Tag Archives: recipes

cooking

I Love a Picnic

June 24, 2009 – 2:29 pm

I have picnic fever this week.  I know the old adage is to “starve a fever, feed a cold”, but I think this fever needs to be fed.  In fact, later this afternoon Ava and I will be heading over to Grand Ferry Park with an Almond Crusted Chicken Sandwich w/ Avocado Mayo and some Bean and Potato Picnic Salad.

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To make the sandwich … After coating chicken breasts with egg yolk, dip into a mixture of panko bread crumbs and crushed almonds.  Place into a hot skillet that has been drizzled with olive oil and cook on each side for about 7-10 minutes.  While it’s cooking, mash up half an avocado into 2 tbs of mayonnaise and a squirt of lemon juice.  Place chicken on croissant and add sliced red onion, fresh basil leaves, sliced avocado and the avocado mayo.  YUM.

To make the salad … Cut 4-6 red potatoes into bite sized chunks and boil for about 10 minutes [until tender].  Strain potatoes and place into bowl of ice water [to stop the cooking and help potatoes hold their shape] for about 30 seconds.  Remove potatoes and place on paper towels to absorb excess water and then put them in your salad bowl.  While potatoes are boiling, snap off the ends of some fresh greens beans and boil for about four minutes, then place them into ice water and leave them sit for a few [this will keep the color and texture crisp] before drying and adding to salad bowl.  Rinse and strain can of white beans and add to bowl.  Now, chop up some red onion or scallions, fresh flat leaf parsley and/or cilantro and toss that in with 1 tbs of garlic paste [optional].  Stir in 2-3 tbs of mayo, a squirt of dijon mustard, some lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.  OR just drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  This salad can be served warm or cold!

Whether you are planning a picnic or not, these recipes are perfect for a warm summer’s day…

Chicken, Brie, & Pear Sandwich w/ Balsamic Onions

Click on Image for Recipe from Greedy Gourmet

chickenpear

Spinach & Strawberry Salad w/ Walnuts & Goat Cheese

Click on Image for Recipe from The Cosmic Cowgirl

strawberrysalad

Maple Snickerdoodles

Click on Image for Recipe from Little Spoon Eats

snickerdoodles

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cooking

What Can I Make for Dinner?

June 10, 2009 – 12:43 pm

Now that I have a seventh month old crawling around the house dinners don’t just have to be delicious, they also need to be fast and easy.  I try to get most of my prep work finished during Ava’s afternoon nap.  [Yesterday, for example, I chopped up tomatoes, garlic, basil, cilantro, and scallions for a salsa to pile onto our tacos later that night.]  Several times a week I find myself staring into the refrigerator trying to figure out what I can make out of what we have left.  Sometimes it can be a challenge, but it’s also a great way to come up with new and interesting recipes.  Here are four things that help me in my quest to put tasty, healthy, and quick dinners on the table:

1.  Fresh Produce. Having fresh herbs, vegetables, and fruits on hand is one of the simplest ways to add flavor to your dishes.  Nothing beats the taste of straight from nature goodness.

2.  The Freezer. Sometimes I make a little extra just so I can freeze leftovers to use when I am really in a pinch.  I also freeze sauces, soups, and varieties of chopped up veggies so I always have what I need.

3.  Pantry Staples. There are certain things I always need to have in my pantry … vegetable stock, black beans, white beans, green chilies, tortilla shells, panko bread crumbs, dried herbs and a variety of spices, olive oil, vinegar, and brown rice.  Each person needs different staples … think about what you use most often and make sure it’s always stocked.  The last thing you need is to go for one of your ‘Old Faithful’ recipes only to find you are out of one of the key ingredients.

4.  Inspiration. Seeing food, reading about food, and of course smelling and tasting it … but when I can’t get to the market or need a little nudge in the right direction, there are a few sites I go where I know something will inspire me.  One of those sites is Smitten Kitchen.  The images are mouthwatering, the recipes are inventive, and the writing is entertaining.  And you don’t just get a photo of the finished product … you get to see the whole cooking process [love that!].  Visit the site for these recipes and more!

Romaine Pesto & Egg-Stuffed Tomatoes

Click on image for recipe

tomatoromaine

Blueberry Crumb Bars

Click on image for recipe

blueberrycrumb1

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cooking life

What Can You Eat if You Can’t Eat Wheat?

June 3, 2009 – 2:14 am

Today’s topic was inspired by a family friend who just found out that she has to go on a wheat free diet [much to her dismay].  I thought about all of the foods I eat each week that contain wheat and understood her frustration.  Angie, this post is for you.

