Tag Archives: recipe

a super-fresh end-of-summer salad…

09 Friday Sep 2016

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We’ve seen versions of watermelon/feta salads and have tried many over the years, but this one creation over Labor Day weekend really rang some belles!

Using sweet end-of-summer peaches along with the watermelon, feta and basil, we took this salad to a new level of belleiciousness…


Belle-ringin’ Watermelon Peach Salad

4 cups watermelon chunks

2 cups sliced peaches

3/4 c basil, chiffonade

1 c crumbled feta

2 T lime juice

2 T white balsamic vinegar

2-3 T c olive oil

1/2 t kosher salt


Place vinegar and lime juice in small bowl. Slowly drizzle olive oil into bowl, whisking to incorporate. Add salt, whisk. Set vinaigrette to side. 


Chiffonade basil

Place watermelon and peaches in a large salad bowl. 


Top with feta and basil. When ready to serve, toss with vinaigrette. 

Enjoy the belleiciousness!!

a&a

po-tay-to, po-tah-to…not always the enemy!

12 Friday Aug 2016

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Although we don’t necessarily partake of bread, pasta and potatoes on a daily basis, we will dive in occasionally…especially when they are as irresistible as these!

Check out the potatoes that accompanied a recent dinner featuring roasted chicken and that swoon-worthy Halloumi, Peach and Cherry salad from A Cup of Jo that has been ringin’ our belle lately…

See the potatoes staring at you from 4:00??  Well, they were beyond words!

Here’s the how-to…


Boil small Yukon gold potatoes in salted water until tender (about 15 minutes, covered)


Drain potatoes and toss with about a tablespoon of olive oil, 1-2 cloves pressed garlic, and a generous dose of kosher salt

At this point, the potatoes can be left covered and kept warm until just before serving
When ready to serve, heat your panini press or waffle iron (this is brilliant!)

Place potatoes on the heated press

Then press away!


Pure belleiciousness!  

Enjoy!

a&a

put to the test…a belle-ringin’ salad

05 Friday Aug 2016

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We included this Halloumi, Peach and Cherry salad in our belle-ringers…round 63 a couple of weeks ago and decided it was worthy of an immediate taste-test.  We gathered our cherries, peaches, cheese and arugula and got to work…


we did our choppin’ of the cherries and peaches


we did our slicin’ of the Halloumi 

BTW…if you have never tossed this delectable cheese in a skillet before, you MUST give it a try!!  Our dear friend (and enviable gastronome), Cathy, introduced us to Halloumi years ago…and we haven’t forgotten it!  We get it at our local middle-eastern grocery, Pita House.  Traditionally made from sheep or goat’s milk (check the label for those who can’t have cow’s milk just to be sure), it has a high melting point…meaning it can be grilled or fried with belle-ringin’ results!

the cherries and peaches then get tossed in a skillet with a touch of butter


and the cheese slices go in a skillet to brown


Toss it all with the pre-dressed (with olive oil and lemon juice) arugula and you have the finished product.  Belleicious!!

Impressive yet surprisingly quick and easy, this one will be making a repeat appearance!

a&a

what’s ringin’ our belle…round 63

19 Tuesday Jul 2016

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Ringin’ belles now…

from verywell.com


Five foods/drinks that boost your metabolism

Boozy Ice Cream from Liquor.com

Halloumi, Peach, and Cherry Salad from A Cup of Jo.  YUM!!

Via Dustjacketattic
A little kitchen inspiration

Our favorite dry shampoo

Ring-a-ling!!

a&a

a cool salad for the sizzling summer…

01 Friday Jul 2016

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We love it when we run across something a little different in the salad “arena”.  While we wing it with green salads and our old stand-by’s, it’s exciting to change it up a bit!  Here’s one we found and tried last week…to RAVE reviews!!  

The perfect addition to the July 4th picnic (and a great way to use those little tomatoes popping up in gardens everywhere!!), try now & thank us later!

from cooking classy on pinterest


Asparagus, Tomato and Feta Salad

the ingredients:

2 lbs fresh asparagus, chopped into 1″ pieces and blanched

1 lb grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered

6 T champagne vinegar

2 t lemon juice

1/4 c olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt, pepper

2/3 c chopped walnuts, toasted

4 oz feta cheese

the assembly:

Once asparagus is blanched & cooled and tomatoes are chopped, prepare your dressing using the vinegar, lemon juice, oil, garlic, and salt & pepper to taste.  Toss tomatoes and asparagus with dressing and allow to sit in fridge until ready to serve (can be done up to a couple of hours in advance).  When ready to serve, add the toasted walnuts and feta.  Toss to coat, and serve away!!

Belleicious!!

a&a

what’s ringin’ our belle…round 52

03 Tuesday May 2016

Posted by in bar belles, belle-icious, what's ringin' our belle

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Quotes to make you feel better instantly 

  
Need more space on your Phone? Try This

 Belles love a churro…see what not take this taste thrill to the next level with this Cinnamon sugar churro cake

  
Wanting to try this easy Slower cooker Mexican chicken for the next Taco Tuesday


Fresh produce belles….How to keep it fresh longer…love these tips!! 


