Crispy Salmon & Quinoa

Crispy Salmon: super easy to make and tastes amazing!! I’ve been posting a lot of easy, fast recipes lately, mostly because I’ve been super busy working and being too tired to make anything that takes longer than 30 minutes. This meal literally took me 13 minutes from the time I dropped the salmon on the pan to the time I took it out of the oven!

I’ve only had quinoa in this Campbell’s soup that I like, so I came across a frozen package of quinoa and vegetables at Whole Foods, and anything with a steam in bag is going to taste just as fresh as if you bought it straight from the garden! I figured I’d give it a try and I was not disappointed. The quinoa has a soft texture, so the crispy salmon paired perfectly with it! This package had sweet potatoes and zucchini mixed, and they tasted great with the salmon.

To start, preheat your oven to 400°. Take an oven safe skillet and place on high heat, while both are heating, brush your salmon with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, I used lemon pepper seasoning. Once the pan is heated up, place your salmon, skin side up, on the skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes. I would suggest at 4 minutes to try and flip, if it isn’t coming off the pan easily leave it on for another minute or two. Once flipped to skin side up, place in the oven for 8-10 minutes. If you like your salmon well done, you will want it to bake for 10-12 minutes.

While your salmon is baking, take your quinoa and microwave according to package directions (mine was 4 minutes, sitting for 1 minute after cooking).

While all of that is cooking, take a small bowl and mix up your special soy sauce concoction! I honestly didn’t measure out anything (I tend to just add more of what’s needed and taste as I go, the best way to cook!!) I will try to guesstimate how much I think I added to make this mixture, but please taste as you go and add more honey or nectar if you want it to taste sweeter, and more soy sauce if you think it’s too sweet. This is a staple for a lot of my asian recipes and I always put it on my salmon, it tastes amazing together! And it has no fat and very few calories.

When everything is ready, spoon some quinoa on your plate, then place your salmon on top. Before I add the salmon to my plate I take a fork or use my spatula and peel off the skin. Then spoon some sauce over top of your salmon and quinoa. I tend to think less is better to start and if you think you need more you can always add more! But since the sauce has soy in it, it’s a strong taste and is very salty, so add a little bit first and see how you like it!

What you’ll need:
1-2 salmon fillets
1 package of quinoa with vegetables (found in the freezer section by the vegetables)
salt and lemon pepper seasoning (or plain pepper)
For the soy mixture:
about 1/4-1/3 cup of low sodium soy sauce
about 2 tbsp honey
about 1 tbsp agave nectar
about 1-2 tsp fish sauce
a dash or two of ground ginger (or minced)
Whisk 

Quick&Easy Pulled Pork BBQ

I had a few days off from what seemed like a long time, so of course I had tons of errands and chores to do. I wanted to make dinner, but didn’t know how much time I would have at the end of the day, so I thought I would make things easy and make a crockpot meal. I have had a craving for pulled pork recently, and happened to come across this Hormel pre packaged pork shoulder. Already marinated and ready to go! All you have to do is get out your crockpot and put in the pork and cook! Instead of using some fattening coleslaw, I decided to try something different to put on my sandwich. I decided to try this corn & jalapeno “slaw” with feta cheese. I lost the recipe so I kind of just made it up as I went (with lots of taste testing) It ended up tasting better than I thought! The sandwich and “slaw” give you an amazing combination of sweet and spicy. I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Not only does this meal taste great, it’s super quick and easy and involves very little dirty dishes! (Something my husband was thankful for.)

This is the pork package that I found at the grocery, directions are on the label and very simple! Slow cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. I decided to add some honey on the pork with the pre-marinated sauce which ended up being a very good idea!

After the pork has been cooking for a few hours, take a fork or spatula and shred the pork in the crock pot. Doing this will break up the meat and it’s juices and help the marinating sauce absorb the meat better. I also added more honey at this time and mixed well.

Once the pork is done, take a medium size bowl and get out all of your ingredients for the “slaw”. I bought frozen roasted corn so I didn’t have to buy corn on the cob, cut it, then roast it. It’s a huge time saver and tastes just as good! Cook your frozen corn according to package directions. Take your jalapeno and mince into small pieces. You can use more or less depending on how spicy you like your food. Add your feta, lime, and siracha. (Siracha is spicy, so if you’re not big on spicy foods I would omit it or omit the jalapenos).

I would suggest adding red onion to this recipe, I forgot to buy one at the store and had to do without! Add half a red onion, minced. Once done mixing, place on your sandwich and enjoy a healthier way to eat bbq sandwiches!

What you’ll need:
boneless pork shoulder (pre marinated or you can marinate your own!)
1/3 cup of honey (give or take, I didn’t measure it out)
1 package of whole wheat hamburger buns
For the “slaw”:
1 package roasted frozen corn
1/2-1 jalapeno, minced 
crumbled feta cheese (just go by how much you’d like in your mixture)
juice of 1 lime
1 generous squeeze of siracha sauce
salt & pepper

A Twist to Chicken Pot Pie

Who doesn’t love pot pie? I decided to mix it up a little and throw in some vitamin K! I also added chorizo and some chili’s to give it a little kick! This is definitely no ordinary pie, so if you’re afraid of a little spice or something different, you may just want to check out my plain pie recipe.

