Winter Caprese Salad

I came across this recipe for a Winter Caprese Salad while menu planning for our Christmas dinner. Not sure what makes this wintery but any recipe with grape tomatoes has my name all over it and I don't try to over analyze it. Being Italian, this was a great way to add a touch of home to our traditional ham dinner and for a flavor punched side dish... Wintery would be roasted tomatoes... ;)

I prepared this with the intent of serving it as a side dish but ended up forgetting about it in the refrigerator. Partly to blame was that this can be conveniently made ahead. Thankfully, while preparing this all I could think about was how delicious this would be tossed with pasta. This will make for an easy week night meal coming up.

Winter Caprese Salad

The Crispy Cook: Cooking Gluten-Free With The Garden and Seasons

Makes 4 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 1 (8 oz) container fresh mozzarella perlini (pearl sized balls)
• 1 container grape tomatoes
• 1/4 cup pesto - Original recipe calls for 1/2 cup but I think that was too much.
• Splash of red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper, to taste

And Action:

Mix all ingredients together. Let the flavors meld for an hour at room temperature before serving. Serve on its own, topped on a bed of mixed greens, or tossed with pasta. 

Itty Bitty's 3rd Birthday Bash - Disney Cars Theme

Happy 3rd Birthday Jason!!!

My Itty Bitty watches Disney / Pixar's movie, Cars, EVERY! DAY! He would be tickled pink if we would allow him to watch it all day long. He has the movie memorized. If you haven't seen it yet don't let him be the first one you watch it with or else he'll spoil the scenes. Haha!

The theme for his 3rd birthday party was a no brainer. A month in advance we began the party planning. Plenty of time. Stress free party, not counting the fact that Mr. Sideline Chef didn't think he would make it home for it. Luckily, he got into town a couple of hours before the party started.

Theme: Disney Cars.

Decorations: This year we went with Party City since we found all of our party supplies for less here than anywhere else. I shopped online since I like to see the entire selection and get the purchase over with in one shot.

Invitations / Guest List:  Homemade invitations. Since we live in Texas and have no family here in State our neighbors have become our extended family. They were all invited. I did have a big surprise that I managed to keep a secret from Mr. Sideline Chef and Itty Bitty. I flew out Mr. Sideline Chef's dad. The boys were beyond thrilled. His arrival was the best gift given.

Food: I love parties where the food correlates with the theme. So I set out to create a menu that was a play on words with the characters from the movie.

• For the party table I was debating between: Flo's V-8 Cafe and "Ka-Chow Hall."
• Since Mr. Sideline Chef works in the trucking industry I knew he could get his hands on a traffic cone. I had him clean it up with a Magic Eraser and set in on the table as "Sally's Cozy Cone Motel". My original idea was to purchase some mini orange cones (like what they use at soccer practices) and put some party favor treats in there. I went over budget, no surprise there, and decided to just go the for free route. Cleaned up traffic cone it was as a decoration.

• Fillmore's Organic Fruit and Veggie "Dipsticks" with Ranch

• "Chick"en Wings

• "Mack"aroni Salad (recipe below)
• Meat and cheese tray with Cars toothpicks

• Hot"docs"

• Beverages
• Chocolate cake (I used a box mix) with the Ultimate Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (recipe below).
• Traffic Lights - Rice Krispy Treats dipped in Chocolate Glaze and then M&Ms (red, yellow, and green) set on top.

• Mater Oil Sundaes - Vanilla ice cream with Magic Shell topping.

Gifts: Anything Cars related was a sure bet for my Itty Bitty. He received a boxed set of die cast cars, a Bubble Mater (highly recommended if your little one loves bubbles), Cars mechanics t-shirt, Cars World Atlas, bouncy ball, coloring book, remote control Mater, interactive Cars book, and a placemat and cup. Along with a bunch of other things non-Cars related. We need to buy him a new toybox for all the new toys.

Tuna Salad - "Mack"aroni Salad

Recipe passed along to me from Mr. Sideline Chef's Grandma Gail

Mr. Sideline Chef's dad remarked, "It isn't Summer until this salad is made.

Makes 4-6 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 2 cups cold cooked macaroni
• 1 can tuna, drained and flaked
• 1/2 cup diced cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
• 3/4 cup slaw dressing - Such as Marzetti's or Marie's.
• 2 tbsp pickle relish

And Action:

Combine all ingredients and chill until ready to serve. Don't forget to put it on ice if it's an outdoor party.

Ultimate Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

MyRecipes.com and Southern Living, March 2009

Makes 2 Cups

Edible cake image was purchased online on Ebay. Itty Bitty pulled the candles out of the cake and didn't want us to sing.

Stars of the Show:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste - I had to order this online. I highly recommend this ingredient. Such a flavor punch and more pronounced vanilla note than extract.
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 (16 oz) bag powdered sugar
• 3 to 5 tbsp milk

And Action:

Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.

Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with 3 Tbsp. milk, 1 Tbsp. at a time, beating at low speed until blended and smooth after each addition. Beat in up to 2 Tbsp. additional milk for desired consistency.

Pesto Caesar Salad

When I think of caesar salad Red Lobster comes to mind. Their salad has a perfect crunch and is incredibly well chilled. It makes for a perfect starter to the meal. I don't order caesar salads elsewhere when we dine out. It's just not the same.

You can imagine how giddy I was when I saw a recipe for this Pesto Caesar Salad in the Flat Belly Diet Cookbook. I have never attempted to make a caesar salad at home from scratch before. This recipe with the pesto takes the flavor profile over the top. Crisp romaine lettuce with hard boiled eggs whites and crunchy parmesan cheese tortillas pieces are tossed in the pesto casear dressing. A truly crave worthy salad. Yummy!

The Pesto Caesar Salad makes a great lunch and could easily be made into a more substantial dinner when paired with a protein of choice. If you are making it to take for lunch just be sure to keep the lettuce, tortilla strips, and dressing separate until you are ready to eat.

This salad is a great recipe to have on hand to switch up the usual lunch rotation. This takes a standard caesar salad and takes it to new heights with added flavor without the extra calories and fat. A sure winner!

Pesto Caesar Salad

Flat Belly Diet Cookbook

Makes 4 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 1 10" flour tortilla
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp grated romano cheese
• 2 hard boiled eggs
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tbsp pesto
• 1/2 tsp anchovy paste or Thai fish sauce - I used fish sauce since I couldn't find anchovy paste at the store.
• 6 cups torn romaine lettuce
• ground black pepper

And Action:

Preheat the broiler.

Brush the tortilla with a small amount of the oil. Sprinkle with the cheese. Place on a sheet of foil. Broil 6" from the heat source for about 1 minute or until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and cut into small pieces. I cut mine into quarters and ate them like crackers instead. Set aside.

Peel the eggs and halve lengthwise. Remove the yolks and discard one yolk. Save it for another recipe. Coarsely chop the whites. Set aside.

Use a fork to mash the yolk in a large bowl. Add the remaining oil, lemon juice, pesto, and anchovy paste or fish sauce. Whisk until smooth. Add the romaine and egg whites. Toss to coat. Season with the ground black pepper.

Scatter the tortilla pieces over the salad before serving.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

MUFA: Olive oil

Calories: 260

Protein: 7 g

Carbohydrates: 13 g

Fat: 21 g

Saturated Fat: 4 g

Cholesterol: 109 mg

Sodium: 225 mg

Fiber: 3 g

I will be marking #22 off my "Stir The Pot" page. 7 down, 17 to go.

Summer Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

I crave salads. Call me weird.

Mixed greens with peppery arugula, grape tomatoes, and cucumbers topped with the Green Goddess Dressing. The dressing is mayonnaise based but lightened up by using a little and mixing it with plain fat free yogurt and the flavor comes from green onions, tarragon, parsley, garlic, and white wine vinegar.

This California classic is delicious and refreshing. I could happily eat this salad every day while on the Flat Belly Diet.

