Low Calorie, Shrimp Poor Boy with Fresh Corn Salsa

Whew!  The spicy Schezwan flat bread used for this is just the right wrap for these delicious poor boys.  The flat bread is a perfect combination between a tortilla and buttery biscuit for that great texture along with the heat and aromatic spices inside the wrap that add a whole new depth of flavor that ordinarily you would miss out on, using  those store bought and overly preserved or ironically  cardboard tasting wraps.  Flat bread recipe is at bottom of page.
Traditionally speaking,  a poor boy is conducted of a fried sea creature of some sort, topped with fresh ingredients such  as tomatoes, lettuce and some form of a pickled or mayonnaised up cabbage topping piled all on top of a thick roll such as a kaiser or hoagie bun, but since this IS a healthy recipe blog and all, I've had to switch some of the ingredients up.  In this case, I replaced the thick, OVER filling, not to mention less than healthy bread, roll or bun with this healthy alternative flat bread. NO frying of the sea creature is needed for these delicious sandwiches. I have also omitted the cabbage topping since there is just no real way of substituting the unattractive ingredients in those recipes without compromising the great flavors of the original recipes.  Instead I made a fresh corn salsa to go on top of these little gems. A flavor that compliments this sandwich very well. Enjoy! :)  Corn salsa recipe at bottom of page.


Makes 4 poor boys.
4 Schezwan flat bread
Corn salsa
Iceberg lettuce (and any other fresh veggie topping of your choice)
16 medium sized shell on Shrimp
1 green onions, sliced thin up to green tops.
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, LIGHT
Salt
Pepper
2 tsp Garlic powder
dash of powder cayenne pepper


In large heated skillet, add olive oil and butter.  Toss in shrimp and green onions.  Stir occasionally until just beginning to turn pink then sprinkle with seasonings. Once shrimp begin to curl, remove from heat immediately to prevent over cooking.  Nothing worse, than a rubbery shrimp! When cooled to touch, remove shells and then prepare your sandwiches anyway you wish while making sure to pour any extra pan drippings over the top of each sandwich before serving. mmm.  


Corn Salsa Recipe:
1/2 cup frozen corn nibblets.
1/2 green onion, chopped fine.
2 tbsp minced green pepper
1 lemon, juice.
pinch of dried parsley
1 tsp salt.
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, stir and set aside.  When the corn is thawed completely, it's done.

Spicy Schezwan Flat Bread:
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup I can't believe It's Not Butter, LIGHT
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 APPROXIMATELY hot water
3/4 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp garlic powder, more if you like that sort of thing :)
1 tsp cayenne
1 tbsp cumin

In a large bowl, add all ingredients except the water., oil and butter.  Sift using a whisk to stir up the flour with the seasonings until well blended/incorporated.    Using the same wire whisk, cut the butter and oil into the dough before adding the hot water by small increments.
Using a wooden spoon, slowly add the water to the flour and stir until dough forms ball and pulls away from sides of bowl.  If dough is too loose or sticky, you'll have to start over as adding more flour at this point would only make the dough tough and chewy.  The dough should be soft but not too sticky.  Your finger should not be able to pull any dough away from a simple pressing.
Cover bowl and allow to rest for about an hour.  Pinch off several mounds of the dough and place off to the side, making sure to size these mounds uniformly for even cooking later. 
One by one, place each mound in your hand and kneed/roll dough around in your hand until you've formed a very well formed dough ball.  Repeat until you've done them all.  Allow each ball to rest for 20-30 minutes in a warm area before pressing out into bread.
Preheat flat top cooking area, med high heat. Using your hands or a rolling pin, roll out each flatbread to approximately 1/16" thick, about the thickness of a normal wrap or tortilla.  The heat will cause this dough to rise a little both from the butter and from the baking powder so it's not really possible to go too thin. Place on ungreased heated flat top and cook 2 minutes per side.

Dampen a cheese cloth and place in large ziplock plastic bag, When each bread is finished cooking, place inside the bag and seal it.  The steam from the heat of the flat bread, keeps them moist and soft until you're ready to use them.  :)

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Brioche Pancakes with Caramelized Apple n'Nut Topping

Brioche is a rich, eggy dough made with yeast.  Making pancakes out of brioche batter is like having little circular, apple smothered, warm & fluffy pancakes and  perfect french toast rolled into one bite.  I've removed the butter from this recipe, reduced the sugar a little and removed one egg, to improve the healthy part about this meal.  Although the calorie count is still a little high at 333 calories per serving of 2 pancakes and 1/3 cup apple topping,  the healthy wholesome ingredients in this recipe make the calories worth it.

