Friday, July 31, 2009

Produce Index

Below you'll find the more produce-heavy recipes linked by main produce ingredients. You can also browse the seasonal categories in the right-hand margin of the blog. I don't have very many fruit recipes on this blog that aren't pretty intuitive (smoothies and blueberry pancakes and the like), so I haven't linked many of those. Lettuces and salad greens are assumed to be in the salads index...

AF=Aldi Friendly
RBP = Recipe Box Project

Apples
Apple Dutch Baby (puffed oven pancake) (AF)
Fruit Compote


Asparagus
Asparagus Dressing (for cooked asparagus)

 Bell Peppers (and Hot Peppers)
Jalapeno Jelly 
Basic (Cooked) Salsa (AF)
Green Tomato Relish 

Basquaise Omelet 

Barley "Pasta" Salad

Black Bean and Rice Salad (AF)
Fajita Salad with Salsa Vinaigrette (AF)
Fattoush (Pita Salad)
Greek Villagers Salad (AF)
Southwestern Succotash Salad

Gardeners' Veggie Pita Pockets
Black Bean Potage (AF)
Chipotle Cheddar Chicken Cakes with Honey-Pear Salsa

Confetti-Stuffed Burritos (AF)
Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas 
Fiesta Chicken Bake (AF)
Spiced Chicken Spiced Barley

The Perfect Stir-Fry
Chicken with Vodka Sauce
One-Pan Chicken and Potatoes with Bell Peppers (AF)
Pasta with White Sausage Sauce (AF)
Tofu Stir-Fry with Vegetables
Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers (AF)
Crock-Pot Stuffed Peppers (AF)
Mexican Rice Skillet (AF)
Summer Squash, Sweet Pepper, and Polenta Casserole   (AF)
Simple Summer Stew with Herb Butter (AF)
Okra Saute
Veggie Sandwich (AF) 

Berries
Blueberry Coffee Cake (AF)

Smoothie Packets: Berry and Banana  (AF)
Strawberries Romanoff
Easy Strawberry Sauce (AF)
Two Tier Strawberry Pie (AF)
Mixed Berry Crunch (AF)


Broccoli
Green and Gold Salad with Citrus Ranch Dressing (AF)
Broccoli Salad (AF)
Broccoli Slaw
Noodles with Broccoli and Meat (AF)
Special Mac and Cheese (AF)
Penne with Chicken and Broccoli (AF)
Chicken Continental (AF)
The Perfect Stir-Fry Recipe (cabbage, bok choy, other Asian greens)


Cauliflower
Curried Coconut Chick Peas with Veggies 
Pickled Vegetables
Tofu Stir-Fry with Vegetables
The Perfect Stir-Fry

Corn
Fried Corn
Confetti-Stuffed Burritos (AF)
Chicken, Corn, Black Bean, and Tomato Salad (AF)
Simple Summer Stew with Herb Butter (AF)
Fiesta Chicken Bake (AF)
Ground Beef Curly Noodle
Mexican Rice Skillet (AF)
Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers (AF)
Corn Salad
Southwestern Succotash Salad

Cranberries (includes craisins)

Cucumber
Barley "Pasta" Salad
Chinese Cucumber Salad (AF)
Cucumber and Red Onion Salad (AF)
Dilled Cucumber Salad (AF)
Fattoush (Pita Salad)
Greek Salad (AF)
Greek Villagers Salad (AF)
In-A-Pinch Cucumber Salad (AF)
Marinated Cucumbers (AF)
Mediterranean Chicken Salad (AF)
Tzatziki (AF)

Green Beans
Green Bean Salad with Feta
Simple Summer Stew with Herb Butter (AF)
Curried Coconut Chick Peas with Veggies  
Oven-Roasted Green Beans (AF)

Greens (Spinach, Mustard, Turnip, Collards, Kale, Asian...)

