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Russian Bean Salad

So, if you are a foodie or someone who just likes to cook and try new recipes, you probably have your fair share of cookbooks, magazine clippings, and recipes scribbled on everything from scrap paper to the back of envelopes. Ooor, maybe that is just me. But, if I just described you in any sort of wonderful way, then we are in the same club together…the recipe collecting club. Now, getting back to the recipe books. How many of you have a certain recipe book that you only make one recipe out of? Yes, you heard that right, ONE recipe. Well, that’s me again. This is where my recipe for Russian Bean Salad steps in. Over the years as I worked to lose weight after having my 4 wonderful children…and then once I hit 50, trying to not gain any more than 10 pounds a year, I often found myself following the Weight Watchers program. Again, let’s get pack to Russian Bean Salad. So, of course being a foodie, but on Weight Watchers, and being a foodie, I would buy every stinking recipe book they had to offer. It was fine that I had to go to Weight Watchers, but there was no way that I was going to miss out on cooking and discovering new recipes. So one day as I was weighing in at a meeting, I saw, sitting on the table next to me, a recipe collection entitled, Around the World, (Recipes from Home and Abroad). I had to buy it. It was calling my name. It was a collection of unique recipes from all over the world and some great traditional make over recipes of American Classics. And that is where Russian Bean Salad became one of my favorite Weight Watchers recipes. So, as you can guess, this recipe ended up being the only one I ever used from that particular cookbook, but I am still glad that I purchased it so many years ago.

Now, mind you, I have been going back and forth to Weight Watchers since I was 12 years old. Yes, you read that right. I was overweight as a child and was very successful with the program way back in 19?? The program has changed over the years, and has been great for thousands, probably millions of people who wanted to lose weight. It sticks to the basics and gives great support through meetings and online access. I personally like that I have always been able to continue to cook great food through the help of their cookbooks. So, Russian Bean Salad has probably been one of my favorite Weight Watchers recipes over the years. One day I will share with you the recipes my mother cooked, (bless her heart), when the program included liver and 3 hot dogs as a meat serving. I still remember the Thanksgiving in, ok, I will say it, 1971 that she made the most amazing glazed carrots and savory green beans, all in line with the WW program. To this day, her love and support was the key to me losing the weight at the age of 12. And poor thing, she was skinny as a stick.

Alright, so back again to the Russian Bean Salad and what makes it so yummy? I think it is just the right combination of fresh flavors that come together in this salad. It is basically beans, peppers, onions, and a little cilantro. But, the kicker is the roasted tomato dressing! You literally roast tomatoes in the oven and combine them with seasonings in the blender and there you have it, an amazing salad creation, thanks to Weight Watchers! So, add this colorful, healthy salad to your fall table. I think it pairs well with any protein and it would be a great side dish at a Tailgate Party or back yard, cool weather barbecue. Enjoy, and you don’t even have to tell anyone it is from Weight Watchers! Happy, healthy cooking from the Memorable Kitchen.

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Russian Bean Salad

Author: Weight Watchers

Recipe type: Salad

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour 20 mins

Serves: 10 servings

Ingredients

2 small tomatoes, each cut into 4 wedges
Cooking Spray
½ teaspoon salt, divided
⅛ teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chicken or vegetable broth
2 teaspoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Dash of sugar
1 clove garlic
1 cup chopped red onion
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
¼ cup minced cilantro
1-19 oz. red kidney beans, drained
1-19 oz. cannellini beans or other white beans, drained

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Place tomato wedges on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat the tomatoes with cooking spray and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Place tomatoes, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, vinegar, broth, olive oil, mustard, sugar, and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Pour into a medium bowl.
Add onion, bell pepper, ¼ cup cilantro, and beans to the tomato mixture. Toss well. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Dessert

Homemade Ice Cream Cake

June is such a great celebration month for so many people…Graduations, weddings, the start of summer vacation, and in our house, a birthday and anniversary on the same day. June 2 marks the day my husband and I graduated from the Academy (A-hem) a few years ago, our youngest daughter’s birthday and the day I launched my blog! It truly is our celebration day! That is why this recipe for Homemade Ice Cream Cake was a perfect way to mark the occasion.

Ok, I hope I did not mislead you with the title for my Homemade Ice Cream Cake. Yes, you do make it all in your own kitchen. Yes, it is an Ice Cream Cake. But, it does not involve making homemade ice cream, what so ever. I do hope that makes you smile. If you do want to learn how to make good homemade ice cream sometime, I promise, I will share that with you. But, for now, I am going to show you one of the easiest and fun ways to make a delicious Homemade Ice Cream Cake for someone’s birthday, your next barbecue, or just as a fun summer dessert.

This recipe for Homemade Ice Cream Cake was invented years ago when my youngest daughter, Alison wanted an ice cream cake for her birthday. Her birthday parties usually involved outdoor water play and nice cool refreshments, so this cake was perfect! For her ice cream cake she wanted specific flavors of ice cream and toppings which I could have requested at the local ice cream shop for them to make. But on this birthday occasion, I ran out of time to put in a specialty order. What’s a busy mom to do? Tackle it on my own, of course. So, I marched to the grocery store and picked out the perfect flavors, fillings, sprinkles and even some yummy cookies as the ingredients that would soon come together to make a gorgeous, sweet, cool dessert.

