Lemon Pepper Panko Salmon

This recipe I really liked, it was the first time I used Panko Bread Crumbs. My original idea here was to go with panko chicken, but Frank and I had just finished walking NYC for 4-5 hours and our legs were tired so I went with Omega 3 Salmon instead. Better for muscle recovery. Ingredients: 2 Salmon Fillets 2 Cups Panko Bread Crumbs 1/3 cup TBSP Lemon Juice 2 TBSP Ms Dash (Lemon Pepper Seasoning) PAM Baking Spray Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a dish place your panko and lemon pepper seasoning and mix together. Take another dish and place your lemon Juice in it. Now with each salmon fillet dip it into the lemon juice first then the panko, make sure that both sides are coated well, and place on a sprayed baking tray. Once both pieces are done and coated well place in to the oven for 20 minutes. Serve. Note: I love how clean this dish tastes. I made it with a side of broccoli rabe, and if you want put some sliced avocados on top or greek yogurt sauce.

Healthy Whole Wheat Pizza

Sorry it took so long to post but my schedule has been crazy. So here was Saturday's creation, whole wheat pizza...made the dough myself. I was very excited I always wanted to try to make dough but a healthy kind. That same day I watched Tyler Florence make pizza he kicked the idea into high gear. It started out pretty good the dough was rising the sauce was heating the oven was on, all the ingredients were in order. There was just one problem, how do we get the dough on the pizza stoned without getting it all over. Minor problem, I wanted to use the baking sheet like Tyler but NOOOOOOOOOOO, Frank wanted the stone, so lets just say it made for some interesting pizza making, with a yummy turn out. FYI: For this use the baking sheet, not the stone. This dough makes 2 small personal pizzas. (83 calories 1g Fat, 196 Sodium) Ingredients: Dough 1 (.25 oz) Active Dry Yeast 1 Cup of Warm Water 2 Cups of Whole Wheat Flour 1/4 cup of Wheat Germ 1 tsp Salt 1 TBSP Honey Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl combine your yeast and water. Let it stand till it is creamy (about 10 minutes). In a large bowl add your flour, wheat germ, and salt. Make a well in the middle of the mixture and add the yeast along with the honey. Stir altogether and let it sit covered for about an hour. Frank's Pizza 1 Piece of Dough Tomato Sauce (on bottom) Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella (3 Pieces) 1 Palm full of Shredded Low Fat Mozzarella Note: This was on the stone a bit messy dripped all over Francesca's Pizza 1 Piece of Dough Tomato sauce (on Bottom) 3 TBSP cooked up Ground Turkey 3 Stalks of Asparagus (chopped) 2 Slices of Avocados (placed after cooking) sprinkle of crumbled goat cheese Note: This was on a baking sheet sprayed and pressed with my hands, worked much better. Both Pie's cooked for 20 minutes. They were good but obviously mine was better. I served this with a large salad and of course some chilled Vino.

Healthy Leftover Creation

So the other day I got home late (as did Frank) and needed to get dinner on the table really fast. I forgot to get a protein (chicken or fish) set out the night before so I had to go with what was left in the fridge. I'll call this meal the "Healthy Leftover Creation." So here it goes: I must say I'm very proud of it! Ingredients: 1/2 Rotisserie Chicken Breast (diced) 1/2 Eggplant (diced) 1 yellow squash (diced) 1 head of Asparagus (diced) 2 Cups of Green beans (already steamed in Microwave) 1/2 jar of Marinara 2 squirts of Pesto 1 can diced low sodium tomatoes few sprinkles of Ms. Dash (Tomato, Basil, and Garlic) seasoning 8 Large Olives diced 1 cup Low fat Mozzarella 2 TBSP Sun dried Tomatoes Chopped Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and take out a large baking dish. This meal is all about tossing everything together into a dish and adding the final touches. Start by placing your diced tomatoes on the bottom, then toss in some diced chicken, eggplant, squash, asparagus, green beans, a little tomato sauce, a squirt of pesto, a touch of seasoning, sun dried tomatoes, and olives. This is a "drop, toss, and bake" kind of dish. I did not layer, or get fancy. Remember, it's leftovers that you are baking in a short period of time, so be creative and have fun with it. What I do recommend is to leave your mozzarella for the end and top the dish with it. This leaves for a nice presentation. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, and serve. Notes: I had fun making this dish and it got me to use my leftovers which were pretty healthy. No need to order in or go out. I served this dish with whole grain pasta for Frank and he loved it. It's a great way to get a healthy - yummy meal on the table.

