South Beach Cabbage Salad

I got this recipe from my friend Annie. I believe she said it was from the South Beach book - I'm not sure, but it sure is good, and easy!

1/2 head cabbage (purple or green)
3 scallions, chopped fine
2 Tbs. Sesame oil
2 Tbs. Rice vinegar
2 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds

Combine all of it in a bowl. Serve.

Tip: The grocery store will cut large vegetables in half for you. Just find the grocer and ask for 1/2 a head of cabbage. A great way to cut down on waste!

Blue Cheese Wedge

Clipped this recipe out of Wine Spectator magazine. It's phenomenal. Below is just the dressing, you'll also need the iceberg lettuce, bacon (probably about 1 - 2 pieces per person), some yummy tomatoes chopped up (the small cherry or grape tomatoes are usually good) and reserve some blue cheese for crumbling over top.

Bok Choy Salad

1 head Bok Choy, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
2 packs Ramen noodles (break the noodles up. throw out the seasoning packet)
1/4 cup butter
Dressing:
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbs. soy sauce

Melt butter in a skillet, brown ramen noodles in butter. In a small saucepan, heat the ingredients for the dressing until just to a boil. Remove from heat and cool thoroughly. Toss the Bok Choy and green onions in a large bowl. Either mix and dress the entire salad, or just what you need. Store salad, dressing and noodles separately. Add a pinch of salt before serving.

Lemon Rosemary Baked Chicken

1 Lb Uncooked Boneless Chicken Breast.  I used 3 chicken breasts.

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp olive oil

2 tsp fresh lemon juice or more to taste

2 tsp rosemary , fresh chopped

2 tsp parsley fresh chopped

1/4 cup chix broth

1/2 med lemon for garnish

Preheat oven to 400. Coat small, shallow roasting pan with cooking spray.

Season both sides of Chicken with salt and pepper. Transfer chicken to prepared pan and drizzle with oil: sprinkle with lemon juice, rosemary and parsley. Pour broth around chicken to coat bottom of pan.

Back until chicken is cooked through, about 30-35 min. Garnish  with lemon

Artichoke Chicken

4 Chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) - rinsed and patted dry with paper towels

1 cup Mayonnaise

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 sweet onion, minced

1 can large artichoke hearts (in water, not oil) drained and chopped

Put chicken breasts in baking dish and set aside. Mix Mayonnaise, cheese, garlic, onion and artichokes in a bowl. Top the chicken with the artichoke mixture. Bake uncovered at 350 for 45 minutes.

Spinach & Blue cheese salad with sliced apples & caramelized pecans

1 apple, chilled

juice of 1 small lemon

8 oz spinach, washed, thoroughly dried, and stemmed

1 small head radicchio (about 3 oz), cut into chiffonade (shredded)

1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

about 1/2 cup of Spago house dressing (recipe follows)

1 cup Spiced Caramelized Pecans (recipe follows - an adaption)

Cut the apple into quarters, remove the stem and seeds, and cut into very thin slices. Sprinkle lemon juice over the slices and set aside.

When ready to serve, in a large bowl, combine apple, spinach, radicchio and blue cheese. Season lightly with salt and pepper and toss with the dressing. Adjust seasoning to taste. To serve, divide the salad among 4 plates and sprinkle with pecans.

Dressing:

3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

1 Tbs. sherry wine (or red wine) vinegar

1 Tbs. dijon mustard

1 small shallot, minced

1/2 tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup walnut oil

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp ground white pepper (or black)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the balsamic and sherry or red wine vinegars, the dijon mustard, minced shallot and minced thyme. Slowly whisk in the oils and when emulsified, season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate in a covered container. (it will keep for 3 to 4 weeks).

Pecans (This is an adaptation of the recipe that I think is easier):

1 cup pecan halves

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

Pam cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350. Boil pecans in small sauce pan of water. remove with slotted spoon to a bowl and immediately sprinkle over the sugar, salt and cayenne. Stir until well coated. Spray a cookie sheet with Pam then place pecans on cookie sheet. Spray the pecans with another quick coating of Pam. Bake and watch very closely, as not to burn, stir a few times to move around and get them uniformly cooked. Probably will caramelize and toast in 5 - 10 minutes. When you remove the pan, stir again and let cool (you don't want any large clusters of pecans - try to even out while hot).

* This salad also good with grilled chicken.

Macaroni and cheese

6 Tbsp butter

6 Tbsp flour

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

salt and freshly ground pepper

3 3/4 cups hot milk

4 cups grated cheese

1 lb. short macaroni, cooked

1/2 cup heavy cream - optional (I use whole milk and skip this step)

Additional 2 Tbsp butter for top

preheat oven to 350. melt 6 Tbsp butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes (flour mixture must foam as it cooks, or sauce will taste of raw flour). Stir in cayenne and season to taste with salt pepper. Whisk in hot milk, 1/2 cup at a time, and cook, stirring, until sauce thickens. Reduce heat to low and stir in 2 cups of cheese. Cook, stirring, until cheese melts, about 2 minutes.

Combine pasta and sauce in a large bowl, and season with salt. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over the bottom of a buttered 8" x 11" baking dish. Place one-third of the pasta in the baking dish, top with 1/2 cup cheese, repeat, layering pasta and cheese, ending with cheese, making three layers in all.

Pour cream over assembled macaroni and cheese. Dot remaining butter over macaroni and cheese. Bake until hot, bubbly and golden, about 30 minutes. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Serve with grilled chicken or steak and Sriracha hot sauce (below).