Well, the rest was history. After putting together all the sweet layers of ice cream, fillings, crushed cookies and extra goodies, it was a hit! Now, this is my daughter’s request for every birthday. Sometimes we mix up the flavors, sometimes we stay with her favorites. The beauty of this Homemade Ice Cream Cake is that with all the new flavors of ice cream, cookies, toppings, and candies, the sky is the limit on the combinations you can come up with.

My recipe for Homemade Ice Cream Cake is basically layers of chocolate, vanilla and caramel swirl ice cream, layered with Oreo’s and Milano cookies. The extra crunchies in between the layers are mini chocolate chips and Heath Bit O’ Brickle Toffee Bits. The toppings are chocolate and caramel. So, I guess it’s technically a Toffee Ice Cream Cake. But, again, the flavor combinations are endless.

This year when I went to make the cake I discovered so many new flavors of ice cream, not to mention all the yummy new cookie and candy flavors. I even came across some Cinnamon Bun Oreo’s…what??? You can get as crazy as you want to. Have fun combing the aisles of the grocery looking for the perfect combination of ice cream, cookies, candy and toppings for your perfect Homemade Ice Cream Cake. Be creative, have fun and enjoy making your own version of this super easy, no bake, summer-happy dessert. So, Happy Birthday to my Daughter and here’s to celebrating and sharing 3 years of recipes from The Memorable Kitchen!!!

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Homemade Ice Cream Cake

Author: Dianna

Recipe type: Dessert

Prep time: 2 hours 30 mins

Total time: 2 hours 30 mins

Serves: 12 servings

Ingredients

2 pints of Chocolate Ice Cream
2 pints of Caramel Ice Cream
2 pints of additional flavor Ice Cream (optional)
1 package Oreo Thins Cookies
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
2-4 packages Pepperidge Farms Milano Cookies
1 bottle of Ghirardelli Caramel Topping
1 bottle of Hershey's Chocolate Syrup
1 package Hershey's Mini Chocolate Chips
1 package Heath Toffee Bits (you can find these in the baking aisle near the chocolate chips)
1 small container Cool Whip Topping
Colored Sprinkles
Other Ice Cream Toppings to your liking (See Note)

Instructions

Crush 2 cups of the Oreo Thins (about ½ if the package) in a food processor or place in a large Ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin. Combine with melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan. Chill for 10 minutes.
Soften one of the ice cream flavors for 20 minutes. Spread over the cookie crust. Freeze for at least one hour.
Crush one package of Milano cookies in a food processor. Sprinkle a thin layer over the first layer of ice cream. Sprinkle ½ cup of chocolate chips over cookies.
Soften second ice cream flavor for 20 minutes. Spread over cookie layer. Freeze for at least one hour.
Sprinkle another of cookies over ice cream and sprinkle ½ cup of Heath bits over cookies. Repeat with as many layer that your pan can hold, leaving ½ inch for whipped topping.
Spread Cool Whip over cake. Freeze for another hour.
Before removing from pan. Drizzle Caramel and Chocolate Toppings over cake. Top with candies or sprinkles.
Remove from pan and place on a decorative plate or platter. Place additional Milano Cookies around cake like a fence. Serve immediately or freeze until ready to serve.

Note: You can substitute Strawberry Ice Cream Topping, Chopped Fruits for Chocolate or Caramel Toppings. Try the following flavor combinations.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Ice Cream, Bananas, Nutter Butter Cookies, Crushed Peanuts and Chocolate Chips
Chocolate and Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, Mint Milano Cookies, Chopped Andes Candies, and Chocolate Syrup
Vanilla and Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, Graham Crackers, Strawberry Ice Cream Topping and Marshmallow Creme

Healthy Cooking Salad

Healthy Asian Ramen Salad

As we dive into summer, I want to share one of my favorite salad recipes of all time. The history behind this yummy salad goes all the way back to one of my first events I attended as a military spouse. Like most parties and get togethers, military families love doing pot luck’s. This always eases the cooking burden of the host and also gives everyone the opportunity to share their own favorite recipes. Well, this recipe for Healthy Asian Ramen Salad was originally known as just plain old Asian Ramen Salad, minus the Healthy. Someone brought it is a big bowl and quickly shared the recipe as we all swooned over it. It is a very easy salad that combines ramen noodles, cabbage, and onions in a dressing made using the flavor packet from the ramen noodles. The original recipe is so delicious, but it’s made with loads of oil and sugar.

Of course all the “naughty” ingredients that go into the salad are what make it so yummy. Through the years I found several different versions of the recipe in almost every military spouse recipe collection I came across. However, I never found a light version of the salad. So, I decided to come up with my own make over recipe for Healthy Asian Ramen Salad.

Some of the changes I made, in order to create a Healthy Asian Ramen Salad, were quite simple. I cut way back on the amount of oil in the dressing, eliminated the ramen flavor packet to cut down on the sodium, and instead added some extra flavor punches with vinegar, light soy sauce and spices. One spice I especially love is Asian Style Sprinkle that I order from Savory Spice Shop. I use it in all of my stir fry and other Asian recipes. Now, you don’t have to run out and order this spice blend to make the recipe. I gave you some substitute spices in the mean time. The next trick was to cut back on the amount of sugar and substitute with natural sugar from pineapple juice and honey. Finally, and I teach this in all of my cooking classes…add lots of extra vegetables and fruit to make any recipe better for you. I added extra of all the veggies from the original recipe and the addition of some new ones. You can go even further by adding edamame, celery, and water chestnuts…get as creative as you like. The more veggies, the better!

