Lemon Pepper Halibut & White Bean Salad

This is another recipe that was inspired by a restaurant chef who refused to share way back in 2013... The appetizer of bacon wrapped grilled scallops served over a white bean salad topped with micro-greens was so incredibly good that we had to order a second portion for deconstruction... something I absolutely love to do. :-) So here's what I started with:

Fantastic appetizer... really... and back then I was all about the bacon! LOL What follows is a mystery to me a decade later, as I found a bunch of pics I took of recreating the dish at home ten years ago, but no recipe. Fortunately I was smart enough to take a group shot of the ingredients I used, so that gave me a place to start.

After studying the old pic it was time to get to work cutting up the ingredients using sizes best I could see in the decade old images and guessing at quantities.

This looked like a pretty good balance so I just put it all together, taking really bad notes along the way. LOL Hey... creativity is not always pretty! :-)

Now that I had my salad it was time to create a proper dressing. I could see from the old picture that lime juice was included, so I immediately went to my Luscious Lemon Vinaigrette recipe for guidance. Trial and error came up with this mix.

My mix really brought it all together to create a fresh, vibrant, flavorful salad than can actually stand alone. Fish lover that I am, though, I was itching to try the halibut bites I had recently received as part of a fish order. Seasoned with my favorite lemon pepper blend from FreshJax Organic Spices and a little olive oil, they were given a quick fry and then added on top of the white bean salad.

You didn't think this was just a story, did you? *smirks* The process is pretty obvious above, but here is the ingredient list. Enjoy!

Fish:

• 12 oz cubed halibut - any other white fish or scallops will work well, also.
• olive oil
• 1+ tbsp FreshJax lemon pepper blend

Salad:

• +/-3 cups baby spinach - should yield 1.5 cups chopped
• 2 15oz cans white beans - drained and rinsed
• 1 orange bell pepper - diced
• 1 shallot - minced
• 2 medium tomatoes - seeded and then diced
• 1/2 English cucumber - peeled, quartered, seeded and diced - should yield 1 cup

Dressing:

• 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/8 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 tsp table salt
• 1/8 black pepper

Enjoy!

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Squash... 'n' Stuff

Today's dish is brought to you courtesy of The Splendid Table. Interesting flavors for those who enjoy citrus and acidic flavors, but next time I make this I think I'll opt for using it as a party salad. Next day leftovers were really good cold :-)

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash (3 pounds), halved lengthwise and seeds removed 

• 6 slices turkey bacon 

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves 

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt 

• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

• 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted 

Preparation:
Looking like a large, pale yellow football with rounded ends, spaghetti squash has a unique texture. When cooked, the pulp comes out in strands as thick and long as spaghetti noodles. Cut in half, the squash can be oven-baked in less than an hour or microwaved in a rapid 15-20 minutes. The long threads of vegetable goodness can then be forked out, topped, garnished, herbed, buttered, or tossed with cheese, nuts, or other vegetables in simple, exorbitant, conservative, or outrageous splendor. Here bacon, pine nuts, and a touch of lemon juice and vinegar produce an ambrosial warm salad.

If oven-baking, preheat the oven to 375°F.

Place the squash, cut sides down, on a baking sheet or microwave-safe dish. Cover and cook until collapsing and soft all the way through, about an hour in the oven, 15-20 minutes in the microwave. Place the bacon alongside the squash on the baking sheet for the last 20 to 25 minutes, or place the slices between 2 paper towels and microwave until crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. (Or just fry up the bacon while toasting the pine nuts) Remove and let cool enough to handle.

Scoop the squash out of its shell and place the strands on a platter. In a small bowl, stir together the vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, salt, and pepper. Pour over the squash. Sprinkle the pine nuts and crumble the bacon over the top and toss gently to mix. 

