It's Picnic Season!!! - Part 3

Okay, so in many parts of the country "picnic season" might be starting to wind down but if you live in a warm weather state like I do it is basically picnic season year round! This is the third in a series of posts that were originally posted in 2011. You can find the previous posts here and here.

I am excitingly planning a picnic item or two for this coming weekend and wanted to share some great picnic sandwiches I have created since my last picnic post. I hope you enjoy them be it on a picnic, at the beach or in your lunch box! Also, I apologize for the quality of the photos. These are rather old and I have upgraded my camera since then. Future photos will be of much higher quality and even if the food does not look appetizing I promise it is delish! Let me know if you make any of these sammies and what you think!

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
My favorite tea sandwich is always the cucumber one so why not pack it for a picnic?! Makes for a refreshing bite among heavier picnic fare.

1 loaf of dark rye or pumpernickel bread
1 container of boursin cheese
2 large cucumbers, peeled and sliced thin to medium
dried dill

1. Cut the crusts off of your bread for that tea sandwich feel. (You can give your neighborhood birds a treat or turn them into homemade croutons!)

2. Spread boursin cheese on two slices of bread. Top the cheese layer on one piece of bread with a layer of sliced cucumbers and a healthy shake of dried dill. Place second slice on top cheese side down and slice sandwich in half.

3. Repeat until you have made the appropriate amount of sandwiches or are out of ingredients. Please note that when I make these sandwiches I am usually making in "bulk" so I continue until I run out of cheese (usually first) or bread.

Turkey, Apple & Wasabi Sandwiches
Trader Joe's used to carry a wasabi arugula that was used in this sandwich. I found that it didn't give it enough wasabi flavor so you will not miss it. I am recommending a wasabi mayo or aioli as an alternative which you can either purchase or make to taste. This recipe calls for 4 oz of turkey per sandwich - feel free to adjust as needed depending on your preferences.

8 slices of dark rye or whole wheat bread
16 oz deli turkey breast, roasted
2 large avocados
1 large green apple, thinly sliced
2 cups of arugula
2 tablespoons wasabi mayo or aioli

1. Cut the crusts off your bread if you desire.

2. Mash 1/4 an avocado on one slice of bread and top with the following (in this order): 4 oz turkey breast, slices of apple, and 1/2 cup of arugula.

3. Spread wasabi mayo/aioli on a second slice of bread and place on top of the sandwich. Slice sandwich in half. Repeat for remaining ingredients. Makes 4 full or 8 half sandwiches.

Healthy Turkey Club Sandwich
Toasting the bread before assembling the sandwiches helps keep them from getting soggy.

8 slices of whole wheat bread, toasted
16 oz deli turkey breast, low salt
2 large avocados
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
6 slices turkey bacon, cooked
2 cups butter lettuce
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
garlic olive oil
salt

1. Mash 1/4 an avocado on one slice of toasted bread and top with the following (in this order): 4 oz turkey, tomato, turkey bacon, and 1/2 cup butter lettuce.

2. Combine Greek yogurt, garlic olive oil, and salt to taste to create an aioli. Spread aioli on a second slice of bread and place on top of sandwich. Slice sandwich in half. Repeat for remaining ingredients. Makes 4 full or 8 half sandwiches.

Mediterranean Style Chicken Lavosh Wrap

1 large whole wheat lavosh (I purchased mine from Trader Joe's)
8 oz grilled lemon chicken, cut into strips (Again, purchased prepared at Trader Joe's)
1 red pepper, roasted (The kind that come in a jar are fine.)
2 cups butter lettuce
4 tablespoons Trader Joe's Reduced Guilt Spinach and Kale Greek Yogurt Dip

1. Divide lavosh in half. Cover 2/3 of each half in the Spinach & Kale Dip.

2. Top dip with remaining ingredients in this order: lemon chicken, roasted red peppers, and butter lettuce.

3. Roll lavosh starting with side covered with dip. Slice and serve. Makes 2 full or 4 half sandwiches.

Sorry no photo of this sandwich.


Beet & Goat Cheese Sandwich

1 olive roll from Trader Joe's (or your favorite hearty roll)
4 oz chevre with herbs
2-3 baby beets, steamed & peeled (Trader Joe's has these in the refrigerated vegetable case)
2 cups arugula
lemon olive oil
good quality salt, if desired

1. Slice olive roll in half lengthwise. Spread chevre on bottom half of roll.

2. Thinly slice baby beets and place them on top of the chevre. Top with arugula.

3. Drizzle with lemon olive oil and salt if desired. Top with the upper half of the roll, slice and serve. Makes 2 sandwiches.

Sorry no photo of this sandwich.

The Bachlor Pad Dinner - Parts 2, 3, & 4

So I am a crazy recipe hoarder. If you follow me on Pinterest or have seen my collection of cookbooks, this is not new news. However I've been hoarding several recipes from all of you for nearly two years! So cruel as they were all delicious!

They are from back when Amie and I did our Monday night dinners while watching any number of shows from The Bachelor family. These three meals were from Bachelor Pad from 2011. I promise they will be just as delicious this summer as they were then. I apologize in advance if some of the recipes are a little vague - if you have questions I will do my best to recall the missing details! I promise that these were all very simple to assemble while delivering maximum taste!

Unfortunately you won't be able to enjoy them during Bachelor Pad this year as they decided not to have a fourth season. We can only hope that the train wreck is back summer of 2014.

Dinner #1 - Arctic Char with Miso Glaze, Ginger Cilantro Rice & Asian Vegetable Stir-Fry

Arctic Char with Miso Glaze
2 servings of Artic Char
1 tablespoon red miso
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon grain mustard

1. Mix all ingredients together with the exception of the Arctic Char to create the miso glaze.
2. Top Arctic Char with miso glaze and bake. Unfortunately I don't have the temperature or time but I would recommend using a 400 degree oven for 12-15 min. The fish should flake easily with a fork.

Ginger Cilantro Rice
2 cups white rice (brown can be substituted)
2 inches fresh ginger, grated
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup onions (we used a combo of brown & red but any would be fine), chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil (approx)
Trader Joe's Smoked Sea Salt

1. Cook rice according to package instructions.
2. While rice is cooking, you will "sweat" the onions in the olive oil. Place the olive oil in a non-stick pan with a tight fitting lid. Cook the onions in the olive oil (add a turn of the Smoked Sea Salt for added flavor) over low heat until they become translucent and have a soft texture. It's important to stir occasionally and keep the lid on when not stirring.
3. Combine rice, onions, cilantro and ginger.

Asian Vegetable Stir-Fry
Trader Joe's Asian Stir Fry (You can find this in the refrigerated fresh vegetable section. If you do not have access to a Trader Joe's, the ingredients were onion, bamboo, carrot, broccoli, green pepper, red pepper, mushrooms, water chestnuts, and snow peas.)
1/2 - 1 cup edamame, shelled (adjust to your tastes)
juice of 1/2 a lime
2 teaspoons fresh mint, chopped
red pepper flakes, to taste
salt, to taste

1. Stir fry the vegetables until nearly cooked.
2. Add edamame to heat through.
3. Dress with remaining ingredients.

Dinner #2 - Marinated Albacore Steaks, Curried Cauliflower & Broccoli; Garlicky Kale & Tomatoes, & Faux Lemon Tarts with Gold Kiwi

Marinated Albacore Steaks
2 servings albacore steak
1 teaspoon cumin seed, crushed
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil (approx)
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt & pepper to taste

1. Mix all ingredients together with the exception of the albacore to create marinade.
2. Pour marinate over albacore and set in the refrigerator for 30 min.
3. Unfortunately I don't have the temperature or time but I would recommend using a 350 degree oven for 20 min. The fish should flake easily with a fork.

Curried Cauliflower & Broccoli
(This recipe is one of the most vague I have so you will need to experiment on proportions! It was really delicious though so I had to share!)
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Olive oil
Turmeric
Yellow ginger
Curry
Shallot
salt & pepper

1. Combine all ingredients and bake.

Garlicky Kale & Tomatoes
(This recipe actually appeared in an earlier post served over pasta. I felt like it would also make a great side dish if you left out the pasta! Thanks to Real Simple for this great recipe!)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon jarred crushed garlic
4 large handfuls kale, washed & torn
2 handfuls grape tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped roasted almonds
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Add the kale and cook, tossing frequently, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes and cook, tossing frequently, until the tomatoes begin to soften, 1 to 2 minutes more.

