Pasta With Fresh Tomato and Corn

From: Sandhills Farm 2 Table newsletter

Ingredients:
8 oz pasta
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup corn kernels, cooked
4 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta until al dente. Drain. Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and dried basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the tomatoes, corn kernels, and scallions. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. Toss pasta with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Garnish with fresh basil if desired.

What I did differently from the recipe:
Just tweaked it according to my tastes. I put more corn than it said, less tomatoes (I used about half a tomato) and more onions.

What I'll do differently next time:
Less onions! Yowza!

Verdict:
Neutral. It is totally my fault for adding so many onions. I love onions so much that I went way overboard adding them, and that combined with the vinegar just made it too bitter for me. I honestly think if I had put the recommended amount or less of the onions it would have been incredible. I mean, even with the flavor it had I still ate half of it, so it really didn't taste that bad! This would be an awesome side dish for summer parties.

P.S. I used my fresh tomatoes, corn, and onions all from the food co-op! Yummy!

Pasta w/ Fresh Tomato and Corn

Ingredients:
8 oz pasta
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup corn kernels, cooked
4 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta until al dente. Drain. Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and dried basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the tomatoes, corn kernels, and scallions. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. Toss pasta with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Garnish with fresh basil if desired.

Baked Peaches

From: Southern Living 1992 cookbook

Ingredients:
5-6 fresh peaches, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Dash of ground nutmeg
1/3 cup butter

Place peaches in a lightly greased 8-inch square baking dish; set aside. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle flour mixture over peaches. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I halved the recipe.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up. Here's the deal - I don't like peaches. But in my opinion, you add enough brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg to anything - it'll taste good! We get a lot of peaches in our food co-op boxes, and while I do give a lot of the peaches away to people who will eat them, I want to eat more fruits and veggies in my daily diet, which means finding recipes for foods I don't necessarily like to eat alone. I made mine in a loaf pan which was perfect for the amount of peaches I had leftover (3) and I ate the whole thing for breakfast even though I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be a dessert. If you like peach crisps or peach cobblers you'll definitely like this easy recipe!

Baked Peaches

Ingredients:
5-6 fresh peaches, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Dash of ground nutmeg
1/3 cup butter

Place peaches in a lightly greased 8-inch square baking dish; set aside. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle flour mixture over peaches. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Chicken Soup with Rice and Barley

From: Automatically Light cookbook
No pictures because I couldn't find my camera!

Ingredients:
4 (5-oz) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin removed
1 cup carrots, coarsely chopped
2 cups onion, coarsely chopped
3 cups chicken broth, defatted
4 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup long-grain white rice
1/4 cup medium barley
1 tsp dried thyme leaves

Place chicken breasts, bone side up, in the slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients through pepper. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or until a fork pierces meat easily. Remove chicken and vegetables. Puree vegetables in a blender or food processor. Skim all fat from broth. Bone chicken and cut into small pieces. Return broth and pureed vegetables to the slow cooker and add rice, barley and thyme. Cover and cook on high for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the rice and barley are very tender. Add chicken during the last 15 minutes.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I used boneless chicken breasts, but that's the only difference.

What I'll do differently next time:
I would probably add some more vegetables, probably either squash or zucchini at the very least.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! This was a very yummy recipe. The vegetables added a great subtle flavor, which is why I'd like to sneak extra vegetables in there the next time! This recipe is definitely a keeper.

Chicken Soup with Rice and Barley

Ingredients:
4 (5-oz) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin removed
1 cup carrots, coarsely chopped
2 cups onion, coarsely chopped
3 cups chicken broth, defatted
4 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup long-grain white rice
1/4 cup medium barley
1 tsp dried thyme leaves

Place chicken breasts, bone side up, in the slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients through pepper. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or until a fork pierces meat easily. Remove chicken and vegetables. Puree vegetables in a blender or food processor. Skim all fat from broth. Bone chicken and cut into small pieces. Return broth and pureed vegetables to the slow cooker and add rice, barley and thyme. Cover and cook on high for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the rice and barley are very tender. Add chicken during the last 15 minutes.

