Bacon Meatloaf

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4 slices of thick bacon

½ small onion, diced

1 large celery, diced

1 large carrot, grated

1 small zucchini, grated

1 .25 lb ground turkey (or beef or pork, or a mix of all three)

2 slices of bread, diced and soaked in milk (I used a crusty, rustic bread)

1 egg

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

¼ cup of minced Italian parsley

Salt and pepper

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

In a medium frying pan, cook two slices of the bacon. Roughly chop and set aside. Using the bacon grease, sauté the onion, celery, carrot and zucchini over med-high heat for 3-4 minutes.

 

In a large bowl, combine ground meat, cooked bacon, sautéed veggies, bread (squeeze milk out first), egg, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix just until ingredients are combined. Do not over mix so meat is mushy. If mixture is too wet, add dried cubed bread.

 

In a round pan, mold meat mixture into a ring with a hole in the middle. Place extra bacon slices on top. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes or until middle reaches 180 degrees.

 

Enjoy over mashed potatoes or rice. Makes great cold meatloaf sandwiches the next day!

Grilled Bruschetta and Salmon

A grilled lunch for a perfect Saturday.

 

 

1 ripe tomato, diced

4 large basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp or so of freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 large garlic clove, pressed
Salt and Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Loaf of crusty sourdough bread, cut into thick slices
2 5-oz salmon filets, with skin
Tajin seasoning (we put this on everything!)

Preheat grill to high, about 450˚.

In a small bowl, combine tomato, basil, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle with EVOO and mix; set aside. Prepare toast by brushing both sides of bread slices with EVOO; set aside.

Season skinless side of salmon with Tajin. Place skin side down on grill, allowing to char, about 3-4 minutes. Flip salmon and carefully remove skin. Allow to cook for about 2-3 minutes. Flip filet again and grill 1-2 minutes. Filets should easily flake, do not overcook.

Grill bread for about one minute. Flip bread and move to top rack of grill, away from direct heat. Spoon tomato mixture onto each slice and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Plate salmon over a small bed of baby kale and serve with the bruschetta.

 

Herbed Tilapia with Tomatoes and Jalapenos over Chive Mashed Potatoes

Baked Tilapia:
2 tilapia filets
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Lemon pepper seasoning
Salt
2 Tbsp minced fresh herbs (cilantro, flat leaf Italian parsley, Rosemary)
about 5 cherry tomatoes, halved (I used baby heirloom tomatoes)
1 jalapeno, sliced (seeds removed)

Mashed potatoes:
3 medium red skinned potatoes, cubed
2-3 tsp butter
1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt (you can also use milk, cream or sour cream instead)
season with salt and pepper
1/2 Tbsp minced fresh chives

Start with potatoes, by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until fork tender, about 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay two sheets of parchment paper on a flat surface. Place a filet of fish on each sheet. Drizzle with EVOO, season with lemon pepper and salt. Sprinkle with herbs. Top with tomato halves and jalapenos.

Fold and crimp the top of the paper closed. Then repeat for the sides. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, until fish is no longer transparent.

Once potatoes are cooked, drain. Add butter and yogurt to pot. Return potatoes to pot and mash together. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in chives. Add more yogurt if potatoes need more moisture.

To serve, open parchment paper packs, plate fish over mashed potatoes. Pour over extra juices.

 

Poblanos Stuffed with Turkey, Rice & Veggies

My friend who’s from Mexico surprised us with a fancy dinner called Chiles en Nogada, traditional in the south of Mexico.

With my mind and stomach on chiles, and some left over rice pilaf, I decided to make my own stuffed chiles dish, filled with ground meat, rice and veggies. I used this as another opportunity to sneak in as many veggies as possible. My hubby called me the ‘kale ninja’.

 

4 Poblano chiles
1 cup of cooked basmati rice (cooked in chicken broth)
¾ lb ground turkey
2 celery ribs, diced
1 large carrot, diced
½ small onion, diced
1 cup fresh kale, chopped
1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro
2 large cloves of garlic, crushed
½ can of corn
½ can kidney beans
Salt and pepper, to taste
Few dashes of Tabasco sauce
Grated Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese

Prepare each pepper by cutting across the top near the stem and down the middle of one side. Remove veins and seeds. On the grill over fire, or under a broiler, char all sides of the peppers until blackened and bubbly, turning until all sides are charred. When ready, place in a bag or covered dish and let steam. Then peel skin from the peppers and set aside.

