Memorial Day Barbeque

On the Menu:

Grilled Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Lime-Cilantro Quinoa Salad

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Fresh Cut Watermelon

Grilled Chicken with Avocado Salsa

I make this rub and keep it in a tightly lidded glass container in my pantry to use as needed.  It's a great spice mixture to have on hand.  Try it on chicken, fish, beef, or pork.  For best flavor, rub it on the meat the night before, but in a pinch, you can apply it just before the BBQ.

Rub:
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon allspice
2 tablespoons ground ancho chile
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon fresh ground pepper

Chicken:

If chicken breast is too thick, pound it to thin it for even cooking.  Rub chicken with spice mixture.  Let it sit in the refrigerator over night if possible.  Prepare Grill.  Grill chicken 6 minutes on each side or until done.  For additional flavor, place some applewood chips in a foil bowl, and place on the hot grill while grilling the meat.  Close the BBQ lid to keep in some of the smoked flavor.  Remove chicken from grill, top with avocado salsa.

Avocado Salsa:

1 cup diced roma tomatoes

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 avocado, peeled and finely chopped

Combine all salsa ingredients in a bowl.  Toss.  Serve over chicken.

Cilantro-Lime Quinoa Salad

Salad: 

3 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup dry cooked with 2 cups chicken broth)

1 cup black beans

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 red bell pepper, chopped

Dressing:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/8 teaspoon salt

Toss all salad ingredients together in a bowl.  In a separate small bowl, stir together all dressing ingredients.  Drizzle dressing over quinoa mixture.  Serve immediately or refrigerate for later use.

Strawberry & Spinach Salad

Salad ingredients:
Fresh sliced Strawberries
Fresh baby spinach
chopped walnuts, toasted

Poppy Seed Dressing:
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon worcestershire

Toss all salad ingredients in a large bowl.  For dressing, combine all dressing ingredients in a blender.  Process until smooth.  Drizzle dressing on salad.  Save leftover dressing in refrigerator for a later use.

Honey Glazed Salmon

This quick and easy recipe yields a deliciously flavored tender salmon filet.   It's one of my favorite salmon recipes (along with Salmon Tacos) and has been in my kitchen for over 10 years.   My kids eat it up, and Jeff and I enjoy it as well.  Serve it with brown rice or quinoa and a vegetable side.  

Honey Glazed Salmon

2 Tbs minced onions

1 Tbs chopped fresh or 1 tsp dried thyme

3 tbs honey

1 tbs dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)

Preparation:

1.  Prepare grill or broiler.

2.  Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl.  Brush honey mixture over fish.  Place fish on a grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray, and cook 6 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Brush with extra leftover glaze as needed while cooking.

This time, I served the salmon with Quinoa with Green Onions and Toasted Pecans and a side of steamed cauliflower. I often serve it with brown rice and swiss chard.

Quinoa with Green Onions and Toasted Pecans

Quinoa is a nutrient dense grain-like seed that is easy to cook and needs little flavoring.  It's a great alternative to rice for variety in flavor and texture and it also has a much shorter cooking time... which makes it quick and easy to get on the table for family dinner.  Quinoa is also superior to most grains because it contains all the essential amino acids needed to be considered a "complete protein".  Not only is it healthy... but it tastes great too!  Give this simple quinoa recipe a try!

Quinoa with Green Onions and Toasted Pecans

2 cups Chicken broth

1 cup quinoa

sliced green onions

chopped pecans, toasted

Salt to taste

Bring 2 cups of chicken broth to a boil.  Add 1 cup of quinoa. Cover and simmer for 12 minutes.  Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and let it rest with the lid on for up to 15 minutes.  Stir in sliced green onions and toasted almonds.  Add salt to taste.

Yellow Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Our favorite yellow birthday cake.

Sometimes homemade cakes are disappointing....  too dry, too dense, too sweet, or they have bad texture and the flavor is lacking.   Not this one.  This cake is rich, moist and delicious, without being too heavy.  It's perfectly satisfying.

Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting (adapted from Cooking Light)

Cake:
1 Tbs flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 (8 ounce) carton reduced fat all natural sour cream (such as Daisy brand)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350.
Coat bottom of a 13X9 inch baking pan with oil spray (do not coat sides of pan); line bottom of pan with wax paper.  Coat wax paper with oil spray; dust with 1 Tbs flour.  Set aside.

Combine 1/2 cup butter and sour cream in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk until well blended.  Add sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla.  Beat with a mixer at medium speed 3 minutes or until well blended.  Add eggs; beat 2 minutes or until well blended.

Lightly spool 2 cups flour into measuring cups; level with a knife.  Combine 2 cups flour, baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring well with a whisk.  Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Sharply tap pan once on counter to remove air bubbles.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan.  Carefully peel off wax paper; cool completely on wire rack.

Frosting:
1/2 cup (4 ounces) Neufchatel cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup cocoa
1-2 Tablespoons milk
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups powdered sugar

Place cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 tsp vanilla in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy.  Add coca, milk, and 1/8 tsp salt; beat at low speed until well blended.  Gradually add powdered sugar.  beat at low speed until creamy.  Place cake on a serving platter and spread frosting over top and sides of cake.

Notes:  You can make this cake as directed, in two rounds for a layered cake, or double the recipe and make two 9X13 sheet cakes for a layered sheet cake.  This cake does not have a domed top so it is perfect for layer cakes.