3. Top the kale mixture with almonds and parmesan.

 

Faux Lemon Tarts with Gold Kiwi

8 Trader Joe's Lemon Cookie Thins

1/2 - 3/4 cup non-fat Greek yogurt

juice of 1/2 - 1 lemon

1 package of Equal (or your favorite artificial sweetener - or you can always use real sugar!)

1 gold kiwi, peeled & sliced

16 raspberries

mint, for garnish

 

1. Mix yogurt and lemon juice. The consistency will thin out but should not be runny. Add sweetener and mix well.

2. Top each cookie with yogurt topping, a slice of the kiwi and a couple of raspberries.

3. Arrange on a plate with mint as the garnish.

 

Very important to note - the cookies get soggy fast so you will want to assemble just before serving.

 

 

Dinner #3 - Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps & Modified Caprese Salad

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Amie found this great recipe on Epicurious and we basically made it as is with only a few minor adjustments. This was a wonderfully refreshing summer meal!

1. Cucumber was added as a garnish afterwards instead of being mixed in with meat. Same for mint.
2. We also added cilantro as a garnish and I think some sweet chili sauce.

Modified Caprese Salad
3 handfuls cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup fat free feta cheese
4 basil leaves, chiffonade
olive oil
fresh ground sea salt

1. Combine tomatoes, feta and basil in a bowl.
2. Dress with a couple splashes of olive oil and dashes of salt.

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we did! They are all very quick to assemble and perfect for summer!

 

Product Placement Wednesday - Trader Joe's Reduced Guilt Chunky Guacamole

I realize it has been MONTHS since we've had a Product Placement Wednesday but I have got a few good ones ready to share! First up:

Trader Joe's Reduced Guilt Chunky Guacamole

During my last review of a "Reduced Guilt" item from Trader Joe's, I shared my wariness for these low calorie TJ's items. Not to worry dear readers - we have another winner! Trader Joe's has added delicious Greek yogurt to their guacamole to reduce the calories and fat while still retaining great flavor. However, to be truthful, if you are expecting this to taste like fresh made full calorie avocado laden guacamole, you might be disappointed. I think it is better to think of it as somewhere between traditional guac and guacamole dip. Regardless, it was delicious. I've enjoyed it with tortilla chips, carrots, and eggs so far but it would be great on anything you enjoy with guacamole.

When you try it, be sure to comment and let me know what you think!

Product Placement Wednesday - Trader Joe's Reduced Guilt Spinach & Kale Greek Yogurt Dip

As you know, I am a sucker for new products at Trader Joe's. Some are winners, some not so much. Especially when it comes to their "Reduced Guilt" products. Some taste "reduced flavor" others are amazing. This week's product falls into the amazing area!

Trader Joe's Reduced Guilt Spinach & Kale Greek Yogurt Dip

First question you may ask yourself - With kale and Greek yogurt, in the title what is this going to taste like? Well, remove those words and you have your answer - Spinach Dip. A very delicious and full fat tasting spinach dip. I enjoyed my container with veggies, whole grain crackers, baked blue corn tortilla chips and even as a spread on a sandwich. Speaking of the sandwich, it was whole wheat lavosh, turkey, butter lettuce, and the dip as a spread. Fantastic!

Honestly I cannot say enough good things about this dip. It was so fantastic and at 30 calories for 2 tablespoons it really is "reduced guilt"! The only reason it wasn't guilt free is because I liked it so much I probably ate too much of it!

Iron Chef West Hollywood, Part 4

I can't believe how many recipes I have yet to post! There are still some from The Bachelorette and Bachelor Pad plus at least one picnic! Today's post was a recent dinner Katie and I made. It was not completely Iron Chef style like we've done in the past but we did still somewhat throw it together.

Meatless Meatballs and Vegetable Saute

8 meatless meatballs

10 baby zucchini, chopped

1/2 cup frozen leeks

1/4 cup white onion

1/4 cup red onion

1 tablespoon garlic

dried rosemary

coarse sea salt

Trader Joe's Flower Pepper

garlic olive oil

parmesan cheese

cooked brown rice or whole wheat pasta

1. Saute onion and leeks in a bit of water to help soften.

2. When onions start to look clear, add baby zucchini and garlic and continue to saute until zucchini softens. Add more water if needed.

