A Vacation Meal to Tide You Over

Thought that I would tantalize you with an easy meal that has become my "Breakfast of Champions", which I have repeatedly enjoyed during my time in Australia. The best part? It's easy enough to make when half asleep and only takes one pan to allow for easy cleanup. High in protein and vitamines, this meal will leave you feeling satisfied until lunch without skimping on big taste.

Breakfast of Champions with bok choy

Also, who says that breakfast is the only time to eat breakfast? This meal works well for lunch or dinner because of the rich flavors and lack of fillers. I love cooking foods without added oils and if your bacon is too fatty, simply drain some of the fat before cooking the other ingredients. Mmmm, just thinking about this hearty, yet surprisingly healthy, meal makes me hungry. Bon Apetite, until next time.

Breakfast of Champions
Serves 1

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 pieces of thick cut bacon, cut in half to fit easily into the pan
1/4 cup chopped mushrooms (get the pre-chopped to save on time)
5 oz baby spinach (that's half a bag) or chopped kale or chopped bok choy
sea salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Heat a skillet over medium to low heat until warm. Add bacon.
2. When bacon has released some of the liquid fats and is sizzling, move bacon to the middle so that there is space to crack eggs into the pan on one side and cook the mushrooms on the other side.
3. When eggs start to solidify, add greens to mushroom side of pan and flip the bacon to prevent charring.
4. The meal is done when the whites of the eggs are completely solidified, the mushrooms are gray, the greens have turned a dark green and wilted without releasing too much water, and the bacon is cooked fully without being charred. Salt and pepper to taste.

*Note: the directions for these eggs and bacon are for runny eggs and floppy bacon; if you want over-easy eggs, flip the egg and keep cooking; for crispy bacon, keep flipping bacon to prevent burning while cooking bacon to a crisp consistency. Don't over cook the mushrooms ro spinach.

Jessie's Last Day Before Hiatus

Good morning gentle readers. Today is my last lunch before I leave you for about three months. While I'm gone, Patricia will be cooking fantastic meals for you; please give her the consideration you have given me while she adjusts to the position. As a special treat, I will be making mussels in a white wine broth. To accompany the mussels I made broccolini, a mixed greens salad featuring dried cranberries, and sautéed chicken for those that don't enjoy shellfish. A nice french bread is perfect for sopping up the sauce. Enjoy.

Mussels in a White Wine Sauce
Serves 12

Ingredients:
1 stick of butter
6 shallots, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups white wine (choose something you would drink)
1 bunch parsley, chopped
6 lbs mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1/2 tsp salt
3 loaves french bread, sliced

Preparation:
1. In a large pot, melt the butter.
2. Add shallots and garlic, saute until things start to smell good.
3. Add wine, parsley, and salt, bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to low and simmer until flavors have combined, about 5 minutes.
5. Add mussels, increase heat to high, and cover.
6. Cook until the mussels open, stirring a couple of times to get them even, about 5 minutes.
7. Serve mussels in a bowl with some of the broth and the bread. If you're gluten free, try sweet potato fries as a substitute.

Broccolini
Serves 12

Ingredients:
6 lbs broccolini
everyday seasoning, to taste

Preparation:
1. In a large pot heat a few inches of water and as much broccolini as will reasonably fit in the pot over high heat. Cover.
2. Steam the broccolini until it is a vibrant emerald green and they start to smell yummy.
3. Set aside broccolini and season with everyday seasoning.
4. If there is more broccolini, repeat steps 1-3 with the same water.

Sautéed Chicken
Serves 6

Ingredients:
4 lbs chicken breast tenders
2 Tbs olive oil
2-3 Tbs liquid aminos (I use Brags) or soy sauce.

Preparation:
1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over high heat until it starts to smell like olives but not smoking.
2. Carefully place the chicken into the pan so you don't splash yourself.
3. Cook chicken until it is turning white around the edges when looking down on it and the bottom has some browned bits.
4. Flip chicken and cover with aminos. Cook until no longer pink in middle of the thickest piece.

