Seven-Grain Salad with Roasted Pepper, Feta, and a Mustard Dressing

Do you like grains?

Part of my "Eat Well 2013" motto is to incorporate more whole grains in my diet.  How about you? Are you on the whole grain train? 

I've found that there are a lot of grains that I'm unfamiliar with such as faro, buckwheat, and spelt to name a few.  They are just items not really found in our southern diet growing up.  Over the past year though I've dabbled in the cooking of grains.  I've taken grain courses to learn about the different types and their benefits.  We've cooked them and discovered a world of grains other than "rice"!  These edible seeds of cultivated grasses and other plants are a great source of carbs, fiber, protein, and many other nutrients.  Hence, they are good for you!  Quinoa was one of the first grains I fell in love with.  Here are some great recipes I made that you may like featuring quinoa. 

Quinoa Salad with Dried Cranberries and Pecans

Veggie Gyro Salad

Black Bean, Corn and Quinoa Salad

 

Now I've been dabbling with a mix of seven grains.  Grains that are blended into a pilaf style mixture.  Shopping at Whole Foods, I found several wonderful blends of seven-grain pilafs.  One from Kashi, and the other from Seeds of Change.  They include wonderful grains such as long grain brown rice, barley, rye, bulgar, red winter wheat, quinoa, and wild rice. They are easy to make and wonderful as a side dish, or in place of rice in a Asian or Mediterranean meal. 

I've used them in a salad today.  Wonderful flavors of roasted pepper, tomatoes, mint, and feta.  This salad is going to knock your socks off.  The nutty grain flavors are the perfect base for this feast!

So be a little adventurous in 2013 and hop on the whole grain train.  It's a great way to change up the same ole', same old....

Eat Well 2013!

 
Seven-Grain Salad with Roasted Pepper, Feta, and a Mustard Dressing
adapted from BHG

serves 4-6

1 1/2 c seven-grain pilaf mix
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 t lemon peel
3 T lemon juice
1 T coarse ground brown mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t cumin
salt & pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 large cucumber, chopped
1/3 c chopped roasted red peppers
2 T chopped mint
2 T chopped parsley
1/3 c feta cheese, crumbled

Cook pilaf according to package directions.  Cool.

For the dressing, take a covered jar and add the olive oil, lemon peel, lemon juice, brown mustard, garlic, cumin and salt & pepper.  Shake well to incorporate all ingredients.

For a deconstructed salad:  In a large bowl, place cooked pilaf mix, tomatoes, cucumber, roasted red peppers each in their own place .  Top with mint, parsley, and feta cheese.  Serve with dressing.

For a tossed salad:  Place pilaf mix, and all vegetables in the bowl.  Top with mint and parsley.  Toss salad, and sprinkle with feta cheese.  Drizzle the dressing and toss to coat.  Serve.

Dinner Menus plus Caribbean Corn and Zucchini Saute

I've been away for a few days caring for my mom in Tennessee prior to some serious surgery she is having at the end of the week.

On top of the medical issues she's caught that nasty flu that most of the states (except mine and Alabama) has an epidemic with these days.  Needless to say the flu takes a toll on you and is hard to get over.  Especially for the elderly.  My mom is 84 and still full of vim and vigor....but this has definitely affected her appetite!  I think a bird eats more than she does. 

Not eating equates to losing weight.  At 100 pounds she doesn't need to do that.  So to get her stronger before the surgery I decided to fatten her up a bit with some good dinners.

These are nice rounded meals that you and your whole family will enjoy.  Some items I've posted before and some are new. 

Hope you enjoy these meal ideas as much as my mom did!  She complained of being so "stuffed"...I'm sure she gained a few pounds back!

Dinner Menu #1

Theme:  The Islands

Main:  Chili Lime Spiced Pork Tenderloin  (make the pork from this salad, Pork Tenderloin, Pear, and Glazed Walnut Salad)
Side:   Caribbean Corn and Zucchini Saute  (*recipe below*)
Side:   Spring Greens salad with homemade Ranch dressing  (made from my Creamy Ranch Slaw)
Starch:  Hot Roll

Dinner Menu #2

Theme:  A little bit of Italy

Main:  Chicken Marsala
Side:   Mini Bowtie pasta
Side   Spring Greens salad with homemade Ranch dressing 
Starch:  Hot Roll

(looks like someone already ate the roll!)

