Avocado & Pink Grapefruit Salad with Spinach

My dear friend, Annie, gave me a wonderful book ~ The San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market Cookbook ~ for my birthday.  It's full of beautiful photos, farm fresh produce info and lots of creative recipes for using all the seasonal fresh bounty found at farmers' markets.  It's perfect reading for this cookbook and travel lovin' foodie gal!

The other night I was looking through my new cookbook again, and I decided I just had to make something from it...immediately. So, I went through my pantry and fridge, and was able to come up with most of the ingredients, on-the-fly, for the recipe for ~ Avocado & Grapefruit Salad with Frisée.  It just took a bit of creative license to get it to come together, as you will see...

 

Since I didn't have any frisée, I used spinach.  Since I didn't have scallions, I used white onion.  Since I didn't have fresh pink grapefruit, I used canned (sooo much easier since it's already segmented for you).  I did have a fresh avocado, balsamic vinegar, fresh cracked black pepper, sea salt and EVOO... so, for being made spur of the moment, I think I did pretty darn good.  Not having all the exact ingredients called for in a recipe, will never stop this girl when the urge to cook strikes.

Thanks so much for my new cookbook, Annie!!  Now, when I get homesick for Cali, I'll know where to turn for inspiration!  :)

Green Smoothies Galore! ~ a look back at all the glorious ways I drink my greens ~ Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Looking for a 'green beverage' (that's not green beer :) to start off your St. Patrick's Day celebrations?  Lucky for you, I've shared a lot of green smoothies on the blog.  Here's a look back at them.  Of course, any of the smoothies I make can be turned 'green', just throw in some spinach, your favorite baby greens or some green tea/wheatgrass powder, and you're good to go.

~ Happy St. Paddy's Day! ~

Oatmeal Cookie Dough Green Smoothie

Spiced Carrot Cake Batter Smoothie

Green Cake Batter Smoothie

Mint Smoothie

Green Tea Swappuccino

Green Goodness Protein Smoothie

Greek Green Goodness Yogurt Smoothie

Green Tea Protein Smoothie

Green Smoothie with Chia & Flax Seeds

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Green Smoothie with Chia & Flax Seeds

Still loving my green smoothies, especially when they've got an extra hit of goodness coming from chia and flax seeds.  Besides, who doesn't love a green drink this time of year?  How I like to chase away the late winter blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhs.   Come on spring!!  :)

Green Smoothie with Chia & Flax Seeds
one serving

Ingredients

• 1 cup of Bolthouse Farms ~ Green Goodness Fruit Juice Smoothie
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 handful of spinach
• 1/3 cup sliced frozen banana 
• 1/2 Tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 Tbsp ground flax seeds
• 1 packet Equal or sweetener of choice
• 6 ice cubes

Directions
Toss all ingredients into a blender & whirl away until smooth & frosty.  Enjoy!

Warm Spinach & Sriracha Chicken Salad

Now that the holidays are over and most of the sweet treats are gone, I'm trying to eat a more low carb diet.  (I'm trying to get back to eating more Fat Flush Plan diet friendly) What with all the lack of motivation to leave the house, due to all this bitter cold winter weather, as well as all the indulging in extra rich holiday foods in December...it's now definitely time to change up my meals.   Yesterday, I threw together a wonderful lunch that included a spinach salad with chicken and a side of steamed baby bok choy.

Just by chance, I tried a new way of making my salad.  This method of tossing heated ingredients into spinach (which slightly 'wilts' it) has turned out to be my new favorite way to eat/enjoy a healthy spinach salad.  I'm thinking this will work just a well with other types of heated protein, too. Like ~ beans, quinoa or grilled tofu.  I'm so looking forward to trying it in all different ways.  :)

And, as an extra bonus, the dressing is spicy and fat free ~ yes!  This is the first time I've ever dressed a salad with Sriracha sauce, and it won't be the last...don't know why I've never thought of it before.   The combo of the hot chili, garlic-y, sweet/spicy Sriracha sauce and Bragg's soy sauce flavor was truly amazing.  It makes for a really lively dressing, that's also super low-cal.

I didn't measure anything as I was making my salad, I was just throwing stuff into the bowl as the inspiration came to me.  So, I don't have a recipe per se, but, here is what I tossed together...

Warm Spinach & Sriracha Chicken Salad

serves 1

Into a big salad bowl throw...

• 4-6 handfuls of washed spinach leaves
• 6 oz. of leftover shredded chicken, heated through until really hot
• 1/2 small white onion, cut into thin 1/2 rings
• 1/4 cucumber, sliced into 1/4's
• a couple spoonfuls of toasted slivered almonds

Then drizzle with...

• Sriracha sauce (to taste)
• Bragg's amino acids or soy sauce (to taste)

Then sprinkle on...

• favorite spice blend & pepper (to taste)

Then get ready to eat...

Once all has been assembled in the bowl, toss the salad.  The heat of the chicken will begin to lightly wilt the spinach...yum!  Taste and add more Sriracha sauce or Bragg's/soy sauce as desired. (I'm pretty heavy handed with the Sriracha, I like my food hot & spicy)  Enjoy! 

 

Superfood Veggie Scramble with Chickpeas ~ Meatless Monday

I had one last 'Little Bessie' egg in my fridge, and I was all set to make a pretty meal.  I planned to saute superfood veggies (kale, spinach and 3 colors of bell peppers), getting them ready so I could crack my huge, double-yolk egg on top of their healthy goodness and then poach those two beautiful, mounded yolks (that came out of that one egg) and enjoy my breakfast...  

What really happened was that one of the yolks burst when I cracked the egg ~ WAH!!  Total bummer!  Since I couldn't make what I wanted, I got cranky and just scrambled it all together.  Since I was on a roll, I added some chickpeas that were in the fridge for good measure and topped it all with some salsa.  It had became a glorious, tasty mess.  Not pretty, but it was ~ low fat, low carb, low cal and yummy ~ all the same.    Some days chickens, some days feathers...some days cracked yolks.  Ya gotta roll with the punches and not let it ruffle your feathers.  (tee-hee ~ every pun intended! :)  Happy Meatless Monday!

Cranberry Greek Yogurt Smoothie

Here is another tasty way that I've found to use fresh or frozen cranberries in a smoothie.  I took a little different spin on this High Protein Berry Smoothie recipe that I shared the other day.  I gotta say, I'm really enjoying adding those shiny, ruby berries to my smoothies.  I've been a bit lax lately in adding greens to my smoothies, so I decided to include some this time.  The fresh baby spinach just disappears into this drink ~ can't see it, nor taste it ~ but you still get the benefit of its green goodness, just the same.  Greek yogurt, flax seed/oil and strawberries/blueberries are just more of the superfood goodies in this smoothie ~ and it works for the Fat Flush Plan, too.  Booyah! 

Cranberry Greek Yogurt Smoothie
serves one

Ingredients

• 1 cup cold water
• 1 oz. unsweetened cranberry juice
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
• 3/4 cup fresh or frozen mix of strawberries and/or blueberries
• 2 handfuls of baby spinach leaves
• 1 Tbsp flax seed oil
• 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 6 ice cubes
• 2 packets of Equal or sweetener of choice 

Directions
Throw all ingredients into the blender and whirl away until it's smooth and frosty!

Poached Eggs with Fire Roasted Tomatoes & Spinach ~ Meatless Monday

For a super easy, really tasty and very low carb breakfast, I like to turn to eggs poached right in the skillet with some juicy, sauteed veggies.  I'm a huge fan of canned, Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes.  When you add them to lightly sauteed spinach and then crack an egg or two on top of the mixture, you can't go wrong.  I'm heavy handed with the tomatoes, I just can't get enough of the lightly smokey flavor!  I'll sprinkle on some herbs, spices and maybe some chipotle Tabasco sauce, too.  I let it all simmer/poach until the egg is almost set, then I cover the skillet with the lid for an extra minute or two, just until the egg white 'sets' on top of the egg ~ then breakfast is served.  I think this would also make a great brunch or light lunch/dinner, too.   Who says eating low carb has to be boring?  Certainly not me!  Poached Eggs with Fire Roasted Tomatoes & Spinach ~ what a great way to start your Meatless Monday!

Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells with Mushroom White Sauce ~ Meatless Monday

It's been really busy around here for the last week or so.  We've been having new flooring installed in half of the downstairs...the half with the kitchen, dining room, laundry, entry hall and 1/2 bath.  There were problems (lots) at the beginning, but eventually the new replacement contractors got it handled, and it all turned out OK.  Needless to say, since my kitchen was torn up and the stove was parked in my garage for most of last week, not a lot of cooking (nor blogging) has been done around here as of late.  But, that's OK, for I love my new floors and will post before/after pics soon.  (but, I'm just so excited to share how pretty my new floors look...here is a sneak peak of my new pride and joy)

After the last week, our stress level is now back in the normal range and we have been having a nice weekend. Sunday we were getting a handle on putting things back and I started to think about cooking again.  So, for dinner last night I was trying to use up odds-and-ends and came up with this Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells with Mushroom White Sauce.  It became a creative mix-and-match (heavy on the canned/frozen items) and I was happy with the result.  For the stuffed pasta shells ~ Since I haven't been grocery shopping for a while, I relied on frozen spinach, some leftover fat free cottage cheese and some dried Italian herbs to stuff the already-cooked jumbo pasta shells (from a 1/2 full box I found when emptying the pantry so they could put the flooring in).  I then added some canned fire roasted tomatoes over the top, along with some frozen Trader Joe's tri-colored bell peppers.  For the sauce ~ I was all out of Alfredo and spaghetti sauce, so I used a can of condensed low fat cream of mushroom soup.  I added just a little water and then pureed it with a 1/2 can of drained canned Navy beans (to up the protein count) and poured my 'white sauce' all over the stuffed shells.  I sprinkled on a bit more Italian herbs, some shredded cheese and baked it semi-covered at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. 

Our neighbors (Bill & Cheryl) were hanging out with Roy on our front porch at the same time I was getting dinner ready, so they were able to stay for a very casual dinner, dining al fresco on the porch.  Our meal was a concoction, to be sure, but with a side salad and a quick brownie dessert, it was a nice way to end our Sunday.  As we were eating, I decided this would have made a good Meatless Monday meal.  Who says you have to plan them?  Sometimes you can just scrounge around your kitchen and make a meal happen. So what if our Meatless Monday happened to be on Sunday this week ~ that's OK by me!   :)    It's finally starting to feel like spring around here and it was so nice to be able to enjoy good friends, good weather and share good meatless eats!  Hope the weather where you're at is just as nice.

 

Sauteed Kale, Tempeh, Mushrooms & Walnuts ~ Meatless Monday

Sauteed Kale, Tempeh, Mushrooms & Walnuts

Sometimes when I'm out of ideas for a meal, I'll just scrounge around the fridge and pantry, looking for things to inspire me... or if that fails, things that need using up.  I can almost always come up with something tasty and on nights like this, I really like to make meals that I can throw together in my wok/skillet.

This time what I found was turned into ~ Sauteed Kale, Tempeh, Mushrooms & Walnuts.  I sauteed everything together in the wok, with a little olive oil.  Cooked it until the kale was wilted, the tempeh was heated through and the mushrooms started giving off a little of their liquid.  Then I added ~ a few walnuts, spices and some jarred sauce ~ just before it was finished cooking.  It took no time at all to made a little Spinach and Strawberry Salad and I was good to go ~ dinner on the table in under 20 minutes.  Sometimes, it's nice to cook without recipes or expectations.  Letting the meal evolve as you find things to use can lead to some great food and I'm all about a good meal.  

Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells with Meat Sauce

Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells with Meat Sauce

I had some jumbo pasta shells languishing in my pantry, just dying to come out of the darkness & be part of the kitchen limelight...  OK, I had an old box of pasta shells, sitting on the shelf that needed using up. :)  I wandered around the 'net & found this recipe from SkinnyTaste for ~ Spinach Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce ~ that sounded good, so I made it. 

