I'm BACK...Sort of :)

Well, its been about 11 months since I have shared my cooking with you all, and what a crazy 11 months it has been!!  I endured an extremely dificult and painful pregnancy and was rewarded with the most beautiful little bundle, Liam Matthew! 

4 days old :)

Being a mommy to 4 little boys and being the wife to a very busy chef has been so joyous and so CRAZY HARD!!  I am loving it and exhausted, basically all the time!  The hubs has become quite the celebrity making 5 tv apperances in the last 11 months, his restaurant was named one of the top 10 in Orange County and he has been BUSY!!  Cooking with a new little one has certainly added some challenges, but my goal remains the same: healthy, flavorful meals that I can find time to make and that my whole family will enjoy!

Well, since I'm here I might as well share what we had for dinner last night :). Super easy, super yummy and healthy too! 

Southwestern Chopped Salad

1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped 

2 tomatoes, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

2 ears of corn, corn removed

1 bunch cilantro, stems removed and roughly chopped

1 can black beans, rinsed thoroughly

1 avocado, diced

Handful crushed tortilla chips

For the dressing:

1 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon taco seasoning

1 tablespoon ranch packet

2 tablespoons milk

Put all ingredients for salad in a large bowl.  In separate bowl whisk together ingredients for dressing.  Add dressing to the salad and toss.  

 

 

Stay tuned....tomorrow will be a blog all about making baby food!!   

Garlic Baguette with Caprice Salad

I just had one of my favorite things for lunch!  A caprice salad!  I love the combination of tomato, mozzarella and basil...I could seriously eat it everyday :)  I know tomatoes aren't in season right now, but my hubby brought home some beautiful black heirloom tomatoes so I couldn't resist (I also saw some yummy looking tomatoes on the vine at Trader Joe's yesterday!)

I have a little bit of a cold right now, and after encouraging a friend on facebook to try a little raw garlic to shorten her cold I thought I should take my own advice!  So I used some garlic and a few slices of baguette to add to an already awesome lunch!

Ingredients for the Caprice Salad
Tomato, sliced
Fresh Mozzarella Ball, sliced
Fresh Basil, torn
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

The key to making this salad so delicious is to SEASON EVERY LAYER!!!  Start by laying a slice of tomato on a plate, season with salt and pepper.  Lay a slice of mozzarella on top of tomato, season with salt and pepper.  Lay a generous amount of basil leaves on top and then drizzle a few drops of olive oil over the basil.  You can then continue to layer each ingredient, or make a few of their own little piles!  So yummy!

Ingredients for Garlic Baguette
1 fresh baguette
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 clove peeled, raw garlic

Slice a few slices of the baguette on the diagonal.  Rub some olive oil on one side and put on a sheet pan (cookie sheet).  Put in oven under the broiler for about a minute.  You want a little color and for the bread to toast, but not burn.  Watch it closely!!  Take the bread out of the oven and while it is still hot rub the bread with the raw garlic.  I like to rub generously on both sides...I LOVE garlic.  If you are not so much of a garlic fan rub one side. 
I have to admit that this is a trick that I learned from Casey, I didn't come up with it on my own.  I figured you wouldn't mind because, why would you want to read a blog about a chef's wife if you weren't going to get some advice directly from a chef?!?
Want something really yummy?  Make the caprice salad on top of your garlic baguette and you can pick it up and eat it kind of like a bruschetta!  Yum!  Enjoy :)

**I am on a diet right now and wanted to be good, so I did not use any olive oil on mine (every calorie counts) and it was still really delicious, just not quite as good as it could have been :)

Chicken Salad

I am a part of a group called MOPS (Mothers Of PreSchoolers). I am so blessed by these women as we are all in the same life stage and we get together every other week to encourage, share and learn with each other! We have been on a break since before Christmas so my table had a play date. It was a little loud and a little crazy with so many babies and preschoolers running around, but it was so much fun!!
I offered to bring a chicken salad for the moms to eat! My mom makes an awesome chicken salad, so I started with her recipe and added a twist of my own!! (Mom, your salad is awesome just the way it is...I just like being creative in the kitchen. So please, keep making it!!)

Casey LOVES this salad and actually asks me to make it! So, it has the chef's stamp of approval :)

Chicken Cabbage Salad
1 head of cabbage, quartered and sliced REALLY thin
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed
1 cup toasted slivered almonds
1 package chicken flavored Top Ramon, noodles crunched
For Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1 lime, juiced
3 tablespoons vinegar (I like to use apple cider vinegar)
Top Ramon seasoning packet
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a large bowl combine cabbage, chicken, noodles, almonds and cilantro. Whisk together ingredients for dressing and mix it in. Its best to dress the salad about 30 minutes before you eat it to allow the flavors to mix together without making it too soggy! Enjoy!!