Blueberry Lemon Muffins: Practical Paleo

I haven't been able to blog about my cooking adventures in a really long time, but I finally made something so delicious and paired with enough time to rave about it that I had to take this chance while I had it!  Among needing to eat gluten-free because I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease (not Celiacs/Celiac’s) in Aug of 2010, the sous chef and I have also decided towards the beginning of this summer to embark on a Whole30 journey. 

Now, side note, if you decide that Whole30 is something you want to try, I highly encourage and, let’s face it, push you to read It Starts With Food.  No excuse; you should be able to read the tangible version or read on your mobile device (whatever that may be).

Anyway, as the two of us come off of this (second) Whole30, it’s part of the journey to begin adding certain foods back in to your diet to see how those foods affect you.  Because I strongly feel that I have certain specific foods that ail me beyond gluten, I’m taking this super slow and adding in one food item a day rather than a group of foods (i.e. grains).  Nevertheless, on the day that I made these delicious muffins, I was adding maple syrup back into my diet (I told you! Specific!).  Personally, I don’t think it matters if you are on a diet of any kind or not!!!  These muffins are amazing!!!  It certainly helps matters that they are gluten-free, grain-free, and paleo-friendly!

This recipe was made exactly as the recipe specifies from Practical Paleo.  Shameless Thank You to our friends Kevin and Melissa for getting this book for us!!!

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter or coconut oil, melted (Krista Kooks used butter.)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup grade B maple syrup (I used 100% pure maple syrup)
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup fresh blueberries (Krista Kooks used frozen, and thawed them slightly under cold running water before adding them to the batter.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together the eggs, butter or coconut oil (remember, this should be melted), pure vanilla extract, maple syrup, and lemon juice, and lemon zest together in a large mixing bowl.  It works well to use a stand mixer fitted with your whisk attachment.  Sift in the coconut flour, sea salt, and baking soda and stir until well combined. Gently fold in the blueberries.

In a muffin tin, scoop 1/4 cup of the batter into each lined muffin cup (natural parchment muffin papers work best for lining), and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes. Krista Kooks used a silicone muffin pan which was lightly greased.

Chipotle-Cornmeal Crusted Fish {Gluten Free}

I’ll just go ahead and prepare you know; for several posts in a row, I have more Pink Parsley repeats to show you.  I’m not sorry either.  I love what she posts, and almost everything she makes becomes a bookmark in my browser.  I love the recipes she makes!  So, thank you, Josie, for sharing!
I love this recipe, foremost, because the recipe is gluten free as is; always a plus in my kitchen.  The sous chef was impressed because of the amount of flavor you get in one bite.  The crust of the kitchen paired with the burst of flavor from the homemade salsa is delicious.  This is an easy weeknight meal, for sure.  This household highly suggests!

Ingredients
Fish
4 firm fish fillets (5-6 ounces each)
2 canned chipotles in adobo sauce, minced
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
juice of 1/2 lime
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cornmeal, or cornbread crumbs
Peach Salsa
2 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and chopped
1 ripe tomato, cored, seeded, and chopped
1/2 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced (about 1 Tbsp)
juice of 1/2 lime
pinch salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions
For the salsa, mix together all the ingredients, and set aside for at least 10 minutes. Taste and season accordingly.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a large baking sheet with oil. Pat the fillets dry with a paper towel, and season with salt and pepper.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the chipotles, oil, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, thyme, and salt. Pulse a few times to combine.
Pour the sauce into a shallow bowl or dish, and spread the cornmeal in a separate dish. Dip each fish fillet first into the chipotle sauce, then dredge in the cornmeal. Turn the fish several times to coat, and pat the fillets to adhere the crumbs. Arrange the fish in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with a small amount of oil.
Bake uncovered until the fillets are golden and the fish flakes easily with a fork. It could be as little as 10 minutes, or up to 25 depending on the type and thickness of the fish. For the last 2 minutes, turn on the broiler to achieve a crispy crust.
Serve with peach salsa and lime wedges.

‘Out of this World’ Stuffing from Bethenny Frankel (Gluten Free)

I can’t not share that this is ‘Out of this World’ stuffing because that’s the name that Bethenny’s titled it.  Truth is…it’s better than out of this world.

