Zoodle Piccata

More zoodles! We can't stop!

It rained all weekend here, which was so nice. Seriously, it's never super rainy here for several days in a row. Aside from it squashing our plans to go to the park yesterday, it was a great excuse to stay in all weekend and be lazy (I use the term "lazy" lightly these days, with two mobile babies). And eat sandwiches. I ate lots of sandwiches this weekend. PS- if you've never tried pepperoni on your turkey sandwich, I highly recommend.

Chicken Piccata has long been a favorite of mine, and I've made similar recipes here and a sour cream version here. Oh and more lemon butter here and a lemon dijon butter sauce here.  This is a very basic white wine lemon butter sauce, so easy and so quick. We loved it with the zoodles because they suck up every ounce of flavor in the sauce.

Recipe

• 1 1/4 lb chicken cutlets (butterflied breasts, alternatively pound them thin)
• 1/2 cup + 1/2 tablespoon flour, divided
• 1 1/4  teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup good white wine (such as chardonnay or sauvignon blanc)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 package  Veggie Noodle Co. Zoodles (or several zucchinis spiralized)
• 2-4 tablespoons capers

Start by preparing the chicken. Make sure they are either cutlets or pounded thin. Place 1/2 cup of the flour in a shallow bowl.   Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon of the salt, and pepper to taste. Coat each piece in flour, shaking off the excess.  Heat 2-3 tablespoons oil in a large pan. Working in batches, cook the chicken - about 3 minutes per side (for thin chicken). Set aside. Add butter to the pan and melt. Whisk in 1/2 tablespoon of flour. Add in wine and lemon juice, whisking to remove lumps, and then let it reduce for about 10 minutes. Whisk in remining 1/4 teaspoon salt, Dijon mustard and capers and remove from heat. In another pan, cook the zoodles for 2-3 minutes.  Plate the zoodles, top with chicken and sauce.

Easy Salmon Salad

I used to have 'fat pants' that I wore to work on Mondays. Literally every Monday, I wore my black Express wide leg trousers. I don't know if they were technically considered 'wide leg,' but I got them in a size larger than normal and there was something about their fit that left looooots of extra room for my weekend wine, ice cream, pizza, and cosmopolitans. FYI these pants are circa 2005, literally, so I don't know that you'll be able to find them now (in case you were looking).  I wore them just about every Monday until I was about 4 months pregnant with twins in 2016, when even my fat pants weren't forgiving enough. Yes, I wore the same pants on and off for over 10 years; the hem coming undone on the bottom was super sharp looking.

You see, when the weekend rolls around you guys, all bets are off. What bets am I talking about? I don't know.  But while I can eat and drink with discipline Monday through Thursday, I simply can't do it on the weekend. Nor do I want to. I loooove indulging. And I love food (duh). And I love wine. And I looooove salt. So when Monday rolls around, I simply don't fit into my normal pants. And then I spend the next couple of days cleaning up my mess. And THAT is what this post is about.  A nice healthy "clean" lunch/dinner/snack to get you back on track. 
PS. I use the word 'clean' lightly, as I'm fairly certain 'clean eating' doesn't include mayo. 

Recipe (for 2)

• ~1.5 cups cooked salmon, chopped/shredded into large chunks (about 10-12 oz fillet)
• Juice of 1 large lemon (about 2 tsp)
• 3 teaspoons light mayo (or greek yogurt)
• ~3 teaspoons fresh chopped dill
• 3 tablespoons chopped pickle or celery
• S&P to taste

Prepare the salmon as desired (gilled simply here without the sauce).  Chill. Chop/shred with a fork into large chunks. Mix in lemon juice, mayo, fresh dill, pickle and/or celery, and salt & pepper. I ate mine on some delicious seeded crackers, but on top of toast or just by itself would be great. Tastes so fresh and healthy! This is a perfect recipe when you have a little leftover salmon from a dinner out or if you chronically over cook for your family like I do.

Sweet and Spicy Grilled Chicken

What a pleasant surprise this was! Chicken, rubbed with just a few simple things you probably have at home (although I can't for the life of me remember why I had Coriander), and grilled. This chicken is so flavorful, you'll want to make it over and over.  

I got this recipe from the NY Times. If you don't subscribe to NY Times Cooking, do it now. My mom turned me on to it and it's the best decision I've ever made. Yes, the best.

