Butternut Squash and Cranberry Quinoa Salad June 9, 2017

I can’t believe I haven’t blogged a recommended recipe in over a year and a half. I still cook new recipes every week and I  still share those recipes with friends but it has been the “old fashioned” way… you know by emailing a link. 😉 . I made this recipe last night and was asked by a few lovelies if I would share it. What a perfect excuse to get back on the bloggitty blog.

 

As with most of the recipes on this blog, the idea is to take a recipe and let my friends know the little things I did to make it my own. The original recipe is by Katya on her site Little Broken. It is a great website and oh my! the photography is stunning. The recipe is pretty fantastic on it’s own but I did make some tweaks.

 

#1 – Sometimes I add a protein hack. I love this as a vegetarian dish but sometimes I like to add chicken. My hack is that I buy the WestEnd Cuisine Grilled Mediterranean Chicken Skewers from Costco. I take the chicken off (6) of the skewers and chop it into bite sized pieces.

#2 – While the butternut squash is roasting, I saute the red onion (or shallots) in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat until they sweat (just a few minutes).

#3- Add cooked chicken and dried cranberries to the pan just long enough to warm them through. Cooking the cranberries for a few minutes really brings out the sweetness.

#4 – I use half the quinoa she calls for in the recipe because I added one cooked pouch of Seeds of Change Quinoa Brown Rice with Garlic. NOTE: You do not have to do this. I originally made this change only because I didn’t have enough quinoa on hand so I had to improvise. I ended up liking the mix of textures so I continue to do this.

#4- I make all the dressing the recipe calls for but I do not use it all at one time. I find it sweet so I just add it to taste. Since it is a delicious dressing I just keep what I don’t use for salads later in the week.

#5- Lastly, I actually like to serve this salad warm and  topped with a little chopped parsley. I have not tried it chilled yet.

 

So that’s it. Let me know what you think. Cheers! 🙂

 

Here’s a link to the original delicious recipe: https://www.littlebroken.com/2014/10/19/butternut-squash-and-cranberry-quinoa-salad/

 

Recipe rating: 4 out of 5 stars!

Noodle Free Zucchini Lasagna September 2, 2015

I’ve seen a handful of recipes out there for lasagna using zucchini instead of noodles that I’ve been dying to try. The recipe below was inspired by a few different recipes mixed together with some short cuts of my own. This is not dairy free but I did use Daiya dairy-free Mozzarella shreds to cut down on some of the lactose (plus I love the stuff). I am kicking myself for not taking a picture! It looked and tasted DELICIOUS and received two hearty thumbs up from the husband. Try it and let me know your thoughts. 🙂

Ingredients

• 2 large zucchini
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 pkg (10 oz.) fresh mushrooms, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• Crushed red pepper, to taste
• 1 (25 oz.) jar of your favorite marinara (To make this truly gluten free, double check that your marinara is GF.)
• 1 egg
• 1 (15 oz.) container low-fat ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 5 oz. fresh spinach, chopped
• 8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese (I used Daiya Dairy Free Mozzarella shreds)
• 8 oz. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut zucchini in half then slice lengthwise into very thin slices. Sprinkle lightly with salt; set aside to drain in a colander.
3. To prepare the sauce, cook and stir ground turkey and black pepper in a large skillet over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Add onion, garlic and mushrooms and cook until the meat is no longer pink. Stir in marinara sauce, basil and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer sauce for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Meanwhile, mix the egg, ricotta, chopped spinach and parsley together in a bowl until well combined.
5. Dry the excess water off zucchini with a paper towel
6. To assemble your lasagna:

• Spread a layer of the meat sauce into the bottom of the pan.
• Layer ½ the zucchini slices, ½ the ricotta mixture, ½ the mozzarella cheese.
• Repeat by layering the remaining meat sauce, zucchini slices, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella.
• Top with the balance of your sauce and sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over the top; cover with foil.

