I’m using rotisserie chicken in this recipe. It’s my new secret ingredient! Eat as much of the chicken as you can off of the bone like a barbarian, and then use some of the leftovers to make this soup.

2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 can light coconut milk
1 cup water
1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup Asian style frozen mixed vegetables
1/2 cup chopped onion
1-2 tablespoons Sambal Oelek
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons Gourmet Garden Lemongrass herb blend or 2-3, 2″ stick fresh lemongrass
salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to a large soup pot. Simmer for 20 minutes, serve and enjoy.

Across the creek from my house is a neighborhood called Hidden Valley. The first time I drove through, I noticed a property nestled behind a row of mesquite trees. There was a large hand painted sign in front with a picture of a chicken on it that read “Hidden Valley Ranch”. I  wondered if it was the Hidden Valley of ranch dressing fame. Thanks to Wikipedia I found out it was an imposter! (The real one is in California). So when I came up with my version of the dressing, it seemed fitting to call it “Bear Canyon Ranch”, since my neighborhood across the creek is called Bear Canyon, my dressing is also an impostor, and so it turns out, is ranch dressing as we know it.

I did some more research and realized that the bottled ranch dressing that everyone eats isn’t even what I would consider real food, and the powdered version isn’t far removed. They are both comprised of a lot of stuff that I’m sure the folks at the real Hidden Valley Ranch never even imagined. None the less I like it, so with this information in mind I figured that it should be easy to create a healthier version.

I decided that the secret to making ranch dressing doesn’t really have as much to do with the taste as with sight and texture (thicker for dip, thinner for salad dressing), and the sprinkling of green colored herbs mixed with the slight tang of buttermilk. It also contains a lot of MSG which contributes the taste of umami to the mix. Which, I was surprised to discover is also experienced when we eat Parmesan cheese.

When later I walked up to the checkout line at my local Safeway with a pile of ingredients for my experiments, the checkout lady told me that her kids insist on putting Ranch on everything. “They don’t even use ketchup on french fries anymore”, she exclaimed. “It’s Ranch.” Gosh, I thought. Think of how many calories I could save America with just one recipe.

I started with my old standby non-fat Greek yogurt, as well as buttermilk which is naturally low in fat. To that I added chives along with onion flakes, a clove of garlic, Parmesan cheese and the rest of the things mentioned below. Everything really started to taste pretty good! I mixed it with the always slightly overbearing, lovable taste of Frank’s and I was happy. Success! No only for myself but for all Americans. Maybe even the world.

Bear Canyon Ranch Dressing Recipe

1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 – 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk, use more for dressing, less for dip
2 tablespoons fresh dried chives, chopped fine
2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, chopped fine
1 clove of garlic chopped fine
1 teaspoon dried onion flakes or 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of dried or fresh dill
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon paprika

I have a long-standing distrust of any food that contains lentils. Lentil soup has always been my go-to answer when asked about my most hated food. I first experienced the suspicious discs floating aimlessly among a few desaturated carrot chunks in the thin, dishwater grey broth served at several of the vegetarian restaurants that surrounded OSU.

So, when my vegetarian husband requested lentil dishes as a part of his brief flirtation with the 4 Hour Body program, I told him the best idea might be for him to find another legume, because I wasn’t interested in having anything to do with lentils in any form.

His persistence, or maybe my guilt finally paid off, and one day I returned from Trader Joe’s with two packs of vacuum packed steamed lentils. Later that night, after much thought about how I might be able to stomach lentils long enough to even prepare a dish for him, I came up with this recipe. To my surprise, we have both been eating lentils this way ever since.

I call it Arizona Lentil Caviar because I’m in Arizona and it’s similar to Texas Caviar made with back eyed peas and the lentils do resemble fish eggs.

Arizona Lentil Caviar Recipe

2 packs  of Trader Joe’s steamed lentils or 40oz (5 cups) of prepared lentils.
1 fresh Jalapeño or Serrano pepper, chopped fine
1/2 of a red onion, chopped
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons good olive oil (optional)
2 tablespoons Franks Hot Sauce or equivalent
4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or 5 squares of Dorot fresh/frozen cilantro cubes
Juice from one large or two medium sized lemons
salt and black pepper to taste

Mix everything together in a large bowl. Chill for 20 minutes to let the flavors meld and enjoy.