To get started, you’ll want to boil your chicken for 20-25 minutes, then set aside to cool. You can also use rotisserie chicken which is a little messy, but is easier and takes less time to make. While your chicken is cooling, preheat your oven to 350° (or according to your dough‘s packing directions).

Take a skillet and place on medium high heat. Slice your chorizo keeping the casing as intact as you can. After 2-3 minutes add your onions. Cook until the chorizo is slightly browned on both sides and the onions are translucent. Set aside.

In a medium to large size pot, on medium heat, melt your butter and gradually stir in the flour in bits. Careful not to place too much flour at one time or it will become clumpy. You also don’t want to boil the butter and flour. Once melted and the flour thins, add your milk and half and half. Next add your chicken broth, stir to combine.

Once your chicken is cooled enough to handle (or if you’re impatient and hungry, like I usually am, you can use two forks) and shred the chicken. Place in all of your ingredients except your squash, peas, and spinach. 

To make life easier, I had all steam in bags, so I microwaved my spinach, peas, and squash. Once they’re done place in the pot and stir until incorporated. Careful not to stir too much or your veggies will make the mixture mushy.

Get out your pot pie pan, you can also use a basic square baking dish. Place your dough on the bottom layer, then pour in your filling and place your second layer of dough on top and seal. Take a butter knife and make in four lines to create air pockets. Place in the oven according to package directions of your dough of choice. I like Pillsbury and I also like Whole Foods whole wheat pie crust. After the first 15 minutes take foil and cover up the edges of your pie crust, this prevents it from burning when the rest of the dough isn’t ready to come out yet.

That’s it!! You’re all done and I promise you’ll love the end result! If the chorizo is too spicy for you, I recommend leaving out the chili’s or vice versa. I tend to like the spicier things, so if you’re new to trying spicy foods, I would suggest just starting with the chorizo.

What you’ll need:
1lb boneless skinless chicken breast (or rotisserie chicken if you’re pressed on time)
1 link of chorizo sausage
1/2 yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp flour, add more if needed based on sauces consistency (if too thin add more)
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
A dash or so of half and half
1 cup chicken broth
1 square of chopped chili DOROT seasoning (freezer aisle at any natural/whole foods store)
1 tsp each or so (add more to taste) of cajun seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper
Salt & pepper
2 peices of your favorite pie crust or dough

Chorizo stuffed meatloaf

Meatloaf can be so boring, and often times it’s that go to staple when you don’t have anything else to make. This meatloaf recipe will change your opinion about meatloaf and will make you realize how much you can do with these recipes! Next time you think of making some meatloaf put something different in! You will be surprised with what you come up with!

I wanted to make a sweet and spicy meatloaf, the chorizo, jalapenos, and sweet chili sauce are so good together! If you aren’t a fan of spicy, you can certainly leave out the jalapenos.

To get started preheat your oven to 350°. Take a large mixing bowl and add your pork, beef, spices, onion, pepper, garlic, eggs, cream, and bread crumbs. I mix with my hands but that’s a personal preference. Make sure you mix well, but try not to over mix. Take half of the mixture and place on the bottom of a loaf pan and press down evenly. Take your chorizo and remove the casing carefully, to keep mold intact. Lay the chorizo down in the middle. Take the other half and place on top being sure to press down on the outsides to mold together into one loaf.

Once this is done place in the oven for 60 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160°. Baste the top with the pan juices and chili sauce every 15 minutes or so. Place the jalapeno slices on top for the last 15-20 minutes. Once it is done baking, let sit for 10 minutes before slicing.

What you’ll need:

1/2 lb ground pork
1lb ground beef
1/2 minced onion
1/2-1 (depending on how much you like) green bell pepper minced with seeds removed 
1 clove garlic minced
2 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4-1 cup plain bread crumbs (add more if needed)
1 tsp each of cajun, cayanne, cumin, chili, salt & pepper seasoning (add more if needed)
1 Chorizo link, casings removed
slices of jalapenos 
sweet chili sauce for basting and dipping

Strawberry Lemon Bars

Some time ago I had my first blog post, it was my Raspberry bars . I had a small cheap camera and had absolutely no clue what I was doing! Now that I’m more practiced I can post this with a bit more confidence! This recipe is the same as my raspberry bars except I added strawberries and more lemon.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and lemon zest with a whisk. Cut the butter into small pieces. Place in the flour mixture and the egg. Use a pastry blender (or your hands if you don’t have one) and push down throughout the flour mixture until there is little loose flour.

Preheat your oven to 375°. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with PAM. Spread about half of the flour mixture into a 9×13 baking dish and press down until flat all over.

