Mediterranean Tuna Salad May 23, 2012

Jamie says: I enjoyed this salad as part of my lunch after returning from the blueberry festival this weekend. The funny thing about the blueberry festival was that we weren’t allowed to pick blueberries and the blueberries didn’t arrive until late. (And when they did, they were in the same cartons you get from Publix.) Regardless, I had a great time with my two dietitian friends and we purchased lots of produce from a booth there. Next year we’re going to do our own blueberry festival, though.

Mediterranean Tuna Salad

The salad was so simple yet so flavorful. The fresh mozzarella is a nice treat. It’s a lot moister than your typical slice of mozzarella.

So many delicious Mediterranean flavors…

I also reminisced about my cooking lesson day with Maureen Fant and K in Rome where we met “the tomato man” at the market… These little tomatoes came from my local farmers’ market (not quite like Italy but still wonderful).

Check out those little roasted tomatoes

Mediterranean Tuna Salad

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (farmers’ market)
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (Filippo Berio)
• dash freshly ground pepper
• dash coarse sea salt (Alessi)
• 1 cup arugula (farmers’ market)
• 1 slice fresh mozzarella (Sorrent0)
• 4 quartered marinated artichoke hearts (Vigo)
• 12 black olives (Lindsay Naturals)
• 2 oz (1/2 can) chunk light tuna in water, drained (Starkist)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Rinse tomatoes, pat dry, and place in a small baking pan. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle freshly ground pepper and sea salt on top. Bake in for 15 minutes. Drain liquid. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until soft. Drain liquid. Refrigerate.
2. Rinse arugula, pat dry, and place in a serving bowl. Cut fresh mozzarella into bite-sized pieces. Top arugula with mozzarella chunks, marinated artichoke hearts, black olives, and tuna. Enjoy!

Serves: 1

• Nutrition note:  Go for the chunk light tuna. It has less mercury than the albacore. Tuna is a healthy choice (a lean protein with it’s omega 3s) but should be eaten in moderation.

Roasted Corn Whole Wheat Pancakes with Fresh Mozzarella, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Basil and Sauteed Spinach and Onions May 13, 2012

Jamie says: I’m totally into pancakes right now. Food kick number 105. Friday night it was Sweet and Savory Squash Pancakes and this afternoon it was… Roasted Corn Whole Wheat Pancakes with Fresh Mozzarella, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Basil and Sauteed Spinach and Onions.

Roasted Corn Whole Wheat Pancakes with Fresh Mozzarella, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Basil and Sauteed Spinach and Onions

I Skyped  my Mom this morning for Mother’s Day. She opened my gift and showed me her souvenirs from her trip. Part of my gift to her was a painting I made her that matches the one in my room.After we ended the call, she went to my Godparents house for a tasty lunch, I didn’t want to be left out of the good food, so I went straight to the kitchen…

It’s like an arepa

I’m not quite sure what my inspiration was, but these pancakes definitely tasted AWESOME! They were like arepas but healthier, colorful, and even more flavorful.

I love the fresh ingredients, varying textures, and vibrant colors

Roasted Corn Whole Wheat Pancakes with Fresh Mozzarella, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Basil and Sauteed Spinach and Onions

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup just-add-water whole grain pancake mix (Kodiak Cakes 100% Whole Grains Frontier Flapjack and Waffle Mix)
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1 Tbsp, 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided (Filippo Berio)
• dash coarse sea salt (Alessi)
• dash freshly ground pepper
• 2 thin slices large sweet onion (farmers’ market)
• 2 cups spinach
• 1 medium-small ear of corn
• two 1/4 inch slices fresh mozzarella cheese (Sorrento, 100% Natural)
• 2 Tbsp smoked sun dried tomatoes, julienne cut (California Sun Dry)
• 12 leaves fresh basil (Thai basil plant from farmer’s market)
• no stick cooking spray

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, use a fork to combine pancake mix and water.
2. Pre-heat a medium-sized saute’ pan on a burner on medium-high heat. Pour 2 tsp (reserving 1 Tbsp) extra virgin olive oil in pan. Add onion. Stir. Cook for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in spinach. Cook for 30 seconds or until slightly wilted. Remove pan from heat.
3. Pre-heat a medium-sized saute’ pan on a burner on medium-high heat. Remove husks from corn. Stand ear of corn vertically on a large cutting board and use a knife to slice rows off until all of corn is off the cob. Pour 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil into pan. Add corn, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. Cook for about 4 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently.
4. Pre-heat a large saute’ pan on medium-high heat. Spray with no stick cooking spray and pour 1/2 of pancake batter onto pan to make one pancake and immediately add 1/2 of roasted corn. Use the back of a spatula to lightly press corn into pancake. Cook until bubbles stop forming and bottom of pancake is golden brown, about 1 minute. Flip to cook other side and cook until golden brown, about 45 seconds. Remove from pan. Repeat to form a total of two pancakes.
5. Place slices of mozzarella cheese on the pre-heated saute’ pan used to make the pancakes. Quickly heat slices of cheese for 10 seconds on each side to slightly melt. Place one slice of cheese on top of each pancake. Divide sun dried tomatoes and fresh basil on top of cheese on pancakes.  Serve sauteed spinach and onions on the side. Enjoy!

Serves: 1

• Nutrition note: Did you know this recipe has three whole grain sources in it? In addition to the whole grains from the Kodiak pancake mix (100% whole grain wheat flour and 100% whole grain oat flour), corn is also a whole grain.

Hard-Boiled Egg English Muffin Sandwich with Cheesy Garlic Kale and Kalamata Olives May 10, 2012

Jamie says: I took this picture from my iPhone at work. I wasn’t expecting to blog my packed work lunch, but it looked too tempting to resist.

Hard-Boiled Egg English Muffin Sandwich with Cheesy Garlic Kale and Kalamata Olives

And the taste even exceed the high standard set by the appearance. It was interesting using a hard-boiled egg on an English muffin for a change instead of my typical scrambled egg. The cheese, kale, and kalamata olives made this sandwich killer. One bite, and I was in Heaven. I knew I’d want this sandwich again, so I packed it for my lunch today, too.

Not your typical egg sandwich…

Hard-Boiled Egg English Muffin Sandwich with Cheesy Garlic Kale and Kalamata Olives

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of kale (farmers’ market)
• 1 large clove garlic
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (Filippo Berio)
• dash freshly ground pepper
• 1/3 cup 2% finely shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese with added calcium (Kraft)
• 3 Tbsp sliced kalamata olives (Vigo)
• 3 large omega-3 egg (4-Grain)
• three 100% whole wheat English muffins (Thomas’)

Directions:

1. May be done in advance- Cheesy Garlic Kale: Preheat oven to 375°F. Wash kale and pat dry. Hold leaves upside down by stem. Use a knife to cut (or use hands to tear) leaves away from stems; discard stems and chop (or tear) leaves into large pieces. Place leaves in a baking dish. Chop garlic. Add extra virgin olive oil, chopped garlic, and freshly ground pepper to kale. Mix. Bake for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and sliced olives. Use immediately or refrigerate until use.
2. May be done in advance- Hard-boiled Eggs: Place eggs in a medium/small pot, and fill the pot with tap water to cover the eggs.  Place on stove top on high heat.  Bring water to a boil.  Remove pot from heat, place lid on pot, and allow to sit for 13 minutes.  Drain water.  Place eggs in a bowl with tap water to cool eggs.  Crack eggs in bowl and use water to help remove the shells. Slice eggs and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Use immediately or refrigerate until use.
3. Assemble sandwich(es)- Microwave Cheesy Garlic Kale, if refrigerated. Slice English muffins. (If making for one, set the other two English muffin halves aside until use and make sandwich right before serving.) Place sliced hard-boiled egg slices and Cheesy Garlic Kale between English muffin halves. Close like sandwiches. Enjoy!

Serves: 3

• Nutrition note: Work lunches don’t have to be boring. Be creative with your leftovers from dinner and make something simple and different- like this sandwich.

Beet & Spiced Pecan Salad with Cottage Cheese April 1, 2012

Jamie says: Oh, the power of suggestion! My amazing friend Clarissa and I were talking about food today on our kayaking adventure (on which we saw about 10 alligators, by the way). We were on the subject of cottage cheese, and she mentioned how tasty it was to top a salad with cottage cheese. I’ve seen cottage cheese at salad bars but honestly, I found it peculiar, and never thought to put it on a “lettuce salad.” Clarissa also mentioned how a friend made her dinner and there was an awesome salad with seasoned nuts. I put the two ideas together and invited some creative freedom and made a Beet & Spiced Pecan Salad with Cottage Cheese.

Beet & Spiced Pecan Salad with Cottage Cheese

The beets were so tender and flavorful, and the nuts had the perfect combo of spices- sweet and salty. The cottage cheese brought the dish together quite nicely.

