Kale, Mushroom & Tomato Saute with Polenta

Simple weeknight meals are something that I'm always on the lookout for.  After all, it's way too easy to get in a routine of making the same old things every week (I'm totally guilty of this!).  This meal from Whole Foods Market is a great example...It's one of their highest rated recipes on their website, plus it looked super easy.  So, I decided to give it a try.

I'm a big fan of kale lately, so it's no surprise I was drawn to this recipe.  I jokingly say that I'm going to turn green one day from eating it so much.  I mean, it IS healthy!  :)  I love it, because it's pretty versatile and has a great flavor.  The ingredients for this meal are also inexpensive, and I ended up with LOTS of extra kale from the 32oz bag to use in other recipes.

This dish did indeed  come together quickly.  It's as simple as sauting a skillet full of mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and kale.  Then, slices of polenta are quickly sauted in a separate skillet until golden.  Easy peasy.  You can have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes, from start to finish.

Of course, the first question out of my husband's mouth when I placed his plate in front of him was, "But, where's the meat?!?"  That silly man.  I should have known.  If your hubby is anything like mine, crumbled bacon would make a perfect add-on to this quick dinner.

Bon Appetit, my friends!

***This post is brought to you by the great folks at Whole Foods Market.***

Kale, Mushroom & Tomato Saute with Polenta
Adapted from:  Whole Foods Market

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 pound sliced button mushrooms
Salt and pepper
8 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch kale (about 3/4 pound), stemmed and roughly chopped
1 (18-ounce) roll precooked polenta, cut into 8 rounds
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Stir in kale and 1/4 cup water, cover, reduce heat to medium low and cook until kale begins to wilt, about 2 minutes. Toss well, season with salt and pepper, cover and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes more. Cover and set aside.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Arrange polenta in skillet in a single layer (working in batches, if needed) and cook, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides, 5 to 6 minutes total. Transfer polenta to a paper towel-lined plate as done.

Arrange polenta on plates, spoon kale and mushroom mixture over the top, garnish with cheese and serve.

#SaveTheBiscuit: Berry Salad w/Poppy Seed Dressing & Buttermilk Biscuit Croutons

You know what they say - When life gives you left-over buttermilk biscuits, make croutons!

Wait a minute, I think I got that a little bit wrong.  ;)

But seriously, where have buttermilk biscuit croutons BEEN all my life?!?  They are insanely delicious right out of the oven, and equally amazing after they've cooled and hardened a bit.  I came across the idea in the May 2014 issue of Southern Living magazine, and wondered, "Why haven't I thought of this before?"

This is a wonderfully fresh take on the classic buttermilk biscuit and is the perfect way to use up extra biscuits that you might have on-hand.  Because we all know, it would simply be a crying shame to waste something as mouth-watering as a homemade biscuit!

I paired these croutons with a flavor-packed salad that will be one of your favorites this summer.  It's filled with fresh strawberries, blueberries, toasted walnuts, goat cheese, red onion, chicken, biscuit croutons, and sunflower kernels.  A drizzle of a sweet and tangy poppy seed dressing pulls it all together.  

Another thing that made this salad so spectacular is the fresh greens that were grown by my incredible in-laws.  They are the best and have made me feel like a part of their family since the first day we met.  I sure do love them and feel so lucky to have them in my life. 

This year, they planted a bountiful garden that includes sugar snap peas, assorted salad greens, strawberries, carrots, swiss chard, tomatoes, radishes, and cilantro.  They also have a number of fruit trees/bushes - fig, blueberry, peach, cherry, and raspberry.  I might even be leaving a few things off.  Needless to say, it's so much fun venturing over to their house to sample the latest offerings of the garden.  

The greens really made this salad.  There's nothing better than picking your own produce and eating it right away.   All those bagged salad greens at the grocery store really pale in comparison.  I've included a few photos of the garden below.

This is the fourth installment in my #SaveTheBiscuit series with the great folks at White Lily flour.  You can see my other White Lily posts here:

Just Peachy Shortcake with Toasted Pecans & Maple Drizzle
Caramel Pecan Biscuit Bake
A Buttermilk Biscuit Tutorial

Bon Appetit, my friends!

