Kale Quinoa Salad by Colleen Guenther

Lynn Younglove loves this salad! It's perfect for any meal but it's really perfect for breakfast with some eggs and toast. 

What you need:

1 bunch of kale destemmed and chopped

1/2 cup cooked quinoa (or however much you want)

4 garlic cloves minced

Good splash of lemon juice

Red pepper flakes (Lynn doesn't put these in hers)

Salt to taste

EEOV

To make:

Sautee your garlic and red pepper flakes in a splash of EEOV. Sautee of a few minutes until slightly browned. Add your quinoa and a dash of salt and sautéed just long enough to warm up. Add your lemon juice and stir. Add your kale and another sprinkle of salt and toss a few times. Do not cook the Kale for more than a minute. Take off the heat, toss one or two times and serve! That's it!

Classic Mashed potatoes by Colleen Guenther

Classics! They are delicious! Add the Kale and Lentil soup on top as an option too. 

For 4 people!

What you Need:

4 Yukon Gold Potatoes

1/4-1/2 stick of Butter

Salt and Pepper to taste

Peel all potatoes and dice largely. Boil for 20 minutes or so. Drain and mash with the butter and salt and pepper to taste.

Cassoulet Bean Salad by Colleen Guenther

This salad is just so dang good!

Cook Cassoulet Beans and add them to these items:

Thinly slice all of these ingredients in the proportions that sound good to you.

Radish
celery
fennel
red onion
celery
finely chopped parsley

then drizzle white wine vinegar, salt and EEOO on top. Mix and eat!

Celery Salad by Josh Sundby

A couple of friends came to the cabin this summer and made this salad. It's quite simple so there's not much more to say than you should make it and eat it:

What you Need:

Finely Chopped celery
Shredded Parmesan
1 red chili pepper minced
1/2 squeeze of a lemon juice
Handful of chopped italian parsley
A little chopped onion
Pine Nuts (optional)
Fresh Cracked pepper

Mix it together and Done.

Kale Almond Garlic Sautee by Colleen Guenther

This is a quick and easy side or main dish that is simply awesome! Kale makes a very hearty but fresh meal anytime of day, really.  The red pepper flakes, garlic and lemon juice make it quite dynamic. There's not much more to say except for make it and enjoy!

Serves 2-3

What you Need:
1 bunch of Kale (de-stemmed
1 Handful of shaved Almonds
2 TBS of minced garlic
1 drizzle of olive oil
1 sprinkle of salt
1 sprinkle of fresh ground pepper
A couple of pinches of red pepper flakes
1/2 squeeze of one lemon

Directions:

Heat up your olive oil in a sautee pan until hot. Add your garlic and almonds and sautee for a minute or two, then add your kale and the rest of the ingredients. Sautee for about 8-10 minutes until the kale is wilted. Stir/toss continuously during that time. Don't cook for too long so that your kale is soggy.

I served mine as the main dish along with some roasted baby tomatoes and garlic/parmesan croisinis. I'll post those recipes soon.

Cheers and enjoy!

Roasted Basil Pesto Potatoes by "The Guenthers"

Pesto:

"a sauce consisting of usually fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil and grated cheese" 

First of all, I love all things with a sauce.I think it generally makes dishes more interesting, most of the time. Pestos, in general, are just marvelous. Jalapeno, cilantro and tomato pestos are some of our other favorites. The definition above was interesting since I have seen a plethora of "pestos" that were not primarily made of basil, pine nuts, etc. but still were being called "pesto" (like the above examples). I’m making my definition of pesto meaning fresh herbs and uncooked veggies finely blended together to great a savory sauce. I'm just going with it:)  

Anywhos, not only is this a specialty of my husbands, this pesto is a pretty accurate rendition of the previously accepted and defined pesto recipe. What we love most about it is that you can literally put this on everything: pasta, sandwiches (a fave), crostinis or add it to a salad dressing.... the possibilities are endless.

To call it a "Guenther" recipe is because both my husband and I have our specialties of the house.... several dishes that we eat a lot of that only one of us makes. This dish marries two of our staples, pesto (his) and roasted potatoes (mine). 

On a side note, I know that there are a trillion recipes for basil pesto out there, but I am posting my husband's since his measurements are a lot different than most.... we find that most pestos, and dressings/sauces in general, are overly olive-oiled. To each their own:) ENJOY!

What You Need:

Pesto:
2 Cups Basil (de-stemmed and rinsed)
6 cloves of garlic
1.5 cups of good quality parmesan reggiano
1/3-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
salt and pepper

Potatoes:
1 Bunch of mini fingerling potatoes
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Put your potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top along with a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Toss and roast in the oven, uncovered, at 400 for 30 minutes. While baking, blend all of your pesto ingredients in a food processor, salt and pepper to taste and when the potatoes are ready, add as much pesto to the potatoes as you see fit. Save the rest of the pesto for all of the other delicious meals that you now are able to make.

