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Main Dishes, Salads

Chicken Pasta Salad w/Cherry Tomatoes

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“Honey, this is a Great Summer Meal,” my husband said last night after eating the second plateful.
Chicken Pasta Salad with Cherry Tomatoes & Feta what a great summer meal after a hot day and so easy to make. Check it out!

Chicken Pasta Salad & Cherry Tomatoes & Feta
Chicken Pasta Salad & Cherry Tomatoes & Feta

Prep: 40 Min. Serves: 4
Cook: 10 min.

8 oz. Rotini or Penne
2 boneless chicken breasts ( 6 oz. each)
Fresh ground pepper, Kosher salt
1 Tbsp. veg. oil
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup diced cucumber
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in halved
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
A pinch of red pepper flakes

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook as directed; drain and rinse under cold water. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add chicken. Cook until golden brown or until chicken is cooked through. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
3. Heat the olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until golden. Remove from heat and let stand.
4. Cut up the chicken into nice cubes and add the pasta along with cucumber, tomato, garlic oil and feta and gently toss to coat. Now you can put this in the fridge or eat it warm. Enjoy!!

My Chicken Pasta Salad w/Cherry Tomatoes w/Feta
My Chicken Pasta Salad w/Cherry Tomatoes w/Feta
Biscuits & Breads, Cooking for Fun!

Zucchini Pecan Bread

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Zucchini Pecan Bread
Zucchini Pecan Bread

Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp. each baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk 2 eggs, 1 1/2 cups grated zucchini, 1/2 cop chopped pecans, 1/2 cup vegetable oil and 1 tsp. vanilla. Sir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Butter an 8 inch loaf pan. Pour in the batter; bake at 325 until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let Cool! Enjoy!!

Main Dishes

Spaghetti With Zucchini

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Spaghetti with Zucchini
Spaghetti with Zucchini

Prep: 20 Min.   Serves: 2
Total:20 Min.

8 ounces spaghetti
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 smashed, clove garlic
2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
6 fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the spaghetti, cook until ready. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, until golden brown, add zucchini and saute for a couple of minutes. Add 1/4 cup of pasta water and cook zucchini until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the pasta to the skillet (if you need add more pasta water) cook tossing until the done. Remove form heat and sprinkle the cheese and basil on the pasta. Enjoy!!

Gardening

Gardening in your own backyard!

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Everyone is all for locally grown foods – and you can’t get any more local than right outside your door. What are the rewards to have fresh vegetables from your own garden? There’s nothing simpler or more delicious than a tomato (from your garden) on a sandwich served on white bread with a little mayo. Yes, there is a heaven! I have my own garden and it is well worth the hard work to keep it going. I have planted Squash, Tomatoes, and Peppers. Also I planted a few herbs that I use in my cooking. “Fresh Is The Best.” Parsley, Sage, Basil, Oregano, and Thyme are the herbs of my choice to grown. There is nothing like going outside and cutting a few herbs to add to a great meal.

My garden Zucchini!
My garden Zucchini!

The garden’s biggest fan is my little friend (Bernie). We check the garden every morning to see that all the plants are doing what they a suppose too. This is Bernie’s first year of gardening, so he has a lot to learn.

Bernie first garden!
Bernie’s first garden!
Appetizers

Summer Salsa

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Salads
Simple Salsa

Prep: 15 min.
Servings about 2 1/2 cups

1 cup diced peeled peach
1 cup diced ripe tomato
3 Tbsp, chopped green onion
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp of sugar
1/4 Tsp. salt
1/4 Tsp. pepper
Hey you can add some hot sauce for a kick!
1. In a medium bowl combine peach, tomato, onion, line juice and hot sauce if you like. Add oil, sugar salt, and pepper.
2. Refrigerate until ready to serve. This can be used with chips, tacos, baked potatoes, and my favorite “the cucumber rounds.” Recipe for them is on the site. Anyway you like it, Enjoy!!

Salads

Red Grape Chicken Salad

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Salad
Red Grape Chicken Salad

Prep: 20 min. Serve: 6 Servings

3 cups chopped up cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups seedless red grapes, cut in halve
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/3 cups mayonnaise (Dukes is really good)
1/3 cup of honey(optional)

1. In a large bowl combine chicken, grape halves, celery, and walnuts: set aside.
2. In a small bowl. Spoon mayo and honey together. Spoon mixture over chicken mixture: toss gently. Cover and refrigerate. Enjoy!!

