Pear Salad

I love this salad.  

It's a winter salad for me since I get to use fresh pears.  I soooo miss summer fruit, so I try and sneak all the winter fruit in my diet that I can.  Pears, apples, and oranges hit the spot.  


This is a healthy salad with some complex flavors.  The lightness of the pears compliment the bite of the herbed goat cheese.  The citrus touch with the salad dressing is refreshing.  I must say that this mix of dressing, orange juice and plain old bottled low calorie Italian dressing is the bomb!  I usually make a little more and keep the extra in frig to use all week long.  It's that good!  Trust me...


Why not treat yourself to a healthy salad this week.  Try this and let me know what you think!


Happy winter (with dreams of summer fruit!).

Pear Salad

Serves 4

½ c low calorie Italian dressing

½ c orange juice

6 cups mixed baby greens

¼ c sliced almonds, toasted

2 oz herb and garlic goat cheese, crumbled

2 medium Bartlett pears, diced

In a small bowl whisk together the Italian dressing and the orange juice. 

In a large salad bowl or platter add mixed baby greens, sliced almonds, goat cheese, and diced pears.  Toss together.

Whisk dressing one more time and drizzle over salad, tossing to coat.

adapted from Healthy Calendar Cooking

Super Bowl Party Food Round Up

Are you ready for some football?

What a great day to hang with family and friends, watching a great game, and eating some great food!  (lots of greats...)


Part of the fun is eating super bowl snacks, munchies, and party food.  So this post is a round up of some great dishes that would make your Super Bowl Party spectacular!


Just click on the food title that inspires you and it will take you to the recipe.




Appetizers


Spinach and Feta Cheese Bundles




Sausage Mushroom Quiche Appetizers














Cheesy Garlic Herb Bread



Cheesy Italian Bread



Sweet Onion Salsa



Mini Pizzas



Salsa Roja



Munchies


Chicken Pot Pie Pockets



Baked Chicken Taquitos



Simple Perfect Chili



Chicken Verde Tacos



Chicken Quesadilla Grande



One Pot Pasta



Tex Mex Soft Tacos



Fajita Bar


Try some of these great recipes, and make some great food.  Most of all have a wonderful Super Bowl Party!

Simple Perfect Chili

Great weather for a big bowl of soup?

Even better weather for a bowl of chili!

I was watching Ree's show, the Pioneer Woman, on the Food Network the other day and she was making everyone some chili.  It looked so good that I promptly copied the recipe and headed to my pantry to gather up all the items.  It's a simple chili with everyday ingredients that you most likely have on hand.


So I made a big pot for our dinner that night.  MGG loved it, and I must say that it was really good.  It's a thicker chili than I am used to.  I think I might add a little more sauce or some tomatoes next time around.  It's quick to make, and the only substitution I made was to use all black beans instead of pinto and kidney ( that's what I had on hand!)  and to add some minced onion with the ground beef.  


This is a perfect meal for any game day, or the up coming supper bowl.  Great for a party, or a nice family dinner as well.  Serve it with some cornbread or a side salad, and you are good to go!  Doesn't get much better than a bowl of chili.


Here are some of my step by step pics to help you along.  Ree's recipe is located below as depicted on the Food Network site.

Simple Perfect Chili

2011 Ree Drummond, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time:15 min

Cook Time:1 hr 20 min

Level:Easy

Serves:6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

·         2 pounds ground beef

·         2 cloves garlic, chopped

·         One 8-ounce can tomato sauce

·         2 tablespoons chili powder

·         1 teaspoon ground cumin

·         1 teaspoon ground oregano

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

·         1/4 cup masa harina (corn flour, found in the Mexican food section of many supermarkets)

·         One 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

·         One 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

·         Shredded Cheddar, for serving

·         Chopped onions, for serving

·         Tortilla chips, for serving

·         Lime wedges, for serving

Directions

Place the ground beef in a large pot and throw in the garlic. Cook over medium heat until browned. Drain off the excess fat, and then pour in the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and cayenne. Stir together well, cover, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. If the mixture becomes overly dry, add 1/2 cup water at a time as needed.

After an hour, place the masa harina in a small bowl. Add 1/2 cup water and stir together with a fork. Dump the masa mixture into the chili. Stir together well, and then taste and adjust the seasonings. Add more masa paste and /or water to get the chili to your preferred consistency, or to add more corn flavor. Add the beans and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with shredded Cheddar, chopped onions, tortilla chips and lime wedges.