Black Bean Salad/Salsa............

This is a salad good pretty much any time of the year, for a light lunch or a great side dish.  It is pretty to look at and it is good for you.  You can pretty much use any ingredients you want that sound good with the beans, because in my opinion, it's all about the dressing.

Black Bean Salad/Salsa

print recipe

Ingredients:

1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained

grape tomatoes

green onions

celery

orange bell pepper (or yellow or red)

minced garlic

frozen corn kernels

Dressing:

5-6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2    tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2    tablespoons red wine vinegar

2    tablespoons balsamic vinegar

hot sauce to taste

1    teaspoon cumin

1    teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

juice of one lemon

Mix together and pour over salad.  Toss, chill a least 4 hours before serving.

This is so good.  You won't be able to stop eating it, so make plenty!  Great with tortilla chips too!

Have a wonderful day!

Nancy :)

This week's menu plan.......

is essentially cleaning out the freezer, so I made a menu that would help make that happen.  A few weeks back I had stocked up at Costco on chicken, pork chops, ground beef (12% lean) and NY strip steaks, and 2 flank steaks.  I got out the freezer bags and divided everything into meal sized portions, which for us will last a whole month.  I'm getting near the end of my stockpile and don't want to go to the supermarket unless it's for perishables like milk, bread and produce.

grilled steaks
potatoes
ceasar salad

oven fried chicken
broccoli
couscous

spaghetti
salad
garlic bread

pork chops
brown rice
green beans

flank steak
mixed vegetables
rice with peppers & onions

chicken
bean salsa
risotto

I don't like assigning days of the week to my menu, because I do like the option to change my mind.   Since this is a "clean out the freezer" week,  I am not entirely sure how I will prepare the main item yet, so that option is open too.  I only plan 5 or 6 meals at a time to allow for leftovers and hopefully, a night out, no cooking.

So, this is my process for cleaning out the freezer.  In a future post I will go into menu planning when I try new recipes, talk about grocery shopping, and how meal planning can save you much time and money in the long run.

Have a wonderful day!

Nancy :)

Don't you just love a recipe with 5 ingredients or less?

I know I do.   I definitely gravitate toward a recipe with as few ingredients as possible, especially when I am planning weeknight meals.  The words quick, easy & simple seem to catch my eye too.  I was browsing in my local Barnes & Noble and realized that one of my favorite cookbook authors had written her 4th (to my knowledge) cookbook, and the title grabbed me.  Robin Takes 5 by Robin Miller.  The description on the cover:

500 recipes
5 ingredients or less
500 calories or less
5 nights a week at
5:00 PM


What's not to like?  I bought the book, brought it home, found a recipe that I had all the ingredients for and gave it a test run.  This is my first recipe from the book, and I won't review the book until I've tried a few more, but this one was a winner.

Roasted Chicken with Hearts of Palm and Parmesan


print recipe


Ingredients:


4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon garlic-flavored olive oil
1 (14 ounce) can hearts of palm, drained and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Brush the chicken all over with the oil and transfer the chicken to a shallow roasting pan.  Season the chicken with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Top the chicken with the hearts of palm and Parmesan cheese.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.  Top the chicken with the parsley just before serving.

Recipe Source: Robin Takes 5, Robin Miller

I was out of parsley, so didn't include it as you can see by my picture, but the dish was excellent anyway.  If you are looking at recipes with few ingredients, generally salt, pepper and water do not count, so keep that in mind.  The author does try to keep everything low-sodium, so season to your own tastes or needs.  Keep in mind that some cheeses, like Parmesan, already have a bit of salty taste to them.

Serve with rice, orzo, couscous and a salad for a complete meal.  You will love it!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Nancy

Pasta e Fagioli.........

is without a doubt, my favorite soup.  It is hearty and satisfying, full of protein, and just plain good!  When I go to a restaurant and have a choice of soup or salad, I will always go for the salad.  The exception to that rule is if Pasta e Fagioli is a soup option.

I first discovered Pasta e Fagioli when an Olive Garden opened in our town many years ago.  It was pretty good.  I had it again at a mom and pop family owned Italian restaurant about 10 years ago, and it was divine, to say the least.  I longed to go back in the kitchen and dive into the pot, but I resisted.  This soup is one of those items I wouldn't even try to make at home, because to me it was a "go out for it only" type of occasion.  Then I discovered this quick-fix recipe about 2 years ago, and have been making it myself ever since.  This is another great find from Robin Miller, and her cookbook Robin Rescues Dinner.

Quick-Fix Pasta e Fagioli

print recipe

Ingredients:

8 ounces ditalini or small shell-shaped pasta

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

8 ounces ground beef

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 - 15 ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained

1 - 15 ounce can pink beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups reduced sodium beef broth

1 - 8 ounce can tomato sauce

1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce, to taste

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.  Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.

2.  Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, or until  soft.  Add the beef and cook for 3-5 minutes, until browned, breaking up the meat as it cooks.  Add the oregano and cook for 1 minute, or until the oregano is fragrant.  Add both types of beans, the broth, tomato sauce, and hot sauce and bring to a simmer.  Simmer for 5 minutes.

3.  Stir in the pasta and cook for 2 minutes to heat through.  Remove from the heat and stir in the basil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4.  Ladle the mixture into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese.

Recipe Source: Robin to the Rescue, Robin Miller

I was out of fresh basil, so I used 1 teaspoon of dried at the end.  I also used a pound of ground beef to make it hearty like a stew. (you may want to add an additional 1/2 - 1 cup of beef broth) Instead of crackers, we had Naan, which I found at Trader Joe's in the freezer section (can we say less than 2 minutes from freezer to preheated oven to table?). 

This is wonderful any time of the year, but especially when it's cold outside.  Give this a try and let me know what you think.

Have a beautiful day!

Nancy

Nancy's Layered Salad........

I have seen and admired layered salads as long as I can remember.  I think they're an oldie but a goodie that will never go out of style.  It is mandatory to put this salad in a glass bowl, therefore you get to hear all the comments of adoration directed to you and your pure genius, seriously.....

There is really no right or wrong way to make this salad.  I think the only rule is to put the peas at the top, just before the dressing.  I do recommend adding salt and pepper to the lettuce layer, and you can add crushed boiled eggs to it too, whatever you like.

Nancy's Layered Salad

print recipe

Ingredients:

one head of lettuce, torn

layer of chopped celery

layer of grape tomatoes

layer of green onions

layer of cooked bacon

layer of orange pepper

layer of mexican cheese

layer of thawed green peas

Topping:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons sugar

topped with cheese and bacon crumbles

Best if made at least 4 hours in advance, even better if made the night before.

Enjoy!

Nancy

Hash Brown Casserole......

is comfort food at it's best.  If I made this for my husband every day, I think he would eat it.  This recipe is similar to Cracker Barrel's, with my own spin on it.  Cracker Barrel uses Colby cheese,  I think,  but any cheese you like is fine.  I usually use pepper jack.  I also love having the crunch on top.  Onions are optional, and I like to saute' mine for about 4 minutes to make them tender.

This is a great dish for a potluck, brunch or family gathering.  I think it's a dish that once you make it, it will be requested again and again.  I also like to put it together the night before and refrigerate, then bake in the morning.

Hash Brown Casserole

print recipe

Ingredients:

1-30 ounce package hash browns, thawed

1-can of cream of chicken soup

1-stick of melted butter (or margarine)

1-8 ounce container of sour cream

1/2 cup chopped onion

2-cups of shredded cheese

2-cups of crushed corn flakes

salt and pepper to taste

Combine soup, sour cream and 1/2 stick of melted butter.  Mix into thawed hash browns, season with salt and pepper.  Stir in shredded cheese.  Spread into greased (or Pam sprayed) 9 x 13 baking dish.  Cover with corn flakes then the rest of the melted butter over the corn flakes.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Recipe from: A Pinch of Something Good

Give this one a try.  I think even your picky eaters will love it!  Have a wonderful day!

