Grilled Salmon & Bok Choy Avocado Salsa

I'm sure you can imagine after spending 2 weeks of eating only vegetables, fruit, and water how excited I was about this dish.  Salmon!!!  Seemed like a juicy steak at the time.  It's funny how heightened your taste buds are when you only give them fresh non processed food for a few weeks.  I enjoyed every bite of this meal, and ate very slowly to savor it as much as possible.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F or heat a grill to medium high.  In a medium bowl combine a peeled and segmented orange.

Add 1/2 diced avocado, red onion, freshly chopped cilantro, lime juice and olive oil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

Season 3 heads of bok choy with salt and pepper.  Drizzle with olive oil.

Do the same seasoning as the bok choy on 1-8oz or 2-4oz salmon fillets (I cut my 8oz fillet in half to make two servings.)  Grill salmon, flipping halfway through, until cooked through.  Grill bok choy until bright green and slightly wilted, about 1 minute per side.

Spoon avocado salsa over fish and bok choy and serve.  I was pleasantly surprised by how well all of these flavors went together.  It was a test to see if you could pile the perfect bite onto the fork - salmon, bok choy, orange and avocado...check.  Delicious!

Grilled Salmon & Bok Choy Avocado Salsa

Serves 2

Adapted from Whole Living Magazine

1 orange

1/2 avocado

1 tablespoon chopped red onion

1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

2-4oz salmon filets

3 heads of bok choy, halved

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil for drizzle

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, or heat grill to medium high.

In a medium bowl combine orange, avocado, red onion, cilantro, lime juice and olive oil.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

Season salmon filets and bok choy with salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

Grill salmon, flipping half way through, until cooked through.

Grill bok choy until bright green and slightly wilted, about 1 minute per side.

Spoon avocado salsa over fish and bok choy.

Tuna Casserole

I have a confession to make, tuna casserole is really the only dish I enjoy tuna in.  This is a great casserole, easy to make and healthy.  Plus, one serving only has around 350 calories!

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  In a large bowl bowl filled with salted water, cook pasta for two minutes less than package instructions. 

In a small bowl, toss together panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese and two tablespoons of oil.

In a large pot, heat two tablespoons of oil over medium heat.  Add the chopped onion and season with salt and pepper.  Cook until softened, around eight minutes.  Add flour and whisk to coat the onion.

Slowly whisk in the broth.

Then whisk in the milk.  Cook, stirring constantly until sauce comes to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens.

Stir in the tuna and peas.  Then add the pasta and season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the mixture to a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Top with the panko mixture.  Bake until sauce is bubbling and crust is golden, around 18 minutes.  Let cool for around 10 minutes before serving.

C and I made this meal together, which was a nice treat.  Usually I'm cooking by myself, but it was a nice change of pace to hang out with someone else in the kitchen.  It turned out really good, the sauce is pretty light but it was still delicious. The panko crust top is the best part, adds some crunch and a lot of flavor.

Tuna Casserole

Adapted from Everyday Food

Serves 8

salt and pepper to taste

3/4 pound of pasta

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil

1 onion, diced small

3 tablespoons flour

2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups whole milk

2 6oz ans solid light tuna

1 cup frozen peas , thawed

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large pot with salted water, cook pasta for around 2 minutes under package instructions.

Drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, toss together panko, Parmesan cheese and two teaspoons oil.

In a pot heat two tablespoons of oil over medium heat.

Add onion, season with salt and pepper and cook until soft.

Add flour and whisk to coat the onion.

Slowly whisk in the broth, then the milk.

Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce comes to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is thickened.

Stir in tuna, peas and pasta. 

Salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer mixture to a 9x13 inch baking dish and top with panko mixture.

Bake until sauce is bubbling and panko crust is browned, around 18 minutes.

Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Mushroom Quinoa

I’m not sure if it’s just the blogs I’ve been reading lately, or if it’s a trend.. but it seems everyone is going vegetarian.  I respect your decision, but politely can’t see this lifestyle for myself.  I like me some meat.  In my eyes a meal isn’t complete without some kind of meat; be it chicken, steak, pork, turkey.  I need some of it to be fulfilled.  I give vegetarians a lot of credit however, because of their ability to be creative in their meals due to not having meat as an ingredient.  I found this recipe and thought it sounded tasty, even without meat.  I found myself staring at a chicken breast in my fridge just as I was about to start cooking though and gave in.  Sorry vegetarians, I had to.  It was organic chicken breast, that counts for something right?

Begin by washing the quinoa.  Drain well and set aside.  In a medium skillet add olive oil and soften onion until beginning to look transparent.

Add garlic and saffron and cook for a few minutes.

I bought a mix of mushrooms for this dish from Whole Foods.  I grabbed things I had never heard of because I thought it might add more flavor, and I was right.  Pick up whatever you’re comfortable with, but I would try something new if you’re up for it, it’s a great dish to try some new flavors with.

Add mushrooms and cook over high heat.  Cook until the liquid evaporates. 

Incorporate the white wine, then mix in the quinoa.  Reduce heat to medium and let the wine evaporate.

Heat the chicken stock.  When the quinoa has absorbed the wine, add the stock one cup at a time.  Move the quinoa around with a wooden spoon several times after adding the stock.

Here is where I made the cardinal sin and added the chicken.  I simply cooked one chicken breast in water on the stove until cooked through.  Cut up into bite size pieces and added it to the quinoa mixture.

When you enter the last cup of stock, don’t let it absorb completely and add the Parmesan cheese and butter.  Mix well, stirring constantly.  Cover the pan and turn off the heat.  Let stand for around five minutes, and then serve.

This is a great meal, with or without chicken.  The mushrooms and saffron add a bunch of flavor, and the crunch of quinoa makes it kind of fun to eat!  I’m again surprised by how fast quinoa fills you up, not only is it good for you, but you don’t have to eat a ton to be full.  Two birds, one stone.. works for me!

Mushroom Quinoa

1 cup quinoa

3 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon saffron

¼ cup white wine

1 cup quartered mushrooms

1 cup chopped shitaques

1 cup Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cooked chicken breast *optional

Wash quinoa several times until clean.

Drain well and set aside.

In a skillet over medium heat add olive oil and onions and cook until they’re soft.

Add garlic and saffron and cook for a few minutes.

Add the mushrooms and cook over high heat until the liquid evaporates.

Pour in the white wine and quinoa and mix well.

Reduce heat to medium low and let the wine evaporate.

Heat the chicken stock.

When the quinoa has absorbed all the wine, add the stock one cup at a time.

Stir with a wooden spoon after adding the stock.

When you enter the last cup of stock, don’t let it absorb completely and add the Parmesan cheese and butter.

Mix well, stirring constantly.

Cover the pan, turn off the heat and let stand for around five minutes before serving.

Healthy Beef Lasagna

Healthy lasagna seems like an oxy-moron, but this recipe really does sit on the healthy side.  Plus it's delicious and filling! 

Cook pasta al dente per package instructions .  Drain well, then lay out on wax paper to prevent sticking.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat.  Add beef and cook until it's no longer pink.  Transfer to a plate and discard any fat remaining in skillet.

Add oil to the skillet and over medium high heat add mushrooms and cook until they begin to brown.

Stir in the meat, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 cups of marinara sauce.  Simmer for two minutes.

Combine ricotta, spinach, egg, nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper in a bowl.

In a 9x13 inch pan spread one cup of the marinara into the dish.

Top with a layer of lasagna noodles, touching but not overlapping.

Spread half of the ricotta mixture on top. 

Add another layer of noodles and half of the beef mixture.  Repeat with another layer of noodles, then remaining cheese mixture; layer of noodles, and remaining beef mixture.  Finally one last layer of noodles.

Top with one cup of marinara and sprinkle with grated Parmesan and mozzarella cheese.  Cover loosely with foil and bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes.  Uncover and bake 15 minutes longer.

Remove from the oven and let sit for around 10 minutes, then serve.

The mixture of beef and mushrooms with the spinach was delicious.  I've never put mushrooms in lasagna before but it added a lot of rich flavor.  I used low fat mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, and couldn't taste the difference.  This is a great dish to make for a group of people as it serves many and you'll be hard pressed to find someone who won't like it!



Healthy Beef Lasagna

12 oz whole grain lasagna noodles

8 oz lean ground beef

2 teaspoons olive oil

8 oz portobello mushrooms, chopped

4 cups marinara sauce

1 container part skim ricotta

10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well *I used fresh

1 large egg, lightly beaten

pinch of ground nutmeg

2/3 cup grated part skim mozzarella

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook noodles al dente per package directions.

Drain well, then lay out on wax paper to prevent sticking.

Heat large non-stick skillet  over medium high heat. 

Add beef and cook until no longer pink, breaking up lumps.

Transfer to a plate, and discard any fat.

Add oil to the skillet and over medium high heat add mushrooms.

Cook until they begin to brown, then stir in meet, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 cups marinara sauce.

Simmer for two minutes.

Combine ricotta, spinach, egg, nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper in a bowl.

Spread one cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Top with a layer of lasagna noodles, touching but not overlapping.

Spread half of ricotta mixture on top.

Add another layer of noodles and half the beef mixture.

Repeat last two steps until ricotta and beef mixture is gone.

Finally one last layer of noodles and top with one cup of marinara sauce.

Sprinkle with grated cheeses.

Cover loosely with foil and bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes.

Uncover and bake for 15 minutes longer.

Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Stuffed Peppers

I'm a really big fan of stuffed peppers.  The thing I like most about them is they're creative, you can add many different ingredients, and they always seem to end up tasting great.

I used green peppers, you could use red or any kind of bell peppers for this recipe.  Wash the peppers and cut around the stem to remove.  Remove the stems and cut the peppers length-wise.  Remove the seeds and ribs inside the peppers.

Line a baking sheet with foil, and coat with non-stick spray.  Set the peppers on the pan.

Meanwhile cook the ground turkey in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Stir and break up the turkey while it's cooking. 

When the turkey is almost finished cooking add the sauce and seasonings to the pan.  Continue to stir and cook until the meat is no longer pink.

Add the spinach and Parmesan and stir until everything is well combined.

Scoop 1/2 cup of the turkey mixture into each pepper.  Sprinkle one tablespoon of Parmesan over each pepper, or any other low fat shredded cheese.  Bake for 25 minutes at 450 degrees F, until the cheese has melted and is lightly golden brown.

 

These were incredibly delicious and full of flavor, all while being healthy and low fat.  I usually like ground beef in these kind of dishes, but turkey again proved to taste just as good, if not better.  I was full after one full pepper and completely satisfied.  Enjoy the meal!

Stuffed Peppers

Serving size 3-4

1lb lean ground turkey

3 bell peppers

2 cups spaghetti sauce

1 teaspoons basil/oregano seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper

1/2 cup chopped spinach

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Wash the peppers, cut around the stem to remove.

Remove the stems, and cut peppers in half length-wise, removing seeds and ribs.

Set peppers on a baking sheet that's been lined with foil and sprayed with non-stick.

Cook ground turkey in a large skillet over medium high heat.

Stir and break up the turkey while it's cooking.

When turkey is almost finished cooking add the sauce and seasonings to the pan.

Stir and continue to cook.

Add the spinach and Parmesan and stir until every thing's well combined.

Scoop 1/2 cup of the turkey mixture into each pepper.

Sprinkle one tablespoons Parmesan over each pepper.

Bake for 35 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly golden brown.

Remove from the oven and enjoy.

Chicken Saffron Pilaf

Hope your holiday weekend was a good one!  C and I spent the weekend at Lake Texoma, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised.  The lake was way bigger than I thought, and was really nice.  I'll share pictures with you soon.  

I wanted to try this recipe so I could use more of the saffron I bought a while ago.  This is a healthy dinner, with many flavors.  All of them combined tasted awesome. 

You will be marinating the chicken in Greek yogurt, and you can use whichever brand you wish, I used Open Nature.

Mix together the yogurt, juice from a half of a lemon, cinnamon, salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl.  Cut around two boneless chicken breasts into bite size pieces, and marinate in the yogurt mixture for around an hour.  

While the chicken is marinating, soak the saffron threads in the vegetable stock in a separate bowl.

Over medium heat, in a large pan with a lid, melt the butter along with one tablespoon of oil.

I received this Traditions Coconut Oil to try as a sample, and decided to use it in place of oil in this recipe.  It did add a little coconut flavor to the rice, which I really enjoyed.

Add the basmati rice, and stir it to coat until glossy.

Pour in the saffron and stock into the rice.

Add the lemon juice and zest to the rice and bring the pan to a boil.  Then cover and turn the heat down to very low.  Cook like this for around 15 minutes, and the rice should have absorbed the liquid and cooked through.

While the rice is cooking, shake the excess yogurt off the chicken and fry the meat in a hot pan with the remaining spoonful or so of oil.  

When the rice is cooked, take it off the heat and add the chicken pieces.

While the chicken is cooking, toast the cashews and almonds in the oven for a couple minutes on a cookie sheet until fragrant.

Then add the nuts to the chicken and rice mixture.

Add parsley and salt to taste and serve immediately.  I really liked the light coconut flavor from the oil in the rice.  I also think the toasted nuts made the dish with the added crunch.  This was a pretty simple, and low fat dinner, that everyone will enjoy. 

See you back here tomorrow!

Chicken Saffron Pilaf

Adapted  from Technicolor Kitchen

Serves 6

4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bit size pieces

3/4 cup plain yogurt, or Greek yogurt

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon saffron thread

4 cups vegetable stock

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2-3 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 3/4 cup basmati rice

juice and zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup cashew nuts

1/4 cup flaked almonds

small bunch of parsley, chopped

Marinate the chicken in the yogurt, juice from half lemon, cinnamon, salt and pepper for about an hour.

Soak the saffron threads in the vegetable oil.

Over medium heat, in a large skillet melt the butter with 1 tablespoon of oil.

Add the rice, stirring it to coat until glossy.

Pour in the saffron and stock.

Add the lemon juice and zest of one lemon and bring the pan to a boil. 

Cover and turn the heat down to very low, and cook for around 15 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, shake the excess yogurt off the chicken.

Fry the meat in a hot pan with the remaining spoonful or so of oil.

While meat is cooking toast the almonds in the oven, in a cookie sheet, until fragrant.

When the rice is cooked, remove from heat.

Add the chicken pieces, toasted nuts, and chopped parsley.

Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately.