I am bored with my lunches. I usually make the same thing- red quinoa and seasonal vegetables with Goddess dressing or a light oil and vinegar. Itis good on Monday and starts to become dull by Friday.

I stumbled upon this recipe, and thought it was a new twist to a regular run-of-the-mill avocado sandwich.


Recipe from Whole Living.

Ingredients
Serves 4

One 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained
1 chipotle in adobo, finely chopped, plus 1 tablespoon sauce
8 slices whole-grain bread, toasted
1 avocado, sliced
4 radishes, sliced
4 leaves escarole
1 cup sprouted beans
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Mash beans, chipotle, and sauce until combined. Spread on bread. Top with avocado, radishes, escarole, and sprouts. Season with salt and pepper.


Read more at Wholeliving.com: Chipotle-Avocado Sandwich

Breakfast Oven Pancake

My dad used to make this for me when I was little and sometimes now when I come to California for a visit. These suckers put regular pancakes to shame. Here's the recipe from The Fine Arts Cookbook- Fine Arts Museum in Boston.

Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

1/2 cup flour
2 each eggs
1/2 cup of milk
1 pinch nutmeg, freshly ground
1/2 cup butter
2 Tablespoons sugar, confectioner's
1/2 each lemon juice

Mix flour, eggs, milk and nutmeg together, leaving batter a bit lumpy.
Melt stick of butter in large frying pan and on this pour the batter.
Bake in 425 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.
Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and return briefly to oven.
Sprinkle lemon juice.
Cut into wedges and serve at once.

Serve ideas: Serve with lemon wedges.

Hot Dog Smackdown!

Ever since I heard that champion Joey Chestnut from my hometown won Nathan's Hot Dog Contest in NYC, I've been dying to figure out how I can get a piece of the action. Now I can, right here in Boston.

Spike's Junkyard Dog has a hot dog eating contest. This challenge can be taking at anytime at any of their locations. What's even better, vegetarians can participate as well. Everyone of Spike's dogs can be made vegetarian.

The food challenge is on, I've enlisted some good friends for the Hot Dog Smackdown of the year!!

Salmon Dinner

Here's a fantastic meal I made with one of my new friends. It was quick and relatively easy dinner- baked salmon with yogurt sauce, oven-roasted potatoes, chard, and a black grape and celery salad. (Recipe below is from Tastebook.com
Grilled Salmon with Yogurt Dill Sauce

+ 2 cups plain non fat yogurt
+ 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
+ 2 cloves garlic, minced
+ 1 Tablespoon chopped dill, or 1 Teaspoon dried
+ 1/8 teaspoon salt
+ 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
+ Dash of hot pepper
+ 1/2 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
6 (8 ounce) salmon steaks or 1 whole fish

Combine the yogurt with the lemon juice, garlic, dill, salt, hot pepper sauce in a medium bowl.

Gently stir in cucumber.

Prepare the fish by rubbing salt and pepper on both sides.

Prepare a medium hot charcoal fire or preheat oven broiler, placing the oven rack about 3 inches from the heat source.

Broil or grill the salmon for 10 to 20 minutes or until the fish flakes easily, turning once.

Cooking time will depend on the thickness, do not overcook.

Serve the yogurt sauce on the side.

The recipe for the roasted potatoes here.