What's On The Menu?

This post is just a little something that I whipped up for dinner today, honey glazed tilapia, black beans and corn mix, and jasmine rice.

Ingredients:

• onion
• bell pepper
• garlic
• canned corn
• black beans
• tomatoes
• tilapia
• rice
• spices: cinnamon, salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder
• honey 

Rice: I love jasmine rice, possibly because it is such a fragrant rice, I don't necessarily think it has that different of a flavor than white rice, but I'm sure that others may disagree.

 Corn & Beans:  I'm not exactly sure what to call this side dish, other than corn and beans.  I used a bell pepper and onion to give a little more depth to the dish.  For seasoning I only used some salt, pepper, and Sazon Goya seasoning (to add even more flavor saute the veggies in bacon grease).  After the veggies have been sauteed and the corn, beans, and canned tomatoes (I drained and rinsed the canned corn and beans).   Allow the dish to simmer on medium heat for 10-15mins.

 Honey Glazed Tilapia: Season the fish with salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, and cinnamon then coat with either olive or safflower oil.  This time I chose to saute the fish this time, but it is also amazing when grilled.  The key is to drizzle the honey over it before taking it off the heat.  This way the honey forms a nice crust over the fish.

Before serving drizzle a little extra honey over the fish.  Since tilapia is such a mild fish it can stand up to a lot of flavor so don't worry about over seasoning.

What's on the menu?

Spicy Black Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayonnaise

adapted from All Recipes
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 4 • Size: 1 burger w/ mayo bun + avocado • Old Points: 8 pts • Points+: 9 pts
Calories: 362.6 • Fat: 14.0 g • Protein: 18.1 g • Carb: 50 g • Fiber: 15.1 g • Sugar: 7.1 g
Sodium: 786.4 mg (without salt)
Patty alone, no bun, no avocado, no mayo: 4 pts plus 


Ingredients:

For the Spicy Chipotle Mayo:

• 3 1/2 tbsp light mayonnaise (Hellman's)
• 1 tbsp canned chipotle in adobo sauce

For the Black Bean Burgers:

• 16 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions
• 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 jumbo egg
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 1/2 cup quick oats (use gf oats for gluten free)

• 4 whole wheat 100 calorie buns (Martin's)*
• 1 small hass avocado, sliced thin

Directions:
Combine mayonnaise and chipotle, set aside.
Dry the beans well after washing, extra moisture keep the burgers from sticking. In a medium bowl, mash beans with a fork until thick and pasty.
In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, cilantro, onion, and garlic, then add oats, then eggs and spices. Then stir into mashed beans. 
Divide mixture into four patties (using slightly oiled hands helps) and place them onto a flat surface covered with wax paper. (If it's too wet, chill the mixture 30 minutes in the refrigerator or add another tablespoon of oats)
Freeze at least 2 hours before cooking or keep frozen until ready to cook.
Heat a lightly sprayed skillet to medium heat and cook frozen burgers about 7 minutes on each side.
If grilling, preheat grill over medium heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil; grill 7-8 minutes on each side or you can bake in the oven at 375° on a lightly oiled baking sheet.

What's on the Menu?

Lemon Chicken Recipe

• Cook time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

3-4 pounds chicken parts (thighs and legs recommended), skin-on, bone-in, trimmed of excess fat
2 Tbsp lemon zest
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp fresh chopped thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried)
1 Tbsp fresh chopped rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 Tbsp melted butter
Lemon slices for garnish

METHOD

1 Place lemon juice, lemon peel, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, whisk to combine. With the tip of a sharp knife, cut into each chicken piece one or two times by about 1/2 an inch. (This will help the marinade penetrate.) Place the chicken pieces and the marinade in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Rotate the bag so that all chicken pieces are coated with the marinade. Seal the bag and place in a bowl in the refrigerator (in case of leakage). Let marinate for 2 hours.

2 Preheat oven to 425°F. Remove chicken from marinade and place in a single layer in a large baking dish, skin side up. Reserve the marinade. Use a pastry brush to brush a little melted butter on to each piece of chicken.

