Spinach Pesto with Shrimp

This one goes out to Teri Dorman!

1 cup loosely packed spinach (fresh)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 cloves garlic

1 pound organic shrimp, tails off and de-veined
nearly an entire box of organic whole wheat angel hair pasta (Get the Full Circle brand)

Toast the pine nuts in a small saute pan for a few minutes, until fragrant. Combine spinach, nuts and garlic into a food processor and process until finely chopped. Stream in 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil until well blended. Transfer to a bowl and stir in 3 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Coat shrimp with olive oil and salt and pepper. Saute over near high heat until cooked, about 2-3 minutes.
Toss with freshly sauteed shrimp with enough pesto to coat. Add to a bowl of hot whole wheat organic angel hair pasta to coat each strand. Eat the entire dish. It's really that good. If Maximus eats it, you know it's a winner.

Spicy Chicken Lo Mein Satay

Jesse wanted something different last night. He wanted something that he usually "splurges" with, so I made him spicy chicken lo mein satay. I searched for organic whole wheat lo mein noodles for a while and finally found them. Like I've said before, I will not buy products made with enriched white flour. And these noodles tasted great! So light that I checked the back of the package a few times.

I whisked together:
3 tbsp organic soy sauce
2 tbsp organic rice vinegar
dash organic red pepper flakes
1 packet of Splenda
1/2 organic spicy satay sauce (I used Annie Chun's Thai Peanut all natural sauce)
1 tbsp organic sesame oil
a bit of fresh ginger (peeled and grated)
about 1/2 cup free range organic chicken broth
chopped organic scallion

I sauteed thin strips of chicken in extra virgin olive oil until browned. Don't saute in sesame oil! It burns quickly and is used as a flavoring. I cooked the noodles for about 3 minutes, then drained and rinsed them. I added the sauce to the chicken and simmered for the amount of time it took me to set the table and make thin cucumber strips. (used as garnish) Grab a large serving bowl, place the noodles in first and top with the chicken mixture. Gently toss. Eat. Next time, I'll add the scallions in last. I wasn't thinking when I actually cooked them.

The Best Salad Dressing I've Ever Had

I created the perfect balance of flavors! Here's what I piled into my food processor:
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup Italian red wine vinegar
2 large cloves of minced garlic
Sea salt
Freshly cracked pepper
...then I streamed in extra virgin olive oil. I probably used close to 2/3 cup.

*remember, I'm trying to write down measurements, so this is pretty close.

Clam Chowder

"Holy moly!! Your recipe was perfect and it totally hit the spot! I did change the half and half to 2% milk just to cut it down a little but everyone loved it (family reunion time right now so I had to make triple batches) so it was reviewed by about twenty-five Moseleys and they all loved it!! you are a life saver!!!"

-Katy Mosely Eugene, OR


The clam chowder recipe I used while working at The Oyster Bar, with a few adjustments:

(Serves 12)

Ingredients:
1 cup organic potatoes, diced ½ inch (russet or reds)
1 cup organic celery, diced ½ inch
1 cup organic yellow onion, diced ½ inch
1 cup organic green pepper, diced ½ inch
1 cup leeks, diced ½ inch
¾ cup organic chopped clams (try to get fresh, even if you have to order them online)
¾ tablespoon organic coarse ground black pepper
1 ½ tablespoon organic Italian sea salt
¾ tablespoon whole fresh organic thyme
6 organic bay leaves
1 teaspoon Tabasco
¾ cup sherry wine (optional) and it MUST be a kind you'd drink, so don't get the cheap stuff.
2 cups water
¾ cup clam juice (you have to purchase this separately from where you buy your clams)
¾ cup butter, melted OR Smart Balance Light
1 cup whole wheat or 12 grain PASTRY flour. Don't use non-pastry flour because you'll end up with wheat chunks!
2 quarts organic half-and-half

Method:
Combine melted butter and flour in oven-proof container and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. In large saucepan, combine remaining ingredients except half-and-half. Simmer until potatoes are thoroughly cooked. Stir butter-flour mixture into chowder and stir until thick. Mixture will be slightly less thick than cookie dough. Remove chowder from heat. Stir in half-and-half until blended. Heat to serving temperature, stirring occasionally.

Serve immediately.

Weekend Salad

I make this salad once a week, usually on Fridays. The longer it sits, the better the flavors incorporate. It's really easy and it's good for you.

Organic whole wheat pasta (cooked and cooled, about half a package)
3/4 red onion, sliced thin
2 cans organic medium sized artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
palm of organic capers
handful of pitted kalamata olives
8-10 organic sun dried tomatoes, sliced (you have to add these-they make the salad sweet)
2 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp and a dash more of Italian red wine vinegar
2 cloves of garlic run through a press
lemon juice of one lemon

Instructions: mix everything in the same bowl. Cover and refrigerate for as long as possible. I told you it was easy.

Lemon "Cheesecake"

I'll be honest, I don't measure ingredients even when I bake. I'm trying to remember how much went into this one, but try it! It's surprisingly delicious and you won't believe it's low fat and almost sugar free.

Crust:
10 organic graham crackers, reduced sugar
1/4 cup of melted Smart Balance Light

Process the crackers in a food processor for a bit and stream in the melted Smart Balance. Line a glass pie dish with the crust and blind bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Let it sit out until it's cooled, the refrigerate until chilled.

Filling:
1 cup organic fat free sour cream
3/4 cup organic low fat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup organic neufchatel cheese at room temperature the other cheeses do not need to be at room temp.
a dash of organic vanilla extract
another dash of organic lemon extract
fresh lemon peel
a couple drops of the lemon juice
1 small packet of organic instant sugar free lemon pudding mix. it's hard to find, but it's out there.

Process the cheeses first until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until well incorporated. Pour into your prepared pie dish and refrigerate for a couple hours until firm. It's best if it sits overnight.