 

In a large sauce pan over med-high heat, cook ground turkey until almost cooked all the way through. Add veggies, herbs, garlic, corn and kidney beans; cook until veggies are tender and turkey is no longer pink. Season with salt, pepper and Tabasco, to taste. Mix rice with turkey and veggies.

Using a large spoon, stuff each chile with the filling. Please stuffed chiles in a casserole dish and top with shredded cheese. Place under a broiler and cook until cheese is melted and starts to bubble and turn brown.

Serve with black beans and sliced avocado.

Grilled Corn with Herb and Lemon Butter

One of my favorite summer treats!

 

2 ears of corn

2 slices of butter
½ cup fresh herbs, minced (I used cilantro, parsley, chives and basil)
Zest from one lemon
Salt and Pepper

Husk ears of corn and remove silky strands. Over high heat, grill corn for 5-9 minutes, turning occasionally, until lightly charred on all sides. Place two sheets of aluminum on the counter. Place an ear of corn on each sheet. Rub with butter, sprinkle with herbs and lemon zest, and season with salt and pepper. Wrap corn and let flavors infuse for 5-10 minutes.

Cut corn off husk or enjoy right off the cob.

Shrimp, Zucchini & Spinach Crepes

Crepes:

2 eggs
2 cups milk
2 cups flour
Pinch of salt
Oil (for frying)

Filling:

1 small zucchini, diced
2 cups of fresh chopped spinach
¼ cup pine nuts
½ lb raw shrimp, deveined and tails removed
1 large clove of garlic, minced
Gruyere cheese, shredded

Alfredo sauce

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, flour and salt. Over medium high heat, add 1 tsp oil and spread over frying pan. Pour a thin layer of batter and spread over pan by tilting and rotating pan. Crepes should be very thin, almost transparent. Fry on both sides until golden brown; set aside.

Over medium high heat, heat oil in a frying pan. Add zucchini and spinach; sauté for 3-4 minutes until tender; add to a bowl. Add pine nuts to the frying pan and toss until browned. Add to bowl with zucchini and spinach. Lastly, add shrimp and garlic to pan. Sauté until shrimp are pink. Remove from pan immediately and add to bowl.

To assemble, fill each crepe with vegetable and shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with Gruyere cheese and roll. Repeat. Drizzle with Alfredo sauce.

Variations:

·         Add sundried tomatoes
·         Replace shrimp for chicken

Eggplant Parmesan over Fettuccine

I guess this is technically Chicken Parmesan made with fried eggplant instead of chicken and minus the parmesan cheese. I don’t know. What would you call it? Delicious?

4 servings

Vegetable and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for frying

1 large eggplant, sliced into ½” slices

Salt

Flour, for dredging
2 beaten eggs, for dipping
Italian seasoned bread crumbs, for coating

1 fresh mozzarella cheese ball, sliced

Package of your favorite fettuccine

1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce (I used a sausage sauce to add some meat to the dish)

3 large fresh basil leaves, sliced, for garnish

Sprinkle sliced eggplant with salt and set aside. This will start to sweat the eggplant to remove the extra water.

In a large frying pan, heat half vegetable oil and half EVOO over medium high heat. You want the oil to come half way up the eggplant slices when cooking. While oil is heating up, finish preparing eggplant slices.

Using a dish towel or paper towel, rub eggplant slices with salt and remove excess water. Set aside.

Prepare three bowls in the following order: flour, eggs and breadcrumbs. Taking each eggplant slice, dredge in flour, dip in egg and then coat with breadcrumbs. Drop in oil and cook until each side is golden brown, only flipping once. Remove from oil and place on a wire rack; set aside.

In the meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions; drain and toss with pasta sauce to heat through. Set aside.

Once all the eggplant is fried, top each slice with mozzarella cheese and place under a broiler until cheese is bubble and starts to turn brown.

To plate, add pasta topped with eggplant and sprinkle with fresh basil.

Battle of the Potato Salads: Czech Potato Salad vs. Vinaigrette Potato Salad

When my husband told me that he didn’t care for the Czech style potato salad that my family makes, 1) I was shocked that I’ve never heard this before considering we’ve been together for 10 years, and 2) how can you not like the potato salad?! It’s so good! His friend did confirm that it was strange to have peas and carrots in a potato salad, which didn’t occur to me as strange considering that’s how I’ve always had it. 

 

So, since we were having our friends over for a BBQ this weekend, I decided to have a ‘battle of the potato salads’ and let our guests decided which on was better. Here are the two contenders: Czech Potato Salad and a Vinaigrette Potato Salad. Let the battle begin. 

