Picadillo Quesadillas

One word... YUM!

I make Crock Pot Picadillo all the time in my house (Madison's number one request), and because it makes so much I like to get creative with my leftovers. I came up with this for lunch one day and my husband said I should put it on the blog, so I thought with Cinco De Mayo coming, it would be fun to do some Cuban-Mexi fusion.

I made a really quick & easy Pico de Gallo to add along with the cheddar jack cheese, the results – delicious!

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Superfood PB Banana and Cacao Green Smoothie

Whenever I go to my local health food store, I like to challenge myself and purchase something I've never tried before. Last week I bought a small bag of raw cacao nibs which come from the bean of the cacao plant and is rich in antioxidants, fiber and magnesium. What I was expecting when I opened the package was the bitter taste when I put a spoonful in my mouth. But after asking around on Instagram I got tons of great feedback and ideas. I realized if you combine them with something sweet, the bitterness subsides and tastes like rich dark chocolate.

I've been playing around with them all week and decided to try them in my smoothie. Here, I combined almond milk, peanut butter, a really ripe banana with a few drops of stevia along with a handful of spinach. Aside from all the health benefits associated with raw cacao which you can read more about here, this tasted great and was very satisfying.

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Healthy Baked Fish Sticks with Lemon Caper Sauce

 
Making fish sticks from scratch is quick and easy. Once you try them, you'll never go back to prepackaged frozen sticks again!

Firm meaty cod fish holds it's shape perfectly during baking, and to get a crisp golden flavorful crust I combined panko crumbs with a little Old Bay and spices to get a faux-fried coating without the need to deep fry. I'm a dipper, I love dipping my food in condiments, and was really happy with how this lemon caper sauce turned out – you can really taste the fresh chives and lemon, which is the perfect compliment to the fish.

Although there's nothing like catching your own fish, that's not always possible. So when purchasing seafood, I always look for sustainable options, whether it's fresh or frozen. The first time I heard the term "sustainable seafood" was a few years back in San Francisco at an Alaska Seafood cooking demonstration where I learned that unlike many of the world’s other fish populations, Alaska’s are managed for protection against overfishing ensuring a healthy, wild and sustainable harvest for our future generations. So when I see the Alaskan Seafood label, I know I'm making a sustainable choice. I also have the (free) Seafood Watch App on my phone which I LOVE and always refer to before purchasing fish. It's simple to follow – you simply type the name of the fish and it gives you a green, yellow or red dot, plus suggestions for good alternatives. It's also a great idea to talk to your fish monger!

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Roasted Strawberry Protein Smoothie and a Vitamix Giveaway

Roasting strawberries in this smoothie brings out their amazing natural flavor in this creamy, protein packed smoothie – what a great way to start the day!

I discovered a new way to add protein to my smoothies... cottage cheese! This is a great discovery for me because I'm not a fan of the tang of yogurt in my smoothies. Cottage cheese makes it creamy with no tang, and has more protein than yogurt so it's perfect! I also love adding chia seeds to my smoothies which is an excellent source of fiber and omega-3's which is available at Target.

I'm sooo excited to review my new Vitamix blender for the first time. Wow, what power this blender has. And guess what… it's now available at Target! And Target is giving one away to a lucky winner!! All you have to do is leave a comment here and share your favorite smoothie recipe along with a way I can reach you if you win (email, twitter, Instagram). That's it, easy!! Good luck!!

RULES:  Giveaway is provided by Target and the Target Inner Circle and will run until Monday evening, March 31, 2014 open to all U.S. residents 18 years and older. A winner will be chosen at random using Random.org. Chosen winner must respond within 48 hours of notification to claim their prize or another shall be chosen. Good luck! 



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Flounder Milanese with Arugula and Tomatoes

Breaded flounder lightly pan sauteed and topped with an arugula, lemon and tomato salad – a simple yet delicious way to prepare fish. Perfect for Lent, or any night you're in the mood for fish.

