Pasta Salad With Seared Herb Garlic Dressing, Toasted Pine Nuts, and Buffalo Mozzarella

Pasta Salad With Seared Herb Garlic Dressing, Toasted Pine Nuts, and Buffalo Mozzarella

INGREDIENTS:

• -1 cup of cooked pasta
• -1 thinly sliced cucumber (I use a vegetable slicer)
• -1 thinly sliced carrot
• -1 finely chopped green bell pepper
• -1 finely chopped red bell pepper
• -1 finely chopped yellow bell pepper

Dressing:

• -1/2 cup of coriander
• -1/2 cup of parsley
• -1 garlic clove
• -Salt and pepper
• -Pinch of chili flakes (optional)
• -1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts
• -A handful of pulled apart buffalo mozzarella
• -1/2 a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS:


Make the dressing by pulsing the dressing ingredients in a food processor until you achieve a smooth sauce. Empty the sauce into a small saucepan on medium heat and cook for about a minute or two just to cook the garlic, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Toast the pine nuts by placing on medium high heat in a saucepan just until slightly browned. Remove and set aside.

Place the pasta, cucumber, carrot, and bell peppers in the serving bowl you have chosen. Follow with the mozzarella cheese, pine nuts, dressing, and balsamic vinegar. Taste to see if seasoning needs adjustment.

Mix really well so all the ingredients are coated well with the dressing.

Enjoy!

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Mushroom and Swiss Stuffed Chicken

Mushroom and Swiss Stuffed Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 chicken breasts
• Marinade (recipe below)
• 16 oz. mushrooms
• A few cloves of minced garlic
• 1 small white onion, sliced
• Salt and pepper
• An 8 oz. block of swiss cheese, sliced up
• A sprig of fresh tarragon (optional)

DIRECTIONS:


Preheat the oven to 375º. Prepare the marinade and set aside 1/2 cup for later. Throw the chicken in a bag with the rest of the marinade and let it soak for about 20 minutes white you saute the mushrooms.
To saute the mushrooms, turn the burner on medium-high and add the onion, garlic, and a little bit of olive oil. You might want to do it in batches because if you get too many mushrooms in at the same time, they'll get soggy. I did it in two batches, saving half of the onion and garlic for the other half of the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper.
To assemble, slice the marinated chicken breasts in half, but not all the way, just like a hot dog bun. Place some mushrooms, a few slices of swiss cheese, and a little of the tarragon inside. Stab each breast together with a few toothpicks.
Turn the burner on high and drizzle a little bit of olive oil in your skillet. Sear the chicken for a few minutes on each side and then place on a foil lined baking sheet. I did three at a time because they wouldn't all fit in the skillet.
Bake the chicken at 375º for just about 10 minutes or until it's done. You should not see any pink, but as soon as you don't see any more pink when you cut a little slice in the thickest part, get it right out.
Garnish with a little more tarragon if you please.

Marinade:

• The juice and zest of two lemons
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic (I actually used the stuff in a jar)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vinegar (I happened to use 1/4 balsamic and 1/4 cider)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTION:
Whisk all together.

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Blueberry Chocolate Rolls

Blueberry Chocolate Rolls

INGREDIENTS:

Dough

• 1 (2 1/4 tsp) package active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup milk, warmed up
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter (12 tbsp), softened and cut into pieces
• 1 tsp salt

Filling

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup blueberries
• Topping
• chocolate syrup (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small bowl add warm milk, sugar and yeast. Stir and let it sit for about 10 to 15 minutes until it bubbles up.
2. In the bowl of your mixer, add the flour, cornstarch, and salt and mix so that it’s all incorporated.
3. To the yeast and milk bowl, whisk in the eggs and the vanilla extract.
4. Add the milk mixture to the flour and mix on low speed until the dough is smooth. With the mixer still on, add the butter pieces a few at a time. Continue to mix until the dough is smooth and comes away from the side of the bowl, add flour as necessary.
5. Transfer the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours until doubled in size.
6. In the meantime, butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch x 13 inch baking dish.
7. In a food processor, add the chocolate chips, the 1/4 cup of butter and the 1/4 cup of sugar. Pulse until the chocolate chips and the butter form into a thick grainy paste. It’s ok, if there are still some pieces of chocolate chips.
8. Turn the dough over a lightly floured surface. Roll it out into a 16 inch square. Sprinkle the chocolate filling evenly over the surface of the dough. Add the blueberries again making sure you cover the entire surface of the dough, add more blueberries if necessary.
9. Roll the dough into a cylinder and pinch to seal the seam. Cut into 12 equal pieces and transfer the pieces to the prepared baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot for another 30 minutes.
10. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
11. Bake rolls for about 25 to 35 minutes. Let cool.
12. Pour chocolate syrup if preferred and serve warm.

