Fast & Frugal Friday: Chicken with Grilled Tomatillo Salsa

Do you have your heart set on a main dish for Cinco de Mayo yet? I hope not as I made something fantastic, seriously. My hubby and I made a tomatillo salsa last spring and we were not crazy about it however, since Tuesday was almost 90, I was in the mood to grill and thought that grilling some ingredients would offer a whole new flavor profile so went for it as I did with my 'Roasted Yellow Tomato Soup'. You will also know by now that my favorite store to find unique food items (unique to this tiny state) is at Sandy's Fine Food Emporium. So, what are tomatillos and how do they relate to Mexico? Tomatillos are a relative of the tomato family and provide that tart flavor in a host of Mexican green sauces. In Mexico the fruit is called tomates verdes, tomates de cascara as well as fresadillas. They have no fat but plenty of Vitamin C so load up and get creative.

Ingredients:

2 Tomatillos
2 thick slices of sweet onion (about 1/2 inch each)
2 cloves of garlic, skin intact

¼ cumin

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied
1 tablespoon canned green chili's
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

1. Heat gas grill on medium heat. Remove the husk, rinse and chop tomatillos in half from top to bottom. Cut two thick slices of onion and grab two cloves of garlic but leave the skin on them.

2. Sprinkle cumin on both sides of chicken breasts and place on grill. Also place tomatillos, onion and garlic on grill. Flip everything after 5 minutes. Cook another 3 minutes or so and remove all.

3. Place tomatillos, onion, garlic, chilis, lime juice, vinegar and cilantro into food processor and pulse a few times. Serve over chicken. Note: I did not forget to add salt, I did not need it with all these fabulous flavors.

National Food Month - Oatmeal Cookie Challenge Round-up

I am giggling. I can not help but think of Cookie Monster saying 'C-o-o-k-i-e' and then saying it out loud that way. Like most, I get my share of cookie cravings and often guilt if I eat more than one so I try to up the nutritional ante so that I feel a bit proud of my cookie indulgences. Yes, I could eat only one, but I find I have more when trying out recipes. I consider it quality control. My husband likes to join the QC department also and here is his feedback to my recipe below. 'I want it to be sweeter. When I eat a cookie, I want sweet'. Since I am not going for cavities when I eat cookies, feel free to toss some brown sugar into my recipe if you wish but I like them the way they are: Fluffy, Chewy and Not Too Sweet'. Please try my recipe and give me your feedback and I will continue to experiment and improve my QC department.

Not-so-Basic Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
3/4 cup organic blue agave nectar
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1/2 all purpose unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground flax seed
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350° degrees (make sure the rack in the middle of the oven). Line baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper.

2. Whisk together agave nectar, applesauce, egg white, oil and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix oats, all purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, flax seed and salt together. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet and mix just until blended.

3. Place about a tablespoonful of dough onto the baking sheet, press them down lightly (not too think but not a big blob) spaced cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

Variations:
A. Take 4 tablespoons mix and add 1 tablespoon dried cranberries (photo above)
B. Take 4 tablespoons mix and add 2 tablespoons semi-sweet mini chips

Want some more amazing recipes: Here are 3 more from some fabulous foodies. Check out their recipes.

Sarah from Winged Snail had applesauce and agave nectar on her mind as well but added the fiber and nutrients of apples, raisins and walnuts to her yummy ‘Apple Granola Oatmeal’ cookies.






Kevin, we all love Kevin, of Closet Cooking. This time he is wowing us with his Apricot and White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies. We are obviously meant to bake together as:

1. He is trying to seduce me by including white chocolate.

2. We are baking soul mates as we used the same amount of flour and rolled oats. Kisses to you Kevin!





Lauren of ‘Bytes from Texas’ has really impressed me by utilizing all whole wheat flour as well as, ready for this? Figs and Apple Butter in her Hippie Oatmeal Cookies. Hands in there air for this one!




As a side note, I have concluded that 1.5 cups of rolled oats is the key to the bet oatmeal cookie

Eating Well Wednesday - Mexican Casserole

As soon as your friend says 'Do you want to get some Mexican food for dinner tonight?', you think cheese, heat and a heavy belly right? OK, yes, after you think about margaritas. Well, let's lower the fat (and save room in your belly for the second margarita) by following this recipe from Eating Well called 'Chilaquiles Casserole'. We can celebrate Cinco de Mayo without increasing the dose on your cholesterol meds. as this version is loaded with beans and vegetables and uses reduced fat cheese.


