spinach salad with sweet vinaigrette dressing.

1 lb spinach, washed

4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

3 eggs, hard boiled and chopped

1 recipe for sweet vinaigrette dressing

Wash 1 lb of fresh spinach.  Cook 4 slices of bacon.  Crumble bacon once cool.  Hard boil three eggs.  Chop into bite sized pieces or slices.  Toss spinach, crumbled bacon and chopped egg together.  Dress the salad with sweet vinaigrette dressing right before serving so that the spinach doesn't wilt.  Salt and pepper if desired.  

Stephie's stove top bacon cooking tips: (Since I always burn bacon, Stephie is earning her keep by cooking it for me.  Here are her suggestions for great stove top bacon.)

1. Don't overcrowd the pan.

2. Cook on med- low heat.  

3. Flip the bacon only once.

4. If cooking a large quantity of bacon, drain grease as needed.  Bacon won't get crispy if you cook it in too much grease.

How to hard boil eggs: Place eggs in a saucepan in a single layer.  Pour cold water over the eggs - just enough water to barely cover them.  Place on high heat until water is boiling.  Once water is boiling, remove from heat and cover.  Let eggs stand in hot water for 15 minutes.  Drain hot water from eggs.  Cool eggs by running cold water over them.  Once eggs are cool, remove the shells from eggs. 

Sweet Vinaigrette Dressing:

1/4 c. canola oil

1/4 c. white vinegar

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 t. worcestershire sauce

1/2 t. salt

Place all dressing ingredients in a bowl.  Whisk to combine.  

xx.

val

blt with egg.

In my home growing up, we ate this sandwich at least once a week for every summer I can remember.  Fresh tomatoes from the garden, crispy bacon and fried egg - it is such a good combination!  If you have never made a blt with egg, you gotta try it! 

Makes 4 sandwiches.

8 pieces toasted bread (i used sourdough this time, but love it on potato bread and whole wheat, too)

8 strips of bacon*

4 - 8 pieces lettuce (romaine, iceberg, butter lettuce or whatever you like)

8 slices of tomato (fresh from your garden or on the vine)

4 eggs, fried over easy

4 slices cheese, optional (cheddar, american or whatever you like)

mayo

salt and pepper

*I'm terrible at frying bacon.  I always burn it.  So I have begun to cook bacon in the oven.  Preheat your oven to 350.  On a cookie sheet place a cookie cooling rack.  Place defrosted strips of bacon on the cooling rack.  8 strips should fit if you put them close together.  Be carefully not to overlap the bacon though.  They need to cook for 20 minutes in the oven, flip the strips after 10 minutes.  After 20 minutes at 350 degrees, preheat the broiler and adjust the oven rack to the highest position.  The bacon goes under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes.  This makes the bacon a little crispy.  The nicest thing about cooking bacon on a cooling rack is that the grease drains off the bacon and into the bottom of cookie sheet.  

Fry (or oven bake) 8 pieces of bacon.  Remove the grease from the pan.  If you wish to fry your eggs in the bacon grease, leave about 1 tablespoon.  Fry 4 eggs over easy.  If you oven baked your bacon or don't wish to cook your eggs in bacon grease, you will need to add a little cooking spray or olive oil to your frying pan to get started.  Fry eggs over medium heat.  Crack 2 eggs into the pan on opposite sides.  Salt and pepper the egg.  Cook until the white appears solid- 3 to 4 minutes.  Carefully flip the eggs so that the yolk does not break.  Cook for another minute or two.  Choose your cheese, optional.  If you want your cheese a little melty, put a slice of cheese on each egg in the last minute of the cooking time.  After removing the egg from the pan, while you are assembling your other ingredients, cover the eggs topped with cheese with foil.  If you want egg on your sandwich, but hate the idea of runny egg yolk, then completely fry your egg until the yolk is cooked through.  Get your other ingredients ready - toast bread of your choice.  Wash 4 to 8 pieces lettuce of your choice. Wash and slice the tomatoes.  You'll need your mayo and a knife for spreading.

Assemble your sandwich:  Spread mayo on four slices of toasted bread.  You can salt and pepper the mayo if you forgot to salt and pepper the egg or if you just like a lot of salt and pepper.  Add two slices of tomato to each slice of bread with mayo on it.  To each sandwich, add two strips of bacon- you can break each strip so that it fits on the sandwich nicely.  Carefully add the fried egg over easy on top of the bacon.  Add the lettuce pieces.  Top with other slice of toasted bread.  With a knife cut right through the middle of your blt with egg and possibly cheese and enjoy!

xx.

val

strawberry iced tea.

