Japanese Vegetable Pancake

A meatless meal!!! This is so great you can have it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Eggs and veggies thrown together to make a pancake…..but you can’t forget that sauce. That sweet tangy sauce makes this dish so tasty.   I found this fabulous recipe from food blogger “Smitten Kitchen,” this is hitting my rotation!  This dish has Kale and Cabbage in it- two veggies I rarely use,  I just don’t find too many recipes using them.

 

Pancakes
1/2 small head cabbage, very thinly sliced (1 pound or 5 to 6 cups shreds) which will be easiest on a mandoline if you have one
4 medium carrots, peeled into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
5 lacinato kale leaves, ribs removed, leaves cut into thin ribbons
4 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
Canola, safflower or peanut oil for frying

Tangy Sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (note: this is not vegetarian)
1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon rice cooking wine or sake
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey (use 2 if you like a sweeter sauce)
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Make the pancakes: Toss cabbage, carrot, kale, scallions and salt together in a large bowl. Toss mixture with flour so it coats all of the vegetables. Stir in the eggs. Heat a large heavy skillet on medium-high heat. Coat the bottom with oil and heat that too.

Add 1/4 of the vegetable mixture to the skillet, pressing it out into a 1/2- to 3/4-inch pancake. Gently press the pancake down flat. Cook until the edges begin to brown, about 3 minutes. 30 seconds to 1 minute later, flip the pancake with a large spatula. Cook on the other side until the edges brown.

Combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until smooth and thick.

Serve pancakes with sauce and any of the other fixings listed above, from Japanese mayo to scallions and toasted sesame seeds.

 

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Salmon with Hoisin Glaze

Today didn’t start off too well, I felt like I was in a batting range getting slapped at by the baby (he’s going through his terrible 2′s.)   So, as my morning progressed to kicking, screaming and saying no to everything… I gave in.  No grocery store trip today to complete my daily cooked dinners during the week.   I knew that if I looked up at what Cooking Light  had to offer that I could find something with minimal ingredients that I may have laying around to put a fast and quick dinner together without making a trip to the store.    Sure enough I found a fantastic Salmon recipe with only 3 ingredients!  Kid friendly too!  Cooked in less than 10 mins?!!!  How can this be?  Yes….so for you guys out there that don’t believe in cooking, give this one a go- it’s healthy, cost-effective and takes less than 10 mins to make and under 300 calories.  It’s baked too!  This is yet another great salmon recipe hitting my rotation.

The only thing I didn’t have on hand was the side of snow peas- so I substituted using asparagas and it worked out great!  Loved it.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless wild salmon fillets
• Cooking spray
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• Lemon rind strips (optional)

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. 2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a shallow dish. Add fish to dish, turning to coat. Marinate at room temperature 8 minutes, turning occasionally.
3. 3. Remove fish from marinade; discard marinade. Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle fish evenly with sesame seeds. Bake at 400° for 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Garnish with rind, if desired.
4. Garlicky-spicy snow peas: Heat 1 teaspoon canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 pound snow peas and 1/4 teaspoon salt; sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper; sauté 1 minute. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon sugar; sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat; drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil.

Laura Zapalowski, Cooking Light
AUGUST 2009

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 255
• Fat: 11.7g
• Saturated fat: 2.7g
• Monounsaturated fat: 4.8g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 2.8g
• Protein: 31.5g
• Carbohydrate: 3.9g
• Fiber: 0.3g
• Cholesterol: 81mg
• Iron: 0.7mg
• Sodium: 285mg
• Calcium: 26mg

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Fish Tacos with Tomatillo Sauce

