Cajun Catfish

Courtesy of Plated Perfection 

Obviously, I'm not done with New Orleans flavors yet! One of my closest friends, all the way back to college, came over for dinner. We were looking for a healthy dinner, so I immediately thought of fish and veggies of course. Whole Foods had some fresh, local catfish that looked outstanding. I bought about 1.25 pounds, which served 3 nice servings (can't wait to have the 3rd for lunch this week). This was super easy to make - definitely give it a shot. You could switch out the fish no problem, and even the seasoning blend. To make this a simple weeknight meal, I bought some of the prepared vegetables from Whole Foods which I love. Enjoy!

Servings: 3 (6oz-8oz servings)

Ingredients:
fresh catfish filets (I cut mine into 3 servings)
~3-4 tb cajun seasoning (I eyeballed this, so use as much as you want)
~2 tb garlic chive butter (purchased from seafood counter at Whole Foods)
~1 cup flour
~1tb vegetable oil
juice of lime to top fish, optional

Directions:
Mix the cajun spice into the flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge the fish on both sides in the flour mixture and set aside. Heat the oil and butter in a saute pan over high heat. Brown one side of the fish for approximately 4 minutes. Turn the fish and cook on the other side for about 4-5 minutes, turning the heat down to medium-low after both sides are brown. Top with juice of a lime or lemon and serve with vegetables.

Seafood Cioppino

Modified from Giada de Laurentiis

Seafood cioppino is this amazing soup/stew that you can find in San Francisco, among other places, but that's the best I've had - specifically at Scoma's! They partner it with delicious sourdough and it comes in a massive bowl with oodles of fresh seafood. I decided to try and mimic this and found a recipe by Giada, one of my favorite celebrity chefs! This recipe came out great - it was faster than I thought to make as well, maybe because I chopped up some of the vegetables the night before to save some time. I modified the seafood that was used and a few of the ingredient measurements, but followed it otherwise. Below is my version of the recipe. Her original can be found here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/cioppino-recipe.html. The great thing about this is that you can freeze the leftover broth and throw in some fresh seafood at a later time - can't wait to have this again! Enjoy! 

Note: The below recipe was for 2 people, saving two batches of the broth. If you'd like to serve it all to a group of 4 or so, I'd double the amount of seafood.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tb split out for scallops

1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1 onion, chopped

2 large shallots, chopped

2 teaspoons salt

4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste

1/3 cup tomato paste

1 (26 ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice (I used San Marzano)

1 1/2 cups dry white wine

5 cups seafood stock

1 bay leaf

1/3 lb fresh halibut, cut into chunks (I cut into approx 1-2 inch chunks)

1/2 lb uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/3 lb fresh sea scallops, cut in half if large

Directions:

Heat 3 tb oil in a very large pot over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, shallots, and salt and saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and 3/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and saute 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add tomatoes with their juices, wine, seafood stock and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the flavors blend, about 30 minutes. 

In the meantime, I decided to brown my scallops to give them more flavor. In a small saute pan, use the 1 tb olive oil and set it to high heat. Salt and pepper the scallops and place in the pan. Brown the scallops on each side about 3 minutes, and then set aside on a plate to cool.

Add the shrimp and fish. Simmer gently until the fish and shrimp are just cooked through, stirring gently, about 5 minutes. Add the scallops and stir for another minute. Remove bay leaf. Season the soup, to taste, with more salt and red pepper flakes.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. After eating all of the seafood, you can freeze the remainder of the broth.

Lemon Basil Grilled Pork Chops

Adapted from BitznGiggles.com

I made this recipe back in late August when it was a great night to grill out. I love thick cut pork chops, so that's what I decided on after seeing some beauties at Whole Foods. This recipe looked fairly simple for a weeknight meal, and it ended up being so tasty and full of flavor. We cooked these perfectly, so the cooking time below is what we used personally. Definitely give this a go while we're still enjoying great grilling weather! Note: I halved the recipe and changed a couple of things up, so the below is my adaptation.

