Cheese Apple Sandwich

Per Andrew's request, he wants to call this latest creation, "Cheese Apple".

It is so simple and GOOD!

Top 2 slices of whole wheat bread with one slice of mozzarella, cut in half.

Toast in oven until bread is browned and cheese bubbles.

Top one slice with Stonewall Kitchen's Cinnamon Apple Jelly, make it a sandwich, cut in wedges and enjoy!

On a recent trip to Maine and Stonewall Kitchen in York (just off exit 7), Andrew and I tried several jellies. We loved them all but this one definitely stood out as the most original and tastiest!

 A very serious double thumbs-up!

Taco Dip

This is a great taco dip recipe my mom wrote down for me a few years ago.
On a recent trip to my friend's vacation house in VT, I found that I left it there- it was amongst a stack of magazines. I recognized my mom's handwriting! 
I haven't made it yet but when mom did I remember it was *fabulous*! And so she wrote it down for me.
The next time you are tempted to buy one of those pre-made layer dips, try this instead!
Guaranteed it's far better and will be be gobbled up :)
Besides, 'tis the season for ripe tomatoes!

Taco Dip 

1 15 oz can refried beans
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
2 Tb salsa
1 8 oz sour cream
2 avocados, mashed
1 squeeze lemon juice
1 4 oz. can diced chilies
1 large tomato, diced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups Monteray Jack cheese
1 can (or preferably from an olive bar) black olives, sliced

Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

Layer:
 1. beans, taco seasoning, salsa
2. sour cream, avocados, lemon juice
3. chilies, tomatoes, onions
4. cheese, olives

Bruschetta

I love a recipe that is so easy to make! Oftentimes the best way to learn is to watch someone else do it.  In this case I watched my friend Lisa. She worked in a restaurant and has whipped this up many times.

Make the tomato dip:
Dice up 3 cloves of garlic, 4 plum tomatoes and half an onion.
Saute the onion then add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and cook down a bit.
Drizzle in some balsamic vinegar (white balsamic is also good and won't affect the color).
Remove from heat and mix in some chopped basil.
Drizzle olive oil over slices of baguette, rub with a cut piece of garlic, sprinkle of parmesan and toast them.
Serve with a dollop of goat cheese over the tomatoes and enjoy! 

Confetti Sandwiches

A great way to get some exciting veggie action into your kid's lunch! I had one too :)
Just spread some nice soft bread (in this case, scali) with mayo, grate some veggies of choice (carrots, zucchini, summer squash, etc.) over the bread, top with preferred cheese and voila! Colorful and fun/fast to prepare.

Baked Sole with Spinach, Olives and Tomatoes

This was a special dinner I made for my friend Kerri.
It is adapted from Jamie Oliver's "Happy Days With The Naked Chef."
I definitely give it a thumbs up! 

Here are the olive puree, rosemary skewers and tomato sauce, prepped ahead of time.

The final dish, ready to dig in!

Serves 4

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup Chardonnay or other dry white wine
• 1 28oz can plum tomatoes
• Fine sea salt to taste
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 1 large handful fresh basil
• 2 anchovy fillets
• 4 (7-oz) sole fillets
• 5 oz baby spinach 

Make sauce:
Cook garlic in 2 tablespoons oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat (on stovetop), stirring until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine and boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice, breaking them up with a spoon, and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Add sea salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.
Prepare fish while sauce simmers:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Pulse olives, basil, and anchovies to a paste in a food processor (or chop finely). Add olive oil  to create a more spreadable paste.
Lay fish fillets, skinned sides down, on a work surface and season with pepper. Divide olive paste among fillets and spread evenly. Beginning at narrow end, roll up each fillet. Peel the leaves of the lower end of the rosemary and use to skewer the fillets closed.
Bake fish:
Arrange fish rolls on tomato sauce in baking dish. Drizzle lightly with oil and bake, uncovered, in middle of oven, until fish is just cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Transfer fish to 4 heated plates. Heat tomato sauce over medium heat, then add spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 1 minute. Spoon sauce with spinach alongside fish.


 

Broccoli Cole Slaw

 I first had this a few years ago at my friend Katie's baby shower. Her sister made it and I loved it! Was very surprised to learn that it is made with Ramen noodles! The taster didn't like it but I sure did. I halved the below recipe. It would be good to make for a party.

Ingredients

• 2 bags (3-ounce) Ramen Noodle Soup in Oriental (other flavors will work, too)
• 3/4 stick butter
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 2 bags (12-ounce) bags broccoli cole slaw (in the bagged salad section of the grocery store)
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• Chopped green onions, for garnish

Dressing Mix:

• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup brown or white sugar
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 ramen noodle seasoning packet

Directions

Put the ramen noodles in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin while melting butter in a large skillet over low/medium heat. Add the crushed noodles and slivered almonds to the skillet and saute, stirring occasionally (keep temperature at low/medium heat). Meanwhile, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Place the shredded broccoli into bowl and toss with the noodles, almonds, and sunflower seeds. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Garnish with chopped green onions.

Grilled Chicken and Mango Salad

In coming up with this delightful treat, I had a perfectly ripe mango and leftover grilled chicken in the fridge.  Plus, it was a blistering 90+º outside.  I reached for the cookbooks and searched the indexes. I knew Chris Schlesinger was the guy to go to.

This is a perfect summer salad and is quick to assemble if you do the preparations ahead of time.
I think it could even be great to bring on a picnic or serve a large group for lunch.
It is very flavorful and healthy.
For vegetarian friends just leave out the chicken and/or let people assemble the salad themselves.
The taster was not really into it but that's o.k., it's the tasting effort that counts.
My friend Helen said, "It's the best salad I've had in five years!" 
I will definitely be making it again and I am happy to share a new good recipe.
Adapted from Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby's book, License to Grill.  

Grilled Chicken and Mango Salad
serves 4 (easily can prepare a half recipe)

2 grilled boneless, skinless chicken breasts (seasoned to taste, salt & pepper is fine)
  As soon as they are cool enough, cut into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl
Add:
2 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted and diced medium
1 cup seedless green or red grapes, halved
1 small red onion (or less/to taste), peeled and diced small/medium
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced medium
1/4 cup rough chopped cilantro (or parsley)
2 Tb roughly chopped fresh basil
and set aside.


Make the dressing: In a small bowl whisk together
6 Tb fresh orange juice (1 small orange)
1/4 cup lime juice (2 limes)
1 Tb fish sauce (optional- I need to buy some, next time I'll try it)
2 Tb minced fresh chili pepper of your choice (again, optional)
1 Tb minced ginger (I used pickled ginger which is handy to keep in the fridge)
salt & pepper to taste

Add just enough dressing to the mango mixture to moisten, toss well and serve atop arugula or other desired greens (the original recipe doesn't include greens but I think the arugula is great). 
Sprinkle with chopped unsalted peanuts that have been toasted in a 350º oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Peanuts can be roasted ahead of time.
I excluded the chili pepper but the peanuts I used were spicy cajun nuts.

Interesting mango facts:
In India, over 350 varieties are cultivated.
Mangoes are known throughout tropical Asia as the King of Fruits due to their sweetness and richness in phytochemicals and nutrients.
Do not refrigerate your mango.  Like bananas, typically when purchased they are underripe.
The best indicator of ripeness is aroma of a rich flowery perfume and a little give when you feel them.