Simple Summer Salad

Hel-loooo world,

I'm currently updating my blog. You'll notice my recipe style has changed a bit as my health has been changing as well. Although I still cook with chicken, steak, and pork, I've been creating more vegan-based recipes (I'm not vegan though). Recently, I decided to reduce dairy, gluten, and refined sugar. Not only do I feel a heck of a lot better, but I look better as well. I'd like to someday say I'm 100 percent free, but I'm working more on the 80/20 rule. 80 percent of the time I eliminate gluten, dairy, refined sugar. When we head out to a great restaurant, I'm not going to turn down something delicious (good thing we only eat out on the weekends). It's about making simple changes I can live with. Anyway, I'm keeping up my old recipes because I still love them, but I will be working on remaking and modifying them just to tweak the ingredients.

Today's Simple Summer Salad was just that - SIMPLE. Really. It took me less than 10 minutes to throw it together, I made a second one for lunch tomorrow. As part of my simple health change this month, I'm committed to "coloring my plate" (#coloryourplate) with an abundance of fruits and vegetables. Typically, I get stuck on eating the same things over and over (thank goodness for Juice Plus+), so this one simple change (#onesimplechange) has forced me to take a closer look at what I'm eating. After adding the veggies, I knew I wanted a protein - chick peas jumped out from my cabinet. Typically, I'd make hummus, but today I wanted a little crunch, hence the roasted chick peas. They add the best texture to this simple salad. Simply delicious!

What you'll need for 2 servings:
1/2 English Cucumber, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
2 slices red onion, diced
1/2 red, orange, or yellow bell pepper
small handful of parsley (or even cilantro), chopped
small handful of shredded carrots
Salt & pepper
Baked chick peas (see recipe below)
Lemon vinaigrette (see recipe below)

Combine all ingredients except chick peas into a bowl and toss with dressing. Serve in an individual bowl and top with chick peas.

Roasted Chick Peas:
Set oven to 400 degrees
1 can chick peas, rinsed and drained
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper

Toss chick peas, olive oil, and ingredients into a bowl to mix. Pour onto a baking sheet and bake until crisp. This could take 30 minutes. I made mine ahead of time.

Lemon Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

I make my dressing in the Vitamix. You could use any blender or just give all ingredients (with chopped garlic) a good shake in a glass jar.

Throw all ingredients except olive oil into the Vitamix. Combine on low. Slowly add the olive oil. That's it. You're done. You can use this dressing all week.

The Kitchen Sink Complete Smoothie Bowl

Yum, yum, and yummmm!

What you'll need:

1 cup plant based milk (I use unsweetened almond milk)
I big handful of kale
I large frozen fig
1 large frozen strawberry
several frozen sweet dark cherries
2 tablespoons oats
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 scoop Juice Plus Complete Vanilla protein powder
1 drop Doterra Wild Orange Essential Oil
1/4 cup organic granola
blackberries (or any fresh fruit)
unsweetened coconut flakes
sliced almonds

In a blender, mix the almond milk, kale, fig, strawberry, dark cherries, chia seeds, and Complete protein powder, Wild Orange Essential Oil with several ice cubes. Pour mix into a bowl and top with granola, blackberries, coconut flakes, and sliced almonds!

To learn more about this incredible protein powder, visit my site: my site or email me at lynore.laws@gmail.com

To learn more about essential oils visit my site or email me at lynore.laws@gmail.com.

Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Protein Bark

This is the perfect (and super duper easy) way to satisfy your sweet tooth AND flood your body with goodness. I used the Juice Plus+ Complete Protein Powder. The Complete Protein is a WHOLE FOOD nutrition. It's different from other protein powders because it's NOT a supplement. Also, the plant based protein is wonderful post workout. It repairs muscles and decreases inflammation (unlike whey protein, which is known to increase inflammation). This protein powder has quickly become part of my daily life - I add it to oatmeal, in a smoothie, and now in my bark! Contact me with any questions about this delicious protein (lynore.laws@gmail.com).

In a small bowl combine 1 cup almond butter, 1 scoop Chocolate Complete protein powder, 3 tbsp coconut oil, 1 tbsp organic honey or pure maple syrup (I don't like over sweet things - you can adjust depending on how sweet you would like this), and a pinch of sea salt. Pour mixture into a small shallow glass dish and put in the freezer.

