Warm Spinach and Broccoli Salad

It's amazing how much can change in less than a year.  A few months ago I was a reluctant spinach eater.  Cooked was definitely better than raw, and I could hardly tolerate more than three or four raw leaves mixed in with the rest of my salad.

Now?

Now I am voluntarily making a salad with spinach as a main ingredient. 

I came across this recipe through my mom on Pinterest, so I guess Mom is still making sure that I eat my vegetables!

Recipe:  (from athoughtforfood via Pinterest)
2 cups spinach, rinsed and dried
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved or left whole
1 head broccoli, florets cut thinly with a knife
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 cup chopped pecans
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, or 1 teaspoon dried

Transfer the spinach and grape tomatoes to a serving bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet until just about to smoke.  Add broccoli florets and season with smoked paprika and 1 teaspoon salt.

Let the broccoli brown for 1-2 minutes then stir to brown the other sides, cooking an additional 2 minutes.

Pour the broccoli over the spinach and toss to combine.

Add the pecans to the same pan you used to cook the broccoli and set to medium heat.  Toast in the pan for 2-3 minutes or until browned.

Toss over the salad.

Drizzle the salad with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, then season with parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4 as a side, 2 as a main dish (Although if I ever tried to serve spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, and pecans to my husband as a main dish....  He'd probably leave the table and go straight to Taco Bell!)

Verdict:
There are just so many wonderful nutrients packed into this dish that I can't even stand it.   Where do I start?  The broccoli packs tons of Vitamins C and K, folate, fiber, and tons of other awesome stuff.  Spinach has much of the same + a good amount of iron, the absorption of which is boosted thanks to pairing with tomatoes.  The pecans (along with the olive oil) pack some healthy fats, not to mention protein, antioxidants... I could go on...

Even better, this nutrient packed salad delivers in the taste and texture departments as well.  The broccoli was just slightly smokey, the pecans added a nutty depth, and the dash of lemon juice seemed to bring out the flavors of everything.  Both the broccoli and pecans added just the right crunch to the salad.  The only thing I would change in the future is to decrease the salt.  I found it just a tad on the salty side - so I would maybe only add a 1/2 teaspoon salt when cooking the broccoli.  More can always be added later!

I'm already looking forward to eating the leftovers for lunch....

Ruby Tuesday

OK.  I know what you're thinking. Boooooriiiiiing.....

But.

2012 Ruby Tuesday is oh-so different than the loaded-baked-potato-and-french-onion-soup restaurant from my childhood.

We got a coupon in the mail from them a few weeks ago advertising their revamped menu and thought Alex's birthday was the perfect time to check it out.  (I know.  We party pretty hard in these parts.)

The Ruby Tuesday of old was packed with high calorie, high fat foods.  And they still have their classics.  But, like many traditional restaurants, they are making an effort to incorporate healthier options on their menu and, in my opinion, have one of the best 'healthy food' selections that I've seen.  I would eat here again for the selection of side dishes alone: grilled zucchini, roasted spaghetti squash, creamy mashed cauliflower, grilled green beans, grilled asparagus.... Mmmmmm....

We started with Shrimp Fondu, which ok, is not healthy at all.  But we were celebrating a birthday after all, and sometimes you have to live on the wild side.  Think spinach-artichoke dip but with shrimp.  And there's lots.  We couldn't finish ours so definitely enough for a group to share.

As always, they have the salad, which no lie is one of Alex's main reasons for going there.  Nothing much seems to have changed salad-bar wise.

But the 'Fit and Trim' menu selections are what really got me excited.  They give you the nutrition information, including which sides they used to calculate them.  And the sides themselves have separate nutrition information so you can substitute mashed cauliflower for grilled green beans...

I stuck with the Petite Sirloin with Grilled Green Beans as the side.  More than enough food for me.  Perfectly cooked, well seasoned steak with crunchy green beans.  Yum!

Alex threw culinary caution to the winds (it's his birthday, it's allowed) with his order of Asiago Peppercorn Steak and a side of White Cheddar Mashed Potatoes (read - even if you want a light, healthy meal, there are plenty of options for all appetite-types).

We did not eat dessert there because Birthday Boy wanted Cheesecake Factory.  No complaints here.  And the indulgence was totally justified since my dinner was such a healthy option.

I can rationalize just about anything.

Lightened Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

While my husband consistently mentions his love for alfredo sauce, I tend to avoid it because of the high fat, high calorie content.  Still anytime we go grocery shopping together and hit the pasta aisle, he points out those alfredo jars....  So when I saw this recipe on Pinterest, I couldn't pass it up!

Recipe: (from celebrations.com)
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and cut into chunks
2 cups roasted broccoli florets (I loosely followed this recipe.)
8 ounces fettuccine*
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic (I didn't measure - just minced 2 cloves)
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 teaspoon pepper
a pinch of nutmeg
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

*I wanted to use higher protein pasta, and Barilla Plus doesn't have fettuccine noodles, so I used penne.

In a pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta.  Drain and set aside.  (I had my broccoli roasting while the pasta was cooking.)

