I'm Back!

I'm Baaack!  Well, sorry I have been gone!  Brian and I took a wonderful trip down to Cabo for a week and it was wonderful!  We had the absolute best time and the best part about it was that we both came back completely refreshed and relaxed.  It was a much needed vacation, but I am glad to both back to work and back in my own kitchen.  

We ate tons of fabulous food while we are away, but I have to admit I really could not even think about eating any Mexican food or Guacamole for at least a month!  Not to mention we need to go on a Pina Colada-Detox!  Anyway, it is good to be home and there will be more posts to come!

Happy Wednesday!

Pina Colada Protein

Are you in need of a summer vacation?  Do you have dreams of laying by a sandy beach relaxing?

Nothing screams summer vacation relaxation like a Pina Colada.  It also happens to be my favorite blended summertime drink! There is nothing like the sweet, tangy blend of coconuts and pineapple on a hot day to refresh you while you are laying by the pool relaxing.  Pina Coladas just remind me of a beach vacation and since I will be headed down to Cabo in a few short weeks, I thought I would prepare with a new protein shake flavor inspired by the Pina Colada.  

Pina Colada Protein Shake

Ingredients

1/2 scoop Vanilla Whey Protein Powder

1/2 cup frozen Pineapple,  roughly chopped 

1/2 cup frozen Banana, roughly chopped

1/2 Milk, add more if it is too think

Directions

Blend all ingredients in a blender till smooth and chunkless.  Enjoy!

Shrimp in No Time!

As as was passing by the seafood section at Bristol Farms, they were having a great sale on these beautiful shrimp.  I picked up some and made a really fresh, flavorful pasta and sauce to compliment their flavor.  I can't help but want to use all the fresh lemons that are in season now and all the lovely herbs from my patio garden.  This dish was quick and besides the shrimp I had everything else at home, so it was 1, 2, 3!

Garlic Lemon Shrimp

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1/2 dry white wine

4 lemon slices, about 1/4 inch thick

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Sprinkle salt and black pepper over shrimp evenly.  Meanwhile in a large skillet heat oil over medium heat.  Add shrimp, red pepper and garlic.  Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat. Add wine and lemon to pan.  Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Cook until liquid has reduced to 1/2 cup, about 3-4 minutes.  Add shrimp back to sauce and remove from heat.  Add parsley and butter, stirring until butter melts.  Serve shrimp with pan sauce over pasta.  Recipe below.

"Roasted" Garlic and Light Tomato Pasta

Ingredients

1/2 lb Spaghetti

4 tablespoons garlic, minced

2 tablespoons oil

1/2 cup marinara sauce

Salt and Pepper, to taste

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

Directions

In a large pot, cook pasta according to package directions till just al dente.  Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat oil over medium heat and add garlic.  Stirring frequently over medium-low heat cook the garlic till oil and garlic become a thick paste.  Add 1/2 cup of the pasta water to the garlic mixture.  Let reduce by half and add the marinara sauce.  Add cooked pasta.  Toss to combine.  Remove from heat and top with Parmesan.  Serve with shrimp.  

Enjoy!

Beach Day!

Last summer we had such weird weather that I never even went to the beach.  It was way too overcast and the marine layer never seemed to burn off.  This summer however, has been gorgeous!  We have been making an effort every weekend to go to the beach and it has been glorious.  

There is nothing like the sand between your toes and listening to the sounds of the waves crashing that make me completely relaxed.  I had not a care in the world as I was relaxing on the sand and looking at this beautiful view!

What is your favorite summer activity?  Happy Monday Everyone!

Greek Turkey Burgers

Been lovin' my grill lately!  The cleanup is so much easier and I really notice the difference in the temperature in the house.  My sister and mom are constantly making turkey burgers and I was kinda craving one.  The worst thing about typical turkey burgers is they are so dry and tasteless.  I still had some leftover artichokes and olives and decided to make some Greek Turkey Burgers.  The artichokes kept the burgers so moist and the fresh herbs from my patio garden amped up the flavor!

Greek Turkey Burgers

Ingredients

1 lb. Ground Turkey

1 egg

4-5 canned artichoke hearts, chopped 

1/4 cup black olives, sliced

1/2 cup fresh herbs, chopped (I used a combo of Thyme, Dill, Parsley, and Basil)

1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
Salt and Pepper

Directions

Take the ground turkey out of the refrigerator about 10 minutes before you are going to make your patties.  Preheat your grill to a medium heat.  Then combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix with your hands until all ingredients are just combined.  Divide the mixture into 5 equal parts and press gently into patties.  They should be about an inch think on the outside and a little thinner in the middle.  Put burgers on the grill for 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked through.  Serve with Buns and topped with hummus and tzatziki.

Enjoy!  Stay tuned for the greek salad recipe.  I was still impressed with these guys the next day for lunch as well!  Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

Fun at the Fair

This past weekend my family went to the OC Fair!  Every year it seems to get bigger and we always have a ton of fun no matter who we go with.  They have tons of food stands, mostly advertising everything fried you can imagine, even fried butter!  Gross!  We tried almost everything from fresh roasted corn on the cob, ribs, chicken kabobs, Dippin' Dots and even mini cupcakes!!  

My favorite part is always all the rides, but this year, after my 4th of July Sumo Wrestling accident, my chiropractor has still not cleared me to go running so I am almost positive the carnival rides are out of the question.  So sad.  Instead, Brian was determined to win all the games and acquire numerous stuffed animals.  Where are we going to put this thing?! 

 

Hope everyone is having a great summer! 

Summer Slaw

When browsing Bon Appetit the other day I found this recipe for Cabbage and Corn Slaw with a Cilantro and Orange dressing.  I have been thinking about making Turkey Burgers lately for dinner and it made the perfect compliment.  I just get so bored of the same old salads and there is nothing better than a nice refreshing 

side dish to mix up an otherwise ordinary dinner.  

Ground Turkey is an easy, inexpensive, versatile protein to buy and I always find myself recreating last night's dinner into something else the next day for lunch.  It cooks quickly and is low in both calories and fat.  Perfect for weeknights and quick cooking.  This week, I had actually bought it to throw into a quick pasta that I had been dreaming up in my head with roasted garlic and Parmesan cheese, but then when I saw this slaw recipe I changed my mind.  Note: If you are wondering why my turkey burgers in the background look like a hot dog shape, it is because they were.  I only had hot dog buns in the freezer so I just went with it! 

Cabbage and Corn Slaw with Cilantro and Orange Dressing

Courtesy of Bon Appetit

Ingredients

-1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

-1/3 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

-1/3 cup canola oil or vegetable oil (I used about half the amount to cut the fat and calories)

-2 (8 oz) bags of coleslaw mix

 -4 ears of fresh corn, shucked, kernels cut from cob 

(I roasted mine on the BBQ for a few minutes to cut the raw taste)

-2 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely grated

-1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, cored and cut into thin strips

-6 green onions, thinly sliced

-1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

Whisk orange juice concentrate, rice vinegar, and oil in a small bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Dressing can be made 1 day ahead.  Cover and refrigerate.  

Combine slaw mix, corn, carrots, bell pepper, green onion and cilantro in a large bowl.  Toss with enough dressing to coat.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  

Let stand 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Toss again and serve. 

A Fresh take on Cucumber Salad

We went to a new Japanese Sushi Restaurant the other night and when perusing through the menu I saw something interesting.  Plum and Cucumber Sushi.  At first I thought it sounded weird, but then I started thinking it would probably be a really lovely combination.  One of Brian and my favorite things when we are going for Sushi is the cucumber salad which I also make at home fairly often.  I have tried rolling my own sushi at home and it just never comes out exactly like the professionals so I wasn't going to embark on that again.  Not to mention buying all the necessary tools to make sushi is more expensive than going down to the restaurant and paying the whole $5 for the roll.  

Anyways, below I made my own rendition of Cucumber Salad with Plums.  It turned out beautiful and the flavors were perfect together.  This is the season to make it too with Plums so ripe and gorgeous right now.  Just looking at the picture is making my mouth water because it was so fresh and light!

I know this picture isnt that attractive, but I had to show you how to best sliver the plums.  Using a mandolin, slice the plums into fairly thin slices (upper right).  Then using your knife, stack a couple plum slices together and sliver them vertically (lower left).  I also used my mandolin to slice the cucumbers since I already had it out.  Usually I am so lazy to wash it I just use my knife!

Cucumber Plum Salad

Ingredients

2 cups Cucumber, thinly sliced

1 cup Plum, thinly sliced and slivered

1/4 cup Red Onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup Carrot, match-stick cut

1 tablespoon Sugar

1 tablespoon Cilantro, fresh and chopped roughly

2 tablespoons fresh Lime Juice

2 tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar

1 teaspoon Soy Sauce

1/8 teaspoon pepper

salt to taste (won't need hardly any)

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and toss gently making sure to combine all ingredients.  Enjoy!

'Tis the Season

One of the best vegetables that summer brings in season are artichokes.  It seems like every time I walk around the grocery store there is a special on them and I just can't resist picking up a few.  They are so easy to prepare and are fun to eat!  They are a great source of folic acid, dietary fiber and Vitamin C, but their nutritional benefits are easily compromised with the traditional sauces that are usually served with them.  I like to serve this healthy dipping sauce with it that is full of fresh flavor and health benefits too!

Yogurt-Dill Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 cup Fat Free Greek Yogurt

1 tablespoon Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

1 teaspoon Dill

1/2 teaspoon Tarragon

1/8 teaspoon fresh chopped Garlic

1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard or Trader Joe's Garlic Mustard Sauce

Directions

Mix all ingredients well in a small bowl.  Serve!  

Multitalented

Maybe its just me, but Gwyneth Paltrow seems to be all over the place recently!  Actress, Singer...Chef? I got my new issue of Bon Appetit the other day and sure enough she was on the cover.  The article profiled her in her London apartment cooking up recipes that the culinary team at Bon Appetit helped her create.  Pretty interesting.  Of course she looked effortlessly beautiful dicing onions and cutting up chicken.  If only my real life looked so nice!

I was especially intrigued by her Chicken with Peach BBQ Sauce; both by the concept and the vision of her making this in London which screams everything but "BBQ".  The sauce in the picture was this gorgeous orange and I had to try it out for myself.  

I am a big fan of BBQ sauce and this looked really different and perfect for summer!

Chicken with Peach BBQ Sauce

Courtesy of Bon Appetit and Gwyneth Paltrow

Ingredients

1 cup diced fresh peaches, about 2 peaches

1/2 cup Ketchup

1 tablespoon garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons Adobo Sauce (from Chipotle Chilis in Adobo Sauce)

Salt and Pepper

4 Chicken Breasts

Directions

In a small saucepan combine peaches, ketchup, garlic and adobo sauce.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and let cook for 10 minutes or until peaches are tender.  

Transfer carefully to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  

Use about half the sauce to pour over the chicken breasts and marinate for at least 20 minutes (and up to 12 hours).  Meanwhile, heat grill to a medium high heat.  Grill chicken for 4-5 minutes per side.  Brush each side with BBQ sauce and grill for another 1 minute per side, or until done.  Serve with extra sauce.

I have to say I was pretty impressed with this sauce.  It was tasty and had a great flavor, different than normal BBQ sauce, but familiar enough that I wasn't missing anything.  I loved that it required so few ingredients and a reasonable cooking time for the development of flavors.  I paired it with some baked sweet potato fries and grilled asparagus.  

Happy Grilling!

What is Succotash?

Saw something about a "Corn Succotash" the other day in something I was reading and the first thing I thought is, "What exactly is a succotash?"  Is it always made with corn?  Does it always contain lima beans?  Gross.  I looked it up.  

Succotash: is a food dish containing primarily of corn and lima beans, or other shell beans.

Hmm...Corn, yes.  Lima beans, no.  The concept had potential though, so I just changed a few things around and out popped this very easy, delicious meal in minutes.  You have to love meals that contain a store bought rotisserie chicken.  

Corn Succotash (Sort of) with Tomatoes and Rotisserie Chicken
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 earns corn, kernels cut off the cob

2 small zucchini, chopped into medium pieces

1 tablespoon minced garlic

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 avocado, chopped

3 ounces Goat Cheese

4 basil leaves, chopped

2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded

Directions

In a large saute pan, heat oil over medium high heat.  Add corn and saute for 2 minutes.  Add zucchini, salt, pepper and red wine vinegar and saute for an additional 4- minutes until just done.  Transfer corn mixture to a bowl and toss with basil leaves.  Top with cheese and avocado.
Serve with tomatoes and shredded chicken.  Enjoy!

Turkey Lettuce Cups

In a constant quest to eat healthy and low calorie, I am always trying to find dinner ideas that are tasty.  The weather also has such a profound affect on what seems appetizing to me.  When it is hot, I do not want anything heavy, but at the same time I might be starving.  When it is cold I want something warm and comforting, but not overly caloric.  Summer in the desert is especially hard, when it is so hot you can't imagine eating anything remotely hot or heavy.  

When I came across this recipe for Lettuce cups, it seemed like the perfect answer to dinner at the end of a 98 degree day.  I used ground turkey instead of chicken breasts because it cooks quicker and is lower in calories.  Less time in front of a hot stove is key in this weather.  The cool, crunch of the lettuce provided the perfect compliment to the warm, sweet and sour turkey mixture.  I left feeling satisfied and not stuffed.  Brian on the other hand ate a 4 person serving size so I can't say the same for him.  He still managed to knock back 3 low calorie ice cream bars.... 

Turkey Lettuce Cups

Adapted from Guy Fieri, removed some ingredients to adjust calorie and fat content

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil

2 carrot, diced

2 celery ribs, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 cup snap peas, diced

1/2 cup red onion, diced

1 package ground turkey, lowest fat possible

6 ounces Apricot Sambal Szechwan Sauce, recipe follows

Iceberg Lettuce Leaves

2 tablespoons scallions, sliced

Directions

In a medium saute pan over high heat, add oil.  Add vegetables and turkey, saute till turkey is almost done.  Deglaze with sabal sauce for 30 seconds.

Scoop turkey mixture into lettuce leaves and garnish with sesame seeds.

Apricot Sesame Sambal Sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons minced garlic

3 tablespoons minced ginger

3 tablespoons sambal hot sauce 

3 tablespoons apricot preserves

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 teaspoon minced cilantro

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Mix well.

Happy Friday! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Warm Pasta Salad

I love coming up with things to use a lot of leftover vegetables in my refrigerator.  Seems like I buy lots at the beginning of the week and end up with a little of each at the end of the week, but I hate to throw perfectly good food away!  Pasta salad is one of those great things to make on a hot day, but can be filled with lots of calories and too much pasta most of the time.  I threw together this Warm Spinach Pasta Salad easily in just the time it took to boil the pasta water and cook it!  

