Summer Vegetable Gratin

I strongly urge you to make this dish as the summer is winding down- you won't be sorry. Aren't those heirloom tomatoes from Trader Joe pretty?

Summer Vegetable Gratin

• 6tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1pound zucchini , ends trimmed and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1pound summer squash (yellow), ends trimmed and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 2teaspoons table salt
• 1 1/2pounds ripe tomatoes (3 to 4 large), sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 3/4teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 medium garlic clove, pressed
• 1 T. minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1C. bread crumbs
• 1 C. grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4cup chopped fresh basil leaves

• 1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush 13- by 9-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon oil; set aside.
• 2. Toss zucchini and summer squash slices with 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl; transfer to colander set over bowl. Let stand until zucchini and squash release at least 3 tablespoons of liquid, about 45 minutes. Arrange slices on triple layer paper towels; cover with another triple layer paper towels. Firmly press each slice to remove as much liquid as possible.
• 3. Place tomato slices in single layer on double layer paper towels and sprinkle evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt; let stand 30 minutes. Place second double layer paper towels on top of tomatoes and press firmly to dry tomatoes.
• 4. Combine garlic, 3 tablespoons oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and thyme in small bowl. In large bowl, toss zucchini and summer squash in half of oil mixture, then arrange in greased baking dish. Slightly overlap tomato slices in single layer on top of zucchs. Spoon remaining garlic-oil mixture evenly over tomatoes. Bake until vegetables are tender and tomatoes are starting to brown on edges, 40 to 45 minutes.
• 5. Combine bread crumbs, remaining tablespoon oil, and Parmesan in medium bowl. Remove baking dish from oven and increase heat to 450 degrees. Sprinkle bread-crumb mixture evenly on top of tomatoes. Bake gratin until bubbling and cheese is lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and let sit at room temperature 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from America's Test Kitchen. Although Christopher Kimball is the nerdiest nerd ever, I can't help but love him for the good work he does. :)

Pesto Pasta Salad

I made this for a BBQ on Saturday night... and I will be making it again soon. Sooo tasty. Recipe from good friend Ina.

Pesto Pasta Salad

• 3/4 pound fusilli pasta
• 3/4 pound bow tie pasta
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups pesto
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
• 3 T. lemon juice
• 1 1/4 C. mayo
• 1/2 C. freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 1/2 C. frozen peas, defrosted
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 3/4 tsp. black pepper

Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, pine nuts, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.

Coconut Fruit Dip

Friend Chelsea brought this to a pool party Friday night- it was loved by everyone. I should be a little embarrassed that I have already made it TWICE since. Saturday and Sunday nights. It's that awesome.

Coconut Fruit Dip

1/2 C. softened cream cheese (4 oz., or half a block)
1/2 C. sour cream
1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. sweetened shredded coconut

Combine all ingredients well. Great with berries, pineapple, grapes, whatever suits your fancy.

Balsamic- roasted Potatoes & Carrots

I'm so mad I forgot to take a picture when I made this, but this is similar to what it looked like, minus the carrots. The flavor is amazing- #1 way to cook vegetables for sure!

Balsamic- roasted Potatoes and Carrots

3 lbs potatoes (whatever kind you like), cut into chunks
1 lb peeled baby cut carrots ( or 4 large carrots cut into chunks)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 onion, thinly sliced (if you must)
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and set aside. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and place on baking sheet in a single layer. Cover with foil and roast for 45 minutes, shaking the pan a few times. Remove foil and roast, uncovered, for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until veggies are tender and golden.

Green Beans with Almonds and Parsley

This is a Sarah Molten (Food Network) recipe, that I have loved and used many times. I love the cooking method- so interesting to one such as myself who finds those kinds of things fascinating. Delish.

Green Beans with Almonds and Parsley

1/4 C. slivered almonds
1 lb. green beans, washed and ends trimmed
1/3 c. water
2 tsp. butter, plus 2 more tsp.
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 T. chopped flat-leaf parsley
gresh ground black pepper

Heat a pot with lid over medium low heat. Add almonds and toast, stirring til golden brown and fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside. In the same pot add green beans, 1/3 cup water, 2 tsp butter, and salt and cover with lid. Increase heat to med-high, and steam for about 5 minutes until beans are bright green and just tender. Remove lid and continue to cook until water evaporates and beans start to saute, 2 minutes longer. Turn off heat, stir in toasted almonds, lemon zest, parsley, remaining 2 tsp. butter, and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Spiced Pecans

I've tried a few different methods of candying nuts, and this is my fave. It also happens to be the easiest. America's Test Kitchen hasn't failed me yet. These are great on their own, or awesome in a salad.

