Healthy Pasta Bake

Sorry for the late blog post-- work has been hectic lately. However, I managed to try a new recipe last week. This pretty inexpensive and fairly easy to make. This pasta bake was delicious. I recommend making this for a large group of people, unless you don't mind having a lot of leftovers.

**I used two bunches of Asparagus, which was probably a little over a pound. I cut the asparagus in halves after I steamed it in order to make it easier to eat and dish out. For the chicken, I cooked 3 chicken breast, which equaled a pound, in 4 tablespoons of Olive Oil in a Deep Frying Pan. However, I'm sure you could buy a cooked chicken and cut it up, if you needed to save some time. Feel free to add more cheese, if needed.

Ingredients:
1 lb Asparagus- Steamed
1 1b of pasta (penne, zitti, or rigatoni)
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 lb Chicken Breast- Cubed and Cooked
1/2 Cup Sargento 6 cheese Italian Blend
1 tablespoon of garlic, minced (feel free to add more if you like garlic)

Materials:
Large casserole pan
Measuring cup
Serrated knife
Serving spoon
Large, deep frying pan (to cook the chicken)
Tablespoon



Add all ingredients into a 9 x13 pan (or large casserole pan) and stir to combine. 
Top with Cheese and Broil for 10-12 minutes at 400°F or until cheese is golden

Parmesan Asparagus

The other night I wanted to make something different instead of having steamed Asparagus. I decided to jazz up my dish a bit by adding a few ingredients. This is a pretty easy side dish recipe that's great to make for even a weekday meal.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2-3 teaspoons of grated Parmesan
1 bunch of Asparagus (bottoms removed), steamed

Materials:
Medium sized Corning Ware Dish with glass lid
Tablespoon
Teaspoon
*Frying Pan (optional)

Either sauté the asparagus in a frying pan with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. or cook asparagus in corning ware (add a little bit of water to the bottom) in microwave for 2-4 minutes depending on thickness. 

If you cook them in the microwave, cook until tips are tender and drain water. Then add Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

If you cook them in a frying pan, remove from heat when tips are tender and place asparagus in corning ware.

Finally, add parmesan. Don't add Parmesan when asparagus is piping hot. Let it cool for a minute, then add parmesan. 

Cover with lid until you serve.

Dijon Mashed Potatoes

On Saturday, I realized that I didn't have milk in my fridge to make mash potatoes. All I had was butter,  dijon mustard, and white wine. Feel free to add a little bit of milk. Y'all these mashed potatoes were fantastic. I served them with Halibut and Parmesan covered Asparagus. 

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:
3 large Russet potatoes, peeled, cut in halves and boil until they are soft (and you are able to stick fork in it)
3-1/2 teaspoons of dijon mustard
2 tablespoons of butter (or smart butter)
2 tablespoons of white wine


Materials:
Large pot or sauce pan
Teaspoon
Potato peeler 
Sharp knife
Tablespoon
Large serving bowl
Potato masher or electric mixer

Peel potatoes. Cut them in halves. Place them in large pot or sauce pan and bring to a boil on medium high- high heat. Once they start to boil continue cooking until potatoes are soft and you are able to stick a fork in them about 15 mins.

Remove from heat and drain water. Then add dijon, butter, and white wine. Mix throughly. Serve.

Tzatziki

I read an article about how good cucumbers are for you, so I decided to make my favorite cucumber side dish/sauce: Tzatziki. I looked at a lot of recipes, but decided to make my own recipe up that was healthier (I don't like sour cream). I topped chicken gyros with my Tzatziki sauce. You could also serve pita chips or pita bread with Tzatziki and make it more of an appetizer. 

Ingredients: 
1 large cucumber chopped and diced (make sure it's long too)
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 oz greek yogurt (I used 0% Fage)
Dill, chopped
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves chopped (or 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic out of jar)







Materials:
Cutting board
Serrated knife
Medium mixing bowl
Tablespoon
Teaspoon

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Mix well. Chill in refrigerator for 30 mins. Serve.

