Shrimp and Quinoa Stuffed Poblanos

I love chile rellenos and will order them whenever I spot one on a menu. But, they aren't exactly the healthiest since they are battered and deep fried with lots of cheese and sometimes fatty chorizo (oh so good). This is a healthy make-at-home spin on my favorite. I use fresh veggies and whole grains and bake them in a smoky tomato and roasted red pepper sauce.  You could use any veggies your have in the fridge or any leftover whole grains from a dinner early in the week.  Also, you could always skip the shrimp and do chicken or lean ground beef.

Ingredients:

-5-6 poblano peppers

-2 cups of cooked quinoa or other whole grain

-1 cup corn (thawed from frozen or canned)

-1 cup white onion, chopped

-1 cup zucchini, chopped

-1 cup tomato, chopped 

-1 cup cooked shrimp

-handful cilantro, roughly chopped

-1/2 cup cotija or other white cheese

-1 can fire roasted tomatoes
-1/2 jar roasted red peppers, drained

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

If you've been to the good ole' P.F. Changs restaurant chain, there's a good chance you've had their lettuce wraps and you probably know how filling they can be.  I'm not sure what their calorie count is per serving, but I feel pretty good about this recipe even when I serve it with a side of soba noodles.  Lean ground chicken, ginger, garlic, veggies and water chestnuts make a great filling for the crisp lettuce leaves.  You can serve these as an appetizer for a larger group or a full meal for a few people.  If you have extra, it freezes incredibly well and reheats to make a quick weeknight dinner.  Just grab some fresh bibb lettuce at the store and you're set. 

Ingredients: 

-1 lb. lean ground chicken breast

-4 green onions, chopped
-3 cloves of garlic, minced
-1 Tbsp minced ginger (or ginger from the jar)
-1 Tbsp coconut oil
-2 Tbsp sesame oil total (split in half)
-handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
-handful of carrot thinly sliced carrots
-1 can water chestnuts, drained and roughly chopped
-4 Tbsp hoisin sauce
-4 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
-3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
-salt and pepper to taste
-fresh bibb lettuce leaves for serving

Optional Spicy Dipping Sauce Ingredients: 

-2 Tbsp hoisin
-2 Tbsp Ponzu (citrus soy sauce)
-1-2 Tbsp sriracha

KC Style Oven-Baked Ribs

Summer is soooo close, but it's still supposed to freeze this weekend.  I spotted a nice rack (of pork ribs...) at Trader Joe's this week so I snagged them, hoping to fire up the grill this week.  With near freezing temps and an epic thunderstorm yesterday evening, grilling wasn't an option.  I dug up an old oven recipe and the three ingredients proved magical as always: A lemon, my favorite rub, and my favorite BBQ sauce.  Low and slow in the oven and you have fall-off-the-bone pork, baby back ribs.  It was a picnic at our kitchen table last night while listening to the rain...not too shabby.

Ingredients: 

-1 rack of pork baby back ribs

-1 lemon

-favorite pork rub

-favorite BBQ sauce

Red Wine Vinegar, Shallot and Cucumber Mignonette

Freshly shucked oysters are just the best....even better with a little mignonette. A mignonette sauce means "cracked pepper" and is usually used to top raw oysters on the half shell.  There are many different varieties, but the classic uses red wine vinegar and minced shallots with of course freshly cracked pepper.  This is a version of the classic, but with finely diced cool cucumbers and a bit of chopped parsley mainly for color.  Try this out at home with a dozen oysters from your local market.  Also, if you need some assistance in shucking, check out this video on my Oysters Rockefeller post. 

I'm used to making this in large batches for oyster bar events for my company, Denver-based Seattle Fish Company so I've had to scale down the measurements.  Luckily this saves for quite awhile since the main ingredient is vinegar.  Also, the shallot ratio may seem like a lot, but it really gives the mignonette it's flavor and can be opted out when you scoop some on your oyster. 

Where to buy oysters? My favorite are from Chefs Fresh Fish - you can buy them buy the dozen online, overnight shipped to your house the next morning. 

Ingredients: 

-1-2 dozen oysters

-1/2 cup red wine vinegar

-a few Tbsp. chopped parsley

-1 whole shallot, minced

-1/2 seedless cucumber (or seeds removed), skin removed and finely diced

-1 tsp. freshly cracked pepper

-1 tsp. salt 

Pork Chops with Mushroom Sauce

The best choice for pork chops is bone-in thick-cut 99% of the time.  They are generally thicker and tend to not overcook as much as a thinner, bone-out cuts.  This recipe, from Food Network Magazine, has a simple but wonderful mushroom and green onion gravy to pair with your pork. I served this dish with pureed parsnips (a recipe coming soon) to take the place of carb-filled mashed potatoes.  They were silky with an earthy flavor from the under-utilized root vegetable.  This is a quick recipe for a weeknight meal.