3 Bake for a total of 50 to 55 minutes, until the skins are crispy brown, and the chicken is cooked through, juices running clear (breasts have an internal temperature of 165°F and thighs 175°F). Half-way through the baking, at about the 25 minute mark, baste the chicken pieces generously with reserved marinade.

Depending on the size of the breasts, they may be ready before the thighs, so if you are cooking a mix of chicken parts, keep that in mind, you may have to take them out of the oven before the thighs.

Let rest, covered in foil, for 10 minutes before serving.

4 Pour the juices from the pan into a serving bowl. Use a tablespoon to skim the fat off the top (save the fat for cooking with later, or discard, but do not discard down the drain or it will solidify and clog your drain). Serve the chicken with the juices on the side or a little poured over the top of the chicken.

Serve alone or with steamed rice.

Yield: Serves 4-6.

How Do You Ramen?

There is perhaps nothing more important to a starving college student than ramen noodles and it's easy to see why.  They're incredibly cheap, quick to make, and can fill you up.  As far as taste, they're nothing special, but some students have decided to use them as a base for a more substantial and tasty treat.  Here are a few recipes I was able to find online.  Feel free to check out http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2009/12/01/100-awesome-ramen-recipes-for-starving-college-students/ for more recipes.


1. Tex Mex Ramen: Make Tex Mex ramen by browning pound of ground beef. Stir in package of taco seasoning mix and boiled ramen noodles. Place on serving dish and top with cup each diced tomato, chopped onion and shredded cheese, a bit of chopped cilantro and some crushed nacho-cheese flavored tortilla chips.

2. Smoked Mussel Ramen: In a pot: Boil water, crush the noodles into smaller cubes of four (Crush them in a bag one way, then another) Toss the noodles in, be sure not to overcook. They should still look/taste/feel slightly undercooked when done. Drain completely with a strainer, add the seasoning packet and stir. Put this off to the side. In a frying pan: Light oil, Medium heat. Wait until warmed up. Throw in the whole can of mushrooms (After you drain the water) and the whole can of mussels (After you drain the oil) Season with garlic and onion powder and oyster sauce (It is up to you the amount you use) Cook for about 4 minutes, stir often. Throw in the seasoned noodles. Lower heat slightly and then cook for another 5 minutes or less. Keep stirring until mushrooms/mussels are well blended with the noodles. Should be nice and hot and the noodles should be perfectly done. Pour out onto a plate, use your “Thai chili sauce” on each bite for an extra sweet yet spicy taste. If you shopped around and got the best prices, this whole meal should cost roughly 2.50$, serve with a side of vegetables and possibly some mashed potato for a meal that will keep you full most of the day.

3. Zesty Ramen Tuna: Take 1 bag of ramen, crunch bag before you open the bag so you can break the ramen down a little. Add ramen and 2 cups of water in bowl. Microwave or boil ramen for 3 min. Drain ramen until the water is almost gone. Drain water from can of tuna then mix, 1\2 tsp. Old Bay & 3 or 4 squirts of dressing with ramen.

What's on the Menu?

Tomato Bisque

Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes 
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 2 cups • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 125.8 • Fat: 4.4 g • Protein: 4.5 g • Carb: 19.5 g • Fiber: 4.5 g   

Ingredients: 

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 celery stalk
• 3 cloves garlic
• 30 oz fresh plum tomatoes, peeled
• 32 oz fat free chicken broth, canned or homemade
• 3 sprigs parsley
• 10 basil leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp reduced fat sour cream
• Parmigiano Reggiano for serving (optional)

Directions: 

Chop onions, carrots, celery and garlic using a mini food processor or chopper. Meltbutter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add butter until melted, then addchopped onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook stirring often until soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add chicken broth and tomatoes, stirring well. 

Using a string or a rubber band, tie herbs together and drop into the soup. This will make it easy to remove later. Add salt and fresh pepper, reduce heat to low andsimmer covered for 30 minutes.

Remove herbs and discard, add sour cream and blend with a hand blender until smooth. (A regular blender would work, but be sure to let the soup cool before blending and fill only halfway in the blender so it doesn't explode on you).


Ladle into bowls and top with freshly grated cheese and fresh basil.