In a medium sized bowl take your strawberries (washed stemmed and cut) and mix them together with your cornstarch, lemon juice, and preserves. Mix until preserves and cornstarch is dissolved. Make sure to taste test this mixture and add more lemon juice if needed. You can also add sugar, but I thought it was sweet enough without it. If you feel it needs to be thicker, you can add a little more cornstarch.

Once you’ve found the right taste and texture, add the mixture on top of the bottom crust. Spread evenly throughout. Take the rest of your flour crumbles and sprinkle on top throughout the entire dish evenly. Place in the oven for 40-45 minutes, halfway through turn the dish around. It’s ready when the top is browned and the strawberry mixture is bubbling.

Set out to cool. Once cooled, cut into squares.

What you’ll need:

1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. salt
Zest of 1½ lemons
16 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg
2-3 6oz containers of strawberries

For the strawberry mixture:
About half of a small jar of Strawberry Preserves
4 tsp cornstarch
Juice of 2 lemons

 

Organic low-fat breakfast sandwiches

I woke up one morning craving a breakfast sandwich and thought… why don’t I make my own healthy version, way better and cheaper than some McDonald’s greasy fattening sandwich! So I went to my local whole foods and bought me some whole wheat english muffin, organic free range eggs, turkey bacon, and organic cheese. This recipe is for 6 sandwiches, there are only 5 in the picture because I ate one and it was lovely!!! I thought it would be nice to write some inspirational quotes on top to give myself a little pep and a smile to start my day! Who knows, one little positive phrase could make your day so much better!

To get started, preheat your oven to 350°. Beat 4 egg whites and 2 whole eggs in a bowl with the spices listed. Don’t freak out about the color of the eggs, the cajun seasoning makes them look a little funky! Grease 6 spaces in the muffin pan with some Pam. Pour evenly in the muffin pan. Next take a baking pan and place the strips of turkey bacon side by side. Place in the oven for 6 minutes. After 6 minutes, turn the bacon, then place your eggs to bake for 9 minutes. I ended up putting the bacon on the top rack and putting the oven on high broil for a few minutes to get the bacon extra crispy!

While the eggs and bacon are baking, slice up your muffins.

Next up, get your grill pan or panini press and start to heat it. Assemble your sandwiches. Place as many as you can on the grill and press down on each side to total about 5 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown and the cheese is starting to melt.

Once done, set aside and get out your wax paper.

Wrap up your sandwiches with the wax paper. And if you choose to label them or make inspirational sayings, add those now. Place in the freezer.

When you’re ready to eat them, place in the microwave for 2-2:30 minutes or until the middle is warm and the cheese is melted. Pair with some fresh fruit or yogurt and you’ve got yourself a great low fat breakfast! I won’t lie, it felt like I was eating some McDonald’s! Next time I will make some breakfast burritos! I used all organic products, but you can make whatever you prefer to use!

What you’ll need:
6 Organic whole wheat english muffins
4 egg whites and 2 whole eggs, Organic and free range
A few dashes of garlic, onion powder, cajun seasoning, and pepper
A package of Organic Turkey bacon
6 slices of Organic American Cheese
Pam

Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana from your kitchen!

Who doesn’t love Olive Garden?! Personally my favorite things there are the cheddar bay biscuits, salad, and the Zuppa Toscana. I have made the biscuits before so I figured why not try to make the soup! Kale has become my new favorite vegetable, and it is so good in this soup! It gives it a sort of crunch and a slightly bitter bite. I promise you will not want to go back to Olive Garden when you can make it at home!

Start out by breaking your kale into small pieces and washing it thoroughly. Set it aside to dry.

Next slice up your potatoes and boil them until they are very tender, you want them to almost fall apart at the touch. Drain and set aside.

Next take a large pot or use a cast iron skillet and put on medium high. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Add your onions and sausage. Next add your awesome Dorot crushed garlic!!

I found this at Whole Foods in the freezer aisle. It has ginger, garlic, basil, and garlic and herbs. I’m hoping they will have cilantro soon! Just think of how many times you throw out fresh herbs because they go bad quick?? This will last years and one square equals 1 tsp. I am so excited about this find and it is definitely going to be a staple in my kitchen for the days to come!

Stir until the sausage is browned and the Dorot is dissolved. Once browned, add the chicken broth, crushed red pepper, whole milk and half and half. Stir and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Add the kale and potatoes.

Stir and simmer for another 10 minutes. If you like a thicker soup, you may add some heavy whipping cream and mash up some of the potatoes. Taste and make sure it is to your liking, add more milk or seasonings as needed.

Now all that’s left is to devour!!!

What you’l need:
1 large bunch of kale
1 lb ground italian sausage
10-12 potatoes (I used some spanish potatoes at a farmers market!)
1/2 yellow onion minced
1 square of Dorot crushed garlic
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups whole milk
4 cups half and half
pinch of red pepper flakes
black pepper