Strawberry and Mixed Greens Salad

A couple of months ago I shared by go-to lunch salad, a sweet potato and mixed greens salad.  Honestly, after eating it almost daily for a month straight, my love for that salad faded (don't worry, I'm sure I will become obsessed again in the future because it's too tasty not too!)

Recently I decided to revamp it a bit to make it a little less wintery, and a little more springy.  While it's nowhere near strawberry season in Wisconsin, it must be it other places because they're all over at the grocery store in a rich red color and at such great prices!  Fresh, sweet strawberries replace the cinnamon honey roasted sweet potatoes while a salty, light feta steps in for the tangy goat cheese crumbles.  This salad is also topped with a sprinkling of craisins and a small handful of pecans.  If you're looking for a little more protein to round out this salad, go ahead and throw on some grilled chicken or some quinoa.  Feel free to customize with whatever you have on hand!

As you can see, after I photographed this beauty I threw it in a tupperware to take for my work lunch.  I suggest keeping the dressing separate if you're doing this as the balsamic vinaigrette can really eat away at the lettuce and by lunchtime it'll be really soggy.  If you don't have little dressing containers like I do, I'm intrigued with the mason jar salads as well.  If you're going to do that, I would suggest putting the dressing in first, then top with the pecans, craisins and feta, then throw in the strawberries and put the lettuce on top.  If you give it a try, let me know how it goes!

Ingredients:

• 2-3 cups spring mix lettuce (or other choice of greens)
• 1/4 cup strawberries, quartered
• 2 tablespoons craisins
• 2 tablespoons feta, crumbled
• 1/8 cup pecans (or other choice of nut)
• 2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette

Directions:

1. Spread spring mix lettuce over large plate or bowl.
2. Top with strawberries, craisins, feta and pecans.
3. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette.
4. Toss and enjoy!

If you like this salad, you may also like:

• Mixed Greens with Roasted Beets, Pomegranate Dressing and Goat Cheese
• Strawberry Spinach Salad
• Warm Tomato, Arugula and Bacon Panzanella Salad

Everyday Granola

Simple, homemade, good for you granola is tough to beat.

I buy a lot of granola at the store, but when I have the time I like to make it myself. By no means am I a super healthy eater. I eat what I want.

Sometimes it might be organic other times it might be super processed, deliciously fake cheese. Cheetos! I digress.

When I buy granola though, I'm buying it to be somewhat healthy. Some whole grains. A few nuts. The perfect snack or fiber for your morning yogurt.

What I am trying to say is that I like to have a little control over what goes into my granola, specifically sugar. There does not need to be much in your granola, in terms of fats or sugars.

It can be hard to find a store-bough granola with just a few ingredients. Hence, making it is the way to go, when time permits. It is simple, clean and easy to make.

This is a pretty basic granola, hence "Everyday Granola." Original, I know, but everyone needs a good and safe based to venture out on their own from, knowing they can always come back.

I sort of just use what I have in my cupboard. All the little leftover handfuls of nuts. You know what I'm talking about. A recipe called for all but 1/4 cup of slivered almonds, what to do with the leftovers? Stash 'em away for some granola. 

Perfect opportunity to use up various seeds, like sesame or flax, as in this recipe. So many sesame and flax seeds, with so few opportunities to use them and then there was granola. Everyone gets to play! No, your granola is not going to taste like sesame.

Any flavorful oil will work in here. Until coconut oil was all the rage, I used olive oil. The coconut oil also does not make this taste overwhelmingly like coconut, for all those coconut haters out there.

Egg whites make your granola a bit more crunchy and you could add up to about 3 tablespoons. I used egg beaters and would probably skip egg whites, if I had not had egg beaters on hand. The protein bonus does not hurt either.

If you like granola that is in bigger pieces, press the granola down firmly, with a spatula, not stirring it for the remainder of time in the oven.

After it comes out of the oven do the same thing, letting it cool completely before breaking it up, tossing in the fruit at this point.

If you have not gotten the gist by now, this recipe is flexible. Change the amount of oil or honey you add, maybe it is too much for. Maybe it isn't sweet enough. That is okay. Not offended, promise.

