Ellie Krieger's Better Burger With Green Olives and Mark Bittman's Chopped Salad

I am a big fan of Ellie Krieger's recipes. I feel like Ellie really knows how to write a recipe well and I love the way she delivers the maximum amount of flavor while keeping it healthy at the same time. I've been wanting to try Ellie's Better Burger with Green Olives for the longest time. When my friend Reeni of Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice announced a Burger Free For All for this month's Burger Club Challenge I knew that I had to take this opportunity to make Ellie's Better Burger.



Ellie's burger can be made with lean ground turkey or lean ground beef. I used 95% Lean Hereford Beef, which is some pretty awesome beef. Every time I go to Fresh Market I stock up on it. Great taste, great texture, none of the fat. Ellie's burger is flavored with coarsely chopped green olives, parsley, and cumin. Not only is this a unique combination of flavors, it is delicious. The olives give the burger that briney, salty flavor while adding some extra texture and the cumin gives the burger a nice smoky flavor. I served my burger on a whole wheat bun with lettuce, sliced red onion and mayo. I loved this burger. I loved it so much that I ate 2 of them! Not so virtuous, I know...but I'm just trying to keep it real! I have to give this burger the highest burger club rating, which is a 4!! I'm already craving another one! You can find the recipe HERE online at the Food Network.



While on vacation up in Ohio one of my girlfriends made a delicious chopped salad with all sorts of yummy fresh produce. Every time us girls get together it seems as if we are always eating salad. This week at I Heart Cooking Clubs we are celebrating Girls Night In, making food that girls enjoy while hanging out, catching up, and being just plain silly. I had to represent and bring the chopped salad. It just wouldn't be a Girls Night In without one.



I used a recipe for Chopped Salad from Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything Vegetarian. The base of the salad calls for Romaine, chopped celery, chopped carrots, chopped red onion, and chopped bell pepper. Bittman's chopped salad also calls for cucumber but I left it out and chose to add blanched and chopped green beans, chopped hard-boiled egg, chopped radishes, chickpeas, and boiled and chopped new potatoes. I sprinkled the salad with sunflower seeds and topped it with a homemade creamy Italian dressing. It was delicious!




I'm submitting this Chopped Salad to I Heart Cooking Clubs for Girls Night In!



I am submitting the Better Burger with Green Olives and the Chopped Salad to my friend Deb of Kahakai Kitchen for her Souper Sundays roundup!



Don't forget to check out Reeni's upcoming Burger Club posting!!

Throwdown: Tortilla Soup

My blogging buddy Heather, of Girlichef, is in love with Tortilla Soup! Heather loves Tortilla Soup so much that she announced she would be trying lots of new Tortilla Soup recipes over the course of a year and requested everyone to join in and do the same. Tortilla soup is pretty tasty, so I decided to jump on board. I found several Tortilla Soup recipes that I wanted to try, so I opted for a Tortilla Soup Throwdown. We're lightening things up in the Stirring the Pot kitchen and Tortilla Soup fits right into our menu plan. Not only does it taste great, but it's some pretty healthy stuff too!

I chose two different styles of soup. The first recipe has a smooth consistency with toppings and the second recipe is more of a chunky-based soup with lots of texture. I did this on purpose because I wanted to see which one my family preferred best. It was basically smooth vs. chunky.

First up is Ellie Krieger's Tomato-Tortilla Soup from her first book, The Food You Crave. Ellie's soup is a blend of canned diced tomatoes, jalapeno, chicken broth, onion, garlic, cumin and quite a bit of lime juice. The soup is blended for a smooth consistency. Corn tortillas are brushed with a bit of canola oil and baked until crisp and used to garnish the soup, along with sour cream and cilantro. Ellie's soup makes 4 servings and comes in at 270 calories, including garnishes. The recipe can be found HERE online at Food Network.

The finished product was a very well-balanced soup which was very well-received by everyone. The lime juice really stands out and the jalapeno gives the soup the perfect amount of heat. I topped the soup with the baked corn tortillas, cheese, and cilantro BUT you could literally top it with all kinds of things: avocado, chicken, maybe some more jalapeno?

