Pinch of Salt

Nigella Lawson’s Courgette Fritters (AKA Zuchinni Fritters)

You need to make these asap!  I like to top mine with a little slice of fresh tomatoe and a squeeze of lime.  If you aren’t familiar with Nigella you should remedy that right away. I have been a fan of her cookbooks for years.  She cooks and EATS her food with unabashed joy and fervor.  If you can’t respect that then I don’t want to be your friend ;) 

She has some other gems that I will post about soon, but these are undoubtedly my favorite.  A fritter you can feel good about eating!

Recipe Here:

http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/courgette-fritters-211

Roasted Potatoes with Preserved Lemon and Rosemary

I am a huge fan of roasted potatoes and these did not dissapoint.  I detest the chore of peeling potatoes (don’t they do that in prison?) so any opportunity I have to avoid that chore I will seize.  I used baby russet potatoes for this recipe and left the peel on.  Just give them a good scrub and remember that God made dirt and dirt don’t hurt…  

Cut the biggest potatoes in half to speed up roasting time and toss them with a little olive oil and generous amounts of fresh rosemary.  Cut preserved lemone into thin slices and toss together with potatoe mixture.  Sprinkle with a little crished black pepper.  NO SALT!  Unless you want to blow up like the pillsbury dough boy avoid adding extra salt to this one.  The preserved lemon will add plenty of salt. I let the potatoes bake in the oven covered with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes and the last ten to 15 minutes uncovered to let the potatoes get nice and golden brown.

They were amazing and such a good compliment to the baked chicken that we had for dinner.  I could eat them straight out of the fridge cold and I did!

Strawberry Coconut Cake

I will be the first to admit that I have a problem.  It’s an extreme addiction I’ve had since childhood.  I love sugar. Can’t get enough of it actually.  I am not currently seeking treatment, but have chosen to build up my tolerance instead.  Ok, it’s not that serious, but I do love me some sugar.  This cake has just the right mix of sweetness for someone like me who can handle sugar overload and people who prefer a light fruity dessert.

I made this for a dinner party last night and it was a hit.  we were so busy eating it that I didn’t photograph it at its best so excuse the pics.

Original Recipe Here: http://candyjamamas.blogspot.com/2009/08/summer-strawberry-coconut-cake.html

Cheesy Corndog Muffins

I saw a version of these floating around on pinterest, but I decided to kick them up a notch.  I made the cornbread from scratch, added grated extra sharp cheddar cheese and sliced polish sausage instead of cocktail weenies.  They were amazing dipped in a little mustard.  These are in no way healthy.  Stay away if you’re counting calories. 

Cornbread Recipe:

1 cup self rising flour, 2 cups stone ground cornmeal (*stone ground is key here. It gives the cornbread an incredible texture), 1 egg, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. baking powder, pour milk into the mixture a little at a time to reach desired texture.  I never measure this part.  Just mix it in a little at a time until it reaches the texture of thick cake batter.  Mix in 1 cup of grated cheese.

Spray muffin tin with non-stick spray. Pour cornbread batter into muffin tins and add 1-2 slices of sausage to each muffin.  Bake for 15 minutes or so.  Just until the cornbread rises and starts to brown a bit.

Chickpea Cucumber Salad

This salad includes 1 can of chickpeas that I chilled in the fridge, 4 sliced baby cucumbers unpeeled, 1 ball of buffalo mozarella cheese diced.  I tossed everything together with a little of my favorite low-fat italian dressing.  It was so good and it turned out to be very filling. 

Eggs in a Basket

Whole Wheat Bread Cut into Thick Slices

Eggs

Cheese of your choice (I used a blend of three cheeses)

Avocado to top

Lay the bread out on a cookie sheet. Hollow out a hole in the middle of each slice of bread for the egg to nestle in and top the whole thing with cheese.  Stick them under the broiler until the eggs are done to your preference. if you don’t like runny yolks then pierce them before you broil.

After a trip to Costco this week I realized we had an overabundance of green veggies.  I must have been in  a green veggie mood.  I whipped up this light pasta dish in my wokfor lunch today and it turned out great.  So springy!

4 chicken breasts cubed

2 cups of broccoli florets

1 cup of quartered brussels sprouts

1 cup of sugar snap peas

1 box of whole wheat pasta (I used rotini)

Season with salt, pepper and fresh herbs of your choice. I have thyme growing on the back porch right now so I threw in a handful.

3 minced garlic cloves

Toss everything together with a tablespoon of margarine for some flavor and enjoy!

This recipe came from an old recipe box that was found at an antique store.  If you ever come across one I highly recommend that you buy it.  Old recipe collections can be full of surprises. It’s like taking a peek into the past and you can learn so much about the person who painstakingly wrote out recipes on note cards and clipped favorites from the newspaper.

Digging through those treasures is serious fun!  Disclaimer: If you live in the south expect lots of mayo,jello and mandarine orange slices to be used  :)

This bread was to die for and barely lasted long enough to get a good pic of the finished product.  Is there anything that smells better than fresh baked bread?  I think not!

Post Created by Laurie Messenger

How to Peel Garlic:

Lay 1 clove of garlic on a cutting board

Place knife on top of garlic clove with flat side down

Press down on the knife with the palm of your hand until it pops open

The peel slides right off in one piece and you’re ready to mince it!