Simple Fruit Salsa

I threw a Tupperware party at my house the other day and wanted to make something with the Simply Salsa. My Tupperware lady was already going to make regular salsa with one of her awesome gadgets. Hello my name is Valerie and I am a kitchen gadget addict. I digress. So if you have been following the blog for awhile you know that I LOVE to throw together things on the fly and then try to remember the recipe later if it actually works well. This is one of those times. This was just soooo good. Below is the super simple recipe. You can use almost any fruit you have. 

Ingredients for what I did:

1 bag of smoothie fruit, partially thawed

2 apples, peeled or unpeeled

1 banana

Mango Balsamic Vinegar of Modena

Simply Salsa Mix

Sea Salt

In a blender or food processor blend the frozen fruit leaving it somewhat chunky. Pour into a mixing bowl. Core and quarter your apples. Blend them with the banana leaving it somewhat chunky. Add to the mixing bowl. 

Add 2 Tbsp of the Mango Balsamic Vinegar of Modena and 3 Tbsp of the Simply Salsa Mix plus a couple of grinds or a dash of sea salt. Mix well and chill for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla or pita chips.  Let me know what you think!

Quick lunch - Rustic Pasta Primavera

Ok so Yum! I just have to tell you how much I love a quick and easy meal. One of my faves is pasta. Today I threw together a Rustic Pasta Primavera. It was the ultimate in use what you have. 

I boiled some whole grain spaghetti that I had in the cabinet, drained it and then made a sauce of butter, olive oil and about a tablespoon or so of Rustic Herb Seasoning. I sautéed the Rustic Herb for a minute or two to release the favors. Then I added a splash (or two) of some white wine I had in the fridge. Once it had reduced down a little I added the pasta back into the sauce, mixed well and then added some chopped tomato for the freshness. You could add any fresh veggie that you have and like. I turned off the heat and tossed the tomatoes into the pasta. The point is not to cook them, just warm them up a little. Garnish with some Parmesan Cheese and Voila!  Lunch is served. 

Cooking Tip!

Did you know that the cap of the Tatefully Simple Seasoning shakers doubles as a two tablespoon measure?  That's right!!  Check out this handy chart for some other great measurement conversions. 

Rustic Mama Mia Stromboli

It's Saturday night and my teenage daughter has a friend over for the night. Kids love to help in the kitchen!  Even teenage ones. These two are actually stellar cooks so I was glad to have their help with this. It was so fun showing them something new to make and have them share in my recipe creation. =). You can use any topping you like on your pizza. These are the ones we like. 

Let's get cooking!

Ingredients:

2 cans refrigerated pizza crust

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened 

2 Tbsp Rustic Herb Seasoning

1 pkg sliced pepperoni

2 cans sliced mushrooms

1 c prepared Mama Mia Marinara Sauce

8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

2 Tbsp melted butter

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. 

In a bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and the Rustic Herb Seasoning. Set aside. 

On a greased cookie sheet spread out your pizza dough long ways.  

Turn the pan so that the long side is in front of you. Spread 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture on half of the dough. 

Add your toppings. 

Spread 1/2 a cup of the Mama Mia Marinara Sauce on top of the toppings. 

Doesn't this look amazing??!!  Ok, now time for the mozzarella cheese. 

Fold the dough over and roll the edges from the bottom crust to the top to seal. 

Repeat with your second pizza crust and the other half of the ingredients. 

Cut slits in the top to vent and bake for 15 minutes. Take the Stromboli out of the oven and brush with melted butter. Gorgeous!!!

Return to the oven for 7 more minutes. Pull out f the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. 

Slice and serve. 

Tip:  make it a meal with a fresh salad with Spinach & Herb Dressing and a cool refreshing Mango Margarita Blender Drink. 

Serves 4-5.