Weeknight Enchiladas

From: Southern Living Weeknight cookbook

Ingredients:
1 lb ground chuck
1 small onion, chopped
1 (10-oz) can tomato soup, undiluted
1 (10-oz) can mild enchilada sauce
8 (7 or 8 inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Cook beef and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat until meat is browned, stirring until it crumbles; drain and return to skillet. Stir soup and enchilada sauce into meat mixture. Spread 1/4 cup meat mixture onto each tortilla; sprinkle tortillas evenly with 1 cup cheese. Roll up tortillas; place, seam side down, in a greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Pour remaining meat mixture over tortillas. Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese; bake 5 more minutes or until cheese melts. If desired, serve with sour cream and olives.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I used "medium" enchilada sauce instead of mild, which made me nervous because I don't like stuff that is very spicy. But it was great, and not too hot.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up!! I have been putting off making this recipe but I have no idea why. It was SO EASY, fast, and it was delicious! It didn't really taste to me like the enchiladas I get at Mexican restaurants (which I love) but seriously, these were so good. I will definitely be making these again.

Weeknight Enchiladas

Ingredients:
1 lb ground chuck
1 small onion, chopped
1 (10-oz) can tomato soup, undiluted
1 (10-oz) can mild enchilada sauce
8 (7 or 8 inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Cook beef and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat until meat is browned, stirring until it crumbles; drain and return to skillet. Stir soup and enchilada sauce into meat mixture. Spread 1/4 cup meat mixture onto each tortilla; sprinkle tortillas evenly with 1 cup cheese. Roll up tortillas; place, seam side down, in a greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Pour remaining meat mixture over tortillas. Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese; bake 5 more minutes or until cheese melts. If desired, serve with sour cream and olives.

If you want to freeze: Make the sauce and the enchiladas. Put the sauce in the enchiladas as normal and arrange them in the baking dish. Place the remaining sauce in an airtight container instead of pouring it over the enchiladas. Cover dish with plastic wrap and foil. Use within 2 months.

To use from frozen: Thaw sauce in fridge overnight. Preheat oven to 450. Pour sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese; cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover, bake about 10-15 minutes.

Grilled Chicken BLT

From: Lawry's Website

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/4 lbs)
1/2 cup Lawry's Original Seasoned Salt Marinade, divided
1/4 cup mayonnaise
4 Kaiser or other crusty rolls, toasted
8 slices cooked bacon
1 medium tomato, sliced
4 lettuce leaves

Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add 1/4 cup of the marinade; turn to coat well. Refrigerate 30 minutes or longer for extra flavor. Meanwhile, mix mayonnaise and 2 Tbsp of the remaining marinade in small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade. Grill chicken over medium heat 6-7 minutes per side or until cooked through, brushing with remaining 2 Tbsp marinade. Spread mayonnaise mixture evenly on rolls. Top with chicken, bacon, tomato, and lettuce.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I quartered it because I was just making one sandwich for myself.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! Delicious! I don't normally add anything to my BLT - I think it is perfect just the way it is. But I got some Lawry's marinade in the mail today and this recipe looked so good I just wanted to go ahead and whip it up! Actually, I got some seasoned salt from Lawry's as well so I made homemade french fries (got a 5-lb bag of potatoes at the store today for $1.00!!!) and made them with seasoned salt instead of sea salt. Yummy!!

Grilled Chicken BLT

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/4 lbs)
1/2 cup Lawry's Original Seasoned Salt Marinade, divided
1/4 cup mayonnaise
4 Kaiser or other crusty rolls, toasted
8 slices cooked bacon
1 medium tomato, sliced
4 lettuce leaves

Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add 1/4 cup of the marinade; turn to coat well. Refrigerate 30 minutes or longer for extra flavor. Meanwhile, mix mayonnaise and 2 Tbsp of the remaining marinade in small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade. Grill chicken over medium heat 6-7 minutes per side or until cooked through, brushing with remaining 2 Tbsp marinade. Spread mayonnaise mixture evenly on rolls. Top with chicken, bacon, tomato, and lettuce.

