Whole-Wheat Garlic Pita Chips

These homemade chips are a great way to use up stale and leftover pita bread

My boyfriend always has the late-night munchies, so I try to keep healthy snacks around the house to satisfy his evening cravings. There was a bunch of whole-wheat pita bread in the fridge that was perfect for homemade pita chips. It's such a simple snack to make and a healthy alternative to fried potato or tortilla chips. We like to eat them with our favorite hummus, but they would also be a great substitute for salad croutons.


Baked Whole-Wheat Garlic Pita Chips:

• Preheat the oven to 400F.
• Cut 4 whole-wheat pita breads into eighths (to make 32 pita pieces).
• Toss bread with 1/4 c. olive oil, 2 tsp. garlic and herb seasoning, and salt.
• Place pita on a baking sheet, making sure they are spread out in one, even layer.
• Bake the pita chips for 10-12 minutes, until chips are crispy.
• Let cool and serve with your favorite hummus dip.

Makes 32 chips

Salmon Soba Noodles

I've been having a busy week, so I love being able to prepare a meal that can easily translate to leftovers the next day. I cooked an extra piece of miso salmon to use in a new rendition of Asian noodles (see a chicken and vegetable version here). With most of the work already done, the hardest part of the meal was making sure my boyfriend didn't eat all the leftovers before I prepared dinner. If you don't have any leftover salmon on hand, you could substitute it with any meat you like or create a vegetarian version.

Salmon Soba Noodles:

• Use a fork (or your hands) to flake one 10-12 oz. cooked salmon steak into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
• Place 1 lb. soba noodles* into a pot of boiling water and cook according to package instructions.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok and add 1 c. sliced snow peas, 1 c. sliced baby bok chop, 1 tbsp. minced ginger and 1 tbsp. minced garlic.
• Cook vegetable mixture for 3-5 minutes, until almost tender.
• Turn the heat to low and add cooked soba noodles, salmon pieces, 1 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tsp. Sriracha hot sauce, 6 leaves of fresh, torn basil, and 1 tsp. sesame oil.
• Toss noodle mixture together for another 2 minutes.
• Divide into bowls and serve with extra Sriracha, if desired.

Serves four
*A thin, buckwheat noodle. Available in the Asian foods aisle of most grocery stores.

Miso-Marinated Salmon Steaks

Broiled salmon steaks with a flavorful miso marinade

I'm always looking for new fish recipes, so I was excited to discover this miso salmon entree in Bon Appetit's May issue. I love salmon and was excited to use miso paste at home for the first time. The marinade was quick and easy, and the white miso gave wonderful salty umami flavor to the fish. I chose to broil it in the oven, but I'm looking forward to trying it out on the grill next time. Leftover salmon can be flaked over soba noodles for a tasty meal the next day.

Note: Miso paste and mirin can both be found in the Asian foods aisle of well-stocked grocery or speciality stores or can be ordered online.


 Miso-Marinated Salmon Steaks:

• Combine 1/3 c. white miso paste, 2 tbsp. mirin, 2 tbsp. rice vinegar, 2 tsp. grated ginger, and 1 tsp. sesame oil in a bowl.
• Spoon mixture over 3 large salmon steaks (on both sides) and place on an aluminum foil-covered sheet pan
• Let salmon marinate for twenty minutes while you pre-heat the broiler to hot.
• Place salmon in the broiler and cook for 5-6 minutes per side.

Serves two