Melt dark chocolate (I did this in the microwave - 50% power and 30 seconds at a time - take out and stir after each 30 seconds). Then, pull dish out of the freezer and drizzle the dark chocolate over top. Yummm. Put the mixture back in the freezer for several hours (this is the hardest part of the entire recipe).

Once it's frozen, I chopped it up in small, bite size pieces.

Keep in the freezer and grab a small piece whenever you have a chocolate craving.

Enjoy :)

Adapted from the FoodBabe.

Cozy Lentil Soup

It's been raining all day here in south Florida. I know - shocker! To tell you the truth, I like the rain. I find it comforting and cozy. Plus, my lawn needs the nourishment. This soup was the perfect end to our comfy, cozy Sunday.

What you'll need:
3-5 links chicken sausage (depends on how much sausage you want - I used 3)
Olive oil
1 large peeled carrot, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 fennel bulb, diced
salt and pepper
2 cans diced tomatoes
5 cups chicken stock
1.5 cups dried lentils
a pinch of cayenne pepper
a large handful of spinach
Parmesan cheese

What to do:
Add a little olive oil to a cast iron pot and heat on medium to medium high heat. Remove the casing from the chicken sausage and cook in a cast iron pot until brown and cooked through. Remove from heat and transfer to a paper towel to drain the fat.

Next, add a little more olive oil to the pot and add the vegetables. Toss the vegetables and scrape up the sausage bits. Throw in some salt and pepper. Cook just until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, lentils, and parm.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to low. Add the sausage bag to the pot. Allow to cook for 2 hours. Just before you are ready to serve, throw in the handful of spinach. Put a lid on the pot and allow the spinach to wilt in the soup for about 15 minutes.

Top with shaved parmesan cheese and serve with crusty bread.

Everything Bagel Super Stuffing

The stuffing is my favorite part of the Thanksgiving feast. I briefly thought about making several types of stuffing as part of a stuffing bar, but I ran out of time. So, I settled for this new take on a old recipe.

What you'll need:
3-4 everything bagels torn into small pieces
12 slices thick cut bacon
1/2 red onion, diced
3 cups low sodium chicken stock
2 eggs
salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped parsley

What to do:
Preheat the oven to 300. Spread the bagel pieces on a large baking sheet. Bake in the upper part of the oven for about 30 minutes. Toss them at least once. Let cool. Increase the oven temp to 375.

Cook the bacon in a large skillet until brown. Then transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Once the bacon cools a bit, break the pieces into small bits.

In the same pan, add the onion and allow to cook in the bacon drippings for just a few minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk the broth and eggs and season with salt and pepper. Add the bacon, bagel pieces, onion, and parsley. Toss to combine. Allow the mixture to sit for 15 minutes. Toss a few times during this process.

Pour the mixture into a greased shallow large glass baking dish. Bake about 45 minutes or until the top is nicely browned.

Enjoy!

Kale + Spinach Salad

My sister recently returned home from a weekend getaway to Alabama. Not only did she get to visit a dear friend, but she also got the chance to live off the land. That's right, her friend lives on a farm. Luckily, I also reaped the benefits of farm living; she brought home fresh picked kale. With Thanksgiving just days away, I figured the perfect side to bring to our annual feast would be a simple kale + spinach salad - a nice way to offset the massive amount of stuffing I planned to consume.

This is the perfect salad for any occasion though and is so simple to make.

What you'll need:
A bunch of kale (any kind will do) - rinsed, dried, stems removed
A handful of baby spinach -rinsed and dried
1/4 cup currents
one lemon
1.5 tbsp olive oil
1.5 tsp organic honey
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
salt and pepper
Shaved Parmesan cheese

What to do:
I like to chop the kale and spinach nice and small, so I throw it in the Vitamix. This is, of course, optional, but it makes the kale and spinach dense. If you use the vitamix, throw in the kale and spinach in small bunches and set the vitamix to low just for a few seconds. Empy the container and throw in another bunch. Continue this process until you chop up all the greens.

