South Beach Diet Chili

This chili recipe is pretty close to my standard chili, I just nixed the corn and carrots.  We always have a lot of deer meat on hand, so I used ground venison, but extra-lean ground beef or turkey would do the trick too. 

I usually make it the day before we plan to eat it, because it's even more flavourful if it sits for a day.  It comes together very quickly though, so it would make a great weeknight meal as well.

The recipe is full of veggies and protein, it doesn't get much healthier!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 5 stalks of celery, diced
• 6 large mushrooms, diced
• 1 tbsp crushed garlic
• 1 large can of diced tomatoes
• 1 large can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 packet of sweetener (or 1 tbsp of sugar or honey)
• 1lb of ground venison (or extra-lean ground beef or turkey), cooked and fat drained
• 1 can of beans (I used six-bean blend, but kidney or black would be fine too!), drained and rinsed
• Seasoning to taste:  chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, cayenne, salt & pepper
• Hot sauce to taste

Directions:

1. Pour olive oil into a large dutch oven and heat to medium.  Sautée the veggies until softened.
2. Add the remainder of the ingredients and simmer for up to an hour.
3. Serve and enjoy!  Shredded cheddar, low-fat sour cream and scallions make great toppings. 

The Best Tuna Salad Ever

Generally, I am a tuna salad purist.  Tuna, mayo, chopped celery and onion.  I saw this recipe on pinterest and was intrigued.  I needed a quick and easy meal for tonight, so I gave it a go.

O. M. Gee.

I don't think I will ever make boring old tuna salad again.  I added a few extra ingredients, but overall, I followed the spirit of the recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cans of tuna, packed in water
2tbsp light mayo
1/4 c. pesto
Sundried tomatoes, chopped
Red pepper, chopped
Green onion, chopped
Zerto 4 cheese blend
Salt & Pepper

Directions:

If you are making this as a sandwich or as filling for a lettuce wrap, just mix it all up and filled your vessel :)

I made this as a melt, so I left out the cheese and used it to top my open faced sandwich instead.

Maple Gravy Pork Chops

We have been buying a HUGE loin at Costco about once a month, which keeps us in pork for at least a meal a week.  As awesome as pulled pork is, I have been trying to cut some into chops and broaden our horizons a bit.

This was my inspiration:  http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/vermont_maple_syrup_pork_chops/

My chops were fairly thin, so I just did a stove-top method, but I am sure the oven-method for a thicker chop would be fab as well.  I doubled the sauce, because I had a haunch it would be delish and I would want some for our rice side dish.  I WAS RIGHT.  It was a little bit sour, a little bit sweet, a little bit spicy and a lot amazing.

Ingredients:

• 4-6 pork chops
• Olive oil
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1/2 c. maple syrup
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 c. water
• 1 tsp chili powder
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a bowl  (maple syrup to s&p).
2. Heat oil in a large skillet or dutch oven.  Sear the pork chops on each side.  Set aside.
3. Saute the onion in the skillet until browned and translucent.
4. Add the sauce and bring to a boil.
5. Add the pork chops back in to the pan.  If they are thick and your pan is oven proof, stick it in a 350 F pre-heated oven and bake for 20 mins.  If they are thinner, just keep the chops cooking in the bubbling sauce for about 10-15 mins on the stove top.
6. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes, so you have something to dump the yummy extra sauce on :)

Rigatoni Rosa with Shrimp

As promised, here is a post about this Penna Rosa with Shrimp recipe.

This pasta was creamy, with a nice flavour.  In the future, I would definitely add fat-free greek yogurt to dishes, in lieu of heavy cream.  The shrimp was a great addition of protein, without adding a lot of calories.  As usual, I didn't follow the recipe to the letter, so I will share my rendition.

Serves:  4  (BIG servings!)

Nutritional Information:  466 calories, 6.5g fat, 3g fiber, 34g protein

Ingredients:

