WINNER Update! Whip it Good Body Butter and an Earth Day Giveaway

20 Apr 2012 22 Comments

by georgiecakes in Giveaway, Handmade, Healthy, What I think... Tags: , , , ,

The winner of the Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil is…. drum roll please.

Nomnivorous – Congratulations!

As much as I love living in New England there are some things I miss about living in Florida. Great moisturized skin being one of them. The humidity does the body good. Wondrous good. I don’t remember ever having dry flaky skin, until I moved here. The winter months are incredibly harsh on my skin, not to mention the environmental toxins. I spend every winter re-hydrating with a plethora of lotions to cure my ailment, while clinging to that old “Hope in a Jar” theory.

Well, I think I’ve found it. My very own “Hope in Jar”. In this jar!

Growing up in South Florida you would find coconuts in your backyard, on the beach or in your local grocery store. We would chop, drill, shred and sometimes smash the coconut shell on the ground, just to get inside to it’s precious liquid and meat. A staple in many local restaurant menus, served within the main course, with a decadent dessert or as the main ingredient in a shake-your-booty tropical drink. I grew up loving and consuming this nourishing fruit.

I had never thought of putting coconut oil on my skin. Even knowing the healing properties in this magical fruit have been around for centuries, it’s only recently that I have begun to apply the raw unrefined coconut oil to my skin as a super moisturizer.

Although, I did find the coconut oil was a little to greasy for my liking, so I began testing ways to make my very own body butter and I am grateful I did.

I made the initial base of whipped body butter, then adding in the essential oils for fragrance. Making 3 separate body butters, by mixing into each separate batch, a tablespoon of rosewater, a tablespoon of orange and tablespoon of lavender into the base formula.

Whip it Good Body Butter (the base)

Here’s what you ‘ll need:

2 cups raw unrefined coconut oil (I used Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil)

1/3 cup raw unrefined shea butter (chopped into small 1/2 inch pieces)

1 tablespoon vitamin E oil

1 tablespoon sweet almond

*Add 1 tablespoon of your favorite oil to the whipped body butter for fragrance (examples: rosewater, orange, lavender)

In a small saucepan, melt the shea butter, set aside and allow to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. In an electric mixer, add the coconut oil, shea butter, vitamin e, sweet almond oil and whip for 8 minutes. Add essential oils and whip for another 2 minutes. Place in clean jar. Keep in a cool place.

I plan on making some these coconut recipes next time!

In honor of Earth Day and to celebrate how grateful I am for our beautiful planet and the awesome fruits she provides us with, I’m hosting a giveaway. One lucky winner will receive a jar of Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil.

The Rules:

U.S. & Canadian Residents only.

To enter, please subscribe to Tropical Traditions newsletter and leave a comment letting me know that you did. You can enter for an additional chance to win by leaving a comment on something wonderful that you’ve discovered recently.

One winner will be selected at random and announced on the evening of Wednesday, April 25th.

* Disclaimer: The kind folks at Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review and giveaway. All the opinions here are my own. I think this product rocks!

Wilted Kale with Hummus Dressing

23 Mar 2012 5 Comments

by georgiecakes in Gourmet, Healthy, Main Dish, Salad Tags: , , , ,

One thing I love about spring is that our menu at home gets lighter, brighter and healthier.  It’s not too hot outside and it’s not too cold – it’s just right.  A lot like this wilted Kale and hummus salad, it hits the spot just right!

Here’s what you’ll need: makes 2 servings

3 cups of Kale, chopped (I used Red Kale: Chou Frise Rouge)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 teaspoon of toasted onion herb blend (I used Victoria Gourmet) you can use any flavors you like

6 tablespoons of Hummus salad dressing (I used Trader Joe’s Hummus Salad Dressing)

1/4 cup of kalamata olives

1/4 cup of cheery tomatoes

Clean kale and remove the stems and center ribs and discard.  Cut into 2 inch strips. Place in a large bowl and toss with olive oil and toasted onion herb blend.  Transfer to a large skillet and saute on medium heat for 10 minutes or until kale has wilted.  Remove from heat and allow to reach room temperature.

Once cooled, place a a heaping cupful onto each plate, drizzle with hummus salad dressing, add olives and tomatoes.  Serve as the main dish or as a side with chicken, fish or steak.

Here’s to spring, beautiful weather and getting healthy. Cheers!

Acorn Squash and Leek Galette

18 Mar 2012 5 Comments

by georgiecakes in Appetizers, Bake, Food, Gourmet, Healthy, Main Dish, Pie, Tart Tags: , , , ,

Today I’m guest posting for my friends over at Hello Boutique.  Seeing the new fashion styles at their online store inspired me to put a new spin on my menu.  Like maybe making more of these low calorie galettes for starters.  They will have you ready for spring in no time.


Acorn Squash & Leek Galette

2 butternut squash

1 large leek, chopped

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 oz cream cheese

1 cup of cheddar cheese, shredded

Salt & pepper to taste

9-inch piecrust, store bought is perfect (I used pillsbury pie dough)


Preparing the Acorn Squash:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Cut the acorn squash in half, scoop out seeds. Using 1 tablespoon of butter, dollop into the center of squash, place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil to one side, leaving room for the leeks. Taking the chopped leeks and toss with olive oil, set to the other side of foil lined baking sheet, place in oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until squash is tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes prior to mixing with other ingredients.

While acorn squash and leeks are roasting, roll out the piecrust to fit a rectangular cookie baking sheet, set aside until ready to use.

Mix cream cheese and 3/4 of the shredded cheddar cheese in a bowl. Scoop the acorn squash out, along with the leeks. Combine into the cheese mixture, mix well. Spread evenly over piecrust, leaving a couple of inches along the edges to fold over.  Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on top. Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown in color. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, slice and serve. Enjoy!

*recipe adapted from Three Many Cooks

Year of the Dragon Wonton

22 Feb 2012 3 Comments

by georgiecakes in Bake, Dessert, Food Bloggers Events, Gourmet, Healthy, Love My Local, Serendipitous Adventures, Sweet Tags: , , , , ,

The year of the dragon, may it bring you good fortune!

Dragon Wonton

A few weeks ago I attended Chinese New Year Potluck in NYC.   The event was hosted by the talented duo Jackie and Ken , who spared no expense creating fantastic food and decorating the studio with adorable party favors and a Dragon hologram gracing the wall. Very cool. I’m extending a huge thanks of gratitude to our sponsor Tigerbeer who graciously donated the studio space and drinks for this intimate affair.

Pear & Ginger Honey Wonton Napolitano

To attend we all committed to making a dish, this is a potluck after-all. I have to travel a bit when attending gatherings in NYC, so I needed to create something that would travel well; easy to serve and taste mighty good.

Bowl of Fruit

After several attempts at a variety of fruit wontons, I consulted with my eight wise men of  Confucius (below) and arrived with these tasty Dragon Wonton desserts.

Confucius Wise Men

Pear Ginger Honey Wonton Napolitano

Here’s what you’ll need:

3 asian pears

3 forreill pears

2 tablespoons fresh minced ginger root

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

1 cup water

1/4 cup honey and extra for brushing wonton

1 stick salted butter

14 wonton wraps

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Banana Chocolate Walnut Wonton Stacks

6 bananas

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cloves

3/4 stick butter

Chocolate syrup to drizzle

1/4 cup walnuts, chopped finely

14 wontons wrappers

For the pears:

Slice off the bottom of each pear just enough so it will stand upright. Peel the entire pear leaving the stem and skin at the top. Rub with butter, place in sauces pan, add water, ginger, honey and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes, set aside to cool once done.

 For the bananas:

Slice bananas 1/8 inch thick, place in a medium saucepan  along with vanilla, nutmeg, cloves and butter sautee for 10 minutes on low heat, untill banana are tender and cooked.

For the honey baked wontons: 

Cut the wontons diagonally from one corner to the other. Brush with honey and place on a lightly greased baking sheet, bake for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden in color. (They bake quickly – so keep an eye on them). Remove from oven, allow to cool a few minutes on baking sheet, transfer to wire rack  to cool completely.

Stacking your Pear & Ginger Wontons:

Once the pears have cooked, slice them very thin about 1/8 of inch or thinner.  Begin stacking your fruit wontons placing a honey baked wonton on the first layer, add a slice of asian pear, followed by a slice of forreill pear, add the second layer of honey baked wonton, followed by a slice of asian pear and finally top with forreill pear.  Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Stacking the Banana Chocolate Walnut Wontons:

Begin layering a honey baked wonton, add a layer of bananas – two, sprinkle with chopped walnuts.  Add another layer of honey baked wonton, bananas, chopped walnuts and drizzle with chocolate syrup.