Fresh Spring Rolls by Colleen Guenther

Spring is almost here (phew) and I have have been craving fresh veggies, cooked veggies and every other way veggies can be served. I mean, you can make salads, introduce a veggie here or there within a dish, put a piece of lettuce on your veggie burger (does that even count?) or eat them straight up. Also, I am really sick of soups which had been a great delivery device for winter vegetables, so I decided to make a spring roll and boy is it good! Make it and eat it!

What you need:

Wraps:
1/2 package of thin rice noodles
Spring Roll wrappers
thinly sliced cucumbers
matchstick carrots
scallions chopped
lettuce chopped
cilantro chopped

Sauce (mix together):
2 tbs Sweet Chili Sauce
1.5 tbs Rice Vinegar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Small squeeze of lime

Directions:

Cook your rice noodles and spring roll wraps according to the packaging. I find that they do not need as much time as it says on the wrapper, but you can decide that on your own. Also, I cook each spring roll wrapper  individually: I make them one at a time dunking each one into semi-hot water for a few seconds, turning and taking them out immediately. Once your  individual spring roll is cooked, lay it flat out on a plate and fill each one with the ingredients listed in the amount that you are happy with, besides the sauce, and then wrap it like a burrito. Continue this process until you have made enough for your meal(s). To eat, dip rolls in sauce and ENJOY! Spring is almost here!

(forgive me for not adding the rice noodles in the shown wrap. I was too hungry when making these for the photo and forgot them.... before I knew it, my husband and I had eaten them all;)

Spicy Squash Soup by Abby Wyckoff

This is an extra tasty, spicy and delicious squash soup, unlike the one that grandma used to make! This one has kick and it is exactly what you need for this time of year.

What you Need:

1 large squash diced

1 apple diced

1 onion diced

2 carrots chopped

water

salt and pepper 

cilantro chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

1 jalapeno minced

2 shallots minced

Directions:

Sautee your onions in olive oil for 5-10 minutes until soft. Add your squash, apple and carrot and sautee for another 8 minutes. Then, add water (you could do vegetable broth also) to come to the top of the ingredients in your pot and bring to a boil. Once boiled, bring down to a simmer and simmer for 25-30 minutes until your squash is soft. When done, take off the heat and blend all of your ingredients in a blender or vitamix. Pour your mixture back into your sautee pan and add your cilantro, jalapeno, shallots and garlic and simmer for a minute or two. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve. For extra fun, make some croutons and serve on top!

German Potato Salad by Heinz Guenther

This is one of the best (if not the very best) potato salad I have ever eaten. It is a recipe from my Father in Law Heinz Helmut Guenther. He is my favorite! Give it a try!

What you need:
4 cups largely chopped potatoes (USE RUSSET POTATOES INSTEAD OF RED LIKE IN THE PHOTO.... that's all I had on hand and it just isn't as good)
3 TBS mayo
1-3 TBS white vinegar (start with one TBS and add more if needed)
1 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
handful of chopped parsley
3 scallions chopped
12 baby dill pickles chopped (I like a lot of them)
1/2 cup water

Directions:
 Boil your potatoes until done (takes about 1/2 hour). Do not overcook - keep checking them as they are boiling. Then, let them cool for 20 minutes or so. In a large bowl, add the rest of your ingredients and then the potatoes. Stir and salt and pepper to taste. ENJOY!!!

Spinach Egg Bake by Sara Bartus

Eggs aren't just for breakfast anymore (even though they still can be)! Instead of the 

ever easy and semi-boring scramble egg, this is a really great way to cook 

your eggs especially when you have several people to entertain. It's not only easy but extremely 

tasty and you can handle them any which way you want: you can add any kind 

of herbs that you would like, or, just add the olive oil, crack your egg in the muffin 

pan, sprinkle a little salt and pepper, bake and voila, it can even be that easy. 

However, here is a extra yummy version made by Sara Bartus: 

What you need:

1 T butter
1 T olive oil (plus more for pan)
4 scallions chopped (save some to top eggs with)
1 T chopped parsley
4-5 cups of chopped baby spinach
1 T flour
1/2 - 3/4 c 2% milk
salt and pepper to taste
12 eggs

Directions:

Sautee butter, oil, and scallions, once hot add flour and stir in until fully combined with oil. Let cook for 2-4 minutes. Add milk and DO NOT STIR.  Once milk is bubbling then stir until smooth adding salt and pepper to taste (as well as any herbs you love!).  When milk has just started to thicken add chopped spinach and toss until just barely wilted but fully incorporated into sauce.