Ingredients:
2 pork chops, thick cut and bone-in (you can use boneless if you prefer)
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
3 tb garlic, chopped
3-4 tb lemon juice (I used approximately 4 tb since I love lemon juice)
3/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
2 tb olive oil

Directions:
Mix all of the ingredients, besides the pork chops, and remove the pork chops from the refrigerator. Slather the pork chops with the mixture on both sides and bring to room temperature for approximately 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat your grill to medium heat (or medium high depending on your grill). Grill the pork chops approximately 7 minutes per side. This was the perfect time for us, as ours were extremely thick cut and we don't like them very pink in the middle. Let rest for approximately 10 minutes. Enjoy! I served these with Whole Foods Asparagus and Roasted Veggie Salad.

Venetian Shrimp and Scallops

Courtesy of Rachael Ray

Shrimp and scallops go very well together! I decided to make a new recipe Monday night using both of these delicious seafood items. I found fresh scallops, but the shrimp were frozen, as they usually are. I cut this recipe in half and combined this with zucchini/squash noodles, so I think it threw off the sauce a little, but it was still tasty. Next time I think I'd change it up and use chicken stock instead of broth, and also use more of a tomato sauce instead of just diced tomatoes. Give it a go though - healthy and good!

Ingredients:
1 pound sea scallops
1/4 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
1 tablespoon (1 turn around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth or stock
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
12 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn
1 lemon, zested
Hot, crusty bread, for plate mopping (or zucchini noodles for a healthy option)

Directions:
Lightly coat the sea scallops in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Discard remaining flour.

Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil (1 turn around the pan) and butter. When butter melts into oil, add scallops. Brown scallops 2 minutes on each side, then remove from pan.

Add an additional drizzle of olive oil to the pan and add the garlic, shallots, and crushed red pepper flakes. Reduce heat a little and saute garlic and shallots 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add wine to the pan and free up any pan drippings. Reduce wine 1 minute, then add stock, tomatoes and saffron threads. When liquids come to a bubble, add shrimp and cook 3 minutes. Return scallops to the pan and cook shrimp and scallops 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer shrimp and scallops to a warm serving dish and top with basil and lemon zest. Pass plenty of bread to enjoy the juices.

Pan-Roasted Chicken with Lemon Garlic Green Beans

Adapted from Real Simple

Tonight I had to come up with a quick back-up plan for dinner -- my original plan failed due to me not having half of the ingredients on hand that I thought I did! So, I had to come up with something involving chicken breasts and green beans -- so here we go! I found this on Real Simple, which was also posted on Pinterest. It's a really basic, fool proof recipe in my opinion. I made a few adjustments, so the below is my take on this recipe. For the original recipe, you can visit http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/pan-roasted-chicken-lemon-garlic-green-beans. This was tasty, but really heavy on the lemon flavor. I don't mind that, but some people might. I'd just keep that under consideration when making this dish. It's a nice go-to weeknight meal though - next time I think I would add the potatoes like the original called for.

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons olive oil 

2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced 

4 cloves garlic, minced 

4 sprigs of thyme, to place on top of the lemon slices

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

1/2 teaspoon salt-free Table Blend seasoning

3/4 pound trimmed green beans 

4 chicken breasts (I used boneless, but bone-in would be great)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large baking dish or cast-iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer in the bottom of the dish or skillet. Top with the sprigs of thyme.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper; add the green beans and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the green beans and arrange them on top of the lemon slices. Place the chicken in the same bowl with the olive-oil mixture and coat thoroughly. Place the chicken in the dish or skillet. Pour any of the remaining olive-oil mixture over the chicken.

Roast for 45-50 minutes. Remove the chicken from the dish or skillet. Place a chicken breast on each of 4 serving plates; divide the green beans equally. Serve warm.