Ginger Pear and Banana Chocolate Walnut Wontons

I had a wonderful time as always catching up with friends, making new ones, and eating some of the most delicious food this side of the east coast. The menu at this affair was amazing! Check out the fabulous blogger’s posts of dishes served and get these tasty recipes for yourself.

  • Jackie - Toasted Black & White Sesame Chocolate Bark and Chocolate Dipped Kumquats
  • Ken - Sesame Gold Nugget and Auspicious Walnut Cookies
  • Kathy - Duck Pancakes
  • Kirsty - homemade Fortune Cookies
  • Kristen - Kung Pao Chicken
  • Dan - Five-Spice Almond Cake
  • Sarah - Chicken Curry
  • Maggy’s - Honey Walnut Shrimp
  • Justin - Philippine Adobo

I regret that I did not take photo’s at Chinese New Year Potluck, I mingled and ate the entire time.  I encourage you to head over to Ken and Jackie’s sites and look through the amazing photo journal of the entire event.  Hope to see you next time!

Steel Cut Oats with Vanilla Bean

14 Oct 2011 7 Comments

by georgiecakes in Gourmet, Healthy Tags: , ,

In between eating all these delicious recipes I’ve been making, I’ve had to manage some expectations, that is my expectations of trying to stay fit.  I’ve been trying to eat healthier meals… most of the time, but when I ‘m cooking and baking it’s not so easy.  Food Blogging makes a girls hips jiggle.

After years of struggling with a system  I’ve managed to get myself on a fairly decent exercise regime, losing a sweet amount of weight since I began.  Let’s hope with this fall, winter, holidays and all the good food this season brings, I don’t find myself heading into an eating frenzy!  To prevent this from happening, I’ve introduced some foods that carry their own weight and mine too.

I’m a huge fan of oatmeal, especially oatmeal cookies, but more on those later. Right now I’m enjoying this new change and eating steal cut oats for breakfast, though sometimes I have them for lunch or dinner.  They make a satisfying meal and you can dress them up as a sweet or savory dish.

While thinking of ways to make these steel cut oats… truth be told, I was looking for a cookie recipe.  I remembered reading Two Peas & Their Pod and their version of an incredibly yummy Cream Brulee Oats recipe and was immediately drawn into the sweet, creamy, chewy, nutty, cinnamon goodness so I had to try it.  One snag was that I had no raisins in the pantry and we don’t have brulee torch (Dear Jeff, for Christmas I would love a brulee torch).  Once I have my brulee torch I plan on making this exactly to Maria’s recipe.  In the meantime I made a few changes.

Steel Cut Oats with Vanilla Bean

This is my spin on the recipe…  Here’s what you’ll need:

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup steel cut oats

4 cups boiling water

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

In a large saucepan, add the water, butter and bring to a boil, add the steel cut oats, reduce to low heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add heavy cream and vanilla bean paste to oatmeal stirring until ingredients are combined, cook for 10 minutes. Serve steel cut oats in bowl and top with remaining brown sugar and cinnamon.

Preparing Steel Cut Oats

Those cookies I mentioned earlier, I’ll be posting a recipe with steel cut oats real soon.  In the meantime if you have a brulee torch, try making Maria’s version from Two Peas & Their Pod and let me know how good it is!

Balsamic Herb Glazed Chicken

26 Sep 2011 23 Comments

by georgiecakes in Food, Gourmet, Healthy, Italian Dishes, Main Dish Tags: , , ,

Today’s post is for a special club I’ve joined – The Secrete Recipe Club.  Wondering what the secret is… well I’ll tell ya… it’s  a group of  food bloggers who get to test, taste and share each others recipes, the only thing is…  shush – it’s a secret, that is until the reveal date.

My special food blogger for this month is Mindy at The World in My Kitchen. She’s a very talented and creative chef! I chose her Balsamic Rosemary Chicken recipe because it looked incredible and sounded so good my mouth was watering. I did however make a few changes by adding a Tuscan seasoning that includes rosemary, garlic and a melange of other earthy spices.

Balsamic Herb Glazed Chicken

Here’s what you’ll need to make this incredible Balsamic Herb Glazed Chicken.

6 chicken breast cutlets

1 cup balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons Tuscan seasoning

2 tablespoons olive oil

Balsamic Herb Glaze

In a small saucepan add balsamic vinegar, Tuscan seasoning, bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until balsamic has reduced to a glaze. Remove from heat, mix in the olive oil and allow to cool.  Transfer to bowl or serving dish.