***Because a pretty cake is worth nothing if it doesn't taste good :)

Wholesome Apple Pie

Simple, wholesome, apple pie a la mode.   The baked apples bring the rich sweet-tart flavor, the cinnamon enhances it, and the delicate, buttery, whole wheat crust wraps it all up into the perfect fruit-filled pastry.  Delicious!  We enjoyed it warm out of the oven with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream.  

This apple pie is made up of only five ingredients; braeburn apples, cinnamon, freshly ground 100% whole wheat flour, butter, and salt.  No sugar or sweetener required!   Sound odd?  Not too odd.... the early English never added sugar to their apple pies.

Wholesome Apple Pie

Filling:
5-6 Braeburn apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick ( you can also try Golden Delicious, or Pink Lady)
2-3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

Mix the above together in a bowl.

Pastry Crust:
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
7/8 cups butter, cold and diced into small pieces
1 teaspoon salt
5/6 tablespoons ice water

Combine the whole wheat flour and salt in a large bowl.  Cut in butter with a pastry blender. If butter does not cut in well with the pastry blender, use your clean hands to mix it in (I usually do this). Next, sprinkle 1 T of ice water on flour mixture, toss together with a fork for about 20 seconds.  Sprinkle on another tablespoon of water and toss again.  Continue until the dough can be gathered into a ball.  If you are used to making pastry dough with white flour and shortening, this will feel quite different.  You still don't want the dough to be too wet but it will feel more moist then a white flour dough.  When it can be gathered into a ball, divide it into 2 balls and roll out one of them into a pie shape.  Loosen the rolled dough from the surface with a flat spatula.  This dough is more fragile then white flour dough.  Do not try to fold it in half, instead, slide a thin cookie sheet or glass cutting board underneath it and then slip it off the cutting board on top of the pie pan.  Shape to the pie pan and trim the edges. 

Fill the pastry shell with the apple mixture.  

Roll out the top crust, then use the cutting board method to transfer it to the top of the pie.  Be sure to moisten the edges of the bottom crust first so that they adhere together well.  Crimp the sides together as desired.  Slice a few air vents on the top crust.

Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.

This pie is deliciously flavored as is, but if your sweet tooth calls for it, you can add a little sugar to the apples, and also sprinkle some cinnamon-sugar on top of the pie before baking.

“Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness.”
Jane Austen

"Thy breath is like the steame of apple-pyes." 
Robert Greene (1590) 'Arcadia'

Dijon Chicken with Peanuts



I've had this recipe for years.  I like it because it brings different flavors to the standard "stir-fry",  yet it is very simple, healthy and easy to prepare for your family.   I like it best served over short-grain brown rice.  My Costco carries the rice, and you can also find it at Sprouts, or maybe Fry's Marketplace.   Enjoy! 

Dijon Chicken with Peanuts



2 C fresh stir-fry vegetables (your choice-- this time I used carrots, broccoli and celery)

5 tsp peanut oil

1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into thin strips (across the grain)

1/4 c dijon or country dijon mustard

2 Tbs white wine or chicken broth

1/4 tsp cornstarch

3 Tbs chopped dry roasted unsalted peanuts

Cook chicken in 3 teaspons of peanut oil,  in a hot skillet over medium-high heat until done.  Remove from pan; keep warm. 

Cook vegetables in 2 teaspoons of oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat until tender crisp. Remove from pan; keep warm.

Blend mustard,  wine (or broth) and cornstarch; add to skillet. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture thickens and boils. Return chicken and vegetables to pan; heat through. Stir in peanuts.

Serve over short grain brown rice.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

 Love these pancakes!  Too many times whole wheat pancakes are dense as a brick, or require a large amount of fat to soften up the bite... not these!  These are light and fluffly as can be and still 100% whole wheat.  A family favorite!
Whole grains for breakfast are a must for us!  We can't start our day without that good boost of fiber, proteins, nutrients and minerals found in all natural whole grains like wheat and oats.  Serve these with fresh fruit and a glass of milk and you've got a great breakfast meal!  My kids prefer topping them with homemade freezer jam. 

Whole Wheat Pancakes

1 1/2 C whole wheat flour ( fresh ground is best!)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs (separated)
1 1/2 C milk
3 T canola oil (divided)

In a large bowl:   Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. 
In a 4-cup measure: Mix milk, egg yolks, and 2 tablespoons of the oil.
In a separate small metal bowl:  Beat the egg whites, gradually adding 1 tablespoon of oil.  Beat until stiff and glossy.

Add milk mixture to flour mixture, stir until wet (do not overmix). Fold in the egg whites.  Cook pancakes on a hot griddle. Yum!

Grinding Wheat: When I make these pancakes, I start with fresh ground whole wheat flour, ground that morning. If you have a grinder... It really doesn't take long to throw the grains in and push a button to have fresh flour. Fresh ground wheat offers supperior taste, and has more naturally occurring vitamins and nutrients than store bought whole wheat flour. I prefer hard red winter wheat in my pancakes for that sweet grainy flavor, but if you want an even "lighter" whole wheat pancake, try using white wheat flour. If you don't have a grinder... I think the pancakes are still worth trying with store bought whole wheat flour. Give it a try!