Arugula Salad with Shrimp, Magno, Avocado, Cilantro, Red Onion and Toasted Coconut

What I really love is a one meal salad. Tasty, filling and healthy all at the same time.

This is a truly tasty salad, especially if you are a lover of Asian flavors. 

All the amounts are an estimate but below makes enough for 2 as a full meal. If you have extra shrimp, you can always reserve for another use, perhaps some stir fried rice.

FOR SALAD

1/2 pound of shrimp shelled, deveined, butterflied and patted dry
                       I used patagonian shrimp which is pinker in color but regular shrimp will do
3 cups of arugula washed and spun dried
2 cups of mango diced
1/2 to 1 whole avocado diced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro stems removed
1 tablespoon sesame oil (to cook the shrimp in, any other oil is ok)
Salt to taste--a tiny bit b/c ponzu is salty

FOR DRESSING
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons of ponzu sauce (ponzu is a combo of soy sauce and lemon juice)
juice of 1/2 lemon


Preheat skillet w sesame oil. Cook shrimp till pink and cooked through, about 2- 3 minutes per side. Remove from heat, allow to cool. Serve whole over salad or chop up and toss with the rest of the salad.

Combine all the other salad ingredients. Add cooled shrimp.

Wisk together sesame oil, ponzu and lemon juice. Dress the salad. 

If you wish to use coconut--totally optional, preheat a small skillet and add shredded coconut flakes. Toast about a minute or two, careful not to burn.

Sprinkle on top of salad.

Serve immediately.

Carb Free Zucchini Lasagna with Turkey (Trust me, the Cheese makes up for lack of Pasta)

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  So the noodle free lasagna kick continues. A few months ago I made a carb free Eggplant Spinach Lasagna recipe here:

  http://www.saladgirlnat.com/2013/01/eggplant-spinach-lasagna-noodle-free.html . It was such a major hit with most of my

  family that I decided to try another version of this beauty—Zucchini Lasagna. Still carb free but this one with meat.

  I should note that this recipe is adapted from http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/02/zucchini-lasagna.html but I made a bunch

  of tweaks to make it my own.

  
  

  INGREDIENTS:

  
  

  3 zucchinis sliced thin the long way

  One 15 ounce container of part skim ricotta

  ½ cup of fresh chopped basil plus more for garnish if you like

  2 12 ounce jars of tomato paste (more or less, depending on how much sauce you like)

  2 cups of shredded part skim mozzarella

  1 egg

  Salt and pepper to taste

  1 diced shallot or medium onion

  3 chopped garlic cloves

  1 pound ground turkey

  1-2 tablespoons of oil (I use grape)

  Cooking spray

  
  

  
  

  1) Wash and dry zucchinis. Do not peel. Slice the long way into thin long slices. This is best done using a mandolin. Watch your fingers when you are doing this. Seriously, because if you don’t you may get hurt (trust me, I speak from experience).

  
  

  2) Sprinkle with salt and leave for a few minutes. This will make zucchinis release water. That’s good; you don’t want the water in there. Do not rinse but dab with paper towels.

  
  

  3) In the meantime, spray a medium sauce pan with cooking spray and heat.   Brown your ground meat till cooked through.  Remove from pan. Add a bit of oil, add garlic and onions and cook about 3 minutes. Add the meat back, add tomato paste, 2/3 of the basil, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

  
  

  4) Preheat oven to 375. Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray, add zucchini slices. Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove, allow to cool and PAT DRY one more time.

  
  

  5) In a large bowl, combine ricotta with egg. Mix well. Add remaining chopped basil. Mix in.

  
  

  6) Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray, add meat mixture to cover bottom. Add baked and dried zucchini to cover sauce. Ok to overlap slices of zucchini.  Place ricotta mixture on top. Repeat one more time (or more if you have enough ingredients). I had just the right amount for 2 layers.

  
  

  7) Top with shredded mozzarella and basil leaves, cover in foil. Baked covered for 40 minutes and uncovered for another 15. Allow to rest about 10 minutes before serving.

