Cioppino!

The real San Fransisco treat.  I stumbled upon this recipe when I was on a zero carb-er.  Pretty much just threw together what was in the house.

2 cans chicken broth
4 small or roma tomatoes
1 large red onion
1.5 pounds sea food or chicken
Red wine (to taste)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp garlic
salt and pepper

1. Skin onion and tomatoes and cut into eighths. Grill in large skillet with generous salt, pepper, garlic until soft. I don't worry about skinning the tomatoes, but you can if you want.
2. Puree grilled veggies in blender or food processor.
3. Combine vegetable puree, broth, and spices into medium pot. Add wine to taste. Bring to a boil and then simmer covered for 30 min. Add meat and bring to a boil. Cook 5-10 minutes (25 for chicken). Traditional cioppino additions include shell fish, but any fish will be tasty in this stew.

Black Bean Soup

Beans!  An obsession in my house?  I think so.  Lots of flavor in this soup.  Warm, hearty and healthy!  My husband eats them alone, with steak or as dip.  The bacon is the most expensive part, but I would say the entire batch cost about $5.00.

1/4-1/3 lb Bacon
1 Large onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
Handful of chopped cilantro
1 pound dry black beans
1 cube tomato bullion (in the store it's in Spanish "Pollo con Tomate")
               or 1 can chicken broth and one small can tomato sauce
1 tbsp. ground black pepper
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano
Juice of 1 lime
2 bay leaves

1. Rinse beans and put in crock pot with 6 cups water, bullion cube
and dry spices
2. Cook the bacon and add to the crock pot
3. Add chopped garlic, onion, and cilantro to the bacon grease.  Cook
until clear.
4. Add onions to the crock pot.  Add lime juice.  Cook until beans are tender.

This takes many hours.  Overnight is best.

Tzatziki Sauce

Awwwwwwww Yeeeeeeeeeeeah

This authentic and refreshing Greek dressing is easier than you'd think and full of flavor.  Don't go and spend a bundle at a Mediterranean Restaurant, it won't break the bank to make it at home.

Greek yogurt is all over the place lately.  It's thick and creamy and very similar to sour cream.  Since most is made with lowfat milk and very good for your immune system, it's a great alternative for breakfast and cooking.  You can make it from regular yogurt by draining it over cheese cloth to thicken it.

A few tips when making sauce and dips; 1. onions and garlic will have more flavor if you chop them and let them sit for a few minutes before your toss them in.  Letting them oxidize brings out the flavor.  This even works with dried onion and garlic.  Add some water to rehydrate them before you add them. 2. Cold dips are much better if you let them sit in the fridge for an hour or better yet, overnight.   So convenient to make them the night before.

1 cup plain greek yogurt
1 peeled and seeded cucumber
2 small cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil (I use grape seed oil because it's cheaper)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
dash salt
dash pepper
heavy dash dill

Chop and combine in your blender.  Blend until smooth.

Chill and use for dipping or on top of salads, fish, grilled veggies, sandwiches, red meat, etc.

OR...grab a pita and start nomming NOW!

Easy Beer Bread

If you love fresh baked bread, but find that you can't get it right, try this recipe I stole from my friend Shane Eaton

"I am an atrocious baker. My creations that ought to be light and fluffy are brick-like, and dishes that ought to be dense are pillowy soft. My kitchen has turned out greasy, burnt, flat, misshapen monstrosities time after time. Then I learned about beer bread. I've been making it for a few years now, and it never fails to convince friends that I am a champion housewife.

To make beer bread, (or, as I like to call it, "the bread of quitters, cheaters, and lazy sons-of-bitches"), you need only 4 ingredients:

3 cups self-rising flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 room-temperature beer
1 stick melted butter

Preheat the oven to 375. Sift your flour (or just use a spoon to measure it into the cup, just don't pack it tight) and mix it with the sugar and beer. Pour it into a greased loaf pan. Pour the melted butter on top. Bake for 45 min to an hour. The end. Fresh bread!

You can mix whatever you want into it, too. Herbs, cheese, garlic, onions, nuts, whatever.

Impress your friends!"

Spinach Meatballs

These meatballs are easy, flavorful and not as messy as you might think.

If you can afford 93% lean beef, they will run you only 130 Calories each.  I can get many of the ingredients at Costco.  I buy there a lot.  Sometimes I spend more than I would have at the market, but the quality of the ingredients is much higher.  That 93% lean beef comes in a 5 pack of 1 pound tubes.  It's about $3.25 a pound.  This is more than I want to pay for beef, but it is 93% lean.  You can't get that so cheap at the store.  Also, it is already frozen.  Industrialized goods are flash frozen, meaning they remain fresh, flavorful and supple.  They are also frozen at much lower temperatures.  They will not exhibit freezer burn the way meat would if you bought it and froze it at home.

I also purchase 5 pound packs of Italian sausage links from Costco.  You can cook them as a link, or you can simply squeeze the ground sausage out of the casing.  I like Jimmy Dean ground sausage, but again, it is more expensive at the store.

1 pound ground beef
2 pounds seasoned Italian sausage
2 eggs
10 oz frozen (thawed and drained) spinach
1/2 cup Seasoned bread crumbs
2 teaspoons dried minced onion
2 teaspoons dry garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried basil

Step 1: Pre-Heat your oven for 400 degrees.
Step 2: Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix well with your hands.
Step 3: Create balls a little larger than a golf ball.  Place them in a cupcake sheet and bake for 20 min.

Makes three dozen meatballs.  3 or 4 makes a meal.

For best flavor, stew the cooked meatballs in some pasta sauce.  I eat them just like that; with sauce.  We're trying to avoid carbs in the house.

I buy 3 packs of 32 oz Classico pasta sauce from Costco.  It is much more affordable than buying the 24 oz jars at the market.  I also buy cases of hunts tomato sauce at Costco and half it with the Classico sauce.  Sounds silly, but pasta sauce is way to pricy.

1 32 oz jar of Classico Pasta Sauce
2 15 oz   jars of tomato sauce
1 pinch basil
1 pinch oregano
1 pinch garlic powder

Enjoy now or can for later.

Clean and Easy Bruchetta Sandwich

A taste of summer!  This easy sandwich is refreshing and fully customizable.

My husband loves me to keep french rolls in the house.  A tasty alternative is bolillos, a Mexican bread that can often be purchased cheaply from Mexican supermarkets.  We use these for sandwiches, garlic bread with dinner, and buns for burgers and hot dogs.

Butter your roll and sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic, parsley or spices of your choice.  I use this mix on everything in my kitchen.  You can make it yourself or purchase it online at Susie Q's Brand Seasoning.

Broil in the oven or toaster oven until golden brown (about 5 minutes).









 While your bread is toasting, chop a roma tomato and sprinkle with seasoning and basil.  Fresh is best, but dried works fine.




Scoop the tomato onto your toast with a fork or your fingers and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 

Your sandwich is ready to eat, but feel free to add mozzarella, olives, peppers, onions, or any other sandwich fixings you have a hankering for.