Corn, Avocado, and Tomato Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

This dish tastes like summer to me- delicious, light, and refreshing.  It pairs very well with barbecue.

The original recipe calls to grill two ears of corn.  I am grill-phobic, so I used thawed, frozen corn instead.

Serves 4
Adapted from Jehan Can Cook

INGREDIENTS

Dressing:
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp honey
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Salad:
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in halves
1 ripe avocado, chopped
1 1/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

Spray a nonstick pan with cooking spray.  Add corn.  Cook until softened and heated through, about 6 minutes, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, place dressing ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.  Add remaining ingredients.  Mix well so that everything is coated with dressing.  May be served at room temperature or chilled.

Blackberry (or Peach!) Cobbler

I have baked this cobbler twice- once with peaches and once with blackberries. Both cobblers were exceptional! I had never seen a cobbler recipe where you pour the fruit on top of the batter, but the batter just rises right up!

The top of the cobbler is lightly crisp, and the rest has that wonderfully soft, chewy texture that I love so much.  Make sure you use peaches with no sugar added if you are using frozen peaches.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 cups fresh blackberries
1 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt butter in a large cast-iron skillet or ovenproof baking dish, in the oven, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, place blackberries in a large bowl. Using a potato masher, mash blackberries to release their juices. If blackberries are tart, sprinkle with sugar.
4. In another large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add 1 cup sugar, milk, and vanilla extract; mix until well combined. Remove skillet from oven and add melted butter to flour mixture; stir to combine. Pour mixture into skillet and pour blackberries over the batter, avoiding the edges.
5. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the batter comes out clean, about 1 hour. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature with whipped cream, creme fraiche, or ice cream.

How to roast a red pepper 101

Have you ever had a roasted red bell pepper?  It's delicious in salads, pasta dishes, and just about anything else you can think of.  If you have an electric range, sorry- you're stuck roasting peppers the long way.  But if you've got a gas range, take a seat and let me show you how it's done.

What you'll need:
A red bell pepper
Tongs
A medium sized bowl filled with ice water
The fire department on speed dial

I was just kidding about the fire department, but do be aware that this process does not lend itself to multitasking!  So cap your nail polish and turn off the TV- let's start roasting!

First, turn your burner on low and put the pepper directly on the grate. 

Turn the pepper frequently.  Cook until it is black and blistered all over.

A (small!  tiny!  microscopic!) portion of the pepper skin may ignite during the cooking process, but it's no big deal.  You'll usually hear a soft hiss or popping sound when this happens.  Just take your pepper off of the heat and blow it out. 


Once the skin is black and blistered, dunk the pepper in the bowl of ice water.  Weigh it down with something to keep it submerged for about five minutes.  I just positioned my tongs so that my pepper stayed underwater.

Rub the outside of the pepper under running water.  The skin will rub right off.  If you've got any small pieces still clinging for dear life, just leave 'em.  They won't hurt anything.

Now you've got a nakey pepper! 

Cut off the top of the pepper and remove the seeds.  Slice into small pieces and enjoy!

Tortellini and Proscuitto Salad

Don't you love tortellini drenched in a rich, buttery alfredo sauce?  Yeah, me too.  But tonight, I wanted to enjoy tortellini in a way that was a little less, well... rich and buttery.

This salad lets the beloved tortellini share the spotlight with fresh veggies.  It can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight or served at room temperature.  Yum!

An Ommy Noms original
Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

1 9 oz pkg refrigerated cheese tortellini
6 button mushrooms, sliced thinly
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 roasted red pepper, cut into small pieces
3 bunches green onions, sliced thinly
2 slices prosciutto, cut into small pieces
Handful of baby spinach or spring mix (optional)
Parmesan Cheese
Dried basil
Vinaigrette to coat

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool.

2. Mix tortellini, vegetables, and prosciutto in a large bowl. Top with parmesan and dried basil. Add Italian dressing until lightly coated.

3. Refrigerate.

Creamy Vinaigrette

I made a simple salad with spring mix, tomatoes, purple onions, mushrooms, avocado, and seared shrimp.  With a quick homemade dressing, it made for a great, filling weeknight meal.

