Salmon with Cucumber Dill Sauce

Well this is just great.  Honestly, the cucumber dill sauce would be good on anything – or just eaten by itself.  It is fresh tasting, light, and relatively healthy.  To make this sauce, take 1 cucumber and cut the ends off.  Split the cucumber in half lengthwise and scoop out the center seedy part.  Slice each cucumber half into thinly sliced half mood pieces.  Next, thinly slice 1/3 of a small red onion.  Make sure this is very thinly sliced so there is no overpowering onion flavor.  Add the onion and cucumber in a bowl and mix with ½ teaspoon of salt.  Put the salted cucumber and onion in a strainer in the sink to release the moisture.  Make sure you take this step or else the sauce will become too watery.  After the cucumber and onion have drained, pat them dry with a paper towel to pick up the extra moisture.  Next, combine ¼ cup of light sour cream in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of olive oil mayo.  Combine this mixture with 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar and ½ teaspoon of sugar (you may also use splenda or any other sweetener instead).  Next, grate 1 garlic clove into the bowl.  This is easily done using a microplane grater.  Lastly, take one handful of fresh dill, chop, and add into the mixture.  You can also add some fresh black pepper if you wish, but I chose to omit this.  Let the sauce sit in the refrigerator for at least a half hour before serving. 

For the salmon, I just sprayed each filet with canola oil on each side.  I seasoned each side with salt and garlic powder.  Heat the grill over med/high heat.  Grill the salmon 3 minutes on each side – the canola spray completely prevents it from sticking.  This was the first time I grilled salmon and was a bit nervous about it but it turned out great.  Top each piece of salmon with the cucumber dill sauce and enjoy.  We had extra sauce that I used atop a veggie burger the next day – and that was great too.  I hope you love this little dish from Newlywed Kitchen!

 

Ham, Asparagus & Gouda Quiche

For Easter this year, Alex and I decided to stay home for the weekend and have a couple of days to ourselves.  It seems like almost every weekend we are traveling to see family, friends, or going on trips.  It was great just to wake up, enjoy brunch together, and spend the day relaxing.  On the Friday before, I spent the morning preparing a crust-less quiche for us to enjoy on Sunday.  In fact, I made 2 so I could bring one for the girls at work on Saturday.  I had posted a picture of the quiche on facebook and received many “likes” and “comments”.  To me, this makes it even more enjoyable to know that people like what I do. 

Here is the recipe I used to make this delicious quiche.  Take one bunch of asparagus and trim the ends off.  Chop half of the bunch into inch size pieces and save a few pieces of whole asparagus for the top.  Spray a pan with olive oil and heat over medium.  Add the asparagus and sauté for 5 minutes.  Next, take 1 ham steak and cut it into small cubes.  Add the ham into the pan with the asparagus and sauté for another 2 or 3 minutes.  Grease a baking dish and add the asparagus and ham.  Top the ham and asparagus with 1 cup of shredded cheese.  I used Gouda which was on sale and made this delicious.  Next, mix 6 eggs in a bowl with 1 cup of milk.  Season the egg and milk mixture with salt and pepper.  I also add some garlic powder, which is my favorite seasoning.  Pour the egg mixture over the asparagus, ham, and cheese.  Top the egg dish with the whole pieces of asparagus for a pretty, rustic look.  Bake the quiche in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes.  It took closer to 40 minutes for the quiche to be completed, but I was also baking 2.  It is important that you let the quiche rest for about 20 minutes after cooking.  This is a very versatile dish that can be switched out with many ingredients; I just thought the ham and asparagus were perfect spring ingredients. 

 

I hope you like this as much as Alex and I did, and as much as my lovely ladies at work.  As always, let me know how you like it.  I am curious if anyone has made this already! Oh – along with the quiche I made us a smoked salmon platter.  Nothing really homemade here – but I thought I presented it beautifully!

 

 

 

 

Thai Turkey Salads

I adapted this idea from a Thai turkey burger recipe I had seen a while back.  Since we usually eat burgers without the bun, I figured I would just turn this into a different recipe for a salad.  I certainly put my own spin on it and it turned out great.  Salads are Alex’s favorite thing … and not so much mine … so I try to keep them as interesting as possible. 