Nancy

Spinach Artichoke Dip........

is available as an appetizer at many restaurants, and now you can even find it in your local supermarket.  I would, however, encourage you to make your own.  Once you have made it yourself, I hope that like me, you'll never order it again, because nothing compares to this recipe, from one of my favorite blogs Annie's Eats.  Please check out her blog.  I have made many of her recipes, and have loved ALL of them!

This is a great appetizer, and once you make it for your friends and family, they will request it again and again.  I know I will be making it again for the hubby on SuperBowl Sunday.

Spinach Artichoke Dip


Print Recipe



Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup coarsely chopped canned artichoke hearts
4 cloves roasted garlic*, smashed
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. roasted red pepper flakes

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, Parmesan, sour cream, mayonnaise, spinach, artichokes, roasted garlic, salt and red pepper flakes.  Mix well with a rubber spatula until all ingredients are evenly blended.  Spread into a small baking dish. Sprinkle additional grated Parmesan over the top if desired.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is slightly browned.  Serve warm with baguette slices, pita chips, crackers, etc.

*To roast individual cloves of garlic,  just throw the unpeeled cloves into a baking dish or pan and bake at 350˚ F for 25-30 minutes.  Let cool before squeezing the cloves from the peels.

Source:  Annie's Eats

Thank you Annie for this wonderful recipe!  Do not be afraid to roast your own garlic.  I go ahead and roast an entire bulb when I make this recipe, and if we can keep our fingers out of it, I will make garlic butter or use the leftover garlic in another recipe.  

I hope by the end of this week I will have figured out what else I will be making for the big game, and will be able to share those ideas with you too.

Have a wonderful day!

Nancy

Cookbook review.......

The cookbook I am reviewing today is much more than a book of recipes.  It has menus and shopping lists too!  It is also divided by the seasons:  fall, winter, spring and summer helping you to know and plan with produce that is in season.  The cookbook I am talking about today is called Saving Dinner by Leanne Ely.

Each season has 8 weeks of menus with 6 weeknight main courses each.  First you have the menu, the shopping list, then the recipes.  There are all kinds of neat sidebar notes and tips.  There are side dish serving suggestions as well.  Nutritional information per serving is given too, which is totally understandable and appreciated, especially since the author is also a certified nutritionist.  To me that means a lot of thought and planning went into this book.  Just when you thought I have raved enough about Saving Dinner, the last part of the book there is a freezer section.  If you are up to the challenge, the author will walk you through doing your own 5 meal assembly (all chicken, or all beef, etc.).  It starts with the recipes, the dinner kit shopping list, preassembly prep list,  and then assembly guidelines for the recipes, one at a time.  She gives you freezing and thawing recommendations, then cooking instructions for the day you actually are ready to prepare that meal.  Imagine having a crazy busy week, but knowing you have dinner all ready to go in the oven from a thawed freezer bag in the refrigerator.  I think this would also be a nice gift for a new mom, a senior citizen, or a dad taking care of the kid's while mom is in the hospital.  Taking them a few ready to make healthy meals with your handwritten instructions would make their day, or possibly even their week.

I have made at least 12 recipes from this book so far, and I have liked everything!   I think this would be a great addition to your cookbook library if you have problems planning meals, and especially if you think grocery shopping is a necessary pain.  This book takes some of that pain away.....

Have a wonderful weekend, and see you next week!

Nancy

So, I'm researching stocking your pantry......

on web sites and blogs, and it's amazing what I've found.  The most amazing thing I found was how many pantry categories there are.  I have found 19, and I'm sure this list is not complete.  Pantries differ depending on what your cooking needs are.  The person who loves to bake, is going to have a much different pantry than I do.  The gourmet cook's pantry will be different than mine.  I'm sure you get the picture.

The pantry categories I found so far are:

Baking

Condiments

Dried Goods

Oils

Rice

Canned Goods

Tomatoes

Vinegars

Dried Pasta

Milks

Extracts

Dried Herbs

Spices

Liquors

Gourmet

Fresh Produce

Refrigerator staples

Freezer staples

Pretty impressive category list, right?  Tomato category alone can include: diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil.....Oils can include: vegetable, olive, canola, sesame, grapeseed,  peanut, etc., and a list of spices or dried herbs could go on indefinitely!

