five ingredient fridays: pesto bowties with feta and tomatoes

the heat doesn't seem to be subsiding at all where we are. except for last night when it rained - for 5 minutes. wow. i'm heading to utah next month for 10 days where it does start to cool off this time of year.

wherever you are and whatever the temperature, pasta salad is such a great thing to eat (especially when it's hot). it's even better with only 5 ingredients!

this one is fun since it combines two of my favorite ingredients - pesto and feta cheese. i can't live without either of them - money and health aside. i love them. what ingredients can you not live without?

pesto bowties with feta and tomatoes
from the pioneer woman here

6 servings

1 lb pasta (i used rotini)
1 cup basil pesto (i used more like 3/4 cup) - try the classico brand - $2.08 at my wal-mart. not bad!
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (got mine at the 99cents only store - more on this later)
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled (did you know they make low fat feta? not quite as good, but if your really trying to watch what you eat try it!)
salt and freshly ground pepper

cook the pasta according to package directions in a large pot of salted water. drain the pasta and run it under cold water just until it cools slightly. drain the pasta well.

transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl. stir in the pesto and gently mix until the pasta is coated. season with salt and pepper to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon each). add the halved tomatoes and feta cheese. toss to combine.

cover the pasta and refrigerate up to an hour before serving. if the pasta seems at all dry before serving, you can stir in additional olive oil to moisten the pasta (i didn't!).

sweet and sour pineapple chicken

remember my not-so-fried orange chicken? this is a sweet and sour version of that. i really like asian food, but i really don't like how greasy it is. this version is delicious with almost no oil... it doesn't just taste good, but it will make you feel good too.

sweet and sour pineapple chicken
4+ large servings

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

stir fry in:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons pineapple juice (from the can of pineapple)
1/2 teaspoon sugar

sauce:
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ginger
rest of the juice from the can of pineapple (minus the above 2 tablespoons)

1 20 oz can chunk pineapple
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, sliced thin
2 carrots, julienned
1-2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow squashed, thinly sliced

cornstarch

1. combine flour, salt and pepper in a bag. add chicken pieces and mix them around to coat.

2. combine 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoons pineapple juice (from the can of pineapple) and 1/2 teaspoon sugar in large skillet or wok. heat for a minute.

3. add flour-coated chicken to skillet/wok. stir to coat with sauce. let chicken brown on one side, then stir and let brown again. repeat until chicken is almost done inside. add the pineapple, garlic, green pepper, carrots, onions and squash. stir to coat then cover and let steam for 2-3 minutes.

4. combine all sauce ingredients (ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, ginger, pineapple juice) and pour over contents of skillet/wok. let sauce get hot and help finish cooking the veggies until they are crisp-tender.

5. add cornstarch a little at a time to thicken sauce.

6. serve with steamed white rice.

five ingredient fridays: traditional taco salad

there are those traditional meals that just always taste good. taco salad is one of those for me. i like it just the way we've all always made it. and it's a great summer meal - fast and cool!

traditional taco salad

romaine lettuce
1/2 to 1 lb lean ground beef - cooked and seasoned with taco seasoning (or garlic, cumin and chili powder)
tomatoes
black olives
light ranch dressing (i love kroger brand at Smith's -super cheap too!)

other delicious, but optional ingredients: cheese, tortilla chips, avocado, hearts of palm, anything else that sounds good to you!!

top shredded lettuce with taco meat, tomatoes, olives, dressing and any other topping of your choice. easy as that!

just reposted....

the thai chicken wraps below... i forgot the soy sauce in the sauce in the original post. ahhhh!!!! i'm so sorry to anyone who made these. they are fabulous... i promise. with the soy sauce though!

five ingredient fridays: make-ahead lunch wraps

happy friday! and happy blogging. summer is too much fun to find time to blog much. i'm sorry for abandoning you so much!

i've recently ventured into the land of crisped wraps. they are great for summer since they require minimal cooking. the thing i like best about these, though, is that i can freeze them and they make a perfect lunch to-go for my hubby for work.

here is a 5-ingredient variation first and then another that we liked. the possibilities are endless with these. combine some of your favorite ingredients and i'm sure they'll be a winner at your house too!

make-ahead lunch wraps
from allrecipes.com

4 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis
cooked brown rice (amount suggested - 2 cups rice cooked in 5 cups water for 45 minutes)

cheese and tortillas

1. combine beans, corn tomatoes, rice and desired amount of cheese. may season with chili powder, cumin or garlic if desired. roll up in tortillas and crisp on both sides in pan on stove to seal ingredients inside.
2. let cool. wrap in plastic wrap and then tin foil. store in freezer. reheat in microwave. serve with salsa, sour cream.... or ketchup if you're ridiculous like my husband.
here's another recipe we love at our house. these freeze pretty well, too, but they are extra yummy fresh!! i made them for while i was gone this last week and my husband was in heaven every day for lunch!

