Oven Roasted Broccoli

This recipe really brings out the natural flavors of the broccoli while keeping it simple and healthy.

Recipe yields 4 servings

Ingredients

2 large heads of broccoli

1 medium yellow onion

8 garlic cloves

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp sea salt

2 tsp dried thyme

1 tbsp parmesan cheese 

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Wash broccoli well under cold water.

Cut broccoli into florets and arrange in baking dish. Chop onion and garlic and add to dish with broccoli. Coat with olive oil. Sprinkle with pepper, salt, thyme and parmesan cheese. Mix to combine well.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until edges are brown. Remove and turn broccoli over. Place back in oven for 10 more minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Southwest Stuffed Peppers

This is the mexican version of stuffed peppers. If you like tacos and stuffed peppers, this is the dish for you! Once you try these, you won't be able to get enough of them!

Recipe yields 6 servings

Ingredients

6 round bell peppers

1 lb extra lean ground turkey

2 tbsp taco seasoning

1 can corn

1 can black beans

1 medium yellow onion

1 can salsa

1 cup brown rice

1 cup fat free shredded cheddar cheese

2 tbsp olive oil

Heat the over to 400 degrees. Rinse peppers and slice. I have alway made these by slicing the peppers in half, but today I tried slicing the top off and keeping the pepper like a cup. Both ways work great, so it is just a matter of preference. Lightly coat peppers in olive oil and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until peppers are soft. While peppers are in the oven, cook ground turkey in skillet until cooked through.

Cook brown rice per directions on the package. Chop the yellow onion. Drain and rinse black beans. Drain corn. In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked turkey, cooked rice, black beans, corn, onion, salsa and taco seasoning. Instead of using packaged seasoning, it is quick and easy to make your own! Look at my 'Healthy Tacos' recipe for my Homemade Taco Seasoning.

Remove peppers from oven and let cool for 10 minutes or so (that way you do not burn your fingers when trying to handle them). Spoon mixture into peppers. Return to oven and cook for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Caution: Peppers will be very hot when removed from oven. Serve warm and enjoy!

Quinoa Burgers

Quinoa has become a new obsession of mine. With so many different ways to incorporate it into your meal, it is a healthy and easy option. These burgers are packed with flavor and are great for vegetarians or those looking for something other than meat.

Recipe yields 8 burgers

Ingredients

2 cups cooked quinoa (cook 1 cup and it will expand into 2 cups when it puffs up)

3 eggs

1 cup low-fat or fat free cheddar cheese

1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese

2 carrots

2 green onions

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Cook 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water (or as package directs). Peel carrots and finely shred. Chop green onions. Combine all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and combine well. 

Let mixture stand for roughly 10 minutes. This will thicken up the mixture and help the burgers stick together. Lightly coat the bottom of a skillet with olive oil and heat. Scoop mixture onto skillet to form burgers. Cook on medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Flip burger and continue cooking on the other side. Helpful Hint: Cooking on medium/medium-low heat helps the burgers to cook slowly and better form together. This helps the burgers from crumbling into pieces later on.

Once burgers are lightly browned on each side, remove from heat. These burgers can be served on buns, inside a wrap, or between lettuce leaves. Use your imagination! Serve with your favorite burger toppings and dressings. Enjoy!

BBQ Peach Chipotle Chicken

This recipe combines a variety of flavors that blend together so well. The sweetness of the peaches mixed with the tangy BBQ sauce is a great combination. The chicken must marinate for at least 1 hour, so it is ideal if you prepare this in advance. Cooking on the grill will get the chicken nice and charred, however, you can also cook it in a skillet. My plans of BBQ'ing came to an abrupt halt when the thunder storm started, so I settled for the stove top. The chicken came out just as delicious and very juicy. Cooking it on the stove allowed for the marinade to become a glaze on the chicken.

Recipe yields 4 servings

Ingredients
2 lbs chicken breast tenders
1 1/2 cup peach preserves
1/2 cup chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1/2 BBQ sauce
1 tsp salt
5 garlic cloves

Chop the garlic cloves. Add garlic, peach preserves, chipotle peppers, BBQ sauce and salt to a mixing bowl. Combine well. Add chicken to bowl and combine so chicken is covered with the marinade. Cover the bowl with cellophane and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour. (The longer you marinate the chicken, the stronger the flavor will be.)

 Remove chicken from excess sauce and cook on grill for 4-5 minutes each side or until chicken is cooked through. If using a skillet, place chicken in skillet and cook on medium heat for 5-6 minutes. You do not need to prepare the pan with cooking spray or oil, the marinade will create a glaze that the chicken with absorb and cook in. Remove from skillet, serve and enjoy!

Spanish Rice

Hope you enjoy this simple rice recipe that adds a nice twist to plain rice.

Recipe yields 4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup long grain white rice

1 onion (I had a red onion on hand that I used, but I think yellow would work best)

1 garlic clove

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cups chicken stock

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp salt

Heat olive oil in large skillet and brown rice. Finely chop onion and garlic and add to rice. Cook for about 4-6 minutes, until onions are soft.

