Prepared by Paige

2015-04-21T16:09:00.001-04:00

March 30, 2015

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Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin

pork tenderloin, cumin, coriander, garlic powder,

oregano, thyme, salt, and olive oil

served with:

Romesco Sauce

roasted red peppers, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, saffron,

sherry vinegar, bread, water, and salt

Pole Beans

simmered in chicken broth, salt, and pepper

Wild Rice

with dried cranberries and pecans

Kale Salad

with quinoa, sunflower seeds, and apple

with lemon vinaigrette

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2015-04-13T16:47:00.000-04:00

April 13, 2015

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Turkey Meatloaf

with Sundried Tomatoes & Feta

ground turkey, sundried tomatoes, feta, parsley,

garlic, panko, egg, milk, salt, and pepper

Pan Seared Okra

with olive oil, salt, and pepper

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

with reduced cream cheese, brown sugar,

nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt

Mixed Green Salad

with cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes, and artichokes

with balsamic vinaigrette

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2015-03-31T16:22:00.000-04:00

March 31, 2015

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Herb Roasted Chicken Breast

bone-in, skin on chicken breast, parsley, basil, thyme,

garlic, lemon zest, olive oil, salt, and pepper

Kale Chips

kale, olive oil, and salt

Artichoke Risotto

arborio rice, artichokes, peas, shallots,

mint, chicken broth

Spinach Salad

with strawberries, pecans, and feta

with poppy seed dressing

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2015-03-25T16:02:00.000-04:00

March 25, 2015

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Turkey Meatballs

ground turkey breast, onion, garlic, parsley, oregano,

panko, egg, ketchup, parmesan, salt, and pepper

Homemade Marinara

crushed tomatoes, onion, carrots, celery,

garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper

Spaghetti Squash

with olive oil, salt, and pepper

Stuffed Artichokes

with garlic, bread crumbs, parmesan,

oregano, olive oil, and salt

Caesar Salad

with mushrooms, tomatoes, shaved parmesan,

and homemade croutons

with caesar dressing

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2014-11-04T17:50:00.001-05:00

"We all eat, and it would be a sad waste of opportunity to eat badly."

-Anna Thomas

2014-10-22T11:15:00.000-04:00

Enjoyed this month . . . from www.PaigeCooks.com

October 6, 2014

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Argentine Spiced Flank Steak

flank steak, thyme, chili powder, brown sugar,

garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper

served with:

Salsa Criolla

red pepper, tomatoes, onion, garlic, thyme, water,

white wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper

Grilled Zuccchini

with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper

Orzo

with sundried tomatoes, artichokes, spinach, lemon zest,

lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper

Arugula Salad

with roasted beets, goat cheese, and toasted walnuts

with white balsamic vinaigrette

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2014-01-13T16:59:00.000-05:00

January 13, 2013

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Oven “Fried” Chicken

chicken breast, buttermilk, hot sauce, onion powder,

garlic powder, parmesan, panko, salt, and pepper

Green Beans with Tomatoes

with shallots, garlic, white wine,

diced tomatoes, olive oil, salt, and pepper

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

with, parmesan, chives, chicken broth, salt, and pepper

Mixed Salad

with peppers, cucumbers, carrots, and mushrooms

with white balsamic vinaigrette

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Time away, but for a good reason . . .

2012-06-27T09:41:00.000-04:00

Well .... I haven't posted on here in a LONG time, so long that everyone has probably forgotten about my little piece of the internet. But, I have some good news . . . In my time away from the blogoshere, I have actually been putting up all my meal history for my clients, on my client website:
www.PaigeCooks.com

I have over 500 meals listed, all simple, fresh, healthy choices. Have a look , let me know what you think....its a great resource for my clients, and hopefully for others as well.

shrimp and scallops in an artichoke tomato broth

2011-11-04T10:17:00.000-04:00

this was so light and tasty. easy, too. i served it with brown rice, but a whole wheat pasta would have taken it over the top. i also served a small whole grain roll to sop up all the broth. there are very few ingredients in this dish. shrimp, scallops, artichokes, diced tomatoes, shallots, garlic, fresh thyme, white wine, chicken broth, salt, and pepper. when i cook for my clients, i leave them with a card that not only tells them what they are eating, but lists all of the ingredients that each particular dish has in it. i want them to know what they are ingesting. my style of cooking is very simple. i use fresh ingredients, no preservatives or additives. i use a lot of fresh herbs, olive oil, salt, and pepper. i have started a new website called www.paigecooks.com. this site is where i put all of my clients' daily meals on. it's a reference for me to use, to track when i made what. check it out and get inspiration for a home cooked, healthy meal.

