Watermelon and Feta Salad

Old mother Hubbard went to the cupboard to give her poor dog a bone, but when she got there, the cupboard was bare, and the poor little dog had none.
In my case though, this mother's fridge is bare. It's the day before grocery shopping. I go every other week as it's a 45 minute ride to the store and gas is quickly approaching $4 dollars a gallon again. I also think it saves money as I am forced to plan meals for two weeks. However, the Wednesday before I am usually trying to find something for lunch. The kids are easy as they are perfectly happy with some mac and cheese or even a pbj, myself however, I'm am not so easily satisfied. Here is what my fridge looked liked when I opened it just an hour ago to make some lunch.

I do have various things in my pantry, but even my fruit bowl was pretty empty. I did have this small yellow watermelon left from my CSA basket last week and a bit of cantaloupe, but I fear that will be gone at snack time once the kids get to it. The only other thing in there was some various greens. Oh and a cucumber!

So what's a starving girl to do? Make a salad of course!

What You Need:

a handful or two of mixed greens
1/2 c cubed watermelon
2 tbs crumbled feta cheese
5 slices cucumber
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

What To Do:


Drizzle the greens with a bit of olive oil and vinegar for your "dressing." It's simple and classic and tasty with out a ton of fat and preservatives. I'm a huge fan of F. Oliver's oils and vinegars. Today I used their blood orange olive oil and they're dark chocolate balsamic vinegar. Top your greens with the cucumber and watermelon and then sprinkle the feta on top. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper and enjoy. It's probably one of my last ode's to summer time as the weather is getting cooler fast. While I will miss all the wonderful produce I've been getting, especially the incredible tomatoes, I look forward to the wondrous flavors that fall has to offer.

BLFGT (Bacon, Lettuce and Fried Green Tomatoes)

I would love to tell you all that I'm back and that I'll be posting recipes three days a week again, but the truth is, I'm not. I can't. School, my family, and various other projects I've been involved in this summer is preventing me from spending the time that I need to on my blog. I know you all my recipes and I am doing my best to get more ready to go, so that once summer is over, I can get back to doing this. Right now, I'm going to try and get at least one recipe up per week. Most likely on Wednesdays. You might not see the the same style of recipes either, meaning I won't always have an ingredient list. However, if you ever have a question about the recipes, send me an email, find me on facebook or ask me via twitter! I promise to always answer.

This week, it's BLFGT's. Not your boring, same old, BLT's. Oh no, you would not get that from this goddess! I'm digging into that southern style of cooking that I love so much! This yankee girl has always had a thing for fried green tomatoes and when you put them on some bread with bacon (and lettuce just so I can call it healthy), this sammy rocks my world!

What You Need:

• Bacon
• Large Green Tomatoe
• flour
• corn meal
• oil for frying
• egg(s)
• milk
• salt
• pepper
• garlic powder
• chili powder
• lettuce
• bread or toast
• mayo

What To Do:

Cook your bacon to desired doneness and set aside. I like my super crisp so I make sure to cook over medium low heat to render most of the fat. I also do this in a cast iron skillet because in my opinion, you can fry green tomatoes in anything other than cast iron. If you don't have a cast iron skillet, don't worry. You can always use a regular one.
While your bacon is cooking, set up your tomato dipping station. Place some flour in bowl one and season it with a pinch of salt and some pepper. In bowl two, combine an egg with a splash or two of milk. In the last bowl, combine equal parts of flour and corn meal. Season this mixture with a pinch of salt, some pepper, garlic and chili powder. The most sammies you are making, the more of this set up your going to need.
Once your bacon is cooked, add in enough frying oil to come 1/2 inch up the sides of your skillet. Slice your tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices. Dip them first in the flour, shaking off the excess, then into your egg mixture and finally into the flour/cornmeal mixture. Once coated, carefully place into your hot oil and fry until both sides are golden brown. This only takes a couple minutes per side. Drain on paper towels or a brown paper bag.
To assemble the sammies, slather some mayo onto your toast or bread. Then top with lettuce, bacon and fried green tomatoes. Enjoy the awesomeness!