Summer Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

Flat Belly Diet Cookbook

Makes 4 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup canola mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 package (7 oz) mixed salad greens
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded, and sliced

And Action:

Combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, parsley, scallions, garlic, vinegar, tarragon, and salt in a food processor. Process until smooth.

Combine the greens, tomato, and cucumber in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

MUFA: Canola Mayonnaise

Calories: 145

Protein: 3 g

Carbohydrates: 7 g

Fat: 12 g

Cholesterol: 7 mg

Sodium: 203 mg

Fiber: 2 g

For a chance to win free tea head over to uTry.it and enter the giveaway! Tell Amy the Pretend Chef sent you!



Strawberry Raspberry Salad

This mixed greens salad is dressed in a homemade strawberry and raspberry dressing. The color from the dressing is a vibrant red and really pops next to the lettuce. The taste is sweet but with a slight tartness. This salad is refreshing and a great new alternative. The addition of fresh berries makes me think of summer even though the weather is telling me otherwise.

I could see having this for lunch or as a side dish with dinner like I did last night with the Classic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes. Meatless Monday accomplished. The Strawberry Raspberry Salad is so quick and easy to whip together. The food processor does the work for you.

Strawberry Raspberry Salad

Pillsbury: Quick Cooking: For One, Two, or a Few!

Makes 2 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 1/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries, thawed
• 1/4 cup fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 3 fresh basil leaves chopped or 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 2 cups torn mixed salad greens

And Action:

Combine all the ingredients from the raspberries to the basil leaves in a food processor and blend well. Strain if desired. Serve over the mixed salad greens.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 35

Fat: 0g

Protein: 1g

Carbohydrate: 6g

Fiber: 2g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 5mg

The Culinary Smackdown Battle for February is now open! Check it out to link your recipe and for a chance to win a prize. I know you're wondering what the battle challenge could be. Go ahead check it out!

I'm linking this recipe to:

Sweet Carrot Salad

After a day of shopping for our winter essentials for our trip North to Ohio and putting itty bitty in and pulling him out of his car seat 6 times I was worn out. My hands were cold too. Being cold should have made me want something to warm myself up. Not the case last night. I didn't want to stand in the kitchen and put anything together. Not even the prospect of making a new recipe was exciting me. What got me in the kitchen was the thought that Mr. Sideline Chef was at work all day while itty bitty and I had a very enjoyable day out together. The guilt set in that this man busts his balls at work all day and I get to stay at home and reap the benefits of his hard work. He never complains about the sink full of dishes or the floors that get mopped once in a blue moon a week. He deserves a prepared meal when he gets home, it's the least I could do. Although he prefers the enthusiastic hello, hug and kiss when he walks through the door. He's pretty incredible.

We started at Ross and picked up our winter hats, gloves, jackets, an outfit with jeans for itty bitty, and some other items. Next stop was to the mall for the hunt of a Christmas top for itty bitty since his black slacks from the year prior still fit him. After having a mommy/son lunch with him and spoiling him at Cookie Place with an M&M cookie we set out to our last stop in the mall, Macy's, and luckily found the only item that was Christmasy and in his size... a black and grey striped sweater with a skull wearing a Santa hat... I'm sure the family will be thrilled when they receive Santa photos this year. What is it with little girl's having an entire section designated for frilly dresses and boys having a single rack with tuxedos? It's a crock o' shit if you ask me.

With the entire list of needs marked off and the wallet a bit lighter (boo!) we set out to run the rest of the errands. Library, bank, and then grocery shopping. Even though I kept itty bitty out 2+ hours into nap time we had no meltdowns and I enjoyed our time together.

Mr. Sideline Chef arrived home and I still hadn't settled on what we were having for dinner and I hadn't wrote down my recipes yet. Dinner was an hour and a half later. Fish fillet with Yukon Mashed Potatoes with Horseradish Butter (recipe tomorrow) and a side dish of Sweet Carrot Salad.

Didn't like getting their photo taken.