Ingredients:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium zucchini, grated
1 19-ounce can black beans, rinsed
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 cups corn, frozen (thawed) or fresh
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 corn tortillas, quartered
1 19-ounce can mild red or green enchilada sauce
1 1/4 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in zucchini, beans, tomatoes, corn, cumin and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are heated through, about 3 minutes.

3. Scatter half the tortilla pieces in the pan. Top with half the vegetable mixture, half the enchilada sauce and half the cheese. Repeat with one more layer of tortillas, vegetables, sauce and cheese. Cover with foil.

4. Bake the casserole for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the casserole is bubbling around the edges and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes more.

Tomato Mania at Sippity Sup

Greg, of SippitySup fame (and video God) held a lovely tomato challenge and according to him, 46 of us foodies wowed the judging panel. However, there could only be 6 winners. Who were they? Go on over and find out (hint, one of them is moi).

WAIT! only 1 day left to enter the Oatmeal Cookie Challenge! Start baking.

Mexican Week and Combating Cancer: Grilled Cumin Sugar Snap Peas

A Mexican inspired side dish that may not seem traditional however, a bit of research on the flavors of Mexico and you will find that cumin and garlic are popular seasonings. I came up with a super simple side dish that you can make on your grill while the chicken is cooking. Seriously, I tore a piece of foil, tossed half the bag of peas on it, sprayed with smart balance, threw the chopped garlic on, sprinkled the cumin and off to the grill it went.

Not only is this dish fast, easy and frugal but it is loaded with great nutrients and cancer fighting ability. Yes, sugar snap peas contain phytochemicals, and according to Living Strong, Living Well, have been shown to prevent or slow genetic damage to cells. While this makes beans beneficial for helping to reduce your risk of many types of cancer, specific research has suggested they are especially potent in preventing prostate cancer. As an added bonus, the high fiber content of beans has been connected with a lower risk of digestive cancers." Garlic is also well known for it's cancer fighting abilites and even cumin may have chemopreventive potential by being able to modulate carcinogen metabolism. Interested in more cancer fighting recipes? Please read more at the 'Cooking to Combat Cancer' event at Mele Cotte blog.

photo of pre-cooked peas

Ingredients:
4 oz sugar snap peas
a few spritzes of smart balance (I guess 10)
a clove of garlic, chopped
~1/8 teaspoon cumin.

Place peas on foil, top with ingredients, loosely fold foil, toss onto gas grill over medium-low heat and let go for 5-8 minutes.

Ole` It's Mexican Week: Mushroom and Chicken Quesadilla

Ole` everyone. I thought that I would provide all sorts of 'Mexican' recipes in preparation for Cinco de Mayo. First suggestion from the family: Quesadillas! These can be a fun food: Both young and old can legitimately use their hands to hold their food, look silly when chomping into a large piece of it, get messy and it is all acceptable. Therefore, it is a popular food in our house. It is also a great way to sneak some items into your kids foods and hopefully they will not notice. This time we opted for using up our mushrooms, reduced fat cheeses AND all the meat left on the roasted chicken you grabbed from the store. Admit it, you did not roast it yourself. Please note, we used a whole wheat tortilla and I must say those little buggers can not hold weight so they fell apart easily. I was fine with it but your kids may not be so opt for a sturdier selection such as spinach OR toast the tortilla first under the broiler and then layer ingredients and warm.

Ingredients for 3 quesadillas:

2 Whole Wheat Tortillas per person

Leftover roasted chicken

1/2 cup each reduced fat white and yellow cheddar

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

2 oz chopped green chilis (from a 4.25 can)

4 oz baby portabello mushrooms, chopped

1 cup mild salsa

1/3 cup 0% fat greek yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray pan with olive oil spray and heat to medium high. Toss mushrooms in and let them saute while you are working on step 2

2. Place parchment of a baking pan, place one tortilla on it and begin layering all items except the mushrooms.

3. Once mushrooms are sauteed to your liking, place onto other ingredients. Place another tortilla on top, press lightly. Bake for a few minutes until cheese is melted and all ingredients warmed.

Fast & Frugal Friday: Baked Orange Roughy with Paprika and Garlic

Considering we are allowed to have Orange Roughy only once a month, I figured I had better stick with my tried and true recipe. Although I do enjoy to make some truly mutli-layered, multi-flavored recipes, I find that when it comes to fish, I prefer it light and simple. Here is a great example and so fast and easy.....this would be a good one to pull out for last minute guests as well.

