Our Veggie Garden....and Chicken Pot Pie!

Hi everyone!  I'm linking this recipe up with Walking on Sunshine's Linky Party....Go take a look-see!

Happy Sunday!  I hope all are having a "day of rest", we try to rest on Sundays, but in the Summer months it sure is hard.  We went to church this morning, then my Hubby treated us to a breakfast out, it was nice not having to cook, and enjoyed spending the time with my family.

Our veggie garden is doing so well.  Everything is growing, and all the rain that we are getting helps, but I would rather not have so much of it!  We have about 10 Eggplant growing today, can't wait to make a batch of my "Oven-Fried Eggplant".  The Tomatoes are still green, but wow, we have so many.  There about 3 more Zucchini growing, and little tiny ones starting to grow, I have Beans galore to pick, and there's about 6 Banana Peppers to pick soon, and cucumbers, and 1 red pepper ready to be picked. The Brussel Sprouts leaves are huge, but nothing on them yet.

We did have some "pests" in the garden, bugs that is.  So we had to stay on it and spray them away!

Enjoy the pictures, I love sharing the bounty of our labor!

Zucchini!

Tomatoes!

Peppers!

Eggplant



Our "girls"....aka Chickens! And, NO, we don't eat our Chickens, only their EGGS! :)

So since I'm on the Chicken topic.....My girl Rebecca comes home today from her Missions Trip!  She's been away for a whole week.  I am cooking her favorite meal, Chicken Pot Pie, here's the recipe.  Enjoy!

Pie Crust for one pie

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup shortening

1 tsp salt

1 egg

water

1 tsp. vinegar

In a large bowl put the flour and salt, and shortening, then using a pastry cutter or 2 knives cut the shortening into the flour and salt. Using a liquid measuring cup, break one egg into it, and then fill it to the 1/2 cup line with ice cold water, and add 1 tsp vinegar.....YES vinegar......it will be fine you'll see. Mix it with a fork, then add it to the flour/shortening mixture and mix together with with a fork, then get your hands in there and gather the dough together don't be afraid, this pie dough recipe you can work the dough and it will still be flaky! Form into a round disk, if it's too wet, add a little more flour, too dry, add very little water....it will be sticky, but not overly sticky.....all depends on the day and humidity.......wrap in plastic wrap and put in the frig for about 1/2 hour, or you can even leave it in there for 2 days, or freeze it for whatever pie you want :)

Filling

About 2 cups COOKED shredded chicken breast or whatever you like, dark or white...mine are from the STORE! (if you don't know how to cook it, cut them up in small pieces, and put a little canoa oil in a frying pan, and cook until lightly brown)
2 cups milk, 2% or whole
4 TBS cornstarch
2 cups chicken stock or 2 cups water with 2 TBS chicken bouillon added (I use the water with bouillon)
4 TBS butter (don't worry you're not gonna eat the whole pie, well maybe you will)
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups mixed frozen veggies (corn, peas, carrots, whatever)

In a large pot, add the milk, cornstarch, add the water with the bouillon mixed, or chicken stock, salt, pepper, butter,.whisk constantly, but watch it, keep whisking, you don't want it to burn.....it will start to bubble and become thickened, take off heat and add cheese, stir let it melt, and then add the COOKED chicken, and veggies.. stir.....COOL... now the pie crust

The filling!

Take the pie dough out of the frig, and on a well floured surface, cut the dough disk in half, take one of the halves and roll out, this is the bottom of the pie. Make sure you have a dusting of flour on the bottom and top of the dough before rolling, and on your rolling pin...roll out to a rectangle since you will use a 9x13 dish, or a round dish if you want to use a deep round casserole dish. Keep rolling take your time if it sticks add a little more flour, moving the dough so it doesn't stick, move it around after each roll with the pin.

Rolling out the pie dough/crust....EASY, you can do it!

Put it on the bottom of a 9x13 dish, then add the cooled filling, and roll out the top pie crust the same way, lay it carefully over the filling, seal the edges, and cut three holes in the top crust for vent holes. Bake in a 350 oven for 40 minutes until you see it bubbling and light brown. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving!

