Leftover Surprise

About once a month...or so....I open the refrigerator with a mission....to create a meal from what's in there.... only. Doesn't it seem like things just accumulate? Remnants of the last recipe you cooked, partial meals, fruits, veggies & herbs that appear to need using within the next 15 minutes or it's over. Today was that day for me.

The mission: Use the food in my fridge & pantry and create a delicious, healthy & interesting meal

The contents: Uncooked sweet potatos, oranges, about 1/3 of a rotisserie chicken, 3/ 4 of a purple onion, 4 small heads of wilted Napa Cabbage, 1 wilted bunch of Red Russian Kale, some shallots, 6 strawberries (I mentioned before those fruits that need using within the next 15 minutes- these would qualify), some random sprigs of parsley, basil & mint, avocado, plain yogurt, flour tortillas, a box of spinach that expires tomorrow, small wedge of Manchego cheese, 2 sort of shriveled up cloves of garlic

The results: A colorful and creative array of summer flavors (except for the oranges) and tasty combinations

The recipes:

Sweet Potato Salad

4 sweet potatos- peeled and roasted
3 oranges- peeled and cut into bite size pieces
3 T diced red onion
1/2 cup minced basil
2- 3 cups fresh spinach
Salt & Pepper to taste

Apple Cider Vinaigrette

1/2 cup canola oil (or other neutral oil)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg's Raw Unfiltered)
1 shallot- minced
1 heaping teaspon dijon mustard
1-2 teaspoons honey
salt & pepper to taste

I put all the ingredients together in a bowl while the sweet potatoes were still warm which wilted the spinach a bit. Tossed with the dressing and let it sit a couple of hours before serving. This would also make a really nice warm holiday side dish- use a more savory herb like thyme for a different flavor.


Funky Chicken Quesadillas with Green Yogurt Dipping Sauce

I caramelized the rest of the purple onion (aka: sliced it in strips and cooked it in a little olive oil until caramel colored and very sweet- probably 30 minutes or more)- I threw the garlic in there too just for kicks

While the onions were cooking I sliced the strawberries and finely minced some parsley and mint (probably about 1/4/ cup of each. I picked the rest of the chicken meat off the bone and diced it. When the onions were cooked, I turned the heat off and added the strawberries, herbs and chicken. Stirred it around a couple of times. Added a bit of salt & pepper and a splash of balsamic vinaigrette. I let that mixture sit until time to cook the quesadillas.

I added the mixture plus some of the Manchego cheese to the flour tortillas and browned in the skillet until the cheese was melty and the tortilla was slightly browned.

Green Yogurt Dipping Sauce

1 avocado- mashed
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup yogurt
1 T mayo
generous squirt of Rooster sauce (or tabasco)

Mix them all together- let sit for about 20 minutes before serving


How to bring wilted  greens back to life

I had a bunch of napa cabbage and kale which, frankly, looked like it needed to be thrown out. Out of reverence to the farmer's hard work in growing those greens I was determined to make it work!

I chopped everything and put in a bowl, covered with cool water....in about 30 minutes the greens were back to life- plump and ready to cook. I drained the water, threw them in a large skillet, put a top on it and steamed for about 8 minutes.....drizzled with a small amount of maple syrup (the real stuff), a splash of balsamic vinegar and some sea salt & pepper. Even my boyfriend who doesn't like greens said they tasted sweet & good.

Dress up your green salad with a good vinaigrette.

There's nothing better in warm weather than a salad made with fresh crisp salad greens and drizzled with a home-made vinaigrette. Bottled salad dressings often contain low quality oils, artificial flavors or ingredients, added sugars and preservatives. Fear not! It's quick and easy to make your own....here's how:

Basic Vinaigrette

this is the basic formula that you can build all your vinaigrette flavors from

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (good quality- we recommend Olio Beato)

3 T (or more to taste) good quality vinegar (like red wine, white wine or see below for other ideas)

Salt & Pepper (to taste)

*I almost always put about a teaspoon ( or a little more) of dijon mustard. Add a drizzle of honey for a sweeter flavor if the vinegar flavor is too tangy....Add both honey & mustard and....Voila! Home-made honey mustard vinaigrette....aren't you fancy?

Put all ingredients in a jar and shake until blended (you can also do this in the blender). Let sit for about 30 minutes before serving- taste a few times and adjust flavors.

Variations on the basic:

Lemon Vinaigrette: 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, zest of 1 lemon, black pepper

Ginger Vinaigrette: 1/2 cup neutral oil (like grapeseed), 1 T sherry vinegar, 1 T lime juice, 1 T warm water, 1inch grated fresh ginger

Balsamic Vinaigrette: 1/2 cup olive oil, 3 T balsamic vinegar, 1 t dijon mustard, 1 shallot (minced)

Chili Lime Vinaigrette: 1/2 cup neutral oil (like grapeseed), 3 T lime juice, 1/2 T chili powder, 1 clove minced garlic, 1 t oregano

Nutty Oil Vinaigrette: 1/2 cup walnut, hazelnut or other nut oil, 3 T sherry vinegar, 1 minced shallot

Try experimenting with fresh herbs: parsley, basil & dill are all delicious and have a mild and cool flavor. Add up to 1/4 cup of these herbs minced. Also try rosemary, tarragon or thyme- these have stronger flavors so start by adding 1 t and adjust from there.

Ideas to Make Your Salad Sexier!

How sexy is your salad?

We all need to eat more greens.

Period.

Even those of us who eat a lot of greens can benefit from adding more into our daily diets. Spring is a great time of year to start eating more raw and cleansing foods. This helps detox the body from the heavier foods eaten during cold weather.

Here are some of Greenlight's favorite ideas for spicing up your green salad.....we suggest you add your own spin- be creative!

• black olives, green peppers, feta cheese (drizzled with lemon vinaigrette)
• cherry tomatoes, roasted corn, toasted sunflower seeds (drizzled with red wine vinaigrette)
• dried cranberries, toasted pumpkin seeds, goat cheese (drizzled with sherry vinaigrette)
• sliced tomato, basil, fresh mozzarella (drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette)
• granny smith apple, toasted pecans, Parmesan cheese (drizzled with cider vinaigrette)
• roasted beets, orange slices, toasted walnuts (drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette)
• avocado, sliced carrot, red pepper, pico de gallo (drizzled with chili lime vinaigrette)
• carrots, scallions, snow peas, shredded cabbage, sesame seeds (drizzled with ginger vinaigrette)

Our suggestion:

think outside the green box and get your sexy salad on!