Citrus Mahi Mahi with Roasted Butternut Squash

Mahi mahi is not a fish I usually make but it was on sale from Fresh Direct so I figured, why not. Was digging around Pinterest and came across this recipe from loveveggiesandyoga and decided to check it out. Love me some fish in a citrusy sauce!  Could not locate some of the ingredients the recipe called for so I made some substitutions still came out pretty tasty and not fishy at all which was my big fear with this mahi mahi.

I served it with my version of fried rice and some lovely roasted butternut squash.

MAHI MAHI with Citrus Sauce
3 Mahi Mahi fillets
Juice of one orange
3 tablespoons Ms Dash's Salt Free Poultry Mix (containing sweet chili pepper and other yummy ingredients like thyme, cayenne pepper, etc)
3 tablespoons sesame oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet till hot. Wash and dry fish well. Place fish on skillet, add about 1/2 of juice over it and also drizzle another tablespoon of oil. Sprinkle with 1/2 the Mrs Dash, salt and pepper. Cover and cook over medium high heat for 5 minutes or until the bottom corner of fish begins to brown. 
Resist the urge to move fish around or you won't get a nice sear. 
Flip fish over. Add another tablespoon of oil--drizzle carefully on all the pieces. Add remaining Mrs Dash and OJ. Cover and cook another 3-4 minutes till white and opaque. Remove to plate and allow to rest.

Adapted from:
http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2012/02/caribbean-citrus-mahi-mahi-with-brown-rice-noodles.html

Healthy Fried Rice:

Cooked brown rice is something I usually have on hand either homemade or from leftover take out (hanging head in shame). Always nice to spruce it up and make into a yummy side.

Some things you might consider adding are an egg, ginger, carrots, edamame, corn, and a bit of soy sauce.

No strict rules here. This time what I did was heated up rice in a bit of sesame oil, added a bit of powdered ginger, added an egg which I promptly scrambled. Added a bit of low sodium soy sauce and voila! Healthy fried rice.

Roasted Butternut Squash
Use the recipe I posted here http://www.saladgirlnat.com/2012/12/roasted-root-vegetables.html for roasted root veggies, substitute squash. If you wish, add a bit of maple syrup at the end.

Hope you enjoy!

Corn and Shrimp Chowder

It has been so ridiculously cold lately. Supposedly, the coldest winter in the last 3 years.  All  I want to do it eat is soup. Has been craving something hearty and had lots of leftover stock so came out with this soup. Must say was good, FAST to make and my critiques approved. All measurements are estimates, you really can't go wrong.

5 cups frozen sweet corn kernels
4 cloves garlic sliced thin
5 cups chicken stock
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbs ground coriander
8-10 shrimps cooked and deveined
Heavy cream (optional) about teaspoon per bowl
Oil for cooking shrimp and garlic

Bring chicken stock to boil.  If you have homemade, feel free to use, if not, store bought stock perfectly fine. I am not a snob when it comes to this.

In the meantime, microwave your corn kernels for about 75 seconds. Add to stock. If you wish, reserve some of the corn. This reserved corn will add some bite to the soup. If you don't want to have kernels floating around, go ahead and put them all in.

Cook garlic in a skillet in a bit of oil till golden, add to above. Using emersion blender, carefully blend your soup till creamy consistency. 

If your shrimp is not cooked, cook it in oil once you remove the garlic.  Cook through till nice and pink, about 3 minutes per side. I used Trader Joe Frozen Blue Shrimp. It was already peeled which makes life so much easier. Once cooked, chop into small pieces, reserving a whole shrimp per serving to top soup with (optional).

Some bits ok.  Add the unblended corn if you reserved it. Add pieces of shrimp. Add coriander and cumin. Bring to boil and cook for a few minutes.

Ladle into bowls, add a bit of cream and top w whole shrimp. I actually topped it with roasted parsnips bits what I warmed up only because I had some leftover from last night. 

