Turkey Wraps, by Diane

 

I got hooked on these for lunches this summer as a quick, healthy option! They were a really cool combo of flavors and I craved them for weeks!

Ingredients:

3 slices smoked turkey

1 large flour tortilla

2 tbsp tzatziki sauce with cucumber pieces (if you can't find this add your own!)

2 slices smoked gouda

1/4 cup shredded carrots

2 tbsp pickled red onions

4 large red butter lettuce leaves (my ultimate trick here is to put each leaf into a bowl of ice water in the fridge- they will last and be cool and crispy all week long!)

Directions:

Start by layering the sauce on, then the turkey, cheese and toppings. Roll into a burrito and enjoy!

Ham and Cheese Sliders, by Cheryl

I don't know how this came about or why I had two out of three main ingredients, but this was super easy to put together and delicious! It was especially great dipped in the tomato soup that I made. Also, the sauce that is brushed on top is key to kicking this up from just a plain slider to something very special. Yum!

Ingredients:

Thinly sliced ham slices (I used honey ham)

Thinly sliced Swiss cheese

One 12- count package of Hawaiian sweet rolls 

1/2 stick unsalted butter

Some honey Dijon mustard

Salt, to taste

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. 

2) Slice the rolls in half so you have a large top half and large bottom half. Don't pull them apart. Place bottom half on pan. 

3) Evenly layer the cheese, then the ham, and then the cheese again. Add the top half of the rolls. 

4) In a small bowl microwave the butter. Stir in 1-2 tbsp of Dijon honey mustard. Pour the mixture over the tops of the rolls, letting some pool in the middle, and use a brush to make sure the tops are covered. Let stand for about 5 minutes.

5) Cover with foil and bake, covered, for 20 minutes. Take foil off and bake uncovered for about 2-3 minutes. Slice into individual sliders and enjoy! 

Frenchy's Chicken Salad, by Diane

About 17 years ago my family and I vacationed in Clearwater, FL and we came off the beach into a casual beach shack called Frenchy's for lunch. My mom and I ordered the chicken salad pocket, which was a beachy type chicken salad with toasted coconut, grapes, and nuts in a pita pocket. We came back for that lunch about two more times during that week, and have since created this recipe at home. This week, I was really missing being at the beach and trying to decide what to come up with for lunch that would be Whole30 compliant, and I remembered this chicken salad. I could've sworn that I had posted this before, but like so many other recipes on this blog, I haven't. This is quick, easy, and a great go-to lunch, not to mention an interesting chicken salad recipe so things don't get boring.  I ate mine in lettuce cups instead of the pita pocket to make it Whole30 compliant and a bit healthier.

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs chicken, cooked and shredded or cubed
2/3 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
1/4 cup nuts (I picked slivered almonds since I had those on hand)
1 cup red grapes, halved
1/2 cup mayo
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp dried rosemary

Directions:

1. Toast the coconut just until it browns in a small pan, watching carefully and stirring often so that it does not burn (this will happen very quickly so keep an eye on things). Set aside.

2. Toast the nuts in the same pan, with the same process. Although you will want to toast both the coconut and the nuts together, the coconut will brown much more quickly than the nuts so make sure you do this separately. Set aside.

3. Combine all of the ingredients together, stirring well.

Avocado Pesto Grilled Cheese with Bacon, by Diane

I was watching an episode of Eat Street, and a segment of a food truck called Food Farm making this amazing grilled cheese sandwich came on. This is the exact sandwich I saw, and I immediately got up to make it. Not only is it quick, easy, and filling, but it is really one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches I've ever tasted. I would never think to put these ingredients together, and yet they work perfectly with one another. I'm not even a big gouda fan, but I wouldn't replace it for anything else! Craving another tonight!!


Ingredients:

2 slices thick whole wheat bread
Arugula walnut pesto (see below)
2 slices gouda cheese
1/2 avocado, sliced
2 slices bacon


Pesto (makes more than one sandwich):

1/2 cup walnuts
Zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
900 grams arugula
1/2 cup basil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup olive oil
Salt


Directions:

1. Fry the bacon until crispy.

2. While the bacon cooks, combine walnuts, lemon zest, garlic and cheese in a food processor until smooth. Add remaining pesto ingredients, and process until smooth. 

3. Spread the pesto on each slice of bread, top with one slice cheese each. Place face up onto griddle/pan and cover until cheese is melted and bread is toasty.

4. Remove the sandwich from the pan, add bacon and avocado slices to one side and close. Press together until the cheese seals the sandwich.