The second recipe is more of a traditional recipe and can be found on the Eating Well website, HERE. This tortilla soup was more of a broth-based soup with lots of diced poblano peppers, onion, a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles, boneless skinless chicken thighs, cumin, and lime juice. This recipe also called for the corn tortillas to be baked as well, which cuts down on the calories quite a bit. A completely different take on tortilla soup, this one packed quite a bit more heat than Ellie's version. I usually find poblano peppers to be pretty mild, but the ones I used in this recipe were really packing some heat. This recipe was filled with all kinds of texture and was very satisfying, filling and comforting. Everyone liked the addition of the chicken and thought it was more of a meal-based recipe.


The winner of the Tortilla Soup Throwdown is........................


Ellie Krieger's Tomato-Tortilla Soup!!!

Why?
I think the tomato based version of Ellie's Tomato-Tortilla Soup was more flavorful. It was a very bright soup with the addition of 1/4 cup lime juice. Ellie's soup was so well-balanced and was just a pleasure to eat. It was preferred by everyone across the board and disappeared very quickly. In addition, everyone liked the idea of topping their soup with whatever their heart's desired. Chicken, cheese, avocado, chorizo, rice, anything would be great on top of this soup. I highly recommend it!

The Eating Well recipe was a great recipe but packed a little too much heat for some, good for the adults, not so great for the kids. It was a good solid recipe, but didn't disappear anywhere near as fast as Ellie's soup. Also, I noticed afterwards that it didn't contain any garlic! What the heck? We can't have soup without garlic, right?

Either way, I've come to the conclusion that the lime juice is the key to some very tasty tortilla soup!


I am submitting both recipes to my friend Deb at Kahakai Kitchen for her Souper Sundays roundup. Every Sunday Deb features a wonderful roundup of tasty soups, sandwiches and salads.


I am also submitting this to my flavor-loving friend, Heather, of Girlichef, for her Tortilla Soup Challenge.

Heather has a 4 spoon rating system for the Tortilla Soup Challenge, with 4 spoons being the best rating.

I'm giving the Eating Well recipe 2 spoons. A good solid recipe, which I would eat again.


I'm giving Ellie's recipe 3 spoons which means that it is a recipe worth getting excited about! I even emailed a few people to tell them about it :0)

If you would like information about joining up with Heather's Tortilla Soup Challenge, click HERE to read about it!

Greek Salad Pitas with Feta Spread and Chicken with Homemade Cracked Pepper Potato Chips

When I want to lighten things up, I turn to Ellie Krieger. If you've been reading Stirring the Pot for the past few months, then you know how much I love Ellie's recipes. I really feel like Ellie knows how to maximize flavor while providing recipes for well-balanced meals that are healthy. This week I chose her Greek Salad Pita with Feta Spread and Chicken as my sandwich of the week. To go with the sandwich, I made a batch of her Homemade Cracked Pepper Potato Chips.

If you enjoy feta cheese like I do, then you will also enjoy this sandwich. The feta spread is a rather thick spread made from feta cheese, which is thinned out with yogurt and lemon juice. Oregano, lemon zest and black pepper are added to season the spread. This feta spread is some pretty tasty stuff, especially served inside of a whole wheat pita with chicken, romaine lettuce, sliced english cucumbers and mint leaves. Ellie's original recipe calls for turkey, but I had leftover chicken, so I used that. I enjoyed this sandwich for lunch a couple times this week! You can find the recipe HERE.

To go along with the pita sandwich, I made Ellie's Cracked Black Pepper Potato Chips. Russett Potatoes are sliced thin, tossed with olive oil and black pepper and baked until crispy. Some of my potato chips did stick to the baking sheet, so the next time I will add a tad more oil than the recipe calls for. I do think this is a recipe worth perfecting because everyone loved them and you can really customize them with different spices to suit your taste. I see a spicy version in my future, very soon! You can find Ellie's recipe for the Cracked Black Pepper Chips and also the recipe for her Onion Dip HERE.

I am submitting my Greek Salad Pitas with Feta Spread and Chicken to my fabulous friend Deb @ Kahakai Kitchen for her Souper Sundays Roundup.

Also, my sweet friend Julie at The Sporadic Cook was kind enough to feature me on her blog today! Head on over to Julie's site by clicking HERE to see my answers to her Seven Sporadic Questions. Thanks so much Julie for featuring me on your blog today.

Hope you all have a great weekend!!