Dinner Menu #3

Theme:  Down home

Main:  Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy
Side:  Green Beans
Starch:  Mashed Potatoes




Cute idea for the hot rolls.  We took Brigford frozen bread rolls and place two rolls into each muffin cavity.  Allowed them to thaw and rise for a couple of hours and then back them at 375 degrees for about 12 minutes.  The result is as you see in the picture, you get a big puffy roll, similar to a cloverleaf roll.  The dough pieces will form together as they rise.  Such a pretty and easy roll!



I hope you enjoy these dinner menus, and try a couple this week!

This corn saute is wonderful....!

Caribbean Corn and Zucchini Saute

serves 4

3 T butter
1 whole zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced
1 pkg of frozen sweet corn
1 T Mrs. Dash Caribbean Citrus blend

In a non-stick skillet over medium heat add the butter and allow to melt.  Add the zucchini stirring and tossing until lightly brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the corn and sprinkle the Caribbean Citrus blend over the mixture.  Stir to blend, and allow to cook stirring occasionally until corn is toasted, about 5 minutes.  Serve hot.

Ebelskivers and a Product Review

It's weekend breakfast time and I'm so excited!

The other day I purchased a specialty pan.  I don't typically do that since I don't like to have all these pans to store that only do a certain function.  But I couldn't help myself you see. Cause I love breakfast....

This pan is the cutest pan and it makes...wait for it...Ebelskivers!  What is an Ebelskiver you say?  Originated in Denmark, it a light fluffy pancake that can be filled with fruit, chocolate, jam or cheese and served for breakfast or as an appetizer, dessert or light supper.  They are round little puffs of pancake heaven with a surprise filling inside. OMG!  Right up my alley.  So you can see why I bit the bullet and bought this specialty pan.  Here is the pan I use.

Now, I cheated a little bit, and here is where the product review comes in.  While I was at a "healthy" cooking class as Williams-Sonoma the other day I picked up some Ebelskiver Pancake Mix. (what happened to the healthy?)  Just so I could get me hands around making them and the technique; experimenting with flavors etc.  It's okay to use some help don't you think?  In fact these little babies are not that bad for you depending upon what you put in side.  So okay, I'm counting this as my little treat on my Eat Well quest for 2013.

You can purchase the Ebelskiver Pancake Mix here.   You just need to add milk, butter and egg yolks, and fold in whipped egg whites to give the batter its signature lightness.   I've also included a from scratch recipe so you can make you own if you choose to do so.

So off to the kitchen I went.  I'm on a mission to make some yummy goodness for breakfast. I decide on a filling of Nutella.  What's better than biting into hot gooey chocolate.  This would be my first choice.  I prep all my ingredients, whip the egg whites.  Prep the pan with a little melted butter and I'm off cooking, filling, turning these cute little balls of pancakes. Then I can't wait.  I take my first bite.......oh my goodness!  MMMnnn.  That all I could say. Biting into a wonderful, slightly sweet pancake that was light as air.  And then the melted chocolate.  HEAVEN just as I thought and hoped it would be.  These did not disappoint.

Now I made a 1/2 batch to start which gave me 11 Ebelskivers.  I ate three of them....okay four of them myself.  So that is a good measurement on serving size when you make them. No syrup necessary, I just sprinkled some powdered sugar over the top and Voila!   See how cute these came out.  The chocolate really does make my mouth water.  Just saying!

Next up will be to experiment   I love these!  I'm thinking savory, like cheese, or taco meat, or sauteed mushrooms.  How about dessert?  smores, jam, or apples?  Oh boy, I'm in trouble.  I have to space these out!

I hope you try these wonderful pancakes.  They are fun to make, cute to look at, and the variations are endless.

Enjoy!

Ebelskivers

Makes 21 pancakes:  4-7 servings

1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 t sugar
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
2 large eggs, separated
1 c milk
3 T unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
desired filling (chocolate spread, jam, cheese etc)
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

In a large bowl add flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  In a small bowl whisk the egg yolks, milk and 2 tablespoons of the melted butter.  Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until well blended.  The batter should be lumpy.

In a clean small bowl using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry, peaks form.  Fold egg whites into the batter lightly, just until you don't see any white streaks.

Add 1/4 t of melted butter to each well of the ebelskiver pan and heat over medium heat until butter bubbles.  Add 1 tablespoon of batter to each well.  Add 1 teaspoon of filling if desired.  Top with another tablespoon of batter.  Cook about 3 minutes until bottoms of pancakes are golden brown.  Use 2 wooden skewers to turn the pancakes and cook about 2-3 minutes on the other side.

Transfer finished pancakes to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat making the other batches of pancakes. When complete dust the pancakes with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately.