Green Goddess Wedge Salad (My take on Applebee's salad)

Ingredients:

Iceberg lettuce
Crumbled Blue Cheese
Bacon, crumbled
Glazed Pecans
Green Goddess Ranch Dressing

I use nitrate free bacon and cook that until crisp and place on paper towels to drain before crumbling.  I like mine not to well done so I have to kind of tear it into pieces.  Quarter the head of iceberg lettuce and place one quarter into a salad bowl and add dressing, blue cheese crumbles, bacon and glazed pecans.

Now as far as the dressing you can approach it one of two different ways.  You can either make it (which I will provide a recipe) or you can mix Green Goddess dressing with Ranch dressing and a bit of sugar or Stevia to cut the tang.  I use Stevia as I have diabetes and have to be very careful with my sugar intake.

If you are in a hurry I use equal parts Green Goddess and Ranch dressing and add the Stevia to taste.  If you have the time and want to make the dressing from scratch here is the recipe.

2 tbsp minced fresh chives or scallions
2 tsp anchovy paste (or 1 tsp course salt)
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp white vinegar or tarragon vinegar (do not use cider vinegar it will not taste right)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, smashed and minced
Buttermilk or milk (optional)

Directions:

In a large blender or bowl, whisk or blend all ingredients except buttermilk.  Add just enough buttermilk to thin to the desired consistency, if needed.  Pour into a jar with a tight fitting lid (I always save my glass jars just for this purpose) and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to marry together.  Shake well before using and lasts up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

I hope you will try this salad as it is absolutely wonderful.

Easy Crustless Egg Cups

Nutrition is extremely important to me and so I am always looking for recipes or experimenting with ideas.  Here is one I hope you will try and enjoy as much as my family and I do.

Items you will need:  muffin pan (large = 12 muffins) and skillet

Heat oven to 350 (or 177 Celsius)

12 eggs (large, if you use medium you will have to adjust)
Milk (I use 1%, but it's your preference, I have not tried soy, almond or any of the others yet)
1/2 large onion, diced and sauteed
6 large mushrooms, sliced thinly and sauteed (white or mini bellas - again your preference)
6-8 small red, yellow and orange peppers diced and sauteed (I use the bag of small mixed peppers you can buy at your supermarket)
1/2 cup pepper jack or habanero cheese
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp butter

put EVOO and butter into pan and heat.  While heating pan dice onion, slice mushrooms and dice peppers.  Saute onions first until soft and transparent over medium heat then add mushrooms.  Saute both onions and mushrooms until mushrooms are soft and then add peppers and saute for about 2 more minutes.

While onions are sauteing, mix together your eggs and about 1/4 of milk (add less or more to your taste, need it liquidy so that they will pour into pan well).  Then grate your cheese.  I use the grater for my Parmesan so that the cheese is a finer grate.

Add onions, mushrooms and peppers to the bottom of each cup and then sprinkle cheese on top.

then add egg mixture slightly below the top and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

I also use my Misto mister with EVOO in it to mist the cups prior to adding ingredients.  Even though it is a non-stick pan the added fine layer of EVOO helps them come out super easy.

Remove from oven let cool about a minute and then remove from pan and serve. 

They are super yummy and really good for on the go.  I hope you enjoy them and feel free to experiment with other ingredients.  I've used sliced grape tomatoes, fresh basil, and mozzarella and also Canadian bacon, the onion mushroom pepper mixture and habanero cheese.  All very tasty.  I like the spicy cheeses because they add a bit of kick, but you could add hot sauce to your egg mixture and use another kind of cheese.  These are just so versatile and you don't have the crust which is loaded with calories and flour (I try to be as gluten free as I can because my daughter has Celiac disease).

Blessed Be!