• 300g of penne or rigatoni
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp crushed garlic
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 pkg of mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 red pepper, julienned
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• salt and pepper
• 12 oz of shrimp (about 48 medium shrimp)
• 4 c. spinach
• 3/4 c. crushed tomatoes (or marinara sauce if you don't want to season)
• 1/3 c. fat-free Greek yogurt (I like Liberté Plain Greek Yogurt 0%)
• 1 tbsp Litehouse freeze-dried Italian Herb Blend
• 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta to slightly al dente.  Drain and set aside.  As the pasta is cooking, prep the veggies and shrimp.
2. Heat the olive oil on medium in a very large skillet or wok.  Cook the garlic and onion until they are soft.
3. Increase the heat to medium high and add the mushrooms, red pepper and tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook until the mushrooms release their liquids.
4. Add the shrimp and cook for around 2 minutes, until the shrimp are pink.
5. Remove the skillet from the burner.  Spread the spinach over the top and place the lid on the skillet.  Let it sit for around 2 minutes to wilt the spinach.
6. While the spinach is wilting, mix up the tomato sauce, Greek yogurt and Italian seasoning.
7. Return the skillet to low heat.  Toss in the pasta and let it cook for a few moments, allowing it to release some of the sugars.  Add the sauce and mix it in.  Let the pasta cook up the sauce for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pasta is tender.
8. Served topped with the parm cheese.

Roasted Sole and Penne tossed with Roasted Vegetables and Goat Cheese

This was a super easy supper, it came together in less then 30 minutes.  The directions sound a bit complicated, because there is a lot going on at the same time, but it just assures that everything is ready at the same time.  My photo of this dish is hideous, but it actually presents really nicely in person.  You could serve the pasta with chicken or shrimp, but the sole was definitely a nice change!

Serves:  4
Source:  A SarahSmiles original!

Ingredients:

• Sole fillets (8 small or 4 large)
• Lemon juice
• 9 oz (250 g) penne
• 1 +1 tbsps Kirkland Rustic Tuscan Seasoning (or similar seasoning blend)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 c. green beans, cut into thirds
• 1 red pepper, julienned
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 8 oz white mushrooms, quartered
• 3 oz goat cheese
• 1/4 c. grated parm
• Red pepper flakes, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• Minced chives for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.  Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Spray.
2. Slice the veggies and toss them in the EVOO and 1 tbsp of Tuscan seasoning.  Spread the veggies out on one of the baking sheets and put in the oven.  Set the timer for 10 minutes.
3. Put the water on to boil and add the penne to cook once the water is boiling.
4. While the veggies start roasting, place the sole on the other baking sheet and sprinkle with Tuscan seasoning and lemon juice.
5. When the 10 minute timer goes for the veggies, turn them and return them to the oven with the sole.  Roast both for 10 more minutes. 
6. When the penne and veggies are ready, toss them with the goat cheese, grated parm, red pepper flakes and pepper.
7. Serve and garnish with minced chives.

Curry Lamb Burger with Roasted Red Pepper Pecan Spread

During BBQ season, I am always looking for new ideas to try on the grill.  These burgers are simply amazing.  And, with the right toppings feel very gourmet and indulgent.  The roasted red pepper pecan spread is KEY.  I followed the recipe in the link below, but cut it in half.  The leftovers are fab on breakfast sandwiches or just regular ole sandwiches.

One little tip is to make the burgers the night before and to chill them in the fridge before BBQing.  They tend to be a bit on the crumbly side and they firm up a bit in the fridge.

Makes:  5 x 5oz burgers
Burger Ingredients:

• 1lb lean ground lamb
• 1/2 medium onion, minced
• 1 c. baby bella (or regular) mushrooms, minced
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 c. panko (or bread crumbs)
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp ginger
• Salt & Pepper

Burger Instructions

1. In a skillet with a little EVOO, saute the onion and mushrooms until the onion is translucent and the mushrooms have released their liquid.
2. Mix all the burger ingredients up in a bowl.  WITH YOUR HANDS.
3. Form into patties.  Mine were 5 oz.  And because I am anal, I used my food scale to ensure equality.
4. Grill.

Burger Toppings:

• Arugula
• Red onion
• Red pepper
• Roasted pepper pecan spread
• Goat cheese

Sweet Dijon Chicken Thighs

I am trying to keep up with my promise to start cooking the things I am Pinning on my Pinterest recipes board.  I have had this recipe on my "to-do" list for a while now and just picked up a big pack of thighs at Costco.   If you are eating these bad boys with either rice or potatoes, the sauce makes a great "gravy".  I can see why the original recipe author called this dish "Man Pleasing Chicken", my husband loved them too!!  I served them with roasted carrots and garlic and herb mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:

• Chicken thighs (I used 6, you might need a little more sauce for 8, especially if you like your meat saucey like I do!)
• 1/2 c. dijon mustard
• 1/4 c. maple syrup
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 1 tsp rosemary
• salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Mix up the sauce ingredients (mustard to salt & peppers).
2. Spread the thighs out in a baking dish and cover with the sauce.  Marrinate over night or for the day, if possible, but they are OK cooked right away too!
3. Heat the oven to 450 F.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, basting twice during cooking time, until thighs are cooked through.

Who still eats english muffin pizzas?

THIS GIRL.

English muffin, homemade pizza sauce, diced ham, caramelized onion, red pepper and mushrooms, topped with onion and garlic raw-milk Gouda.  Side:  fresh spinach and radish greens with homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

YES.  PLEASE.

Salmon and Stir-Fry

Our kitchen basket included fiddleheads this week.  What are fiddleheads you might ask?  A delicious fern that you can only get in very particular environments at a certain time of the year (when the spring water is receding!)

You can learn more here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiddlehead_fern

I thought I would get creative and try them in a stir-fry, instead of the usual steamed-with-butter.  I steamed the carrots and fiddleheads for 10 minutes.  Then I stir-fried them with onion, red pepper, mushrooms, a little soy sauce and sweet chili.

The salmon was marinated and baked in a soy-maple glaze.

Soy-Maple Glaze:

• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 1/4 c. maple syrup
• 1 tbsp crushed garlic
• 1 tsp ginger
• salt and pepper
• green onion for garnish

This was definitely a nice spin on a traditional meal.

Homemade Pizza

Last night, I busted out the good old KitchenAid and endeavoured homemade pizza crust.  This is normally my husbands domain, but I thought I would give it a try.

I used the recipe from the KitchenAid mixer recipe book.  Although anything involving yeast scares me, this was actually super easy and turned out really well.  I only took a "before" baking photo, but I can assure you it was all cheesy and bubbly and amazing after baking.

Instead of typing out the whole recipe and instructions, I thought I would just post the link and then tell you how I modified it and what I used for toppings.

CRUST RECIPE

Modifications:

• I used an equal mix of white and whole wheat flour.
• I baked it on the pizza stone.  I heated the stone up, spread cornmeal all over the stone and then spread the dough on the stone.
• I baked just the crust on the stone for 7-10 minutes, then added the toppings and baked for an additional 10 minutes.

Toppings:

I was going for sort of a tuscany vibe, but whilst still cleaning out the fridge a bit in the process.

• Homemade pizza sauce
• 1 tiny can of tomato paste
• 1 medium can of tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• Costco Tuscan Seasoning
• Red onion, sliced
• Red pepper, sliced
• Mushrooms, sliced
• Pastrami, diced
• Tomato slices
• Fresh basil
• Fresh mozza, sliced
• Fresh parm

Saturday Night Steaks

It doesn't get much better then this:

Wolf Blass cab sauv for me and Miller Chill for the husband
Baked brie topped with this super fantastic amazing and local Wild Blueberry Lime Salsa
Steak, hot potato salad and green salad
Cupcakes

Why would we ever bother with restaurants?!

Skinny Taste: Slow Cooked Sweet Barbacoa Pork

Run, don't walk, to Skinny Taste and try this recipe out.

I never make recipes exactly as they are written, but in this case I did.  It was the right decision.

Slow Cooker Sweet Barbacoa Pork

Last night, I had it in a tortilla with shredded lettuce, red onion, red pepper, cilantro, salsa and sour cream.  Today for lunch, I am having it over salad.  I am soooo excited for lunch.

BBQ Steak Sandwich

We had some random pieces of steak left from the farm beef my cousin and her husband gave us and I wasn't sure what to do with it. The husband asked for steak sandwiches, which made for a perfect weeknight dinner!

Spinach salad = spinach, shallot, strawberries, mushrooms, feta, poppy seed dressing

Green beans = Tossed in EVOO and tuscan seasoning, roasted

Steak sandwich = steak, red pepper, mushroom, onion tossed in BBQ sauce, on a bun, topped with cajun gouda

Mango-Mustard Glazed Tilapia

Photo from Kraft.com

When I got home last night, I decided it would be a good idea to make not only the tilapia on the menu, but supper for tonight, at the same time. This resulted in a ravenous Sarah when dinner was served, who totally forgot to take a photo. My fish looked pretty much the same as the kraft version, maybe just a little saucy-er (I love sauce!) I served it over wild rice with a side of roasted broccoli, carrots, mushrooms and onion.

The best part about it was that it was QUICK and so, so easy.

Ingredients:

• 5 Tilapia fillets


• 1/4 c. mango chutney


• 2 tbsp grainy mustard (Gray Poupon or other spicey mustard)


• s&p

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. If you roasting veggies, they take about 20-25 minutes. The fish will only take 12. So, put the veggies in as soon as the oven is heated.


