Ladies night

We have a monthly get together that we used to call Bunco or as the husbands call it....Drunko. I think we might have to change the name of our group though since we don't actually play very much.  I get to host once a year and have tons of fun trying new recipes on my friends.

We had the Costco Kirkland Margarita (Courtesy of the DC Costco that sells liquor) and lots of wine.  I am going to need to go visit Costco in DC again soon to pick up some more margaritas.  They were refreshing and delicious.

I tried three new recipes this year.  Potato skins, Goat cheese with blackberry and honey and Zucchini pizza bites.  All delicious in my opinion.  Hope you enjoy trying them.


Goat Cheese with Blackberry and Honey
Adapted from: Foodie with Family

Ingredients



1 small artisan loaf
Goat cheese
fresh blackberries
mild honey

Directions
1.  Slice the bread thinly.  I tried for 1/4 inch.  Crisp in the oven for 3-4 min each side in the oven at 350 degrees.
2. Arrange the bread in a single layer on a plate.  Place a slice of goat cheese on each round.  Top with a blackberry and drizzle with some honey. I tried 3 types of goat cheese - plain, herb crusted and sweet cranberries.

Easy Potato Skins
From: Iheartnaptime

Ingredients
4 large baking potatoes (washed)
3 TB butter, melted
2 teaspoons of kosher salt
1 1/2- 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
7 slices bacon -cooked and crumbled

Directions
1.  Pre-heat oven to 400°. Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2.  Wash potatoes and then cut the ends of the potatoes off and discard. Next cut the rest of the potatoes into approximately 1/3 inch slices.
3.  Brush both sides and edges of the potatoes with butter and sprinkle with salt. Place on the foil covered pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until lightly browned. Turn potatoes onto the opposite side after about 15 minutes, to brown the other side.
4.  When potatoes are done, top with cheese, bacon and green onions. Continue baking for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese in

Zucchini Pizza Bites
From: thecomfortofcooking

Ingredients
2 large zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds
Nonstick cooking spray
Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
1/4 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/4 cup mini pepperoni pieces, optional
Italian seasoning, for sprinkling

Directions
1.  Spray cookie sheet, then spray both sides of zucchini rounds lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil or grill the zucchini rounds (I used a grill pan set to medium-high) for 2 minutes on each side.
2.  Place cooked zucchini rounds on a large lined baking sheet. Top with small amounts of sauce, cheese and pepperoni pieces, if desired. Broil for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until cheese is melted, careful not to burn. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and serve warm.

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

Looking back at my "resolutions" for this year....Meatless meals.  This is one of my favorites.  I love the spinach and cheese combo and for some reason I don't think one roll has a huge number of carbs so I consider this good skinny food to eat when I'm watching my carb intake.  I didn't change anything from the recipe.  If you like diet friendly meals you should check out the Skinnytaste site. I try a ton of recipes and haven't found one I don't like yet!

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

From: Skinnytaste

Ingredients:
9 lasagna noodles, cooked
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and completely drained
15 oz fat free ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
salt and fresh pepper
32 oz tomato sauce
1 cup part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Ladle about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish.

Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry. Take 1/3 cup of ricotta mixture and spread evenly over noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles.

Ladle sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each roll with mozzarella cheese. Put foil over baking dish and bake for 40 minutes, or until cheese melts. Makes 9 rolls.

Minestrone Soup

It is still very cold here and at the end of a long day I want something warm in my belly.  For Christmas I got the best present ever.  A Dutch oven.  I have used the new dutch oven like more times than I can count on my fingers.  I love it!  I barely even put it away before I am making another creation with it.  I'm really glad I didn't get a heavy one and that my mom talked me into one that is a bit lighter.

Veggie Wednesday dinner tradition has continued.  This week I made this hearty minestrone and ended up having enough for left overs the next night. Even my 11 year-old thought the minestrone was delicious. My husband did think it would taste with a bit of ham.  We served it with little biscuits on the side.  It is hearty enough that you won't go looking for a snack a couple hours later since you missed the beef, chicken or pork in the meal. Enjoy!

2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 small russet potato, medium dice
2 medium celery stalks, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
1 medium bay leaf
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
1 can french cut green beans or 1/2 lb green beans trimmed
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 cup frozen peas
4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup ditalini, tubettini, or other small pasta
1/2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley (from about 1/2 bunch)
Grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese, for garnish

• Heat butter and oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Once butter foams, add onion and garlic and cook until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add potato, celery, carrot, and bay leaf and stir to coat. Cook until celery is just soft, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juices, season with salt and pepper, stir (scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan), and cook until juices are almost completely reduced, about 2 minutes.

• Add half of the green beans, half of the zucchini, half of the peas, and the broth and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until zucchini just begins to soften, about 10 minutes. Stir in reserved beans and bean-cooking liquid; remaining green beans, zucchini, and peas; pasta; and half of the parsley and simmer until the pasta is al dente, about 10 to 15 minutes.

• Remove from heat, stir in remaining parsley, taste, and adjust seasoning as needed. To serve, place soup in bowls, sprinkle grated cheese over top, and season with freshly ground black pepper.

Tomato Bisque with Cheese Toasts

Veggie Wednesday.  I got a call from the doctor today and she said I need to watch my cholesterol. So what do I eat that is fatty?  Duck, cheese, pate... Hmm...so we are watching the fatty food intake.  So one day a week I'm going to attempt to cut out the meat.  We'll see how that goes.  

Tomato Bisque with Cheese Toast

During the winter and when the temperature is in the 30's, it is time for soup.  I have  gone out to eat and ordered bisque and loved it.  So I found this recipe to do bisque and now I find out it is not hard at all. 

Adapted from Fine Cooking
Serves two.
For the bisque:

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes in purée
1-1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
3 Tbs. honey
1-1/2 tsp. coarse salt; more to taste
1/4 tsp. finely ground black pepper; more to taste
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)

For the toasts:

1 load french bread
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
4 to 6 slices cheese (I used Muenster)
1 Tbs. grated Parmesan

In a medium pot, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until tender and lightly browned on the edges, about 7 min. Add the garlic and thyme; stir until fragrant, about 1 min. Add the tomatoes, broth, honey, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until reduced by a quarter and thickened, about 15 min. Using a stand or immersion blender, purée about half the soup; it will be still be chunky and thick. Return it to the pot and stir in the cream. Heat gently and adjust the seasonings. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with the parsley if using, and serve immediately.

Arrange an oven rack to the highest rung and heat the broiler on high. Line a baking sheet with foil. Slice the bread into one inch slices.  Put the bread on the foil and toast each side until golden brown. Spread the mustard evenly on one side of each toast, cover with the cheese, and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Slide the toasts back under the broiler and cook until bubbling and lightly browned on top, about 2 min. Cut each toast in half and serve immediately with the soup.