Ingredients:

-2 or 4  1/2-inch-thick bone-in pork chops (depending on how many you are feeding)
-2 Tbsp flour (I used Wondra)
-1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
-12 ounces cremini or button mushrooms
-3 cloves of garlic
-1 bunch green onions
-1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
-2 Tbsp light sour cream

Sicilian Calamari with Italian "Mother Sauce" from Luca D'Italia

This recipe comes from Frank Bonanno's Luca D'Italia iCookbook.  The restaurant has been a local Italian favorite in Denver for years, so Frank picked his favorite recipes for the home cook and added pictures and videos to the interactive cookbook. I was recently invited to the restaurant with a few other food bloggers to taste some of the recipes and this was a favorite. It starts by making the "Mother Sauce", a wonderful red sauce simmered with a full bottle of chianti wine...yes please.  The sauce has unlimited uses but here it is ladled on top of calamari rings with capers and toasted bread crumbs. Much fancier than your fried calamari. 

Mother Sauce Ingredients:

-1 large onion

-1/2 stalk of celery

-1 bulb fennel

-1/2 lb carrots

-1 tsp salt

-1/2 tsp black pepper

-1/2 tsp chili flakes

-1 cup extra virgin olive oil

-6 cloves of garlic

-1 (750 ml) bottle of good quality chianti

-3 sprigs of basil

-2 sprigs of oregano

-1 sprig of parsley

-2 (16 ounce) cans San Marzano tomatoes

-1 tsp salt

-1/2 tsp black pepper

Sicilian Calamari Ingredients:

-1 lb calamari (I used tubes and tentacles)

-5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

-2 cloves garlic

-1 Tbsp crushed red chili

-3 Tbsp capers

-1/2 cup white wine

-1 cup Mother Sauce (ingredients above, or other good Marinara)

-1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

-2 Tbsp butter

-1 tsp salt

-1/2 tsp pepper

-1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs

-8 caper berries for garnish (optional)

Bison Bolognese

 

 

I love cooking with bison (buffalo meat) because it's so lean and lends a 'gamey' taste to this dish.  You can definitely sub the bison for ground beef, veal, or even venison (deer).  Bolognese is a red sauce that is cooked down into a rich, flavorful sauce.  In this recipe I add large slices of mushrooms and a little pancetta for flavor.  If you make a big batch you can freeze portion sizes for a quick and easy weeknight meal.

 

Ingredients:



-2 carrots
-1 rib celery
-1/2 yellow onion
-1 Tbsp olive oil
-4 ounces cubed pancetta
-4 cloves garlic
-1 lb. ground bison
-1/2 cup red wine
-1.5 cups beef broth
-2 cans diced tomatoes
-2 ounces tomato paste
-1 pkg baby bella mushrooms (mini portabellas)
-1 tsp dried basil
-1 tsp dried oregano
-1 pkg dried pasta of your choice

Healthy Bang Bang Shrimp

If you've been to Bonefish Grill — a seafood chain — you've most likely had their Bang Bang Shrimp appetizer.  My mom and her friends love the starter but I think I broke her heart when I told her it is battered, deep fried and tossed in mayonnaise.  Here, I've re-created the restaurant favorite by pan frying the shrimp in just 2 Tbsp of coconut oil and then tossing in a spicy creamy sauce made of pureed tofu instead of mayo.  I know it sounds odd, but even Blake liked the dish! Also, at Bonefish the shrimp is served on a bed of lettuce that is quickly wilted and often ignored.  I served the shrimp on a healthy serving of Red Cabbage Asian Slaw. Bonus: this recipe makes a lot of leftover sauce which means a dipping sauce for Healthy Chicken Nuggets or slathered on Turkey Burger Sliders!

Here's a great source to order all natural wild shrimp online that will be overnighted to your doorstep. They are beautiful shrimp!

Ingredients:

-3/4-1 lb. raw shrimp (about 31-40 count per pound or larger)
-2 tsp cornstarch
-2 Tbsp coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
-14 ounces tofu
-1/3 cup sweet red chili sauce - found in asian aisle of most supermarkets
-3-5 Tbsp sriracha sauce (depending on your heat tolerance)
-3 Tbsp lemon juice
-2 green onions, sliced for garnish
-salt and pepper for seasoning

Summer's End Fresh Basil Pesto

A freshly made jar of pesto hardly compares to anything you can buy in the grocery stores.  If you grow sweet basil or know where to buy it, now is the time to start using the bountiful harvest.  A few other fresh ingredients and you will have a versatile pasta sauce, sandwich spread or as an appetizer on crispy crostinis. 

Ingredients:

-2 handfuls (about 2 cups packed) fresh basil leaves

-2-3 cloves garlic (depending on how much you like/love raw garlic)

-1/4 cup whole pine nuts

-3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

-juice from 1 lemon

-1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

-1 tsp sea salt

-1/4 tsp pepper