Frozen Banana Popsicles

I am always hungry.  Always.  I could eat all day long.  These (somewhat) healthy banana pops are a great snack to have in the freezer.

INGREDIENTS

2 very ripe bananas
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels, melted
1 tsp oil (helps to thin the chocolate
sprinkles

DIRECTIONS

Cut each banana into 4 pieces (once lenght-wise, once in half).  Skewer with popsicle stick or wooden grilling skewer.

Roll in melted chocolate.  Put onto baking sheet lined with wax paper and put into freezer.

Done.

VERDICT

That's it.  A frozen banana covered in chocolate.  It's not the most unique recipe, but it does the trick.

Thai Chicken Skewers with Spicy Peanut Sauce

It's still grilling season!  Spice things up with this super easy chicken recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce, (see Ingredient Note)
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 pound chicken tenders

Spicy Peanut Sauce

• 2 tablespoons smooth natural peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons 'lite' coconut milk, (see Tip)
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Whisk lime juice, oil, soy sauce, fish sauce and red pepper in a shallow dish until combined; add chicken and turn to coat. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
2. To prepare peanut sauce: Whisk peanut butter, coconut milk, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar and red pepper until smooth.
3. Preheat grill to high. Thread each chicken tender onto a wooden skewer. Grill until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, about 3 minutes per side. Serve warm or chilled with Spicy Peanut Sauce.

VERDICT

This was a big hit!  Not too spicy, not to peanut butter-y, just perfect.   

NUTRTION

286 calories; 18 g fat ( 2 g sat , 8 g mono ); 63 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrates; 1 g added sugars; 25 g protein; 1 g fiber; 463 mg sodium; 225 mg potassium.

Ginger and Garlic Tilapia over Orzo

I've recently discovered the secret to making my kids like fish.  Simply call it "gooey fish" like they do on Micky Mouse Club House and they'll eat it right up!

I still haven't discovered the trick for making my husband look forward to fish.  This recipe is definitely one to look forward to though.  It looks messy, but the taste is divine!

INGREDIENTS

1 pound domestically farmed tilapia fillets
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 inch fresh ginger, grated, about 1 tablespoon
1 jalapeño pepper, roughly chopped
1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Scallions, chopped for garnish
Extra cilantro, to garnish

Cooked rice or pasta (orzo works well) for base.

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 475°F. Pat the fish dry, season lightly with salt and pepper, and lay in a 9x9-inch or 8x8-inch ceramic or glass baking dish.

Put the garlic, grated ginger, chopped jalapeño, and cilantro in a small food processor with the white wine, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Whir until blended.

Pour the sauce over the fish, rubbing it in a little. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily and is cooked through. It will be very moist and even a little gelatinous, still.

Serve immediately over brown rice or orzo, garnished with the additional scallions and cilantro.

VERDICT

This is delicious.  It was a little on the spicy side for the kids, but without too much of the sauce they ate it right up.  And so did my husband, in spite of his complaints about being served fish again.

Zuchini Sticks with Bloomin' Onion Dip

Yes, this recipe looks labor and time intensive.  It kind of is.  But it's really worth it.  This time of year you can find zucchini at road-side stands for 25 cents a piece.  Go ahead, spend $1.  You're going to want to make more of these.

INGREDIENTS

2 large zucchini, cut into 3” diameter sticks

1 TBS butter

1 medium onion, sliced

2 TBS cider vinegar

2 TBS honey

1 TBS mustard

1 cup mayo

1 cup Panko bread crumbs
scant 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Pizza Seasoning or mixed Italian herbs

2 eggs

DIRECTIONS

 

Place the zucchini sticks in a colander over a bowl, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of salt. Let them drain for 1 hour or longer.  After an hour, rinse well and pat dry.

For the dip:
First, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium-sized frying pan over moderate heat, and add 1 medium sweet onion (about 1/2 pound), sliced.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, then caramelizes. This should take between 20 and 25 minutes, at medium-low heat. The lower the heat, the longer it takes, but the less likely you are to burn the onions.

When the onions are medium brown, remove them from the heat.  In a blender mix onions, vinegar, honey & mustard.  Process until fairly smooth.  Remove from the processor, and stir in 1 cup mayonnaise.
Next up: the bread and cheese coating. But first, preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment, and spray the parchment with olive oil.

Combine panko, parm cheese, and Italian herbs.  Mix until thoroughly combined.

Beat 2 large eggs; or pour 1/2 cup egg substitute into a dish. You’re going to dip each zucchini stick in the eggthen roll it in the crumbs.  Here is advice from the original author of this recipe:  “There’s a basic restaurant tenet about  breading: ‘One hand wet, one hand dry.’ It makes the difference between getting through them all in one go, or having your hands end up looking like catcher’s mitts.”

Place the sticks on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the sticks for about 12 minutes, until they’re starting to brown. Remove from the oven, and turn them over; you may actually need to do this one by one, or you may be able to turn several at a time using a spatula. Bake for an additional 12 to 16 minutes or so, until golden brown and crisp.

VERDICT

Yes, the sauce is a bit fussy.  And straining the zucchini for an hour is too.  But the dip is SO GOOD!

The kids weren't as big of fans as we were though.  We told my son they were a kind of French fry.  He informed us "yeah, they're the not-so-tasty kind of french fries."

 
Whatever, kids are fussy.  But you won't be once you've tried these!

Mango Chipotle BBQ Chicken Salad

True Story:

Yesterday morning I got the kids up, made their breakfast, and then cut up onions, mangoes and garlic, then simmered all of the ingredients in a sauce pot for 15 minutes to make homemade BBQ sauce.  When I got home I finished off the sauce, marinated chicken breasts, and made homemade salad dressing.  At exactly 5:30pm my husband walks in the door and asks "what was wrong with the 10 bottles of marinade we already have in the fridge?"

Nothing.  Nothing would have been wrong with using a store-bought marinade.  Or a store-bought salad dressing, for that fact.  But I thought I was the shit making it all from scratch.

You can be the shit too.  Minus the non-appreciative husband.  Here's what you need:

INGREDIENTS
 

For the Chipotle-Mango BBQ Sauce (makes 2 1/4 cups):

1 mango, chopped

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce (or 3 or 4... or the whole jar.  See notes under 'verdict')

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup apple juice

1/4 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

Juice from 1/2 lemon

2 Tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 Tablespoon canola oil

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

For the dressing:

2 Tablespoons prepared Chipotle-Mango BBQ Sauce

2 Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt

1-2 teaspoons lime juice

salt & pepper

For the salad:

2 chicken breasts

1 vine-ripened tomato, cut into wedges

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 bag Dole Romaine Salad mix

sweet corn (optional.  I may be the shit but I don't have time to cook sweet corn only to give it ample time to cool, cut off the cob, and add to the salad.)

DIRECTIONS


1. For the Chipotle-Mango BBQ Sauce: Combine all ingredients for Chipotle-Mango BBQ Sauce into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring often. Let cool then transfer to a food processor or blender, and process until smooth.

2. For the dressing: Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Taste, then add more lime juice, salt and/or pepper if necessary.

3. For the salad: Marinate chicken breasts in some of the prepared Chipotle-Mango BBQ Sauce for at least 15 minutes, or up to 3 hours. Grill over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes per side until no longer pink in the middle. Allow to rest for 5 minutes off the grill before slicing.


4. Divide lettuce between two plates, then top with grilled corn, tomatoes, cilantro, and grilled chicken. Drizzle with prepared dressing.

VERDICT

It looks like a lot of ingredients and a lot of work, but honestly it's not that bad.  It was especially easy to make the sauce in the morning before work, and it cut a lot of time off prep later that night.

My husband wasn't a fan of the dressing, he prefers vinagrettes.  I thought it was great though.

As for the peppers... don't limit yourself to one little itty bitty pepper out of the jar.  I used four.  And it still wasn't that spicy.  So go ahead, add the whole damn thing!  After all, you are the shit!

Lastly, this makes a good amount of sauce.  I used half for the marinade, a few tablespoons for the dressing, and the rest I threw into a zip lock for the freezer.  We'll definitely use the leftover freezer stash on chicken breasts (or shrimp, hmm...) in the future.

Frogmore Stew/Clambake

Clams, Shrimp, Potatoes & Corn all steamed and then dumped onto a paper-covered table in front of you?  Yes, please.

This is the perfect dinner for a crowd- and with no silverware or plates required, the short clean-up time is perfect for a host too!

Before I get to the recipe, there's a side note on this guy:

He is a new shell lobster.  At $6.99 a pound he was also a steal compared to the regular hard shell lobsters in the tank ($12.99 per pound).  I have to admit- I hated picking him up.  And tossing him in the water also seemed really cruel in spite of the lack of a central nervous system. 

The guilt didn't last that long.  He and his brother were DELICIOUS.  Best lobster I've ever had.  If you see "new shell" lobsters at your local market, I recommend picking one up.

Now then... onto the recipe!

INGREDIENTS

3 dozen clams
1 pound raw shrimp
1-2  pounds baby red potatoes
6 ears corn, cut into 2-inch pieces
5 quarts water
1/4 cup Old Bay seasoning

DIRECTIONS

Bring water and Old Bay to a boil. Wash the clams well and soak in water to draw out the sand.

Add the potatoes, boil uncovered for 10 minutes.

Add the corn, cook an additional 10 minutes.

Add the clams and shrimp, cook just until the clams open, about 3-4 minutes.

Drain, and dump out onto a paper-covered table.  Serve with melted butter, cocktail sauce, and more Old Bay.  Chunks of crusty bread make a great side.

VERDICT

Not counting the lobster (which was AWESOME!), this was a really great dinner.  The clean-up was super easy, the kids loved eating with their fingers, and the taste was great.  The shrimp wasn't the best (they cooked really, really fast and were slightly overdone) but the rest was great.

The original version of this recipe calls for spicy Italian sausage going in with the corn.  I skipped this and added clams instead, but that's always an option to add back in.

Sweet Potato Fries with Spicy Sriracha Dip

I'm not usually a sweet potato fry person.  I do like the Asian spicy dressing "sriracha" though, so I gave these a try.  Actually, I made these on the same night as I made the "guarenteed crispy french fries" recipe that I found on Pinterest.

Don't waste your time looking for the other recipe.  I'm not wasting my time putting it on this blog.  These sweet potato fries are far, far better.  And this coming from someone who didn't even like them.


Here's what you need:

INGREDIENTS

For the fries:
1 yam (sweet potato)  Actually, you might as well get two.  This recipe is that good.
2 TBS corn starch
2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS garlic salt This wasn't part of the original recipe, but I threw it on at the last minute.  You should add it too!

For the Sauce:
1/2 cup mayo
1-2 TBS sriracha sauce (you can find it in your store's Asian aisle- it's the plastic bottle with the rooster on the front)
1 tsp cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS

Cut the sweet potatoes into consistently-sized strips. 

Here is the important part:  Soak potatoes in water for at least one hour.  Half a day is even better.  This makes them crunchy later on!

Pre-heat oven to 425.  Dry the sweet potatoes with paper towels.  In a large zip lock bag (gallon or so sized) add the potatoes and corn starch.  Leave air in the bag, like a balloon, and shake until evenly coated.

Spread potatoes on a baking sheet and sprinkle garlic salt over the top.  Cook for 20-25 minutes, flipping once.

While they're cooking, mix the mayo, cayenne and sriracha sauce.

VERDICT

Seriously, these are that good.   Probably not so much if you're not a spicy person, but they are officially in the recipe rotation from now on.

Pork Tenderloin Marinade

I'm on a roll with new recipes!

This one is so easy and simple to do, you must try it out before grilling season ends.

And on a side note- I'm so glad that a friend recommended pork tenderloin instead of pork chops.  The tenderloin is SO much jucier, more tender, and more delicious than pork chops.  Thanks Cathi!

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cherry cola
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. minced onion
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. minced garlic

DIRECTIONS

Mix together in a zip lock bag.  Add pork.  

Marinate.  

Grill. 

Eat.

Send me thank-you letters for making you fall in love with pork.

VERDICT

I don't know why this recipe requires cherry coke, honestly for only 1/4 cup it's a big waste.  And I end up drinking the rest of the 20-oz bottle, which is definitely not in line with my goal of eating healthy and cutting out the junk food.

Regardless, this recipe is great.  Better than great.  It was a huge hit with the husband and the kids.  And if you can get it past those picky eaters, you know you have a hit.

Grilled Asparagus with Rosemary & Goat Cheese

I like asparagus, as long as it's the skinny, tender spears. My husband only likes the big fat chunky ones.  Wegman's only had the thin ones this week- I win!

I usually just steam them but I thought we'd try something new.  Plus, it's a grilling recipe.  Win-Win!

INGREDIENTS

2 TBS olive oil
juice from 1/2 a lemon
splash of balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 tsp minced fresh rosemary
pinch red pepper flakes
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 lbs. asparagus, ends snapped off
1 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

DIRECTIONS

Prepare the grill.  In a small bowl mix together everything but the cheese.  On a baking sheet spread the asparagus out and toss with 1 TBS of dressing.

Grill the asparagus until grill marks appear- about 5-7 minutes.  Transfer to platter, drizzle with remaining dressing and top with cheese.

VERDICT

I've discovered that no matter what the rest of the ingredients are, if there is goat cheese I will love it.  And the rest of this recipe is pretty hit or miss.  Too much lemon?  I am not a huge fan... except for the goat cheese.  You'd probably get the same effect with just balsamic vinegar, pepper, and goat cheese.  But that's just me.