Asian Noodle Salad

This is a great salad to fix during the warm summer months. It can quickly be thrown together and has a delicious Asian flavor from the sesame oil. The only thing I did differently from the recipe is use chili paste instead of hot chili oil (didn't have any) and I didn't garnish it with peanuts (i just forgot to do that...oops!). Anyway, this was a great salad to serve along side a tender, juicey salmon steak or a teryaki grilled beef steak. This is a new favorite of my husbands! The recipe comes from Guy Fieri from the Food Network. We have really enjoyed his recipes and I like watching his shows....I think he is pretty entertaining. Anyway, give this a try. It is different, but very tastey!

1 package soba noodles (I used whole wheat spaghetti)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon hot chili oil
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (I only used 2)
1 carrot, thinly sliced or julienned
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced or julienned
5 green onions, bottom 4 inches, thinly sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced napa cabbage
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced or julienned
1/2 cup julienned bok choy
1 cup bean sprouts, optional
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted, for garnish
4 tablespoons unsalted peanuts, for garnish
Directions
In a medium stock pot, boil water, add salt and cook noodles. When finished, place noodles in an ice water bath to cool. Drain and set aside.
In a medium bowl combine, sesame oil, vinegar, soy sauce, hot chili oil, hoisin and extra-virgin olive oil. Mix thoroughly and then combine prepared vegetables and noodles.
Garnish with sesame seeds and peanuts.

Moist Chocolate Cake

This was such a delicious chocolate cake! I was quite surprised by myself. I made this cake for my sister's birthday party. It was pretty simple to put together. I used a regular dark chocolate cake mix (yes....from a box) and some chocolate fudge sauce in between the layers and drizzled on top. I then topped it with fresh raspberries and powdered sugar....viola!!!! A beautiful, moist, delicious chocolate cake. Usually I don't like using things from a box. Especially cake mixes. However, this time I was forced to use a box because the homemade lemon angel food cake got burnt to a crisp in the oven. My oven is not the best....I am convinced that it is actually 50 degrees warmer than it indicates. After 5 minutes in the oven the angel food cake was burned beyond saving.....so sad! Anyway, this chocolate cake was what I came up with. It hit the spot. My sister-in-law made some killer good orange cream ice cream to accompany it. Hope you enjoy!

Going Greek!

Who knew that a Greek style pizza could be so good? I didn't really know what I was doing when I created this pizza, but man, it turned out so incredibly good! I used a combination of recipes that I found for Greek salads, Greek spiced chicken, and the lemon vinaigrette that topped the pizza. Usually I make a whole wheat pizza crust, but for some reason I was craving a white crust. I also used my pizza stone (which I love and totally recommend be used anytime you make pizza-it makes the biggest difference). I left the cheese off of my half and just put it on my husbands. I topped the pizza with fresh tomatoes and shredded basil (fresh) and a delicious, tangy lemon vineagrette. I can't wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow!

Greek Pizza

1 pound pizza dough

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

3/4 cup plain, non or low fat yogurt

1 lemon juiced

1/2 tsp. each cumin, coriander, oregano

1 Tbsp. grill seasoning

1 roasted red bell pepper

1 8 oz. pkg. mushrooms, sliced and sauteed until moisture is evaporated

1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives

1/2 red onion, sliced

1/2 cup hummus

1 tomato diced

6 basil leaves thinly sliced

mozzerella cheese

crumbled feta cheese

smoked gouda cheese

1 lemon juiced and zested

1 clove garlic, minced

dash salt

dash pepper

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. fresh oregano minced or 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

If using pizza stone, follow the directions for preheating it. Prepare marinade for chicken by combining yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, oregano, and grill seasoning. Coat chicken in the marinade and let sit for at least 20 minutes. Grill or broil chicken until no longer pink in the center and juices run clcear. Roll out your favorite pizza dough into desired shape of pizza. Place in oven for about 10 minutes at 425 degrees. When crust starts to looked lightly baked, remove from oven. Spread hummus on top of pizza crust. Top with desired amount of mozzerella and gounda cheeses, red onion, olives, sauteed mushrooms, roasted bell pepper. Place pizza back in oven and cook until crust is light golden brown.

Meanwhile, prepare vineagrette by combining juice and zest of one lemon, minced garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil and oregano. Set aside.

When pizza has been cooked, top with chicken (diced or shredded), fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, crumbled feta and drizzle vineagrette over the top. ENJOY!!!!!!