crispy southwest chicken wraps
see recipe at mel's kitchen cafe

summer cooking

the faces of summer

i love summer - swimming, parades, the way cold treats taste so good on a hot day, all of the fun free stuff to do, watermelon for 12c/lb, peaches for 33c/lb... (i'm the bovine - i just had to throw those in there)

that being said, there are some things i don't love about summer. putting my babies in a 140 degree car, for example. and honestly, cooking. sometimes it is hard to get myself cooking motivated when it is 117 degrees outside - yes, i said 117. i've been trying to think of ways to cool off your kitchen in the summer (less oven, less stovetop) and here are some ideas i've come up with:

• crockpot - my crockpot doesn't make me feel like i'm baking in my own house, so i'm trying to use that a little bit more.
• barbeque - use more recipes where you can bbq your meat instead of use the oven or the stove top. keep the heat where it belongs - outside!
  
• prepare ahead - freeze stuff. i bought 6 whole chickens for 67c/lb a few months ago, boiled them all, shredded them and then froze them in quart-sized freezer bags (2 cups of chicken in each bag). enchiladas? salads? sandwiches? you name it and i can grab a bag of this out of the fridge and never have to turn my stove on to cook the meat. i also froze 12 lbs of straberries last month (got them for 75c/lb, thank you very much), which brings me to my next point.
• make smoothies - they cool you off, fill you up and they are a great way to get your fruits and veggies for the day. yes - your veggies. green smoothies only at our house. i make a really big smoothie almost every day that fills 2 whole glasses with about 5 strawberries, 4 chunks of pineapple, a banana ice and water. some days i throw in a pear. i made one the other day with a peach, a handful of blueberries, a banana, ice and a dash of soy milk that was amazing. add a teaspoon of sugar if it's a bit tart for you. and never forget your veggies - spinach and kale are my favorite greens to add. if you're looking for something a little more on the dessert side try my avocado shake (below) if you haven't already. it's to die for.

so if i'm trying to avoid my oven and stove top as often as possible, what am i eating?

• sandwiches - i actually don't eat lunch meat so i'm talking chicken salad type sandwiches. try this one (chipotle chicken salad). it's yummy!! any meat you can do in the crock pot is great too. like french dips. i'll post a bbq pork sandwich some time soon as well that is out of this world good.
  
• pasta salad - i'll post a good one soon.
• salads - refreshing. the best hot weather food.
  
• anything off my grill - grill chicken and put it in corn tortillas for some awesome chicken tacos. one of my all time favorite meals.
• smoothies, smoothies and more smoothies.
• u-swirl and yogurtland - this is what i wish i was eating every day. darn budget. have you tried either of these? holy cow. so good. and 30 or less calories an ounce. love it.

what do you love to eat/cook when it's hot? please share!!

happy 4th of july - wave your flag cheesecake!

happy 4th of july. i majored in early american history in college, so this time of year gives me warm fuzzies. hope it does you, too!

worst. picture. ever. i know.

celebrate with this delicious and festive dessert... and you're much better off eating this than lots of other things you could be eating this weekend!

and yes, i realize this is the worse. picture. ever. ever. ever. yikes. in my defense i was participating in the annual traditions of sit in the sun for 3 hours and watch the parade and then spend the rest of the day in and out of the water. lovely. the cheesecake looks delicious, though, right?

wave your flag cheesecake
modified from kraftrecipes.com

4 cups fresh strawberries, divided

1-1/2 cups boiling water

2 packages (3 oz. each) strawberry flavor jello

ice cubes

1 cup cold water

1 boxed yellow cake mix, baked according to directions accept use applesauce for oil and sliced into strips

1-1/3 cups blueberries (or blackberries), divided

2 packages 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 tub (8 oz.) fat free cool whip (or the store brand!)

slice 1 cup strawberries; halve remaining strawberries. set aside. add boiling water to gelatin mixes in large bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. add ice to cold water to measure 2 cups. add to gelatin; stir until ice is completely melted. refrigerate 5 min. or until slightly thickened.

meanwhile, line bottom of 13x9-inch dish with cake. add sliced strawberries and 1 cup blueberries to thickened gelatin; stir gently. spoon over cake. refrigerate 4 hours or until gelatin is firm.

beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with whisk until well blended. stir in cool whip; spread over gelatin. arrange strawberry halves on cream cheese mixture to resemble stripes of flag. add remaining blueberries for stars.

enjoy!

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by the way, i've been brunette for 3 1/2 years now, but as of next week, the blonde is back in town. i'll post pictures.