Greek Salad

Romaine lettuce

Tomatoes

Cucumber

Red onion

Black olives

Tons of feta

Little Italian dressing

I try to make and dress this one about 30 mins ahead of dinner time. We like this salad slightly wilted. So, I can get away with using less dressing since it starts weeping and multiplies the dressing. Plus, the feta does a great job coating everything and stretching the dressing. 

Scrambled Eggs With Ricotta & Asparagus

1/4 cup ricotta

1/4 cup cooked asparagus cut 2-3" long

2 eggs

1 Tbs milk

Salt & pepper to taste

Blend eggs, milk and salt & pepper. Drop dollops of ricotta in nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and then the egg mixture. With a spatula, carefully scrape cooked eggs away from the cooking surface and tilt to let runny eggs fill in the gaps. Try not to over stir so the ricotta has a chance at staying together. I like mine "wet" so I leave it slightly milky. This was a nice change for my usual eggs!  

Balsamic Chicken & Sautéed Cabbage

South Beach's Balsamic Chicken over sautéed cabbage

Sautéed Cabbage

1 head cabbage, sliced thinly

3 Tbs olive oil

Salt & pepper

Heat large/deep cast iron or heavy pot over high heat. Add olive oil and then cabbage. Let cabbage brown for a minute before stirring. Stir and let sit over the high heat for another minute. Repeat until most of the cabbage is slightly browned and starting to wilt. Reduce heat to medium and let the cabbage cook down stirring periodically. After about 30 minutes season to taste with salt & pepper. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking and periodically stirring for an addition 20-30 mins. 

Grilled Shrimp & Eggs

I learned from my mom that you can put anything with eggs and call it breakfast. Leftover broccoli, potatoes, steak, mushrooms, peppers, gravy, etc.  

This was delightful leftover grilled shrimp (see grilled shrimp post for recipe) from a few days ago with an egg over easy. 

Steak Night With Butternut Squash Soup

Steak

Season steak with salt and pepper. Sear each side in smoking hot olive oil on cast iron pan. Finish in oven at 425* for 3-7 minutes depending on thickness and how long you cooked it up top. 

This is what was left of a flat iron steak (done the same as above), but add blue cheese just before baking in the oven. Served with fresh mozzarella and tomato slices drizzled with olive oil and salt and pepper. 

Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut squash

1 Tbs olive oil

1tsp minced garlic

1 Tbs butter

1/4 cup cream 

1 cup milk

Roasted Butternut Squash

Cut the squash in half, deseed and clean out the inside. Rub it inside and out with olive oil. Roast the squash at 425* for about 45 minutes. I fed myself and 2 kids on the squash first round. I had about 1/4 of the squash with skin still left.  

Soup

Add butter to sauce pan and melt over high heat. Then, add cream and garlic. Just before it comes to a rolling boil add squash with skins and stir. Shortly after adding squash pour in milk and return to a boil. Remove from heat and blend it with an immersion blender or any blending device. I'm the salt & pepper queen, but I commented half way through that I never used any seasoning (not even roasting the squash). 

Tonight's salad was romaine, grape tomatoes (halved), cucumbers, purple onion, homemade ranch and Queso Fresco. 

Chicken Caesar

Caesar: 

4 cloves garlic

1 tsp vinegar

1 lemon juiced 

2-4 Tbs mayo (depending on how creamy/healthy you want it)

1 tsp cracked black pepper

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup olive oil 

3-4 Tbs grated Parmesan 

Blend garlic, vinegar and lemon juice into a paste. Add mayo, salt and pepper and blend again. Add 1/4 cup olive oil and blend until whipped. Add the remaining 1/4 cup and whip again. Add Parmesan and blend. Toss dressing with chopped romaine and dust with grated Parmesan and cracked black pepper. 

Cast Iron Chicken

Season chicken with salt, pepper and Cavendar's (or your favorite seasoning). Sear each side in smoking hot olive oil on cast iron pan. Finish in oven at 425* for 10 minutes. Don't cook on the stovetop, just sear. Leaving the cooking to the oven. It's moist and oh so tasty!   

Turnips & Greens

Grilled Shrimp, Blue Cheese & Bacon Stuffed Tomatoes And Cucumber Salad

Grilled Shrimp

Large peeled shrimp

Minced garlic (fresh or McCormick preferred)

Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Mix a couple of tablespoons of olive oil with a couple of teaspoons of minced garlic and toss with the shrimp. On a hot, prepared grill place the shrimp down one at a time. (Shrimp go directly on the grill. This is why you need large shrimp. No need to spray or brush grates with oil. The shrimp are already coated.) by the time you have all the shrimp placed it should be time to start turning them over going in order with the ones you placed first. Once you have them all flipped they should be done. They cook very quickly. Be careful not to over cook. As soon as they are pink and all of the gray is gone they are done!  Dust with salt and pepper. 

If I'm not using fresh garlic then I use this. I hate that diced stuff in water/vinegar that is everywhere. This is usually by the spices and it looks more mashed, roasted garlic than minced. There's another one like this that's with the Mexican spices. It's in the same kind of jar as this but the brand is the one with the señorita dancing on the front.  

Stuffed Tomatoes

I use Campari tomatoes and try to make two per person. Cut the tops off. Stuff with blue cheese or Parmesan and top with crumbled bacon. For this I use crumbled real bacon bits. Bake for about 20 mins at 425*

Again, if I don't have fresh and just need a little I use this. 

Cucumber Salad

Thinly sliced cucumber

Mayo (1 Tbs per cucumber) 

Dried dill 

Salt & Pepper

I love using fresh herbs but this is one that I actually preferr dried even if I have fresh available. Mix cucumber and mayo and season to taste. Refrigerate for at least 30 mins before serving. It need some time to weep. 

Sugar Snap Peas

Boil 6 mins in salted water. Drain add 1/2 Tbs butter and salt & pepper to taste. Shake pot to stir. 

Turkey Sausage

Turkey is really dry because its so lean, so I did drizzle a little olive oil to juice it up and help sear/brown it for flavor. 

Big Limas & Ham

Soak dry big white limas over night. Boil the limas in about 2 quarts of salted water for a pound of beans and a good ole leftover ham bone. Simmer for an hour or two adding water as needed. If they get tender but aren't as thick as you would like take a cup or two out, blend it and return it to the rest of the pot. We love the pot liquor,  juice, so we keep adding a good bit of water.

Pistachio Turkey Patties Over Roasted Veggies With Capris Salad and Avocado

Pistachio Chicken is a South Beach recipe and the one I intended on cooking but I forgot to thaw the chicken. I had leftover raw ground turkey from my taco night so I threw in an egg, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and made little patties. Then, I costed them in ground pistachios. I sautéed them in olive oil to brown each side and finished them in the oven at 425* for about 5 minutes. The pistachios added a ton of flavor and great texture. 

The roasted veggies were cabbage, sweet orange peppers and an onion with olive oil, salt & pepper roasted for 45 mins at 425*.  Roast any veggies the same way. Just make sure they have room to roast and that they don't smother each other and steam. 

The next day I made a sandwich for my husband out of the leftover patties and veggies with mayo on wheat and he loved it. Not a bad combo! 

Ham, Egg & Cheese

Beef Tenderloin, Creamed Rutabagas, Sugar Snap Peas and Spinach Salad

Most people don't know what a rutabaga is much less how to cook it. It's a yellow or northern turnip as my mom and dad tease. My mom's from New York and my dad from the small town in Louisiana that we live now.  Dad grew up eating regular white turnips and my mom grew up eating the yellow ones called rutabagas. They are in the sweet side and quite delicious. I cook prepare them the same way I do mashed potatoes. Peal and dice them. Then, boil them in salted water until they are tender. Add butter and milk or half & half and blend! 

