Jitterbug Juice is Moving Up the Food Chain!!!

Jitterbug Juice is now the food blog for a larger website, Good News Girlz, a style e-zine for women. Go to http://www.goodnewsgirlz.com and click on Steph's Blog to catch up on the latest Jitterbug Juice posts.

EAT YOUR VEGGIES!

Growing up in a Cajun culture makes it difficult for one to become a serious vegetarian; the thought of being one never occurred to me. But recently, I traveled to San Antonio to cook for my son, daughter-in-law, and new grandson. Well, I didn’t actually cook for my six-week old grandson, but in a fashion, I did. My daughter-in-law is a vegetarian and is nursing, so I needed to ramp up quickly on how to create high-impact, healthy vegetarian meals. With the assistance of a great cookbook, "A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen," I was able to learn to develop and love vegetarian meals. I made some modifications in the recipes to please my palate for strong flavors and seasonings. I think you might enjoy these as well. I have to admit that it felt really good to eat nothing but vegetarian for almost a week. My Lousiana family might not adopt this diet, but if my grandson opts for a vegetarian lifestyle, who knows how far this veggie run could last?!

Here are a few of my favorites:

Cannellini Bean and Squash Stew with Rosemary and Tomatoes

3 T olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
½ t Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
5 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 15 oz. cans cannellini beans
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 14.5 oz can diced Italian tomatoes
1 Parmesan cheese rind
3 cups vegetable broth or 3 cups water and 2 cubes vegetable bouillon
1 T fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
Fresh ground black pepper
8 Baguette slices, brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with grated cheese, and toasted

Heat oil in Dutch oven until shimmering. Add onion, Creole seasoning, and cook until golden. Add garlic cloves and cook until opaque but not brown. Add beans, squash, tomatoes, Parmesan rind, and broth. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until squash is tender, about 30 minutes. Remove lid, and simmer for about 10 minutes until thickened. Discard Parmesan rind. Sprinkle fresh rosemary and black pepper over stew and serve in bowls with toast on top.


Spanish-Style Peppers and Potatoes over Wilted Greens











4 medium Golden Yukon potatoes, cut into small wedges
1 t sea salt
1 T fresh rosemary, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced lengthwise
1 medium yellow pepper, sliced lengthwise
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 T olive oil
8 medium green olives, pitted and chopped
1 15 oz. can chopped Italian tomatoes (La Valle is my favorite)
½ cup Italian parsley, chopped
1 T capers (optional)
1 T sherry vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
1 t granulated vegetable bouillon
1 lb baby spinach, kale, or hearty greens, gently wilted by steaming or microwaving

Heat potatoes in microwave, about 2 minutes, until soft enough to pierce with a fork. Remove immediately and coat with a tablespoon of olive oil. Place on cookie sheet, sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary. Roast in 400-degree oven until browned and crisp, about 20 minutes. Keep warm until ready to combine with cooked peppers over greens.

Heat 3 T olive oil in large saucepan until shimmering. Saute onion until limp. Add peppers and sauté until they can be pierced with fork, but still somewhat crisp. Add garlic and sauté until limp. Add tomatoes, parsley, capers, sherry vinegar, pepper, granulated bouillon, and olives. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until thickened.

Place wilted greens on warm plates, add tomato mixture over greens, then top with roasted potatoes.


Fettuccine with Crème Fraiche, Bleu Cheese, and Sage-Walnut Brown Butter














½ cup of crème fraiche, found in cartons in refrigerated area of grocery store
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 t sea salt
1 T bleu cheese
¼ t freshly ground pepper
¾ lb. dried egg fettuccine
4 T unsalted butter
½ cup chopped walnuts
4 sage leaves, chopped

Combine creme fraiche, Parmesan, bleu cheese, ½ teaspoon sea salt, pepper in a small bowl and beat until smooth. Set aside until it comes to room temperature. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil and cook pasta until al dente.

As soon as pasta goes into pot, melt butter in large skillet. When foam subsides, add nuts and cook over medium heat until golden brown. Add sage and ½ teaspoon sea salt.

