Sweet Potato-Apple Hash

On a recent visit to the farmer's market, I was inspired by a whole foods seasonal recipe which was a sweet potato and cranberry hash with honey for the sweetener. It tasted delicious (yes, there are plenty of samples at the North Hills Farmer's Market). With many apples at hand, I decided to do a take on this recipe and use the apples for the majority of the sweet flavor.




Sweet Potato-Apple Hash:

Ingredients:

1 apple, diced
1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes, diced
1/2 medium onion, diced
2-3 tbsp dried cranberries
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp water
2 packets of Truvia/sweetener
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Recipe:

(1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Dice the apples, sweet potatoes, and onion. Toss in a large bowl.
(2) Add the dried cranberries, vanilla extract, lemon juice, water, sweetener, and cinnamon. Mix and spread onto baking sheet.
(3) Bake in the oven at 400 degrees F for 30-40 minutes. Check after 20 minutes to toss the hash and allow to evenly brown.

Enjoy the tasty fall goodness!

Barbeque chicken and veggie frittata

On an amazing trip to Grand Cayman, I finally had time to relax, enjoy, and spend a morning having delicious breakfasts. We stayed in a condo through a timeshare ownership. I had never done that before but 7 days of relaxation was great. The opportunity to either cook or enjoy the local cuisine was fantastic. One morning, while everyone slept, I got up and made a frittata for the first time. It was super easy, especially using some quick ingredients that I had on hand, including leftover barbeque chicken from the previous evening.

Barbeque chicken and veggie frittata 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup barbeque chicken (diced)

1/2 cup frozen mixed bell peppers (thawed)

5 egg whites

1/4 cup nonfat milk

1/4 tsp ground black pepper 

garlic powder + onion powder or everyday seasoning (Trader Joe's)

1/4 cup yellow onion (diced)
1/3 cup shredded cheese (three cheese blend)
1/4 cup shredded turkey meat (deli meat)

Recipe:

(1) Start by carefully oiling a pan (spray canola oil or olive oil will work great). The pan should be heat tolerant at least > 425 degrees (F). Preheat pan on medium heat on stove top. Preheat oven to 420 degrees (F).

(2) Add diced onions and bell peppers to pan to get to medium brown.

(3) Prepare egg whites by whisking with nonfat milk. Add to slightly browned onions. Swirl pan as needed to completely coat with egg mixture.

(3) Add diced barbeque chicken and shredded turkey meat uniformly amongst the pan before the eggs have fully set.

(4) Be careful not to disturb pan. Allow to cook on low-to-medium heat until there is only a slight jiggle at the top.

(5) Put the frittata in the oven to complete cooking (approximately 8-10min).

(6) Remove frittata from oven and sprinkle cheese and replace into oven for an additional 5-8 minutes until cheese has both melted and browned.

(7) At this point, the frittata is complete and should look like picture to the right. Allow to cool for 5-10min before serving. Enjoy while hot!

Believe me, this frittata is so delicious. It is a great cure for the morning following a long night out on the town. Trust me :)

Moroccan Pickles: Using surplus home-grown goodness

I planted my first garden this year, or should I say my mom planted my first garden. I called will a "help me" plea. I didn't know how to use the hard-clay soil in North Carolina. I was use to the soft soil of Massachusetts. She was excited to visit and to help. I was thrilled and I have been reaping the benefits since. We decided to plant several herbs, including scallions, green onions, basil, thyme, and more. For the vegetables, I insisted on lettuce, so, of course my mom planted three different types, 4 heads of each. So you get the idea, when I would be satisfied with one or two plants of each vegetable or fruit, she went all out and doubled, sometimes tripled, the number. It has been terrific and so far controllable (however, this is only the beginning of the harvest season).