Many people confuse a wheat free diet with gluten free. Gluten is a type of protein found in wheat, rye, and barley, but not in grains like corn, wild rice, and buckwheat [to name a few].  Wheat free products can contain gluten and gluten free products can contain wheat and figuring what you can eat and what you cannot can be tricky.  Wheat starch [with the gluten removed] is used in some products and some makers of gluten free goods use wheat in their manufacturing facilities.  Wheat, gluten, wheat, gluten AAARRRHHH… stay with me, you can do this!  Be sure to read your labels carefully and do your research.

While wheat is most commonly found in foods such as bread and pasta as well as some soups and sauces that contain wheat flour, there are alternatives.  Here is a Wheat Free Pizza Crust Recipe using rice and tapioca flour from WheatFree.org [they have tons of info and recipes on their site!].

Click on image for recipe

wheat-gluten-free-pizza-crust

Not a cook?  No worries.  I found this great site, aptly named The Really Great Food Company,  to order Gluten, Wheat, Soy, and Casein Free doughs, mixes, condiments, pastas, etc. online [and the prices are reasonable too!].

reallygreat

Another great site for recipes is Healthy Green Kitchen.  Just search “wheat free” on their site and loads of delicious goodies, like these Wheat Free Dark Chocolate Cupcakes pop up!

Click image for recipe

darkchocolatecupcakes2

And there are plenty of helpful Wheat Free Cookbooks out there, like this one by Carol Fenster, Ph.D. [available at Amazon.com]

Click image for more details

carol-fenster

So if your doctor or body tells you it’s time to stop eating wheat, don’t despair.  It will take some getting used to and you will probably find it difficult to dine out, but there are plenty of great resources out there to guide you in the right direction.  The best news?  The pizzas, pastas, breads, and sweets you thought were gone forever are still on the menu!



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cooking creativity

Too Pretty To Eat … Almost

May 20, 2009 – 3:55 am

This post is all about food that looks so good you can taste it.  My mouth is watering already.

Have It Sweet Confections is a green business in California, run by a husband [French trained pastry chef] and wife team that donates 15-25% of their monthly profits to Kiva and they buy a tree from Plant a Billion Trees for every $20 spent in their store.  As if these confections themselves were not enough to die for.  Love them!

marshmellows

caramel

And one of my favorite sites for beautiful food is TasteSpotting, a “visual potluck” where you can register and submit delicious things like these…

Mango, Red Pepper, & Cilantro Salad

Click on picture for recipemangosalsa

Crunchy Brown Rice Salad w/ Dill

Click on picture for recipebrownricesalad

And don’t miss out on SEASALTWITHFOOD, one of my favorite foodie blogs.  The photos are beautiful and the recipes are a collection of tastes from all over the world.  YUM.

Popcorn Shrimps

Click on picture for recipepopcornshrimp

Pasta Salad with Roasted Tomatoes

Click on picture for recipe

pastasalad

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cooking

It’s Wednesday and “I’m Hungry”

May 13, 2009 – 2:45 am

I love cooking, but I’m not very good at sticking to a recipe.  I like to just look in the fridge, see what I have on hand and come up with something [hopefully] delicious.  I don’t have time for elaborate dinners or ingredient heavy dishes, so I try to keep meals healthy, flavorful, and most importantly simple.  Today’s recipe is for a refreshing Green Apple Salsa that can be used several different ways.

original recipe

GREEN APPLE SALSA – recipe by Shannon Young
[serves 3-4ppl]
1 green apple
1/2 large red onion
1 cucumber
Handful of fresh chopped cilantro
[salt, pepper, lemon juice to taste]

Dice or lightly food process [you want it to be slightly chunky] ingredients and serve on pita or tortilla chips!

OR

Toss a few spoonfuls back into the processor for a couple more pulses, then mix with a tablespoon or two of mayonnaise for a crisp and tangy sandwich accompaniment!

OR

Mix a few spoonfuls of the salsa into your ground beef, chicken, or turkey [I made it with my turkey burgers last night and it was delicious] to give your burger some flair!

OR

Add about 1 cup of plain yogurt and liquefy for a great springtime chilled soup!  Chop up some fresh dill or mint and toss that in too if you have it handy!

I hope you enjoy this recipe.  Check back every Wednesday for more cooking related features!  Have an original recipe you think my readers or I will like?  Email me!  Bon Apetit!

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