Grilled Zucchini Greek Salad (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

Grilled zucchini replaces the cucumbers in this delicious Grilled Zucchini Greek Salad!

 
(For Phase One Fridays I feature Phase One Recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites.  For four weeks in a row now I've gotten zucchini at the farmers market, so I think zucchini season is officially here and it's time to make this Grilled Zucchini Greek Salad!  This is a simple idea, but it's something I've made over and over since I came up with it years ago.)

When I visited Athens in 1998, I ate salads with cucumbers, tomatoes, green bell pepper, cucumbers, onions, and Feta cheese, always served with a dressing that combined red wine vinegar, olive oil, and dried Greek Oregano. In Greece this combination was usually called Village Salad, but in the U.S., any salad with those ingredients would be called Greek Salad. This grilled zucchini version of an American-Style Greek salad is something I came up with years ago when my garden had lots of zucchini and tomatoes, and not many cucumbers. Grilling the zucchini with olive oil and Greek Seasoning, and then brushing on some vinaigrette dressing as it cooks adds wonderful flavor to the salad, even if it's not authentically Greek. If you have surplus zucchini in your own garden, give this idea a try.

Click to continue reading

Baked Eggs Skillet with Avocado and Spicy Tomatoes (Paleo, Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

This Baked Eggs Skillet with Avocado and Spicy Tomatoes only needs a few minutes in the oven.

I'm always looking for new low-carb breakfast ideas, and recently when I had avocados in the fridge that needed to get used I came up with this Baked Eggs Skillet with Avocado and Spicy Tomatoes.  If you're wondering why my avocados were in the fridge, back in 2009 I shared a life-changing discovery that ripe avocados will stop ripening and last for several days longer if you store them in the fridge.  (Please tell me I'm not the only one who can't resist those bags of avocados at Costco and then has a hard time remembering to use them?  If you have the same problem, this trick of putting avocados in the fridge will really help!) I'm totally in favor of avocado for breakfast, and this was a quick and delicious breakfast for two that only needs about 10 minutes in the oven.

Click to continue reading

Black Bean and Pepper Salad with Cilantro and Lime (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

I love this salad with lots of red and yellow peppers, red onion, and cilantro and just a few black beans!

(For Phase One Fridays I feature Phase One Recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and this Black Bean and Pepper Salad with Cilantro and Lime is something I could eat every day all summer long.  There's a generous amount of chopped red and yellow peppers, red onion, and cilantro and only one can of beans, making this a great Phase One choice.  Today's the 4th of July celebration in the U.S., and this would be easy to throw together for a holiday pot-luck.)

Black beans are such a great pantry ingredient, and this simple salad with black beans, red and yellow bell pepper, red onion, lime, and cilantro has all the flavors that make me happy. I love the colors in this salad too. For best flavor, mix the dressing and let the beans marinate for a while (or at least while you chop the other ingredients) but even if you're in a rush like I was and forget to marinate the beans, it will still taste pretty great!

Click to continue reading

Power Greens Breakfast Casserole with Feta and Mozzarella (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

Power Greens Breakfast Casserole with Feta and Mozzarella has a whole pound of greens!

When I shared the recipe for Power Greens Salad with Blueberries and Almonds, I raved about how much I love the Power Greens mix of chard, kale, and Spinach I've been getting at Costco.  And if you know my food preferences at all, you might have guessed I'd be making some kind of breakfast casserole with this delicious mix of greens.  In the last couple of weeks I've made this Power Greens Breakfast Casserole with Feta and Mozzarella four times, so that's a sign of how much I like it!  And last weekend my friend Sean from Punk Domestics stayed at my house when he was in town for the Alt Conference, and when I fed him some of the leftovers for breakfast, he gave the recipe a thumbs up.  I actually used a full pound of the greens mix in this, which helped balance out the generous amount of cheese!  I think the combination of cheeses here went really well with the variety of greens, so if you like the idea of starting out the day with a healthy dose of greens, give this a try!

