Grilled Balsamic Champagne Vegetables Recipe

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Grilled Champagne Balsamic Vegetables Recipe

Cook Time: 20 minutes  Marinade Time: 2 hours Difficulty:  Easy  

It's summer and my garden is exploding with fresh vegetables!  With summer grilling season well under way, I wanted take advantage of summer's bounty and share our favorite grilled vegetable recipe, Grilled Champagne Balsamic Vegetables. These vegetables are delicious!!

I made this easy recipe for our July 4th picnic, and the vegetables were devoured!  In fact, they was so well received, I was asked to bring my "grilled veggies" to our next potluck.  Imagine that? Vegetables getting a "call back" (sorry, theater terms...another blog).

For this recipe, we used red and green peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, Portabella mushrooms, and vidalia onions, but feel free to substitute your favorite veggies (eggplant, yams, asparagus, etc.)

The secret to this recipe is marinating the vegetables in a tangy Champagne Mustard vinaigrette and grilling the vegetables to a perfect "tender crisp" consistency.   This recipe can also be used to roast the veggies in the oven, but if you prefer grill marks and flavor of grilled anything then you must grill these vegetables.  And, If you have any leftover veggies, chop them up and use them in omelets, quesadillas, or fried rice the next day!  Easy peasy!

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning (could substitute Cherchies® Garlic and Herb No-Salt Seasoning)
• 1 teaspoon (tsp) pepper
• 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) White Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) Cherchies® Champagne Mustard
• 2 red peppers, seeds removed, sliced into 1 inch strips
• 2 green peppers, seeds removed, sliced into 1 inch strips
• 2 large zucchini, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
• 2 large yellow squash, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
• 1 package Baby Portabella Mushrooms 
• 1 vidalia onion, sliced in half

Preparation

Place cut vegetables on two baking sheets.  Season the vegetables with Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning (or Cherchies® Garlic & Herbs Seasoning) and pepper.  Mix the veggies by hand to ensure the veggies are evenly coated with the seasoning.  Set aside.

Prepare the vinaigrette by whisking the olive oil, the Balsamic Vinegar, and the Champagne Mustard in a small bowl.  Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables and once again use your hands to coat the vegetables evenly.    Cover with plastic wrap and marinate the vegetables for at least two hours in the refrigerator (I usually marinate overnight).  

When vegetables have marinated, turn the grill onto high to heat up, then to medium low once grill is warmed.  Place the vegetables on the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes until vegetables have grill marks, then carefully turn over to cook the other side and cook for another 4-5 minutes.   These may need to be grilled in batches depending on the size of the grill.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Enjoy!

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Basil Cheeseburger Macaroni Recipe

Cook Time:  30 minutes  Difficulty: Easy

Basil Cheeseburger Macaroni Recipe

Move over boxed dinner mixes,  it's so much tastier to make this dish from scratch!

Be honest, how many of you have used boxed meal mixes (Hamburger Helper, etc.?) Ok I admit, I used the them when I first married my dear hubby 25 years ago (not that there's anything wrong with that:). Making things from scratch would have been a no-no for me back then, but thank goodness my dear hubby didn't marry me for my cooking;)  Boy, how things have changed!

Ok,  I'll admit another thing...I'm a cookbook nerd...remember those...cookbooks? Well, I used to (and still do) read cookbooks. The light dawned on me early in my marriage that I could make the same dishes as those boxed meals even tastier and healthier using ingredients I could pronounce and control.

This dish not only reminds me of my newlywed self, flash forward 25 years, it is my most requested dish from our kiddos.  It is quick and easy, and the perfect tasty meal for those busy nights.  

I usually prepare this dish with our Garlic Seasoning, but decided to "pizzazz things up" this time by using our Basil Pizzazz.  Besides mixing up this recipe with different spices, I've also been know to add those unsuspecting veggies to this dish while our kiddos were growing up.

Thank goodness my hubby stuck with me for 25 years because he would have missed out on the "Best Cheeseburger Macaroni yet" (his exact words). God willing, hopefully we will celebrate at least 25 more years, and who knows how good this dish will be then

Thanks for stopping by.  Comment below and let us know what you think. Here's how it's made.

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Olive oil

• 1 1/2 lbs. ground meat

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz or Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning

• 1 small onion, finely chopped

• 1 cup beef broth (For this recipe, we used 1 Tablespoon Minor's Beef Base in 1 cup water)

• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

• 2 Tablespoons milk to thin (more or less depending on desired consistency)

• 2 cups cooked pasta

• Chopped parsley (optional garnish)

Preparation

Saute onions in oil in a large skillet or dutch oven until onions are translucent.  Add ground meat and Basil Pizzazz and cook until meat is cooked through.  While the meat is cooking, cook the macaroni according to the package directions.

Add beef broth to the meat and stir.  Now for the best part, the cheese!  Add the cheese my friends (Here, in addition to the cheddar and monterary jack cheeses, I threw in the last few pieces of American cheese that I had in the refrigerator).   

Drain the cooked noodles and add to the cheesy beef mixture and stir.  At this point, you may want to add the milk to the thin out the sauce.  

Serve this sinfully cheesy Cheeseburger Macaroni with our Strawberry Spinach Salad and our Savory Wedge Bread (also made with Basil Pizzazz) for a complete meal.  Garnish with chopped parsley and enjoy!  A definite family favorite!