Seafood Marinara with Zucchini Noodles

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

Do you love Italian food? Fresh seafood? Me too! However, we've been trying to lighten up the diet, so I've been on a zucchini noodle roll -- they're just delicious and so easy (especially when Whole Foods now prepares them and sells them ready to boil)! Yes, I am paying for convenience, but sometimes I'm OK with that! This dish was tasty -- I bought some fresh scallops and shrimp today and decided to toss it in with some other ingredients I had on hand. Give this a shot! You can put in whichever seafood you want too, so get creative!

Ingredients:
1/2 pound peeled, deveined shrimp
1/3 pound sea scallops
1 tb Italian seasoning (I use salt-free)
1/2 lemon, juiced
1-2 cups of your favorite marinara sauce (mine is Rao's)
~ 1-1.5 pound zucchini noodles
1 tb olive oil
1 tb butter
splash of dry white wine
parmesan cheese (topping at end)
fresh basil (optional)

Directions:
Bring your water to a boil with a dash of salt. Have the zucchini prepped and ready to go. Meanwhile, pat the shrimp and scallops dry - sprinkle with some pepper. In a separate saute pan, heat 1 tb olive oil and 1 tb butter. When hot, sear the scallops approximately 2-3 minutes per side, depending on the size of the scallops. You want to brown these and cook them through. Set aside on a platter and place the shrimp in the saute pan. Add a bit more oil if necessary and a splash of dry white wine. After about 1 minute on each side, turn and brown the other side until these are also done. Set these on the platter with the scallops. Drain the liquid from the pan, and add the marinara sauce over medium heat. Add the seafood back to the pan with the sauce, and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Simmer for just a couple of minutes and then serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese! I didn't have fresh herbs on me, but fresh basil would've been a great addition!

Crock Pot Salsa Verde Chicken

Adapted from Skinnytaste.com

I needed a quick and easy dinner for last night, so the crock pot immediately came to mind. I really don't use it enough! We both love salsa verde, so this seemed like an easy choice. I decided to use chicken breasts since we're trying to be a bit healthier and I had them on hand. The chicken came out SO delicious and we just couldn't stop eating it - oops! So much for portion control! I decided to make the chicken into tacos, so I just threw in some corn tortillas (low carb of course), avocado, tomato, low-fat mexican cheese, and lettuce. Give it a shot, you won't regret it! This would also be great on top of rice with the sauce - yum.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs raw skinless chicken tenders (or breasts)
2 tsp salt-free Itailan seasoning
16 oz roasted salsa verde (I love Trader Joe's)

Directions:
Season chicken with garlic powder, oregano, cumin and salt and place in the bottom of the slow cooker. Cover with salsa verde, cover and cook HIGH 2 hours. Remove chicken, shred with 2 forks. Remove 2/3 cup of liquid from the slow cooker, and discard (unless you want it over rice). Place shredded chicken back into the crock pot with remaining salsa, adjust seasoning to taste if needed and keep warm.

Pan Seared Scallops with Citrus Mojo Vinaigrette

Adapted from Skinnytaste

If you haven't already, you must check out www.skinnytaste.com. It's a fantastic blog with lots of healthy recipes and lovely pictures that has been around for several years. I've found many great recipes on this blog, and tonight was a new one involving one of my favorites - scallops! This original recipe was meant to be a salad, but I just used the scallop portion with the dressing, and paired it with asian green beans (also from skinnytaste.com). The green beans can be found on an earlier blog post from me - http://platedperfection.blogspot.com/2011/10/garlic-lime-pork-chops-with-asian-green.html. The scallops were very light with a great citrus zing to it! I was fortunate to find fresh, local scallops today at the store which really made this dish! Below is my adapted piece of the recipe.

Ingredients (serves 2-3):

3/4 lb (12 oz) sea scallops - this was 10 large scallops in my case

1 tsp unsalted butter

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 navel orange, juiced

1 small clove garlic, crushed

kosher salt and fresh pepper

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

In a small bowl whisk olive oil, juice from half lemon, juice from 1/4 of the orange, crushed garlic, salt and pepper. 

