Mommy Snack

 Here's a quick little snack for you, mommy or not. I call it "Mommy Snack" because it's what I eat during nap time. Everything is quiet except for my loud, joyous munching. You know, I like something special just for me, minus the sharp, whiny cries of my brood. Simple, healthy and delish...most important. Assemble and eat.

Mommy Snack Recipe

1 rice cake (I like Lundberg brand, brown rice and organic)

1 tbls. peanut butter

1 fresh strawberry, sliced

drizzle of honey or agave nectar

Enjoy your snack time a little better with this Mommy snack.

Herbaceous Buttermilk Dressing

This dressing could quite possibly be the nectar of the Salad Dressing Gods. Okay, maybe overstating a bit, but it's tangy, creamy, herby and addictive. What's not to love? Not to mention it's super simple to make. So dust off your blenders...



Herbaceous Buttermilk Dressing

prep time: 15 min. cook time: 0 minutes serves: 4

2/3 c. buttermilk
1/3 c. olive oil
4 tbls. red wine vinegar
4 tbls. mayo
handful of each: dill, parsley and basil
1 green onion
salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in blender and blend. Note on buttermilk: if you do not have any handy, just take 1 c. milk and add 1 tbls. vinegar or lemon juice. Let it set 10 min. and presto! you've got buttermilk. Dressing keeps well in frig for 2-3 days.

Quickie Croutons

I cannot possibly stop snacking on these incredibly loud croutons. I must devour the entire pan...oops. Okay, so they are good. I mean really, really good. I've used the bread from the Grape and Feta Focaccia post. Ideally, making this recipe is best if your focaccia has no grapes on it, but if it does, just pick them off before you make the croutons.

It couldn't be easier. You will never buy those concrete block/store-bought croutons again. These are light and crispy, full of flavor and made in 20 minutes!



Quickie Croutons

prep time: 5 minutes bake time: 20 minutes serves:4 oven temp: 350 degrees

3 c. cubed bread, ideally, the Foodie House Focaccia (approx. 1/2 loaf)
2 tsp. olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven. Combine all ingredients on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss well. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Stir croutons. Put back in oven for another 10 minutes until crunchy and golden brown. Cool to serve on salads or serve hot and toasty on top of your favorite soup. Great snack to quiet jibber-jabbery three year olds!

What's Your Favorite Kitchen Gadget?

I find myself using my hand-mixer or immersion blender, as some call it, time and time again. Smoothies, soups, pastry creams, the list goes on and on. Just for the sake of curiosity and because it's fun, I want to know what your favorite kitchen tool is. Just list it below in the comment box!

Basil and Watermelon Summer Salad

I guess I don't have to tell you that it's stinkin' hot here in Houston. Some mornings I wake up and see the windows covered in steam, giving any good Turkish bath house a run for it's money. So, it's not surprising to me that I find myself craving anything cold or refreshing to cool down my internal temperature, which seems to hover around, oh, I don't know, the heat index of the Mojave desert!



Basil and Watermelon Summer Salad

prep time: 10 min. cooking time:0 min. serves:4

2 c. cubed watermelon
1/2 lb. diced strawberries
1 tbls. sugar
zest of 1/2 lime
juice of 1/2 lime
15 basil leaves, cut into thin strips

Combine all ingredients. Let set for at least 10 min. in refrigerator before serving. Delish!

Grape and Feta Focaccia

FOCACCIA! I love to say it with flair. I love to eat it with flair. I just love it. It's versatile, it's easy to make. It's a great starter bread for those who are timid about baking.

Any bread with the pine-y, resin-y flavor and aroma of rosemary, well, I'm there. It's intoxicating, comforting and it burns itself into your brain as a scent that unleashes a thousand memories. Then you add the sweet juiciness of red grapes, soften by the heat of the oven and briny feta cheese and it's nearly a meal in itself.


Grape and Feta Focaccia

prep:1 hour 10 min. baking time:30-35 oven temp:350 degrees makes 1 loaf

1/2 c. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tbls. sugar
1 gr. onion, thinly sliced
1 tbls. fresh rosemary, minced
1 tbls. fresh dill minced
1 tbls. butter
1/2 c. water
2 1/2 tsp. instant yeast
2 1/4 c. all purpose flour
2 tbls. crumbled feta cheese
9 red grapes cut in half
Olive oil for greasing the pan and drizzling on top

Grease your half-sheet baking pan with olive oil and line with parchment. Parchment is optional.
Combine milk, salt, sugar, gr. onion, herbs and butter in a glass measuring cup. Heat in microwave until very warm and butter starts to melt, about 45 seconds on high. Stir to melt butter and dissolve salt and sugar.
Pour milk mixture into large bowl. Add the 1/2 c. water, not cold, just room temp or warm. Your liquid should be around 110 degrees.
Sprinkle in instant yeast. It does not need to set and bubble. Just add your flour right in.
Stir well with a wooden spoon. Dough will be very sticky. Combine well and set in a warm place to rise, covered with a towel. Let set 45 min.
Preheat oven 350 degrees.
When it has doubled, punch it down and press it onto your baking sheet. I usually do a freeform shape, but if you want it to reach the edges of the pan and have a perfect rectangle, double the recipe.
After you get the shape you want, cover it and let it rise again for 15 minutes, until just puffy.
Arrange your grapes and feta however you like. Drizzle with olive oil and place on the middle rack of preheated oven. Bake 30-35 minutes or until nice and golden.
Cool slightly and serve with olive oil or butter. Enjoy!

Mama's Meatballs

Grandma Maria's dining room table, Christmas Eve 1984 (or thereabouts), platters of antipasti, which included a variety of meats, cheeses, olives and marinated artichokes. Then the salad course, followed by veal scallopini sometimes lasagna and then my favorite, the spaghetti and meatballs. Oh! They were the size of a small wrecking ball. Cracking into one was like opening a geode in the Colorado mountains. Instead of sparkling amethysts inside, I was hit with the aromas of Italian American dreams. Quite possibly one of my favorite childhood memories.

If you didn't catch my drift, I LOVE meatballs. I mean, they send me. And this is my best version Grandma Maria's yet. I have made them a thousand different ways, but this is the best. As most good Grandma-y recipes are, the meatball recipe was never written down. So this is my best shot at it. I think she would be proud.



Mama's Meatballs Recipe

prep time:20 min cook time:45 min serves:9

1 lb. ground pork
1 lb. gr. beef (85/15)
1 c. breadcrumbs
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
1 tbls. fresh basil, minced
1 tbls. fresh parsley, minced
2 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced
2 eggs
1/4 c. milk
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tbls. olive oil
3 24 oz. jars of your favorite marinara (I use Bertolli Organic Tomato Basil)

Combine all ingredients using your hands. It's truly the best way to incorporate all the flavors.
Roll out the meatballs into golf ball-sized portions. It makes approx. 28. I freeze half if I am cooking just for my family. I count 3 meatballs as one serving. When I use only half of the meatballs, I use only 2 jars of sauce.
Pour your marinara sauce into a pot and start warming it over medium heat.
Get a heavy saute pan nice and hot over med-high heat. Add your olive oil and start searing your meatballs. Set them in, leave them alone! Don't touch! The goal is to get carmelization on the outside of the meatballs so they are flavorful and juicy. Also, do not over-crowd your pan. This will cause the meatballs to steam and become dry.
Sear on each side then take the meatballs directly from the saute pan to the marinara sauce. They meatballs do not need to be cooked through. We are only searing them then cooking the rest of the way in the marinara. This makes for a very moist meatball.
A totally optional step is to pour the grease from your meatball pan into the sauce. If you are concerned about the fat, by all means, skip this part. I do it for the flavor. It's fantastic!
Put the lid on, slightly ajar and let them simmer for a good 30 minutes.
Boil your favorite pasta, I like angel hair, top with the meatballs and sauce, serve with Parmesan and fresh basil...need I tell you what to do next?