Friday Letters & Food Friday-Pesto Tortellini Salad

Dear Friday, I always seem to start out with Friday on these letters. It's a great day, because the weekend is almost here! We have a lot planned (as usual-I'm a planner), but it's nice to have a to-do list or I would seriously do nothing. On the list for the weekend: set up David's Moms' new Ipad they got her for mother's day, cars oil changed, get and put down pine straw, finish my embroidery projects, sort papers/old mail in the office, meal planning/grocery shopping, graduation party, pool party, drawing out plans for fence for HOA and of course playing with buddy. Dear David, Yay! Glad you are back in town, you were gone too long this week. Can't wait to see you.  Dear Max and Mom, I am jealous of your day you have planned. Kinsley is hanging with family today so Mom and Max are heading to play in the fountains, maybe the mall and lunch. Dear Blurb Blog Book, I am still working on you for my pregnancy book. It seems easy enough, but when they take 1 post and make it 10 pages, that isn't cool so now I have to go through and spend 30 mins per post and that is not fun, but it's necessary. I have got to get on this.

I had a lot of requests for me to put up this recipe after people saw it on instagram (follow me at Jens871). This recipe is a great main meal dish or would be great for a pot luck side.  They said to eat it cold, but who has time for that so we ate it warm and it was great. This recipe comes from Katies Cucina.

Ingredients
    1 package of refrigerated whole wheat tortellini (I used 2 and doubled recipe for leftovers for lunch)
    ½ bag of spinach (I used kale pieces)
    ¼ cup pesto from sauce aisle
    ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes
    ¼ cup artichoke hearts, drained and cut (get the non marinated kind)
    3 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
    ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions
    In a large pot boil water and cook tortellini according to directions. During the last 30 seconds of cooking add the spinach and wilt. Drain the pasta and spinach and place in a large bowl.
    In a small saute pan toast the pine nuts until they are golden brown then set to the side. This step is a must, I know it's easier if you don't do it, but it doesn't take long and really does make a difference taste wise.
    In the large bowl with the tortellini and spinach add the pesto, sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, toasted pine nuts, and grated parmesan cheese. Mix well until incorporated. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and serve cold. Remember, if you are pressed for time, this is really a simple weeknight meal that can be eaten warm and was delicious! One thing that is also great about this, it's meatless and filling!

Mother's Day Broccoli & Grape Pasta Salad

This recipe would be a great addition to any Mother's day menu. It's perfect for the main course or for a side.  I made this for Max's 1st Birthday party and it is jam packed with goodies to eat.  There is not enough time to post recipes all the time anymore so when I post one I seriously mean it's that good so get to work (better yet, have your husbands make it for you for mother's day). 

This recipe comes from My Recipes.

Ingredients-

    1 cup chopped pecans
    1/2 (16-oz.) package farfalle (bow-tie) pasta (I used almost the whole pound)
    1 pound fresh broccoli
    1 cup mayonnaise
    1/3 cup sugar
    1/3 cup diced red onion (optional)
    1/3 cup red wine vinegar
    1 teaspoon salt
    2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
    8 cooked bacon slices, crumbled (I used the pre-done ones)

 

 Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets from stems, and separate florets into small pieces using tip of a paring knife. Peel away tough outer layer of stems, and finely chop stems.

Whisk together mayonnaise and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl

Add broccoli, hot cooked pasta, and grapes, and stir to coat. Cover and chill 3 hours. Stir bacon and pecans into salad just before serving.

 

Happy Mother's day to all the moms and those who step up as moms of fur babies or real babies. I am so thankful for my original baby (Molly) and for Max. Have a great weekend.

Food Friday- Stuffed Zucchini

I decided to have some fridays as food recipe day as they aren't the most fun to read, but I still like to reference the blog for recipes.  This recipe is one of my favorites for the summer grilling season. It takes a little prep work inside before heading to the grill though. 

Grilled Stuffed Zucchini by Our Best Bites

Ingredients-

2 medium zucchini (about 10″)

4 oz Italian turkey sausage (1 link, I use 2 though)

1/4 C diced red onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium tomato (about 1/2 C diced)

1 1/2 T chopped fresh basil (or abt a teaspoon of dried)

2/3 C Italian cheese blend 

1 T Italian style bread crumbs

Directions-

Slice zucchini in half length wise, leaving the tops on. Scoop out the centers, saving them in a bowl. Leave at least 1/4 inch around the edges and bottoms. Take the good parts of the zucchini guts you just scooped out and dice up 1/2 C. This will go in your filling. Head over to OBB for a great tutorial on what this should look like, I failed to take a picture of this part. 

Drizzle the zucchini shells with a little olive oil and use your hands to rub it on all sides. Sprinkle with some kosher salt and black pepper and set aside.

Preheat your grill outside and then start your filling in a skillet on the stovetop. Start by browning the sausage. When you no longer see pink, add the onions, garlic, and diced zucchini. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onion is tender. Add tomato and basil, 1/4 t kosher salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Remove pan from heat and set aside.

