So it's Friday and here I am just now getting you another Lenten recipe.
It's just been one of those weeks. I had a lot of Virtual Assistant homework this week. Last night we had the Boys Section Swim Meet and then I raced home to get on the last half of the Disney Dream Depot live audio webcast.
Needless to say, my free time hasn't been very free this week.
I was not going to bail and do cheese pizza (blech) or have a grilled cheese sandwich today.
A while back, I went to the fabulous Cafe Latte in St. Paul for a breakfast meeting with a bunch of fabulous gals from the Twin Cities Hip Chicks. (Great Meetup group, by the way. Check it out!)
Anyway, Cafe Latte has this yummy breakfast bake that seriously was yumatrocious. It had hashbrowns, eggs, cheese and broccoli. It tall. It was fluffy. It was give-me-the-whole-pan yummy.
However, in my full-tummy-induced coma, I didn't bother to ask for the recipe before I left. i'm not sure if they'd even give it to me. I couldn't find it on the web. So I did switched into risk-taker mode and made something up.
I have to say, it didn't turn out too bad. It wasn't an exact duplicate visually, but I have to give it two thumbs up on the taste meter.
Mary's Totally Made Up Broccoli Cheese Egg Bake/Quiche Thing
1 pkg fresh shredded hashbrowns - this is what I had in the fridge. Frozen can be used.
6 eggs - I think 9-12 would have been better given the pan I used
1 C fresh broccoli, coarsely chopped - probably should have been 2 C
1/2 C shredded Colby Jack cheese - this was about right
1/4 C softened cream cheese - doubling this would probably be better
1/4 C half and half - if you double the cream cheese, you don't need this.
Salt and pepper to taste
Oven to 375. I wanted to set the hashbrowns as a base. So I spread them across the bottom of a bar pan and topped with cheese. I baked them for about 8-10 minutes. I was looking to have them set, but not completely browned.
You could use frozen hashbrowns if you want. Just thaw. If they are hashbrown patties, you could definitely crumble them. Best bet is to press the hashbrowns as firmly into the pan as much as you can, no matter which type you use.
I eyeballed the broccoli and it just wasn't enough. I'd definitely use 2 C of coarsely chopped broccoli. That way you have enough to go around. Chop enough for it to be bite sized, not totally tiny.
I used 6 eggs because that was all I had. I put them in a bowl and whisked in about 1/4 C of softened cream cheese. Again, that was all I had. I threw in about 1/4 C of half and half. I was trying to make it creamier. I added some salt and pepper and whisked the whole thing.
When I poured it over the hashbrown base, it didn't cover it as well as I thought. That's why I think you need more eggs.
Once the eggs were in there, I baked it for 8-10 minutes. Basically, you want the eggs to set up and not be raw and runny.
Results: Yummy. A couple corners of the pan was less eggy than others, the overall flavor was very good. It was almost like a baked omelet.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Mediterranean Cafe Salad
As a recipe blogger in the Twitter Moms network, I was asked to review a new YouTube video from the Canned Food Alliance. The link to the video is in my right sidebar. It's only 10 minutes long so pull up a bag of microwave popcorn and give it a whirl.
It talks about how food gets from the farmers fields to the consumers table.
Did you know...
*Canned foods are at their peak of freshness when canned
*Most foods go through a 7 step cleaning process before canning
*For both fruits and vegetables, they tend to be fat-free and high in fiber.
Gourmet Magazine has called 2010 the year of the Home Cook. In the video, they talk about using canned goods to make one-dish meals with 5 or less ingredients, around $2-$3 per serving and ready in 20 minutes or less.
Kind of fits the Power Cooking theme, doesn't it.
Here's one of my recipes that includes canned goods and fresh vegetables. It's a hearty salad that includes canned beans, a great source or fat-free protein and fiber, and canned chicken, (though you can opt for fresh if you like.)
Mediterranean Cafe Salad
Dressing
1/4 C olive oil
3 T white wine vinegar
1 envelope Lipton Savory Herb & Garlic soup mix
1 garlic clove, pressed
Salad
1/2 med. cucumber, seeded and sliced
1 small can pitted ripe olives, sliced and drained
1/2 C diced red bell pepper
1 small carrot, grated
2 large cans chunk white chicken, drained
1 can (15oz) Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
1 pkg hearts of Romaine lettuce
1/2 C crumbled herb and garlic feta cheese, optional
For dressing, whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl until well blended. Set aside.
