Grilled Peaches with Greek Yogurt & Honey

Peaches are here!

1 Peach, not too ripe
2 Tbsp Greek Yogurt
1 tsp Honey
pinch of salt

Heat a grill pan to medium high.

Cut the peach off the pit.

Spray the grill pan with non stick spray and grill the peaches on the cut side only for 1-2 minutes.

Sprinkle with a touch of salt and top with Greek yogurt and honey.

Airy Almond / Wheat Flour Pancakes

There are just a couple of tricks to these pancakes. 1. You must whip the egg whites till they are stiff, and 2. whatever you do... do not, DO NOT mix the wet and dry ingredients together until you have stiff egg whites and a pan or griddle hot and ready to cook the pancakes.
3. Don't substitute regular milk for the buttermilk.

This recipe made 3 pancakes, perfect for one but easily doubles, triples or quadruples!


Ingredients:
1 Egg yoke
1 c Buttermilk
1 Tbs Oil, Vegetable or Canola
1/4 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 Egg White, whipped till very stiff

Dry Ingredients:
1/4 c. + 2 Tbs Wheat Flour
1/4 c. + 2 Tbs Almond Flour
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Salt 


Heat a non-stick pan or griddle to medium heat.

With an electric mixer whip the egg white till very stiff. (I don't recommend doing this by hand, ever seen the Top Chef challenge?)

In one bowl mix the egg yoke, buttermilk, oil and vanilla.

In another bowl mix all the dry ingredients.


Make sure your egg whites are whipped and your pan is ready before mixing the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. There is a chemical reaction between the wet and dry ingredients that make these light and airy.

Next fold in the egg whites. You will still see specks of white, that's okay.







I always use non-stick spray just as a precaution on my pan. Pour 1/3 of the batter on your pan, cook for 2-4 minutes until you see bubbles. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side.

Tomato Basil Pizza (Pizza Margarita)

 I used to continuously buy pizza stones that cost $20, only to have them break on me. Then I realized I could buy tiles at the home repair store for only $1.00 that work just as well. You want to buy the tiles that are unglazed.  The glaze could have lead that could transfer to your pizza.  If you don't have a pizza stone you could still make this recipe on a sheet pan.

You could also use those pre-baked store bought pizza crusts.

Here is my tip for storing individual size portions of dough. Single Foodie Tip Storing Pizza Dough

Pizza Dough 
Flour, (for rolling out the dough)
Corn Meal (for sliding the dough on the pizza stone)
1/4 c. Marinara Sauce 
2-3 slices of Fresh Mozzarella, torn into pieces
2 Roma Tomatoes, sliced
salt & pepper
2-3 Basil fresh leaves, chopped

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. 

Dust your dough and cutting board with flour. Roll out the dough. 


To easily slide my pizza on to the pizza stone, I use a cookie sheet that does not have an edge on it. I liberly spread corn meal onto the cookie sheet so the dough doesn't stick then place dough on the corn meal. Shake the cookie sheet back and forth to make sure your dough is not sticking. 

On the dough, top it with dollups of tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella. Top the cheese with the tomatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. It may look like too many tomatoes, but they will shrink.

Slide your pizza on to the pizza stone or place your pizza in the oven  to bake if using an sheet pan.  Bake for 15-17 minutes. 

Top your pizza with the fresh basil right when it comes out of the oven.

Mozzarella Marinara Chicken

This is a super fast easy recipe. I enjoyed it with a big mixed greens salad dressed with just extra virgin olive oil and vinegar.

Plastic Wrap
1 Chicken Breast
2 Tbsp Flour
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
salt 
pepper

1/4 c. Marinara Sauce
1 oz. Mozzarella 
(optional - 2 slices of salami, pepperoni, capocollo, sopressata or any Italian deli meat you may like)

Heat a pan on medium high heat. 

Place the chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Pound it to 3/4 inch thin. I use a rolling pin but you can also use a meat pounder or another pan. (Don't use the one you are heating!)




On a plate, add about 2 tablespoons of flour mixed with salt and pepper. Coat the chicken you have pounded out with the flour mixture and shake off any extra flour.

In the hot pan, add the olive oil.  Once the oil is hot, cook the chicken in the pan for about 10-12 minutes, flipping it over half way through. Cook until the chicken is done and nicely browned. 






Spray a small dish with non-stick spray. Add the cooked chicken. Top the chicken with the marinara. If you are using a few slices of Italian deli meat, add it next. Lastly, top the chicken with mozzarella cheese. 

Place the chicken under your broiler for about 5 minutes. DON'T WALK AWAY. Your broiler may only take 2 minutes. I use my toaster oven's broiler so it takes longer than a conventional oven.

Lemon Pepper Chicken with Spinach & Goat Cheese Orzo Pasta

When I got home this evening, I looked in my lonely fridge and came up with this for dinner.  This recipe is super simple and quick with only a few ingredients. It only takes 30 minutes (if you have unfrozen chicken.) I often buy those frozen bags of chicken breasts, pull one out before work and throw it in the fridge in a covered dish to thaw during the day.

1 Chicken piece, breast, thigh, whatever you may have
Non-stick spray
1 Tbsp Lemon Pepper
1/4 c. Orzo Pasta
1 c. fresh Spinach, chopped (I don't measure this, I just grab a handful.) 
1 Tbsp Goat Cheese crumbles
1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. I use my toaster oven for this recipe which works great too. 

