Baked Macaroni and Cheese

    Since my Dad's birthday happened to land on Super Bowl Sunday this year, our celebration was twofold, especially since the Giants are playing and that is Arnauld's team.  We have slowly been reintroducing meat into our diet, Arnauld a little faster than me!  When I suggested we make dinner for my Dad's birthday, he knew right away that he wanted to make ribs.  He has made ribs before, carefully mixing together his own rub and barbecue sauce.  He is really proud of this recipe.
     I am making baked macaroni and cheese to go along with the meal.  I have made different variations in the past, but opted for a Cooking Light recipe this time around.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Recipe from Cooking Light

Ingredients
3 cups uncooked Penne Pasta
1 12 oz carton of 2% cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
Cooking Spray
3 tbsp Panko
1 tbsp minced parsley

Method
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Drain and place in a large bowl.
2. Place the cottage cheese in a food processor and process until smooth.
3. Combine the cottage cheese, cheddar, 1/4 cup Parmesan, salt, and pepper.  Add this mixture to the pasta.
4.  Spoon the mixture into an 11x7 glass baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray.
5. Combine the rest of the Parmesan, Panko, and parsley.  Sprinkle evenly over the pasta.
6. Bake for 10 minutes.  Then preheat the broiler (without removing the dish).  Broil the pasta for 1 minute or until the top browns.

The internet also suggested a quick salad to go along with this pasta dish, so I made that as well.

Spinach Salad

Ingredients
8 cups baby spinach
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced oregano
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Method
1. Assemble salad.
2. Combine the white wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper.  Pour over the salad and toss gently.

Arnauld's famous and very popular ribs.

The Taste Test
     The macaroni and cheese was a huge hit.  You would have never guessed that it was made with cottage cheese!  It was so creamy and the Panko topping added a nice crunch.  This recipe is definitely a keeper. The salad was also a great complimentary side dish.  The dressing was light and delicious.

Three Bean and Barley Soup

     Thanksgiving is over and it's already time to go back to work.  It's time to get back to healthy eating and forget the pie and desserts until Christmas time.  The last thing I wanted to do was spend a lot of time in the kitchen this weekend, so of course I pulled out the slow cooker.  It took 3 minutes to throw everything in and lunch is covered for the week.

Three Bean and Barley Soup

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 can black beans
1 can great northern beans
1 can kidney beans
1/2 cup barley
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tbsp cumin
1/2 tbsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt

Method
1. Combine all ingredients in a large crock pot.  Cook on high for 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally.

Wheat Berry and Lentil Soup

     It's soup season!

Wheat Berry and Lentil Soup

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup brown lentils
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups cold water
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, diced
3 large carrots, chopped
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 cups wheat berries, cooked
1 bunch chard, roughly chopped
3 tbsp lemon juice

Method
1. Cook wheat berries according to package directions.
2. Combine lentils, broth, and water in a large pot.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat and then reduce heat to a simmer.  Cover the pot and cook 25-30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.
3. While the lentils are cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Heat the oil and then add the onion, carrots, salt, and pepper.  Cook until the vegetables are brown, about 1 minutes.  Add the garlic and cumin and stir constantly for 30 seconds before removing from the heat.
4. When the lentils are tender, stir in the cooked wheat berries and chard.  Cover and simmer until the chard in completely wilted, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the carrot mixture and lemon juice.

The Taste Test
     A hearty fall soup, easy to make with plenty to share!

Chocolate Chip and Coconut Scones

     On August 14th, Arnauld and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary.  We happened to be visiting my sister in North Carlina that weekend and had a fun time hanging out with some of our favorite people in the whole wide world.  The first wedding anniversary gift is traditionally paper.  Arnauld and I had agreed to stick to paper gifts and my parents also went in on the tradition.  They gave us tickets to see Memphis on Broadway.  We were so excited and thought this was a really great and thoughtful gift.  As we began to plan for our day in the city, I envisioned blue skies and the super cute clothes I would buy to help me get excited about the start of a new school year.  However, someone named Irene had other visions for the day.  Her visions included downed power lines, torrential downpours, and snow days in August.
    Fortunately for us, Broadway shut down for the hurricane and we were able to reschedule our tickets for tomorrow.  We were also able to buy additional tickets for my parents, who recently celebrated their 30th anniversary, as well as my brother and his girlfriend, Annie. We are going to be driving into the city, just a little over an hour away.  Anything over an hour is a road trip and you always need snacks for road trips!  I'm hopeful that the rain will hold off and we will be able to make a day of it-hence the scones for breakfast...

