The Sunday Salon: Playing Catch Up

Why is it one week you can feel like you have everything on track, you've finished books and written reviews that you feel good about and then - BAM!! The next week you are completely behind in everything? That is exactly what this past week has been like for me. Book-wise, February was a great month for me and I got so much accomplished. Now here it is, March and I am scrambling to reach the deadlines I'd set for myself.  I know I didn't do as much reading as I needed to, but other things took priority. I also didn't post a review that I'd planned either. I suppose, it just doesn't take long to get behind because the days keep on rolling by.

This week, I'll be reading ALOT to try to get caught up and I won't be wasting anymore time trying to figure out why my computer is doing strange things. I know that I spent hours on my computer last week and didn't really figure much out. I also spent over an hour one day on the phone with Apple regarding my 9 year old iPod and why I can't sync new audiobooks from Audible.com. It's been awhile since I used my iPod for audios but now with the new Kindle Paperwhite, the audio feature is no longer available. (Big Mistake!) So we tried several things and finally they said it's a formatting issue and my iPod doesn't support the newer audiobook formats. Although it is a bummer, the upside is, I see a new iPod Touch in my near future! (I've been wanting one for awhile now!)

For some unknown reason, I got into a baking kick last week also, which took time away from my books. I've been making muffins. I like to have a muffin and a yogurt for breakfast, so that was my reasoning behind the muffin-making. Fortunately, all the muffins were great! Last week I shared a Honey-Oat Muffin recipe that you can find here and this morning I made Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins and they were outstanding!! Not as healthy as the Honey-Oat Muffins, but what can I say? You can find the Blueberry Buttermilk recipe here. I highly recommend them!

So for the rest of the day I'll be heading over to my friend, Brenda's house, for our weekly Sunday dinner and to hang out for awhile and maybe I can get her to watch some of the NASCAR race. She's not a big race fan but she's open to just about anything. It's turned pretty cold here this weekend, (I know, you think I live in Florida and it doesn't get cold here. But you would be wrong!! It's 46 degrees at Noon!) so Brenda is making one of my favorite things for dinner. Chicken Taco Soup! So that should warm us up! I'll be bringing my Kindle along so I can probably squeeze a chapter or two in as well.

Well, I'm off to get ready for dinner. Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you are having a great Sunday! I look forward to seeing ya'll on the blogs this week!

Winner of JAMIE OLIVER'S GREAT BRITAIN .

Hello and Happy Sunday! I hope all of you are enjoying a fabulous weekend! Fall has finally arrived down here in Florida so the weather has been beautiful. We even awoke to temperatures in the upper 40's this morning. Even though its already up to 75, it is still very pleasant.

And now I'm going to make the day even better for one lucky person. The winner of JAMIE OLIVER'S GREAT BRITAIN  cookbook is . . .

JoAnn 

of 

Lakeside Musing!!

I'd like to thank everyone who participated in my giveaway! And once again special Thanks to Jamie Oliver, Hyperion Publishing and TLC Book Tours for including me in the tour of this very unique cookbook! 

Jamie Oliver Cookbook Review & Giveaway!

Today I'm posting a review of a new cookbook, JAMIE OLIVER'S GREAD BRITAIN  I'm sure many of you who watch the Food Network are familiar with Jamie Oliver. Not only has he hosted his own cooking shows, The Naked Chef and Jamie At Home, he also has made it a mission to help ensure that children get a healthy lunch while at school. Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution really opened eyes and showed how desperately school lunches need to be altered.

And now Jamie has a new mission. It is to show what Great Britain, has to offer the culinary world.  In the beginning of the book, Jamie doesn't try to mask the common belief that his homeland hasn't been known as a leader in the food world. But his love and loyalty for his country are evident when he speaks of the dishes England is historically known for and where they originated from. And in some cases, origins are quite surprising. In the opening pages of this large, almost 400 page cookbook, Jamie's enthusiasm for the recipes included is clear. His intentions are to share not only classic dishes that the British are known for but also include some new classics that prove to be both delicious and current, as compared to other great culinary locales  without sacrificing the integrity of historical British food.

