Super Easy Blue Cheese Dressing Recipe

Easy yogurt-based blue cheese dressing which is great for salads or dipping veggies in.

Yogurt Blue Cheese Dressing Recipe:

1/2 cup whole-milk yogurt
1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles
1 tsp Wildtree Garlic Galore Seasoning Blend (or more to taste, but the flavor will develop as it sits)
fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Tastes best when refrigerated for several hours before using, but can be served right away.

Summertime Quinoa Salad

This was a "clean out the fridge" lunch that turned out so fresh and delicious I had to post it here! Super versatile so you could add or omit as desired.

Summertime Quinoa Salad, serves 1

approx. 1/4 cup cooked quinoa (use up some leftovers)
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 small tomato, diced
1 green onion, sliced
1/2 carrot, sliced
1/2 avocado, diced
1/4 jalapeno, thinly sliced (more or less depending on heat desired)
juice of 1/2 lime
EVOO
sea salt
fresh cracked black pepper
dulse flakes
cumin
1 hard boiled egg, chopped

Toss the quinoa with the veggies. Squeeze half a lime over. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt, cracked pepper, dulse flakes and cumin to taste. Toss gently to combine. Top with chopped hard-boiled egg. Enjoy!

Baby Kale Salad

Made this baby kale salad last night and it was oh-so-delicious! Adapted from Earthbound Farm recipe. The original recipe called for golden balsamic vinegar and golden raisins but I only had the dark varieties and it still came out wonderful.

Baby Kale Salad Recipe
Dressing:
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs EVOO
1 Tbs agave syrup
1/2 Tbs white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt

Salad:
5 oz baby kale leaves
1/4 cup raisins
3 Tbs pine nuts, toasted
shaved Parmesan


Mix all dressing ingredients in blender bottle or small food processor and shake or pulse until combined. Toss salad ingredients in medium bowl, drizzle with dressing and toss well to coat.

Week 42

Thai Green Curry (from my our produce delivery company, Door to Door Organics, website)

Raw Kale Apple Salad
I am surprised I didn't post about this yet. (Maybe I did but I can't find it when I search). I've made this a few times and it's really good, and good for you!

1 bunch kale, center stalks removed (and discarded) and leaves coarsely chopped
1-2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs grapeseed or olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 apple, cored and chopped

Mix all ingredients except apple in large bowl. Use clean hands to work the salt and vinegar into kale. Add apple and serve immediately or refrigerate upto a couple days.


Butternut Squash Enchiladas with Goat Cheese and Mole Sauce
For the mole:

Mole on bottom of baking dish

3-4 dried ancho chilies, stem and seeds removed, soaked in 2 cups hot water for about an hour (water reserved)
EVOO or grapeseed oil
1 small onion, diced
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 black peppercorns
2 cloves
1" piece of cinnamon stick
1 tsp oregano
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 15oz can diced tomatoes, drained
agave syrup, if desired, to taste
kosher salt and cracked pepper to taste

Heat EVOO in large skillet over med-high heat. Add onion and saute a few mins until softened. Add pine nuts, raisins, sesame seeds, garlic, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon and oregano. Saute several minutes, stirring, until very fragrant. Add chilies and one cup of their soaking water. Add chocolate and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer a few mins until chocolate is melted. Transfer mixture to blender, working in batches if necessary, and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings and add agave if you like. I did and wished I hadn't as I thought the final product was too sweet. You could also add some cayenne pepper if you want more heat. Return to skillet and heat through.

2 small butternut squashes in baking dish

For the enchiladas:
1 large butternut squash
4 oz plain goat cheese
1 tsp dried oregano
kosher salt and cracked pepper to taste
8 whole wheat tortillas (burrito size)

finished butternut puree

Roast the squash until soft (about an hour). How you prepare the squash is up to you. I opted to slice in half the long ways, scoop out seeds, and bake at 375F for about an hour. I then scooped out the soft flesh and put into my food processor. After doing it that way, I think next time it would be easier to peel and cube the squash and then roast it. It will be fine either way. It's a toss-up really if peeling and cubing is more work or if trying to scoop the hot insides out of the skin without burning your hands is more work. Upto you.

Once your squash is roasted and skinned in in the food processor, add the goat cheese and oregano and puree. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ladel about a cup of mole into the bottom of a 9x13" baking pan (I used the same one that I previously roasted my squash in).

