Shrimp Spring Rolls

 

25 Cooked Shrimp (50-70 count), cut into bite size pieces

6-7 Butter Lettuce Leaves

2 small Cucumbers, julienned 

1/2 Sweet Red Pepper, julienned

1 small Carrot, julienned

1/4 cup Cilantro leaves

6 Spring Roll Wrappers

Sauce

1/4 cup Mayo

2 tablespoons Chili Garlic Sauce

Zest of Lemon

2 tablespoons Lemon Juice

1 Garlic Clove, grated

1 tablespoon fresh Ginger, grated

Salt, Pepper, to taste

To make the sauce:  Mix all of the ingredients.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, add shrimp.  Toss them with the half of the prepared sauce, season with salt and pepper.

Reserve the rest of the sauce for dipping.

To make spring rolls:  Dip spring roll wrapper into hot water for few seconds, one a time.

Place lettuce leave, about 2 tablespoons shrimp mixture,  2 pieces of cucumber, 1 piece of pepper, and few cilantro leaves.  Fold the bottom edge over the filling; fold in both sides and roll up tightly.  Cut in half.

Makes 12 pieces.

Can be made 2 hours ahead.  Just cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

 

 

Acorn Squash & Kale Lasagna

 

 12 Lasagna Noodles, Oven Ready

1 Acorn Squash, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon Dried Oregano 

1/2 Sweet Onion, thinly sliced

1 pint Crimini Mushrooms, thinly sliced

3  cups Kale, chopped

Pinch Chili Flakes

1 cup Ricotta Cheese

2 Garlic Cloves, grated

1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence

1/4 pound Monterrey Jack Cheese, grated

3 tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper, to taste

  

Sauce

 

4 tablespoons Butter

1/4 cup Flour

1 pint Half and Half

Pinch of Fresh Nutmeg

Salt, Pepper, to taste

 

Melt butter in a medium saucepan.  Add the flour and cook for one minute over low heat, stirring constantly.  Pour half and half into the butter-flour mixture.  Add salt, pepper, and fresh nutmeg, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring with a whisk for 3-5 minutes.  Set aside off the heat.

 

 

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F.  Place squash slices on a baking sheet.  Season with salt, pepper, and dried oregano.  Drizzle with one tablespoon of Olive Oil.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Preheat a skillet to medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add sliced onions, and saute for 3-4 minutes.  Add the sliced mushrooms, salt, pepper, chili flakes, and saute for another 5 minutes.  Add chopped kale.  Cook for another 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat.

In a small bowl, add ricotta cheese, grated garlic, Herbs de Provence, salt, and pepper.  Mix well.

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F.  

 

To assemble lasagna, spread some of the sauce in the bottom of a 8x8x2 inch baking dish.  Place 3 lasagna noodles overlapping them with one another, then sauce, then 1/3 of the kale-mushroom mixture, then few slices of roasted squash, and few dollops of ricotta mixture.  Reap it two more times.  Top with final layer of noodles, sauce, and sprinkle with grated cheese.  Bake covered for 30 minutes.  Uncover the lasagna and bake for another 10 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and hot.

 

Allow to sit for 15 minutes before slicing it.

 

Serves 5-6

 

 

 

 

 *Heard on Rachel Ray Show to soak your oven ready noodle for few minutes in warm water.  Tried it out, and liked it.  Helped the noodles to soften up.

 Serve it with a light green salad.

Sweet Chili Linguine with Sauted Vegetables

Sweet Chili Sauce

1 14oz can Coconut Cream

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1/2 cup Sweet Chili Sauce

2-3 teaspoons Sriracha, to taste

Salt to taste

Veggies/Pasta

1 pound Green Beans, ends trimmed

1 pint Shitake Mushrooms, cut in half

1 Red Bell Pepper, thinly sliced

1 Garlic Clove, chopped

1 tablespoon Coconut Oil

1 pound Linguine Pasta

1 teaspoon Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper, to taste

Fresh Cillantro

Blench the green beans, shock them in ice bath, and set them a side. Can be done 1-2 days ahead.

In a small saucepan, simmer coconut cream, heavy cream, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, and salt until slightly thickened.  Keep warm.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add pasta and cook "al dente",  about 10-11 minutes.  Drain well and add olive oil, to prevent sticking together.

