BLTA (Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato and Avocado Salad)

The BLT is arguably one of the best sandwiches ever. Let's face it: bacon is arguably one of the best things ever. So, I decided to make them for dinner last night. Then I started thinking... how could I make a healthy version of the classic sandwich? Now, I certainly can't take the fat out of the bacon, but I used low sodium bacon. Then I thought about creating a salad version of the tastiest of sandwiches. The majority of the meal is fresh and tasty boston lettuce and arugula and instead of two huge pieces of bread, I made croutons!

BLTA Salad

1 small head boston lettuce
A few handfuls of arugula
1 tomato
1 avocado
4 pieces low sodium bacon
3 slices bread (I used homemade sourdough, but any good stale bread will work)
1-2 Tbsp. EVOO
Salt & pepper
spices to taste
dressing of choice (I made a homemade honey mustard vinaigrette)

Put the bacon in a cold pan and turn up to medium-high heat. Once they are crispy and browned, remove them from the pan and place on a paper towel to cool and crisp-up. Wash, tear, and dry the lettuce. Dice the bread slices, tomato and avocado. Take the bread and toss it with EVOO, salt, pepper, and spices (I used dried italian herbs). Saute them in a pan or pop them in the oven (on 400) for about 10 minutes - until crispy. Now, assemble the salad! Toss everything together and add the dressing!

There it be! :) Enjoy this sandwich-turned-salad guilt-free!

~ Mari

One-Pan Meal: Broiled Salmon with Mango Salsa and Broccoli

It's mango season, folks! Who's excited? The Smiths, that's who. I made this yummy (and easy) meal tonight and thought I'd share! The best part? It only uses one pan to cook in! (Ok - technically there is also a pyrex baking dish involved, but most of the cooking is done in one pan) The salsa is sweet and tangy, the salmon is moist inside and crispy on the outside, and the broccoli is fresh and crunchy. It's a good mix, I must say.

Mango Salsa

1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1/4 cup salsa (I used the Publix brand... it's delish)
1/2 lime, juiced
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate until needed.

Have I mentioned how much I love mango?

Broiled Salmon

1 large salmon filet (with skin on one side)
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 1/2 limes, juiced
1 1/2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. frozen orange juice concentrate (I always keep a can of this in the freezer - it's great stuff!)

Combine all ingredients (except salmon, of course) in a gallon ziploc bag. Swish them around to mix. Put salmon in the bag, skin side up. Allow to marinate 10-15 minutes on the counter. For the next steps, look at the broccoli recipe below.

Let's make a marinade!

Just like a bubblebath...

Crispy Broccoli

1 large head broccoli, washed and cut into florets
salt & pepper to taste
extra virgin olive oil

Put broccoli in a microwaveable dish (I used an 8x8 pyrex). Put about 1/8 inch of water in the dish. Sprinkle with salt. Cover with cling wrap and microwave for about 1.5 minutes. The broccoli should be bright green and crunchy.

McSteamy

Prepare a sheet pan with two pieces of aluminum foil. Turn the edges up on all sides so that the flavors won't combine in the oven. Put the broccoli on one side and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Take the salmon out of the bag, slice it in half (lengthwise) and place it, skin-side down, on the aluminum foil.

It's almost like two mini sheet pans in one!

See? One pan?

Preheat the broiler (on high). Put the pan in the oven and check the broccoli after about 7 minutes (it's fast, I'm tellin' ya!). If it's browning nicely, just pull the mini aluminum foil pan out with the broccoli on it. Let the fish cook a few more minutes (maybe 3) and check it. When it's really browned on top, take it out and let it rest for a few minutes.

Browned tips = deliciousness

All that's left is to... eat it! Get that salsa out of the fridge and plate it up! I served mine with some crispy flour tortillas (I literally friend strips of flour tortillas) and we were happy campers!

I love making things that taste so good and aren't rough on the waistline! Speaking of waistlines... did you notice no starch in this meal? That's my new thing. I'm trying not to make a starch for dinner because I figure we get plenty during the day (cereal for breakfast...sandwich for lunch...granola bars for snacks... you get the idea).

Hope you enjoy it!

~ Mari

Spring Salad



I was watching Giada at Home day before yesterday and the large-chested Italian wonder (sorry...it's true) made a California Chopped Salad that looked delicious. I was craving it all day yesterday and today, so after Zumba I went to Kroger to pick up some delicious romaine lettuce. If you look closely at the photo above, you will see NO delicious romaine lettuce. Nor will you see any romaine lettuce. That's because every bit of lettuce in the dang store was rotten (except for the boxed arugula and one head of boston red leaf...which are found in the photo above). Boooo. I think I'll be shopping at Publix from now on.

Anyway, back to the salad. It was pretty darn simple and so very tasty (even without the romaine)! I used me golden rule (except for the lettuce) and used what I had! I chopped up an avocado, a tomato, a mango, and a few strawberries. I put them in the salad bowl. There they be:

Then I added the lettuce and some leftover chicken breast and drizzled on some homemade dressing (fresh squeezed orange juice, balsamic vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, and EVOO).

