Chicken & black bean meatballs and a white rice medley of fresh cilantro, lime zest, red onion, and bell peppers

I used:

2 large chicken breast (or you can buy chicken already ground

1 can black beans drained and rinsed

fist full of fresh cilantro

1 cup white rice (adjust accordingly)

1 diced jalapeno

1/2 red bell pepper diced

1/2 yellow bell pepper diced

1/2 red onion diced

Adobo season to taste

zest of half a lime

juice of half a lime

Cook rice as directed and set aside.

Add diced vegetables to a non stick pan on low to warm through.

Add lime juice and cilantro.

If you like the veggies cooked more through then cook on a higher temperature and for a longer period of time.

Add the vegetables to the rice.

For meat:

Place chicken into food processor set side in bowl

After the beans have been rinse crush them light with your hands or a fork leaving some beans whole to show in the meatballs.

Mix beans ,chicken, and lime zest(optional)

Dice a small amount of the cilantro and add to bean and chicken mixture.

With wet hands form into meatballs and set aside.

in a non stick skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and have some cooking spray on hand if needed.

Add meatballs to pan letting them brown on all sides.

Once they are browned add one ladle full of water from rice and cover immediatly. (the steam will cook the meatballs and make them moist)

Let the meatballs cook all the way through (about ten minutes).  

Shrimp meatballs over whole grain brown rice with spicy red peppers, cilantro, red onion, tomatoes & Black beans

You will need:
for 2-3 servings 1/2 medium shrimp raw or frozen
3/4 bread crumbs (I used italian bread crumbs
1 large garlic clove (minced-I grated mine)
1 egg
1/4 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese
1/2 red onion
1/2 cup (or one fist full of fresh cilantro)
1 can black beans (seasoned or non)
2 plum tomatoes diced
2 red serrano peppers diced
1 1/2 cups brown rice
chicken broth (optional)

In a medium pot cook rice according to directions. Cook with chicken broth to add flavor (optional) If not using chicken broth, add salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor add thawed shrimp, cheese, grated or minced garlic and half of the red onion, (reserve other half for rice).

Pulse until well combined and scoop into a bowl (with extra room for additional ingredients)
Add bread crumbs and egg to shrimp mixture until well combine and form into balls (golf ball size)

In a small pot warm black beans and season to taste (can microwave for faster results)

In a non stick skillet with a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (approx. one tablespoon) on medium heat add the shrimp balls and let brown on both sides.

Remove and drain on paper towel when all shrimp balls are cooked.In the same pan add dices peppers, tomato, remaining onion into the pan and cook for 5 minutes..add salt and pepper to taste.

Add peppers, tomato, and onion to rice and add cilantro and toss gently.

Plate rice mixture and serve black beans on top with meatballs.

Baked turkey meatballs with carrot, zucchini, & onion over whole wheat gnocchi with roasted yellow tomatoes and vegetable marinara topped with fresh basil chiffonade...

Baked lemon garlic pork loin with roasted baby carrots and Toasted pinenut couscous with apples & cranberries

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Healthy!...Chicken Marsala with cauliflower mashed potatoes

I used:
2 chicken breasts
Instant potatoes (this is for time saving, if you boil potatoes for real mashed then boil your potatoes and drain)
1 package fresh whole or sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons flour
1 can chicken broth
salt/pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter -or butter substitute
1/4 cup sherry wine
1/2 marsala wine
half a head of fresh cauliflower (cut up and freeze remaining cauliflower)

Season your chicken with salt and pepper then dust lightly with flour(this creates a brown crust when cooked)

Add one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to pan

Place the chicken on medium/high heat (so it sizzles) make it brown on both sides(about 3-5 minutes on each side)

Take out chicken set aside (it will still be very uncooked in the center)

Add your mushrooms to your pan with one tablespoon of butter …

Cook the mushrooms until they shrink and become tender then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the chicken back to pan…add 1/4 cup sherry wine and ½ cup Marsala wine and cover..let simmer for10-15 minutes until chicken is cooked all the way through.