Preheat a saute pan to medium-high, add coconut oil.  Add mushrooms and garlic, saute for 3-4 minutes.  Add the beans and sliced peppers.  Season with salt and pepper and saute for 8-10 minutes.  Vegetables should stay slightly crunchy.  

Add the sauted vegetables to pasta, as well as the Sweet Chili Sauce.  Toss to combine.

Top with fresh cilantro. 

Serves 4-6

*You can cut your beans and pepper into bite size pieces if you prefer.  This dish is slightly spicy and sweet form the chili sauce and coconut cream.  

I like to go to an Asian Market to buy all of my ingredients.  I find it to be much cheaper than shopping at the regular grocery store.

Paella

 

Spice Mix for Chicken, recipe to follow

8-9 Chicken Thighs

1/4 cup Olive Oil

5 Sausages, sliced (Johnson's)

1 Sweet Onion, sliced

4-5 Garlic Cloves, chopped

1 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped

1 30 oz can Tomatoes, crushed

4 cups Short Grain Rice

6 1/2 cups Water

Generous Pinch Saffron Threads

1 1/2 pounds Seafood Mix (shrimp, scallops, clams)

1 cup Frozen Peas, thawed out

1 Lemon, cut into wedges and grilled

Salt, Pepper, to taste

Chicken Spice Mix

1 tablespoon Smoked Paprika

1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence

1 tablespoon Kosher Salt

1 tablespoon Black Pepper

In a small bowl, mix all the spices together.  Generously rub all over the chicken.  Place chicken in a Zip Lock Bag.  Marinate in a refrigerator for 2-3 hours, or overnight.

Heat oil in a paella dish over medium-high heat.  Saute sausages until browned, remove and reserve.

Add chicken skin side down, brown on all the side for about 10 minutes.  Remove and reserve.

 In the same pan make a sofrito by sauteing the onion, garlic, and parsley for about 5 minutes.  Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper.  Saute for another 5-7 minutes, until the flavors meld.

Fold in the rice and stir-fry to coat the grains. Pour in water and simmer for 10 minutes, gently moving the pan around so the rice cooks evenly and absorbs the liquid. Season with salt and pepper.  

 Add chicken, sausages, and saffron.  Give the paella a good shake and let it simmer, without stirring, until the rice is al dente, for about 15 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, when the rice is filling the pan, add the seafood mix.  Cover with foil and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until shrimp turns pink and clams open up.  Add the peas.  When the paella is cooked and the rice looks fluffy and moist, turn the heat up for 40 seconds until you can smell the rice toast at the bottom, then it's perfect.

Place grilled Lemon wedges over the top.

Serves 10-12.

* You can find paella pan in Bed Bath and Beyond for $20.  I used grill BBQ to make the paella.  You can control the temperature of the heat, which helps to achieve the perfect crispy bottom of the paella.

The ideal paella has a toasted rice bottom called socarrat.

I closely followed Tyler Florence recipe on this one, just making few adjustments to my dish.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/the-ultimate-paella-recipe/index.html

Summer Glass Noodle Salad

1/3 cup Rice Vinegar

1/4 cup Soy Sauce

Juice of 1 Lemon

1 teaspoon Sriracha

1/3 cup Virgin Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper, to taste

1 Cabbage Head, thinly shredded

2 Carrots, shredded

1/2 small Red Onion, thinly sliced

8-10 Radishes, thinly sliced

1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons Black Sesame Seeds plus 1 tablespoon

4 oz Glass Noodles

Salt, Pepper

In a small bowl, add first six ingredients.  Whisk and set aside until ready to use.

Prepare  noodles according to direction on a package.

Pour half of the dressing over the noodles.  Sprinkle one tablespoon  of black sesame seeds and toss together.

In a large bowl, add cabbage, carrots, onion, radishes, and cilantro.  Season with salt, pepper, and the rest of the sesame seeds.  Pour the rest of the dressing over the salad.  Toss to coat.

To serve, place some of the cabbage in a bowl and top with some glass noodles.

Serves 3-4

Grilled Shrimp Salad

One pound large Shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 Zucchinis, sliced

1 Yellow Bell Pepper, cut into square pieces

1/2 cup fresh Cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons Black Sesame Seeds

2 teaspoons Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper, to taste

1 Garlic Clove, grated

1 tablespoon Wasabi Paste

1 tablespoon Agave Nectar

1/4 cup Rice Vinegar

Juice of one Lemon

1/2 teaspoon Sesame Oil

1/3 cup Grape Seed Oil

Salt, Pepper, to taste

Preheat a grill to 400 degrees F.