An adult Arnold Palmer…fresh!

Belles ringin’ all over the place!

a&a

what’s ringin’ our belle…round 51

26 Tuesday Apr 2016

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It is spring ball season belles…

Time to freshen the frocks

 We all know that apple cider vinegar is good for us…but we didn’t know it was this good

  
Some micro spring cleaning tips 

  
Via La dolce vita

A little Home inspiration

  
Via Shutterbean

We are drooling to make this  pizza from shutterbean

  
Via Halfbakedharvest

Cocktails everyone!!

‘Til next time, belles…

a&a

unroll that egg roll, belles

15 Friday Apr 2016

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In trying to avoid the dreaded carbs, we sometimes have to sacrifice some of our favorite dishes. Well…that’s just sad!

While we still sometimes (often) throw caution to the wind and dive into the bread/pasta/rice bowl (pick your poison), our belles ring like crazy when we find a way to enjoy a dish guilt free. 

Enter the unrolled egg roll…

Egg Roll in a Bowl from Simple Roots Wellness

  

Egg Roll in a Bowl…the Belle version…

1 lb ground sausage (or other meat…we used white meat chicken)

1 carrot, shredded

1 small onion, finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 pkg mushrooms, finely chopped (we used baby portobello)

2 T olive oil

1 T sesame oil

1 pkg “angel hair” cabbage (we used Fresh Express)

1/2 c Tamari (or soy sauce)

1 t minced ginger

Sliced green onions

Sesame seeds

Drizzle olive oil in sauté pan.  Begin sautéing onion, carrot, and garlic.  Brown for 1-2 minutes.  Add ground chicken/other meat.  Stir/chop to break apart as the meat and veggies cook.  Remove mixture from pan.  Add second tablespoon of oil to pan and sauté mushrooms.  When mushrooms are browned and thoroughly cooked (3-4 minutes), return meat mixture to pan.  Add sesame oil, cabbage, the Tamari, ginger, and green onions.  Stir to incorporate.  Allow to cook down until cabbage wilts.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds.  

Serve in a bowl…or use lettuce leaves as a wrapper.  Delish!!

a&a

that’s hogwash, belles…a belleicious friend-1-1

08 Friday Apr 2016

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Hogwash – hog•wash, noun, orig. mid-15th century England 1. kitchen swill for pigs, 2. nonsense, 3. an incredibly belleicious concoction that must be made immediately…and often!

We recently discovered that hogwash isn’t just something our grandmothers accused others  of speaking (“Well, honey, that’s just hogwash.”).  

Hogwash also happens to be something we can’t live without from now on!  At a recent family oyster roast, a sweet brother and sister-in-law introduced us to this fresh condiment…and we went hog wild! 

Brother dear couldn’t quite remember where he found the recipe but we found it online from several sources…including Hog Island Oysters (from Tomales Bay in Northern California) and Martha Stewart. 

 

Hogwash – the belle-brother version

1/2 c rice vinegar

1/2 c seasoned rice vinegar*

2 large shallots, peeled, minced

2 large jalapeños, seeded, minced

1 large bunch cilantro, finely chopped

Juice of 1 lime 

*Seasoned rice vinegar has sugar and salt added, so it adds just the right touch of sweetness to balance the acidity of the vinegar and lime. 

Mix all ingredients and place in a bowl near your oysters…and watch it disappear!  

And we wouldn’t stop with oysters. Hogwash would be incredible with almost any fish or seafood, pulled pork, grilled chicken or beef…the list goes on. This just might become a staple for every meal!

Go hog wild!

a&a


tomato, tomahto…belles say bring ’em on!!

24 Friday Jul 2015

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Tomato season is full-on and we are all-in….

Sliced with sea salt, slathered with mayo on soft white bread, a classic BLT…a bounty of tomatoes makes a belle’s mind spin!

Here are two of our favorite recipes for tomato pie…an all time favorite here in the south and sure to be one of yours!! 

This first rendition is one that our belle gal pal, Nancy, swears by and is a cleaner version of the traditional ‘mater pie. She pulled it out out of a Southern Living ages ago and has been making it ever since.  The key is using the best ingredients available!

Nancy’s Tomato Pie

Preheat oven to 400

1 prepared refrigerated pie crust dough. Fit and trim into a 9 inch pie pan. Prick with fork all over. 

Bake crust for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle 2 cups of shredded mozzarella evenly over crust.

Sprinkle generously with chopped fresh basil.

Slice about 3 medium tomatoes or a basket of the baby sweet heirlooms (we used a combo of both because that’s what we had) . 

Drizzle with 1 1/2 T good olive oil and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper.

  

Return to oven and bake for 35-40 minutes . Let rest briefly , sprinkle with additional fresh basil and serve! 

  
Star of the show!! 

The next tomato recipe is the more traditional (not quite as diet-friendly) but equally delicious version of the south’s favorite savory summer pie! 

From Add a Pinch, this one is sure to knock some socks off!

  
   
 

We have tried both to rave reviews. Give us your two cents!

a&a