Click to continue reading

Raw Zucchini Salad (Zucchini Carpaccio) with Lemon, Herbs, and Goat Cheese (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

Use small fresh-from the garden zucchini to make Raw Zucchini Salad with Lemon, Herbs, and Goat Cheese.

(For Phase One Fridays I feature Phase One Recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites.  I've been seeing small perfect zucchini at the farmer's market for the last two weeks now, so it seems like a perfect time to make this Raw Zucchini Salad with Lemon, Herbs, and Goat Cheese.)

Zucchini Carpaccio is a dish I've been intrigued by since I first heard about the idea of thinly slicing zucchini and then marinating it in a dressing of olive oil and lemon juice, so I have no idea why it's taken me so long to try it. It was the Carpaccio of Raw Zucchini from Sidewalk Shoes that finally pushed this dish to the top of my list. Pam used a recipe from Tyler Florence, but I ended up making my own version, heavy on lemon and herbs, and with the addition of a little goat cheese, since I'm always in favor of goat cheese in a salad!

Click to continue reading

Slow Cooker Brown Rice Veggie Bowl with Asparagus, Red Bell Pepper, Zucchini, and Feta (Gluten-Free)

This Meatless Monday Slow Cooker Brown Rice Veggie Bowl has asparagus, red bell pepper, zucchini, and Feta

Summer means garden-fresh vegetables, and this Slow Cooker Brown Rice Veggie Bowl is a simple way to cook them without heating up the house.  I made this with my nephew Jake and even though we ended up tasting it at the end of a long cooking day when we had sampled lots of other things, we gobbled this up and I was excited to have the leftovers another day.  The recipe couldn't be simpler.  Start by cooking brown rice in the slow cooker with vegetable stock, spices, and a chopped onion until the rice is nearly done.  While the rice cooks, chop up vegetables of your choice; we used asparagus, red bell pepper, and zucchini, but you could also substitute other vegetables that taste good with Feta such as yellow summer squash or green beans.  Add the vegetables and cook until they're tender, then stir in some crumbled Feta and serve, topped with a little more feta sprinkled on top.

Click to continue reading

Power Greens Salad with Blueberries and Almonds (Paleo, Gluten-Free, Vegan)

This delicious healthy salad has power greens, blueberries, and almonds to help you eat your SuperFoods.

It's Father's Day in the U.S., and all day today I'll be thinking about my amazing father, and wishing I could spend a few hours with him.  My dad was a loving and intelligent guy who liked music, reading, Kentucky Fried Chicken, tartar sauce, and any dish that had shrimp in it, and if he was still here there's no doubt I'd be making his favorite Shrimp and Macaroni Salad today.  I don't think anything can prepare you for the loss you feel when both your parents are gone, but I'm still grateful for holidays like today and how they remind me of what amazing parents I had.  If you're lucky enough to be spending the day with your dad, I hope you have a wonderful time.

Click to continue reading

Slow Cooker Spicy Brown Rice and Black Bean Cheesy Bowl (Vegetarian, Gluten-Free)

Use the CrockPot to cook this Spicy Brown Rice and Black Bean Cheesy Bowl and keep the kitchen cool.

When you live where it's hot in the summer, using the slow cooker to cook amazing food without heating up the house is one of the best tricks I know.  In fact, on my slow cooker site I feature Slow Cooker Summer Dinners each year, and this Slow Cooker Spicy Brown Rice and Black Bean Bowl would make a perfect summer dinner cooked in the CrockPot.  It took me a couple of tries to get this recipe just right, and for the final version I had the wild idea of cutting up some cubes of string cheese and stirring them into the rice and beans mixture for the last 30 minutes of cooking time, so this is a spicy brown rice and black bean cheesy bowl.  Everyone likes cheesy don't they?  I tested several versions of this out on my niece Kara and her family, and they gave the thumbs up to the version with cheese, but it's definitely optional if you prefer it without the cheese.

