Salmon Burger

These burgers were sooo good on the grill! I eat baked salmon all the time but this was a nice change for summer and just as healthy. The recipe came from Cooking Light magazine. The writers did a great job of figuring out how to keep the burgers from flaking apart on the grill without adding egg or fillers. Turns out this can be done by making a salmon puree then mixing in the chunks of salmon to get the texture just right. Impressive! I also like the suggested combo of Dijon mustard and honey to slather onto the bun instead of the usual ketchup and mustard.

RECIPE:
1 lb skinless center-cut salmon fillets, cut into large chunks
2 tbsp Dijon mustard, divided
2 tsp grated lemon rind
2 tbsp fresh tarragon, minced
1 small shallot, minced
1 tbsp honey
1 cup arugula or other tangy lettuce
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
splash extra-virgin olive oil
pinch kosher salt
pinch freshly ground pepper

Place ¼ lb salmon, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, and lemon rind in a food processor; process until smooth. Spoon puree into a large bowl. Place remaining ¾ lb salmon in food processor; pulse 6 times or until coarsely chopped. Fold chopped salmon, tarragon, shallots, salt, and pepper into puree. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, gently shaping each into a ½ inch thick patty. Cover and chill until ready to grill.

Preheat grill to medium heat. Combine the remaining 1 tbsp Dijon and honey into small bowl, and set aside. Combine arugula, onion, lemon juice, and oil in a medium bowl to make the burger topping.

Lightly coat both sides of burgers with cooking spray. Place patties on grill rack; grill 2 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly toast buns on grill. Carefully turn patties and grill for another 1-2 minutes until done.
Spread Dijon honey mixture onto bun, top burger with arugula-onion mixture. Serve with grilled fresh summer vegetables such as potatoes, cob corn, or summer squash.

Maryland Crab Cakes

After a failed first attempt at making crab cakes, I found a winning crab cake recipe. Both were from Cooking Light, but for some reason this one worked MUCH better. I liked the texture of the crab and the flavors from all the spices and herbs mixed in.

One thing I didn't skimp on too much while making these is the oil. Now I didn't go overboard, but a nice slick in the bottom of the pan worked great. If you don't have enough oil, you won't get the crispy outer coating from the panko and you'll probably burn them (which is what happened last time, and it was a real bummer). Crab is fairly expensive so you don't want to mess it up!



The recipe called for lump crabmeat, but it turns out that lump meat is really, really pricey. I was ready to give up until a local Marylander who worked at the store told me that special crab would work just as well and was half the price. It consists of the leftover bits of crab meat once the big chunks are removed. See this website for an explanation of types of crab meat: http://www.phillipsfoods.com/recipes-cooking-tips/understanding-crabmeat.aspx. I also added some Old Bay seasoning to the crab cake mixture and sprinkled some on top while cooking. I thought it gave a more authentic Maryland taste.

RECIPE:
1 lb lump crabmeat, drained and shell pieces removed
2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 ½ tbsp mayonnaise
1 large egg
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
½ tsp grated lemon rind
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste
Old Bay seasoning to taste
Olive oil

Combine chives, parsley, mayo, egg, lemon rind, lemon juice, pepper, and Old Bay in a large bowl. Add panko and crab, tossing gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Form crab cakes by filling a 1/3 cup measuring cup with mixture, turn over onto work surface, and press gently into a patty of uniform thickness. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Cook cakes 4 minutes on each side, or until golden on outside.

The recipe also included a creamy Remoulade sauce as a topping, which I really liked so I’ll add it here.


¼ cup light mayo
1 tbsp shallots, chopped
1 ½ tbsp capers, drained and chopped
2 tsp spicy mustard
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and cayenne to taste

Combine all ingredients and stir with whisk. Serve crab cakes with a bit of sauce on top and a fresh veggie or salad on the side. Makes 4 servings of 2 crab cakes each.(per serving: 292cals, 22g fat, 5g carbs, 19g protein)

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

This lasagna takes some extra time and many pans, but it is so delicious that it's worth it. I like the wide variety of veggies that get layered up between the noodles, it keeps every bite interesting! It is a great dish to make on a Sunday and eat all week for lunch.

RECIPE:
1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/4" rounds
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
3 small zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4" slices
2 red bell peppers, cut length wise into strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15oz container low fat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg
1 26oz jar meatless spaghetti sauce (I like Newman's Own Tomato & Basil)
whole wheat lasagna noodles
3 tbsp fresh basil, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Spray 3 baking sheets with cooking spray. Spread eggplant slices on one baking sheet. Sweat eggplant by sprinkling salt on both sides of each slice and letting sit for 20 minutes. While eggplant sweats, prep other vegetables. Eventually beads of liquid will form on the eggplant. Rinse salt off eggplant and place back on baking sheet. Heat oven to 400F. Place zucchini and red pepper on another baking sheet. Place mushrooms on the third baking sheet. Combine a small amount of olive oil with minced garlic and lightly brush onto vegetables. Vegetables will take 30-45 minutes to roast in the oven, so turn halfway through and check often to make sure they don't burn.

