Vegetarian Salad Nicoise

The best time to make this salad recipes is in the spring when most of the ingredients are in season. This vegetarian version of salad nicoise is made with potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, fiddleheads, asparagus, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, green onions, and wild garlic-mustard greens. The salad is dressed in tangy mustard vinaigrette made with virgin olive oil, cider vinegar, Dijon style mustard, tamari, and clove garlic. This crisp and refreshing salad is satisfying enough to be enjoyed as a light meal if you are on a diet. It contains protein, starches, vitamins, minerals and nutrients to supply you with substantial energy.

Ingredients

For the Salad:
1 lb small fiddleheads and/or asparagus
6 baby potatoes OR 1 large potato, peeled
6 hard-boiled eggs
6 hothouse cocktail tomatoes
½ cup crumbled walnuts, pumpkin seeds and/or sunflower seeds
6 green onions OR one small yellow onion, diced
2 handfuls wild garlic-mustard greens (small leaves only)
For the Dressing:
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp grainy (Dijon Style) mustard
1 tsp tamari
1 clove garlic (wild, if possible), minced

Preparation:

1. Pick over the fiddleheads, removing as much of the papery skin as possible and discarding any greens that are more than 2 inches long. If using asparagus, wash and chop it into two-inch lengths. Steam the fiddleheads and/or asparagus in a steamer/basket for 15 minutes, or until brightly colored.

2. Meanwhile, shell the eggs and quarter them. Slice the cocktail tomatoes into quarters.

3. In a bowl, mix the olive oil, cider vinegar, mustard, tamari, and garlic to make the dressing.

4. In a large skillet, combine the fiddleheads/asparagus, onion, potatoes, nuts, seeds, and dressing. Sauté the mixture until onions are translucent.

5. Spoon the asparagus/fiddleheads mixture, hot, onto beds of mustard greens, and top with the hard boiled eggs and the cocktail tomatoes. Serve with the dressing and enjoy.

Wild Rice Pilaf

Cooking wild rice is very similar to cooking regular white rice although it takes a little longer to cook. In this healthy recipes, wild rice is cooked in vegetable broth until tender and combined with sautéed mushrooms, garlic, walnuts, and sunflower seeds seasoned with savory, sage, and thyme. The wild rice dish is garnished with cored and diced apples and dried cranberries for an ultra-delicious and healthy vegetarian meal. For even better results, use wild mushrooms to flavor the rice.





Ingredients

2 cups wild rice
4 cups vegetable broth (NOTE: you do not want the “low sodium” variety)
2 tbsp cooking oil (you can use butter if you want)
2 cups assorted mushrooms, chopped/diced
2+ cloves garlic, minced
½ cup crumbled walnuts
½ cup sunflower seeds and/or pumpkin seeds
1 tsp each (dried): sage, savory, thyme
2 apples (suggested: MacIntosh or Cortland), cored and diced
½ c dried cranberries (sweetened)

Preparation Instructions

Rinse wild rice in a sieve to get rid of the tannins (rinse it two or three times). In a sauce pan, cook the wild rice in the broth (45 minutes – 1 hour).

Meanwhile, melt the butter (or heat the oil) in a deep cast iron (or non-stick) skillet and saute (low heat) the diced mushrooms with the walnuts, sunflower and/or pumpkin seeds, minced garlic, and herbs until mushrooms are cooked through and the nuts and seeds are beginning to soften.

When both rice and vegetables are done, put them together in a serving dish, tossing to mix. Add the chopped apples and the dried cranberries and toss again.

Serve and enjoy.

Smoked Salmon And Goat Cheese Omelet

How to make a smoked salmon and goat cheese omelet breakfast recipes. One can always be innovative when it comes to make omelet. There are variety of things that you can experiment with and personalize this amazing breakfast preparation.

Ingredients
3 eggs Salt Pepper

1-2 ounces of smoked salmon

1-2 ounces of goat cheese

Preparation:
1. Combine the eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix.

2. Place the egg mixture in a pan on the stove and start cooking.

3. Add the goat cheese and smoked salmon and fold the omelet. Plate and serve.

Healthy Organic Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Baked chicken breasts don’t need to be bland even if they are skinless and boneless. In this recipe adapted from the Columbus Dispatch, organic chicken breasts are given the royal treatment and stuffed with three kinds of cheese including low-fat organic Swiss cheese, low-fat organic ricotta cheese, and low-fat organic Parmesan cheese, along with spinach, garlic, onions, black pepper, and nutmeg for added flavor. And to make it even more gourmet, the stuffed chicken breasts are rubbed with a mixture of olive oil and spices including dried thyme, dried oregano, and paprika. Serve this with salad recipes for a healthy and light meat or with baked potatoes for a satisfying lunch or dinner feast.

Ingredients

2 pkg. (10 oz. each) frozen chopped organic spinach, thawed
1 cup shredded low-fat organic Swiss cheese
3/4 cup low-fat organic ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated low-fat organic Parmesan cheese
1 clove organic garlic, minced
3 tbsp. organic white onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. course ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
6 boneless, organic skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. organic dried thyme
1/2 tsp. organic dried oregano

Preparation:

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 15 X 10-inch baking pan by lightly greasing or spraying lightly with cooking spray.

2. Squeeze moisture from spinach. Put in a large bowl, along with the cheeses, garlic, onion, pepper and nutmeg. Stir to combine.
3. Cut a slit lengthwise through the center of each chicken breast to form a pocket. Stuff each chicken breast with the spinach mixture. Place chicken pieces in baking pan.
4. In a small bowl, combine oil and remaining spices. Brush mixture over chicken breasts.
5. Bake, uncovered, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until meat is cooked through.

Grilled Flank Steak

A lean cut of beef, which is not actually a steak but is the belly muscle of the cow, flank steak is flavorful but can be quite tough because of the muscles contained in it. One of the best methods to make the meat tender is to marinade it for twelve hours and then cook it quickly on high heat. In this simple gourmet healthy recipes, flank steak is marinated in olive oil, low-sodium soy sauce, white vinegar, honey, garlic powder, ginger, and green onions. The result is a flavorful dish that is subtly sweet, salty, with a hint of zest and spice. Serve this on top of rice or noodles. This also goes great with vegetables and potatoes.

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp. white vinegar
3 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1 cup chopped green onions
2-2 1/2-lb. flank steak

Preparation:

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients except the onions and steak. Add onion and stir in.
2. Place steak in a shallow dish. Pour marinade over steak, turning once to coat.
3. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours, turning occasionally. When ready to grill, drain liquid and discard marinade.
4. Place steak on preheated medium grill. Cook about 5 minutes on each side, or until done.
5. Remove from grill and let stand for 5 minutes. Slice into thin strips cut diagonally across the grain. Serve.