The Bachelor Pad Dinner, Part 1

First off, I will admit that the title of this post is misleading. While the train wreck known as Bachelor Pad is currently airing, this recipe (and those to follow) are actually from LAST summer. Yes, I'm a recipe hoarder. The good news is that if the items were in season last summer, they certainly are in season THIS summer! I've got a few great meals that you're not going to want to miss! They make even the worst reality tv delish.

Smoked Sea Salt Salmon
1 large piece of salmon
Trader Joe's Smoked Sea Salt
black pepper, finely ground
3 slices of lemon
3 cloves of garlic

1. Top salmon with the rest of the ingredients.
2. Bake to desired temperature. (I wasn't the one doing the baking so hopefully the salmon chef will weigh in on oven temperature. Otherwise I would just use your favorite salmon recipe for guidance.

Mediterranean Green Beans
2 cups French style green beans
1 cup mini heirloom tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup fat free feta cheese, crumbled
4 basil leaves, chiffonade
olive oil
sea salt, finely ground
black pepper, finely ground

1. Cook green beans according to directions (this will vary depending on whether the green beans are fresh or frozen. Fresh is preferred).

2. Top with tomatoes, feta, and basil.

3. Drizzle with olive oil and finish with salt and pepper to taste.

Sweet & Spicy Summer Salad
4 cups butter lettuce
1/2 medium orange, cut into small pieces
1/2 avocado, chopped
1/4 cup wasabi almonds, finely chopped
lemon olive oil
sea salt, finely ground

1. Toss lettuce, orange, avocado and wasabi almonds with lemon olive oil. Salt to taste.


A super easy and light summer dinner is served!

Iron Chef West Hollywood, Part 2

I am so behind with recipes! Apparently I was cooking up a storm in the month of July with my fabulous creative co-chefs! Katie and I whipped up this little dinner and her "secret ingredient" was baby broccoli. The rest were items in my pantry, fridge & freezer. This meal was really good with the baby broccoli being the standout. The best of our recent Iron Chef nights is yet to come. Hopefully this week but I have a ton of Bachelorette/Bachelor Pad recipes too!

Baby Broccoli with Goat Cheese

1 package of baby broccoli (not sure of the exact size however it was purchased from Trader Joe's)

1 oz goat cheese, crumbled

olive oil (for cooking)

Vintage Merlot salt

1. Cook baby broccoli in a skillet with olive oil. Add a little water as needed to soften the broccoli.

2. When the broccoli is tender, remove from skillet and place on plates.

3. Top with crumbled goat cheese and sprinkle with merlot salt.

Brown Rice with Roasted Garlic Salt

This was a great way to use up some extra pre-cooked brown rice. We just warmed it up and topped it with Roasted Garlic Salt for a low calorie but delicious finish.

Veggie Sausage with Garlic Mustard Aioli

Another simple dish from items in the freezer. We heated frozen veggie sausage and served it with Garlic Mustard Aioli sprinkled with fresh chives.