In a small bowl, add garlic, wasabi, agave, rice vinegar, lemon juice, sesame oil, grape seed oil, salt, and pepper.  Whisk and set a side.

Season shrimp with salt and pepper, drizzle with one teaspoon of olive oil.  In a separate bowl, season sliced vegetable with salt and pepper, drizzle with the rest of the olive oil.  Grill shrimp for about 4-5 minutes, flipping once.  Grill the vegetables for 7-8 minutes, turning once.

Transfer shrimp and vegetables to one large bowl.

Pour vinaigrette over shrimp and vegetables.  Toss to coat.  Add sesame seeds and fresh cilantro.

Serve at room temperature.

Serves 3-4

Scallop Ceviche

One pound Scallops, quartered

1/2 cup Orange Juice

1/2 cup Fresh Lemon Juice

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

1 cup Bell Pepper, diced

1/2 small Red Onion, chopped

1/2 cup Green Onion, chopped

1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped

1 Jalapeno, diced

1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper, to taste

2 Avocados, sliced

In a glass dish, add scallops, orange juice, lemon juice, and sea salt.  Cover and marinate in the refrigerator 4-6 hours. 

In a large bowl, add marinated scallops, all the chopped vegetables, olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Toss all together.  Serve with sliced Avocados.

*This dish is so fresh and light.  Perfect for a hot summer day.  Goes well with Baked Pita Chips and Margaritas and Sangrias.

Broccolini and Grilled Ravioli Salad

1 15 oz Bag Spring Greens

1 pound Baby Broccolini, ends trimmed

12 Ravioli, your favorite

1 oz Parmesan Cheese

2 tablespoons Lemon Juice

1/8 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil plus 1 tablespoon

Pinch Cayenne

Salt, Pepper, to taste

To make the dressing: in a small bowl, add lemon juice, 1/8 of a cup of olive oil, pinch of cayenne, salt, and pepper.  Whisk together.  Set aside.

Preheat a grill to 300 degrees F.  Season broccolini and ravioli with salt and pepper, brush with the rest of the olive oil. Grill for about 5-6 minutes, flipping once.  Remove off the grill.  Cut grilled broccolini into large bite size pieces.

In a large bowl, add the greens and grilled broccolini.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the dressing and toss it all together.  Move the salad onto a serving dish.  Place grilled ravioli all around it.  Shave Parmesan cheese with a vegetable peeler over the salad.

Serves 4

*You can use your favorite ravioli.  I like mushroom ravioli, they go very well with this dish.

Black Bean Fiesta Salad

1 14 oz can Black Beans, rinsed and drained

1 pint Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half

1 small Cucumber, thinly sliced

1 Avocado, seed removed and cubed

1 small Chili Pepper, diced

4 tablespoons Cilantro, chopped

1 Garlic Clove, grated

1 1/2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, add all the vegetables.  Season with salt and pepper.  Drizzle vinegar and oil.  Toss all together and serve.

Serves 3-4

*Remove the seeds from the chili if you like less spice in your salad.

*Fast and delicious...perfect with steak, albacore tuna, or shrimp...

Bok Choy with Shiitake Mushrooms

1 pound Bok Choy, thinly sliced

1/2 pound Shiitake Mushrooms, sliced

2 Garlic Cloves, chopped

1-2 tablespoon Olive Oil

1/2 teaspoon Sesame Oil

1 tablespoon Soy Sauce, Low Sodium

1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds

1/2 teaspoon Chili Flakes

Salt, Pepper, to taste

Preheat a skillet to medium-high heat.  Add olive oil.  Saute mushrooms for about 1-2 minutes.  Add sliced bok choy.  Season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes.  Saute for about 5 minutes.  Add sesame oil, soy sauce, sesame seeds, and garlic.  Toss all together.

Serves 3-4

*Goes perfect with Salmon or Pork Tenderloin...

Green Salad with Grilled Asparagus and Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette

Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette

2 Garlic Cloves, grated

Juice of one Lemon

1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, add all of the ingredients, whisking olive oil slowly, until its incorporated. 

Set a side until ready to use.

Green Salad with Grilled Asparagus

1 15 oz bag Salad Mix

1 pound Asparagus, ends trimmed

1/8 cup Pine Nuts

1/4 cup Feta Cheese

Salt, Pepper, to taste

1/2 teaspoon Olive Oil

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.  Season asparagus with salt and pepper.  Do a very light drizzle of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon.  Grill asparagus for about 4 minutes.  Then cut into bite size pieces. 

