Tag Archives: quick meals

Garden Vegetable Turkey Roll-ups {recipe}

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In my opinion, gatherings should feel uncontrived and casual, this way people feel free to relax and enjoy themselves. In fact, some of my best get-together’s have been thrown together at the last minute with just light bites to eat made from ingredients I already had at home.  Whenever I find myself in this position, one of my go-to dishes is usually a tray of garden vegetable roll-ups with sliced turkey.  These are so simple to make, and they look beautiful too!

Garden Vegetable Turkey Roll-ups [recipe]

Recipe makes 18 sandwiches

INGREDIENTS

one package of six 10″ tortilla wraps ( I used wheat)

one pound of roasted turkey breast

head of romaine or green leaf lettuce

three carrots, peeled and cut into julienne strips

one English cucumber, not peeled, cut into julienne strips

one red pepper, cut into julienne strips

optional: strips of celery (I added to mine)

8 oz. light cream cheese

one clove of garlic, minced

1 tbsp green onion, minced

dash paprika

dash of salt

METHOD

In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, garlic, green onion, paprika and salt.

Lay out your first tortilla, spread 2-3 tbsp of the cream cheese spread all over the tortilla.  In the center of the tortilla, lay down 3-4 slices of turkey, then a couple slices of lettuce, then some of the vegetables.  Roll up the tortilla into a wrap then slice the wrap into three pieces.  The cream cheese spread should keep everything stuck together, if the wrap is lose in some spots, just apply a bit more spread.

Repeat this with the rest of the wraps, then arrange nicely on a platter.

Enjoy!

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Confetti Veggie Pasta Salad {recipe}

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Remember when I said I had a few more great summer dishes to share before the start of Fall? Well here’s one of them today! You might recall the buffalo chicken pasta salad I shared a few weeks back; a fabulous twist on a classic dish!  After sharing that recipe, I knew I had to follow it up with the delicious classic pasta salad recipe that’s been in my family for years.  Fresh vegetables have always been big in my family, mostly because my mother was always making something yummy with the veggies from her garden.  One of her most popular summer dishes was always her garden veggie pasta salad, a classic dish with a blend of pasta, fresh vegetables, basil, and Italian spices….

Confetti Veggie Pasta Salad

Serves 8-10 as a side

INGREDIENTS

one pound of pasta ( I use a mix of wheat ziti and rotini)

two cups of colorful fresh vegetables  (I use corn, red peppers, green peppers, grape tomatoes and red onion)

one cup of fresh basil

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp celery salt

2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tbsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

salt & pepper to taste

METHOD

Cook the pasta according to instructions.  Strain pasta, then run under cold water to keep cool, dry.  Set pasta aside.

Prepare fresh basil by pulling the leaves off the stem, set leaves aside.  Chop the vegetables into bite sized strips, set aside.

In a shaker, combine olive oil, garlic powder, garlic salt, celery salt, onion powder, parsley, oregano, thyme, pepper, and Parmesan cheese.  Shake up the mix for 10 seconds. 

In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, fresh basil and vegetable, toss with dressing until pasta is nicely covered.  Refrigerate for a couple hours before serving to allow the dressing to marinate.  Add salt and pepper as needed before serving.

Enjoy!

 

 

 

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Walnut Pesto Summer Succotash {recipe}

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Now that we’re nearing the end of summer and getting ready for my favorite season (I like summer too, I’m just a lover of everything Fall ;) ), I’m going to squeeze in a few more refreshing & light summer dishes!  In my opinion, there’s nothing better than fresh picked summer vegetables, so it stands to reason that one of my favorite dishes is a summer succotash.  Succotash is usually prepared with a corn base and various mixed vegetables, and it’s usually sauteed in a butter sauce.  I decided to mix it up a bit and prepare a summer succotash in a walnut pesto sauce rather than the usual butter.

[Walnut Pesto] Summer Succotash

Serves 4 as side dish

INGREDIENTS (for the succotash)

two medium zucchini squash

two ears of cooked corn on the cob

3/4 cup grape tomatoes

INGREDIENTS (for the walnut pesto)

1 cup of fresh picked basil

1/4 cup chopped raw walnuts

2 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

salt & pepper

METHOD

Using a grater, shred the zucchini into long spaghetti-like strands.

Next, remove the kernels from the two ears of corn.  I always stand them up and saw downward over a bowl.  Last, dice the tomatoes in half, then set the vegetables aside.