Coconut Infused Grilled Chicken with Strawberry and Pineapple Topping

I was reading a magazine the other day and they were talking about the benefits of coconut. Well I love it; but I've never really cooked with it. I use the ZICO water to hydrate after a long run or hard workout and many fear how 'fattening' Coconut Milk is (NOT). Always use the right kind and read the label to measure your portions. The Milk I used is called "SO Delicious Coconut Milk" (vanilla). It has only 90 calories, 5g fat, 7 sugar in 1 cup (more than enough for this meal.) I loved it and so did my trainers/clients. Ingredients: 1 package of Chicken Breast 1 cup of Coconut Milk (plus 2 TBSP) dash of black pepper 1 pint of Strawberries (sliced) 1 small fresh container of pineapple (cubed small) 2 TBSP Pine Nuts (toasted) In a container; place your chicken with your 1 cup coconut milk and pepper...if the chicken is more then 4 pieces use the whole cup; if not you may be able to get away with 1/2 cup. Let it sit in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Next, in a small skillet - toast your pine nuts and set aside. In a small bowl - place your cut up berries, pineapple, cooled pine nuts, and either the rest of the Coconut Milk from your 1 cup or the extra 2 TBSP; You just want to let the flavors mix, you don't want a soup. Place this in the fridge to chill while you get ready to cook your chicken. Preheat your grill to medium high and cook your chicken till its no longer pink. Remove your chicken topping from the refrigerator, stir and get ready to place on top of the chicken. Do this as soon as all the pieces are cooked on every one's dish. Serve with a salad or vegetable of your choice. It's so good, with clean ingredients and healthy benefits. Notes: At first I thought this dish sounded weird but I really liked how easy it was and I loved all the ingredients. You can even drink the milk at night if you want something sweet (but not to caloric.) You can find this Coconut milk in any supermarket or whole foods store. It looks just as good as it taste. Enjoy!

Grilled Vegetable Bake

OK so this recipe I was really excited to make and even more excited to try. I call it my girlie version of lasagna. I would have been happier if Frank was more excited at first bite, but I guess him finishing the whole tray was all the proof I needed. If you love vegetables and want a healthy impress your guests meal try this with a side salad or grilled chicken. Ingredients: 1 Eggplant (cut length wise or into circle) 1 Yellow Squash (cut length wise) 1 Zucchini (cut length wise) 1 Fennel Bulb (cut into pieces) 1 Tomato (sliced) 1 small container (part skim) ricotta 1 Bag of part skim mozzarella 1 Jar Tomato sauce 1-2 good squirts of pesto (tube) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Take all of your sliced vegetables and place then on your sprayed grill. Make sure they are just about tender before you remove them. In a small bowl spoon out about 3-4 TBSP of the ricotta, with your squirts of pesto and mix together. In a baking dish layer a ladle of your tomato sauce on the bottom. Place you eggplant on top and spread a bit of your ricotta over the vegetable you don't want to cover everything just coat a bit of each piece. Then sprinkle some of your mozzarella, and sauce and repeat the same pattern for the squash and zucchini (I layered the zucchini and squash together) but you can do whatever you like. Once I get to the top layer I place the fennel around the sides of the dish and my tomatoes in the middle. Finish it off with another handful of mozzarella, and bake covered for about 20 minutes. Remember the vegetables are already cooked, you are just heating all the other ingredients together so the flavors combine. Once your cheese has melted a bit remove the lid or foil and bake for another 10 minutes. This dish can be served right away or made in advance and served the next day. Notes: When I did this dish I made it in advance and let it rest. I reheated the dish at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and had a side salad. Also don't be afraid of a little ricotta remember you are not using to much and it is part skim. If you want my recommendation for a GREAT Jar Sauce I found Lidia's (Tomato Basil or Marinara) both are filled with flavor and low in salt. Its what I use if I can't make my own, and with my schedule most times I can't.

Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa, Turkey and Spinach

Here is a healthy take on Stuffed Peppers. This recipe has no rice so it's low carb with extra vegetables, and hey who couldn't use more veggies in their diet. I gave this to Frank who is not a huge quinoa fan and he gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars. You can use any color pepper you want I am a big fan of the yellow, red and orange. For me they are easier to cook and digest. If you wanted to make this meal really fast you can cook your mixture in a skillet, then stuff your already heated peppers, and place it in the oven for 20 minutes. Just as good if you are pressed for time. This dish is great with a large salad since you already have all the vegetables you need within the dish. I am also going to recommend some Vino because hey who couldn't use a great glass of wine after making a healthy dish like this. Enjoy and let me know what you think! Ingredients: 1 lb Ground Turkey 3-4 Peppers (yellow; orange; red) 4-5 TBSP cooked Quinoa Palm full of Chopped Baby Spinach (eye ball to your liking) Squirt of Pesto (in a tube or 1 tsp jarred) ¼ cup of Marinara sauce plus 3-4 TBSP 6 Chopped black olives 1 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Clean the seeds out of the peppers and place upside down on a sprayed baking sheet, in the oven for 10 minutes. In a bowl combine all the rest of your ingredients and mix well. Remove your peppers and let them cool. Take your mixture and place it inside your cooled peppers. Place the filled peppers back on the baking dish, and add your additional 3-4 TBSP of marinara on top of all your peppers (each pepper should get about 1 TBSP of sauce). Bake in the oven again for 40 minutes so the stuffing is cooked through. Remove from the oven cool for 5 minutes and serve.

