Italian Sausage and White Bean Stew

I came across two similar recipes for an Italian Sausage stew the other day and I knew it must be fate. I made a quick dash to the grocery store and made it for dinner that very night!

The first recipe came from a new-t0-me blog called piExperiment. That recipe included zucchini, which I thought sounded good, and red bell peppers, which dh prefers. The second recipe was at A Dash of Sass, another new-to-me blog. Both sounded delicious so I sort of combined the two. I used the zucchini and red bell peppers and I left out the pasta. Be sure to use a good sausage. It realllly makes the dish. I used a sweet Italian sausage but I think next time I'll use a more spicy, hot sausage instead. Served with some crusty whole grain bread, it was a quite a hearty meal. Another plus - it was on the table in under 30 minutes. You gotta like that, especially during this busy time of year!


Italian Sausage and White Bean Stew
Original recipe from A Dash of Sass
Slightly different recipe from PiExperiment

16 ounces sweet Italian turkey sausage
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced onion
1 zucchini, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (19 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon Italian blend spices*
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the pan. Add red peppers and onion. Saute until soft. Add minced garlic and quickly saute. Be careful to continue stirring to avoid burning the garlic. Add sausage to pepper and onion mixture. Cook until browned and crumbled, approximately 5 to 8 minutes.

Add beans and tomatoes. Add herbs. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until thoroughly cooked through.

Add some fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese and stir.

Serve topped with more Parmesan cheese.

* Feel free to substitute an Italian blend of spices for the basil and oregano if you don’t have those individually.

Chicken with Cider and Bacon Sauce

In a hurry to get dinner on the table the other night, I pulled out a recipe I'd bookmarked earlier: Chicken with Cider and Bacon Sauce. It was definitely was a hit. Of course it was. It's simple, quick to prepare and has a sauce made with bacon. How much better could it get? The sauce has a salty-sweet flavor that compliments the chicken and was quite tasty with the rice. This one will definitely show up on the menu rotation around here again soon!


Chicken with Cider and Bacon Sauce

Recipe from Cooking Light Magazine, January 2005


4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 bacon slices, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh onion
3/4 cup unsweetened apple cider
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper.

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan. Add chicken to drippings in pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

Add onion to pan; cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring constantly. Add cider and broth; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until broth mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup (about 5 minutes). Stir in cooked bacon; serve sauce over chicken.

Pasta with Hot Sausage Sauce

I needed a quick, kid-friendly dinner idea the other day so I grabbed one of the cookbooks that I'd checked out from the library. "Faster! I'm Starving! 100 Dishes in 25 Minutes or Less" by Kevin Mills and Nancy Mills. Their recipe for Pasta with Hot Sausage Sauce was a hit. It was tasty. Quick to make and offered plenty of flavor. The book was filled with lots of quick and easy recipes.

Sadly I forgot to write the recipe down before I returned the book. Hopefully I will be about to check it out again soon.

If you ever run across this cookbook, be sure to check out page 88 for this awesome recipe. :-)

Italian Style Omelet

Summer is over. Okay. It's still 90 degrees and crazy humid out there. The local beach is still open. I've only just started to get red tomatoes from my tomato plants. But our local school has decided that this would be the perfect time for the kids to go back to school. Sad for me. I miss the kids when they aren't home. And when the younger children go back, it means that my oldest will soon be headed back to college and things are definitely not the same when he's not here. (Sad also because yesterday was the first day we spent at the local lake where the water was warm enough that could enjoy swimming in it! Never fear. This year the beach will be open during the week through labor day so I plan to get in plenty of swimming while the kids are at school!)

The good news is that now things are getting back to some semblance of a routine, I'm starting to cook again. Starting today with lunch, I'm jumping back on the bandwagon! Enough frozen pizzas and fast food! Lunch was a delicious Italian-Style Omelet I found over at The Perfect Pantry. Creamy, cheesy eggs stuffed with an abundance of garden vegetables and seasoned with some fresh basil from my herb garden, this is a great recipe for a quick and hearty weeknight meal. even veggie-phobic dh enjoyed this one. :-)


Italian Style Omelet
Recipe found at The Perfect Pantry

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped raw vegetables of your choice (mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus, peas, zucchini)
4 large eggs
1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese (I used Parmesan)
1 heaping Tbsp chopped fresh basil
Pinch of black pepper
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 heaping Tbsp chopped garlic

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Heat a 6-inch nonstick skillet over low heat. Add the olive oil and vegetables, and sauté on low heat for 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked (might take more time, depending on which vegetables you're using). In a large bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the remaining ingredients until the eggs are fluffy. Run a spatula along the edge of the skillet until the bottom of the egg mixture sets.

