Monthly Archives: March 2016
This dish was a little bit of a surprise. I thought it would be good and a great way to use up some broccoli, but I did not expect to like it as much as I did! This dish can also be made ahead and is still very tasty a few hours later! It makes enough for two large portions, so feel free to double it! This is a great and healthy side dish!
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries
1 1/2 cup chopped fresh broccoli
1/2 cup salted cashews, chopped
2 Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoon honey
Sprinkle of cinnamon
DIRECTIONS
Add the strawberries, broccoli and cashews into a medium size bowl, set aside. In a small bowl whisk the yogurt, balsamic vinegar, honey and cinnamon together. Add the dressing to the broccoli mix and stir well. Serve or store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Enjoy!
This dish can be found at www.thediva-dish.com
I’m not sure too many of my East Coast friends have heard of Ilvento’s Sauce. I know I had not heard of it until recently! This product has not only been featured on Good Morning America it was also one of Oprah’s favorite things this past holiday season! I don’t follow Oprah, but I will confess I do check out her favorite thing’s list each season!
Ilvento’s started in 1933 and is still going strong. The sauce is made in southern California with no additives or preservatives and is all natural. I like this product already!
Let’s talk about their different sauces. It’s not just one sauce, but they have four different sauces. The first sauce is the Original Sugo Marinara that is described as sweet with garlic and basil. They also have an Arrabbiata sauce that they describe as their spiciest sauce of all. Next is the Dal Pietro sauce that is savory and rich that would go well with lamb or with your favorite lasagna recipe. Any mushroom fans out there? The last sauce is a mushroom Boscariolo that is made with whole mushrooms and that is popular with the vegans of the world!
Now that you know a little bit about the product, are you wondering how it tasted? I tried the Dal Pietro and it was exactly the way as they described it…rich and savory! I have to say the second I opened the jar the smell was just incredible of the herbs and spices flowing from the jar. I have never experienced this with any other jarred sauce. I have to say at that point I was getting a little excited about tasting the sauce! I served this over pasta with pork sausage (my boys like a hearty dinner). After the sausage had browned I added the sauce and brought it to a simmer. We all sat down for dinner and Jim asked if this was going on the blog. I said “yes it is” then he asked “what’s in the sauce”. I told him it was from a jar, he said “no way, that is not from a jar”. I said “it is” and he continued on and on with me until I finally took the jar out of the recycling bin to prove it to him! The sauce truly was that good! Full of flavor, bold seasoning and not the super sweet you typically get from jarred sauces. The last time I had a sauce this good was at a restaurant in the north end of Boston!
With all of that being said and the most amazing flavor I have ever tasted out of a jar I have to tell you…the price is not cheap! This can been purchased from their website with various combinations or single jars. A combination pack with one of each flavor is $36.95 plus shipping. It would be about ten dollars a jar, that is definitely much more than I spend on any sauce and not an amount I would spend all the time but I have to say it was good enough to bring me back for more
www.ilventos.com
Enjoy!
This cookie recipe originated from the Ocean Spray website and is also on the back of the Craisin package! I did make a couple small changes to the recipe after reading some of the reviews. We really enjoyed this cookie as it is not super sweet and is a little lighter than some other cookies. I will definitely make these again. These would also be really good with the addition of chopped walnuts or pecans! I made these as a gift for my neighbor but I also think these would be a great addition to any holiday table.
INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup Craisin’s
2/3 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, add vanilla and milk mix until combined. In a mixing bowl combine oats, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add this mixture to your butter mixture a little bit at a time mixing after each addition. When all combined, add the Craisins and white chocolate chips and mix by hand until well combined. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
Enjoy!
We just loved this dish! Lots of flavor with the sweetness from the sun dried tomatoes and the rich creaminess from the parmesan, not to mention the fresh basil. This would be great with some roasted asparagus and a splash of white wine as well! Having this dish cook in just one pot is an added bonus! Give this recipe a try I know you will enjoy it as much as we did!
INGREDIENTS
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced into bite size pieces.
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/4 cups dry orzo pasta
2 3/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, drained and diced
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
DIRECTIONS
Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Once the oil is heated, add the diced chicken, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken so that it is browned and seasoned on both sides, the chicken will not be cooked through at this point. Add the garlic to the pan and sauté for a couple minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the orzo pasta, reduce heat to medium and cover the pan. Allow to boil for five minutes. Uncover and continue to boil about another five minutes or until orzo is tender, stirring occasionally. It will still be a little saucy with the broth. Once the pasta has cooked, remove from heat and add the cheese stirring until the cheese is melted. Add the basil and sun dried tomatoes, stirring throughly. I seasoned with a little more pepper but that is up to you.
Serve warm.
Enjoy!
This recipe can be found at www.cookingclassy.com
I love peanut butter and chocolate, who doesn’t right? In my book there is not a better combination! When I came across this recipe I knew I had to give it a try. This is dangerous…brownies, peanut butter and peanut butter cups! Ooohhhh yaaaaa…this would be an amazing start to a brownie sundae, just sayin!
INGREDIENTS
1 box of brownie mix (I used Ghiardelli) and ingredients to make the brownie.
1 cup peanut butter, melted in the microwave for 30 seconds
1 cup chopped peanut butter cups
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix brownie batter according to directions. WITHOUT BAKING, pour prepared batter into a greased 9 x 9 square baking pan, spreading the batter evenly. Pour the melted peanut butter on top of the batter, spread evenly across brownie batter. Sprinkle the peanut butter cups and the chocolate chips over the peanut butter layer. Bake 27-30 minutes until the center no longer wobbles and the peanut butter layer is slightly browned around the edges. Cool. Slice and serve.
Enjoy!
This can be found at www.buzzfeedfood.com