Done and ready for the oven!

Complete YUMMO! Enjoy!

Summer Barley and Bean Salad!




YUMMO!

I'm Linking this recipe up with Amee's Savory Dish's Fit and Fabulous Friday's, Linky Party! It's a "healthy blog", and thought this recipe would be perfect for the party!


I love Barley. Have you ever tried it? My Mom use to make a delicious "Beef and Barley Soup", when I was growing up, and I loved it. I have found a new love for Barley, you can cook it just like pasta in boiling hot water, but for about 40 minutes, instead of like 7 minutes for pasta. Barley is a grain and needs to cook longer, but when it's done, it's so delicious, so tender, and perfect for a Summer salad, or better yet a Summer Bean and Barley Salad.

Doesn't this look DELICIOUS!!!

Barley is very how on the glycemic index, you know foods that are low in carbs, and won't raise your blood sugar. This is perfect for me. I like to substitute Barley for rice in dishes and you know, I do not miss the rice at all.

Try this salad, you will love it, and start eating Barley!

Summer Bean and Barley Salad

2 stalks of celery chopped small
1/2 red onion minced
1 whole cucumber peeled and chopped small
1 can Red Kidney Beans drained and rinsed
1 can Garbanzo Beans (Chick Peas) drained and rinsed
1/2 cup grape tomatoes quartered
3 TBS chopped fresh Parsley
1 cup cooked Barley

In a stock pot bring water to boil, salt it and add the uncooked Barley just like you were cooking pasta, cook for about 1/2 hour stirring once in a while. After 20 minutes test the barley taste one, and see how soft it is, does it have to cook longer, or is it soft. Barley should be soft, but not mushy.

Cooked Barley!

Drain the water and rinse the barley in cold water, you do not want it hot at this point.

In a big bowl, add all the chopped veggies, beans, parsley, and add the barley.

I usually make my own Italian Dressing, but I also use Good Season's Italian Dressing the kind in the packets where you add the oil, vinegar and water, it's really good!

Homemade Italian Dressing

1 cup of olive oil or canola oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 tsp, oregano
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground pepper
1 TBS sugar
1 TBS spicy brown mustard (yes it makes the dressing!)

Mix all the ingredients together with a whisk, or put in a jar and shake really well. Now taste it, what does it need, more salt, pepper, or sugar? Add it, always taste your food!

Toss the Bean Salad with about 1/4 cup of the Italian Dressing, chill for about 1 hour. Enjoy!

YUMMO!

Move Over Red Lobster....Delicious Cheese Biscuits!

I'm linking this recipe up with Walking On Sunshine, and Foodie Friends Friday. Go take a look-see!

Biscuits, I just love them!  But I always had a problem with making them, they would never come out right, and I've tried different recipes over the years! Well, 20 years later, I have perfected Biscuits!  They are just like the Biscuits from Red Lobster, but better, because they are HOMEMADE! I use butter in this recipe, and cheddar cheese, and you don't have to "cut" cold butter into the flour mixture, you melt the butter, and it's SO EASY!

Delicious Cheese Biscuits
2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 cup milk

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl add the flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, and onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Mix to blend then make a well in the center of the bowl and add the milk, butter, bacon and cheese. Mix gently with a wooden spoon. The dough will be wet and sticky. Using a 1/4 cup measure or ice cream scoop, portion the batter onto a GREASED baking sheet, leaving an inch or so around each biscuit.

Bake in the oven until the biscuits are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. YUMMO!

Zucchini Pancakes!

I'm linking this recipe up with Walking On Sunshine, and Foodie Friends Friday. Go take a look-see!
We havested about five Yellow Zucchini already.  I love Zucchini, and this year we made a mistake and only planted Yellow Zucchini, but it's okay, because they are just like the green to me, only yellow.

