Greek Spinach Frittata
Ingredients
12 large eggs
¼ cup olive oil
16 oz frozen spinach defrosted, raw or canned, and drained
1 onion finely dices
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 garlic clove minced
2 plum tomatoes, cut into thin slices
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
Directions
Heat the broiler.
In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs. Add the spinach, onion, garlic, and oregano. Mix well.
Heat the oil in an omelet pan. Pour in the egg mixture and cook until set, lifting the edges and letting the eggs run under the omelet. Top the egg mixture with sliced tomatoes, and fetta cheese. Place the pan under the broiler and cook for 2-3 minutes until the top is no longer runnun\g and beginning to brown.
Serve with pita bread and Tzatziki Sauce.
AIR FRYER BONE-IN BREADED PORK CHOPS
Looking to save on calories but love fried pork chops. The air-fryer method of cooking sill does that for you.. I was amazed at how crispy the chops were, yet the meat was moist. Delicious.
Ingredients
2 bone-in pork chops, center-cut (thin OR thick)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 cup Italian flavored Pablo crumbs
½ teaspoon salt
Directions
Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F and spray the basket with cooking spray.
Trim any fat on the pork chops as needed. Sprinkle the chops with salt. Spread the mayonnaise over all sides of the chops. Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning. Press on the panko crumbs. Refrigerate for several hours, if you have time.
Place breaded pork chops into the air fryer in one layer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, carefully flipping halfway through cooking. If cooking thicker pork chops, cook for 14-15 minutes.
Remove pork chops from the air fryer and serve with your favorite sides.
My Sides:
Eggplant Parmesan
This is not a dish that can be prepared quickly, but with some of my make-ahead tips, you can enjoy this entrée for dinner and have several leftovers for future use without spending all day in the kitchen. Eggplant freezes very well in all stages of its preparation. Additionally, I do not fry the eggplant, but bake it in the oven to reduce the calories.
For each one pound of eggplant, you will need:
1 pound eggplant, peeled
1/2 to 3/4 cup refrigerated egg substitute (such as Egg Beaters) or egg whites
1 cup Italian style bread crumbs
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat two large baking sheets with nonstick olive oil cooking spray.
Cut peeled eggplants crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (no thicker). You want them to be thin.
Place the egg substitute in one shallow dish and the bread crumbs mixed with the cheese in another.
Dip the eggplant slices into the egg substitute, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, turn the eggplant slices over, and bake until crisp and golden, about 10-15 minutes longer.
To assemble the casserole, you will need:
Spray an 8 inch or 9 inch or 8-by-11 1/2-inch baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.
Preheat the oven to 375 °F.
2 ½ cups Marinara sauce (see recipe above)
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1 recipe breaded and baked eggplant
Directions
Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange half of the eggplant slices over the sauce, overlapping slightly. Spoon 1 cup of sauce over the eggplant and sprinkle with half of the cheese. Add the remaining eggplant slices and top with the remaining sauce and cheese. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake until the sauce bubbles, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Sauteed Green Beans And Onions
Ingredients
1 pound green beans trimmed and cut in half
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
In a large skillet, place beans and cover with water. Bring water to a boil. Boil green beans for five minutes, then strain and set aside.
Add oil. add sliced onions. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until onions are lightly browned and begin to turn translucent.
Add green beans to sauté pan, stirring to combine. Cook for one additional minute before removing from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve immediately.
Chicken Fajitas
For 2 servings
Ingredients
1 bone-in chicken breast
1 small red bell pepper, sliced
1 small sweet onion, sliced
1 teaspoon fajita seasoning
2 tablespoon avocado oil
4 – 6 inch tortillas
Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Directions
Poach the chicken breast in water to cover for about 20 minutes. Cool and slice.
Heat oil in a medium skillet and saute the peppers and onions. Add seasoning and sliced chicken, Cook on low until the chicken is hot.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and heat the tortillas until beginning to get crispy about 10 minutes.
Fill tortilla shells with the chicken mixture and add toppings.
Refried Black Beans
Ingredients
2 cups cooked or canned Black Beans
2 tablespoons avocado oil
¼ cup minced red onion
1 tablespoon line juice
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons mild chile powder
Directions
Mash the beans coarsely and set them aside.
Heat oil in a small skillet and saute the onion over low heat for 5 minutes. Add the beans and seasoning. Cooker low until creamy, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep the beans from sticking to the pan. Stir in lime juice.
