Jalapeño Shrimp Cakes

These shrimp cakes are light and delicious, made with jalapenos, scallions, and cilantro then topped with a little fresh lime juice and a few slices of avocado. Serve this over a bed of greens for a quick, light summer meal.

It's really starting to feel like summer around here, temperatures are expected to hit 90 today. I can actually smell summer in the air, which gets me sooo excited!! After a long weekend of going to BBQ's and too many glasses of sangria, this week I am keeping it low carb and light. I love shrimp, it's naturally lean and cooks in minutes, which makes it perfect for a quick weeknight meal.

I've attempted shrimp cakes in the past, but always had issues with them holding together well so this time I decided to pulse the raw shrimp in the food processor and that worked out perfect. I left some of the seeds from the jalapeno to give it a little heat but you can leave them out if you don't like spicy food. My plan was to grill them, but the patties were a bit delicate and I decided to saute them on the pan instead which worked out perfect. Topped with fresh lime juice and a few thin slices of avocado on top, this was flavorful and light.

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Grilled Thai Sweet and Spicy Shrimp Pizza

Move over hot dogs, this sweet and spicy shrimp grilled pizza made with my Bangin' Good Shrimp recipe is so good!

I've had my eye on Archer Farms thin crust pizza crust for a while and thought it would be perfect to make on the grill, so when Target's A Bullseye View asked me to create a guest post for their blog, I knew exactly what I wanted to make.

Being part of the Target Inner Circle I get to attend some really fun events. A few weeks ago Target set up a life sized dollhouse in the middle of Grand Central Station decorated with their Threshold home collection, how COOL is that??!

It was incredible to see this giant dollhouse in the middle of one of the busiest places in NYC!

My favorite part was their outdoor area, especially their ottomans and tables. When I went to Target to pick up all the ingredients for this pizza, I found this adorable bistro table on sale for $199 and picked up some Threshold lanterns, pillows and ottomans... LOVE!!

These ottomans make the backyard feel like an extended part of my home. But more about the pizza, for 8 servings it's just under 300, or 8 weight watchers points plus each. If you want to try this yummy pizza recipe, head on over to A Bullseye View for the full recipe.

Servings: 8 • Size: 1/4 pizza • Old Points: 6 pts • Weight Watcher Points+: 8 pt
Calories: 293 • Fat: 9 g • Carb: 30 g • Fiber: 1 g • Protein: 21 g • Sugar: 2 g
Sodium: 388 mg • Cholest: 96 mg

Red White and Blue Fruit Skewers with Cheesecake Yogurt Dip

If you need a quick last minute dessert that doesn't require much work, it doesn't get easier than this! These fresh strawberry, blueberry and angel food cake skewers are perfect for Memorial Day.

I'm not sure what it is about putting fruit on sticks that makes them so appealing, but my youngest daughter's eyes lit up when she couldn't wait to eat them.

I wanted a cheesecake flavored dip so I played around with yogurt, cream cheese, vanilla and sugar, and it was exactly was I was looking for. The strawberries tasted wonderful with this dip, a keeper!

This will feed a large crowd, you can assemble it in the morning, and refrigerate until ready to eat.

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Grilled Harrisa Lamb Chops

I love the Mediterranean flavors of these grilled lamb loin chops marinated with fresh lemon juice, garlic, cumin and harissa.

We LOVE lamb chops in my house; I probably make them twice a month but I wanted to try something different and use up my jar of Mina Harissa so I thought it would be fantastic marinated over these lamb chops (and I was right). I served this with a simple salad and made my skinny tzaziki to go along with it put you can also serve this with pilaf on the side for a quick light Mediterranean inspired meal.

If you don't like lamb I'm sure this would be a great marinade on a lean steak such as flank.

Calculating loin lamb chops are a little tricky because they only provide you the nutrition for the meat, and since these are on the bone, I cut a few chops off the bone to see what the meat weighed and found the bone weighed about 1 oz, so I subtracted 8 oz from the total weight since I'm not eating the bone. My chops weren't very large and sizes will vary so you may want to weigh yours to be accurate.

If you don't have a grill or grill pan, you can also cook them in a skillet or under the broiler. Enjoy!

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Roasted Red Pepper and Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken Breast

Chicken breast stuffed with melted cheese, roasted red peppers, prosciutto and baby spinach. Words cannot describe how good this is, and it's really not complicated to make.

