Bryan's Bangin' Po-tat Salad

Already with a delicious pasta salad under his belt, Bryan decided to try and conquer a potato salad. He took his pasta salad inspiration and actually created a masterpiece. With some key additions such as bacon and eggs, this has become a hit in our household and at parties.

A Bryan Arkins Original

Ingredients
3 baking potatoes
4 eggs
4 bacon strips
2 celery stalks
8 baby carrots (or 1 regular carrot)
1/2 onion
1 jalapeno
1 T cilantro
2 garlic cloves (mashed)
1/2 cup (light) mayo
1 T dijon mustard
1 t apple cider vinegar
1/2 T pepper
1/2 t cayenne
1 t paprika
1 t sugar

Directions
1. Bring water to a boil in a large pot with some salt. Add quartered potatoes and cook for 12 – 15 minutes or until firm. Cut into sized chunks, make sure they are FULLY cooked!

2. While potatoes are boiling, put the eggs into a saucepan and cover with chilled water. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and cover for 12-15 minutes. Peel / scoop out eggs and dice.

3. Cook the bacon strips in the microwave for roughly 3 minutes. Don’t overcook. Dice when finished.

4. Dice the rest of the ingredients and combine all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir gently. Add additional season to taste.

Baked Buffalo Chicken Pasta

I knew this meal would be a hit because it has two of my favorite ingredients (cheese and pasta) as well as one of Bryan's favorite (Buffalo sauce). Although the picture is not the prettiest, this was absolutely delicious and we loved every bite!

Adapted from how Sweet it is

Ingredients
1 pound pasta (I used orecchiette)
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into chunks
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups milk
4 oz. grated monterey jack cheese + more for topping
1/3 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese + more for topping
1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce
1/3 cup plain crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
chopped green onions

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Prepare water for pasta and cook according to directions.

3. While pasta is cooking, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter, and once it’s melted and bubbly add the flour. Whisk together to create a roux and cook for 1-2 minutes until mixture gets a bit golden in color.

4. Add milk, stir and turn down heat to low. Continue stirring until milk thickens. Add in grated cheeses and continue to stir until mixture is smooth. Stir in buffalo wing sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

5. Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray. Add pasta and chicken, then pour cheese sauce over and mix thoroughly until everything is coated. Sprinkle with additional grated cheese and bread crumbs. Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately top with green onions (or serve on the side). Drizzle with buffalo wing sauce.

Lime-Soaked Cumin-Crusted Flank Steak

A very flavorful way to enjoy flank steak. Goes great with some spicy poblano corn salad.

Adapted from Joelen’s Culinary Adventures

Ingredients
2 lbs flank steak
1 cup fresh lime juice (about 8 limes)

Rub
1 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Directions
1. Place the steak in a shallow dish and pour the lime juice over it. Cover the dish and let it stand in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour, turning occasionally.

2. In a small bowl, combine all the rub ingredients and mix well. Remove the steak from the marinade, pat dry with paper towels, and rub it all over with the spice rub, pressing gently to be sure it sticks.

3. Pre-heat grill to medium. Place the steak on the grill and cook until well-seared on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn and continue to cook to the desired doneness, about 4 minutes more for rare.

4. Remove the steak from the heat, cover it loosely with foil, and allow it to rest for 5 minutes.

5. Slice the steak as thin as possible against the grain and serve.

Spicy Poblano Corn Salad

This is a super tasty side dish that went perfectly with grilled steak. I enjoyed all the fresh ingredients the recipe included. Bryan LOVED the flavor and we look forward to serving this to guests.

Adapted from Joelen’s Culinary Adventures

Ingredients
5 ears of corn
1/2 medium Vidalia onion, thickly sliced crosswise
1 poblano pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp (fat free) sour cream Greek yogurt
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
salt
pepper
sugar

Directions
1. Preheat grill. Brush the corn, onion slices and 2 peppers with olive oil. Grill over moderately high heat until charred in spots, about 7-10 minutes. Let cool slightly, then cut the kernels from the cobs and coarsely chop the onion. Peel skin from the peppers, remove seeds and chop.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the sour cream with the lime juice and fresh cilantro. Stir in the charred corn, onions and peppers. Season the corn salad with salt and pepper to taste. Add sugar to tone down heat and serve immediately.