Since we have a local butcher that has great, fresh extra-lean ground sirloin (they grind it several times a day) I used that instead of the ground turkey.  I reserved 1/2 of the cooked ground beef & added that to the spinach stuffing mixture, gave it all a good stir & then proceeded with the recipe.  I like to have a meaty filling in my pasta shells & we didn't notice having a bit less meat in the meat sauce.  I think it makes it feel like an even heartier dish that way.  Who says eating light has to be boring... certainly not me.  So, if you have an old, sad & lonely box of jumbo pasta shells hanging around your kitchen, why not take them out & ask them to dance?  They'll love you for it!  

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms ~ Italian Style ~ for Meatless Monday

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms Italian Style ~ a quick and flavorful meal, full of rich Italian flavors, low carb, & depending on your choice of cheeses ~ low fat & low cal.  Perfect for Meatless Monday!

 

I love cooking with portobello mushrooms, there is something about that big, 'meaty' mushroom that I really enjoy.  Sometimes I slice them, then saute or grill.  Sometimes I bake them.  Today my 'shrooms, they got baked.  :)  This meal came together in minutes & cooked for just a bit more.  This big, tasty mushroom was on the table quickly & was devoured promptly.  I can always tell how good a meal is by how quiet it gets around the table when we are eating... and it was real quiet... until everyone asked (clamored) for seconds, that is.

A word to the wise ~ make enough for seconds.

P.S. ~ Do it the first time around.  It's so much quicker that way... about 20 minutes quicker.  :)

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms ~ Italian Style

• big portobello mushrooms ~ cleaned & ready to go ~ As many as you like & may I suggest at least 2 per person. You might as well save yourself the time & trouble & go ahead & make a lot.  It will save you having to start the second batch before you have even had the chance to finish your own 'shroom.  (somehow the cook always starts eating last around here :)  That way yours won't get cold & nobody will give you the stink eye.  Not that that happens around here or anything...  ;)

• your favorite jarred spaghetti sauce ~ or my favorite, the homemade ~ Tomato Chutney ~ I wrote about a few weeks ago

• cottage cheese ~ regular, low-fat or fat-free ~ whatever floats your boat

• cooked spinach ~ from fresh, frozen or canned, well drained

• your favorite herbs & spices ~ some I like to use: Italian herb blend, basil, onion/garlic powder, oregano, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, pepper

•  shredded pizza cheese ~ buy the pre-shredded bagged kind or grate some of your favorite cheese(s)

• Parmesan cheese ~ sprinkle liberally in, on & over the gloriously layered mushroom as you are assembling it & when serving it

Look at all that lovely, flavorful juice the mushroom makes while it bakes.  Anybody seen my fork??  :)

Preheat oven to 400F degrees.

Prep your baking sheet or cast iron skillet with cooking spray and/or foil.

Place the cleaned mushrooms ~ gill side up ~ on your baking sheet/cast iron skillet.

Assemble the stuffed mushroom in layers, starting with:

1. jarred spaghetti sauce or tomato chutney ~ spread to the edges of the mushroom
2. sprinkle all over with your choice of herbs & spices 
3. cottage cheese ~ spread a good sized amount all over the sauce
4. add a bit more sauce to the center of the mushroom & spread out about half way
5. add the spinach in cool dollops or spread it around ~ as you like
6. sprinkle a bit more herbs/spice ~ as you like
7. top it all with the pizza cheese & Parmesan cheese ~ as much or as little as you like

Bake the mushrooms for approx. 15-20 minutes ~ until they are cooked through, the filling is beginning to bubble & the mushroom is giving off it's lovely juices.

Plate it up & pour any of the mushroom juices over the top & add additional cheeses ~ if desired.

Enjoy!



