Greek Pasta Salad

This is a dinner idea that I came up with because I had leftover whole wheat pasta and I wanted to create a fresh healthy dish. I had each of these ingredients already in my kitchen so the pasta salad came together quite easily. The only ingredient that I didn't have on hand was cucumber but it would make a very nice addition to this salad and I will definitely include it next time. This pasta salad makes 4-6 servings and a delicious lunch the next day!

 

Recipe:

½ pound cooked whole wheat pasta

1 can artichoke hearts, quartered

1 can white beans

½ jar Kalamata olives, halved

15 cherry tomatoes, halved

½ red onion, diced

crumbled goat cheese

shaved Parmesan cheese

extra-virgin olive oil

balsamic dressing

salt and pepper

1. Combine pasta, artichoke hearts, Kalamata olives, tomatoes, red onion and goat cheese in a large bowl. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over everything and combine well. Sprinkle a fair amount of salt and pepper over pasta salad for seasoning.
2. Dress pasta salad with balsamic dressing. Drizzle only enough to coat the ingredients, too much will sit at the bottom of the bowl. Stir well and top with a small amount of shaved Parmesan cheese. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
3. Serve over a bed of arugula.

A couple notes:

As I mentioned above, cucumber would be a great addition to this salad if you have it on hand.

Feta cheese would be a great substitute for the goat cheese in this dish.

Store leftovers in an air-tight container and enjoy for lunch the next day!

Enjoy!

Turkey Tetrazzini and Garlic Carrots

This recipe is an excellent way to use leftover turkey or chicken. After making a couple turkey sandwiches I still had leftover thanksgiving turkey so this recipe was perfect and my turkey didn't have to go to waste. I found this recipe on the Cooking Light website and I made it my own by using Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Rotini pasta. This recipe will make enough for 2 casseroles and included directions for freezing them if you would like. The garlic carrots were a fantastic fresh side dish! Easy to make and adds beautiful color to your dinner plate!

Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe:

1 tablespoon butter

Cooking Spray

1 cup finely chopped onion

2/3 cup finely chopped celery

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¾ teaspoon salt

3 (8 ounce) packages presliced mushrooms

½ cup sherry

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

3 (14.5 ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

2 ¼ cups (9 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided

½ cup (4 ounces) 1/3 less fat cream cheese

7 cups hot cooked vermicelli (about 1 pound uncooked pasta)

4 cups chopped cooked turkey (about 1 ½ pounds)

1 (1 ounce) slice white bread

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt butter in large stockpot coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, pepper, salt and mushrooms; saute 4 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add sherry, cook 1 minute.
3. Lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup; level with a knife. Gradually add flour to pan, cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly (mixture will be thick) with a whisk. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
4. Add 1 ¾ cups Parmesan cheese and cream cheese, stirring with a whisk until cream cheese melts. Add the pasta and turkey, and stir until blended. Divide the pasta mixture between 2 (8 inch square) baking dishes coated with cooking spray.
5. Place bread in food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs form. Combine breadcrumbs and ½ cup Parmesan cheese; sprinkle evenly over pasta mixture.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove casserole from oven; let stand 15 minutes.

If you would like to freeze this casserole:

1. To freeze unbaked casserole: prepare through Step 5. Cool completely in refrigerator. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing to remove as much air as possible. Wrap with heavy-duty foil. Store in freezer for up to 2 months.
2. To prepare frozen unbaked casserole: Thaw casserole complete in refrigerator (about 24 hours). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove foil; reserve foil. Remove plastic wrap; discard wrap. Cover casserole with reserved foil; bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake at additional 1 hour or until golden and bubble. Let stand 15 minutes.

A couple notes:

This recipe will provide 2 casseroles. I only used half of the pasta the recipe calls for because I didn't feel a whole pound of pasta was necessary.

I used a 10 ounce package of mushrooms instead of 3 (8 ounce) packages. I reduced the amount of mushrooms because I reduced the amount of pasta in the recipe.

