Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

Who doesn't love Mexican food?! Instead of doing Taco Tuesday, I figured we'd do enchiladas -- close enough! These were super delicious and I'd highly recommend! They also make great leftovers for lunch! We ate more of these than we should've, so be prepared that this entire baking dish may not serve as many people as you think! :) Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 tb olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup red enchilada sauce (medium heat)
2 cloves garlic, minced
dash of cumin
dash of smoked chipotle pepper (spice)
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
dash of salt and pepper, to taste
7 flour tortillas (or corn if you prefer - which may add more enchiladas)
~2 cups salsa verde (I prefer Herdez)
Toppings (to set aside):
reduced fat sour cream
shredded mexican cheese
2 tb chopped cilantro (for garnish)
guacamole

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x13 dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Place the chicken in a pot and cover with enough water to cover the chicken. Place on the stove and bring to a boil. Boil for approximately 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred once cool enough to handle. In a saucepan, heat 1 tb olive oil over medium-high heat and cook the garlic for approximately 2 minutes. Add in the chicken, enchilada sauce, cumin, smoked chipotle pepper, chicken broth, salt and pepper (if necessary). Stir everything together and cook on medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

It's now time to roll the enchiladas! Heat the tortillas for approximately 15 seconds in the microwave so that they're more flexible. Dip each tortilla in the salsa verde, on each side. Put approximately 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture down the middle of the tortilla. Roll up tight and put the tortilla seam side down in the dish. Continue this process for all tortillas until the chicken is gone. Top the tortillas with salsa verde (as much as you like), a handful of cheese, and place in the oven for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and top with cilantro, and whichever other toppings you'd like!

Orange Roasted Salmon with Yogurt-Caper Sauce

Adapted from Fine Cooking

This week, we started off the week with some healthy salmon, brown rice, and asparagus! This recipe was very fresh and easy to make. You could eat the salmon on its own, but this recipe came with a sauce that was served on the side. I did modify the sauce quite a bit, as I used greek yogurt instead of plain yogurt, which made it a different consistency. I'm placing the original recipe below for the sauce as I feel that will turn out better. Definitely give this is a try when you find fresh salmon and are in the mood to be healthy, but not skimp on the taste! Enjoy!

NOTE: I cut this recipe in half for the salmon, but the sauce remained the same, which is what is listed below.

Ingredients:
1 tb extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the baking sheet
3 fresh salmon filets, pin bones removed (I also get the skin removed)
1 tsp fresh grated orange zest, setting aside 1/2 tsp for the yogurt sauce
dash of salt, more to taste
dash of ground black pepper
3/4 cup yogurt (I'd recommend plain, whole-milk yogurt)
2 tb finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 1/2 tb capers, rinsed, drained and chopped
1 tb fresh orange juice (I added a bit more)
1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed into 1 inch pieces
dash of cajun seasoning
cooked brown rice (as a side)

Directions:
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange the salmon, skin side down (if applicable), on the baking sheet. Drizzle the salmon filets with a little olive oil, sprinkle and rub in the zest on each filet, and add a dash of salt of pepper. Let this set aside while the oven preheats.

Combine the yogurt with the 1 tb olive oil, remaining zest, orange juice, capers, and parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. This can be made a few hours in advance and kept in the refrigerator.

Place the asparagus on the baking sheet around the salmon and top with a brush of olive oil and a dash of cajun seasoning. Roast the salmon until mostly cooked through, with a little pink in the center (approximately 10-15 minutes). Serve drizzled with the yogurt sauce. I served this with a side of brown rice as well, which I cooked per the instructions on the box.

Orange Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry

Adapted from Skinny One Pan Dinners (Better Homes & Gardens)


Day 3 of cooking this week -- it's been a while since this happened! The blog is getting some love this week, which is great! I found this recipe in a magazine that I picked up at the airport. Once I searched for it online, I saw that the reviews didn't show up that great -- however, we enjoyed this meal. I did make a couple of modifications, but nothing major. The recipe below is my adaptation. This made enough for about 4 people, so we'll have some leftovers! Feel free to swap out the veggies for whatever you'd prefer, but give this a try. It's a great week night meal! Enjoy!


