Acai Breakfast Bowl

In my opinion this is one of the healthiest and most delicious breakfasts you can eat! Tom and I discovered this breakfast on the second part of our honeymoon. We were on the island of Maui, staying at a hotel in Kaanapali. Every morning we would drive north to a town called Napili and get a hot cup of Kona coffee at The Coffee Store. We saw a women eating this big bowl of something that looked amazing so we decided to order it and give it a try. It was called the Acai Breakfast Bowl, and turned out to be one of our favorite things we ate the entire trip on Maui. I asked the girls how to make it and they gave me the recipe. Now we make this for breakfast on the weekends.

To make this recipe you need to buy frozen unsweetened Acai smoothie pack from Sambazon. You can find these at Whole Food Market or Wild by Nature. You can also order them online: http://www.sambazon.com/product/pure-unsweetened-acai/

The Acai berry is full of antioxidants and healthy omegas. 

Acai Breakfast Bowl 

Makes 1 

Ingredients:

1 Sambazon unsweetened Acai smoothie pack 

1 banana (save 1/4 of banana to slice on top)

A splash of apple juice 

1/ 4 cup granola (your favorite granola will work)

Berries-optional 

1. Add smoothie pack, banana and apple juice to a blender. Blend on high. Add more apple juice if needed, but keep mixture thick. 

2. Put into a bowl and top with granola, banana slices and fresh berries. 

Corn Chowder Salad

A quick and easy summer side dish adapted from the cookbook The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook. My parents recently gave this cookbook to me as a gift and it has proven to have great recipes that come out perfect every time.

This cookbook is full of beautiful pictures of recipes that showcase heirloom fruits and vegetables and offers heirloom recipes from their farm, their family and their friends in Sharon Springs, NY.

This recipe caught my eye from the title: Corn Chowder Salad. It was full of flavor; sweet corn, salty bacon and a little spice from the red pepper flakes. The original recipe calls for red onion, I am not a fan so I decided to substitute with scallions. This recipe compliments almost any summer meal. I hope you enjoy!


Corn Chowder Salad
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
2 slices of bacon-cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 pound Yukon, red or white potatoes-1/2" dice
1 red bell pepper- 1/2" dice
Salt
3 cups fresh or frozen corn (about 6 ears)
3 scallions- thinly sliced
2 tbsp cider vinegar or rice vinegar
Red pepper flakes

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp; about 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel. If there is not a lot of fat in the pan, add a little more oil (you want around 2 tbsp of fat in the pan)

2. Add in potatoes; toss and cook until golden brown; about 5 minutes. Add in bell pepper and season with salt; cook additional 5 minutes.

3. Add the corn and cook until hot; about 3-5 minutes. Add in scallions, vinegar and cooked bacon. Season with salt and hot pepper flakes to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Vegetable Quinoa Burgers with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms

Lately I have been experimenting with quinoa, which seems to be very trendy right now. A friend of the family dropped off a few quinoa burgers from Wild by Nature (a local health food grocery) and I have been enjoying them for a healthy lunch. Last night I decided to make my own version with all the ingredients I love in a veggie burger. These quinoa burgers are really delicious. They are packed full of nutrition from the quinoa itself and all the added vegetables. When you bake them in the oven they get a little crispy on the outside but they are still soft on the inside. I recommend makes these for lunch or dinner and the left over burgers freeze very well. To defrost, all you have to do is pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds and enjoy!

Tip for this recipe (updated 2/25/13) 
-To make things easier I like to chop the vegetables in a food processor. I chop the shallot and carrot first, while that is sauteing, I chop the mushrooms and zucchini (it turns into a paste) and then saute that mixture with carrots/shallot. I season the vegetables and then add them to the quinoa.
-You can use 1 whole egg, instead of 1 egg white to help with the binding of the patties.
-Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and scoop 6 equal mounds of quinoa mixture onto baking sheet. Flatten and shape into patty form.

Vegetable Quinoa Burgers
Makes 6

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 tbsp olive oil-divided
1 shallot-minced
1 carrot-peeled and grated
1 zucchini-grated
8 oz button mushrooms-divided in half
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper-to taste
1 egg
3-4 tbsp all purpose flour (any gluten free flour will work in place of all purpose flour)
1 onion-thinly sliced
1 tbsp brown sugar
6 slices of cheese (your favorite cheese will work)
Mixed greens
Hamburger buns (I used gluten free sandwich bread)

1. Rinse the quinoa under cold water. Add to a small sauce pan and fill with 3 cups of water. Place on the stove top and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 12 minutes or until quinoa is cooked. Drain extra liquid and transfer to a large bowl.

2. While the quinoa is cooking; cook the vegetables. Add olive oil to a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add in shallots and carrots; cook 5 minutes until soft. Add in zucchini, 1/2 the mushrooms, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper; cook 5 more minutes. Transfer vegetables to bowl with quinoa.

3. Add in egg and flour to quinoa mixture. Mix together until all ingredients are incorporated. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, form quinoa mixture into 6 patties and place on baking sheet. (If the mixture does not hold form, scoop a large spoonful onto baking sheet and form patty on the parchment paper) Refrigerate for 1 hour to set (you can freeze the patties for 25 minutes for a faster set).

4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place baking sheet with quinoa burgers in the oven for 10-15 minutes. When they are slightly golden brown on the bottom, flip the patties carefully and bake additional 10 minutes.

5. White the burgers are in the oven heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add in sliced onion and brown sugar. Saute the onion until the are soft and caramelized; about 10-15 minutes. Add in mushrooms and cook until soft; about 5 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.

6. The last minute of baking place cheese onto the quinoa burgers to melt. Remove from the oven and place on bun. Top with caramelized onions and mushrooms and a little mixed greens.

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

This is my go to cupcake recipe both kids and adults love. You can make the Devil's Food cake batter from scratch but if you are short on time, boxed cake mix comes out just as good. If you are going to use boxed cake mix, I really like to use Duncan Hines Devil's Food mix. I have not experimented with gluten free mixes much but so far Bob's Red Mill has proven to be a great brand.

These chocolate cupcakes have an Oreo cookie on the bottom and a sweet tangy cream cheese frosting with crushed Oreo's mixed throughout.


Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
Makes 24 (adapted from

Ingredients:
1 box of Devils Food Cake Mix
Egg (amount needed on box)
Oil (amount needed on box)
8 oz cream cheese-softened
1 stick unsalted butter softened at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/2-4 cups of confectioners sugar
30 Oreo cookies

1.Place cupcake liners in cupcake pan and place a whole Oreo cookie on the bottom of each liner. Mix the chocolate cupcake batter according to the instructions on the box and pour batter over Oreo in cupcake liners. Bake the cupcakes according to instructions on the back of the box. Cool completely on wire rack.

2. When the cupcakes have cooled make the cream cheese frosting. In a stand mixer or with a hand held mixer beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add in sugar until you have a desired consistency.

3. Crush the remaining Oreo (reserve 2 tbsp for decorating) and mix in with the cream cheese frosting. Make sure the cookies are crushed small enough to fit through a piping bag; if using.

4. Place the frosting in a piping bag and pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle with remaining crushed Oreos.

Eggplant Zucchini Parmesan Stacks

Here is a spin on Eggplant Parmesan. This is a really easy recipe to put together for a quick weeknight meal. I breaded half the eggplant for my husband's portion and I left the flour and breading off my eggplant to make is gluten free. Layla also enjoyed the cooked eggplant, zucchini and tomato. At 9 months old, I just cut up the vegetable into small pieces and she feeds herself at the table.

Eggplant Zucchini Parmesan Stacks
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 eggplants (no more than 1 pound each)
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Olive oil
2 zucchini- thinly sliced (1/8" thick)
3-4 roma or slicing tomatoes-thinly sliced
8 oz mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 basil leaves-chopped

1. Prepare eggplant: Slice each eggplant in about 1/2" thick slices (around 16 per eggplant) Sprinkle eggplant with salt and place into a colander. Let the eggplant drain over a bowl for about 30 minutes. Rinse the eggplant slices with water and dry with paper towels.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  On a sheet of wax paper or in a shallow dish place flour, salt and pepper. In a shallow bowl, place beaten eggs with a little water and on another sheet of wax paper place bread crumbs.

3. Dredge eggplant in flour, dip into egg mixture and then into bread crumbs. Place breaded eggplant slices onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 15-20 minutes.
***If you want to make this meal gluten free, place unbreaded eggplant slices of baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake according to the instructions above (it may take less time without breading)

4. Flip each eggplant slice and top each slice with a few thin slices of zucchini and tomato. Bake additional 10 minutes.

5. Top each slice with mozzarella cheese, sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and chopped basil. Bake for 5-10 minutes until cheese has melted.

6. For a nice presentation you can stack a few slices of top of each other.

Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Orange Ganache

I decided to try gluten free cake mix this past weekend for the bake sale. I was pleasantly surprised by how great the cakes tasted.  I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Vanilla Sponge Mix and honestly I did not taste a difference between this Gluten Free cake and any other cake I have tasted in the past.
http://www.bobsredmill.com/mixes/index2.html

I am not a big fan of frosting so I decided to cover the cake with an orange chocolate ganache. I would recommend this glaze for any type of cake or cupcake. This is a great way to make a boxed cake mix something special. I recommend trying this next time you are in the mood the bake.

