Tuesday, 28 April 2015

Blackened Fish Tacos with Cabbage Mango Slaw

Blackened Fish Tacos with Cabbage Mango Slaw

Blackened cod fish seasoned with a spicy rub and cooked in a cast iron skillet. The mango-cabbage slaw is the perfect balance of sweet and sour which compliments the fish perfectly. I served these for dinner last night with some guacamole on the side (not pictured here) and my husband was a very happy man.

Blackened Fish Tacos with Cabbage Mango Slaw

I cooked the whole thing outside on the grill which is a great way to keep the fish smell out of your house, but you can also do this indoors on the stove. The only thing that would have made this meal better would probably be a margarita on the side. Hope you enjoy!


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Monday, 27 April 2015

Grilled Chicken Tacos with Lettuce Slaw, Avocado and Cotija

Grilled Chicken Tacos with Lettuce Slaw, Avocado and Cotija


Grilled chicken tacos piled high with a lettuce-tomato slaw, avocado, and Cotija cheese all served on a charred tortilla. A quick weeknight dinner solution!

We love taco Tuesdays in my house, and I'm not talking about the taco's that come in a kit! Instead I make all kinds of tacos from scratch, from fish tacos, to slow cooker chicken and black bean tacos, turkey taco lettuce wraps and sometimes we even use picadillo in our tacos.

These grilled chicken tacos are a wonderful addition to our taco rotation, and perfect to make outside on the grill now that the weather is warming up. I set all the fixins out on the table and let everyone make their own. You can double or triple this if you want to feed a crowd. If you don't have an outdoor grill, no worries! A grill pan works just as good. If you prefer to skip the tortilla, just turn this into a great big salad!

Grilled Chicken Tacos with Lettuce Slaw, Avocado and Cotija

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Thursday, 23 April 2015

15 Healthy Adult Snacks

15 Healthy and Light Adult Snack Ideas


Here are 15 healthy adult snacks that are perfect to fuel you up in between meals whether you're home, at your desk or on the go!

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Wednesday, 22 April 2015

Green Harissa Salmon

Green Harissa Salmon – a quick weeknight dish!

I'm excited to share this guest post from my friend Jackie from CAFE, Celiac and Allergy Friendly Epicurian (I great source for gluten-free recipes). I made this for lunch yesterday with roasted broccoli and loved it! Please welcome her...

Green Harissa Salmon – a quick weeknight dish!

My 8 year old son absolutely loves this Asian-Marinated Salmon recipe so I make it almost every week. I like to encourage healthy eating habits and give the kids seafood as much as possible. However, while they don’t mind (and actually even prefer) repetition of meals, I like a little variety. 

Today I made two versions; Asian-marinated for the kids and this spicy green harissa baked salmon for the adults. This dish is very easy to prepare. It didn’t feel like too much extra work. Also, my kids aren’t into foods with too much heat. If my husband and I are craving spicy food, sometimes two variations are a necessity.

Harissa is one of my go-to sauces for adding a quick burst flavor to any ingredient. You can put it on veggies, meats, seafood, and eggs and even use it as a dipping sauce. For this recipe, I literally just smothered the harissa on top of the salmon with a little lemon zest and put it in the oven. A little sprinkle of sugar at the end helps it caramelize a bit and cuts into the acidity of the vinegar in the sauce.

I used Mina brand green spicy harissa but you can use any kind you like or are able to find near you, including red spicy or mild. 

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Tuesday, 21 April 2015

Quick Cabbage Slaw

Quick Cabbage Slaw - a delicious quick healthy side dish


This quick, simple slaw is a staple in my house. Perfect when you need something acidic to balance a savory dish. Everyone loves this, including my toddler only for her I leave out the red onion.

A few weeks ago I updated the photo on my Slow Cooker Pernil Recipe (this is on regular rotation in my house) and I often serve it with this quick slaw. I've since gotten so many emails on how to make the slaw, so here it is. Hope you enjoy!




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Sunday, 19 April 2015

Blueberry Banana Bread

Blueberry Banana Bread – moist and low in fat!

Blueberries and banana combine so well together in this delicious, super moist bread made with lots of very ripe sweet bananas which allow you to cut back on the fat without sacrificing the flavor and texture. This is perfect for breakfast or snack and can also be made as muffins if you prefer.

I don't know why it took me so long to add blueberries to my banana bread, it's a delicious combination I'll be doing more often. We love banana bread in my house, Madison especially loves when I make it so she can have it for breakfast or snack in school. I have several varieties, Banana Nut Bread, Chocolate Chip Banana Petite Loaves, Roasted Strawberry Banana Bread and a Gluten Free Banana Bread.

Blueberry Banana Bread – super moist and low in fat!

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Thursday, 16 April 2015

Mustard Herb Crusted Chicken Breasts

Mustard Herb Crusted Chicken Breasts - quick, light and delicious!


These chicken breasts are are lightly brushed with Dijon mustard and herbs and breaded with panko and parmesan cheese. Then they are lightly pan fried until golden and finished in the oven. 

A quick and easy weeknight chicken dish that I served with a simple green salad on the side. This would also be great with roasted parmesan green beans or roasted broccoli with smashed garlic on the side.

Mustard Herb Crusted Chicken Breasts - quick, light and delicious!

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Wednesday, 15 April 2015

Stir Fried Pork and Mixed Veggies

Stir Fried Pork and Mixed Vegetables – ready in 15 minutes!

Stir-fries are perfect for busy weeknights because they take under 15 minutes to prepare, and you can us any protein or vegetables you wish!

I chose to use lots of colorful veggies and lean pork, but you can also make this with chicken, beef, shrimp or even tofu if you wish. The stir fry sauce has a slight kick from the sriracha which I love, but if you're not a fan of spicy food, leave it out (or add more if you like it HOT!)

Stir Fried Pork and Mixed Vegetables – ready in 15 minutes!

I ate a big bowl of this and felt completely satisfied, but if you want to serve this with brown rice, perfect! I am loving Trader Joe's frozen brown rice, it's so good and such a great time saver! If you want to keep it low carb you could make my favorite Cauliflower "Fried Rice" on the side.


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Sunday, 12 April 2015

Grilled Fennel with Parmesan and Lemon

Grilled Fennel with Parmesan and Lemon – my favorite way to eat fennel!


Grilled fennel with lemon, olive oil and shaved parmesan is my FAVORITE way to eat fennel. If you think you're not a fennel fan, this is the recipe that may change your mind!

When raw, it has a licorice-like taste I'm not a fan of, but when you grill it, the flavor changes completely, and has more of a mild taste like a bok choy.

The charred edges, drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice and finished with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano is my new favorite way to prepare it. You can serve this as a side dish for four, or have it as a warm salad for two. You can do this indoors on a grill pan, or make it outside on the grill.

Grilled Fennel with Parmesan and Lemon – my favorite way to eat fennel!



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Thursday, 9 April 2015

Crock Pot Sesame Honey Chicken

Crock Pot Sesame Honey Chicken - an easy weeknight dish!

Sweet, savory and a little spicy, this simple Asian inspired chicken dish has a balance of flavor combinations – serve this over your favorite rice and dinner is ready!

Crock Pot Sesame Honey Chicken – EASY and delicious!

Madison is off from school this week so I'm trying to spend less time working and more time doing family stuff. This is in my slow cooker today so I thought it would be perfect to share here from the archives.

I'm not a fan of sweet foods as a main dish, unless it's balanced with savory and spicy flavors. In this dish the honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar and sriracha compliment each other and balance out the sweetness.

I've tried a few versions floating around the web, but they were much too sweet for my taste. After a few attempts, I finally found the perfect balance of sweet-savory without adding too much sugar. Rice wine is naturally sweet, and adds a bit of acid which rounds out the flavors. I served this with more sriracha sauce on the side for extra heat and served it over brown rice.

I usually set some chicken aside for my toddler when I shred it, before adding it back to the sauce, since her palate is pickier than the rest of ours, and it works out fine. I never cook a separate meal for her, she eats what we eat, just modified at times if I cook something spicy.

For lunch the next day, I made some lettuce wraps with some leftover forbidden rice I had and thoroughly enjoyed eating them with my hands.


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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Wednesday, 8 April 2015

Shrimp Zoodles Parmesan for Two

Shrimp Zoodles Parmesan for Two – an easy, healthy meal in under 30 minutes!