Caramel Apple Pudding Cake

From: Better Homes and Gardens cookbook

Ingredients:
2 cups thinly sliced, peeled tart cooking apples, such as Granny Smith or Rome Beauty
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup raisins or cherries
1 cup flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
3/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp butter

Grease a 2-quart square baking dish. Arrange apple slices in the bottom of dish; sprinkle with lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Top evenly with raisins.

In a large bowl combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Add milk, the 2 tablespoons melted butter, and vanilla; mix well. Stir in pecans. Spread the batter evenly over the apple mixture. In a small saucepan combine the caramel topping, water, and the one tablespoon butter; bring to boiling. Pour mixture over batter in baking dish. Bake in a 350 oven about 35 minutes or until center is set. While warm, spoon cake, apples, and caramel mixture from bottom of dish into dessert bowls, If desired, serve with ice cream.

What I did differently from the recipe:
Did not use "cooking" apples. I only used a palm-full of pecans because I don't really like pecans.

What I'll do differently next time:
I think I would make less of the caramel mixture that you pour over the cake. It made a TON and did make it a little soupy. Probably half of that would suffice.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! Oh, this smelled so good coming out of the oven. When will someone invent a way to put smells on computers!? It was delicious. The "soupy" part did not bother me one bit. It is definitely sweet, but man it was good!

Caramel Apple Pudding Cake

Ingredients:
2 cups thinly sliced, peeled tart cooking apples, such as Granny Smith or Rome Beauty
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup raisins or cherries
1 cup flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
3/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp butter

Grease a 2-quart square baking dish. Arrange apple slices in the bottom of dish; sprinkle with lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Top evenly with raisins. In a large bowl combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Add milk, the 2 tablespoons melted butter, and vanilla; mix well. Stir in pecans. Spread the batter evenly over the apple mixture. In a small saucepan combine the caramel topping, water, and the one tablespoon butter; bring to boiling. Pour mixture over batter in baking dish. Bake in a 350 oven about 35 minutes or until center is set. While warm, spoon cake, apples, and caramel mixture from bottom of dish into dessert bowls, If desired, serve with ice cream.

Sausage and Pepper Baked Ziti

From: Womans Day

Ingredients:
8 oz uncooked ziti rigati pasta
2 tsp oil
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
2 cubanelle peppers, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
12 oz spicy or sweet Italian sausage (4 links)
1 cup part-skim ricotta
1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 cups marinara sauce (from a 24- or 26- oz jar)

Heat oven to 400. Cook pasta in a large pot of lightly salted water as package directs for al dente or firm texture. Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add peppers, onion and sausage; cook 6 minutes or until sausage is browned. Remove from heat; cut sausage into slices.

Mix ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 3 Tbsp Parmesan and the parsley in large bowl. Drain pasta; toss with cheese mixture, sausage mixture and 1 cup marinara sauce. Pour pasta mixture into a 2-qt shallow baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce on top; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes or until bubbly.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I didn't have any tubed pasta so I just used what I had on hand. I left out the cubanelle peppers because they weren't at the one grocery store I was headed to today, and I wasn't about to go all over town looking for them. I used kielbasa instead of sweet Italian sausage, so I added juice from my minced garlic and a little fennel seed to sweeten it. Basically what I'm saying is I changed everything about this recipe. Just kidding!

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! What a yummy recipe! Although I'd be interested to test different flavors of sausage and pepper in here, it was so good just the way I made it this time, so I hate to mess with it at all! Highly recommend!

Sausage and Pepper Baked Ziti

Ingredients:
8 oz uncooked ziti rigati pasta
2 tsp oil
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
2 cubanelle peppers, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
12 oz spicy or sweet Italian sausage (4 links)
1 cup part-skim ricotta
1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 cups marinara sauce (from a 24- or 26- oz jar)

Heat oven to 400. Cook pasta in a large pot of lightly salted water as package directs for al dente or firm texture. Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add peppers, onion and sausage; cook 6 minutes or until sausage is browned. Remove from heat; cut sausage into slices. Mix ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 3 Tbsp Parmesan and the parsley in large bowl. Drain pasta; toss with cheese mixture, sausage mixture and 1 cup marinara sauce. Pour pasta mixture into a 2-qt shallow baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce on top; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes or until bubbly.