kicked-up tuna melt

a staple item in my kitchen is definitely canned tuna in oil (more flav). it's not my first go-to when it comes to whipping a meal together..but let me tell you..if you're in a pinch for time, money, or just feelin' lazy...canned tuna can't be beat. i've made some great meals off of this stuff! here's one of my quick favs. the kicked-up tuna melt.

whatcha need:

1 can of tuna (in oil or water; drained)

1/3 cup of your favorite salsa

1/4 cup of mayo

salt and pepper

couple slices of pepper jack

2 slices good crusty italian bread (or sliced bread works fine too)

whatcha do:

heat broiler to high. mix first four ingredients together. place bread on a sheet of tin foil. spread tuna mix on bread. top with pepper jack slices. broil to your liking. eat!

-andi

peach blueberry pie

Pie is one of the simplest things to make. Making a dough from scratch is easier than buying pre-made crust. I made this at the peak of peach season, and was able to get the freshest and tastiest peaches from the farmer's market.

Dough

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup unsalted butter, very cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

6-8 Tbsp ice water

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling

1. Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add ice water 1 Tbsp at a time, pulsing until mixture just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it's ready. If the dough doesn't hold together, add a little more water and pulse again.

2. Remove dough from machine and place in a mound on a clean surface. Gently shape into 2 discs. Knead the dough just enough to form the discs, do not over-knead. You should be able to see little bits of butter in the dough. These small chunks of butter are what will allow the resulting crust to be flaky. Sprinkle a little flour around the discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days.

• 
  
• Pie
• Ingredients
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 3 cups sliced peeled fresh peaches
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 tablespoon butter


• 
  
• 1. In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and allspice. Add the peaches and blueberries; toss gently.
• 
  
• 2. Line pie plate with bottom crust; add the filling. Dot with butter. Top with other crust
• 
  
• 3. Bake at 400° for 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool completely on a wire rack.

poblano, corn, zucchini lasagna

This was one of the first recipes that I have made with poblano peppers. It was delicious and fun to make... but then again, what isn't fun to make!

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears), or frozen and thawed
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced white onion
• 1 large zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 4 poblano chiles, charred, peeled, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1-inch strips
• 12 (7 by 3-inch) no-boil lasagna sheets
• 2 cups shredded Oaxaca cheese, or mozzarella

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add 2/3 of the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Mix in the corn and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and thyme. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes for the flavors to incorporate. Turn off the heat and let cool slightly. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining garlic and cook for 1 minute. Mix in the zucchini and poblano strips and cook for 5 minutes for the flavors to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat.

Spread about 1/4 of the corn mixture over the bottom of an 11 by 8-inch baking dish. Cover with a layer of 3 lasagna sheets. Spread 1/4 of the poblano mixture and 1/4 of the cheese over the pasta. Repeat the layering 3 more times. Cover with foil.

Bake until the pasta is cooked and tender, about 50 minutes. Remove the foil and turn up the oven temperature to broil. Broil until golden brown and bubbly, 8 to 10 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Salmon Pasta

I grew up having this dish. It is important to make sure your fish is wild and fresh. I have had the pleasure of having salmon caught by my dad, and let me tell you, that is when this dish is at its best!

Ingredients

1/2 cup sliced onions

1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons butter
4 medium tomatoes cut into 1/4
3 clove garlic
1/3 lemon juice
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 pound salmon
1/4 cup parsley (on the top at the end)

Cook spaghetti in large pot.

In separate pan,

Sautte onion, oil, garlic and butter. Add tomatoes, wine, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cook for five minutes, then add the salmon. Remove tomatoes from the pan and remove skin. Put tomatoes back in smashing and mixing them in with the salmon. Simmer, add parsley and pasta. Add about 2/3 cup parmesan cheese.

red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

These cupcakes are absolutely delicious. Recipe courteously of my Mama.

Ingredients

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoon red food coloring

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 pound cream cheese, softened

2 sticks butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

Chopped pecans and fresh raspberries or strawberries, for garnish

Directions

For the cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

Gnocchi with Squash, Kale, and Carrots

If you are craving a big bowl of pasta, this is a good healthy alternative. It is a colorful dish loaded with yummy veggies.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 tablespoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

1 1/4 cups vegetable broth

1 bunch kale, roughly chopped
3 carrots, chopped

1 package potato gnocchi

3/4 cup romano or parm

1. melt 1 tablespoon butter in large ovenproof skillet. add carrots and cook for 3 min. Add squash and cook, stirring, for about 8 min. Add garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon salt, cook 2 more min.

2.Preheat broiler. Add the broth and simmer. Add kale and cook cover for 3-4 min. Add gnocchi, stirring to coat for 5 min. Uncover and stir in 1/4 cup cheese and 1 tablespoon butter. Sprinkle remaining cheese and transfer to the broiler to cook until bubbly, about 3 min.