I was on a cruise a few weeks ago aboard the Norwegian and one of the meals I ordered more than once was the Flounder Milanese. I was able to recreate a lighter version of that meal; rather than deep frying it, I generously sprayed the fish with olive oil and pan sauteed it until golden. I love everything about this dish, it's light, quick and satisfying all for under 225 calories. You can use any white fish fillet you wish, and if you rather make this in the oven, I would broil it instead. Hope you enjoy!

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Crock Pot Balsamic Pork Roast

I love making pork in the slow cooker, it's so easy and literally falls apart once cooked. Here it's cooked with balsamic and honey which gives it a slight tang that I thought was lovely.

Whenever I happen to see a small pork roast in the supermarket, I always pick one up because I know it's an easy dinner. I usually find myself gravitating to the Slow Cooker Kalua Pork each and every time because it's so good and easy to make, but I wanted to switch things up and came across a slow cooker recipe for this balsamic pork recipe on Add A Pinch.

I met Robin just a few months ago while I was in Oregon so I was happy to try one of her recipes. This was so easy to make, and although my husband generally isn't much of a balsamic fan, my toddler and I thought it was great! This recipe is slightly modified from her original but for the most part I followed it pretty close.

I served this with Broccoli and Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes but this would also be great with Roasted Parmesan Green Beans.

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Spaghetti Squash Primavera

Spaghetti squash and fresh vegetables simmered with a quick marinara sauce and topped with fresh mozzarella if you desire - easy, cheap, gluten-free and perfect for Meatless Mondays!

This was inspired after watching a marathon of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, but this time we actually decided to go to the nearest DDD restaurant, The Pit Stop which was featured on the show for their spaghetti squash primavera.

As a spaghetti squash lover myself, I ordered it and loved it and knew I wanted to re-make this at home. Super easy to make and you can use whatever vegetables you like – I used broccoli, carrots and zucchini but you can use asparagus, eggplant or bell peppers. To speed this up I made the spaghetti squash in the microwave which takes only about 8 minutes to cook, but if you have more time you can make it in the oven, the directions below are for both.

Of course, I had to top mine with fresh mozzarella which was just made and still warm when I bought it this morning! Leave the cheese out for vegan, dairy-free or paleo diets, nutritional info is provided below both ways. This dish comes together in less than 20 minutes, and you can easily double the recipe to make it 4 servings using a larger saute pan. You can also freeze this once cooked and reheat it in the oven for another day, enjoy!

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Blueberry Kale Smoothie

Don't be afraid by the color of this smoothie, I promise it tastes better than it looks! The dark color is from antioxidant rich blueberries and kale (one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet). Black is the new green!

Combined with almond milk, peanut butter, ripe banana and dates, this smoothie is naturally sweet, filling and so good for you!

For those of you on Weight Watchers, I never know if I should count the fruit in my smoothies. Some say no, others say yes. I've decided to count the dates, but not the banana and blueberries – your call!

Here's a helpful tip: When your bananas are brown, freckled and look like they're ready to be thrown out – peel them, cut them and put them in your freezer, they are perfect in smoothies! Buy organic berries when they go on sale, and freeze them too!


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Chicken and Lentil Soup

This delicious, hearty lentil soup made with chicken, cilantro, cumin and spices is perfect for warming your belly on those cold winter nights. What's more, it's easy to make, economical and very satisfying.

I was in the mood for this last night so I thought it would be a great time to update the photos. I've slightly modified the original recipe which I posted back in 2009, but the results are just as good.

I've been making this soup for years, my family loves it – including my four year old (to my surprise)! It makes a big pot which means plenty of leftovers for lunch. It freezes well and can be reheated with a little water if it gets too thick.

Lentils were actually the first legumes I liked as a kid. My mom would me a similar soup with carrots and celery and since I was picky – she usually pureed mine. I love preparing them because they cook so much quicker than dried beans, and a small amount goes a long way. They are high in protein, Vitamin B, folate and soluble fiber and have twice as much iron as other legumes. You can easily cut this recipe in half or freeze left-overs for lunch which is what I like to do. Chicken breast would work in place of thighs if you prefer white meat. Ground annato (also known as achiote) is commonly used in Latin cuisine, it's used mostly to add color and adds a subtle flavor, but if you can't find it paprika would work instead.

