Greek Orzo Salad

One of my favorite shows and cooks is the Barefoot Contessa. I had some free time the other day and she just happened to be on tv. Her summer orzo salad called to me through the tv. Hers was made with roasted shrimp, such a quick and easy way to cook them. However, I tweaked the recipe a tiny bit for my taste and what was in the house. It is nice and refreshing cool, flavorful salad that is perfect for these hot summer days and leftovers can be taken to work the next day since flavors merry even more with time.

Greek Orzo Salad
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
Kosher salt
Good olive oil
3/4 pound orzo pasta (rice-shaped pasta)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup minced scallions, white and green parts
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 English cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
3/4 pound good feta cheese, large diced
8 pitted kalamata olives, chopped

Directions:

Fill a large pot with water, add 1 Tablespoon of salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.

Add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the orzo. Toss well. Add the feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving. 

Fish Piccata

I was finally back in the kitchen after traveling and was inspired by all of the sole dishes we saw on our trip to Paris. Growing up my mom made a sole with lemon and capers that this reminds me of. The store was out of sole, so I used Tilapia as a substitution. Use whatever is fresh or least expensive. This feels like a lighter meal with the thin white fish and refreshing, always popular lemon flavor.

Fish Piccata

Adapted from: Food Network

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

3-4 small white fish fillets (such as tilapia or sole), about 1 pound total
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
2 lemons, juiced
2 Tablespoons capers
2 1/2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Thinly slice 1/2 of a lemon and reserve.

Combine flour and paprika on a small plate. Pat the fish dry and season with salt and pepper. Dredge in the flour, shaking off any excess.

Melt 1 1/2 Tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the fish in the butter until just cooked through and light brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the fish from pan and transfer to plat.

Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of butter to pan and stir until light brown and fragrant, scraping brown bits, about 1-2 minutes. Add lemon juice and capers and stir. Pour onto the fish and garnish with the chopped parsley and lemon slices. 

Authentic Homemade Italian Dinner

Jason's grandmother immigrated to this country from Italy. Growing up he was lucky enough to enjoy her authentic cooking. Unfortunately, I never had that luxury, but his aunts/cousins all learned from her in the kitchen. The last time his aunt was visiting I asked if she would come show me the family secrets. Not only was it fun to have his aunt and mother come over and cook in the kitchen, but created a fantastic Italian and family meal. Unfortunately, we were too busy chatting to take photos of the actual process and food, but there are some action shots.

First we started with the sauce, which was the base we cooked the meatballs in and used in the lasagna. As with most family recipes the seasoning was a little of this and a little of that, until it looks/tastes right.

Sauce:
(2) 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
12oz can tomato paste
basil
oregano
garlic powder
salt & pepper

Directions:
Pour the crushed tomatoes into a food mill and rinse with 1/2 can of water each over a pot. Mix through the mill and then discard the pulp that is left over. Add the paste into the pot and seasoning. Simmer over medium-low heat. If it seems too thick, add a little bit more water.

Meatballs:
Ingredients:
1.5 lbs ground beef
1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese
1 tsp Parsley
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 eggs

Directions:
Pour all ingredients into a big bowl and mix together with your hands. Roll into walnut sized balls. 

Heat a skillet over medium high heat and brown the meatballs on all sides to get a crust. Then put the meatballs into the red sauce to continue cooking and absorb the flavors.

Serve with the sauce over your favorite pasta.

Skinny Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

Normally when you go to a party the hors d'oeuvres are tasty yet usually not very good for you. Whenever I entertain I try to have some healthier versions of favorites so that the only healthy item isn't veggies and dip. The original recipe calls for bacon, but one of my friends is a vegetarian and since this was mainly a vegetable dish I omitted the bacon and didn't miss it at all. At less than 34 calories each, these were a huge hit and I wanted to just eat the leftover filling! If you don't want to make this as an appetizer you could stuff a large portobello mushroom for a meal or even a chicken breast. I made the stuffing ahead of time for less work while guests were over and then filled them right before baking.

Skinny Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms
Serves: 12-20
Source: Skinnytaste

Ingredients:
14oz (1 package) fresh mushrooms, stems separated
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
4 cups fresh baby spinach
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 Tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese
Cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400F. Lightly spray a foil lined baking pan with cooking spray.

Remove stems from mushrooms and finely mince.

Heat a medium sized skillet. Rinse spinach and to the skillet; cook until it wilts, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan, squeeze excess liquid and chop finely, set aside. (You can use frozen (defrosted) chopped spinach if you want to eliminate this step).

In a skillet, add olive oil and garlic, saute until golden, about 2 minutes. Add minced mushroom stems and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and combine mushroom stems with sauteed spinach, bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.