pork tenderloin with port-fig sauce

2011-11-02T09:29:00.000-04:00

i don't love this photo, its a bit phallic. what? it is. but, i will say this is such a great fall meal. i like pork tenderloins, they are so bland in taste, so if you add a rub, marinade, or sauce to it - it totally takes on that flavor. since the figs are in season, i decided to make a simple sauce of figs and port wine. the pork itself only has chopped fresh rosemary, salt and pepper on it. to make the sauce coarsely cop 8 figs and add to a sauce pan. add 2 1/2 cups of port wine, 1 1/4 cups of low sodium chicken broth, 2 fresh rosemary springs, one cinnamon stick, and 1tb of honey. boil over medium high heat for about 30 minutes. you want the mixture to thicken and reduce by half. remove the cinnamon stick and rosemary sprigs. transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. add 1 tb of butter and season with salt, and pepper, if necessary. preheat the oven to 425. rub the pork tenderloin with the chopped rosemary, salt, and pepper. in a large pan, heat a bit of olive oil and when hot add the tenderloin and rotate every 2 minutes. you want to get a nice brown coating on the pork. transfer the pan with the pork in it to the oven and continue to cook until the center of the pork reaches 155 degrees. let the tenderloin rest for 10 minutes before slicing. the pork will be slightly pink and juicy. pour as much sauce all over and enjoy!

orzo with grilled vegetables

2011-10-18T13:48:00.000-04:00

this is such a tasty, healthy side dish. whole wheat orzo with grilled vegetables. when i cook whole wheat pasta i cook it about 1 minute longer than the directions on the box call for. it makes the pasta a bit more soft. i think whole wheat pasta can be somewhat chewy. while the pasta is cooking grill your vegetables. i used summer squash, zucchini, red peppers, asparagus. prior to grilling the vegetables i made a marinade of balsamic vinegar, garlic, dijon mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and allowed the vegetables to marinate for 15 minutes. reserve the marinade, you will use this to dress the orzo. after the pasta has cooked, drain it and then add the marinade to the warm orzo. add the grilled vegetables and toss. adjust the flavor with more salt, pepper or balsamic, if necessary. this is a great side dish with grilled chicken.

lemon meringue pie

2011-10-04T18:25:00.001-04:00

oh my was this good! doesn't it look like it came right out of your grandmother's kitchen? i have never really been a big fan of meringue pies, i don't really have a good reason for it. i think it's because if i ever had a choice of dessert, i would lean more towards a cake or cookie. not a pie. a lemon meringue one at that. but, i wanted something sweet a few weekends ago and i wanted it to be somewhat low calorie/fat. i don't know if this fits the bill, but in my mind it did. i mean, the topping is essentially egg whites! and egg whites are good for you. this pie was so easy to put together and i had everything in the house to make it. to start, add 1 cup of sugar, 2 tb of flour, 3 tb of cornstarch, a pinch of salt, 1.5 cups of water, and 2 lemons juiced and zested in a saucepan. while stirring frequently, bring the mixture to a boil. add 2 tb of butter. separate 4 egg yolks and 4 egg whites. add a little of the sugar mixture into the yolks to temper them. add the yolks to the saucepan. continue to cook until thick, about 3-4 minutes. add to a baked pie crust ( i used pillsbury). to make the meringue, beat the egg whites until foamy and add 6 tb of sugar. continue to beat until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. spread the meringue over the pie, sealing the edges at the crust. bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. one slice of this light, refreshing pie is 298 calories. not bad for a dessert...

mega veggie salad

2011-09-29T15:14:00.000-04:00

i have really been trying hard these last few weeks to drop a few lbs. my annual trip to miami for art basel is rapidly approaching. it always seems i need some sort of special occasion or vacation to get my butt in gear. i recently bought a treadmill and have picked back up running. i really love it. it feels so good to sweat. and walking, quite frankly doesn't do that. i have been eating a salad almost every night (weekends excluded, of course) with some sort of lean protein. in order for it to be filling and satisfying, i add a ton of different vegetables, beans, nuts. this salad is full of artichokes, broccoli, asparagus, chick peas, walnuts (which, by the way, is said to help reduce breast cancer), tomatoes, carrots, celery, cucumbers, and lord knows what else. and you know what? it's been working. i have lost 5 lbs so far, and actually go to bed satisfied and full. a requirement for any meal i consume!