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Skinny Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake Squares

 
Cheesecake squares with a cranberry swirl and a gingersnap pecan crust – so good, less guilt and perfect for the Holidays!

I'm so excited to share these with you, they turned out even better than I expected! 

 

A few years ago I started experimenting with adding fat free Greek yogurt to my cheesecakes and now it's a standard for me. It's a great way to cut down on the fat and the flavor is wonderful. This is a variation of my strawberry cheesecake swirl recipe, and my chocolate raspberry swirl cheesecake, only for a Fall/Winter theme cranberries are in perfect and in season. The gingersnap and pecan crust is the perfect compliment – you'll love this!

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Farro and Sausage Stuffed Roasted Acorn Squash

This simple savory stuffed acorn squash is easy to make and filled with the wonderful flavors of Fall.  The stuffing is made with farro, chicken sausage, mushrooms, celery, onions and sage – you'll love this!

It doesn't get easier than this: simply halve and hollow out acorn squash, then season with salt and roast in the oven. Nothing like warming up the kitchen on a blistery night with baked squash in the oven. While that bakes make the stuffing on the stove, then when the squash is ready fill it with the stuffing and serve – the results are a soft, flavorful squash filled with savory goodness! 

In the Fall I love preparing squash, whether it’s butternut, pumpkin, spaghetti, or acorn and I’m always looking for great new ways to prepare it. I recently had a stuffed acorn squash at a restaurant that was pretty good, but in the back of my mind I kept thinking it would taste so much better with this farro stuffing, which I LOVE! This stuffing is an adaptation of this brown rice and sausage stuffing, which you could of course use instead of farro. I've also made it with barley and it was wonderful.

Farro is my favorite new grain – I love it's chewy, nutty texture which holds up perfectly in this stuffing, but farro does contain gluten so if you want to make this gluten-free, swap it out for brown rice. This is perfect for a weeknight meal, but would also make a nice addition to your Thanksgiving table. Simply eat with a spoon to scoop out all the wonderful squash with the stuffing in every bite – enjoy!
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Broiled Wild Salmon with Apple Cherry Chutney and My Trip to Harry and David

 

This simple salmon recipe is easy and delicious – perfect for a weeknight family meal or elegant enough to scale up for a larger crowd if you want to host a dinner party.

Just a few weeks ago I had this at a dinner party hosted by my friend Sandy who blogs at The Reluctant Entertainer during my trip to Harry and David in southern Oregon. The Autumn weather in southern Oregon couldn't have been more perfect and we dined al fresco in her beautiful backyard on chalkboard paper lined tables with pears for centerpieces. 

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Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas

Butternut squash, black beans, tomatoes, cilantro and spices are simmered in a skillet with green chilies and jalapeno, then wrapped in tortillas and baked in the oven with enchilada sauce and cheese – these vegetarian enchiladas are delicious and perfect for meatless Mondays, or any day of the week!

Yup, I'm pretty enchilada obsessed and this meatless version did not dissappoint. Because of my love affair with enchiladas, I always make my own enchilada sauce and keep it frozen; you can use the recipe from my skinny chicken enchiladas but if you're pressed for time store bought enchilada sauce would be fine. Canned beans are inexpensive so this is a great meal if you're on a budget. I served this with fiesta lime rice, but you can also have this with cilantro lime cauliflower "rice" to keep the carbs low.

Butternut squash has so many health benefits; it's low in fat, loaded with fiber, rich in antioxidants, vitamin C and beta-carotene, just to name a few. Combine that with black beans which are super high in fiber and protein and you have one healthy dish which is not only satisfying, it tastes great too. Enjoy!

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Blackened Salmon with Mango Salsa

Blackened wild salmon filets seasoned with cayenne, paprika and herbs are seared in a skillet then topped with a fresh mango salsa – if you can take the heat, then you'll love this dish!

