End of Summer is Near = Cooler Weather & Green Chile!

Well, I have to say I not only have come to love this time of year because summer is coming to an end (not a fan of these humid, hot summers in GA) but it's also Green Chile picking season in Hatch, NM! My beloved & his family introduced me to this new found love in my life - I had no idea this even existed until we started dating... then a few years ago we went to Colorado for vacation and I tasted the real green Chile. I have been missing out!!! Anyway, last year we ordered some fresh Chile from NM and it was amazing. We ordered 25 pounds this year of medium from Berridge Farms and the Chile's are huge, smell & look great!!!

And, I was pleasantly surprised when the doorbell rang and our Chile was delivered today. I was concerned because with all the rain and flooding out west I wasn't sure that our Chile would make it this year.

We decided to go with medium so I could use it in stews, sauces, etc without it being too hot so we will see just how hot medium is compared to the hot that we go last year. I also want to try to make homemade tamales with the Chile & some pulled pork as well - which I've never tried. 

My whole kitchen smells like fresh green Chile - is there anything better?!?! 

It's funny because I tried growing green Chile in the garden this year (again), this time in a pot versus the ground. Although I have some Sandia Chile's growing, they are so pathetic compared to the authentic Chile we got today - check it out:

No contest!

Anyway, we are glad to have some of the authentic stuff now and will probably spend the next few days roasting it! Good times :-)

French Onion Soup & Chipotle Steak Salad

It's Friday and I decided to pick a decadent recipe for French Onion Soup which isn't something I would make often because it's so rich. But, with it being the end of the work week I thought it'd be a delicious treat for us. I paired it with Pioneer Woman's Chipotle Steak Salad and both turned out to be such a great meal.

 Whoa - this dinner was incredible, both the salad AND the soup!!! I've made French onion soup a few times but this one takes the prize - good job Pioneer Woman. I absolutely loved the idea of roasting the onions in a dutch oven versus standing over a skillet caramelizing them. It saves so much time and energy and the end result is just as (if not better in my opinion) delicious. The soup was everything french onion soup should be - and I need to make this again when we have guests, it was THAT good. I know my brother loves french onion soup, so I have to make it for him as I bet he will love it too. And the salad was a nice contrast with the warm steak over a crisp summer salad - YUM!

The trick to the bread is to use day old bread and rub both sides of the cut pieces with garlic then brush the tops with olive oil. Broil for 1-2 minutes per side and DON'T forget about them, ask me how I know. I would highly recommend using Gnarly Head red wine versus white wine in this - it's just a richer flavor in general.

French Onion Soup

ingredients

• 3 yellow onions and 1 white onion, sliced

• 1 stick unsalted butter

• 1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon (I used Gnarly Head)

• 3 cups low sodium chicken broth

• 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth

• 4 cups low sodium beef broth

• 5 dashes of Worcestershire sauce

• 2 large garlic cloves, minced

• Thick slices french bread, drizzled with EVOO & toasted

• 8 oz Swiss cheese, sliced thick

directions

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Melt the butter in a dutch oven over medium low heat. Once melted, add the onions and stir to coat them with butter. Cook covered for 20 minutes until they are translucent. Stir the onions about halfway through. Place the pot in the oven with lid slightly ajar and roast for 1 hour. Stir them twice during this process to prevent from burning. Don't fret if a few edges get dark - this will add extra flavor. 

2. Place the dutch oven back on the stove top over medium heat and pour in the wine to de-glaze the bottom of the pot. Use a spatula or tongs to scrape up the good bits on the bottom of the pot. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the broth, Worcestershire sauce and the garlic. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes. 

3. Turn on the broiler. Ladle the soup into oven safe bowls, top with a few pieces of bread and the cheese. Broil until the cheese is all gooey and slightly browned, about 1-2 minutes per side.  

This will make enough for 8 servings. I made the whole batch and popped the leftovers in the freezer. 