Chocolate Chip and Coconut Scones

Ingredients
2 cups flour
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 cup almond milk (you can also use regular milk)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Method
1. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.  Mix together.
2. Use a pastry blender to cut in the butter.  The mixture should be course and crumbly.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and vanilla.  Add this to the flour mixture and mix together with a fork.
4. Next mix in the chocolate chips and coconut, stirring just until the mixture begins to come together.
5. Knead the dough on a well floured surface, 5-6 times.  Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 8 inch circle.  Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 6-8 diamonds or triangles.
6. Place the scones on a greased baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes.  The scones should be golden.

The Taste Test
Delicious.  All of the scones were devoured prior to arriving in NYC!

     So my sister has been in North Carolina since July and our family here in Connecticut has been missing the Ritchie family like crazy.  Since they couldn't join us for our trip to the city yesterday, my parents decided to make them smile by sending pictures of themselves posing with any characters they could find on the streets of New York.

Spaghetti Squash

     I keep waiting for the temperature to drop and for fall to be here, but summer is hanging on for all it's got.  Over the weekend, I bought three different kinds of squash knowing that I'd be able to find plenty of recipes to use them in at this time of year.  This was my first attempt ever with spaghetti squash.

Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium tomato, diced
6 Kalamata olives, sliced
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
basil

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.  Cut the squash in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds.  Place the squash, cut side down in the baking dish.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until the squash is soft enough to poke a fork into.  Once you take the squash out of the oven, scoop out the insides with a fork-it should be stringy.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Cook the onion and garlic until tender.  Stir in the tomato just until it is warm. 
3. Next stir in the squash, olives, feta, and basil.  Allow the dish to heat just enough that the cheese begins to melt.


The Taste Test
    A very simple dish packed with a lot of flavor.  I loved how easily the squash scooped out, so fun!

Summer Farro Salad

     Back to school time means back to making lunch.  I'm actually happy to be back to school simply for the more consistent routine.  This summer I felt like I packed so much into each day and was constantly running from one place to another.  When thinking about lunch for this week, I was tempted to make the Farro with Peas and Watermelon that I posted about a while back.  I have made it several times and I really like the combination of sweet watermelon with the salty cheese and the black pepper.  But instead I went on a hunt for a different farro salad.  I ended up finding one that is a take on a caprese salad, which is perfect given the fact that my grandma is still blessing us with more tomatoes than we know what to do with!

Summer Farro Salad 
Recipe from www.food52.com

Ingredients
2 cups farro (you can also use barley)
1 medium red onion, cut in half
1 garlic clove
1 handful of fresh parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut into quarters
1 cup finely diced mozzarella (1/4 inch cubes)
6 kalamata olives, minced
1 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
black pepper to taste
Dressing
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp honey

Method
1. Place 2 cups farro, half of the red onion, the garlic clove, and a few sprigs of parsley in a pot.  Add 2 3/4 cups of water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the temperature to a simmer and cover.  Cook for 10 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes.  Cool the farro completely.  This can be done by spreading it on a baking sheet.  Also, remove the remaining onion and garlic from the farro and discard.
2. In a large bowl, combine the remaining onion (diced), tomatoes, parsley and basil, olives, and the mozzarella.  Stir in the cooled farro.
3. To prepare the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, and honey.  Pour over the salad and mix thoroughly.  Season with black pepper.

The Taste Test
     I tasted this before and after putting the dressing on and I think I liked it better without.  I only put about half of the dressing mixture onto the salad and it was just enough to add a little more moisture and flavor.  Next time I think I'll try leaving it off all together.  The farro had a nice chewy texture and the combination of tomatoes, cheese, and onions gave it a lot of flavor. 

Gazpacho...A garden in a bowl

     The other day I went to the Farmer's Market and sampled some delicious gazpacho, which prompted me to begin a search for a recipe to make my own.  I looked through all of my cook books and found outrageous things such as peach and almond gazpacho as well as others that had very long lists of ingredients.  The gazpacho I had tasted was fresh and simple.  I knew that it had to be simpler than what I was finding.  In a final attempt, I opened my copy of Clean Food and found the recipe that seemed to most closely match what I had tasted.  Yet another solution to the abundance of tomatoes coming my way!

