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.

Mustard Roasted Chicken with Vegetables

Adapted from Real Simple, 2007

Interested in a tasty, simple week night meal that should yield leftovers? This is your dish! I have been aiming to make this for some time now, but finally got around to it! It was easy to prepare and really good -- the recipe called for a while chicken cut up into 8 pieces, but I just used a package of chicken thighs that I had on hand - would highly recommend since that's an easy route! I also switched up the vegetables, so this is my twist on the recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
6 chicken thighs, skin removed (or you can use a whole chicken cut into pieces)
3 tb whole ground mustard
2 tb reduced sodium soy sauce
salt and pepper
handful of small carrots (sliced in half if they're thick)
handful of broccoli florets
handful of cauliflower florets
1 cup yellow onion, diced into wedges
8 sprigs of thyme, or however much you prefer
2 tb olive oil

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400° F.
2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Combine the mustard, soy sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken and stir to coat.
3. Combine the carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, onion, thyme, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a roasting pan.
4. Nestle the chicken among the vegetables. Roast until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, 45 minutes worked for chicken thighs.
5. Divide the chicken and vegetables among individual plates.