I substituted vegetable broth for chicken broth.

I also added slightly less cream cheese and Parmesan cheese because of the reduction in other ingredients.

Garlic Carrot Recipe:

1 pound baby carrots

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

¼ cup hot water

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

dash pepper

1. In a skillet, saute carrots and garlic in oil for 5 minutes. Add water, salt, thyme and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 8-12 minutes or until carrots are tender.

A couple notes:

I prefer to use whole carrots opposed to baby carrots. I find their flavor to much sweeter and fresh!

If you prefer your carrots to be slightly crunchy, be sure to remove from heat after about 7-8 minutes.

Enjoy!

Macadamia Butter Cookies with Dried Cranberries

Yum! I was looking for a dessert recipe that included dried cranberries as one of the ingredients. I specifically chose this recipe because it included macadamia nuts. Combining the rich creamy flavor of the macadamia nuts with the tartness of the dried cranberries these cookies turned out to be fantastic!

 

Recipe:

2/3 cup macadamia nuts

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ cup sweetened dried cranberries, chopped

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place nuts in a food processor; process until smooth (about 2 minutes), scraping sides of bowl once. Combine macadamia butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add vanilla and egg; beat well.
3. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and ground nutmeg, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed just until combined (mixture will be very thick). Stir in chopped cranberries. Chill 10 minutes.
4. Divide chilled dough into 30 equal portions; roll each portion into a ball. Place 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in a small bowl. Lightly press each ball into sugar; place each ball, sugar side up, on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
5. Gently press the top of each cookie with a fork. Dip the fork with water; gently press the top of each cookie again to form a crisscross pattern. Place 15 cookies on each of 2 baking sheets.
6. Bake cookies, 1 baking sheet at a time, at 375 degrees for 9 minutes or until golden. Remove cookies from pan; cool on a wire rack. Repeat procedure with remaining cookies.

A couple notes:

The dough was more crumbly than the recipe said it would be which made it harder to form into small balls. Next time I may tweak the recipe a bit to use less flour.

Instead of dividing the dough into 30 portions, I divided it into 20 portions. This made the cookies a bit bigger. They took about 11 minutes in the oven to turn golden brown.

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Dinner

This year was the first year I was really involved with cooking Thanksgiving dinner. I searched for delicious healthy recipes that the whole family could enjoy. We were lucky to have gorgeous weather this year. 72 degrees outside provided the perfect environment to grill our Thanksgiving turkey. My dad and I grilled a turkey a couple of weeks ago as a test run for the big day. You can read about our method in my post titled “Grilled Turkey”. We used the same process except we used fresh herbs instead of dried. Paired with my homemade cranberry sauce it was spectacular! Our side dishes included Green Bean Casserole, Sweet Potato Casserole, Sage Stuffing and homemade Cranberry Sauce. Recipes for each dish are posted here on my blog.

 

I paired this years Thanksgiving dinner with a bottle of Tablas Creek Vineyard 2006 Espirit De Beaucastel. The wine is based on the dark red fruit, earth, spice and mid-palate richness of Mourvedre, with additions of Grenache for forward fruit, approachability and lushness, Syrah for mineral, aromatics, and back-palate tannins, and Counoise for brambly spice and acidity. I purchased this wine from their winery in Paso Robles almost a year ago during a wine tasting trip. This is without a doubt one of the best wineries in the Paso Robles region!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Sage Stuffing

This Thanksgiving was my first time making homemade stuffing. I was surprised how easy it turned out to be. This recipe serves 8 to 10 people so I cut it in half to serve 4 to 5 guests. I didn't have fresh herbs on hand so I used dried and the taste was still aromatic and festive. 