Season mushroom caps with salt. Fill mushrooms with spinach mixture, rounding tops off. Place on oven safe dish and lightly spray the tops with oil to turn golden brown. Bake 20 minutes or until golden. Eat warm.

Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Scones

Happy Sunday and St. Patrick's Day! I always forget about the holiday until I leave my house and see everyone dressed in green. Needless to say, we didn't go out and celebrate. For some reason in my mind breakfast on the weekends can be indulgent. Maybe it is because you have the time to make something different and delicious, or maybe it's as a reward for the work week. These "skinny" chocolate chip buttermilk scones are that fix. Made with whole wheat flour it gives them a little bit nuttier and denser flavor and texture but are delicious. And being under 200 calories makes it so you can feel indulgent without feeling guilty. I made these for some company that came over for coffee since I couldn't just serve a beverage without any food!

Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Scones
Yields: 12
Source: Skinnytaste

Ingredients:
3/4 cup cold buttermilk (lowfat if possible)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp chilled butter (must be cold) cut into small pieces
3/4 cup chocolate chips
cooking spray
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°. Combine the first four ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Cut in chilled butter with a pastry blender, or you could use 2 knives, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gently fold in chocolate chips. Add milk mixture, stirring just until moist.

Place dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly four times with floured hands. Form dough into an 9-inch circle onto baking sheet, about 3/4" thick. Using a knife, cut dough into 12 wedges all the way through.

Brush egg white over dough and sprinkle evenly with sugar. Bake until golden, about 18-20 minutes, depending on your oven. Serve warm.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 199.6 • Fat: 8.1g • Protein: 3.7g • Carb: 29.8g • Fiber: 2.3g • Sugar: 12g
Sodium: 257.4mg

Honey Chicken Kabobs

One thing I love about living in Florida is that it is always grilling weather. And grilling is such a quick, easy and usually healthy way to make dinner. These Honey Chicken Kabobs were a huge hit with us! We made them to take over to Jason's parents house for an easy and transportable dinner. I let the chicken and vegetables marinate about 4-5 hours to ensure they soaked up the marinade. By brushing the reserved marinade on top it sealed in the flavor. The chicken is a little sweet from the honey and tangy from the soy sauce. The best part is that they are only 180 Calories! You can use whatever vegetables you prefer or have in the house.

Honey Chicken Kabobs
Source: All Recipes
Serves: 12

Ingredients:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-2 inch cubes
2 cloves of garlic
1 onion, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 red bell peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces

Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk together oil, honey, soy sauce, and pepper. Before adding chicken, reserve a small amount of marinade to brush onto kabobs while cooking. Place the chicken, garlic, onions and peppers in the bowl, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours (the longer the better). 30 minutes before you are ready to start, soak the skewers in water so they won't burn on the grill.

Preheat the grill for high heat.

Drain marinade from the chicken and vegetables, and discard marinade. Thread chicken and vegetables alternately onto the skewers.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Place the skewers on the grill. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until chicken juices run clear. Turn and brush with reserved marinade frequently.

Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas

Mexican is up there with one of my favorite types of food to eat. And like most people I am a sucker for Chipotle, even though it is awful for you. This is a spin on their pork carnitas that we made into tacos. It is packed full of flavor and can be made spicier or more mild depending on how many peppers and how much seasoning you add. I had never used adobo seasoning before, which comes from the Spanish word meaning "to marinate" and is rich in flavor and spice but not hot. This recipe was definitely a keeper, but it does require you to brown the meat before putting it in the crock pot, something I normally feel defeats the purpose of the ease of a crock pot recipe, but in this case took about 10 minutes and adds more flavor so don't skip the step.

Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)
Source: Skinnytaste
Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 4 oz (1/2 cup)
Calories: 176 • Fat: 7.7g  Protein: 25.8 g  Carb: 1.3 g  Fiber: 0.1 g

Ingredients: 

2.5 lb pork shoulder blade roast, lean, all fat removed
4 cloves garlic, cut into sliver
1 tsp cumin
dry adobo seasoning (I used Goya)
1 tsp powder
3/4 cup 99% fat free chicken broth
2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (to taste)
2 bay leaves

Directions:
Season pork with salt and pepper. In a medium sauté pan on medium-high heat, brown pork on all sides for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Using a sharp knife, insert blade into pork, cutting small holes and insert garlic slivers. Season pork generously with cumin, adobo and garlic powder all over.

Pour chicken broth in the crock-pot, add bay leaves and chipotle peppers. Place pork in crock pot and cover. Cook low for 8 hours. After 8 hours, shred pork using two forks and combine well with the juices that accumulated at the bottom. Remove bay leaves and adjust salt and cumin (you will probably need to add more). Let it cook another 15-30 minutes.