This Week's Menu

Polynesian Pork Chops

Tilapia Ceviche

Baked Spaghetti Bread

Potato, Chorizo and Green Chile Burritos

Turkey Burgers

Spaghetti Squash with Grilled Chicken and Sun-dried Tomatoes

Shrimp Tacos

Double Crunch Honey Garlic Chicken

Broccoli and Quinoa Casserole

Who doesn't love a good cheesy broccoli and rice casserole? Add some chicken and make it into a divan and I am one happy girl. There is just something about the combination that is oh-so-good, but not necessarily good for you. Boo. Therefore I was excited to find a recipe using quinoa instead of rice as well as some lighter ingredients, and I tweaked it a little to come up with my own version that I think is pretty great. Its a perfect side dish or can even be enjoyed on its own - and reheats great for leftovers too!

You can find the recipe I based this off of here. My main changes were to add some onion, celery and garlic, use mozzarella cheese, and give it a crunchy topping. I was going to take the easy route and use a can of cream of mushroom soup, but decided to try the homemade version listed with the recipe instead, and I think it worked great for this. I might not sub it in all the time, but for this particular recipe I'm glad I went the homemade route.

Ingredients

2 cups fresh broccoli florets, chopped
4 tsp. unsalted butter, divided
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 recipe homemade "cream of anything soup" (recipe follows) or 1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup mayo or light mayo
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 cups cooked quinoa (1/2 cup uncooked, and you cook it in a 1:2 ratio just like rice. Combine rinsed quinoa and water in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 15-20 minutes)
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly coat an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Steam or boil broccoli until just fork-tender, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

3. In a large skillet, melt 2 tsp. butter. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, about 7-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat and stir in "cream of anything" soup.

4. In a large bowl, combine soup and veggie mixture, milk, mayo and mozzarella. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Stir in broccoli and cooked quinoa. Pour into prepared casserole.

5. Melt remaining 2 tsp. butter in a small bowl. Stir in Panko and Parmesan. Sprinkle over the top of casserole. Cover with foil and bake 25-30 minutes; remove foil and bake another 10 minutes until bubbly and golden on top.


"Cream of Anything" soup
1 cup cold milk
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper

In a small saucepan, whisk milk and cornstarch till well blended. Stir in butter, bouillon, salt, and pepper. Heat to a boil, stirring frequently. Simmer on low for one minute more to thicken. Use in recipes to replace one can of cream of anything soup.

Baked Chicken with Dijon and Lime

I was intrigued by this recipe, mostly because of the ingredients and the low calories (214 for 2 small thighs!), and was crossing my fingers that it would turn out better than my previous attempt at a mustard-sauced chicken (you can see that recipe here) , and I'm happy to report that I can definitely recommend this one! The other one I linked to is all over Pinterest and had some great reviews, but I was extremely disappointed in it. It had waaayyy too much mustard for my taste - almost inedibly so - and even my mustard-loving husband wasn't too thrilled with the end result. I still cringe just thinking about it! This one, however, had just the right hint of mustard and the lime juice worked well to complement it.

I was still a little scared after tasting all the sauce ingredients mixed together, so I added a couple tablespoons of light sour cream to the mix and was so happy with how it turned out!

Recipe posted here with my changes, but you can see the original at Skinny Taste.

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs, skin removed (keep the bone in for better results)
3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. light mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. light sour cream (my addition)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 lime, squeezed, and lime zest
3/4 tsp pepper
salt
dried parsley (I used dried thyme)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Rinse the chicken and remove the skin and all fat. Pat dry; place in a large bowl and season generously with salt.

2. In a small bowl combine Dijon, mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, lime zest, garlic and pepper. Mix well. Pour over chicken, tossing well to coat.

3. Spray a large baking pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Place chicken to fit in a single layer. Top the chicken with dried parsley. Bake until cooked through, about 30-35 minutes. Finish the chicken under the broiler until it is golden brown. Serve chicken with the pan juices drizzled over the top.

