bacon-stuffed portobello mushrooms

Bacon for the win. Again.

This time in an almost-vegetarian dish. (Vegetarians eat bacon, right? They should.) Our produce box this week provided two beautiful portobello mushroom caps, onions, green peppers and garlic. They provided the inspiration (bacon added the ka-pow!) and an easy, and relatively healthy, weeknight meal was born. Especially when served with a green side dish and a small roll for dipping into herby olive oil. Yummmm.

Though the meal does have natural bacon in it, the two-person recipe only calls for two to three slices, which is less than most people would consider a serving size. Three slices average less than 10 g of fat, less than a quarter of which is saturated, and lots of protein. (Just watch the salt and buy low sodium when possible.) And portobello mushrooms are incredibly low in calories, yet high in nutrition, and are very filling - thanks to their high fiber and density. They are packed with B-12 (think energy), potassium (relieves muscle cramping and high blood pressure), copper (helps red blood cells deliver oxygen) and Vitamin D (helps to absorb calcium). Bingo.

Here's how to do it.

Bacon-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Ingredients

• 2 large portobello mushrooms, destemmed and gently wiped with a paper towel
• Olive oil
• 2 large or 3 small center-cut, natural bacon slices, cut into pieces
• 1/4 c each onion and bell pepper, diced 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 c whole-wheat breadcrumbs
• 1/4 c Parmesan, plus more for garnish
• 1/8 c fresh herbs, like rosemary or parsley
• 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten 
• Salt, pepper

Start by sauteing bacon in pan. When halfway cooked, add the onion and bell pepper. Salt and pepper lightly. When onion appears translucent, add the garlic. Stir for 30 seconds and remove from heat.

Next, add the bacon mixture to a food processor with the breadcrumbs, herbs, Parmesan, season salt and a swirl of olive oil. Pulse until finely chopped and the ingredients are combined. Remove from processor and place in a bowl with the beaten egg. Stir to combine. 

Gently rub the portobellos with a little olive oil and place in an oven-proof dish. (I prefer pretty ones, like my new orange one shown above.) 

Divide the bacon mixture evenly on top of the portobellos and grate a little Parmesan on top. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Serve hot!

Ready for a bacon tip? Buy a good quality, natural bacon with no nitrates, hormones or antibiotics and freeze the slices together in sets of 2-4 pieces. This eliminates waste (therefore saving money) and provides you with pre-portioned amounts for recipes and splurge Sunday-morning breakfasts!

summer salads, part three: spinach and bacon salad with grilled peaches and homemade bleu cheese dressing

Bacon lovers, unite! Here's a salad that anyone will like (unless you're a bacon hater ... but I don't believe in those people). Salty from the bacon, sweet from the peaches, spicy from the red onion, creamy and tangy from the dressing - your whole mouth will be happy. And so will your belly.

The other neat part? Spinach is a true super food. It has twice the amount of iron as other leafy greens and it's a really great source of fiber, folate and a myriad of Vitamins, like A and K. But its superpowers really get amped up by the Vitamin C in the peaches which help the otherwise poorly absorbed iron absorb. And the fat in the bacon helps your body take in the vitamins.

Yep, you have the green light to eat bacon. And all is right with the world again ...

Spinach and Bacon Salad with Grilled Peaches and Homemade Bleu-Cheese Dressing

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 1/2 cup pecans
• 4 ripe peaches, pitted and quartered
• 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
• 1/2 pound hickory-smoked bacon, roughly chopped
• 8 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) crumbled Danish blue cheese
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden and fragrant, 6 minutes; roughly chop.
2. Preheat a grill to medium-high heat on one side and medium heat on the other. Lightly brush the peaches with oil and grill over medium until nicely marked, about 4 minutes per side. Meanwhile, place a flat cast-iron skillet on the grill over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
3. Combine the spinach, red onion, grilled peaches, pecans and bacon in a large bowl.
4. Make the dressing: Mash the blue cheese with a fork in a bowl. Mix in the buttermilk, sour cream, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss with the salad just before serving.

