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Food fight by Trace Hillman
Do we need to have a food fight? Do we need to watch what we are putting in our body? Should we be concerned with obesity problem? Well, duh!!!
There are many ways to enjoy life and food happens to be pretty high up on the list for most people, including myself. I enjoy food; I enjoy the creativity, the chemistry, the passion, and the fact that it is also a necessary component to our everyday lives, it is the fuel that keeps us ALIVE! I like being alive. A song just popped in my head—Albert Finney in Scrooge singing, "I like life, life likes me…"ummm that is what I do—I cook and I sing, neither of them well enough to pay the bills.
Anyway, I have decided that although it is all around me, I am going to eat as little processed food as possible. I have made a pledge that my kids will grow up healthy and fit despite what their father looks like. I have also decided that if I want them to eat right, then I have to eat right also. How hard could it be, right? Harder than you think.
It used to be that your food came from the farm or the ranch or at very least the local market. Now your food comes from other continents and chemistry labs. It is entirely possible to make a delicious meal from basic ingredients that everyone in your family can pronounce, and you will feel better if you do it.
Ok, I have much more to say about this subject, but let's cook some pizza instead.
"When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amore…" (singing again). Actually when the pizza hits my taste buds that is amore.
Homemade pizza is easy when you use a few tricks. My trick is buying fresh pizza crust from a local business (on a soapbox). I use pizza dough from Johnny 50's Pizza and Subs in Clifton. The little pizza shop is next to Coronado City Market and they offer pizza, subs, ice cream, shakes, malts, and of course, pizza dough. I think I actually took them by surprise the first time I asked, but now they know who I am and are able to get my dough loaded up quickly and easily. For less than 3 bucks I can take home a delicious ball of dough that can be turned in to pizza, bread, breadsticks, garlic bread, cinnamon rolls – the possibilities are enormous. http://www.johnny50s.com/
Toppings: anything can be a topping, but we tend to go with pretty easy choices, like zucchini, peppers, onions, mushrooms, ham, bacon bits, hamburger, taco meat, etc.
Cheese: I prefer to have my cheese on the crust with just a sprinkle on the toppings. I use a combination of mozzarella and colby jack cheese.
Sauce: you can use spaghetti sauce from a jar or you can throw together a few herbs and spices with a can of tomato sauce. I also use olive oil as a sauce, and for my Mexican pizza I use refried beans.
Tools: I prefer to start my pizza on a stone (heated or cold—your choice) and then transfer to the rack for the ultimate crack in the crust.
So, here we go:

Easy summer pizza

Ingredients:
1 ball of pizza dough
1 oz olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 medium zucchini
1 bell pepper (red or orange are my favorite)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
3 tbsp real bacon bits (optional)
1 cup shredded cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Put the dough in a bowl, toss with a little splash of the oil and turn to coat. Leave bowl in a warm (not hot) place covered by a towel so that the dough can rise.
While the dough rises start your veggie prep.
Wash all veggies.
Zucchini: Slice off the ends of the zucchini and, depending on the size, cut into 2 to 3 sections. Cut each section in half long ways to make 4 to 6 half circle shaped zucchinis. Slice slowly to the desired thickness and set aside.
Pepper: slice small piece off of end to make flat surface. Slice off the top of the pepper and pull out the core. Slice pepper in half and then slice into thin strips and set aside.
Garlic: peel and mince garlic cloves with either a garlic press or a knife.
Prep any other veggies and set aside.
Heat a medium sauté pan with the remaining oil. Add minced garlic and veggies to hot pan and quickly sauté to crisp tender. Set aside to cool.
Prepping the dough: remove the risen dough from the bowl and place on floured surface big enough to roll out. Punch dough down in the center and then press out the sides by rolling with a rolling pin, wine bottle, or a clean baseball bat, to the desired thickness.
Place flattened dough on pizza pan/stone and press out to the sides, pinching up the edges to make a lip. Using a basting brush, take some of the garlic oil from the pan and brush all over the crust. Add three-fourths of the cheese to the oiled crust and then place veggies on top and then covering with the remaining cheese (I add the bacon bits at this point).
Back pizza for 12 minutes and then remove the pan (if possible) to allow the crust to crisp on the oven rack for 4 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes, slice and enjoy.
Visit www.cookingwithtrace.blogspot.com for more recipes.