Chicken Souvlaki, by Diane

 

The latest Cooking Light recipe... I have been craving souvlaki since munching on it at the Acropolis in Athens. Now this recipe is NOTHING like the actual thing, but it looked like a decent and healthy substitute. I have to say after cooking it exactly as described in the magazine, I really did not like this dish. Maybe because I've had the real thing, because the rest of my family thought it was good. One thing that definitely would have made a difference was marinating the chicken, which the recipe does not call for. I found that the flavor of the chicken could have been a lot stronger, and marinating it would have definitely helped. I may try this again in the summer on the grill with grilled veggies too, but overall I'm sorry to say I was not too impressed.

Ingredients:

6  tablespoons  plain fat-free Greek yogurt
2  tablespoons  shredded cucumber
1 1/2  tablespoons  tahini (roasted sesame seed paste)
5  teaspoons  fresh lemon juice, divided
5  garlic cloves, minced
1  tablespoon  extra-virgin olive oil
1  teaspoon  dried oregano
1/4  teaspoon  salt
1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
1  pound  skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
Cooking spray
4  (6-inch) pitas, cut in half
1  cup  shredded iceberg lettuce
1/2  cup  thinly sliced red onion
16  (1/4-inch-thick) slices cucumber
16  (1/4-inch-thick) slices plum tomato

Directions:

1. Combine yogurt, shredded cucumber, tahini, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and garlic in a small bowl; set aside.
2. Combine remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice, olive oil, and next 4 ingredients (through chicken) in a small bowl. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Thread chicken pieces evenly onto 4 (8-inch) skewers. Coat grill pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 10 minutes or until done, turning every 2 minutes. Remove chicken from skewers.
3. Divide chicken evenly among pita halves. Fill each pita half with 2 tablespoons lettuce, 1 tablespoon onion, 2 cucumber slices, 2 tomato slices, and 1 tablespoon sauce.

Hummus and Veggie Wraps, by Diane

I recently had the best hummus at a family party, and asked my cousin to email me the recipe. I decided today to make it for lunch with some carrot sticks, but when I opened up the fridge to get the carrots I found a leftover salad from yesterday and a package of tortillas. I decided to combine everything into a healthy veggie wrap and the result was SO good. Despite the fact that this is a super healthy lunch, I felt that I was cheating a bit when I was eating it because it was that yummy. I loaded it up with spinach leaves and fresh shredded carrots since those are my favorite veggies, then added the salad ingredients which included cucumbers, mushrooms, colored peppers, and purple cabbage. Any other veggies could be easily added in though, along with some tuna or chicken for protein. Needless to say this is one lunch I will be having again- possibly as soon as tomorrow! I would also like to add that this may be my best photo to date thanks to the glare of the snow coming through the window! :)

Ingredients:

1 soft tortilla
1/2 cup hummus (see recipe below)
5 slices each cucumber, mushrooms, and tri-colored bell peppers
1/4 cup shredded purple cabbage
1 large carrot, shredded
1 large handful fresh spinach

Hummus Ingredients:
1 14 oz. can of garbanzo beans (reserve liquid; add to desired consistency)
1/3 C tahini
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 clove garlic
1/8 tsp cayenne
* blend in food processor until creamy*

Makes 2 cups

Directions:

1. Spread hummus onto the tortilla.

2. Layer the veggies, then cabbage, then shredded carrot, and then spinach down the center of the tortilla.

3. Wrap and eat!

Elvis Sandwich, by Diane

My dad's favorite sandwich growing up was an odd one- peanut butter and bacon- and over the years my sister and I learned to love it too. One night, years ago, we were watching the food network and saw an Elvis sandwich featured at a diner somewhere. This sandwich is actually famous because Elvis loved it, and requested it where he went. My dad, sister, and I got such a craving for it that we ran out to the grocery store and raced back home to make and eat it. It sounds extremely weird, but the ingredients combine so well together and satisfy both salty and sweet tastes. And it takes my dad's fave childhood sandwich up a notch, even better. Despite the uncommon ingredients, I promise you will crave this sandwich late at night from time to time!! It's definitely better grilled, particularly on a panini maker, but you can fry it in a pan if you don't have a panini maker (we cheat and use the forman!). If you do fry it in the pan, make sure to squeeze it down while you cook it. The powdered sugar at the end was a Gilman addition, you can take it or leave it (but we think it makes the sandwich just a little more amazing!). Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 slices country white bread
4 strips of crispy bacon (you can use turkey bacon too, but real bacon tastes better)
1/2 banana, cut lengthwise in strips
Smooth peanut butter
Honey
Powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Assemble the sandwich: spread peanut butter on both sides of the bread, layer bacon on one side and bananas on the other. Drizzle both sides with honey. Close the sandwich. Here is a photo of what it should look like before you close it:


2. Grill the sandwich on a panini maker or foreman grill, or fry in pan with cooking spray (pressing while it cooks).
3. Remove from the grill and place on a plate. Drizzle honey on the sandwich, then sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar.
4. Get messy and enjoy!!!