It's Sandwich Time! Grilled Edition.

Short, Sweet and to the Point:

I Love Sandwiches.

I especially Love Grilled Sandwiches.

Here is my idea of A Perfect Sandwich:
2 Slices Whole Wheat Bread (I Love Big Sky Bakery & Alpine Valley Organic)
2 Slices of Uncured Hard Salami
Extra Sharp Vintage White Cheddar (Tillamook)
1/2 Avocado
1/2 Tomato
1 handful Spinach
1 handful Sprouts
Butter

The Construction
Butter Bread, layout cheese & cook over medium low until golden brown
Once bread is golden brown & cheese is melted add Salami & Veggies
Add a Pickle & you're good to go!

Sunshine Juice

So by now you know I love my Jack Lalanne Power Juicer.  You also probably look at some of my juice concoctions and think "no thanks" or even "yuck" but really, none of them taste bad, they just take a little stronger palate sometimes.  In honor of Jack Lalanne, who passed away last month, I have made "normal" juice to please the masses. I call it Sunshine Juice. It's the perfect way to start the morning. 
Sunshine Juice
3 Ruby Red Grapefruits
3 Oranges
Remember Citrus Must be peeled or the juice will be bitter.

That's it! Juice away.

Have a Sun-shiny Day!

For the Love of Cheese...Ode to the Cow

     If I were to make a list of my favorite things  {all things not just food} Cheese would be very near the top of the list.  I've already professed my love of fresh mozzarella. This post is dedicated to a few of my favorite Cow Milk Cheeses, I am a big fan of both sheep & goat cheeses but today is all about my favorite animal, the Cow. {Seriously I love cows - they are the most selfless animals on the planet. Think of all they give us - Milk, Cheese, Ice Cream, Butter, Steaks, Cheeseburgers, Leather [i.e. shoes]... I love cows!} 
     I should warn you that I am not a maitre fromager, I don't know the lingo, I just know what I like.  Someday, I'll take a few lessons on the craft but until then, here's my simple analysis of the creamy goodness.
I've got a Soft Spot for Soft Cheeses
Delice de Bourgogne is a French Triple Cream made from Cow's milk. Hands down my favorite soft cheese. I love love love Delice de Bourgogne. It's so good I don't even know where to start, it's rich and buttery and oh so creamy. I think Delice de Bourgogne is The Perfect Cheese. You must try this cheese!

Saint Nectaire is a French cheese made from cow's milk raised in the volcanic Auvergne region.  If you like a little more pungent cheese, Saint Nectaire is for you. It's rich, creamy, and nutty with a slightly grassy mushroomy flavor. 

Mt Tam from Cowgirl Creamery in California. Mt Tam is a slightly firmer version of the triple cream. It's buttery and mellow.  This is a great starter cheese for the faint of heart who aren't into stronger flavors.  It's much milder than a Brie.

Something New!
Mountina When I saw Mountina at Whole Foods the first thing I noticed was the byline "An Alpine Cheese from the Mountains of...Montana" How could I not try a cheese from my home state? I have to be honest, I wasn't expecting much, Montana is known for a lot of great things but dairy isn't one of them. I was pleasantly surprised, the Mountina has some serious depth! Mountina is a semi-firm raw cow's milk cheese with a mild washed rind. It's nutty, it's sweet, it's creamy, it's fantastic! Mountina is slightly reminiscent of raclette, but milder and in my opinion better.

Something Just a Little Different
Sottocenere is one of my favorite "special" cheeses. Sottocenere is an Italian semi-soft raw cow's milk cheese with slivers of black truffle. I Love this Cheese! It's a delicate, silky, aromatic, slightly nutty cheese.  It is one of my personal favorites.

The Everyday
If you haven't noticed by now, I am really trying to each less processed foods.  This applies to snacks, meats and yes, even cheeses.  It can be hard to find small brand cheese in a lot of locals.  My favorite national brand is Tillamook. Tillamook is an Oregon Co-op, that's right, the farmers are the owners. If you visit the Oregon coast, you will see lush farms with pretty Dairy cows dotting the land. It's beautiful, the cows really do look happy & the people are so nice. I love knowing that is where my cheese comes from. If they had a Nordstrom & an Anthro, I'd move there - that's how picturesque Tillamook is. And the cheese, oh the cheese, best Cheddar ever! My favorite is the Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar. But the Medium just so happens to be the "World's Best". Don't believe me? They've got the award to prove it.

