Corn and Avocado Salad

If you want to bulk this recipe up, try adding rinsed black beans or halved cherry tomatoes.

3c fresh corn kernels
2t canola oil
1/4c red bell pepper; diced
1/4c orange bell pepper; diced
1 jalepeno; diced
1/4c scallions; sliced thin
1/2 avocado; diced
3T fresh squeezed lime juice
1t cumin
1t kosher salt
1/2t black pepper

- Sautee the corn and peppers in canola oil until corn is cooked through and slightly toasted.
- Cool the corn mixture and add the remaining ingredients
- Serve cold or at room tempurature

Serves 4

(Nutrition Information Pending)

Spicy BBQ Shrimp

This recipe goes really well with garlic-cheese grits, and you can use the spicy BBQ sauce for chicken or pork as well.

If you don't have the time to grill the shrimp, you can sautee them in a pan with canola oil. Just before they done, stir in some of the BBQ sauce.

Shrimp
2lb large raw shrimp; peeled and deveined
1T sugar
1T kosher salt
1T garlic powder
1T onion powder
1T smoked paprika
1t chipotle powder

- Mix shrimp spices together
- Pat shrimp dry and toss with spice mixture
- Grill shrimp until cooked through.


BBQ Sauce
1/2c onion; diced
1/2c red bell pepper; diced
1 clove garlic; minced
2t crushed red pepper flakes
1T brown sugar
1T apple cider vinegar
2t canola oil
1c ketchup

- Sautee onion, pepper, and red pepper flakes in canola oil
- Add brown sugar and vinegar
- Stir in ketchup
- Simmer sauce until thick
- Toss shrimp with BBQ sauce and serve

Serves 4

(Nutrition Information Pending)

Creamy Pasta and Chicken Casserole with Spinach & Sundried Tomatoes

To make this a vegetarian dish, omit the chicken and use soy cheese instead of the cream cheese and parmesan.

Looking for a gluten free meal? Use brown rice pasta instead of the whole wheat!

3c cooked whole wheat pasta
2c broccoli florets
1c mushrooms; sliced
1c onion; diced
2 cloves garlic; minced
3/4c sundried tomatoes; julianned
2c fresh spinach
2t olive oil
1c evaporated skim milk
4T reduced fat cream cheese
4T parmesan cheese; grated
1/2c panko breadcrumbs
2T sherry
1t kosher salt
1t black pepper

- Sautee onions, garlic, and mushrooms in olive oil with salt & pepper until onions are softened.
- Add the tomatoes, broccoli, and sherry and continue cooking until sherry has evaporated.
- Add the cream cheese and evaporated milk and simmer on low until broccoli is tender.
- Toss pasta with the sauce and the spinach.
- Move the mixture to an oven safe casserole dish.
- Top the casserole with the parmesan cheese and panko
- Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until the panko topping is golden.

Serves 4

Did You Know?
Panko is a variety of breadcrumb from used to create a crunchy coating. It is made from bread without crusts, thus it has a crisper, airier texture than most types of breading. Look for Panko in the Asian section of your market.

(Nutrition Information Pending)

Double Cheese Meatloaf

Meatloaf
1lb 93% lean ground beef
1 clove garlic clove; minced
1/4c ketchup
1/2c onion; minced
1/4c scallions; minced
1 packet uncooked instant oatmeal
2/3c reduced fat cheddar cheese; shredded
1 egg

- In a large bowl mix onion, garlic, scallions, 1/2 of the ketchup, egg, cheese, and oatmeal until combined.
- Add the meat and mix (with your hands) until combined. Do not over mix!
- Form the meat into two loaves on a foil lined cookie sheet.
- Bake at 350* for 30-40 minutes; basting with the sauce every 10 minutes.

Sauce
1/4c ketchup
2T mustard
2t Worcestershire sauce
1/2t garlic powder

Helpful Hits
Add a bit of shredded carrot, finely diced mushroom, or shredded zucchini to the mix for an extra boost of nutrition. The added veggies will also help to keep the meat moist while cooking.

Gluten Free
To make this recipe gluten free, replace the oatmeal with gluten free breadcrumbs.

