Breakfast For Dinner with a Twist

My girlfriend made this for dinner for me the other night and I was instantly won over by how easy and yummy it was! Even Zach gobbled it up.

Huevos Rancheros

For the sauce: simply heat in a saucepan 1 can of red enchilada sauce and 1 can of diced tomatoes and green chiles (like Rotel). Stir in 1 tbl of lime juice and some fresh chopped cilantro.

For the beans: Rinse and drain 1 can of pinto beans. In a microwarve safe bowl heat with 2 tbl of water for 2 minutes. Mash with a fork. I added some salt, galic powder and cumin for some flavor.

Top a heated tortilla (flour or corn, your preference) with beans, then with a fried egg (or scrambled, or egg white, again your preference!) then top with the red sauce. Sprinkle with queso fresco or simply mexican cheese if that is what you have on hand!


The entire meal was so quick and easy to prepare and clean up, and was so quickly devoured, that my camera didn't stand a chance. Enjoy!

Pregnant Salmon

I got this recipe out of a Healthy Pregnancy cookbook way back when I was pregnant with Drew. I really liked it and continued to make it over the years, and it has since come to earn the title Pregnant Salmon. I've been making it a lot lately because its super easy and super healthy - rich in folate, vitamin D/C, calcium and iron . Don't worry, I'm pretty sure the recipe won't actually make you pregnant. :)

Whisk together the following ingredients for the marinade for the salmon:

• 2 tbl soy sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
• (I think this particular time I added a squeezed orange too because I felt like it)

Preheat the oven to 400*F

Heat 1 tbl peanut oil (I usually use olive oil) until it is very hot. add the salmon and cook for 3 minutes then transfer to the preheated oven and cook for 5 minutes. Allow to stand for 2 to 3 minutes. Preferably, I skip this altogether and hand it off to Kevin to grill :)

To cook the greens, heat peanut oil (again, I use olive oil) until very hot, and add 1 or more cloves of chopped garlic, and a chopped 1 inch piece of gingeroot. Stir fry for a minute, and then add the greens. You can use bok choy, or chinese cabbage. Personally I like to use 1-1/2 to 2 huge bags of spinach. Yes, two!! I love spinach because it cooks down so much. Kevin and I can easily eat 2 bags.

Back to the greens - so stir fry the greens until just wilted and then add 1 tbl of rice wine, and the recipe calls for 1 tsp of sugar. I like to squeeze one orange instead for some natural sweetness. Remove from heat and toss in 2 tsp soy sauce and 1 tsp sesame oil. Serve immediately with a side of brown rice.

This particualar picture was NOT served immediately. I made it before a track workout and ate it when I got home a few hours later. Still yummy :)

Sweet Potato Chicken Curry

Had some friends over last week for dinner. I love love that my friends are adventurous eaters. We decided to use up some of the last of my CSA seasonal produce and make this Sweet Potato Chicken Curry. I love anything you can cook in one pot!

Sweet Potato Chicken Curry

Combine 2 teaspoons curry powder, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground tumeric, 1/4 tsp ground red pepper, salt, pepper and a bay leaf in a small bowl.

Heat oil in a large nonstick pan, and add 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken cut into 1 inch pieces. sautee 5 minutes or until browned.

Reduce heat to medium and add 1 1/2 cups sliced onions. Saute for a bit and then add in 2 tsp of fresh minced ginger (don't skip this) and 2 or so cloves chopped garlic. Add your curry powder mixture that you previously mixed.

Add 1 14 oz can of chicken broth and an undrained can of diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat and simmer. Throw in 2 cups of cubed, peeled sweet potato. (supposed to simmer for an hour, but I definitely only simmered for like 30 minutes or so). Throw in 1/2 cup of frozen peas about 10 min or so before serving.

Stir in a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and garnish with cilantro. Serve over white or brown rice.

** The Verdict ** I really liked how the sweet potato balanced out the spicyness of the dish. Very yummy and a good fall dish!

sick, sick, sick

It started with Zach, he passed it onto Drew, who passed it on to me. The combination of sheer exhaustion from tending to sick children + sore throat and achy body + all day long morning sickness hasn't really helped my creative dinner juices flow. The only thing we're having over here is chicken broth or takeout! I'll be back when we are healthy again...

