Delicious Salsa!

I am an assistant for a cooking class and we recently made this recipe for one of our meals. It was absolutely delicious!

Recipe:
1 Can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
2 avocados, chopped
2 green onions, sliced (use white and green)
1-2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 package dry Italian salad dressing mix
Ingredients to prepare dressing mix (usually olive oil, vinegar)
Tortilla Chips

Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Prepare dressing according to package directions and once made, pour over ingredients. Stir well. Refrigerate. Serve with chips.

Mozzarella, Garlic, and Basil Bread sticks

I was looking on one of my favorite blogs (http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/) today and found a delicious looking recipe. It was for: Parmesan, Roasted Garlic, and Basil Bread sticks. I am a bread LOVER! I decided to try to make this recipe without a Bread Machine, and adapting some of the ingredients. It turned out DELICIOUS!

Recipe:
Bread dough:
1 1/8 cups of warm water
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 cups of flour
2 tsp active dry yeast

Once risen add:
3 T Mozzarella cheese
2 T fresh (chopped) or dry basil
1 and 1/2 T minced garlic

1 T butter
2 T olive oil

This recipe originally called for dough made in a Bread Machine. I do not own a Bread Machine, so I just made the dough by hand.

First combine salt, yeast, sugar, and water in a bowl. Stir. Let rest 5-10 minutes or until small bubbles form. Then combine yeast mixture with flour in a larger bowl. Knead 5 minutes and form into a ball. Let rise on a heating pad or in a proofing oven until it almost doubles in size. Then, add garlic, basil, and Parmesan cheese. Knead until ingredients are well combined. Separate dough into five inch long snakes about an inch thick. Place on greased cooking sheet (2 T olive oil). Again, let rise on a heating pad or in a proofing oven until double in size. Cook at 375 degrees until golden brown. Brush bread sticks with butter once they come out of the oven.

Comments:
I absolutely loved this recipe because it was so adaptable. I did not have fresh garlic, basil, Parmesan, or a Bread Maker. So, I just made it with what I had. I used minced garlic, Mozzarella, and dry basil and it turned out just great! Also, the cooking times on this recipe may vary. The original recipe says it will take anywhere from 18-22 minutes to cook. In my quick cooking oven, it only took around 9 minutes to fully cook.

Spinach and Romaine salad with cranberries, candied almonds, and Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing

This is one of my all time favorite green salads. I honestly cannot get enough of it. It is like candy to me! YUM!

Recipe:
Salad:
Romaine lettuce
spinach leaves
cranberries
almonds
Ken's Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad dressing



Combine lettuce, spinach, and cranberries in a large salad bowl. Top with Ken's Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad dressing.

Comments:
I really think Ken's dressing makes the salad! It is my favorite dressing for this salad by far, and I have tried many others.

Strawberries and Creme

Since it is strawberry season, I thought I would tell you all about the amazingness of strawberries and creme. It is an AMAZING combination. It can be the perfect breakfast, or small treat!

Recipe:
1 package creme cheese
1 T vanilla
4 T milk, whipping creme, or Vanilla Silk
2 cups of powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter

Bring cheese and butter to room temperature. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Beat with hand held mixer until light and fluffy, and the ingredients are well incorporated. Refrigerate until cold. Wash and cut strawberries. Eat!

Comments:
I make this recipe by sight. You can change the ratios of butter, milk, and cream cheese, depending on how you would like your creme to be. I like to use a whole package of creme cheese because I LOVE creme cheese. But, you could use more butter and less creme cheese if you prefer buttercreme frostings.

Cabbage Salad

Cabbage Salad is one of my favorite recipes! It is quick, easy, yummy, and HEALTHY! It is a great way to fit some vitamin rich ingredients into your diet.

Recipe:

Salad:
1 package Dole Coleslaw mix
6 green onions diced
1 package Top Ramen Noodles: Oriental Flavor
7 oz slivered almonds

Dressing:
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2 T sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
3 T white vinegar
1 packet oriental flavoring (comes with Oriental Top Ramen)

Combine Coleslaw, diced green onions, and slivered almonds in large bowl. Break ramen noodles into small pieces. Add to the contents of the large bowl. Combine dressing ingredients in a separate bowl. Pour over salad. Mix. Cover bowl or put salad in a tupperware for a couple hours in the fridge.

Comments:
If you would like, you can brown your almonds in 1 T. of butter before adding them to your salad. You can also add 2 T of sesame seeds if you would like. I like to put my ramen in a large ziplock bag and then crush it up by pushing/pounding it against the table. This helps to break it up into small pieces. Over time the salad will decrease in size, as the cabbage becomes marinated in the dressing. It will become more flavored and less vinegary after a couple of hours in the fridge.