To prepare the pesto, add the basil, walnuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt & pepper to a food processor.  Process until basil and walnuts are completely broken down.

Bring a large skillet to medium heat, add a tbsp. of olive oil, then add zucchini and corn.  Saute for 3-5 minutes.  Finally, add tomatoes and pesto sauce, then saute for another 2 minutes.  Do not over-cook!  Serve warm as a side dish.

Enjoy!

 

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Braised Sea Scallops with Peanut Glaze & Coconut Milk Rice {recipe}

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Living on the coast in New England, I find tons of inspiration for amazingly unique seafood dishes.  Our favorite restaurants are always coming up with innovative and delicious ways to prepare fresh seafood…dishes I could certainly never come up with myself!  This was the case with an amazing scallop dish I ordered recently.  The dish consisted of fresh braised sea scallops on a bed of sweet/creamy rice with a delightful peanut glaze sauce. It was simply euphoric.  I knew I had to try to recreate it at home.  I experimented with a bunch of different ingredients and combinations, and I finally hit on something amazing!  Here’s the my take on the dish, Braised Sea Scallops with Peanut Glaze & Coconut Milk Rice…

Braised Sea Scallops with Peanut Glaze & Coconut Milk Rice {recipe}

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS (scallops)

8 large fresh sea scallops

2 tbsp. olive oil

garlic powder

salt & pepper

INGREDIENTS (rice) 

one cup uncooked Jasmin rice

one cup coconut milk

one cup chicken broth

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

INGREDIENTS (peanut glaze)

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp. creamy peanut butter

2 tbsp. agave nectar

1 tsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. corn starch (to thicken if needed)

METHOD:

Coconut Milk Rice: In a medium sauce pan, bring to boil coconut milk, chicken broth, and garlic.  Add Jasmin rice, cover and reduce heat to simmer.

Peanut Glaze: While the rice is cooking, you can begin the peanut glaze.  In a medium saucepan, bring all ingredients (except corn starch) to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.  Sauce should simmer for approx. 10 minutes, the consistancy should be a pourable glaze.  Add corn starch if needed to thicken at the end (a bit of water can be added if too thick).

Braised Sea Scallops: While your peanut glaze is simmering, you can start on the the sea scallops.  Add olive oil to a large skillet and bring to a high heat.  Quickly drop the scallops onto the skillet, dust the tops of the scallops with a bit of garlic powder, salt & pepper.  Cook the scallops on one side for approx. 2 minutes, until the bottom is golden brown, then flip the scallops and cook for another 2 minutes on the other side, dust with a bit more garlic powder, salt & pepper.  Once golden brown on both sides, remove the scallops from the pan.

Both the rice and peanut glaze should now be complete.  Prepare a dish with a rounded scoop of rice in the center.  Place four sea scallops on the plate and drizzle the peanut glaze all around the dish.  You can garnish the dish with a few peanuts as well.

Bon appetit!

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Cinnamon & Sugar Baked “no-duts” {recipe}

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Who doesn’t love a batch of warm, fresh donuts? I know I do, but I DON’T love what they do to my thighs. As much as I love this delicious treat, I almost never eat them because of the guilt they leave me with…because of course I can never have just one! So you can only imagine my delight when I came across a delicious sounding better-for-you recipe for baked donuts!  The Mister is a big time donut lover, so I was excited to surprise him with this recipe (without telling him they were better-for-you of course!).  So I whipped these up one Saturday morning and waited anxiously for his reaction...”these are awesome” was his response!  Then I revealed the truth about them being baked and better for you, he was shocked! As a result, I’ve dubbed these baked “no-duts”…it only seemed natural since this treat is nowhere near as bad for you as their greasy, fried counterpart.  So dive in donut lover’s…introducing, the Cinnamon & Sugar Baked “No-Duts”!

Cinnamon & Sugar Baked No-Duts (baked donuts recipe)

Yeilds 18-20 mini donut holes

Adapted from Pinch of Yum

INGREDIENTS

1 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 tsp. of cinnamon

1/2 tsp. of nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup applesauce

1 tbsp skim milk

2 tbsp coconut oil (can substitute for natural butter too)

INGREDIENTS FOR THE DONUT COATING

2 tbsp. butter

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp. cinnamon

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix all dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt & sugar.