Also check out: 

• Summer salads, part one: smoked turkey salad with cranberries and bleu cheese
• Summer salads, part two: grilled shrimp salads with basil-garlic dressing
• Summer salads, part four: loaded lentil salad with feta, walnuts and raspberry vinaigrette
• Summer salads, part five: thai chicken salad with peanut dressing
• Thai ginger-honey beef salad

stuffed sweet potatoes with spinach and bacon

Yeah. I said it: sweet potatoes and bacon. They've officially entered each other's worlds. Yeah. This recipe manages to blend sweet and savory all in one healthy side dish. And for those who love nutmeg, it really adds a lot to this dish. I am not a huge fan of it when it is overdone, but this is the perfect amount to add an earthy, "something-in-the-background" flavor. This would be awesome with a steak or pork.

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Spinach and Bacon
Ingredients

• 4 sweet potatoes (about 8 ounces each)
• 4 thick slices of natural bacon or 2 ounces sliced pancetta (about 8 thin slices)
• Handful of spinach or 1 bunch broccoli rabe, tough stems trimmed, roughly chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced  
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes  
• 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese  
• 2 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan cheese
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and pepper
  
  

1. Wash, dry, prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and bake the sweet potatoes for 45 minutes to an hour, or until soft. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning once, until crisp, about four minutes. Remove from the skillet and drain on paper towels. Increase the heat to medium high; add the spinach and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, about three minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about three more minutes.
2. Mix the ricotta, Parmesan, and nutmeg to taste in a small bowl. Split open the sweet potatoes lengthwise and fluff the flesh with a fork. Top each with 1/8 of the ricotta mixture, then top evenly with the spinach mixture and the remaining ricotta mixture. Chop the bacon and sprinkle evenly on top.

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carolina-style bbq and grilled romaine with blue cheese-bacon vinaigrette

 
I love BBQ sauce. Like for real love. But I like the mustardy, vinegar sauces. A little bit spicy, with the bold taste of the yellow mustard, the sharp tang of vinegar, and only a touch of sweetness. Finger-licking perfection. For this dinner, I needed to use up some Romaine from my organic produce box and found a Guy Fieri recipe that grilled it and topped it with a little bacon, red onion, and bleu cheese. Yes, please. So, that's what we had. Here's how you can make it, too.

Carolina-style BBQ Sauce

• 1/2 c yellow mustard
• 1/4 c apple-cider vinegar
• 1/4 c light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp. mustard powder (I skipped this because it's a little like horseradish, which I don't care for)
• 2 tsp. hot sauce
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp. melted butter

Whisk above ingredients together. Season chicken (~8 chicken thighs or legs is a good number for this amount of sauce) with salt and pepper before slathering with sauce and cooking. Make sure to wrap the meat in foil for five to ten minutes before eating.

Grilled Romaine with Blue Cheese-bacon Vinaigrette (courtesy Guy Fieri, serves 6)

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 pound bacon, chopped
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 heads romaine lettuce, cut in 1/2 lengthwise
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 2-3 tomatoes, diced
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the grill to high heat.
2. Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a saute pan over high heat. Add the onions and bacon and cook until the bacon is crispy. To the same pan add the balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and stir to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Brush the romaine lettuce with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, place on the grill cut side down, and quickly sear.
4. Serve the lettuce, cut side up, and drizzle the balsamic dressing over the lettuce. Sprinkle with blue cheese and garnish with cracked black pepper.

smokey black-eyed peas

So, my love affair with black-eyed peas continues. This time, as a side dish, which was put together for a good cause.

The hubs and I volunteer occasionally at the Ronald McDonald House, which provides an inexpensive option for families with sick, hospitalized children to stay. It also feeds these families a freshly made, hot meal for free each and every night, which gives these challenged families one less thing to worry about while their child undergoes yet another surgery or a round of chemo. That's where volunteers like us come into play: we cook the food. I like that I can do something I enjoy that makes someone else's difficult day a little easier.

