Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Here is another great recipe to use up some of those fresh chives that have grown back from last year. This fresh buttermilk ranch dressing is so easy to make and tastes delish! I love it on salad, with chicken, for dipping french fries and carrot sticks...on lots of things!


As I mentioned in my last post, both of my kids LOVE to help me in the kitchen. So, I had them combine all of the dressing ingredients in a bowl before I gave it a quick pulse in the food processor.

Having them be actively part of the cooking process really helps me with dinner time pickyness. They are generally eager to eat (or at least try) something they helped make...even when there are vegetables involved!






"We love carrots and lettuce with homemade ranch!!!!"
























"YUM!!"








Ingredients:

3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 to 1 cup buttermilk (depending on how thick you want it, I used 3/4 cup)
1 small bunch of chives
Small handful of parsley
1 clove garlic
salt, pepper

Directions:

Place all ingredients with 1/4 cup of buttermilk in a blender and blend for 10 seconds. Check consistency and blend in additional buttermilk if desired. Less buttermilk for dipping, more for dressing. Store in an air-tight jar in the fridge.

Source: adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride, originally from The Gourmet Cookbook, 2004

Steak Salad

When I got out to a nice restaurant, I often crave and order a steak (either a filet mignon or a ribeye). And when I don't order a steak, I usually order a steak salad. I really do love the deliciousness of a juicy, tender steak on top of a big bed of lettuce and veggies. Although, I only cook steak maybe 1 or 2 times (tops!) in a month...steak salads make an appearance pretty often.

This salad is pretty classic. You can certainly jazz it up by adding more veggies such as sliced mushrooms or peppers. The only extra I added was some crumbled blue cheese. Now, I know a lot of people are not blue cheese fans, so feel free to substitute it for feta cheese or skip it all together. One thing not to skip....this dressing! The addition of Worcestershire sauce brings out the natural yumminess of the steak and it's perfect for this salad.



Here are my 4 "must do" tips for grilling a great steak:

* Start with a great cut of meat. For this salad, I used a boneless ribeye.

* Remove your steaks from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you plan to cook them - sometimes as long as 60 minutes (depending on size).

* Make sure your grill or grill pan in very hot before placing steaks on to cook. When it is very hot, it will sear the outside of the meat and lock in the juices.

* Once you are done cooking your steak, take it off the heat source and let it "rest" for at least five minutes. This will allow the juices to spread out.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Ribeye steaks
course salt
pepper
seasoning blend (such as Lowery's)

3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
8 cups romaine lettuce or mixed greens- rinsed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces
2 tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup sliced red onion


Directions:

Preheat grill or grill pan for high heat and lightly oil grates or pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Mix in the cheese. Cover and place dressing in refrigerator.

Season the steak with salt, pepper and seasoning salt. Place steak on grill or grill pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes per side or until desired doneness is reached. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak.

Onto chilled plates arrange the lettuce, tomato, and onion. Top with steak, drizzle with dressing and sprinkle blue cheese (if using). Serve with crusty grilled French bread. Enjoy!

Source: adapted from All Recipes

Homemade Croutons

Taking a little sugar break....don't worry though, I'll be back soon with some really cute cupcakes :)

But today, I wanted to show you how easy it is to make your own croutons at home. I never buy the bagged ones from the grocery store myself. Besides the preservatives and other additives, I just think they taste a little heavy. These on the other hand are light and toasty!


All you will need is some day old bread. I used a a french baguette for these but any crusty bread will do. These croutons were made out of day old bagels.

They get mixed with extra virgin olive oil, a few spices and baked in the oven for about 15 minutes...that's it!



Ingredients:

Crusty day old bread cut into 3/4 inch cubes, about 3-4 cups
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a gallon sized zip lock bag, combine all the ingredients and shake very well to coat croutons. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with olive oil. Spread croutons in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-16 minutes, until golden crisp. Remove from oven and let cool. Store croutons in an air-tight container till ready to use.

Source: Chef Mommy Original

Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salad

Per my husband's request, I made this light shrimp Caesar salad for dinner the other night and it was so good!

