Chicken, Artichoke, Oven Dried Tomato Salad with Pesto Dressing

I finally made the salad I've been wanting to make since making my first batch of oven-dried tomatoes a few weeks ago. I made a second batch of tomatoes on Saturday with tomatoes from my in-laws' garden. I didn't pack them in olive oil this time so they wouldn't be soggy for my salad. Oven-dried tomatoes is a perfect way to use up extra tomatoes from your garden.

This yummy salad is a recreation of something I had a few years ago at a little cafe. It was the first time I had oven-dried tomatoes, and I fell in love with them that day. I also adored the creamy pesto dressing.

I don't have exact amounts for anything with this salad. Just throw it in a bowl and enjoy. I also made two pesto dressings - one creamy and one not. No exact amounts with the dressings either. I just add and taste until I'm happy with the outcome.

Ingredients

• Romaine lettuce, chopped
  
• Spinach
• Grilled lemon chicken (recipe here)
  
• Oven-dried tomatoes
• Artichoke hearts (I used marinated ones, rinsed & drained.)
  
• Pine nuts, toasted

I like half romaine and half spinach to add some variety. I like the crunch of the romaine. Spinach by itself as a salad is a little too wimpy for me.

Pesto Dressing

• A couple tablespoons of pesto (I used basil, pine nut, parmesan pesto.)
• Splash of balsamic vinegar
• Squeeze of lemon (I like lots of lemon.)
  
• Salt & pepper to taste

Just mix everything together. If it's too thick, add a bit of olive oil.

Creamy Pesto Dressing

• About 1/4 cup of pesto
• A couple tablespoons of Greek yogurt
• A spoonful of mayo (optional)
• Splash of balsamic vinegar
  
• Squeeze of lemon
• Salt & pepper to taste

Mix everything together.

That's it. Easy salad to throw together. I had the pesto dressing, and Husband loved the creamy pesto. I think the salad would be equally delicious with just plain pesto as well. Hope you like it!

Moroccan Carrot Soup

Source: epicurious.com via Laura on Pinterest

I received two pounds of carrots in my last bountiful basket. I decided to look for a new recipe that would use a bunch of the carrots. While on our cruise, I had the most delicious curried pumpkin soup. It sounded good, and it tasted better than I had expected. So when I found this Moroccan Carrot Soup recipe, I had to try it.

I made this for lunch today, and it was a hit. I loved it topped with yogurt and an extra squeeze of lemon. The kids enjoyed it, too.


Moroccan Carrot Soup
adapted from Bon Appetit via Pinterest via epicurious

• 2 T butter
• 1 C chopped yellow onion
• 1 pound large carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 2 2/3 cups)
• 2 1/2 C low-salt chicken broth
• 1/2 t cumin
  
• 1 T honey
• 2 t fresh lemon juice, plus more for serving
  
• 1/8 t ground allspice
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  

Melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened. Add carrots. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until carrots are soft, about 20 minutes.

Remove soup from heat and puree in blender. Return to pan and add cumin, honey, lemon juice and allspice. Serve with a dollop of yogurt, lemon wedges, and extra cumin if desired.


I think I already know what I'll be using the other pound of carrots for. Yum!

Oven-dried Tomatoes

I love tomatoes. Not just any tomato. I love cooked tomatoes. I used to stand by a pot of anything that had tomatoes in it - soup, pasta sauce, whatever, so I could eat stir it. (I also love to stir things, but we'll save that for another time.)

Last summer, I had the most delicious salad. One of the amazing ingredients was oven-dried tomatoes. That is the first time I tasted them, and it was love at first bite. They were full of the yummy tomato flavor I love. I even like them better than sun-dried tomatoes. A whole lot better, and I like sun-dried tomatoes pretty well.

When I received some beautiful tomatoes in my produce basket one week, I decided to make my own oven-dried tomatoes.

I couldn't decide if I wanted to slice thin or in wedges so I did both. First, I placed the slices on paper towels to absorb some of the juice. Then I tossed them with a bit of olive oil, some chopped garlic, and salt & pepper. I put them in the oven at 200 degrees. I checked on them every 30-45 minutes and would turn them over as needed. Due to the varying thickness of my tomato slices, some were done sooner, so I just took them out along the way. The thickest ones took about 5 hours. The wedges held up better over time, but the slices looked really pretty.

I ended up with extremely flavorful little tomatoes. I could have eaten the whole pan right there. I decided to put the in a jar covered with olive oil, rosemary, and basil. They looked so pretty in the jar.

Over the next few weeks I used them in pasta dishes and on sandwiches. I will say when eating simply eating them, I liked them much better before they were drenched in olive oil. The olive oil has a nice flavor and has made a great addition to pasta sauces and salads though.

I can't wait to make them again.
This is such a great way to use up all those garden tomatoes.

I have a yummy salad recipe using these beauties to share with you soon.

What's your favorite way to eat a tomato?

Apple Hearts

When I was thinking about what to make for dinner the other night, I decided to do something quick and simple that involved Miss M. She hadn't eaten much that day or the day before since she wasn't feeling well, so I wanted to make something she'd be excited about.

I decided mini pizzas and apples would be perfect to make with a little kid-help. I pulled out a little heart cookie cutter and the ingredients. Miss M was excited to cut out little cheese hearts and put the pizzas together. While they were cooking, I sliced an apple and cut the core out with the cookie cutter. Miss M loved the apples and ate twice as many as usual. She had a great time looking through the holes and trying to wear them as bracelets.

It was such a hit! I need to find more simple ways to make her food that exciting. I definitely think food is more fun when presented differently.

Do you have any fun food ideas?

Fresh, Homemade Dill Pickles

I had been wanting to try a food co-op for a while, and a few weeks ago I finally decided to give it a shot. I joined Bountiful Baskets and have loved it. One week I had three cucumbers in my basket. I'm not a big cucumber lover. I like it in tzatziki. I can tolerate it alright in a salad if I have to, but that's about it. However, I do like dill pickles. I remembered my sister-in-law had let me try some fresh pickles she made a few months ago. She sent me the recipe, and I ended up with some very delicious homemade dill pickles.

I made an oops and added too much garlic. I do love garlic, but these little pickles are pretty strong. They are amazingly delicious chopped up in tuna or chicken salad.

If you have too many cucumbers or are a pickle lover, give these a try. They are crunchy and yummy.

Broccoli Water Popsicles

Last night as I was steaming broccoli for dinner, I remembered a funny thing my sister (J, aka Dr. J) and I did in high school. It started out when we saw the green-colored water at the bottom of the steaming pot my mom had just used to steam broccoli. Although the wording is not exact, it's pretty much what happened.

J: "Wow that water is really green!"
Mom: "When you cook vegetables, some of the vitamins and nutrients are lost in the water."
J: "So, that green water is full of broccoli nutrients? Maybe I should drink it."
Me: "Drink it? I guess it is full of good stuff, huh. Sounds like a good idea."
Mom: "You will still get plenty of good things from eating the broccoli."
J: "Maybe I should save the broccoli water."
Mom: "It would probably taste better as a popsicle."
Me: "Great idea, Mom. The popsicles would definitely taste better than just drinking it."

J and I get out the popsicle molds, dump the green water in and pop them in the freezer. All while my mom is probably thinking we are completely psycho.

A few hours later . . .

J: "Let's go check our popsicles."
Me: "Ok."
J: "They're done." Pulls one out.
Both: Sigh.
J: Tastes it. "It's not that bad. Plus, it's full of healthy stuff."
L: "Yeah, it's not that bad, Mom."

A few licks later . . .

L: "This is kind of gross."
J: "Yeah, you're right."
Mom: Laughing.

Moral of the story is - If you want to save your nutrient-filled steamed veggie water, add it to something else that actually tastes good.

Some days I just need some cookie dough.

Source: cutoutandkeep.net via Sherry on Pinterest

I don't know about you, but I love cookie dough.

I mean love.

Truly love.

Some days I just need some cookie dough.

Glad I found this recipe.

(Or not so glad.)

We'll see.

Recent Meatless Favorites

Husband and I are meat-lovers. It's true. However, we have been trying to incorporate more meatless dishes into our lives. Here are three winners I have tried recently plus an incredibly rich, chocolatey dessert.

First up we have Curry Chickpea Cakes with Yogurt Cucumber Sauce from one of my current favorite cookbooks. They were fantastic. Husband loved them and said he didn't even miss the meat. You can find an almost identical version here.

This soup was surprisingly delicious with yummy asparagus, spinach, and creamy rice. Both kids loved the rice. Still working on these particular green veggies. Another hit with Husband.

