Yum!



Tried a new recipe last night from Cooking Light and it was a HUGE hit! My nine year old loved the spicy radish and dijon mustard in the dressing. I loved the fresh spring taste in my mouth - I thought the fennel might be too much but it was spot on! Definitely add this to your list of wonderful summery side salads!

* 8 ounces uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
* 1 tablespoon kosher salt
* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 1/2 cups diced fennel (about 1 bulb)
* 1/2 cup chopped radish
* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint ( I only had dried and it was fine)
* 3 tablespoons minced green onions ( used chives from my garden - nice light flavor)
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

Preparation

* 1. Cook orzo pasta with 1 tablespoon kosher salt according to the package directions, omitting additional fat. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain well.
* 2. Combine lemon juice and next 3 ingredients (through pepper) in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add orzo, fennel, and the next 4 ingredients (through 1/2 teaspoon salt); toss well to coat. Cover and chill. Top with nuts before serving.

Rori Trovato, Cooking Light
APRIL 2011

A Valentines Day Dinner

Last night I treated the family to one of my favorites! Chicken French with arugula and orzo!

I love Rao's Shrimp Francese recipe and just swapped out chicken for shrimp




* 2 large chick breasts pounded flat cut in half
* 1-1/2 cups flour
* 1 cup dry white wine
* Juice of 1-1/2 lemons
* 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 4 large eggs
* ¼ cup grated Romano cheese
* 2 teaspoons minced Italian parsley
* Additional chopped parsley for garnish

Whisk eggs, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper until well blended. Dredge chicken in flour and dip into egg mixture, and dredge in flour again.

Heat oil over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, place chicken in pan, open side down. Brown shrimp on each side. Remove cooked chicken to a warm serving platter.

Drain off excess oil. Add wine, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and add 2 tablespoons butter. Raise heat and whisk in remaining butter until sauce has thickened. Pour sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and squeeze lemon juice over chicken.

I served mine on a bed of arugula with a side of orzo!

enjoy!

breakfast treats....

it has been awhile since I shared a recipe so I thought I would share one of our favorite breakfast goodies that our neighbor introduced us to - also makes a great afterschool snack...

cream cheese & jelly paninnis!



heat up a skillet or if you have a george foreman we love to grill ours!

2 slices of bread, cream cheese (we use strawberry or cranberry orange) & your favorite jam or jelly.

butter the outside of the bread slices, spread cream cheese on the inside of both slices and spread a spoonful of jam between the slices - grill until golden!




let cool a bit before you enjoy!

sometimes for a special treat I get fancy and use my pampered chef circle cutter!

It's Hot Chocolate Time!

as the temps dip to the teens & twenties here it is time to pack the cocoa into the ski basket. I thought I would share a recipe I got from a ski friend for a homemade coca mix...plain & simple, no corn syrup...just 3 ingredients!



4c powdered milk
1c sugar
1/2c cocoa powder

mix together - add hot milk and marshmallows and enjoy! I store the extra in a tupperware and bring it along with our lunch to the ski area!

Love me my Sweet Potatoes!

with a bounty of sweet potatoes available right now I thought I would share a favorite sweet potato salad with you...something surprisingly different. Sweet and tangy with a delicious bite of ginger. Originally from Martha Stewart's Everydayfood magazine

I am able to find all of the ingredients at our local farmers market for one stop shopping!



Serves 4

* 2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 teaspoon coarse salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
* 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
* 1 tablespoon oil
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
* 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
* 3 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a nonstick rimmed baking sheet, toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, coarse salt, and ground pepper; roast until fork-tender, about 35 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together fresh orange juice, oil, minced fresh ginger, and 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard.
3. Add scallions and potatoes; toss to coat with dressing. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve warm, cold, or at room temperature.


enjoy!

We have another winner!

Lentil Barley Burgers from Cooking Light



Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 patties and 1/4 cup salsa)
Ingredients

* Salsa:
* 1/4 cup finely chopped pineapple
* 1/4 cup finely chopped mango
* 1/4 cup finely chopped tomatillo - I skipped this and the grape tomatoes
* 1/4 cup halved grape tomatoes
* 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
* 1 serrano chile, minced - I used a jalapeno


Burgers:
* 1 1/2 cups water
* 1/2 cup dried lentils
* Cooking spray
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 1/4 cup grated carrot
* 2 teaspoons minced garlic
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
* 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
* 3/4 cup cooked pearl barley
* 1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
* 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
* 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
* 2 large egg whites
* 1 large egg
* 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided

Preparation

1. To prepare salsa, combine first 6 ingredients; cover and refrigerate.

2. To prepare burgers, combine 1 1/2 cups water and lentils in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until lentils are tender. Drain. Place half of lentils in a large bowl. Place remaining lentils in a food processor; process until smooth. Add processed lentils to whole lentils in bowl.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and carrot; sauté 6 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add tomato paste, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add onion mixture to lentils. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, barley, and next 5 ingredients (through egg); stir well. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

4. Divide mixture into 8 portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 patties; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil and 4 patties. Serve with salsa.


I made these almost bite sized - they would be a great hors d'oeurve with a bit of th esalsa sprinkled on top!

something new from the kitchen and on etsy....

thought I would share a yummy little soup idea using these tasty ingredients



tofu shirataki noodles
minute miso
fresh grated ginger and vegetables - I used carrots, oyster & shitake mushrooms and scallion

follow directions for making the miso, add the noodles, grate fresh ginger and sliced veggies - bring to a boil reduce heat and simmer ....

I also listed a new goodie in my etsy store




this is a custom order - pick your color and approximate size ... can be made in any quantity

Chickpea Sliders and bulghur salad ... mmmmmm

A couple more Cooking Light recipes I test drove last week included delicious mini chickpea sliders and a lemony bulghur salad...any substitutions I tried are noted next to the original recipe

Chickpea Sliders...

Serve each burger on a whole-grain slider bun or we used mini pita bread with lettuce, crisp radish slices, roasted red bell pepper, and canola-based mayonnaise. Two burgers per person!

Yield: 3 servings (serving size: 2 patties)
Ingredients

* 1 (8-ounce) red potato
* 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
* 1 teaspoon minced garlic
* 1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed, drained, and divided
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley - I used OREGANO
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
* 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten

Preparation

1. Place potato in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook 20 minutes or until very tender. Drain. Cool slightly. Coarsely chop, and place in medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon oil and garlic to bowl; mash potato mixture with a potato masher until slightly chunky. Remove 3 tablespoons chickpeas; place in a small bowl. Add remaining chickpeas to potato mixture; mash until well blended. Stir in remaining 3 tablespoons whole chickpeas, parsley, and remaining ingredients. With moistened hands, divide mixture into 6 equal portions (about 1/3 cup mixture per portion), shaping each into a 3-inch patty.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 patties to pan; reduce heat to medium, and cook 4 minutes or until bottoms are golden. Carefully turn patties over; cook 3 minutes or until bottoms are golden and patties are set. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 3 patties.

Bulgur with dried carnberries



Serve this lemony bulgur—an American interpretation of Middle Eastern tabbouleh—instead of the more familiar and expected stuffing.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
Ingredients

* 1 cup coarse-ground bulgur
* 2 cups (1/4-inch) cubed peeled English cucumber
* 1 cup dried cranberries
* 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onion
* 1 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley - I used 1 large bunch - can't get enough fresh parsley!
* 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
* 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
* 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil - I used less than 1/4c
* 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Place bulgur in a large bowl; cover with 2 cups boiling water. Cover; let stand 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork. Add cucumber and remaining ingredients; toss gently to combine.

both were a huge hit!

My Love/Hate Affair with Cooking Light....

I have always loved the healthy recipes from Cooking Light but never liked the layout of the magazine. I would give it a try for a few issues but then the jumble of recipes and lack of photos inevitably turned me off and I would abandon the magazine...

so you can imagine my delight when some design and editorial changes were made at the magazine and it became visually more appealing - cleaner layout, photos for the recipes etc.... I decided to give it another go and have been very pleased. It has helped me with my new resolution to plan meals and make them healthy!

Last night I tried Dan Dan Noodles from the Nov 09 issue and it received a 5 out of 5 from my gang! Give it a try and let me know what you think... I am giving the recipe as it appeared in the magazine and indicating the changes I made...




Ingredients

* 1 pound frozen fresh wide Chinese egg noodles, thawed (I used Chinese RICE Noodles as that was what I had on hand)
* 2 tablespoons canola oil
* 1/3 cup dry-roasted peanuts
* 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste) (subbed red hot pepper flakes)
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 2 garlic cloves
* 1 (1/2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled (used closer to 1 inch)
* 8 ounces lean ground pork (used 99% ff ground turkey)
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
* 3/4 cup thinly diagonally sliced green onions
* 1 1/4 cups chopped seeded peeled cucumber
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (more like 1/2 c - I love cilantro!)