I love Zucchini, last year we only harvested ONE from our garden. We got a terrible BUG, and the plants all died one after the other.  It was very sad!  So this year we are excited that our Zucchini plants are producing, and doing well.

Fresh from the Garden!

So, I went onto my Sister's blog, and found her recipe for Zucchini Fritters.I made them this past weekend, using up two of the Zucchini.  Of course I added my own touches to this recipe, I can never follow a cooking recipe. The "Fritters" didn't come out like "fritters", but more like pancakes, but they weren't flat, but just right!  My family loved them, especially my daughter Rebecca!

Zucchini Pancakes

3 cups zucchini grated
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 small onion minced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 TBS parsley, minced
1 tsp salt
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1/2 - 1 cup milk
Oil for frying

Peel the Zucchini's then grate them.  Chop the onion.  In a large bowl add the flour, baking powder all the herbs, parmesan cheese.  Whisk to incorporate.  In a measuring cup, add 1/2 cup  milk and 2 eggs and beat with a fork, then add to the dry ingredients.  Add the Zucchini and mix....now at this point, you may have to add more milk, is the batter too dry?  If so add a little more milk like 1/4 cup.

Heat up a skillet and add about 3 TBS oil, I use Canola Oil. 

 Make sure the skillet is nice and hot. 

Drop the batter into the hot skillet and let cook for about 2 minutes or so before flipping

And flip, and cook about 1 minute more.....

Notice my Black Cast Iron Skillet! Guess it's an antique, I bought it like 20 years ago, when they weren't "cool".....

I added a little bit more oil after each frying. 

Serve the pancakes HOT....but they taste great right out of the frig too!

 We enjoyed applesauce, and apple butter as a topping for our Zucchini Pancakes. 

They were so delicious!  YUMMO!

Oven-Fried Eggplant! SO YUMMO!

Well, the rain came and went.  Yesterday it poured just about all day long.  We really needed the rain here in New Jersey, and the temps were chilly!  Enough of that, and bring on the sunshine, we still have Summer to enjoy!

I've been enjoying our veggie garden, so far we've pick one beautiful Eggplant, and a bunch of other veggies...but today it's about the Eggplant!

1 large eggplant from my garden!

More eggplant will be ready soon. I love gardening, you would never think I'm a New York City girl!

I love Eggplant and make a great Eggplant Parm!  Traditionally, Eggplant would be fried, I use to always fry it up when I was a girl living at home.  My mom would ask me to do the honors, and I loved it....and ate a lot of it too.

I came up with "baking eggplant" years ago.  It's easy, and so much better for you.  The eggplant come out of the oven crispy, and delicious. 

Oven-Fried Eggplant

1 large Eggplant (the eggplant from my garden wasn't very thick, and it was so tender!)
2 eggs
2 cups Italian Style Bread Crumbs or more if needed, hey I NEVER MEASURE when I COOK!
About 1/2 cup Canola Oil or Olive Oil whatever you have on hand

Peel and slice the eggplant thin

Dip the eggplant in the eggs.....Remember one hand for wet....

Then in the bread crumbs....the other hand for dry!

So I did it with the same hand.... I had to take the picture!

Put them on a well greased cookie sheet... Sorry didn't take pictures of me putting the eggplant on a cookie sheet...you know how to do that, right? :)

Brush with the Canola oil.....

Bake in 400 degrees oven on the bottom rack for about 15 minutes until brown on top, then turn over and cook until crispy about another 5 minutes.  At this point my smoke alarm goes off every time!

This is what it looks like when they come out of the oven

Sorry no pretty picture, we ate them all too fast!

So delicious, so crispy!  Complete YUMMO!

Eat them all up, it will be hard not too....or make Eggplant Parm!  Enjoy!



Summer Bean and Barley Salad....And My Flowers!

 I'm joining my Sister's Blog Linky Party again, "Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party.  Go check out her blog,  Walking on Sunshine.   I'm sharing a couple of my favorite recipes, along with many other foodie bloggers. So please head on over to Walking on Sunshine, and join the fun!

