Albacore Tuna, Mushroom, Spinach Pizza

-Crust
-Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder
-Albacore Tuna
-Cherry Tomatoes
-Sliced Mushrooms
-Fresh Spinach
-Parmesan and Mozzarella Cheeses

My new favorite pizza!

Roasted Veggie Pizza

-Crust
-Sauce
-Pre-Roasted zucchini, eggplant, sweet peppers, garlic, mushrooms and spinach
-Parmesan cheese

Yum!

Kale Chips

Kale is good. Crispy, crunchy kale is really good!

Clean, cut and dry the leaves. Toss in olive oil and salt. Bake @300 for 20 mins.

Such a good snack!

Eggs Over Easy, Fried Spuds and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Good Morning Sunshine!

Not a whole lotta explanation needed on this one!

Pot roast hash is on the breakfast menu for tomorrow.

Happy Saturday All!!!

Cabernet Chicken & Mushrooms w/ Saffron Brown Rice

In an effort to pamper my Grandmother with her favorite thing, food, I made this putting a twist on the traditional Chicken Marsala by using Cabernet instead.

•Sauté mushrooms, onions, and garlic in a little olive oil. Remove from pan when browned and tender.
•Add in chicken breasts or tenderloins. Season with S&P and cook until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from the pan.
•De-glaze the pan with about a cup of red wine (I used Cabernet) and add mushrooms. Simmer until reduced. Thicken with a little corn starch slurry if needed.
•Serve the chicken on top of saffron brown rice and top with mushroom sauce!

Enjoy!

Broiled Asian Cod w/ Steamed Veggies

I have always been a cod fan. I know it's not the most expensive or highest quality fish but I love the flakiness and moistness of it. I think it's delicious.

Tonight I got two fillets. One to fry for my daughter...it's her favorite, and one to broil for myself. I seasoned this with salt, Chinese 5 spice, fresh lemon juice, fresh ginger zest and a little sesame oil. Broiled until it was golden brown on top and flaking.

I served it with some snow peas, edamame and sweet peppers that I dressed with a little salt and sesame oil and then steamed.

A simple, delicious, healthy weeknight dinner!

Mac-N-Veg

With a fridge full of veggies to use up, I took full advantage to make a quick dinner.

Eggplant, sweet peppers, mushrooms, asparagus, golden beets, broccoli, onions, garlic...all sautéed in a little flax seed oil and olive oil. Add a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes, basil, oregano, S&P. Simmer and mix with elbow macaroni. Top with a little Parmesan cheese.

Dinner is served!!!

Nicoise Salad

Once again I've been pleasantly impressed by room service. The grilled grouper served on top was plenty for a meal but the salad and ingredients were the big surprise. Pickled okra, red onions, kalomata olives and the rest all made for a bright flavorful salad.

I'm going to miss my room service....

Golden Beets - New Ingredient

Slice them and grill them!

Black-N-Blue Chop Steak w/ Grilled Golden Beets, Sweet Peppers and Onions

Grilled beets are my new addiction. Drizzled with olive oil and a little S&P and the grilled tender.....amazing!!!

Ribeye Wedge Salad

Room service is last on my list for high expectations for steak preparation. This ribeye was quite possibly the most amazing steak I've had in years!

Kudos to the chef at the Charleston Marriott in Charleston, SC!

My 12 hour traveling fiasco came to a happy ending with this surprise!!!

One Pork Loin Roast - Six Quick Meals

I cooked a 6 lb. pork roast in the crock pot last Sunday.  I simply seasoned it with S&P, garlic powder and onion powder so that I could tweak the taste anyway that I wanted during the week, depending on my mood.  It seems that I was in an Asian/Mexican mood this week.  Well, most weeks I am.  Those are definitely my two favorite cuisines.  

Throughout the week I pulled out my bag of shredded pork and added to my meals for dinner.  I also took some for lunch a couple days.  

Pork Soft Tacos

Mix the meat with some taco sauce and layer on a tortilla with your favorite taco toppings.

Asian BBQ Pork Pizza

Mix meat in with a quick BBQ sauce made of hoisin, soy sauce, agave, and sriracha.  Layer on a pizza crust with cheese, green onions, sesame oil and fresh cilantro. 

Spicy Pork and Veggie Lo Mien

Make a stir fry of your favorite veggies.  Add hoisin, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce and of course lots of sriracha for the spicy.  Add in meat and lo mien noodles, mix and serve garnished with green onions and cilantro. 

Pork Pho

Chop up fresh veggies (I used mushrooms, carrots, bean sprouts, onion, green onion, cilantro, basil) add in pork meat, cooked rice noodles and boiling pho broth.  Don't forget the squeeze of lime and shot of sriracha at the end for a little heat. 