For salad, remove seeds from cucumber and slice thinly. Then cut slices in half. Dice bell pepper with knife. Grate carrot.
Open cans of olives and chicken. Drain. Open can of beans; rinse and drain.
Add all ingredients into a large serving bowl. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with feta cheese if desired.
Serve immediately.
Serves 6 people.
Enjoy!
To learn more about this program, click here: http://www.twittermoms.com/forum/topics/share-your-favorite-recipes
It talks about how food gets from the farmers fields to the consumers table.
Did you know...
*Canned foods are at their peak of freshness when canned
*Most foods go through a 7 step cleaning process before canning
*For both fruits and vegetables, they tend to be fat-free and high in fiber.
Gourmet Magazine has called 2010 the year of the Home Cook. In the video, they talk about using canned goods to make one-dish meals with 5 or less ingredients, around $2-$3 per serving and ready in 20 minutes or less.
Kind of fits the Power Cooking theme, doesn't it.
Here's one of my recipes that includes canned goods and fresh vegetables. It's a hearty salad that includes canned beans, a great source or fat-free protein and fiber, and canned chicken, (though you can opt for fresh if you like.)
Mediterranean Cafe Salad
Dressing
1/4 C olive oil
3 T white wine vinegar
1 envelope Lipton Savory Herb & Garlic soup mix
1 garlic clove, pressed
Salad
1/2 med. cucumber, seeded and sliced
1 small can pitted ripe olives, sliced and drained
1/2 C diced red bell pepper
1 small carrot, grated
2 large cans chunk white chicken, drained
1 can (15oz) Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
1 pkg hearts of Romaine lettuce
1/2 C crumbled herb and garlic feta cheese, optional
For dressing, whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl until well blended. Set aside.
For salad, remove seeds from cucumber and slice thinly. Then cut slices in half. Dice bell pepper with knife. Grate carrot.
Open cans of olives and chicken. Drain. Open can of beans; rinse and drain.
Add all ingredients into a large serving bowl. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with feta cheese if desired.
Serve immediately.
Serves 6 people.
Enjoy!
To learn more about this program, click here: http://www.twittermoms.com/forum/topics/share-your-favorite-recipes
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Lenten Recipe #1 AND a Chocolate Recipe by Request
Meatless doesn't mean it has to be tasteless. There are a lot of great recipes out there that are fun and still friendly to the general tastes that some of us, and our kids, have.
I love artichokes. Not by themselves, but in stuff. My kids would NEVER eat artichokes plain, but they have eaten artichokes when mixed in with a recipe. It's a softer texture and doesn't feel too weird when you are eating it. Marinated ones are really good, especially if you have an Italian bent.
My point...well instead of serving up cheese pizza tomorrow on the 1st Friday of Lent, how about a homemade pizza with a little pizazz and color? And I'm happy to say that this one gets two thumbs up from me for not having ANY onions in it at all!
Artichoke Vegetable Pizza.
2 pkgs (13oz each) refrigerated pizza crust
1 T olive oil
1 jar (6oz) marinated artichoke hearts, undrained
1 t Italian seasoning
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 C pitte ripe olives, sliced
1 small zucchini or yellow squash
2 Roma tomatoes
2 T parsley
Toasted Pine Nuts - optional
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Unroll both packages of dough side by side over bottom of a bar pan or sheet pan, trimming excess dough even with long sides of pan. Brush oil over dough. Bake 16-18 minutes or until golden brown; remove from oven to cooling rack. Sprinkle cheese over hot pizza crust.
Drain artichoke marinade into large bowl. Add Italian seasoning and garlic and whisk. Coarsely chop artichokes and olives; add to batter bowl. Cut stem from squash; cut squash crosswise into quarters. Slice and then cut slices in half. Slice tomatoes in half lengthwise; scrape out seeds and dice. Add artichokes, olives, squash and tomatoes to batter bowl; mix well.
Spoon vegetables over pizza, draining off as much marinade as possible. Sprinkle with parsley and pine nuts, if desired. Cut pizza into squares with pizza cutter and serve.
Result: freakin' awesome.
I have a bonus dessert recipe today. One of my Facebook friends was talking about a fab chocolate cake she had had and that it was just the best ever. I posted that I'd sent her the best chocolate recipe ever: Double Chocolate Mocha Trifle.
