Fresh Tuna Salad and Pumped Up Quick Miso Soup

Fresh Tuna Salad
I have seen this made a few times in different places, so I decided to recreate it with my own tangy Asian-style dressing. It was divine.

1 tuna steak, about 1 inch thick
3 tbs olive oil
1/4 c pineapple juice
2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 avocado, diced in large chunks
1/2 an onion, thinly sliced
1 green onion, minced
1 tbs sesame seeds, toasted (in a skillet over medium high heat, cook the sesame seeds in a dry pan until they begin to brown)
salt and pepper
mixed greens

Heat a grill. Brush tuna with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put tuna on grill for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from grill and cut into bite sizes pieces.

Whisk together oil, pineapple juice, soy sauce, and cayenne pepper. Taste and add more soy or pepper to taste. Put tuna, avocado, onion, green onion, and sesame seeds in a bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat. Place some of the tuna mixture over the greens and drizzle more dressing to taste.

Pumped Up Quick Miso Soup
This is so basic, but it will make you feel like you are eating Miso from a Japanese restaurant rather than the packet of instant stuff you are actually eating.

2 packets of instant Miso soup
1 green onion, chopped
Silken Tofu, cut off a 1 inch slice and then cut into bite sized squares

In two bowls, place chopped green onion and tofu. Pour instant Miso into the bowl and then add the required amount of boiling water. Allow to cool a bit and then enjoy!

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Basically this is a spicy shrimp sauce. I decided to make a sauce with grape tomatoes because I though it would made a nice sweet and spicy sauce... plus I had a TON of them!

1 lb shrimp (20-30 count), de-veined and peeled
1 tsp salt
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups grape tomatoes
1/2 c chicken broth
1/4 c white wine
A handful of basil, chopped
Pasta

Stir together shrimp, salt, and pepper. Heat a sauce pan over medium-high heat and add a couple table spoons of oil. Cook shrimp for about 2 minutes and flip over for another minute or two. Shrimp will be cooked when they are completely pink. Remove to a plate.

In the same pan, add onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic and stir. Add grape tomatoes and turn up the heat to high. Saute the tomatoes and allow them to burst. During cooking, push down on the tomatoes with the back of a large spoon, helping them to break down. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Continue helping the tomatoes to break down and create a sauce. Once the broth has reduced add the wine and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and stir to combine. Remove from heat and stir in basil.

Serve with pasta and garnish with Parmesan.

A Much Healthier Version Of Sloppy Joes

1 lb ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 c ketchup
1/4 c Worcestershire
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp dried mustard or 1 tbs prepared mustard
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp bullion, beef or chicken
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tbs red wine
4 toasted buns

Cook the turkey in a skillet over medium heat until cooked through, breaking down while cooking. Remove from skillet and add onions and peppers. Cook until soft.

For the sauce, combine all remaining ingredients, but wine. Simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add wine and bring to a low boil and let thicken until desired consistency.

Mix in with the vegetables and the turkey. Scoop onto a nicely toasted bun and enjoy.

Pan Fried Tilapia And Warm Spinach Salad

Sooooo good!

Pan Fried Tilapia

4 tilapia fillets
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbs olive oil
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper

Mix together garlic, oil, lemon, salt, and pepper. Pour over tilapia and coat. Heat a large pan over medium high heat. Add fillets and cook for 5 minutes on each side. The fillets should be nicely browned on each side and easily flaked.


Spinach Salad

4 strips of bacon, chopped
1 small red onion, quartered and sliced
3 cloves garlic, miced
2 lbs spinach, washed and trimmed
3 tbs red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Cook the bacon until crisp. Remove to a paper towel and drain some of the grease if necessary. Add the onion and garlic, cook over medium high heat until translucent. Add vinegar and scrape off any bacon bits from the pan. Add bacon back into the pan and then add spinach. Turn off heat and toss spinach to combine. Add the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.

Straberry Ice Cream

You will need an ice cream maker for this. I use the Cuisinart ICE-20.

2 cups strawberries cut into chunks
2/3 c sugar
1 c whole milk
2 c heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla

In a bowl, combine strawberries and sugar. Allow to sit for at least 2 hours.

In another bowl, whisk together milk, cream, vanilla. Drain the juices and sugar made by the marinating strawberries and put the juices into the cream mixture. Turn on your machine and pour in cream. Allow the mixture to freeze for about 30 minutes. Add the strawberries and mix for another 5 minutes. Place into the freezer and freeze for at least 3 hours.

Easy Cheese Sauce For Nachos

This sauce is perfect for nachos, baked potatoes, broccoli, or anything else you could dream of putting cheese sauce on, plus it is so easy and quick... cheese away!

3 tbs butter
3 tbs flour
1 1/2 c milk
1 c cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Slowly add milk, allowing to thicken after each addition. Stir in cheese once sauce becomes thick. Stir in cayenne. Pour over nachos or whatever needs cheesy yumminess.