Gazpacho

Ingredients
3-4 medium-large tomatoes
1 small red onion, minced
1 green pepper, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cucumber, diced small
2 tbsp fresh basil
2 tbsp fresh parsley
2 tbsp fresh cilantro
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 dash of hot sauce
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cups tomato juice
salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Carefully drop the tomatoes in whole and let sit for 30 seconds.  Drain the pot and allow the tomatoes to cool until they are comfortable enough to hold.  Peel the skin from the tomatoes and dice the tomatoes into very small pieces.
2. Combine tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper. Chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours before serving.

The Taste Test
     This recipe tastes like summer!  Everything, aside from the tomato juice, came straight from the garden.  The flavors were fresh and a bowl of this gazpacho will definitely cool you off on a hot summer night.  The original recipe called for 4 cups of tomato juice.  The tomatoes I used were really juicy so I only used 3 cups.  I think next time I might even use less so that the consistency is chunkier.

Roasted Eggplant with Tomato and Mint

    This is another recipe from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine, which featured the blogger of Smitten Kitchen.  This blog has great recipes and beautiful pictures.  Hopefully my camera will be repaired and back in action soon so I can continue working on my photography skills.
    Once again, all of the ingredients were garden fresh.  Gotta love fresh veggies!

Roasted Eggplant with Tomato and Mint

Ingredients
Olive Oil Spray
1 tsp olive oil
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1 inch rounds
salt and pepper
1/4 cup crumbled feta
2 tbsp capers (you can also use olives)
1/3 cup red onion, diced small
1 large tomato, seeded and diced very small
3 tbsp fresh mint leaves, minced
2 tsp red-wine vinegar

Method
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
1. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil.  Place eggplant rounds in a single layer and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast until the undersides are brown, about 20-25 minutes.  Flip the eggplant and sprinkle with salt and pepper again.  Bake until the undersides are brown, an additional 10-12 minutes.
2. While the eggplant is roasting, mix together 1 teaspoon of olive oil, feta, capers, onion, tomato, mint, and vinegar.
3. Move the eggplant rounds to a serving platter and top each with a spoonful of the tomato mixture.

The Taste Test
    Arnauld and I both enjoyed this recipe.  Actually, it is one of my favorite things I've made in a while. 

Penne and Zucchini with Lime and Herbs

     I feel like I haven't posted in forever...but it's only been about a week!  Arnauld and I just got home from visiting my sister and her family in North Carolina.  We had a great time playing with the kids and just spending time together.  While we were traveling, I picked up a Rachel Ray magazine and while our flight was delayed last night, Arnauld and I picked a recipe to make for dinner tonight.


Penne and Zucchini with Lime and Herbs

Ingredients
Salt and Pepper
1 lb penne pasta
2 medium zucchini
3 tbsp olive oil
1 chili pepper, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 limes, juiced
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup mint, chopped
1/4 cup basil, chopped
1 cup grated pecorino-romano cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped pistachio nuts

Method
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add salt and pasta and cook until al dente.  Drain and save 1 cup of the water.
2. While the pasta is cooking, cut the zucchini into fat matchsticks, about 1/4 inch by 2 inch strips.
3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Stir in the garlic and chili peppers and cook for one minute.  Add the zucchini and season with salt and pepper.  Cook 8-10 minutes or until tender.
4. Add the lime juice to the zucchini and stir in the butter until melted.  Add the pasta, parsley, mint, and basil along with a handful of the cheese.  Stir in the reserved water from the pasta.  Toss for one to two minutes.  Top with more cheese and the pistachios.

The Taste Test
   Yum!  This was a simple and very tasty dish.  I even threw in some yellow squash along with the zucchini.  Delicious!

Grandma's Eggplant

     The vegetable of the week is eggplant.  My Grandma picked at least 10 medium sized eggplants from her garden this week.  So we spent the morning making breaded eggplant together.  This is one of my favorite things my Grandma makes.  She even freezes it and occasionally surprises me with some throughout the year, when I least expect it.  As I've said before, my Grandma doesn't really use a recipe but I'm going to attempt to get it down in case I ever want to make it on my own.  This eggplants tastes great on it's own, made into eggplant Parmesan, or as part of a sandwich.

