Tag Archives: feta

Roasted Bell Pepper Cheese Spread

A spread with roasted bell pepper, almonds, and goat cheese

 

Figuring out what to have for breakfast and supper is easy, but I do have a hard time sometimes with lunch. If we don’t have any leftovers, then we’ll either have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or I’ll throw together a snack type lunch like my Cucumber Crostini. This week I’ll be sharing two more of our lunchtime snacks – this Roasted Bell Pepper Almond Spread and another one that is a bit more spicy – a Green Chile Pecan Cheese Spread.  I have had several readers mention that they can’t handle spicy foods very well, so this one is for you.

This bell pepper spread is a little sweet but that’s due only to the sweetness of the roasted bell pepper.  The cheese is capricho de cabra – a Spanish goat cheese produced with the milk from Murciana goats.  This goat cheese is different from what I normally buy. Instead of being crumbly, capricho de cabra is creamy and can be stirred into a buttery spread.  You really don’t have to add anything to it, but it works as a great complement to the roasted bell pepper.  Add a little olive brine for acid and chopped almonds for another layer of flavor and texture and you have a tasty spread for bagels, pita chips, your favorite crackers or apple slices.  Have it for lunch or share with friends as an appetizer or party dip.

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Braised Red Chile Chicken and Vegetables

Southwestern Braised Chicken thighs

 

This braised red chile chicken recipe might remind you somewhat of the Hungarian dish – Paprika Chicken. The paprika pepper that creates a rather spicy and rich tasting Paprika Chicken is similar to that produced by the red chile powder used in this dish.  However, that’s about as far as the similarities between the two dishes go. Paprika chicken uses cream or sour cream and is usually served over pasta, neither of which is the case here.

Braised Red Chile Chicken and Vegetables is actually more of a southwestern dish with some Mexican components as toppings.  Instead of paprika I use New Mexico red chile powder and other traditional southwestern seasonings.  The base or sauce is created using strained or crushed tomatoes which, once cooked down, create a rich sweet and spicy sauce. Because of this rich sauce, this dish can be served over rice, grits or polenta, or with flour tortillas that can be used to scoop it up so that nothing goes to waste.

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Strawberry Tomato Salad with Mint

 

[We had this for lunch the other day and I just had to share it with you.]  Last summer I came across a beautiful Mozzarella, Tomato and Strawberry Salad over at eat.live.travel.write.  It was one of those recipes that introduces a combination that one (meaning “me”) would never have thought of – strawberry and tomato. I just had to give it a try. Well folks – if you haven’t tried this combination, then you are missing a real treat.  It is wonderful!!  Since I first tried it, I’ve been playing around with different ingredients and different vinaigrettes.  This salad is one of the variations that we love.

For the salad in the picture, I used this beautiful heirloom tomato that I bought at the growers’ market.  I just recently discovered from Tessa over at Feral Kitchen that this particular heirloom is called a Pineapple Tomato.  It was one of the biggest tomatoes I’ve ever seen, but also one of the best tasting!  Any good, meaty tomato works for the salad, but how can you turn down an heirloom?!
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Cantaloupe Walnut Salad with Lime Dressing

 

It’s interesting how our taste buds change through the years.  As a kid, I really disliked cantaloupe, I mean really, really disliked cantaloupe.  I couldn’t even stand the smell of it.  Now I love it!  When cantaloupes start showing up at the market, I start buying and continue to buy until they disappear.

My favorite way to eat a cantaloupe or any melon is to just cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, sprinkle with a touch of salt and dig in.  However, with as much cantaloupe as we eat, I do need to change it up every once in a while.  This simple cantaloupe and walnut salad is one of our regulars.  The sweetness of the cantaloupe, the tartness of the lime dressing and saltiness of the feta join together for a very refreshing salad.  It takes less than 15 minutes to throw together and 5 minutes to eat!

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Stacked Vegetables ‘en Papillote

 

Cooking in parchment paper (en papillote) on the grill during hot weather has become an addiction!  It’s such a great way to keep the heat out of the kitchen and to minimize both prep and clean-up.  Last week  I made this stacked vegetable dish and Bobby and I both agree that it’s as good and maybe even better than the Italian Sausage with Vegetables ‘en Papillote. It’s completely different in ingredients, texture, smells and flavors, and makes a very hearty and delicious vegetarian meal.  It could also be used as a side to a meat entree’ if desired.

When I started putting this together, I was aiming for something like a vegetable lasagne without the noodles, but then if you don’t use the noodles, can you call it lasagne?  I used thin slices of Yukon Gold potatoes for the carbohydrate and that turned out to be what really held this meal together and took it beyond just a bunch of steamed vegetables.  Bobby said that it was like eating a vegetable au gratin but without the breadcrumbs and all the cheese.  The potatoes, the herbs, the super fresh vegetables, and a touch of cheese all blended together to provide a memorable dish.

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Breakfast Tostada

 

When I was a kid my family went to El Chico’s on Wednesday night for the 99 cents special – a plate with an enchilada, tamale, beans and rice, and then all of the chips and salsa and warm corn tortillas one could eat.  A family of 7 ate for less than $10!!!!  Can you imagine?  Through this experience I grew up thinking that this Wednesday night special was real Mexican cuisine.

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Massaged Kale and Sweet Potato Salad

 

A couple of years ago I came across a Massaged Kale Salad by Aarti Sequeira, one of the Food Network Star winners.  It looked interesting so I made it and loved it, and now I make it all of the time.  Ripe, juicy mango combined with fresh kale massaged with olive oil and lemon, then toasted pepitas is such a unique combination.  Since I first made Aarti’s salad, I have been playing around with massaged kale because, personally – I now prefer it over cooked kale.  I’ve made this salad with oranges, apples, oranges and apples, sweet potatoes, and a few other ingredients – some worked, some didn’t.  Sweet potato and yam definitely worked!

This massaged kale and sweet potato salad uses the same dressing and method for massaging the kale as Aarti’s, but the other salad ingredients are  different.  This particular salad can be a meal or a side.  No matter how you serve it, you’ll love it!

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Feta and Roasted Garlic Dip

 

Remember my Roasted Garlic Infused Olive Oil from a few weeks ago? Well, this is one of those tasty little appetizers that I throw together using the roasted garlic.  Putting a dip together can’t get much quicker than this. Four ingredients and a box of crackers or chips is all you need.
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