pasta bolognese

2011-09-24T10:43:00.001-04:00

i made this for a group of guys who where getting together for a night of poker and wine. it's really delicious and fun to make. quite hearty and rich, so take your pepcid ac! it comes together so quickly with the help of a food processor. there is a bit of tending to the dish in the beginning, but once all of that is complete, just set the dish to simmer and go run your errands. when you come back home your house will smell incredible. i normally would use a spaghetti with a meaty sauce like this bolognese, but being a dinner party, a shorter pasta would be easier to eat. who wants to twirl, slop, and continually wipe pasta sauce off your chin in front of friends? to start, add 2 large carrots, one large onion, 3 celery ribs, and 4 cloves of garlic to a food processor. add the mixture with 2 tb of olive oil and a good amount of salt to a large, heavy pan. i used my 8 quart le crueset. saute the vegetable for about 15-20 minutes. next, add 3 lbs of ground chuck. saute for another 15-20 minutes until the beef is nice and brown. add 2 cups of tomato paste, cook for 5 minutes. next add 3 cups of red wine. at this point the liquid will not completely cover the meat, so add about 3 cups of water. yes, water. add a bunch of thyme, tied, so you can easily pull it out in the end, and 3 bay leaves. bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. cook, uncovered for 4 hours. you may need to add more water as you go. taste for seasoning and adjust. the pasta to meat ratio should be the same. half pasta, half meat sauce. sprinkle with some parmesan and enjoy with some garlic bread. please, don't forget the bread. this makes a huge batch, it's great for freezing. the original recipe can be found here.

lyonnaise potatoes

2011-09-21T10:44:00.000-04:00

I love potatoes. baked, stuffed, french fried, mashed, smashed, roasted. you name it. i love that they are somewhat of a blank canvas and you can add just about anything to them for a new twist. i always try to keep them simple, however. i don't add butter or full fat creams to them. i really don't think they need it. these pototoes are fantastic. when i roast potatoes, i start by par boiling them. this way, i am assured that the centers will be soft. often times if i just throw the potatoes into a high temp oven to roast them, the centers are not cooked all the way through, and the outsides are a bit more brown than i like (a.k.a. burnt). lyonnaise potatoes are french and typically made with butter - i choose to use olive oil. lyonnaise potatoes, are also made with onions. i love pototoes and onions together. these, however don't have onions in them. i guess these aren't really lyonnaise potatoes, are they? maybe these are a little more like tuscan potatoes? speaking of tuscan potatoes...if you ever head to las vegas, make sure to dine at carnevino at the pallazo hotel. they have killer tuscan fries. ok, where was i? oh yea, back to these potatoes. to make them, quarter red potatoes and put them in a pot of water with some salt. once the water comes to a boil, turn it down a bit - to a soft boil. you don't want the potatoes to break apart. boil for 12-15 minutes. in the meantime, put a baking pan in a 450 degree oven. getting the pan hot with give a nice crust to the potatoes when you put them on the tray. after you have drained the potatoes, dry them off with a paper towel. pop them on the hot baking tray and add olive oil, salt, and pepper. roast in the oven for 10 minutes, take the potatoes out and flip them. at this point i like to add minced garlic. if you add the garlic too soon it will just burn. pop the potatoes and garlic back in the oven and roast another 5-7 minutes. once the potatoes are done, sprinkle with fresh parsley. i am on a curly parsley kick right now. i just love the way it looks, tastes, and it is really easy to finely chop. try it next time you are using parsley. make sure to lightly salt the potatoes again while still hot.

profiteroles with lemon custard

2011-09-18T10:02:00.000-04:00

good lord these are good. and a cinch to make. quite fun, too. there are very few ingredients, so you probably have everything in your pantry and fridge. to start, combine 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 stick of butter and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. reduce the heat and add 1/2 cup of flour and stir with a wooden spoon. continue to cook until the mixture has formed a ball and has a slightly sweaty sheen to it and has pulled away from the pan. it happens fast. transfer the mixture to another bowl and let cook for a few minutes. with an electric mixer add 2 eggs, one at a time. don't add the second egg until the first one is fully incorporated. add a pinch of cinnamon and beat to combine. transfer the mixture to a pastry bag. i use a zip lock bag that i have snipped off the corner. you want to pipe 1 inch balls onto a sheet lined with parchment paper. after you have added all the balls, dip your finger in water and smooth the top of each ball where the bag released the dough. leave about 1 inch between each ball because they grow. bake in a 425 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. rotate have way through so they bake evenly. once cool, cut in half horizontally and fill with whatever you want. i made a lemon custard and topped with melted chocolate and toasted almonds. ice cream is fantastic in these. they are so cute. they have hollow insides so you can stuff them with whatever you have. you can even make these savory by not adding cinnamon and stuff them with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes, or ricotta and fresh herbs. they make great appetizers.