Mixed Greens Salad Featuring Dried Cranberries
Serves 12

Ingredients:
1 large box mixed herb salad
2 large handfuls dried cranberries
1 large handful roasted pumpkin seeds
1 large handful parmesan cheese
2-3 Tbs red wine rosemary dressing

Preparation:
1. Dress the greens so that the leaves are evenly covered but not drowning.
2. Layer toppings over the dressed greens.

Roasted Leg of Lamb, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, and Tomato Salad

Today I was feeling like something a little special to end the week on, so I decided to roast a leg of lamb. To accompany the main meat dish, I decided to do a slight twist on the traditional mashed potatoes by making them with sweet potatoes instead of the typical russet. To lighten the dish up and help everyone get over the holiday gluttony, I made a mock caprese salad (I just dropped the mozzarella) with cherry tomatoes. Bon apetite.

Roasted Leg of Lamb
Serves 12

Ingredients:
4 lbs boneless leg of lamb
8 cloves garlic
4 sprigs mint, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Cut slits in the meat and stick in the garlic.
3. Cover with salt, pepper, and mint.
4. Roast in a deep baking pan until this interior is 140 degrees F, about 20 minutes per pound.
5. Let rest 10 minutes before carving.


Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Serves 12

Ingredients:
6 large sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
2-3 cups lactose free milk
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, stem removed and minced
2 Tbs lactose free butter
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Place potatoes into a large pot and fill with water until potatoes are just covered.
2. Boil potatoes until easily pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes.
3. Drain and return potatoes to pot.
4. Use a potato masher and mash potatoes, add other ingredients and continue mashing until desired consistency and flavor is achieved. The milk makes the potatoes fluffy, but too much makes them soupy, so add milk incrementally.

Tomato Salad
Serves 12

Ingredients:
4 cartons cherry tomatoes in various colors to add interest
1 package basil, stemmed and chopped
2-3 Tbs olive oil
2-3 Tbs balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Combine tomatoes and basil.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Toss to combine.
Optional: Add mozzarella cubes for more flavor and fill to this dish.

Pasta Salad and Prosciutto Wrapped Cantaloupe

Yesterday while I was shopping I came across a fantastic product: veggie pasta. What the heck is that, you might ask? Veggie pasta is regular pasta with concentrated veggies added to the dough, like tomato, spinach, mushrooms, and more. the picture on the box inspired me to make pasta salad, which I think is a great way to get in all the veggies that make this comfort food into something healthy too. For the gluten free and lactose free constituency I made quinoa pasta and just cut out the feta. To accompany the pasta I made prosciutto wrapped cantaloupe, a delicious blend of salty and sweet.

Pasta Salad
Serves 12

Ingredients:
3 12oz boxes of rotini veggie pasta (or other shaped pasta you have lying around)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbs water
1/2 cup olive oil

2 cucumbers, seeded and chopped
2 orange bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 jar julienned roasted red peppers, drained
2 cans of green olives, drained
1 bag of super greens, chopped
1 package of crumbled feta

Preparation:
1. Cook the pasta and drain it according to the directions on the box.
2. In a container with a lid combine vinegar, water, and oil. Place lid on and shake until emulsified.
3. Mix together all ingredients so that everything is evenly coated with vinaigrette. Serve cool or warm.


Prosciutto Wrapped Cantaloupe
Serves 12

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cantaloupes, seeded rind removed and chopped
3 packaged of prosciutto
Toothpicks

Preparation:
1. Wrap mellon in a small amount of prosciutto and skewer with a toothpick to hold meat in place.
2. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Roasted Root Veggies, Dandelion Blueberry Salad, Scrambled Eggs with Sun-Dried Tomatoes Roasted Garlic and Sautéed Leeks

This morning I had a case of the Mondays; though I hate this phrase, it feels apt to describe how I felt this morning. Getting out of bed was such a chore that I didn't have time to go shopping and so this lunch is more eclectic than usual because I had to make do with what I had in my fridge. The result turned out pleasantly delicious, but it means that portion control is even more important so that everyone gets to taste everything. If I were to make the eggs again, I would double or triple what I made, but I stretched the meal with the leeks, sun-dried tomatoes, and roasted garlic. Enjoy.

