Pasta Salad

This recipe is another one of my faves from childhood.  The most important part of it is the Girard’s Olde Venice Italian salad dressing- it has an unmistakable flavor that makes the meal!  If you’ve never tried it, I would highly recommend doing so.

Pasta Salad:

¼ package spiral noodles

1 tsp. olive oil

1 chicken breast

½ sliced avocado

½ cup diced grape tomatoes

¼ cup cooked, diced squash

¼ cup cooked, chopped broccoli

¼ cup sliced olives

1 tbsp. Girard’s Olde Venice Italian salad dressing

Cook the noodles according to package directions, strain and pour into medium sized bowl. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a pan over medium high heat and cook chicken until done (about 10 minutes).  Remove from pan and cut into bite size pieces.  Add, along with remaining ingredients, to noodles and mix thoroughly.  Drizzle salad dressing on top.     

Mango Black Bean Tacos

I got the basis for this recipe looking through an old Cooking Light issue from June 2002.  I made a few alterations and fell in love after one bite.  The sherry & soy sauce, which comes from Cooking Light, make a delicious marinade for the beans that is sweetly complimented by the addition of the mango.  Not only is it yummy but also only takes about 10 minutes to make!  

½ can black beans

1 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. minced garlic

¼ cup chopped onion

1 tbsp. dry sherry

1 tbsp. soy sauce

1 handful of diced grape tomatoes

½ sliced avocado

½ cup sliced mango

1 handful of cut spinach leaves

2 whole-wheat tortillas

Heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add garlic and onions and sauté until golden.  Stir in beans, sherry and soy sauce bringing to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is almost evaporated.  Spoon into tortilla and add remaining ingredients on top.

Stuffed Bell Pepper

One of my favorites growing up and now a favorite to make, this recipe was passed down from my mom.  It is easy to double for company and makes great leftovers as well.  It requires a few of the same ingredients as the turkey burger from the previous post so you could plan to make these the same week and use up your stuff!

     

¼ lb ground turkey

½ cup sautéed mushrooms

¼ cup chopped broccoli

2 tablespoons sautéed onion

½ cup spaghetti sauce

½ cup cooked brown rice

1 hallowed bell pepper

¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat over to 375.

Cook ground turkey over medium-high heat until done.  Add all remaining ingredients-except the bell pepper- into the pan and mix thoroughly.  Spoon mixture into the hallowed out bell pepper and sprinkle cheese on top.  Place bell pepper in glass baking dish with a ¼ inch or so of water on the bottom of it.  Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes or until bell pepper is as tender as desired.   

Pesto Turkey Burger

This recipe is one of my own creations born of leftovers I had in the fridge.  I’m always looking for different ways to use up a package of ground turkey and this is a tasty spin on a classic!

¼ lb ground turkey

¼ cup seasoned bread crumbs

1 tbsp. egg whites

2 tbsp. pesto (I like Genova Pesto from Trader Joe’s)

1 tsp. Mrs. Dash original seasoning blend

1 tsp. minced garlic

¼ cup mozzarella cheese

2 tbsp. diced, sautéed onions

¼-½ cup sautéed mushrooms

1 slice of tomato

¼ cup spinach

1 tbsp. balsamic vinaigrette dressing or balsamic vinegar

1 whole-wheat bun

Tip on sautéing mushrooms: To avoid slimy, soggy mushrooms be sure the pan is big enough so that every mushroom is touching the bottom.  Use only a tiny bit of olive oil and let the mushrooms sit on medium high heat until they first start to “sweat” out their own juices, then stir them around until the liquid evaporates.  Let sit for a moment and then stir again when they start to get moist.  Keep stirring for a couple minutes until all of the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms are golden brown.  I like to marinate them at this point with a little Worcestershire sauce, toss them around to let it soak in a bit and then remove them from the pan.  

Mix the first six ingredients together in a medium sized bowl and shape into a patty.  Cook on medium high heat for about 5 minutes on each side, placing the mozzarella on top when almost done.  Remove from pan and place on toasted bun.  Top with mushrooms, onions, spinach and tomato.  Drizzle with balsamic dressing. 

Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken Thighs

This is one of my favorite go-to meals. Upon first discovering it, I loved the taste and how little time it takes to make so much that I ate it for a week straight. It is the perfect combination of spicy and sweet and takes all of about 20 minutes from the time you open the spice cabinet to pulling it out of the oven. The original recipe is from Cooking Light’s September 2010 issue. I like to make it with a side of either brown rice or seasoned red potatoes and broccoli.

1 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoons chili powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
2 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Preheat broiler.
Combine spice in a medium sized bowl and add chicken, tossing to coat. Place chicken on pan coated with cooking spray and broil 5 minutes on each side.
Combine honey and vinegar in a small bowl. Remove chicken from oven and brush with mixture. Broil one minute. Remove chicken, turn over and brush with remaining mixture. Broil one minute.
Remove from oven and Enjoy!