2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it.


3. Mix the mango chutney and mustard.


4. Place the tilapia on the baking sheet and smear a spoonful of the mustard-chutney on the tilapia.


5. Bake for 12 minutes. Sprinkle with a little green onion or cilantro and serve!
   

Grillled BBQ Chicken Salad Sandwich

I have messed around with this photo (taken cellphone style) for the last 20 minutes and I can't get it to post properly, so here it is, in all its' sideways glory. The sandwich was to ooeygooey delicious not to photograph!

The Cuisinart Griddler has changed our lives. We have a new weekly tradition of having soup and a grilled sandwich once a week, because the Griddler rocks so hard. My husband loves soup and sandwich night more than anything and I have made it my personal vendetta to never serve the same combo.

I bought a rotisserie chicken from Costco on the weekend for quesadillas and the sandwiches, so this was seriously EASY. The bread comes in our kitchen box from Real Food Connections and it is The. Best. I usually try to incorporate other things from the kitchen box into both the soup and sammy. This week, the peashoot greens were especially good on the sandwich!

Makes: 4 sandwiches or wraps.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 a rotisserie chicken, chopped


• 3 stalks of celery, minced


• 1 red pepper, minced


• 1/2 small red onion, minced


• 1/4 c. light or fat free mayo


• 1/4 c. BBQ sauce


• S&P


• 4 slices of cheddar


• Bread or wraps


• Shredded lettuce (I used pea shoots from our kitchen box!)

Directions:

1. Chop chicken and mince veggies. Combine with BBQ sauce, mayo and s&p.


2. Divide chicken into 4 and put on a sandwich or wrap with a slice of cheddar.


3. Grill sandwich or wrap until the outside is crispy and the cheese is melty.


4. Remove from grill and add greens. I had slimy wilted greens, so I add them after cooking.


5. Enjoy :)
   

*I was going to post the recipe for the soup, but I didn't measure a single thing when I made it! Ooops.

Pork Tenderloin with a Balsamic Brown Sugar Glaze

I have a tonne of recipes posted to my Pinterest boards. I think around 100 between the "Recipes" and "Food Porn" additions. I have vowed to start cooking at least of these recipes a week. Otherwise, I fear pinterest will turn into a "stuff I like but am too lazy to ever do" compilation.

It's Sunday, so thought I would make something a bit special. But, it turns out this is easy enough for a week night! I served it with roasted potatoes and broccoli. The glaze was
yummy on both.

Inspired by: www.candcmarriagefactory.com/2011/01/brown-sugar-and-balsamic-glazed-pork.html

Ingredients:

• Pork tenderloin
• Prosciutto (around 6 slices)
• Rub: salt, pepper, sage, garlic
• Water

Glaze

• 1/2 c. water
• 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp corn starch

Directions:

1. Rub the tenderloin with the, you guessed it, RUB.
2. Wrap in prosciutto. The prosciutto is optional and was something I added from the original recipe, but totally worth it!
3. Put a little water in the crockpot and cook the tenderloin on low for 6-8 hours.
4. About an hour before the tenderloin is done, make the glaze. Mix up the glaze ingredients in a small sauce pan and heat, stirring constantly until thickened.
5. Glaze the tenderloin a few times through the last hour of cooking.
6. Slice the tenderloin and drizzle with remaining glaze. (Save a little for your sides, it is delish!!)

Sundried Tomato Tilapia in a Bag

Photo (and inspiration) from redlobster.com

Ingredients:

• 4 large or 8 small Tilapia filets
• 8 c. spinach
• 1 medium red onion, sliced
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• S&P
• 4 tbsp italian salad dressing
• 1/2 c. sundried tomatoes
• 8 pieces of parchment paper

Directions:

1. Spray 4 pieces of parchment paper. Layer 2 c. spinach, 1/4 of the onion and 1/4 of the red pepper on each piece of paper. Place tilapia on top and season with s&p and 1 tbsp italian dressing. Top with sundried tomato.
2. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of each piece of tilapia and seal the packet.
3. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 F for 15-20 mins.

Comments:

I don't know how many times I can say that recipes are amazing, but I guess I wouldn't post them if they sucked, would I? This was fast, delicious and fresh. I served it with a side of wild rice and some broccoli, but there are enough vegetables included for a serving. I think you could make it on the grill too. This will be a regular in the rotation!