While vegetables are roasting, combine ricotta, Parmesan, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl. Coat 13x9" baking dish with cooking spray. After taking veggies out, lower oven temperature to 350F.

Layer 1: Spread about 1/4 cup pasta sauce in the bottom baking dish.
Layer 2: Noodles
Layer 3: Ricotta cheese mixture.
Layer 4: Roasted vegetables - make sure there's a good variation in each layer.
Layer 5: Pasta sauce
Layer 6: Sprinkling of mozzarella cheese and fresh basil

Repeat layers 2-6 2x and top with noodles and pasta sauce. Cover and bake at 350F for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake for another 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Porcini Mushroom Risotto

This is my first risotto! It turned out amazingly well, and I'm so proud! I kept hearing how tedious and difficult it is to make risotto, and maybe it is for the fancy restaurant versions, but this one was surprisingly easy as long as you have enough time to be patient in preparing it. This recipe was in Cooking Light, and I didn't change much at all. Since I was serving this risotto as a main dish, I added about 1/4 cup more fresh chopped baby 'bella mushrooms to make it a little heartier. The mascarpone cheese was a nice topping, but the dish is creamy enough without it.

First of all, here are my vital tips for making risotto:

1) Find yourself a good stool on which to perch,

2) Find yourself a good magazine to keep you from complete boredom while stirring,

3) Make yourself a cocktail because you're going to be there awhile.

Your risotto preparation should look something like this:

RECIPE:

2 cups boiling water
1 cup dried porcini mushrooms (about 1 ounce)
1 (14-ounce) can less-sodium beef broth
Cooking spray
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
3/4 cup chopped shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used leftover Chardonnay)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup (1 ounce) mascarpone cheese
Fresh thyme leaves (optional)

1. Combine 2 cups boiling water and mushrooms; let stand 30 minutes or until soft. Drain through a colander over a bowl. Reserve 1 1/2 cups soaking liquid; chop mushrooms.

2. Bring soaking liquid and broth to a simmer in a small saucepan (do not boil). Keep broth mixture warm.

3. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add rice, shallots, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add wine, and cook until liquid evaporates (about 2 minutes).

4. Add 1 cup broth mixture to rice mixture; cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of the broth mixture is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes total). Add mushrooms, grated cheese, chopped thyme, salt, and pepper; stir gently until cheese melts. Spoon 1 cup risotto into each of 4 bowls. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon mascarpone and thyme leaves, if desired. Makes 4 servings. (per serving: 369cals, 15g fat, 48g carbs, 12g protein)

Pulled Chicken Sandwich

Delicious and almost as good as pulled pork, but hopefully healthier. One thing nice about cooking with chicken thighs is that they are usually on sale for really cheap. This recipe was adapted from a 30 minute “Dinner Tonight” recipe from Cooking Light. I decided to make it in the crock pot since I had the time and I wanted to make sure the chicken got extra tender and flavorful. I made it with about 3lbs of chicken and it lasted all week as excellent leftovers.

RECIPE:
3 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp spicy mustard
1 tbsp molasses
½ tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground ginger
¾ tsp chili powder, or to taste
Hot sauce to taste
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 lb chicken thighs, fat trimmed
½ onion, sliced into rings
Hamburger buns
Dill pickle chips

Combine first 9 ingredients into a sauce. Layer onion rings on bottom of crock pot. Place chicken thighs on top of onion, then coat chicken with barbecue sauce. Cook on low for 6 hours. Take out chicken breasts and shred with two forks. Stir shredded chicken back into sauce until heated through. Serve pulled chicken on a toasted hamburger bun (or deli flat for low-carb) with dill pickle chips. (per serving: 294 cals, 7g fat, 36g carbs, 22g protein)

Fontina & Prosciutto-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Yet another delicious Cooking Light recipe! I slightly modified the cooking method from the skillet to the oven after trying it the first time for a girls' dinner and it took forever to cook. The oven was much easier since I didn't have to stand over the stove for an hour, and I think it tasted better too. I love the combination of crispy coating on the outside with the creamy filling inside. Yum!

RECIPE:
1 lb chicken breasts, cut into halves
2 oz prosciutto, chopped
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fontina cheese, shredded
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
Canola oil
freshly ground black pepper
plain breadcrumbs
all-purpose flour

Prep stuffing: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add prosciutto to pan; sauté until browned and crispy. Add rosemary and garlic to pan, sauté a couple minutes. Place prosciutto mixture into a bowl and let cool to room temperature. Mix in fontina cheese.

