Tomato, Onion and Cucumber Salad

My mother found this recipe in the free magazine, Eat Healthy Your Way. She loves tomatoes, onions and cucumbers so it’s perfect for her. And it was just in time for the senior citizens’ game night where everyone was supposed to bring a salad.

Summer Tomato, Onion and Cucumber Salad

3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or more to taste
2 medium cucumbers
4 medium tomatoes, cut into ½-inch wedges
1 Vidalia or other swee onion, halved and very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh herbs, such as flat-leaf parsley, chives and/or tarragon

Whisk vinegar, oil, honey, salt and pepper in a large shallow bowl.

Remove alternating stripes of peel from the cucumers, Slice the cucumbers into thin rounds. Add the cucumber slices, tomatoes and onion to the dressing; gently toss to combine. Let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Just before serving, add herbs and toss again.

Makes 6 servings, about 1 ½ cups each.

Pepper Jelly

My mother has been busily making this pepper jelly for a couple of weeks. My uncle, the former ag teacher, can grow anything. And he does. In great quantities. So my aunt keeps sending hot peppers to my mother. This is my aunt's recipe. It was also contributed by a dear friend to a local senior citizen cookbook. I guess that means it's one of those pass down and around recipes. Those are the best kind.

If you really like it hot you can switch the amounts on the bell pepper and hot pepper, using 1/2 cup bell pepper and 1 1/3 cups hot pepper.

Both my mother and my aunt recommend using plastic gloves and goggles while you're cutting up the peppers. I wouldn't know. Hot peppers are not for me, though I do love the smell. LOL

Pepper Jelly

1 1/3 cups bell pepper
½ cup hot pepper
½ cup water
1 cup vinegar
6 ½ cups sugar
1 box (2 packages) Certo

Cut off the stems of the pepper. Using a food processor, grind bell pepper and hot pepper until it is fine. Bring first five ingredients to a boil. Pour in Certo; boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Let set 5 minutes. Skim off foam; pour into jars and seal as per normal canning methods.

Cheeseburger Quiche

This is one of those recipes I always meant to try. Instead, it found its way into a box with assorted other papers and things. I uncovered it the other day and wondered why I’d never given it a try. It’s from the Family Circle magazine October 2011.

I do want to point out that the recipe calls for grape tomatoes, which are not the same thing as cherry tomatoes. Some folks assume that they are. Grape tomatoes are the size of, well, grapes.

Cheeseburger Quiche

1 refrigerated piecrust (from a 15-oz package)
1 lb lean ground beef
`/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 medium red onion, diced
2 packed cups baby spinach
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
5 large eggs
¾ cup 2% milk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Unroll crust and roll out slightly. Fit into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch deep pie dish. Flute edge. Line crust with nonstick foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes. Remove foil.

Meanwhile, cook beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, 5 minutes, breaking apart with a spoon. Spoon into a bowl and stir in ketchup and Worcestershire sauce.

In same skillet, cook onion for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add spinach and tomatoes; cook 3 minutes. Season with 1/8 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Stir in beef.

Transfer beef mixture to crust. In medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, mustard and remaining 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese over filling. Carefully add egg mixture.

Bake at 400 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Makes 6 servings.

Cookie Dough Ice Cream Dessert

                                                                                       

I saw this recipe on the Pillsbury website and can't wait to try it! I don't know about how life is where you are, but here in the Deep South it has been hot and muggy for what seems like forever. I know. It's July and it's supposed to be that way. But a cold snack or dessert just seems perfect, especially when it's as easy as this appears to be.

 

Cookie Dough Ice Cream Dessert

1 roll (16.5 oz.) Pillsbury refrigerated chocolate chip cookies

1 container (1/2 gallon) cookie dough ice cream

2 cups Cookie Crisp cereal

2/3 cup hot fudge topping                                

• Heat oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch pan with heavy-duty foil, extending foil over sides of pan. In pan, break up cookie dough. With floured fingers, press dough evenly in bottom of pan to form crust.
• Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, remove ice cream from freezer; place in refrigerator to soften.
• Spread softened ice cream evenly over cooled crust. Top evenly with cereal; press lightly into ice cream. Place hot fudge topping in small resealable food-storage plastic bag; partially seal bag. Cut small hole in bottom corner of bag. Squeeze bag to drizzle topping over dessert. Freeze at least 1 hour or until firm before serving. Use foil to lift dessert from pan. Cut into squares.

Three Cheese Baked Ziti with Spinach

Here's another wonderful recipe from the Campbell's Kitchen. I LOVE baked ziti past with cheese. Can't wait to try it with spinach!

Three Cheese Baked Ziti

with Spinach

1 package (16 ounces) uncooked medium tube-shaped pasta (ziti)

1 bag (6 ounces) baby spinach, washed (about 4 cups)

1 jar (1 pound 9 ounces) Prego® Marinara Italian Sauce

1 cup ricotta cheese

4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• Prepare the pasta according to the package directions. Add the spinach during the last minute of the cooking time. Drain the pasta and spinach well in a colander. Return them to the saucepot.
• Stir the sauce, ricotta, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and black pepper into the pasta mixture. Spoon the pasta mixture into a 13 x 9 x 2-inch shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
• Bake at 350°F. for 30 minutes or until it's hot and bubbling.

Serves 6.

Garden Vegetable Lasagna

I found this recipe on the Campbell's recipe website. It sure looks yummy!

Garden Vegetable Lasagna

1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese

8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups)

2 eggs

4 medium carrots, shredded (about 2 cups)

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and well drained

9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

1 jar (24 ounces) Prego® Chunky Garden Combination Italian Sauce

Grated Parmesan cheese

• Mix ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, eggs, carrots and broccoli in a medium bowl and set it aside.
• Place 3 lasagna noodles in greased 3-quart shallow baking dish.Top with half of the vegetable mixture and 1 cup of the sauce. Repeat the layers.Top with the remaining lasagna noodles and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
• Bake at 400°F. for 30 minutes or until it's hot and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve with the Parmesan cheese.

This serves 8 (about 1 1/4 cups each) with 321 calories per serving.

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

Last night I went to Fabulous Fourth Friday's launch event. It was wonderful! Ashlee Kozel, owner of The Dandy Lion Boutique, made these fabulous desserts for us to eat while we watched a small fashion show. She baked the cupcakes in mason jars to celebrate Mardis Gras and the night's theme. Really! Mason jars. The cupcakes were so moist and yummy. I wonder if she has any left? LOL

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed of mixer for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water. Batter will be thin.

Pour batter into prepared pans.

For CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups with paper bake cups.

Bake 30-35 minutes.

Ashlee baked her cupcakes in the mason jars, without paper bake cups. Then she added a wonderful frosting -- but she didn't share that recipe. It was yummy white with sprinkles on top.