Basil Tomato Panini

It is Garden Basil and Tomato Season!  Enjoy a simple and amazing Grilled Panini sandwich!

INGREDIENTS:
Sliced Sourdough (I love the Cracked Wheat Sourdough from Trader Joes)
Mayo OR Basil Pesto (pictured)
Fresh Basil
Sliced fresh tomatoes
Provolone or mozzerella cheese (or a combo of both!)

Pizza Rolls

These were a special treat growing up.  

My sister learned to make them at a bread making class.  

To assemble, they are just like making cinnamon rolls, but with a savory filling.

FIRST:  Make one Batch of Homemade sandwich bread dough (enough for 6 loaves).  (I use my whole wheat recipe, but use 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white wheat.  You can also use all white if you'd prefer).

Pizza Roll Filling
In a food processor, chop the following:
2  5oz pkgs. turkey pepperoni
1 small yellow onion
1 can 2-4 oz black olives (depending on preference)
1 large green pepper

1.  Cut bread dough into approximately 4 equal balls.  Roll out 1 of the 4 balls into a rectangle.  Spread with a few tablespoons of cream cheese.  Then spread 1/4th of the pizza roll filling and then sprinkle with shredded cheddar/mozzerella cheese.  Roll up just like a cinnamon roll and cut into slices about 1.5" thick.  Place rolls onto a cooking sheet (I fit 12-15 rolls on  1  11x17 pan).

2. Let Rise until double.

3. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes until tops are golden brown.

4. Serve warm or at room temperature with your favorite marinara sauce.

**These are great to take in a school lunch!  They also freeze well.

Egg Toast with avocado and honey

 

So so good.  So so simple.  This is a great meal for one!

Egg toast is kind of a comfort food for me now.  It is a great breakfast, but if we have this just as often for dinner!  This is not something I grew up eating.  There are several variations.  Make it your own!  The picture kind of says it all, so no directions here!

Image from Here.

Toasted Sourdough

Avocado (season with pepper/garlic salt)

Fried Egg (cooked to your preference) seasoned with salt/pepper

Drizzle of honey (or Trader Joes Spicy Honey)

This is the spicy honey from Trader Joes.  This gives the perfect subtle heat kick!

Layered Avocado Toast

 

This is a simple meal or snack that leaves you feeling satisfied!  It actually is a FAVORITE breakfast of mine.

Layer 1: Cracked Wheat Sourdough, toasted

Layer 2: Spread with thin layer of pine nut (sabra brand) or Mediterranean hummus (Trader Joes brand)

Layer 3: Smashed avocado (season with garlic herb seasoning and salt/pepper)

Layer 4: micro greens

*You can use any bread you'd like, but my favorite bread to use is the Trader Joes Cracked Wheat Sourdough or Wheat Sourdough.

*A layer of hummus may sound weird but give it a try!  If you're not a fan, just leave it off and stick with three layers.

Greek Pasta Salad with Yogurt

I have loved this recipe.  I had something similar at a bridal shower and decided to come up with my own version that fits my taste preferences. The plain yogurt is so light  versus your typical mayonnaise pasta salad.  

1 lb butterfly or shell pasta cooked AL DENTE, then drain water

1-2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

1 small English cucumber, diced

1 large yellow, orange, or red bell pepper diced

3 oz sliced black or kalamata olives

feta cheese crumbles (optional)

1 c. plain yogurt (full fat preferred)

zest and juice from 1-2 large lemons

1/4 c. light olive oil

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp dried dill

1/4 c. chopped fresh Italian parsley (optional)

--Combine all ingredients and stir until mixed well.  

Fall Butternut Squash Salad

 

Image Credits: CookingClassy.com and diet hood.com

My sister Mary Kay found this recipe.  Her garden seems to grow an abundance of butternut squash, so she's rather an expert in how to use it!  This salad is beautiful and delicious. Once I had it, the cravings began! The maple roasted butternut squash makes it very filling (well, you may still need something extra if you have hungry male teenagers at home!).

Salad Ingredients:

Roasted butternut squash and red onions (see note) 

Cheese: feta, goat cheese, parm cheese,  or Jarlsberg/swiss cheese

Roasted pecans or salted pistachios

craisins

Optional add ins: apples, pumpkin seeds, quinoa

-Butternut Squash preparation:  Peel butternut.  Cut in half.  Clean out seeds and insides.  Chop into cubes.  Place cubes on baking sheet.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and maple syrup.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast 425 for 10-15 minutes until butternut starts to brown (don't overcook or squash gets mushy and doesn't hold shape in salad).  Once cooled down slightly add to the rest of the salad ingredients.

