Healthy Garden Salad

·         5 tablespoons red wine vinegar

·         3 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or olive oil)

·         1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

·         2 limes, juiced

·         1 teaspoon white sugar

·         Salt & pepper

·         2 cloves garlic, minced (or garlic powder)

·         1 (1 pound) package frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans)

·         3 cups frozen corn kernels ( I used corn fresh off the cob)

·         1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

·         4 scallions, thinly sliced

·         1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed & drained

In a large serving bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, grapeseed oil, cilantro, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper & garlic. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the soybeans & boil for 3 minutes. Add corn to the boiling water & continue cooking for 1 more minute. Drain very well & pour into the bowl with the dressing. Gently mix in the cherry tomatoes, green onions & black beans. 

Cover & refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to chill & blend the flavors.

To Die For Salad. With Lemon Agave Poppyseed Dressing.

Happy Friday all. Happy Not So Fat Friday. Haven't spent much time in the kitchen this week so excuse my absence. Instead, I've been organizing the house & getting ready for Tristan's 6th birthday party next month. These parties take all my focus & attention. I can't wait to share the details!!!!!

So I thought tonight was going to be another boring dinner until my dear friend Kacey & mommy chronicler emailed me to say how much this salad put her in the better mood she needed. The same salad she sent me a recipe for a week or so ago. Along with a cute card.

She does things like that. She also sends plastic cutlery in the mail because it'll go with the theme of Tristan's party. Yep, she does things like that. And I love her for it!

So I picked up the ingredients & made it for din din tonight. Hubs already ate but still had a bowl & then asked for a second. It was absolutely delicious. Very light & refreshing & a great example of simple flavors coming together for a beautiful combination.

2 tblsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/3 cup sugar ** (used agave nectar syrup)
2 tblsp white wine vinegar
1 tblsp olive oil
1 tsp poppy seeds
6 oz pkg baby spinach
1/2 large cucumber cored & sliced
1/2 red onion chopped
8 oz strawberries, trimmed & sliced thin
1/2 cup toasted almonds

Combine juice, zest, sugar, vinegar, olive oil & poppy seeds. Combine remaining ingredients. Drizzle dressing over salad.


{Food for Thought}

I have a thing about sugar. Ya see, I rely on my consumption of adult beverages to give me all the sugar I need so I am very careful about my other sources. I am also not a big sweets person. When I saw the 1/3 cup sugar I got scared & almost dropped my white wine. So, I decided to reach for the Agave Nectar that I always have on hand for Mexican Mojitos. Don't look at me that way!

Anyhoo, 1/4 cup Agave can be substituted for 1 cup of sugar. Use your judgement or just use the sugar. I put in about 1/6 cup of sugar & a couple of squirts of Agave. I may use all Agave next time.

As for the almonds, you can use slivered or sliced or whole. I wasn't sure what my Crafty Queen of Repurposing used so I bought sliced almonds & put them in a pan over medium heat & tossed them frequently until golden.

{Click Here to Print Recipe}

Have a great weekend everyone. I have some family in town so there will be cooking & playing. Look out for some stuffed party shrimp, mini milanese pork tenderloin & a new way to cook burger sliders.

Greek Chicken & Pasta Salad

Another weekend is here & after a long work week nothing pleases me more. I made this salad last weekend & enjoyed it for lunch many days after. I originally enjoyed this at my girlfriend Tammy's house & knew I had to make it. It's not so fattening for today's Not So Fat Friday.

1 pkg Carved Chicken Breast, Original Roasted
1 cup grape tomatoes
1 6oz jar marinated quartered artichoke hearts, drained & coarsely chopped
1/2 medium cucumber, quartered lengthwise, seeded & cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, drained & halved
1/3 cup coarsely chopped red onion
1 cup coarsely crumbled feta cheese
Freshly ground pepper for garnish

For the pasta:
6 ounces (2 cups) penne pasta

For the dressing:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tblsp finely chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 tsp pepper, or to taste
1/8 tsp salt, or to taste

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Meanwhile, whisk together the dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in the chicken, tomatoes, artichokes, cucumber, olives, onion & feta cheese. When the pasta is done, drain well. Rinse with cool water; drain again. Add to the salad mixture & toss. Taste & adjust the seasoning.

{Food for Thought}

I don't like using already packaged cooked meat because of the sodium levels so I used rotisserie chicken instead. To make this even healthier, using whole grain pasta is ideal.

{Click Here to Print Recipe}

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I also want to share some before & after photos of the master bathroom that we have been renovating for the past 2 weeks. There were 16 tracking lights above the mirror, the kind that you see in theatre makeup rooms. They not only gave off so much heat but they were a pain to clean. Who needs that many. So, I am thrilled to have gotten rid of them as well as the old gold trim mirror.

We had taken down the old gold trim shower door a long time ago & temporarily put in a curtain.

The shower tiles were also re-done & we're currently waiting on our frameless shower door to arrive. I see my oasis awaiting after I get out of the kitchen!

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

From the Barefoot Contessa, this was one of the best pasta salads I have ever tasted. It was so flavorful due to the roasting of the veggies & fresh simple ingredients like garlic & lemon juice.

I made this last Sunday a few hours before both sets of our parents came over for a BBQ & there just wasn't enough. Everyone devoured it & would have had more. This was so delicious I am planning to make it again this Memorial Day weekend as we have a couple of friends coming over for another BBQ. C'mon by!!!!!

