lunch | Good Dinner Mrs Mellen

Category: lunch
- Bake Tomato Casserole
  
  Posted at 9:39 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Sep 14th
  I love locally grown tomatoes. Farm fresh tomatoes taste wonderfully alive with flavor and bright with color. You can see and taste the difference. I am fortunate that the town that I live in has a summer farmers market and I have generous friends that share their bountiful produce. Lately, I’ve been seeing a rainbow of color tomatoes from golden yellow to deep purple come to market which makes a beautiful colorful tomato casserole.
  
  I serve this casserole as a side dish with dinner or for lunch with a salad and crisp fresh bread.
  
  3 cups assorted cherry tomatoes
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  
  1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
  
  1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  
  1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, basil, rosemary, and french thyme
  
  Preheat oven to 350F. Place tomatoes, olives, and herbs in a bowl, gently toss to combine. Transfer tomato mixture to a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.
  
  Bake for 20-25 minutes until tomatoes are bubbling and topping is golden brown.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, lunch, Side dish, Tomato, vegetable bake, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged easy, farm fresh tomato, quick, tomato bake, tomato casserole
- Broccoli Slaw and Udon Noodles With Lemon Honey Dressing
  
  Posted at 4:24 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jun 2nd
  Broccoli Slaw and Udon Noodles with Lemon Honey Dressing
  
  ½ cup slivered almonds toasted, plus two tablespoons
  
  12 ounces shredded broccoli slaw
  
  1 package Organic Udon Noodles, I used Koyo
  
  Lemon Honey Dressing
  
  ½ cup olive oil
  
  3 tablespoons lemon juice
  
  1 tablespoon honey
  
  2 teaspoons dried mustard
  
  2 medium cloves garlic, pressed
  
  ½ teaspoon sea salt
  
  Freshly ground pepper, to taste
  
  Red pepper flakes, optional
  
  Pink Himalayan sea salt
  
  Small head of Romain lettuce, separated and washed
  
  Cook Udon noodles according to package instructions. Set it aside to cool.
  
  Combine all of the dressing ingredients up to red pepper flakes in a liquid measuring cup and whisk until emulsified.
  
  In a large bowel combine the shredded broccoli slaw, toasted alimony and noodles. Pour the dressing over the mixture and toss until well mixed. Let the slaw rest for about 20 minutes to let the flavors meld. Line a large place with lettuce. Place slaw and Udon noodles on top. Sprinkle two tablespoon toasted almonds and sprinkle with pink Himalayan salt. Serve at room temperature or chill over night.
  
  Enjoy!
  
  You can find more of Good Dinner Mrs. Mellen @buzzchomp.com
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  Posted in lunch, pasta, Salad, Vegetarian | Tagged broccoli slaw, Healthy Salad, Koyo noodles, Udon noodles
- Cauliflower & Roasted Garlic Soup
  
  Posted at 9:10 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Feb 3rd
  Living in New England hot soup on a cold snowy day is the perfect accompaniment to a salad for a heathy filling lunch. I like to make soups that are flavorful and healthy. I altered the ingredients in this soup, using almond milk instead of cow’s milk. The almond milk adds just enough smoothness to the soup. I will warn you I love garlic. If you don’t want as much garlic you can add only four roasted garlic cloves: Roasted garlic has a more mellow flavor, not as pungent as boiled or sautéed.
  
  3 tablespoons olive oil
  
  1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
  
  3 leeks, thinly sliced, just the white part
  
  1 bulb garlic, roasted and peeled*
  
  3 cups vegetable stock
  
  1/2 cup almond milk, unsweetened
  
  1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
  
  1 teaspoon black pepper
  
  1 teaspoon fresh thyme
  
  Directions
  
  Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.
  
  Add cauliflower, leeks, and garlic; sauté until the vegetables have caramelized (roughly 15 minutes).
  
  Add stock and reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the cauliflower florets are soft and tender.
  
  Puree the mixture in a blender until smooth. Then, pour the soup back into the pot. Add salt, pepper, and thyme.
  
