Tartine-esque panini

2 slices Take and bake Pugliese bread (Trader Joes)
1/4 ounce roquefort cheese
dijon mustard
1 slice Jarlsberg Swiss lite
2 slices rosemary ham (Trader Joes) or 1 ounce thinly sliced ham

Spray 2 sides of bread generously with Olive oil using a misto.  Spread half of the blue cheese on the insides of the bread, then dijon mustard, add ham and swiss cheese alternating.  My method to grill is to place on med-high heat in cast iron for about 5 minutes.  Turn sandwich and press for another 5 minutes, watch to make sure the press stays flat on. 

Perky Iced Americano!

So refreshing!!!

Brew one strong small cup of espresso.  Add a small sprinkle of Turbinado sugar and a teaspoon of Kahlua.  Stir with spoon and stick in freezer to cool down for 10-15 minutes.  Pour over a glass of ice and add water as desired.

Rustic French Tart

Crust:
125 gm Whole Wheat Flour
125 gm flour
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp herbs de Provence
1/4 cup(s) olive oil

Filling:
3 oz low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup(s) broccoli
1 roma tomato
1 Tbsp butter  
2 Chicken apple sausages TJs
2 turkey bacon slices TJ's
2 eggs  
1/4 cup(s) half-and-half cream
Grated fresh nutmeg
 
To make dough, combine 125 grams whole wheat flour, 125 grams flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp herbs de Provence, 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup cold water.  Mix with fork, then knead and roll out on floured surface, then form into your quiche pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Over medium heat melt butter, saute 3 cloves chopped fresh garlic, broccoli.  Sprinkle half of the reduced aged cheddar over bottom of unbaked crust.  Arrange cooked and chopped sweet apple chicken sausages, turkey bacon, and broccoli over cheese.  Combine eggs, cream, the rest of the cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over vegetables and cheese.  Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until center has set.

A bottle of Petit Syrah and you are set!  I only added 2 eggs cause that's all I had!  You really could put whatever filling you'd like in this crust.

Cinnamon Apple Meyer Lemon Caramel Dessert Calzones

In about a TBS of butter, saute 2 peeled apples chopped into small cubes until softened.  Add cinnamon, nutmeg and Lulu's Meyer Lemon caramel sauce, let cool.  Quarter pre-made pizza dough, I used 2 ounce per pie, extras you can make yummy dinner rolls with :)

Roll out on floured board into circle, add filling, fold over and bake at 400 for about 10 minutes, slightly underbaked. Top with ice cream {here shown with Bi-rite Salted Caramel and Brown sugar Ginger swirl.  Have one for breakfast the next morning!

Serves 4

Salmon burgers with orzo salad and watercress

You can use this same recipe for crab and/or shrimp seafood cakes. Serves 4

Coho salmon (TJ's) defrosted and poached for 10 minutes

1/2 cup Kikkoman Bread Crumbs - Panko

chopped celery, onion & fresh parsley

1 beaten egg & egg white

1 ounce grated parmesan

salt & lemon pepper, onion salt, herbs de provence, or any other seasoning you like.

Mix it all together well and saute on each side until golden. Top with mustard crema, made from sour cream, stoneground mustard, fresh lemon juice and chopped parsley. Serve with watercress salad with simple dressing of olive oil, vinegar, brown sugar, salt & pepper, lemon rind and my orzo sun dried tomato goat cheese salad.

Orzo sun-dried tomato & goat cheese salad

I really thought this came out yummy! :) Serves 4 

1/2 cup Harvest grains blend from (TJ's) (Israeli style couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo beans, red quinoa)

1 ounce Silver goat herb cheese (TJ's)
1 tbs garlic mint cheese (www.Bolaniandsauce.com or Whole Foods)

5-6 sun-dried tomatoes (reconsituted, chopped)
fresh Italian parsley, basil and/or mint (chopped)

1 tbs olive oil

salt & pepper

Tips for Increasing Calcium Absorption

Eat foods that are easy for the body to digest.

Eat the biggest meal at mid-day, when the digestive fire is strongest.

Avoid caffeine and refined carbohydrates such as sugar.

Avoid cold or iced drinks, which decrease the digestive fire.

Do a daily warm oil massage (abhyanga). It helps enhance digestion and flush away impurities, and is traditionally known to stimulate bone growth.

Go to bed by 10 p.m. so your body is at rest during its natural purification cycle from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Eat plenty of foods that are high in calcium, such as sesame seeds, green leafy vegetables, walnuts, coconut and coconut milk. 
Warm whole milk is also an excellent calcium-booster, but choose unhomogenized milk for greater absorption. To enhance digestion, drink your milk separate from meals.

