Creamy Feta Vinaigrette

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Creamy Feta Vinaigrette

How was everyone’s New Years? Ours was wonderful. We had a delicious prime rib dinner at home, let the boys stay up until midnight with us, and celebrated the ball dropping in Times Square with “party makers” as Andrew calls them. No wild parties and Jell-O shooters anymore, but that’s just not the folks that we are these days!

One of my resolutions is continue to make things from scratch, and to do-it-myself as much as possible. I’ve long been making my salad dressings at home, but one I hadn’t mastered yet was a creamy Greek-style dressing. I always served my Greek salads with a balsamic vinaigrette, but since becoming mildly addicted to Panera’s turkey sandwich and Greek salad this pregnancy – I knew I had to come up with a recipe for that style of dressing on my own.

I played around with it a bit, and this variation is what I settled on. It couldn’t be easier – a base of buttermilk, feta, and Greek yogurt. Threw in some red wine vinegar and fresh lemon juice for a little acidity, some fresh garlic and dried herbs to punch up the flavor, then added some olive oil and a bit of water to thin it out a bit and round out the flavors. It turned out wonderful, right on the money as to what I was aiming for.

I make a batch up, stick it in the fridge, and use it for our salads all week long. With a little additional olive oil, I think it would also make a wonderful marinade for chicken as well, to top the salad with if you wanted a more substantial meal. This one is definitely a keeper, and one that I’ll be making over and over again. Definitely a great recipe to start off the new year on the right foot!

Creamy Feta Vinaigrette

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp water
3 cloves garlic, very finely minced (I used a microplane)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried dill

Combine feta and buttermilk in medium sized bowl. Mash up the feta a bit with a fork to combine with the buttermilk. Add the other ingredients and whisk well to combine.

Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to one week in the refrigerator.

Buttermilk-Chive Mashed Potatoes

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Buttermilk-Chive Mashed Potatoes

Have you guys started giving any thought to Thanksgiving yet? If not you need to get on it, it’s right around the corner! We usually keep things pretty traditional around here – roasted turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce…you know the routine. But I like to make all those traditional things just a little bit more special on Turkey Day, if I can.

I found myself with some dwindling chives outside and an-almost-gone-container of buttermilk last week when I made my favorite all-beef meatloaf, so I thought I’d mix them into mashed potatoes to make them a little more fancy. The slight tang from the buttermilk and the mild onion flavor from the chives were just perfect in the creamy mashed potatoes – making them delicious enough to eat plain, but not too overpowering that a spot of gravy on them wouldn’t be a welcome addition as well.

I’m hoping to get another couple of Thanksgiving day favorites up before the big day, so keep checking back for more yummy ideas for your Holiday table.

Buttermilk-Chive Mashed Potatoes

2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp half-and-half
4 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup chives, chopped
freshly ground black pepper

Put the potatoes in a large pot. Add the 2 salt and enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced, 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat, drain well in a colander, and return to hot pan to evaporate some more moisture.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the buttermilk, half-and-half, and butter. Heat until just warm and set aside.

Using a potato masher, ricer, or the lowest speed on your stand mixer to mash the potatoes well. Slowly add in the buttermilk mixture, continuing to mash and combine until the potatoes are smooth and creamy. Stir in the chives and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the potatoes to serving bowl and serve immediately.

This serves 4, but can easily be doubled or tripled to accommodate a larger crowd.

Black Bean & Cheese Nachos

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Easy Black Bean & Cheese Nacos

Well, things are well under way in the back to school front here at our house. Andrew started kindergarten this year, and is gone all day long – not returning home until 3 in the afternoon. Which, is a long day for a kindergartner if you ask me…it was just a half day when I went to school!

At any rate, my little man gets home and is hungry for a snack. And to buy myself some time to get dinner started, I’m always happy to oblige. I usually always have the ingredients for these quick and easy nachos on hand, and the boys always love them. Cheese is something our family can never get enough of – so I use two varieties in these nachos. A cheddar for that cheesy flavor, paired with a Monterey Jack for a nice cheesy gooeyness.  And with the addition of black beans and a good veggie-hearty salsa, it’s a choice you can feel good about. Calcium, protein – two things my little ones need plenty of!

Supporting local dairy farmers is something I’m passionate about. Whether it’s the little independent dairy in my small town, or by looking for the Real Seal logo on dairy products when I’m shopping at the supermarket – I know that I’m supporting American cows, and that makes me smile. I can’t help but love those California cow commercials, can you? Get, get on the floor…

Black Bean & Cheese Nachos

4 cups tortilla chips
2/3 cup salsa
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup).

Place tortilla chips onto baking pan in a single even layer. Using a spoon, evenly distribute salsa over tortilla chips. Sprinkle evenly with black beans and cheese.

Bake for about 3 minutes, until cheese melts and is bubbly. Serve immediately.

Source: inspired by my friend Lynn

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by the good folks at Real Seal, and as always all thoughts are my own.

Shrimp and Snow Pea Stir-Fry

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Shrimp and Snow Pea Stir-Fry

Another take-out favorite for you! I’ve been using shrimp as often as I can, as they’re less than $5 a pound for large heads-on. And without a doubt, stir-frying is one of my favorite things to do with them. I remembering my mom ordering shrimp with snow peas for “something different” at the local Chinese restaurant when I was a little girl. And, I guess it stuck with me – because it’s still one of my favorites.

There’s just something about the combination of sweet, succulent shrimp and crisp yet tender snow peas. I went ahead and added some broccoli, carrots, and water chestnuts to the mix as well just for a little more variety. I’ve found that if you can buy snow peas in bulk versus pre-packaged, they’re almost always way cheaper and better quality. Everything is tossed with plenty of garlic and scallions, and then you make a quick clear stir-fry sauce with simple ingredients found probably already lurking in your pantry. Another easy weeknight favorite!

Shrimp and Snow Pea Stir-Fry

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 ounces snow peas
1 cups broccoli florets
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 scallions, chopped

For the sauce:
1 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar

Combine sauce ingredients in a liquid measuring cup and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of ice and 2 cups of water. Toss broccoli florets into the boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove, and place in the ice bath to set the color and stop the cooking process. Drain, and place florets on a clean kitchen towel to dry.

Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add 1 tsp vegetable oil. Add shrimp to the pan, stirring to cook evenly, until cooked on all sides. About 2 minutes. Remove from pan.

Add remaining teaspoon of oil, as well as the scallions and the garlic. Stir fry for 30 seconds before adding the snow peas, broccoli, and carrots. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until veggies are crisp-tender. Add water chestnuts and stir-fry for an additional minute. Return shrimp to the wok.

Reduce heat to medium, and slowly pour the sauce into the wok. Cook until sauce thickens, about 1 minute.

Serve immediately over rice.