Once the mixture is set, take a flat plate, put on top of the skillet. Flip the frozia over onto the plate, them slide the uncooked side back into the skillet. Put in the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until cooked through (mine took 15 minutes). Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

Mediterranean Bread Pizza

Quick and delicious munchie idea: French bread toasts topped with tomato, Kalamata olives and feta cheese.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

When I saw the recipe for Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Pasta over at My Kitchen Snippets, it spoke to me. Actually it yelled at me. "Make me right away!" I put it on the menu for the week but couldn't wait until Friday to make it so I moved up to Monday. It was so good, I might even make it again on Friday!

While the original recipe sounded wonderful, due to my inability to follow any recipe, I made a few changes. First I used already cooked chicken that I had on hand. That cut down the prep time and coating the chicken in Cajun seasoning and giving it a quick saute before adding it, also added some zing. I used a can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes which added more depth to the flavor (and saved even more time!) I also added some more veggies that I had on hand -- red bell peppers, cremini mushrooms -- along with the onion and garlic.

Delicious and quick this was definitely a crowd pleaser.

Cajun Chicken Pasta
Recipe inspired by My Kitchen Snippets

1 box pasta of your choice
olive oil
2 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 small onion, diced
Several fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 red bell pepper
1 can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon of flour
1 1/2 cup half and half or heavy cream
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoons of pepper flakes
some chopped parsley
2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning, plus extra for seasoning if desired
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the pasta until al-dente and set it aside.

Place diced, already cooked chicken in a bowl and toss with Cajun seasoning to cover. Saute in a non-stick pan with a drizzle of olive oil until heated through. Set aside.

In the same skillet heat a bit of olive oil, add the onions, bell peppers and mushrooms. When vegetables are softened, add garlic and cook for another minute or two. Add the flour and stir it for a minute or two, to cook off rawness of the flour.

Add the half and half, Parmesan cheese and stir until thick. Add the chicken and tomatoes into the skillet to cook through.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper, pepper flakes and more Cajun seasoning, to taste.

Toss pasta with sauce.

Garnish with some chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

We settled on an old family favorite for the first day of Spring Break: South Beach Diet Chicken Jambalaya. Since Grandma was coming for dinner, we jazzed it up with the addition of some smoked turkey sausage. Added some dinner rolls and a salad and had the meal on the table in less than 30 minutes. To speed up the process on weeknights, I generally cook the rice separately and add it in at the end. Using precooked or leftover chicken gets it to the table even more quickly.

Chicken Jambalaya
Recipe from The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook by Arthur Agatston, M.D.

1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into 1" pieces
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 bunches scallions, chopped, 2 tablespoons reserved for garnish
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup whole-grain, quick-cooking brown rice
1/8 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
2 cups lower sodium chicken broth
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
salt and freshly ground pepper

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, scallions, bell pepper and garlic; cook, stirring often, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in rice and Cajun seasoning. Add broth and tomatoes with juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. If jambalaya has excess moisture, cook uncovered for 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with reserved scallions and serve.

Hearty Sausage Stromboli

Here is a quick and easy recipe that made even the picky eaters at the table very happy: Hearty Sausage Stromboli. Since a had a few at the table who claim not to like mushrooms, I chopped some baby portobellas before adding them to the skillet. They were almost undetectable in the finished product and no one complained. The only problem we had was that the recipe didn't make enough when two of the six servings were going to teen-aged boys. This one is definitely a keeper!


Hearty Sausage Stromboli
Recipe from Sweetnick's

1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage
1/4 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 loaf (1 pound) Italian bread
6 slices part-skim mozzarella cheese

In a large skillet, cook the sausage, beef, onion, mushrooms and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the water, tomato paste, Parmesan cheese, salt, oregano, garlic and rosemary. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until thickened.