Warm Spinach Pasta Salad

Ingredients

2 Packages (about 10 oz each) Cheese Tortellini

2 Rotisserie Chicken Breasts, shredded

2 cups Grape Tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup Peas

1/2 cup Red Onion, thinly sliced

1/3 cup Basil, thinly sliced

1 can Artichoke Hearts (14 oz), drained and quartered

4 cups Baby Spinach, washed

1 cup Fresh Asparagus, washed and sliced into 1.5 inch pieces

Reduced Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette, about 4-5 tablespoons

3/4 cup Shaved Parmesan Cheese

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions

Boil a large pot of water and cook pasta according to the directions on the package.  During the last minute or so of the pasta cooking, add the asparagus and peas and cook with the 

pasta for the last 2 minutes.  

While the pasta is cooking chop and prepare the other ingredients (except cheese) and put into a large bowl to wait for the pasta, peas and asparagus.  After pasta mixture is cooked till al dente and drained, add to bowl and toss with salt, pepper and dressing.  Sprinkle cheese on top.

Serve warm, at room temp or cold.  

You could alter this for any vegetables you want, this is just what I had on hand, but the combination was very flavorful, filling and healthy!  Great for lunch the next day!

Fresh and Fabulous

Tired of your regular, old, boring side dishes? Want something new that is satisfying and tasty? This recipe for Green Bean Salad has a boring name, but it was delicious!

Green Bean Salad

Ingredients:

3/4 lb Green Beans

3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

3 Tablespoons Reduced Fat Balsamic Vinegrette Dressing

3/4 pint Grape Tomatoes, halved

1/8 Red Onion, diced

1/2 can Garbanzo Beans, rinsed and dried

1/4 cup Reduced Fat Feta

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Boil water in a medium pot over high heat. Cook Green Beans until slightly tender, about 4 minutes. Immerse in an ice bath to stop the cooking. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together dressing and lemon juice. Stir in tomatoes, onion and garbanzo beans. Add feta and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange green beans on a platter and top with tomato mixture. Serve!

It feels like Summer!

It is amazing how in Palm Desert the weather turns from Winter, to Spring to Summer all in the matter of a month or two. We really barely get what I call "The California In-between Seasons": Fall and Spring. I am well aware that in other parts of the country there are 4 distinct seasons. Here in Southern California we have two distinct seasons and 2 "in-between seasons". Now that it is officially over 85 degrees most days, it feels like summer already down there! The thought of eating anything remotely hot, heavy or greasy just isn't appealing at all.

This salad is the perfect balance between sweet and savory and has all the flavors that remind me of summer. I think when watermelon is more in season you could throw that in as well. I made some BBQ chicken and roasted corn to compliment, but it could be a side dish to compliment a plethora of things. I would even dice up some rotisserie chicken and bring it to work for a really tasty lunch. That beats a boring old sandwich any day!

Summer Peach and Tomato Salad

Courtesy of Cooking Light

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Red Onion, thinly vertically sliced

1 pound Ripe Peaches, pitted and cut into wedges

1/2 pound heirloom beefsteak tomatoes, cut into wedges

1/2 pound heirloom cherry or pear tomatoes, halved

2 Tablespoon Sherry Vinegar

3 teaspoons olive oil

2 teaspoon Honey

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

4 teaspoons basil leaves, chiffonade or torn

Directions:

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.

In another small bowl, combine vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper. Stir with a whisk till well combined. Drizzle mixture over peach and tomato mixture. Toss well to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and basil.

Note: I took the liberty of doubling this recipe for you because I did the same thing when I made it as a side dish. I was serving dinner to 3 men, plus myself and it was all gone!

Pineapple Express

It has been SO hot down in the desert lately that I only want things for dinner that are light and refreshing. I don't even know where spring went, it seems like it was winter and then summer. No transition at all. This Pan-Seared Salmon with Pineapple Jalapeno-Relish seemed like it would be filling enough for dinner and light enough that I would actually want to eat it.

I was able to find a really nice ripe pineapple at the store and after making the relish I had enough left over for snacks during the week. I love when I can use ingredients more than once! I also brushed some of the spice rub on the corn with some "I can't believe it's not butter" spray and roasted them. Try out this recipe for fresh, flavorful summer dinner!