Summer Veggie Salad with Balsamic, Feta, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Pecans

About two weeks ago the roomie and I volunteered at Johnson's Backyard Garden in Denton. The original Johnson's Backyard Garden is in Austin, TX, but they've partnered with Earthwise Produce in Denton to start a location in the DFW area. I am so thankful, because one of the volunteering perks is that you receive a free workshare of produce. You sign up for a four-hour shift during the weekday (either 8a-12p or 4p-8p for the summertime), help out in the garden and/or the Earthwise Produce shop, and then the following week you can pick up your workshare on Thursday or Friday. The workshare is very generous-it is the medium CSA box that you see on the website. We were thrilled to get our veggies, and it was a lot of fun meeting new people.  One of the girls we met actually works at one of the companies my organization partners with! Small world. :-) 

One of the garden plots. We picked the basil here!

One of the things we did while volunteering was pick basil, and I was so impressed with how fragrant the basil was. We had to cut the blossoms off of the basil plants, and also cut the leaves that were ready for picking. The next day my right arm was sore from cutting the plants. Who knew! We also got to hear firsthand what it's like running the garden from the guy in charge, Ryan Crocker. He was super friendly and laid back. We are going to try to volunteer again this month. It's a little hard for us to volunteer, because you can only volunteer during the weekdays, so we have to wait until we have off on a Friday or a half day. Since the roomie is off Fridays and I have half-days until the end of July, we've decided to volunteer again. And I plan to go back on holidays that I am off of work. It was such a cool experience.

All that to say, we got a ton of veggies and I looked around the JBG website for recipes using the produce. I made a salad yesterday (which will be our lunch for the next several days), their Summer Veggies with Pecans, Feta, and Balsamic Vinegar. The recipe is great, and is really a starting point. There aren't measurements for the pecans, feta, or balsamic vinegar, so you can play around with it to your liking. I swapped out some of the veggies for others, and decided on some set measurements for my salad. I am so pleased with this recipe. The veggies are crisp-tender and juicy. The feta and sun-dried tomato are rich and add a salty bite. The balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and garlic make a zesty dressing, and the pecans add a slight nutty sweetness. Yum! 


Summer Veggie Salad with Balsamic, Feta, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Pecans
Adapted from Johnson's Backyard Garden
Serves 4

1 large pattypan squash, de-seeded and sliced
2 small purple bell peppers, de-seeded, piths removed, and sliced
3 long green sweet bell peppers, de-seeded, piths removed, and sliced
2 long red sweet bell peppers, de-seeded, piths removed, and sliced

1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
4 oz crumbled feta cheese
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Dressing:
2 tspns balsamic vinegar
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
Sprinkle of salt and pepper

~ In an extra large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. When oil is shimmering, add the veggies. Stir frequently, making sure all sides of veggies touch the bottom of the pan and get a little browning. Let cook 5 minutes. 
~ While veggies cook, combine dressing ingredients and set aside. 
~ Remove veggies to a large glass bowl. Let cool to room temperature, about 20-30 minutes. 
~ Add dressing, pecans, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta cheese. Toss gently, being sure to coat all of the ingredients in the dressing. Serve at room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator if you prefer to eat it cold.
~ Enjoy your veggies! :-) 

~Lex

Low-Carb Chicken Parmesan

What could possibly be better than a thin, juicy chicken breast, crisply crusted, and then spread with marinara sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese? If you guessed almost nothing, you are absolutely correct. 

This was last night's dinner. It does take some time to "bread" all of the cutlets, but if you're only cooking for one or two the prep time can be reduced significantly. I served these atop some spiralized summer squash, but this can be served on its own with a colorful salad.

Low-Carb Chicken Parmesan
Serves 5 (2 each) or 10 (1 each)

5 large chicken breasts, halved lengthwise and pounded to a 1/4 inch thickness
2 large eggs, beaten
4 cups plain ground pork rinds (be sure to get the ones without added salt or preservatives)
1 tspn salt
1 tspn ground black pepper
8 oz block mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 1/4 cups marinara sauce ( I made Giada's and added 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves and 1/2 bunch fresh parsley, chopped before simmering)
2/3 cup coconut oil, divided

~ Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. This'll keep the chicken warm and crispy as you cook through the batches. Have a large baking sheet ready for the cooked chicken. 
~ Prepare your dipping station. Add the eggs to a shallow dish or bowl; add ground pork rinds to another shallow dish or bowl. Have a baking sheet with the unbreaded chicken and a baking sheet ready for the breaded chicken. (I know it sounds like a lot, but this'll help cooking the chicken in batches go a lot smoother)
~ Dip a chicken breast (both sides) in the egg, let excess drip off. Immediately dip both sides in the ground pork rinds. Let excess crumble off.  
~ Repeat above step with remaining chicken breasts. 
~Heat an extra large skillet over medium heat and add 1/3 cup coconut oil. When oil is shimmering, add in 4 coated chicken breasts. Cook until golden brown and edges are cooked, about 3 or 4 minutes. Carefully turn over and cook another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove chicken to baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm.
~Add in the remaining 1/3 cup coconut oil, swirl it around the pan, and add 4 more coated chicken breasts. Cook and remove, then add the last 2 coated chicken breasts, cook and remove.
~ Spoon 2 tbsp of warmed marinara sauce over each chicken breast. Top with 2 tbsp shredded cheese (or more if you like it cheesier) and put under the broiler. Watch carefully at this point. It'll take only a few minutes for the cheese to melt and get bubbly. I personally like a little golden-brownness on my cheese, but if you don't take the chicken out when the cheese is melted to your liking. 
~ Enjoy!