The only thing I did differently is instead of making their sauce with dijon and chives, I made my honey mustard sauce that my husband is obsessed with. We put that sh%$ on everything. I don't measure, but it is about a tablespoon each of dijon and honey, a squirt of whole grain mustard (or brown mustard), 2-3 tablespoons light mayo, a pinch of salt...and that's it.  I modify to taste so add more honey if you want it more sweet, or more dijon if you want more kick. BUT, this chicken was so good we barely even touched the sauce.  Happy summer grilling!

Roasted Salmon with Creamy Avocado Slaw

Aaaaaaand, making up for two weeks of binge eating begins. Salmon, avocado, vegetables, oh and a touch of sour cream. Just a touch. We recently ate at a restaurant that served a creamy avocado slaw, and we loved it so much we asked the waiter how it was prepared.  "Uh, all I know is that it's a totally natural process."

What?? How else would it be prepared?  Genetic engineering? Chemical fusion? I feel like I should report him to someone.

Anyway, we recreated it home which turned out to be quite easy. And totally natural.

Recipe

• 2 salmon fillets
• Blackened seasoning or S&P (I used a delicious Montreal Steak Seasoning)
• 2 ripe avocados, diced
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 jalapeno, seeds removed
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 cups green and purple cabbage
• 1 red bell pepper, finely julienned
• 2 tablespoons finely diced sweet onion 

The slaw is best made 2 hours in advance, to let the veggies and sauce marinate (but not a day ahead - the avocado browns a little).  In a food processor, blend the avocados, sour cream, lime juice, jalapeno, honey, white wine vinegar, and red pepper. Blend until smooth.  Mix enough of the sauce into a bowl with the cabbage, red bell pepper, and onions just to coat.  You will have about 1/3 to 1/2 cup sauce left over, so you can serve that as a side with the salmon. 

Preheat the oven to 400.  Brush the salmon with olive oil, then season.  Roast for about 10-12 minutes.  Serve with avocado cream and slaw on the side.

Teriyaki Glazed Salmon

I've had this recipe on my mind for a while now, salmon with a super thick and sweet Teriyaki glaze. My food services company serves one for customer visits that always looks so delicious and pretty.  Yes, this recipe was inspired by my food services company at my work. I'm a little ashamed, but not really because it was a fun challenge to get mine to look just like theirs. A thick coating of sweet Teriyaki glaze that you could eat with a spoon.

Mission accomplished, and we loved it. In fact, we did eat the sauce with a spoon. I coated the salmon first with a mixture of brown sugar, salt, and corn starch, which helps to crisp the top a little bit, and also helps the sauce stay on top of the salmon instead of falling off during cooking.  I made a simple glaze of soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, and orange juice, and thickened it using a bit of corn starch.  To be fair, I don't think this is a true teriyaki sauce. Teriyaki is supposed to have either Mirin or Sake, but I figured most people don't keep ingredients like that on hand so I omitted them.  That and the fact that I had a bad experience with Sake in college and might throw up at the smell of it. But we'll save that story for another day.

This is a very simple weeknight dinner that takes no time to make, but I think you could serve it for an easy dinner party too. Then I would probably throw some sesame seeds on top to be fancy.

Recipe

• 2 salmon fillets
• 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoons corn starch
• Pepper to taste

 Glaze

• 1/2 cup soy sauce (I used reduced sodium)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh orange juice (I actually used the juice of a little Cutie)
• Dash ginger
• 1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch mixed with 1/4 cup water

Preheat the oven to 300. Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel.  Pepper the salmon, then sprinkle on a mixture of brown sugar, salt, and corn starch.  In a medium saucepan, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, fresh orange juice, and ginger.  Heat on medium low, then add the corn starch mixture to thicken. Bring to a low boil, then remove from heat and set aside (ps- this makes a lot of sauce, so you could make up to 4 salmon fillets, and still have a little sauce leftover).  To give my salmon a nice crisp outside, I pan seared mine first for a couple of minutes. You could skip this step and just bake for about 5 minutes longer.  Heat a nonstick skillet to medium high, coat with nonstick spray, then pan sear the top of the salmon (skin side up), for about 2 minutes. Place the salmon in a baking dish (skin side down, although we had ours removed), brush with desired amount of Teriyaki (we did about 3-4 tablespoons on each salmon), then bake in the oven for about 10 minutes. Broil for another 1-2 to caramelize the top a bit.  If you prefer less well-done salmon, reduce the cooking time to 8 minutes.  Serve with sauce on the side.