Well, a bunch of her friends were talking about it, so I told them I'd post it on the blog so it would be archived and accessible for all time. :-)
Seriously...this is the most amazingly rich chocolate dessert. And oh-so-easy.
Double Chocolate Mocha Trifle
1 box (18oz) brownie mix plus ingredients to make brownies
2 boxes (3.4 oz each) instant white chocolate pudding mix
1 3/4 C milk
1/4 C warm water
4 t instant coffee granules
2 C thawed Cool Whip
3 Heath Bars, chopped
Prepare and bake brownies according to cake-like package directions. Cool completely. In bowl, whisk pudding and milk until it begins to thicken. It will be pretty thick. Dissolve coffee granules in warm water. Add to pudding mixture and mix well.
This gives it a mocha color; the coffee flavor is not overwhelming. I don't like coffee and I LOVE this recipe!
Fold Cool Whip into the pudding mixture. Chop Heath Bars.
Cut brownies into 1"x1" squares.
In a trifle bowl (or whatever bowl you have), place half the brownie squares into the bottom of the bowl. Top with half the pudding mixture, pressing lightly, and then 1/2 the chopped Heath Bars. Repeat layers one more time.
For best results, chill 30 minutes before serving. But you can eat it right away.
A-ma-zing.
Enjoy!
I love artichokes. Not by themselves, but in stuff. My kids would NEVER eat artichokes plain, but they have eaten artichokes when mixed in with a recipe. It's a softer texture and doesn't feel too weird when you are eating it. Marinated ones are really good, especially if you have an Italian bent.
My point...well instead of serving up cheese pizza tomorrow on the 1st Friday of Lent, how about a homemade pizza with a little pizazz and color? And I'm happy to say that this one gets two thumbs up from me for not having ANY onions in it at all!
Artichoke Vegetable Pizza.
2 pkgs (13oz each) refrigerated pizza crust
1 T olive oil
1 jar (6oz) marinated artichoke hearts, undrained
1 t Italian seasoning
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 C pitte ripe olives, sliced
1 small zucchini or yellow squash
2 Roma tomatoes
2 T parsley
Toasted Pine Nuts - optional
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Unroll both packages of dough side by side over bottom of a bar pan or sheet pan, trimming excess dough even with long sides of pan. Brush oil over dough. Bake 16-18 minutes or until golden brown; remove from oven to cooling rack. Sprinkle cheese over hot pizza crust.
Drain artichoke marinade into large bowl. Add Italian seasoning and garlic and whisk. Coarsely chop artichokes and olives; add to batter bowl. Cut stem from squash; cut squash crosswise into quarters. Slice and then cut slices in half. Slice tomatoes in half lengthwise; scrape out seeds and dice. Add artichokes, olives, squash and tomatoes to batter bowl; mix well.
Spoon vegetables over pizza, draining off as much marinade as possible. Sprinkle with parsley and pine nuts, if desired. Cut pizza into squares with pizza cutter and serve.
Result: freakin' awesome.
I have a bonus dessert recipe today. One of my Facebook friends was talking about a fab chocolate cake she had had and that it was just the best ever. I posted that I'd sent her the best chocolate recipe ever: Double Chocolate Mocha Trifle.
Well, a bunch of her friends were talking about it, so I told them I'd post it on the blog so it would be archived and accessible for all time. :-)
Seriously...this is the most amazingly rich chocolate dessert. And oh-so-easy.
Double Chocolate Mocha Trifle
1 box (18oz) brownie mix plus ingredients to make brownies
2 boxes (3.4 oz each) instant white chocolate pudding mix
1 3/4 C milk
1/4 C warm water
4 t instant coffee granules
2 C thawed Cool Whip
3 Heath Bars, chopped
Prepare and bake brownies according to cake-like package directions. Cool completely. In bowl, whisk pudding and milk until it begins to thicken. It will be pretty thick. Dissolve coffee granules in warm water. Add to pudding mixture and mix well.
This gives it a mocha color; the coffee flavor is not overwhelming. I don't like coffee and I LOVE this recipe!
Fold Cool Whip into the pudding mixture. Chop Heath Bars.
Cut brownies into 1"x1" squares.
In a trifle bowl (or whatever bowl you have), place half the brownie squares into the bottom of the bowl. Top with half the pudding mixture, pressing lightly, and then 1/2 the chopped Heath Bars. Repeat layers one more time.
For best results, chill 30 minutes before serving. But you can eat it right away.
A-ma-zing.