And, as it turns out, we have been paying it forward in an unexpected way. Our close friends just had a very premature baby in another state and had to stay in a RMH while the child was in the NICU. It just so happens that the new father was the man who did us a favor by marrying us. It was a nice full-circle realization when we heard how wonderful the RMH was for them, and I was super excited to give my time to the organization this week.

So, the theme of this donated meal was Southern vegetables and sides - a mostly meat-free meal beefed up (pardon the pun) with plenty of protein from bean dishes. I was asked to provide the black-eyed peas. I'm not going to lie, before I dropped them off, I dipped out just enough for me to eat as a snack the next day. And I can tell you that they are even better after they sit overnight. Enjoy - for a good cause or not.

Smokey Black-eyed Peas
Adapted from Epicurious

• 4 hickory-smoked bacon slices, chopped
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery rib, finely chopped
• 1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
•  1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
• 2 (15-ounces) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1. Cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until browned but not crisp. Transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.
2. Cook scallions, carrot, celery, bell pepper, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, red-pepper flakes, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in fat in skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are pale golden, about 10 minutes. Add black-eyed peas, half of the bacon crisps and the broth and simmer five minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl and top with the remaining bacon. (Or cook in advance and allow them to sit overnight.)

BMLTs for lunch - in honor of the homemade mayo

Homemade mayonnaise has always been something I've wanted to tackle. I've heard it's lighter - as in the fluff factor, not necessarily calorie count - and tastier due to its freshness. So, with a little leftover bacon in the fridge, I set out to make bacon-lettuce-and-tomato sandwiches with homemade mayo for lunch.

It's another one of those recipes that seems daunting until you actually realize that it's just a basic emulsion of oil, egg and seasonings. (An emusion, just in case anyone needs an explanation, is just a mixture of oil and otherwise non-mixing ingredients that becomes cohesive after it's whipped to death. If it's done correctly, the ingredients won't separate.)  Apart from the muscle required to beat the emulsion into a fluffed frenzy, it's pretty easy and takes about 10 minutes to prepare. And you probably have all of the ingredients on hand. Here's the recipe I used, courtesy Alton Brown.

Homemade Mayonnaise

• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 2 pinches sugar
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 c oil - canola, safflower or corn

1. In a glass bowl, whisk together egg yolk and dry ingredients. Combine lemon juice and vinegar in a separate bowl then thoroughly whisk half into the yolk mixture.
2. Start whisking briskly, then start adding the oil a few drops at a time until the liquid seems to thicken and lighten a bit, (which means you've got an emulsion on your hands). You'll notice tiny bubbles forming.
3. Once you reach that point you can relax your arm a little (but just a little) and increase the oil flow to a constant (albeit thin) stream. Once half of the oil is in add the rest of the lemon juice mixture.
4. Continue whisking until all of the oil is incorporated and mixture is light. Leave at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours then refrigerate for up to one week.

BMLTs: Crisp your bacon on top of the stove or in the oven and toast your bread. While that magic is being worked, tear and wash lettuce leaves (be sure the dry them) and slice tomatoes. Assemble, making sure to shmear the bread with extra homemade mayo, because it's homemade, and enjoy.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, the benefits of such efforts include not ingesting calcium disodium edta, which is is a chemical salt used to separate heavy metals from dyes and other substances. And, oh yeah, it's toxic and results in malabsorption of many vitamins. But it's in Hellmans, Kraft, and Dukes anyways. And commercial mayo gets even sketchier when you select reduced-fat, fat-free (shudder – what is mayo without fat?) and alternative-oil products.