Roasted Alternate Root Veggies
Serves 12

Ingredients:
3 fennel bulbs, chopped
2 celery roots, peeled and chopped
1 lbs golden beets, peeled and chopped
2 cans quartered artichoke hearts
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line three baking sheets with tinfoil and place one type of root veggie on each baking sheet so that they can be roasted separately.
3. Drizzle the root veggies with olive oil, about 2 Tbs per baking sheet, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Fresh ground tastes better.
4. Roast veggies, stirring about every 15 minutes, until they can be easily pierced with a fork, about 30 to 45 minutes depending on size of pieces.
5. Combine all of the roasted root veggies and the artichoke hearts, place back into oven for a few minutes so that the artichoke hearts heat up.


Dandelion Blueberry Salad
Serves 12

Ingredients:
3 bunches of dandelion greens, chopped
2 packages of blueberries
1 carton of heirloom cherry tomatoes, cut in half or quarters
1 handful sliced almonds
red wine vinaigrette

Preparation:
1. Dress the greens so that they have a light coating of vinaigrette.
2. Layer the topping over the greens so that they don't fall to the bottom.


Scrambled Eggs with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Roasted Garlic, and Sautéed Leeks
Serves 6 for just the eggs, with sides serves 12

Ingredients:
12 eggs
1/2 cup lactose free milk
2 leeks thinly sliced
4 heads roasted garlic
1 jar julienned sun-dried tomatoes
2 Tbs olive oil

Preparation:
1. In a large frying pan, heat 2 Tbs olive oil over high heat.
2. Saute leeks stirring constantly until they turn a more vibrant green and start to smell good. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and milk until a uniform yellow color with no variation.
4. Return empty pan to stove over medium heat, pour eggs into the pan.
5. Scrape the bottom of the pan to remove cooked eggs and allow still liquid eggs to get access to the bottom, continue doing this until eggs are no longer liquid, light and fluffy is the goal. Scrambled eggs are overcooked when they exude water, so cook eggs until just before they release water.
6. Serve eggs with leeks, sun-dried tomato, and a clove or two of roasted garlic.

Patricia's First Meal

Good morning gang. Today is a special treat: Patricia will be cooking her first meal for you guys and it smells fantastic. While I'm abroad there still needs to be someone to cook delicious and nutritious meals and Patricia is testing the waters to see if it will work out for you and for her. Today's meal is roasted chicken breasts with a wonderful spice rub, stir-fried veggies over jasmine rice, and a spinach salad. Let us know what you think.

Roasted chicken breasts
Serves 12

Ingredients:
5 lbs bone in skin on chicken breasts
1 Tbs ground black pepper
1 Tbs dried marjoram
1 Tbs lemon thyme
2 Tbs dried sage
1 poof garlic powder over each piece, top and bottom
1 poof sweet smoked paprika over each piece, top and bottom
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven 425 degrees F.
2. Cover a baking sheet in tinfoil and place the chicken breasts on it, trim any large globs of fat.
3. Combine black pepper, marjoram, lemon thyme, and sage to make a rub and apply liberally to chicken on top, bottom, and under the skin. Apply poofs of garlic and paprika. Squeeze the lime over the chicken to add just a little extra zing.
4. Bake for 15 minutes to seal in juices.
5. Lower temperature to 350 and bake until no longer pink in the middle and juices run clear, about 1 hour.
6. Let rest for 5 minutes before carving.

