Grilled Lobster tails

There's not a lot can say besides, oh my, delicious, yummy just to name a few.  Ya gotta give this one a try.  It truly is fabulous!  To make this you will need:

1 cup butter

2 cloves finely minced garlic

pinch white pepper

juice of one lime

4 to 6 lobster tails

chopped herbs (rosemary, basil, thyme oregano)

1.  In a small pot over medium heat, heat the  butter until it begins to bubble then watch it very carefully for a few minutes until it begins to turn a light golden brown. Remove from the heat.
2.)  Pour the hot butter over the minced garlic and whisk in the lime juice. Be sure to stir the butter each time before spooning it to serve.  Set aside.
3.)  Split the tails almost all the way through, leaving the tail and the very top together.    Brush the meat with the lime butter.  Grill flesh side down for five minutes.  Turn over fill the tail with the herbs and grill for another seven minutes.
4.)  Serve with any of the leftover lime butter for dunking.

Green Goddess Rice - Vegan!

I have so much basil in the garden, I keep looking for new ways to use it!  I found this classic recipe from Claire Robinson.    This is similar to pesto, but smoother than pesto because of the avocado.  The husband loved this.  Super easy.  Enjoy!  To make this dish you will need:

1 1/2 cups basmati rice

Kosher salt

1 small avocado, peeled, pitted, and coarsely chopped

1 cup packed fresh basil leaves

1 lemon, juiced

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup water

Freshly ground black pepper

1.)Bring the rice, 3 cups water, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, stir, cover, and cook until water is completely absorbed, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

2.)  Meanwhile, put the avocado, basil, lemon juice, oil, and 1/4 cup water in the jar of a blender and puree; season generously with salt and pepper. Add more water and puree until the mixture is the consistency of sour cream.

3.)  Fluff the rice with a fork and gently fold the green dressing into the warm rice. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve immediately.

Bread and Butter Pickles - Vegan!

Lately I am all about using fresh veggies to prepare things.  August and September are a great time to prepare vegetables for the long winter months.  This is a super easy recipe.  I used 6 baby cucumbers instead of the regular one.  I love the little pickles.  To make this you will need:
3 long pickles, thinly sliced (have a mandolin?)
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped (Used my food processor)
1 sweet onion finely chopped (again used my food processor)
2 teaspoons celery seeds
1 tablespoon salt
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
5 1/2 pint canning jars with lids and rings
1.)  Place cucumbers, red pepper and onion in a large bowl.  Stir in the celery seeds and the salt.  Let it sit out on the counter for an hour, stirring occasionally.
2.)  In a measuring cup combine the sugar and the vinegar.  Stir until the sugar dissolve.  Pour over the cucumbers and mix together.
3.)  Put the cucumbers in the jars and distribute the liquid in the jars.  Secure the lids.  Refrigerate for 24 hours.  The pickles will stay in the refrigerator for 4 weeks.  Enjoy!

Cappelini with Tomato Basil Sauce - and it's Vegan!

Do you have lots of tomatoes and basil still growing in the garden?  Time to make a delicious sauce and go meatless for a night! This is so easy and the ingredients below are just a guideline.  Don't like garlic, use 3 cloves instead of 5.  Like a sweet sauce use more sugar.  The only thing that's important is to remember because you are not seeding or skinning the tomatoes, you really need to let this cook down or the sauce will be very watery.  To make this dish you will need:
8 pounds tomatoes diced                                                               

1 cup of packed basil leaves, sliced

1 large onion, minced

5 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Sugar ( or honey of substitute to taste)

1.)  Cut up the tomatoes and process them in a blender.  You will need to do this in batches.

2.)  In large stock pot, cook tomatoes and basil over medium-low heat until tomatoes are soft.  You want to cover this so it doesn't make a mess, but you need to vent the lid so that the tomato sauce reduces.  See the picture so you can see how I did it.

2.)  Meanwhile, in medium skillet, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent.

3.)  Add onion mixture to tomato mixture and add salt and pepper. Let simmer on low heat for about 2 hours or until thick.

                 

 

 

 

Slow Cooker Boston Baked Beans - Can be Vegan

Why bother making from scratch when you can buy many different varieties in a can?  Flavor and awesomeness!  There is nothing like homemade, especially when it's so darned easy!  I served this with grilled hot dogs on top and corn bread on the side.  To make the beans you will need:
1 pound Great Northern beans
8 cups water                                                              

1/2 pound bacon (Vegan - Smart Bacon)

1 onion, finely diced

3 tablespoons molasses

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (Vegan - Amy's Vegan)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1.  The night before, combine the Great Northern Beans and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Pour beans and their liquid into a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.

2.  In the morning, drain off liquid, reserving 1 cup. Pour beans and the reserved liquid into the crock of a slow cooker. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover, and cook on Low for 12 to 14 hours or on high for 8 hours. Stir before serving.

 

 

 

 

Mom's German Potato Salad recipe

My Mom used to make the most awesome German Potato Salad.  This was her recipe and I am glad I have it as she never wrote down any of her recipes.  To make this great accompanient you will need:

3 cups diced peeled potatoes

4 slices bacon

1 small onion, diced

1/4 cup white vinegar

2 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

 

 

1.)  Place the potatoes into a pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Drain, and set aside to cool.

2. )Place the bacon in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Fry until browned and crisp, turning as needed. Remove from the pan and set aside. 

3.)  Add onion to the bacon grease, and cook over medium heat until browned. Add the vinegar, water, sugar, salt and pepper to the pan. Bring to a boil, then add the potatoes and parsley. Crumble in half of the bacon. Heat through, then transfer to a serving dish. Crumble the remaining bacon over the top, and serve warm.

Zucchini and Summer Squash Gratin - can be made Vegan!

It's that over abundance of zucchini and Summer squash time of year.  This is a great side dish to use some of that veggie!  Hearty and tasty!  The recipe below is my full recipe, but the pictures show it cut in half.To make this you will need:
2 Tbs. olive oil

2 medium onions (14 oz. total), thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced 

8 plum tomatoes, cut in 1/4 inch slices

2 zucchini cut in 1/4 inch slices

2 yellow summer squash, cut in 1/4 inch slices

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (Vegan - Omit)

1 sleeve Ritz crackers, ground

1 tablespoon thyme leaves

1.)  In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté, stirring frequently, until limp and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low if they're browning too quickly. Add the garlic and sauté until soft and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes Spread the onions and garlic evenly in the bottom of an oiled 2-qt. shallow gratin dish.
2.)  Heat the oven to 375°F. Put the tomato slices on a shallow plate to drain for a few minutes and then discard the collected juices. In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini and squash slices with 1-1/2 Tbs. of the olive oil, the thyme, and 1/2 tsp. of the salt.  Starting at one end of the baking dish, lay a row of slightly overlapping tomato slices across the width of the dish. Next, lay a row of zucchini, overlapping the tomatoes by two-thirds, and sprinkle with cheese. Repeat with a row of squash, and then repeat rows, until the gratin is full.
Season lightly with pepper and the remaining 1/2 tsp. salt. Drizzle the remaining 1-1/2 Tbs. olive oil over all. Combine the cheese with the remaining 1 Tbs. thyme and the cracker crumbs.  Sprinkle this over the whole gratin. Cook until well-browned all over and the juices have bubbled for a while and reduced considerably, 65 to 70 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 min. before serving.