Roasted Veggie Winter Salad

• Brussels sprouts, halved
• Sweet potato, peeled and sliced
• Broccoli florets
• Cauliflower florets
• Rainbow baby carrots, whole
• Button mushrooms, halved
• Tuscan kale
• White quinoa
• Fresh egg
• Avocado
• Goat cheese
• Feta cheese
• Dijon mustard
• Avocado oil
• Apple cider vinegar
• Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven 400ºF. 
2. Season vegetables in oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Spread evenly onto baking sheet.
4. Roast for 35 minutes or until browned.
5. Simmer quinoa as directed on package (1 grain: 2 liquid)
6. Over-easy egg – preheat a nonstick pan on medium, add egg, reduce to low, cover for 1-2 minutes
7. Julienne kale into fine strips
8. Make the mustard vinaigrette: 2 Tbs dijon mustard, 1/2 cup avocado oil, 1/4 cup apple vinegar
9. Layer quinoa, kale, veggies, egg, and crumbled cheese to assemble health bowl.
10. Finish with sliced avocado and mustard dressing.

Vanilla Meatball Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups AP flour, sifted

2 tsp baking powder

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

3 whole eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 Tbs vanilla

2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

2 tsp vanilla

3 Tbs melted butter

2 Tbs whole milk

Method:

1. Whisk together flour and baking powder.
2. Cream together butter and sugar, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down bowl until fully incorporated. Beat for 5 minutes.
3. Slowly add flour mixture into butter mixture until dough forms, being sure not to over beat.
4. Let dough chill at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350ºF and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a medium-sized ice cream scoop, place dough batter 1 inch apart of baking sheet. They will not spread that much. Bake 15 minutes and immediately remove to cooling sheet.
5. While cookies are baking, make icing by whisking together confectioners sugar, vanilla, butter and milk or water in a medium bowl. Spoon icing onto cookies immediately after coming out of oven, being sure to decorate quickly as well before icing hardens.

Yield: 24 cookies

Weeknight Salad Kaleidoscope

Sometimes when I'm really hungry but am trying to stay within healthy boundaries, I throw a ton of ingredients into a shallow pasta bowl, toss in some lettuce, pour over dressing, and call it... A SALAD! There are no limits here. The more colorful the better!

With Chicken Sausage (check out that beautiful yolk!)

With Chicken Style Strips

Potential Ingredients:

radish

cucumber

artichoke hearts

chick peas (low sodium)

locally grown tomatoes

avocado

soft-boiled egg

red baby potatoes

cauliflower florets

salad greens

favorite salad dressing

1. Slice tomatoes and lay on paper towel-lined plate and season with salt. Set aside until ready to assemble salad.
2. Add potatoes to pot and cover with cold water. Place lid on pot and bring to boil. Boil for 15-20 minutes. Remove and set aside until cool to the touch, then slice and immediately toss with dressing.
3. Add whole eggs to pot of water to measure how much water will be needed to cover the eggs. Remove eggs and bring water to a boil. Add eggs back into water and boil for 5 minutes and 45 seconds. Remove and rinse immediately under cold water. Place in fridge until ready to assemble salad.
4. In a medium-large fry pan, add cauliflower and 2 Tbs of water. Cover with lid and place over high heat. Once cauliflower is tender from steam, add 1 Tbs of olive oil and brown for 2 minutes still on high. Toss occasionally. Remove and cool in fridge until ready to assemble salad.
5. Place all other ingredients in bowl and toss with salad dressing just before serving. 

Chicken Sausage with Corn & Zucchini

If corn and zucchini don't scream summer, I don't know what does. I go for any corn in the market that is local, whether white or yellow or both; As long as it's fresh, it makes no difference to me. When shopping for zucchini, stray away from the Guinness Book of World Records sized gourds. The smaller the better. I like to quarter and slice out the seeds. When using fresh corn on the cob, don't worry about a fancy tool. Cut one side flat, sit it on a plate, and carefully run your knife down four sides.

Ingredients:
2 ears of fresh corn on the cob, shucked
2 petite sized zucchini, de-seeded and sliced
chicken sausage links, 1 per person












Method:

1. In a fry pan on medium heat, brown sausage on all sides. Set aside and cover with foil.
2. In the same pan, add 1 Tbs of oil and 1 Tbs of butter. Saute corn for about 5 minutes until just tender. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Repeat with zucchini. Transfer corn back into pan with zucchini to warm through. 
4. Slice sausage and place over corn and zucchini. Serves about 4.

Baby Tomato & Goat Cheese Crostini

If you haven't sampled this summer's fresh, locally grown tomatoes, get up and go to your market this instant. The window of opportunity is so small (between 2-4 months) that one must take advantage. I felt just this way when I wanted a make something light yet well-rounded. Here's what I came up with...

