179 Days of Dinner - Day 1 - Pesto Pasta

I was inspired for this evening's dinner by the one and only Pioneer Woman.  One of her latest posts extolls the virtues of pesto:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/08/uses-for-pesto/

So, armed with basil and pine nuts, I headed to the kitchen.  Here are the delicious results:

Pesto Recipe
1 cup basil
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup freshly-grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup pine nuts

Combine all ingredients in a food processor.  Put pesto into a bowl and add enough olive oil for desired consistency.  Enjoy!

179 Days of Dinner

As many of you know, my husband is "out of town" for the next 179 days.  ;)  During this time, it would be all too easy to run up the credit card bill by eating out every night, or, worse, by letting myself fall back on the convenience of frozen dinners. 

For the record, the last time Cody left (for a short 2 weeks) my entire diet consisted of Gardenburgers and Amy's Frozen Meals. 

This time around, I am determined to eat well.  It is my goal to try new recipes and use as little processed food as possible in my diet.  Wish me well on my journey!

Easy Eggs Florentine

Easy Eggs Florentine

They're like cupcakes, but they're made with ham, spinach, cheese and eggs. Adults and kids love 'em! Ingredients

• 3 ounce(s) ham, deli-style, (4 slices)
• 3 1/2 ounce(s) spinach, frozen, chopped
• pepper, black, freshly ground
• 4 large egg(s), organic, omega-3 and DHA-fortified
• 1/4 cup(s) cheese, cheddar, shredded

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Butter 4 cups in a 12-cup muffin tin. Place a slice of ham into each muffin cup and press to form a cup.

3. Divide spinach equally among the 4 cups, about 1 tablespoon each. Lightly season spinach with salt and pepper.

4. Crack an egg into each cup, being careful not to break the yolk. Bake for 10 minutes.

5. Top each egg with 1 tablespoon grated cheese. Return to oven for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

6. Using a heatproof spatula, carefully remove the Florentine cups from the muffin tin. Serve immediately.

 

Comments

I'll admit it - I was skeptical.  A ham, egg, spinach and cheese cupcake?  Wow.  They were good!!  And they were GORGEOUS!  Just think of the brunch possibilities!  This meal also allowed for a single sausage link (the other one in the photo was for Jack).

 

 

Disclaimer

None of these new recipes are mine.  I am on the "Sexy Forever" diet by Suzanne Somers.  All the recipes and credit belong to her!

Ginger Scallion Grilled Mahi-Mahi

 Ingredients

• 2 piece(s) fish, mahi-mahi, (or your favorite fish)
• 1 medium lime(s), juiced
• 8 whole scallion(s) (green onions), (finely chop 2 scallions and reserve for gingered soy sauce)
• 1 cup(s) soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon ginger, fresh, freshly grated
• 3 clove(s) garlic, minced

Preparation

To Make Mahi-Mahi:

1. Place the mahi-mahi, Gingered Soy Sauce, and lime juice in a resealable plastic bag. Marinate for at least 10 minutes, or up to several hours.

2. Preheat grill to medium high. Remove fish from bag, reserving marinade. Place fish and scallions on grill. Grill for 3 minutes per side. Brush scallions with marinade turning as necessary.

3. Serve immediately.

 

To Make Gingered Soy Sauce:

1. Combine soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and chopped scallions and set aside to let flavors meld.

2. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

 

Comments

I cannot tell you how incredible this fish tasted!  I should start by saying I'm not a huge fan of fish, in general, but my husband wasn't home when I made dinner, and I was tempted to eat his portion too!  This marinade (lime juice + gingered soy sauce) was so incredible, I'm looking forward to trying it out on chicken and steak too!  The vegetables in the photo are zucchini, fennel and red onion sauteed in olive oil with salt and pepper.

Disclaimer

None of these new recipes are mine.  I am on the "Sexy Forever" diet by Suzanne Somers.  All the recipes and credit belong to her!

Steak Fajita Bowls

  Steak Fajita Bowls

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon oil, olive, extra virgin
• 2 cup(s) pepper(s), green, bell, chopped
• 1 cup(s) onion(s), red, chopped
• 2 pounds beef, tenderloin steaks, cut into bite-size pieces
• 4 tablespoon cheese, cheddar, shredded
• 4 tablespoon salsa, fresh
• 2 cup(s) mushrooms, fresh, sliced

Preparation

1. Add oil to large frying pan over medium-low heat. Add peppers, onions, and mushrooms and sautée, stirring frequently until onions become translucent (about 5 minutes).

2. Chop beef into bite-size pieces and add to peppers and onions. Continue to cook, stirring frequently until beef is cooked through (about 5 minutes).

3. Transfer to bowls, top with cheese, and serve with salsa.

 

Comments

For years, I have tried time and again to get the *perfect* marinade for fajitas.  Who knew that the mixture of steak, bell peppers and mushrooms without a marinade creates the flavor I've been after all this time!!

Delicious and satisfying (although I could have killed for a tortilla)!

Disclaimer

None of these new recipes belong to me.  I am following the "Sexy Forever" diet by Suzanne Somers.  The recipes and the credit go to her!

Arroz Con Pollo

Arroz Con Pollo

1.5 lbs. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast, diced
1 Red Pepper, diced
1 Yellow or Green Pepper, diced
1 med. Onion, diced
3 cloves Garlic, pressed
4 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Adobo seasoning
1 packet Goya Sazon seasoning
1 Tbsp Paprika
1 can Diced Tomatoes
2 cups Rice
2 cups Chicken Broth

Heat 2 TB oil in a large pot - add diced chicken, sprinkle with Adobo and cook until no longer pink. Remove chicken from pot, add remaining oil and onions, peppers and garlic. Cook until soft (approx. 5 min). Return chicken to pot with onions and peppers, add tomatoes, rice and sazon - cook for 5 min. Add chicken broth and paprika, bring to a boil for 1 min. Reduce heat to med. low and cook 20 min. or until all liquid has been absorbed and rice is done. Enjoy!


Note: I also made black beans and served them with this meal.


Oh my Heavens - this was delicious!!

Pecan Bars

As most of you know, I am addicted to Pecan Pie. So when a friend gave me this recipe I was really excited to try it out!

Pecan Bars

Crust
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup butter, softened



Filling
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups Karo syrup
2 1/2 cups pecan halves

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grease a 10x15" baking dish. Beat together crust ingredients until the mix is fine crumbs. Press into the bottom of the dish and bake 20-30 min. or until light brown. Meanwhile, beat together eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter and vanilla until blended. Stir in pecans and pour over hot crust. Bake an additional 30 minutes.

Verrrrrrry tasty!