Fried Beet Chips with Goat Cheese Dip

One of my favorite restaurants of all time has let me down this summer. They have consistently been out of their scrumptious Beet Chips with Goat Cheese Dip appetizers every time I have stopped by. This is unacceptable.

So what did I do? I took matters into my own hands and made my own Beet Chips with Goat Cheese Dip and I have to tell you--they are better.

*Note: The Goat Cheese Dip recipe can be made a little more special by adding your favorite herbs and seasonings. I like dried basil and dill.

FRIED BEET CHIPS
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:

• 6-8 Bulk beets (the smaller version-easier to cut), scrubbed and peeled
• Canola/Peanut oil.
  

DIRECTIONS:
Slice beets thin.

Fill pot with oil up to 3/4 of an inch. Put on high heat until oil "cracks" when you drip a drop of water into the pot. Then decrease to med-high heat.

Fry beets in small batches to ensure crispiness. ~10 minutes per batch/ until crispy.

Place on plates lined with paper towels to soak up the extra oil. Then transfer to a serving bowl.

SERVE!

~~~~~~~~~~

GOAT CHEESE DIP (PLAIN)
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:

• 5-6 oz. fresh goat cheese
• 2/3 cup low-fat sour cream
  

DIRECTIONS:
In a bowl/ food processor, beat/mix ingredients until well-combined.

Serve!

Salmon With Lemon and Herb Butter

Ok. This blogger has been very bad about the food she has been eating. As a self-respecting foodie, I cannot forgive myself from eating nothing but frozen dinners these past few weeks. In an effort to redeem myself I made a mental promise to cook my lunch for this week. The result?

Salmon with Lemon and Herb Butter:
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
1.5 lb Salmon fillet
Salt and Pepper to Taste
1 lemon
8 tbsp. of butter (softened)
2 tbsp. fresh finely chopped parsley
2 tbsp. fresh finely chopped dill

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 425.

Rinse off and pat dry a 1.5 lb salmon fillet (I used Sockeye) and lay in a baking dish (I used a glass Pyrex baking dish). Salt and pepper the fillet on one side. Set aside.

Slice 9-10 extra thin wheels from the lemon and arrange on top of the salmon fillet. Squeeze the rest of the lemon over the salmon fillet.

In a bowl whisk the softened butter, parsley, dill, salt, and pepper together. Take an ice cream scooper and scoop balls of the herb butter on top of the fillet.

Place baking dish in the oven and cook for 30-35 minutes or until fillet starts to flake with a fork and the fish is cooked.

Best Recipe: Caprese

Italy is one of my all time favorite countries. I have had the good fortune of traveling throughout this glorious region and sampling its wonderful food. The one thing that makes a great Italian dish (or any dish for that matter) is FRESHNESS of ingredients.

Italian Caprese salad, for all its simplicity, is absolutely delicious and endlessly satisfying.

Buon Appetito!

INGREDIENTS: (serves 2)

• 8 thick round slices of fresh Mozzarella cheese
• 8 medium round slices of ripe Roma tomatoes
• 3-4 large fresh basil leaves
• 3-4 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 3-4 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Arange tomatoes and mozzarella on a plate. Tear basil leaves by hand and sprinkle them over the tomatoes and mozzarella. Drizzle everything with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

The Goatwich

Sandwiches are amazing. Hot or cold. This simple food concoction has stood the test of time and continues to be a superior source of good eating. The best part about sandwiches? Ingredient flexibility.

Bread + Stuff inside bread = Sandwich

New favorite sandwich recipe: The Goatwich. Enjoy!

The Goatwich (serves 1)
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 sandwich ciabatta bun, sliced in half
• 2-3 slices of goat cheese
• 1 ring slice of purple onion
• 2-3 thin slices of red bell pepper
  
• 1 tbsp. pesto sauce

DIRECTIONS:
Spread the pesto sauce onto one slice of the ciabatta bun. Add the goat cheese slices. Arrange the purple onion slices and bell pepper slices. Top the sandwich with the other slice of ciabatta. Enjoy!

Onion Rings!!!