Taco Tuesdays

Simple, cheap, filling, flexible, fun and easy ingredients to keep on hand. Everyone seems to love it!  Most of the time with ground turkey. But, that's the beauty of tacos - there are so many ways to make them. Chicken breast in a crock pit all day with salsa and taco seasoning (thanks Becky), ground beef, ground turkey, steak, fish...  We usually do taco salad with chips for the kids because it's easy. During Phase 1 we just do lettuce and after that if we want carbs we use wheat tortillas. Hard shell if you really want a treat to change it up for the kids.  One twist:  I grew up eating on my taco salad was Spicy V8 juice instead of salsa. It may sound weird but we all loved it and think its worth a try. 

Another thing I love about Taco Tuesday is Taco Eggs Wednesday. I usually make extra taco meat to have with eggs the next morning. 

 

Just heat whatever meat and onions are left. 

Add as many eggs as you need and pan scramble. 

Top with cheese and either leftover or fresh chopped tomato. Lightly dust with salt and extra tasty and easy breakfast. 

Kitchen Tip - Fresh Garlic

I hate digging the garlic out of the garlic press. Matter of fact I dont even like using a press anymore. If I'm using fresh garlic it's shaved or hand chopped. When I need fresh garlic I peal enough cloves to fill my garlic shaver. After I shave what I need for the dish I put the whole shaver with leftover garlic in a ziplock in the fridge. It's ready to go anytime I need a fresh slice. Your fridge may reak for a day or two but we love garlic so we don't mind. 

Here's my favorite garlic contraption. It has a top piece that fits into the piece pictured below. 

Guacamole

Veggie (Beef) Soup

Beef soup bones boiled down for an hour. Remove bones. Add fresh, pealed or canned tomatoes. I brought it back to a boil and salt & pepper to taste, a good amount of crushed red peoper for some pizaz, diced zuccini, frozen cauliflower and frozen field peas. Simmer an 30 additional mins. Any vegetable will substitute. It would just depend what Phase you were at. 

When we were done eating I used an immersion blender to purée the soup into vegetable juice. It was great, but would have been much better without the field peas in the juice. It's still super fresh, very tasty juice without all the sodium. 

Have A Plan

I eat so much better when I take the time to plan my meals (even snacks). I have something to look forward to and I'm not left at the mercy of what's closest/fastest or left feeling like everything I want I can't have. It sounds regimented and high maintence but it doesnt have to be. You have to have some idea what you're planning on eating before you go to the grocery store. So, write it down. I like to leave the last couple of days open when I  first write it down to make room for leftovers and life. 

Creamed Spinach & Eggs

I LOVE spinach this way!

1 bag of frozen spinach (leaf or chopped)

2 Tbs olive oil

1 tsp garlic freshly sliced preferred (see kitchen tip post)

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup half & half

Heat 1 Tbs oil in cast iron or heavy pan. Add frozen spinach. Cook down for about 10 mins on medium-high adjusting heat as needed. Push spinach to perimeter of pan and add remaining tbs olive oil. Add garlic to oil and sautéed 1 minute. Add salt and pepper and mix garlic and seasonings into spinach. Add half and half and stir into spinach. Remove from heat and serve for breakfast, lunch, dinner or with crackers for a snack. 

I served the above spinach with an egg and Queso Fresco for garnish. 

Almond Ricotta

Beautiful, smooth, creamy ricotta with a little Splenda and a dash of almond extract. Garnish with ground, sliced or slivered almonds for texture. *This is a South Beach recipe. 

And this is my favorite brand of ricotta if you ever come across it. 

Seared Salmon With Asparagus and Roasted Cauliflower

Salmon seasoned (with anything you like), sear each side about 1 minute on a smoking hot cast iron in olive oil and finish in the oven at 425* for about 5 mins. 