 Take your zucchini to the grill and put them hollow-side down (don't mind the sausage in the background, I used the others in the package to serve on the side with dinner).  Grill for about 5 minutes on medium heat. They should have nice charred marks and look tender on the inside.

Take them back inside. Add cheese and bread crumbs to filling mixture. Stir to combine and then divide the filling between the zucchini. Top each zucchini with about 1T cheese and sprinkle with 1/4-1/2 t bread crumbs. Lastly, give them a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Place them back on the grill (filling side up- please!) Close grill lid, and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Larger/thicker zucchini will obviously take longer to cook.

They really are very filling and delicious! 

Summer Zucchini Pasta Salad

A few weeks ago we had a lunch picnic with the product development girls and Amanda brought this yummy pasta salad. She gave us the recipe and I loved it since I could use fresh basil from the garden. I did use a few tomatoes from the garden, but I didn't grow the small grape tomatoes.

Ingredients
5 qt. salted water in a 6-quart pot     
1 lb. small zucchini (about 4 or 5)     
1 lb. penne pasta    
4 Tbsp  extra-virgin olive oil     
 ¼  tsp. red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste     
 4  large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped      
 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved       
 1 to 1½ cup (6 ounces) feta cheese, crumbled     
  ⅓ tight-packed cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

Juice from ½ a lemon

Directions

1. Bring the salted water to a boil.
2. Trim off the ends of the zucchini. Cut into sticks about the size of the penne.
3. Drop the pasta into the boiling water. In the last 3-5 minutes of boiling (check pasta package for timing), drop the zucchini into the pot. Boil, stirring often, until the penne are tender but still have a little bite. Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water and reserve it. Immediately drain the pasta and zucchini in a colander.
4. Return the pasta pot to the heat, turning it down to low. Film the bottom of the pot with the olive oil. Add the red-pepper flakes and garlic, and gently sauté just until the garlic is fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
5. Remove the pot from the heat, and add the drained pasta and zucchini, the tomatoes, feta, basil, lemon juice and as much of the reserved pasta water as necessary to lightly coat the pasta. Toss gently, taste for seasoning, serve or put in refrigerator for a few hours before serving. Enjoy!

 The colors are great for summer time pot luck

Mango Quinoa Salad

I wanted to post this recipe before memorial weekend, but it got deleted by accident. This recipe is tasty as a main dish or a side and comes from Our Best Bites. Plus, it's super healthy and you can add grilled chicken or a side of salmon to make it more of a main dish.

Ingredients-

2 cups cooked quinoa at room temperature, or chilled (I used chicken broth to cook my quinoa and it gave a nice flavor)
1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium mango, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced

4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 handful chopped cilantro (about 1/2 cup)
Dressing-

4 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl.  Add mango,

red pepper, green onion, black beans, and cilantro.

This dish has amazing presentation with all the bright colors. Perfect for summer!

In a small bowl combine vinegar, olive oil, and lime juice.  Whisk until smooth and pour on top of salad.  Toss to combine, add salt and pepper to taste. 

Chill for at least one hour before serving. You'll be the hit of the party if you bring this. Enjoy!

Memorial Weekend BBQ Potlucks- Memphis Style Coleslaw & Baked Beans

This weekend officially kicks off the barbecue season with memorial day. Although its been nice and toasty here, we've been bbq'ing since April. I had another recipe to add to this, but blogger decided to delete the photos when I pressed the undo button for something and now they are gone. That recipe will have to wait. I made these recipes for David's 30th Birthday.

Memphis-Style Coleslaw from Our Best Bites. This recipe is easy and delicious.

Ingredients-

1 c. mayonnaise 

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 heaping tsp. Kosher salt

1 Tbsp. onion powder

2-2 1/2 tsp. celery seed (don't leave this out)
1 16-oz. bag shredded cabbage with carrots

1/2 minced green bell pepper

1 carrot, peeled and grated

Combine mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, sugar, salt, onion, and celery seed.

In a large bowl, combine shredded cabbage, carrots and green pepper.

Toss with dressing and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours. This stays good for a couple days if you want to make it ahead of time. 

The next bbq favorite is Southern Style Baked Beans from The Pioneer Woman. I am not a huge baked beans fan, but these are sweet tasting and amazing!
Ingredients-
8 slices bacon, halved (I used turkey bacon and didn't have a lot of the bacon grease that is needed, you can add a little olive oil if you want to make up for it)
1 medium onion, cut into small dice
1/2 medium green pepper, cut into small dice
3 large cans (28 ounces each) pork and beans
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup distilled or cider vinegar
 2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Fry bacon in large, deep sauté pan skillet until bacon has partially cooked and released about 1/4 cup drippings. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels. This is where I just added some extra olive oil since my turkey bacon didn't produce drippings.

Add onions and peppers to drippings in pan and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add beans and remaining ingredients bring to a simmer.

Pour flavored beans into a greased 13-by 9-inch (or similar size) ovenproof pan. Top with bacon, then bake until beans are bubbly and sauce is the consistency of pancake syrup, about 2 hours. Let stand to thicken slightly and serve. I don't have an after picture, but trust me when I say they taste amazing!