Recipe for that is here http://www.saladgirlnat.com/2013/01/roasted-parsnips-great-alternative-to.html  I cut up the parsnip leftovers into small pieces and reheated them in the same skillet I cooked the garlic and the shrimp.

Roasted Parsnips (Great Alternative to Potatoes)

Really experimenting with roasting all kinds of veggies lately. Parsnips are a great alternative to potatoes.  Onces again, roasting veggies just makes them taste so good!

4 parsnips
2 tablespoons oil (I used grape)
Salt/Pepper to taste

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 425.

Peel and cup parsnip into rounds. Try to keep the thickness even. Toss in a large bowl with oil, salt and pepper. I don't use pepper only because my kids don't like it. But if you and yours do, go right ahead.

Roast for about 30 minutes, flipping half way through. Check on occasion, smaller pieces will likely be ready earlier and will need to removed earlier.

I served these a side with meatballs the other night and used leftovers as a soup topping.

Farro Salad with Cherries, Pine Nuts, Pecans and Roasted Red Onions

Love farro and really don't make it enough. Decided to make this salad for my potluck at work. I am on a renewed health kick since the new year and figured if I make something healthy, I won't ruin my being good with something that's not even worth the calories.

This salad is pretty flexible in terms of what you put in it, so you can get creative.

Ingredients for potluck (this makes a lot so feel free to cut in half or more)
2 cups farro
6 cups water (plus more for soaking)
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup pecans
1/2 cup dried cherries
2 tablespoons white balsamic for soaking cherries (plus 2 more for dressing)
1 diced red onion (shallot or white onion is fine also)
1 tablespoon oil (I used grape)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (plus 2 more for dressing)
Salt to taste

Dressing
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon orange juice (optional)
1 clove crushed garlic

Preparation for Salad:

1) Soak farro in cold water for about 25 minutes. Rinse and drain.

2) Add 6 cups of water to 2 cups of farro. Bring to boil. Cook on low flame for about 1/2 hour. 

3) Drain and toss with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Set aside to cool.

4) Dice your red onion, toss in 1 tablespoon of grape oil or another oil that tolerates high heat. Roast for about 1o minutes at 425. Turn over half way through. Once cook, set aside. You can easily not cook the onion but I figured since this will be served the next day, I would rather cook it through. Once onions are cooled, add to farro.

5) While your onions are roasting, fix up your dried cherries. If they  are large, feel free to cut them in half. Soak them  in 2 tablespoons of white balsamic and 2 tablespoons hot water. Let them sit while onions are cooking. Drain. Add to farro.

6) Toast nuts on a dry skillet about 5 minutes. Watch carefully not to burn. I toasted pine nuts and pecans separately due to different size. Let cool and add to farro.

7) Add salt to taste.

Dressing:
Mix olive oil, white balsamic, orange juice and crushed garlic. If you are eating salad immediately, you can add to salad. If you are serving later, set aside and combine right before eating.

You can garnish with grapes like I did or add a green such as arugula or mustard greens. I did not only because I need this to keep overnight.

Potato Leek Soup with Tumeric and Smoked Paprika

What could be better on a cold winter night then a hearty soup. Granted, winter has not been cold but I am still craving soup.  Playing around with flavors here and came up with an interesting twist on the classic.

INGREDIENTS:
5 potatoes peeled, washed and diced
3 leeks washed well and chopped
2 shallots peeled and chopped
1 carrot peeled and chopped.
5 cups of broth or stock (chicken, beef, vegetable--your choice)
2 tbs oil
Salt, Pepper to Taste
1-2 tbs of tumeric
1/2 tbs of smoked paprika 
3 strips of bacon cooked till crunchy and drained on paper towels (optional)


In a large pot, heat oil and simmer shallots and leeks for about 7 minutes till begin to soften. Add potatoes and carrots, simmer another minute. Add broth, bring to boil. Cook till potatoes soften, about 20 minutes. Add tumeric and paprika, salt and pepper and cook another 5 minutes.

Using emersion blender, blend soup till smooth. If too thick, add more broth and bring to boil while stirring.