What's Better on a Cold Rainy Night Then...

Chicken Noodle Soup? Last week it rained almost every day, and it was COLD rain. Kate and I got out real early one morning in that pitch black very cold rain for her last 12 mile long run before Marine Corp this coming weekend. I say "her last run" because I have switched my bib to the 10K. We found out we are expecting again!!! I'll be 12 weeks the day of Marine Corp. So anyway, after a long cold run like that, what better way to warm your cockles then some homemade chicken noodle soup. This recipe is SUPER easy. I think I might make it for the many pregnant friends I have who all delivered this week, or are expecting to deliver next week!

In a soup pan saute in olive oil the following veggies (or any veggies you have on hand that you like in your chicken noodle soup). I used:

• chopped carrots
• chopped onions
• chopped celery
• mushrooms
• chopped garlic

Secret Number 1: Chop up the greens on the celery - the part that almost looks like flat parsley? That part of the celery has more flavor then the celery itself! I could tell by adding it to the broth that it really brought out the celery flavor.

Now add a box of chicken stock. I think its like 32 ounces.

Secret number 2: Add 2 cubes of chicken bullion. This helped to make the broth more chickeny and rich. Add a dash of oregano and let the veggies and broth simmer, almost to a boil, for a bit.

Add pasta noodles of your choice right into the soup pot. I used fettuccine broken into thirds. A little pasta goes a long way - it soaks up the liquid. I used maybe 25 noodles broken into thirds maybe?

Once your pasta looks about ready add your already cooked chicken. I used a rotisserie chicken, but if you have some leftover chicken then shred that to use. It should already be cooked so you're really just heating it through.

Secret Number 3: What I thought really made the soup were these two ingredients... an entire freshly squeezed lemon. This gives the broth some zing. I also added ground cayenne pepper. Just add a dash if you're worried about it being spicy. It just makes the broth more interesting and complex. I added a lot because I actually wanted it to be spicy since I had a little cold and I wanted to kick it.

*Serve this relatively soon after its done, or the pasta will continue to absorb the liquid. If you're making it for someone, then cook the pasta noodles separately and have the person add the cooked noodles when reheating. I waited to eat a few hours until Kevin got home and although the flavors were on, that broth that I really wanted had been mostly absorbed.

Mom's Ice Cream Cake

Growing up, my mom made us this ice-cream cake for our birthday every year. I made it for Superman this weekend for his 4th birthday and all the kids loved it! I loved it too ... I might have had it for breakfast the next day :)

Layer One:

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
½ cup butter (melted)
1/4 cup sugar

(I actually just kind of eyeball these measurements)

• Mix and put in bottom of 9x13 pan - press down

Layer Two:

½ gallon ice cream softened (just let it sit on the counter for a while)

• Slice ice cream in ½ in slices and place on top of crumbs. Mash it together with your fingers so its completely covered. Put this in the freezer while you make the chocolate sauce.

Layer Three:

1-1/2 cup chocolate chips
½ cup butter
1-3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 12 oz can of evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla

• Mix above ingredients except for vanilla and cook till thick and creamy. Stir constantly.
• This will take about 20 minutes or so over low heat.
• Remove fom heat, let thicken, add vanilla and cool... for a WHILE. Don't want to melt the ice cream!
• Once cooled, pour on top of the ice cream and stick it back in the freezer. This is the point where I go to bed and let it harden over night :)

Layer Four:

1 9oz tub of cool whip, refrigerated

• Spread cool whip over chocolate layer and sprinkle with (optional) nuts and cherries. Freeze. Enjoy!

The birthday boy with the finished product!

Me So Love Miso

Lately I am addicited to Miso Soup. I've had it for lunch pretty much every day this week. My dad lived in Japan for several years when he was a strapping young Navy bachelor, so as kids it was often he'd take us to the local sushi joint and order us all kinds of crazy kinds of raw fish (eating with my dad is the greatest experience, the man will try anything!) I have very fond memories of miso soup, so maybe thats why I've been craving it everyday. This little soup and salad combo takes 20 seconds, is healthy, and can easily be brought to the office. I'm a super-fan of SOUP for lunch. Something about the fact that it's hot makes it seem so filling - especially on a chilly fall day!