 

I recommend making the salad a day before to let the flavors blend overnight.

 

Czech Potato Salad vs. Vinaigrette Potato Salad

Czech Potato Salad

3 large Yukon Gold potatoes
2 large carrots, diced
½ cup frozen peas
2 celery stalks, diced
1small yellow onion, minced
2 green onion sprigs, diced
2 large pickles, diced
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

Dressing:

¾ cup mayo
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp pickle juice
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot of salted water, boil potatoes whole until skins break and they are fork tender. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle. Peel skins and cut into cubes. Add potatoes into a large bowl.

While potatoes are cooling, dice carrots and place in a small pot of boiling salted water. Add peas and cook until carrots are fork tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and add to large bowl. Add remaining ingredients.

In a small bowl, combine ingredients for dressing. Whisk together until combined. Add to potatoes and veggies. Gently toss with dressing. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Vinaigrette Potato Salad

3 large Yukon Gold potatoes
5 strips of bacon
3 green onion sprigs, diced
½ small red onion, finely minced
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
2 celery stalks, diced
3 hardboiled eggs, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Champagne vinaigrette (store bought)

In a large pot of salted water, boil potatoes whole until skins break and they are fork tender. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle. Peel skins and cut into cubes. Add potatoes into a large bowl.

While potatoes are cooling, cook bacon in a frying pan until crispy. Remove bacon from pan onto a paper towel lined plate to soak up extra grease. Once cooled, roughly chop and add to bowl. Add remaining ingredients to bowl. Mix together. Add the eggs last, gently folding in with dressing. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Grilled Salmon Burgers with Kale and Caprese Salad

I love salmon. I can literally eat it every day. I’ve also been on a kale kick. And that’s how this little beauty was created. This was yesterday's healthy lunch.

 

 12-14 oz minced or ground fresh salmon
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp mayo
1 large slice of sourdough bread, diced (you can use regular or panko breadcrumbs too)
1/4 small red onion, minced
½ small red bell pepper, diced
1 Tbsp freshly minced Italian flat leaf parsley
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Kale, stalks removed and roughly chopped

Thinly sliced red onion, 2 or 3 rings
Vinaigrette dressing

2 Ciabatta rolls

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Caprese salad

1 large, ripe tomato, sliced
1 large fresh mozzarella ball, sliced
Balsamic vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
4 large fresh basil leaves, sliced

In a medium sized bowl, combine all ingredients for salmon patties. Using wet hands, shape mixture into 2 patties. Over medium high heat, grill until cooked all the way through, about 3 minutes per side, depending on thickness.

Cut Ciabatta rolls in half and lightly brush insides of rolls with EVOO. Place open sides on grill to lightly toast.

In a small bowl, combine kale and red onion. Toss with vinaigrette.

To plate, make a Caprese salad on one side by layering slices of tomato and mozzarella. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and EVOO. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with basil leaves.

Assemble salmon burger by placing salmon patty on toasted bottom roll. Top with kale salad and add top roll.

 

 

Quinoa with Brussels Sprouts, Bacon and Blue Cheese

When my husband asked me what we were having for dinner with our grilled fish, “something good, or something healthy”, I knew I had to step it up a notch. So I added bacon and blue cheese.

 

2-3 servings

¾ cups quinoa

1 /12 cups of chicken broth
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
3 slices of bacon, diced
5 Brussels sprouts, sliced
2 green onion sprigs, diced
Juice from half a lemon
Blue cheese crumbles

In a rice cooker, or following the directions on the packaging, cook quinoa in chicken broth and EVOO.

In a frying pan over medium high heat, cook bacon until crispy. Add Brussels sprouts and cook until crispy and tender.

Once quinoa is cooked, stir in lemon juice, Brussels sprouts, bacon and green onions. Before serving, sprinkle with blue cheese.

Roasted Herb Chicken with Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts

 

Herb stuffing:

A combination of the following minced fresh herbs:

Basil

Parsley

Chives

Rosemary

Zest from one lemon

 

2 large chicken breasts with ribs and skin

 

5 small red skinned potatoes, quartered

6 large Brussels sprouts, outer leaves removed and halved

4 large garlic cloves, halved

3-4 extra Rosemary sprigs

 

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Salt

Pepper

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

 

Using your fingers, gently separate the chicken skin from the breast, creating pockets to stuff the herb and lemon zest mixture in. Pat chicken skin dry. Drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in a 9”x 13” casserole dish. 

