Cooking in Pajamas

3 bulbs Garlic 2-3 Tbsp Olive oil 1/2 c. Butter, salted 1 Tbsp Fresh parsley, finely chopped or 1/2 Tbsp Dried parsley flakes (optional) 2 Tbsp Frech Parmesan cheese, grated (optional) 1 French baguette (This recipe makes approximately 1 cup of garlic spread.) Preheat the oven to 350 ˚ F. Slice the tops off of the garlic bulbs to expose the tips of the cloves. Place the bulbs in an oven-safe container (or a baking sheet) and drizzle the top with olive oil. Bake for 35-40 min.  The garlic should be soft and slightly browned. When the garlic is cool enough to touch, squeeze the cloves from their skin into a small bowl.  Reserve the olive oil if you used a bowl for roasting. Mash the garlic with the olive oil.  Then mix in the butter, parsley and parmesan cheese. Cut the baguette diagonally into 1" slices.  Generously spread the garlic butter on one side. Toasting methods: Quick 'n Easy - Heat in the toaster oven for 5 min or until the ed...

6 Potatoes , medium size 4 Eggs 1/2 c. Red onions, chopped 1/2 c. Sweet pickle relish 2 cloves Garlic, minced 2 tsp Celery seeds 1 tbsp Prepared mustard 1/2 c. Light mayonnaise ( Hellmann's ) Ground black pepper and salt to taste In a large pot, boil the potatoes until tender but firm, approximately 15 min. Drain, cool and cut into cubes. (If you are using large potatoes, halve them before boiling them. Otherwise, it will not cook evenly and you will end up with half mushy and half raw crunchy potatoes.) To cook the eggs, place the eggs in a pot of cold water and bring water to a boil. Then reduce the heat and continue to cook the eggs for another 10-12 min, covered. When the eggs are done, cool the eggs in cold water and peel. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste. Chill before serving. My comments: I must admit, I thought adding relish to the potato salad was a bit weird. But the original recipe had really good ratings and I wa...

Dressing 1/4 c. Olive oil 2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegarette 1/2 tsp Thyme, dried 1/2 tsp Rosemary, dried 1 tsp Basil, dried 4-5 cloves Garlic, minced Salt & Pepper to taste Vegetables 4 Potatoes , cubed with skin on 1/2 Onion, sliced 2 Sweet bell peppers , cubed 1 Zucchini, cut into bite-size 8-10 White mushrooms Handful of snowpeas Preheat the oven to 450˚F. Combine the dressing ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix together the pepper, zucchini, mushrooms and snowpeas. Toss them in the dressing until coated. Transfer the vegetables to another bowl and set aside. Toss the potatoes an onions with the remaining dressing. Spray the bottle of a roasting pan with oil. Spread the potatoes and onions evenly on the roasting pan. Bake for 10 min and flip them potatoes. Add the rest of the vegetables. Toss to mix. Bake for 10 min and flip the veggies once. Bake again for another 10 min. My comment: Summer is a great time to include fresh vegetables to your diet. You can get delicious vege...

1 c. Israeli couscous 1 c. Chicken stock, low sodium 1 c. Water 4 c. Vegetables, chopped 1 clove Garlic, chopped 1 tsp Basil, dried 2 tbsp Olive oil Sesame oil Salt & Pepper to taste Rinse the couscous with water. Bring the chicken stock and water to a boil in a sauce pan. Stir in the couscous. Reduce to low heat and simmer for about 10 min, covered. When the couscous are soft, fluff with a fork. You may drain the excess liquid with a strainer. Prepare approximately 4 cups of vegetables, chopped the way you like. I used mushrooms, asparagus, green onion, white onion and sweet peppers. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add garlic and white onions and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the basil and the rest of the vegetables (except for the green onion) and cook until they begin to soften. (Cooking time depends on whether you like your veggies soft or crunchy.) If you are using green onion, add them to the rest of the vegetables and cook for a few more min...

2 tbsp Olive oil 1 c. Orzo pasta 1 can Chicken broth (14.5 ounce) 1/2 c. Red onion, chopped 1/4 c. Fresh basil, chopped 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated Salt and pepper to taste Vegetarian option: substitute the chicken broth with a vegetable broth. Heat the olive oil in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in orzo and saute until lightly browned. Stir in chicken stock and bring to boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 - 20 minutes. While the orzo is cooking, chop up the fresh basil and set aside. Soften the red onion in a small frying pan using a little bit of olive oil. Set aside. When the orzo is cooked, stir in the red onion, fresh basil and the parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. My comments: I made myself a little herb garden this summer and I was desparately looking for recipes to use my fresh herbs. I wanted to explore new recipes with herbs I'm growing and my hubby came across this easy pasta side dish usin...

[Vegetarian version: Omit the chicken or replace it with chickpeas.] 1 c. Brown rice 1 3/4 c. Water 3-4 pc. Chicken thighs, deboned and cut small 1/2 Red onion, chopped small 1 tbsp Curry powder 1/4 c. Olive oil 1 tsp Cumin 1 tsp Paprika 1 tsp chilli powder 1/2 tbsp Sesame oil 1 Apple 2 tbsp Honey 1 stalk Celery Fresh Cilantro (3-4 sprigs) Dried cranberries Salt Chopped walnuts or pecan (optional) Wash the rice a few times with water and drain as much as possible. Put the rice and water in a pot and add water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 40 min. Turn off the heat and keep cover for at least 10 min. Fluff the rice with a fork. In a frying pan, cook the chicken with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add a little bit of salt while cooking. Set cooked chicken aside. In a small pot, combine the olive oil, curry powder, cumin, paprika, chilli powder and sesame oil. Mix well and let the oil simmer for 1 minute. Add the chopped onion and cook until they are translucent. Add honey to the ...