Click to continue reading

Easy Recipe for Red, White, and Blueberry Salad

Red White and Blueberry Salad is deliciously easy and perfect for summer parties!

I definitely had good intentions of posting this Red White and Blueberry Salad (with strawberries, banana, and blueberries) before Memorial Day, since it's such a perfectly colored salad for a patriotic holiday.  But instead I spent the weekend going with my friend Susan and her kids to a soccer game, hosting a family party, and having overnight guests who went with me to visit graves on Monday.  Luckily the Fourth of July is just around the corner, another perfect occasion for red, white, and blue food!

Some people may be surprised to see a fruit salad on my blog, and it's true fruit has much more sugar than vegetables.  But lately I've been hearing a lot about the health benefits of berries, and luckily they're some of my favorite fruits.  I did use a lot of blueberries and strawberries and very little banana in the salad (since bananas are much higher in sugar.)  I also use low-carb vanilla yogurt for the dressing, or if you don't want artificial sweetener, you can make your own dressing with plain fat-free Greek yogurt with a touch of vanilla and agave nectar.  (I tried both, and I think I prefer the homemade dressing.)  This is probably Phase 3 for South Beach Dieters, but it's a wonderful treat for a holiday meal.

Click to continue reading

Baked Eggs and Asparagus with Parmesan (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

If you like baked eggs and asparagus, you'll love this combination for an easy breakfast.

This recipe for Baked Eggs and Asparagus with Parmesan is a quick-and-easy breakfast idea that can be on the table in about twenty-five minutes, and this will be a hit with anyone who likes runny egg yolks and asparagus.  Timing is everything for this recipe, and there are a few tricks to make sure the egg whites cook quickly enough so the yolks are still runny, but if you follow my tips in the recipe your eggs should come out perfectly.  I made this one morning when the asparagus in the fridge was calling my name and I was waiting for my nephew Jake to come for a cooking day, (probably unconsciously inspired by my favorite Baked Eggs with Mushrooms and Parmesan.)  Then I made it again the next day to write down the exact times to I could share it here.  Jake and I both loved this; hope you enjoy!

Click to continue reading

Stir-Fried Broccolini with Oyster Sauce (Low-Carb)

Stir-Fried Broccolini with Oyster Sauce is a delicious way to cook this fun vegetable.

(For Phase One Fridays I feature Phase One Recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites.  This recipe for Stir-Fried Broccolini with Oyster Sauce was updated with new photos and step-by-step instructions, May 2014.)

The Japanese vegetable called Broccolini is something I discovered by accident in 2006 when I become obsessed with broccoli rabe and tried for weeks to get my local store to order it. One of the produce managers sold me broccolini instead, and when I tried it in this Stir-Fried Broccolini with Oyster Sauce I discovered I love broccolini, and have been cooking it ever since. Broccolini is a natural hybrid between broccoli and Gai Lan or Chinese Kale and since I first found it this Asian vegetable has become more common in U.S. stores.  You may also find it called Baby Broccoli, and regular broccoli can also be used in this recipe as well.  (I also think you could substitute something like Hoisin Sauce for the Oyster Sauce and use vegetable stock, which would make this a vegan dish.)

Click to continue reading

Asian Quinoa Salad with Snap Peas, Red Bell Pepper, Celery, and Peanuts (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

I love the Asian flavors in this Quinoa Salad with Snap Peas, Red Bell Pepper, Celery, and Peanuts.

This blog is about the food (and not about me) and I work pretty hard to keep it that way.  But since many of you will be seeing this recipe for Asian Quinoa Salad with Snap Peas, Red Bell Pepper, Celery, and Peanuts on Mother's Day, I do want to say a little about my amazing mom, who died far too young and left a hole in the hearts of her children that can probably never be filled.   Now I attempt to forget about that hole by spending time with the grandkids and great grandkids my mom never met or didn't get to spend nearly enough time with, and I think often about how blessed we were to have a loving, talented, and generous mom who put her children's needs above her own and literally would have done anything for us.  If you're lucky enough to be spending Mother's day with your mom, do everything you can to pamper and appreciate her, because you have no idea how much you'll miss her when she's gone.  And if you're a mom yourself, I hope you're having a wonderful day with your kids.

