Skirt Steak, Baby Bok Choy and Zucchini Stir-Fry

 

This quick stir-fry has some of my favorite foods; skirt steak, baby bok choy and zucchini plus carrots, scallions, garlic and ginger finished with a delicious sauce that has the perfect balance of savory, sweet, sour and spicy.

I wanted to make this a quick one-pot meal, so I loaded this up the veggies and skipped the rice. I adapted this from Jackie Ourman's recipe with some changes. I reduced the oil, added more veggies and changed the sauce because I wanted that salty, sweet, sour and spicy flavor combination. To do that I cut back on the ponzu, (I used Eden) which was pretty vinegary, and added soy sauce and oyster sauce for sweetness. If you don't have oyster sauce you can substitute it with more soy sauce and some honey or sugar. To give it some heat, I used chili sesame oil which gives it great flavor. If you don't have that you can use regular sesame oil and add some red chili flakes to the stir-fry. SInce it was just me and my husband eating, I made this for two, but you can easily double this for 4!

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Grilled Hawaiian Teriyaki Burger

If you're looking for a new way to enjoy a burger, then I think you'll love this Hawaiian inspired teriyaki burger made with Laura's Lean ground beef, carrots, scallions and topped with a homemade pineapple teriyaki sauce and a grilled pineapple.

This was inspired by a trip to Disney World with my husband and youngest daughter Madison. We stayed at the Grand Floridian Resort which was a lovely place to stay. One of those nights we ate dinner at the Kona Cafe at Disney's Polynesian Resort, where I had a delicious teriyaki steak topped with pineapple; which was the inspiration for this burger recipe.
 

I did a little research into what goes into a Hawaian teriyaki sauce, and after reading many recipes I came up with my own version which was so good, this will certainly be a regular. You could of course buy teriyaki marinade to speed this up, but making it from scratch tastes sooo much better.

And I just have to share this contraption that easily cuts pineapple into perfect rings. My girlfriend Gabbie bought this for me a few years ago, and I love it; it's called the Pineapple Easy Slicer. It's simple to use and it's awesome. If you prefer canned pineapple, be sure it's packed in juice and not syrup.

By the way, this is also great without the bun if you're watching your carbs, just serve it on a bed of lettuce and drizzle the teriyaki sauce on top. Without the bun, the burgers are Weight Watchers 6 points plus.

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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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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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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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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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Spiralized Shanghai Beef and Broccoli

Marinated sirloin steak with broccoli and spiralized broccoli noodles in a delicious hoisin sauce. This dish is out-of-this-world good, and so filling I couldn't even finish it! You NEED this in your life!

Here's the deal, you know those broccoli stems you usually throw out? Well you can spiralize them and use them in place of noodles in dishes like this easy Asian stir fry for a low-carb alternative to noodles. There's lots of spiralizers out there and I'm often asked which I use, I love my Paderno Spiralizer, it's the easiest way to make zucchini noodles, sweet potato spirals, carrot ribbons and more! If you don't have one you can also use a mandolin with a julienne blade, or buy a bag of broccoli slaw.

The trick to spiralizing broccoli stems is to find the thickest ones. At least 2-inches in diameter, and cut off any pieces sticking out. Then I used my potato peeler to smooth it out. I placed the thicker end of the stem into the spikes which I found was the key to success.

This recipe was inspired by a meal I had with Phillip Chiang, the man who started the wildly popular Chinese restaurant chain PF Chang's. I got to sample their Chinese New Year menu which they are serving right now and even got to go behind the scenes and watch them cook up some dishes. Hope you enjoy, happy spiralizing!

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One Pot Cheesy Turkey Taco Chili Mac

Turkey chili with taco seasoning, beans, and pasta shells topped with cheese – this is pure comfort in a bowl and it's packed with protein and fiber so it fills you up. Bonus points for only dirtying one pot!

I wanted to make this a gluten free dish because my aunt who is gluten intolerant was eating with me. I've heard all good things about DeLallo Gluten Free Pasta from my friend who swears by it and I was honestly blown away.

It was by far the best GF pasta I've ever tried, in fact I even prefer it over whole wheat and I 'm thinking I might be using this pasta all the time. Great taste, firm texture with the perfect al dente bite. And I loved how it didn't get soggy after sitting in the chili hours later.

Although Madison wouldn't eat this because she won't eat beans, I gave some to my friend Tara to test out on her finicky 5 year old son and he LOVED it!