Chicken Cobb Club

One of my favorite salads is the Cobb salad. I love the crunchy lettuce, the creamy avacados and the tangy blue cheese. It's an awesome mix of flavor and is always a joy to eat. But what happens when I turn it into a sammie? Well it's still an awesome mix of flavor, all wrapped up in a nice crusty, crunchy package. The toasted french bread acts like the croutons and the goodies you normally find in the salad are piled high on top. A simple mix of a good tangy blue cheese and a little sour cream or yogurt becomes the dressing. It's so good, I wish I could make one right now for lunch!

One Year Ago: Maple Glazed Pork Chops
Two Years Ago: Fried Pickles

What You Need:

1 loaf of french bread, sliced lengthwise
1/3 c good blue cheese
1/3 c sour cream, mayo or greek yogurt
1lb chicken breast
1 avocado, sliced
1 large tomato sliced
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
8 slices cooked bacon
salt and pepper

What To Do:

Preheat a grill or grill pan. Season your chicken breast with salt and pepper and grill for 3-5 minutes per side or until cooked all the way though. Remove from heat and set aside to rest. Quickly grill the cut side of the bread, just until lightly toasted.
In a small bowl combine the blue cheese and sour cream (mayo or greek yogurt) with the back of a spoon. It's it will be thick but keep working on it.
Once your sauce is made and the chicken has rested, thinly slice the chicken on a biased.
Smear the blue cheese sauce over the bottom side of the bread. Then layer the slices of chicken, tomato, eggs, avocado, and bacon. Top it with the top half of bread, cut into sammies and enjoy!

Veggie Fajitas

These are an incredible yummy, filling, lighter alternative to the chicken or beef version. Sliced, hearty portabello mushrooms replace the meat in this simple version of a classic Mexican favorite. It's also a super quick supper idea for nights when your busy and don't have a lot of time to cook. In fact, I don't even think it took me 30 minutes to make these and most of the time was spent slicing the veggies. Give them a try and I promise you won't even know the meat is missing!

One Year Ago: Coconut Shrimp
Two Years Ago: Sugar Cookies

What You Need:

4 large portabello mushroom caps, gills removed and sliced
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
8 corn tortillas, warmed
2 roma tomtoes, chopped
1-2 tbs canola oil
salt and pepper

What To Do:

In a large, flat bottom skillet, head 1 tbs of oil over medium high heat. Once hot, add in the sliced mushrooms. Do not touch or stir until they are browned which takes a couple minutes. Add in the bell pepper, onion, jalapeno and garlic. Give it a stir and add in more oil ONLY if needed. The mushrooms tend to suck up the oil and leave the pan dry which can cause your veggies to stick. Cook for about 5 to 8 minutes or until they the veggies are just soft but still have a crispness to them. Stir in your seasonings, along with some salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes off the heat and serve in the warmed tortillas, topped with some cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.

Sunflower Cake

While I was done visiting my parents earlier this month, my mom showed me a pictures of this cake. Once I saw that it had peeps, I knew two things. First, my husband would love it (and he did), second, that it would make a great Easter cake. It's cute and fun and super easy to  make. If you can open a boxed cake mix and bake it, then frost it, you can make this cake. Easy is my favorite word when it comes to cooking, especially if it's something for a special occasion and this cake fits the bill!

One Year Ago: Oven Baked Chicken Fingers

What You Need:

a boxed cake mix (any flavor)
the ingredients to make said boxed cake
white frosting (I used a vanilla flavored one)
3 packages of yellow Peeps
1 c chocolate chips

What To Do:

Follow the directions on the back of the box for making your cake and bake it using two 9 inch round cake pans. Allow to cool completely. Frost your cake with the white frosting, make sure to add some in the middle too. Once it's frosted, start placing your peeps around the cake in a circle, making sure that their tails face out to make the petals of the sunflower. Fill the center with the chocolate chips and that's it. You have a cute cake already for Easter!