In a medium size bowl whisk together the juice of one lemon, olive oil, honey, and salt and pepper. Then add the kale, spinach, currents, pine nuts, and cheese. Toss until the greens are nicely coated with the dressing.

That's it!

Lemon Blueberry Greek Yogurt Bread

I can tell it's almost summertime. Suddenly, I want to try new recipes. Ahhh...only a few more weeks, and I'll be free to cook all day everyday! Baking typically isn't my thing that's mostly because measuring isn't my thing. Though I tried my best to measure here, I still just threw the salt in by eye (I added a measurement for this recipe though).

Anyone who spends a bit of time with me knows I'm always trying to make something both delicious AND healthy. My friend Liz said it best, "I feel like everything in the grocery store is poison " Boy is she right. Although I'm not going to be perfect with everything I eat, I do want control over what I'm making at home. That means less sugar, less processed garbage, and less fat (without sacrificing quality). So, this recipe is adapted from others I found and tried, but here I substituted honey (only processed once) for sugar (processed many times) and I substituted half the butter for unsweetened applesauce.

What you'll need:

Whenever possible, use organic. Those pesticides are poison!

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup lemon yogurt (I one lemon Chobani mixed with a little plain from a larger container)
• 3/4 cup honey
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 4 tbsp melted unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed
• 1 Tablespoons flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease bottom and sides of 9×5″ loaf pan.  In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.  Yes, you need to sift here. Don't cut corners and believe me, I get it - I'm just as impatient as you are. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, honey, eggs, butter, applesauce and lemon zest.  Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  In a separate bowl, mix the blueberries with 1 Tablespoon flour, then gently fold into batter.  

Pour the batter into loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack.  

Because there aren't any preservatives n this bread, it's best to keep it in the refrigerator for up to a week or simple slice freeze the slices individually. 

Enjoy!

Quesadillas stuffed with chicken, poblanos, and corn

I'll admit, these quesadillas are not as simple than the ones I made in college.  In college, I'd throw a little cheese between flour torts and microwave for 30 seconds.  Yep, these aren't as easy, but boy are they tasty.  These are grown up quesadillas!  Plus, they are great for using up leftover chicken.  Of course, if you're looking for a good vegetarian dish, eliminate the chicken altogether.

What you'll need:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 poblano peppers, seeded and diced
1 ear corn, kernels scraped from the cob
salt and pepper
1 lime
1 small red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 tomatillos, peeled and chopped
cilantro, small handful, chopped
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp cumin
3-4 large flour tortillas
2 cups monterey jack cheese
*leftover chicken  - I used the leftovers from the Red Chile-Chicken Tacos

What to do:
Preheat the oven to 275.  In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the peppers and corn and cook for ten minutes or until the corn browns.  Add the salt and pepper and the juice of a half of a lime.  Transfer peppers and corn to a small plate and clean this skillet to use later.

In another skillet (yes, I know, I try to eliminate cleaning extra dishes, but this needs to be in a new skillet), heat a little olive oil.  Add the onion and garlic and cook for only a few minutes.  Throw in the tomatilos and cook for 10-12 minutes. Add the juice of a half a lime, cilantro, honey cumin, salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet (the one you just cleaned) and warm a large tortilla until it bubbles just a bit.  Flip and cover half the tortilla with a little chicken, cheese, and the pepper/corn mixture.  Fold over and cook for another minute.  Transfer to the over.  Continue this same process until you run out of tortillas.

Cut into wedges and top with the tomatillo salsa.

Dog Treats: Frozen yogurt with blueberries

It's summer in south Florida; we're all hot - including the little doggies.  When I found this recipe in Rachael Ray's magazine, I thought it would be just perfect for Nikko and Capone.  Everytime Chris and I eat our frozen treats, the two of them give us the staredown.  Now, I don't have to feel so guilty.

The first time I gave this treat to the dogs, Nikko tried to devour the entire cube all at once.  He shoved it his mouth and chewed and chewed and chewed.  Capone, on the otherhand, needed a little help.  He tried to bite it; that didn't work.  He tried to lick it; that worked.  Since Capone took so long to eat his, Nikko wanted more.  Oh, the dogs...