Potatoes à la Cameron

I felt like I needed some "potato variety" in my diet besides the typical mash potatoes and maybe healthy home cooked fries as a treat every now and then. One night, I felt like making something different. I rummaged through my fridge to see what ingredients I had, and went from there. These potatoes were so delicious that I debated keeping this recipe a secret. Feel free to add another teaspoon of dijon mustard, if you feel the need to. 

Servings: 1-2 

Ingredients:

1 potato diced with skin on

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

Splash of EVOO 

Pepper & salt to taste

3 teaspoons (or to taste) of Parmesan Romano grated cheese

Materials:

Mixing bowl

Teaspoon

Tablespoon

Parchment paper

Cookie sheet

Cover a sheet with a layer of parchment paper.

Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl.

Place potatoes on parchment paper.

Cook at 425° F for 8 minutes then flip the potatoes and continue cooking for 8 mins.

Apple & Brie Melt

Sick of eating a regular, boring, grilled cheese on white or wheat bread with either American or cheddar cheese? Well, I have a better grilled cheese that's more appealing to the palette-- an Apple & Brie Melt... or as I like to say, "Gourmet Grilled Cheese." The only thing I felt was missing to my meal was a white wine tasting. The secret is to slice the apple into very thin slices. I used french baguette bread because it complements the cheese and granny smith apple better than regular bread.

*Slice the apple thinner than I did in the picture. The picture below was the first time I made this delicious gourmet grilled cheese. I forgot to take a picture the last time I made it with thin slices of apple. Sorry y'all!

Ingredients:

1 large Granny Smith apple, sliced into very thin slices

4-6 oz of Brie

1 loaf of French baguette bread (Ciabatta would work well too)

Butter, for pan

Yields: 2-3 sandwiches

Materials:

Cutting board

Small sharp knife (I call mine a fruit knife)

Butter knife or cheese knife to cut brie with

Frying Pan 

Spatula

Serrated knife

Slice Granny Smith Apple and brie into thin slices.

Slice a piece of baguette open on one slide and place brie and apple slices on bread. Make sure there is enough to cover the sandwich. 

Melt a few tablespoons of butter in pan on low heat. 

Place sandwich in pan and continue cooking on low. Flip every now and then until grilled, and cheese is melted. (I push the bread down with my spatula a few times so the cheese will melt and the sandwich won't be as hard to eat)

Panera's Stove Top Mac N' Cheese

This will be my last post till next Sunday, since I am going out of town on holiday for July 4th. Sunday I will be posting about "Shopping at Your Local Farmers' Market" so don't miss out.

Who doesn't love a good Macaroni and Cheese? I think it was my go to food when I was little. I'm pretty sure I made it a food group.... and no I'm not kidding-- that's how much I ate it. Panera serves a mac n' cheese that's to die for. It's made with white cheddar and white american cheese, which is very flavorful and delicious. I found a recipe that is a copy cat recipe. Trust me, you won't be disappointed when you make it.

Ingredients:
16 oz (1 lb) pipette pasta or other small pasta shapes
1/3 cup all purpose flour
4 oz white american cheese chopped or torn into pieces
2 teaspoons-1 teaspoon dijon mustard (adjust to taste)
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (like Frank's)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2-1/2 cups milk, heavy cream, or half & half
8 oz extra sharp white Vermont cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Materials:
Large stock pot
4 quart sauce pan
Wooden spoon
Cheese Shredder 
Measuring cups/spoons
Serving spoon

1) In a large stock pot, cook pasta according to package directions, drain well.
2) While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a 4 quart sauce pan over medium heat.  When the butter has melted & has started to bubble, whisk in the flour, cook for 1-1/2  minutes whisking constantly.  Gradually whisk in the milk until no lumps remain.  Reduce to medium-low & cook  milk mixture, whisking frequently, until it thickens & bubbles, about 8 mins.
3)Remove saucepan from the heat & by the handful, stir in the cheese allowing all of the cheese to melt into the sauce before adding more.  Stir in the mustard, salt, & hot sauce.  Return the saucepan to the heat & stir in the pasta.  Be sure to stir up the sauce from the bottom of the saucepan & thoroughly coat all of the pasta with sauce.  Cook for 1-2 minutes over medium-low heat until heated through.  Serve hot in bowls with spoons.

