Entries for the Old Bay Giveaway will close today at 5 p.m. Hurry and get your ideas/recipes posted. Visit this page to enter: http://amodernhousewife.blogspot.com/2009/07/old-bay-giveaway.html
Good Luck!
reade more...
Good Luck!
Book Club: August's Pick
For August, my book club is going to read the National Bestseller, The Time Traveler's Wife, followed by a screening of the movie.
reade more...
Antipasto Pasta Salad
I made this dish the other night for my book club. It was a big hit. I made it an advance and served it cold, but you could serve it right after it is prepared. If you decide to serve it cold, the best way is to cook the pasta first and allow to cool in the fridge. Once cold, finish the rest of the preparations.
Ingredients:
Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1 bunch fresh basil, stemmed and leaves chopped (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
the juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Antipasto Salad:
1 pound fusilli pasta (or any short, spiral shaped pasta)
1/2 cup hard salami, cut into strips (about 3 ounces)
1/2 cup smoked turkey, cut into strips (about 3 ounces)
1/4 cup provolone cheese, cut into strips
1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese (Parmesan or Romano works as well)
1/4 cup green olives, halved and pitted
1/4 cup roasted red peppers, cut into strips
1/4 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Vinaigrette: In a blender or food processor, add the basil, vinegar, lemon zest and juice, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper. Blend until the herbs are finely chopped. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is smooth.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta. In a large bowl, toss together the cooked pasta with the remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Serve.
This vinaigrette is great; you could use it on a variety of salads.
reade more...
Ingredients:
Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1 bunch fresh basil, stemmed and leaves chopped (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
the juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Antipasto Salad:
1 pound fusilli pasta (or any short, spiral shaped pasta)
1/2 cup hard salami, cut into strips (about 3 ounces)
1/2 cup smoked turkey, cut into strips (about 3 ounces)
1/4 cup provolone cheese, cut into strips
1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese (Parmesan or Romano works as well)
1/4 cup green olives, halved and pitted
1/4 cup roasted red peppers, cut into strips
1/4 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Vinaigrette: In a blender or food processor, add the basil, vinegar, lemon zest and juice, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper. Blend until the herbs are finely chopped. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is smooth.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta. In a large bowl, toss together the cooked pasta with the remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Serve.
This vinaigrette is great; you could use it on a variety of salads.
Old Bay Giveaway
Ok, here we go. The first A Modern Housewife giveaway. I promised you it was coming and I don't go back on my word. The lucky winner of this giveaway will receive a gift basket provided by Old Bay Seasoning in celebration of its 70th Anniversary! The basket, which is actually a pretty nice bag, includes a beach towel, recipes, Old Bay seasoning, key chain, steamer bag, etc.
So, if you're interested, post a comment below with a creative way to use Old Bay Seasoning in a dish. The yummiest sounding suggestion will win and I will attempt to make a dish from the suggestion. I have turned off the comment moderation, so you're comment will be posted immediately. Comments will close at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 31. The winner will need to provide a mailing address to me, by emailing laura.modernhousewife@gmail.com. I will then share it with the Old Bay people to send out to you.
reade more...
So, if you're interested, post a comment below with a creative way to use Old Bay Seasoning in a dish. The yummiest sounding suggestion will win and I will attempt to make a dish from the suggestion. I have turned off the comment moderation, so you're comment will be posted immediately. Comments will close at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 31. The winner will need to provide a mailing address to me, by emailing laura.modernhousewife@gmail.com. I will then share it with the Old Bay people to send out to you.
London Broil with Chimichurri Sauce
Just when I think I have this cooking thing down a major mistake bumps me back down to reality. But, more on that later. Here is a low-carb meal using London Broil that is cooked under your broiler and served with a Chimichurri sauce. This sauce is very versatile. Use the leftovers on chicken or like I did tonight, sauteed fish.
Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 pound London Broil
olive oil
salt and pepper
a couple of handfuls of flat-leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp fresh oregano (I used thyme because I had it on hand and really didn't want to buy oregano, too. But, I think oregano is more authentic for this Argentinian sauce.)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
handful of cherry tomatoes (Totally optional. I don't think tomatoes are low-carb, I just added them because I thought they would be good...and they were.)
3 Tbsp olive oil
Alright, this is where I screwed up. The directions that I was semi-following said to cook under your broiler by placing the oven rack on the closest setting to the flame. So being that this was my first time cooking a piece of meat in such a way, I did what I was told. Then it said to liberally drizzle the meat with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, which I did. Well, after a couple of minutes I noticed there was a lot of smoke, I peeked inside the oven and there was a flame, actual fire! I totally freaked out, closed the door, turned off the broiler and yelled fire to my husband. Needless to say, he wasn't amused. All was well, the flame went out by itself but smoked filled my house. It still kinda smells in here. Miraculously, the meat wasn't ruined and turned out pretty well.
But, this is why I test recipes prior to posting them, so you all can learn from my mistakes. So, if your broiler has two settings like mine - low and high - place it on low. And DO NOT place the oven rack closest to the flame. Instead, place it second to the top. Set the London Broil on a broiler pan, season with salt and pepper and liberally drizzle with olive oil. Cook for about 8 minutes per side. Longer if you like it more well done. But, I warn you, London Broil is a tough meat, the more done it is, the drier and chewier it will be. Remove from the oven to a cutting board, cover with foil and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes.
While the meat is resting, place the tomatoes on the pan and cook under the broiler for a minute until they get hot and pop a bit. Place the parsley, garlic, oregano or thyme, red wine vinegar and tomatoes into a food processor and chop. Add the olive oil and mix. Slice the meat thinly across the grain (the lines running horizontally through the meat). Spoon the sauce over the meat.
I served with green beans that I boiled for a few minutes and then sauteed with olive oil, garlic and sliced almonds.
reade more...
Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 pound London Broil
olive oil
salt and pepper
a couple of handfuls of flat-leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp fresh oregano (I used thyme because I had it on hand and really didn't want to buy oregano, too. But, I think oregano is more authentic for this Argentinian sauce.)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
handful of cherry tomatoes (Totally optional. I don't think tomatoes are low-carb, I just added them because I thought they would be good...and they were.)
3 Tbsp olive oil
Alright, this is where I screwed up. The directions that I was semi-following said to cook under your broiler by placing the oven rack on the closest setting to the flame. So being that this was my first time cooking a piece of meat in such a way, I did what I was told. Then it said to liberally drizzle the meat with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, which I did. Well, after a couple of minutes I noticed there was a lot of smoke, I peeked inside the oven and there was a flame, actual fire! I totally freaked out, closed the door, turned off the broiler and yelled fire to my husband. Needless to say, he wasn't amused. All was well, the flame went out by itself but smoked filled my house. It still kinda smells in here. Miraculously, the meat wasn't ruined and turned out pretty well.
But, this is why I test recipes prior to posting them, so you all can learn from my mistakes. So, if your broiler has two settings like mine - low and high - place it on low. And DO NOT place the oven rack closest to the flame. Instead, place it second to the top. Set the London Broil on a broiler pan, season with salt and pepper and liberally drizzle with olive oil. Cook for about 8 minutes per side. Longer if you like it more well done. But, I warn you, London Broil is a tough meat, the more done it is, the drier and chewier it will be. Remove from the oven to a cutting board, cover with foil and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes.
While the meat is resting, place the tomatoes on the pan and cook under the broiler for a minute until they get hot and pop a bit. Place the parsley, garlic, oregano or thyme, red wine vinegar and tomatoes into a food processor and chop. Add the olive oil and mix. Slice the meat thinly across the grain (the lines running horizontally through the meat). Spoon the sauce over the meat.
I served with green beans that I boiled for a few minutes and then sauteed with olive oil, garlic and sliced almonds.