Spoon spinach mixture into greased muffin cups, dividing evenly between the 12 cups.  Crack one egg into each cup, top with a pinch of salt and pepper, a few extra scallions and a bit of the parsley. Drizzle yolks with oil. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, or 400 for 8-11.

Serve with toast, salad, or hash browns!  :)

Tiny Twice Baked Potatoes by Colleen Guenther

This is a perfect side dish to any meal. They are salty, buttery and just down right delicious. Easy too!

What you need:
1 bag of fingerling potatoes
Butter
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Parsley chopped
Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:

Boil you potatoes until they are soft 25-30 minutes. Drain, then place each on individually on a baking sheet. Gently and partially smash each one. Drive a tad of olive oil over them, the top each one with a tad of butter, a small square of mozzarella cheese, salt, pepper and parsley. Then, bake on 375 for 15-20 minutes until the cheese has melted. Enjoy!

Jalapeno Cheddar Cauliflower Bake by Colleen Guenther inspired by Vegetarian Times

I am a huge fan of cauliflower. I think it is often overlooked by it's colorful team mates. It's a "tad" healthier than it's counterpart mac-n-cheese but with all the flavor. I was inspired by a recipe in the Vegetarian Times so I cannot really claim the glory for this one. Give it a try!

What you need:
1 large head of cauliflower cut into florets
4 TBS of butter
3 TBS of all-purpose flower
2 cups of low-fat milk
2 cloves garlic minced
2 cups of extra sharp cheddar cheese (I chose Tillamok)
1 small jalapeno minced
1 pinch of cayenne
2 egg yolks
Dash of pepper
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add cauliflower florets. Boil 5-7 minutes until they are a little tender. Do not overcook. Drain, while reserving one cup of cooking liquid and set aside.

Melt 2 TBS of butter into a sauce pan. Whisk in flour and cook for one minute stirring often. The, whisk in milk, garlic, jalapeno and reserved cooking liquid and cook 7-10 minutes, or until sauce is thickened, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and stir in cheese, cayenne and egg yolks until the cheese is melted. Stir in your cauliflower.

Take your two cups of bread crumbs and melt 2 TBS of butter and mix together. Coat a 13X9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread cauliflower mixture in the baking dish and sprinkle with your bread crumbs. Bake 30 minutes until it is hot and bubbly.

ENJOY!

Garbanzo Bean Feta Black Olive Salad by Colleen Guenther

This dish is so awesome and so easy. It just knocks those tastebuds out of the park. The saltiness of the olives keeps you coming back for more. I could see this served on a salad or even mashed up for a delicious spread. I just ate it straight up!

What you need:
1 15oz can of garbonzo beans rinsed and drained
1/2 cup diced feta cheese
1/4 cup minced black olives
1 handful of chopped parsley
2 TBS Red Wine Vinegar
1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
Dash of pepper

Directions:

Mix everything up and EAT!

Roasted Dijon Mustard Cauliflower by Robin Krause

This dish puts cauliflower on steroids! It's a perfect side dish that sings to the tastebuds. A big hit for the Holidays!

What you Need:
1 head of cabbage cut into florets
2 TBS Dijon Mustard
1 TBS butter (softened)
1 TBS Olive Oil
1/4 finely fresh (chopped) or dried Thyme
1 small handful of parsley finely chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a roasting pan and roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes until cauliflower is tender to the touch with a fork (be careful to not overcook).

Grilled Fingerling Potatoes by Colleen Guenther

These potatoes are to die for.... They are easy and uber flavorful! Get that grill goin' again:)

What you need:
2 bags of fingerling potatoes - chopped
1 large sprinkle of dried rosemary
5 big sprigs of fresh rosemary
large sprinkle of salt
large sprinkle of pepper
1 white onion sliced
1/2-3/4 stick of butter (the more the better)
2 tbs olive oil
Sprinkle of cayenne
Sprinkle of paprika

Directions:

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and put onto a large tinfoil sheet (I often have to fold together 2-3 sheets to fit it all in). Fold tin foil so that there are minimal air leaks: this cooks and steams the potatoes. Place on grill for 1/2-1 hour, turning infrequently so that you can get some nice browning on the potatoes.

Cornmeal Bread Muffins by Susan Hakala

These muffins are very tasty! Good for breakfast, or with a cup of soup or salad. They freeze great so you can take a couple out to thaw at a time!

What you need:

3 c. cornmeal
1 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1T & 1t baking powder
1t baking soda
1t salt
2 1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
4 egg whites
1/4 c. vegetable oil

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl.

Combine wet ingredients in small bowl.

Mix wet into dry just until moistened.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full

Bake @400 for 18-20 minutes.