Grilled Cod Fish & Spinach Salad with Warm Vinaigrette Dressing

 

  Grilled Cod Fish

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. cod fish
• 2-3 fresh, large basil leaves, chopped
• 1 lemon
• sea salt
• white pepper
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• cooking oil spray

Directions:

1. Spray grill pan with cooking oil spray.
2. Thinly slice lemons and arrange on grill pan.
3. Arrange cod fish on top of lemons.
4. Baste fish with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, basil and crushed garlic.
5. Cook on a preheated medium-high grill for about 10 minutes per inch of thickness.

Spinach Salad with Warm Vinaigrette Dressing 

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. organic spinach
• 2 hard boiled eggs
• 4 slices Oscar Mayer turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled
• warm vinaigrette dressing (see below)

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. Truvia
• 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:  

1. Wash spinach and remove stems; place leaves in individual salad bowls.
2. Chop eggs into small pieces and arrange on top of spinach leaves.
3. Add crumbled bacon to salad bowls.
4. Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl and heat until warm.  Pour warm dressing over spinach salad and serve.

Enjoy!
 

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Signs of the Times

For the last several months, quite a bit of buzz surrounded some billboards that were popping up all over the US.  The billboards, initiated by Harold Camping, a radio preacher in Oakland, California, claimed that May 21 was judgement day. 

On May 22, social media, television and radio talk shows were lit up with jokes about Camping's failed prediction.   The above billboard photo also circulated around the Internet in Christian circles, as many already know what the Bible says about us not knowing the day or the hour.  

In the days that followed, several dangerous tornadoes swept across the U.S., killing hundreds and wiping out homes and businesses in many towns.  One such town, Joplin, MO, was hit particularly hard, killing 135 people and destroying much of the town.

I was awestruck by the photo below, which had been posted on the Joplin Globe website:

 

The caption on the photo read "This strange formation was formed by the tornado's winds in the parking lot of the Walmart at Fifteenth Street and Range Line Road in Joplin, MO after the tornado hit on Sunday night, May 22, 2011." 

Perhaps too much attention is being paid to the wrong signs.

 

Fresh Corn Salad

  
Ah, the lazy, hazy days of summer are finally upon us here in the northeast!  It's warmed up considerably this week. As I was sitting out on the back deck one afternoon, thumbing this month's Better Homes and Gardens magazine, I found this recipe.  Since I had corn on the cob in the fridge, I thought I'd try it.  In addition to the ingredients listed, I added a chopped roasted red pepper.  It was yummy served with grilled chicken.

Ingredients:

•  6 ears corn, shucked
•  6 fresh tomatoes, chopped
•  2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped
•  2 green onions, chopped
•  1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
•  1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped*
•  1/4 cup chopped cilantro
•  4 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
•  3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat grill to medium-high. Brush corn with a little olive oil. Grill corn until lightly browned, turning often to cook evenly; cool. When cool enough to handle, cut corn from cobs.
2. Toss corn with tomatoes, cucumbers, green onions, pepper, jalapeño, cilantro, vinegar, and the 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss and marinate at least 2 hours in the refrigerator before serving. Bring to room temperature to serve. Makes 8 servings.

*Hot chile peppers, such as jalapeños, contain oils that can burn skin and eyes. Avoid direct contact as much as possible. Wear plastic gloves. If using bare hands, wash hands well with soap and water. 


Enjoy!

Healthy Sautéed Chicken & Asparagus

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 medium cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
• 3  boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces 
• 3 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. cider vinegar
• pinch crushed red pepper
• salt and white pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cut onion and mince garlic and let both rest for at least 5 minutes to bring out their hidden health benefits.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Sauté onion in olive oil for about 2 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.
3. Add ginger, garlic, chicken, and continue to sauté for another 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Add asparagus, soy sauce, vinegar, and crushed red pepper. Stir together and cover. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, or until asparagus is tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
5. Serve over couscous or organic brown rice.

Enjoy!

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Opening the Pool

The weather here has finally cleared up, after a full week of rain!  It's nice to finally see the sun shining, as today we are working on opening up our above-ground pool for the season. Starting  the task now will give us a week to get the chemicals balanced for safe swimming on Memorial Day weekend.  

My husband has just begun the usual task of dragging out the filter system and pool ladder from the garage and assembling everything.   While that is going on, the water that has collected on the pool cover is draining via a small pump and hose.  This task may take some time, due to the heavy rain we had this week.

Once everything is in place and there is no water left on the pool cover, it will be time to remove it.   This is usually a four-person job and is always a challenge to do without having any pine needles and debris falling into the pool. 

After the cover is off, my husband will fill the pool to the top with water and then will vacuum it. I don't know how he manages to do this standing on the pool wall without falling in; my balance just isn't that good!

Prior to adding any chemicals to the pool water, my husband will test the water. Using  test strips, he will check the total alkalinity, pH range, water hardness, and conditioner levels and add whatever is necessary to balance it.  Once the pool water is balanced, he can add the chlorine shock.  After a day or so, the water will need to be tested again and if necessary, more chlorine shock will be added .  Once testing shows there is residual chlorine, it will be safe to swim in the water.  

 
Meanwhile, I see that our floating lounge chairs are looking pretty tattered and will need replacing.  Later on, I will look for a couple of new ones online. 

I am really looking forward to being able to float around in a lounge chair in the pool, sipping lemonade and reading a good book or thumbing through the latest decorating magazine.  

Thanks for stopping by!