Chipotle Steak Salad

Chipotle Steak Salad

ingredients

• 12 oz beef sirloin, fat trimmed

• 1.5 Tbsp EVOO

• 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

• 1/2 Tbsp Wildflower honey

• small can chipotle in adobo sauce

• 1/4 tsp ground cumin

• 1/2 tsp dried oregano

• 1 cup mayo

• 12 oz mixed greens

• 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced

• 1 cucumber, sliced

• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

directions

1. Marinate the steak for 3 hours in the following mixture:  combine oil, Worcestershire, honey, 1 tbsp adobo sauce (you can also just chop up a pepper instead of just using the juice), cumin & oregano.

2. Make the dressing:  combine 2 chipotle peppers and mayo in a food processor.  Mix together until well combined. If it is too thick, add some water and pulse until it gets to the desired thickness. Set in fridge until ready to serve. 

3. Remove the steak from the fridge at least 30 minutes to come to room temperature. Preheat a grill to high heat and grill for 4-5 minutes per side for medium. Let rest on cutting board for 10 minutes before slicing. 

4. For serving pile the meat on top of the mixed greens, tomatoes, onion & cucumber. Drizzle some dressing on top. 

This will make enough for 4 servings and I must say a ridiculously delicious salad. The original recipe called for a lot more chipotle in adobo and I followed it and the dressing was too thick and way too spicy, even for Q. So I've adjusted the above measurements to hopefully avoid that for next time. I also used a bit of water to help thin the dressing out because it was way too thick.

Since you will have extra chipotle in adobo sauce here's a neat trick. Dump them into a food processor or blender and whip them up until they are broken down. Using a spatula, transfer to a quart size freezer bag. Push all the way to the bottom to form a sort of log shape, then squeeze as much air out as possible before sealing. When you need them for another recipe, simply pull out of the freezer and using a grater, grate however much your recipe calls for. Then, roll back up and pop back into the freezer for next time. 

Enjoy!

These recipes were adapted from Pioneer Woman.

Granola with Cranberries, Almonds & Coconut

So this is a new take on the trail mix granola I made last month and added a few more ingredients to it since we really liked the flavors in it last time. It turned out great and hard to not eat all of it straight out of the oven! It's super easy and quick to make...

Granola

ingredients

• cooking spray

• 1/2 cup PURE maple syrup (get the real thing!)

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

• 1 large egg white

• 1 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 2 cups trail mix (no chocolate)

• 2 cups old fashioned oats

• 1/2 cup craisins

• 1/2 cup roasted almonds

• 1/4 cup sweetened coconut

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325º and spray a large foil lined baking sheet with the cooking spray.

2. In a bowl whisk the syrup, sugar, egg, cinnamon and salt together, then stir in the oats, trail mix, craisins, almonds & coconut.

3. Spread the mixture in an even layer on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Stir with a rubber spatula and bake for 10 more minutes. Let cook and store in a Ziploc, jar or Tupperware container at room temperature.

This will make 6 cups of granola.

A great idea is to top some yogurt with this mixture and it makes a great breakfast, snack or dessert! Yum.

Enjoy!

This recipe adapted from Every Day with Rachael Ray.

Tomato Basil Pizzas

Last night we made some homemade pizzas, I'm telling ya it's so much better than the frozen stuff and not that hard! Q is my dough guy - he tosses it up in the air and rolls it out and I handle the toppings... it makes for a fun night cooking together. You can cook the pizza all different ways but we just baked it on sheets in the oven. I had some frozen tomato sauce that I thawed out to use on this tasty version.