Reserve ½ cup of cooking water from pasta and drain pasta. Add pasta and ½ cup cooking water to pan with nuts and sage. Cook over low heat until some of moisture is removed. Remove from heat and stir in cheese mixture. Garnish with sage leaves and serve with a green salad with citrus fruit and champagne vinaigrette (recipe below).

Champagne Vinaigrette Dressing
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
¼ cup champagne or white wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons Madhava agave nectar or honey
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon grilling salt/spice mix or Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup – ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 green onion, use green part and chop

Mix all ingredients except olive oil and onion. Whir in blender. Add olive oil in slow stream until dressing thickens. Add green onion. Serve over Boston lettuce and any sliced or dried fruit.

Steph's Mardi Gras Gumbo

Seasoning Mix:
2 t sweet paprika
1 ½ t Tony Chachere’s seasoning
¾ t dry mustard
¾ black pepper
½ ground cumin
4 bay leaves
2 T vegetable oil
2- 3 lbs. roasted chicken, smoked turkey, or whatever smoked poultry you have on hand
2 cups chopped onions 8 green onions, chopped
2 cups chopped green pepper
12-15 cups chicken broth
1 t minced garlic
2 links smoked sausage, beef or turkey
2 cans Trappey’s okra gumbo
1 cup prepared roux (found in a glass jar in spice section of grocery store)
cooked rice
Gumbo file
Season at end with peppers in vinegar or jalapenos

Heat 2 T vegetable oil in stock pot. Saute all raw vegetables. Add another T vegetable oil and roux. Stir together. When heated, add broth, seasoning mix, canned okra, sausage and chicken. Simmer for 2-3 hours on low heat or until visibly thickened. Cool in refrigerator overnight. Adjust seasoning, if needed. Reheat and serve with rice, gumbo file, and peppers in vinegar.

Southwestern Shrimp Ceviche

Makes 1 quart

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 T. shrimp boil or seasoning mix
3 green onions, chopped
½ cup chopped cilantro, chopped
1-2 T. hot or tame pickled jalapenos, diced
¼ cup jalapeno juice
2 T. olive oil
2 fresh limes, juiced
1 T. ground cumin
1 large avocado, diced
1 cup grape tomatoes, chopped
2 ears of roasted corn, kernels cut away from cob
1 can black beans, drained

Heat a gallon of water in large saucepan to boiling. Season with shrimp boil. Add shrimp and heat for only 2 minutes or until opaque. Remove quickly from water and drain. Add all other seasonings, diced vegetables, and ingredients while shrimp is still hot. Allow mixture to cool and refrigerate. Ceviche is better the second day when marinated. Serve as dip with toasted tortillas or as a salad or topping for grilled fish.

Oatmeal, Raisin, Bran Muffins

3 cups of bran cereal
1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal (not instant)
1 cup boiling water
½ cup peanut oil or vegetable oil
1 cups raisins or mixture of dried cranberries, blueberries, and raisins
2 cups buttermilk
3 eggs
1/4 cup Agave nectar (I use Madhava Amber Nectar)
1/8 cup dark molasses
1-1/4 cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour
2-1/2 tsp. baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

In a large bowl combine cereal, dried fruit, oil, and oatmeal. Pour boiling water over mixture. Let stand for 20 minutes until liquid is absorbed and mix has cooled. In another bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, nectar, and molasses. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Combine all and let stand another 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a spray oil to grease 24 muffin cups and divide batter among them, filling each cup about ¾ full. Bake 20-25 minutes until very brown.

Serve with nectar, honey, lemon curd, or jam.

Orzo with Chicken Pesto Sausage, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

Serve 6

2 cups dried orzo
2 cans low sodium chicken broth
½ cup diced sun-dried tomatoes
¼ cup parsley, chopped
4 T olive oil
4 chicken pesto or chicken Italian sausages, diced (I buy these at Central Market)
1 can chopped Italian tomatoes (I like La Valle)
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped
½ lb goat cheese
¼ cup of fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Empty canned broth in deep saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add orzo, cook for 20 minutes until most, but not all, of broth is absorbed. Turn off heat, cover, and allow orzo to sit until all liquid is absorbed. In meantime, sauté diced sausage pieces in olive oil. Add garlic and parsley. Add canned tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes and cook until sun-dried tomatoes are softened. Combine cooked orzo, basil, tomato mixture, goat cheese, and grated Parmigiano. Stir well and serve warm over cooked spinach or with another green vegetable or salad.

