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 375°.
Place thinly sliced vegetables on greased cookie sheet. Shake all seasonings onto the top of the veges. Top with fresh grated Parmesan Cheese. Bake at 375 for approximately 20-30 min, or until the veges are tender. This time will depend on how thin you slice your veges.

Paw Pops

For those of you that know me, you know that I despise shopping! So when I needed to buy a specific something, I called my friend Tami and she knew just where to find it. We found it this morning and it worked perfectly for what I needed it for. So when she told me she needed help making some paw pops, how could I refuse? They were fun to make and it's always great to spend the day with a friend. Making these today, sure made me wish that I had dogs again. Unfortunately we lost both our pets last year. So instead of getting another dog, I planted a garden instead. I'm sure having fun with that too. I guess when I need a "dog fix" I can always make these paw pops ;)

 This requires a dog paw mold and various kinds of melted chocolates. We used white chocolate, milk chocolate and peanut butter melts!

Grilled Lime Chicken Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette Dressing

It's not very often that I make the same food twice. Of course I have my lazy days, when I don't feel like being creative or following a recipe. It's on those days that I make something I have made before, so there won't be much thinking involved. Today was one of those days. Now that I'm off for summer, it's super easy to get lazy and not try anything new. I will try not to let that happen too often. So this is a re-post for those of you that have been following my blog since it's beginning days. This salad is easy to make and sounded so light and refreshing for a hot afternoon. For any new readers, I hope you enjoy this one.....for my faithful followers, this is a good one to try again!

For the chicken: 

1 lime, juiced 

1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 

1 1/2 tsp soy sauce 

2 tsp honey 

1/4 tsp cumin 

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 

2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 

 FOR THE SALAD: 
1/2 head romaine lettuce lettuce 
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped 
1 cup red cabbage, chopped 
1/2 cup carrots, shredded 
1/4 cup canned or fresh corn 
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced 
1/4 of a red onion, sliced

In a medium bowl, add all the "for the chicken" ingredients except the chicken. Stir or whisk together. Cut the chicken into strips. Place the chicken in the marinade for 30 minutes to an hour. After chicken has marinated, grill the chicken until cooked through. (Make sure you throw away any marinade you didn't use. You do NOT want food poisoning....trust me on this one) Put the grilled chicken on a plate and let it rest while you make the salad.

For the salad:
Chop the lettuce, spinach, cabbage and place on a large plate. Top with the carrots, corn, bell pepper and red onion. Lay the grilled chicken on the top and serve with lime vinaigrette dressing. (Recipe below)

For the Dressing:

3 fresh limes, juiced
1/4 c. white wine vinegar
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

3 large basil leaves

3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp pepper
1 c. olive oil
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

In a blender, combine all dressing ingredients and blend until smooth.