I picked up some wild salmon and was in the mood to make it blackened and thought it would pair perfectly with a mango salsa. I searched for a good blackened spice rub and came upon a recipe from Alex Guarnaschelli. Now, I'm a little bit of a spice wimp, I will admit and I had to open my windows while this cooked because the spice was making me cough (yikes!). Naturally I was kinda nervous that this would be too spicy for my taste buds, but the sweet mango salsa gave me a relief from the heat and although it was a little hot, I was able to eat it just fine (along with a glass of water).

Next time I make this, I may replace the cayenne for chili powder to tone it down, but if you like it hot I wouldn't change a thing! I used salmon because of all the wonderful omegas but you can use whatever fish you like (cooking time may need to be adjusted). This is ready in less than 30 minutes start to finish, so it's perfect for a weeknight meal. Enjoy!

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Easy Tomatillo Huevos Rancheros

Once in a while, I crave something different for breakfast; something with a little flavor and spice to wake up my taste buds. And that's when Huevos Rancheros land on the menu in my home. But this time, rather than making them the traditional way, I had some tomatillo salsa lying around and I thought why not simmer the eggs in there.



Turned out brilliant, and I only dirtied one pan – even better. But the best part was this took less than 10 minutes to make, so all in all it turned out to be a great morning.

And by the way, I'm excited to have partnered with Eggland's Best for my first sponsored post with them. I'm sure you can tell if you've been following me for a while that I only work with brands I would use in my own kitchen and I have always loved Eggland's Best so this was a no-brainer. Plus, I'm sure a lot of you are curious as to what makes their eggs different than other eggs on the supermarket shelf. Aren't they all the same you may wonder?



A few things actually set them apart. First their diet (the chickens are fed an all-natural diet of healthy grains, rice bran, alfalfa, sea kelp, canola oil and vitamin E, they are never fed recycled food, animal by-products or processed foods) and because of this they have less saturated fat, more vitamins, double the omegas and more Lutein than ordinary eggs found in the supermarket. Makes total sense, plus they never use hormones, antiobiotics or steriods on their chickens, which is always important to me.

This dish is gluten-free and perfect for Meatless Mondays as a lunch or dinner. To make it a main meal I would serve this with a big ole salad or some Fiesta Lime Rice on the side. Enjoy!


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Baked Spaghetti Squash and Cheese

Cheesy baked spaghetti squash and baby spinach – a comforting, cheesy dish, without the guilt. Perfect for Meatless Mondays or any day of the week!

I am down to the last few days of finishing up the cookbook, so forgive me for not posting more recipes. But since it's Monday, I thought this delicious meatless dish from the archives would be perfect for this beautiful Fall day.

I'm really excited to share this recipe with you, I think you are all going to love this dish. I was craving something cheesy, without all the carbs from macaroni and came up with this.

I basically swapped the pasta from my Skinny Macaroni and Cheese recipe with spaghetti squash and was really impressed with the results.

No, spaghetti squash does not taste like pasta, it's slightly sweeter and of course a vegetable rather than a grain, but we all loved this dish. Even my husband gave it a thumbs up – I think we all found our favorite way to east this squash.

It can be prepared ahead, then baked just before ready to serve. I reheated leftovers in the microwave for lunch the next day and it was just as good as when I first made it.

If you are looking for a dish that is gluten-free, low-carb, vegetarian and comforting, give this a try. Serve this as a main dish, or as a side dish. I think this would even freeze and reheat well, if anyone tries this let me know!

By the way, serving spoon is from Such A Time Designs.

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Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Smoothie

If you're looking for a heart healthy, dairy-free breakfast loaded with fiber you can eat on the run, this is it!

In South America, it's common to drink avena, a delicious oatmeal shake usually made with whole milk, cinnamon and sugar. My oldest daughter loves it, you can see my original recipe here. I've made it with pumpkin, but I was curious to see what would happen if I used unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze almond milk instead, along with blueberries and banana. The outcome was really good, I added some raw sugar to sweeten it, but you could even use stevia or whatever sweetener you would normally use.

This is best if you make it and drink it right away. If you only need one serving, cook all the oatmeal in water as instructed below, but use only half of the cooked oatmeal in the blender and save the other half for the next day.

