Pork Scaloppine with Mustard Pan Sauce

Courtesy of Cooking Light

I made this recipe about a week or so ago, just haven't gotten the chance to post! I really, really liked this dish -- I love a good pork chop and I also love mustard. I decided to serve it with wild rice to soak up the sauce :) Definitely give this one a try. The original recipe called for thinner pork chops, but I enjoy thicker pork chops, so I used those. You just have to cook them a bit longer. This sauce would also be good on chicken; I might give that a try next time! Enjoy! 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut crosswise into 12 pieces, and pounded to 1/4-inch thickness (or just buy pre-cut chops like I did)
• 1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
• 1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
• 2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard (I used 1 tb dijon mustard and 1 tb whole grain mustard)
• 3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Directions:

1. Sprinkle pork evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon canola oil; swirl to coat. Add 6 cutlets; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with 1 teaspoon canola oil and remaining pork.
2. Return skillet to medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 teaspoon canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots and garlic to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add stock and mustard; cook 1 minute, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in sour cream; cook 1 minute. Serve pork with sauce. Sprinkle with parsley.

Tsukune (Japanese) Chicken Meatballs

Courtesy of Cooking Light

I love most Asian food, so this recipe got my attention -- and who doesn't love meatballs? I finally got around to making this last night, and it did not disappoint! Full disclosure: this recipe does require a lot of ingredients (some of which you may not have on hand). I had to hunt down the soybean paste (miso) and finally found it at Wegman's. It's a bit time consuming, but it is definitely worth it if you have the time! I served this with sauteed french green beans, but you could serve with any sort of vegetable or rice and it would be great. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 
Meatballs:

• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
• 4 ounces sliced shiitake mushroom caps (I used a blend of mushrooms)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger, divided
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 2 teaspoons red miso (soybean paste)
• 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
• 1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 large egg white
• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine)
• 3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1 serrano chile, thinly sliced (I left this out) 

Directions:
1. To prepare meatballs, heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add mushrooms, 1 tablespoon minced ginger, and 1 tablespoon garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add sherry; cook 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates and mushrooms are tender. Remove from heat; cool. Place mushroom mixture and miso in a mini chopper; pulse 10 times or until very finely chopped.
2. Combine mushroom mixture, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, chicken, and next 6 ingredients (through egg white) in a bowl. Shape mixture into 36 (1-inch) meatballs. Thread 3 meatballs onto each of 12 (6-inch) flat bamboo skewers. Chill for 30 minutes. NOTE: I did not use skewers b/c I didn't have any on hand, and it worked fine -- but, I do think turning them would be easier with the skewers.
3. To prepare sauce, combine mirin, soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Stir in juice, 2 teaspoons grated ginger, and serrano. Reserve 2 tablespoons sauce.
4. Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place 6 skewers in pan; cook 9 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove from pan; brush half of sauce over meatballs. Repeat procedure with remaining 6 skewers and sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds; serve with reserved 2 tablespoons sauce. NOTE: The cooking time took a bit longer for me; you want to make sure they are cooked all the way through. My meatballs were a bit larger, so that's probably why.

Guacamole, Ole!

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

One thing I love about summer -- the avocados and the ability to make fresh guacamole on a whim! This is another recipe that I eyeball a lot of the ingredients, but it's super easy to throw together and it's great with chips or on just about anything :) in my opinion!  Enjoy! This made about 3-4 cups.

Ingredients:
2 avocados, cored, scooped, and diced
2 tb shallots, diced
1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced
2 tb fresh cilantro, chopped
dash of salt
dash of hot sauce (optional)
1/2 lime, juiced

Directions:
Mix together all ingredients and adjust as necessary to your liking. ENJOY!

Arlington Cheesesteak

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

I call this the Arlington Cheesesteak, mainly because it's my own concoction. This was super fast and easy to make -- and I'm pretty sure it's healthier than ordering it from a greasy spoon (not that those aren't delicious!). I only made one of these since it was for my lunch the other day, but you could easily make 2-3 of these with 1 package of sliced steak (which is what I used and just saved the rest). This is one of those recipes where you use as much of each ingredient as you prefer :) Enjoy!!!