Recipe:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 stalks celery cut into small dice

1 medium onion cut into small dice

2 teaspoons fresh chopped sage

2 tablespoons minced thyme

½ teaspoon caraway seed

4 cups chicken stock

Salt and Pepper to taste

10 – 12 dried bread cubes

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt the butter in a 10 inch fry pan. Add the celery and onion and saute for 5 minutes.
3. Add sage, thyme and caraway seeds and saute for a minute.
4. Place the bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. Add the sauteed ingredients and the chicken stock to the bread cubes and combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Place all ingredients in a casserole dish and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the top is golden brown.

A couple notes:

I substituted vegetable broth for chicken broth.

I didn't have caraway seed on hand so I omitted it from the recipe.

I used sourdough bread for the bread cubes.

Combine the bread cubes and stock well so that the stock doesn't sit at the bottom of the dish and make the bottom half gooey.

I added 2 stalks of celery even though I cut the recipe in half. The taste, color and crunch was fantastic and fresh.

Enjoy!

Cranberry Sauce

I really wanted to make my own cranberry sauce this year instead of using the traditional canned sauce. This recipe was simple and tasted so sweet and delicious with turkey! I found this recipe on the Real Simple website.

Recipe:

4 cups fresh cranberries

2 cups apple juice

¾ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon orange zest

1. Place all the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook until the liquid has slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.
3. Remove from heat, let cool, cover, and refrigerate in a serving dish.

A couple notes:

The sauce can be prepared and refrigerated up to 4 days in advance. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Casserole

I found this sweet potato casserole recipe on skinnytaste.com. I was looking for a recipe that was healthier than the traditional side dish recipe. The use of fresh sweet potatoes, golden raisins, pecans and crushed pineapple was a wonderful addition to this casserole. The recipe as written will provide 10 servings. I cut the ingredients in half to serve 4 to 5 people. Every one in the family can enjoy this dish!

 

Recipe:

2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 5 medium), peeled

½ cup golden raisins

1 teaspoon agave

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

pinch allspice

8 ounce can unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained

2 tbsp chopped pecans

1 cup mini marshmallows

1. Cut sweet potatoes into large chunks; boil potatoes in a large pot covered with water until potatoes are soft if pierced with a fork. Drain and return to the pot.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Mash the sweet potatoes and add in raisins, agave, spices, and pineapple.
4. Lightly spray a casserole dish with oil, spoon in sweet potatoes.
5. Sprinkle with pecans and marshmallows. Bake for 15 minutes.

A couple notes:

I used 1 tablespoon of brown sugar instead of the agave.

Instead of spraying the casserole dish with oil, I lightly buttered the dish.

I used a bit more than just once cup of mini marshmallows to cover the whole casserole.

Enjoy!

Green Bean Casserole

Green Bean Casserole is one of my favorite side dishes to make year-round. The recipe is easy and it always tastes good. For Thanksgiving dinner I used Trader Joe's Portabella Mushroom Soup in the place of the traditional cream of mushroom soup. The texture was much creamier and the taste was fabulous. I also added sliced almonds to this casserole that added a nice crunch.

 

Recipe:

4 cups cooked cut green beans

1 box of Trader Joe's Portabella Mushroom Soup (or 1 can of cream of mushroom soup)

½ cup milk

1 1/3 cups fried onions

¼ cup sliced almonds

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1. Mix soup, milk, green beans, almonds, salt and pepper in a 1 ½ quart casserole dish.
2. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
3. Stir, sprinkle fried onions on top. Bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Wild Rice Stuffed Squash

I was looking for a new fall recipe and this one looked tasty! Thank you Martha Stewart! This was my second time cooking with acorn squash and I'm surprised how much I like it! Great texture and flavor. For this recipe I used Basmati Rice Medley from Trader Joe's. It is a blend of Aged Indian Basmati Rice and Wild Rice with Garden Herbs and Vegetables. I also used dried cranberries instead of dried cherries to add some Thanksgiving flavor!

