Toasty Delicious! Spicy Chicken Sandwich

I've been kind of lazy with my cooking lately, pulling soup out of the freezer and grabbing quick bites. Still, I've been craving some crunch and toasted sandwiches are always satisfying. If you are in a hurry, making a sandwich is a quick go-to that keeps you fueled. This is spicy chicken, but you can put anything between two pieces of toast and it always tastes great. Use whatever you have on hand. I'm thinking my next sandwich creation will be hot steel cut oatmeal with fresh apple slices and cinnamon butter…see what I mean, anything goes.

Pizza Bread Snack or Supper

Don't waste the heel. The end of your bread can be the tastiest part and is great for making a toasty pizza bread. I made this with slices of spicy chicken topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella and some delicious chile flakes for that extra pop of flavor. It's quick, easy and very satisfying. Super simple meal you can make in a toaster oven.

MMMM! delicious. Mini Marinara Meatloaf with Mozzarella.

Switch up your meatloaf with mozzarella & marinara sauce instead of ketchup. Make your meatloaf as usual but mix in some marinara sauce & cheesy goodness—the mozzarella melts deliciously in to your mouth with every bite. Top the mini meatloaf with marinara sauce before cooking. Toward the end of your bake time, add a bit more mozzarella cheese and let it brown and bubble up. Serve with an extra dollop of marinara sauce and top with a sprinkle of parmigiano reggiano cheese and some fresh ground pepper.

Tip: This is a moist meatloaf. If you like it more dense and dry, reduce the amount of marinara sauce and milk you add to the mix and use more bread crumbs. Your own special ingredients will make this uniquely yours and it can be made with a number of different sauces and cheese selections. It's sure to be a hit. The single serve ramekin is ideal for people who like small plates. It's perfect by itself or served with other sides. Kids will love it too!

Flirty Fashion for Your Plate. Spiral Food for Fun.

I have two versions of a spiralizer. One handheld, a Gefu Spirelli and a tabletop version by Paderno. They both work well but the Paderno is much easier to handle and offers more slicing options. With the Gefu you have to do the turning using both hands.  There is some core waste on both, as well as the butt end of your food. It's a fun way to decorate a plate or add a new texture to your dish. What you get is one long ribbon of food, so you may want to cut the super long spiral in to smaller pieces, about the length of spaghetti.

It's not something I use every day, just a kitchen tool that adds a new twist to your meals. If you have kids helping you prep foods with a spiralizer make sure you supervise. The blades are extremely sharp. They will enjoy the cascade of veggies, fruit and potatoes that turn in to art in an instant.

TIP: Kitchen scissors make quick work of cutting these in to smaller pieces.

Get your Zest On!

I picked my Meyer lemons and there were too many to use without juicing. Next, I surely did not want to miss out on the zest…so, I had to get my zest on and start the somewhat time consuming effort of zesting each one. Then cutting the lemons and juicing each one. Think of it as a loving meditation and you will have the pure delight of both zest and juice on hand when you need it. I put mine in the freezer, but you can also go the dehydration route and then bring them back to life with a little warm water soak before adding them in to your recipe.

For a wonderful list of other uses for Meyer lemons…check this link out.

http://www.latimes.com/style/la-fo-meyerlemons16jan16-story.html#page=1

Fun Way to Get Your Kids to Eat Vegetables Anytime of Year

I did not do this or take the image, but it was sent to me and too cute not to pass along.

Wish I knew who did it and could offer an image and styling credit. I think it's one of the most creative Halloween eats I've ever seen! It's not too late to try it yourself for today's big BOO! YA! but it would be fun any time of year.

Quick Pick-Me-Up Cucumber Salad

What an interesting journey…I made these delicious salads and before doing a post I did some research on cucumbers. I've always loved cucumbers but I had no idea how much of a benefit they are to our body. They are one of the best foods for overall health. They are awesomely refreshing, a good source of B vitamins, and contain a lot of potassium, magnesium and fiber which helps to regulate blood pressure. These low calorie wonders help rid your body of toxins, aid in weight loss, promote joint health, and relieve arthritis pain. Since they are more than 90% water, you get a big boost of hydration!