***We do this with chicken and steak and they both turn out amazing!  Finish chicken in the oven for 10 mins.  Steak depends on the cut and thickness but I'd say 3 to 7 minutes for medium rare for 3/4"-1 1/2" thickness respectively. Remember, you are only searing the outsides on the stovetop, not cooking.  So, don't over do it up top.  Let the oven take care of the cooking to avoid drying out. 

Roared frozen cauliflower: Bake in 425* oven for about 20 mins. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake an additional 20 mins. Garnish with grated Parmesan. 

Amazing asparagus:  steam, covered, directly in 1/2" water in a large, shallow pot with 1/2 tsp salt for 7 mins. Drizzle with 1 Tbs butter, salt and pepper. 

Simple salad:  I have to have one with every meal. Romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers and purple onion drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. A small shake of Parmesan for texture. 

Sorry I need better lighting. This was a beautiful meal but kind of washed out with the dull lighting. Next time...

My Favorite Tea - Green Iced Tea

I LOVE iced tea, but over the years my tea drinking has changed. I grew up drinking good ole sweet black tea. In my early 20's I had to switch to decaf for medical reasons. I had to cut sugar when I got pregnant. Now, I realize that just like with sugar substitutes and low fat foods something's got to give.  It can't taste like sugar, full fat foods and fully caffeinated drinks and have no negative side effects. There have to be chemical processes and very unnatural things they do to foods to make them "like" the real thing. So, I drink Green Iced Tea. Its much lower in caffeine than black tea and is all natural. It's not decaf but I think it's the healthiest choice out there. 

Roasted Chicken & Veggie Soup With Caesar Salad

We had some roasted chicken and vegetables left from the Cookarika chicken last night. I pulled the chicken off last night so I could boil the bones for broth. 

After I boiled it down for an hour with a little salt, I removed the bones and added the leftover chicken and veggies and brought to a boil.  

For the Caesar: 

4 cloves garlic

1 tsp vinegar

1 lemon juiced 

2-4 Tbs mayo (depending on how creamy/healthy you want it)

1 tsp cracked black pepper

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup olive oil 

3-4 Tbs grated Parmesan 

Blend garlic, vinegar and lemon juice into a paste. Add mayo, salt and pepper and blend again. Add 1/4 cup olive oil and blend until whipped. Add the remaining 1/4 cup and whip again. Add Parmesan and blend. Toss dressing with chopped romaine and dust with grated Parmesan and cracked black pepper. 

Scrambled Eggs With Mushrooms And Cheese

Vanilla/Almond Milk

I don't condone the use of artificial sweeteners. However, in the two weeks of Phase 1 I do use it when needed. Otherwise, I use limited amount of sugar, honey, agave or molasses.

Cookarika Chicken

I'm sure I butchered the spelling of this dish but its to die for! 

This is what I use, but you can use a pan with a big lip and an empty, clean aluminum can and it will work just as well.

This bakeware is from NapaStyle. 

Lube up a whole chicken with olive oil, salt and pepper and stick it on the Cookarika/can contraption.  Don't be stingy with the salt and pepper!  Toss chunks of onion, broccoli, zucchini, squash and potato (if you have kids, guests or are not on Phase 1/2) with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place seasoned veggies around base of chicken.  We like garlic so I stuff 3 or 4 whole cloves in the chicken and 5 or 6 down in the veggies.  Bake for 45 mins to 1 hour at 425* stirring once (see pictures above and below to determine how long you want to cook yours).  Toss grape tomatoes in the olive oil bowl from earlier and add to cooked chicken and veggies.  Bake an additional 15 mins.  Remove from oven and let sit 10-15 minutes.  It seriously might be one of the tastiest things I've ever put in my mouth!

The picture at the top of this post was only cooked 45 mins then the 15 additional with the tomatoes. 

These veggies were cooked the full hour at the inital bake time and then an additional 15 mins with tomatoes.  Either way it's amazing!  Thanks to my father-in-law Mike Bruner for this dish.