What's Cookin' with Mary?

Five Things Friday

2011-09-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday !

I thought it might be fun to share with you some recipes I've seen around blogland that I'm planning on making as soon as humanly possible.

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If you're a fan of pumpkin spiced lattes, you've got to try out this recipe by Averie. This drink screams Fall to me and doesn't cost 5 bucks. Must. Make. Soon.

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I don't think I've had a poptart since I was a kid! ...but these aren't just for kids! Right? Pam has created a little pocket of heaven here and it's so simple! Click here for the recipe.

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Next week I have my slow cooker turkey chili on the menu and I'll definitely be making Jessica's cheddar brown sugar cornbread muffins to dunk. Brown sugar + cheese + corn muffin = deliciousness!

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I've always wanted to learn how to cook a great pork tenderloin and who could wrong with Ree's (aka Pioneer Woman) herb roasted pork loin with preserves. Doesn't that photo make your mouth water ? Yeah, me too.

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Angela's roasted tomato basil pesto has been on the top of my 'make me!' pile 'o recipes for a couple weeks now. She also has a super helpful visual guide of how to chiffonade your basil in the same post. Definitely need to get on this while tasty late summer tomatoes are still plentiful.

Hope you enjoyed seeing what I'll be making in my kitchen. What's on your menu for next week ?

Spaghetti Squash Enchilada Casserole with Jalapeno Chicken Sausage

2011-09-14T12:20:00.000-07:00

Last week I made spicy corn on the grill. While I was grilling the corn, what you didn’t see on the right side of my grill was a package of spicy chicken jalapeno sausages roasting away. I cooked them for the same amount of time as my corn (12-14 min). As my corn and sausage did its thing on the grill, I thought about what I wanted to make with my (planned) leftover corn that could be made ahead and reheated easily later that evening for dinner… Casserole! One of my most favorite things to make as the weather begins to become more fall like is casserole. Who doesn’t like cheesy, creamy goodness filled with squash, grilled corn and sausage?? No one I know. So, next time you’ve got some leftover corn… make this casserole! It freezes well, could be made a day ahead and satisfies anyone’s craving for comfort food. If you don’t feel like grilling corn or don’t have any leftover, you could use any type of corn you have on hand like canned or frozen varieties. If possible, use frozen roasted corn to get that same charred flavor. If you go the frozen corn route and don’t plan on firing up your grill, I also recommend cooking your sausage in the broiler or in a skillet to get some good color on it. If you’re unsure how to cook spaghetti squash, I linked to a great tutorial by my buddy Janetha over at Meals and Moves below in the ingredient list. Her method is by far the best I’ve tried. Once the squash is done, I like to freeze it in one cup increments for future use. I do the same thing with brown rice and quinoa for meals just like this. That way, the next time I need a bit of cooked squash or quinoa, all I have to do is throw a quick defrost on it. Serve this casserole with a dollop of Greek yogurt, hot sauce and a sprinkle of cilantro and thinly sliced green onion if desired.

What You Need:

1 ½ cups cooked spaghetti squash (12 oz)

1 cup enchilada sauce (I used Trader Joe’s)

2 ears spicy grilled corn, kernels removed (or 1 ½ cups corn)

3 ½ grilled spicy jalapeno chicken sausages cut into small pieces (from Trader Joe's)

½ cup cooked grain, rice or small pasta like orzo (I used quinoa)

¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar, divided

1 large egg

Foil

Cooking spray

Small casserole dish that can hold about 7 cups/ 2 quarts

What To Do:

Heat your oven to 350* and spray the inside of your casserole dish evenly with cooking spray.

Combine all ingredients except for ¼ cup of the cheese and mix well. Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish and top with remaining cheese and cover with foil.

Bake 45-50 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the casserole is bubbling around all the edges.

Remove foil and hit the broiler setting on your oven to brown the top. Stay close, as things can get burnt easily in the broiler. Set a timer for 2 minutes and check and see if it’s browned. If not, add 2 more minutes.

Serve immediately or allow the casserole to cool to room temperature and store in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to eat.

Serves 4-6

Print this recipe!

Bon Appétit!

Mary

Spicy Grilled Corn

2011-09-10T18:23:00.000-07:00

This recipe is so simple and so tasty, I’m excited to finally be sharing it with you. We’ve had a tradition all summer long… One evening a week we have dinner outside on the patio and it always includes grilled fish, a grilled vegetable and this grilled corn. Better late than never, right? Ok, now I have to come clean… This isn't really a recipe, but more of a loose guide. You know, “a little of this & a little of that” type of recipe. The best part you ask? It’s totally customizable. At our house, we like almost everything spicy and garlicky, so I used garlic powder and red pepper flakes. If you’re not a fan of heat, you could just leave the red pepper off or use just a pinch. If you don’t like garlic, you could use any dried spice or spice blend you like, such as Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute or lemon pepper. Sprinkle the corn evenly with a light dusting of each of the spices. If you have access to smoked salt, I highly recommend it, but plain salt would work well. (Don’t be surprised if you find some smoked salt in the Trader Joe’s giveaway I’ll be hosting when I reach 100 google reader subscribers! We’re at 95 now.) Wondering what to do with leftovers? I’ve got a recipe or two in the works. Does Spaghetti Squash Enchilada Casserole with Spicy Jalapeno Chicken Sausage sound good (sneak peek at the end of this post)? Stay tuned!

What You Need:

4 ears corn, husks and silk removed

Garlic powder

Red pepper flakes

Smoked salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

Cooking spray or 2 tsp oil of your choice (I like garlic oil)

Foil

What To Do:

Heat your outdoor grill.

Cut four pieces of foil that will be large enough to wrap your ears of corn in. Place corn in the center of the foil and spray evenly with cooking spray or rub each ear of corn with a half tsp oil.

Sprinkle each ear of corn evenly with garlic powder, red pepper flakes, smoked salt and freshly cracked black pepper (or whichever spices you’re using).

Wrap ears of seasoned corn with foil, making sure it’s tightly sealed like so.

Place corn on grill and cook for 12 - 14 minutes rotating them every couple minutes.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Print this recipe!

Bon Appétit!

Mary

Does this look good ? Check back next week for the recipe.

Spaghetti Squash Enchilada Casserole with Spicy Jalapeno Chicken Sausage

Labor Day Barbecue Recipe Roundup

2011-09-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

With the holiday weekend around the corner, I thought I would share some recipes you might like to bring with you to your friends and families barbeques this weekend if you're still just not sure what to make.

Starters:

Ceviche

This simple ceviche recipe comes from my friend Kim. I used halibut, seabass and scallops here, but you could use shrimp, tilapia (most white fish would work) or tuna. The hints of sweet mango pair nicely with the citrusy fish, bright cilantro and creamy avocado. This recipe is a real crowd pleaser. We never have leftovers. Serve with tortilla chips and lettuce for lettuce wraps.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

When I was creating this recipe I was trying to make it taste as much like the Trader Joe's version as possible. I will admit, I kicked up the garlic dial just a bit. Ok, maybe a lot. If you're not a huge fan of garlic, simply leave it out. If you're not sure, start with half a teaspoon of garlic powder and go from there, adding a half teaspoon at a time. Serve with raw vegetables or pita chips.

White Bean Hummus with Rosemary

For a different spin on more traditional hummus, make this white bean hummus. I used northern beans here, but you could also use cannellini beans or navy beans. Serve with raw vegetables or pita chips. To make your own pita chips, slice your pita bread into six even wedges. Spray with olive or canola oil and bake in the oven at 400* until all the moisture is gone and your pita bread is crisp like a chip. This should take about 7-10 minutes.

Salads:

...with veggies
Edamame Salad with Strawberries & Basil

If you're looking for a side to bring that's a little something different, this salad with edamame will be perfect. It's filled with sweet summer strawberries, crunchy red pepper and red onion and pungent basil all topped with a spicy, citrus dressing. Eat it by itself or over grilled fish or chicken.

Simple Tomato Salad

If you're thinking you want to make something that takes very little time to throw together, I'd make this tomato salad. Although it's super simple, the heirloom tomatoes I use here really take this salad to the next level. Dressed with a simple balsamic, this salad should be ready to roll in under ten and can be made a day a head.

...with pasta or grains
Mediterranean Orzo Salad

I think this recipe speaks for itself. If you want to add a little mediterranean flare to your barbeque, bring this salad. If you don't like olives, I would use roasted red pepper.

Orzo Salad with Asparagus & Creamy Dill Dressing

This salad pairs beautifully with a peice of grilled salmon, but would be a great addition to any menu. If you can't find good asparagus, I would use green beans in their place.

Pesto Pasta Salad

My brother's pesto pasta salad is my most popular pasta salad recipe by far. It's easy to put together (6 ingredients), can be made a day ahead (just add the cheese and nuts before serving) and is a total crowd pleaser. I've never met a person who didn't gobble this one up.

Quinoa Salad with Jalapeno Balsamic

My quinoa salad incorporates both vegetables and fruit with a spicy jalapeno balsamic dressing. If you can't find a ripe pineapple, i would substutute mango or even strawberries. If you're not to wild about quinoa, use orzo or any small pasta you like.

Soba Noodle Pasta Toss with Edamame & Tomato

See those ingredients ? Well, if you combine them with my super tasty Asian dressing you get a colorful, deliscious Asian-style pasta salad that everyone will love. I list this salad under sides, but it would be a great main dish recipe for vegetarians (or vegans if you use agave in place of honey) as it's packed with fiber, protein and whole grains.

Spicy Greek Grilled Vegetable Orzo

This boldly flavored Greek-style pasta salad is great to bring to a barbecue or a great way to use up vegetables that you have leftover from the festivities. Using quinoa in place of the pasta would be another great option here.

Make a day ahead in your Crockpot:

Mary's Slow Cooker Chili

My slower cooker chili is a bit healthier than most. I like to use ground turkey here instead of beef. Make sure you use a beer you would like to drink, as the flavor will intensify as it cooks. Also, be sure your beer is room tempurature as a cold beer will increase your cook time greatly. Remember, the slowcooker has to heat up that cold beer before the cooking can begin and in a slow cooker it'll be just that... slow.

White Chicken Chili in your Crockpot

I left the toppings off this chili so you could see how thick and tasty this chili is. I call this a chop and dump recipe because you can literally chop and then dump all the ingredients in and your work is done. Well, almost done. When the chicken has cooked through, you shred it, but if you wanted to skip that step, you could dice the raw chicken before cooking. I prefer the texture of shredded chicken to cubed as it soaks up more of the chili juices.

Marinade:

Lemon Herb Marinade

This marinade works well on chicken, fish, shrimp or even tofu. It took me about 5 minutes to whip it up. Make it a day ahead to let the flavors develop more, but you could use it immidiately if you didn't have the time.

I hope you all have a safe and fun Labor Day weekend filled with good food, good friends and lots of laughs!
-Mary

Features & An Announcement

2011-08-31T11:10:00.000-07:00

I don't have a new recipe to share yet, though I am working hard behind the scenes on a few that need perfecting. In the meantime, I wanted to share a few links to where What's Cookin' with Mary has been featured.

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A couple weeks ago, Pam at For the Love of Cooking featured my Smoked Ham Frittata with Caramelized Onions & Potato. Click over to check out her take on my recipe.

She said that she and her husband really enjoyed it. I'm glad ! We did too.

Foodista.com featured my Spicy Greek Grilled Vegetable Salad as one of their five salad recipes to-go this past Sunday.

The other recipes sounded pretty darn tasty too: Wheat Berry Apple Salad, Lentil Salad with Roasted Red Peppers & Goat Cheese, Mediterranean Chickpea Salad & Quinoa Salad with Pistachios Currants & Dried Apricots. Go check them out !

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The announcement: What's Cookin' with Mary's readership has been growing! I have 93 people following me on their google readers (hi guys!) and I want to say thank you for making this all worth while... when I reach 100. So, to say thanks, I want to host a Trader Joe's giveaway (US readers only at this time). Since I know that not everyone has a TJ's down the street like I do, I thought it would be fun to put together a box of some of my favorite products of theirs for one lucky (US) reader. I haven't decided what will go in there yet, but I promise you won't be dissappointed.

Question: What's your favorite Trader Joe's product?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-17T17:11:00.000-07:00

My Top Five Most Googled Posts

2011-08-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! I thought it might be fun to share with you my top five most googled posts. It's so interesting to see what is most popular on What's Cookin' with Mary.

Enjoy!
Mary

1) Egg White Salad

2) My Brother's Pesto Pasta Salad

3) Watermelon Agua Fresca

4) Strawberry Banana Popsicles

5) Peanut Butter Cup Protein Shake

Feature on Danica's Daily

2011-08-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

While my friend Danica is away on a trip to the Bahamas for her husband's 40th, she asked me if I'd like to guest post... so if you missed my version of Pizza Margherita, come check it out !

Smoked Ham Frittata with Caramelized Onion & Potato

2011-08-10T17:05:00.000-07:00

Who doesn’t love ‘breakfast for dinner’? Simple, easy, delicious. The frittata I made today has a very short ingredient list, proving once again that flavor doesn’t require complexity. The smoky ham and the sweet, caramelized onions pair beautifully with the creamy Yukon gold potato. Top that off with goat cheese and you’ve got pure perfection. You may be thinking: “What is a frittata? I’ve heard that word, but not sure what it is.” A frittata is basically the Italian version of an omelet that’s cooked over a low heat in a skillet until the edges have solidified, finished in the oven or under the broiler. The ingredient list usually includes: eggs, meat, cheese, vegetables or pasta and often includes herbs. The ham I use here is fully cooked, so if you wanted to, you could dice it up and throw it in without the browning step. I love however to get a bit of caramelization on it and really develop those flavors. Since you’re already taking the time to make caramelized onions, you may as well brown up the ham while you wait If you’d like to lighten it up a bit, feel free to use all egg whites and reduce the amount of cheese. Also, if you’re not a fan of goat cheese, you can use any kind you like here. Serve with hot sauce and a green salad.

What You Need:

6 large eggs (or 1 ½ cups egg white)
6 oz smoked ham, diced
1 large onion
1 medium Yukon gold potato
4 oz crumbled goat cheese

¼ tsp salt and pepper, divided (or to taste)
1 Tbs olive oil, plus 1 tsp (divided)
Medium sized oven safe skillet (10”)

What To Do:

Pierce your potato with a fork several times and cook in the microwave on high for about 8 minutes or until fork tender. Cook times may vary here as it depends on how large your potato is (mine was 11 oz). Set aside and allow to cool a bit while you work on the rest of the ingredients.

Thinly slice your onion while you heat 1Tbs oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, carefully add onion to the pan and reduce heat to medium low. Season the onions with 1/8 tsp salt and pepper.

Cook onions over medium low heat for 30 minutes, stirring often. When the onions have about 5 minutes to go, heat up your broiler.

While the onions cook, heat 1 tsp oil in a small skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add the diced ham and reduce heat to medium. Cook the ham for about 8 minutes or until well browned, then set aside.

Next you’ll want to cut your potato up into bite sized chunks and set aside.

Season your eggs with 1/8 tsp salt and pepper and beat with a fork or whisk in a small bowl.

Combine potato, browned ham and caramelized onion in the skillet you used for the onions and gently mix so that all the ingredients are well distributed.

Pour your seasoned eggs evenly over the meat and vegetable mixture and top with cheese.

Allow the frittata to cook most of the way on the burner over medium low heat. This will take about 10 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the edges begin to look cooked, but the center is runny.

Transfer the frittata to the broiler to finish cooking. This will only take about 4 minutes, so don’t go far because you’ll want to watch it so the top doesn’t burn. Serve with hot sauce and a green salad.

Serves 4-6

Print this recipe !

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Pizza Margherita

2011-08-03T20:57:00.000-07:00

Caprese salad is one of my very favorites. I love how the sweet summer tomatoes pair with the light, salty fresh mozzarella and the bright, pungent basil. Did you know that basil was originally from India (according to the wiki)?I didn’t either! That’s probably because it’s best known for being in Italian cooking. It’s a close relative to the mint plant, but had a more anise flavor (liquoricey– yep, it’s a word – I just made it up!). Can you tell I love basil? I digress. When you take those same ingredients you use to make a caprese salad and put it on a pizza, it transforms magically while in the oven into Pizza Margherita. Pretty fancy, right? Thought so. The best part about this pizza is that all you need is five simple ingredients. If you want to make your own pizza dough, feel free to, but I like to buy the premade dough from Trader Joe’s here to save time (to save even more time, you could buy a totally premade crust such as Boboli). Also, if your store doesn’t carry garlic oil, you can make your own in a snap. Just heat a quarter of a cup of olive oil to a pan over medium low heat and add two smashed cloves of garlic and cook for eight to ten minutes or until the garlic has browned a bit infusing it’s flavor into the oil. Remove the garlic cloves and allow oil to cool slightly and viola, garlic oil. If you’re feeling really, super fancy, you can make your pizza on the grill, but today I’m going to be using a pizza stone in the oven. If you don’t have a pizza stone, a baking sheet will work just fine. Enjoy with a generous squirt of sriracha and red pepper flakes.

What You Need:

1 – 16 oz ball of pizza dough (I used whole wheat)
8 oz fresh ovoline mozzarella packed in water, drained, dried & sliced into ¼” pieces
1 ½ large tomatoes, sliced into ¼“pieces & pressed between paper towels
2 - 3 Tbs basil chiffonade (thinly sliced – to taste)
2 Tbs garlic oil

Salt and pepper (optional – to taste)
cornmeal for pizza stone (if using)
flour for dusting

What To Do:

Heat your pizza stone in a 425* oven for 15 – 20 minutes. This ensures that the crust will be nice and crisp on the outside, but doughy on the inside. For best result, take your dough ball out of the fridge while the pizza stone heats (about 20 minutes). Once your dough has come to temperature, roll it out on a well floured surface to about a 12” round.

Remove the hot pizza stone from the oven and sprinkle with cornmeal to prevent sticking.

Gently transfer your dough onto it and pierce with a fork all over to prevent bubbles while it bakes.

Bake the crust for about 10 minutes or until barely browned. Keep your eye on it as you don’t want it to overcook (you’ll be baking it again with toppings).

After the crust has prebaked, remove from the oven, brush with garlic oil and top with tomato and cheese slices. Season with salt and pepper if using. Bake for an additional 12-15 minutes or until cheese has melted and the crust is nicely browned.

Remove pizza from oven and top with fresh basil chiffonade.

Serve with red pepper flakes and hot sauce.

Makes 8 slices.

Print this recipe!

Bon Appetit!
Mary

**Cook’s Note: On the tomatoes: make sure you really get as much liquid as you can out of the tomatoes. If not, the liquid in them will make your pizza soggy. On the basil: if you don't want to chiffonade, you could simply chop it up to whatever size you desire.**

Spicy Greek Grilled Vegetable & Orzo Salad

2011-08-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

You’ll want to make sure you keep your orzo warm by not rinsing it after it cooks. Instead, I like to toss it with a half teaspoon of olive oil after draining it. When it’s warm, the pasta can better absorb the flavors of the vinaigrette. Now the trick with the olives, peppers and onions is to make sure that everything is the same size. The best way to do this is to quarter your olives first so you know what size you’re going to want your pepper and onion to be. Make this salad as spicy as you like by just dialing up the red pepper flakes. We like really spicy food, so I used a rounded teaspoon here. I recommend starting out with a half of a teaspoon and going from there, making it to suit your taste. Serve at room temperature for best results. If you didn’t feel like heating up your grill, you could sauté the onion and pepper in a teaspoon of oil over medium high heat for about eight minutes or until well browned.

What You Need:

½ lb orzo
1 red bell pepper, quarter – remove seeds & membrane
1 medium red onion, sliced horizontally in ½“pieces – leave skin on, it burns off on the grill
½ cup pitted kalamata olives, quartered
2 tsp fresh oregano, minced & divided
2 Tbs lemon juice
3 Tbs olive oil, plus ½ tsp
½ - 1 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste – I use 1+)
¼ tsp kosher salt & freshly cracked pepper

What To Do:

Cook orzo according to the packages instructions in well salted water to al dente. Once the pasta is done, drain and toss with ½ tsp olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.

While the pasta cooks, whisk together lemon juice, 3 Tbs olive oil, 1 tsp oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss the warm pasta into the dressing, mix well and set aside.

Heat an outdoor grill to 400*. Over a medium high heat, grill onions and peppers until deeply browned on both sides. The time will vary depending on the thickness of your vegetables. Mine took about 15 minutes.

Cut grilled pepper and onion into ¼ “pieces. They should be about the same size as the quartered olives. Add vegetables, olives and remaining oregano to the pasta and vinaigrette – stir to combine. Serve at room temperature with additional red pepper flakes to pass at the table.

Serves 6

Print this recipe.

Bon Appetit!
Mary

Dinner Tonight

2011-07-25T18:14:00.000-07:00

I have been reading Jenna's blog since 2008. She blogs about her cooking adventures and several other things like books she likes and places she visits from her home in Northern California. She's always baking up tasty things in her kitchen, so you might want to click over and see some of her other recipes.

Back to the pizza... I was drinking my coffee this morning and reading some blogs for dinner inspiration and came upon Jenna's recipe for Barbecue Chickpea Pizza with Gouda and Caramelized Onions. I loved that she used chickpeas in place of the more traditional chicken here. After looking through the ingredients, I realized I had everything on hand. Perfect! I had to make a few substitutions as I didn't have any Gouda on hand (I've put my substitutions in italics and parenthesis below.).

Barbecue Chickpea Pizza with Gouda & Caramelized Onions

Recipe from Jenna Weber
makes one large pizza (about 8 slices)

Ingredients:

1 batch The Best Pizza Dough (I used 1 - 8oz ball of prepared dough)
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (I used about 1 cup)
1 bottle barbecue sauce of choice (I loved the Trader Joe’s kind! - me too!)
1 large yellow onion
1 T olive oil
8 oz Gouda cheese, freshly grated (I used a blend of smoked cheese & goat feta)

Directions:

Make the pizza dough according to recipe directions. Note that one recipe makes two large pizza crusts so you may want to freeze half the dough for later.

Heat the olive oil up in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Slice the onion very thinly and cook in the olive oil for about 30 minutes on low heat, until deeply golden and caramelized. Stir frequently! You don’t want to burn this.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

Roll out your pizza dough into a large rectangle or circle. Drizzle with barbecue sauce (you’ll probably only use 1 cup sauce). Sprinkle with cheese then layer with chickpeas and caramelized onions.