In the meantime, add chicken stock to a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add tomato paste, oregano and salt. Mix well until paste is well combined. Add rice mixture to broth and bring to a simmer. Lower heat and cook for 15-20 minutes. (You want the rice to be moist, do not wait until all liquid is removed or the rice will become very dry.) Let rice sit for 5 minutes to settle. Serve & enjoy!

Sea Bass Oreganata

As I have mentioned, my dad and I really enjoy fishing. Today I am making a refreshing sea bass oreganata with our latest catch. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I do. 

Recipe yields 4 servings

Ingredients

2 lbs sea bass fillet

4 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup parsley

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

6 garlic cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp oregano

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and coat with cooking spray. Rinse fish under cold water. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, parsley, salt and oregano. Finely chop garlic and add to mixture. Combine ingredients well. Add olive oil and lemon juice and mix.

Lay fish out on baking sheet. Coat fish with breadcrumb mixture, being sure to pack it into the fish. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

When fish is just about cooked through, switch the oven from bake to broil and move tray to the top rack. Cook on broil for 2 minutes to brown the breadcrumbs. Remove from foil, serve and enjoy!

Seasoned Roasted Potatoes

I like to think these roasted potatoes rival any you have tried before. They are flavorful and easy to make. They make a wonderful side dish to BBQ meat or poultry. 

Recipe yields 4 servings

Ingredients

8-10 baby red potatoes

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tsp garlic powder

3 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3 tsp ground sea salt

2 tbsp dried thyme

2 tbsp dried oregano

2 tbsp dried basil

2 tbsp dried parsley

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Rinse potatoes under cold water. Dice into chunks and place into mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients to mixing bowl and stir to cover all potatoes. 

Coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Add potatoes to dish and bake for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes start to brown and crisp on the edges. Serve and enjoy!

One Skillet Steak with Mushrooms and Onions

If your a meat lover, you couldn't get an easier recipe than this. After a long day at work, you can whip this up in no-time and you will be more than pleased with your results. The mushrooms and onions add substance to the dish, so you can keep your sides light.

Recipe yields 4 servings

Ingredients

2 lbs steak (I used flank steak)

2 packages sliced muchrooms

1 large yellow onion

1 tsp olive oil

Salt, black pepper and garlic powder to season

Slice steak into medium strips. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Heat skillet on high heat and coat the bottom with cooking spray.

Place slices of steak in skillet and cook 4 minutes on one side. Flip and cook 2 minutes on the other. Remove from skillet and place in a serving dish. Place dish on warming rack (or in the oven if you do not have a warming rack).

Re-coat the bottom of the pan with cooking spray. Place onions in the pan and season with salt and pepper. Once cooked through and brown, remove from pan and place in same serving dish with the steak.

Add olive oil and mushrooms to skillet. Lower heat to medium and cook until soft and brown, about 4 minutes.

Add mushrooms to dish with steak and onions. Mix to combine. Serve and enjoy!

Garlic-Lemon Cod

Yet another seafood dish. I don't know if I've mentioned this, but we really enjoy eating fish at my house. Hope you enjoy this recipe. Despite its ease, the flavors are complex and delightful. For this one I used cod, as it was our latest catch. However, the cod can be switched out for any white fish you like.

Recipe yields 4 servings

Ingredients
4 cod filets (6-8 oz each)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place filets in a baking dish. Mix olive oil and lime juice. Pour over the filets to coat well. Combine salt, pepper, thyme, paprika and garlic powder. Season the filets with the spices and lightly rub into the fish. Chop the garlic cloves and sprinkle over the fish.

Cook for 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the filet. (Additionally, if you swapped out the cod for a thinner white fish such as flounder, adjust the cooking time.) The fish should be white and flaky when it is ready. Serve and enjoy!

Southwest Sweet Corn

This recipe is absolutely delicious and super easy to make. I had the table begging for more once the bowl was empty!

Recipe yields 4 servings

Ingredients

1 can of corn

1 small red bell pepper

1 small green bell pepper

1 small white onion

Pinch of salt and pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

3 tbsp honey

Chop the bell peppers and onion.

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the chopped vegetables. Saute for 5 minutes.

When onions are translucent and peppers have softened, add salt, pepper and corn. Stir well to combine and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Add butter and honey to skillet. Stir until melted and well combined. Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy!

Garlic-Lime BBQ Pork Chops

Have you ever wanted juicy BBQ pork chops but forgot to put them in the marinade? Well then this is the perfect recipe for you! For me, being hungry and impatient was just not an option!

Recipe yields 4 servings

Ingredients

6 bone-in pork chops

2 limes, juice

1 garlic clove

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

2 tbsp cilantro

Freshly ground sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Rub pork chops with salt and pepper to season. Heat grill. Cook pork chops on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side.

While pork chops are cooking, you can prepare the vinaigrette. Whisk together the lime juice, chopped garlic, red pepper flakes and 1/4 tsp of salt. Add olive oil and white wine vinegar and continue to whisk well. Add minced cilantro and combine well. 

 Once pork chops are cooked through, remove from the grill. Plate and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Serve additional vinaigrette on the side. Enjoy!