Say Goodbye to Salty Thai

     I was really craving good old fashioned spaghetti tonight, but since I'm going to one of my favorite Italian restaurants tomorrow, I held myself back. What's the next best thing? Well, Thai of course. The only drawback of Thai food is the sodium intake. I swear, the morning after eating Thai I can barely open my eyes because they are so swollen. So, I'm on a mission to make a low-sodium, healthy Thai meal. 

Curried Halibut

Ingredients:
2 tsp canola oil
2 shallots, minced
2 tsp curry powder
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 (5 ounce) halibut fillets
2 roasted red peppers, sliced, recipe follows
1 scallion (green part only), sliced
2 cups jasmine rice, cooked

Directions:
Heat canola oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add shallots and cook until browned. Stir in curry powder until fragrant. Add chicken broth, coconut milk and 1/2 tsp of the salt. Simmer for about 5 minutes. 
Season halibut with salt and pepper, then place in pan. Coat the fish with the sauce. Place cover over pan and cook about 10 minutes until fish flakes easily with fork. 
Assemble rice on a plate, followed by roasted red peppers and then the halibut.
Stir the cilantro and scallions in the sauce, then pour sauce over fish. Serve warm.


Roasted Red Peppers

Ingredients:
2 large red peppers

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. 
Place the whole peppers on a baking sheet and cook for about 35 minutes, flipping a couple times through. 
Remove from oven and cover in aluminum foil. Let it rest for 30 minutes. 
Remove stems, seeds and skin. Cut into quarters. 

Leftovers for Lunch

     One of my favorite lunch spots here in Chicago serves a variety of quinoa bowls - packed with protein, low in calories, extremely filling and uber delicious! The only problem with this place are the prices. It typically comes out to around $10 a bowl, which I believe is too much to be spending on a weekday lunch.

     Since my fiance and I all about saving money these days, or rather putting it towards our friends (and our own) weddings, I'm going to make my favorite quinoa bowl myself. Not to mention, there is nothing better than fresh homemade pesto. 

Spinach Pesto Quinoa Bowl

Ingredients: 
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite size strips
1/4 cup pesto, recipe follows
1 container baby spinach
1 cup quinoa, cooked
Hot sauce, to taste ~~~ CLH

Directions: 
Stir chicken and pesto together in large pan, until mixed and warmed. Toss in spinach, in batches, until coated and slightly wilted. 
Serve warm in bowl over quinoa. Top with hot sauce. 

Homemade Pesto

Ingredients: 
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 garlic clove
1 tsp red pepper flakes ~~~ CLH
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Grated parmesan 

Directions:
Place basil, pine nuts, garlic and red pepper flakes in food processor. Blend until finely chopped. Stream olive oil in until smooth. Stir grate parmesan in to your liking. 

No...I mean...MORE Soup for You!

     Not to send you on soup-overload or anything, but it's a rainy day here in Chicago and I can't continue to ignore all of the yummy fall vegetables that have been popping up in the farmers markets lately. Also, it's supposed to jump back into the seventies tomorrow which is totally unexceptable for soup, so I need to get this recipe out while I can (because I don't have 6 months of freezing cold weather ahead of me or anything)...

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Ingredients:
1 (3 lb) butternut squash
1 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 shallots, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 apple, diced
4 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. chili powder, to taste ~~~ CLH
4 pieces thick cut bacon
2 tbsp. reserved bacon fat
Goat cheese, crumbled
Maple bacon croutons, recipe follows

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Trim the top and bottom of the butternut squash. Cut the squash into quarters lengthwise, then cut each quarter in half. 
Arrange squash on a baking sheet. Brush melted butter over squash. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast for 45-50 minutes. (TFD: You'll know it is finished when you can pierce it easily with a fork)
Warm olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Sautee shallots, garlic, carrots, celery and apple until softened - about 7 minutes.
Add chicken broth and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove skin from roasted squash then puree in a food processor or blender. 
Blend pureed squash and soup together until smooth, then return to pot. 
Stir in cider vinegar, cinnamon and chili powder. 
Cook over medium-low heat for about 5 more minutes or until warm. 
Fry bacon in pan over medium heat until done. Remove from pan, reserving 2 tbsp. for the croutons. Dice bacon into bite size pieces and set aside.
Prepare maple bacon croutons (recipe follows). 
Serve warm soup in bowls and top with croutons, diced bacon and crumbled goat cheese.


Maple Bacon Croutons

Ingredients:
4 (1/2 inch thick) slices day old bread
1 tbsp. grade B maple syrup
2 tbsp. reserved bacon fat
1/2 tsp. paprika
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Dice bread into bite size cubes. Toss with maple syrup, bacon fat, paprika and salt and pepper.
Fry in pan over medium heat until grill marks appear and bread is crunchy, tossing the cubes around every so often to that all sides are golden.

NOLA Detox

     As suspected, the trip to New Orleans was one eating and drinking adventure after another. Jambalaya, gumbo, cheesy grits, po boys, fried green tomatoes, beignets... you name it. The only southern menu item I didn't want to get involved with was the nutria, which is basically an oversized rat with bright orange teeth. Noooo thank you! 

     On top of all the unhealthy eating lately, I'm also going to the Madonna concert tonight and I plan on doing some serious dancing - I obviously don't want to be too full. So with that said, it's going to be a salad kinda night.

Shrimp and Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad

Ingredients: 
1 bag baby spinach
1/2 cup pistachios, de-shelled
1 lb. strawberries, quartered
1 lb. deveined and peeled jumbo shrimp, tails on
5-6 pieces thick-cut bacon
1/3 cup goat cheese
4 tbsp. Brianna's Rich Poppy Seed Dressing

Directions:
Cook bacon in large frying pan until done. Reserve 2 tbsp. of the bacon fat in the pan. 
Dice bacon into bite size pieces and set aside.
Add shrimp to the frying pan and cook in bacon fat until done, about 3-4 minutes on each side.
Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl and serve immediately. 
     

Case of the Monday's

     You know those days where you feel like the universe is just not aligning? Well, today was one of those days for me. One issue after another and not one of those problems coming with a simple solution. Needless to say, when it came time to decide on what to have for dinner I needed something quick and easy. I walked into Whole Foods with every intention of buying one of their pre-made meals, but then - the vibrant pile of peaches caught my eye. I picked up one ingredient after another until I realized I had a pretty good salad going on.

Peach and Prosciutto Salad

Ingredients: 
2 peaches, sliced
1 bunch arugula
1/4 lb. prosciutto, shred
1/4 cup fresh mozzarella, diced
1 1/2 tbsp. fresh mint leaves, minced
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and toss with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 
Serve with crusty bread and a side of olive oil and vinegar to dip. 

Chickity China...

     I have had the biggest craving for a chinese chicken salad lately. It's weird because I honestly haven't had one in as long as I can remember, but for some reason I just can't get it out of my head. It's time to give in. 

     Rather than go for the fried wonton infested version you can find at any chain restaurant I'm opting for my mom's recipe. Unfortunately, her salad does not call for chicken, which I could probably do without - my boyfriend on the other hand will eat two platefuls and then ask me where the "entree" is. You see, a salad without some sort of protein does not qualify as a meal in any man's mind, so here's a TFD: If you are serving this salad to any males - throw in some meat. 

Mandarin Almond Salad

Ingredients:

1 head Romaine lettuce, torn

1 cup celery, chopped

3 green onions, chopped

1 tbsp. flat parsley, chopped

11 oz. can mandarin oranges

1/3 cup slivered almonds, caramelized*

2 baked chicken breasts, shredded

Salad dressing to taste, recipe follows

*TFD: If you want to stick to the healthy approach, toasted almonds also taste delicious in this salad

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and toss with dressing.

Mandarin Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable oil*

4 tbsp. sugar

4 tbsp. white vinegar

1 tsp. salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Dash of Tabasco sauce ~~~ CLH

*TFM: Canola oil can be substituted

Directions: 

Mix all ingredients together in a sealable container and let it sit in refrigerator overnight. (TFM: Shake the dressing really well from time to time, so the sugar does not build up).

Health Kick

     My boyfriend is a runner and I am, well...not. Every so often, however, he can convince me to join him on a short jog along the lakeshore path. Tonight was one of those nights. Working out always tends to kick those bad cravings (major plus), so tonight I'm just going to whip up a nice protein packed salad for dinner. 

Chicken Summer Salad

Ingredients:

Shredded chicken, recipe follows

½ cup caramelized pecans, recipe follows

1 (6 oz.) package fresh spinach

½ cup blue cheese, crumbled

1 granny smith apple, cored and sliced into bite size pieces

½ cup fresh raspberries

4 tbsp. Brianna's blush wine vinaigrette (Brianna's Salad Dressing)

Directions:

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl and serve immediately.

Baked Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on chicken breasts and bake for 25 minutes.

Let chicken cool, then shred into pieces.

Caramelized Nuts

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. brown sugar

½ tbsp. butter

½ tbsp. corn syrup

½ cup nuts, pieces and halves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt sugar, butter and corn syrup in a small saucepan on medium-high heat. Mix in nuts and stir for 5-7 minutes until fully coated.

Transfer to parchment lined baking sheet and toast in oven for 3-4 minutes.

Allow nuts to cool.

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     To round out the meal, serve salad with roasted garlic and crusty bread. It's extremely simple and tastes soooo yummy!

Roasted Garlic

Ingredients:

1 head of garlic

2 tsp. olive oil

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Cut the head off of the garlic bulb to expose the individual cloves. 

Drizzle olive oil over garlic head and wrap in aluminum foil. 

Bake for 30-35 minutes.