 

Surround with potatoes, Brussels sprouts, garlic and Rosemary. Drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

 

Bake for 35-40 minutes until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees and skin is browned and crispy.

 

Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with veggies and top Brussels sprouts with freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional…but delicious!). 

Crock Pot Carnitas with Corn Salad

Pork Carnitas:

2 lb pork shoulder
1 small onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
¼ cup minced cilantro
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp salt
Broth, enough to cover half way up the pork

Corn Salad (my version of Esquites – Mexican Corn Salad):

Fresh corn for 2 ears of corn (boiled or roasted)
2 green onions, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
Juice from one lime
2 Tbsp Cotija cheese
Chile con Lime (Chili with Lemon) Seasoning, to taste

Combine pork with seasoning and broth. Add to crock pot and cook for 8+ hours. Drain fat and juices, save about ¾ cup of juice. Shred pork and mix with extra juices. Leave in crock pot to keep warm until ready to eat.

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the corn salad.

 
Serve carnitas in warm flour tortillas and serve with corn salad, guacamole and black beans.

 

Buffalo Chicken Burgers

2 servings

 

2 bakery style buns

 

Chicken Patty:

¾ lb ground chicken
2 tsp Frank’s RedHot sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Crumbled blue cheese

Using wet hands, combine all ingredients together (except cheese) and form two patties. Be careful not to over mix or patties will be dense. Note: chicken patties don’t cook down like beef patties do, so what you see is what you get. Build according to your bun size.

Grill or pan fry until cooked all the way through. Once you flip the patties, add cheese while the other side cooks.

Slaw:

1 large carrot, peeled into ribbons
1 large celery stalk, sliced
¼ cup thinly sliced cabbage
1 green onion sprig, sliced
Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Buffalo Sauce:

1 Tbsp chunk blue cheese dressing
½ Tbsp Frank’s RedHot sauce

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and set in fridge until ready to use.

Assemble burgers by spreading buffalo sauce on each bun. Place patty with melted blue cheese on bottom bun. Top with slaw and more sauce. Place top bun on burger and enjoy!

 
If you love Frank's RedHot, be sure to try these recipes: Buffalo Chicken Deviled Eggs, Spicy Blue Cheese Chicken Dip or a Buffalo Chicken Salad!

Saturday Breakfast: Corned Beef Hash

I don’t even like corned beef, but I went to the grocery store starving and it was on sale (after St Patty’s Day), so I said – what the heck? My husband feels the same way about it, but we both loved the way this meat came out, as well as the breakfast we used it in the next day!

 

Then my co-worker brought me three fresh eggs from her own chickens. There was one brown and two with different shades of green. I was so excited to try them since I’ve heard you can really taste the difference between fresh verse store bought eggs. The yolk was larger and more yellow. They were delicious. A great accompaniment to the corned beef hash.

 

4 servings

 

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

2 medium Russet potatoes, peeled, diced and boiled until tender (make the day before)

2 cups chopped corned beef - see corned beef recipe below, make the day before

½ small yellow onion, diced

½ red bell pepper, diced

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 Tbsp minced fresh flat leaf Italian parsley

Salt & pepper, to taste

 

In a large frying pan over medium high heat, add EVOO. Once oil is hot, add potatoes, corned beef, onion, peppers and garlic. Press down with a spatula and let cook for about 5 minutes. Mix in parsley, salt and pepper. Press down with spatula and cook for another 5 minutes, until potatoes and beef are browned and crispy. Serve with fried eggs and toast.

 

Crock Pot Corned Beef:

2 ½ lb corned beef brisket

Vegetable broth (low sodium)

3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

2 bay leaves

 

In a crock pot, add corned beef. Cover with broth. Add garlic and bay leaves. Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove from liquid, place on cutting board and cut against grain.

 

Tip: Make the day before and use leftovers for corned beef hash.

Sautéed Chard and Carrots

I love making dinners that have a sautéed vegetable side, such as Swiss chard or kale, because it's fast, easy and tasty. I think a lot of people don’t cook with these leafy greens simply because they don’t know how. Swiss chard is an excellent source of vitamins K, A, and C, as well as a good source of magnesium, potassium, iron and dietary fiber.

 

 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
½ yellow onion, diced
1 bunch of Swiss chard, roughly chopped
2 large carrots, peel into ribbons
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large sauté pan over medium high heat, add EVOO and onions; cook for 3-4 minutes. Add chard and carrots. Sauté for about 8 minutes, until tender. Stir in garlic, pepper flakes and salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve with your favorite protein.

