CEiMB: Pesto Potato Salad & a Garden Update
Happy Tuesday all! I have another delicious Pesto & Pesto Potato Salad Recipe for you all today courtesy of one of my favorite Craving Ellie in My Belly Chefs, Liz of the Not So Skinny Kitchen. But, more on that in a few…It’s time for a few updates!
After one of my AWESOME readers ask how our garden grows, I realized it’s been a LONG time since I’ve given you all an update. I definitely do not have the green thumb of my mom or Master Gardener dad, but, we are not doing too bad. Some things are going great and others not so much.
I managed to kill our crook neck squash and zucchini before they ever got started so I decided to try something new…..
Here are the beginnings of Swiss Chard that I planted about a week ago 
Our bell pepper plants are starting to get baby peppers on them….
I seriously get so freakin’ excited and call everyone over to check them out whenever I see a new one….yup, I am a total dork like that! 
Japanese cucumbers….
We have lots of flowers and little nubbies coming in.
This would be our second basil plant – the first I accidentally let go to seed, but, I am doing a little better with this one.
Rosemary!
The Lemon Basil Thyme hasn’t been doing so well since Mr Stripey seems to be growling like a big bully of a tomato plant.
Meet Mr. Stripey ~ The Husband’s HUGE tomato plant that is turning into a total plant bully.
Supposedly Mr. Bully Stripey grows HUGE 18 oz tomatoes, but, so far we just have a ton of yellow flowers like this.
Our cherry tomato & snap pea plants are still going slowly but we get lots of little bowls of tomatoes here and there so I am happy about that
Maybe I am better off sticking to the Farmer’s Markets, but, I am still learning and having fun at it. So far, I’ve managed to grow things a lot better than I ever have before…I guess my Green Acres Farm Days did help a little growing up 
Breakfast started off with a little Decaf French Vanilla!
Plus 1 svg of Honey Bunches of Oats with 1 cup of Blueberries & 1 c Fat Free Milk (5 points). I LOVE cereal but it usually never fills me up for long.
I managed to make it through to lunch without a mid morning snack, but, I am pretty sure it was the Farmer’s Market samples that got me through. The market was a total bust today…everything I wanted was out….I managed to score a few cookies, a little Bolani (but not the PUMPKIN I wanted), corn and tons of fruit.
However, all was made right in the world when I got to have another OctoberFeast BAVARIAN PRETZEL CROSSAINT with ham & cheese!!! <3 (9 points and worth every bite)….If you all live near Berkeley or go to the Napa or Davis Farmer’s Markets go check them out and get one of these!!! AMAZING is all I can say and I am not even a croissant person.
On the side, I had some leftover Fresh Tomato/Corn Salad over mixed greens.
Ahhh, I totally want to do this all over again….good thing I bought some of their Pumpkin Seed Bread to try tomorrow
Sadly when we stopped to say hi to Annie The Baker she was sold out ~ seriously 
! But, not letting that be a clue that I probably didn’t need the calories, we headed into the OxBow Market to Ritual Coffee to score some of her cookies (they just started carrying them )
I shared with my co-worker and chalked up cookies for my afternoon snack (4 pts worth!)
I have to admit I was really excited to try out wee before last week’s CEiMB recipe, but, I never had time to make it until now. You can check out the full Ellie Krieger Pesto Potato Salad recipe over on Liz’s site.
I absolutely adore PESTO especially when nuts are involved and I get to use my cool steamer/noodle cooking pan.
I pretty much followed the recipe, but, subbed the pine nuts for roasted walnuts. I roasted them over medium heat for about 5 minutes until toasted.
You whip up your pesto in just a few simple steps using your food processor.
Whirl your walnuts until finely chopped.
Add your fresh basil, lemon juice, garlic and parmesan cheese.
Process until smooth.
Season to taste with Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
NOTE: I LOVED this pesto, however, I think next time I would blanch the basil and possibly add more lemon juice to make it creamier versus thick like I do in my Low-Fat Pesto or this pesto pizzettas Recipe. It is delicious though and you can totally taste the roasted walnuts.
Making the Pesto Pasta salad is even easier than the pesto.
Chop up a red & yellow bell pepper.
Add our red potatoes that you steamed for 20 minutes, then quartered.
Plus about 1/3-1/2 cup of pesto, sea salt, black pepper and a little crushed red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and chill 2 hours.
Super easy, super delicious and I LOVE the idea of having a non-traditional potato salad. We both LOVED it and will definitely have it again.
Alright all ~ that’s all I’ve got for now…I am off to start Twenties Girls or maybe catch up with The Next Food Network Star ON DEMAND
See you all tomorrow for Wordless Wednesday!