Ingredients:
3 tb olive oil
~1 cup carrots, baby carrots sliced into thin strips
~1 cup fresh asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
~3/4 cup red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips and in half
1 pound chicken tenders, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tb ginger (I use the refrigerated, pureed ginger)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tb reduced-sodium soy sauce (I used gluten-free)
2 tb water
2 tb cornstarch
~ 1 tsp grated orange zest
2 boil-in-a-bags brown rice (could get away with 1 if you don't want leftovers)
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)


Directions:
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add carrots, asparagus, and red bell pepper. Cook and stir for approximately 5-7 minutes or until tender. Transfer to a medium bowl. In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir for 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Transfer to the bowl with carrot mixture.

In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add ginger, garlic, and, if desired, crushed red pepper; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Stir in broth, orange juice, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil.

In a small bowl combine cornstarch and the water; stir into broth mixture. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Stir in chicken mixture and the orange zest. Cook and stir until heated through.

Serve chicken mixture over brown rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bison Flank Steak Tacos

Courtesy of Plated Perfection


This was Day 2 of cooking healthy (for the most part) this week. Bison is a very lean meat and I love it. I get it from Cibola Farms (located in Culpeper, VA) at the Farmer's Market. They have a huge variety of cuts of bison, along with some other meats and products. They never disappoint. I decided to turn this piece of bison into tacos -- who doesn't love tacos on a Tuesday?! I marinated the bison for about 8 hours and I think that made a nice difference in flavor. I don't think 8 hours is necessary, but I'd do at least 4 to get the flavor. I think I went a little weak on the amount of marinade I made -- I usually like the meat to be swimming in it, but this still worked! Next time, I may just add a bit more to the portion of the marinade. Give this a go on Taco Tuesday!


Ingredients:
1.5 pound bison flank steak (or skirt steak)
juice of 1 lime
zest of 1 lime
2 garlic cloves
handful of fresh cilantro
3 tb olive oil
1 tsp ground smoked chipotle pepper
~2 tb Worcestershire sauce
salt, to taste


Taco Additions:
tortillas or shells of your choice
shredded cheddar/monterey jack cheese
fresh guacamole
shredded lettuce
chopped tomatoes
salsa of your choice


Directions:
In a food processor, combine the lime zest and juice, garlic, cilantro, olive oil, chipotle pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Season the bison with salt on both sides and then cover in marinade on both sides. Cover in a container/dish and marinate for 4-12 hours. Place a large grill pan on high heat and sear both sides of the bison. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook each side for an additional 2 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steak. It's even more ideal to cook the bison on the grill, but I didn't this time around. When done, remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice and cut into bite size chunks for the tacos. Fill your taco with your favorite toppings on top of the delicious bison!

Seafood Pesto Zoodle Saute

Courtesy of Plated Perfection


The goal this week is to cook at home at least 3 times (maybe even more) and get a healthy start! This was Monday's meal and we opted for the seafood route (shocking, I know). I saw some good lookin' scallops and shrimp at Whole Foods and decided to toss those with some yummy pesto sauce, zucchini/squash noodles, heirloom tomatoes, and cheese -- because who doesn't love cheese?! This came out tasty and light. You could replace the seafood with chicken, white fish, etc. Enjoy!


Ingredients:
1 package zucchini/squash noodles (this was prepared, so I'd guess that it was approximately 4 zucchini/squash)
6 fresh sea scallops, cut in half
1/3 pound peeled, deveined raw shrimp (I removed the tails)
 ~1 cup pesto sauce (I used a prepared pesto sauce this go around)
dash of grated parmesan cheese (optional)
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup heirloom tomatoes, cut in half or in quarters
Dash of lemon pepper
Splash of white wine (~1/4 cup)
2 tb olive oil
fresh basil, for garnish


Directions:
Turn the oven to broil on high. Rinse and pat dry the sea scallops and shrimp. Season with salt and lemon pepper. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, sear the scallops for approximately 1 minute per side. Add in the shrimp and cook on each side for an additional 1-2 minutes. Once the seafood appears done, remove to a plate and keep warm. Add additional olive oil if necessary. Toss in the tomatoes and cook for approximately 2 minutes. Add in the zucchini noodles with a splash of white wine, approximately 1/4 cup. Stir and cook for approximately 5 minutes until the zucchini noodles appear al dente (but not too soft). Stir in the pesto sauce and parmesan cheese. Add in the seafood and give it a good stir. Top with the shredded parmesan cheese and broil in the oven for approximately 3 minutes. Serve while hot!

