Pan-Fried Cod with Farro Salad in Champagne Vinaigrette

My husband and I celebrated 11 years of marriage this past Valentine's Day!  We look forward to a romantic getaway every year, but once the celebrating is over, we come to the grim realization that we have to endure the long, bitter winter that just seems to go on and on... and on and on... like a bad run-on sentence.  You know it's brutal out when the school districts are closed because of the low temperatures.  The frigid weather sends me into complete hibernation mode, and all I want to do is bundle up all day with a hot cup of tea.  I'm happy to report that I've already gained my usual 5-pound winter weight, and I justify it by telling myself that the only practical thing to do is embrace the extra layer of insulation.  It takes everything in me to muster up motivation for exercise this time of year.  My daydreams have ever increasingly consisted of playing tennis under the hot son, or running on the trail next to my little sous chef.  

Speaking of running, I enrolled my daughter in Girls on the Run!  It's a program that "inspires girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running."  Once it's completed, she and I will run our first 5K together!  More about that another time.

Because my exercise routine is rather unstable this time of year, eating healthy is a must.  Once a week, I incorporate fish into our meal rotation, and I'm always looking for different ways to present it to my family.  I've been experimenting with farro recently, and I decided to pair the two for dinner.  Farro is a wonderfully chewy and hearty grain that has a delicious nutty flavor.  It holds up well in soups and stews, and is a great substitute for pasta.  Farro is high in fiber, a rich source of vitamins B and E, and can stimulate your immune system and lower cholesterol.

This farro salad is dressed in a delicious champagne vinaigrette and seasoned with thyme, parsley, and rosemary.  A touch of freshly squeezed orange juice is added to brighten up the flavor.  Fresh tomato and artichoke are tossed in along with some minced onion for a little crunch factor.  This is a delicious salad that's hearty, healthy, and full of flavor.  It can can be enjoyed warm or cold.  I can't wait to use farro in my Tuscan Soup next time!    

Baked Salmon & Balsamic Quinoa Salad with Zucchini and Pine Nuts

The days are growing colder, and the nights are creeping earlier.  What do I love about fall?  So many things!  Baking pies and breads, picking pumpkins and apples, crunching leaves under my feet, sipping hot cocoa, breathing in the crisp air, and wearing chunky sweaters with fuzzy socks and boots!  Yesterday was the first official day of autumn, though it's felt like autumn for quite some time now.  It was chilly outside, and I was in the mood to fire up my oven for dinner.  I had some lovely organic salmon that I needed to use up, so I made a simple & delicious baked salmon.  As a side, I made a warm quinoa salad with zucchini and pine nuts, and brightened up the flavor by adding balsamic vinegar.  Divine!  

Chipotle Quinoa & Summer Harvest Salad with Smoked Gouda

I can never relate to the parent that says they're happy to shove their kids back on the school bus and get them out of their hair when school starts back up.  For me, it's a sad time.  Don't get me wrong, I'm very excited that my little sous chef is getting bigger and starting 4th grade, but I really do enjoy those precious moments of summer break with her each day!  If you haven't noticed, I've haven't posted a new recipe for nearly a month.  This is mainly because the last month of summer is always a super busy time for us.  Now that school has started and our schedules have become a lot more structured, I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things and start posting on a weekly basis again.

One of the things that has really kept us busy over the last month is processing harvested vegetables from the garden.  I had some green pepper, tomato, and corn that I needed to use up from all that harvesting, so I decided to make this warm, spicy quinoa salad with freshly harvested garden vegetables, topped with smoked gouda.  It's delicious, guilt-free and packed with flavor!  

Lobster & Corn Salad Lettuce Wraps with Tarragon Mayonnaise

Exactly one week ago, on August 6th, I celebrated my 33rd fifth 29th birthday.  My husband and I called off work, and he had the entire day planned out, babysitting and all.  How exciting!  We started the day off at the Parc Bistro for brunch, where I enjoyed some amazing bouillabaisse, and he had the bourbon shrimp BLT.  Look at the evidence below - I'm turning my husband into a food blogger!  We then went for a couple's massage, had an appointment for a new tennis racquet fitting for me, had my favorite fish tacos for dinner, and played tennis with my new racquet.  Start to finish, it was a pretty amazing day!    