Honey Pepper Pork with Vegetables... viva la revolution!

Honey Pepper Pork with Vegetables

My wife did it again.. She saw a picture and said "honey….. Please make this for me…." I am such a sucker. So I did some research and saw some different types of honey pepper sauces and then made my own.

I took the pork and marinated with lemon juice, pepper, paprika and garlic salt for about 2 hours. I then washed and sliced 3 zucchinis, 1 red pepper, 2 cups of fresh spinach, opened a can of water chestnuts , prepped a cup of julienned carrots, and chopped  1 small onion.

Next I sprayed my favorite measuring cup (1 oz measurer) with cooking spray and filled it with honey. Ground about 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, pulled out my new cool salt cellar (a present from my favorite Ukrainian), and prepared a 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch. My mise en place was ready and I was ready to cook.

Next I heated my large wok skillet with about a tablespoon of canola oil.  

In goes the pork for a quick sear and then added in the onions, carrots, water chestnuts,  and peppers. As soon as the onions are translucent add the zucchini.

Mix the honey, pepper, cornstarch, a pinch of salt and a splash of water.  Add the mixture to the veggies and pork, stir to combine and add the spinach. Take of the heat and serve with brown rice.

Recipe:

Honey Pepper Pork and Vegetables

1 lb cubed pork loin

3 zucchinis

1 red pepper

1 small onion

1 can water chestnuts

1 cup julienned carrots

2 cups fresh spinach

2 oz honey

1 oz water

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Salt to taste

For the brown rice, I tried something new, in the freezer case at the local supermarket I found parboiled brown rice, easy to microwave and very tasty.

Not only is this meal fairly simple to make,  it is healthy and has no fake foods, or sauces in it.

There are no preservatives, not to much salt or sugar. Jamie Oliver would be proud!

Relay for Life - Dine for a Cure fundraisers

Every year the Relay for Life team in Grand Junction hosts several "Dine for a cure" nights. This is where a local restaurant gives a portion of the sales during a specific event to the Relay for Life teams. As always, there are great restaurants on the list:

Dine For A Cure 

Local businesses are supporting Relay For Life by providing a percentage of income. Please support these wonderful businesses and Relay For Life with your patronage.
Grand International Buffet Wednesday April 21 (10:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.)

Ale House Brewfest Saturday April 24th (5:00 – 10:00 p.m.)

Carino’s Italian Thursday April 29th (11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.)

McAlister’s Deli Saturday May 1st (10:30 – 9:00 p.m.)

Famous Dave’s Sunday May 2nd, 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.) Sunday June 6th, (11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.)

Texas Roadhouse Monday May 17th, 4:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.)

Our team is also conducting an event at Chuck E. Cheese on May 27th from 5-9 pm. Contact me at tdhillman@msn.com for details.

There are more to come and if you just want to make a donation to the cause you can click on our team link here :

Relay for life Team Route 66

Easy chicken chili... Er um soup ?

Last night I thought "man" (I sometimes talk to my self like that) "man, I have to cook those chicken legs tonight, but I am too tired...."it was at that point that the proverbial light bulb went off above my head.... Crock pot!




I brought out my big crock pot and laid about 12 chick legs in there dusting each layer with a new chipotle seasoning, courtesy of my friend Andria, and put the lid on. Set the timer for 8 hours and went to bed.




Now I must have been dreaming that I would get 8 hours of sleep, but when you have the chiweenie and chihuahua from hell (can't tell time now since the time change) and they have to be let out and fed, needless to say I was up early.




So anyway about 7 hours later the chicken legs are obviously done and the house smells wonderful. Using tongs I deboned the legs (rather easily, and made sure to root through until I found all the little pokey ones) and tasted... "like OMG, that is soooo good, for reals".




But what am I going to do with a pot full of chicken.... hmmmmm a-ha... beans, tomatoes, and more beans...




Here is the recipe:

Easy overnight Chicken Chili




12 chicken legs (substitute with your favorite protein)

about 2 oz chipotle seasoning

1 can white kidney beans

1 can black beans

1 can diced tomatoes




Cook chicken legs with seasoning overnight on low in crockpot, debone.