What's your favorite way to eat chicken parmesan? 

~Lex

Leftover "Lexi-quiles"

My mom makes the best chilaquiles. She uses bottled verde sauce, tons of tortillas, eggs, and Chihuahua cheese to create the most sumptuous chilaquiles ever. As if that wasn't enough, she grills seasoned arrachera (skirt steak) and serves that alongside the eggy casserole. 


As you know, my culinary inspirations can be far and few between. I can be hesitant to experiment. But this morning, with only a few hours away from lunch and nothing in my empty belly, I wanted to make more than just sunny-side up eggs. I had some leftover lunchmeat and cheese in the fridge, and I thought, maybe, just maybe, I could transform the roast beef and smoked cheddar cheese into a mex breakfast dish. 


The tortillas crisped beautifully, and the beef sauteed deliciously...then I added my "red sauce" and the end result almost resembled vomit. I was so disappointed. Until I took the first bite. It was soooo good. I am so glad that, although food should always look visually appealing, that even when it becomes a visual disaster, it can still have good flavor and texture, which was what I had when I ate my leftover Lexiquiles. Ready to try? Go for it, the recipe is below. :-)


Leftover Lexi-quiles
Serves 4


- 3 slices roast beef lunch meat, chopped and sprinkled with 1/2 t salt, 1/2 t red chile powder, 1/2 t cumin, and 1/4 t ground pepper
- 4 slices smoked sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 of  large jalapeño, diced (keep seeds if you like it hot!)
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 7 corn tortillas, quartered
- 1/3 cup veggie or canola oil
- 4 eggs, slightly beaten
- Lexi's Red Sauce: 1/4 cup each Tapatio's Hot Sauce, 1/4 cup tomato sauce, 1/4 cup salsa of your choice

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas in batches, then drain on paper-towel lined plate. 
2. In same skillet add onions and jalapeños. Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add beef, cook 3 minutes more, stirring often.
4. Add eggs and tortillas, stirring often, but gently. It may seem hard at first, and some of your tortillas will chip, but don't worry, keep on stirring!
5. Once the eggs have firmed (it will seem that you have pieces of scrambled egg throughout the skillet), add Red Sauce mixture. Cook, stirring, until heated through, about 3 minutes more. 
6. Place cheese slices on top. Let sit 2 minutes, and the cheese will melt. 
7. Serve and chow down. Ole! 

Mesquite Turkey Skillet

I'm one of those people who thrives on following rules. In those rare moments when I have a stroke of culinary genius---or, just the ability to adapt or add to a recipe I have already used, I become giddy. This egg skillet is one of those moments. I used no recipe here--yay me!

Mesquite Turkey Skillet
Serves 6, 1 egg each, or 3, 2 eggs each, or 2--3 eggs each! :-)


4 thin slices mesquite smoked turkey breast (deli lunchmeat)
6 eggs
2 large vine tomatoes, chopped
1 small jalapeño, diced (keep seeds if you like it spicy)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T dried parsley
1 medium baking potato, peeled and diced small
2 slices deli mozzarella cheese, torn into pieces
Salt and black pepper to taste
Sprinkle of Emeril's Bayou Blast (or your favorite cajun seasoning, ~1 tspn)
Sprinkle of smoked paprika
2 T plus 1 T olive oil

1. Heat 2 T olive oil in ovenproof skillet on medium-high heat. Add garlic, potato, onion, and green onion. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Add seasonings, stir. Add turkey and jalapeño. Cook 2 minutes more. Make well in center of mixture and 1 more T olive oil. Throw in tomatoes and cook 5 more minutes. Turn off heat. 
3. Crack eggs on top of skillet mix (think sunny-side up eggs). Sprinkle with black pepper. 
4. Place in oven for 5-7 minutes, or until the whites of the eggs are set (no longer clear or jiggly) and not runny-looking. 
5. Feast or share and above all else, enjoy! :-)

Me Encanta Empanadas! Cheesy Chorizo Empanadas

I do, oh boy, I really do. Last year at my Dad's I was on an empanada craze, making every kind  I could think of after dabbling in Daisy Martinez's Morning, Noon and Night Latin cookbook. Basically you can make an empanada with any filling so long as it isn't too wet. What I love about these filled pastries is that they are so versatile. The dough itself varies from culture to culture. There is the flour-based pastellilo, from Puerto Rico, there is the masa-harina based empanada from Colombia, and there are the yeasty Salteñas from Bolivia. And as far as those fillings....they run the gamut! Guava and cheese, chicken, pork, corn, bacon and shrimp, and the list goes on...


Recently I have been doin' a fridge cleanup, so basically, I am trying to create meals with what's leftover in the fridge...and cabinets. I had a frozen link of chorizo mexicano, a half chunk of mozzarella, and wonton wrappers. I felt itty bitty empanadas were in line. According to Mr. Raichlen, one of the easiest ways to cut the fat from an empanada is to change the dough. Using wonton wrappers, you can cut back on the fat (regular dough often has lard or butter in it and ends up being deep fried)--these little babies can be baked instead of fried!


About my inspiration for these empanadas...when I was little, my cousin Nena and her boyfriend worked at a Mexican restaurant that served this amazing appetizer of chorizo topped with rich, melted cheese. You dipped tortilla chips into it--it was wondrous. In honor of this memory I decided to make these Cheesy Chorizo Empanadas. :-)