Spread you wings and play around with the ingredients. Use what you have on hand. Go wild. It will be fun. You deserve it.

xo
April 

Ingredients:
2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup slivered almonds
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon flax seeds

3 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon egg white
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup dried fruit

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Mix first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Stir honey and oil in saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth, or microwave in a measuring cup for 30 seconds. Pour honey mixture and salt over oat mixture; toss. Add tablespoon of egg; toss. Spread on prepared sheet. Bake until golden, stirring every 15 minutes, about 40 minutes. 
2. Place sheet on rack, to cool. Stirring immediately for a less chunky mixture or let cook fully for bigger chunks. Mix in fruit. Granola will keep for up to a week, in a air-tight container.

Winter Vegetable Chowder with Crispy Brussel Sprouts and Bacon

This should be called "almost vegetarian winter vegetable chowder," but it is not called that. The name was too long to fit in the allotted space.

That is how we should think of it though - almost vegetarian. Omit the bacon and you've got yourself a vegetarian situation. 

You could go even farther and hold the splash of milk and you'd have yourself a vegan party in a bowl.

Personally, I need the bacon in here. It adds some smoke and a meaty quality. It makes me think of this as more of a meal. Versus a bowl of flavored water and vegetables.

Actually, I could be a vegetarian, if and only if I could keep bacon and sausage. Basically anything pork. I don't really care for the other meats so much, but I do love the dirtiest meat of them all.  


There are lots of people who choose to eat all the meats but pork. I'm the opposite of that. I digress.

  
It is still healthy with the bacon. Bacon is good for you.

Enough talk about my love affair with bacon and other pork products. This recipe is flexible. I went heavy on the cauliflower because I love cauliflower. Love it.

You could use some celery root, squash, sweet potatoes. Whatever floats your boat.


I added a can of white beans to thicken it up and for a bit of protein. It is finished with some lemon juice, for brightness. 

Lemon truly brightens the whole thing up. Don't skip it. If you forgot to buy a lemon, substitute a splash of cider vinegar. It gets finished off with a small splash of milk too for creaminess.

The chowder is fairly creamy all on its own, but it is no cows milk creamy. You know what I mean? Love me some dairy. Again you can be flexible, work with what you have and like.

The crispy sprouts on top add a little color and texture. I love brussel sprouts. They are the best. Even better with crumbled bacon. I think this would be great with some crumbled goat cheese on top. Be creative. 

Reheating this was a breeze too. It thickens up though. Add some water to thin it out or do like me and pour it over some rice. Variety and flexibility. Words we should all live by.

One word of caution, easy on the salt. Taste as you go. The mustard and lemon combine for a pleasantly salty vibe, but you don't want to go crazy. Not the mention canned beans can have a lot of added salt too.

xo
April   

Ingredients:
for the chowder:
3 slices, bacon
1 large cooking onion, small dice (1 3/4 cups)
1 leek, small dice (white + light green part only)
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
4-5 thyme sprigs, leaves removed and chopped
1-2 parsnips, peeled and chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1 large head of small-chopped cauliflower florets
1 ½ tbsp grainy mustard
salt + pepper to taste
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 can (16 oz) can white beans, drained and rinsed
 
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1/3 cup heavy cream 

for the crispy brussel sprouts:
10 brussel sprouts, sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning 

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Heat a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the bacon, cooking 8 to 10 minutes, until crispy. Remove and drain bacon, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pan, setting the bacon aside for later. 

Add the diced onions to the pot and sauté until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the leeks and continue to sauté until the leeks are soft, about 4 minutes more. Add the minced garlic and thyme to the pot and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the chopped parsnips and cauliflower florets to the pot and stir to coat in the oil. Add the grainy mustard, salt + pepper to taste, and Old Bay. Stir to coat all the vegetables in spice. 

Add the lemon juice to the pot and stir. Add the vegetable stock to the pot, stir again, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove the lid and lower heat to simmer. Let the chowder cook and bubble until the parsnips and celery root pieces are tender, about 15-18 minutes.

Ladle half of the chowder into an upright blender, with the white beans, and carefully purée until smooth. Pour puréed portion of chowder back into the soup pot and bring it back to a boil. Reduce heat to low, adding the cream, stirring to combine. Check the chowder for seasoning, adjust and serve hot. (you could also use an immersion blender, be careful to leave enough whole vegetable pieces.)