This was my first ever attempt at making stuffing (or dressing for those of you that call it that).  I’d never had to make it before because other women in my extended family took care of that each year for my entire life.  Outside of Thanksgiving, I had the StoveTop version of stuffing.  Anyway, now that I’ve been diagnosed with Celiac Disease and must eat gluten free, I had to take matters into my own hands.  I was NOT prepared to not have stuffing for Thanksgiving (or Christmas).  I was determined to make it happen.  Since Bethenny has yet to fail me with delicious recipes, I decided to trust her on this one.

Further to that, since bread is the main thing involved in any stuffing recipe, I had to ensure that I was selecting the right bread for this.  In true Krista fashion, I should have baked the bread myself.  However, I wasn’t trying to overdo it this time, so I selected Udi’s Whole Grain bread!  I’m quite disappointed in our local grocery stores only selling the small loaves.  Ugh.  It’s just not enough.  Fortunately, I discovered that since Jason’s Deli serves this same bread, you can purchase it straight from their store!  Better still, they sell a LARGE loaf of this bread.  I purchased 2 loaves from them (just in case), and it was much more economical and efficient.

As for other details of this recipe, dried morels were difficult to find.  I did find them (finally) at Whole Foods.  FYI, they are not cheap, but they ARE worth it!

If you decide to proceed with your recipe as being gluten free, just be sure that your bread, turkey sausage, and chicken stock (if used) are gluten free.

I so enjoyed every bit of this recipe, and I’m no longer scared of making stuffing.  I’m so thrilled to have found a recipe that makes eating gluten free more exciting than not eating gluten free.  I know this recipe wasn’t intended for the GF world, but, when modified, it’s fantastic!!!

Ingredients
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalks of celery, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
½ teaspoon pepper, plus more as needed
1 or 2 fresh garlic cloves, minced
4 sprigs sage, finely chopped
Leaves from 6 to 8 sprigs of thyme, finely chopped
½ pound turkey sausage (choose your favorite)
Splash of good dry white wine
1 teaspoon butter
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced (whatever kind you like or use an assortment)
½ cup dried morel mushrooms, coarsely chopped and soaked in water until soft
½ loaf of 9-grain or multi-grain bread, toasted and chopped (reference my comments above on making Gluten Free)
½ to 1 cup chicken stock, mushroom broth, white wine, or other richly-flavored liquid
1 egg beaten
Cooking spray

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sauté the onion and celery in olive oil in a nonstick pan. Add salt, pepper, garlic, sage and thyme.
Remove the sausage from the casing (if it is in casing) and break into small pieces. Add to the pan and sauté until browned. Add the wine and butter. Stir in the mushrooms, morels, and the water the morels were soaked in.
Place the breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Pour the sausage mixture over the top and toss to coat. If the mixture seems dry, add a splash of chicken stock, mushroom broth, wine or other flavored liquid. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Add a beaten egg and mix well. Put it into a large baking pan sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, then turn the oven to broil. Broil for five minutes to make the top crunchy -- but watch closely to be sure it does not burn. By the way, yes, I am VERY behind on posting

Bethenny Frankel’s Zesty, Cheesy Mac and Cheese (Gluten Free)

Gluten Free notes at the bottom of this post.

First of all, I’ve never been the greatest at making homemade mac n’ cheese.  Somehow, I never get the cheese mixture to look right despite my determination to follow the recipe as instructed.  Nevertheless, I’m sure I didn’t manage to get this recipe to look just right, but it definitely tastes amazing!  The butternut squash completely brings a sweeter taste; plus, it’s helpful that it’s presence reduces the amount of cheese!  Less calories and fat, of course.  I definitely prefer this mac n’ cheese recipe in our household now!

Zesty, Cheesy Mac and Cheese from Bethenny Frankel

Ingredients

12 ounces whole wheat mini pasta shells (these hold the cheese better than elbows)

1 cup soy milk

1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan

1 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup frozen butternut squash, thawed

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dry mustard

½ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp. chili powder or a few dashes of Tabasco sauce

2 tablespoons whole wheat bread crumbs

2 tablespoons reduced fat Monterey jack cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Boil pasta shells in salted water until slightly firm, according to package directions.

In another saucepan, combine the soymilk, Parmesan, cheddar, and butternut squash over medium heat until melted and combined. Turn off the heat. Add salt, mustard, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and chili powder or Tabasco.

Drain the pasta but don’t rinse it. Add it to the cheese sauce (use a large bowl if necessary) and toss to coat the pasta. Taste and add more salt or pepper, according to your taste.

Spray a shallow baking pan with cooking spray and put the pasta-cheese mixture in it. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and Monterey jack cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Make it Gluten Free!

• Of course, be sure to use gluten free pasta.  Specifically, quinoa pasta would be fabulous for this recipe, but brown rice pasta will work great as well.  The photo you see above is with brown rice pasta!
• Make sure you use gluten free breadcrumbs, though I would not suggest buying the pre-packaged brown rice breadcrumbs.  YUCK!  Ter-ri-ble!  Simply dry out a piece of gluten-free bread or two, then crumble up to use as the topping here.  Obviously, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t use these breadcrumbs; you will still have some great mac n’ cheese.

Classic Crab Cakes

As some may recall, I very much like to follow Bethenny Frankel and have taken great advice into my own eating habits from Naturally Thin. I’ve tried couple recipes of hers previously, and there are definitely more to come.  Her recipes are quite easy to transition to gluten free, if even necessary at all (this part I love!).  This is one of her recipes suggested in the ‘Downsize Now’ chapter of Naturally Thin.
I made the full recipe of these crab cakes, and the sous chef and I could NOT finish them for dinner one night!  This was the only thing on our menu that night.  We had leftovers, although leftover crab cakes are not really my thing.  Nonetheless, if you are cooking for two or preparing this recipe as an appetizer for two (say for Valentine’s Dinner tonight ), I would do some reducing on these crab cakes.  All that said, these were DELICIOUS!  I love the many flavors involved in this recipe!  Below is my adaptation of the recipe to make it gluten free, which is hardly different from the original recipe AT ALL!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup small-diced red onion
1 1/2 cups small-diced celery
1 1/2 cups of each; small diced red and yellow bell pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup gluten free breadcrumbs (I used Udi’s whole grain bread and created bread crumbs from this loaf)
1/4 cup gluten free mayonnaise
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 pound (8 ounces) jumbo lump crabmeat, drained
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons store-bought pesto + 2 tablespoons gluten free mayonnaise mixed together and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley

Directions

Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onion, celery, and bell peppers until soft.  Season with Old Bay, salt, and pepper.  Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard, and the Worcestershire sauce.  Stir in the crabmeat to combine, but don’t overmix.  The crabmeat should remain in large pieces.  Combine ingredients from steps 1 and 2.

Spray a nonstick pan with cooking spray and turn heat to medium.  Scoop evenly-sized cakes into the pan using an ice cream scoop and sauté over medium heat until crispy on both sides.  Top each crab cake with tiny dab of pesto/mayonnaise mixture.  Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.



Be sure not to cook too long or too little before flipping the crab cake.  This is the only tricky part to this recipe.  Unfortunately, mine are little too done in these pictures.
In order to make this recipe as Bethenny suggested, simply make the gluten free ingredients above not gluten free.

Meatball and Spinach No-Sagna Remix

Today’s blog is simple.  Visit the original Meatball and Spinach No-Sagna post for a look at a remix of this favorite Krista Kooks dish.  Enjoy!

Gluten Free Pork Carnitas in a Slow Cooker/Crock Pot

I’ve never…other than bacon…made pork.  EVER!  No pork chops, tenderloins or anything.  It’s never been appetizing to me or something I wanted to try.  That said, recently, friends of ours (and one of the sous chef’s co-workers) invited us over for dinner.  While they were kind enough to prepare food for my gluten-free diet, they prepared pork as the main dish.  I sat down frightened, as I don’t ever eat it, but thought to myself, “Well, what can it hurt?!  They certainly prepared it well!”  After one bite, I was impressed.

Thus, it intrigued me to see what I could do.  After ordering two cookbooks that tailor to the gluten-free diet, I decide to try this pork carnitas recipe from Carol Fenster’s 100 Best Gluten-Free Recipes.  Wait a second.  I take that back.  I was having a hectic day planning for the sous chef’s family coming in town, so I must give credit to the sous chef.  He is actually the one that threw everything in the slow cooker!  He deserves the credit

The family thought it was great, as did I, and we served it with Roasted Broccoli.  Whether you eat gluten free or not, I think you should try this!

Ingredients

1 (1 lb) pork tenderloin or pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat

1/2 cup gluten-free, low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup gluten free salsa

1 tablespoon of tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cut the pork tenderloin into 1/2 inch chunks and add to the slow cooker that has been coated with cooking spray.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl, pour over the pork and cover.  Cook 6 hours in a slow cooker on low heat.