7. Bake for 45 minutes.

8. Remove foil; and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

 

Note: You can easily make this dish meat free by deleting the ground turkey.

Asparagus, Egg & Bacon Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette (from SkinnyTaste.com) April 18, 2015

This salad from Skinnytaste.com was super easy and quite tasty. It was filling enough for lunch on its own and I think it would make a great side dish for a dinner like grilled fish. I followed the recipe (doubled it since I was serving two people) and added a little fresh basil on top. I baked my bacon in the toaster oven so it came out nice and crispy. Dan and I both gave it 2-thumbs up for a total of 4-thumbs up!

 

Asparagus Egg and Bacon Salad
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 1  Serving Size: 1 salad 
Calories: 219 • Fat: 13 g • Protein: 16 g • Carb: 11 g • Fiber: 5 g • Sugar: 1 g
Sodium: 306 mg (without salt)

Ingredients:

• 1 large hard boiled egg, peeled and sliced
• 1 2/3 cups chopped asparagus
• 2 slices cooked and crumbled center cut bacon
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• pinch salt and pepper, to taste

 

Mmmmm… Bacon

Directions:

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the asparagus and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until tender yet firm. Drain and run under cold water to stop it from cooking further. Set aside.

In a small bowl mix the Dijon, oil, vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Arrange the asparagus on a plate, top with egg and bacon and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Enjoy!

Recipe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Follow this link to get the recipe http://www.skinnytaste.com/2014/04/asparagus-egg-and-bacon-salad-with.html

 

Shrimp Zoodles Parmesan for Two (From SkinnyTaste.com)

Long time no bloggity blog. I’ve still been exploring & preparing healthy delicious meals over the past year (just ask the husband, he’s my witness!) I just haven’t had the time to blog about them. However, I’ve made a few recipes lately that I just had to share with you so here we are.

Lately, I have been obsessed with Skinnytaste.com. Seriously obsessed. I love Gina’s recipes and her food photography is so beautiful and honestly makes my mouth water. Have I emphasized enough that I am HUGE fan? This recipe was so satisfying and downright delicious.  The only change I made was that I had a jar of Trader Joe’s Arrabiata sauce on hand and so I used that in lieu of the crushed tomatoes and garlic. Also, I sprinkled tons of crushed red pepper on top to make it spicy. Try it and let me know what you think!

Shrimp Zoodles Parmesan… YUM YUM!

 

Shrimp Parm Zoodles for Two
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 2 • Size: 5 shrimp, 1/2 zoodles •
Calories: 375 • Fat: 13 g • Carb: 27 g • Fiber: 6 g • Protein: 37 g • Sugar: 8 g
Sodium: 743 mg  • Cholest: 243 mg

Ingredients:

For the Shrimp:

• 8 oz peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp
• fresh black pepper, to taste
• 1 large egg, beaten*
• 3 tbsp whole wheat Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp panko crumbs
• 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• olive oil cooking spray

For the Zoodles:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed with the side of a knife
• 1 1/4 cups crushed tomatoes
• kosher salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 medium zucchini (14 oz total), spiralized with the thicker blade, and cut into 6-inch lengths
• 1 oz shredded mozzarella cheese 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Put the beaten egg in one bowl, and the breadcrumbs, panko and parmesan cheese a second bowl. Wash and dry the shrimp. Season lightly black pepper, then put a few at a time in the bowl with the egg to coat. Then into the breadcrumb mixture to coat, then on a baking sheet.

Spray the top of the shrimp generously with oil then bake in the middle rack for about 6-7 minutes. Turn shrimp over then cook another 3 minutes or until cooked though.

In a large oven safe skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until browned, about 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper and simmer on low 5 to 6 minutes. When the shrimp is done, add the zucchini noodles and cook 1 1/2 to 2 minutes tops, stirring to combine with sauce.Place the cooked shrimp over the zoodles, top with cheese and place under the broiler 1 minute until the cheese melts.*You’ll only use half the egg so the nutritional info reflects 1/2 large egg.