baked chile relleno

2011-05-16T14:50:00.001-04:00

so, so good! i absolutely love poblano peppers. especially stuffed. i made these for my clients on cinco de mayo! i could really give a darn about that holiday, but i sure do love a reason to eat and cook mexican food! these peppers are so easy to put together and the flavor is to die for. start by roasting the peppers, i do this by placing the peppers directly over my gas flame on the stove until they get black. once charred all over, put them in a bowl and cover with foil. this allows the skin to peel away from the flesh. after 10 minutes, remove the charred skin. for the filling, i started with a rotisserie chicken. i took the skin off and shredded the meat. i added fresh corn kernels, sauteed onion and garlic, cumin, cilantro, monterey jack cheese, and tomatillo sauce. to make it you simply wash and cut in half about 10 tomatillos, one onion, one jalapeno, 2 cloves of garlic. drizzle olive oil all over. pop in a 425 degree oven and roast for 15 minutes. throw everything in a food processor with a little salt and pepper. add about 1/2 cup of tomatillo sauce to the chicken mixture and combine. cut a slit down the middle of the poblanos and remove all the seeds. stuff each pepper to the max! top with a bit more cheese and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. sprinkle with some chopped cilantro and serve.

sesame chicken

2011-05-03T14:20:00.000-04:00

this beats any chinese takeout. it's simple and full of flavor, and less fat. i served it with steamed broccoli and brown basmati rice. it was well received by my clients. i love when they go out of the way to compliment a meal i made them. i pretty much think all my meals i prepare are wonderful - that's the goal after all. but, when one strikes them in a way, i love to hear about it. i found this recipe on martha stewart. it's called lighter sesame chicken. give it a try, i'm sure you'll love it too!

chicken with mushroom sauce

2011-04-25T18:23:00.000-04:00

i absolutely love mushrooms. love, love, love them. i made this quick and simple meal for my clients and got great reviews. i have finally come around to realize that all chicken breasts need to be either pounded thin, or cut in half horizontally. their just so stinkin' big. if you don't get them uniform in size, the thin end always gets over cooked. by pounding or halving, you get a nice even breast, and it's actually more tender. so, after you have cleaned and pounded your chicken breasts, salt and pepper. get a skillet heated over medium high heat with some olive oil, and cook each breast for about 3-4 minutes per side. you want a nice golden crust. after they have cooked through, remove to a plate. add a few more tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and through in a ton of sliced mushrooms and about 3 sliced shallots, sauté for 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. add 2 cloves of minced garlic, sauté for 1 minute. stir in 1/2 cup of white wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil. cook until liquid almost evaporates. sprinkle mushroom mixture with a bit of salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons flour. i have been using whole wheat flour lately, and really like it. i can't detect the difference in taste, and it's healthier for you, so, why not? add 3/4 cup of low sodium chicken broth to the pan, bring to a boil. cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick. remove pan from heat and add 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme. aren't mushrooms and thyme just meant to be together? if you like mushrooms like i do, you will love this simple dish. i served it over polenta, but brown rice would be great, too.

chicken piccata

2011-04-19T15:48:00.000-04:00

i'm back! the reason i haven't posted in the last month is because i couldn't get my photos to upload. just one day out of the blue my blog stopped accepting my photos. i have no idea why. and then, just out of the blue (today), my blog decided to accept my photos. i have no idea why. i hate technology. it's always gotten the better of me. i am the type of person to give electronics a try, and if i get any resistance, i walk away. i'm a very patient person, but computers, scanners, copiers, phones, no thank you. i like simple. i think i am the only person without an iphone. so, i made this last night for dinner and it was fantastic. light and simple. i had a nice glass of white wine that rounded the meal out. the weather in georgia is so wonderful, this was the perfect meal to enjoy on my deck. i have several bird boxes and i think i am becoming a bird watcher. i never got the fascination with bird watching, but it's so incredible. i guess these are the kind of things you do when you get older? i have one blue bird box that 2 carolina chickadees worked on for well over 2 weeks. the would carry feathers, trash, pine straw, whatever they could get to make a nest for their babies to be. well, the blue birds came along and took over. it sort of broke my heart. i wanted to intervene and shoo the blue birds away, but i decided to let nature runs its course. poor chickadees. i wonder where they are? i also have a cardinal in one of my leyland cypress's. a poor choice to set up home base. it is right at head level so if i ever walk by the nest i get squawked at. it's a bit unsettling. so anyway, where was i? oh, yes, this meal. i made chicken piccata with a simple arugula salad. for the chicken, i halved a chicken breast in half horizontally, so they basically became cutlets. sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides and dredge in flour. heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of butter and 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. remove the chicken to a serving platter. in the same skillet add 1/2 cup of chicken broth, 1/2 cup of white wine, 1/4 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of capers. whisk mixture together and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom the pan. pour sauce of chicken and sprinkle with fresh parsley. for the salad i just shaved some fresh parmesan and dressed with a drizzle of olive oil, and big squeeze of lemon juice and pepper. so good and so easy.

