beet, blue cheese, and almond salad

Feeling a little adventurous? Try this beet salad. It adds gorgeous color to your menu.

serves 6

Ingredients

7 medium beets (21/2 lbs)

1 clove garlic

salt

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

3/4 tsp. ground black pepper

8 oz. blue cheese

1/4 cup sliced or chopped almonds

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1. Trim and peel the beets. Cut 6 in bite-size pieces. Place in a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water. Cover and steam 20-25 minutes until tender.

2. Coarsely grate the remaining beet; place in a large bowl. For a dressing mash garlic with a pinch of salt to a paste (it helps to mince then scrape the flat side of a knife over it in both directions); add to grated beet along with the oil, lemon juice, 1 tsp. salt, and the pepper. 

3. When the beets are cooked, toss them with the dressing. Cool to room temperature or chill in refrigerator.

4. Crumble blue cheese over the salad and sprinkle with almonds and parsley.

lemony chicken pan roast with zucchini and feta

This was delicious (and I am not just saying that). I found this recipe while paging through my Food and Wine magazine and it looked good so onto the meal plan it went. It tasted even better than I thought it would. All the flavors worked so well together. What could be better than a simple recipe and only handful of fresh ingredients?

And, if you don't care for olives don't pass up this recipe, just omit the olives (although I really think you should rethink your distaste :)

makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 chicken thighs or 4 large chicken breasts (can be bone in or boneless)
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2-2 lbs small zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
1 large lemon, cut into eights (or a couple small, quartered)
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp chopped oregano
1/4 lb feta cheese, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (I used half plain and half greek herb)

1. Preheat the oven to 450. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add it to the skillet, and cook over high heat, turning once, until golden and crisp, about 5-6 minutes.
2. Transfer the chicken to a large roasting pan. Add the zucchini, lemon and olives to the skillet and cook over high heat until zucchini and lemon are lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and oregano and season with salt and pepper.
3. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the roasting pan and arrange around the chicken. Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a knife.
4. Preheat the broiler. Scatter the feta on top of the chicken and zucchini and broil for 1-2 minutes, until lightly browned and beginning to melt. Serve with crusty bread. Yum!

grilled zucchini and peaches with macadamia cream

This dish is equally good served warm or cold. A perfect summer side dish or light dinner on its own

makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
3 zucchini (1 1/2 pounds total. I used green and gray), sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick
3 peaches or nectarines, halved
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
2 Tbsp finely chopped mint
2 Tbsp macadamia nuts toasted (I did them in a 300°F oven for about 7 minutes) and coarsely chopped
*macadamia cream (recipe follows, start this the night before.)

1. Light a grill. Brush zucchini and peaches with half the oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over moderate heat until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Cut the peaches in wedges. Stack zucchini and slice lengthwise into thin ribbons.
2. In a bowl, toss the zucchini with the parsley, mint, and remaining 1/8 cup oil. Transfer to a platter and top with peaches and chopped nuts. Add drizzle (or dollops) of macadamia cream and serve.

*macadamia cream
1/2 cup macadamia nuts
1 cup water
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp agave nectar
1/2 tsp xanthan gum (if you don't have any like me, substitute 1 Tbsp corn starch and see alternate instructions, step 3b)

1. In a bowl, cover the nuts with water. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature overnight.
2. Pour the nuts and water into a blender and puree. Strain the nut milk through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much milk as possible.
3. Rinse out blender and return strained milk to it. Add the lime juice and agave nectar.
a. With the machine still on, add the xanthan gum and blend until the cream is light and airy, about 1 minute.
b.  If you are using cornstarch, mix 1 Tbsp cornstarch with 1 Tbsp of the milk. Heat remaining milk in pan and whisk in the cornstarch mix. simmer until thickened. Cool in refrigerator. This makes the cream into more of a pudding consistency, but is still tastes great.

strawberry-blueberry coconut popsicles

this tasty popsicle recipe is super easy and very healthy too!

Ingredients:
makes about 12 popsicles


1 cup fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 can coconut milk
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup honey

5 oz Dixie cups
wooden popsicle sticks

1. Add strawberries, blueberries, coconut milk, apple juice and honey to a blender and puree until smooth. Pour mixture into cups, filling 2/3 of the way. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
2. Insert sticks and continue to freeze until the popsicles are completely frozen, about 6 hours.

when you are ready to enjoy, cut or tear the Dixie cups off the popsicles.

I am pretty sure that this recipe would be equally good substituting raspberries or blackberries for either of the other fruits.

strawberry shortcake popsicles

these yummy layered treats are fun to make and eat with the kids (or by yourself)

Ingredients:

makes 12 popsicles

2 cups fresh strawberries, washed and hulled

1/2 cup crushed Nilla wafers

2 cups plain whole milk yogurt

1/3 cup honey (more if desired)

12 5 oz Dixie cups

12 wooden popsicle sticks

1. In a medium bowl, combine the crushed Nilla wafers, yogurt, and honey. Fill each Dixie cup with 2 Tbsp of the yogurt mixture. Set in the freezer to chill for 30 minutes.