Recipe:

2 acorn squashes (1 ½ pounds each), halved lengthwise, seeds removed

2 tablespoons butter

1 shallot, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon dried rubbed sage

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 box (6 ounces) wild-rice blend (seasoning packet discarded)

½ cup dried cherries

½ cup pecans, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, arrange squash cut side down; cover sheet tightly with aluminum foil. Roast until tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, about 40 minutes.
   
   
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat butter over medium. Add shallot, garlic, and sage; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add rice and 1 3/4 cups water; bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until tender, without stirring, about 25 minutes. 
    
3. Remove rice from heat, and stir in cherries and pecans; season stuffing with salt and pepper. Season the inside of each squash half with salt and pepper. Dividing evenly, mound stuffing into halves, and serve.

A couple notes:

I used 6 ounces of Basmati Rice Medley and it only took about 20 minutes to cook.

Instead of dried cherries I used dried cranberries and absolutely loved the sweet flavor that they provided.

This dish needs a lot of salt and pepper! I seasoned the rice and squash separately. Also sprinkled the entire dish again before serving.

Enjoy!

Artichoke-Parmesan Crostini

This is a fantastic appetizer for parties! Very quick and easy to prepare. The taste and texture are exquisite. This Artichoke-Parmesan Crostini makes a healthy alternative to the traditional appetizers that involve sour cream and mayonnaise. 

Recipe:

8 slices (¼ inch thick) baguette

2 tablespoons olive oil

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 jar (6 ½ ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and patted dry

¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make crostini: Brush baguette slices on both sides with a total of 1 tablespoon olive oil; Season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet, and bake, turning once, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool.
   
   
2. Meanwhile, make topping: Finely chop artichokes, and combine in a bowl with Parmesan, parsley, and remaining tablespoon olive oil.
   
   
3. Dividing evenly, spoon topping onto crostini, and garnish with additional Parmesan, if desired.

A couple notes:

I found it was necessary to add a bit more olive oil to the artichoke mix than just 1 tablespoon.

I didn't add more Parmesan as a garnish, there was plenty in the mix.

Enjoy!

Honey Mustard Salmon Salad

I was browsing the Whole Foods recipe collection and found this recipe for Honey Mustard Salmon Salad. I love to eat salmon and I am always looking for new ways to prepare it because of the omega-3 benefits. The rich salmon, lightly sweet honey mustard and crisp vegetables make this fresh take more flavorful than tuna salad. This recipe stood out to me especially because it does not include mayonnaise. This is a delicious lunch or dinner idea and can be served with crackers, on multigrain sandwich bread, or on lettuce leaves. I chose to serve the salmon salad with Multigrain Pita Bite Crackers from Trader Joe's. 

Recipe:

2 tablespoons honey mustard

2 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt

1 (6 oz) can Wild Alaskan Pink Salmon, drained

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 rib celery, thinly sliced

¼ cup finely chopped red onion

1. In a large bowl, whisk together honey mustard and yogurt.
   
   
2. Add salmon, pepper, celery, and red onion and stir gently until combined.

A couple notes:

I added 2 stalks of celery instead of 1 as the recipe calls for to add more crunch.

Season with Salt and Pepper before serving.

Enjoy!

Clove Garlic Soup with Arugula Salad

Dinner nights with friends are always fun! It's even more fun trying new recipes and tasting the result of an evening full of cooking and laughter. My friend found this recipe for Clove Garlic Soup in Whole Living magazine so we decided to give it a try! Living so close to the Garlic Capital of the World, this garlic soup recipe looked intriguing. The soup had a great creamy texture and tasted delicious. The garlic wasn't overpowering at all. Serving this soup in a whole wheat bread bowl made this dinner warm and cozy. We added a light arugula salad to the menu to add some freshness.

 

Clove Garlic Soup Recipe:

2 heads garlic, halved crosswise

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

8 ounces Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle garlic heads with oil. Wrap tightly in foil and roast until tender, about 40 minutes. Let cool, then squeeze garlic from papery skin and set aside.
   