On a completely different subject, I have come to realize that these foodie photos are so much better when taken with our SLR camera. The point and shoot is good for some things, but it just doesn't do the food justice. I vow to use the SLR from here-on-out. That is all.

spinach and lentil soup with cheese and basil

The hubs has been eating a spinach-lentil soup at work for lunch quite a bit, and coming home raving about it. I happen to be a born-again lover of the lentil, and was inspired by our mutual affinity to try and make it. This soup starts with a couple of slices of bacon (always a winner in my book!) and gave me the opportunity to use some of my home-grown, dried thyme and homemade chicken broth. I was in.

The final product is a tasty and creamy, yet almost meaty, filling soup. It's also super good for you. Lentils are a low-calorie powerhouse, high in fiber, protein, B vitamins and iron. In fact, lentils are credited for helping to reduce your risk of heart disease! Pair this soup with a crusty chunk of toasted cheese-topped bread and call it a night.

Spinach and Letil Soup with Cheese and Basil

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped bacon or pancetta (about 1 ounce)
• 1 1/4 cups chopped onion
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 3/4 cup chopped carrot
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup dried brown lentils
• 3 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add bacon or pancetta; cook 1 minute or until it begins to brown, stirring occasionally. Add onion and next 4 ingredients (through bay leaf); cook 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Add lentils, broth, and 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes or until lentils are tender and mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Discard bay leaf.
2. Place 2 cups lentil mixture in a blender. Remove the center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape), and secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters), and blend until smooth. Return pureed lentil mixture to pan.
3. Add baby spinach, chopped basil, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and black pepper; stir until spinach wilts. Serve immediately.

cowboy spaghetti with beer, cheddar and hot sauce

So, technically this is cavatappi (corkscrew) pasta. But it doesn't matter because it's sinfully good for dinner. Or lunch.

"Cowboy" for the Worcestershire and hot sauces, beer, bacon and cheddar, garlic and onions, this pasta dish is uniquely westerny-Italian. My sister-in-law and I have loved this recipe for years, though we both didn't know quite what to think at first. If I could offer advice, it would be to try it on a night when you want something satisfying and different. And make a big fat salad to go with it so it doesn't count.

And per the name, this is a cowboy-sized portion. But, it made for a better picture.

 Cowboy Spaghetti
(Courtesy Rachel Ray)

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 3-4 slices smoky bacon, chopped
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce, eyeball it
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
• 1/2 cup beer
• 1 (14-ounce) can, chopped or crushed fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 (8-ounces) can, tomato sauce
• 8 ounces sharp Cheddar
• 4 scallions, chopped
• Salt, pepper and "spicy flakes" (the term for crushed red pepper given by the hubs)

Need other Italian-ish ideas? Try these:

• Shrimp scampi - a buttery dream come true
• Margherita pizza
• Venison-sausage stuffed shells for dinner

rainy day tomato basil soup and grilled cheddar cheese

A classic in every sense of the word, tomato soup and grilled cheese takes me back ... well, to college, when I started to actually like tomato soup. Grilled cheese, though? Yes, please. I have fond childhood memories of the gooey little sandwich melting in my mouth. My mom used to make it with mozzarella and the cheese would streeeetch as I pulled the halves apart, fingers glistening with butter. Delicious.

Now, as an adult, I like to make this meal for dinner every once and a while – especially if it's raining or cold out. To make it a little healthier, I have been known to spritz a pan with canola oil instead of using butter, but it's not nearly as good, so I usually splurge and go for the real stuff. Oh, and I'm a cheddar girl – sharp cheddar. There is no other substitute, unless you consider brie or some other fancy cheese. Then I'm in all the way. Make this next time you're stuck in the house on a rainy Sunday, and then curl up for a nap.


