Super Easy UnFried Pickles

Spring is here!!! That means it's time to start planning and getting ready to grow a whole summer's worth of fresh herbs. As you know, we like to grow our herbs in pots on the deck so it's super convenient to just step out the door and snip off a few sprigs when cooking. Some of our favorites are flat leaf parsley, thyme, basil and chives. This year however I think I'm going to include some mint- maybe even plant that right in the ground so it keeps coming back (and yes, someplace we won't care if it gets a bit out of hand), a couple additional types of thyme and a couple oregano varieties. Basil is an absolute must for us, and I'm on the lookout for some lettuce leaf basil. Those giant leafs make fantastic greens for sandwiches and also make cute small carb free wraps. Plus, the flavor explosion- wow!

When the summer winds down I'm often drying tray after tray of herbs before the first freeze hits. While fresh is always best, dried herbs have their uses too, and making up homemade salt-free seasoning blends is one of my favorite ways to use them. I have several books in my cookbook collection with tons of ideas for delicious blends, everything from vegetable seasonings to meat rubs. I like stirring the seasoning into softened butter and minced garlic for a wonderful spread for garlic toast. Another favorite idea of mine is to combine some chives, parsley, thyme and garlic with softened butter and a dash of Worcestershire sauce, roll into a log and chill the butter for a perfect compound butter to slice and serve on top of a sizzling grilled steak.

Today let's use some seasoning to make a delicious and pretty healthy snack that's a snap to put together, and way healthier than the fried version. Unfried Pickles are a great homemade way to enjoy the popular bar snack/appetizer menu staple and it doesn't involve any oil or messy frying. For my unfried pickles I like to use just regular crinkle cut hamburger dill chips. Choose a good brand so your pickles aren't too soft. Pickle chips work better for this recipe than pickle spears, I know some restaurants do serve fried pickle spears, but I am not a fan of that style. Pickle chips crisp up nicely in the oven and don't take very long to bake. It's very important when picking out your seasoning mixture that you choose a salt free blend. Pickles are salty enough so you want to be sure you're not adding additional salt or you will have very very very salty pickles.

UnFried Pickles

1 jar sliced dill pickles, such as hamburger chips

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 teaspoon your favorite salt free seasoning

1 egg

cooking spray

Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with foil. Spray with cooking spray and set aside.

Drain about 1 cup of pickle slices and blot dry with paper towels. In a small shallow dish combine the panko with the seasoning and set aside. Beat the egg in another small bowl. Dip the pickle slices into the egg, then coat completely with the crumb mixture and place on the prepared sheet pan. When all pickle slices have been coated, spray the pickles very lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until browned and crispy. 

For my dipping sauce I combined half a cup of mayonnaise with Sriracha and freshly ground pepper to taste. You can use any type of dipping sauce you like. Ranch dressing is a big favorite!

Trying a New Grain- Bulgur Wheat

It's Sunday Funday. Around here, that means The Chef is rocking on guitar and I'm experimenting in the kitchen. The best part is while I am slaving away in the kitchen I get all the free screaming guitar I want. Some people have just one passion in their life, some people have several. The Chef has two. Cooking, and music. His time is literally spent doing one thing or the other. Culinary wise, we are on the same page. Musically, however, we have some differences. He likes classic rock, I am a definite hard core thrash/speed/death metal lover. He plays Stranglehold and I'd like to strangle him. I play Love You to Death and he moans and groans. We do have some musicians and bands that we both love, and that's cool. It works for us. 

It's been a while since we have cooked with a "new" grain around here. Time to get back on the wagon, especially since that was one of my Foodie Resolutions for 2016 and we are about halfway through 2017! So far we have experimented with wheat berries, millet, and a few other grains. The Chef recently took all of my grain hoard out of the pantry and set it on the kitchen island, so we could make some meal plans and use some of these. There are a few more I've been hearing about but I'm strictly forbidden from buying anymore until we use these ones up. It's time for bulgur wheat to make it's appearance. What is it anyway? Bulgur wheat is a grain that has been parcooked and dried. It's a very common grain in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking. If you've ever heard of, or tried, tabbouleh, then you know what we're talking about.