I'd usually say that posting a salad recipe is a bit of a cop-out, but I had to share this Creamy Dijon Vinaigrette.  It is everything a good vinaigrette should be- tangy and unique.

Dressing adapted from Mark Bittman

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons or more good white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small shallot, minced
Dash garlic powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl.  Whisk until a creamy emulsion forms.  Taste and adjust for seasonings.

Springtime Shrimp Linguine

There's only one thing more awesome about this dish than its tastiness, and that's its speed of preparation.  This recipe took about 25 minutes from first chop to first bite, making it the perfect after work dish. I altered the recipe to suit our tastes by adding chopped tomato and green onions.

Quick tip:  We're not wine drinkers.  I always keep mini bottles of white wine on-hand for cooking so that it's always available but won't go to waste.

Adapted from Allrecipes

INGREDIENTS

4 oz linguine
1 tsp olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
4 mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 lb shrimp
2 tbs butter
1 small greenhouse or roma tomato, squeezed to remove seeds and juice, diced
1 bunch green onions, cut finely
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
Dash red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Boil and drain linguine.

2. Saute garlic and mushrooms in oil over medium heat for about a minute. Mix in broth, lemon juice, and spices. Simmer until reduced by 1/2.

3. Add shrimp and butter. Cook until shrimp is done. Add tomato and green onions; stir to combine.  Add salt and pepper if necessary.  Serve over the linguine.

Romano Chicken and Rice

My husband is not a big fan of cream-o'-crap chicken and rice dishes.  I decided to try this recipe because, with the fresh veggies and Romano cheese, it sounded like something he would go for.  We both really enjoyed this dish and I've taken leftovers to work for lunch for a couple of days now.  

Make sure that your rice is completely covered with liquid, especially in the corners.  If it's not completely covered, add more broth.  Failing to do so will yield some rice-sized jawbreakers on the surface.

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp olive oil
8 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned (I used chicken legs)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large onion, finely diced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup long-grain white rice
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup grated Romano cheese

Adapted from Cooking Light

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add 4 chicken thighs to pan; sauté 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan. Repeat with remaining chicken.

3. Add onion and carrot to pan; sauté 4 minutes. Add mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add rice; sauté 1 minute. Spoon rice mixture into a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray; stir in broth, 1/4 cup water, and cream. Arrange chicken over rice mixture; sprinkle with cheese. Cover with foil.  Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.  Remove foil.  Bake for 25 additional minutes or until chicken is done.

Lace Cookies

I came across a recipe for lace cookies on Allrecipes about a year ago.  I was intrigued by the idea of these crisp, airy cookies, but never got around to making them.  Tonight, I had a bit of a sweet tooth, and started looking through my old saved recipes.  I decided to try them, and boy am I glad I did!  They were like nothing I've ever had before- paper-thin with a caramel-like flavor.  Delish!

Be sure to use a teaspoon to measure out precise amounts of the dough.  My cookies varied in size and some of the larger ones didn't stay together when I removed them from the foil.

Adapted from Allrecipes

1 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS  

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Cover baking sheets with foil, then coat the foil with a non-stick cooking spray. 

2.  In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, salt, and baking powder. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Mix in the flour and oat mixture until just combined. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, 2 1/2 inches apart. 

3.  Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges turn golden. Cool, then carefully remove with a turner. Be sure to re-spray baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray between batches.

Mongolian Beef Stir Fry

DH and I both love Chinese food.  This was just as good as anything you get in a restaurant, with a lot less fat.  I planned to take leftovers in my lunch tomorrow, but we devoured it!

Inspired by Food.com

Stir fry ingredients:
1 lb beef, thinly sliced across the grain
Handful of snow peas
6 cremini mushrooms
Handful of bean sprouts
6 green onions, sliced into 1 inch sections
Vegetable oil to cover bottom of wok

Sauce ingredients:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp flour

1. Whisk sauce ingredients together in medium bowl and set aside.
2. Add oil to wok. Heat over medium-high until shimmering. Add beef and stir-fry 2 minutes, or until browned on both sides. Add snow peas and mushrooms.  Stir-fry 2 minutes.
3. Pour off oil. Add sauce and bean sprouts. Cook until sauce just begins to boil. Serve over rice or noodles.