Meanwhile, cut top third off loaf of bread; carefully hollow out bottom, leaving a 1/2-in. shell (discard removed bread or save for another use).

Line bottom half with three mozzarella cheese slices; top with sausage mixture and remaining cheese. Replace bread top. Wrap sandwich loaf in foil. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

Yeild: 6 servings.

Taco Salad Made Over

Another hectic day: dentist appointments, school fundraiser, basketball games. Par for the course around here lately. Here's a new recipe I tried for Taco Salad Made Over from the Kraft.comwebsite. I had all the ingredients on hand and the recipe goes together quickly. Making the tortilla bowl made the ordinary taste of tacos seem a little extra-special without taking any extra time. Definitely a recipe that I'll be making again and again.

Taco Salad Made Over from Kraft.com

What You Need

4 flour tortillas (8 inch)

3/4 lb. extra lean ground beef

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 cup drained canned kidney beans, rinsed, well drained

1/2 cup TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa

4 cups torn mixed salad greens

1/2 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 large tomato, chopped

2 Tbsp. KRAFT Light Ranch Dressing

Make It

HEAT oven to 425°F. Crumple 4 large sheets of foil to make 4 (3-inch) balls; place on baking sheet. Top each ball with 1 tortilla; spray with cooking spray. Bake 6 to 8 min. or until tortillas are golden brown. (Tortillas will drape over balls as they bake.)

MEANWHILE, brown meat with chili powder in large nonstick skillet. Stir in beans and salsa; cook until heated through, stirring occasionally.

FILL tortilla shells with salad greens, meat mixture, cheese and tomatoes. Drizzle with dressing.

Peking Chicken Pizza

What do you eat for dinner on Election Day 2008, the biggest election in recent memory? Obviously something that's easy to eat in front of the television! Peking Chicken Pizza turned out to be the perfect choice. I came across this recipe last week when I discovered a great blog called Culinary in the Desert Country. Once I saw Joe's gorgeous pictures of this pizza, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I put it in my menu plan for next week but I just couldn't wait. And am I sure glad I didn't wait! This pizza was delicious. The mix of Plum Sauce and barbecue sauce is amazing; sweet, tangy, drool-worthy for sure! I used my pizza stone and the crust crisped up beautifully. (I followed the original recipe rather than Joe's version, mainly because I was in a hurry and used frozen pizza dough that I keep on hand rather than Joe's whole wheat crust. I plan to next time though!) This pizza was so good that dh, who isn't particularly a pizza fan (especially when we also had pizza over the weekend) raved about it. He was seriously disappointed when there was a break in the election coverage and he went back into the kitchen for another piece and it was all gone! What can I say? You snooze, you lose around here! LOL!

This recipe is quick and easy. with a complex flavor that seems like it must have been much more labor intensive. I think this is my new favorite pizza. And I think I'm keeping it on the menu plan for next week. Heck, I'm think if making a small one for breakfast this morning!

Peking Chicken Pizza
Recipe from Culinary in the Desert (Adapted from Rachael Ray)

8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 teaspoons olive oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper
cornmeal, for dusting
12 or 16 ounces prepared whole-wheat pizza dough
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
3 tablespoons plum sauce
3 tablespoons barbecue sauce
6 ounces shredded Monterey Jack
2 scallions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper
3 tablespoons chopped orange bell pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees with a pizza stone placed on the lowest rack.

Heat a grill pan over high - drizzle oil over chicken and season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Grill chicken, turning once, until done - about 4 to 6 minutes on each side. Remove and let cool. Slice into very thin strips.

Sprinkle enough cornmeal to slightly cover a pizza peel. Stretch and roll out dough to a rough 12" circle on a lightly floured surface and transfer to the cornmeal-dusted peel. Sprinkle the edges of the dough with sesame seeds. Spread plum sauce and barbecue sauce over the pizza - arrange the sliced chicken on top and scatter with the cheese. Sprinkle the top with the scallions and peppers. Slide pizza onto the stone and bake until the crust is golden and the cheese has melted, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly before serving.