You can find these miniature cake pans online, or make any shape cake or cupcake you desire.
http://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Metallic-11-2-Inch-10-03-Inch-15-Inch/dp/B00188HVXW



Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Orange Ganache 
Makes 4 Mini Tiered Cakes or 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 box of vanilla cake mix (Gluten Free optional)
Oil (amount according to box directions)
Eggs (amount according to box directions)
8 oz dark chocolate or semi sweet chocolate chips
Zest of 1 orange
1 cup heavy cream


1. Prepare the cake mix according to instructions on the back of the box. You can make any size cake or cupcakes. Cool cakes completely on wire rack.

2. While the cakes are cooling, place heavy cream and orange zest in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Heat cream until bubbles form around the edge.

3. Place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl and pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let stand for 2 minutes. Mix until chocolate is melted and smooth. Let this mixture sit at room temperature until thickened; about 5-10 minutes.

4. Once the mixture has thickened a little, pour chocolate ganache over cakes or cupcakes. I like to do this over wax paper. Let the chocolate set on the cakes for about an hour. You may have some extra ganache.

Spinach Chicken Burgers

I was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease. If you are not familiar with Celiac, it is a auto immune disease, where your body can not tolerate gluten (wheat, rye or barley) and damages your lower intestine. The only cure is to eat a gluten free diet.

I was very upset initially when I found out that I wouldn't be able to eat all the scones, muffins and cookies I am always making but at the same time I am excited about experimenting with gluten free baking and hopefully coming up with some delicious recipes. I was also overwhelmed with the amount of items that contain gluten. I have my work cut out for me in researching different brands but I am sure after some time it will get easier.

I will still be posting regular recipes and I will be depending on my husband to be my taste tester (he is the best at this job) I will also post any gluten free recipes I find worth while, as well as, recipes that can be altered for a gluten free lifestyle, such as the one below.

When my husband opened the refrigerator last night and saw the makings of chicken burgers, I thought he was about to divorce me. To Tom, chicken and burgers do not go together in one sentence. I was worried he was going to think my new diet would effect him in some ways, but we made it work. All I had to do for this recipe is simply leave off the bun or buy a gluten free bun. (The burger was still great without the bun)

I am very happy that I still went ahead with the chicken burger plan. Both Tom and I enjoyed them very very much and we will both gladly eat them again. They came out flavorful, moist and filling, all adjectives you might not associate with a chicken burger. I have one left over that I am really looking forward to eating for lunch.

Layla also enjoyed these burgers. It is a perfect way to get meat into a 8 month and up baby. Its full of nutrients from the chicken and spinach and it was a great finger food and kept her busy (always a plus!)

Spinach Chicken Burgers
Makes 4 burgers

Ingredients:
1 lb ground chicken
1 package (10oz) frozen spinach-defrosted
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 egg white
Canola or olive oil
1 tomato-sliced
1 bunch of mixed greens
4 hamburger buns-optional
4 oz Gruyere Cheese-sliced or shredded

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl mix together ground chicken, defrosted spinach (make sure to squeeze all excess water from spinach), salt, cayenne pepper and egg white. Form chicken mixture into 4 patties

2. Heat a non-stick skillet oven medium-high heat. Add in enough oil (canola or olive oil) to coat the bottom on the pan. Add the chicken patties to the oil and brown on each side; 5 minutes per side until golden brown. Turn the heat lower if it starts to get too dark.

3. Place the skillet in the oven (making sure its an oven proof skillet) and cook until chicken is cooked through; about 10 mins.

4. During the last 2 minutes in the oven, place cheese on top of the burgers and melt in the oven.

5. Remove from oven and top with lettuce and tomato. Enjoy!!

A Successful Bake Sale

Our Bake Sale for The Canine Counsel went very well and we raised around $500.00 for the animals. We couldn't have had better weather and I am looking forward to putting on more bake sales in the future. We were sold out of everything by 2:00 pm that afternoon! Here are some pictures from the events and I will be posting a few recipes later the week of our best selling items. Thank you to everyone who helped out!

Mexican Chocolate Cookies

Here is another cookie I am making for the bake sale coming up this Saturday. This is a chewy cookie with a hint of spice. I love the combination of chocolate and cinnamon and the subtle flavor of black and red pepper. You cannot taste the pepper but there is a very slight spicy burn after eating a few of these cookies....and you will want to eat more than one!


Mexican Chocolate Cookies
Makes 32 cookies

Ingredients:
5 oz bittersweet chocolate-chopped (you can use chocolate chips)
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Dash of black pepper
Dash of ground red pepper (cayenne) * I like to add a little more (1/4 tsp)
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 butter-softened
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Place chocolate in a small glass bowl; microwave on HIGH for 1 minute, or until almost melted. Cool to room temperature.

3. In a bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, black pepper and red pepper. Mix well.

4. In a mixer, combine sugar and softened butter; beat until well blended. Add in egg; beat well. Add in cooled chocolate and vanilla; beat until just blended. Add flour mixture and beat until blended together.

5. Drop dough by tablespoons two inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on pan for 2 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

Graham Cracker Toffee Chocolate Bark

I tried this recipe a while ago from Food Network's Clarie Robinson. With the bake sale coming up this weekend I thought this would be a good recipe to make again. I suggest using good quality chocolate and any combination of nuts you prefer. I used walnuts instead of pecans because I had them on hand.

Don't forget to come visit us this Saturday at Ann Marie's Farm Stand. We will be raising money for The Canine Counsel for animals in need. The farm stand is also having a tomato plant sale Saturday and Sunday. A group from out east on Long Island bring all different types of tomato plants for you to buy for your garden. Last year they had at least 20 different varieties. Hope to see you there!

(Excuse the quality of the pictures, I did not have my nice camera when I took these)

Graham Cracker Toffee Chocolate Bark

Ingredients:

14 graham crackers (standard 5" x 2.5")

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans (or any other nut)

Kosher salt, to taste

12 oz dark chocolate-finely chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Arrange the graham crackers in a single layer on the lined baking sheet.

3. Combine the butter, brown sugar, pecans, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour the butter mixture evenly over the graham crackers and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside.

4. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a glass bowl placed over simmering water. (You can also melt the chocolate in the microwave) Pour the chocolate over the toffee-covered graham crackers and spread evenly. Chill completely in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Cut into pieces.

**You can sprinkle the top with some sea salt while the chocolate is still melted. I suggest doing this, I love chocolate and salt together!

Pumpkin Muffins

Tom was in the mood for pumpkin muffins recently, so I decided to make a batch for breakfast. I have a few recipes that I have tried over the years but no recipes were worth trying over again.
This time around, I came across this recipe and I finally found a very moist pumpkin muffin that is exactly what I have been looking for. I have already made these muffins multiple times and they always come out great!


Now that Layla is old enough to eat finger foods. I always make her a few mini muffins with some of the extra batter, as a special treat. I break them into little pieces and she devours the entire muffin :)

Pumpkin Muffins
Makes 12 regular, or 6 large 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp ginger
**If you do not have all the spices above on hand you can use 1 tsp cinnamon and 11/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, sugar and baking soda.

3. In another bowl, or large measuring cup, whisk together the pumpkin puree, melted butter, eggs, water and spices,

4, Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combine and all the dry ingredients are moist.

5. Pour batter into prepared muffin pan and bake at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the muffin comes out clean.

Strawberry Ice Cream Shortcake

I  have made this dessert a number of times because its easy to put together and always comes out delicious. There is a layer of creamy strawberry ice cream, a layer of fruity sorbet, topped with a layer of whipped cream and strawberries. As the cake freezes, the whipped cream hardens and becomes a little crunchy, creating layers of different flavors and textures.

I recommend this recipe for a warm summer night when you want something easy to make and refreshing to eat. I hope you enjoy!

Strawberry Ice Cream Cake
Serves 10

Ingredients:
2 packages lady fingers
1 (1/2 gallon) strawberry ice cream-softened (I prefer Edy's or Turkey Hill Ice Cream)
2 pints strawberry sorbet-softened
1 pint heavy cream
1-2 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pint fresh strawberries-chopped (leave a few strawberries for garnish)


1. In a 9" springform pan (it is important to use this kind of pan) arrange the lady fingers around the sides and covering the bottom of the pan.

2. Spread the softened strawberry ice cream on top of the lady fingers on the bottom of the pan. This creates the bottom layer. Freeze for 30 minutes.

3. After 30 minutes, spread the strawberry sorbet over the ice cream layer. Place in the freezer.

4. While the sorbet is hardening in the freezer, make the whipped cream. In a mixer, beat the cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Mix in the vanilla. Fold in chopped strawberries.

5. Remove cake from the freezer and add the whipped cream layer on top of the sorbet. Create a smooth layer and cover lightly with plastic wrap. Freeze for 3-4 hours minimum.