Ontario Greens (offsite link)

Nuts
Pears

Potatoes

Pumpkin/Winter Squash

Sweet Potatoes
Simple Mashed Sweet Potatoes (AF)
Curried Coconut Chick Peas with Veggies 
Grandmother's Candied Sweet Potatoes (AF)
Sweet Potato Fries (AF)
Tray-Baked Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and White Potatoes (AF)

Tomato (Red)
2 Cherry Tomato Salads (AF)
Barley "Pasta" Salad
Green Ketchup
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Breakfast for Champions: Tips and Tricks

Published also on The Tarnished Teapot

So you want to provide a nutritious breakfast and save money this school year. And you don't have much time in the mornings. Hmmm... That can be a daunting challenge. Did you know that the following can all be frozen ahead of time?
  1. Muffins
  2. Egg McMuffins (yes, they can!)
  3. Breakfast burritos (scrambled eggs, sausage, salsa wrapped in a tortilla)
  4. Scones
  5. Quiche (bake/freeze crustless quiche in muffin cups for individual servings)
What about simply making something the night before? The following can all be made or assembled the night before:
  1. Oatmeal (premeasure oats/water)
  2. Quiche mixtures (re-stir and pour in pan in the morning)
  3. Muffins (dry ingredients and wet kept separate until morning)
  4. Pancake mix
  5. Hard-boiled eggs
I use all of the above strategies, but what has helped me the most is having a breakfast routine. Lots of people follow a "if it's Monday, it must be spaghetti" type of plan for dinners, each weeknight consisting of roughly the same type of thing each week. I use that same idea for breakfast, and it helps keep variety in our menu while making it easier to get breakfast on the table (and saving me from scrambling every morning with three fussing kiddos). Every week isn't exactly the same, but here's a rough idea:
  • Sunday: hard-boiled eggs, muffin/breakfast cookie, fruit (all is made ahead of time; this is our busiest morning)
  • Monday: cold cereal with milk, fruit
  • Tuesday: something egg related
  • Wednesday: oatmeal
  • Thursday: muffins, cheese stick or smoothie, fruit (our second busiest morning)
  • Friday: cottage cheese pancakes or egg sandwiches
  • Saturday: pancakes or eggs, sausage, and homemade biscuits
If I ever plan to serve quiche for dinner, I automatically make sure there's enough for the next morning's breakfast. I frequently keep frozen egg mcmuffins, breakfast burritos, or something similar for my husband to grab on his way to work. I'll be posting the egg mcmuffin and breakfast burrito recipes soon at full tummies.

What's your best breakfast strategy? Have a favorite recipe? Link to it in a comment.
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Thursday, July 30, 2009

Breakfast for Champions: What Makes a Good Breakfast

Simultaneously posted on The Tarnished Teapot.

Breakfast has become recognized as the most important meal of the day--and that means a nutritional breakfast, not a breakfast that subsists merely of a pop-tart, bowl of Frosted Flakes, or a Toaster Strudel. Perhaps you made vows at the end of last school year to start this school year off right: no more racing out the door, grabbing a McDonald's coupon on the way to the car.

I don't have school-aged children I'm trying to get out the door on a deadline, but I do face 3 very hungry urchins every morning and am looking to save time and money like most of you. Here are some tips to help you start this school year off on a better breakfast note--it will help your budget, your children's attention span, and your mornings!

First, it's important to know what constitutes a healthy breakfast. My general rule of thumb: some grains (preferably whole), some protein, and some produce; my kids generally also drink milk in the mornings, not juice. Those three categories plus the milk can appear in many forms, and sometimes you have to think outside the box. The following are some examples of breakfasts we eat in our household (some are fast, some take more time to prepare/eat):
  1. eggs, toast, fruit
  2. quiche with spinach, muffin
  3. muffin, cheese stick, fruit
  4. cottage cheese pancakes, fruit, some dry cereal as an "appetizer"
  5. regular pancakes, sausage, fruit
  6. granola, yogurt
  7. smoothie, muffin or dry cereal or toast
  8. oatmeal with milk, fruit
  9. egg sandwich, fruit
  10. hard-boiled eggs, breakfast cookies*, fruit
*sometimes we do eat cookies for breakfast--homemade oatmeal cookies are about as sweet as a nutrigrain bar or a pop-tart, have no corn syrup in them, and more whole grains.... Who knew!

Check out the full tummies breakfast index for some more ideas. What's your favorite breakfast to feed your family?

Tomorrow I'll post some ideas for freezer-friendly breakfast treats as well as a new way to plan your breakfast "menu" for the week. Stay tuned!
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Tuesday, July 28, 2009

August 2-Week Menu

Instead of labeling this with specific days, I'm now coming up with a list of 15 or so meals, each of which I'm intending to serve roughly twice during the month. I can buy the nonperishables up front, but each week's last minute calendar changes won't throw me for a loop this time around. This has a few more meals on it than 15 since I'm including this last week of July as "August." This should move me incredibly far down the path of "eat up what's in the freezer" (see my list). I'm thinking I can make use of small notebook's grocery list spread sheet for a big, overall list at the beginning of the month. Most of the meals below use things we sort of keep on hand, so it shouldn't be too difficult to tally up the nonperishables that might be "special."

