Thursday, March 28, 2013

Pan Fried Whitefish with Avocado/Corn/Chile Pepper salsa


  1. I am shamelessly copying this from my bff Kyna William's blog.  However, this is SO GOOD, I want to make it again.  So i'm putting it on here. IT IS SOOOOOO GOOD. AND SO EASY. SO GOOD. SO EASY. SO GOOOOOD. 

  2. 1 large poblano chile pepper, cut into thin strips
  3. 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
  4. 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  5. 1 ear of corn, kernels cut off
  6. 1 garlic clove, minced
  7. 1/2 large Hass avocado, diced
  8. Juice of 1/2 lemon
  9. 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  10. Salt and freshly ground pepper
  11. Four 6-ounce flounder fillets
  12. All-purpose flour, for dredging
  1. In a large nonstick skillet, spread the poblano strips in an even layer and cook over high heat, without stirring, until lightly charred, 3 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and the onion and cook over moderate heat until the onion is lightly browned, 3 minutes. Add the corn and garlic and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Transfer the relish to a bowl and let cool to room temperature. Gently fold in the avocado, lemon juice and cilantro and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Season the flounder with salt and pepper. Dredge the flounder in the flour, shaking off the excess. In each of 2 large, nonstick skillets, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until shimmering. Add 2 fillets to each skillet and cook over moderately high heat until golden brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook just until the fillets are white throughout, about 1 minute longer. Transfer the flounder to plates and top with the poblano relish.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Stuffed Pepper Enchiladas Recipe



Ingredients

  • 2 green bell peppers
  • 2 red bell peppers
  • 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 2 small zucchini, cut into small pieces
  • 1 28oz can enchilada sauce
  • 1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese blend, shredded
  • 1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • Juice from 1 lime

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Cut bell peppers in half, remove seeds, and microwave them for about 2-3 minutes in a microwave safe bowl or dish with about ½” water in the bowl. This will help soften the peppers.
  3. Meanwhile, prepare quinoa according to package directions.
  4. In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, zucchini, beans, cilantro, onion, lime juice, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika and salt & pepper together.
  5. Place peppers in a large baking dish, cut side up, and fill each pepper evenly with the quinoa mixture.
  6. Pour can of enchilada sauce over all the peppers and then top evenly with the shredded cheese. Cover with aluminum foil, but make sure the foil is not touching the cheese.
  7. Bake in oven for about 30 minutes.


Healthy Turkey Meatloaf


1 to 1 1/2 lbs. of lean ground turkey, uncooked
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 egg
1/2 cup of plain breadcrumbs
I added ketchup and mustard and zucchini to the mixture

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the uncooked ground turkey with the peppers and egg. Mix together until egg yolk has spread to all areas of the mixture (works best if you mix with your hands). Add the breadcrumbs and lightly mix around with hands (do not over touch the mixture). Put into a greased loaf pan in the oven for 40 minutes at 350°F or until center of loaf reads 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.This is such a healthy and easy recipe that tastes so good, especially as left overs for sandwiches the next day. Tastes great by itself or with some ketchup!

Turkey Veggie Quinoa


Creative title, yes?  I like to make this for lunches at work.  Easy to make, easy to warm up, and healthy.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey
2 things of garlic
1 onion
3 stocks of celery
1 zucchini
1 tomato, chopped
1 can corn
1/2 cup quinoa (or more if you want)
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp cumin
chicken stock for quinoa
salt and pepper
(use any veggies you have on hand and any beans if you'd like also)

Cook quinoa according to directions with chicken stock. Saute onion and garlic, and cook turkey.  Add veggies and corn, and cook until tender.  Add spices, and add quinoa once done cooking.

This dish is so good, and perfect for easy lunches!


Sunday, March 24, 2013

Cilantro Honey-Lime Grilled Chicken



My gym was handing out recipes and gave us stickers if we sent them pictures of us making their recipes.  This was one of them, and I LOVED IT!  It's so easy and DELICIOUS!  This was a grill recipe, but we used this panini press/griddler since there was 3 feet of snow outside.  We cut up some baby peppers and mixed those in the sauce as well, and it was soooo good.

Website description: An easy and versatile Mexican chicken. Great for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or all by its lonesome with some rice and beans! Recipefound at PrudencePennywise.blogspot.com


Ingredients:

    1 lb. boneless, skinless chickens
    1/3 cup lime juice plus 1 teaspoon lime zest
    4 tablespoons olive oil
    4 cloves minced garlic, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    1 chopped jalapeno or serrano pepper, optional
    1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
    2 tablespoons honey
    1/3 cup chopped cilantro, leaves and tender stems

Directions


Rinse chicken and pat dry. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, zest, olive oil, garlic, jalapeno, salt and pepper and honey. Set aside two tablespoons of mixture. Pour remaining mixture into zip lock bag. Add chicken and cilantro and squish bag to coat. Marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours. Grill (or broil) chicken over medium high heat, about four minutes per side. Let rest for five minutes. Drizzle with reserved marinade and serve.

Number of Servings: 4
















Quinoa, Zucchini and Corn in Lemon Butter


This recipe is so good!  I made it as a side to go with the Salmon and Chickpeas/tomatoes.  The description to the recipe said:


A delicious quinoa recipe that is savory and satisfying! The lemon, butter and honey add a wonderful and unique flavor to this salad, while the vegetables give it some added bulk, fiber and crunch. It makes a lovely side to a wide variety of meals.  High in fiber, and bulked up with fresh vegetables, this low calorie dish really helps to fill you up. Make it as a side for sandwiches or soup, or even serve it alone, on top of some fresh greens – it would make the perfect vegetarian lunch! Enjoy.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 2 medium zucchini, diced
  • 4 scallions, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup corn, canned or frozen (defrosted if using frozen, drained if using canned)
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp light butter
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Once quinoa has been cooked, place in a large bowl and set aside.
  2. Place a medium sized skillet over medium high heat, melt butter in it, and then add in zucchini and garlic Cook until zucchini is tender, about 3-5 minutes. Then add in corn and honey cook until heated through.
  3. Now add the corn/zucchini to the quinoa, along with the scallions and lemon juice and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Preparation time: 15 minute(s)
Cooking time: 15 minute(s)



Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 2 medium zucchini, diced
  • 4 scallions, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup corn, canned or frozen (defrosted if using frozen, drained if using canned)
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp light butter
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Once quinoa has been cooked, place in a large bowl and set aside.
  2. Place a medium sized skillet over medium high heat, melt butter in it, and then add in zucchini and garlic Cook until zucchini is tender, about 3-5 minutes. Then add in corn and honey cook until heated through.
  3. Now add the corn/zucchini to the quinoa, along with the scallions and lemon juice and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Preparation time: 15 minute(s)
Cooking time: 15 minute(s)


Sauteed Salmon with Chickpeas and Tomatoes



I wanted to find a salmon recipe that was a little 'different' and decided to try this.  It was delish!  You can still taste the salmon-y taste, but the tomatoes and chickpeas make it taste different, and more interesting.  I'm no Andrew Zimmerman, and don't have 100 descriptive words for tastes.  This one is also cheap since I had everything on hand.

INGREDIENTS:
2 salmon filets
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
Sprinkle of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
Sprinkle of cayenne pepper

Directions:
1.Rub salmon with salt, pepper and paprika and set aside.
2.Spray a large, nonstick skillet with non fat cooking spray (since you can't use this spray on Calphalon, I used olive oil and it worked fine.)
3.Saute garlic until softened, 2-3 minutes.
4.Add salmon, top with remaining ingredients.
5. Cover and simmer on med-low heat for 15-20 mins or until salmon is cooked.

Prep time: 5 mins  Cooking time: 20 mins

Healthy Chicken Enchiladas

Chris and I made plans to go to Dirty P's (Don Pablo's) for ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT-ENCHILADAS Tuesday.  However, we later found out that WED was enchilada night and TUES was ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT-FAJITAS.  We love fajitas, but were craving enchiladas by that point, so I decided to make them homemade.  I've made enchiladas before, and although the recipes that call for creamed chicken taste good, it freaks me out that it's basically like a can of salt and fat.  So I searched for a healthier but still yummy recipe.  This one has a homemade sauce recipe, and it was so easy!   It's also cheap, since I had almost all of the ingredients on hand.

SAUCE:
4 medium tomatoes, cut into pieces
6 garlic cloves, peeled (I just used the pre diced garlic)
1 medium onion, sliced
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

'CHILADAS:
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (12 oz.)
4 small whole wheat tortillas (I used regular since I had them on hand)
1/2 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
1/2 cup diced green chilis

Directions:

1
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat a baking sheet with oil spray. (Make sure it has edges since the veggies will created yummy juices).  Place tomatoes, onion and garlic on sheet. Bake 15 minutes or until onion and garlic are golden. Remove vegetables, cool, and transfer to a blender. Add chili pepper, cumin, salt and pepper, and puree until smooth. Set a aside.
2
Prepare enchiladas: Combine paprika, cumin, and chili powder, in small bowl. Mix in oil and just enough water to form a paste. Rube paste on chicke. Set chicken aside for 15-30 minutes. Grill or broil chicken 5 to 7 minutes on each side or until juice runs clear when pricked with a fork. Cool. Cut into thin strips.
3
Lay tortillas on a work surface. Cover each with 1/4 of the chicken, 2 tablespoons cheese, and 2 tablespoons green chile. Roll up and place in a 9 by 13 inch baking pan, seam-side down. Cover with sauce. Bake at 350 degrees 17-22 minutes or until sauce bubbles.
4
Enjoy :].