This week I've been throwing together a salad of leafy spinach greens and finely sliced or grated carrots. I found a ginger dressing (similar to Otani's, yum) to top it off in the Asian section of Wegmans.

The miso soup comes 3 packs in 1 at most grocery stores in the Asian section. Simply heat up 2/3 cup of water and add the mix. Yum.. me so love miso.

For Grandma

I've been MIA for a while, mostly because the last two weeks have been full of surprises. About 3 weeks ago my Grandma was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and last Monday she passed away. Last November my grandpa passed away, and Grandma expressed to us after being diagnosed with cancer that she was simply ready to be with her husband and to be with the Lord.

Nonetheless, I will always remember my grandma as the healthiest woman that ever was. Her mom lived to be 96, and we just assumed Grandma would do the same. As an 86 year old woman, she had yet to go completely gray! Every day she walked a few miles, did her weights, ate sensibly, and finished the New York Times crossword puzzle. She was sharp as a whip! She also recycled and reused EVERYTHING. I remember when visiting her I asked for a plastic ziploc bag - she pointed to a drawer filled with mismatched washed and reused ziploc bags she had collected over the years. I immediately thought of the 20 ziplock bag cartons I had from Costco in my pantry. What a waste! What a nation of consumers and waste creators we are now!

It was Grandma I turned to when my passion for food - more specifically food sources - began to "grow." She and my grandpa raised their own cattle, chickens, and always ate from their own garden in their younger years. Grandma gave me the low-down on how to work the soil, and how to compost. I will always remember Grandma's famous meal she would make for us when we went to visit in Oklahoma: Fried Chicken, okra, and Cherry Pie.

Anyway, last year Grandma framed her famous Apple Crisp recipe for me as a Christmas Gift. When fresh apples arrived from CSA last Tuesday, I knew what had to be done.

Without further ado... for you, Grandma:

Betty's Apple Crisp

4-5 apples

3/4 Cup Quick Cooking Oatmeal

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Flour

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 cup Butter (softened)

Walnuts (optional)

Peel and slice the apples, then place in the bottom of a baking dish.

Combine the oatmeal, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon and then cut in the butter.

(I added walnuts)

Sprinkle over the apples, and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

What was left of it...

Simple Swees Shard Spaghetti Supper

Every game day or track meet must be prefaced with a spaghetti dinner, its only tradition! Keeping tradition alive I made this the night before my first true long run of the training season a few weeks ago - 18 miler.

I was inspired by CSA's delivery of this beeee-autiful swiss chard (I can't help it, this must be pronounced swees shard when I deal with it).

Simply sautee your swees shard with onions and garlic. Sprinkle the top with crushed red pepper. Watch in delight as your onion and garlic turn red from the stems. I love that!

I added a few chopped tomatoes from the garden and a can of drained canellini beans...

Finished it off with a squeeze of lemon, salt, and a sprinkle of parm served over fettucini.

Po-tay-toes

When I was younger (okay ... today still) my favorite joke was about three robbers who break into a barn. The farmer goes around the barn and asks the cow if there's a robber back there, to which the robber, hidding behing the cow, replies "moooo!" Anyway then the farmer moves around the animals and finally onto a sack of potatoes... "Anybody back there?" And the robber goes "POOO-TAY-TOES!!" Ha. Makes me laugh every time.

So as you can tell the star of the dish is PO-TAY-TOES. I was so so excited that my CSA would be delivering freshly dug potatoes from the farm this week. I had heard and read that you have never truly had a potato until you've had a fresh potato. I also had some leftover corn from the previous week's delivery. Perfect for the soup I wanted to try.

Grilled Potato and Corn Chowder

Preheat your grill to medium high heat. Put a grill basket on the grill to warm it up.

* (I really went out on a limb here people, I NEVER grill, I had to call my husband to see how to turn it on. Guess what... its sooo easy I can't believe I thought it was some magical tool only Kevin could use. But you could skip this step altogether if you need and just boil all the veggies, and even used canned corn if you're really pressed. Whatever works!)

Place ~7 red potatoes with 2 teaspoons salt in a saucepan; cover with water and bring to a boil. Let boil for 2 minutes, and then let it stand in the hot water for 5 minutes. Drain and cut into 1/4 inch cubes.

