Superfood Salad and Cilantro Lime Shrimp

Here are two different recipes that actually go extremely well together. I took pics with my cell phone, so the quality is not the best but hopefully you get the idea of what it looks like.

SUPERFOOD SALAD with Lemon Vinairgrette

Ingredients:

½ cup dry quinoa

1/3 cup red onion, chopped

1 orange, peeled and chopped

1 avocado, chopped

1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup pomegranate arils

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

Salt & pepper

For the vinaigrette:

2 lemons, juiced (need ¼ cup)

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

Dash of sweetener (agave, stevia or white sugar)

Salt and pepper

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1.       Cook quinoa according to package directions. Set aside to cool.

2.       For the vinaigrette:  combine all ingredients in a jar and shake to combine

3.       Combine cooled quinoa with red onion, orange, avocado, beans, pomegranate arils, corn, cilantro and salt and pepper.  Pour vinaigrette over the salad and stir.  Serve at room temperature.

CILANTRO LIME SHRIMP

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil

2 lb shrimp, shelled and deveined

6 gloves garlic, minced

½ cup chopped cilantro

1 lime

Salt & pepper

Directions:

Heat large frying pan on med-high.  Add oil, and when hot, add shrimp.

Season shrimp with salt and pepper.

When shrimp is cooked on one side, about 2 minutes, turn over and add garlic.

Saute another 1-2 minutes until shrimp is cooked.

Remove from heat.

Squeeze lime all over shrimp and toss with cilantro.

Top the Superfood Salad with the Cilantro Lime Shrimp and you have an amazing and very healthy meal.

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Ingredients:

• 2-3 zucchinis
• 3 roma tomatoes (2 to add to food processor, 1 sliced thinly)
• 1/2 cup minced garlic
• 1-2 tbsp Ms. Dash Italian seasoning
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:

• preheat oven to 350
• slice zucchini in half lengthwise
• scoop out center, add to food processor
• add pepper, garlic, seasoning, onions and 2 tomatoes to food processor to mix with the zucchini
• fill the zucchini boats with the mixture
• bake for 20 minutes
• top zucchini boats with the shredded cheese and slices of tomato and bake for additional 10 minutes until cheese is melted and about to brown

 

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa

I found this recipe in Cooking Light magazine, so not only did it sound good, but it’s good for you.

Salsa:

• 1/2  cup  chopped peeled mango
• 1/2  cup  chopped green tomato
• 2  tablespoons  finely chopped red onion
• 4  teaspoons  chopped fresh cilantro
• 1  teaspoon  fresh lemon juice
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1/4  teaspoon  chili powder
• 1 finely chopped jalepeno

 Tacos:

• 2  (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
• Cooking spray
• 1/2  teaspoon (reduced sodium) Old Bay seasoning
• 4  (8-inch) whole-wheat flour tortillas
• 1  cup  mixed salad greens or shredded cabbage

1. To prepare salsa, combine the first 7 ingredients in a small bowl; toss well.

2. To prepare tacos, preheat broiler.
3. Place fish on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle fish evenly with seasoning. Broil 6 minutes or until desired degree of doneness.

4. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly coat tortillas with cooking spray. Add the tortillas to pan, 1 at a time; cook 1 minute on each side or until lightly toasted. Divide fish evenly among tortillas; top each taco with 1/4 cup greens and 1/4 cup salsa. Serve immediately.

Recipes wanted

The last few months were very busy ones for me, with all the holidays, my trip home, roommate drama, and my new relationship, that I became kind of derailed from my eating healthy and working out goals (well the working out was put on hold due to my wrist injury).  In the spirit of the new year and wanting to get back on track, I am starting a 10 day cleanse on Monday, to flush out my system and start over.  The cleanse involves some fiber drinks and some supplements, and eating at least 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, and really limiting my meat intake.  I am asking all of you for any  good recipe suggestions, primarily vegetarian, but can include some chicken or fish, and some good snack ideas.  So please leave any suggestions or recipes in the comments for me…and if I use yours, there will be a blog post about it and I will add it to my Savory Stuff page

 

Chicken Breast stuffed with artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes

In honor of my 300th post, I thought I would share a favorite recipe that I made last night.

ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 12oz jar of marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained (save the oil), chopped
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• italian seasoning
• 1-2 tablespoons minced garlic

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Mix artichokes, cheese, tomatoes, and basil in medium bowl.
• Using small sharp knife and working with 1 chicken breast at a time, cut 2-inch-long slit horizontally into 1 side of chicken breast. Move knife back and forth in slit to form pocket.
• Divide 1 cup cheese mixture among chicken pockets
• Press edges to seal. **I also secure with 2-3 toothpicks**
• Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, and italian seasoning
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the sun-dried tomato oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over high heat.
• saute garlic until lightly browned
• Add chicken; cook 3-5 minutes on each side.
• transfer skillet to oven. Bake until cooked through, about 12-15 minutes.
• Let sit for 3-5 minutes before slicing.

 

I don’t have a picture, because it was eaten up fast.  Let me know if you make this and what you think

ceviche

This is a Mexican dish served as an appetizer or as a salad side dish.  It’s a perfect summer dish, because it requires no heat to “cook” the fish and is served chilled.  I think it is really refreshing.  You can use any type of firm-fleshed fish.  Today I used shrimp and imitation crab meat.  **Note- if you are using shrimp, make sure to cook it first in boiling water until it turns pink.  For other fish, it is not necessary to cook it, as it will “cook” in the lime and lemon juice.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb of shrimp, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, completely deveined
• 1/2 – 3/4 lb of immitation crab meat, shredded or chopped into small pieces
• 1/2-3/4 cup of fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 1 cup of chopped fresh seeded tomatoes
• 1 cup of chopped cucumber
• 1 serrano or jalepeno chili, seeded and finely diced
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• Dash of Tabasco or a light pinch of cayenne pepper
• Cilantro
• Avocado
• Tostadas or tortilla chips

DIRECTIONS

In a non-reactive casserole dish, either Pyrex or ceramic, place the fish, onion, tomatoes, cucumber, chili, salt, and Tabasco. Cover with lime and lemon juice. Let sit covered in the refrigerator for at least an hour, then stir, making sure more of the fish gets exposed to the acidic lime and lemon juices. Let sit for several hours, giving time for the flavors to blend.
During the marinating process the fish will change from pinkish grey and translucent, to whiter in color and opaque.

 

Serve with chopped cilantro and slices of avocado on top of a tostada or with tortilla chips.