Stuffed Chicken

I think my husband is trying to take over my blog. Really, I do. The problem is that he comes up with these great cooking ideas and approaches them with such enthusiasm, that I have to comply.  Plus, I’ve been an uncreative blogger lately and if it were up to me I would make  things like this every night for dinner.

Technically, I suggested we make stuffed chicken last weekend for dinner. But then John trumped me by coming up with 8 different ways to stuff them.  I cut it down to three, for feasibility and general practicality purposes. We don’t have kids yet, but I can already tell which parent I am going to be.

Shoot.

We stuffed the chicken three ways. It was so easy and actually healthy enough we could eat the leftovers during the week.  Start by preparing each boneless skinless chicken breast by either pounding them to ~1/2 inch thin or cutting in half crosswise (our Central Market has enormous chickens so we halved ours).  Then we pounded them a little thinner, topped them with each of the three stuffing variations (a few spoonfuls), secured with two toothpicks, brushed with olive oil and S&P, then baked at 350 for about 20-25 minutes.  The opportunities are endless, but this is what we tried:

Broccoli & Cheese

Broccoli, cooked

Sharp Cheddar, cubed

Mushroom and Wine

Melt one tablespoon of butter in a large skillet. Add 1 package of sliced mushrooms and plenty of salt. Add 1 cup of good red wine, then bring to a low simmer and reduce until just the mushrooms and a touch of wine is left.

Apple & Onion

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil, then add in a ¾ cup finely diced onion. Cook for several minutes, then add in your favorite apples, chopped into small pieces.  Cube a slice of bread (we actually used an english muffin) and stir into the mixture. Pour in ½ cup apple juice and cook until reduced.

My fave was the broccoli and cheese, John's was the apple and onion. They were all good though, and really quite cute. 

Orange Balsamic Salmon with Mint Relish

While I generally like my salmon with something savory like mustard or dill, I decided to change it up with this sweet orange balsamic glaze. It was a nice sweet and tangy change up for our favorite weeknight meal.  Also, you may notice this salmon is quite pink-looking. Did you know that farm raised salmon only offers a small fraction of the health benefits that you read about salmon all over the place? Magazines, websites, TV shows, etc - all shove it down your throat that we should be eating more salmon, but no one mentions that it really needs to be wild-caught.  I feel like I've been scammed.

So, this is wild-caught. Much pinker and twice as expensive as the farm raised. It really didn't taste any different or better, so I may pretend I didn't read that article. 

Recipe

• 2 salmon fillets
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons balsamic
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Olive oil
• S&P
• 1 orange
• Mint
• Olive oil and balsamic

Preheat the oven to 400.  Drizzle the salmon with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place each salmon on it's own piece of aluminum foil.  Mix the orange juice, balsamic, and honey in a bowl. Pour the mixture over both the salmons. Place a slice of orange on each piece, then wrap tightly in foil. Bake for 10 minutes, then open the foil, remove the orange, and broil for about 5 more minutes (less for a smaller piece of salmon).  Make a simple orange relish by cutting up an orange into small chunks, and mixing with 1 tsp. olive oil, 1 tbsp. balsamic, and several sprigs of fresh mint. Serve over the salmon.

Greek Yogurt Parfait

A day that doesn't end with dessert is a day not worth living at all, in my book.  I always finish off my dinner with some sort of dessert concoction, be it a microwave s'more, some fro yo, or a cookie in a mug.  

Recently, my husband turned me on to yogurt parfaits. If you're like me, you've poo poo'd the idea of fruit yogurt parfaits for years. What a waste! Well, it turns out they are not a waste. Nope, not at all. Try the McD's version - you'll love it.  Make sure you ask for extra granola.

I typically like my nightly dessert to somehow involve bananas and graham crackers, so I decided to make a yogurt parfait to include these items. And I used greek yogurt, which makes this not only an incredibly healthy dessert, but really thick and creamy and delicious. 

Recipe

• 1 container Greek Vanilla yogurt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla almond or soy milk (or regular is fine too)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 packet truvia, splenda, stevia, etc.
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1/2 banana
• 1 graham cracker
• Berries (optional)

In a bowl (or a tupperware if you're making 4 or 5 to get you through the week), mix the yogurt, milk, vanilla, and sweetener.  Sprinkle the brown sugar on top, but do not mix.  Refrigerate for a while to let the flavors sink in. When you're ready to eat it, top with sliced banana and crushed graham cracker.  And any other berries that float your boat.  You could also add chocolate chips, because those are never a bad idea.

