Healthy Salmon Quinoa Burgers

Wild salmon, quinoa, and kale – these burgers are not only super healthy, loaded with good-for-you omegas and tons of protein (21-1/2 grams of protein) they also taste delicious and are easy to make. Serve them on a simple arugula salad with grapefruit, with a mustard-shallot vinaigrette.

I'm excited to share this awesome salmon recipe with you, because it takes me back a few weeks to my weekend in Santa Cruz with a great group of women, who all happened to be amazing food bloggers.

If you can imagine spending a weekend with a group of food bloggers means eating lots great food, well you're right. We worked, cooked, took long walks on the beach and ate REALLY well.

Jaden, of Steamy Kitchen who has a blog that focuses on Asian recipes had prepared a lunch for us from leftover salmon and quinoa we had from dinner the night before and it was so darn good I asked her if I could remake it on my blog to share with you. I don't recommend using cooked salmon because they fall apart without having to add a ton of eggs and breadcrumbs, so I used raw wild salmon instead.

 

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Mushroom Ceviche

Mushrooms marinated overnight with lemon juice, cilantro, red onion and bell pepper. I couldn't decide if I wanted to call this poor man's ceviche or vegetarian ceviche, but what I did want to make clear is that the flavors in these marinated mushrooms are what you would expect to taste when enjoying ceviche, only without the seafood.

This makes a great appetizer, and the flavor gets better with time. My husband, who's not a mushroom fan loved this! You can make this up to a few days ahead, if desired, it would last a week if not longer.

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Coconut Macaroon Nests

Coconut macaroons shaped like a bird's nest, filled with mini chocolate Cadbury eggs. An tasty Easter treat!

These were inspired by this month's Martha Stewart Living magazine, but after trying the recipe in the magazine, I thought it would taste better adapting it from my favorite coconut macaroon recipe instead. But rather than baking them on a cookie tin, you use a mini muffin tin to create the little nests. Fun to make with the kids!

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Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb

Roasted boneless leg of lamb seasoned with rosemary, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and garlic is a succulent Easter delight that truly celebrates Spring.

With Easter coming soon, I am re-posting this easy, crowd-pleasing dish from the archives because I LOVE lamb, not just for Easter, but any time of the year.

If rosemary is not your thing, you could use other fresh herbs such as thyme or oregano. Ask your butcher to trim off all the fat for you to make this easier. I like to roll and tie the lamb myself so I can season the inside as well as the out. If you are nervous about doing this, you can just have the butcher do it and just season the outside.

To compliment the lamb, serve it with Teeny Tiny Potatoes with Rosemary and Asparagus with Dijon Vinaigrette for a Skinny Easter Feast, and don't forget the cupcakes!

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Spiralized Apple and Cabbage Slaw

This beautiful apple and cabbage slaw is sweet, bright and crisp, the perfect side dish to any meal and great to bring to a potluck.

You don't need a spiralizer to make this, you can of course core and cut the apples into thin strips, but if you have one, use it because it's so much easier and quicker to do! No coring, and the seeds just pop out. II used the thicker blade on my Paderno Spiral Vegetable Slicer to make my apple zoodles, which are not just for zucchini!

I just remove the stems and place the thicker end in the little spokes for a better grip.  Then spiralize and quickly add the dressing so the apples don't brown (lemon juice works too).

The poppy seed dressing is the perfect finish to this slaw, hope you enjoy!

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Southwestern Black Bean, Quinoa and Mango Medley

This healthy salad is a great way to jump start your Spring! Quinoa, black beans, mango and vegetables with cilantro and lime juice – a delicious combination perfect for lunch or as a side dish. (perfect for Meatless Mondays!) Leftovers are great, the flavors only get better the next day.

This recipe is from the archives, since the weather is getting warmer I find myself craving more salads and lighter dishes like this. It's packed with vitamin C, vitamin A, fiber, folate, iron and lutein so it's not just tasty, it's good for you.

This recipe is from The Plant-Powered Diet by Sharon Palmer, RD who I met in California on my trip to the Dole Blogger Summit. A great book if you're are interested in adding more vegetables and plant-based foods to your diet.

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Asparagus Egg and Bacon Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

I love the combination of this simple salad of asparagus, hard boiled egg and bacon tossed with a Dijon vinaigrette – it has Spring written all over it!

I'm sharing this from the archives because asparagus is in season right now, and this is one of my go-to salads this time of year. Asparagus and eggs are a match made in heaven, but not just for breakfast, it's great for lunch too! I always keep hard boiled eggs on hand in my fridge to use throughout the week, therefore this salad came together in less than 10 minutes. It's perfect to pack for lunch, and you can easily double or multiply the recipe to feed more. It's also very inexpensive to make, low-carb, high in protein and fiber and perfect for gluten-free and Paleo diets.

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Baked Eggs in Spaghetti Squash Nests

You're going to LOVE these baked eggs, baked in a nest of spaghetti squash which has a flavor similar to hash browns. Perfect for breakfast or brunch, and because I love my eggs with sriracha, I top mine with a few dashes just for an extra kick, totally optional of course.

This recipe calls for cooked spaghetti squash which you can either roast in the oven cut side down in a baking dish at 375°F for 1 hour, or the quicker way is to pierce it all over with a fork, then microwave until the skin is soft, about 2 to 3 minutes per pound.  Remove the seeds and scrape the strands with a fork. Because I had the time, I did this on the oven.

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Quick Spiralized Zucchini and Grape Tomatoes

I think it was on an episode of MasterChef Junior that I heard the quote "what grows together, goes together" which makes so much sense. Zucchini, tomatoes and basil are just made for each other, you can serve as a side dish, as suggested, or even as a main dish topped with some grilled shrimp or chicken.

I've been using the thicker blade on my Paderno Spiral Vegetable Slicer to make my zoodles (zucchini noodles). I like the larger noodle because it has more of bite and I'm careful not to overcook them so they don't get soggy. Under two minutes is all they need, then I quickly remove them from the hot skillet or they will keep cooking.

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Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage

Since tomorrow is St Patrick's Day, and I'm sure many of you will be enjoying this classic Irish-American dish, I am sharing this from the archives! This is what we'll be eating for dinner tomorrow and I can't wait! I used frozen pearl onions and I used parsnips instead of potatoes to make this easy pea-sy and the results were great!

Making it in the crock pot is the perfect solution for a busy schedule. Trim all the fat off to keep it lean. I purchased a 2 1/2 lb piece or corned beef brisket, after I trimmed all the fat off it was 2 lbs. Once cooked it shrunk to 18 oz. 

This was my second attempt at this dish in the slow cooker, my first version I put everything in the pot and turned it on. This resulted in overcooked cabbage that turned to mush. Second time around I added the cabbage at the end and it was perfect! I like to serve this with a side if Cauliflower Mash or Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes and a little mustard or horseradish cream on the side. How do you enjoy your corned beef?

And since so many are asking, I have the 6 Quart Hamilton Beach Set 'n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker. I love it because you can adjust the time you want it to cook, and it automatically turns to warm when it's done. It also has a probe for meat that automatically shuts off when done. I hated my old crock pot, it burnt everything and my food had a weird taste. This crock pot is so great, I actually own two!

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Coconut Obsessed Pie

I'm so excited about this pie, because, well I LOVE coconut and I LOVE pie! So after testing this out several times to get it JUST RIGHT, I'm thrilled to share this recipe!

I also love that this pie serves 8 people, for only 205 calories a slice!

The crust is made from crushed graham crackers and shredded coconut. You can use gluten-free graham crackers if you're gluten-free, I tested it with both and they were equally delicious. The filling is easy, and all made in the blender using organic silken tofu and coconut cream. Now, if you're thinking tofu? Think again because you'd never know it and I had the hardest time stopping at one slice. Try it and tell me what you think!

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Spiralized Mexican Sweet Potato and Chicken Casserole

If you're looking for new recipes to make using your spiralizer, this one's for you! This Mexican inspired casserole is made with spiralized sweet potatoes, shredded chicken, black beans and corn in a delicious guajillo pepper sauce topped with melted Pepper Jack cheese – SO good, and the portions are very generous!

I've been experimenting with my Paderno Spiralizer, last week I spiralized broccoli stems with turned out awesome in this Spiralized Beef and Broccoli dish. This week I decided to spiralize a sweet potato. Normally I simply roast them, but my friend and brainstormed thinking about what else to do with it and came up with this dish.

The sauce is AMAZING, a recipe she got from her Mexican friend made from dried guajillo peppers which are very mild in heat. If you want this spicy, you could add some chipotle en adobo to the sauce as well. If you cant find dried guajillo chili peppers, I suggest using 2 to 3 tbsp chipotle chilis in adobo sauce in it's place although it will be spicier.

The quickest way to make this is using leftover chicken. I usually have shredded chicken on hand that I make in the slow cooker, you can see that recipe here or boil it 10 minutes on the stove as mentioned in the recipe below.

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Shepherd's Pie, Lightened Up

Because St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner, I thought sharing this oldie-but-goodie – my lightened up Shepherd's Pie, filled with lean ground beef, veggies, and topped with my skinny yukon gold mashed potatoes would be perfect for all you meat and potato lovers out there! This is so comforting and filling, it doesn't taste light!

I love remaking some of my older dishes, because as you may notice, I am always coming up with new recipes. This also gives me an opportunity to rephotograph some of my older stuff.

This is a great dish to make ahead and bake when you are ready to eat. You can also make this with chopped turkey in place of beef, or sweet potatoes in place of Yukon Gold. If you want to keep the carbs low, top it with cauliflower mash instead. Leftovers freeze well and can be reheated later.

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Skillet Sweet Potato Chicken Hash with Eggs

If you want a substantial breakfast, Sunday brunch or even lunch this is a great tasting dish! The sweet potatoes are savory, sauteed with onions and thyme and tossed with leftover diced chicken with eggs. Perfect for Sunday brunch or a light dinner.

Top it with a few dashes of Sriracha and it's over-the-top good!

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Loaded Vegetarian Baked Sweet Potato

Baked sweet potato loaded with zesty black beans, melted cheese, salsa with a dollop of cream. What can be better than a 20 minute meal!

Today's recipe is a guest post from The Picky Eater. I met Anjali in San Francisco last year; she's a sweet blogger who I instantly connected with, she is also a vegetarian and shared this delicious (yes, I tested this myself and loved it!) recipe with us, perfect for meatless Monday!

Hi Everyone! My name is Anjali Shah and I blog over at The Picky Eater, where I write about healthy recipes and easy-to-make family meals. I test all of my recipes on my “fast food loving husband,” who, prior to meeting me, ate a diet of frozen pizzas and Taco Bell, so any recipe that makes it on to my blog is “husband approved”!

I’m so excited to be a guest blogger today on Gina’s site! Ever since I met her at the Foodbuzz Conference last year and saw the amazing photographs and wonderful recipes on her blog, I’ve been a fan – and I’m so honored to be a part of this blog and meet all of you.

One of my favorite things to do in the kitchen is to makeover comfort foods into healthy versions that taste amazing, are full of flavor and feel just like the original.

Today I’d like to share one of my favorite recipes – my Loaded Baked Potato Makeover. My healthy swaps include: sweet potatoes instead of russet, “loaded” toppings like black beans and veggies sautéed with spices, and a dollop of cream (which is my favorite swap – 0% Greek Yogurt for sour cream!) The husband usually can’t tell the difference, especially when I spice up the yogurt with some taco seasoning.

This meal is delicious and takes only 20 minutes to make, which is why I love making it after a long day at work – I know I’ll have something yummy in my stomach in the same amount of time it would take to pick up takeout. The husband loved it too, and it has since become a staple weeknight meal in our house. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Shallots with Balsamic Glaze

 

These pan roasted brussels sprouts are perfectly charred, and finished with a sweet balsamic glaze. Please welcome my friend and guest author Jackie Ourman, who writes at CAFE Celiac & Allergy Friendly Epicurian. I tested these out myself while taking the photos and we LOVED this recipe!

I am slightly obsessed with Brussels sprouts. I love all of my veggies but these are definitely high up on the list. I often crisp up pancetta or bacon and then roast the sprouts in the fat. They get a little soft in order to have the rich color I like but that’s ok because I still have the crunchy bacon or pancetta to sprinkle on top.

Now that I am watching my calories, I’m forced to think a bit more creatively about how to get that delicious roasted flavor without softening the Brussels sprouts too much. In this recipe, instead of roasting them in the oven for a long time, I quickly brown the Brussels sprouts with shallots in a sauté pan and then roast them for just 10-12 minutes.

Everything comes out deliciously caramelized yet there is still a nice bite. The drizzle of balsamic glaze adds a hint of sweetness and is the perfect pairing.  I couldn’t stop eating them. I will likely double the recipe next time because this dish almost didn’t make it to the dinner table.

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Bell Pepper and Potato Frittata

Egg frittatas are my answer to an easy, inexpensive meal solution whether I'm having it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. For breakfast, I'll serve this with a side of berries or fruit. For dinner, I make a salad on the side and call it a meal!

You can literally throw anything into a frittata and call it a meal, but I thought it would be fun to make this one a St Patricks Day theme which of coarse MUST have yukon gold potatoes, and to create a shamrock design, I sliced my bell peppers into flower shapes – completely optional! This one's vegetarian, perfect if you need a meatless Monday dish idea, and it's naturally gluten-free.

I'm not sure if there's anything quite as beautiful as farm fresh eggs. A friend of mine is raising chickens in her yard and gave me some of her eggs and the colors were so beautiful I almost didn't want to crack them. The yolks are so orange, it's hard to believe I made this frittata with half egg whites.

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