  1. Chicken/Black Bean/Corn Salad in wraps
  2. Black Bean and Rice Salad with pitas, fruit
  3. Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce, fruit, crudite
  4. Pasta Salad, fruit
  5. Empanadas, corn, fruit
  6. Beef Stir-Fry, Chinese buns if we have them
  7. Red Beans and Rice with Sausage, salad or crudite
  8. Homemade Pizza/Calzones, salad or crudite or steamed green veg
  9. Pasta with Marinara Sauce, salad or crudite or steamed green veg
  10. One-Pan Chicken with Potatoes and Peppers, crudite and/or fruit
  11. Grilled Chicken Sandwiches, fruit, crudite
  12. Meatballs and sweet potato fries (and fruit)
  13. Jaozi (Chinese dumplings), rice, green veg
  14. Fish, baked potatoes, sugar snap peas
  15. Chipotle Cheddar Chicken Cakes, black beans, something green
  16. Tom Kha Gai, cucumber salad, sticky rice
  17. Kabobs, grilled flatbread, fruit
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Monday, July 27, 2009

One-Pan Potatoes and Chicken with Bell Pepper

Simple, tasty, healthy, and perfect for summer!

Recipe from Betty Crocker's Quick and Easy Cookbook

8 small-medium red potatoes, sliced thin (1/8-inch thick)*
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken, sliced thin
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 t. garlic salt (or 1/2-3/4 t. each garlic powder and salt)
2-3 T. vegetable oil
fresh basil for garnish, optional

*I bought a 1 pound bag of small red potatoes and that was perfect

Heat oil in large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat; if you're using a nonstick skillet, use the smaller amount of oil. When hot, add chicken, potatoes, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until everything is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Garnish with basil.

Serves 4

For a quick summer side dish, choose one (or more) of the following: watermelon, fresh veggies and dip, corn on the cob, or crusty bread.
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Friday, July 24, 2009

Make the Most of Your Cookbooks!

Do you flip open random cookbooks on your shelf, scrolling through chapter titles, scanning the index, hunting for something--anything--that mentions an ingredient you're trying to use up? What about making a weekly/monthly menu? Do you sit down and laboriously try to list 7 different meals, make up a corresponding grocery list, and then get to the grocery, only to find that chuck roast is not on sale (3 items on your menu) but split chicken breasts are?

There's a better way! Here's my "cookbook strategy" for making the most out of my cookbooks, knowing in advance what my recipe options are, and streamlining my menu planning. It takes more work up front, but it can be quite enjoyable.

1. Flip through a cookbook quickly (any, but preferably one you use on a semi-regular to regular basis). Note chapter titles, general layout, any lists (quick and easy recipes listed, 5 ingredient or less lists, suggested menus, etc.). This will help you know which cookbook to turn to later in a hurry.

2. Now, using the same cookbook, flip through the entire thing! Yes, this will take several evenings with something like How to Cook Everything or Joy of Cooking; however, most cookbooks can be flipped through during a 1-hour rerun of some sitcom you've already seen. (You should probably do this once a year or so; your tastes, interests, and cooking needs will change over time and you'll notice different things.) Note the following, making a list (even if you never look at the list again, you'll have a better chance of remembering for later use):
  • relative ease or difficulty of recipes (daily easy recipes v. company only and so forth)
  • type and number of ingredients (lots of short cuts, no short cuts, lots of weird ingredients, basic ingredients, etc.)
  • any recipes you see that you definitely want to try for whatever reason
  • any recipes you see that you know your family will like
  • any recipes you see that use some favorite ingredients
  • whether this cookbook is one that you can pretty much make a grocery list for without double checking the recipe or whether you'll have to check the recipe first*
3. Write in your cookbook (gasp! Did she say write in the cookbook?!). When making a recipe, note any changes you make that you like (less salt, cooked longer, etc.), note whether it doubles well and/or if it freezes well, note whether family liked it, etc. You don't have to jot down something every time you make a recipe, but if something stands out, it's worth jotting down for future reference. Sometimes, I even put down the side dishes I'm serving with a given entree so that thought-process is done for me next time.

4. Toss cookbooks you're not using much (copy the 1-2 recipes you actually make) or store them in an attic/out of the kitchen. You'll be more likely to reach for cookbooks you "know and love" and this will speed your menu planning later.