Greek Chicken Pitas with Tzatziki Sauce

Hello. I fell off the blogosphere, I'm sorry. I have been traveling like a crazy person so food has been sort of an afterthought. That's a lie, food is never an afterthought for me.  But cooking has been.

I've been having a strong craving for Greek food ever since we got back from Greece and Turkey. While I never ate a chicken pita while I was there (nor did I see it on any of the menus), I've been hooked on eating tzatziki sauce. And tzatziki sauce goes great on chicken pitas.

I marinated my chicken in a bottled Greek vinaigrette, then grilled and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces. I warmed whole wheat pitas, then we topped with chicken, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, feta, and tzatziki (recipe follows). Loooove this dinner - so simple and healthy. I like my tzatziki really dill-y, so adjust to your taste.

This picture is after I remembered that I wanted feta on mine.  How did I forget the cheese?? I don't know. I must have been blinded by the tzatziki.  Sorry, I will stop saying that word.

Tzatziki Sauce

• 1 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup chopped cucumber, seeded
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• dash pepper

Chop the cucumber into small pieces (really small if your husband claims he hates cucumbers but you know he likes tzatziki. Oops, last time), and cut out the seeds. Mix with the yogurt, dill, lemon juice, olive oil, S&P.  Chill until ready to serve.

Grilled Herb-Dijon Chicken

Hi! I hope y'all had a great Memorial Day weekend.  It's one of my favorite holidays because I forget about it and then it pops out of nowhere and you get a day off.  

Per Memorial Day requirements, we grilled. But we had just returned from a weekend of KC barbecue and burgers, so we wanted something a bit lighter. It's no secret that I love Central Market, and this chicken was inspired by one of their marinades. Perrrrrrrfect summer grilling recipe....will be making it again and again (my husband is eating it right now for the third night in a row).

Recipe

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - pounded thin
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1-2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Pinch Paprika

Mix all marinade ingredients (everything but the chicken!) - in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Blend into a thick paste.  Cut small slits into the chicken to help absorb the marinade.  Pour the marinade into a ziploc bag and add the chicken.  Let sit for at least 4 hours or overnight.  Heat the grill to high, then cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side.  Happy summer! 

I'm flying around the world tomorrow so if I go missing, it's because I am.

Balsamic Honey Mustard Salmon

I've said it before and I'll say it again - salmon is our go-to weeknight meal, when I'm not eating egg drop soup and John's not eating Black Eyed Pea (yes, Black Eyed Pea). There's a million simple things to do with salmon, and this is a million and one.

Recipe

• 2 salmon fillets
• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons balsamic
• Olive oil

Turn on the broiler. Drizzle the salmon with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the salmon on a baking sheet under the broiler for about 6 minutes. Mix all the glaze ingredients. After 6 minutes, take the salmon out and brush with the glaze; broil for 6-9 more minutes. You can glaze the salmon before putting it in the oven, but the glaze will blacken just a tad if it's on there for the full 12 minutes. Serve any extra sauce on the side.  And because I need some form of bread at every meal, I ate half of the salmon on a toasted bagel thin. Yum.

Healthy Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday. I froze myself in the northern states of Wisconsin and Illinois, which has resulted in a less than healthy start to 2013 for me.  The good news about being sick is that it's a great excuse to eat lot's of soup.  Not that you ever really need an excuse to eat soup.  

Last night I was craving cheesy broccoli (from Panera in a bread bowl)...but I wasn't in the mood for the 4000 calories that is in theirs (why did no one tell me that in college??!).  This recipe did just the trick - really delicious and mild, this soup is perfect for someone who doesn't like Gruyere on their grilled cheese or Blue Cheese on their burger (...my husband, my father...).   

My husband had 2 giant bowls, I had 3.

Recipe

• PAM non-stick cooking spray
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• Pinch minced garlic
• 3 cups lower sodium chicken broth
• ~ 20 oz frozen broccoli florets
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 1/3 cup flour (or ~ 1/4 cup corn starch)
• Pinch nutmeg
• 8 oz 2% Velveeta cheese (light Velveeta), cubed
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Sharp Cheddar, for topping (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot, and coat with non-stick cooking spray. Add the chopped onion and garlic, and cook for several minutes. Add in the chicken broth and broccoli, and bring to a low simmer - about 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, flour, and nutmeg.  Reduce the heat to low, and whisk the milk mixture into the broth mixture. Cook for 5-10 more minutes to thicken. Remove from heat, then stir in the Velveeta and Parmesan, allowing it to melt.  Transfer about 1/3 of the mixture to a blender or food processor and puree - or use your immersion blender (that's what I did)!  Pour the pureed mixture back into the pot, and stir to combine. Garnish with shredded cheddar, if you want (which you do).