Stir-Fried Veggies
Serves 12

Ingredients:
1 baby bok choy, bulbs and leaves separated and chopped
3 fist sized broccoli florets, chopped to bite size
1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 bag baby carrots
2 bunches spring onion
1/2 inch finger of ginger, peeled and minced
1 bag spinach
1 bunch asparagus, wooden bits snapped off and chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 to 1/4 tsp ground pepper
3 Tbs Braggs Liquid Aminos (optionally replace with soy sauce)
4 cups jasmine rice, cooked according to package

Preparation:
1. In a large skillet heat 2 Tbs of olive oil over high heat.
2. Saute the chopped wooden bits of the asparagus to break them down.
3. Add the peppers, spring onions, and bok choy bulbs.
4. Grind pepper over cooking veggies to taste.
5. In a separate pot steam the broccoli and the main part of the asparagus by adding an inches of water to the bottom of the pot and heating over medium heat until the veggies have turned a richer green and become fragrant.
6. Wooden asparagus ends are done when able to be pierced by a fork.
7. Set aside cooked veggies and in the large skillet heat 2 Tbs of olive oil over high heat.
8. Saute the snow peas until they are slightly floppy yet still a little crunchy.
9. Combine rice, raw bok choy leaves, snow peas, and 2/3rds of the liquid aminos.

Spinach Salad
Served 12

Ingredients:
1 bag of spinach
1 head butter lettuce, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, stems removed and chopped
1 pear, cored and chopped
juice from 1.5 lemons
4 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs eucalyptus honey
1 Tbs Braggs Liquid Aminos
1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. In a jar with a lid, combine lemon juice, oil, honey, liquid aminos, and pepper.
2. Close jar and shake dressing to emulsify, adjust to taste.
3. Combine spinach, lettuce, and pear and serve with dressing on the side so that people can dress their own salads as they like.

Mushroom Kale Chicken, Squash, and Quinoa

Happy New Year! Hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday break, I know I did. But it is back to work and back to cooking. Today I wanted to welcome people back from the holiday glut with something healthy. Everything is made with simple and healthy ingredients. The two dishes bellow are served with quinoa to round out the meal, but feel free to pair with brown rice, bulgar, orzo pasta, fresh baked bread, or any other grain.

Mushroom Kale Chicken
Serves 12

3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed
3 bags of sliced cremini mushrooms
1 bag kale (this avoids having to wash and chop it)
2 Tbs olive oil

Preparation:
1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over high heat until it becomes fragrant.
2. Add chicken and saute until no pink is visible.
3. Add mushrooms and continue sautéing until the mushrooms start to change color.
4. Add kale and carefully stir contents of pot so that the kale is under the mushrooms and chicken.
5. When the kale has wilted and turned a brighter green, remove pot from heat and drain off liquid. (I'm reserving this for a mushroom gravy for another meal.)

Squash
Serves 12

2 acorn squash
1 butternut squash
Pinch everyday seasoning (from Trader Joe's) to taste.

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 370 degrees F.
2. Cut the squashes lengthwise.
3. Scoop out seeds and anything stringy. (I'm reserving the seeds for another meal.)
4. Cut squashes in half widthwise.
5. Place on a tray with 1/2 cup of water.
6. Bake until able to be easily pierced with a fork, 30-35 minutes.
7. Remove rind with a spoon after the squash has cooled enough to touch.
8. Chop squash and season with everyday seasoning to taste. Alternatively, use salt and pepper to taste.

Asparagus Chicken and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

This morning I was feeling like something warming and a bit on the healthy side. I was also really tired of rice. This lead me to make a sauteed chicken and asparagus dish with mashed potatoes. Feel free to substitute fresh peas or broccoli florets for the asparagus to change up the chicken dish. To do a twist on the expected, try a different kind of potato, like purple potatoes or sweet potatoes, and add fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme.