Take each chicken breast half and slice a small pocket in it that is big enough to stuff. Sprinkle chicken with pepper. Heat oven to 350F.

Make an assembly line: Set up 3 shallow dishes or plates – 1. Flour, 2. Egg whites mixed with Dijon mustard, 3. Breadcrumbs. Spoon prosciutto mixture into each chicken pocket; press lightly to flatten. Dredge chicken half in flour, dip into egg, then cover fully with breadcrumbs. Place into baking dish coated in cooking spray. Bake for 25 mins or until chicken is no longer pink.

Quick Lunch - Shredded Chicken Quesadillas

For a quick lunch or a late night snack, I turn to quesadillas. They're easy, fast and satisfying. They can be made with a variety of leftover ingredients pulled from the fridge. This time I used leftover rotisserie chicken and these turned out exceptionally tasty, and took all of 10 minutes to cook. Yum!

RECIPE:

2 whole wheat tortillas

3/4 cup rotisserie chicken, shredded

1/4 avocado, sliced thin

1/2 tomato, sliced thin

1/4 cup low-fat cheese, shredded and divided

spray butter

Heat large skillet over medium heat. Spritz skillet and tortilla with spray butter or cooking spray. Place tortilla on skillet butter side down, then add layers in this order: cheese, chicken tomatoes, avocado, cheese, tortilla. Spritz the top of the second tortilla with butter. Flip after 3-5 minutes or when tortilla is crispy and golden brown. Cut into wedges and serve. (per quesadilla: 588 cals, 19g fat, 50g carbs, 48g protein)

Winter Chili!

Another Cooking Light recipe! It has been freezing the last couple of weeks and hearty chili is the perfect way to combat winter. This was my first attempt at chili and it turned out really great. I made a double batch of this recipe and froze the extra. I only used two jalapenos, so it turned out pretty mild - next time I would use more. A sprinkle of cayenne pepper added some heat.

I couldn't find canned pinto beans in the store, so I bought dried which took some extra prep. First I soaked the beans in water overnight, then had to simmer them for about an hour to cook them prior to adding to the chili.

The recipe said to simmer for 1 1/2 hours, but I had mine on the stove for 4-5, letting the flavors mingle together and making the house smell wonderful. I kept it on low and stirred every once in a while. I would also try this in the slow-cooker to cook while I'm at work all day!

RECIPE:

1 lb boneless chuck roast (I used shoulder roast), trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

3/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp canola oil

2 medium onion, chopped

2 large jalapenos, minced

10 garlic cloves, minced

12 oz beer

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp ground cumin

2 tbsp tomato paste

3 cups fat-free, less sodium beef broth

1 (28oz can) whole peeled tomatos, drained and chopped

1 (15oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

Toppings:

avocado

shredded sharp cheddar cheese

nonfat sour cream or plain yogurt

lime wedges

chopped cilantro

Heat a skillet over high heat and coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle beef with salt. Brown beef chunks in pan for 5 minutes. Heat a soup pan over medium-high heat and add canola oil. Sautee onion and jalapeno for 8 minutes until softened. Add garlic and sautee for a few minutes. Pour in beer, bring to a boil and cook 10 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring occasionally. Stir in paprika, cumin and tomato paste; cook 1 minute. Add broth, tomatoes and beans, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer with the lid halfway on 1 1/2 hours or until mixture is thick and beef is very tender, stirring occasionally. Serve in a bowl with toppings of choice. Makes 6 servings. (per serving: 421cals, 23g fat, 30g carbs, 21g protein)

Salmon Piccata with Brown Rice & Asparagus

I was pleasantly surprised at how easy and fast tonight's dinner was, considering how delicious it turned out. Salmon was on sale at the store this week, so thought I'd try a salmon piccata like the kind you'd get in a restaurant. I finished making this dinner in about 35 minutes, and that included setting the table and some cleanup!

RECIPE:

Four 4oz salmon fillets
1tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
juice from one lemon (3 tbsp)
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp capers, drained
2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
salt & pepper
splash of white wine

Preheat oven to 400F. Sprinkle salmon with salt & pepper and place on Pyrex coated in cooking spray. Bake salmon for 15-20 minutes, until samon flakes easily with fork. While salmon bakes, melt butter in a small saucepan on medium heat. Whisk chicken broth, lemon juice, and flour in a bowl. Sautee minced garlic for 1 minute in saucepan, then add broth mixture. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring often, until it thickens slightly. Stir in capers, parsley and wine, keep on low until ready to serve. Serve salmon fillet over brown rice or pasta and drizzle sauce over it all. Sautee asparagus with a little olive oil and serve as a side dish. (per serving of salmon and sauce, no sides: 300 cals, 17g fat, 5g carbs, 27g protein)