Avoid vegetables from the nightshade family, including eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, and yellow, red and green sweet peppers.

Source: www.mapi.com

Salted Caramel Cupcake

This is a variation to my Molten Lava Cake previously posted.

You can make single servings with TJ's No Guilt brownie mix! Mix 2 TBS with 1 TBS nonfat vanilla yogurt. I put mine in a ceramic ramekin, spray with olive oil and in the microwave for 50 seconds and you have a warm delicious treat :)   

 Add half a caramel and a few grains of coarse sea salt (push into the center after baking)

Molten Lava Cake

You can make single servings with TJ's No Guilt brownie mix!

Mix 2 TBS TJ's No Guilt brownie mix with 1 TBS nonfat vanilla yogurt (TJ's). Add one little square of dark chocolate before cooking for a molten lava cake. I put mine in a ceramic ramekin, spray with olive oil and in the microwave for 50 seconds for a warm delicious treat :)

Tip: put your mix in a zip lock baggie and vanilla yogurt in a tupperware.

Phytoestrogen food sources

Alfalfa sprouts

Almonds

anise

apples

barley

Beer

berries

Black beans

Black licorice

Blueberry

bourbon

Bread, rye

Broccoli

Cabbage

carrots

Cashews

Chestnuts

Coffee, decaf

Coffee, regular

Collards

Corn

Dried apricots

dried beans

Dried dates

Dried prunes

fennel

Flax bread

Flax seed

Fruits

Garlic

ginseng

Green beans

Hazel nuts

hops

Hummus

Lentils

Milk, cow

Multigrain bread

Mung bean sprouts

mung beans

oats

Olive oil

Onion

Peaches

Peanuts

Pistachios

pomegranates

Raspberry

rice

ricebran

Sesame seed

Soy bean sprouts

soy beans

soy beverages

Soy milk

Soy yogurt

Strawberry

Sunflower seed

Tea, black

Tea, green

tempeh

Tofu

Walnuts

Watermelon

wheat

wheat germ

Wine, red

Wine, white

Winter squash

yams

Phytoestrogen data source:

Thompson, L. U., Boucher, B. A., Lui, Z., Cotterchio, M., and Kreiger, N. 2006. Phytoestrogen content of foods consumed in Canada, including isoflavones, lignans and coumestan. Nutrition and Cancer, 54(2), 184-201.

Wikipedia

Apple Cranberry Crisp

Recipe by William Cotter-Member of Congress, CT YMCA cookbook 1974. I added fresh cranberries and reduced butter from 1/2 cup. Serves 8

6 apples sliced, peeled & cored

1 cup fresh cranberries

1 cup flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 egg unbeaten

1/2 tsp cinnamon

grated nutmeg

1/3 cup butter, melted

Place apples and cranberries layered in a greased 8x10 pan. Mix dry ingredients plus egg with a fork and place on top of apples, try to mix in a bit with fork. Drizzle butter on top and sprinkle more cinnamon and nutmeg. Bake at 350 for 30-40 min.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Gingered squash

winter squash

Ginger syrup (www.gingerpeople.com)

chopped fresh thyme, oregano, rosemary

butter or ghee

sea salt & cinnamon

Half the squash, cook for 30 min in 400 degree oven face down in an inch of water or until tender. Remove seeds and scoop out into casserole dish, then bake.

Lemon drop

1 ounce vodka or lemon vodka

1/2 ounce limoncello

1/2 fresh lemon

fine sugar on rim of glass & lemon rind curl garnish

Portabello naan open face sandwich

Giant portabello mushroom (grilled on cast iron)

Masala Naan curry (TJ's) cut in half & warmed on cast iron skilled

eggplant hummus

jalapeno pepper jelly (bolaniandsauce.com or whole foods)

rocket arugula

garnish with heirloom cherry tomatoes & sea salt

Dutch yellow baby potato salad

This is my classic recipe, I like it served up warm or cold. Serves 4

1 lb baby dutch yellow potatoes halfed (boil approx. 1/2 hour)

celery, red onion, fresh parsley & cornichons (chopped)

1 TBS olive oil & splash vinegar

sweet relish

Salt & pepper, red pepper flakes, lemon pepper, dill, tarragon or any herbs you like

Rangpur Tanquery tonic

1 ounce Rangpur Tanquery {botanicals & rangpur lime essence}

Q tonic

fresh lime