Green Fruit Salad w/ Honey Lime Vanilla Dressing

Green Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Vanilla Yogurt

This is truly an eyeball-it recipe. Use as much fruit as you like, in the proportions that you like.

green grapes
sliced kiwi
sliced bananas
cubed honeydew melon
diced green apples
zest and juice of one lime
fresh chopped mint
Combine and mix. Lime adds flavor but also helps keep fruit from oxidizing

Vanilla yogurt (about 1 cup)
Lime juice and zest (about 1 lime)
About 1 TB honey

Mix and serve over the fruit or on the side

Killer Roast Beef Sandwich

For one sandwich:
1 onion roll, split
Spread each half with mayo and horseradish, to taste

Take bottom roll and layer with good quality deli roast beef slices, spinach, arugula or lettuce, cheddar cheese, thinly sliced red onion, fresh tomato, sprinkle of salt and pepper. Top with other half of onion roll.

YUMMY!!!!!

Topping for roasted corn on the cob, etc.

This "pesto" could be great for roasted corn on the cob or roasted tomatoes.


Into a food processor or blender, put
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/4 cup sunflower seeds (out of shell already)
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup shredded quesadilla cheese (or manchego)
pinch of salt
pinch of chili powder

Blend until smooth.

Put over hot roasted corn (roast on grill, turning every 3 minutes for a full rotation, about 15 minutes) or roasted tomato (cut large tomato in half horizontally and roast in oven with pinch of salt for 10 minutes on 375) and add a sprinkle more of cheese while it's hot so it melts.

Carmelized Bacon Popcorn

By popular demand via Facebook, I am posting this.

Carmelized Bacon can be used in a variety of recipes. You can crumble it over a salad (don't expect to eat much of the lettuce, though), put it on a BLT, make it a way guilty snack, or put it in popcorn.

Here's my popcorn bacon recipe.

Cook 5 pieces of bacon in a stock pot until all of the fat is completely rendered. Don't worry about the state of the bacon. . .you are after the fat.

Add some vegetable oil and popcorn kernels, add a lid. . .and pop like you did when you were 10 years old (if you're my age. . .before the age of microwave popcorn and when Jiffy Pop was a novelty!)

In a bowl, mix 3 minced cloves of garlic (fresh is best) with 4 TB brown sugar, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 2 TB olive oil. Mix into a paste. Add more oil to make the paste as needed.

Take 10 strips of raw bacon and slather each side with the paste. Put on either a wire rack on top of a baking sheet or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375 for 10 - 15 minutes. Check after 10 minutes every minute - you don't want it to burn. The bacon should appear crisp.

Let bacon stand for 5 minutes to crisp up further. Crumble into the popcorn and add 1 TB smoked paprika.

That is, if you don't eat all the bacon first. It's addictively awesome.

I put it in a salad one night and brought to my friend Toni's house. She picked all the bacon out and ate no salad. It's THAT good.

Enjoy!

Addition to Tuscan Soup Recipe--Correction

After the soup simmers with the beans in it. . .mix 3 tablespoons of milk (I use fat free, lactose free and it works fine) with 3 tablespoons of flour or cornstarch. Drizzle into the soup slowly, stirring constantly. Simmer for 5 more minutes until the soup slightly thickens. Should not be too thick. If need be, thin with more chicken broth.

Tuscan Beans and Greens Soup

1 pound Italian sausage (sweet, mild, or spicy, pork, chicken or turkey, ground or link)
2 leeks, thoroughly rinsed (very sandy) sliced in half lengthwise, then sliced, using the white and light green parts
olive oil
3 minced garlic cloves
salt and pepper
1 can white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 32oz low sodium chicken broth
1 bunch kale, rinsed and chopped.
Fresh grated parmesan cheese

Brown sausage. If using ground, break up into small pieces. If using link, brown whole, then slice into bite-sized pieces. Remove from the pan and drain. Spoon off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat. Heat with 1 TB olive oil. Add the leeks and garlic. Season with pinch of salt and pepper. Add about 1 cup of the chicken broth to deglaze the pan. Scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pot to get that great sausage flavor.

Sautee until translucent. Add the rinsed beans and rest of the chicken broth. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the sausage back in, then the kale. Cook for about 5 more minutes, until the kale is wilted.

Adjust salt pepper.

Ladle into bowls, top with grated cheese. Drizzle with olive oil if you like.

Great served with toasted, crusty bread.

Pickle - anything

I love anything pickled - especially a savory pickle. Here is a favorite recipe of mine!

1 cup white wine or champagne vinegar
1 cup water
2 TB kosher salt
2 TB sugar
3 bayleaves
3 garlic cloves, smashed, but added whole

Chop 2 cups of your favorite veggie. I recommend cauliflower (cut into small florets), carrot (sliced), cucumber (sliced), or I guess you could try anything. It keeps in the fridge forever. Put it in a salad, serve with BBQ, or as an appetizer. It's simple, but amazing!