apple pound cake

2011-03-23T18:36:00.001-04:00

toasted, buttered pound cake. stewed sugary apples. whipped cream. good god.

veggie burger

2011-03-18T10:16:00.000-04:00

by now you know i am a huge burger fan. absolutely love them. one of my clients had a guest over for dinner that is a vegetarian and asked me to pick up a box of frozen veggie burgers. when i went to purchase these veggie burgers, i couldn't believe all the crap that was in them. stuff i couldn't even pronounce. what gives? it just didn't sit well with me. so, back home i went in search of a homemade veggie burger. the one i found was on food network. it was guy fieri's recipe. and it was good. very good. his instructions and recipe list was a bit confusing and seemed inaccurate, so i used it as a guide and made mine up as i went along. i also made a larger batch. his recipe calls for using 3 different types of beans and only 4 oz of each. i didn't want to waste the rest so i made a few burgers and froze the rest. you can see in the photo all the beans i used, black, garbanzo, and cannellini. add in a few other vegetables, oats, and spices, and you have a great twist on a burger.

japanese sweet potato (a.k.a. imo)

2011-03-09T18:48:00.002-05:00

japanese sweet potatoes or satsumaimo (or imo for short) are so fantastic in many ways. first they taste delicious, second they are very versatile, and they are incredibly good for you. these japanese sweet potatoes have 150% more antioxidants than blueberries. that's a lot. i made this the other night for brian and he devoured them. this is the version i made. so simple. bake the potatoes in a 400 degree oven for about 1 hour. remove the skins and add the flesh to a bowl. with a hand masher, roughly mash the potatoes. keep it somewhat chunky and rustic. add a splash of fat free milk and a pinch of salt. chop 2-3 scallions and saute in a bit of olive oil. top the imo's with the scallions and fresh ground black pepper. japanese sweet potatoes are at whole foods right now. they have a purple skin and the inside is white - much different than the typical orange fleshed sweet potato or yam we are used to. and personally, i like these much better.

whole wheat flat bread

2011-03-07T17:22:00.002-05:00

this is about the only thing i made this weekend. it's really about the only thing i did this weekend, if we're being honest here. i think i left my house for a total of 15 minutes over the weekend. no grocery store's involved. i had very little choices when it came to meal time, but this came together beautifully! i made super thin pizzas - or flat breads, and topped them with the only few items lingering in my fridge and pantry. i had one onion, some arugula, a block of parmesan, a limpy batch of basil, and 3 artichoke hearts. i started by making a killer pesto - even with the limpy basil! i put the basil in a mini food processor, with one clove of garlic, a few walnuts ( i didn't even toast them), olive oil, salt and pepper. then, i ran into a problem. i didn't have enough basil - i poured too much olive oil in the processor. so, i added a few more walnuts. that didn't work. i added some grated parmesan. that didn't help. that's when i threw in the 3 artichoke hearts i had (which were going to be part of the topping) and blended away. it made for the best tasting pesto i have ever eaten. i love it when that happens. so, i made some pizza dough, rolled it out super thin, and topped it with some pesto and caramelized onions. popped it in the oven to get crisp, and when it cooled a bit, i threw some baby arugula and strips of fresh grated parmesan on top, with a drizzle of olive oil. i also made my pizza dough with whole wheat flour - this was one delicious, impromptu dinner.

seared sea scallops

2011-03-04T09:24:00.001-05:00

so simple and so good. well, if you like scallops, that is. what is it with scallops that people don't like? my sister can't stand them. when the word scallops comes up and she is in ear shot, she without fail will grimace and shiver. i don't get it. i absolutely love them. hearty and soft. and, you don't have to do much to them at all to enhance their flavor. just a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. i think often times scallops aren't cooked correctly. you have to get a non stick pan screaming hot, add some olive oil to the pan and once you have put the scallops in the pan, don't move them around. cook each side for 2 minutes and they are done. i served these with pea puree. one bag of frozen peas, thawed, a handful of fresh mint, juice of one lemon, one glove of garlic, about 1/4 cup of olive oil, salt and pepper. put it all in a food processor to blend. yum. serve this with a salad and you have a great spring meal.