In a large bowl, add the bag of Greens and bite size asparagus.  Add 3-4 tablespoons of the Dressing, or as much or little as you like.  Toss well together.  Move the salad into a serving bowl.  Top with pine nuts and Feta cheese.

Serves 4-5

*This salad is so light and fresh.  Different textures add extra delicious factor to the dish...

Shrimp Fajitas

One Pound Large Shrimp

1/2 pound Mushrooms, sliced

1 small Red Onion, thinly sliced

1 Yellow Pepper, thinly sliced

1 teablespoon Ancho Chili Powder

Salt, Pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon Olive Oil

Fresh Cilantro, chopped

Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails on.  Season with 1/2 teablespoon Ancho chili powder, salt, and pepper.  Drizzle with Olive oil.

In a separate bowl, season all the vegetables with the rest of the Ancho chili powder, salt, and pepper.  Drizzle with the rest of the oil.  Toss together.

Preheat a BBQ to medium-high heat.  Grill the vegetables in a grilling pan, for about 5 minutes.  Add the shrimp, and grill for another 3-4 minutes, until shrimp are pink.

Transfer into a large serving dish.  Top with fresh cilantro and enjoy.

Serves3-4

Greek Orzo Salad

1 cup uncooked Orzo

2 tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice

1 Garlic Clove, grated

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pinch of Cayenne

Salt, Pepper

1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved

15-20 Kalamata Olives, halved

1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup Feta Cheese, crumbles

Cook Orzo according to directions on a package.

In a large bowl, start by making the dressing.  Combine lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne.  Add olive oil slowly, stirring with a whisk, until all incorporated together.

Add all the vegetables, Feta, and cooked Orzo.  Mix together and serve.  Season with salt and fresh black pepper, if needed.

Serves 6-8

*Perfect as a side dish. 

*Make sure to taste the orzo before adding extra salt.  Kalamata olives and Feta cheese are naturaly salty.

Cilantro MeatBalls with Red Pepper-Pineapple Chutney

Meat Balls

1 pound Organic Beef, 85/15

1 small Onion

1 Jalapeno

3 Garlic Cloves

1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped

1 Egg

Salt, Pepper, to taste

In a food processor, blend onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cilantro.  Add vegetable mixture, egg, salt, and pepper to the meat.  Mix well and form meatballs.  Makes about 22-25 meatballs. 

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F.  Arrange the meatballs on a baking tray.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Red Pepper-Pineapple Chutney

1 20 oz can Crushed Pineapple, with Juice

1/2 cup Red Pepper, finely chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon Ginger, grated

1 tablespoon Agave Nectar

1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar

Pinch of Cayenne

Salt, Pepper, to taste.

In a small pot, combine all of the ingredients.  Bring them to boil, turn the heat to low, and simmer for about 30 minutes.  Serve with the meatballs.

Serves 4

Ground Pork and Vegetable Rice

1 Cup Rice

One pound Ground Pork

1/2 medium size Red Onion

2 Carrots

2 Celery Sticks

1 Jalapeno

2 Garlic Cloves

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

1/4 teaspoon 5 Spice Seasoning

Salt, Pepper, to taste

Cook rice according to directions on a package.

Preheat a skillet to medium-high heat, add the olive oil.  Add the ground pork, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, for medium size pieces.  Season with salt, pepper, and 5 spice.  Saute for 5-7 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop all the vegetables.  Add to the skillet.  Saute for another 7-8 minutes.

Serve over rice.

Serves 4

*Watching your calories?  Rice is optional...

Pita Sandwich with Pineapple Salsa

One pound Tri-Tip, thinly sliced

1/2 cup Dry Red Wine

1/8 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 small Red Onion, thinly sliced

2 Garlic Cloves, chopped

3 leaves Fresh Oregano, chopped

1/4 teaspoon Chili Flakes

Salt, Pepper, to taste

Season meat with salt and pepper, toss well.  In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients together.  Place meat in a Zip Lock bag and pour marinade over it.  Marinate for 1-2 hours in a refrigerator. 

Preheat a BBQ to medium-high heat.  Place a pan for the BBQ directly on the grill.  Grill the meat for about 8-10 minutes.  Transfer into a serving bowl.

