Grilled Chicken and Bulgarian Salad

Some friends of ours invited us over for dinner last weekend. They are from Bulgaria and there was a lot of food talk at the dinner table. I picked their brains about some traditional Bulgarian food. That same night we ate a traditional Bulgarian salad consisting of tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, scallions, feta, olive oil, and salt. We liked it so much that we have had this salad twice since then. It is simple and delicious.

If you haven't made your own meat marinade, I suggest you start. You can control what goes into the marinade and the flavors are savory and fresh. I may not buy a bottled marinade again. Because of this warm weather, we have been using the grill frequently. Using the grill makes it easy to eat healthy. Marinade your favorite meat (veggies too), grill, and serve it with a fresh salad. More marinade recipes to come!

Chicken Marinade

3 T. fresh finely chopped dill
1/4 c. olive oil
3 T. red wine vinegar
1/2 shallot chopped
juice of 1 Meyer lemon
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts

In a large bowl whisk together all of the marinade ingredients. Add chicken, cover, and put in the refrigerator. Marinate anywhere from 2 to 8 hours.


Preheat the grill. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the grill rack with olive oil to prevent the chicken from sticking. Grill the chicken 4-5 minutes each side on medium heat or until the internal temperature reaches 165.















Salad

3 vine ripen tomatoes chopped
1/2 cucumber peeled and quartered
1 scallions
1/2 c. green pitted olives
2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
Olive Oil
Salt

Combine these ingredients in a medium sized serving bowl. I would add more scallions, but Ben is not convinced. Also, buy feta cheese that is fresh and still reserved in the liquid. The flavor is loads better and the cheese is moist. Be liberal with the salt and olive oil. This is a great salad to add more of what you do like and omit what you don't. Ben eats olives, and I eat onions. We compromised by having a little bit of both, but still picked out what we didn't eat.

Thank you Veny and Lozan for a delicious meal!

Spring Brunch

Spring is here!! Enjoying brunch on the patio outside is great way to spend time with your family. My brother from out of town and his wife were visiting for the weekend, so we had my other brother and his family over for a Saturday morning brunch. We had egg frittatas, sausage, berry cobbler, fruit, coffee, and of course mimosas! I prepped a lot of the food the night before to make it an easy morning. I cut and cooked the egg fixings the night before and had the berries washed and ready to go for the cobbler. This is also a great brunch for any vegetarians. You can make eggs with any vegetables you want and serve the meat as a side. I hope you enjoy this simple brunch that makes both kids and adults happy.

Egg Frittatas

10 eggs
3 T. cream
1 green pepper chopped and sauteed
1 shallot chopped and sauteed
2 tomatoes chopped
1/2 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt & Pepper
Leaves of 12 sprigs of Thyme
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375

Prepare

Liberally spray one cupcake tin with the cooking spray. Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl. Whisk the eggs together and then add in the cream, salt, pepper, and thyme. Using a cupcake tin, fill the tin 1/4 the way full with your favorite veggies. Fill each tin 1/2 way with the egg mixture. The eggs will rise in the oven. Sprinkle your favorite cheese into each tin. For pickier eaters, reserves a few tins for just eggs and cheese.
















Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the eggs are just about set in the center. Use a knife to loosen the edges around the tin and serve on a platter.



Berry Cobbler

3 c. almond flour
2 ripe banana
3 eggs
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
2 t. apple pie spice
1 T. melted coconut oil
1/3 c. maple syrup
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. chopped toasted pecans
Ghee to coat the muffin tin cups
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries (fresh is always better)
2 T. honey

Prepare

Coat a medium sized casserole dish with cooking spray, ghee, or butter. Layer the berries at the bottom of the dish. Pour two tablespoons of honey over the berries and toss together.


Combine the almond flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium size bowl. Add in the mashed ripe banana, eggs, coconut oil, vanilla, and maple syrup to the same bowl. Mix in the pumpkin pie spice. Spread this mixture of the berries evenly. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over top.

Cook for 30-40 minutes at 350.

I cooked the cobbler first so it could cool while I cooked the eggs right before my guest arrived. While the eggs cooked, I used a large pan to heat up some precooked chicken apple sausage.

Have a favorite frittata ingredient? What do you like best about brunch? Please share!