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Tag: healthy dishes

Apple Orange Cranberry Sauce

Another great version…

  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries
  • 1½ cups apple cider
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest
  • 1 large cinnamon stick
  • 3 cloves
  • ¾ cup maple syrup
  • 1 large honey crisp apple, cut into ½ inch pieces

In a medium saucepan, add the cranberries, apple cider, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon stick and the cloves. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 5-10 minutes or till the berries begin to break down. Add the maple syrup and cook on medium high or till the sauce begins to thicken and the berries have disintegrated. Add the cut up apple and cook for another 5 minutes. Let cool. This can be frozen till the day before Thanksgiving. Thaw it in the fridge. Good for 6-8 people.

Turkey and Mushroom Meatballs

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
  • 5 ounces Cremini mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 pound ground turkey meat
  • ½ cup panko bread crumbs soaked in 1/3 cup of milk
  • ½ cup burrata cheese, torn into chunks
  • ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • Salt
  • 4 cups store bought or homemade marinara sauce

Heat a medium frying pan with the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and sauté on a medium high heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the onion, garlic and thyme and a sprinkle of salt. Continue to sauté for another 4 to 5 minutes. Turn heat off and cool completely.

Add the turkey meat to a medium bowl, add the cooled mushroom mixture, both the cheeses, egg, 1 to 2 teaspoons salt and the soaked breadcrumbs. Mix well and keep the mixture aside for about an hour in the fridge for the flavors to marinate.

Heat the marinara sauce in a large saucepan. Form medium sized balls from the turkey meat and gently drop into the simmering tomato sauce. Once all the meat used up, bring the sauce and meatballs to a gentle boil, reduce the heat, cover with lid and cook for 20 minutes. Serve with spaghetti!

Fettuccine with Scallops and Garlic

I served this delicious pasta dish with some yummy asparagus, simply cooked with some olive oil and salt… very springy!!

  • ½ pound fresh fettuccine
  • Salt
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 10 large scallops, cleaned
  • ½ cup clam juice
  • Juice and zest of one lemon
  • ½ cup chopped fresh parsley

 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package label and reserve ½ cup cooking water, then drain and keep aside.

In the meantime, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the scallops on both sides about 30 seconds each. Take out and keep aside, let cool and slice each scallop into 3 to 4 slices. Reheat the pan on medium heat and add the garlic, red pepper flakes and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook for about a minute. Add the clam juice, lemon zest and juice. Add the pasta and the pasta water. Add the scallops and parsley, toss to coat and cook for another minute or two until the scallops have warmed through. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil before serving.

Pork and Kale Chili

In spite of this dish having kale, this was a big, big hit. A great dish to make in this chilly weather.

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound good quality ground pork
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ancho chili
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 14 ounces can chopped fire roasted tomatoes with chili
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 2 14 ounces can of any kind of beans (I used black and pinto), washed and drained
  • Salt
  • 10 ounces baby kale, chopped

Heat a heavy large pan with olive oil. Add the ground pork and cook on medium heat, separating the meat with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the ground cumin, ancho chili and oregano and continue cooking and browning for 5 to 6 minutes on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and a teaspoon of salt. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and sauté for another 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken stock and beans and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cover with lid and cook for 30 minutes, checking every 10 minutes to stir. Take lid off and add the kale and bring to a boil. Simmer for another 10 minutes until the kale is wilted and cooked through. Check for seasonings and garnish with cheese and serve.

Corn and Green Bean Pappardalle with Herbed Ricotta

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
  • 1 cup green beans, chopped and rinsed
  • Salt
  • ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 2 cups homemade or bottled marinara sauce
  • ½ pound cooked pasta (I used pappardelle) with ½ cup pasta water to spare

Heat a wide frying pan with olive oil. Saute the onion and garlic on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the corn and green beans. Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the basil and check for seasonings. Add the marinara sauce, bring to a boil and then add the cooked pasta with the pasta water. Mix well, bring to a boil and check for seasonings.

Herbed Ricotta

  • 1 cup fresh ricotta
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • Zest of one lemon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup basil, chopped
  • 1/3 cup parsley, chopped

Mix everything together in a large bowl. Check for seasonings and serve with a dollop of ricotta on a serving of pasta.

Green Curry Noodle Soup

My daughter announced a while ago that she would like to eat less meat- so, I informed her that we can absolutely do that but we will need to incorporate more veggies and beans  in the diet. I know of a lot of teenagers her age who have decided to give up meat and live on pasta every day – not in my house!! This is a yummy, flavorful dish where one does not miss the meat….it does have some shrimp paste- but that can be eliminated.

Green curry paste (substitute store bought paste)

  • ½ bunch Thai basil leaves
  • ½ bunch cilantro leaves
  • 2 kaffir lime leaves, (or zest of one lime)
  • 1 (4- inch) piece lemongrass
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 small shallot, chopped
  • 1 (2- inch) piece peeled ginger
  • 1 small Serrano pepper
  • ½ teaspoon shrimp paste (or 5 to 6 dashes fish sauce)
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

Place all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes. If desired, strain the paste through a strainer to get rid of the stringy texture from the lemongrass. Take out and keep aside.

  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 bunch brown beech mushrooms
  • 1 cup spicy dry tofu, sliced or extra firm tofu, sliced
  • ½ cup sliced fresh or canned bamboo shoots
  • 3 heaping tablespoons green curry paste
  • 2 kaffir lime leaves, (or zest of one lime)
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 12 ounces ramen noodles

Heat a heavy saucepan with the peanut oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the green curry paste and kaffir lime leaves and sauté for another 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tofu and bamboo shoots and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and broth. Bring to a boil and adjust seasoning.

Cook the ramen noodles according to instructions and add to the soup and serve garnished with basil, cilantro leaves and sliced Serrano pepper.

Recipe modified from spoonforkbacon.com

 

Quinoa with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This second quinoa recipe has sweet potatoes- any vegetable can be substituted that is in season- like asparagus, etc…

I love, love roasting sweet potatoes with smoked paprika! I added them to some delicious quinoa. It was a delicious, healthy side dish I served with the yummy lamb chops!

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • Juice of ½ a lemon
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a saucepan with olive oil and add the quinoa and salt and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes on medium heat. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes till the quinoa is cooked through. Add the lemon juice and fluff with a fork. Keep aside.

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into inch squares
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the sweet potatoes on a lined cookie sheet. Add the olive oil, salt and smoked paprika. Mix well and bake till the sweet potatoes are soft and golden brown. Take out and add to the fluffed quinoa. Add the cilantro and check for seasonings before serving.