Image Credit: Downshiftology.com

Apple Cider Vinaigrette (from downshiftology.com)

1/3 c. light olive oil

1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

1 TBS honey

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 clove garlic

1/4 tsp salt and pepper

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

1/2 c. light olive oil

1/4 c. raspberry vinegar (or balsamic or red wine vinegar)

1/4 c. honey

1 clove garlic

1 TBS dijon mustard

1/4 tsp black pepper

-Blend all ingredients in a blender on high for 2 minutes until emulsified (keeps dressing from separating).  

THE BEST Grilled Cheese Sandwich

THANK YOU Chef John from food wishes.blogspot.com for this AMAZING grilled Cheese sandwich (picture credit to him).  Click on the link to watch his video.  Chef John calls it the St. Patty's melt.  We've decided that his St. Patty's melt (with some added cartelized Vidalia onions) just about makes you feel like you've died and gone to heaven!  This may look a little intimidating, but it isn't.  It does require a little extra time, but I always make a lot of the greens mixture and then there are leftovers for another day of the week to whip up the same thing really fast.

A few things I've learned in perfecting this...THE CHEESE MATTERS!  Regular sliced cheddar you throw on your turkey sandwich is not as good with this.  You'll be glad you bought some high quality cheddar cheese.  Secondly, THE BREAD MATTERS!  You can use any bread, but if you really want the Gourmet, SUPER tasty version, use some artisan sourdough bread :)

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch kale

1 bunch mustard greens (or spinach)

10 TBS butter, divided

2 cloves garlic

3/4 c chopped green onions

1 pinch salt

ground pepper

1 pinch cayenne pepper (or smoked chipotle pepper)

2 TBS seasoned rice vinegar

Sliced Artisan Sourdough bread

1 8 oz package Irish White Cheddar Cheese, sliced

STEP 1: Remove tender, leafy parts of kale and mustard greens from their tough stems and place in a large bowl. Cover with cold water and wash greens, allowing dirt to sink to the bottom. Transfer greens into a colander or strainer to drain thoroughly.

STEP 2:  Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add drained kale and mustard greens, using a spatula to make sure they are immersed. Bring back to a boil; cook until barely tender and not soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool until easily handled.

STEP 3: While greens are cooling, heat 3 tablespoons butter in a pan over medium heat. Saute garlic, green onions, and salt until they soften and turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in black pepper and cayenne.

STEP 4: Squeeze water from cooled greens and chop. Add greens to the pan and continue to cook and stir until just heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Remove from heat and stir in rice vinegar.

STEP 5: Heat about 2 tablespoons butter in a pan over medium-low heat. Add 2 slices French bread; place 1/4 of the Irish Cheddar cheese on top. Place about 1/2 cup of braised greens on 1 slice of bread; top with remaining bread slice, cheese side-down. Cook, flipping as needed, until surface is golden brown and crisp, cheese is melted, and greens are heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.

STEP 6: Repeat with remaining bread, cheese, and greens. Remove to a cutting board, slice in half at a slight angle, and serve.

Salmon Tacos with Cucumber Slaw & Guacamole

Another recipe from Ina Garten with a few changes to my taste...

Again, we've become fish taco fans.  This is our other favorite fish taco recipe!

Image from here.

Flour or Corn Tortillas

Slaw

3/4 lb green cabbage, cored and finely shredded 

1 seedless English cucumber, unpeeled, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
3 TBS  white or red wine vinegar
1/2 c. sour cream
3 Tbsp minced fresh dill (or 1 tsp dried)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
-Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let marinate in fridge

Salmon

Olive oil, for greasing the pan 

salmon fillet, skin removed 

-Sprinkle salmon with chipotle chile powder, fresh lime zest and lime juice, salt, pepper

--Bake 425 for 20-25 minutes until just cooked through

Build Taco and top with:
-Guacamole:  avocados, seeded and peeled-mash adding 1/2 tsp Sriracha per avocado, salt/pepper.

Tilapia Fish Tacos with Mango Peach Salsa

I had never had a fish taco until about three years ago.  To many that may be crazy!  It always sounded a bit weird to me, but I finally made the plunge...and now it is a family favorite!  We especially like this in the summer, but anytime is good.  Trader Joes is a great place to get your tortillas, breaded, tilapia, sprouts, chili lime seasoning, and peach/mango salsa!

Image from here.