A winning combination!

It was so good, I toasted a second batch of pecans so I can make another Beet & Spiced Pecan Salad with Cottage Cheese for lunch tomorrow.

Hello, flavor!

Beets

Ingredients:

• 3 beets
• 1/3 cup water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Rinse beets. Place a large sheet of aluminum foil in a baking dish. Pull foil up around beets like a boat. Add water. Pinch foil shut. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until soft when pierced with a fork. Allow to cool. Peel skin off beets. Refrigerate until cool. (Save beet juice for a Beet Orange Smoothie with Arugula).

Spiced Pecans

Ingredients:

• 15 pecan halves
• no stick cooking spray (PAM)
• dash fine sea salt
• dash freshly pepper
• dash curry powder
• dash ground cinnamon
• dash ground nutmeg
• dash powdered ginger

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a baking pan with no stick cooking spray. Place pecan halves on pan and spray both sides with no stick cooking spray. Sprinkle with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, curry, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Mix. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Allow to cool.

Beet & Spiced Pecan Salad with Cottage Cheese

Ingredients:

• 5 leaves Romaine lettuce
• 1 slice sweet onion
• 1/2 tomato (Tasti-Lee)
• dash dried basil leaves
• 4-8 oz cottage cheese (Breakstone’s 2% with live and active cultures)
• 1 Beet (see above)
• 15 Spiced Pecans (see above)

Directions

1. Chop lettuce, onion, and tomato. Sprinkle basil on tomato. Place chopped lettuce on a plate. Top with chopped onion and tomato. Scoop cottage cheese into center of salad. Chop beet and place on salad along with Spiced Pecans. Enjoy!

• Nutrition note: Looking for non-meat sources of protein? Cottage cheese and nuts and two good options.

Sardine Pasta Salad February 23, 2012

Jamie says: I made a Sardine Pasta Salad for a quick, healthy, delicious dinner. It would also make a great lunch, too!

Sardine Pasta Salad

I love sardines. I wouldn’t want to eat them all the time, but every so often, I crave ‘em.

Sardines, sardines, sardines... you've got to try them

Pasta + salad = pasta salad.

It's pasta and a salad- a true pasta salad!

Sardine Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup rotini (Publix)
• 1 cup spinach
• 1/4 cucumber
• 1/4 tomato
• 1 thin slice yellow onion
• 1 piece celery
• 12 olives
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• dash fine sea salt
• dash freshly ground pepper
• 3.75 oz can sardines in olive oil (Brunswick; from Publix)

Directions:

1. Bring water to a boil in a medium pot. Add pasta. Boil for about 12 minutes. Drain.
2. Place spinach on a plate. Chop cucumber, tomato, onion, and celery, and add to spinach along with olives.
3. Add cooked pasta to salad. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on pasta. Sprinkle oregano, sea salt, and pepper on top. Top with sardines. Enjoy!

Serves: 1

• Nutrition note: Love pasta but find yourself eating too much of it. Make a pasta salad with lots of veggies. You’ll satisfy your pasta craving, increase your nutrient intake, and cut back on some carbs and calories.

Nova Roll-Ups on a Bed of Arugula February 11, 2012

Jamie says: I really enjoyed my Open-Faced Nova Sandwich with Roasted Asparagus, Cream Cheese, Arugula, Tomato & Onion that I had the other day. So I decided to make a few variations to the recipe, and present it in a whole new way…

Nova Roll-Ups on a Bed of Arugula

Nova roll-ups are not to be confused with the “Fruit” Roll-Ups you had in elementary school. I’d have to say, these are a little classier and a lot healthier.

Pretty presentation

It tasted just like sushi without the rice, which I learned is called sashimi.

Hello, flavor!

Dig in! Don’t forget the knife and fork. They’d like to be invited to this party!

Fancy schmancy, easy peasy

Nova Roll-Ups on a Bed of Arugula

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb asparagus
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• dash sea salt
• dash freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 heirloom tomato
• 1 slice sweet onion
• 1/4 red bell pepper
• 5 pieces Atlantic nova salmon (Vita Classic)
• 1 mini tub 1/3 less fat cream cheese (Philadelphia)
• 1 cup arugula

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place asparagus on a baking sheet. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and add sea salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat. Bake for 35 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Cut off the bottom ends and discard. Cut the asparagus in half. Refrigerate until cold.
2. Slice tomato and onion. Quarter slices. Add salt and pepper to tomato. Chop bell pepper.
3. Lay nova pieces on a large plate. Distribute asparagus, bell pepper, onion, and tomato among pieces, placing ingredients in the center of each piece of nova. Place cream cheese on top of ingredients. Pull both ends of nova toward center and press into cream cheese to hold together. Repeat with each piece.
4. Place arugula in center of plate. Enjoy!

Serves: 1-2

• Nutrition note: Raw, smoked seafood such as nova and lox should not be consumed by pregnant women, very young children, the elderly, or immunocompromised individuals because these groups have has a higher chance getting a food borne illness.

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Sardines and Whole Wheat Bread Cubes February 8, 2012

Jamie says: I enjoyed this lunch at the new picnic table downstairs. Actually, it’s not new, but it’s relatively new to me. In the apartment K and I shared last year, we would eat outside all of the time. Now that the weather warmed up a bit, I’m bringing my meals outside again and loving it.

For lunch, I was thinking of making a sardine sandwich with vegetables, but I wanted more veggies so I made a Roasted Vegetable Salad with Sardines and Whole Wheat Bread Cubes.

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Sardines and Whole Wheat Bread Cubes

The vegetables are delicious hot or cold. Try ‘em both ways!

Give sardines a try

This salad was so satisfying…both filling and tasty. I liked the soft texture and roasted flavor of the vegetables, the saltiness of the cheese and sardines, and the sweet nutty bread.

There's so much flavor, this salad doesn't need any dressing!

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Sardines and Whole Wheat Bread Cubes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 bunch broccoli
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/4 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 6 oz trimmed and washed green beans (1/2 bag of GreenLine Quick & Easy green beans)
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• dash sea salt
• dash freshly ground pepper
• 2 cups spinach
• 3.75 oz can sardines in olive oil (Brunswick; from Publix)
• 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese (Publix)
• 2 slices seeded 100% whole grain wheat bread (Publix Bakery)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Chop broccoli, slice bell pepper and onions, and peel garlic. In a large baking dish, combine broccoli, bell pepper, onions, garlic, and green beans with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. Roast for about 45 minutes or until soft and lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Allow to cool for about 20 minutes and then refrigerate (or serve hot if desired).
2. Place 2 cups of spinach in a salad bowl. Top with roasted vegetables, sardines, and then Parmesan cheese.
3. Chop bread into cubes and place on top. Enjoy!

Serves: 1

• Nutrition note: By making your sandwich into a salad (like with this recipe), you’re getting lots more veggies for the same amount of bread and fish/meat.

Open-Faced Nova Sandwich with Roasted Asparagus, Cream Cheese, Arugula, Tomato & Onion February 7, 2012

Jamie says: When nova salmon went on sale at Publix last week, I instantly picked up a pack and added it to my cart. I knew it would go to good use…

Open-Faced Nova Sandwich with Roasted Asparagus, Cream Cheese, Arugula, Tomato & Onion

I made this Open-Faced Nova Sandwich with Roasted Asparagus, Cream Cheese, Arugula, Tomato & Onion for a nice afternoon lunch, but I could see at being served for a brunch party, too.

An awesome breakfast, lunch, or brunch

I loved the addition of roasted asparagus. It was slightly crispy and added so much flavor.

Roasting asparagus makes it taste fabulous

Usually, I enjoy nova/lox on a bagel, but it was delicious on the whole grain bread, too!

A switch-up from your typical sandwich

Open-Faced Nova Sandwich with Roasted Asparagus, Cream Cheese, Arugula, Tomato & Onion

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb asparagus
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• dash sea salt
• dash freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 heirloom tomato
• 1 slice sweet onion
• 2 slices seeded 100% whole grain wheat bread (Publix Bakery)
• 1 mini tub 1/3 less fat cream cheese (Philadelphia)
• 1 cup arugula
• 3 pieces Atlantic nova salmon (Vita Classic)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut the band discard. Place asparagus on a baking sheet. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and add sea salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat. Bake for 35 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Place half the asparagus stalks on a serving plate. Cut the remaining stalks in half for sandwich.
2. Slice tomato and onion. Add salt and pepper to tomato.
3. Place two slices of bread on a plate. Spread cream cheese on each slice. Top with arugula, onion, tomato, asparagus halves, and nova. Enjoy!

Serves: 1 -2

• Nutrition note: Those big puffy bagels at the bagel shop can pack in some calories. Enjoy a smaller bagel, whole wheat bread, English muffin, or 1/2 a big bagel to save room for more of the good stuff.

