Grilled Spec with Butternut Squash "Fries" and Ginger Green Beans

A good friend of mine had some fish she brought up from the bayou, so we decided to grill it and added some fun summer sides.

1-1.5 lbs fish, any fish firm enough to grill will work
1 large butternut squash
1 large sweet potato
A bunch of green beans; as much as you need for who you are cooking for
three cloves garlic; chopped
1 tbs grated fresh ginger
zest of one lemon
1/4 cup slivered almonds
olive oil
jerk seasoning
paprika and cayenne to taste
salt and pepper

Fish
Marinate the fish with olive oil, lemon juice, and coat with jerk seasoning
Cook on the grill over medium heat until cooked through

Fries
Peel the squash and sweet potato and slice into peices about 1/2"x1/2"x3", approximately
coat with olive oil, paprika, cayenne, and salt and pepper
bake in the oven on 350 for about 30 minutes, then 450-500 for about twenty more. Turn once or twice while cooking.

Green Beans
clean green beans and cook in a saucepan with olive oil for about 10 minutes
add garlic, ginger, almonds, lemon zest and salt and pepper
continue cooking till garlic has browned and beans are cooked through.

Enjoy! And I have to give my Aunt Judi credit for the squash fries!!

Grilled Eggplant with Rosemary

This is a great summer dish that is super easy to make

1 large eggplant
shredded cheddar cheese
olive oil
rosemary and thyme
salt and pepper

slice the eggplant into half inch slices, remove rind
brush with olive oil and salt and pepper
place slices on the grill, flip one or two times until almost done
add a small pile of cheese to each of the slices
sprinkle with rosemary and thyme and leave on the grill until the cheese is melted
enjoy!

Sauted Zucchini and Yellow Squash

This is a perfect vegetable side to go with any entre

1 large Zucchini, or enough to feed whoever you are cooking for!
2 yellow squash
1 roma tomato
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 tbs balsamic vinegar
2 medium cloves garlic
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Slice zucchini and yellow squash
chop the garlic cloves
dice the tomato
heat olive oil in large saute pan
add garlic and red onion, let brown in the pan
add zucchini and yellow squash
when the veggies are almost done add the vinegar and tomatoes
saute about 2 minutes more
plate and serve!

White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Here you go Meghan

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbs mayo
1 tbs dijon mustard
1 medium clove garlic, pressed
cracked black pepper

Mix all ingredients and whisk until fully combined.
Enjoy on romaine or baby spinach with some freshly grated parmesan

Curry Grilled Chicken with Quinoa and Purple Beans

So my friend found these dark purple green beans at the farmers market that ended up being delicious! They turned from dark purple to green as they cooked and ended up looking like tie died string beans. very cool.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup unflavored quinoa
Purple green beans, or regular boring green beans
three cloves garlic
curry powder
lemon grass powder
cayenne pepper
olive oil

Chicken: Marinate the chicken breasts in olive oil, curry powder,lemon grass powder (use sparingly), cayenne, and salt and pepper.
Heat grill, and grill chicken breasts until done

Quinoa: Put 1 cup quinoa in a saucepan with two cups water. Add salt and pepper and any other seasonings you would add to rice or pasta. In this attempt I used a can of cream of chicken soup in addition to the water. It made it really creamy and delicious! You could also use cream of mushroom or celery. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, cooks in about 25-30 minutes.

Green Beans: Heat olive oil in large pan. Mince garlic cloves. Place purple beans in the pan and saute. After about 5 minutes add garlic and continue to cook until done, but still crisp.

Plate and enjoy!!

Roast Chicken Flatbread with Spinach, Goat Cheese, and Caramelized Onions

So I had a bunch of left over baked chicken thighs that I had done with an asian style seasoning that I used for this flatbread. Just heat up whatever leftover chicken you have and tear it into bite sized peices.

two chicken thighs
1/3 cut thinly sliced red onion
1/3 cut fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
one whole wheat tortilla
olive oil

caramelize the onions in a small pan with a bit of olive oil
brush the tortilla with a light amount of olive oil
evenly place spinach on tortilla
place chicken over spinach, then add onions and sprinkle the goat cheese
place the flatbread in the oven on 350 for about 15-20 minutes
works best on a pizza stone so the tortilla can crisp
cut with a pizza cutter and enjoy!

Spinach and Goat Cheese Breakfast Wrap

A quick and healthy breakfast!

2 eggs
1/2-3/4 cup fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
1 whole wheat, whole grain tortilla
red pepper flakes to taste
garlic powder to taste (optional)
salt and pepper

Whisk eggs with a smidge of skim milk, garlic, and red pepper
Scramble the eggs over low heat
When almost firm add the spinach
Cook until just wilted
Add the goat cheese and allow to slightly warm
place all ingredients in a warm tortilla
wrap up and enjoy with coffee or a chai latte (my fave)

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Per Meghan's request this will be the first post on the food blog.

Southwestern Black Bean and Corn Salsa

1 can sweet corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
cayenne pepper to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients. Refridgerate and serve with your favorite corn chips!