Kale Salad

Kale salad before adding the grapes and carrots

If you are tired of spending $12 a pound on this wonderful salad...worry no longer! This "superfood" salad offered at grocery store delis across the U.S. is truly an easy salad to make at home. I think I did it in under 20 minutes. You will just need to find a market where you can buy food in bulk to make this meal cost effective. Then you can really get that bang for your buck! This is my spin on it.

Things that you'll need:

Kale (2 small bunches-chopped)

1 lb blueberries

2 cups Walnuts (substitute almonds if you must)

1 heaping cup Craisins

1 cup Pumpkin kernels (sunflower kernels work too)

1 pint Grape tomatoes

The grapes are in...

3 Green onions sliced

20 Red grapes- sliced in halves 

10 baby Carrots-julienned (optional)

10 oz crumbled Feta cheese (optional)

Dressing:
Simply whisk together the following
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cup raw apple cider vinegar

Tip: Place the kale down first and then layer in your ingredients. Wait until your company has arrived and then toss it at the table. It truly is a lovely salad visually, but once it is tossed the heavy aditions tend to fall to the bottom of the bowl.

I made the healthy dressing above and the salad did NOT taste good. I love bitter but this was unpalatable. That's when I knew if my teenage girls were going to devour this medley of healthfulness, I was going to need to bring out the big guns. Luckily I had a bottle of dressing in the cupboard.

I absolutely love Ken's Steakhouse "Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette." Any brand variation will do in a pinch. I vote try it my way first. Toss with the dressing and then add about 1/4 cup of the Ken's and taste it again. Start small as you don't want to overdress it.

Note*** Next time I will opt out of adding the feta. It turned purple from the blueberries and made the overall salad look milky upon tossing a second time. I really appreciate the gorgeous, glossy sheen of a vinaigrette! I also thought the carrot flavor was too strong. Great color but not my personal favorite. Orange bell pepper will be in the next addition.

All tossed and ready to go

Spicy Hot Thai Shrimp Soup

If you are feeling chilled or a bit under the weather try this soup! It is sure to warm you up from head to toe and get that fire inside you burning again. Filled with spicy ginger, cayenne and vinegar, I have found this soup to be a fantastic remedy for various maladies.
This soup is chocked full of onions, cabbage and chicken broth. I like to increase the number of shrimp a bit so that they are be plentiful in every ladle full.

What you will need:
Shrimp-peeled and deveined 2 lbs.
Yellow onion (large) diced
Fresh ginger root-minced 1/2 cup
Chicken broth-6 cups
Water-3 cups
Red pepper flakes-1 teaspoon
3/4 cup lime juice
1 Tbsp lime zest
4 Tbsp Fish sauce
Napa Cabbage-full head chopped
Apple cider vinegar-(unpasteurized organic) 1/2 cup
1 tbsp olive oil
Cilantro-leaves only

Directions:

Sautee onion in olive oil in large stockpot until opaque. Add ginger and then the broth. Stir in red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Now add your cabbage and allow to cook for a couple of minutes max. Lastly add your shrimp, lime juice and zest and cook until the shrimp are pink. Let the temperature come down from a boil and then add your additional water and vinegar. Top with the fresh cilantro before serving to keep the leaves a beautiful bright green.

Note: I personally LOVE the tang that vinegar gives to this soup. It almost tastes like a traditional hot and sour soup. Plus the benefits of apple cider vinegar are terrific for the body and digestive system. Feel free to increase or decrease the water according to how thick you like your soup.

ENJOY!!!

Chicken Marsala

Marsala Chicken with Mushrooms and Onions

Are you looking for something savory and aromatic to make tonight? This super easy Chicken Marsala dish is one of my favorites. Let's face it...any time there is butter and onions and wine combined you will have a winning dish. Although its a two-step process the results are so worth it! Your friends and family will be running into the kitchen asking "How soon 'til dinner's ready?"

We used some string cheese in lieu of shredded

I like to serve this with rice...plain is fine...and I chose brown since its the healthiest. I also like how the brown rice pairs well with the sauce. Just so you know I usually double the amount of sauce and leave some in the pan because everyone wants extra! Gotta be prepared.

Before the oven in a 13 x 9 glass dish

My kids were very worried that there was wine in the sauce. I buy the cheapest Marsala wine from the vinegar section of the grocery store because our household is budget minded. It is so salty I don't think it's even drinkable on any level. However I will educate everyone that as the sauce reduces (cooks down) in the pan....all of the alcohol is neutralized, or burned off, and there is no amount of alcohol left. With this sauce, all that is left is an amazing flavor that only wine can bring. The problem with the cheaper Marsala is the copious amount of salt that is in it. That being said you will NOT need to add extra salt, because coupled with the chicken broth & Parmesan, we are talking plenty. I will leave the salt and pepper amounts from my recipe in here for those of you who prefer to use a higher quality wine or sherry to cook with, because in that case you may want the salt. 

