Recipes – Page 5 – The Gourmet Farm Girl

GOOD MORNING!

Homemade Granola

The Gourmet Farm Girl

I love granola; I like to warm it with some milk or eat it as a snack or better yet mix with some yogurt…

Being the dairy girl that I am…my recipe calls for butter instead of oil, it does have some sugar but the rest just moooos… Healthy!

Kids would like to help make this one!

This is so easy and very yummy…I like to eat it when it’s warm right out of the oven. It’s full of good things from the nuts and the flax seeds to the whole grain of the oats!

3 cup rolled oats (regular)
1 cup chopped almonds

1 cup chopped pecans

½ cup flax seed

½ cup raisins

¼ cup + 2 T brown sugar

¼ cup honey + 2 Tablespoons

¼ cup melted unsalted butter
¾ t salt

Pre-heat oven to 250 or 200 on a convection oven

In a large bowl mix the oats, nuts, flax seed and raisins

In a smaller mixing bowl mix the melted butter with the honey and salt; pour into dry mixture and stir with a large spoon till coated

Spread on two baking sheets with edges and bake for 15 minutes at a time; stir and repeat for 1 hour 15 minutes

Let cool and store in an airtight container for 3-4 days…or refrigerate for 5-7 days

ENJOY!

Healthy Eats Read More »

Grilled Australian Sea Salted Orange Roughy with Lemon and Parsley

The Gourmet Farm Girl

2 or 4 Orange Roughy Fillets

Australian Pink Sea Salt (or Kosher)
Cracked Black Pepper
1 T Fresh or Dried Parsley
4 or 6 Slices of Lemon
4 or 6 pats of Butter

Spray a piece of aluminum foil with cooking oil and place fish fillets on foil; top with the salt, pepper, lemon, butter and parsley.

Place another piece of foil on top and seal edges to form a tent.

Place on grill at 400 degrees and cook for 10-12 minutes

Remove from heat and let sit for 2-3 minutes.

Serve with rice and your favorite vegetable

Makes 2 or 4 servings

Enjoy!

Great on the Grill… Read More »

Fried Green Olives Stuffed with Gorgonzola and Bacon
By The Gourmet Farm Girl

12 large green olives, pitted
2 tablespoons Gorgonzola cheese (at room temp)
1 tablespoon whole-milk ricotta (at room temp)
pinch of dried thyme
pinch of cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons real bacon bits
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup dried plain bread crumbs or Andy’s Breading for Fish (cornmeal breading)
2 cups peanut oil for frying (or vegetable oil)

Make sure olives are dry; push a few bacon bits into each olive and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl combine the Gorgonzola, ricotta, pepper and thyme; spoon the mixture into a 1 quart size plastic storage bag; snip a corner of the bag to create a small opening; squeeze the mixture

into each olive and set aside.

Whisk egg in a small shallow mixing bowl with 1 tablespoon milk; pour breadcrumbs into another small mixing bowl; pour flour into a 1 qt size plastic bag and toss with the olives; remove olives and dip one or two at a time into egg wash (be careful not to wash off flour) drop olives into bread crumbs and roll to coat. Repeat till all olives are breaded.

Heat oil in a heavy saucepan over medium high heat to 350 degrees; fry olives till golden brown 30-40 seconds; remove and drain on paper towels. Let cool before serving

Serves 2

Enjoy

Unique Appetizer Idea… Read More »

This is a great meal and easy to prepare. Slow cook the meat all day in a crock pot and

finish the meal by cooking the rice and sautéing the peppers.

Steak and Spicy Peppers over Rice

By The Gourmet Farm Girl

2 pounds Round Steak

1 15.5 ounce can beef broth

1 15.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with chilies

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

1 medium size onion

1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes

2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + 1 tablespoon butter

salt and pepper

4 servings of cooked rice

Cut peppers and onion into strips, keep a few strips of each out and place the rest in a plastic bag and refrigerate for later use.

Place meat in the slow cooker sprayed with cooking oil; salt and pepper to taste, add the beef broth. Lay the few pieces of peppers and onions on top; cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

When meat is fork tender add the can of tomatoes, cover and allow tomatoes to heat.

Cook rice according to package directions.

While rice is cooking, heat the extra virgin olive oil and butter over medium high heat; add the remaining peppers and onions; saute for 2-3 minutes till just tender, add the chili pepper flakes; toss and heat for an additional minute.

