Cucumbers in Sour Cream & Dill

Don't you just love it when you look at a recipe and discover you have all of the ingredients? I decided to make this cucumber dish tomorrow. I think different types of vinegar would work--one of my favorites (aside from balsamic) is apple cider vinegar, and it's wonderful drizzled on top of a bowl of chili.

Ingredients:
2 to 3 cucumbers, thinly sliced
1/3 cup light or fat-free sour cream
1 tablespoon vinegar
Pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill

Arrange cucumber slices in a serving bowl, sprinkling layers with salt. Place a saucer or other weight on cucumbers to weigh down. Cover and let stand for several hours. Pour off cucumber juices. Combine sour cream, vinegar, pepper to taste, and chopped dill; add to cucumbers.

Aleta's Gazpacho

What's Gazpacho you ask? Why it's cold tomato soup, originally from Spain. This is a fabulous recipe and very healthy--try some for these last hot days of summer. disfrutar de su comida!

¼ cup olive oil

juice of 1 lemon (~2 tablespoons)

1 ½ teaspoons salt

dash of fresh black pepper

4 cups organic tomato juice

2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped

¼ cup onion, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

½ yellow bell pepper, finely chopped

1/3 English cucumber, finely chopped

1 cup corn, fresh or frozen

¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped

hot sauce to taste (optional)

Whisk together the first 4 ingredients. Add the tomato juice; stir to mix. Add the chopped vegetables, turning to mix evenly. Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight. Dish into bowls and add hot sauce, if preferred. The soup will keep for several days in the refrigerator.

Tomato & Feta Salad

Grab a few tomatoes, some feta cheese, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and salt & pepper. Toss everything together in a bowl and enjoy this quick and colorful salad any time of year.

Lemon Rosemary Chicken

Open a bottle of white wine for this chicken recipe and while you're at it, pour a glass for yourself. Cheers!

Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts
1/4 cup flour
salt & pepper 

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped 

Dredge chicken breasts in flour, salt, pepper. Heat oil in heavy skillet, large enough to hold chicken in one layer. Add chicken, rosemary and garlic. Cook about 4 minutes until brown on one side. Turn and cook 4 to 5 minutes until golden brown. Do not cover. Pour off fat, leaving chicken, rosemary and garlic. Pour in wine and bring to boil. Add lemon juice and parsley. Cover and cook 3-4 minutes.

Dad's Spinach Frittata

Do something nice for yourself and make a "fancy" breakfast.

2 tablespoons butter, divided

3-4 green onions cut into thin slices (including green tops)

2 bunches fresh spinach, washed & stems removed

1 ½ teaspoons dried tarragon

½ teaspoon salt, divided

½ teaspoon pepper, divided

8 large eggs

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Heat the broiler. In a non-stick oven-proof pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the onions and saute for 1 minute. Add the spinach, tarragon, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid evaporates, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the spinach mixture and let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir in the spinach mixture.

In the non-stick pan, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Pour in the egg mixture and reduce the heat to low. Sprinkle the feta cheese over the top and cook until the bottom is golden brown and the top is almost set.

Place in the broiler about six inches from the heat and broil until the eggs are set. Slide the frittata onto a plate, cut into wedges and serve.

Dutch Country Farmers Market-Part 2

This is my second post about this fabulous farmers market. Included here are photos from the second visit, and I saved the best one for last.

Shoo Fly Pies

Beautiful Produce

More Beautiful Produce

Olives

Candy & Chocolate Section

Chocolate Covered Bacon!

Dijon Chicken

This French chicken recipe is one of my favorites. For the fresh herbs I use parsley, thyme, rosemary, or marjoram or some combo. I typically use half & half or non-fat milk in this recipe, but sometimes when feeling decadent I do use cream for the sauce. And, if you use white wine instead of chicken broth it will taste even more French!

Ingredients:
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup chicken broth or white wine
2-3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon fresh herbs, chopped
Kosher salt & pepper

Rinse and dry chicken breasts. Sprinkle both sides of each piece with salt and pepper. Lay chicken in the flour and flip pieces over to coat both sides.

Heat large skillet to medium. Add the butter and oil. When the butter melts and just begins to brown, shake excess flour off of the chicken and lay pieces in the pan. Cook the chicken until golden brown underneath, about 10 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook the other side until it's golden brown, about 10 minutes. The chicken should be juicy but not pink inside. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Immediately pour broth or wine into pan and scrape up any sticky bits from the bottom of the pan. Boil for about 2 minutes. Add the mustard and cream. Boil gently and stir until sauce has thickened slightly, 3-4 minutes. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Spoon the sauce over the chicken and garnish with fresh herbs. Garlic mashed potatoes and a salad make nice sides with this delicious chicken dish.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares

I have a sweet tooth. This recipe will cure it. I like chocolate peanut butter anything. 

1 cup margarine
1 cup creamy peanut butter
4 cups powdered sugar
5 plain Hershey bars

Mix ingredients. Press into 13" x 9" pan. Coat top of mixture with melted Hershey bars. Let sit 2-3 hours before cutting.

*On my handwritten recipe it says to oil and wax paper the bottom of the pan. Hmmm. I'm guessing the wax paper goes down first, and then the oil. I don't remember doing the wax paper oil thing but it's been quite a while since I made these. Good luck!

Crispy Baked Red Potatoes with Rosemary

I have a 5' rosemary plant in my backyard and one in a pot on my deck. I can never use as much as I grow but that's okay. In addition to cooking with it, you can make rosemary wreaths as well. Fresh rosemary smells divine!

Ingredients:
2 lbs small red potatoes, halved
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Toss and coat the potatoes with oil and rosemary in a large bowl. Arrange the potatoes, cut side up, on a large baking/cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for about 45 minutes until potatoes are tender inside and deep golden brown and crisp outside. Give them a turn once in a while.

Chocolate Iced Coffee

The entire country is having a heat wave. Keep yourself cool with an iced coffee drink. I refrigerate any leftover coffee from the morning brew to make iced coffee drinks.

Ingredients:
1 cup coffee
3 tablespoons milk (or soy milk)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon chocolate syrup
few drops of vanilla extract
4 ice cubes
Mix in blender.