Jamie's personality certainly comes through in this big, beautiful book. It is colorful, interesting and fun, which is no surprise.  The recipe categories include Breakfast, which is one of my favorites, Pub Grub, Afternoon Tea, Sunday Lunch, New British Classics and even Wild Food, featuring recipes made with wild game, such as rabbit, pheasant and venison. There are also categories for vegetables, puddings, seafood and condiments. This cookbook definitely has it all.

I thought I'd share a recipe from the book that caught my eye right away. i know many of you, like me, are tea drinkers so this is for you. It's from the Afternoon Tea section:

Earl Grey Loaf

6 Earl Grey Tea Bags

14 oz Dried fruit, such as raisins, golden raisins, cherries, cranberries

1 Orange

1 Large Egg

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 Cusp all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 whole nutmeg for grating

1 lemon

Put 4 of the tea bags into a measuring jug and add 1 1/4 cups boiling water. Leave to brew for a few minutes, then remove the tea bags.  Put the dried fruit into a large mixing bowl, grate over the zest of the orange and pour over the hot tea.  Give it a good stir, then cover and leave to one side for a few hours, ideally overnight - so the fruit sells and soaks up all the tea.  

When the fruit is compeletely rehydrated, preheat your oven to 350F. Line a 4-cup loaf pan with parchment paper. Whisk the egg and add to the bowl of fruit along with 1 cup of the sugar.  Add the flour, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice and a few good gratings of the nutmeg, and squeeze in the juice of the orange.  Mix until you have a dough-like consistency (it might seem a little bit dry but it'll be fine). Spoon the mixture into your lined pan and bake in the oven for around 1 hour 10 minutes, or until cooked through.  

Meanwhile make your syrup.  Put the 2 remaining tea bags into a pan with 3/4 cup water and the zest and juice of the lemon.  Gently bring to a boil, removing the tea bags after a couple of minutes.  Add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and bring back to the boil without stirring - keep it on a medium heat so that you have a steady boil for around 5 to 10 minutes, or until the mixture has reduced by half and you have a lovely golden syrup. Pour this into a jug. 

As soon as the loaf comes out of the oven, use a toothpick or a skewer to make lots of little holes in the top, then pour the syrup all over it.  Once the syrup has been absorbed, transfer the loaf to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Serve with a cup of tea and some butter. 

I have not made this recipe yet, but I intend to, especially with the cooler weather on it's way. Just think how delicious it would be with a cup of Earl Grey! 

In my opinion, this cookbook may not be for everyone, but would be perfect for the cook who is looking for something different and wants to expand their culinary knowledge. There are recipes with ingredients that you wouldn't normally use but are fun and interesting to try. With that in mind, I think it would be a great gift idea for the advanced cook or someone who isn't afraid to cook outside the box. 

Thanks to Hyperion and TLC Book Tours, I have a copy to give away to a lucky winner. Simply leave a comment about this post along with your email address.  The drawing will be open until Saturday, October 20th at midnight and a winner will be drawn at random.  The winner's name will be posted on Sunday, October 21st here on Southern Girl Reads.   

For more reviews and thoughts on JAMIE OLIVER'S GREAT BRITAIN and for more chances to win your own copy, please check out the rest of the tour. A complete list can be found here.

I'd like to thank Lisa at TLC Book Tours for giving me the opportunity to participate in this tour. I have rhoroughly enjoyed reading through this beautiful book and look forward to trying out some of the recipes. 

The Saturday Skinny: WW Week 8 - Blueberry Squares

Thanks for stopping by for The Saturday Skinny where, as you know, I've been tracking my weight-loss experience using Weight Watchers Online. I'm pressed for time this morning, so I'm going to get right to the numbers, then I'm going to share a yummy dessert recipe with you that I found on the WW site.

