homemade pico de gallo salsa (aka Andrew salsa!)

Adding to the list of Things Andrew Makes Better Than Me is this salsa.

It's not that I couldn't make this as well as him if I wanted to, it's just that I'm generally too lazy.

As in, when I make salsa, all these ingredients go straight into the food processor to get chopped up quickly and easily.

But no, it doesn't taste quite as good as this way.  Still good, but not the perfection that Andrew's salsa is.  :o)

I know this seems like quite a large batch, but trust me...  it won't go to waste!

And now I'm curious:  Do you prefer your salsa chunky like this (pico de gallo style) or more blended up?

Homemade Pico De Gallo Salsa (aka Andrew Salsa!) Recipe

Ingredients:
12 roma tomatoes
1/2 large red onion, finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, whites and light greens chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 large limes, juiced
2-3 jalapeños, finely chopped - with or without seeds, to taste
fresh cilantro, chopped
salt & pepper, to taste (we use about 1/2-1 tablespoon salt + 1 teaspoon pepper)

Directions:
Cut the tomatoes in half and gently scoop out the seeds and juice and discard;  Dice the rest.

In a large bowl, gently stir together the diced tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients.  Taste for spice and seasoning, adjust where necessary, and enjoy with chips!

This salsa keeps well for a day or two...  and actually tastes best on the second day, so feel free to make it ahead!

baked quinoa mac & cheese

For some reason, I always seem to forget about quinoa.  And then I am pleasantly surprised every time I remember to make something with it again.

This quinoa 'mac' & cheese was such a delicious treat!

I saw the idea and knew that it was something my mac & cheese loving family had to try right away...  And I'm so glad we did!

It was a hit with everyone except picky 3 year old Bjørn, who I'm sure just wouldn't eat it because he saw me make it (He doesn't like to know what's in his food!).

This dish has all the rich, gooey flavor of your favorite mac & cheese with a whole lot less guilt in a healthy, protein-packed punch.

If you've never tried quinoa before, because you're not sure how you'd like it...  this recipe would be a great place to start and give it a try!

Baked Quinoa 'Mac' & Cheese Recipe
adapted from Monica Nelson Fitness
serves 4-6, and can be easily doubled into a 9x13" pan!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed well and drained
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
salt & pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 large egg
3/4 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar & pepper jack are great!)
1 cup shredded cheese, for topping

Directions:
Heat the oil in a medium skillet.  Sauté the garlic for a few seconds and then add in and sauté the quinoa for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add in the chicken stock, salt & pepper, and onion powder, stirring well.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover tightly and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

While the quinoa is cooking, preheat the oven to 350ºF and lightly grease an 8" or 9" square baking dish.

When the quinoa is done, let it sit off the heat for about 5 minutes while you whisk together the egg and milk in a small bowl.  Quickly stir the liquid into the pan of quinoa with the 2 cups of cheese and dump it all into the prepared baking dish.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and place in the oven to bake for 25-35 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown!

sesame garlic green beans

I got this recipe from my sweet midwifriend (yes I know I made that word up!) recently and I absolutely fell in love with it the first time I tried it.

Sautéed green beens, loaded with garlic and sesame...  super simple, healthy and packed full of flavor!

I'm pretty sure I could eat this every day.  Or at least every other day.  :o)

Even Haakon, my little 1 year old munchkin, can't stop eating these and finished off half my plate-full last night!

This is more than a method than an exact recipe, since it all depends on your tastes and how many green beans you plan to cook, so you can't really go wrong with this one!

Try it out and see if you get as hooked as I am!

Sesame Garlic Green Beans Recipe

Ingredients:
fresh green beans, trimmed
olive oil or coconut oil for sautéing
lots of fresh minced garlic
sesame oil
lightly toasted sesame seeds
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Toss in the green beans and sauté until the beans are starting to get golden and crisp (don't let them get to the mushy stage!) toss in the garlic and let cook for a few seconds.

Remove from the heat, drizzle with a bit of sesame oil, toss with the toasted sesame seeds and season with salt & pepper if you'd like.  Serve immediately!

tomato feta salad or bruschetta

This bright, fresh salad of tomatoes, feta and herbs is summer in my mouth.

I know it's not summer yet, but in this dreary, cold, damp Pacific Northwest, I really really needed some summer in my life!

