Lemon Pepper Corn

It's almost over. Summer. This season has some of my favorite food memories and associations, like corn on the cob.  It's a classic.

Who doesn't love unwrapping a foil-covered cob that's fresh off the grill? 

Think about the sweet kernels popping as you sink your teeth into them and the remnants of corn left framing your mouth afterward. Then, there are the tiny bits that get wedged between your teeth, sending you on a search for floss as soon as the cookout has ended. 

What fun! 

I have no grill, so I improvised. 

This white corn was so sweet. I seasoned it with a something salty: lemon pepper. Then, I tossed them on my grill pan for that summer feel. 

Cauliflower and consistency

 I like Chick-fil-A.

I really do. They claim to have invented the chicken sandwich and I remember laughing when I read that. Really? How do you "invent" a sandwich? Certainly, someone somewhere had put chicken between bread at some point before Chick-fil-A did it. Then, it happened. I tried one. It made me believe. Truett Cathey is a mastermind and he invented the chicken sandwich.

However! Those sandwiches keep my dresses from fitting the way I'd like them to. I haven't been working out as much as I used to so that means I have to eat lighter or I will get heavier.

Here's where the cauliflower comes in. We all know vegetables have little to no calories so when I need to reign the weight back in, I stock up.

And we know eating vegetables is good for us and those things that we should do aren't always what we want to do. That's where the spices come in. If I'm going to eat it, it cannot be bland.

I  dusted this cauliflower with some hot paprika that I found at the farmer's market. That transformed the colorless little florets into a spicy, smokey treat.

Like it's golden...

There I was minding my business, picking up produce. That's when I spotted them.

Golden Beets.

 

 

I smiled. I hadn't seen them here before. At least I don't remember seeing them.

Surely, I would have made a move if I had.
I mean, Golden Beets just sounds like something I need to be eating.

 

 

I couldn't wait to get my hands on these. I peeled them and rubbed them down with olive oil.

Then roasted the beets to bring out their rich flavor. They were sweet and earthy. Then, I topped them with that tangy creamy matter called goat cheese and rested them beside some roasted onions on a bed of spinach all drizzled with honey and balsamic vinegar.

 

 If I'm going to eat a beet at all, it may as well be golden, right?

Yes! Let's be regal with our food selection.

Then we can say things like, "So, the other day while I was eating my golllden beets..." and feel all fancy.

 

Ingredients

2 Golden Beets

1 small onion
olive oil

salt

goat cheese

balsamic vinegar

honey

Slice your beets and onions. Coat with olive oil and lay on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Roast at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes, flip the beets and onions about half way through the time. Serve warm with a sprinkle of goat cheese and a drizzle of honey and basalmic. 

Veggie Grill...Chayote Squash

I tried something new the other day. I like to do that, especially when I dine.
So there I was, honoring my Friday lunchtime tradition and having a fine dining experience at the hot buffet in Whole Foods when I spotted the sign. It read: Grilled Chayote Squash.

Hmm. I'd seen these things in the farmers market before, but knew so little about them that I never bought one. This was a great way to find out what they are all about, and boy did I found out.

They are delightful! 

 

 

 

And cute in that funny looking kind of way. The end looks like a toothless mouth, right?

 

The point is... I liked them so much I bought some, sliced them up, sprinkled them with a little salt and pepper and cooked them in my grill pan. They were light, crispy and bright with a hint of smoked flavor from the grill.

 

Eat your veggies!

Yes. These are brussel sprouts.

I know, I know...

But, don't they look yummy?

Brussels don't have the best reputation and I may or may not remember gagging on them as a child, but I'm older now and more open minded. Recently, I tried them again. I was out of town with a foodie friend and all of her friends were raving about the brussel sprout appetizer at our dinner destination.

And then it happened. My latest food obssession. Those who know me, are aware that I can eat the same thing for days on end. Leftovers are safe with me. If I can't clear my plate, I'll just save it for later, and a little bit later and then a few days after that, until it's all consumed.

Sunday I roasted a bunch of frozen brussels and right now I smile knowing they are waiting for me at home, nestled into the Rubbermaid plasticware in my fridge. This joy can be yours too! Just try the simple recipe below.

Ingredients

2 cups frozen Brussel Sprouts
1 tablespon Olive Oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the frozen brussels on a cookie sheet and cook for about 10 minutes.
2. Remove brussels from oven and pour oil over the veggies, rolling them around to make sure they are evenly coated. Then sprinkle with spices, roll again to get them each seasoned. Return to oven and cook for 10-15 minutes until they start to brown slightly.
3. Devour.

Red Pepper, Goat Cheese Quiche

It's Monday and it's raining.

The good news is that I have quiche for breakfast! A lil something I thought up for my students on Saturday. (I hosted a cooking class on soups and will post those recipes later.) I've gotten into the habit of providing some fuel before we get started and have wanted to make a quiche since I tasted the succulent varieties at a local bakery.

 I did a little research and figured out that to make a quiche you need 1/2 cup liquid for every egg. The liquid can be milk, half & half or cream. Those were listed in order of increasing fat/calorie content, in case you care about that kinda thing. Add meat, cheese, veggies. Your imagination is the only limitation.


Ingredients
1 Red pepper
2 cups of fresh spinach OR 1 cup of frozen, drained
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 cup Goat Cheese
6 eggs
3 cups of half & half
2 frozen pie crusts OR premade crust rolled into a tart pan

*note this yields two pie pans of quiche

1. Roll your crust into your tart pans or thawed pie crusts
2. In a bowl crack your eggs and add liquid, beat until eggs are evenly combined and you have uniform mixture. No eggy lumps. Make it smooth. Toss in the goat cheese. (If you don't use cheese, you need to sprinkle salt and pepper)
3. In a skillet sautee your red peppers and onions. Then add spinach and allow it to wilt.
4. Add skillet mixture to your eggs slowly while stirring your liquid. Then pour liquid mixture into the pie crusts. Bake on 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until firm.

Thanks, Della!

Some weekends are better than others. I wish I could have extended mine just a little bit longer, but alas, I could not.

So here I am facing another Monday. 

I guess I'll just have to relive a bit of the weekend right here. Let's see....

I'll start with Saturday. I spent the morning at the Riverside Farmer's Market, where I made some new friends and learned some new things and tried some new recipes. All good things, of course.

Della of Della's Garden blessed me with some Rutabaga greens. These leafy greens had quite a debut in my Sunday dinner. They're sturdy like collards and a little sweeter than turnips, very hearty and worthy of another sampling. Thank you, Della for the greens and the cooking tips.

Keep reading to see the full recipe.

Swiss Chard in Rice

Rice.

It's so reliable and very supportive. 

No matter what, you can trust it to back you up.

I prepared this recipe for some clients recently. It's called Swiss Chard Rice with Peas and Toasted Almonds. That's a long name, I know, but the dish is simple and fresh and light. We just loved it. 

I bought some Swiss Chard to recreate the dish at home for myself, but of course, I couldn't just leave the recipe as is. I added smoked turkey sausage, onions and shrimp. Delish!

Ingredients

Rice

Onions (Diced)

Chard (rough chopped)

Peas

Turkey Sausage (sliced)

Shrimp 

1. Cook your rice, set aside and let it cool. Fluff with a fork to make sure the grains separate and cool. Otherwise, if you leave them in the pot, the heat will keep cooking  your rice, it'll get mushy and stick together. 

2. In a sautee pan, with a little olive oil, cook onions and sausage. Let the sausage brown a bit and the onions soften. 

3. Add the chard and let it wilt and darken. 

4. Toss in the peas, I use frozen peas. At this point add some salt and pepper. 

5. Season your shrimp. 

6.  Add the shrimp, letting them cook for about 2 minutes. 

7. Now add the rice to the skillet and fold it all together. Let it warm all the way through. 

8. It's ready to eat.

Going Green (Part 3)

Whew! The veggie dishes have me feeling brand new. I'm still eating meat and otherness, but the extra green is doing a lot for my energy. I don't feel as bloated after I eat AND I even dropped a few pounds.

I think it's even making me a better person.

Anyway, this post will be brief (I gotta go study! I'm in personal chef training this week).

Delight your eyes with this Warm Spinach Salad, topped with cranberries, goat cheese and pecans.

Going Green (Part 2)

This is okra.

It's got a reputation for being slimy.

You've seen it fried, or hanging out in gumbos and soups.

If you ask me, it's been getting a bad rap.

There's another side to this veggie.

But most people won't give it the time of day. 

If only they'd slice it into quarter-inch pieces and sautee on high heat in a skillet, they'd see the slime disappears. Yielding firm and flavorful bits of fiber. I tossed almonds, bacon and onions in the pan too. =)

Going Green (Part 1)

When the New Year began, I decided to start a food journal. I hear it's an effective way to manage your weight.

My weight needs to be managed.

As I "mature" in years, it's becoming apparent that I can't get away with the snackalicious diet I'm accustomed to.

There are consequences for eating ice cream in the middle of the night, potato chips whenever I pass the pantry and drinking Starbucks just because.

Man! I never thought this would ever happen to me.

I used to scoff when I heard women say:

"I can't eat that donut," or "Oooh I'm gonna pass on dessert, it goes straight to my hips!"

I thought, seriously? What harm can one donut do?

Now I know. A LOT!

It's the habit of snacking that creates unwanted curves. Writing down everything I eat has knocked the blinders off. It's ever so clear. I've been working hard to keep this full figure. Although, I eat balanced, healthy meals, I tend to sabotage the effects by consuming an abundance of junk in between them.

As a result, I'm making a conscious effort to replace the sweet and salty snacks with real food, i.e. nuts, fruits, salads. This creamy spinach is a quick and healthy snack. Who needs potato chips?

Roasting, Braising and Stuffing, Oh my!

These are roasted vegetables. Carrots, onions, broccoli and red potatoes are lightly seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic, then tossed in a bit of olive oil and plucked from the oven after about 20 minutes on 425.

These are succulent pieces of chicken breast that have been stuffed, then sliced. We crammed a healthly portion of spinach and asiago cheese inside. The outside we coated with grated parmesan and seared on the stove before finishing them in the oven.

These are my signature mashed sweet potatoes and pork tenderloin.

They're good.

I mean stop-talking-to-me-while-I-eat-this good.

Here it is again from another angle. It's my go-to entertaining meal.

I taught my students how to make these pleasures on Saturday.

Read more for the recipes.

Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients

Carrots
Potatoes
Onions
Broccoli
Mushrooms (optional)
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Red Pepper Flakes

1. Dice the vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
2. Spread the veggies out into one even layer in a cookie sheet, but make sure it has a lip on it. We don't want the food slipping and sliding onto the ground.
3. Drizzle olive oil over the veggies, you want to pour a small stream up and down the length of the cookie sheet about 3 times.
4. Now sprinkle all of your spices over the veggies
5. Dig your hands in and toss them all together. Everything should have a light coating of oil and spices. If you really don't wanna get dirty, you can push them around with a spatula.
6. Toss them in the oven for about 20 minutes on 425. When the potatoes are fork tender, they're done.

Spinach-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

2 cups Frozen Chopped Spinach

1 cup shredded Asiago Cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan

Salt

Pepper

Garlic

1. Clean your chicken, wash off any filmy membrane and cut way any fat.

2. Make the hole. Lay each breast flat on a cutting board, take a small knife and push it into the center of the thickest part of the chicken. The knife should be parallel to the cutting board, we're creating a pocket for the goodies.

3. With the knife still inside the chicken, flip it over then slide it to the left, flip it over again and slice a little to the left. Set the chicken aside.

Spinach Filling

4. In a small saucepan, heat the frozen chopped spinach until it defrosts.

5. After the spinach is warmed, add the Asiago cheese. Fold in the cheese until it's all melted. Let cool.

7. Once the spinach is cool enough to touch, lovingly, stuff it into the chicken.

8. Coat the chicken on both sides with grated parmesan. You can pour the cheese onto a plate then press the chicken into the cheese.

9. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and sear each side of the breast for 2 minutes.

10. Place the skillet (if it's oven safe) into the oven on 350 for about 10-15 minutes. If you do not have an oven safe skillet, transfer the chicken to an oven safe dish.

11. After they've cooked, let them rest a few minutes, then slice and serve.

Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients

1 Pork Tenderloin

Lemon Pepper

Garlic Powder

1. Mix seasonings of your choice in a small ramekin-sized bowl
2. Rub the spices into the skin. Be sure to coat the entire loin on all sides.
3. Allow the spice-covered pork to sit for at least 30 minutes in a refrigerator. You can cook it immediately, if you don't have time to wait, but the best flavor develops if you have time let the spice rub permeate the meat a bit. I've even let it sit over night.
4. Remove the pork from refrigeration about 20 minutes before cooking it. Let it rest.
5. Heat a skillet, or grill pan. Add olive oil. Let the pan get really hot. 
6. Place the meat in the pan. Leave it alone for about 2-3 minutes. When you see the meat on the bottom tighten up and brown, you can turn it over and repeat. Sear the pork on all sides until the spices set up, it will look somewhat like a crust or skin on the meat.
7. Move pork into a 350-degree oven and let cook for about 20 minutes.

Savory Sweet Potato Mash

Ingredients

1lb Sweet Potato

1 Bell Pepper

1/2 Onion

1 link of Kielbasa Sausage (pork or turkey)

1. Peel then cut sweet potatoes into quarters and boil.

2. Dice the meat, peppers and onions finely.
3. Sautee the sausage in a pan. Until it's crispy. Then toss in peppers and onions, cook until tender. Set aside
4. When the sweet potatoes are fork tender, drain them.
5. Start to mash them as you would white potatoes, add salt, pepper, garlic powder. Add a little milk or cream to work it into the consistency you like. Toss in butter. Start with half a stick and taste.
6. Add the meat, peppers and onions
7. Mix it all up and taste. Add more of anything that's missing (butter, milk, spices)