Easy Apple Crisp

Wish you could have some apple crisp that was delicious and full of flavor but also under 200 calories a serving? My apple crisp is served in the apple itself, which means you can eat the entire thing and not feel guilty with all the butter and sugar you normally find in a dessert of this type. Hallowed out apples are re-stuffed with apple pieces that have been coating in a touch of sugar and spices then topped with a topping that becomes crispy once baked. Of course you can't have apple crisp without a bit of ice cream right? Trying having it with some non-fat greek yogurt instead. You'll never miss the calorie laden icecream along side this warm treat.

One Year Ago: Mac and Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli 
Two Years Ago: PB&J Cookies

What You Need:

4 medium sized apples
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c rolled oats (not quick oats)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tbs butter, melted
salt

What To Do:

Core your apples, don't worry that there is a whole in the bottom, we'll take care of that in a bit. Using a melon baller, or grapefruit spoon, remove most of the inside of the apple, leaving a shell about a 1/4 inch thick on all sides to hold your filling. You could probably use a regular spoon, but it's easier cutting through the flesh of the apple using one of the tools I mentioned.
Once your apples are cleaned out, take the innards and cut them into small pieces. Toss those pieces with 2 tbs of the brown sugar, the cinnamon, nutmeg and pinch of salt.
Mix the remaining 2 tbs of brown sugar with the rolled oat and the butter until it's fully incorporated. Everything should be moist and the stick together fairly well. Place a tiny bit of the oat mixture in the bottom of the apple. This will help to keep the juices inside. Fill each apple with 1/4 of your apple filling and then top each with 1/4 of the reaming oat mixture.
Bake in a preheated 350 oven for about 30 minutes or until the apples look a bit slumped, a knife easily pierces them and the topping is golden brown.

Each apple is 214 calories with 7 grams of fat, based on My Fitness Pal's calculator.
According to the same website, a normal serving (1 cup) of apple crisp is 412 calories and 15 grams of fat. My recipe is half that and just as good, if not better!

Chicken with Blue Cheese Cream Sauce

Rich and decadent, this dish is surprisingly easy to make.The basic cream sauce came from last week when I was helping out and Paradise Bakery. The sauce there was this rich cream sauce made with goat cheese and was served with butternut squash ravioli and toasted baguette. Wanting to recreate it at home but needing something more substantial for my husband, I set out to make this dish.

One Year Ago: Mexican Fiesta Rice
Two Years Ago: Caramel Apple Crisp

What You Need:

1/4 c minced onion or shallot
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c half and half
1/2 c blue cheese
1 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper
4 chicken breast (about 1 lb)

What To Do:

In a sautee pan, heat 1/2 tbs olive oil. Once hot, sear the chicken on both sides until just cooked through. It should only take a couple minutes per side, depending on the thickness. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Turn the heat to medium low and add in the remaining 1/2 tbs olive oil. Sautee the onion or shallot until just soft and add in the garlic. Cook for another 30 seconds before adding in the half and half and the blue cheese. Keeping the heat on medium low, cook for a few minutes or until the cheese melts and the sauce thickens slightly. Return the chicken breast an any juices back the pan to rewarm. Serve with a bit of the sauce on top of each breast.

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

I love spicy foods and one of my favorite things is buffalo chicken. I love how the spice hits your tongue and is then cooled by the creaminess of the blue cheese dressing. My husband, loves tacos. So why not combine them? Turns out, spicy buffalo chicken makes some incredibly tasty tacos. I serve them in toasted corn tortillas with just a bit of blue cheese and some tomatoes. They are great by themselves for lunch or along side a tossed salad or some rice for supper. And don't forget a tall glass of ice cold beer. Beer and buffalo chicken go together like Mac and cheese. You shouldn't have one, without the other. 

One Year Ago: Peas and Pasta

Two Years Ago: Pasta with Summer Squash

What You Need:

3/4 lb of chicken (I used boneless skinless thighs but breast work well too)

1/3 c hot sauce

1/4 c honey

2 tbs Sriracha

1/2 c water

1/2 c blue cheese crumbles

16 grape tomatoes, cut into quarters

8 corn tortillas

What To Do:

Combine the hot sauce, honey, sriracha and water into a wide pot. Add in your chicken and bring everything to a boil. Once it's boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer and let cook for about 30 minutes, turning half way through if your sauce doesn't cover the chicken. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from the sauce and set aside to cool for a few minutes. Meanwhile, turn the sauce back to high and let it reduce for about 5 minutes or until most of the water has evaporated and you have a thickened sauce. 

Cut your chicken into pieces or shred with two forks. Toast the corn tortillas by placing them over an open flame for a minute or two per side, or in a nonstick skillet, just until slightly blistered and warmed through. 

Top each tortilla with 1/8 of the chicken, 1 tbs of the crumbled blue cheese and two of the cherry tomatoes that have been sliced into quarters. Give a drizzle of the reduced sauce and top with some cilantro if you'd prefer.

Cobb Salad

Yes I realize it's the middle of winter and yes, I even realize that while you can get okay produce in most parts of the country this time of year, that salad are generally a "summer" food. However, there comes a point in winter time (our are usually long, often having frost well into May), that a girl needs a reminder of summer time and the plentiful bounty it brings with it. Cobb salads are composed, meaning they are not all tossed together, but carefully arranged. I like the look of straight lines but you could always make piles. Blue cheese dressing is traditional but the dressing is really up to you. I keep the choices simple but you would normally find diced hard boiled eggs and sometimes even avocado grace this terrific reminder of summer.

One Year Ago: Apple Cider Cake
Two Years Ago: Mushroom Pies with Pear Salad

What You Need:

1-2 chicken breast, roasted, cooled and diced
6 cup mixed greens
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 cucumber, sliced (peel if desired or use 1/2 an English cuke)
1 c diced blue cheese
4 pieces of bacon, cooked crisp and then chopped
croutons

What To Do:

Place the greens on the bottom of a large serving platter or shallow bowl. Start with the diced chicken in the middle. Place it in a straight line down the center of the salad. Repeat with the rest of your ingreidents, in any order you like. Serve with dressing, makes enough for 4 supper sized salads.

Green Chili

Green. Not like Green eggs and ham green, but salsa verde green. It makes a difference right? This is a quick and easy chili where most of the flavor comes from salsa verde. Chicken is cut up and simmered in a delicious green sauce. Sauteed onions and garlic are added into it, along with some  creamy white beans. This is not your traditional tomato based chili but it still has that warming, comforting feel.

One Year Ago: Skillet Potatoes
Two Years Ago: Carne Asada

What You Need:

2 cups salsa verde (try this version, or this version)
1 lb chicken, cut into bite sized cubes
1 large onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (15oz) can white beans (canellini's are my favorite)
salt and pepper

What To Do:

Simmer the chicken and salsa verde together until the chicken is no longer pink. Meanwhile, saute the onions and garlic and until soften. Stir the onion and garlic along with the beans into the chicken mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a bubble and cook together for a few minutes until everything is hot. Serve over rice. This is even better the next day or even served with a fried egg.

Easy Meyer Lemon Tart

Easy is the best way to describe this tart. A handful of ingredients and a blender is all you need. There is no whisking lemon juice, sugar and eggs over a double boiler, praying you don't end up with lemon scrambled eggs. This sweet and tart lemon filling would go great in any of  your favorite pie crust but I have something special for this one. I didn't have time to make a traditional pie crust. It wouldn't have been ready to eat if I had to let the dough sit for 30 minutes and then bake and let it cool. I didn't have an graham crackers so that type of crust was out too. I almost scrap the whole idea of desert all together but then had a great idea! I had tons of rolled oats in the pantry so why not do a oatmeal crust? Sounds strange right? I think it's my new favorite crust! Think of have a pie with a crumble topping. Now take that crunchy goodness and turn it into a pie crust. Now it sounds good doesn't it! It works very well in fruit pies and couldn't be easier to make. As for the lemon part of the tart, use Meyer lemons. They're not as tart as a regular lemon and do not have real thick skins which is why this easy recipe works as well as it does.