Balsamic Herb Glazed Chicken & Salad

Heat a pan over medium high heat, coat with olive oil. Add chicken breasts and cook chicken 8 to 10 minutes on each side.  I’m using a grilling pan,  searing each side.  Remove from pan and let stand for 5 minutes.  Plate chicken onto your serving platter.  Drizzle a generous amount of balsamic glaze on your chicken.  Serve as lunch or dinner  alongside a salad or  atop of a panini. Enjoy!

Click the link below to check out more great recipes from this month’s Secret Recipe Club!


Zucchini & Squash Lasagna

28 Jun 2011 6 Comments

by georgiecakes in Bake, Farmers Market, Gourmet, Healthy, Markets, Soulever Tags: , , , ,

Our farmers market is overflowing with a bountiful selection of summertime vegetables.   I was drawn to the beautiful luscious green zucchini and bright sunny yellow squash, all the while anticipating making a vegetable lasagna. I’ve been wanting to make this special recipe I had seen earlier in the week.  I certainly didn’t need any additional coaxing, I purchased four baskets in all, two each of these wonderful flavors.

Zucchini & Squash Farmers Market

Another reason I am excited about this recipe is because I made it for our friend Lori over at Creating A Fair Haven.   You see, recently Lori broke her foot while working to renovate their family business.  Knowing that her days are already filled with homeschooling four lovely children, the ongoing responsibility of running the household and the Mr. away on a business trip, this had me wanting to pitch in some way and make a wonderful meal for the family.

I adapted this recipe from Not Eating Out New York, it’s an incredibly simple – quick and tasty recipe, you’ll see!  I’ve made some changes to the original recipe to include spinach, additional cheese and a basil pesto.

Squash & Zucchini Basket

Here’s what you need… 1: 9 x 12 pan or 2: 8 x 8 pans, a saute pan, prep time 30 minutes, cook time 30 minutes Serves 12

6 medium zucchini

6 medium yellow squash

4 cups fresh spinach

2 garlic clove (minced)

16 oz ricotta cheese

2 eggs

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 cup basil pesto (any store-bought or homemade)

7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

sea salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Clean spinach, remove long stems and pat dry.  In a saucepan on medium heat add 2 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of minced garlic allow to heat for 1 minute, add spinach and sauté until spinach has wilted.  Remove from heat and set aside, allow the spinach to cool room temperature.

Clean zucchini and squash by removing the ends, cut lengthwise in 1/8 inch slices, place in a dish and drizzle with 4 tablespoons olive oil on both sides, add sea salt and pepper to taste.

Zucchini and Squash Sliced

Gently mix together ricotta and the two eggs, mixing well.  Adding to the ricotta mixture a 1/2 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano, remaining minced garlic and a dash of sea salt and pepper.

Ricotta - Parmigiano-Reggiano Mixture

Grease your pan with the remaining tablespoons of olive oil.  Begin layering your zucchini vertically along the bottom of your pan.

Zucchini Layer

Followed by a thin layer of spinach about 1/3 cup.  Add 1/3 cup of pesto spreading evenly throughout and mixing lightly with the spinach.

Spinach Layer

Take a 1/2 cup of the ricotta mixture and  spread atop.  Add a layer of yellow squash horizontally.  Repeat the layers finishing the top layer with yellow squash.  Sprinkle the top with remaining spinach and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Squash Layer

Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool for 20 minutes, slice and serve.

Zucchini and Squash Lasagna

I would like to say I made this dish without incurring any drama of my own, however this was not the case.  My intentions were to deliver this straight from the oven to Lori’s front door.  Surprise the family with a warm inviting dinner that evening.  This is not what happened!

As Jeff and I prepared the lasagna for the trip, each one of us holding a dish, Jeff took a misstep on the stairs. These stairs!

Stairs

I didn’t hear a thing…  though I felt something… something warm… I felt it slide down the inside of my shirt, inside the cuff of my pants, inside my sneakers, well you get the picture.  Jeff slipped down the stairs and I broke his fall.

It was a little chaotic for a few moments, making sure Jeff wasn’t hurt, thank goodness he wasn’t.  Meanwhile I was soaked in warm Lasagna inside every-bit of clothing I had on.  All the while, I was holding that last tray of lasagna way above my head, as a tightrope walker would maintaining my center of balance, as I marinated in our new set of circumstances.  All of a sudden it reminded me of what brought us here in the first place.  Lori’s broken foot!

After Jeff reassured me he was alright and witnessing a brief argument between Jeff and his black crocs, I believe I saw one flying across our parking lot.  This all seemed like a scene from a  comedy! I began to giggle once I realized Jeff was OK and how funny I looked bathed in Lasagna.  We cleaned ourselves up and called it a night.

The next day we delivered the lasagna to Lori’s without any other episodes.   Can I promise when you make this Lasagna it will be without any unfortunate circumstances?  I can’t, but I can promise you this… you’ll like it!

Artichokes & Lima Beans

23 Apr 2011 4 Comments

by georgiecakes in Food, Gourmet, Greek Dishes, Healthy, Holiday Tags: , , ,

Here’s a healthy side dish that’s full of protein and super yummy.  A unique combination of artichokes, lima beans and fresh dill make this dish surprisingly delicious.

Artichokes, Lima Beans, Fresh Dill

Here’s what you will need… medium cooking pot,  prep time 10 minutes, cook time 45 minutes, Serves 6

½ cup Olive Oil
6 stalks Scallions, Chopped
2 cups Water
16 ounces Lima Beans (1 – 16 Ounce Frozen Bag)
16 ounces Artichokes (1 – 16 Ounce Can)
½ cup Dill Fresh (chopped)
1 dash Salt and Pepper, to taste

Artichokes

In a pot on medium heat, add olive oil and scallions sauteing until translucent. Add Lima beans and dill and mix for 2 minutes. Add water, salt and pepper bring to a boil. Add artichokes and cook for 4o minutes. Serve with your favorite protein, fish or lamb, or enjoy on it’s own as a main meal.

Spanakorizo (Σπανακόριζο – Spinach & Rice)

19 Apr 2011 4 Comments

by georgiecakes in Food, Gourmet, Greek Dishes, Healthy, Holiday Tags: , , , , , , ,

This week is Holy Week for me, leading up Greek Orthodox Easter (Πάσχα, or Paskha).  Christians and Catholics will celebrate Easter this week, while Passover will be celebrated in the Jewish faith.  Every few years these holiday’s fall within the same week depending on which calendar you follow, the lunisolar, the Julian or the Gregorian.

Spanakorizo

It’s no wonder the food blogosphere is deep rooted into a miscellanea of recipes that may even precede these calenders themselves.   It’s these holidays where our most traditional recipes emerge for these sacred festivities representing our past, present and future.

This week my lovely mother is visiting me for the holiday and we’ve put together an exceptional menu.  A week of fasting leading us up to our traditional Easter feast of roasted Lamb & potatoes,  spinach pie, cheese pie, Greek salad and many more scrumptious favorites I will be sharing over the next few weeks.  Today’ s menu starts with Spanakorizo “Σπανακόριζο” – Spinach & Rice.

Here’s what you will need… medium cooking pot,  prep time 1/2 hour, cook time 25 minutes, Serves 6

1/4 cup olive oil

1 scallion onion (chopped)

1 bunch spinach (roughly chopped)

1/2 cup long grained rice

3 cups or water (or broth)

1/4 cup fresh dill (chopped)

3/4 cup of fresh pureed tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot heat olive oil over medium-high heat.  Saute scallion onion until translucent.  Add tomato puree, dill, salt and pepper, stirring for a few minutes, then add spinach and saute into mixture.  Add water and bring to a boil.  Stir in rice, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.   Allow Spanakorizo to cool for 15 minutes prior to serving.

Whatever holiday you are celebrating this week, I hope it’s amazing!

Gigantes “Fosolada” Greek Beans

29 Mar 2011 3 Comments

by georgiecakes in Food, Gourmet, Greek Dishes, Healthy, Main Dish Tags: , , , ,

The first time I saw these gigantic beans was visiting my mother’s village Myrtia, Greece.  Myrtia is perched atop a small mountain in a seaside village on the southern Peloponnese coast.  The view from the village is absolutely breathless… see for yourself.

Myrtia & Skala Shipwreck Dusk "Photo Courtesy Stathakis"

My mother’s sister, Thea Kannellio operates the only restaurant in the center of town, known as the “kentro”.  Every evening the most incredible aromas of Greek rustic dinners would emerge from her kitchen, drawing in the village folks.  Here I had my first tasty morsel of this humongous bean… I instantly fell in love with its earthy flavor and refreshing taste.  I insisted my Thea Kannellio make these every week during my stay, though she preferred me to taste other culinary dishes her country had to offer.

