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.

Tiny Turkey Bites Two Ways to Delicious

Super lean ground turkey is a low calorie ingredient for lots of dishes.  You do need to add something to spice it up though, since by itself it has very little flavor. Served on a lettuce leaf is a nice lunch or snack. These have black pepper, chili flakes and a little sriracha rolled in to them. Then browned and cooked in a pan. These tiny bites take very little time to crisp up nicely and once plated, garnish with some fresh red pepper purée and some sesame seeds.

If you want something a little fancier these tiny bites are delicious topped with some cranberry and pom sauce with a side of smashed mini bite potatoes. Add a little gravy and it's like Thanksgiving. This serving is small. Seven mini meatballs and three mini potatoes but when you add the cranberry pom sauce and the gravy it tastes like a big plate. I had all of these ingredients pre-prepared in the freezer, so all I had to do was heat them up. The potatoes were from my stash in the refrigerator. I make lots of these and they make great snack bites any time of day.

TIP: I used a small dish to smash the potatoes, it gives them a nice uniform size for serving. Also, the tiny bite turkey meatballs are great to have on hand; so when you are prepping, make a bunch of them. Put them in a good quality freezer bag and write the date on it. They make great impromptu hors d'oeuvres that you can dress any way you like.

Low Calorie Tilapia Scramble with Broccolini and Red Pepper

This is a nice, low calorie meal you can make in minutes. The broccolini and red peppers are a quick chop, and the pan sear and steam poach on the fish takes almost no time at all. I cook the fish first and then add the veggies at the last minute with a squeeze of lemon and a bit of pepper. This is one small piece of tilapia, two pieces of broccolini and about a 1" x 3" piece of red pepper. Easy, inexpensive and delicious!

I buy frozen, boneless/skinless tilapia in a multi-pack. There is enough to feed a family in a 24oz. pack but also great for individual servings when it's just you. It may take 3-5 minutes but it tastes like you spent hours.

NOTE: You can cook the fish straight from the freezer or thaw in the refrigerator depending on your cooking preference.