Healthy Baked Onion Rings

I really liked these! Now don't get me wrong, these are not the giant, crispy, deep-fried onion rings that you get at a steakhouse (i.e. Bob's last night)...but if you like onions and a little crunch, these are a great addition to any meal. I served them with this steak.  Recipe here. Make sure the onions are fully drenched in buttermilk to make the breadcrumbs stick.

Grilled Blackened Salmon

 

In preparation for the eating marathon that is about to ensue (aka Thanksgiving), John and I decided to have a light and healthy dinner. Blackened salmon is typically pan-fried, but grilled is healthier and in my opinion, tastier. 

You can make your own blackened seasoning or pick it up at the store. I didn't feel like stopping at the store the other night, so I just made my own - but I plan to try some of the pre-mixed stuff in the near future.

Recipe

• 2 salmon fillets
• 1 lemon
• Olive oil
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning (or a tablespoon of fresh mixed herbs - thyme, oregano, basil)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat the grill. Brush the salmon with olive oil, then drizzle with lemon juice. Spread the blackened seasoning generously on the salmon.  Then! I found this technique works really well to keep the seasoning in place while grilling - spray it with canola oil Pam! It sets the seasoning in place. Place the salmon on the grill skin-side down, grill for 3-5 minutes, flip, and grill for another 3-5 minutes more. 

Lighter Sloppy Joe's

I can't explain to you my feelings toward Joe, the Sloppy kind. I just love him. Is there any better comfort food? No, the answer is no.

Normally, I make these, or some variation of it (I basically just throw in a bunch of ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, and worcestershire). But on Monday night John and I were craving Sloppy Joe's, and I felt that I should attempt a healthier variation. They are so easy to make that they really are a perfect weeknight meal, but I also don't like eating anything real fatty after a weekend of indulging. And I do plenty of indulging.

So, these are lighter, and just as tasty. I still use ground beef because it tastes better than ground turkey and it has basically the same calorie/fat content.

Recipe

• 1.5 lb extra lean ground beef (I used 93% lean)
• 1 small onion, diced
• S&P
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 3-4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire
• Splash BBQ sauce (optional)
• 6 whole wheat hamburger buns

Start by browning the ground beef over medium heat. Add in the diced onion, and cook for 5-10 minutes. Drain out most of the fat (there shouldn't be much with extra lean ground beef). Add in the water and remaining ingredients. Stir thoroughly, cover and simmer until ready to serve. If you need more liquid (this is where the fatty beef really comes into play), add more water and ketchup. Enjoy them for the next two nights like we did, maybe even in a tortilla. Or on nachos.

Toasted Caprese Sandwich

Let me introduce you to my favorite sandwich: The Caprese. Fresh tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, and a balsamic glaze sandwiched between two pieces of perfectly toasted bread.

Reduce about a 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar over medium heat for 15 minutes or so, until there are just a few tablespoons left (should be thick and glaze-like). Drizzle over two pieces of bread, then top with mozzarella, basil and sliced tomato. Grill on a skillet or a panini maker until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted.  Sometimes if I'm too lazy to use the panini maker (and there are plenty of times like this...you have to clean it after), I first toast the bread in a toaster, then drizzle the balsamic and create the sandwich...either heated in a microwave or not. You can't go wrong.

If I lived alone in a hut somewhere in the woods I would eat this for every meal, every day.  But I don't. Having a husband/real life forces you to drop weird tendencies like that.

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Trust me, even if you don't eat gluten-free, you will love these. I just spent 4 days in Wisconsin, and I had to make a second batch by day 2. Eating a lot just feels like the right thing to do in Wisconsin. When in Rome, I suppose.

I halved this recipe (modified slightly from the Backstreet Cafe recipe in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) - and they still make a ton. Sorry, I'll leave the math up to you. It's good for your brain.

Recipe

• 1 1/2 cups Peanut Butter
• 1 1/3 sticks Butter
• 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 3/4 cup Sugar
• 3 Eggs
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
• 6 cups Oatmeal (buy gluten free just to be sure)
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1 1/2 cups Chocolate Chips

Preheat the oven to 350. Cream the butters and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix the oatmeal and baking soda. Add to the sugar mixture, followed by the chocolate chips. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until just slightly browned.  Bonus: these cookies are only 100 cals!

My Favorite Egg Salad Sandwich

I can't stop eating egg salad sandwiches lately.  I ate one for dinner Monday and Tuesday night, and I'm about to eat one for lunch. So, I thought I would tell you about it. I like my egg salad heavy on the mustard and dill, light on the yolk and mayo. I've always had a bit of an aversion to egg yolk, but I like it in small portions in my egg salad. 

Recipe

• 3 hard boiled eggs
• 1 tablespoon light mayo
• 1-2 teaspoons yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• several sprigs of chopped fresh dill (or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill)
• S&P

To boil the eggs, place them in a pot filled with water (water should go over the eggs about an inch). Bring to a boil, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand for about 10 minutes, then transfer the eggs to an ice bath for a few minutes (this ensures the yolks are bright yellow). When they are cool enough to handle, peel the eggs and slice in half. I use two egg whites, and one whole egg. You can do whatever your preference is, but I don't like a lot of yolk. Plus, it lightens it up a bit. Slice the egg whites and yolk, and place them in a bowl. Sprinkle with plenty of S&P. Mix in the mayo, mustards, and dill. Toast two pieces of multi-grain or wheat bread, top with sliced pickles and warm egg salad.  If you are looking for a new easy weeknight meal, I highly recommend you throw this into the rotation.

Grilled Salmon with Creamy Avocado Sauce

This was dinner last night:

So good, so summery, so healthy, so easy. This recipe is really a nutritional superstar, loaded with a number of items that you always see on those 'super foods' lists: salmon, avocado, lemon, greek yogurt, sour cream. You may not have seen sour cream on any of the published 'super foods' lists, but I assure you it's on mine. 

I love hot, grilled salmon with a contrasting cold, creamy, dill-y, yogurt sauce. Avocado is an awesome addition.

Recipe

• 2 salmon fillets
• 1/2 avocado
• 2 T. light sour cream
• 2 T. nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 T. light mayo (optional)
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 2-3 T. chopped fresh dill
• 1 T. water, to thin it out a bit (optional)

Drizzle lemon juice and a little olive oil over the salmon fillets, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat the grill to medium-high, and grill the salmon about 4 minutes on each side (a little longer for more well-done salmon).

In the bowl of a food processor, add the avocado, sour cream, yogurt, mayo and lemon juice. Mix until creamy. Stir in the dill and optional water, then spoon over the salmon. This will for sure become a staple weeknight dinner for us, and I think you could add other herbs with the dill for fun - basil, chives, parsley, yum!

Shrimp Cocktail Sauce-Off

There is a lot of talk about cocktail sauce in our house. I order it A LOT (more than anyone should), and so there is inevitably a good deal of discussion regarding the amount of horseradish and chili in the cocktail sauce.  As part of our super fun and easy Sam's Club Dinner, there was a giant bag of frozen shrimp that needed to be incorporated. The shrimp, first of all, were awesome. Get frozen, cooked shrimp at Sam's. Immediately. Second of all, the fact that a shrimp cocktail would ensue was inevitable. The sauce, however, was up for debate. What do you do in a situation like that? Have a competition against your husband for the best cocktail sauce.

The winner: Both of us. For two reasons:
1. His was really different in a fun and delicious way
2. I would never admit defeat in my own self-imposed competition

Recipe #1 is mine - very traditional, classic, cocktail sauce - a bit sweeter from the ketchup but has a good bite from the horseradish (add more or less to your liking).

Recipe #2 is John's - the addition of dijon was a surprising and yet genius decision. His rationale is that we always eat crab claws with a mustard sauce, so why not shrimp? True John, true.

Recipe 1

• 1/4 cup Heinz Chili Sauce
• 1/3 cup Heinz Ketchup
• 1 T. horseradish
• 1 t. lemon juice
• 1/4 t. worcestershire
• Dash tabasco
• S&P

Recipe 2

• 1/2 cup Heinz Chili Sauce
• 1 T. horseradish
• 1 t. lemon juice
• 1-2 t. dijon mustard
• S&P

John's recipe is estimated because he is 'too cool for measuring,' so adjust quantities to your liking.

Both sauces were enjoyed with a glass of wine and beautiful weather on the front porch...