With extra herbs on hand, extra vegetables, I decided my first try at quick pickles using the recipe from Joy of Cooking plus several additional seasoning. Think Moroccan Sweet Pickles:

Moroccan Sweet and Spicy Pickles:

Ingredients:
1 tbsp whole mustard seeds
1 tsp Harissa
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
3 cloves garlic
black pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 cup sugar or sugar substitute (I prefer Stevia + Splenda)
2 dashes of garlic powder
Surplus veggies (I used cucumbers, green onions, scallions, zucchini)

Recipe: see the Joy of Cooking

Importantly, make sure to pre-clean and sterilize your mason jars before pickling. I usually do it the day before to have it ready for the process.

Seasonal Summer Fruit Salad

In North Carolina, the sun is shining and flowers are abloom. It is beautiful. We recently started service with Lee's Produce to get fresh local fruits and vegetables delivered from farm to door. It is wonderful when the produce is delivered.

This week, the bounty included a juicy cantaloupe. I am not a huge cantaloupe fan but my husband is. Using some frozen blueberries from a delivery a few weeks ago, I decided to make something that I always love....Fruit Salad.


Ingredients:

1/2 large cantaloupe
2 medium Red Delicious apples
juice of 1 lemon or 2-3 tbsp
2 tbsp rum
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup apricots (canned but no added sugar) or fresh

Recipe:

(1) Run water over frozen blueberries to thaw.
(2) Wash and dice all fruits.
(3) Toss remaining ingrediants together in a large bowl.
(4) Allow fruit salad to marinate for 2hrs to overnight.

Enjoy the summer harvest with friends, perhaps a glass of wine, and of course, a smile.

A wine complement: Bacon-wrapped Shrimp

For a recent wine tasting event, featuring red wines from Pinots to Sparkling ones, I prepared a quick and easy pairing. I was excited that it was a hit. Did I mention how easy it was. Check out this recipe and try it for your next gathering.

Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp

Ingredients

Turkey Bacon (Jennie-O or Butterball)
Medium-sized Shrimp (frozen)
Red Pepper Flakes
No-salt added Season Blend (Trader Joe's)

Recipe:
(1) Spray a baking sheet with canola oil. Preheat oven to 350F.
(2) Cut turkey bacon into halves or thirds.
(3) Wrap shrimp with the turkey bacon, with the ends tucked underneath.
(4) Assemble wrapped shrimp on a tray.
(5) Dash red pepper flakes and seasoning blend to your liking.
(6) Bake for 20-30 min until you have reached your desired level of crispiness.

I loved this dish paired with a Pinot Noir. I also work with Chatham Hill winery and I know their Riesling would be awesome with this. Give it a try and let me know what you think ;)

Yummy Tex-Mex Slaw

For our monthly potluck, I recently put together a southwestern slaw that I adapted from allrecipes.com. I didn't realize it would be such a hit so even though I don't have a picture, I will post the recipe. If I were you, scale up how much you make because this one is hard to stop eating, the cabbage does shrink in size after the incubation, and you might want to leave some aside for yourself after serving it.

Spicy Tex-Mex Slaw
adapted from Allrecipes.com

• Ingredients:
• 
  
• 3 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 can corn, drained and rinsed
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 jalapeno pepper, diced (seed only if you don't want it spicy)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup canola oil (optional: I left it out)
• 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon white sugar or 2 stevia (sugar alternatives)
• 1 tablespoon pimento sauce (can be found in the caribbean food section)
• 2 tablespoons dried garlic 
• 1 tablespoon barbeque sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• pepper to taste

Recipe:

1. In a large bowl, toss together the cabbage, corn, onion, red pepper, jalapenos, and cilantro. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, bbq sauce, sugar, garlic salt, and pepper. Pour over vegetable mixture and toss to combine. 
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. I refrigerated overnight.

Turkey two-bean chili and gluten-free biscuits

One of my good friends, who has a gluten allergy, recently sent me a wonderful recipe for turkey chili with gluten-free cheesy biscuits. I don't have pictures to show but just imagine the delicious flavorful combination from these details. Try it and let us know what you think.