There are only 16 calories in a cup of cucumbers with the peel. Without peel is even less. To work off 16 calories you can walk for 4 minutes, jog or cycle for 2 minutes, or swim for 1 minute. Easy!

For a list of other benefits including curing a hangover…go to

www.naturalnews.com

www.earthmama.com

The cucumber originated in South Asia but there are many types of cucumbers to choose from. Some are best for eating and some are best for pickling. 

Armenian

English

Kirby (or pickling cucumbers)

Lemon

Persian

Lebanese

East Asian

Beit Alpha

Apple

Schmorgurken

Dosakai

Kekiri

C-Thru-Cumber

I strongly recommend buying your organic cucumbers at the farmers market or growing your own. Heirloom are also an option. Whatever you choose…choose cucumbers and have them on hand all the time. Cut them up and every time you open the fridge, grab this great go-to instead of something more fattening. You'll be happier and healthier for it.

To learn more about types and growing cucumbers…go to

www.grow-it-organically.com

Tater Tot Roll Ups with Ham and Cheese

Easy snack meal for kids and adults. 

Thin slices of ham rolled around tater tots with cheese sprinkled on top. Add a little chile powder for an extra kick of flavor. Bake until crispy. Color up your plate with a few veggies, some flax and chia and you're all set.

Green Solutions for Carry-out

I went out for a Smashburger the other day and their burgers are hand crafted, so I guess I should not have been surprised when their carry-out box was equally impressive.

They present you with a soft touch, compostable fiber burger box that is
made from Biocane, a sustainable, renewable box that is derived from sugarcane.

Offering this option to their customers
instead of using styrofoam shows how much they care. Green solutions for carry-out makes for a great takeaway
experience.

Thank you!

Spicy Pork Morsels with Baked Potato and Salad

Simply Delicious. This is a small plate with big satisfaction. I slow cooked the pork in a spicy mix. Almost any way you want to flavor up will work. Before the pork was fully cooked I took it out. Next, I sliced it up to keep it moist and tender on the inside. Then, just before serving I pan crusted it. Crispy morsels of pork are great served with so many things. This is paired up with 1/2 of a baked potato and a small side of salad. Both pork and potatoes are a great source of potassium. An added benefit to serving crispy pork morsels is that it's easy for kids to eat and they can be used as a topping too. 

Fresh and Yummy Dip n' Snack

I love chili and this is made with black beans and lentils, plus a few veggies and some zinger chile sauce. You can use it as a dip, hot or cold, with some crunchy red bell peppers and cucumbers. Add a small dollop of sour cream for the best of all flavors without a bunch of calories. It's a great snack when you want something both fresh and hearty. Small portions of wonderful are still wonderful!

A Diet of Words

We all consume a huge amount of words each day. What you say, read and watch can be nourishing or harmful to your health and well-being including those around you.

With so much emphasis on eating well, getting daily exercise and drinking plenty of water, people forget to consider the importance of mindful word consumption and delivery.

Is what you say feeding wellness to the world? Is what you read edifying? Is what you watch uplifting?

There is no auto-edit working in the background; you choose your word diet the same way you choose the food you eat.

The emotional impact of words cannot be underestimated. If you had a nutrition label for every word you say, hear or read, what would it look like?

The first ingredient is a good clue as to whether it is going to have a positive or negative impact.

What will you say today?

Breakfast is served. Grilled Pork with New Mexican Hatch Red Chile and Eggs

Thin sliced pork just off the grill sprinkled with Hatch Red Chile. I use the Hatch both during the grilling and after slicing for a really bold kick.

This is a tasty breakfast if you are really hungry.

Use the grilled pork and slice in to little cubes.

Cut a couple of toast points and then chop up a little more to soak up the egg yoke.

Add a bit of spinach and tomatoes to garnish.

Cold Au Gratin Potato Salad

I made some homemade au gratin potatoes and had leftovers. Usually I just reheat them but I thought I'd try something different. These are cold, so I took a few small pie slices and used them in a salad with some black bean and lentil mix, also cold. Mixed greens are a great go-to and they work both as a salad base or on an open-faced sandwich. The sandwich toppings can be anything you like. Sriracha and yellow mustard work perfectly on the sandwich, and tomato and feta are nice on the salad. My guess is that if you like potato salad, you're going to like either one of these.  Lightly toast your bread for a crispier base. All I had on hand was sourdough, but a nice alternative would be some delicious, nutty whole grain bread. You may decide to eat the cold au gratin potatoes all by themselves and that's good too. Salad and summer go together, and a cold serving of au gratins is a great escape from the heat.