I made the cherry tomato sauce using tomatoes from our garden, a combination of both yellow pear & red cherry tomatoes. Heat a non stick large skillet over medium heat and drizzle some olive oil. Then add the tomatoes, cover and cook over medium heat until the tomatoes start to burst. I usually just swirl the pan around but you can use a spatula and stir the tomatoes occasionally. If some of the tomatoes don't burst just use your spatula and gently press down. Once the tomatoes are broken down now start adding some ingredients. I add some chopped garlic, salt, crushed red pepper, torn basil leaves and minced onion. Cook until the flavors come together and let cool. A trick I've learned regarding basil in tomato sauce - don't add the leaves until the last 20 minutes or so of cooking time. Instead, add a few of the stems and remove them at the end of the cooking process so you have a delicious flavor added to the sauce.

Can't go wrong with homemade Pizza!

ingredients

• 1 lb pizza dough at room temperature

• handful cherry tomatoes, halved

• fresh basil leaves

• shredded mozzarella

• cherry tomato sauce

• olive oil

• flour and cornmeal

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450º. Lightly flour a clean surface. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into 8" oval shapes (they don't have to be perfect, actually the less perfect the better). Dust the baking sheets with some cornmeal and place the dough on the sheets.

3. Spoon some sauce, mozzarella cheese & cherry tomatoes onto the pizza. Season with some S&P. Place in the oven and bake for 7-8 minutes until cheese is melted and dough is cooked through.

4. Remove from oven and top with chopped basil leaves (stack the leaves on top of one another, roll tightly and slice from right to left). Let pizzas cool for at least 5 minutes before cutting.

These were so good - of course Q complained again that there was no meat but he thought they were just as delicious as I did. Even though he said he really enjoyed the pizza, he did say "you know babe, if it had bacon it would be even better next time". Gotta love him and his love for bacon.

Pizza with yellow pear tomato sauce, mozzarella,
fresh basil & cherry tomatoes

Enjoy!

Southwest Style Pot Roast & Veggies

This is a southwestern twist on the pot roast and it was delicious! I love the crock pot dinners during the week - hardly any cleanup and it's ready to go when you get home most of the time. This dinner was pretty easy - a little bit of prep work and you set it and forget it until 8-10 hours later. I cooked this on the lowest setting for 10 hours and the meat came out very tender but probably could have come out around 8 hours, I'm guessing. I think it really depends on your slow cooker though. One of the tomatillos I picked up was rotten in the middle so I had to toss it - bummer! You can use your own combination of bell peppers but I only used one red because they are so expensive compared to the green ones.

The beef came out shredded rather than sliced which is fine by us! The more tender the meat, the better and the leftover sauce drizzled on top was fantastic. I would also suggest to omit the potatoes as I just didn't think they belonged in this dish, perhaps some beans would have been better. I served the meat with some toasted corn tortillas and brown rice with corn.

Southwest Pot Roast, Veggies & Rice with Corn

The wine makes a huge difference, the flavor intensifies so make sure to use a wine you like to drink when cooking. Otherwise use beef or chicken stock if you are not a big fan of wine.

Gnarly Head makes some great wines!

ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 10 oz can Rotel

• 2.5 lbs beef pot roast

• 6 cloves garlic, smashed

• 1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon

• 3 small white onions, sliced

• 2 medium russet potatoes, cubed

• 4-5 medium tomatillos, halved & quartered

• 1 hot (roasted) green Chile, seeded & chopped

• 2 green bell peppers, chopped

• 1 red bell peppers, chopped

• sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper

directions

1. Let the meat rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, season with sea salt & pepper. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat and then add the oil. Sear all sides of the roast until brown crust forms - 5 minutes per side. Remove from skillet, set aside.

2. Meanwhile combine all ingredients in the slow cooker, stir up and place roast on top and cover. Cook on low for 9-10 hours. Remove beef and slice. Remove veggies using a slotted spoon and place in a serving bowl. Serve beef with the veggies and drizzle some of the remaining sauce on top.

It's a spicy meal but in a warm flavorful way. What I mean by that is the heat doesn't stay on your pallet for long therefore it's not overwhelming. I used one HOT Hatch green Chile and was astonished by how much heat came from one pepper... but it was great. 

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Southwest Slow Cooker.

Spicy Balsamic Grilled Veggie Panini

Oops! I'm falling a few days behind... Another meatless Monday in our home this week - which didn't turn out the greatest. I was so excited about this meal, but to my dismay it was a bit of a challenge for my patience. So, luckily Q stepped in and helped me with the construction of the sammies as I had zero patience for it. I let the veggies marinade for about an hour or so just so they had plenty of time for the flavors to get to know each other a bit. They were so tangy, sweet and delicious. I used a cast iron grill versus an outdoor grill and I'd say it worked just fine (minus the smokiness it makes in the house). Once the panini was constructed (by Q, as I take zero credit in that), we placed them on a George Foreman grill (it works great and we don't have to buy a different kitchen gadget). Well, everything slid off and went all over the place on the first try - grr!. Q was determined to get it about as close to perfect as possible so we could eat them. The 2nd one was better but still an incredible mess to eat.

Spicy Balsamic Veggie Panini

I did save all the veggies (kept tomatoes in the vinegar and stored separately) and let them sit in fridge overnight. The next day I decided to give the panini one more try and this time placed a toothpick in the center, cut the bread smaller and put less toppings and it came out so much better and man was it tasty. Since I still had so many veggies leftover I boiled some rigatoni pasta noodles, drained em and mixed them in a large bowl with the leftover veggies. I mixed in some crumbled feta and boy oh boy was it good. So I had 2 more lunches out of this meal, I'd say it was worth it!!! I WIN!!! The recipe below is enough to make 4-6 big panini sandwiches.

Pasta with the leftovers

ingredients

• 1/2 cup EVOO

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar

• kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper

• 1 medium yellow squash, sliced

• 1 medium squash, sliced

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped into 1" chunks

• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped into 1" chunks

• 16 oz sliced white mushrooms (buy them whole and slice them yourself)

• 5 tbsp unsalted butter

• 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced

• 1/4 cup olive oil mayo with black pepper

• 1/4 cup hot pepper jelly

• 1 large french bread

• 12 slices pepper jack cheese

directions

1. Whisk the olive oil and 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar in a large glass bowl. Add some salt & pepper to taste, whisk. Add squash, zucchini and peppers to the bowl and toss. Set aside.

2. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tbsp butter, once melted add shrooms and vinegar. Cook, tossing occasionally until golden brown, about 8 minutes give or take. Turn off heat and set aside.

3. Heat a grill pan or grill over medium high heat and grill the veggies on both sides until golden and tender. While these veggies are cooking slice the tomatoes and place them in the bowl with the leftover marinade. Toss to coat and set aside.

4. Make the spread by combining the mayo and pepper jelly, set aside. 

5 Preheat the Foreman grill and assemble the sandwiches. First the spread on each piece of bread, then the cheese, zucchini, shrooms, peppers, tomatoes then the squash. Grill until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted. 

If you don't want to grill the veggies you can also roast them at 400º in the oven. 

So even though the meal wasn't a real winner off the bat it ended up being fantastic in the end. I don't really blame the recipe, just that I was trying to cram too much into one sammie, most likely. Anyway I probably wouldn't make the Panini again, but I would use the recipe to make a pasta salad in the future, so it was a home run flavor wise.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Pioneer Woman.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin & Root Veggies

This was so good- this recipe is definitely a keeper, if I were to ever make the same thing twice! We both gobbled this up probably a little too quickly but it was just so tasty. The fennel plays well with the parsnips and pork holds up to any great seasoning. The pork was juicy and the sauce added a nice sweet flavor at the end as well.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin & Root Veg

ingredients

• 1/2 lb carrots, peeled & cut into 3" sticks

• 1/2 lb parsnips, peeled & cut into 3" sticks

• 1 small red onion, cut into 1/2" wedges

• 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp olive oil

• kosher salt & fresh black pepper

• 3/4 lb pork tenderloin

• 2 tbsp fennel seeds, crushed

• 1 cup apple cider (I used Simply Apple Juice)

• 2 tsp wildflower honey

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450º. Toss the carrots, parsnips and onion with 2 Tbsp oil, 1 tsp salt & pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. I lined the sheet with foil so it made for easier clean up. Bake for 20 minutes on the middle rack of the oven.