What you'll need:
6-8 large chicken breasts-filleted & pounded flat
2 dozen mushrooms-sliced
6 green onions-chopped
3 cups rice 
6 cups water
1 stick butter
1 cup flour for dredging
1 3/4 cup Marsala wine
1 1/3 cup chicken broth
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup Parmesan
non-stick cooking spray/grease for glass pan
(SERVES 6-8)

Directions: Start your salted water boiling for your rice and follow cooking time directions.
Saute your mushrooms ahead of time in 2 tablespoons butter and a dash of salt and set aside for later. 
Coat your chicken breasts in the flour and cook them in a generously buttered pan over medium heat until done. Usually about 4 minutes a side depending on the thickness. Do this in batches if you are making a lot and set aside. When the chicken is finished place it in a greased dish.
For sauce:use the same dirty pan you cooked your chicken in to add flavor. Pour in chicken broth and Marsala with a 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper. Stir around in the pan to break up any pan dripping and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes on low or until the wine has cooked off. Pour mushrooms over the chicken and then the sauce. Top with the green onions and cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 450 degrees or until the cheese is melted.  ENJOY!!!

Orzo & Feta Salad

Orzo Salad with fresh basil & feta.

Orzo looks like rice...but it isn't. It is a small type of pasta and absolutely delicious. The most time consuming part of this is the chopping of your fresh ingredients. My tip is to get your pine nuts into a 250 degree oven for about 10 minutes to lightly toast them while you chop. That makes it a race.
I also buy organic pre-washed organic spinach so I don't need to worry about washing and then drying the leaves. Organic basil is fairly easy to find as well.

 
 
 

Combining fresh ingredients for a delicious side dish has never been easier.
What you'll need:
1 package spinach
16 oz. orzo---cooked according to package directions & drained
1/2 red onion-diced
1 red bell pepper-diced
1 10 oz. package sun dried tomatoes-chopped (about 20)
8 oz. feta cheese---I prefer plain but you can find flavored...whatever you like
12 large basil leaves-chopped
1 cup pine nuts-toasted

Dressing:
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp each Salt & Pepper
(feel free to add more oil or vinegar)

I like to drain and cover my pasta with half of the oil and vinegar first so that it can absorb the tang. I then build it first with the onions and peppers and add the basil and spinach. The cheese goes last so that it doesn't melt. Serve immediately.
ENJOY!

The Art of the Panini

All veggie panini

It's really not an art...just a fancy word for a grilled sandwich. Does it take extra time? Yes...most definitely. But it makes a warm melted sandwich which can serve as both lunch and dinner. Make sure you have some butter (preferably) or margarine spread to coat the outsides of the bread so its nice and crispy.

Whatever you want to put inside is fine. My boys like meat so we re-grilled some thinly sliced leftover chicken. Pepper jack cheese is also great for an extra kick. Younger kids sometimes just want a really great grilled cheese. Cheddar or jack? The cheese options are just about limitless.

Find your favorite mushroom and slice them up. Sautee them in butter and garlic salt and you have a perfect recipe for a delicious Panini. I have a George Foreman grill and it fits two very large sandwiches perfectly.

Slather the inside of your bread liberally with mayo before topping with sliced tomatoes, grilled mushrooms, grilled onions, avocado and top with cheese. Place your butter coated bread onto a panini press, or grill and cook about 5 minutes at 350, or until all the cheese is melted and the bread is nice and brown. Slice in half and serve with your favorite side salad or even some chips. ENJOY!

RECIPE:
What you'll need...
Sliced Sourdough
Cheese (any kind)
Sautéed Mushrooms
Grilled Onions

Oozing with cheese....yum!

Tomatoes
Avocado
Mayo





Gluten Free Pasta Salad

Choose your favorite veggies for this high fiber, protein packed, end of summer side dish.


Ingredients:
1 pkg cooked gluten free penne pasta (cook according to directions)
1 head broccoli
1 lb white mushrooms---button or Cremini work well too
2 jars marinated artichoke hearts
1 can black olives-drained (whole or sliced)
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans-drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can kidney beans-drained and rinsed
1 pint cherry tomatoes (whole or sliced...Romas work great too!)
1 large cucumber-sliced into wheels (you can sub zucchini if needed)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend
salt and pepper to taste
Homemade or bottled vinagrette of choice---to add afterwards if desired

***Tip: Add the cucumbers last, so they don't wilt, when you add the steaming pasta. I usually put the broccoli florets in the bottom of a very large bowl before I add the pasta, and then begin layering with the mushrooms and artichokes so they take on that terrific tang.

Enjoy!

 

 

Buttery Grilled Zukes



We added some halibut steaks for the halibut

There is no doubt an abundance of squash in need of picking all over the northern hemisphere as we speak. And let's face it...you can only make so much zucchini bread. I decided to use ours as an extra side dish while grilling some fish and it was super yummy. We tried it two different ways. Fat zukes vs. little zukes.




Grilled Zucchini with Butter and Lemon Pepper




Simply place them on the grill directly with some lemon pepper and butter. It tastes so much better than it looks. Grill at 350 for about 3 minutes a side until fork tender all the way through. They were so good the kids ate them, and they detest any food that starts with "Z."

While at our trailer the weather was bad and we had to use an indoor flat grill, but the result was the same. Delectable. We also made shrimp over some wild rice for non-fish eaters and it was fantastic.

I hope you will try this at home!
Enjoy...