Basic Baked Potato

Adapted from Alton Brown

Ingredients
One Large Russet Potato
Canola Oil
Kosher Salt

Directions
1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Wash and scrub potato. Pat dry.

2. Poke potato 8-10 times with a fork then coat withe oil.

3. Sprinkle with kosher salt and place in middle rack of oven.

4. Bake for one hour or until skin is crisp.

5. Serve with desired toppings. My favorites are butter, sour cream and shredded cheese!

Menu Plans 11-22-10

Monday - Chana Masala, Brown Rice
Tuesday - Pizza Out!
Wednesday - Black Bean and Chicken Chilaquiles
Thursday - Thanksgiving!
Friday - TBD

Check out some other great menus at orgjunkie.com!

Cold Sesame Noodle Salad

This is a great dish to make ahead for a quick dinner or side dish since it’s served cold. Plus, all the colors look so pretty together. :)

Adapted from Good Life Eats

Ingredients
7.5 oz. whole wheat angel hair pasta
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp lime juice
3/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 bunch of scallions, sliced
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 head of red cabbage, sliced thin
Large handful matchstick cut carrots
3/4 cup shelled edamame, cooked
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Directions
1. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain, rinse under cold water.

2. To make dressing, whisk soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, crushed red pepper, scallions, and cilantro in a large bowl. Add noodles and vegetables, toss to coat. Top with sesame seeds.

3. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

The Facts
4 Servings

Menu Plans 10-11-10

I'm back! Whew, it's been a while. After a two and a half week vacation and a week and a half recovery/detox, I'm ready to get back in the swing of things! Hope you didn't miss me too much... :)

Sunday - Grilled Filet Mignon, Mashed Cauliflower and Sweet Potatoes, Salad
Monday - Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches, Garlic Roasted Zucchini and Mushrooms
Tuesday - Mediterranean Lentil Salad
Wednesday - Leftovers after Volleyball
Thursday - Trivia @ Smokey Bones - Defending champions from last week!
Friday - Dinner Out

Check out some other great menus at orgjunkie.com!

Menu Plans 09-06-10

Monday - Leftover BBQ Pulled Pork and Chicken Sandwiches from our Labor Day BBQ
Tuesday - Shrimp with Mango and Basil, Jasmine Rice, Side Salad
Wednesday - Frozen Pierogi's, Habanero Chicken Sausage, Roasted Okra
Thursday - Trivia @ Smokey Bones
Friday - Dinner Out

Spicy Tuna Kobachi

Without a doubt, pretty much anytime we eat sushi out we’ll start with a spicy tuna kobachi. It’s SO GOOD! I had heard that a local produce and meat market sold frozen sushi grade tuna so I went and checked it out. Seriously, it was $6.99 a pound. You can’t beat that! The filets came in individually vacuum sealed pouches of about 4 oz. each. I thawed them the day I made this so they would be fresh.

This recipe was absolutely delicious! I’m so happy with how it came out. A small warning though – if you’re not a fan of some spice, you might want to reduce the amount of Sriracha you use. One teaspoon gave it a good amount of kick.

Adapted from Gina’s WW Recipes

Ingredients
13 oz. sushi grade ahi tuna, finely chopped (or however much you have)
2 tsp pure sesame oil
1 tsp rice wine
2 tsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp Sriracha hot sauce (to taste)
2 tbsp scallions, minced
1/2 ripe, firm hass avocado, diced
1/2 tsp sesame seeds

Directions
1. Mix diced sushi and avocado in a medium bowl.

2. Combine sesame oil, rice wine, lime juice, soy sauce and sriracha sauce. Pour over diced tuna and mix to coat all pieces.