*While Cheese is an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D, it's important to eat full fat cheese in moderation* 

A Sweet Treat for Your Sweet Heart: Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

Happy Valentines Day! 

Today I'm Sharing a Sweet Treat for Your Sweetie

When I think of Valentines Day treats I think Chocolate & Cherries {But I don't like real chocolate covered cherries - weird right}

I Love this Cherry Chocolate Hot Chocolate 

But My Favorite Chocolate Cherry Treat is Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies. My mom used to make them for us every year & we couldn't wait to get our hands on them!

The Cookie Deets

1 1/4 Cup Flour

1/2 Cocoa Powder

1 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Butter

1 Egg

1 1/2 tsp Vanilla

1/4 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

Maraschino Cherries (set aside for construction) 

The How To

Mix all ingredients - except the Cherries

The Dough will be slightly crumbly

The Filling/Sauce Deets

6 oz Chocolate

1/2 Cup Sweet Condensed Milk

4 Tablespoons Cherry Juice

The How To

Mix all ingredients & Melt until smooth 

(about 1 minute in the microwave)

Construction

Roll Dough into Ball, then Poke a hole in the ball & work the hole until it is large enough to fit a cherry & chocolate sauce. 

Add Cherry

Fill with Chocolate Sauce

Bake at 350 for 10 Minutes & Enjoy!

Happy Valentines Day to you & yours!

Chicken Parmesan

A Lighter Version of the Classic Chicken Parmesan. It's made with fresh ingredients, Pan Seared Chicken (Not Fried) & Whole Wheat Pasta.
The Deets For the Chicken
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts Butterflied
1/8 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs
1 Egg
1 TBS Olive Oil
The How To
Dredge Chicken in Flour
Dredge Chicken in Egg wash
Dredge Chicken in Bread Crumbs
Heat Oil over medium high in Medium Skillet
Add Chicken & cook for 2 minutes on each side
Remove from Heat and Cover

The Deets For the Sauce
3 Cups Tomatoes Diced (or 2 Cans) Today I used Yellow Sunshine Baby Tomatoes - hence the yellow sauce instead of traditional red
5 Leaves of Basil Roughly Chopped
1 Clove Garlic Minced
1 Shallot Chopped
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 pinch Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper

The How To

In Medium Sauce Pan Heat Oil, add Garlic and Shallot until clear
Add Tomatoes,  Basil, Salt, Pepper and Sugar
Cook over Medium Heat for 10 minutes

The Deets for Assembly 
Tomato Sauce prepared above
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese
8 Slices Fresh Mozzarella
4 Large Basil Leaves

The Assembly 

Place Chicken Breasts on Baking Sheet
Top each with 2 TBS Tomato Sauce
Sprinkle with Parmesan
Top with Basil & Mozzarella
Bake at 450 for 10 Minutes

Add Cooked Whole Wheat Spaghetti to left over Tomato Sauce Top with Parmesan. Add your favorite Salad or Vegetable

Plate, Pray & Enjoy

Baked Mac & Cheese

It's Cold.  It's Darn Cold. You know what that means? Comfort Food.

When I think Comfort Food, I think Mac & Cheese.

*Warning* This Recipe is not in any way shape or form healthy.  It is slightly "less bad" than normal, but not healthy - sorry, but sometimes you've got to have the real deal. We are getting our Dairy for the day. Hooray for Vitamin D & Calcium.  Also, we are eating whole "real" foods that aren't overly processed - can't say that about the mac in a box...