My awesome in-laws, Travis and Carol, with my little niece, Amber.  Love them!

Gorgeous salad greens growing in their garden.

Swiss Chard...Mmm...

Fresh greens, right after a light rain.

A cute little sugar snap pea.

Berry Salad w/Poppy Seed Dressing & Buttermilk Biscuit Croutons

Ingredients:

For the salad:

4-5 large handfuls of your favorite salad greens

1 lb. strawberries, sliced

1 cup blueberries

1 cup toasted walnuts

1/3 cup sunflower kernels

1/2 red onion, minced

4 oz goat cheese, crumbled

1 rotisserie chicken

For the Croutons:

(Adapted from Southern Living magazine, May 2014)

3-4 buttermilk biscuits, cooled

Salt & pepper, to taste

Extra virgin olive oil 

For the Dressing:

(Adapted from:  Taste of Home)

1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup raspberry vinegar

2 tablespoons orange juice

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds 

Directions:

Follow THIS RECIPE to make the buttermilk biscuits.

Let biscuits cool completely and then slice into small, crouton-sized cubes.  Place biscuit pieces on a silicon-lined baking sheet in a single layer.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.   Place in a 400 degree F oven for 10 minutes, or until crisp and lightly toasted.

Meanwhile, remove chicken from the bone and cut or shred into bite-sized pieces.  Set aside.

Place the salad greens into a large bowl.  Add the strawberries, blueberries, toasted walnuts, sunflower kernels, red onion, crumbled goat cheese and chicken.  Gently toss to combine all ingredients.

Divide salad onto individual serving plates and lightly dress with the desired amount of vinaigrette, reserving extra for later use.

To make the dressing:

In a blender, combine the first six ingredients; cover and process until blended. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream. Stir in poppy seeds. Chill until serving.  Yield: 1 cup.

COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY + Fried Egg Sandwich w/Bacon & Arugula

A few weeks ago, we ventured to a wonderful little place called McEnally's Mercantile in Pinson, AL.  It's a great little store, and I hate that it took me so long to discover it.  Their website describes it as:  "McEnally’s Mercantile is a family-owned general store offering hardware, home & garden items, grocery, feed & supplies for those seeking locally made products, home-grown foods and DIY home & décor items."  

When we walked through the front entrance, we were immediately greeted by the inviting smells of farm-fresh local greens being sauteed in coconut oil with bell pepper, onion, tomatoes and topped with some of the best bacon you've ever had in your life...all being prepared by a local farmer.  After seeing the rows and rows of local produce, milk, butter, freezers of local meats and several aisles of organic products, I knew I had found my new favorite little place to shop.

I filled my cart with peppery arugula, farm fresh eggs from Bartlett Farms, leafy kale, tomatoes, beef, chicken, among other delicious finds.  The next morning, I flipped through a copy of my newest cookbook from Southern Living, Comfort Food Made Easy, and came across this egg-cellent brunch idea.  It was perfect - I could utilize the arugula, onions and eggs from our shopping trip the day before.  Yes, please!

The original recipe called for pancetta, but I substituted with crispy bacon.  I also made my own hollandaise sauce following THIS RECIPE.  The final results were sublime.  Brad and I were both sad when our last bites were gone...Seriously folks, this was plate-licking good!  Buttery, toasted bread is topped with vibrant arugula that's been lightly dressed with a mixture of red onion, parsley, olive oil and lemon juice.  Next, the bacon and fried egg are added, and the entire mountain of deliciousness is finished with a drizzle of hollandaise sauce and a sprinkling of sun-dried tomatoes.  OH MY YUM!

This cookbook has quickly become one of my favorites.  Southern Living magazine has been a long-time go-to recipe source for me, and this book is a great compilation of comforting dishes.  The recipes are truly easy and the book is packed with mouth-watering photos, which is a must for me.  You can find more info about the book HERE. 

If you'd like a copy of this great cookbook, please enter my rafflecopter giveaway below...It's super duper easy to cast your entry!  The winner will also receive a jar of LouAna Coconut Oil.  