Serve the pork as a main dish, spooning the sauce over it.  Or shred the pork and serve it as a filling for tacos, using the remaining  liquid as a sauce.

As you can see from the recipe, there’s nothing that makes this blaringly gluten free other than making sure you get gluten free chicken broth (not hard) and gluten free salsa (definitely not hard in Texas). Thus, if you are someone who does not need to eat gluten free, don’t hesitate to use the chicken broth and salsa YOU prefer.  Enjoy!

Low Fat Baked Ziti with Spinach

Gluten Free notes at the bottom of this post.

Not a surprise that I’ve selected another recipe from Gina   She’s fabulous at what she does!  Even though this is a pasta dish, it seemed as though it would be easy enough to create as a gluten free dish.  The sous chef and I agreed that this is a great weeknight dinner dish that is fabulous for leftovers at lunch the next day!  I would also suggest this as a fabulous dish to take to new parents.

Low Fat Baked Ziti with Spinach

1 lb high fiber ziti

28 oz crushed tomatoes

1 tsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic,minced

10 oz frozen spinach, thawed

1 tsp oregano

2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

salt and fresh pepper to taste

8 oz fat-free ricotta

1/4 cup Parmesan

2 cups (8 oz) part skim mozzarella

Spray olive oil

Preheat oven to 375°.Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with oil spray.
In a large pot of salted water, cook pasta according to instructions until al dente. Drain and return to pot.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, add olive oil and sauté garlic. Add chopped spinach, salt pepper and chopped tomatoes. Season with basil, oregano, salt and pepper.
Add sauce to the pasta and combine the ziti. Add half of the mozzarella, Parmesan cheese and ricotta. Mix well then transfer to the baking pan.
Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Top with the remaining mozzarella.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until mozzarella is melted and the edges are lightly browned.
This can be made up to a day in advance and stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.

Make it Gluten Free!

• Use gluten free pasta.

Ina Garten's Mustard Roasted Potatoes

I don’t know what it is about roasted potatoes, but I’ve always been so nervous to make them.  I know I know.  With all the stuff that I make, how could I possibly be scared of roasted potatoes?  It’s true!  I just always imagine them coming out of the oven completely charred on the edges.

Each Thanksgiving, my mother is famous for making these oven roasted potatoes that are to die for!  No literally, I think they are a recipe to kill you with all the oil and butter that is used.  I’m not knocking it, don’t get me wrong, because I serve myself some each and every year.  I do it happily.  I know how good they taste!  I wake up on Thanksgiving morning thinking about how I’ll be eating them in just a few short hours.  That said, I know my mother doesn’t love making something so unhealthy just the same as others don’t love eating something so unhealthy. 

After making these mustard roasted potatoes, I informed my mother that I had a way out of all that guilt!!!  These potatoes are FABULOUS!!!  Plus, I know how much easier they are than my mother’s oven roasted potatoes.  I know she’s always a fan of me making something easier  

Thus, Kornegay Klan, if you are reading this, get ready for a new recipe for oven roasted potatoes this year.  That’s right; these babies are headed for annual Thanksgiving Day reunion.  What?  You said you weren’t coming?  Oh….these should make you RECONSIDER!!!

Source: Beantown Baker

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds small red potatoes
2 yellow onions
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the potatoes into one-inch cubes (halves or quarters for the small potatoes, several more cuts for the larger ones). Place potatoes into a large plastic bag with a zipper seal. Peel onion and cut in half. Slice crosswise to about 1/4 inch thickness to make half rounds and add to bag.

Add the olive oil, mustard, 2 teaspoons salt, and pepper to bag; seal, and toss together. This can be prepped a few hours in advance and left in the plastic bag until ready to roast.

Line a sheet pan with foil and spread potatoes and onions onto pan. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour; until potatoes are lightly browned on the outside and tender on the inside. Toss the potatoes occasionally to prevent sticking and for even browning.

Garnish with chopped parsley and more salt if needed and serve immediately.

I enjoyed my potatoes with Bison steak!

Red Chile Chicken with Rice and Black Beans

Again, Pink Parsley comes through for me :)  As I mentioned before, she’s been making some fabulous recipes lately, and this was another tasty one, for sure.  The sous chef and I paired this one with the wonderful Mexican Corn Salad.

