Mr. Gooch Cooks - Cucumber & Pepper Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

The night that I made Beef Meatballs in Marinara over Rigatoni, Mr. Gooch made this tasty salad.  I had been out running some errands at Home Depot (I swear that I am in that place weekly), Hobby Lobby, the grocery, and the bank.  So coming home to flowers and dinner already started was so sweet.

The best part of the deal?  This recipe is quick, easy and tasty. So if you need to whip up a quick salad that is an alternative to the usual lettuce based version, this is for you.

Cucumber & Pepper Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
(Source:  Depths of Mr. Gooch's Brain)
Ingredients
1 red pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
1 yellow pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
1 orange pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
1 cucumber, quartered and cut into bite sized pieces
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp Italian Herb Blend

Directions
Place peppers and cucumbers in a large ceramic bowl.
Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar and herbs in a small bowl. 
Mix thoroughly.
Pour over peppers and cucumbers.
Stir to coat.

For best flavor, place in fridge and allow flavors to meld for an hour or more.

A Fruity Cole Slaw - Not a Contradiction, It's a Tasty Treat

Now that we have gotten a handle on some of our home renos, we are back to trying new recipes each week. During the process of moving, unpacking boxes, spending too much time at home reno stores and little time on cooking, I had forgotten how much I liked flipping through my cookbooks, going through my Reader and surfing the internet for new (and hopefully tasty) recipes.

However, be not afraid, now that I have remembered those joys, I am back in the groove. We tried two new recipes last week, this being one, and both were great successes. So much so that they are going in the "regular rotation" notebook.

We served it with Crockpot Hickory Smoked Brisket and it was the perfect accompaniment to the smokey flavor of the meat.

The only thing we will change when we make this again is to find something (cider vinegar maybe), to give it some bite. The sweetness of the apples and the dressing were just a little much for us. But we do like the savory things.

Apple Cole Slaw
(Source: modified slightly from Delicious Meliscious - a cooking blog by Melissa)

Ingredients:
3-4 cups chopped cabbage
1 unpeeled red apple, cored and chopped
1 unpeeled Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped
1 carrot, grated
1 finely chopped red bell pepper
1 finely chopped yellow pepper
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice, or to taste (we used a bit more than 1 tablespoon)

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine cabbage, red apple, green apple, carrot, red bell pepper, and green onions.

In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, brown sugar, and lemon juice.

Pour dressing over salad.

Homemade Marinara Sauce - The Second Part of the Tomato Bounty

After making enough pizza sauce to last until next spring, I had several of my father's tomatoes left.  However, they were not enough to make a big pot of marinara sauce.  So I headed to one of our local farms  (William Bos Greenhouse & Farm) to buy some more tomatoes.  To my delight they had some beautiful, red, ripe Roma tomatoes so I grabbed myself a peck and made plans to spend the day making sauce.

What type of sauce?  Marinara Sauce.  Yum!

I started with this recipe from Allrecipes.com.  However, because I always like to change things up, I made several changes that are reflected in the recipe below.  The number of cups is approximate because I just estimated 3 Roma tomatoes equaled 1 cup.  After seeing how much it filled the pot, I think that estimate may have been a bit high.

With this basic marinara sauce, you can mix it up any way you want later.  Add ground beef or turkey, fresh basil, mushrooms, whatever strikes your fancy. 

Homemade Marinara Sauce
(Note:  This makes a very large pot of sauce, enough to fill 3 quart freezer bags)
Ingredients
9-12 cups fresh tomatoes, peeled and run through the food processor to remove chunks
12 oz tomato paste
4 Tbs Italian herb blend
1 Tbs salt
1/2 onion
1 green pepper
1 head garlic
4 Tbs olive oil
3/4 c red wine

Directions
In a food processor, mince onion, garlic and green pepper
Add olive oil
Hat a large Dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pot
Place olive oil, onion, green pepper and garlic mixture into the pot
Saute until soft
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, red wine and Italian herbs.
Mix to combine thoroughly.
Turn down heat to low.
Simmer for at least an hour.
Cool and place in quart freezer bags.
Freeze for future use.