Growing up, in my family we liked our salmon smoked. Preferably on top of a bagel and cream cheese. Well, I haven’t eaten a bagel since I decided that the payoff wasn’t worth the 450 calories of bad carbs. I still love the lox and cream cheese combo, and I love it even more with red onion, tomato and capers. So I developed this healthier version of the classic. Non-fat cream cheese is a godsend brimming with extra protein, and lox is loaded with healthy omega 3 fatty acids.

Lox and Cream Cheese Frittata with Fresh Tomato and Red Onion

1 cup egg beaters
1/3 cup non-fat milk
1/2 cup non-fat cream cheese softened or whipped
1 tsp. lemon juice
Hot sauce to taste
1/2 red onion
1 Tablespoon capers
Sliced fresh tomato
3-4 oz of smoked salmon (lox)
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut up 1/4 of the onion into thin strips. Saute in an 8-10″ oven-safe saucepan (I use this one from Le Creuset) on the stove-top at medium heat while you whisk the egg beaters, milk, lemon juice and hot sauce, salt and pepper together with 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese. Pour into the skillet with the onions. Cut 1/2 of the smoked salmon into bite sized pieces and gently place on top of the wet egg mixture. Cook until the egg mixture starts to pull away from the side of the skillet. The Frittata will still be wet in the places. Drop the remaining cream cheese in small dollops into the skillet and sprinkle in the capers. Place the skillet into the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool slightly before topping with the remaining lox, sliced onions, fresh tomatoes and good sea salt. Slice and enjoy. Serves 2-4.

Here in Southern Arizona, our famous Sonoran style Mexican food is often garnished with pickled red onions and Mexican limes. I’ve incorporated those flavors into this spicy potato salad tossed with a chili-lime vinaigrette.

Sonoran Potato Salad with Chili-Lime Vinaigrette and Red Onion

2 pounds baby potatoes halved. I used Melissa’s Dutch Yellow
1 Serrano chili, diced small
1/2 of a small red onion, diced small
2 T red wine vinegar
1 T. finely chopped cilantro
1 T hot sauce, such as Franks
2 Mexican or Key limes, one for juicing and one for garnish.
Good Sea Salt. I used Palm Island, Black Lava Sea Salt, but there a bunch of interesting sea salts available at most markets.
2-3 T Olive oil for tossing the potatoes before roasting

I followed these instructions from Cooks Illustrated for perfectly roasted potatoes:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss potatoes and olive oil in medium bowl to coat; season generously with salt and pepper and toss again to blend.
2. Place potatoes flesh side down, in a single layer, on shallow roasting pan; cover tightly with aluminum foil and cook about 20 minutes. Remove foil; roast until side of potato touching pan is crusty golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Remove pan from oven and carefully turn potatoes over using metal spatula. (Press spatula against metal as it slides under potatoes to protect crusts.) Return pan to oven and  roast until side of potato now touching pan is crusty golden brown and skins have raisin-like wrinkles, 5 to 10 minutes more. Remove from oven, transfer potatoes to serving dish (again, using metal spatula and extra care not to rip crusts), and serve warm.

While the potatoes are still hot, gently toss them with the hot sauce, vinegar, onions, cilantro, Serrano chili, and lime juice. The sauce will sink into the skin of the warm potatoes. Refrigerate until the potatoes are cooled, about 1/2 hour. To serve sprinkle with sea salt and garnish with limes. I served mine in a tiny, vintage Fiestaware teacup that I thought went well with this lovely song that you can play while you are cooking and/or eating this recipe: Enjoy!

Every year on the 4th of July I make a different version Mexican grilled corn, which along with the Sonoran style hot dog is a popular street food around here. This year I modified a recipe from Cooks Illustrated that they have been featuring on their site. You can see the original version of the recipe here.

Grilled Chipotle-Lime Mexican Style Corn: Recipe and food photography by Jackie Alpers

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 T light mayonnaise
2 T non-fat Greek yogurt
2 T minced fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tsp hot sauce
Juice from 1 lime
2 T grated Cotija or Romano cheese
1 T olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce
4 large ears corn, shucked

Instructions

Heat the grill or a grill pan to medium  In a large bowl, combine oil, salt, and remaining chipotle chili. Smash with a fork until well combined; add corn and toss until coated evenly.

While corn is grilling, combine mayonnaise, yogurt, cilantro,1/4 teaspoon chili powder, black pepper, lime juice, and cheese in large bowl; set aside.
Grill corn over coals, turning occasionally, until lightly charred on all sides, 7 to 12 minutes total. Remove from grill and place in bowl with mayonnaise mixture; toss to coat evenly. Garnish with more cheese. Serve immediately.