Cooking with the Kids: Ellie Krieger's Crispy Chicken Fingers

We all know that kids LOVE chicken nuggets. The trouble is we don't really know what is in them, do we? I love to cook with my kids, but with my son's allergies it can be quite difficult. When I received my copy of The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger, this was the first recipe that caught my eye. The reason is simple: healthy chicken fingers that even my little guy can eat!! Pretty exciting stuff. Jackson is allergic to many things, but his allergy to eggs and flour can be the most challenging. The great thing about Ellie's chicken fingers is that she marinates the chicken in buttermilk, which makes them incredibly tender, and then coats them in crushed whole-grain cereal, like Corn Chex. Hooray for Corn Chex because it is actually one of Jackson's favorite snacks on the planet! I knew that Jackson would be thrilled to arm himself with my rolling pin and whack the heck out of the Corn Chex. Jackson specializes in destruction and this project was right up his alley! I can honestly say that he really made dust out of those corn chex. I was happy for him.

Crispy Chicken Fingers with Honey-Mustard Sauce
Recipe adapted from The Food You Crave, but also found online HERE
1-1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut across into 1/2" slices
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
Cooking Spray
4 cups whole-grain corn cereal such as Corn Chex or corn flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Honey-Mustard Sauce (recipe follows)
Preheat the oven to 400F. Combine the chicken and buttermilk in a shallow dish, turning the chicken to coat it with the buttermilk. Cover and chill for 15 minutes. Coat two baking sheets with cooking spray.
Put the cereal in a sealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Transfer the crumbs to a shallow dish and season them with the salt and pepper. Dip each piece of chicken in the cereal to fully coat and arrage on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Leave the chicken on the baking sheets to cool slightly It will become crisper. Serve with the mustard sauce on the side.

Honey-Mustard Sauce
1/3 cup Dijon Mustard
2 teaspoons Mayo
2 tablespoons honey
In a small bowl, stir together the mustard and mayo until smooth. Stir in the honey.

Notes/Results: This is a fantastic recipe. If you have children or grandchildren who love chicken nuggets then this is a recipe you must try! My son loved crushing the corn chex and could hardly wait to try the chicken fingers. The chicken fingers were easy and I couldn't believe how tender the buttermilk had made the chicken. The Corn Chex made a wonderful crispy coating. Once again, Ellie's measurements were perfect! Everything measured out perfectly, with no wasted buttermilk marinade or wasted corn chex crumbs. I really like how Ellie's recipes are so perfectly measured out. In fact, I can't quite say enough about it! I do want to note that I adapted the recipe slightly by breading the chicken and then letting it "dry out" in the refrigerator for ten minutes. This is a trick I learned from Tyler Florence who says that this ten minute "drying out" method makes for a much crispier coating. This recipe makes about 40 chicken fingers, which is plenty to feed the whole family and still have leftovers. I highly recommend these crispy chicken fingers. They were a hit on all accounts!!

Crispy Chicken Fingers: Serves 4 - Serving Size 10 chicken fingers (You won't be able to eat them all) 262 calories, 2g fat, 35g protein, 23g carb, .5g fiber

Honey-Mustard Sauce: Serves 5 - Serving Size 2 Tablespoons
97 calories, 3g fat, 1g protein, 19g carbs

An Ellie Krieger Recipe Roundup!

I love my copy of Ellie Krieger's So Easy. Since I received the book four months ago, I have made at least fifteen of the recipes and they have all been a hit. There are so many reasons why I love this book. First of all, the recipes really are "so easy". Secondly, I love all the nutritional facts and tips she provides in each recipe. But most of all, I love how each recipe is so well tested and executed. The recipes measure out perfectly, with no waste, leading me to have complete confidence in Ellie's expertise. I know that when I commit to making one of her recipes, it is going to come together perfectly. Definitely a sign of well-tested recipes!

This book is just about attached to my hip these days. I have a lot of Ellie's recipes lined up in the coming weeks, but this post is a roundup of the six recipes I tried this week, all quick, easy and delicious.

My daughter and her friends went absolutely nuts for Ellie's Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Treats made with crispy brown rice cereal (shown below), natural peanut butter, honey and chocolate chips. I made a half batch, subbing the dried cherries for chocolate chips per Ellie's instruction, and the half batch made 12 generous sized bars. They were gone in a matter of minutes!

The kids loved them and I was happy to have fooled them into a healthier after school snack. I am a peanut butter fanatic and these really hit the spot. Hands down the best rice crispy treat ever. It was a good thing the kids ate them all or else I would have.

In an effort to use up some of the nuts in my pantry, I made Ellie's Cherry-Almond-Chocolate Clusters. This recipe is about as easy as it gets and I was really blown away with the results. A simple combination of toasted almonds, dried cherries and melted chocolate, these treats are addictive. It's like a homemade candy bar with crunch from the almonds, sweet chewiness from the dried cherries and lots of yummy chocolate. The clusters are a very generous size and really satisfy your sweet tooth.

With some leftover wontons, I made Ellie's Powdered Sugar Crisps. A couple of wonton wrappers, a tad bit of canola oil, a hot oven and a dusting of confectioners' sugar and we were happily crunching away! A fun crunchy treat that would be even better with maybe a sprinkling of cinnamon and some fruit salsa on the side. I would definitely make these again.

I love making smoothies and was very happy to try Ellie's Cherry-Vanilla Smoothie. A gorgeous purple hue, this was by far our favorite smoothie in the book. The recipe made a huge amount, so both me and my son had a glass and then we poured the remainder into popsicle molds. I'm anxious to see how the smoothie tastes as a popsicle. I'm crossing my fingers and will tell you all about the results on Monday's Popsicle of the Week post!!

For an indulgent breakfast treat, I made the Broccoli-Cheddar Breakfast Bake......all for myself! Can you believe that no one else in my house likes broccoli? They should all be committed! The breakfast bake is made the night before, sits in the fridge overnight, and is great to have in the morning because you can just throw it in the oven! I really enjoyed having such a nice breakfast and not having to do any of the work in the morning. The casserole was a combination of eggs, milk, whole wheat baguette, cheese, onion, and broccoli. I plan on sharing this with my Mom................. good thing she likes broccoli!
NOTE: There is one down side to this recipe, if you can call it that. It requires 8 whole eggs and also 8 additional egg whites. I'm not usually a fan of having 8 egg yolks leftover and I know that many of you feel the same way. All I can say is that this was one tasty casserole that I would be happy to make again. I think this recipe is worth having 8 egg yolks leftover.

The sauce on Ellie's Asian Chicken Wrap is genius and will take the blah's out of your normal everyday brown bag lunch. Ellie makes a delicious, spicy, slightly sweet, Asian-inspired sauce that really jazzes up any plain old sandwich. The sauce is a mixture of 3 tablespoons plain Greek-style nonfat yogurt, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, and 1/4 teaspoon Thai-style chili sauce (such as Sriracha).

That sauce is like liquid gold and I'm really lovin' it!! I was heavy-handed with the Sriracha because I wanted my sauce to really deliver in the heat department. This sauce was perfect in Ellie's Asian Chicken Wraps with grilled chicken, sliced red pepper, and napa cabbage. I happily ate two of these sandwiches for lunch this week and can't wait for my husband (The Sriracha King) to try it out. Best of all, these wraps can be made ahead and are even better the next day. I have a feeling this will be my husband's new favorite lunch box treat.

I am submitting this Asian Chicken Wrap to my friend Deb at Kahakai Kitchen for her Souper Sundays roundup.

I have a couple more recipes to share from So Easy. You can find the first three recipes listed on this post online at the Food Network, or by clicking on their link within this post. The last three recipes have not yet been posted, so there is no link. I did, however, include the recipe for the Asian-inspired sauce because everyone should try it. It is some good stuff!

In the meantime, I'm loving Ellie's recipes so much that I just ordered her first book, The Food You Crave(thegoodcook.com $8.99). I am anxiously awaiting it's arrival, checking my mail box everyday. There is nothing better than receiving a new cookbook in the mail. It makes me do a happy dance:D

Breakfast on the Go: Ellie Krieger Style

I have a MAJOR LOVE for all things breakfast. In fact, I think that breakfast may just be my most favorite meal of the day. I have a ton of breakfast/brunch recipes bookmarked in cookbooks and online and it is about time I cook some of those up. In an effort to make some grab and go breakfasts that are healthy; I made two treats to share with you, both recipes of Ellie Krieger.

Whether you are dashing out the door or enjoying a leisurely morning, you will love to look in your refrigerator and see these gorgeous Muesli Parfaits. Yogurt, milk, oats, toasted almonds, honey, vanilla and mixed berries....what's not to love? Ellie suggests making them the night before and grabbing them in the morning. I made mine the morning of and they were fine to eat straight away. The recipe makes four servings, coming in at 300 calories, 10 grams of fat, 13 grams of protein, and 6 grams of fiber. They are gorgeous, delicious, and super duper filling. I almost couldn't eat the whole parfait (which is rare for me)!



