Peach Basil Pizza

I made this delicious pizza last fall when the peaches were perfectly ripe and I was still harvesting basil from my garden. The recipe fell in my lap and I thought it was the perfect opporutnity to use some of the fresh ingredients that I had around. It turned out absolutely delicious and when I received a bag full of basil in my bountiful basket this week, I longed for some juicy ripe peaches. It must be spring time, cause I'm already looking forward to the yumminess that comes from fresh summertime fruits. I'll share today and you can pin or bookmark for future reference. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 loaf french bread, sliced in half length-wise
2 tsp olive oil
1 dash sea salt
4 ounces, sliced Brie or Mozzarella cheese
3 whole ripe peaches, pitted and sliced
1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp fresh basil

Instructions:
Place bread on a baking sheet and brush olive oil over each half. Sprinkle with a dash fo sea salt. Top each half with cheese and peaches.

Place panin the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then turn the oven to broil and let broil for 30 seconds or until the cheese gets a tiny bit brown and bubbly.

While pizzas are baking, place vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons (about 5 minutes or so).

Drizzle balsamic reduction evenly over pizza and top with basil. Cut pizza into slices and serve.

Pozole Style - Mexican Chicken Soup

For years, I'd heard lots of people talk of "pozole" but had no idea what it even was, except for that people loved it. I imagined something like mole (¡nada que ver! - not even close!) Then I started teaching amongst a high Mexican population and anytime traditions or favorite food came up in our discussions, pozole, always came up with lots of enthusiasm. Finally, at a Christmas Dinner with friends, I was introduced to it and learned that it's soup with very few cooked ingredients (meat - generally pork and hominy corn) and lots of broth and then topped with fresh ingredients and a spicy kick. I'm a huge fan contrasting textures and tempuratures with food so this has been on my favorite's list since. A lot of the time this soup is prepared with pork, which is very tasty, but I try to make a healthier and simpler version. I don't have a specific recipe to follow, but it's practically impossible to mess this stuff up. If you go authentic, you make your own broth, but my version can be whipped up in no time.

First prepare 2 chicken breasts (I like the crock pot for simplicity) and shred. Then saute diced onion and celery in a stock pot with a little oil until onions are clear. Add chicken, broth, hominy, chick peas, and oregano and let simmer. Remember I don't have a recipe so just use the rule of thumb that you toss quite a bit of salad on top and you'll want plenty of broth so add more broth or less cans of hominy and chick peas if necessary.

Soup Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
1/2 diced onion
2 stalks sliced celery
2-3 quarts chicken broth
2-3 15 oz cans hominy
1-2 15 oz. can chick peas (sometimes I add these...you don't usually find these in traditional pozole)
1-2 Tbsp oregano

While the soup simmers for a bit, prepare the following with which to top the soup.

Toppings
Finely sliced cabbage
Diced onion
Diced avocado
Diced or sliced radishes (not pictured)
Chopped cilantro
Jalapeño chiles in adobo sauce
Tostadas/chips
Lime wedges (not pictured)

Serve with plenty of broth in a deep bowl. Add toppings generously with a dalop (or more) of jalapeños in adobo on top and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Break tostadas on top for an extra crunch. Repeat and enjoy until satisfied!

Kale Chips

Kale is one of the most nutritious foods available to us and I usually toss a leaf or two into my green smoothies (which is probably the best way to get all of the good nutrients out of it since it is blended and raw), but I thought this would be a fun and different way to prepare it and my girls agreed. They are always asking for these now.

You'll need:
1 bunch of Kale
1 tsp coconut oil
sea salt

Wash leaves and dry. Toss with oil, lemon juice and salt. Place in single layers on cookie sheet(s).

Bake at 300F for 20-30 minutes or until crispy and no moisture is left in the leaves. Watch closely toward the end of the baking time so as not to burn them. 



Butternut Squash with Garlic and Agave

Labor Day. The end of summer and the official beginning of all things fall. Even though it still feels like summer, school begins, harvests are waxing and there's all kinds of wonderful produce to use this time of year. This is another I came across on Pinterest and made the same day. It's simple, delicious, and perfect for a late weekend lunch.  The original recipe came from doorsixteen.