Black Bean and Lentil Vegetable Soup with Blueberries

Add a little bright surprise to your black bean and lentil soup with some blueberries. I'm always looking for a way to switch things up with some of my standing favorites and this did the trick. Lots of other goodness went in to this soup including green tea which is another one of my special adds to many recipes. This is a tasting plate to make sure it was all working together. I made a huge pot of soup and have some more veggies to add today. I let it rest overnight, and as I mentioned in one other post, black beans put a dark cast on most ingredients, so I suggest adding these extras just before you are ready to serve. Cook them separately and then toss them in to keep the colors bright and fresh.
You can also use this as a sauce. I think it would be nice on pork loin. Freeze what you don't use and it's on hand for your next quick meal. Enjoy!

Mixed Greens and Tilapia Salad with Tomato Basil Mushroom Sauce

I don't eat much fish but I do like tilapia. It cooks quickly and it's flaky and tender. I pan poach it in a little unsalted butter and Meyer lemon. These are frozen in individual servings, so they steam in the moisture and it adds a little broth. Just before plating, I pull the mixed greens and spinach out of the fridge so it's crisp and cold. I had pre-chopped the tomatoes in a rough cut and the tomato basil mushroom sauce had been simmering for awhile. I chop the fresh mushrooms, about fifteen, in to semi-thin slices and let them sweat down in the pan before I add the tomato basil sauce. Don't drain them. It infuses extra mushroom flavor and keeps the sauce thin which makes for a nice topping. A large spoonful or two is good so the fish and greens are not overshadowed. The combinations is outstanding and gives each ingredient a chance to speak delicious.

I served this hot on cold, but it tastes just as nice when the ingredients are all cold. It just depends on what you like and perhaps the time of day you are serving. Also, the frozen fish is convenient, but if you buy fresh from the seafood counter, use it the same day for best results.

Summer Chicken Salad with Watermelon and Feta Dressing

I've been thinking about my mom a lot lately. She had so many people to feed every day, three times a day. There were eleven of us. Seven kids, and two grandmothers, plus mom and dad. Whew! In the summer it was frequently stuff on the grill for weekends with dad cooking, but most of it was on my mom. I don't like to cook much in the summer, it's just too hot to have an appetite, especially late in the season. I can't remember what mom prepared on a daily basis with all those mouths to feed. The grocery shopping alone was a feat. After years and years of doing it herself, she finally had groceries delivered by the local market. One thing I do remember is watermelon! Juicy, cool watermelon. After corn, I don't think there is anything that says summer like watermelon. This light salad, served two ways is perfect with chunky mash watermelon dressing. I added some red wine vinegar, some cranberry and pomegranate sauce I had in the freezer, a tad of lemon juice, a splash of orange juice, a little black pepper and some feta.

A Beautiful and Bold Plate of Vegetables, Chicken and Rice to Share

All-in-one meals are easy to make and can include so many delicious ingredients. With this dinner plate it looks extra nice on the presentation side of things and it's yummy hot or cold. I'm pretty hooked on my friend Larry's chile powder and spices; it seems almost every meal I make lately has one or more of his amazing flavors in the mix. Peppahead is my new go to for authentic chile infusion.

I have a lot going on in this...Spinach, carrots, tomatoes, red bell peppers, mushrooms, green beans, broccolini, chicken and rice. Some were leftovers I needed to use and others were freshly cut. I cooked the chicken right in with all the other ingredients in a nice deep pot and let it simmer for about and hour. I plated the rice and then served the veg and chicken mix on top. It's been really hot here so I only ate a little, but I am going to have it for lunch today and I expect it to taste even better. Again, I especially like the green plate for this. It brings out all the colors in a vivid display and the rice does not get lost like it does sometimes on a white plate. The light cooking broth with the red chile is always a nice color pop, and juicy good!

