Tossed Greens with Strawberries, Avocado, Bacon, and Soft-Boiled Eggs

Pin It

Guess what?  The snow and ice have completely melted. Spring is FINALLY here!  Woohoo--doing a happy dance...doing a happy dance!  Two of the first things I have to get my hands on are fresh chives from my garden (can you believe that they made it through that blasted winter?) and sweet spring strawberries at the market.  They both come into play in this deeply flavored, sweet and savory salad.

It is perfect for a spring luncheon with friends or as a light Friday night dinner like my husband and I enjoyed it.  The greens are dressed with a delightful maple-balsamic dressing.  Just please use the good stuff and not the flavored high fructose corn syrup kind.  I'm talking about 100% pure maple syrup (I use Grade B from Trader Joe's). The salad is then topped with strawberries and avocado.  The original didn't call for bacon, but hello, there are eggs and maple syrup in there, so you just gotta have some bacon too☺.  Now about those eggs.  I like mine on the "soft centered-just barely set-little bit of runny" side. That creamy, golden center mixed in with the sweet dressing--yumm.  You could also poach them.  But if that is not your thing, you can certainly hard-boil them and slice them for the salad.  Remember--"make it for you, make it your own". 

Southern Cobb Salad

Pin It

Just the other week I was talking about how cool the weather was.  Fast forward to this week and it is H-O-T (with no rain)!  So the last thing I want to do is turn on the oven and crank up the heat in the kitchen.  Also, when it is that hot outside, I want something light and refreshing for lunch or dinner.  

I think most of us are familiar with Cobb salad.  The classic version features chicken, bacon, egg, veggies, avocado and blue cheese with a lemon vinaigrette.  It's a great salad, but since my family and I are also big shrimp lovers, I like to put a Southern spin on it.  I swap out the chicken for shrimp and the blue cheese for Feta cheese, then I dress it with the Pimento dressing.  I use the standard veggies, but I have been known to throw in some left over roasted beets from a previous meal.  I find that the beets make a good addition.  As I have said countless times, "make it for you, make it your own".

Sweet shrimp, smoky bacon, salty feta, crunchy veggies, creamy eggs and avocado all dressed with a sweet and sour vinaigrette...y'all gotta try this salad. It's so good!

Brown Sugar Angel Food Cake

Pin It

I took the day off this past Sunday from blogging our dinner menu in order to spend a wonderful Mother's day with my family, but I didn't take the day off from cooking.  It was a delicious dinner that ended with this dessert that conjured up memories of my childhood and my own mother.

One of mom's desserts that was always well received consisted of a bowl of fresh summer strawberries, a bowl of sour cream, and a third bowl of light brown sugar.  Pulling back the foliage and holding the stem end of the berries, we would dip the whole berry into the sour cream, then roll it into the brown sugar.  Mmmm... I'm sure many of you know just what I'm talking about.

Now take that idea and put a little elbow grease into the concept and you have this dinner finale (or afternoon hand held snack☺).

The original recipe hits the mark on flavor, but the form of stabilizer was lacking (trust me, I have tried it without out it; a.k.a cue the dogs to clean up the kitchen fail).  I used cream of tartar along with the lemon juice to ensure a tall and fluffy cake.

Wheat Berry Salad with Blood Oranges, Feta, and Red Onion Vinaigrette

Pin It

Sometimes the stars align just so, and you wind up with a healthy and delicious salad in front of you. What, never happened to you?  Ok, well, stars align for all kinds of reasons.  Two things happened in weirdly close proximity to get me to make this dish.  First--my junior high schoolers made recipes with wheat berries in their Health and Nutrition classes.  Then---Wouldn't you know it, a recipe featuring wheat berries popped up in the Good Eating section of the Chicago Tribune.  After not really thinking about these little gems much at all, I was awash in wheat berry tasting and discussion.

I like to use hard Red Spring wheat berries for their nutty taste and chewy texture, but you can use the soft variety as well.  I also added some pomegranate seeds for an additional taste and texture that pairs well with the blood oranges and feta cheese.  The vinaigrette makes more than you will need, but trust me and make the whole batch.  You'll find yourself dipping a piece of crusty bread into it-- it's that good. It is an excellent side salad to serve with roast chicken or fish and it is also very tasty on its own for a light lunch or dinner over a bed of baby arugula.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

Pin It

Happy New Year everyone and thanks for coming back to The Galley Gourmet!  It has been nice to have some time off, but now I'm raring to cook and photograph and get it out to all who visit my site.  

So-- who made resolutions this year?  I can't say that I made any concrete vows, but maybe in the back of my mind I am leaning toward healthier options when possible (at least for, like, a week).  These are the whole wheat pancakes that I enjoyed with my kids over break.  With a reduced amount of butter and egg whites in place of whole eggs, a sufficiently serious nod to health is made.  Buttermilk comes in with its tangy note to bulk up the flavor profile.  Yes, those are sausage links in the background of the picture.  When it comes to food, virtue is best prescribed in small doses☺.     

Homemade Light "Boursin" Garlic and Herb Cheese

Pin It

When I post my Sunday dinner menus, I feature one recipe with the promise to share the other recipes in the future.  But in some cases, I share the remaining menu recipes immediately following for two reasons-- 1. It might be some time before I make the items on the menu again and 2. A heavy amount of reader requests via comment or e-mail.  The latter was the case this time.

I am sure many of you are familiar with that tasty garlic and herb cheese in the market.  Me...big fan.  You should also know that when I have an opportunity to make a store bought good from scratch, I go for it.  The only problem with that is that it is really hard to go back.  There is just no comparison in taste and texture when it is homemade--as is the case with this cheese.  Most of you probably already have the ingredients on hand and the spread comes together in a flash.  Make it ahead of time (bonus) for the flavors to meld, then spread it on baguettes, crackers, crudites, or use it in your favorite recipe, like this frittata.  This Sunday I piped rosettes of this cheese onto cucumber rounds for a tasty appetizer.  If you do serve it this way, make sure you pat the cut surface of the cucumber dry with a paper towel in order for the cheese to stay put.  Set them out on a tray for your guests and watch them disappear.

Asian Pasta Salad with Shrimp, Red Pepper, and Honey Roasted Peanuts

Pin It

It is just about time for picnics and summer potlucks.  And when you have a picnic or summer potluck, there is a calling for a pasta salad of some sort. They are quick, relatively easy to prepare, and they feed a crowd.  But the one thing I do not care for is a pasta salad that has been set up to the point where the pasta has absorbed all of the dressing.  So I like to prepare/pack the pasta and the dressing separately, then toss it all together just before serving.  This makes for a balanced pasta salad in taste and texture.

Shrimp, pasta (a fun shape is always a good thing for the kiddos), a few veggies, and a light ginger-soy dressing come together in this delicious Asian inspired pasta salad.  But what really makes this dish is the addition of the honey roasted peanuts.  They add a wonderful sweet and savory crunch that we love.  If you have allergy concerns about the peanuts, chow mien noodles or fried won-ton strips would be a good substitute, but don't add them until the very end.

Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

Pin It

You may have figured out by now that I have a bit of a sweet tooth.  And after the Hot Chocolate Layer Cake with Homemade Marshmallows, I thought I would take it easy on you (and my family, of course).  You might be asking yourself, "frozen dessert in winter?"  Yes, absolutely!  Ice cream, sorbets, sherbets, and frozen yogurt are year 'round treats for me.  This frozen yogurt is one that I prepare all year long and is a nice departure from the store bought/chain operation frozen yogurts out there.  For a low fat and rather plain dessert, the taste and texture are anything but ordinary. In the winter, I use Greek yogurt for a rich, tangy flavor.  In the summer, I use plain yogurt for a lighter and tasty spoonful. The key ingredient for the creamy, cloud-like texture is beaten egg whites and yes, they are raw.  Just make sure your eggs have clean, unbroken shells and crack them on a flat surface rather than on the edge of a bowl to prevent any possible bacterial contamination.  If you are still concerned about the use of raw eggs, you can use powdered egg whites instead.  Just beat them according to the manufacturer's instructions.

One beautiful thing about this yogurt is that it is good any time of the day.  Top a scoop with a drizzle of honey and granola for breakfast.  A bowl in the afternoon with some fresh fruit is great way to keep you going.  My favorite way is a big spoonful after dinner to cleanse the palate and satisfy that sweet tooth of mine without any guilt.  

Rice with Edamame and Prosciutto

Pin It

With the holiday eats behind us, many people are looking for a light and healthy alternative.   While the blog may sometimes advertise otherwise,  I do have a few healthy and delicious options in my culinary repertoire. 

This is a dish that we enjoy on busy weeknights for a light dinner or as a side to something more substantial.  Rice, edamame and prosciutto provide a base that is flavored with shallots and garlic.  After all has been cooked and warmed through, it is further seasoned with a bit of tamari and sesame oil.  With all of those flavors and seasoning, the only accompaniment needed is a little heat from a good Thai chili paste.

As good as this recipe is as written, it is also a nice platform to which you might add or subtract ingredients to suit your own taste.  To keep it vegetarian, omit the prosciutto.  If you want it to be more filling, add a scrambled egg or two.  Not only is this dish simple and delicious, it has nutritional bonus characteristics too.  Low in fat, high in protein, and high in omega-3 fatty acids-- it is good and good for you.  The added Thai chili jam is also a welcome sinus drainer this time of year.

Speaking of omega-3 fatty acids, I have a seasonal main dish recipe to share with this as a side.  Stay tuned...

Pumpkin Banana Bread

Pin It

Banana Bread-- it wears many hats.  There is the basic banana bread, then there is the chocolate version, the peanut butter, the tropical, the one with nuts, and so on.  But this one is putting on its Fall cap and taking a walk through the autumn leaves.  This is banana bread with the flavors and spices of Fall.  

Enjoyed for breakfast with a slathering of butter or a toasted slice for an after school snack, this loaf is moist, tender, and bakes up beautifully with a nice dome.  From the original recipe, I increased the amount of sugar and used some brown sugar for a deeper, sweet flavor.  I added vanilla and a splash of white vinegar, like I do in my regular banana bread, for a bright, clean banana flavor.  Not only is this a tasty spin on banana bread, but it just so happens to be low-fat.  Just a quarter cup of oil, one egg, and two egg whites is all that is called for.  I am not one to seek out low-fat recipes, but a recipe like this might be needed before we loosen up our belts for the upcoming holiday eats and treats!

Couscous and Garbanzo Bean Salad with a Honey-Mustard Dressing

Pin It

You'll find me talking about the weather about as much as I talk about the food.  I like to serve meals that correlate with the weather when I can.  I don't want a piping bowl of chili on a 90º F day and I don't want a light salad when it is 15º F and snowing-- I need seasonal comfort and flavors.  Having said that, it has been warm here the past few days, so a light dinner was on the menu.

I created this salad years ago for my husband to take for lunch.  He wanted something light and I wanted something that he could enjoy for more than just one day.  It turned out so wonderful and full of flavor that I started making double batches of it.  That way we can all enjoy it for dinner and the leftovers go to work and school.  It is simple to prepare; only requiring you to boil water, chop, stir, and toss.  The garbanzo beans add a satisfying meatiness while the couscous keeps it light.  The onion, peppers and currants provide a nice sweet and savory combo while the feta gives a little salty bite.  Lastly, the cucumber adds some needed crunch.  Dressed with a honey-dijon dressing with a kick of cayenne pepper-- there is so much going on in one bite!  

My husband and I enjoy this with some fresh baby spinach drizzled with some good olive oil and lemon juice.  My children love it stuffed into the Whole Wheat Pita pockets with a few extra crumbles of feta cheese.  You can also enjoy it as a side to grilled meats; chicken is nice.  It is perfect to pack for picnics and since the recipe can easily be doubled, it is wonderful to take to your neighborhood get togethers.  It is a simple salad that can be enjoyed in so many ways.