Organic Fruit Treats

Gabbie’s  Garden Fruit Treats – a huge success at Aiden’s Birthday Party.

Our signature organics – smiles all around.  More photos to come.

Quick, healthy breakfast for everyone.

Today we decided to try some variation of pancakes for breakfast.  It was so simple to add a few ingredients to our pancake mix (we make our own, right from scratch).  Basically the pancakes are made with flour, eggs, milk and a wee bit sugar – you can find a recipe just about anywhere online.

This time, we decided to add some fruit, cheese and almond slivers.  Since we love muffins (with yummy fillings), we mixed all ingredients together and poured into our mini-muffin tin.  These are, by far, the best pan(cup)cakes we’ve ever had.

Blend your fruit choices together and pour into the center of the pan(cup)cake (couldn’t find a cool word for pancake-muffin…panmuffin?).  Top with pancake mixture and bake.  Voila!  A sure hit with the kids and, need I say, adults!   Here’s what we blended together:

1/2 mango

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup almond  slivers

few drops maple syrup per pan(cup)cake

1/4 tsp. cheddar cheese

Enjoy!

BBQ Chicken, Brie, Blueberries & Champagne Grapes

Last month’s slogan was Think Inside the Basket because that’s exactly what I did.  I had so many Barbecue Parties going on and wanted to make something very special.  All party guests were wowed by this original creation.  Plus, you CAN try this at home.  I decided to try this at home before presenting it to a larger audience and it met with awesome results.

The blend of flavors from the Barbecue Chicken Rub combined with melted brie, blueberries and champagne grapes is quite European and oh so merveilleux!

Blueberry, Brie, Orange Slice Barbeque Chicken

For those who didn’t want to indulge in the grapes, I had yet another surprise in store.  Barbeque’d Oranges!

Mix and match is a great way to go — but, honestly, everyone wanted to try everything.  Not surprising, is that it was ALL good!

Barbeque Chicken with Apples

If that were not enough, I thought about the kids and most, if not all, like apples.  That’s right, plain barbeque checken with barbeque’d apples on the side.  A little Mac and Cheese, corn on the cob and Voila!  Everyone’s happy.  For those children and adults who preferred “homestyle” Barbeque, I offered regular Barbeque Chicken w/Brie and tomato and lettuce.

I’ve posted all the photos I could get so you would have the benefit of appreciating how varied a barbecue chicken dinner can be.

Simply barbeque your chicken with a chicken rub or BBQ sauce.  While that’s cooking, put some blueberries in one of your BBQ safe pans (or tin foil will do).  When the berries are cooked, put them aside and add the Champagne grapes to the wiped clean pan.  And so on…when they’re cooked, add some orange slices, apple slices, etc.  The fruit sides are a terrific addition to spruce up any Barbeque.

I used both Brie and Cheddar but, of course, use your family’s favorites.  A little corn on the cob and some mac and cheese on the side…sure to please even the fussiest of diners.

September’s menu for our barbecues will definitely include berries and fruits.  I’ll keep you posted.  In the meantime, enjoy the rest of summer and all your barbecues!

Best,

~Jens

Homestyle BBQ Chicken w/the Fixings

Just Plain Good BBQ Chicken w/Cheddar

When I prepared and served the Delish Tilapia Fish Tacos (see post), the response was wonderful.  Today, I’d like to share this very tasty and nutritious taco recipe.  Adding Cilantro Mint Chutney to the fixings created an exotic, tangy flavor to a relatively predictable dish.

Simply Delish A-Dish-ion Cilantro Mint Chutney!

Chicken Tacos w/Cilantro Mint Chutney

This will serve 4-6 people and takes just a few minutes to prepare.  I hope you’ll try it out.  If you do, make extra Chutney and freeze it.  Requests for more tacos with Cilantro Mint Chutney will follow, I promise you.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon crushed, fresh garlic
• 1 (12 ounce) package flour tortillas (or corn if you prefer)
• 1 small head lettuce, shredded
• 1 large tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 2 medium avocados
• 1 bunch fresh mint
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 1/2 cup very finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons of Chicken Boullion

Preparation:

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, combine chicken, olive oil, fresh garlic, very finely chopped onion, water, boullion, and bay leaf. Simmer until chicken is nearly cooked, and juices run clear, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Prepare Chutney simply by blending cilantro, mint, ginger and lime juice (add onion for flavor if you prefer).
3. Warm the tortillas in the oven or microwave . When chicken is fully cooked, transfer to serving bowl. Place lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, avocados and Chutney in serving dishes.  Voila!

Very quick and very delish!  As I mentioned, prepare extra Cilantro Mint Chutney to add to any dish for a unique and tangy flavor.  Let me know if you decide to try and how it all turned out.

Happy, healthy eating!

~Jens

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Gabbie Asked for Stars ***

A quick diversion.  My four year old Gabbie of our famed Gabbie’s Garden Organics asked for a star shaped product.  Hmmm, great idea, I thought.  I took our organic fruit recipe and voila!  Gabbie’s Galactic idea is rapidly becoming a must have in our circle.

An avid viewer of The Barefoot Contessa, Gabbie came up with her own version of broccoli for dinner last night.  Her request:  ”raisins and some soy sauce and a little bit of mashed figs.”  Gabbie loved it and so did the rest of us!  I’m definitely adding Gabbie to our “test kitchen” crew.

Fig Licking Broccoli with Raisins and Soy Sauce

I’ve found that if I listen to her recommendations (within reason of course), she eats very healthy foods and results in less fussing about a common problem in getting children to eat their veggies.  Try it sometime.  Simply add her ingredients to your steamed broccoli and put a smile on your children’s face.

~Jens~

Last night’s dinner was a great success.  This is a very quick and tasty dish.  What makes it different from simple pasta dishes is the addition of a few ingredients.  If you’re a pasta lover, you’ll like this slight variation.

Serves approx. 4-6

Prep Time:  20 minutes with sauce prepared earlier

Note:  When I make pasta sauce, I always make more than I need for another night’s dinner.  Generally, I start out with a basic tomato sauce with garlic, onion, and spices.  When I prepare the evening’s dish, I add other ingredients, depending on what I’ve chosen to create for that particular nite.  I freeze the plain sauce until it’s pasta night and add different ingredients.  This dish was made with a base of plain tomato sauce.

Ingredients:

1 lb pasta (Rigatoni or Penne or your family’s favorite)

6 Cups Tomato Sauce

1 Clove Garlic chopped

2 Tbsp. Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tbsp. Salt

1 Tbsp. Pepper

2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter

1 Cup Sun Dried Tomatoes

1/2 Cup Raisins

1 Cup Pitted/Sliced Kalamata Olives

1 Tbsp. Bouquet Garni (dried herbs)

(This can be made from scratch to include your favorite flavors)

1 Cup Pine Nuts

1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preparation:

Cook pasta according to package directions (10-12 min.)   Rinse with cool water and place in a large bowl.

In a large sauce pan, warm olive oil (a minute or so), add Sun Dried Tomatoes, chopped garlic and raisins.  Let simmer on low for approx. 8 minutes or until soft.

In the same pot, add tomato sauce (6 cups), bouquet garni, salt, pepper, butter  and chopped kalamata olives – cook on warm to medium heat for approx. 8 -10  min.

Blend Pasta with Sauce, sprinkle with Pine Nuts (Pignoli) and Grated Parmesan Cheese.  Voila!  A total of approximately 20 minutes and your dinner is ready to serve.

Serve with garlic bread, pre-made at any store.  I make my own:  baguettes, butter,minced garlic and parmesan or cheddar cheese – DELISH!

Happy dinnertime all.  As always, I look forward to any and all comments/feedback.  Thanks to those of you who have written, stay in touch.

~Jens~

Meditteranean Orzo with Eggplant

First off, let’s take a look at the nutrition packed in this easy-to-prepare dinner.  Our Mediterranean Orzo dish is an excellent complement to mild Sole fillets.  We love Sole because it is very light and offers an abundance of Protein, Calcium and Iron.

The Sole shown above were purchased frozen.  I keep these on hand for those nights when I just don’t want to spend a lot of time cooking, but want to serve a very healthy dinner.  Also keep on hand home-made aioli – “we’ve got a recipe for that!” which we’ll share later.  For now, use mayo with a tad bit of garlic.  Great dip for fish.

Today’s focus is on the Mediterranean Orzo recipe.  Nutritionally speaking, this is a great dish for all health food fans who relish flavor as much.  Orzo gives us the carbs, fiber and protein we need plus Calcium, Niacin, Folate and Iron.  Add to that the nutritional value of Eggplant, a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, and you’ve got a wonderfully healthy meal with just a few minutes of prep time.

Fortunately, we all enjoy international flavors and we’re all into trying new tastes and combinations.  That makes it particularly easy for me because it allows me the gift of creativity, not to mention taste-testers for dishes I will add to my party lists.

This taste test proved to be another addition to my very long list of party menu items.  Again, we had smiles all around and kudos to the chef d’oeuvre.  Love it.  You will too!   If you try it, please let me know how it goes.  I really enjoy hearing from you.

Ingredients:

6 frozen fish fillets (of your choice)

1-1/2 Cups Orzo Pasta

1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes (halved)

1/2 Cup Kalamata Olives (chopped)

1/4 Cup Lemon (fresh squeezed)

1/2 Cup Fresh Basil (chopped)

1/4 Cup Capers

2 Cloves Fresh Minced Garlic

2 Tbsp Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tsp Oregano

Pinch of Ground Black Pepper

Preparation:

Place fish in the oven and bake according to package instructions (about 15 minutes @ 350 degrees).  I use my oven timer so that I can move to next steps.

Peel Eggplant and cut into small cubes.  In a large frying pan, add  Virgin Olive Oil, add 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic, a pinch of pepper and let saute until tender.   Remove from pan and place into a bowl with paper towel at bottom.  This  to drain off some of the oil.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until al dente.  You can mix all ingredients together while this is cooking.

Drain and rinse with cold water.  Place Orzo in a large bowl with Kalamata olives, capers, tomatoes, eggplant, lemon juice, oregano and basil and stir all ingredients together. Mix well, and if you prefer, add more olive oil to taste.   Voila!

In less than a half hour, you’ve got yourself a beautiful, healthy meal to serve to friends and/or family.  Add a glass of Pinot Blanc and enjoy!

~Jen~

Stay Tuned for This Specialty Pizza

Apricot, Bacon, Tomato, Cheese Pizza

Jen's Asian Fig-Chicken Salad

Through the month of June, all I could think about were our tree-picked cherries. We added cherries to just about everything, made a cream cheese blend with cherries, and our cherry fruit smoothies were out of this world. We have enough frozen Cherry Chutney to satisfy our cherry taste-buds throughout the summer and longer.

Until our next barbecue with Cherry Chutney, we’re moving into some of our fig delights.  We are Fig lovers around here and I look for every opportunity to toss them into our meals. Figs are rich in numerous vitamins and minerals and a great source of fiber and potassium.

Today a neighbor, who has a six fig trees in his backyard, invited us over for a fig picking free for all.  What a bonanza!  A half hour later, I thanked him and carried home a bag full of fresh figs. Felt like Fig Heaven!  I was eager to find a light summer recipe in my recipe stash.  I found the perfect recipe for a warm summer evening: Asian Fig-Chicken Salad.

Such a treat! This recipe is easy to prepare and adds a new twist on Asian Chicken Salad.  I did shred the lettuce and carrots, but you can purchase them in any market. Also, you can pick up a rotisserie chicken or two in the market.  I picked up a fully prepared one from Whole Foods earlier in the day.

Here goes!  If you decide to use this recipe, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Ingredients

2 cups Shredded Lettuce

1/2 cup Julienne Carrots

1/2 cup Chopped Green Onions

2 cups Rotisserie Chicken (you can use baked or pan fried chicken breasts)

4 large Fresh Figs

1/2 cup Chopped Mango (or Mango Salsa)

1/4 cup Cilantro (optional)

1 -2 Tbsp. Roasted Sesame Seeds (optional)

1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar

2 tbsp Sugar

2 tbsp Chopped Ginger

5 tbsp Soy Sauce

3 tbsp Sesame Oil

1 tbsp Fresh Garlic

Prepare Dressing and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

Mix the Wine Vinegar, Sugar, Ginger, Sugar, Soy Sauce and Garlic (use a blender for creamier consistency) – Set aside.

Combine Shredded Lettuce, Carrots, Green Onions, Chicken, Mango and Figs.  Mix Well.

Shake dressing and mix 1/2 quantity to taste.  Add more if needed.

Once again, everyone oooh’d and ahhh’d over tonite’s healthy and distinctively tasteful meal.

Have a go at it and let me know what you think.  I love it when you write with your comments.

~Jen~

Tilapia Breaded Fish Tacos

Earlier, I wrote about a great Tilapia recipe I conjured up using fresh cherries and tomatoes.  It was a great treat and absolutely DELISH!

Today, I created yet another recipe using Tilapia…it’s quite versatile and rich in Niacin and Phosphorous, Vitamin B12 and Selenium.  Plus, Tilapia is a mild tasting fish that you can spice up to thrill the palate.  It turned out wonderful.  Everyone, including my four year old, went back for seconds – and one diner for thirds!  Love it when that happens.

This recipe will serve 4-6 people easily, with leftovers,  even though I had none left over – so be prepared for that scenario.  Time to prepare:  approximately 30 minutes total.

Ingredients:

4 Tilapia Fillets

2 cups Italian Style Bread Crumbs

1 Cup Wheat Crackers

Package of Tortillas

(corn or flour, whichever you prefer)

3 tbsp Virgin Olive Oil

1 tbsp Fresh Chopped Garlic

2 Eggs

1 tsp Paprika

1 tsp Cumin

1 tsp Thyme

1 tsp Za’tar (MidEast Seasoning)

Condiments:

1 Container Prepared Guacamole

2 Mangos Chopped (or Prepared Chopped Mango)

1/2 Onion

1/3 Cup Mint Leaves (Fresh)

3 Medium Tomatoes

1 Small Bowl Cotija Cheese

1 Small Bowl Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

2 Fresh Limes, Cut into Wedges

Preparation:

In a large bowl, stir eggs until smooth.  Add Tilapia fillets and let soak a minute or two.  Place bread crumb mixture in a large plastic (freezer type) bag.  Remove Tilapia from bowl, one at a time and shake inside bag until coated completely.  Repeat this process again.

In a large pan, add virgin olive oil and chopped garlic, cooking on medium until garlic begins to brown.  Add Tilapia and let cook until color is dark and rich, check for flakiness of fish (approx. 10-15 min).  Remove from heat and place on a platter.  Cut into bite size pieces.

Serve with chopped tomatoes, onions, mint, mango salsa, guacamole, Cotija cheese and sharp cheddar cheese, lime wedges.

If you want added flavor, put out some aioli.  We love our home-made aioli, but it is available in stores.

I hope you enjoy this wonderfully satisfying and easy to make meal.  Please let me know how it turns out for you.

Until next time,

~Jen~

Cherry Tomato Tilapia

Finding dinnertime meals that are both delicious and healthy and take very little time is a goal for us all.  This is especially important if you like to serve your family and/or friends variety time after time.

With this goal in mind, I went to work to find a great recipe for our evening meal.  I thought about the cherries I had left over after I prepared the Cherry Chutney.  We were enjoying new recipes using cherries, so I thought I’d use them with Tilapia since I had some fresh filets in the fridge.  Tilapia is quite healthy offering Niacin, Phosphorus and Selenium, and it’s a very good source of Protein, Vitamin B12.

After checking out what I already had on hand, my new recipe was complete. It was a big dinnertime hit and was as good for lunch the following day.  This recipe calls for wine.  I used a Pinot Blanc from Santa Barbara, California.  The reason I chose this specific wine was that I served it with dinner.  You can use any Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc and there won’t be any noticeable difference.

If you love fish and tomatoes and some pretty tasty spices, you will surely love this dish.  I plan to make it again before cherry season ends.  Here you go:

Serves:  4

Prep:  Approx. 1/2 hour

Serve with Vegetables and Rice.