Hamburger Steaks with Mushroom Gravy – Cooking Light!

On November 15, 2016August 12, 2025 By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, FOOD, HEALTH, Recipe4 Comments

I ran across this recipe for “Burger Steaks with Mushroom Gravy, Sweet Potatoes and Haricots Verts” in Cooking Light magazine. It looked like pure comfort food. It was a quick and easy dish to prepare. I had a few Yukon Gold potatoes, so I opted for mashed potatoes, and we had a bag of Trader Joe’s Haricots Verts in the freezer (our dogs favorite snack of all time, he loves them frozen).

Decadent and delightful! Give it a whirl, this recipe serves 4. You used to be able to click to go to the myrecipes.com website where you could view/print this Cooking Light recipe! Unfortunately they broke the link, so I’m on a quest to see if I can find a paper version and I will update this post.

If you are one of the few who hasn’t perused Cooking Light magazine, check it out! I’ve subscribed for around 20 years now – I look forward to that magazine each and every month! Update: they only do special feature magazines now, no longer the wonderful magazine that I looked so forward to, ugh.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Cheddar and Spinach Quiche made with puff pastry!

On November 1, 2016October 31, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment

A quiche with dramatic presentation! Puff pastry gives quiche a little life! Almost like a piece of art.

Why puff pastry instead of a pie crust? Well, we were expecting a hurricane last month, and when you know it could possibly be on its way, well, that’s a really good time to start eating out of your freezer. Use up what you have stored. I had one sheet of puff pastry, and I had two dozen eggs in the fridge, so, what to do? That sounded like a quiche to me, but how? Well after a little research I found recipes with the ingredients that I had on hand, or at least roughly, so I made it. It turned out both beautiful and delicious, this would be a perfect brunch dish, I served it with a pretty salad (had to use up the remaining lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.).

This was so easy, it can hardly be called a recipe! – Click HERE to print this recipe from Bon Appetit!

My notes to the original recipe below… I was trying to use up what I had, so I made a few changes. I only had 1 tablespoon of cream cheese, so I used it, I used part milk and part half and half, I used a bag of fresh spinach that I sautéed until it wilted, and I used more than 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese. – everything else was done as shown below and it was divine! I think next time I make it I will still use fresh spinach, or maybe crispy bacon and gruyere cheese??

Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (1/2 (of a) 17 1/4-ounce package)

1 3-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

1/3 cup half and half

3 eggs

1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed drained

1/2 cup grated cheddar

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

2 green onions, sliced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°F. Roll puff pastry to 11-inch square. Transfer to 9-inch diameter glass pie plate. Trim edges. Beat cream cheese in medium bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in half and half and eggs. Mix in remaining ingredients. Pour mixture into prepared crust. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is set, about 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

And THIS is the beauty that you will pull out of the oven, almost hard to cut into, it’s just so pretty! PS, Fred said it heated up great the next day!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

[Recipe]: Grilled Chicken & Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes and Toasted Walnuts

On October 25, 2016October 17, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment

The beginning of something wonderful…

Oh! Looks like art doesn’t it? I love beautiful food! To start this recipe I use a large pasta bowl (serving dish) and put a few tablespoons of pesto in the bottom, add some grape tomatoes cut in half… let it sit while you’re getting things ready, you don’t want cold pesto…

What dreams are made of…

This is such a quick recipe to throw together. Fred usually grills the chicken while I get the rest of it ready and whip up a small salad. This dinner will be as good as your pesto, so if you have pesto that isn’t very tasty, it’s not going to be the best that it can be. There are many prepared pesto’s on the market, I used Bear Pond Farm Premium Basil Pesto – bought at Whole Foods. It was nice! Really nice!

This recipe doesn’t involve a lot, boiling your pasta, toasting some walnuts, grilling the chicken, and mixing basil pesto into the pasta. Top with a little parmesan and you are set!

Click HERE to print the recipe as shown below:

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Baked Ziti Recipe – OH MY!