The Deets

1 1/4 Cup Shredded Sharp White Cheddar (Tillimook Vintage White)

1 1/4 Cup Shredded Medium Cheddar (Tillimook Medium Cheddar)

1/4 Cup Goat Cheese (No Goat? add more Cheddar or your favorite Cheese {Gouda, Gruyere, Monterey Jack are all good options})

1 Cup Sour Cream (I used reduced fat)

1/4 Cup Milk (I use skim)

1 TBS Butter

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Pepper

3 Cups Whole Wheat Penne or Elbow Macaroni (It's best to use a pasta with ridges to hold the sauce)

The How To

In a Medium Sauce Pan mix 1 Cup of Extra Sharp & Medium Cheddar with Butter and Milk

Cook over Medium Heat until smooth 

Add Goat Cheese and Sour Cream

Add Salt and Pepper 

Cook to a smooth consistency 

Prepare Pasta according to package directions - usually 8 minutes in boiling water

Do NOT overcook the pasta

Drain and Rinse Pasta and add to cheese mixture

Mix until pasta is coated 

Transfer to a baking dish (9x9) 

Top with remaining Cheese and cover with tin foil

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes

Uncover for the last 5 minutes

What goes great with Mac & Cheese?
Fried Chicken? Not Quite, but close.
UnFried Chicken 
The Deets
4 portions Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/4 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1 Egg
Seasoned Salt (Lawry's)
1 TBS Canola Oil
The How To
Butterfly Chicken Breasts (lay breast flat & cut parallel to cutting board cutting breast almost in half {thickness wise} stop prior to cutting through & "fold" breast open, pound or smooth by hand)
Mix egg in a bowl large enough to dip/dredge chicken in
Dredge Chicken through egg & then through the Panko Bread Crumbs (I sprinkle the bread crumbs on my cutting board - less dirty dishes)
Sprinkle with  Seasoned Salt to taste (less is more)
Heat Oil in Skillet to Medium High 
Cook Chicken for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown
Cover and remove from heat to continue cooking

Add a Salad and/or your favorite Vegetable

Plate, Pray & Enjoy!

Note: We don't eat "White" in our house - this means no white bread, rice or pasta - we make exceptions for rice noodles, Panko Bread Crumbs & mixing flour for baking (50/50 Whole Wheat & All Purpose). This is one small way we can eat less processed foods & up our whole grain intake. 

Seared MahiMahi with Tomato Confit

Seared MahiMahi over Saffron Quinoa with Tomato Confit 

Quinoa

Seep 1 Pinch of Saffron in 1/2 Cup Boiling Water

Boil 1 1/2 Chicken Broth

Add 1 Cup Quinoa to Boiling Broth

Cook on Medium of 20 Minutes

Add Saffron Water and continue cooking until liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes

Tomato Confit

1 Cup Grape or Cherry Tomatoes diced

1 TBS Olive Oil

1 pinch Sea Salt

1 pinch finely chopped Basil

Heat over Medium-High for 5-7 Minutes

MahiMahi

2 Portions MahiMahi Filets

Season with Lemon Pepper

Heat 1 TBS Olive Oil in a Pan on high

Sear Filet for 2 minutes on each side

Remove from Heat and cover to continue cooking for 5 Minutes 

Plate by making a circle of Quinoa on a plate, place seared MahiMahi Filet on top of Quinoa, top with tomato confit

Plate, Pray & Enjoy!

Meatless Mondays - Veggie StirFry

       Did you know that the average American eats 200 lbs of meat a year? Did you know that going meatless one day per week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity?  Did you know it can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save natural resources like fresh water and fossil fuel?  Did you know it can also save time in the kitchen?
       I am by no means a non-meat eater, in fact when I eat a meal and realize it is {Shudder} Vegan, I must eat some type of animal to make up for it.  However, sometimes, I just need a lighter meal & as I'm sure you know by know I love veggies! So I've decided to join the Meatless Monday Movement. You can learn more about Meatless Mondays here.
      For our First Meatless Monday I decided to revamp an old favorite: StirFry.  I love stirfry! It's quick, it's healthy, and it's a kitchen sink recipe - add what you've got & it will still be tasty. 
The Deets
Whatever You've got!
5 Large Mushrooms
1 Large Carrot
1 Stalk Broccoli 
1 Zucchini
1 Cup Snow Peas
1 TBS Oil (Olive or Canola)
1 tsp Sesame Seed Oil
1 Package Flat Rice Noodles (I used 5mm)
Soy Sauce
Tempura Sauce
Garlic Salt
Other great add-ins
Asparagus
Bok Choy
Bean Sprouts
Celery
Onion
Nappa Cabbage
Peppers
If it's a veggie it's in!