Hot Ham and Cheese with Italian Stoplight Salsa January 30, 2012

Jamie says: A hot ham and cheese sandwich was beckoning me. Yes, it was going to be made for dinner. And this time, I didn’t want any veggies in the sandwich- I wanted a fresh salsa on the side.

Hot Ham and Cheese with Italian Stoplight Salsa

I called Italian Stoplight Salsa because of 1) the use of Italian parsley instead of cilantro and 2) the predominant and bright red, yellow, and green colors of the side dish.

Italian Stoplight Salsa

I cut the sandwich on the diagonal for fun.

Sliced on the diagonal

Oh, check out that melted, fresh mozzarella and that tender ham…

Hot ham, melted cheese, and crunchy-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside-bread

I envisioned scooping the salsa on top of the sandwich and made that a reality, too.

If we count tomatoes as a fruit, we hit all the food groups

Hot Ham and Cheese  with Italian Stoplight Salsa

Ingredients:

• 1 small vine-ripened tomato
• 1/2 large yellow tomato
• 1 slice yellow onion
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (Filippo Berio)
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (Regina, balsamic vinegar of Modena)
• dash sea salt
• dash freshly ground pepper
• 3 quarter-inch thick slices fresh mozzarella cheese (Publix Deli)
• 2 slices 100% stoneground whole wheat bread (Publix Premium)
• 1/8 lb Blackforest ham (Boar’s Head)
• no stick cooking spray (PAM)

Directions:

1. Preheat George Forman grill (or panini maker or frying pan).
2. Chop red and yellow tomatoes, onion, and parsley. Place in a bowl with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. Gently stir to mix. Refrigerate Italian Stoplight Salsa.
3. Place ham and cheese inside of two pieces of whole wheat bread. Spray grill with no stick cooking spray. Place sandwich on grill and heat for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and ham is hot. Remove from heat and cut on the diagonal.
4. Serve hot ham and cheese with Italian stoplight salsa on top and/or on the side. Enjoy!

• Nutrition note: Onions, parsley, and tomatoes all contain flavonoids, compounds that may decrease your risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and inflammation according to the a USDA research poster titled, Flavonoid Content of Vegetables.

Mediterranean Picnic Lunch January 29, 2012

Jamie says: When I was in the bakery at the grocery store, I picked up a crusty white baguette and added it to my cart. I later came across kalamata olives (on sale) and mozarella cheese (also on sale). My wheels started turning. I was going to have a Mediterranean picnic.

Mediterranean Picnic Lunch

After church, I invited my friend Clarissa over to join me in a mini-feast. We wined and dined- picnic style- and enjoyed the gorgeous weather.

Picnics are so much fun!

We each made plates and kept filling them up as we went.

My plate

I sliced the bread, spread some hummus on the inside, and stuffed it with sardines, olives, peppers, and cheese. The meal was simple, but the flavors were outrageous. Each ingredient could hold it’s own.

Beautiful, simple, and delicious

The grapes were a nice palate-cleanser…and so was the wine!

Skinny Girl Sangria- a Christmas gift from my cousin Ashley

A little later, I thought of dark chocolate as the perfect ending.

Dove Promises Dark Chocolate

I love how the Dove Promises have messages on them, too.

Each one has a message... I find them entertaining

Mediterranean Picnic Lunch

Ingredients:

• 3.75 oz can sardines in olive oil (Brunswick; from Publix)
• 12 pitted kalamata olives (Publix Deli)
• 3/4 cup chick peas
• 1 1/2 sweet pimento, flame roasted peppers (Vigo)
• 3 thin slices fresh mozzarella cheese (Publix Deli)
• 1/4 tsp basil
• 1 1/2 cups grapes
• 1/3 cup black bean hummus (MaDame Blue Rose’s, from Ward’s Supermarket)
• 1/2 loaf crusty white baguette (Publix)
• 10 oz sangria (Skinny Girl; only if appropriate for age, of course)
• 10 dark chocolate squares (Dove Promises)

Directions:

1. Drain sardines, olives,  chick peas, and peppers. Chop peppers. Slice cheese and sprinkle basil on top. Remove stems from grapes.
2. Serve everything on separate dishes. Oh, and don’t forget to bring plates, forks, knives, napkins, glasses, lots of serving forks and spoons, and a smile. Enjoy in good company!

Serves: 2

• Nutrition note: Enjoy a variety of foods to reap a variety of nutrients.