Pork Tostadas

Bake corn tortillas in the oven until they just turn brown and crispy.  Layer refried beans, taco sauce, pork, lettuce, cilantro, tomato, green onion, sweet peppers, cheese and more taco sauce.  These were requested by my 6 year old daughter.  We love our tostadas!

Pork Stir Fry over Rice Noodles

Saute fresh veggies (onion, garlic, ginger, red pepper, sweet peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, green onion, bean sprouts, snow peas, cilantro), add in pork.  Pour over stir fry sauce made with hoisin, soy sauce, oyter sauce, ponzu, agave and sriracha. (All of these flavors mix together so well.  Just play with the flavors as you mix them together.  It's fun!)  Simmer and serve over rice noodles.  

This week I baked a whole chicken.   

Quick week night chicken meals to follow.....

Maroon Carrot - New Ingredient

These are the prettiest carrots I've ever seen.  They taste just like regular carrots but have a vibrant red outer layer like a beet.  

I roasted these with a bunch of other veggies for a quick addition to my weeknight meals this week.  Instead of olive oil I used a little truffle oil and a little flax seed oil along with S & P.

Asparagus and Prosciutto with a Dippy Egg

Simple and Delicious

Yes, you read it right.....dippy!  That is what I have called an over easy egg all of my life and I'm sticking with it.  This one broke but tasted the same, none-the-less.  

Steamed asparagus drizzled with a little truffle oil, S & P then wrapped in prosciutto 

and served over a fried egg.  

Perfect breakfast in my book! 

Strawberry French Toast with Maple Cream Cheese

Add a crushed fresh strawberry to your french toast batter.  

Mix a little maple syrup into cream cheese and you will be in french toast heaven too.....

Bamboo Steamer Basket

Here is a picture of the one that I have.  I use this to steam my chinese dumplings as well. 

 I will be experimenting with this more, as it is a great way to cook healthy, light dishes!



Orange-Soy Steamed Salmon w/ Star Anise scented Brown Rice and Steamed Bok Choy

Monday night cooking class with my Mother was a success, once again!

My Grandmother requested that we have this dish every Monday night. 

I think that means it was a winner! 

RICE

Cook brown rice per directions on package.  Add one star anise, one clove and the rind of one orange.

The subtle flavors that infuse into the rice are amazing

SALMON MARINADE

In a bowl mix equal parts:

Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

Low Sodium Soy Sauce

Ponzu

Honey

1 clove Minced Garlic

1 tsp Minced Ginger

Marinate Salmon fillets or steaks for no longer than 30 mins. Reserve the left over marinade.

Place salmon skin side down in a Chinese bamboo steamer basket.  The basket should be securely set on top of a pan with boiling water.  Place the top on the basket and steam for 8 mins.  Add the second level of the basket filled with fresh veggies of your choice.  I used bok choy and green onions dressed with little sesame oil and soy sauce.  Place the top back on the basket and steam for another 5 mins.  Carefully remove the top and serve. 

Simmer and reduce the remaining marinade in a saucepan while the salmon is cooking.  Serve on top of the salmon. 

Enoy! :)

Breakfast Enchiladas

More salsa verde....

I won't bore you with everything I put this salsa on, but this turned out too good not to share. 

Steamed corn tortillas wrapped around cheese, scrambled eggs seasoned with a little S&P and oregano, then topped with more cheese, salsa verde, cilantro, green onion and grape tomatoes. 

It was a very nice light breakfast!

Grilled Blackened Chicken Fajitas w/ Salsa Verde

In an effort to use as much of my salsa verde as humanly possible, I am keeping with the Mexican theme.  On a unseasonably warm day, I got out my grill and grilled some blackened boneless skinless chicken breasts and onions.  Layered on a steamed corn tortilla with lettuce, cilantro, cheese, green onion, grape tomatoes and salsa verde, of course....it was a fresh, filling and satisfying meal!  I am so ready for warm weather to stay so that I can sit on my patio and cook on the grill. 

Salsa Verde

I could live on Mexican food.  I love the spices, the heat, the tortillas, the beans.....I just love everything about it.  I thought I would try something different than my signature, go-to salsa.  The tomatillo was my inspiration.  I decided to roast it with Serrano peppers, onions, garlic, lime juice, olive oil and a little S&P, cumin and paprika!  I baked it covered for 1 hour @ 350 and then blended it in a food processor.  This was a nice mild salsa!



Tomatillo - New Ingredient

 

I've always wanted to give these a try, so I did.  I will be experimenting with these more, for sure!

 

The tomatillo (Physalis philadelphica) is a plant of the nightshade family, related to the cape gooseberry, bearing small, spherical and green or green-purple fruit of the same name. Tomatillos are a staple in Mexican cuisine. Tomatillos are grown as annuals throughout the Western Hemisphere. Often self-incompatible, tomatillos need a second plant to enhance pollination and guarantee fruit set