Bacon Apple Cider Slaw

I made this coleslaw recipe for my niece's sixth birthday party this weekend. It was delicious! My neighbor told me it was the best coleslaw she ever had. That's because it has BACON in it!!! Everything is better with bacon. It's perfect as a side dish or try it on top of a hot dog!

Bacon Apple Cider Slaw Recipe

Adapted from The Ghetto Foodie

Ingredients:
1 large head of cabbage, cored and shredded
1 lb. bacon, cooked until crispy and chopped
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
3 large granny smith apples, peeled and shredded
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup honey
3 tsp. salt
1/4 cup pulp free orange juice
1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. pepper
3/4 tsp. fennel seed

Toss cabbage with 1 tsp. salt. Place cabbage in a colander over a large bowl and refrigerate for about 2 hours. Discard the excess liquid remaining in the bowl. In a large bowl, combine green onion, shredded apples, apple cider vinegar, mayonnaise, honey, 2 tsp. salt, orange juice, lemon juice, pepper and fennel seed. Whisk together until well combined. Add cabbage and bacon and toss to coat. Refrigerate overnight to allow the favors to blend. Enjoy!

Awesome Artichoke Bread

Artichoke Bread Recipe

Adapted from Crumb

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup light sour cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 ciabatta rolls, sliced

Preheat broiler. Place sliced ciabatta rolls on large foil lined baking sheet. In a large skillet, sauté garlic in butter over medium heat for about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients to the skillet and stir until combined. Spoon the mixture evenly over the ciabatta rolls. Broil until the tops are brown and crispy.

Tip: Substitute plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream!

 

Best Ever Gorgonzola Salad

Manero's in Greenwich, Connecticut was probably my favorite Italian restaurant of all time. It was a small family owned Italian steakhouse with the best food I can remember eating. Everything on the menu was awesome, but my favorite was by far their Gorgonzola salad. Manero's closed several years ago and I've been dying to have another one of their amazing Gorgonzola salads. While I'll never be able to replicate it exactly, I think came pretty close! This salad pairs perfectly with almost any meal. Try it alongside a steak or with a big spaghetti dinner.

Best Ever Gorgonzola Salad

Salad Ingredients:
1 head iceberg lettuce, washed and torn into bite size pieces
1 large green pepper, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
4-5 tomatoes, diced (I used Campari tomatoes)
1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Dressing Ingredients:
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

 Combine salad ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together dressing ingredients until well mixed and pour over salad. Toss to coat. Refrigerate any leftover dressing. Enjoy!

Italian Orzo Salad

 This colorful orzo salad feeds a crowd and is perfect for a summer party!

 

Italian Orzo Salad

Adapted from Midwest Living: Italian Rice Salad

Italian Orzo Salad Ingredients:
16 oz. orzo, cooked according to package
1 large yellow pepper, chopped
1 large orange pepper, chopped
1 large red pepper, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 6 oz. jars quartered marinated artichoke hearts, drained
2 tbsp. capers, drained
Mixed baby greens
Garlic Vinaigrette Dressing

Garlic Vinaigrette Dressing Ingredients:
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
2/3 cup fresh flat leaf parsley
3 tbsp. fresh dill (or 2 tsp. dried dill)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh basil, torn into small pieces (or 1/4 tsp. dried basil)
1 tsp. fresh oregano, minced (or 1/4 tsp. dried oregano)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk together and set aside. In a large bowl combine salad ingredients. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve on a bed of mixed baby greens.

Greek Baked Tomatoes

These tomatoes are a great, super easy, healthy dish. Serve the tomatoes with crusty Italian bread as an appetizer or alone as a side.

Greek Baked Tomatoes

Adapted from My Kitchen Affair

Ingredients:
Medium tomatoes
Salt
Pepper
Oregano
Parmesan cheese
Feta cheese
Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut the tomatoes into thick slices (about 1/3 inch thick). Place the tomatoes on baking sheet that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle salt, pepper, oregano and Parmesan cheese over tomatoes, to taste. Add about 1 tsp. feta cheese to top of each tomato and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 5-10 minutes.

Tip: I usually turn the broiler on at the end for a minute or so, until the cheese starts to turn golden brown. You can really play around with the ingredients. Try using fresh Parmesan instead of the feta. Or fresh basil and mozzarella. The possibilities are endless! 

 

Kevin's Favorite Breadsticks

These breadsticks are possibly the single most delicious food ever. EVER. The first time I made them, my husband asked that I make more the next day. And the day after that...

Kevin's Favorite Breadsticks

From Kasia's Crafts

Ingredients:
22 Rhodes frozen rolls
1 1/2 sticks butter
Parmesan cheese, grated
1 7 oz. container of feta cheese
Salad Supreme

Defrost rolls overnight in the fridge. Melt one stick of butter and pour it on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to lightly coat pan. Roll 22 balls of dough into thin breadsticks and place them on baking sheet. Let them rise until they've at least doubled in size. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt half a stick of butter and pour over breadsticks. Sprinkle more Parmesan cheese on top. Add feta cheese and a few shakes of salad supreme to lightly cover the tops of breadsticks. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool at bit before serving.

Honey Balsamic Green Beans

Honey Balsamic Green Beans Recipe

From Paula Dean

Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. honey
salt and pepper to taste

Steam the green beans for about 5 minutes. Transfer green beans to a large saucepan and add garlic. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove cover and add vinegar, onion powder, honey and a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes. Enjoy!