Makes 8 cups.

What's on the Menu?

Lately I've been on a hunt for new soup recipes because as a busy college student I don't have time to make elaborate meals 5 days a week. I've found soup to be a great way to incorporate all of the basic food groups and because i make it in large batches I can have it for multiple days throughout the week, thus saving me money. Now the recipes I'm looking for are more than just the standard canned soups, I want something with substance and a lot of flavor so I went on the hunt.  As you know I am a strong advocate of www.skinnytaste.com for their healthy recipes so these recipes are from their website.

Stuffed Pepper Soup

Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 6 • Size: 1 1/3 cups soup, 1/2 cup rice • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 7 pts 
Calories: 261.2 • Fat: 4.8 g • Carb: 37.5 g • Fiber: 4.7 g • Protein: 17.6 g • Sugar: 6 g
Sodium: 606.3 g  (without salt)


Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 lb 95% lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 cup finely diced onion
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 cans (14.5 oz each) cans petite diced tomatoes
• 1 3/4 cups tomato sauce
• 2 cups reduced sodium, fat-free chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
• salt and fresh pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large pot or dutch oven, brown ground meat on high heat and season with salt.Drain fat if any, reduce heat to medium-low, then add peppers, onions and garlic.Cook about 5 minutes on low heat.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, marjoram and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Serve about 1 1/3 cups of soup in each bowl and top with 1/2 cup cooked brown rice.

Makes about 8 cups.

What's On The Menu?

This recipe search was inspired by my good friend who told me about the yummy goodness of Borscht.  She dating a Ukrainian/Russian (I forget), but he's been exposing her to all types of tasty treats that are common in his country (Benefits to dating internationally lol).  She explained it to me as a cabbage soup, and being that we grew up eating cabbage it wasn't that hard for me to imagine the flavors.  There are a few subtle differences being that the way our moms made it was by boiling the cabbage with a piece of pork ie. ham hock or pork belly.  Borscht on the other hand is tomato based with other veggies added to give the dish more depth and heartiness.  I'll be honest, the only reason I was familiar with this dish was because on Rugrats the babies took a bath in it after they were sprayed by a skunk (back in the day with the good cartoons).

Ukrainian Red Borscht Soup
Ingredients


1 (16 ounce) package pork sausage

3 medium beets, peeled and shredded

3 carrots, peeled and shredded

3 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste3/4 cup water

1/2 medium head cabbage, cored and shredded

1 (8 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained3 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon white sugar, or to taste

1/2 cup sour cream, for topping1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Directions

1.Crumble the sausage into a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until no longer pink. Remove from the heat and set aside.

2.Fill a large pot halfway with water(about 2 quarts), and bring to a boil. Add the sausage, and cover the pot. Return to a boil. Add the beets, and cook until they have lost their color. Add the carrots and potatoes, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add the cabbage, and the can of diced tomatoes.

3.Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until tender. Stir in the tomato paste and water until well blended. Transfer to the pot. Add the raw garlic to the soup, cover and turn off the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Taste, and season with salt, pepper and sugar.

4.Ladle into serving bowls, and garnish with sour cream and fresh parsley.

What's On The Menu???

So I've been on a mission to limit the amount of beef I eat because I'm seeing what benefits it can have.  I've been doing really well so far, and I can definitely tell the difference in how my body feels.  I'm less bloated, by digestion system works a lot better, and I generally feel lighter.  Nonetheless, I can't deny that I still crave a juicy burger from time to time.  I'm a Midwestern girl and I was brought up on steak and potatoes so quitting beef was a real shock to the system.  It was a lot easier in the beginning, but as time has gone on I find myself wanting more and more beef.  I'm talking tacos, steak, roast beef, spaghetti, and above all BURGERS!  I've been looking for more beef alternative meats such as fish, pork, and turkey.  I'm still looking for better ways to integrate protein into my diet.  Here is an interesting recipe I found for a fish burger, after I eventually try this one I will see if I can apply it to other fishes to see which I like best.

