Bigger Better Salads With My New Best Friend... Candied Nuts!

In the ongoing effort to eat healthier, I have been making our salads bigger, using less butter, heavy cream, etc., and more whole grains.  It's not difficult, but it does take a bit more thought and prep.  Even with the variety of homemade salad dressings I have on hand, eating the same thing day after day gets... tedious.  Since topping salads with candied nuts seems to be all the rage these days, I gave it a go.  It's TOTALLY easy, much tastier (and cheaper, I would imagine) than buying them already candied, and I find it fun to do.

But I'm easily entertained.

A small sprinkling of these nuts on top of your salad makes all the difference, especially when added with other nommy things such as sliced strawberries, red grapes, or fresh pears... a tiny crumble of bleu cheese... some heart-healthy avocado... and a nice homemade balsamic dressing.

I have done both pecans and walnuts, and they work equally well.  A lot of sites will say you have to use whole halves, but I don't.  Here is what I believe to be my perfected recipe.

Candied Nuts

1/4 C. brown sugar
2 1/2 t. extra virgin olive oil
heaping 1/4 t. cayenne
heaping 1/4 t. cinnamon
pinch kosher salt
1 C. walnut or pecan halves and pieces

In a 10" non-stick pan over medium heat, combine all ingredients except nuts.  Using a high-heat resistant silicone spatula, stir constantly until sugar melts, about 2-3 minutes.  Add nuts and stir until sugar mixture coats and sticks to nuts and they are toasted, about another 3-4 minutes.  IMMEDIATELY dump out onto Silpat or parchment paper (do NOT use waxed paper, foil, etc.) and use two forks to quickly separate nut pieces.  Also, clean your pan and utensils in HOT water ASAP... the caramelized sugar sets up fast and can be hard to get off.  When cool, store in an airtight container for up to a month.  Yeah right.  These will last about 5 minutes, especially if you allow yourself to snack on them instead of just using them for salads.

This is my favorite salad ever...



Mixed spring greens (big container from Costco for $3.99... can't beat it), little bit of bleu cheese (cheap stuff from WalMart... it's way better than you would think.  I was pleasantly surprised!), sliced strawberries, diced avocado, and homemade balsamic dressing... oh, and the candied nuts, of course (pecans here).

Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/4 C. good balsamic
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 C. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. dijon mustard
pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in mini-chopper or blender, blend until emulsified.

Homemade Pita Chips

Once you discover how quick, easy, inexpensive and tasty these are, you'll never buy bags of pita chips again!  They're also much better for you than potato chips!

Take a package of your standard pita bread...



Brush both sides lightly with extra virgin olive oil...



Cut each pita into eight wedges...



Carefully tear apart each wedge to make two chips...



Place in a single layer, oiled side up, on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper.  Sprinkle with garlic powder and kosher salt.  You could use any herbs or spices that sound good to you (cumin, rosemary, paprika... you get the idea)...



Bake at 375 degrees for 7 minutes.  DO NOT WALK AWAY!  They burn very quickly, so keep an eye on them.  Since all ovens are different, start checking at about 6 minutes.  Bake until they're lightly browned around the edges and starting to get crisp.



Immediately remove to a wire rack.  They will continue to crisp up as they cool...



When cool (after about 5 minutes) serve with your favorite dip... like homemade hummus...



Store any leftovers in an airtight container or ziplock bag.

See??  Easy peasy!!

Sock It To Me Cake

As most of you know, I'm not much of a baker.  It's too messy... you have to be accurate... not a lot of room for creativity... yet I still end up doing it on a regular basis.

My good friend, Brandy, posted a recipe for this cake in our group.  What?  A cake made entirely in a food processor?  I got a beautiful Cuisinart with a huge work bowl for Christmas last year... MUST TRY!!!

It turned out wonderfully.  A little too easy, if you ask me... I'll be tempted to make it far too often!

Now, about that name (because I know you're wondering like I was)... this is the explanation I found- "When Laugh-In popularized this phrase it became ubiquitous.  Everybody was using it, even a President of the US. Yep, ol’ sourpuss himself, Richard Nixon got in on the act.  The Betty Crocker company decided to appropriate it also and included a recipe on the back of their butter cake mixes and named it that.  Leave it to commerce to leave no stone unturned to make a buck.  I’m surprised Rowan and Martin didn’t sue them just for the publicity. But it was a less litigious time back then."