Decided to make a tart last night and needed a quick crust. Tried this recipe from Chocolate & Zucchini which uses olive oil and whole wheat flour. Verdict? Delicious! I topped my crust with a mixture of yukon gold potatoes, leeks, and fontina cheese. Yum!

Cookie & brownie together is a glorious combo. Miss M shouted out, "This is amazing!" Simply take your favorite brownie recipe and your favorite cookie recipe. Put the brownie batter in the pan first and then layer the cookie dough on top. Bake and try not to eat the entire pan. Try really hard.

What are some of your favorite meatless dishes?

Out with the pyramid, in with MyPlate

Yesterday, the Food Pyramid was finally replaced with a more useful plate icon. Fruits and vegetables are finally getting more attention as an important part of the American diet. It's great to see a step in the right direction in helping America overhaul our SAD diet (Standard American Diet).

Here are a few of the main recommendations:

• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
• Eat less, avoid oversized portions.
• Eat more whole grains.
• Choose lower sodium foods.
• Drink water, avoid sugary drinks.

Hopefully, this is just the beginning of making changes across our country that is in desperate need of a healthy lifestyle reform. It would be great if high quality fruits and vegetables could become more easily accessible. Everyone deserves to feed themselves and their families well.

Need help remembering what to feed your kids? I ran across these plates from Super Healthy Kids. The sections make it easy to plan a meal for your child. I just wish they had adult ones, too!

What are your thoughts on My Plate?
Did you use the previous Food Pyramid as a guide?
Will you use MyPlate?

Clean that produce! More than a quick rinse.

Mr. T enjoying just-cleaned grapes.

Several years ago when I was pregnant with Miss M, I was sitting on the couch after work watching Oprah. A lovely woman, Sophie Uliano, was on the show talking about her book Gorgeously Green. I was intrigued to hear her talk about so many tips and tricks for healthier, greener living. At the time, green living and organic food wasn't as widespread as it is now.

Sophie Uliano mentioned that she cleaned her produce by spraying a solution on it and then rinsing it off. She shared the recipe, and I decided to give it a try. I now keep it under my sink and use it to clean pesticides and bacteria from my produce. Plain water just doesn't clean as thoroughly. Although, it is better than nothing.

The veggie cleaner spray is a simple recipe using water, vinegar, baking soda, and grapefruit seed extract. Chances are good you have 3 0f the 4 ingredients on hand. Mix them together, spray your produce, wait 5-10 minutes and rinse. So simple! The recipe can be found here.

If you don't have grapefruit seed extract, and are not interested in purchasing it, you can substitute the juice of half a lemon according to Dr. Oz. You can also use an even simpler solution of one part vinegar to three parts water. I just like the addition of baking soda and grapefruit seed extract.

Do you clean your produce? Do you use a cleaning solution or simply water?
Do you think it matters?

It at least makes me feel better because who knows how many dirty hands touch that food before I buy it. Blech. Like Miss M who took a bite out of a bunch of broccoli yesterday at the store. Oy.

Roasted chickpeas

Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are a favorite snack at my house. (I like to call them chickpeas because it sounds cuter.) The kids both love them, and so do Husband and I. Well, I think Husband just "likes" them or tolerates them.

I cooked up a batch of dry chickpeas on the stove this morning during breakfast with the intent to roast them for snack time. Mr. T couldn't even wait for them to cool down after cooking, so I pulled a bunch out and set them in a little bowl. He would toddle over with his empty bowl and hold it up to get more. Miss M soon followed with a request for her own bowl.

Mr. T devouring his chickpeas.

My favorite way to eat them is roasted. I love foods with a good crunch. Roasted chickpeas are a great replacement for your favorite high fat, salty snack. Chickpeas are a good source of fiber and protein. They are also high in copper, folate, and manganese. To learn more about chickpea nutrition facts, go here and here.

My finished chickpeas. Crunchy and delicious!

Roasted Chickpeas

2 C freshly cooked chickpeas*
Olive oil, about 1 T
Garlic salt or another seasoning of your choice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread chickpeas on a baking sheet and roast 20 minutes. Give it a little shake about 10 minutes in. After the 20 minutes, take it out and lightly drizzle on olive oil and seasoning. Gently toss to coat. Return to oven for another 10-20 minutes. Ovens vary quite a bit, so your time may be longer or shorter to get a nice crunch. I also watch pretty closely the last 10 minutes or so to make sure they don't burn. The chickpeas along the outside will brown quite a bit faster in the end.

*I prefer the taste of freshly cooked, dry chickpeas. I soak them overnight and gently boil them in water for 60-75 minutes or until tender. Adding a bit of salt the last 15 minutes or so. You can use canned chickpeas if you prefer.


Besides being super tasty, I love that my kids will devour them. I much prefer feeding them something like this for a crunchy snack than less-nutritious alternatives.

Leftover roasted chickpeas (if you have any) make a nice, crunchy addition to salads.

Grilled turkey, goat cheese, and roasted red pepper sandwich

Last week, Husband and I made one of the most delicious sandwiches. I've been craving lighter meals as the weather warms up, and this sandwich makes a perfect light meal with a side of veggies.

The sandwich we created was based on this recipe from Cooking Light. First, I decided against using a pre-made pizza crust for the bread. Instead I found a nice, freshly baked loaf of ciabatta bread. After slicing the bread, I drizzled balsamic vinegar on the inside before layering the filling ingredients on. I also layered in some fresh baby spinach to add nutrients and color. Don't skimp on the roasted red pepper or basil. I thought the amount in the original recipe would be overwhelming, so I added less, and it really needed more. The second time I made it, I added one whole red pepper per sandwich and a couple of basil leaves. It was fantastic! Husband gave it a 9 on his 1-10 scale. He doesn't throw his 9's around lightly either. It's a really high number around here.


Grilled turkey, goat cheese, and roasted red peppers sandwiches
Adapted from Cooking Light

1 small loaf of crusty bread (I used ciabatta, but focaccia would be really yummy, too.)
balsamic vinegar
4 oz goat cheese
3/4 lb sliced turkey
1 (7 oz) bottle roasted red peppers or 4 peppers
1 C. baby spinach
fresh basil leaves (I just used a little packet from the store)

Heat a skillet over medium low heat. The sandwich will be thick, so cooking it slowly ensures the cheese melts, the turkey gets warm, and the outside bread gets crispy.

Cut bread in half horizontally if it is thin. You'll build the sandwich and then cut it in quarters. If it's a thick loaf of bread, just slice it and build your sandwiches that way. Drizzle balsamic vinegar on top half of bread. Spread goat cheese on bottom half of bread. Then layer turkey, peppers, spinach and basil on top. Top with balsamic drizzled half. Cut sandwich in quarters. Add to pan and cook until desired crispiness is reached and middle is warm.

I hope you like it!

Salad in a jar?

Source: salad-in-a-jar.com via Heather. on Pinterest

Have you seen this way to prepare salad for a whole week? I think Paula over at Salad in a Jar is on to something.

I'm super interested to try it since I'm really good at buying lettuce and really bad at preparing it as often as I should :)

I also appreciated this post by Paula about deciding if food should go in the waste or on the waist.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Still sick over here. Whatever we caught was some fantastic bug. The kids have been sick for over a week. It's day six for me, and I'm actually feeling worse. Boo. Being sick is no fun.

I thought I'd share my favorite chicken noodle soup recipe. It has wonderful flavor, and I love the taste of homemade chicken stock and the ability to control the amount of salt. The turnip and fresh herbs add a great flavor, too. My house always smells amazing when I make this soup. There is something about chicken noodle soup that is so comforting when you are sick. It is one of the only things that actually sounds good when I don't feel good.

Sometimes I like to throw in extra veggies. I also like to make the stock in the morning or the day before so it can chill and the fat floats to the surface. That makes it easier to skim off. I also prefer to strain it through cheesecloth because it catches all the little things that can get through a strainer.

I know the weather is warming up (or at least it is supposed to where I live), but give this soup a try next time you aren't feeling so great. You will love it.

Goat cheese, caramelized onion, and spinach quesadilla

Fitness

I made this last night for dinner. I first tried this recipe a couple years ago. It's a Spring/Summer favorite of mine. During the Fall and Winter, I crave soups and casseroles, but when it finally warms up, I love salads and sandwiches. Less time spent in the kitchen, and more time playing. This quesadilla hits the spot and is simply delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 T olive oil
• 2 C. thinly sliced onion
• 1 t sugar
• 1/4 t salt
• 9 oz baby spinach
• 4 8-inch whole-wheat flour tortillas
• 4 oz semisoft goat cheese
• 2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, sugar and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is dark golden brown. Remove from pan. Add the spinach and 1 tablespoon water to the skillet; cook 2 minutes, or until spinach is just wilted. Remove from skillet and turn off heat. Spread a quarter of the goat cheese on each tortilla and top with spinach, tomato and onion; fold closed and press lightly. Heat the skillet and place two folded quesadillas in it; cook two minutes per side, or until golden brown and lightly crisp. Repeat.