Muesli Parfaits
Adapted from So Easy by Ellie Krieger, also online at Food Network
1/2 cup unsalted raw almonds
1 cup nonfat milk
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt (I used Greek Yogurt)
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups mixed berries, fresh or frozen (strawberries hulled and halved)

Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Chop them coarsely.
In a medium bowl, stir together the milk, yogurt, oats, honey, and vanilla. Divide the oat mixture evenly among 4 small dishes or parfait glasses. Top each with 1/2 cup of berries, then 2 tablespoons of the chopped almonds. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. The parfaits will keep up to 3 days in the refrigerator.


I have about 6 kinds of granola bars in my pantry (proof of my breakfast bar obsession). Naturally, I wasn't hungry for any of those bars and quite frankly, they probably aren't very healthy anyway. I decided to make Ellie's Walnut and Dried Cherry Bars. I have been wanting to make these bars for a LONG time and each time I am missing an ingredient. This time was no different. Halfway through the recipe I realized that I had no applesauce. Drats! Not letting anything get in my way this time around, I decided to make my own applesauce. A quick glance to the fruit bowl and I smiled. There was one apple left. Thankfully, one apple makes about 1/2 cup applesauce, which was more than enough.



Walnut and Dried Cherry Bars
Adapted from So Easy by Ellie Krieger, also online at Food Network
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour OR regular whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg, beaten to blend
1 large egg white
3/4 cup chopped dried tart cherries
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
Cooking spray
1/4 cup "fruit only" apricot preserves

Preheat the oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, wheat germ, cinnamon, and salt.
In another bowl, whisk together the honey, applesauce, oil, egg, and egg white until well combined. Stir in the oat mixture until well combined. Add the dried cherries and walnuts.
Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Spread the mixture in the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. When the bars are nearly done, put the preserves in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. As soon as the bars come out of the oven, brush with the preserves. Cool completely and cut into 12 bars, about 4x1-1/2 inches each.

Makes 12 servings, 230 calories, 9 grams fat, 4 grams protein 34g carbs, 2 grams fiber

Notes/Results: I bought Ellie's So Easy cookbook a couple months ago and I love it. The recipes are easy, well-written, and all of them have been great. These two breakfast recipes may just be some of my favorites in the book. The muesli parfaits are delicious and something healthy that you would actually look forward to eating. I love that they keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. The parfait itself is delicious, with a mild sweetness from the fresh fruit. I plan on making these a lot because they are gorgeous, taste great and are healthy and filling (which is a hard to find combination). In fact, I might just make some for the girls at work this weekend!
The walnut and cherry bars take a little bit of work to put together, but are SO VERY DELICIOUS that it is well-worth it, especially when you consider that you'll have twelve homemade breakfast bars. These bars should come with a warning though: THEY ARE ADDICTIVE! Yes, it will be hard to stop with one. You will most likely go back for another one. They are moist, sweet,tart and chewy (almost like a breakfast cookie)! I will definitely be making both of these recipes again as I really loved them both!

Happy Eating!!

COOKBOOK REVIEW: SO EASY BY ELLIE KRIEGER

In her newest cookbook, Ellie Krieger delivers 150 quick and easy recipes complete with nutritional information, as well as health benefits. The cookbook begins with a quick introduction on nutritional facts and reveals staple pantry and kitchen ingredients which are helpful to keep on hand. The recipes are broken down into six chapters: Breakfast at the ready, Breakfast at leisure, Lunch to go, Lunch at home, Dinner rush hour, Dinner kickin' back, Desserts in a flash, and Desserts extra special. There are various health articles scattered throughout the book, as well as a recipe nutritional data index in the back, in case you want to make any recipe "a la carte". There is not a picture of every recipe, but there are many pictures throughout the book that are very inviting.

I have really enjoyed leafing through this book, night after night, knowing that whatever recipe I choose is going to be healthful. All in all, I have made nine recipes from the book and each one has been delicious and filling. The recipes are well-written and appear to be tested and fool-proof. Each recipe truly is "SO EASY". I would recommend this book to anyone interested in quick, easy and healthful recipes.