Homemade Pizza Sauce - Just One Part of the Tomato Bounty

We have decided that my father is the tomato whisperer.  Why?  Because he was able to grow, in a cold and rainy summer, a tomato bounty.  I was the lucky recipient of some of that bounty. 

With a big bowl of peeled tomatoes at the ready , I decided to make homemade pizza sauce.  Starting from this recipe from RecipeZaar, I created the recipe below. 

Once it had cooled, I used ice cube trays to freeze individual pizza sized servings, enough to last all winter long.  Now I just need to get started on making the pizza dough to go with it.

Homemade Pizza Sauce
Ingredients (Note this is a BIG batch.  You may want to halve the recipe if you don't want a year's worth of pizza sauce)
4 Tbs olive oil (add more if necessary)
3 cups fresh tomatoes, finely chopped (I ran them through the food processor).  Make sure to peel the skins off of the tomatoes to ensure a smooth finished product.
1 jar tomato sauce (24 ounces or more)
1 onion, minced (run through the food processor)
1 head garlic, minced (run through the food processor)
12 oz tomato paste
4 tsp Italian herb blend
4 Tbs sugar
1/3 cup red wine

Directions
Heat olive oil in large Dutch oven or other heavy bottom pot
Add onions and garlic, sauteing until soft.
Add tomato sauce, fresh tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, sugar and red wine.
Mix to combine completely.
Turn down heat to simmer.
Cook for 20-30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

Optional:
Let cool completely.
Spray ice cube trays with Pam.
Pour sauce into ice cube trays, then freeze.
Once frozen, remove and place into a zipper freezer bag. 
Each cube is perfect for a personal pizza.

Creamy Sweet Potato Orzo with Sage

My love affair with the sweet potato is a relatively new one.

You see, until Mr. Gooch and I started dating I had never actually eaten a sweet potato. And my first exposure was not what I would call love at first taste. You see, I love the savory dish and Mr. Gooch served a baked sweet potato with brown sugar.

So until I found recipes for baked sweet potato fries seasoned with sea salt and pepper then baked sweet potatoes seasoned with thyme, I was a little sweet potato shy. But, as you can see from this blog, those recipes turned out fabulously and now I have an ongoing love affair with the bumpy orange tube. But those recipes were prepared in a more traditional straight forward way, baked in the oven.

Now it is time to branch out to something even more adventurous. I hope you take the time to try this recipe for Creamy Sweet Potato Orzo and Sage.

Creamy Sweet Potato Orzo with Sage
(Source: the depths of my brain)
Ingredients
1 large (or 2 medium) sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup orzo
1 teaspoon ground sage
Kosher Salt
Fresh ground pepper

Directions
Place vegetable stock and water into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. (I used my dutch oven)
Add cubed sweet potato and reduce heat to a simmer.
Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until soft.
Remove cooked sweet potato from liquid and place in a large bowl.
Add orzo to potato cooking liquid and cook until liquid is absorbed. (approximately 15 minutes)
While the orzo is cooking, add salt and pepper to taste, skim milk and ground sage to the cooked sweet potato and mash with a fork, leaving some chunks.
Once orzo is cooked, add mashed potato mixture back into the saucepan and mix to combine, adding ricotta and Parmesan cheese.
Place mixture in a serving bowl and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Yum!!

I have submitted this recipe to the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission Bloggers’ Recipe Challenge.

Braised Herb Chicken Thighs With Potatoes

I love one pot cooking. I especially love cooking in a pot that cleans up easily, like my dutch oven.

I love it even better when the dish you are cooking in your one pot turns out to be good and something you wold make again. You know what I am taking about. You see a recipe, all the ingredients are things you like, the preparation isn't that complicated, it smells fabulous as it is cooking, but it tastes bleh or blah or worse blech. This isn't one of those dishes.

I found this recipe on cookingcache.com. Based on what we had in the pantry I made some adjustments which are to be found in the recipe below.

Braised Herb Chicken Thighs With Potatoes
(Source: cookingcache.com)
Ingredients
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons Italian herb blend
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8 chicken thighs (about 2 pounds), skinned
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups baby carrots
1 large onion, cut into 16 wedges (cut into 8 wedges, then cut those wedges in half)
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes

Directions
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag.
Add the chicken, seal the bag and shake to coat.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add the chicken and remaining flour mixture to the dutch oven.
cook for 3 minutes on each side or until the chicken is lightly brown.
Add the carrot and onions; cook for another 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add chicken broth, vinegar, water and potatoes, bringing entire mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat and cover, simmering for 35 minutes or until chicken is done and vegetables are tender.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 thighs and about 1 1/3 cups vegetable mixture)

Yummy Glazed Carrots

I love carrots. I could eat them every day and often I do. Usually I make dilled carrots to accompany our dinners but was serving a dish where dill wasn't quite the flavor I was looking for.

When searching my Google Reader for possible recipes, I came across a recipe for glazed carrots on Skinny Food by Amy. These would fit the bill perfectly. The fact that the recipe is Weight Watchers friendly is even better.

Easy, tasty and good for you. Does a recipe get any better?

Glazed Carrots
(Source: Real Simple)
Ingredients
1 lb baby carrots
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt

Directions
Place the carrots in a large skillet.
Dot with the butter and sprinkle with the sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Add enough cold water to come halfway up the sides of the carrots.
Simmer, partially covered, until the carrots are tender and the liquid has reduced to a glaze, about 20 minutes.
Note: If the carrots are done before this point, transfer them to a bowl, increase heat to high, and cook the liquid, uncovered, until reduced. Return the carrots to the pan and toss.

Makes 6 servings of 1 point per serving.

Family Favorite From Aunt - Baked Beans

During the holidays, I got to eat some of our family's favorite dishes. Aunt's Baked Beans fit that description. A staple at Christmas eve dinner since, well, since we started celebrating at my parents house.

I would recommend this recipe to anyone looking for a tasty, easy, baked bean recipe.

Aunt's Baked Beans
Ingredients
1 large jar of Randall Great Northern Beans
2 large onions, chopped (she used two very large sweet (Vidalia) onions)
1 lb. good bacon cut in 1" slices (optional: fry a bit to get fat out but don't crisp)
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3 Tablespoons dry mustard (approximate amount) (McCormick's .85 oz. is a bit over 3 Tbs.)
24 oz. Ketchup (about 3/4 of a 32oz. bottle)

Directions
Preheat Oven to 300 Degrees
Mix all of the ingredients together completely
Pour into in a casserole dish no smaller than 3 qt. capacity or it may bubble over
Bake uncovered in a 300 degree preheated oven for 3-4 hours (she usually bakes for closer to 4 hours)

Homemade Corn Bread

My husband loves corn bread. He has been asking for me to make some for quite some time now and I will admit, I have been putting it off since I am not a fan.

But yesterday, I broke down. I found the recipe below on bigoven.com. I liked that it didn't require a box of cornbread mix (which we didn't have in the pantry).

Mr. Gooch was thrilled with the result. He said that it was moist and tasty. That is good enough for me to recommend it.

Grandma's Creamed Corn Bread
Source: www.bigoven.com

Ingredients
4 tb Unsalted butter; melted
1/2 ts Salt
1 c Yellow cornmeal; preferably
1 cn (8 oz) creamed corn
3/4 c All-purpose flour
1 c Milk
2 tb Sugar
1 lg Egg; well beaten
1 tb Plus 1 tsp baking powder

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 F.
Pour 2 tablespoons melted butter into 9-inch cake pan; bake for 5 minutes, until pan is very hot.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Make a well in the center and pour the creamed corn, milk, remaining 2 tablespoons butter and egg into the well.
Stir until smooth.
Pour the batter into the hot pan.
Bake until corn bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
Remove corn bread from oven, and let it stand for 15 minutes before serving.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Family Favorite from Mr. Gooch's Mom: Scalloped Corn

This dish is a traditional Thanksgiving dish for Mr. Gooch's family. It is served every year and at most major family gatherings.

My mother-in-law didn't even have the recipe written down so I had to ask her to type it up for me.

Scalloped Corn
Ingredients
2 whole eggs, well beaten
1 can evaporated milk (sweetened condensed milk can be used if you wish
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 Tsp. garlic salt
1 Tsp. black pepper
2 cans creamed corn
1 sleeve saltine crackers, finely crushed
3 tablespoons butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a large glass bowl, mix eggs, evaporated milk,onion, garlic salt, and black pepper well.
Add creamed corn, making sure mixture is combined completely.
Mix in finely crushed saltines until thoroughly incorporated.
Butter 9 x 9 deep casserole dish with 1 tablespoon of butter, leaving some butter at corners.
Pour corn mixture into dish. Add two tablespoons of butter on top and finish with additional garlic salt and black pepper.
Bake approx. 45 mins. to one hour.

Tiny Carrots in Dill Butter - A Family Favorite

I love carrots. I love them so much that when I was little, my dad would often ask if I was part rabbit.

So this recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book has been part of our veggie rotation for several years.

I love that it is quick and easy yet "jazzes" up a veggie staple. I hope you like it as much as we do.

Tiny Carrots in Dill Butter

Source: Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book (c. 1996)

Ingredients
16 oz. package (3 1/2 cups) Baby Carrots
2 Tablespoons Butter or Margarine

Dill (1 Tablespoon fresh or 1/2 Teaspoon dry)
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Pepper

Directions
In a medium sauce pan cook carrots, covered, in a small amount of boiling water about 10 minutes or until crisp-tender.

Drain. Return to carrots to saucepan.

Stir in butter/margarine, dill, lemon juice, salt and peppers, making sure to carrots are entirely coated.

Serve.

Garden Tomatoes = Homemade Pizza Sauce

I have a bit of a like and hate relationship with the tomato. I am just not a big fan. Not sure what the problem is. Is it the slippery seeds? Is it the "jiggliness" when you cut one open? Is it the variety of textures in one single tomato? It could be all of these things.

But this home made pizza sauce is helping to change my opinion. Made with a variety of tomatoes from my neighbor's plants, it was easy as (pizza) pie to make. You just put it on the stove, stir from time to time and just go about your other stuff around the house.

It did take forever to reduce but it made enough to fill 5 small containers that should make about 2 thin crust pizzas per container.

I created the recipe below by combining several recipes for homemade pizza sauce from allrecipes.com. My version is below.

Homemade Pizza Sauce

Ingredients
3 Cloves Garlic, Pressed
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 Lbs of tomatoes, pureed
6 Oz. can Tomato Paste (the kind I got had Italian Spices)
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1 Teaspoon Dried Basil
1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
3/4 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Directions
In a large saucepan, saute garlic in oil until tender.

Add all other ingredients, stir to combine and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to simmer uncovered until desired thickness is reached.

Fabulous Dinner on the Grill: Tri-Tip, Potatoes, Corn and Peaches

Monday is Mr. Gooch's night off during the week. So it is the night we do our most involved dinner. This week it was all about the grill. Mr. Gooch was very happy as he loves cooking on the grill.

The menu included
Ceasar Salad
Marinated Tri-Tip Steak
Grilled New Potatoes with Parmesan and Herbs
Easy Grilled Corn on the Cob
Grilled Peaches



We purchased the tri-tip a couple of weeks ago from a vendor at our local farmer's market. The family has been in farming for over 100 years and cows on their farm are grain-fed, locally raised and have been certified hormone free. It is tastes amazing. The nice thing about purchasing a larger piece of meat is that there is enough left over for lunches.

Marinated Tri-Tip Steak
Ingredients
1 1/2 pound tri-tip steak
McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Marinade

Directions
Marinade steak for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator
Heat grill to low heat
Grill meat for approximately 45 minutes over low heat
Flipping every 10-15 minutes or so

Grilled New Potatoes with Parmesan and Herbs (from epicurious.com)
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds small red-skinned potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley (from our garden)
1/1/2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano (from our garden)

Directions
Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes; cool.

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Cut potatoes in half; transfer to large bowl. Add 1/2 of the oil; toss to coat. Grill potatoes until golden, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Drizzle with rest of oil and add remaining ingredients; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Easy Corn on the Grill (from cooks.com)
Ingredients
2 ears of corn for each person
1 tablespoon butter for each ear of corn
3 tablespoons crushed ice for each ear of corn
aluminum foil or foil pockets
salt, to taste

Directions
Husk corn and rinse. Heat grill to 350F.