3. Top with scallions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

The Facts
4 Servings

Menu Plans 08-30-10

Monday - Spicy Tuna Kobachi, Cold Sesame Noodle Salad
Tuesday - Dinner Out After Softball
Wednesday - Jerk Chicken Kabobs, Rice
Thursday - Trivia @ Smokey Bones
Friday - Amber's Birthday Celebration!
Saturday - Dinner Out

Avocado Baked Mahi

So I heard there might be some interest in a fish recipe on the blog. Both Bryan and I enjoy fish but we never really cook it at home. I’m not sure why… Mahi was on sale at the grocery store this week so I decided this was good time to attempt cooking fish at home. I found a recipe that looked pretty good with a creamy avocado sauce. My problem with fish is I’m not quite sure how to tell when it’s done. I pulled these out after 13 minutes and they definitely needed more time. We stuck them back in for another 5 minutes or so. I enjoyed the final product and really liked the avocado sauce on top.

Adapted from Cara’s Cravings

Ingredients
1/2 of an avocado, pureed
1 tbsp plain nonfat Greek yogurt (14gm)
1 tbsp minced scallion, green part only
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger
dash of salt
2 Mahi Mahi filets, 6 oz. each
coarsely ground black pepper

Directions
1. Whisk together the avocado, yogurt, scallion, garlic, Worcestershire, ginger, and salt.

2. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray an oven-safe skillet or baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place the fish in the pan and sprinkle with salt. Spread 1-2 tbsp of the avocado mixture on top of each and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

3. Warm the remaining avocado mixture gently in the microwave (low heat for about 30 seconds; you can thin with a little water if you like). When ready to serve the fish, drizzle with warm avocado sauce and sprinkle with black pepper.

The Facts
2 Servings

Chili-Lime Shrimp

I love shrimp because there are so many different flavor combinations you can cook with them. They are also a tasty low calorie protein option and they cook super fast. This was another successful dish with shrimp. The butter mixed in at the end gives the dish a taste of richness. I added a bit of water to the final mix to make for some extra sauce to serve over the rice. I enjoyed this meal and look forward to making it again.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients
Cooking spray
3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
1 lb peeled and deveined large shrimp
1 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
2 tbsp Smart Balance buttery spread, or butter
1/2 tsp salt

Directions
1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 1/2 cup onions; coat onions with cooking spray. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

2. Add shrimp and chili powder; cook 4 minutes or until desired degree of doneness, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

3. Add lime juice, butter, and salt, and stir until butter melts. Add 2-4 tbsp water if a thinner sauce is desired. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup onions and serve.

The Facts
4 Servings

Menu Plans 08-23-10

Monday - Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos, Tijuana Kitchen Rice
Tuesday - Avocado Baked Mahi, Roasted Red Potatoes, Side Salad
Wednesday - Sriracha Poultry Meatballs, Asian Noodles
Thursday - Trivia @ Smokey Bones
Friday - Dinner Out

Check out some other great menus at orgjunkie.com!

Rolled Greens

This was my first attempt at cooking collard greens, and I must say, they didn’t come out too bad! Bryan has been craving a good southern meal for a while so, this week I set out to make fried chicken and collard greens healthy. I started with two bunches of fresh organic collards from Whole Foods. You can easily use the pre cut bagged version, but I figured if I wanted to make some true collards, let’s start from the beginning.

I rinsed and chopped the greens and realized they were going to shrink drastically while cooking. There was NO WAY I had enough for four people. The original recipe called for collards OR kale; I randomly had kale in the fridge as well, so into the pan than went too! The end result was a tasty greens dish with a hint of bacon flavor. Yum! I would make this again for sure.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients
2 bunches of collard greens
1 bunch of kale
1 tsp olive oil
2 bacon slices, finely diced
1 medium onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Remove stems from greens. Wash and pat dry. Stack 4 or 5 collard leaves together, and roll up holding tightly. Slice thinly. Chop kale as well.

2. Heat oil in a large pan until hot. Add bacon; sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Add onion; sauté 2 minutes or until soft.

3. Add greens in 4 batches; cook 1 minute after each addition, stirring frequently. Cook an additional 25 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with hot sauce if desired.

