My 100th post!

Trio of lettuce cups with bbq chicken, white beans, red bell pepper, cilantro, sweet & sour chile sauce, & Sriracha.

Spicy Deviled Eggs

Spicy Deviled Eggs by Michael Symon: Mash 6 hard boiled egg yolks, 1/3 c. creme fraiche, 1/4 c. crumbled bacon, 1 t. Sriracha, 1 T. chopped cilantro, 1/ t. dijon mustard, 1/4 t. lime zest, 1 t. lime juice, and salt. Spoon into the egg whites; top with more lime zest.

Steak Salad

Steak Salad
(this was really, really good!)

Ingredients:
1 lb Hanger steak
1 cup Soy Vay Veri Teriyaki marinade
lettuce ( I used butter & romaine; you can use whatever you like)
shredded carrots
sliced mushrooms
sliced red onion,
sliced avocado
diced bell peppers (any color, but I like orange, red, or yellow)
crumbled bleu cheese
balsamic vinaigrette (see recipe below, or you can use bottled...or whatever dressing you like!)

Directions:
Put the steak in a zip lock bag and pour the marinade over it. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, and up to 4-6 hours. Preheat broiler, then broil for about 10 minutes per side, depending on how you like your meat done. Wrap it in foil to rest and cool off while you do cut your veggies. I put it in the fridge for about 15 minutes. Slice the steak.

Put the lettuce in individual salad bowls, add the veggies, the steak, the bleu cheese crumbles, and drizzle the vinaigrette over the top. Enjoy!

Balsamic Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (you could use red wine vinegar if you want)
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Italian dressing seasoning (recipe below) or a packet of Good Seasons mix

Put ingredients in a cruet and shake it well. Chill.

Italian Dressing Seasoning Mix:

• 1 tablespoon garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
• 2 tablespoons salt

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Store in a glass spice jar.

Blueberry Oatmeal Bars

Blueberry Oatmeal Bars (with Spinach!)
From Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld:

Ingredients:

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 1/4 c all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat)
  
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1/4 t baking powder
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 t pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 c Balance trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread, chilled (I used butter)
• 1 cup low-sugar blueberry preserves (I used regular organic preserves)
• 1/2 cup spinach puree*
  

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Coat an 8x8 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, & vanilla, and stir to mix well.
3. Add the margarine and cut it quickly into the dry ingredients with two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal and is no longer powdery. Do not overmix-bits of margarine will still be visible.
4. Set aside about half of the oat mixture; press the rest of it firmly into the pan. Bake until lightly browned at the edges (but not fully baked). 13 to 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, mix the preserves with the spinach puree in a small bowl.
6. Spread the blueberry mixture over the partially baked oat layer, then sprinkle with the reserved oat mixture. Bake until the topping is slightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool completely before cutting into 12 bars.

*Spinach puree:
Prep: No prep at all for baby spinach. For mature spinach, fold leaves in half lengthwise witht he stem outside, then strip the stem off the leaf.
Cook: Steam for 30 to 40 seconds, or cook in a skillet with 1 T water for about 90 seconds, or just until wilted. (I steamed mine in the microwave for 2 minutes in a covered glass dish).
Puree: In a food processor or blender for about 2 minutes until smooth and creamy.

The kids loved these. The first time I made them they knew I used a secret ingredient but didn't want to know what it was. This time, they knew what it was and didn't care. What a great way to get some iron & greens into a healthy snack!!!

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust (should sit out for 15 minutes)

1 large potato, peeled & diced

4 carrots, finely diced

2 celery stalks, finely diced

1 small yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBSP butter

1 -14 oz can reduced sodium chicken broth

2 TBSP all-purpose flour

1/2 cup milk

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup frozen corn

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried tarragon

1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, saute potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in butter for about 5 or 6 minutes. Add broth, cover and cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, combine flour and milk until smooth. Gradually add to vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the remaining ingredients; simmer 5 minutes longer.

3. Fit crust onto a pie tin. Pour hot filling into crust. Place the second crust on top; crimp edges. Cut slits in top of crust.

4. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes or until crust is light golden brown. Serves 6.

"Chile Verde" Chili

Typically, Chile Verde doesn't have beans, but I was shooting more for a chili with pork & green sauce. However, the red bowl kind of threw off the color, so it doesn't look as green as it should. Also, I added a can of stewed tomatoes, when I probably should have used 2 jars of salsa verde instead. Oh well. The bottom line is that it was delicious!!!



Chile Verde Chili
Ingredients:
2-3 pound pork loin roast, cut into 2 inch cubes
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
4 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 large shallot, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 Anaheim chili pepper, diced
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 large jar of salsa verde (I used Herdez brand)
32 oz chicken stock
1 t each: oregano, cumin seed, ground cumin
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper
2 cans pinto beans, mostly drained, but keep a little bit of the liquid

Directions:
Put the flour and some salt and pepper in a large ziplock bag. Add the pork, zip up the bag, and give it a good shake to coat the cubes. Heat 2 T of the olive oil in a large skillet and brown the pork for about 3 minutes on both sides, in batches. Set aside.

In a large pot, heat the remaining 2 T olive oil and saute the fresh vegetables until softened, about 8 minutes or so. Add the spices and cook for a minute. Add the stewed tomatoes, salsa verde, & chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the pork and simmer for an hour. Check your spices; I always add a little more cumin. Now add the beans with a little bit of the liquid and simmer very gently for 15-20 minutes.

Garnish with diced onions, cilantro, jalapeno, & white cheddar cheese. Serves 4.

Chinese Chicken Salad

I broke my Italian theme last night and made a Chinese Chicken Salad. I felt like something lighter after all the heavy pasta dishes I've been making. (And I wonder why I can't lose the last 10 out of 15 pounds I've gained this winter! ;) Anyway, my 13 year old wanted nothing to do with this salad, but my husband and I enjoyed it. My inspiration was the bottle of Toasted Sesame dressing I bought last week. Its made by one of my all time favorite food companies: Soy Vay. I use their Veri Veri Teriyaki all the time as a marinade. Its sublime!!

Chinese Chicken Salad

Directions:

2 boneless skinless organic chicken breasts
1/2 cup Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce
2 cups chopped napa cabbage
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 carrot, shredded
1 handful of micro greens (cuz I had them)
1/4 cup slivered almonds
Soy Vay Toasted Sesame Dressing (& marinade)
Cilantro, for garnish

Directions:

Marinate the chicken in the teriyaki sauce for at least half an hour. Preheat the oven to 350 and bake the chicken on a foil lined cookie sheet for 20 minutes. Set aside to cool, then slice.

Toss the vegetables (Feel free to use any veggies that you have on hand! Bell peppers would make a nice addition!) and the almonds with the dressing. Divide into two salad bowls. Add the chicken slices, a few more almonds, and the cilantro for garnish. Serves 2 with leftovers. Enjoy!