Stir-fry

Stir-fry is great because it is so easy and you can totally tweak the ingredients according to your taste or what you've got on hand.  I made a stir-fry tonight that was so yummy that I HAD to have seconds.  Thankfully, it's pretty healthy too, so that was okay!

1 onion, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. light olive oil
4-5 Tbsp. Stir-fry sauce
Black pepper to taste

Heat oil; add onion, pepper, and celery.   Cook for 5 minutes or so, add zucchini and stir-fry sauce.  Season with black pepper.  Cook for 3-5 minutes more.  Serve over rice. 

I use parboiled rice because it is much healthier than white rice but tastes exactly the same so no one even notices; it would be even better to serve with brown rice. 

Sweet Tomatoes' Broccoli Madness Salad

This is Bunny's favorite.

Serves 6-8.
1 bunch uncooked broccoli*
½ cup crumbled cooked bacon
½ cup cashews
1/3 cup raisins
¼ cup chopped red onions

Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Mix the first five ingredients in a large bowl.
In a second bowl, beat dressing ingredients together gently until smooth.
Toss the salad with the dressing approximately 10 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld. Serve on chilled salad dishes.

Creamy Vegetable Soup

My friend JaNee' gave me this recipe... easy to make, and so good on cold days.

1/2 cube margarine
3 cups water
1 tsp salt
2 cups chicken broth
4-5 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped (I use dried onion)
1 bag frozen broccoli, carrots and cauliflower
1 can cream of celery soup
1 small container half & half (I use milk)
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
Pepper

In a large pot, melt margarine. Add water, salt and chicken broth. Add vegetables and simmer over medium-low heat. When vegetables are cooked to your liking, add soup, half & half and cheese. Add pepper to taste.

Easy Asparagus

My friend Heather shared this with me and says her children will eat the whole pan if she lets them!

Preheat oven 500 degrees.

Place asparagus on pan, drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cook for 5-6 minutes.

Country Green Beans

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed (I usually use frozen green beans)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped cooked ham
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup water
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a saucepan, combine all ingredients. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until beans are tender.

Corn and Rice Medleys

I have two recipes that are corn/rice medleys:

Corn and Rice Medley #1

1 cup rice
2 cups water
1 tablespoons butter
2 cups fresh corn kernels
3 - 4 green onions, sliced thinly
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Cook the rice and water like normal until water is absorbed and rice is tender.
Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in corn, onions, sugar, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until tender.
In a serving bowl combine cooked rice and corn mixture.


Corn and Rice Medley #2

1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1 green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

In a saucepan, bring broth to a boil; add rice. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, saute the red pepper and green onion in oil until tender. Stir into rice. Add the corn. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until rice is tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Tasty Green Beans

1 package frozen French cut green beans
½ onion, chopped (sometimes I use red, sometimes I use white or yellow)
2 Tbsp butter/margarine (I like Brummel and Brown spread)
Pepper to taste
Dash of salt

Place in a covered pot, heat on medium-low for about 20 minutes.

Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Butter Sauce

My family has never been crazy about asparagus but in an attempt to find new ways to get my family to eat more green vegetables, I searched for tasty recipes for asparagus with hopes that we would somehow learn to actually like it. After many failed attempts, I finally came across this recipe, which we all LOVE! Acadia will go back for THIRDS and it's usually her favorite part of the meal! Plus, it's super quick and easy! :)

1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed
cooking spray
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1 tsp soy sauce
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Arrange the asparagus on a baking sheet. Coat with cooking spray, and season with salt and pepper.
Bake asparagus 5-6 minutes in the preheated oven, or until tender.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat, and stir in soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Pour over the baked asparagus to serve.