Reduce oven temperature to 425 and bake pizza on a lined baking sheet for 15 minutes, or until cheese has melted and the crust is done. Let cool then cut into slices and serve.

Time:

30 minutes (does not include time to make pizza dough)

**Cook's Note: The onions take 30 minutes and then you have to bake the pizza, so total cook time is more than 30 minutes.**

Orzo Salad with Asparagus & Creamy Dill Dressing

2011-07-22T16:46:00.000-07:00

When I originally scrawled out my notes for this recipe I was going to use green beans, but once I got to the store and saw the asparagus, it looked too beautiful not to use. The tiny, tender stalks were calling my name. If your asparagus is a bit thicker, you will want to add a minute to its cook time. Knowing I wanted to grill salmon tonight, I decided dill would be my herb of choice here, but you could use any herb you like (i.e. parsley, cilantro, thyme). If after refrigerating the salad it seems a bit dry, add one tsp lemon juice and a half tsp honey. If it’s still dry add a splash of milk or half and half to get things moving. Serve with grilled salmon, a wedge of lemon and sriracha.

What You Need:

½ lb orzo
½ lb asparagus, cut into ½“pieces
3 Tbs fresh dill, minced and divided (to taste)
2 Tbs mayo
1 Tbs plain Greek yogurt , or an additional Tbs of mayo (I used 2%)
1 ½ Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp honey
¼ tsp kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)

What To Do:

Cook orzo in well salted water (or broth) according to the packages instructions. Add the asparagus during the last minute of cooking. Rinse orzo and asparagus thoroughly with cold water to stop the cooking process.

While the pasta cooks, whisk together 1 Tbs of the dill, mayo, yogurt, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper, then refrigerate.

Combine dressing, pasta, asparagus and remaining dill and mix well. Allow salad to meld in the fridge for as long as possible. It will still be tasty if you eat it right away, but if you have the time, make it a few hours ahead.

Serves 6

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Bon Appétit!
Mary

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-20T14:04:00.000-07:00

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

2011-07-14T16:13:00.000-07:00

I went into the fridge yesterday hoping to snack on some roasted red pepper hummus and carrots, but the last bit of hummus had gotten moldy whilst it waited to be eaten. Blasphemy! Since I had just been to the store, I was not willing to go back for that one thing. I closed the fridge, began rummaging around in the pantry and discovered I had everything I needed to make my own red pepper hummus. My goal here was to make it taste as much like the Trader Joe’s recipe as possible with an extra garlicky kick. The ingredient list was pretty simple, so I figured I should give it a whirl. If you’re not sure what tahini is, it’s roasted, ground sesame seeds. You can find it at most health food stores and definitely at Trader Joe’s, Henry’s & Whole Foods (or even Amazon). We like our food really garlicky in this house, so start with 1 tsp garlic powder and go from there. Also, if you prefer your hummus a bit thinner, add a tablespoon of water at a time until desired consistency. Enjoy as a sandwich spread, dip for veggies and pita chips or eat straight up with a spoon.

What You Need:

1 – 15 oz can garbanzo beans (preferably no sodium), drained and rinsed
½ - 10.4 oz jar roasted peppers (about ½ cup) - I used paquillo peppers
2 Tbs tahini
2 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs canola oil (any light colored oil would work)
¼ tsp salt
1 - 1 ½ tsp garlic powder (to taste)

What To Do:

Process all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

This recipe yields about 2 cups of hummus.

1 Tbs is about 27 cal, 1.5g fat, 1g protein, 3g carbs, 1g fiber, 22mg sodium

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Bon Appétit!
Mary

My Friend Kim's Ceviche Recipe

2011-07-08T07:59:00.000-07:00

A few years back my brother asked me to make him some ceviche, but I told him I had no idea how and that I’d never even tried it. I forgot about making and trying said ceviche until last summer, when I was having a potluck BBQ and my friend Kim said she wanted to bring her recipe. Finally I would get to try the elusive ceviche! When I first laid eyes on it I loved all the vibrant colors and textures. We always eat with our eyes first, right ? After seeing how pretty it was, I couldn’t wait to try it… It was love at first bite. The tender citrus flavored fish, the sweet mango, creamy avocado, bright cilantro and spicy Serrano pepper were all singing in my mouth. I couldn’t wait to find out how to make this delicious treat. When she described her method to me, I was eager to make my own as it seemed so simple. There’s just a bit of chopping involved but I promise, you won’t be disappointed. I love how this recipe is really hard to mess up. If you don’t like onion, just leave it out. If you love avocado, add two (you see where I’m going with this). Enjoy with lettuce wraps or with chips at your next BBQ and it’s sure to be a hit. No one needs to know how easy it is !

What You Need:

1 lb white fish, shrimp or scallops ¼” dice (I used ca halibut, sea bass & scallops)
Juice of 12 limes (or about 1 ½ cups bottled lime or lemon juice)
1 medium mango, ¼“dice (about 1 cup)
½ medium red onion, ¼“dice (about 1 cup)
1 large or 2 small avocados, ¼“dice
1 small bunch cilantro, minced (about ½ - ¾ cups)
1 - 2 serrano or jalapeno peppers, minced (removed seeds if you’re a spice wimp)
Kosher salt to taste (optional)

What To Do:

Combine lime juice and fish in a Ziploc bag. ‘Cook’ the fish in the refrigerator for 3 hours or until cooked through. Drain most of the juice and keep cool.

While the fish ‘cooks’, chop up all your veggies and fruit and set aside.

Once fish is done, combine all ingredients in a bowl and serve with lettuce (for lettuce wraps) and chips.

Serves 8-10 (appetizer portions)

Print this recipe. (<--- click here to print!)

Bon Appétit!
Mary

My Brother's Pesto Pasta Salad

2011-06-16T17:39:00.000-07:00

My little brother David has been making this simple, flavorful salad for years and it’s just so tasty, it’s time to share it with all of you. With just six ingredients, you can make it too. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can make your own pesto sauce, but to stay true to my brother’s recipe (and because I’m still recovering from my injury) I will make it just like he does with the prepared pesto. I cook the pasta in chicken broth for extra flavor, but you could use either well salted water or vegetable broth to keep this recipe vegetarian. When you’re slicing your onion, I suggest making the pieces no longer than the pasta you choose so it makes it easier for your guests to eat. The best part about this recipe is that your measurements don’t have to be exact, just make it to taste. My brother says you can make it a day ahead… just leave out the almonds and cheese until you’re ready to serve it. Take this salad to any summer BBQ and it’s sure to be a big hit. There won’t be any leftovers! This recipe is for a crowd, so feel free to half it for a more manageable portion if you’re not taking it to a party.

What You Need:

1 – 14.5 oz box short pasta (I used penne – Barilla Pasta Plus)
1 – 7oz container pesto (my brother uses Buitoni or Costco’s)
4 oz crumbled goat cheese (or feta if you prefer)
½ cup slivered or sliced almonds (toasted or raw)
½ cup julienne sliced sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, lightly drained
¾ cup or about ½ medium red onion, sliced into small peices (optional or to taste)

What To Do:

Prepare pasta according to packages instructions in salted water or broth.

If you’re going to be eating the salad the same day, combine all ingredients and allow to chill in the fridge until ready to serve. If you’re making this a day ahead, combine all ingredients except cheese and almonds. Refrigerate until ready to serve, mixing in remaining ingredients just before you eat.

Serves 8-10

1 cup is about 289 cal, 13g fat, 3.5g fiber, 10.5g protein, 6g cholesterol

Print recipe. (<--click here to print!)

Bon Appetit!
Mary

Watermelon Agua Fresca

2011-06-11T21:34:00.000-07:00

I recently went to my local Native Foods Café and tried their watermelon agua fresca and knew I needed to recreate this one at home. Agua Fresca is super simple. You basically blend your fruit and herb or citrus (if using) and add water and sweetener to your liking. The watermelon I chose was sweet enough to not add any additional sugar. For a mellower agua fresca, simply add a bit of cool, filtered water and stir. If you’re in the mood for something a little different, use the juice of two limes and the zest of one. Serve with your favorite Mexican food for a refreshing beverage to cool your taste buds.

What You Need:

1 medium seedless watermelon, cut into chunks
9 mint leaves
Water (optional)
Sweetener of choice (optional)

What To Do:

Combine mint and watermelon in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add water or sweetener if desired. Serve over ice with a sprig of mint.

Makes about 12 cups.

Bon Appetite!
Mary

Print recipe. (<---click here to print!)

Yosemite Trip - May/ June 2011

2011-06-07T15:02:00.000-07:00

Even though we couldn't camp this year... we just had to get to the trees.

If you looked closely at the rock, you could see running water everywhere. I've never seen so much here!

Pretty sure I have this shot in my webshots library.

Bridal Vale Falls right before it started hailing on us...

Us at 'our spot'.

Upper & Lower Yosemite Falls

Some of the local wild life having an afternoon feast.

See all the little pockets of snow up there? The staff at the hotel said it had snowed three days before we arrived ?!

Day 1 Meadow Shot

Day 2 Meadow Shot

Me in front of Upper Yosemite Falls. It was about 40 degrees and I did not come prepared. 'Twas chilly!

In front of Lower Yosemite Falls

A giant sequoia stump. This bad boy's roots were about 15 feet high.

There was running water EVERYWHERE!

Wordless Wednesday - The System

2011-05-04T17:13:00.000-07:00

Cook's Note: Physical therapy is going well! Hoping it's not too much longer before I'm back in action.

A Not So Wordless Monday

2011-04-25T16:24:00.000-07:00

Can I just say that I am dying to get back in the kitchen?! Let me explain... About 6 weeks ago I was working out and tore my left pectoral muscle. How you ask?? ...or maybe you wouldn't ask because this is a recipe blog, but I just can't keep it to myself any more. I need to share because being out commission for the last several weeks (or 6) has made me appreciate my arm. Well, not just my arm, but the ability to use both of them. Back to what I did... I was set on getting a killer upper body workout and decided it would be a good day to try not one, but two new moves. A boy push up and fly's on a stability ball. If you're not sure what a fly is, click here. It's pretty much the hardest type of chest exercise out there and I was doing it without a trainer and without asking an experienced person's advice (like my husband's). Long story short, I should have asked my husband if this was a good idea because he's reminded me many, many times that he would not have advised this. So tomorrow marks one week of physical therapy and I am ridiculously happy to announce that I am getting better! It only took be a month to get into the sports med doc, but the outlook is good. Finally. I know that for sure because I asked my magic 8 ball. Seriously! Try it out here. All kidding aside, I hope that I'll be back in action in the next few weeks, so please bare with me and thank you for your patience!! Hope you all had a happy Easter. I leave you with a picture of my cat doing what she does because she makes me smile.

How to Chop a Mango

2011-04-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hold the mango like so.

I'd say most mango pits are about a 1/2", so make your first cut about 1/4" from the stem.

Try to slice evenly so you don't leave any of the mango goodness.

Now you'll want to turn your mango around and slice it about 1/4" from the stem again.

You can see that I didn't do a great job of keeping my knife stroke even... Don't be like me.

Now you just slice, slice, slice.

Remove the peel with a small, sharp knife.

Now do that with all of your mango slices.

Cut into pieces and enjoy or use in a recipe.