What can I say I like to explore and try new things at all times, so I’m at it again.   Cooking Light as always has something good to cook up, I found this really tasty Fish Taco recipe and what makes this recipe full of flavor is the tomatillo sauce.  I love Tomatillo salsa but this has an interesting add of mayo in it- which raised my curiosity and it is fantastic.  This was so quick and easy to make too…. winner and I’m adding it in along with the many other recipes on the rotation.   I added Avocado to mine just because it is something I must have in any taco I eat.    If you want to add some kick add 2 TB’s of Chipotle sauce to the cabbage mixture- it’s just a little kick and it won’t take away from the tomatillo sauce.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 medium tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 1/2 medium jalapeno pepper
• 1/2 cup cilantro stems
• 3 tablespoons canola mayonnaise (such as Hellmann’s)
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
• 2 cups very thinly sliced red cabbage
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Cooking spray
• 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat broiler to high.
2. 2. Arrange garlic, tomatillos, and jalapeño in a single layer on a foil-lined jelly-roll pan. Broil 3 minutes on each side or until blackened. Combine tomatillo mixture, cilantro stems, mayonnaise, sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a mini food processor or blender; blend until smooth.
3. 3. Combine cabbage, juice, and oil in a medium bowl; toss to coat.
4. 4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add fish to pan; cook 2 minutes. Turn fish over; cook 1 minute.
5. 5. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, heat tortillas over medium-high heat directly on the eye of a burner for about 15 seconds on each side or until lightly charred. Arrange half of a tilapia fillet in center of each tortilla; top each with 1/4 cup cabbage mixture, about 1 1/2 tablespoons tomatillo mixture, and about 1 1/2 teaspoons cilantro leaves.

Note:MyRecipes is working with Let’s Move!, the Partnership for a Healthier America, and USDA’s MyPlate to give anyone looking for healthier options access to a trove of recipes that will help them create healthy, tasty plates. For more information about creating a healthy plate, visit www.choosemyplate.gov.

Adam Hickman, Cooking Light
MAY 2013

Amount per serving

• Calories: 291
• Fat: 10.3g
• Saturated fat: 1.3g
• Monounsaturated fat: 5g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 2.6g
• Protein: 28.5g
• Carbohydrate: 23.4g
• Fiber: 3.2g
• Cholesterol: 64mg
• Iron: 1.2mg
• Sodium: 375mg
• Calcium: 55mg

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Strawberry Yogurt Bundt

I found this recipe on Pinterest!  I decided to do individual bundt’s, the only little change I made was add 1 TB of strawberry/pear Preserve to the icing.   Soft, tart, sweet and creamy with the yogurt addition.  I used Vanilla/Honey Greek Yogurt.   This recipe came from Baking With Blondie.

 

Fresh Strawberry Yogurt Cake
recipe from A Spicy Perspective 

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 Tb. lemon juice, divided
Zest of 1 lemon
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
8 oz. plain or vanilla, Greek yogurt
12 oz. fresh strawberries, diced
1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan (10-15 cup pan.) Sift together the 2 ¼ cups of flour, baking soda and salt. Mix in the lemon zest and set aside.

With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 Tb. lemon juice. Alternate beating in the flour mixture and the yogurt, mixing just until incorporated.

Toss the strawberries with the remaining ¼ cup of flour. Gently mix them into the batter.
Pour the batter into the Bundt pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Allow to cool at least 20 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Once cooled whisk together the remaining 2 Tb. of lemon juice and the powdered sugar. Drizzle over the top of the cake.

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Barbecue Salmon

I have so many great recipes on my blog that I’ve been on repeat for the last month.  I did however stumbled on this Barbecue Salmon recipe from Cooking Light and gave it a go tonight.   So tasty!  I added more of the hot pepper and more Soy sauce than indicated and it was delicious.   Recipe keeper!  Less than 300 calories why not keep this one in the rotation   I didn’t make the salad portion of this recipe- but I plan to try it out next time for sure.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil, divided
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 (1/2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste, such as Huy Fong)
• 4 (6-ounce) fresh or frozen sustainable salmon fillets (such as wild Alaskan), thawed $
• Cooking spray
• 2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed and thinly sliced crosswise $
• 1/2 cup grated radishes $
• 1/4 cup very thinly vertically sliced shallots
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat the grill to high heat.
2. 2. Combine 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, and ginger in a mini food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Add juice and next 4 ingredients (through chile paste); pulse to combine. Place salmon on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; brush tops of salmon with half of sauce. Grill 10 minutes; brush with remaining sauce. Grill an additional 10 minutes or until desired degree of doneness.
3. 3. Combine peas, radishes, and shallots. Combine vinegar and remaining 1 tablespoon oil, stirring well; drizzle over pea mixture. Sprinkle with salt; toss. Serve with salmon.

