After a long holiday weekend, I typically go meat free for a day or two...or let's be honest as long as I can stand it! These teeth eat meat ok? But over Memorial Day weekend, I ate my share of meat and then some. So this is my way to detoxify after a few days of indulgence.
This is a good lookin' start to a meal huh?
This is made with low fat cottage cheese, but you can substitute meat for your protein. I had a chicken breast in the fridge from our Memorial Day cookout, and my fiance doesn't eat cheese. So I reheated it and chopped it up in cubes for the wrap. He loved it!
Now I LOVE cottage cheese and here's the beauty in all it's veggie glory!
Here's what I did:
Cottage Cheese Veggie Crunch Wrap
1 Garden Spinach Herb wraps/ tortilla
1 large leaf from a head of romaine lettuce
4 tbsp. veggie crunch mixture
4 tbsp. 2 % cottage cheese
3 -4 grape tomatoes
Veggie Crunch
2 lemons
1 cup fresh basil
1 cup fresh parsley
3 - 4 multi-colored bell peppers (choose your favorite)
2 carrots
1 bunch of radishes
1/2 red onion
1/2 tbsp. onion powder
1/2 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. red pepper flake
1 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Make your veggie crunch first. Chop bell peppers, carrots, radishes, and red onion in small bite size uniform pieces then place in a large bowl. Chop basil and parsley and add to the bowl. Add the onion and garlic powder and red pepper flake. Then a little salt and pepper. Zest the lemons and add to the bowl. (I love that extra punch in flavor.) MIX EVERYTHING. Then juice both lemons over the veggie mixture. Mix again then add the olive oil. Taste and seasoning. Add a little extra salt or pepper if you need it.
Now you're ready to make your wrap! The danger is over filling it, but I do it anyway. Then I eat the dagum thing with a fork and knife! ;)
Start with a Garden Spinach Herb tortilla, then lay a large romaine leaf length wise across the tortilla. This is going to be the "boat" that holds your yumminess! Add the veggie crunch mixture, top with cottage cheese, then add sliced tomatoes. Roll that puppy up and enjoy a meat free dinner!
I love this meal, because I feel so good after I eat it! Plus seconds is never a bad thing! In fact it's recommended!
This is one of my all time favorite meals from when I was a kid, and there are times when I crave Sloppy Joes! But I don't like to use the pre-made sauce out of the can. I enjoy making a healthier version of this classic!
I use turkey and a lot less sugar and sodium than what you will find in the can. Plus I add lots of fresh veggies to my Sloppy Joe and top it with a zippy slaw!
Here's what I did:
Homemade Sloppy Joe with Lemon-Dijon Slaw
1 lb lean ground turkey
1/2 onion
2 ribs celery
1 bell pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 small can tomato sauce
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tbsp. worcestershire
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. yellow mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. steak seasoning blend
olive oil
salt and pepper
Heat the pan on medium-high heat, brown the ground turkey. Mix together brown sugar and steak seasoning and add to meat. Add the chopped onion, celery, garlic, and bell pepper to the meat. Reduce the heat and saute 5 minutes. Add red wine vinegar, worcestershire, yellow mustard, tomato sauce and paste. Mix well and continue to reduce the mixture until it thickens. This will only take a few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Lemon-Dijon Slaw
1 cup red cabbage
1 cup green cabbage
2 ribs celery
1 lemon
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/8 cup olive oil
1 tsp. celery seed
salt and pepper
Shave the cabbage and put into a bowl. Add the chopped celery and celery seed. In a jar squeeze the lemon juice, then add dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Shake well, then cover the cabbage with the lemon-dijon dressing. Toss the coat.
Refrigerate the slaw until you're ready to serve! The longer is sits, the better it gets!
I pile up some Sloppy Joe turkey on wheat buns and top with the lemon-dijon slaw!
It's a totally satisfying, crunchy, super yum dish!
The preparation of the protein takes a bit of a back seat in this meal. I found curry marinated chicken tenders at Trader Joes, so I threw them on the grill three minutes per side. Done and done! The only prep work was chopping a few veggies! Look at the beautiful colors!
