Watermelon Sorbet

I love my local farmers' market in Statesboro.  One of the vendors gave me the recipe for melon sorbet.  I made it with watermelon, and it was fabulous!  It is so good on a hot day.  I don't know how to explain it, but it is the coldest thing I've ever eaten- colder than ice.  I don't know how that is possible, but try it and see for yourself.  My sister has been after me to post the recipe, so here it is.  I adjusted it to make enough to fill my ice cream churn.

UPDATE:  I tried this substituting agave nectar for the sugar/simple syrup, and it was just as fabulous without sugar!  Also, I think it works best in a food processor than a blender. 

Ingredients:
- 2 c. sugar
- 2 c. water
- 10 c. cubed watermelon with seeds removed
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice

Directions:
- Make a simple syrup by boiling the water and sugar until dissolved.  Cool in the refridgerator. 
- Working in two batches, put half the watermelon, half the cooled simple syrup, and half the lemon juice in the blender and puree.  Pour mixture into your ice cream churn.  Repeat with the other half of the ingredients. 
- Follow the directions for your ice cream churn to process the sorbet.

Quesadilla Casserole

Super easy, super yummy, and even better left over!

I'm usually pretty organized when it comes to menu planning and grocery shopping ahead of time.  I'm not sure what happened this time.  I was certain I had all the ingredients to make this casserole.  I got home and began making the recipe- that's when I realized perhaps I hadn't planned ahead as well as I thought.  I was missing SEVERAL ingredients.  No worries- I improvised and it still turned out great.  Below is the original recipe with my substitutions in parenthesis. 

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion (I used dried minced onion)
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce (I used leftover marinara sauce)
1 15 oz can black beans, drained (I used Bush's Grilling Beans Black Bean Fiesta, not drained)
1 8.75 oz ccan whole kernel corn, undrained (I used frozen)
1 4.5 oz can chopped green chilies, undrained
6 flour tortillas, 8 inch
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (I used colby jack)
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

Directions:

1.  Brown beef and onion in skillet; drain. 
2. Add tomato sauce, beans, corn, green chiles and spices.  Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
3.  Spread 1/2 cup of beef mixture on bottom of 9x13 baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray.
4.  Top with 3 tortillas.
5.  Layer with 1/2 remaining beef mixture and 1/2 of cheese.
6. Repeat with remaining tortillas, beef, and cheese.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. 

Farmer's Breakfast Casserole

So easy, and so so good!  I'm not a big fan of eggs, so I usually don't like breakfast casseroles.  The original recipe (The Big Book of Breakfasts) calls for cubed ham, but I LOVE sausage. 

Farmer's Breakfast Casserole

3 c. frozen cubed hash brown potatoes, slightly thawed
1/2 c. grated pepper Jack cheese
1/3 c. grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1 lb. sausage, browned and drained
6 to 8 green onions, sliced
4 large eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In an 8x8 lightly sprayed dish, arrange a layer of hash browns, grated cheese, sausage, and green onions. 
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper.  Pour egg mixture over potato mixture.  Bake uncovered until center is set, about 50 minutes.  Let stand for 10 minutes. 

Chocolate Mousse Brownie

Ingredients:

3/4 c. whipping cream

6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips (1 c.)

1 pkg. fudge brownie mix

water (as directed on brownie mix)

vegetable oil (as directed on brownie mix)

eggs (as directed on brownie mix)

3 eggs

1/3 c. sugar

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom of a 10 inch springform pan. 

2. Heat whipping cream and chocolate chips in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently until melted.  Cool about 20 minutes.

3. While cooling, make brownie mix as directed on package, using the ingredients on the package.  Spread batter in pan.

4. Beat 3 eggs and sugar, using wire whisk or hand beater until foamy; stir into whipping cream mixture.  Pour over brownie batter.

5. Bake about 65 minutes.  Cool completely, about 2 hours.

6. For easier cutting, use a wet knife and cut with straight up and down motion.  Store covered in refridgerator.

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

Superquick (15 minutes tops) and super good!  You won't even notice there's no meat!

Ingredients:

1 tbls. olive oil
1 clove garlic, smashed (or use frozen cubes like I do!)
1/4 c. diced onion
1 diced red bell pepper
2 c. chopped tomatoes (diced in a can would work fine- just drain first)
1 c. frozen kernel corn
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
6 (8 in) tortillas
1 c. Mexican blend cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat broiler and cookie sheet.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add garlic, pepper, and onion and saute 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes, beans, and corn and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3.  Place tortillas on baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  Top each with 3/4 cup bean mixture and  4 tbsp. cheese.  Fold in half.  Coat tops with cooking spray.
4. Broil 3 minutes or until lighly brown.  Cut each into 3 wedges. 

Prosciutto and Fontina Stuffed Chicken Breasts

All I can say is Wow!  So good!

Ingredients:

1 oz. chopped prosciutto
1 1/2 tsp. minced rosemary
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c. shredded fontina cheese
4 (6 oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 sleeve saltine crackers
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 tbls. Dijon mustard
2 tbls. canola oil

Directions:
1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add proscuitto to pan; saute 2 minutes.  Add rosemary and garlic and saute 1 minute.  Spoon mixture into a bowl; cool to room temperature.  Stir in fontina cheese; set aside.
2. Cut a horizontal slit through the thickest part of each chicken breast to form a pocket.  Stuff about 2 tablespoons prosciutto mixture into each pocket; press lightly to flatten.  Sprinkle chicken with pepper.
3. Place crackers in food processor and process until finely ground.  Place cracker crumbs in a shallow dish.  Place flour in another shallow dish.  Combine egg whites and mustard in another shallow dish.
4. Working with 1 chicken breast at a time, dredge in flour, dip in egg mixture, and coat with cracker crumbs.  Set aside. 
5. Heat pan over medium high heat.  Add oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add chicken to pan; reduce heat to medium, and cook 10 minutes on each side. 

Broiled Red Snapper with Sicilian Tomato Pesto

After tonight, Alan declared that he has a new favorite meal!

Pesto:
1 c. basil leaves
2 tbls. pine nuts, toasted
2 tbls. extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flake
1 1/2 c. chopped plum tomatoes (about 3)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Fish:
6 (6 oz) red snapper or other firm whitefish fillets
1/4 tsp. salt
Cooking spray

Remaining ingredient:
3 cups hot cooked orzo

Directions:

To prepare pesto, place first 4 ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth.  Add cheese and red pepper; process until blended.  Transfer mixture to a bowl.  Add tomato, 1/2 tsp. salt, and black pepper, stirring gently. 

Preheat broiler and broiler pan. 

To prepare fish, sprinkle with salt.  Arrange fish on broiler pan coated with cooking spray, and broil 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily.  Place orzo on plate; top with fish and pesto. 

Nutritional Info: 437 calories, 10.8 fat grams (for 1/2 c. orzo, 1 fillet, 1/4 c. pesto)

I served mine with broiled asparagus.  Simply place asparagus (with thick end cut where it naturally breaks when bent) on cooking sheet coated with cooking or olive oil spray.  Spray or drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and lemon pepper and toss.  Cooked along side the fish in the oven, it will cook in the same amount of time!