Homemade Tomato Basil Soup
Serves 6-8

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 cans diced tomatoes or stewed tomatoes (14.5 oz each)
• 14 oz. chicken broth (homemade is better!)
• 6 oz. tomato paste
• 3/4 c skim milk*
• 2-3 tbsp sour cream*
• 1/2 c basil, julienned and divided (sliced into ribbons)
• Optional: crumbled bacon

Directions

1. Cook onion in a stock pot until translucent.  Add garlic and cook the mixture ~3 minutes longer. Add tomatoes, broth and paste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in dairy; simmer 10 more minutes. Add 1/4 c basil. Remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.**
3. Spoon hot soup into bowls and top with remaining basil and, if desired, crumbled bacon. Serve with grilled cheese (I prefer extra toasted, as shown above) 

*If you don't have skim milk and sour cream, you can use 1 c of whipping cream or half-and-half instead.
**If you don't have an immersion blender, you can whir the soup in a blender until smooth. Just be careful transferring the hot soup to the machine.

my "go-to" quiche

when i went away to college (seems like eons ago, especially since my youngest sister is a junior!), my mom filled my arms with yellowed and tattered "classic" cookbooks that she had collected over time. Included were two by Adelle Davis, who I really do enjoy, and a copy of Better Homes and Gardens' New Cookbook, from 1993. The first two I have read cover to cover, and I have used the latter for basic recipes, such as a roast chicken or classics such as spaghetti pie. But my most favorite recipe from that book comes in the form of quiche – via a recipe titled "Choose-a-Flavor" Quiche.

How crass a title for such a lovely and comforting meal. Paired with a crisp, fresh salad, a slice of this quiche is, quite literally, to die for. And this is from someone who has an iffy relationship with eggs. (It's a texture thing ... )

Last night's dinner included the quiche. This time with leftover honey-baked ham from Christmas (which I had deftly tucked away in the freezer) and leftover mushrooms and onion from my produce box, along with a combo of white and cheddar cheeses. Here's the recipe:

Choose-a-Flavor Quiche

• One single pie crust, pre-made (yes, I'm working on this)
• 3 beaten eggs – 1-2 of the yolks could be eliminated, I'm sure
• 1 1/2 c milk – any percent works
• 1/4 c sliced green onions or sauteed white onion
• salt/pepper
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 3/4 c chopped protein – chicken, ham, sausage, crab meat, bacon ... but could be replaced with more veg
• 1 1/2 c grated cheese – just use what you have on hand
• 1 tbsp flour
• Optional: add whatever other veg you like, such as sauteed mushrooms or spinach

1. Preheat oven to 450*. Line pie crust in a greased pie pan (I prefer pretty, fluted ones!). Pierce crust bottom a few times with a fork and bake for 5-10 mins. Reduce oven temperature to 325*.
2. Meanwhile, whisk eggs and add the milk, veggies, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add the protein. In another bowl, toss the cheese with the flour and add it to the mix, stirring well. Pour it into the crust and bake it for 35-40 minutes, until bubbly, golden brown and set in the middle. Let stand for 10 minutes and serve.

That's it. It's easy to throw together, oh-so satisfying and always reliable. Especially on a winter night.

The last thing I will add is some exciting news: the hubs and I are officially growing an organic, raised-bed vegetable garden this year. We bought a 55-gallon food-safe barrel that we'll be crafting into a rotating composter (heck, what better way to use our produce remains than to grow more produce!), and we'll be making the bed with rail-road ties. Photos and progress to follow.

Enjoy the quiche! And this view of this week's fruit salad: blueberries, kiwi, grapefruit and orange.

On the menu this week: artichoke chicken and roasted broccoli; half-price sushi night out :); and a cheesy chicken rotini with sauteed zucchini.

summer salads, part two: grilled shrimp salads with basil-garlic dressing

The second in my series of satisfying summer salads, this one had me licking the bowl primarily because of the dressing. It was so good, I brought it to lunch the next day. This one's guilt-free all the way around, and won't leave you hungry.

Grilled Shrimp Salads with Basil-Garlic Dressing
Serves 2

Basil-Garlic Dressing

• 2 sprigs fresh basil
• 1 clove garlic
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 tsp pepper

Shrimp and Salad

• 1 lb. shrimp, cleaned and detailed and deheaded
• Two large handfuls of lettuce (I used spring mix)
• Two roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 can corn, rinsed
• 1/2 can black beans, rinsed
• 1-2 scallions, chopped
• 1/8 c shredded cheese
• Salt and pepper

1. Place dressing ingredients in a food processor until combined.
2. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper and thread onto skewers. Grill on medium heat until pink.
3. Arrange greens on a plate and top with corn, beans, tomatoes, scallions and cheese. Top with dressing and shrimp.

Also check out:

• Summer salads, part one: smoked turkey salad with cranberries and bleu cheese
• Summer salads, part three: spinach and bacon salad with grilled peaches and homemade bleu cheese dressing
• Summer salads, part four: loaded lentil salad with feta, walnuts and raspberry vinaigrette
• Summer salads, part five: thai chicken salad with peanut dressing
• Thai ginger-honey beef salad

salmon with chickpea ragu

I didn't eat seafood until I started dating my husband. That was eight years ago. Tentative at first, he wooed me in slowly (probably with something covered in bacon), tempting me with little bites at a time. Then I started really learning about how good for you fish is and I started to work it into my diet creatively.

I would cherry-pick only my favorite ingredients and find a recipe that incorporated them into a seafood dish. At first I'd eat only those ingredients and pick at the fish. But slowly, my tastes changed and I came to appreciate the flaky – and sometimes steak-like – texture and variety of flavors, ranging from mild and sweet to pungent. Good stuff.

This dish was one I discovered about halfway along my journey to liking seafood dishes. But I loved this dish, even though salmon is a strong fish. The tomatoey-chickpea ragu stands up to it, though, and even non-salmon lovers will enjoy this one. Try it when you're looking for something healthy and hearty. It's quick enough for a weeknight, too.

Salmon with Chickpea Ragu (courtesy Ellie Krieger)
Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 large zucchini, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 (15.5 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup basil leaves, sliced into ribbons, plus more for garnish
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 (6 oz.) skinless salmon fillets

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the onion, and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the carrot, zucchini, and garlic and cook, stirring, until the carrots are firm-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stirring to incorporate completely. Add the chicken broth and chickpeas and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, until the liquid thickens slightly, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Remove the skillet from the heat, and add 1 cup of the basil and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper (and crushed red pepper flakes, if using), and stir to incorporate. Cover to keep warm while you cook the salmon.
3. Preheat the broiler. Season the salmon with the remaining ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Broil the salmon for 8 to 10 minutes per inch thickness, turning once.
4. To serve, spoon 1 ½ cups of the chickpea ragu into a shallow bowl or rimmed plate. Top with a fillet of salmon and garnish with the ribbons of basil.

margherita pizza

Pizza. There is something so wonderful about even the word. And while some like it piled high with meats and cheeses, I like mine one of two ways: stacked with veggies and one meat - like a good deli pepperoni or a sprinkle of bacon or sausage - or a simple margherita-style pie. We had the latter simpler pizza this week.

It's so simple that there isn't a recipe, really. We buy sourdough pizza dough from our grocery store deli, roll it out and sprinkle a pre-heated pizza stone with crunchy cornmeal. Brush the dough with good old olive oil, or in this case, pesto - from Mario Batali's "Eataly" in New York - sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and then top it with mozzarella (fresh is the best for this pizza, but we had shredded on hand), ~ four sliced Roma tomatoes, and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Just before sliding it into a screaming hot 425* oven, give it a shake of oregano or Italian seasoning. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until it's browned and bubbly to your liking, and then top it with fresh julienned basil. Heaven.

I always pair this meal with a salad or some other kind of veggie in hopes of discouraging myself from eating just one more slice, but it never works. I always eat one more piece than I planned. It's that good. And oh-so-simple for a weeknight meal.

And a glass of wine - red or white in this case - doesn't hurt either.