Breaded Eggplant

Ingredients
2 medium eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
2 eggs
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups breadcrumbs
olive oil

Method
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
1. Beat the eggs in a small shallow bowl then mix in the Parmesan cheese.
2. Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish.
*3. Prepare a baking sheet by spraying it with olive oil.
4. Dip each piece of the sliced eggplant into the egg batter.  Place it in the breadcrumbs and coat completely.  Place the eggplant in a single layer on the baking sheet.
5. Once the baking sheet is full, bake in the oven for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, flip the eggplant and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes.  The eggplant should be golden and a bit crispy.
6. Transfer to a dish lined with paper towel.

*My grandma actually dips one side of each eggplant slice in a bit of oil and then places it on the baking sheet, oil side up.  If I made them, I think I would try just a bit of oil sprayed to cut down on the amount of oil used.

Roasted Tomato-Bread Toss

    The one perk to teaching summer school instead of being completely lazy and taking the entire summer off, is no work on Fridays.  I think every weekend should be 3 days long.  I look forward to a quiet day by myself to work through a to-do list, run errands, cleanup the house, spend time with my pups, and even watch a little tv.  Today I'm bringing a quick lunch over to share with my mom.  Yesterday I finally made it to my first farmer's market of the season.  I wish I had my camera.  There was so much color and everything was so fresh and beautiful!  I bought a pint of cherry tomatoes, despite having 3 plants full ready to be ripe in my own year, just because they were so pretty!  I put those tomatoes to good use in this recipe from August's Better Homes and Gardens.

Roasted Tomato-Bread Toss

Ingredients
3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
2 cups torn Italian Bread
5 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup Kalamata olives
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1. Line a baking dish with parchment paper.  Place washed and dry tomatoes in a single layer in the pan.
2. Place the torn bread in a bowl and drizzle with 2 teaspoons of olive oil.  Toss to coat.  Place the bread on a baking sheet.
3. Place tomatoes in the oven on the top rack and the bread on a lower rack.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  The tomatoes skins should begin to wrinkle and split.  That's how you'll know they are ready to come out.
4. Combine tomatoes, bread, and olives in a large bowl. 
5. In a small bowl, mix together 3 teaspoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, and the salt and pepper (You can also add some minced garlic to this mixture.  I left it out because my mom doesn't like garlic).  Drizzle this over the tomatoes, bread, and olives.  Lightly toss to mix everything together.

The Taste Test
     I found that the tomatoes needed a little extra time in the oven and the bread needed a little less.  This was such a simple dish but so good.  The bread soaked up the balsamic vinegar and it was such a nice compliment to the juicy tomatoes that burst in your mouth and the salty olives.  I'm looking forward to the tomatoes in our garden ripening.  I think my mom is too, she asked me when I was going to post the recipe so she could make it herself.  Thanks for a nice lunch date mom!

Stuffed Zucchini

     This week I came home from work one day to find a baking dish wedged in my front door with a note with baking directions...in my mom's handwriting.  She had found a Cooking Light recipe for stuffed zucchini and had made me a dish.  It was funny that she thought to make that since I had already bought the ingredients to make my own stuffed zucchini this week.  The dishes were very different but both very scrumptious!  My mom's recipe for Stuffed Zucchini with Potatoes and Peas had much more flavor-it reminded me of Indian food because the spices gave it a distinct taste.  My recipe, was much simpler but also very satisfying.


Stuffed Zucchini with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Ingredients
Cooking spray
2 medium zucchini
Salt and pepper
2 medium tomatoes
1/2 tsp fresh oregano
1/4 tsp white vinegar
Fresh Mozzarella

Method
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
1. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.
2. Cut the zucchinis in half, lengthwise.  Scrape out the seeds, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place on the baking sheet.
3. Seed and dice the tomatoes.  Mix them with the oregano and vinegar.
4. Spoon the tomatoes on top of the zucchini.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, until the zucchini is tender.
6. Next, heat the broiler.  Top the zucchini with mozzarella, torn into one inch pieces.  Broil until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown.