On October 11, 2016September 3, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, FOOD, Recipe2 Comments

This is an all time favorite and a definite crowd pleaser! This makes a good 8 servings, it also freezes well! This is one of those recipes to keep around because you can throw it together pretty quickly and have a meal fit for a king! In parenthesis I noted the brands that I used, pretty much Whole Foods everything, but… it makes a difference, especially when it comes to sauce. If you use a sauce that you don’t know that you love then it can turn out completely different… make sure you like the sauce! I believe I used one jar of tomato basil and one jar of marinara.

To print the recipe below, click HERE:

ENJOY!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Quick Lunch Idea: Pita with Hummus, Cheese, Cuc, Tomato – an addiction!

On October 4, 2016September 12, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment

This quick and healthy meal has become an addiction. It’s so fresh and tasty and hold you for quite a while.

Super easy, this is what I did, tailor it to fit what you like…

INGREDIENTS

Pita

Cheese, sliced (Havarti is what I used)

Cucumbers, sliced (I slice long pieces without seeds)

Grape tomatoes, slice length wise

Hummus (I use regular)

Dry Dill (fresh would be good too) and Pepper

DIRECTIONS (well, kind of)

Pita, sliced in half (as shown above) or about 3/4 of the way, then use the small piece smear hummus and place a pretty grape tomato half on.

I put the pita on a plate, cover with a paper towel that I have gotten wet and wrung out completely, then I cover the pita with the moist paper towel, in the microwave for 15 seconds, then take off the paper towel.

Insert cheese (I use Havarti), then spread hummus (I put it fairly thick), then sliced cucumbers (I slice long ways with no seeds, but to each his own…), add some grape tomatoes cut in half (length-wise), sprinkle with dill and pepper. Serve with a handful of blue chips.

Ok, ya ready? Take a bite! I KNOW! I KNOW! It’s a mixture of the fabulous crunch from the cucumber, the oh so wonderful creaminess of the cheese and the hummus, the freshness of the dill, and the juice of the grape tomato! Get outta here!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Grilled Chicken Tacos with Black Bean, Corn, Avocado and Tomatoes!

On September 6, 2016August 15, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, FOOD, HEALTH, RecipeLeave a comment

Talk about a quick dinner! This was fabulous!

Grilled Chicken Tacos with Black Bean, Corn, Avocado and Tomatoes

2 (large) servings

Corn Tortillas (or whatever you like)

Chicken (or chicken cutlets, they cook faster) – we used one cutlet, equivalent to one chicken breast

1 can of Black Beans, rinsed and drained

Fresh or Frozen corn (thawed), a handful or two

Tomato, diced

Onion (whatever kind you like and however much you like)

Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded

1 lime, sliced into wedges

Coat chicken with olive oil. While the chicken is on the grill rinse and drain the beans, thaw the corn or cut off the cob, shred the cheese, dice the tomato, avocado and onion. Set in dishes so each person can put the toppings they like. Heat the tortillas (I have a gas stove, and I put the tortilla directly on the grate and heat about 15 seconds then flip and flip another 10 seconds, but that’s me) – as you heat place the warm tortilla in foil and the packet in a towel to keep warm. (Read other options from Food52.com HERE).

When the chicken is ready, cut into small pieces and then take a warm tortilla, sprinkle with pepper jack, black beans, onion, corn, tomato, avocado and then squeeze a wedge of lime.

Oh. My. Too good for words! It’s also good with no chicken!

*Note: when buying store bought corn tortilla try to find a brand with very few ingredients. Mine come from Trader Joe’s and the ingredients are “white corn, water and lime”.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Black Bean Salad with Tomatoes, Corn (and Avocado)!

On August 30, 2016August 12, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, FOOD, HEALTH, RecipeLeave a comment

Sometimes you just need a quick side dish to throw together that is healthy, and most of all… tasty! This is both! This is more of a guide than a recipe, I’ve made it several different ways. For 2-4 servings:

Black Bean Salad with Tomatoes, Corn (and Avocado)!

1 can of black beans – rinsed and drained

Frozen (or fresh) sweet corn – I use a few handfuls

Diced red onion (or Vidalia or green onion, etc.)

1/3-1/2 lime squeezed over the top

A light drizzle of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

Taste… add more lime if needed. I don’t add salt, but you can. I do add pepper.

It’s also fabulous with the addition of diced avocado – oh, does that make it delicious!

ENJOY!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Oven Roasted Chickpeas – THE HOT TREAT!

