Veggie Trays

Veggie Trays are my go-to whenever someone asks me to bring something to a gathering. Why, you might ask? I've been to enough gatherings where there are no veggies to be seen. Or, they are the side-kick that gets left off the table because people are more excited about the sugar, carbs and treats! I've been the girl who only wanted the sugar, carbs and treats, and I have learned that I don't want to be the provider of the treats - I want the good stuff. The photos below are my veggie trays that I made for our a few of our Family Christmas' of the 2009 Holiday season. Cutting the veggies only takes about a half hour - and I made each of them all for under $20. It feels good to go to a gathering where you're known as the one who provides the 'healthy stuff' for the holidays!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Friends, Food & Fun Times! Every other day there is something fun to do, gifts to purchase, and holiday planning to be had, that this time of the year always catches my off guard with how much I miss spending time in my kitchen. Since I haven't been a crazy housewife lately, I thought I would post some updates about where I've been, and what I've been eating along the way. It's been a little nerve wracking knowing that I am unable to grab a bite at any restaurant like I used to, but thanks to the internet, I've been able to find places that satisfy my issues and still be served amazing food! Here's a few of the places I've visited so far this holiday season:

Kona Grill - They have a gluten-free menu and their happy hour is fabulous! If you decide to check it out, I highly recommend their shrimp and chicken wraps (w/o side sauce). It's a great place to catch up with great friends and not be worried about what you can and can't have since they offer a seperate GF menu.

Nicoise Salad @ Lifetime Fitness LifeCafe - With 22g protein and only 360 calories - what a great lunch or dinner! The nicoise salad has everything in it. Potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, hard-boiled eggs, tuna salad, green beans, onions and olive tapenade. This satisfies any palette.

Wildfire Steaks, Chops, and Seafood - Simply superb! I have been to Wildfire twice in the 2009 holiday season already and both times they have amazed me with their gluten-free capabilities. They have an extensice gluten-free menu. They bake their own bread, so the first time I went I had a hamburger with roasted veggies on the side...I haven't had a hamburger in months and it was unreal! I've been missing out. The second time I went there I had their signature Wildfire chopped salad which is always satisfying and delicious with all the chopped veggies they add. I also saw on their menu that they offer GF pizza...looks like I gotta go back! :)

Chianti Grill - This restaurant also has an extensive gluten-free menu and I was able to have some pasta! Holy goodness - I'm on a carb high! I haven't had carbs like this in a long time, but gosh they are missed! :) I enjoyed GF Mostaccioli & Caprese Salad. This pasta had great rice noodles and lots of cheese, so I couldn't have as much as I wanted to, but I enjoyed it nonetheless!

Cajun Salmon & Garlic Cauliflower and Mushrooms

In the mood for some fish! I made this recipe before and can't begin to explain how much I enjoyed it. Backstory: I hated salmon. Hated! I've tried to make salmon over a handful of times and every time I ate two bites and would end up giving my serving to the Mister. He's never minded. This recipe was the first time that I actually wanted seconds - and the easiest way I've ever made it!

Cajun Salmon

Prep Time: 2 minutes; Cook Time: 10 - 15 minutes

2 Fillets of Wild Salmon

SEASONINGS:

     Extra Virgin Olive Oil

     Sea Salt - just a pinch

     Fresh Ground Black Pepper - to taste

     Cajun Pepper - to taste

Preheat Oven: 415 - 425F degrees.

Start by brushing wild salmon fillet(s) with EVOO, then season fillets of wild salmon on both sides.

Place seasoned salmon fillets on broiler pan. If skin is still on, place skin side down and put in oven for 10 - 14 minutes. 10 minutes if they are fresh. 14-15 minutes if they are frozen. Cook until done to your liking.

Servings: 2 filets.

Recipe Review:

Seriously unbelieveable!!! This recipe is officially a staple in my weekly menu. I have made this recipe over a handful of times now, and everytime I use fresh wild salmon fillets from Super Target in their fresh fish section. The fillets are about $7/each, and leaves you full and satisfied.

Garlic Cauliflower and Mushrooms    

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 40 - 45 minutes

     3 cups cauliflowerets
     1 cup chopped fresh mushroom
     1/2 cup chopped red onion
     1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
     2 teaspoons lemon juice
     2 teaspoons cider vinegar
     1/2 teaspoon salt
     1/4 teaspoon pepper
     2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
     1/3 cup chopped green onion

Heat oven to 350F degrees. Spray square baking dish, 9x9x2 inches, with cooking spray.