Here's what I did: Lime Veggie Couscous 1 cup wheat couscous1 cup chicken stock 1 tbsp. curry powder1 tbsp. onion powder1 tbsp. garlic powder1 tsp. salt1/2 tsp. pepper1 tbsp. butter1/2 red onion1/2 bag of snow peas 1 red bell pepper2 - 3 tbsp. fresh cilantro1 lime zested and juiced Bring chicken stock, all seasonings, and butter to a boil. Pour in couscous, stir, remove from heat. Put a lid on it, and let it sit for 5 minutes. Chop all veggies, cilantro, zest the lime and add to a large bowl. Add a little salt and pepper and juice everything with the lime. Fluff couscous with a fork, then add to the veggie bowl! Keep in mind, you can add any veggie to this! Clean out the fridge! :)
Mango Salsa1 mango 1 jalapeno pepper1/4 cup fresh cilantro1/2 red onion1 lime zest and juicedsalt and pepperChop all ingredients and mix together with the lime juice and zest. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve dinner. I put this salsa on everything!
Sometimes I work late, and I can't always make dinner. On those nights, I pass the baton to my fiance. He can man a mean grill and bake a serious frozen pizza, but I'm not always in the mood for grilled sausage or pizza.
Last night I asked him if he would make us some Sloppy Joes! It's quick, easy, AND if you use the right ingredients it can be healthy!
Here's what my FBP (Favorite Bass Player-what I call my fiance) did:
Sloppy Joes
1 can sloppy joe mix
1 lb. ground turkey
2 garlic cloves
1/2 white onion
1 bell pepper
1 - 2 chipotle peppers
1 bag of wheat buns
Brown the ground turkey. Then add the chopped onions and bell peppers. Let them sweat for a few minutes, then add chopped garlic and chipotle peppers. Then, add one can of sloppy joe mix!
*Notice I did not add any salt to the recipe. One thing about the sloppy joe mix in the can is that is has a lot of sodium and sugar, so you don't need to add any extra to the dish. In a pinch, this recipe can get dinner on the table without having to eat fast food or frozen pizza.
Done and DONE! Easy, quick, AND healthy!
For three wonderful years, I lived on what the southerners call the Redneck Riviera on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It's a beautiful coast, and it's lined with old oak trees and a half a dozen tiny bedroom communities tucked back off the water. The people who live there are rich in spirit and food traditions. My friends Tom and Russell shared this rockin' recipe for potato salad with me back in 2008. Still to this day, it is THE BEST POTATO SALAD I'VE EVER ATE! It's a whipped style potato salad, and it comes from Russell's mother Wulita who has now passed on. But Wulita has left behind a southern Mississippi tradition that I will do my part to keep alive. So please feel free to share with your friends and enjoy at your 4th of July BBQ's.
Wulita's Potato Salad5 lbs. of potatoes 7 hard boiled eggs1 cup mayonnaise 1/3 cup dill pickle relish heaping tbsp. yellow mustard 1 bunch of green onions choppedsalt and pepper to taste Bring large pot of water to boil. Once it reaches boiling point, salt the water heavily. Peal the potatoes and chop into small pieces. Boil until tender. Boil eggs until hard. I start with a pan of cold water, place eggs inside, bring to a boil, and let the eggs boil for 5 minutes. Then I take the eggs off the heat and them sit for 5 minutes. Then peal them. After you peal the eggs, take one egg at a time and hold it in your hand. Use a fork, hold the egg over a bowl, and mash the egg with the fork into your hand until it crumbles. You could use the food processor for this as well, but I'm sharing with you the way Wulita's method. Mix everything together. You can use a hand mixer to get the desired consistency. Wulita used to leave it a little chunky for texture. Then Wulita would always top her famous potato salad with a bit of paprika for color! Serves a bunch! Happy 4th of July!
I love taco night at our house! NO OVEN NECESSARY! Fire up the grill and chop yourself up a killer meal with a Taco Bar and ALL the fixins! This is how we did Taco Night at our house this past weekend!
Habenero & Honey-Lime Grilled Cod with Citrus Coleslaw, Guacamole, & Pico De Gallo & Chipotle Crema (All recipes below)
Habenero & Honey-Lime Grilled Cod
1 lb of fresh cod filets
1 heaping tablespoon honey
1 lime squeezed
1 tsp. or as much as you like habenero tabasco
4 or 5 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp. cumin
In a large zip lock bag, add all ingredients. Work the marinade into the fish and let marinate for 10 - 15 minutes. Don't let it go too long, or the lime will begin to cook the fish.