Coconut Cookies

OK I love coconut, and I was watching an international cooking show on Cooking Channel and was intrigued by a story on how the host used to eat fruit desert and this was one of her favorites. Only her recipe was to be a bar with lots of additives, I wanted to make it simple. So after 2 attempts to this recipe Frank and I finally decided to make it a cookie; the bars just didn't work. So here we go these cookies are REALLY GOOD:

Ingredients:

1 (14 0z) bag of shaved coconut (about 4 cups)

1 medium size can of Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 TBSP mini Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl combine coconut and the entire can of condensed milk. Using your hands mix the coconut and milk together making sure all the coconut is covered. Place 1/2 tsp of chips in and mix. Using parchment place your cookies on a baking dish about 1 inch apart. Measure the size of your cookies by using a TBSP. Each cookie should be the size of one TBSP you may have to use your hands to fix them. Before you place your cookies in the oven place some chips on top where you feel they need some decorating. Bake for about 15 minutes or till the tops are slightly brown.

Quick Tips

The bottom of your cookies should be brown and they should be soft in the center. Let cool for about 20 minutes and then place on a dish and store in the fridge. They should get you about 16-20 cookies.

Roasted Eggplant Spread

Friday night Frank and I went to one of our favorite restaurants Bistro 18. They serve this amazing eggplant spread, which got me thinking about our other favorite dining place Luce. So my idea for dinner while running 10 miles yesterday was how can I make an eggplant spread healthy and versatile. So here is what I came up with:

Ingredients:

1 Eggplant

1 TBSP of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 tsp of minced garlic

2-3 Celery Stalks, chopped

1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped

1 Yellow Pepper, chopped

2-4 squirts Tomato Paste, tubed or 1 canned

3 Plum Tomatoes, chopped

1 cup of Marinara sauce

2 squirts Pesto in a tube or 1 tsp jarred

Low Fat Mozzarella (whole cheese so you can grate it)

Dash Crushed Red Pepper flakes

Dash of Black Peppercorns

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Take your eggplant and shave only some of the skin so that it looks like a zebra. Slice your eggplant into cubes and place it on a sprayed baking dish. Place in the oven for about 20 minutes. In a skillet heat your olive oil and garlic and place in your celery. Stir till your celery starts to get soft, add your chopped peppers, tomato paste and chopped tomatoes. Remove your eggplant from the oven and add to the skillet, stir in your marinara, crushed red pepper flakes and peppercorns. Taste to see if the flavors have blended well, if so add the pesto stir and simmer for about 15 minutes. Right before you are ready to plate your spread take the mozzarella and grate as much as you like into the mixture, stir and transfer to a bowl.

Quick Tips:

This spread can be served as a side dish, add it to whole wheat pasta, make it and appetizer with crackers, or what I did was place it on top of grilled chicken breast. It taste even better the next day; you can get many different meals out of this one dish. So enjoy!

Stuffed Chicken with Spinach, Roasted Pepper and Cheese

This weekends meal was inspired by watching the food network. I always wanted to pound a chicken breast but all the recipes I see are not all that quick or healthy. I wanted NO frying, flouring or egging. So I tried this recipe and got a 5 star review from my biggest food critic (FRANK my loving husband). Ingredients: 1 Package of Chicken Breasts 4-6 oz Balsamic Vinegar 1 tsp Ms. Dash (Tomato Basil Garlic Seasoning) Dash of Grated Parmesan Cheese 1 Small Bag Baby Spinach 1 Small Jar Roasted Red Pepper (rinsed) Fresh sliced Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese (Polly O) Preheat Oven to 400 degrees. Take your chicken breast and slice it butterfly style (not all the way through). Take your chicken and place it in a Ziploc bag. Using a mallet or a frying pan pound the chicken breast till it is thin. In a small bowl combine your vinegar, seasoning, and cheese, stir together. Take a basting brush and brush your pounded chicken with the dressing. Keeping your chicken butterflied stack a few pieces of baby spinach, a small slice of roasted pepper, and your mozzarella to one side of your chicken. Fold the other half of the chicken and close (if you want you can seal it with a toothpick). Place your stuffed chickens on a PAM sprayed baking dish. If you have more dressing coat the rest of the pieces and bake. Total baking time is about 35 minutes.