  Stir in almond milk and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
  
  Serve immediately. Makes 4-6 servings
  
  * Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice off the top each head of garlic to expose some of the cloves inside. Place the heads on a piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap in the foil. Roast until cloves are lightly browned and tender, about 30 minutes.
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  Posted in cooking, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, lunch, Soup, Soups, vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged Cauliflower Soup, easy vegan, Healthy
- Stracciatella- My Family Recipe
  
  Posted at 4:09 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Nov 29th
  This recipe for Stracciatella is an old family recipe that my grandmother passed down to my mother and my mother to me. Every Italian family has their own way of making Stracciatella, some families use eggs, cheese and pasta, some families use only eggs and cheese, our family uses spinach, eggs, cheese and chicken. I love this wonderful soup that is a meal with a salad and a beautiful loaf of bread. I have included my mothers recipe for Chicken stock or you can substitute low fat chicken broth.(chicken stock isn’t that hard to make!) If you use chicken broth use 4 quarts. And I love chicken in the soup so just add 3 cups of cooked chicken.
  
  Stracciatella
  
  Chicken Stock
  
  1 4 1/2 lb 5 lb whole chicken
  
  2 celery ribs, cut into 2-inch lengths
  
  2 carrots, quartered
  
  2 medium onions, halved
  
  6 fresh parsley stems(without leaves)
  
  1 Turkish bay leaf
  
  8 black peppercorns
  
  3-4 qt cold water, enough to cover the chicken
  
  1 1/2 tsp salt
  
  Wash chicken well. My mother always put a tablespoon of sea salt in the chicken cavity for a few minutes and then rinses the chicken well. Bring all ingredients to a boil in a large 10-qt pot. Skim the frothy fat off until there is no more sudsy fat. Simmer for 3 hours, covered. Remove chicken to a large bowl and set aside. The chicken will be very tender and fall apart. Let cool and then remove meat from the chicken. set aside The white meat is what I like to use in my soup. Pour stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl and discard the remains in the sieve. If using stock right away, skim off and discard any reminding fat. If not cool stock completely, skim fat and then chill covered. If you make the stock a day ahead and chill over night the fat will form on the top and is very easy to remove making the stock lower in fat. Stock will keep chilled for 3 days or can be frozen for 1 month.
  
  Soup
  
  1 box 10 oz frozen chopped spinach
  
  5 eggs
  
  1 cup Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving
  
  Cooked chicken about 3 cups cut into bit size pieces
  
  Cook spinach according to package instructions, I like to microwave. Beat eggs well in large bowl adding spinach and 1 cup cheese. Bring stock to boil, add spinach mixture. Don’t stir for a minute or two. Stir and reduce heat immediately to low. Continue stirring for 4 to 5 more minutes. Add cooked chicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot, topped with additional grated cheese.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in light dinner, lunch, Soup | Tagged Stracciatella, Stracciatella Italian chicken soup
- Brussels Sprouts Apple Salad with Pistachios and Shaved Parmesan Cheese
  
  Posted at 6:19 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Nov 8th
  Brussels Sprouts that neglected and shy little bulbs have become trendy – the darling of the vegetable world. Healthy, tasty, versatile, a chameleon, changing depending the pairing – never boring or the same. Steamed, baked, roasted, raw in a salad your choices of preparation are endless. For a deliciously healthy autumn salad I love fresh raw Brussels Sprouts combined with apples, pistachios and shaved parmesan cheese- dressed with a light lemon vinaigrette.
  
  Brussels Sprouts Apple Salad with Pistachios and Shaved Parmesan Cheese
  
  4 cups thinly sliced Brussels Sprouts
  
  2 Granny Smith Apples, chopped
  
  1/2 cup chopped unsalted pistachios
  
  1/4 cup shaved Parmesan Cheese
  
  Lemon Vinaigrette
  
  3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  
  1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
  
  2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  
  1 teaspoon dried oregano
  
  1 clove garlic, minced
  
  1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  
  1/4 teaspoon fresh grounded black pepper
  
  1/2 cup olive oil
  
  Combine Brussels Sprouts, apples, pistachios and cheese in a bowl. Toss with lemon vinaigrette.(If you prefer you can serve vinaigrette on the side.) I like my salad lightly dressed. Refrigerate remanding vinaigrette for up to two weeks.
  
  Lemon Vinaigrette: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Healthy, Hearty Meal, light dinner, lunch, Salad, Vegetables | Tagged apples, Brussels Sprouts, Healthy, pistachios, salad
- Quick and Easy Pasta Fagioli
  
  Posted at 1:31 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Oct 13th
  Traditional Pasta Fagioli is made with a pork product such as pancetta, ham or pigs feet(old time Italian) but growing up my mother always made meatless Pasta Fagioli on Fridays. I have fond memories of eating Pasta Fagioli on crisp fall nights before rushing off to a Friday night football game. Over the years I have added my own touches to my mother’s Pasta Fagioli to make it an easy totally vegetarian meal.
  
  Pasta Fagioli
  
  1 cup chopped shallots
  
  3 cloves garlic, crushed
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  
  3/4 cup dry white wine
  
  2 (16 oz) cans vegetarian baked beans, Bushes
  
  1 can (8 oz) no salt Tomato Sauce Hunts
  
  1 can (15.5 oz) Garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained, Goya
  
  1 can (14 oz) vegetable broth
  
  1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  
  1 cup dried ditali pasta
  
  1/4 cup snipped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil
  
  1 tablespoon snipped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  
  1. In large pot cook shallots, garlic and olive over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  
  2. Sir in wine, baked beans, garbanzo beans, vegetable broth and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil: reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 20 minutes.
  
  3. Cook, pasta al dente(firm but not hard), drain. Stir cooked pasta, basil, oregano into bean mixture. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Make 4-6 servings. Serve with fresh graded Parmesan cheese on top.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Hearty Meal, lunch, Main Dish, Stew, Vegetarian | Tagged Beans & macaroni, Bushes bean, easy, Goya beans, Hunts Tomato Sauce, lunch
- Spicy Lentil Chili
  
  Posted at 5:11 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Sep 16th
  Spicy Lentil Chili
  
  I love anything that is healthy and taste good. My Vegan Lentil Chili is a perfect example of a good for you tasty meal! I eat this filling yet light chili after a hot power yoga or on a cold snowy day. Combining lentils with chick peas adds protein and fiber to the vegetable mix. I make a batch freezing individual serving for later eating!
  
  2 boxes(32 oz) organic vegetable broth, I like Full Circle organic
  
  1 medium onion, chopped
  
  l large red bell pepper, chopped
  
  1 jalapeno, chopped
  
  1 cup sliced baby carrots
  
  5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  
  4 teaspoons salt-free chili powder
  
  1 (16 oz) package brown or red lentils, Goya
  
  2 cans(15 oz) cans no salt added diced tomatoes, I like Del Monte petite cut
  
  2 cans (15.5 oz) Chick Peas, I like Goya Premium
  
  1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  
  Bring one cup broth to simmer in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion, pepper, carrots and garlic cooking about 8 minutes. Stir in chili powder cooking 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add rest of broth and remaining ingredients except cilantro. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer covered for 30 minutes until lentils are almost tender. Uncover and cook 10 minutes longer. Stir in cilantro and serve.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Chili, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, light dinner, lunch, Main Dish, Main Meal, vegan, Vegetarian, Weeknight dinner | Tagged Chili, easy, Full Circle broth, Goya, Healthy, lentil, light dinner
- Cold Soba Noodle Salad
  
  Posted at 9:06 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jun 24th
  Asian Noodle salad, so easy and delicious, has always been a favorite of mine. I especially enjoy cold noodle salad for lunch or a light dinner. Soba noodles are so versatile in soups, stir fry, and salads. A little more substantial than glass noodles, which I adore in a Big Bowl Soup(more on that in another blog!). Use Soba noodles as a base for salads creating a variety different taste. In this salad I added a Middle Eastern flavor with the addition of garbanzo beans and tahini while retaining a little asian flair!
  
  Summertime is perfect for light salads that are filling – bursting with flavor. If you prefer more protein top with grilled shrimp or tofu if vegan is your preference. Experiment creating a salad just for you. Easting healthy doesn’t have to be boring or tasteless if you add wonderful complementing flavors enhancing veggies or noodles. The dressing that I created for this salad can be used to marinate veggies, chicken or fish before grilling. Just a few suggestions, let your imagination open to different combinations for tasty food. Food should be savored, an experience to enjoy, not to be eaten on the run or my least favorite walking down the street. If you are present, really tasting food, you will become naturally sated and not over eat. And another benefit of eating food rich in fiber content, you become full on less caloric intake. What could be more enjoyable than delicious food that is filling and healthy and helps you from overeating!
  