Chicken Chili Verde with Tomatillos and Cannellini Beans

Serves 4-6

4 T. olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, diced
2 t. ground cumin
2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans
1 can low-sodium chicken broth (or 2 cups stock)
1 lb. roasted Anaheim or Hatch peppers (I buy them frozen, already roasted), chopped
6 large tomatillos, roasted until brown and very soft, blend until it turns to puree
1 large red bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
3 cups of chunky diced roasted chicken
1 T. Vegeta (a soup base) and/or roasted chicken demi-glace ( I use “More Than Gourmet’)
1 cup cheese, a grated mix of Mexican cheeses: Oaxaca, Queso Blanco, Monterrey Jack
4 T. fresh cilantro, chopped

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, sautéing until soft. Add red bell pepper, sautéing until soft. Add green chile peppers. Then, add garlic, cooking until soft but careful not to burn. Add spices; add roasted and pureed tomatillos; soup base and demi-glace, if you have both; cook until simmering. Add chopped roasted chicken and 2 cans beans; simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and spoon into oven-safe bowls. Place on a cookie sheet, top each bowl with grated cheese mix. Heat under broiler until cheese is brown. Top with cilantro and serve with a side salad (See “Tangerine Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette" in July Post below) and tortillas or cornbread.

Panna Cotta with Balsamic Reduction Sauce

1 package unflavored gelatin
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups creme fraiche (can buy ready made at grocery store)
1/3 cup sugar
1 T Cointreau

Place 1 1/2 T cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over the top. let gelatin soften for 5 minutes. While gelatin softens, warm the cream and creme fraiche with the sugar over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Turn off heat and add gelatin mixture. Stir until it dissolves. Then, stir in Cointreau.

Pour mixture into 6 8-ounce containers. Cover with plastic and chill until firm, about 3 hours.

Balsamic Reduction: Boil 1 1/2 cups of balsamic vinegar and 1 T brown sugar at medium-high temperature for about 15 minutes, or until thickened to the consistency of syrup. Cool and serve over Panna Cotta with fresh berries marinated in Cointreau.

Short Ribs in Sauce Pizzaiola

3-4 lbs beef short ribs
flour and seasoning for coating
4 T olive oil

Make Pizzaiola Sauce:
2 small cans Italian tomato paste
½ cup
1 T. packaged veal/beef demi-glace (I use “More Than Gourmet” from Central Market)
2 T olive oil
4 cloves garlic
½ cup fresh basil
¼ cup fresh oregano
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. fresh lemon zest
2 cups red wine

Saute garlic in olive oil. Add tomato paste, water, demi-glace. Cook and whisk until combined well. Add herbs and red wine. Allow to cool.

Coat ribs in flour and seasoning. Brown in large skillet with olive oil. Transfer to Dutch oven and cover with Pizzaiola Sauce. Cover and cook at 375 degrees for at least 4 hours or until meat begins to fall off bone. Drain off any oil from sauce. Serve over pasta and cooked fresh spinach. Top with freshly-grated parmigiano reggiano cheese.

Easy Fresh Peach Strudel with Phyllo Dough

1 box phyllo (filo) dough sheets, from grocery
¾ cup ground pecans or walnuts
4 large or 8 small fresh peaches, sliced and chopped
½ lemon, juiced
½ cup sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
1/3 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1 stick European butter, salted

Thaw dough, keep in box, overnight in refrigerator. Do not remove from box and plastic wrapper until ready to work with it—very fragile. As soon as dough gets dry, it becomes too brittle to work with. Peel, slice, and cut peaches into bite-sized pieces. Grind nuts finely. Add lemon juice, sugar, spices, and flour to peaches and mix together well. Slowly melt butter on low in microwave, being careful not to overheat.

Open dough, remove from plastic, count and remove 8 full sheets. Place, fully opened sheets on a very soft cloth towel and roll carefully, covering all surfaces of dough so that it will not dry in the air. Place the remainder of dough back in refrigerator. A box of phyllo will make 2-3 strudels.