Place the rice on a plate and top with the spicy cooked peppers followed with meat and tomatoes. Spoon some of the broth over the top.

Serve immediately

Makes 4 servings

ENJOY!

Low and Slow… Read More »

I have made this appetizer many times in varies combinations. This combination works well for the Holiday season with the beautiful red peppers and green basil.

Holiday Antipasto Skewers

By The Gourmet Farm Girl

2 pounds hot or mild Italian sausage links (fully cooked)

uncooked sausage links can be used also (cook according to pkg directions)

2 14 ounce cans Artichoke hearts (halved)

1 15 ounce jar sun dried tomatoes (in oil)

1 12 ounce jar roasted red peppers

1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese

1 small bunch fresh basil (at least 20 leaves)

20 6-8 inch wooden skewers

Slice the mozzarella cheese while cold and cut into chunks; allow to warm to room temperature

Cut red peppers into 20 pieces; set aside

In a large skillet over medium low heat add 3-4 tablespoons water and warm sausage links; remove and when cool enough to handle cut into chunks.

Place on each skewer one of each; red pepper, basil leaf, cheese, sausage followed by 2-3 pieces of sun dried tomatoes and place one artichoke heart on the end.

Stack skewers onto a plate and drizzle some of the oil from the sun dried tomatoes over the top.

NOTE: This recipe is best served within 30 minutes after completed. Can be served cold if necessary

Black olives compliment this appetizer also

Yields 20

ENJOY!

A Christmas Appetizer Read More »

This was one of my favorite meals growing up. I loved to go to the garden and pick green peppers for this particular meal. Just the smell of them takes me back to mom’s garden…

This is a great way to use any late season peppers and tomatoes.

I originally posted this recipe last season but I just had to share it again!

Moms Stuffed Green Peppers

By The Gourmet Farm Girl

4 medium size green peppers

1 medium size tomato (sliced)

1 lb. ground lean hamburger

1 small onion (chopped)

1/3 c. ketchup

¼ cup shaved Parmesan or Gruyere cheese

1 egg

1/2 c. milk

½ c. dried bread crumbs or Panko crumbs

½ t. dried mustard

½ t. salt

½ t pepper

1t. Worcestershire sauce

¼ t. garlic powder or 1-2 small cloves chopped

or 1/2 teaspoon of The Farm Girl’s House Blend seasoning

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Spray a 9×9 inch baking dish with cooking spray

Wash peppers and cut around the top of stem to remove and create a hole; remove the seeds and ribs of the peppers; slice the tomato and set aside.

Mix all of the other ingredients together with hands (or a large spatula) and fill each pepper with the meat mixture. Place peppers in baking dish and top each one with a slice of tomato.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the peppers are soft and meat mixture is cooked through.

Remove from oven and top with the cheese; allow to rest for 2-3 minutes while the cheese melts.

Serve with additional sliced tomatoes and rice or mashed potatoes

Serves Four

ENJOY!

End of Summer Supper… Read More »

Grilled Zucchini with Barramundi

By The Gourmet Farm Girl

4 Barramundi fillets (or your favorite white fish)

¾ cup Panko bread crumbs
½ cup flour
2 tablespoons Mrs. Dash (original)
2 egg whites +2 tablespoon milk
1 lemon sliced
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium size zucchini sliced (1/2 inch each)

Slice zucchini and lightly brush with vegetable oil, salt and pepper; set aside

Pour Panko crumbs onto a large plate and mix with Mrs. Dash seasoning; set aside

Rinse fish fillets in cold water and drain on a paper towel; add flour to a gallon size plastic bag and toss with the fish fillets till coated with flour; tap off any excess

Beat egg whites with milk and dip each floured fillet into the egg wash; transfer to the bread crumbs and lightly coat each side; place fish fillets on a large piece of aluminum foil sprayed with cooking oil. Top each fillet with the butter; lay lemon slices along sides

Grill at 400 degrees for 7-8 minutes per side

Grill zucchini at the same time directly on the grill rack; 7-8 minutes per side or till soft and slightly charred.

Serve fish over the grilled zucchini and garnish with lemon slices.

Serves 4

ENJOY!

The Many Uses for Zucchini Read More »

When I was very young the summers seemed to last forever. I remember long summer days and the smell of fresh hay being bailed back by the pasture and orchard where many apple trees once stood. One of my chores was to deliver a jug of fresh squeezed lemonade to my dad and grandpa who were working hard in the summer heat.