Add all of the cans and stir return to a high heat in the crock pot for about one hour.




Quick and easy. I guess quick is relative since it cooked overnight, but you know what I mean!.










cookingwithtrace.blogspot.com

Location:Franklin Ave,Grand Junction,United States

Cheesecake!!!!!

I entered a contest on the fan page of a local cheesecake company called Decadence Gourmet Cheesecakes http://www.decadencecheesecakes.com. It was for any type of recipe (not just cheesecakes). I entered my recipe for Upside Down Cheeseburger Skillet Pizza…. Hold the phone I actually won! To make it even better the prize was six gourmet (individual) cheesecakes.

I went over to Business Incubator in Grand Junction and met with the owner and creative genius Lee Mathis to pick up my cheesecakes. I have to say that I have not met a more engaging and exciting person in quite some time, you can feel the passion for food coming off of this guy.

My prizes included four dessert cheesecakes and two of his new savory flavors.

Outer Banks (a decadent peanut butter chocolate cheesecake)
Tiramisu
Chocolate Chai
Blackberry Cabernet
Sun Dried Tomato
Bleu Cheese and Bacon.


I was very stoked!  I took the Outer Banks and the Chocolate Chai home for the family and left the other four at work for a cheesecake tasting event later in the week.

I have a wonderful wife and two very hyper boys (ages 11 and 6).  I thought those were the two flavors most likely to be appreciated.
I made a mistake but opening the Chocolate Chai Cheesecake first... there was a free for all in my Clifton kitchen. Wow... the incredible flavor of exotic spices and the delicious creamy chocolate was all my family needed to start clamoring over me for more, we literally had to come to order and take turns to make sure that everyone got the same number of bites. It was that good.
The reason I say it was a mistake is because we were all fat and happy with the chocolate chai and then we tried the Outer Banks. I was in heaven, I always think of the 70's TV commercial for Reese's peanut butter cups "you got chocolate in my peanut butter, you got peanut butter on my chocolate, two great tastes that taste great together" whenever I have the immaculate combination. I have a jar of peanut butter in my desk at work and I have a pb&j at least once per day. To say I love PB is an understatement.
The pairing of delicious cheesecake flavored with peanut butter and topped with chocolate was so rich and delicious that we had to stop and finish it later because we were in dessert paradise.
My family was very happy with my prize.

Later in the week I invited my foodie friends to a cheesecake tasting event at work. We had crackers and the remaining four cheesecakes (Blackberry Cabernet, Tiramisu, Sun Dried Tomato, and Bleu Cheese and Bacon).

My friends and I were again in food ecstasy.

The combination of Blackberry with a delicious wine was sweet and rich. There was no downside to this cheesecake, and I am again reminded how lucky I am that these cheesecakes are in four ounce jars, because I could have eaten myself into a coma.

The Tiramisu cheesecake was sweet, tangy and creamy. It is not my favorite dessert on a general basis but the petite serving size was perfect for enjoying a unique flavor.

Now to the flavors that I have been dying to try, Savory Sun Dried Tomato, and Bleu Cheese with Bacon.
For Clarification purposes the savory cheesecakes are not supposed to be eaten individually like the dessert cheesecakes, in my opinion these are more of a delicious spread.

The Bleu Cheese and Bacon was heady and flavorful with the tang of a good bleu cheese, and then the underscore of peppery bacon finished the bite and stayed with you and continued to think of the uses for the concoction. My first thought was as a topping a sizzling steak, the bleu cheese melting while the bacon and spices cover the delicious steak was making me drool at work. The other suggestions were using the spread in a wrap or on a bagel.

The Savory Sun Dried Tomato was delicious and smooth; I thoroughly enjoyed the contrast of the two different types of cheesecakes. The tomato was understated and the cheesecake was flavorful without being too rich.  Again this was be great on a bagel or in a wrap as well as on crudités or crackers.
All in all I am incredibly blessed to have been able to try so many new things and to be able to share them with my family and friends. Many thanks to Mr. Lee Mathis and his tasty ideas.

Special requests from the wife :)

My wife is infamous for making an offhand remark regarding some wish for a type of food, and I am infamous for saying "I can do that!"

