Israeli Couscous with Olives and Roasted Tomatoes

Hey friends,

Sorry I suggested we start a recipe blog and then not add to it for 5 months. So here goes--I love israeli couscous. If you haven't had it before, the pieces are bigger than normal couscous.

For roasted tomatoes and dressing:
2 pt. red grape or cherry tomatoes (1 1/2 lbs)
3 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/4 c EVOO
1/4 c warm water
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Preheat oven to 250. Halve tomatoes through stem ends and arrage, cut sides up, in 1 layer in a large shallow (1 in. deep) baking pan. Add garlic to pan and roast in the middle of the oven for about 1 hour (until tomatoes are slightly shriveled around the edges. Cool in pan on a rack for 30 mins.

Peel garlic and puree with olive oil, water, lemon, salt, pepper, and 1/2 c roasted tomatoes in a blender until dressing is smooth.

For couscous:
2 3/4 c chicken broth
2 1/4 c Isreali couscous
1 Tbsp. EVOO
1/2 c Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1/3 c chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 c chopped fresh mint
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

Bring broth to a boil in a 3 qt. heavy saucepan and stir in couscous, then simer, uncovered, 6 minutes. Cover pan and remove from heat. Let stand 10 mins.

Spread couscous in 1 layer on a baking sheet and cool 15 mins. Transfer couscous to a bowl and stir in remaining ingredients, dressing, roasted tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste.

This can all be made 1 day ahead if you keep the couscous and dressing seperate, covered, and chilled. Bring to room temperature before mixing them together.

Enjoy!

My Go-To Pasta Dinner

This is my go-to meal when I'm not feeling like being too creative or feel like spending a lot of time to make a meal. This is yummy and easy. Let me know if you try it, Miguel and I really like it.

You will need:

1/2 cup of sour cream

2 teaspoons of lemon zest

3 tablespoons of basil pesto

frozen or refrigerated cheese filled pasta (we use tortellini or ravioli)

1 yellow or orange bell pepper

about 8 oz of green beans

1 tomato

salt to taste

olive oil

Heat oil in a skillet. Add chopped peppers and beans. Heat for about 5 minutes and stir. Meanwhile, cook pasta (I add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to my pasta to keep it from sticking to each other). Mix up sour cream, lemon zest, and pesto in small bowl. Add tomatoes and salt to skillet. Stir frequently for about 3 to 5 more minutes. Drain pasta and add to skillet. Add sauce. Mix well and serve.

Takes about 12 minutes from start to finish. My kind of meal. Tonight I made it without some of the regular items I use. For example, I didn't have tomatoes and I used a green bell pepper instead of a yellow one. It's a much prettier meal with the pop of color from the tomato and yellow pepper.

Gramma's Southern Deviled Eggs

Gramma's Southern Deviled Eggs (Directions below)

Every year for Easter my 87 year old Gramma makes me her deviled eggs. I am sooo disappointed not to be home this year and gobble them up! Easter couldn't come and go without those deviled eggs though. So I had to whip some up here in Savannah. My Gramma doesn't really have a 'recipe' per say, so just add these simple ingredients to taste and enjoy!

Gramma's Southern Deviled Eggs

Boil eggs. Let eggs cool. Remove eggshells. Cut eggs in half length-wise. Remove yolks and place in bowl. Mash yolks with fork. Then add the following to taste:

Mayonnaise

A little bit of yellow mustard

Sweet Pickle Relish

A little bit of onion, grated with the smallest part of the grater

A little bit of fresh squeezed lemon juice (if you don't have fresh lemon juice, use some of the juice from the pickles)

A little bit of salt

I placed my yolk mix into a piping bag and used a large tip to pipe the yolk back into the eggs. Refrigerate for a day. Remove and let eggs come to room temperature before serving.

*******Click HERE to print Gramma's Souther Deviled Eggs Instructions*******

Share your green bean recipes!

Hey guys! I just started cooking green beans and was wondering if any of you guys have a good recipe?

I made them last night following this recipe (which is not creative) but I used haricot verts and they were so good, so I really want to make green beans again.




Haricot Verts:

Ingredients:
olive oil
pressed or diced Garlic
thinly slice red onion
Packet of Haricot Verts
Lemon (one whole lemon)
kosher Salt
Pepper
Red Pepper flakes
(add ingrediants to your liking)

1. cook garlic and onion in olive oil on medium to medium low and sprinkle with kosher salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes until onions begin to go transparent (or until you get bored)
2. put in haricot verts and drizzle with more olive oil (so they will steam) and add more kosher salt and pepper
3. after 4 minutes squeeze two quarters of the lemon
4. place a top on the pan and cook for 10 minutes checking/ stirring every now and then so garlic and onion wont burn
5. Add final two quarters of lemon and cook until the haricot verts are tender. (taste one to make sure you like it)
6. enjoy as a side to anything you like!

Southwest Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

Quinoa is a grain-like crop from South America. It's packed full of protein, and is a favorite among vegetarians. This is a great quinoa recipe. I put it over salad and it's wonderful. I will also sometimes cook the quinoa in a rice cooker and add it to the onions and garlic, skipping the 20 min simmering. I add some veg. broth still though, just enough to keep it moist and from burning. Enjoy!

Quinoa

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Southwest Chipotle Ranch Dressing
• Bell Peppers (optional)
• 
  

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.
4. Place over salad, top with bell peppers and Southwest Chipotle Ranch Dressing

Have A Sweet Tooth and Little Patience?

If you have a sweet tooth like me, but not tons of time to spend measuring out flour, oil, etc... then give these cupcake recipes a try! They can be made from any brand of boxed cake mix... roll your eyes if you must, but, honestly, the best part of these recipes is the filling, not the cake itself. The Lemon Burst Cupcakes are especially easy to make!

Check them out at my other blog: 

Click Here for Chocolate Penuche Cupcakes

Click Here for Lemon Burst Cupcakes

guilt free spaghetti

Living in a Gluten Free family, this has become one of my favorite things to make. It gives you the flavors of Italian without the regretful feeling of eating too many carbs after.

What you need:

Spaghetti Squash: Preheat oven to 375. Take a knife and carefully cut it in half scrapping out the seeds and stringy stuff that is on the meat of the squash. I like to put them in olive oil skin up on a cooking sheet and put them in the oven checking periodically from 30 minutes to one hour for desired tenderness. (I like it a little firmer)

Meat Sauce: Really just put in any vegetables you think will be good, below is a combination that I use.

Turkey:
I cook the turkey first, either clumping it or making them into small meatballs using italian seasonings, salt, pepper and garlic- Once cooked I add the vegetables.

Green Pepper or Red Pepper
Onion
Garlic
Zucchini
Mushrooms
(broccoli can be really good too)

I like to add the vegetable packed Ragu.

Take out Spaghetti Squash and shread with fork. Put sauce on top and enjoy. This is a ton of vegetables so feel good eating it. You can also use spaghetti squash for any italian favorite like you can add pesto and chicken and that is also super delicious