2012 | Page 3 Of 4 | Healthy Delicious

Vietnamese Summer Rolls with Sausage

Summer rolls are the perfect light meal in this stifling heat. They’re similar to Chinese egg rolls/spring rolls, but are eaten raw instead of fried. They’re stuffed with thin noodles, fresh herbs, raw vegetables, and, optionally, a (cooked) protein like shrimp or sausage.

In my attempt to recreate the restaurant version, I made my own sausage. A google search resulted in tons of recipes, so I mixed and matched to get something that seemed right. The sausages themselves were really easy to make and tasted phenomenal. My version was a little more mild than what I had originally hoped for, but I’ll definitely make them again.

Baked Buffalo Chicken Taquitos

When we lived in DC, Shawn was obsessed with Taquitos from 7-11. You know the ones that sit there all day on the little rollers? Yeah, those. When I discovered how easy it was to make baked flautas, it was only a metter of time before I recreated his favorite version, stuffed full of Buffalo Chicken. This was the result of trying to satisfy his craving.

I was always too sketched out to try the ones from 7-11 – I stuck with coffee or, if I happened to be at the one location genius enough to make them, Slurpees made with Crystal Light pink lemonade – so I didn’t have much of a guideline to work with but, if I do say so myself, these were pretty darn good. Shawn happily scarfed them down, so I think its safe to say they have his seal of approval too.

Miso-Roasted Salmon Salads

I’ve been really into miso lately. Until about a month ago, I had never had it in anything other than miso soup, which I’ve always found to be kind of plain and boring. Miso paste, on the other hand, is a different beast altogether. It’s flavor is difficult to describe, but if you’re familiar with the term “umami” this is it. It’s very rich and complex, a little salty, and almost nutty. It might sound silly, but the flavor feels very full and round in your mouth. If you haven’t tried it, you really should! It’s a great way to elevate a few simple ingredients and transform them into a spectacular dish.

Smoked Salmon and Potato Frittata

Lately, I’ve been using up a lot of my culinary creativity on freelance projects. One of my favorites are these potato and smoked salmon pancakes with creamy dill sauce that I created for Eat Better America last month. I ate them every day for a week and still wasn’t tired of them. They were crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and the smoked salmon went perfectly with potato.

When I found myself with extra egg whites after making a batch of grapefruit curd the other day, I decided to make a frittata using the same flavors as those pancakes. While it was a little less elegant than the potato pancakes, it was just as luxurious. Plus, it was quick and easy – a combination that can’t be beat!

Baked Risotto with Sausage and Kale

The man who works in the parking garage near my office was in a particularly bad mood this morning. I can’t say that I blamed him. Saturday’s warm sun had gone away, and cold rain settled in. The air was heavy and damp and everything looked gloomy. As he watched person after person head into their toasty warm offices filled with friendly colleagues, he was stuck sitting alone in his little booth (that is, until he had to come out in the rain to deal with my permit issues). On top of all that, it was Monday. I wished that had some of this hearty sausage and kale risotto to share with him – with it’s stick-to-your-ribs warmth, it would have been sure to cheer him up. I could have used some myself.

Perfect Roast Chicken with Lemon & Za’atar

During the week that I had off earlier this month, I read the book Beaten, Seared and Sauced. Have you heard of it? It’s about a guy a decade or so older than I am who decides to enroll in the Culinary Institute of America. The book wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be (I couldn’t relate to the narrator at all; he was kind of lame and he complained too much… which, funnily enough, sounds just like me) but it was still an enjoyable read and had some interesting insights into the life of a culinary student.

Mostly though, it left me craving roast chicken.

Oven Toasted Ravioli

Have you ever had toasted/fried ravioli before? I don’t see it on menus very often, but it’s sometimes offered as an appetizer at Italian restaurants or pizzerias. And it’s amazing. (Then again, it’s deep fried pasta filled with cheese. Of course it’s awesome!) When I came home to find a shipment of Monterey Gourmet Foods™ ravioli and pesto to play with, it took me about 2 seconds to decide what I wanted to do with it. This oven-toasted ravioli does away with the guilt that goes along with fried food, and it swaps out the lighter flavors of roast chicken and pesto for the more traditional garlic and marinara.

Stovetop Mac & Cheese with Stewed Tomato

Last month, The Laughing Cow asked me if I would be interested in trying a lower-calorie version of a comfort food, featuring their cheese. I’ve kept Laughing Cow in my refrigerator ever since being introduced to it by my high school French teacher (back when it was called “la vache qui rit”) but I’ve never tried cooking with it so, intrigued, I agreed. They sent me the recipe and ingredients to make their creamy stovetop macaroni and cheese, and it couldn’t have been more perfect.

It’s no secret that I have a soft spot for macaroni and cheese, especially when it has a gourmet twist.

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