Click to continue reading

Mushroom and Feta Breakfast Casserole (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

Mushroom and Feta Breakfast Casserole has two of my very favorite ingredients!

(For Phase One Fridays I feature Phase One Recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites.  This recipe was updated with new photos and step-by-step instructions, May 2014.)  

I'm happy to have updated photos of this favorite Mushroom and Feta Breakfast Casserole to share for Phase One Friday this week, and if I was forced to choose only one breakfast casserole out of the many different ones I've shared here, this would have to be it.  There's something about the combination of mushrooms and feta that sounds like a perfect breakfast to me.   This casserole is also a sentimental favorite because back in 2008 I made this for breakfast when Genie from The Inadvertent Gardener stopped for a night as she was headed for California.  But whether you're having guests for breakfast or just looking for make-ahead breakfast options, breakfast casseroles like this are a good way to keep your healthy eating plan on track.  It would also make a nice option if you're looking for ideas for Mother's Day Brunch, hope you enjoy!

Click to continue reading

Brown Rice and Pinto Bean Salad with Poblano and Red Bell Pepper (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

Brown Rice and Pinto Bean Salad with Poblano and Red Bell Pepper is a perfect meatless side dish for Cinco de Mayo.

I already shared Twenty-Five Healthy Mexican Food Dinners for Cinco de Mayo, but for some reason I still had Mexican food on the brain last week when I cooked with Jake.  Maybe it was just the desire to use up some leftover brown rice and a Poblano chile that was in the fridge, but we had fun experimenting with those ingredients.  We both loved the resulting Brown Rice and Pinto Bean Salad with Poblano and Red Bell Pepper.  I especially like the color the red onion adds in this salad, but if you're not going to be eating it right away I would recommend using green onion instead, because the red onion flavor got stronger after the salad had been in the fridge a few days.  But that didn't stop me from gobbling it up for lunch one day, and this is great for a Meatless Monday lunch or side dish, even on the Mondays when it's not Cinco de Mayo!

Click to continue reading

Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Feta, Capers, Red Bell Pepper, and Green Onion (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

My tastebuds were blown away by this Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Feta, Capers, Red Bell Pepper, and Green Onion!

There's a pretty steady stream of good food coming out of my kitchen, which means a recipe really has to be special to completely blow me away.  And even though it started out as an experiment when I found two smallish heads of cauliflower in the crisper drawer that needed to be used, this Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Feta, Capers, Red Bell Pepper, and Green Onion really did blow my mind. So, so delicious!  I'm calling it a salad, because it's good eaten at room temperature or even cold, but I actually tossed the cauliflower with the dressing before I roasted it. When it was cooked, I mixed the hot cauliflower with a very generous amount of crumbled Feta, then stirred in capers, red bell pepper and a little chopped green onion after the roasted cauliflower cooled for a few minutes.   Unless  you're a complete cauliflower hater (you know who you are) you simply must try this one!

Click to continue reading

Quinoa Side Dish with Mushrooms, Green Onions, and Parmesan (Gluten-Free, Meatless)

Mushrooms, scallions, a tiny hint of soy sauce, and Parmesan make this quinoa side dish sing with flavor.

I know some people still aren't familiar with Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), a trendy type of seed from South America that's eaten as a grain.  It's become popular partly because it's gluten-free, high in protein, and very nutritious, but it's also delicious when it's prepared well.   I started to really like quinoa when I made the Quinoa Side Dish with Pine Nuts, Green Onions, and Cilantro, and this Quinoa Side Dish with Mushrooms, Green Onions, and Parmesan is definitely a riff on that recipe.  But for this version I tripled the Umami factor with mushrooms, Parmesan, and just a hint of soy sauce added to the vegetable stock for a new quinoa side dish that's was really a wow for me.  If you haven't tried Quinoa yet, maybe this will be the recipe that gets you to try it!

