Recipes

These are a few of my favorites. Let me know if you try them!  Would love to hear your opinions.
You'll notice a theme with my recipes as far as where they come from.  I love, love, love Clean Eating magazine and their website is fantastic.  I'm also a big fan of Whole Foods (no surprise to people that know me).  Their recipes are often ingredient heavy, but they have yet to steer me wrong.  As I discover new and lovely things I promise to share.

I don't always cook from a recipe.  More often than not, I just cook a lean protein (turkey, chicken, fish) and pair it with a vegetable. Sometimes I get crazy and add rice to the mix (I prefer jasmine rice cooked with cilantro.  That tip came from a very good friend of mine; he is obviously a genius)

Garlic-Cilantro Shrimp Rotini
     This may be in my top 5 favorites.  The garlic and cilantro are so bold (don't eat this if you need your breath to stay fresh) it's amazing.  I used a tri-color vegetable rotini and local shrimp (of course).  Delicious!  

Barbecue Pulled Chicken 
     I used chicken breast for this recipe (because I really, really don't like dark meat) and spicy brown mustard in place of dry (because I didn't want to buy another ingredient). It didn't turn out super barbecuey, but is still full of flavor.  I made the cole slaw per the suggestion and wasn't disappointed!
   

Chicken Egg Rolls with Red Cabbage, Mango, and Lime
       I left out the rice in these the first time I made them.  It's my opinion that they don't need the rice.  There's so much flavor in these things; I can't get enough. 

Breakfast Quiche
     I eat this for dinner with a Big Salad (bonus points if you get the Seinfeld reference).  It's really crucial that you drain the artichoke hearts well.  Otherwise you get soggy quiche.  Also note the artichoke hearts are not marinated; that will change the nutrition info of your dish and likely make it oily. Eww. 

Skillet-Grilled Red Pepper Shrimp
     Okay, okay; I know there are more than 10 ingredients here.  Look closely and you'll see that most of them are spices.  I leave out the salt and the cheese in the grits.  I've discovered that you don't notice the cheese anyway so might as well cut the calories.  I also eliminate tossing the shrimp with oil.  No real reason for that; maybe because the first time I made it I didn't have oil.  

Toasted Quinoa Salad with SnoPeas and Scallops
     I use a mix of seafood for this that you can buy at Whole Foods or Trader Joes.  It's a little cheaper than the scallops and doesn't change the dish. Find it in the frozen seafood section next to the scallops.   I also double (or triple) the cilantro because I'm a cilantro freak.  Great for lunch and super filling!

Quinoa with Balsamic Roasted Mushrooms
     Holy delicious, Batman!  The mushrooms in this dish are amazing. I did almost burn my house down cooking the mushrooms at 475 for 25 minutes.  I think that's a bit too much.  Play with it and see what works with your oven.  As with all recipes, I eliminated the salt from this one.  

Turkey Meatballs over Greens
     Do not turn your nose up at this!  It was a fantastic winter dish.  Do like your mother said and try it before you decide you hate it.  Carie's tip (from her friend Jen):  Bake the meatballs instead of cooking them in the pan.  They are just as delish and the mess is much more bearable. 

Carie's Stuffed Patty-Pan Squash
     Patty pan squash has basically no flavor, but they are so lovely to look at.  Carefully cut the tops off of however many you bought (I usually buy 4; I don't know why).  Scoop out the insides and set aside.  In a skillet, cook one pound turkey (chicken and lean beef are okay too) and one chorizo sausage (for a kick) until cooked through.  Saute a small onion (I am partial to Vidalias, but you use what you want) with one zucchini.  Mix the squashes, onions, and meat together with a handful (or so) of Panko breadcrumbs (or regular; it's your dinner).  Scoop the mix into the empty patty pan squash shells (or ramekins if you prefer) and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.  This isn't one of the fanciest dishes, nor is it the most tasty.  But if you are like me and simply cannot resist those adorable Patty Pans; this is a great way to enjoy them.