Greek Vinaigrette with Feta

That should really say with LOTS of feta...

In our house, anything with Greek dressing and feta makes it better, well..maybe not blueberry muffins..or pancakes. Ok, so not anything. I usually buy the bottle stuff and serve it over cucumber and tomatoes. I am still searching for the 'perfect' dressing, a dressing we had years ago in our early dating phase during trivia night at an Irish pub, yes, Greek dressing at an Irish pub. It was creamy, and tart and just perfect.

But for now, this homemade version will work. It's very tart and wonderful. SUPER easy and your probably have most of the ingredients in your kitchen right now.

1/2 cup FRESH lemon juice

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves

1 teaspoon white sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

2/3 cup olive oil

1/2 cup crumbled feta

Place everything BUT the feta in a jar with a tight fitting lid and give it a shake. Mix in the feta and chill overnight. 

It was EXCELLENT poured over some sliced cucumbers and chilled overnight. Yummy!

Coconut Rice and Beans

Happy Tuesday! We survived Isaac! Our part of Florida only received rain and some wind. It was a very loooong day stuck inside, especially with a restless 2 year old.

For dinner last night, I tried something new. Coconut Rice with Pinto Beans. It has a slight sweet flavor and is very creamy. It would be wonderful served with other island dishes.

 I 'cheated' and used my small rice cooker to cook the rice which made it extra easy. Below I have included instructions for the stove top version.

We served ours with the can of pineapple that's called for in the recipe for it's juice and creamed corn.

Kevin took leftovers for lunch today and said it was even better the 2nd day.

1 can coconut milk

1 can  (15 ozs) pineapple slices or chunks, juices reserved

1/2 cup water

1 cup uncooked brown rice

2 cups cooked pinto beans

In a medium saucepan, bring coconut milk, pineapple juice, and water to a boil. Stir in rice and return to a boil. Cover pan, reduce heat to medium and cook 45 to 50 minutes. 

Fluff with a fork and stir in beans. 

Yummy stuff! Season with salt and pepper if you feel it's necessary, I didn't think it needed it. 

Wonderful Comfort Food

When I was pregnant with Cooper, the one thing I strongly craved during my morning sickness months was comfort food. I wanted chicken and dumplings, fried cornbread and zipper peas. During the last month or so of my pregnancy during a phone conversation with my mother in law, she mentioned cooking chicken and noodles for company. Even though I had never had a taste of her chicken and noodles, I instantly started craving them. When she and my sister in law came to stay with us after Coop was born, I requested she make the chicken and noodles for us, she did and I was hooked. I now make the stuff myself every few months.

This recipe makes a HUGE batch. You can roast your own chicken and make your own egg noodles, or you can cheat and buy a grocery store deli rotisserie chicken and frozen egg noodles like I do. This dish is amped up even more in the comfort food department when served over mashed potatoes.

Heat up chicken broth/stock in a large soup pot and cook noodles in it according to recipe or package directions. This time around, I bought the large, family size bag of frozen noodles, or use 2 small bags. These are found in the frozen pasta section/bread section of the grocery store.

Meanwhile, chop up whole roasted chicken.

When noodles are cooked, add cans of cream of chicken soup and chicken. Simmer until it's all nice and hot. 

Serve over mashed potatoes, to enjoy the full carb load...

(I apologize for crappy pictures, my kitchen has a window, but not the best natural lighting. And I think my husband would look at me like a crazy person if I took our dinner outside to snap a pic before sitting it on the table)

Creamy Chicken and Noodles

7 cups chicken broth or chicken stock

1 large bag of frozen egg noodles or 2 small

3 cans cream of chicken soup

1 chopped up whole roasted chicken

Bring broth to a boil and cook noodles according to package directions.

Meanwhile, chop up whole rotisserie chicken. 

When noodles are finished cooking, stir in cream of chicken soup and chopped chicken.

Continue simmering until nice and hot.