Enjoy!

Food Revolution Take 2

Last night I watched the Season 2 premiere of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. I watched the first season last year and was pretty grossed out by the kinds of things school kids were being fed. The chicken nugget demonstration was nasty. Ick. This year, I think the pink slime demo topped it. Thinking about ammonia in my food and especially children's food is downright disgusting and oh so wrong.

What are we teaching our children by feeding them this junk? How will they ever learn to respect themselves and love their bodies if we teach them it's ok to stuff them with such harmful food?

Our society is in need of a big wake-up call to not just to take care of our own bodies, but to teach our children to do the same.

Like any change you want to see, it starts with you.

You decide what to feed yourself.

You decide what to feed your children.

You decide what to purchase.

You cast your vote daily with your choices.

What are you going to choose?

The joy of freshly squeezed lemonade

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Larkin on Pinterest

Last week, Miss M made a request to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house to pick some lemons and make lemonade. I told her that it was really far away, and we wouldn't be able to go. She looked so disappointed. I called my mom to ask if she might be able to bring a lemon with her when she came for J's big surprise.

I love the smell of citrus trees. As a child, I remember going to my grandparents' house in California and just standing by their citrus trees and breathing in the delightful fragrance. We would pick lemons and make the most delicious lemonade. My grandma would get out her old electric juicer. She'd put on her yellow rubber gloves that she does the dishes with and scrub the lemons. She'd cut them up and let my siblings and me juice them. The finished product was always refreshing and rewarding.

I still do the same thing when I get a chance to visit. At Christmas, Miss M had the pleasure of picking lemons with my grandpa in his yard. She stood by me as I juiced the lemons. She helped pour in the sugar and stir it up. Then she guzzled the lemonade as soon as it was mixed.

When my parents arrived this past weekend, they brought about ten lemons from my grandpa's yard for Miss M. She was so happy to get them. "Now we can cut them and get the thing (juicer) and make the juice with the sugar and drink it. Yum!"

Yesterday morning, we juiced the lemons. The smell was heavenly and instantly took me back to many of the wonderful memories from my grandparents' home in California. Since there were only ten lemons, it was pretty quick to juice them by hand. Miss M was trying to get the juice out of each lemon and then she would carefully pour the juice into the measuring cup.

I like my lemonade a little tart and on the strong side. Here's the general ratio I follow.

1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup sugar
4 cups cold water

I don't like ice in my lemonade because it gets watered down once it melts. I just put the lemonade in the fridge until it's cold.

Freshly squeezed lemonade is such a treat for me. I'm happy Miss M has been able to experience a favorite little thing of mine.

The cookie lover in me

The cookie lover in me found this post by The Sisters Cafe very interesting. It talks about a New York Times article on a quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookie. The original New York Times article can be found here.

Source: nytimes.com via Sheila on Pinterest

Now I want some warm, gooey cookies. I guess I better let my craving know it needs to give me a 36 hour advance warning.

Word of Wisdom Living

I stumbled upon a blog called Word of Wisdom Living in the beginning of January. At first glance, I knew I would be hooked. Word of Wisdom Living discusses the Mormon law of health, the Word of Wisdom, and the healthy benefits achieved by following it. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading each post. I think our society is in much need of a diet makeover. By diet I don't mean "going on a diet" but how we eat on a regular basis - a lifestyle.

This past week, Mr. Hellewell visited the bread aisle at his local grocery store. His goal was to analyze the nutrient content of every type of bread. Such a daunting task! I was only semi-shocked at the results he found. Out of the 70 breads reviewed, only two met the criteria for being whole grain and having more grams of natural fiber than grams of sugar. Two! That's absolutely terrible! It's very disheartening to see our food supply in such pathetic shape.
Mr. Hellewell provides a simple plan for changing our diets one step at a time by giving a weekly challenge. We all know it's easier to make small changes over a long period of time than it is to make large changes in a small amount of time.

Head on over to Word of Wisdom Living and see what healthy changes you can make in your life today and in the weeks to come.

*To learn more about the Word of Wisdom go here.

All photos courtesy of Word of Wisdom Living by April Hellewell Dickson.