For Cauliflower mashed potatoes:

½ head fresh cauliflower

1 large baking potato OR packet of instant regular or garlic mashed potatoes

14oz can chicken broth

In a sauce pan add 14ounce can of chicken broth and half the head of cleaned and roughly chopped cauliflower and bring to a boil cook for 15 minutes or until fork tender/soft enough to mash

If using a potato, dice and boil potato with cauliflower until for tender (cutting potato into smaller chunks with help potato cook faster)

Drain cauliflower(and potato) and set into a bowl, reserve chicken broth for potato or instant mashed potatoes

Add hot broth to instant potatoes…(by hand or mixer)mix while adding broth until desired consistency(not pasty).

Press the cauliflower with a fork until it mostly smooth then add mashed potatoes. With a hand mixer on low start mix the potatoes and cauliflower. *Optional tip-Add ¼ fat free sour cream while mixing…add chicken broth slowly until potatoes are smooth and creamy. mil can work as well to add a creamy consistency to potatoes. If you have neither sour cream or milk the recipe still works fine with just broth.

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Soccer fan cake, Peacock/Butterfly cake & funky lime zebra cake!

 

 

Pan seared sea bass over a warm orzo salad with black olives, feta, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes

For this meal I used:

2- 6 ounce pieces of sea bass

1 cup of orzo pasta

2 1/2 cups chicken broth(optional for flavor)

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes sliced (or one medium tomato diced)

1/2 large cucumber diced

1/4 black olives sliced

1/4 cup low fat feta (or regular but use less to keep fat content down)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons adobo (or your favorite house season-or use garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper)

First bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil and cook orzo as directed. Do not discard chicken broth when draining pasta. Set orzo aside.

In a non stick skillet on medium heat drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil in pan and let it warm.

Season fish on both sides and place into pan, let cook on first side 2-3 minutes until golden color shows. Gently flip fish onto other side and repeat.

Add one ladle of  chicken broth from the orzo pasta to pan and cover immediately. Let fish simmer for 3 minutes. This ensures the fish gets cooked entirely and remains juicy.

Add diced cucumber, tomato, olives and feta to orzo and mix gently. The salt from the olives and feta provides great flavor so a dressing is not needed.( If desired add your favorite salad dressing for more flavor)

Salmon en papillote with my baked tomatoes stuffed with red & yellow bell peppers, green onions, italian bread crumbs and goat cheese

I used:
1 large sheet of foil (or parchment paper)
Season of your choice-I used adobo and fresh lemon juice
3 medium tomatoes-scooped out
1/4 cup bread crumbs
3 tablespoons of goat cheese
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 yellow bell pepper
2 green onion stalks
1/4 parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400
Wrap salmon in foil by folding the foil to meet at the top over the fish and secure foil all the way around then roll edges in towards fish.
Place onto baking sheet and bake for 17 minutes.

For tomato filling:
In a food processor place bell peppers and green onion in processor and chop. Add to a bowl witht he bread crumbs and mix well.

For tomatoes:
Salt and pepper inside of scooped out tomatoes
Fill bread crumb mixture into tomatoes and top with goat cheese.
Bake at 400 for 17 mintues (same as the fish)
Quick and simple with easy clean up!
Enjoy!

Mahi mahi with warm mango salsa with brown rice & black beans

You will need:
2-4 pieces of mahi mahi (halibut and swordfish work great too)

1 mango diced

1 medium tomato diced

1 jalapeno seeded and diced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

1 small or 1/2 large red onion diced

Juice of half a lime

1 teaspoon -tablespoon adobo seasoning (enough to season 2-4 pieces)

1 14 ounce can season black beans

1-2 cups of brown instant rice (depending on how many servings you need)

1-2 cups of chicken broth (1 cup broth per one cup of rice)



In a bowl combine all these ingredients and let marinate anywhere from 20 minutes to 3 hours (or more)

In a pot over high heat bring chicken broth and rice to a boil and remove from heat and cover. Let stand for 15 minutes and fluff with fork or stir gently.