Wordless Wednesday - Look what I found in my garden last week...

2011-04-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

I also found the biggest black widow I've ever seen (silver dollar sized!) and got a great picture of it's hour glass, but didn't post it because its SCARY! Do you want to see it ... ?

Lemon Herb Marinade

2011-04-10T15:53:00.000-07:00

This morning I was out in my little yard tidying up after the hail we had on Friday night and noticed that a bunch of my lemons were ready to be picked. Turns out I had almost 20 lemons that were ready to be plucked off and turned into something divine. What oh what was I going to make…? I knew I had just bought a whole pound of chicken from the market and then it came to me… Lemon herb marinade! This marinade comes together super fast. I think it took me about 5 minutes to get everything together and then all that was left to do was wait for the marinade to do its thing. Let the marinade sit in the fridge with your protein of choice for 30 minutes, but preferably up to 2 hours if possible. This marinade also works well on fish, large shrimp and tofu. If using fish or shrimp, only marinate for 30 minutes as the acid in the lemon juice will cook the meat if left too long.

What You Need:

Juice from 3 lemons
½ lemon quartered and then thinly sliced
3 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp honey (sugar or agave also work well)
3 Tbs fresh thyme, roughly chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, minced (to taste, optional)
¼ tsp salt (or to taste)
½ tsp black pepper (or to taste)

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients and store in an air tight container in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.

Yields about 1 cup

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Wordless Wednesday - The Snowcat Doing What She Loves Most

2011-04-06T10:50:00.000-07:00

Savory Oats - Version 2.0

2011-03-31T08:31:00.000-07:00

This morning I decided that it was time to share my revamped version of an old favorite. In this version, I stir nutritional yeast into my cooked oats (instead of shredded cheese which I still use on top) to give it a slightly cheesy, salty flavor. I know what you’re thinking… ‘Nutritional yeast sounds GROSS!’ or ‘I’m not eating yeast!’. I agree, the name is slightly off putting, but the flavor and health benefits are pretty darn good. For one rounded tablespoon, you get a boatload of B vitamins like B1 - thiamine (273%), B2 - riboflavin (240%), B3 - niacin (123%), B6 (190%) and B12 (50%). There’s also a wide range of minerals and 18 different amino acids. So what is nutritional yeast…? At the most basic level it is a yeast similar to brewer’s yeast that is grown on molasses and then fortified with some additional B vitamins. It is unsweetened and is naturally low in fat and sodium. If you like cheese, you will probably like nutritional yeast in your morning oats. …and who doesn’t like cheese?? My new and improved savory oats include my beloved chia seeds, garlic and a whole egg. If you’re in a hurry, feel free to use the quick cooking or instant oats. Top with hot sauce and get ready to enjoy the best ‘stick to your ribs’ breakfast you’ve had in a long time.

What You Need:

½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
½ cup milk, plus ½ cup water
1 egg
1 rounded Tbs nutritional yeast (or shredded cheese of your choice)
1 Tbs sharp shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tbs chia seeds (optional)
¼ tsp garlic powder (or to taste)
1/8 tsp salt and black pepper, plus a pinch for the egg (or to taste)

What To Do:

Combine oats, milk, water, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper and garlic powder in a small sauce pan over medium high heat until the mixture reaches a slow boil.

Once bubbling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-8 minutes or until desired thickness, stirring occasionally.

When the oats begin to bubble, begin heating a small skillet over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, spray with non-stick cooking spray and carefully add the egg. Reduce heat to low and allow the white to cook slowly, while keeping the yolk runny. This will also take about 5-8 minutes. Season the egg with remaining pinch of salt and pepper. If you’re not a fan of runny yolks, flip and cook completely.

After your oats are done, combine the nutritional yeast, chia seeds and oat mixture in a small bowl.

Stir to combine.

Top your oats with the over easy egg and shredded cheese. Serve with hot sauce.

Serves 1

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Wordless Wednesday - Baby Lemons

2011-03-30T05:46:00.000-07:00

One Year of What's Cookin' with Mary!

2011-03-28T08:12:00.000-07:00

I looked at the calendar this morning and realized that Saturday was the one year anniversary of What's Cookin' with Mary ?! Can't believe I've been at this for a whole year. I clicked over to my first post and can plainly see how far I've come.

Mary's Orange Chicken - First Post !

I have realized that I have a huge passion for photography and cooking (was already pretty sure on that one though). Thank you B for upgrading my camera situation and helping me to see how much I love to take pictures. That old point and shoot was serving me well, but the dslr really opened my eyes to photography and also makes my blog a whole lot better.

I am excited to see all of the fruits of summer starting to hit the shelves at the store and really look forward to what yummy foods I'll be creating to share with you all.

Flavors of Summer Coming Soon

Again, thank you (!!) to all of my readers for helping to make this endeavor both rewarding and exciting. If you've never left a comment, please stop by and say hi... I'd love to hear from you. If there's anything you'd like to see more of on What's Cookin', feel free to email me or comment below. I aim to please!

-Mary

Egg White Salad

2011-03-25T16:35:00.000-07:00

I used to love getting the premade egg white salad from Trader Joe’s, but it’s pretty darn expensive ?! Paying almost three bucks for something I could easily make at home was out of the question. I’ve made many versions of this salad, but decided to make the standard version today. If you’ve got fresh or dried dill on hand, I highly recommend it! I also like Italian parsley and red pepper flakes for a slightly Italian spin on things. Serve on whole wheat bread with lettuce for a super satisfying, low cholesterol version of an old favorite. If you make it a day ahead (but it's not a must) the flavors really have a chance to meld, making the salad even more flavorful.

What You Need:

4 hardboiled egg whites, finely chopped
1 capful apple cider vinegar
2 tsp mayo or Greek yogurt
½ tsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp ground mustard
1/8 tsp turmeric (to give it that ‘egg salad yellow’ color, so it’s optional)
¼ tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp kosher salt

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and serve on whole wheat bread with lettuce or with crackers.

Serves 1-2

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Wordless Wednesday - Snow on Saddleback 2.20.11

2011-03-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

Peanut Butter Cup Protein Shake

2011-03-15T15:24:00.000-07:00

As the weather warms up, all I want are ice cold shakes and smoothies as post workout recovery fuel. I recently discovered Trader Joe’s peanut flour and have been trying to find fun ways to use this product. A few weeks ago I was making a post workout chocolate shake and decided to toss in a little peanut flour and was in love with the nutritional stats as well as the flavor of this protein shake. So for the nutritionals… This shake boasts 34 grams of protein and 9 grams of fiber. It clocks in at 285 calories and just over 10 grams of fat. If you’re feeling sassy, you can add a couple handfuls of spinach. Sounds a little crazy, but trust me… you don’t taste the spinach, only peanut buttery, chocolaty goodness.

What You Need:

¾ cup milk
1 serving chocolate protein powder
1/4 cup peanut flour
1 Tbs unsweetened cocoa
1 heaping cup of ice
1 Tbs chia seeds (optional)

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

Serves 1

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Wordless Sunday

2011-03-06T09:22:00.000-08:00

Sausage, Spinach & Brown Rice Casserole with Fresh Mozzarella

2011-03-02T16:20:00.000-08:00

After creating Black Bean & Sweet Potato Casserole with Chicken & Quinoa I had had casseroles on the brain for days. I really wanted to come up with something that had Italian flavors this time, so I planned ahead and made a batch of my sauce the day before so I’d have some homemade sauce on hand. If you don’t have any leftover sauce available, not to worry, just use your favorite bottled sauce. I recommend selecting a roasted garlic variety to really enhance the flavor of your casserole. Think of it this way… If you wouldn’t heat it up and eat it over plain pasta, don’t use it ! I use the same method with the cottage cheese here as my previous casserole recipe, except this time I puree it with fresh basil and oregano to stick with my Italian theme. By pureeing the cottage cheese you create a smooth silky texture like that of melted, grated cheese. This is good for both your waistline and your arteries. While we’re on the topic of the cottage cheese mixture, if you don’t have fresh herbs, you could always use dried, just see my proportion suggestion below in ‘what you need’. This casserole freezes well and can be stored for up to 2-3 months. I like mine served with a little hot sauce and fresh torn basil.

What You Need:

¾ lb fully cooked sausage, sliced (I used roasted pepper & onion chicken sausage)
2 cups spaghetti sauce (I used this sauce )
1 ½ cups cooked brown rice (I eyeballed this, could have been close to 1 ¾ cups)
1 medium red onion, diced
1 – 16 oz bag frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed of its water
1 cup low fat cottage cheese, preferably low sodium
½ tomato, thinly sliced
4 oz fresh mozzarella (ovolini – egg size), drained and thinly sliced
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup fresh basil, divided and torn or roughly chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
1 Tbs fresh oregano, roughly chopped (or ½ tsp dried)
3-5 cloves garlic, minced (to taste)
2 tsp olive oil
¼ - ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, plus 2 pinches
2 pinches salt (about 1/8 tsp)

What To Do:

Preheat oven to 350*.

Next, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat with 2 tsp oil. Once hot, add the sliced sausage and sauté for 6-8 minutes or until deeply browned on both sides. Remove sausage from pan and set aside.

Add the onion to the skillet and reduce heat to medium. Sauté for 10-12 minutes, adding the garlic during the last minute of cooking. Season the mixture with 2 pinches of salt and pepper.

While the onion does its thing, puree the cottage cheese with ¼ - ½ tsp black pepper (to taste), oregano and half of the basil (roughly chopped) until smooth in your small food processor or blender.

Combine browned sausage, sautéed onion, brown rice, the cottage cheese mixture, spinach and egg in a large bowl. Stir gently to combine.

Spoon casserole into a large baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray and top with sliced mozzarella and tomato, alternating.

Cover and bake for 35-45 minutes with a foil lid loosely secured. You’ll know it’s time to take the lid of when small bubbles have formed at the sides of the baking dish.

Bake for an additional 15-18 minutes with the cover off or until golden brown at the edges. Serve with reserved basil, torn.

Serves 6

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-02T06:26:00.000-08:00

White Chicken Chili in your Crockpot

2011-02-25T18:50:00.000-08:00

My white chicken chili is another easy "chop 'n dump" style Crockpot meal. After you chop the onion and peppers, the only thing left to do is put it all in the Crockpot. If you prefer, instead of putting the chicken in whole and then shredding after four hours, you can cube the meat and just put the chicken pieces right into the mix and not have to worry about it later. The reason I like to shred the chicken is purely a textural thing. I like the way the shredded pieces of chicken seem to soak up the flavors of the chili. Just a personal preference, but it would turn out well either way. Also, any bean would work here. There’s no reason you have to use navy beans, it’s just what I had on hand. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt, cilantro, avocado, green onion and freshly squeezed lime juice. I purposely took the picture below with no toppings because there are so many and I wanted you to see how thick and delicious this chili is. If you’ve got leftovers, not to worry… this chili freezes extremely well.