Stuffed Zucchini with Peas and Potatoes
Recipe from Cooking Light

Ingredients
6 medium zucchini (about 3 pounds) 
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided 
1 1/2 cups diced peeled baking potato 
2 teaspoons butter 
2 teaspoons vegetable oil 
2 1/2 cups chopped onion 
1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger 
2 garlic cloves, crushed 
1 serrano chile, minced 
2 tablespoons chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour 
1 teaspoon ground coriander 
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric 
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper 
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 
1 1/2 cups frozen green peas, thawed 
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

Method
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
1. Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-inch shell. Place zucchini halves, cut sides up, in a shallow roasting pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt.
2. Cook potato in boiling water for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender and then drain.
3. Heat butter and oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until butter melts. Add onion, ginger, garlic, and chile, and sauté 3 minutes. Stir in flour and next 4 ingredients (flour through cumin). Cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in 3/4 teaspoon salt, potato, peas, and cilantro.
4. Pat zucchini dry with paper towels; spoon about 1/3 cup potato mixture into each zucchini half. Cover and bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until zucchini is tender.

Grandma's Zucchini Bread

    So today was the day I finally made zucchini bread with my grandma.  Her garden graced her with a few large zucchinis that she managed to keep safe from her worst nightmare, a relentless woodchuck.  When I got to her house she had all of the ingredients lined up, the nuts chopped, and the zucchini shredded.  She was ready and as excited as I was to make zucchini bread together.  You may recall my own attempt a few weeks back, with Rosemary Lemon Zucchini Bread.  Grandma told me I used too much baking soda.  So today we went back to the basics.  My Grandma doesn't mind getting a little messy in the kitchen-I must take after her!  She even encouraged using your hands to mix, especially when mixing in the nuts and zucchini.  She said she lost a few hand-held mixers to zucchini bread over the years.  

Grandma's Zucchini Bread

Ingredients
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup oil
3 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups zucchini
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Method
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
1. Beat eggs until fluffy.
2. Add sugar, vanilla, and oil. Blend well.
3. Sift in all of the dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Stir in zucchini and nuts.
5. Pour mixture between two greased and floured loaf pans.
6. Bake for 1 hour or until done.

The Taste Test
   The way zucchini bread should be!

My Gram getting her hands dirty. 

Grandma's garden (the upper level).  It has shrunk over the years but it's still an amazing work of art for 84 year old woman.

Squash

Peppers

Eggplant

The lower level.  The right hand side is usually covered in beans but this year a chubby woodchuck ate them all.  Gram was not too happy.  She tried replanting the beans three times!

Gram plants a variety of different tomatoes.  Here are the first few red ones.

One lonely bean plant.

Figs

Apples

 

Pears

Shrimp Lettuce Wraps aka NFL Wraps

    I missed home cooked meals while being away last week.  I've discovered that eating out is nice as a treat every once in a while, but these days I much prefer making my own meals.  I know exactly what goes into each dish and the entire experience is one that leaves me feeling accomplished and satisfied. 
     Arnauld has been on a role with giving me ideas for dinner.  Yesterday he suggested some sort of lettuce wraps, which we've had out to eat a few times but never attempted on our own.  There were several recipes that I found that called for rice noodles but I attempted a version that used cabbage instead.

Shrimp Lettuce Wraps


Ingredients
1 lb shrimp, raw
1 head of lettuce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp Mirin
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp red chili paste
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbsp ginger, minced
6 cups cabbage, finely shredded

Method
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, and chili paste.  Set this mixture aside.
2. Heat the vegetable and sesame oils, in a large skillet or wok, over medium high heat.  Add the ginger and garlic and cook for about 1 minute.  Add the shrimp and cook until heated through. 
3. Add the sauce and cabbage and continue cooking until the cabbage begins to wilt.
4. Remove from the stove using a slotted spoon.
5. Serve cabbage mixture over large lettuce leaves.  Roll the lettuce leaves like a wrap and enjoy!

The Taste Test
    When Arnauld walked in the house he said, "It smells banging in here."  After trying the lettuce wraps he proclaimed that they were just as good as P.F. Changs.  The sauce was really tasty, despite the fact that I left out the sugar that the recipe called for.   Arnauld is also so excited that football is back that he named this dish, the N.F.Lettuce Wraps.  My vote was for at least one season without football, but I have a feeling I am not the majority on this one.

Summer Salads

     Most of Arnauld's side of the family lives on Long Island.  At the start of the year they decided to try and gather each month for a family dinner.  All of the gatherings have been on Long Island so far but today everyone will be meeting at Arnauld's mom's house for the first Connecticut party.  The party just so happens to coincide with one of the hottest days of the year!  Eating anything heavy on a day like today is not possible in my opinion.  I volunteered to make a few side dishes so when planning I just had light and summery on my mind.