5. Menu plan with your new knowledge:
  • First, know what you have on hand (meat in freezer, something in pantry, etc.)
  • Second, check out sales at your local grocery store (most can be done online)
  • Third, note any events needing food (birthday party, covered dish dinner, etc.)
  • Fourth, make your menu! Check your cookbooks for recipes you know you want to make and note ingredients (this will be speedier since you have a better idea of where to turn for that cool beef enchilada recipe you want to try or the pound cake you're hoping to make for dessert for company).
  • Fifth, make your shopping list.

*One of the reasons I like How to Cook Everything is that there are so many substitutions given and so many basic ingredients used. I don't look at recipes much anymore before shopping, knowing that if I have basic meat types, stock, lemons/limes/vinegar, oils, random produce, dairy, flours, sugar, and some grain, I can ALWAYS find something tasty to make. In contrast, my "short cut" recipe books depend more on specific short cut products (ready made soups, specific sauces, etc.) that must be known about before heading to the store. Now, knowing my H2CE cookbook because I've spent time "reading" it like the strategy above, I just make up a rough menu and basic shopping list; I'll look at actual recipes closer to the day I'm actually cooking. For other recipes/cookbooks that are a bit more specific, I know exactly where to look (or have put them on this site so they're even easier to find).
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Sunday, July 19, 2009

Rubber Chicken, Asian Style

I do a lot of "rubber chicken" meals in the cooler months, roasting a chicken the first of the week and using the leftover meat and stock in future meals that week. Generally, the final meal is a big pot of soup. (Remember, my family consists of 2 adults who are trying to be moderate in our meat intake and 3 toddler/preschoolers who don't eat a large quantity of anything at one sitting; 1 chicken can stretch a way for us!)

In the warmer weather, however, turning my oven on long enough to roast a chicken, then standing over a stockpot that evening, and then making soup later in the week is simply too hot to consider. Enter "Rubber Chicken, Asian Style." Here's the menu:

Meal 1: Chicken Hainan style, made with a whole chicken and lots of water--so there is lots of stock leftover; I also cook lots of rice so I'll have plenty leftover

Meal 2: Fried Rice (begin with extra Ginger-Scallion Sauce from the first meal; add in 4-5 cups rice, 2 eggs, and leftover chicken--that's the basics along with a dash of soy sauce)

Meal 3: Chicken Coconut Soup with Lemongrass (Tom Kha Gai); you might not need as much ginger since you'll be using leftover stock that's already seasoned with ginger; in addition, make sure you save some chicken for this, although you might have less than a pound. This soup is super quick to make, full of summery flavors (lime, coconut, chilies), and is a fun use of leftover chicken! If you don't think your children will eat it, perhaps they can have some leftover fried rice.
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Saturday, July 18, 2009

Summer Seasonal Meals

Summer seems like the season to take a break from routine, doesn't it? The school year calendar never really leaves our system. So, I've been taking a break from menu planning--at least the more scripted versions I do during the school year. Instead, I've compiled a short list that takes advantage of the summer produce, the desire to NOT turn the oven on or spend long hours doing anything that involves heat, and my attempt to make meat stretch as far as possible. I just work from this basic list and go with whatever is coming from my garden (I have tons of tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, and green beans--which are getting frozen). Here is my list:

  • Homemade pizza (with or without tomato sauce, toppings are up to you!)
  • Calzones
  • Grilled Chicken and veggies/corn (if you flatten boneless, skinless breasts a bit, they will go further because they look like a bigger serving....)
  • Salad topped with grilled chicken/beef
  • Fajitas with peppers, onions, and grilled chicken/beef
  • Stir-fry with Thai flavors (basil, jalapenos, peppers)
  • Pasta with quick tomato sauces and fresh herbs
  • Anything with salsa (burritos, tacos, etc.)
  • Greek "stuff" (falafel, gyros, etc.--anything that works with Tzatziki sauce)
  • Tomato/cucumber salads
Most of these are relatively complete meals just as an entree. So, what do you serve with them to make them seem more like a meal? Fruit!

Need a quick dessert? Fruit!

What about an appetizer or snack? Fruit!

