Strawberry Bruschetta

1 French Baguette, sliced
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
1 16oz container Ricotta cheese
1-2 lbs strawberries - sliced
Fresh basil - cut chiffonade style

1.) Mix vinegar, vanilla, and brown sugar until sugar has dissolved.

2.) Mix in sliced strawberries. Chill for 1 hour, mixing 1-2 times.

3.) Meanwhile, mix honey into Ricotta cheese.

4.) When the strawberries have finished, spread 1-2 tbsp of Ricotta mixture on each slice of bread.

5.)  Arrange strawberries on top of the Ricotta, then top with basil.

6.) Add strawberry juices, if desired.

(here is the Bruschetta without strawberry juices on top)

Piquant Roasted Poblano Salsa

From chilipeppermadness.com:

1 pound poblano peppers, stemmed and seeded
1.5 pounds tomatoes, halved (I used Roma tomatoes)
2 ears of corn
1 large red onion, cut in half
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp red chili powder
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1.) Preheat oven to 350F.

2.) Set tomatoes and peppers skin side down on a baking sheet. Also add corn and 1/2 red onion. Cook for 30 minutes, checking once or twice.

3.) When finished, remove and let cool. Remove skins from tomatoes and peppers.

4.) Chop tomatoes, peppers, and cooked onion, and cut off corn from cob. Add to a large mixing bowl.

5.) Chop other 1/2 of (raw) onion. Add onion, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, olive oil, and salt & pepper to mixing bowl. Mix well.

6.) Take 1/2 of mixture and blend in a food processor until smooth. Return to the bowl and mix well.

7.) Serve immediately with salted tortilla chips, or cover and refrigerate overnight for flavors to combine.

Serves 6 with 105 calories per serving.

Stuffed Zucchini

From kayotic.nl:

1 tbsp sour cream (I used low fat plain yogurt)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/2 tomato (I used a Roma tomato)
1 tsp thyme
2 zucchinis
1/2 - 1 small onion
1 tbsp butter
4 tsp aged cheese (I used Parmesan)
4 pieces of bacon or Canadian bacon (optional)
Pepper to taste
Chopped parsely

1.) Preheat oven to 400F.

2.) Wash zucchini well and cut in half, lengthwise. Spoon out the meat of the zucchini until you end up with boat-like shells.

3.) Chop zucchini pulp, tomato, and small onion.

4.) Sautee onion with 1 tbsp butter until a little browned. Add curry powder and cook for 30 seconds - no longer. When finished, add sauteed onions into a large mixing bowl.

5.) Meanwhile, cook bacon until crispy - if desired. Drain on paper towel and crumble when finished.

6.) To the large mixing bowl, add thyme, salt, sour cream, pinch of pepper, chopped zucchini, chopped tomato, and bacon crumbles. Mix well.

7.) Butter or spray cooking spray on a baking dish. Fill zucchini shells with mixture. Sprinkle with cheese.

8.) Cook in oven for 20-25 minutes. Then, broil for an additional 2-3 minutes until golden brown.

9.) When finished, sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

Serves 2, with 85 calories per serving.

Vanilla-Seared Scallops with Mango, Cherries, and Tomato

From cookplayexplore.com:

1 lb scallops (I used bay scallops in my recipe. Any size will work)
cooking spray
1-2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I used vanilla extract)
1 mango, chopped
1 cup fresh cherries, pitted, and quartered
1 yellow or orange tomato, chopped
freshly ground pepper
sea salt

1.) Rinse scallops and pat dry. Set on several layers of paper towels and put in refrigerator, uncovered, for 30 minutes to allow scallops to dry.

2.) Combine mango, cherries and tomato in a bowl, then set aside.

3. Spray a non-stick pan with cooking spray, set it over to medium-high heat, and add 1 tbsp butter. Either add vanilla extract or split vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape vanilla seeds into the pan.

4.) Season scallops with salt and pepper and set in a single layer in the pan. Cook more than one batch if needed if scallops do not fit liberally in the pan.

5.) Cook scallops 2-3 minutes, until bottom of each scallop is nicely browned and releases easily from the pan. Turn scallops over and cook another two to three minutes. If needing to cook additional batches, add 2nd tbsp butter to pan and continue cooking scallops.

6.) When scallops are finished cooking, arrange cooked scallops on a platter and top with fruit mixture and remaining butter from pan.

7.) Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and serve immediately.

White Chicken Enchiladas

From Joyful Momma's Kitchen:

6-10 soft taco shells

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

1 (4 oz) can diced hot green chillies

1 small onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 tbsp diced garlic

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan.

2. Mix chicken, 1 cup cheese, onion, red pepper, garlic, salt, and pepper.  

3. Place 1/2 cup of mixture on a tortilla, then roll. Place tortilla seam down in pan. 

4. In a sauce pan, melt butter, then stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.  

5. Stir in sour cream and chilies. Heat on low so sour cream does not curdle. 

6. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

7. Bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes, until gently bubbling. Then, broil for 3 minutes to brown the cheese.

Antipasto Skewers

From thehungryhousewife.com

1 7-12oz box of uncooked Cheese Tortellini
1 can Medium pitted Black Olives
1 10oz jar Queen Green Olives
1 container of Bel Gioioso fresh mozzarella pearls
1/4 lb thinly sliced salami
1 small container of pepperoni or (1) 7oz pepperoni stick, sliced thin
1 small bottle (less than 16oz) Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
1 small package medium size skewers
1 small package of grape tomatoes

1. Cook tortellini as directed on package.

2. While cooking, cut salami slices in half - making it a half circle. Practice folding the slice in half twice - making it a thin triangular shape.

3. Once tortellini is cooked, rinse, and put into a large gallon Ziploc bag. Add salad dressing to the bag. Close bag tightly and shake very well. Marinade for a few hours (I marinated them overnight and they turned out well).

4. When ready to prepare, drain black olives, green olives, and mozzarella pearls.

5. Add to each Skewer a black olive, tomato, pepperoni slice, mozzarella pearl, green olive, folded salami, and tortellini, as desired. Repeat until ingredients are gone.

6. Place finished skewers into an air tight container and pour over left over dressing (from Ziploc bag). Keep skewers tightly closed and refrigerated until ready to serve.

Makes enough for 6-10 people. I made these for my dad's birthday party and they were fantastic!

Sweet and Savory Chex Mix

1 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
5 cups of rice chex
1/2 - 1 cup oats
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
12oz nuts

1. Mix honey and oil. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix rice chex and oats. Pour honey mixture over and mix well.

3. Lightly spray a baking sheet and spread cereal mix evenly. Bake at 300F for 20 minutes, stirring 1-2 times, until golden brown.

4. Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium bowl. Then add garlic powder, oregano, celery salt, and Parmesan cheese. Mix well.

5. Mix in nuts to the butter mixture. On another baking sheet, spread nuts evenly. Bake at 300F for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Allow nuts to cool when finished. Combine cereal and nuts together in a large bowl. Mix well.

Tip: most of the oats I added ended up sticking to the pan. I suggest sprinkling the oats on top of the cereal when first putting it in the oven, so they don't come off as easy.