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Spaghetti Squash Primavera

Spaghetti squash and fresh vegetables simmered with a quick marinara sauce and topped with fresh mozzarella if you desire - easy, cheap, gluten-free and perfect for Meatless Mondays!

I'm reviving this from the archives for those of you who may have had a little too much stuffing this Thanksgiving (I swear I'm not judging)! This recipe was inspired after watching a marathon of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, but this time we actually decided to go to the nearest DDD restaurant, The Pit Stop which was featured on the show for their spaghetti squash primavera.

As a spaghetti squash lover myself, I ordered it and loved it and knew I wanted to re-make this at home. Super easy to make and you can use whatever vegetables you like – I used broccoli, carrots and zucchini but you can use asparagus, eggplant or bell peppers. To speed this up I made the spaghetti squash in the microwave which takes only about 8 minutes to cook, but if you have more time you can make it in the oven, the directions below are for both.

Of course, I had to top mine with fresh mozzarella which was just made and still warm when I bought it this morning! Leave the cheese out for vegan, dairy-free or paleo diets, nutritional info is provided below both ways. This dish comes together in less than 20 minutes, and you can easily double the recipe to make it 4 servings using a larger saute pan. You can also freeze this once cooked and reheat it in the oven for another day, enjoy!

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Slow Cooker Moroccan Chickpea and Turkey Stew

Ground turkey and chickpeas are slow cooked with turmeric, paprika, coriander and lots of vegetables for a cozy dish that only gets better with time – so leftovers make a delicious lunch. This is also freezer friendly and naturally gluten-free.

It's so strange how addicted I am to chickpeas these days – a legume I once stayed far away from. Now I can' get enough of them, and since they are high in protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, I'm glad I've learned to love them. One bowl is very satisfying, and it has a touch of spice. If you prefer to keep it mild, you can leave out the red pepper flakes.

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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Buffalo Chicken and Bean Chili

This is chili with a buffalo chicken twist! So easy to make and SOOOO good – perfect for game watching or any night of the week!

And the best part is it doesn't need to simmer all day. This is ready in about 40 minutes, and most of that time is unattended. To thicken the chili and give you that texture like it's been simmering for hours, I added refried pinto beans to the mix which always works like a charm!

I like to serve mine with a handful of chips like Beanitos which are made from white beans, but any baked chip is great and of course, some carrot sticks and celery on the side. Hope you enjoy!

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Lomo Saltado (Peruvian Beef Stir Fry)

For all the meat and potato lovers out there, this healthier spin on a classic Peruvian stir-fry dish combines two of my favorite cuisines – Latin and Chinese! Chinese cuisine in Peru, referred to as "Chifa", is embedded in the Peruvian culture where you'll find a wonderful fusion of flavors, colors, textures utilizing Chinese and Peruvian ingredients.

I took one of Peru's most emblematic dishes, "Lomo Saltado" and lightened it up a bit – without losing any of it's amazing flavor. This dish is made with strips of sirloin seasoned with cumin, stir fried with tomatoes, red onion, soy sauce, cilantro and finished with french fries – what a combination right? Well trust me, it works!

In Peru they use a yellow pepper called aji amarillo, but it's not commonly found here in the states, so I subbed it with a jalapeno and added mini yellow peppers in their place. Rather than frying my potatoes, I baked my fries in the oven until golden and crisp, seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder – SO good! You'll want to make these with everything!

In Peru, they also serve this dish with rice, but I personally find it filling with just the potatoes plus I add a slice of avocado on the side, it's perfect.

Now, for those of you who have totally written off potatoes from your diet because you think they are bad for you, I'm here to tell you they are actually good for you! There's lots of misconceptions about potatoes but the truth is they are not the carb devil everyone thinks they are! The fact is, potatoes are a whole food – that is food in it's natural state, nothing processed or refined. In fact, one medium-size, skin-on potato is just 110 calories, has no fat, sodium or cholesterol, and it provides 45 percent of your daily value of vitamin C and has more potassium than a banana! It's also rich in fiber, potassium and magnesium, which are all listed as shortfall nutrients in the American diet. So don't blame the potato – it's often the preparation and toppings that add fat and calories.  Plus, they are naturally gluten free and part of a clean eating diet! You can see more potato nutrition facts here.

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Grilled Shrimp and Watermelon Chopped Salad

Chopped romaine tossed with sweet, juicy watermelon, grilled shrimp and goat cheese and a golden balsamic vinaigrette – I'll be making this salad all summer!!