Asparagus Chicken
Serves 12

Ingredients:
6 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs, cubed into bite sized pieces with fat removed
3 bunches asparagus, roughly chopped with wooden bits removed
1/2 cup white cooking wine
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs cornstarch dissolved in water
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation
1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium to high heat, whatever you're comfortable working with.
2. Add chicken and saute until the outside of all of the cubes are no longer pink.
3. Add asparagus and stir frequently.
4. When the asparagus has darkened in color and the scent of cooked asparagus is in the air, transfer solids to serving dish leaving liquids behind.
5. Add wine and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, making sure to scrape any good stuff off of the bottom of the pot. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. When all of the alcohol has evaporated (that means no head rush when you smell the steam) add the cornstarch and stir constantly.
7. Remove sauce from heat once it has thickened and toss the chicken and asparagus in the pot, return everything to serving dish for a delicious and healthy meal.


Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Serves 12

Ingredients:
1 head of garlic (I recommend making a few heads of roasted garlic at a time, I made 6 heads of roasted garlic, just store extra peeled and in an airtight container in the fridge)
olive oil
6 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/4 cup butter (I used a Earth Balance Butter Substitute to make these lactose free)
2-3 cups of milk (I used lactose free milk)
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut of the pointy bits of the head of garlic and brush with olive oil.
3. Bake garlic for 40-60 mins, until the garlic is soft.
4. While garlic is roasting, put potatoes into a pot and add water until just covered.
5. Bring potatoes to a boil and boil the potatoes until they break apart easily with a fork, about 15 minutes.
6. Drain potatoes and return to pot to keep them warm while you mash.
7. Mash potatoes with a potato masher or fork.
8. While mashing, add butter and mash until combined.
9. While mashing, add milk a bit at a time until desired consistency is achieved. Adding the milk while mashing makes potatoes fluffier.
10. Mash in roasted garlic, salt, and pepper to taste, this means that you should taste after you add a little of each item to see if you need to add more. Always remember that you can salt something more, but you can't un-salt something.

Ratatouille over Brown Rice with Heart Salad

Last night I had a dream that had a rat running around the kitchen in it and when I woke up I was inspired by the Disney movie involving an adorable rat who loves to cook. I went for one that has a bit more cohesion than some of the super stewed versions because that was what I was in the mood for. The thing I really like about ratatouille is that it is a one pot meal, plus a large bowl, and you just keep reusing the pot over and over. Be prepared to do quite a bit of chopping to prepare this dish on your own. At the store I decided that there needed to be some sort of side salad in case someone didn't like ratatouille, so I made a heart salad.

Ratatouille over Brown Rice
Serves 12

Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced into half rings
1 clove garlic, minced
4 large chinese eggplants (or japanese eggplants), sliced
5 zucchinis, sliced
6 yellow squashes, sliced
6 grey squash, sliced
1 cup white wine
2 large cans chopped tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. In a large pot, heat 2 Tbs of olive oil over high heat. Saute onions and garlic until they smell really good and the onions have changed from opaque to semi-transparent, stir constantly with a wooden spoon to avoid burning and things sticking to the bottom.
2. Set aside onions.
3. Return pot to heat, if there is anything a medium brown color stuck to the bottom, deglaze with 1/4 cup of wine (that's just a fancy word for scraping off the good stuff on the bottom of a pan using a liquid, like wine, over heat; you'll know you're done deglazing when all of the stuff has come up and the alcohol has evaporated, which means you no longer get a buzz when you slick your head over the pot) and pour deglaze over cooked veggies. If anything has burned, turn down the heat on the next batch and wash out the pot before cooking in it again.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for each of the fresh veggie individually, setting them all aside together.
5. Return everything to pot and add tomatoes, reduce heat and let simmer until things start to smell and taste fantastic, about 30 minutes; salt and pepper to taste. Optionally, add herbs like rosemary, sage, or thyme to give it a more rounded taste.

Heart Salad
Serves 12

Ingredients:
3 cartons of grape tomatoes (I had one carton yellow cherry tomatoes and 2 grape tomatoes, mix it up with pretty colored tomatoes of you can), cut in half
2 cans of heart of palm, drained and sliced
2 cans of quartered artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
4 Tbs pear vinaigrette

Preparation:
1. Combine all ingredients and toss to combine thoroughly.

