Because I'm a Working Woman...Spinach Salad with a Tuna Twist

I do realize, fellow competitors, that this is not my best work... not even close, but I want to entertain you with the thought that you may actually be a better cook than me. I do this as a strategic move. As a kitten would tempt a mouse with cheese if you will. Anyways lets get to it.

Because I'm a Working Woman... Spinach Salad with a Tuna Twist

1. First and foremost you must lay out all of your ingredients. 

     Spinach (in a bowl size of your liking)

     1-2 tbsp Olive Oil (the serving is completely dependent upon if you are a fatty or anorexic)

     1-2 tbsp Sundried Tomato Pesto (found at your local Wholefoods Store or you can make it in Tuscany)

     1 package or can of Tuna (size differs depending on metric or imperial units)

     Salt 

     Pepper

     1 bowl

2. Place the spinach in a bowl.
3. Place the Pesto and oil in a small cup. And mix with a spoon until well blended.

It should look a little like this...do not be discouraged if it starts to separate, just give it a quick little "whoop-dee-woo" and "la-tee-da" you will have your dressing. ;)
4. Now pour the mixture onto the spinach. This is where the expertise comes into play and where you can really begin to entertain your dinner guests and peers. Take a fork and spoon and "toss" salad. I would've taken a picture to demonstrate but that would ruin the mystery of the "tossing" skill. The only rule ... is to not "toss" out of the bowl. Good luck young grasshopper.
5. Add your drained tuna to the salad, salt and pepper to taste, and ENJOY! :)

Grilled Salmon and Asparagus with Honey-Mustard sauce and a Red Chile Mustard Vinaigrette

Well Abby, I don't even think I am going to be able to top this meal. It is truly delicious, not only because it has grilled salmon AND grilled asparagus, but the two sauces take it to a whole new level. The honey-mustard sauce is the perfect complement to the salmon and the red chile mustard vinaigrette could be used on any cooked vegetables or salads. Its a really easy meal to make and you can mix the sauces while the salmon and asparagus cook!

Ingredients:

1. Salmon Fillet (any size)
2. Asparagus
3. Honey
4. Dijon Mustard
5. Whole-Grained Mustard
6. Horseradish
7. Salt and Pepper
8. Chile Powder
9. Red Wine Vinegar
10. Olive Oil
11. Canola Oil

Salmon:

• Coat the salmon in canola oil
• season with salt and pepper to taste
• Cook the salmon skin side down first so that you can easily remove the skin if you want after it is finished cooking (cook time depends on the size of the fish. Mine took like 15 minutes?)

Asparagus:

• I drizzled some extra virgin olive oil over the asparagus and then seasoned it with salt and pepper
• Cook until tender and delicious :)

Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette:

MIX:

• 1/4 Cup Dijon Mustard
• 2 Tablespoons Whole-Grain Mustard
• 3 Tablespoons Honey
• 2 Tablespoons Horseradish
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 Teaspoon Pepper

Red Chile Mustard Vinaigrette:

MIX:

• 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
• 1 Tablespoon Chile Powder
• 1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Honey
• Salt

Im telling you right now you are going to love the two sauces... Period :)

Pork and Potatoes

Alright Abby, its time again for yet another delicious Pittsburgh meal. Tonight we have a delicious Honey-Garlic marinated pork served with seasoned potatoes and corn. It is a pretty simple recipe that produced a delicious meal :)

Ingredients:

1. Pork Chops (I did two)
2. Honey
3. Finely chopped garlic
4. Thyme
5. Butter or margarine
6. Vinegar
7. Salt and Pepper

Steps:

Pork

• First make the marinade by combining the Honey, the chopped garlic, thyme, and a bit of vinegar.
• Before putting the pork into the marinade, season each piece with salt and pepper to taste.
• Let Pork Marinade
• 


• Heat pan on stove top at about medium heat and add butter to coat bottom of pan
• Place pork in pan and cook, adding remainder of marinade periodically and only flipping pork once.
• This should only need to cook for 20 minutes or so until browned on both sides.

Potatoes

• Potatoes are chopped and boiled in water until cooked through.
• In a bowl mix extra virgin olive oil, thyme, garlic, pepper, and salt.
• Add potatoes to bowl and stir.
• When plated, cover with the remainder of the pork marinade

Well, thats about it for this meal other than the canned corn, but I think you can figure that one out. Good luck Abby I can't wait until you make it to Dallas so you can start fighting back!

Hasselback Potatoes

Ok, so for the first post to start things off nice and easy I made a side dish that is simple and delicious! These potatoes only take about 45 minutes to make and have any number of variations on how they are made. I did a garlic and butter potato with mozzerela cheese and fresh parsley on top.

Ingredients:

1. Any type of potato ( I made four)
2. Garlic or Garlic Powder
3. Butter
4. Olive Oil
5. Seasonings (Salt, Pepper, Italian Seasonings...)

Steps:

• First, wash your potatoes and cut thin slices into the top half of the potato about 1/8 inch apart down the length of the potato
• Next, take your olive oil and spread each slice so that a little gets into each cut
• Next, cover the top of the potato in butter, trying to force some into the cuts
• If using real garlic, cut into slices and put a piece of garlic into each cut
• Then season top of potato (I used salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning)

• Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and place the potatoes in the oven
• They should cook about 30-45 minutes until crisp
• I covered mine with Mozzarella cheese at about the 30 minute mark and garnished them with a little fresh parsley when cheese was fully melted and the potatoes were ready to serve.

In conclusion they look amazing and they taste delicious, but this is only the beginning... good luck Abby its gonna be a battle!