Of course you can usually get good tomatoes year-round at the market, so this salad can be made anytime you like...

But can you just imagine how amazing it would taste with tomatoes and herbs fresh from your summer garden?

Even my tomato, feta & vinegar hating husband loves this salad, even though he doesn't like to admit it.

When I make it and put it in front of him, it's not long before the whole bowl is gone!!

Tomato Feta Salad Recipe
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
6 cups seeded, diced tomatoes (or 3 pints cherry tomatoes, halved)
3/4 lb crumbled feta (preferably French goat feta)
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
6 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 cup good extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup italian parsley, chopped
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
Gently toss together the tomatoes, feta and onion in a large bowl.

Add the vinegar, oil, basil, and parsley;  Toss gently again and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve at room temperature with sourdough toasts or fresh french bread slices.

You can mix this salad up so many ways...   My favorite is tossed with a bunch of chopped fresh romaine.

You could also mix it with cooked, cooled pasta or quinoa for a great summer potluck dish.  Or of course it is amazing just the way it is!

Halve this recipe if you'd like, but I doubt you'll have any problem finishing it off!

Come share in the tomato love at the Tomato Love Recipe Exchange, hosted by Gimme Some Oven & Bake Your Day, sponsored this week by KitchenAid.  Also visit Recipe for Change to learn more about how to support tomato farmers.

fresh cranberry sauce

I don't know about you, but Thanksgiving seemed like it was a long ways off... until I looked at the calendar and realized it's only one month away!

Do you have your plans all set for Thanksgiving? If you are hosting, do you have your menu laid out already?

I don't... but I do know that this cranberry sauce will be on my Thanksgiving table this year and every year, that's for sure!

This is a very old, not-so-great photo.  

As soon as I can eat citrus again, I will make this sauce and take a new picture! 

I have such great memories of spending Thanksgiving with my Minnesota family, and this dish especially brings them all back.  (Isn't it amazing how tastes and smells can do that to us?!)

For me, Thanksgiving just isn't the same without it!

What are your Thanksgiving table Must Have's??  

(Besides the turkey, that is!)

Kay's Fresh Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

1 bag raw cranberries

4 large granny smith apples, cored and quartered

1 orange, zested and peeled

3/4 - 1 cup of sugar, to taste

Directions:

In your food processor, using the shredder attachment, shred the apples, orange and cranberries.   Dump the fruit into a separate bowl.

Switch out to the regular food processor blade, dump all the shredded fruit back in, add the sugar and zest and process until very fine.

Store in the fridge until you're ready to use!  (This tastes better if it gets to sit for a day or so!)

My cousin, Kay, makes this recipe using an old-fashioned meat grinder, but since I don't have one of those - I had to adapt it to my food processor, and I think it turned out great!!

I could eat the whole batch straight out of the food processor, and so could my kids... it's SO good!

Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Exchange sponsored by OXO!

3-cheese baked mac & cheese

This is a kid-friendly version of my Spicy Baked Mac & Cheese.  (If you really want something fun though, try my Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese!!)

It still has a little heat from the chile powder for flavor, but nothing like the original version full of pepper jack cheese (and nothing that will scare away the kiddos)!

You don't have to cook the sauce for this mac & cheese on the stove, so it's a very quick and easy recipe to throw together.

Always a crowd pleaser in my house, this macaroni & cheese is also amazing with some diced ham stirred in with the cheeses before cooking!

3-Cheese Baked Mac & Cheese Recipe

Ingredients:

3/4 pound short noodles, cooked al dente
1 1/2 cups diced mozzarella cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided (1 1/2 cups + 1/2 cup)

2 teaspoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

4 Tablespoons sour cream

1 large egg, beaten

2 cups half & half

1 cup freshly grated parmesan

1 cup panko bread crumbs

2 Tablespoons melted butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Boil the noodles to al dente, according to package directions.  (I usually boil the whole pound, and then give a bowl of buttered noodles to my toddler to snack on while I work.  He loves noodles and butter!)

Butter a 9x13" baking dish.  Stir together the cooked noodles, the diced mozzarella & 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheddar and place in the buttered baking dish.

Stir together the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, except for the parmesan, bread crumbs, butter and remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar.  Pour this sauce evenly over the noodles in the dish.

