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Light Bleu Cheese Dressing or Dip…..

Posted by on July 14, 2010

You simply have to try this dressing/dip recipe.  It is absolutely delicious….no kidding, it’s my favorite.  Compare this ingredient list to any bottled you’ve tried..made with real ingredients.  This will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator, although I doubt it will last that long!  Get your hands on some heirloom mini tomatoes, aren’t they beautiful?  Try dipping spicy chicken wings in this dip, fantastic!!!

Bleu Cheese Dressing or Dip
1 cup plain low fat yogurt
2 tablespoons sour cream, use light if you wish
2 tablespoons olive oil mayonnaise, or any you may have
¼ cup bleu cheese crumbles
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate. Serve with crudités (fancy word for cut veggies) or use as a salad dressing. Great for dipping spicy chicken wings! Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Makes about 1 1/4 cup.

*add a little milk if it’s too thick for salad dressing

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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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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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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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Grilled Chicken Salad with Jicama and Fresh Lime Cilantro Dressing…..

Posted by on May 5, 2010

This salad is delicious and satisfying.  There are many different flavors that come together beautifully with the lime cilantro dressing.   Elegant enough to serve guests for dinner.  Make the dressing, tortilla strips, and prep the salad ahead of time.  Grill the corn and chicken just before serving.  You can use frozen white corn, thawed, if you wish.  It seems there is always a few ears of corn leftover after a typical summer dinner.  Use them in this salad, deeeeelish!

Grilled chicken salad with jicama and lime cilantro dressing

For the tortilla strips:
8 corn tortillas, cut into ¼” strips
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 pinches salt

1) Preheat oven to 350’. Foil line a cookie sheet, place strips in center and drizzle with canola oil, toss gently. Sprinkle with salt and toss to evenly coat. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning half way through.  Store in zip bag if you have any leftover.

For the salad:

1 head of romaine lettuce, thoroughly cleaned, drained, and cut into bite size pieces
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 14 oz. can black beans, rinsed and thoroughly drained
1 small jicama, peeled and diced
2-3 ears of fresh cooked corn, grilled and cut off the cob (directions below)
4 oz. montery jack cheese, shredded

1) Combine the vegetables in a large bowl. When you’re ready to serve, pour dressing over salad and toss gently to coat.  Top with shredded cheese, sliced cooked chicken and tortilla strips.  Makes four servings.

For the dressing:

1 small bunch fresh cilantro, thoroughly cleaned and chopped
1 cup fat free plain yogurt
½ cup fresh or bottled lime juice
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend well.  Store in refrigerator until you’re ready to use.

FOR THE GRILL

2- 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 ears leftover corn on the cob, or 2 cups frozen white corn, thawed
2-4  teaspoons canola oil
Salt and pepper

1)  Put 1 teaspoon of canola oil in your hand and rub evenly over corn.  Season with salt and pepper.  Grill over medium high heat about 10 minutes, turning often, just to give it some color and grill flavor.  When cool enough to handle, hold corn straight up over cutting board and cut corn off cob with a serrated knife. 

2)   Coat chicken breasts with canola oil, salt, and pepper.  Cook over medium heat until juices run clear or internal temperature reaches 170′.  Slice into thin strips.

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Best Boiled Eggs….. Light and Creamy Egg Salad…..

Posted by on March 13, 2010

It seems so simple, but do you have a fool proof way to boil eggs?  My mother-in-law Patricia, shared how she makes hard boiled eggs.  I do this every time and they are always perfect.  Thank you Patricia!!

Eggs are the best, purest protein.  This egg salad is very good because it isn’t loaded with mayonnaise.  You do not miss the extra mayo and the yogurt gives it a slight “tang.”   Serve open faced on a slice of toasted whole grain bread over a bed of spinach.  Delish!!

6 large eggs
½ cup plain non fat yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
2 tablespoons minced red onion
2 large stalks minced celery stalks
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon celery seeds

1) To boil eggs, fill pan that has a lid with cold water, add eggs. Place over high heat, bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and cover with lid. Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Drain hot water and fill pan with cold water to cool. Once cool, peel.
2) In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, mayonnaise, and mustard.  Add onion through celery seeds, mix well.  Taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary.   (This is the best time to taste and adjust seasoning due to the delicate nature of the eggs.)  Chop eggs and add to bowl, stir gently until just blended.  Refrigerate immediately in an air tight container.  Salad will keep nicely refrigerated for 3-4 days.  Gently stir before serving.