Mix all ingredients except green onions. Spread evenly in baking dish.

Bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and golden brown. Sprinkle with green onions.

Recipe Review:
For a salmon side dish, I usually roast whatever veggies I have in the fridge. This time I used some mushrooms and cauliflower. If you really love garlic, you'll love the recipe! If I make this side again, I will definately cut back on the garlic and possibly take out the apple cidar vinegar. I didn't enjoy these flavorings together. I love the simple but amazing EVOO and spices with roasted veggies, and this was quite a different taste.

Lighten the Load Chopped Salad

3 medium tomatoes, seeded, chopped, and drained
1 large cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
8 ounces cremini or button mushrooms, quartered
1/2 cup diced red onion
3/4 cup pitted black olives, halved (kalamata olives preferred)
1 cup cubed part-skim fresh mozzarella
1/2 cup Newman's Own® Lighten Up! Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, mushrooms, and red onion. Toss with enough dressing to coat vegetables.

Cover and chill vegetables several hours before serving. Toss again with mozzarella cheese and olives just before serving.



Recipe Review:
Great salad! Just look at the photo! It was all the things I wanted in a 'light lunch' but wasn't light beacuse I was full 1/2 way through...or maybe sick of chewing?! I used plum tomatoes and added some raw sunflower seeds and lettuce that we needed to use up in the kitchen. Lovely salad! The Newmans' Own Balsamic Vinegarette is GF, but does contain sulfites, so I opted to use Litehouse BV (no MSG, preservatives & is GF). I made 3 great salads with this and after I ran out of lettuce and the bell peppers, I made due with what I had left - still great! This will be a staple for me going forward.

Risotto Cakes

I still can't believe I made Roasted Garlic & Mushroom Risotto the other night. I also can't believe it turned out ok! Usually I'm the crazy girl that makes up a million excuses why it didn't work out whenever I try something for the first time. But, this worked! It's now time to conquer the leftovers and the perfect thing to make would be risotto cakes. The bigger question is, will I be 2 for 2 with risotto in the kitchen after this recipe? 

 Risotto Cakes
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes

     3 cups leftover risotto from Roasted Garlic and Mushroom Risotto
        recipe
     2 large eggs
     1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
     1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
     1/4 cup grated Parmesan
     Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
     1/4 cup canola oil

In a large bowl add the leftover risotto, eggs, corn, bread crumbs, and Parmesan and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Mix to combine well. Form into 12 balls about the size of a walnut, then flatten into patties and arrange on a baking sheet.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the patties and cook until they are golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the patties from the oil to a baking sheet lined with a brown bag or paper towels to drain the excess oil. Transfer to a serving tray and serve hot.

12 Servings.

Recipe Review:
Woo-hoo! I am officially 2 for 2 with Risotto. After my first bite was one of those, 'Oh, this is the reason people cook!' I used EVOO instead of canola oil to fry them up. They had delicious flavor - the Mister thinks next time I should substitute green or red pepper instead of the corn, but I loved the corn. I'm sure I'll surprise him and make 1/2 with peppers & 1/2 with corn next time since he's so willing to try all my cooking adventures and be honest about them. This was another one of those little, easy recipes really are the reason why one spends time in the kitchen! :)

Cooking for a Guest

What excitement! I'm done with the elimination diet and it's time to celebrate - gluten-free style! We have a guest for dinner and I'm going to keep it simple and fresh. Stuffed chicken breast with asparagus that the Mister can be in charge of, sweet potato wedges that can roast while we cook and some risotto. I've never made risotto, but it's the one thing that I love to order whenever it's on the menu and I think it will go great as a side for this meal. I've heard it's time consuming - the consistent stirring doesn't let you get far from the kitchen, but goodness, it's worth a try.

Spring Stuffed Chicken
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes

     3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
     5 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped and chopped
     1 lemon, juiced and zested
     1/4 cup parsley (about a handful), chopped
     4 chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each), butterflied and
        pounded to 1/4-inch thick
     4 slices proscuitto cotto or any good quality ham
     4 slices fontina cheese (about 4 ounces)
     Salt and freshly ground black pepper
     1/2 cup dry white wine
     1 large bunch of asparagus

Place a large, tall-sided skillet with 1-2 inches of water over high heat and bring up to a boil to cook the asparagus.

Working with one chicken breast at a time, line the breast with the tip closest to you. Place your hand flat on top of it and, with a very sharp knife, cut into the center of the thickest part of the breast. Carefully and slowly, work your way down to the tip end, cutting into the chicken.

The goal is to butterfly the breasts, cutting them just shy of completely in half. Open up the chicken breast as if it were a book and pound it out slightly under a piece of plastic wrap with a heavy skillet. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

In a small bowl, combine the thyme, lemon zest and parsley. Lay each butterflied chicken breast out on a flat work surface so each breast is open. Sprinkle the insides of each chicken breast with the thyme and lemon zest mixture. Add a slice of proscuitto cotto to each piece and top with a slice of fontina cheese.

Fold each piece over to enclose the ham and cheese in the chicken breasts. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Pre-heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with three turns of the pan of EVOO, about 3 tablespoons. Add the seasoned, stuffed chicken breasts to the hot skillet and brown for 5 minutes.

Gently flip the chicken over and continue to brown for another 5 minutes. Add a 1/2 cup of dry white wine to the skillet and cook until the wine has reduced by half.

Once you have the chicken working in the skillet, add a generous amount of salt to the skillet with the boiling water. Simmer the spears for 3-5 minutes until just tender.

Drain the asparagus and squeeze the lemon juice over the top. To serve, plate asparagus, top with the chicken breasts and spoon sauce over the top.

4 Servings.

Recipe Review:
The Mister made an incredible main dish!!! He sure was proud of it too…and he should have been! It was so flavorful. The thyme, proscuitto cotto, fontina cheese, parsley and lemon zest added so much to our typical, plain chicken flair - we giggled because we used to wonder why we got sick of making chicken (Plain + BBQ sauce = boring!) This stuffed chicken was very moist - even the next day as one piece was actually leftover.

Sweet Potato Wedges
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes

     2 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges
     Extra-virgin olive oil
     2 Tbsp. Cajun spice mix

Preheat oven to 400F degrees and place a cookie sheet into the oven. In a large mixing bowl, toss sweet potatoes in olive oil to evenly coat. Toss onto the hot cookie sheet and spread out into one even layer. Bake for 20 minutes, then use a spatula to turn. Bake for a further 20 minutes until crispy and golden. Dust with Cajun spices and serve.

Serves 4-6.
Recipe Review:
AWESOME!!! After making these and realizing we love the flavor of sweet potatoes, this opens so many doors for more vegetable choices in the house. The Mister added a little bit of real maple syrup for some added sweetness - but they don't even need it. They are like little candies - it seems wrong to call them a vegetable! :)
 

Roasted Garlic & Mushroom Risotto
Prep: 10 minutes; Cook: 25 minutes (plus 1 hour to roast garlic)
 
     1 head garlic
     2 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
     2 (14.5-ounce) cans chicken broth
     3 cans water
     1 medium onion, chopped
     1 (8-ounce) package sliced mushrooms
     Salt and freshly ground black pepper
     2 1/2 cups long-grain rice
     2 tablespoons unsalted butter
     1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.

Slice the top off the head of garlic. Put it on a large square of aluminum foil and drizzle 1 teaspoon of the extra-virgin olive oil over the exposed cloves. Wrap the foil around and over the garlic. Roast until it is soft, about 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Pour the 2 cans of broth into a saucepan, over low heat, and add 3 cans of water. Bring to a simmer.

In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and cook until the mushrooms release their juices, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook for 1 minute to toast.

Add 2 ladles full of hot broth to the pan and gently stir the rice. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Adjust the heat so that the pan is just gently bubbling. Continue adding broth and stirring until all the broth is used and the rice is cooked but not mushy, about 20 to 25 minutes. Once the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is nice and creamy, stir in the butter, Parmesan and the garlic pulp. Cover and let rest for 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.

Reserve 3 cups for Risotto Cakes.

4-6 Servings.
 
Recipe Review:
First time ever making risotto from scratch! I had roasted the garlic the day before so we didn't have to wait for that an hour while it cooked. As for the long-grain rice, I used a basmati rice and it worked great. It cooked well and soaked up all the other flavors. I'm sure you could use arborio as well. I also used the Kraft shaker for the parmesan cheese which had good flavor, but was also the reason for only 4 stars vs. 5. So, next time I'm determined to use a good, organic brand of cheese such as Organic Valley. This dish needed a little bit of salt & pepper but the flavor was excellent. LOTS of leftovers - going to make risotto cakes tomorrow night with the extras!