3. Microwave meatless meatballs per package instructions.

4. Add rosemary, salt and flower pepper to vegetable mixture to taste.

5. Add meatless meatballs to vegetable mixture.

6. Top brown rice or whole wheat pasta (we used rice) with meatballs and vegetable mixture.

7. Drizzle with garlic olive oil and top with parmesan cheese.

Trader Joe's Kale Salad Knock Off

Note - This is a knock off of a new salad that Trader Joe's is carrying. It sounded so good but the dressing had so many calories that I figured I should just try to make it myself! The original doesn't include avocado and does include almonds but I made the substitutions based on what I had at my house. I have made it again with wasabi almonds and it was also delish!

4 cups of kale

1/2 cup edamame, shelled

1/2 avocado, chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon garlic olive oil

1/8 cup fresh lemon juice

coarse sea salt, to taste

1. Combine kale, edamame, avocado, cranberries, (& almonds if you desire).

2. In a separate bowl, combine yogurt, garlic olive oil, lemon juice, and salt.

3. Top kale salad with dressing and mix well to coat the entire salad. The dressing is really thick so it will take a minute or so to combine properly.

The Bachelorette Dinner, Part 4

Last week we skipped dinner due to scheduling challenges but that doesn't mean we needed to skip dessert! Popsicles are a quintessential summer treat and so easy to make yourself. Plus homemade popsicles are much more nutritious than the store bought variety. A few months ago, I shared my simple recipe for yogurt popsicles during The Bachelor Dinner, Part 3. This time the pops are dairy free and have only two ingredients!

Simple Strawberry Popsicles

Note - Quantity of ingredients will vary based on the number of popsicles and size of mold.

Fresh Strawberries

Sugar Free Lemon-Lime Flavored Sparkling Water (seltzer water can be substituted but you will need to add a bit of sweetener)

1. Place clean, de-stemmed strawberries into blender.

2. Add sparkling water until the berries are half covered.

3. Blend to your desired consistency and add more water if needed.

4. Strain seeds if desired.

5. Pour into popsicle molds.

6. Freeze.

I created this recipe when I had strawberries to quickly use up but I think it would work well with other fruit/water combos. Blueberry and lemon sound particularly good to me!

My molds were from IKEA but I found these cute molds at Bed, Bath & Beyond and Amazon.com.

Has anyone else created any fun popsicle recipes this summer? Are you too busy or lazy to make your own popsicles? Check out Trader Joe's Peach Pops!

The Bachelorette Dinner, Part 2

A couple of weeks ago, dinner for our weekly viewing of The Bachelorette had a theme that many of you are probably familiar with - leftovers! Amie and I both surveyed our kitchens and ended up with an amazing meal that required only the purchase of crackers.

Stuffed Yellow Squash

1 large yellow squash

1/4 tomato, diced

1/4 red onion

8 oz ground beef (we used the frozen Kobe burger from Trader Joe's but you can use any you like)

1/4 cup feta cheese (light or fat free is fine)

butter

1. Cut yellow squash in half and hollow out each side. Discard inside of squash or save for another recipe.

2. Cook ground beef as desired. We were using a burger patty that had been cooked the day before so the only prep was to crumble.

3. Caramelize the onion using butter in a skillet.

4. Combine ground beef, tomato, and caramelized onion.

5. Stuff squash with beef and vegetable mixture.

6. Sprinkle with feta cheese.

7. Warm through in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.

Serves 2

The stuffed squash could easily be made vegetarian by substituting a vegetable protein or even just additional vegetables.

Orzo and Vegetable Salad with Lemon Yogurt Vinaigrette

Please Note: Measurements are approximate.

1 cup orzo

1/3 cup carrots, diced

1/3 cup asparagus, chopped

1/3 cup green beans, chopped

1/3 cup English peas

1/8 cup pistachios, shelled

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

herbs de provence

1/2 lemon, juice only

2 tablespoons non-fat Greek yogurt

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

1. Prepare orzo according to package instructions.

2. Blanch carrots, asparagus, green beans & peas.

3. To make vinaigrette, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, yogurt, and herbs de provence. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Combine orzo, vegetables, pistachios, and vinaigrette.

Serves A LOT. Can be kept refrigerated for several days.

We enjoyed our meal with an appetizer plate of leftover salami, sausage and cheese from Trader Joe's. This was accompanied by gherkins and Rosemary Raisin crackers also from Trader Joe's.