Summer Time 'Chicken' Burger

How was everyone's July 4th weekend? Our was great but after all the beach, sun, burgers and hot dogs, I was drained and needed something easy and to use up some leftovers. So, I turned to my freezer and produce bin. I had an aging avocado, half a red pepper, some red onion, salad mix, 4 corn on the cob and some whole wheat hamburger rolls. And in my freezer, I had some BOCA chick'n patties so I went to work.

I first put water on the stove for the corn and then mashed the avocado. I tossed in some cilantro from our garden together and salt in with the avocado and mixed it well. I then heated the chick'n patty, assembled the remaining ingredients on the bun and was ready for dinner.

The buns I used were sent to me as part of the FoodBuzz featured publisher program as Nature's Pride is trying to overhaul their bread line. They are removing all the artificial flavors and preservatives and that I applaud.



1 Avocado, mashed
Cilantro, chopped
Salt, to taste
Red Pepper, cut into strips
Red Onion, slivers
Salad Mix
Boca chik'n patties
Whole Wheat hamburger rolls

Prepare the BOCA patties as directed on the box. Mash the avocado with the cilantro and salt and set aside. Prepare the red pepper and onion. Layer the avocado and other ingredients onto the bun and place patty atop.

**Join me tonight as I panel a BOCA twitter party along with a panel of experts as we discuss the joys of sensible living and summer grilling. RSVP http://bit.ly/bocagno **

EatingWell Wednesday - Tomato & Provolone Sandwich

Continuing on my EatingWell recipe tomato obsession, I decided to the try the Tomato & Provolone Sandwich . My daughter is crazy for tomatoes and found shopping for this recipe particularly fun as we were looking to buy Heirloom aka 'Ugly' Tomatoes. This is a great sandwich for a refreshing kick on a summer afternoon.



What are your favorite types of Tomatoes?

By the way, when you pick up the August edition of EatingWell, flip to the Editor's Letter and see who has a cameo :)

Basil Vinaigrette

You may recall the basil pesto that I made recently but I had not shared with you what else I did with that pesto. Yes, you can freeze some and use some as a spread but you can also use it in a vinaigrette.

I grabbed a few teaspoons, placed then into a mini-processor, added a few tablespoons of red wine vinegar and pulsed it until it was well emulsified. Smart eh? You can then add more vinegar, oil and mustard until it is the consistency and flavor you desire.

What else could you use pesto to make?

A Year to Savor the Thyme - Tip # 17 Lemon Zest

Making use of an entire lemon. This is a great way to add flavor to butters, marinades, dressings and to any side dish. In addition, I love to place some lemon peel onto a freshly glazed bundt cake or as a garnish to any plate.

What do you use citrus peel or zest on/for?

Strawberry Mice - Getting kids to eat Fruit at a Birthday Party

This past weekend including a birthday party for my daughter and in addition to the fruit and vegetable platter which kids would probably overlook, I wanted to give them something irresistible. It came in the form of eating mice. What you say? Yup, I wanted the kids to eat mice.

The idea came from Family Fun however, I modified it and used some items we already had. The eyes were mini-chocolate chips and the nose was some icing I had used on the kitty-cat birthday cake. Instead of running out to get some strings of licorice, I simply made some 'tails' on the plate behind each mouse. The kids went nuts for them and even though I thought someone would pull the almond slices out, they were too enthralled with popping a mouse in their mouth than paying attention to the fact that the ears were almonds.

A step by step pictorial here on Whrrl

Mushroom, Ham & Peas Alfredo ‘Baked’ Potatoes

Here is another example where some leftovers or a review of the fridge/pantry can result in another great meal. Normally we are not big Alfredo sauce eaters however, the sauce came with the package of Newman's Own goodies for the Family Bites program and this is what I created.

Honestly, I as a bit skeptical as to how the flavors would come together but I loved the result. In fact, it was so good that I wanted to share the recipe with you as a reminder to experiment and to use potatoes and miscellaneous items to create a quick, economical and tasty meal!

In fact, empty the fridge and create a potato bar tonight!

