Easy Lettuce Wraps

Recipe is for 1 person, so double it up if you’re making for 2, or if you’re making different proteins like me!

¾ cup protein (I used shrimp for me and veggie chicken for Brent)

1 cup fresh chopped veggies (we used red peppers, onions, snow peas, cucumbers and carrots)

¼ cup cooked quinoa, cooled  

1 tsp soy sauce

½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

Pinch of red pepper flakes

¼ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp sesame seeds

½ tsp olive oil

Full lettuce leaves (I gave each of us 4)

Heat oil in frying pan and begin cooking your protein for about 5 minutes and flip.  Mix soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes and ginger together and pour over meat, continuing cooking until cooked through.

Mix chopped vegetables and quinoa together in a bowl, then pour your meat and sauce in same bowl and combine everything. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Wrap a spoonful of the veggie, quinoa and protein mixture in each lettuce leave and enjoy!

Orange Glazed Chicken

Orange Glazed Chicken with Spinach Salad!  Awesome chicken recipe below and for our salad I just mixed spinach, mandarin oranges, sunflower seeds and a balsamic vinaigrette!  Brent had “fake” chicken cooked the same way as below, and he likes poppyseed dressing rather than a vinaigrette :)

Orange-Glazed Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 teaspoon jam, orange marmalade, low sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon packed brown sugar
   
  Preparation

• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken in oil about 5 minutes or until brown on one side; turn chicken. Stir in remaining ingredients; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until sauce is thickened and chicken is no longer pink inside.
• Cut chicken into thin slices and spoon sauce over top.
   
  *From BeachBody* Recipe makes 1 serving*

 

Herb Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

A nice simple chicken and vegetable recipe that was really tasty... and guess what, healthy! I of course used a real chicken breast for myself and a veggie chick breast for Brent, in 2 separate baking dishes!


I didn't put even half as many onions in this... I'm not an onion fan, but I did put some red onion with Brent's for sure!  I also added a little garlic onto the chicken as well as on the vegetables. And I served with a side of whole wheat spaghettini (1/2 cup for me, and a little more for Brent!), topped with a small amount of parmesan cheese and fresh ground pepper over the whole dish!

Herb Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1/4 eggplant
• 1/4 cup onions, chopped
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tomato, medium
• 1/8 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
   

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Rinse chicken breast, remove any visible fat, and pat dry with a paper towel. Place in the middle of a baking pan lightly coated with non-stick cooking spray.
• Wash and peel the eggplant with a vegetable peeler and cut into 1-inch pieces . Place the eggplant, onion and garlic in a large bowl.
• Drizzle with olive oil and stir lightly to combine. Spread the vegetables around the chicken.
• Chop the tomato coarsely; place on top of the vegetables.
• Sprinkle chicken with basil, oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken and gently stir the vegetable mixture. Return to oven and roast for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink inside and the vegetables are tender.

*From BeachBody

 

Turkey Burger and Carrot Fries!

Another recipe from BeachBody! 
Yes, I used a white bun, don't judge me lol and along with the toppings listed in the recipe we also put some spinach, a few slices of avocado and a few jalapenos -a figured a few extra veggies wouldn't hurt!
I cooked Brent one of his pre-made veggie burgers instead and put some mayo and a Jamie Oliver spicy pesto on his along with the other toppings.
And then some "carrot fries" to go along with! Kind of just like sweet potato fries - they were really good!

Tasty Turkey Burger

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 ounces turkey breast, ground, raw, 99% fat free
• 1 tablespoon green onion, chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon bread crumbs, seasoned
• 1 slice low-fat american cheese
• 1 Kaiser roll
   
  Preparation

• Preheat broiler or start grill.
• Combine ground turkey breast with green onion, garlic powder, worcestershire sauce, black pepper and bread crumbs ; mix well. Form into a thin patty; set aside.
• Grill or broil turkey burger until turkey is no longer pink inside and juices run clear.
• Place slice of cheese on burger and heat until melted. Place on roll and enjoy.

Carrot Fries

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup carrots, fresh, peeled, sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 425°. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Toss carrots sticks with olive oil and spices. Place on baking sheet and bake for approximately 15-20 minutes until carrots are tender and beginning to crisp.
   

Shrimp & Spinach Salad!

Quick lunch break - Spinach, pomegranate seeds, goat cheese and shrimp salad!


1 cup spinach
2 TBSP pomegranate seeds
2 TBSP goat cheese
8 pieces of shrimp
sprinkles of pepper and dill, or whatever herbs/spices you like
squeeze of fresh lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil


Heat olive oil in frying pan on medium heat, then add shrimp.  Sprinkle with pepper, dill and a squeeze of lemon juice while it cooks
Meanwhile, crumble goat cheese and scatter pomegranate seeds over spinach, then top with cooked shrimp.
You can add any dressing to this of course - I just gave the whole thing another squeeze of lemon juice today :)
Yum, fast and simple and delish!

