Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party #156

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Europe: A Carousel of Flavors Part 1

I recently spent 15 days (plus 2 for travel there and back) in Europe visiting 7 different countries. I enjoyed the scenery, culture, but most of all the food!  Every place I went I tried to find the "local" dish or have a specialty of that region.  I will share with you some of the photos I took along with any information I could gather about what I was eating. I am working on recipes as well of some of the foods.

 I hope you enjoy my trip through Europe! 

This is a view from near Heidelberg Square in Germany looking onto the hillside across the river.

Europe:  A Carousel of Flavors Part 1

Spaghetti Bolognese

I wasn't expecting to be served spaghetti bolognese in the German speaking part of Switzerland, but I was and it was delicious!  If I hadn't been so full from the first plateful I would have had another serving or two!  After a talk with our waitress and the chef from the hotel I quickly wrote down the ingredients and steps to make this delicious dish.  It is an easy dish but please allow time for it to simmer.  It's well worth the wait!

Our waitress told me that if you have other vegetables on hand you need to use your can throw them in as well.  She gave red and green peppers as examples.

Spaghetti Bolognese                                                                                     

1-1/4 pounds steak*
olive oil
2 carrots
1 small onion
1-2 stalks celery
15 ounces tomato puree or plain sauce (some canned sauces has spices in it)
1 bay leaf
5 whole cloves**
2-1/2 to 3 teaspoons dried Italian Herbs (generally a mix of: oregano, basil, rosemary, marjoram, savory, thyme)
salt and pepper to taste
up to 4 cups of water (divided)
cooked spaghetti
grated Parmesan

Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party #155

Welcome to the Foodie Friends Friday

Linky Party!!

Meet Our Co-Hosts!

Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party #154

Welcome to the Foodie Friends Friday

Linky Party!!

Meet Our Co-Hosts!

Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party #150

Welcome to the Foodie Friends Friday

Linky Party!!

Meet Our Co-Hosts!

Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

Strawberry season is in full swing here in Iowa and I've already made one Strawberry Pie for my family.   Today I changed it up a bit and made these tasty cheesecake bars because who doesn't love cheesecake?!

You can use other berries if you like or even open up a can of pie filling.  All I can say is that it is a good thing it makes a small dish.  I can hear it calling my name from the fridge!  To help myself, I'll be wrapping some up for the freezer so the family can enjoy some now and some later.

Strawberry Cheesecake Bars  Makes 12                                               

"Pie" Filling:
1 cup quartered fresh strawberries
1/2 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons corn starch
2 teaspoons cold water
Crust:
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour (I used Einkorn flour from Jovial Foods)
Cheesecake:
8 ounces low fat cream cheese (softened as needed)
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party #149

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Creamy Chicken and Rice

This dish is another one pot meal making for easy clean up.  Although, if you want to amp the flavor (and color) up a bit grill your chicken instead and then add to the cooked veggies.  The dish seemed a little lacking so I added carrots as an afterthought so you won't see them in my step by step photos.

Creamy Chicken and Rice                                                                 

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1-1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1" hunks
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine (optional)
1 cup instant brown rice*
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan
Few pinches dry parsley (or 1/4 cup chopped parsley)
Salt and pepper (as needed)

Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party #148

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Mexican Chorizo, Rice and Bean Skillet

This dish is full of flavor and just the right amount of spice for our family.  If you are an adventurous one you can add cayenne, chilies in adobo sauce and/or sprinkle jalapenos on top to kick it up.  This skillet meal can be made in less than 30 mins so it is on the table quickly and it only uses one pan so there is a smaller mess to clean when the meal is done.   I had plenty for the family to eat and some for leftovers for lunches so I packed them up and tossed them in the freezer.

Mexican Chorizo, Rice and Bean Skillet                                      

7 ounce tube Mexican Chorizo

14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

3/4 cup uncooked instant brown rice

1 cup water (more or less as needed*)

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 cups sweet corn

15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup Mexi blend cheese, Chihuahua or even mozzarella would work

Small handful of chopped cilantro

Sour cream

Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party #147

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