Granola with Yogurt and Fruit, Baby Kale Salad, Egg Cocottes

Breakfast is the name of the game this chilly Friday morning. This is something that was actually quite easy to make, the most difficult part was cracking eggs into the makeshift ramekins (tinfoil making cups). Healthy and delicious, what more you want in meal?

Granola with Yogurt and Fruit
Serves 12

Ingredients:
8 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup whole almonds
2/3 cup raisins
12 dried apricots, chopped
2/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sugar (I like evaporated cane juice)
8 Tbs maple syrup

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl until completely combined.
3. Transfer to two tinfoil lined baking sheets.
4. Bake 25 minutes until lightly toasted, stir, bake another 10-15 minutes until crisp and golden.
5. Serve with yogurt and fruit (I used mangoes, blackberries, and strawberries) or in milk. After cooled, store in an airtight container for up to a month, a ziplock bag works well.

Egg Cocottes
Makes 12 individual servings

Ingredients:
6 oz chopped spinach (I used half a bag of Power Greens)
12 eggs
12 Tbs milk (lactose free milk to make the dish lactose free)
12 Tbs shredded parmesan cheese
salt and pepper (use freshly ground if you can, it makes a difference here)

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In buttered ramekins set on a baking sheet or buttered tinfoil baking cups placed into a muffin tin, place enough greens to cover the bottom of the cups (about 1/2 oz or about 1 Tbs, enough so that there's still room for the egg).
3. Crack an egg on top of spinach, add a spoonful of milk (lactose free milk for those who are lactose intolerant), sprinkle with parmesan and season with salt & pepper.
4. Bake for 6 minutes or until the egg no longer jiggles when you nudge, the top should puff up a little.

Baby Kale Salad
Makes 12

Ingredients:
10 oz box of baby kale
10 oz box of baby arugula
3 cups of 1 bag of shredded carrots
1 carton of yellow cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Ginger sesame seed dressing

Preparation:
1. Dress greens so that the leaves are lightly coated.
2. Layer carrots and tomatoes on top of salad to ensure that they don't sink to the bottom.

Watermelon Salad, Ceviche Verde with Corn Chips, and Herb Salad with Pistachios

With the sun shining today I wanted something with a really fresh taste. My original intent was to have everything raw, but the ceviche was taking too long to acid cook (that's where you cook meat through the use of an acid rather than heat) so I just popped the cubed fish into a pot with all of its liquid and simmered for a couple minutes until cooked on the outside.

Watermelon Salad

Serves 12

Ingredients:
1 seedless watermelon, rind removed and cubed
1 cantaloupe, seeded with rind removed and cubed
1 bunch fresh mint, chopped
3 Tbs lemon juice

Preparation:
1. Combined all ingredients and drain off liquid.
Optional: Liquid can be used to make a fantastic melon margarita (2 parts vodka, 2 parts melon juice, 1/2 part simple syrup, 1 part lemon juice; shake with ice, strain into martini glass and serve with a bit on melon in the glass.)

Ceviche Verde with Corn Chips
Serves 12

Ingredients:
3 lbs fresh snapper (or other firm fleshed white fish), cubed
3 tsp salt
9 Tbs lime juice
6 ripe avocados, cubed
2 large cans green olives, sliced
6 kiwis, peeled and chopped
2 lbs tomatillos, leafy bit removed and chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced (remember to wear gloves when handling hot peppers)

Preparation:
1. Sprinkle fish with salt and lime juice, let sit until the fish turns color (if it doesn't change color, dump into a pot over medium heat and gently stir until fish is mostly cooked).
2. Combine fish with other ingredients and gently mix.