Well, that was last Wednesday.  Since it's still technically my birthday week (haha!), I thought I'd treat myself to a little lobster.  Okay, that was a pretty weak transition from my birthday to the recipe, but it's the best I could do!  We typically only indulge in lobster two-to-three times a year, usually when live lobster goes on sale for $6.99/lb.  I combined the steamed lobster with freshly picked corn and tomatoes from the garden along with a yummy tarragon mayonnaise.  After chilling it, I served it over romaine lettuce to make a lettuce wrap.  It's light, simple and delicious, and the tarragon mayonnaise doesn't overpower the beautiful flavor of the lobster.  

Peach Poppy Seed Vinaigrette over Strawberry, Feta & Walnut Salad

We've been doing some spring cleaning of our diets recently, especially since I've gained my usual 5-pound winter weight.  I'm very anxious to get back on the tennis courts and bike trail again!  I had a beautiful package of mixed baby greens in the fridge and was in the mood for a light and refreshing salad.  I decided to use up my remaining strawberries, toss in some feta, and add some toasted walnuts.  But it needed something to bring it all together.  I found about 3 tablespoons of peach preserves that I had to use up, so I decided to make a peach vinaigrette with poppy seeds.  This dressing is seriously bangin!

Crock Pot Chipotle Steak Taco Salad Bowls

Dump it, set it, forget it!  These chipotle steak taco bowls are not only easy to make, but they're bursting with flavor and require very little effort on your part.  Simply add the ingredients to your crock pot in the morning, turn the heat on low, and come home to the ahh-mazing smell of chipotle steak.  Your mouth will be happy - I promise!  

Italian Pasta Salad with Pepperoni & Red Wine Vinaigrette

Whenever I am asked to provide a pasta salad, I typically make my husband's favorite Italian Vegetable & Shrimp Pasta Salad but I wanted to try something new for a Memorial Day picnic.  I stumbled across a recipe from Food.com that sounded good and received excellent reviews.  I made a few changes to it and it really did turn out to be delicious!  This pasta salad only gets better with time, so make it one day in advance if possible.  

Happy Memorial Day!

Quinoa Salad with Asparagus & Almonds in Balsamic Vinaigrette

My back door was sending me conflicting information a few days ago - snow in spring?  It can't be!  Even though spring hasn't quite started out as I had hoped, I am still in the spirit.  We have already started on our spring cleaning and I have been admiring the pretty little robins pecking away at the suet from my back door.  How lovely it will be to open my windows and let the sweet spring air pour through to freshen my house.  How happy I will be when I can harvest and cook with fresh ingredients from the garden again.  As I found myself daydreaming, I decided to make a light, healthy and fresh salad for lunch today to help quench my thirst for the spring weather.  

Southwestern Blackened Chicken Salad

This recipe originated from my attempts at recreating one of our favorite salads from a local Mexican restaurant.  It is delicious, easy to make and ready in 15 minutes -- a perfect summer salad!  There are so many wonderful elements to this salad.  It is cold and crunchy, salty, sweet, spicy, and cheesy all at the same time.  The chicken is juicy and tender with just the right amount of spice.  I used freshly picked corn and tomatoes from the garden.  If you're not a fan of pepper jack cheese, substitute with cheddar and/or Monterey jack.  

Shrimp & Mango Salad in Crispy Parmesan Bowls

The school year is winding down and summer break is upon us.  My daughter has one full week left of 1st grade and I have been busy working on our summer schedule and planning activities.  With the unseasonably warm weather we have been having, I have also been cooking up a lot of summer recipes.  Today's recipe will be the first of several summer recipes that I will be sharing with you.

This shrimp and mango salad is refreshing and delicious and is served in your very own bowl of crispy cheese.  It is creamy and crunchy, salty and sweet all at the same time.  This recipe is one of my favorites and is perfect for lunch on a hot summer day.

Red Quinoa & Vegetable Salad

This salad is cool, fresh, crunchy, packed with nutrients and perfect for summer.  If you're unfamiliar with quinoa, it has a light and fluffy texture and a mildly nutty flavor.  It is easy to digest and is not as filling as other grains.  Quinoa dates back to the ancient Inca civilization and was referred to as the Mother Grain in the Inca culture.  It is a complete protein, which means that it contains the correct proportions of all nine essential amino acids necessary for dietary needs in humans.  It is also gluten-free and very high in fiber.  Pair it with fresh vegetables and a light dressing and you have a very healthy and delicious salad.  This salad can be served as a main course or as a side.