Place 3 ears of shucked corn on the grill rack coated with cooking spray. Place chopped potatoes in grill basket coated with cooking spray and grill both 15 minutes or until slightly charred.

When corn cools:

• cut kernels from cob
• Place 1 cob worth of kernels in a food processor with 1/3 cup half and half and process until smooth.

Sautee 1/4 cup chopped onion in 1 tbl of butter. Add salt and pepper (red pepper if you have it). Stir in potatoes, remaining corn kernels, 2 cups reduced fat milk, pureed mixture, and 2 thyme sprigs. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove thyme sprigs and add 3 tbl finely chopped chives. Let it sit and thicken up.

************************************************************************

I had to supplement my fresh potatoes with 2 from the store because I didnt have enough. You wouldn't believe the difference - when I sliced the fresh potatoes they were golden inside, pumped full of nutrients, with a naturally buttery tatse. I couldn't stop popping little pieces in my mouth. The ones from the store were white and flavorless. Potatoes are in season so go to your farmers market and get your potatoes this weekend!!

And about CORN... did you know that corn is a grain? It delivers all the same nutritional benefits of other grains; reduced risk of stroke, diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. Its rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that help reduce the risk of age related macular degeneration. You can't beat fresh, but frozen kernels are almost identical nutritionally.

Oh, Bother

That is what Drew always says when he is "cross," thanks to his new buddy Thomas the Tank. I'm cross that I left my camera at my parents house this weekend, so I have no way to document my meals for a while! Bother!! :)

Nonetheless, here is a quick recap of whats simmering at my house tonight... What's better than a bowl of soup on a rainy "fall-ish" night like tonight?

I make this often, and I love it because I usually have enough of the ingredients on hand to make it at the end of the week when my fridge is empty and a trip to the store is in order.

It pairs nicely with some grilled cheese sandwiches!

Spicy Black Bean and Tomato Soup
*serves A LOT. but as Kate Gosselin says, (while publicly berating her husband while he makes her dinner) "what's the point if you do all the work and don't have enough for leftovers??"


In a skillet, sautee

• 2 slices of chopped bacon (OMIT for vegetarian!)
• a few stems of chopped celery
• 1 to 2 yellow cooking onions, chopped
• a couple cloves of garlic - as much or as little as you want
• 1 chopped carrot

Let soften up for a bit (5 minutes?), before adding the following spices

• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chipotle chile pepper (again, as much as you can handle, this stuff is spicy, and I like spicy. Its similar to cayenne ground red pepper but with chipotle which gives the soup a smoky taste.)
• salt and pepper
• grate the rind from one lime

Let it sautee together a bit longer before adding your canned ingredients:

• 2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes, do NOT drain
• 2 14.5 oz of canned black beans. I like to give them a rinse in the colander in addition to straining because I hate the gooeyness on the beans.
• About 2 cups of chicken or vegetable stock, or more if you like it "soupier"

Let all ingredients simmer for 20 minutes or so over medium heat. Transfer to a blender (don't forget to leave your top off! Your blender... get your mind out of the gutter) and puree. I like to leave mine a tad bit chunky.

Transfer to a soup pot and squeeze in the juice from that lime you grated earlier as well as some fresh chopped cilantro. Serve with a dollop of greek yogurt if you're feeling crazy.

*****KID TIP: I've been known to slather a layer as "tomato sauce" on homemade pizzas for the kids. Drew has no idea he's licking up beans, tomatoes, carrots, onions!

I'm headed to a track workout tonight, but given the cold rainy weather, this oughtta warm me up when I get home!

Lightened Up Lasagna

The perfect way to use up all your summer veggies. The basil ricotta is very light tasting and perfect for a "summer" lasagna.

Zucchini-Basil Lasagna

Preheat the oven to 350.

Boil your lasagna noodles, I used whole wheat.

In a sautee pan, sautee 3 cloves chopped garlic, 1 medium onion chopped, 2 small zucchini chopped. Add either...

Quick Homemade Spicy Tomato Sauce:
Add 2 cans of diced tomatoes and the following spices to cover the top so just the red shows through: paprika, garlic powder, parm cheese, 1 tsp sugar, crushed red pepper, basil, a dash of oregano and a bay leaf. If you can handle it, go heavy on the crushed red pepper - its the spicyness of the sauce that blends with the sweet basil that makes this so good!

OR

1 bottle jarred spicy tomato sauce (Arrabbiata)

In a blender, mix 2 cups of fat free cottage cheese with 1 egg and at LEAST 1 cup of fresh basil leaves. The more the better!! The cheese will turn green.

Spread 1/4 cup Zucchini sauce mixture in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over zucchini mixture; top with one-third cottage cheese mixture, one-third zucchini mixture, then repeat until ingredients are all used up. Top with the sauce and a sprinkle of part-skim mozzerella cheese.

Cover and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until lasagna is thoroughly heated.

I CANT FIND MY PICTURE!!! But we all know what a lasagna looks like :) Enjoy!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Banana Cookies

I'm a chocolate girl so I prefer my cookies chocolate chip. I love love the combination of oatmeal and chocolate chip. This recipe was great because it used a ripe banana to cut back on sugar, and also this recipe cuts back on the butter (most recipes call for 2 sticks of butter and almost 2 cups of sugar). I had one of these cookies before a long run, and they were the perfect mix of sugars, oatmeal, nuts, caffeine from the chocolate and potassium from the bananas to fill my belly before the run. It also gave me the tiniest bit of guilt I needed to push my body a little harder that morning ;)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Banana Cookies



Preheat oven to 350.



Combine 1/2 cup mashed banana (about 1 medium), 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract in a bowl. Beat with a blender, add 1 egg, and continue to beat well.



Mix 1- 1/4th c. flour, 2 cups old fashioned oats, 1 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt into a separate bowl. Mix, and then add to wet ingredients slowly, beating with a mixer at medium speed.



Stir in 1/2 c. semi sweet chocolate chips and 1/2 c. walnuts (optional)



Bake at 350 for 18 minutes.

Sweet Pizza

Last night I tried a new recipe from my latest issue of Cooking Light.

Chicken, Red Grape and Pesto Pizza

Top refrigerated pizza dough with olive oil and chopped garlic. Prebake refrigerated pizza dough (depends on the brand but probably about 10 minutes at 400). While the pizza dough is in the oven you can chop grapes and shred chicken. Remove from oven and add a thin layer of pesto.

If I was really awesome I would have some frozen pesto I already made in the freezer, but I haven't gotten to that yet this summer. So jarred pesto will do!

I bought rotisserie chicken that morning, of which I shred the whole bird and stored in the fridge for when necesary. I topped about 1/3 of this shredded chicken over pesto, to cover.

Sprinkle about 1 to 1/2 cups of halved red grapes over the chicken.

Top with fresh slices of real mozzerella, just a little goes a long way. Sprinkle the top with grated romano. Top with scallions (optional, I just had them from the garden, and they looked pretty).

Bake an additional 10 minutes at 400. Then enjoy!

The verdict: Kevin could have gone without the grapes, but I happened to love them, a lot. A lot a lot. The sweetness of the grapes with the parm was delish. This meal was super easy too. Hardly any mess and it only took 20 minutes. Next time, to lighten it up a bit, I would use less or eliminate altogether the mozzerella. It really didn't add that much besides the addicting gooey-ness of cheese. Cheese is yummy - but not the star of the dish.

Fiesta, Fiesta!!

What better way to send a US Soldier off to Afghanistan than... Mexican food?! Well in my family, that makes total sense. A celebration is just not a celebration if there are no margaritas or salsa present!! This weekend we had a little last minute fiesta with about 15 family members for my wonderful, heroic cousin Luke. This week he will be headed to Afghanistan as a photo journalist, and we wanted to stuff him with food and drink before he leaves. I decided I had enough grilled chicken fajitas I could handle this summer, so I took a little different route. This was super easy for a party of people and everyone enjoyed it! (Or so they said) :)

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Carnitas

(serves 10-15)

2 4lb packages of pork shoulder (AKA pork butt - really can't say that with a straight face). I used 1 slow cooker per package.

In a small bowl mix 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp coriander, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp chile powder, salt and pepper. Rub dry mix over meat.