Makes about 4 to 6 servings.

Picky Daughter's Favorite: Chicken Fingers with Spicy Avocado Sauce

I knew if I kept trying, I'd discover an OMG! recipe for my picky daughter. Thanks to Deborah over at Taste and Tell, I have! Dd is still raving about these Chicken Fingers with Spicy Avocado Sauce. So much so that she's convinced me to make them again tonight; the second time this week. Not that it was too hard ... I loved them too! Rare because I generally don't eat meat but this is my new favorite way to eat protein. ;-)

The chicken is lightly spiced. Enough to give it a great flavor but nothing overpowering. The thing that I think puts this over the top is the use of fresh bread crumbs. I am so a convert. I won't be using those old, dry boxed ones ever again.

Definitely a recipe we'll be making over and over around here. Thanks Deborah!

Chicken Fingers with Spicy Avocado Sauce
Recipe from Taste and Tell

For the Chicken Fingers
2/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs*
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

For the Spicy Avocado Sauce
2 small avocados, pitted and peeled
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons minced pickled jalepeños
Juice from 1/2 small lime
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, or more to taste

Preheat the oven to 400F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine the bread crumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, thyme, paprika, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Mix well. Dip the chicken strips in to coat evenly, and tap off the excess. Lay the chicken strips on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Spray the tops with cooking spray. Cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 20 minutes.

In a medium bowl, mash the avocado and sour cream together with a fork. Fold in the jalepeños, lime juice, cilantro and hot sauce, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve the chicken fingers with the avocado sauce on the side for dipping.

*To make whole wheat bread crumbs, take a slice of whole wheat bread and put it into a food processor. Process until it makes fine crumbs. I only needed one slice of bread to make the amount of crumbs needed. Feel free to substitute prepared bread crumbs.

Layered Greek Dip

Here's a recipe that might come in handy this holiday season. It's easy to make and looks pretty when you serve it. This Layered Greek Dip from The Savory Notebook is perfect to take to those family carry-ins. The ingredients will keep on hand for awhile and it can be quickly thrown together at the last minute. Be sure to use a good hummus though. I tried a new brand the first time I made it and the horrible hummus overshadowed the whole dish. Next time I used our family favorite and the dip was delicious.


Layered Greek Dip
Recipe from The Savory Notebook

8 ounce package reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
3 cloves garlic, minced
1½ cups prepared hummus
1 cup chopped cucumber
1 cup chopped tomato
½ cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives
½ cup crumbled feta cheese (reduced fat is fine)
1/3 cup sliced green onions
pita chips and/or multigrain tortilla chips

1. In medium mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, and garlic with rubber spatula until smooth and well-combined.
2. Spread cream cheese mixture into deep 9-inch pie plate or oval platter. Spread hummus on top of cream cheese layer. Sprinkle on cucumber, then tomato, olives, feta, and green onions.
3. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours. Serve with pita chips or tortilla chips.

Pinwheel Pizza

I wish I'd heard about The Hunger Challenge last month while it was going on last month. These days any challenge that helps me save money is exactly what I need! The goal was to live on $3 per day for a week just as the average family who lives on food stamps have to do. Browsing through recipes from some of the bloggers who participated in the first Hunger Challenge really spurred me on to get creative and save some money on my food bill.

When I saw this recipe I knew it would be perfect for us. Mainly because we all love pizza around here but also because Pillsbury recently sent me a coupon to try their new thin crust refrigerated pizza crust. Using the pre-made rectangular pizza crust made this recipe a breeze. I just unrolled the dough, topped it with pasta sauce and shredded cheese. Added some baby spinach and some leftover Kalamata olives and rolled it up. Prep time was probably less than 5 minutes. Definitely a good recipe to keep around for those hectic nights coming up since ... ds made his 7th grade basketball team! Woohoo! Go ds!





I can see that we'll be using these Pillsbury Pizza Crusts more often around here. I prefer my own crust but you can't beat the convenience of having a ready-made crust in the fridge. You can have a fresh, homemade pizza on the table in less than 30 minutes from start to finish. Definitely a lifesaver on those busy weeknights. If anyone would like to try Pillsbury's new Thin Crust Pizza Crust, either email me at imrunningtoeat (at) gmail.com or leave a comment below with your email address and I'll email you a coupon so you can try it for yourself!