The How To
In a large pan place rice noodles in warm water over low heat (cook until soft usually about 15 minutes)

Chop Veggies to desired size - I mix up the sizes & cuts to keep it fun

In a Large Skillet heat Oil on High
Add Mushrooms, sprinkle with Garlic Salt and Sear mushrooms to desired texture
(Note the order depends on your desired crunch factor - I like my mushrooms & Zucchini cooked well & my other veggies crunchy, hence the order)
Next Add Zucchini & Broccoli
Sprinkle with Tempura Sauce
Add Carrots & Snow Peas
Once veggies are seared, sauteed or cooked to your version of perfection add the noodles
Sprinkle with Soy and Tempura Sauce to Taste
Mix and cook on Med-High for 5 minutes

Plate, Pray & Enjoy!

Happy Meatless Monday!

Dirty Rice with Sausage

If you're anything like me 1/2 way through the day you start wondering what you are going to make for dinner. Then your mind runs through what you've got in the fridge in an attempt to avoid the market on the way home.  Then you end up making one of a handful of quick & easy recipes that you & your family are pretty tired of.

This is a great easy recipe to mix up your midweek routine.   Dirty Rice uses staples you likely already have around & if not these ingredients are easy to add to your staple list since they have a long shelf life. Another great thing about this recipe is it's kind of a "kitchen sink" recipe, add what you have, leave out what you don't.  Here's my take on Dirty Rice:

The Deets

2 Cups Rice (I use long grain brown rice)

4 Cups Chicken Stock

1 Shallot

1/2 Bell Pepper

2 Jalapeno Peppers

10 Mushrooms

1 Can diced tomatoes + a handful of chopped fresh tomatoes

1 large Sausage (I prefer turkey, or better yet, elk if I can get it)

1 TBS Olive Oil

Instructions

Bring chicken broth to boil & add rice

Cook Rice to package directions (using the broth instead of water)

Chop Vegetables to desired size

Heat Oil to pan

Add Shallot & Mushrooms

Once cooked through remove 

Cook Sausage in same pan

Once Sausage is cooked 90% add peppers, mushrooms & shallots 

Next add Diced & Fresh Tomatoes 

Stir occasionally until hot

Add Rice and mix throughly 

Simple, Quick & a Delicious Break from the Usual Menu

Enjoy!

Ace of Cakes I am Not...Adventures in Rainbow Cake

This Week I decided to try my hand at cake decorating.  Now, I think I'm pretty good at making things taste good, but Martha Stewart I am not  & my buddy Chef Duff not a chance - I can make it tasty, but pretty not so much. So of course for my first attempt of making a pretty cake I had to go all out. 
I started with this rainbow cake recipe from Martha Stewart (note do NOT try the frosting recipe it is awful! I ended up scraping it off the cake & tossing it).  I substituted Almond Extract for Vanilla in the cake, but other than that followed Martha's lead on the cake.  I used about 1 1/2 cups of batter for each layer & used 8 inch pans instead of 9 inch ones. The pans headed to the oven.

For the Frosting I used my mother-in-law's amazing frosting, since Martha led me astray.  

The Best Frosting Ever

1 Cup Butter

1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

4 Cups Sifted Confectioner's Sugar (Must be Sifted!)

2 TBS Milk

After layering it was time for a trim & crumb coating

Next it was time to try my hand at Fondant; not only had I never made the stuff, I'd never even used it before. My sister gave me the following recipe which she says is the best she's ever tried, it's found on allrecipes.com. My sister makes some pretty darn cute cakes, so I figured she'd know a good one. Amazingly the fondant actually tastes good! Again I subbed Almond for Vanilla, but other than that I didn't deviate. It was actually edible in comparison to most fondants I've tasted. 

Here are my colors after what felt like hours of kneading and gallons of coloring. {Notes 1. You must use Gel Coloring, liquid will not work. 2. it's really hard to get "true" colors & it takes a lot of time & color}

Finally it was time for the assembly, I have to admit I was a bit intimidated & had to text a good friend who makes beautiful cakes for some tips. {Thanks Heather!} After getting some tips I got to work. Once I got started it was pretty fun & by that time I was so tired I wasn't so hard on myself for the cracks and gaps...

