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Bean Salad with Fresh Herbs….

Posted by on June 21, 2010

This is an outstanding salad to serve at barbeques and picnics!  Easy to prepare, fresh, and not full of mayonnaise.  It literally goes together in a matter of minutes.  The many different beans used make for a colorful and healthy salad.  Use fresh herbs out of your garden.

No fresh herbs?  You can add dried parsley, basil, and fresh red onion.

Bean Salad with Fresh Herbs
1 15 oz. can each:
Black beans
Great northern beans
Dark red kidney beans
Light red kidney beans
White kidney beans or Cannelli beans
½ cup parsley, finely chopped
½ cup fresh basil leaves, rolled tight and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons fresh chives, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon granulated garlic powder
¼ teaspoon granulated onion powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt, or a couple of pinches of table salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or cider vinegar

1) Drain all canned beans into a large colander and rinse. Drain thoroughly. Add parsley, basil, and chives.
2) Drizzle with olive oil and gently mix until beans are coated. Sprinkle beans with garlic and onion powder, salt and pepper. Mix gently. Add vinegar and gently mix. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Makes about 10 one half cup servings.

**The reason for adding the oil first and coating, is that it will make the seasonings all cling to the ingredients in the salad before adding vinegar.

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Citrus Marinated Jerk Chicken with Fresh Mango Salsa….

Posted by on June 14, 2010

Are you enjoying all of the beautiful fruits presently available?  This is the perfect blend of sweet and spicy.  I love the contrast of the spicy chicken and the cool, fresh taste of the salsa.   Make plenty of chicken to enjoy later in the week.  Try a nice chicken sandwich with a slice of sharp cheddar and avocado slices or top a fresh crisp salad for a light supper.

Citrus marinated Jerk chicken
with Fresh Mango salsa

2 lbs. boneless chicken breast cutlets
Juice of one naval orange, one lemon, and two limes
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

1) Place marinade ingredients in a gallon zip bag. Add chicken and marinade 30 minutes to one hour. Discard marinade.  Mix all spice mix ingredients together in a small bowl, set aside.
2)  Prepare salsa, refigerate covered.
2) Preheat gas grill for about 10 minutes. Season each piece of marinated chicken with spice mixture.
3) Grill on medium high heat for 6-8 minutes or until juices run clear.  Top with fresh salsa.

Spice mixture:

2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sweet basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon cayenne

Salsa

2 naval oranges, cut away rind and pith, dice
2 ripe mangos, peeled and diced
½ fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and diced
1 small red pepper, seeded and diced
1 small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon fresh or bottled lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
Pinch salt

Gently mix all ingredients well. Refrigerate immediately.

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Red Quinoa Salad….

Posted by on June 8, 2010

Have you ever tried quinoa?  It is pronounced (keen-wah).  It is a delicous highly nutritious grain, high in protein, iron, and magnesium and is gluten free.  This ancient grain cooks in only 15 minutes, much quicker than brown rice and is packed with fiber.  You can find Organic Red Quinoa at Trader Joe’s for $3.99. 

This is the perfect salad for busy moms!  Make ahead and enjoy at lunch time for a nutritious and well deserved healthy lunch!  Enjoy sitting down, I don’t know about you,  but I’m getting in the bad habbit of eating at the kitchen counter!  Let’s care for ourselves as we do our families.  Sit down.  Relax, and enjoy your food.

Red Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

2 cups uncooked quinoa, cook according to package instructions-2/1 water ratio
2 cups petite frozen peas, thawed
1 cup fresh flat parsley, chopped
1 medium green pepper, seeded and diced
½ red onion, diced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 tablespoons fresh or bottled lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
½ teaspoon granulated garlic powder
½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pepper

1) Cook quinoa according to package instructions and cool in a large bowl.
2) Add peas through tomatoes. Whisk remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over salad, mix well. Refrigerate. 

Enjoy!

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Orange & Ginger Glazed Chicken Kabobs….

Posted by on June 3, 2010
As you can see, I’m on an Asian kick!   Instead of Chinese “take out,” I’m going to call it Chinese “make in.”    Be sure to buy a good size chunk of fresh ginger, about two times the size of your thumb.  Use a whole fresh orange, the zest of the orange will give a very intense orange flavor.  Feel free to add red pepper flakes to the sauce if you like it spicy.  For sides, do anything you like.  I love brown jasmine rice and simple stir fry vegetables.  Would also be great with Thai peanut noodles..yum!
Orange & Ginger Glazed Chicken Kabobs

For the marinade:

3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
½ cup orange juice
1 ½ lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite size pieces

For the glaze:

Zest and juice of one large orange
Enough orange juice to measure 1 cup
½ cup honey
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
3 slices fresh ginger, the size of a quarter
Sesame seeds
Orange slices & fresh green onions for garnish

1) If you’re using bamboo skewers, soak in water for 15 minutes before skewering chicken. Skewer chicken and place in a pan or container where they can lay flat. Whisk all marinade ingredients well and pour over skewered chicken. Marinade in refrigerator for an hour. (You can also marinade chicken pieces in a bag and skewer chicken later, I find this very messy.)