2. In a blender or food processor, puree the berries. Add a little honey if the berries are not sweet enough. Divide among the 12 cups and freeze for another 30 minutes.

3. Divide the remaining yogurt mixture among the cups, add a popsicle stick to each one, and chill completely (several hours).

To serve, just cut or tear the cup off.

Strawberry salad with candied almonds and strawberry balsamic vinaigrette

As you can tell from the title, this salad is mouthwatering.  Local strawberries really make this combination so perfect! The recipe calls for goat cheese. I really really want to be a fan of the stuff because there are so many delicious recipes that use it. I am still working on it. If you are in the same boat just substitute goat cheese for another kind.

 Ingredients:
(amounts aren't exact, just use what you think is right for how many servings you need)
mixed greens
chevre (goat cheese)
strawberries, sliced
strawberry balsamic vinaigrette (recipe follows)
candied almonds (recipe follows)

arrange desired amounts of each ingredient on separate plates or toss in a large bowl.

Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette (makes about 1/2 cup)
5 large strawberries
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp maple syrup or honey
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
-combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor

Candied Almonds
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp water
1/4 cup sliced almonds
-sprinkle brown sugar in a skillet set over medium heat. As it heats up add the water to help in dissolve. When the water boils off you will notice that the bubbles will start to thicken and turn darker. When the mixture turns thick add in the almonds. Toss to coat and allow to cool.

mint and melon salad

This may be the easiest recipe you will ever make.
It requires only a few ingredients and is delicious and refreshing; a perfect summer salad

serves 6-8

Ingredients:
1 small cantaloupe
1 small honeydew
juice of 1 lime
handful of mint leaves, cut into slivers

1. Cut the melons in half, remove seeds and make melon balls with a melon baller (or you can cut into bite sized chunks if you don't have one). Place melon in bowl and refrigerate until cold and ready to serve.
2. Drizzle with the lime juice and toss to evenly coat. Sprinkle with mint and toss lightly.

whole wheat flax tortillas

these are super healthy and tasty too of course. They work great for quesadillas or wraps

If you are like me you can sometimes get frustrated when looking for healthy products. My eyes are constantly being opened when I actually read the ingredient list. Even what may at first appear to be heathy and is promoted as such can be full of preservatives. Ideally we would all make most everything from scratch, but who has the time for that? (at least not all the time!) Here is one thing that is pretty easy to make at home and you can save extra in the fridge or freezer.

makes 8 tortillas

Ingredients: 

3 cups whole wheat flour

3 Tbsp ground flax seeds*

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

3 tsp oil (I used coconut)

1 cup warm water

seasoning if desired (you can add herbs, spices, garlic. I softened some rosemary with a rolling pin before adding)

1. Mix dry ingredients together. Add wet and kneed until not too stiff.

2. Wrap dough ball and let stand 10 minutes. Separate into 8 pieces and form into balls. Cover and let stand 10 minutes.

3. Roll out into 10" rounds. Stack on a plate and cover so they don't dry out.

4. Preheat pan or griddle to med-high, cook dough on ungreased surface, flipping when air pockets form, piercing bubbles. Cook until golden.

*use a blender to grind up whole flax seeds

grilled corn on the cob

This was my first attempt at grilling corn. It does take just a tiny bit of extra work and some extra time, but  the corn does turn out very well. There is no need to remove any of the silk, except for the stuff on the top. It all comes right off with the husk after cooking.

1. Soak corn (in husk) in water for at least an hour and up to several hours.
2. Preheat grill to med-high. Remove corn from water and let excess water drain out the top. Place directly on grill. Grill for 25-30 minutes, turning every 5 minutes. If some husk falls off remove it.
3. They will stay hot for up to 30 minutes while in the husk. Here are some ideas of what to do with them:

1. Self serve: have everyone husk their own and add desired toppings.
2. Husk and brush with butter, minced fresh basil, salt and pepper
3. Mexican street corn: Brush with *mayo (or butter), sprinkle with grated *parmesan, minced cilantro, chile powder, salt and pepper. The toppings like to fall off so press them on as best as you can and sprinkle what falls off on top. Serve with lime wedges.

don't get scared if the outside gets quite charred, the husk protects all the kernels and keeps them juicy

*while I'm not a huge fan of the stuff and used to avoid it at all costs, I now see that it does have a purpose. My husband, who loves mayo, of course loved it on the corn. I would like to make my own more often (I can say that since I have made it once). It isn't too difficult and you can choose what type of oil goes into it.

*this is a substitute for the traditional queso fresco or cotija. I don't know if these are easily found. You could also try feta.

corn and crab salad

This recipe is a simple and refreshingly light side dish

serves 4

1. Boil water in a large pot and add 3 ears of husked corn. Cook 2-3 minutes. Allow to cool then cut off kernels from cob.
2. Stir together:
the juice from 1/2 a lemon
several finely snipped basil leaves
a spoonful of mayo
dash of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
3. Add:
corn
1/2 lb lump crab meat
some halved cherry tomatoes.
top with additional basil and serve chilled