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

Salmon Poke

I was at a neighborhood sushi spot recently and one of the rolls was absolutely amazing: spicy and sweet and a bit crunchy.  It wasn't because of the roll though, it was the hawaiian-style salmon poke on top of the roll.  After chatting with the sushi chef and getting some tips on the ingredients, I think I nailed it pretty well with this recipe.  The key is to start with a very fresh, fatty piece of salmon.  My absolute favorite is Scottish Salmon.  If you live in Colorado you can get it at Tony's Meat Market or Marczyk's. If you live outside of Colorado you can order fresh Scottish Salmon fillet by the pound from Chef's Fresh Fish - an online seafood market. It will be delivered to your door the next day. It's the best salmon on earth...I promise.  Sushi-grade. Fatty. Clean-tasting. Buttery. Perfect!

Ingredients: 

-1/2 lb. fresh Scottish Salmon fillet

-2 Tbsp light mayo

-2 tsp sriracha (or more or less, depending on your heat tolerance)

-2 Tbsp unagi / eel sauce

-1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

-2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives

-salt and pepper to taste

optional: 2-3 Tbsp panko breadcrumbs for crunch

Spicy Carrot Ginger Soup

I first had a version of this soup at a friend's house. They purchased the prepared soup at Whole Foods. It was delicious! A perfect way to start a meal.  I figured I had to make it myself so I found a recipe and tweaked it a bit. I also added some fun garnishes because I think not only do they make the soup more visually appealing, but they add more flavor and substance. 

Ingredients: 

-1 large yellow onion (or two small)

-8 cups of vegetable broth

-6 cloves of garlic

-2 lbs of carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

-2 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

-3 Tbsp of freshly grated ginger

-1 Tbsp. cumin

-1 tsp. cinnamon

-2 tsp. jalepeno powder (optional)

-2 Tbsp salt

-3 Tbsp sugar

-2 tsp lemon juice

Tuna Tartare Bites

Since I started working for Seattle Fish, I've had access to amazing fish and seafood. The first thing I brought home from the office was #1 yellowfin tuna (best stuff money can buy...in my eyes).  You can purchase sushi grade tuna online at Chef's Fresh Fish and have it on our door tomorrow morning. A few simple ingredients and some time in the fridge will make a beautifully flavored topping for rice crackers or cucumber slices.  Skip the chips and dip at your next party...and take it up a notch.

Ingredients

-1/2 lb (about 8 ounces) sushi grade tuna

-2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

-juice of 1/2 lime

-splash of unseasoned rice vinegar

-2 Tbsp soy sauce

-1 Tbsp minced cilantro

-1 Tbsp Sriracha sauce

-1 avacado, diced

-rice crackers or 1 seedless cucumber to serve

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

Seared Ahi Tuna on a Bed of Zucchini Ribbons and Whole Wheat Pasta with Spicy Sauce

I'm a carb craver.  I've been trying to eat healthier but can't kick my pasta desires.  Long, delicate strips of zucchini twirled with whole wheat pasta makes this a lighter, yet still filling, substantial dish.  It's tossed in a sesame dressing and paired with sesame and wasabi crusted ahi tuna for a fresh and healthy dose of protein. If you want a bit of a heat drizzled on top, stir together greek yogurt and Sriracha for a leaner Asian "spicy mayo".  The blend of wonderful textures and fresh fish make this the perfect summer meal.  The only utensil you may not have is a "zester" to create the thin strips of vegetables.  I purchased mine from Crate and Barrel for only a few dollars but I assume it can also be found at Target, Sur La Table or William Sonoma.  You can see mine in a picture below. 

Where to buy fresh, sushi-grade ahi tuna? My favorite seafood spot is Chef's Fresh Fish... overnight delivered to your door. 

Ingredients:

-1/2 lb fresh ahi (yellowfin) tuna 

-3-4 Tbsp sesame seeds, white and/or black

-2 tsp powdered wasabi

-1/2 package whole wheat spaghetti  

-1 zucchini

-3 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

-1 Tbsp rice vinegar

-1 Tbsp coconut or vegetable oil for searing

Light Asian Spicy Sauce:

-1/8 cup greek yogurt

-1-3 Tbsp Sriracha, depending on your palate

Pan Seared Tofu and Sushi in Ponzu

This post has two recipes, which I rarely — if ever —do, but they are both so easy that it seemed silly to do one for each.  Blake and I had this as basically our meal one night...with a little Asian Marinated Cucumbers...oh and a Fresh Tuna Tower.  We were stuffed.  It's all so fresh, which is great, especially if you're trying to beat this summer heat.