Then I tossed it all together and topped it with some toasted slivered almonds! The avocado and chicken added protein and the fruit added vitamin C and other goodies! It was quite healthy and very delicious. The perfect spring salad!

 Happy Spring everyone! :)

~ Mari

Homemade Granola Bars

Granola bars are great. Quick, tasty, and very portable. You know what's not great about granola bars? They aren't the best things for you. Even if you get the 90 calorie kind (Ryan's personal favorite), they still have things like caramel color, corn syrup solids, and all kinds of other lovely things I can't pronounce. In other words, they are processed. Plus, they only have about 1 gram of fiber each! So, I decided to take a crack at making a healthier, more protein-filled granola bar that isn't too hard on the wallet either. I've made a few different versions, but I like this one best. Keep in mind you can substitute things to your liking. If you don't like almonds, use walnuts. If you don't like chocolate chips (you're an alien), use carob chips or dried fruit. Get the idea? Good.

Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

1 cup organic rolled oats, toasted

1 cup crispy rice (that's Rice Krispies to you)

3/4 cup wheat germ (you can find this at health food stores and Publix)

1/2 cup toasted & chopped pecans

1/2 cup toasted & chopped almonds

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 cup nonfat dry milk

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter

1/4 cup real maple syrup (you know how I feel about Mrs. Butterworth...)

1/2 cup no sugar added applesauce

3 eggs

1 egg white

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Heat peanut butter and maple syrup (in a microwave safe bowl) in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir to combine. Add peanut butter mixture to dry ingredients. Beat eggs and egg white in bowl and add. Next, add applesauce. Stir to combine. Mixture should be moist, but not runny. Spray a 9x13" pan with cooking spray. Place a piece of parchment paper in the pan so that two sides (the 13 inch sides) of the parchment stick out over the sides. This will make is super simple to pick up the granola bars out of the pan and cut them. Now, bake them for 20-25 minutes (until set and lightly browned). Take them out and let them cool. Then lift them out of the pan using your parchment paper handles and place on a cutting board. Cut into rectangles and wrap individually with cling wrap. Refrigerate half and freeze half. Or don't. Whatever you want!





Hope you like them! :)

~ Mari

Herb Garden Transformation

I'm back! I've been a bit on the busy side lately (catering in Atlanta, social media marketing, writing dessert articles, writing videography proposals, helping at an elementary school, working in the yard, etc.), but I've missed you! So, I thought I would post some transformation pics of the herb garden! Who doesn't like some good "before & after" shots? Exactly.



So... here is the herb garden from last year: mint, sage, and basil.
(Not pictured: parsley and oregano)



Here it is a bit later in the summer... I added some sunflowers that promptly died.
Awesome.

And here it is at the beginning of this Spring.
OMG Weeds.

Whew. No more weeds.
I also added a little mulch... because I only had one bag.
Clever, right?



Then I added a few little guys: basil (it's an annual, so it died at the first freeze), dill, and thyme
(Notice how ginormous the mint has gotten! Yay!)



And then.... there was pine straw. :)

So - there you have it! The above photo is what it looks like at this very moment (I literally took the picture about 8 minutes ago). I'm quite pleased with the transformation and I can't wait until the dill and basil get big enough to actually use them! Stay tuned for more yard updates...

Thanks for looking!

~ Mari

I'm Still At It...

I haven't stopped writing articles for M Food & Culture Magazine, I've stopped posting about my articles. Oops! That's the only problem with doing a fun blog like this for myself - there's no one there giving me a deadline and telling me I must post! So, just like everything else in life, it sometimes falls by the wayside.

So- here is my newest article (page 62, of course) about Creme Brulee from The Downtown Grill in Macon, GA.

Thanks for looking and keep on cooking! (that could be the worst ending ever. but I like it.)

~ Mari

If You Can't Buy It, Make It

Remember that Pottery Barn wreath I posted about a while back while dreaming of spring decor? I didn't buy it. But, I made my own version and I'm quite happy with it! And, in case your door is looking a little drab, here's a little how- to:

What you'll need:



Twig wreath ($6.99 from Hobby Lobby)

Glue Gun (heavy duty one from Home Depot)

Assorted Faux Eggs, Feathers, Bird Nest, Assorted Floral Stems, and inexpensive wire 

First, hot glue some feathers and the eggs into the bird nest (remember to put only an odd number of eggs in the nest - it just looks better).

Next attach the nest to the twig wreath with the wire. Last, stick the floral stems into the wreath around the nest and any other place you think needs a little extra love. I just stuck the stems in and they stayed, but if you have trouble, you can wire them into the wreath or use hot glue to secure them. I only used greenery on my wreath (since that's what they did at PB), but if you want to use floral stems, go for it!

There it is hanging on our front door!

Just leave a comment if you have any questions! It really is THAT easy to get the Pottery Barn look... and it doesn't have to be as hard on your wallet! Hope you enjoyed this post, and happy crafting!

~ Mari