   
2. Bring, stock, potatoes, and roasted garlic to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan.
   
   
3. Let cool slightly, then puree in a blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

A couple notes:

I substituted vegetable broth for chicken broth.

It took longer for the potatoes to become tender than the recipe mentions...about 15 to 20 minutes total.

If you would like to add some heat to the soup, sprinkle a small amount of red pepper flakes to the bottom of the bread bowl.

We added a personal touch to the salad and used the top of the bread bowls to make our own croutons. Cut into small pieces and drizzle with olive oil. Turn the oven onto broil and place croutons in oven until crispy. Add to your salad!

Enjoy!

Pumpkin-Chocolate-Chip Squares

I was in the mood to bake so this festive dessert caught my eye. I found the recipe on the Martha Stewart website. I already had all of the ingredients in my kitchen so all I had to do was turn on the oven and start the baking! 

Recipe:

2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)

1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 ¼ cups sugar

1 large egg

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13 inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides.
   
   
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
   
   
3. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled). Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
   
   
4. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan.
   
   
5. Lift cake from pan (using foil as an aid). Peel off foil, and use a serrated knife to cut into 24 squares.

A couple notes:

If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, substitute with 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon ginger, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, and ½ teaspoon each allspice and cloves (all ground).

Enjoy!

Grilled Portabella, Grilled Asparagus, and Risotto with Champagne and Radicchio

This dinner took a bit more time to prepare than I had originally anticipated but everything tasted fantastic. Grilling portabella mushrooms is something that my friends and I have been doing for a while. It is a great substitute for meat if you are cooking for vegetarians (which a couple of my close friends are). I am used to cooking asparagus in the oven but since the barbeque was fired up I decided to grill the asparagus as well.

The risotto with champagne and radicchio was a first-time for me. I found the recipe on the Cooking Light website. This was my first time making risotto, cooking with champagne, and using radicchio as an ingredient. That's a lot of firsts! Luckily, the recipe is extremely easy to follow and you get to open a bottle of champagne in the process! For this recipe I used Mumm Napa Brut Prestige. It is a very elegant crisp refreshing champagne that added a delicate sweetness to the risotto and was perfect to drink while cooking. Just make sure you leave enough to cook with!

Grilled Portabella and Asparagus Instructions:

Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the inside of the mushroom. Drizzle olive oil and fresh lemon juice over the asparagus. Sprinkle with Salt & Pepper. I also added a small amount of Susie Q Santa Maria Valley Seasoning over both. Grill over medium heat for 12-15 minutes until tender, flipping every 5 minutes. The asparagus will cook faster than the portabella so take off the grill about 5 minutes sooner.

Risotto with Champagne and Radicchio Recipe:

3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1 cup water

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup finely chopped yellow onion

2 cups uncooked Arborio rice or other medium-grain rice

2 cups Champagne, divided

2 cups thinly sliced radicchio

1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

1 tablespoon butter

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Bring broth and 1 cup water to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.
2. Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan, and cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.
3. Add rice; cook for 2 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.
4. Stir in broth mixture, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes total). Remove from heat.
5. Stir in remaining ½ cup Champagne, radicchio, ½ cup cheese, butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve with remaining ½ cup cheese.

A couple notes:

I replaced the chicken broth with vegetable broth and used unsalted butter.

The recipe says to bring broth and 1 cup water to a simmer and do not boil. As you are adding the broth mixture to the risotto ½ cup at a time, make sure you reduce the heat of the broth mixture so that it doesn't start to boil.

Enjoy!

Grilled Artichoke

I love artichokes. I try to eat them as much as possible. At least once a week. The entire process of cooking an artichoke is completely fulfilling for me. Trimming the thorns, steaming until they reach the perfect level of tenderness, peeling and eating each leaf one at a time until you reach the heart. Every part of this process is interactive and the end result of eating a perfectly cooked artichoke is beyond satisfying.