Ingredients:
Package of sliced angus steak
Olive oil
Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
Your favorite cheese (I used a mix of melted cheddars)
Creamy horseradish
Mayo (again, however much you want -- I just used the low-fat mayo)
Fresh chicago roll (or any bread of your choice)

Directions:
Heat approx. 1 tsp olive oil in a skillet, over medium-high heat. Throw in the steak and season with a dash of salt and pepper. Toss in some Worcestershire sauce (I used about 1 tb) and then stir around until the steak is cooked through to your liking. This steak is usually cut thin, so should only take about 4-5 minutes at the most. Toss in the cheese of your choice and let it melt together. In the meantime, toast your roll. Place the horseradish and mayo on the roll and then the delicious steak + cheese mixture and enjoy! You could also broil the roll with the cheese, and then add the steak (instead of putting the cheese in the skillet).

Spaghetti Squash with Lobster & Vodka Sauce

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

Oh spaghetti squash -- you're wonderful and in season again! In an attempt to eat healthy during the week, this was a fantastic option for dinner! I tried to figure out how to spice it up a little, so I bought two smaller lobster tails and some yummy vodka sauce! You could definitely make the sauce yourself, which I usually do, but I didn't have time this go around. This was very easy to whip up and super delicious and healthy!

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
1 cup of your favorite spaghetti sauce/vodka sauce
fresh basil (1/2 tb -- optional, but freshens it up)
1 garlic clove, diced -- optional, also freshens it up)
1 tb olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
salt + pepper
approx. 8 oz. lobster meat (I bought two smaller tails)

Directions:
There are MANY ways to cook a spaghetti squash, but this is just how I did it -- it seemed to be the quickest route for such a large squash! I cut the squash down the middle lengthwise and scooped out the seeds, set it in a casserole dish that can go in the microwave (preferably where it's snug), and put the first half down, cut side up. Place 1/4 - 1/2 cup water in the hole of the squash and then place the other half on top, as if you're putting it back together. Cook in the microwave for about 10 minutes, depending on how large the squash is. Mine was huge, so it took about 12 minutes. You'll know it's good to go when the flesh is somewhat flexible. In the meantime, heat the oven to broil (high). You'll cut the shell of the lobster tails down the middle. Pull the meat away from the shell just a tad and season with salt, pepper, lemon squeeze, and a dab of butter. Broil on a baking sheet for approximately 10 minutes. Once done, it will have pulled away from the shell more and be firm to the touch. Remove the meat from the shell and cut into large pieces.

Saute the garlic in a saucepan with a tb of olive oil, for about 3 minutes. Add the sauce, lobster, and the basil. Stir until all flavors are mixed and warm over low heat.

Pour any excess water out of the spaghetti squash. Take a fork and scrape in long strokes -- this will separate out the "noodles". Place these in bowls, or in one big bowl/plate if you prefer. Top with the sauce and enjoy!

Roasted Salmon with Soy-Marmalade Glaze

Courtesy of Cooking Light

I saw some gorgeous salmon last week, so I knew I had to give this a whirl. I had saved this recipe a couple of weeks back and just hadn't had the chance to cook it up. This was a pretty easy week night meal and wasn't complicated! It really was delicious and I'm definitely adding this to my Favorites list! Enjoy :)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup orange marmalade
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 (6-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets
• Cooking spray 
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions (I left this out because I didn't have them)
• 4 lemon wedges 
• Broccolini (I added this myself on the side; simply steamed)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Combine marmalade, soy sauce, salt, black pepper, and garlic in a small bowl. Arrange salmon fillets, skin sides down, on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Brush fish fillets evenly with half of marmalade mixture. Bake fish fillets at 450° for 4 minutes.
3. Heat broiler to high (do not remove fish from oven); broil fish 6 minutes. Spoon remaining marmalade mixture onto center of fillets. Broil fish an additional 3 minutes or until desired degree of done-ness. Sprinkle fish evenly with green onions; serve with lemon wedges.