Ingredients (Yields: 4 servings):
4 large potatoes
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 oz mushrooms, sliced
4 oz ham steak, diced
½ cup frozen peas
1 cup Newman’s Own Alfredo Pasta Sauce (or a light version if you can find it)
Chives, diced, optional

Instructions:
1. Place potatoes into a large microwavable bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the microwave for 8 minutes. Using a knife, pierce the potato. If it is still firm in the center, microwave another two minutes

2. Preheat pan to medium high with 1 teaspoon oil. Add the mushrooms and ham steak and reduce the heat to medium. Sauté until mushrooms and ham until browned.

3. Reduce heat to low, add the Alfredo Pasta Sauce and peas and allow to simmer gently until warmed and thickened.

4. Pour the sauce over the Potato and top with chives if you wish.

Popcorn Trail Mix - Snack in a Bag

Spring time is finally here and we are all going to be spending more time outside and that means we need to bring snacks along for the ride. And since we all love popcorn, feel free to utilize it in this trail mix.

Hey, no picking out popcorn and cereal allowed, only handfuls with fruits & nuts to be consumed.


Ingredients:
3 cups plain or lightly buttered popcorn
½ cup unsweetened dried cranberries
1/3 cup whole raw almonds
1 cup honey nut O cereal

Instructions:
1. Pop the popcorn according to manufacturer’s instructions

2. Meanwhile, place the cranberries, almonds and cereal in a bowl.

3. Add the popcorn, toss well and distribute 1 cup each into a bowl or plastic bag for easy transport.

Yield: 4 servings at 1 cup each

Bison 'Chop Suey' or 'American Goulash' : An updated 70's Classic

Ground Bison, Whole Grain Pasta & Sauce = simple, quick, affordable and nutritious!



If you are wondering what the thing on the pan is, it is a splatter screen. I love my splatter screen. I use it when I saute, brown etc. and really love it when I am warming or making marinara sauce. You ever turn up the heat and walkaway to find that suace is all over the stovetop and wall? You can find it in my Shop.

Also, the 15% off for the Curious Chef measure and prep gift set expires tomorrow -> take advantage of this offer using code CURIOUS15.

Oh the recipe is simple: While the pasta is boiling, simply brown the meat and then add in some marinara sauce, toss the pasta in after draining and mix well.

Sahale Snacks = Snack Better

A while back, you may recall a did a Whrrl story about some new snack options at Starbuck's. I frequent Starbuck's as I use it as my 'office' each week and noted some new snacks they had. I immediately grabbed a bag of the pricey but exotic and promising 'Almonds with Apple, Flax Seeds, Date, Balsamic Vinegar + Red Pepper'. I mean how often does your snack have that kind of title? I love how they have a delicate sweetness and the heat from the red pepper had me sold.

Since then, I have had the Almonds with Cranberries, Honey + Sea Salt and my son's favorite Cashews with Pomegranate + Vanilla .

So why else does this line appeal to me? A quote straight from Shale Snacks : "The company was founded on a simple idea: take all-natural ingredients, add a dash of culinary magic, and produce great tasting snacks."



Try some and feel free to share them with the kids.

Roasted Edamame

I have been snacking on edamame beans from Trader Joe's for weeks so I decided to switch things up a bit. The results: a tasty little snack/side dish with enhanced flavor thanks to the roasting.

Feel free to use whatever seasonings suit your taste buds.



Ingredients:
Shelled & thawed Edamame
Olive oil
Chile powder
Paprika
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Stir together the oil, chile powder, paprika, salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Add the beans to the bowl and toss to coat.

3. Arrange the beans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes (may be a minute or two less-remove if start get too brown.)

4. Eat hot or Cool. Refrigerate any leftovers.

A Year to Savor the Thyme Cooking Tip #12 : A fast way to cook frozen Green Beans

Super Thyme Savor - English Muffin with Hummus and Tomatoes

It seems that an old standby for many of us is the toasted English muffin with peanut butter. I decided to be creative and whipped together a fabulous little 'breakfast' or anytime option and just had to share.

First of all, I want you to find a quality (actual whole wheat flour, no preservatives, no enriched/modified anything) English muffin, toast it and then smear it with some hummus and place a few slices of tomato (I had some 'grape' variety) on it. I promise, it is satisfying.

