Beet Salad with Balsamic Dressing and Crumbled Goat Cheese

This is a really tasty salad! The secret is in roasting the beets and also using a high quality balsamic vinegar. Make the beets ahead of time and keep them covered in the fridge until ready to use (within a few days). We had this tonight as a side with gnocchi. Delicious!! Serves four as a side dish.

Ingredients:

-4 medium sized beets, washed and rough ends cut off (no need to peel)
-3 tbsp olive oil
-2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
-freshly ground black pepper & salt to taste
-1 tsp hot picante sauce (optional)
-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
-6 large fresh basil leaves, chopped
-2 tbsp/about 50 grams/ of soft, unripened goat cheese (enough to add some nice flavour but not a lot of saturated fat and calories!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Slice the beets into rounds that are about one inch thick. Place in a shallow roasting pan and toss with oil, garlic, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Cook, uncovered, until a fork easily pierces centres (about 30 minutes).
2. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Cut each round into quarters. Place in a serving bowl and toss with the fresh basil and balsamic vinegar. Crumble to goat cheese over top and serve.

Endive Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

Endive is a bitter leafy green, which I don't particularly care for on its own. However, this slightly sweet salad dressing balances everything out perfectly. This makes enough side salads for 4 people.

Ingredients:

-one head of endive, torn into bite sized pieces
-one small sweet/vidalia onion, diced
-1/4 cup olive oil
-2 tbsp lime juice
-2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
-1 tsp liquid honey
-1 tsp whole grain mustard
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Wash endive well and pat dry with a clean dish towel. Combine onion and endive in a large bowl.
2. In a small dish, combine all other ingredients for dressing and stir well with a fork to combine.
3. Drizzle the dressing lightly over the salad and toss well. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Swiss Chard Sauteed in Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil

This is a quick and simple way to cook Swiss Chard. Make sure that you soak the chard in a bowl of cold water and then rinse it well under running water before you cook it---there tends to be a lot of gritty sand in it otherwise. It is a delicious leafy green vegetable that goes well as a side to chicken or fish. This recipe serves 4 people as a side dish.

Ingredients:

-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-2 cloves garlic, crushed (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
-1 bunch of Swiss Chard (it looks like a lot, but it reduces down quite a bit). Remove the stalks, right up to the thick stalks in the greenery. Cut the chard crossways into large strips.
-1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
-salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
-dash of hot picante sauce to taste (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and stir until tender, about 1 minute.
2. Add the chard and balsamic vinegar. Cook, stirring occasionally until the chard is wilted, about 5 minutes. In the 30 seconds of cooking stir in the salt and pepper and hot sauce (if using).

Fish Chowder with Tomato Broth

I had a number of sole fillets that I wanted to use up as they don't really work on their own, so I decided to use them in a chowder. Delicious! This recipes serves about 4 people. Have some fresh bread with it to sop up the juices.

Ingredients:

4 sole fillets (or other white fish), cut into 2 inch chunks
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 large sweet (vidalia) onion, diced
1 red sweet bell pepper, chopped
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup of fish or chicken broth (low fat/no sodium)
1/8 cup dry red wine
2 garlic cloves, crushed (or one tsp garlic powder)
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1/4 cup kalamata olives, sliced
1 15 oz can red kidney beans or navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large pot, saute onion and red pepper. Stir in broth, diced tomatoes, wine, garlic, herbs and olives. Simmer 20 minutes.
2. Add beans, fish, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Simmer until fish is done, about 10 minutes.  Ladle into bowls; sprinkle with cheese.

Chicken Tomato Saute

This is an easy, delicious and very healthy one pot meal. The flavour of the tomatoes and spices explodes in your mouth and compliments the chicken very nicely. You can make it as fiery or calm as you want, depending on your personal tastes. Make sure you pound the chicken cutlets a bit and then marinade them for about an hour in the fridge. I do not use any added salt in my recipes anymore, so if you want to use salt you can season the chicken with it to taste when you marinade. This recipe serves four people. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

-Four medium sized chicken cutlets, lightly pounded to tenderize
-freshly ground black pepper, to taste
-1 tsp garlic powder (or 2 garlic cloves, minced)
-1 tsp turmeric (this is a very mild curry spice---optional)
-1/2 tsp dried hot chili peppers (optional)
-2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
-1 pint cherry tomatoes
-1/2 a medium sweet onion (Vidalia), chopped
-4 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Directions:

1. After pounding the cutlets, coat them with the ground pepper, garlic, turmeric and chili peppers. Brush one tbsp of the oil over them; cover and place in refrigerator for at least an hour.

2. Heat the other tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and saute until browned and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to warm plates.

3. Saute the onion until soft, about two minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes. Add the wine and simmer for about 2 minutes. Stir in the basil and allow to wilt. Add the chicken, just to warm for about 30 seconds. Serve and enjoy!

Breakfast Egg Casserole

This is a great egg recipe to whip together for a crowd. It serves about 10 people, but you can cut it in half and use a smaller baking dish.

Ingredients:

-8 large eggs
-2 cups whole milk
-freshly ground black pepper to taste
-2 cups crumbled feta cheese
-1 loaf multi-grain whole grain bread, torn into one inch pieces (8 cups)
-1 lb sliced deli turkey, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (4 cups)
-1 large sweet Vidalia onion, chopped
-2 pints cherry tomatoes
-2 tbsp chopped parsely
-2 tbsp dried oregano or basil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, except tomatoes. Pour into a lightly oiled 9 x 13 inch Corning Ware baking dish. Top with the tomatoes. Cover with foil and bake for about 35 minutes, until set. Remove foil and bake another 35 minutes until top is golden brown. Keep an eye on it so that it does not over-brown. Serve with a mixed green salad.

Pear Mimosas

This is a light refreshing drink to have with a late lunch on a special occasion:) Serves 8.

Ingredients:

2 bottles of Champagne or dry white wine (my preference is for the wine), chilled
4 cups pear nectar
1 lime, cut into 8 wedges

Directions:

1. Chill 8 wine glasses; pour 3/4 cup of Champagne or wine into each glass.Top with 1/2 cup of pear nectar. Squeeze and drop in one wedge of lime; stir lightly. Enjoy!