I’m a fan of comedian Jackie Kashian. I knew we were kindred spirits when I heard this “Cake and Chicken” bit on her “It’s Never Going to Be Bread” CD:

“I was at my first Hollywood party, trying to fit in, trying not to sweat. And this woman who I just met comes up to me and says, ‘Hey, Jackie, there’s cake. Of course you’ll want a piece of cake.’ Wow, no thank you. Cake is not my downfall. I am not retaining excess cake. You got a piece of chicken back there, I’m all over it. ‘Cause I love chicken, I love chicken like it’s a problem. I can’t have it in the house. Trigger food. Can’t do it.”

Now crazily enough I actually got to hang out a bit with Ms. Kashian at MY first Hollywood party last month (she and Maria Bamford put on a fantastic living room performance in the home of one of my friends, the result of a winning bid in Comedy Death-Ray’s LA Food Bank Charity Auction), and like Jackie I’ll take a really good piece of chicken over a piece of cake any day. Sweets just aren’t really my thing.

I suspected that she’d have a really good recipe for chicken but it turns out that Jackie Kashian REALLY knows her stuff. Here’s one of her insanely good chicken recipes — I was seriously shocked at how delicious it is.

Paprika Marinated Chicken

INGREDIENTS

Cooking Time: 60 min.
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 30 min.
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 whole chicken, cut up (go free range if you can)

DIRECTIONS

1.Combine vinegar, oil, garlic, paprika, and salt in a resealable plastic bag or coverable dish
2. Make sure every piece is well coated. Seal bag/cover dish and refrigerate at least 4 hours (or overnight).
3. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade.
4. a. If you grill, place chicken, skin side down, on grill. Grill about 15 minutes. Flip chicken, grill another 20 or so until done.
4. b. I pan seared the chicken (skin side down, a little olive oil sprayed to coat pan) in a cast iron pan for 15 minutes. Then put it in a pre-heated 400degree (F) oven for another 30min.

HER RECIPE BACKSTORY

Jackie Kashian originally published the recipe at Bake Space along with a bunch of other recipes I’m looking forward to trying.  She varied a Martha Stewart recipe. Here’s the original.

I’m going to step away from posting recipes in this post. From taco trucks to Mario Batali, from un-named starlets at Bon Appetit’s top rated boutique coffee shop, to the world famous Chateau Marmont; I ate my way through Los Angeles last weekend and here are the photos to prove it.

Cherries for dessert at Pizzeria Mozza

House-Made brioche doughnut holes at LaMill Coffee Boutique

Lavender lemonade with seeded ice at LaMill

Incognito starlet with iced coffee at LaMill

The Cheese Shop at Silverlake

Grilled jalapeno chilies and tortillas at taco stand

Veggie tacos from the taco stand

Lobby, Chateau Marmont

Chair in lobby at Chateau Marmont

Some people avoid avocados because they are higher in calories than other fruit, but they are filled with the good fat, the kind that’s been shown to actually help you lose weight and lower cholesterol levels. Here’s some more information on avocado nutrition from Hass. Avocados are really good for you, but do eat them in moderation.

Lately I’ve been making guacamole with one and eating it as a meal along with some baked blue corn. It’s super simple to make.

Chunky Authentic Guacamole

1 Avocado, cubed
1 T. Chunky salsa
1/2 Lemon juiced
1 tsp. Fresh cilantro, chopped fine
1/2 Serrano chili chopped fine – optional
1 oz. Crumbled Mexican cheese such as Cacique Cotija
Baked tortilla chips for serving

Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl, adding the cheese. For a smoother consistency smash with a fork. Serve with tortilla chips.

Rolled & Baked Breakfast Tacos

2 eggs
1 T. Greek yogurt
2 frozen sausage or veggie sausage patties
6 6″ corn or flour tortillas
1/2 c. light Mexican cheese
Your favorite salsa
Toothpicks

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a baking sheet with oil. Whisk together the eggs and yogurt in a bowl, pour into a non-stick skillet (I like Calphalon’s) and scramble over medium heat. Heat the sausages in a microwave for 45 seconds, then crumble them with a fork or spatula. Heat the tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until warm. Place a tortilla on the baking sheet. Fill each tortilla with a thin row of egg and then sausage, (about 1T. of each). Sprinkle generously with cheese and roll. Make sure the taco is seam side down. Secure the rolled taco with a couple of toothpicks. Bake for about 8 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly.  Remove the toothpicks. When you pick the tacos up with you hands they should stay together. Serve with salsa.  Serves 2.