2) Wash and dry the orange. Zest the orange and set zest aside. Juice the orange into a 1 cup measure. Add enough additional orange juice to measure 1 cup. Pour into a small sauce pan, add ginger slices, and reduce over medium heat to ½ cup. Add honey and continue to simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and remove ginger slices. Add toasted sesame oil and orange zest. Allow to cool.

3) Preheat grill. Cook kabobs over medium high heat for 10-12 minutes. Generously brush glaze over chicken. Watch closely, the sugars will burn if you’re not careful. Place on serving platter, brush with additional glaze. Garnish with sesame seeds, green onions, and orange slices. Serve with steamed or vegetable fried brown rice and simple stir fried snap peas. Serve additional glaze on the side.

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Beef & Vegetable Stir Fry….

Posted by on June 1, 2010

I add a bit of spice to this dish, but it’s optional.  Make it to your taste, add a bit more spice if you dare!  If I were making this for myself, I would add fresh thin slices of jalapeno peppers, seeds included!

Vegetable Beef Stir Fry

8 oz.  (1/2 lb.) fresh beef sirloin, cut into very thin strips
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1″ of ginger, (thumb size) peeled and minced

2 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced on a diagonal
1 small onion, cut into wedges
6 mushrooms, cut into slices or quartered
1 medium red pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1 small bunch of broccoli, washed and cut into bite size pieces
2-3 tablespoons canola oil for stir frying

Sauce:

1 cup water or chicken broth (cold or room temp)
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons hot chili sauce (optional) can also be used as a condiment when serving for those who would like the heat
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1)  Place the strips of beef, cornstarch, rice vinegar, and soy sauce in a small bowl, combine and refrigerate while you are prepping the rest of the ingredients.
2)  Prepare garlic and ginger, and place into their own small bowls, set aside.
3)  Prep carrots through broccoli.  I use a small bowl for each and place them on the counter in the order they will go into the pan.
4)  In a 2 cup liquid measuring cup, add water or broth, soy sauce and cornstarch, whisk.  Add chili hot sauce, hoisin sauce,  honey, and sesame oil.  Whisk until blended.  Set aside.
5)  We’re ready to go!

Heat your wok or pan over high heat.  Add 2 teaspoons of oil to pan.  Add ginger, cook for about one minute.  Add beef and cook about 3 minutes, stirring often.  Add garlic, cook about one minute.  Place into a large bowl, wipe out pan with paper towel.  Put the pan back on the heat.

Add 1-2 teaspoons of oil and begin the veggies.  Add the carrots and onions, cook 3-4 minutes, stirring often, the sugars in the carrots and onions will burn if you’re not careful.
Add mushrooms and red pepper.  Cook 2-3 minutes.
Add broccoli. Continue cooking for 3-4 minutes.
6)  Place all veggies into the bowl with the meat, loosely cover.
7)  Give the sauce another whisk and add all at once to the pan, stir constantly, it will thicken quickly.  Add all stir fry ingredients back to the pan and heat through.  Serve over steamed brown or white rice.  Or serve with brown fried vegetable rice.  Enjoy!

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Vegetable Fried Brown Rice….

Posted by on June 1, 2010

Fried Vegetable Brown Rice

1 tablespoon canola oil
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups cold cooked brown rice
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2-3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables or petite peas, thawed
½ cup bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)

1) Heat a large non stick skillet over high heat. Add oil. Add eggs, all at once, stir constantly and break into small pieces. Add rice and green onions. Drizzle soy sauce and sesame oil over rice. Heat through, stirring often to prevent scorching. Add mixed vegetables and bean sprouts. Taste. Season with more soy sauce if necessary. Top with sesame seeds.

Remember, be creative, add whatever vegetables you like!

To make this a quick dinner entree, add some leftover pieces of rotisserie chicken or thinly sliced leftover grilled steak or pork!  Simply stir fry in the pan at the very beginning, remove from pan before adding eggs, then add back to pan after adding the rice.

Enjoy!

Angie

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Green Salad with Blueberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Posted by on May 25, 2010

Well, it seems the dog days of summer have arrived….and we aren’t even into June yet!  When it’s this hot, my taste buds favor delicious, crisp salads.  Now, the salad isn’t a fabulous salad unless there is a unique and fresh tasting salad dressing, right?  I’ve come up with a very nice dressing that uses fresh blueberries, what’s not to love, right?  Paired with some nice sharp cheese and toasted walnuts…fantastic!  Serve this beautiful salad to guests, they will flip!