This salad is great if you make it ahead of time. The sweet and sour flavors come together so beautifully and the ramen, nuts and sunflower seeds add the extra crunch. So, enjoy this easy, fresh salad this weekend and with any of your picnics and barbecues this summer. Just another chance to enjoy a flavorful salad, that after a few tweaks, becomes a Healthy Asian Ramen Salad. Happy Summer and Healthy Cooking from the Memorable Kitchen!

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Healthy Asian Ramen Salad

Author: Dianna

Recipe type: Salad

Prep time: 1 hour 20 mins

Total time: 1 hour 20 mins

Serves: 12 servings

Ingredients

2 small packages of ramen noodles
2 tablespoons light olive oil
3 tablespoons of rice wine or apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons of reserved pineapple juice
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
4 cups of coleslaw mix or shredded green cabbage
1 cup of carrot shreds
½ of an English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1- 20oz can of pineapple tidbits, drained (reserve 2 tablespoons of the juice)
½ cup dry roasted sunflower kernels
1 cup dry roasted peanuts, slivered almonds or cashews

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take noodles out of the package and break up slightly. Discard the seasoning packets. Place ramen noodles on a baking sheet. Bake for 5-7 minutes until slightly toasted, tossing every few minutes. Place in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, pineapple juice, soy sauce, honey, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and sesame seeds. See notes.
Combine the coleslaw mix, carrots, cucumber, onion and pineapple in the bowl with the ramen noodles.
Pour in the dressing and toss lightly. Add more dressing if desired. Chill for at least 1 hour.
When ready to serve, toss in the sunflower seeds and peanuts.

Note #1: This recipe is very light on the dressing. You can double the dressing portion of the recipe and add extra as you like. Use the remainder in other Asian Salad creations!

Note #2: You can substitute 1 tablespoon Asian Style Sprinkle for the garlic powder, red pepper flakes and sesame seeds.

Baked Goods Bread

Rhona’s Creamy Apple Almond Crunch Bread

I first tried Rhona’s Creamy Apple Almond Crunch Bread about 25 years ago. We had just moved from our 3 year assignment in Germany and were settling into our new home on the Naval Base in Rhode Island. It was a difficult move in the sense that the years we spent in Germany were amazing. We left lots of friends and memories there. Also, this assignment was only a year long, so I knew I would not really have a lot time to make close friends or take in all the sights that I was hoping too. Well, it took only a few weeks for that thought to be proven wrong. I immediately made friends with some incredible woman, thanks mostly to my son Paul who combed the neighborhood looking for friends (he had no qualms about knocking on our neighbors’ door asking if they had boys that would like to play). He was only 4 at the time, so life meant finding other kids with a Big Wheel, some sporting equipment and maybe even a kiddy pool. You know, the simple things. Because of his search, I became friends with two women who I hold close to my heart to this day. The kind of friends that you connect with instantly, who have your same sense of humor and who take life with a grain of salt. One of those woman, you guessed it, is Rhona. A smart and fun woman, born and raised in England, who helped me to quickly get out of my post-Germany slump!

Rhona, along with many of the spouses in our little housing community, quickly bonded. All of our husbands were in a one year leadership course and were busy most of the time with papers, presentations and all of their classes. Darn! What that meant is that we all had to make the most of our days getting to know one another over coffee, exploring the beautiful area and helping our kids to have the best time they could in the one short year. That is where this recipe for Rhona’s Creamy Apple Almond Crunch Bread was discovered.

Another quick story about this assignment. We were stationed for the year on a Naval Base in Newport, Rhode Island. We had been stationed only on Air Force bases up to this point. Now, the facilities were all basically the same. What was different though, were all the Navy spouses I met that year. When I say, different, I mean in the best way possible. These women were amazing! They knew the art of getting a house set up quickly. Most of them had pictures hung, dishes put away, living rooms decorated, garden planted, in just 2 short weeks! Wow! I pretty much left the pictures leaning in rows against the wall, and at the 6 month point, realized I would be packing them up soon, so what was the point? Not entirely true, but I certainly was not the Move-In Ninja that my Navy Wife Sisters were. I guess their motto was to have the house “Guest Ready” for the first coffee get together or dinner with the neighbors. Me on the other hand, always volunteered to bring the food. Or even better, if I had my friends over, I had coffee brewing, something baked, and my laundry ready to be folded, just in case anyone was bored and wanted to help me out!

I can’t remember when Rhona first made this bread, but what I do know is, that I fell in love with it and immediately asked her for the recipe. I still have the original recipe card in my file. Seeing her handwriting really brings back memories of our fun times together and the beautiful friendship we established.

It probably was one of our brunches or coffee get-togethers that she brought it to. What I love about this recipe is that it starts with a quick bread mix. Then with a layer of cream cheese, toasty almonds and apples, you take the bread over the top! By finishing it with a glaze and more almonds for extra crunch, you have an unforgettable bread perfect for any fancy brunch or quiet get-together with friends and family.

It is memorable for me because when I make it, I think of Rhona sitting down to a proper cup of English tea with a slice of her Creamy Apple Almond Crunch Bread. So, take the time to savor the days or years you have with friends. Share your recipes, cook together, laugh together, never forget that they are etched in your heart. On Mother’s Day, I dedicate this recipe to all my military friends who helped me in all of our assignments…those that taught me to set up my house quickly, to rely on your friends in a pinch, to spend time together as often as possible and to never forget how to have fun in the process! I am a better person because of each and every one of you! Happy Mother’s Day and Military Spouse Appreciation Month from your friend at the Memorable Kitchen!