Baked Shrimp Parmesan over Zucchini Noodles – an easy, light and delicious shrimp dish made in under 30 minutes!

I love shrimp parmesan and make it often at home because it's so much healthier to make it yourself. Rather than frying the shrimp like you'd get from a restaurant, I bake them in the oven until golden.


I've had the idea of making shrimp parm over zucchini noodles for quite some time, so when I was approached by Tuttorosso to be a part of their Inspiralize the Spring campaign, I knew this was what I was going to make. Every day this week, five bloggers are participating in a Spiralized Virtual Dinner Party – how fun! Here's the invite so you can follow along.



I've been using Tuttorosso tomatoes for years – if you've been following me from the beginning, you probably already know that they're my crushed tomato of choice.

Shrimp Zoodles Parmesan for Two – an easy, healthy meal in under 30 minutes!

This recipe is simple, you'll want to have everything prepped and ready before you start making this, because it comes together fast.  Have your zucchini cut and ready before you start, I prefer a thicker zucchini noodle so I used the thicker noodle blade of my Paderno Spiralizer to cut my zoodles. Enjoy!

Spiralized Zucchini

Shrimp Zoodles Parmesan for Two – an easy, healthy meal in under 30 minutes!


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Monday, 6 April 2015

15 Light and Healthy Salad Recipes

15 Light and Healthy Salad Recipes - crave-worthy salads that are far from boring!

Spring is here, which usually means less comfort foods and more crave-worthy salads. But salads can often have more calories than you think! Here is a roundup of my favorite 15 Light and Healthy Salads that are far from boring!


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Friday, 3 April 2015

Sprinkle Dipped Meringues

Sprinkle Dipped Meringues – Melt-in-your-mouth meringues dipped in white chocolate and sprinkles!

Melt-in-your-mouth meringues dipped in creamy white chocolate and sprinkles, is there anything sweeter?

This meringue recipe is from my friend Rosie’s new book The Sweetapolita Bakebook, which comes out next Tuesday, April 7th! This book is BEAUTIFUL, filled with brilliant ideas for the baking enthusiasts.


I'm not quite sure if I could do this book justice, the quality of her work is just a bit out of my league, yet it's one of those books I can't stop looking at. Recipes like Cotton Candy Cloud Cookies, and Chalkboard Cookies with Edible Chalk – I'm totally obsessed! If you're a baker, or know a baker, this book is a must!


Back to these meringues. Naturally I chose this recipe because they are low in fat. Two cookies are under 100 calories, so if you need a sweet treat to bring to a party that's not over-indulgent, this is a great option.

Sprinkle Dipped Meringues – Melt-in-your-mouth meringues dipped in white chocolate and sprinkles!

A note from the author: When making meringue, be sure that your mixer bowl and whisk are completely free from even a smidge of grease or other residue. For the most stable and voluminous meringue, I find it’s best to use fresh eggs, without a trace of yolk, and not pre-packaged egg whites. Egg whites tend to separate best when they are cold, but they whip up best when room temperature or warm.


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Thursday, 2 April 2015

Spiralized Sweet Potato Latkes

 Spiralized Sweet Potato Latkes - a healthier sweet potato pancake!

Latkes – a healthier take on a traditional deep fried potato pancakes, these are lightly pan fried in a small amount of olive oil, made with sweet potatoes instead of white and made EASY by using a spiralizer because it eliminates the need to grate the potatoes, which can take a lot of time. With the spiralizer, it only takes minutes. Of course, if you don't have a spiralizer you can grate them with a box grater instead.


The question I get asked most often is what spiralizer I own. There are lots on the market which are fine, but I love my Paderno Spiral Vegetable Slicer because it's made well and it's easy to use and clean. I own the three-blade which is perfect for what I need.

Spiralized Sweet Potato Latkes - a healthier sweet potato pancake!

The ingredients are simple: sweet potatoes, scallions, garlic and egg. I knew I wanted to lightly saute them in a pan with just a trace amount of oil and tried to see if they would hold without using flour and they worked out perfect, so they are kosher, gluten-free, and paleo-friendly. You'll want to make them and eat them right away, they are best when they are hot. These go perfect with Braised Brisket – enjoy!


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