How do you prioritize stocking a new pantry, because obviously, you can't buy everything at once unless you're lucky enough to have unlimited grocery funds.  I decided to list items in groups of ten that I would attempt to buy on 2 separate trips to get a new pantry going.

Week One I would stock the pantry with:

butter

eggs

salt

black pepper

extra virgin olive oil

chicken broth/stock

canned diced tomatoes

dried pasta

long grain rice

onions

Week Two I would add to the pantry:

garlic

lemons

all-purpose flour

sugar

brown sugar

vegetable oil

red wine vinegar

dijon mustard

canned beans

herbs de provence

I think that would be a pretty good start.  I know that for me these are pantry items I feel are essential to my cooking and stocking my kitchen.  My dream pantry would have about 100 items in it at all times, but I don't want to overwhelm anyone, especially myself!  Please think of this list as a starting guide.  For me it is still incomplete because we haven't even got to jams, jellies, grains, peanut butter, soy sauce and more.  In a few weeks I will expand on this and do a week three and four shopping list too.  Happy cooking everyone, and may your day be wonderful!

Nancy

How about making your own seasoning mix......

and a good place to start would be with taco seasoning.  You probably have all the ingredients in your spice cabinet or pantry anyway, and you can make this in less than one minute.  The advantages to making your own include adjusting the heat level for your family's taste,  taking out any ingredients you don't care for, and most important of all, much healthier than store bought, no preservatives such as MSG.

I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com, made it last night and it was a hit!

Taco Seasoning


print recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container.

I keep a few empty clear spice bottles around (you can get them at Bed, Bath & Beyond) and that is how I store mine, and just sprinkle what I think I need.  The recipe is pretty much equivalent to a whole seasoning pack you would buy at the store.   The next time I mix it up, I can going to triple the recipe so I can keep more on hand.  I am hoping that after making your own, you'll give up buying those packets!

Have a wonderful day!

Nancy

An easy, tasty and healthy side dish.......

or possibly even a main course if you wanted to add diced chicken, shrimp or beef to it.  I'm talking about Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Blend.  Description on the package: A Savory Blend of Israeli Style Couscous, Orzo, Baby Garbanzo Beans, and Red Quinoa.  This was fabulous, and as easy to make as rice is.

Of course, the dried cranberries were my idea, I love adding something sweet to rice or couscous.  On this all I did was follow the package directions which were:

Bring 1 3/4 cups water or chicken broth to a boil.  Add 1 tablespoon butter and stir in  1 1/4 cup of Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Blend.  Bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and serve immediately.  Yield:  approximately 3 cups.....

I threw in a handful of dried cranberries and stirred them in just before removing from the heat.  Also, I hardly ever use water when making rice or couscous.  The broth provides tons more flavor.

Trader Joe's is a new adventure for me.  It is an organic grocery market for the budget conscious, which I love.  It is now my go-to place for stocking my pantry with pasta, tomatoes, beans, oils, vinegars and condiments so far.  The location available to me is not a large store, but the inventory is pretty amazing.  

Couscous is essentially tiny pasta.  Once I discovered the pearl (Israeli) couscous, I haven't gone back to the traditional couscous.  I think even your picky eaters will like this side dish, especially if they already love noodles.

Have a wonderful day!

Nancy

I wish cooking came naturally for me......

but like many of us, I need to follow a recipe.  Then, after I have made that same recipe a time or two, that is when I put my own spin on things.  Don't get me wrong, I love to invent my own marinades, dressings and salads, but more than likely the inspiration for it came from somewhere else.

I have decided to review and tell you about some of my cookbooks I keep on my shelf, and refer to the most for meal ideas and inspiration.  I am only going to tell you about one book at a time.  That way, I can have a weekly or every other week post topic in a series.  I hope you like the idea.

This week's book is Robin to the Rescue described as "Quick & Simple Recipes for Delicious Home Cooking" by Robin Miller.