1 small eggplant, peeled & 3/4-inch diced
1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 red onion, peeled & 1-inch diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup good olive oil
1-1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lb orzo

For the dressing:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 scallions, sliced thin (white & green parts)
3/4 lb. good feta, 1/2-inch diced
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (optional)
15 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion & garlic with the olive oil, salt & pepper on a large baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.

Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain & transfer to a large serving bowl. 3. Add roasted vegetables to the orzo, scraping all the liquid & seasonings from roasting pan into the pasta bowl.

For the dressing, combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt & pepper & pour on orzo & vegetables. Add the scallions, pignolis, feta & basil.

{My Thoughts}

Instead of using plain feta & adding fresh basil, I always buy the reduced fat tomato basil feta. And rarely do I add the pine nuts.

This dish is also great at room temp but we prefer it cold

{Click Here to Print Recipe}

Come on back tomorrow night for the amazing Grilled Chicken Piri Piri that paired so perfectly with this delicious salad. Just in time for Memorial Day Weekend!

Tuxedo Crusted Chicken & Wasabi Slaw

I really enjoyed my weekend after a first week back to work but boy how it went too quickly. There was a picnic by the beach with family, tennis with a best friend on a very early Sunday morning, followed by an emotional service at church where Don Piper, author of 90 Minutes in Heaven, spoke to us about his experience firsthand. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it. 

Speaking of Heaven, I made this dish quite some time ago. A fine example of a perfect combination of flavors. The panko crusted chicken goes so beautifully with this "slaw" & glass of white wine. While it looks like a regular salad it's made with bok choy & cabbage and then tossed with a wasabi homemade dressing. 

Tuxedo Sesame Crusted Chicken

1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

3 tblsp sesame seeds

3 tblsp black sesame seeds

1 egg

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/2-inch thickness

3 tblsp vegetable oil, divided

Mix bread crumbs & sesame seeds in shallow dish. Beat egg, garlic powder, salt & red pepper in separate shallow dish. Dip chicken in egg mixture. Coat evenly on both sides in bread crumb mixture, pressing firmly so mixture adheres to chicken. Heat 2 tblsp of the oil in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken pieces; cook 5 minutes per side or until chicken is browned & cooked through. Repeat with remaining chicken, adding remaining oil if needed. Serve with Wasabi Slaw.

{Click Here to Print Recipe}

Wasabi Slaw

1 tblsp wasabi powder

1 tblsp water

4 tsp rice vinegar or cider vinegar

1 tblsp packed brown sugar

1 tblsp vegetable oil

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup thinly sliced bok choy

1 cup thinly sliced Napa cabbage

1 small red bell pepper, cut into thin 2-inch strips

1/2 small unpeeled cucumber, quartered lengthwise, seeded & thinly sliced

Mix wasabi & water in medium bowl. Let stand 10 minutes. Stir in vinegar, brown sugar, oil, ginger & salt. Mix bok choy, Napa cabbage, bell pepper & cucumber in large bowl. Add dressing; toss to coat. Cover & refrigerate at least 2 hours or until ready to serve.

{Click Here to Print Recipe}

Visit Lisa at Blessed with Grace for more Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays!!!!

Things to Come......A Wordful Wednesday

Quaint & charming spaces are sometimes created through untraditional means. Putting something in a small space can then make it a cozy, small space. The first bed & breakfast I ever stayed in had a clawfoot tub at the foot of my parent's bed. Weird, I thought, but that's why I fell in love with B&B's!!

Our kitchen isn't big enough for a built in island so I knew this mobile island was perfect. I had been wanting one for so long, unable to find the right one, until now. Am I crazy for looking forward to creating so many memories over this cute little piece of furniture? For being so excited to have my kitchen reflect more of who I am & what I enjoy?

Chef's Catalog - please hurry to fulfill my order just in time for Christmas entertaining. I'll love you forever!!!

Speaking of Christmas, this will be a perfect treat before dinner. This vertical pear salad with watercress, toasted pecans, crumbled blue cheese & vinaigrette is not only pretty but delicious when drizzled with some honey. I'm expecting 9-10 people for the holiday but instead of making one per person I may serve them on a few plates & scatter them around the table for a family style salad.

Click Here to Print Recipe

These are just 2 things I am really looking forward to during the holidays but would mean nothing if I couldn't share them with those I love!

Brought to you by Angie & Wordful Wednesdays from:

Oriental Broccoli Slaw

Pg 377 of Twilight. Oh my. I can't spell out the words of the sounds I make when reading this so I will just say OH MY. They just finished up the thunderstorm baseball game.

Well, onto more deliciousness. I made this as a side dish to the chicken florentine sandwiches on Sunday night. I got it from my sister who got it from a friend & so on. We had it as a leftover side for last night's dinner as well. The balance between sweet & tangy is very satisfying. This is a must try because it's easy on the effort & high on the taste.

Oriental Broccoli Slaw

1 bag broccoli slaw
2 pkgs Oriental Ramen noodles, crushed finely
1 seasoning packet from noodles
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar

Mix broccoli slaw with noodles & sunflower seeds. Mix seasoning packet with oil, vinegar & sugar. Pour over slaw mixture & mix well. Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours, preferably overnight. If you don't crush the noodles the bigger pieces will not become soft like you want them to.