Whisk together milk, coconut oil, applesauce, and egg. Stir into dry mixture.

Pour batter into a greased mini cupcake tin (this will give you mini donut holes) , filling each space about half way.

Bake for about 7 minutes. Remove from oven and pop the donut holes out of the pan.

METHOD (for the topping)

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium dish.

Mix together the cinnamon and sugar.

Using a pastry brush, dust each donut hole with the melted butter, then quickly roll them in the cinnamon & sugar mixture.

Serve warm and enjoy!


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Phyllo Wrapped Parmesan Asparagus {recipe}

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Phyllo dough is a wonderful thing.  If you’re not familiar, it’s basically paper thin sheets of unleavened flour dough (used in a lot of Middle Eastern dishes).  Until recently, I hadn’t had much experience working with it, so I was a little weary when I finally decided to give it a whirl.  I knew I liked the taste and texture of this unique dough as I’d tried it in many yummy Greek dishes in the past.  I found a few great appetizer recipes that called for it, and I’m always stumped when it comes to appetizers…so this was the perfect time to give it a shot!  Working with the phyllo dough was a bit time consuming, but it was worth it in the end.  These Phyllo Wrapped Parmesan Asparagus came out delicious, and the presentation isn’t too shabby either, here’s the recipe…

Phyllo Wrapped Parmesan Asparagus {recipe}

Adapted from Big Oven

Makes 20-24 pieces

INGREDIENTS:

20-24 asparagus spears

one package of phyllo dough sheets (thawed)

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

salt & pepper

FOR THE MUSTARD DIPPING SAUCE:

½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon grated horseradish
1 teaspoon capers, minced
2 teaspoons whole seed mustard
salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Bring a pot of water to boil.  Cut the white ends off the asparagus and submerge in boiling water for approx. 3 minutes, just until they become vibrant green (not soft).

While the asparagus is boiling, you can whip up the mustard dipping sauce.  In a small bowl, mix together the mayo, mustard, capers and horseradish.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

This dipping sauce is delicious, there are tons of other things it can be used on.

Roll out the phyllo dough.  On a dry (lightly floured) surface, lay down one sheet of dough.  Use a pastry brush to lightly dust with the melted butter, sprinkle Parmesan cheese, salt & pepper. Lay down another layer of dough, repeat.  Do this 3 times until you have three coated layers of dough.  Continue this process until you have enough for all of the asparagus spears.

Cut the dough into approx. three by five inch by rectangles.

Wrap one rectangle of dough around each asparagus. Roll on a diagonal so that you have the most amount of coverage.

Arrange asparagus on a non-stick baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until phyllo is golden brown.

Arrange on a platter with mustard dipping sauce and enjoy!

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Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad {recipe}

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Pasta salad.  The one simple dish that makes an appearance at just about every summer cookout, gathering etc.  I know for me it’s always a great go-to dish that I can make ton of and everyone’s sure to enjoy.  I’ve been making my usual pasta salad all summer, which is delicious, but I decided it was time to switch it up a bit and try something different.  I searched online and came across an interesting recipe for buffalo chicken pasta salad.  I went ahead and decided to give it a whirl and it turned out to be a big hit, especially served along with the refreshing Skinny Watermelon Smash summer cocktail!  This pasta salad had the perfect kick of spice without being too spicy, and it looked impressive too!

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

Serves 8-10 as a side dish

(Slightly adapted from Snappy Gourmet)

INGREDIENTS:

16 ounces cooked whole wheat pasta (I used rotini)

1/3 cup Frank’s hot sauce

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

2 cups precooked chicken breast, shredded (I boiled one large chicken breast)

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

METHOD:

Set aside cooked (cooled) pasta and shredded chicken breast.

Whisk together hot sauce, oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, and celery salt in small bowl until well combined.

Place pasta in large mixing bowl. Stir in chicken, blue cheese, carrots, and celery. Slowly mix in dressing until desired amount.

Refrigerate until served.