I have all four of Robin Miller's cookbooks, and I refer to all of them.  For me, she keeps it real.  By that I mean, she is not afraid to open a jar of this, a can of that and to grab a dry spice occasionally.  There are not 600 ingredients to search around for, everything can be found at your local supermarket.  Each recipe tells you total time including: prep time, and either active cooking time or walk-away time. How cool is that?  I remember many years ago, when my daughter was a little girl, "Working Mother" magazine had a monthly recipe called, "Relax While it Cooks."  I think I tried almost all of them, because after working on your feet all day, the last thing you want to do is be a slave to your kitchen.  The idea that you can spend 5-10 prepping, then relax for 25 or more minutes while the stove top or oven does the work is an idea situation.

Other features along with total time include:  make it a meal kit, have it your way, bank a batch and morph it.  Make it a meal kit - basically things you can do in advance to get that meal on the table even faster.  Have it your way - let's say you don't have zucchini but have broccoli, that would work, or if you want to make the meal meatless, there are ideas for that too.  Bank a batch - tells you to double the recipe and lets you know how long to store it in the freezer, along with defrost and cooking instructions.  Morph it - (my personal favorite) make extra of one or more of the main ingredients to put aside for another meal, with suggestions given.  For example, I almost always make extra chicken breasts with chicken recipes.

The book is broken down into 8 chapters:

Soups and Starters

Pasta and Risotto

Chicken and Turkey

Pork and Ham

Beef

Fish and Shellfish

Side Dishes and Salads

Desserts

I have tried many, many recipes from this book, and have never been disappointed in any of them.  There are just too many to list.  I think this would be an excellent addition to your own cookbook collection and a wonderful gift for the newbie and experience cook alike, who want to get quick tasty meals to the table.

Please let me know some of your "go to" cookbooks.

Happy Cooking!

Nancy

Makeup Organization......

I don't know about you, but I know that I can seriously trash a bathroom while trying to get ready.  It's a gift, I can't help it.  You can go on youtube and find hundreds of videos on makeup organization.  Those folks have a ton of makeup!   They dedicate entire rooms, closets and wall space so that they can have every eye shadow color on the market, or at least from Sephora.  They also have a lot of ideas on keeping it all together, most which would not work for me, until I saw this one...........

I love it!  It has enough space to hold my skin care items, wash cloths, makeup brushes and the top of it can hold a few lotions, q-tips, cotton squares, etc.  

Normally, I am one of those women who doesn't like to keep anything on the bathroom counter that isn't absolutely necessary, but I made an exception for this.  No more digging around and destroying the lower cabinet for me.  Most important of all, having it within my reach has meant a very neat bathroom for over three weeks now!  It also allows the shallow drawers in the cabinet to be available for hair items and other grooming supplies.

The bottom drawer in this particular unit is a little deeper, which I love, so great for skin care items.  Then I separate my face and eye products.  I ordered this one on Amazon, and there are other options too, smaller and larger.  It was a bit of a splurge, but the price has gone down significantly (like $120-$150 less) since I first started looking for them over a year ago. Clear Cube Makeup Organizer

I would love to know your organizing ideas for makeup too!  Have a wonderful day!

Nancy

Easy Chicken Tarragon Salad

I love chicken salad, and this one is my current favorite.  I am happy to report that almost every member of my family has tried it as well, and let's just say there are never any leftovers.  It goes fast!

print recipe


Easy Chicken Tarragon Salad


1-2 cooked chicken breasts, diced
2-3 stalks celery, diced
handful of dried cranberries (craisins) optional
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon tarragon, or to taste

Mix all together.  Chill.  Serve on bed of lettuce or on slices of whole wheat or 7 grain bread.

I think the secret these days to any good potato or chicken salad is the 50-50 ratio of mayonnaise to sour cream.  I feel that it tastes much better this way.  This is easy, and just plain good!

Nancy

A New Year and a New Blog.......

I named this blog "A Pinch of Something Good" because it is essentially going to be a pinch of this and a pinch of that.  My interests are very diverse.  I love to cook, menu plan, read, do rubber stamping crafts, take pictures, decorate, organize things and talk about jewelry and makeup.   I hope you'll grab a nice glass of iced tea and join me sometime.  Your ideas are welcomed and encouraged.

Have a wonderful day!

Nancy