Buttered Pea Soup

You'll be seeing green with this delicious buttery pea soup. A perfect soup so easy and so rewarding to make, this is sure to be a staple in anyone's kitchen. 

Ingredients:

Makes 4 servings

2 1/2 cups frozen peas

2 1/2 cup iceberg lettuce

1 clove garlic, chopped

Parsley for garnish

3 cups chicken broth

1 tbsp butter

Salt (if desired)

Sour cream (optional

In a large pan on a medium heat, add the butter and garlic and sautee for about two minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the peas (frozen still) and lettuce, simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Add the mixture to a blender (if you can't fit the entire batch into the blender, cut it in half and set aside to blend.) Blend until smooth and serve as is or with a dollop of sour cream. See you soon!

Reuben-Styled Crostini

Sure to delight any corned beef fan, these little savory nuggets are great for football games or for any occasion! As you might have seen previously on my blog, the directions are the same for the Salmon-Tomato and Cranberry Peanut baguettes, however, for these I used about 1/3 of a baguette so I could use the rest of it for the other toppings. Follow me and let's head over to the ingredient list! 

Ingredients:

1-2 oz of cooked corned beef, thinly sliced

1 drop of Dijon Mustard

1/2 tsp Sauerkraut

Add the dijon mustard to the sliced baguettes and add one layer of the corned beef. Garnish with sauerkraut and serve with caution, these little sandwiches will go fast!

Cranberry-Fig Jam

This is a great holiday jam, but it's really more of a mix than a jam as I left most of the figs and cranberries in solid form. Perfect for a spread on top a baguette or can be used in place of jelly with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Yum!

4-5 oz packaged figs
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 orange
1 tbsp honey

In a medium pan on medium heat, squeeze the orange juice and add the figs, cranberries, and honey. Simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently. After the mixture has cooled, put it in a jar and store it in the fridge for easy use. Enjoy!

Party starters: Cranberry Peanut and Salmon-Tomato Crostini's

These are delicious little bites of heaven, Cranberry Peanut and Salmon-Tomato crostinis. I will warn you though, the pictures show the bread cut a little too thick. I advise cutting the slices into 1/2 inch or even 1/4 inch pieces to make them easier to go down and increasing the amount the recipe yields. You can use the one baguette for both the Salmon and the Cranberry mixture or, if you're serving more than 4 people, double the recipe. 

Ingredients:

1 french baguette, sliced into 1/2-inch slices

Butter for spreading

2 oz cream cheese

4 oz cooked salmon, sliced thinly (or canned-salmon)

1/2 thinly sliced tomato

Dill

Salt and Pepper

Parsley

Cranberry-Peanut Crostini:

1/4-1/2 cup Fig and Cranberry jam (recipe on blog)

2 oz cream cheese

Crushed peanuts for the topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil, lather the baguette slices with butter on both sides. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes until golden brown. Divide the baguettes evenly and spread with cream cheese. For the Salmon-Tomato, add thin slices of tomato to the cream cheese and layer with a little bit of salmon to cover the top. Sprinkle with dill, salt, and pepper and garnish with a parsley leaf.

For the Cranberry: Spread the cream cheese on top and add the fig-cranberry jam. Sprinkle with the crushed peanuts and serve.

Enjoy!

Crab Cilantro Hummus Wraps

I call this my tortilla sushi because, depending on how many people you're serving, it can be cut into smaller "sushi" sized segments or you can simply roll it up and serve it like a wrap. Great for one or ten people, just adjust the recipe accordingly!

Serves 2

1-8 oz package artificial crabmeat or  regular crab meat

Half an avocado

1 tsp pesto

1 tsp lemon garlic hummus (recipe follows)

1 tbsp mayonnaise

Cilantro

1 thinly sliced tomato

Small tortillas

In a medium bowl, combine the crab, avocado, pesto, hummus, mayonnaise and cilantro. Mix thoroughly till you have a chunky consistency. Add half the mixture to a small tortilla, line up the thinly sliced tomatoes next to the mixture and roll the tortilla tightly. Cut into 1 to one and a half inch segments and serve.

Lemon Garlic Hummus

A lot of hummus recipes call for tahini, well, I am a poor college student and can't afford a nine dollar jar so I created this recipe which tastes just as great as tahini-infused hummus but better because you'll sleep better knowing you spent under $10 for this recipe!

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas, partially drained

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2-1/2 tbsp lemon juice (about half a lemon)

4 oz cream cheese

2 tbsp chickpea juice (from the can)

1 tsp paprika

¼ tsp salt

A sprinkle of chile powder

Minimal Instructions: 

In a blender or food processor, combine all the ingredients and blend till smooth!