Breaded Tilapia (bake according to box directions and cut into strips)
Flour or corn tortillas
sliced avocado
Trader Joes Peach/Mango Salsa (or another favorite brand or a fresh salsa works great too)
sliced radishes
sprouts
Cabbage Slaw (see recipe below)
*jalapenos optional
*limes for serving
*Chili Lime seasoning from Trader Joes for extra flavor/kick

Cabbage Slaw 16 oz:
red/green cabbage
shredded carrots
Coleslaw Dressing:
1/2 c. sour cream
3 TBS honey
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
-Note the coleslaw will seem very dry.  The longer it sits in the dressing, the more it will soften.

BLT Salad

I know we're heading into fall...but I love salads!  My garden cherry tomatoes are amazingly sweet this year.  Here is a tasty version of one of my favorite sandwiches!  You can either use the Pesto Dressing (recipe below), blue cheese dressing, italian dressing, or ranch dressing.

Salad:
Mixed Greens
Spinach
Iceberg
Cherry Tomatoes
Avocado
Crumbled Bacon
Gorgonzola (or other preferred cheese)
Shredded Carrots
**Fresh Basil, chopped--secret ingredient!!!

Pesto Dressing:
2 oz red wine vinegar
6 oz light olive oil
1/2 c. prepared pesto (Costco's brand works great)

Cranberry Pistachio Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup whole fat plain Greek yogurt
• 2 cup cooked chicken, shredded
• 1/4 cup shelled unsalted pistachios, chopped
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper
• Bread
• mixed baby greens

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise and Greek yogurt.
2. In a large bowl, mix chicken, pistachios, cranberries and parsley.
3. Add mayonnaise mixture and stir to coat.
4. Add poppy seeds, and fresh lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Spoon onto bread, top with baby greens.

Grilled Chicken with Cobb Salad

I LOVE Cobb salad.  Here is another slight variation from Food Network (picture from them too).  I wish I could just pull this from my fridge without any effort!

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces each)
• 1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rings
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 slices bacon
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 2 hearts romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese

Directions

Pound the chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap with a mallet or heavy skillet until 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Transfer to a large bowl and add the onion, 3/4 cup buttermilk, the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat, turning, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain; reserve the drippings for the dressing. Chop the bacon.

Fill a small bowl with ice water. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the eggs and cook 4 minutes, then transfer 1 egg to the ice water using a slotted spoon. Continue cooking the remaining 2 eggs until hard-boiled, 6 more minutes; drain and let cool.

Make the dressing: Remove the 4-minute egg from the ice water and carefully peel (it will be soft); transfer to a blender. Add the vegetable oil, reserved bacon drippings, remaining 1/4 cup buttermilk, the vinegar, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and blend until smooth and slightly thick, about 1 minute. Refrigerate while you cook the chicken, at least 15 minutes.

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high. Lightly brush with vegetable oil. Drain the chicken and onion, discarding the garlic; pat the chicken dry. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken, turning once, until just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Grill the onion, turning occasionally, until tender and lightly charred, about 10 minutes; roughly chop.

Peel and chop the hard-boiled eggs. Toss the romaine, grilled onion, tomato, avocado, blue cheese and 1/4 cup of the dressing in a large bowl. Divide the chicken among plates and top with the salad; top with the bacon and chopped hard-boiled eggs. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and season with pepper.

Curry Chicken Salad Lettuce Wrap

This is a light delicious lunch (picture from onelovelylife.com)

Combine in a large bowl:

1/2 c. mayonaise

1 TBS fresh lime juice

2 TBS fresh cilantro

2 tsp. curry powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 c. diced cooked chicken

1/2 apple, diced

1-2 celery stalks, diced

1/2 c. shredded carrots

3 TBS red onion, diced

1/4 c. cashews

salt/pepper to taste

-Spoon mixture into romaine or butter leaf lettuce.
-Ketogenic version omit apple (can substitute cucumbers)

Avocado Tuna Salad Lettuce Wrap

This is perfect summer fresh and light meal.  Whip this up in a just a few minutes and Enjoy!

1 7 oz can tuna, drained
1 small avocado, diced
1/4 of a red bell pepper, diced
1/4-1/2 cup chopped English cucumber
2 TBS minced red onion
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
Juice from 1/2 a lime (may want to add more if lime is small)
salt/pepper
3 TBS olive oil
-Mix together in a bowl to combine.  Spoon into Romaine Lettuce leaves and serve.

Chicken Salad Sandwich

This is my go-to simple Chicken salad recipe.  

Cooked chicken, chopped
Chopped Celery
Toasted Pecans (don't have to toast them, but it does taste better!)
Craisins
Mayonnaise
Salt/Ground Pepper
-Combine all ingredients and serve on croissants or rolls. You can also serve mini sandwiches open faced and garnish with a whole pecan.

