Greek Tomato Salad

I love Greek or Italian food! This is one salad I could eat a few times a week. It is very light and a great way to use garden veggies. I have changed it up a bit at times by adding Greek Olives (not too many- they have a tart taste) instead of black and by adding zucchini chunks. If you are in a hurry and don't have time to chill for 1 hour, I have served it within 10-15 mins and it's been very tasty. Also, another quick option, is to use a Red Wine Vinaigrette or a Balsamic Vinaigrette for the dressing in place of the first two ingredients. I have done this often and it's just as good! If you don't like feta cheese, try some grated Parmesan or Ramona cheese. This is good as a side dish, but can also be used for a light lunch or dinner. It's especially nice on hot summer days when you want something cool. Serve with crusty Italian, French or sourdough bread, and you've gotta quick meal!


Greek Tomato Salad


FROM: Taste Of Home
SERVINGS: 5
CATEGORY: Salads
METHOD: Non-cook
TIME: Prep: 15 min. + chilling 1 hr (optional)


Ingredients:

1/4 C. red wine vinegar or cider vinegar (or substitute a pre-made vinaigrette)
2 Tbs. olive oil (or substitute a pre-made vinaigrette)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/8 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 C. thinly sliced red onion, separated into rings (I use whatever onion I have on hand,& not so much)
1/2 C. coarsely chopped green pepper
4 med. tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges ( Better to have firm tomatoes, seeded)
6 med. pitted whole ripe black olives, halved (I use about half a can or more-we love olives!)
3 Tbs. crumbled feta cheese (I use more! =))

Directions:
In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, oregano, basil, sugar, salt and pepper. Add red onion and green pepper; stir to coat. Stir in tomatoes, olives and cheese. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (Can be less) Serve with a slotted spoon. Yield: 5 servings.
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Asparagus Beef Stir -Fry

I came across this recipe just a few weeks ago. I am not a stir fry fan, but John & I both like asparagus, so I thought I'd give it a try. We ended up fighting over the leftovers the next day! LOL! Definitely a keeper here! For those of you who don't care for asparagus, you could always try substituting broccoli or sugar snap peas!


Asparagus Beef Stir-Fry

FROM: Taste of Home
SERVINGS: 4 (can be easily adjusted for more servings)
CATEGORY: Main Dish
METHOD: Fry
TIME: Prep 15mins /Cook Time: 20mins/ Total Time: 35mins


Ingredients:
1 lb. beef tenderloin, cubed (I used whatever thin cut beef I had on hand)
1 green onion, sliced (We like onions, so I used one small white onion thinly sliced)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed & cut into 2-in. pieces
1/2 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms (8 oz. package) (We like mushrooms, could have used more)
1/4 C. butter, cubed
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1-1/2 tsp. lemon juice
4-6 C. Hot cooked rice

Directions:
In a wok or large skillet, stir-fry the beef, onion, garlic, salt and pepper in oil for 5-10 minutes; remove and keep warm. In the same pan, stir-fry the asparagus and mushrooms in butter until asparagus is tender. Return beef mixture to the pan. Stir in soy sauce and lemon juice; heat through. Serve with rice. Yield: 4 servings. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dijon Pork Chops

I found this recipe on Taste Of Home's website. I like pork chops but didn't have a recipe to dress them up. I was a little hesitant to try them w/ Dijon mustard, but I'm glad I did! Now it's my favorite way to fix them! Very tasty...surprisingly, not a strong mustard taste. The girls even eat them! =) I like that they are ultra easy to prepare!

Any changes to the recipe that I did when preparing will appear in dark pink beside ingredients or in the instructions.

DIJON PORK CHOPS:

FROM: Taste Of Home
SERVINGS: 4-6
CATEGORY: Main Dish
METHOD: Baked
TIME: Prep Time: 15 min/Bake Time: 20-30 min. / Total Time 35-45 mins.



Ingredients:
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard (I don't measure, squeeze on spoon and spread)
4-6 boneless pork loin chops (8 ounces each and 3/4-inch thick) (I use whatever pork chops I have on hand, including bone-in. Just up the cooking time if they are thicker)
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs (I usually use a boxed pork bread crumb mix. I mix it w/ a few Tbs. of flour.)
Dash pepper

(I've completely changed the directions cause mine were easier! LOL!)

Directions: Place crumbs & pepper on small plate. Spread mustard on one side of pork chop. Place pork chop mustard side down on crumbs, press down with spoon. Spread mustard on side facing you, and flip to coat. Place in greased 9 X 13 baking dish. Bake, uncovered, @ 375 degrees for 20 - 30 mins.

(I've had a problem with the coating sticking to the bottom of the pan, but I forget to grease it so that might be the problem. You can just put the mustard on the bottom and not the crumb coating. Still taste great!)
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Welcome to The Recipe Rut Buster!

Calling on all busy & stressed Mom's (and some Dad's =))!!

Do you know what your cook'en for dinner tonight??

Is it the same old, same old? Are you grimacing at the thought of hearing your kids (and maybe spouse) say, "Oh, not THAT again!" LOL!

Are you taxing your brain to think of or find something new, yet simple and quick to fix?

Well, that is why I have started this side blog! I hate being in a recipe rut, and most of us are in a deep one! HA! Yet it can take too much time and sometimes waisted effort to find and prepare a new dish. At first I was going to just incorporate some recipes we enjoy into my regular blog, but after much thought , I decided it would be more fun to have one dedicated to just recipe sharing.

I want to set this up where YOU ALL CONTRIBUTE to the recipes posted here...this is a GROUP effort! The types of recipes I am looking for need to be:

1. Some what simple (not gourmet or complicated)

2. Have common ingredients

3. Fairly quick to prepare
4. One you have tried & enjoy

All you need to do to submit recipes, is e-mail me at: mailto:reciperutbuster@gmail.com Please include your name, any tips and where you got the recipe from or if you came up with it yourself. If at all possible, I would like pics of the prepared dish. Folks usually like to see what the finished results look like. If you don't have a pic, you could always take a few close up pics when you prepare it for dinner and then attach them to the e-mail with your recipe. I will then add them to the list of recipes needing posted. (I reserve the right to edit & reformat any submitted recipe contributions, to be in keeping with blog intent)

I plan on posting at least one recipe a week. The recipes will be season appropriate, i.e., grilled recipes will be posted in Summer-Fall months and soup recipes will be posted Fall-Winter months and so on. There will be a labels list on the side bar so you can quickly find recipes for a specific food. One important factor will be COMMENTS! Please be sure to leave (tactful) comments on the recipes you try. This is helpful for those wondering if others liked the recipe as well. I will also post short tips and any food info I come across that I find interesting to keep it fun!

Now for all those out there who are going to start ranting about me having time to do ANOTHER blog, don't even start! LOL! I actually have a lot of recipes already saved in my favorites file that I can just copy & paste. For those I don't, well, I have been saying for years I am going to type them up so I can print them and actually put them in the recipe binders that are sitting empty in my cupboards! LOL! Sooooo maybe it will help me finally start a never accomplished project! =) At any rate, I still need PARTICIPATION here! =)

Let the Recipes Begin!

Sorry, Calvin's dinner woes are just too funny to pass up! LOL!
Hopefull these great new recipes will put a smile on kids face and
make for quick eating at the dinner table! Ha!