6 Servings

Grilled Potato Salad

Want to try something a little different? Try making this salad with a mixture of red, white, purple, and/or sweet potatoes.

20 small baby potatoes; red or white; cooked
1c green beans; blanched
4t olive oil
3t rice wine vinegar
1 clove garlic; grated
2t whole grain mustard
1t sugar
1/2c sweet red bell pepper; finely diced
1/2c celery; finely diced

- lightly spray the cooked potatoes with olive oil or cooking spray and grill them on high until lightly browned on all sides.
- combine the oil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, sugar, celery, and red bell pepper in a bowl
- add the green beans and grilled potatoes
- serve hot or at room temperature

Helpful Hints

What is the best way to grate your garlic? Use a microplane! Microplanes can be used for zesting citrus or grating cheese, chocolate or garlic. The microplane is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets. If you don’t have one, I highly recommend picking one up at your local kitchen store. You may even be able to find them at your nearest hardware store (ask for a rasp).

http://us.microplane.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=158

Serves 4

Apricot Glazed Pork Loin

This recipe would work well with any stone fruit. Try using peaches, plums, nectarines, pluots or plumcots instead of apricots. Keep in mind, the larger the fruit, the less you need. I would try using 2 of the larger fruits instead of 4.
______________________________

1 2lb center cut pork loin
4 apricots; diced
1/2c onion; minced
1 clove garlic; minced
1T brown sugar
2T rice wine vinegar
2T stone ground mustard
1/2t rosemary
1/2t thyme
1T canola oil
1t kosher salt
1t pepper

- In a sauce pan, saute onion and garlic in 1t of canola oil
- Add apricots, brown sugar, vinegar, rosemary, and thyme.
- Simmer apricot mixture on low until the fruit is soft.
- Blend the apricot mixture with an immersion blender and allow to cook down until thick.
- Once thickened, remove the sauce from the stove and whisk in the mustard.
- Sprinkle pork loin with salt & pepper and sear on all sides in a hot pan with the remaining canola oil.
- Move seared pork loin to a roasting pan with rack, and spread liberally with the apricot glaze.
- Cook at 400* for 35-40 minutes or until roast is cooked to desired doneness (cooking times will vary based on the thickness of your pork loin).

Serves 8

(nutrition information pending)

Southwest Chicken Salad

This is one of my favorite lunch recipes. It's the perfect solution to leftover grilled chicken, and also works well with leftover pork.
________________________________

4oz boneless, skinless chicken breast; grilled
1/4c red bell pepper; diced
1/2c fresh corn; grilled
1/4c scallions; sliced
1c red cabbage; shredded
3T light sour cream (or plain yogurt)
2T salsa (or fajita sauce)
1/4t cumin
1/4t smoked paprika
1/4t chipotle powder
1/2t kosher salt

- Combine the sour cream, salsa, cumin, paprika, chipotle powder, and salt to create the dressing.
- Toss the remaining ingredients with the dressing, and serve.

Serves 2

Serving Suggestion
For a low-carb option, serve the salad in lettuce leaves with some sliced of avocado and a wedge of lime.

Helpful Hint
No time to grill corn? Try pan roasting it. Cut the kernels off the cob (or use frozen - I do NOT recommend trying this with canned corn), and cook them in a dry pan until lightly toasted.

Spinach and White Beans

The is a very versatile recipe that is high in vitamins and protein. It's great with nearly every animal protein as well as on it's own. You can even top it with an egg for a yummy breakfast.

Did You Know?

Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, vitamin C, vitamin B2, calcium, potassium, and vitamin B6. It is a very good source of dietary fiber, copper, protein, phosphorus, zinc and vitamin E. In addition, AND it is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, niacin and selenium. Wow, that's good stuff!
__________________________________________

1c onion; diced
2 cloves garlic; minced
1c canned white beans; drained and rinsed
4c chopped spinach; frozen
4T grated parmesan
4t olive oil

- Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent
- Add beans and cook until beans are softer and lightly browned on some edges
- Add spinach and cook until spinach is defrosted and hot
- Add cheese and serve

Optional Add-Ins

- 1tsp crushed red pepper before serving
- cooked chicken
- sundried tomatoes

Serves 4

General Tso's Chicken Balls

This recipe also works well with turkey too!