Good luck, friends!  :)

IMPORTANT NOTE:  If you enter by leaving a blog comment, don't forget to click the "I Commented" green tab on the rafflecopter widget below.  If you don't, it will not count your entry.
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fried Egg Sandwich with Bacon & Arugula
Adapted from:  Southern Living: Comfort Food Made Easy, Oxmoor House 2014

Ingredients:

• 4 (1/2-inch-thick) challah bread slices
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 (0.9-oz.) envelope hollandaise sauce mix
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided
• 2 cups loosely packed arugula
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 8 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked
• 2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes

Directions:
1. Preheat broiler with oven rack 5 to 6 inches from heat. Brush both sides of bread with butter; place on an aluminum foil-lined broiler pan. Broil 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until lightly toasted.
2. Prepare hollandaise sauce according to package directions; stir in zest and 1/2 tsp. lemon juice. Keep warm.

3. Toss together arugula, next 2 ingredients, 2 tsp. olive oil, and remaining 1 tsp. lemon juice.

4. Heat remaining 1 tsp. olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Gently break eggs into hot skillet; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or to desired degree of doneness.

5. Top bread slices with arugula mixture, bacon slices, and fried eggs. Spoon hollandaise sauce over each egg, and sprinkle with tomatoes. Serve immediately.

A Cornbread Potluck! - Buffalo Chicken Cornbread & Blue Cheese Salad

Cornbread is so under-rated, don't you think?  There are so many fun things you can do with it.  For example, this recipe incorporates buffalo chicken, cheddar cheese, blue cheese and freshly chopped cilantro right in the batter.  Um, yum! 

And if that deliciousness isn't quite enough for you, a flavorful salad is served right on top of a generous wedge of the cornbread, making this an excellent addition to your weeknight repertoire.  Before eating this, I had never seen a salad served on TOP of cornbread, which I thought was pretty creative and made for a great pairing.

Upon first bite, Brad was hooked.  He loved this cornbread, and I'm usually the only bread fanatic around here.  In fact, this dish is so fantastic, that it actually won first place in the Martha White-Lodge Cast Iron National Cornbread Cook-Off in 2009!  I mean, come on...You can't go wrong here.

I was also hooked the first time I had this dish.  It was at the Martha White/White Lily Southern Baking Retreat last year, which I blogged about HERE.  That was SUCH a fun trip!!  The first day of the retreat, we had the opportunity to sample winning recipes from previous years of the cornbread cook-off.  This particular dish certainly stood out to me, along with several others.  Needless to say, we were all one bite away from total cornbread comas after lunch.  ;)

Speaking of the National Cornbread Cook-Off Recipe Contest, they are currently accepting entries through 2/28.  So, if you've got a cornbread recipe that you're famous all over town for, this is your chance to shine!  

To celebrate the cook-off, Martha White is hosting a virtual cornbread potluck, and this dish is what I'm bringing to the "table."  There are 9 other fantastic bloggers participating, so please take a moment to give their blogs some lovin' and check out their cornbread recipes.  This list will surely get your cornbread wheels turning and might even inspire you to enter the contest yourself!  The official contest rules can be found HERE.

Pass the cornbread, ya'll!

Robyn: Add a Pinch

Tomato Basil Soup with Cornbread Croutons

Melissa: Melissa’s Southern Style Kitchen

Cornbread & Sausage Quiche

Lorie: Mississippi Kitchen (Lorie was last year’s Grand Prize winner at the Cook-Off!)

Bacon Cheeseburger Stuffed Cornbread

Tina: Mommy’s Kitchen

Chili Cornbread Skillet

Stacey: Southern Bite

Mom's Mexican Cornbread

Christy: Southern Plate

Red Beans & Cornbread

Jackie: Syrup & Biscuits

Peachy BBQ Chicken & Cornbread Skillet

Brandie: The Country Cook

White Chicken Chili with Cornbread Dumplings

Linda: Southern Pantry
Monte Cristo Cornbread Skillet 

Bon Appetit, my friends!