 

Recipe rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Follow this link to view the recipe http://www.skinnytaste.com/2015/04/shrimp-zoodles-parmesan-for-two.html

Lemon Asparagus Couscous Salad with Tomatoes April 16, 2014

I found the following recipe at Skinnytaste.com. If you haven’t been to this site, you are seriously missing out! Her recipes are awesome, the photos are BEAUTIFUL and I have had a lot of success with everything I have tried. Definitely check it out.

 

This recipe is a perfect Spring time side dish. Plus the left overs make a healthy & easy lunch option. I served it with grilled Chicken Basil Sausages and the husband was a big fan.

Lemon Asparagus Couscous Salad with Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 6 oz whole wheat pearl couscous ( Because I had some in my pantry, I used Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend which is made up of pearl couscous, lentils, orzo and red quinoa.)
• 3/4 lb thin asparagus spears, tough ends trimmed
• 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1/4 cup red onion, minced
• 1-1/2 lemons, juiced
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• Kosher salt, to taste
• fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Directions:

Skinnytaste.com recommends cooking the asparagus in boiling water. I really prefer the flavor of roasted asparagus so instead I tossed the asparagus spears in a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted them in the oven at 375 for 12 minutes. After they cooled enough to handle I chopped them  into small 1/2 inch pieces.

Cook couscous according to package directions.

Drain the couscous and rinse under cold water, place in a large bowl.

Add the chopped asparagus, tomatoes, red onion, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper to the bowl.  Taste for salt and pepper and serve room temperature or chilled.

 

Let me know your thoughts!

 

Recipe rating 3.75 out of 5 stars

Follow the link to the receipt on skinnytaste.com

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/05/lemon-asparagus-couscous-salad-with.html

 

Tilapia Feta Florentine March 20, 2014

I found the following recipe using my All Recipes app on the iPad. This app has really helped me out when I am in a pinch for inspiration. You should check it out!

 

This dish was healthy, oh so flavorful and super easy to make. The only change I made to the recipe was to add some sun-dried tomatoes because I had them on hand. I served the fish with mashed sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli. Dinner received 2-thumbs up from the husband which is always a good thing.

 

Shopping List

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 (9 ounce) bags fresh spinach: I chopped the spinach so it is a little easier to handle in the pan
• ¼ cup sliced Kalamata olives
• Erin Addition: I added ¼ cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil)
• 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
• ½ teaspoon grated lemon rind
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 pound tilapia fillets
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion and garlic in the hot oil until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Add spinach to skillet; cook and stir until spinach is wilted and cooked down, 5 more minutes.
4.  Stir olives, sun dried tomatoes, feta cheese, lemon rind, salt, oregano, and white pepper into spinach. Cook until feta cheese has melted and flavors have blended, about 5 more minutes.
5. Spread spinach mixture into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Arrange tilapia fillets over spinach mixture.
6.  Mix butter and lemon juice in a small bowl and drizzle over fish; sprinkle with paprika.
7. Bake fish in the preheated oven until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily, 20 to 25 minutes.

 

Check it out and let me know your thoughts!

Recipe rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Click here to check out the recipe on All Recipes: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/tilapia-feta-florentine/ 

Spiced Maple Glazed Salmon January 27, 2014

Hi Friends and Happy New Year! One of my goals this year was to blog more (and to finally add pictures if I could remember to take them). It has taken me a few weeks to kick it off but here we go! This recipe is a real winner and took less than 30 minutes to make.

Dan and I love salmon and we eat it on a very regular basis. I am always looking for new, creative and easy ways to serve it.  I found the following recipe on Food.com and it is incredibly delicious.