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Grilled Chicken Fruit Salad

Grilled Chicken Fruit Salad

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 cups spinach & arugula salad greens
• 1/3 cup raspberries
• 1/3 cup blackberries
• 1/3 cup blueberries
• 1/3 cup strawberries, sliced
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 limes, freshly squeezed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/4 small red onion
• 1/3 cup light olive oil
• 1 tablespoon poppyseeds
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, toss together salad and berries. Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the walnuts, brown sugar, water, garlic salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until the sugar bubbles and begins to caramelize. Transfer walnuts to a piece of parchment paper, allow to cool.
3. Place the remaining ingredients in a blender of food processor. Puree together until well mixed.
4. Assemble the salad by tossing the salad and berries together with the walnuts. Top with dressing. Serve immediately and enjoy!

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Savory Spinach Bites

Savory Spinach Bites

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 clove)
• 2 10-ounces packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 8-ounce bag of herbed seasoned stuffing mix
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter.
3. Add onion and cook until the onions are translucent and soft, about 5 minutes or so.
4. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Remove the pan from the heat and let cool.
5.  In the meantime, remove excess water from thawed spinach by pressing it between paper towels. **You do not need to cook the spinach.
6.  In a large bowl, combine the stuffing mix, spinach, eggs, Parmesan, salt and pepper, and onion/garlic mixture.  Combine well.
7. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
8.  One at a time, using your hands, roll the mixture into individual 1-inch balls.  Place each one on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
9.  Bake the balls for about 15-20 minutes, or until very slightly browned.

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Thai Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Thai Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 8oz. package tempeh, sliced into 8 long strips
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp. sesame oil, divided
• 1 drop chili oil (optional)
• 1/4 tsp. sriracha
• 2 oz. vermicelli rice noodles
• 1/2 cucumber, sliced into long thin strips
• 1 cup romaine lettuce
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 1 large carrot (or 4 baby carrots), sliced into long thin strips
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into long thin strips
• 1 tsp. rice vinegar
• 8 rice papers
• water

Spicy Peanut Sauce

• 2 tbsp. natural peanut butter
• 2 tbsp. coconut milk
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp. chili flakes
• 1 drop of chili oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a bowl, combine minced garlic, one tablespoon of sesame oil, chili oil and sriracha. Stir to combine. Coat the tempeh strips with the sauce and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. In the meantime wash and slice the vegetables and drizzle with rice vinegar.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add vermicelli noodles. Remove from heat and soak for 8 minutes. Strain and set aside.
3. When the tempeh is finished marinating, heat remaining tablespoon of sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add tempeh strips and cook for 3 minutes without moving. Turn and cook the other side for another 3 minutes without disturbing. Remove from heat.
4. Fill a shallow bowl with lukewarm water. Place one rice paper in the bowl and soak for 30 – 60 seconds. Carefully transfer the rice paper to a cutting board or large plate. Top the rice paper with a few pieces of lettuce and basil.
5. Add a few strips of carrots (I used purple heirloom carrots, but any carrot will work fine). Top with a few strips of cucumber.
6. Add a few strips of red bell pepper. Top the vegetables with one piece of cooked tempeh.
7. Top the tempeh with some cooked vermicelli rice noodles. Carefully lift the sides of the rice paper and fold it over the ends. Rice paper is very delicate and may stick to your plate. I found moving slowly helped the rolling process.
8. Lift the top of the rice paper and roll it over the filling, tucking in the sides as you go. Roll as tightly as possible without ripping the paper. It may take a few tries but you should get the hang of it after the second one.
9. Repeat steps four through eight until you have eight spring rolls. Refrigerate until cold.
10. In a small bowl combine peanut butter, coconut milk, sesame oil, soy sauce, chili oil and chili flakes. Whisk until smooth and fully combined. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
11. Serve spring rolls cold with spicy peanut sauce.

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Strawberry-Avocado Quinoa Salad (Vegan)

Strawberry-Avocado Quinoa Salad (Vegan)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups quinoa, cooked and cooled
• 1 can black beans, well drained
• 1/2 small Vidalia onion, finely diced
• 3 avocados, peeled with innards diced and skins saved
• 12-14 small strawberries, washed and sliced
• 3 fresh ears of corn, kernels sliced from the cob
• juice and zest of 3 limes
• 3 tablespoons agave
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, black beans, diced onion, avocado pieces, and strawberry slices. Stir together and toss with corn.
2. In a blender, combine the lime juice, agave, and cilantro. Blend together.
3. Toss over salad and stir gently until coated. Sprinkle just enough sea salt on the salad to give it great flavor.
4. Spoon into empty avocado skins. Enjoy.

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