What a hot week it surely was here in good old New Jersey!  The thermometer read 99 degrees yesterday at 12 noon.  Then the thunderstorms starting rolling through, and I mean ROLLING!!!  One after the other, the house shook, and the rain poured.  The flowers and grass outside are so happy and well watered, and I'm glad since it's been so very dry around here.

I love to garden, and take really good care of my flowers.  Here are some pictures of my flowers, this is not all of them, I need to take more pictures of the rest of my gardens. 

The picture above is our new outside light we just put up, and a really pretty planter I planted.....I just love this look!




One of my flower pots on the deck!



More flower pots......



My Hosta Garden!

My Herb Pot!

A new flower garden my Hubby made for me this year!

Our Perennial flower garden off the deck!

I love Barley.  Have you ever tried it?  My Mom use to make a delicious "Beef and Barley Soup", when I was growing up, and I loved it.  I have found a new love for Barley, you can cook it just like pasta in boiling hot water, but for about 40 minutes, instead of like 7 minutes for pasta.  Barley is a grain and needs to cook longer, but when it's done, it's so delicious, so tender, and perfect for a Summer salad, or better yet a Summer Bean and Barley Salad.



Doesn't this look DELICIOUS!!!

Barley is very how on the glycemic index, you know foods that are low in carbs, and won't raise your blood sugar.  This is perfect for me.  I like to substitute Barley for rice in dishes and you know, I do not miss the rice at all.

Try this salad, you will love it, and start eating Barley!

Summer Bean and Barley Salad

2 stalks of celery chopped small
1/2 red onion minced
1 whole cucumber peeled and chopped small
1 can Red Kidney Beans drained and rinsed
1 can Garbanzo Beans (Chick Peas) drained and rinsed
1/2 cup grape tomatoes quartered
3 TBS chopped fresh Parsley
1 cup cooked Barley

In a stock pot bring water to boil, salt it and add the uncooked Barley just like you were cooking pasta, cook for about 1/2 hour stirring once in a while.  After 20 minutes test the barley taste one, and see how soft it is, does it have to cook longer, or is it soft.  Barley should be soft, but not mushy.

Cooked Barley!

Drain the water and rinse the barley in cold water, you do not want it hot at this point. 

In a big bowl, add all the chopped veggies, beans, parsley, and add the barley. 

I usually make my own Italian Dressing, but I also use Good Season's Italian Dressing the kind in the packets where you add the oil, vinegar and water, it's really good!

Homemade Italian Dressing

1 cup of olive oil or canola oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 tsp, oregano
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground pepper
1 TBS sugar
1 TBS spicy brown mustard (yes it makes the dressing!)

Mix all the ingredients together with a whisk, or put in a jar and shake really well. Now taste it, what does it need, more salt, pepper, or sugar?  Add it, always taste your food!

Toss the Bean Salad with about 1/4 cup of the Italian Dressing, chill for about 1 hour.  Enjoy!



YUMMO!

Creamy Lemon Oatmeal Squares!

I'm linking this recipe up with The Better Baker's Weekend Potluck! Go take a look-see!

Last week was Vacation Bible School at our church.  We've been participating, until Wednesday night, when my little boy broke out in HIVES and a RASH all over his body!  So, we had to miss the last two days, and it was a bummer! 

Davey was on an antibiotic for nine days, he had an ear infection two weeks ago.  On day nine, that is when the rash and hives broke out.  I took him to the doctor on Thursday morning, and sure enough an allergic reaction to the med's.  He was pretty miserable, today my little boy is doing better, hoping this will be over very soon.

So last week we couldn't go in the pool because of the rash, and it's been hot outside, we were in the house for the most part, in the air condition.  I decided to do some baking and it doesn't take being stuck indoors to make me want to bake, I do enjoy it, and my family enjoys eating my creations.....but I wanted to try something new. 

I found this recipe on Pinterest, do you go on Pinterest?  I just love it, the recipes are the best, and easy....just what I am into.  If you do, follow me, Liz Behr Somma, it's fun!  Try this recipe, it's easy, and I'm sure you have all the ingredients in your pantry.  Enjoy!