Sweet Potato, Kale and Black Bean Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 1 large or 2 smaller sweet potatoes, peeled, chopped, boiled and mashed



• 1 onion, chopped



• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed



• 8 c. Kale, removed from stalks and chopped (this seems like a lot, but it really shrinks!)



• 1 tbsp of fresh garlic (or 1 tsp of garlic powder)



• 1 tbsp chili powder



• 1-1.5 tsp cumin



• 1 tsp paprika



• 1 tsp oregano



• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (more if you like it spicey)



• salt and pepper



• 1 can of enchilada sauce (with mexican or international food at grocery store)



• Shredded cheddar cheese



• green onion for garnish



• Tortillas (5-8, depending on how much filling you use)

Directions:

1. Cook and mash sweet potatoes.



2. In a skillet, soften the onion.



3. Add black beans and seasoning, stirring to coat. Heat black beans through.



4. Add kale about two cups at a time and fold it in. It will wilt as you do this.



5. Spray a pan. Pour a little enchilada sauce into the bottom and swirl it around until the bottom is coated.



6. Put a little bit of shredded cheddar and a scoop of filling in a tortilla, fold it up and place in the pan.



7. When the tortillas are all rolled up an in the pan, pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the top. Sprinkle with more cheese and the green onion.



8. Bake for 25 mins at 350 covered in foil. Remove foil and bake for 5-10 more minutes.



9. Serve garnished with sour cream, salsa and/or guac.

Comments:

My husband was skeptical of these, but OH WOW. They are seriously delicious. They feel sinful, but with low carb wraps, they are really quite healthy and diet friendly. My parents are pretty meat-and-potatoes type folks and even they really enjoyed them.

Serve with a side salad or some spanish rice for a complete meal.

Asian Chicken Salad

Source: Me!
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs


• 1/2 c. flour, seasoned with salt and pepper


• 2 tbsp EVOO


• 1/4 c. mango chutney


• 1 head of Boston lettuce, shredded (or greens of your choice)


• 1 carrot, shredded


• 1/2 red onion, sliced thin


• 1 c. sliced mushrooms


• 2 stalks of green onion


• Asian toasted sesame ginger dressing


• Optional topping: chow mein noodles

Directions:

1. Chop chicken into bite sized pieces. In a ziplock bag, toss chicken in seasoned flour until coated.


2. Heat up oil in a non-stick skillet. Brown chicken for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until the chicken is almost cooked, just a tiny bit pink in the center.


3. Add the mango chutney and toss the chicken until coated. Continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through, about another minute or two.


4. Meanwhile, make up the salad of shredded lettuce, sliced red onion, sliced mushrooms, chopped green onion and shredded carrots.


5. Let the chicken cool a little. Top the salad with the chicken, asisan toasted sesame dressing and crushed chow mein noodles (optional).

Comments:

This almost felt like a restaurant main course salad that would be really bad for you, it was so good! Next time, for a change, I might try tossing the chicken in sweet chili sauce and adding some mandarin oranges. Definitely a make again!

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Source: Skinnytaste.com, with a few modifications
Serves: 6 large servings, 8 smaller servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1.5 c. chicken broth
• 1.5 c. skim milk
• 1.5 c. frozen peas
• 1 pkg baby bella mushrooms, chopped
• 2 can of tuna, packed in water, drained
• 1 tbsp dry mustard
• salt & lots of black pepper
• 1.5 c. shredded old cheddar (the older and sharper the better!)
• 4 c. whole wheat yolkless egg noodles
• Toppings: 1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese, paprika, bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Boil the egg noodles until around 2 mins from done.
2. In a dutch oven or large sauce pan, melt butter and cook onion until softened.
3. Add the flour and coat onions, stiring continuously for about 1 min.
4. Add the chicken broth and whisk in. Add the milk. Boil for 3 mins.
5. Add the peas and mushrooms. Simmer for 7 mins until sauce starts to thicken slightly.
6. Add the tuna, salt and pepper and dry mustard. Cook for 1 min, to heat tuna.
7. Sprinkle in the shredded cheese 1/4 c. at a time, stirring continuously to melt cheese into the sauce.
8. Stir in the egg noodles.
9. Pour into a greased rectangular baking dish, like a lasagna pan. Top with parmesan cheese, paprika and bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for 20-30 mins.

Comments:

I served this with a side of asparagus, sauteed in evoo, s&p and garlic. We really enjoyed it as a nice, comfortable meal. It didn't have crazy ground-breaking flavors or anything, but it was a light version of an old favorite. Definitely beat boxed tuna helper!