EatingWell Wednesday : Honey-Soy Broiled Salmon

Since I have been running around to many appointments this week, I had already planned on having Salmon and relying on EatingWell for my Wednesday main dish. All I had to type in was 'Vinegar Salmon' and up popped this Honey-Soy Broiled Salmon. I bet you are thinking 'that is a strange combination of words'. Well, this family loves vinegar so I figured a tangy recipe would pop up.


I am guessing that most of you have a bottle of vinegar, some honey and soy sauce in the house so give this a try. It honestly takes 1 minute to prep, 15 minutes to marinate and then a few minutes to broil. Toss some tomatoes and leftover grain on the side and you are done.

Super Thyme Savor: Steamed Haricot Verts, Wax Beans & Baby Carrots with Olive Oil and Chives (& Tip #4)

Having a stocked freezer full of frozen vegetables is a great way to be able to make a multitude of side dishes quickly. It also helps alleviate the boredom of the same old veggies as you can mix them and change up the toppings.

This is a perfect example: I mixed some favorite sides with a bit of olive oil and chives. So go ahead and steam your favorite medley and top with your favorite herbs.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup frozen haricot verts (green beans)
1/2 cup yellow wax beans
1/2 cup baby carrots
Olive Oil
Chives, minced

Directions:
1. Steam the vegetables until tender but not mushy
2. Add olive oil, chives and mix well.

Super Thyme Savor - Sweet Potato Chips with Corn & Black Bean Salsa

During the Christmas/Holiday Season, we need some quick appetizers for when company pops by to visit. I had grabbed some sweet potato chips from Food Should Taste Good and had them sitting in the pantry.

When the doorbell rang and friends arrived, I topped the chips with some corn & black bean salsa, a piece of cilantro and had a snack down with company.

Quinoa Salad with Cranberries, Scallions & Orange Rind

Craving something sweet and good for you? This quinoa salad is the answer. I also made this in a pinch with some quinoa I had made the night before so the quantities are rough.

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

Handful of sweetened dried cranberries

1 scallion, chopped

1 tablespoon orange rind

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa

2. Place 1/2 cup into a bowl
3. Add remaining ingredients and mix

Super Thyme Savor - The Greek Salad Plus

You can not avoid it: The days when no matter what you do, you have no time or energy to cook anything. You open the fridge and pantry but nothing comes at you that requires under 5 minutes or dirtying pots & pans.

I have a solution: The Greek Salad Plus. What is the plus? Whatever vegetables you have left that you can toss on. It helps to utilize the vegetables in the fridge and gives you more nutrients. Here is what I did on Sunday night after arriving home from celebrating my Birthday (let's say 30th) in NYC.



Baby Romaine Salad Mix
Baby Spinach
Reduced fat Feta, chunked
Roasted red peppers, from a jar
Carrots, used to peeler to make strips
Red Onion, sliced
Radishes, sliced
Cucumber, diced
Tomatoes, chunked
Pepperoncini, from the jar
Light Balsamic Vinaigrette

Mix and enjoy

SHAMELESS PLUG: Please watch my Tastemaker Video and click the STARS underneath

Organic Grass Fed NY Strip Steak & Organic Chicken Breast Salad featuring POM Juice

I feel it is a great opportunity when you are making your meal, recipe, snack, baked good, etc. to try to up the nutritional value. With that said, we love drinking POM in its’ raw state right out the bottle (try to grab it away from my son) so when POM wrote me asking if I would try using it in some recipes, I thought, ‘man, why haven’t I thought of that?’

Also, while attending Blogher, I was approached by a blogger who asked me if I have ever tried Greensbury Market Organic Steaks & Chicken. I had not and was willing to accept some product to give them a try. I was not asked to do anything but enjoy them and enjoy them we did.

So, time to put on my kitchen thinking cap and get to work. For the chicken, I made a Pomegrante dressing and the salad below.

Pomegranate Dressing:
1/3 cup POM pomegranate juice
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

¾ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Organic Grilled Chicken over Baby Spinach Salad
Organic Baby Spinach
Toasted Pine Nuts
Dried Sweetened Cranberries
Red Onion, slivers

Organic Chicken Breasts-marinated in dressing , grilled and sliced
Pomegranate dressing

I grilled the chicken when grilling the steak, prepared the salad (first 4 ingredients) and then topped with the chicken and dressing

Organic Grass Fed NY Strip Steak
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
½ shallot, chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Mix the ingredients well and toss with steak.


pre-grilling

I marinated the steaks for about 30 minutes and then grilled them to medium. I let them rest about 10 minutes and then we devoured them. Now, we do not eat NY strip often so I can not say whether these we much better than conventional steaks, but I will say, these melted in our mouths and tasted clean. Does that make sense to you? Granted, we can not afford to eat organic grass fed meat or chicken at every meal however, the food we consume is very important to use and quality over quantity reigns when possible.


post-grilling

Check out my Whrrl story featuring POM and, foodies will recognize the dreaded photo in slide#9

Baked Chicken Tenders with Nature's Path Organics

I have often stated to people that there are some good examples of marketing to children and a good example is Nature's Path. It began with 'Cheetah' bars a few years back. It then expanded to Koala bars, and I became obsessed with the Pumpkin Flax Plus Granola (you may have seen the pumpkin bar post). I also try to put my money into companies that have values that I share: real food, educating people about good food choices and believing in sustainability.

Wait, you came for baked chicken tender recipe right? Yes, I am getting to it. The reason I took off on a Nature's Path tangent is that I made some tenders with two of their cereals: Gorilla Munch and Flax Plus Multigrain. Aren't I silly?

So, my inspiration was this: I saw some chicken tenderloins on a ridiculous sale yesterday and wanted to switch things up a bit so I looked around and noted the cereal on the counter and thought 'what the heck'. The gorilla munch is not a super sugary kids cereal and thought, maybe with some salt, we could create the salty/sweet combo so many love. The multigrain seems great as I knew it would make a crunchy crust.

This is a quick item to make but it is rather impressive I must say...oh, and make my dipping sauce, trust me.

Baked Tenders:

1 lbs chicken cut into 'tender' strips.

~2 cups of cereal, roughly crushed (do not make too tiny or will not be crispy)

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 egg

2 tablespoons 1% milk

salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place a cooling rock onto a baking sheet. This is key to a crispy crust.

3. Mix egg and milk in one bowl and combine. Place flour on a plate and season well. Place lightly crushed cereal on a separate plate and season well. Create an assemble line form left to right as follows: flour, egg mixture, cereal, cooling rack.

4. Dip chicken strip in flour and shake excess. Dip into egg, then cover with cereal and place on rack.

5. Bake approx. 20 minutes (my strips were thick so check after 15 minutes for doneness.)

Savor's Mustard Dipping Sauce:

Mix the following together and dip away: 2 teaspoons reduced fat mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon yellow mustard, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard and 1/4 lemon juice.

FYI: The kids preferred the gorilla munch while the adults preferred the multigrain. Also, Nature's Path had sent me some of their newest products and you really should look into trying their new line from Dr. Weil and some great granolas.

EatingWell Wednesday - Sugar Snap Pea Salad

I admit it, I am getting used to certain foods in their raw state as simple snacks on the go. Sugar snap peas are one of them. The kids love them crunchy out of the bag so the idea of a boil was not appealing however, I saw that EatingWell was only instructing a 2 minute boil and then a quick cool off so I was willing.

This also seemed like such a quick, easy and cheap side dish to make but would come out looking impressive so I made it in less than 5 minutes and we all like it....yes, all four of us. Therefore, the Sugar Snap Pea Salad is going to be filed under 'entertaining' as it looked tasted as good as it looked.



I know, you do not believe me: I simply told the five year old that it contained snap peas, red pepper and vinegar and she took a fork full as she likes each of those individually. The three year old, yes, more of a task. He ran from me. In response, I simply turned my back and walked away stating that I was glad he would not eat any because I could have it all to myself. He came running after me and sat at the table. He then proceeded to grab the fork, flip some off the plate while trying to stab some and then ate, smiled and told me he did not like it....and then ate the rest. Stinker.