Bulgur is another grain that's very high in protein and fiber, with loads of health benefits. What's not to like about that? The recipe we are making today is a salad. I call it jeweled because the bright color of the pomegranate seeds or cranberries look like sparking rubies, and the bright green parsley and scallion tops remind me of emeralds. You can serve this as a side dish or it can easily be turned into an entree with a bit of leftover chicken to bump up the protein, some crumbled cheese or just as it is for a great vegetarian option.

Jeweled Bulgur Salad with Lime

2 cups bulgur wheat
1 can garbanzo beans
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries
small bunch parsley- chopped (about 1 cup)
2 limes, zest and juice
4 tb olive oil
1 tsp cumin
2 tb honey
2-3 scallions, sliced, including the green parts

To cook the bulgur, place the 2 cups wheat in a bowl. Add 4 cups boiling water. Cover and let sit for at least an hour. Drain off any excess liquid.

In large bowl combine garbanzo beans, pomegranate seeds or cranberries, lime zest, scallions and parsley. Toss with bulgur.

In a small bowl whisk together the lime juice from the two limes, the oil and the honey.

Serve at room temperature for best flavor. The cranberries (I used cranberries as pomegranates weren't available) add a lovely sweet taste and spark of acidic tartness and the parsley adds such an herbal flavor.

Speaking of parsley, have I ever mentioned how much I love parsley in salad? I grow loads of it in the summer. Love love love big handfuls tossed in a leafy green salad. The leaves are bright and peppery and I love their perky flavor. Italian flat leaf parsley is the best but I grow both because I love them both. Another great fresh herb that is wonderful in salads, including this one, is basil. That's another herb that comes in lots of varieties and colors and looks gorgeous and tastes delicious. Mint is another herb that is a bright addition to salads. 

Simple Sides-Big Flavors

Some people consider root vegetables to be among the "ugly vegetables"- you know the ones, your kids won't eat them. Your husband makes gaggy faces. You have nightmares of a grandmother mashing rutabagas and serving that. Yuck. I have long since gotten over my horror at the thought of turnips, beets and parsnips, although rutabaga is still on my Too Gross Too Eat List. I found the way to make these vegetables into something absolutely delicious! No more beet cubes from a tin can or mushy turnips boiled in water all day. Heck no. The oven is the secret ingredient in this simple side.

I will never forget the first time I read about roasting vegetables. I couldn't wait to try it! Brussels sprouts became magical little balls of love. Carrots, squash and sweet potatoes took on an almost dessert-like sweetness. Oh man, whoever decided to be the first one to roast a vegetable definitely is a super hero in my book. Of course over the years now I have roasted just about every form of plant except iceberg lettuce (and I have not ruled that out for some future experimentation), from asparagus to tomatoes to green beans, and root vegetables, in my opinion, are by far the best vegetables for roasting. Potatoes are a given- cut those babies up if they're big, toss with some olive oil and seasonings and roast until browned and crispy. Wedges are great for dipping, hunks are perfect next to a big juicy steak.  Make a potato salad from roasted potatoes and you'll have a whole new experience.

But today, it's all about carrots and parsnips. I love parsnips. They were very popular back when I lived in England and readily available year round. They look like carrots except they are creamy white. They taste herby and fresh- reminds me of celery in a way. They go together with carrots so well that I decided tonight's very simple side was just that- roasted carrots and parsnips. Finished with thyme and a little sea salt, they are the perfect accompaniment to almost anything and are especially delicious with holiday turkeys.

To make this super simple side, you will need-

• 1 pound parsnips
• 1 pound carrots
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Choose fresh and firm parsnips that have no roots growing out the sides (a sign they are old and may be woody), no growth from the top (most parsnips are trimmed at the top) and aren't slimy or soft. Carrots are pretty much the same- bright orange color and no flaky, chalky appearance. They should be crisp ad firm.

Peel the parsnips and carrots. Cut the parsnips in half lengthwise; quarter any really large ones. The carrots I had were about twice the length of the parsnips so I peeled them, then cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise so they'd be about the same size. Place in a large bowl, drizzle with the oil, sprinkle seasonings over and toss with your hands.