While the chowder is simmering/cooking, make the crispy Brussels sprouts. Place the sliced sprouts onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Pour the 2 tsp of olive oil over top, season with salt and pepper and a generous pinch of Old Bay seasoning. Toss lightly to combine and spread sprouts evenly on the baking sheet. Slide the sheet into the oven and roast for 10 to 12 minutes, or until browned on the and crispy. You'll want to stir them once while they are roasting. Serve warm sprouts on top of the hot vegetable chowder, with crumbled bacon.

Adapated from The First Mess

Sweet Potato and Mixed Greens Salad

Lately I've been trying to work more and more on developing my own recipes and just sort of winging it when I'm in the kitchen.  I'm becoming more confident in my ability to cook intuitively as I become more comfortable with different spices and ingredients.

I've found that it's best to have some inspiration when getting going and one of the best types of inspiration I've found is thinking about meals that I've really enjoyed from a restaurant or other food establishment and trying to copy it, maybe not to a tee, but at least as a base.  As I have mentioned before on the blog, the Good Food cart is one of my favorite places to grab lunch when I'm at work and you better believe that it inspired this Sweet Potato and Mixed Greens Salad.

A bed of mixed greens are topped with cinnamon honey roasted sweet potatoes, craisins, pecans and crumbles of tangy goat cheese.  The finishing touches come from a homemade balsamic vinaigrette.  I can be lazy at times so I usually just toss some pecans on the salad right out of the bag, but feel free to toast them or even go a little crazy and use candied pecans.  If you'd like a little more protein go ahead and throw on some chicken breast.  One of the great things about salads is they can be so easily customizable depending on your tastes by swapping out ingredients or switching up the proportions.

The recipe below is for one personal size salad that serves as the main dish for the meal.  I've increased the quantities at times as well to serve multiple people, just use your best judgement.  Be careful though, because the toppings tend to sink to the bottom of the serving dish!

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Ingredients:

• 2-3 cups loosely packed greens, depending on what lettuce to toppings ratio you prefer (I like to use a spring mix for the greens)
• 1/4 cup cinnamon honey roasted sweet potatoes
• 3 tablespoons craisins
• 2 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled
• 1/8 cup pecans
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette

Directions:

1. Spread greens over large plate or bowl.
2. Top with sweet potatoes, craisins, goat cheese and pecans.  Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
3. Toss as desired and enjoy!

Cinnamon Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Are sweet potatoes one of those trendy foods, like kale or quinoa?  Not that I have anything against trendy foods because it seems like usually they are things that are really good for you.  So maybe it's not so much that it's a trend but more of an awakening or coming out of sorts.  It's your time to shine vegetable that honestly is kind of mediocre but all of a sudden everyone is figuring out super delicious ways to prepare you!

Maybe sweet potatoes are trendy, maybe they aren't but I sure have seen them around a lot lately.  Part of that might be that I didn't used to care for their taste.  I don't know what it was about them, but they just didn't tickle my fancy.  All of a sudden though I love those buggars and can't get enough!

I remember learning about sweet potatoes in a class I took in college on world hunger.  Sweet potatoes are a type of yam.  There's a very similar yam that's grown in some African countries that is white or more similar looking to a baking potato.  Due to the difference in color, the African yams are seriously lacking in nutritional value that our sweet potatoes have due to the carotin that makes them orange.  Due to cultural reasons they are hesitant to switch to the orange ones.  A researcher at my university was working with some rural African villages to begin harvesting a yam that looked like what they were used to but had been developed to contain similar nutritional value to a sweet potato.  Pretty nifty!

These cinnamon honey roasted sweet potatoes are currently my favorite way to prepare the root vegetable.  The peeled potatoes are cubed and spread out on a baking sheet where all the action is going to happen, no need to dirty a bowl.  Extra virgin olive oil and honey are drizzled over the orange cubes and then sprinkled with cinnamon.  This creates a sweet and spicy potato after the roasting happens.  To be honest, I don't usually actually measure out the ingredients, so feel free to just wing it.

Cinnamon honey roasted sweet potatoes have great flavor and can be eaten as a side dish to any meal.  My favorite way to enjoy them is as a salad topping (salad recipe coming on Friday!)  I usually prepare a batch on Sunday and have enough then to last for salads the whole week.  Get creative though, the possibilities are endless!