Enjoy!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Lenten Recipe #1 - Italian Pasta Stir Fry
To start of our ideas for Lent, I thought Italian Pasta Stir Fry would be a good choice.
This recipe is meatless by design. It's a skillet entree that combines pasta and fresh vegetables for a convenient one dish meal.
Italian Pasta Stir Fry
8 oz linguine, cooked - You could easily substitute spaghetti or any other pasta you have on hand
2 med. tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 med. onion, chopped - omitted at my house
1 med. zucchini, sliced
1/4 C snipped fresh parsley
1 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 t dried basil
1 t dried oregano
1/8 t salt
1/8 t ground black pepper
1/4 C fresh Parmesan
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm. Chop tomatoes and onion. Slice zucchini. Snip parsley.
In a stir fry skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add garlic and stir fry for 15 seconds. Add onion and zucchini; stir fry 1-3 minutes or until vegies are crisp-tender. Add tomatoes, parsley and seasonings. Heat 1-2 minutes or until heated through.
Remove from heat. Stir in pasta. Add Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
This recipe yields 6 servings and has 160 calories per serving. So it's on the light side.
Enjoy!
This recipe is meatless by design. It's a skillet entree that combines pasta and fresh vegetables for a convenient one dish meal.
Italian Pasta Stir Fry
8 oz linguine, cooked - You could easily substitute spaghetti or any other pasta you have on hand
2 med. tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 med. onion, chopped - omitted at my house
1 med. zucchini, sliced
1/4 C snipped fresh parsley
1 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 t dried basil
1 t dried oregano
1/8 t salt
1/8 t ground black pepper
1/4 C fresh Parmesan
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm. Chop tomatoes and onion. Slice zucchini. Snip parsley.
In a stir fry skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add garlic and stir fry for 15 seconds. Add onion and zucchini; stir fry 1-3 minutes or until vegies are crisp-tender. Add tomatoes, parsley and seasonings. Heat 1-2 minutes or until heated through.
Remove from heat. Stir in pasta. Add Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
This recipe yields 6 servings and has 160 calories per serving. So it's on the light side.
Enjoy!
Lent: Prepping for meat-free days
Tomorrow, Feb. 16, is Mardi Gras. Weds. Feb. 17 is Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent for those who observe it.
For most who observe Lent, that means no meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays during the Lenten Season.
At my house, this is sometimes a challenge. My daughter is a major meat-o-saurus. My son is a teenage sports player. We go through lots of meat.
But it's only one day a week. Still, it's one of those things where I have to change my menu thinking because I don't always have a lot of seafood or vegetarian type things because that's just not my family's yen.
If you have a meat and potatoes family, you may have trouble thinking outside the box.
This posting is to point out some options to consider:
1. Go meatless.
Take your favorite meals and just remove the meat from the recipe. In a lot of cases, your recipe will still retain be workable for your family.
For example, I have some hearty salad recipes that call for chicken to be included. Omit the chicken; problem solved.
2. Seafood.
Lent is kind of funny in that its bias is against land-based meat, but not sea-based "meats". All fish, lobster, scallops, crab, and other seafood is included.
Minnesotans tend to love their fish fry events!
3. Soups and Stews
This is a great option and one that I will spend a good amount of time on.
4. Emphasize your carbs and fiber.
I'm not saying go crazy. Be sensible. But if you or your family don't feel full after a non-meat meal, consider adding a little more in the carbohydrate and fiber department. This doesn't just mean having a whole pot of pasta all by yourself. Add in some of the filling vegetables, like broccoli, to balance out your meal.
I think it will be great for everyone to look at some different options that taste great and aren't less filling!
For most who observe Lent, that means no meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays during the Lenten Season.
At my house, this is sometimes a challenge. My daughter is a major meat-o-saurus. My son is a teenage sports player. We go through lots of meat.
But it's only one day a week. Still, it's one of those things where I have to change my menu thinking because I don't always have a lot of seafood or vegetarian type things because that's just not my family's yen.
If you have a meat and potatoes family, you may have trouble thinking outside the box.
This posting is to point out some options to consider:
1. Go meatless.
Take your favorite meals and just remove the meat from the recipe. In a lot of cases, your recipe will still retain be workable for your family.
For example, I have some hearty salad recipes that call for chicken to be included. Omit the chicken; problem solved.
2. Seafood.
Lent is kind of funny in that its bias is against land-based meat, but not sea-based "meats". All fish, lobster, scallops, crab, and other seafood is included.
Minnesotans tend to love their fish fry events!
3. Soups and Stews
This is a great option and one that I will spend a good amount of time on.
4. Emphasize your carbs and fiber.
I'm not saying go crazy. Be sensible. But if you or your family don't feel full after a non-meat meal, consider adding a little more in the carbohydrate and fiber department. This doesn't just mean having a whole pot of pasta all by yourself. Add in some of the filling vegetables, like broccoli, to balance out your meal.
I think it will be great for everyone to look at some different options that taste great and aren't less filling!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Rock the Casbah!
Do you remember that song? Or am I just old?
The cool part about having satellite radio in your car is you get 80s on 8. Rock the Casbah by The Clash came on and....well, I just had to crank it up and rock it in the car. It's just one of those corny songs with a good beat that you can totally get into. My daughter is quite the 80s fan and was getting into with me at the time.
Meandering along...after hearing that song, the word "casbah" stuck out in my mind that I had seen it before. Then it came to me that it was in a recipe. I went to go look it up and wah-lah! Casbah Chicken and Couscous.
It's one of those budget friendly things that's around $2 per serving. For my vegie friends, you could easily omit the chicken and add beans or other protein if you needed to.
But I love that it has fresh mango and toasted almonds. Yum.
Seriously, this maybe takes 20-25 minutes. It's totally easy. It's not too weird so it's pretty family safe.
Casbah Chicken and Couscous
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 T Moroccan Rub - if you don't have this, look for a Middle Eastern seasoning in your grocery store. Otherwise, I'd suggest some ground cinnamon, ground cumin, ground ginger, lemon zest, garlic powder and chili pepper mixed together for a similar result.
1 t salt
1/3 C blanched slivered almonds (optional)
1 T vegetable oil
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
1/3 C water
1 medium red onion - if you really need it
1 large mango
1 plg (10oz) uncooked plain couscous
1/2 C lightly packed fresh cilantro
Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Combine chicken, 1 t of the rub and 1/2 t of salt in a glass bowl. Using a scraper, toss to coat.
If using, place almonds in a large 12-inch skillet. Cook over med. heat for 4-6 minutes or until golden brown. Remove nuts and set aside. Add oil to skillet; heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Add chicken to skillet in a single layer. Cook and stir 5-6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Remove from skillet and keep warm.
In another bowl, combine broth, water, remaining rub and salt. If using, slice onion lengthwise into thin wedges; add to skillet. Cook 4-5 minutes or until tender and beginning to carmelize, stirring occasionally. Add broth mixture; bring to a simmer. Stir to loosen brown bits from bottom of skillet.
Slice mango into thin wedges. Stir mango, couscous and chicken into broth mixture. Remove from heat; cover and let stand until liquid is absorbed. Snip cilantro. Toss cilantro and almonds into couscous and serve immediately.
Enjoy!
The cool part about having satellite radio in your car is you get 80s on 8. Rock the Casbah by The Clash came on and....well, I just had to crank it up and rock it in the car. It's just one of those corny songs with a good beat that you can totally get into. My daughter is quite the 80s fan and was getting into with me at the time.
Meandering along...after hearing that song, the word "casbah" stuck out in my mind that I had seen it before. Then it came to me that it was in a recipe. I went to go look it up and wah-lah! Casbah Chicken and Couscous.
It's one of those budget friendly things that's around $2 per serving. For my vegie friends, you could easily omit the chicken and add beans or other protein if you needed to.
But I love that it has fresh mango and toasted almonds. Yum.
Seriously, this maybe takes 20-25 minutes. It's totally easy. It's not too weird so it's pretty family safe.
Casbah Chicken and Couscous
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 T Moroccan Rub - if you don't have this, look for a Middle Eastern seasoning in your grocery store. Otherwise, I'd suggest some ground cinnamon, ground cumin, ground ginger, lemon zest, garlic powder and chili pepper mixed together for a similar result.
1 t salt
1/3 C blanched slivered almonds (optional)
1 T vegetable oil
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
1/3 C water
1 medium red onion - if you really need it
1 large mango
1 plg (10oz) uncooked plain couscous
1/2 C lightly packed fresh cilantro
Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Combine chicken, 1 t of the rub and 1/2 t of salt in a glass bowl. Using a scraper, toss to coat.
