Day 176: Bruschetta

Day 176.

Bruschetta is one of my favorite summer dishes. It tastes so fresh and summery. There are a bajillion different ways to make it, but this is my favorite.

Here's what you'll need.

French bread (Walmart will slice it for you. Just ask)
2 roma tomatoes
garlic
olive oil
basil


Begin by dicing the tomatoes.


And placing them into a bowl.


Add in a couple of garlic cloves and a healthy sprinkle of basil. I don't measure, just go by taste.


Add in about a teaspoon of olive oil and give it a good stir. Set aside. This can actually be made up a day ahead of serving. Just keep it in the fridge.


Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil and place onto a grill over medium heat.


I like a bit of char on my bread. It won't take long to toast up.


Once it's toasty, take it off of the heat.


To serve, place one toast onto a plate.


And top with tomatoes. Yum. Summer on a plate :)

Day 175: Crockpot Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Day 175.

We love mashed potatoes, but I find it tiring to stand over a huge pot of boiling water, especially in the summer when it is so darn hot! This recipe is my fix for that! The potatoes cook in the crockpot, then you just whip them with your mixer. Kurt thinks they taste like restaurant mashed potatoes. :)

Here's what you'll need.

2 - 2 1/2 lb. potatoes, scrubbed
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 to 1 cup milk


Dice the potatoes into 1 inch pieces.


Place all the potatoes into the crockpot.


Cut the butter into small pieces.


Place the butter in the crockpot with the potatoes.


Add the spices. I sprinkled in a little black pepper too.


Pour the water in.


Cook on LOW for 7 hours or on HIGH for 4.


Place the potatoes into mixing bowl.


Oh, man. This smells amazing...


Using your whisk attachment (if you have one), give the potatoes a good whip.


Mmmm.


Now here's my secret to cut down on lumps in the potatoes. Heat your milk before adding it. Think about it. Cold milk into hot potatoes? Not such a good idea...


Add the milk to the potatoes.


Turn the mixer on. Low at first, the gradually crank it up.


Whoa, baby.

Day 172: Crockpot Wild Rice Casserole

Day 172.

This recipe was awesome! Rice in the crockpot? Yes, please!

Here's what you'll need.

1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
1/2 cup uncooked wild rice
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
4 cups water
3-4 green onions
1/4 cup butter
Dried parsley


Place the rice into the slow cooker.


Add the onion soup mix to the water.


Stir well.


Add to the rice.


Throw in some dried parsley. I used a couple teaspoons worth.


Dice the green onions.


Add those to the crockpot.


Melt the butter in a microwave-safe dish.


Add that to the pot as well and stir.


Cook on HIGH for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.


It should look something like this.


We had some leftover chicken that needed used up, so I heated it in a skillet and threw it in with the rice.


Ta-da!

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I really liked the flavor of this dish. My only issue was that some of the rice was a bit crunchy. Next time, I may not add the wild rice and just use white, as it seemed the wild rice was what was not quite finished.

Day 168: Green Bean Pilaf

Day 168.

We are always looking for new and interesting side dishes. This one fit the bill!

Here's what you'll need.

1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup thin spaghetti, broken up
1 cup white rice
1 3/4 cup chicken stock
1 cup frozen green beans


Begin by melting the butter in a lidded skillet.


Add in the spaghetti and let it brown slightly.


Once it begins to brown, add the rice.


Give it a good stir.


Pour in the chicken stock.


Bring to a boil. Place a lid on it and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 18 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed.


Add in the green beans (and a glug of chicken stock if it seems dry) and slap the lid back on it. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until beans are done.


Stir well.


Serve hot.