Remove two sheets at a time from the towel and cover the remaining sheets. Lay the two sheets out on a parchment paper, plastic or cloth pastry board. Take a brush and work a small amount of melted butter over the top of the first two sheets, taking care to cover the edges of the pastry to keep moist. Sprinkle some of the nuts over ¾ of the surface of the top sheet. Repeat, two sheets at a time, until all 8 sheets are stacked with butter and nuts between four layers. Then pour peach mixture into center of the top layer of last pair of phyllo sheets, fanning the peaches out until the entire center of dough is covered, leaving about 2-3 inches all around with no filling. Fold the left and right ends of dough over the pastry; then roll the pastry jelly-roll style until a strudel shape is formed. Work very quickly. The dough gets soggy and brittle. Don’t worry, if it feels as though it’s falling apart, it will bake up nicely. Transfer to a metal baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. Look at the dough after 30 minutes, if has already become very brown, ‘tent’ the strudel by laying a piece of aluminum foil over top surface to reduce browning. Allow to cool for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Shrimp with Cioppino Sauce, Rosemary Roasted Potatoes, and Tangerine Salad

Catalan fish stew or Cioppino is a wonderful dish in winter, but in this scorching Texas heat, it's a little warm for now. There is a way to create the same flavorful dish in summer, when there is an abundance of fresh tomatoes and herbs, by making a light Mediterranean sauce and serving it over pan sautéed cod, white fish, or shrimp. Pair it with rosemary roasted Yukon Gold potatoes, a butter lettuce and tangerine salad dressed with champagne vinaigrette, and light red or white wine.

Shrimp with Cioppino Sauce (Serves 2; easily increases for 8 or more)

6 Tablespoons olive oil
4 fresh garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
½ - ¾ lb. fresh peeled and deveined shrimp
2 green onions, chopped
½ cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1 can chopped Italian plum tomatoes
2 Tablespoons fresh dill
2 Tablespoons fresh fennel or ½ teaspoon fennel seed
½ cup fresh basil
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dries thyme
1 teaspoon powdered tomato bouillon
1 teaspoon grill seasoning (salt, pepper, onion, lemon)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Heat 2 Tablespoons oil in large saucepan and sauté garlic until transparent. Add green onions and sauté until transparent. Add 2 more Tablespoon of oil and sauté shrimp until almost fully cooked. Remove all from pan and allow to cool. Heat last 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, sauté fresh tomatoes, add canned tomatoes and all herbs and seasonings. Reduce until a thick sauce remains, about 15-20 minutes. Place fish or shrimp that has been sautéed with garlic and onions back into sauce and reheat. Serve with roasted potatoes, a salad, and a light red or white wine.

Close-Second Swirll Frozen Yogurt with Butter Pecan Sauce

There is a wonderful yogurt shop in Houston, Texas, called Swirll, that is dedicated providing the community with "A NEW TASTE SENSATION" experience. You walk in and find a cup size (not your own personal one, but an amount you can eat). Then, you approach these fancy little European-looking dispensers that have exotic sounding flavor labels like “pomegranate,” “green apple” and “orignal house blend.” The creamy stuff really lives up to its hyped advertising. So much so, that I tried to find something comparable when we returned to Dallas. Natsumi’s on Henderson is the closest thing to it. But, driving there and spending $4-5 for a cup of yogurt seems so je ne sas quoi ridiculous in this economy, even if you love, love, love it. So, when my son gave his Dad a yogurt maker for his birthday, we set out to create a Swirll’s new taste sensation for ourselves. I think we may have found it. It’s somewhat of a calorie indulgence, “but hey, it’s yogurt,” I tell myself. I need the calcium and a way to cope with 100+ degree end-of-summer days! You might even give up your beer and icy cocktails for this one, too.

Serves 6

1 ½ quart ice cream maker (I use a Cuisinart Classic Ice Cream Maker)
1 ¼ cups whole milk
½ cup agave nectar
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 ½ cups Total Fage Greek Yogurt ( you can use 2% yogurt, but results not as creamy)
¼ cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract or other flavorings

Place milk, nectar, and sugar in bowl; combine using whisk or mixer on low speed until sugar dissolved. Stir in yogurt, heavy cream, and vanilla. Turn on ice cream maker and add to bowl and let thicken for 20-25 minutes. Top with fresh fruit (the healthy way) or butter pecan sauce (unbridled decadence).

