Zucchini Sticks with Sweet Onion Sauce
(kingarthurflour.com)

Dip:

First, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium-sized frying pan over moderate heat, and add 1 medium sweet onion (about 1/2 pound), sliced.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, then caramelizes. This should take between 20 and 25 minutes, at medium-low heat. The lower the heat, the longer it takes, but the less likely you are to burn the onions.

When the onions are medium brown, remove them from the heat.

Place the following in a small food processor or blender:

all of the caramelized onions
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon prepared mustard

Process until fairly smooth. Remove from the processor, and stir in 1 cup mayonnaise.

Zucchini Fries:

scant 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
garlic powder and paprika, a little of each
panko bread crumbs
1 zucchini
egg
flour

Cut up zucchini into fries, no need to peel.  Dip into flour, then into egg, then into seasoning mixture.  Place on greased pan.

Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, then flip, and bake for 10 more minutes.

Potato Salad recipe for summer

Perfect Potato Salad

(from melskitchencafe.com)

Dressing:

• 2 cups mayonnaise (I use Best Foods/Hellmans Light Mayo with great results)
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced dried onions
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard

Salad:

• 5 pounds potatoes (I prefer to use red potatoes or yukon gold potatoes because I like their firm non-grainy texture)
• 1 cup sliced olives (obviously fine without, too)
• 10 hard-boiled eggs*, diced

DIRECTIONS:
Simply combine all the ingredients in a blender or in a bowl and give it a whirl or whisk until all ingredients are combined.

For the salad, peel, dice, and boil potatoes until tender but not mushy (I cut my potatoes into bite-size pieces and boil for about 8-10 minutes). Drain potatoes well and pour into a large bowl. Add sliced olives and hard-boiled eggs. Pour dressing over warm potatoes until desired “dressing-level” is reached. I usually make this salad the night before and I pour a thin coating of dressing over the potatoes, olives and eggs while they rest in the fridge overnight. Before serving the next day, I add the rest of the dressing and mix until it looks just right.

*For perfect hard-boiled eggs, place eggs in a deep saucepan; cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 14 minutes. Transfer to an iced water bath; let cool completely. Unpeeled eggs can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

I only had 4 potatoes so I kind of just took my ingredients down several notches without thinking too hard or measuring and it all worked out and was delicious.  So that means this is a very fool-friendly recipe!  I also microwaved my potatoes and then peeled them.  Super fast this way!  Just make sure not to overcook!  The dressing is very tasty- it is an addictive potato salad that doesn't feel too heavy and seems healthy too.  I'll make it many times throughout the summer.

What to do with all those cherry tomatoes!

• 
  
• Tomato Feta Salad
• (from allrecipes.com)
• 
  
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped sweet onion
• 1 pound grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the vinegar, basil and salt. Add onion; toss to coat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, oil and feta cheese; toss to coat. Serve with a slotted spoon.

This was really tasty!  We have so many cherry tomatoes coming out of our garden right now.  I wish they'd come out at a more relaxed pace throughout the whole year...

Summer Corn Salad- something different from normal steamed corn!

Summer Corn Salad

from melskitchencafe.com

*Serves 4

6 ears of corn, shucked (I used frozen sweet corn I cooked as usual and drained)

1/2 cup finely diced red onion

1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (I used cut regular tomatoes)

3 tablespoons cider or red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup julienned fresh basil leaves (I skipped)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When boiling, add one tablespoon sugar and one tablespoon vinegar. Add the cobs of corn to the pot of water and bring to a rolling boil. Cover the pot, remove from the heat and let the corn sit for 10 minutes. Remove the corn from the pot. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.

Toss the kernels in a medium bowl with the red onions, tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Serve cold or at room temperature.

I have never thought outside the box when it comes to corn.  I cook the bagged or canned corn in the microwave, add a little salt and butter, and call it good.  Well, this recipe is such a NICE change!  Great for summer, great for anytime.  I loved the tanginess.  I imagine it would taste even better with fresh corn but we just didn't have that available (waiting for it to be 4 for $1.)

Some will turn up their noses

3 Bean Salad

• 1 15-oz can green beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15-oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15-oz can yellow wax  beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 celery stalks, chopped fine (I skipped)
• 1/2 red onion, chopped fine (I used sweet)

• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 In a large bowl, mix the beans, celery, onion, parsley and rosemary.

2 In a separate small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add the dressing to the beans. Toss to coat.

3 Chill beans in the refrigerator for several hours, to allow the beans to soak up the flavor of the dressing.

Yield: Serves 4 to 8. (or 20 if you are a normal person who eats a little scoop of this salad- it's  kind of a side-side salad

This is a great non-green salad veggie side dish.  A little tangy, a teensy bit sweet, it adds a nice contrast to a meat main dish.  

Broiled Broccoli- the best way to get it down!

Broiled Broccoli

(from Good Things Utah)

• 3 or 4 bunches of Broccoli cut into small florettes
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• Kosher salt to taste
• Fresh lemon (optional)

Directions:
Put the broccoli on a cookie sheet mixed with the canola oil. Sprinkle kosher salt over broccoli. Put in the oven on "broil" for 4 minutes. Take out and mix it up and put it back in for 3 more minutes. Should be a tiny bit brown if you like it that way. 


I loved to pop this broccoli!  The kids liked it too.  Notice I said "liked".  Is any kid going to "love" it?  I just love it because I liked the taste and know it's good for me.  And it's fast and goes with a lot of dishes.  Yay!!

Sweet Potato side dish winner!

Sweet Potato Bake
(allrecipes.com)


3 cups cold mashed sweet potatoes (without added milk and butter- I just microwaved, cut in half, and scooped out the potato and mashed)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• TOPPING:
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cold butter or margarine

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, beat sweet potatoes, milk, butter, eggs, salt and vanilla until smooth. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, pecans and flour; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over potato mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown.

Yum!  Really...I know there are a lot of people out there that don't like sweet potatoes.  But this recipe is worth a taste.  The sweet potato part isn't overly sweet, and it's topped with a delicious sweet topping.  So it isn't overkill on the sweet.  This will be on my menu whenever I have sweet potatoes!

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

• 1 lb. frozen spinach (thawed and strained)
• 2 blocks cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cups not marinated artichoke hearts (drained)
• 1/2 cup half & half (or just sub in some mayo)
• 2 tsp seasoning salt
• 1 diced tomato (optional)

Place all ingredents into a mixer.  Using the flat paddle attachment blend till smooth and creamy.  Place desired amount in a glass containter and bake for 10 min at 350 degrees or microwave for 30 to 45 sec.  Top with diced tomatoes.  Served with tortilla chips.


Here's another one from allrecipes.com that I like too.


Spinach, Artichoke Alfredo Dip

• 4 cloves garlic (or sub in some garlic powder, about 1/2 t.)
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) container Alfredo-style pasta sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place garlic in a small baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven 20 to 30 minutes, until soft. Remove from heat. When cool enough to touch, squeeze softened garlic from skins.
3. In an 8x8 inch baking dish, spread the roasted garlic, spinach, artichoke hearts, Alfredo-style pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and cream cheese.
4. Cover and bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until cheeses are melted and bubbly. Serve warm.

I really love my dips!  This is a great way to think you're eating healthy...but it's not that bad, right?  Especially if you call it dinner!  Feel free to add some cooked chopped chicken if you want!

fancy food that was so fun-will make again!

Chicken and Sun dried Tomato Bruschetta
(from oneshetwoshe.com)

Ingredients:

• 2 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 1/4 cups of Italian dressing, divided
• 1/3 cup feta cheese
• 8 sun dried tomatoes, without oil chopped (mine were in oil and it tasted great!)
• 1 loaf foccacia bread cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
• 1/4 cup olive oil (I skipped this step)

Directions

1. Place the chicken in a bowl with 1 cup of the dressing. Marinate for at least three hours. (I just threw one chicken breast in the crock pot with some of the dressing and cooked for a few hours).
2. Cook the chicken. After the chicken has cooled a little, either shred it or cut it.
3. Add chopped sun dried tomatoes, torn up spinach, feta and the rest of the dressing. Mix together.
4. Cut up the bread and drizzle with olive oil. Broil until lightly toasted. Add the chicken mixture to the bread and serve!

This is something I fell in love with! So did Russell, and 1 out of 4 kids liked it. Sure, not a hit there, but the oldest has the most mature taste buds, and she liked it. I loved the contrast of flavors, and the dressing was excellent. This could be served as a dip as well. You can pretty much use as much of each ingredient (spinach, cheese, tomatoes, etc) as you like.

Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

• 1 head broccoli, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1/2 c. sugar (or more or less to taste)
• 2 c. mayo
• 3 t. apple cider vinegar
• 1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
• bacon, cooked and crumbled (I skip for my personal preference)
  

1. Combine veggies.
2. Mix mayo, sugar, and vinegar. Pour as much as you'd like over the veggies, stir.
3. Add cheese and gently stir.

This is my mom's great salad she's been making this summer. I made the mistake of making this recipe using a bag of frozen cauliflower/broccoli mix and no, I do not recommend anything but fresh, crisp veggies!

Red Fresh Salsa

• 2 cans of mexican style stewed tomatoes (regular work too)
  
• Juice of 1 lime (a lime is better than lime juice concentrate, but if it's all you have it does just fine)
  
• 1 t. of sugar
  
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 bunch of green onions
• 1 clove garlic (I use 1/4 t garlic powder usually)
  
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro leaves (I skip)
  
• 1/2 jalapeno for medium or for mild add a can of green chilis (optional)

Blend in blender. Eat!

Anyone interested in quinoa?

Black Bean and Quinoa Salad
(allrecipes.com)

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (we don't like)
  

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

This is a tasty salad. And SO healthy! Don't be afraid to try quinoa, though it may be hard to find at this point. I got mine at Beehive Health Essentials, due to a cooking class that got me interested. Quinoa is a complete protein due to its complete balance of amino acids. Low-carb, high protein, high fiber, gluten-free...purely amazing. I think it tastes like couscous, but that's ok because I like couscous. So for any healthies or vegans out there, this post is for you. I'll probably make this more once I can get quinoa at a normal grocery store.

Black-Eyed peas and Corn Salsa

Black-Eyed Peas and Corn Salsa

• 1 15 oz can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
  
• 1 15 oz can whole kernel corn, drained
• 4-5 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (I skip- don't like it!)
  
• 1 bunch green onions, cut into small pieces (I diced some yellow onion- all I had)
• 1-2 medium avocadoes, diced
• 1 packet Good Seasons Italian dressing, mixed according to package directions. (this brand is best)
  

Mix all together with dressing. Add avocado just before serving. Refrigerate several hours before serving. (though I ate mine right away and it was great, but I bet flavors would mingle best this way)
Serve with tortilla chips or over a salad.

Yum! This is another one stolen from my ward cookbook, but what can I say? I'm making this again, so it's going into my tried and true file, aka my blog.

lovin' my sun-dried tomatoes; 2 salads

Bow-tie Pasta Salad

• your choice of pasta
• sun-dried tomatoes
• drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper (or Italian dressing, if that's what you prefer)
• cubed cheese
• olives
• sun-dried tomatoes (I love their slightly chewiness, and their longevity in salads vs. fresh)
• sliced red pepper, or zukes, cucumber, whatever
• parmesan cheese sprinkled on top
  

1. Combine the above and chill in fridge an hour before serving.
   

Couscous Pea and Sun-Dried Tomato Salad

• 1 1/2 c. plain couscous, cooked
  
• peas, thawed
• sun-dried tomatoes
• green onion (optional)
• drizzle of olive oil
• sprinkle of garlic powder
• lemon pepper, sprinkled generously

1. Combine the above. Chill in fridge an hour before serving. (Tastes really good the day after).

These are two very versatile salads. I'm kind of posting them as templates for me to reference. You pretty much can use whatever seasonings/veggies you like in these salads. I bought my sun-dried tomatoes at Walmart and they are about 3 dollars a jar in the canned vegetable aisle. They come slightly seasoned in oil, but you just throw them in (drained) as is and they are great. anyway..these are great side dishes. Also great in the summer as cold salads. Throw in chicken in either one and have dinner!

Honey Roasted Potatoes

Honey Roasted Potatoes or Veggies

• cut up (I like bite-size) potatoes (I like red and sweet potatoes)
• carrots, peppers, any other veggies you like
  
• honey to drizzle over top
• salt and pepper
• 2 T. chopped onion

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line baking dish with tinfoil to avoid cleaning baked on honey.
   
2. Cut up desired veggies in amount needed.
3. Sprinkle chopped onions on top.
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle enough honey on top to lightly glaze.
5. Bake for 30 minutes to an hour, or until fork-tender.

