Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried Green Tomatoes are one of my favorite things about summer.

Love love love them. 

I use a combination of flour and cornmeal which gives it a perfectly crispy coating, 

then I shallow fry them in a little bit of olive oil. After that, a couple of shakes of 

Frank's and a squirt of lemon or lime is all you need.

Linked with Weekend Potluck and Foodie Friday.

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Fried Green Tomatoes

3 green tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Fresh cracked pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
3/4 cup buttermilk

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium to medium high heat. Cut tomatoes into 1/4 - 1/3 inch slices. Stir together cornmeal, flour, salt, garlic powder and both peppers in a bowl. Pour buttermilk into another bowl. Dip tomato slices into buttermilk, then coat evenly in flour mixture. Add to the heated oil and cook 2-3 minutes on each side until crispy. Fry tomatoes in batches so you don't overcrowd the skillet. Use more oil if needed.

Serve with Frank's Red Hot and Lemon or Lime.

Goat Cheese and Orange Stuffed Endive

This is the first time I've had endive. LOVED IT!

I don't know if it was because of what it was stuffed with or what, 

I just know I must eat it again soon.

My sister just had a birthday so I planned a menu of hors d'oeuvres to serve at the party, and these endives where on the list. Maybe even the hit of the food table.

So good in fact, we are going to add them to our Christmas Eve menu. 

Maybe throw some pomegranate seeds around the plate to make it christmassy.

I didn't get close ups of the food (duh), but I wanted to share a few of the recipes anyway.

Along with the endive we had Cranberry Glazed Meatballs and Parmesan Crusted Crab Cake Bites with Chive Aioli. It was all awesome. The recipes for those will post soon.

This recipe is all over the internet, so I can't really give you the source. 

I did use store bought praline pecans instead of the honey walnuts, and I also doubled 

the balsamic vinegar orange reduction with a extra (little)bit of honey. 

The combined flavor of it all was over-the-top deliciousness.

Linked with Weekend Potluck and Foodie Friday. 

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Goat Cheese and Orange Stuffed Endive

1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons honey, divided

Cooking spray

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons orange juice

16 Belgian endive leaves (3-4 small heads)

1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

16 small orange sections (about 2 navel oranges)

1 tablespoon minced fresh chives

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine walnuts and 1 tablespoon honey; spread on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes.

Combine 1 tablespoon honey, vinegar, and orange juice in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, and cook until reduced to 3 tablespoons (about 5 minutes).

Fill each endive leaf with 1 orange section. Top each section with 1 teaspoon cheese and 1 teaspoon walnuts; arrange on a plate. Drizzle the vinegar mixture evenly over leaves, and sprinkle evenly with chives and pepper.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Chunky Red Herb Sauce

What an awesome, delicious, light and easy summer/anytime meal we had last night.

There's really not a lot to it, but the simplicity and fresh herbs really hit the mark.

The chunky red sauce has fresh basil and parsley, along with a few dried herbs, then served over some oven roasted spaghetti squash. The hubby liked his with just a sprinkling of fresh Parmesan, but I added some sauteed garlic shrimp on top of mine.

Very yummy!

Linked with Weekend Potluck and Foodie Friday.

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Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Chunky Red Herb Sauce

1 spaghetti squash, roasted
2 tbsp olive oil, divided use
1/2 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
15oz petite diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp salt and pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 cup fresh basil, chiffonade or chopped
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Freshly grated parmesan

Heat the oven to 400*.

Cut squash in half and clean out seeds and membrane. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut side up on a baking sheet and bake 40 minutes or until tender. Cool; remove strands with a fork and keep warm.

While squash bakes, heat up the remaining oil in a medium size sauce pan. Add onion and saute until it starts to turn translucent. Add garlic and continue to cook 1-2 more minutes. Add tomatoes, Italian seasoning, thyme, salt and pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Simmer for 10-15 minutes; add fresh basil and parsley and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Keep warm.

Serve tomato sauce over squash with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and more fresh parsley.

For the shrimp: I just used some thawed, peeled and deveined large shrimp, which I sprinkled with Old Bay seasoning, a pinch of salt and pepper, then let hang out in the fridge for a few minutes.

Heat a pat of butter and a couple of tsp of oil in a small skillet. Add shrimp and cook 1-2 minutes on the first side, turn and cook another couple of minutes along with 2 cloves of chopped garlic, then sprinkle with parsley.

Corn Avocado Salsa

This is one of my favorite ways to eat grilled chicken breasts.

I even serve this when entertaining.

The salsa is super easy, fast to make, and could even be served as a salad. I usually have 1/2 of it finished off before supper eating it right out of the mixing bowl.

It's light and fresh, great for warmer weather eating, 

especially with all the fresh veggys coming available.

If you wanted to take the time, using grilled fresh corn would be tasty. 