Butter Pecan Sauce

¼ cup salted butter
½ cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
¼ cup evaporated milk
1 Tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup toasted pecans

Melt butter in saucepan. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, vinegar, and milk. Cook on medium heat until mix boils. Turn heat down and cook for 5 minutes, until thickened. Add vanilla and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add chopped pecans. Serve over ice cream, yogurt, or poached pears.

Learning on Stage

If you like to cook, you want to experiment. And if you are lucky, you find a way to get comfortable with failure. Hope and redemption lie in the acceptance of falling short of expectations you set for yourself. We had a dinner party last night where I was never really clear about how many people I had to cook for. Sometimes I thought I was cooking for sixteen and sometimes I was cooking for ten. While you might think this really matters, it didn’t seem to. I just knew it was a bunch of fun people and I wanted us to eat well. I spent a few days thinking about what to cook and what evolved was, in my mind, a Mediterranean picnic in the house. I bought trout for fourteen people, orzo makings for thirty, flatbread toppings for twenty, salad for forty, beer for two, and enough wine for the troops in Iraq. I started putting things together at 10:00 in the morning, read two chapters in my new book during a 2:00 p.m. nap, and started up again at 4:00 p.m. Our guests arrived at 6:30 with more wine and a salad bowl big enough for sixty people. I didn’t set the table thinking that we would just loll around, eating and drinking all over the house. But, it became clear when everyone filled his plate that each would seek a place at the dining room table. My husband and I scrambled to find enough chairs for twelve, the actual number coming to dinner. One of the younger guests sat in a low-slung leather chair that barely reached the top of the table; another had to sit in a wooden swivel antique office chair claimed from behind Steve’s drafting table. There were no water glasses. Hey, we had six bottles of wine and prosecco on the dining table. And by the time we were all seated, we couldn’t gesture to make a point. It was tight. My assessment of the meal, early on, was that the trout was scary to look at, but the sauce divine. The flatbread with Italian cheeses, basil, and sun-dried tomatoes—a little dry. The orzo was tasty, but could have been warmer. The salad with champagne vinaigrette was a welcome break in all of the richness of the meal. The frozen yogurt dessert with butter pecan sauce was the clear winner. But, when I put my critic back in the closet, I loved the entire meal. The conversation and laughter was generous, each guest unique in his own way. It couldn’t have been better if an azure blue Mediterranean had really been sloshing at our feet. The evening reminded me of a Cajun story where a young man tell his mother he wants to become a famous French musician. "But," his mother states emphatically, “ton francais est pas trop bon. Your French is not very good.” “That’s OK,” he says, “I can learn on stage.” And that’s what I did last night.

Tomato Chicken Orzo
(for 4)

4 chicken sausages (I used basil and parmesan sausage, but grilled/roasted chicken pieces work very well, too)
½ cup Chevre cheese
1 14oz. can of chopped Italian tomatoes
2-3 Tablespoons of fresh oregano
1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
1 cup dried orzo
1-2 Tablespoon olive oil
salt & pepper

Place sausages on baking tray and roast in oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Cook orzo in boiling water until done. Remove sausage from oven and slice in thin pieces. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and sauté garlic. Add sausage, tomatoes with their liquid, and fresh oregano. Cook down liquid for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, add cook orzo, goat cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with grilled meats, flatbread, and greens and tangerine salad.

Texas Pesto Shrimp and Pasta

If you have a lot of fresh basil in your garden right now like we do, you can whip up a quick pasta dish with a Texas taste.









3 garlic cloves, peeled, minced and sautéed in 1 T olive oil
3 cups fresh basil leaves
¼ cup toasted, smoked almonds
1/2 c. grated Parmegiano Reggiano cheese or Grana Padano
1/2 c. olive oil
½ cup Italian parsley
1 small bell pepper, chopped
1 Tablespoon dried tomato bouillon
12 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped into large chunks
1 can Goya black beans, drained
1 teaspoon chopped red pepper flakes
2 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
½ cup chopped sundried tomatoes
Enough dried fusili or favorite pasta for 4 people (16 oz.)