Wash scallops and pat dry with a paper towel. Season with salt. Heat a medium size pan on a high flame. When pan is hot, melt butter and place scallops in the pan. Sear without touching them for a few minutes until the bottom forms a nice caramel colored crust. Turn over and cook about another minute while their centers are still slightly translucent (you can check this by viewing them from the side). Be careful not to overcook. When done, drizzle half of the marinade over the scallops in the pan. 

Additional dressing can be added as desired on the plate.

Broiled Salmon with Herb Mustard Glaze

Courtesy of Food Network (Giada de Laurentiis)

It's hard to pass up salmon, especially if you're lucky enough to get it fresh at the seafood counter. It's also super healthy and I'm trying to incorporate more of it into my diet. I also love, love, love mustard -- so this recipe had me immediately. This was very juicy salmon with a nice crust on top, and would go with just about anything. However, I chose to pair it with some simply sauteed haricots verts (just sauteed with salt, pepper, garlic - nothing fancy!).

Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves
3/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
3/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon dry white wine
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
Nonstick olive oil cooking spray
6 (6 to 8-ounce) salmon fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 lemon wedges (or however much you prefer)

Directions:
In a mini food processor, combine garlic, rosemary, thyme, wine, oil, Dijon mustard, and 1 tablespoon of whole-grain mustard. Grind the mustard sauce until combined, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a small bowl. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of whole-grain mustard to the sauce and stir to combine. Set aside mustard sauce. NOTE: If you don't have a mini food processor, you can chop the herbs finely and mix together in a bowl.

Preheat the broiler. Line a heavy rimmed baking sheet with foil. Spray the foil with nonstick spray. Arrange the salmon fillets on the baking sheet and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Broil for 2 minutes. Spoon the mustard sauce over the fillets. Continue broiling until the fillets are just cooked through and golden brown, about 5 minutes longer for medium. If a thick cut piece of salmon - you may want to cook a bit longer if you like it cooked more well done or medium well, but be careful not to burn the top of the salmon under the broiler. Transfer the fillets to plates and serve with lemon wedges.

Chicken & Artichokes in Wine Sauce

Courtesy of the kitchn 

My apologies blog followers - I haven't given you much at all to follow recently! I've been stock piling pictures and recipes and am finally getting a few minutes to upload some of them. The first one I wanted to post, I made last week. It was healthy and really flavorful. I modified the original recipe to use zucchini noodles instead of actual pasta, and I didn't use as much butter was suggested, but that is a personal preference. It still came out really delicious and you didn't even miss the pasta! Enjoy!

Ingredients: (serves 4 - although not gonna lie, we ate most of this between the 2 of us -- if you're hungry)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1 pound
1 1/2 cups flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided (I used about 1 tb)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cups dry yet mellow white wine, such as Chardonnay
1/2 lemon
Flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, to garnish (optional)
2 cups artichoke hearts, frozen and thawed, or canned and drained (I used marinated in a jar)

Directions:
Cut the artichoke hearts in half lengthwise. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, about 1 inch to a side. In a medium bowl, mix the flour with about 1 teaspoon salt and a generous quantity of black pepper. Toss the chicken pieces in the flour.

Set a large skillet (at least 12 inches wide) over medium-high heat. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the artichokes. Cook for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned on each side. Remove the artichokes from the skillet and transfer to a plate. Set aside.

Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in the skillet along with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Lift the chicken pieces out of the flour and arrange in the skillet. Sauté the chicken pieces for 5 to 7 minutes or until well-browned on both sides. (For best flavor, look for a golden crust to develop, and make sure both sides are browned.) Add the browned artichokes back to the pan.

Pour in the white wine and and stir and scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and let it simmer for 8 to 10 minutes over medium heat. The sauce will thicken. Stir well to coat everything with the wine sauce. Stir in a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice. Top with parsley, if desired.