Pinwheel Pizza
Recipe from The Hunger Challenge
Makes 8 pieces, serves a family of 4

1 pound whole wheat pizza dough
½ to ¾ cup favorite jarred tomato sauce
¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup fresh organic baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons chopped black olives

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch-round metal baking pan.

Roll dough out into a rectangle shape, about 10 x 12 inches. Spread sauce on top. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Top with spinach leaves (kids can help arrange) and sprinkle with olives.

Starting with shorter end, roll dough into a tube, with all sauce and toppings inside. You may have to lengthen and even out the dough roll. Carefully transfer roll to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, make hard quick crosswise cuts to slice through dough, preventing dough from mashing and sauce spilling out. Cut log in half, then each half in half, then each quarter in half again, so you have 8 equal pieces.

Reshape dough wheels and arrange in baking pan, leaving about ½ to 1 inch between each wheel, so they can expand and rise and push into each other when they bake. Sprinkle wheels with remaining cheese. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and dough is cooked. Carefully remove each wheel from the pan with a spatula or pie server.

Tomato Mozzarella Sandwiches

Summer is coming to an end here in the Midwest. Oh the days are still warm enough but the nights are dipping down into the '40's and the first frost isn't all that far away. The kids are back in school. The days are getting shorter. The water colder. The opportunities to go kayaking, fewer and farther between. But most importantly ... soon there will be no more delicious, ripe, juicy homegrown tomatoes!!!!
Dh and I celebrated his birthday by spending the morning kayaking around a one of our beautiful state parks. It was a beautiful day. Warmer than expected and sunny, until a fire somewhere in the area, produced enough smoke to blot out the sun and we started to be pelted with pieces of ash that the breeze carried carried across the entire lake. It seemed to be a large fire (judging by the smoke cloud.) It wasn't very close to the park and we never saw anything about it in the news so I have no idea what it was. It was a really weird experience though. Before that, we had a blast. There was lots of wildlife and very few other boaters. It was like we had the entire lake to ourselves. Quite peaceful and a great way to celebrate one of those forty-something birthdays. Next time though, I will definitely pack a picnic lunch so we don't have to leave so soon!

Here's a great picnic sandwich ... even if it is a little messy! This tasty and easy to throw together sandwich comes from Robin over at Serious Eats! that is the perfect way to enjoy those last few homegrown tomatoes. I can see how this could get a little soggy so you might want to turn it into a salad. The next time I tried it (I'm telling you, it's addicting!) I simply threw all the ingredients into a bowl, dicing the toasted bread and tomatoes and it was great ... and quite a bit less messy! Try it either way. Just try it!

If you prefer your tomato sandwiches with a more mayo-based dressing, here's a link to another tomato sandwich I blogged about recently.


Tomato Mozzarella Sandwich
Recipe by Robin Bellinger at Serious Eats!

2 individual ciabatta rolls
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
2 medium tomatoes
5 or 6 medium to large basil leaves chopped into chiffonade
2 or 3 ounces fresh mozzarella
1 clove garlic

Split the ciabatta and toast. In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

Slice or chop the tomatoes and toss them with the dressing. Add the basil.

When the rolls are toasted, rub them with garlic and pile them with tomatoes and mozzarella. Drizzle the sandwiches with as much extra dressing as you like before closing them up. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and eat within a few hours, preferably without refrigerating.

Grilled Eggplant and Tomato Appetizers

I'm always looking for ways to add more vegetables to our diet. This is one of my favorites! Recently, despite years of claiming otherwise, I realized that I absolutely love eggplant. I even grew a few in my garden this summer. One of my favorite ways to use eggplant comes from Laylita's Recipes. Anna's Eggplant Appetizer consists of grilled eggplant slices topped with slices of juicy, red tomato and a dollop of garlic-Parmesan mayo. Simple and delicious!


You can find the recipe (as well as the story behind the recipe) at Laylita's Recipes. While you're there be sure to check out all of Layla's beautiful photos and yummy sounding recipes. I wasn't familiar with Ecuadorian food but after browsing this blog, I can see it's likely to become one of my favorite cuisines!

