Chicken with Lemon-Leek Linguine

I think the best part of this dish is the lemon flavor on the leek. It gives this recipe a pop. I used whole wheat pasta to make it just a little healthier.



Ingredients:

6 ounces uncooked linguine
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 leek, trimmed, cut in half lengthwise, and thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; keep warm.
2. Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to an even thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish; dredge chicken in flour, shaking to remove excess.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.
4. Add1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, leek, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; sauté 4 minutes. Add broth and juice; cook 2 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Add pasta to leek mixture; toss well to combine. Serve chicken over pasta mixture; sprinkle with parsley.

Cuban Braised Beef

Wooo I can't wait to make this dish again. It was so easy to make. I just had to add the ingrediance together walk alway and let it work its magic! The sweetness of the nectarine went really well with the spiciness from the chili powder.

Ingredients:
1 can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 pounds flank steak cut into cubes
1 large onion cut into wedges
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup of white rice
1 nectarine cut up
1/4 cup of cilantro

Directions:
1. Cook steamed rice as directed.
2. In a large saucepan, combine diced tomatoes, flank steak, onion, chili powder, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Cover the saucepan to let the beef simmer on low until the beef is fork-tender about 2 hours.
4. Serve the beef on top of rice, with cup-up nectarine and cilantro.

Gingery Turkey Meatballs with Noodles

This is my take on the meatball recipe from Cooking Light. I substituted ground pork with ground turkey for a healthier meat. The meatballs were extremely flavorful. The subtle flavor from the sesame oil and crushed red pepper was perfect in the noodles and veggies.

Ingredients:

Meatballs:
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Noodles:
8 ounces uncooked wide rice noodles
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 cup red bell pepper strips
1 cup julienne-cut zucchini
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450°. Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl; stir gently just until blended. Shape ground turkey mixture into a meatball. Arrange meatballs in a single layer on baking pan. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes or until done.
2. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Rinse noodles under cool water; drain.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, peas, salt, and crushed red pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add noodles; toss. Place 1 3/4 cups noodle mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 5 meatballs. Sprinkle each serving with 2 tablespoons green onions.

Gemelli with Broccoli Rabe, Bacon, and Chickpeas

This is a recipe from the September issue of the Cooking Light Magazine. This is one of my favorite cooking magazine other than Real Simple. I think the ingredients goes really well together. I would have never thought about adding chickpeas into a pasta dish. Adding a little red hot pepper makes the dish even better.

Ingredients:
1 pound broccoli rabe, trimmed and coarsely chopped
8 ounces uncooked gemelli pasta
6 slices center-cut bacon
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

Directions:
1. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Add broccoli rabe to pan; cook 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain well. Coarsely chop.
2. Return water to a boil. Add pasta to pan; cook according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl; reserve 3/4 cup pasta water.
3. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and crumble bacon. 4. Increase heat to medium-high. Add garlic and chickpeas to drippings in pan; sauté 2 minutes or until garlic is golden. Stir in broccoli rabe, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; cook 3 minutes or until broccoli rabe is heated. Stir in pasta, 3/4 cup pasta water, and bacon; toss well.

Golden Corn Salad with Potatoes and Cherry Tomatoes

This salad is sooo easy to make- and tastes amazing. I made it for dinner tonight night and severed it with Cod. Pete LOVED it! We will make it again next week, for sure. This is a great way to use your fresh veggies. It's light but filling. We had plenty left over, even after Pete had 3 servings!

Ingredients:
8 ounces small yellow Finnish potatoes or small red potatoes
2 cups fresh corn kernels
1 cups assorted tear-drop cherry tomatoes (pear-shaped), halved
1 1/2 cups chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup minced shallots
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups arugula, trimmed

Directions:
1. Place potatoes in a small saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook 11 minutes or until tender. Drain and chill. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Combine potatoes, corn, tomatoes, and bell pepper in a large bowl.
2. Combine shallots and next 4 ingredients (through black pepper) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Slowly pour oil into shallot mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Drizzle over corn mixture; toss well. Add arugula; toss.

Pan-Fried Fish With Squash Salsa

Cat fish contains lots of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Consumption of these types of fatty acids is thought to be associated with reduction in blood pressure and reduced risk for certain cancers. I love the red wine vinegar on the squash salsa. It goes really well with the catfish.

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 medium summer squash, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 small red onion, chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
4 3- to 4-ounce skinless catfish fillets

Directions:
1.Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, squash, bell pepper, onion, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and refrigerate until cool. Wipe out the skillet.
2.In a medium bowl, toss the cooled vegetables with the vinegar, parsley, basil, and 2 tablespoons of the oil.
3.Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Season the fish with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve with the salsa.

Grilled Lemon Chicken with Cabbage and Corn Slaw

I can't believe August is over. I didn't get to post a lot of new recipes because I didn't get to cook as much. When the weather is nice it's always tempting to eat out. We were also out of town a lot. I hope I'll get to cook more in September. This was a super easy dinner and it was heart healthy. The total time to make it was only 20 minutes.

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
kosher salt and black pepper
1/4 small green cabbage (1/2 pound), cored and shredded
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup corn kernels (from 1 to 2 ears, or thawed if frozen)
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:
1.In a large bowl, whisk together the honey, 2 tablespoons of the oil, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the cabbage, bell pepper, and corn and toss to combine.
2.Heat grill to medium-high. Rub the chicken with the remaining teaspoon of oil and season with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Grill the chicken, basting often with the remaining 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Serve with the slaw.