The request this weekend was two fold.

She wanted a veggie type pizza, and that sparked an idea. Here goes...


preheated oven to 450 degrees
I sauteed a small zucchini, yellow bell peppers, and mushrooms in a little olive oil.

meanwhile I stretched a pizza dough from Johnny 50's (Clifton, CO) and brushed a little olive oil and sprinkled it with garlic salt. I then added the covered the dough with mozzarella and added the veggies (segregating the mushrooms per a spousal request). Baked for 11 minutes on a stoneware pizza pan and then for another 5 minutes on the oven rack (to crisp the crust).

oh yeah and because it is what I do... I added bacon bits on top.














It was delicious! If I can make this at home with the dough from Johnny 50's imagine what they can do with it. Support local business http://www.johnny50s.com/

The second "fold" was a quick meal for my father in law (diabetic). He is not eating any bread. I used the same ingredients as the pizza in a hot skillet melting the mozzarella in to a makeshift no-carb crust.

Step in to the kitchen and make yourself something delicious!

Trace

Corporate travel gets better

So the first day was dinner with friends and it was great food and even better company thanks to the hospitable Templeton family!

The next night was easy and delicous at Chik-fil-a...



Yummy!

Today for lunch I had an amazing salmon teriyaki...



The salmon was seared on one side and the teriyaki sauce was sweet and spicy!

Tuesday night it is sushi and tempura with the ladies of human resources.




I had tempura dinner #1. It included 8 pieces of spicy tuna sushi and tempura veggies with shrimp.



I went on the edge here, I like sushi but I have only tried a few kinds. I loved the flavor of the spicy tuna, but the texture was not my favorite. The tempura was delicious and for dessert the presented us with cut oranges.
From this photo you can tell I kinda enjoyed the food and the company.




Let's see what therest o the week brings.


Trace
cookingwithtrace.blogspot.com

Food Network Recipe Contest entry ---- Dilly Pimento Cheese Wontons

This month the food network sponsored a "secret" ingredient contest a la Iron Chef. The secret ingredient was pickles. I came up with the recipe and decided to enter. Let me know what you think!


DILLY PIMENTO CHEESE WONTONS
1 CUP SHREDDED CHEESE (COLBY JACK, OR CHEDDAR)
1/4 CUP MAYONNAISE
2 TBSP CHOPPED PIMENTOS
2 TBSP CHOPPED DILL PICKLES
2 TBSP DICED HAM
1 PACKAGE WONTON SKINS
SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE

MIX CHEESE AND MAYO TOGETHER, ADD IN PIMENTOS, PICKLES, AND HAM, STIR TO COMBINE. TASTE AND ADD SALT AND PEPPER AS NEEDED.

ADD 1 TSP OF MIXTURE TO MIDDLE OF ONE WONTON SKIN FOLD OVER EDGES MOISTENED WITH WATER TO SEAL. REPEAT.
HEAT OIL IN SKILLET (OLIVE, CANOLA, ETC) ADD WONTON TO HOT OIL AND COOK ON EACH SIDE UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN AND DELICIOUS. SERVE WARM.

Spice Rub - latest version

This is a new version of my standard spice rub. I use it mostly on a slow cooked pork shoulder.
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup pulverized brown sugar (powdered in blender)
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground ginger

preheat oven to 200 degrees
9 lb pork shoulder (bone in)  rinsed


Cover pork with spice mixture and rub into all crevices, massaging the meat with spice and love :)

Place shoulder fat side up on on raised rack of pan (I use a 1/2 sheet pan with rack). Cook in oven for minimum 7 hours ( I usually do 9 hours). Let rest 1 hour.

Carve or shred meat.

Serve with bbq sauce and cole slaw.

Valentines Dinner 2010

For Valentine's Day 2010 I have decided to makes salt crusted baked potatoes and slow braised pork cubes in a maple mustard sauce.

I combined stone ground honey mustard with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, warm water, salt, pepper, garlic salt, cumin, and celery seed in a blender. Next I browned the cubed pork with a little salt and pepper added the braising liquid, lowered the temperature and covered. 45 minutes later I removed the meat and brought the liquid up to a boil to reduce.