Sushi-grade fish is best purchased from a trusted source.  If you don't have a local fishmonger you love, order from Chef's Fresh Fish - they have a variety of sushi-grade fish that can be delivered to your door. For this recipe, order the Ahi Tuna Loin and Scottish Salmon, which are both sushi-grade and very high quality.

Ingredients for Tofu:

-2 Tbsp coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
-1 pkg. tofu in water
-3 green onions, chopped

Ingredients for Sushi (for 2 people as an appetizer):

-1/4 lb sushi-grade ahi (yellowfin) tuna
-1/4 lb sushi-grade salmon
-1 Tbsp Ponzu sauce (citrus soy sauce, can usually be found at Whole Foods or Asian Market)
-1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
-1 Tbsp wasabi powder, rehydrated or wasabi paste

Fresh Tuna Tower

So when I lived in Dallas we would search out our favorite sushi spots based on our favorite "tuna towers".  They are basically an appetizer of tuna tar tar (raw tuna), avocado, sushi rice and sometimes roe and crab salad.  It's embarrassing to say the all of us girls would go to sushi sometimes 3-4 times a week and order a tuna tower EVERY TIME.  This is super easy, just a few fresh ingredients.  

More specifically, sushi grade tuna is the key.  Don't use anything that is of less quality.  My favorite place to get sushi-grade fish is Chef's Fresh Fish...they deliver fish to my door. 

Ingredients:

-1/4 lb. sushi-grade yellowfin tuna

-1 cup sushi rice

-1 avocado

-1/8 cup soy sauce

-1 Tbsp powdered wasabi

-1 Tbsp sesame seeds

-1/2 tsp ginger paste or grated fresh ginger

-juice 1/2 lemon

-1 Tbsp rice vinegar

-1 sheet roasted nori snacks (optional)

Asian Marinated Cucumbers

The sushi restaurant behind my house, Japon, has these wonderful little marinated cucumbers that they serve only if you're sitting at the sushi bar.  I know they couldn't be that hard to make so I tried re-creating them from some recipes I found on the web and ingredients in my pantry.  They are a great little Asian appetizer that gets better each day it marinates.

Ingredients:

-1 English Cucumber (or 2 Japanese cucumbers)
-1/4 cup rice vinegar
-2 Tbsp sesame oil
-1-2 Tbsp salt
-1 tsp sugar
-pinch - 2 Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes (depending on how much kick you want)

Spicy Crab Sushi Rolls

I've made sushi a couple of times and made a complete mess.  Once in college I tried to tempura fry anything I could get my hands on.  No joke, there was batter splattered on the ceiling of our rental house.  Oops.  This was a little cleaner and easier, especially since I had the help of Blake, master sushi-chef.  Well, maybe not master, but he has taken a class in sushi rolling and got a sushi knife out of the deal!  One of my best friends has been asking for months for a post on rolling sushi.  Sorry it has taken me so long, Allison! Here you go.  Also, get creative with your ingredients...Blake added peanut butter to one. It was actually good!

Ingredients:


-1 cups dry sushi rice (makes about 2 1/2 cups cooked)
-2 Tbsp rice vinegar
-nori wrapper paper
-avacado
-cucumber
-1 pkg refrigerated crab pieces
-2 Tbsp mayo
-1 tsp - 1 Tbsp sriracha (depending on how spicy you want it)
-Wasabi paste or powder
-3 green onions, thinly sliced
-juice 1/2 lemon
-a few slices of pickled ginger to serve with the sushi
-sesame seeds for garnish

Other things needed:


-1 bamboo rolling mat
-plastic/saran wrap (don't use press and seal)
-sharp knife
-wet kitchen towel...helps slice the rolled sushi without smashing it

Spicy Garlic Edamame

I love edamame.  Have you ever been to a sushi restaurant and they had more options than just with sea salt? spicy? garlicky? Well here I combined them both!  I basically just boiled the edamame a few minutes, strained it and tossed with a sauce made of ingredients I had in my fridge.  If you're looking for a new, easy app that will take the heat up, this recipe is for you!

Ingredients:

-1 pkg frozen edamame, still in shells

-2 Tbsp Thai chili garlic paste

-2 tsp ginger paste (or grated fresh ginger)

-1 Tbsp dried garlic or jarred minced garlic or 3 cloves fresh

-1 Tbsp sea salt

-1 Tbsp sesame oil

-1/2 tsp togarashi pepper (optional...will really bump up the heat)