Short on time? Use the chicken mixture to make patties, instead of balls, for a great chicken (or turkey) burger. Grill the patties, and brush them with the cooked/thickened General Tso sauce before serving.
__________________________________________

Chicken Balls
1lb ground chicken breast
2 cloves garlic; minced
½ large onion; minced
2 scallions; minced
1T pickled ginger; minced
2T teriyaki sauce
1/4c water chestnuts; minced
½ red bell pepper; minced
2T Thai basil; chopped
1 egg
1pkt plain instant oatmeal

- Mix ingredients and allow to sit (in fridge) overnight
- form into bite sized balls and pan fry in canola oil

General Tso's Sauce
3/4c chicken broth
2T rice wine vinegar
2T teriyaki sauce
2T scallions; minced
1T pickled ginger; minced
2 cloves garlic; minced
1t red pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicier)
2T sugar
2T cornstarch

- Mix ingredients together and pour over the cooked meatballs (in the pan)
- Allow the sauce to thicken, and serve

Gluten Free
To make this recipe gluten free, replace the teriyaki sauce with gluten free soy or tamari. Use gluten free breadcrumbs in place of instant oatmeal.

Serves 4

Garlic-Cheese Polenta with Fresh Sweet Corn

2 ears fresh sweet corn
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 1/2c skim milk
1/2c polenta
1t olive oil
5oz soy cheese; shredded or diced

- sautee corn and garlic in olive oil until corn is lightly toasted
- add milk to the corn and simmer on low for 15m
- slowly whisk in polenta and stir continually until polenta reached desired texture. If its too thick and a bit more milk.
- stir in soy cheese and serve

Serves 4

Creamy Herb-Garlic Dressing

The mustard in this dressing creates and emulsion which gives the dressing a creamier texture than most vinaigrettes.

4t herb seasoned olive oil
3t rice wine vinegar
2t whole grain mustard
1t grated garlic
1t sugar (optional)
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of pepper

- Add garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper to the rice wine vinegar.
- Whisk in olive oil and mustard until dressing is emulsified

Helpful Hints

Don't have an herb seasoned olive oil? Add your favorite fresh (or dry) herbs to the dressing. Any combination of parsley, rosemary, thyme, tarragon, or basil would work well.

Serves 2

Denise's Crab Cakes

1T lemon zest; grated
2T parsley; chopped
1lb crab meat; picked
2 eggs
1/2c celery; finely diced
1/2c sweet red bell pepper; finely diced
1/2c onion; finely diced
1/2c panko breadcrumbs
2T canola

- sautee onion, celery, and pepper in 1t of olive oil until vegetables are softened.
- add cooled vegetables, egg, lemon zest, parsley, and breadcrumbs to the crab.
- form into patties and sautee in remaining oil

Gluten Free

To make this recipe gluten free, replace the panko breadcrumbs with gluten free breadcrumbs.

Serves 4

Grilled Romaine Salad with Canadian Bacon and Creamy Herb-Garlic Dressing

Salad

1 heart of romaine; split in half lengthwise
1/4c Canadian bacon; diced
2T parmesan cheese; shredded

- Grill romaine on both sides until both sides have grill marks and outside of lettuce is slightly wilted
- Spray non-stick pan with cooking spray and cook Canadian bacon until crisp.

Dressing

4t herb seasoned olive oil
3t rice wine vinegar
2t whole grain mustard
1t grated garlic
1t sugar
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of pepper

- Add garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper to the rice wine vinegar.
- Whisk in olive oil and mustard until dressing is emulsified
- Top grilled romaine with dressing and Canadian bacon

Serves 2

Spicy Red Cabbage Slaw

This makes a good side dish for grilled chicken, steak, or shrimp. It is AMAZING on top of grilled shrimp tacos!
__________________________________________

2c red cabbage; shredded
1/4c corn kernels; grilled
1T scallions; minced
1/4c red bell pepper; minced
3T reduced-fat sour cream
2T fajita sauce
2T chipotle in adobo
juice of 1/2 lime

- mix fajita sauce, sour cream, lime juice, and chipotle.
- toss dressing with the cabbage, corn, scallions, and bell pepper.

Helpful Hint

Don't have time to grill some corn? This recipe works very well with pan roasted corn. Simply heat the corn in a pan with 1t of canola oil until the corn is lightly browned.

Gluten Free

To make this recipe gluten free, replace the chipotle in adobo with a bit of chipotle powder.

Serves 4

Spicy Teriyaki Green Beans

These make a great side dish for chicken, steak, or pork. Add shrimp and server over brown rice, whole wheat couscous, or bulgur for a complete meal.

2 cloves garlic; minced
2t ginger; minced
4c green beans; lightly steamed
1/4c teriyaki sauce
2T scallions; minced
2t red pepper flakes
4t canola oil

- On high heat, add oil and green beans to pan. Allow the green beans to get lightly browned.
- Add garlic, ginger, scallions, and red pepper flakes to the green beans.
- Add teriyaki sauce and continue to cook until sauce is thickened.

Gluten Free

To make this recipe gluten free, replace the teriyaki suace with gluten free soy or tamari.

Serves 4

Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Leeks

Want to try something a little different? Try using sweet potatoes instead of butternut squash. For a creamier soup, add 1c of evaporated skim milk at the end.

Did You Know?
Chicken stock and broth are not the same. Chicken stocks are made from the entire chicken (meat and bones). Chicken broth is made with only the meat. You will get a richer flavor from using stock than you would from broth. Stock should also have a thicker mouth feel due to the release of gelatin from the chicken bones.

1T + 1t olive oil
1 1/2c leek; sliced
1T garlic; minced
1c celery; diced
6c butternut squash; cut into 1” pieces
3c apple; sliced
6 1/2c stock or broth (chicken or vegetable)
1t cinnamon
1t dried thyme
2t kosher salt
1t pepper

- toss the squash with 1t of olive oil and 1t of salt. Roast in the oven, on a foil lined cookie sheet, at 400* for approximately 30 minutes (or until squash is tender and lightly caramelized)
- in a large pot, sautee leeks, celery, and garlic in 1T of olive oil until tender.
- add the roasted squash, apples, thyme, salt, pepper, and cinnamon to the leeks and continue sautéing until the apples begin to tender
- add stock and simmer until apples and squash are very tender
- blend in batches until smooth

Gluten Free
To make this recipe gluten free, be sure to use a gluten free stock or broth.

Serves 8

Smoked Chipotle Spice Rub

This rub (or a version of it) is used in several of my recipes including oven pulled pork, spicy BBQ shrimp, and chipotle rubbed steak. It’s a versatile rub that can be used with chicken, pork, beef, and even hearty seafood.

2T garlic powder
2T onion powder
2T smoked paprika
1T black pepper
2T kosher salt
2t chipotle powder
2T sugar

Helpful Hints
Make a double batch of this tasty rub and store it in an air-tight container for up to 3 months

Brussels Sprouts with Onions and Bacon

These are NOT your Momma’s Brussels sprouts!

I can remember sitting at the dinner table for HOURS refusing to eat my sprouts. Boring, soggy, and bitter. Yuck. It took me nearly 20 years to try sprouts again, but I’m glad I did. I came up with this recipe that I’m now hooked on. I hope it will make a sprout lover out of you too.

4c fresh Brussels sprouts; halved
1c onion; diced
1/4c chicken stock or broth
2t sugar
2T apple cider vinegar
8 slices center cut bacon; diced

- cook bacon in a large pan until crisp; remove and place on paper towels to drain
- sautee onions in bacon pan until translucent
- add sprouts and broth to onion, and continue sautéing until sprouts are tender and pan is dry
- add sugar and vinegar to the sprouts and continue cooking until vinegar is reduced

Substitutions
Don’t want to use bacon? Try subbing Canadian bacon, or even ham. Canadian bacon is lower in fat than traditional bacon, so you may need to add a tsp or two of canola oil to help it crisp.

Gluten Free
To make this recipe gluten free, be sure to use a gluten free stock or broth.

Serves 4