Orecchiette With Chickpeas and Broccoli Rabe

Ingredients

Ready in a little more than 20 minutes!
Best served with a glass of Pinot, you’ll enjoy a low-fat pasta dish that packs almost one-third of your DRI (dietary reference intake) of iron

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
8 ounces broccoli rabe (rapini), chopped into 1-inch pieces
3 cups fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 cups hot, cooked orecchiette (a little ear-shaped pasta), 8 ounces dry
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add chickpeas and sauté 2 minutes or until they’re just beginning to brown. Add garlic and crushed red pepper and sauté 30 seconds.

2. Add broccoli rabe and chicken broth to pan; bring to a simmer and cook 3 minutes or until broccoli rabe is crisp-tender.

3. Stir in hot pasta and salt; cook 2 minutes or until heated throughout.

4. Divide among 4 shallow bowls, and top each with Parmesan cheese.

www.health.com

 

Funny Friend!

Well it was my birthday on Saturday and I sent a smart arsed text to a friend of mine it went something like this :

“FYI my birthday is on Saturday and I love receiving cards and gifts such as flowers, chocolate or red convertibles LOL!”

Today my good friend “Deborahh from the Cona Stoa” gave me my gift………….

The post it says ” You said you liked receiving cards”

And Flowers (Best I could do)

and chocolate

Drink this and imagine your car is red with no top on it HA HA HA

This is one of the most thoughtful gifts I have received 😀 😀

I must return the favor on December 4th when Ms. Deb turns 50!!!!!!

Roasted potato frittata with onions and peppers

Roasted potato frittata with onions and peppers

1 large russet potato
Olive oil to coat
Sprinkle of salt, pepper and cayenne pepper
1 tbsp butter
1 onion, diced
1/4 green pepper diced
2 mushrooms, diced
4 eggs
1/2 cup aged cheddar

1. Cut potato into thick slices and coat with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Roast in a 450F oven until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

2. In a small oven proof skillet heat the butter. Add the onion and green pepper and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are golden, about 10 minutes.

3. Place eggs in a small bowl and whisk. Add cheese and pour egg and cheese mixture over the vegetables in the skillet. Pull the eggs mixture away from the side of the skillet allowing the uncooked egg on top to run down into the pan. Keep doing this until the egg mixture is cooked on the bottom but still runny on top. Place the potato slices onto the top of the frittata.

4. Place under a broiler until the egg has puffed up and is golden brown, about 5 minutes.

5. Garnish, serve, and enjoy!

www.treehugger.com 

Three dogs feast!

We have Bentley Baby visiting again while his family is on vacation…..

Three dogs alone in the kitchen,
One empty jar of Nutella, complete with knife on counter

Me outside with a cold one 😀

The results

Priceless!

😀 😀

Yes I know chocolate is very bad for dogs, they didn’t really eat it, just knocked everything down…

😀

Pumpkin and Spinach Salad

I haven’t tried this one yet, looks delicious though, amazing what you can pair together!

Pair this nutty salad with pizza, a barbecue lunch or enjoy it as a meal of its own.

Pumpkin and Spinach Salad

600g butternut pumpkin, deseeded, peeled, cut into wedges

2 tsp olive oil

2 tsp honey

2 tsp sesame seeds

1 tbs fresh lemon juice

1 tbs honey, extra

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp wholegrain mustard

1 x 150g pkt baby spinach leaves

1 x 75g pkt toasted pine nuts

Preheat oven to 220°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Place the pumpkin in a large bowl. Drizzle with oil and honey. Season with salt and pepper. Gently toss until the pumpkin is well coated. Place in a single layer on the lined tray. Bake, turning once during cooking, for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle evenly with the sesame seeds. Return to oven and bake for 5 minutes or until the seeds are lightly toasted. Remove from oven and set aside for 30 minutes to cool

Combine the lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, mustard and extra honey in a screw-top jar and shake until well combined. Season with salt and pepper

Place the pumpkin, spinach and pine nuts in a large bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and gently toss until just combined. Serve immediately

www.taste.com.au

Tropical Spritzer

I am still alcohol free it’s been a couple of weeks now!!