Balsamic Pork Tenderloin with Sauteed Heirloom Squash and Tomatoes

Pork Adapted from Skinnytaste
Vegetables Courtesy of Plated Perfection


Crock pots are amazing and tonight I decided to try a new pork recipe. The pork was based very heavily off of the Skinnytaste blog, which I love! I just swapped out one a couple of the seasonings and the cut of pork. This was a great dish with lots of flavor, and even better when I topped it with some Carolina BBQ sauce I bought in North Carolina! It had plenty of flavor on its own, but I wanted to spice it up a little. Definitely give this a try - it would also be great on sandwiches.


Ingredients:
2 pounds pork tenderloin (could also use pork shoulder)
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar + dash for the vegetables
1 tb Worcestershire
1 tb agave nectar
2 squash/zucchini, cut into bite-size chunks
1/2 pint heirloom tomatoes, cut into small chunks
1 clove garlic, diced
2 tb olive oil


Directions:
Season the pork tenderloin with salt, garlic powder, and cayenne powder and place it in the crock pot. Cook on either low heat for 8 hours or high heat for 6 hours. About 30 minutes before the pork is ready, heat a saute pan over medium-high heat with 2 tb olive oil. Toss in the squash and season with salt and pepper. After a couple of minutes, add the garlic and stir over medium heat. After another minute, add in the tomatoes. Splash with a dash of balsamic vinegar and cook for another couple of minutes until tender. When the pork is ready, take out of the crock pot and pull apart with a fork. Top with the juice from the crock pot, and place back in the crock pot if necessary to keep warm with a bit of the sauce. Serve with the vegetables.

Asian Halibut with Purple Carrots in Parchment Paper

Courtesy of Plated Perfection


Once again, I'm using my Farmer's Market goodies for dinner tonight! I was intrigued by the purple carrots I saw and so I just felt like I had to have them, and then the halibut was fresh at the grocery store, so I figured I'd give that combination a try! The fish turned out great. The only note that I'll remember for next time is to make sure I slice the carrots thin so that they cook in time. Enjoy!


Ingredients:
2-4 fresh halibut filets, depending on the size of the fish (I cooked 2)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated (or pureed in the bottle)
3 tb low sodium soy sauce
1 tb rice wine vinegar, seasoned
zest of a small lime
half of a lime, juiced
toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
~4 carrots, peeled (you can leave these unpeeled if desired)
parchment paper
nonstick cooking spray


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix the sesame oil, ginger, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, lime zest and juice in a bowl. Set aside. Slice the carrots on a diagonal in thin slices. Cut two squares of parchment paper to be large enough to hold the fish and carrots and fold over. In each square, spray some nonstick cooking spray, lay down equal servings of carrots, drizzle with the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Top with the fish and drizzle the fish with additional sauce. Fold the packets to where there are no openings and bake on a flat pan for approximately 15 minutes.

Eggplant Ravioli with Heirloom Squash & Tomato Sauce

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

This is a bit of a delayed post, as I made this a couple of weeks ago, but it was delicious. Better late than never! I have been trying to hit up one of our many farmer's markets each weekend to buy fresh vegetables. This go around I bought a couple of heirloom squash and some tomatoes - so much color, which I love! I decided to cook them all together and make a pasta sauce. I thought the squash would balance out the acidity of the tomatoes a little, and it was very tasty! Definitely give this a try. I served it over fresh eggplant ravioli which I also picked up from the farmer's market.

Ingredients:
2 heirloom squash/zucchini, cut into chunks - I used pattypan squash and a mexican zucchini
1 pint of heirloom tomatoes, cut in half
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tb tomato paste
2 tb olive oil
1 tb fresh parsley
dash of Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
16 oz fresh pasta of your choice (I used eggplant ravioli)
parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:
In a saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and cook the garlic for approximately 2 minutes. Add the squash/zucchini and cook for 2-3 minutes and then add the tomatoes. Stir in the tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat and let the vegetables cool for a few minutes. Add the mixture into a food processor and blend until smooth, but a little chunky (or your desired consistency). Toss in the fresh parsley and serve over the pasta with a dash of cheese.
NOTE: Cook the fresh pasta as instructed and drain.