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.

Whisk in the flour until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, yogurt, milk, pepper, and nutmeg.  Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes.

Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Add cooked chicken and broccoli to the sauce mixture, followed by cooked pasta and toss to combine.

Serve with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

Verdict:
While this didn't knock our socks off, it was definitely a decent 'staple' sort of meal.  Not special or flavorful enough for company but tasty and nutritious enough for a regular dinner.  It wasn't anywhere near as 'saucy' or cheesy as the picture on the original website, but I did add more pasta without really increasing the sauce amount (wanted to stretch it for two dinners).

The meal itself comes together fairly quickly, but there are a few things to keep in mind before storing this in your 'easy' category.

Timing is important.  Don't want the pasta getting cold while you make the sauce... Or the sauce sitting around waiting for the pasta to finish...  For me, it worked out quite well to start cooking the pasta (11 minutes) and roasting the broccoli (12 minutes) at about the same time and starting the sauce right away.  The sauce preparation finished about 1 minute before they were done, so I could toss everything in the pot and voila - dinner was ready!

Some planning ahead is involved.  I didn't want to have to fire up the grill on top of everything else, so I had Alex cook the chicken breasts for this meal at the same time as these burgers two nights ago.

While the recipe does come together fairly quickly, it is also very hands on once you get everything cooking.  There is literally no downtime to set the table, make a salad, pour drinks etc.  So either delegate those tasks or get them started while waiting for the water to boil (which in my case is a very, very long time).

This meal generates an unfortunate amount of dishes.  While it is definitely worth making again, I won't be making this until I have a kitchen big enough for more than one person to be doing dishes at a time.  To cut down on dishes, you could quite frankly cook the broccoli with the pasta the last minute or two.  I didn't find that roasting the broccoli made an unforgettable difference in the taste of the dish.

Green Chili Chicken Burgers

This has been a funky sort of spring with more great grilling days in March than in April...  But as May, Memorial Day, and summer get ever closer, we can only hope that grilling weather appears in abundance.  Here's something a little different to try the next time you're motivated to fire up your grill - possibly even for Cinco de Mayo!

Recipe: (from How Sweet Eats)
1 pound ground chicken breast*
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 4-ounce can green chilies
2.5 ounces monterey jack cheese in small cubes, plus more for topping

Preheat your grill (or large non-stick skillet if cooking indoors) over medium-high heat.  In a bowl, combine chicken, olive oil, salt, pepper, ground cumin, onion powder, garlic, half the can of green chilies, and cubed cheese.

Mix until just combined.

Divide into four sections and shape into patties.

Place on grill or skillet and cook on both sides until golden and cooked through.

Once you flip the burgers, add cheese on top to melt.

Serve on whole wheat buns with your choice of toppings.

Optional Toppings: remaining green chilies, salsa, guacamole, or use the recipe for green chili sauce below

Green Chili Sauce:
1 1/2 (4 ounce) cans of green chilies
1/2 tablespoon honey
juice of half a lime

Combine in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and spoon onto cooked burgers.  (I didn't make this sauce, so I don't have a picture, but it was on the original website, so I included it here as an option.)

*If you use ground chicken instead of ground chicken breast, omit or decrease the olive oil.

Verdict:
We loved them!   The burgers were juicy and flavorful with melted cheese on top and throughout.  Definitely something I'll be making again, maybe next time with the green chile sauce...

This recipe is definitely outside my six months ago comfort zone.... And in fact I am still sort of grossed out by the idea of green chilies... But this is officially the second recipe I adore containing green chilies so......

Nom-nom-nom!

Blogging Fail...

Absolutely no updates for a week?  Yikes.  I was out of town for five days then out of groceries for another day after that....  And I started Tuesday with the best of intentions for a new recipe to post today: looking it up, making a list, stocking up at the grocery store.  All was good with the plan.

Then I went to the eye doctor.

About ten years ago I needed glasses and was at a routine check-up to get a prescription and got some dilating eye drops for a routine pressure test.....  And ended up in foggy land, passed out on the floor.  The doctor told me it was called a vasa vagal reaction, it wasn't a big deal, and I would outgrow it.  Fast forward through five years of eye doctor avoidance, and I decided it was time for contacts, which meant confronting my fears, going to a new eye doctor, and putting objects not just near but in my eyes....  It went great!  And even better news: they had a new eye pressure test involving puffs of air to which I had no adverse reaction.  I continued using contacts, getting yearly exams, pleasant puffs of air, and absolutely no eye drops.  All was well with the world.

Until now.  My new eye doctor used those bleepity-bleep-bleeping dilating eye drops again.  I told her about my previous problem and that I hadn't had the drops since.  I told her my previous doctor said I would probably outgrow it, and she agreed.  Plus, you know, I've put stuff in my eye every day for the last five or so years.

We were wrong.  Guess I'm not done 'growing up' yet.

And since passing out always makes me feel like death warmed over, I ate ice cream for dinner last night.

Check back tomorrow for a hopefully awesome grilling recipe!