What You Need:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast (2 large breasts)
½ of a softball sized brown onion (or one large – 2 cups), ½” dice
2 large poblano peppers (2 cups – bell pepper would work also), ½” dice
3 small cloves garlic, minced (or 2 tsp prepared minced garlic)
2 – 15 oz cans salt free white beans, **edited to add - drained** (I used navy)
1 – 16 oz jar salsa verde/ roasted tomatillo salsa (or two cups homemade)
1 - 12 oz room temperature beer (one you would like drinking)
2 – 4oz cans hot diced green chiles (use mild if you prefer a more mild chili)
½ - 1 Tbs cumin (to taste - I use a full Tbs)

Optional toppings: sour cream or Greek yogurt, avocado, green onion, cilantro & lime juice

What To Do:

Combine onion, pepper, garlic, beans, salsa, diced chiles, **edited to add** beer** and cumin in your Crockpot and mix well. Sink the chicken breasts into the mixture and cook on low for four hours.

Remove chicken and shred with a fork. Return the shredded chicken to the chili and cook for an additional two hours before serving. (If you cubed your chicken, skip this step.)

Serves 4-6

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Wordless Wednesday - First Bloom

2011-02-23T17:24:00.000-08:00

Rustic Clam & Vegetable Soup

2011-02-21T12:14:00.000-08:00

I was going to call this recipe ‘clam chowder’, but let’s face it… it’s not loaded with cream and it certainly isn’t white. Instead I call this rustic clam and vegetable soup because I think that title suits it much better. While still thick and creamy, my clam chowder is a heartier and lighter version of what you get when you’d order it at a restaurant. I usually start this soup by frying up a couple of slices of apple wood smoked bacon, but I was out. If you’ve got some, after frying… use a tablespoon of the drippings to cook your vegetables in instead of olive oil. It gives the soup a really smoky flavor. Also, when I have it on hand, I use fresh thyme, but today I went with dried. Use whatever you’ve got on hand. I don’t recommend freezing this soup as the potatoes will break down quite a bit when trying to reheat and the soup will become mushy… which nobody wants. Serve with a bit of minced Italian parsley and freshly cracked black pepper.

What You Need:

2 small cans clams and their juices (I like Snow’s or Crown Prince)
4 cups chicken stock – I used homemade (broth would work also)
½ - ¾ cup ½ ‘n ½ at room temperature (to taste – depends how creamy you like it)

3 small Yukon gold potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces (any potato would work here)
2 large stalks celery, ½ “dice
4 small – med carrots, thinly sliced
1 medium – large brown onion, ½ “dice
6-8 cloves garlic, minced (to taste)

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
¼ - ½ tsp kosher salt & black pepper (to taste)
½ tsp dried thyme

3 Tbs butter (I used unsalted, but any kind would work)
3 Tbs flour (I used whole wheat pastry, but any kind will work)

What To Do:

Sauté carrot, celery and onion in olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot for 10-12 minutes or until veggies are deeply browned. Add garlic during the last minute of cooking. Season with salt, pepper and dried thyme.

Push the vegetable mixture to the sides of the pot and melt butter in the well you created. Once the butter is mostly melted add the flour and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes.

Slowly add stock in 1 cup increments, scraping the browned bits off the bottom, over medium high heat until thick and bubbly. This will take about 4 minutes.

Add the potato to the pot and simmer over medium low heat for about 10 minutes or until tender. Depending on the size of your potato chunks – the smaller you cut, the faster it cooks.

Remove from heat and add your ½ ‘n ½ and clams (with juices). Serve soup garnished with fresh Italian parsley and freshly cracked black pepper if desired.

Makes 7 – 1 cup servings

Bon Appétit!
Mary

A Couple of Cool Links on a Rainy Friday

2011-02-18T15:18:00.000-08:00

Was doing a little reading on this rainy afternoon and found a couple links you might find helpful/ interesting...

I've had a couple people ask me how long things can be kept in the freezer. I had done some googling and found a few resources, but didn't fall in love with any of them. I found this chart from myrecipe.com and it is really well done and covers almost every food item I could think of.

Click here for the article.

I also saw an article on Health.com about fiber being linked to longer life. The study was run by the American Cancer Institute. Although it lead to a longer life in men (in this study), it did not produce the same results for women. 'As Dr. Hu says, “We don’t understand the mechanism of how fiber works against disease.'" Perhaps it's the way that a person who eats whole grain fiber lives their life (e.g. exercises at least 20 min a day, drinks lots of water and gets 5 servings of fruits and vegetables) ? The doctor's concluded that this was only one study and more would need to be run to make an conclusive findings so I guess we'll find out.

Click here for the article.

I saw an all natural version of Nutella while at the health.com site also. 'nough said.

Click here for the article.

source

On Danica's site, she posted about a free yoga download on yogadownload.com for beginners (like me!). I have yet to try it out, but it looked really cool and I'd thought I'd share. We could all use a little more stretching in our life.

Happy Friday!

Mary

Wordless Friday - Photo's Taken By B 2.13

2011-02-18T05:25:00.000-08:00

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Casserole with Chicken & Quinoa

2011-02-16T16:20:00.000-08:00

I knew my girlfriend Kim would be coming over for dinner tonight and I wanted to make either a soup or a casserole that involved black beans and the sweet potatoes I found that were really close to spoiling. After a brief discussion with her this morning, we decided that casserole was the way to go. I decided that I wanted there to be a grain running throughout this recipe and knew some quinoa cooked in beef broth would go nicely with the other components. If you can't find or don't like quinoa, use brown rice, barley or couscous. To keep it light, I used cottage cheese that had been pureed with dried spices in lieu of shredded cheese. For the topping, I used the pre-shredded smoked cheeses from Trader Joe’s for convenience, but any kind of cheese you like would work. To make this recipe vegetarian, simply leave out the chicken or substitute caramelized onions and mushrooms and cook your quinoa in vegetable stock. Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt, hot sauce and fresh cilantro if you have it on hand.

What You Need:

½ - ¾ lb cubed or shredded cooked chicken - *see cook’s note
1 large sweet potato (any kind of potato would work here)
1 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
1 ½ cups cooked quinoa (or any grain you like) cooked in broth (I used beef here)
1 – 16oz package frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed of water
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
1 cup salsa verde (roasted tomatillo salsa – or any salsa you like)
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ cup shredded smoked cheese (or any cheese you like)
1 tsp 21 seasoning salute (or any salt free seasoning blend you like)

What To Do:

Preheat your oven to 350*.

Wash your sweet potato and pierce several times with a knife or fork. Microwave on high for 6-7 minutes or until a knife can be inserted easily. Cut potato into one inch pieces and set aside.

While the sweet potato cook’s, puree cottage cheese in a small food processor or blender with your salt free seasoning blend until smooth.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl (except for the shredded cheese) and mix gently.
Pour the mixture into a large casserole dish coated with cooking spray and bake with a foil cover for 45 minutes to an hour. You’ll know it’s time to take the foil off when the casserole is bubbling at the edges.

Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

*You could use shredded rotisserie or left over chicken here – I cubed my chicken and tossed with 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp 21 seasoning salute (or any salt free seasoning blend), ¼ tsp salt and pepper. Bake at 350* for 8 minutes.*

Wordless Thursday

2011-02-10T14:38:00.000-08:00

Maple Soy Glazed Salmon (5 ingredients - plus hot sauce)

2011-02-03T16:00:00.000-08:00

This simple glaze recipe goes well with more than just salmon; it complements snapper, halibut, chicken or even tofu very nicely. You can wisk this glaze together in less than 2 minutes and have your fish baking in fewer than 5 once you’ve got your oven hot. This glaze is both sweet and hot, which both B and I really enjoy. If you don’t care for ginger, simply omit – I’m pretty sure it would still taste darn good without it. I often make this dish the night before or earlier in the day because it reheats so well. Salmon is such a ‘forgiving’ fish, I really should cook with it more often. Serve garnished with thinly sliced green onion, oven roasted asparagus and steamed brown jasmine rice. If it’s warm where you are right now or you are making this dish in the summer, throw it on the grill outside for a special treat.

What You Need:

1 lb salmon
1/8 cup soy sauce
¼ cup pure maple syrup (or your favorite syrup)
1 tsp minced ginger (simply omit if you’re not a fan)
2 tsp minced garlic (or 2 large cloves grated or minced – to taste)

Sriracha to taste (optional)

What To Do:

Preheat oven to 350* and combine all ingredients, except salmon, in a bowl and wisk.

Coat a foil lined baking sheet with cooking spray and cover fish with most of the glaze, reserving a Tbs or two for after it has baked. Bake fish for 18-22 minutes, depending on the thickness, or until fish flakes with a fork in the thickest spot. Pour remaining glaze over fish.

Serves 2-3

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Creamy Turkey & Potato Soup with Spinach

2011-02-01T15:27:00.000-08:00

When you’re tired of being frozen on a day where you’re totally snowed in and its storming like crazy… you’ve got to make this soup to warm up!! If you use all of the listed ingredients, this recipe will remind you of a Thanksgiving dinner of sorts in a bowl. B and I enjoyed this Sunday evening while watching movies. I highly recommend it. I know that using ground meat in a soup in definitely not ‘normal’ turkey soup, but trust me… this turns out wonderfully. I will warn you… There are several ingredients and this soup cannot be made in 20 minutes or less, but it’s SO good… you’ve gotta try it just once!

What You Need:

1 – 1.25 lbs ground turkey

1 – 32 ox box chicken or turkey stock (broth works too)

2 cups milk, at room temperature

3-4 small Yukon gold potatoes, 1” dice (or any other thin skinned potato)

6 oz grated cheese (I used garlic infused jack)

½ large brown onion (about a cup), ½ “dice

3 medium carrots (about a cup), thinly sliced

3 small stalks celery (about a cup), thinly sliced

8 oz baby spinach

6-9 cloves garlic, minced (to taste)

2 Tbs Italian parsley, minced (dried would probably work here also)

2 Tbs butter

3 Tbs flour

1 Tbs + 4 tsp olive oil

1 tsp 21 seasoning salute (or your favorite salt free seasoning blend - to taste)

½ tsp poultry seasoning (optional, but highly recommended)

2 bay leaves (optional, but highly recommended)

½ tsp salt and pepper, divided (to taste)

What To Do:

Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a heavy bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the celery, carrot, onion and bay leaf. Sauté over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until softened. Season the vegetables with ¼ tsp salt and pepper. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add another 2 tsp of oil into the pan and turn the heat up to medium high heat. Add the ground turkey and bay leaf and sauté for 4-6 minutes or until lightly browned, adding the garlic during the last minute of cooking. Season with ¼ tsp salt and pepper, 21 seasoning salute and poultry seasoning.

Push turkey and garlic to the outside of the pan and melt butter in the center with 1 Tbs olive oil. Once the butter is mostly melted, add the flour in and cook over medium heat stirring constantly for about 2 minutes.

Add the carrots, celery and onions back into the pan and slowly add the chicken stock a little at a time, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.

Bring to a simmer and add potato for 10-12 minutes or until potato is fork tender.

Add the milk and bring up to temperature without boiling or the milk could curtle. Remove from heat and add spinach, mix and then put the lid on until wilted. Add cheese and parsley. Serve with crusty bread.