Cilantro Chicken

I make this yummy chicken every so often, and every time I do I have to go find it over on Marci's blog because until now I've never bothered to put it on my own. So this last time I decided to add it here so I could access it more easily, and also because I want to share because its pretty fantastic!

The chicken bakes up nice and moist, the chips add some texture and the cilantro-infused salsa gives it great flavor. I've found you can use pretty much any salsa and it works great because of the added cilantro. Oh and don't forget the cheese cause that makes everything better!

And, I can even enjoy this when I'm counting calories...just omit the chips and top with just a little bit of cheese...still fantastic!


Ingredients

2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. honey
4 chicken breasts, pounded thin
1 cup finely crushed tortilla chips
16 oz. thick-n-chunky salsa (I didn't use it all)
2 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro (I used extra)
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese

Directions 

1. Combine lime juice, honey, and oil. Dip chicken in lime juice mixture then coat with crushed chips. Place in ungreased 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake uncovered @ 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until juices run clear.

2. Combine salsa and cilantro in a small bowl. Pour over chicken then sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 20 more minutes or until the cheese melts.

This Week's Menu

Baked Chicken with Dijon and Lime

Cajun Mac and Cheese

Beef and Portobello Stroganoff

Asian Tilapia with Quinoa Fried Rice

Golden Mushroom Pork Chops

Glazed Salmon

Pork Carnitas Tacos

Shepherd's Pie

Despite the fact that I'm not really a "meat and potatoes" kind of girl, I sure do love a good Shepherd's Pie. I love the saucy meat mixed with lots of veggies and creamy potatoes. Yum!

My go-to recipe is this one from Marci's blog, just like she says the fried onions really do add some fun pizazz to it. I've played around with that recipe, trying different combos and using whatever I happen to have on hand, and this is currently my favorite. The Italian sausage is a personal preference as it adds a extra flavor from plain ground beef, and I use mushrooms in place of some of the meat because I like the texture they add (and a great way to stretch the meal in a more healthy way!). This is one of the few things I get excited to enjoy as leftovers!

Ingredients


1 lb. mild Italian sausage
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 cups french fried onions
1 can tomato soup
1/2 c. water
3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper
1 package (16 oz) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
3 cups hot mashed potatoes
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Cook and crumble sausage in large skillet. When almost cooked through, add the mushrooms; cook a few minutes more until tender. Drain any excess fat and return to pan.

3. Stir in 1 cup fried onions, soup, water, seasoning, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Mix well to combine. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Spoon veggies over sausage mixture, then top with mashed potatoes.

4. Bake 30 min. or until hot. Sprikle with Parmesan and remaining 1 cup onions. Bake 5 min. more or until golden.

Poached Salmon in Orzo Broth

This was a fun and delicious new way to enjoy salmon! The fish gets poached in a mild broth so it keeps its great flavor, and all the rest of the goodies are cooked in one pot making this super simple yet super fancy-looking :) After this and our fish curry, eating fish in broth with a spoon is my new favorite way to enjoy it.

I'm going to post the original recipe here pretty much as written, although I did make some changes. I doubled the mushrooms (because I love them), used almost a full pound of salmon, and also a little more broth and orzo.

Poached Salmon in Orzo Broth
from Tablespoon.com

Ingredients

1 cup hot water
6 dried shiitake mushrooms (1/2 oz package)
2 cups chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. uncooked orzo pasta
1 salmon fillet (1/2 lb), cut into 2 pieces
1/4 sliced roasted red bell peppers
1 cup thinly sliced spinach leaves
3 Tbsp. thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
2 green onions, sliced diagonally

Directions

1. In medium bowl, pour hot water over mushrooms. Let stand about 20 minutes or until soft. Drain mushrooms, reserving liquid. Rinse with warm water; drain. Squeeze excess moisture from mushrooms. Remove and discard stems; cut caps into 1/2-inch strips.

2. Strain mushroom liquid through fine wire mesh sieve or coffee filter into 4-quart Dutch oven. Stir in broth and garlic. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Stir in orzo; reduce heat. Add salmon. Simmer uncovered about 10 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with fork. Carefully remove salmon with slotted spatula; keep warm.

3. Stir mushrooms, bell peppers, spinach, basil and onions into broth mixture. Cook about 2 minutes or until spinach is wilted and orzo is tender.

4. Place a piece of salmon in each individual bowl; spoon vegetable-orzo broth over top.

Sausage and Spinach Rice Bowls

The rice bowl: so simple and unassuming, yet probably the most versatile dinner option out there! I love the concept of these because there are a thousand different ways to customize based on your tastes or what you happen to have in your pantry. You can use any type of meat or seafood, change up the flavor of the rice, use seasonal veggies and have one of these every week yet never have the exact same one.

For this particular one, I worked off a basic recipe that included sausage and spinach from Cooking Light and added a few embellishments - roasted red peppers and mushrooms - just because I had them on hand. Yum!

Oh, and did I mention this took less than 15 minutes to cook? Practically perfect :)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cooked rice (I used instant brown, but you can use any variety, flavor, etc)
1 tsp. olive oil
1 lb. hot Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
1/2 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 4-oz can sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped roasted red bell peppers (jarred or fresh)
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage and onion; cook, stirring to crumble sausage, until sausage is cooked through and onion is tender. Stir in garlic; cook 2 minutes more. Add mushrooms and peppers, stir to combine, then add spinach. Cook until spinach is just wilted. Stir in rice, mix well to combine and continue cooking until heated through.

Oysters Rockefeller

This is definitely not something typically enjoyed at our house (or any other house I know), but its a delectable treat when we can find fresh oysters. I've found there are so many different recipes for Oysters Rockefeller (probably because the original creator of the dish would never reveal his recipe), but this is the one I came up with based on our own personal tastes. The creamy spinach, crunchy topping and light broil makes for one delicious oyster - and its a great way for those who may be wary of slurping them down whole and raw (which I love also) to enjoy them as well.

Ingredients

1 dozen fresh oysters, shucked and cleaned
2 tsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry (not quite a full 10 0z. package)
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Pinch of dill
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat broiler. Place cleaned oysters on large baking sheet (covered with coarse salt, if you have it. Makes so they sit flat).

2. In a small skillet, melt 1 tsp. butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in spinach, red pepper flakes and dill and cook 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in mayonnaise.

3. Melt remaining 1 Tbsp. butter in a small bowl. Stir in panko and Parmesan until well-combined.

4. Top each oyster with some of the spinach and then the panko topping. Broil 3-5 minutes or until topping is browned and crispy.

Foil-Baked Tilapia with Black Beans and Corn

There is something about a foil-packet dinner that seems more adventurous than the average dinner. This might be as good, but wouldn't be as fun without the foil. Plus, easy clean-up!

I really liked the flavors in this dish. You get a mellow heat from the chipotle and just a hint of sweet from the orange. It all worked so well on the mild fish - I think halibut would work great here too - and came together for a pretty-looking meal.

The only changes I made were to add in some cumin to the black bean mixture and a garnish of fresh lime juice at the end.

Foil-Baked Tilapia
adapted from Pink Parsley

4 tilapia fillets (any white fish will work)
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tsp. minced chipotle chiles in adobo
1 tsp. grated orange zest
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
1/2 red onion, minced
2 scallions, minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp. cumin
Fresh lime juice

Directions

1. Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat to 450 degrees.

2. Pat the fish dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Using a fork, mix together the butter, 1 teaspoon chipotle, orange zest, half the garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper in a medium bowl until well-combined. Spread butter mixture over the fish.

3. Combine the beans, corn, onion, scallions, 2 tablespoons of cilantro, orange juice, remaining chipotle, remaining garlic, scallions, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl.

4. Lay four 14-inch lengths of foil on the counter and divide the bean mixture evenly over the lower half of each piece of foil. Top with fish, and fold the foil over the fish, folding the edges to seal. (I used two large pieces of foil and put 2 pieces of fish in each) ).

5. Arrange the packets in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the fish is just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully open the packets and sprinkle with remaining cilantro and fresh lime juice. Serve.