At my weigh-in this morning, I lost 3 pounds, bringing my total loss to 13.8 in 8 weeks! After having a disappointing result last week, this has obviously made up for it! I really pushed hard this week and was even stricter than normal. Another plus was that I walked 2 miles every day. I stayed slightly under my 29 point daily allowance and I ate A LOT of fruit. Wednesday was tough because I was at my sister's apartment cooking meals for her and it all looked so good, but I didn't even take a bite of anything. My sister, who is as tall as I am (5'9") is very thin and is actually trying to gain weight. She's always been thin and has been anorexic in the past, so I try to make her meals that are helpful in gaining weight so that she won't have to have the B12 shots from the doctor again.

Now I want to share a dessert that I made this week that is absolutely fantastic! Its called Blueberry Squares and it is the easiest thing you'll ever make in your life - I promise!

BLUEBERRY SQUARES

1 can Light Blueberry Pie Filling (or any flavor you like)

1 box Angel Food Cake Mix

Preheat oven to 350. Put cake mix in large bowl and add pie filling. Mix gently until well incorporated. Spray 9 x 13 cake pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour batter into pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until top is golden and toothpick comes out clean. Let cool before cutting. Makes 24 squares of cake at 2 PointsPlus value each.

I used light cherry pie filling and it was so good! I split the cake and shared it with my friend Brenda, who is also on WW with me. The angel food cake is so light and moist and the cherries made it really tasty. You could even add a dollop of Cool Whip for 1 more point and still have a great treat! I will definitely be making these again. Even if you aren't on WW, this is a great dessert to make for the summer. If you try it be sure to let me know what you think of it.

Thanks again for stopping by to check my progress - your encouragement means so much! Have a wonderful Saturday!

Recipe Review: Crunchy Oven 'Fried' Chicken

Hello and welcome to the weekend! Today I thought I'd do something a little different. I don't know about you, but I always see those thirty second commercials on TV, especially while watching The Food Network, that spotlights a simple recipe featuring a particular product. I've seen quite a few of them and always think, I need to try that one day. Well, I did just that and thought i'd share my results with you.

The recipe I tried was FRENCH'S(R) CRUNCHY ONION CHICKEN and the product they were featuring was the French Fried Onions. Since I am always looking for alternatives to frying foods, I was anxious to try it. Take a look at the recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 cups (4 oz) French's Frid Onions
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 4 (5 oz) boneless chicken breasts (Or you can use tenders)
• I egg, beaten

Directions

Place French Fried Onions and flour into plastic bag. Lightly crush with hands or rolling pin. Transfer to plate.

Dip chicken into egg, then coat with onion crumbs, pressing firmly to adhere. Place chicken on baking sheet.

Bake at 400' for 20 minutes or until no longer pink inside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

See, I told you it was simple!! OK, now on to my results. First I'll start with the positives:

• Like I said, its a very simple and quick recipe, especially for busy people
• Very few ingredients. No need to purchase special stuff you normally don't use. (I hate that!)
• If you have a toaster oven, like I do, you can use it instead of heating up a large oven, especially in this heat! And there's no splatter like when frying chicken on the stove top.
• The onions did give the chicken a nice flavor
• Easy clean-up. I used aluminum foil on my baking sheet so I didn't have to scrub baked-on coating from my tray.

Now for the negatives:

• I thought the coating was going to be crunchy, like the title implied. However, it really wasn't. It certainly did't look like the picture, especially after slicing it the way they show in the photo.
• Although it did have good onion flavor, it was a little too moist making it not stick to the chicken well at all. I even left my coating a little more coarse, thinking ahead that it would help with this, but it really didn't matter. I'm thinking the onions soaked up the egg too much and thats where the moistness came from.
• The recipe didn't mention turning the chicken half-way through baking, but if I were to make this again, I definitely would because the bottom side coating was, I hate to say it, soggy.
• Although the chicken did have some good onion-y flavor, I would definitely season it with at least salt and pepper, maybe some paprika or whatever you like before coating with the onion/flour mixture the next time. As you know, chicken is bland and really needs spicing up.