If using, place almonds in a large 12-inch skillet. Cook over med. heat for 4-6 minutes or until golden brown. Remove nuts and set aside. Add oil to skillet; heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Add chicken to skillet in a single layer. Cook and stir 5-6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Remove from skillet and keep warm.
In another bowl, combine broth, water, remaining rub and salt. If using, slice onion lengthwise into thin wedges; add to skillet. Cook 4-5 minutes or until tender and beginning to carmelize, stirring occasionally. Add broth mixture; bring to a simmer. Stir to loosen brown bits from bottom of skillet.
Slice mango into thin wedges. Stir mango, couscous and chicken into broth mixture. Remove from heat; cover and let stand until liquid is absorbed. Snip cilantro. Toss cilantro and almonds into couscous and serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Broccoli Salad Squares
Well, here we are already into February.
Holy crap...a whole month in 2010 is already gone.
Hmmm...that means one more month closer to my birthday. And one more month closer to vacation. Maybe I shouldn't complain so much.
I'm on a vegie kick today. Mostly because I'm craving broccoli. I've had a heckuva head cold this whole week. Most food doesn't taste good and I haven't had a great appetite with this cold either. OJ, tea and all kinds of other bland stuff has been in my circle this week.
But I'm feeling a bit better and oh, does broccoli sound good.
Anyway, back on topic here...One of my favorite recipe types are the heavier appetizers that are substantial enough to be a meal.
Broccoli Salad Squares is, yet again, one of those recipes I could eat by the pan-full.
You could add some chopped chicken for some protein if you want, but it's not in the original recipe.
Broccoli Salad Squares
1 can (8oz) refrigerated crescent roll dough - Pillsbury now makes their crescent roll dough in a single solid roll. PERFECT for these Pampered Chef type recipes.
3/4 C mayo - real mayo, not Miracle Whip. MW will totally ruin the flavor
2 t sugar
1 t white or cider vinegar
1 1/2 C broccoli, coarsely chopped
4 slices bacon, crisply cooked and chopped
2 T red onion, thinly sliced and quartered - not included at my house
1/4 C golden raisins (optional)
1 T sunflower seed kernels
Preheat oven to 350. Unroll dough. Using a roller, roll dough out onto a 12x15 pan or stone to within 1 inch of edge. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.
In bowl, whisk mayo, sugar and vinegar until well blended.
Chop broccoli and bacon. If using onion, cut and separate pieces.
Spread mayo mixture over the crust evenly. Sprinkle with broccoli, bacon, onion, raisins and sunflower seed kernels.
Serve immediately or refrigerate. Cut into 24 squares using a pizza cutter.
Enjoy!
Holy crap...a whole month in 2010 is already gone.
Hmmm...that means one more month closer to my birthday. And one more month closer to vacation. Maybe I shouldn't complain so much.
I'm on a vegie kick today. Mostly because I'm craving broccoli. I've had a heckuva head cold this whole week. Most food doesn't taste good and I haven't had a great appetite with this cold either. OJ, tea and all kinds of other bland stuff has been in my circle this week.
But I'm feeling a bit better and oh, does broccoli sound good.
Anyway, back on topic here...One of my favorite recipe types are the heavier appetizers that are substantial enough to be a meal.
Broccoli Salad Squares is, yet again, one of those recipes I could eat by the pan-full.
You could add some chopped chicken for some protein if you want, but it's not in the original recipe.
Broccoli Salad Squares
1 can (8oz) refrigerated crescent roll dough - Pillsbury now makes their crescent roll dough in a single solid roll. PERFECT for these Pampered Chef type recipes.
3/4 C mayo - real mayo, not Miracle Whip. MW will totally ruin the flavor
2 t sugar
1 t white or cider vinegar
1 1/2 C broccoli, coarsely chopped
4 slices bacon, crisply cooked and chopped
2 T red onion, thinly sliced and quartered - not included at my house
1/4 C golden raisins (optional)
1 T sunflower seed kernels
Preheat oven to 350. Unroll dough. Using a roller, roll dough out onto a 12x15 pan or stone to within 1 inch of edge. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.
In bowl, whisk mayo, sugar and vinegar until well blended.
Chop broccoli and bacon. If using onion, cut and separate pieces.
Spread mayo mixture over the crust evenly. Sprinkle with broccoli, bacon, onion, raisins and sunflower seed kernels.
Serve immediately or refrigerate. Cut into 24 squares using a pizza cutter.
Enjoy!