Kale Chips!

Simple, healthy and tasty snack!

2 cups fresh kale

2 TBSP olive oil

1 TBSP parmesan cheese

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350F

I used baby kale this time, but if you're using full leaves, rip into small pieces and remove stems before starting.

Put kale into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil, cheese and pepper and "massage" for a few minutes until kale is coated.

Spread onto a baking sheet and cook for about 10-15 minutes, checking every 5 minutes and flipping.

Cool on a baking rack and enjoy!

*if you don't eat them all in one go, you might want to re-heat them - I find they don't stay "crispy" in a container all evening.



Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Veggies and Pasta!

Another healthy recipe! Keep the carbs to a minimum and load up on veggies!

 

½ cup cooked whole wheat pasta

¾ cup shrimp

2 cups of vegetables (I used green and yellow beans and baby carrots)

1 lemon

Herbs and spices you like (I used some dill, basil, and black pepper)

½ tsp minced garlic

1 tsp margarine

 

While preparing and cooking the shrimp and vegetables, cook pasta according to package directions.

 

I used frozen shrimp and let it thaw in the fridge for the day, then removed tails before cooking.

 

Heat margarine and garlic in a frying pan on medium heat, and add shrimp once margarine is melted.  Cook for

 

While shrimp is starting to cook, put veggies and about 1 cup of water in a small covered pot and bring to a boil for about 3 minutes until vegetables are tender.  

 

Lower heat on your shrimp, then drain the vegetables and add to the pan. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to the pan (I probably used about 1 TBSP), then sprinkle with the herbs you’ve chosen to your liking.  Mix everything up, cook for a few more minutes until the pasta is done then serve!

 

I squeezed a bit of fresh lemon juice over the whole dish when I was done and sprinkled with some fresh ground pepper! 


PS Brent and I were on different schedules this night and he ended up making his own supper - just finding out exactly what and I'll post it too :)

"Turkey" Cheeseball

Ok I just have to share this cute little cheese ball my mother in law made for Thanksgiving lol her fabulous Cheeseball recipe with red and yellow peppers and pecans to decorate!! My niece took a little scoop out for herself before I could get a picture lol but you get the idea!

Baked Chicken with Asparagus and Rice

I'm doing a little 21 day challenge to get back to being healthy, fit and toned! So this chicken rub recipe is from Beachbody and my sides to follow  along with my meal plan.



Smoky Southwestern Seasoning
1 TBSP chilli powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (I only had normal paprika!)
1 tsp sea salt



Drizzle chicken breast with 1 tsp olive oil and then season with some of the rub above! Cover and bake at 375F for 30 minutes or until cooked through! I'm not a real sauce lover, so only cooking with rubs and spices is not bothering me in the least but I just put a little bit of BBQ sauce on Brent's veggie chicken breast for a little extra something for him!

I cut some asparagus into small pieces, tossed with 1 tsp garlic and sprinkle of oregano and pepper and put in a frying pan with about 1/4 water, cooking, covered for about 10 minutes on medium heat.

And we served with a small portion of brown rice - cooked according to directions!

Greek Shrimp and Orzo Salad

From Beachbody!

1 oz orzo pasta
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp red wine vinegar (I only had white wine vinegar so used it)
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp olive oil
2 TBSP green onions (I used less because we're both not huge green onion fans)
6 cherry tomatoes
1/3 cucumber
3 oz cooked shrimp
1 oz low fat feta cheese

The recipe calls for black olives but we both don't like them so omitted  :)

Cook orzo according to package, drain and set aside. Whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, pepper, oregano and olive oil. Chop onion, halve tomatoes, dice cucumbers. Toss all ingredients together and serve!

I doubled this recipe to feed Brent too :) and used his veggie beef in place of shrimp!

Maple Glazed Salmon

I marinated a piece of salmon for myself for the afternoon with about 3 TBSP maple syrup, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp dill and pepper.  I baked it for about 20 minutes at 350F (covered) and then also pan fried a little at the end, because I like it a little “crispy” – probably more than any normal person would want their salmon but whatever.

 

Since there doesn’t seem to be a vegetarian equivalent to salmon yet that I know of, I just cooked Brent one of his vegetarian scaloppini. A brushed a little maple syrup on both sides of his, and sprinkled with pepper and dill weed, then added some sriracha sauce to the top and baked, uncovered for about 20 mins.

 

We had cauliflower in the fridge and I found this recipe on Kitchen Treaty – SOOOOO good!! A little messy/sticky when baking but tasted awesome – Maple Sriracha Roasted Cauliflower!  Even though we had similar flavors on our protein, everything was still super tasty and different.