Julianna Grimes, Cooking Light 
AUGUST 2012

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 268
• Fat: 11.4g
• Saturated fat: 1.7g
• Monounsaturated fat: 3.9g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 4.6g
• Protein: 27.8g
• Carbohydrate: 12.7g
• Fiber: 1.8g
• Cholesterol: 66mg
• Iron: 2.1mg
• Sodium: 474mg
• Calcium: 49mg

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Quick Shrimp Chowder

One week now and I”m still sick, my little girl and I have been challenging each other to a cough off all week long.  Both of us a complete mess and it’s either the sick infested school full of little germ bodies or the fact we froze our butts off in Disneyland.  I’m betting Disneyland as I lost my voice by the end of the night.  What is the cure to a soar throat and coughing….soup!   I have soup recipes on my blog but as usual I”m looking for something new so I decided on something more creamy- along the lines of a pasta type creamy sauce.  This is like Clam Chowder but with Shrimp and the oyster crackers are a nice addition  …..what could be better?  Mmm…actually a bread bowl would be better   This dish took 20 minutes to make!  It’s quick and tasty and because the essential ingredient that gives this dish flavor is the canned cream of potato soups.  I’m not use to using canned soups in my meals but hey- it’s quick and not bad when watered down with milk.  :)   Found this fantastic recipe through Southern Living.  If you’re looking to lose weight this wouldn’t be one to make but I bet Cooking Light has something very similar worth checking out.

I’ve made this again for leftovers- adding in peas and mushrooms- WAY better with the veggies in it- give it a try!

No matter what angle- soup just doesn’t photo well.

 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine $
• 1 medium onion, chopped $
• 2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans cream of potato soup, undiluted
• 3 1/2 cups milk $
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds medium-size fresh shrimp, peeled* $
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Garnish: chopped fresh parsley
• Oyster crackers (optional)
• This is the original recipe- try it with mushrooms and peas- excellent!

Preparation

1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion, and sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Stir in cream of potato soup, milk, and pepper; bring to a boil. Add shrimp; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often, 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Stir in cheese until melted. Garnish, if desired. Serve immediately. Serve with oyster crackers, if desired.
2. *1 1/2 pounds frozen shrimp, thawed; 1 1/2 pounds peeled crawfish tails; or 3 cups chopped cooked chicken may be substituted.

Cynthia J. Strickland, Bethel, North Carolina, Southern Living 
JANUARY 2004

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Shishito Peppers- Perfect Snack with Beer

The perfect appetizer or snack with your beer while watching the Game.

Here are the ingredients that a Chef at a Las Vegas Restaurant rambled off-

Fry in some Sesame Oil, crushed garlic ,drizzle some oyster sauce and dash of Sea Salt…..I cooked them lightly on the stove than let them soften in the oven.

These peppers are hard to find but if you can locate an Asian Market that carries them- try this dish out ….these are so good!!!!

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Green Lentils with Kale and Sweet Potato

As I was on Pinterest pining away  I stumbled on this recipe by StraightUpFood and thought veggies and lentils….sounds yummy.  Perfect for a meatless meal!    It’s got veggies I don’t normally make, like Cauliflower, Kale, Sweet Potato, Yam and green lentils which I never eat.  Bowl full of goodness.   I’m adding this to my rotation just so I can get these veggies in my diet at least once a month.   I used Japanese Curry powder (the recipe doesn’t indicate which kind to use) and I found the sweet flavor of this curry perfect for this dish.  Also I used one sweet potato and one Yam- because I’m never sure which one it is that I like better and I loved the combination of the two in this dish. I got this great recipe from StraightUpFood- food blogger.

6 cups water
1 cup Green lentils
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 small yam or sweet potato, diced
2 cups small cauliflower florets
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 can (14.5-oz.) diced, salt-free tomatoes
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons dried green herbs  (Italian)
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
4 cups greens cut into bite-size pieces (like kale, chard, spinach, collards, beet greens)

Directions
1. In a soup pot on high, bring the water and lentils to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes (a low boil).

2. Add the onion, yam/sweet potato, cauliflower, celery, tomatoes (including juice), and the four herbs and spices. Cook for 10 minutes at the same heat. Add greens, and cook for 5-10 more minutes (spinach, chard and beet greens won’t take as long to cook as kale or collard greens), until potatoes and greens are tender.

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Pork Tenderloin Spinach Salad with some heat! Incredible!

