Day 3 The Linen Drawer

♫On the third day of Christmas----♪♫♪     No. ♪♪♫♫ On the third day of decluttering my true love said to me♫♫  "Wow, you really are keeping your New Year's Resolution!!"   Yes I am!

The top drawer at the left of the oven is where I keep my everyday linens---tablecloths, napkins, pot holders.  There's another place where I keep my fancier linens---white tablecloths, white napkins. 

Panorama of drawer three before.

Everything dumped out.

This drawer didn't take much time to reorganize.

The recipes in the plastic bag don't belong here.  Oh, that reminds me! I need to reorganize my recipes.  Another resolution perhaps?

This one napkin ring doesn't belong here. Neither did the roll of freezer paper.

Tablecloths that we use outdoors.

Tablecloth with ants.  One of my favorites.

The two tablecloths are ones we use outdoors.  I especially like the one with the "ants" crawling all over it.  I saw this piece of oilcloth and had them cut a piece large enough for an outdoor table.  These are the kinds of ants I don't mind having on the table.  Somewhere I found fabric with this same design and I made eight napkins, but they don't seem to be here.  Maybe I will find them as I continue to declutter.  And check out these ant napkin rings.  Wouldn't they be cute to use for a picnic with this tablecloth?


This drawer also holds trivets and cork hot pads.  I seem to have two packs of hot pads that haven't been opened.  Every time I go to IKEA I seem to buy a pack.  They are such a bargain there---3 for $2.99.  Well I can quit buying these since I have a lifetime supply.

Panorama of drawer after organizing. 

This drawer shaped up nicely and quickly.

Tomorrow on to drawer four.  

The Barefoot Contessa's Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

Strawberry rhubarb crisp with ice cream.

It's the peak of strawberry season here in Wake County, and the other day when I was in the Harris-Teeter grocery I noticed they had fresh rhubarb.  With the rhubarb in hand and with lots of fresh local strawberries from the Farmer's Market, I was ready to make a strawberry rhubarb crisp.  I've tried lots of recipes for this, one of my favorite desserts,  all of them good, but I decided to look for a new recipe to try.  I ran across one from The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, on the internet.  I have two of Garten's recipe books, and there has never been one of her recipes that I've tried that I didn't like.  And this was no exception. 

I'm a fan of the Barefoot Contessa and have two of her cookbooks.  Such good recipes.

Her recipe adds a bit of fresh orange juice and orange zest and the subtle orange flavor enhances the strawberry/rhubarb flavors. 

Orange juice and orange zest adds a twist to this recipe.

 

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh rhubarb, 1-inch diced (4 to 5 stalks)
4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved, if large
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1 tablespoon cornstarch (see note)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup quick-cooking (not instant) oatmeal, such as McCann's
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

For the fruit, toss the rhubarb, strawberries, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, and the orange zest together in a large bowl. In a measuring cup, dissolve the cornstarch in the orange juice and then mix it into the fruit. Pour the mixture into an 8 by 11-inch baking dish and place it on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

For the topping, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, salt, and oatmeal. With the mixer on low speed, add the butter and mix until the dry ingredients are moist and the mixture is in crumbles. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit, covering it completely, and bake for 1 hour, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream.

Strawberry-rhubarb mixture ready for topping.

Add topping and ready for oven.

Out of the oven, browned and nice and bubbly.

Ready to eat.

Even better with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

This is going to be my "go to recipe" for strawberry rhubarb crisp. 

A Recipe in My Inbox Each Morning

Chicken rollup with cheese and asparagus.

Somehow I got on the mailing list or I more likely subscribed to allrecipe.com so that each morning there is a new recipe in my mailbox.  Here's one that I received and made recently.  I'll keep this one in my recipe file. 


Chicken Rollups with Asparagus and Cheese
Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonaisse
3 Tsp Dijon mustard
1 lemon, juiced and zested
2 tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt (I omitted the salt.)
16 spears fresh asparagus, trimmed
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
4 slices of provolone cheese (I used Trader Joe's yogurt cheese.  It's low sodium)
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.  Grease a baking dish.  In a bowl, mix together the first six ingredients until well combined.  Set aside.
2.  Cook asparagus in the microwave on High until bright green and just tender. 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.  Set aside.  Place a chicken breast between two sheets of heavy plastic (freezer bags work well) on a solid, level surface.  Firmly pound the chicken breast with a meat mallet to a thickness of about 1/4 inch.  Repeat with all chicken breasts.
3.  Place one slice of cheese on each chicken breast and top the cheese with 4 asparagus spears per breast.  Roll the chicken breasts around the asparagus and cheese, making a tidy package, and place, seam sides down, in the prepared baking dish.  With a pastry brush (or spoon), apply a coating of the mayo mixture to each chicken breast, and sprinkle with panko crumbs, pressing the crumbs into the chicken to make a coating.
4.  Bake in the preheated oven until the crumbs are browned and the chicken juices run clear, about 25 minutes. 

Making the mayo mixture.

Flatten the chicken breast with a meat mallet.

Add cheese and asparagus to flattened chicken breast.

Roll up and place seam side down on prepared baking dish.

Coat breasts with mayo mixture and panko bread crumbs.

Out of oven.

Read to enjoy.

This is easy, tasty and makes for a great presentation.  It would be perfect for a light lunch along with a green salad or even a fruit salad. 

Sweet Potato Crostini with Goat Cheese and Grape Salsa

Sweet potato crostini.

Once a month the Cameron Village Library sponsors a Cookbook Book Club* and this month those attending took a dish containing potatoes---any kind of potatoes.  I chose this easy and tasty appetizer using frozen waffle-cut sweet potato fries. In this case, instead of toasted bread crostini I am garnishing toasted sweet potato fries. The recipe is from Southern Living October 2012.

Waffle-cut sweet potato fries.

Ingredients: 
20 large frozen waffle-cut sweet potato fries 
2 tablespoons red pepper jelly 
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice  
1 cup quartered seedless red grapes 
1/4 cup finely diced yellow bell pepper  
2 tablespoons finely diced green onions 
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro 
1 (4-oz.) package crumbled goat cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°. Bake potatoes in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet 12 minutes; turn potatoes, and bake 5 to 7 more minutes or until crisp and lightly browned. Remove from pan; cool on a wire rack 10 minutes.

Bake sweet potato fries.

Cool on a rack.

 2. Meanwhile, whisk together pepper jelly and lime juice in a small bowl; stir in grapes and next 3 ingredients.

Lime juice and red pepper jelly.

Add grapes, yellow pepper, and onions.

3. Arrange potatoes on a serving platter; sprinkle with goat cheese. Garnish with grape salsa, using a slotted spoon. Serve immediately.

Ready to enjoy.

The combination of flavors is wonderful and these provide healthful appetizers.

* I had to miss the book club meeting, because I had forgotten that one my grandchildren was playing basketball at the same time, and I chose the basketball game.  But my family enjoyed these appetizers, and I think you would like them too.

Savory Strudel with a Tuscan Influence

While thumbing through the latest Taste of Home magazine the other day to find something different to prepare for dinner, I ran across this recipe for Tuscan Artichoke & Spinach Strudel.  Having fallen in love with anything Tuscan while in Italy last year and liking artichoke a lot, I decided to try this.  I was also intrigued by this savory take on a strudel that ordinarily I think of as something sweet.

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups chopped baby portobello mushrooms
• 1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 4 teaspoons oil from the sun-dried tomatoes, divided
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 2 tablespoons prepared pesto
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional (I omitted this).
• 1 cup coarsely chopped thawed frozen artichoke hearts
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts

Directions

Saute mushrooms & sun-dried tomatoes.

• In a nonstick skillet, saute mushrooms and tomatoes in 2 teaspoons oil from sun-dried tomatoes until mushrooms are tender. Cool to room temperature. 
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the spinach, pesto, pepper and, if desired, pepper flakes. Add the artichokes, mozzarella cheese, 5 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and mushroom mixture; mix well.
• Unroll crescent dough onto a lightly greased baking sheet into one long rectangle; seal seams and perforations. Roll out into a 14-in. x 9-in. rectangle.
• Spread filling in a 3-in.-wide strip down center of rectangle. On each long side, cut 1-in.-wide strips to within 1/2 in. of filling. Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across filling. Whisk egg and remaining oil; brush over dough. Sprinkle with walnuts.
• Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese; bake 10 minutes longer or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before cutting into 12 slices. Yield: 12 servings.

Spread filling down center of pastry.

Sprinkled with chopped walnuts ready to bake.

Baked and ready to eat.

Ready to eat.

Patrick happened to stop by just as this was about to come out of the oven so he stayed long enough to sample it and he declared it "tasty".  Dan and I enjoyed it as something just a little bit different for dinner.  I think I'll add this to my digital recipe box.

Zucchini Boat Meatloaf

Zucchini boat meatloaf.  Photo by CookinBug

Each day I receive an online recipe from  Allrecipes.com.  This is one that I received recently.  We like zucchini and we like meatloaf, so I tried this.  I thought I would share the recipe with you.  Zucchini Boat Meatloaf

If you like to cook you might want to check out this website.

Ingredients

• 1 large zucchini, cut in half lengthwise
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef sirloin
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1/4 cup grated carrot
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 (26.5 ounce) can spaghetti sauce, divided
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Scoop out and discard zucchini seeds, leaving the hollowed-out shells. Sprinkle the garlic salt into the hollowed-out zucchini, and set aside. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
3. In a mixing bowl, mix the ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs, basil, carrot, and Parmesan cheese together with the onion mixture. Stuff the zucchini halves with the meat mixture, and place them into a baking dish. Spoon about half the spaghetti sauce over the zucchini, covering all the meat and allowing sauce to drip down the sides of the zucchini boats.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the meat is no longer pink in the center and the zucchini are tender, about 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the zucchini, and return to oven until the cheese melts, about 5 more minutes. Heat the remaining spaghetti sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat while the zucchini boats are cooking. Serve the zucchini boats with the additional sauce on the side.

These and a hot crusty loaf of French bread will make a quick and tasty supper on one of these evenings. Perhaps you are tired of holiday foods and would like a little something different.