Ingredients: all of these are guesstimates as I whip out the ingredients and just toss them on.

1 lb. orange roughy fillets

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 large or 2 medium cloves of garlic, chopped

1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush each fillet lightly with EVOO , apply the following to both sides: Salt, pepper and paprika

2. Sprinkle chopped garlic on top and bake approximately 20-22 minutes

Eating Well Wednesday - Goodies for Lunchboxes

Let's take a hump day break from the traditional recipe post and share some ideas about healthy snacks/lunches for the kiddos. EatingWell's nutrition staff (and all of us Moms) know how important healthy snacks and lunches are for a kid's overall energy and health. Here are some quick—and fun—ideas that make the grade!
So tell me: What are some of your tried and true healthy 'lunchbox' staples?

Fruity Kebabs: Spear chunks of pineapple, cucumber, orange and/or grapes on toothpicks; include a small cup of sugar-free yogurt for dipping.

Happy Trails Mix: Combine equal parts popcorn and whole-grain unsweetened cereal; add a small handful of orange-flavored dried cranberries.

Chips & Dip: Pack up a small bag of baked tortilla chips; include a separate container of salsa you’ve spiked with shredded Cheddar cheese for dipping.

Do-It-Yourself Mini Stackers: Provide whole-grain crackers, 1-inch squares of sliced roast turkey breast and cucumber rounds in separate containers. Let your child stack her own “sandwiches.”

Mini Rice-Cake Sandwiches: Spread peanut butter between mini rice cakes.

Taco Bites: Provide separate containers of mini-taco shells (preferably trans-fat-free), low-fat bean dip, shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese and salsa.

Ham “Sushi”: Spread turkey ham lunchmeat with a thin layer of reduced-fat cream cheese. Sprinkle with shredded carrot and roll into a cylinder; slice crosswise into “sushi.”

Petite Pitas: Fill mini whole-wheat pitas with hummus, shredded lettuce and chopped tomato. Drizzle with Italian dressing; wrap tightly in plastic wrap.

Wild Mushroom Ravioli with Roasted Yellow Tomato Pesto

I am among a fantastic group of FoodBuzz Featured Publishers that received a package of Buitoni's wild mushroom agnolotti. These ravioli's are filled with portobello and crimini mushrooms (baby portobellos), garlic and a bit of cheese. Naturally, I was as excited to try the ravioli as Buitoni is for us to rave about it in a post. Since I was already being creative for SippitySup's TomatoMania and had an extra roasted yellow tomato, I decided that a less traditional pesto was in order.

My verdict: The ravioli is well done with delicate flavors as it is not seasoned with strong herbs and would be perfect with a classic brown sage butter or nutrient loaded tomato sauce. My pesto is great but there are too many flavors for this application and would be best on plain pasta or on chicken.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted (in a pan over medium heat)
½ roasted yellow tomato, roughly chopped (please see here for roasting instructions)
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 large garlic clove, minced
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 package Buitoni Mushroom Ravioli

Directions:
1. Boil water for ravioli and cook per package instructions.

2. Combine first 6 ingredients in food processor and slowly add oil. Feel free to add more or less.

3. Serve pesto with ravioli and enjoy.

Roasted Yellow Tomato, Garlic and Fingerling Soup

Update: I am submitting this recipe in Girlichef's Chili's in May contest.

TomatoMania. Yes, Tomato Mania. What is it? A contest going on at SippitySup. I found his contest Saturday afternoon and set to work. Have you seen the videos Greg has entered in my past contests? Look here and here. So, the contest: Naturally, tomato sauce popped right into my mind. No, Jen think outside the box. Wait, there were some great looking yellow tomatoes at Sandy's Fine Food Emporium the other day. Once home, I stared at them while listening to the news reports of snow storms in Colorado. Man, must be cold there.....nothing like a soup with some heat to warm you up. Yes, soup! So, what else to put in it? it needs heat and I want it to be a bit thick but not with cream. I also grabbed some fingerling potatoes at the store as I had never eaten them before. Why not utilize them in the soup as a thickener and some green chilis for heat? Done.

Ingredients :
1 lb. yellow tomatoes, sliced in half and cored
3 cloves of garlic, skin intact
½ lb fingerling potatoes
1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup sweet onion, diced
3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
½ can (~2oz) green chilies (half a 4.25 oz can)
Salt and pepper to taste
Oikos fat-free Greek Yogurt (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss potatoes with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Cover baking pan with parchment paper and place tomatoes, garlic and potatoes in pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a knife easy penetrates the tomatoes and potatoes. Remove from oven to allow to cool slightly.

2. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onions in a deep pot or Dutch oven over for about 8-10 minutes. While the onion is sautéing, remove the skin from the tomatoes, potatoes and garlic, roughly chop all of them.

3. Once the onions are slightly translucent and brown around the edges, add the tomatoes, garlic, potatoes, broth, oregano, parsley, and chilies. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for ~10 minutes.

4. Remove the pot from the burner, allow to cool slightly and then begin to puree with an immersion blender (you can use a blender but mine is broken: please remember to vent if you use one however as the steam needs to escape.) I like my soup a bit chunky so puree to your desired consistency. I then ladle some and place a dollop of Greek yogurt on top.

Yield should be 4 cups.

Easter Cake Bake

My daughter and I made a cake for Easter-it is not healthy or even from scratch so I decided to post it on our family blog, 'A Bird's Eye View'. The eggs are the 'robins' eggs you can buy in a bag and the 'nest' is made from chow mein noodles. I will be posting about our great Easter meal and 'spill' soon. By the way, I submitted this cake in the Easter Cake Bake at A Slice of Cherry Pie.

National Food Month - Oatmeal Cookie Challenge

While buying my Madagascar Vanilla last week at Sandy’s Fine Food Emporium, I saw their April newsletter and found out that April is National Food Month. I read the list and it gave me an idea. The last day, April 30th, is National Oatmeal Cookie Day so I think we should have a round-up of all of your recipes. You know we are about a healthier approach so do you have a great recipe that is a bit 'cleaner'? We can totally justify eating oatmeal cookies as oatmeal is a superfood but what else can we do for 'healthing' up the cookie? Maybe include some applesauce to cut down on the oil/fat? Do you include extra nutrition by adding nuts or flax seed? or maybe even for special dietary needs such as gluten-free?

Photo courtesy of Quaker Oats

Here is what you can do: email the following information and I will publish my own and all of your great oatmeal cookie recipes on April 30th. Send an email titled Oatmeal Cookie' with the following information to savorthethyme@cox.net:
o Your name
o The name of your blog
o The name of recipe if you have a unique title you want me to use
o Attach the photo with a maximum size of 350 x 350 pixels
o The link to your event entry/post by midnight April 29th, 2009.
o Feel free to submit a previously posted recipe
o You can participate even if you don't have a food blog or any blog at all. Non-bloggers can email the above information (sans blog details) and we'll include it in the round up.

Here is the run down of all the 'days' for National Food Month:
April 1, 2009 National Sourdough Bread Day
April 2, 2009 National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day
April 3, 2009 National Chocolate Mousse Day
April 4, 2009 National Cordon Bleu Day
April 5, 2009 National Raisin & Spice Bar Day
April 6, 2009 National Caramel Popcorn Day
April 7, 2009 National Coffee Cake Day
April 8, 2009 National Empanada Day
April 9, 2009 National Chinese Almond Cookie Day
April 10, 2009 National Cinnamon Crescent Day
April 11, 2009 National Cheese Fondue Day
April 12, 2009 National Licorice Day
April 13, 2009 National Peach Cobbler Day
April 14, 2009 National Pecan Day
April 15, 2009 National Glazed Ham Day
April 16, 2009 National Eggs Benedict Day
April 17, 2009 National Cheeseball Day
April 18, 2009 National Animal Crackers Day
April 20, 2009 National Pineapple Upside-down Cake Day
April 21, 2009 National Chocolate-Covered Cashews Day
April 22, 2009 National Jelly Bean Day
April 23, 2009 National Cherry Cheesecake Day
April 24, 2009 National Pigs-in-a-Blanket Day
April 25, 2009 National Zucchini Bread Day
April 26, 2009 National Pretzel Day
April 27, 2009 National Prime Rib Day
April 28, 2009 National Blueberry Pie Day
April 29, 2009 National Shrimp Scampi Day
April 30, 2009 National Oatmeal Cookie Day

Fast & Frugal Friday: Bison Meatballs

It has sprung! Yes, officially, it is a sunny, warm, not windy, not rainy day and I officially declare it spring in New England. Okay, now that I have shared my excitement, I must post now and then get outside to get to work on the doll house we have been waiting many months to clean and paint. My offering to you today is bison meatballs. Bison is also known as Buffalo and many more grocery stores are carrying it. If you can not find it, think about trying my turkey meatballs instead. Make some whole wheat or whole grain blend pasta, some organic spaghetti sauce and steam some veggies. Enjoy spring.