Recipe: Ground Beef Enchiladas
I LOVE Mexican food! If given the chance, I would eat it for every meal, snack and in between. I ate Mexican food through both my pregnancies. My mother and I (mostly my mom, but I assisted!) made a batch of beef enchiladas that were delicious goodness (to coin my girl's phrase). Here is the recipe we used:
Ground Beef Enchiladas
For the meat filling:
1 lb ground meat
1 chopped onion
1 pkg. grated longhorn cheese (we used colby jack mix)
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes, drained
1 - 2 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
For the sauce:
1 can chopped green chillies
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pkg Monterrey Jack cheese
1-1lb velveeta cheese
1 small can evaporated milk
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes
Brown meat with onion. Add cheese; stir until melted. Add tomatoes and seasonings. Fill flour tortillas with meat mixture. Place seam side down in a 13"x9" pan. Pour sauce over tortillas. Cover. Bake at 450 degrees for about 15 min. Top with sour creem, sliced black olives, or jalapeno peppers.
The sauce is so good that we put some aside and used as a dip with chips. No more Velvetta and Rotel for me! I now know the BEST cheese dip!
Enjoy!
reade more...
Ground Beef Enchiladas
For the meat filling:
1 lb ground meat
1 chopped onion
1 pkg. grated longhorn cheese (we used colby jack mix)
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes, drained
1 - 2 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
For the sauce:
1 can chopped green chillies
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pkg Monterrey Jack cheese
1-1lb velveeta cheese
1 small can evaporated milk
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes
Brown meat with onion. Add cheese; stir until melted. Add tomatoes and seasonings. Fill flour tortillas with meat mixture. Place seam side down in a 13"x9" pan. Pour sauce over tortillas. Cover. Bake at 450 degrees for about 15 min. Top with sour creem, sliced black olives, or jalapeno peppers.
The sauce is so good that we put some aside and used as a dip with chips. No more Velvetta and Rotel for me! I now know the BEST cheese dip!
Enjoy!
Shrimpy Breakfast Burrito
I had some leftover shrimp from last night's quesadillas and had a great idea to make a breakfast burrito with them for my husband. He loved it.
Ingredients:
Leftover Old Bay seasoned shrimp, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
2 large eggs
1 tortilla (I used my low-carb wheat Tam-X-icos)
salt and pepper
Crack the eggs into a bowl, season with salt and pepper and whisk with a fork. Set aside.
In a skillet over medium low heat, add a pat of butter. Once the butter melts, add the shrimp to re-heat. Then add the green onion and saute the two for just a bit, less than a minute. Add the eggs and scramble the mixture slowly. You never want to scramble eggs real fast over high heat. They'll become rubbery and that is not good. Be patient and scramble slowly over low heat.
While the eggs are cooking, heat a tortilla in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften it. Add some shredded cheese on the tortilla. Place the cooked eggs and shrimp over the cheese. Add a few drops of hot sauce. Roll up the tortilla into a buritto and enjoy!
Obviously, if you have enough shrimp leftover to make two burritos, go for it. I just had a few leftover.
reade more...
Ingredients:
Leftover Old Bay seasoned shrimp, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
2 large eggs
1 tortilla (I used my low-carb wheat Tam-X-icos)
salt and pepper
Crack the eggs into a bowl, season with salt and pepper and whisk with a fork. Set aside.
In a skillet over medium low heat, add a pat of butter. Once the butter melts, add the shrimp to re-heat. Then add the green onion and saute the two for just a bit, less than a minute. Add the eggs and scramble the mixture slowly. You never want to scramble eggs real fast over high heat. They'll become rubbery and that is not good. Be patient and scramble slowly over low heat.
While the eggs are cooking, heat a tortilla in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften it. Add some shredded cheese on the tortilla. Place the cooked eggs and shrimp over the cheese. Add a few drops of hot sauce. Roll up the tortilla into a buritto and enjoy!
Obviously, if you have enough shrimp leftover to make two burritos, go for it. I just had a few leftover.