Shown here served with steamed broccoli and roasted onions.

Location:Clifton, CO

Nacho libre

6 year luchador



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Clifton

Food: an essay

What is food? Essentially it is fuel. Sustenance is required to function but flavor makes the function worth it! The idea that you can be a chemist and an artist and a provider all at the same time is exhilerating and daunting at the same time.

Everyone has ideas and certain people have the ability to transform those ideas into masterpieces that not only sustain us but the also feed our souls.

I imagine that every person has that magical food that brings them to a place or time in thier lives. Is it grandma's chicken casserole or dad's once a month breakfast for dinner that reminds you a of happier time? Maybe it brings a sadness of missing a person or an adventure that was glorious. I think about my Nanny's cream corn and fried chicken that she would make every time we would drive across the country to visit relatives in Alabama. Memories like Dad adding beer to his meatloaf or Grandma always making peanut butter chocolate icing for my birthday cake.

Food can be associated with good and bad memories, when I miss my late sister I think about how she would put ketchup on her cornflakes (she was four years old). It is a bittersweet memory, but still sweet.

Maybe we can share those experiences through this blog, maybe I am just a nut obsessed with food, but, I know I am not alone. There are more of you, than would like to admit, that have a weakness. So maybe we band together to enjoy life and food and each other.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Mexican pizza

I first encountered this recipe when I was working at Papa Kelsey and Fred's during my college days. I hope you enjoy! Trace

Mexican pizza
1 pizza dough*
1 can refried beans
1 pound hamburger
2 cups Mexican blend/fiesta blend
1/2 cup mozzarella
taco seasoning
tomato sauce
Optional items chopped olives, chopped onion, salsa, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, chopped tomatoes...

Bake or buy a pizza dough. Press out into a 18 inch round bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Brown hamburger meat, chopped into fine pieces. Add taco seasoning and tomato sauce per directions.

Take cooled crust. Spread refried beans to the edge top with fiesta cheese mix, add taco meat spread evenly across the crust. Add any optional items that you would like onions, olives, jalapenos etc. sprinkle with half cup of mozzarella bake at 400 degrees until cheese is bubbly approximately 12-15 minutes.

Serve with sides like sour cream, quacamole, extra tomatoes, olives, onions, peppers, salsa

Enjoy

*I buy my raw pizza dough from a local pizza restaurant. Cheap and easy.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Upside Down Cheesburger Pizza

Quick and easy very delicious.

Upside down cheeseburger pizza

1 lb ground beef
14 oz spaghetti sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese divided
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flower
optional
onions, peppers, mushrooms, bacon

Tools:

Oven proof skillet
Spatula
Strainer

prep time: 10 minutes oven time: 20 minutes


Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brown hamburger and drain. add 14 oz spaghetti sauce and 1/2 cup cheese. Simmer 3 minutes.

Mix egg, milk, flour and remaining cheese to make batter (very runny) spoon over meat evenly.

Bake 20 minutes, enjoy.

Honey mustard braised pork chops

Honey Mustard Braised Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes and Carrots

This was an experiment that turned out great. I was home with the boys while mom was off playing with her friends. The boys were going to need dinner and I had time so I tried to see what I could do to add flavor to our menu.

Ingredients:

3 boneless loin pork chops

Dijon mustard

Honey

Balsamic vinegar

Warm water

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

2 lbs Potatoes

½ lb baby carrots

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ butter

Boil 6 quarts of salted water. Chop potatoes into medium cubes add to water with carrots. Continue boiling until tender. Drain. Add mayonnaise and beat until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

Heat olive oil in 12 inch skillet, salt and pepper chops, brown chops for 2-3 minutes per side. Lower heat to low and add honey mustard sauce.

Cover pan and let simmer for 25-30 minutes until chops are fork tender.

Honey mustard sauce:

1/3 cup Dijon mustard

1/3 cup honey

2 tbls balsamic vinegar

1 cup warm water

This is an estimate for the recipe, please adjust to taste.

Mix ingredients together, mixture should be thin enough to come half way up chops.

Last minute Chili

One cold winter day you decide you want chili but you decide at the
last minute. What do you do? Give my quick delicous recipe a try.