Caesar Salad with Homemade Dressing & Crispy Chicken

"And mom and dad can hardly wait for school to start again."  As a child, I always thought that phrase from the popular Christmas song was rude and couldn't understand it.  What was so wrong with being out of school for winter break?  Now that I am a parent of a child in school, I completely understand.  Don't get me wrong -- I absolutely adore having my daughter home with me all day.  However, I definitely do not adore how messy the house gets when she's home all day!  Also, I find myself with less time for housework, errands, cooking, etc., especially when I'm constantly being begged to play with her and the millions of Christmas gifts she received.  Days like these call for quick meals.

This salad is made in under 30 minutes and is super tasty.  Oh, and the dressing is pretty addicting if I do say so myself!

Shaved Salad with Prosciutto in Balsamic-Dijon Vinaigrette

Crispy, shaved vegetables with salty prosciutto bits in a tangy balsamic vinaigrette topped with crumbled feta cheese yields a delicious and healthy salad.  This is a beautiful, elegant side that compliments just about any entree.  I served mine with roasted beef tenderloin.  Shaved cucumber and purple cabbage are also nice additions to any shaved salad.  For a vegetarian spin, simply leave out the prosciutto.

Mediterranean Couscous and Chicken Pasta Salad

One Year Ago:  Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken Thighs

Happy Memorial Day!  I hope you all have a wonderful time this extended weekend with family and friends remembering those who bravely served and gave their lives for this country. 

Amish Macaroni Salad

One Year Ago:  Homemade Italian Three-Cheese Pizza

One of my favorite things about this time of the year is picnicing with family and friends.  There is always fear of not having enough food, yet everyone leaves with leftovers.  My absolute favorite picnic food is my mother-in-law's potato salad.  It is to DIE for!  My second favorite picnic food is corn on the cob smothered with butter and salt; nothing fancy.  What is your favorite picnic food?  Do you have a side or dessert that you are known for at gatherings? 

Another picnic food that I enjoy is macaroni salad.  This is our favorite recipe for macaroni salad.  The only thing that would make this better would be the addition of onion and celery, which I omit because my husband is not a fan of either. 

Creamy Chipotle Shrimp, Avocado and Mango Salad Cups

There are so many wonderful elements to this salad.  In addition to the savory shrimp and soft avocado, you get a creaminess and spiciness from the dressing paired with sweetness from the mango and a wonderful crunch from the scallions.  To top it all off, you also get your own personal portion in a cup, which is a hollowed-out avocado!  My family absolutely loved these and my daughter asked for two servings!  She was even anxious to take a break from playing with her neighbor friends to give her very own food critic rating (see below).  The only downside to these is that they don't last long... they will be gone before you know it! 

Ingredients:

Yields 4 servings

• 1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
• 2 avocado, cut in half lengthwise and pit removed 
• 2 mango, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces 
• 1/4 c scallions, diced 
• 1/2 c creamy chipotle dressing, recipe here (or store-bought)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large skillet to medium heat.  Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and saute until cooked through and pink in color.  Set aside.

Using a knife, gently make slits in the skin of each avocado half making a cross-hatch pattern.  Carefully scoop out the avocado flesh and place it in a large bowl.  Reserve the avocado peels and set aside.

Coarsely chop the cooked shrimp and place it in the bowl with the avocado.  Add the mango, scallions and creamy chipotle dressing, stirring well to combine.  Season with salt and pepper.

Scoop the salad into each avocado peel.

Enjoy!

Madelyn Rating:

Two (chalky) thumbs up!

Lemon-Rosemary Chicken and Vegetable Salad

The Philadelphia Eagles are in the playoffs and we play the Packers this Sunday at 4:30! I know for a fact that I will be making some kind of dip and/or snack food for the game, so I thought a healthy lunch was in order today. It snowed this morning, so it is cold out and my oven looked lonely, so I thought I would broil some chicken thighs and have a salad. My husband is not a big fan of lemon chicken but I love it, so lunch is the perfect time to enjoy it!

Ingredients:
Printable Recipe

• 1/2 lb chicken thighs
• Juice from 1 lemon
  
• 1/4 c olive oil
  
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
  
• 1 tsp salt
  
• 2 c fresh vegetables (I used fresh spinach, tomato and green pepper)
  
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Combine the lemon, olive oil, rosemary and salt in a shallow bowl or resealable bag. Add the chicken and marinate for 1 hour.
• Preheat the broiler. Place the chicken on a tin foil-lined baking sheet and discard the marinade.
  
• Broil for 6 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is cooked through.
  
• Meanwhile, toss the vegetables together in a bowl or on a serving plate and sprinkle parsley on top. Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over all. Season with pepper.
• Cut up the chicken and add it to the salad!
• Enjoy!
  

Chicken Caesar Flatbread Sandwich

I had planned on cooking leg of lamb tonight for dinner but I decided to stray from my weekly meal planner (which I hardly ever do) and go with what I was craving -- chicken Caesar sandwiches! These are very simple and fast but so delicious! The family gobbled them right up and loved them. My daughter came up with the idea that I should have her showing a thumbs up if it's good, thumbs medium if it's "meh" or thumbs down if it's not good. I think it's a cute idea, so I will (try to remember to) add the thumbs up, thumbs medium or thumbs down for Madelyn's rating of a meal. I have to be careful now that I have a food critic judging my every meal. lol

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
• 1/4 c Caesar dressing PLUS more for topping
  
• Cooking spray, to coat indoor grill, panini maker or cast-iron grill pan
  
• 4 flatbread slices or pitas
  
• Shredded Romano cheese, to taste
  
• Parmesan cheese, to taste
  
• 2 c Iceburg lettuce, chopped
  
• 1 tomato, chopped
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Here are the thumb rating pictures (let's hope I don't get too many of the last two):



Directions:

• Marinate the chicken breast strips in 1/4 c of the Caesar dressing for at least 2 hours.
  
• Preheat grill and coat with cooking spray.
• Cook the chicken strips for 5 minutes (I used panini maker), until chicken is no longer pink in the center.
  
• Assemble the sandwich. Lay lettuce on top of one slice of flatbread. Pour desired amount dressing over the lettuce and top with chicken, tomato and cheeses. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat for the remaining slices of flatbread.
• Fold and enjoy! Simple? Yes!
  

Madelyn rating:
"Good!"

Parsley Caprese

For lunch today, I was in the mood for Caprese. The problem is, I was out of fresh basil. I figured, I like the taste of parsley more than basil in general, so why should not having basil stop me from enjoying my Caprese? I really need to start a potted herb garden!

Ingredients:

• Good quality mozzarella, cut into thin slices
  
• Ripe tomatoes, cut into thin slices
• Sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Balsamic vinager, to taste

Directions:

• Arrange the mozzarella and tomato together nicely on a plate.
  
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle parsley over all.
• Simple enough.
  
• Enjoy!
  

Raspberry Cobb Salad

There are so many exciting things that I received from my birthday that I cannot wait to try. My sister's mother-in-law, Tina, bought me Giada De Laurentiis' Raspberry Vinaigrette for my birthday. In keeping up with the goal to have my freezer cleaned out by vacation, I had my split chicken breasts thawed out. I had to use that in addition to some bacon leftover from last night's dinner. I wanted to use all three things for dinner tonight, thus raspberry Cobb salad was born.

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lbs split chicken breasts, bone-in
• 2 to 3 quarts chicken stock, or as needed
  
• 4 eggs
• 6 slices bacon, cooked
  
• 1 quart cherry tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
  
• Crumbled bleu cheese
  
• 2 avacados, chopped (I was out of avacado unfortunately)
  
• Romaine lettuce
  
• Giada De Laurentiis' Raspberry Vinaigrette, to taste
• Sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Boil the chicken breasts in the chicken stock for 15 minutes. Add the eggs to the boiling water and boil along with chicken for another 15 minutes. Remove the chicken and eggs from water. Transfer the chicken onto a cutting board to allow the chicken to cool a little before handling and chill the eggs.
  
• Meanwhile, chop the romaine lettuce and place on a serving platter. Place the bacon, tomatoes, bleu cheese crumble and avacado side by side on the serving platter.
  
• Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper and place on the serving platter.
  
• Peel the eggs and cut them into 1/4-inch slices. Place them on the serving platter as well.
• Drizzle Giada De Laurentiis' Raspberry Vinaigrette over all.

• Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
  
• Enjoy!