I'm so excited to share this recipe with you, it's so good I plan on making it again for dinner tonight so my husband gets to try it. I put this together in about 20 minutes, so it's perfect for busy weeknights. The dressing is DEE-LICIOUS, I used DeLallo's golden balsamic vinegar, which is made from white grapes rather than red and has a sweetly rich taste – it's fabulous! They sell it at my local supermarket, or you can buy it online, but if you want to use regular balsamic, that would work fine too.

I love watermelon in my salad, mostly because I'm not much of a tomato lover. A few weeks ago while in the airport headed to Seaside Fl, I stopped to grab a bite at Marcus Samuelsson's new restaurant Uptown Brasserie located at the new JFK Delta terminal 4, and ordered a salad just like this. Eating healthier while traveling is getting so much easier these days, a good thing although they also have a Shake Shack which after seeing the calories on the menu, I opted not to try.

Hope you enjoy this salad, I'll be making this one all summer!

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Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions

If the thought of a hot sandwich filled with beef,  melted cheese, caramelized onions and peppers served with beef broth for dipping sound appealing, you NEED to make these!

These sandwiches make the perfect game day meal, start this early in the morning because you'll need 9 to 12 hours, depending on the size of your roast. You can even serve them as sliders by serving them on dinner rolls.

Ever since I got my hands on the The Recipe Girl Cookbook: Dishing Out the Best Recipes for Entertaining and Every Day, I've had my eye on this recipe because I love a good French Dip! To be honest, I've never made roast beef in the slow cooker, because I love my roast beef in the oven, cooked to medium rare. But I took a chance because I was curious and made this yesterday. Smelled so good simmering all day and when it was ready I made myself a sandwich… it was awesome!

My husband came home from work hungry and I made him a sandwich, and he LOVED it! I didn't have to do much to her recipe to make it light, I just used whole grain bread (tried with both whole wheat baguette and whole wheat 100 calorie potato rolls) and I used portion control and they were perfectly satisfying. I highly recommend making the onions and peppers, in my opinion they make the sandwich!

I've known Lori (aka Recipe Girl) for quite a few years, we first met on Twitter, then in person a few times and recently spent a weekend away at the Better Blog Retreat in Park City, Utah along with a few other lovely ladies. Lori is pictured on my left.

The recipes in her book are perfect for entertaining and she includes menu ideas from everything from football parties, romantic dinners for two, holiday parties, tailgating parties and more, or you can just serve them up any night of the week.

Because this can make several servings depending on the size of the roast you purchase, and the appetites of your guests I am leaving out the serving size and calculating the nutrition based on one sandwich using a whole wheat baguette.

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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Easy Macaroni Casserole

This easy baked pasta dish is made with whole wheat elbows, ground turkey, veggies, marinara sauce and cheese. I can't say enough good things about this casserole! It's comforting, kid-friendly and so easy to make because there's no need to pre-cook the pasta!

I come from the school of having to cook your pasta in plenty of water, so when someone kindly shared this recipe with me, I won't lie, I was skeptical! But I loved the outcome, and since then I've made it a few times over tweaking it to my taste and we love it!

And the whole wheat elbows from DeLallo - I'm so impressed with their taste! In fact, I like their pasta so much that I am partnering up with them this year as a brand sponsor. If you've been following me for a while you'll know that my family and I don't like the taste of whole wheat pasta. But that completely changed when I tried DeLallo, and my kids and husband liked it too!

I used whole milk mozzarella on top because the points didn't change by using reduced fat, and I love my cheese melted and gooey, but you can use whichever you prefer.

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Spaghetti Squash Sausage Lasagna Boats

If you're craving something decadent and delicious without overdoing the calories, you'll love these delicious spaghetti squash boats filled with everything you love about lasagna – chicken sausage, tomato sauce, ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella cheese.

I even used whole milk mozzarella cheese because I wanted it to melt nice, I just used it in moderation. The whole thing is way under 300 calories and 8 points plus if you're on Weight Watchers, and it's filling! It's also gluten free – if you prefer to use part-skim mozzarella, the WW Points would be 7 pp.

Spaghetti squash when cooked has a lot of liquid, so I find it helpful to place it in a colander over paper towels to help get red of the excess moisture and it works perfectly.

You can prep this ahead of time, then put it on the oven just before you're ready to bake. If you happen to only find large spaghetti squash, you can place the mixture in a 9x9 baking dish instead of the shells. Enjoy!!

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