Summer Pea, Watermelon, and Farro Salad
Recipe from Cooking Light (August 2011)

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked farro or wheat berries
1 cup fresh green peas
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup seedless watermelon, cubed
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/3 cup fresh Romano cheese, shaved

Method
1. Place farro in a saucepan and cover with water, about 2 inches above farro.  Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to simmer for about 20 minutes.
2. Add green peas to the pan with the farro and cook for 2 more minutes.  Drain and rinse with cold water.
3. In a large bowl, combine the farro with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.  Add the watermelon and parsley.  Gently mix to combine these ingredients.  Add the Romano cheese to top the salad off.

3 Bean Quinoa Salad
Recipe from Whole Foods

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked quinoa
Salt and Pepper
1/2 lb cooked green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 1/2 cup edamame, unshelled
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup Italian dressing
1 tsp dried tarragon

Method
1. Rinse the quinoa under cold water and drain.  Bring 1 3/4 cups of water to a boil in a small pot.  Add the quinoi and a pinch of salt.  Reduce heat, cover, and allow to simmer until the quinoa is tender and all of the water has been absorbed.  Uncover and allow to cool.
2. Put quinoa, green beans, edamame, kidney beans, dressing, tarragon, salt, and pepper in a large bowl  Toss well and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Better Than Take Out: Sesame Shrimp

    After vacation, it has been hard for me to get back into the making dinner routine.  Last night Arnauld made himself some eggs and I ate some yogurt.  I knew I had to kick myself out of this slump but didn't quite feel up for anything too complicated.  The answer?  Sesame Shrimp.  We had shrimp in the freezer so I thawed a couple handfuls and stirred together a few ingredients I had on hand.  The results tasted better than sesame shrimp you would get from a Chinese restaurant, without all of the extra goo.

Sesame Shrimp

Ingredients
1/2 lb raw shrimp
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp chili paste (our favorite brand is, Thai Kitchen)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp dried ginger
1 tbsp sesame seeds

Method
1. Mix honey, chili paste, soy sauce, and ginger in a medium bowl.  Stir in shrimp and let sit for a few minutes.
2. Toast the sesame seeds.
3. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add shrimp and any extra sauce.  Cook shrimp until they are pink all the way through.  Toss in any vegetables that you like.  I added sliced onion and fresh peas from my grandma's garden.
4. Sprinkle the shrimp with toasted sesame seeds.

Vacation Series: Watermelon Salsa

     Arnauld was finally able to tear himself away from work in order to spend a few days with us in Maine, for vacation.  We planned to make dinner for the family.  Arnauld made his fish tacos and homemade guacamole, that he had made for me before.  I wanted to add something to the mix, so I made watermelon salsa.  I have never had watermelon salsa so I crossed my fingers and hoped it would be a hit.

Watermelon Salsa

Ingredients
3 cups watermelon, finely diced
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 large jalepeno, minced
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
Juice from 1 lime
Salt to taste

Method
1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.  Serve at room temperature or chilled.

The Taste Test
    When I chose watermelon salsa, I thought it sounded perfect for summer.  It was an interesting mix of flavors that tasted great.  I read that you can use watermelon salsa on top of grilled fish, chicken, or steak.  We had ours with tortilla chips.  Everyone seemed to enjoy this twist on salsa.

Vacation Series: Black Bean Salad

     I'm still on vacation in Maine.  So far we have been throwing together some random dinners-trying to cater to the tastes of eight different people ranging in age from 1-52.  Needless to say, this is not always easy. Tonight we are working with some leftovers.  My dad is pretty inventive with leftovers.  Some of his specialties include corn beef and mashed potato quesadillas and pasta a la everything left in the fridge.  I thought it might be nice to make a fresh salad to add to the mix of whatever my dad whips up tonight.  I turned to the internet and came up with a recipe from the Food Network, by none other than Guy Fieri. 

Black Bean Salad

Ingredients
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
2 small tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced

1/4 cup green onion, diced

1/4 cup fresh pineapple, diced

1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped 

1 jalapeno, minced

4 tbsp sherry vinegar

Juice of 1/2 lime

3 tbsp honey

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 pinch of cumin

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.

The Taste Test
    This salad is a great summer dish.  Not only was it simple to make but also tasty and refreshing.