Well, those are my thoughts on this recipe. Even though I didn't love it, I wouldn't say I hated it either. I think I will attempt this dish again, making some distinct changes along the way. I like the idea of baking the chicken instead of frying, both for healthy eating reasons along with the cleanup points, but if you like your chicken crispy, maybe frying is the way to go. Your just not going to get that crunch this way, unless you leave the chicken in much longer, but then you take the chance of having dried out chicken when you're done, and who wants that?

To sum it up:

I will give this one another try. Hopefully, with the changes I will make, it will be better next time. FRENCH'S(R) has a great website where they feature this recipe and it even includes a step-by-step video. You can find it here. If you choose to try this recipe, I'd love to know how it worked for you. I followed the recipe the way they had it so I would have comparable results. All in all, if I were to use the same rating system as I do with my books, I would award this recipe 3 out of 5 stars.

This post is part of Weekend Cooking, a weekly event hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Please stop by and see all of the other food-related posts featured today. I hope you'll come back next Saturday for another recipe review!

Saturdays in the Kitchen: Southern Chess Bars

Today I'm going to share a recipe that I got from one of my dearest friends, Brenda, that was passed down from her mother, a wonderfully crazy South Carolina woman. Shirley used to make this delicious dessert bar every year during the holiday season. Now that Shirley is no longer with us, Brenda has taken over the tradition. I made it the other day and it was so good, I thought I'd pass it along.

(Not a great picture, but at least you can tell what they look like!)

Chess Bars are a sweet, rich southern pastry, sometimes called Chess Pie or Chess Cake. They are so simple and quick to make yet they pack a lot of flavor and literally melt in your mouth. There seems to be a lot of speculation about the name Chess Bar. Some food historians think the word 'chess' is actually derived from the word 'cheese'. Chess Pie has an ancient tradition of puddings and pastries with the rich mixture of cheese. The Chess Bars are made with eggs and cream cheese, also making a custard-like filling.

Here is the recipe:

Southern Chess Bars

1 Boxed butter yellow cake mix

1 Egg

1 Stick of butter (softened)

1/2 chopped pecans (optional)

1 Box Confectioner Sugar

3 eggs

8 oz cream cheese (at room temp)

In large mixing bowl mix cake mix, 1 egg and butter. Mix well until combined. Spread and pat dough into bottom of 13 x 9 pan. At this point, you could add the pecans if desired. In same bowl, mix confectioner sugar, eggs and cream cheese until blended well. Pour mixture over crust and smooth out any bubbles. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting. They taste great with a cup of hot coffee!

OK, I realize that its the beginning of a new year and everyone wants to lose those holiday pounds and here I've gone and given you a delicious and not-so-fat-free dessert recipe. So, to make up for it, here's a link that I found on the Southern Living website. It's their Healthy and Light page. On there, you can find several ideas and recipes perfect for eating lighter foods and less calories. One section that caught my eye is the Ladie's Luncheon. There are twenty light recipes to try, like Chunky Chicken Barley Soup. This soup is full of flavor and only has 208 calories and 3.9 grams of fat per serving. I am a big soup fan so I'll be making this one for sure.

Thanks for coming and visiting today and I do hope you get the chance to try these wonderful Chess Bars and if you do, please let me know how you liked them. See you next Saturday in the kitchen!

By the way, today is the first time I'm participating in Beth Fish Reads Weekend Cooking Series, so pop on over and check out all of the great food-related items being featured on the blogs today! If you're a chocolate lover, you should definitely check it out - remember, Valentine's Day will be here before you know it! (hint, hint)

Favorite Food Find of the Week: Say Queso!!

Have you ever ordered a dish from a Mexican restaurant and wondered about that smooth, creamy cheese on top? It's almost white and it's so creamy - much creamier than the store-bought shredded cheese you buy in the bag. I love to eat Mexican food so I tend to incorporate a lot of Mexican flavors into many of the dishes I make. This week I found two great cheeses that add great finishing touches to any meal.

Campesino cheese is a Mexican artisan cheese, meaning it is made by hand the old fashioned way and has a more complex taste than other mass produced cheese. It is a cows milk cheese often used in quesedillas. It's a softer cheese than cheddar, which helps it to melt nicely. Because of its

soft texture, it's important to keep it in the refrigerator until you're ready to grate it.

Another cheese I discovered this week is Tetilla cheese. This Spanish cheese is also made from cows milk and is considered to be a semi-hard cheese. It's almost white, very creamy and has a hint of sweetness to it. Tetilla cheese is also perfect

for grading.

I used the Campesino cheese this week when making my own version of grilled, stuffed burritos. The cheese melted nicely on top of the hot filling and gave it a nice mild flavor in contrast to the spiciness of the other ingrediants. Keep in mind this cheese is not limited to Mexican food, I even use it when making breakfast skillets.

Along with these great cheeses, there's a condiment that I always look for when ordering a dinner at a Mexican restaurant and that is pico de gallo. If it has pico de gallo in it, I'm all over it! This salsa-like condiment goes with just about anything and some people even use it instead of a regular salsa. I thought I'd share my recipe for a simple pico de gallo.

Pico de Gallo

4 plum or Roma tomatoes (seeded and diced)

3 Jalapeno peppers (seeded and finely chopped)

1 small red onion (finely chopped)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)

3 Tbsp lime juice

Salt

Simply mix all of the ingrediant together and serve! Be sure to add the salt last because the lime juice and salt work off of one anoher and you don't want to end up with salty pico de gallo.

Now that I know how easy it is to make great pico de gallo at home, I will never have tacos or burritos without it! I always make it first to give the ingrediants time to meld. Using the Campesino cheese and my homemade pico de gallo, my Mexican dinner was restaurant quality and so yummy!

I hope these tips are helpful to you the next time you have a Mexican dinner night!

The Sunday Salon: Book Brunch

I thought I'd do something a little different today. I want to share a recipe that I made the other day that is perfect for a brunch and since Sundays are great brunch days, this seemed to me the right time to introduce y'all to it. It also fits in well with the book I'm reading this week by Karen Weinreb called THE SUMMER KITCHEN.

This is the story of Nora Banks, a mother of three living in the exclusive neighborhood of Bedford, New York. When her husband is convicted of white collar crimes, Nora and her kids not only face losing everything they have, but also learn that life can be turned upside down in an instant and you learn who your friends are very quickly, especially in Bedford. Nora has always had a passion for baking and after her husband's arrest, she must do whatever it takes to support her family. So she decides to do what she knows and starts her own baking business. Along the way, Nora learns a lot about herself and what is really important in life.

I'm just starting this book, but I can already tell I'm going to like Nora. She isn't like the other Bedford wives. Another reason I like her is that she loves books! You have to appreciate that, right? I look forward to diving into this book later today. After the lull I've had in my reading, I'm happy to report this book is helping me out of it! Yay!

Now on to that recipe I promised you. I actually saw this dish being made on Ellie Krieger's show on The Food Network, but I've changed it up a bit to suit me. That's what I love about cooking - there is no right or wrong way to do it. If you like it, then you did it right! OK, here goes . . .

Cheddar Broccoli Frittata

• 2 Tsp olive oil
• Chopped red onion (I used half of a small onion)
• 3 or 4 eggs depending on the size
• Splash of milk
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup steamed broccoli
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

I use an 8" stainless skillet but you can adjust this recipe for larger servings too. (I spray my skillet with Olive Oil cooking spray to prevent sticking). Add onions to hot olive oil and saute on medium heat for about 5 minutes. While the onions are cooking, crack the eggs into a bowl, season well with salt and pepper and add a splash of milk for fluffy eggs. Whisk well. Add the steamed broccoli to the skillet and stir. Pour the eggs over the onions and broccoli. The eggs should almost cover the veggies. Let it cook until the eggs are firm around the edge but still a bit liquidy in the center. While that is cooking, turn your broiler on so it can heat up. Once the eggs have almost cooked through, sprinkle the cheese over the top and broil until the center is done and the cheese is completely melted.