Swordfish Burgers
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1 burger • Old Points: 7 pts • Points+: 8 pts
Calories: 304.3 • Fat: 16.0 g • Protein: 33.4 g • Carb: 5.3 g • Fiber: 0.7 g • Sugar:0.1 g Sodium: 148.8 mg

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs (24 oz) swordfish steaks, skin removed
• 3 tbsp chopped chives
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 shallot
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• lemon zest
• salt and fresh pepper
• oil spray
• mixed greens or chopped romaine

For the Lemon Vinaigrette:

• 1 lemon, juiced
• 8 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt and fresh pepper

Directions: 

Cut fish into large chunks, and put about 1/4 of the fish into a food processor along with garlic and shallots. Pulse until it becomes almost pasty. Place into a medium bowl.Place the remaining fish into food processor and pulse on and off until chopped.Combine with the rest of the fish in the bowl and add chives, lemon zest, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Mix well and form into 4 patties.

In a large non-stick skillet, spray a little oil and heat on medium-high. Add fish and cook about 4 minutes on each side.

To BBQ: Grill 4-6 inches above the fire on a lightly oiled grill rack. Grill on medium flame, about 4 minutes each side.

Whisk vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl. Serve fish burgers over a bed of greens and drizzle with lemon vinaigrette.

What's on the Menu???

Pasta with Italian Chicken Sausage, Peppers and Escarole

Pasta with Italian Chicken Sausage, Peppers and Escarole
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes 
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1-1/2 cups • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 8 pts
Calories: 297.7 • Fat: 5.5 g • Protein: 20.6 g • Carb: 47.2 g • Fiber: 7.5 g • Sugar:1.1 g

Ingredients:

• 12 oz Ronzoni Smart taste pasta (or whole wheat or low carb)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 lb Italian chicken sausage, removed from casing
• 1 medium head escarole, rinsed and torn into bite sized pieces
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• salt and fresh pepper to taste

Directions:

Rinse escarole and tear into bite sized pieces.

Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water. Reserve 1 cup water before draining.

While pasta water boils, heat a large non-stick skillet on medium heat. Add olive oil; when hot add onions, peppers, garlic, salt and pepper.

Cook until soft, about 4-5 minutes.  

Add sausage, breaking up with a wooden spoon and cook until golden, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Add escarole, cover and cook 2 minutes; remove the cover, stir and cook about 3 more minutes or until wilted. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Add cooked pasta, red pepper flakes, reserved water and Parmigiano Reggiano, toss well and transfer to a large serving bowl. Serve immediately.

Note: I learned that you shouldn't rinse pasta after boiling it... It might be common knowledge to some, but I had no idea because I always saw my mom rinse her pasta.  It has something to do with rinsing off the starch and therefore not allowing the sauce to stick to the pasta the way it should.

What's On The Menu???

So my friend turned me onto a great new site with excellent recipes, but what makes this site different than the rest though is it lists the nutritional information for each meal, including the points for weight watchers and points plus dieters. The site is www.skinnytaste.com and it is AMAZING!!!The recipe that first stuck out to me is Slow Cooked Sweet Barbacoa Pork, this is because I love Mexican/Latin foods.  The ingredients are fairly simple and get this... They use Coke Zero!  If you're as interested as I am check out the cite and let me know which recipes you try.

Ingredients:

For the Marinade:

• 2.5 lbs pork loin roast, all fat trimmed
• salt and pepper
• garlic powder
• 6 oz Coke zero
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (unpacked)
• 1/4 cup water

Step 2

• 8 oz Coke zero
• 6 oz can sliced green chilies
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp chipotle chili powder (to taste)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup brown sugar (unpacked)

Directions:

Season pork with salt, pepper and garlic powder and place in the crock pot. Add 6 oz of coke and 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Marinate refrigerated for a few hours or overnight turning meat at least once while marinating.

Remove crock from refrigerator, add water, and cook on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily). Remove pork from crock pot and discard any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork with two forks.

Step two: In the crock pot, combine 8 oz coke, green chilies, tomato sauce, chipotle chile, garlic powder, cumin, chipotle chili powder and remaining brown sugar.

Put shredded pork back in the crock pot and combine with sauce. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, cover and cook on high 1-1/2 hours more.