On the menu this week: sun-dried tomato, spinach and mozzarella stuffed chicken breasts with veggies; paninis with chicken, roasted-red peppers, mozzarella and homemade mayo, and a side of steamed snow peas; chicken, tomato and rice casserole and salad; and Mexican night in honor of Erika, including taco salads and guacamole.

summer salads, part one: smoked turkey salad with cranberries and bleu cheese

It's summer and that usually means that I want to eat a bit lighter. After all, it's hot where I live and I have a bikini body to keep up with.

My biggest problem is that I'm not really a salad eater, in terms of a meal. I'm down for a fresh, tasty side salad, but usually cringe at the thought of consuming three cups of lettuce, more veggies and a handful of salad toppings. It just seems like such a cold meal. My point is, it has to be a really satisfying salad for me to like it.

Over the next several months, I'll share a few salads that I think are meal worthy – and each is perfect for helping to achieve that beach-ready bod. This is one of them.


Smoked Turkey Salad with Cranberries & Bleu Cheese
Vinaigrette

• Almost 1/4 c olive oil
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. sugar

Salad

• 4 c lettuce, chopped (I like adding spinach leaves)
• 6 oz. smoked turkey or chicken, sliced (I prefer home-smoked meats, but used good quality, fresh-sliced deli meat in a pinch here)
• 1/2 an apple, thinly sliced and/or handful of dried cranberries
• 3-4 oz. bleu cheese, crumbled
• 3 tbsp. pecan halves or sunflower seeds

Combine vinaigrette and serve over assembled salad.

Still not satisfied? Try these salad ideas:

• Summer salads, part two: grilled shrimp salads with basil-garlic dressing
• Summer salads, part three: spinach and bacon salad with grilled peaches and homemade bleu cheese dressing
• Summer salads, part four: loaded lentil salad with feta, walnuts and raspberry vinaigrette
• Summer salads, part five: thai chicken salad with peanut dressing
• Thai Ginger-Honey Beef Salad

summer salads, part four: loaded lentil salad with feta, walnuts and raspberry vinaigrette

My mom used to make lentils and being the weird kid that I was, I loved them. I used to skip the second round of steak and instead scoop more of the little green-grey legumes onto my plate. A recent trip to an eclectic cafe & brewery brought them back into my life through a loaded lentil salad, served with a homemade vinaigrette. Simple and delicious, I knew I could make it at home. And for $1.29, I got an entire bag of lentils that should last me a year. Nice.

So, that's what we had for lunch one day this past weekend. We topped a bed of lettuce with cooled, soft lentils, chickpeas, diced tomato and cucumber, walnuts, salty feta cheese and drizzled it all with a homemade raspberry vinaigrette - but, for the record, any balsamic vinaigrette would be delicious.

And for the record, lentils are low calorie, yet jam-packed with fiber and protein (these bad boys give soybeans a run for their money!), folate and B vitamins. Show them no mercy and get creative with them. This salad is just one of the many ways to enjoy them.

Loaded Lentil Salad with Feta, Walnuts and Homemade Raspberry Vinaigrette
Raspberry Vinaigrette (makes enough for about three salads)

• 1/2 c canola or olive oil
• 1/2 raspberry balsamic vinegar (or standard balsamic vinegar if you want to skip the fruity dressing)
• 1/4 c (or less) of sugar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• Salt and pepper

Shake the above ingredients vigorously in a small jar with a lid until combined. Set aside and make the salad.
Salad

• Lettuce - red leaf, spring mix and spinach are good choices
• Diced tomatoes
• Chopped cucumbers
• Scallions, sliced on an angle
• 3/4 c cooked lentils (as directed, just be sure to add a little salt to the water, and cooled)*
• 1/2 c chickpeas, drained
• Walnuts
• Crumbled feta (gorgonzola would be good, too)
• Pepper

Assemble salad and drizzle with dressing. Serve immediately.

*Note: Cook lentils like you would rice, but don't expect all of the water to be absorbed. You'll need to drain the lentils when they're soft.