Spinach, Bacon, and Mushrooom Pasta

4 strips of bacon, chopped
1 cup sliced white mushrooms
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 cups fresh spinach, washed and trimmed
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper
4 cups cooked bowtie or penne

Heat a pan over medium high heat and add bacon. Cook until crisp and remove to a paper towel. Drain fat if needed, but leave a little to cook the onion. Add onion and cook for a couple minutes then add garlic and cook until transparent. Add mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes then add cream and turn up the heat a bit. Cook from about 5 minutes until cream thickens and add spinach. Lower heat to low and cook until spinch wilts about a minute or so. Add nutmeg and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss with pasta and enjoy!

Calzones

One recipe pizza dough
mozzarella
tomato sauce
Any fillings you like, I chose:
Sliced olives, cooked and crumbled sausage, basil, red bell peppers, and onions (I chose to saute the peppers and onions first so that they would be more evenly cooked)
Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 400 and grease a baking sheet.

Make the dough and split it into 6 pieces. Roll the dough sections out till they are 1/4 inch thick (about the size of a dinner plate). Place a couple slices or a 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella, a few tablespoons of tomato sauce, and a 1/2 cup of filling into the calzones. Fold them over and pinch the edges to seal. Brush each calzone with a little olive oil.

Cook for 30 minutes or until calzones are a light brown.

Kinda Thai Soup

I saw someone make something like this on a cooking showdown show but couldn't find the recipe, so I made this up. It is light but very filling.

4 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
1 large chicken breast, whole
1 bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed off and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled and then shaved
3/4 c frozen peas (don't thaw)
1/2 a package of Thai style rice noodles (you need about 5 oz)
1 tsp chili paste
1 tsp curry powder
2 tsp soy sauce
2 green onions
2 limes
Salt and pepper

In a large pot over high heat bring chicken broth to a boil. Add the chicken breast and cook until done (8-10 minutes). Take out of pot and shred, set aside. Add water and noodles to pot. Cook for about 8 minutes and then add asparagus and onion. Cook for another 2 or 3 minutes and add peas, carrot shavings, and chicken to pot. Stir in chili paste, curry powder, soy sauce, and juice of 1 lime. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with more soy sauce, chili paste, and lime wedges.

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

4 cups spinach, washed and stems removes
1/2 a red onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1/4 c vegetable oil
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper

Whisk together vinegar, oil, and sugar and season with a little salt and pepper. Toss with spinach, onion, and strawberries. Mmmmmm!

Curried Sweet Potato, Chicken, and Chickpea Stew

I got this recipe from Women's Health Magazine and added a few things. It is terrific tasting, has an amazing flavor, and is super healthy.

1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 large green pepper, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tbs curry powder
1/2 tsp cumin
4 cups chicken broth
1 chicken breast, cut into 1/2 in pieces
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2 in pieces
1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1 c light coconut milk
a handful of cilantro, finely chopped
salt and pepper

In a dutch oven, heat a couple tbs of oil and add onion. Cook over medium low heat for about 10 minutes until onions turn a caramel color. Add peppers and cook until soft. Stir in curry, cumin, and about a 1/4 tsp salt. Cook for a couple minutes and then add broth, sweet potatoes, and chicken. Simmer for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked and potatoes are soft. Remove about 1 cup of the sweet potatoes and mash them, return them to the pot and bring to a boil. Add chickpeas, coconut milk, and cilantro. Cook until heated through and then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Maple Glazed Turkey Breast and Mac 'N Cheese

Maple Glazed Turkey Breast

1/3 c real maple syrup
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 6-8 lb bone-in turkey breast, rinsed and patted dry (make sure it is thawed if frozen!)

Combine maple syrup, mustard, brown sugar, and lemon juice.

Preheat oven to 375. Place turkey, breast side up, in a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Cook meat for 30 minutes and then brush the maple mixture all over the top of the turkey. Place back in oven and continue basting turkey until it reaches 165 degrees internally. Be sure to check a few places of the turkey to ensure it is all cooked through. It will take about 2 hours to cook, but begin checking temp after about an hour and 15 minutes. Remove turkey from oven when temperature is reached and tent with tin foil for 15 minutes.

The result should be an extremely moist and perfectly flavored turkey!

My Favorite Mac 'N Cheese

1 lb pasta of choice (I like shells, but elbows, penne, or even rigatoni would work)
1/2 tbs olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tbs butter
1/4 c flour
1 glug of white wine
3 c milk
2 egg yolks
1 c grated Gruyere cheese
1 c grated Cheddar
3/4 c grated Parmesan
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375

Cook pasta till al dente.

Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat and add onion. Cook for a minute and add garlic. Cook until fragrant and the onion is translucent. Add butter and melt. Once butter is melted, slowly whisk in flower until thickened. Whisk in wine and then slowly begin to add milk. Cook until thickened. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Add to sauce and mix in quickly. Now comes the fun part! Add 3/4 c Gruyere, 3/4 c Cheddar, and 1/2 c parm and stir until melted nicely. Add a little salt and black pepper. Add the cooked, drained pasta to the sauce and stir together. Try not to eat too much, it gets better!

Pour pasta mixture into a greased pan and top with remaining cheeses. Put in oven and cook until cheesed are melty and begin to brown.