Spray a foil lined tray with non-stick spray. Place the chicken on the foil and coat it with lemon pepper. I really like the McCormick Lemon & Pepper Grinder. Bake the chicken for 25-30 minutes, or until it is done.



After the chicken has baked for about 10 minutes. Start heating a small pot of water, with 1/2 tsp of salt, on high till it comes to a boil. 



When it comes to a boil, add the orzo pasta. Cook for 8-10 minutes or the time your pasta box says.  

When the pasta is done, drain the orzo in a colander and set aside.

Return the pot you just used to boil the pasta to the burner and TURN DOWN the heat to medium. 

Add the extra virgin olive oil to the pot. It will heat up very fast. Add the spinach, cooked orzo, and goat cheese to the pot and stir. The spinach will cook and the goat cheese with melt in 1-2 minutes. Your pasta is ready!

By the time you are done making the pasta the chicken should also be ready!

Open Face Avocado and Egg Sandwich

This is by far one of my favorite snacks, breakfasts, lunches, or dinners! It is really just a method than a recipe.

2 Eggs

Non-stick Spray or oil

2 pieces of Bread

2 slices of Cheese, whatever you have on hand

1/2 Avocado, chopped Tip for Storing the Other Half

Hot Sauce, such as Louisiana Hot Sauce or Tabasco

Salt

Pepper

Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Spray the pan with non-stick spray or drizzle it with about a teaspoon of oil. Crack the eggs into the hot pan. 

Toast the bread. 

With a spatula, flip the eggs over after about 3-4 minutes and cook on the other side until they are done to your liking. I really like a runny yoke, so I only cook the flipped eggs for about 1-2 minutes.  Cook the eggs longer if you like a yoke that is firmer.

On a plate, top the toast with a slice of cheese. Then slide an egg on top of the cheese. Sprinkle the egg with salt and pepper to your liking. Top with avocado and a few dashes of hot sauce.

Asparagus and Steak Salad with Basil

1 Steak
6 Asparagus Stalks, chopped 
1tsp Olive Oil

2 large handfuls of Lettuce

3 Basil Leaves, sliced

10 Cherry tomatoes

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

1/2 Tbs White Wine Vinegar (or whatever you have. I've also used Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic, Champagne Vinegar, even Apple Cider Vinegar)

1 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil

salt 

pepper


Heat a pan to medium heat.

Season your steak with salt and pepper.  Here is a good guide to cooking your steak to your liking. Steak Cooking Times


Drizzle the pan with about a teaspoon of oil. I usually use olive oil. To save from dirtying many pans, I cook the steak on one side and saute the asparagus on the other side. Saute your asparagus for 7-8 minutes while your steak is cooking. Since I like my steak medium rare, I usually cook one side for 4 minutes and then flip it to the other side to cook for 3-4 minutes. Once the steak and asparagus is cooked, set them aside to rest and cool off for a few minutes.

While the steak cools down, in a bowl mix together the mustard, vinegar and olive oil to make the dressing. Add the lettuce, basil and tomatoes to the dressing. Slice the steak and add the steak and asparagus to the salad.

Single Foodie Tip: Storing Pizza Dough in Individual Size Portions

I make individual thin crust pizza all the time. But when I buy frozen pizza dough it always comes in very large portions. Here's my tip to have ready available small portions, perfect for an individual pizza. I do the same thing when I make pizza dough from scratch.

When you get home from buying the frozen dough, let the dough thaw out on the counter.   

Cut it into individual sizes and roll them into balls. 

Wrap them in Glad Press n Seal so they do not get freezer burn or dry out.  I found this is better than saran wrap or a plastic bag because it seals the air out.

Put them back in the freezer.  When you want pizza, all you have to do is thaw out only the amount of pizza dough you need! 

Spicy Fresh Corn and Goat Cheese Scramble

I love making this protein packed fresh corn scramble for breakfast! It is spicy with sweet pops of fresh corn kernels and tangy goat cheese crumbles. To make this meal low fat and high protein, I use 1 whole egg and 4 egg whites. 

1 Fresh corn ear, corn cut off the cob
5 Eggs, one whole and 4 egg whites

1 Tbsp Jalapenos

1 Tbsp Goat Cheese Crumbles

1 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro, chopped

salt

pepper

non-stick spray

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cut the corn off the cob and set aside. In a bowl beat together the one whole egg and 4 egg whites. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix the corn and jalapenos to the egg mixture. 

Once the skillet is hot, spray with non-stick spray. Add the eggs and constantly stir them with a spatula, making sure to scrap the bottom. This will ensure you have light and fluffy eggs. Once they are cooked, about 5 minutes, stir in the goat cheese and cilantro. 

Healthy Berry Maple Bread Pudding

This recipe for one is actually enough for two, or eat half with ice cream for dessert and the other half for breakfast! I used 1% milk in my recipe and I didn't miss the cream used in traditional bread puddings at all.


2-3 pieces of Bread, torn into pieces
1 Egg
1/2 c. Milk
1 Tbs Maple Syrup
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
8-10 Berries, (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, or cut strawberries)

In a bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Stir in the bread and berries, making sure to coat the bread with the egg mixture. I usually gently press the bread down. Let this sit for an hour on the counter or longer in the fridge. (You can't really mess this recipe up!)

Preheat your oven to 375.

Spray a small baking dish with non-stick spray. I use a 10 oz Pyrex bowl.

Pour in the bread mixture. Bake for 40 minutes.