Easy ingredients:
16 oz plain lowfat or nonfat yogurt
1 pt fresh or frozen blueberries
1 ripe banana smashed

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.  Divide into two ice cube trays and cover with plastic wrap.  I only had mini muffin trays, so I used those. Allow to freeze solid.


That's it!

Red Chile-Chicken Tacos

Yum, yum, yum.  These chicken tacos combined so many flavors.  Plus, they were simple, simple simple.  I can't remember where I found this recipe.  It's possible it was in the Rachael Ray magazine, which is better than the show since I don't have to listen to her voice.

What you'll need:
4 dried ancho chiles (next time I'm going to try pasilla negro chiles)
Boiling water
1 15 oz can sliced pineapple with its juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 onion, peeled
1/4 dark brown sugar
1 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper
4 chicken breasts (or you can use a whole chicken - it's just more work)
bag of shredded cabbage with carrots
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1/4 cup mayo
a pinch of cayenne pepper
tortillas, corn or flour
cheese - whatever you want

Tear the chiles into pieces and throw away the stems and the seeds.  Place in a bowl and pour the boiling water over the chiles to cover.  You may need to cover with a plate in order to submerge the chiles.

Allow them to soak for about 30 minutes.  Let them cool.  Then, peel off the skin.  Put the chiles and 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid into a food processor or blender.

Add 2 pineapple slices, 1/4 cup pineapple juice, onion, brown sugar, cumin, a pinch of salt and pepper. Combine until smooth.

Clean the chicken and pat dry.  Put into a Ziploc bag and pour the chile sauce into the bag.  Put the chicken in the fridge and allow to marinate for at least 3 hours or overnight.  If you have a whole chicken, make sure you add the marinade to the inside cavity too...and obviously, this won't fit in a Ziploc.

After marinating, transfer the chicken and sauce to the crock pot and cover.  Cook on high for the first hour and then on low for a few more hours or until the internal temperature reads 165.  It should cook for a total of 3-4 hours.

While the chicken is cooking, make the slaw. In a medium bowl, combine the shredded cabbage and carrots with the scallions and four chopped pineapple slices.  Add in a bit of the pineapple juice to taste and toss in a pinch of cayenne pepper for a little heat.  Allow the slaw to cool in the fridge.  

Once the chicken is cooked, transfer it to a plate.  Pour the sauce into a saucepan and simmer until the sauce thickens.  If you used a whole chicken, you will need to skim the fat first.  

Using two forks, shred the chicken and add to the sauce.

Serve with flour or corn tortillas, pineapple slaw, and cilantro-lime rice (found in the Braised Pork Tacos recipe).

Enjoy!

Poblano Chicken

Since Peru, I've been experimenting with more peppers.  So, in the next few recipes, you'll see a bit of a Peruvian influence.  I came across this recipe one morning last week.  While organizing my spin playlist, The Rachael Ray show was on in the background.  She's so annoying, but just when I was about to flip the channel, she spoke my language - poblano peppers and cheese!  I'll admit, I had to flip the channel anyway.  As she threw the cheese on the top of the dish, she said something like, "Yeah, I did it."  That was my breaking point.  I'm not sure if it's her squeaky, but loud voice or her mannerisms, but she drives me crazy.  In any event, I got the basics.

What you'll need:
3 poblano peppers - chopped and seeded
1 cup chicken stock
1 small onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
a small handful of cilantro
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used pepper jack because that's what I had in the house)

What to do:
In a food processor or blender, combine the peppers, chicken stock, onion, cloves, cilantro, and salt and pepper until smooth.

 In a saucepan over medium high heat, melt the butter.  Add the flour and whisk.  Pour in the milk and cream and raise the heat just a bit. Add the poblano sauce and allow to simmer and thicken for about 15 minutes (just enough time to brown the chicken).

Heat the oven to 375.

In a pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan.  Brown the chicken on both sides.  Put the chicken in a casserole dish and pour the sauce over the chicken.  Then, cover the chicken and sauce with the cheese.  Bake the chicken for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is brown a bubbly.

I served this with rice, but you could shred the chicken and serve in tortillas.

Enjoy!

Watermelon Mint Sorbet

I am obsessed with watermelon - especially when in the middle of the summer when it's sticky hot and the watermelon is cold and sweet.  So, I knew this was a must try recipe for my ice cream maker.  I'll tell ya, I wasn't let down.  This watermelon mint sorbet was the perfect combination of refreshing and sweet (and so easy).  You can even add a little rum!