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Crock Pot Creamy Tomato Soup

This creamy, rich tasting tomato soup is made in the slow cooker, with tomatoes, herbs, milk and Pecorino Romano cheese, plus the cheese rind for an added flavor boost.

Last night for dinner, we had a big bowl of this soup with some grilled garlic bread and a simple garden salad. For lunch, I usually like to have a small cup with a half sandwich (whole wheat grilled cheese – yum!).

Thanks to my parents, I'm real picky when it comes to soup. I grew up in home where we had homemade soup practically every night. Almost always dinner usually started a meal with a bowl of soup (not something I was always happy about as a kid) but I always loved when mom made her tomato soup.

Her recipes are usually more labor intensive than mine, I much prefer quick and easy. This slow cooked tomato soup, comes pretty close to her original, without all the extra work.  I always cook my vegetables on the stove, I think it gives you the best tasting results. You can do this the night before to save time in the morning. What really makes the soup over the top in my opinion, is the cheese rind (you toss it after the soup is done). I always freeze them after I use up my cheese, just to make soups, but don't worry if you don't have one the soup will still turn out fine.

You can also make this on the stove top: just simmer it in a big pot on low for about 1 1/ 2- 2 hours. If you want to use fresh garden plum tomatoes, as I often do in the summer when I need to use them up, I just blanch them in a big pot of boiling water until the skins crack, then remove them and peel the skins off.

This soup freezes well, so don't worry if this makes too much, you can make it and freeze it in small containers for quick meals on busy weeknights.

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Easy Grilled Fish Fillet in Foil Packets

 

This super easy method for grilling fish is pretty foolproof, and you can use any fresh fish that's available to you in your area. It's almost 90 degrees today, which means I'm grilling tonight. In fact I use my outdoor grill just about every night in the summer to make quick, easy, healthy dinners.

Living on the east coast, I love to take full advantage of the fresh caught local fish available to me here on Long Island. Nothing is quite better than eating fish that came out of the ocean the same day! My local fishmonger suggested the Long Island porgy that was caught early that morning – delish! I asked him to fillet it for me, and I kept the skin on, just my personal  preference. Oh, the possibilities are endless when making fish in foil, you can add any fresh herbs you like, wine, garlic, shallots, whatever you like! I also do this in a 400 degree oven in the Fall and winter months.

When I do this outside on the gas grill, I cook the foil on indirect heat, which basically means I heat up one side of the grill with the cover closed so it gets good and hot, and keep the burners off on the other side. You can also do this with a charcoal grill with a cover, by leaving the coals on one side. The fish goes on the indirect side of the grill so that it cooks from the steam created in the foil. In about 10 minutes, the fish cooked to perfection. My whole family enjoys this, even my three year old.


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Grilled Chicken and Zucchini Yakitori

I love these Japanese inspired grilled chicken and zucchini skewers marinated with yakitori sauce and threaded onto bamboo sticks with green onions. They are perfect as an appetizer if you're having a backyard bash this summer, or you can turn it into a meal any night of the week served with rice, salad or more vegetables.

Yakitori reminds me of my college days in Soho living on a student budget. Me and my BFF Gabbie used to meet 3 to 4 times a week after class at this cute little Japanese restaurant in the Village where paper origami birds hung from the ceiling and Japanese music played in the background. I didn't have much money then, so I usually ordered the chicken yakitori off the appetizer menu which always came with white rice... a perfectly good meal when you're broke.

Now days I can make it myself, and although this could certainly serve a crowd as an appetizer, I still like to eat them for dinner like I did back in my college days. I also like to add some zucchini to my skewers so I'm grilling my veggies at the same time. As for the chicken, I prefer dark meat to white so I use Perdue Fit & Easy thighs, which calculates to a lot less points in recipe builder than generic thighs (I'm assuming because the generic isn't trimmed of all fat? Not sure!) You could also use chicken breast if you prefer white meat. Only one tiny issue I had was it makes 14 chicken skewers, so to divide that in 4 servings, you are going to get 3 1/2 skewers. Oh well, you'll just have to share!! There's plenty of marinade left if you want to make more chicken or zucchini.

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