Ingredients:
1 cup whole-wheat panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup 1% milk
1 lb. ground bison/buffalo
½ cup sweet onion, finely chopped
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/8 teaspoon ground thyme
1 large egg
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 pepper

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine bread crumbs and milk in a bowl, mix and set aside for 5 minutes.

2. In a seperate large bowl, combine ground bison, onions, garlic, parsley, thyme, egg, salt, pepper, and breadcrumb mixture. Now get your clean hands in there and mix gently.

3. Using the now mushy hands, form the mixture into balls (each about 1.5 tablespoons); arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet/pan lined with unbleached parchment paper.

4. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

MOOoooooo.....minicards

A week or so ago, the lucky FoodBuzz featured publishers received an email letting us know that we will be getting 100 free cards from Moo. I finally ordered mine and can not wait to start carrying them around. I will feel like an 'official' blogger. Get some yourself as they are fantastic, cheap and you can upload your own photos.

Ilva Beretta Photography

Sweet Potatoes 'Fries' aka 'Mommy Fries'

We all know the truth: mommies are often the 'bad guy'. Many of us have resigned to this fact and accept that Daddy is always the 'good guy'. This even applies to the details of what we eat. My husband first introduced my children to baked sliced potatoes by making 'Daddy Fries' which really look more like chips. He used the mandolin to make slices, tossed them with some oil, salt and bakes them.
Well, the bad guy came along and decided that if they are going to eat baked sliced potatoes, they would be sweet potatoes. Their first introduction was to actual wedges that I had always made for my husband since we were dating (I will supply the recipe in the future). However, since the kids loved the 'daddy fries', I used sweet potatoes the same way now. Luckily, they do enjoy them, especially with 'vinegar' but I think the daddy fries will always have a special place in their heart.

Now, do you know why Mommy would prefer we all eat the sweet potatoes?
Sweet potatoes (SP) are a greater nutritional value to you than white potatoes. In what way you say? Let me list it out for you:
1. SP are relatively low on the Glycemic index which means that your blood sugar levels
will not spike as much.
2. They are packed with nutrients and fiber
3. They are rich in carotenoids (antioxidant)
4. They are an excellent source of Vitamin C

Ingredients:
A few sweet potatoes (we usually need 4-5 in this house but my daughter eats her weight in these)
~2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
Kosher salt.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Peel and slice the potatoes (our thickest setting is 1/8 inch)
3. Add olive oil, toss well and then sprinkle with the salt.
4. Bake for 25 minutes. Either remove if done to your liking or toss and bake a few more minutes. If they are thin, check them after 15 minutes. We like the higher heat as it makes them a bit crispy on the edges.

Eating Well Wednesday - Seafood Guide

As I quickly roamed the frozen fish section of Trader Joe's today with two tuckered toddlers, I grabbed some orange roughy and it made me think about the seafood we consume. We all 'know' that some fish are better for us than others but do we all really 'know' which should be consumed more often as which less often? Lucky for us, Eating Well has done all the research for us. Yes, orange roughy is one of those that we eat infrequently. Luckily, our family favorites are on the 'best' list: shrimp, wild salmon and tilapia. Please read more about the ratings on their website.

Best Choices
Anchovies
Catfish (farmed)
Caviar (U.S. farmed)
ClamsCod (Pacific)
Crab (except king and blue)
Flounder (Pacific)
Halibut (Pacific)
Herring
Mackerel (except king)
Mahi-Mahi (dorado)
Mussels Oysters (farmed)
Pollock
Salmon (wild)
Sardines
Shrimp (U.S. farmed, U.S. or Canadian wild caught)
Sole (Pacific, English/Dover)
Squid Striped bass (farmed)
Sturgeon (farmed)
Tilapia (farmed, U.S. and Central America)
Trout (rainbow, farmed)
Tuna (canned, light)
Tuna (yellowfin, farmed)

Caution Advised
Crab (king)
Lobster (Maine/American)
Lobster (spiny/rock)
Monkfish
Oysters (wild)
Salmon (farmed)
Scallops
Sea bass (wild)
Tuna (canned, white)
Tuna (steaks)

Worst Choices
Bluefish
Caviar (wild sturgeon)
Chilean Sea Bass
Cod (Atlantic)
Crab (blue)
Flounder (Atlantic)
Grouper
Haddock
Halibut (Atlantic)
Mackerel (king)
Marlin
Orange Roughy
Pacific Rockfish (Pacific snapper)
Shark
Shrimp (wild, foreign)
Snapper (red)
Sole (Atlantic)
Swordfish
Tilefish
Tuna (bluefin)

Kitchens and Jen rejoice.

