Tasty Italian Treat

You thought... Gelato??? No, this is a nice and healthy treat. A lovely appetizer/salad/gourmet treat made in honour of the Italian Flag!

I call it the Tomato-Bocconcini-Basil Salad.

Here's what you'll need. About 3 or 4 gorgeous red, ripe tomatoes. Some fresh bocconcini cheese and some fresh basil. Some good extra virgin olive oil, some good balsamic vinegar and some salt and pepper to taste.

Slice your cheese, tomatoes and basil into delightful pieces. Arrange them as you wish on your serving plate. I made a pretty flower... see!

Then sprinkle the basil on top as well as the olive oil and vinegar, salt and pepper. And there you have it! A tasty Italian treat using the summer's best tomatoes!

Nature's Fast Food- Spinach Omelette

Okay people, I am a busy mom, wife, friend, zumbaer, taxi driver, shopper, worker bee and chef of course... so on those nights when it's omelette night, I try and add some quick nutrition and hit the road running!

 Here's my attempt... take 2 eggs, add a handful of baby spinach and some light mozzarella, salt and pepper and that's a great way to sneak in your veggies!

Ok, so even though I am French, I still have not perfected the omelette flip... maybe it's because I am French Canadian... but, let me tell you, it's still delicious!

Comfort food 101- Lightened up baked pasta

This is one of my favourite go to meals... especially perfect on these colder Fall days. I call it Baked Pasta!

... but this version uses lighter ingredients and more vegetables, yummo!

This recipe is off the top of my head, so here goes....

Chantal's Baked Pasta Dish

1 box of whole grain pasta (penne or macaroni)

1 jar of organic pasta sauce

1 zucchini (shredded)

1 carrot (shredded)

1 tomato (chopped)

1 onion (chopped)

1 lb of ground turkey meat

1 cup of shredded mozzarella

Olive oil and Italian herbs

Directions:

Cook the onions in olive oil in a large pan, add the ground turkey and some oregano and basil and even some garlic powder. Once it's all browned up, add the vegetables and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the jar of pasta sauce and simmer for a couple of minutes.

In the meantime, boil the water for the pasta and cook it al dente.

In a 9x13 oven-proof dish, place the noodles and the meat sauce all in one and mix it around. Spread the shredded cheese on top and bake in a 350 degrees oven until the cheese bubbles- about 20 minutes.

Enjoy with a green salad for a nicely balanced meal.



Sexy Croque Mounsieur

You know, with the release of everything sexy lately... (Magic Mike, 50 Shades of Grey), I thought I would get your attention with this title.

But you know, doesn't this bread look sexy with those brown curves? It's one of our new favourites. It's a marble rye bread, and it's cut real thin so you can make some nice, delicious sandwiches. This time was a Croque Monsieur. I just take some light cheddar cheese and some ham and but a little butter on the outside and grill it in the pan. It has a pretentious name, but it's real simple and kid friendly.