Caesar Salad with Blackened Chicken

This is one of my favorite dinners. I started eating it when I first met my husband at a restaurant called Old Village Inn in Nyack, New York. They served a large Caesar salad with very spicy chicken and a side of bread and butter. So good!

This blackened chicken works well with any cool and creamy dressing. Serve with good, hot bread.

I purchase organic spices in bulk (4-8 ounces) and make large batches of blackened spice. Just store in an airtight container; even better to store in refrigerator of freezer.

Because of the dangers of raw eggs, I hard-boil mine and chop into dressing. This will make a couple cups of dressing and will be fine in the refrigerator for weeks.

A classic Caesar salad includes romane lettuce, croutons and anchovies. I omit anchovies, but use them in dressing. I add other lettuces and celery, depending on my mood.

Caesar Dressing

1 ½ olive oil/canola oil
2 T white vinegar
2 inches of anchovy paste
2 garlic pressed
3 T lemon juice + zest of one lemon
2 T Dijon mustard
2 t white pepper
½ cup parmesan cheese
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

Combine ingredients and whisk or blend in a blender

Blackened Spice Mix

1 cup Garlic Powder
1 cup onion powder
2/3 cup paprika
1/3 cup cayenne
2/3 cup oregano
1/3 black pepper
1/3 cup cumin
2/3 cup lemon peel
1/3 cup tumeric
salt

Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

Blackened Chicken
4 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast per serving
blackened mix
Slice chicken in strips and coat with spice mix. The heavier the coat, the spicier, so beware! If you like really mild food, don't cut chicken--just coat whole pieces and cut once cooked. Use canola or olive oil and cook in a skillet.

Plate salad with dressing tossed and mound chicken on top. Serve with hot bread.

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Arugula and Frisee with Pecorino Romano, Bacon and Toasted Pecans

I made this salad the other night as a main course and ate it with hot, crusty bread. Delicious! Omit bacon and serve as a side dish. I eat only nitrate-free, free range bacon. For this dish, I used bacon from our local farm,For more information, go to: Hemlock Hills Farm. It is the best bacon I have ever eaten!

Arugula and Frisee with Pecorino Romano, Bacon and Toasted Pecans
Organic baby arugula
Organic frisee
6 slices cooked bacon, broken into small pieces
Handful toasted pecans or walnuts, broken into pieces
Handful pecorino romano or parmesan cheese
Walnut oil vinaigrette, see below
Combine all ingredients but cheese, then add cheese.

Walnut Oil Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons red or sherry vinegar
1 shallot, minced
Salt & pepper
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
6 tablespoons roasted walnut oil
Combine all ingredients and whisk until thick. Adjust oil or vinegar as needed.

For more recipes, go to: Harmonious Environment:Beautify, Detoxify & Energize Your Life, Your Home & Your Planet.

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Green Your Holidays

Buying less is a good start, but buying good quality products made from non-petroleum products is also key. This means avoiding plastic, and buying as locally as possible (saves on fuel used during transportation.) good quality products last much longer, meaning they won’t need to be replaced as soon and they remain out of landfill. For example, instead of purchasing 5 shirts made from a man-made fabric (petroleum based product) from China that will last through a few washings before falling apart, purchase 1 shirt made of organic cotton, made in the U.S. that will last for years.

The average consumer should look at what the material is composed of, selecting products that are as natural as possible and can break down in landfill without causing harm.

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Save Time Cooking

A large part of saving time with cooking is about saving preparation time. However, with this great tip, cooking time is also greatly reduced, as grating vegetables reduces cooking time by up to 95%.

Use a food processor to prep up to 5 days of veggies (excluding salads.). Use grater blade for carrots, zucchini, jicima, broccoli stems, squashes, potatoes and other hard veggies. Grate large batches at one time (no need to clean processor after each vegetable), seal and store in refrigerator. Combine these veggies or cook individually in a sauté pan in minutes, adding a bit of oil or butter, garlic or lemon and salt.

Add grated vegetables to meatloaf, stews, soups, stir-fry’s, pasta sauce and more. Even squash and potatoes take only minutes to cook with this method!

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Free Yourself from the Tyranny of Dirt and Clutter Forever: Office

How to Clear Office Clutter and get Organized!

Buy a shredder and get to work!

· The IRS requires that you keep tax returns and attachments for five years and cancelled checks and documents for three. Shred the rest to prevent identity theft. This chore may take you into your attic, basement or garage. Go for it. If you have mountains of papers, try shredding while doing something relatively mindless, like watching TV.

· Papers that you need to keep should be organized and neatly filed. Review papers you have and discard what is no longer current.

· Organize your office supplies:

o Throw out dried-up and antiquated supplies.

o Next, determine how you want to organize your office. This is probably the only fun aspect of this job, so make the most of it. Shop online or in stores until you find containers that you like that are functional and well-made.

· Organize your books (a good opportunity to dust them thoroughly, too) and donate or sell books that you no longer want.

· Organize magazines and catalogs. If you save magazines, store them neatly. If there are only a couple of articles within each magazine, consider removing and organizing articles in a three-ring binder or file in folders.

· Purchase a calendar or notebook to organize the events in your life—now you can get rid of loose pieces of paper and stick-it notes.

· Remove people from your rolodex with whom you no longer have contact—unless you wish to reconnect. This is a good way to distance yourself from people that you no longer wish to have in your life.

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