Nutrilicious!

Here are some good recipes that came into existence in my kitchen recently. It's funny how some of my BEST recipes are created right when I don't think there's anything in the house to prepare. It's really kind of a thrill to see what I come up with. I think this is how chefs become so well known; it's their ability to take random ingredients and blend them into a finished masterpiece! I won't be competing on any cooking shows any time soon....but just for fun I'll pass along some of my unexpected concoctions that I believe would do well on a menu somewhere.

Black Bean Romaine Salad

Soak organic black beans and cook according to the directions on the bag. Whole Foods has an awesome variety! Mix into romaine lettuce, grilled onion and peppers. Sprinkle a generous amount of parmeson cheese on top, maybe a dash of kosher salt, and voila! A filling nutritious meal or side dish.



















Asparagus Risotto
Cook Arborino risotto according to the instructions on the bag. I have used home made vegetable broth and homemade chicken broth instead of water. This is a timely process, so give yourself ample time to prepare it. Add well cooked asparagus, roasted red tomatoes and kosher salt. Get ready for some YUM!

Everything Salad
Layer the following ingredients, or anything you might have hiding in the fridge or cupboards. I prepare this salad almost every Saturday before going to work for the entire day, because it's easy to eat while working at a desk, has gobs of nutritional value, fills me up, and satisfies my taste buds! And yes, it's a little different every week.
Romaine or mixed greens (the greener the better, never iceberg)
Chi chi beans (or any other bean)
Cut up strawberries, grapes, apples, peaches, berries or other fruit
Sweet onions sliced super thin
Raisins
Sometimes a hard boiled egg
Broken up tortilla chips for extra crunch
Finely chopped celery
Thinly sliced cucumbers
Almonds or pecans
Cheddar cheese, goat cheese or asiago

And of course, who knows what else!
Coat with EVOO and freshly squeezed lemon juice or raspberry vinaigrette


Granola
This blend of ingredients is a huge favorite in our house, cuz we make it a little different every time. Jennie likes honey as the base for hers, and I love molasses as the base for mine.
Start with old fashioned oats and add a variety of dry ingredients...again, your favorites from the cupboards.
Some that we use are:
Wheat germ
Oat bran
Non fat powdered dry milk
Unsweetened Cocoa (for the chocoholics in the house!)
Flax seed
Mix all the dry ingredients together

Then, in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stir a combination of the following;
Olive oil
Vanilla or almond flavoring
Real maple syrup, molasses or honey

After it becomes warmed and blended, pour over the dry mix and stir till everything is well coated.
Place in a glass pyrex dish, bake at 300 degrees, stirring every 5 minutes. The outside edges bake a lot faster, so keep a watchful eye out for that. You want the oats to cook just like you would an oatmeal cookie, or maybe just a little crunchier, so don't let it over bake! You will be disappointed if you do. (We have done this way too many times!)

Then... the last thing you want to do is add any other fun and tasty additions that do not require any baking; such as, coconut, raisins, dried mango, dried pomegranates, dried pineapple, dates, pecans, cashews, almonds, cranberries etc. You be the chef!

Your appetite will say thank you, thank you, thank you! And your body will say, do this a little more often!!!!