Brioche Pancakes:
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tbsp all natural brown sugar 
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (one packet) 
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp all natural applesauce 
1 tsp baking powder
1 large egg  + 2 egg yolks
1 tsp cinnamon


Warm milk w/applesauce in small saucepan over medium heat until approx 110* about, 15-20 minutes. Transfer milk to large mixing bowl or mixer. On low speed, whisk in yeast and sugar until just combined. Let stand until creamy; about 5 minutes.


Whisk in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt & eggs until smooth then, transfer to a pitcher for easy pouring later. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise until doubled in size, about one hour. Do not punch down.

Preheat griddle, med-high heat.  Lightly wipe some vegetable shortening over the griddle's hot surface then wipe off almost all of it, with a clean kitchen towel.  Pour desired amount out onto the griddle. When pancakes are bubbly on the top, flip them over and  allow them to cook the rest of the way.


Caramelized Apple Topping:
2 apples, cored, peeled and sliced thin 
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped 
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
dash of sea salt


Heat over med heat in a medium sauce pan; apples, walnuts, brown sugar, water and seasonings until apples have softened and sauce coats back of spoon.

Serve hot over fresh Brioche pancakes.

The batter for this recipe can be made the night before.  Pull batter out of fridge and allow to proof (rise) before cooking.

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Feta and Craisin stuffed, Turkey.

1 - 15 lb or larger turkey

Combine in a bowl the following ingredients:
2 cup feta cheese
1/2 c, chopped dried cranberries
2 tsp dried, rubbed sage leaves
4, cloves garlic minced
1 finely chopped bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme
fresh cracked black pepper
salt

Preheat oven 400*
Butterfly the turkey by removing the spine, carefully.  Open it up and place it flat in your cooking pan, breast up.  Loosen the skin from the breast's and from the thighs. Divide the mixture into four and place a 1/4 of the mixture in each section of skin you've freed from the flesh of the turkey. 
Cover with aluminum and roast for half hour at 400* then reduce the temp to 365* and allow to roast for another 3 hours or until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 165 degrees.  Remove the foil at two to an hour and half from the estimated, ending time and baste the turkey every half hour to reach that beautiful golden skin.
When done, allow to rest for 10-15 minutes.  Remove the entire breast from the bone and slice width wise instead of length wise to enjoy a more juicier breast.  Enjoy!

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Kickin' Creamy Spinach Risotto

 Bring on the fall dishes.  :)  This creamy spinach risotto dish is superb served as the main course or as a side.  It's loaded with antioxidants, vitamin C and A, choline to help in the prevention of artery hardening and the spinach is a great blood sugar stabilizer for those with diabetes. That's a great dish, Enjoy!

3 cups fresh chopped spinach
3 1/4 cups chicken broth
1 1/4 cup water
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup brown  rice
1/3 cup white wine 

fresh cracked black pepper

sea salt

smoked chipotle powder (optional)

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

In a sauce pot, bring broth and water to a simmer and keep simmering.  In a large saucepan cook onion and garlic in oil over moderately low heat, stirring until softened.   Stir in rice, stirring in figure 8's until each grain is coated with oil. Add the wine, stirring until wine is absorbed. Add about 3/4 cup simmering broth, stirring constantly, until broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth, about 1/4 cup at a time, slowly stirring and allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding the next. When about half of broth has been added, reduce the heat to med-low if necessary to keep risotto at a steady slow simmer. Continue adding broth in the same manner until rice is tender and creamy looking, but still al dente (to the tooth) about 18-20 minutes.

Stir the spinach into the risotto then, add the smoked chipotle, salt and pepper to taste. Remove  from heat and stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan.

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Beef Loin Roasted Inside a Pumpkin

Photo courtesy of Good Housekeeping

The flavors that form inside the meat and vegetables from being roasted inside of a pumpkin is seriously amazing.  We even pureed the left over flesh of the pumpkin and made a delicious fall pumpkin soup the next day, but you could certainly serve with this dinner the same day as well.
The pumpkin becomes like a crock pot only it adds such incredible depths of flavor that a crockpot could not do.  Unfortunately, in the excitement in creating this wonderful dish idea and executing it, I completely forgot to take pictures of this one.

1 large pumpkin. Large enough to hold your beef loin
1 3-5 lbs beef loin roast (or beef roast of your choice)
2-3  very large russet/baking  potatoes, pealed and cut into bite size chunks
1 large yellow onion, sliced bite sized chunks
1 large red onion, cut into bite size chunks
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can, low sodium crushed tomatoes. Juices removed.
1 tsp dried rosemary, oregano and thyme
1/4 cup red wine
Seasalt
Fresh cracked black pepper

Preheat oven 300*
Cut pumpkin in half, length wise and discard seeds and pulp. Season flesh lightly with sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Set aside.  Preheat large skillet pan.  Season meat with sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper on all sides, liberally. Pan sear meat on all sides, 2 minutes per side allow to rest.  Place half of the pumpkin, hallow side up inside deep roasting pan then put that on a cookie sheet. Place meat inside one half of the pumpkin.  Assemble potatoes, onions and garlic around the meat.  Combine in bowl, dried rosemary, oregano, thyme, tomatoes and red wine and mix well.  Pour mixture over the meat and potatoes making sure to cover all pretty well. Place other half of the pumpkin on top, forming a seal.
Place in center of the oven and roast for 6 hours. Do not open oven door.
At the end of 6 hours, remove carefully from the oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes before removing the top pumpkin.  It'll be very juicy so it's best to open this over a large container or sink.  Remove roast from pumpkin and place on a plate.  Arrange roasted vegetables around roast. Carve out some of the roasted pumpkin and assemble around the vegetables and beef roast.

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Cajun Ahi Salad with a Spicy Maple Dressing

This salad is loaded with flavor as well as great healthy components such as omega 3 essential fatty acids. In the ahi tuna steak, the walnuts along with the olive oil in the dressing. For the whole dinner salad, a healthy 715 calories. Well worth every bite!


Dressing: Whisk following ingredients in small bowl.
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
fresh cracked black pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper

Marinade: Place following ingredients in med sized bowl. Coating the fish in ingredients. Let sit for 10 minutes.
fresh 4 oz Ahi tuna steak
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp ground chipotle pepper
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

5 cups spring mix, salad mix
8-10 thin sliced red onion rings
1/4 cup candied walnuts

Preheat stove top or outdoor grill.  Place fish on hot grill and cook for approx 4 minutes per side for med. 6-8 minutes per side for well. Brush with remaining marinade over fish before flipping each time.  When done, remove from heat and allow fish to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Combine spring salad mix, onion rings, walnuts and whisked salad dressing in large serving bowl. Toss together.  Top with thinly sliced fish and enjoy.

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Slow Cooked, Maple Apple Pulled Pork Crockpot Recipe

Pork tenderloin is high in protein, very low on fat.  Combined with a few simple healthy ingredients makes a delicious dish. 

1 1/2 lb frozen Pork Tenderloin.
1 cup All Natural Apple, Applesauce
1/4 cup 100% Pure Maple Syrup
2 tbsp Balsamic or Apple Cider Vinegar
salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes


Place pork in bottom of crockpot. Top with remaining ingredients, cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high 5-6 hours until falling apart.  Shred with forks and serve.

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Inside-Out Turkey Burgers

Turkey burger has a tendency to dry out when being grilled and so I have come up with a solution to help keep some of that moisture from dripping out through the cooking process.  Putting cheese on the INSIDE of the burger makes for a very delicious hamburger.  Top this scrumptious burger with grilled onions and portobello's  and enjoy this little piece of gourmet heaven.


1 cup mozzarella cheese
2 lbs jenny-o turkey burger
1 tsp thyme
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp  garlic powder
1 tsp season salt
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp parsley flakes

In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey with seasonings and olive oil.  Mix until it is well incorporated.  Form into 5 patties and place on plate.  Pat down the middle of the burger leaving a little well in the center.  Place 2 tbsp mozzarella cheese on each patty in the well. Form 5 more patties and place on top of each of the other 5 patties, making sure to seal all of the edges so no melted cheese can escape while cooking.  Grill or broil until cooked thoroughly.