Green Salad with Blueberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

12-15 oz. fresh mixed greens, gently washed and spun out (if you don’t have a salad spinner, dry with paper towels)
3-4 tablespoons crumbled feta or bleu cheese
3-4 tablespoons toasted walnuts, broken into dime size bits
(to toast, spread over cookie sheet & into a 300’ oven for 12 minutes)
½ cup or more fresh plump blueberries

For the dressing:

1 ¼ cup fresh blueberries or frozen thawed
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup honey
3 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon granulated onion powder
¾ cup olive oil, first cold pressed is best

1) Assemble salad ingredients in a pretty salad bowl starting with the greens, top with goodies. If entertaining, assemble each salad on a plate and serve dressing on the side.

2) For the dressing, place all ingredients into a blender except the olive oil. Blend, while blender is going, slowly drizzle all of the olive oil into the blueberry mixture. Add a little more water if you would like a thinner consistency.  Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Whisk before using. Enjoy!

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Blueberry Streusel Muffins…..

Posted by on May 17, 2010

What’s not to love about fresh blueberry muffins with streusel no less?  These are very moist, delicious, and easy to make.  Use fresh or frozen blueberries.  Great for breakfast, brunch, or after school…come to think of it, great at anytime of the day!

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

For the muffins:
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1 cup fresh blueberries, or frozen blueberries, thawed

For the streusel:
¼ cup flour
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons softened butter

1) Use muffin cups to line muffin pans, coat with cooking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350’.
2) In a small mixing bowl, combine all streusel ingredients well with your hands. Set aside.
3) In a large mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients, blend well with a whisk. Make a well in the center. Add wet ingredients and mix until just blended, do not over mix.
4) Scoop about a tablespoon of batter into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Top with about 5 blueberries, use them all. Evenly distribute the rest of the batter over the top of the blueberries.
5) Top with a good amount of streusel topping. Bake for 17 minutes. Test with a toothpick. Allow to cool 10 minutes before removing from pan. Serve warm.

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Crispy Oven Fried Chicken…..

Posted by on May 12, 2010
Everyone LOVES fried chicken!  This is the easiest way to make a very authentic tasting “fried” chicken.  It takes minutes to prepare and it will certainly become a family favorite!  Serve for Sunday supper or bring to potlucks!  This will be your “go to” chicken recipe. 
Easy Oven Fried Chicken

1 whole cut up chicken, or 2-3 lbs of chicken pieces of your choice with bone and skin
Kosher salt & pepper
Dried thyme
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
Olive oil
1) Preheat oven to 400’. Line a cookie sheet (with sides) with Reynolds non stick foil.

2) Rinse chicken and drain well. Season each piece generously with salt, pepper, and thyme. Drizzle chicken pieces with one tablespoon of olive oil, toss to coat. Dredge each piece of chicken in flour and shake to remove excess flour. Place on foil lined sheet. Using a basting brush, baste each piece of chicken with drippings in pan after about 30 minutes of baking. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. Enjoy!

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Simple Coconut Macaroons…..

Posted by on May 6, 2010

Coconut Macaroons, French Macarons…know the difference?  A macaron is a delicate, beautiful sandwich confection made with beaten egg whites and filled with a decadent butter cream center or gnache.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaron  I found it a bit confusing, when I googled French Macaroons I found recipes for Macarons.  It seems macaron and macaroon are used interchangably. 

This recipe is simple and delicious.  I think this cookie is very much like a rich piece of candy, yum!

1 14 oz. package sweetened flaked coconut
3 tablespoons flour
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 jar of maraschino cherries, halved
1 ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips (optional)

1) Preheat oven to 350’. Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper-very important!
2) Empty bag of coconut into a large mixing bowl. Measure flour into coconut and toss to coat, break up any clumps of coconut.
3) Add vanilla and pour condensed milk over coconut mixture. Mix well.
4) Using a 1 ½ teaspoon cookie scoop, portion out onto parchment paper, being sure to level off when scooping to make for evenly sized cookies. There is no leavening in this cookie, so you can place them pretty close together on your sheet.
5) Top cookie with a halved maraschino cherry.
6) Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, slide entire sheet of cookies off of baking sheet onto cooling rack. Cool completely.
7) Pour chocolate chips in a microwaveable glass dish, shallow enough to dip the bottoms of your cookies into. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between, do not over heat chocolate, it will burn! You want to stir until smooth and all chips seem to be melted. It does not have to be hot.
8) Carefully dip each cookie bottom into the chocolate and place right back onto your parchment paper. Allow chocolate to set. To move the process along, you can place the entire sheet in your refrigerator. When they’re set you’re good! They can be packaged or put onto a tray without mess.

Enjoy!

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