You'll need:

• 1 butternut squash
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp agave nectar (or maple syrup)
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Cut squash in half and remove seeds. 

Peel and dice into 1 inch cubes.

Drizzle with oil, agave, salt, and pepper. Peel garlic cloves and add to cubed squash. Toss to coat.

Bake @400°F for 50-55 minutes (turning half way through cooking) or until squash is tender. I served it with Kale Chips and it was delicious.

*Recipe for Kale Chips coming soon.



Delicious Fried Shrimp Dinner

When I want to make something special around here, I make shrimp. Everyone loves it and we don't eat it so often that it feels like an everyday meal. I love shrimp salad, shrimp tacos, and seafood stew, but my husband's all time favorite is fried shrimp. I think I made it for him the first or second Valentine's Day we were married and since tomorrow is our anniversary, I thought I'd share this simple recipe.

1 pound medium to large shrimp (your preference)
1 cup flour
paprika
salt
vegetable oil

If you buy already peeled and deveined shrimp, that's great, but I still always like to wash mine and make sure there is nothing left behind. After washing, pat dry with a paper towel. Mix 1 cup of flour with a dash or two of paprika and salt (around a teaspoon). Stir well. Dredge the shrimp in the flour mixtrue and place on a plate while heating the oil to medium high heat.

Fry on each side until golden and remove from oil and place on a plate lined wtih a paper towel. Serve with mashed potatoes and a fresh green salad.

Fresh Mex Quinoa Salad

I'm finding quinoa popping up more and more on restaurant menus and recipe posts in the blogosphere, which just gets me more excited about using it. (Want to know what quinoa is? See this post.) This summer I came up with a salad that I really have enjoyed because it's filling and fresh. And it keeps for a few days in the refrigerator which makes it nice to make ahead of time and put in portions to take to work for lunch or on a picnic.

I must say I've never measured exact quantities . . . it's a little different each time, but delicious the same.

Ahead of time cook your quinoa and black beans and cool. (I usually do this the day before and then let them cool completely and store in the refrigerator overnight). For quinoa: rinse and add 2 times amount of water to quinoa. Reduce heat and cover for 15 minutes).
Prepare the following:
roma tomatoes
green pepper
cilantro
fresh corn from the cob (or frozen corn)

Mix the chopped ingredients with the quinoa and drained and rinsed black beans.

Then squeeze generous amounts of lime juice along wtih plenty of salt, pepper, and cumin to desired taste. I do quite a bit of cumin and salt and a little black pepper. Mix thoroughly and serve with avocado and cilantro on top.

Does anyone else out there use quinoa? I'd be excited to hear how you use it. I've tried it as a side at restaurants with a bit of mint in place of rice and it was absolutely delicious. Share your ideas in the comments section!

Chicken Marsala

I had some mushrooms and cream that I needed to use up and so I went hunting online for something with those ingredients and came across a few pasta/chicken recipes that I thought sounded yummy. So I threw this together and it ended up being a hit. Let's just say that if my husband liked it, it's definitely worth posting.

Ingredients:

1 pound Linguine
6 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Flour
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
4 Tbsp Butter
1 package mushrooms, sliced
1 cup Chicken Broth
1/2 cup Heavy Cream (or Half-and-Half)
Chopped Fresh Parsley
Parmesan Cheese (for topping)

Instructions:
Cook pasta according to package instructions.

Flatten chicken breasts and salt and pepper both sides. Dredge in flour. Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry chicken breasts until golden brown. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Add mushrooms to the pan and stir. Immediately pour in chicken broth and deglase the pan by stirring. Cook viorously for 1 minute until sauce reduces.

Pour in cream and stir. Turn off heat and add salt and pepper to taste.

Make a bed of pasta on a plate and top with a piece of chicken and plenty of sauce. Sprinkle with lots of parmesan and garnish with more parsley.