I hardly ever wore a pair of shoes during those hot summer days; which seemed to amaze my grandpa. Every time I showed up at the side of the field with that jug of lemonade he would remove his straw hat, wipe the sweat from his brow and say ” Ouchy… doesn’t the hay stubble hurt your feet”? I would simply reply with a quick “nope” stretch out my arms, hand off the jug of sweet goodness and run as fast as I could through the field as if to show him just how durable I was…it did hurt a little bit. But just seeing the grin on their faces as they watched me run off reassured me that it was all worth it!

Grandpa’s Favorite Fresh Squeezed Lemonade
By The Gourmet Farm Girl

6-8 large fresh lemons
1 cup sugar (or 1/4 cup Truvia)
4 cups cold water
1 cup crushed ice

Lay out lemons on the kitchen counter till room temperature

Slice the lemons in half; squeeze the juice and pulp out with a juicer, enough to make one cup of juice. Reserve one half of a lemon to slice for garnish. Pour into a one gallon pitcher and stir in the sweetener. Add the cold water; ice and slices of lemon; stir and Enjoy on the porch or patio if you don’t have a hay field…

Alterations: add 1 cup of your choice to the pitcher.
White Grape Juice
Cherries
Strawberries
Blueberries
Pomegranate Juice
Strong Tea
The juice of several limes and slices

I still own the juicer my mother used to squeeze the lemons.

A Simple Recipe with Great Memories… Read More »

Stuffed Shells with Meat and Spinach over Homemade Tomato Sauce and Melted Mozzarella

By The Gourmet Farm Girl

12 Barilla Jumbo Shells (or your favorite brand)
1/2 lb Italian sausage
1/4 lb ground beef
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup spinach leaves
5-6 scallions (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces fresh Mozzarella cheese (sliced)

Tomato Sauce

1 quart cooked tomatoes ( I used my canned tomatoes form last years garden)
or 1 qt stewed tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
Splash of Cabernet to taste (optional)

In a deep skillet add all the above and bring to boil; cover with a tilted lid; reduce heat and simmer for 45-50 minutes while preparing meat and shells; stir often.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large pot of salted water boil shells according to package directions; drain, reserving some of the pasta water; set aside

In a large skillet over medium heat brown the sausage and ground beef 5-6 minutes; drain any grease.

Add the olive oil, scallions, garlic, salt, pepper and seasonings with 1-2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water; reduce heat and cook for 12-15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Lower heat to simmer and stir in grated Parmesan cheese and egg; remove from heat and let cool

Place several spinach leaves inside each shell then stuff with meat mixture. Pour sauce into a greased 9×9 inch glass casserole; position shells on top of sauce; lay the sliced mozzarella cheese on top of each stuffed shell. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40-45 minutes; remove foil and bake for an additional 2-3 minutes till cheese is completely melted.

Serves 4

ENJOY!

Italian Dinner… Read More »

Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Prosciutto, Spinach and Cheese

By The Gourmet Farm Girl

2 Boneless Chicken Breasts with skin removed
4 slices Prosciutto
5-6 large fresh spinach leaves
1 14.5 oz can chicken broth
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
3-4 Garlic Cloves sliced
2 small sprigs of fresh rosemary
4-5 leaves of basil chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Fillet chicken breast open; place in a plastic bag and pound out with a meat tenderizer on both sides

Lay out chicken breasts, salt and pepper, lay 2 slices of prosciutto on top of each breast; top with 3-4 spinach leaves; 1/4 cup cheese and the thyme leaves; Gently roll the breasts and tie with kitchen string or use tooth picks to secure

Place in a glass 9×12 baking dish; pour chicken broth over the breasts; Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil

Place the rosemary sprigs and garlic cloves in the broth and sprinkle the chopped basil over the chicken

and some into the broth

Bake at 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes till done
Let rest in baking dish for 5 minutes

Cut strings or remove tooth picks and slice each breast; pour gravy over to serve

Double this recipe if feeding more than two people and if using dried herbs cut in half

Parsley Gravy

1 14 oz can (reduced sodium) chicken broth
2-3 Tablespoons flour
2-3 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon Fresh or Dried Parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat; add flour to form roux; pour broth in skillet and stir with a whisk or large spoon till thick and smooth; stir in parsley

ENJOY!

The Flavors of Fresh Herbs… Read More »