Roasted Artichoke and Asparagus Salad

• 2 - 8 oz. boxes frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and drained
• 2 - bunches asparagus, ends removed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
• 1 tsp. spicy brown mustard
• 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 - 3.75 oz. jar capers, drained
• 1/2 of a 16 oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup minced red onion
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, minced
• 2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
• Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400F.

Put the artichoke hearts and asparagus in a bowl, add 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper.  Toss until coated and put on a baking sheet.  Roast for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette.  Put the chopped shallot, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a food processor. Pulse until well mixed.  Add the basil leaves and process until smooth.  Add in 1/4 cup olive oil and mix.

In a large bowl, add the capers, red peppers, red onion, parsley and red pepper flakes.  Toss to combine. Add in the roasted artichoke hearts and asparagus, add the vinaigrette and combine. 

Let sit in the refrigerator until well chilled.

Enjoy!

Grilled Shrimp with Summery White Bean Salad

• 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. minced fresh oregano
• 2 tbsp. minced fresh sage
• 2 tbsp. minced fresh chives
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 - 15 oz. cans white beans
• 12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1 lb. shrimp, peeled & deveined

Combine lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, sage, chives, pepper and salt.  Take out 2 tablespoons of the dressing and use to marinade the shrimp in a large Ziploc bag.

Combine beans, tomatoes, celery and onion and toss with the remaining dressing.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Thread shrimp onto skewers.  Heat the barbecue and grill until pink and firm, about 4 minutes, turning once.

Serve the shrimp over the bean salad.  Enjoy!

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

• ¾ cup quinoa
• 1 ½ cup water
• ½ tsp. salt

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 can black beans, rinsed, drained & dried
• 1 bunch green onions, white & light green parts only, thinly sliced
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley

• 2 tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• ½ tsp. hot Mexican style chili powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• ¼ cup olive oil

Combine quinoa, water and salt in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until all water is absorbed. Let cool.

Combine the beans, bell pepper, green onions and parsley in a large bowl. When the quinoa is cool, add it to the salad.

Mix the lime juice, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper and olive oil in a small bowl. Add it to the salad and toss to combine. Let cool in the refrigerator before serving.

Enjoy!

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes, Onions & Asparagus

• 3/4 pound baby potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 medium red onion, cut into small chunks
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed, and cut into 1 inch pieces
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a bowl, combine the potatoes, onion, 2 tablespoons olive oil and rosemary. Toss to coat and transfer to a greased baking dish. Season with salt & freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring half way through.

Toss asparagus with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt & freshly ground black pepper. Once potatoes & onions have roasted 20 minutes, add the asparagus to the pan and roast 20 minutes longer, stirring a few times, until vegetables are tender.

Serve with your favorite protein. Shown here – Pan Grilled Marinated Rockfish. Enjoy!

Saucy Shrimp over Creamy Polenta

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 – 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream (or regular sour cream)
• 1 tablespoon Cholula hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup uncooked polenta
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon Earth Balance (or butter)

In a medium saucepan, bring the vegetable broth to a boil, add polenta and cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. Once the mixture is creamy, stir in the Earth Balance, cover and keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a skillet. Add the garlic, onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine, sour cream, hot sauce and salt, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the flavors are blended and the sauce begins to thicken, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp turn bright pink and are cooked through, 2 minutes.

Spoon the shrimp mixture over the polenta. YUM!

Roasted Shrimp with Cauliflower and Broccoli

1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
¼ cup olive oil, divided
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. Mexican style hot chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 tsp. lemon zest

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss broccoli and cauliflower with 2 tablespoons olive oil, coriander, cumin, hot chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt and1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Spread the vegetables on a baking sheet, and roast for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine shrimp, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon zest, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper. When vegetables have roasted for 10 minutes, add shrimp to the baking sheet and toss. Roast about 10 minutes more until shrimp is opaque.

Enjoy!

Polenta & Vegetable Bake - Dairy & Gluten Free

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/2 yellow onion, diced

• 1 tbsp. chopped garlic

• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups prepared marinara sauce
• 1 – 1 lb. tube Basil & Garlic Polenta, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 – 8 oz. package Almond Mozzarella Style “cheese”, divided

Preheat oven to 450 degree F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until onions start to get translucent, 3 minutes. Add zucchini, bell peppers, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 5 minutes. Stir marinara sauce into the vegetables and heat through, 2 minutes.

Place polenta slices in a single layer in the prepared baking dish, you will need to cut some to make fit. Sprinkle with half the cheese and top with the vegetable sauce mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake until sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and lightly browned, 17 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.



Spinach and Cheese Baked Penne

• 1 – 13.25 oz. box Dreamfields Penne Rigate
• 1 – 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. chopped garlic
• 1 – 10 oz. box frozen spinach, thawed & drained of all liquid
• 1 1/2 tsp, dried oregano
• 3 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
• 1 – 16 oz. container fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 – 8 oz. bag Sargento 4-Cheese Italian shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 375°.Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with oil spray.
In a large pot of salted water, cook pasta according to instructions.. Drain and return to pot.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, add olive oil and sauté garlic, 1 minute. Add spinach, tomatoes, basil and oregano and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the sauce to the pasta and combine. Add the Parmesan, ricotta and one cup of the shredded cheese and mix well.

Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Top with the remaining shredded cheese.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the edges are lightly browned.

Light & Creamy Potato Salad

• 1 large egg
• 1 pound fingerling potatoes
• 3 tbsp. Best Foods Lowfat Mayo
• 2 tsp. spicy brown mustard
• 1/2 cup chopped celery (2 large stalks)
• 1/3 cup chooped red onion (1/4 medium onion)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper

Hard boil the egg. Remove from the water, peel and chop.

Meanwhile, fill a pot with water and put on high heat.  Cut potatoes into 1-inch pieces, add to the water and cover.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook 8 minutes or until tender.  Drain.

Combine the celery, onion, mayo, mustard, salt & pepper in a bowl.  Add the potatoes and egg and  mix well.

Let chill before serving.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

For the cake
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Hershey’s Unsweetened Cocoa
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup 1% buttermilk
• 1/2 cup corn oil
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water and mix well – the batter will be thin. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 30-35 minutes until a wooden toothpick coes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pans and then remove onto wire racks to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting.


For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
• 1 pound reduced fat cream cheese, softened
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!! I love you so much.

Cheesy Zucchini Enchiladas

Filling:
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. chopped garlic
• 1 bunch green onions, divided, white & light green parts only, chopped
• 2 medium zucchinis, grated
• salt and fresh ground pepper
• ½ tsp. ground cumin
• ½ tsp. ground coriander
• ½ tsp. chili powder
• 2 cups grated reduced fat Mexican blend cheese
• 4 large Whole Wheat/Low Carb tortillas

Sauce:
• 1 tbsp. chopped garlic
• 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth

First, fix the enchilada sauce: Spray a medium saucepan with cooking spray and sauté garlic, 1 minute. Add chili powder, cumin, broth and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Cover and set aside until ready to use.

Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium nonstick skillet, add oil and sauté garlic and half of the green onions over medium heat for about 3 minutes; add zucchini, cumin, coriander and chili powder, season with salt and pepper, cook 5 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid.

Remove from heat and add 1 cup cheese; mix well. Divide zucchini mixture between the 4 tortillas, roll and place seam side down in baking dish.

Top with enchilada sauce and remaining 1 cup cheese and bake until hot and the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.

Top with chopped green onions and serve with fat free sour cream. YUM!