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.

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

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

Chinese Five-Spice Steak

I had an extra flank steak left over from a dinner I hosted a few weeks ago so I turned to Cooking Light for a good recipe. After narrowing down the options, I decided to go with this one, with one major alteration. Instead of pre slicing the beef and cooking the strips, we chose to marinate the steak whole, grill it, THEN slice it. Our reasoning behind this was to achieve more of a medium to medium rare steak versus well done pieces. This method made for a more tender and juicy meat.

I also added broccoli to the original recipe. This rounded out the meal with some veggies which tasted delicious in the sauce. We definitely enjoyed this meal, however if I make it again, I will double the sauce / marinade. Between cooking the steak differently than originally called out and adding the broccoli, there really wasn’t any sauce leftover to soak into the rice. Everything had a great flavor, it just would have been nice to have a little extra.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp five-spice powder
1 (1.5 pound) flank steak, trimmed
2 tbsp minced green onions
2 tsp bottled minced garlic
1 head of broccoli, chopped – florets only
2 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

Directions
1. Combine hoisin sauce, soy sauce, five-spice powder, and steak in a large dish. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Heat large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking oil and add minced green onions and garlic; sauté 30 seconds.

3. Meanwhile, pre-heat grill to medium-high (350*) and remove steak from marinade. Once grill is hot, reduce heat to medium low and grill steak 7-8 minutes per side, until cooked through.

5. Remove steak from grill and allow to rest a few minutes before slicing into 1/4 inch strips.

6. While steak grills, add broccoli and remaining marinade to skillet. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook 5-10 minutes, until broccoli reached desired tenderness.

7. Stir in green onion pieces and chopped basil; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

8. Immediately before serving, combine steak slices with broccoli and enjoy over rice or rice noodles.

The Facts
4 Servings

Pan-Seared Scallops with Bacon and Spinach

Yum! This dish was absolutely delicious! Once the bacon hit the pan, the kitchen was immediately filled with an amazing aroma. Both Bryan and I couldn’t wait for dinner to be served. I bought fresh scallops from the seafood road show at Costco as well as spinach in bulk. Twelve ounces looked like a TON of spinach, but it cooked down a lot. I prepped all the ingredients before hand to allow for quicker cooking. Make sure you wait for the skillet to cool slightly before adding the garlic and onions to avoid burning. Overall, this was a great meal that I’m sure I’ll make again. I enjoyed cooking with some other seafood besides shrimp.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients
2 center-cut bacon slices
1 1/2 lbs sea scallops
1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp kosher salt, divided
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 cup chopped onion
6 garlic cloves, sliced
12 oz. fresh baby spinach

Directions
1. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan; coarsely chop and set bacon aside.

2. Increase heat to high. Pat scallops dry with paper towels. Sprinkle scallops evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add scallops to drippings in pan; cook 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until done. Transfer to a plate; keep warm.

3. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add half of spinach; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add remaining half of spinach; cook 2 minutes or just until wilted, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

4. Divide spinach mixture among 4 plates; top each serving evenly with crumbled bacon and scallops. Serve immediately.

The Facts
4 Servings

Crunchy Asian Cabbage Salad

Two coleslaws in two weeks? Looks like we’ve been on a cabbage kick lately! These sides make a great alternative for the typical salad I usually serve with dinner. A perfect way to switch it up a bit. This dish was very light and refreshing with a hint of Asian flare. My cabbage was larger than what the original recipe called for so I increased the other ingredients slightly as well.

Adapted from Apple A Day

Ingredients
1 head cabbage, sliced thinly (~300 grams)
1 carrot, grated (~100 grams)
6 green onions, sliced and dark green ends discarded
2 tbsp cilantro, minced
2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1.25 tsp sesame oil
1.5 tsp lime juice
1 tbsp sesame seeds

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients in large bowl and toss well to combine. Place in fridge and let stand at least one hour. Before serving, toss once more.

The Facts
4 Servings

Tangy Mustard Coleslaw

This was absolutely delicious and SO FRESH! Bryan’s dad and step-mom have a garden in their back yard over flowing with heads of cabbage, carrots, corn, etc. Sunday night we picked a head of cabbage and homemade coleslaw seemed like the perfect use for it.

I wanted something light and not laden with creamy mayonnaise so I turned to CookLight.com. This was a simple recipe where I already had all the ingredients in the fridge. I was excited because I got to use the shredding disk on my sweet food processor for the first time. It turned a few whole carrots in to tiny bits in a matter of seconds! I omitted the onion (I’m SO not a fan of raw onions!) and subbed Greek Yogurt for the small amount of mayo the original recipe called for. This is a great light side dish for a summer BBQ or pot luck.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients
1 head green cabbage, finely shredded (~400 grams)
1 cup grated carrot (~225 grams)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tbsp Splenda
2 tbsp whole-grain mustard
2 tbsp fat free Greek yogurt
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground red pepper

Directions
1. Combine cabbage and carrot in a large bowl.

2. Combine vinegar, Splenda, mustard, yogurt, salt, black pepper, and red pepper in a small bowl; stir well.

3. Add the mustard mixture to cabbage mixture, and toss well to coat. Cover and chill for at least 20 minutes, over night is even better. Stir before serving.

The Facts
4 Servings

Zucchini Oven Chips

These were delicious! I try to vary the vegetables we eat weekly and my husband suggested some zucchini for this week’s menu. I searched for some recipes, and this one was a definite winner. I subbed panko for breadcrumbs which I think helped give the chips a little extra crunch. I’m sure this would taste great with yellow squash as well. I look forward to making this recipe again.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients
1/4 cup whole wheat panko
1 oz. grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp egg substitute
3 zucchini, sliced 1/4-inch-thick

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.

3. Place egg substitute in a shallow bowl. Add zucchini slices and stir to ensure each is thoroughly coated.

4. Once slice at a time, shake off excess egg and dredge in panko mixture. Place coated slices on an ovenproof wire rack coated with cooking spray; place rack on a baking sheet. (For a short cup, add panko mixture to 1 gallon Ziploc bag. Add zucchini slices. Shake! Place on wire rack and sprinkle excess mixture on top.)

5. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Serve immediately.

The Facts
4 Servings

Green Beans with Shallots

Our latest CSA pick up came with a pound of fresh green beans! Finally, we're starting to get some fresh vegetables besides greens. (The abnormally cold winter set delayed the vegetables growth but we've been assured the remaining produce is almost ready!) I was looking for a simple recipe that wouldn't take away from the fresh flavor of the green beans. After browsing tons of ideas, I threw this one together. The shallot was a nice addition to the veggie without being overpowering. I really enjoyed this side!

Ingredients
1 lb fresh green beans, rinsed and trimmed
1 shallot, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp butter
salt
pepper

Directions
1. Cook green beans in boiling water for 10-15 minutes until tender. Drain.

2. Add butter to a skillet over medium heat until melted.

3. Add shallots and saute approximately 3 minutes, until tender.

4. Add green beans and salt and pepper to taste. Toss green beans in butter and saute until warmed through. Enjoy!

Roasted Artichokes

Have you ever been to Houston’s? Bryan and I used to go all the time for some great prime rib and and a bottle of wine. If they had it on special for the night, we would start with grilled artichokes as an appetizer. Delicious! Well, this week I noticed artichokes were on sale at Publix so I decided to try and recreate the Houston’s dish. After browsing the internet for recipes, I figured it would probably be A LOT easier to roast them instead of grilling them; however the effect was quite similar. These were super tasty, and a fun way to serve a new vegetable at home. I made a quick Cajun dip with sour cream, horseradish, kosher salt and Cajun seasoning, all too taste. It complemented the artichoke PERFECTLY!

Freshly cut artichoke.

Adapted from Novel Eats

Ingredients
2 artichokes, whole and raw
1 lemon
4 garlic cloves, skins removed
olive oil
salt

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Clean artichokes, then cut the end of the stalk off and trim the tips of each leaf.

3. Put the artichoke on its side and cut away about the first 1/2 inch of top of the artichoke.

4. Place the artichoke flower side down on the cutting board, stem up. Cut through the stem to the top of the artichoke.

5. Cut a lemon in half, and then spread the lemon on all the cut and exposed areas of the artichokes.

6. In the bottom of a baking pan lined with foil, pour approximately 2 – 4 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

7. Take your artichokes cut side down and spread them around in the bottom of the pan so that they are fully covered with oil and some of the salt.

8. Press a fresh garlic clove near the heart of each artichoke half, and then add a large slice of lemon on top of the garlic.

9. Put the artichokes face down in the pan with the garlic and lemon kept under each, then add about 1/4 – 1/2 cup water to the pan. Cover the pan well with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes.

10. Once done, be careful of steam when removing foil cover.

11. Scoop out the furry choke and serve immediately.

Kale Chips

I had some extra kale leftover from Zuppa Toscana so I searched for some easy kale recipes. I came across a ton of different versions of kale chips. These were so easy to make and can be seasoned in a variety of ways. For this version, I simply used salt, pepper and paprika for a nice crisp taste. Kale chips are a great snack alternative to regular potato chips.

Ingredients
kale
olive oil
salt
pepper
additional seasoning if desired

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Rinse kale and pat dry. Trim leaves from stems. (I bought bagged kale so there were no stems on mine)

3. Toss lightly with olive oil, salt, pepper and seasoning.

4. Arrange kale in a single layer on a baking sheet.

5. Bake approximately 15 minutes, until leaves JUST begin to brown. Be sure to flip chips a few times for even cooking.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts 2

I previously posted a different version of roasted Brussels sprouts; however I much prefer this one. The step of cutting the sprouts in half allows them to roast quicker and more even in my opinion. It’s also a smaller bite that’s a lot easier to handle. This recipe is simple and can easily be adjusted to your taste. You can vary the seasonings to create all kinds of different varieties; try some paprika, garlic salt, cayenne, etc. The possibilities are endless.

An Erin’s Eatery Original

Ingredients
Brussels sprouts
Vegetable Oil
Salt
Pepper
Seasoning of Choice

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Cut hard ‘stem’ off Brussels sprouts, then cut in half.

3. Spread sprouts on jelly roll pan. Drizzle with vegetable oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and a seasoning if desired.

4. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, or until beginning to brown. Be sure to give them a shake or stir every few minutes for even roasting.

Sautéed Mustard Greens

I’ve been reading a TON of other food blogs lately, and I came across one that talked about getting fresh vegetables weekly from a local CSA. Curious, I clicked the link and started researching. Through the site, I found Shaolin Gardens here in Orlando. They are just starting up and this is their first crop sharing season. I talked to my husband about it and we decided to go for it. Chaz from Shaolin Gardens held a work day this past Saturday, so Bryan and I went out there to check out the set up and help out some. We filled bags with soil alternative in preparation for planting for a few hours. It was cool to know that we were actually contributing to the fresh vegetables we’ll be enjoying the next few months.

While we were there, Chaz showed us some leftover mustard greens they had planted last season. They went through the Florida freeze in December so their taste was uncertain. I searched for some recipes online to sauté our fresh greens and pieced together a few recipes in my head and went to the kitchen. You’ll notice I didn’t put measurements by any of the ingredients because added based solely on taste. They turned out quite delicious and I can’t wait for more fresh local produce.


An Erin's Eatery Original

Ingredients
Olive oil
Onions, chopped
Garlic
Mustard Greens
Lemon Juice
Chicken Broth
Salt
Pepper

Directions
1. Add olive oil to a pan on medium heat.

2. Add garlic and onion. Sauté until onion is translucent.

3. Add greens, lemon juice and chicken broth to pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sauté until greens are tender.

4. Enjoy!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts, take two. This recipe is similar to the one we used to grill this weekend. I liked these a little more and they were super easy. I halved the recipe from the original as there were only three of us eating tonight. It seems about a 1/4 lb is an adequate portion per person. For the salt and pepper, I just gave my grinders a few turns till they looked good. Next time I'd like to reduce the oil slightly to save some calories. I'm hoping this won't affect the roasting too much.
Adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients
3/4 lb Brussels sprouts
1.5 T olive oil
Kosher salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper.

3. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more salt before serving.

The Facts
3 Servings
Calories 114.9
Total Fat 7.0 g
Fiber 3.9 g
WW Points 2

Grilled Brussels Sprouts

My typical go to vegetable side is broccoli. I pick up a big back at Costco and steam some with dinner throughout the week. Well, this week next to the broccoli was a big bag of brussels sprouts. I figured hey, why not try something different so I grabbed one. Next was, how do I cook these? In my search for a good recipe, this one stuck out since we were already using the grill for burgers. I cut the recipe in half since I was slightly skeptical about the vegetable. I will say that I liked them enough to try them again.

Adapted from Cara’s Cravings

Ingredients
1 lb brussels sprouts
1 T olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
dijon mustard, paprika, salt & pepper to taste

Directions
1. Wash the sprouts, trim the stems, and remove any outer leaves that are falling off.

2. Place them in a microwave-safe bowl, with water still clinging to them, and microwave on high power for 3 minutes. Immediately toss with the olive oil, garlic, mustard and seasonings. Let cool.

3. Heat grill to medium. When the sprouts are cool enough to handle, skewer them, with the stems all facing in the same direction, leaving a little space between each one.

4. Place the skewers on the grill and cook for about 5 minutes, then turn over and cook 5 minutes more.

The Facts
4 Servings
Calories 90.1
Total Fat 3.5 g
Fiber 3.9 g
WW Points 1