Tag: quick dinners
Shrimp and Scallop Cakes
It’s still warm outside and these are perfect for a quick weeknight meal…
- ½ pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 6 large scallops, cleaned
Place the shrimp and scallops into a food processor and pulse about 10 times or till the seafood is finely chopped. Take out and transfer to a medium bowl. Keep aside.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow pepper, chopped
- 4 green onions, whites and greens separated and chopped
- 1 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground chipotle
- 1 teaspoon salt
Heat a medium skillet with olive oil. Add the pepper, the white part of the green onions and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cumin, chipotle and salt. Continue to sauté on medium heat for 10 minutes. Turn heat off and let cool completely.
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, divided in half
- 1 teaspoon salt
Add the egg, cilantro, green parts of the green onions, salt and half cup of the panko breadcrumbs to the chopped seafood. Add the cooled pepper mixture. Mix well and place in the fridge for an hour.
Divide the mixture into 4 large cakes and dredge with the remaining ½ cup panko breadcrumbs.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
Heat the oil and butter in a non-stick pan and add the cakes. Cook on medium high heat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Serve with chili lime sauce.
Chili Lime Sauce
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- Juice of one lime
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Mix all the ingredients and serve with the cakes.
Cauliflower and Sausage Pasta
This is one great, yummy way to use the pesto from yesterday. The dish is easy to make and was done in no time…
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 to 3 sausage links, whichever ones you like, casings taken off and crumbled
- 2 medium shallots, chopped
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- ½ pound cooked pasta, with pasta water to spare (about ½ cup)
- ½ to ¾ cup broccoli rabe and parsley pesto
- Salt
Heat a frying pan with the olive oil. Add the sausage and cook on a medium high heat, breaking the meat with the back of a wooden spatula for 2 to 3 minutes or till the meat is golden brown. Add the shallots and cauliflower. Saute on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes till the cauliflower is golden brown. Turn heat to low and cover with lid for 5 minutes or till the cauliflower is cooked through. Remove lid and add the cooked pasta. Mix well. Turn heat off and add the pesto and ½ cup pasta water. Mix well and check for seasonings. Add salt and serve.
Pasta with Chicken and Zucchini
I love making roast chicken for many reasons. One reason is the leftovers. I like coming up with something completely different with yesterdays leftovers.
In this case, I had about a cup of shredded chicken from the delicious roast chicken. I also always keep fresh tomato sauce in my fridge all the time. Once a week I buy fresh tomatoes and make a quick fresh sauce. I wanted to add some vegetables and noticed a zucchini in my fridge. I then remembered my daughter’s look every time I serve zucchini- so I decided to peel it, chop it and add it to the mix with some carrots- she noticed the carrots but not the zucchini. The chicken and tomato sauce mixture was delicious. I quickly boiled some pasta and we had a delicious, quick and healthy meal.
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Pasta with Mushrooms and Spinach
This is a super healthy, quick and delicious dish. Did I mention it is a one pot meal as well? Yes it is. It has cremini mushrooms sauteed with whole wheat penne. I add ready made or homemade pesto to boost the flavor and keep the cooking down to a minimum. I start off with prosciutto and shallots. I then add the mushrooms and pesto. All the flavors are very bold. There are a few ingredients in this pasta but all of them add a great punch of flavor- that is the key to a successful dish.
Once the pasta is cooked al dente, I add it to the mix including some of the pasta water. The starchy water creates a delicious sauce and thickens the pasta.
I then add loads of fresh baby spinach. I love using baby spinach in my salads and pastas. I always have it in the fridge. My daughter doesn’t like salad dressing- so when I make a salad for my husband and I, I give her a hand full of baby spinach as her ‘salad’. She eats it up and claims it to be her favorite vegetable.
The pasta is delicious and so healthy…. make it for the family through the week…
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Pan Seared Cod with Mango Sauce and Bok Choy
Here is another recipe using one of my favorite ingredients- mangoes. I bought some cod for dinner and decided to make a mango sauce.
I cut up two mangoes and cooked them with garlic, shallots. I added apricot jam (yum!), rice wine vinegar and garlic chili sauce. Using all the delicious ingredients resulted in an unbelievable sauce.
I sauteed the fish simply with salt and olive oil- delicious and very quick.
Bok choy is one of our favorite vegetables and I try to incorporate it lots of dinners. In this case, I sauteed them with olive oil and salt. I served the bok choy on the side with the fish and the mango sauce. I made brown rice and it was a perfect meal. It was delicious, quick and healthy- what more do you want??
Try the pan seared cod with mango sauce and bok choy- you will love it…
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Mexican Chili Enchiladas-Great way to use leftovers…
I loved making these enchiladas- what a great way to use up my leftovers. I feel like a champion when I come up with a completely different preparation to use up stuff in the fridge.
I had the Mexican pork chili in the fridge and wasn’t in the mood to cook a whole new meal. I always have all kinds of tortillas and cheeses in the fridge. So, I immediately thought of enchiladas. I had enough to make 3 to 4 enchiladas which was perfect for my husband and I. A big salad with the enchiladas was perfect for a healthy, delicious dinner.
I separated the meat from the sauce and then shredded the pork with my fingers. I then placed the sauce in a flat platter so I can dip the tortillas in there to make them soft and pliable. I stuffed the tortillas, placed them in a shallow platter and then topped the whole thing with a mixture of Mexican cheeses- how easy was that!
This method can be used for any kind of leftover. Even if your leftover has no sauce, you can use a jar of your favorite salsa or tomato sauce and bake your enchiladas to perfection.
Dinner was delicious and didn’t look like old, boring leftovers…
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Meatballs with Prosciutto and Basil
Who doesn’t love meatballs? I really enjoy them on a cold, rainy day with a nice glass of a bold red wine. I have made quite a few versions over the years- especially for kids. I love incorporating some kind of vegetables in the meat and cook them in a delicious homemade tomato sauce.
These came about as I watched Live with Regis and Kelly- Regis was talking about some meatballs he had with prosciutto in them, “what a great idea”, I thought.
I bought turkey meat, prosciutto and basil from the store and started making the meatballs. I also made fresh tomato sauce with lots of cherry tomatoes. I added the usual ingredients in the meatballs including a mixture of cooked onions, garlic and prosciutto. I also added breadcrumbs and freshly grated pecorino- which I prefer a tad more than parmesan cheese since it has a lot more flavor.
The meatballs were cooked in the delicious tomato sauce. I realized I had run out of spaghetti so I served them on top of penne. In order to serve a balanced meal, I sauteed baby spinach on the side with some garlic and a splash of half and half. The kids had a glass of milk and the adults had a delicious cabernet.
Try the prosciutto and basil meatballs next time you decide to serve a delicious pasta meal.
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