Chicken-Pistachio Salad

This is a great salad!  Something different than your regular old salad with chicken.  Great for lunch or dinner.  Any left-overs are great for lunch the next day.  Serves 4.   

Dressing

1 Tbsp. grated sweet white onion

1 large avocado pitted and peeled

3 Tbsp. olive oil

3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

2 Tbsp. water

Puree the onion, avocado, oil, lime juice and water in a blender or small food processor till smooth.  Set salad dressing in the fridge till you're ready to use it.

Salad

1 cup shelled pistachio nuts, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 cup sliced sweet white onion

1 head of romaine lettuce, cleaned and chopped

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Chop the pistachios and place them in a pie plate.  Sprinkle the chicken breasts with pepper and garlic powder.  Press the chicken into the nuts.  Heat 1 tbsp. of the oil in a skillet and cook the coated chicken breasts, 2 minutes per side.

  Place the chicken in a baking dish and bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until juices run clear.

 

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the skillet.  Add the sliced onion to the skillet.  Cook until the onion is browned.  Set the onion aside and let it cool.  Take the chicken out of the oven and set it aside to let it cool.  Then slice it up in preparation to place it on the salad.

Place the lettuce into salad bowls.  Top with the onions, sliced chicken breasts and avocado dressing.  Enjoy!

Turkey Roll-Ups with Cilantro Sour Cream Spread

These are a great for an appetizer, snack or lunch.  I originally got this out of the South Beach Diet book.  I changed the spread a little.

Cilantro Sour Cream Spread

1/4 cup lite sour cream

1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped

1 tsp lime juice

1 tsp. soy sauce

1 small garlic clove, minced

Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl.  Set in the fridge till you're ready to assemble your turkey roll-ups.  This spread can be used as a dip instead.  Sometimes it can be a little messy if you spread too much on.

Turkey Roll-Ups

4 slices of turkey breast lunch meat

4 medium lettuce leaves

1 green onion, sliced

4 red bell pepper strips

cilantro sour cream spread

Lay 1 slice of turkey meat down (you can substitute the turkey for ham if you like)  spread 1 tsp. or so of the cilantro sour cream spread on the turkey slice.  Add 1 red bell pepper strip, 1 lettuce leaf, 1 sliced green onion to the turkey slice.  Roll up the turkey slice and place a tooth pick to hold it together. Repeat the process as many times as needed.  Place in the fridge or eat right away.  Enjoy!

Fish Tacos

These came out great!  It was pretty simple, not too many ingredients.  I'll definitely make them again!

Makes 8 tacos.

Fish Taco Sauce

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayo

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Make the sauce first.  Whisk the first three ingredients together.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir some more.  Set aside in the fridge.

Fish Tacos

1.25 lbs. fresh cod

8 white corn tortillas (taco size)

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1-10oz. bag of shredded green cabbage

1 Tbsp. lime juice

1/2 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp. olive oil

You can cook the fish fillets however you like, bake, broil, grill.  I cooked mine on the stove top in a pan with a tablespoon of olive oil.  When you put the fish in the pan do not move it around for 2-4 mins.  Let it get a nice thin crust on it.  Squeeze lime juice over the top of each fish.  Sprinkle the fish fillets with garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Cook over medium heat, thin fillets cook 3-4 mins. on each side.  For thick fillets cook 4-6 mins. on each side.  While your fish is cooking prepare your tortillas. Place shredded cabbage and cilantro in the tortilla.
Double check and make sure your fish is done. Remove fish to a cutting board.  Let it stand for a minute. Then rough chop it.  Place chopped fish in the prepared tortillas.  Drizzle fish taco sauce over the top and enjoy!

Pita Salad Sandwich

This is a well balanced healthy lunch. It's lite but filling.  Serves 1 

1 whole wheat pita round

1 cup chopped lettuce of your choice

1/4 cup cooked chicken, chopped

5 grape tomatoes, quartered

1/4 cup sliced cucumber, quartered

1 Tbsp. sliced red onion

1 Tbsp. reduced fat basil & tomato feta cheese

1 Tbsp.  lite italian salad dressing of your choice

fresh ground pepper to taste

Mix the lettuce, chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, onion and feta cheese in a bowl.  Add dressing and toss to coat.  Cut your pita round in half. Gently open your pita bread to make the pocket.  You can use a knife but go slow, the pita bread can rip easily.  Insert your salad mix one spoonful at a time till your pita halves are full.

Enjoy!

Oven-Roasted Vegetables

My family loves their vegetables cooked like this, even my kids.  Serves 6.  The other great thing about this recipe is if you have any leftovers you can warm them up the next morning in a skillet and add a couple of eggs to it to make a nice filling scramble.

1 large russet potato, cut into bite size pieces

1 medium green bell pepper, cut into bite size pieces

1 medium red bell pepper, cut into bite size pieces

1 medium zucchini, cut into bite size pieces

1 cup of baby carrots

1 small red onion, cut into bite size pieces

4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1 tsp. granulated garlic

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Place potatoes in your dish first with 2 Tbsp. of olive oil and some salt and pepper.  Toss to mix and coat.  Spread in a single layer in the pan.  You are doing the potatoes first by themselves because they need more time to cook.  Roast for 15 mins.  Pull out potatoes and add the rest of the olive oil,salt, pepper, garlic and all the vegetables.  Toss to mix and coat.  Spread in a single layer in the pan.  Roast for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned and tender.

You can always add different kinds of vegetables too.  It doesn't have to be just these.  Add summer squash, eggplant, asparagus or fresh green beans.  Whatever your family likes.  Enjoy!



County Fair Turkey Legs

This is one simple and delicious recipe.  This recipe comes from my mother in-law.  I call these county fair turkey legs cause they remind me of the giant turkey legs you see people walking around with and eating at the county fair.  Of course food at the fair always tastes better than at home but I think these are pretty darn good!

4 turkey drumsticks

1 - onion soup mix packet

1/4 cup water

salt & pepper to taste

onion powder (optional)

Turn crock pot on high.  Pour 1/4 cup water into crock pot.  Sprinkle turkey legs with salt & pepper.  Sprinkle turkey legs with onion powder.  Lay turkey legs in crock pot.  Sprinkle onion soup packet over the turkey legs.  Cover and cook for 4 hours.  That's it!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I wanted to make something lite and healthy for dinner tonight.  I decided to make these lettuce wraps.  They came out pretty good.  Lots of veggies and protein.  Serves 4.

1/3 cup sweet & sour sauce

2 Tbsp. rice vinegar

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. peanut oil

2 green onions, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped

2 chicken breasts, cut up in small cubes

1 head of lettuce

2 hours before dinner cut up raw chicken into cubes.  Place chicken in a zip lock bag.  Add 1/3 cup sweet & sour sauce, 2 Tbsp. soy sauce and 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar to the chicken.  Seal bag, mix all the ingredients around.  Place chicken marinade in fridge. 

When you're ready to make dinner heat a large skillet on your stove top.  Add 1 Tbsp. of peanut oil to the skillet.  Add chicken and marinade to the hot skillet.  Let the chicken and marinade cook for 6 mins.  Push all the chicken to one side.  In the clear opening on your skillet add all the chopped veggies.  After 2 mins stir the veggies and chicken all together.  Add 1 more Tbsp. of soy sauce and stir.  Heat together for 2 more mins. on the stove top.  Make sure your chicken is cooked all the way.  Turn the heat off and let the chicken mixture cool for 3-5 mins.

Place chicken in individual lettuce leaves, top with chopped peanuts (if you don't have peanuts you can use chow mien noodles) and roll up.  Enjoy!