July 4th Celebrations

There is no doubt our Independence Day celebrations will look a little different this year. Huge gatherings at the beach, tons of people gathered to watch fireworks, pools filled to the brim with kids splashing...none of these are the smartest ideas right now. BUT just because our holiday has to be adapted doesn't mean it still can't be fun, festive and delicious!

Our July 4th tradition is definitely one of adaptation this year. See, we are usually on our two week beach vacay for the holiday. We spend the day at the pool, the beach (which is always wall to wall people) and then grill out. For the past several years, that has meant a huge grilled seafood bash! We are talking shrimp, lobster, oysters...some delicious sides....my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

It actually makes me laugh thinking about it because it never fails, when Adam goes to use the grill at the clubhouse for the condo complex, there is someone beside him grilling up burgers and dogs, nothing says July 4th more. Then they look over at Adam's spread and say "Wow. Yeah, can we come eat with you?"

Well, this year, the beach vacation isn't happening, and for the first time since I was pregnant with Max (and for years before that) we will be home for the holiday. However, the seafood bash will continue! I'm already planing the menu, and this year my parents will get to join us, so that's extra fun!

So, are you asking yourself what you can do on the 4th to make sure it feels as normal as possible? You can still have a cookout, even if it's just your family, or maybe just a few extra guests. Pack up the picnic basket and head to a local park to social distance with some yummy food, maybe a frisbee and some sparklers. There are many ways we can still celebrate this great nation of ours, with those we love most, without being in huge groups.

This pasta salad would be perfect for that small cookout, or packed in that picnic basket (or picnic cooler in this case) or to eat on the deck while the kids play in the pool. Or, if you can't wait for the holiday weekend, it's a terrific light supper on a hot day, or lunch all week long!

This is truly an entire meal in one bowl. Pasta, veggies, meat, cheese...it is filled to the brim with goodness and flavor!

However you are planning on celebrating July 4th this year, I hope you find a way to make it special, delicious and maybe even start some new traditions!

Happy Birthday America!!

Italian Pasta Salad

1 lb. spaghetti, cooked to al dente

2 heaping cups fresh spinach

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 (5 oz.) jar green olives, drained

1 (2 oz.) can sliced black olives

7 oz. tub sliced hard salami, chopped 

8 oz. block mozzarella cheese, diced

1 (16 oz) jar zesty Italian salad dressing

2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. red pepper flake

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

While pasta cooks, in a medium bowl whisk together dressing, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, red pepper flake, salt and pepper. When pasta is cooked, drain well and allow to sit in colander until steam disappears. Place in a large bowl and pour dressing over. Mix well. Add all other ingredients, except mozzarella cheese. Mix well. Chill for at least 60 minutes. Add cheese. Chill until serving. 

Shared at Weekend Potluck

Shared at Meal Plan Monday

Just A Little Greek

Do you have a food or a dish that each time you eat it you feel...how shall I say it..."fancy"? You don't know why but it just makes you feel like you aren't sitting in your pajamas in front of the television eating it, but instead in a very sophisticated setting with crystal water glasses. For me that food is olive tapenade.

For those of you who have never had it, let me explain. Olive Tapenade is a dish consisting of pureed or finely chopped olives, anchovies, capers and oil. It comes from the French word for capers and is usually eaten as an appetizer in the South of France, but is also seen in Italian and Mediterranean cuisine.

I first had it a few years ago as a spread on baguette bread, and it was love at first bite. I'm not surprised. I love both olives and capers; and their briny, salty flavor. But until that moment, it was always something I had thought of as a delicacy and therefore, it retains this image in my mind every time I eat it. Not to mention, I just love the stuff!!

So you can imagine how thrilled I was when I found a burger recipe using it as an ingredient, not just a "topper". These burgers may be small, but they pack a punch of big flavor. Perfect for a party or family meal, they are also super simple. Plus, they are made with ground turkey, so you can feel good about having three!

If you have never had olive tapenade, I encourage you to try this recipe one because they are delicious; but also because there is enough in a jar you will have some left over and it's the perfect snack with some crackers or pita chips!