  Cold Soba Noodle Salad
  
  1/2 packagle , I used Simply Asia Soba Noodles
  
  1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
  
  1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  
  1 tablespoon tahini
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  
  1/2 cup shredded carrot
  
  1 can(15.5 oz) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed I use Goya premium
  
  1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced white only
  
  1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
  
  pinch of Pink Himalayan salt
  
  thinly slice green of scallions
  
  Cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain and place in medium bowl. Combine lemon juice, vinegar, tahini and oil in a small bowl. Toss noodles, carrots, beans, scallions and seeds together. Add lemon, vinegar, tahini and oil to noodles, toss again. Top with a pinch of salt and slice scallion. Can be served at room temperature or chill for an hour.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, light dinner, lunch, vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged beans, easy, Goya, Healthy, light lunch, Simply Asia, Soba Noodles, vegan
- Curried Avocado infused Egg Salad
  
  Posted at 4:50 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Feb 25th
  Eggs are so versatile – easily pared with all types of flavors to change a basic egg salad into a gourmet sandwich. My philosophy about food is simple, why settle for plain and boring, when outstanding is so readily available. This egg salad is healthy without lose of taste. I added a little pink himalayan salt for extra flavor and health benifits.
  
  Ingredients:
  
  2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
  
  1/2 avocado, mashed
  
  1/4 cup greek zero fat yogurt, I use Fage
  
  1 teaspoon curry
  
  1 teaspoon dried mustard
  
  dash of pink himalayan salt
  
  Combine all the ingredients and chill for 2 hours to let the seasonings combine. Serve with lettuce, tomatoes and pita bread.
  
  Enjoy!
  
  www.gooddinnermrsmellen@blogspot.com
  
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  Posted in Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Hearty Meal, light dinner, lunch, Salad | Tagged curry, egg salad, Fage, pink himalayan salt, yogurt
- My Grandmother’s Asparagus and Eggs Sandwich
  
  Posted at 8:41 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Nov 4th
  When I was young I spent many hours at my grandparents home – memories that I’ve cherished. My grandparents, Theresa and Vincent came to American in the great immigration wave at the beginning of the 1900’s from Italy. Along with their dream of a better life in America they brought their love of food and preparing food. My passion for cooking began with these two wonderful people sitting in their kitchen as they prepared feast after feast for our family. Their cooking was so simple with fresh ingredients, many grown in their impressive garden, lovingly prepared to share with our family. As a young girl it appeared to me that my grandmother was always cooking – even before church on Sunday she would start her meal just having to add the finishing touches right before we all descended on their home for Sunday dinner. I loved all her cooking although I favored the impromptu meals she would make just for me when I would stop by her home. One of my favorites meals was her Asparagus and Egg combination served as a sandwich so good I never tired of eating. My grandmother’s recipes were stored in her memory, not written down, shared through the generations. I was fortunate to have seventeen wonderful years with my grandmother where under her tutelage the foundation for the cook I am today was established. When I was young I wondered as I watched my grandmother add a few simple ingredients together to create delicious food what made her food so outstanding. After much thought I finally discovered the secret ingredient making her food so special – love. My grandmother’s inspiration is still with me all these years late as I prepare food for my family and friends like my grandmother and generations before her I sprinkle a little love on all my food.
  
  Asparagus and Eggs Sandwich
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  
  one bunch of asparagus cut into 1 inch slices.
  
  1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  
  1/4 teaspoon pepper
  
  4 eggs, beaten
  
  1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
  
  1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  
  4 slices Italian bread
  
  olive oil for brushing
  
  Heat olive oil in sauté pan adding asparagus, salt and pepper cooking until tender about 10 minutes. Don’t brown. In a small bowl combine eggs Parmesan cheese and thyme. Scramble egg mixture with asparagus cooking until eggs are set and not watery. Brush bread with oil. Toast just to golden.
  
  Serve as a sandwich. Makes two sandwiches.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in eggs, Food, lunch, sandwich | Tagged asparagus, Easy recipe, eggs, lunch, sandwich
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