 

http://www.kitchentreaty.com/maple-sriracha-roasted-cauliflower/

 

And topped it off with a little side salad of spinach, grapes, goat cheese and my balsamic vinaigrette I made the other day:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 

3/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp honey

1 tsp pomegranate juice

1 tsp dried dill weed

1/2 tsp minced garlic

                      

 

Thai Pumpkin Soup

I have seen quite a few versions of this recipe in some of our cook books, but took my own little spin on it today with what I had in the house!  It was… spicy - but really good!

 

14 oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

14 oz can light coconut milk

1 Thai Red Pepper, seeded and chopped

4 cups vegetable broth

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

¼ cup red onion, chopped

4 stalks of celery, chopped

1 red potato, peeled and chopped

1 tsp hot curry powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

2 tsp brown sugar

Pinches of salt and pepper

 

Combine all in the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 hours then use immersion blender to make smooth! I garnished with a little more cayenne pepper and a little Thai red pepper - I’ve seen a few recipes garnished with pumpkin seeds which would be nice too!

 

 

Spinach and Cranberry Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Tonight I just kind of made dinner up!  Stuffed chicken with salad and a pomegranate martini!

Slice a chicken breast open lengthwise slightly to create a pocket (don't slice the chicken right in half!) and then open and sprinkle with some salt and pepper, lay 4 leaves of baby spinach in the pocket and spread soft cheese on top (I used Boursin cranberry and pepper!). Close the chicken breast and drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with pepper and bake, covered for 30 minutes.

I couldn't stuff Brent's chicken, so just baked it for about 10 minutes and then flipped and topped with pepper, spinach and cranberry cheese and baked for another 10 mins!

For the salad, I topped spinach with pomegranate seeds, chopped avocado, hemp seeds and some of the Boursin cranberry cheese crumbled and a balsamic vinaigrette:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 

3/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp honey

1 tsp pomegranate juice (from the pomegranate I used to get the seeds from!)

1 tsp dried dill weed

1/2 tsp minced garlic

Shake in tight fitting container until mixed

And I topped my dinner off with a little Pomegranate Martini:

1 oz vodka

1 oz pomegranate juice

Lime and pomegranate seeds to garnish 

Shake vodka and juice together in a shaker and serve!

Rice Paper Chicken Rolls!

Ok it's been awhile... and we haven't been making very exciting food the last couple weeks for some reason! But here's one that I tried after I saw a friend shared the recipe on Facebook! We happened to have ALMOST all of the ingredients to make these! I used chicken (real and fake of course) instead of shrimp and thought I had an avocado but apparently didn't so used red peppers instead to go along with the cucumbers, vermicelli, mixed greens and other fillings!  Yum!


http://www.shared.com/eat-fresh-with-these-shrimp-rolls-1944996682.html

Cauliflower and Potato Slow-Cooker Soup

Fall is coming... We had to turn on the furnace...maybe we're babies lol but it was cold! Boo - So I made soup in the slow-cooker!  A nice creamy cauliflower and potato soup but with no fatty cream or milk!! I just threw all of this into the slow cooker on low for about 6 hours or until cauliflower and potatoes are tender.  Then blend with immersion blender until smooth! Garnish with whatever!! I topped with mozza cheese and parsley!

1 head cauliflower, chopped
4 red potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
900ml vegetable broth (I think that's about 3 cups!)
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
Pinches of salt, pepper and cayenne pepper

Chicken, Nectarine and Plum Stir-fry

I found this recipe online in 2009 apparently (according to the random sheet of paper I printed that I still haven't bothered to transfer to a recipe card!) and I have made it many times since then! It's nice and "summer-y" and colourful and so good!! Not much else to say except try it!! 

My "original" printed recipe said you could substitute plum sauce with honey garlic sauce and that's what I did since that's what we had! 

Also, I assume he's not the first person to ever think of this, but Brent has discovered and shared with me that corn starch mixes a LOT more nicely into a sauce if you dissolve into a little water before you add to the other ingredients - it doesn't seem to take away from its thickening ability and just mixes in a lot better with no clumps!! :)

So, buy some plums, nectarines and snow peas and hold on to the last few days of summer!!!!

http://www.chatelaine.com/recipe/stir-fry-cooking-method/chicken-nectarine-and-plum-stir-fry/

Spinach and Feta Roll-Ups

10 lasagna sheets 

3 TBSP fresh basil, chopped 

2 TBSP red onion, chopped 

1 TBSP minced garlic

3 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped 

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp dill

1 tsp Rosemary 

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup Alfredo sauce

Cook pasta according to directions. 

In the meantime, combine basil, onion, garlic, spinach, feta, pepper, dill and Rosemary in a bowl.