Aren't these some of the loveliest kitchen accessories & aprons ever? Time to go shopping to spruce up the kitchen and my apron wardrobe. I am still looking for great oven mitts.

Strawberry Muffins

Come on over to the new location of Savor the Thyme for the recipe!

A sale on Strawberries meant we had an abundance which also meant that I needed to use them. Well, I needed to be creative as my children love them 'in' things but will not just grab one and eat it. One of their favorites is my strawberry bread but I decided to make muffins this time. This is a perfect snack or grab-n-go breakfast.


Ingredients:
1 quart fresh strawberries, hulled, rinsed and cut into pieces
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 salt
2/3 cup agave nectar, light
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup applesauce, no sugar added
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with baking spray. In a small saucepan, bring strawberries to a boil over medium heat, mashing gently, while they cook for 1 minute. Pour into a bowl to cool.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, beat nectar, sugar, oil, applesauce, eggs and vanilla until combined.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet and fold to combine.
5. Fold in strawberries.
6. Fill muffin pan-makes about 15 muffins or just overfill one pan to make 12 muffins.
7. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 22 minutes. Cool completely.

I have also made these using 1/3 cup agave nectar and 1 cup of brown sugar - yummy!

A Parchment paper you can feel good about.

"If You Care" makes a 100% Unbleached Parchment paper that I found at Stop & Shop and began using a few weeks ago. It is Silicone coated instead of with Quilon (which contains chromium) and can be used more than once which makes it more affordable. The nice thing about using parchment with your cooking and baking is that you do not need to grease your pan, sparing yourself from additional fat and calories. Also, since this is unbleached, you have one less thing to feel guilty about when throwing it away and it is compostable.

They have also have baking cups and aluminum foil that I have not tried yet.

Fast & Frugal Friday: Jerk Chicken with Pineapple Salsa

Maybe I should call this the 2 tablespoon special? Maybe 2 by 2? No matter what you call it, you will have a cheap and quick dinner on the table in no time. I served this with some sugar snaps peas (recipe next week) and rice.

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied
2 teaspoons Mccormick Caribbean Jerk Chicken Seasoning
4 pineapples rings, chopped from a 20 oz can in juice.
2 Tablespoons pineapple juice (from can)
2 Tablespoons lime juice

2 Tablespoons english cucumber, chopped
2 Tablespoons red onion, minced
2 Tablespoons red pepper, chopped
2 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butterfly the breasts, sprinkle with seasoning and bake for 20 minutes.

2. Prepare the remaining ingredients, mix and serve over cooked chicken.

PEEP, PEEP: peeptastic winner!

Esme of chocolate and crossiants won peeping rights AND 'Best of Best' cookbook. Esme, please email me your address.

Congrats and thank you to all who participated! Happy Easter.

Great American Food and Music Festival

Hello Sponsors? I know you are out there. I am more than willing to go this festival and then gush about it. Don't be shy, email me. Maybe I can find a healthy burger bun? OK, probably not the healthiest but it looks like a good time.

Eating Well Wednesday - BLT Salad

Monday I was having a serious bacon craving so I made some turkey bacon and then wondered what I could do with it. Naturally, the standard BLT popped into my head but I wanted something different and remembered that I needed a recipe for Eating Well Wednesday. I typed BLT into their site and this fabulous salad appeared. Again, the only alteration I made was using turkey bacon instead of the center cut. Consider adding some leftover chicken.

Ingredients:

1 cup cubed whole-wheat country bread

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 medium tomatoes, divided

3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise

2 tablespoons minced chives or scallion greens (I used scallions)

2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Freshly ground pepper to taste

5 cups chopped hearts of romaine lettuce

3 slices center-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used turkey bacon)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss bread with oil and spread on a baking sheet. Bake, turning once, until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Cut 1 tomato in half. Working over a large bowl, shred both halves using the large holes on a box grater. Discard the skin. Add mayonnaise, chives (or scallion greens), vinegar, garlic powder and pepper; whisk to combine.

3. Chop the remaining 3 tomatoes. Add the tomatoes, romaine and croutons to the bowl with the dressing; toss to coat. Sprinkle with bacon.

PEEP, PEEP: Contestants are ready

Welcome to the PEEP-off. Voting is via a Poll on the top of the right hand column of this blog and ends midnight Thursday, April 9th. The winner will be announced on Friday.

Starting things off on a creative and cute foot, is Kimberly Mckay who found a Peep staring at her. She denies any foodie status in the traditional sense yet can pull off some amazing meals and knows the best restaurants around. However, her true talent is childhood photography. Don't believe me that she is amazing and truly talented? Take a look.

Kelly from Curious Domestic created Smeeps. How? Smores & Peeps, equal a cute and toasty smeep.

Heather from girlichef submitted a series of photos where her little assistants jumped into a variety of tasks to create chicken salad. Do you think they were helpful?

Nicole of The Fitness Freak, struggled with incorporating Peeps into a meal as she is not a fan but her hubby was a willing participant. I hope the peep enjoyed this chicken cacciatore (wait, should peeps eat chicken?).

Greg, of Sippity Sup, stepped out of his 'nothing too cute here' box and fell under the spell once the little guys let him know how hungry they were. Click and watch this Peeping cute video!!

Cookie from Lightbulb Cuisine, advised the Peep to simply watch, but the little one was drawn to the bulb. Ouch!

The Diva, of Beach Eats, followed her Peep for the day and documented what the sweety got himself into....evidently lots of messes!

Vera of Veriance was simply trying to toss some pesto and spaghetti and the green Peep got himself involved. Apparently, they enjoy garlic as much as the next 'guy'.

Chef E of Cookappeal has a fabulous post titled ‘So Farro away, but as close as a Peep fly…’. Look at these Peeps trying to feast off a plate of farro AND keep the Chef at bay. Wonder if there is more to the story? Yes, so go read her post.

Spryte discovered that Peeps have a quality food control department. Do not think it is so? Look at the head of the department at work.

Esme has a yummy blog called chocolateandcrossiants and found a Peep checking out her eggs and once it noticed the tart, she called her friends to take a peek.

Kizzy of Culinary Annotations, made a spring vegetable soup full of so many antioxidants that even the Peeps could not resist making room in their sugary bodies.

So, now after reviewing all the submissions, you need to vote for your favorite. There is no other criteria except the submission you like best. Voting is open from now until Midnight, Thursday, April 9th. What is the prize? The book "Best of the Best: the best recipes from the 25 best cookbooks of the year AND peeping rights.

Tropicana 50 - My version

Finally. I had received coupons for the new Trop50 a number of weeks ago however, they did not have any information on the website for me to link you too. Well, not only is there some information online but coupons also. Have any of you tried it yet? It looks as if they use Stevia as a sweetener. I am not sure I will buy it as I have a cheaper and effective way to cut the calories and sugar: I simply pour some of the regular Tropicana in my glass, and add water. I am guessing at a 60:40 ratio. Brillant eh?

Also, I thought the company has abandoned it's new packing for the former? hum.

Fast & Frugal Friday: Meyer Lemon Dressing featuring Stonyfield & Round-up finale

Wow, has it been a whole week filled with meyer lemon madness? Yes, and I did not even share all of my recipes. Maybe I will toss one in here and there as spring decides to stick around. This meyer lemon recipe is special as it was my first foray into tasting and using Greek yogurt in a recipe. I have heard and read so many great things about Greek yogurt and was lucky enough to receive some coupons from my favorite yogurt company, Stonyfield. In addition, two local grocery stores just started carrying their Oikos Greek Yogurt.


My family enjoys and trusts Stonyfield so much that we now have a company deliver our milk and yogurt because they have 'YoKids' squeezers for my kids. They are organic, made from real fruit and have 25% less sugar. Haven't tried them? you must! I can not stand the ones most stores offer that contain artificial flavors and colors-yuk. At any rate, the Greek yogurt was amazing: the texture and creaminess were a joy. Why is it creamier that regular yogurt? because the whey has been removed (via straining). I find it amazing that it has 0% fat, less carbs. and twice the protein of regular yogurt. What an easy way to eat healthier. Plus, it is organic! Better for you (no artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners) and the earth (no pesticides, chemical fertilizers, etc.). Try using it in many dishes, even as a substitute for sour cream or mayonnaise to lower the fat in your dish. By the way, it also comes in blueberry, honey and vanilla. Time to experiment with more flavors. Want some e-coupons for their products? Click here

5.3 oz. plain Oikos Greek yogurt
2 large garlic clove
3 tablespoons meyer lemon juice
2 tablespoons parsley

Place the garlic cloves, parsley and lemon juice into mini-chopper/processor. Pulse a few times to desired consistency, add in yogurt, pulse to mix. Serve.