Cut a rectangle of aluminum foil large enough to wrap each corn cob twice. Place each corn in the center of foil with the shiny side in. Add 3 tablespoons crushed ice and 1 tablespoon butter.

It's important to wrap the corn with the aluminum foil so that the edges of the foil are crimped and sealed securely so that as the ice melts, the liquid will be retained in the foil pocket. Make an envelope with the foil and double fold the edges, then place the seams on the top.

Place the corn pockets on the hot grill and cook for 30 minutes or so, turning over half way through cooking time. (Length of cooking time will vary depending on the tenderness, variety and age of the corn - some types of corn may be done in half the time).



When I was buying this week's batch of peaches, I overheard one of the farmers telling a customer that a great (and easy) dessert to be made on the grill is roasted peaches. Based on the basic directions I heard, I headed home and pulled together the recipe below.

Grilled Peaches
Ingredients
Ripe Peaches (this ensures that the peach with some off the pit easier)
Brown Sugar

Directions
Cut the peach in half
Remove the pit
Fill the whole with packed brown sugar
Create envelope using tin foil making sure you can access top to check for doneness
Place filled peaches in envelop
Cook over medium to medium high heat until peaches are soft
Serve with vanilla ice cream with the juices from the brown sugar and peaches

Mr. Gooch Cooks (Multi-Veggie Caprese Salad)

Mr. Gooch liked the idea of his creations being out on the web, so he asked to be a regular recipe contributor to About a Bit of Everything. So here is his second installment.

Mr. Gooch is always using the kitchen like a laboratory. He sees a dish in the newspaper, a magazine, a restuarant review and will want to recreate it. However, he knows that in most cases he will have to make some changes. The reason: I am a picky eater. So to accomodate me and to avoid eating the same 7 things over and over, he concocts, modifies, formulates and creates like crazy. But he loves it. It frees his creative side and makes him feel like "King of the Kitchen."

Multi-Veggie Caprese Salad

Ingredients
Peppers (Use green, red, yellow and orange to add color)
Grape/Cherry Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Fresh Mozzarella, drained
Grated Parmesean Cheese
Italian Dressing (I prefer a spicier version)
Fresh Basil

Directions
Cut vegetables and mozzarella into bite size pieces keeping quantities of each ingredient about equal
Combine in large ceramic bowl
Drizzle liberally with Italian dressing
Stir so all pieces are coated in the dressing
Let salad sit in refrigerator for at least one hour
Prior to serving, stir and sprinkle with parmesean cheese and torn basil leaves

Add any cooked meat like chicken, beef or salmon to this to make a meal instead of a side dish.

Mr. Gooch Cooks (Peppers)

For lunch today, Mr. Gooch made tasty cooked peppers. He read about a restaurant in Chicago having stuffed tomatoes with spicy couscous. Not being a fan of the tomato, he created his own version utilizing a seasoned feta cheese. Have to love the creative cooking husband.


Couscous Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients:
½ teaspoon season salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon chipotle Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
8 oz ground meat
4 Peppers (Red, Yellow, Orange)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
8 oz. couscous/maftul (cook with broth instead of water)
1 tablespoon parsley
½ teaspoon cumin
4 oz. feta cheese

Directions:
Knead season salt, garlic powder, onion powder, chipotle Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ground meat together insuring thorough mixing. Then brown meat in pan and drain of excess fat.

In separate pan sautee minced garlic then cook couscous (maftul) with broth flavored to match meat choice. Add parsley and cumin before boiling.

Try to time couscous and meat to finish about the same time. Adding them to feta cheese while hot will help cheese melt and make the next step easier.

Before combining couscous and browned meat, drain any excess fluid.

Combine cooked meat and couscous in bowl with feta cheese. Stir to coat meat and couscous with cheese.

Hollow 4 medium peppers and fill with stuffing. Cook for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, or grill on medium heat wrapped in foil.

Works great with brighter colored peppers, yellow or orange or red. For authentic flavor use lamb, but beef and chicken or turkey will work just fine. Just remember to mix seasonings with meat before cooking. I prefer finding a feta cheese that is pre-mixed with Mediterranean flavors but you can always spice up plain cheese.