Fresh Roasted Salsa

You know when you figure something out that is ridiculously easy, or just kind of a no-brainer and you question your own intelligence? Enter homemade salsa.

I got the basic recipe from a fellow January Mom, but tweaked it just a bit from my own experience.

Need:

• 7-8 tomatoes- I use on the vine, Roma would work too
• 2 Jalapenos
• 1/2 Onion- I use one small
• 2 Tbsp of cilantro- use 1 Tbsp if you aren't a huge fan
• 1 Tbsp of salt- use a little less if you aren't a salt fan, but that's a weird thing not to like...
• 1/2 tsp Cumin
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Juice of 1 lime (roll the lime on the counter a bit before cutting to loosen up the juices)
  

Do:
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the tomatoes, jalapenos and onion in half. If you want a spicier salsa, leave a good portion of the jalapeno insides alone, if you want it milder, pull the seeds and rib meat out. I do a happy medium there. Prep a baking sheet with a little olive oil. Place your veggies, cut side down, on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

Let the veggies cool a bit, then put the jalapeno and onion in a food processor. Pulse a few times. For a watery style salsa, add the tomatoes and pulse a few more times. For a heartier salsa, press down on the tomato pieces to drain some of the liquid out, then place them in the processor and pulse a few more times.

Mix together the lime juice, cumin, garlic, salt and cilantro. Pour over the veggies, and pulse a few more times to mix. Yields about 3 cups of deliciousness.

Fall Apart Slow Cooker Cube Steak with Gravy

I have said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again, but I am a meat and potatoes kind of girl. I had bought some cube steak at the market this weekend, and made this recipe. I was pretty disappointed in the outcome to say the least. So when I realized I had about twice the amount I actually needed for that recipe, I knew I would have to try something else this week with the remainder. I decided to go with a classic cube steak recipe, however when I was searching around the Internet, I was consistently missing one key ingredient from each one. So, I decided to make up my own thing.

Ingredients:

1lb or so cube steak cut into individual portions
1/2 packet of onion mushroom mix (or whatever mix you prefer)
1 packet of gravy mix (I used Au Jus)
4 cups water, divided
Flour for dredging
Canola oil

Directions:

Heat 2-3Tbsp oil in a skillet on medium-high. Dredge the steaks in flour and let sit for a few minutes. Brown the steaks for 1-2 minutes per side. Place in a slow cooker on low. Mix 2 cups of water with the onion mushroom mix and pour over the steaks. Cook for approximately 7 hours. Mix the remaining 2 cups of water with the gravy mix and pour into the slow cooker. Allow to cook for another 30 minutes. Serve over mashed potatoes.

*I made my mashed potatoes with buttermilk, butter, salt and pepper- ah ma goodness. Highly recommend that!

Fiesta Orzo Salad with Spicy Buttermilk Dressing

I've made a Mediterranean orzo salad before, and Carl adored it! It's a pretty time consuming side dish, so when I saw this fiesta style orzo salad that seemed a little simpler for a weeknight, I knew I had to try it. Good move Molly, good move. Delicious, easy, weeknight winner.

P.S. My picture sucks. Please don't judge this recipe by it's photo.

The Ingredients:
1 Cup Cooked Orzo
1 Cup Frozen Whole-Kernel Corn- I used a can of corn because I needed it to come together quickly and had originally planned on grilling some corn on the cob
12 Cherry Tomatoes – quartered – I had a bunch of on the vine, so I just diced 2 of those those
3 Green Onions – sliced
1 Can Black Beans (15 oz.) – rinse and drained
1/4 Cup Low Fat Buttermilk
3 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Cilantro – divided
3 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
2 Tablespoons Light Sour Cream
2 Tablespoons Canola Mayonnaise
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Red Pepper
2 Garlic Cloves – crushed
1 Peeled Avocado – cut into 8 wedges- I omitted
1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Parsley- I omitted...not on purpose. I forgot.

Directions:
Cook orzo according to package directions – don’t add salt or oil to the water. Drain and rinse. Place orzo, corn, tomatoes, green onions, and black beans into a large bowl and toss.

Whisk together buttermilk, 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, fresh lime juice light sour cream, mayo, chili powder, salt, pepper, ground red pepper, and garlic.

Drizzle dressing over salad and mix to coat. You can eat it immediately, or refrigerate it up to a couple days.

Tropical Salsa Topped Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi

We bought some flash frozen Mahi Mahi at the market last week, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. When we were in Hawaii, I had coconut crusted Mahi Mahi and it came with a side of tropical salsa. Dinner? Check.

This was really light and refreshing. I drizzled some of the liquid from the salsa over the fish. Perfection! For the fish, I based it off this recipe with a few minor changes.

