grown up grilled cheese/ ariel's favorite panini.

lately at my house we've been obsessed with using the george foreman grill. i always forget about my small appliances, and i'm glad i dug this one up from the depths of my cupboards! one of my favorite things to make on the geo.fo. is paninis. i've done a whole lot of experimenting and this is by far my favorite combination:

sourdough bread
pesto
mozzarella cheese
brianna's blush wine vinaigrette

i like to use bread from an unsliced loaf so i can cut it as thinly as i like. lightly butter the bread on the outsides, pesto & shredded mozzarella on one side, 1-2 tsp vinaigrette spooned over the other side, a couple of minutes on the geo.fo. and voila! best panini ever! you seriously need to try it.

{i'm not putting this in the "live longer lunch" category unless you feel like the sides make it a super healthy meal...}

Cottage Cheese salad

One of my go-to lunches that I prepare for myself and my daughter on a weekly basis is so simply, yet so incredibly delicious {assuming you like the two major ingredients}

 ingredients:

cottage cheese 

avocado

• I usually do about one cup low-fat cottage cheese and then dice or mash up one half of a large avocado.

Trust me, it is really divine, and quite filling. When it's for my daughter I usually give her a banana or some mandarin oranges on the side, when they're on hand.

When I make it for myself I also add in some diced tomatoes and then grind pepper over it, and if I am feeling adventurous, I warm up a whole wheat pita pocket and eat that with it as well.

It is really simple, but believe me when I say it is really yummy. And proof that kids will eat this:

Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

Happy New Year!  I'm kicking this year off with this savory soup...

So I promised to make this soup a while ago and finally got around to it . . . and am sure glad I did.  This soup is super yummy.  I'll admit, it's not exactly like Zuppa's Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup, but close enough!  It was fun to make--the kids helped put the cauliflower in and watch it blend into liquid.  And they loved it too!  So here's another soup recipe to make before Spring comes! (Pair this soup with this sandwich here - you'll be in heaven!)

ingredients

2 T butter

1 med onion, chopped

1/4 c all purpose flour

1/2 t salt

2 c milk

1 can chicken broth

1 head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 t Dijon mustard

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

1 c pepper jack cheese

instructions

In a 4-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until golden, about 10 min, stirring occasionally.  Stir in flour and salt; cook 2 min, stirring frequently.  Gradually stir in milk, broth, and 1 1 /2 cups water; add cauliflower and heat to boiling over high heat.  Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 10 min.  In blender (with center part of blender-cover removed to allow steam to escape), blend cauliflower mixture at low speed in small batches until very smooth.  Return cauliflower mixture to saucepan; heat over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally.  Remove saucepan from heat; stir in mustard and 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted and smooth.  Garnish soup with remaining cheese to serve.

What are you cooking in 2011?

instant potato soup.

this kept us nice & toasty during the winter storm today! i love that it doesn't require actual potatoes. i don't always have potatoes on hand, but i always have the instant variety :)

ingredients:
2 Tbsp onion, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
3 cups milk
1 can chicken broth
4 servings worth of dry instant mashed potatoes
1 1/2 tsp salt
pepper

directions:
in a saucepan, saute onion in butter over low heat. add milk, chicken broth, salt & pepper, and potato flakes. heat to almost boiling, stirring constantly. remove from heat. garnish with paprika, parsley, or grated cheese. add milk if too thick.

optional:
i added 2 cups of cubed, cooked potatoes. i think next time i'll try adding 4 slices of finely chopped bacon when i cook the onions.

quinoa salad.

for those of you who have never heard of quinoa, here's some info: it's kind of like a grain. you cook it like rice. it's popular with vegetarians because of its high protein content. it's a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. it is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. why am i cooking with it, you ask? because my mother-in-law gave me a bag of it. i had to look it up online and find recipes to cook with it! you could make this same recipe with couscous or rice if you're not up to experimenting with quinoa... though i recommend it because it's yummy! you can find it in the bulk foods ailse of your grocery store.

this is a use-what-you-like, forget-about-the-rest kind of recipe. i'll highlight what i used.

salad:
1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups cold water {i always need at least 2 cups of water because the lid on my pan isn't really tight}
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup snow peas, shell peas, celery, or green beans
1 - 2 small carrots, peeled and sliced thin
1/2 green or red pepper, sliced thin
1 medium ripe tomato
1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, or basil
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted sunflower seeds or toasted cashews

options:
chopped scallions, dried unsweetened cranberries, raisins or apricots, greek olives, minced jalapeno pepper, fresh mint.... and of course i'm not a vegetarian, so i threw some feta cheese on top.

dressing:
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
Fresh ground pepper
options: pinch of cayenne, garlic powder or fresh minced garlic, minced fresh or dried ginger

directions:

1. soak the quinoa 15 minutes in cold water
2. rinse thoroughly, pour off most of the water and drain through a large fine mesh strainer
3. place in 2 qt pot with the water, salt and oil
4. bring to a boil
5. turn the heat down to very low, cover and cook for 15 minutes
6. remove from heat and allow to sit five minutes with lid on
7. fluff gently with a fork and set aside to cool.
8. steam the carrots and green veg for 5 minutes, rinse in cold water
9. chop the tomatoes, herb and cucumber
10. blend dressing ingredients with a whisk or shake in a jar
11. gently combine veggies, walnuts, quinoa and dressing in a large bowl
12. cover and chill

{next time i plan to use cilantro, black beans, tomatoes, and mexican seasonings... yummmm!}

Thursday at Shawnee's

Bean Burritos with (Spring) Greens

My computer ate my picture of this. I'm very disappointed because it looked so pretty with all the colors. Oh well, use your imagination and when I make it again I'll post a picture! This was a new recipe from earlier in the summer. I loved it because it was a yummy way to sneak those leafy greens in.

Ingredients:
1 green/spring garlic (or use what garlic is in season)
1 baby walla walla onion (or use your favorite onion)
1 bunch cooking greens (spinach, kale, chard, etc.)
2 TBSP olive oil
salt to taste
1 can refried beans (I used refried black beans)
4 warm tortillas
Shredded cheese (as much as you want)
Toppings: salsa, avocado, limes, sour cream, etc.

Instructions:
Finely chop onion and garlic. Saute onion, garlic, and greens in olive oil for about 5 minutes. (I find it best if you saute the onion and garlic together first, then add the greens.) Salt to taste. Layer greens mixture with warmed beans, cheese and other toppings of your choice on tortillas. Roll up tortilla and serve.