Topping:
1 large onion sliced thin
1 large portobello mushroom sliced thin
4 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped finely.
2 tbsp olive oil.
1/4 tsp salt
fresh ground black pepper.

In an oven safe pan, put all the ingredients. Toss  them all together then bake or grill until onions caramelized slightly.  Approximately 15 minutes in an oven at 400*  30 minutes in a medium heated grill.

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Bri's Incredibly delicious, surprisingly healthy. Blueberry Pancakes.

Brienne Postema came up with this amazing pancake recipe.  Not only does the ingredients list excite the health nut in me, but the flavor is just incredible. She used applesauce instead of oil. Replaced the soy milk with homemade buttermilk instead. (although soy milk has many proven great health benefits in some areas. soy has also been proven to have some pretty bad side effects in other areas. including; to every 100g of soy based product there is as much estrogen in it as birth control.  it's especially dangerous to pregnant woman or young male children.)  I love how she uses homemade buttermilk rather than processed buttermilk that you find in stores.  Really great alterations, Bri!

Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!  (they're even tasty with a few chocolate chips added instead of the blueberries)

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

2 cups homemade butter milk (2 tbsp white vinegar added to 2 cups 2% milk)

3 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup applesauce

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tbsp vanilla extract

Preheat a lightly oiled griddle over medium heat.

In a large bowl, mix whole wheat flour, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and baking powder, and salt.

In a small bowl, mix oats and homemade buttermilk. Whisk in eggs and applesauce. Pour into the flour mixture all at once. Continue mixing until smooth. Gently fold in blueberries.

Pour batter about 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared griddle. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, until bubbly. Flip, and continue cooking until lightly browned.

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Hot 'n Zesty Spaghetti and Meatballs

Lets talk about the health benefits of those hot and  spicy little fruits called, peppers.  The active ingredient in peppers is called capsaicin.  Capsaicin is a thermogenic agent, which means it increases metabolic activity. This, in turn, helps to burn calories and fat. Many popular "fat-burning" supplements on the market contain capsaicin, as the substance may significantly increase metabolic activity for over 20 minutes after it's eaten. In recent studies published in Cancer Research found that capsaicin caused cancer cells to commit suicide. The substance caused almost 80 percent of prostate cancer cells to die in mice, and prostate tumors treated with capsaicin were about one-fifth the size of those in untreated mice.  Capsaicin may help to protect the heart by reducing cholesterol, triglycerides and platelet aggregation. It may also help the body dissolve fibrin, which is necessary for blood clots to form. Further, cultures around the world that use hot peppers liberally in their meals have significantly lower rates of heart attack and stroke than cultures that do not. Aside from those great facts, it's also provides pain relief by releasing endorphins in the brain. Studies have found that capsaicin both relieves and prevents cluster headaches, migraine headaches and sinus headaches as well. The capsaicin is not affected through cooking or freezing so prepare as you wish and enjoy those spicy little fruits.  

1/2 lb whole wheat spaghetti noodles (cook as directed)

1 yellow squash, sliced thin
1 green inferno hybrid Hungarian hot pepper, sliced thin
1 yellow inferno hybrid Hungarian hot pepper, sliced thin
2 cups spinach
1/4 cup sliced carrots
1 small yellow onion, sliced thin
2 cans of Del Monte, no salt added, diced tomatoes
1 tsp honey
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
splash of olive oil

Meatballs:
1/2 lb Jenny-O ground turkey 
1 slice of whole grain bread
1 egg white
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
pinch of salt
fresh ground black pepper

Preheat large skillet and boil water in a large stock pot, as directed on box prepare the noodles.

In a food processor grind up slice of bread into bread crumbs. Add turkey burger, seasoning, salt and pepper.  Pulse until incorporated then add egg white and blend until  forms a ball.

Swirl about 1 to 2 tbsp of olive oil around in the skillet. Form meat into balls and place gently into skillet.  Brown all sides, add in onion and yellow squash.  Stir. Add in peppers and carrots. Saute the sliced veggies with the meatballs for about 5-8 minutes then, add the diced tomatoes.  Reduce heat to medium, cover and let cook for about 10-15 minutes then add in honey, stir then add the spinach on top and cover.  Cook until spinach is wilted then stir in the parmesan cheese while mixing in the now wilted spinach.  Serve over the noodles.

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Maple Apple Glazed Roast Pork Loin

Maple syrup with it's natural sweetening powers and it's remarkable health benefits makes a delicious and healthy marinade for this pork recipe.  

1 pork loin roast
1/4 to 1/2 cup natural apple sauce
1/4 to 1/3 cup 100% pure maple syrup
2 tbsp spicy brown mustard
salt
fresh ground black pepper

In a roasting pan place loin roast, season with salt and pepper.  Combine the apple sauce, mustard and maple syrup in large ziplock bag, mix gently then place the loin roast in the bag.  Coat the entire thing with the marinade. Working the marinade into the meat by rubbing it in through the bag.  Remove all the air from the bag, seal it, keep it in the bag in the roasting pan and let marinade for about 6 hours (overnight is best)
Preheat oven to 550 degrees.
Remove meat from bag and place in roasting pan fatty side up.  Pour any remaining marinade over the fat of the loin roast and put into oven. 
Cook for 6 minutes PER POUND. (example: if you have a 3 pound roast... cook for 18 minutes and turn oven off) Turn oven OFF.  DO NOT OPEN DOOR!! Leave roast in oven for 2 hours.  At the end of 2 hours the roast will come out completely cooked through and incredibly moist and DELICIOUS! 

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Tempura Fried Tilapia Filets

I know! Fried fish is healthy?  It really is or it CAN be.  In this recipe we are using cornstarch instead of flour, less calories, much tastier turn out.   The flavor is ridiculously good and at only 179 calories per 4 oz filet, who can pass that up? Make sure to keep the oil HOT at 375*.  Hot oil and well drained off batter is key in tempura recipes.  The less cook time, the less oil absorption will take place in the food which makes for a much tastier foody. 

1/2 c. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 egg white
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. water
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. parsley
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
canola oil

Heavy bottom stewing pot.  Enough canola oil to come up one inch from the bottom of the pan.  Heat to 375*.
Separate eggs. Beat egg white until frothy and light. Do not over beat, egg white should remain liquidy.
Fold all ingredients together and beat only until smooth.
Pat fish completely dry then dip fish in tempura batter. Pull it up, let batter drain off. Dip again in tempura batter and hold it up and allow most of the batter to run off the fish. Carefully slip it into the hot oil, cook for 2-4 minutes per side and remove to a paper toweled plate, lightly salt, turn over after a minute and lightly salt again. 

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Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken Dogs

What kind of summer would it be without hot dog a-likes cooked up on the grill?  Not a very exciting one, that's what!  I've come up with this incredibly easy and delicious chicken dog alternative.  The words Chicken Dog may not excite many pallets so bare with me here. 


Whole wheat hot dog buns
2 large boneless skinless chicken breast, cut length wise into 4 strips each breast.

Whisk together

3 tbsp of olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 small chopped jalapeno
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 tsp honey
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
fresh ground black pepper
pinch of salt
(or store bought Newman's Own, lite lime vinaigrette and add, 2 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tsp crushed red pepper, 1/4 tsp cumin and one tsp honey)
1/4 cup top shelf tequila

Place the chicken strips into a pint sized ziplock bag.  Combine all ingredients.  Pour into bag with chicken, remove all the air and seal.  Allow to marinate for 4 hours.  Grill until cooked through being careful not to overcook. Serve on a whole wheat hot dog bun with your favorite LITE condiments and enjoy your hot dog a-like!

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Mango Crock Pot Chicken

Conveniently healthy. 

1 whole, frying chicken
2 cups mango, papaya salsa
7 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste.
1 can lite beer
1 large lime or 2 key limes, juice only


Place frozen, whole chicken into crock pot.  Squeeze lime juice over chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cover with garlic and 1 1/2 cups mango-papaya salsa. Pour the beer in around the chicken. Cover with lid and cook on low for 8 hours.

Remove from crock pot and serve with a couple tbsp mango salsa on the side.

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Surf 'n Turf, Sizzlelini

It's a little higher in calories at 500 (ish) calories per 1 cup serving but, very worth every bite. Shrimp and chicken  high in protein, very low in fat.  Turkey sausage very low in sodium and cholesterol compared to pork sausages makes this meal delicious and healthy.
  Serve this with a side salad with a homemade vinaigrette dressing and you have a great dinner because vinegar is a weight loss aid, consuming 2 tbsp of vinegar a day will help burn the fat you've eaten so enjoy! 


1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced thin
2 turkey, sweet Italian sausage, sliced thin
12 large easy peal, frozen shrimp
1 lb whole grain pasta of choice.
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup red wine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 roma tomato, chopped
1 red yellow pepper, chopped
1 tbsp dried oregano
fresh chopped basil
1 tsp salt
fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicy)

Cook pasta as directed on box.
Preheat large skillet over med-high heat.  Add oil and garlic saute slightly then add sausages to skillet and cook until done, remove from pan and slice into thin pieces.  Deglaze pan with 1/2 cup red wine and reduce by half.  Throw chicken salt, peppers,  and oregano into skillet. Cook until cooked almost through but, not over done (about 3-4 minutes).  Throw in  pasta when done.  Stirring constantly then add shrimp  and tomato.  Continue to cook until the shrimp turns bright pink and cooked through. Top with fresh basil

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Tequila Lime Salmon with Mango Salsa

Key limes, mangoes and papaya are ALL incredibly beneficial in anticancer abilities.  Filled with antioxidants,  high in iron and loaded with essential minerals and vitamins such as vitame A, C and E which help to protect against heart disease and other ailments.  Mangoes and papaya's are also great for developing fetuses as well as effective in preventing acne problems and premature aging.


4 Salmon steaks

Lime marinade:
2 Key limes
1 tsp honey or 1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp good tequila
1/2 cup lite lime vinaigrette, (you can find great varieties in your local grocer)

Mango Papaya Salsa:
half a papaya, peeled, seeds removed and chopped
1 mango, peeled, pit removed and chopped
1 med red onion, chopped
1 orange or red bell pepper, cored and chopped
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
fresh chopped basil or cilantro 
salt and pepper to taste.

Place salmon steaks in a large ziplock bag, squeeze the juice from the two key limes, add the lime vinaigrette, tequila, honey or brown sugar.  Remove all the air from the bag, seal and store for one and a half hours.
Combine in medium sized mixing bowl, chopped mango, papaya, onion, bell pepper.  Mix in balsamic, basil or cilantro, salt and pepper until well blended, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Preheat large grill pan or grill, oil the grill surface liberally.  Place the salmon on the grill, and brush with some of the left over marinade.  Grill for about 6 minutes, carefully flip, brush on more marinade. Grill for about 6 minutes, carefully flip once more and grill until salmon is done.  (do not apply anymore marinade after the second flipping.  both times, the marinaded side of the salmon should be grilled to cook it out.)

Remove from grill and place on the serving plate, top with mango salsa and serve.

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Red Wine Pasta with Sweet Peppers and Spinach

The antioxidants in red wines have been shown to provide certain health benefits. Antioxidants act like warriors, preventing the oxidation process in which reactive particles known as "free radicals" cause damage to healthy cells. The antioxidants in red wine offer some protection against heart disease.  Also, studies have shown that resveratrol has blood-thinning properties. By keeping individual blood cells ("platelets") from sticking to each other, resveratrol can limit the formation of blood clots. If blood clots form and become lodged in the smaller vessels of the heart or brain, oxygen can be prevented from reaching these vital organs.  In other words, it reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke. 

4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup rose red or dark red wine
1 large Hungarian sweet red pepper, sliced thin
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, zested and juiced.
2 cups fresh spinach
1/2 lb whole grain spaghetti noodles
pinch of salt
fresh cracked pepper
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Boil noodles as directed until just about done.  A little less done than al dente.
In large pan, heat up oil then add the zest of the lemon with 2 of the garlic cloves, minced.  Saute slightly then, add sweet pepper slices and continue to cook until peppers are slightly cooked through.  Add red wine, crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper.  Add a cup of the noodle water to thicken the sauce then, throw in the, almost done noodles and finish cooking in the wine sauce.  Add in the remaining 2 cloves of minced garlic stirring constantly to prevent burning.  Add the spinach, drizzle two tbsp of the lemon juice over the spinach.  Cook until noodles are done and spinach is slightly wilted.

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Lemon Pepper Swai

Swai fish is similar to a cat fish without the muddy flavor.  Sweet mild flavors in this fish goes well with most anything.  Swai is naturally low in saturated fat and cholesterol, an excellent source of lean protein. It also provide omega 3 fatty acids which are known offer significant health benefits such as lowering cholesterol and maintaining a healthy weight. 

3 Swai filets, washed and patted dry
1 lemon
2 tbsp  olive or canola oil
1/4 cup red wine
2 tbsp smart balance omega 3 butter
4 cloves garlic, minced.
sea salt and pepper to taste

Heat large deep pan over med-high heat.  Add oil and butter until melted, throw in garlic and saute slightly.  Add wine and a dash of salt then put fish in pan.  Sprinkle each filet with salt, pepper and fresh lemon zest and cook for about 3-4 minutes.  Carefully turn the fish over and sprinkle salt, pepper and fresh lemon zest on each filet and continue cooking for another 5-8 minutes until fish is done. Remove from pan and squeeze fresh lemon juice over each filet. Enjoy!

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Stuffed Potatoes

Potato skins are another favorite for me.  This recipe may not be the bacon, chive and cheese kind smothered in sour cream and extra bacon but, it sure is an excellent tasty alternative.  Under 300 calories per potato skin and loaded in so many nutrients, vitamins and GOOD complex carbohydrates. All carbohydrates are broken down to glucose to produce the energy molecule ATP. The effectiveness of this whole process also depends on many vitamins and minerals.  Natural, complex carbohydrate sources such as potatoes naturally provide many of the vitamins and minerals needed for energy production. Simple, refined carbs found in many processed, convenient foods tend to be void of these natural nutrients, therefore there is a greater risk that some of the energy will be converted into fat and stored. This is often the case even if the calorie content of the simple carb is lower than the calories in the complex carbohydrate source. Natural complex carbs often don't have additives and preservatives unlike many of the processed simple carb sources.

4 Large potatoes, cleaned and cut in half
1 large onion, peeled and ends cut off
1 cup broccoli
1/2 cup artichoke hearts
1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1/4 shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp smart balance omega light, butter with flax seed oil
1/4 tsp of the following:
dried oregeno
dried rosemary
basil
season salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven 425*
Place halved potatoes and whole onion on cookie sheet and bake 1 hour.  Saute broccoli  in a small skillet with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper to taste until about 3/4 done. Remove potatoes from oven and carefully remove the flesh of the potato from the skin.  Turn broiler on high.
Put 1  1/2 to 2 cups of the flesh of potato in a mixing bowl, add sauteed broccoli, artichoke hearts, butter, seasonings and cheeses. Using hand mixer, mix until smooth. Fill cavities with potato mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan or feta cheese to keep the calories lower than 300 per potato other wise, shredded cheddar for 113 calories per oz.  Place back in oven under broiler for another 3-5 minutes until cheese and potato filling is golden brown. Let cool for 2 minutes before eating.

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Mini Stuffed French Toasters

Whole wheat for an excellent energy boost, antioxidants and at only 238 calories per serving of 4, I'd say it's a great start to the day. 

1 whole wheat hoagie roll
2 egg whites
1/8 cup 2% milk
drizzle of honey
1/2 tsp vanilla
dash of cinnamon
1/4 cup blueberries (frozen)
1/4 cup strawberries (frozen)
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp of omega 3 smart balance butter

Makes 4 mini stuffed french toasters.

Preheat small skillet over med-low heat.
Combine brown sugar and fruit and place in microwave on defrost until completely defrosted.
Cut the hoagie roll into  1 1/4" to 1 1/2" slices.  Carefully cut a slit in the middle of the bread and create a pocket inside the bread.  Set aside.
Melt butter in pan.
Whisk together, egg whites, milk, honey, vanilla and cinnamon until frothy.  Poor into pie plate. Dip slices of hoagie roll into egg mixture and place into skillet, cook until browned on each side. Remove from skillet and place on plate to cool slightly.  Remove fruit from microwave and stir.  Place a tbsp full of the fruit into each of the pockets in the bread. Then top with the remaining fruit and fruit syrup. Sprinkle a little powder sugar on the top and serve.

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