Greek Turkey Sliders Adapted from Betty Crocker

1 lb. ground turkey

1/3 c. olive tapenade

6 tsp. dried parsley, divided

1/2 c. plain Greek Yogurt

1/2 c. sour cream

1/2 c. cucumber, peeled and chopped

8 slider buns

16 thin slices cucumber

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a medium bowl combine turkey, olive tapenade, 4 tsp. parsley, salt and pepper. Mix well using hands and form into 8 small patties, about 1/2 inch thick. Spray grill pan with cooking spray and cook patties for about 5 minutes per side. In a small bowl combine yogurt, sour cream, chopped cucumber, 2 tsp. parsley, salt and pepper. Mix well. When burgers are done, spread sauce on bottom of bun, add 2 slices of cucumber and burger. Top with bun and serve.

Shared on Lady Behind The Curtain Mar. 6, 2013
Shared on Miz Helen's Country Cottage Mar. 7, 2013
Shared on The Country Cook Mar. 8, 2013

Anyway He Can Get It

While Alex will eat just about anything on the face of the planet, like other kids he does have his favorites; and like those kids he would eat those favorites day in and day out if I allowed him to. And even though he has a very wide and sophisticated palate for an 8 year old, his most loved foods are pretty "normal" kid foods: Pizza, Mac n Cheese, Spaghetti and anything and everything Mexican. The boy would eat pizza for lunch and tacos for supper every day of the week if I didn't stop him! So when planning meals I try to include something off that favorite list at least once a week, but I try to find new ways to incorporate them. A great example of this is my Pizza Casserole. Pasta and pizza in one...that is 2 off that list! So when I saw these I was super happy because I knew he would love yet another "taco meal" but it was just a little different. Plus it included another love, black olives. And let's face it...anything you wrap in a crescent roll is usually a big hit with a kid. (Okay, I can't lie. Adults too!) These are perfect for a kid's birthday party or sleepover, or even for football Sunday! Appetizer or main dish, they can pull both off! Oh, and be sure to make all 16 because the freeze beautifully and can be reheated easily for an after school snack or busy weeknight meal. My kid will take those favorites any way he can get them; and it's my job (and privilege) to find as many ways possible!

Taco Crescents From Taste of Home
2 (8 ct) cans crescent rolls
1 (1.25 oz) package taco seasoning ( or 7 tsp of my homemade)
3/4 lb. ground beef
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 (4.25 oz) can chopped black olives
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Taco Sauce, optional
Nacho Cheese, optional

In a large skillet brown beef and onions until no longer pink. Drain if necessary. Add taco seasoning, olives and cheese. Stir well.  Allow to cool slightly. Add eggs and mix well. Preheat oven to 375. Unroll crescent rolls. Spoon about 2 TBS beef mixture onto large end of each triangle. Roll up and form into rolls. Slightly seal each end. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Serve with nacho cheese and/or taco sauce.

Shared on Lady Behind The Curtain Oct. 10, 2012
Shared on Miz Helen's Country Cottage Oct. 11, 2012
Shared on The Country Cook Oct. 12, 2012

Mexican at Very Good Recipes
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We Love Olives

Do you? Do you have a favorite type, or like us do you enjoy any kind, any variety any time? I don't think we've ever met an olive we didn't like! Plus when I have parties, olives are some of my favorite appetizers to put out for my guests. Kind of like a mini "olive bar" so they can try new ones, or find old favorites.

Now I have a new place to order unique olives right from the Internet, that will allow be to get in on the actual process of curing them!  Penna Gourmet Foods is a grower, packer and processor of gourmet olives. Or I can buy them already jarred and ready to eat!!

 

Penna Gourmet Foods olive processing incorporates old processes improved upon and made safe with modern microbiology. And they have been doing this since 1979!! They provide fresh olives to cure at home for those who enjoy the art of processing and canning. Plus you can find recipes and ideas for home curing techniques including the wonderful Mediterranean Partida Style and Lye Process. 

I know by now your mouth is watering, but Penna Gourmet Foods Fresh Olives are usually available in September, weather permitting! So, just a little more time to wait.

So if you're an olive lover like us, be sure to stop by Penna Gourmet Foods website, plus you can find them on Facebook too.

And be sure to check their site for great deals and/or coupons too!

This sponsorship is brought to you by Penna Gourmet Foods who we have partnered with for this promotion.

