Lemon Basil Chicken Salad

Adapted from Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman)

This popped up on my Google Reader last month and it just looked so appetizing, especially with this hot, Summer weather. My grandmother makes amazing chicken salad, which I usually leave to her (because no one else can make it like her, I've tried). However, this is a different spin on chicken salad and it was pretty yummy! I also adapted this to make it healthier. You may have some of the dressing left over, which you could easily use on many other things. This doesn't take long to make; I was able to whip it up before work this morning! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Cooked Chicken (I pulled chicken from a Rotisserie)
• 2 whole Lemons, Juiced And Zested (1 lemon zested will suffice)
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (I used non-fat)
• 1.5 tb Prepared Pesto
• 1/2 cup Green Peas
• 7 whole Basil Leaves, Chiffonade (more To Taste)
• Salt And Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Mix together lemon juice, olive oil, greek yogurt, salt & pepper, and pesto until creamy and smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as you’d like. Combine chicken, peas, and basil in a bowl and stir together. Pour on dressing to taste and toss to combine. Add 1 tablespoon lemon zest. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve over lettuce or just eat it alone!

 

Stuffed Turkey Sausage Peppers

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

It's been quite some time since I made stuffed peppers, so I decided to give it a go and this time attempt to make it even more healthy! I usually use rice in the filling and ground beef, so this time there is a different spin! These are great to freeze as well, if you don't eat them all :) I also had some of the filling leftover, which was great by itself!

Ingredients:
1 package ground turkey (mine was 20 oz)
2 sweet Italian turkey sausages (I bought these fresh), casings removed
1/2 zucchini, diced
6 bell peppers (I used yellow, orange, red, and green), 1 cup diced reserved from the tops
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 cup stewed tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 cup marinara sauce (good quality)
salt and pepper (approximately 1 tsp each)
dash of garlic powder with parsley
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella (I use 2%)
2 tb olive oil

Directions:
Cut the tops off of the peppers, keeping the tops to dice for the filling. Slightly cut the bottom of the peppers to help them stand up straight. It's OK if there are holes in the bottoms - not much drained out of mine. Make sure the seeds are cleaned out of the peppers. Stand the peppers up in a baking dish, sprayed with olive oil. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat a small amount of the olive oil in a skillet and brown the ground turkey until cooked through, approximately 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Heat the sausage until cooked through, approximately 5 minutes, using a spatula or spoon to break up the meat. Drain and add to the ground turkey and set aside. Mix together the zucchini, diced peppers, garlic, and onion. Add more olive oil if needed and saute the vegetables for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Toss in the sausage and turkey mixture. Turn off the heat. Stir in the stewed tomatoes, marinara sauce, salt and pepper, garlic powder, and 1/2 of the mozzarella portion. Fill the peppers with the mixture with a spoon and spread the remainder of the mozzarella on top of the peppers. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Chicken & Veggie Stir Fry

Adapted from Cooking Light

In the mood for a healthy chicken stir fry? Look no further! I modified a recipe from Cooking Light to include chicken instead of shrimp, and I also changed up the veggies a little. This turned out great! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• dash of salt and pepper
• 2 cups small broccoli florets
• 1 cup carrot, cut into thin slices (to cook easily) 
• 1 bag Minute brown rice
• Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.
2. Cook one bag of brown rice as directed. This should cook while you're doing the following steps.
3. Heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and season with a little salt and pepper, on each side. Cook until browned on each side, approximately3- 4 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from the pan.
4. Turn the heat down to low. Add remaining 1 teaspoon canola oil to pan. Add ginger and garlic and stir around for 1 minute. Increase heat to medium and add broccoli and carrots to pan (you may add a splash of water to loosen everything up); stir-fry 5 minutes or until veggies are crisp-tender. Add chicken and broth mixture to pan; reduce heat to low and simmer 3-4 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.  Top the rice with the chicken and veggie mixture and sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on top!

Texas Caviar

Adapted from Gina and Pat Neely (Food Network)

The reaction to the words "Texas Caviar" is usually mixed -- some people have no idea what you're referring to and some get really excited! For those that are not in the know, it's simply a black eyed pea salad...with tons of flavor and a slight kick. I decided to make this as one of the items for my dear friend Rebecca's bridal shower this past weekend. She falls into the excited category when you mention Texas Caviar :) I also love that you can make this ahead of time, it's actually preferred and makes it much more delicious to let it marinate for 12 hours to a day before serving. This was a hit, and it's a great Summer time dish! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• Two 15-ounce cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped (you can use canned, diced as well)
• 1-2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped (depending on what level of heat you want)
• Dash hot sauce, such as Tabasco
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Tortilla chips, for serving

Directions:
Combine the black-eyed peas, red onion, parsley, vinegar, oil, garlic, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers and hot sauce in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours. Serve with tortilla chips.  

Mustard Dill Tortellini Skewers

Adapted from Southern Living, March 2009

I had the honor of preparing a lot of the food for my good friend Rebecca's bridal shower this past weekend. The focus was on lighter, finger friendly food. These skewers looked so yummy to me, and I figured the shower was a great time to try them out! They were a huge hit. I had a lot of the vinaigrette left over as well, which I have been using on asparagus, salads, and even scallops! I highly recommend checking this out!