On August 23, 2016August 23, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, FOOD, HEALTH, Recipe3 Comments

I’ve been seeing a lot of recipes for baked chickpeas. Interesting. A treat. Crunchy & healthy. Hmmm. I’ve got to try it! I made 1/2 batch to see if I liked it. I DID! The crunch is somewhat addictive, if you don’t pay attention you could easily eat an entire can of chickpeas. Probably not the best idea, 😳

I found this recipe on Chowhound, click HERE for the link so that you can print, read reviews, etc. This recipe received 5 stars with 59 reviews (as I write this) . So you know this one is a keeper!

OVEN ROASTED CHICKPEAS via Chowhound!

INGREDIENTS

2-15oz. cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) – thoroughly drained and rinsed.

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil (or less)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (I used Pink Himalayan)

DIRECTIONS

Heat over to 400°F and use the middle rack in your oven

Place the spices and olive oil in a large bowl.

Add the chickpeas and toss to coat.

Spread the chickpeas in an even layer on a cookie sheet (with sides so they don’t roll off)

Bake until crisp 30-40 minutes, moving them around on occasion. (I didn’t do that and some of mine were slightly crispy, they were still good). My oven took 30 minutes.

Let me know what you think?? What spices have you used for this? I would love to know!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Quick Lunch Idea: Caprese Sandwich!

On June 28, 2016June 20, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment

Do you ever get in a rut? Eating the same lunches… do you need something different? I have an idea!

Tomatoes are so good right now, and my basil is thriving, so I thought, hmmmm, what to make for a quick lunch! I picked up some Ciabatta rolls at Trader Joe’s – popped them in the oven until they got nice and warm. Then I added sliced tomato (oh! ah!), sliced fresh mozzarella, leaves of basil, then I drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette, slapped on the top half of the roll and tada! Lunch is served!

What do you make when you get in a rut? Something different! Let me know!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Need a quick meal idea? Corn tortilla with chicken, salsa, and pepper jack cheese!

On May 31, 2016May 24, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, FOOD, Recipe2 Comments

This is a quick meal that can be put together in no time flat. You can even cook the chicken ahead of time and just do a quick reheat.

For 5 corn tortilla’s we grilled one chicken breast and sliced it thin, (if you need it faster, using kitchen scissors cut the chicken breast into small pieces and sauté until done, if they aren’t thick, it should cook quickly). Heat the tortillas*, then top with what you like, we topped with pepper jack cheese for a little kick, some fresh salsa and I whipped up some guacamole. This was delicious!

*Heating the tortillas. I have a gas stove, so the best way (for us) has been to place a tortilla on a (clean) grate of the stove. Approximately 10 seconds, then flip, until it starts to wilt downwards, then another quick flip just for a sec (I think maybe because I like to flip?). It takes no time. I then placed it in foil to keep it warm (and wrapped in a clean kitchen towel), I heated all tortillas and then assembled.

Add what you like, doesn’t matter what it is, you could use black beans in place of chicken, etc. I buy corn tortillas with three ingredients: corn, water and lime. Nothing else. I served this with blue chips and the rest of the guacamole!

Note: I made 5 tortillas, 2 for me and 3 for Fred – it was enough with the added guacamole and chips.

Enjoy! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Penne Pasta with Italian Sausage and Broccolini!

On May 17, 2016July 22, 2025 By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, FOOD, Recipe2 Comments

Penne with Italian Sausage and Broccolini

Let me tell you, this is the stuff dreams were made of! Inspired by a few recipes (one was Ina Garten’s and the other was from Food.com). I merged a few recipes together, made some changes and came up with the recipe below. Recipes should be made with things that you like. They’re a guide, but the sky is the limit!

A note about this recipe. The first time I made it, I made a 1/2 recipe to be sure we would like it. It was beyond like. It was love at first site, ha ha. So, if you have a busy week coming up, make a full recipe, it gets better and better each day!

Click HERE to print my version (below) of this recipe – it’s a keeper! The use of onion is optional. I’ve tried it both ways, I love onions, so I always add it but it’s excellent without in case you have someone opposed to onions!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

How to Make Avocado Toast!

On April 19, 2016April 19, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, FOOD, Recipe7 Comments

One of my favorite things in the world… AVOCADO TOAST! (Pictured above with red pepper flakes – YUM!)

There are so many renditions of avocado toast, each as wonderful as the next, but a few of my favorites are the avocado toast from The Daily in Charleston, SC – Last summer it had a slice of an AH-mazing heirloom tomato on top of the avocado- WOW! Lately it’s been avocado on grilled crusty bread with za’atar spices (OH MY GOSH!) and a drizzle of olive oil.

I had some good crusty bread from the bakery and thought I would give it a whirl. I didn’t have the Za’atar spices (will buy for next time, they sell them at The Daily), so I toasted the bread (I didn’t grill), then spread avocado, a drizzle of olive oil and S&P. I took a bite, hmmm, good but missing something, so I sliced a small lemon wedge, gave a little drizzle. BINGO! That was all it needed to brighten the flavor and take it from good to GREAT in a second or two!

Soooo good with or without the red pepper flakes! What’s your favorite rendition? Do you like the avocados smushed (YES!) or simply sliced (I think they slide off the toast like this, but it’s pretty!)

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Quick and Easy Wild Rice with Cranberries and Walnuts in a Citrus Dressing!

On April 5, 2016November 14, 2019 By Barbara StroudIn Daily Blog, FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment

Continue reading “Quick and Easy Wild Rice with Cranberries and Walnuts in a Citrus Dressing!” →

Chocolate Biscotti Recipe! A KEEPER!

On March 22, 2016December 4, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe2 Comments

Chocolate Biscotti… this is such a wonderful recipe. Truly your eyes will roll back into your head with delight! This is a great recipe to make and leave a few out and freeze the rest. Then when you need that chocolate treat pull out a few. You will be so glad you did! Wonderful depth of chocolate flavor from the cocoa powder, white chocolate baking bar, and semi sweet chocolate.

One BIG change. In the recipe below where it says Butter or MARGARINE… BUTTER! BUTTER! BUTTER! NO MARGARINE!

Another hot tip (thanks Mom!) is to use mini semisweet chocolate chips and mini white chocolate chips, doing so eliminates the chopping of the baking bar. Quick and easy!

This recipe came from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine years ago. Click HERE to print the recipe from their website – it’s one to file away to keep forever and ever! (Note: I do not add the optional glaze (omitted from the recipe as shown below) – it doesn’t need it, and freezes better without it!

Directions look long, but really it’s not that time consuming. Biscotti dough is thick, so if you have a heavy duty mixer, that will help immensely… When I first started making this recipe I didn’t have a Kitchen Aid mixer. So you have to use some major elbow grease to get things mixed up. The Kitchen Aid does it with no effort at all… love that mixer!

Can you imagine a more fitting treat for your day? Can you believe this recipe has been reviewed 21,000 times? Amazing. A definite favorite!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Roasted Cauliflower – Quick, Easy & SO WONDERFUL!

On March 8, 2016February 29, 2016 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe2 Comments

Roasted Cauliflower. I love it! It gets nice and sweet and the flavor profile changes completely when you roast it. It’s so quick and easy to do.

Did you realize there are different colors of cauliflower? Green, purple and plain white. I chose a purple cauliflower this time (they all taste the same) – it was fun! I break into fairly small florets, they take less time to roast. If you have the time you can leave them in larger pieces. We were having this with grilled chicken, so I didn’t have a lot of time, therefore the small pieces.

Break the cauliflower into florets and drizzle with a little olive oil in a large bowl. Swirl the cauliflower around with your hands to coat it thoroughly. Then lightly grease (I always use olive oil or organic canola oil) a cookie sheet (this one I use for roasting). Turn the oven on 400 degrees F. Once the oven has preheated, place the cauliflower on the cookie sheet and space the florets out a bit, a little sprinkle of S&P. This will roast for 25-45 minutes (depending upon thickness). Flip about halfway through, you will see that the cauliflower is browning, this is GOOD, this is TASTY STUFF! Once it passes the fork test (fork easily goes through a thicker piece of cauliflower), it’s ready to eat! You can eat just like it is, or a quick little sprinkle of parmesan.

Speaking of parmesan… not the brands that apparently have wood filler in them, sigh…