I will be serving with bacon bits and kale chips.  Recipe for kale chips here: http://www.saladgirlnat.com/2013/01/kale-chips.html

Kale Chips

If you think you hate kale, you have not tried homemade kale chips. Does not get simpler or yummier not to mention it's a healthy super food blah blah blah. Even my 7 year old who is Miss Picky Pants adores these. In fact, my kids actually question the health benefits of these because they taste "just like potato chips"! Score!

Ingredients (all 3 of them)

Kale washed and spun dried with rough veiny areas disguarded
         (these come out great both with regular kale as well as luciano kale)
Oil of your choice (I use grape or truffle) 1-2 tbsp depending on amount of kale. 
Salt to taste


Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
Preheat oven to about 300 degrees.
Roast till crunchy and a bit brown but not too brown, about 15 minutes. Be careful not too burn as they go from yummy to yucky fairly fast. I usually remove ones that are done and continue roasting longer for the others.
Drain on paper towels if a bit oily

Enjoy alone as a healthy snack or as a topping when you want some crunch.

I have recently tried these with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast (which tastes like cheese) and it was great that way as well.

Balsamic Pork Chops (healthier then they sound)

This is a really tasty and surprising fast dinner particularly for a weeknight. I have made them and forgotten about them only to rediscover them all over again. 

Balsamic Pork Chops with Fresh Salad

INGREDIENTS FOR CHOPS:

4 loin chops about 1/2 inch thick

Flour for dredging (I use whole wheat)

1/2 Cup aged balsamic vinegar 

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tbsp oil (I use grape)

2 gloves crushed garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Wash and dry pork chops.

Crush 2 garlic cloves, set aside.

Wrap in saran wrap and pound it like you mean it.  My kids always love this step!

Dredge in Flour. 

Add salt and pepper. Brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Less or more depending on thickness but don't overcook.  Remove to a  dish. Pour off excess oil from the pan. Leave bits from pork if any.

Take balsamic vinger,  crushed garlic and add a bit of brown sugar. Reduce flame and let bubbling, remove crumbly bits. When vingar is totally bubbling, take off and pour over chops. It should look like this.

You really can serve this with anything. I made a simple salad of cubed tomato, seedless cucumbers, avocado, yellow pepper, shallots and fresh mozzarella. I dressed it in balsamic (2 tbsp) and 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. 

Dinner! Yummy, healthy and in keeping up with resolution to eat healthy this year! 

Eggplant Spinach Lasagna (Noodle Free)

Is it strange that I don't like meat lasagna? I think I am probably the only one. I do love a vegetarian version that I made a month ago, recipe here : Lemon Basil Lasagna Roll Ups. Inspired by this, I decided to go for the noodless version featured here. After all the holiday eating this carb free just might be the way to go.

Eggplant Spinach Noodlefree Lasagna

INGREDIENTS:

2-3 small to medium eggplants

2 cups of fresh spinach (I used baby spinach)

1 15 ounce container of ricotta (I used part skim)

Fresh basil (about 1/2 cup)

1 small can of tomato paste (12 ounces)

1 cup shredded cheese (mozzarella or pizza cheese)

Salt to taste

Dry oregano (optional)

1) Wash and dry eggplant. Slice eggplant the long way. Sprinkle with salt and leave for a while. The longer the better 20 to 30 minutes is great. Do not rinse.

2) Preheat oven to 425. Roast eggplant for about 10 minutes per side. 

3) Mix ricotta with chopped basil. Reserve about 1/3 for garnish.

4) Spread about 1/3 of the tomato paste in a square dish. Top with eggplant and 1/2 the ricotta mixture. Top with spinach.  Add more ricotta. Add another layer of eggplant. Top with remaining tomato paste. Bake at 375 uncovered about 15 minutes. 

5) Cover with foil. Cook another 15 minutes. 

6) Top with shredded cheese. Cook about 3-5 minutes till cheese melts. Garnish with remaining basil and cook a few more minutes.

Enjoy!