Salmon Teriyaki Stir Fry- BOOM!

You know those days when you are just glancing in your fridge… feeling totally uninspired. Grubhub.com is calling your name, Chinese…Pizza… ugh. It's cold, you're tired, but no… no not today sir. Today you will fix your posture, sit up tall and say NO! I will not order takeout when there are two delicious pieces of salmon wrapped up ready to be cooked sitting in your fridge. Don't worry lil guys, i'm gonna eatcha. Another annoying thing I faced when putting this together… pretty much half of my veggies in my fridge were bad. Great. Great? Well lets think outside of the box here. What do I need to make my teriyaki sauce? That jarred sauce is quietly calling to you… use me… use me… and although it is so easy to just plop it on and call it a day, take a look at the amount of sugar and sodium in that ish- no thank you. Heres what I need: low sodium tamari, water, honey, garlic, ginger, mirin (check and check) What veggies? Well, my onion isn't bad yet, or my red bell pepper… I've got some leftover broccoli florets from a crudite platter, and wait! and some scallions that have maybe a day left! There's NO greater satisfaction than cooking, even when you really don't want to, and creating a delicious and healthy meal knowing you were one step away from a grease-fest for dinner. This stir fry dish with some steamed brown rice (trader joe's frozen short grain brown rice is my go-to) and you are filled with sweet, savory, and scrumptious yumminess that won't make you feel bad about grabbing that scoop of ice cream for dessert ;-)

Teriyaki Salmon with Stir-Fried Veggies
2, 8 ounce wild salmon filets (one for me one for the hub)
1 tbs sesame oil
1 tbs minced garlic
1 tbs minced ginger
1/3 cup low sodium tamari
1/3 cup water
2 tbs mirin
2 tbs honey
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 medium sized yellow onion, sliced thin
1 cup broccoli florets

Step 1: In a sauce pan over medium heat, add your sesame oil, then HALF of the ginger and garlic, sauté until golden (less than a minute.) Add  your tamari, mirin, honey, and a dash of salt and pepper, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for about 4 minutes. Let cool

Step 2: Once marinade is cooled, place HALF of it in a plastic bag with your salmon, make sure its coated. and pop it in the fridge for an hour or up to 3 hours. Reserve remaining marinade for veggies

Step 3: Set your oven to broil. Place the fish on a foil lined sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place in the oven- this may take as quickly as 5 minutes depending on the thickness of your fish, keep an eye on it. (Looking for spring-back)

Step 3: Get a wok nice and hot. Add a dash of sesame oil and the remaining garlic and ginger, cook for about 30 seconds, then add your broccoli, cook for 2 minutes, add red bell pepper and onions, cook for an additional 2 minutes and then add the rest of the marinade and cook until the liquid pretty much gone (about another minute)

Top with some sesame seeds, chopped scallions, your salmon and steamed brown rice- unreal meal.

ENJOY!

Flexin' Mussels, Man.

I admit, I need to amp up my seafood consumption. It's not that I don't love it, I do, but seafood often is way more temperamental as far as a last minute decision to cook something. Especially shellfish. I LOVE shellfish, I mean… who doesn't? Unless you are deathly allergic I rarely stumble across someone who doesn't love a heaping bowl of piping hot mussels. Yum. Mussels are such a blank canvas, it's all about the broth, which is what I love about them. One night I can do spicy mussels with tomato and white wine, or creamy coconut milk and curry, but tonight I do one of my favorite renditions… fennel and white wine. Not only are they easy to make, they are quite impressive if I don't say so maself. Great for mass-feeding, a crunchy piece of garlicky toasted baguette for sopping up that amazing broth and nomnonom- you're ready to feast.

Mussels w/ Fennel and White Wine

1.5-2 lbs mussels

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp red pepper flakes

2 large bulbs fennel, sliced thin (Using my trusty mandolin always does the trick, reserve the fronds)

2 leeks, sliced thin, soaked in water to remove sand!

3 cloves garlic, minced

2/3 cup Pernod

1 cup white wine (I use a Sauvignon Blanc here, but any wine you would drink with)

1/2 cup chicken stock (can use seafood stock, but chicken stock is easier to get)

1 tsp cane sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 bunch fresh thyme

1 bunch flat leaf parlsey

Step 1: In a large dutch oven (hehe) over medium heat, add the olive oil and red pepper flakes. Let sizzle for about a minute until fragrant. Add your fennel, stir to coat in the olive oil and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the leeks for another 3 minutes, and then your garlic until all are translucent.

Step 2: Add your Pernod and white wine, crank up the heat a bit and let it reduce a little (about 3 minutes) add your stock, sugar, salt, pepper, fennel fronds, thyme, and parsley. Let cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Step 3: Debeard your mussels. Here my trusty prep cook and future husband Aaron was sent to do the job. Primarily because he's just so good at it! and I don't wanna do it! Add your mussels into the pot, cover and let steam for about 7-9 minutes just until they open.

Step 4: Remove the herbs, toast up yo bread, and dig in!

ENJOY!

Deep Dish Spicy Bison Noodle-free Lasagna

Lasagna, lasagna, you mock me so. For years I made mundane lasagnas, yes I can describe them as such because they just fell flat, boring, lifeless, (sigh) lasagna. As someone who cooks for flavor but also for health one of the biggest challenges I face that non-health conscious cooks do not is how the hell do I replace the 'delicious'. In lasagna that is usually gobs of cheese, maybe a béchamel sauce, and of course the pasta. Now sometimes I do make lasagna with a layer or two of pasta, it usually is me just being lazy, especially those no-boil noodles, damn you no-boil noodles for making lasagna making so much easier. I have tried to morph myself into a no-noodle lasagna gal, but its been rough. The vegetables that one replaces noodles with in lasagna, usually zucchini or eggplant, bleed water- which makes sense because over 90% of their composition is water. Excess moisture = soupy-ass lasagna. The noodles in lasagna typically act to suck up all of that moisture, so in their absence we need to troubleshoot to get rid of it. Damn you lasagna gods! Why must you make it so hard for me to make this recipe healthier! BAH! 

Ok, compose yourself. Breathe. Ok i'm back. So back to bulking up the greatness of lasagna sans-fat, how do I solve this dilemma? FLAVOR. Surprise! You don't need all of that fat to create something delicious, we add in layers of different flavors so you don't even miss it. I mess around with a million different types of lasagna: pulled chicken, squash, and kale lasagna, roasted vegetable lasagna, but tonight I made a spicy bison lasagna. I usually make my own sauce and keep it in my freezer, I spice it up here, but you can definitely grab a good jar of tomato sauce from your local grocer. My favorite will always be Rao's, thanks mom. To slice the vegetables evenly I use a mandolin- you can buy them at any kitchen supply store, but I must warn you... I have chopped off teeny parts of my finger using this tool, it may look all pretty and nice but that blade is no joke. It works the best for even slicing but it is not a tool to use while on the cell phone, watching the bachelor, or in-between painting your nails. The eggplant and zucchini require a little more work, but the end result is totally worth it.

Deep Dish Spicy Bison Noodle-free Lasagna
1 Jar of your favorite spicy tomato sauce (I add a heaping pinch of red pepper flakes to some olive oil in a pan, add my sauce, and let simmer slightly- I also recommend Rao's Fra Diavlo Sauce, its amazing)
1 lb ground bison
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 large zucchinis, sliced to 1/4 inch in thickness
2 eggplants, sliced to 1/4 inch in thickness
1, 15 oz container part-skim ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 tbs dried basil
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded smoked mozzarella (can find at Italian specialty stores, or grocers with solid cheese selections)

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375, preheat a skillet on medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil, add your garlic, sauté until light brown, about 45 seconds, then add in your bison. Season with salt and pepper until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes, drain any excess moisture and set aside.

Step 2: On two different sheet trays, line up eggplant and zucchini, sprinkling both with salt. Place in the oven- eggplant will take about 3-5 minutes (looking for tender), zucchini about 5-7 minutes. The zucchini will bleed water, now is your time to get down and go at that zucchini with paper towels so it is as dry as humanly possible. I even go at it piece by piece. 

Step 3: Combine ricotta cheese, egg, dried basil and parmesan cheese and whisk together with a fork.

Step 4: Spray a spring form pan with non stick and wipe with a paper towel to remove any excess. Start to layer: A little bit of sauce, eggplant (or zucchini) whatever you prefer, 1/2 ricotta cheese mixture, 1/2 bison, and 1/2 mozzarella. Repeat.

Step 5: Top the final layer with a little tomato sauce, some parmesan cheese and some mozzarella, cover with foil and place in the oven for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for another 15.

Step 6: LET IT COOL. If I can, with basically every lasagna I make, I refrigerate it or let it sit at room temperature for several hours. Have you tried slicing right into a hot lasagna? It's called slop pile. Let things tighten up a bit, and then when you are ready to eat pop it back in a 415 degree oven just until warms through, about 10 minutes.

Step 7: Remove the sides of the pan....

Use a SHARP KNIFE, and give yaself a slice. ENJOY!

Greeky Leeky Chop Chop Salad

OMG like I totally am craving a salad right now… utter those words to my face and I will punch you right where the sun don't shine, I've done it before. I hate faux diet-lovers, those who try to convince others that their diet mechanisms are actually something they WANT to do. Let's just be real here, uttering the words will not make them true… it aint working. Salads are great, but they do not a meal make without some significant protein and nutrient benefit. Remember: just because there is kale in it doesn't mean it will provide you with superpowers. In the middle of your busy work day, if you have taken the time to make yourself lunch, it better be worth it- meaning you didn't waste your time, you stayed full until dinner, and it was delicious. Dieting is hard enough as it is, my goals are to make any diet as easy as possible, which is usually solved by not feeling deprived. My Greek chop-chop salad is amazing and you can add literally any protein to it- grilled chicken, shrimp, salmon, tofu, you name it. I use french feta or goats milk feta because the texture is nice and smooth, not dry and crumbly like the alternative. You can use the real stuff- just don't go nuts with it. The dressing is light, sweet and a hint of sour, so delicious and guilt free. Add it to my Skinniest Chicken Kebab recipe and you are in for a light yet filling meal.

Greek Chopped Salad
1/2 seedless cucumber, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup sliced radishes
1 red bell pepper, chopped into small pieces
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives
1/4 cup goats milk feta, crumbled
1 tbs chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tbs chopped fresh dill

Greek Vinaigrette
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Step 1: Make your vinaigrette by whisking all of the ingredients together, set aside.

Step 2: Place your salad ingredients in a bowl, season very lightly with salt and pepper, add your vinaigrette, toss to combine and enjoy!

The Skinniest Minniest Deliciousiest Kebabs

Is anyone else freaked out that it is basically March? I mean, its March, technically thats springtime, so despite the fact that I ordered myself a Momofuku cake sampler (total rip by the way, could never be full from that tiny box) I am thinking bikini season. The truth is, we are always on a mad dash to give ourselves a quick fix… a diet, a new workout regimen, for about a month, and then we let it all go. In my opinion you don't have to crash diet to get an internal and external change that you desire. I feed myself food all year that doesn't require me to go nuts when its bathing suit time. So, back to the grill we go. Pardon me for going Greek again, but when I think of fresh low-cal flavor, my mind travels to Mediterranean flavors… lemon…garlic…spicy olive oil…tabouleh…i'm drooling. Are you? Good. Today I whipped up my 'world famous'- yes my world is small, but everyone who has them, loves them, grilled chicken kebabs with my second 'world famous' item my cucumber tzatziki sauce. There is always leftover tzatziki, I throw it on a greek grain salad, you can put it on a turkey burger, use it as a dip, its incredibly versatile. Pair it with my chopped greek salad recipe and you could not get a leaner, meaner, delicious meal.

Skinny Greek Chicken Kebabs:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
zest of 1 lemon
juice of the same lemon
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Step 1: Combine garlic, zest, juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. In a plastic freezer bag, place the chicken and pour the marinade in with it, make sure every piece gets coated in the yummy stuff. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 4. If using wooden skewers, start to soak them in water when you put the chicken in the fridge.

Step 2: Preheat your grill on high heat. Skewer your chicken, season lightly with salt and pepper and grill about 7 minutes each side. Remember! We are looking for the spring back when you touch the chicken.

Cucumber Tzatziki Sauce

1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (try to exclude excess liquid if its watery)

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup chopped seedless cucumber

2 tbs fresh dill

2 tbs flat leaf parsley

1 tsp lemon zest

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Step 1: In a saute pan on medium heat, add the olive oil and garlic, let simmer for about 2 minutes just until the garlic gets golden, set aside. Add contents from the pan, greek yogurt, cucumber, dill, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a food processor. Puree so it becomes a relatively thick consistency. Rule of thumb: too thin? add yogurt, too thick? add olive oil or lemon juice

Stay tuned for my chopped greek salad recipe… for now, enjoy this delicious combo!

Tortilla Soup-a-Loop

A couple of weeks after we adopted our youngest cat Pastrami, I noticed he was acting all weird and hiding from me, so naturally I brought him to the vet. After a painful amount of money spent, X-rays, you name it (because I am psychotic) the vet comes back in. She says to me… well, it looks like your little guy is just really…FULL. FULL. He was full. He had literally made himself sick by eating too much. Wanna know why this is relevant? Because apparently its genetic… you don't have to figure that one out, don't think into it too much. This week, on my adult snow day, I ate myself into illness. I have been nauseous and achey for the past three days because I ate through the walgreens boxed cake options, OK?! Ok. So. Today was the first real day I have been able to consume solid morsels of human food, so I wanted to make something that didn't taste like air but still would be gentle on ma tummy. Soup… Tortilla Soup. Oh-f-ing-lay. (thats Ole- i know theres an accent there but you know…autocorrect will do as it does). This soup is so easy to make, and only requires some very commonly found Mexican ingredients; a jalapeño pepper, 1 can of chipotles in adobo sauce, and some spices. Cmon- these are commonly found goods here, give me a break. It's mild but solid heat, good for ma ultra-Jews who get that heartburn (I am not alone here). A lot of dietitians suggest spicy food because it can be an appetite suppressant, only because when your mouth is on fire you can't eat that much. Shocking I know. There's nothing gluttoness about this recipe, so eat to your hearts desire. Add some crunchy tortilla chips, fresh avocado, some lime, some greek yogurt or melted cheese and some bright crunchy scallions and you're good to go.

Tortilla Soup
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, ribs removed (USE GLOVES) diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 of a SINGLE chipotle in adobo, seeds removed (a bunch come in a can- store them for later use- if you like it hot, add the whole thing- but REMEMBER- you can ADD HEAT but its nearly impossible to REMOVE HEAT)
1 tbs cumin
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 lime
Fixin's (diced radish, cotija cheese, diced scallions, greek yogurt, chunks avocado, tortilla chips)

Step 1: Preheat your pot on medium-low heat, add some neutral oil (vegetable or grape seed oil works fine) add your onions and cook for about 3 minutes, then add your jalapeño, another minute, then your garlic, for an additional minute.

Step 2: Add your chipotle in adobo and your spices, stir to combine, add your tomatoes and stir for another minute, then add your stock, turn down the heat and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

Step 3: Add your salt and pepper. Grab your stick blender- and blend until smooth. 

Add your fixins' : squeeze of your lime, slices of fresh avocado, cotija cheese, blue corn tortilla chips, scallions- sky is the limit. 

ENJOY!

We Up All Night To Get Lamby

Lamb. I love lamb. Yea, we all know that by now, but apparently this is the year of 'gettin' lamby' since we are in the apocalypse of ice and snow so another lamb recipe won't kill anybody. I get lean cuts of lamb that are still packed full of that lamby scrumptious flavor. I also love Greek food. I mean.. it's salty, its spicy, creamy, delicious- is there a greek word for umami? Let me know. When I think Greek I think that 90% of the time its food my body can gather nourishment from… flavorful proteins such as chicken, seafood, and lamb, creamy cooling dips made with yogurt and sesame, and crunchy, refreshing salads that hit all the right spots…hungry yet? This lamb kebab recipe can absolutely be done with chicken, you could even season hearty veggies like zucchini and eggplant and do it that way. However you execute these kebabs… they don't disappoint. I actually have several different recipes I use for yogurt sauce, or 'tzatziki', this one is a bit thicker and tangier, so it can stand up to the lamb. Za'atar seasoning is an israeli spice put on everything from chicken to pastries, you can find spice blends like this in spice markets or even as a bottled mix at your local grocery store or Whole Foods. Opa errbody!

Grilled Lamb Kebabs w/ Tzatziki Sauce
2 lbs boneless leg of lamb (can find at WF rolled and tied) cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tbs minced garlic
2 tbs za'atar seasoning
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup good olive oil
6 skewers (if wooden, soak in water for at least 4 hours)

Step 1: Trim up your lamb, make sure to remove the silver skin and the fat, place in a bowl. Add your garlic, za'atar, salt, pepper, and olive oil, and get ya hands in there so that every piece is coated wtih some good seasoning. If each piece of meat doesn't have za'atar seasoning, don't be shy, add a little more in there, can't hurt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours. 

Step 2: Preheat your grill or grill pan to high heat (if indoors best-be-puttin-on-yo-vent-fan, you renters feel me). Skewer your lambies- about 5-6 pieces per skewer. Grill for about 4-5 minutes per side, remember: the reason we cut things the same size is so they cook through within the same time period! If you like yours more well-done, look for the 'spring back' and tack on another 2 minutes. Let the lamb take a lil lamb nap for about 5 minutes to seal in those juices. Yea- your skewers may get charred if using wood, thats okay- just don't…eat…them. K?

Tzatziki Yogurt Sauce:
1/2 cup non-fat greek yogurt (I use 0% Fage)
1/4 cup good olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbs chopped fresh dill
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 seedless cucumber, peeled, chopped into lil' cubes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black peppa
The only Step: Mix together, and serve

Is it weird that while eating this I sing "Get Lucky" and just replace lucky with lamby? I think it actually adds to the deliciousness. Dig in errbody!