The Sweet Carrot Salad was part of a Moroccan Passover Feast menu. Mr. Sideline Chef would have possibly enjoyed the Passover Vegetable Soup but wanting to only dump one new recipe to try on him I settled on just making the Sweet Carrot Salad.

This makes for a vibrant orange side dish. It has a subtle tang from the lemon juice but is tamed by the sugar added. It is flavored with cinnamon, cumin, parsley, and paprika. The cumin is the dominating flavor in this side dish. It is also served chilled. Mr. Sideline Chef ate what was on his plate but didn't comment until I asked directly what he thought, "Well... I ate it. I didn't like it." Itty bitty took one bite and started placing his carrot slices from his high chair tray to the table to clear them off his plate. Me, I thought it was delicious. First bite I wasn't convinced but after a second bite I really liked it. It'll make a nice side dish to go with my sandwich today for lunch.

Sweet Carrot Salad

MyRecipes.com and Cooking Light, March 1997

Makes 4 cups (Serving size = 1/2 cup)

Stars of the Show:

• 5 cups (1/2 inch thick) carrot slices
• 2 garlic cloves, halved - I used minced garlic since I always buy garlic in the jars to help cut on prep time. I'm not sure if the garlic bits really did much to change the flavor since the cumin is the dominant taste in this dish.
• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice - 3 small lemons gave me half of this amount.
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley - I used dried parsley.
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika

And Action:

Combine carrots and garlic in a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook 8 minutes or until tender. Drain. Discard garlic.



Looks like artwork!

Combine lemon juice and the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl and stir well. Add carrots to lemon juice mixture and toss to coat. Serve salad at room temperature or chilled.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 30 (3% from fat)

Fat: 0.1g (sat 0.1g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g)

Protein: 0.6g

Carbohydrate: 8g

Fiber: 0.9g

Cholesterol: 0.0mg

Iron: 0.5mg

Sodium: 31mg

Calcium: 19mg

Three Color Salad

In Rachael Ray's cookbook she had suggested a Three Color Salad (Insalata Tre Colore) to serve with Tuesday night's Bel Aria Chicken and Pasta.

While this salad is nothing more than a blend of different lettuce(s)...aw crap... another one of those instances when I'm not sure if lettuce even has a plural form. Aw shucks! Back to what I was saying. While this salad is nothing more than three different types of lettuce (why not lettuces?) and topped with a shallot balsamic vinaigrette it was a nice blend of flavors compared to it's dinner co-star.

Since I didn't make a new recipe yesterday since we had leftovers to finish up, which we didn't, I was left with nothing else to post today. Being that I don't want to leave any of my readers hangin' and missing me deeply this just had to make it's way on the blog.

Three Color Salad (Insalata Tre Colore)

Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners

Makes 4 servings

Stars of the Show for the Salad:

Since the local market didn't have a head of radicchio or a bulb of endive I opted for what they did have, a bag of Dole Field Greens salad mix. Easy just feels so good.

• 2 romaine hearts, chopped
• 1 bulb endive, chopped
• 1 head radicchio, chopped

Stars of the Show for the Shallot Balsamic Vinaigrette (My made up name for the dressing not hers.)

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• salt and black pepper

And Action:

Heat olive and shallots in the microwave for 30 seconds. Let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk in the balsamic vinegar and sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste. Keep the dressing separate from the greens until time to serve. Pour over the salad greens. Enjoy!

Today is the LAST day for entering the Gorton's / Ortega Giveaway! With as few entries as there are your chances of winning are pretty good. Just click HERE, leave a comment and your email address! Simple.

Happy Veterans Day Mr. Sideline Chef and thank you for your years of service in the United States Marine Corps!

Football's Sideline Chef

Weekends are filled with football and good eating in our household. College gameday Saturdays and Steelers Sunday. Every weekend is treated like a holiday and gives good reason to throw an impromptu BBQ with the neighbors. We invite everyone we know starting in the A's in our phonebook on our cell phones and working our way down. The more the merrier. It's always an incentive when someone pitches in and brings a side dish or gives cash before we head to the store.

