A Cooking Baker

I just had a taste of an amazing cucumber salsa this morning (yes, this morning - there's never a bad time for salsa).  SO good.  It was so refreshing, and I could see myself consuming an entire batch alone.  So off to the store I went to get what I needed to make it ASAP.  It's the perfect taste for a hot day like today! It had garlic scapes in it - and I had seen them at the farmer's market this weekend, but didn't know what they were, or what I would do with them.  Enter my mom, who introduced me to the salsa, and Google, where I figured out exactly what they are!  Here ya go: Garlic scapes are the curly flower stalks snapped off the garlic plants (which is done to increase the size of the garlic bulbs for harvest).  Garlic scapes can be chopped and used like garlic, or used as garlic-flavored scallions (mmmmmm - stir-fry?!).  You should store them in the fridge, unwashed, loosely-wrapped in a plastic bag for up to 2 weeks. So here's the ...

Watermelon and Feta?  Really? Yes.  REALLY.  The salty and the sweet, with a little heat from the pepper, is seriously good.  It's super refreshing in the summer, too. Try it - I think you might be surprised! I'm no carver of fruit, but it was kind of fun to serve the salad in the hollowed-out melon at a shower we did - I think next time I'd slice the melon the long way, though, for a longer, lower "bowl".  It looks great in a Pampered Chef "Simple Additions" square bowl, too.  (You're welcome, PC friends, and again, Pampered Chef, feel free to hook a lady up!)   Watermelon & Feta Salad 3 c.  2"chunks watermelon, seeded (I'm lazy - I use seedless) 1 c. crumbled feta cheese (reduced fat is fine, just get a good brand) Coarsely ground black pepper to taste 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional) OR chop up some arugula and add that for a little peppery taste 1/4 c. red onion, thinly sliced (optional) In a...

I whipped these up the other night when I needed to use up a handful of leftover pizza ingredients in the fridge.  I made my own dough, but you can usually buy some in the deli section of your grocery store.   I didn't measure, so I am kind of guessing on the quantities here - that's the beautiful thing about these, though - you can just wing it with the filling, and it usually works out fine.  Feel free to use what you have on hand, or get creative with your filling ingredients.  I ran out to the garden and just grabbed a few handfuls of fresh herbs, so you can use what you have in your garden, too.  Either par-bake the calzones, and then wrap and freeze for another night (thaw and then bake until golden), or just throw them in the oven for dinner (even better, make a double batch if you have enough ingredients, and do one batch for dinner, and one for another night!).  Freezer-Friendly Calzones 1 recipe bread machine pizza dough (or whatever you pre...

I found some pork tenderloins on special a few weeks ago, so I bought a few, made some into freezer meals and left the rest "plain."  I'm thawing the last one out today for dinner.  Here's the marinade I'm trying, using fresh flat-leaf parsley from our garden - tried to make it easy with the measurements, but you can tweak here and there to your liking.  We're going to grill it, but you could prepare it in the oven, too.  Marinated Pork Tenderloin for the Grill 1⁄3 c. olive oil 1⁄3 c. soy sauce 1⁄3 c. c. red wine vinegar Juice of 1 lemon (about 2-3 tbsp.) 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped 2 tsp. dry mustard 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1 1-lb. pork tenderloin Whisk together all ingredients, and either pour over tenderloin in a non-reactive dish, or put it all in a Ziploc bag and marinate in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours.  You could toss it in the freezer for another night, too (...

I don't bake a ton, but when I do.... ...it better be REALLY tasty if I'm going to splurge on the calories.  I'm not usually tempted by sweets, but I do keep coming back to the pan for these.  I love the salty sweet contrast, and of course almonds and dark chocolate together.  So good! Dark Chocolate Almond Blondies 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. kosher salt 2 c. packed brown sugar (light or dark is fine) 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 2 large eggs 1 1/2 c. dark chocolate chips (or chunks), divided 1 c. whole almonds, chopped, divided Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease 13 x 9-inch baking pan.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl, set aside.  In mixer bowl, beat together brown sugar, butter and vanilla extract until creamy. Add eggs; beat until light and fluffy. Gradually stir in flour mixture. Stir in 3/4 cup chips and 1/2 cup chopped almonds. ...

OK, we're winging it a lot this week with lots of evening activities (4 of 7 nights!), so we'll be doing some reheating, slow cooking, and sandwiches.  Here are a few things I've got planned based on what's in the fridge & freezer: Chicken, Veggie & Quinoa Skillet - I made some quinoa yesterday, grilled some chicken, and I've got lots of sliced veggies in the fridge - bell peppers, onions, zucchini, and asparagus.  I'm going to toss the veggies in my pan with a teeny bit of evoo and some fresh minced garlic, then add the quinoa nd chicken, heat through, and then sprinkle in some diced Roma tomatoes, and maybe chop up a handful of baby spinach leaves and toss it in, too.  I've also got a teen bit of fresh basil, so I'll probably add it.  Why not?!  Baked Potatoes - topped with steamed broccoli, Canadian bacon, shredded cheese and plain yogurt - again, stuff we've got in the fridge to use up.   I've got some fresh pineapple to finish o...

Ever grill your food in a foil packet? It's an easy way to grill things quickly, and with minimal mess.  I purchased a big box of pre-cut foil sheets at Sam's a long time ago, since I use foil a lot in my freezer meals and such, so I can just pull out a 12" x 12" sheet, which is perfect for making a foil packet.  You can do a packet of veggies, potatoes, meat, etc.  Here's one combination (a full meal all in one!) to try - then get creative and see what happens!  I'll post a photo soon - we always end up eating the goods before I remember to whip out the camera... 1-1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces 2 c. brown rice or quinoa, cooked 1/4 c. onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 c. tomato, diced (Roma, or whatever you have) 1/2 c. bell pepper, diced (any color works - red, yellow, green, orange) 1/4 c. fresh basil, chopped 1/4 c. of your favorite dressing - Caesar, Greek, Italian (make your own - even better!) Kosher s...