Serve right away or at room temperature. If using the dish as an app, toss everything gently and serve 1/2 - 3/4 cup per person.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Chicken & Shrimp Stir Fry

The original version of this dish was made with beef or venison and can be found by clicking here. With white meat chicken being a much healthier alternative for me, I decided to give the substitution a try. I had never really worked with ground chicken before so this was to be a good test. Long story short, it really worked out well, and I now have a use for my grinder again as whole chicken breasts are  far cheaper.... AND I always know for sure what is in my grind.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs ground white meat chicken
• 1 lb large raw shrimp, cleaned and peeled (no tails)
• light olive oil
• 3/4 head green cabbage, shredded
• 1/2 cup ginger teriyaki marinade (more or less)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp spicy mustard
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a large non-stick Dutch oven fry the chop meat in a bit of oil. When cooked, add  cabbage, marinade, soy and mustard. Simmer and toss frequently until cabbage is cooked but still crunchy. Finally add shrimp and cook another few minutes until shrimp are just cooked perfectly. Finish with salt & pepper to taste.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Venison Bolognese & Eggplant

This recipe dates back to 2014 when I still kept a whole bunch of venison in the freezer. After being diagnosed Type 2 I still longed for my Bolognese on at least a weekly basis, and with pasta having been taken off the menu I had to find something besides zucchini ribbons to compliment the sauce. Enter.... the eggplant :-) Granted, it's not quite as colorful as the zucchini, but it sure packs a plateful of flavor!

For anyone who does not like venison for whatever reason,

this dish works quite well with ground beef, too. ENJOY!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs ground venison or very lean beef
• 1 28 oz can plum shaped tomatoes in puree
• olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 yellow onion, cut up
• 1/2 tsp salt
• fresh ground black pepper to taste (I like about 6 twists on the grinder)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• dash of oregano
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 lge eggplant

Preparation:

Start by frying up the chop meat in a large skillet with a bit of olive

oil until fully cooked and a nice shade of brown. Set aside. 

Add a bit of olive oil to your sauce pot and sautee the chopped garlic. As the garlic JUST gets brown add in the cut up onion and sautee til slightly transluscent and shiny.

Place canned tomatoes in a bowl and cut into quarters or bite-size pieces... Not too small as they will cook down some in the pot.

Add tomatoes and puree to sauce pot and stir. Add in salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and dried parsley. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Finally stir in the fried chop meat. The mixture will seem very meaty and not at all liquid.... that's intentional as our base for the sauce is very different from pasta.

Peel the eggplant and cut into bite-sized cubes

Heat some olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add the eggplant. I like to use the large pot for this purpose as it makes it easy to do the frequent toss and the eggplant cooks without getting splatter or the occasional cube on the nice shiny stove  *smirks*

Once the eggplant is tender, plate as you would pasta and add the meaty sauce on top. Add some grated parmesan or Pecorino-Romano if you like :-)

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Curried Chickpea Stew with Roasted Vegetables

  Full credit for this delicious stew goes to the ADA's Diabetes Food Hub

Get ready to savor a cozy bowl of veggie-filled goodness with this diabetes-friendly Curried Chickpea Stew. Bursting with flavor and roasted veggies, this stew is like a hug for your taste buds and your health.

Ingredients:

• 1 small sweet potato (peeled and diced, for the roasted veggies)
• 1 red bell pepper (diced, for the roasted veggies)
• 2 cups cauliflower florets (for the roasted veggies)
• 1 tbsp olive oil (for the roasted veggies)
• 1/8 tsp salt (for the roasted veggies)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper (for the roasted veggies)
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion (diced)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 14-16 oz canned diced tomatoes
• 1 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 15 oz canned chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
• salt and pepper to taste
• handful fresh cilantro or parsley (chopped, for garnish)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, toss the sweet potato, red bell pepper, and cauliflower florets with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Spread the vegetables in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes until they are tender and slightly caramelized.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic, and sauté until they become fragrant and translucent.

Add the curry powder, turmeric, salt, and pepper to the pot. Stir well to coat the onions and garlic with the spices.

Pour in the diced tomatoes (with their juice), coconut milk, and vegetable broth. Stir to combine. Add the rinsed chickpeas to the pot and stir everything together. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low and let the stew simmer uncovered for about 15–20 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together. Stir occasionally.

Remove the roasted vegetables from the oven and add them to the pot. Stir gently to incorporate them into the stew. Serve the curried chickpea stew in bowls, garnished with fresh cilantro or parsley.

Blessed be… and happy cooking!