Enjoy!
Kelsey

Ingredients:

• 3 large sweet potatoes
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Peel sweet potatoes and cute them into half inch cubes.  Spread out in a single layer on baking sheet.
3. Drizzle potatoes with extra virgin olive oil and honey.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  
4. Cook for 30 minutes or until soft, stirring half way through.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

I've recently entered into the world of homemade salad dressings and I think it's safe to say that I'm never going back.  No longer will get stuck standing in the condiment aisle, staring at rows upon rows of salad dressing, never seeming to be able to find the kind I'm looking for.

Grocery shopping is actually an errand that I usually really enjoy doing.  I love cooking and food so I love being in a huge building with it picking out all the supplies I need.  Thanks to the positive influence of my fiance, our weekly grocery trip almost always includes a well planned list which leads to an efficient and enjoyable experience with no need to venture down the ice cream aisle just in case I suddenly realize that I will not be able to make it through the week without a pint of Ben & Jerry's.

One thing that still cannot be avoided is when you are awkwardly standing in the aisle trying to find something that is right in front of you and seem to be constantly in someone else's way.  Salad dressings might be my worst culprit for this.  Canned tomatoes are right up there too!

I've always found that the balsamic vinaigrette from a bottle never can live up to its companions at restaurants, or my favorite food cart, Good Food.  I assume the difference is the fresh, house-made quality.  And there's so many variations that can go along with such a simple dressing.  A one-size-fits-all recipe is sure not to please all!  For me it's always too salty and missing a bit of sweetness.

This recipe is just the way I like it and is very simple, using only five ingredients that you might already have sitting in your pantry.  The perfect ratio of balsamic vinegar to extra virgin olive oil.  A touch of honey to help balance out the acidity of the vinegar.  Salt and pepper add the finishing touches.

I make mine in my OXO salad dressing shaker and leave it sitting on the counter by the olive oil since I use it almost every day.  It doesn't need to be refrigerated and may actually harden if you do.  I use a little 2 ounce dressing container for my work lunch salads so the lettuce stays as fresh as possible until I'm ready to chow down.

Enjoy!
Kelsey

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 tablespoons honey (depending on how sweet you want it)
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a small container combine balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, honey, salt and pepper.
2. Whisk, stir or shake ingredients together until combined.  Redo as necessary as ingredients may separate.

Mixed Greens with Roasted Beets, Pomegranate Dressing and Goat Cheese

Oh my word. This might be my favorite salad of all time. Prepare yourself.

The colors are beautiful. Are they not? You can't deny it. All those reds and oranges. Possibly the perfect Valentines day salad? I might be getting ahead of myself here.

It might be because this salad was supposed to be posted before Christmas, again due to its beautiful reds and some green; therefore, I don't care if its too soon to think about Valentines day.

It is just too pretty, but too tasty not to eat.

Valentines day is a total hallmark holiday scam, but it is just another holiday excuse to eat lots of chocolate and make something extra fancy special for dinner.

I actually do that most weeks anyways, but its good excuse to have. It makes me feel more normal.

In all reality, I will probably be ordering a extra large pizza with my main man, watching The Big Lebowski, drinking white Russians.

Pizza is my favorite and white Russians are his. His and hers. Too cute.

I digress, but this is all connected to the salad. Trust me.

It is truly maybe my favorite salad I've ever made at home. Ever. It borders right on unhealthy and healthy, depending on your veggie to cheese ratio. My cheese ratio is usually, always high.

Don't let the beets scare you. They are tender, like butter and almost sweet, with a hint of earthiness.

The dressing is just the right amount of thick, creamy, a little sweet and tart. It is dreamy. I'm not one to eat salad for dinner or enjoy salad very much.

 I try very hard. I would just rather a big bowl of carbs and cheese. This salad I ate for a whole week straight. All the ingredients, dressing included keep for for at least a week.

Pomegranate molasses might be hard to find. I hear Whole Foods sells it, but you can always make it too. I used this recipe.

The salad toppings are also very customizable. I bet raspberries or strawberries would make great substitution for the pomegranate seeds.

A nice blue cheese would work well here too, in place of the goat cheese. Walnuts or sunflower seeds would be tasty too, depending on what you have in your pantry.

xo,
April

Mixed Greens with Roasted Beets, Pomegranate Dressing and Goat Cheese
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
for dressing:
3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon red cooking wine
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Salt
Pepper

for salad:
Spring mix
6 to 8 small beets, roasted, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
Goat cheese, crumbled
Pumpkin seeds
Pomegranate seeds

Instructions:
roasted beets:
Preheat the oven to 400F. Wrap beets in tin foil, in a single layer (you may need to make two tin foil packages). Roast the beets for 40 to 60 minutes or until fork tender. Let the beets cool until able to handle and then peel.
for dressing:
Combine all the ingredients in a medium mason jar and shake to combine. Dressing will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator
for the salad:
In a large bowl, combine the greens, beets and desired amount of dressing, tossing to coat.
Divide among plates, topping each with a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds, goat cheese and pomegranate seeds.

Tomato Salmon Foil Packets for Two

The only fish I ate growing up came in a can and can also be referred to as chicken of the sea.  Unless you're Jessica Simpson then you know I'm talking about tuna.  My mom did pretty much all of the cooking and since she doesn't like fish, we never ate fish.

When I was in high school I worked as a waitress for a couple of years at a restaurant with a Friday night fish fry.  If you're from Wisconsin, you know what I'm talking about.  If you're not, then you're missing out.  Trying bites of my coworkers fried cod was the start of a very gradual transformation to my taste buds pleasure.

The big bang came when I studied abroad in Spain for a summer and lived with a host family.  When you live with a host family you eat what they eat, and the Spaniards sure do love their fish.  Much to my pleasure (and relief) I found that I enjoyed eating fish, even when it wasn't battered and fried in beer.

I became a fish eating machine, eating the fish whose names I never understood that were put on my plate.  I chowed down on pan fried fish.  Fish off the bone.  A fish that was good for stomach aches.  Sardines (I'm 90% sure that's what those little guys were at least).  And even fish that still had eyes!  While I still haven't adventured full on into the world of seafood, I'm definitely on my way.

Thanks to the masterful cooking and kind urging of Badger Kitchen's good friend Emily, I have discovered a new found love of salmon!  This salmon recipe is perfect for a fish cooking newbie like myself.

The fish stays super moist and juicy since each fillet is cooked enclosed in it's own foil packet.  Once you cut into the salmon it practically falls apart.  The olive oil and spices add flavor to the salmon and are complimented nicely by the tomato and oniony shallot.  I enjoy serving it with a side of vegetables and a chunk of bread to soak up the juices for a healthy, balanced and filling meal.

Hope you enjoy!
Kelsey

Recipe adapted from Food Network.

Ingredients:

• 2 (5oz.) salmon fillets
• 1 teaspoon olive oil plus 1 tablespoon
• Freshly ground salt and pepper
• 7 oz canned diced tomatoes
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• aluminum foil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a small mixing bowl, combine diced tomatoes, shallot, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
3. Massage 1 teaspoon olive oil, salt and pepper onto salmon fillets.  Place fillets oil side down on individual foil pieces.
4. Spoon tomato mixture onto salmon fillets until they are fully covered.  
5. Fold the sides of the foil so the fillets are fully covered and fold it so that it's sealed.
6. Place foil packets on a baking sheet.  Cook for 25 minutes or until fish is just cooked through.
7. Transfer from foil packets to plates and enjoy!

If you like this recipe, you may also like:

• Farro Salad with Smoked Trout
• Tuna Noodle Casserole
• Skillet Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes and Garlic

Peanut butter Oat Bites

This summer I started nannying for a wonderful family. I'm normally there for a full day multiple days of the week. Being such a great family, they said I can help myself to any of their food for lunches or whenever I get hungry. And that is when I discovered these! I only tried one (because I still don't want to hoard their fridge and pantry) but it was delicious! I never asked for the recipe but I figured out what was in them pretty easily.

These little morsels of heaven are surprisingly pretty guilt-free. They make a great substitution for dessert or even an unhealthy granola bar. They are sweetened with honey, not sugar. Also, they have some protein from the peanut butter and nuts. Unlike cookies, they have no butter or shortening but the chocolate chips give that hint of goodness we all look for in a dessert.

These peanut butter oat bites are a cinch to make, taking about a total of 10 minutes to make. Another bonus, the oven never turns on! This crazy warm Wisconsin summer is keeping the air conditioner on so any recipe that allows the kitchen to stay cool is perfect!


Ingredients
4 heaping Tbsp peanut butter
1/4 c. honey
2 1/2 c. old fashion oats
1/2 c. chopped pecans *
1/2 c. chocolate chips *

*These are optional. Other add-ins could include raisins or other types of nuts

Instructions
1. Place peanut butter and honey in a mixing bowl and blend together
2. Add oats, pecans and chocolate chips, mix until a consistent blend
3. Use hands to form balls of your desired size and place on a cookie sheet
4. Place cookie sheet in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.
5. Store in an air tight container and place in the refrigerator
6. Enjoy chilled!

Summer Squash Ribbons with Almond Salsa Verde

Ever notice when you are really bored, it always seems like everyone is out of town or unavailable? Then all of a sudden everyone wants to get together at the same time. Woah, where was everybody last week when I was bored? All sorts of fun stuff is now being slammed into one week. No time to catch your breathe, just overwhelming fun. Then the cycle repeats itself. That is how the past week has been for me. It is not like I'm complaining or anything. It is just such a strange phenomena, like a little game the world likes to play with people.

Now onto zucchini, which I should mention was made last week before my social life exploded. Its makes a light, refreshing lunch or dinner. Everything in this dish works really well with each other. The mint adds a nice brightness, while not being overwhelming. The raw garlic adds a little spice. Almonds add the perfect crunch to go along the softness of zucchini. 

The pretty zucchini ribbons almost make it feel like you are eating a bowl of pasta, but you aren't. Which may be why my father enjoyed it so much. He is not a big vegetable guy. It is surprisingly filling too, not too different from a bowl of pasta. This will become a standby for using up your summer squash. Most of these ingredients too may already be in your pantry. 


xo
April

Adapted from Fine Cooking
Ingredients:

1/2 cup toasted blanched almonds, finely chopped

1/4 cup mint, finely chopped

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons capers

1 medium shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large zucchini, ribboned, using a vegetable peeler

Freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the almonds, mint, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, capers, shallots, garlic and salt.
2. Toss the zucchini ribbons with the salsa verde, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

I have learned to tolerate mushrooms.  I have never enjoyed them before now and would always pick them off my veggie pizza or ask them to be taken out of my dish at a restaurant.  I'm not sure if it was the thought of eating fungus or the texture, but I hated them.  I have realized though that mushrooms appear in many healthier recipes and that maybe I should start eating them.  That is how I have grown to tolerate mushrooms.

A couple of suggestions that I have for this recipe are to not be shy with the cajun spices.  I would've liked to have made it a little spicier.  Also, the final product ended up being a bit soupy.  I would suggest either making more noodles to start with, or just cooking some extra when it's time for leftovers (if there is any left!)  Also, make sure to remember to have all your veggies cut up before you start cooking.

Makes 7 1/2 cups.


Ingredients

• 8 oz uncooked whole wheat linguine
• 1 lb chicken breast strips
• Cajun seasoning to taste (1-2 tsp)
• Garlic powder to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup fat free low sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1 tbsp flour
• 3 tbsp light cream cheese
• fresh cracked pepper
• 2 scallions, chopped
• salt to taste
• Smart Balance cooking spray

Directions

1. Start preparing noodles according to packaging directions.  Set aside when ready.
2. Combine milk, flour, and cream cheese in a small blender (like a Magic Bullet) to make a slurry.  Set aside.
3. Generously season the strips of chicken with cajun seasoning, garlic powder and salt.
4. Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Spray with cooking spray.  
5. Add chicken and sauté until done, about 5-6 minutes.  Set aside.  (Depending on size of skillet you may want to cook half of chicken at a time.)
6. Add olive oil to skillet and reduce to medium.
7. Add bell peppers, onions, and garlic to skillet and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
8. Add tomatoes and mushrooms to skillet and sauté until vegetables are tender, about 3-4 more minutes.
9. Season with 1/4 tsp salt, garlic powder, and cracked pepper to taste.
10. Reduce heat to medium-low and add chicken broth.  Pour in slurry stirring for about 2 minutes.
11. Add chicken to skillet and adjust seasoning to taste, cooking another couple of minutes until hot.
12. Add noodles and toss until well coated.
13. Top with chopped scallions.

Slightly adapted from Skinnytaste.

Daring Cooks: Olive Oil Braised Carrots

The March 2012 Daring Cooks' Challenge was hosted by Carol aka Poisonive--and she challenged us all to learn the art of braising! Carol focused on Michael Ruhlman's Technique and shared with us some of his expertise from his book "Ruhlman's Twenty".

