Roasted Brussel Sprouts

I am not sure which I like better: the whole roasted brussel sprout or the crispy leaves that fall off. So, I try to make both in one pan! After trimming the stems, peel off some of the outer leaves to bake into "chips". Wash and toss with some olive oil and seasonings. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes for the leaves to crisp, remove them and place the tray back in until the little cabbages are tender!

Panzanella Salad

Cut up a loaf  of hearty, day old bread into cubes. Dice up four tomatoes, the same size dice as the bread. Slice a half of red onion, thinly. Toss all the ingredients with olive oil and balsamic vinegar until wet.

 Let the salad sit for better flavor, but feel free to eat it right away!

Parsnip "Fries"

I am so sorry to say that these were so good, that we ate them all before I realized that I hadn't gotten a picture of the final product! I promise...they looked great!

I took 4 parsnips, washed them, peeled them and cut them into "fries".

Toss them with some olive oil and seasoning (I used an all purpose seasoning).

Heat oven to 450 degrees and lay parsnips on a baking sheet or pie dish. Cook for 10 minutes, then stir and cook for another 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Roasted Beets

I have seen food blogs with wonderful pictures of beets...roasted, cooked, in salads, etc. As I have said before, I am not sure if it has something to do with me working with the elderly but I can't stand beets. The pickled ones, the canned ones or any dish related to those versions. So, I am almost too determined to find a recipe that I can use fresh beets in to try. Let's get roasting!

I was going to wrap to fresh beets in foil to roast them but behold, no foil! I found a turkey roasting bag and figured that it was worth a try.

I washed the beets and chopped off the stems and roots. In the roasting bag I topped the beets with some olive oil and kosher salt. After tying off the bag, I cut the massive excess off with some scissors.

At 375 degrees for one hour and 30 minutes, these two little beets roasted slowly. When they were done I simply sliced them into the beautiful purple slices that you see below. As I was eating them, I trimmed off the skin (didn't want my hands turning purple). Not bad...not bad at all. I think that I will make a glaze or sauce next time with orange juice. Enjoy!

Cucumber Salad

Anything from Grandpa Max's garden is good - this post showcases CUCUMBERS! Grandpa Max is know for his garden, mostly his abundance of tomatoes. Since the tomatoes haven't ripened yet, I will gladly make something awesome out of the cukes. If you are looking for a cool base to your salad besides the usual greens or lettuce, try this with cucumbers. 

Take a mandolin with the french fry blade...cucumber "pasta". Slice the cucumber lengthwise down the mandolin - careful with your fingers!

This is my new favorite salad dressing and it works great with cucumbers! Use the serving size (read the label!) of any dressing and toss it with the cucumbers. Then top you salad with the usual toppings: shredded carrots, tomatoes, onions, etc. Perfect!

Watermelon Salad with a KICK!

I bought a giant watermelon so that the kids could have half and I could use the rest to make a new salad. The recipes that I searched mentioned that you could grill the watermelon for more flavor. I wasn't in that crazy of a mood...I was already adding cayenne pepper to a fruit. Baby steps.

I balled up half of the watermelon and added it to:

The juice of two oranges
The juice of one lemon
1 tsp of kosher salt
A pinch of cayenne pepper
8 mint leaves chopped

Grillin' Some Pig

Since our power was out due to the crazy storms last week, we have to grill and eat frozen foods before they went bad. So, the day before the 4th of July we ate hamburgers...leaving me with nothing to grill on the 4th. I found some pork chops at the grocery store and searched for some marinade recipes that would give a nice "picnic flavor". No, I can not define "picnic flavor" for you, but I knew what I was looking for :)

This is what I came up with:

2 cups of apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup yellow prepared mustard
4 TBSP brown sugar
3 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper

I heated this together on the stove, cooled it and soaked the pork in it for 4 hours. Below are some pictures of our grillin' picnic outside...YUM!

Easy Appetizer

1. Pluck some basil from the garden.
2. Toothpick basil and mozz.
3. Drizzle balsamic on top.
4. Done!

Squash French Fries

These are really easy to make. And when that bountiful crop of zucchini hits, it is an awesome way to use it up before it goes bad.

The pictures below are of one small yellow squash and one green zucchini. Wash them and slice them into .5 inch to 1 inch matchsticks. You will need two bowls, one with whisked egg white (2 of them with and drizzle of water) and then other with breadcrumbs (season them how ever you would like).

Use one hand to coat the stick with egg white, then drop them in the bread crumbs. Use the other hand to bread crumb and place on a non-stick cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until the bread crumbs are browned. Enjoy!

Mushroom Gruyere Polenta

This was SO good! I have always wanted to try a creamy polenta but didn't know what to mix in or top it with. Figuring that cheese was a pretty good bet, I chose mushrooms to continue with a "hearty" theme of the dish.

I used corn meal and chicken stock: 1 cup to 1 quart. Boil the chicken stock and slowly pour and quickly whisk in the corn meal. Once it is incorporated, lower the heat and cover the pot, simmering for about 40 minutes.

Saute the mushrooms and grate the cheese. Once the polenta is cooked, top with the mushrooms and shredded cheese. Enjoy!

Oh the lovely produce!

Oh the lovely produce!

This slaw has great color and such a fresh taste.

Perfect as a side dish or as a salad with some grilled chicken on top.

Try it.

Now.

:) 

 Fresh Carrots - I didn't even peel them!

 Tahini Dressing - tahini sauce, some vinegar, maple syrup, salt and lemon juice.