 Jen's 30th Birthday Rainbow Brite Cake!

 I know it's far from perfect, but I have to say for a first attempt I was pretty happy with the results. 

Besides, how can you not smile when you see this? It was so fun to see Jen's little girl's face when she cut into the cake & there was another rainbow! 

I give the Rainbow Cake Recipe 5 stars. The Fondant 4 Stars (it still cracked a lot as you can see in the photos, but that's likely user error).  And my Mother-in-Law's frosting 5 Stars!  If you've got a lovely girl in your life whose 3 or 30 she'll love this cake.  Enjoy!

The Bounty of the Food Co-Op

Recently I joined a Food Co-Op.  The premise is simple - for $50 a month, you receive 2 mystery baskets of produce, each weighing in around 25 lbs!

Week One arrived the Tuesday before Thanksgiving & Oh my was I ever shocked when I saw the bounty! The contents went something like this: apples, asparagus, bananas, carrots, celery, green beans, kiwis, limes, napa cabbage, onions, oranges, potatoes, pomegranate, pineapple, pears, romaine lettuce, spinach, sweet potatoes...

Week Two I was a little more prepared when I received this:

20+ pounds of apples (3 kinds), bananas, bell peppers, carrots, clementines, cucumbers, grapes, kiwi, leaks, limes, jalapenos, mushrooms, mandrin oranges, oranges, potatoes (2 kinds), pears, spinach, tomatoes, zucchini & fresh herbs

Week Three contained 3 kinds of apples (including my favorite HoneyCrisp), Avocados, Bananas, Broccoli, Carrots, Clementines, Cucumbers, Celery, Green Onions, Garlic, Grapefruit, Kiwi, Lemons, Mandrin Oranges, Oranges, 3 kinds of Potatoes, Asian Pears, Romaine Lettuce, Sprouts,  Sweet Potatoes, Onions, Tomatoes & Fresh Herbs

Getting my share is like getting a present - I never know what I'm going to get & I get to pick it up from my friend Jen - Double Bonus.

All this extra produce has not only saved me time running all over town to find good produce, but it has also caused us to break out the juicer on a more regular basis.
This week we've had Apple, Carrot, Kiwi, Pear, Grape, Celery Juice.

 Apple, Carrot, Lemon, Orange, Kiwi Juice

And Apple, Carrot, Pear, Lemon, Orange, Juice

We Love having Fresh Produce Year Round!

Happy, Healthy New Year! Grapefruit Avocado Salad

I Love Salad. I do Not Love Salad Dressing.

I know that other than my 3 year old niece most people would disagree; they either dislike salad or drown it in dressing.  So, to appease the masses, I present my latest salad creation:

Grapefruit Avocado Salad

The Deets 

Spinach or Romaine Roughly Chopped (I do 1 cup per person)

1/2 Ruby Red Grapefruit

1/2 Avocado

1/2 Cucumber

10 Raw Almonds (roughly chopped)

1 TBS Grapefruit Juice

1/2 TBS Lemon Juice

1 TBS Soy Sauce

Salad Construction

Cut up Grapefruit, Avocado & Cucumber (I cut into quarters)

Place cut Grapefruit, Avocado & Cucumber in Bowl

Add Grapefruit Juice (I set aside the end & squeeze it in), Lemon Juice & Soy Sauce

Let sit for 10-15 minutes

Add Greens & Mix

Top with Almonds

Enjoy!

Grandma G's Cheese Strata

Strata is something that I was not familiar with until now...

One of Husband's family Christmas traditions is Grandma G's Cheese Strata

So being the good wife I am {he he shameless pat on the back} I called my sister-in-law & got Grandma G's Recipe.

The Deets

8-12 Slices of White Bread 

1/2 Cup Sharp Cheddar

1/2 Cup Swiss Cheese

5 Eggs

2 Cups Milk

1 tsp Seasoned Salt

1/2 tsp Garlic Salt

Assembly

In buttered casserole dish alternate layers of bread & cheese

Combine remaining ingredients in bowl & mix until smooth

Pour over Bread & Cheese

Cover & place in fridge overnight

Place in larger dish of water  

Bake at 325 for 55 minutes

And that is Gramma G's Cheese Strata. Enjoy.