Sadly, my sous chef was volunteering for an opportunity at work that had him working nights, so I had to savor this by myself for the first time, and he had to partake in it alone the first time while I was at work :/  It was hard for the two of us to operate in the same house but not at the same time.  However, making yummy dishes definitely made it not seem SO BAD since we weren’t resorting to eating out every meal just because we were alone.

All that to say that good, home-cooked, healthy food really can warm the soul…and doesn’t have to make you fat ;)

Source: Pink Parsley adapted from Elly Says Opa! originally from Rick Bayless, Mexican Everyday
Ingredients

2 Tbsp. canola oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1.25-1.5 lbs. total)
2.5 Tbsp. ancho chili powder, divided
1 medium onion, large dice
1-2 jalapenos, diced
1 cup rice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 cups chicken broth
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped green onions, (OR 1/3 cup cilantro) OR a mixture of both (which is what I did)
1/2 to 1 cup salsa, for serving
lime wedges and sour cream, for serving (optional)

Directions

Season chicken with salt, pepper, and 1 Tablespoon of chile powder. Preheat a large skillet with oil until shimmering. Brown chicken on both sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from skillet and place on a plate, leaving behind as much oil as possible. (As with other chicken recipes, Krista Kooks cooked this chicken in the crockpot with the oil, salt, pepper and chile powder.)

Sautee onion, rice, and jalapeno until the rice is toasted and is no longer translucent and turns opaque. Add the remaining chili powder, the garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. Cook 1 minute, then stir in the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover. Simmer 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken and the black beans to the pot, stir, re-cover, and cook an additional 10-12 minutes.

Taste a grain of rice. If it is slightly chalky in the center, remove the pot from heat, stir in the green onion and cilantro, and let sit, covered, 5 additional minutes. If it is not cooked through, re-cover the pot, and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until done.

Fluff rice with a fork, and serve with salsa, sour cream, and lime wedges.

Gluten Free Banana Nut Muffins

While I’ve never personally made banana ANYTHING, I have tasted many banana breads and muffins in my time.  That said, not a single one of them compares to this fabulous recipe; this is by far the best recipe I’ve EVER tasted!!!  It’s great that it’s gluten free, too ;)

I thought that it would be best for me to freeze all but the few mini muffins I made.  Well, that didn’t really do me any good.  I didn’t need to freeze them.  I still consumed them all within one week.  Ooops :/

Moral of the story: MAKE THESE MUFFINS! :)

Ingredients

2 cups Brown Rice Flour Mix

Brown Rice Flour Mix
2 cups extra finely ground brown rice flour, 2/3 cup potato starch (not potato flour), 1/3 cup tapioca starch/flour. It is very important that you use an extra finely ground brown rice flour, (and not just any grind) or the muffins will be gritty and heavy.

2/3 cup coconut sugar (granulated white sugar also works)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 packed cup very ripe chopped banana  (about 2 medium bananas)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk (or almond milk/milk substitute of your choice)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (substitutions include canola oil or coconut oil)
Granulated sugar for garnish, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Position rack in center of oven. Grease muffin pan with cooking spray (or three 5 x 3 -inch loaf pans).

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt and cinnamon in large mixing bowl. Add bananas and walnuts; stir to coat evenly.

Combine milk and oil in small bowl; remove 1 tablespoon of combined liquid and discard it. Beat in eggs. Add liquids to banana mixture and stir until just blended.

Fill muffin pans 2/3 full. Bake 18–25 minutes until golden brown (35–44 minutes for loaf pans). Remove from pan and serve immediately or cool on a rack.

Note: 

1. Krista Kooks much prefers coconut sugar for this recipe!  
2. Consider tossing in 1/2 tsp of allspice or nutmeg as well.  
3. Haven't tried this with flaxseed meal in place of the egg yet, but I'll try again soon!
4. Applesauce works the best in comparison to the canola oil or coconut oil.  Both subs work, but they just aren't the same.

Comfort Turkey Meatloaf

Glutne-Free notes at the bottom of this post. I’ve previously mentioned that I’m excited to try more of Bethenny Frankel Hoppe’s recipes after reading her book.  We tried her Comfort Turkey Meatloaf recently, and it was absolutely fabulous.  This was the best meatloaf I’ve ever eaten!  Bethenny describes this as a meatloaf that makes you feel at home, and I definitely agree; makes you feel at home without making you feel guilty.

I will say that, if you are making this for 2 or 3 people, I would half the recipe.  Add this to your meal plan this week or next; it’s so amazing!

Ingredients

2 T olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
½ red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic plus 1 tsp
1 tsp of each, chopped: thyme, rosemary
1/3 cup chopped parsley
2 egg whites
1.5 tsp. Dijon mustard
¼ C ketchup
2 T Worcestershire sauce
¼ C soy milk or lowfat milk
2/3 C whole wheat breadcrumbs
2 lb. ground turkey meat
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
½ C canned tomatoes, crushed or chopped
Chopped parsley for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat oil and add onions, celery and bell pepper and cook until softened or caramelized (about 5 minutes).  Add 2 teaspoons garlic and the herbs and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Cool the vegetable mixture and add the eggs, mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and milk.  Mix until combined. Add breadcrumbs, ground meat, salt and pepper, and mix only until incorporated.

Transfer to loaf pan and form.  Pour tomato mixture over the top and bake for 45 minutes to an hour.

Season with salt and pepper, garnish with fresh parsley.

Note: Meatloaf is better when made a day before and reheated.
Make it Gluten-Free!
-Use corn tortilla crumbs or proper gluten free bread crumbs instead of regular bread crumbs.

Mexican Turkey Burger

The sous chef and I are VERY excited to share this recipe!  We both were so surprised by the flavor and tastiness of this recipe.

I’ve recently started reading Bethenny Frankel’s Naturally Thin in order to possibly change my whole way of thinking on how I nourish my body.  I took a browse on her website and found this recipe.  We were so impressed with the flavor of this turkey burger, and my new bosses :) thought it looked super yummy the next day when I brought in my leftovers for lunch.  The sous chef and I were discussing, post-dinner, about how we didn’t even realize that we were eating turkey as we ate this dinner.

We also dressed this burger with wheat buns, mango pico de gallo, and romaine lettuce.  No sauces or cheese involved.

I seriously SERIOUSLY think  you need to add this to your meal plans this week or next.  You won’t be disappointed.

Ingredients

1 lb. ground turkey meat (white if ultra lowfat, dark for more flavor, a mixture for a combination of elements)
¼ red pepper, chopped
¼ yellow pepper, chopped small (if you only have one color, that is fine)
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp. chili powder
Dash of tobasco
Dash of Worcestershire Salt and pepper

Directions

Combine and broil until cooked and center isn't pink at all.

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

While shopping through Sam’s Club the other day, the sous chef and I came across La Madeline’s salad dressings.  Yep, they sell the Caesar and Balsamic in bottles there.  Well, my sous chef began to salivate a little, and I assured him that I could make fresher and healthier salad dressings/vinaigrette at home from scratch as I have in the past.

Thus, a few nights ago, I tried another new one!  After this salad was served, it didn’t take long for the sous chef to finish and plead for another salad.  Haha!  He asks, “Did you take a picture already?” Chomp chomp chomp. “Because you HAVE to blog about this one!  It’s soooooo good!”  So there ya have it.  It’s a winner salad dressing!  Yes, and I liked it too :)

Source

Ingredients

1 cup packed cilantro

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup orange juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Pinch of minced garlic

Directions

Puree cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, orange juice, salt, pepper and garlic in a blender or food processor until smooth.I use the Magic Bullet to puree our dressing :)  You can half this recipe if this is just serving 2 people.

Shrimp, Peas and Rice

When I saw the title of this recipe, I was highly unsure of why this dish would yummy to eat.  It’s not that any of 3 taste bad, but I wasn’t sure why they would all be together in one dish.

Well, I’m officially wrong because this was the best thing we have eaten in a while that was extremely easy to make!  What we loved about it even more was that it makes a great 'take-to-work’ dish for lunches.  Make this for your family tonight, and I promise you’ll be asking why you didn’t double the recipe for leftovers.  Best part is, it’s rather healthy!

Source: Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 cup uncooked long grain rice

2 cups fat free chicken broth

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 tablespoon light butter spread (I used Smart Balance light)

2 tsp plus 1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1 tbsp chopped parsley

salt and fresh pepper

Directions

In a medium size heavy pan melt butter spread. Add rice and saute about a minute. Add chicken broth and peas and bring to a boil. When all liquid is absorbed reduce heat to low and cover. Cook on low for about 15 minutes, until rice is cooked through.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tsp olive oil over medium heat. Season shrimp with salt and pepper and add to hot pan. Cook about 2-3 minutes, until shrimp is cooked through. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside.

Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the skillet and add rice. Add grated cheese, shrimp, and parsley and saute another minute, mixing well.

Crab Quesadillas

I think I warned you previously that I had lots of seafood recipes ready to provide you :)  I wasn’t lying!  I found this recipe on FoodNetwork.com, although it is an EatingWell.com recipe. 

I’ve also discussed before that it’s wise to check the reviews on FoodNetwork.com recipes before making it, and I failed to follow my own advice this time.  Had I done so, I would have read people warning against using the orange zest and orange juice in the quesadillas.  For me, that is the flavor that ruined it.  That said, the sous chef LOVED it!  Hence the reason I’m posting this recipe.  I mentioned previously in my Orange Chicken post about how the orange flavor was much more received by the sous chef than I; the same situation applied here.  Thus, if you think you are ok with things being orangy, leave it in.  If not, take it out, and I think you’ll be just fine.

The recipe below is adapted to accommodate leaving out the orange flavor, if you desire.

Ingredients

1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
4 scallions, chopped
1/2 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapenos (optional)
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest (optional)
1 tablespoon orange juice (optional)
8 ounces pasteurized crabmeat, drained if necessary
4 8-inch whole-wheat tortillas
2 teaspoons canola oil, divided

Directions

Combine Cheddar, cream cheese, scallions, bell pepper, cilantro, jalapenos (if using), orange zest (if using) and juice (if using) in a medium bowl. Gently stir in crab. Lay tortillas out on a work surface. Spread one-fourth of the filling on half of each tortilla. Fold tortillas in half, pressing gently to flatten.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place 2 quesadillas in the pan and cook, turning once, until golden on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes total. Transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges.

Corn Salsa with Lime

So this corn salsa from Gina is much like the Roasted Corn, Black Bean and Mango salad I made previously.  Obviously there are some added ingredients in the later, but the prep is much the same.  This particular corn salsa is like that of Chipotle’s corn salsa.  Sadly I must say that I wish I had made Chipotle’s recipe.  This recipe isn’t bad by any means.  It’s still tasty.  We actually ate it as a side along the crab cakes.  Later that week, I also used some of the leftovers of this corn salsa on top of some baked tilapia.  It’s just my recommendation, however, that you select the Roasted Corn recipe above or the Chipotle recipe above.

The recipe also calls to make 6 cups, which I could never have consumed in our household, so our recipe below is halved.

Source: Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 3

Ingredients
2 cups (10 oz) cooked sweet yellow corn, cut
1 vine ripe tomatoes, diced
1/4 red onion, diced
1/2 scallion, diced
1 jalapeño, diced (remove seeds unless you like it really spicy)
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
3/4 limes, juice of
chipotle chili powder, to taste
salt and fresh pepper to taste

Directions
Combine all the ingredients and refrigerate for about an hour. Makes about 3 cups.

Baked Lump Crab Cakes with Red Pepper Chipotle Lime Sauce

Yuuuuuuum!  I went crazy picking out seafood recipes recently, and this is the first of those recipes.  It should be obvious why I picked it first; so delicious!  Also, the Red Pepper Chipotle sauce is soooo amazing!  The sous chef and I both agreed that it would make a great friend to some fish as well. 

These make a great dinner as I wasn’t even able to finish 2!  The sous chef had to finish off my last few bites :)  I wanted very much to eat them all, but they are just very filling.  The recipe below serves 4 crab cakes, but you could make them smaller to make bite size crabcakes; say 16 crab cakes would make these small enough for bite size.  Making them smaller might alter your cooking time though, so be aware. Source: Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1 cake

Crab Cakes
9 ounces lump crab meat, picked free of shells
1/2 cup (about 13) reduced fat Ritz crackers, crushed
1 whole egg plus 1 egg white, beaten
2 finely chopped scallions
2 tbsp finely chopped red bell pepper
1 tbsp low fat mayonnaise
2 tbsp fresh cilantro (or parsley)
1/2 lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste
cooking spray
Zesty Chipotle Lime Sauce
1 tbsp roasted peppers (jarred)
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 tsp minced canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
1 tsp fresh lime juice

In a small blender (or magic bullet) puree mayonnaise, lime juice, roasted pepper and chipotle pepper.

In a large bowl, combine crushed crackers, eggs, scallions, pepper, mayo, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix well, then fold in crab meat, careful not to over mix so the crab remains in large chunks. Gently shape into patties using a 1/2 cup measuring cup.

