Healthy and Easy Shrimp Pasta

Shrimp and Asparagus Buckwheat Pasta

I know, I know, you're asking yourself where I've been.  OK, maybe not, but the truth is ever since I decided to get AFAA Personal Trainer certified, everything else in my life came to a stand still.  In life, we must zero in on our goals, define our steps of action to achieve them, and keep our eye on the prize.  Now, with that out of the way, I have re-dedicated myself to some things that have been pushed aside, my food blog being one of them.  So, let's get going!

I have said it before and I'll say it again: I WILL NEVER STOP EATING PASTA!!!  Alright, perhaps that was more of a shouting, but I'm Italian, and I only have one volume.  The reality is, people who say you shouldn't eat carbs, or that they avoid pasta at all cost, are just eating the wrong carbs or the wrong pasta.  My all time favorite pastas to use are Organic Soba noodles.  Often found in the Asian isle in your grocery store, Soba noodles are made with buckwheat, are extremely thin, and cook in about 4 minutes.  Talk about healthy and easy!  They even come in three individual bundles so you can choose your serving size!

Shrimp and Asparagus Buckwheat Pasta

2 Pre-portioned bundles of Soba noodles

1/2 lb. Medium Shrimp Cooked, de-veined

8 Stalks Asparagus, ends removed

2 Vine Ripe Tomatoes, diced

3 Cloves Garlic, chopped

1/2 c. Sliced Mushrooms

1 tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tbs. Grated Parmesan Cheese

1. Prepare Soba noodles to package directions.

2. Cut asparagus stalks into three even pieces, at a bias (at an angle).

3.  Heat olive oil on medium in a saute pan, and add asparagus.  Cook for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

4.  Add the mushrooms and saute for two minutes.

5.  Add tomatoes and garlic, and cook for an additional 5 minutes.  

6.  Add the shrimp (I take the tails off of mine because I can't stand working for my food once it's placed in front of me), and the drained Soba noodles, and heat through.  

7.  Top each potion with a small amount of Parmesan cheese.  

I break this amount of pasta into four different servings.  I'm not huge on calorie counting so I apologize to anyone who wants to know calories, carbs, proteins, etc.  I eat whole foods, control potion sizes and workout like a maniac.  Depending on how my metabolism feels that day, I may eat more or less.  

What I LOVE about this recipe is how quickly it all comes together.  I buy pre-cooked shrimp, boil my pasta while I'm chopping everything else, toss ingredients in while I'm waiting for my pasta to be done, and by the time it's drained, I'm throwing my last couple of ingredients in, and heating the whole dish through.  Super easy, super healthy!  Enjoy!

Remember, pasta is good.  People who tell you that is not, are bad! <3 

Summer Eatin'

It's Almost Too Simple to Post About

Leftover Summer Chicken Salad

I haven't posted in quite some time.  For myself, much like everyone else in New England, when summer comes, almost all my other responsibilities come to a screeching halt. I'm lucky enough to work a job that allows me afternoons to sit by the pool, or drop by the beach.  Sometimes I'm not sure how I make it day to day (total sarcasm).  

It's because of this that I rarely post, but it's also the fact that my meals seem to become extremely simplified in the summer.  I stop by the same Spring Brook Farm farm stand every ride home from my mother's pool, pick up my produce for the next few days, and head home to decide what I'm going to make.  Protein, vegetable, complex carb, and then most likely grill.  I'm not losing time in my kitchen, and everything tastes so simple and fresh.  I also get to use every little bit of produce in my fridge, and whatever protein I already have cooked.  I'm a simple girl in summer, no frills, just fresh food and grills.

Chicken Salad

4 oz. chicken, grilled or broiled, sliced

1/2 Cucumber, peeled and quartered

1/2 Tomato, diced

1/2 Yellow pepper, diced

2 C. lettuce or spinach or green of your choice

1 tsp. Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste 

Now, here's where it gets really complicated.  Put it on a plate.  

Yup, that's why most of the time it's just hard for me to blog about food in the summer.  Why go and mess a good thing up.  The most complicated this can get is marinating or boiling the chicken with some salt, pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and chicken stock.  Why not just enjoy the amazing food that is summer produce???

Natural Protein Pancake with Peanut Butter and "Banana Jelly"

OMG have I been a busy bee!  I'm looking through my pictures to see what I want to blog about next, and I realize that I have about a dozen recipes that need some blog love.  Summer always seems to distract me from my side projects and manages to keep me focused on my healthy tan (which is going very well in case you're interested).  With that in mind, and bikini season in full effect, I'm always looking for fresh breakfast ideas that aren't my usual egg white omelette, or my oatmeal with fresh fruit, but which also aren't going to require me to stand over the stove for 30 minutes.  I came across this recipe in Oxygen Magazine's latest issue, and decided to jazz it up a bit with some banana on top since peanut butter and banana are the bestest of friends.

This recipe really interested me primarily because I have now completely given up protein powder, and since doing so, have not had the opportunity to have my morning breakfast protein pancakes.  With this recipe, I get the protein from the egg whites, cottage cheese, and peanut butter, without all the unnatural ingredients of a man made protein powder.  I can honestly say that I was hesitant at first, but after my first bite I was sold, not only on flavor, but the fluffiness compared to the density of the regular protein pancake.  Give it a shot, and you may give up your protein powder all together!

Ingredients:

1/2 C. Rolled oats
3 large Egg whites
1/3 C. Fat-free cottage cheese
1/2 tbsp.  All natural smooth peanut butter
1/2 Medium banana
1 tsp. Stevia
2 tsp. Cinnamon, divided
1 tsp. Water

In a blender (I use a hand-held, individual size because it's easier to blend and clean), place oats, egg whites, cottage cheese, peanut butter and 1 tsp. of cinnamon.  Blend until smooth (you may need to scrape down the sides to get all the oatmeal mixed in).