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Lemon Whole Wheat Couscous, Greek Salad…..

Posted by on March 8, 2010

This simple side pairs well with fish or chicken.  It is versitile and extremely quick.

1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup water
Lemon juice and zest from one lemon
1 cup whole wheat couscous
Zest of one lemon
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1) Using a micro-plane, zest entire lemon, removing all bright yellow rind. Set aside. Juice the lemon and add to 2 cup liquid measure. Add water to measure 1 ¼ cup. Set aside.
2) In medium sized sauce pan over medium heat, add olive oil and onion, cook about 5 minutes. Add water and juice mixture. Bring to a boil. Add couscous, remove from heat, and cover. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. Add parsley. Serve.

Greek Salad

Lettuce
Cucumber
Tomatoes
Red onion
Kalamata olives, pitted
Feta cheese, crumbled

Vinaigrette

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Put all dressing ingredients together in an air tight plastic container and shake well.  Pour sparingly over salad to lightly coat.  Taste.  You may have to season with additional salt and pepper.

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This week’s "UFO"…..Unidentified Food Object

Posted by on February 20, 2010

Isn’t this a beautiful vegetable?  I could see this with a few other vegetable varieties as a center piece.  Look for bright and fresh leaves.  The bulb portion should be firm and white.  You can see that it somewhat resembles an onion.  It has a slight “anise” taste that resembles licorice.  It can be enjoyed cooked or raw.   I use the bulb as well as the delicate leaves.  This vegetable is fennel.
Artichoke and Fennel Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

This salad is a very beautiful and refreshing alternative to lettuce salads.   The slight anise flavor blends very well with the gentle tasting artichoke.  The lemon vinaigrette, green, onions and fresh parsely add great flavor as well as color.  Beautiful, elegant, and delicious!  Serve alongside simply grilled salmon and brown rice pilaf….YUM!

2 fresh fennel bulbs with fronds
2 cans quartered artichokes, drained
3 tablespoons parsley, washed and chopped
3 green onions, rinsed and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh or bottled lemon juice
2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

1) Rinse thoroughly.  Trim off the bottom of the bulb and leave about 1″ of the fronds, slice thinly, place in a large bowl. Remove the tender frawns, the deep green portion, and chop coarsely. (Do not use the celery looking stalks, they are very tough, they would be great in soup.) Add parsley and green onions.
2) In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil through the pepper. Pour over vegetables and toss gently. Taste, add additional salt and pepper if necessary.

*note-this is not a salad to be made ahead as the fennel tends to brown around the edges.   You could prepare the entire salad with the exception of the fennel and add just before serving.

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Chunky Vegetable Salad

Posted by on December 7, 2009

Use the following vegetables, washed and cut into bite size pieces, you can use whatever you like.  The brighter the better, a nice alternative to the typical vegetable tray, it’s a very festive looking dish for your table.

1-2 heads of broccoli
1 head cauliflower
2 seeded cucumbers, skin intact
2 pints of grape or cherry tomatoes
1 red onion, sliced into thin wedges
2 large carrots, peeled
2 large stalks of celery

Combine all vegetables in a large mixing bowl.  Generously drizzle olive oil over vegetables, about ¼ cup.  Mix well.  Season with 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon granulated or powdered garlic, 2 teaspoons dried oregano.  Toss to evenly distribute seasonings.  Splash about 2 tablespoons red wine or cider vinegar over veggies and mix well.  You can keep in the refrigerator for a day or two before your party, the vegetables will marinate.

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Red Cabbage & Avocado Salad

Posted by on November 16, 2009

This is one of my favorite salads, it’s fresh, delicious and easy to prepare. Red cabbage has the same heart healthy benefits as green cabbage with the added photochemical that acts as an antioxidant that can improve memory & protect against cancer. It is very easy to get your daily vegetable requirements with a salad like this!

RECIPE:
1 small head of red cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup frozen petite green peas, thawed
½ small red onion, finely chopped
1 avocado, pitted & cut into small chunks
2 T. olive oil
1 T. cider vinegar
½ t. granulated garlic
Salt & pepper to taste

Combine first four ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle olive oil over cabbage and gently toss. Add granulated garlic, a couple of pinches of salt and a pinch of black pepper, gently toss. Add vinegar and gently mix well. Taste before serving and adjust seasoning if needed.

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