Apple Bundles from Dine and Dish

While I was checking out one of my favorite food blogs, I found a quick and easy finish for dh's birthday dinner: Apple Bundles. Dine and Dish featured this fall inspired recipe recently and I knew dh would enjoy it. This one is easy to make. You simply roll up apple slices in pre-made bread stick dough and top with cinnamon and sugar. Pop them in the oven and dessert is ready. Next time I think I'd toss the apple slices with the cinnamon-sugar mixture to add a little delicious gooey-ness that's missing here.

Apple Bundles
Recipe from Pampered Chef Delightful Desserts

2 lg apples
1 pkg refrigerated bread stick dough — 11 oz
1 med orange
2 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375F. Peal, core, and slice apples. Cut slices in half. Unroll dough; separate into 8 breadsticks. Cut each in half crosswise to make 16 strips. Place 3-4 apple slices at the end of each piece of dough; roll up. Arrange bundles in greased 7×11″ pan. Zest 1 t. orange rind, set aside. Juice orange. Pour orange juice into bottom of pan (but not over bundles). Brush bundles with butter. Mix zest, sugar and cinnamon; spoon over bundles. Bake 25-30 min. or until golden brown.

Simple White Bean Soup

The days are still warm here in the Midwest, but definitely not as warm as it was a week or so ago. The nights are actually getting downright chilly. They say it will dip into the '40's this week. Not necessarily time to break out the parkas but it sure motivates me to start whipping up warm bowls of soup for lunch.

This Simple White Bean Soup was one I wanted to try as soon as I saw it over at Simple Daily Recipes. We've loved every recipe I've tried from Simple Daily Recipes. And this one did not disappoint. The best thing about Jill's recipes is that while they usually perfect for kids, they are flavorful enough to satisfy the grown-ups as well. Of course, the fact that they are usually quick and easy to prepare helps too!

Even though I haven't had this one bookmarked too long, I'm submitting Simple White Bean Soup to Bookmarked Recipes over at Ruth's Kitchen Experiments this week. Be sure to check out the weekly round-up of great Bookmarked Recipes!





Simple White Bean Soup
Recipe by Jill from Simple Daily Recipes

2 (15 oz.) cans Northern Beans
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 (15oz.) can plum tomatoes or stewed tomatoes
1 (15oz.) hot chicken broth or 2 cups hot water
salt & pepper to season
extra-virgin olive oil, to serve

Puree one can of Northern Bean with an immersion blender or food processor.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Stir in the onion, and cook until it softens. Add the celery, tomatoes, and cook for 5 minutes more.

Pour in hot broth. Stir in the beans and the bean puree. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with a little extra virgin olive oil in individual soup bowls.

Black Bean Enchiladas

After spending Labor Day at a nearby state park, we were tired and hungry by the time we made it home. Too tired to run into the grocery store so dinner needed to be something we had on hand. Since we had no meat, I grabbed a can of black beans and pulled up a recipe for Black Bean Enchiladas by Jill at Simple Daily Recipes that I'd bookmarked earlier.

I knew these enchiladas would be good. So far we've loved every recipe we've tried from Jill's site. These Black Bean Enchiladas were easy to throw together, used ingredients that I normally keep on hand and were a hit with the kids as well as the adults. (Jill's advice to make a few all cheese enchiladas was right on the money!) This is one that will definitely show up on our table several times during this hectic school year. Did I mention they were delicious? So much so that I didn't even realize that I forgot to take pictures until after the enchiladas were all gone! Instead, you get a picture of me playing around with my favorite birthday present: my new kayak!

Black Bean Enchiladas
Recipe by Jill at Simple Daily Recipes

12 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 cans Ranch Style Black Beans
1 teaspoon cumin (optional)
your favorite salsa
sour cream

Preheat oven 400F degrees. Mist a 13×9x2-inch casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray, cover bottom of dish with one can of black beans and stir in the cumin. Line up the cheese, onions, and green pepper to build the enchiladas.