Sprinkle the parmesan and 1/2 cup cheddar evenly over the top.  Combine the butter and bread crumbs and sprinkle those over the top as well.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbling (cover with a piece of foil if it is getting too brown towards the end of the cooking time!).

rustic parmesan garlic hasselback potatoes

I have been seeing these adorable baked hasselback potatoes all over the place lately.  Every time I open my computer, it seems!

And since we love baked potatoes around here, I knew I had to try it for myself and see if it was worth the extra few seconds of effort.  (Literally, a few seconds...  this is so easy!)

Verdict?  Absolutely worth it!  We all loved these potatoes so much!  They are quite possibly the best potatoes we have ever had!  Creamy, crunchy, fluffy, roasted, toasted...  yum!

And wanna know one of the best parts?  Everybody happily ate the skins too!!  (One of my biggest pet peeves is wasted potato skins, since that's where most of the nutrients are!)

The garlic oil infuses the whole potato with flavor, and I am very generous with my seasonings.

[Are you wondering why they're called Hasselbacks?  Hasselback potatoes (Hasselbackspotatis) are named after the restaurant in Sweden where they were invented in 1940.  They were all the rage in Sweden in the 70's and 80's and lost popularity after that...  though I'm not really sure why?!]

FYI - I left the amounts out of this recipe on purpose.  It all depends on how many potatoes you want to bake, and it's all very flexible.  Just a good drizzle of olive oil, a few pats of butter and plenty of seasoning and parmesan cheese!  Do it how you like it!

*NOTES:  Please please PLEASE put these on a rimmed baking sheet.  So you don't catch your oven on fire!

Also, I have a new favorite way to slice the potatoes, thanks to Mary over at Barefeet in the Kitchen!  Instead of placing a potato on a big wooden spoon to help slice it without cutting all the way through,...  place a chopstick along each side of the potato and slice.  So quick and even easier than the wooden spoon method!!

Rustic Parmesan Garlic Hasselback Potatoes Recipe

Ingredients:
potatoes, scrubbed & dried.  (any kind...  we like russets!)
garlic olive oil*
salt & pepper, to taste
crushed red pepper flakes
butter
freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425ºF.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment.

Slice the potatoes almost all the way through, about 1/4" apart.  (See above for potato-slicing tips!)

Place the sliced potatoes on the lined baking sheet and drizzle generously with the garlic olive oil*.  Sprinkle with lots of salt & pepper and red pepper flakes, if you like.  Top the potatoes with a few smallish pats of butter each.

Bake for 45 minutes.  Take the potatoes out of the oven and sprinkle generously with grated parmesan, making sure it gets into all the yummy cracks!

Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes are golden, cheesy and done!

*I like to buy garlic infused olive oil (at Trader Joe's).  You can also make garlic olive oil easily by crushing or slicing some garlic and warming it in a small pan of olive oil on the stove for a few minutes until very fragrant.  Or you can thinly slice a few cloves of garlic and stick the slices in between the slots of the potatoes before you bake them!  OR, you can just use regular olive oil and skip the garlic all together!  Whatever strikes your fancy!

oven roasted beets - a photo tutorial...

When we signed up for our first CSA, every week the box had beautiful beets inside.  A few months (yes, months) later...  Andrew happened to come home early one day to find roasted beets just coming out of the oven.

He excitedly remarked, "Oh cool!  We got beets in the box this week!"...

I had to sheepishly admit to him that there had been beets in every box we had gotten...  they had just never lasted until he got home from work!  :o)

After getting a few questions from some friends after posting on facebook that I was going to roast some beets the other day, I realized that not everyone is as in love with beets as my family is...

And that some people are not even comfortable with them at all, for that matter!

I think the biggest problem is that they can be a tad intimidating and people tend to be most familiar with seeing them in pickled slices on their favorite all-you-can-eat salad bar!

Roasting your beets is a simple, delicious way to enjoy beets.  Especially if you have an abundance from your garden or CSA box... try this out!

Oven Roasted Beets Tutorial

First, wash your beets and cut off the tops and bottoms.

Place the beets on a double layer of aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil and top with lots of salt & freshly ground black pepper.

Wrap up the foil into a nice little package, place on a baking sheet to catch any accidental drips, and bake in a preheated 400ºF oven for about an hour - depending on the size of the beets, or until you can easily stab a beet with a fork.

Peel the roasted beets with a spoon or your hands (be careful of staining!!), cut up and serve with more salt & pepper, if desired!