Strawberry-Mango Salsa

This salsa is the perfect accompaniment and topper for fish, such as cod. It is so festive and seasonal for Spring and Summer.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup strawberries, finely diced
3/4 cup mangos, finely diced
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
6 basil leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon  sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper


Materials:
Large Mixing bowl
Cutting board 
Sharp Knives

Combine all ingredients & allow to sit in refrigerator for a few hours, covered.

***Use a little less than 1/4 of a cup of red onion***

Banana Bread

No need for a mixer for this recipe y'all! It's really easy to make, and it's delicious. Feel free to add walnuts (I don't cause I think I'm allergic).

Ingredients:

3 or 4 ripe bananas smashed          

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg beaten 

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

1-1/2 cups of all purpose flour

Materials:

Large Mixing Bowl

Wooden Spoon

4 x 8 in loaf pan or 4 mini loaf pans

Yield: 1 loaf or 4 mini loaves 

Preheat Oven to 350°F.

With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the smashed bananas in a large mixing bowl.

Mix in sugar, egg, & vanilla.

Sprinkle the baking soda & salt over the mixture & mix in.

Add the flour last, mix.

Pour mixture in a buttered 4 x 8 in. loaf pan (or 4 buttered mini loaf pans)

Bake for an hour. (Bake mini loaves for 30-36 minutes)

Cool on a rack. Remove from pan & slice to serve.

Southwestern Turkey Sliders

Last night, I felt like making something that I've never made before: Turkey Burger Sliders (aka Mini Burgers). I made my own recipe after looking at a bunch from online. I gave my turkey sliders a Southwestern flare. It's relatively easy to make, and so delicious. Homemade sweet potato fries are the perfect accompaniment.

Ingredients:
16 oz of ground turkey (I used 93% fat free, lean ground turkey)
1/3 to 1/4 of a cup of Del Monte's Low Sodium Whole Kernel Gold Corn
1/3 of red bell pepper diced into tiny pieces
1/4 of a red onion diced into tiny pieces
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon hot sauce
3 pinches of panko
Salt and pepper (use as much as you want to season the turkey with)
Pepper Jack Cheese
Butter for Pan
Slider roll buns



Materials:
Deep Frying Pan
Spatula 
Mixing Bowls (need 2)
Measuring cup
Cutting Board
Knives

In a medium mixing bowl, combine corn, red pepper, and onion. Stir and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine turkey, egg, and hot sauce. Mix all together with your hands.
Pour ingredients from medium mixing bowl into the large mixing bowl.  Add salt and pepper. Mix all together thoroughly with hands.
Add panko, which will help bind the vegetables to the meat. Mix into the turkey/vegetables with your hands.
Shape into small patties. Recipe yields about 12 mini turkey burgers.
Sauté the sliders in butter on medium heat. Cook each side. About 6 minutes total (for top and bottom). 
Make sure Turkey is cooked all the way through by using either a thermometer or by cutting into the center. 
Add Cheese when patty is cooked all of the way.
Serve on a toasted slider roll bun.

Sweet Potato Fries
serving size: 2 -1/2

Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes peeled
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (to coat sweet potato slices/wedges)
2 pinches of salt
Heavily pepper

Materials:
1 cookie sheet
Parchment paper
Sharp knife 

Preheat the oven to 415 °F 
(if you don't have this option, use 400°F and bake for 30-40 mins)
Take cookie sheet and line with parchment paper
Cut sweet potatoes into slices or wedges.
Place sweet potatoes on top of parchment. 
Pour enough Extra Virgin Olive Oil on parchment to coat the sweet potato fries front and back.
Heavily pepper all sweet potato slices/wedges.
Sprinkle salt over the sweet potatoes.
Bake for 20 mins.