Pour the batter into a pan heated on medium and cook until brown on both sides (about 3-4 minutes on each side).

While the pancake is cooking, in a small bowl slice the banana, and add the Stevia, 1 tsp. of cinnamon and the water.  Mash everything together until you get a nice jelly consistency.  

Remove the pancake from the pan, and top with the banana jelly.  I promise, you will not be disappointed, and if you're a morning sweets person like myself, this will fulfill your sweet pancake cravings, and your morning protein requirements! 

Grilled Peaches with Yogurt Walnut Topping

Grilled fruit?!?!  YUP!  If you ask me, people don't grill enough different types of foods.  I grill meats, fruits, pizzas.  I'd grill pasta if I could, but much like the Tater-tot incident with my friend Mandy in our youth, turns out the pasta falls through the grates.  

The great thing about grilling fruit, is that it has all the natural sugars that are needed to caramelize the outside.  Add those with a titch of cinnamon and a sprinkle of Stevia, and all of a sudden you're tasting something that you would have sworn was way too decadent to be healthy.

Ingredients:
2 Peaches, ripened
1 tbsp. Canola oil
2 tsp. Cinnamon, divided
2 tsp. Stevia, divided
4 tbsp. Fat-free Greek Yogurt
1 splash of Vanilla extract
2 tbsp. Walnuts, toasted

Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits.  It should be noted here that if you get under-ripened peaches you'll have a heck of a time trying to get them in half and remove the pit.  You have been warned.  Brush the cut side of the peach with canola oil (or any oil that can withstand high temperatures) and sprinkle all four pieces with 1 tsp. of cinnamon and 1 tsp. of Stevia.  Place the peaches, cut side down, on a grill heated to medium high.

Give the fruit about 5-7 minutes to caramelize on the cut side, checking regularly to make sure that it is not burning, and flip.  Allow to cook on the other side for an additional 5-7 minutes.  You'll know the peaches are done when both sides are browned, and they squish easily when you grab them with tongs.  

To make the yogurt topping, place the yogurt, 1 tsp. of cinnamon, tsp. of Stevia, and a splash of vanilla extract in a bowl and whisk.  Garnish each peach with 1 tbsp. of the yogurt topping, and sprinkle on the toasted walnuts.  

Appreciate this dish because so often in the summer season in New England we are surrounded by cookies, and brownies, and everything else that is full of fillers.  Choose fruit salad, or better yet, choose grilled fruit salad.  It tastes better, and who doesn't love the smokey flavor of Cowboy charcoal on everything from meats to fruits?

Lemon Chicken Soup with Spaghetti

I like spaghetti.  I will not stop eating spaghetti.  These are facts.  I suggest that you look at the facts of food in your life.  Maintaining a healthy life, and lifestyle should be about balance, and knowing where certain foods stand in your eating habits.  Like anything else, pasta is not bad for you, depending on the type that you buy, and the quantity that you eat it in.  I can honestly say that as a child, it seemed abnormal not to eat at least half of a box of pasta to my face.  And I wonder how I ended up overweight!!!


This recipe intrigued me because I love chicken noodle soup, and the citrus made it sound so light and refreshing.  Likewise, the small amount of pasta in the dish (remember, this is compared to the half of a box I would eat in one sitting), seemed like a great way to get the taste and texture of my pasta craving, but not in over abundance.  I know you'll all be shocked to find out that I found this recipe on Food Network while watching Giada at Home, and it only took about two days to experiment with it in the kitchen.


Ingredients:

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 (2-inch) piece Parmesan cheese rind, optional
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) spaghetti, broken into 2-inch pieces
• 2 cups diced cooked rotisserie chicken, preferably breast meat
• 1 cup grated Romano cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Kosher salt

In a large stockpot, bring the chicken broth, lemon juice, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind, if using, to a boil over medium-high heat.

Add the carrots and simmer until tender, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Add the broken pasta and cook until the pasta is tender, for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken and heat through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and the Parmesan rind and discard. Stir in 1/2 of the cheese and the parsley. Season with salt, to taste. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

When choosing your pasta, read carefully.  You'll most likely find your best choices in the health food isle of your grocery store.  As much as Barilla pasta seems like a good choice because it's boasting "whole wheat grains" and "enriched" with something or other they're trying to sell the healthy shopper with, it's usually not much better than picking up a regular box of 99 cent store brand crap the next shelf over.  The pasta you choose should contain ingredients like: kamut, buckwheat, whole grains etc.  I spent about 10 minutes holding two different brands of pasta, reading ingredients and checking out nutritional facts.  Find the brand that fits the best into your diet.  Also, be aware that pasta will go bad if you only use part of the box and leave the remainder sitting in your cabinet,  especially the kind with all natural ingredients. If you don't have a pasta container that is air tight, I suggest cooking the remainder of the box, and freezing it until you need it for another recipe.  

In regards to the chicken in this recipe, I had roasted a chicken earlier in the day, and therefore had no problem with finding, or including fresh cooked chicken in the recipe.  If it's easier for you, I don't see why you couldn't add two chicken breasts in place of rotisserie chicken.  Although most grocery stores do have a section where they offer a "fresh cooked rotisserie chicken", be aware, that many of them use sugars in their rubs and marinades.  Only you can decide exactly how much control you want to have over the ingredients in your dishes.  

Blueberry Crisp 

As blueberries are a Superfood, and my husband loves them, and I love desserts, I'm always trying to find new ways to incorporate them in a new way.  This recipe came from my knowledge of crisps, combined with a crumble topping from another recipe I found in The Best Life Diet Cookbook. I was also craving a little treat for the topping, and so I made a quickie frozen yogurt, which fresh out of the freezer was great, but is still a recipe that I'm working on.  It worked out alright this time, but it's not something that I would try again without further research.

Ingredients:
Blueberry Base:
1 pint Blueberries, fresh
1/2 Lemon, zested
1/2 Lemon, juiced
1 tbsp. Stevia
Crumble Topping:
1/2 c. Oats
1 tbsp. Honey
2 tbsp. Walnuts
Pinch of Salt
1 tbsp. Unsweetened Soy milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the blueberry base.  Divide evenly among four ramekins.

In a food processor combine all ingredients for the crumble topping.  Divide the topping among the four ramekins. 

Place the ramekins on a baking sheets, and bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on browning of the topping. When the topping looks crisp, an blueberries are bubbling through, remove and let cool for 5 minutes.  Top blueberry crisp with Fat-free Greek yogurt, or a frozen yogurt of your choice.  

I promise that this treat will satiate any desire to have a sweet snack.  This is great as well because with dividing the mixture among four ramekins, you have two more servings for whenever you decide you want a sweet snack.  When I came up with this recipe, my husband exclaimed that this was, "The best dessert you've ever made", which is starting to hold less and less weight, since he says this with every new dessert that I create.  We'll see how it stands up as time progresses!

Oatmeal Raisin and Banana Walnut Cookies

I'm always looking for new sweets, with better nutrition, and I was super excited when I came across this recipe while getting my toes 'did' at the nail salon.  I usually detest 'Fitness Magazine' because it's the most repetitive, and sometimes obvious information you could possibly get about nutrition and exercise, but this time, it actually came through.  So, I snapped a quick pic of the recipe with my camera phone, (always think about this when you're out somewhere and want to try a recipe later; who writes stuff down with a pen and paper now a days anyway?), and a couple days later, put the recipe to test.

The original recipe stated that a serving size was four, two-cookie servings, totaling eight cookies.  I decided to make them smaller so they were more of a dessert treat, as opposed to a breakfast cookie, which is what the magazine was shooting toward.  You can do whichever you would like, and it might be a great idea for those of you who are running out of the house in the morning, to try the two cookie servings to get your oatmeal in on the go.

Ingredients:
1 c. Oats, ground
1/2 c. Oats, whole
1 Egg, beaten
3/4 c. Low-fat milk
1 Banana, mashed
1/2 c. Golden raisins
2 tbsp. Flaxseed, ground
2 tbsp. Walnuts, chopped
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Honey
1/8 tsp. Salt
1 tbsp. Stevia

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Pulse 1 c. of oats in food processor until they resemble a course powder.  Combine ground oats with the remainder of the ingredients.  Scoop batter onto a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and bake 10-12 minutes for small cookies or 12-14 for large cookies.

This recipe is really easy, but I did find that the consistency was a little loose at first, so I added an additional amount of whole oats until it was a scooping consistency.  Use common sense; if it's too loose add more oats, if it's not, leave it alone.  

Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes with Blueberry Compote and Vanilla Yogurt-Cream Cheese Topping

A mouthful of a title?  Yes.  A mouthful of blueberries?  Most definitely.  I actually just made these this morning, and despite the fact that I have about five other recipes that I need to post about before this, I really shouldn't be jumping the gun to share this one, but it was so good I couldn't resist.  I also didn't want to forget how I made it before I could get to writing about it.  

My husband and I religiously watch Bobby Flay's Throwdown on Food Network, and recently saw an episode on blueberry pancakes, at which point my husband exclaimed, "You haven't made pancakes in a long time.  You should make blueberry pancakes."  The reality was, I hadn't picked up pancake mix in ages, and the last time I had made pancakes, I had done it by scratch.  Well, his suggestion was I all I needed to get me to pick up the Anson Mills Buckwheat Pancake mix, and start brainstorming my next creation.  

Sometimes I make something so delicious, it's like I can't even believe that it has happened.  This was one of those moments.

Ingredients:
Anson Mills Pancake Mix (6-8 pancake serving)
1/2 c. Fresh blueberries
3 tsp. Cinnamon
3/4 c. Frozen blueberries
1/2 Lemon, juiced
1/2 Lemon, zested
1/8 c. Water
3 tbsp. Stevia
2 tbsp. Non-fat Greek yogurt
2 tbsp. Fat-free cream cheese, at room temp.
1 tsp. Vanilla extract

To make pancakes, prepare the batter to package instructions (for this you will need egg, milk, and oil, so don't think that you have all the ingredients here.  Make sure to check whatever pancake mixture you buy, and see what you need to execute the pancakes).  When the batter is prepared, fold in the fresh blueberries, and 1 tsp. of cinnamon.  Preheat your pan to medium, and pour batter onto sprayed pan, letting cook on one side until bubbles form in the batter, and then flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes on that side.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, put 1 tsp. cinnamon, frozen blueberries, lemon juice and zest, water and 2 tbsp. of Stevia, and bring to a slow boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer, and allow to cook down until thickened, stirring regularly to make sure the fruit doesn't burn, and the mixture cooks evenly.  This should take about 10-15 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp. Stevia, 1 tsp. cinnamon, yogurt, cream cheese, and vanilla extract.

To build, place your pancakes on the plate, put a dollop of the yogurt-cream cheese mixture and then cover with the blueberry compote.  In order to keep everything fresh and tasting like it's just built, I would make your yogurt-cream cheese mixture ahead of time, and allow your compote to be cooking while you're getting your pancake batter ready, and cooking.

What I enjoy about the compote mixture, is you can refrigerate it if you have extra, and use it as a jam on toast, or to top other breakfast options.  You can also make your own fruit-on-the-bottom yogurts if you would prefer something fresher than what you pick up in your grocery store.  On top of that, I have left sugar-free maple syrup in the past, and this is such a great way to feel like you're getting your syrupy fix on, without all the fillers and unnatural flavorings.

Give the recipe a try, and you'll never go back to IHOP again for their blueberry pancakes with blueberry syrup.  This is 10 times fresher, better tasting, and probably has half the carbs and calories, and shhh...you're kids will never know it's a healthier version!

Toasted Ciabatta Bread with Pea Pesto and Slice Tomato

You'll never guess where I got this recipe.  What?  Giada De Laurentiis?  Yup, shocking, I know.  For the most part, I kept the recipe the same, but I changed the type of bread I used, and I rubbed the bread with sliced garlic after it had been toasted.  What had drawn me to this recipe, was that I really enjoy pesto, but my husband hates pine nuts.  Because of this, I'm drawn to pesto sauces that don't involve pine nuts, but have a similar texture.  Also, this entire show, 'More for Less', had several recipes that I wanted to try, and this recipe, paired with the Lemon Chicken Soup (I will get to that blog soon), seemed delish!  And so, on the pea pesto journey I went.

Ingredients:
1/2 Loaf day old Multi-grain Ciabatta bread
1 10 oz. Frozen peas, thawed
2 Garlic cloves
1/2 c. Parmesan, grated
1 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1/2 c. Extra-virgin Olive oil
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced

To make the pesto pulse together the peas, 1 garlic clove, cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.  With food processor running, slowly add in 1/3 c. of olive oil until well combined.

For toast, use day old bread prior to toasting so you get a really good crunch.  If you don't have day old, you can always toast it in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Slice the bread about 1/4 in. thick, and brush with olive oil.  Place the bread slices on a stove top grill or griddle and toast on each side for 2-3 minutes.  Immediately remove and take one garlic clove, cut in half, and rub the bread with the garlic, sliced side down.  You're basically making a quick garlic bread.

To build, lay the bread flat, top with the pea pesto, and cover with the sliced tomato.  You can add any additional salt and pepper to taste. 

I enjoy the recipe because it's something that you can serve with a soup, or as a passed appetizer at a party. It's so annoying when people offer starters that are near impossible to eat while standing up, or moving around.  For the love, I'm Italian, I talk with my hands, so I need something that can hold up to a little movement while I'm eating!  

Seafood Salad Pockets with Homemade Potato Chips

I was lucky enough to come across some free jumbo shrimp, and lobster tail, and wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do with it.  As much as I enjoy both seafood options by themselves, I wanted to make it a whole meal, as opposed to something that my husband and I picked at sitting at the dinner table.  With summer in the air, I decided that it would be a nice treat to have a nice seafood pocket with some potato chips.  *GASP* Potato chips???  Yes, potato is not bad for you, and chips are not bad for you, if you don't go dropping the chips in a giant fryer.  

Although I typically substitute Fat-free Greek yogurt for mayo, every once in a while I have to feed my husband textures and tastes of "real food" in order to satiate his sandwich needs.  *GASP*  Mayonnaise???  Yes, given the right mayo, (I use an Olive Oil based mayo), in a small quantity, it can give you the flavors and textures you crave, without all the crap that's in your typical full-fat mayonnaise.  

Ingredients:
1 lb. Shrimp, cooked, shelled and de-veined
1 Lobster tail, cooked, and shelled
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp. Olive oil based Mayonnaise
1 Celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 tbsp. Lemon juice
1 tsp. Dill
1 Russet potato, thinly sliced
Non-stick Olive Oil spray
1 tbsp. Extra-virgin Olive Oil
1 c. Baby spinach
2 Whole-wheat pockets

To prepare the seafood salad, place the shrimp in a food processor and pulse until you reach a desired consistency.  I like mine small because I keep the lobster chopped into larger chunks, in order to keep the lobster the main texture of the sandwich.  In a medium bowl, place the shrimp, chunked lobster, salt, pepper, mayo, celery, lemon juice and dill and mix.  Season to your liking.  Cut your pocket in half, place your spinach leaves, and spoon in however much seafood salad you would like.  I made a sandwich for both my husband and I, and still had some left over to eat on a regular salad the next day.

To prepare the potato chips, preheat oven on 350 degrees, and thoroughly wash the potato.  When the potato has dried, cut off a small part of one end, take a mandoline slicer set at 1/8" slice, and slice your potato.  Watch your fingers!  If you don't have a mandoline, you can always slice them with a sharp knife, however, unless you're a trained chef (which I am not) getting the slices thin enough for them to bake like real chips is very, very difficult.  

In a bowl, toss the potato slices with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place them on a large parchment paper lined baking sheet, making sure they are in a single layer.  Place the baking sheet in the oven and allow to cook for 12 minutes.  Turn the slices over, and continue to bake for an additional 5 minutes, checking on them periodically to see if they have browned.  If you want them nice and crispy, you'll want to see them really browned, otherwise the chips will be soggy and chewy.   Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, and serve with your seafood salad pocket, or the sandwich of your choice.  

You can also use this chip recipe with sweet potatoes, if you want an even healthier version.  I just so happened to have used my sweet potato the day before for grilled wedges, so I went with regular potatoes, which was nice because it felt like a day at the beach eating this sandwich with these chips.  

Grilled Arctic Char Tzatziki with Grilled Asparagus

This dish was inspired by a dinner that my husband and I had at Fishbones restaurant in Chelmsford a few weeks ago.  Although salmon is our main superfood, I was intrigued to try something different, and seeing as it is a cross in texture and flavor of salmon, and lake trout, I knew I would love it.  Here, I merely recreated what I saw on a plate, and the flavors that had come out of the sauce when I ate the dish.  

Tzatziki is sauce made with strained yogurt, lemon, garlic, and herbs.  It can contain several different types of herbs and here, I used dill in order to replicate the sauce that I had for dinner.  I love the combination of the sauce with the Arctic Char, particularly because the fish is a lot lighter in texture and flavor than salmon, and therefore, tastes so extravagant with a fancy sauce on top.

Ingredients:
1 lb. Arctic Char, grilled
Non-stick spray
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. of Fat-free Greek yogurt
2 tbsp. Lemon juice
1 tbsp. Lemon zest
1 tbsp. Dill, dried or fresh
1/2 Cucumber, peeled and diced
1 tbsp. Olive oil
1 lb. Asparagus, washed and stemmed and grilled


To prepare your Tzatziki sauce mix the yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, dill, cucumber, and salt and pepper to taste, in a bowl.  Allow flavors to marinate together for at least 20 minutes, refrigerated.  Make sure you taste the sauce, and season to your liking, because yogurt can be extremely tangy, especially mixed with lemon zest and juice.  You need to find the balance that works for your palate.

Preheat your grill to medium-high, and take the asparagus, tossed with some Olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste, and place it directly on the grill.  The asparagus needs to be watched closely, because it will not take longer than 5-7 minutes to grill directly on the grate, and needs to be turned continuously.  Take the stalks off as the appear to be done.

At the same time, place a large piece of aluminum foil on the grill, generously sprayed with non-stick spray.  Place the Arctic Char, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste, and place it skin down onto the aluminum foil.   Like salmon, Arctic Char will not take long to cook, and really doesn't need to be on each side for longer than 4-5 minutes.  I would suggest using a spatula to turn, as tongs will just break the fish apart.  When both sides have been cooked, remove the fish from the grill, and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.

Take your Tzatziki sauce out of the fridge, and place a generous amount over the fish, and plate with your asparagus.  You'll find that the flavors of the fish, with the sauce, are very complimentary, and light, especially paired with a nice light vegetable like asparagus.

A couple of notes on preparing the fish.  You could always place the fish directly on the grill, but I have found, that if the grate is at all sticky, the fish will just break apart.  So, with this approach, you get almost an indirect heat, but still retain the flavor of the charcoal.  If you're not able to grill, you can always pan-sear the fish, and oven roast the asparagus.  I personally don't eat the skin of the fish, but if you enjoy it, more power to you.  You can either leave it on and eat around it, or peel it off when you take it off of the grill.

Find your closest fish store with a variety of fish, and try something new today.  And, be inspired by the dishes you order when you go out.  Think about something you'd like to recreate when you get home, instead of something you can make at home, but are too lazy to create.    

Grilled Sea Scallops

When my husband and I fire up the grill, WE GRILL!  The scallops stumbled onto our grill because we were planning on doing Bison burgers, and I stopped at the Fish Market to get Arctic Char, so we figured, why not some grilled Sea Scallops?  Super easy, and although some people consider scallops a fatty seafood, they are a very good source of nutrients that promote cardio-vascular health with vitamin B-12, Omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium and potassium.  That's all the information I need to convince me to eat grilled scallops.  SOLD!

Ingredients:

8 Sea Scallops
1/2 Lemon, juiced
1/2 Lemon rind
2 tbsp. Extra-virgin Olive Oil
1 Garlic clove, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Always make sure to rinse and soak your scallops for at least 10 minutes, if you don't, you end up with seafood that tastes like pee.  No joke.  I made seafood chowder once, forgot to do this, threw them in the chowder, and my husband and I were choking it down.  

Mix the lemon, lemon rind, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl.  If you get jumbo sea scallops, you won't need to skewer them, so lay them on a plate, and brush them with the olive oil and lemon marinade.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  I love the flavor of fresh seafood, so I find it unnecessary to marinate them, and instead let the natural flavor be the dominate taste, and use the other seasonings to enhance the flavor.  

Place the scallops on a grill heated to medium-high.  Let them sit on the grate for about 4-5 minutes before turning them.  Flip, and let them cook for another 4-5 minutes.  Too many people overcook scallops, and then end up with a rubbery texture.  Let them get nice and seared, but don't cook them all the way through, unless you prefer them that way.  

Spinach, Mushroom & Chicken Sausage Frittata

It's pretty evident that in order to eat healthy on a regular basis, it helps to have meals that are already made and ready to go in the fridge.  I find this especially helpful for my husband because he works mornings, and doesn't always have time to make a breakfast before he heads out of the house.  I don't know why it took me so long to give this recipe a try, but it was definitely great to have something already made, and that could be portioned away for when one of us needed a quick breakfast in the morning.  And, for the love, if I'm not using my cake pans for cake, then I'll use them for my eggs!

Ingredients:
3 c. Baby spinach
1 c. Mushrooms, your choice, diced
2 Chicken sausage links, your flavor choice
8 Eggs, scrambled
4 oz Reduced-fat goat cheese, or cheese of your choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a saute pan heated on medium, sprayed with non-stick spray, saute mushrooms for about 5 minutes, or until soft, and add the spinach and cook until wilted.  Remove from pan.  

Slice the chicken sausage (I like to remove the casing because I find it to be a little bit chewy), re-spray the pan, and saute the sausage until browned (most chicken sausage is already cooked, but I like the flavor of a re-heated link).  Remove from pan and let cool about five minutes.

Spray the 9 in. pie pan with non-stick spray, and then lay the sliced chicken sausage on the bottom of the pan, covering the entire pan.  On top, spread out the mushroom and spinach mixture.  Take the scrambled eggs and pour them over the chicken sausage, mushroom, and spinach mixture. Top the mixture with crumbled goat cheese.  (You'll notice here that one side varies from the other.  This is because my husband doesn't like goat cheese, so I did one side with goat cheese, and the other with non-fat mozzarella.)

Place the pie pan in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and eggs are firmly set.  Let cool for about 5 minutes and serve immediately, or cut into 8 wedges and portion them away for later use.

I liked to pair this breakfast with 1/2 an English muffin or a piece of fruit.  By itself, the frittata wedge can be a little bit light, so eating something else filled me up a little bit more.  Remember, the frittata's greatness lies in the fact that it can be a vehicle for almost any protein and vegetable.  Take whatever you have in your fridge, throw some scrambled eggs over it, and bake away.  You'll find that this can be an extremely versatile dish, and great for left-overs.   

Beef Osso Bucco Over Parsley Parsnip Puree

Who doesn't love Osso Bucco???  Veal, pork, beef, whatever.  Slow cooked meat with vegetables is just plain ol' delish!  The restaurant I work in has done several different versions of an Osso Bucco appetizer, and at some point a light bulb went off and I decided that I absolutely needed to try making my own.  I ended up going with beef primarily because it was what was available in my grocery store at the time that I was inspired to try this recipe, and I already had most, if not all, of the ingredients, outside of the meat, available in my house.  

The Osso Bucco recipe is inspired by a dish I found on Food Network's website, and of course, was a Giada recipe, however, mine is so drastically different, that I can't even give you the link because you won't recognize it.  Likewise, the Parsnip Puree was also inspired by a Tyler Florence recipe, but I changed it up quite a bit by substituting soy milk and parsley in order to carry the parsley flavor throughout the entire dish.  This was, indeed, a huge hit in my house, and is something that I will continue to make over the years.  Give it a try, and if you want, take my recipe, mix it up a bit, and call it your own!

Ingredients:
Osso Bucco:
3 whole Beef Shanks, trimmed
1 tbsp. Whole Wheat flour
2 tbsp. Extra-virgin Olive Oil
1 small White onion, diced
2 Carrots, diced
2 Celery stalks, diced
2 Vine tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp. Tomato paste
4 c. Beef stock
2 whole garlic cloves
1 dried Bay leaf
1/4 c. Parsley, chopped

Parsley Parsnip Puree:
1 lb. Parsnip, peeled and coarsely cut
1/2 Unsweetened Soy milk
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Garlic cloves, sliced
1/4c. Parsley, lightly chopped
2 tbsp. Extra-virgin Olive Oil

Pat dry the beef shanks, and trim.  Cover all sides of the shanks with whole wheat flour.  In a 4-quart pot, heat 2 tbsp. of oil, place the beef shanks in the pan, and brown on all sides.  Remove the meat from the pan, and place aside.  

Place the onion, carrots, and celery in the pot and saute until soft, about 8 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, tomato past, beef stock, garlic cloves and bay leaf.  Return the beef shanks to the pot, and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer, and allow to cook for approximately 1 1/2-2 hours.  Add chopped parsley within the last 15 minutes of cooking.  Remove bay leaf before serving.

In the meantime, you can either cook the parsnips by placing them in a pan and covering with water, and bringing them to a boil, then simmering until tender (about 15 minutes), or steam them until cooked through.  When cooked, (a fork should easily pierce them), place the parsnips into a food processor.  In a saucepan, place the soy milk, garlic cloves and parsley over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat, and strain out the garlic and the parsley.  

Puree the parsnips in the food processor until smooth.  Slowly at the olive oil while pureeing.  When smooth, then add the soy milk, garlic, and parsnip mixture to the food processor while pureeing.  Puree until it is a texture you like.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

To present, place about a 1/4 cup of the parsnip puree in a bowl, top with part of the beef shank (it should be falling apart at this point), and then ladle over some veggies and stock from your pot.

This is such an easy dish to execute, although there may seem to be a lot of steps.  I would recommend trying it if you want to impress your in-laws or friends.  If you plate it right, they'll think they're dining at some fancy restaurant instead of sitting at your dinner table!

Clean Eggs Benedict

Egg whites.  All by itself, another boring ingredient.  When my husband and I first starting eating clean, all I knew to do was make egg whites scrambled, or make an omlette.  Needless to say, after two months, my husband objected, and said he just couldn't eat any more egg whites.  So, in my food journey, I am always looking to modify, and build on any breakfast recipe that contains egg whites.  

This recipe is courtesy of The Best of Clean Eating, although I pretty much halved the recipe, changed the type of mushrooms, and used Fat-free Cheddar cheese.  I also changed the order in which the recipe is executed, because I wasn't about to use three pans in order to make one egg-white based dish.  Sorry, but I don't own a dishwasher, and it turns out my personal maid is on a permanent vacation.  

Ingredients:
Non-stick Olive Oil spray
3 c. Baby spinach
1 c. Mushrooms, diced
Olive Oil cooking spray
5 Egg whites, scrambled
1 tbsp. whole-wheat flour
1/2 c. Skim milk
1/4 c. shredded Fat-free Cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Sprouted grain English muffins, toasted

Heat a saute pan on medium heat, spray with non-stick spray, and saute mushrooms for about 5 minutes.  Add the baby spinach and saute until spinach is wilted.  Season lightly with salt and pepper, and remove from pan.

Spray the pan again with non-stick spray, and add your egg whites.  Scramble egg whites for about 5 minutes, until cooked through.  Season lightly with salt and pepper and remove from pan. 

To the same pan, over low-medium heat, add 1 tbsp. of whole-wheat flour, and skim milk.  Whisk these ingredients together until the mixture becomes thick.  It can take any where from 4-6 minutes.  Just as it starts to thicken, add your Fat-free cheese and whisk until smooth.  If you find that the sauce is to thick, add more milk, one tablespoon at a time.

On your toasted English muffins, place egg whites, topped with the spinach and mushroom mixture, and then topped with your cheese sauce.  

You may find that although this technically makes two servings, one half of the English muffin may be filling enough.  In that case, save the other half for a snack later, or for breakfast the next day.  Remember, the easiest way to stay on track and stay clean, is to make extra, keep your left-overs, and use them as a snack or meal at a later time.  

Mediterranean Tilapia Sandwiches

Ahh Giada, how I love your ability to provide recipes that I can so easily transform into a clean sandwich.  The original recipe for this sandwich uses halibut instead of tilapia, but as I was in a fish store, and forgot what type of fish I needed to execute the dish, I went with tilapia, came home, looked up the recipe, and realized it was halibut.  What is a girl to do except try it with a different fish?  And so, substituting tilapia for halibut, and removing the mayonnaise and replacing it with Fat Free Greek yogurt, I put my mixing bowls and saute pan to work, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.   What was created was yet another dish that my husband and I sat eating, and with every bite just made moaning noises about how exceptional the sandwich was.  Might I add, nothing compares to toasting bread brushed with Olive Oil, and then rubbed with fresh cut garlic.  It will change your sandwich eating world forever!

Ingredients:

Fish:

• Olive oil cooking spray
• 1 (12-ounce) or 2 (6-ounce) center-cut tilapia fillets, skinned
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Extra-virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling

Bread:

• 1 loaf whole grain ciabatta bread, ends trimmed, halved lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and halved

Filling:

• 3 heaping tablespoons Fat Free Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained
• Zest of 1 large lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups baby spinach

To cook the fish, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about four minutes on each side in a saute pan pre-heated to medium.  Allow the fish to cool for about ten to fifteen minutes.  

For the bread: Preheat a grill pan or a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove some of the dough from the top half of the bread. Brush the cut-sides of the bread with olive oil. Grill the bread until golden, 1 to 2 minutes, and rub the cooked surface with the cut side of the garlic.

For the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, parsley, capers,lemon zest, salt, and pepper.

Using a fork, flake the cooked fish and add to the filling. Mix until incorporated. Place the filling on the bottom half of the bread. Top with arugula. Add the top half of the bread and cut into 4 equal-sized sandwiches.

Cinco de Mayo Mexi-Burger

I feel like Joey on Friends.  As I'm looking through my pictures, there has recently been a whole lot of burgers and sandwiches.  I'm not sure where this sudden urge to make sandwiches came from, but apparently, I was feeling the burger/sandwich craving the last couple weeks.  

The idea for this burger came from a recipe book, but morphed into my own little creation when I made my own salsa, and mixed it right into my ground turkey meat.  It made for a very light, citrus-flavored meat, as opposed to traditional savory burger.  

Ingredients:
2 Vine ripe tomatoes, diced
2 tbsp. Cilantro, chopped
1/2 Yellow onion, diced
Zest of 1/2 Lime
Juice of 1/2 Lime
Sea salt and fresh ground Black Pepper
1lb. Ground turkey breast
4 Slices of Mexican cheese, your choice
1 Avocado, sliced
1 Vine ripe tomato, sliced
1 c. Baby spinach
4 Multi-grain Sandwich Flats

Take the first seven ingredients and mix them well in a bowl.  Let them marinate in your fridge for up to one hour.  Then, form them into four patties and either grill them, or pan sear them.  Turkey should be cooked through, so depending on the size of your burgers I would say about 5 minutes on each side.  As Bobby Flay would say, any burger should only be turned once, and don't go squishing down on the poor thing, squeezing all of the yummy juices out of it!  Leave the darn thing alone, flip it, and in the last minute, throw your cheese on to melt.  As with any meat, let your burger rest so that all the juices can get nice and comfy inside your burger. 

Set up your burger "bun" (or muti-grain flats) with your avocado slices, tomato slices, and spinach.  Top it with your Mexi-Burger, and voila, a nice light, refreshing turkey burger, that tastes more like spring, than the weighed-down, greasy BBQ burger you're used to.

On a side note, because there is lime juice, and tomato in the burger, you'll find that they do release a fair amount of juices while you're eating them, so make sure you keep your napkin close by, and don't attempt to make this your lunch while you're driving down 495 in your car.

Salmon Melts

I like to melt cheese on anything, therefore being able to eat salmon, a Powerfood, and then melt some cheese on it, made it me a happy little cook.  The original recipe in The Best of Clean Eating states that the recipe yields 6 sandwiches.  I'm not sure what 3 year old is eating these sandwiches, but there is no way this amount of meat yields six servings. I will say you can get four good servings out of this dish, and remember, when you get your fish, it's weighed with the skin on, so get a little over half a pound.  

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. Salmon fillet

1 large Carrot, peeled and shredded

2 Celery Stalks, trimmed and diced

1 Medium yellow onion, finely diced

6 oz. nonfat plain Greek yogurt

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

3/4tsp dried dill

Zest of 1/2 lemon

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 tsp. Spanish paprika

Seas salt and fresh ground black pepper

8 slices of Food for Life Sprouted 7 Grains Bread

1 Roma tomatoes, sliced

4 Slices low-fat Provolone cheese

Cook your salmon fillet in a non-stick skillet on medium, meat side down, for two minutes.  Flip and cook skin side down for two minutes (you can do longer if you prefer your meat cooked all the way through).  Remove the fillet from the skillet, let the meat cool, and remove the skin and discard.  

In a large bowl, use a fork to flake the salmon.  Add the carrot, celery and onion to the salmon.  Stir to combine.  

In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, mustard, dill, lemon zest and juice and paprika.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour yogurt mixture over salmon-vegetable mixture and stir until well-combined.  

Toast your bread in the toaster, and preheat your broiler to high.

Arrange the bread on a baking sheet, and divide the tomato slices evenly among the bread slices.  Top eat slice with the salmon-vegetable mixture, dividing evenly.  Place the cheese slices on top of the salmon mixture.  Broil on high for three minutes.  Remove from heat, top with four remaining slices of toast and serve immediately.  

When I used the left over meat for these sandwiches, I actually saved it in a tupperware, and then repeated the prep and broiling process before I ate it again.  I would suggest this approach if you think you're going to reuse your left overs in this fashion, because it will keep your bread from getting soggy and mushy.  The meat itself is fantastic should you decide to have a sandwich one day, and then place it on top of a salad the next.  

Seafood Corn Chowder

On to another one of husband's favorite dishes, and one that he asks for whenever he's craving a nice creamy, seafood dish, the Clean Eating Magazine's Seafood Corn Chowder.  If you're looking for great, fresh recipes, with less fat, and more Powerfoods, this is a magazine that is a must in your household!  I'm a recipe hoarder, where I cut out the recipes in the magazine, and put them into my Food Book Organizer that my friend Rachel got me for Christmas one year.  Seek one out, and start cutting out your favorite recipes and food ideas.  You'll be happy you have something easy to access when you want to try something different and new.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil

1 White onion, chopped

2 Large carrots, chopped

2 Celery stalks, chopped

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 Jalapeno pepper, chopped

1 tsp. Smoked paprika

3/4 tsp. Dried thyme

1 lb. Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped

3 c. Frozen corn kernels

1 c. Non-fat milk

3/4 lb. Sea scallops

1/2 lb. Medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 Scallions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced

Heat oil in a large stockpot on medium.  Add onion, carrots and celery; season with salt and black pepper and cook until soft, about 8 minutes.  Add jalapeno, paprika and thyme and cook for 1 minute, stirring well. Add 3 cups water, increase heat and bring to a boil.  Add potatoes and reduce to a simmer until just tender, 7 to 8 minutes.  Add corn and milk; season with salt and black pepper, and simmer for 3 more minutes.  Remove from heat.

Pour 3 cups corn mixture into a blender, covering opining loosely with a kitchen towel to prevent splatters, and puree.  Transfer puree back to pot, stir to combine and return to medium heat; bring to a simmer.

Add scallops to pot and simmer for 3 minutes (time should begin when liquid returns to simmer).  Add shrimp and simmer for 2 minutes or until shellfish are opaque in center.  Remove from heat and taste for seasoning.  Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with scallions, dividing evenly, and serve.

A couple of warnings and notes about this recipe.  First off, when adding the jalapeno, you can choose to remove the membranes and seeds, which will decrease the heat of the chowder.  Should you choose to leave them in, be warned that this is spicy, and you may be wishing you could actually taste the seafood. If it's your first time trying this recipe, choose to do it without, and then decide if you would like more heat in your bowl.   Secondly, you'll notice that I did not garnish my seafood chowder with scallions, and this is because my husband has an allergy to raw onion, and anything that contains an onion like juice flavor, but don't be fooled, the chowder is still quite delicious, with or without the garnish.

Slow-Cooker Mushroom Barley Risotto

Every once in a while I pick up a Crock Pot cookbook because I love when I can just put something in a pot and walk away.  Who doesn't?  We all love great tasting food, but why does it seem like we are always slaving over the stove to create it?  Well, we don't have to, and the Crock Pot is the solution to saving time and energy.  This recipe made it's way to my kitchen via The Complete Series: Slow Cooker, which is a great Crock Pot companion for the clean eating individual.  I'm not going to lie, this recipe needs some TLC on the stove before it makes it's way into the pot, but I promise that the end result makes the preparations well worth the time and effort!

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. Olive oil
1 Onion, diced
1/2 lb. Button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
3 large Portobello mushrooms, sliced
1/4 c. Fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp. Fresh thyme, chopped
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
3/4 c. Pearl barley
4 c. Vegetable stock
2 tbsp. tomato paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion, and saute for 4 minutes.  Add all the mushrooms and saute until golden brown, about 15 minutes.  Add the parsley, thyme, garlic and barley and stir for 1 minute.

Transfer all of the mushroom mixture to a slow cooker set on high, add 4 cups of stock, cover and cook until liquid is almost absorbed and barley is almost tender, about 3 hours.

Stir in the tomato paste, check for seasoning and cook for 1 more hour or until the barley is tender and the mixture is creamy.  At the end, stir in the Parmesan cheese and season again if necessary.  

Although this dish takes a few hours to create, I find it much more manageable then stirring my risotto for and hour and a half, standing over my stove, frustrated that the sauce isn't thickening.  Instead, I just check in on it a couple times, go about my daily household duties, and come back to it when it's done.  It is so creamy and delicious, it's hard to believe it's vegetable based and that just one cup is enough for any lunch or dinner!