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Rhona's Creamy Apple Almond Crunch Bread

Author: Rhona Vantine

Recipe type: Baked Goods, Bread

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 1 hour 15 mins

Total time: 1 hour 30 mins

Serves: 12 servings

Ingredients

6 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
½ cup chopped, peeled apple
1 package Pillsbury Apple Cinnamon or Cranberry Quick Bread Mix
¾ cup water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ cup chopped, peeled apple
¼ cup sliced almonds (optional)
Apple Jelly

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, mix together by hand or with a mixer, cream cheese, sugar, and egg. Mix until smooth. Fold in ½ cup of chopped apple. Set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine quick bread mix, water, oil, 1 egg and almond extract. Stir by hand until moistened. Fold in the other ½ cup of chopped apples.
Prepare a loaf pan with cooking spray. Pour ½ of the batter into the bottom of the pan. Carefully spoon the cream cheese mixture over batter. Spoon remaining batter on top of filling.
Sprinkle with almonds, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees, 70-85 minutes for an 8 x 4 pan and 65-75 minutes for a 9 x 5 pan.
Remove from pan. Let cool completely. Melt apple jelly in a sauce pan. Brush over bread. Store in the refrigerator.

Healthy Main Dishes Soups and Stews

Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili

OK, all of us have probably heard of the amazing Instant Pot by now! Many of us own one, and have used it successfully. Then there are those of us who have one still sitting in the box, since, oh maybe Christmas. Raise your hands. Be honest. I’ll admit I am just as guilty. Even worse I made my son test it out first and then give me a tutorial. CHICKEN! Anyway I got brave and tried it out for myself. Even better, I have been wanting to share this awesome recipe for Vegetarian Chili with you that I first had at my sister’s house. It comes from a collection of recipes from the Moosewood Inn in Ithaca, New York. It is so delicious and packed with great ingredients, I decided to adapt the recipe for my Instant Pot….a definite win-win! So, here you have it, worry free, simple to make, flavorful and healthy, Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili!

I am going to take you through the steps, quickly and easily, so you too will feel totally confident using your Instant Pot. What make this recipe so great when you marry it with the instant Pot is that you can perform all the steps with this one great appliance…sautéing, slow cooking techniques, pressure cooking, and even the capability of keeping the Chili warm until you are ready to eat it.

So, first step in making your Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili is to place all the beautiful chopped veggies in the pot with the olive oil and cook them by pressing the Sauté button. I cooked mine for 8-10 minutes, but you can adjust the time, up or down depending on how soft you like your vegetables.

Next, all you do is add in the rest of the ingredients. The bulgar gives the Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili a “meaty” texture, the beans give the chili body, and all the wonderful spices come together to make this chili taste like any meat version you have tried.

After, all the ingredients are in the Instant Pot, simply place the lid on, lining up the arrows on the front and carefully locking it in place. This is one of the features that I am very impressed with on the Instant Pot. Many other pressure cookers I have tried, the lid was so difficult to line up and lock. This step is so important not only for beginning the cooking process, but also for the safety when using the Instant Pot in pressure cooker mode.

Next step, simply press the Bean/Chili button and let your Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili cook to perfection for 25 minutes. The Instant Pot will display an “ON” light while the chili is cooking. The beauty of pressure cooking is that it saves you a lot of time, but still produces all the rich taste you get from food that is cooked in a slow cooker all day long.

Now, probably the step that concerns most cooks when using the Instant Pot is the pressure release. Well, I am going to give you some tips for this one. First, even before you read my tips, read your Instant Pot User’s Guide. Super easy to follow and great pictures that spell out the instructions. Next, and take this to heart, DO NOT OVERFILL your Instant Pot. There is a Max Fill line on the inside cooking liner…Simply do not fill ingredients above this line. Beans also expand some during cooking so you may want to stay a little below the line. Finally, be careful when releasing the pressure…do not get close to the vent and use a small towel when holding the release. Super easy! You have the option of Quick or Natural Pressure Release. There are great tutorials out there that walk you through this step, if you are still a little nervous. The Natural Release will slowly decrease pressure after the cooking cycle is complete. You don’t have to touch anything. The Quick Release is exactly that. By turning the Pressure Release Valve to Vent, you will let the pressure out in a few minutes. The whole idea of using a pressure cooker is to cook foods quickly and still retain all the moisture and flavor of slow cooking. The long wait for the Natural Release, about 20 minutes, seems counterproductive. But, if you have the time, use it until you are comfortable using the Quick Release. The main trick to not having any disaster stories is, again, to not overfill the pot.

Now, that the cooking process is done, your Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili will stay warm in the pot until ready to eat. You can garnish your chili with cheese, sour cream, green onions or extra hot sauce. You will be amazed at the taste of this chili and I bet you won’t know it’s vegetarian. I tried this recipe on the military troops at the USO. I asked them what was missing from the chili. Most of them did not even guess the meat. True story! So, have fun getting to know your Instant Pot while enjoying this chili for any Tex-Mex dinner or celebration. Added bonus…it’s good for you! So, here’s to making Healthy Memories in YOUR memorable kitchen!

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Vegetarian Chili

Author: Adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook

Recipe type: Main Dish

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Total time: 1 hour 10 mins

Serves: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

1 cup raw bulgar wheat
1-cup tomato juice or V8
3 tablespoons olive oil
1½ cups chopped onions
1½ cups diced celery
1½ cups diced carrots
1 cup diced green pepper
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
2- 15 oz cans red kidney beans, drained
2½ cups chopped fresh tomatoes
Juice of ½ a lemon
1-teaspoon cumin ground
1 teaspoon dried basil
1-3 teaspoon chili powder, mild or hot
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
Shredded cheese, sliced green onions, sour cream and hot sauce for garnish

Instructions

Heat tomato juice for 1 minute in the microwave and pour over bulgar wheat. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes, or until wheat is soft.
Plug in the Instant Pot. Press the Sauté button. Heat the the olive oil and add the onion and sauté for a minute. Add the carrots, celery and peppers. Sauté for 8 minutes till vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
Add the beans, tomatoes, lemon juice, tomatoes paste, salt and pepper, and all the spices.
Taste and adjust spices for heat. Add the bulgar wheat and taste again.
Place the lid on Instant Pot base. Line up the arrows and lock in place.
Press the Bean/ Chili button on the Instant Pot and cook for 25 minutes.
Serve hot topped with shredded cheese, onions and sour cream and hot sauce

Appetizer

Garden Vegetable Dip

Happy Spring! Happy Farmer’s Market Days! Happy Fresh Cooking! Although I think my favorite time of year to cook is during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, truth be told, I think I am starting to love Springtime even more. It’s all probably due to the fact that I am making more dishes that are fresh, have more whole ingredients and are lighter. When I say lighter, yes, lower in fat and calories, but also lighter tasting. That is why I came up with this wonderfully easy and fresh Garden Vegetable Dip.

Garden Vegetable Dip

It really is so simple, and actually gets better if you make it ahead of time, like the day before your special brunch, shower or barbecue. It starts with a base of light sour cream and fat free Greek yogurt. Then, all those yummy flavors from the vegetables, herbs and seasonings marry together into a beautiful, light and healthy dip. When I say simple, the one thing that helps me put together this Garden Vegetable Dip so quickly is my favorite gadget in the world…my handy, dandy chopper. There are several versions of vegetable choppers out there, but this one is my favorite. I especially like the plates that are good for chopping small things like garlic. Everyone always asks how I make such perfectly uniform size veggie pieces in all my recipes. I could tell them it is my amazing knife skills (NOT)! Instead, I do tell them the truth about my favorite kitchen tool.

So, what else makes this recipe for Garden Vegetable Dip so easy? It is the flavorful addition of a dry packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning Mix. After that you can give the dip a burst of flavor with additional herbs and spices. You can make the basic dip or change up the flavor profile by adding cumin, chili powder and cilantro for a Tex-Mex flare. Or how about Cajun with some creole seasoning, capers, cayenne, and chives. I guarantee it will be the new, fresh appetizer you can add to any party table.

Finally, I do want to share a cute story about my Garden Vegetable Dip. I often make this dip for my Cooking Classes at the USO. Most of the troops like recipes that are loaded with vegetables and are great healthy alternatives. But, there are still a few of “the kids” that are not too fond of vegetables, especially when I tell them all the ingredients that are in this dip. But, just like a mom, I suggest trying “just a little”. Once they taste it, they become believers! I think it is because like most healthy recipes, if you add some great flavors like herb and spices, you will not even know you are eating something that is good for you.

So have fun experimenting with my Garden Vegetable Dip. Be creative by adding different fresh herbs and spices. Whatever your flavor profile, it will be so fresh and healthy with all the great veggies you are starting with. And, Happy Spring cooking from the Memorable Kitchen!

Garden Vegetable Dip

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Garden Vegetable Dip

Author: Dianna

Recipe type: Appetizer

Prep time: 1 hour 20 mins

Total time: 1 hour 20 mins

Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

1- 8 oz container light sour cream
1- 4 oz container fat free plain Greek yogurt
1 packet dry Hidden Valley Dip and Dressing Mix
2 green onions, thinly sliced
4 small sweet peppers, finely chopped(I use a variety of red, orange, and yellow)
1 small zucchini, finely chopped
½ of an English cucumber, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2-3 firm Roma tomatoes, finely chopped
½ cup baby carrots, finely chopped
2-3 tablespoons fresh herbs like dill, parsley, or chives
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano, basil, or tarragon (optional)

Instructions

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together.
Cover and refrigerate for one hour or up to 24 hours before serving.
Serve with a variety of fresh vegetable and crackers.
Can be used as a sandwich spread or condiment for chicken or fish.

Note: You can omit the Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning if you are watching your salt intake. Just substitute with additional herbs and salt-free spices.

Brunch Dessert Salad

Light Ambrosia Salad

Happy Easter, Passover, and Spring to everyone. This recipe for Light Ambrosia Salad has a special place in my culinary collection. I first ate this wonderful salad, also known as Twenty-four Hour Salad, almost 39 years ago on Easter Sunday.

I was a cadet at the Air Force Academy at the time and I was invited over to my sponsor family’s house for Easter dinner. It was the first time meeting them and I was very excited to spend a special holiday away from the academy grounds. Little did I know that this family would become my home away from home. So much so, that I considered their children my “little brothers and sisters” and Joe and Karie became my second parents. As time went on, and I had a family of my own, my children even called them Grandpa Joe and Grandma Karie.

