Warm Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Warm Asian inspired turkey filling is tucked into crisp lettuce leaves and eaten.  This meal is quick, easy and healthy - but its versatile too!  Increase the amount of noodles and omit the lettuce for a quick stir fry - pile the turkey filling on a finely shredded cabbage slaw or baby spinach for a warm noodle salad! You could even prepare as is and use as a spring roll or summer roll filling!

I've used oyster sauce to flavour the turkey but you can substitute additional hoisin if desired.

Jerk Chicken with Mango Salsa

This spicy Jamaican jerk marinaded chicken was my first attempt at any Jamaican cooking.  The marinade comes together easily in the blender and you can easily increase (or decrease!) the heat level as much as you want to suit your pallet.

Traditionally, jerk seasoning or marinade is made using the habanero or scotch bonnet peppers.  If you are concerned about the level of heat these peppers pack - swap them out for less fiery jalapeno or serrano peppers!

The recipe makes enough marinade for 4 chicken breasts and would work well on pork tenderloin or chicken drumsticks as well (adjust time accordingly).  I chose to cook the chicken in a frying pan but I think this recipe would truly shine on the BBQ.

We served our chicken with a side of mango salsa.  The sweet salsa contrasted well with the spice of the marinade.  The recipe I used can be found here (I scaled it back to serve 2 people *see note below).

Quinoa Risotto

Clearly not a true risotto, this quick and healthy side dish substitutes the traditional Arborio rice for the fast-cooking grain, Quinoa.  

This small, high protein, high fiber grain cooks quickly in chicken broth flavoured with lemon, thyme and garlic.  To recreate risotto's familiar creamy texture, cheese is stirred in during the final moments of cooking!

I purchase quinoa at my local supermarket - the brand I buy is the President's Choice Organics brand from Super Store.  I find this brand cooks well - with all the liquid absorbed, and the quinoa maintaining an aldente texture - but you can substitute any brand you wish - even the black or red varieties for interest - just adjust the cooking time if needed.

The entire box of quinoa contains roughly 1 1/3 cups dried quinoa but I had used about 1/3 cup in another recipe so I used the remaining 1 cup here.  I used all the liquid required by the instructions however to further replicate risotto's 'looser' texture.  If you have a full package use that and add about 1/2 cup additional cooking liquid.

I've also used coconut oil to start the recipe here.  Coconut oil has many health benefits but you can use olive oil or butter instead if you wish!

Thai Green Curry Soup

 

This Thai inspired soup is flavoured with green curry, coconut milk, and fish sauce.  Simmered gently, chicken then vegetables are added in the last few minutes of cooking to retain freshness and colour. You can easily make a vegetarian version with a few substitutions!  Soft tofu for the chicken and vegetable broth for the chicken.  If you don't want to use the fish sauce, leave it out - it will turn out just fine!

I used the green Thai curry paste in this recipe.  Here is the brand I used.  You can find it at most grocery stores nowadays in the Asian section or at your local grocery stores.  If you like, you can substitute the red curry for the green - there seems to be much debate online over which is the hotter, I'll leave it up to you to decide!

Shaun loves this soup served over warm jasmine or basmati rice - but rice noodles will work just as well.  This soup comes together quickly and easily while the rice cooks, a good option for a weeknight meal! 

Linguini with Tomato and Clams

This is the ultimate in quick and easy dishes, don't let the anchovy paste scare you, you won't even know it's in there!  Using canned clams makes this quick and easy - but you can easily substitute fresh shellfish too - just brush the shells of fresh clams clean with a vegetable brush under running water - add before reducing sauce to simmer and discard any that don't open!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

This is a very easy soup with few ingredients. Check your local farmers market in the fall for butternut squash or the versitile squash is generally available in most grocery stores nearly all year round!

Top with soup cream, yogurt or tzatziki!

Honey Mustard Pork Chops

This is an easy way to jazz up the humble pork chop. The original recipe was a Weight Watchers Recipe that I have adapted to save time (the original recipe called for a 4 hour marinade). Depending on the thickness of your pork chops, this recipe goes straight from the frying pan to the table in about 15 minutes!

Spiced Vegetable Quinoa with Vegetables

Did you know Quinoa, a seudo grain native to South America, is a relative of spinach, beets and the tumbleweed? Its protein content is very high (12%–18%). Unlike wheat or rice, and like oats, quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids, making it an unusually complete protein source among plant foods. It is a good source of dietary fiber (7g per serving) and phosphorus and is high inmagnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. (from Wikipedia).

Quinoa is very easy to cook, it takes only 15 minutes which is basically the same amount of time as white rice, with many more health benefits! It's also very versatile, like rice, and can be served hot or cold!