Ingredients:

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground dried ancho chile powder

½  tsp. ground cumin

¼  tsp. garlic powder

½  tsp. brown sugar

½  tsp. sea salt

4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets

1 tbsp. maple syrup

1 tbsp. melted butter

1 tbsp. chopped green onion

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine the paprika, chili powder, ancho, cumin, garlic powder, and brown sugar.
3. Place salmon on lightly sprayed baking dish or tray.
4. Sprinkle the fillets with the salt, then rub with the spice mixture.
5. Combine melted butter and maple syrup, then drizzle each fillet with a bit of the mixture; sprinkle each with a bit of green onion.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until it flakes with a fork.

The recipe suggests serving with rice or orzo pasta and steamed green vegetables like broccoli, gai lan (Chinese broccoli), bok choy, or green beans, drizzled with bottled fish or oyster sauce. Tonight I chose to serve it alongside a sauté of brown rice with ginger snap peas.

 

Let me know your thoughts!

 

Recipe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

To view the recipe on food.com go to http://www.food.com/recipe/spiced-maple-glazed-salmon-63326

Lemon Parsley Chicken w/ Corn & Tomato Salad September 4, 2013

Hi Friends! I found the following recipe in a recent issue of Cooking Light. It was SUPER flavorful, SUPER tasty and SUPER easy!

A few notes:

– Before seasoning the chicken, pound the breasts lightly to an even 1/2″ thickness with a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy pan to ensure even cooking on the grill

– I recommend mincing the parsley, garlic, and lemon rind together and sprinkling salt and pepper directly on the chicken.

– Don’t just sprinkle the parsley mixture on the chicken as the recipe says, rub it into those babies. You won’t regret it. Our chicken was so flavorful!

– Grilling time was closer to 4 mins. per side

– I added some sliced avocado and crumbled feta to the salad

Ingredients

1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tsp grated lemon rind

2 tsp minced fresh garlic

3/4 tsp kosher salt, divided

3/4 tsp ground black pepper, divided

4   (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, halved lengthwise to form 8 cutlets

Cooking spray

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp Dijon mustard

5 cups torn Boston lettuce

1 cup fresh corn kernels

1 cup heirloom cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to high heat.

2. Combine minced parsley, lemon rind, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle chicken with parsley mixture; let stand 10 minutes.

3. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until chicken is done.

4. Combine juice, oil, mustard, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add lettuce and remaining ingredients; toss to coat.

Check it out and let me know your thoughts!

Follow this link for the full recipe: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/lemon-parsley-chicken-50400000130009/

Recipe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Blueberry Hand Pies from Bon Appetit August 9, 2013

Last night my awesome husband surprised me with flowers and homemade blueberry hand pies. I’ve had a really tough week and he is an awesome and thoughtful person (and I am a really lucky lady!)

 

I had found this recipe in Bon Appetit a few months ago and he found it in my recipe binder when he was looking for something sweet to make.  I can’t begin to tell you how super tasty these little treats are and at only 290 calories a serving (for dessert?!?!?!), they were TOTALLY worth it. What I also love about this recipe is the simplicity of ingredients. The combo of blueberries and lemon in the filling were so delectable!

 

Make these for your loved ones today!!

 

Click here for the link http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/quick-recipes/2013/07/blueberry-hand-pies

Recipe Rating: 4.75 out of 5

 

Giada’s Italian Lentil Salad August 1, 2013

I recently checked out the cookbook  “Giada at Home” from the library. There are so many delicious looking recipes in that book, I marked almost every page with a post-it note!

The first recipe I tried was the Italian Lentil Salad which was easy to make and quite tasty, to boot! This meal is perfect for a summertime Meatless Monday and it also packs well for lunch the next day. The addition of grapes and lemon zest add sweetness & brightness to the salad! DELISH!

The only change I made to the recipe is that I did not have hazelnuts so I used toasted pine nuts instead. I served the salad at room temperature topped with a little crumbled feta.

Click here for the recipe http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/everyday-italian/italian-lentil-salad-recipe/index.html

Recipe Rating – 3.5 out of 5 stars