Makes 5 - 2 cup servings

Bon Appétit!
Mary

**cook’s note: I don’t recommend freezing this soup as it has a creamy broth and also potatoes which tend to break down quite a bit when defrosting and then cooking again…**

The Recipe for my Whole Wheat Pesto Chicken Pizza

2011-01-28T14:25:00.000-08:00

I’ve had a couple of you ask me for the recipe for the Pesto Chicken Pizza, so I figured I’d quickly jot down what went into it. Nothing was measured, so I’ll do my best to remember about how much I used. If you feel like you want more cheese, chicken or veggies.. Go for it! If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s nearby, you can buy a ball of dough from most grocery stores and you can substitute your favorite salt free seasoning blend (e.g. Mrs Dash) for the 21 Seasoning Salute. It’s hard to make a bad choice here. I have a pizza stone from World Market and highly recommend using this to achieve that extra crispy crust you get from delivery pizza. If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can make this recipe on a regular baking sheet and it should work just fine, it just won’t be quite as crispy as if you had made it on a pizza stone. Serve with a green salad and an ice cold beer!

What You Need:

¼ lb chicken cut into 1” cubes cooked in 1 tsp oil, seasoned with 1 ½ tsp Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute
1 ball whole wheat pizza dough
½ - 1 cup of your favorite pizza or spaghetti sauce (depends how saucy you like it)
¼ cup prepared or homemade pesto sauce
½ - 1 cup shredded cheese of your choice (I used this garlic infused jack cheese)
¼ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese (optional)
1/3 cup red or green bell pepper, ¼” dice
1/3 cup red onion, ¼” dice
2 large cremini or button mushroom, very thinly sliced
6 cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced
Cornmeal to prevent the dough from sticking to your baking sheet or pizza stone
Flour for rolling the dough

What To Do:

Heat oven to 425* and take pizza dough out of the fridge and let it sit for 20 minutes while the oven heats up. If you try and use it right out of the fridge, you’ll have a really tough time getting it to roll out properly.

Once the oven is hot, throw your pizza stone in and let it heat for 15 minutes (if using). While the pizza stone is heating, roll out the dough on a well floured surface to your desired thickness. We like it thin.

Remove pizza stone from the oven and dust with cornmeal until there is an even coating.

Carefully place pizza dough onto your pizza stone or baking sheet and pierce many times with a fork to prevent air pockets from forming. Bake the pizza crust for about 8-10 minutes or until it becomes a golden brown. This is how you get that crispy crust!

After the crust has prebaked, top with sauce, garlic jack cheese and then all of the vegetables and chicken. Spoon the pesto sauce onto the pizza, distributing it evenly in blobs. Top with parmesan cheese (if using) and bake for 12-16 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.

Allow the pizza to cool for a few minutes before slicing.

Serves 4 (4 small or 2 large slices each)

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry (5 ingredients!)

2011-01-27T17:05:00.000-08:00

This stir fry is extremely quick and easy! I am definitely on a five ingredient kick these days. Nothing like a great tasting and healthy recipe that isn’t a bunch of muss and fuss. I like to make this stir fry ahead of time and reheat it as needed. If you’re not into mushrooms, you could use any other veggie you like. I think onion, carrot, snow peas and baby corn would all work very well. Same goes for red bell peppers… If you’d rather not use those, just substitute one of the above. This recipe makes enough for four generous portions. I’ll be serving this over steamed brown jasmine rice with a little hot sauce. Feel free to add a little extra teriyaki sauce when serving, but a little goes a long way. This recipe could easily be doubled for a larger group… or for more leftovers!

What You Need:

1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces (about ¾”)
4 ½ cups broccoli pieces, fresh or frozen (defrosted) would work here
10 mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, chopped into 1/2” pieces
¼ cup bottled or homemade teriyaki sauce

½ Tbs olive oil

What To Do:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot add the mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes or until they release their liquid and shrink.

Moving the mushrooms aside, brown the chicken for 4 minutes. Turn chicken over half way through the cooking process.

Next, add all the remaining ingredients and reduce heat to medium and cover.

With the cover on, cook for 4 minutes. Serve over steamed brown jasmine rice or quinoa.

Serves 4 (5 cups)

Bon Appétit!

Mary

The revamping of my recipe page...

2011-01-26T18:43:00.000-08:00

...has been completed!

Come check it out !!

-Mary

Thai One On - Five Ingredient Crockpot Dinner

2011-01-26T13:56:00.000-08:00

This Crockpot recipe is as simple as they come and needs only FIVE ingredients and FIVE minutes to prep. I like to call these types of recipes chop ‘n dump style. You may be wondering what the heck that means… Well, it means you chop… and then you dump it into your Crockpot. Fun, right ?? I used a bottle of premade Thai style red curry sauce as I didn’t have time to make my own. This literally came together in about 5 minutes, I kid you not. Turn your Crockpot to low and cook for 8 hours. If you’re not a fan of tofu, I think chicken would be fabulous in its place. Top with a little hot sauce, fresh cilantro and thinly sliced green onions if you have them on hand and serve over brown rice or quinoa.

What You Need:

1 lb extra firm tofu cut into ½” cubes
1 – 11oz bottle Thai red curry sauce (I used Trader Joe’s)
1 medium brown onion, ½” dice
1 medium russet potato or sweet potato, ½” dice
4 medium carrots, roughly chopped

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in your slow cooker that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and cook on low setting for 8 hours. Serve over brown rice with hot sauce, cilantro and green onion.

Serves 4-6

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Wordless Monday: Dinner Tonight

2011-01-24T17:36:00.000-08:00

Whole Wheat Pesto Chicken Pizza

Soba Noodle Pasta Toss with Edamame and Tomato

2011-01-17T17:35:00.000-08:00

Don’t hate me, but it was about 76* and sunny today and I had to break out this oldie but goodie that I didn’t get to post about during the summer because all I am craving tonight is chilled salad. The day I created this recipe was an absolute scorcher! The hottest day of the year thus far… Coming in at an almost record high of 108* today. Cooking something hot was the last thing on my mind and I wanted something heartier than a salad. I dug around in the back of my pantry among the ‘I’m open, use me’ pastas and found some buck wheat soba noodles. I instantly knew that I was going to want this salad to have Asian flavors and some serious heat. What can I say…? I am a glutton for punishment. Although I used soba noodles here, whole wheat pasta (or whatever pasta or grain you like) would work well here. Same goes for the tomato. If you have plum, beefsteak, cherry, roma tomatoes, use those. This chilled vegan salad is packed with heaps of protein, antioxidants and fiber all while not heating up your already hot kitchen. What’s your go to meal when you don’t feel like something hot for dinner ?

What You Need:

3 servings – 6 oz soba noodles, cooked in vegetable broth according to package and drained
1 ½ cups cooked and shelled edamame
1 cup cooked red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (any bean would work here)
1 cup on the vine tomato (2 small), chopped
1/3 cup red onion (1/3 med onion), thinly sliced
¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Wisk Together for the dressing:
1 Tbs sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp honey (or to taste)
Juice and zest of ½ lime
1 tsp sriracha hot sauce (or to taste)
¼ - ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Serves 3 as an entrée or 6 – 1 cup servings

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Ham 'n Potato Casserole

2011-01-11T18:24:00.000-08:00

I know I normally do a full recipe post, complete with step by step pictures (and a final product photopgraphed in the natural sunlight and not my hideous kitchen lighting), but I created Ham 'n Potato Casserole and ended up really loving it. This morning on Jenna's blog she featured buffalo chicken dip. She wrote about how it was total 'man food' and ever since... I have had it on the brain. Man food that is. I looked in the fridge and knew I could make something mighty tasty with some apple wood smoked ham, left over breakfast potatoes from Sunday morning and some habanero pepper jack. I knew that this recipe would be a hit with B when he walked past the kitchen while I was cooking and said, ‘MMMM haaaaaam!’ After it baked, I added a little sliced green onion (as always) and some minced Italian parsley as a garnish. After B piled up helping number three I figured I should ask… Would you all like to have the recipe ??

Mexican Chicken Soup

2011-01-06T18:12:00.000-08:00

This spin on chicken soup came to me this chilly winter day after peering into my pantry and spotting a can of fire roasted tomatoes with roasted garlic, a jar of salsa verde and a can of green chilies. I knew right then that I wanted to make a soup with Mexican flavors in it. I had just gone to the market yesterday and picked up a package of chicken tenders, so I decided I should make a Mexican twist on good old fashioned chicken soup to warm us up. This soup has deep smoky undertones of cumin and a hint of beer in its broth. I really wished I had had some tortillas, because I think that toasting some in the oven with some cumin, salt, pepper and cayenne would be lovely. Also, if you have a ripe avocado and some fresh cilantro, I highly recommend adding both of these accompaniments. Promise you won’t be disappointed! This recipe can also be made in the Crockpot by reducing the amount of garlic by half and combining all ingredients in your slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours. This soup freezes extremely well. Serve with chopped avocado, thinly sliced green onion, sharp shredded cheddar cheese, Greek yogurt, minced cilantro and hot sauce.

What You Need:

1 lb chicken rinsed and cut into bite sized pieces
1 – 14.5 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes with roasted garlic
4 cups ( 1 – 32 oz box) chicken stock (broth would work also)
1 cup salsa verde (I used Henry’s Store brand – Sun Harvest)
¾ cup beer (I had a Bass on hand)
2 cups cooked pinto beans
1 cup corn kernels (canned, fresh or frozen)
1 – 4oz can green chilies
1 medium brown onion (about 2 cups), ½“dice
6 cloves garlic, minced (or to taste)
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp salt and pepper plus a pinch of each

What To Do:

Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large soup pot. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and season with ¼ tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and ½ tsp cumin.

Brown the chicken for 4-5 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from pan.

Turn heat down to medium and sauté onions for 8 minutes adding the garlic during the last minute of cooking. Season the onions and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Add chicken to the onions and garlic, then deglaze pan with beer by turning up the heat to medium high and slowly adding the beer, scraping browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer over medium heat for 2 minutes. During this time, the alcohol will burn off.

Next, add all remaining ingredients and simmer covered, over low heat for about 15 minutes.

Makes 4 (2 cup) Servings

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Creamy Baked Potato Soup

2010-12-09T15:35:00.000-08:00

I first made this soup in September after my husband has his wisdom teeth taken out. I had no plan other than I wanted to make a creamy potato soup that would be easy for him to eat with ingredients that I had on hand. We both ended up loving it so much, I decided I should make it again for blogging purposes. If you prefer your soup be chunky, use an immersion blender or a potato masher to get the soup to your desired consistency. I used beef stock because that’s what I had on hand, but any broth or stock would work well here. I recommend using a low sodium variety as stocks and broths can pack a lot of sodium. This is also why I don’t season the soup with salt and pepper until after blending. Some stocks will be really salty and you may not even need to add any additional salt. I didn’t have any bacon on hand, but highly recommend frying up a few slices and crumbling it on top of this soup. This recipe makes a generous amount, but does not freeze well so feel free to half this recipe is you desire. Serve garnished with Greek yogurt or sour cream, thinly sliced green onion, hot sauce and crumbled bacon.

What You Need:

5 cups stock or broth
2 cups milk, room temperature (I used whole milk)
3 lbs russet potatoes, washed and cut into small pieces (about 5 medium)
1 large brown onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
8 cloves garlic (or to taste), minced
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbs butter
3 Tbs flour
1 ½ tsp kosher salt, divided
1 ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, divided
Optional Garnishes: Greek yogurt or sour cream, thinly sliced green onion, hot sauce and crumbled bacon.

What To Do:

Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot add the onion and carrot, season with ½ tsp salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic during the last minute of cooking.

Create a well in the center of the vegetables and melt butter.