This is a great way to eat potatoes and other vegetables. This dish goes with mostly any main dish. It is very tasty and doesn't need any adornments, though my kids still use ranch. lame.

Sweet potato fries and dip

Baked Sweet Potato Fries
(adapted from ourbestbites.com)

• 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1/2 t oregano
• 1/2 t coriander (skipped-didn't have)
  
• 1 t kosher salt (we love sea salt sprinkled on after they're done instead!)
  
• 1 t parsley
• fresh ground pepper (about 10 turns of a pepper mill)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
   
2. Spray a cookie sheet lightly with cooking spray. Slice your sweet potatoes into french fry shape and size.
3. Throw all the fries into a big ziploc bag or old bread bag along with all the seasonings and give a few good shakes. I don't measure; I just sprinkle to what I like. Arrange in pan with no fries overlapping.
4. Cook for 15 minutes, then flip and cook for another 15 or so (depending on desired crispiness).
5. Eat plain (really good just plain!), or use fun dip down below.
   

Honey-Lime Dip for Sweet Potato Fries

• 6 oz container plain, low-fat yogurt (I just used sour cream because it's what I had, but this would be good!)
  
• 1 T mayo
  
• 1/2 T honey
• 1/2 lime (not as good, but I used lime juice concentrate)
  
• 1/4 t cumin
• 1/8 t oregano
• 1 t parsley
• 1/2 t granulated onion
• 3/4 t kosher salt

Mix honey and yogurt until combined and give it a big squeeze from the lime half. Add in spices and herbs and you have a dip.

MMmmm! This is my new favorite veggie. I hadn't eaten sweet potatoes before, except in mashed form. I tried some sweet potato fries from Costco and I liked them, but they were more processed than this yummy, simple recipe. Weird thing is, my sweet potatoes weren't orange? What's up with that? They were just white. But they were definitely sweet potatoes!

Two Zuke recipes compared

Zucchini Casserole (allrecipes.com)

• 4 cups sliced yellow squash
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 35 buttery round crackers, crushed
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Place squash and onion in a large skillet over medium heat. Pour in a small amount of water. Cover, and cook until squash is tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well, and place in a large bowl.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together cracker crumbs and cheese. Stir half of the cracker mixture into the cooked squash and onions. In a small bowl, mix together eggs and milk, then add to squash mixture. Stir in 1/4 cup melted butter, and season with salt and pepper. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cracker mixture, and dot with 2 tablespoons butter.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Zucchini Casserole 2
(allrecipes.com)

• 4 ounces herb-seasoned dry bread stuffing mix
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 4 cups cubed zucchini (I sliced mine)
• 2 carrots, grated
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl combine stuffing and butter. In a separate bowl combine zucchini, carrots, onion, soup and sour cream. Mix in 1/2 of the stuffing mixture, then spread into a 9x12 inch casserole dish and sprinkle the remaining stuffing on top.
3. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes (mine took 10-15 minutes longer, so slice thin! You can also saute zuke and onion in a skillet for 5 minutes and cut of 30 min of oven time).

These were both good ways to use zucchini. Russell and I enjoyed the second recipe best; the one with stuffing and cream of chicken soup. The first one is worth making again too, but we liked the flavor of the second better. It also held up better second day. The first recipe kind of gets soggy with the crackers and the moisture from the zucchini.

Potatoes I make about twice a year

Creamy Potatoes Au Gratin

• 4 potatoes, sliced (I leave skin on)
• 1 onion, sliced in rings
• 3 T flour
• 1/2 t. salt
• 2 c. milk
• 1 c. cheddar cheese
• 3 T. margarine

1. Preheat oven to 400. Grease 13x9 pan. Layer 1/2 potatoes, then onion, then the rest of the potatoes. Salt and pepper.
2. In medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in flour and salt and stir with wisk for 1 minute. Stir in milk. Cook until mixture thickens. Stir in cheese until melted. Remove from heat, pour sauce over potatoes.
3. Cover with foil.
4. Bake 45 minutes to an hour, or until potatoes are fork-tender.

I stole this picture. But mine kind of looked like this, though more pale. Plus we cut the potatoes and put them in the fridge and they turned gray. The taste was the same though.

Anyway, the reason I only make these twice a year is that we rarely have potatoes. They are just mediocre veggies in my mind and they take so long to cook! However, we do enjoy these when we have them, and it is a pretty quick recipe.