Marinated Collard Greens

I absolutely love finding a new twist on an old favorite! Living in the south, collards are a stable, but “how” you cook them is pretty standard. Imagine my surprise when my boyfriend and I stumbled across marinated collards at the market. I envisioned this flavorful explosion of flavors that matched the bright colors! NOT! The greens were very very firm and while the colors were great the flavor was lacking.

If you don’t know me by now I am the queen of “I can make that at home”! So here we go!

Ingredients:
• 1 pound fresh collard greens, cleans and sliced
• 1 C. carrots, julienned
• 1 red onion, julienned
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1/2 C. rice vinegar
• 1/2 C. olive oil
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp dried mustard
• 1 tsp celery seed
• 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:

1. Clean and slice the collards removing the tough stalk.
2. Add the julienned carrots, peppers, and red onions.
3. Combine the vinegar, oil, dried mustard, salt, pepper, celery seed, and honey in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.
4. Pour the sauce over the fresh veggies and toss.
5. Place the salad in a heavy place deal bag and force all the air out of the bag.
6. Marinate the salad for as little as 24 hours or up to 2 days.

Mexican Street Corn

SUMMER! I think I have a love hate with summer. On one hand living in the South I loath the summer humidity, constant evening pop up storms, and a cosy low of 80 degrees 😒. On the plus side, I love, love, love the music in the parks, lazy days with family and friends, holiday celebrations, my birthday, and most importantly SUMMER FRUITS & VEGGIES!
Armed with an array of summer herbs, I’ve been experimenting with flavorful recipes so here we go!

Ingredients:
4 ears fresh summer corn ears
4 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 C. mayonnaise
1 C. Mexican queso cheese, chunked
Kosher salt
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
Aluminum foil

Directions:
1. Pull back the husk of the corn ears, remove the silk from the corn.
2. Rub the pads of butter on the ears of corn and sprinkle with kosher salt.
3. Pull the husk over the corn and roll the corn in aluminum foil.
4. Place covered corn on medium-high grill grates for 30 minutes rotating periodically to cook evening on all sides.
5. Remove the corn from the grill then removing the aluminum foil and husk.
6. Smooth mayonnaise over the ears of corn.
7. Break the queso into small chunks and sprinkle over the corn.
8. Top the ears of corn with chopped cilantro and serve.

Greek Pizza

Fridays are made for pizza and what’s better than pizza made at home! If you haven’t noticed many of my recipes are very versatile meaning you can add or change any of the ingredients. If you’re watching your diet, yep this pizza is for you especially since studies show the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest diets you can eat! Get creative and let each family member “create” their own pizza!

 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 package flat bread
• 2 C. fresh baby spinach leaves
• 8 oz cooked chicken breast, chopped
• ½ C. cherry tomatoes, quartered
• ¼ C. feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 Tbsp walnuts or pine nuts, chopped
• ½ tsp dried oregano, crushed OR 1 ½ tsp fresh oregano, chopped
• ½ tsp dried rosemary, crushed, OR 1 ½ tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• ¹⁄³ C. Red Wine Vinaigrette*recipe follows

Red Wine Vinaigrette:

• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp shallot, finely chopped
• 1½ tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the flat bread on a large baking sheet.
3. Add the spinach, chicken, tomatoes, feta cheese, nuts, and spices.
4. Drizzle the pizza with the Red Wine Vinaigrette.
5. Bake the pizza 10-15 minutes until the pizza is warm and serve.

 

 

Related articles

• Frugal Foods – Homemade Pizza Sauce (apronsandcammies.com)
• whole wheat pizza dough (bigdawgeats.wordpress.com)
• A Healthy Alternative to an All Time Favorite (diaryofahealthycity.wordpress.com)
• Overnight Pizza: The Gluten-Free Edition (smallchickbigdeals.com)

 

Corn Caprese Salad

Doesn’t this salad SCREAM fresh, vibrant, and delicious? Ok so just a quick confession… I LOVE CORN! Cob, creamed, steamed, in pancakes (you’ll get that recipe later), in salads, you name it, I LOVE IT..whew ok I’m better.

I ran across this recipe 5 years ago by Cuisine magazine, and after a couple of tweaks, it has been my FAVORITE HANDS DOWN. I decided to share this recipe during a “‘Girls Night In” and after a couple of bottles  glasses of wine, the ladies not only cleaned their plates, but I believe they may have been licking of the plates as well. Take a few minutes to create this easy breezy masterpiece, I’m sure it will be your favorite too. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 c. fresh or frozen corn (fresh is always best)

2 c. grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

1 c. fresh mozzarella, chopped (you may also use shredded if you’re in a pinch)

2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

2 Tbsp white wine vinegar

1 Tbsp olive oil

pinch of sugar (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Blanch the corn in boiling water for 3 minutes drain and cool.  Combine tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and corn in a large mixing bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk vinegar, olive oil, sugar then toss with the corn mixture. Salt and pepper to taste and serve.

201 calories per cup

Spicy and Sweet Potato Salad

Now that the holiday festivities are over, I am more than ready to get back to healthier eating. This contribution to “Healthy Sides” week starts off with the yummy goodness of sweet potatoes! It’s more than the usual roasted yams or whipped sweet potato, it’s a unique twist on a familiar veggie that will leave a big impression.  The natural sweetness of the potatoes, the crunch of the pecans, combined with the added kick of the crushed red peppers creates an unexpected “party” at first bite! Taste and enjoy this delightful recipe that boasts a mere 207 calories and 25 grams of carbs per 1/2 cup serving.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes (5 cups)

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp canola oil

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

3 strips thick-sliced bacon, chopped

1/2 c. red onions, slivered

1/4 c. honey

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 c. pecans, toasted

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

2 Tbsp scallions, thinly sliced

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. While the oven is heating, toss the chopped sweet potatoes with the sugar, oil, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes and roast for 30 minutes.  Saute the bacon until crisp and remove the fat, but leave the chopped bacon in the pan.  Add the  silvered red onions and saute for 3 minutes.  Add the honey and vinegar until thoroughly combined.  Place the roasted sweet potatoes in a bowl and combine the bacon mixture, pecans, lime juice, and scallions.  Salt and pepper to taste!

adapted from Cuisine at Home