Chili
1 pound ground beef
1 pound spicy breakfast sausage
two cans bushes mild chili beans
One can refried beans
one can diced tomatoes w/ green chiles
4 tablespoons bacon bits

Crumble and brown sausage and hamburger until no pink is visible add
refried beans.
Stir to combine adding two cans of beans one can of
tomatoes and the bacon bits bring to a boil and then reduce heat to
simmer.

Serve with diced onions, grated cheese, and sour cream.

My recipe for the economy...

The economy sucks, and with that great vacuum money and joy tends to wane. Luckily saving money on food can help with both. This is a depression era dish that my wonderful Grandma Hillman used to make. It is called 'Crumbs' I am sure it was thrown together with whatever was on had at the time, can you imagine living in a time where everyone was struggling to make it work and doing whatever they had to do to get by??? oh wait maybe you can imagine.

The recipe originally did not include any type of meat, and it included a fried egg on top whever they were available. My recipe does not include the egg on top but it does include a tasty and versatile protien source.

Feel free to adjust to your liking and then let me know what you did..

With due respect to my Grandmother Melba Grace Hillman, here is my version of her depression era dish.


Pork and Crumbs

4 large potatoes cubed
1 large onion diced
1 lb pork loin cubed
¼ cup olive oil
2 eggs
1 cup flour divided
salt and pepper to taste


Heat oil in a large deep skillet

In a zip top bag mix ¼ cup of the flour and salt/pepper (as you like) add cubed pork loin, shake to coat.
Add pork to hot skillet carefully even brown all meat, remove from oil.
Add cubed potatoes to oil and brown evenly.

Mix remainder of flour with two eggs and beat to a thin pancake consistency.
Add pork back to potatoes and toss with egg mixture to coat.
Fry until crispy, serve with white kidney beans.

One Pot Pork Wonder

One pot pork wonder

1 lb pork ribs, loins, chops (boneless)
1 med onion sliced
3-4 med potatoes washed and sliced
½ cup butter or margarine divided
½ cup sour cream
2 cups of water or broth
Oil
Salt and Pepper


Heat large pot with 2 tbsp of oil
Brown pork on all sides
Add sliced onions and potatoes on top, pour in water/broth and ½ of the butter. Cover pot and lower heat to medium.

Let cook slowly for approx 20 minutes check the potatoes to see if they are done. If they have cooked to your satisfaction add the rest of the butter to the mixture. There should be enough broth to spoon off about ½ cup into a separate dish, add the sour cream to the broth and stir to incorporate. Add the mixture back into the pot, and stir to coat. Season to taste (even good with a little Tabasco)

Serves 4-5 people and the little ones do not even notice the onions.

Recipe - Adult dessert

Ok,

I had the craving for a strawberry banana salad, like I used to get when my Grandparents would take me to Furr's Cafeteria. So I picked up the berries and the nanners, and added a 1/8 cup of sugar and 1/2 tsp of vanilla. My kids went nuts over it.

I go to thinking, hmmmm.. I have some Vanilla Rum.. so I made the same recipes and added a splash of vanilla rum and a pinch of salt. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed this "adult" treat. Next time I will add some crushed mint.

Recipe:
Strawberry & Banana Salad

1/2 lb of Ripe Strawberry sliced
2 med bananas sliced
1/8 cup sugar (or sweetener)
1/2 tsp vanilla

Adult version: replace vanilla with vanilla rum, and add a pinch of salt.

spoon into a champagne glass and enjoy!

Trace

Some say I have an overactive imagination. I firmly deny this. Half the time the things I bring up are not my ideas - they are the ideas of my imaginary friends

Recipe - Baby Spinach and Apple Salad

Baby Spinach and Apple Salad

2 cups Baby spinach
1 medium apple (I prefer red delicious) cored and sliced thin
Your choice of vegetables:
Radishes - sliced thin
Zucchini or Yellow Squash - julienned
Red onions - sliced thin
Jicama – sliced thin

Or any combination of vegetables.

Dressing:
2 tblsp Raspberry or Strawberry jam
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup Canola or Olive Oil

Whisk jam and vinegar together, add oil to mixture. Whisk dressing to emulsify, serve on the side of the salad.

Also makes a great dip for the kids to dip their spinach leaves in.