Prepare Pesto
Saute garlic in olive oil and transfer to blender with basil leaves, almonds, olive oil and parsley. Combine sautéed garlic with basil leaves, almonds, olive oil and parsley and whir in blender until it forms a paste. Add grated parmesan cheese.


Prepare Shrimp
Add chopped green pepper, saute until softened. Add shrimp and sauté until pink. Then add sundried tomatoes and cook with shrimp until softened, a few minutes. Add tomato bouillon, lemon zest, black beans, pepper flakes and remove from heat.

Complete Pasta
Add grated parmesan cheese. Toss both shrimp mix and pesto with hot cooked pasta and serve.

Chicken Chorizo Salad for Two

Instead of serving meat or bean dishes over rice, pasta, or potatoes, try putting them on a salad dressed with a light lemony white wine vinaigrette. Many dishes you may think must be served over a starch go nicely over vegetables or salad, particularly in these really hot days of summer.





(Recipe easily expands to serve 8 or more)

½ lb. Homemade Chicken Chorizo (or ask your butcher to prepare it for you)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 4 Mexican Cheeses, grated (Monterrey Jack, Cheddar, Asadero, and Oaxaca or Queso Blanco—or any mixture of yellow and white Mexican cheeses)
Canned black beans
¾ cup salsa
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped by hand
Mix of Butter Lettuce and Green and Purple Baby Romaine
1 container fresh grape tomatoes
1 whole avocado, sliced
Blue Corn Tortilla Chips (low salt)
White Wine Vinaigrette (recipe below) or light bottled white wine vinaigrette

Homemade Chorizo
½ lb. ground chicken or 2 chicken breasts, ground
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ Tablespoon chili powder
3 sprigs fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon ground dried oregano
1 clove minced garlic, sautéed in a Tablespoon of olive oil until translucent
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
pinch salt
fresh ground black pepper

Prepare chorizo seasoning mix and allow to sit for at least an hour or purchase chicken chorizo. Saute chorizo in 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Add minced garlic and sauté. Add ½ carton of grape tomatoes and sauté. Pour beans, salsa, and chorizo mixture into a medium baking dish. Cover with cheeses, evenly sprinkled over top. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is browned and bubbly. Remove from oven and cool slightly.

White Wine Vinaigrette
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup white wine or leftover champagne
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon Mudhava agave nectar or brown sugar
1 cup light olive oil or ½ cup olive oil and ½ cup peanut or safflower oil
ground black pepper salt to taste

Whir first four ingredients in blender or food processor. Slowly drizzle in oil in top of blender, pouring in a thin stream while blending. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Chorizo Salad Preparation
Arrange greens and remainder of fresh tomatoes on serving plates. Drizzle a little of vinaigrette over salad. Top with warm bean and chorizo mix. Sprinkle cilantro over chicken mixture. Cover with blue corn tortilla chips and sliced avocado. Serve with chilled white wine, dry rose’ or sangria.
Herbs, including cilantro, can grow in an outdoor garden, even in Dallas' 103 degree summers!

Chicks and Salsa Sangria

“Chicks and Salsa” Sangria
(with apologies to children’s book author, Aaron Reynolds)













As the author of the children’s book, "Chicks and Salsa" attests, the zest for salsa is shared by all species, particularly by one crafty rooster who tires of the same old Nuthatcher Farm feed everyday. This rollicking tale was read to all of the adults at my sister-in-law Annie’s birthday barbeque tonight. We sipped sangria, ate smoked ribs, chicken, brisket, and jalapeno cornbread and listened to my great niece, age 5, read this story to us. Then, she donned a sparkly turquoise feather boa and danced her recital routine as an encore while we all sang Elvis' "Don't Be Cruel" for her. Her three-year old brother tried to keep up with her in his grandmother's high heels. On a 100+ degree-day, it was just what our family needed to spice up a birthday party. You might enjoy this sangria recipe too, and you don’t have to be five to love Elvis and the book!

Sangria
3 bottles of hearty red wine
1 cup brandy
½ cup Triple Sec
1 quart orange juice
3 lemons, juiced
½ cup Madhava agave nectar
3 small navel oranges, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
Low sodium club soda
Ice
Fresh mint, for garnish

Mix all liquor, juices, and nectar. Slice fruit, place in mixture, and mull in refrigerator for at least two hours. When ready to serve, fill glass halfway with ice, add soda ¼ of the way up the glass. Fill to top of glass with wine mixture, garnish with slice of orange or lemon and fresh mint. Then, get a young reader to tell you how bored chicks can make salsa and guacamole!

Easy and Healthy Blueberry Sundae

Individual Serving
½ cup Fage Greek yogurt
3 Tablespoons Madhava Agave Nectar
1/3 cup fresh blueberries
Sprig fresh spearmint (optional)

Place yogurt in a bowl and mix with 2 Tablespoons of agave nectar. Spoon into an individual serving dish, cover with blueberries, pour the remaining tablespoon of nectar over the berries, garnish and serve.

Grilled Chicken with Champagne Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Dressing
1 shallot, finely minced
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
¼ cup champagne or white wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons Madhava agave nectar or honey
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon grill salt mix
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup – ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

Saute shallot in small amount of olive oil until transparent. Whisk together shallot with mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, nectar/honey, pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in large bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until dressing thickens or add oil slowly into vinegar mixture in a blender and puree until smooth.

Grilled Chicken
Marinate raw chicken breast in ¼ cup of dressing for an hour. Cook over hot grill. When cooked through, cool and slice. Place over mixed greens, sliced apples or pears, tomatoes, green onions, and walnuts. Sprinkle with champagne vinaigrette and serve.

Poached Salmon, Yukon Potatoes, Haricot Vert with Dill Tarragon Sauce

When outdoor thermometers in Dallas push 103 degrees, it’s time for some creative chilling dinners. One of the easiest ways to defeat heat is to poach a salmon and steam vegetables in the microwave. A simple dill tarragonsauce made in a blender can be used to dress both the fish and the sides.

Poached Salmon for Four People

1 large salmon fillet
1 cup white wine
Tony Chachere Cajun Seasoning
4 stalks of fresh rosemary
½ cup of fresh basil leaves
2 T olive oil

Pour wine in bottom of baking dish (if microwaving, use microwave-safe baking dish). Add whole fish fillet with skin side down, taking care not to immerse in wine. Season to taste with Chachere salt. Cover fish with herbs and foil, or plastic if using microwave. Cook in oven for 15 minutes or until firm. If using the microwave, cook at half-power and steam for 5 minutes. Remove when firm. Cool, remove herbs, fish skin, and place in the refrigerator.

Slice 4 Yukon Gold potatoes thinly and steam in microwave for 4-5 minutes on high. Toss with salt, pepper, and olive oil while still warm. Cool.

Wash and cut ends from ½ lb. of green beans and steam with a ½ cup of water in microwave for 4-5 minutes. Cool.

Dill Tarragon Sauce

1 long stem of fresh tarragon
1 large bunch of chives or 3 green onions
2 shallots, minced and sautéed in olive oil
1 cup of fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
¼ cup of fresh dill
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste

Chop shallot and sautee in olive oil until translucent. Place herbs, mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, and shallot in blender. Puree until smooth. Taste and season. May be stored in refrigerator for several days. Bring sauce to room temperature before serving over room temperature salmon, sliced potatoes, and green beans. Serve with salad and dry rose wine to complete the meal.

Sweet Potato Vichyssoise

Make the day before ready to serve.

2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 leeks (washed well) or 1sweet onion and 5-6 green onions
7 cups of chicken stock or vegetable stock (for vegetarian version)
4 cloves garlic, diced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
1/3 cup chopped sage
1/3 cup chopped basil
1-2 Tablespoons fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper
Salt to taste
2 cups half and half or 1 cup Greek yogurt mixed with 1cup lowfat milk

Heat olive oil in large saucepan. Saute onion; when translucent. Add garlic and cook with onion until pieces begin to brown lightly. Add stock. Add cubed potatoes and cook until soft when pierced with a fork. Add all herbs and grated ginger and cook through for 5 minutes. Refrigerate mixture overnight. Remove from refrigerator; add cream. Serve cool. Garnish with fresh sage or basil and small dollop of yogurt, if desired. Serves 8 in small bowls.