2. Meanwhile, heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat and then add 1 tsp olive oil. Season the pork with some sea salt & pepper. Grind up or crush your fennel seeds until just before it turns into powder. I used a molcajete but you can also use a spice grinder or the bottom of a heavy pan. Using your hands coat the pork on all sides with the fennel seeds.

3. Cook the pork in the skillet until a crust forms on all sides and is golden brown. Remove from skillet and set a side. Pull the veggies out of the oven after 20 minutes and toss around. Place the pork on top of the veggies and get em back in the oven. Cook for 16-20 minutes or until a thermometer in the pork reads 145º. Let the meat rest 5-10 minutes before slicing so you don't lose all the juices.

4. Wipe out the cast iron skillet with paper towels and bring the apple juice and honey to a boil. Whisk until the mixture has reduced by half. Pour the sauce over top of the sliced pork after you plate with the roasted veggies as well. 

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Real Simple.

Cheesy Pasta with Radicchio Salad

I decided to slip in another meatless meal this week, hopefully Q won't notice! The last time I made a meal with radicchio in it, we both didn't really like it that much. But I wanted to give it another shot to see if it's just the way I made it last time or that we just don't like it, period. From what I can remember it was too bitter to my taste buds but this time around it was quite tasty and not as bitter. Perhaps it was the olives and balsamic vinegar that helped balance the flavors? I didn't have any Pecorino cheese on hand and substituted Parmesan cheese in it's place.

Cheesy Pasta & Radicchio Salad

Cheesy Pasta & Radicchio Salad
serves 4-6

ingredients

• 13.25 oz whole wheat spaghetti

• 1 small head sliced radicchio, sliced

• 1 cup pitted green & black olives 

• 3 T balsamic vinaigrette (recipe follows)

• Kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• freshly grated nutmeg

directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and return to the pot.

2. In a bowl, toss the radicchio with the olives, vinaigrette, and a pinch of salt & pepper.

3. Add the cream to the pot with the pasta and bring to a simmer. Add the cheese, freshly grated nutmeg, 1/2 tsp each of salt and black pepper and cook for 2 minutes until thickened. 

4.  Top each serving of pasta with some more cheese alongside the radicchio salad. 

Balsamic Vinaigrette

ingredients

• 1 T balsamic vinegar

• 1 tsp dijon mustard

• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

• 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• 1/3 cup olive oil

directions

In a small jar add all the ingredients, seal and shake until emulsified. I like to let the dressing sit for at least 30 minutes so the flavors can develop. 

Enjoy!

Salmon with Brown Butter, Almonds & Green Beans

A very balanced meal on our plates tonight and we love to eat salmon. It's nice to try a different recipe each time so we can try new flavor combinations. I cut the original recipe in half since it's just the 2 of us but you can double the following to make enough for 4, if needed. I used fresh green beans from our garden - could be the last harvest of the season as my plants have slowed down significantly. My advice when making the brown butter with the almonds is to not walk away from the pan - it might seem like you have a few minutes to walk away and do something like set the table, but that's when it will burn on you. Ask me how I know??? Yeah it happened and I had to remake the sauce... but the 2nd time it came out great.

ingredients

• 3 T unsalted butter

• 3/4 lb salmon fillet 

• Kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper

• 1/2 lb green beans, washed & trimmed 

• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

• 1 1/2 T capers, drained

directions

1. Heat 1/2 T butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Season the salmon with 1/4 tsp each salt & pepper. Cook the fish until opaque, 2 minutes per side (my fillets were very thin) and transfer to a plate until ready to serve.

2. Fill a cast iron skillet with 1/2 inch of water, bring to a boil and add 1/8 tsp salt. Add the green beans and cover. Steam the beans for 4 minutes until just tender. Drain and transfer to plates for serving. 

3. Wipe out the skillet used for the salmon and heat the rest of the butter over medium heat. Add the almonds and cook, stirring so they don't burn. Once golden, remove from heat and stir in the capers.  Spoon this mixture over the fish & green beans.

I added some brown rice with quinoa on the side as well. I get the packages from Costco that you heat up in the microwave for 90 seconds - it's so good!

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Real Simple.

Gnocchi with Roasted Cauliflower

It's Meatless Monday in our house this week... and dinner was pretty good! I pulled this one out of the Real Simple cookbook and it was a great meal. You can serve a small salad on the side if that pleases you, however, I think with the gnocchi the meal by itself is filling enough. Roasting veggies brings out their natural sweetness and the edges get caramelized too which makes them even better. If you haven't tried it, you should! I added a little bit of the pasta cooking water to loosen things up a bit.

Gnocchi with Roasted Cauliflower, almonds, garlic & Parmesan

ingredients

• 1 small head of Cauliflower, chopped into florets
• 12 fresh sage leaves (left whole)
• 3 tbsp EVOO
• 2 large cloves garlic, smashed
• Sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 lb gnocchi
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400º. On a rimmed baking sheet toss the florets, sage leaves, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper with the EVOO. Note: I find using your hands is the best tool for this!

2. Roast the cauliflower for a total of 25-30 minutes or until it is golden brown and tender. Be sure to toss the cauliflower halfway through the cooking time. When tossing add the almonds and garlic cloves to the cauliflower as well. When you remove from the oven give the garlic a quick chop and toss with the cauliflower.

3. Meanwhile, cook the gnocchi according to the package directions. It's best to start this when the cauliflower is halfway through the cooking process. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Drain and set aside.

4. In a large bowl add the gnocchi, cauliflower, garlic, almonds, cheese and reserved cooking water. Toss to combine and serve in individual bowls. Drizzle each serving with some olive oil. 

Even there isn't a "sauce" per say in this, it's still really delicious and not dry as you would expect. I love this cookbook - the meals are simple but full of flavor and very balanced. Also, it provides great tips when preparing the meal. For instance, chopping the cauliflower into florets can be quite messy but if you do it right it's pretty simple. Lay the cauliflower with the stem side up... and using a small knife cut around the core/stem and pull out... then just chop the florets. Another technique if you aren't roasting the cauliflower or broccoli in a recipe is to blanch it for 3 minutes or so... then chop up the florets.

The sage in this recipe gets nice and crispy while you bake it in the oven with the cauliflower and adds some yummy flavor. I used fresh sage leaves from my garden which makes it extra special. Here's a quick a shot of my sage plant...

Fresh Sage from the garden

Enjoy!

Buffalo Wing Hummus

I love to make hummus and love to eat it even more! It's a healthy snack and super easy to make, just throw everything into a food processor and press a button. :-) Anyway, if you like wings this recipe is for you... it is tangy and has a lot of flavor. If you think there's too much hot sauce then add more BBQ sauce and reduce the hot sauce measurements. I tend to add a few extra dashes of Frank's right before I put the lid on the processor.

Buffalo Wing Hummus

ingredients

• (3) cans 15.5 oz chickpeas (also knows as garbanzo beans), rinsed & drained

• 3/4 cup reserved chickpea liquid

• 3 large cloves garlic, smashed

• 1/4 cup honey tahini

• 1 lemon, juiced

• 1 1/2 t paprika

• 2 T BBQ Sauce

• 4 T Frank's Hot sauce

• 1 T distilled white vinegar

• 1 1/2 t kosher salt

directions

Using a food processor, combine all ingredients and puree until smooth and creamy. 

I love to eat hummus with Pretzel crisps or Pita Chips - YUM! I like to let the hummus set in the fridge for at least 4 hours to let those flavors meld together. The longer it sits, the better the flavor is.