Karie is an amazing cook and for this particular dinner she had a spread that she spent hours cooking, all the family favorites, that made me and my friends feel like we were back home again. I know there were tons of goodies, but the one that stood out in my mind was this recipe for Light Ambrosia Salad.

What really made it different for me was how light it was compared to other fruit salads like this. I don’t know about you, but when I think of an Ambrosia Salad, it usually is the furthest thing from light. You know, it’s the dish your Great Aunt brings to the holiday gathering that is laden with a heavy mayonnaise dressing, coconut, fruits you are not even sure of what they are and, gulp, not the thing you run to first. It’s typically the dish that you were forced to “at least take one bite of”, so as to be polite. However, I just love how this version of Light Ambrosia Salad, truly is an updated Ambrosia recipe. A wonderful combination of fruits, in a light and tangy lemon custard, with the added crunch of cashews or almonds. You are going to love it!

Light Ambrosia Salad will be perfect for that next brunch you are planning. The next baby or bridal shower you throw, or as a light spring dessert. So, enjoy this recipe that has a special place in my kitchen and the memory of when I first tasted it, has a special place in my heart. Happy Spring Gatherings from the Memorable Kitchen.

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Light Ambrosia Salad

Author: Grandma Karie

Recipe type: Salad

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 10 servings

Ingredients

1-20 oz can pineapple tidbits (reserve 2 tablespoons of the juice)
1-16 oz can pitted dark sweet cherries
2-11 oz cans mandarin oranges
2 cups miniature marshmallows (optional)
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup light cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped or 2 cups Cool Whip
1 cup unsalted cashews or almonds

Instructions

Drain all the fruit, reserving 2 tablespoons of the pineapple juice. Place the fruit together in a bowl. Set aside.
Place pineapple juice, egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice and light cream in a bowl. Whisk together until well blended. Place ingredients in the top of a double boiler, or if bowl is heat resistant, place over a pot of simmering water.
Cook for approximately 7-10 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from stove and cool to room temperature.
Combine lemon custard, fruit, whipped cream and marshmallows, if desired. Cover and refrigerate for several hours. The recipe recommends 24 hours.
Stir in nuts before serving.

Healthy Cooking Main Dishes Side Dishes

Curried Vegetable Shepherds Pie

Hi everyone! So, how is your 2018 going so far? Sticking to those New Year’s resolutions? I usually take the “Easy On Myself” route when it comes to resolutions. Don’t get me wrong, I do make them. I don’t necessarily start them on January 1st. And I don’t make them super specific. So, this year I decided my resolution was just to Take Better Care of Myself. General enough? Of course, that means eating better, exercising regularly and keeping up with my overall health maintenance. But, it also adds in doing what I love to do more than anything in the world and without any guilt. For some of you that may mean eating chocolate once in a while or sleeping in on Saturday morning…guilt free. For me, that means, what else…cooking and sharing my creations with others! Why would there be any guilt attached to that, you ask. My poor husband often asks when I am cooking or baking if the food is for him or somebody else or if it has to be photographed before he can eat it. Oh, the life of a Food Blogger’s spouse! So, doing what I love also means trying more to be mindful of new dishes my husband wants to try and getting the photos done in a timely manner. I mentioned before that my husband has been searching for flavorful recipes that are meatless. He came across this one in my stack of magazines. (You know, the ones that are supposed to be part of my cleaning resolution). Anyway, it sounded awesome…Curried Vegetable Shepherds Pie. I make Shepherds Pie often since my husband is English, but I have never tried a Vegetable Shepherds Pie, let alone a Curried Vegetable Shepherds Pie. This recipe is actually the best of both worlds when it comes to English dishes. Shepherds Pie traditionally is made with a layer of meat and vegetables in a rich gravy, topped with a mashed potato layer and baked to a toasty brown. But, Curried Vegetable Shepherds Pie adds in the Indian influence that you often see in English dishes in the form of curries. What a great mash up! No pun intended. And completely vegetarian.

Now if you want, you can add in some sauteed beef or lamb, but it really is a hearty dish all on its own. If you are trying to steer away from white foods like potatoes, you can also try substituting cauliflower or sweet potatoes. What I really like about this recipe though are all the yummy root vegetables in it. Turnips, rutabagas, leeks and carrots give a great depth of flavor to the filling. The creamy curried gravy is lightened up a little with Fat Free Half and Half, my go-to dairy product when it comes to cream sauces.

Now, I know you hate it when you want to try a recipe and there are ingredients that you do not have on hand or seem like they may be hard to find. When I share my recipes with you, I try really hard to either give you substitutes for some of those ingredients or give you the source for you to easily find it. In my recipe for Curried Vegetable Shepherds Pie, there are a few, starting with the vegetable. Even though turnips and rutabagas may not be the vegetables you buy every day, they are pretty much available in most grocery stores. Even if you have never tried them, trust me, you will love them in this dish. Leeks are another one. You hear the horror stories about having to wash and soak them to get the dirt and grit out of them. Well…to the rescue are Organic Leeks that usually are cleaned and don’t cost much more than the regular ones and Trader Joe’s Trimmed Leeks. I still recommend washing them, but they are amazing. Finally, one ingredient I use that gives this dish incredible flavor is the mushroom bouillon that I buy online at Savory Spice Shops. It adds a richness to this dish that I just love. I use it in other soup and vegetable recipes too. You can substitute vegetable bouillon or broth that you find at your grocery store to make it easier, but this one is worth ordering online. You will love it! A final note on substitutions, if you want to give this dish a little bit of “meaty” flavor, you can use beef or chicken broth or bouillon cubes in place of the mushroom/vegetable ones. There you go. A great New Year’s recipe, vegetarian (if you like), presented to you in February (no pressure to do it all in January), that has become my husband’s favorite and I believe will become one of yours. Happy New Year’s Cooking from the Memorable Kitchen!

