Chef Marie: Baking and Cooking

My new favorite thing: mason jar salads. Since I work at World Market, I am surrounded by food and mason jars. One day I stumbled upon the mason jar recipe book. This book is AMAZING!! It has so many recipe ideas to make the perfect lunch or dinner. And, when you use a mason jar, the salad dressing goes in the bottom, so that your salad won't get soggy! It's genius! You can make a salad the night before and when you eat it the next day, it will still taste fresh.  My favorite is the blueberry and corn salad. You can also mix it up, so you don't have to follow each ingredient. Just wing it!  I usually add 3 Tbs. of vinegar based dressing. Then I add in tomatoes, peppers, green beans, or beets. Then I add in the lettuce or kale, the chicken or meats, and then add any seeds, nuts or cheeses.  Delicious!! This book is by Julia Mirabella. 

This Zucchini Avocado Pasta is a healthy alternative to pasta. The zucchini is used in place of noodles. The avocado and pine nuts create a rich tangy pesto sauce. Go easy on the garlic, since I did not chop it enough, and it was a little strong. Ingredients: - 3 zucchinis - 1 can of chickpeas - 1 avocado - basil (I used dried basil, just a few dashes) - 1 or 2 cloves of garlic - 1 tbs lemon juice - 1/3 cup of pine nuts - a handful of sun-dried tomatoes (if desired) Directions: 1. Slice the zucchini's into small strips 2. Put the avocado, pine nuts, basil, lemon juice and garlic in a food processor 3. Combine until mixed well, add the mixture to the zucchini in another bowl 4. Add in the sun-dried tomatoes and chickpeas, and enjoy! This recipe is easy to make and only takes about 20 minutes. Make sure to eat it up fast, since the avocado will brown and make it a little slimy.

My sister found this great recipe on Pinterest, from CrazyAdventuresInParenting.com It is easy to make! Ingredients: - 2 pieces of bread - 2 eggs - butter  - shredded cheese  - salt  - pepper  Directions: - Flatten the bread with a spoon, so the egg will fit inside  - Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the bread - Crack each egg and place on bread - Spread butter on the edges of the bread - Put some cheese on on top of the butter - Preheat a skillet and place each piece of bread it  - I had to flip over the bread so it would cook better; the yolks broke a little, but I think it tastes better that way - Cook until browned  Enjoy this recipe!

Today I made chocolate chip waffles! I used a pancake and waffle mix, because I was short on time.  Here's what you'll need: -1 egg  - 1 1/2 cup waffle/pancake mix - 1 cup of milk - 3 Tbs. Oil - 1/2 cup chocolate chips (or more if you want) -waffle maker  - non-stick spray  Directions: In a medium bowl, combine the egg, milk and oil. Use a fork or whisk. Then, add the waffle mix. Stir in the chocolate chips. Preheat the waffle maker and spray it with non-stick spray. Once the waffle maker is ready, pour about 1/4 cup of batter into each square on the waffle maker. Press the lid down and let it cook for about 3 minutes. Add your favorite spreads! I used peanut butter, blueberry jelly and chocolate hazelnut butter.  Enjoy these easy to make waffles!  Pair them with healthy choices, like applesauce or peaches.

I recently bought a can of asparagus and I didn't know what to make with it. So, I used what I had in my kitchen to make a tasty salad. Here is what you'll need: - 1 can of cut asparagus (or fresh) - a few whole beets - feta cheese  - chopped walnuts  - seasoned rice vinegar  Combine everything together and you have a great side dish.

This week I have been trying out different salads. Today I made a Beet Salad. I got the idea from SkinnyMs . I changed it up a little bit. Instead of roasted beets, I used canned beets because it was more convenient for me to make. Here are the ingredients that I used: - a few whole beets (cut into quarters) - a few handfuls of arugula - a few handfuls of spinach - 1 handful of feta cheese - balsamic vinegar (or the lemon juice and olive oil dressing works also) - chopped walnuts - pieces of cut endive - a dash of salt - black pepper Combine all of the ingredients together, and you have a tasty, healthy salad! Enjoy!

I was browsing the internet for healthy salads, when I came across a Strawberry Mandarin Orange Salad. I varied it up a little bit. Here are the ingredients: - a few handfuls of spinach - a few handfuls of arugula - 6 mandarin oranges - 1 cut up strawberry  - a handful of sliced almonds - feta cheese (about 3 spoonfuls)  - balsamic vinegar (drizzle on top)   Enjoy this salad for lunch or dinner!

This is a easy recipe to make, and it tastes delicious! These only take about 20 minutes to make. Each egg cup is filling, but won't make you too stuffed. Here are the ingredients: I found this recipe in the All You magazine.  I cut the recipe down, because I only wanted to make 2 egg cups. I still put 2 eggs in each cup. These taste good paired with toast or salad. Enjoy!