Spiced Pecans

2 T. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. allspice
2 C. pecan halves
2 T. sugar

Melt butter over medium-low in a non-stick skillet. Stir in salt, pepper, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Stir in pecans, and toast until color just starts to deepen, 6-8 minutes. Toss in a bowl with sugar and spread on a plate to cool.

The salad I like goes like this: romaine lettuce, sliced Bartlett pears, TJ's Champagne Pear Vinaigrette, crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, and the spiced pecans. Give it a try- it's a great one.

Strawberry and Pomegranate Chilled Soup

Warning: If you make this, you'll want to drink the whole blender full. Perfect for an appetizer or dessert.

Strawberry and Pomegranate Chilled Soup

1 c. pomegranate juice
2 c. half and half
1/4 c. orange juice
1 1/2 c. fresh strawberries, plus more for garnish
1/2 c. sour cream
2 T. sugar

Put all ingredients into blender and process until well blended. Pour into bowls and sprinkle with finely diced strawberries.

Brown Sugar-Glazed Carrots

This was an easy choice- a winner every time.

Brown Sugar-Glazed Carrots

1 pound medium carrots, peeled
1 T. butter
1 T. brown sugar

Cut the carrots in half, crosswise and lengthwise. In a medium saucepan, cook the carrots, covered, in small amount of boiling salted water for 8-10 minutes, til crisp-tender. Drain and remove from pan. In same pan, combine butter, brown sugar, and dash of salt. Cook and stir over medium heat til combined. Add carrots and cook for two more minutes, stirring frequently. Season with a little black pepper.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

One of Chris' favorite things in the world is homemade bread. Unfortunately, I am rather bread-challenged and haven't practiced enough to master it. So the bread was just OK, but the freezer jam Maren and I made to go with it is super. We went with the low-sugar variety, not to say there isn't still PLENTY of sugar in there. The original recipe is 2 cups fruit, 4 cups sugar. Low-sugar calls for 4 cups fruit, 3 cups sugar. Still very tasty and a little more peace of mind when scarfing it down. We started the process at 10 am and were done by 11:05, when I had to go pick up Maya from preschool. I was even on time. I used the tiny ziploc containers this time (1 cup), because there are no preservatives or anything and when you pull it out of the freezer to refrigerate, you must use within a couple of weeks. Our first container lasted a day and a half. YUMMY. I really like freezer jam as opposed to cooked jam because it has a really fresh fruit taste.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

4 pts. strawberries
3 C. sugar
1 pkg. Sure-Jell low-sugar fruit pectin (the pink box- found by the Jell-O)

Wash and rinse plastic containers with tight fitting lids. Wash and de-stem strawberries, then crush, one cup at a time, using a food processor or potato masher. If using a food processor, pulse to chop, don't puree. Measure exact amount of stawberries into a large bowl. Measure exact amount of sugar into large saucepan. Mix Sure-Jell with the sugar. Stir in once cup water. Bring sugar/water/Sure-Jell mix to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute. Remove from heat. Quickly stir fruit into hot sugar-pectin mix. Stir for one minute. Pour into prepared containers, leaving 1/2 inch space at top for expansion during freezing; cover. Let stand at room temp 24 hours til set. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks, or freeze for up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator.

Friends: you can do this. If you are intimidated, don't be. The only problem is, once you've tried it, you will never want store-bought jam again. If that is going to be a problem, don't make this.

Spaghetti with Garlic, Olive Oil, and Broccoli

I wasn't sure how this dish would turn out because it calls for a lot of garlic and I'm not a huge garlic fan, but this was so good! It's light and healthy and has really good flavor. We had this with parmesan breadsticks that are super easy and delicious!

Spaghetti with Garlic, Olive Oil, and Broccoli

6 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and ground black pepper
1 pound spaghetti
3 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cups fresh broccoli florets
grated parmesan cheese (for serving)

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot.
2. Cook 3 tablespoons of oil, 3 tablespoons of garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in 10-inch nonstick skillet over low heat, stirring often, until garlic is sticky, foamy, and straw-colored, about 10 minutes. Transfer to small bowl.
3. To skillet, add 1/2 cup water and broccoli. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until broccoli is tender but still crisp at center, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain.
4. Add spaghetti and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain spaghetti and return to pot.
5. Stir parsley, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, 3 tablespoons oil, sauteed garlic, broccoli, and 2 tablespoons reserved pasta cooking water into spaghetti. Season with salt and pepper. Add reserved pasta cooking water as needed to loosen sauce. Serve, passing the Parmesan separately.