Assemble enchiladas by filling the tortillas with a generous scoop of squash mixture and then rolling up and placing in prepared pan. Cover with mole sauce and bake at 350F until heated through, about 10-15 mins. Serve topped with sour cream and/or avocado and put a green salad on the side. I didn't take a picture of the final enchiladas because I didn't really care for the way they looked plated but they were delicious!

Chicken Mole
Use the leftover mole sauce over chicken and sauteed veggies (carrot, celery and onion are great) for another dinner.

Week 34

This week has almost gotten away from me! I determined early in the week that I had enough food in the house that I should be able to skip grocery shopping and come up with meals out of what I had on hand or what I can pull out of the garden. So far we've eaten pasta w/zucchini, black bean enchiladas (from week 20), and basil pesto tilapia (from Costco) with a Greek salad. Tonight we're having the last of the enchiladas and I made a raw kale salad to go with them. Saturday might be a cilantro noodle bowl or a cilantro pesto chicken (I have a lot of cilantro that needs to be used!). So I don't leave without posting some sort of recipe, I'll give you the Greek salad and the raw kale salad recipes. (By the way, the kale is so good that there might not be enough left for dinner because I keep snacking on it!) Sorry for the lack of pictures. I was going to take some of the kale salad and the batteries were dead and I can't find the charger.

Greek Salad
1 large tomato, roughly chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, cut into long quarters and sliced
1/2 cup or so kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
1/2 cup or so crumbled feta cheese (preferably from goat's milk)
dressing:
1/4 cup EVOO
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 tsp dried basil
1-2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
kosher or sea salt to taste

Combine salad ingredients in medium bowl. Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over salad. Toss gently to coat. Serve immediately or can marinate upto a few hours.

Raw Kale Salad, adapted from Pretty Smart Raw Food Ideas
1 bunch kale, thick stems discarded and leaves thinly sliced
5 jumbo green olives (pimento stuffed), finely chopped
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs EVOO
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced, or a few good shakes of garlic powder
sea salt to taste (I used Indian black salt)

Combine all ingredients in medium large bowl and mix with clean hands, really massaging and pressing the dressing through the leaves. Cover and refrigerate upto several hours (tastes great right away, too!)

Week 31

Curried Vegetables, serves about 3 as a main dish or more as a side. You can certainly mix and match the veggies to use up whatever you have on hand (that's how I created this anyway, with a little inspiration from my mom). Serve with hot brown basmati rice.
Ghee, Butter or Grapeseed oil for sauteeing
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 Tbs curry powder
1 Tbs garam masala
1 small onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 turnip, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
1 small head broccoli, cut into florets
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
1/4 cup water
kosher or sea salt to taste

Melt ghee over med-high in deep-sided skillet or dutch oven. Add seeds and cook until  they start popping. Add curry powder and garam masala and stir until fragrant. Add onion, garlic and veggies and saute another minute. Add water, cover and simmer until veggies are tender. Adjust seasonings to taste.


Braised Greens with Root Vegetables, serves 6
1 bunch collards, kale, or similar sturdy greens
1 small red beet
1 small golden beet
1 small turnip
1 big carrot
EVOO for sauteeing
1/2 medium onion, sliced thickly
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs water
1 Tbs low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbs sake or white wine
1 Tbs ume plum vinegar, or to taste (sold at better supermarkets or health food stores in the Asian section)

Wash greens and de-stem. Coarsely chop. Scrub root veggies well but don't peel. Cut into 1/4"x4" strips. Heat EVOO in dutch oven over med heat. Add onion and saute a minute or two. Add garlic and root veggies and saute another minute. Add remaining ingredients except greens and ume plum vinegar, cover and cook until veggies are almost tender. Add greens and cook just until wilted. Remove from heat and add ume plum vinegar to taste.


BLT Salad with Egg and Avocado, serves 6
2 heads romaine, washed and chopped or torn
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 English cucumber, washed and diced
1 avocado, diced
4 Tbs plain yogurt
4 Tbs mayo
2 tsp mango chutney or apricot jam
1 Tbs rice vinegar
1/2 tsp curry powder, or to taste
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
6 strips bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled

Place lettuce, onion, tomatoes, cucumber and avocado in large salad bowl. Mix yogurt, mayo, chutney, vinegar and curry powder in small bowl, season to taste with salt and pepper, thin with water if necessary. and pour over salad. Top with egg and bacon.

Week 28

Not a lot going on this week. I think the chicken is the only thing I have a real recipe for. I'm also going to post some salad recipes below. We'll probably eat a lot of grilled stuff this week, like hamburgers and brats. If I end up making a spectacular burger I will post pics and the ingredients. Enjoy some refreshing summer salads with your grilling this week!


Oven Fried Chicken, serves 8. Serve with green salad or garden veggies.
Combine for marinade:
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup coarsely grated onion (about 1/2 large)
3/4 tsp black pepper
2 1/4 tsp dry mustard
2 Tbs white vinegar
Add about 2 1/2 lbs skinless, bone-in chicken parts, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 425F.
Combine for breading:
1 cup panko
3/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 rounded tsp dried thyme, crushed

Remove chicken from marinade and scrape off excess. Dredge in breading mixture. Coat all sides of chicken pieces with spray oil. Place chicken bone side down on a baking rack placed over a baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, about 40 mins.

Cucumber Melon Salad
1 med cucumber, halved, seeded, peeled, and sliced
1/2 cantaloupe, cubed
10 large fresh mint leaves, torn
1 Tbs fresh lemon or lime juice
1 Tbs EVOO
1/4 tsp ground ancho chile powder
Mix all ingredients except chile powder in large bowl, add salt to taste. Chill thoroughly and sprinkle with chile powder just before serving.

Raw Beet, Walnut and Goat Cheese Salad
This is a second attempt at a raw beet salad. The first came from Bon Appetit and I didn't really care for it. This ia a modified version of one I found online. I think it came out great!

3 medium beets (I used golden beets), washed, peeled and coarsely grated into long strips
juice and zest from 1/2 orange
2 Tbs EVOO
pinch sea salt
about 1/3 cup roughly chopped walnuts
4-5 oz goat cheese for topping

Mix beets, orange juice, zest, EVOO, salt and walnuts in medium bowl. Toss well. Chill several hours or until ready to serve. Top with crumbled goat cheese just before serving.

Worth Repeating

I made two meals in the last week which I just linked to in previous posts. Well, they were so absolutely delicious that I decided I just had to post my version of the recipes here, with pics! They are both low glycemic yet totally filling, satisfying, and delicious. You know when you eat something and your body all but verbally thanks you for the life-giving nutrients that sustain and the burst of flavors that wow? Well these two meals were that for me. I hope they are that for you, too.

The warm salad with potatoes and bacon tasted like something you could order from a fancy restaurant. The kids loved the bacon and potatoes (especially the purple potatoes) but didn't really care for the wilted greens. The carrot and fennel soup was amazing, and I've never had fennel before. Well at least not the fresh kind. I've used dried fennel seeds a lot. But yes, truly amazing. My senses were wowed by the bright yet warm combination of the carrots and the fennel. I didn't even have the orange juice or orange olive oil that the original recipe calls for and I still loved every bite! Enjoy!

Warm Salad with Fingerling Potatoes and Bacon, serves about 3
(adapted from Door To Door Organics recipe which was adapted from an Epicurious.com recipe)
1 pound small fingerling potatoes, unpeeled
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (I used several sprigs)
1 teaspoon sea salt
8 cups bite-size pieces spinach leaves
4 cups bite-size pieces dandelion greens, tough center ribs and stems discarded (if you don't have dandelion greens you could sub more spinach or another green which could stand up to the wilting action of the dressing)
1 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
12 ounces thick slices bacon, cut into 1" pieces (preferably from pastured pork but that is extremely hard to find around here so the next best thing is a nitrate-free, organic version)
1/4 cup sliced shallots

Scrub potatoes under running water and pat dry. Toss in a 9x9" roasting pan w/2 Tbs of the EVOO and the thyme and salt. Roast at 425 F for about 40 mins or until fork tender. Remove from oven and let cool about 10 mins before halving lengthwise.

Toss spinach, dandelion greens, and parsley together in serving bowl.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in large cast iron skillet over med-hi heat. When browned and starting to crisp up, add shallots and cook another minute or two, until shallots are tender. Add remaining 2 Tbs EVOO and the red wine vinegar. Turn off heat and stir to combine everything. Top greens with bacon and potato mixture, tossing to wilt the greens. Serve immediately.

Carrot and Fennel Soup, serves about 4
(adapted from 101 Cookbooks)
1 gallon bag frozen veggie trimmings (I've been saving my washed trimmings from various veggies so I can make my own vegetable broth. This batch had cabbage, red chard, broccoli, and something else I can't remember)
8-10 cups water
EVOO for sauteeing
1 fennel bulb,sliced (reserve fronds)
1 1/2 lbs carrots, peeled and thickly cut on the diagonal
1-2large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
kosher or sea salt to taste
2 cups cooked wild rice
one poached egg per person that you're serving
fresh grated Parmesan for serving, if desired

Place your frozen veggies in a stock pot and add enough water to cover. Bring to boil and then simmer about an hour. Skim out veggies and you will be left with a beautiful vegetable broth.

Saute carrots and fennel in the EVOO over med heat until beginning to sweat. Add garlic and saute another minute. Transfer to soup pot. Simmer until carrots are tender. Salt to taste (note - if you make your own broth like I did, you will need a considerable amount of coarse sea salt. I think I used 1-2 Tablespoons total). Add cooked rice and heat through.

While the rice is heating in the soup, poach the eggs. Fill a wide skillet with water and add a splash of white vinegar. Bring to boil and then reduce to a gentle simmer. One at a time, break an egg into a small cup and then gently tilt the cup into the simmering water and let the egg flow out. Continue with as many eggs as you need (or as many as will fit in your skillet, trying to keep the eggs separate). Turn off heat, cover skillet, and set timer for 4 minutes. At high altitude, that gives you a just-beginning-to-solidify yolk. Ladel the soup into bowls and top with poached egg. Garnish with grated Parmesan, fresh cracked pepper, and reserved fennel fronds. (And that is my very first attempt at real, 100% wild-yeast sourdough bread in the pic below).

Week 13

(Tues) Pizza! (Crust from Analytical Mom)

To make the sauce, saute sliced onion in EVOO until soft. Add a small can of tomato sauce and couple tsp of dried basil and oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer a few minutes, taste and adjust seasonings to taste. Top crust w/sauce and shredded cheese and toppings of choice. I'm doing bell peppers and Italian sausage. Bake at 400 F for about 15 mins or until crust is done and cheese is bubbly.


Southwestern Chicken Salad

This is really just a throw it together kinda meal. I had radicchio (the purple lettuce), mixed greens w/spinach, radishes, tangerines, and chicken. I sauteed the chicken (grilled would be great, too), then sliced it. Mixed all the other ingredients in a salad bowl and topped w/chicken. Make your own dressing w/a southwestern flair by whisking 1/2 cup mayo, several Tbs lemon juice, salt, pepper, cayenne, cumin, and smoked paprika to taste. Dressing makes about 3 servings. (You could omit the chicken and serve this along side the tri-tip from below).

(Wed) Salmon with Smoked Paprika (serve w/rice)
I found this recipe while I was on the McCormick site to look up if they put MSG in their spices. Who knew I'd stumble upon a great dinner recipe! (And no, they don't put MSG in the spice I was looking at, their gourmet chili powder. However, they said that some of their spices do have MSG but it is clearly stated on the ingredients label).

(Sat) Warm Salad with Fingerlings and Bacon
This recipe comes from my produce delivery company and makes use of some of the items I'm getting in my box this week.

(Thu) Red cabbage and Braised Short Ribs
For cabbage see this recipe from AllRecipes.com
For ribs:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat beef short ribs in flour seasoned w/salt and pepper. Heat olive or grapeseed oil in dutch oven (I just got a real dutch oven!) and sear ribs until browned on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside. Add chopped veggies such as onion, carrot, celery, garlic and/or mushrooms and cook until browned. Add a couple cups of red wine and a couple Tbs of tomato paste. Add a sprig of fresh thyme and a bay leaf. Return ribs to pot. Cover and transfer to oven. Cook about 2 1/2 hrs or until meat is very tender. If desired, you can puree the veggies and liquid to make a gravy and serve over mashed potatoes.

(Sun) Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip
This is super simple and super yummy! Get a tri-tip roast, make a dry rub of salt, pepper and garlic powder. Rub all over roast. Grill for 5 mins on one side then flip and grill about 10 mins more on second side, or until desired doneness. Slice across the grain and serve with BBQ sauce (can put on toasted rolls if desired). Great accompaniments are cole slaw, grilled veggies, baked beans, etc.