Pineapple Salsa

1 cup Fresh Pineapple, diced

1 cup English Cucumber, diced

1/4 cup Red Onion, diced

3 Garlic Cloves, chopped

1/2 Jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped

Juice of one Lime

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper, to taste

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients, and mix well.  Leave it in refrigerator until ready to use.  Can be made 4-5 hours in advance.

To put Sandwich together you will need:

1 cup Hummus

6 Pitas

Two tablespoons of hummus on top of the pita bread.  Few slices of steak and top it  with pineapple salsa.  Enjoy!!!!

*To save time you can buy Hummus or make your own with my simple recipe, Roasted Garlic Hummus.

*Perfect Family Style Meal

Roasted Vegetables

1 pound Baby White Potatoes

1 pound Asparagus, ends trimmed

2 Red Beets, peeled and cut in 4 pieces each

1 Yam,  peeled and cut into large pieces

2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with non-stick foil.  Drizzle vegetables with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.  Toss all together.

Roast potatoes, beets, and yams for 20 minutes.  Add asparagus and roast for another 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are golden.

Serves 5-6

Glass Noodles with Seared Ahi and Cilantro Dressing

5 oz Vermicelli Style Glass Noodles

1 4 oz Ahi Tuna Steak

1/2 medium Red Onion, thinly sliced

1 Yellow Bell Pepper, thinly sliced

4 oz Shiitake Mushrooms, cut in half

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Salt, Pepper, to taste

Cilantro Dressing

1 tablespoon Wasabi Paste

1 tablespoon Honey

1 teaspoon Sesame Oil

Juice of half Lemon

3 Garlic Cloves, grated

1/4 cup Rice Vinegar

1/3 cup Vegetable Oil

1/3 cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped

Salt, Pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, add all the ingredients, and whisk together well.  Set aside, until ready to use.

Cook Glass Noodles according to directions on a package.

Preheat a skillet to medium high heat.  Add one tablespoon of oil.  Season tuna steak with salt and pepper on both sides.  Sear ahi for about 5 minutes, flipping once.  Thinly slice.

Preheat a wok skillet to medium high heat.  Add the rest of the oil, saute all the vegetables for about 5 minutes, and season with salt and pepper.  Turn the heat off, and add the cooked noodles and the cilantro dressing.  Toss all together.

To serve:  place the noodles-vegetables on a platter, and arrange thinly sliced ahi over the top.

*Satisfies the craving for Asian Cooking without having to go out to eat.  Very fast dish to prepare, under 20 minutes from start to finish...

Shrimp Curry over Glass Noodles

5 oz Vermicelli Style Glass Noodles

1 pound Large Shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 oz Shiitake Mushrooms, cut in half

1 Red Bell Pepper, thinly sliced

3 Garlic Cloves, chopped

1 1/2 cups Orange Juice

1 cup Coconut Milk

1 1/2 tablespoons Curry Powder

1/4 teaspoon Chili Flakes

1/2 cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

Salt, Pepper, to taste

Cook noodles according to directions on the package.

Preheat a skillet to medium high heat, and add oil.  Saute mushrooms and bell pepper for about 3-4 minutes. Season the mushrooms and bell pepper with salt, pepper, and chili flakes.  Add garlic, orange juice, coconut milk, and curry powder. Stir with a whisk.  Add shrimp, and season with salt and pepper, as needed.  Cook shrimp for about 5 minutes, or until shrimp turn pink.  Finish off with fresh cilantro.

Serve over Glass Noodles.

Serves 4

I like this particular style of glass noodles.  You can buy them for about $1.50 at any Asian Market.  I have found them at regular grocery store as well.

Half of this package serves about 3-4.  So these noodles go a long way.

Butter Lettuce with Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing

1/4 cup Mayo

1/4 cup Blue cheese Crumbs

1/3 cup Sour cream

1 teaspoon Champagne Vinegar

2 Garlic Cloves, grated

2 tablespoon Fresh Dill, chopped

Fresh Ground Pepper

Pinch Salt

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients together.  Makes about 3/4 cup.  Keep in the refrigerator.

1 Head Butter Lettuce

10 Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half

Bread Sticks, optional

Cut the head of lettuce into large pieces.  Arrange cherry tomatoes over the top.  Serve with Blue Cheese Dressing.

Serves 3-4

*Substitute Champagne Vinegar for Rice or Apple Vinegar.  Tastes delicious as well...