** This would be such an easy recipe to change up, just vary the 'stuffing' fillings ~ some to consider...

~ for a Mexican Style version use: salsa, Mexican spices/cilantro, cottage cheese, spinach & some smashed chili beans ~ top with sliced avocado, jalapenos & crushed tortilla chips when serving

~ for a Greek Style version use: fresh chopped tomatoes tossed in olive oil (or Greek salad dressing) & Greek spices/oregano, thin sliced/chopped zucchini, spinach, olives, sliced onions, Greek Yogurt & feta cheese ~ sprinkle with a hint of mint when serving

Join the Movement

Greek Veggie Scrambled Eggs ~ It's all Greek to me!

Greek Veggie Scrambled Eggs ~ all the freshness of a Greek Salad mixed with eggs for a perfect breakfast.  Low carb, low fat & low cal ~ great for brunch, too.

Greek Veggie Scrambled Eggs ~  I'm on a Greek Salad kick right now & have been enjoying one every day this week, but I've been using spinach instead of lettuce. (I've been craving spinach, what can I say)   I'm lucky that my new next door neighbors, Bill & Cheryl, have been sharing some of their homegrown veggies with us & that makes for a lot of fresh salad fixin's.  Tomatoes & cucumbers are so much better when you can just go outside & pick them right off the vine.

I've also been talking to my friend, Misty, about the different ways that they cook all those glorious, fresh laid eggs she gets from her hens. (see my recent post about her best egg layer, Little Bessie, here)  One of the ways her family likes to eat the eggs they gather, is to scramble them with cooked spinach.  Say no more....


So, today I made a hybrid version of a Greek salad & spinach scrambled eggs and came up with a ~ Greek Veggie Scrambled Eggs ~ dish.  The meal turned out great!  I prepared all the veggies like I was going to make a salad, then I sauteed them in a little olive oil until the spinach wilted.  I then added the scrambled egg mixture to the cooked veggies, added some Greek seasoning blend, extra oregano (I like a lot of oregano in my Greek dishes), salt & pepper and finished cooking the scrambled eggs.  After I plated it, I added some crumbles of reduced-fat Feta cheese & a few sliced black olives (I ran out of Greek olives, darn it!) ~ and I was good to go!

I'm so glad I have friends who inspire me to come up with unusual combos in the kitchen, especially for a Meatless Monday meal, it makes cooking so much more fun! 

Spinach ~ fresh, frozen or canned ~ It's all good!

'Creamed' Spinach ~ Made with Greek yogurt & bacon bits.  I just doctor-up basic fresh cooked spinach ~ it's such a quick, easy & low fat way to enjoy this traditional side dish.

I guess I'm really lucky, my son just loves spinach!  I never have to ask him twice if he wants spinach with his dinner.  Yes!   He loves it fresh, frozen or canned.  It all started when he was little & was watching Popeye cartoons.  Finding a brand that had Popeye on the label was all it took for him to decide he liked it, too.  Wherever he gets his motivation from works for me! 

I prefer to cook my spinach from fresh & usually just buy it in the pre-washed bags.  It's just too easy to follow the cooking directions on the bag ~ then just add a little butter/salt/pepper & we have a wonderful side dish in minutes.  Sometimes I'll doctor-up the cooked spinach (either fresh or frozen) & add a little bit extra ~ usually some onion powder, bacon bits & Greek yogurt.  I'll give it all a good stir, add an extra dollop of Greek yogurt & then we have a quick and easy 'Creamed' Spinach that is really, really tasty & much lower in fat and calories than a traditional creamed spinach.

Fresh Cooked Spinach ~ It's so easy to make, just follow the directions on the pre-washed bag, (use either baby or regular leaf spinach) & in about 3-5 minutes you're finished.  Sometimes I'll add some chopped walnuts or maybe a little fresh lemon juice to the spinach, just to brighten up the flavor.

I've already written a lot of posts about how much I like to use spinach in different ways ~ in green smoothies, in Indian food, as well as in soup, salads & pasta dishes.  I really think this super green food is so versatile ~ just type in the word spinach in my 'Search this blog' area & check out all the different ways I've cooked with this jolly green giant of the veggie world.  :)