Click to continue reading

Spinach and Kale Salad with Greek Flavors and Feta-Lemon Vinaigrette (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

Eat your greens with all the flavors that make Greek salad so popular in this Meatless Monday dinner salad!

It's not hard to tell how much I love the Greek Salad flavor combination of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, olives, and Feta, and recipe ideas with those ingredients are always popping into my head.  This Spinach and Kale Salad with Greek Flavors and Feta-Lemon Vinaigrette was inspired by my love of those traditional Greek ingredients combined with the need to use up two big containers of baby kale and spinach that somehow ended up in the fridge at the same time.  But what really moved this salad into the wow category for me was the idea of dressing the greens with a tangy Feta-Lemon Vinaigrette so all those flavors were well-distributed in the salad.  I could eat this over and over for a Meatless Monday lunch or dinner salad; hope you enjoy!

Click to continue reading

Artichoke, Kale, and Ricotta Pie with Eggs and Parmesan (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

This delicious Artichoke, Kale, and Ricotta Pie would make an elegant dish for any time of day.

(For Phase One Fridays I feature Phase One Recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and this Artichoke, Kale, and Ricotta Pie is a dish that would be perfect for Easter brunch. I'd love this with any variety of kale to start out the day with a healthy dose of greens.)

How do you feel about kale?  Truthfully it's something I hadn't eaten much until a few years ago when I started growing Red Russian Kale in my garden.  That sweeter and less bitter red kale turned me into a kale convert, and for years I grew both Red Russian Kale and regular dark curly kale.  Growing kale is so much fun; I loved snipping a few leaves off the kale and cooking with them.  I tried this recipe when I also had half a container of ricotta in the fridge left from something yummy, and when I searched for recipes to use ricotta and kale, I found this interesting recipe for Artichoke, Kale, and Ricotta Pie from The Kitchn. 

Click to continue reading

Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash Sauteed with Vegetables and Feta (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

Roasted spaghetti squash combines perfectly with mushrooms, zucchini, tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts, and Feta!

I think most bloggers would agree that one very fun thing about writing a blog is getting nice e-mails and comments from readers.  And sometimes those very nice readers will send you recipes that you love and plan to make over and over, which makes the nice e-mails even better.  This amazing recipe for Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash Sauteed with Vegetables and Feta came from a nice reader named Joyce.  She described the recipe to me and said if it sounded like something I'd like to try she would take a stab at writing up the recipe, and oh boy, did I ever want to try it.  Jake and I made this late in the afternoon on a long cooking day, making only a few minimal changes to Joyce's recipe, and before the night was over I had polished off all my share of the leftovers!  Even if you're not wild about spaghetti squash, if you like the other flavors here I'm willing to bet you'll like it as much as we did.

Click to continue reading

Recipe for Tuscan Baked Eggs with Tomatoes, Red Onion, Garlic, Parmesan, and Herbs

Tuscan Baked Eggs with Tomatoes, Red Onion, Garlic, Parmesan, and Herbs

(For Phase One Fridays I feature Phase One Recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and these Tuscan Baked Eggs with Tomatoes, Red Onion, Garlic, Parmesan, and Herbs are a great way to start out the day.  If you don't have any chives yet, thinly sliced green onions make a great topping.)

This is a dish with eggs, tomatoes, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and fresh herbs. Doesn't that sound like a combination that would have to taste good? Of course, I love eggs, and they're something I cook several times every week. I've made a lot of baked egg dishes in the form of breakfast casseroles or egg muffins, but eggs baked on a bed of tomato sauce was a new idea for me. I confess, the desire to cook this was partly inspired by the two little casserole dishes I found at the thrift store, and they turned out to be perfect for individual servings. But even if you cooked it in a bigger dish to share with a few people, this would make an interesting and impressive dish next time you're making brunch and want something that's a little unusual.

Click to continue reading