Guest post from B. Riley

Turkey two-bean chili

I created this recipe when HBH came to visit and announced that he doesn't eat beef. Here we go:

Recipe:

(1) Brown the following: 1lb ground turkey, 1lb hot italian poultry sausage, 1lb sweet italian poultry sausage, 2 c mushrooms.

(2) Once browned, add 2 tbsp tomato paste and stir for 2 minutes.
(3) Add herbs: 3 tbsp minced garlic, one large sweet onion, 2 tsp thyme, 2 tbsp chipotle powder, 2 tbsp chili powder.
Cook until onions are translucent. 

(4) Add cumin, 2 more tsp thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, and stir.
(5) Add 3 cans stewed tomatoes, 1 can black beans (drained) 1 can white beans (drained), 1 can sweet corn (drained), 2 tsp thyme, 2 tbsp chili powder, 2 tbsp chipotle powder. 

(6) Stir, cover, simmer for 30 minutes.

Makes at least 10 cups of chili or 40 servings. Freezes well, too.


I served that with 

Cheesy garlic biscuits

Ingredients:

2 c gluten-free bisquick
1 c low fat sour cream
2 c low fat mild cheddar cheese
2 tsp (heaping) garlic powder

Recipe:

(1) Mix all ingredients until crumbly. Form into little balls and stuff down into a silicone mini-muffin pan. 

(2) Bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Makes 24 biscuits.

Split, pour on the chili, top, and serve in cute little dishes. - or split and serve on little spoons for "bites". :-D

Note: As always, gluten free can be replaced with regular (especially with bisquick).

Toasted Crab-stuffed Mushrooms

The crab cake is a well celebrated appetizer (or entreé) in the southeast. I have made crab cakes with a recipe that was very easy and healthful. Having guests over recently, I came up with the idea of using a crab cake-like filling to stuff delicious white button mushrooms. It turned out to be a delicious and quick appetizer, especially since the filling can be made when you have time, then stuffed and baked shortly before guests arrive. Let me know what you think.

Toasted Crab-stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:


- Large white button mushrooms
- Lump crabmeat, 1 small can
- Lite mayo, 1-2 tbsps
- Onions, finely chopped (best in food processor)
- Celery, finely chopped (best in food processor)
- Canola oil spray
- cayenne pepper, 1 tsp
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Parmesan cheese (optional)


Recipe:


(1) Preheat a medium sauté pan and spay with canola oil.
(2) Mix the lumpcrab meat with mayo, onions, celery, cayenne, salt and pepper, according to your taste.
(3) Form the crab mixture into small patties.
(4) When the pan is very hot, place patties in pan, flipping over after browning.
(5) Allow crab patties to cool completely on a saucer after cooking.
(6) Meanwhile, clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth.
(7) Using a spoon, scoop out the center of the button mushrooms, chopping these pieces for later. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
(8) Mix the chopped mushroom stems and centers with cooled crab patties, browned on both sides.
(9) Stuff the mushrooms with a tbsp (a spoonful) of the mixture. If desire, dust parmesan cheese over the tops of the mushrooms.
(10) Place the mushrooms in the oven to bake for 8-10 minutes before guests arrive.


Enjoy the savory bites and enjoy the omega-3s....

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Chickpeas

A quick, easy, and delicious preparation for lunch is a roasted vegetable salad tossed with chickpeas. I made this for lunch for the week and it was the perfect thing to look forward to on the rainy, wet days. I used green beans, tomatoes, and yellow squash. Incorporate whichever veggies are convenient, your favorite, and even better, in season.

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Chickpeas


Ingredients:


2 tomatoes, sliced
2 yellow squash, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, finely diced or minced in can
canola oil spray
1/2 tsp seasoning salt, such as Adobo
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp Za'taar spice blend
1 tbsp red pepper flakes


Recipe:


(1) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.


(2) In a bowl, toss the chopped vegetables with the garlic, seasonings, and spray with a few sprays of canola oil. This is definitely a way to reduce the fat and calories from a dish incorporating roasted vegetables. Tossing before laying on a tray, will reduce the amount of oil needed to coat.


(3) If you are patient, separate and spread the vegetables on a baking trays lined with aluminum foil. If you are not patient, simply pour the vegetables out onto the lined trays without sorting. The sorting will help as some vegetables will cook faster than others (e.g. tomatoes will finish before the squash). Bake for 15-25 minutes. If you do sort, pull out the baking trays when the vegetable looks slightly brown at the edges and look and feel tender to the touch.


(4) Toss the roasted vegetables with the drained and rinsed chickpeas. Finish with the red pepper flakes, Za'taar, and salt/pepper to taste.






Enjoy this salad alone or with your favorite sandwich...a fall/winter treat.

Apple Cider Swiss Chard

It was middle of the week, after a long day and running behind schedule, I needed a recipe that would be quick and under 10 minutes to prepare for guests that arriving any moment. I decided to finesse Swiss Chard that was sitting in the refrigerator, waiting for some attention.

Apple Cider Swiss Chard


Ingredients:


1 bunch Swiss Chard, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Canola oil cooking spray
salt and pepper, to taste


Recipe:


(1) Thoroughly wash and pat dry the swiss chard before use.


(2) Spray a medium saucepan with canola oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic to brown. 


(3) Add Swiss chard to the saucepan, with any residual liquid serving to aide the cooking process. Add the apple cider vinegar. Sauté the chard until wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste.


This side pairs well with seafood, poultry, and red meat. The acidity of the vinegar will also pair well with many wines, such as a dry pinot grigio or very dry riesling. Feel free to add some spice like Cayenne if you want some heat and most importantly, enjoy!

Chicken with Roasted Summer Squash

After flipping through my 2007 Food and Wine cookbook, I was inspired by a quick Chicken with Zucchini salad recipe. I was cooking for some girlfriends and wanted to present something light and prepare something easy. Thankfully, I had all of the ingredients on hand and it was absolutely delicious. I love the tanginess of the lemon juice. I used red onions in place of Vidalias and topped with fresh basil (from my herb garden, which is finally doing well).

Chicken with Roasted Summer Squash
adapted from Food & Wine cookbook 2007

Ingredients:


1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 medium red onion or 1 shallot, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp fresh spanish thyme, chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional, since used less oil)
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
3 boneless chicken breast halves, with or without skin
3 medium yellow squash (1 lb.), sliced crosswise on a diagonal 1/3 inch thick
1/4 pound feta cheese
1-2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped (optional)
salt and ground pepper (best if fresh)


Recipe:

1. In a blender, combine the lemon juice with 1-2 tbsp garlic, red onion, and spanish thyme and puree until smooth. With the machine on, slowly pour in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Stir in the mint and season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
2. Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. In a shallow bowl, coat the chicken with 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette. Let stand for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, spray the yellow squash with olive oil and season with garlic salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp minced garlic. Grill the squash, turning once, until tender and slightly charred, about 3 minutes total. Transfer the vegetables to a platter and keep warm.
4. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and grill over moderately high heat, turning once, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to the platter and sprinkle with the feta cheese. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette, top with chopped basil, and serve.

This is so yummy. I hope you and your guests enjoy as much as I did.

Lemon bars with Almond-Cardamom crusts (Gluten-free delights)

In preparation for a monthly dinner with some girlfriends, one of whom doesn't do well with gluten, I investigated options for dessert. This course of the meal I have read, many gluten-free folks unfortunately have to pass up. 


With many lemons on hand, I decided to do a lemon bar using a version of an almond meal crust that I have done before. This time, however, I felt that something was needed to carefully pull together the flavor of the almonds with lemons. I added some cardamom and it did the trick. Hopefully, you enjoy it as much as I did. I almost couldn't stop licking the mixing spoon....I know, TMI.

Almond-Cardamom crust

Ingredients:

1 cup ground almond meal (processed almonds)

14 packets of Splenda + 1 packet of PureVia (or 3/4 cup cane sugar)

1/4 cup egg white

1/4 tsp cardamom, ground

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

1/8 tsp nutmeg

Spray oil (Vegetable or Canola...avoid Olive oil due to the flavor)

Recipe:

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8x8-inch square Pyrex dish with Pam or canola oil.

(2) In a mixing bowl, mix together the ground almonds, sugar, salt, cardamom & nutmeg. After thoroughly mixing, add the egg white. Mix to combine and spread the mixture into the baking dish and press lightly (with moist spatula) to form a crust.

(3) Bake the crust for 20 minutes. Cool completely before filling, allowing the crust to crisp more.

Lemon filling

Ingredients:


2 large eggs + 1/2 cup egg whites
14 packets of Splenda with 3 packets of PureVia or 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp greek yogurt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup tapioca flour (best if freshly ground) or another gluten-free flour
zest of two small lemons (about 2 tbsp)
1-2 tsp powdered sugar (optional, for garnish)


Recipe:


(1) In a spice grinder, grind dry tapioca pearls, enough for 1/4 cup.


(2) Grate lemon zest and juice 2 lemons (1/4 cup lemon juice). 


(3) In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, egg whites, sweeteners, vanilla extract, lemon juice, lemon zest, greek yogurt, and tapioca flour.


(4) Pour filling on top of pre-baked almond-cardamom crust.


(5) Bake for 20 minutes. Cool completely and serve. 


This is a very fast recipe and great if you have other things going on in the background (during those cooling times)... I find it is best to stay out of the kitchen during these times so there is actually dessert left for guests. Hope you enjoy it. Next time, I will totally add finely chopped basil to the filling mix for an surprising and delicious twist.

Sweet treats from Guest Bloggers

I am so excited. This week, two best friends of mine, one being my fiancé, sent me yummy recipes for sweet treats. The first is a gluten-free recipe and the second is for some chewy oatmeal cookies. I am hoping that a cookie remains in the next day or so when I visit my fiancé in North Carolina. Try out the recipes for yourself and let us know what you think!

Banana Irish Cream (gluten-free)

Ingredients:

• 1 small-medium banana, cut into chunks, at least 4 hours 
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 4 tbsp sugar  
• 2 tbsp Bailey's Irish cream 
• Handful toasted chopped pecans (optional) 
• 1/2 banana in slim slices for garnish (optional)

Recipe:

1. Place metal bowl and whip into the freezer.  Meanwhile, place frozen bananas in food processor.  Blend on med-high until creamy.  Scoop out and place into a bowl.  Place in the freezer.

2. Remove the metal from the freezer and pour in the whipping cream.  Whip on low for one minute, then increase the speed.  This might take 5 minutes.  When the cream forms, add the Bailey's and sugar and whip just to combine.  Top bananas with cream.  Save some of the bananas for a garnish.

3. Slice the remaining unfrozen banana thinly.  Chop the toasted pecans.  Garnish with both.

Eat and revel in the fact that you're not eating more than 230 calories.  :-)

Recipe from B. Riley, guest blogger

Guilt-Free Oatmeal Cookies 

(15 min. prep, 25 min. total)

 Recipe adapted from recipezaar.com, recipe #238738

I was faced with the task of making something for a work pot-luck and I decided to utilize my baking skills. I was able to create a very tasty guilt free treat.

Approximately serves 36

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) Smart Balance 50/50 butter blend

22 packets of splenda (slightly less than 1 cup of sugar equivalent)

2 eggs (I used “best of the egg” no cholesterol liquid eggs)

1.5 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups Quaker Old Fashioned Oats

Ingredients:

Add in the order, as you see fit: nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, craisins, etc.

 

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Microwave butter sticks for about 35 seconds and add in sugar, beat.
3. Add eggs and beat well.
4. Add flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix well. 
5. Add vanilla.
6. Stir in oats and the add-ins.
7. I used a tablespoon and dropped cookies onto greased cookie sheet.
8. Bake for 11 minutes.

Enjoy!

Recipe from C. Jones, guest blogger