Broccoli Grape Harvest Salad by The Big Cheese

April sort of snuck by the Divas this month. We are actually meeting on May 1st to complete April's "Color-Me-Diva" month. Each diva was given a color, and our meal has to (I guess) have that color in it? Either way, The Big Cheese was given PURPLE...I mean, come on...I thought about eggplant? A purple colored wine? However, I kept coming back to grapes. I love them, my family loves them, who doesn't love grapes? The only problem with grapes is the recipe probably can't be frozen. My bad fellow divas, my bad. You'll just have to enjoy this meal ASAP! We divas know how to NOT waste a good meal. So, I'll stop rambling and give you this fresh recipe that I found (via Pintrest) at Eat Yourself Skinny blog. Who doesn't want to EAT themselves SKINNY? For real.



Here are your ingredients:

1/2 (16 oz) box whole wheat farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
1 lb. fresh broccoli
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup non-fat plain yogurt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt
2 cups seedless red grapes
6 cooked turkey bacon slices, crumbled
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan for about 6 minutes until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Then prepare pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets from stems and separate into small pieces using a paring knife. In a large bowl, whisk together mayo, yogurt, sugar, red onion, vinegar and salt and toss with broccoli, hot cooked pasta and grapes. Stir to coat. Cover and chill for up to 3 hours. Stir in bacon and toasted pecans just before serving, enjoy!

Stuffed Tomatoes

The Saucy household is overflowing with fresh veggies! I have been loving all the cucumbers, zucchini, peppers and tomatoes that we've gotten from our garden and the gardens of family and friends.

This past weekend was filled with grilled deliciousness and these stuffed tomatoes are the perfect side for such meals.

Ingredients:

3 tomatoes
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup green onions, chopped

Prep:

Hollow out the tomatoes, much like you would a pumpkin. Make sure to leave a little bit of tomato "meat" around the edges.

Combine cheese, mayo and green onion.

Fill tomatoes with the cheese mixture, filling to the top.

Grill or broil until cheese is melty.


Special thanks to the Berndt family for supplying this weekend's tomatoes.

Garlic Green Beans (by Cheesy Diva)

Truth be told, this dish is better when you make it, then eat it right away. For the DTD BBQ, I made the dish then traveled about 45-50 minutes before warming it up and serving. In the past, I have served it right away, and enjoyed it 100% more.



AND - I never thought the day would come where these words come out of my mouth...but...you can use too much cheese (don't hate me!). Follow the amounts listed below! Believe me, a fellow cheese lover, that you do NOT want to over-do it!

So, if you need a new twist on a classic green bean, this is the dish for you!

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon butter
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 medium head garlic - peeled and sliced
* 2 (14.5 ounce) cans green beans, drained
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter with olive oil; add garlic, and cook until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Stir in green beans, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until beans are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Making Amends with Jamie Oliver - Macaroni and Cauliflower Cheese Bake (from Saucy Diva)

I don't claim to be the most health conscious person on the planet. I mean, have you seen some of the recipes I've posted on here?? But even I was embarrassed by the snack I purchased for students taking ISTEP at school. Sugar wafers that were loaded with calories, fat, and trans fat. I feared that someone would report me to Jamie Oliver and I would be featured on the next episode of Food Revolution. So I decided that to make amends, I would prepare something from his cookbook "Jamie's Food Revolution" tonight. I just so happened to have all the ingredients on hand for this ooey gooey bake. It was delish!

Ingredients:
1/2 head of cauliflower
8 oz of cheddar cheese (use the real stuff!)
4 oz of Parmesan cheese (again, use the real stuff...save the green bottle for spaghetti night)
parsley (to taste)
sea salt
1 lb dried macaroni (the book suggests elbow, I used penne)
1 cup of sour cream

Prep:
1. Chop 1/2 head of cauliflower into small florets and grate the cheddar and the parm.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and the cauliflower and cook according to the directions on the macaroni.
3. In a separate sauce pan, combine the cheese and the sour cream and cook over medium low
heat until melty. Add the parsley and a dash of sea salt to the cheese.
4. When the macaroni is fully cooked, drain and return to the pot.
5. Pour the cheesy goodness over the pasta and cauliflower and mix well.
6. Transfer mixture to a casserole dish and put under a broiler until golden and bubbly.


I know what you're thinking..."Hey Saucy, there's no picture!"

Delicious isn't always pretty people. Trust me on this one, its gooooood.

Dijon-Roasted Potatoes (by The Big Cheese)

*Thank you google images for the pic*


I love this easy, side dish recipe! Sadly, no cheese in this one. However, I know you will enjoy. Also, whoever is viewing this...THANK YOU! If you are trying out any of our recipes, please let us know how they turn out. We love comments!

For starters note:
Coating the potatoes in Dijon mustard and a small amount of olive oil helps make them crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

1 spray cooking spray
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 pounds uncooked new potatoes, quartered

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Whisk together oil, mustard, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper in a large bowl; add potatoes and stir to coat.

Transfer potatoes to baking dish and roast 15 minutes; stir and roast until tender on inside, about 15 minutes more.

Serve warm and enjoy!