Once butter is melted add the flour and cook over medium heat stirring constantly for 2 minutes.

Slowly add stock or broth stirring constantly, scraping browned bits off the bottom.

Once all of the broth has been incorporated, throw the potato in the pot and simmer for 10 minutes or until mostly tender.

Add milk and return to simmer. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.

In batches, puree the soup until smooth. Taste and see if you need more salt and pepper. I added 1 tsp of salt and pepper. Top with garnishes and serve immediately with a garden salad.

Yields 13 ½ - 1 cup servings

Bon Appétit!
Mary

**Behind the Scenes: Had to share a picture of my cat/ fur-child trying to help me blog about this recipe :)**

Turkey Lentil Stew

2010-11-16T17:12:00.000-08:00

This hearty Crockpot stew recipe came to me as I walked by the roasted chickens at the market. You’re thinking… ‘chicken… I thought you said TURKEY lentil stew… ?’. You’re correct! I glanced at all the roasted chickens and spotted some turkey breasts sitting toward the back of the shelf. For dinner tonight, I had originally planned to make a vegetable lentil stew, but now knew that I needed to try to incorporate some roasted turkey breast with the idea that I would use this recipe after Thanksgiving with the leftovers. I use bay leaves here, but if you don’t have any I think it would still taste fabulous. I highly recommend buying a package as they last a very long time in your pantry in a sealed container. Look for the plastic packages versus the bottled kind as you can save quite a bit of money. This stew freezes nicely. Take it out of the freezer the night before and by the next night you’ll have dinner waiting and ready to be heated in the microwave. This recipe does make a generous amount so if you desire, half it. If you don't have a Crockpot, see the cook's note at the bottom. Serve with warm bread, a little green onion and here at our house… we like ours with a bunch of hot sauce!

What You Need:

2 cups green lentils, rinsed and picked through
4 cups roasted and shredded turkey breast (or chicken)
1 – 32 oz box chicken or turkey stock (or broth if unavailable)
1 medium to large brown onion, diced
4 carrots, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
1 – 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 large russet potato, diced (about 4 cups)
6 cloves garlic, minced (or to taste)
2 bay leaves (optional)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in a large Crockpot and set to low for 6 hours. Stir after 3 hours if possible. Serve with freshly baked bread.

This stew serves a crowd.

Bon Appétit!
Mary

**Cook’s Note: If you don’t have a Crockpot… Heat 1 Tbs. olive oil in a large heavy bottomed soup pot. Sauté vegetables (except garlic & potato), bay leaves (if using), salt and pepper for about 8-10 minutes over medium/high heat. Once vegetables have softened, add the tomatoes, potato and stock. Simmer over low heat with the lid on until lentils are tender, about 30-40 minutes or until desired consistency.**

How to Make Homemade Spicy Pinto Beans in Your Crock Pot

2010-11-03T15:15:00.000-07:00

I know that making beans yourself can be a pain, but if you use your crock pot, I promise it isn’t as bad as it sounds. I will say, homemade beans taste almost the same as canned beans. Not gonna lie. So you may ask… Why bother ?? Well, my recipe has a little pizzazz that regular old canned beans just don’t have. I like to add a whole jalapeno pepper, onion, garlic and bay leaves to season my beans. With those quick and simple additions, you can have yourself some seasoned, homemade beans made effortlessly in your crock pot while you’re at work. If you’re wondering why I didn’t add any salt before the cooking process, let me explain… I have read many articles about how to best cook your beans and consensus is, adding salt before you cook them can hinder the cooking process and leave you with beans that are tough, even after you’ve cooked them according to the packages instructions. I also did not specify how much salt to add. I prefer my beans to be less salty and therefore leave it up to you to decide how much is right for you. I recommend adding 1 tsp… tasting, then adding more in small increments until they taste just the way you like them. I also like to make a huge batch and freeze small portions for grab and go convenience during the week.

What You Need:

1 bag dried pinto beans, soaked over night
Water (enough so that the water is 2”-3” higher than beans)
½ brown onion, diced
3 - 4 cloves garlic, chopped (to taste)
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced (remove seeds if you prefer your beans more mild)
2 bay leaves (dried or fresh)
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in your slow cooker (except salt) and cook on high setting for 4 - 5 hours, or until beans are tender. Add salt to taste once beans are done.

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Tofu 'n Greens Quinoa Bowl

2010-10-28T15:40:00.000-07:00

I don’t know about you, but fried rice is one of my favorite comfort foods. Tonight, I decided I wanted to healthify my old favorite with a fun twist by using quinoa and making it into a bowl of sorts. If you don’t feel like using quinoa, any rice or grain would work here. I used steamed Brussels sprouts because I had leftovers from last night’s dinner. Feel free to use up any leftover veggies you might have. Same goes for the protein. I had some tofu that I needed to use up, but if you have chicken or pork, use that! Be sure to not add the sesame oil until after the food is no longer on the burner, as it is only safe to use with medium heat (under 350*). Top each bowl with additional hot sauce and green onions.

What You Need:

1 serving quinoa (1/4 cup dry), cooked in chicken stock or broth
1 serving extra firm tofu, cubed and deeply browned in a pan or oven
½ cup snow peas, chopped
½ cup steamed edemame
6 small Brussels sprouts, halved and partially steamed in microwave (frozen or fresh)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 green onion, green parts only - thinly sliced
1 tsp oyster sauce (optional)
½ tsp low sodium soy sauce
½ tsp sesame oil
Non-stick cooking spray
Hot sauce to taste

What To Do:

Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add egg and cook for about 2 minutes or until lightly browned.

Add edemame, snow peas, Brussels sprouts, quinoa, soy sauce, hot sauce and oyster sauce. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes.

Top with sesame oil, hot sauce and onion once off the heat. Serve immediately.

Serves 2

Bon Appétit!
Mary

My First Attempt at Indian Food !

2010-10-26T15:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, I lied. I tried making channa masala once without actually having tried any Indian food and hated it. I wanted the first… I mean second… Indian dish I attempted to be simple and quick. …that way, if its destiny was the trash can, I could quickly start over. One of my favorite things about Indian food is cardamom and lentils. I love that warm, almost chai tea like sweetness cardamom has. I found this recipe online with both lentils and cardamom and decided that I must give Indian Dal a spin. I was pleased to see that red lentils would cook in about 15 minutes. Perfect! I think adding deeply browned chunks of tofu would be wonderful in this recipe. May have to give that a try tomorrow. I didn’t have cilantro on hand… and am happy to report that this recipe still tastes fabulous without it. I’m also thinking this might be good in the slow cooker… What about you ?

Aloha Granola

2010-10-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

Take me to the islands for breakfast! This tropical granola takes me back to the time I got to travel to Hawaii with my Dad in high school. Such great memories every time I pour a bowl of this granola. Sweet coconut and pineapple balance out the salty creaminess of the macadamia nuts. If you can’t find macadamia nuts, feel free to substitute cashews in their place. Use this granola as a topping for yogurt or oatmeal, but just as tasty in a bowl with milk.

What You Need:

4 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
1 cup dried pineapple
1 cup roasted macadamia nuts (or cashews), chopped
½ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup brown sugar
2 Tbs coconut oil (vegetable or canola oil would work)
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp kosher salt

What To Do:

Combine oats, brown sugar and salt in a large bowl.

Combine syrup, vanilla and oil in a small bowl.

Add maple mixture to the oat mixture and, using your hands, coat the oats with the syrup mixture forming clumps. Spread the granola onto a lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

Bake for 35-40 minutes at 325*, stirring half way though. Once granola has cooled slightly, add the shredded coconut, macadamia nuts and pineapple.

Makes 12 Serving

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Mary's Slow Cooker Chili Re-Made on the Stove

2010-10-17T17:26:00.000-07:00

On this dreary, misty fall afternoon, I decided my turkey chili needed to be re-made for consumption purposes and photographs. I paired it with a whole wheat serrano pepper and smoked cheese corn bread. I used the recipe on the bag of corn meal, using serrano peppers in place of jalapenos and whole wheat pastry flour in place of white flour. I also added a fresh, diced jalapeno pepper into the chili for an added kick. This recipe is extremely filling and could easily serve from eight to ten people especially if served with corn bread. If you don't have a slow cooker, simmer on stove top for one hour covered and then an additional forty five minutes uncovered. If you think it tastes good the day you make it... just wait for tomorrow!

Garnish with hot sauce, diced avocado, diced red onion, smoked cheese and Greek yogurt.

Serve with corn bread...

...on a chilly Fall afternoon with family and friends.

Wordless Friday - The Non Baker Bakes !

2010-10-15T11:06:00.000-07:00

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Enchilada Casserole

2010-10-12T17:34:00.000-07:00

One of my most favorite things to eat is Mexican food, but not just any Mexican food… Enchiladas to be specific. Today I decided that I wanted to put a fun spin on my usual enchilada recipe by making it into a casserole. This casserole not only tastes great the day you make it, but make a double batch and freeze half for a rainy day when you don’t feel like cooking. Enchiladas happen to be one of my favorite ways to use up left over roasted meats and vegetables. Just add some cheese and enchilada sauce and … BOOM! Dinner is served. Top with your favorite garnishes: guacamole, salsa, sour cream/ Greek yogurt and hot sauce.

What You Need:

1 – 1.25 lbs ground turkey
6 - fajita sized whole wheat tortillas (or any tortilla you like), each torn in half
2 – 12 oz jars red enchilada sauce
1 – 10 oz can Rotel tomatoes with green peppers, partially drained
1 – 4 oz can green chilies
1 – 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium brown onion, diced
1 medium sweet potato (orange inside), micro waved until tender (6-7min), then diced
6 large cloves garlic, minced
½ - 1 ¼ cup shredded cheese (optional & to taste)
4 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 Tbs, plus 1 tsp cumin (or to taste)
1 Tbs, plus 2 tsp salt free chili powder (or to taste – I like Spice Hunter)
½ tsp kosher salt, divided
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, divided

What To Do:

Heat half of the oil in a large skillet and sauté onion for 6 minutes over medium heat seasoned with ¼ tsp salt and pepper, adding garlic during the last minute of cooking. Once the vegetables are cooked, push them to the outside of the pan.

Add the remaining oil and brown meat until cooked thoroughly, about 7-9 minutes over medium high heat, seasoned with spice mixture, salt and pepper.

Next, add all of the remaining ingredients into the pan, except for the cheese and cook over medium heat for 4 minutes, then remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350*. Spray the inside of a large baking dish (13x9) with cooking spray. Layer the meat mixture, cheese, enchilada sauce and tortillas, making sure that the top layer of the casserole is the enchilada sauce and cheese.

Bake for 35-45 minutes tented with foil, or until bubbling, and then bake for an additional 10-15 minutes with the foil off so that the cheese can brown. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before trying to serve.

Serves 8 (Bake in two separate, smaller pans and freeze one!)

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Maple Walnut Granola

2010-09-29T15:31:00.000-07:00

I love making homemade granola, but somehow got into the habit of buying it from the store. This morning as I was making my shopping list and noticed we needed granola, I decided that today was the day I’d stop that silly habit and get back in the kitchen and make my own! Our favorite flavor of granola is maple, so I quickly got to work. I chose to leave the walnuts out during the baking process, adding them at the end with the dried fruit, because we prefer raw walnuts to toasted. Feel free to add the nuts into the oat mixture before baking if you prefer it that way. I used a mixture of dried blueberries, mango and cranberries, but you could use any dried fruit you have on hand or leave it out completely. Eat this granola with milk, sprinkled on yogurt or straight out of the container as a snack.

What You Need:

4 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup raw walnut pieces (or any type you like)
1 cup dried fruit, cut into small pieces
¼ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup pure maple syrup
2 Tbs coconut oil (canola or vegetable would work here)
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp kosher salt

What To Do:

Combine oats, brown sugar and salt in a large bowl.

Combine syrup, vanilla and oil in a small bowl.

Add maple mixture to the oat mixture and, using your hands, coat the oats with the syrup mixture forming clumps. Spread the granola onto a lined baking sheet coated with cooking.

Bake for 40 minutes at 325*, stirring half way though. Once granola has cooled slightly, add the nuts and fruit.

Makes 12 Servings

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Mary's El Pollo Bowl

2010-09-22T15:37:00.000-07:00

This dish can be prepared mostly ahead of time, or can be prepped quickly while the chicken tenders bake. Great for a casual meal at home with friends and family, you could easily make this for four people or for eight… All you would have to do is chop up a few extra veggies and throw a few more pieces of chicken in the oven. This meal would also be great served taco bar style by setting out the fixin’s for your guests to make their own bowls. If you want to lighten this recipe up a bit, serve over chopped romaine instead of rice. Serve with hot sauce.

What You Need:

1 lb chicken tenders, rinsed and dried
4 servings warm, cooked brown rice
1 – 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and heated
1 small bunch cilantro, rinsed and chopped
1 large avocado, chopped (toss in lime juice if prepping ahead of time to keep from browning)
1 large tomato, finely chopped
½ medium red onion, finely chopped
¾ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
¾ cup low fat Greek yogurt
Juice of one lime
1 Tbs olive oil
Hot sauce to taste

Seasoning Blend for Chicken:
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp chili powder

What To Do:

Heat the oven to 375*. While the oven heats, line a baking sheet with foil. Toss chicken with oil and seasoning blend. Once chicken is coated, space evenly on baking sheet.

Bake chicken for about 12 minutes or until no longer pink. Allow meat to cool slightly and chop into bite sized pieces.

Divide all ingredients among four bowls and serve with hot sauce.

Serves 4

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Simple Tomato Salad

2010-09-17T15:42:00.000-07:00

Last night I was making dinner and knew I wanted to come up with a quick and easy salad to go with it. I opened my crisper and realized that I had no lettuce. Shoot! What’s a gal to do? I dug deep into the drawer and found a couple of tomatoes, half a red onion and an English cucumber… and a light bulb went off in my head. A lettuce-less salad was in order! The key to this recipe is making all of the vegetables the same size and in equal amounts. Seems simple enough, right? Right. I happened to have heirloom tomatoes, but any kind would have worked. I’m actually eating the leftovers of this salad right now and it tastes even better today than it did last night. What’s your favorite simple salad ?

What You Need:

3/4 English cucumber, cut into bite sized pieces
2 large tomatoes, cut into bit sized pieces
½ red onion, cut into bite sized pieces
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs aged balsamic vinegar (regular balsamic would work fine here)
1 tsp agave or honey (to taste)
¼ tsp kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)
Red pepper flakes to taste

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 5 – 1 cup servings

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Cabernet Meat Sauce

2010-09-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to make a homemade meat sauce for ages as it is one of my husband's favorites meals. Today the weather cooled down a bit and a spaghetti night on the back porch was starting to sound great, so I picked up the essentials at the market. Unlike most of the recipes I post about, this one can’t be whipped up quickly, but what it lacks in speed, it makes up for in flavor. Promise. Any time I use meat in a red sauce, I can't resist adding some red wine to add just one more layer of flavor. So today I introduce my cabernet meat sauce. If you prefer to omit the wine, you could substitute broth in its place. Serve this sauce over long pasta or spaghetti squash with lots of red pepper flakes, Italian parsley and parmesan cheese if desired.

What You Need:

1 lb lean ground turkey (or ground meat of your choice)
2 – 28 oz cans whole peeled tomatoes in juice (San Marzano)
1 – 6 oz can tomato paste
½ brown onion, very finely chopped
1 carrot, very finely chopped
1 cup cabernet sauvignon
3 cloves garlic, minced (or to taste)
1 bay leaf (dried or fresh)
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp kosher salt, divided
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, divided

Red pepper flakes, Italian parsley and parmesan cheese (optional)

What To Do:

Heat the oil in a large high sided skillet over medium heat and sauté onion and carrot for 6 minutes, adding the garlic during the last minute of cooking. Season with ¼ tsp salt and pepper.

Add turkey to the pan and turn up the heat to medium high. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon and season with remaining salt and pepper. Cook for 6 minutes.

Next, add tomato paste into the center of the pan and cook for 2 minutes.

Gently fold the tomato paste in with the meat mixture and add wine. Allow the alchohol in the wine to cook off for about 3-4 minutes or until thickened.

Carefully add the tomatoes. Using your hand or the back of a wooden spoon, break up whole tomatoes into small pieces.

Simmer sauce for 1 hour or until desired thickness.

Serves 4 - 6

Bon Appetit!
Mary

Quinoa Mac n' Cheeze

2010-08-30T09:42:00.000-07:00

I already know what you’re thinking… ‘What the heck is cheeze’ ?! Well, let me explain. If you guessed cheeze is a mock cheese, you are correct! How on earth does one make a cheese sauce with no cheese? I’ll explain. The main ingredient in this vegan cheese sauce is nutritional yeast. Weird, right ? Not so weird… Vegetarians and vegans have been using these yellow flakes for ages to give food a slightly cheesy flavor. Nutritional yeast is deactivated yeast that has a slightly cheesy, salty (but low in sodium) flavor to it. It’s also loaded with complete proteins (9 grams per serving), b-complex vitamins and amino acids (18). You can find this product in most natural food stores like Whole Foods, Henry’s or Mother’s Market. Some of the benefits of a diet rich in nutritional yeast are: ‘maintaining intestinal ecology, improved blood production, helps to maintain healthy cholesterol levels and improves liver health and function’. Once you’ve cooked your quinoa, this lighter version of macaroni and cheese comes together in less than five minutes. Can’t beat that! Serve with mini meatloafs la florentine.

What You Need:

2 ( ½ cup - dry) servings quinoa, cooked in chicken or vegetable broth
¼ cup nutritional yeast
4 Tbs milk
2 Tbs hummus (homemade or prepared)
1 ½ tsp butter or margarine
½ tsp garlic or onion powder
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp dry mustard
½ tsp lemon juice
Pinch of salt and pepper

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients, except quinoa, in a small pot and bring to a simmer.

Add quinoa and stir to combine. Serve with mini meatloafs a la florentine.

Serves 2

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Mini Meatloafs A La Florentine

2010-08-24T17:47:00.000-07:00

This version of my mini meatloafs has been inspired by a dish in the style of Florence (Italy). Dishes a la florentine were traditionally made with eggs, fish or white meat and often served with Mornay sauce. Bottom line… these mini meatloafs are loaded with spinach. Spinach has a plethora of micro nutrients that we all need. Some of them are vitamins (A, B2, C, E &K), folate, iron, folic acid and omega-3 fatty acids. As with my Italian style loafs, I added both grated onion and carrot here to keep these hearty and juicy. Serve with quinoa mac n' cheeze (recipe coming soon).

What You Need:

1 lb lean ground turkey
1/3 cup egg whites from carton
16 oz frozen spinach, defrosted and water squeezed out
1 medium onion, grated
1 medium carrot, grated
6-8 garlic cloves (or to taste)
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/3 cup Italian parsley, minced
2 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)
½ tsp kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper (or to taste)

What To Do:

Heat the oven to 350* and spray the inside of a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and gently mix with hands.

Divide mixture evenly among the 12 cups.

Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until no longer pink.

Serves 4-6

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Baked California Halibut with Lemon Vinaigrette

2010-08-18T18:09:00.000-07:00

I came up with this baked fish recipe when the hottest part of the day was a perfect 72*, but this morning I forgot to check the weather report and ended up baking this fish with the AC blasting! Oops!! California halibut is a much more delicate fish than Alaskan and falls apart extremely easily on the grill. I recommend only the best of grill masters try this one on the outdoor grill. I’ve tried this type of halibut both off the grill and out of the oven and it is very tasty both ways, but I think baking is the way to go here. I like to buy the living herbs at my local Henry’s Market and the intensity of those herbs are much less than the ‘regular’ kind of fresh herbs that you get at the grocery store. If you’re using traditional fresh herbs, you may want to reduce the amount of rosemary as it can be quite potent. Serve with steamed brown rice and a garden salad.

What You Need:

1 lb wild caught California halibut fillet, rinsed and patted dry
1 Tbs fresh thyme, minced
1 Tbs fresh rosemary, minced
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
4 thin slices of lemon
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

For the Vinaigrette:
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ a lemon
1/8 tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

What To Do:

Heat oven to 350*. Brush both sides of the fish with oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with herbs and place lemon slices evenly over the fillet.

Bake fish for 12-15 minutes, or until flakes in the thickest part.

Drizzle with vinaigrette and serve.

Serves 3

Bon Appétit!

Mary

Chocolate Almond Green Monster

2010-08-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

One of the warmest mornings we’ve had all summer had me craving something cool for breakfast today. I made this shake with milk since I had already had my coffee for the morning, but I think using chilled coffee or espresso here would be divine. I wanted this to be extra chocolaty so I added some dark unsweetened cocoa powder. Since cocoa is supposed to be good for your circulatory system, all the more reason to add some to your chocolate protein shakes, right ? If you’re wondering what those weird little blackish seeds are in the bowl… those are chia seeds. I wanted to take a picture of them so you could see what they look like. Feel free to substitute frozen fruit for the ice and enjoy after a workout or for breakfast!

What You Need:

¾ cup milk
½ frozen banana
3 cups baby spinach, packed
1 serving chocolate protein powder
1-2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa (optional or to taste)
¼ tsp almond extract
2 Tbs chia seeds
5 ice cubes
1 Tbs natural peanut or almond butter (optional)

What To Do:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

Serves 1

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Italian Style Mini Meatloafs

2010-08-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

With a craving for Italian and a pound of ground turkey in the fridge, I got to work. You may be wondering why on earth I would want to put carrots in a meatloaf… The answer is simple. Grated carrot will not only keep your meat extra juicy, it will bulk up this meal with extra vitamins and minerals (vitamin A and beta carotene). To save time, you could buy them pre-grated. In addition to grating the carrots, I decided to grate the onion for an extra, extra juicy meatloaf. Serve with mashed potatoes.

What You Need:

1 lb lean ground turkey
1 medium carrot, grated
1/3 cup egg white (or one whole egg)
½ cup loosly packed Italian parsely, minced
6-8 cloves garlic (to taste), minced
¼ large red onion, grated or finely chopped
1 medium tomato, seeds removed and finely chopped
3 Tbs sundried tomatoes packed in oil, sliced (optional)
2 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste)
½ tsp kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

What To Do:

Heat the oven to 350* and spray the inside of a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and gently mix with hands.

Divide mixture evenly among the 12 cups and sprinkle with more red pepper flakes.

Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until no longer pink. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Serves 4-6

Bon Appétit!
Mary