   
Buffalo Chicken Cornbread & Blue Cheese Salad
Adapted from:  marthawhite.com
Note:  The original recipe called for iceberg lettuce, but I substituted with a spring mix to add a few extra nutrients and pretty color.  I also omitted the red pepper flakes, because I'm a total wuss and can't handle the heat. ;)

Ingredients:

• Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray

Cornbread:

• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons Crisco® Pure Olive Oil
• 1 (6.5 oz.) package Martha White® Yellow Cornbread & Muffin Mix
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 2 cups cooked, frozen, boneless buffalo-style hot wings, thawed and diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Salad:

• 4 cups spring mix salad, roughly chopped or torn into small pieces
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 2/3 cup blue cheese salad dressing
• 1/2 cup tomatoes, diced
• Cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400º F. Spray 10 1/2-inch Lodge® cast iron skillet with no-stick cooking spray. Stir egg, milk and oil together. Add cornbread mix, Cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup blue cheese, diced hot wings, red pepper flakes and 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Stir until well blended. Pour mixture into prepared skillet, spreading evenly. Bake 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool.
2. Combine lettuce, celery, red onion and 1/2 cup blue cheese. Toss with blue cheese dressing. Cut cornbread into 8 wedges. Top each wedge with an even amount of salad. Garnish with diced tomatoes and cilantro.

VARIATION

1. RANCH STYLE: Omit blue cheese from cornbread and salad. Substitute ranch dressing for blue cheese dressing.
   
   

   

My Feature in Wiregrass Living Magazine!

So, I've got some wonderful news to share with you all - My blog is featured in the January/February issue of Wiregrass Living magazine, with a 14 page spread (and cover photo)!  Wiregrass Living is published in my hometown of Dothan, AL, and I was thrilled to hear that they'd be featuring my recipes.  

As soon as the magazine hit newsstands, we headed to the local Barnes & Noble, and you can imagine my surprise when I first saw the issue, and a recipe from my spread made the cover!  I was even more happy with the recipe they chose for the cover - Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup.  Why?  Well, this is a much-loved family recipe that I originally blogged about HERE.

The article features recipes that make it easy to incorporate fresh fruits and healthy vegetables into your meals, during these chilly winter months when it's easy to rely on our favorite, maybe not-so-healthy, comfort foods.

I thought I'd share some pages of the spread with you, along with two recipes.  I hope you enjoy!

Bon Appetit, my friends!

Recipes Featured:

1.   Asparagus, Mushroom & Roasted Red Pepper Quiche with Bacon & Gruyere

2.  Very Berry Arugula Salad with Toasted Almonds, Mandarin Oranges & Balsamic Vinaigrette

3.  "Just Peachy" Shortcake with Toasted Pecans, Buttermilk Biscuits & Maple Drizzle

4.  Whole Wheat Penne with Turkey Sausage & Veggies

5.  Tomato & Corn Salad with Bacon and Blue Cheese

6.  Yogurt, Blueberry & Homemade Granola Parfaits

7.  Nutella-Peanut Butter Crepes with Bananas & Strawberries

8.  Greek Chicken Wraps

9.  Prosciutto, Mozzarella, Tomato & Basil Bruschetta

10.  Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup

Very Berry Arugula Salad with Toasted Almonds,

Mandarin Oranges & Balsamic Vinaigrette

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

For the salad:

5 oz arugula (4 large handfuls)

1 lb. strawberries, quartered

1 cup blueberries

1 (15 oz) can mandarin oranges, drained

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/3 cup roasted sunflower kernels

1/2 red onion, minced

4 oz goat cheese, crumbled

For the vinaigrette:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tsp light brown sugar

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup grapeseed oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Place the almonds on a baking sheet in a single layer.  Bake for 3-4 minutes, or until lightly toasted and fragrant.  Set to the side.

Pour the arugula into a large bowl.  Add the strawberries, blueberries, oranges, toasted almonds, sunflower kernels, red onion and crumbled goat cheese.  Gently toss to combine all ingredients.