Fried Chicken a la Saltine Crackers

Hello again! Here we have an American classic: Fried chicken with mashed potatoes and a hearty side of green beans. I'm just going to focus on the chicken since mashed potatoes and green beans are a kitchen staple I'm sure you've all mastered ;-) I used Saltine Crackers for this recipe since I didn't have bread crumbs but it turned out tastefully surprising with a nice added crunch. 

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts, thawed

1 cup ground Saltine Crackers or any regular white table crackers

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup milk

1 egg

1 cup vegetable oil

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp garlic salt

1 tsp black pepper

Salt

Preparation:

Add the crackers, flour, paprika, garlic salt, black pepper, and salt to a shallow dish. In another bowl, whisk the milk and egg. Heat a medium to large pan with the vegetable oil on medium heat. 

You can pound the chicken to make it thinner, but I find this step unnecessary but unless you like your chicken this way, skip it. Bathe the chicken in the milk and egg mixture then transfer it to the cracker and flour mixture. Cover it thoroughly, you can pile it on to make your chicken extra crispy. Place the chicken in the hot oil for 5 minutes on each side and serve! 

Delightful Chocolate Banana Dream Shake

Ok. It's time I get down to my two favorite loves: Chocolate and coffee and basically anything to do with either. This milkshake satisfies both hankerings without the guilt of the usual ice-cream infused Mom and Pop 50's style milkshake. I recently discovered Italian Sweet Creme by Coffee Mate and oh my goodness it's delicious, I add a bit of it to seal the sweet deal. I also make it with almond milk because it tastes just as good as regular milk but literally chops the calories by 75% and as usual, you don't have to follow it to a tee, (but you should at least once). Have fun and experiment!

Ingredients:

1 banana (fresh or frozen)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of your choosing)
1 tbsp whole ground flax meal
1 heaping tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 and 1/2 tbsp Italian Creme
1 tsp Raw Sugar or brown sugar
Sprinkling of instant coffee (don't let the picture deceive you, I usually drink full-strength!)
A few ice cubes

Here's the hard part, (just kidding): Put everything in the blender and let your imagination and mouth drool with anticipation on how great this is going to taste! If you wish, put the coffee on top after it's blended along with some bits of banana for dipping. Ciao!

Turkey Potato Quesadilla with Couscous

I’ve covered all the basic food groups in this recipe, ensured to fill anyone’s grumbling tummies with whole nutrition. It’s a Mexicana meets Irish meets Mediterranean meets yummy deliciousness!

Serves 4 

2 turkey sausage patties (or equivalent)

2 small potatoes (or one medium-large), sliced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 large green onion or leek, chopped

Handful of Parsley, chopped

Olive oil

Paprika, chile powder, salt and pepper to taste

½ cup dried couscous

½ cup water

½ can diced tomatoes with green diced chiles (for the spicy flavor)

Your choice of tortilla (I used fajita tortillas for this recipe)

Shredded cheese (of your choice, I used an Italian array of romano, parmesan, and mozzarella)

1 avocado

Spinach

Preparation:

Thaw the turkey sausage, remember you can use any type of meat for this recipe, I just chose turkey sausage since it’s so versatile and a bit better for you than regular sausage. Add the garlic cloves, green onion, parsley, paprika, chile powder, salt and pepper to the olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Cut the sausage into strips. Toss in the pot and cook for about 5-10 minutes, making sure it’s thoroughly cooked.

Add the couscous, water, and diced tomatoes/green chiles. Reduce heat to low and let simmer.

In another pan on medium heat with a bit of oil (vegetable or olive), add the sliced potatoes, stirring frequently so as not to burn. We want them crisp, not burnt. Add the potatoes to the sausage-couscous and mix thoroughly.

To make tortillas sturdy, I usually heat a flat pan on medium-low heat and throw on each tortilla and sprinkle it with a bit of cheese in a single layer. Once the cheese is melted, the tortilla is ready for construction!

Finally, add a ladle-full of the sausage-couscous mixture onto the cheesy tortilla and top with a pinch of fresh spinach and a curl of avocado. Fold and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Fries with Grilled Bouillon Chicken and Pureed Garlic Peas

I've always wanted to make sweet potato fries because they seem so unusual and they can't help but be delicious as well as nutritious. I wanted to add some more color to the food rainbow and paired it with pureed peas with a hint of garlic served with grilled bouillon chicken. I hope you can find this recipe to be fitting not only to your lifestyle but also your palette.