I served this quick and easy spiced quinoa with broiled salmon, but it would do just as well with pretty much anything or even on its own!

Lemon Caper Fish Filets

This simple, healthy week night meal can be made with chicken, or turkey instead of fish if desired!  I used Basa, but Tilapia or any flaky white fish would work.  Filets are browned then tossed back in the frying pan in a light sauce of capers and chicken broth - subtly tart with lemon - this dish is flavourful and healthy!  Serve fish alongside rice or potatoes and a side salad or vegetable!

Thai Coconut Curry Sole

This is a really simple, one pan recipe for a mild, thai curry sole. I obviously used filets of Sole in this recipe but you could just as easily use Tilapia, Basa or any white fish...or even shrimp!

Weight Watchers Pad Thai

Using the old Weight Watchers points system this recipe has 5 points per serving. I haven't calculated the new Points Plus - but either way, this makes a light, healthy version of an old favourite.

I was originally put off by the ketchup in this recipe, if you read this and thought the same, don't be afraid to try it. It's a decent rendition and quick to come together!

Recipe originally found HERE.

Spaghetti with Lemon and Anchovy

Don't worry, this isn't fishy! The anchovy paste adds a salty richness to the pasta sauce. Anchovy paste is also a great addition to a basic fresh tomato sauce for the same reason.

Catie's Citrus Chicken

 After much anticipation here it is. The recipe you've all been waiting for....CATIE'S Chicken! I'm calling this recipe Catie's Citrus Chicken because it can really adapt to whatever you have in your fridge. The original recipe calls for orange...and Catie used Mango Pineapple Veggie Juice and I used Mango Orange so feel free to experiment...any citrus based juice should work well.

Butter Basted Baby Carrots

I was lucky enough to find these multicoloured baby carrots at this farmers market this weekend.  Sweet and tender in purple and orange.  These are so fast and easy to cook and they require little prep - I don't even peel them before tossing them in a hot frying pan with a little butter.  No brown sugar glaze required here, these baby's are super sweet and tasty.  If you can find them, snatch them up - they are great like this, served raw in crudités or salad or simply blanched - a great early summer treat.

Peas, Pesto and Pasta

The basil plants on the balcony are going a bit crazy. I've been plucking off their flowers and have been rewarded with an abundance of leaves! I really love pesto in moderation but there is something very strong about the bottled stuff and on a bowl of pasta I find it over whelming so I thought I'd try making my own with basil, lemon, parmesan and of course garlic!

I used substantially less oil than traditional pesto in this recipe.  I have also added a few tbsp of vegetable broth to the mixture to make up for the lack of oil.  If you prefer a more traditional consistency, feel free to up to oil amount as you blend.

This recipe makes enough pesto for one generous plate of pasta for one as a meal, however, you could easily serve this as a side dish with a light protein like fish or chicken if you wish!

Orange Ginger Garlic Chicken Stir Fry

Shaun and I wanted something a little lighter for dinner today and after getting a PILE of chicken breasts from a friend that was moving (yay!) I thought a spicy chicken stir fry was in order. My chicken breasts were frozen and defrosted in the marinade which I have a feeling added a bit more liquid to the final product. If you are using fresh chicken you might need to add a bit of water or broth to the final marinade so you have more sauce for your rice.

Light Parmesan Chicken

Parmesan chicken is a delicious dish that smothers fried chicken breasts with cheese and tomato before a slow bake in the oven.  This dish uses elements of the original - garlicky chicken, a savoury tomato sauce and parmesan cheese - while keeping things light and healthy.

I use canned tomatoes, garlic, chili and herbs to form the sauce in this dish.  I find a short saute at high heat, plus a stint under the broiler reduces the liquid enough in a short cooking time to form a tasty sauce for the spaghetti noodles but any home-made or pre-prepared sauce would work just as well in place.  Eliminating the fried batter on the chicken lightens things up considerably without sacrificing flavour.  Enjoy!

Spinach Falafel

Traditionally deep fried, this recipe for falafel is lightly pan fried for a lighter, healthier result!  The more traditional parsley is also replaced with spinach in this version for an interesting twist!  Prepared in the food processor, the recipe is quick and easy to prepare, but you can also mash the ingredients by hand with a bowl and fork or in a mortar and pestle.

I formed the chickpea mixture into flat rounds and got 6 medium sized patties this way.  You can also shape them into smaller balls and get about 12.  The larger patties make for a great meal on their own with some salad or on a bun.  Smaller falafel would be delicious on their own as a snack or stuffed into warm pita bread.  Either way you serve them, hummous, tzatziki or hot sauce makes a great accompaniment!