Layer a few bay leaves at the bottom of the slow cooker. Add pork. Pour about 1/2 cup of chicken stock around meat. Top with a bunch of fresh cilantro and the juice from 1 lime. Don't even need to chop cilantro - just throw it on top. Did you know the cilantro stems have the most flavor?

Let this cook 4-6 hours. When it is done, remove from the crock pot onto a cutting board and shred the meat. It will be so tender you hardly have to shred at all, just tear it apart. Remove and discard excess fat and bones.

Toss the shredded meat with about 1/3 or 1/2 of a 12 oz. can of enchilada sauce, and then before serving bake at 350 for about 20 minutes to crisp up the top.

Slacker's Mexican Rice

The night beofre I made rice with dinner so I was sure to make extra to convert into Mexican Rice. I made about 5 cups worth in the rice cooker and then stuck it in the fridge until I was ready. To make quick mexican rice -

Sautee garlic and white onions until translucent in olive oil over medium high heat. Add 1 can of diced green chiles. Add cold rice, and separate with your fingers if there are clumps. Add a bit more olive oil over rice to help it cook. Add 1 can diced tomatoes, and the remainder of enchilada sauce (my dad wasn't happy I cheated here, but a mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do).

Add about 1 tsp or so of cumin and salt to taste. Squeeze the juice from 1 lime over rice. Remove from heat and toss in fresh cilantro. Throw this in with the meat for 20 minutes to melt cheese (if you want on cheese on top) and again, crisp up the top.

The beans above are pretty self explanatory - but I do add almost an entire jar of salsa and a little enchilada sauce, as well as sauteed onions and garlic just to give it a kick. And top with cheese, obviously!

For less carnivorous guests, I also made some quick fajita veggies. Sauteed garlic, onions, green pepper, red pepper, zucchini and tomatoes in a simple fajita seasoning package were a good way to utilize some summer veggies and add some color to the meal.

And finally, what is a party without some beverages. I decided to use up the plethora of peaches I had in a White Wine Sangria. Beware, this is so delicious, it's easy to drink it like juice!

White Wine Sangria

1 bottle of white wine - I like Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio

Add whatever fruits you have on hand - but don't leave out the citrus (lemons, limes, oranges)! What I had and therefore used was peaches! As well as lemons. Squeeze the juice in first and then throw in the rind. Add 2/3 cup of sugar and stir. Fresh mint also gives this a nice flavor. Add about 1/2 a liter of club soda before serving to give it some sparkle.

Going Greek

Last Thursday my high school girlfriends came over for dinner after work. We decided to utilize the abundance of cucumbers and tomatoes in our respective gardens and do some kind of chicken gyros. Well the pictures look like a mess on the plate, but it was quite delicious. If you have time, I would recommend making the tzatziki and cucumber salsa during nap time or when you have the kids occupied, or the night before if you're at work, or whatever "in advance" means to you. They only take a few minutes each, but it helps to have it already done. If you do those in advance AND use rotisserie chicken then this meal really couldn't be any easier.

Tzatziki

***(The small personal size of Greek Yogurt makes enough for 2 people. I also recommend the brand Fage, it is thicker than other brands. The rest of the ingredients will be based off of this small size, but double or triple to your amount. Really, you flavor to your personal taste. ALSO of note, the Costco version of tzatziki is made with sour cream, gross!! For the nutritional benefits of Greek Yogurt, read this blog by fellow blogger on Mile Posts )

Greek Yogurt

1 lemon

1 tbl olive oil

1 tbl chopped fresh dill

2 cloves chopped garlic

1 chopped cucumber (if you're feeling ambitious, you can put these ingredients in a food processer and blend, I just do the quick verison and leave chopped.)

salt and pepper to taste

Stir all ingredients together and chill.

Cucumber Salsa

1 medium chopped cucumber

1 chopped tomato

1/2 chopped red onion

2 cloves chopped garlic

2 tbl olive oil

2 tbl chopped fresh parsley

1 tbl chopped fresh mint

juice from 1 lemon

Salt to taste - mix all ingredients and chill.

Chicken

Grilled chicken would be ideal, but I just cooked mine sliced thinly in a pan. For a quick weeknight meal I would actually recommend shredding a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. In any event, slice your chicken into strips.