First, heat a pan with olive oil spray over medium high heat.  Add 1 pound of ground turkey and cook until browned.  Drain any remaining fat from the pan and add in 2 sliced green onions including the green and whites.  Also, add in a handful of matchstick carrots and continue to sauté until slightly tender.  Season the mixture with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Next, make the slaw to top the salad.  To do this combine ½ bag of slaw mix with a bunch of chopped cilantro.  Add in ½ cup of chopped peanuts to the slaw and set aside. 

For the Thai sauce, combine ½ cup of sweet chili sauce (the same sauce used to make bang bang shrimp salads), ¼ cup rice vinegar, ¼ cup light coconut milk, 2 tbs brown sugar, 2 grated garlic cloves, 1 tbs peanut butter (reduced fat), 1 inch knob of grated ginger, lime juice (of 1 lime), and 1 tsp of soy sauce in a sauce pan.  Stir the sauce until combined and heated through.  The sauce will thicken after a few minutes. 

Assemble the salad by forming a base with a bed of mixed spring lettuce.  Add a handful of slaw mix scattered on the lettuce.  Add a cup of the meat mixture in the center of the salad and top with as little or as much of the peanut Thai sauce as you’d like.  Top the salad with chopped cilantro and a few chopped peanuts.  The salad is very flavorful and incredibly filling.  Alex loved it which is always a plus and it made me enjoy eating salads more. 

 

Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Zucchini

I think most people like enchiladas, and if you don’t, I probably don’t want to be friends with you.  Enchiladas can certainly be healthier if you change what you stuff them in.  Instead of a carb loaded tortilla a halved zucchini makes the perfect option.  I have had the low-cal tortillas and whole wheat tortillas, but they just don’t offer the same taste.  Here is a great variety to the classic chicken enchilada…

First, take 3 zucchini, trim the ends off, and cut them in half length wise.  Take a spoon and remove the center part of the zucchini with seeds (leaving this in would make the zucchini too watery to use).  Roast the zucchini in the oven at 350 for about 30 minutes until fork tender.  While the zucchini is in the oven, take 2 chicken breast, season with salt and garlic powder, and sauté in a pan until cooked through.  Once the chicken is cooked, shred it in to pieces using two forks.  In the same pan the chicken cooked in, add 1 large sliced onion and sauté until tender.  Season the onions with salt, cumin, black pepper, and garlic powder to taste. 

In a bowl, add the shredded chicken and sautéed onions.  Add ¾  of a small can of red enchilada sauce (or any enchilada sauce of your choice…  It can be green, red, homemade, spicy, mild, whatever) and stir to combine.  Once the zucchini are tender, stuff the zucchini boats with the chicken mixture.  In a baking dish, add the remaining enchilada sauce and place the stuffed zucchini in the dish.  Top each enchilada with shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese and bake until the cheese is melted (approx 10 minutes). 

I served the enchiladas with an easy side salad of mixed greens, tomatoes, black beans, and crispy onions.  This is a nice light and delicious dinner and the enchilada ingredients can be changed to your liking.  My husband loved them, which is why I made 2 extra for his lunch the next day.  Nothing like spreading the Newlywed Kitchen love while he is working hard the next day ! 

 

Cinnamon Soy Braised Pork Salad

This recipe is incredible.  When I was preparing the dish, my husband was unsure if he would like it because of the smell of the sauce, but once it braises for a few hours, it is amazing.  This dish does take some time to make, but it is mostly just cooking time so you can enjoy doing whatever it is you’d like in the meantime. 

First, heat some oil in a pot (that has a lid).  I used canola cooking spray and heated the oil over med-high heat.  And a pork shoulder to the pan (mine was 3 pounds) and cook until browned on each side (about 5 minutes per side).  Remove the pork from the pot.  In the pot, add ¼ cup soy sauce, ½ cup sherry wine, 1/3 cup brown sugar, fresh ginger (I used about a 1 inch knob grated), 2 cinnamon sticks, and 1 teaspoon anise seeds.  Allow this to cook in the pot until the sugar dissolves.  Add the pork back to the pan and allow the sauce to simmer over low heat covered for 2 and ½ hours.  Remove the pork and slice into thin pieces.  Remove the cinnamon sticks from the sauce and allow the sauce to cook on high heat for a few minutes until it thickens.  Add the pork back into the sauce and turn to coat all the pork. 

In a separate pan, sauté shallots over medium heat until soft and caramelized.  Begin making your salad with any type of lettuce you’d like, although I found spinach to be the best.  Add the caramelized onions and pork on top of the spinach.  Sprinkle the salad with fresh cilantro.  We topped the salad with chipotle honey mustard and it was delicious. 

There was a lot of pork leftover for salads or munching throughout the week.  The pork has such a unique flavor and I am sure the sauce would work well on different proteins.  If you make this pork let me know how you like it!!

 

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Boats: Take 2

Like I had promised before – I made a different type of stuffed spaghetti squash boat.  If it is even possible, I liked this one more than the sauce, mozzarella, and turkey meatballs.  Plus, this dish was only 4 ingredients (I kid you not).  If you need to learn how to prepare the spaghetti squash, refer back to my previous recipe:   Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Boats. 

The ingredients needed are spaghetti squash, frozen bag of creamed spinach, reduced fat monterey jack cheese, and chicken.  Yes – that is it.

Once the squash boats are prepared, add a cooked bag of creamed spinach.  This acts as a delicious sauce with fresh spinach flavor.  Top the spinach with a handful of Monterey jack cheese and sautéed chicken.  Bake the stuffed boats for about 10 more minutes to ensure the cheese is melted.  This dish is so simple, reasonably healthy, and incredibly filling. 

FYI – for the chicken, I seasoned it with garlic powder and salt, seared in a pan in olive oil, and sliced it thin for easy to eat pieces.  Alex loved this dish and ate the rest of mine (since I was very full) which is my favorite compliment!  The ingredients to fill these healthy boats are endless! 

Balsamic Salmon with Shrimp Scampi & Caprese Asparagus

I love all things “Caprese”.  Fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil are such a classic and great combination of flavors.  When adding these ingredients to a fresh vegetable, it can change a side dish from standard to something amazing.  I decided to make roasted asparagus with basil roasted tomatoes with some fresh cubes of mozzarella.  The flavors were incredibly fresh and satisfying.  Instead of adding balsamic to this side dish, I made pan seared salmon with balsamic.  The problem was that we only had a very small portion of salmon that needed to be split between the two of us.  In order to stretch the dish a little further, I made some shrimp scampi to top the salmon.  Yes it sounds like a lot of flavors, and it is, but all of the flavors work well together to create a really tasty dish.

For the salmon, I kept it simple.  Pat the salmon dry and season with salt and garlic powder.  Sear the salmon in a pan in a bit of olive oil on each side.  When the salmon is cooked to your liking, add a few splashes of balsamic vinegar to the pan.  Just to warn you – if you are too close to the pan – it will clear your sinuses with the vinegar smell.  Turn the salmon so the seared crust can pick up the balsamic flavor and plate the salmon.  Wipe out the remaining vinegar and again add a bit of olive oil.  Add 2 grated garlic cloves to the oil and toss in the shrimp.  Season the shrimp with some salt and garlic powder and add fresh parsley.  Top the salmon with the shrimp and add a squirt of lemon juice and fresh romano cheese. 

While the salmon and shrimp are cooking, roast asparagus in the oven at 375 tossed in olive oil.  Also, halve some cherry tomatoes to roast alongside the asparagus.  Both the asparagus and tomatoes are ready in about 12 minutes.  Add some cubed pieces of fresh mozzarella and a perfect dish is prepared.  Enjoy!

Bang Bang Shrimp Salad

If you have never had the Bang Bang Shrimp at the Bonefish Grill, you are really missing out on one of the best things in the world.  They serve this lightly coated crunchy shrimp in a sweet and spicy creamy chili sauce with scallions on a bed of lettuce as an appetizer.  It is really one of the best things you will ever eat.  Luckily for me, there is a Bonefish Grill about 3 minutes away from me now, but the closest one used to be about 50 minutes.  Fortunately, the Bang Bang sauce recipe was online for me to duplicate which I have made many times, but this time decided to share. I have brought friends to this restaurant from Pittsburgh and each and every person has loved it.

I definitely make this meal different than the restaurant but it is still delicious.  I do not fry the shrimp or have a crunch coating on it, but instead just sauté the shrimp in a skillet for a healthier version, seasoned with salt and garlic powder.  While the shrimp are cooking, mix 4 tbs of mayonnaise (I use the olive oil version – making it a tad bit healthier), 1 tbs of sriracha, and 2 tbs of Thai sweet chili sauce.  This isn’t the exact recipe they give, but after many attempts, this tastes the best to me.  Toss the shrimp in half of the sauce and save the other half. 

Instead of serving the shrimp with a bit of lettuce on the bottom as a garnish, I serve it on a bed of lettuce for a salad.  Mixed greens with carrots works perfectly with a ton of chopped chives.  They normally use scallions, but I had chives on hand today and used them instead.  It still gave that fresh onion taste that goes perfect with this dish.  Serve the leftover sauce as a dressing for the Bang Bang shrimp salad.  After Alex ate the salad tonight he said “I could eat 7 more” … haha in other words, he loved it.  I kind of want more too.  Here is to not going out on a Friday not, bringing the restaurant into your own kitchen, and having a nice evening in with your newlywed. 

Chicken with Sundried Tomato & Goat Cheese with Mashed Cauliflower

Dinner last night was really good.  I made chicken breast with a sundried tomato and goat cheese sauce with mashed cauliflower.  Here are the ingredients you need:

Chicken Breast (2)

Salt

Pepper

Olive Oil Spray

White Wine (1/2 cup)

Chicken Broth (1 cup)

Sundried Tomatoes (1 package pre sliced)

Herb Goat Cheese (4 oz)

Cauliflower (2 heads)

Garlic (2 cloves)

Chives (1 large bunch)

Romano Cheese (1/2 cup)

Salt

Pepper

Split each chicken breast in half and season with salt and pepper.  Cook chicken in a pan sprayed with olive oil cooking spray over med-high heat about 6-8 minutes on each side. While the chicken is cooking – start making the cauliflower (below). Once the chicken is cooked through, set aside and keep warm.  In the same pan, add the wine and allow to simmer and reduce a bit.  Once reduced, add the chicken broth and sundried tomatoes until the tomatoes plump up and warm through (about 5 minutes).  Stir in the goat cheese until melted which will thicken and flavor the sauce.  Spoon over the chicken and serve.

Chop the cauliflower florets off the stem and place in a pot with water.  I added about 2 inches of water in a big pt with the cauliflower florets off both heads.  Put the heat on high and allow the cauliflower to cook in the boiling water.  Stir the cauliflower after a few minutes to make sure each piece cooks through.  After about 10 minutes, make sure all pieces are softened.  Drain the water and mash up the cauliflower.  I used an emersion blender which created a great consistency similar to mashed potatoes.  Add in the garlic, chives, Romano cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve alongside the chicken and you have a delicious hearty meal.  Oh – and my handsome husband loved it <3

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Boats

If you have never had Spaghetti Squash, now is the time to try it.  Most people love spaghetti or pasta dishes, especially the classic Spaghetti & Meatballs.  I made stuffed spaghetti squash boats with sauce, fresh mozzarella, and turkey meatballs – and they were delicious. 

Try and eat spaghetti squash if you never have.  It has great flavor, texture, and can be incorporated into many dishes.  Plus – it is incredibly easy to make.  All you have to do is cut the squash down the center and roast in the oven at 375 for about 45 minutes. I roast mine flesh side facing down so all the excess liquid drains out.  If it is a larger squash, you may have to roast it a bit longer.  When the squash is done, you will be able to take a fork and scrape the flesh of the squash so it forms spaghetti like strand – hence the name.  You can leave the squash strands in the skin of the squash which saves on clean up time! 

While the squash is baking, make turkey meatballs.  This is the same recipe I have used in other recipes, which is ground turkey, garlic, parsley, 1 egg, parmesan cheese, and breadcrumbs.  In a bowl, grate 2 cloves of garlic with a fine grater.  Add a bunch of fresh parsley chopped.  Throw in about ½ cup of parmesan cheese (reduced fat).  Combine these ingredients with the ground turkey and mix in 1 egg.  Add breadcrumbs until the meat mixture easily makes meatballs (probably 1/3 cup).  Add salt and other seasonings if you wish.  Make small meatballs using a tablespoon measuring spoon.  I prefer smaller meatballs so you can have some in each bite.  Bake the meatballs at 375 for about 20 minutes. 

Take the squash boats, add your favorite sauce, add some meatballs to each and some cubes of fresh mozzarella cheese.  Bake in the oven for another 10 minutes until the sauce is warmed through.  These are SO filling and very delicious.  The possibilities are endless with spaghetti squash – I have another in the fridge as they were buy one get one free and will be making them again next week but with different toppings!

Weeknight Meals x 3

This week has been incredibly busy with work, but as always, I find time to make delicious easy meals for my husband and I.  We went grocery shopping together on Sunday and when we came home we got a lot of prep work done for meals for the week.  Alex made a big batch of hard boiled eggs (he literally makes them perfectly) that I made a yellow curried egg salad with.  I also made crab and cucumber salad with spicy mayo for lunches.  Lastly, I made a big casserole dish of baked oatmeal with bananas, raspberries, and blueberries for quick and easy breakfasts.  Here are some of the meals I made for dinner this week:

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

Listen – I am a sucker for a Philly cheesesteak … if I wanted to, I could eat a whole one with the big Philly roll, the steak, onions, and all of the cheese (I prefer American) however I choose not to do this for obvious reasons.  If you are in Philly, you order this type of steak by saying “cheesesteak wit” and this is how it will come.   In order to still get the great taste I decided to healthify this dish a bit.  I bought fresh shaved steak from the grocery store (ask the butcher to do this if it is not pre-packaged) and cooked this in a skillet with chopped onions and fresh garlic.  While the steak is cooking, halve bell peppers and bake them in the oven at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.  Season the meat with salt and stuff this mixture into halved peppers (I like red peppers).  Top the peppers with a piece of slender American cheese and bake for another few minutes until the cheese is melted atop the peppers.  I love this dish because you get all the yummy flavors of a Philly cheesesteak without all the extra calories.  I served this with brussel sprouts tossed in a chunky tomato vodka sauce.  The meal was fast, easy, and delicious after working a long day.

Butternut Squash Soup with Kale, White Beans, & Turkey Meatballs

I made this Wednesday afternoon before going to work at 3pm so dinner could be ready for when Alex got home from work.  I know it may sound silly to some of you – but I enjoy having food for him after he works all day too … even if I am going to work as well.  I know he would do the same for me, it is just that we both prefer my cooking ;) In a large pot sprayed with olive oil cooking spray, sauté half of a red onion.  Add a fresh bay leaf and a few sage leaves into the oil and onions to add flavor (if you do not have fresh ingredients – dry would be fine) .  Peel and chop a butternut squash into cubes and add to the pot.  Then, add 1 large and 1 small container of chicken stock and simmer until the squash is tender.  At this point, add 2 cans of drained and rinsed white beans and 1 large bunch of kale chopped up.  Allow the soup to continue to simmer for about 45 minutes and remove the fresh herbs.  While the soup is cooking, mix turkey ground meat, lots of fresh garlic and parsley, salt, 1 egg, and panko breadcrumbs until the mixture is a good consistency for meatballs.  Shape the mixture into tiny balls and bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.  Add the meatballs into the soup and enjoy!  The soup is very hearty and perfect for this time of year.  The impact of flavor from the meatballs makes the soup so good!

Salmon Fish Tacos with Slaw & Sriracha Ranch

I am sitting here with a very full belly as I write this but the best part is … it isn’t one of those overly-full-you-feel-like-you-could-throw-up kinds of feelings.  We both loved it, it was healthy, satisfying, and delicious.  Combine coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots) with thinly sliced red onion in a bowl.  In a small bowl, add 2 tbs white vinegar, 2 tbs honey, juice from half of a lime, salt, garlic powder, and fresh cilantro.  Pour this mixture over the slaw and mix together … set this aside for now.  Next, add light ranch dressing with sriracha sauce to your liking – again set this aside.  Slice up avocado and squeeze lime juice over them to prevent them from turning dark, have shredded cheese ready, and sour cream if you would like in addition to any other toppings (these are enough for us as they are packed with flavor).  Season salmon however you would like (I used salt, cumin, and paprika) and sear on the stove in olive oil.  Once the salmon is cooked, serve everything up with some warmed corn tortillas.  Flour tortillas would be fine or any other  - but the corn tortilla gives an authentic taste.  Layer the tortilla with salmon, cheese, slaw, avocado, siracha sauce, and a squeeze of fresh lime.  These are delicious … I also just had slaw with all of the toppings as a salad opposed to the tortilla and it was equally delicious.

I hope you like these meals as much as we did.  I look forward to the other meals I am making this week and weekend and look forward to sharing them soon.  Have a great rest of the week … and take some time to hug someone or tell them you love them … just for good measure !