No BBQ is complete in our household until potato salad and baked beans are added to the lineup. Normally someone will bring a veggie tray that doesn't get touched, a meat and cheese tray that melts from the heat and becomes a paradise for the flies, bags of chips, and drinks. Everyone stands around the grill drooling while Mr. Pretend Chef flips burgers and turns hot dogs. The potato salad doesn't stand a chance for becoming leftovers and the baked beans are hit or miss. I still have yet to find a baked bean recipe deemed worthy of making the starting lineup.

After making a trip to the store I couldn't wait to get in the kitchen and begin making the potato salad and forming the green chile cheeseburgers. The potato salad needed to be made first. "I won't touch it if it's warm." Arms folded and standing his ground on the issue like Mr. Pretend Chef does. After tasting a bite of the finished product he'll throw in his two cents, with permission given to do so, and throws out his take on how to better it. "This recipe is a keeper but make a note about cutting the celery thinner next time or cutting the amount in half." I'll admit it, I roll my eyes as I turn around and walk back to the kitchen. "Okay hunny."

Next was making the green chile cheeseburger patties. Roasting poblano peppers? What? How? Wiping sweat from my forehead. Washing hands after of course. Ugh! Here's where my cooking anxiety kicks in. After searching YAHOO! for how do do this I was put at ease with how easy it was. I'll never buy green chiles again. That statement is struck from the records. I'm sure when it's time to put together green chile chicken enchiladas on a weeknight the canned ones will be bought. Slaps hand.

Forming burger patties, let alone 1/4 lb burger patties, is tough for a petite woman with hands about the same size as a five year old. I know it's Steelers Sunday but the use of those large manly hands would have been much appreciated when forming the patties. He just couldn't be bothered and left it up to me. I put on my big girl pants this morning and accepted the challenge. I was a little butt hurt with his lack of help and couldn't help but get frustrated when he kept telling me to make sure they were packed firm to prevent them from breaking apart. I had visions of the meat falling between the grates of the grill and our guests having to puzzle piece together their burgers. My heart was racing and panic was setting in. "How about you show me how to do it since you are so good at it?" Ego stroking didn't work this time. "I could really use your help." Eyelash batting. Damn. Nothing worked.

He lost his title of Mr. Pretend Chef to Mr. Sideline Chef until he deems himself worthy again and lends a hand in the kitchen. He'll get his payback when I need him to stand for 20 minutes and stir a risotto.

Luckily the patties held together on the grill. This was my first attempt at making my own hamburger patties and not buying them frozen. What a difference! These burgers were so juicy and flavorful. The green chiles add a minute bit of heat. "Maybe next time we should try it with jalapeno peppers for more heat." All I'm thinking is next time "we'll" do that just how today "we" made the potato salad and burgers.

I'm holding off on giving y'all the recipe for the green chile cheeseburgers until tomorrow to up the anticipation factor because these babies were that delicious and drool worthy. They were filling enough to fill up a grown man after one but left everyone craving a second.

Here is the potato salad recipe that has won the seal of approval by Mr. Sideline Chef. It earned a spot in the household BBQ rotational until another recipe comes along to take it's place. Well played taters, you've got yourself a spot in the starting lineup.

1-2-3 Savory Potato Salad with Real Mayonnaise

Adapted from Hellmann's® recipe

Stars of the Show:

• 2 lb red potatoes, scrubbed clean, and cut into 3/4" chunks
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 1 cup mayonnaise (I use Kraft Mayo with olive oil. Heart healthy and delicious.)
• Our taste buds like potato salad with celery, hard boiled eggs, relish, onion powder, parsley, and black pepper. Make it your own and add the ingredients your family likes.

And Action:

1. Cover the potatoes and bouillon cube with water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Keep uncovered and boil until the potatoes are tender. About 10 minutes. Drain.
2. Combine the cooled potatoes with the remainder of the ingredients. Serve chilled. Per orders from Mr. Sideline Chef or at room temperature. Enjoy.