Aren't they gorgeous little gems??  How could anything so pretty not be great?!

mushroom & garlic quinoa

I bought a big bag of organic quinoa at Costco a while ago, just because I kept hearing about how good it is for you.   When I got home I threw together a dish... and it was a big flop.  And I mean throw-it-in-the-trash big!  Not the quinoa's fault, but needless to say - the bag moved to the back of my cupboard and was quickly forgotten.

If you're not familiar with quinoa, like I wasn't... here's the scoop.  Quinoa is a grain, that is prepared and used much like rice, but is much healthier.  Full of protein and essential amino acids, it is a great pantry item to keep on hand for quick, healthy meals!

I found the bag today and decide to try again.  Keeping things simple this time (which I'm sure was my problem with my first try!) I decided to let the grain shine without too much competition.  I had some mushrooms calling my name in the fridge, and the combination ended up being a winner!

The best part about this dish, besides how easy and good for you it is?  Even my super-picky-almost-two-year-old toddler loved it!  It doesn't get much better than that!  :o)

Mushroom & Garlic Quinoa Recipe

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken stock
salt & pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions
Rinse the uncooked quinoa really well.  Dump it into a medium pot, pour in the stock and salt & pepper and bring to a boil for 15 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed.  Remove from the heat, cover and for about 5 minutes.

While the quinoa is cooking,  heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Put the olive oil and butter in the skillet, heat them until the butter is melted and then toss in the sliced mushrooms.  Let the mushrooms cook, stirring once or twice, until tender and golden.  Stir in the garlic and let it cook for a few seconds until soft.

Toss the mushroom & garlic mixture into the cooked quinoa and serve!

simple sourdough stuffing

This is my version of the classic Betty Crocker stuffing recipe, and a standard for turkey dinners in my house.  It is full of simple flavors that go so well with the turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy...  or my favorite, mixed up with leftover turkey the next day and heated up for a cozy snack!

I have tried many different styles and versions of stuffing over the years, but when it comes to Thanksgiving and turkey dinners in general, I love this classic old-fashioned taste.  The sourdough bread really does add a bunch of flavor, so don't skip that if you can help it!

Oh, and obviously I am well aware that Thanksgiving is still 2 months away, but seeing as I have a few turkeys in my freezer right now... and I hope to be VERY busy around Thanksgiving without much spare time to be posting recipes, I decided to share this recipe with you right now!  :o)

Simple Sourdough Stuffing Recipe

Ingredients:
1 large loaf sourdough or sourdough/wheat bread
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups butter
1 1/2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1-2 cups chicken or turkey stock

Directions:
Tear the bread into small bits (1/2" or so) into a large bowl.  Either use stale bread for this, or tear a fresher loaf the night before (or longer!) and let it sit out, uncovered, until you need it.  Dry and crusty is great for stuffing!

In a large saute pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Stir in the chopped onions and saute until translucent...  about 10 minutes.  Stir in the celery and about half to two-thirds of the bread crumbs.  Toast, stirring occasionally, until the bread has soaked up all of the butter and is toasted golden brown.

Pour this hot mixture over the rest of the bread crumbs in the large bowl, and add in the spices, salt & pepper, and stock (1 cup if you like it drier, 2 cups if you like it more moist!  I prefer mine a little on the drier side because I like to cover it in gravy, so I only use 1 cup).  Stir everything together until well blended and then pour into a 9x13" baking dish.

Bake at 350º for 30-45 minutes, or until the stuffing is heated through!  (If you don't like a crusty top on your stuffing, you can cover the pan with foil.  Personally, the crunch top is my favorite!)

If you have room in your oven to cook this with your turkey, put the pan into the oven for the last half hour of the turkey's cooking time.  (If you're not cooking your turkey at 350º, you can easily adjust this to your turkey's cooking temp...  there's really no wrong way to heat this, just make sure it's heated all the way through and it's good to go!)

This is a great recipe to prep ahead the day before.  Just do all the steps up to putting the stuffing into the baking dish and then cover and store in the fridge until you are ready to bake it!  (You can also use some of this to stuff into the turkey, of course.  I just prefer to cook my stuffing separate because it doesn't slow down the turkey's cooking time that way!)

Oh, and this makes a full 9x13" pan, so I would say it serves about 8-10 people.  (Or more, if you have tons of side dishes for everyone to eat!)  :o)