CEiMB: Chicken with Warm Tomato-Corn Salad
I am super excited to be the HOST for this week’s Craving Ellie In My Belly Cook Book Club. My goal was to pick something that really embraced summer, yet was light and simple. I was able to pick up almost everything I needed to make this Chicken with Warm Tomato-Corn Salad at the Farmer’s Market!!!
I have to admit is was really hard for me to pick just ONE recipe because I LOVED so many in my Ellie Krieger Cookbooks.
We both LOVED the Warm Tomato-Corn Salad and definitely think that the FRESH CORN was the star of the recipe. I think next time I’d only use 1 garlic clove and I’d serve it cold. I decided to spice up the chicken ~ Cajun Style so that the avocado and tomato corn salad could cool your mouth off
It’s sort of funny that the presentation resembles that of my POM Infused Chipotle BBQ Chicken with Fresh Corn Salad, but, I swear it’s just a coincidence. I picked out this recipe a few months ago….Guess, I really just LOVE FRESH CORN SALAD all summer long
This recipe is SO EASY and seriously goes together in minutes ~ so go out there, be a Locavore buying everything at your local Farmer’s Market, make it and come back to tell me what you think
Chicken with Warm Tomato-Corn Salad Recipe
Adapted from the cookbook: So Easy, by Ellie Krieger, Page 144
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 lbs thin cut skinless boneless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp’s Cajun Seasoning
Nonstick cooking spray
2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 scallions, minced, white and green separated
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pints grape tomatoes, halved
2 c corn kernels (from 3-4 ears fresh uncooked corn or frozen)
Sea Salt & Black Pepper to taste
1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, sliced
3 Tbsp’s fresh lime juice or 1 lime cut into wedges
3 Tbsp’s cilantro, roughly chopped
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Spray chicken with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle/rub in the Cajun seasoning.. Heat outdoor or indoor grill to medium high heat. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep it warm.
2. Add the 2 tsp oil to the pan, over medium high heat. Add scallion whites, cooking and stirring for 1 minute. Add the garlic. Cook and stir 30 seconds more. Add the tomatoes and corn to the pan. Cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the scallion greens and season with sea salt and pepper to taste.
3. Place 1 cup of the vegetable mixture on each plate. Top with chicken breast and slices of avocado. Sprinkle with cilantro, lime juice or wedge and serve.
Makes 4 servings, 1/4 of the Grilled Chicken Breasts, 1 cup salad, 1/4 Avocado
Nutritional Information Per Serving (7 points):
STEP-BY-STEP:
Ellie’s original recipe called for basic grilled chicken seasoned with salt & pepper. However, I wanted to kick it up a notch and decided to use my Watkin’s Blazin’ Cajun as a Rub.
I LOVE this mix best used as dip mixed with GREEK Yogurt, but, it worked nicely on grilled chicken too.
Since I was using large chicken breasts, I butter flied them by slicing in half. This significantly reduces the cooking time.
Spray with nonstick spray, then, sprinkle and rub in your Cajun seasoning.
Grill for 4-5 minutes per side, remove to a plate and cover with foil.
While your chicken cooks, prep your ingredients.
Scallions & Garlic!
Cherry tomatoes!
FRESH CORN! TIP ~ Whenever you slice corn off the cob, do it in a BIG BOWL to keep it from going all over the place.
Since this salad cooks up really fast, it is helpful to have everything lined up next to the stove & ready to go.
Start by sautéing your scallion whites and garlic for about 1 minute.
Add your corn and tomatoes cooking for just a couple of minutes.
Remove from heat. Add your scallion greens and season with sea salt & pepper.
Stir to combine & your salad is done.
Plate it up by taking 1 cup of your warm tomato-corn salad and AVOCADO slices.
Top with 1 grilled chicken breast. Sprinkle with cilantro & lime.
Dig in and enjoy!
I had so much fun getting back in the kitchen now that life is finally settling down a little bit. However, I went a little crazy cooking FIVE things today
It’s awesome though because now I have a BUNCH of fun recipes lined up for you all this week including playing catch up with my CEiMB Recipes for the past two weeks and my last Summer of POM Series recipe coming up tomorrow.
Happy Sunday all!
Summer of POM: POM Infused Chipotle BBQ Chicken with Fresh Corn, Tomato, Avocado Salad
This week’s POM Summer Series recipe is the MAIN ENTREE!!! I can honestly say this is the recipe feature I am the MOST excited about because I feel like the dish I created really captures what summer is all about and takes POM Juice to a whole new level
There is this small town Mom & Pop shop near my parents house that is known for two things ~ their chili and their AMAZING RASPBERRY CHIPOTLE BBQ Sauce. I could honestly eat their BBQ sauce straight off the spoon and be pretty happy doing that That little restaurant is my inspiration for this recipe along with the abundant produce I get each week at the local Farmer’s Market.
I created a homemade Barbecue sauce that used POM for Sweetness and added a little Chipotle’s in Adobo for some Smokey HEAT. I really LOVE how this sauce hits your pallet because it starts off sweet, gets Smokey, then, ends with a little spicy kick at the end. I paired it with a Fresh Corn, Tomato & Avocado Salad to cool your mouth off and keep it light so you have room for dessert
I am pretty much convinced that I no longer want to buy bottled dressing anymore after making this delicious sauce……Try it, I dare ya to add a little Adobo to your life
POM INFUSED CHIPOTLE BBQ CHICKEN WITH FRESH CORN SALAD
INGREDIENTS:
For the POM Infused Chipotle BBQ sauce:
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsps Chipotle Adobe sauce only, add 1 minced chipotle pepper if you like it H-O-T
1 cup POMWonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the chicken**:
4-6 pieces chicken (any combination of breast or leg-and-thigh pieces)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Apple Wood Smoked Wood Chips, Optional
Nonstick spray
** Works great with ~ chicken, turkey, steak, bison, burgers, extra firm tofu, etc.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and stir until all the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Simmer over medium heat until reduced by 1/3, about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Place a grill pan over medium heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Spray meat with nonstick spray and season with salt and pepper. Lightly coat with some of the BBQ sauce using a pastry brush. Place the meat on the grill.
3. Place the remaining BBQ sauce, still in the small saucepan, over low heat or on the edge of a gas or charcoal grill and allow to gently simmer while the meat cooks.
4. Cook the chicken about 8 minutes per side. Continually brush the meat with BBQ sauce every few minutes. Remove the meat from the grill and let rest for at least 5 minutes. Serve with the heated BBQ sauce alongside the Fresh Corn, Tomato & Avocado salad.
NOTE: The chicken can be baked in the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the chicken skin side up in a baking dish and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven and spoon the BBQ sauce all over the top of the chicken. Return the baking dish to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes.
Makes about 2 cups of BBQ sauce
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Fresh Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad with POM & Lime
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 2-3 ears of corn). (grilling it is optional!)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, preferably heirloom, halved & quartered
3 scallions, chopped
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro, basil or parsley
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp POMWonderful 100% Pomegranate juice
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 avocado, diced
Mixed Greens for serving, optional
INSTRUCTIONS:
1, Toss together all the ingredients in a serving bowl. Serve at once or cover and refrigerate up to 2 hours.
Makes 4 servings, 3/4 cup each
STEP-BY-STEP
The *STAR* Ingredients in today’s recipe are…..POM Juice for the “Sweet”
and Chipotle’s in Adobe for the “Smokey & Spicy”
A little goes a LONG way. I store the leftovers in a container in my freezer in an air tight container then, scoop it out as needed.
Combine all of the ingredients for your POM Infused Chipotle BBQ Sauce in a small sauce pan over medium heat.
Whisk to combine and continue simmering until reduced by 1/3. It will thicken “slightly” as it reduces.
The other “secret” ingredient that is TOTALLY optional, but, I LOVE the BACON smoked taste that they give your food.
I LOVE the Smoke Stack brand because all you do is fill your can and put it on the grill ~ EASY!
I actually had visions of “fire roasting” my corn for the Fresh Corn Salad. I started off by brushing each cob with a little Olive Oil.
However, after 10 minutes, the grill marks just weren’t happening. Since I didn’t want to dry it out or make popcorn, I called it good
For this salad you do NOT have to cook your corn ~ it tastes great raw.
This is probably one of the easiest summer sides you will ever make. Slice your corn off the cob.
Add a little color
Toss everything in one bowl and let it marinate in the fridge.
Just before serving, add your avocado and gently toss.
Pull your chicken off the grill and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Serve it up and dig in.
I used a combination of Legs (my favorite)!
And boneless, skinless breasts.
Be sure to visit the kitchens of the other POM Series Chefs to find out what else is on the menu for week 3 of the Summer of POM:
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WEEK 1 SUMMER OF POM ~ SUMMER BERRY POM~TINI
WEEK 2 SUMMER OF POM ~ Bruschetta & Caprese Salads with a Pomegranate Balsamic Reduction
Check back next Monday for the final recipe, MY DESSERT RECIPE made up with POM!!!
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