6. Take cake out 10 minutes before serving.Garnish with strawberry slices. Slice and serve!

Beef Stew Stuffed Potatoes

Yes, you read it right, beef stew stuffed potatoes. I posted this recipe because I thought it was a great idea and the recipe requires very little ingredients and is pretty easy to make. You can follow the original recipe for beef stew below or substitute with your favorite stew recipe. Just make sure your stew has a thick consistency. You can obtain a thicker sauce by cooking your stew uncovered until most of the liquid evaporates.

The great thing about this recipe, is you can make the stew a day or two in advance (tastes even better the next day) and then finish the potatoes when you're ready to eat. Next time I make this recipe I will make sure my beef chuck is cut into small 1" pieces as directed in the recipe. When I bought the meat, it was cut into much larger pieces (3 inches) and it didn't cook down as quickly, resulting in a slightly chewy beef. However, the flavor I was able to get from the sauce was delicious!

Beef Stew Stuffed Potatoes (adapted from Clare Robinson's: 5 Ingredient Fix) 
Serves 6

Ingredients:
8 cups low-sodium beef stock
3 large russet potatoes
5 tbsp olive oil
2 pounds beef chuck-trimmed and cut into 1 " cubes
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Water as needed
1 1/2 cups frozen pearl onions
2 parsnips or carrots-chopped
2 celery stalks-chopped
Splash of red wine-optional

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Reduce the beef stock by boiling it in a small saucepan until liquid has reduced by half, leaving 4 cups.

3. Put the potatoes on a baking sheet and roast until just tender, about 45 minutes. When they are cool enough to handle, cut potatoes lengthwise and remove potato flesh using a spoon. Reserve a 1/2" thick rim around the edges. Drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil on the baking sheet and put the potatoes cut side down, bake until golden brown and crispy, about 20 minutes.

4. To make the beef stew: Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a dutch oven or heavy large pot on med-high heat. Pat the beef dry with paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Brown the meat in the oil on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove meat to a plate and set aside. Add in 1 tbsp of water and scrape the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add in 1 tbsp of oil and the pearl onions, celery and parsnips or carrots, season with salt and pepper; cook about 10 minutes until onions begin to caramelize. De-glaze pan with additional water as need or a splash of red wine. When the onions are a deep golden brown add in the reduced beef stock and beef cubes (and their juices). Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until meat is tender 45-60 minutes.

5. Pass the reserved potato flesh through a ricer or use a masher until smooth, adding hot water to loosen. Add in 1 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper, mix well.

6. Ladle the stew into the crisp potato bowls, top with mashed potatoes and enjoy!

Colorful Confetti Corn

This recipe is adapted from Barefoot Contessa's Confetti Corn. It's a quick and easy side dish to throw together in under 15 minutes. You can add whatever ingredients or herbs you have on hand in your refrigerator. My only suggestion is to use fresh herbs, it makes a big difference in this dish. Enjoy!!


Colorful Confetti Corn (adapted from Barefoot Contessa's Cookbook: Back to Basics)
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
Olive Oil
1 leek-cut in half and thinly sliced (half moon)
1 red or orange bell pepper- diced
1 (16oz) bag of frozen corn
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 small bunch of fresh basil-chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
1 tbsp of butter-optional

1. On medium heat, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a medium sized saucepan. Add in leeks and cook until softened; about 3 minutes. Add in red pepper; cook additional 3 minutes. Add in corn and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add in butter; if desired.

2. Remove mixture from heat and place in a serving bowl. Mix in chopped herbs and serve! This salad can be served hot or cold.

Beer Battered Onion Rings

Here is a side dish that goes well with most meat dishes, as well as, most BBQ. These onion rings are not deep fried. They are first fried in a minimal amount of oil and then finished in the oven. They come out crispy every time. The recipe is from cooking light and is 209 calories for 4 large onion rings and 1 tbsp of ketchup.

This recipe is easy to double or triple for extra servings.

Beer Battered Onion Rings
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 large onions, peeled
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup flat beer
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, divided
Cooking spray
1/4 cup ketchup

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Cut the onion crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices, and separate into rings. Use 16 of the largest rings. (Reserve remaining onion for another use)

3. Combine flour, salt, paprika, and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in beer and egg white (batter will be thick)

4. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Dip 5 onion rings in batter, letting excess drip off. Add onion rings to pan; cook for 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Place the onion rings on a baking sheet. Repeat process of dipping the rings in batter and cooking in remaining oil.

5. Coat the onion rings with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until crisp. Serve rings with ketchup.


*** If you do not have flat beer, pour 1/2 cup of beer, mix with a fork and you are left with 1/3 cup.