An Easy Weeknight Dinner

A good weekday recipe is one that delivers flavor without a lot of effort.  I decided that a pint of grape tomatoes I had on hand was the simple beginning to a delicious topping for turkey cutlets that I purchased on special at the supermarket.  I halved the tomatoes before tossing with some fresh garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper before roasting, then stirred in some basil from the garden for a pop of fresh flavor.  You can do the same thing using plum tomatoes for an quick side dish.

While the tomatoes were roasting I coated the turkey cutlets with Parmesan cheese and cooked them off in a grill pan.  This is the rare occasion where I break my one pan rule.  Normally I stick to creating recipes that use one pot or pan, but in this case the rich flavor you get from roasting the tomatoes and pan grilling the turkey cutlets is worth a little extra clean up.  To round out the meal, simply serve with a warmed loaf of crusty bread.

Parmesan Turkey Cutlets with Roasted Tomatoes

Makes 4 servings

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 ¼ pounds turkey cutlets

¼ cup cholesterol free egg substitute

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

1.   Mix tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper on baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, stirring to coat well.  Spread tomato mixture into an even layer.  Bake at 450°F. for 15 minutes or until tomatoes are softened and starting to brown.  Keep warm. 

2.   Dip turkey cutlets into egg substitute and coat evenly with Parmesan cheese, shaking off excess. 

3.   Heat oil in nonstick grill pan or skillet over medium high heat.  Add turkey and brown on both sides for 10 minutes or until turkey is done, turning once.  

4.   Stir the basil into the roasted tomatoes and spoon over turkey cutlets.  Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information per serving: 348 calories, 14 g. total fat, 5 g. saturated fat, 119 mg. cholesterol, 614 mg. sodium, 4 g. carbohydrate, 1 g. dietary fiber, 2 g. sugar, 49 g. protein

 

A Dinner Waiting to be Discovered

Before I go food shopping each week I take inventory of the refrigerator looking for perishable items I didn't use and leftovers.  This week I had a good amount of grilled pork tenderloin left from a weekend dinner and some broccoli and bok choy for which I had plans that never materialized.  So top priority was coming up with a recipe for these ingredients.  Doing a mad dash through my mental recipe box, I decided that these ingredients were destined for Far Eastern flair. Fortunately I had some Asian seasonings on hand to bring my idea to life. 

You can do this too!  Make a list of ingredients you have on hand in your refrigerator that need to be used.  Put them into your internet search engine (e.g. cooked chicken and broccoli recipes) and see what recipes come up.  You may be surprised at what delicious dinner could be waiting for you in your fridge with the added bonus of cleaning it out! 

Pork with Garlic-Ginger Broccoli and Bok Choy

Makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons light agave nectar

1 tablespoon sweet cooking rice wine (Mirin)

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons oil

1 1/4 pounds broccoli crowns, cut into bite-size florets

3 baby bok choy, sliced

1 small onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2-inch piece gingerroot, peeled and minced

1 pound cooked pork tenderloin, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon hot chili sauce with garlic

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1. Mix rice vinegar, soy sauce, agave nectar and rice wine in small bowl.  Add cornstarch, stirring until blended. Set aside.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add broccoli, bok choy, onion, garlic and gingerroot.  Cook and stir for 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp.  Remove vegetable mixture from skillet.




3. Add remaining oil to skillet and heat over medium-high heat.  Add pork.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until hot.   
4. Stir vinegar mixture to re-blend cornstarch and stir into pork.  Cook for 2 minutes or until sauce thickens.  Return vegetable mixture to skillet with hot chile sauce with garlic and sesame oil.  Stir to blend and heat through.  Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information per serving: 350 calories, 9 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 83 mg cholesterol, 221 mg sodium, 33 g total carbohydrates, 6 g dietary fiber, 20 g sugar, 35 g protein

A New Take on Buffalo Chicken

The popularity of Buffalo Wings ultimately created a whole new flavor category and a food trend that has popped up in dips, sandwiches, salads, pizzas and pretzels to name a few.  I decided to hop on the Buffalo bandwagon with my own rendition using boneless chicken while keeping an eye on the fat and sodium.  The simple marinade for this dish consists of plain Greek yogurt which tenderizes the chicken plus a good dose of hot sauce to add the kick.  The creaminess of the yogurt coating coupled with the tang of the blue cheese and crunch of the celery tastes like you're eating Buffalo chicken dip for dinner!  

Buffalo Chicken with Blue Cheese and Celery

Makes 6 servings

3/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons hot sauce (I used Frank's RedHot)
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
2 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
Paprika

1. Mix the yogurt and hot sauce in a bowl. 




2. Place the chicken in a resealable plastic bag.  Add yogurt mixture, mixing to coat chicken.  Seal the bag.  Marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.

3. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Remove the chicken from the yogurt mixture and place on the baking sheet (most of the yogurt mixture will cling to the chicken).  Discard any remaining yogurt mixture.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes or until done. 
5. Mix the blue cheese and celery.  Spoon the celery mixture over chicken breasts and sprinkle with paprika.  Bake for 5 minutes more or until cheese slightly melts.  Slice chicken and serve.

Nutrition Information per serving: 299 calories, 14 g. total fat, 6 g. saturated fat, 116 mg. cholesterol, 582 mg. sodium, 3 g. carbohydrate, 1 g. dietary fiber, 2 g. sugar, 38 g. protein

Chicken Portion Size Tip: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts can no longer be considered single serving size portions.  They can range anywhere from 5 to 12 ounces each!  The average portion size should be about 4 ounces or the size of a deck of cards.  Before serving a chicken dish, slice each breast into 4 or 5 pieces and arrange on a serving platter.  This will allow you to manage your portion size.

Time for Soup!

Whenever my refrigerator is brimming with produce or leftovers it's time to make a pot of soup!  Of course the soup never tastes the same way twice, but it always tastes great (or so my critics tell me).  I start with the same basics...onion, garlic and broth.  From there I layer on the flavor with seasonings, vegetables (raw or cooked) and leftover chicken, beef or pork.  I also add a package of shredded cole slaw mix to bulk up the soup and add great flavor. 

Italian seasoning is my go to dried herb....in just one bottle you get marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano and basil...beats having to keep a bottle of each on hand!  I like to add some curry powder...not enough to scream curry.  Just a subtle back note that you'll find creates a nice flavor blend.  To round out the herbs and spices, some coarsely ground black pepper adds a little heat. 

You really can't hurt this recipe....just follow the basic amounts using your own choice of  ingredients.   Let me know how it turns out!  

'Clean Out The Refrigerator' Soup

Makes 10 (2-cup) servings

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
10 cups chopped vegetables (raw or cooked)*
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 cartons (48 ounces) fat free chicken broth
1 package (16 ounces) shredded cole slaw mix
4 cups diced cooked chicken, beef, or pork

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in an 8-quart pot.  Add the onion, garlic, raw chopped vegetables, Italian seasoning, curry and black pepper.  Cook and stir until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.



2. Add the broth and cole slaw mix.  Heat to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. 

    3.  Stir in the cooked vegetables and chicken and heat through.   

*I used red and green bell peppers, mushrooms, celery and shredded carrot.

Easy Late Summer Dinner

Although I grill all year round, I especially want to take advantage of cooking outdoors during the last wonderful days of summer.  I had a special request for a shrimp dish, so that's what's on the menu this week. 

I've moved into the third cyle of the 17 Day Diet with the addition of an expanded list of carbs to include whole grain breads, pita and tortillas, as well as being able to occasionally have carbs at dinner.  I've lost 13 pounds...not bad for a little more than a month on the diet.  To celebrate, I'm going to add some quinoa and broccoli to round out the meal.  Check out the quinoa link to learn about this nutritent rich ingredient.  Although it's appearance reminds me of couscous, it has a nutty flavor and cooks up in a way similar to rice. 

  

Herb Dijon Grilled Shrimp

Makes 4 servings

1 1/4 pounds shrimp, peeled with tails left on and deveined*

1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
8 (12-inch) wooden skewers

1. Mix shrimp, mustard, Italian seasoning and black pepper in a bowl.  Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.



2. Meanwhile, soak the wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes.
3. Place shrimp on skewers, inserting a second skewer about a 1/2 inch apart from the first one to keep the shrimp from twirling around the skewer as you're turning them on the grill.  (Instead of placing the shrimp on the skewer, you can also place them in a grill basket.)

4. Grill over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until done, turning once.

5.  Remove from skewers to serving plate and serve immediately. Any leftover shrimp is great served chilled on a tossed green salad.

* I usually keep a bag of frozen peeled and deveined raw shrimp with the tail on hand in the freezer.  They defrost quickly in cold water for last minute decisions about dinner.  Costco sells a 2-pound package of the 31-40 count/pound size for $14.99.

Red Pepper Quinoa Pilaf

Makes 4 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups fat free chicken broth

1 cup quinoa

1. Heat olive oil in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat.  Add bell pepper, onion and garlic.  Cook and stir for 3 minutes.

2. Add broth and quinoa.  Heat to a boil.

3. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until broth is absored.  Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes before serving. 

Broccoli Tip

The broccoli that I picked up at the farmer's market had long stems.  The stem can be woody and many folks just cut them off and discard.  But you're losing a lot of vegetable and good nutrition if you do that.  I find that cutting an inch off the bottom of the stem, then paring the stalk with a vegetabler peeler removes the woodier part of the stem (see photo).  I slice the stem crosswise up to the florets which I then cut into smaller pieces.  I steam them all together until done.