When lasagna is cooked, follow these directions for each sheet:

Lay one sheet out and pat dry with a tea towel, then spoon some of the spinach mixture on to cover. Roll up and secure with a toothpick. Some of the spinach mix WILL fall out, don't try to be perfect :)

Lay each roll-up in a baking dish (I split ours up because Brent likes things a little "saucier" than I do haha). Top with Alfredo sauce and mozza cheese, cover with tin foil and bake at 300F for about 30 minutes (or until sauce is starting to bubble). Uncover, take toothpicks out and broil until cheese is browned!!

I served tonight with a side salad with radish, celery and goat cheese (Brent had poppyseed dressing and I had some of my home made balsamic vinaigrette).

Homemade Guacamole

We had a super lazy appetizer night tonight! Veggie potstickers, jalapeño poppers and my homemade guacamole! I was on an agent trip a few years ago to Mexico and we were treated to a cooking class at the Fairmont where we learned to make a yummy recipe!

2 ripe avocados, mashed
1 small tomato, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped very finely
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime (helps the avocado from browning and gives nice flavour!)
Sprinkle of salt and pepper

I also added half a fresh chopped jalapeño for fun tonight since I had one then served with Tostitos Roasted Garlic and Black Bean Tortilla Chips!!

Spicy Pepper Pizza

I was going to make a margarita pizza tonight but couldn't seem to find any fresh basil so decided to make a spicy pepper pizza instead!

I also bought a salad kit for a side - Eat Smart Mixed Greens and Quinoa - topped with the avocado dressing, quinoa, almonds and feta!

Spicy Pepper Pizza

1 package Kraft pizza kit

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

3 TBSP crumbled goat cheese

1 jalapeño, sliced

2 Thai red peppers, sliced

1 TBSP minced garlic

1 tsp dried basil

Mix the pizza crust according to directions, but I usually mix in half of the Parmesan cheese and spices that come in the package right into the dough! Then let rise as the directions say, and roll out onto a pizza pan. 

I like to cook the crust for about 4 minutes and then flip it before putting the toppings on.

So once it's been flipped, add the sauce, garlic, mozza, peppers and basil. Cook at 425F for about 15 minutes until cheese is melted and browning! 

Grilled Chicken & Pineapple Sandwich

I ripped this recipe out of Women's Health in March 2011 apparently and just trying it now lol! It was soooo good tonight!

For 1 serving each you'll need:
-1 chicken breast (I had one skinless boneless breast for me and a veggie breast for Brent)
-1 pineapple slice (I bought Canned slices but fresh would be delish!)
-A few slices of fresh or pickled jalapeño (I used 1 fresh one split between 2 of us)
-Teriyaki sauce (I used La Grille brand)
-1 slice Swiss cheese
-1 bun (we used ciabatta... I feel like I always do but my dad's store keeps making these and they're too good, I can't help myself)
-I slice of red onion, thinly sliced

Marinate chicken breast with teriyaki sauce (marinate separately of course if you are cooking real and veggie) for at least 1/2 hour.
Heat BBQ and then remove chicken from marinade and put on the BBQ! Cook for at least 5 minutes on each side. When almost cooked, place buns on top rack of BBQ to toast and at the same time either lay Swiss slices on the open faced bun or on the chicken breast (I chose the bun for less mess!). Also add pineapple slices to the grill and cook for about 2 minutes on each side.
Top each bun with chicken, pineapple, jalapeños, onion and a little extra sauce if you'd like!

I also made us a little side salad, I inspired by the "wine and cheese" salad I like at Lady of the Lake in Brandon! Mixed greens, red grapes, pecans, goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette (the recipe I posted on Sunday!).

Yum yum yum

Orange Sesame Chicken

Brent made dinner with a recipe from VH sauces - Orange Sesame Chicken with Bok Choy and rice noodles. Yum! Follow the recipe for the chicken below, cook rice noodles according to the package (takes like 2 minutes!) and he sautéed the Bok Choy in a frying pan with a little olive oil and about 3 TBSP of the VH Orange Ginger sauce until tender!

http://vhsauces.conagrafoods.ca/blog/recipe/orange-sesame-chicken/

PS I guess this is just like normal for us so maybe I forget to mention sometimes but he used a real chicken breast for me and a veggie one for him! See? Simple as that!

Mixed Greens with Strawberries, Nectarines and Goat Cheese

I made a bright summer salad last night with about 4 cups of our spring mix from the Farmer's Market, topped with 10 sliced strawberries, 2 thinly sliced Nectarines, 1/4 cup herbed goat cheese and this balsamic vinaigrette I made:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3/4 olive oil

1 tsp honey

1/2 tsp garlic

1/2 tsp dill

1/2 tsp basil

Salt and pepper 

Shake in a container with tight fitting lid until mixed (shake again right before serving if it will be stored in the fridge before you use it)

!