Best Crab Cakes You've EVER Eaten

A lot of times I'll order crab cakes at restaurants just to be disappointed by how little crab meat there actually is in relationship to the filler. What if I told you that I had a crab cake recipe with 95% crab meat? Well then, I just made your day because I do have that recipe. This is a perfect recipe to use during Lent for Fish Friday or during the Summer.

**IMPORTANT: Make sure the canned crab or container of crab is local and is not from a country that isn't know for crab. If you see Thailand, don't buy it. The crab needs to be high quality or the cakes will be ruined!!

Ingredients:
1 lb crab meat- back fin on (claw) (type of canned crab)
2 eggs beaten
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
Cajun seasoning- 1 teaspoon or to taste
1/2 cup bread crumbs to bind crab

Materials:
Mixing bowl
Measuring cup/spoons
Deep frying pan


Mix all with hands in mixing bowl.  Form into pattys & sauté in frying pan in olive oil to coat pan.
Brown on each side
*cook first side 4-5 mins & other side 3-4 mins

Optional Sauce:
Mix 1/2 cup mayo with 1/4 cup dijon mustard. Heat through in microwave: 1 min.

Winter: Salmon in Parchment

This is the perfect fish in parchment during Winter. I made up the recipe myself. The pairing was perfect. This is a great and easy meal to make during the week. 

Serving Size: 1 Person

Ingredients:
1/2 pound of salmon
Half a bunch of Asparagus, with ends removed 
2 peeled sweet potatoes chopped into pieces
Heavily Pepper
Pinch of Salt
Old Savannah Spice: Seafood Seasoning, to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (to lightly coat fish and veggies)
Dill Chopped 


Materials:
Deep Dish Pan
Tin Foil
Parchment


Preheat Oven to 350°F.
Line Deep Dish Pan with a piece of tin foil.
Place a piece of parchment that smaller in size on top of the tin foil. Place fish and veggies on parchment. Be sure to put Salmon in middle and veggies around the salmon.
Lightly coat salmon back and front with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and do the same for veggies
Put chopped dill on top of salmon
Heavily pepper salmon and veggies.
Lightly salt salmon and veggies.
Sprinkle Old Savannah Spice: Seafood Seasoning over salmon & veggies.
Cook for about 30-40 mins

Cranberry, Feta, and Strawberry Chicken with Summer Green Beans

I actually made up the chicken and green bean recipes. I served them both with a side of corn on the cob, but feel free to substitute with something else

Cranberry, Feta, and Strawberry Chicken
Ingredients:
1 chicken breast
balsamic vinegar (to marinate the chicken in)
1/4 to a 1/3 of a cup of finely diced strawberries
2 teaspoons of canned whole cranberries
2 to 3 teaspoons (to taste) of feta crumbs (I use reduced fat feta)

Materials needed:
Pan
tin foil

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Marinate chicken breast in a bowl with balsamic and flip the chicken till it soaks up most of the balsamic. 

Then place chicken in a pan lined with tin foil.  Pour an additional two tablespoons of balsamic on top. Wrap the chicken in tin foil and bake for 30-40 mins (depending on your oven) until center of chicken is completely cooked.  After 30 or so minutes, cut into centre and make sure chicken is fully cooked or use a thermometer. 

Pour out the cooked juice in the foil and pour a tablespoon and a half of balsamic over the chicken. 

Sprinkle a teaspoon or a teaspoon and a half of feta crumbs on top of chicken. Put strawberries on top o f the feta as well as on the side of the chicken.  Next put cranberries on top of the strawberries.  Finally, sprinkle about a teaspoon or a teaspoon and a half of feta on top of layers.  Bake for another 10 mins at 400°F.

Summer Green Beans

Ingredients
1/2 sweet onion diced
1 red bell pepper diced
Green Beans (either 2-3 handfuls of fresh green beans or packaged green beans--DO NOT MICOWAVE)
Canola Oil
Pepper

Materials:
Deep Skillet

Sautee onions, red pepper, and green beans in a large skillet with canola oil on medium heat. Make sure skillet and oil is hot before adding all veggies.  Heavily pepper the veggies as you cook them.  Serve when veggies soften- about 10-15 mins. Can serve hot or cold.