Appetizers

Fried Pimento-Cheddar Balls

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Appetizers
Fried Pimento Cheddar Balls

This Pimento Cheddar balls can be made-ahead for the guests who just pop in or you just like to save yourself a little time.
Prep: 15 min. Cook: 1 min.
serve: 24 1 inch balls

1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped pimentos, dry
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/2 Tsp. Creole seasoning
3 eggs whites, beaten (make sure it is stiff)
2 cups panko bread crumbs
Oil for frying Your choice
Your can use the recipe Creole Ranch Dipping Sauce. (At the bottom)

1. In a medium bowl combine cheese, pimentos, flour, hot pepper sauce, and Creole seasoning. Add egg whites and 1 cup of panko, combine together.
2. Roll mixture into 24 (i-inch) balls. Roll each ball in remaining 1 cup of panko, coat well.
3. Fill a Dutch oven will 2/3 oil and heat to about 350 over medium heat. Fry the Cheddar balls until lightly browned. You can do 4 to 5 balls at a time.
4. Drain on a paper towel and keep warm. Serve with the Creole Ranch Dipping Sauce. Enjoy!!

Creole Ranch Dipping Sauce
3/4 cups sour cream
1 Tbsp. Creole mustard
1 Tsp. dry ranch salad dressing
1/2 Tsp dried dill
1/8 Tsp. salt
Combine all ingredients mixing well. Cover and serve cold.

Appetizers
My Fried Pimento-Cheddar Balls
Biscuits & Breads

Salsa-Cheese Cornbread

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biscuits
Salsa-Cheese Cornbread

Prep:10 min. Cook: 35 min.
Servings: 16

2 cups self-rising yellow cornmeal mix
1/4 cup vegetable oil ( can be any oil you like)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 can of whole-kernel corn, drained ( 8.5 Oz.)
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees. You can use a cast-iron skillet or a 13x9x2 inches pan. Make sure you lightly grease the pans.
2. In a large bowl combine cornmeal mix,oil,egg,sour cream,and milk. Sir until ingredients are just blended. Add corn,salsa, and Cheddar cheese, stirring until blended. Spoon into a hot skillet or pour into the pan.
3. Bake until wedges are golden brown. 30 to 35 min. Enjoy!!

*Self-rising cornmeal mix is, 1 cup cornmeal, 2 Tsp. baking powder, 1/2 Tsp.salt, and in some cases flour.

Desserts

Pineapple-Cherries Upside-Down Cake

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Dessert
Pineapple-Cherry Upside-Down Cake

This was fun to make. It was my first time making any kind of upside-down cake and it came out perfect!!

Prep: 15 min. Bake: 45 min

1/2 cup unsalted butter, soft
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp buttermilk
1 cup chopped pecans
1 can (20 ounce) pineapple slices, drained and save juice
1/4 cup cherries
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter at medium speed with mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla.
2. In a medium bowl combine cake flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture with
buttermilk to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in pecans.
3. In a small microwavable bowl combine the pineapple juice and cherries, Cover with plastic wrap and heat for 1 minutes. This is the good stuff, you will want to keep this stuff for pouring over the cake when serving.
4. Pour melted butter into bottom of prepared pan. Sprinkle evenly with brown sugar. Arrange pineapple slices in a single layer over the brown sugar. Place cherries in the wholes of the pineapples. Pour batter over pineapple slices.
5. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Test with a wooden tooth pick. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Take a plate and put it over the cake and flip and pray it comes out!! Enjoy!!

Here is what mine looked like!!

Desserts
My Pineapple Upside Down Cake

 

Salads

Feta Green Bean Salad

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Salad
Feta Green Bean Salad

2 pounds of fresh green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup of red onion sliced
1 (6-oz) can large black olives- pitted
1 pint cherry tomatoes cut in half
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 red wine vinegar
2 Tsp. Greek Seasoning
1/2 cup Feta cheese

1. In a large saucepan cover beans in water. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Remove beans from boiling water and place in ice bath to stop the cooking. Drain the beans.
3. Combine beans, onion, olives, and tomatoes and stir.
4. In another bowl whisk together olive oil, vinegar and Greek seasoning.
5 Pour over the bean mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.
6. Serve with feta cheese sprinkle over the top. Enjoy!!