Ingredients

12 oz Mahi Mahi
1 cup finely chopped coconut
2 eggs
.5 cup whole wheat flour
Salt, Pepper, Cayeen Pepper (To taste)

Directions

Preheat Oven to 375
Spray a baking Sheet with Pam
Cut Mahi Mahi into 4 equal serving pieces (3 oz. each)
In a bowl or plastic bag, Mix Flour, salt and both peppers until evenly blended.
In bowl, lightly mix 2 eggs
Place chopped Coconut on a paper plate
Dredge fish in flour mixture to cover.
Dip Fish in Egg and then the coconut to cover (may need to press down a bit)
Place on Baking Sheet and spry tops lightly with more PAM. Bake until fish flakes easily with a fork and coc0nut is golden

*I pan fried the filets in about 1 tbsp canola oil for 60 seconds a side first, then put the whole pan in the oven for 8 minutes.


For the Tropical Salsa, I used this recipe. Just mix the following ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1/4 of a fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 mango, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped fine
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped fine
• 1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped fine
• 1 large jalapeno, seeded, deveined, and minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tomato, chopped
• 2 limes, juiced
• 3/4 cup minced cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon salt (I cut this in half)
  

Steak Salad with Bacon, Crispy Potatoes, and Blue Cheese Dressing

Wow. OK, even if you just make the dressing to use on whatever you choose, do it! I used a good Roquefort, and it was Mmm Mmm unbelievable if you like Blue Cheese Dressing.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces sliced bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I used turkey bacon)
  
• 8 ounces Yukon gold or fingerling potatoes cut into 1/2 inch wedges
  
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
  
• 1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak (1 inch thick)
• 3 ounces blue cheese (such as Stilton or Roquefort), crumbled (3/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 scallion, chopped
• 1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces (about 8 cups)

Directions

1. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
2. Add the potatoes to the bacon drippings, season with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper, and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, tossing occasionally, until browned and tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to the paper towel-lined plate.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a second large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the steak with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook 5 to 7 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing.
4. In a small bowl, mix together the blue cheese, sour cream, buttermilk, vinegar, scallion, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Divide the lettuce among plates, top with the steak, bacon, and potatoes, and drizzle with the dressing.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Broiled Cheesy Tomatoes and Basil Spaghetti

I saw the broiled tomato and basil spaghetti recipe in a Real Simple magazine, but knew I needed to beef...er chicken it up. So I used a Parmesan Crusted Chicken to make a lighter version of Chicken Parmigiana. Ahh...maaaa.....gosh! Delish!!!

Parm Crusted Chicken:

Serves 4

4 large chicken breasts
3 eggs, beaten (I used egg whites as I had used the yolks to make mayonnaise)
2 cups breadcrumbs
1 cup finely grated Pecorino cheese (or Parmesan)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
fresh lemon to serve

1. Place a large frying pan over a medium heat.
2. Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of cling-wrap and thin out with a rolling pin or mallet.
3. Combine the breadcrumbs with the cheese, salt and paprika. Place this in a shallow, wide bowl.
4. Place the beaten eggs in a similar bowl (big enough to dunk the chicken into).
5. To coat the chicken, dunk it first into the egg mixture and then place into the crumbs, coating the chicken well and patting down the crumbs.
6. Place the chicken in the frying pan and allow to fry for 2 minutes per side until the crumbs are crispy and the chicken is cooked through but still moist.
7. Serve hot with fresh lemon.

Broiled Cheesy Tomatoes over Basil Spaghetti:

Ingredients

• 12 ounces spaghetti
• 3 large tomatoes, cut into 4 thick slices
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for baking sheet
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, grated
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more, shaved for serving
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 3/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving

Directions

1. Heat broiler. Cook the pasta according to the package directions; drain and return it to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, arrange the tomato slices in a single layer on a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet. Season with ¼ teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Dividing evenly, sprinkle the slices with the mozzarella and Parmesan. Broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. In a small saucepan, warm the oil with the garlic and red pepper over medium heat until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Add the garlic oil, basil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve topped with the tomatoes, additional basil, and shaved Parmesan.

Zucchini Salad

I was a little apprehensive about zucchini. I've never really been a fan unless it's in zucchini bread, and we all know that bread's flavor has nothing to do with the zucchini. But the tag line under the photo is "not a fan of raw zucchini? This salad....is sure to make you a convert." Done. Let's give it a try.

1 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (3 oz)
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp small dill sprigs
Lemon zest, plus 1 tbsp +1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Toss together zucchini, cheese, oil, dill and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with lemon zest.
Source: Martha Stewart Living August 2011