I love using my smaller skillet for this recipe because it's perfect for one or two servings AND it fits perfectly in my toaster oven to broil. (Some of you may remember my house was struck by lightening twice last summer and I'm still without a full size oven!) My toaster oven saves the day all the time!

I found this to be such a simple and tasty recipe. I had my own little brunch when I made this and I even splurged and had a glass of chilled Moscato wine with a few peach slices with it! Yum! Like I said, you can adjust the ingredients for more servings. If you'd like to see the original recipe that Ellie Krieger made, click here. The thing about frittatas is that you can make them with so many different ingredients. And it can even be eaten at room temperature! It's the perfect brunch food!

Thanks for stopping by today and for letting me share some food ideas with you. If you try this recipe let me know how you liked it! Now I'm off to read more of THE SUMMER KITCHEN. Enjoy your Sunday!

Gettin' Toasted: Breakfast Anyone?

Who doesn't love eggs? They're full of protein and there's so many ways to cook them. For example, today I'm making another of chef Eric Ripert's toaster oven dishes featuring the egg and it is so easy and delicious. I've already made this particular recipe several times and each time I change it up a bit. There's just so much you can do with it. When cooking, keep in mind that you don't have to follow a recipe to the exact degree, part of the fun of cooking is changing it and making it your own - the way you like it.

Today's recipe is Zucchini Mint Parmesan Frittata. Let's watch the video:

Zucchini Mint Parmesan Frittata (Serving Size: 1)

2 large eggs

1/2 zucchini, julienned

2 tablespoons Parmesan, freshly grated

3 mint leaves, shredded by hand

1 tablespoon olive oil

fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat toaster oven to 400°.
Place the eggs in a stainless steel bowl and whisk well.
Add the zucchini, Parmesan and mint.
Season with salt and pepper.
Brush the gratin dish with olive oil and pour the egg mixture into the dish.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the eggs are just set, and lightly browned.
Let stand 2-3 minutes and serve warm (can also be served at room temperature).

As I mentioned earlier, there are so many ways to change this recipe. For instance, I don't particularly care for the mint, so I used basil instead. One time I julienned some cooked ham and added it to the egg mixture for an even fuller taste. I will also say that I used cooking spray instead of olive oil to coat my dish, because the eggs still clung to the dish a little when I used olive oil.

I hope that you will try this recipe and love it. It has become a regular in my kitchen. I even made one for dinner one evening, when I added potato instead of zucchini. (I did partially cook the diced potato before adding it to the egg mixture to ensure it cooked all the way in the toaster oven. If you do try this recipe, please come back and let me know how you liked it! I just love to cook and I've really enjoyed sharing this series with everyone. So for now, I'm off to go make breakfast!

Gettin' Toasted: Herb Roasted Chicken Tenders

It's Saturday already and that means its time for another one of my recipe results from chef Eric Ripert's toaster oven series from his website, Avec Eric. Today I'm featuring the Herb Roasted Chicken Tenders. Cooking with a toaster oven is so quick and simple and this recipe is one that you can do a lot with.

I prepared this recipe a couple of different ways. Half of the chicken I made as chef Eric suggested and the chicken came out very tender and juicy and the honey mustard dipping sauce was so tasty being made fresh. The rest, I prepared using Panko breadcrumbs to make a crunchy coating on the chicken. I dipped the tenders in an egg bath, then seasoned and rolled them in the breadcrumbs. I did not drizzle olive oil on those. They came out nice and crunchy. I didn't make the salad but made a side dish of seasoned rice and steamed winter veggies for a quick meal that was also healthy.

Herb Roasted Chicken Tenders Serves 2
6-7 ounces chicken tenders
1 tablespoon olive oil
fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
½ teaspoon herbes de Provence
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey

Heat toaster oven to 450°. Drizzle half of the olive oil over the toaster oven tray.
Season chicken with salt, pepper and herbes de Provence.
Arrange the chicken in a single layer on the tray and drizzle the remaining olive oil over the seasoned chicken.

Bake for 6-7 minutes, until tender.
While the chicken is cooking, stir together the Dijon mustard and honey. Serve on the side. Alternately, serve on skewers as an appetizer or with an arugula salad. Toss together 1 bunch arugula, 1 tsp Balsamic vinegar, 2-3 tsp Olive oil, salt and pepper.

Next week I'll be making another of chef Eric's recipes, so please come back for more ideas on how to get the most out of your toaster oven!

Gettin' Toasted Recipe Results: Mustard Crusted Salmon Fillet

Welcome to my test kitchen! Last Saturday, I posted about chef Eric Ripert’s new-ish website called Avec Eric, featuring some recipes using none other than a toaster oven! I thought it was pretty ingenious considering that is an appliance that sits around on a lot of countertops not being used to its full capacity.

Chef Eric is calling this video series ‘Get Toasted’ and you can find the link on the right side bar of his website. I’ve decided to try one of his recipes each week and post my results on Saturdays. I hope you’ll join me in my culinary adventures and even try them yourself. They’re very simple yet yummy-sounding dishes. Keep in mind these recipes are for 1 or 2 servings, so adjust the recipe according to your needs. So, here we go with the first recipe.


I chose the Mustard Crusted Salmon first because it was such a simple recipe and I love salmon. It’s very good for people with high blood pressure and that’s me! I prepared the fish with a few minor changes. I used regular black pepper and since I couldn't find crème fraiche in my supermarket, I used sour cream. I did use Japanese Panko breadcrumbs and they were fantastic. Much crispier than regular bread crumbs.

I cooked the fish about 7 - 8 minutes and it came out perfectly cooked. I’m not a big fan of Dijon mustard, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved the flavor of it with the fish. The sauce on the side was a nice compliment as well. While my fish cooked, I quickly stir-fried some Asian veggies and made some rice pilaf. It was a perfectly light, tasty meal. I’ve included the recipe below for your convenience.

I’m anxious to try more recipes from this series. It’s perfect for people who live alone or even for 2 people. If you decide to try this recipe, please let me know how you liked it. I know I’ll definitely be making it again and again. Next week, I’ll be making the Herb Roasted Chicken Tenders. So come back next Saturday for my results!

Mustard Crusted Salmon Fillet

1 6 oz. Salmon fillet
Salt and pepper
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp bread crumbs
1 tsp chives
2 tbsp crème fraiche (or sour cream)
½ lemon

1. Heat toaster oven to broil. Line a toaster oven tray with foil.
2. Season the salmon with salt and pepper and spread the Dijon mustard on top. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the mustard and bake for about 5-6 minutes until the salmon just becomes opaque and the crust is toasted.
3. While the salmon is cooking, stir together the chives, crème fraiche and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Serve salmon with lemon-chive crème fraiche.

Enjoy!!

Worlds Healthiest Foods

I found this great website during my online travels that I want to share.. It’s called “The Worlds Healthiest Foods” located at http://www.whf.org/. Actually it is a not-for-profit organization called The George Mateljan Foundation.

The website is packed with all kinds of nutritional information and offers healthful recipes and tips too. I found it educational and interesting. For anyone who is trying to eat better and learn how to prepare foods in a healthier way, this website would be invaluable. There are over 100 recipes that you can search either by ingredient or nutritional element. For example, I have extreme hypertension, so I searched for foods with Omega 3 fatty acid benefits to help lower my blood pressure and to help promote red blood cell function, which will also help with my retinal disease. The recipes are not complicated nor do they use gourmet ingredients, so you don’t have to worry about the cost or finding specialty items.

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be a burden. You can use your imagination and come up with your own recipes using foods you like.