This coming week's menu as an example (the days can all be flip-flopped somewhat):

Sat: Grilled chicken (lots), grilled veggies, grilled corn, grilled flatbread ("naked" pizza crust), and grilled peaches for dessert (I'm grilling enough chicken for a few days' meals)

Sun: Salad with grilled chicken, more grilled flatbread; watermelon

Mon: Fajitas with grilled chicken, peppers, onions; black beans; grilled peaches or watermelon

Tues: Calzones with... grilled chicken and the leftover grilled veggies; watermelon

Wed: church

Thurs: Empanadas with beans from Mon. night; watermelon or peaches

Fri: Pizza or Pasta with tomato sauce from garden bounty

Sat: Grilled something and we'll start over!

What's YOUR favorite summer meal?
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Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Pasta with White Sausage Sauce

Another simple, tasty, quick recipe from How to Cook Everything. The original recipe doesn't call for onions and bell peppers. I left those out until I'd served up the kids' portions. My kids, by the way, thoroughly enjoyed this dish! I think some fresh basil would also be a good addition to this.

  • salt
  • 2 T. butter
  • 8 oz. sweet or hot Italian sausage, removed from casings
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound ziti or other cut pasta
  • freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to taste
  • 1-2 onions, sliced, optional
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced, optional
  1. Cook pasta according to package directions; make sure it's not overcooked. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water when draining it.
  2. Put butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. As it melts, crumble the sausage into it, making the bits quite small, 1/2 inch or less. Add 1/4 cup water and adjust the heat so that the mixture bubbles gently, adding a little more water if necessary, until the sausage is cooked through and tender, about 5 minutes.
  3. If using onions and peppers, removed the sausage to a bowl, using a slotted spoon. Cook peppers and onions in remaining fat until tender. Add entire contents of skillet to bowl with sausage. Stir in pasta, adding past cooking water as necessary to create a "sauce." The sauce won't coat the pasta like marinara, but the noodles should all be seasoned and the meat mixture evenly distributed.
  4. Grate Parmesan cheese on each serving.
Serves 4
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Sunday, July 12, 2009

What's on Hand/July Menus

I didn't make a 2-week menu for July and probably won't for August. We tend to eat differently in the summer than we do the rest of the year, even though no one in my family is actually on a school schedule. But we have random garden produce, are on the go/traveling more, and I'm needing to defrost my big stand-up freezer to get ready for the hoped-for August garden bounty (and some more freezer meals)! So, here's what I have on hand right now (*=Big Freezer). I need to clear up room in the two smaller freezers (we have an extra fridge/freezer combo in our basement--the fridge compartment stores extra milk and other beverages) because I know I can't use up all the chicken stock and flour in the Big Freezer.

I also tend to store a lot of grain/nut-related products in my freezers because we've had problems with moths getting into them in the pantry.

(strike throughs and things in red are things I've used up/changed since this post first published!)

Meats (most meat below has been repackaged in smaller amounts for my freezer; we tend to eat less meat/person than 1 typical store package assumes)
  • 15 11 1-pound bags of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (hit a big sale AND had coupons)
  • 2 1-pound bags boneless, skinless chicken tenders
  • 1 whole chicken*
  • 1 pound organic chicken thighs
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 bag of chicken for stir-fry
  • 4 1/2-pound bags beef cut for stir-fry*
  • 2 8-oz. bags Italian sausage*
  • 1 pound kielbasa*
  • 2 1/2-pound bags smoked sausage*
  • 1 1/2 pound breakfast sausage (cooked)
  • 2 small bags homemade meatballs
  • 2 1 bag fish
  • 1 bag fish packets (on the menu for tomorrow night)

Condiments/Sauces/Stock
  • chicken stock--a ton*
  • pesto--3 cups homemade; more on the way if my basil plants keep it up

Dairy
  • shredded cheese--a ton*
  • American cheese
  • feta cheese
  • Danish blue cheese (a mild gorgonzola type)

Baking Supplies, Grains, and Breads
  • flour*
  • cornmeal
  • nuts*
  • oats
  • pie crusts (3) (2)
  • filo dough (been in there a while....)*
  • 2 1 box puff pastry (also been in there a while....)*
  • small carton Cool-Whip
  • ice cream... should be thrown away maybe
  • 4 1 loaf bread*
  • 2 1 bag tortillas
  • 1 bag pita bread
  • 3 pizza dough balls (using up some of that flour!)