Quinoa Salad

This salad is perfect for a light summer meal. You could easily add cooked shrimp or chicken to make is a complete meal. It is light, refreshing and FULL of flavor. My husband went back for seconds and ended up finishing off the last of it! I love that it is so simple, healthy and quick to throw together. Quinoa is a grain that is often overlooked. It is packed with protein and cooks up more quickly than rice. I choose to cook it in organic free range chicken broth to add an extra layer of flavor. I am not going to include quantities in the recipe since I did not measure anything out. Just add however much of everything looks good to you. I served this salad with salmon and corn on the cob....YUM!

Quinoa Salad

Cooked Quinoa (1:2 ratio-1 cup quinoa to 2 cups liquid)

Roasted asparagus (I drizzle a little olive oil over asparagus and toss with salt and pepper-throw it under the broiler for a couple of minutes)

1 red bell pepper chopped

chopped kalamata olives

3 scallions, sliced

lemon dressing (1 lemon juiced and zested, 1 clove garlic minced, pinch of salt and pepper, 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil)

chopped cilantro

Season salad with salt and pepper

Toss everything together and refrigerate!

Thai Chicken Wraps

I can honestly say that this in my husbands absolute favorite meal! He would eat this everyday if he could. He also loves it with steak. It is a quick/cheap meal....we love those kind of meals! I first saw this recipe on an episode of 30 Minute Meals and I immediately knew I had to make it! We are a big fan of brown rice and avocados, so when I prepare the wraps I include a nice scoop of hearty brown rice and a couple of avocado slices....SO GOOD! Make sure to drizzle extra peanut sauce on top! This a a very light meal-perfect for summer. I hope you all enjoy!

Thai Chicken Wraps

3 (6-ounce) chicken breasts
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grill seasoning
Salad:
1/2 seedless cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on an angle (I use a whole cucumber)
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1 cup shredded carrots, available in pouches in produce department
3 scallions, sliced on an angle
12 leaves basil, chopped or torn
3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves (4 sprigs) (I just use the basil or add some cilantro)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 teaspoons sugar (I omit this)
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or white vinegar
Salt
Spicy peanut sauce:
1/4 cup room temperature chunky peanut butter, soften in microwave if it has been refrigerated
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil ( I omit this and just use more soy sauce and vinegar)
4 (12-inch) flour tortilla wraps
Directions
Heat a grill pan over high heat. Toss chicken with soy and oil and grill 6 minutes on each side.
Combine cucumber, sprouts, carrots, scallions, basil, mint and sesame with a generous sprinkle of sugar and vinegar. Season salad with salt, to taste.
Whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar and cayenne together. Stream in vegetable oil.
Slice cooked chicken on an angle. Toss with veggies and herbs.
In a very hot nonstick skillet or over a gas burner heat tortillas 15 seconds on each side.
Pile chicken and veggies in wraps and drizzle liberally with spicy peanut sauce before wrapping and rolling.

Pasta Puttanesca

I had my doubts about just how tastey this pasta sauce would be. It was so simple to put together and had so few ingredients.....nothing fancy. Let me just tell you, never underestimate the power of a few simple ingredients! This was so incredibly good and so quick to put together! I think the key is to let it simmer for about 20 minutes so that all the flavors are able to really mix together. This is honestly one of my new favorite pasta sauces! I served this with rosemary garlic foccacia bread, and roasted zucchini and mushrooms. I grilled a piece of mahi mahi and chicken. I was in the mood for fish and my husband in the mood for bird. This meal is going on our favorites list! This recipe comes from Ellie Kreiger's book The Food you Crave. I LOVE this cookbook. We have enjoyed every recipe!

8 ounces whole-wheat thin spaghetti, vermicelli or angel hair
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup pitted chopped Spanish or Greek olives
2 tablespoons capers
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, preferably "no salt added"
3/4 cup chopped fresh arugula
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add pasta and cook according to the directions on the package.
While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium flame. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the parsley, olives, capers, anchovy paste, oregano and crushed red pepper to the skillet, and saute for 2 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in the arugula and simmer for 1 minute more, until the greens wilt slightly.
When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the skillet, tossing it with the sauce to combine. Top with grated cheese.

Rosemary Garlic Foccacia

I have already posted the recipe for this. I just thought I would post a picture. I used mostly whole wheat flour for this loaf. It this is one of my favorite breads...so ful of flavor, light, fluffy and so satisfying! I made it to go with our pasta putanesca (I will post that tomorrow).