Chill in the refrigerator at least 1/2 hour before baking.
Preheat oven to 400°. Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. Bake about 8-10 minutes on each side, until nicely browned.

Drizzle red pepper chipotle lime sauce over crab cakes and serve.

Roasted Veggie and Black Bean Burritos

Do you work?  Ok, then stay tuned.

Are you the typical cook in your household? Ok, then stay tuned.

Are you short on time?  Ok, then stay tuned.

If you answered yes to a single one of these questions, I promise you want this recipe.  I was planning to be out of the house for 6 days straight and was not going to be able to help my sous chef with his meal prep :)  Thus, I wanted to make something he could put in the oven and it could be done fairly quickly but still feel like a home-cooked meal.  This burrito recipe was PERFECT for that.

If you have a look at Aggie’s original recipe for this, you’ll notice that she used sweet potatoes.  Um, I don’t like those (even though my sous chef does), so I decided to sub tomatoes instead.  If you like sweet potatoes, I’d say stick with those!  Using tomatoes was not bad, I promise, but I think those others that have made it with sweet potatoes have really enjoyed it.

Anyhow, we ate 4 of these burritos the night I made them and saved the other 4 so my sous chef could prepare quick meals while I was gone.  I wrapped those other 4 burritos in foil, and he placed them in the oven on the nights he was ready for some yummy dinner :)

Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (small) (Krista Kooks subbed 4 large tomatoes, squeezed of seeds and juices, and cubed)
1 red pepper, cubed (small)
1 red onion cubed (small)
2 jalapenos, diced (if you want less heat sub another red pepper)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper
2 tsp olive oil
can black beans, rinsed
handful chopped cilantro
squeeze lime
shredded cheddar
Whole Wheat Tortillas or Wraps , burrito/wrap size
nonstick olive oil spray

Directions

In a bowl, toss veggies in olive oil and season with spices.  Place in large baking dish and roast in 425 degree oven for 20 minutes, tossing around halfway in between.

Let cool.  Add to a bowl of rinsed black beans.  Add cilantro and squirt of lime juice.  Combine gently.  At this point, mixture can be stored for later use.  Warm wraps in microwave according to directions on package.  Add two heaping tablespoons of vegetable and bean mixture to center of wrap.  Top with shredded cheese.  Fold over, fold in sides and continue to roll.  Place on baking dish, seam side down and spray with nonstick spray or olive oil spray.  Bake in 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Baking this way will make tortilla wrap crisp. For a softer burrito, spray burrito with nonstick spray, then wrap in aluminum foil and bake for same amount of time.
Makes about 6 burritos.

Tip: Premake your burritos and wrap in aluminum foil. Keep in refrigerator for 3-4 days for a quick lunch or dinner!

Chicken Picatta

I have been all about making some of Gina’s recipes lately.  This entree was a staple, and I know we will continue to make this in our house.  In fact, even though I rarely make a meal twice, this one has since been made a second time.  We’ve had it twice in a matter of weeks!  Coming from Krista Kooks, I hope you realize that means we love it!

I was not able to find seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs, so I purchased plain whole wheat and seasoned them myself with Italian Seasoning.  Remember…you can make Italian seasoning yourself!

Ingredients

2 (16 oz) chicken cutlet halves, all fat trimmed

freshly ground black pepper

2 large egg whites

2/3 cup seasoned whole wheat dry bread crumbs

Olive oil spray (about 1 tbsp worth)

1 tbs light butter

juice of 1 lemon, lemon halves reserved

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 tbsp capers

Sliced lemon, for serving

Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving

Cut chicken into 4 cutlets, then place cutlets between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound out to 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
In a shallow plate, beat the egg whites and 1 teaspoon of water together. Place the bread crumbs in another plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the egg, then bread crumbs.

Heat a large saute pan over medium to medium-low heat. Spray a generous amount of olive oil spray on one side of the chicken, and lay it in the pan, oil side down. Spray the top of the chicken generously to coat and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Set aside until you make the sauce.

For the sauce, clean the saute pan. Over medium heat, melt butter, add the lemon juice, wine, chicken broth and the reserved lemon halves, salt, and pepper. Boil over high heat until reduced in half, about 2 minutes. Discard the lemon halves, add the capers and serve one chicken cutlet on each plate. Spoon on the sauce and serve with a slice of lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.