Orzo Salad redone!!!

If you've copied my orzo salad recipe in the past, go back. I've made a change that I think you'll like better. My mom made it with balsamic vinegar instead of red wine vinegar and I LOVED the difference. I'm changing my personal copy.
Also my mom used a higher quality feta then my usual Giant Food Store's brand and I could really tell the difference!
Let me know what you think!

Black Bean - Avocado Enchiladas

4 cans black beans, heated (not drained)
1 red or yellow onion
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp lime juice
1 large chopped tomato
1 cup shredded cheese
2 avocados, sliced into 24ish strips
12 soft tottillas
1 can enchilada sauce

1. Heat beans (undrained) in a small sauce pan. In a small skillet heat onion, spices and lime juice until onions are tender. Add spiced onions to black beans and turn off heat. Mash the beans with a potato masher or food processor to desired consistency.

2. Preheat oven to 375. In a 9x13 pan drizzle 1/2 of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of the pan. On a clean surface assemble the enchiladas as follows. Spread 1/2 cup of black bean mixture on the bottom, add 2 strips of avocado, sprinkle with tomatoes and cheese. Roll tortilla around beans and place in pan. Line them up, side by side until the pan is full.

3. Once the 9x13 pan is full of tortillas, sprinkle cheese over top and drizzle the rest of the enchilada sauce over top. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Serve hot and with a side salad.

Ham & Cheese Casserole

This is a great recipe when you're in the mood for comfort food. It's not super healthy, but it's good and fairly easy. It's my mom's recipe. 

1 box medium(size) shell pasta, cooked and drained

1 ham steak, cubed

1 head of broccoli, cut and cooked

1 bell red pepper, diced

3/4 cup frozen peas (optional)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 cup shredded cheese, cheddar is fine but use what you like best

salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350

2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl that can go in the oven. Mix well. Bake uncovered for 40 min. stirring at the 20 minute mark.

Note: When cooking the pasta, add the broccoli for the last 3 minutes to save time, water and doing more dishes later on.

Frittata

Baked Leek, Potato and Parmesan Frittata

from Martha Stewart Living

1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 cup water

4 leeks (white and pale green parts only, rinsed well and sliced to 1/4 in thick rounds

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

Salt

8 large eggs plus 2 egg whites

3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375. Brush a 9x13 pan with oil. Bring water to a simmer in a medium skillet over high heat. Add leeks, garlic and potatoes. Season with salt. Reduce heat to med-low and cook covered until potatoes are tender; about 8-10 min. Let cool.

2. Whisk together eggs, whites and salt. Fold in potato mixture, ricotta and parmesan cheese. Bake until eggs are set, about 12 min. Reduce oven to 325 and bake until set and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 20-25 min. Let cool for 10 min.

Note: If you can find leeks then use scallions/green onions or an onion of your choice diced. In step 1, instead of boiling everything just bake the potatoes, slice and mix with onion and garlic. Continue to follow step 2.

Zucchini Lasagna

Don't be intimidated by this recipe. It's really easy. It's easier than traditional lasagna! Go on, give it a try! Ingredients

For sauce - 1 can (28oz) whole peeled plum tomatoes with juice - 2 tbs olive oil - 1 small onion finely chopped (1c) - 12 oz ground turkey  2 garlic cloves pressed - 2 tbs chopped fresh oregano - 2 tsp salt

For Lasagna - 2 medium zuccnini cut vertically - 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese - 1/2 cup parmesan cheese - 3 Tbsp olive oil - salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Make the sauce. Pulse tomatoes with juice in a food  processor until finely chopped. Heat oil in a large straight sided skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally until onion is tender about 3 min. Add turkey, cook, breaking up large pieces, until browned (3 to 4 min). Reduce heat; simmer until thick about 20 min. Stir in oregano and salt. Let cool.

Make the lasagna. Preheat oven to 375. Slice zucchini lengthwise into thin strips. Place 5 or 6 slices overlapping slightly in bottom of an 9x13 dish. Top with 1 c of sauce. Dot with 1/4 cup ricotta. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Repeat twice with zucchini, remaining sauce and 1/2 cup ricotta. Top with remaining zucchini, alternating direction; brush with oil. Dot with remaining 1/4 cup ricotta. Sprinkle again with parmesan cheese. Season with salt & pepper. Bake uncovered until lasagna bubbles and top browns (50 to 60 min). Let stand 10 min.

Lentil and Bean Soup

1 (28 oz) can of whole tomatoes, undrained, cut up

1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans (chick peas), undrained

2 cups cubed peeled potatoes

1 cup dry lentils, sorted, rinsed and drained

1 cup thinly sliced carrots

½ cup chopped onions

½ cup green bell pepper

3 to 6 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic salt

1. In a 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, combine all ingredients; mix well. Bring to a boil.

2. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 45 to 55 minutes or until vegetables and lentils are tender.

Fruit-filled French Toast

This is my friend Debbie's recipe. The first time we met her and her husband Joey and their 2 girls, Hannah & Sammy they served this for brunch. It was incredible! 

4 slices Italian bread (4 inches in diameter, sliced 1 inch thick)

4 tbls fruit spread

~

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

½ cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp cinnamon

2 tsp butter

2 tsp vegetable oil

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Plain yogurt and cream cheese (optional)

Cut lengthwise through each slice of bread to within ½ inch of the bottom and the sides to make a pocket. Using a butter knife, fill each pocket with a generous tbls of the fruit spread and cream cheese.

In a shallow bowl that is large enough to hold the 4 bread slices in one layer, mix together the eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon. Soak the bread slices for 2 or 3 minutes, turning them over once.

Warm a large skillet on med-low heat. Coat the bottom of the skillet with 1 tsp each of the butter and oil. Cook two slices f bread at a time for about 6 minutes, turning the slices over several times until browned and crisp. Add the remaining tsp butter and oil to the skillet and cook the final 2 slices of bread.

Serve hot with syrup or plain yogurt.

Homemade Granola Bars

With school starting up this is a great recipe for kids play groups, sending this in with your kid to school or meetings in your home. They are farily low in sugar which is nice. You can make them dessertish or healthy depending on what you put in them.


2 1/2 cups rolled oats (dry)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs beaten
2 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 pan
2. In a large bowl mix together all dry ingredients, including raisins. Make a well in the center and pour in honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well using a rubber spatula. Pat evenly into 9x13 pan.
3. Bake for 30-35 min or until edges turn golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes and cut into bars. ***Don't let it cool longer or it will be too hard to cut.

You can add your own fun things to this mix such as chocolate chips, craisins, walnuts, etc

Orzo Salad

1 package of orzo pasta

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp peper

3-4 large handfulls of fresh spinach, roughly chopped

1/2 jar of sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped

4 slices of red onion, diced finely

1 container of feta cheese

1. Cook orzo according to package, rinse and drain well. Put in a large serving bowl.

2. Combine oil, vinegar, oregano, salt & pepper. Set aside.

3. Place chopped spinach, red onion and chopped tomatoes in bowl with orzo. Add oil mixture and stir well. Pour in some of the oil out of the sundried tomato jar just to add a little more flavor. Add all of feta to bowl and mix well again. If needed add more salt.

4. Chill and serve.

Side note: You can do a package and a half of orzo if you are going to a picnic and need to feed a lot of people. Keep all other ingredients the same except do probably whole jar of sundried tomatoes.

If you like Kalamata olives, the recipe calls for them and you would add them pitted and chopped.

*This recipe is from a magazine, I just altered it to make it my own.