Monday, May 24, 2010

BREAKFAST BURRITOS

OK, this is such a simple, no-brainer recipe that I probably shouldn't even post it. But I'm posting it anyway, because:
1) I really do like these burritos, and
2) I'm running out of recipes!!!
I haven't had the time to try out new recipes lately, but bear with me... In the meantime, I'm ALWAYS grateful for any recipe submissions on the blog, so feel free to post away!

I love to have these burritos for either breakfast or dinner. They are so quick to throw together--especially perfect when I'm in a rush. If you're looking for high protein food, these qualify. I like to use corn tortillas, as they contain about 1/2 the calories of flour tortillas, they have more fiber, and they add a distinct flavor. You can heat the tortillas in the microwave, but I much prefer cooking them on a pre-heated cast-iron griddle (even a dry non-stick skillet will do) until they are hot & somewhat puffed. And, although bacon does not qualify as "health" food, it adds a lot of flavor and only 25 calories per serving. To make things even easier, I use the packaged, pre-cooked & pre-crumbled bacon pieces.

You can get fancy by adding any number of ingredients, such as:
diced avocado
salsa
diced cooked potato
diced fresh tomato
chopped cilantro
diced onion
diced jalapeno peppers

Serves 2
4 corn tortillas
1 tsp olive oil
2 eggs
2 tbls bacon, crumbled
4 tbls cheddar-jack cheese, shredded
salt & pepper to taste

Pre-heat skillet, if using, to cook tortillas. (Heat tortillas while eggs are cooking.) Heat olive oil in another skillet over medium heat. Scramble eggs with a teaspoon or so of water. Add to skillet, stirring frequently. When eggs begin to cook, stir in bacon pieces. Once eggs are cooked through, remove from heat & season with salt & pepper, if desired. On each tortilla, spread 1 tbls of shredded cheese. Top with 1/4 egg mixture. Fold sides of tortillas inward over egg mixture & serve immediately.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

SUPER EASY LIME GRILLED CHICKEN

Here is a very simple recipe for grilled chicken that is tasty & very tender. It is great on its own or chopped up over a salad.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
4 tbls apple jelly
2 tbls fresh lime juice

Preheat grill over medium heat. If chicken breasts are thick, I cut them in half to make them thinner. This way they cook quickly and are less likely to be tough on the outside in order to be cooked through.
Heat apple jelly in small saucepan or in microwave until melted. Stir until smooth. Add lime juice & blend well. Heat until just beginning to boil; remove from heat & set aside.
Coat grill grates with cooking spray. Brush chicken breasts lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt & pepper as desired. Grill for 3-4 minutes on one side (depending on thickness of chicken), or until lightly browned. Turn chicken, & brush lime glaze over cooked side of breasts. Grill for an additional 2-4 minutes. Turn chicken again & brush lime glaze on other side of chicken. Continue grilling for 30 seconds to 1 minute per side--just long enough to brown a bit more w/glaze. Watch carefully; the sugar in the glaze can easily cause the chicken to burn. Once chicken is within 1 to 2 minutes of being done, remove chicken from grill & immediately place all 4 breasts on a sheet of aluminum foil. Brush again on both sides with lime glaze. Quickly wrap foil tightly; no need to keep chicken breasts all separate. Keep wrapped for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, reheat remaining lime glaze in microwave until just beginning to boil again. After 5 minutes in foil, test chicken for doneness: Chicken should pierce easily with sharp knife. When done, serve immediately with extra lime glaze.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

SPINACH SALAD WITH GOAT CHEESE FRITTERS

When I was in St. Louis recently, my son took me to an Italian restaurant that was really good. Of all things, I had a spinach salad that was possibly the best salad I have ever had. I have tried my best to recreate it, & I think that I've come pretty close. This should be called a "dessert salad"! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. This calls for a Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing. I usually do not care for Balsamic Vinegar, but I thorougly enjoyed it in this dish. The combination of sweet & tart, crunchy & soft, and cold & warm really makes this salad unique and absolutely delicious. Try it, & let me know what you think!

Tips:

*Make candied walnuts, dressing, and fritters ahead of time.
*Refrigerate fritters for at least 15 minutes before cooking, and cook them right before you are ready to serve salads.
*Have individual salads assembled & ready to serve by the time the fritters are finished cooking.

Serves 4

Goat Cheese Fritters: One log of goat cheese, cut into 4 rounds about 1/4" or so thick (available in deli section of grocery store but may be called "chevre" or "chavrie"; be sure to buy the plain goat cheese, not the seasoned variety) You will not use the whole log.
1/2 cup finely ground plain bread crumbs (not Italian), pre-packaged, or make your own by grinding a slice or two of dry bread in a blender
1 egg whisked together with 1 tbls water
2 tsp olive oil

Place bread crumbs & egg mixture in 2 separate shallow dishes. With your (clean, please) hands, gently press goat cheese rounds to flatten slightly. Dip each round in egg mix, coating well, and then dip in bread crumbs. Cover thorougly with crumbs, pressing crumbs gently into cheese round. Place rounds on waxed paper & refrigerate for 15 minutes-1 hour. When ready to cook, heat olive oil in small skillet over medium to med-high heat. When hot, add goat cheese rounds. Fry on one side for 3-4 minutes, and then turn very gently & cook on other side for another 3-4 minutes until golden brown on both sides. Remove from heat & place on top of salads. Serve immediately.

Candied walnuts:
2 tbls Turbinado or brown sugar
1/2 cup walnuts, broken in half

Heat sugar in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally. While heating, lay out a sheet of waxed paper. Once sugar is completely melted, turn off heat & immediately add walnuts, stirring constantly. Once walnuts have been thoroughly coated, spread them out onto the waxed paper. Quickly separate them a bit with the spoon you've been using. Allow them to cool completely, then break them apart into smaller pieces. (Try not to eat them all before you finish the recipe.)

Balsamic Vinaigrette: 1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbls brown sugar (more if dressing is too tart)

Combine all ingredients. Whisk to blend thoroughly. Allow to stand at room temperature until ready to serve.

Assembly:

One (maybe more) 10-oz bag baby spinach (or desired amount to fill plates)
4 tbls dried cranberries or dried cherries
4 tbls green onion (green part only), sliced thin OR 4 very thin slices of red onion, rings separated

Fill each plate with spinach leaves. Sprinkle about 1 tbls dried cranberries or cherries on top of each salad. Sprinkle 1-2 tbls walnuts over each salad. Follow with green or red onion over each. Place 1 warm goat cheese fritter on top of each salad. Drizzle with Balsamic vinaigrette, or serve vinaigrette on the side. Serve immediately.