Salmon with Coconut-Tomato Sauce

Serves 4

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup drained canned petite diced tomatoes
1/2 cup light coconut milk
pinch cayenne pepper
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 pound skinless salmon fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons lime juice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add diced tomatoes, coconut milk, and cayenne; bring to a simmer and cook, covered, 5 minutes.

2. Add cherry tomatoes to skillet and simmer just until tomatoes begin to soften, 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle salmon with salt. Add salmon and lime juice to skillet and cook, stirring gently, until salmon is just opaque in center, 3-4 minutes. Stir in cilantro.

Served over rice.

Results: This was just one for Chris and I, although Henry did ask for pieces of salmon "as long as there are no tomatoes or green stuff on them" and really liked it. I thought this was a delicious dish...very simple preparation (one pot cooking! Yay!) and the tastes all complimented each other. A definite keeper!

This recipe came from the Fresh, Fabulous, Fast cookbook by Weight Watchers

Drunken Pork Chops

Serves 4

4 boneless pork loin chops
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 onion, sliced
1 bottle of dark beer (I used Sam Adams)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup ketchup
1 T cornstarch
1/4 water
2 teaspoons Olive oil

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Season the chops with salt and pepper and add to skillet, browning both sides.

2. While pork chops are browning, combine beer, ketchup, and brown sugar in a bowl. Pour sauce mixture and sliced onion over the pork chops and simmer for 40-45 minutes.

3. Remove pork chops and thicken the sauce a bit. In a small cup, combine 1 TBSP of cornstarch in 1/4 of water. Stir to combine and add to boiling sauce, whisk so no lumps form. Put pork chops back in the thickened sauce, flip to coat.

Served with mashed potatoes and sugar snap peas.

Results: this recipe wasn't bad, but it wasn't that great either. It took a long time to cook, but it didn't require any attention. I doubt that I'll make it again.

Recipe from Newlyweds Blog

Coconut Curry Shrimp

Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes, Cooking Time: 17 minutes

1 Tbsp peanut oil
1 1/2 pounds shrimp, large, peeled and deveined
1 bunch asparagus, tough ends trimmed and cut into 1 & 1⁄2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium red pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1 Tbsp ginger root, peeled and grated
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon red curry paste (or more to taste)
1 cup light coconut milk
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp sugar

1. Heat 1 & 1⁄2 teaspoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high
heat. Add the shrimp and cook until just opaque in the center, 2–3 minutes on each side. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside.

2. Add the remaining 1 & 1⁄2 teaspoons oil to the same skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the ginger, garlic, and curry paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Reduce the heat to medium, then add the coconut milk, fish sauce, and sugar; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors blend, about 3 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and cook 1 minute until heated through.

Served over orzo (but rice would have been much better. I was just trying to get ride of the little bit of orzo we had left.)

Results: A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! This was so good! So good that I'm tempted to make it again for dinner tonight! Chris really liked it too, but he thought it could use a little more "coconut-y" flavor. I thought it was perfect. The only thing I will change next time is adding a bit more curry paste, just to make it spicier.

Recipe from Weight Watchers

Garlic Pasta with Lemony Scallops & Tomatoes

Serves 4

8 oz uncooked pasta, (I used linguine)
2 tsp olive oil
1 pound scallops (about 20)
2 cups grape tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes, each cut in half
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1. Cook the linguine according to package directions; drain.

2. Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallops and cook, turning at least once, until browned on the outside and just opaque in the center, 3–4 minutes. Transfer the scallops to a plate.

3. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes, garlic, salt, and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the linguine and scallops; heat through. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil and lemon juice. Yields 1 cup per serving.

Results: Very good! Despite my best efforts to make sure there were no scallops, basil or tomatoes (gasp! Color!), the boys were a bit turned off by the color of the pasta, so they wouldn't eat this. Chris and I really liked it though and it was very simple to make. One pot cooking! Yay!

Shrimp and Mushroom Quesadillas

Serves 4

3/4 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 tsp table salt
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped
4 medium tortilla
1 cups shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese

1. Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Season the shrimp with 1⁄4 teaspoon of the salt and add to the skillet. Cook, turning occasionally, until just opaque in the center, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. (I then chopped the shrimp into bite-sized pieces, but you could leave whole if you wanted.)

2. Spray the same skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeño pepper, cumin, and the remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 3–5 minutes. Remove from the heat, then stir in the shrimp and cilantro.

3. Place a tortilla on a work surface. Top half the tortilla with 2 tablespoons of the cheese, one-fourth of the shrimp mixture, then 2 tablespoons more cheese. Fold the top half of the tortilla over the filling to form a semicircle, lightly pressing the edges to seal. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, making 4 quesadillas.

4. Wipe the skillet clean, spray with nonstick spray, and set over medium heat. Add 2 quesadillas and cook until the cheese melts and the outsides of the tortillas are lightly browned, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the quesadillas to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining 2 quesadillas. Yields 1 quesadilla per serving.

Served with fresh watermelon.

Results: A little labor intensive, but seriously fantastic. These were some really STUFFED quesadillas! I was a bit skeptical about the flavor combination of shrimp and mushrooms, but this was SOOOOO good!

Salmon and Bok Choy in Thai Curry Broth

Serves 4
Prep Time: 22 minutes, Cooking Time: 12 minutes

2 teaspoons canola oil
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon Thai green curry paste (next time, I'll double this amount)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise (I used one large bok choy, and I should have cut them smaller)
1 pound skinless salmon fillets, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 teaspoon salt
Grated zest and juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions, garlic, ginger, curry paste, cumin, and coriander; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add broth and bok choy; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until bok chow just begins to wilt, 2-3 minutes.

2. Sprinkle salmon with salt. Add salmon and lime zest and juice to broth. Simmer, uncovered, until salmon is just opaque, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in mint.

Results: Overall, this was a very subtle, tasty soup. Next time, I'll add more curry paste, because we could barely taste it. But this was easy and very good, so I'll be making it again. A nice meal for a cool Spring day.

Last Minute Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 potatoes, thinly sliced
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1 onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups frozen broccoli, carrots and cauliflower combination
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oil in large frying pan over medium high heat. Cook potatoes, stirring frequently until tender-crisp. Stir in chicken, and cook until no longer pink. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in condensed soup, milk, onion, and garlic powder. Arrange vegetables on top, and sprinkle with parsley, marjoram and basil. Cover, and simmer over low heat until chicken is cooked through, and vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in Parmesan.

Results: I found this recipe on All Recipes, and based on the reviews, I was really expecting something spectacular. BLECH! This was gross. The boys wouldn't touch it, and neither would I, to be honest. My husband, on the other hand, really liked it. This was way more than four servings. As I was preparing it, I realized that and put half of the cut up veggies and chicken in the freezer. I'll find a different way to prepare the extras, in a way not related to this recipe at all.

Also, I have no idea why this was called "Last Minute Chicken", because it took well over an hour to make.

Pork Chops & Pears

Serves 4

1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
4 boneless pork chops
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
1/3 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 firm ripe pear, cut into thick slices
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Combine the flour with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a shallow plate. Add pork chops, tossing to coat.

2. In a large skillet, heat oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add pork chops and cook, turning once, about 8 minutes total or until cooked through. Remove to a plate; cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

3. In the same skillet, add wine, scallions, cream, lemon juice, and remaining salt and pepper, stirring to scrape up any browned bits and until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.

4. Gently stir in the pear slices; cook until lightly heated (about three minutes). Pour over chops; sprinkle with parsley.

Served with salad and roasted potatoes

Results: This is an easy meal to prepare and is very delicious. The cream sauce is fantastic. The original recipe calls for only cooking the pears for about 30 seconds, but I didn't like how raw they were, so I cooked them longer. Henry devoured his pork chops, which have a nice crunchy bite to them with the flour coating. While I was enjoying my pork chops & pears, Steven sat next to me announcing how yucky dinner was.

Orange Beef and Broccoli

Serves 4

1 navel orange
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 large egg white
1 lb beef sirloin, trimmed of fat, cut into 2-inch slices (1/2-inch thick)
1 (16-oz) bad broccoli florets
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup Asian orange sauce or citrus stir-fry sauce
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup shredded carrots

1. Remove the peel from orange (colored part only) using a vegetable peeler and reserve; juice orange and reserve.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk 1 tablespoon of the orange juice, 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch, and egg white until blended; add beef strips; toss to coat.

3. Cook broccoli in microwave with 2 tablespoons water in a microwave-safe bowl covered with vented plastic wrap 2 to 3 minutes on high, or until crisp-tender. Drain; refresh under cold water; reserve.

4. Combine the remaining orange juice and cornstarch, broth, orange sauce, soy sauce, ginger and garlic.

5. Drain beef; heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large, deep non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Cook beef, in batches, 1 to 2 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove to a plate.

6. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet; add orange peel and red pepper flakes and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, until peel begins to darken and smell fragrant. Pour reserved orange sauce mixture into skillet and cook, stirring, until bubbly and sauce starts to thicken. Add broccoli, beef, and carrot; continue to cook 2 minutes, stirring, until hot and coated with sauce.

Served with jasmine rice and orange slices

Results: This was kind of fun to make, since I typically don't make "Asian" food at home. I leave that up to the experts at Cherry Village. This was a beautiful dish, and very delicious, but the sirloin was a little tough. Next time, I think I may marinade the beef in orange juice to tenderize it. As for the boys, Henry surprisingly ate all of the beef, but didn't like the sauce on the broccoli. Do I even need to tell you what Steven didn't do?

Pilaf with Chicken, Spinach & Walnuts

Serves 4

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup uncooked basmati rice
1 cup diced plum tomato
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cinnamon stick
1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in rice, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, tomato, salt, broth, and cinnamon stick; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

2. Stir in spinach; cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts. Stir in chicken. Sprinkle evenly with walnuts and dill. Discard cinnamon stick.

Results: The boys sat down at the table and Henry promptly declared "YUCKY DINNER!" Steven agreed to try a bite if I sang the Popeye the Sailor Man song. (Then quickly ran to the bathroom to spit it out.)

Despite what my ungrateful children thought of this dish, Chris and I really enjoyed it. In fact, Chris said it was "perfect". The rice had a very nice flavor with the cinnamon simmered with it. I would definitely make this again, but it's not "nice looking enough" to serve to company.

Hash Brown Casserole with Bacon, Onions & Cheese

Serves 6

6 bacon slices
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (32-ounce) package frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheese, divided
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed 30% reduced-sodium, 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
Cooking spray

1. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, and crumble. Discard drippings in pan. Add 1 cup onion and garlic to pan; cook for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the potatoes; cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Combine crumbled bacon, 1/4 cup cheese, green onions, sour cream, salt, pepper, and soup in a large bowl. Add potato mixture; toss gently to combine. Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 350°.

4. Remove casserole from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Bake casserole, covered, at 350º for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until bubbly around edges and cheese begins to brown.

Served with scrambled eggs

Results: Don't miss that part in step 2 that says "refrigerate for eight hours"! I did miss it, on a night when I thought I was so on top of dinner. Needless to say, we ordered Chinese that night and had this the next night. This was a very good dish, and hard to believe it is a Cooking Light recipe. Steven wouldn't even try it, but Henry said "I love it! I could eat this every night forever!"

Roasted Garlic and Butternut Squash Cassoulet

Serves 8

1 whole garlic head
4 ounces pancetta, chopped
2 cups vertically sliced onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
4 1/2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 2 pounds)
1/2 cup organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 (16-ounce) cans cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1 bay leaf
2 (1-ounce) slices white bread
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Remove white papery skin from garlic head (do not peel or separate the cloves). Wrap garlic head in foil. Bake at 350° for 1 hour; cool 10 minutes. Separate cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Set half of garlic pulp aside; reserve remaining garlic pulp for another use. Discard skins.

3. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pancetta; sauté 5 minutes or until crisp. Remove pancetta from pan, reserving drippings in pan. Add onion and 1 tablespoon oil to drippings in pan; sauté 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 25 minutes or until onion is very tender and browned, stirring frequently. Stir in vinegar.

4. Preheat oven to 375°.

5. Add garlic pulp, pancetta, squash, and next 6 ingredients (through bay leaf) to onion mixture, stirring well. Place bread in a food processor, and pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure about 1 cup. Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon olive oil; sprinkle evenly over squash mixture. Cover and bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until squash is tender. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until topping is browned. Discard bay leaf. Sprinkle with parsley.

Served with sugar snap peas

Results: This may look like a difficult recipe, but it was actually very simple. You just have to pay attention to the cooking times, which are long, but all the cooking takes place in one pot, which is a plus. Our grocery store does not sell pancetta, so I always substitute bacon in recipes that use it. I don't know what I was thinking when I bought groceries, because I ended up buying proscuitto instead of bacon. Bacon would have given it a great crunch. I would also cut down the amount of beans to two cans. Four cans was a bit much.

Both boys asked us to take the butternut squash out, but I don't think either of them ended up touching the meal. This was good, but it was missing something. It almost needed some sort of sauce or cheese (provolone?) to meld the ingredients together. Don't get me wrong, it was very yummy, but it needs some tweaking. This would be a fantastic side dish for a holiday dinner! I'll halve it next time. We have a mountain of leftovers!