Chunky Guacamole
Makes about 1cup
Ingredients
¼ cup chopped red onion
½ jalapeno pepper, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
½ an avocados pitted, peeled, and chopped
½ tomato chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Salt to taste
Directions
Combine all the ingredients in a small serving bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap until serving.
2 SERVINGS
INGREDIENTS
2 small eggplants, about 10 oz each
¼ cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 sweet Italian sausage link cooked and diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 plum tomato, seeded and diced
5 basil leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoons grated Pecorino Romano
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Slice a thin layer off the top of each eggplant
Hollow out the flesh of the eggplant to create a boat using a melon baller or small serrated spoon.
Heat the oil in a small skillet and add the onion. Saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the eggplant flesh and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the garlic, basil, salt, and pepper to taste the tomato and the chopped sausage. Let the mixture cool. Stir in the mozzarella. Stuff the eggplant shells equally with the filling and place them into a small baking dish,
Top each with 1 teaspoon each of Pecorino Romano cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes more.
Mahi Mahi
Ingredients
3 ¼-inch slices of red onion from a large onion, cut in half
8 (6ounces) mini sweet bell peppers, seeded and quartered
1 clove garlic, grated
1 teaspoon fajita seasoning or taco seasoning
2 Mahi Mahi fillets about 5 ounces each
¼ cup salsa
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Avocado oil
1 lime
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Heat one tablespoon of avocado oil in a medium skillet. Add the sliced onions and peppers.
Drizzle a teaspoon of oil in the bottom of a small baking dish.
place the mahi-mahi pieces on top and squeeze the juice of 1 lemon and drizzle with butter, top with sliced lemon, and sprinkle with the parsley and cilantro, cover and bake at 350 for about 30 mins or slightly firm to touch.
Black Bean And Corn Saute
Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/21 a small onion, finely chopped
1 cup cooked with cooking liquid or canned black beans
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup canned green chiles, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 cup fresh corn kernels
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and very soft, about 10 minutes.
Drain the black beans, and reserve 1/4 cup of the liquid. Add the beans, the reserved bean liquid, and the remaining ingredients to the saucepan; cover, raise heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to a serving dish. Serve immediately.
Beef Stroganoff
Serve with a salad.
Ingredients
1 pound beef tenderloin fillet tips
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter,
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 small onion, sliced
4 oz sliced mushrooms
2 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon prepared Dijon mustard
1/2 cup sour cream
5-6 oz egg noodles, cooked to package directions
Chopped parsley leaves, garnish
Directions
Cook the noodles, drain, and reserve.
Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until tender. Add beef and flour mixture to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until beef is browned. Gradually add broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add mushrooms; cover and cook for 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.
Reduce heat to low; gradually stir in sour cream mixture. Cook, uncovered, 1 minute or until heated (do not boil). Stir in parsley, if desired. Serve over the egg noodles.
Meatloaf
Ingredients
1 celery stalk chopped fine
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1cup finely chopped bell pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup low sugar ketchup
2 pounds of lean ground round
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 large eggs, beaten slightly
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the meat, eggs, vegetables, bread crumbs, ketchup, seasonings, and parsley. Form into a loaf and put into an oiled rectangular baking pan with inch-high sides.
Bake the meatloaf in the oven for 1 hour. Let rest 10 minutes before cutting into serving pieces.
Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
Salt
3 ½ lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ to ⅓ cup heavy cream
Directions
Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until very soft, about 20-25 minutes. Drain the potatoes and put them into a ricer and press the potatoes back into the cooking pot. Add the butter and just enough cream to moisten. Taste for salt and warm the potatoes.
Sauteed Kale
Ingredients
1 bunch kale
Salt and pepper to taste
3 garlic cloves, sliced in half
¼ cup olive oil
Directions
Remove the kale leaves from the stalks. Chop into small pieces. Wash well and dry in a salad spinner.
Heat the garlic and oil in a deep skillet. Add the kale, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook the kale over low heat until soft, about 30 to 40 minutes.
Baked Stuffed Shrimp with Crab
Serves 2
Crab Filling
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 scallion, chopped
F garlic clove minced
1 teaspoon grated zest and 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon seafood seasoning (Old Bay)
8 ounces crabmeat, picked over for shells
Shrimp
12 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and butterflied
Panko crumbs
Pasta
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Coarse ground black pepper
Teo -2o z egg fettuccine pasta nests
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine the crab filling ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
Place the butterflied shrimp in a baking dish just large enough to hold the shrimp.
Top each shrimp with the filling [about 1 tablespoon for each. Sprinkle panko crumbs over each shrimp.
Can be prepared ahead and refrigerated until the time you cook. This is a great dish for entertaining because it can be made in advance, plan on 6 shrimp per person.
Bake until shrimp are pink, 20 to 25 minutes.
For the pasta
In the drained pasta pot, melt the butter and add the cheese and pepper. Add the drained pasta and toss.
Place a pasta nest on each serving plate and top with the shrimp.
Serve with Garlic Sauteed Spinach
Try to buy authentic Mexican flour tortillas, for example, El Milagro. There is a big difference in flavor over supermarket brands.
Tacos with Chipotle Crema
Serves 4
ingredients
Chicken filling
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium tomato, chopped shredded d
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
8 (6-inch) flour tortillas
Crema
2 tablespoons minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon lime juice
½ teaspoon salt
Topping
Shredded lettuce
Shredded cheddar cheese
Pickles jalapeno slices
Directions
In a sauté pan over medium heat, warm the oil and cook the onion, bell pepper, paprika, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and salt until the veggies are soft, 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in the tomato and
chicken, and cook until the filling is heated through, stirring about 3 minutes.
Warm the tortillas in moistened paper towels in the microwave for 30 seconds, or in a taco holder in a 350-degree oven until warm, about 2 minutes.
Stir the chipotle into the sour cream.
Pile the filling into the tortillas, topping with cheddar cheese, chipotle sour cream, and lettuce
Black Beans
Ingredients
Serves 4
1 lime, juiced
1 scallion, diced
1 garlic clove. Minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 jalapeno chile, sliced
2 cups cooked {see recipe below} or canned {drained} lack beans
Directions
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add all the ingredients, except the black beans. Saute over low heat until the onion is soft and the corn is cooked for about 5 minutes. Gently stir in the cooked beans and heat until hot, about 6 minutes.
Serve with the tacos.
Cooking the beans:
I use black soybeans because they are delicate and have fewer carbs than regular brands. However, they do take longer to cook than regular black beans.
Black Beans with Chiles
8 oz dried black beans or black soybeans
1 tablespoon oil
1 small red onion, cut in half
1 small carrot, cut in half
2 dried Mexican chilies, any type
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Place oil, onion, and carrot in a Dutch oven. Cook until the onion is tender. Drain beans and add to the pan. Add whole chiles, cumin, and chicken broth.. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, 2houses. Uncover, add salt and pepper and simmer until beans are very tender, vegetables, and about 1 1 to2 more hours depending on the type of bean you are using. Drain the beans. Remove dried chilies.
Homemade Coleslaw
Ingredients
2 scallions, minced
16 oz package of coleslaw mix
Dressing
1 teaspoon honey or another sweetener
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Directions
In a medium serving bowl with a cover, combine the dressing ingredients using a whisk.
Add the shredded cabbage and scallions and stir gently to mix.
Refrigerate for several hours before serving.
Healthy Caesar Salad
Ingredients
Makes about 1/2 cup. Can easily be doubled.
Ingredients:
Dressing
1/2 small clove garlic
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salad
Half a head of Romaine lettuce, torn into small pieces and1/2 cup croutons
Directions:
Place garlic and salt in a medium bowl and mash with the back of a spoon to form a paste. Add lemon juice, mayonnaise, mustard, anchovy paste, and pepper; whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in oil, whisking constantly. Add cheese and whisk to combine.
Chicken Piccata
Ingredients
Four 6 oz boneless, skinless cutlets (turkey, chicken, veal, pork, or fish), pounded until thin
Kosher salt
Ground pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, preferably Wondra
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons white wine, or dry vermouth
1 lemon, juiced (4 tablespoons),
1 tablespoon capers
Directions
Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Lightly coat in flour. Shake off excess.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and butter, swirl them around the pan, and add the cutlets. Turn the heat to medium and saute for 2 minutes per side. Add the wine, lemon juice, and capers, swirl them around in the pan and turn off the heat. Serve immediately.
Orecchiette Pasta
Ingredients
Hakf Pound Dried Orecchiette Pasta
2 large zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
2 cloves garlic, minced
Half a red onion sliced thin
Salt & Pepper To Taste
1/3 cup sundried tomatoes packed in oil, sliced into thin strips
Directions
Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil, and add the pasta. Cook as per package instructions until the last 4-5 minutes of cooking. Drain pasta and reserve one cup of pasta water.
In the drained pasta pot, pour 3 tablespoons of the sundried tomato oil into the pot and heat until warm. Add the zucchini and remaining ingredients. Stir and cook for three minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Return the pasta to the pot and adding water as needed to keep it moist.