What you'll need:
1/4 to 1/2 of a large watermelon
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (2-3 limes)
1 tablespoon freshly chopped mint (or eliminate if you don't like mint)
1 tablespoons simple syrup (you may need more or less depending on the sweetness of the watermelon)

Chop the watermelon in large pieces and throw into a food processor or blender along with the lime juice and simple syrup (make sure the simple syrup is cool).  If you want to add a bit of rum, do so here. Blend until smooth.  Then add the mint and allow the mint to chop into small flecks.  Pour mixture into a bowl.  Cover and allow to cool in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.

Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and allow to churn for 20-30 minutes.

Then pour into a glass container with a lid and put it in the freezer for a few hours.

Once you take it out, you may need to let it rest for a few minutes, but you should be able to scoop it out easily!

Enjoy!  I certainly did!  Next week, I'm going to try a mango habanero sorbet.  

Gnocchi with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

My basil plant is out of control.  With this heat and humidity, the basil might take over my entire back yard by the end of the summer.  So, the next few recipes are all going to involve basil! This recipe is super easy, semi-healthy, and delicious.  Since I was too lazy to go to the store, I just used what I had in the house, which means no pine nuts for today's pesto.  It's certainly something you can add if you MUST have pine nuts in your pesto.  You can also vary your pasta.

What you need for 4 servings:

Packaged gnocchi or any type of pasta (if you're feeling adventurous, you can make your own gnocchi)

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil - if you use sun-dried tom in oil, use one 8 oz jar)

3/4 cup of olive oil (eliminate if you use the sun-dried tom in olive oil)

2 garlic cloves

Salt and pepper

1 cup fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup Parmesan

Cook the pasta according to instructions.  Before straining reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, add the sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and basil to a food processor and blend until the mixture is combined.  Stir in the Parmesan cheese. 

Add the cooked pasta to a medium sized bowl and toss in the basil.  Add a bit of the cooking liquid to create a bit of creaminess.  Top with freshly grated cheese and serve.  Because the husband likes a little meat with his meal, I cooked up a few Aidells Caramelized Onion Turkey Meatballs on the side.  I also made a small salad with champagne vinaigrette.  Oh so good!

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Sweet Potato Bean "Burger"

I know I've said this before, but summer is my FAVORITE time of year. The heat certainly isn't in my top ten favorites reasons, but regardless, I'll take any temperature in the summer...just because it's summer. To add to my previous list, I love summer because

• I can watch the summer concert series on the Today Show. Who doesn't love Maroon 5?
• I can hit the grocery store on a weekday.  Seriously, this improves my life in a gazillion ways.
• I have more than 15 minutes to make an eat my lunch - which brings me to my latest recipe.

(Have no fear.  More to come on my list later!)

After returning from Peru on Sunday, I felt like I just couldn't recover. My body moved in slow motion and craved sleep.  I thought for sure I picked up a bug, but I suppose climbing countless steps, sleeping only a few hours, and eating poorly could run me down. Today I finally felt better (of course this could have something to do with the fact that I didn't have to wake up for a workshop).  My body begged me for clean, wholesome food.  Hitting the grocery store, I was ready to make a healthy, fun lunch!

Btw, Peru was AAAAAmazing.  I would recommend this vacation to anyone who wants to learn about a rich, cultural history and spend time outdoors.  

I know it looks like I'm chillin' in the above picture, but it was really only for 51 seconds before we were on the move again.

 Of course Machu Picchu was the highlight.  So amazing.

The countryside of the Andes offered peaceful views.

The Salt Mines.  I thought for sure I was going to slip and fall into the salt.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was visiting a local school.  We brought school supplies for these kids.  They were incredibly sweet and grateful.