Round-up finale:


A perfect example that simple is best from Slashfood. Linguine with meyer lemon. What, worried about the fat in creme fraiche? substitute Greek yogurt! hum, I think I will make this tonight.




The Recipe Girl needed a hostess gift for a dinner party and was inspired to create this wonderful meyer lemon loaf. I wish she was coming over tonight.






And finally, would this be complete without a little Martha? I could not finish up without making note of this Meyer Lemon Cake.

PEEPS week on Serious Eats and Unlikely Words

I just stumbled upon a story on Serious Eats that next week is PEEP week. I hope they come on over on Monday to check out the contest submissions. Please let them know about it! Thanks.

Also, you want to get a real grasp for all of the PEEPness on the Internet? Check out this compilation by 'Unlikely Words'.

Meyer Lemon Quinoa with Asparagus & Peas; Round-up IV

I often find that it is the side dishes that are the hardest to think up. I can choose a main dish with no problem but always want to turn up the interest factor with the side dish. Well, this time, I thought of two dishes but then combined them.

First, I made quinoa and tossed it with some meyer lemon juice. Then I decided to steamed some peas and asparagus and mixed them with the quinoa and added a lemon infused oil. Below I present the marriage of the two.



Ingredients (others listed with links):
1/2 cup frozen peas
12 thin spears of asparagus, chopped into 1/2-1 inch lengths
Juice and rind from 1 meyer lemon.

Directions:

1. I made the meyer lemon scented oil earlier in the day (subtituted meyer lemon for std. lemon).

2. I Prepared the quinoa

3. While the quinoa was cooking, I steamed the peas and asparagus and then combined everything with 3 tablespoons of the oil. Enjoy.

Round-up IV:

Elise of Simply Recipes, made a delicious meyer lemon marmalade that everyone loves. She does warn however, that making this can be tricky if you are inexperienced so give it a few tries.







Becks & Posh make a statement that I can get behind: 'These are moments when I wish someone has invented scratch-and-sniff internet.' Take a peek at this post as they list many recipes for meyer lemons.

Eating Well Wednesday: Meyer Lemon Meringues and Round-up Part 3

I did it! I made meringues. I wanted a sinless sweet snack, wanted to incorporate the meyer lemon and pay my weekly tribute to Eating Well recipes. So, I found a meringue recipe on their site, doubled it, substituted the lemon juice for the vanilla and baked away. Then again, I also use less sugar so heck, we will call it my own recipe now. By the way, I learned a lesson: do your best to make sure the meringues are consistent in size. I found that some of my guys were a bit chewy and underdone which lead to a dentist's nightmare: sugary snack stuck in molars.

Oh my! Do you see what happened? A little peep must have been lonely and decided to hang in the bowl with the similar looking meringues. Want to participate in the PEEP contest? Read more here.

6 large egg whites, at room temperature 1
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon meyer lemon juice

1. Separate one egg at a time into a small bowl, letting the white fall into the bowl and discarding the yolk. If there’s any trace of yolk in the white, discard the white and start over. If it’s yolk-free, transfer to a clean medium mixing bowl. Repeat with the remaining 5 eggs.

2. Add cream of tartar to the whites and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Slowly add sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, until all the sugar has been added. Continue beating until the whites are stiff and glossy. Add lemon juice and beat for 30 seconds more.

3. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 200°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Fill a 1-quart sealable plastic bag (or pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip) with the meringue. Seal the bag almost completely, leaving a small opening for air to escape from the top as you squeeze. Snip off one corner of the bag with scissors, making a 3/4-inch-wide opening. Fold the top of the bag over a few times, then gently push the meringue down to the snipped corner. Working with the bag perpendicular to the baking sheet, pipe the meringue into 1 1/2-inch-diameter cookies, spacing them about 1/2 inch apart.

4. Bake the cookies until dry and crisp throughout, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer the pans to wire racks and let the cookies cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.



Speaking of desserts, Look what Chef Bliss came up with! Another
refreshing dessert: Meyer Lemon Granita.









Smitten Kitchen wanted to show some love to the often neglected fresh cranberry, so combined it with zest from the meyer lemon to create scones.