Divide salad onto individual serving plates and lightly dress with the desired amount of vinaigrette, reserving extra for later use.

To make the vinaigrette:

Pour all vinaigrette ingredients into a mason jar, with a tight-fitting lid.  Vigorously shake the jar for 1 minute to thoroughly combine.  

****************************************************

Prosciutto, Mozzarella, Tomato & Basil Bruschetta

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

8 oz. fresh mozzarella pearls

3 oz. prosciutto, cut into small pieces

10 large fresh basil leaves, chopped

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 whole French baguette, sliced 1/2 - 3/4" thick

1 clove garlic, sliced in half

Directions:

Preheat broiler to 500 degrees F.

Combine tomatoes, mozzarella, prosciutto, basil and olive oil in a large bowl.  Season with freshly ground black pepper and mix together well.

Next, arrange the bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet that's been lined with a silicone mat or sprayed with no-stick cooking spray.  Place under the broil and toast until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

Once bread is just cool enough to handle, lightly rub each piece with the garlic, cut side down.  The harder you rub, the stronger the garlic flavor will be.

Just before serving, spoon topping over the toasted bread.  Serve immediately.

Warm Quinoa, Spinach, Chicken & Mushroom Salad

First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Can you believe 2014 is already here?  Last year seemed to go by so quickly, and I hope it was a fantastic year for you.  Personally, I'm super excited about 2014 and can't wait to see what it has in store. 

The recipe I'm bringing you today is a hearty, warm salad that will be an easy, flavorful addition to your weeknight repertoire.  The ingredients are common and making use of a rotisserie chicken takes this dish up even one more notch on the simplicity scale.  Plus, anytime I can incorporate a little healthy quinoa into a meal, I'm in.

First, a quick dressing is whipped up using red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper.  Half of this dressing is drizzled over the mushrooms, and then they are broiled until tender.  Delish.  After that, all that's left is cooking the quinoa and then mixing together all the ingredients in a big ole' bowl - baby spinach, chicken, quinoa, mushrooms and the remaining dressing.  A sprinkling of crumbled feta cheese perfectly finishes it all off.

Bon Appetit, my friends!

Warm Quinoa, Spinach, Chicken & Mushroom Salad
Adapted from:  Everyday Food: Great Food Fast by Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar 
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil  
Coarse salt and ground pepper  
2 pounds button mushrooms, stems removed and sliced  
1 1/2 cups quinoa  
1 pound baby spinach 
2 cups cooked chicken, diced (a rotisserie chicken is a great time saver!)
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:

Heat broiler; set rack 4 inches from heat. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

On a large rimmed broiler-proof baking sheet, toss mushrooms with about half the dressing (reserve the rest); broil, tossing occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine quinoa, 3 cups water, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium. Cover, and simmer until liquid has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.

Place spinach and cooked chicken in a large bowl; add hot mushrooms, quinoa, and reserved dressing. Toss to combine (spinach will wilt slightly). Top with crumbled feta, and serve immediately.

Tostadas Salsa Verde

 

Oh, how I love this dish.  First of all, Brad and I adore Mexican food.  We make it a point to fit it into our schedules at least once a week, if not more.  Secondly, this dish is so easy and flavorful, that I made it three times within the same week.  See, we had extra ingredients on hand after the first night, and I didn't want them to go to waste.  The solution?  Enjoy it multiple times, of course!

Making use of a rotisserie chicken makes this meal even easier.  If you can't get your hands on a rotisserie chicken, simply poach some chicken breasts ahead of time and shred the meat.  In fact, that's what the original recipe called for.

The tortillas are covered with shredded cheese and then baked to crispy, cheesy perfection.  Then, they are topped with a mixture of tender chicken, salsa verde, fresh cilantro and ground cumin.  This all bakes in the oven until piping hot, and then it's served with a mountain of shredded lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream on top.

Um, yum!

It sort of reminded me of a Mexican pizza of sorts.  You'll love this, folks!

Bon Appetit, my friends!

Tostadas Salsa Verde
Adapted from:  Great Food Fast by Martha Stewart, pg. 211

Ingredients:
4 (6-inch) flour tortillas
3 ounces shredded (3/4 cup) pepper Jack cheese
2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) shredded chicken (from a rotisserie chicken)
1 cup jarred green salsa, plus more for serving
1/4 cup chopped, plus 2 tablespoons cilantro
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
3 plum tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup sour cream

Directions:Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange tortillas on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle cheese evenly over tortillas; bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss together chicken, salsa, 1/4 cup cilantro, and cumin. Spoon mixture evenly over tortillas; bake until heated through, about 8 minutes.

Top with lettuce, tomato, and sour cream. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Serve immediately, with additional green salsa, if desired. 

Smoked Chicken Salad

I love a good, tasty salad, and pretty much any salad that incorporates roasted walnuts, pecans or almonds is at the top of my list.   This one caught my eye while scanning the pages of my latest Food Network Magazine.  While glancing at the ingredients list, I noticed something that I had never cooked with before - hearts of palm.  I had heard of this unfamiliar ingredient before but never used it.  I was intrigued, so I dog-eared the page.

Fast forward about a week, and this salad graced our dinner table.  If you're a fan of salad dressings made with greek yogurt, then you'll love this.  It's such a healthy alternative to others.  The blue cheese knocks the dressing down a few notches on the healthy scale, but it adds a great creaminess and flavor to the dressing, which complements the roasted walnuts wonderfully.

To be honest, Brad was not a huge fan of this salad, for two reasons:  

#1:  He doesn't really like greek yogurt
#2:  He wasn't crazy about the flavor of the hearts of palm.  

On the other hand, I thought this salad was really good.  If you're unsure about the hearts of palm, just leave it out.  In my opinion, it's not really vital.  The original recipe also included beets, which I did leave out.

Bon Appetit, my friends!

Smoked Chicken Salad
Adapted from:  Food Network Magazine

Ingredients:

1/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 6-ounce package baby spinach
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 14-ounce can hearts of palm, drained and halved lengthwise
3 small cucumbers, roughly chopped
1 8-ounce smoked chicken breast, thinly sliced
4 whole-grain dinner rolls

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and roast until golden, 10 to 12 minutes; let cool slightly, then chop.

Meanwhile, make the dressing: Whisk the yogurt, blue cheese, shallot and 1 tablespoon water in a large bowl; whisk in another tablespoon of water if the dressing is too thick. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the spinach, tomatoes, hearts of palm, cucumbers and beets to the bowl with the dressing and toss. Add the chicken and toss again. Divide among plates and top with the walnuts. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the rolls.

Per serving: Calories 370; Fat 14 g (Saturated 4 g); Cholesterol 42 mg; Sodium 1,514 mg; Carbohydrate 46 g; Fiber 12 g; Protein 25 g

 

Okra and Tomatoes

After an impromptu trip to the farmer's market last weekend, I had a bag full of gorgeous heirloom tomatoes, grape tomatoes, fresh okra, and a few additional yummy findings.  Okra and Tomatoes is one of my very favorite summer side dishes, and this recipe from Southern Living was a fresh take on a classic, plus the perfect way to utilize my farmer's market loot.

The original recipe called for 1 large green tomato, but I substituted with 2 medium heirloom tomatoes instead.  I absolutely adore heirloom tomatoes...they are so hard (if not impossible) to beat!

This version is packed with great flavors, which are complemented by fragrant basil and parsley.  I'm trying to use up as much of this delicious summer produce as I can...while it lasts!  Are you doing the same?

Bon Appetit, my friends!

Okra and Tomatoes
Adapted from:  Southern Living magazine, August 2013

Ingredients:
8 ounces fresh okra 1 large shallot
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 medium heirloom tomatoes, chopped
1 pt. grape tomatoes, halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup torn fresh basil
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:Thinly slice okra and shallot; sauté in 2 Tbsp. hot olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 6 to 8 minutes or until okra is golden brown; transfer to a bowl. 

Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in skillet. Add heirloom tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, 2 minutes or just until softened. Combine tomatoes and okra mixture. Stir in basil, parsley, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.