Time to get back on the healthy track and what a fantastic recipe I found at COOKING LIGHT! Where would I be without this magazine? I don’t normally cook pork tenderloin but after trying this, I”m looking for more recipes as this is one of my Cooking Light favorites.  I roasted my bellpeppers it is the only change I made to this recipe but that’s just a taste preference for me.   Don’t change any ingredient it all works out so nicely!  If you want some added heat just drizzle little bit of Sirracha ontop of your dish at the end.  :)  I couldn’t wait to post this as we had it for dinner tonight!   I used a grill pan to cook my meat and I cut my meat thin so I can cook it really fast.  Loved the thin slices, made it eating with the salad easy. Enjoy!  Click on the picture for a tastier view.

Ingredients

• 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray
• 3 cups baby spinach leaves
• 2 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage
• 1 cup red bell pepper strips $
• 1/4 cup low-fat sesame ginger dressing (such as Newman’s Own)

Preparation

1. 1. Cut pork crosswise into 1/2-inch slices; flatten each slice slightly with hand. Combine pork and Sriracha in a bowl, tossing to coat. Add sugar, garlic powder, and salt; toss well.
2. 2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork mixture to pan, and cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from heat; keep warm.
3. 3. Combine spinach, cabbage, and bell pepper in a large bowl. Add sesame ginger dressing; toss well. Arrange 1 1/2 cups spinach mixture in each of 4 shallow bowls; top each serving with 3 ounces pork.

Alyson Haynes, Cooking Light
OCTOBER 2008

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 202
• Calories from fat: 21%
• Fat: 4.7g
• Saturated fat: 1.4g
• Monounsaturated fat: 1.8g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 0.5g
• Protein: 25g
• Carbohydrate: 14.7g
• Fiber: 1.9g
• Cholesterol: 74mg
• Iron: 2.2mg
• Sodium: 490mg
• Calcium: 56mg

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Layered Turtle Cheesecake- Merry Chirstmas Everyone

Christmas Eve is when we celebrate with the entire family -my mom & dad, two sisters and their husbands, all my nieces and nephews and with my cousin, her husband and kids this year too which I’m excited about.  This being a Mexican tradition from my Dad’s side of the family and how I’ve always celebrated it while growing up.    Christmas Day for me is game day…..but I do cook and bake since everything is closed ;P   The little ones unraveling their gifts and playing all day with their new toys and putting together gingerbread houses while we (with our fingers crossed) watch the Lakers win??

I have so many dessert bookmarks that deciding what to make for Christmas Eve this year was a difficult decision. I always do Cheesecake- it’s the thing that must be at the table, so in the years passed I’ve made Key Lime, Peanut Butter, Brown Sugar with Cranberry Compote, Chai and finally Brown Sugar Apple Cheesecake- with thinly sliced apples in it- all of them fantastic.   This year I decided I wanted a chocolate Ganache Topping- so I went with Turtle Cheesecake- candied pecans, chocolate and salted caramel- oh yes….you get into my tummy!  haha  I found this recipe from Taste Of Home food blogger.  I really want to slice into this thing and do a pretty picture but we shall see if I can do that later tonight and sneak that pic on here.  Merry Christmas everyone!

Layer of Cheesecake- in the making-sitting in a water bath ready for the oven- before the Ganache Topping

Chocolate, Pecan, Caramel layer on top of the crust before adding the cheesecake portion on it.

• Prep: 40 min. Bake: 1-1/4 hours + chilling
• Yield: 12 Servings

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Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
• 6 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
• FILLING:
• 4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup Imperial Sugar® / Dixie Crystals® Granulated Sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• GANACHE:
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped pecans
• Additional caramel ice cream topping, optional

Directions

• Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan.
• In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar and pecans; cut in butter until crumbly. Press onto the bottom of prepared pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 12-15 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.
• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugars until smooth. Beat in 1/4 cup flour, cream and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Remove 1 cup batter to a small bowl; stir in melted chocolate. Spread over crust.
• In another bowl, mix caramel topping and remaining flour; stir in pecans. Drop by tablespoonfuls over chocolate batter. Top with remaining batter. Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan.
• Bake at 325° for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath; remove foil. Cool cheesecake on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with a knife; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.
• For ganache, place chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chips; whisk until smooth. Cool slightly, stirring occasionally.
• Remove sides of springform pan. Spread ganache over cheesecake; sprinkle with pecans. Refrigerate until set. If desired, drizzle with additional caramel topping before serving. Yield: 12 servings.

Nutritional Facts1 slice (calculated without additional caramel topping) equals 664 calories, 46 g fat (25 g saturated fat), 182 mg cholesterol, 330 mg sodium, 55 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 11 g protein.

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