The Facts
6 Servings

Menu Plans 08-16-10

Monday - Oven-Fried Chicken with Waffles and Rolled Collard Greens
Tuesday - Chili Lime Shrimp, Rice, Spicy Crispy Kale with Lime
Wednesday - Spaghetti and Chicken Sausage, Side Salad
Thursday - TBD
Friday - Dinner Out

Check out some other great menus at orgjunkie.com!

Spicy Shrimp, Chorizo and Cheese Grits

Oh, Yum! This dish had an all around great flavor. We’ve seen shrimp and grits on tons of restaurant menus, but have never actually ordered them. When I saw this recipe, I figured it would be fun to recreate this dish with a healthy spin. I rarely buy sausage, but for some reason a pack of chorizo caught my eye at Whole Foods one day. I loved that it was all natural with a lot less fat than your typical sausage links. I tossed them in the freezer and knew this was the perfect recipe to use them in. The sausage had a kick of spice complemented nicely by the seasonings in the rest of the dish. I would definitely make this meal again!

**Please note that nutrition is calculated using the chorizo referenced above. I believe a different brand will drastically alter the calorie and fat content.

Adapted from Cooking Light and Cooking Light

Ingredients
Shrimp and Sausage:
Cooking spray
3/4 lb peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sweet peppers, chopped
6 oz all natural Chorizo sausage, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup water

Cheese Grits:
2 cups water
1/2 cup uncooked old-fashioned grits
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp hot sauce
1 oz grated fresh Parmesan cheese (approx 1/4 cup)

Directions
1. For grits, bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Gradually stir in grits. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes (or per package directions). Stir in milk. Remove from heat; add remaining ingredients, stirring until cheese melts.

2. While grits cook, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shrimp, seasoning, and black pepper, tossing to coat. Cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done, stirring frequently. Remove from pan; keep warm.

3. Coat pan with cooking spray again. Add chopped peppers; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add sausage; cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add reserved shrimp mixture and garlic. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add 1/4 cup water; cook 30 seconds, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Remove from heat; let stand 2 minutes.

4. Serve shrimp and sausage mixture over cheese grits.

The Facts
4 Servings

Menu Plans 08-09-10

Monday - Spicy Shrimp, Sausage and Cheese Grits with Side Salad
Tuesday - Grilled Steak, Roasted Broccoli and Okra, Parmesan Orzo
Wednesday - Shredded Mexican Chicken Tacos, Spicy Black Beans
Thursday - TBD
Friday - Dinner Out

Check out some other great menus at orgjunkie.com!

Orecchiette with Mixed Greens and Goat Cheese

I asked Bryan to help me with the dinner menu, and he came up with this amazing recipe. He loves orecchiette styled pasta at restaurants, so I think that’s what drew him in. However, have you ever tried to find orecchiette at the local grocery store? Ha, that was an adventure. Two grocery stores later, we came home with a $5 pound of imported pasta from Italy. This better be good.

Luckily, the dish was very tasty and we both enjoyed it. The pasta was almost doughy like a small dumpling. I’m sure this recipe would work well with other pasta shapes too; maybe medium shells? I doubled the recipe for company without any issues. I would recommend serving this with a simple grilled chicken.

Adapted from Food Network: Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients
6 oz. dried orecchiette pasta
2 cups Mediterranean-style mixed salad greens
2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes (packed in olive oil), chopped
1 tbsp goat cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
Pinch salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook per the package instructions, until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the water.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the salad greens with the sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, and Parmesan. Top with warm pasta and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss to combine and wilt the greens.

3. Season with a pinch each of salt and pepper, or to taste. Garnish with additional Parmesan, if desired, and serve.

The Facts
3 Servings

Menu Plans 08-02-10

Better late than never! :)

Monday - Home-made Lasagna at Joanne's
Tuesday - Sweet Chili Pulled Chicken, Orecchiette with Mixed Greens and Goat Cheese
Wednesday - Sweet and Spicy Shrimp, Yellow Rice, Roasted Broccoli
Thursday - Trivia @ Smokey Bones
Friday - Dinner Out