Spinach Frittata

Buy a fun heart casserole dish to use for Valentines Day!
Frittatas are easy and simple to make and are delicious for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Vary flavor by adding different cheese and herbs and add as many or as few vegetables as you'd like. It is an easy dish to make for one or twenty, and for entertaining use a mini muffin pan to make mini frittatas.

Here's a simple recipe-(feel free to experiment!):
6 eggs
1 green onion
2 cups spinach, chopped
diced bell peppers (optional)
1/4 c. (swiss, gruyere, chedder, etc)
1-2 TBS cream or milk (cream works better for mini frittatas)
salt/pepper
fresh herbs (basil, thyme, etc--optional)
-Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet and place in oven. Preheat oven to 450. While oven heating, combine all ingredients and whisk until smooth.
-Remove heated dish from oven, coat with butter or oil spray. Immediately pour egg/vegetable mixture into dish and top with a little cheese. Bake until frittata is puffed up and golden brown 15-20 minutes.

Quinoa Basil Salad

This is a recipe that doesn't have exact measurements.  Hopefully you won't hate me.  I just find every time I make it my ratios are a bit different depending on the supplies in my fridge.  Sometimes it doesn't have any brown rice, other times it is heavier on the rice.  Sometimes I don't have any feta, or other times I substitute tomatoes instead of peppers.  FRESH basil is a key ingredient that really adds to the fresh unique flavor.  Using the bottled dressing from Costco makes this recipe very simple, but it you can't find it I've given you a substitute recipe you can make!

Combine all ingredients in large bowl:
Quinoa, cooked (I like to use a combination of red and white quinoa)
Short Grain Brown Rice, cooked
chopped cucumbers
chopped bell red/orange/yellow peppers (or cherry tomatoes)
Shredded carrots
crumbled feta cheese
fresh basil, chopped
toasted pine nuts (optional)

Drizzle with:
**White Balsamic Citrus Basil Dressing (this is also good as a fish or chicken marinade)  Add dressing to taste!

-Garnish with some extra chopped basil and toasted pine nuts
-Serve cold or at room temperature
**If you can't find this dressing, you can make your own using 
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

6 tbsp fresh lemon juice 
1 TBS honey, sugar, or agave
1 teaspoon lemon zest 
1/4 cup basil leaves, chopped finely 
Salt and pepper, to taste 

Applebee's Oriental Salad

I was the 4th of 5 children growing up.  My mom was pretty worn out in the cooking department by the time I was in high school.  We had take-out about once a week.  Applebees Chicken Oriental Salads was one of those takeout meals.  A sister-in-law recently reminded me of this salad I used to love.  It tastes just as good as I remember!  This is very easy and simple, especially if you use pre-breaded chicken from Costco.  Just bake and slice the chicken, and throw a combination of all the other vegetable goodies in a bowl, whisk up some dressing in less than a minute and you have a delicious meal!

Dressing:
3 TBS honey
2 TBS seasoned rice vinegar
1 TBS sesame oil
1/4 cup mayonnaise
-Whisk until smooth and creamy

Salad (use any combination of the following)
Romaine
napa cabbage
red cabbage
red pepper
canned mandarine oranges, juice drained
carrots
cucumber
green onions
sliced almonds
dry chow mien or rice noodles (or dried ramen noodles work too)
cooked breaded chicken, sliced

Easy Lunchbox

These are a favorite lunch tupperware.  They seal tightly, but also are not too hard to open for younger children.  My kids like having the three separate caddies.  It is $14 for a set of four and they lasted me 1 1/2 years with very  hard use.  

These are also great for making lunches ahead of time for my hubby!  Here is a link to the "EasyLuncheboxes" product on Amazon.

Ginger-Peanut Chicken Salad Wraps

I have had this recipe for years and years!  I remember making a gourmet picnic lunch for my husband many years ago and using this.  This is really tasty:)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

¼ cup creamy peanut butter or almond butter

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/2 sweet onion Carmelized with 1 tsp brown sugar

¼ teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

3/4 cup shredded carrots (or broccoli slaw)

1 tsp sugar

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 cup cucumber, chopped, seeded and peeled

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon minced, peeled fresh ginger (or 1/4 tsp dried)

6 (4 oz.) skinless, boned chicken breast halves, cooked and chopped

-Combine all ingredients in bowl.  Mix together well.  Serve on your favorite tortillas.  You may also add lettuce/spinach and roasted peanuts if desired.
-KETOGENIC version, serve mixture in lettuce leaf instead of tortilla.  Use xylitol for sweetener.