Over the last couple of weeks admittedly I have had in total, 4 drinks 😀

But other than that I’ve been doing really well 😀

Here is a great non alcoholic cocktail

In a cocktail glass filled with ice, add 3oz mango juice, 3oz peach juice. 
Top with soda water and stir to mix. 
Garnish with star fruit.

www.lcbo.com

≈Laugh loudly, Love generously, Care deeply, Speak kindly≈

FUn FriDaY SwiTchy

Well guys….I’m still alcohol free…well except for last night I shared a beer with a friend and it was a Blue Light so it doesn’t really count! 😀

Here is another awesome alcohol free summer cocktail,this ginger punch is flavored with lemon juice and sweetened with honey and molasses for a refreshing drink that quenches even the fiercest summer thirst.  (Could add vodka) 😀

Haymaker’s Ginger Switchel

Ingredients

• 9 cup(s) water, divided
• 1/4 cup(s) minced fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup(s) honey or pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup(s) molasses
• 3/4 cup(s) lemon juice
• 1/4 cup(s) cider vinegar
• Fresh berries, mint sprigs or lemon slices for garnish

Directions

1. Combine 3 cups water with ginger in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and let infuse for 15 minutes.
2. Strain the ginger-infused water into a pitcher, pressing on the ginger solids to extract all the liquid. Add honey (or maple syrup) and molasses; stir until dissolved. Stir in lemon juice, vinegar and the remaining 6 cups water. Chill until very cold, at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. Stir the punch and serve in tall glasses over ice cubes. Garnish with berries, mint sprigs or lemon slices, if desired.

www.delish.com

Simple Summer Spaghetti

Simple Summer Spaghetti

12 oz. packaged spaghetti

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

5 cloves garlic, coarsley chopped

Pinch of crushed red pepper, or to taste

2 cups cut-up grilled zucchini and/or summer squash

2 cups red and/or yellow cherry tomatoes, quatered

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

1/4-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil or Italian parsley

1.Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Stir in spaghetti. Cook 9-10 minutes, just until tender. Strain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.

2.Meanwhile, in extra-large skillet combine olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook over medium heat about 3 minutes, until garlic begins to soften. Do not let garlic brown. Stir in zucchini, squash, tomatoes and torn basil. Season with salt & pepper.

3.Reduce heat to low; stir pasta liquid and spaghetti into vegetables in skillet or large pot. Heat thoroughly. Sprinkle with Parmesan.  Transfer to large serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped fresh basil or parsley. Makes 4-8 servings.

rikkisnyder.com

No name Salad

Stuff I tell my sister had this recipe posted on her Facebook page, I have made this to go with dinner tonight…if it lasts that long!!

This salad had no name associated with it so I’ll just call it

Delicious

😀

2 cucumbers cut up
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes (about 30)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 cup fresh mozzarella (I like to use the little balls)—— (Angie used Feta :D)
1 avocado
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste.

Related articles

• Summer Salad: Spinach, Strawberries and Mozzarella (formaggiokitchen.com)
• Eating like a Mediterranean ? (jovinacooksitalian.com)
• Grilled Vegetable and Mozzarella Sandwiches (livingtoolarge.wordpress.com)

Summer Pupsicles

Our dogs love popsicles and ice cream!!

I found some great Pupsicle recipes at Modern Dog

BASIC RECIPE

1 ripe banana 4 cups orange juice 1/2 cup plain yogurt

Puree all ingredients in a blender—or simply mash the banana by hand and combine with the juice and yogourt—then pour into a popsicle mold, freeze, and serve to your favourite hot dogs.

VARIATIONS

Switch up your fruit. Try subbing in: Blueberries Strawberries Peach Watermelon Or mix in some peanut butter.

You can also vary the juice you use. Try pineapple juice or apple juice; just check to be sure the juice you use is all-natural and has no added sugar.

* watermelon, strawberry, pineapple juice, and yogurt

* peanut butter, banana, apple juice, and yogurt

Homemade (no salt) chicken-broth pops

Had barbequed chicken for dinner? Don’t chuck the carcass! Throw it in a large pot, cover with water, and let it simmer for an hour and a half. Cool, then pick the meat off, discarding the bone but keeping the cartilage, meat, and broth. Left over cooked carrots and/or peas? Mash them up and mix them in! Pour the chicken broth into your popsicle mold (save whatever’s leftover as a tasty addition to your dog’s next few meals) and freeze. Best served outside. –

Feeling lazy?

Simply cube some Watermelon, chuck it in a Ziplock baggie, and toss it in to the freezer for a natural, on-the-go “freezie” you and your dog can share. –

Our dogs love most fruits and veggies especially watermelon, Sims loves cantaloupe and peas!

There is a story making the rounds that ice can cause bloat in dogs. While extreme cold, such as drinking a bucket of ice water, might cause the stomach to spasm, it’s unlikely to cause either bloat (the stomach fills up with gas) or torsion (the stomach flips over and twists the entrance and exit-a life threatening problem). At any rate, we suggest that people only give their dogs one pupsicle at a time; they’re intended to be a treat, not eaten 12 in a go anyways. 🙂

I found these great recipes at the Modern Dog website.

Related articles

• Frozen Yogurt Popsicles (joneschristina.wordpress.com)
• strawberries and cream popsicles (stuffstephdoes.com)
• Yummy popsicles (stayhealthynow.wordpress.com)
• Strawberry Popsicles (thefinishedplate.wordpress.com)