This is my first Daring Cooks Challenge! I was very excited to see that the challenge was braising. In the January/February fine cooking magazine, they featured olive oil braised vegetables. I had been wanting to try some out and this presented the perfect opportunity. Braising is very simple and fast. Most of the time spent is inactive. The flavor is amazing for such minimal effort. The same is true of meat dishes. I made braised short ribs, but failed to take any pictures. The short ribs were assembled and put into the oven for 4 hours, in under 20 minutes.

These carrots are a great way to add variety to your average vegetable side dish. They are such little work, for huge flavor. Try slicing them and drizzling them with red wine vinegar, it adds a nice tang. Enjoy them!

Recipe courtesy of Fine Cooking
Ingredients:
1 pound carrots (about 4-5 medium carrots), peeled and halved lengthwise
2 medium cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 scant teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt to taste
Mint, roughly chopped or torn

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Fit the carrots in a single layer in 9 x 13 baking pan. Sprinkle the garlic slices over the carrots.
2. In a small bowl whisk together the broth, olive oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne, and salt and drizzle over the carrots. cover the baking pan with aluminum foil.
3. Braise the carrots in the oven until fork tender, about 30-40 minutes. Garnish with mint.

Skinny Macaroni and Cheese Soup with Broccoli

I was trying to plan ahead last time I went to the grocery store and picked out two recipes that used similar ingredients, chicken and broccoli noodle casserole and this skinny macaroni and cheese soup with broccoli.  Turns out I didn't plan too well on the broccoli part though, because I still have probably two-thirds of what I bought.  Be warned, you get a lot more out of a head of broccoli than you think!

Ingredients

• 4 oz dry elbow macaroni (try Ronzoni Smart Taste)
• 1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 1/2 cups fat free low sodium chicken brother
• 1 cup skim milk
• Pinch nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups (about 10 oz) broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces
• 1 1/2 cups 2% shredded sharp cheddar
• 2 tbsp parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Cook noodles in salted water according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.
2. In a large pot, melt butter.  Add chopped vegetables and sauté on low heat until soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Add flour and pepper to the pot and stir until smooth.
4. Slowly add chicken broth, milk, nutmeg and dry mustard; whisking constantly.  Set heat until medium-high until it comes to a boil.  Cover and cook on medium-low about 10-15 minutes.
5. Add broccoli florets, parmesan cheese, and stir well.  Adjust salt and pepper to taste.  Cook uncovered until broccoli is cooked, about 5 minutes or to your liking.
6. Add cheddar, mixing well until cheese melts and immediately remove from heat.
7. Add cooked noodles and mix well.
8. Adjust salt and pepper to taste if needed.
9. Serve right away before pasta absorbs broth.

Recipe slightly adapted from Skinnytaste.

Whole Wheat Bran Muffins

Muffins are among one of my many favorite baked goods! These ones happen to be on the healthy side, but surprisingly good. If you don't care for things that "taste healthy", I would say these aren't for you. That is not to say they are not good though. Strangely, my dad didn't think they tasted healthy. Normally when something has whole wheat in it he is less than pleased. I know that completely contradicts my feeling that they taste healthy. It is a mystery to me how he doesn't think these taste "healthy", but I guess I shouldn't complain.

The original recipe said they were a bit dry. I added extra applesauce to fix that. I also decided to add some nuts. I would toast them next time, but I made these on a whim and didn't think of it until after the fact. You could add any type of nut that you wanted. There is no sugar added to these. Even with the applesauce and maple syrup, these are just barely sweet. Next time I may add dried apricots or cranberries. Get creative with these and add nuts, dark chocolate or dried fruit. Try serving them with a little butter or cream cheese.

Adapted from Living Lou
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oats
1/3 cup wheat bran
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4, scant, teaspoon nutmeg
1/4, scant, teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (2.25 oz bag)
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 real maple syrup
1 egg

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a muffin pan with liners or grease with cooking spray.
2. Whisk the flour, oats, bran, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and walnuts in a bowl, to combine.
3. In a separate bowl combine the apple sauce, milk, syrup and egg.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing to just combined. Be careful not to over mix it!
5. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle the tops with bran and oats. 
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
7. These were best fresh out of the oven, just reheat them in the microwave! Try them with a little cream cheese or butter, delicious.