Baby Greens, Apple & Onion Salad

I'm a big fan of salads. My typical lunch is usually chicken and baby greens topped with dried cranberries, goat or feta cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. But things have changed.

Two weeks before Christmas, when I was stretched thin and looking for fast and easy foods to put on the dinner table, I found this salad. It quickly became my new favorite (I had it for lunch again yesterday) and I know I'll be eating this often as I try to detox after the holidays. I’ve already memorized the recipe.

The dressing whips up in 5 minutes. The taste is such a great combo of sweet and tart that I don't even miss the cranberries and cheese. 

This simple salad goes nicely with a festive meal, too. I made this for Christmas at my mother-in-law's house. To keep things stress-free and simple, she ordered a catered holiday turkey dinner from Kroger. Despite the pre-cooked bird needing more time in the oven than we anticipated, the food was delicious and we were able to spend more time with each other rather than in the kitchen.

When we got to dessert (my sister-in-law whipped up a lemon meringue pie and I baked a Brownie Pudding Cake) I was pretty glad we had added the salad! 

If you need something green to go along with a New Year’s meal or you are craving a healthy and light main dish, give this salad a try. Add some cooked chicken or turkey and dinner is served.

Happy New Year and Mangia! Mangia!

--Andrea

Baby Greens, Apple & Onion Salad

Inspired by Rachel Ray

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon grain or brown mustard

1 tablespoon honey

16 ounces salad greens (baby spinach, spring greens or a mixture)

1 large apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (Golden Delicious or Fuji works well)

¼ red onion, thinly sliced

Ground pepper to taste

Place oil, vinegar, mustard and honey in a small jar or plastic container. Cover tightly with a lid and shake until well blended. 

Place greens, apple and onion in a large bowl. Pour dressing over greens and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Here's the salad brightening up our Christmas dinner.

White Puttanesca Linguine

When I think of the things I never thought I'd buy at the grocery, you know what's near the top of the list? A tube of anchovy paste. Yet, I assure you that it is absolutely essential and absolutely yummy in this easy, weeknight dinner dish.

My former colleague Liz turned me onto this dish and she advised using anchovy paste over actual anchovies. This is one of her go-to dishes when she has to throw together a quick dinner after a busy day at the office. It's one of mine, too. Thanks, Liz!

XOXO,
Amy

White Puttanesca Linguine
Adapted from italianchef.com

1 pound linguine
1/4 cup (or even a little less) olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Anchovy paste
Pinch of salt
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1 heaping teaspoon capers, drained of liquid
12-18 oil-cured black olives*, pitted
Grated Parmesan cheese for topping, if desired

*Oil-cured black olives can be found on some grocery stores' anti pasta bars. Whole Foods has them. But I often cannot find them at my regular grocery and so I often use the unpitted variety and just tell hubby to mind the pits. The kids don't eat the olives anyhow.

Bring pot of water to boil. Add linguine and cook uncovered over high heat until al dente.

A few minutes after you add the pasta to the pot, heat olive oil in large pan over medium high heat. Add garlic, anchovy paste (three big squirts will do), salt and red pepper. Cook until garlic starts to soften. Add capers and olives and continue cooking until garlic is lightly browned.

Drain pasta and add to pan with the sauce and combine until all the of linguine is coated with the oil. Serve immediately. Top with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Grilled Scallops with Blistered Green Beans

I'm having a love affair with scallops this summer — ever since I realized how well they hold up on the grill.

This main dish is easy to prep and super simple to cook.

The husband and I really enjoy these scallops, and so does my youngest, Sam. Add a beer for the grown ups and it's the perfect summer meal.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Grilled Scallops

2 pounds large (sea) scallops, fresh or frozen
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice, lime juice or some of both
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Salt to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or Italian (flat leaf) parsley

Thaw scallops if frozen. Pat dry and place in medium bowl.

Mix together oil, lemon and/or lime juice, salt and pepper and cilantro or parsley. Pour over scallops and gently stir to coat all of the scallops. Let sit in refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat your grill to medium high heat. Spray a grill grate with cooking spray.

Place scallops on grill and cook for about 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn scallops and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove from grill and plate these babies up with some green beans.

Blistered Green Beans

1 pound or 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)

Toss green beans with oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper in a 9 x 13 metal or foil pan. (I use an old jelly roll pan.)

Cook on grill for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring once or twice. Continue cooking until green beans are lightly browned and blistered on at least one side. Drain off oil before serving.

Grilled Nectarines

The fruits of summer are great to cook with. When we get overloaded with nectarines, I like to use my grill to add a touch of caramelized flavor. And as our own Erin points out, "This is the perfect way to use nectarines when you don't think they are juicy enough yet."

These gently cooked fruits make a luscious side to pork chops or a sweet dessert topping.

Grilling stone fruits couldn't be easier. All you need to add is a little oil to prevent the skins from sticking to the grill grates.

Be sure to use semi-firm nectarines. Very ripe fruit will fall apart on the grill.

I recommend trying this with peaches and plums, too.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Grilled Nectarines

6 to 8 semi-firm, yellow flesh nectarines
1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
Vanilla ice cream or pound cake (or any other dessert that needs a topping)

Heat your gas grill to medium. Prepare charcoal grill as you normally would.

Wash and dry nectarines. Cut each fruit in half and remove the pits. Place nectarine halves in bowl and toss with oil to coat fruit.

Put nectarines skin-side down on heated grill and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Flip fruit and cook for another 5 minutes, or until fruit is soft.

Remove nectarines from grill and let cool in a bowl or on a deep plate to catch any juices. As the fruit cools, the juices will form a sweet, syrupy sauce.

Slide skins off nectarines and slice or dice fruit. Combine cut fruit with any juice from bowl and use as a dessert topping. Refrigerate any leftovers to use tomorrow!

Grilled Eggplant Salad

Recipe inspiration is all around us — even at the local pharmacy.

The idea for this side dish originates from one of those free diabetes magazines. I was flipping through it while waiting for a script to be filled, way back in 2011. I love eggplant and usually grill it basted in balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Mixing it up with mint and lemon juice?? Just the ticket for a summer dinner.

When grilled, the eggplant takes on a creamy texture and the red onions mellow. Together with the mint and lemon juice, those tastes are super refreshing.

My husband and I devour this dish, which I usually serve with grilled steak or pork chops. It's growing on my boys, and I think I've served it to most of my relatives. I've grilled the vegetables on my outdoor grill and on the stovetop using my grill pan. Sometimes I forget the parsley. It doesn't matter – it always tastes so good.

I use a large eggplant and a large or jumbo red onion because I usually burn some pieces in the grilling process and have to toss them out. If you are an expert griller, tell me your secrets!

If there are any leftovers, I like to use them tossed with salad greens and crumbled feta cheese.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Grilled Eggplant Salad

1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/4 inches rounds
1 large red onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
Vegetable or olive oil cooking spray or enough oil to coat eggplant and onion rounds
Juice of 1 lemon (2 to 3 tablespoons)
1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Optional: 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon zest

Preheat grill to medium. Spray or brush both sides of eggplant and onion slices with oil.

Grill eggplant and onion slices on medium for 2 to 3 minutes each side. Remove from grill and let cool on cutting board or in a bowl.

While vegetables cool, combine lemon juice, parsley, mint, olive oil, black pepper and cayenne pepper in medium bowl.

Chop eggplant and onion and add to bowl. Stir to combine. Serve immediately or chill to serve later.

Greek Grilled Chicken

Now that warm weather has arrived, I am devoted to my grill. I love the flavor that cooking over the coals adds to meat and veggies. Plus, I get to spend a few minutes on our back patio sipping a cold drink while I cook dinner.

This marinated chicken is easy to prep and combines the tangy zip of yogurt with the bright freshness of lemon. You can use any cut of chicken, with the skin on or off. I like it best with skinless and boneless thighs. The slightly higher fat content of the dark meat means it stays moist.

Serve with your favorite house salad and a side of minty sugar snap peas. This also tastes great the next day, alone or on top of a salad.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Greek Grilled Chicken

1 cup plain greek yogurt
2 tablespoons olive oil
Zest of one lemon
Juice of one lemon
2 to 4 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
3 to 4 pounds of chicken pieces, such as thighs, breasts, legs

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together all ingredients except the chicken. Pour into large ziplock bag. Add chicken and seal bag. Massage chicken and marinade to coat all chicken pieces. Then place in refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour.

Heat outdoor grill or a stovetop grill pan to medium. Remove chicken from marinade, and discard the marinade left in the bag.

Grill chicken, about 5 minutes or so on each side. Serve warm or cold.

Minty Sugar Snap Peas

After weekends filled with baseball games and tournament foods (chips, burgers, hot dogs and brats) I am craving a fresh and light vegetable dish.

This is one of those sides created with what my fridge had to offer: a bag of sugar snap peas, some green onions and mint left over from a fruit salad.

This comes together in less than 10 minutes. The sugar snaps are crisp and the scallions add a mild onion flavor complimented by the lightly sweet mint. My husband enjoys this change of pace and the kids actually eat it, too. This side dish is so speedy and yummy it's becoming a regular on my rotating menu.

Mangia! Mangia!
Andrea

Minty Sugar Snap Peas

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1 bag sugar snap peas (12 to 16 ounces)
1 bunch green onions, sliced
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped mint
Optional: Salt and pepper to taste

Warm oil in a large skillet. Sauté sugar snap peas and green onions over medium flame for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in mint. Serve warm or cold. Delicious both ways.

Tomato-Avocado Quinoa Salad

When Erin introduced Andrea and me as the new "bringers of hot dinner," she mentioned that I like to experiment with vegan cuisine. True. One of my favorite new cookbooks is Angela Liddon's The Oh She Glows Cookbook.

But sometimes I don't like how much work goes into cooking vegan. That's why I like this easy, yummy tomato-avocado quinoa salad and why it is a weekly must-make, must-eat Chez George. My husband, younger daughter and I love to have this for lunch or dinner. (Let that sink in. My husband and six year-old eat quinoa!) It's an easy lunch to pack for work. And it's healthy and filling as quinoa is an ancient grain and complete protein. It's also gluten free.

You'll find other quinoa recipes here at Hot Dinner Happy Home. There's Greek Quinoa Salad. There's Warm Quinoa Salad with Spinach and Mushrooms. There's Quinoa with Corn and Black Beans. Check out our vegetarian section for more.

XOXO,
Amy

Tomato-Avocado Quinoa Salad
Quinoa
Cherry tomatoes
Avocado
Cracked pepper
Salt
Olive oil

Cook quinoa according to the package directions. We always cook a full bag at a time, because between Jeff, Penny and I it doesn't take long to eat it up.

Slice cherry tomatoes in half

Cut up avocado.

Depending on how hungry you are, put a cup or two of quinoa into a bowl. The quinoa can be warm, room temp or cold. Jeff prefers it cold. I like it all ways. Top with tomatoes, avocado, cracked pepper, salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Eat and feel awesome about the healthy choice you made to fuel your body.