Grill on medium-high heat 3-5 minutes/ side depending on thickness of the filet. Ours were super thick, so it took 5 minutes per side.
Flake the fish once it's off the grill, and set aside with your Taco Bar and fixins.
Citrus Coleslaw
1/2 bag colesalw mix1 red bell pepper chopped1/4 red onion chopped
1 tsp. cumin1 lime squeezed2 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tbsp. honey
Put coleslaw mix, red bell pepper, and onion in a bowl. In a jar, add the remaining ingredients and shake together. Pour over cabbage and refrigerate until you're ready for the Taco Bar!
Guacamole
1 avocado removed from skin
1 lime
1 jalapeno chopped
1/2 red onion chopped
3 tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro
1 garlic clove minced into a paste
salt and pepper
Put everything into a bowl and mash to your desired consistancy. We like it chunky!
Pico De Gallo
2 ripe tomatoes
1 lime
1/2 red onion
1 jalpeno
4 tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. V-8 (if you have it, ADD IT! It's a secret I learned from a friend from Dominican Republic)
Chipotle Crema
2 tbsp. sour cream
small squeeze of fresh lime juice
1 tbsp. adobo sauce from chipotle peppers
Whisk together and do not refrigerate. It will harden. But make sure to eat it within an hour. I always make this last.
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and let refrigerate. The longer is sets the better it gets!
Set up your fixins and your Taco Bar! Load em' up the way you like em'! It's Taco Night y'all! YUM!
Ok, we get it Mother Nature...it's gonna be a HOT July! But ya still gotta eat right? And who wants to turn on the oven?? NOT THIS GIRL! So we took some help from the grocery on last nights meal. We found these amazing marinated lamb kabobs! So I decided to throw together a quick Tzatziki sauce to go with it. We also had some broccoli in the fridge, so we decided to use that as well. Here's what we did.
Rosemary & Garlic Lamb Kebobs, Tzatziki Sauce, & Grilled Broccoli Rosemary & Garlic Lamb Kebobs 1 kabob per person Grill kabob 12 minutes on high heat. 3 minutes per side on all four sides. Tzatziki Sauce 1 cup Greek yogurt1/4 cucumber grated 1/4 onion grated 1/4 cucumber chopped 1/4 onion chopped1 garlic clove minced 1 lemon juiced 1/4 cup parsley OR WHATEVER HERB YOU LIKE (dill, rosemary, etc.) salt and pepperMix all ingredients together and refrigerate until time to serve. Grilled Broccoli 2 cups of broccoli headssalt and pepperolive oil pat or two of butterMake a tin foil boat, then add all ingredients. Close up the tin foil and grill 15 minutes on high heat. Serve the kabob with the Tzatziki sauce and broccoli. Lamb should be served medium rare. Otherwise the meat will get tough. Yum!
There's something about this time of year that makes you crave BBQ and potato salad! But, I've got a picky eater at my house who doesn't eat cheese or mayo. I don't really like to eat mayo either, but if it's disguised enough with other ingredients I can eat it... sometimes. So I had to develop a potato salad recipe that would make my no mayo eater come back for seconds!
He loves pickles!! I call my fiance the "Pickle Hound". We can't keep a jar in the house, because he will mow em' down as fast as I buy em'.
DeeLee's Dill Pickle Potato Salad (marinade below)1 lb. baby potatoes (any kind) cut into quarters1 zest of lemon 1 cup fresh parsley 1/2 red onion3 ribs celery 1 cup dill pickles choppedCut baby potatoes into quarters and place in a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil and heavily salt the water. You will not add salt again to the potatoes. When potatoes are fork tender, remove from stove and drain. Meanwhile, chop all other ingredients and place into a large bowl. Add drained potatoes to the bowl. Dill Pickle Marinade 1/4 cup pickle juice1 lemon juiced3 - 4 tbsp. olive oil3 - 4 tbsp. Dijon mustardsalt and pepper to taste (a pinch of each is what i used) Shake marinade together in a jar. Add a tablespoon at a time to the potato salad. DO NOT OVER DRESS THE SALAD. It will become soggy. So add a couple tablespoons, then taste it.
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