Spread the vegetables out onto a greased baking sheet in a single layer and place in a 425 degree oven. It takes about half an hour to roast them to a caramelized perfect roastiness, you can stir them halfway through if you like. Remove from baking sheet and serve. That's it! Super simple. The roasting brings out a sweetness in root vegetables that you just have to experience. Leftover veggies can be chopped up and added to salads, casseroles, soups or omelets. 

Eating Healthy with Wellmark

Somehow every summer I find myself with this same scenario- loads and loads of fresh veggies on the counter. Notice I didn't say problem? I LOVE having all the vegetables fresh from the garden. I raised them myself, many from seed, I know exactly what's NOT been sprayed on them, and I know how delicious and good for me they are. Definitely not a problem! 

In spite of the many vegetarian cookbooks and websites and Facebook pages out there I still find myself sometimes struggling to find different, creative and filling ways to use veggies in meals, and AS the entire meal. Salads are great but they do get boring after a while, and sometimes I just want something a little different. If I don't have to stand in front of the stove cooking it, that's even better! So how do you bring it all together into something delicious, easy, filling, and quick to put together, maybe even eat on-the-go? In a veggie sub of course!

Veggie subs aren't new, and I certainly didn't think this up myself. Sandwich chains offer them, restaurants offer them, but making them at home, especially with ingredients you grew yourself, makes it an inexpensive and super nutritious option your family will love, and like many recipes, it's flexible! Build it around what you like or have in season. I'm going to make this super easy and delicious recipe that Wellmark has included in their healthy eating initiative as part of their 75th Anniversary celebration (more on that below). Like I said, you can go crazy with veggies here, and I suggest sticking with a whole grain bun for the best nutritional benefits. If you can't find whole wheat hot dog buns, look for GOOD quality artisan rolls or whole grain baguettes- anything you can use to make your veggie masterpiece. 

To make these Garden Veggie Subs, you will need-

• 6 whole wheat hot dog buns
• 1/2 cup soft cream cheese with vegetables (Philly makes a great one)
• 3 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 sweet pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 3 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 cup mixed baby greens (I used baby spinach because I love it!)

Spread the bottom half of the buns with the softened vegetable cream cheese.

Layer on the tomatoes, cucumber, pepper and radishes. Top with mixed greens.

Add bun tops. Wrap and chill until serving time.

(Nutrition info below)

Easy, right? Great for lunch at the office, picnics, tv snack- just about any time your tummy is grumbling at you. It's filling, loaded with vitamins and fiber and VEGGIES! What I love so much about this sandwich is the creamy veggie cream cheese spread- lots of healthy calcium and vitamins in there, and not just a bunch of empty fat calories like mayo brings to a sandwich. I like baby spinach A LOT so I chose to use that rather than mixed greens, and I might even throw a fresh onion ring or two on my sandwich. I love the crunchy texture of the different vegetables, and the Roma tomatoes are a little more meaty and less juicy than regular tomatoes, so the bread doesn't get all soggy.

Simple, quick to fix and easy to eat on the run, you can't go wrong with this Veggie Sub! I hope you will try it! 

Now, what does all this vegetable talk have to do with Wellmark? As I mentioned above, Wellmark is celebrating their 75th year this year with a fun campaign called "75 Days, 75 Ways."  This celebration includes not only lots of healthy recipes and health tips, but $75,000 is up for grabs for any non-profit 501c3 and 501c4 organizations who focus on and promote healthy lifestyles. 

If you know of a deserving organization, check out Wellmark's website for more details. The rules and regulations, because you know there are a few of those, are posted HERE and the link with full instructions on how to submit your entry is HERE.


This campaign is open to organizations in Iowa and South Dakota.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION  (per serving): 161 kcal cal., 3 g fat (1 g sat. fat, 1 mg chol., 294 mg sodium, 28 g carb., 2 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 6 g pro. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored post." The company who sponsored it agreed to provide free promotion of Rockin' the Kitchen in exchange for preparing and writing about their recipe. Regardless, I only recommend products or serviced I believe are of good quality and safe. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."