Light Mexican Quinoa with Tomatoes and Black Beans

I found this recipe on a blog, The Blue House in this post called Protein Packed. I happened to have all the ingredients in my pantry and fridge so decided to whip it up.  It was great and healthy too! This recipe makes a quick and easy lunch to just pull out of the fridge and eat cold.  The flavor meld more as the week goes on.  It's fabulous and will now be one of my staple quinoa dishes. 

Ingredients:

-1 cup quinoa

-2 tsp grated lime zest

-2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

-2 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled

-1 tbsp vegetable oil

-1 tsp sugar

-1 (14 oz) can of black beans, drained and rinsed

-3/4 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved 

-4 scallions, chopped

-1/4 fresh cilantro, chopped

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon and Sea Salt

Spring time means asparagus time! It's in season and so easy to make. My mom told me about this recipe a few years ago and it's my go-to asparagus recipe.  I believe it's from one of my all-time favorite chef's, Mario Batali.  He grills it in his recipe on a grill pan, which is just as good.  You can also roast the asparagus in the oven like the recipe below. 

Ingredients:

-1 bunch of asparagus

-1 tsp olive oil

-1 tsp sea salt

-juice of 1 lemon

-pepper

Light, Fiery Black Bean, Roasted Corn and Jicama Salsa

This another recipe from new favorite cookbook, Skinny Dips. I was afraid to use the seeds and ribs from the serrano chile because I had a bad experience once.  In hindsight it probably could have used the full kick of the entire chile.  I guess I should have listened to Diane :)  This is a great light and fresh dip for chips or a topper for turkey burgers.  That's what I did with the leftovers! 

Ingredients:

-1 large (or 2 medium) ear of fresh corn, husk on

-2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

-1 1/4 tsp kosher or sea salt

-freshly ground pepper

-juice of 2 limes

-1 tsp ground cumin

-1 tsp ground coriander

-2 tsp packed brown sugar

-1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

-3/4 cups peeled and diced jicama

-1/4 cup diced red onion

-1 serrano chile, including seeds and ribs, finely minced

-2 green onions, sliced

-1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Cajun Roasted Red Potatoes

This is a great, easy side for many dinners, especially fish.  Any cajun or creole seasoning will work in this recipe.  I made this at my mom's house and she had Louisiana Cajun Seasoning.  

Ingredients:


-Red Potatoes quartered or smaller (amount depends on how many people you're serving)
-2 Tbsp of olive oil
-1 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning Blend
-salt and pepper

Poached Shrimp

This is another recipe from my new favorite cookbook, Skinny Dips by Diane Morgan.  The shrimp make a great appetizer, snack or "dipper" for light dips.  

-1/2 lemon, cut into slices

-1 bay leaf

-10 peppercorns

-1 3/4 tsp kosher or sea salt

-1 12 lbs medium (31 to 35 count) uncooked shrimp in the shells

How-To: Roasted Garlic

Did you know today is "National Garlic Day"! Perfect timing for a how-to on roasting and saving garlic.

There aren't too many savory dishes that couldn't do with a little added roasted garlic.  It's the creamy sweet taste that adds a wonderful depth to many dishes.  The best part of roasted garlic is that you can store it in the fridge and use the rest later in the week.  You can even freeze roasted garlic! Here's a post I read today on one of my favorite blogs, The Kitchn about techniques.

Ingredients:

-1 bulb of garlic (or more if you want to make a batch to freeze)

-1 tsp of olive oil

-salt and pepper

-foil

Light Caramelized Sweet Onion Dip

You know that french onion dip you buy at the grocery store and just can't get enough of?  Especially when there's a bag of Ruffles Potato Chips sitting next to it?  Well, this is a homemade LIGHT version of the dip with velvety bits of caramelized onions and fresh chives.  I made this recipe from my new favorite cookbook, Skinny Dips by Diane Morgan.  To keep this recipe "light" avoid the bag of potato chips.  Instead use baked chips or veggies. 

Ingredients:

-1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

-2 medium Vidalia, Walla Walla or other sweet onions, finely chopped (about 1 lb)

-2 tsp kosher or sea salt

-1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

-1 1/4  cups reduced-fat or "light" sour cream

-2 oz low-fat cream cheese at room temperature (1/4 block)

-2 tsp white wine vinegar

-1/4 cup finely snipped fresh chives (plus a few more for garnish)

Salmon with Apricot and Pesto Glaze

This is another great recipe from my Aunt Teresa.  She's the aunt that gave me the Caribbean Salad recipe. I hope I can grow up cooking like her! This is an easy and quick way to make salmon in the oven. It has a great flavor from the herbs and garlic in the pesto and then a wonderful sweetness from the apricot preserves. If you don't know where to start with fish, this is your recipe.  If you're sick of your go-to salmon recipe and want to mix it up, again, this is your recipe.

Ingredients:

-Salmon Fillet(s) (you can do a whole fish fillet or just a small one, depending on how many you're serving)

-2 Tbsp jarred pesto

-2 Tbsp apricot preserves (found near the jelly at the store)

-1 Tbsp of jarred roasted garlic

Light Soba Noodle Salad

I've had soba noodles in the pantry for quite some time but didn't know what to make.  When I made this miso-glazed sea bass the other night this was the perfect opportunity to make a light Asian side-dish. It was even fabulous cold the next day! This recipe would complement most fish or add chicken and veggies to make a whole meal!

Ingredients:

-2 Tbsp olive oil

-2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

-1 Tbsp rice vinegar

-2 Tbsp Black and/or White Sesame Seeds or Eden Shake

-1 Tbsp lime juice

-3-4 Tbsp chopped green onions

Miso-Glazed Sea Bass

This was a daring recipe for me.  I love miso-glazed fish and my roommate asked me to do it with Chilean Sea Bass.  I knew it was inevitable she was going to compare it to Dallas restaurant Steel's dish.  It was easier than I thought and she said it measured right up there with Steel! Phew.  This will now be one of my staple fish recipes.  I just have to try it with Cod, Salmon, what else?!?  Truly, if fish tasted like butter, this would be it.  Melt-in-your-mouth heaven. There's something about the salty miso blended with the sweet brown sugar. The marinade recipe came from Bon Appetite's recipe although I baked it instead of broiling.

Ingredients: 

-2 6-ounce sea bass fillets (I purchased Chilean Sea Bass...you can also get 4 fillets, the marinade makes enough)

-1/3 cup of sake

-1/3 cup of mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)

-1/3 cup of shiro miso paste (make sure it is light yellow/blonde)

-3 Tbsp. of brown sugar

-2 Tbsp of soy sauce

Rustic Homemade Croutons

My favorite thing to do with old French bread: make croutons!  You can use them on a salad, plopped on top of a bowl of soup or just eat them out of the baggy you store them in (like my roommate and I do).  This is super easy and quick.

Ingredients:

-1-2 day-old french bread (or older...mine was a week old!)

-1-2 Tbsp of olive oil or olive oil cooking spray

-1-2 tsp garlic powder

-1-2 tsp dried parsley

* These measurements are estimates because it depends on how much bread you use. 

Caribbean Salad

When I left for college my aunt Teresa gave me an array of her favorite recipes along with a huge box of "kitchen staples" like her favorite marinade, pesto and organic chicken broth.  It was a fabulous gift for a cook.  This is one of the recipes she gave me. It's from a small cafe on Harbour Island, Bahamas called "Three Sisters Cafe".  It's a salad with black beans, corn and hearts of palm.  It's great as a side dish or a light lunch.  The calories per serving are so low, they aren't even worth counting!

Ingredients:

-1 can rinsed black beans

-1 can shoe-peg corn (white kernels)

-1 can hearts of palm

-2 cans of rotel with lime and cilantro

-1 cup fresh cilantro

-1/4 cup olive oil

-1 tsp cumin

-2 limes

Gadgets Needed:

-Food processor or blender to make dressing