In a pan heat 2 tbl olive oil, fresh rosemary, fresh oregano and garlic. Heat through for about 3 minutes or until flavors meld but do not burn. Then toss herb mixture with chicken.

I used Indian bread, naan (found at most grocery stores now) as opposed to pita because its a little thicker. You know how pita sometimes breaks when you try and fold it. But use whatever you like or have on hand.

I even decided to use my naan as a scooper as opposed to a wrap :) I layered fresh lettuce (from the farm, yum!) chicken, tzatziki and then cucumber salsa on top.

Mmmm, delicious and nutritious.

Get Your Peaches!!

This article popped up on my CSA newsfeed from facebook and I thought it was worth sharing. Peaches are in season right now and all over the farmers markets!! I have about 10 in my fridge right now from CSA. I'm thinking of grilled peach salsa. So everyone, go visit your local farmers market this weekend and you and I can make something peachy and delicious together!

http://www.ethicurean.com/2009/08/13/tribune-peach-study/

Zucchini Overload

This is an Alice Waters recipe that I can across in my hunt for new ways to use up the massive amounts of squash and zucchini I had between the CSA and my garden. I love her so I was excited to give it a go. However, I didn't think it would be filling enough for Kevin (who claims he's starving if dinner doesn't have meat in it) so I layered mine with a thin layer of spicy italian sausage on the bottom. If it was just for me though I would have been happy with the strictly veggie version. This is incredibly simple with ingredients that are 100% in season - not only does that help you reduce your carbon footprint, but it also helps keep costs low, AND fresher veggies = more nutrients.

Zucchini Tomato Gratin
1 yellow onion
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 branch fresh thyme
Fresh basil leaves
6 plum tomatoes
2 large yellow zucchini (or green, whichever you have on hand)
Balsamic vinegar (don't leave this out - it makes the dish!!)
Panko bread crumbs (japanese style, they are lighter than regular bread crumbs but you can substitute regular too if its all you have)
And if you want to make it of a little more substance - 2 Italian sausage links (decase and sautee)

Chop onion and sautee in olive oil until translucent. Season with salt and pepper, add thyme leaves and basil. Slice tomatoes and zucchini into rounds.

Layer the onion mixture in a deep quiche pan, greased with olive oil.

Add sausage to first level, or if skipping that, add a layer of tomatoes in an overlapping, circular pattern. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar. Add a layer of zucchini and alternate with tomatoes until the dish is full. Finish with a layer of zucchini and sprinkle with Panko bread crumbs, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. I also added fresh grated parm, because I like it :)

Bake in a 350 degree oven uncovered for about 30 to 45 minutes.

Here is a picture before it went in the oven - when you cut it, its supposed to look like a layered veggie lasagna of sorts but mine kind of fell apart. Whatever, it still tastes the same :)

I Don't Always Eat This Healthy Post-Run

That is a fact. It probably isn't the best way to improve my times, but I do enjoy a nice indulgence after a good hard run. Most Tuesday nights after a tough track workout I head home to cuddle up with my personal optimal post-run delight: a milkshake (or 2... depending on the workout :) ).

Last night I didn't have time to eat dinner beforehand, trying to get the kids fed and bathed before the babysitter came over. So I whipped this up as my post-run meal when I got home and got the kids in bed. So easy!!!

Zucchini and Basil Frittata

Preheat oven to 350
Sautee 1 medium, or 2 small chopped zucchini in 1 tbl butter and 1 tbl olive oil, in an oven safe skillet.
Add 1/2 medium chopped onion. (I also added scallion just because I have a lot in the garden to get rid of).
After about 7 minutes of sauteeing, add 2 chopped roma tomatoes. Sautee just a bit longer, remove from heat and sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste (or sautee fresh, I used powder in the interest of time).
Add grated parmesan cheese, and a generous amount of fresh torn basil to cover the top.
In a mixing bowl, whip 6-8 eggs (I did 6, since I was feeding both Kevin and I), and whisk in about 1/4 cup milk. Add the egg to the vegetable mixture and then stick the skillet in the oven.
Bake for about 13-15 minutes or until its set. Then broil on High about 5 inches from heat for 1-2 minutes, or until the top becomes golden.

Let it cool for a bit after taking it out, then slice like a pie and enjoy!!

*I will normally take pictures, but last night my battery was dead :(