What You Need:
Pie Crust:

1/2 c flour
1 1/2 c rolled oats (Not quick oats)
1/3 c brown sugar
1 stick of butter, melted
1/2 tsp salt

Filling:

2 meyer lemons, cut into quarters
1 1/2 c sugar
1 stick room temp butter
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt

What To Do:

Preheat the oven to 400.
Make the crust by combining the ingredients thoroughly. You want to make sure that the butter has coating everything. No dry spots or the crust won't hold in that spot. Press into an 8 inch tart pan or a pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool while you make the filling.
Put all the filling ingredients into a blender and give it a whirl. Yep, that's it. Just turn the blender on and let it go until everything is combined. It will look a little strange but I promise it works! Just pour it into your pie crust and bake for about 30 minutes or until the tart is golden and set. Let cool completely before cutting.

Sauteed Kale

Did you know that Kale is a super food? It is! It's a wonderful dark leafy green that is high in fiber, vitamins A, C and K as well as containing tons of trace minerals, all of which is very beneficial to the human body. It's a very inexpensive veggie too. I've been buying a bunch every week and eating it probably once a day. I sautee it up once I get it home and keep it ready to go in my fridge. It's great warmed up with an egg on top for breakfast or in some baked eggs or as a side dish for the whole family. It takes just minutes and you're done.

One Year Ago: Pepper Steak
Two Years Ago: Roasted Garlic

What You Need:

1 large bunch of Kale
1 tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Salt and Pepper

What To Do:

Remove the stems from the Kale and give it a rough chop. You can either remove the stems completely or just remove the bottom part of the stems, leaving the part that's connected to the leaves. The stems to tend to be a bit chewier and a tad more bitter then the leaves though.
Heat a large pan over medium heat with the olive oil. Once it's hot add in the sliced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Start adding in your Kale. It will wilt down fairly quickly. Just give it a turn with a pair of tongs every minute or so until it's completely wilted down and tender. Then you can either serve it right away or let it cool and store it in an airtight container for the week to have when you need it.

Apple Brie Tarts

One word to say about these tarts: YUMMY! I made them as a dessert for Thanksgiving and they were just incredible. Apples and brie along with a touch of honey and some chopped walnuts are great on their own but wrap them in puff pastry and you have the wonderful, and easy, dessert in the world. It is a great sweet and savory sort of dessert that most people will just love!

One Year Ago: Cheddar Beer Soup 
Two Years Ago: Polenta Sausage Casserole

What You Need:

1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
1 apple, cored and thinly sliced
6 tbs honey
6 tbs chopped walnuts
several thin slices of brie


What To Do:

Cut the puff pastry into 6 equal squares. Place a few slices of brie in the center, followed by a few slices of apple, 1 tbs of honey and 1 tbs of the nuts. Lift the opposite corners and gently press them together. Do the same with the remaining two corners. You're keeping the square shape by bringing the corners in together. Bake in a preheat 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temp.

Fried Oreo’s

Where I grew up, you can find these delicious, chocolate morsels at any fair or carnival. They are love by all ages for their crispy, golden brown goodness. They’re not hard to make, but don’t even think about the calories. These are a once in a great while treat in my house. It has been a few years since I’ve made them last. I use double stuffed oreo’s when I make them, but really you can use any kind you want. I bet the mint ones taste pretty darn good too. I like to eat them plain, but they tend to be better with some powdered sugar on top or a drizzle of hot fudge and some whipped cream.


One Year Ago: Olive Tapenade


What You Need:

Double Stuffed Oreo’s
1 egg
1/4 c milk
1/2 tbs vanilla
1 tbs agave or sugar
1/2 c flour
pinch of salt
oil for frying


What To Do:

Heat a pan with about 2 inches of oil. In a bowl, combined the egg, milk, vanilla, agave or sugar, flour and salt. If your batter is still thick, add a bit more milk in until it’s a pancake batter consistency.  Once the oil has reached 350 degrees, dunk an oreo into the batter. Use a fork to pull it out and carefully drop into the oil. Let fry, flipping once, until just golden brown. The cookie becomes soft and crème melts into a wonderful gooey-ness.