Creamy Lemon Oatmeal Squares

• 1-1/3 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 stick (1/2 Cup) Butter, Slightly Softened
• 1 cup Brown Sugar (lightly Packed)
• 1 cup Oats
• 1 can (14 Ounce) Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1/2 cup Lemon Juice I used fresh lemons
• Zest Of 1 Lemon

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES.

Mix butter and brown sugar until well combined in electric mixer, this makes it so easy!

Add oats and flour to butter/sugar mixture and mix to combine.

Press half of crumb mixture into the bottom of an square pan (I baked mine in a 9x13 pan, but I suggest a smaller one so it's thicker and more creamier)

Mix together Sweetened Condensed milk, lemon juice, careful with the seeds, and zest.

Spread onto the bottom layer of the crumb mixture.

Top with the other half of the crumb mixture, but don't press.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Allow pan to sit on counter for 30 minutes after baking. Cut into squares and refrigerate for a couple of hours or until cool.  Serve this cool!  YUMMO!

Posted by Ree on March 25 2010

Homemade Calzones!

Making Calzones are really very easy. I make my own pizza dough, it's easy when you have a Kitchen Aid Mixer. You just dumped all the ingredients in the bowl, using the dough hook, the dough is ready within minutes. 

I like to add pepperoni, cooked meatballs, or cooked sauage to the Calzones.  I have even tried sauteed zucchini once, and they were very delicious! 

Use your imagination, making Calzones are so easy, you will be amazed how easy, and satisfying they are!  Serve them with a most delicious salad, and your meal is complete!  Enjoy!

The Dough - for 4 Calzones

1 1/4 cups warm water (warm water, NOT HOT)
2 TBS sugar
2 Tsp. Active Dry Yeast

In a bowl add the water, then the sugar and yeast...mix with a fork and let sit for 5 minutes until it gets all foamy, this is called "Proofing the Yeast".

Yeast all foamy

To the Kitchen Aid Mixing bowl add:
4 1/2 Cups Bread Flour (I use Bread Flour, but you could use Regular too)
2 TBS oil (I use olive)
1 tsp salt
Yeast Mixture already foamy

With the Dough Hook attached, mix on low. Increase speed, and mix until all the mixture forms a ball around the dough hook, you may have to scrap the sides of the bowl down with a spatula.

Dough hook with dough around it

Now look is the dough forming a ball around the dough hook like the picture above? Or does it look like a "cake batter" in the bowl? If it looks like a batter, add 1/4 cup more flour, you want all the dough mixture to be wrapped around the dough hook, that means it's done kneading. Or, there may be extra flour on the bottom of the bowl, then you need to add a little more water. Take the dough out of the bowl, and work it a little with your hands, if sticky add some more flour to your hands. Put in a well oiled large bowl, let rise for one hour.

Dough all risen and ready to spread!

These are the tricks to bread making, if you don't have a Kitchen Aid Mixer, you can use this same method, just the OLD FASHIONED way.....knead with your HANDS!!!!

When the dough is done rising, it will double in size, punch down. Divide it into 4, and let sit for about 5 minutes, will be elastic and easy to spread. On a big board with your fingers, start spreading the dough into a circle, it will spread easily.

Making the Calzones

2 cups Ricotta Cheese
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
Pepperoni, cooked meatballs, cooked sausages, sauteed Zucchini (that's what I have below)

On a floured board spread out the dough into a circle (doesn't have to be perfect) with your hands.  Add about 1/2 cup of the Ricotta on one side and top with about 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese and whatever kind of topping you wish, I used sauteed Zucchini in the picture below.

Fold the dough over.....

 Seal the sides together making sure the filling doesn't come out. Crimp the sides together and seal with a fork.

All ready for the Oven! Using a sharp knife, carefully cut air holes in the top.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes!

Now you are ready to cut into it and eat.  Serve with your favorite tomato sauce!  YUMMO!