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Chicken Caprese Sandwich {recipe}

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The summer is a great time for light and refreshing meals, like my brussels sprout salad-yum… I digress… Actually, one of my go-to summer dinners is just a simply delicious chicken caprese sandwich.  These sandwiches are easy to make and VERY satisfying =)  I started making these sandwiches after falling in love with a grilled chicken & basil sandwich at one of my favorite restaurants and now I think I prefer my own creation!  Here’s my recipe for the Grilled Chicken Caprese Sandwich…

Grilled Chicken Caprese Sandwich

Gather up:

one grilled chicken breast

two slices of bread (I use fresh baked sourdough, but you can use whatever you fancy)

4 slices of tomato

1/4 cup fresh basil

one slice mozzarella cheese

1 tbsp. aged balsamic vinegar

 1/2 cup field greens (optional)

Instructions:

 Prepare one grilled chicken breast (you could also broil if you don’t have a grill).  Set chicken aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly drizzle the balsamic vinegar onto the slices of bread.  Lay two slices of tomato on each slice of bread, then add mozzarella cheese to one slice. Place the slices of bread in the pre-heated oven (tomato and cheese side facing up) for a maximum of 3 minutes-keep checking so they don’t burn!  You just want the bread to lightly toast and the cheese to melt.  **If chicken is no longer warm, you can add the already grilled chicken to one of the slices and toast it along with the bread.

Remove the bread from the oven and transfer to plate.  Add grilled chicken (if you didn’t already toast it with the bread), basil and lettuce to the sandwich.  Slice in half and enjoy!

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Chicken Tikka Masala {recipe}

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Ever since I discovered the benefit of spices for your metabolism, I’ve been trying to integrate them into more of my meals.  It’s no surprise that most Indian dishes are packed with tons of delicious spices and ingredients, most of which are great for you.  So the other night, while contemplating something healthy and different to make for a family dinner party, it occurred to me, why not make one of my favorite Indian dishes-Tikka Masala!  Chicken Tikka Masala is one of the lightest, most popular Indian dishes since it uses pretty common spices, and it’s more familiar to us because of it’s tomato based sauce.  I found a great recipe for tikka masala online and adapted it slightly to make it even better for you!  This dish should please even the pickiest of eaters, like my teenage cousin who plays online bingo for hours on end and eats nothing but mashed potatoes!  Without further ado, here’s the delicious (healthy) Chicken Tikika Masala Recipe…

Healthy Chicken Tikka Masala {recipe}

Serves 4, adapted from FramedCooks

Ingredients

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt salt

1 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon garam masala

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1/2 cup skim milk

16 oz., or two containers of plain Greek yogurt (reserve 8 oz., one container for chicken)

1/4c up chopped fresh cilantro or parsley leaves

Directions

For the Chicken

1. Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in small bowl. Apply the rub to chicken, cover and let marinate for 30 to 60 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degree broil.

For the Sauce

2. Heat oil in large skillet oven over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook until light golden, 6-8 minutes.  Add garlic, tomato paste, and garam masala; stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, milk, sugar, and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in (8 oz.,one container) greek yogurt and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.

3. While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element). Using tongs, dip chicken into Greek yogurt (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on a foil-lined baking sheet or broiler pan. Broil chicken until browned, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.

4. Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce.  Stir in cilantro or parsley, adjust seasoning with salt, and serve.

This dish is great served over brown or basmati rice.

Bon Appetite!

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Slammin’ Banana Pancakes {recipe}

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Who doesn’t love pancakes?  It’s like having dessert for breakfast, but (usually) better for you!  My absolute favorite breakfast is banana pancakes (although these are great too)…que the song by Jack Johnson (coincidentally my favorite singer)!   I’ve tried many, many banana pancake recipes from healthy recipes, to no where near healthy recipes and I think I’ve finally found the perfect combination.  These pancakes are thin, yet fluffy, with the perfect amount of sweetness; I concocted them last weekend and they were a big hit!   So without further ado, here they are– my Slammin’ Banana Pancakes…

Slammin’ Banana Pancake {recipe serves 4}

approx. 160 calories per serving

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. brown sugar

1½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

2 tbsp. apple sauce

1 cup skim milk

2 egg whites

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 banana, diced

1 tbsp. butter (for greasing griddle)

powdered sugar for garnish (optional)

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Slowly whisk in the apple sauce, milk, egg whites, and vanilla–then add the diced banana.

Use butter to grease a non-stick griddle, bring the griddle to medium heat.  Pour the pancake batter onto the heated griddle, making 4-5″ circles.  When pancakes begin to bubble on top-flip (approx. 1 min).  Cook for another minute on the opposite side.  Move pancakes to a dish and garnish with powered sugar, bon appetit!

 

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