How to Make: Instant Oatmeal

A while back I had saw a blog post talking about the prices of a box instant oatmeal, compared to an entire pound of oat. The blog post talked about it being no more difficult to turn on the stove and make the real thing instead of the processed box version which often was full of sugar, additives and very little fruit. The blogger showed how he just boiled it away on the stove top for a few minutes and that was that. This, I thought, was a great idea! My husband loves oatmeal in the winter time and will eat two packages of the instant stuff at a time. When you go through two boxes a week at about $4 a pop for the organic stuff, it gets a little pricey! So I told him that I was going to buy regular oats that he could just cook in the pan in the morning. This was met will all sorts of heartache. He hates to cook and he certainly didn’t want to find a pan, measure the oats, measure the water blah blah blah. Basically he was telling me it would be to much work for him. So, I set out to create an instant oatmeal that was just like his packets. All he would have to do is add water and pop it in the microwave. What I came up with is so much cost effective then those pre-made boxes, and better for you too.

One Year Ago: Plum Crumble


What You Need: (Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal)
9 cups quick oats
1/3 c brown sugar
1 1/2 c raisins
2 tbs cinnamon


What To Do:
Remove 2 1/2 cups of the quick oats and place into a food processor. Pulse a few times until they are broken down, but not quite to powder form.  Stir the raisins, brown sugar and cinnamon into it and then combine the whole thing together with the rest of the quick oats. Once combined thoroughly, store in an air tight container, making sure to label it. One heaping 1/2 scoop is equivalent to one packet of the store bought stuff. Just add about 3/4 c water and place in the microwave for 1 minute. If this isn’t sweet enough for you, add in some honey, maple syrup etc, after cooking.
Not a cinnamon raisin fan? Make a chocolate version by adding in some cocoa powder and dried milk, maybe some chocolate chips? Omit the raisins and add in a bit more sugar for a cinnamon roll version. Add dried apples instead of raisins. The possibilities are endless.

Pumpkin Pancakes

So last week I gave you a post showing you how to make your own pumpkin puree. This week, I’m going to show you what to do with. That’s pretty nice of me isn’t? Plus, I do have a ton of pumpkin puree now and while I did freeze most of it, I did make pumpkin pancakes and of course, a pumpkin pie this weekend. Now I’m sure you’re all thinking that I should start with the recipe for the pumpkin but that is dessert and you should always eat breakfast before dessert so that’s where I’m starting too. It’s a pretty simple recipe and it will impress any pumpkin lover in your family. It’s also a nice way to get your kids to eat more veggies. A pumpkin is a veggie after all!
What You Need:
Your favorite pancake recipe
2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tbs cinnamon
2 tbs maple syrup
What To Do:
After making your favorite pancake batter, stir in the pumpkin, cinnamon and maple syrup. Drop the batter onto hot, butter griddle or pan and cook, flipping once bubbles have started forming on the top. Serve with more maple syrup.

Chicken Caesar Panini

Hey guys! Sorry I’ve been pretty absent this week.  My parents were up visiting and we’ve been going non stop the last few days, ending with me getting a third molar pulled this morning. I didn’t want to leave you completely recipe-less for the week so here is a quick one. This is a sammie I ate from a little pizza place where my parents live. It was incredible so of course I had to make it at home too. It’s now one of my favorite sammies and I love dipping it into balsamic vinegar. Hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do!

 

The Recipe:

Top a slice of Focaccia  with grilled chicken that has been thinly sliced, a few thin slices of tomato, and some lettuce. Spread your favorite Caesar salad dressing onto another slice of focaccia and sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top. Sandwich the two focaccia pieces together and press firmly. Serve with balsamic vinegar for dipping.

Mexican Torta

Torta are a simple Mexican street food. Really it’s just a very yummy sammie! Traditionally tortas are served on a special type of roll called bolillo. Since I live in an area with almost no Hispanic population, I can’t find a lot of the specialty type items. Instead, I took a loaf of Italian bread and cut it into big sections, then cut in half length ways, so that I would have a top and a bottom. It worked out great and the sammie was incredible. The spicy grilled chicken pairs really nice with cooling, creamy, avocado.

What You Need:

4, thinly sliced chicken breast
4 large round rolls or Italian bread cut into pieces
1 large ripe avocado, sliced
1 large tomato sliced
chipotle mayo
salt and pepper
cayenne
olive oil

What To Do:

Preheat your grill. Season the chicken breast with salt, pepper and a bit of cayenne. Once the grill is hot, cook your chicken about 2-3 minutes per side or until no longer pink in the middle. Brush both sides of the Italian bread with some olive oil and place on the cool side of the grill. You want it to warm up and get a little toasty.

To assemble the sammie, place some of the chipotle mayo on the bottom roll. Top with a chicken breast, a slice of tomato and a few slices of avocado and the top bun. Smush it all together and enjoy!

Locavore Sammie

Have you heard the term Locavore before? It simply means someone who tries to eat only local grown or produced foods. Think of it as a “farm to table” movement in order to reduce carbon footprints, enhance sustainability and stimulate local economies. Not only that, but eating local grown foods, often means you obtain the freshest, tastiest food possible.  If you’ve read my posts or tweets lately, you’ll see that every Thursday I head to our local farmers market to get all  my fruits and veggies that I need for the week. If they don’t have it, chances are it isn’t in season, and I don’t buy it. Also you would have saw that a few weeks ago, my family and I were invited to enjoy a harvest picnic put on by Blue Marble Farm.  Everything we ate that night was either grown in their garden or in the case of the bread and cheese, was produced locally at other farms in the area. Lisa and Jeff, the owners of Blue Marble Farm, are doing everything right. They run a beautiful one acre farm, that while isn’t certified organic, they follow the organic process. They also have free range chickens and lots of them! It was a great pleasure to see their farm that night and learn how they grow everything. My favorite food is the little cherry tomatoes. When they are in my bag, they usually don’t make it home. They end up in my belly. They’re just so sweet and juicy that I can’t get enough of them. The night of the picnic they made these incredible sammies that were nothing more then local bread, topped with thinly sliced and grilled zucchini and yellow summer squash, locally made cheddar cheese and pea greens. Yes, you read that right, I said pea greens. The flavors were so simple, so clean, something as Americans, we don’t often appreciate. The next week, Lisa had pea greens at the market and you know I snatched them up. I went right home and recreated the sammie. It was just as good as I remembered. If you can’t get pea greens, you can substitute spicy arugula and enjoy the flavors all the same.

What You Need:

2 zucchini, thinly sliced
2 yellow squash, thinly sliced
4 rolls or slices of bread
pea greens or arugula
4 slices of cheddar cheese

What To Do:

Preheat your grill. Once it’s hot, quickly grill the squash. You want it to be nice and soft and have dark grill marks, but not burnt. Because the squash is sliced thin, it cooks fairly quickly. Then just layer your sammie. Bottom roll, cheese, grilled squash, pea greens, top roll and enjoy, knowing you are helping out your local economy, reducing your carbon footprint and loving something good!

Red Curry Grilled Chicken

I’ve been trying to get into Thai style cooking more and more but honestly what I know of it, is that it’s spicy. That doesn’t sit well with my husband who ends up with reflux attacks. I’ve had a small jar of red curry paste in my pantry for awhile but I’ve been scared to use it as it’s supposed to be the hottest. Loving spicy food myself, I decided to just go for it one night. I would give it a taste and see what I could to make it enjoyable for my husband as well. I tasted the curry paste by itself and it really wasn’t all that hot to me. It was spicy, meaning there was a lot of flavorful spices to it, but it wasn’t hot spicy. I mixed in some honey and rice wine vinegar to help balance the flavors and then slathered over some chicken legs. The results were an explosion in my mouth. I absolutely loved it. So did my husband. I served it up with some coconut rice and a simple cucumber salad. I’ll post the recipe for my cucumbers on GOC’s facebook page today so you’ll have that. This isn’t just for chicken legs. You can use it on breasts or wings too.

What You Need:

2 tbs red curry paste
2 tbs honey
1 tbs rice wine vinegar
4 chicken legs
salt and pepper


What To Do:

Combine the curry paste, honey and vinegar until mixed well. Season both sides of the chicken legs with salt and pepper and cover completely with all of the paste. Let sit for 30 minutes before preheating your grill. Once the grill is hot, place the chicken legs on your grill, skin side down for about 5 minutes or until the skin is crisp. Flip the legs over and turn the heat to low. Continue cooking the chicken until it’s not longer pink in the middle.