Sock It To Me Cake

Streusel

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ cup pecans, toasted


Cake

2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks) melted and cooled


Glaze

1¼ cups confectioner’s sugar
1½ tablespoons whole or low-fat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract



Process the flour, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer the streusel to a bowl and wipe out the food processor.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In the food processor, blend sugar, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth, about 1 minute. With the machine running, slowly pour in butter until incorporated, then add flour mixture and pulse until just combined.

Pour half the batter into the prepared pan and top with the streusel mixture. Cover with the remaining batter, using a rubber spatula to smooth the surface. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes. Cool cake in the pan for 20 minutes.

While the cake is cooling, whisk confectioner’s sugar, milk, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth. Turn out the cake onto a rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the glaze over the warm cake. Cool completely, at least 2 hours. Serve.

(I really should have had some pretty garnishes for this photo, but I made the cake on a whim and didn't have any... not even any ice cream!)

Note-  It's even better the second day!

I guess I was craving balsamic...

Several weeks ago, my darling man sent me a link to foodgawker.com.  I browse it occasionally when I need some inspiration for dinner.  One of the recipes I ran across was for a pasta with ricotta and spinach.  It sounded really good, but you can't have just that for dinner (well you might, but I wanted some MEAT also)!  Off to the kitchen I go, thrashing through the cupboards and freezer.  Chicken breast... salad... hmmmmm... why do I have FOUR bottles of various grades of balsamic vinegar?  I must do something about that.  Marinate the chicken breasts... make a reduction sauce... salad dressing... that should do it.



Balsamic Grilled Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 C. balsamic vinegar (I used the Costco stuff for this.  It's not bad... it's just the lowest quality balsamic I had on hand)
1/2 C. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. onion powder
1 t. red pepper flakes
2 t. dried rosemary (or 1 T. chopped fresh)
1/2 t. dried oregano
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in gallon ziplock bag, shake to coat chicken evenly.  Marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours (up to overnight).  Grill until cooked through.

I served them with a drizzle of balsamic reduction.  Bring about 1/2 c. of GOOD quality balsamic to a simmer in a small non-reactive saucepan.  Simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until liquid starts to get syrupy.  Remove from heat and let cool.  It will thicken as it cools.  If you want to make more sauce to use later, start with one cup or more of balsamic, reduce to desired consistency, cool, and store in a plastic squirt bottle in the fridge.



This pasta recipe is quick, easy and delicious!  I used cellentani pasta, which was a really nice shape for holding the sauce.  You can use just about anything.

Pasta with Spinach and Ricotta Cheese

1 pound ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup thinly sliced chives
1 10-oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound campanelle pasta or fettuccine
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino Romano cheese


Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.

Combine the ricotta cheese, spinach, butter and chives in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Place in a low oven.

Just before the pasta is al dente, remove about 3/4 cup of the pasta water. Whisk enough of the hot water into the cheese mixture to give it the consistency of a creamy sauce.

Drain the pasta and add to the sauce. Toss well. Add the grated cheese and toss again, adding more water if needed to thin the sauce.

Serve in warm bowls.



The salad dressing was just your basic vinaigrette...

1/4 C. balsamic
1/2 C. extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Whizz it all up in a mini food processor until emulsified.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.


So there it is.  If you have a bottle of balsamic sitting there pining away in your cupboard, I hope I've given you some inspiration to crack it out and put it to good use!

Handy little trick

I love IQF (individually quick frozen) boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  I always keep a bag of them in the freezer.  They're handy, healthy, versatile, and (almost) everyone loves them.  However, sometimes you're pressed for time and they're still... FROZEN.  I do not like thawing meat in the microwave because no matter how careful I am, they always seem to get cooked on the ends before they're thawed in the middle.  Icky.  I also know it says you can cook them from frozen (which I have done in a pinch), but what if you want them marinated?  If you have about an hour before you need to start cooking, you can thaw AND marinate them at the same time!

1. Put chicken breasts in a gallon size resealable bag.  If they don't all fit in a single layer, use more than one bag.
2. Pour in your marinade of choice, making sure chicken is completely coated.
3. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible.
4. Place in sink full of COLD water.
5. Walk away.

In about an hour, the breasts will be completely thawed, marinated and ready to cook.  This method is also much safer than thawing in the microwave because parts of the chicken do not get heated into the "danger zone".  Be careful not to let them sit much after they have thawed though.  If you decide to not use them right away after all, remove them from the water, dry off the bags, and plop them in the fridge.  They can sit there for another couple of days.