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Best Darn Coleslaw Recipe

Best Darn Coleslaw Recipe

Hands down as the name implies, this recipe is the "Best Darn Coleslaw Recipe".  Period.  My sister gave me this recipe a few years ago, (I made a couple of tweaks) and it's so good, my kiddos actually eat it.  That's right friends, my teenagers are eating cabbage!

The tang from the vinegar and the sweet kick from the Champagne Mustard marry together well in this delightful coleslaw.  I usually try to make recipes from scratch, but because of time constraints, I bought the pre-bagged coleslaw mix instead of shredding the cabbage myself.  You are certainly welcome to shred away my friends;)

This recipe is perfect by itself as a side dish, but could be an amazing addition to your favorite pulled pork or sandwich.  Bring this coleslaw to your next potluck or picnic, and watch it disappear!  

Ingredients

• 1 small head of cabbage, shredded
• 1 small head of red cabbage, shredded
• 1 carrot, skinned and shredded
• 1 small red onion or large shallot, finely chopped
• 4 Tablespoons minced fresh Parsley (optional) or Cilantro
• 2 teaspoons (tsp) salt
• 1/4 teaspoons (tsp) pepper
• 1/2 teaspoons (tsp) celery seed
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) Cherchies® Champagne Mustard (for a spicier palate, substitute our Hot Banana Pepper Mustard)
• 1/2 cup half and half or light cream
• 1 cup Light Mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 3 Tablespoons (Tbsp) Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Rice Vinegar

Preparation

This recipe is best if mixed together the night before or early in the day of your event.  Finely chop the onions and add them and the coleslaw mix to a medium bowl.  Add chopped parsley (I prefer Cilantro) and set aside.  

In another bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients.  Pour over the cabbage mixture and add just enough of the dressing to wet the slaw and blend the flavors.  

You may want to grab some for yourself because this slaw is bound to disappear quickly!  Enjoy!

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Best Darn Coleslaw Recipe

Stuffed Chicken Parmesan Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe

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Stuffed Chicken Parmesan Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe

Cook Time:  20 minutes  Difficulty:  Easy

This meatball recipe is a fun spin on an old classic, Chicken Parmesan, a chicken dish consisting of chicken, topped with mozzarella cheese and smothered in a tangy marinara sauce. I mean, how can you top Chicken Parmesan, unless it's Chicken Parmesan Meatballs, made with Basil Pizzazz, our newest and exciting seasoning blend?  This seasoning blend is AMAZING!!

I ran across a recipe for stuffed chicken parmesan meatballs and noticed that the spices in the original recipe were similar to the ingredients in our NEW Basil Pizzazz, so to me this was a no-brainer!  My quest was set...to make flavorful chicken parmesan meatballs from scratch, stuff them with creamy mozzarella cheese, (a surprise my family would no doubt enjoy), and finish them off in a tangy spaghetti sauce.

Some of our best burgers or ground meat dishes have come from freshly ground meat straight from our kitchen.  A few years ago, our friends shared their secret to their amazing burgers...freshly ground meat, using the Kitchenaid meat grinder attachment. Since then, it has been one of my favorite kitchen gadgets!  I like that I get to grind my own meat and control what ingredients go into our recipes, including meatballs.  

When I ran across this recipe for stuffed chicken parmesan meatballs (adapted from "Host the Toast", the blog from Kitchen Kapers, one of my favorite local stores here in PA), I knew I had to make this recipe from scratch using my meat grinder and our newest seasoning blend, Basil Pizzazz, the PERFECT addition to this dish!  However, I didn't stop there, I went "scratch crazy" and made spaghetti sauce from scratch using you guessed it, Basil Pizzazz. 

One word, Amazing!  The flavor from the meatballs (and sauce) seasoned with Basil Pizzazz was outstanding and just as I had expected, my family was delighted at the gooey mozzarella inside the meatballs. They said, "Mom, this recipe is a keeper"...Sigh:) So, next time you're looking to tantalize your family's tastebuds and surprise them at the same time, you need to make this recipe!

Ingredients  

• 1 lb. ground chicken (I used chicken breasts and ground with my mixer attachment)

• 1 1/2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz

• 2 eggs

• 1/2 teaspoon (tsp.) Cherchies® Garlic 'n Herbs Seasoning

• 1/3 cup unseasoned bread crumbs

• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• Fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1 inch chunks (you could use mini mozzarella balls)

• Cooking spray

• Your favorite Spaghetti or Marinara Sauce (Mine is below)

• Cooking spray

• Fresh basil (garnish)

Spaghetti Sauce Ingredients  

• 2 cans (28 oz.) tomato sauce

• 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes (feel free to use chopped fresh tomatoes)

• 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz (or more to taste)

• 1 bay leaf

• The rind of Parmesan Cheese (optional)

• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp)

Mix all ingredients together in a pan and simmer for about 30 minutes.  Remove bay leaf, parmesan rind, and serve with your favorite meatballs and pasta.

Preparation
In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, Basil Pizzazz, eggs, Garlic 'n Herbs Seasoning, bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. 

Shape the meat into balls, about the size of a golf ball and press a chunk of mozzarella cheese into the middle of the meatball. Close the meatball, completely covering the cheese, (otherwise the cheese may ooze out) and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Spray the meatballs with cooking spray.

While meatballs are cooking, heat up marinara/spaghetti sauce in a medium pan.  Bake meatballs at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until meatballs are golden brown. Once parmesan balls are cooked, pour sauce over meatballs and spaghetti.  Serve with a salad and our Savory Wedge Bread for a complete meal.  Buon Appetito!

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Chicken Parmesan Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe