Spiralled Zucchini Bowls

How great are infomercials? Seriously, I love them. The demos, the sales pitch, the products that you can't live without!  C'monnnn, at home facial kit, knives that cut through bricks, or my latest obsession, the vegetable spiralizer all qualify as necessities right? The Paderno Spiralizer may or may not be another ploy to trick the recipe testers into believing zucchini noodles taste just like pasta. But so far its working!

Ingredients:
3 zucchinis 
3 heirloom or cherry tomatoes 
2 ears of corn, cut off the cob
1/2 cup of pesto
Salt & Pepper to taste


Directions:
Spiralize the zucchini into noodles. Preheat oven to 400 and soak the ears of corn in water for 10 -15 minutes. Place the corn on a baking sheet and allow to cook in the oven, for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut the corn kernels from the ears of corn. Halve the tomatoes, and mix with zucchini and corn. Toss with the pesto, and season with salt & pepper as needed.

Harbaugh's Pulled Pork Sliders

Who's pumped for Red Zone to come back? This lady right hereee! I mean between Bleacher Report, my Fantasy league and Pinteresting finger foods, I can barely find the time to sleep. Yea, that couldn't be farther from the truth, but I have found some amazing new recipes for this season.
In the meantime I want to share a staple of the 2013 Season. I've learned with avid sports fans not to mess with their superstitions (no hats on the bed, noted). Which will probably explain why I have not be eaten pulled pork in over a year, but it is a crowd pleaser no matter how many weeks in a row you consume. 

Ingredients:  
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt, more as needed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (4-1/2- to 5-pound) boneless or bone-in pork shoulder
2 cups barbecue sauce (optional)

Directions:

Place the onions and garlic in an even layer in the slow cooker and pour broth. Combine the sugar, chili powder, salt, cumin, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork and place the meat on top of the onions and garlic. Cover and cook until the pork is fork tender, about 6 to 8 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low.

Turn off the slow cooker and remove the pork to a cutting board. If the pork has a bone, remove and discard it. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat. Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker, add the barbecue sauce, if using, and mix to combine. If you’re not using barbecue sauce, use a spoon to skim and discard the fat from the surface of the strained cooking liquid, and then add 1/4 cup of the liquid at a time to the slow cooker until the pork is just moistened. Taste and season with salt as needed.

I usually serve with a spicy coleslaw. (Cabbage, apple cider vinegar, lime juice and cayenne) 

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas... for Jesus

To tell them if it is meatless and healthy or not... that is the question. If it's spicy and filling enough, usually my recipe testers don't mind a meal off the beaten path. So for Ash Wednesday, I opted for a meatless meal that did not disappoint. Making healthy Mexican food can seem impossible, but these enchiladas were totally guiltless, and super easy to make! JC would have totally approved. 

Ingredients: 

1 cup red enchilada sauce

1 tsp olive oil

1 bag of pre-cut butternut squash

1 small onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

10 oz can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies

1 can reduced sodium canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup cilantro

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 cup water

salt and pepper, to taste

8 medium white corn tortillas

1 cup reduced-fat shredded Mexican cheese

2 tbsp chopped scallions, for garnish
reduced-fat sour cream, for garnish

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place 1/4 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in large skillet. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno and cook 2-3 minutes until onions become translucent. Add cubed butternut squash, Rotel tomatoes, black beans, water, cilantro, cumin and chili powder and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Place about 1/3 cup filling in the center of each tortilla and roll, place on the baking dish seam side down. Sprinkle cheese inside the filling if desired. Repeat with the remaining filling. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese and bake, covered with foil until hot and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Top with scallions and eat with sour cream.

Italian Chop Chop

So I mentioned here, that even the most anti-kalers will get on board. Probably not the case if you try to serve it three times in one week. By the fourth, I was vetoed and had to scramble for what turned out to be a new dinner staple. What's better than an old school italian chop chop? Most of the ingredients are usually lying around or in your pantry, and it can be served as a side or a main dish. 

Ingredients:
3 heads of romaine lettuce
2 roma tomatoes
8 oz fresh mozzarella
4 oz italian dry salami
1/2 red onion
1/2 cup kalamata olives
1/2 cup chopped pepperoncinis
1 Tbs fresh italian parsley

Dressing:
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup EVOO
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:
Wash and dry the romaine lettuce. Chop it up in thin strips, horizontally. Continue to chop the rest of the ingredients and combine in large bowl. Toss all of the dressing ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Pour over the salad and toss. Adjust seasonings as needed. Garnish with a fresh bread or these twists.

Spicy Spaghetti Squash Tacos

You were warned, slightly obsessed with anything and everything spaghetti squash as of late. A few months ago I bought the Smitten Kitchen cookbook, and immediately got that salivating, fat kid moment while looking at the pictures. Somehow this one slipped through the cracks, but I am so happy I finally made it! I would have never thought lime juice would go well with spaghetti squash, but it is the perfect combo. And I just really, really wanted some tacos.

Ingredients:

1 large spaghetti squash

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

1/4 cup cotija cheese 

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander 

1/2 tsp salt 

16 6-inch flour or corn tortillas 

1 15oz can black beans, drained & rinsed

1/4  cup finely diced red onion 

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Optional garnish: Tabasco sauce, chopped pepperoncini, salsa, avacado

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the spaghetti squash in half, length wise. Scoop out the seeds and pulp. Season with a little EVOO, salt and pepper. Cook for 35 min, face up. 

Whisk together the lime juice, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and salt. 

Remove the spaghetti squash from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Once it is cool, start to shred out the squash with a fork.  Pour the dressing over the strands of squash and gently toss together. Taste the squash and adjust the seasoning as desired.

I stuffed the tortillas with squash, beans, onion, and salsa. Sprinkle with cotija cheese, and cilantro. Line up all of the tacos in a pyrex dish and broil for about 5-7 min. Finally garnish with sliced avocado and hot sauce of your choice. 

Original recipe courtesy of Smitten Kitchen

Pesto Turkey Spaghetti Squash

The obsession started a few years ago. My roommate was in the kitchen attempting to dismantle the mother of all melons. (Or so I thought) Butcher knife, forks, leg up for leverage... the works. I thought to myself, "wow, gurlll really wants to get into this melon". She quickly corrected me, and informed me of this magical vegetable... SPAGHETTI SQUASH! Where had this delicacy been hiding all of my life? Admittedly, it totally irks me when it's called a great substitute for pasta. To that I say.... naaa naaa naaa. The true Italian in me knows there is no such comparison. Pasta is pasta. However, I've played with numerous combinations, and found that pesto is by far one of my favorites. It gives off that guiltless comfort food feeling. 

My other favorite thing about spaghetti squash is cooking it for people that have never tried it before. One of my frequent recipe testers gave the expected "what is this chick, diet food you are going to feed me look" when I was whipping up my latest concoction. To my delight, he loved it! 

Let's be honest, I could go on. You be the judge, and go have yourself a big ol' bowl of squash. Let me know what you think! And stay tuned for my post on SS tacos!

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
1lb lean ground turkey
1/2 cup of pest0 (recipe here)
EVOO
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the spaghetti squash in half, length wise. Scoop out the seeds and pulp. Season with a little EVOO, salt and pepper. Cook for 35 min, face up.

While the squash is in the oven, start cooking the turkey meat in a skillet. Heat 1 Tbs of EVOO and add your turkey to the pan. Break it up into pieces, and season with salt and pepper. (Optional: add chili powder for a little heat) Add  3/4 of the package of pesto to the ground turkey, reduce heat to low.

Remove the SS from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Once it is cool, start to shred out the squash with a fork. When all done, toss in with turkey and pesto! This recipe easily feeds four to six people, and keeps for several days in the fridge. 

Grandma's Meatballs

Attempting in Grandma's kitchen

Growing up, I was fortunate enough to spend a lot of time at my grandparents house. There was always someone sitting around the kitchen table telling a story, a handful of cousins wreaking havoc around the house, and something delicious simmering on the stove. This is without a doubt, where I learned to love cooking. 

My Grandpa would always answer the door the same way, "we don't want any". I would of course laugh, knowing they had bought their fair share of Girl Scout Cookies, wrapping paper, magazines, and whatever else I was peddling that month. My Grandma on the other hand would greet you in one of two ways. The first was a big hug, seeing how far around her arms could reach, and she would say, "you look hungry, let me make you something". The second was a big hug and, "you look healthy". The dreaded words out of Grandma's mouth. Instead of meatballs, you would get a bowl of her homemade, low calorie zucchini soup. What did you think you were going to leave without eating anything? There was always a batch ready in the freezer, because as our family likes to joke, when someone loses the weight, it just means someone else gained it. 

Lucky for you, today I'm sharing the meatball recipe. Hungry or healthy, making these brings me right back to her kitchen. And while I will never make them as good as my Grandma, I will keep trying until I come close! 


Ingredients:

1/2 pound ground veal

1/2 pound ground pork

1 pound ground beef

4 slices of fresh white bread crumbs, crusts removed

1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

1/4 minced yellow onion

1/2 bunch chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

4 cloves of garlic

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup of milk

2 whole eggs, beaten

Vegetable oil

Olive oil

Directions:

Soak the fresh bread crumbs in milk. Combine with the ground meats, seasoned dry bread crumbs, onion, parsley, garlic, parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Mix it all up with your hands. Lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs.  Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. 

Chicken Spiedini

Ingredients: 

Chicken marinade:

3 garlic clove, peeled and sliced

2 bay leaf crumbled

4 teaspoons sweet paprika

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon dried crushed chili flakes

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 tablespoons chopped cilantro

4 splashes sherry vinegar

6 tablespoons olive oil

Spiedini:

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 loaf of sourdough bread, non-sliced, crusts removed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cut cilantro leaves, coursley chopped

12 8-inch bamboo skewers

Directions:

For the marinade: 

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until coursely chopped.

For the spiedini:

Soak the skewers in warm water (so they don't catch on fire!). Place cubed chicken in a mixing bowl and mix with 2 tbsp (or more) of the marinade. Place bread cubes in another bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Skewer the pieces of chicken, bread, and onions on each skewer and repeat. Brush more marinade on the skewers before grilling. Grill over a BBQ or grill pan until the chicken is fully cooked and the bread is crispy, rotating the skewers so they are cooked uniformly. Top with extra marinade, a healthy splash of olive oil, and more fresh cilantro.

Tips and tricks: The marinade recipe above is already doubled, but you might want even more for grilling. I also tried to bake a few skewers, that turned out well. Definitely broil at the end to get the bread extra crispy, like they would on the grill. Enjoy!

Original recipe from Terzo Restaurant, SF

Rip'em Apart Ribs

Ingredients:
1 rack of ribs
lemon pepper
olive oil
BBQ sauce

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place ribs on rack and douse in olive oil. Season with lemon pepper. Cover the pan with tin foil and place in the oven for about 5-6 hours. Remove from the oven, and pour out the olive oil. Now, generously cover the ribs with the BBQ sauce. Place back in the oven for our 2 more hours. And about 5-10 min before serving, remove the tin foil. This will allow the ribs to brown a little on top. When you are ready to eat, remove from the oven and serve!

Recipe courtesy of Annie Montgomery.

Spicy Peanut Chicken Noodles

Ingredients:
1 Tbs vegetable oil
2 Tbs sesame seed oil, divided
2 boneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced
1 1/2 Tbs ginger, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup rice wine
2 Tbs rice vinegar
1/8 tsp garlic chili sauce
1 carrot, julienne cut
2 green onions, thinly slices, just the green portion
1/2 cup sliced shitake mushrooms
1/2 cup of dry roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped snow peas
1/4 pack of rice noodles, prepared according to package instructions

Directions:
Heat at medium-high vegetable oil and 1 Tbs of sesame oil in large pan.

Add garlic, ginger, chili sauce and chicken, cook until chicken is browned, then add rice wine, rice vinegar and peanut butter, stir. When peanut butter has broken down into sauce, add remaining sesame oil and vegetables. Saute for about 5 minutes, snow peas should be bright green and still crisp.

Finally add prepared rice noodles and toss to coat noodles evenly.

Serve hot and garnish with chopped peanuts and fresh green onion.

Chipotle Taco Bar

Chipotle Turkey Taco Filling

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 1/3 pounds ground turkey breast
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 chipotles in adobo sauce, chopped
1 cup tomato sauce
1 rounded tablespoons chili powder
Salt
1/2 cup water

Directions:
In a small skillet preheated over medium high heat, add oil and turkey breast meat. Brown meat 2 or 3 minutes, then add onions and garlic. Cook onions and meat together for another 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in chipotles, chili powder and tomato sauce. Season your filling with salt to your taste. Stir 1/2 cup water into your filling. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until ready to serve.

Fish Taco Filling

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds mahi-mahi filets or any white fish
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 lime
1 Tbs cayenne pepper
1 Tbs chili powder
salt / pepper

Directions:
Pat fish dry and combine in a nonreactive bowl with lime juice and wine. Set aside to marinate about 10 to 15 minutes.
When fish is ready, remove it from the marinade, and season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, cayenne, and chili powder.
Heat oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, place fish skin-side down in skillet. (Or grill) Cook until opaque and firm to touch, about 3 minutes per side.
Flake the fish, squeeze one of the lime wedges over the top and serve.

Guacamole

Ingredients:
3 ripe avocados, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons finely chopped yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon freshly minced cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
In a small mixing bowl, combine the avocado with the onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and salt and mash with the back of a fork until mostly smooth.

Salsa

Ingredients:
4 large tomatoes, about 21/2 pounds, seeded and roughly chopped
1 cup chopped white onions
5 teaspoons minced garlic
4 serrano peppers, stems and seeds removed, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients and stir well to combine. Let salsa sit for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend.

Coffee-Crusted Chicken with Bourbon Creme Sauce

Ingredients:
Sauce -
1 Tbs butter
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 tsp minced garlic
ground pepper
1/4 cup bourbon
1 cup low-sodium beef stock
6 Tbs heavy creme
kosher salt 1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme

Rub -
1 tsp dark-roasted coffee
1 tsp finely chopped thyme
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 boneless pork or chicken breasts
EVOO

Directions:
Sauce: medium heat, melt butter. Add onion, cook until tender (about 3 minutes). Stir occasionally to prevent browning. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more, stir occasionally. Remove from heat, add bourbon and return to heat. Once flame subsides, reduce heat to medium and add the beef stock and cream. Simmer until about 1.3 cup liquid remains, 15-20 minutes (could take up to an hour), stirring occasionally. Add the thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Rub: small bowl, mix and rub with fingers.

Allow meat to stand at room temp for 20-30 minutes before grilling. Lightly brush meat with EVOO grill over medium heat.

Recipe Courtesy of Taylor Whittell

Mediterranean-Style Chicken

Ingredients:
15 small garlic cloves, peeled ( I use cloves from a jar ...8 tsp)
2 T dried oregano
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 olive oil
1 leek white and light green part cut up
1/2 dried whole pitted apricots
3/4 dried whole pitted plums
1/2 cup green olives
1/2 pitted kalamata olives
1/3 cup capers with some liquid
salt and pepper
2 to 3 pd chicken ( I use boneless skinless chicken breast and / or thighs)
2 T brown sugar
3/4 cup red wine

Directions:
Make the marinade in a bowl, stir together garlic, oregano, salt and pepper,vinegar, oil, leek, apricots, plums, olives and capers until blended. Place the chicken in a lock top plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. I like to do it the night before.

Preheat oven to 425. Place the chicken in baking pan, arrange the marinade around the chicken. In a small bowl, dissolve the brown sugar in the wine and pour over the chicken. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes or until the chicken in nicely browned.

Recipe courtesy of The Montgomery Ladies

Swordfish and Ahi Tuna Kabobs

Prep Time: 13 min

Cook Time: 7 min

Level: easy

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 lbs swordfish steak

2 lemons

8 cloves of garlic

coarse salt

A generous handful flat leaf parsely, about 1/4 cup of leaves

coarse black pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 lbs tuna steak

2 oranges

6 sprigs rosemary, stripped and finely chopped

3 tbl balsalmic vinegar

4 scallions chopped

Directions:

Preheat grill pan or outdoor grill to medium high heat.

Cube swordfish into generous bite-size chunks. Zest 2 lemons and pile zest on cutting board. Add 4 cloves garlic to zest and chop garlic. Add about a teaspoon of coarse salt to garlic and lemon and combine with flat part of the knife. Chop parsley and mix into garlic and salt. Add a generous amount of coarse black pepper to the pile and mix together with your finger tips. Coat the swordfish in a few tablespoons evoo – enough to coat it evenly, just eyeball it. Slather the lemon zest and garlic mixture all over the fish. The evoo will make it stick. Pile the cubes onto metal skewers, it should fill 2 (12-inch) skewers. Set the fish aside for 10 to 15 minutes. Cut up 1 of the zested lemons into wedges and reserve.

Cut tuna steak into 6 small portions. Combine the zest of 2 oranges with the remaining 4 cloves garlic and chop. Add chopped rosemary to garlic and orange zest and combine with flat of knife. Add about 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and about 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper to the mix. Place a few tablespoons balsamic vinegar and 1/4 cup evoo into a shallow dish. Add the orange-rosemary mixture and mix together. Add the fish and coat evenly in dressing and let stand 10 to 15 minutes. Peel oranges and slice into disks.

When you are ready to eat, grill swordfish skewers 3 minutes on each side, 6 minute total. Slide from skewers and squeeze lemon juice over the fish. Cook tuna steaks 2 to 3 minutes on each side for pink, medium-rare fish, 4 minutes on each side for fully cooked fish. Serve tuna with sliced oranges alongside and scatter scallions over both. Each person should end up with 4 or 5 cubes of swordfish and 1 small tuna steak.

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray