Pesto Potato Salad

This salad is basically an Americanized version of Salad Nicoise but I can't think of a way to say Salad Nicoise and still make you interested in this post because of this recipe 2 years ago .  However, I really can't express how delicious American potato salad can be when you remove the mayonnaise.  Swapping in pesto is really a great option this time of year when you want to be more figure friendly.  You can make this without the ham if you want this to be vegetarian friendly too.  What are you waiting for?  Go make this now.

Ingredients for 4 as a light dinner

6 medium yukon gold potatoes cut into sixths (or whatever you prefer)
1/2 lb green beans, ends trimmed, then cut into 2 inch pieces
1 small squash, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small onion, diced
1 cup of pesto
2-3 pieces of black forest ham, torn into pieces
1 hardboiled egg
olive oil
salt/pepper

1. Start by making your hardboiled egg (the Rachel Ray way).  Put an egg or two in a pot of cold water, put on the stove and heat until boiling.  When boiling, turn off the heat and wait 10 minutes.  Drain in and ice bath.  You have a boiled egg.
2. Meanwhile fill another pot of water with cold water.  Add cubed potatoes and cook until water is boiling and potatoes can be pierced with a knife (about 25 minutes).  You don't want these too mushy, so keep an eye on them.
3. At the last 2 minutes of the boiling, add the chopped green beans.
4. Drain beans and potatoes and set aside
5. In the same pot, heat some olive oil.  When hot add tomatoes, onion and squash and saute about 4-5 minutes until soft.
6. Add potatoes, beans, and sauteed mixture together in a bowl and dollop pesto evenly over the veggies.  Mix carefully, using a bit of olive oil if you need to make the pesto more pliable.
7. Add crumbled hardboiled egg and evenly distribute torn pieces of the ham.
8. Salt and pepper to taste and serve while warm.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos

Inspired by the butternut squash enchiladas as Cactus restaurant here in Seattle, I threw together these tacos last week on a complete whim.  David was unsure about how these would turn out, but he went along with the plan (as long as I promised not to put any zucchini in as well).  These turned out to be pretty darn good and won even David's seal of approval.  Enjoy on homemade tortillas for an extra special treat.

Ingredients

8 homemade tortillas
1 shallot, diced
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and finely diced
1 medium head of broccoli, chopped into bite size pieces
1 can of black beans drainer
goat cheese for sprinkling on top

1. Drizzle olive oil into a large saute pan.  When oil is hot add shallot and cook 2-3 minutes.
2. Add potatoes and stir with shallot.  Then add broccoli and combine.
3. Let the veggies cook for at least 15 minutes.
4. After 15 minutes, sprinkle salt and black pepper on top for taste.
5. Next, stir in black beans to allow them to warm up with the other veggies
6. Once heated through, you are ready to serve.
7. Fill like you would any other tortilla and top with goat cheese and salsa as an extra treat!

Banana Coconut Kale Smoothie

I'm not one of those people who likes to "juice" but ever since my parents gave me a Nutri-bullet I have been making delicious breakfast smoothies with all the extra veggies and fruits in our fridge.  I'm convinced after sampling several smoothies that a banana is a necessary ingredient.  Bananas make everything taste yummy (even kale!) at 5:30 AM, trust me.  If you don't have a Nutri-bullet you should probably go buy one because they are pretty awesome, but a regular blender would work as well.

Ingredients for 1 smoothie

1 banana
1 cup torn kale leaves
2 tablespoons coconut flakes
1/2 cup lowfat milk or almond milk

1. Combine all ingredients in Nutri-bullet and blend until smooth (about 30 seconds).  Sprinkle with a little extra coconut and serve immediately.

Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

We did a lemon chicken recipe a while ago, but after having some inspiring wings at a BBQ over the weekend, I decided to revisit the recipe.  There is definitely a kick to this recipe using both black pepper and cayenne pepper but the lemon mellows it out nicely.  Of course you must serve these with Bleu Cheese dip!  Make this for your 4th of July BBQ tonight!

6 medium size chicken wings
zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you like spicy!)
salt
olive oil

1. Lay chicken wings in a glass baking dish or other pan to marinate.
2. Cover evenly with lemon zest, garlic, oregano, peppers and salt
3. Drizzle again with olive oil and let marinate at least an hour
4. When ready, heat broiler or grill (depending on the weather of course).  When hot, add chicken and cook until internal temperature is 165 or juices run clear when cut
5. Serve with Bleu cheese dip

Spinach and Bacon Crepes

One of the best things about crepes (blintz, swedish pancake, whatever you call it) is that you can fill it with almost anything you heart desires!  Traditionally we have sweet crepes filled with jam or nutella, but this morning I really wanted some protein to kick off the weekend.  Crepes can be cooked in a pan and you don't even have to flip them over if you time it just right.  These are sinfully easy but light on your waistline.

Crepe batter

1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon melted butter
splash of vanilla extract (optional)

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix well until combined, about 15 seconds.
2. Place in a bowl in the fridge and let sit at least an hour to allow the mixture to bind together, this will help later when you are cooking the crepes.
3. When you are ready to cook the crepes, heat a nonstick pan or cast iron skillet over medium high heat.  Lightly brush with butter or drizzle a hint of olive oil in the pan.
4. Scoop 1/4 cup of the batter into the hot pan and carefully swirl the batter around by tilting the pan.
5. Cook just under 2 minutes and the top will be set
6. Repeat until batter is gone.  This recipe makes about 8 crepes.

Spinach Bacon Filling

4 cups spinach
3-4 very small new potatoes or fingerling potatoes, sliced very thin
4 slices bacon
salt/pepper
parmesan cheese

1. Heat a separate skillet over medium high heat.  Add bacon strips and let cook until desired crispiness.
2. Remove bacon from the pan, leave the bacon fat in and add the thinly sliced potatoes.  Allow them to cook until crisp and brown, about 7-8 minutes.
3. Add the spinach and use tongs to help it wilt down
4. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper and grated parmesan
5. To assemble the crepes, fill evenly with the spinach filling and roll.  Serve with hot sauce if desired.

Pan Fried Fish Sandwich + Aioli

A few weeks ago I had one of the best fish sandwiches of my life.  Craving it a few nights later, David helped design this delicious fish sandwich meal that nearly matched the original.  Clearly it is a requirement to serve fish with potato crisps and I highly recommend that you do!  This dinner is easy for a weeknight and would be a hit if made for friends.  Extra napkins are a plus!

Ingredients for 4 sandwiches

1 egg white
1/2 cup beer (lighter is better)
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves chopped
2 lbs white cod fillets
4 ciabatta buns

1 cup mayonnaise
3-4 pickes finely chopped
1 lemon squeezed

1. Combine mayo, chopped pickles and lemon juice and mix well.  Set in fridge until ready to eat dinner.
2. Combine egg and white and light beer, beat until mostly combined.  Place in a shallow bowl.
3. Combine panko bread crumbs, salt, peppers and parsley and mix well.  Place in a shallow bowl or on a plate.
4. Heat deep pan on medium high. Add vegetable or olive oil about 1/2 in deep in the pan.
5. Cut fillets to size with the ciabatta bun since you will be making a sandwich.
6. When ready to eat, dip fish in egg/beer mixture and then dredge through panko mixture.  Pat the breadcrumbs around the fish to cover the entire fillet.
7. Add the fish to the hot oil and let cook until browned on each side, about 3-4 minutes.
8. Repeat with other fillets.  Transfer to a plate in a warmed oven until ready.
9. Toast the ciabatta rolls, top with fish fillet and then aioli sauce.  Serve immediately.

Spinach Curry Risotto

All of the credit for this goes to my genius husband who decided that risotto needed it's place at the table without just being an afterthough for leftovers.  The best part about this dish is that it is hearty and warm (for winter) but still has the promise of spring with the chopped basil and spinach.  A splash of coconut milk would make it nice and creamy, but it is not a requirement.

Ingredients (serves 2 people)
1 small onion chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1 cup arborio rice
2 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons curry paste (green curry is preferable)
2 cups spinach
4-5 basil leaves thinly sliced

1. Heat a large soup pot over medium high heat, add a few swirls of olive oil and bring to heat.  Also start heating chicken stock in a separate pot on the stove.
2. Add chopped onion and minced garlic and stir to coat.  Allow the onions to cook until soft, about 6 minutes.
3. Add arborio rice to onion mixture and coat with oil.  Let the rice "brown" slightly for 1 minute.
4. Add a ladle of chicken stock to the rice mixture and stir.  Add more liquid when it starts to be absorbed by the rice.  This happens about every 5 minutes or so.
5. When rice has been cooking for about 20-25 minutes and will not accept any more liquid.  Add curry paste and a pinch of salt.  Stir in to the rice, adding a bit of extra chicken stock if necessary.
6. Remove from the heat, stir in spinach and let cook down for a minute or two.
7. Serve in bowl and top with slivered basil leaves.