Herb Salad with Pistachios
Serves 12

Ingredients:
1 large box herb salad mix
Vinaigrette
1 carton golden cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 package shelled pistachios

Preparation:
1. Dress greens with vinaigrette to lightly coat leaves.
2. Layer tomatoes and pistachios so heavy items don't fall to the bottom.

Tented Salmon, Parboiled Asparagus, Mini Sausages, and Rice

Healthy is the name of the game today. Salmon is a flavorful fish that I absolutely love. The steam baking by foil tenting leaves the fish moist by locking in the juices. Parboiled asparagus compliments the salmon quite well and the jasmine rice provides a nice base. For those that don't like fish, I provided mini apple chicken sausages, just fried them up in a pan. Here's how I did it.

Salmon
Serves 12

Ingredients:
6 lbs salmon (1/2 lbs per person)
3 lemons sliced into disks
olive oil
apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper
tinfoil

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Tear a large sheet of tinfoil and place the salmon in the center.
3. Cover the salmon in olive oil, then salt and pepper, then a splash of apple cider vinegar, then cover the salmon in lemon slices.
4. Seal the tinfoil to form a pouch, place the pouch on a baking tin to catch any leaks.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the salmon has turned a lighter pink all the way through.


Parboiled Asparagus
Serves 12

Ingredients:
3 bunches of asparagus, cut into bite size chunks on a diagonal
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preparation:
1. Bring water to a rolling boil in a large pot.
2. Boil the asparagus for 2 minutes, then drain all the water.
3. Toss the asparagus with olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste.

3 quiche with a handmade crust and mixed greens salad

Baking is one of my favorite ways to cook. Don't get me wrong, I still love my skillet, but there is just something about mixing everything together at leisure and then sitting back while it undergoes a magical process in the oven to become something amazing. For this meal I made three quiches with different special ingredients as well as a very well received salad. Start with the pie crusts, then the special fillings, then make the quiche. While the quiches are baking there is plenty of time to make the salad and clean up the kitchen.

To make the quiche gluten free I tossed with Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour and poured the quiche mixture into metal baking cups to create individual quiches without crusts (make sure to remove the paper). For a low lactose version of the quiche, I used lactose free milk and an aged cheddar (aged cheeses have minuscule amounts of lactose because lactose breaks down over time; so if you're lactose intolerant, stick to the hard and aged cheeses).


Pie Crust
(makes 3 crusts)

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter
7-10 Tbs cold water

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Sift flour if you live in a humid area and have clumps.
3. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour (I just use my hands to combine the butter and the flour, making sure that the flour covers the butter as I squeeze it until there are no lumps of butter).
4. Add water until the dough is able to form a ball that doesn't fall apart.
5. Divide into three parts and roll out each part on a flat surface until the dough is able to cover a pie tin.
6. Carefully lay dough into a pie tin and remove excess. Use a fork to poke holes in the bottom and sides.
7. Bake pie crust until it begins to brown, about 10-15 minutes.


Quiche Filling #1

Ingredients:
1 orange bell pepper seeded and diced
4 pieces of prosciutto broken into small pieces
1 Tbs olive oil

Preparation:
1. Heat oil in skillet over high heat until it smells like olives, but isn't smoking.
2. Add bell pepper and jostle the pieces so they don't burn until they smell cooked (2-5 minutes)
3. Remove from heat and place into a pie shell along with prosciutto pieces.


Quiche Filling #2

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
3 Tbs chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 Tbs olive oil

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in skillet over high heat until it smells like olives, but isn't smoking.
2. Add spinach and jostle the pieces so they don't burn until they release water smell cooked (2-3 minutes)
3. Remove from heat, drain liquid and place into a pie shell along with sun-dried tomato pieces.


Quiche Filling #3

Ingredients:
2 precooked sausages cut lengthwise then sliced along the length to create small pieces (I used Aidells Mango Sausages)
1 package of sliced cremini mushrooms
1 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs cooking sherry

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in skillet over high heat until it smells like olives, but isn't smoking.
2. Add mushrooms and sausages and jostle the pieces so they don't burn, until they start to smell cooked (2-5 minutes)
3. Add cooking sherry and continue to jostle until all of the liquid has evaporated
4. Remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes.
5. Drain excess liquid and place into a pie shell.


