Crispy Onion Rings

Crispy Onion Ring Ingredients:

4 large onions
1 quart buttermilk
2 cups flour
salt
pepper
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
oil for frying

Directions:
1. Slice 4 large onions into ¼-inch rings. Place in large bowl and cover with buttermilk.
2. Season with salt and pepper (season to taste).
3. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Place 2 cups flour in a shallow dish. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
5. Dredge onion rings in seasoned flour. Dip again in buttermilk, then in seasoned four.
6. Fry in batches in a large skillet, in 350 degree oil for 2 to 3 minutes until golden.
7. Drain on paper towels. Let oil come back to temperature before frying next batch.

Glazed Carrots

Boil 1/2 lb carrots till tender, drain. Add 2 tlbsp butter and 3 tlbsp brown sugar. Stir to dissolve. Simmer 10 min over med heat until glazed.

Corn with Ginger, Garlic & Cilantro

A new spin on corn. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 c sliced scallions
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 heaping cups fresh corn kernals
• 2 tbsp minced fresh giner
• 2-4 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 sp serrano chili (optional, but a bit of heat is good)
• 2 tbsp cilantro
• 1/2 lime
• S/P 1

Melt 1 tablespoons of the butter with the olive oil in a 10-inch straight-sided saute pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the scallions and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the scallions are soft and lightly browned, about 3 minutes.  

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the corn, ginger, garlic, serrano, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, until the corn is tender but still slightly toothy to the bite, 3 to 4 minutes. (It will begin to intensify in color, glisten, and be somewhat shrunken in size, and the bottom of the pan may be slightly brown.)

Remove the pan from the heat, add all but about 1/2 tablespoon of the cilantro, a good squeeze of the lime, and a few generous grinds of pepper. Stir, let sit 2 minutes, and stir again, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan (moisture released from the vegetables as they sit will loosen the bits). Season to taste with more salt, pepper, or lime. Serve warm, sprinkled with the remaining cilantro.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Who doesn't love this dip?!

Ingredients:

• 1 14 oz can artichoke hearts (in water) drained and chopped
• 1/2 a package frozen spinach (10 oz), drained and chopped
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 c sour cream
• 1/4 c mayo
• 2 clove garlic minced
• 1/4 c parm/romano/asiago cheese
• 1/4 c mozz cheese

Combine.  Put in baking dish.  350 oven.  20-30 min.  Top should be slightly browned.

Middle Eastern Tomato Salad

Another use of tomatoes & parsley from the garden.  The combination of parsley and mint makes this salad awesome. From Kaylns Kitchen.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup finely diced --cucumber, tomato, onion, parlsey & mint
• 2-3 T olive oil
• 1-2 T fresh lemon juice
• S/P

Salt diced cucumbers while chopping other ingredients.  Combine all ingredients.  Eat immediately or within a few hours (otherwise it turns soggy). Simple, easy & delicious.

Cumin Lime Chickpeas

From Budget Bytes.

I've kinda been obsessed with chickpeas lately. 

Ingredients:

• 2 (15 oz) cans garbanzo beans (rinsed)
• 1/2 medium onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 1 medium lime
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt

Rinse chickpeas.  Chop cilantro. Dice onion.  Put in bowl.  In another small bowl, squeeze lime, add olive oil, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and garlic.  Stir.  Combine with chickpeas/onions.  Fridge for at least a few hours.

Slow Cooker Sugared Pecans

These are great during fall--especially Thanksgiving--and make a great snack to have around.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz pecan halves
• 1/2 c melted unsalted butter
• 1/2 c powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

Turn on slow cooker to high and preheat 15 min.  When hot, stir together nuts & butter.  Add sugar and stir to coat pecans. Cook on high 15 min.  Reduce to low and remove lid. Cook uncovered stirring occasionally 2-3 hrs.  Transfer nuts to bowl.  In small bowl, combine spices.  Sift spices over nuts, stirring to coat.  Cool nuts before serving.

Mexican Rice Two Ways

Both of these are good alternatives to regular rice as a side dish.

Spanish Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 cup long grain rice
• 1 tsp/cube chicken bouillon
• 1 can diced tomatoes with chilies
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic

Place dry rice into pot and rinse with water.  Drain.  Add remaining ingredients and 1 cup water.  Stir to combine.  Put lid on pot and bring to boil.  Once rolling boil, reduce to low and simmer 30 min.  Remove from heat.  Keep lid on for 10-15 minutes.  Fluff. 

Cilantro Lime Rice

Ingredients:

•  2 cups uncooked long grain rice
• 3 tsp/cube chicken bouillon
• 3 cups water
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• 1 med. lime
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Place rice, water, bouillon into pot.  Stir to dissolve bouillon.  Lid on.  Bring to boil.  Once boiling, reduce to low and simmer 30 min (lid on).  While cooking, prepare cilantro lime mix by combining (food processor) juice and zest of lime with olive oil and cilantro (leaves) until pureed.  When rice is finished, remove lid and pour cilantro mixture into rice. Fluff/stir gently.

Cilantro Bean Salad

Cilantro is not for everyone; I happen to l.o.v.e. it--in moderation. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups frozen edamame (soybeans) (prepared according to package directions and then rinsed/cooled)
• 1 15 oz can garbanzo beans (rinsed/drained)
• 1 15 oz can kidney beans (rinsed/drained)
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup chopped thin cilantro
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 tsp grated lime peel
• 1/2 tsp salt

Combine beans, onion and cilantro in bowl.  In another small bowl, whisk together oil, lime juice and lime peel and salt.  Pour over bean mixture and toss to coat.  Put in fridge.  Stir before serving.

Kohlrabi Salad

 This root turnip came in my CSA box and I had to make something.  Found a recipe online and adapted it to what I had at home.  YUMMY! (I ate it before the kids could try it). 

Ingredients:

• 2 medium kohlrabi bulbs
• 1 large carrot, peeled
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• salt and pepper
• 1 clove garlic, chopped and/or pressed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil  

Peel the outer skin from the kohlrabi and cut the stems off.  Chop the kohlrabi (julienne) and the carrot.  Put in bowl.  Add vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic.  Slowly whisk in olive and sesame oil. 

Chickpea Pesto Salad

Another good use of basil.  Kids liked helping make this, but weren't crazy about eating it.  I loved it, both alone and on top of a salad.  

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 small garlic cloves, minced
• juice of 1 lemon
• 3 Tablespoons  olive oil
• ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt or to taste
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese 
• cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  That's it.