You could also add some heat to it and serve it with chips. 

Anyway you eat it, your gonna love it.

Linked with Sunflower Supper Club: Weekend Potluck,
Rattlebridge Farm: Foodie Friday,
Spatulas On Parade: Foodie Friends Friday

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Corn Avocado Salsa

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tbsp olive oil
2 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Fresh cracked pepper
1 cup corn, frozen(thawed), canned or fresh
1 roma tomato, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped

In a medium size bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Spaghetti with Creamy Butternut Leek Parmesan Sauce

I had no intentions of liking this. 

I'm not a huge squash fan, but do eat it from time to time, and enjoy it. 

Partly because I know how good it is for you.

I had some butternut squash leftover from this Pepita Pesto Pasta with Roasted Squash I had made, so when I came across this from Gina's Skinny Recipes, I was intrigued. 

It sounded really good but on the other hand I kept thinking, "I'm not gonna like this". 

I thought it would be an overload of squash and too sweet.

Well, the verdict is in and it's DELICIOUS! 

It's not very sweet like I figured it was going to be, but more savory. 

Loved it, and so did the hubby. His exact words were, "This is a keeper".

So my words to you are, "Try it, you'll like it". 

Kudos to you, Gina!

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Spaghetti with Creamy Butternut Leek Parmesan Sauce

1 lb butternut squash, peeled and diced

1 tbsp butter

8 oz thin whole wheat spaghetti

1 large leek (white part only)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp sage

 Salt and Pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add butternut squash and cook until soft. Remove squash with a slotted spoon and place in a blender, blend until smooth. Use a little water you cooked the squash in if necessary.

Add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, in a large deep non-stick skillet, melt the butter; saute the leeks and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper over medium-low heat until soft and golden, about 5 - 6 minutes. Add pureed butternut squash and a little of the reserved pasta water to thin out to your liking. Stir in parmesan cheese and sage and mix in pasta until well coated. Taste for seasoning adding salt and pepper if desired.

Serve with additional parmesan cheese on the side.

Very slightly adapted from Gina's Skinny Recipes.

Vegetable Quinoa and Kale Soup

Good for you or not, this is now one of my favorite soups.

Really filling, healthy and delicious with very low fat and calories per serving.

I served a couple of the Mini Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins with Orange Drizzle along side. The savory from the soup and the slight sweetness from the muffins was "WOW".  

A perfect flavor combo. So good! 

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Vegetable Quinoa and Kale Soup

3 slices turkey bacon

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 tsp sage

Pinch red pepper flakes

Salt and Pepper

7 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

1 15 oz can white beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups chopped kale, remove stems

2 cups chopped broccoli

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot. Chop up the bacon and brown; remove with a slotted spoon.

To the same pot add onion, carrots, celery, bay leaves, sage, red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute on med-low 5 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Return to a boil and stir in quinoa, reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Add beans, kale and broccoli and simmer covered for 15 minutes more. Stir in the reserved bacon and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if desired, turn off the heat (replace cover) and let sit for 10 minutes.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Artichokes, Basil Pesto and Cherry Tomatoes

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First off, I'm gonna get it out there. This did not photograph well.

I even considered not posting it for just that reason. 

But, I couldn't do that to you. It was that good.

I've been on a bit of a artichoke kick lately, but I don't apologize. 

They've just been hitting the spot...itching the itch. You get my drift.

This is a great go-to dish.

So easy, healthy and just down right delish.

Linked with Sunflower Supper Club: Weekend Potluck and
Rattlebridge Farm: Foodie Friday.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Artichokes, Basil Pesto and Cherry Tomatoes

1 Spaghetti Squash, roasted

2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for roasting

Salt and Pepper

1/2 onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

Red Pepper Flakes

1/4 cup chicken stock (or vegetable)

1/4 cup white wine

4 oz artichoke hearts, chopped

1/4 cup basil pesto

1 cup sweet cherry tomatoes, halved

Parmesan Cheese

Fresh Parsley

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut spaghetti squash in half, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Roast on a baking sheet, cut side down, for 40-50 minutes or until squash is tender. Let cool, then using a fork, scrape out squash. It will come out in shredded pieces resembling spaghetti.

Add 2 tbsp of olive oil into a large heated skillet. Add onions and sauté 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and continue to sauté another couple minutes. Add white wine and chicken broth. Simmer 3-5 minutes. Stir in basil pesto; add cherry tomatoes and simmer 2 minutes. Add spaghetti squash, parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Stir to combine. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. You can also add additional chicken broth if needed/desired.

Basil Pesto

2/3 cup basil leaves

2 cloves garlic

1/3 cup nuts (I used almonds and pecans)

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt and Pepper

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/4 cup olive oil

Put first six ingredients into a food processor and pulse into a paste. Add cheese and pulse to blend. With machine running, pour in olive oil and mix to incorporate.