Also check out:

• Summer salads, part one: smoked turkey salad with cranberries and bleu cheese
• Summer salads, part two: grilled shrimp salads with basil-garlic dressing
• Summer salads, part three: spinach and bacon salad with grilled peaches and homemade bleu cheese dressing
• Summer salads, part five: thai chicken salad with peanut dressing
• Thai ginger-honey beef salad

a day of random eating: southern caviar, loaded potato soup, and French cheesy-herb bread

there is no other word to describe yesterday's eating other than random. i wanted Southern Caviar (a black-eyed pea salsa), loaded potato soup, artichokes dipped in homemade Italian dressing (like we used to do growing up) and cheesy-herb bread from a French cookbook I received as a gift. So, that's what we had for dinner. And it was delicious. And I totally earned it with a 3200-yard swim!

As promised, here is my take on the Southern Caviar recipe, which uses bottled Italian dressing. I don't like bottled, processed dressings because of all the "stuff" they put in it (preservatives, flavor enhancers, cheaper oils) and because dressings taste better and are less expensive when you make them at home.

Italian Dressing Mix

• 2 tbsp oregano (homegrown and dried!)
• 1 tbsp garlic salt
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp parsley
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp basil
• 1/4 tsp celery salt
• 1/4 tsp thyme (homegrown and dried!)

Mix the herbs thoroughly in a little jar – you can see how classy mine is! – and store it in your pantry. When you're ready to use it, mix two tablespoons of it with 1/4 c white wine vinegar and 1/2-2/3 c canola oil (to taste). This gave me just enough to pour over the Southern Caviar, below, with a little leftover to dip a delicately steamed artichoke into.

Southern Caviar (sure to be a hit at any party ... or by yourself with a bag of corn chips ... )

• 15 oz can black beans, drained
• 15 oz can black eyed peas, drained
• 10 oz Mexican-style tomatoes, like Rotel
• 11 oz canned corn, drained
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 3-4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 3/4 c Italian dressing (above)
• Tortilla chips

Simply mix the first seven ingredients and let them hang out in the fridge for a while so the flavors marry, and then show no mercy with the chips.

Next, I made this creamy potato soup (with leftover homemade chicken broth!), but loaded it by sprinkling the top with cheddar, bacon crumbles and green onions. The recipe doesn't call for it to be creamed, but I really wanted to use my immersion blender, so I whirred it until it could take it no more. yumm-o!

The cheesy bread is from "Around My French Table," and was gooey with white and sharp cheddar, and herby with sage, rosemary and parsley – which are some of the only living herbs in my garden. Next time I'll buy some chives to give it an oniony bite.

summer salads, part five: thai chicken salad with peanut dressing

If I could never have peanut butter again, I think I would die. Easily one of my favorite foods, this salad brought it into my life in a wonderful way: a peanut-buttery and coconut salad dressing. Yes, please. This is an easy one to whip up when you have some leftover chicken to use, or just pick up a rotisserie bird from the store like we did. Annnnd the expandable pants make another appearance.

Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing
Ingredients

• 6 cups torn romaine lettuce
• 2 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
• 2 cups fresh, trimmed snow peas (or bean sprouts)
• 1 cup carrots, shredded or chopped into thin rounds
• 3/4 cup sliced celery
• 2/3 cup light coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
• 4 lime wedges (optional)

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine coconut milk and next 5 ingredients (through red pepper) in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and cool for 2 minutes. Pour warm coconut milk mixture over lettuce mixture. Sprinkle with peanuts; serve with lime wedges, if desired. Serve immediately.

Need more ideas? Check these out:

• Summer salads, part one: smoked turkey salad with cranberries and bleu cheese  
• Summer salads, part two: grilled shrimp salads with basil-garlic dressing
• Summer salads, part three: spinach and bacon salad with grilled peaches and homemade bleu cheese dressing
• Summer salads, part four: loaded lentil salad with feta, walnuts and raspberry vinaigrette
• Thai ginger-honey beef salad