Preparation

1. Cook noodles in 6 quarts boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 3/4 cup cooking liquid. Place noodles in a large bowl.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add peanuts to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until fragrant. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Combine peanut mixture, soy sauce, and next 4 ingredients (through ginger) in a mini chopper; process until finely ground.

3. Cook pork and salt in skillet over medium-high heat 8 minutes or until done, stirring to crumble. Add peanut mixture and 3/4 cup cooking liquid to pork; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add pork mixture, juice, and onions to noodles; toss well. Place about 1 3/4 cup noodle mixture in each of 4 bowls; top each serving with 5 tablespoons cucumber and 1 tablespoon cilantro.

this could be good if you marinate the cucumber in some rice wine vinegar and sugar for a few hours before adding to the noodles!

Enjoy!

Yummy Goodness....

Oven Roasted Plum Tomatoes.... run, don't walk to your nearest farmers market... scoop up the biggest basket you can find (I bought a 1/2 bushel) and pop a few trays of these tomatoes in your oven Pronto! You can come back here and thank me later... after you tempt your tastebuds with the rich, salty sweet taste of the roasted tomatoes... so good!



so... here is what you need to do:

rinse off your tomatoes & slice in half lengthwise

place on baking sheet - cut side up - drizzle with olive oil, sea salt, add a few cloves of garlic and I used fresh thyme leaves too


place in oven at 225 degrees farenheit (sorry celsius blog readers) and roast for 9-10 HOURS! yes... HOURS! we ate them on baguette, homemade pizzas, plain, eggs, you name it... diced like a dip or popped straight into your mouth the taste can not be beat! I have even frozen some and the taste is great even out of the freezer... so as I said earlier... RUN don't walk to your local farmers market and scoop up a bushel to make these beauties!!

What's for Dinner tonight??

with fall in the air it is time for roasting vegetables! My sister and I headed to the local public market yesterday to scoop up some of falls best bounty...



I picked out some yummy delicata squash and sweet potatoes for roasted veggies for dinner.... this is how I prepared it!



cut off ends of squash, slice in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds and slice into 1/2" thick slices





slice the sweet potato into thick sticks ... keep skin on for added nutritional value!



toss in a bowl with onion slices and season to taste with olive oil, salt, ground cumin and curry powder



place in pan - try to keep it to 1-2 layers high... roast at 350 degrees until tender - about 45 minutes



enjoy!!!

It's Time for Tasty Tuesday!

I am trying to find some direction & focus for my blog and thought I might try adding a Tasty Tuesday post! Sharing a favorite meal, wine, dessert, beer...you name it! Anything tasty!

Last night we had a delicious dinner that was a hit all around so I thought I would share the recipe.

For the main course I altered a favorite shrimp dish to make it with chicken. Taken from one of my favorite cookbooks - Rao's Cookbook

I am pleased to present my spin on Chicken French!

3 whole(2-part) chicken breasts - pound thin
1.5 C flour
seasoned egg batter (see below)
1/2 - 1C veg oil
1C dry white wine
juice 1.5 lemons
salt & pepper to taste
6T butter
3T chopped parsley

*****seasoned egg batter ****
4 large eggs, 1/4C pecorino romano cheese, 2t parsley, slat & pepper to taste
in a small bowl whisk eggs, cheese, parsley, salt& pepper



Directions

1. dredge each pounded chicken breast in flour then in seasoned egg batter. allow excess batter to drip off then dredge in flour again - set aside.



2. Heat oil in large pan over medium high heat. When oil is hot place chicken in single layer (repeat if necessary)brown each side until chicken reaches internal temp of 165

3. After last batch of chicken has cooked and is still in pan drain excess oil

4. return pan to heat, add wine, lemon juice, salt & pepper bring to boil and add 2T butter - remove chicken to platter - raise heat and whisk in remaining butter. When sauce has thickened pour over chicken garnish with parsley and serve.



we served this with pasta tossed with a dash of olive oil, fresh tomato, fresh basil & herbed feta.



We served this with a nicely chilled glass of Tisdale Chardonnay - one of my favorite whites for summer - an unoaked chardonnay that is light and fruity for summer drinking.



Smacznego!