Tuna-Egg Salad - A Healthy Refresh

I'm always so happy when I think of an even healthier way to create foods that I love! I was craving this today so I started assembling ingredients. I realized I bought the wrong mayonnaise. Instead of one made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, I had bought regular mayo. . .Hmmm. As I added the tuna packed in EVOO, an idea struck. What would this taste like with no mayonnaise -and- more olive oil in its place? 🤔 . . . Well, let's find out!

4 large Pasture Raised 'medium-hard' boiled eggs

1 big stalk of celery

6 green onions

4-5 small dill pickles

1/3 orange bell pepper

1 can EVOO packed tuna

single source EVOO

salt & pepper

Chop everything, break up the tuna, adding it -plus the oil- to a medium glass bowl. Mix together well, using enough olive oil to hold everything together, plus little more. Season, mix well once more, then serve. . .Lin

Citrus Marmalade Cupcake-Muffins

This is another take on the Mediterranean olive oil cake recipe I've been making in various modifications as new ideas happen.

Start this one by making a marmalade using these ingredients:

5-6oz. flavorful red jam

3oz. finely chopped citrus peel

2oz. water

Bring this to a low simmer, cover and cook at this temperature for 5 minutes. Turn off heat, keep covered to allow the citrus to absorb sweetness and rehydrate, until the rest of your ingredients are assembled in their respective bowls. In a medium size bowl, combine:

3 lg. pasture raised eggs

2/3c sugar, white or brown

1/2c Kalamata olive EVOO

1/2c half and half

2/3c golden raisins

1t-1T Mexican vanilla

When the marmalade mixture is cool, add that to this bowl.

In a larger bowl, stir together these dry ingredients:

1c Namaste gluten-free flour

1/2c almond flour 

1/2c corn flour 

2t baking powder

1t Himalayan pink salt

Combine the egg mixture with the flours in the large bowl. Spoon batter into paper-lined muffin tins. This made enough for 24 cupcake-muffins. Bake in preheated 350° oven for 20-25 minutes until tops spring back when touched, or check using the toothpick test. Cool to room temperature.

To make a glaze for these, combine the sugar and liquid jam, then put it in a squeeze bottle.

3oz. liquified flavorful jelly or strained jam

4oz. powdered sugar

Drizzle a little of this fruity icing on each cupcake-muffin. Cover and keep these on the countertop, or freeze in gallon bags once the icing has dried and hardened. So, what are they? Cupcakes or Muffins? You'll have to try them, then decide...😊...Lin

Farro Porcini 'Risotto' with Beef and Vegetables

I only have a couple more days here at the lake before returning home. It's time to take a food inventory, using up what's here, rather than bringing it back with me, if possible. Hence this recipe. Sort of a beef, vegetable, grain casserole. . .with a fancy name. I normally wouldn't use a mix, but when it's something that I'm not familiar with, it gives me a point of reference for making it in the future from scratch. I trust the Alessi brand and this mix was simple, healthy and tastes great.

 

1 4-serving pkg. farro risotto mix

Make this according to package directions. While that simmers, prepare the fresh ingredients for this recipe:

6oz. beef steak - cut in small pieces

1t± salt-pepper seasoning

2-3T good quality EVOO

3 big garlic cloves - smashed and minced

1/3 or so lg. onion

1/3 bell pepper

1 big carrot

1/2 pkg. California blend vegetables, chopped

(since I had a fresh carrot, I only used the broccoli and cauliflower)

Slice or chop the vegetables while the beef is sautéing in the oil, in a 10" frying pan, with a little of the garlic and onion. Once the beef is browned and snapping add about 1/2c hot water. Stir to incorporate any browned bits on the bottom, then add the vegetables. Stir again then cook over medium heat, covered, until the vegetables are done the way you like. Combine this with the 'risotto' in a 2-3 quart casserole, heat at 350° if needed for 10-15 minutes before serving.

This was perfect with a simple salad of fresh greens. Today mine is chopped Romaine, green cabbage and cilantro. (drizzled with my favorite lemon-EVOO vinaigrette dressing). . .Lin

Fruit, Vegetables and Roasted Chicken

Well, this was a nice surprise!

I wasn't planning to blog this (normally I use solid color plates and bowls when I do) but it turned out really well. I snapped a photo before devouring it all, plus the rest of the fruit and vegetable mix - the photo only shows half of what I made!

I roasted an Amish chicken this afternoon. I'll create more recipes with that in the next few days. It smelled so good I decided to quick cook something to go with a little bit of the chicken for an easy dinner tonight. This is only 2-1/2oz. chicken with some Lingonberries.

To serve with the chicken, I combined:

1 lg. carrot

1 slightly underripe Bartlett pear

1/4 lg. Vidalia onion

garlic salt and black pepper

2T single source EVOO

a little water

Scrub and slice the carrot, and peeled onion. Quarter and cut the pear into 1/2" cubes. Start by simmering the carrot in the water and olive oil with the seasonings. After a few minutes, add the pear and onion.

Continue to cook on low, covered, for 5 minutes. Don't overcook. Uncover, stir and continue to simmer until the liquid evaporates. Serve with a 'side' of chicken. This was DE-licious! . .Lin

Mediterranean Olive Oil Cake

This is a classic all over Italy and neighboring countries. A not-too-sweet cake perfect for morning coffee or tea. I've wanted to make this for ages, so today I searched for recipes to give me ideas. Each one is vastly different from the next! So, needless to say, I took several liberties of my own including substituting corn and hazelnut flour for 1/3 of the total flour, for a little less gluten.

Preheat your oven to 350° In a small-medium glass bowl, whisk together:

1c unbleached all purpose flour

1/4c hazelnut flour

1/4c corn flour

1+1/2t baking powder

1/2t Himalayan pink salt

In a larger bowl, beat together with a mixer:

3 lg. pasture raised eggs

3/4c unbleached cane sugar

1/2c single source EVOO

1/2c oat milk

1/4t almond extract

3/4t pure vanilla

When the oven is preheated, beat the eggs and sugar until fluffy. Drizzle in the EVOO, beat again. Then add the milk and flavorings. When that's well beaten, add the flour mixture about 1/3 at a time beating on low after each addition until everything's well combined.

Pour the batter into an 8" round or square pan that's been oiled and sugared for a nice crunch on the crust! Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes. Cool before slicing and serving. 8 servings - 256 calories each. This reminds me a lot of pound cake.

Mmmmm! 😃
I'll for sure make this again, for company. . .Lin

EDIT. . .After I took the first photo I thought...Fruit! Maybe it needs some fruit!?!

I'm sure it'll be great plain too, but I had 8 big fresh strawberries. I cut those into a pan then added some frozen blueberries and cherries. Used my chopper to break them up, sprinkled on some cinnamon sugar, 1T fresh lemon juice and simmered for a few minutes. TaaaDaaa!