I just returned from a four day weekend to Disney in Orlando with my family. It was both work and play, and it was really nice to get away for a few days to spend some quality time with my youngest daughter Madison and my husband Tommy. We stayed at the Grand Floridian which was beautiful and had so much fun in the parks. On our return seeing the devastation that just took place in Oklahoma deeply saddens me and once again reminds me just how fragile life can be – my prayers and thoughts are with Oklahoma today.

Just a quick note on the chicken; I couldn't eat two pieces after I photographed this. One piece with a side salad was plenty for me, but my husband who has a bigger appetite found two pieces the perfect amount. For the side salad I just tossed romaine lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes with a little olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper.

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Superfood Triple Berry Chia Pudding

 

I LOVE chia pudding! And what can be easier than throwing a few chia seeds into a mason jar with some fresh fruit and almond milk and giving it a good shake! Side note: please excuse the manicure.

If you've never tried chia pudding, I highly recommend picking up some chia seeds and Blue Diamond Almond Breeze almond milk and give it a try. Chia is a super food; an excellent source of omega fatty acids, has more antioxidants than blueberries and it's full of minerals, calcium, protein, vitamins and fiber. Plus it is low in calories and is incredibly satiating.

Some of you may have tried my Mango Coconut Chia Pudding which is always a favorite of mine, but I wanted to try something with all the berries I bought this week and used fresh blueberries, raspberries and blackberries... delicious!

All I do is combine the chia seeds with milk (my favorite milk to use when making chia pudding is Almond Breeze Unsweetened Almond-Coconut Milk) then add fruit and a little liquid stevia or whatever sweetener you like, then shake it all up, let it sit 15 minutes and give it another good shake and keep it in the refrigerator overnight. Karina, my oldest loves this! Madison, my youngest wanted to help me style the shot, perhaps I have an assistant in training...

Isn't she such a ham : )

This is so healthy you can even eat this for breakfast, which is what I did this morning. Did I mention this fits into so many dietary restrictions; gluten-free, dairy-free, low sodium, low sugar, low calorie, vegetarian, vegan... enjoy!! By the way the lovely spoon is by For Such A Time Designs.


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Orange and Arugula Salad with Red Onion and Gorgonzola

Something about Spring and the warmer weather that puts me in such a GREAT mood. It also makes me crave more salads, and this simple salad is a favorite of mine, I make this all the time for myself.

I love the combination of the sweet, juicy oranges mixed with the peppery arugula and the pungent taste of the creamy Gorgonzola cheese, they work together harmoniously. My husband doesn't agree; he is not a fan of Gorgonzola at all so I usually make this for myself for lunch. If you want to make this for two or four, just multiply the ingredients. If you're like my husband and don't care for Gorgonzola, you could use goat cheese or feta instead.

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Summer Pasta Salad with Baby Greens

I love making this mayo-less pasta salad with arugula, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, capers, fresh shaved Parmesan cheese and a splash of balsamic and oil. It's great for lunch or dinner, and has a healthy serving of baby greens. In the summer, when tomatoes are at their sweetest, I replace the sun dried tomatoes with fresh tomatoes from my garden.

I usually have this for dinner on those warmer nights when I want a meatless meal or just something light, and because it has pasta in it, I feel full and satisfied after I eat it. The portions are pretty large for under 200 calories (only 5 WW points plus). This also makes a great side dish if you reduce the portions when you're grilling up some burgers or chicken.

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Skinny Chicken Fajitas

Lean strips of chicken breast, bell peppers and onions served sizzling hot with warm tortillas and shredded cheese. If this is your idea of delicious, you are not alone!

My husband Tommy is a creature of habit; anytime we go out for Mexican he always orders chicken fajitas. In fact when we went to Mexico a few years ago, he may have ordered them almost every night! I find that amusing because I get really bored of eating the same thing twice, and tend to always take a chance and try something completely new to me.

But chicken fajitas are a regular in my home, we make them at least once a month and the whole family enjoys them. My younger daughter Madison likes her bell peppers raw, so I chop some up and just set them aside for her and cut up the chicken. You can make the whole thing outside on the grill using a cast iron skillet to cook the peppers and onions as we usually do in the summer, or you can cook this indoors in a skillet. Enjoy!

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Lemon Asparagus Couscous Salad with Tomatoes

Pearl couscous (otherwise known as Isreali couscous) tossed with asparagus, tomatoes and lemon juice make a vibrant Spring pasta salad that is perfect for lunch, as a side dish, or even to make as a side dish if you are grilling for Mother's Day this weekend!

I'm not usually a fan of the taste of whole wheat pasta, but I don't mind it when the pasta is a smaller cut like orzo, angel hair and pearl couscous. Yes, for those of you who've never tried pearl couscous, it's basically pasta and I treat as such. I don't follow the directions on the box, instead I boil it in a pot of water like I would with orzo. I just adore the pearl shaped texture and also found it as the perfect shape for my daughter when started eating solid foods.

This salad can be eaten room temperature or chilled, and leftovers are great the next day for lunch.

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Asparagus and Swiss Cheese Frittata

Spring asparagus, shallots and Swiss cheese is a delicious combination in this slimmed down frittata which is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

This is really filling, and the leftovers for perfect for lunch or breakfast the next day. Fritattas are also great if you're watching your carbs, and they are so inexpensive to make. I love having a Fritatta for Meatless Mondays with salad on the side.

Whenever asparagus is in season, I buy it and steam it right away to use for quick recipes throughout the week. It's great to add to eggs, salads, served chilled with a simple Dijon Vinaigrette or even to add to paninis (LOVE this asparagus prosciutto panini)!

Asparagus is loaded with nutrients, it's a great source of fiber, vitamin A and C, and it's packed with antioxidants, which makes it a super star in my book!

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Strawberry Rhubarb Baked Oatmeal

Strawberries and rhubarb baked with bananas, oatmeal and slivered almonds – this is so good you'll almost think you are having dessert for breakfast!

It's rhubarb season and I've always loved the combination of strawberries and rhubarb in pies and crumbles. One of my favorite baked oatmeal recipes that I LOVE to bring to potlucks or serve for brunch is Baked Oatmeal with Bananas and Blueberries, so after my friend Raquel asked me how strawberry rhubarb would taste, I immediately started experimenting.

I loved the combination, especially when I added the ripe bananas, I felt they added an extra sweetness to the tart rhubarb without having to add more honey.

I think this would be wonderful for a Mother's Day brunch; six servings is very generous, especially if you have other options on the table. 


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Mexican "Unfried" Ice Cream

A skinnier fried ice cream with a sweet crunchy cinnamon topping. Oh-my-word, I can't tell you how good this is!

If you've ever had the Mexican fried ice cream at Chi Chi's, you'll understand this recipe. I always loved the concept of fried ice cream, as a kid I remember ordering it and always found it fascinating that the ice cream didn't melt.

This recipe is a much lighter, healthy version of the original fried version. This isn't fried at all, but it still has that same great taste with the crunchy cinnamon topping, and cold creamy vanilla ice cream (well, actually frozen yogurt) in the center.

This idea came from a fan. She actually made something like this for a party and layered everything in a square pan which is a great idea if you want to serve a crowd, but for portion control, I thought making them in individual servings was better.

To make it light, I bought my favorite fat free vanilla frozen yogurt: Gotta Have Vanilla from Stonyfield; that stuff is sooo good, I actually prefer it over their other brand Oikos. Then I perused the cereal aisle and decided on using crushed Special K as my crust mixed tossed with some cinnamon. If you are gluten free, I would use a gluten free cereal instead. Enjoy your weekend and have a happy Cinco De Mayo!


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Salsa Verde Chicken Tostadas

Chicken tenders are slow cooked in the crock pot with salsa verde, then served on a crispy corn tostada and topped with melted cheese, jalapeño and a simple cabbage slaw made with red cabbage, lime juice, cilantro and salt. I could eat these everyday!!

Yesterday I posted the Easiest Crock Pot Salsa Verde Chicken recipe and promised to post the tostadas today. I made these for lunch and everyone in my home loved them (even my husband doesn't care for cabbage). The cabbage adds just the right amount of texture and freshness with a hint of acidity that just works, and he loved it! One was enough to fill me up for lunch, but if you want this for dinner, I would go with two.

The crock pot chicken actually makes enough for 9 tostadas, but I only made 6 tostadas for sake of calculating to keep it an even number. It's really not spicy at all, which is why I added jalapenos. If your family doesn't like spicy food, leave them out. If you don't have plans for Cinco De Mayo, I suggest you give these a try!! If you can't find tostada shells, you can follow the same recipe with corn taco shells instead.


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