Another trick I use is when we're going camping.  Follow steps 1-3, then put the bag(s) in the ice chest (on the bottom).  They will act as additional "ice" for a couple of days, and you'll have marinated chicken to throw on the grill when you're tired of burgers and hot dogs!

It all started with the words...

"We need to do something with this watermelon."

I had bought a small watermelon for Cinco de Mayo.  It was the smallest one I could find, but half of it still sat in the refrigerator taking up space.  After shuffling it around several times, Brian uttered the words that apparently sent my brain into creative mode.

We could just eat it.  I had also been contemplating a watermelon pie for several weeks, but that would have meant me going to the store for more ingredients.  Determined to make a complete meal with only the things I had on hand, I went to work.  About an hour later, I had it all typed out and ready for a test run.

Watermelon Salsa

4 C. diced watermelon

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 large jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, finely diced

1/2 sweet onion, diced (I used Vidalia)
1/2 C. chopped cilantro

large pinch kosher salt

1 T. GOOD balsamic

Combine all ingredients.  Cover and chill one hour.

Curry Spiced Grilled Pork Loin

4 large cloves garlic

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons water
1 pork loin, 2-3 lbs

In small food processor (mini chopper), combine all ingredients except pork. Process until thoroughly combined.  Place pork in large ziplock bag. Pour spice mixture over meat and shake around until evenly coated. Seal bag and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.

Preheat gas grill to medium high.  Quickly sear on all sides, then turn flame down to medium-low.  Grill, turning occasionally, until cooked through (about 40 minutes or until internal temperture reaches 155 degrees).  Remove from grill and let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Coconut Couscous

1 T. butter
1/2 bell pepper (red, yellow, orange), diced

1 large clove garlic, minced
2-3 green onions, sliced
2 T. fresh lime juice

1/2 C. unsweetened coconut milk

1 C. chicken broth

2 T. cilantro, chopped
freshly ground black pepper
1 C. couscous

Melt butter in medium saucepan.  Saute bell pepper and garlic until tender but not browned.  Stir in green onions, lime juice, coconut milk, chicken broth, cilantro, and pepper to taste.  Bring to boil and remove from heat.  Stir in couscous, cover and let stand five minutes.  Fluff with fork and serve.


Lemon/Garlic Broccoli Spears

1 lb. fresh broccoli, cut into spears
2 T. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. fresh lemon juice

1 t. lemon zest

salt and pepper to taste

Steam broccoli until just tender.  In small saucepan, slowly melt butter with remaining ingredients.  Toss broccoli with lemon/garlic butter and serve.




Oh.  My.  God.

This was probably one of the best overall meals I've ever made in my life, and the amazing part is I didn't even look up other recipes to get ideas!!  I just stood in my kitchen, seeing what I had, and jotting down things I thought sounded good together.  I completely impressed myself... hahahaha!!

Now when you go to make this yourself (because you know you will!), it may look rather complicated.  It's not.  Much of it is do ahead, and the rest of it is toss-together while the pork rests.  If you can find someone to watch the pork on the grill for you, that's even better.

If you like grilling and quick, easy, flavorful side dishes, this is the meal for you!

A quick question to my readers...

Would it be REALLY annoying if I added more advertising to this blog?  I was very resistant to having any at all, but then I thought if I was going to put that much effort into it, I should get something back... so I added the bare minimum.

The first few months I made like $1.83... over 6 months...

Not exactly profitable.  I started whining and begging and I've been making a little more lately... like $23.00 during the entire existence of my blog.

I didn't start doing this for money.  I did it because I got tired of my friends asking me to type out the same recipes and tell them about the same restaurants and etc. etc. etc. over and over.  I admit I'm easily frustrated when I have to repeat myself.  However, taking the pictures, editing them, adding text, testing recipes, traveling, going out for meals... it costs money!!  I adore it, but I put out a LOT!  I'm not looking to make this blog my career, but a bit more financial return... like to cover costs of future posts... would be nice.

If I were to add more advertising, would that put you off my blog?  Is one of the reasons you like it BECAUSE there is minimal ads?  If there were more ads, would you view it less?  If I leave the ads the way they are, would you click on them more to prevent me expanding the advertising?  If I added more would you click them?

I know this is a lot of questions, but I want to know what YOU like in my blog before I go and change it.  Without you, it's just me rambling on into thin air.  I want your feedback.

Okay so maybe the question wasn't so quick.  Please leave your comments here or on my Facebook, if I have you there.

I really appreciate each and every one of you... even the random ones from Uzbekistan...