Rainbow Slaw with Tahini Dressing

by Rebecca Kraynek

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

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Ingredients (Serves 4)

Dressing

• 2 Tbsp Tahini
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp onion powder

Salad

• half head of red cabbage
• half head of green cabbage
• 2 fresh carrots
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 cucumber

Instructions

Stir the dressing ingredients together and set aside.

Shred all vegetables...not thinly slice...SHRED

You get an arm work out AND a great dish!

Mix the all together - best if it sits over night but perfect as soon as you are done mixing!

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Spinach Cheddar Muffins Biscuits

I made some great creamed chicken and vegetables in the crockpot but need some sort of starch to go with it. I whipped up these muffins using some leftover spinach I found in the fridge.

Before I get to the muffin recipe - the chicken dish! Totally easy! I took four frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts and placed them in the crockpot. I poured in a bag of mixed vegetables. Then I topped it all with a can of cream of celery soup (condensed) and then a can of water. Cook for 10 hours. When I got home, I used a spoon to break up the chicken and added 1/4 cup of fat free half and half. Done!

Spinach and Cheese Muffin Biscuits

by Rebecca Kraynek

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 23 minutes

6023788

Ingredients (serves 12)

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 1/2 cup milk or soy milk
• 1/3 cup veg oil
• 1 egg
• 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Mix all of the dry ingredients first.

Mix all of the wet ingredients separately.

Make a whole in the flour and pour in the wet ingredients.

Toss the spinach and cheese on top.

Mix it all together.

Scoop batter into muffin tins - paper or no paper, your choice.

Bake for 23 to 25 minutes or until edges are golden.

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Finished Chicken and Muffin

Wheatberry Salad

Wheatberries are a whole grain that also has protein. This is a great option for vegetarians or a meatless meal. The wheatberries can be eaten hot as a meal or cold as a salad. You can add salt to the cooking water and mix with sauteed vegetables for a savory side dish. Or you can add fruit or fruit dressings for a light salad. I like to take the leftovers of this salad and eat it with yogurt. 

Wheatberry Salad

by Rebecca Kraynek

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 15 minutes

6023250

Ingredients (Serves 6)

• 1 cup cooked wheat berries
• 1 fuji apple, diced
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup pecans (optional)
• 1/2 cup raspberry vinaigrette dressing

Instructions

Cook wheatberries by the instructions on the package. Cool.

Dice apples.

Place apples and cranberries in orange juice to soak for 30 minutes.

Drain apples and cranberries.

Mix apples, cranberries, pecans, wheatberries and dressing together.

Chill and serve.

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Edamame Succotash Salad

I love hot edamame succotash with corn, onions, tomatoes, and bacon but I wanted to see what type of cold dish I could make with the same ingredients. I took the edamame, corn, peppers and red onions with a mayo based dressing (lil bit of mayo).

For the dressing, I mixed fresh ginger, cilantro, lemon juice and mayo. Then I dumped in some thawed corn and thawed edamame with some chopped red peppers and onions. Mix and DONE! 

Edamame Succotash Salad

by Rebecca Kraynek

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 0

6023203

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1 1/2 cups thawed, shelled Edamame
• 1 1/2 cups thawed, Yellow Corn
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 3 Tbsp Lite Mayo
• 1 1/2 tsp chopped, fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp chopped, fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Mix the dressing ingredients first - mayo, ginger, cilantro, juice, salt and pepper.

Dump in vegetables, mix and chill for service.

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The Dirty Food Revolution

Dirty Foods? Why....why are they dirty?

Dirty foods refer to foods that are dark color in nature...black mostly. From black rice to black beans to black berries, these foods are starting to trend in healthy recipes and restaurants. What makes them so healthy and appealing? Often foods are black — or deeply hued – because of natural plant pigments called anthocyanins. Derived from the Greek words for “plant” and “blue,” anthocyanins are what make blueberries blue, cherries red, and blackberries black – or almost black. Typically the darker the color, the more anthocyanins are inside. Research suggests that anthocyanins have anti-inflammatory properties and may offer protection against heart disease and caner.

I found this black rice at the store and thought of a cool salad idea!

Ingredients
Black Rice, cooked (follow the package instructions for cooking 1 cup of rice)
Pineapple Tidbits, drained
Mandarin Oranges, drained
Lite Raspberry Vinaigrette

I cooked the black rice based on what the package stated. I drained one can of pineapples and one can of oranges. Then I mixed everything in a bowl with about 1/4 cup dressing. If you are going to eat this salad tomorrow, wait to dress it. The rice will soak up the dressing and taste gummy. Enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower

I remember once when a friend of mine was trying to cut down on carbs and she heard that mashed cauliflower was a good substitute for mashed potatoes. She wasn't happy with the result :( I don't know why that stuck in my mind, but this weekend I wanted to see what else I could do with cauliflower....roasting it seemed to be a great idea.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Wash the fresh cauliflower head and break off all of the green leaves. Place the whole head into a glass baking dish. I drizzled mine with a little olive oil and sprinkled it with sea salt. Place it into the oven and cook it for about a hour and 10 minutes. If the flowers are tender sooner, take it out.

Cut off the flowers and serve (or eat it standing over the oven like I did). Enjoy!

Edamame: call it anything, just don't call it a lima bean!

http://www.examiner.com/healthy-foods-in-columbus/edamame-call-it-anything-just-don-t-call-it-a-lima-bean