Ingredients:
1 pint cherry, grape, or baby heirloom tomatoes
Sea Salt, to taste
1 package goat cheese, room temperature
1 Tbs capers
1/2 lemon, juiced
Good French bread, such as baguette
Good olive oil
Fresh basil, chiffonade
Fresh cracked black pepper

Method:

1. Slice tomatoes and lay on double layered paper towel lined platter. Season lightly with sea salt and set aside.
2. In a small work bowl, combine goat cheese, capers and lemon juice. Mix with a fork until well combined and set aside.
3. Pre-heat oven to 450°F. Slice bread 1/4-1/2" thick and drizzle with olive oil on one side. Toast in oven for about 5 minutes, keeping an eye on it so not to brown too much.
4. Assemble by spreading goat cheese over toasted baguette, laying salted tomatoes over cheese, followed by a pinch of basil, drizzle of olive oil, and fresh black pepper. Makes about 10 pieces of crostini. 

New England Lobster Rolls

Ingredients:

• 2  1-1/2 lb live lobsters
• 1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise
• 2 stalks small celery
• 1 Tbs finely chopped chives
• 1 fresh lemon, zested then cut into wedges
• 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
• 4 New England style hot dog buns
• 4 Tbs per bun Softened unsalted butter
• Fresh arugula greens
• Whole grain mustard to garnish

Method:

1. Break down lobster. Here's a good instructional video >>  
2. Cook the lobster using this classic method >>
3. Allow lobster to cool while preparing dressing. 
4. To make dressing, stir together mayonnaise, celery, chives, 1 tsp lemon zest, and Old Bay. Gently fold in lobster and allow to sit for 30 minutes before serving.
5. Meanwhile, melt butter in shallow fry pan on medium heat and toast each side of hot dog rolls until golden. 
6. Lay arugula inside buns, followed by generous spoonfuls of lobster salad. Finish with a small spooning of mustard, a chive garnish, and a fresh squeeze of lemon. Serves about 4.

©2013 Amanda Antinore

Hop into Spring, With a Spring in Your Step!

Winter just flew by, didn't it? If you're reading this in Rochester you know what I'm talking about. With only a couple snow storms and early spikes in temperature we've been spoiled. All the more reason to think healthy eating in preparation for, dare I say, [dum dum duuhm] Bathing Suit Season! [shriek].

Let's lose that mentality and jump in head first to the warm-weather skin-baring season with confidence and energy. How do we do this, you ask? Revamp your meals of course! This is a food blog after all.

But How Do I Start?
Starting is typically the worst part, no one wants to deprive themselves of the comforts they've grown accustomed to for months on end. "Will swapping out this one thing really make difference in how I feel and look? YES, yes it WILL! To quote the great Dr. Leo Martin, "Baby steps." Mondays are a perfect day of the week to start making a change. Breakfast is the perfect meal. When you start your day off right, you're more likely to stick with it the rest of the day.

I doubt I've written anything here that you haven't already heard before if this is a topic which interests you. Why am I writing about it now? Because I'm living proof that it works. Someone who lives breathes and obviously eats for food has made necessary changes to feel and look healthier. I'm only ten pounds away from my ultimate goal weight, and I've done it all by being consciousness of what I'm chowing down on. It's been a work in progress and didn't happen overnight. Anyone who tells you there's a quick fix to losing weight or feeling healthy is lying. You're more likely to gain it all back and go wild and crazy munching on something devilish.

Healthy Food Tastes Great
You will start to crave things like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. This is a good sign, embrace it! Below are two of my favorite recipes:

Breakfast Shake 

• 1 Tbsp Hemp protein shake powder
• 1 Tbsp organic creamy natural peanut butter
• 1/2 cup frozen organic strawberries
• 1/2 cup organic plain yogurt
• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 organic banana

Blend all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Serve chilled. Makes about 20 oz.

Veggie-Wrap

• 1 purple eggplant, small diced
• 2 small zucchinis, small diced
• 3 portobello mushrooms, small diced
• 1 Tbsp butter spread
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
• 1/2 seedless cucumber, cut up matchstick size
• 1-can artichoke hearts, chopped
• 2 roasted red peppers, julienned
• 1/4 cup Greek dressing
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• 1/2 cup Greek plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup Vegenaise
• 1/4 cup hummus
• 1/2 avocado, sliced thin
• fresh greens (such as spinach, arugula, radicchio)
• whole wheat wraps

In a large fry pan over medium high heat, melt the 1 Tbsp butter spread. Add eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms. Saute until golden and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

In a large work bowl combine carrots, cabbage, cucumber, artichokes, red peppers, and Greek dressing and mix thoroughly. Set aside.

In a small work bowl combine feta, yogurt, "mayo", and hummus. Stir well. Spread onto wrap in the middle about 5" diameter if using a 10" diameter wrap. Lay down some greens. Then add the mixed veggies with Greek dressing, cooked veggies, and lastly avocado. Fold tightly like a burrito, slice in half, enjoy! Serves 2 (with leftovers).