Vegetables and Fruit
  • beans (dried)
  • 2 bag corn kernels
  • 1 big bag peas
  • 1 small bag peas
  • 2 bags vegetable blends
  • 3 small boxes vegetable blends
  • 3 2 bell peppers
  • 3 2 boxes spinach
  • 1 bag sugar snap peas
  • big bag sweet potato fries*
  • bananas (what was I thinking? We have enough bananas to live off smoothies and banana bread for quite some time....)
  • miscellaneous fruit
  • ginger
  • red beans (cooked for red beans and rice)
  • 2 "cans" equivalent cooked black beans (using up chicken stock and pantry supplies)
  • 2 "cans" equivalent cooked pinto beans (using up chicken stock and pantry supplies)
  • 4 cups chopped onion (from my garden)
  • 7 green bell peppers, chopped (from my garden)
  • 2 Poblano peppers, chopped (from my garden)
  • 2 quart-sized bags green beans (from my garden)
  • roma tomatoes (from my garden)
  • jalapeno peppers (from my garden)

Random
  • Pot sticker wrappers
  • popcorn kernels
  • pasta
  • 3 hoagie rolls

Meals that immediately jump to mind:
Stir-Fry! We do this a lot, but in the summer they have a bit more of a Thai flavor (bell peppers, basil, jalapenos, etc.)
Beans and Kielbasa (baked together)
Pasta with Sausage Sauce
Grilled Chicken (eaten plain, on top of green salad, used in chicken salad, etc.)
Homemade Pizza

That's our menu for the summer! Side dishes will be crudite (my volunteer cucumber plant is prolifically producing monstrous cukes), homemade salsa, pasta with homemade marinara sauce, etc. My garden is full of tomato, bell pepper, cucumber, and winter squash plants. A few green beans sprinkled here and there. It provided plenty of napa cabbage and snow peas for our spring stir-fries (and lettuce for salad). The summer stuff is just coming in, so hopefully we won't need to buy much produce!
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Friday, July 10, 2009

Tomato-Basil-Brie Pasta

This dish is decadent--an absolutely perfect summer meal. We were served this blissful concoction on a back porch, and that seems an ideal setting. My friend Elizabeth sent me the recipe; she calls it "Bonnie's Pasta."


Mix: 4 tomatoes, chopped
1 lb. brie (if using the kind with the rind, trim off the rind)
1 c. olive oil
1 c. sliced basil, packed (this is fresh basil...)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon salt (try a little less...)
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Let sit at room temperature, 2 hours
Cook 1 lb. linguine, put on top--will melt cheese.

Serves 4-6
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Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Greek Villagers' Salad

Another winning recipe from Weight Watchers.

Recipe from Take-Out Tonight!

  • 3 ripe tomatoes, cut into 6 wedges each
  • 2 green bell peppers, seeded and cut into rings
  • 1 cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
  • 4 pepperoncini
  • 1/2 c. sliced red onion
  • 6 kalamata olives, pitted and halved
  • 2 T. red-wine vinegar
  • 1 T. olive oil
  • 1 t. dried oregano
  • 1/8 t. salt
  • 1/8 t. pepper
  • 2 ounces feta, crumbled (about 1/2 c.)
  • 2 pita breads, toasted and cut in half crosswise
  1. Combine all but feta and pita. Sprinkle with feta and serve with pita.
Serves 4
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Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Crunchy Chicken Salad Wraps

These are light on chicken, heavy on produce, and still tasty.

Recipe from Take-Out Tonight! (a Weight Watchers cookbook)

  • 1 1/2 c. chopped cooked chicken breast
  • 1/4 c. diced English cucumber
  • 1/4 c. minced celery
  • 2 scallions, chopped
  • 1 T. finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/4 c. fat-free mayo (we use regular)
  • 2 T. lemon juice
  • 1/8 t. pepper
  • 4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
  • 4 red-leaf lettuce leaves
  1. Combine the chicken, cucumber, celery, scallions, parsley, mayo, lemon juice, and pepper in a medium bowl.
  2. Warm the tortillas according to package directions. Divide and layer the lettuce and chicken mixture on the tortillas. Roll up, fasten with toothpicks, and cut diagonally in half.
Serves 4
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Thursday, July 2, 2009

Orange Julius

Another gem of a recipe from my friend Rachel. This is a perfect treat on a hot day!

  • 1 (6-oz.) can of frozen, concentrated orange juice
  • 1 c. milk
  • 4-6 T. sugar
  • 2 capfuls vanilla
  • ~16 ice cubes
Mix ice cubes in blender first, then add remaining ingredients. Blend together. Serve immediately with a straw!

Makes 3 generous servings
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