Salmon with Lemon Mint Dressing

Courtesy of Coastal Living

Lately, I've been seeing a lot of fresh salmon at the market. I came across this recipe online and it sounded light and delicious. This was a really easy recipe, and because I wasn't making as much salmon as the recipe, I had a lot of leftover dressing. I plan to use it on the rainbow trout I plan to cook tomorrow night for dinner! The fresh mint with the shallot and lemon was so tasty and really added a great flavor. I served this with some sauteed bok choy tossed with a little salt, pepper, olive oil, rice vinegar, and soy sauce.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon lemon zest 

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

1/4 teaspoon sugar 

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided 

1/8 teaspoon plus 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided 

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided 

1 tablespoon finely minced shallot

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets 

Garnish: fresh mint sprigs
Directions:
Whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl; slowly whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil. Stir in shallot and mint. Set aside.
Sprinkle salmon with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté salmon 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Drizzle with dressing. Garnish, if desired.

Zesty Braised Chicken with Lemon & Capers

Courtesy of Food & Wine
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/zesty-braised-chicken-with-lemon-and-capers

Anyone that knows me, knows I LOVE capers. Absolutely love them, and hate olives - this confuses many people. There are so different in my opinion! In any event, I came across this recipe which had great reviews and gave it a shot. It was very tasty! I usually get skinless and boneless chicken thighs, but this time I went for the bone-in, with the skin on. It really added flavor. I even used the leftover sauce to put on my roasted cauliflower. Double win! I halved the recipe since it was just two of us - but the below is for the original.

Ingredients:
8 bone-in chicken thighs with skin (6 ounces each)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
All-purpose flour, for dusting
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large peeled garlic cloves
1 1/2 cups Sauvignon Blanc
1 1/2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
Four 1-inch strips of lemon zest
4 thyme sprigs
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust with flour. In a large ovenproof skillet, melt the butter in the oil. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook over high heat, turning once, until browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a large plate and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.
2. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and boil over high heat until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the stock, lemon zest, thyme, capers and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the pan, skin side up. Transfer the skillet to the oven and braise for about 45 minutes, until the meat is tender.
3. Return the skillet to the stove and boil until the sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Discard the thyme, bay leaf and lemon zest, if desired, before serving. 

   

Broiled Shrimp & Scallops

Courtesy of Coastal Living

The key to this in my opinion is fresh seafood. We're fortunate on the east coast to get our fair share of this, and I try to take advantage as much as I can! I snagged this recipe from my Mom's Coastal Living magazine. It may be winter, but this makes me think of Summer! :) It was super easy to make and very yummy (and healthy). Definitely try this out -- so tasty!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces (I used a little less)

1/3 cup dry white wine (I used a little more)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (I used closer to 2 tb b/c I love lemon)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

3 garlic cloves, pressed

Pinch of dried crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

1 pound large peeled and deveined shrimp 

1 pound sea scallops (slice in half if more than 1 inch thick) 

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved 

5 ounces baby spinach leaves 

French bread (we left this out, but would've been delish)

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler with oven rack 6 inches away from element. Place butter in a large roasting pan, and place pan in oven just until butter melts.
2. Remove pan from oven, and stir in wine and next 6 ingredients. Add shrimp, scallops, and tomatoes, tossing to coat.
3. Return pan to oven, and broil 3 minutes. Stir shrimp and turn scallops; broil 2 more minutes. Remove pan from oven, and add spinach, tossing about 1 minute or until slightly wilted. Serve with French bread (also tasty without).

Turkey & Sausage Chili

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

We have had quite the cold winter so far, and I have been craving chili! I finally got a chance to make this last Monday, on President's Day. We snacked on it throughout this past week and it was great as leftovers. This is somewhat of a lighter version, but really delicious! It was pretty quick to make, so would be easy for a weeknight! Give it a shot and enjoy!