I took cooking an artichoke one step further by firing up the barbeque. Grilling an artichoke adds so much flavor and that smokey barbeque taste. The common dip for an artichoke is mayonnaise. I'm not a huge fan of mayonnaise so I came up with my own mixture that everyone can enjoy. I combine a small spoonful of reduced fat mayonnaise, honey mustard, and Dijon. Mix them well in a small bowl and your dip is ready to go!

Instructions:

Depending on the size of your artichokes, steam for 25-45 minutes until just tender.

Cut artichoke in half and brush (or drizzle) a small amount of olive oil on each side.

Sprinkle salt and pepper over the inside of each half and your artichokes are ready to go on the grill.

Place on the barbeque over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side.

Remove from heat and serve with your dip!

Enjoy!

Salmon with Brussels Sprouts and Apples

This was a quick dinner idea that is healthy and creative. Salmon is one of the healthiest foods you can eat and fast to cook. I love to eat brussels sprouts! This recipe is quick and the apples contrast nicely with their sweetness. Together this meal is delicious and filling! I paired a nice white wine with this dinner. Clos LaChance Sauvignon Blanc. The taste is light, fruity with the perfect amount of sweetness. Clos LaChance winery is local to my hometown and produces some of the best wine in Santa Clara County. If you get a chance to try some of their wine, I highly recommend it!

 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Apples Recipe:

½ cup diced apple

8 ounces brussels sprouts (trimmed and quartered)

2 tablespoons apple cider

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
   
   
2. Combine apple and brussels sprouts in an 11 x 7–inch baking dish. Add apple cider, olive oil, minced fresh thyme, salt, and freshly ground black pepper; toss well. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until sprouts are tender.

Salmon Recipe:

1. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over your fresh salmon. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the salmon. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Instead of salt, I prefer to use my favorite seasoning, Susie Q Santa Maria Valley Seasoning.
   
   
2. Lightly wrap the salmon in foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 – 12 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through.

A couple notes:

I squeezed a small amount of fresh lemon juice over the brussels sprouts to add some fresh acidic flavor to the dish. Also, if you don't have fresh thyme, dried herbs work as well.

I chose to leave the peel on the apple but if you prefer to you can also remove the peel. Fuji apples work best in this recipe. I found that leaving the peel on added some nice color to the dish.

There are so many possibilities when seasoning salmon. I find that olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper are good alone or as a base for your seasoning. Feel free to play with your favorite flavors!

Enjoy!

Apple Crisp

I found this recipe on MarthaStewart.com and it looked warm and festive so I decided to give it a try! I usually bake brownies, cookies, breads, and muffins so this pushed me a bit out of my comfort zone. The preparation took some time but in the end it was all worth it. As this tasty dessert was baking in the oven, the whole house was filled with aromas of warm apple and cinnamon. This Apple Crisp is a heavenly warm dessert during the winter!

 

¾ cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)

¼ cup packed light-brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

3 pounds apples, such as Empire, Gala, or Braeburn, peeled, cored, & cut into ½ inch chunks

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, salt, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Cut butter into flour, using a pastry blender or two knives, until mixture is the texture of coarse meal. Add oats, and use your hands to toss and squeeze mixture until large, moist clumps form. Transfer to freezer to chill while you prepare apples. 
    
2. In another large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice, cinnamon, and remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Transfer to a shallow 2-quart baking dish, and sprinkle with topping mixture. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until golden and bubbling, 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.
   

A couple notes:

The recipe calls for ½ cup granulated sugar to be tossed into the apple mixture. I only used ¼ cup and I am happy I did. The taste was a perfect mixture of sweet and tart. More sugar might have overpowered the apples.

Enjoy!

Grilled Turkey

This was my dad's idea. He wanted to grill a turkey as a test run for Thanksgiving dinner. I didn't even know that it was possible to grill a whole turkey! I am a huge fan of barbequing but the thought never crossed my mind to barbeque a Thanksgiving turkey.

The turkey has been in the refrigerator for 3 days thawing so today was the day to grill! After we trimmed and cleaned it was time to add the seasonings. I kept it pretty simple. Inside the turkey cavity I used 3 sliced lemons, Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Sage and Salt & Pepper. I would have loved to use fresh herbs but in a pinch dried herbs worked very well. I used a generous amount of each in order to really bring out a delicious flavor.

I seasoned the outside of the turkey with Susie Q Original Santa Maria Valley Style Seasoning. This seasoning is incredible! I discovered it while I was living in San Luis Obispo and I've kept it in my cupboard ever since. It is a uniquely versatile blend of California garlic, premium salt and cracked black pepper with a whisper of parsley freshness. I've used this seasoning on almost everything and it has added amazing flavor every single time. Meat, seafood and vegetables this is by far my favorite seasoning!

My dad wanted to use the charcoal barbeque with indirect heat to really cook in as much flavor as possible. When the coals were ready we put the turkey on the grill! We added mesquite wood chips to add even more flavor. We rotated the turkey every 30 minutes. When the meat thermometer reached 165 degrees the turkey was ready! We took it off the grill and let it sit for 15 minutes. Next, it was time to carve and serve!

This grilled turkey was juicy and delicious! Weather-permitting, we will be barbequing our Thanksgiving turkey without a doubt. Every ingredient and element of this grilling adventure worked perfectly! The lemons and herbs added great flavor and the barbeque added a light smokey flavor to the skin. The meat, both white and dark, was beyond juicy. I highly recommend this cooking technique! 

Enjoy!

Wedge Salad and Curried Carrot Soup

Let me start by saying that I LOVE wedge salads! One of my favorite local restaurants has a wedge salad on their menu and I order it every single time I dine there (which is quite often). I've never made one at home so I thought this would be the perfect time to try! I really wanted to make this wedge salad my own so I decided to make the blue cheese dressing myself. I found the recipe on EatingWell.com.

Since I seem to be on a soup kick lately, I decided to make another soup. I've haven't used curry in any of my cooking so far but I love the flavor so this Curried Carrot Soup caught my eye. I found this recipe at MarthaStewart.com.

I paired a light red wine with this dinner, Peachy Canyon “Incredible Red” Zinfandel. Another discovery out of Paso Robles, that is fantastic. Can be paired with almost any food, it is light enough to drink with a salad and soup or can stand up to a steak. Excellent with a variety of foods and one of my favorite go-to wines!

Recipes:

Blue Cheese Dressing for Wedge Salad

1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/3 cup nonfat buttermilk, or nonfat milk
1/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar, or white vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese (1 ounce)

1. Whisk mayonnaise, buttermilk (or milk), yogurt, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a medium bowl until smooth. Add cheese and stir, mashing with spoon until the cheese is incorporated.
   

Curried Carrot Soup
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon curry powder
Coarse sald and ground pepper
3 ½ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

1. Heat butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, curry powder, 2 teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add broth, and 3 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.
   
3. In a blender, puree soup in batches until smooth; transfer to a clean saucepan. Add more wather to thin to desired consistency. Reheat, if necessary. Stir in lemon juice.
   

A couple notes:

I love the flavor of blue cheese. In my opinion, this recipe could use a tiny bit less Dijon mustard and a little more blue cheese. The blue cheese crumbles were also a bit hard to mash so I suggest leaving them out on the counter for a few minutes to help them soften before adding them into the mixture.

The Curried Carrot Soup was much more sweet that I originally anticipated. The curry powder offered great flavor but I would have liked a little more kick. If you like some heat, adding red pepper flakes to this recipe should do the trick!

Enjoy!

Salmon Cakes with Creamy Dill Sauce

I made this recipe a couple weeks ago and it was so simple and healthy I wanted to share with everyone. I found these recipes at EatingWell.com. I love salmon because it is simple to cook and so good for you. This was my first time using canned salmon and I was pleasantly surprised how tasty it was. The Creamy Dill Sauce had so much flavor and combined perfectly with the Salmon Cakes. Serve over a mixed green salad and you have a complete balanced meal that everyone will enjoy! I paired this delicious dinner with one of my favorite white wines, Edna Valley Chardonnay. Smooth and crisp, this wine is full of fruit flavors including peach, pear, apricot, and pineapple. Added a fresh aromatic element to this delightful dinner!

Recipe:

Salmon Cakes

3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely diced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

15 ounces canned salmon, drained

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 ¾ cups fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 lemon, cut into wedges

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Heat 1 ½ teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in parsley; remove from heat.
3. Place salmon in a medium bowl. Flake apart with a fork; remove any bones and skin. Add egg and mustard; mix well. Add the onion mixture, breadcrumbs and pepper; mix well. Shape the mixture into 8 patties, about 1 ½ inches wide.
4. Heat remaining 1 ½ teaspoons oil in the pan over medium heat. Add 4 patties and cook until the undersides are golden, 2-3 minutes. Using a wide spatula, turn them over onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining patties.
5. Bake the salmon cakes until golden on top and heated through, 15-20 minutes.

Creamy Dill Sauce

¼ cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

¼ cup nonfat plain yogurt

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Combine mayonnaise, yogurt, scallions, lemon juice, dill and pepper in a small bowl and mix well.

A couple notes:

I had a little bit of trouble keeping the Salmon Cakes from falling apart when removing from the baking sheet. I would suggest adding a tad more olive oil to the mixture to help hold them together.

I made the Creamy Dill Sauce first so it could chill in the refrigerator while I was preparing the meal. I definitely recommend serving the sauce slightly chilled.

Dress the mixed green salad with balsamic vinegrette to add some flavor to your salad and sqeeze a lemon wedge over the Salmon Cakes, serve with Creamy Dill Sauce on top!

Enjoy!

Gypsy Soup

Feeling so confident after my first soup making experience, I wanted to make another soup! This is a recipe that my good friend Kaitlyn's mother passed down to her and we are so happy that she did! Gypsy Soup is the perfect soup for fall! Easy to make, flexible with ingredients, and I already had most of the vegetables in my fridge! Colors, texture and taste create a delicious healthy hommade soup that will warm your body with every bite.

Recipe:

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chopped onion

2 cloves crushed garlic

2 cups chopped, peeled sweet potato

½ cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes

¾ cup chopped sweet peppers

1 ½ cup cooked chickpeas

3 cups stock or water

2 tablespoons paprika

1 teaspoon tumeric

1 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon salt

dash of cinnamon

dash of cayanne

1 bay leaf

1. In a large pot saute onions, garlic, celery, and sweet potatoes in olive oil for about 5 minutes.
2. Add seasonings and the stock or water. Simmer, covered, fifteen minutes.
3. Add remaining vegetables and chickpeas. Simmer another 10 minutes or so - until all the vegetables are as tender as you like them.

A couple notes:

The vegetables in this soup are so flexible. I used 1 medium yellow onion, chopped. 2-3 stalks of celery, chopped. Added 2 whole carrots sliced into thin round pieces. 1 orange bell pepper sliced into pieces about as big as the carrots.

Instead of using fresh tomatoes I used 1 can (15 ounces) of diced tomatoes, including juice. I also replaced the 1 ½ cup cooked chickpeas with I can drained, rinsed garbanzo beans. The beans weren't quite as tender as the vegetables so they can probably be added 5 to 7 minutes into the simmering in step 2.

Because the portions I used were a bit bigger than the recipe called for and I added the carrots, I used about 5 tablespoons of olive oil. I also added more vegetable broth, about 4 cups.

This recipe is one of my new favorites and provides lots of leftovers to enjoy later or share with family and friends!

Enjoy!