I used day old bagels (my friend had brought down from NJ) to make the croutons but any crusty bread works. The creamy Caesar dressing tasted so fresh and much better than any bottled dressing. The crisp romaine, tender shrimp, a little fresh grated Parmesan kept the meal light but still tasty. This made for a perfect summer time meal!

Though completely from scratch, it only takes about 25 minutes from start to finish.


Ingredients:

Croutons
1 1/2 cups, crusty bread cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Dressing
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper

Shrimp
25-30 large shrimp, deviened
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Salad
5 cups chopped romaine lettuce
fresh saved Parmesan cheese to taste

Directions:

To make croutons:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a gallon sized zip lock bag, combine all the ingredients and shake well to coat croutons. Spread croutons in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 12-16 minutes, until golden crisp. Remove from oven and set aside.

To make Caesar dressing:
In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients and whisk well to combine.

To make shrimp:
In a gallon sized bag, add the shrimp and the rest of the marinade ingredients. Massage to combine and refrigerate for 10 minutes, but not longer than 15 minutes. Remove shrimp from marinade and grill or broil shrimp, about 1 1/2 minutes per side.

To make salad:
On a large plate or platter add lettuce. Then top with croutons, shrimp and shaved Parmesan. Drizzle desired amount of dressing over salad.

Source: Chef Mommy

Chopped Greek Salad with Cannellini Beans

Summer is officially here and boy does it feel like it!! Several times in the past week, the temperture gauge in my car was recording the outside temperature at 100 degrees or higher!!

Needless to say, I have been making a lot of no cook meals and this salad was something I put together the other day. I wanted a Greek salad and decided to add cannellini beans to give it a little more substance. The beans are loaded with protein and fiber, plus they are naturally low in fat. I also used reduced fat feta to keep this salad on the lighter side. The results? A tasty, light yet filling salad.

After chopping everything up, the assembly is a snap!


Light and healthy....this makes for a great lunch.


Ingredients
Serves 2

4 cups of torn romaine lettuce
1/2 English cucumber, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 14.5oz can white beans, drained and rinsed (like Great Northern or cannellini)
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
1/4 cup kalamata olives, halved if large (I omitted)
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
Salt and fresh-ground pepper

Directions
In a medium bowl, combine cucumbers, beans, tomatoes, onion, parsley,feta cheese and olives (if using). In another small bowl, mix olive oil, lemon juice, and oregano. Add dressing and mix gently, adding salt and pepper to taste. Place torn romaine on a large plate, top with bean mixture.

Source: Chef Mommy

Tomato Basil Pasta Salad

Houston, we have a problem...my camera is broken :(

I'm not sure what happened exactly. My DSLR now has a small piece that chipped on the camera's body where the lens attaches. So, no pretty food pics (aka "food porn") in the meantime...boohoo

Luckily, I did manage to get these pictures before the camera accident. I found this recipe on Woman's Day and it's a really good one!



This simple pasta salad is what summer is all about. Ripe tomatoes,fresh basil, a little red onion, plus your favorite pasta all tossed in a light oil and vinegar dressing...YUM!! This makes a great side for a picnic lunch or other casual cook-out meal.

I had this with a simple turkey and cheese sandwich. I think next time, I'll add cubed grilled chicken or even mini fresh mozzarella balls and make it a compete meal by itself.


INGREDIENTS
3 large ripe tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lb), coarsely chopped (3 1/2 cups)
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1/4 tsp dried oregano
12 oz fusilli pasta (or your favorite pasta)
1 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

PREPARATION
1. Put tomatoes, onion, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and oregano in a large bowl; toss. Let stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes or until tomatoes release their juices, tossing occasionally.

2. Cook pasta as package directs. Drain and add to bowl with tomatoes; lightly toss. Let come to room temperature. Add basil; toss. Serve or refrigerate up to 1 day.

Source: Woman's Day

5 Healthy Lunch Ideas

The New Year is here and like so many, I am going to try to eat healthier. For me, lunch time is always a challenge. I always eat lunch after my daughter goes down for her nap (around 1:30) and by then I'm starving and don't usually have something ready to go. So many time what I make for lunch is not always the healthiest thing. Heck, it can be down right junky!! For example, last month I actually made myself a peanut butter, chocolate chip and mini marshmallow sandwich and washed it down with a diet coke...yeah, not good at all!

I decided to post these 5 healthy lunches to remind me of some better options. They only require a small bit of prep work the night before and pack well if I'm not eating at home. Please, feel free to share your favorite healthy lunches too. I need more ideas!!

#1: Turkey Roll-Ups, Melon and Apple

Make it: Mix together chopped romaine lettuce, tomatoes and ranch dressing. Place a few slices of lean turkey and the chopped veggies in a flour tortilla and roll up. Serve with melon and an apple.


#2: Tuna Salad on Whole Wheat Bread, Carrots, Celery and Tangerines

Make it: Take a 3oz can of water-packed tune (drained) and add finely chopped, onion, carrots and celery. Add 1 Tbsp. of light or low cal mayo and mix everything together. Serve on whole wheat bread with romaine lettuce. Add carrots, celery and tangerines to complete meal.


#3 Fettuccine Alfredo with Vegetables

Make it: Cook one Lean Cuisine/Smart Ones frozen fettuccine Alfredo entree in microwave according to instructions. Cook one steam-in-a-bag (such as Bird's Eye)package of mixed vegetables according to directions. Combine fettuccine and vegetables.

#4 Grilled Chicken Salad with Vinaigrette
Make it: Rinse and dry 2 cup of mixed green salad. Add chopped cucumbers, carrots,onions,tomato and a 4oz piece of sliced grilled chicken on top. Serve with a homemade oil& balsamic vinegar or bottled low-fat vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

#5 Soup and Salad

Make it: Heat up homemade or canned (such as Progresso)vegetable soup and serve along side a simple garden salad with homemade or bottled light vinaigrette.

Cantaloupe, Red Onion and Walnut Salad

This delicious salad comes from Giada de Laurentiis' cookbook, Giada's Kitchen. I loved the combination of the fresh citursy dressing, crunchy walnuts and sweet melon. I made it for lunch last week and it was a nice change of pace from my regular lettuce,tomato, cucumber with vinaigrette salad.

As for the rest of the cookbook, I really wanted to love it. Flipping through it, there are so many wonderful looking recipes. Plus, many are lighter in fat than her regular fare which I appreciated. However, I had really mixed results with two other recipes I tried (orzo stuffed peppers & pasta with mini meatballs). They weren't bad just kind of bland. I'm not giving up on this cookbook though. The salad was great and I'm sure there are other gems in there.

Ingredients:
Orange Vinaigrette
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp raspberry vinegar
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Salad
1 (3lb) cantaloupe, cut into cubes
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 cups arugula (I used herb mix salad)
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

To make the vinaigrette, combine the orange juice, lemon juice and raspberry vinegar in a small bowl. Slowly add the oil and whisk till smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To make the salad, combine the rest of the ingredients and pour vinaigrette on top. Gently toss to combine.

Caprese Salad

I picked up these great tomatoes at the farmers market yesterday. I also have an over abundance of basil growing on my patio, so the only logical thing to do was make this wonderful salad. Insalata caprese is such a perfect summer salad...I could eat this every day!

Ingredients:
1 large tomato, sliced into 8 slices
8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced into 8 slices
5-6 basil leaves, sliced or left whole
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
sea salt and fresh pepper

Directions:
Place sliced mozzarella on a large plate or platter. Top with tomato and basil. Mix olive oil and vinegar, then drizzle over salad. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Greek Salad

Here is another great summertime meal for when you don't really want to cook. I kept it low in fat by using reduced-fat feta. This is a classic greek salad (minus the olives b/c I'm not a huge fan of them)with a lemon based dressing...simple and deliciouse!

Ingredients
Serves 4

4 cups of torn romaine lettuce
1 English cucumbers, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 pounds tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 medium red onion, chopped, then rinsed and drained
1/2 cups coarsely chopped parsley
1/2 cups drained pitted kalamata olives, halved if large (I omitted)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 pound crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
Salt and fresh-ground pepper


In a large bowl, combine lettuce,cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, parsley, and olives (if using). In another small bowl, mix olive oil, lemon juice, and oregano. Add the feta cheese to the lettuce mixture. Add dressing and mix gently, adding salt and pepper to taste.