The Health Benefits of Cilantro

Cilantro  is an amazing herb with many health benefits.  A good source of iron, magnesium and dietary fiber, it is rich in beneficial phytonutrients, including carvone, geraniol, limonene, borneol, camphor,elemol, and linalool. Cilantro's flavonoids include quercitin, kaempferol, rhamnetin, and epigenin. It also contains active phenolic acid compounds, including caffeic and chlorogenic acid.  

Cilantro helps to remove heavy metal toxins in the body and has natural anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.  It has also been shown to lower blood sugar and LDL (bad) cholesterol, while raising HDL (good) cholesterol.

There are many ways to enjoy cilantro.  Here is a healthy, satisfying recipe using cilantro:

Quinoa with Cilantro Pesto

• 1 cup red or black quinoa, rinsed
• 2 cups water
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
•  cilantro pesto (recipe below)

Directions:

Bring quinoa and water to a boil.  Add a pinch of sea salt, lower flame to simmer, cover and cook for 12-15 minutes.  Add chopped tomato and toss with 1/4 cup cilantro pesto.

Cilantro Pesto

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 clove garlic
• 6 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth.


Enjoy!

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Critter-Proof Vegetable Garden

Our biggest challenge growing vegetables in recent years has been attempting to deter garden pests, namely a woodchuck, some rabbits and turkey vultures.  It's frustrating when you work hard planting and maintaining a garden, only to have it eaten by critters, as you can see in the above photo. However, I think we've finally come up with a way to critter-proof our garden.  

As I said in an earlier post, we had dinner at the home of some friends and were were quite impressed with their raised garden setup.   The base was made up of two rows of cinder blocks topped off with a row of capstones.   We decided to use this method for our own vegetable garden this year.

 

Once the materials were delivered by Home Depot, my husband assembled the cinder block base in the corner of the yard which is closer to the house than the old garden was.  

 He also had 4 cubic yards of 50/50 top soil delivered and added it to the raised bed.  

 

Once the soil was in place, we covered it with weed blocking material.   This will help to cut down on weeding during the season.

 

I was excited when I found Burpee vegetable and herb plants at our local Stop & Shop grocery store for only $1.99 a plant!  We bought tomato, pepper, eggplant, cucumber, zucchini, pumpkin, and cilantro plants. We set the plants where they would be planted in the garden and cut large crosses in the weed block fabric using a utility knife where each plant was to be planted. 

Once the vegetable plants were in the ground, my husband covered the weed block fabric with approximately 1-2 inches of soil.  

 

We then made 4 hoops using 10-foot 1/2 PVC piping by bending them to shape and attached each end to a 1/2 inch PVC stake, before inserting them into the soil.   

 

The final step was to add  bird netting over the hoops.  We secured the netting by inserting the edges underneath the capstones.   

The nice thing about our garden setup is we can replace the netting with clear plastic sheeting and extend the gardening season.  We can also plant early next spring using this method.   

I can't wait to grill fresh vegetables out on the back deck!

My husband also assembled the new compost tumbler.  He's flexing his muscles in the photo with good reason; it was no easy task putting it together.  He is definitely my hero!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Simplifying

With each passing year, I have become more determined to simplify my life. Not long ago, I was talking with a friend.  We were recounting the times we have bought clothing and shoes. After wearing the items, we were no longer happy with them, because either they were uncomfortable, or after washing them,  they required a significant amount of ironing.  Those items ended up in the back of our closets, never to be worn again.  Why do we hang onto these things anyway?

 

As part of my ongoing effort to simplify, I recently cleaned out two closets in our bedroom, and the attic crawl space in my office, all of which were filled with clothing.   I am embarrassed to say one of the closets had suits from the 90's.  What was I thinking hanging onto them?  I ended up with 5 trash bags full of clothing and barely-worn shoes to donate to a local charitable organization.  I will make sure to get a receipt, so we can write the donation off this year's tax return.

Now my clothing closets are more manageable.  I can use one for spring and summer clothing, and the other for fall and winter clothing.  This is great, because I don't have to worry about bringing out my clothing seasonally.   And, everything is organized, including the belts, scarves and shoes, so I can easily coordinate outfits. 

Now I'm on the hunt for a good jewelry rack.  If I can't find something suitable, I may try to make one.  I welcome any ideas. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Rising Gas Prices

For the most part, I try to stay away from discussing anything of a political nature on this blog.  However, I was watching CBS Morning News this morning,  specifically, the Town Hall Meeting with President Obama during the last hour.  One of the first questions by a participant pertained to the rising gas prices.

 Here is a clip of the question and President Obama's response:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7kY3zpVK_A  

After watching this, I feel compelled to share my thoughts.   First of all, it's hard for me to believe the increase in gas prices is the result of the growing economy and an increased worldwide demand for oil, or because of what is going on in Libya. So, I guess the five biggest oil companies making a total profit of nearly $1 trillion over the last ten years must just be a coincidence then. 

Also, President Obama believes the reason people aren't spending money is  because it cost more to drive to work, and this, in turn, has affected consumer confidence.  He further believes because consumer confidence is low, people are afraid to spend money like they normally would. 
 
The truth is, most Americans just don't have any extra money to spend.  Rising gas and oil prices have had a domino effect on the entire economy, raising the price of everything, including food and most goods/services.  Americans are being squeezed financially from every direction, while the oil companies continue to make record profits.   So, why then, does our government continue to reward oil companies with tax credits and subsidies while Americans are struggling just to make ends meet?