Parmesan Bread Sticks

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out 1 pound pizza dough ( I used Fresh and Easy's whole wheat pizza dough) into 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Cut dough into 1-inch wide strips and lay on well-oiled baking sheet. Brush with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly on wire rack and serve warm.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

This is another family favorite. The dressing is what makes it! The recipe actually calls for pecans, but I usually use slivered almonds. I happened to have some pine nuts on hand when I made this last week and I really liked that combination too.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 Tablespoons cider vinegar
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
10 cups spinach ( I just use 1 prepackaged bag)
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup slivered almonds or pine nuts

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the first seven ingredients; shake well. Just before serving, combine spinach, strawberries, and nuts in a large bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat.

Avocado Citrus Salad

This is one of our most favorite salads ever. And I love making it when citrus is in season because I can pick oranges and grapefruit straight from the backyard!

Avocado Citrus Salad
Serves 8-10

1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ripe avocados, peeled and sliced
8-10 cups romaine lettuce
3 oranges, peeled and sectioned
2 grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
1 cup green or red grapes

In a small bowl, combine oil, vinegar, sugar, and salt. In a large salad bowl, toss the remaining ingredients. Pour dressing over salad and gently toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Creamy Herbed Potatoes

I was wanting to try Pioneer Woman's creamy herbed potatoes, but seeing as how I do not own a mandolin and am not willing to thinly slice enough potatoes to feed the whole Bradshaw clan plus all the extra Sunday dinner guests, I decided to try the recipe but just swap out frozen hashbrowns. Maybe less pretty, but no less tasty. I hope it doesn't affect my standing in the church if I say I like these better than funeral pototoes.

Creamy Herbed Potatoes

1 pkg. frozen hashbrowns
1 stick (1/4 pound) butter
1/2 a small onion, grated (if you must)
8 ounces softened cream cheese
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 T. finely chopped rosemary
1 T.. finely chopped parsley
1/2 T. finely chopped sage

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add butter to a large skillet over medium low heat. When melted, add onion. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cream cheese to the pan and stir to melt. Pour in cream and milk, stirring to combine. Season with plenty of salt and pepper, then add chopped herbs. Place potatoes in a buttered baking dish. Pour contents of skillet over the top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake for 45 minutes. Allow potatoes to sit 15 minutes before serving.

Jalapeno cheddar cornbread

Made this to go with spicy chili the other night. It was sooo light and fluffy, and very flavorful. Truth-be-told, I prefer a sweet cornbread, and this definitely falls into the savory category, but Maren said I had to post it anyway. Next time I try this I will double the sugar and leave out the scallions. I loved the jalapeno flavor (not spicy, just yummy), but thought the scallions were a tad overpowering, as onions usually are. BLAST YOU, ONIONS!! Why don't I ever learn?

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
(from Barefoot Contessa)

3 C. all-purpose flour
1 C. yellow cornmeal
1/4 C. sugar
2 T. baking powder
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 C. milk
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
8 oz. cheddar cheese, grated, divided
1/3 C. chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish, 3 scallions
3 T. seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers

Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just incorporated. Don't overmix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar, the scallions and jalapenos, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar and extra chopped scallions. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Baked Zucchini Sticks

I found this recipe at For the Love of Cooking and I'll definitely be making these again! Easy, delicious, and healthier than the fried version!

Baked Zucchini Sticks

2 large zucchini
2 eggs
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
Dash of garlic powder
Dash of dried basil
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil or wax paper - spray with cooking spray. Cut the zucchini into half lengthwise then into thick spears. Combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and seasonings then mix thoroughly. Dip the spears into egg then bread crumbs and Parmesan mixture, making sure to coat evenly. Place on baking sheet and spray the top of each spear with cooking spray. Bake for 10-12 minutes then turn the oven to broil and cook, watching carefully, until they become golden brown 45-60 seconds. Serve with marinara sauce or your favorite salad dressing. Enjoy!

Pan Roasted Asparagus with Toasted Garlic and Parmesan

I always love a side of plain steamed asparagus, but I saw this recipe in my Cook's Illustrated cookbook and thought it would be a perfect side dish with the spaghetti we were having for dinner.

This recipe works best with asparagus that is at least 1/2 inch thick near the base. Do not use pencil thin asparagus because it cannot withstand the heat and will overcook to easily.

1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 sliced garlic cloves
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 bunch thick asparagus, trimmed
salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1.Cook garlic cloves with olive oil over medium heat until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer garlic to paper towel-lined plate.
2. Melt butter in same skillet used for garlic over medium high heat. Add asparagus in even layer; cover and cook until spears are bright green and still crisp, about 5 minutes.
3. Uncover, increase heat to high, and continue to cook until spears are tender and well browned along one side, 5-7 minutes, using tongs to move spears from center of pan to edge of pan to ensure all are browned.
4. Transfer asparagus to serving dish, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle toasted garlic and parmesan cheese over top.

Layered Salad

This will probably be the easiest thing to make on this blog, but it tastes AMAZING!

one layer salad greens
one layer chopped carrots
one bag of frozen peas, thawed
one layer of cheese
another layer salad greens
one layer tomatoes
another layer cheese
bell peppers cut up
craisins sprinkled on top

Kabobs and Pineapple Rice

I made these a couple of months ago for dinner, and we especially loved the rice. The fresh ginger is SO SO good in it. Last night we had our RS birthday luau for enrichment, and I made the rice for 70! It was a good compliment to the pulled pork, fresh fruit with strawberry cream dip, and homemade strawberry mango ice cream in waffle cups for dessert. I could go for that again right this minute.
Recipe from Everyday Food.

Kabobs with Pineapple Rice

Choose either metal or wooden skewers (four 12-inch or eight 6-inch) for these kebabs. Soak wooden ones in water for at least 15 minutes before grilling to keep them from burning.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for grates
1 cup long-grain white rice
1/3 cup honey
1 can (8 ounces) pineapple chunks in juice, drained and coarsely chopped (juice reserved)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pork tenderloin (1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
2 medium red bell peppers, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (from a peeled 1/2-inch piece)
1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving

Heat grill to medium; lightly oil grates. Cook rice according to package instructions. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk honey and 2 tablespoons pineapple juice; season with salt and pepper. Alternately thread pork and bell peppers onto skewers; season with salt and pepper. Grill, brushing occasionally with honey mixture, until pork is cooked through and peppers begin to char, 10 to 15 minutes. To rice, add pineapple chunks, scallions, ginger, and oil. Season with salt and pepper, and fluff with a fork. Serve kebabs with rice and lime wedges.

I need to start using ginger more. Under-Rated.

Broccoli with red pepper butter

This might not look that tempting at first glance, but it really is a good side dish to know. And its a two fer one- 2 of the 5 fruits/veggies you should have a day. I love these flavors together. Try it!

Broccoli with red pepper butter

1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets
3 T. butter
1 sweet red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into very thin strips
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Bring a medium sized pot of salted water to boiling. In a non stick skillet, heat 2 T. butter over medium heat. Add red pepper to butter, reduce to medium low; cook stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. In the meantime, cook broccoli in boiling water for 5 minutes. After removing the red pepper butter from the heat, add remaining T. butter, salt and pepper. Place broccoli in a bowl, pour red pepper butter over top. Serve at once.

I do-ed it!

Kelli, I just wanted you to see that I am not completely bread-challenged, although I have had more than my share of failed attempts. I made the cloverleaf shape, so as to distinguish myself from your signature knots or butterhorns. :) Chris, the kids, and the YW in my ward had good things to say about them. I followed your instructions in the Bradshaw fam cookbook this time, instead of following the BH&G recipe. Thanks for showing me the way to achieve really hot buns.

Kelli's Hot Buns

1 C. milk
1 heaping T. active dry yeast
1/4 C. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 C. butter, softened
3 1/2 C. all-purpose flour

Heat milk in micro so that it is warm to the touch, approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add yeast and sugar to milk, mix, and let sit for 10-15 minutes until bubbles form. To yeast mixture, add salt, beaten egg, and butter. Then add the flour, one cup at a time, mixing between each addition. Mix until dough cleans the sides of the bowl and forms a ball in the center. Remove the dough from the bowl, and knead for 4-5 minutes. Cover and let rise for 30-40 minutes. Shape, place on greased baking sheet 2-3 inches apart, cover, and let rise again for 30-40 minutes. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.