Thea Kannellio, Papou & Mama Vasiliki

When I returned to the states, I searched every specialty store to find these lovely beans.  This was not an easy feat, but I prevailed!

 

Arosis Gigantes Bean

Now I could satisfy my yearning for these giant little beans.  First in line…  a cooking lesson from my mother and the sharing of this traditional recipe the way her mother prepared gigantes.  The recipe was now being passed onto me.

 

Gigantes Oven Baked

Much to my liking they emerged from the oven perfectly and exactly as I remembered them -  thick, juicy, earthy, flavorful and satisfying!

Here’s what you need… dutch oven, sauté pan, prep time 1 1/2 hours, cook time 1 hour, Serves 12

1 pound dried gigantes beans (about 2 ¾ to 3 cups)

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup onion chopped

1 cup celery chopped

1 cup carrots chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1  can crushed tomatoes, undrained (28-ounce)

1/4 cup fresh leaf parsley chopped

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Sort and wash beans, place 3 cups of the washed gigantes beans in a large bowl and cover with water, allowing beans to soak overnight for about 12 hours.  After soaking, remove all floating beans and discard.  Drain and rinse well, place in a large pot cover with water, about 2 inches above beans, and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until beans are tender. Drain beans.

 

Gigantes Soaking

Preheat oven to 325°.  While beans cook on the stove top, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic, cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in oregano and tomatoes, simmer 10 minutes.  Stir in parsley, salt, and pepper. Combine the cooked beans and tomato mixture in a 3-quart casserole and bake at 325° for 1 hour.

 

Garlic - Carrots - Celery - Herbs - Olive Oil

These are nutritious and super good for you.  Serve them as a main dish with bread, as a “meze” or side dish with roasted lamb.  Whichever way you decide to serve these gigantes up, be sure to make plenty – it’s easy to get carried away eating straight from the pan until every “little – big” morsels has disappeared.

Myrtia & Skala Shipwreck Day "Photo Courtesy Stathakis"

And remember… beans, beans they’re good for you heart!

Arugula, Grilled Chicken & Salsa Salad

19 Jan 2011 3 Comments

by georgiecakes in Appetizers, Gourmet, Healthy, Main Dish Tags: , , , , , , , ,

I’m still on the straight and narrow in keeping up with my new years resolution… to get super skinny.  As hard as it’s been following a healthy eating program, especially when I love and adore and fantasize about beautiful food all day long, I admit it’s quite satisfying to create new, simple and tasty recipes.  Health is keeping me centered and focused, and there’s a little less of me looking back in the mirror.

Though I am looking forward to my first official cheat day filled with scrumptious warm bread and luscious chocolates this Valentine Day!

 

Arugula Grilled Chicken Salsa Salad

It’s lunch time right now and I’m in a hurry in between volunteering at the New Haven Museum and Elm City Handmade, where I have my one of kind dessert plates on display and for sale. To be continued…

Back to lunch…  this scrumptious salad is full of flavor and fresh ingredients that will have you energized for the busiest of days.

Here’s what you need… a Panini pan or skillet, prep time 35 minutes, cook time 20 minutes, Serves 4

4 chicken breast cutlets (thin)

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Dash of Salt

Dash of Pepper

Dash of Fresh Parsley

2 Cups Arugula

2 Tablespoons Ranch dressing (for each dish)

1 Cup Salsa – Medium Spiciness   (Use your favorite! I make Silver Palate recipe or purchase the San Pedro brand, its super fresh no preservatives.)

Turn stove top to medium heat.  In the skillet add olive oil, salt pepper, parsley allow to heat for approximately two minutes.  Add the chicken cutlets and cook 8 minutes on each side until golden brown.  Remove from heat and let cool in pan.

Place a heaping ¾ cup of Arugula on a plate, drizzle ranch dressing all over arugula, add warm chicken and top with salsa.  Dig in quickly and savor the flavors of this fresh and clean meal.

If you have time swing by Elm City Handmade and check out the beautiful artist studio. Here you can get an up close and personal look at my dessert plates or keep a look out for my Etsy store coming soon.

 

Elm City Handmade Dessert Plates

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