New Year & Meatless Mondays

Happy New Year!  I am sure that we are like most & have vowed that 2012 will be a healthy one. One of our favorite tricks is participating in Meatless Mondays. Nothing complicated, just starting the week off concentrating on fruits, vegetables & a healthy diet.

Broccoli Pizza

This was a simple one.  Whole wheat crust with a bit of homemade Sunday Sauce, cheese, red onion, broccoli, fresh basil & red pepper flakes.  I use Il Fornaio frozen pizza dough, which makes this an even easier dish, but make your own if you wish.  I love starting the week off right!
What was on your resolution list?
We also vowed to be more organized, all of us...

We will see how long this lasts

Marinated Shrimp

Marinated Shrimp
Serves around 4 as a heavy appetizer, 7 as a light appetizer

1 pound shrimp, steamed, peeled and deveined
2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, juice of the other (around 3 tablespoons)
1 can jumbo black olives, sliced in half
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbs fresh chopped parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1 bay leaf
Salt & pepper

Place shrimp, sliced lemon & onions, black olives and bay leaf in a gallon sized zip lock bag.  Combine the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard & salt and pepper in a small bowl and lightly whisk together.  Poor the liquid over the shrimp and then sprinkle with parsley.  Refrigerate for at least 8 hours - 24 even better, turning the bag over every several hours.
Serve the shrimp in a bowl and then place that bowl inside another bowl filled with ice (fancy cooler). Don't forget to have appetizer picks and a small dish to dispose of them unless you are providing forks with your appetizers (I am very careful with these because of animals and children - I always use a thicker plastic pick rather than wooden toothpicks).

Slow Cooked Apples & Pork Tenderloin

The next couple of days can be the most hectic of the year. When we are home I find myself looking for healthy, tasty, & easy dinners. This dish will have your house smelling like the holidays with only a tiny bit of effort!  This will also be on our New Year's Day menu - Enjoy!!!  

Slow Cooked Apples & Pork Tenderloin

Slow Cooked Apples & Pork Tenderloin
Serves 4

1 1 & 1/2 pound pork tenderloin, washed and patted dry
1 onion, chopped
2 pink lady apples, unpeeled, cored and chopped***
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs of olive oil
1/2 cup Chardonnay
3/4 cup Maple Syrup
3 Tbs Apple juice
1 Cinnamon stick
3 Sprigs of thyme
Salt & Pepper


Spray the surface of your crock pot with cooking spray & turn to low setting.
Melt butter in a black iron skillet over medium high heat and then add olive oil . Salt and pepper the tenderloin.  Once the butter and oil start to slightly smoke, sear the tenderloin for a minute or two per side, just slightly brown & add to your crock pot.  Add the apples and onions to the skillet and allow them to lightly soften, for about 5 minutes.  Add all remaining ingredients, except for thyme & cinnamon stick, to the skillet and allow it to come to a slight boil.  Cover the pork tenderloin with the apple sauce, add the thyme & cinnamon stick, cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Remove cinnamon stick and thyme sprigs.  Serve over rice or egg noodles & Enjoy!

***If you can't find pink ladies - Honey Crisp, Golden Delicious or Jonagold will do too

Speaking of keeping it easy we have started a new tradition of  vacationing for Thanksgiving.  Our favorite spot is at a lodge on a lake in Georgia surrounded by a gorgeous pine forest. Below are a few of our favorite Thanksgiving scenes from this year.

When a Gingerbread House just won't do...

The Lodge ready for the Holidays

Beautiful walkways all around the Lodge

A Christmas tree Clark Griswold would approve of

Thanksgiving Carving Stations & Iron Chef Competition

Caviar Station

The Raw Bar

The Cheese Display

Dessert anyone??? (This is only 1/4 of the selection)

The end of our Thanksgiving Meal

A long walk after our meal - I had to stop by my favorite herb garden

We took Taddy to see the Linger Longer Express

Champagne cocktails at sunset to end the day - this is the best picture I could get with a 25 pound Scottie in my lap

Fiesta Soup

We had this waiting for us when we got back from getting Christmas Trees last Friday night. Easy & yummy!!!

Fiesta Soup
Serves 4-6

1 onion, chopped
1 lb ground sirloin
2 cups frozen corn
1 can dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 14 1/2 oz cans diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 3.8 oz can of sliced black olives
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
The following spices***:
   1 tablespoon chili powder
   1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
   1/4 teaspoon onion powder
   1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
   1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
   1/2 teaspoon paprika
   1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt & Pepper to taste
Tortilla chips, sour cream, shredded cheese & pickled jalapenos for serving

In your dutch oven add a touch of oil at medium high heat, add onions and allow to soften for about 10 minutes. Add sirloin and allow it to brown. 
Now your cooking preference:
Crock pot method - add everything to your crock pot, stir well & set to low for 8 hours or high 4
Stove top method - add everything to your dutch oven (were you would have prepped your onions and sirloin if you were going this route), bring to a simmer and stir every now and then for an hour.

Serve over crushed tortilla chips and top with cheese, sour cream & jalapenos - and of course more chips.

*** You could always use the prepackaged pouches of "Taco Seasoning" if you wanted.  I tend to find it is much more economical to make my own out of my own spice cabinet.

Just because they are so darn cute - here are Walter & Weezie in their Christmas Sweaters (of course Walter has already torn his apart - thank goodness Jonathan got this shot before that happened!)

Classic Spinach Dip

Classic Spinach Dip

1 cup olive oil mayonnaise
16 oz light sour cream
1 lemon, zest from the whole & juice from at least half
10 oz frozen spinach, cook as directed and completely squeezed of water
1 carrot, grated & chopped
4 green onions, finely diced
1/4 cup finely diced green pepper
Several dashes of hot sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt & Pepper
Crackers & Carrot chips for serving

In a large mixing bowl add all ingredients.  Test for taste - personally I like a lot of black pepper with a pinch of salt.  Transfer your dip to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, overnight even better. (Test taste after a couple hours - you may need to add a touch more lemon juice). Serve in smaller quantities and refill as needed from remaining dip in the fridge.

I stored ours in mason jars - I am Southern.  What a great gift this would be!

I think I am on a retro kick - from poppyseed chicken to spinach dip, it does suit my mood lately.
I even took our Christmas decorations to this level....

My grandmother ordered this tree in 1962, I still have the original packing.  Today it is set up in our den.

Last but not least I must show our proud Scottie, Tad.  He accompanied us on our Thanksgiving trip & never have I seen people gush the way they did over him.  Honestly I think the other guests just missed their pets.