Enjoy!

This recipe is adapted from Food Network.

Sea Scallops with Green Beans & Orange Peel

I pulled out the Real Simple cookbook this week which I haven't picked up in quite some time. This cookbook was given to me a few years back and is a collection of recipes that were published in the Real Simple weeknight meals section. The recipes are very simplistic and on the lighter/healthier side as well. I cut the recipe in half because seafood just doesn't reheat well at all so this will make enough for 2. I also substituted green beans for snow peas because I have a vast supply from my garden right now and I want to use them up!

Sea Scallops with Green Beans & Orange Peel

ingredients

• 1/2 cup couscous 

• 1 tsp plus 1/2 tbsp olive oil

• 8-12 sea scallops

• kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper

• 1/2 orange (eat the other half while you are cooking!)

• 1/2 lb fresh green beans, halved and ends trimmed

directions

1. Prepare the couscous per the package instructions. I always use chicken broth vs water to add more flavor. 

2. Heat 1 tsp of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Make sure the scallops are dry using a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper and place in skillet. Cook 2 -3 minutes per side until golden brown and opaque throughout. Be careful not to overcook them as they will become tough.

3. Remove 2 strips of zest from the orange (thick), then thinly slice them. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel and heat remaining olive oil. Note: since the pan will be pretty hot I used a pair of tongs to hold the paper towel and wiped out over the sink. Add the green beans, zest and some S&P. Cook the beans, tossing for 2-3 minutes. Serve with scallops and couscous.

This meal was very healthy and satisfying without sacrificing any flavor. The addition of the orange peel to the pan while sauteing the beans really does add a lot of extra flavor. A trick that I will probably use again in different meals. I love couscous - probably more than any other grain... it's so tasty and takes all of 5-6 minutes to make. If you haven't tried it, you should. I use chicken broth when I make mine to add more flavor but you can just use water if you want also.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Real Simple Seared Scallops with Snow Peas and Orange

Grilled Doughnut Shortcakes

This sweet treat will make enough for 2 servings... a nice combo of sweetness and tartness together and who woulda thought to grill a doughnut, right? We don't have doughnuts much in our house - because if we did we would eat them every day - lol. But, it's funny because we just celebrated our 5 year anniversary last week so I bought Q a box of Entemanns' Chocolate lover's doughnuts. He loved them and literally gobbled them up in about 3 days. So it's funny that I had this dessert on the menu the following week because we literally never have doughnuts. In fact, I've lived in Georgia for quite some time and haven't had a fresh Krispy Kreme doughnut yet. Several people are in shock that I still haven't experienced that deliciousness... oh well maybe someday I'll get around to it.

ingredients

• 2 cake doughnuts, halved

• handful of raspberries

• handful of blueberries

• 2 scoops of butter pecan ice cream

• 1/2 lemon juiced

directions

1. Mash the raspberries in a small bowl with lemon juice, set aside. 

2. Heat a grill pan over medium to medium-high heat. Spray pan with a little bit of cooking spray (if needed) and place doughnuts cut side down in the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes until slightly browned. 

3. Put a scoop of ice cream (we used butter pecan), raspberries, top with blueberries and doughnut top. EAT.

Truth be told, I gave Q the recipe and let him make us this sweet dessert - love it when he cooks up something too! Hehe! ;-) 

Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken & Bread Salad

This dinner was a perfect meal for the middle of summer - grilled chicken and fresh veggies in a salad. I really wish we had a better grill because the chicken didn't come out perfect but it was still tasty. I loved the salad though. Make sure you get the bread nice and crispy so it holds up to the dressing. I also seasoned the salad with a bit of garlic powder, salt and pepper. The salad will feed at least 4 people and you can make 2 pieces of chicken per person as well.

ingredients

• 1/2 day old baguette
• 1/2 cucumber, chopped into 1/2" pieces
• 1/2 small red onion, sliced thinly
• 1 cup black olives
• handful of crumbled feta
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• 2 bone in chicken thighs
• 2 chicken drumsticks
• olive oil

directions

1. Brush the baguette's cut side with olive oil, garlic powder and salt. Preheat grill to medium heat and char the bread. Meanwhile baste the chicken with some olive oil, S&P. Cook the chicken for 35 minutes until cooked through, turning to cook evenly.