In A Hurry

Many of you have inquired as to how I meal plan. I won't go into it all over again for those of you who have heard it numerous times (But if you haven't and would like some tips, feel free to comment here or email me with your questions.) But I will share one of the things I look at most when sitting down with an empty food week in front of me. Our schedule. Like so many families today it seems we are going in a hundred different directions, each and every day. And as the days get longer and the nights get warmer, we are packing more and more into each and every single day. So I when I am deciding what meals to have, I also decide what day to have them on. I know on TKD nights, which right now at least 1/3 of my family is there 5 nights of the week, I need to have something either prepared ahead, quick to throw together, and it has to be reheated easily since Adam usually eats afterwards. Well, that wasn't so bad when it was only 2 nights per week, but when we're talking every night...let's just say it can get tricky. Not to mention I have to take into account if I'm going to be home that day to put something in the oven early, or do some of the prep work on a larger meal, or be so dang tired I'm not going to feel like doing much of anything. That was the case when this recipe came to be. I had made my menu and knew on the night when we were having Pulled Pork Sammies and Mac n Cheese (both store bought...I won't even lie) I was going to be gone most of the day, and probably be absolutely beat when it came to be supper time. Hence taking so much help from the store on this particular evening. But since I was taking so much assistance I wanted to make sure I included something fresh too, as long as it wasn't too time consuming. This is another "add what you want" salads you can really alter to your tastes. It  is fresh, light and would be perfect for an outdoor activity since there is no mayo or dairy! We are all in such a hurry with life passing us at the speed of light, the least we deserve is something yummy to eat on the way!

Quick Tomato and Olive Salad
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 c. green olives. sliced
1/4 c. kalamata olives, sliced
3 TBS capers
1/2-3/4 c. Italian dressing
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 TBS dried parsley, extra for garnish

In a medium bowl combine all ingredients except dressing. Pour dressing over until desired "wetness". I like mine with extra dressing for absorbing. Cover and chill until serving, at least 2 hours. Garnish w/ parsley before serving. Serve with slotted spoon.

Shared on Miz Helen's Country Cottage June 14, 2012
Shared on The Country Cook June 15, 2012

Salad at Very Good Recipes

Free Trip To The Mediterranean

I  know, I know. You just clicked here thinking I was having the BEST blog giveaway E.V.E.R!!! I'm so sorry to disappoint, but we aren't even leaving our kitchens for this trip. (If you want to be mad at me, I understand, but don't miss the recipe b/c it's a good one!) A couple weeks ago I introduced you to Wildtree products and shared a recipe using two of them, Grapeseed Oil and Balsamic Mediterranean Dipping Oil. When I am lucky enough to receive free products to experiment with in my kitchen I don't want to just stop at one recipe. I want to see how many ways I can utilize them and how many dishes I can create getting the most use out of them possible. That is exactly how this chicken recipe came to be. These beautiful bottles of oil were just sitting there, staring at me,  begging to be put to use. So, I listened to them and obliged. (Don't your bottles of oil talk to you too?) This dish takes you to the Mediterranean in one bite! With all of those flavors we love from Greece, you can take a foodie vacay at the end of a long day while you eat in front of the tv in your pajamas! If you are lucky enough to also have the Wildtree products, you're all set. If not, take note of the tips in the recipe so you can achieve some of the same flavors! Maybe someday I truly can host a giveaway for a trip to the Mediterranean, but there would only be one rule~ I would be your carry on luggage! Until then we will have to enjoy great food from the comfort of our own homes!

Balsamic Mediterranean Chicken
1 (1.5 lb) package boneless chicken tenders
1/2 c. Balsamic plus 1 tsp  Mediterranean Dipping Oil
1 TBS Grill Seasoning
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped
2 green onions, chopped
Grapeseed Oil for grill
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large bowl combine chicken, 1/2 c. dipping oil, grill seasoning and garlic. Mix well. Marinade for 2 hours in the fridge. When ready to prepare, heat grill to medium. Brush w/ grapeseed oil to prevent sticking. Cook chicken for approximately 3-4 minutes per side. While cooking, in a small bowl combine olives, green onions, 1 tsp. dipping oil, salt and pepper. Mix well. Remove chicken from grill and immediately top with olive mixture. Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes before serving (onions will wilt a bit).
*NOTE* To achieve the same flavors as the dipping oil, I suggest combining 1/4 c. olive oil, 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar, dried oregano, a few chopped sun dried tomatoes, garlic powder salt and pepper. I think this would come close to the flavor profile.

Shared on Miz Helen's Country Cottage May 24, 2012 
Shared on The Country Cook May 25, 2012

Chicken at Very Good Recipes
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