In a small non stick pot heat black beans on medium heat add salt and pepper to taste. You can warm the beans closer to when the fish is cooked so they stay warm for serving time. (if you don't like raw onion on top of the beans you can add them in the bean mixture, or omit completely.

In a large non stick skillet spray pan with cooking spray or olive oil and season fish with Adobo (or your choice of season, this was Cuban style so I chose Adobo)

On medium heat cook fish for about 6-8 minutes on each side until cook through the center then remove fish and set aside...in the same pan (to save clean up) add the mango mixture to pan until warmed through.

Plate rice with beans on top and fish with warm mango salsa and serve.

Fish en papillote with white wine, asparagus & amarillo, garlic, chive mashed potatoes

You will need

4 pieces of white fish

½ pound of asparagus (choose skinny ones if they are available in your grocery store)

1 lemon

Toothpick (for each piece of fish)

Parchment paper

Baking sheet

Salt/pepper

¼ white wine

Preheat oven to 375

Cut parchment paper in four squares or however many pieces of fish you are serving)

Place fish on parchment and salt and pepper on both sides

Trim asparagus in half and discard the woody tough ends

Take 10 asparagus (less if they are fat) and roll fish around the asparagus and secure with a toothpick

Grate a little bit of grated lemon rind on each fish roll, then cut and squeeze a little lemon juice on each, then drizzle a little white wine on each fish roll(if you don’t have a lemon on hand just use lemon juice from a bottle

*Optional For extra flavor take a little chip of butter and place on top and inside of fish roll to melt with lemon and white wine

Fold parchment paper over fish and begin to roll from all corners forming a pouch/purse for the fish to steam inside

Bake on 375 for 15-17 minutes

Cut open parchment pouch just before serving

Chilean sea bass over a warm ricotta & fresh spinach puree

Baked almond & parmesan crusted orange roughy with zucchini, red onion , and tomato orzo pasta salad

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Tonight is baked lean sirloin meatballs in roasted zucchini boats with marinara~

What I used:
1.25 pound of 7% Lean ground sirloin
1/4 italian bread crumbs
3 medium to large zucchini
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (or cooking spray)
1 small white or yellow onion
1 large garlic clove
1 egg
salt and pepper (and other seasons of your taste)
1 cup of your favorite or jarred tomato sauce
melon baller (baby spoon)
Pre heat oven to 350

Gently rinse zucchini
cut 1/3 of the zucchini off and reserve. If the zucchini won't sit upright by itself the slice a bit off the opposite side to make it stand firmly so you can place it baking pan without it rolling.
Gently scoop out the insides of the zucchini
*be carful not to scoop too deep to keep from breaking through the skin
Reserve the zucchini that you have scooped out to use in meatball mixture.
Drizzle olive oil (or sparay with cooking spray) and place on baking sheet. Bake in oven for 9-12 mintues.( I checked around the 9 minute mark and they needed a few more minutes to reach the softness that I desired.)

For the meatballs:
In a non stick skillet with one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil on medium heat add diced onion and garlic and cook for 10 minutes until onions become translucent. Remove from heat let cool.
In a large mixing bowl add meat, egg, breadcrumbs, onions, garlic and reserved zucchini (diced).
Mix together and form into balls (roll into balls a little smaller than a golf ball in order to fit balls into zucchini boats)
Bake meatballs for 25 mintues (on 350, same temp as the zucchini)

when zucchini and meatballs are done fill boats with red sauce and fill with meatballs.
Enjoy!

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Pan seared lean pork chops with a light raspberry glaze topped with a cranberry & pistachio crunch and beet mashed potatoes~

Pan seared salmon over a zucchini bed with red & yellow bell pepper coulis~