Hope everyone has a great memorial day weekend and thank you to all our troops!

Santa Fe Chicken Wraps and Mexican Rice

Where did the weekend go? Oh, that's right, it was spent in the car! It was worth it though, we have Michelle and the animals safely in Georgia. It is pretty much going to be a zoo this week at our house. We have Molly (our dog), Lola (David and Dana's Dog), Maddie (Michelle's Dog) and Bella (Shell's Cat). Maddie is having a hard time adjusting to the big dogs, but it will get better. We will have visiting hours at the zoo and field trips to the lake.

I am posting delicious Mexican Recipes for you to try. This was very easy to make (crock pot) and the rice is AMAZING.
Santa Fe Chicken Wraps from Fairhope Foodie-

1-1/2 lbs. chicken breasts (I used 3)
1 can Rotel, undrained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
8 oz. frozen corn (or the kernels from 3 ears)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups chicken broth
3 scallions, chopped (whites and a little bit of the green)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, Rotel, cilantro, scallion, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin and salt and pepper in the crock pot. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and nestle down in the juices. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 6 hours. 30 minutes before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust seasoning if needed. You can serve this over rice and top with desired toppings, or wrapped in a tortilla. 

Next up is the Mexican Rice from the Pioneer Woman! I had fun making this and anytime I make a Mexican dish, this is a must for a side.  

• 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• ½ whole Large Onion, Chopped
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 cups Long Grain Rice
• 1 can Rotel (10 Ounce)
• 1 can Whole Tomatoes (14.5 Ounce)
• 2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth (more If Needed)
• 1 teaspoon Cumin (more To Taste)
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• Fresh Cilantro, Chopped

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions and garlic, then cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add rice and garlic. Stir constantly, making sure the rice doesn’t burn. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes.

Add Ro-tel and tomatoes. Stir to combine and let cook for 2 minutes.

Finally, add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 additional minutes or until rice is done. Add more liquid as needed; rice shouldn’t be sticky. Just before serving, sprinkle lots of freshly chopped cilantro over the top. Serve immediately.

Here is all the yummy food. The rice makes enough for an army so it's great for guests. I would say about 8 side servings. 

Easter Weekend Meals

Well this weekend I'm sure we will do a lot of eating since it is David's birthday weekend and Easter is on Sunday. I wanted to share some websites (which you've heard me talk about all the time) where I got my inspiration for what I am bringing for Easter dinner.

This is what the menu is looking like so far, there is still a few people who haven't responded so the list will grow:

Honey Baked Ham
Yeast rolls
Veggie Tray
Pretzels & Dip
Fruit Tray
Shrimp & sauce
Green Bean Casserole
Hummus (we're bringing)
Roasted Carrots & Asparagus (we're bringing)
Green salad/spinach salad (we're bringing-I'll make some variation of this)
Mashed Potatoes
Birthday cake




Click here for more Easter meal ideas.  Click here for ideas for side items. I think I will also make this carrot cake for David's birthday (minus a few pieces without that cream cheese frosting for me).

If I have time tomorrow I am also going to make these Easter Eggs. My mom has already tried it and says that it was pretty easy!

Happy Easter!

Teriyaki Chicken and Fried Rice

We love to order teriyaki chicken and fried rice whenever we go to hibachi Japanese restaurants. We finally learned how to make it at home. It is sooo good and not hard to do. The most important thing is you have to cook the rice ahead of time and let it cool in the refrigerator. We have a rice cooker and use 2 cups of rice (and 2 1/2 cups of water). After it is done, I put it in the fridge to cool the night before I make it. It makes a lot of rice, but its great for lunch the next day too.

Here are the recipes:
Teriyaki Chicken
Ingredients
3 Chicken breasts cut up
Kikkoman Teriyaki sauce (A must buy, it is awesome!)

1. Cut up your chicken into bite size pieces
2. Put olive oil into a frying pan to heat up
3. Cook the chicken until its no longer pink
4. Pour the kikkoman sauce generous in the pan (I use about 3/4 of the bottle)
5. Cook on low while you are doing the rice to simmer and let the sauce season your chicken

Fried Rice
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
4 Green onions, chopped thinly(or 1/2 cup reg. onion-I love the green onions in it thought)
1/3 cup diced carrots
4 cups cooked white rice (not sure if my 2 cups of uncooked rice equal this but use what you would like)
2 eggs lightly beaten
3 Tablespoons Soy sauce1. Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat.
2. Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
3. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the carrots, rice and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes.
4. Use your stirring spoon to make a well in the center of the rice and pour the eggs into it. Let the eggs cook for 1 minute, then slowly start to stir and incorporate the egg into the rice.
5. Add the soy sauce and cook for 2 minutes longer, stirring and tossing with the spoon.
6. Serve with your chicken!
This recipe comes from a website that shows you how to cook the rice, so there is no excuse not too make it. Click here for the video.

Bon Appetit!