Recipe is for 2 servings

Sweet Potato Fries Ingredients:

2 large sweet potato, preferably fresh and smooth with a delicate skin
Paprika
Ground Pepper
Salt
Garlic Salt
Olive oil

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Cut the sweet potato in half width-wise and proceed to cut the halves into long strips length-wise in the shape of fries. You really don't need to peel the potatoes but can wash it, just make sure it's dry before you oil. Place on the baking sheet as evenly as possible and sprinkle with olive oil, mixing with your hands onto the sheet, ensuring every last bit of each fry is covered. Add a few shakes of paprika to the sweet potatoes, along with the salt and black pepper. Since the fries already have salt on them, I use about a pinch of garlic salt and throw it in the air over the sweet potatoes as a light dusting of garlicky goodness.

Pop in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Turn and bake for another 5-8 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your fries, just make sure they're not black (burnt fries tend not to go over so well with guests).

Pureed Peas:

2 cups cooked peas
1 large cooked garlic clove (you can cook the garlic in the pot with the peas to soften it)

In a food processor or blender, add the warmed peas and garlic and puree until a nice creamy texture.

Grilled Bouillon Chicken:

Simple recipe for two servings of chicken:

2 thawed chicken breasts
1 tsp bouillon seasoning
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chile powder
Laurie's Seasoing or salt to taste


Rub the chicken with paprika, chile powder and I like to use Laurie's Seasoning but if you can't find any at your local store, use salt or garlic salt. Add a bit of olive oil to a pan on medium heat, toss in the bouillon seasoning and grill the chicken breasts for 1 minute intervals on each side for 10-15 minutes until the chicken is juicy and tender.

Serve with the sweet potato fries and pureed garlic peas. This dish is sure to be pleasing not only to the eyes but also for the soul.

White Chocolate Whole-Wheat Cookies

I caved in and decided to make some sweets!  I use vegetable oil because it's healthier than butter and whole wheat flour instead of white, but let's face it, cookies literally mean mini-cakes in danish, not exactly health food so don't feel any guilt when you make these wonderful delights!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Mix sugars, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and egg in a large bowl. Add the whole wheat flour, salt, baking soda and white chocolate chips. The mixture will be chunky, not as smooth as you'd think cookie dough would be.

Dollop 1 heaping tablespoon of dough onto pan, 1 inch apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown at the edges. Enjoy!

Avocado Potato Tostettes

St. Patty's Day is just around the corner and I know many of you will be celebrating with friends (if you haven't already). I know green is the staple of the holiday so I created these guacamole-esque potato wedges with a little added kick. Enjoy and be safe this St. Patty's Day!

Ingredients:

4 small potatoes (or 3 medium ones)
1 large avocado
1 vine-ripened tomato
2 cloves garlic, chopped
8 scallions, chopped
1 tsp lemon or lime juice
1 tsp garlic salt
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
Parmesan, granulated or shredded mozarella cheese for topping (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with tin-foil and use butter or olive oil to coat the foil (trust me, you'll want to make sure the entire surface is covered).

Scrub and de-eye the potatoes. Slice into 1/4 inch slices. Add a bit (about a couple drops) of olive oil to each slice and coat with sprinkling of salt and pepper. Arrange the potatoes on the baking sheet evenly.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Dice the tomatoes and cut the avocado into large pieces.

In a medium bowl, add the avocado, tomato, scallions, garlic, lemon juice, and garlic salt. Mix ingredients until the mixture is chunky, cover and put in refrigerator.

After potatoes are done, top them with the avocado tomato mixture and sprinkle some parmesan or mozarella on top and you're all set!

Ginger Shrimp Fried Rice

I accidentally made too much of this (good accident huh?) but it's a good thing because once you start digging in, it's hard to stop. I like my food on the spicy-side, not spicy-hot but spicy-spice. Feel free to alter the recipe if you're not a chili powder or paprika fan. You can also use strips of chicken in place of the shrimp. Snowpeas also make a great addition and a nice added crunch. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

16 oz thawed pre-cooked shrimp (or raw shrimp de-veined)
3 cups white rice
8 green onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 chunk (when I say chunk I mean roughly the size of a quarter) ginger root, chopped
1 cup peas (thawed or pre-cooked)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large eggs, beaten
3 tbsp chopped ginger concentrate (basically the stuff that comes in a jar at the store)
1 1/2-2 tbsp chile powder
1 tbsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
3 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce

Preparations:

Prepare the white rice first, according to manufacturer's directions.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle of paprika, and shrimp. Cook for 2 minutes if precooked (or if raw shrimp, cook for 3 minutes till a pearly white color). Once finished, empty the shrimp into a bowl and set aside.
Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to pan, grill the green onion, chopped garlic, and ginger root for about 1 minute.
Toss in the cooked rice and mix with the sautee until rice is somewhat crisp (doesn't have to be perfectly toasted but we don't want the rice to be soft).
Add the eggs to the bottom of the pan after pushing the rice to the side and mix thoroughly, ensuring the egg is fried.
Add the peas, cooked shrimp, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger concentrate, chile powder, paprika, and garlic salt. Mix thoroughly and serve hot or refrigerate, makes great leftovers!

Tomato Pesto Toasters

A mini pesto pizza without all the work (and guilt), takes literally 3 minutes to prepare!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp Pesto (homemade recipe on blog) or store-brought brand

2 slices favorite whole-wheat or whole-grain bread

1 small-medium vine ripened tomato, sliced

Shredded low-fat mozarella cheese

Preparation:

Toast bread until golden brown.

Add one tablespoon Pesto to each slice evenly over bread.

Layer on 3-4 slices of tomato.

Sprinkle salt and black pepper on top.

Sprinkle with cheese.

Microwave for 20-25 seconds to melt cheese (this step is optional). Enjoy!

Kale Salad with Almonds and Blueberries

This is a great lightweight salad chock full with antioxidants and flavor!

Ingredients:

3 cups washed Kale

2 cups blackberries (or any berry of your choice)

1 cup almonds

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation:

Massage Kale with lemon juice and olive oil to soften the leaves

Add blackberries, almonds, salt, and pepper and finito! Ready to serve and enjoy!

Baked Butternut Squash with Sage

This is a great replacement for potatoes because butternut squash comes packed with Vitamin A, B6, C and carotenes.

Recipe:

1 or 2 large Butternut Squash (look for unwrinkled skin with a light pink-beige color)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small or medium bunch fresh sage

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Peel squash with a vegetable peeler, cut off 1/2 inch from top and bottom, rinse. Cut squash in half length wise and proceed to cut the rest of the squash into 1/2 inch chunks.

In a large bowl, mix cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper, olive oil, and sage together with a mortar pestle or  spoon.

Add the butternut squash to the cinnamon sage mixture and mix thoroughly until every piece of squash is covered.

Place squash evenly on tin-foil lined baking sheet.

Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes, until golden brown. Voila! Serve with main dish or have as a delicious healthy snack!

Toasted Walnut Goat Cheese Crostinis

This is a great holiday appetizer, the tangy twist with a creamy finish and added crunch makes everyone that much happier!

Recipe:

One baguette Crostini (sesame seeds are optional but delicious for this recipe)

1 package dried turkish figs (Trader Joe's has a great cheap brand)

2 tbsp fresh orange juice (squeezed)

1 tbsp orange zest

1 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, or pecans

Crumbled goat cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice the crostini into one-half inch sections. Arrange on a tray or baking sheet.

Heat orange juice, orange zest and turkish figs on low heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes to soften the mixture.

Spread 1 tsp of the goat cheese on top of the crostini

Add 1 tsp (or enough to cover the crostini) of the orange fig mixture to the top, be careful so as not to overflow, it will make your guests hands sticky!

Bake in the over for 10 minutes or until golden brown

Top with chopped nuts and voila! You've got a tasty treat sure to please!

Home Made Pesto

Home made pesto is very easy to make and is quite rewarding, being that it can be pretty expensive to buy at the grocery store. That first whiff of garlic with basil and lemon lifts anyones spirit and I guarantee this will be a staple in many dishes.

Pesto recipe:

1 cup packed fresh basil

¼ cup shredded parmesan

1 tbsp. lemon juice

¼ cup almonds, pine nuts, or hazelnuts

¼ extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves

Preparations:

Wash and de-stem basil leaves, pack tightly into one cup measurement. Grate parmesan. Add almonds, garlic, olive oil in food processor or blender and chop. Add basil in small increments to mixture. Add lemon juice and olive to blend more easily. Presto! You have pesto! Goes great in your morning eggs or spread over grilled chicken!

Crab Stuffed Pesto Portabello Mushrooms

 In honor of the new pope Francis I, I became inspired to cook some Italian portabello mushrooms (even though the new pope is from Argentina). These are quite easy to make and go great with artichokes with lemon butter dipping sauce.

Recipe:

5 large portabello mushrooms (or 6 medium ones)

1 pack regular or garlic-herb flavored crabmeat (can substitute artificial crabmeat)

1 small to medium size bunch fresh parsley

1 can stems and bits mushrooms

2 garlic cloves (chopped)

1 ½ tbsp. lemon juice

1 egg

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Shredded mozzarella for topping

*Homemade Pesto (recipe follows) or store bought brand for topping

Preparations:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Add crabmeat, parsley, mushroom bits, garlic, lemon juice, egg, parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to food processor or blender, mix till a somewhat chunky consistency (much like apple sauce).

Wash and cut stems from portabello mushrooms, remove gills and place on tinfoil lined baking sheet.

Divide crabmeat mixture evenly onto mushrooms, add 1 tsp of pesto on top of the mushrooms.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on altitude and oven. Add mozzarella cheese on top 2 minutes before done.