I consider myself a pretty healthy eater: vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and fresh fruits are the staples of my diet. However, this does not mean that I do not indulge in greasy, sugary, fatty foods every now and then. For the past few weeks I have been craving deep-fried onion rings and I have finally learned to make them myself. This is the first recipe I have tried, so feel free to let me know if there is a better recipe out there.

The onion ring recipe comes from AllRecipes.com (submitted by Jean Marie) and received 5/5 stars. Making the onion rings was pretty easy and straightforward overall. I do recommend double dipping the raw onions in the egg and flour mixtures (egg mixture, then flour mixture, then egg mixture, then flour mixture) to get an even coating; dipping the onions just once wasn't working. I ended up serving the onion rings with a ketchup-mayonnaise dip to complete the assault on my arteries. If you're really adventurous, you can throw in some beer.

Fry, enjoy, and indulge!

Old Fashioned Onion Rings
INGREDIENTS
1 large onion, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk, or as needed
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
seasoned salt to taste
1 quart oil for frying, or as needed

DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).

Separate the onion slices into rings, and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Dip the onion slices into the flour mixture until they are all coated; set aside. Whisk the egg and milk into the flour mixture using a fork. Dip the floured rings into the batter to coat, then place on a wire rack to drain until the batter stops dripping. The wire rack may be placed over a sheet of aluminum foil for easier clean up. Spread the bread crumbs out on a plate or shallow dish.

Place rings one at a time into the crumbs, and scoop the crumbs up over the ring to coat. Give it a hard tap as you remove it from the crumbs. The coating should cling very well. Repeat with remaining rings.

Deep fry the rings a few at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove to paper towels to drain. Season with seasoning salt, and serve.

Best Recipe: Fast and Easy Ratatouille

Many of us are on the go, and it becomes quite difficult to get enough vegetables into our everyday diet. This is one of the best veggie recipes I've tried recently and comes from a book called, Without Reservations, by Joey Altman. It's quick, fast, tasty, and really fun to say: ra-ta-too-ee. Enjoy!

Fast and Easy Ratatouille (or Fresh Basil Ratatouille)

INGREDIENTS:
1 med-small globe eggplant
1 med green zucchini
1 med golden zucchini or crooked-neck squash
1 med red onion
1 med red bell pepper
6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (more if needed)
Kosher salt
1 heaping tbsp. minced garlic
1, 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup roughly chopped or torn fresh basil
Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Cut eggplant, zucchini, pepper, and onion into 1/4 inch dice, placing each in a separate bowl.

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over med-hi heat. When oil is hot, add eggplant with 1 tsp. salt. Cook until eggplant softens and is slightly browned all over. Remove eggplant and place in a large serving bowl; set aside.

Add remaining 2 tbsp. olive ol to the pan, then add onions and garlic. When onions are softened and light golden, add the red peppers. Saute peppers until softened, then add the zucchini and 1 tsp. salt. Add more olive oil as needed. When finished cooking, vegetables should be tender, but not mushy.

Return the eggplant tot he pan and add the tomatoes with their juices. Stir and saute to heat everything through and combine the mixture well.

Stir in the torn basil and season with pepper and salt to taste before transferring to a serving bowl.

Best recipe: Garlic Broth

A good alternative to chicken stock or just to have on its own. Very healthy and very soothing.

Ingredients:

• 2 heads garlic
• 2 quarts water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• A bouquet of bay leaf, sprigs of thyme and parsley and a fresh sage leaf
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Bring water to a boil.
2. Separate the head of garlic into cloves and slightly crush each clove with the flat end of a knife. Drop the slightly crushed cloves into the boiling water with the rest of the ingredients and bring water to a gentle boil.
3. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 1 hour. Strain. Taste and adjust salt as desired.