The first recipe I made was the Peach Pie Smoothie, a mixture of nonfat milk, nonfat vanilla yogurt, frozen sliced peaches, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and ice. The end result was creamy and delicious, almost like a dessert. The recipe makes two servings coming in at 260 calories, 12g protein and 3g of fiber each. That is one pie you can feel good about eating at breakfast!
Intrigued by the marriage of thinly sliced apple and sharp cheddar cheese, I made Ellie's Cheddar-Apple Quesadillas. A whole-wheat tortilla is filled with thin, sweet slices of Granny Smith apple and sharp cheddar cheese until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is crisp. A wonderful breakfast created in mere minutes. This is one that has been repeated in my kitchen over and over.
To satisfy the kid in me, I made the peanut butter and fruit wrap. Ellie spreads 2 tablespoons natural-style peanut butter on a whole-wheat wrap, adding 1/2 sliced banana, and one large pitted, chopped date. Cinnamon is sprinkled over the filling and the wrap is rolled up and sealed in aluminum foil for easy "on the go" eating. Needless to say, I wasn't going anywhere and my wrap was consumed greedily and happily on the spot. I enjoyed the bite of the banana and date and the flavor of the cinnamon really kicked it up a notch. Eat this wrap with an apple and you are well on your way to racking up some serious fiber.
Feeling adventurous, I opened up my package of quinoa for the first time to try the Honey Harvest Quinoa. This ancient seed is a powerhouse of nutrition that can be served as a hot breakfast cereal. A complete protein, with all essential amino acids, quinoa cooks up in about 15 minutes. This version is flavored with chunks of apple and cranberries and is topped with pecans, cinnamon, and honey. This is one seriously filling breakfast. I couldn't come close to finishing my bowl and found myself perfectly satisfied until lunch.
In need of cooked chicken, I tried Ellie's recipe for Basic Poached Chicken Breast. Can you believe that I've never poached chicken before? I've really been missing out! This is a fantastic and fat-free way to prepare fresh cooked chicken for various recipes. The poaching liquid consisted of 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth and 1 cup of water. Easy as pie! The end result was perfectly cooked, juicy chicken breast, begging to be used in a recipe. This poached chicken later made a starring role in one of my favorite new recipes, Nigella Lawson's sesame noodles.A big fan of taco salad, I jumped at the chance to try Ellie's healthier version. Lean ground beef, black beans, garlic, chili and cayenne pepper are combined together and allowed to cool slightly. Tomatoes, EVOO, and lime juice are blended to make a "chunky tomato dressing". This wonderful combination sets atop crunchy romaine lettuce and is topped with grated cheddar and baked corn tortilla chips. Hugely flavorful, wonderfully colorful, and extremely delicious. Coming in at 430 calories, 29g protein, 9g fiber how can you not make this one over and over again? It's addictive, in a naughty kind of way!
Feeling lucky to have all the ingredients on hand, I made Pork Piccata with Spinach and Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Pork tenderloin is sliced thin, coated in a small amount of flour, and sauteed. A wonderfully zingy and zesty piccata sauce is made from dry white wine (I used Marsala), chicken broth, lemon juice, capers, and garlic and poured over the pork. The pork is served next to garlic mashed potatoes, that have been steamed and smashed with chicken broth, steamed garlic, and one tablespoon of olive oil. A delicious alternative to traditionally fat-laden mashed potatoes. This meal is visually stunning, hearty and delicious. My husband says it's one of the best things I've cooked in awhile. It is my favorite recipe from the book so far!My love for fresh pineapple had me excited to try the pineapple with spicy sugar dip. The combination of sweet pineapple paired with a mixture of sugar, chili powder, and salt is the perfect palate cleanser after a meal. The warmth of the spices and the sweet juiciness of the fruit is like a flavor explosion in your mouth.I have enjoyed each of the eight recipes shown here. Normally if I test eight recipes there will be one or two that were just so-so, but I can honestly say that all eight have been a hit. In fact, several of the recipes have already been repeated in my kitchen. You can count on several more recipes being posted from this book.

In summary, this is a pretty and inviting cookbook with easy to follow recipes using common ingredients. The nutritional information is a treasure trove for anyone who wants to embrace healthy eating. My cookbook is quickly showing the signs of a much-loved favorite with it's wrinkled cover, splattered pages, and hand-written notes.