On to the food stuff -

I found this original recipe on Pinterest and I tweaked it just a bit. Oh boy did it turn out delicious!  Plus, both the sweet potatoes and the cannellini benefits are loaded with nutritional benefits.  Sweet potatoes are a good source of potassium, iron, and magnesium (a great anit-stress mineral).  Sweet potatoes also contain B6 and Vitamins C and D.  Cannellni beans have twice the iron of beef! They are also loaded with Thiamine, which improves reaction time and boosts brain power.  Not only that, but Cannellni beans reduce cholesterol, reduce headaches, and give you more energy. The agave nectar adds just a touch of sweet, but it won't spike your blood sugar.  Sooooo, these burgers aren't just yummy, but the ingredients get used to make you a better YOU!  My body needed this to get back on track.

What you need for 2 servings:

1 small sweet potato or a 1/2 of a large one 

1 can of cannellini beans drained (or chick peas)

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 tbsp tahini

2 tsp agave nectar

1 tsp Montreal seasoning

A few dashes of cayenne pepper

Panko breadcrumbs

Olive oil 

Optional:  buns, avocado, lettuce, tomato, tzatziki

Cook the sweet potato either by roasting in the oven or the easy way - microwave it.  I peeled the sweet potato, chopped it in big chunks, and microwaved it for 3 minutes. 

Drain and rinse the beans and combine with the cooked sweet potato.  Mash the two together until smooth. Then add the flour, tahini, agave nectar, Montreal seasoning, and cayenne pepper. Combine all the ingredients.

Add olive oil to coat the pan, and turn the heat to medium high.

Pour breadcrumbs into a bowl.  Then, take a bit of the sweet potato mixture and form a patty.  It will be sticky, but still easy to make a patty.  Completely cover the entire patty in the breadcrumbs, and then drop it (gently) into the pan.  Continue this process with the remaining mixture. Allow the "burgers" to brown on both sides.

You can have your "burger" on a bun, in a lettuce wrap, or with avocado on top.  Feel free to add other veggies as well.  Regardless, this sweet potato burger is crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside - the perfect combination.

On a side note, I made a few mini "burgers."  They too turned out just perfect.  Because the are bite size, they make a good snack or side.  As a side note:  I made this yesterday.  Today, I had the leftovers and they were just as good!

Braised Short Ribs over Penne

So, girl's night book club was moved to Sunday night this month.  We're out of work and life is good.  I decided to make my friends a special dinner. I'll be honest though, I didn't take as many pictures as I wanted.  We had quite a busy morning bringing the dogs to the mobile vaccination center.  I usually bring them to the posh vet, but after the $500 bill last year, I thought I'd save a little money this year.  And save we did, but at another cost - we had to bring Capone in public.  I know - he's an adorable dog - INSIDE my house.

Needless to say, it was a stressful morning.

Nikko can confirm that!

Anyway, back to the book club and wanting to do something special...it's important to note that our book club did NOT read Fifty Shade of Cheesy Writing, er, I mean Gray.  We read The Fault in our Stars by John Greene.  This book was recommended to me by my good friend's daughter, Becca (good choice, Becca).  The Fault in Our Stars is actually a teen read, but it is beautifully written AND incredibly sad. What I like the most about the book, though, is that the main character, Hazel, is such a strong female role model; she's witty, intelligent, and knows what she wants.  This gave us plenty to discuss.

Braised Short Ribs over Penne

What You'll Need:

Bone in Short Ribs (I used 5 big, meaty ones for 6 people)

Salt an Pepper

Olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large can San Marzano tomatoes, crushed

1 cup red wine

1 cup beef broth

1-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 1/2 pounds penne pasta, cooked according to directions

Heat the oven to 325.

Rinse the short ribs and dry completely with paper towels.  Salt and pepper the short ribs on all sides.  Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottom pot (I used a cast iron pot). Add the short ribs and brown on all sides.  Remove the short ribs and set aside.  

Add more olive oil to the pot and add the onions.  Cook about 5 minutes and then add the garlic.  Then add the tomatoes, wine, broth, and mustard.  Bring the mixture to a slight boil and scrape up all the juicy bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.  

Put the ribs into the pot and stir to cover the ribs.  Cover an place into the oven.  Let cook for 3 hours.  If the meat falls off the bone, it's cooked.  Otherwise, keep cooking.  

If finished, remove the pot from the oven.  At this point, your house will smell amazing, and you'll want to eat before your company even gets there!  

This is the hardest part, AND it's really not that hard.  Remove the ribs from the pot.  Shred the meat into small pieces - it should just fall apart.  You'll need to separate the fat and remove the bone (the bone may have just fallen out).  Once the meat is shredded and de-fatted (yeah, I just made that word up), set to the side. 

Use a spoon and gather the oil that has settled on top of your sauce.  You can use a separator here as well.  Then, add the meat back to the pot.  

Pour cooked penne into a nice, large pasta bowl and add short ribs and sauce.  Toss to coat.  Add freshly grated parmigiana cheese and parsley.

I served this with a Caprese salad.  It was the perfect compliment. 

For dessert, I made homemade black cherry and nutella frozen Greek yogurt.  If you haven't bought the Cuisinart ice cream maker, I suggest you get one. NOWWWWWW! I got mine at Costco.  

Orecchiette with Turkey Sausage

Pasta, pasta, pasta...I could eat pasta every night, but I limit it to once a week.  This one is an adapted Giada recipe.  She uses broccoli rabe, which is awesome in the recipe.  I didn't have any broccoli rabe, so I substituted arugula, spinach, and mushrooms.  Try this recipe with either.  If you use the broccoli rabe, cook it in salted, boiling water for about a minute. Then transfer it to a bowl of ice water to cool.  You can even use this same water to boil your pasta.

What you need:
1 pound orecchiette pasta - cook according to directions
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound turkey (or chicken) sausage, casings removed
1 small onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
mushrooms (optional)
sun dried tomatoes (again, optional - I had then in the fridge)
1 teaspoon flour
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
3/4 cup Tuscan chicken broth (add more if the mixture becomes too thick)
Broccoli rabe (see note above), arugula, and/or spinach
A pinch of dried crushed red pepper flakes

Heat the olive oil in a medium sized skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and  garlic and cook for just a few minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.  Add the sausage and cook until the sausage is cooked through. Stir in the sun dried tomatoes.  Then sprinkle on the flour and stir to coat.  Cook for 2 more minutes.  Squeeze the juice of a 1/2 a lemon into the pan. Add the Tuscan chicken broth and allow the ingredients to simmer.  If you want, add the crushed red pepper. Finally, add the broccoli rabe and coat (if using spinach and/or arugula see note below).  Yummmm... Writing about food makes me really hungry.  Too bad I can't make this right NOW!  But no, I'm teaching spin tonight.  Then I can eat.

Finally, put spinach and/or arugula (if using) in the bottom of a large pasta dish.  Place the steaming pasta on top and allow the pasta to cook the greens.  I usually reserve a bit of the pasta cooking water to add if I need more liquid. Pour the skillet ingredients over the pasta.  Combine.  Then, top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Remember, this recipe is adaptable to whatever you have on hand.  Change a few things!

White Bean Chicken Chili

I love all things soup and chili.  Again, key reason - EASY.  Plus, you can really just throw in anything you have around the house and the recipe will still turn out great.

It's summer in south Florida.  That means it's time to grill and make cool summer salads.  I get that, but sometimes, yes sometimes - even in the sweltering humidity, I need comfort.  White Bean Chicken Chili gives me COMFORT.

Here's what you'll need: 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium sized onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound ground chicken

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 tablespoon flour

3/4 bottle of beer - I usually use Corona 

2 cans stewed, diced, or chopped tomatoes - I use the Rotel

1 cup beef or chicken stock

1/2 cup green salsa

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 bunch greens - Swiss chard, kale, spinach - any will do

Jalapeno Jack Cheese

cilantro

1 - 2 cups ditalini pasta (or shells) - cook to directions

In a dutch oven or pot, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add the onion and cook just a few minutes until translucent.  Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.  Add  the ground chicken, salt, cumin, and chili powder.  Cook, stirring often, until the chicken is cooked.  Stir in the flour.  Then add the beer and allow to reduce. Scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Next, add the tomatoes, stock, beans, and chili.  I also add a bit of the cheese to the cooking pot...yummm...this makes the chili a bit creamy. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook for 30-45 minutes.  If you want to add a little heat, add a tad of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. Add the greens and cook a few minutes more.

Now, add a bit of the cooked pasta to the bowl, ladle the soup/chili on top.  Top with cilantro and cheese.  I  would also suggest sour cream!