Now for the BIG TIME SAVER - place a paper towel on a small plate, stack the tortillas on top, cover with other half of towel, then cover with microwave safe bowl that will fit over tortillas. Microwave on high for 50 seconds to 1 minute. Tortillas will be hot, soft and pliable, be careful not to burn yourself.

Work quickly to fill tortillas with approximately 2 tablespoons of cheese, a little onion, a little green pepper then roll up and lay in dish seam side down.

KID FRIENDLY TIP
Fill half the dish with cheese only enchiladas and the other half with the works. Be careful to remember which side is kid friendly. I usually lay the enchiladas perpendicular to each other.

After you fill the dish, pour the next can of black beans over the enchiladas, use any leftover cheese, onions & peppers to garnish the grown up side. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until hot. Serve with salsa, sour cream.

Country Bob's Beefy Skewers

Awhile back, Country Bob's sent me a free sample of their Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce to try. We'd had it in the past and I knew dh really liked it. Somehow it just didn't seem to go with anything I'd planned to cook that week and the bottle got put in the cabinet and I'm ashamed to say that I forgot I had it.

Fast forward to a busy school night where I'm frantically scrounging for something to put on the table before it's time for the kids to be in bed. As I'm rummaging through the pantry, the bottle of Country Bob's miraculously reappears. Aha! Just what I needed to take our dinner to a whole new level.

For a quick meal, I marinated cubes of steak in a 1:1 mixture of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce and Orange Marmalade and let it hang out in the fridge while I prepared the rest of the meal, helped with homework and signed planners. When we were ready to fix dinner, I alternated chunks of the beef, red bell pepper, red onion and nectarines on wooden skewers. The Beefy Skewers were delicious and even ds ate the steak off of his. (Still not too fond of the veggies but we've got to start somewhere!) The Country Bob's added a nice bit of zing in contrast to the sweetness of the fruit. And the grilled nectarines were delicious.

The people over at Country Bob's want you to have a chance to try their product as well. Check out the Country Bob's web page where you will find lots of great recipes as well as a place to request your own free sample of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce.

Country Bob's Beefy Skewers

1/2 cup Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce
1/2 cup orange marmalade
Steak, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
Red Bell Pepper, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
Red Onion, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
Nectarine, cut into wedges

Mix Country Bob's Sauce with orange marmalade in a large zipper bag. Add the chunks of steak and store in refrigerator for a couple of hours or all night.

Thread skewers with peppers, onions, nectarines and beef cubes. Grill approximately 5 minutes per side. Serve.

Zucchini Pasta

To celebrate school starting, the girls and I spent the day at the swimming pool in a nearby state park. The weather was beautiful. The water wasn't too cold. And the pool wasn't very crowded. The girls were able to go down the water slide as many times as they wanted and my niece finally got comfortable putting her face under water! A great day for everyone.

Great until I got home with a car load of tired and hungry kids with no idea what to fix for dinner. Around here pasta is usually a good idea so I started the water boiling and looked around for something to add to it. I had plenty of zucchini from the garden and a package of baby bellas from the store. Unfortunately, when I opened them, they were a tad bit past their prime. (Blech!) Since the zucchini seemed a little lonely I threw in a can of sliced mushrooms and what little bit of red onion I had left. I topped the pasta with a creamy sauce made from the remnants of a couple of packages of cream cheese that have been floating around in the fridge for too long. (Why is it that my kids can't finish one box before they open the new one? Can someone explain that? ::sigh::) I thinned the cream cheese with a little milk and stirred in a handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Quick. Easy. Delicious. Just the way I like it!


Zucchini Pasta

1 box Mini Farfalle
olive oil
1-2 zucchini, 1/4 inch dice
1/2 red onion, 1/4 inch dice
1 small can sliced mushrooms
1 block cream cheese
1/4-1/2 cup milk, as needed to thin the sauce
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Parsley, for garnish

Prepare pasta as directed on the box.

To a large skillet, add olive oil. When heated, add the red onion, mushrooms and zucchini cubes. Saute until softened, several minutes. Add cream cheese and milk and stir until cheese is melted and the sauce thickens. Add pasta and Parmesan and toss until pasta is coated with sauce. Garnish with parsley if desired.