 

Variations:

Substitute chard for curly kale or baby bok choy.

Egg Noodle and Vegetable Casserole

I know when some people hear the word ‘casserole’ they scrunch up their nose and say eewww! My mom is Czech so we didn’t grow up eating the traditional American casseroles, like green bean casserole or tuna noodle casserole (I couldn’t even type these without saying eewww!) – the kind of casseroles where you add a can of Campbell’s soup. Growing up, my mom used to make an egg noodle and ham casserole (fleky se šunkou) for us. This was great to eat warm, or even cold and cut into squares the next day.

 

4 servings

Wide egg noodles (about ½ a bag)

2 slices of butter
3 eggs
¾ cup half & half
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp Dijon mustard
6 oz grated Cheddar cheese
½ red bell pepper, diced
½ green bell pepper, diced
¼ cup chopped flat leaf Italian parsley

Cook noodles in salted water according to directions, about 6 minutes; drain. Toss noodles with butter and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk eggs, half & half, salt, pepper and mustard.

Add noodles to a large bowl. Pour egg mixture over noodles, add cheese, peppers and parsley. Mix until combined.

Add mixture to a greased casserole dish. Bake uncovered on 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until eggs set. Let cool for about 5-10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy with grilled pork chops, or as a light meal with a salad on a warm summer night.

Variations:

·         Add Pepper Jack cheese or a few dashes of hot sauce for a kick!
·         Add broccoli florets
·         Add ham
·         Add mushrooms
·         Add chopped fresh spinach
·         Add asparagus spears
 

Green Olives and Artichoke Rice

 

2-3 servings

 

¾ cup white, long grained Basmati rice

1 ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp salt

¼ cup chopped green onions

¼ cup chopped green olives

¼ cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts

2 Tbsp chopped marinated sundried tomatoes

2 Tbsp chopped flat leaf Italian parsley 

 

In a rice cooker, add first 4 ingredients and cook until done. Mix in remaining ingredients. 

 

Serve with grilled sword fish and steamed asparagus. 

 

Helpful Tip:

Do you ever buy jarred artichokes, but don’t know what to do with the marinade after the artichokes are gone? I like to buy dried sundried tomatoes and add them to this marinade, then store in the fridge until ready to use. It softens them, making them available to use immediately, and adds great flavor.  You can also use the leftover marinade as a salad dressing too.

 

 

 

Chicken Noodle Soup with Vegetables

When I was up in the Bay Area last weekend, we went to a Polish market and found the perfect thin egg noodles for a broth based soup. This soup is too good and easy to not make from scratch every time! Perfect meal in a bowl to enjoy on a cold evening.

 

8 cups water
2 bouillon cubes (or cook chicken in vegetable or chicken broth instead of cubes with water)
1 large chicken breast (about 1 lb)
Celery greens

Lighter colored middle parts (remove these later)

½ cup dried chopped mushrooms
3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1 cup dried egg noodles
2 large carrots, sliced
2 large celery stalks, sliced
4 large Brussels sprouts, sliced
1 cup broccoli crowns, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
3 green onion sprigs, chopped

In a large pot, add water and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil and add chicken breast, celery greens and center stalks, dried mushrooms and garlic. Turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 12 minutes. Remove chicken from pot; cool and cut into cubes. Remove celery stalks and discard.

 

Bring broth to a boil again and add noodles, carrots, celery, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and spices. After about 2 minutes, remove broccoli crowns with a slotted spoon; set aside. Turn heat to medium heat and cook until noodles are tender. Add cubed cooked chicken and broccoli back to soup. Add green onions. 

 

Serve with a nice crusty bread.

Grilled Chicken with Green Olive Salsa Verde

I found another awesome recipe from my favorite cooking blog, Closet Cooking. This would make a great topping for chicken or fish, or just use as salsa for chips.

 

 

Makes 1 cup

 

½ lb tomatillos, husks removed

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and deveined

¼ cup green olives

½ small onion, chopped

1 large garlic clove

Juice and zest from one lime

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

½ cup cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Place the tomatillos on a baking sheet under broil until skins blacken and bubble. Remove from oven and place in a covered container for 15 minutes; remove skins. Add tomatillos and remaining ingredients in a food processor and puree.

Served over grilled chicken with rice and beans, or enjoy as a dip for chips.