8 cups (2 quarts) brewed tea of your choice

1 c. honey or 1 t. stevia powder (use less if you like it less sweet)

1 pint strawberries (2 to 3 cups pureed strawberries)

1/2 c. water

extra strawberries or lemon slices for garnish

Make 8 cups iced tea: pour 4 cups boiling water over 4 or 5 tea bags of your choice.  (Do not use a glass container; the hot water will cause it to break.)  Let stand for 5 minutes.  Discard tea bags.  Add 4 more cups water.  Stir in honey or stevia powder to sweeten.  Puree 1 pint of strawberries in your blender or magic bullet with 1/2 cup water.  Add pureed strawberries to the tea.  Serve over ice or refrigerate to chill.  Garnish with whole strawberries or lemon slices.

Variation: raspberries, blackberries

xx.

val  

grilled corn on the cob with spicy cilantro lime butter.

Grilling the corn in the husks gives a great texture to the corn.  Spread on some spicy cilantro lime butter and enjoy this summer staple with a little kick.

Clean your grill grate and spray it with cooking spray before lighting.  Or use a paper towel soaked with oil to grease the grill grate.   Heat your grill to high heat.  Pull back your husks without removing them.  Remove the silks.  Replace your husks around the corn.  Place on the grill.  Cook 20 minutes, turning occasionally.  Let cool a few minutes before removing husks.  

spicy cilantro lime butter:

4 T butter, at room temperature

2 T fresh cilantro, chopped

1 t. fresh lime juice

1 t. cumin

1/2 t. chili powder

1/2 t. cayenne red pepper

Make sure your butter is soft.  Add cilantro, lime juice, cumin, chili powder and cayenne pepper to the softened butter.  Stir to combine.  Place in butter mixture close to the end of a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper.  Roll the butter up in the wrap or paper.  Mold butter back into a stick or a pat.  Cover with aluminum foil or throw in a baggie to store in the refrigerator until use.  

 

xx.

val

mango pineapple salsa.

This refreshing recipe would be perfect for your summer cookout!

Recipe:
2 fresh mangoes, peeled
1 fresh pineapple, skinned and cored
1 medium red bell pepper
1 small red onion
1 to 2 jalapeno peppers (depending on how much kick you want), seeded and minced
1 lime, juiced
about 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tbsp. olive oil

-Chop first 4 ingredients. Combine everything in a big bowl. Let ingredients get to know each other in fridge overnight before serving. Great with torilla chips, or over grilled chicken or salmon.


emily.

asian slaw.

1/2 head red cabbage, chopped in 2" strips

1/2 c. carrots, shredded

1/4 c. craisins

1/4 c. candied walnuts or almonds*

2 scallions, chopped

2 T fresh mint, chopped

2 T fresh cilantro, chopped

Chop or shred ingredients as indicated.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl or serving platter. Toss with dressing to coat.  Store in refrigerator.

*To make the walnuts (or almonds), preheat your oven to 350. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray or lay down a piece of parchment paper. Spread one layer of nuts out evenly over the cookie sheet. Don't overcrowd the nuts or stack the nuts. Bake for 5 minutes in the oven. While nuts are baking, on the stove top mix together 1/8 c. honey and 1/8 c. brown sugar over med heat. When sugar is dissolved in the honey, add the baked nuts to the honey sugar mixture. Stir to coat. Turn the nuts out onto parchment paper to cool.

Dressing:

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

2 T red wine vinegar

2 T apple cider vinegar

2 T Dijon mustard

2 T honey

1 lime, juiced

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

In a blender, combine all ingredients except olive oil. With the blender on low, slowly add extra virgin olive oil. Blend until fully combined.

xx.

val

grilled chicken sandwich with olive tapenade spread.

A little greek inspired sandwich.  The spread is made from leftover olive tapenade appetizer. Serves 4. 

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 t. oregano

1 t. basil

1 t. marjoram

1 clove garlic, minced

olive oil

feta 

8 whole wheat hamburger buns or 4 whole wheat pitas

lettuce, tomato, red onion, all optional

1 recipe for olive tapenade

Combine spices and minced garlic in a shallow pan.   Brush each piece of chicken with olive oil.  Roll through the spice mixture.  

To cook your chicken on the grill, clean your grill grate and spray it with cooking spray before lighting.  Or use a paper towel soaked with oil to grease the grill grate so the chicken does not stick.  Cook chicken for about 8 to 12 minutes.  Turn only once.  Chicken is done with internal temperature reaches 170 degrees.  Juices should run clear when you cut into it.  You can also cook on the stove top.  Add a little olive oil to your pan and cook over med or med high heat.  

To make the olive tapenade a spread, put a few tablespoons of tapenade into a food processor (or magic bullet) and process until smooth.  Spread on a toasted bun or pita.  Add chicken, feta and optional toppings. 

xx.

val

guacamole burger.

ground turkey (1 1/2 lbs)

1/2 c. salsa

1/2 bell pepper, chopped in small pieces

1 T cumin

1 t. chili powder

1 lime, juiced

1- 2 T fresh chopped cilantro

1 recipe for guacamole

cheese- suggested: cheddar, montery jack or pepper jack

whole wheat hamburger buns

lettuce, tomato, onion, all optional

Combine salsa, cumin, chili powder, lime juice and cilantro. Add ground turkey to salsa mixture. When salsa mixture is totally incorporated into the ground turkey, score the meat into fourths or sixths (depending on your burger size preference). Shape your burgers with your hands into round patties- about 1/2" to 3/4" thick.

If you are going to grill your burgers, clean your grill grate and then spray it with cooking spray before lighting. Or use a paper towel lightly soaked with oil to grease the grill grate. Turn your grill on and let it heat up to high heat. Place the burgers on the grill over direct heat. Cook 5 to 6 minutes per side. Flip only once. Do not press down on the burgers with a spatula while cooking- this will just dry your burgers out. Use an instant read thermometer to unsure burgers are done- 160 degrees. Top burgers with cheese of your choice and cook another minute to melt the cheese. You can also cook burgers in a skillet or under the broiler.

Build your burger- toast whole wheat buns if desired and top with burger and cheese. Add a generous amount of guacamole to your burger. Top with lettuce, tomato and onion if desired.

xx.

val

papaya iced tea.

8 cups (2 quarts) brewed tea of your choice

1 c. honey or 1 t. stevia powder (use less if you like it less sweet)

1 c. (8 oz) R.W. Knudsen papaya concentrate 

fresh mint for garnish

lemon slices for garnish

Make 8 cups iced tea: pour 4 cups boiling water over 4 or 5 tea bags of your choice.  (Do not use a glass container; the hot water will cause it to break.)  Let stand for 5 minutes.  Discard tea bags.  Add 4 more cups water.  Stir in honey or stevia powder to sweeten.  Add 1 cup papaya concentrate.  Variation- other flavors include blueberry, black cherry, pomegranate and cranberry.  Add ice or refrigerate to chill.  Garnish with fresh mint and lemon slices.  

xx.

val

coleslaw.

Makes 6 cups slaw. Enough to feed a crowd!

1 head white cabbage

1/4 head red cabbage

2 carrots

1/2 red onion

Dressing:

1 c. mayo

1/2 c. olive oil

1/2 c. white vinegar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 t. salt

1 t. pepper

1 t. celery salt

1 T fresh lemon juice

Cut cabbages into chunks. Peel carrots and onion. In a food processor, shred cabbages, carrots and onion. Whisk to combine dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over shredded veggies. Toss to combine.

xx.

val

pulled pork bbq with carolina bbq sauce.

5 lb. boneless pork shoulder (suggested: Boston butt)

1/4 to 1/2 c. coffee or water

whole wheat buns

Spice Rub:

1/4 c. brown sugar

2 t. cumin

2 t. chili powder

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. paprika

1 t. salt

1 t. pepper

Pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup coffee or water in the bottom of a crock pot. Combine spices to create a rub for your pork. Cut the 5 lb. boneless pork shoulder into 3 or 4 sections. Rub each pork section in the spice rub. Place in the crock pot for 6 to 8 hours on low heat. Drain liquid off the pork. Shred the pork with two forks. Put shredded meat back into the crock pot on low heat. Add 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups carolina bbq sauce over the meat. Stir to combine and heat on low for 1 more hour. Serve on whole wheat buns with carolina bbq sauce on the side.

Carolina bbq sauce is vinegar and mustard based. Kansas city bbq sauce is tomato and molasses based. You can use either type of bbq sauce over pulled pork. If you don't enjoy carolina bbq, stay tuned to the blog - I'm going to be making some kansas city bbq sauce soon!

Carolina BBQ Sauce:

1 c. white vinegar

1 c. Dijon mustard

1/4 to 1/2 c. brown sugar (depends on how sweet you want it)

2 t. cumin

2 t. chili powder

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. paprika

1 t. salt

1 t. pepper

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Heat over med- low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Taste test for sweetness, add 1/4 cup at first and if you like it sweeter add another 1/4 cup. Let sauce cool before pouring into a glass container for storage.

xx.

val

turkey burgers with blue cheese.

Mix together with your hands:
-1 package lean ground turkey (1.25 lbs)
-1 egg
-1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
-1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
-1/4 tsp. garlic powder

-if cooking in a skillet, cook in about a tbsp.+ of olive oil
-if grilling, paint grill top with paper towel soaked in canola oil.. turkey will stick to grill otherwise because it produces less grease than ground beef.

-when meat is cooked to your satisfaction, put blue cheese or Gorgonzola crumbles (or your favorite cheese) on top and let the cheese get a little melty.


emily.