2. Chop the bread in 1" cubes and place in a large bowl with tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives and feta. Toss to combine with some olive oil. When ready to serve drizzle some lemon juice on top for extra flavor.

Serve the chicken either on top of the salad or on the side. This meal comes together rather quickly and is great when are short on time. 

Enjoy!

Chicken Salad

Chicken salad is on the menu for lunches this week. I really prefer the cans of chicken from Costco over other brands for this time of year to make different kinds of chicken salad. I wanted to make it a little bit different this time. After combining a few ideas I found on Pinterest, here's what I came up with...

Chicken Salad

ingredients
• (2) cans of 12.5 oz canned chicken breast
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 cup red grapes, halved
• 1 green apple, cored and diced
• 1/2 cup slivere almonds, toasted
• 1 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 lemon, juiced
• kosher salt, fresh black pepper & garlic powder to taste

Mix all ingredients together and store in fridge covered. When ready to serve, lightly toast the bread and smear some chicken salad on one slice, top with some spinach/arugula/romaine and sliced tomatoes. I picked up some of the Arnold Sandwich Things (they were on sale), topped the sammies with spinach and sliced cherry tomatoes - they were fantastic! I also had some kale chips on the side.

Enjoy!

Habanero Steak Sammies with Corn on the Cobb

I pulled this recipe from Rachael Ray's magazine - it was really spicy and I halved the habanero amounts - whew that is a spicy pepper... you can smell how spicy it is as soon as it comes off the grill. I really couldnt' handle the spicy but the sandwich was really yummy otherwise. My advice is to use a fresno chile or jalapeno instead or if you dare use the habanero. Q really enjoyed it but did admit it had his taste buds screaming. I also didn't use the dried red chiles for the corn as I have a bunch of the New Mexico red chile spices so I just used those.

Steak Sammies
2 servings

Ingredients
• 1/2 fresh baguette, sliced in half
• 1-2 spicy chiles
• 1/2 lb sirloin steak
• 3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lime, zested and 1 tbsp juice
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/3 cup mayo
• spinach for topping

Directions
1. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Season the steak with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper on both sides. Grill the steak for 6 minutes on each side for medium rare in temperature. Remove from the grill and let rest on a plate.

2. Lower the grill heat to medium. Wrap the garlic cloves in foil and place on grill for 15 minutes, remove and let cool. Grill Chile for 6 minutes, turning until blackened all over. Remove chiles and place in a bowl with saran wrap to seal to let steam so the skin will pull away from the Chile easily. Once cool, peel and seed the chiles, placing them into a food processor. Squeeze the garlic into a food processor. Add olive oil, lime juice and sugar to the processor, pulse until a paste forms, add salt to taste. Set aside in a small bowl.

3. Brush the cut sides of the baguette with olive oil and grill until toasted.

4. In a small bowl stir the mayo, lime zest and 1 tbsp water together. Set aside.

5. Thinly slice the steak against the grain. Spread some Chile paste on baguette bottoms and pile some steak and spinach on top. Spread the lime mayo on top part of baguette.

Corn on the Cobb with Chile Butter

2 servings

Ingredients

• 2 ears of corn

• 3 tbsp butter at room temperature

• 1 tbsp chile powder (I used New mexican chile powder)

• 1 tsp kosher salt

Mix the butter, chile powder and salt together, put in fridge to harden slightly. Grill the corn in the husks over medium heat for 30-45 minutes. Remove husks and char slightly. Spread the chile butter on the corn when ready to serve. 

Enjoy!