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Curried Vegetable Shepherds Pie

Author: Adapted from Food Network

Recipe type: Main Dish

Prep time: 45 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 1 hour 5 mins

Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

4 whole medium sized Yukon Gold Potatoes
½ cup butter, divided
1 leek (white and light green parts only)
2 turnips, cut into ½ inch cubes
1 medium rutabaga, cut into ½ inch cubes
1 cup of carrot chips or carrots, chopped (about 2 large carrots)
⅓ cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon thyme or poultry seasoning
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 bouillon cube dissolved in 1 cup hot water or 1 cup vegetable broth (I use mushroom bouillon cubes)
1½ cups low fat milk or fat free half and half, divided
1 cup of frozen green peas
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon curry powder

Instructions

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes until fork tender. Drain and let cool slightly. Peel and set aside.
Place turnips, rutabaga, and carrots in a medium sauce pan. Cover with water and cook for 5-7 minutes until tender. Drain and return to sauce pan.
In a small saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add leeks and cook for 10 minutes until tender.
Stir in flour and cook for one minute to form a thick paste. Add 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, 1 tablespoon curry powder and thyme to mixture and cook for an additional minute. Whisk in vegetable broth and 1 cup of milk or half and half. Stir until thickened and smooth. Add in frozen peas. Cook 2-3 minutes until peas are tender.
Pour sauce over cooked vegetables and stir until combined. Cook one minute more until heated through. Pour into a medium (3 quart) baking dish.
To the potatoes, add remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, 1 teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon curry powder and ½ cup milk or half and half. Place over low heat and mash with a potato masher or whip on low speed with a hand mixer until combined. Do not over mix.
Spread mashed potatoes over vegetable mixture in the baking pan. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, pat and lift up spoon to form peaks on the potatoes.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes until bubbly. Place under broiler, if desired, for 1-2 minutes to brown.

Main Dishes

Spinach Ricotta Calzones

Happy New Year Everyone! Let’s dive right in! Wanna know where the inspiration for these Spinach Ricotta Calzones came from? It is not a family recipe, and it is not one I have ever made before. I have made calzones, but usually they are more like a pizza in a turnover…lots of meat, mozzarella cheese and even marinara sauce. But, this recipe came about for two reasons. First, I asked my husband to start giving me new ideas for meals as our diets have changed over the years. We seem, just naturally, to be eating more vegetables and less meat. I also wanted to start showcasing recipes where I am using my appliances and gadgets that are collecting dust on my shelves. You know the ones…the pasta maker, the juicer, the Instant Pot, the tagine, WHAT? Yes, I even own one of those. Well, today, we are going to bust out the bread machine. Actually, I have owned several bread machines over the years, and I love them. So, I want to help you to find a reason to use yours. You know, I think the real reason we do not use many of our appliances is that initially we have great intentions, but then once we start reading the owners manual, we get scared, and put the thing right back in the box. All we really need is someone to walk us through the steps and show us how easy it is to use. That is how I was with the Instant Pot. My son had to break it in and show me the ropes. The Instant Pot will definitely be used in a future post, so keep an eye out.

Anyway, back to Spinach Ricotta Calzones and how my bread machine makes it a super easy recipe. As I said, I love my bread machine, but I actually do not make a lot of bread in it. What, no bread in a bread machine? True. I actually make more dough in it, which in turn ends up as dinner rolls, focaccica, cinnamon rolls, and yes, calzones and pizza. Most bread machines have a dough cycle that perfectly mixes, kneads and proofs the dough in hardly any time. Then, you work the magic and turn your lovely dough into all sorts of culinary creations.

Now, back to where my husband found a picture of Spinach Ricotta Calzones. Last week he hands me a picture of some beautiful calzones. But the picture had no recipe attached, at all. So, I had to do a little recipe brain work and use some of my tried and true recipes, like my pizza dough, and work in a lasagna filling that I thought would do the trick. So, bread machine to the rescue. That is where I started with a simple pizza dough recipe. Then I put together a light and flavorful filling with several cheeses and sauteed spinach and garlic. A couple other tricks that helped to make this recipe a success were to bake the calzones on parchment paper ensuring that the crust was nice a toasty, not soggy. Also, when I filled the calzone, I started with a layer of mozzarella slices to help encase the rest of the filling. And there you have it, creamy, cheesey, savory Spinach Ricotta Calzones in a beautiful golden crust, made by your own little hands (and with the help of an awesome bread machine!)

It is sort of comical every time I make a new recipe, whether it is one I find in a cookbook, online or in a magazine, or if it is one in my stash that I have never tried, I always just tell myself that I can do it. Try it once. Either it works out or it goes in the “NO” file. My kids are always amazed that I will just tackle a new recipe, sight unseen, never attempted, never schooled in and just go for it. I think that is what cooking is all about and that is definitely what I teach in my cooking classes. Do not be intimidated by any recipe. Tell yourself you can at least try it or get someone to help you try it out. If you stay locked in fear of cooking and your skills, you will never learn and expand your culinary horizons. So, with that pearl of wisdom I wish you a Happy “New Year of Trying New Recipes” from the Memorable Kitchen!

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Spinach Ricotta Calzones

Author: Dianna

Recipe type: Main Dishes

Prep time: 1 hour 45 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 2 hours 5 mins

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

1¼ cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cups all purpose or bread flour
2¼ teaspoons yeast (1 envelope)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 10 oz bag fresh spinach
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozarella cheese
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or pizza seasoning
8 oz mozarella cheese slices
1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water
Marinara sauce

Instructions

In a bread machine, place water, sugar, salt, 2 tablespoons olive oil, bread flour and yeast. Turn on dough cycle.
If using a mixer, soften yeast in a small bowl with water and sugar. Let set for 5 minutes. Place in a mixing bowl. Add in olive oil and salt and mix for 2 minutes. Slowly add in flour, a cup at a time. Process in the mixer using a dough hook or paddle for 5 minutes after all flour is incorporated. Remove bowl from the mixer. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 1 hour.
While dough is rising, place 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Place chopped garlic in pan and cook for one minute. Add spinach, salt and pepper and cook until wilted. Remove from heat and let cool. Place in a strainer and squeeze out excess water. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, place ricotta cheese, mozarella cheese, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and seasoning. Add in spinach mixture and stir until combined.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Have a cup of warm water standing by for sealing the calzones. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Starting with one piece of the dough, roll out with a rolling pin into a 10 inch circle. You may have to dust your rolling pin with flour to keep from sticking to the dough.
On one half of the dough circle place 2-3 mozarella slices, leaving a ½ inch space along the edges. Place ¼ of the cheese/spinach filling on top of cheese slices. Brush edges of dough circle with a little bit of warm water. Fold the top of the dough over the filling. Press down to seal and then crimp or fold edges of dough in to seal completely. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Brush the top of the calzones with egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water). Make 3 slits in the calzone. One in the middle from top to bottom, then two on each side.
Repeat with other dough and filling to make 4 calzones total.
Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Serve with warm marinara sauce if desired.

Breakfast Drinks Holidays Side Dishes

Potato Latkes

Some of the most precious memories I have of our years as an Air Force family, are the ones that involve the friends we made. Each person, each family we had the honor of being stationed with, hold a special place in our hearts. It was so much fun getting to know people on a personal level and sharing stories about their upbringing. We were often able to share those experiences when it was holiday time. We told stories of our favorite Christmas memories, from presents, to decorations, to the special foods our families cooked. This is where Potato Latkes first entered my life.

We were stationed with a very special couple at Andrews AFB. Kenny and his wife Jodi were great at throwing parties and special get-togethers. If it wasn’t the weekly Sunday football gathering, it was the annual “Saturday After Halloween Party”. But, my absolute favorite and the one that will always be a special memory for me and my husband, and especially our children, was our invitation to Hanukkah and Passover meals. Having grown up in a Christian church, I never had the opportunity to share in these special traditions. That is why it was such an honor to be invited to these celebrations in our friend’s home. We especially loved it as Kenny and Jodi prepared the meals and then as Jodi would tell the history behind each traditional dish. Candles would be lit, prayers said, and a meal shared, that meant so much more to us than the food. It was about friends, from different backgrounds, coming together to share a tradition, that was given to us. At the Hanukkah meal, Potato Latkes were always the center of the meal. Delicate potato and onion pancakes, lightly fried and served with sour cream and applesauce. Amazingly simple, but so delicious.

Since then, I have only made Potato Latkes a few times. It was this holiday season, however that my friend’s daughter Soliel asked me to help her make them. She was studying different holiday customs and had learned about latkes. It was very special to now share something I had been taught and pass it along to someone else, especially a child. So, thank you Jodi for always sharing your kitchen memories and Soliel for letting me pass them on to you.

This holiday season, take the time to meet and learn from friends of different nationalities and backgrounds. Sit and listen as they tell the stories of memories made in their kitchens. Roll up your sleeves and learn how to make dishes from their homes, their countries, their traditions. It will warm your heart. It will create a bond and an appreciation for their lives. And as you make your own memories in your kitchen, make sure to share them with others. Happy Sharing and Giving this holiday season from the Memorable Kitchen!

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Potato Latke

Author: New York Times Cooking

Recipe type: Side Dish

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Serves: 10-12 servings

Ingredients

2 large Russet potatoes (about 1 pound), scrubbed and cut lengthwise into quarters
1 large onion (8 ounces), peeled and cut into quarters
2 large eggs
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Safflower or Canola oil, for frying

Instructions

Using a food processor with a coarse grating disc, or with a box grater, grate the potatoes and onion. Transfer the mixture to a clean dishtowel and squeeze and wring out as much of the liquid as possible.
Working quickly, transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the eggs, flour, salt, baking powder and pepper, and mix until the flour is absorbed.
In a medium heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat, pour in about ¼ inch of the oil. Once the oil is hot (a drop of batter placed in the pan should sizzle), use a heaping tablespoon to drop the batter into the hot pan, cooking in batches. Use a spatula to flatten and shape the drops into discs. When the edges of the latkes are brown and crispy, about 5 minutes, flip. Cook until the second side is deeply browned, about another 5 minutes. Transfer the latkes to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and sprinkle with salt while still warm. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Note: Great Tip--Put grated potatoes in a salad spinner to get the excess water out.