Cooking with Coley

Snack time just got healthier.  Thanks to EatStrong, a multi-faceted health and wellness company, there are a couple new, all natural snacks on the market–EatStrong Trail Mix and EatStrong Energy Bars.

I was able to sample the Eatstrong Trail Mix, a hearty combination of nuts, seeds and organic chocolate.  Sweet, savory and also packed with protein, the mix is a health nut’s dream (pun intended).

Here’s what you can find in the small bag of goodness:

• A blend of walnuts, cashews, pistachios and almonds
• Sprinklings of flax and sunflower seeds that add fiber, vitamins and minerals
• Chocolate drops crafted from organic cacao for a sweet sensation

And while I don’t generally eat energy bars (something with the consistency just ruins it for me), the EatStrong Energy Bar would be a great option for those of you that do.  The bars include an abundance of satisfying ingredients:

• Finely crushed flax, sunflower and hemp seeds
• Whey Protein Isolate
• Chocolate drops crafted from organic cacao

EatStrong snacks can be purchased online in their Snack Shop for $2.50 each.

Patriot’s Day in Boston is a beautiful thing.   It’s a day of celebration and a day off of work. A day to cheer on the nearly twenty thousand runners who are racing for medals and achieving their dreams. A day to route for the Sox during their morning home game.  It’s a day where you can justify a mimosa at 10am. Oh and according to the history books, it’s also a Massachusetts State holiday commemorating the opening battle of the American Revolution in 1775.

Now of course when I think of celebration, I also think of food.

This past Monday, before we headed out to cheer on those motivational runners, we started the day off right with mimosas and breakfast pizzas on the grill.  I mean, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.  Well, in this case, “join” refers to “watch.”  Either way, it was a wonderful day, and even if I didn’t cross a finish line, I’d say our breakfast was triumphant.

Breakfast pizzas recipe (two ways):

1) Scrambled Eggs, Bacon and Hash brown Pizza Recipe

What you’ll need:

• 1/2 lb of dough (regular)
• 1 cup of scrambled eggs
• Approximately 8 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 cup of hash browns (I used homemade shredded hash browns with peppers and onions; recipe coming soon)
• 2% shredded cheddar cheese (use about 1/2 an 8oz bag)
• Crate and Barrel Pizza Griller

Procedure

• Spread out dough to cover pizza griller
• Top dough with cheese
• Top cheese with scrambled eggs (cooked), bacon and hasbrowns
• Grill!

Serve with your choice of dipping options or added flavor – hot sauce, ketchup and/or salsa.

2) Sausage, Ham and Fried Egg Pizza Recipe (a slightly leaner option)

What you’ll need:

• 1/2 lb of dough (multigrain)
• 3 or 4 fried eggs
• 5 light or turkey sausage links, cooked and cut into bite size pieces
• 1/2 cup of chopped ham (I used deli meat)
• 2% shredded cheddar cheese (use about 1/2 an 8oz bag)
• Crate and Barrel Pizza Griller

Procedure

• Spread out dough to cover pizza griller
• Top dough with cheese
• Top cheese with sausage and ham
• Grill
• Add fried eggs on top before serving – runny yolks add extra flavor and a “sauce”

Serve with your choice of dipping options or added flavor – hot sauce, ketchup and/or salsa.

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Feel free to mix and match the ingredients in any way you like.  We just wanted a couple different options for guests.  I have to say it was hard to pick a favorite between the two, so I’d recommend just making both!

There’s nothing like pizza on the grill! Check out my other grilled pizza recipes too! Buffalo Shrimp Pizza and Classic Basil and Cheese Pizza

• 1 Tandoor Chef Masala Burger
• 1 large piece of lettuce (boston lettuce works great)
• 1 tbsp Heinz ketchup
• 1/2 tbsp chili garlic sauce (or use to taste – I enjoy extra heat and spice!)
• 1/2 tbsp light mayo
• 3 dashes of curry powder
• Handful of mushrooms
• 1/4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• Salt & Pepper

• Heat up EVOO; saute mushrooms and season with salt & pepper
• Mix ketchup with chili garlic sauce
• Mix curry powder with light mayo (use curry powder to taste)
• Saute burger according to directions
• Serve burger over lettuce; top with Curry Mayo and mushrooms and add spicy garlic ketchup on the side for dipping

Where can you find Tandoor Chef’s Vegetable Masala Burgers?  Check out their website for locations near you. At only 120 calories, you want to check these out!

Soy beans, also known as edamame, are a fantastically healthy and low-fat food. Not only a delicious way to add protein and flavor to a stir fry or rice dish, but edamame is a wonderful snack on its own.

I’m sure many of you have enjoyed an order of edamame as an appetizer at a Japanese restaurant, but I bet not so many of you have had them in a Asian sauce.  Well you’re missing out.  Here’s a 10-minute recipe to make your own extra flavorful edamame.

Chili Garlic Edamame Recipe

What you’ll need:

• 1 bag of frozen edamame in the shells; dethawed
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1-2 tbsp chili garlic (this is spicy, so use as much as your taste buds can handle)
• 2 tbsp minced garlic (I used jarred garlic)
• Fresh grated ginger (optional)

Procedure:

• Heat up EVOO in a pan, add garlic, chili garlic sauce; heat for about 3 minutes
• If you happen to have fresh ginger in the house (which I always do), feel free to grate some into the sauce mixture at this point
• Add edamame to the sauce and toss; heat until edamame is warm
• Serve with a side bowl for the shells
• Note: Edamame is still yummy at room temperature or cold.  If you serve a bowl of it with dinner or as an app, feel free to leave it out for people to munch on through the evening

I should also point out that the dish is high in sodium, so be cautious if you’re watching your sodium intake.