Ingredients:
3/4 lb ground turkey
3/4 lb turkey sausage, italian style
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
~8 oz red kidney beans (half a can)
~8 oz cannellini beans or Great Northern beans (half a can)
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
shredded cheddar cheese, for topping
lite sour cream, for topping
chives, for topping (I was out of these)

Directions:
In a Dutch oven, combine the turkey, sausage, onion, and bell pepper over medium-high heat. Cook until the meat is browned and the vegetables are tender, approximately 10 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, chili powder, cumin, paprika, red pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes. Once done, spoon into a bowl and top with your favorite toppings!

Zucchini Lasagna

Adapted from http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2014/08/healthy-low-carb-zucchini-lasagna-spicy-turkey-meat-sauce/

I made this on a cold December night, after a really long commute from work. I just wanted some comfort food, but we were trying to lighten it up. I love zucchini, so figured I'd give this recipe a shot. It was a great success! I had a hard time finding zucchini that week, so I had to throw in some squash as well, but that was delicious! Below is my version of the recipe, not many changes! This is great as leftovers and also great for a group!

Ingredients:

• 2 large zucchini, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
• 2 large squash, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 pound extra lean ground turkey
• 1 - 14 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 - 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 2 teaspoon dried oregano
• handful of basil, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• handful of parsley, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• red pepper flakes, if desired
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 15 oz part skim ricotta
• 1 egg white
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 12 oz reduced fat or part skim shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place sliced zucchini and squash on a large baking sheet coated with non stick cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes to help dry out the veggies a bit.
3. While the zucchini and squash are roasting, you can make the turkey meat sauce. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic, onions, and peppers and cook a few minutes until onions become translucent and garlic is fragrant; stir occasionally so that you don't burn it. Add in ground turkey and cook until no longer pink. Add in tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, parsley, and a few dashes of red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 25 to 30 minutes or until sauce REALLY thickens up! Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat to cool.
4. In a medium bowl, combine egg white, ricotta, and Parmesan. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Add in 1/2 cup of the slightly cooled meat sauce and stir to combine.
5. To assemble lasagna, spread 1/2 of the turkey meat sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Place zucchini and squash slices evenly over meat sauce, spread on 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, then sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella on. Repeat layers again starting with the meat sauce, zucchini and squash slices and ricotta mixture and finishing with mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake for 30 min. Remove foil and bake for 15 minute longer uncovered. Serve with a side salad. Makes 8 generous servings.

Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

Adapted from http://www.dinneralovestory.com/chicken-parm-meatballs/

I have had a backlog of recipes to post, so my apologies for the delay. I made these back in November and they were so tasty! I made a few adjustments, but for the most part, followed the recipe at the blog above. The recipe I followed is below. I would highly recommend this with zucchini noodles if you're trying to be on the healthier side. You honestly barely missed the real thing. Definitely give this a go!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds ground chicken
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 cup Pecorino (or Parm)
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg, whisked
zest of half a lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 14-ounce can storebought pizza sauce (I used Rao's marinara sauce instead - cannot go wrong!)

3 large zucchini, spiraled into noodles

about 4 ounces fresh mozzarella (I thinly sliced the real thing)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F, setting rack to upper third part of oven. In a large bowl, using your hands, gently mix together first 10 ingredients. Shape into lacrosse-ball size balls (that would be somewhere between golf and tennis) and place a few inches from each other on a foil-lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix one spoonful of your pizza sauce with olive oil. Brush this mixture on top of each meatball. Bake for 15 minutes. 

In the meantime, boil your zucchini noodles in salted water for just a few minutes until tender. You don't want to overcook these or they'll become mushy. Drain and set aside.

Remove meatballs from oven, spoon some sauce on top of each meatball, and cover each with a slice of cheese. Broil another 3 to 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden.  Heat remaining sauce in a small saucepan. Top the zucchini noodles with marinara sauce, the meatballs, and any fresh herbs you prefer.