Mexican Stuffed Shells

After enjoying our deliciously simple baked chicken for two nights, I decided it was time to get creative again.

I ran across this recipe on Pinterest a few weeks ago, and it seemed like an interesting twist.  Hubby loves stuffed shells but as the weather warms up, heavy Italian dinners don't sound all that appealing to me.  This time of year I start to crave fish, anything grilled, delicious salads, and Mexican food (with a side of frosty margarita of course!).  Plus, I fully intend to have a Cinquo de Mayo feast next month and figure I should start playing around with recipe possibilities now...

Recipe: (via Pinterest from thewaytohisheart)
1 pound ground beef
1 package low-sodium taco seasoning
4 ounces cream cheese
14-16 jumbo taco shells (I was actually able to stuff 18.)
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 cup red taco sauce (found in the Mexican section of the grocery store with all the other taco stuff)
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup monteray jack cheese (I actually had a 4 cheese Mexican blend on hand, so I used that instead.)
optional toppings: green onions, black olives, cilantro, sour cream, additional salsa (and a margarita on the side - not this time though)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown ground beef; add taco seasoning according to package directions.

Add cream cheese and simmer, covered, until cheese is melted.  Blend well.  Set aside and cool completely.

While ground beef is cooking, cook the pasta shells according to package directions.

Drain and set shells out individually on a cutting board or baking sheet so that they don't stick together.  Stuff each shell with the meat mixture.

Pour salsa on bottom of 9 x 13 baking dish.

Place shells in baking dish open side up.

Pour taco sauce over shells.  Bake covered for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese.  Return to oven and bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes.

Serve with toppings of your choice.

Verdict:
First of all, like any stuffed shells recipe, it was fairly labor intensive.  A bit over an hour from start to finish and several pots, pans, and trays to clean up when done.  So keep that in mind.

That said, well worth the effort!  Actually I found it to be easier than the last time I made stuffed shells.... But that may be because I knew more what to expect process-wise.  Plus I was able to clean up a lot of the dishes as I went, which always makes me feel better about dishes - more than anything I hate the sink full after I've enjoyed a delicious meal.  Unless of course it's a sink full of dirty dishes after a delicious meal and a delicious margarita or two...

It had the familiar feel of pasta-comfort food but with the extra zing of Mexican-food flavor.  Really a perfect recipe to bridge that seasonal gap between winter and summer.  Not something I'll be making weekly but definitely something I'll be making again.  Maybe even for Cinquo de Mayo.  Unless I find a new and exciting dish to try between now and then.

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Chicken Breasts

Fancy, complicated recipes are fun, but sometimes you need something simple yet delicious.  Something that takes almost no thought, little preparation, and no specialty ingredients.  Something that can be tweaked to suit what you have in your pantry.  And something that never fails to taste delicious.

This chicken recipe sounded like it would do just that.

Recipe: (via Pinterest from food.com)
4 chicken breasts
1 cup mayonnaise (I subbed plain Greek yogurt)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Variations: Based on reviews of this recipe, I made a few changes.  I cut down on the salt to only 1 teaspoon, added a teaspoon of parsley for some additional flavor, and cut down on the cooking time to 35 minutes.  Many reviewers said that this reheats well, so I used the mixture to coat 6 chicken breast (giving us dinner for two nights).  I did not need to increase the topping mixture in order to do this.   In fact, I probably could have used the mixture on up to 8 chicken breasts. 

Mix mayonnaise/yogurt, cheese, and seasonings.

Spread mixture over chicken breasts and place in baking dish.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. (I set my timer for 35 minutes, checked the chicken - thought that it was probably done, but added another 5 minutes to be safe, then turned the oven to broil for 4-5 minutes.)

Verdict:
One of the great parts about this recipe is its flexibility.  You can add just about any seasoning that you like / have on hand.  Some options that I'll consider in the future are Greek seasoning, onion powder, smoked paprika (oh my, yes!), cayenne pepper.... Pretty much anything your family enjoys!  You can also change up the cheese.  The possibilities are endless.  Since the main dish is so simple and basic, you can use pretty much whatever you have on hand for side dishes.  In our case, some leftover balsamic and parmesan roasted cauliflower and some quickly steamed carrots.

I am glad that I reduced the salt and in the future would probably reduce it further to a 1/2 teaspoon.  I wouldn't say that it was 'too salty;' it just  tasted like it didn't need quite that much.

It's not actually a twenty minute meal, but the actual hands-on prep time is so minimal that it still makes a great option for busy nights - provided you aren't so hungry you need food right.now.

It did reheat fairly well for dinner the next day and even lunch the day after that.  Definitely drier than it was the first night we ate it, but when is reheated chicken not dry?

In line with most of the reviewers, I would concur that this is not a 'pretty' meal and not really 'company worthy' but great to have on hand for regular weeknight family dinners.

And just about everything in this recipe is a kitchen staple.  (Well, except maybe the plain Greek yogurt, but I do tend to have that on hand a lot, and you can always use the originally intended mayonnaise if you aren't a Greek yogurt fan.)  Definitely a great "uh, what's for dinner...?" go-to option!