Strawberry Banana Muffins (Lightened Up)

Hilary sent me a link to this recipe. Although I'm not much of a baker these muffins sounded yummy and we had the ingredients so I thought I'd try them out. I LOVED that the recipe only made 6 muffins which is perfect for smaller households or single people. Plus it can easily be doubled, etc if you need more muffins. I don't really consider 217 calories low for a small muffin so just keep that in mind when you're eating 2 or 3 :) But the taste was great and I thought it was a good way to use overripe bananas if you're tired of banana bread. The pics above were of the muffins I baked.

Strawberry Banana Muffins (Lightened Up): Recipe here

Mandarin Orange Salad with Orange Vinaigrette Dressing

This salad is very similar to the Berry-Madarin salad I posted last year but a different dressing and the salad is slightly different. I think I like parts of one salad with parts of the other! Both are good I just thought I'd give another option! (Plus this one has one of my favorite ingredients - Jicima!)

Mandarin Orange Salad

Red leaf lettuce
Green leaf lettuce
Purple onion - sliced in rings
Jicima - sliced in sticks
Mandarin oranges
Almond slices

Orange Vinaigrette Dressing:
1 Tbsp dry Italian dressing mix
1 tsp orange zest
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup orange juice (from orange)

Fusilli with Shrimp, Orange, and Arugula

This is a Giada De Laurentiis recipe from the Food Network that my Dad made last night. I LOVED how light the vinaigrette was. It was a perfect summer dish! He made it with white pasta but I'd love to try it with wheat pasta. We ate it as a main dish but it could easily be served as a side pasta salad as well. I didn't think it needed the green olives for flavor but I like green olives so I didn't mind them.

Fusilli with Shrimp, Orange, and Arugula
Serves 4-6

1 pound fusili pasta
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
Freshly ground salt & pepper
2 Tbsp white wine (or pasta water)

1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice from lemon (~1 lemon)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground salt & pepper
2 large oranges
5 ounces arugula (or spinich)
15 (5 ounces) large pitted green olives, halved

For the pasta:
Cook pasta as directed until desired tenderness, drain pasta.
In a large saute pan, heat 2 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic. Cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and white wine (or pasta water) to the pan. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and cooked through.

In a seperate large bowl combine the lemon zest and lemon juice. Slowly add the oil, whisking constantly, until mixture is smooth. Use paring knife, remove the peel and white pith from oranges. Over the bowl, cut between the membranes of the oranges to form segments. Allow the juice to drip into serving bowl and squeeze out excess juice from membrane portion of orange into the bowl before discarding. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the arugula and olive to the serving bowl. Toss lightly to combine.

Add the hot pasta and shrimp to the vinaigrette and toss until the arugula is wilted and all the ingredients are combined and lightly coated with vinaigrette.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas - By Cheryl Parham

Last night, I put together green chili chicken enchiladas that came out really good and were so easy. Then, today I had leftover chicken so I made red chili chicken enchiladas and they were also so yummy!!! Enchiladas are really easy, but if you are like me I never really make them even though I love them. Anyway give these a try sometime!!!

First, best trick ever for super easy great recipes is buying a rotisserie chicken. It is cooked and has that great rotisserie taste and you woud be amazed at all the recipes you can do with that chicken!!

What you need:
1 rotisserie chicken- shredded
chopped onion (fresh or frozen)
2-3 cups Pepper jack cheese or another mexican cheese I am sure would be good too!
1/2 - 1 cup sour cream
corn tortillas
1 can or more of green enchilada sauce- Your preference. I used the Albertson's brand, but I have used Old El Paso too.
1 can diced green chile

**I eyed the measurements to fit my taste and only made six so do what works for you!!

Preheat oven to 350F
Spray a casserole pan w/ non-stick spray- mine is fairly small since I only made 6
Set casserole pan aside
Shred/cut up rotisserie chicken- need about 1 1/2 cups to 2 cups in a medium bowl
Add to the bowl of chicken- diced onions about 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup sour cream, diced green chiles(I used canned) and 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese.
Mix together and set aside.
In your sprayed casserole pan pour 1/2 of the green chili enchilada sauce to the bottom of the pan.
Take all the torillas you are going to use. Put on a plate then cover with another plate turned upside down. Microwave for about 30-40 seconds depending on how many.
Now take each tortilla dip into casserole pan, put the filling in it, roll it and repeat with all the tortillas and filling til finished.
Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce on top of the enchiladas.
Spread shredded pepper jack cheese on top and bake in oven for 15 min. longer if more than 6.

* I like red sauce with ground beef, but the chicken was really good with the red sauce. The only thing I didn't use with the red was the diced green chilis.
Also, I am sure you can use ground beef, crab meat, shrimp, pork, ground turkey. Whatever

Strawberry Salsa - By Hilary Barnett

Strawberry-Avocado Salsa

1 cup finely chopped strawberries
1/4 cup finely chopped avocado
2 tbsp finely chopped red onion
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp grated lime zest
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp finely chopped, seeded jalapeno
1/4 tsp sugar
Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, toss gently. Serve immediately. Yum!

Risotto With Spring Vegetables

I know what you're thinking - Risotto is not healthy. My sister Michelle started watching a show called Cook Yourself Thin. I watched a few episodes with her and as a Dietitian I have to say I appreciate a lot of the things they do and I absolutely hate some of the things they say. But they do have quite a few tasty looking recipes and "healthier" versions of some not so healthy favorites. I loved this recipe because it was a super easy & healthy way to make risotto. I'll critique the turnout afterwards.

Risotto with Spring Vegetables

Serves 4

Calories per serving: 489

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 medium zucchini, trimmed, halved lengthwise, sliced 1/4-1/3 inch thick

4 1/2-5 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 pound medium asparagus, ends trimmed

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons thinly sliced basil

3/4 tsp salt

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups short grain rice

1/2 cup dry white wine (we didn't use)

1/4 tsp pepper

1. Combine the oil and onion in large saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the zucchini; turn the heat to medium-low, and cook until softened and lightly browned, 18-20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, bring the 5 cups broth to a simmer in a saucepan wide enough to hold asparagus. Add the asparagus and simmer until barely tender, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon or tongs. Cut into bite sized pieces and set aside. Add the peas, parmesean cheese, and 1 Tbsp of the basil; set aside. Put a lid over the broth and reduce the heat to very low so that the stock barely simmers.

3. When the zucchini is cooked, stir in 1/2 tsp salt and the remaining 1 Tbsp of the basil. Add the butter and the rice, increase the heat to medium high and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the rice is translucent. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup simmering broth and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue adding the broth, about 1/2 cup - 1 cup at a time, and cooking, stirring frequently, until the rice is just tender and the mixure is creamy, 17-20 minutes. (You may not use all of the broth). Stir in the reserved contents of the bowl and season with the remaining 1/4 tsp of salt and the pepper.

Critique:

• This recipe should be called Basil Risotto. If you're a basil lover make the risotto as is. If you like the basil as more of a background flavor I would decrease the basil in the recipe. The risotto was very good but very basil-y.
• The zucchini pretty much disintegrated in the risotto so we were left with the end/skin pieces of the zucchini so I'd recommend undercooking your zucchini before you add rice.
• We followed the amounts of the recipe and I can honestly say I have no idea where they got that it serves 4. Five of us ate this meal and we ate about 1/2 of the amount that was made. And we ate it as a main course not a side dish. Hopefully that means the calories were even less too. :)
• I didn't like the peas in mine but Michelle did. I think this was a great "basic healthy risotto" recipe that you can really use whatever vegetables/herbs are your favorite in. I'd definitely make it again.

Pineapple Salsa

Pineapple Salsa
(picture shown is not of my actual salsa since it got eaten up before I decided to post this)

As you may remember I typically make up a recipe from my own head based on what I think will taste good. Therefore this recipe is for you to put ratios that will work best for you and your family, I'll try to approximate the amounts I used but do what tastes best to you! I served this on top of teriyaki glazed salmon.

• Fresh pineapple cut into small chunks (1/4 of a whole pineapple)
• Tomato cut into small chunks (1 - 1 1/2 tomatoes, I used garden fresh - yum!)
• Red onion diced small (1/4 med onion)
• Tomatillo diced small (2 small tomatillos)
• Jicama shredded (~1/4 cup)
• Cilantro chopped (handful?)
• Juice squeezed from a lime (I had a super juicy & large lime so I only used 1/2 lime)
• Sprinkle of salt (I prefer kosher salt or salt grinder)

Mix together & refrigerate for flavors to mix.

I didn't put jalapeno in my salsa because my mom hates anything spicy but I would definitely add it for those of you who are okay with jalapeno. I thought it was good without but think it would be great with it also! I also wanted to try avocado chunks in it but they did not have one single ripe avocado at the grocery store so maybe next round.