Easy Spinach Tomato and Broccolini Salad Plate

Spinach is lovely but you don't always feel like a heaping serving. This is a nice way to get on the ball with intake without the overload. Cook your spinach and let it cool. Then roll up individual bite size portions and do whatever suits you. It could be breaded and baked if you use a little egg binder to the mix for a crunchier addition. I have not tried it, but I think a quick deep fry would be good too. For now, this is the most simple, fresh way to plate up a quick, delicious salad filled with nutrition. Top with a little Parmesan cheese and some unsalted sunflower seeds and you're all set. If you want a light dressing solution, rice or red wine vinegar are great. Yes, I am on a bit of a salad kick, but what better way to enjoy the bounty of summer...light, bright, and beautiful.

Delicious Summer Yum Salad

This is some serious summer yum!

Corn off the cob, French green beans, hearts of palm, cucumber and heirloom tomato salad.

Summer Up your Protein

This is a nice way to serve your chicken, chop or steak. Add some fresh English cucumber slices and a chopped heirloom tomato for a delicious summer twist.  I used a spicy chile rub on this chop for extra flavor; complements of my friend Larry at Peppahead, I can't get enough of his great stuff. Dixon in the mix.

Hearts of Palm Nested in a Radicchio Leaf with Heirloom Tomatoes and Feta Cheese

This is a delicacy that should be eaten with pure reverence. Hearts of Palm are the inner portion of the stem of the Cabbage Palm, Florida's official state tree. Their delicate flavor is similar to an artichoke with the firm, smooth texture of white asparagus.

They are only available fresh in Florida and other tropical climate countries where the tree grows. Harvesting from wild single-stemmed palms results in the death of the tree while Peach Palms are self-suckering producing up to 40 stems, so harvesting is not as expensive—still it is labor intensive.

Florida's wild Sabal Palmetto (Cabbage Palm) is now protected by conservation law.

Usually cut in to coins, I sliced these down the middle to extract the super slim core as a garnish and then did a fine chop of two stalks. The canned variety come packed in water and if you choose to dress this salad, I suggest using the water to make your dressing. The small leaf radicchio nest is a beautiful way to plate and present this special ingredient. I also added a small chop of heirloom tomatoes in to the mix and topped it with a little feta. A few French green beans and a slice of heirloom finishes the plate. If you want to make it even more dramatic, add an extra leaf of radicchio as shown in this other image.

This would be delicious served with some fettuccine alfredo.

My reverence for food and making a plate a piece of art is a delight, but I will add this quote from Andy Rooney Toons as a funny note of contrast.

"I don't like food that's too carefully arranged; it makes me think that the chef is spending too much time arranging and not enough time cooking. If I wanted a picture I'd buy a painting.

-Andy Rooney

For more interesting food quotes, go to this link.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/21/food-quotes-famous-eating_n_2481583.html

Summer Saladino

Salads are delicious, healthy, satisfaction. Using mixed greens as a centerpiece and spinach chiffonade on the outer edge makes for a nice contrast. Topped with some thin sliced carrots, a small chop of red bell pepper, a bit of chicken, a few grape tomatoes, and you have a complete meal. The chicken was baked with some chile powder for a little extra kick. To keep it on the light side, all you need to dress this salad is a squeeze of lemon. The chiffonade takes a few extra minutes but it really adds to the art of the plate.

Simple Steak and Corn

As summer heats up my appetite wanes and having small, simple meals suits me best. I'm sure there was a whole lotta grillin' going on this holiday weekend and some still to come. You don't have to do much to enjoy this classic steak and corn except sprinkle on a little Peppahead New Mexico Dixon Red Chile.

Thin slices are a good way to go, and any leftovers make for a nice steak sandwich, or add them to a crisp salad mix. 

All-Veggie, Longboard of Lentilicious. Unique Serving Dishes Up Your Game

How you serve a dish can make a big difference in presentation. This looks magnificent and tastes amazing. When you put lentil soup in to a bowl you don't get to see all the yummy ingredients until you spoon them up, and even then, it's just a spoonful. With this dish you get to see every bite. It's hearty, healthy and all there for you to appreciate the view. A lot went in to this dish that you can't see. My friend Larry is a chile master. He sent me some of his New Mexican chilies and gourmet special blends and that's where this started. I sampled his Peppahead brand of Unique New Mexico Chile Caribe, a delicious medium hot blend of chile flakes from Southern New Mexico. They are all natural with no salt or preservatives. A big pow of wow to say the least.

I also included curry, a splash of red wine vinegar, green tea, tomato sauce, a splash of worcestershire sauce, and a squeeze of mustard. All that went perfectly with this mix of lentils, mushrooms, fresh red pepper, carrots and onions simmered in about three cups of water. This is just a few ladles of the soup without a lot of the broth. I then garnish with a little black pepper and dried green tea.

My first taste of all this was truly divine! I ate about half of it and put the rest in the fridge. Then I got hungry a little later and thought hmmm...wonder how this would taste as a sandwich. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I used a whole wheat bun with some mixed greens, a thin squeeze of mustard, three pickles and a very thin spread of mayo on the bun. This was more than wonderful. An amazing blend of flavors that made two delicious meals. I can think of all kinds of other ways to use this fusion of fantastic.

TIP: When making a sandwich, drain off the broth or you'll get wet bread. Pairing this with grill roasted corn on the cob would be a nice touch.

Link to Larry. www.peppahead.com

Peppahead, is all about flavor and sensation. Here to delight cooks and chile pepper fans with a unique selection of regional chile powders, delicious spice blends and rubs. Chiles are from Mild to MIGHTY HOT. Plus the popular "Chile Peppers" Calendar with beautiful chile photos and tasty recipes. Many recipes feature his chile products.

Plating a Fresh, Delicious, Summertime Salad

How much time does it take to make something look delicious? Salad ingredients are beautiful on their own, but it only takes a few seconds to bring it to the next level. Arranging things in an artful way makes your plate more appetizing, and is part of the fun of serving it to yourself or your guests. You don't need to pile up your plate. Just a few ingredients placed nicely go a long way. This is a bed of romaine with a little sliced chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and a small dollop of fat free cottage cheese. No dressing needed. It's fresh satisfaction all around. So, the next time you make a salad—enjoy arranging your plate instead of tossing it all together.

Chicken Breast with Spicy Sauce and Mozzarella String Cheese

Nothing fancy here, although it tastes fancy. A chicken breast without any toppings can be a bit bland and every once and awhile you want to spice it up. This serving is made with mozzarella string cheese pulled in to thin strips and a nice spicy tomato sauce.

Pepper is my favorite spice along with red chile flakes, and this is no exception. You can eat it as is, pair it with a salad, some veggies or a few fresh heirloom tomato slices. Pick a variety of different colors on your tomatoes for extra appeal. Putting the tomato slices down first makes a nice presentation of fresh first, and then you have the warm, gooey goodness of cheesy chicken to satisfy. Cheese sticks are not low in salt, they come in at about 200 mg. of sodium, so keep it light and use only half if you want to cut back on the salt. The spicy sauce and cheesy topping is pure heaven on the flavoricious side. String cheese does not melt quickly, so bump your oven up to broil for a minute or so to get the nice bubbly browning.

Mexitalia Meals, Munchies and More

Do you have your favorite kind of flavors? Sometimes you like more than one and want to mix it up. I happen to like Mexican and Italian flavors; not exclusively, but I do like them a lot. That's where Mexitalia comes in. This is a simple meal combining the best of both. I used low salt basil tomato as the base sauce adding both four cheese mex-mix and Parmesan with mushrooms, red peppers and broccolini. Tortilla wraps work with so many things, and they are a staple in my kitchen. I only eat bread on occasion, but having these whole wheat tortillas makes for a filling but light ingredient. A little more sodium than a slice of bread, but this 8" round easily serves two, or four as an appetizer. Having one slice with a small side salad is a good choice. Each quarter slice comes in at 70 mg of sodium, not including toppings. Depending on the toppings you choose and the amount, it is still a fairly low salt, low calorie flavor feast.

Fried Egg on Crispy Potatoes with Red Peppers

I've mentioned a number of times how handy it is to have a cooked baked potato in the fridge. I also almost always have chopped red pepper and eggs available. This is a super quick meal solution any time of day. I sliced up the potato in to small pieces and then crisped them up in a pan; made a fried egg and tossed on a few red peppers. With these few ingredients you have a very inexpensive, healthy and tasty meal in minutes. No salt, just pepper and chile flakes for seasoning.

Toaster Oven Cooking

I visited a dear friend this past weekend in her new home. It was stunning in every way, although quite small. The kitchen was actually behind double doors and completely out of sight. It was unusual to be in a place where the kitchen was not on display. Studios can be a challenge design wise, but this was so amazingly well done with every high end detail you can imagine...still, I don't think I've ever seen a place with no kitchen revealed. Even with these new tiny, tiny houses, the kitchen is built in. Her kitchen did have a stove but I suggested perhaps she get a toaster oven. They are energy efficient and can do just about everything a full size oven can do...except you don't have the advantage of using larger pans. The space is limited and most don't have double racks. I'm not a fan of counter appliances, but when the stove went out and I needed something quick to cook with, a toaster oven was the answer. Now, I cook many things in the toaster oven. As mentioned, it is energy efficient, so why fire up the big oven. In reality, it actually cuts down on the per-serving cost. Most home cooks don't consider the cost of the electricity, water and clean up in their meal prep and present.

Here is a simple serving of a toaster oven pork chop topped with asparagus. This serving checks in at about $2.50 and was perfectly delicious. So, if you have a small space or just want to save some money, get a toaster oven. In my opinion, this rivals any restaurant and I did not have to spend a fortune to enjoy it.

Stuffed Ham Roll-Ups On Toast with Asparagus and Mixed Greens

I had some fresh asparagus that I wanted to eat before it went bad but did not know what to make with it. I did not want a big dinner and I could have just eaten it plain but I thought, hmm...what else could I do? There was some cooked ham in the fridge so I decided to cut up the asparagus and roll it in to the thin slice with some feta, pepper and mustard. Next I made a piece of toast, put it on a small bed of mixed greens, and topped it all off with a few green peppercorns, two whole spears of asparagus and a couple of tomato pieces. A thin drizzle of Italian dressing and it was complete in less than 5 quick minutes. The asparagus was already steamed. Totally unplanned, and I have never made this before, but it was quite a nice plate. It's funny how ideas just come together. In this case, it was almost like someone else had planned it, and I just put it together. Cooking is like that; a little of this, a little of that, and there you have it.

I would have preferred prosciutto to make this a bit more elegant and it's a classic match with asparagus, but this worked out just fine. This is a less expensive version. One piece of ham cut in half is considerably less than prosciutto. I also would use a whole seed, or course ground dijon and a tad of balsamic. What you would add is completely up to you. There are lots of things you can roll into this idea. And, if you want to go veggie, some nori would be a great alternative to the ham. This is a basic meal idea that would be good any time of day. A bit of a salt splurge, and deli meat is not a regular on my list, but every once and awhile things like this taste yummy to me, and yummy is good.

Regrow your Wild Watercress for Fun or Food

After having my salad recently this was down to leafless stems, roots and soil. I decided to see how quickly it would regrow. It's doing pretty well outside under an umbrella with a good shot of morning sunshine. I've had to add fresh water to it every day since it evaporates quickly, but it's fun to watch the little leaves come back on. At this point there is enough regrowth to use as a garnish or to add a little peppery surprise on a sandwich.

From nothing to something in nine days.


Fresh greens to enjoy!

Easy Omelet Salad

I thought about having eggs for dinner last night and decided to make an omelet salad. I've never put these two together and it was tasty. Once I made the omelet I sliced it up for a little visual variety; put it on some mixed greens, added a little red pepper and a tad of dressing. I prefer some cheese in my omelet, but since I have cut way back on this melty pleasure, this is just plain. If I make this again, I will at least add some feta or other light sprinkle of cheese on top. I can think of lots of other dishes that would taste good with omelet slices. Breakfast, lunch-brunch or dinner. Give it a try and see what you think.

Wonderful Wild Watercress is a Peppery Pleasure

The first time I tasted watercress it was growing wild in a stream at a friends farm and I've been in love with it ever since. It's one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by humans and one cup is just 4 calories. Organic, living watercress can be found at your local grocer or farmers market. It's perfect for salads, sandwiches, stir-fry, used as a garnish or as a nice table decoration. I like to use watercress the day I bring it home for its optimum freshness. Just about everything goes with watercress, so add in a few of your favorites and enjoy.

Another option is to keep it growing. There are lots of tips online.