tomato feta salad or bruschetta

03/27/2012 by · Leave a Comment

This bright, fresh salad of tomatoes, feta and herbs is summer in my mouth.

Tomato Feta Salad or Bruschetta | Sweet Anna's

I know it’s not summer yet, but in this dreary, cold, damp Pacific Northwest, I really really needed some summer in my life!

Of course you can usually get good tomatoes year-round at the market, so this salad can be made anytime you like…

But can you just imagine how amazing it would taste with tomatoes and herbs fresh from your summer garden?

Tomato Feta Salad or Bruschetta | Sweet Anna's

Even my tomato, feta & vinegar hating husband loves this salad, even though he doesn’t like to admit it.

When I make it and put it in front of him, it’s not long before the whole bowl is gone!!

Tomato Feta Salad or Bruschetta | Sweet Anna's

tomato feta salad or bruschetta

Ingredients

  • 6 cups seeded, diced tomatoes (or 3 pints cherry tomatoes, halved)
  • 3/4 lb crumbled feta (preferably French goat feta)
  • 1/2 large onion, finely chopped
  • 6 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup good extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped
  • 1/2 cup italian parsley, chopped
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

Gently toss together the tomatoes, feta and onion in a large bowl.

Add the vinegar, oil, basil, and parsley; Toss gently again and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve at room temperature with sourdough toasts or fresh french bread slices.

http://sweetannas.com/2012/03/tomato-feta-salad-or-tomato-feta.html

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You can mix this salad up so many ways… My favorite is tossed with a bunch of chopped fresh romaine.

You could also mix it with cooked, cooled pasta or quinoa for a great summer potluck dish. Or of course it is amazing just the way it is!

Halve this recipe if you’d like, but I doubt you’ll have any problem finishing it off!

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - healthy, recipes - make ahead, recipes - natural, recipes - salads, recipes - side dishes ·

fresh cranberry sauce

10/24/2011 by · 2 Comments

I don’t know about you, but Thanksgiving seemed like it was a long ways off… until I looked at the calendar and realized it’s only one month away!

Do you have your plans all set for Thanksgiving? If you are hosting, do you have your menu laid out already?

I don’t… but I do know that this cranberry sauce will be on my Thanksgiving table this year and every year, that’s for sure!

I have such great memories of spending Thanksgiving with my Minnesota family, and this dish especially brings them all back. (Isn’t it amazing how tastes and smells can do that to us?!)

For me, Thanksgiving just isn’t the same without it!

What are your Thanksgiving table Must Have’s??

(Besides the turkey, that is!)

Fresh Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 bag raw cranberries
  • 4 large granny smith apples, cored and quartered
  • 1 orange, zested and peeled
  • 3/4 - 1 cup of sugar, to taste

Directions

In your food processor, using the shredder attachment, shred the apples, orange and cranberries. Dump the fruit into a separate bowl.

Switch out to the regular food processor blade, dump all the shredded fruit back in, add the sugar and zest and process until very fine.

Store in the fridge until you're ready to use! (This tastes better if it gets to sit for a day or so!)

http://sweetannas.com/2011/10/fresh-cranberry-sauce.html

My cousin, Kay, makes this recipe using an old-fashioned meat grinder, but since I don’t have one of those - I had to adapt it to my food processor, and I think it turned out great!!

I could eat the whole batch straight out of the food processor, and so could my kids… it’s SO good!

 

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - holiday, recipes - make ahead, recipes - side dishes ·

slow cooker red wine risotto - BAD

10/21/2011 by · Leave a Comment

I saw this recipe for risotto in the slow cooker and I just had to try it. I love risotto. No one else in my family adores it as much as I do, but they will eat it. And that’s good enough for me!

My favorite risotto recipe has always been this one from Giada DeLaurentiis. Words cannot describe.

So when I saw a recipe for slow cooker risotto, I knew I had to adapt that recipe to try!

My thoughts? Finding a way to enjoy beautiful, rich, creamy risotto without having to stand at the stove and ladle & stir forever when you’ve got toddlers and babies running around your legs and whining for attention = Genius!

(If you’re a risotto lover with kiddos, like me… do you find yourself waiting until they are in bed to make risotto for yourself, so you can enjoy the process un-interrupted?)

Slow Cooker Red Wine Risotto with Peas
adapted from The Gourmet Slow Cooker Vol. II

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 cup red wine
5-6 cups chicken stock
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the onion & sauté until soft & translucent. Add the garlic and rice and sauté, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes, until the rice is slightly translucent.

Dump the rice mixture into the slow cooker and add the wine and stock. Cover and cook on HIGH for about 2 hours, until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.

Just before serving, stir in the cheese, peas & parsley… and season with salt & pepper, to taste.

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - crockpot, recipes - side dishes, recipes - slow cooker, slow cooker sundays ·
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