Ingredients:

• 1 (9-oz.) package refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 1 zucchini, sliced into quarters
•  (4-inch) wooden skewers
• 1 pt. grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 pressed garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3/4 cup olive oil (put in a little at a time to get it to your liking)
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Whisk together vinegar, fresh dill, Dijon mustard, garlic, and sugar. Add olive oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until thoroughly combined. Whisk in kosher salt and pepper to taste. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Rinse under cold running water. Thread each skewer with 1 wedge of zucchini, 2 tortellini (one on each end), and 1 tomato half. Place skewers in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Pour the desired amount of Mustard-Dill Vinaigrette over skewers, turning to coat. Cover and chill 4 hours (they will come out just fine if you can't marinate this long). Transfer skewers to a serving platter.

Cuban Pork Chops

Pork Chops Adapted from The Pioneer Woman (Ree Drummond)
Roasted Broccoli Courtesy of Plated Perfection
 
I don't know about you, but I follow a lot of cooking blogs. I absolutely love Ree Drummond, also known as The Pioneer Woman, mainly because her food is delicious, but she also has a great witty sense of humor and I love reading her posts. I stumbled upon this recipe not too long ago and knew I had to give it a whirl. I love pork chops and they were buy 1, get 1 free at Teeter, so who can resist? My only complaint about this recipe has to do with my grill pan. I believe I need a new one because mine tends to burn almost everything lately, no matter how low the heat is...so, these would be best on an actual grill in my opinion, or on a good quality grill pan! NOTE: The original recipe calls for a sauce which I will include below, but the sauce did not work out well for me, so I actually served this recipe without it.

Ingredients:

• 3 Center Cut Pork Chops
• 1 cup Orange Juice
• 1 whole Lime, Juiced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
• 1/2 Small Yellow Onion, Halved And Sliced Thin
• 1 bunch fresh broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 lemon, zested
• 1 tb olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste

Sauce:

• 1 bunch Cilantro
• 1 bunch Parsley
• 1 cup Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Combine orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin, cayenne pepper, oregano, and onion in a large zipper bag. Squish it around to combine, then throw in the pork chops! Seal the bag and marinate them for several hours...but overnight is better! Remove the pork chops from the marinade (discard the bag). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a pan with cooking spray and toss the broccoli with olive oil, lemon zest, and salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for approximately 15 minutes or until cooked to your liking. While the broccoli is cooking, grill the pork chops until they're totally done.

If making the sauce, while the chops are marinating, add cilantro and parsley leaves to a blender. Add olive oil and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer the mixture to a small container and keep in the fridge. Spoon over the pork chops to serve. 

 

Lemon Herb Rainbow Trout

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

I love seafood. This is no secret. Harris Teeter had farm raised rainbow trout this weekend, so I just had to take some home with me. I have recently ordered fresh rainbow trout at a few of our favorite restaurants and have been so pleased. I figured I would just try it on my own, and I'm glad I did. This was so easy to make (cooked this baby up before work this morning) and it was so yummy...and healthy. You can't get much better than that. My only regret was not buying more of it -- hopefully they'll have more when I go back this week :) (Note: This is only for 1 serving.)

Ingredients:
1 rainbow trout filet, boneless
1/2 lemon, setting aside 1/2 tsp lemon zest and 1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Italian seasoning
dash of salt + pepper
drizzle of olive oil
1 tsp fresh parsley

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking dish with foil for easier clean-up. Spray with a bit of cooking spray and place the filet in the dish. Top with the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Slice off 3 thin slices of the lemon and place on top of the fish. Drizzle with the olive oil and bake for approximately 15 minutes. Top with parsley.

Veggie Egg Muffins

Adapted from He & She Eat Clean

Thanks to Pinterest (I say this a lot), I came across this healthy recipe and knew I had to try it. It's perfect because you can make these on a Sunday night and have them for the entire week for breakfast -- and all you have to do is heat them up each morning. It also helps me be healthy instead of giving in and purchasing an unhealthy breakfast sandwich! You can get as creative with these as you want, enjoy!

Ingredients:
Olive oil cooking spray
1 scallion (or green onion), minced
1 carrot, shredded
1/3 orange bell pepper, minced
1/3 zucchini, diced
7 egg whites
2 whole eggs
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Dash of sea salt and pepper
Pesto sauce, as desired for topping


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a muffin tin with a small amount of olive oil spray to prevent sticking, or use cupcake liners (this made 6, so you only need to coat 6). Combine vegetables in a bowl. Fill each muffin tin 2/3 full with vegetables. Whisk eggs and seasonings in a large mixing bowl. Use a 1/3-measuring cup for the egg mixture and pour slowly into each muffin tin. Egg mixture should fill tin the rest of the way. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until muffins have risen and are slightly browned. Heat a tb of pesto sauce for each muffin and top as desired (this photo is of a muffin without the pesto).

Seared Yellowfin Tuna

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

Sushi grade (sashimi) tuna is one of my favorite things. You need to be very picky though when it comes to the quality. This type of tuna is usually eaten raw, which I thoroughly enjoy, but I also enjoy it seared. As I've stated before, we are lucky to have good quality seafood available to us, and I usually purchase whatever looks the most fresh. This week it was tuna! This go around I just did a quick marinade and sear...you can't go wrong with that! This would be great alone with some soy sauce and wasabi, on a salad, really however your little heart desires :) I always eyeball this marinade, so I did my best at approximating the measurements. This was for approximately 1 pound of tuna. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 tb low-sodium soy sauce
1 tb Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tb dijon mustard
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tb olive oil
1-2 tuna steaks (approx. 1 pound) 
salt and pepper

Directions:
Whisk the first 6 ingredients together in a small bowl. Season the tuna steak with a little salt and pepper and then top with the marinade. Let sit for up to 30 minutes. Sear over high heat for approximately 1-2 minutes per side (depending on how pink you like your tuna).