Quiche Recipe
makes 1 quiche, so do it three times unless you have a really huge bowl

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbs flour
1 cup milk
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup parmesan cheese


dash of salt and pepper
pie crust
filling (go wild with this, above are just a few examples, just make sure the items are cooked first and that you don't use too much or the quiche will overflow)

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl toss cheddar and flour
3. Add milk, eggs, parmesan, salt and pepper.
4. Place filling into pie crust and pour cheese mixture over filling. If your quiche is filled really high, place a baking tray under to catch any spills.
5. Bake until set (that means it doesn't giggle when gently jostled) about 50-60 minutes.


Mixed Greens Salad
serves 12

Ingredients:
1 large box of mixed herbs and greens pre-washed salad salad
2 cartons of blackberries (or raspberries or sliced strawberries, whatever looks the best)
1 carton of heirloom cherry tomatoes cut into halves (quarters for the bigger ones)
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup pine nuts
2-4 Tbs vinaigrette dressing to lightly cover greens

Preparation:
1. Toss greens with salad dressing in small batches so that the greens are evenly covered but not swimming in dressing.
2. Cover greens with other ingredients making sure not to toss the salad because all of the heavy items will fall to the bottom.
3. Serve as soon as possible because dressed salads don't last more than a day even in the fridge.

Baked tilapia, kale, brown rice, mango cucumber salsa

Today I made baked tilapia on a bed of kale with a mango cucumber salsa and a side of brown rice cooked in homemade chicken broth with shredded carrots & zucchini and almonds and sunflower seeds. The whole meal was gluten free and dairy free, which takes a bit of innovation if I do say so myself. The tilapia is buttery and light, which goes great with the cucumber mango salsa (one comment on the salsa was that it was like a burst of sunshine and lightness), grounded by the rich kale and veggie packed brown rice. Overall, this is a delicious and healthy meal which is light on the love handles and the wallet. 


As far as timing is concerned, start the brown rice first, since it takes the longest. 


Brown Rice with Veggies and Nuts

Ingredients:
1 cup long grain brown rice
2 cups chicken broth (I like to make my own when possible, but whatever you have works, use veggie broth for a vegetarian version of this dish)
1 or 2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup shredded zucchini
3 Tbs slivered almonds
3 Tbs sunflower seeds
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro (1 bunch with stems removed)

Preparation:
1. Bring brown rice and broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover and reduce heat to low, simmer for 50 minutes or until all of the liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender. 
2. In a skillet heat olive oil and cook carrot and zucchini (just a couple of minutes). 
3. Add almonds, sunflower seeds, and red chili flakes. Cook over medium heat until aromatic.
4. Add brown rice and cilantro to skillet and combine. 


Baked Tilapia Over a Bed of Kale
makes 9 filets (I doubled this for 12 people, figuring about 1.5 filets per person)

Ingredients:
9 tilapia filets (fresh or thawed from frozen)
chopped kale (about 1/2 a bag)
olive oil
salt
pepper

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Coat baking dish in a thin layer of olive oil, then put down your kale so that it fills the baking dish.
3. Lay the tilapia on the bed of kale then season the filets with a light coating of olive oil, salt, and pepper.
4. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the flesh flakes easily with a fork. 


Mango Cucumber Salsa
makes 4 cups

Ingredients:

3 mangos diced (see video at side)
1 cucumber peeled, seeded, and diced
2 jalapeno peppers minced
1 large sweet onion finely diced
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbs lime juice
dash of salt and pepper to taste

1. Combined mangos, cucumber, jalapeno, onion, garlic, and cilantro. 
2. Season with lime juice, salt, and pepper
3. Refrigerate 1 hour to let flavors mature.