Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms

When I found this recipe I was very skeptical. However, these stuffed mushrooms were extremely easy to make and delicious. They are also super healthy and really filling! This is going to be one of my go to recipes.

Ingredients:

1 tsp canola oil

1/2 pound sweet turkey sausage, casings removed

4 oz nonfat cream cheese

1 small tomato, seeded and chopped

1/2 c shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese

2 tbsp chopped parsley

4 drops hot pepper sauce

4 large Portabello mushrooms (1 lb, 4" diameter) stems removed and wiped clean

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray.

2. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet. Crumble the sausage into the skillet and cook, breaking apart with wooden spoon, until the sausage is browned. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in the cream cheese, tomato, cheddar cheese, parsley, and hot pepper sauce until blended.

  

3. Place the mushrooms on the baking sheet. Fill the cavity of each mushroom with the sausage mixture, mounded slightly. Bake until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is hot, about 25 minutes.

This recipe was fast, delicious, and healthy! Love it!

Baked Shrimp in Lemon Garlic Sauce

I needed a quick recipe that was low in calories and didn't require too many ingredients and luckily I found the baked shrimp in lemon garlic sauce recipe. It is super easy and fast!

Ingredients:

1 lb shrimp, peeled

cooking spray

1/4 c lemon juice

2 tbsp light butter, melted

3 garlic cloves

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

3/4 tsp lemon pepper

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

2 tbsp parsley chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Arrange shrimp in single layer 13x9 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine lemon juice and next 5 ingredients. Pour over shrimp.

3. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle parsley over top and serve.

I chose to serve it over pasta and without the parsley since I didn't have any available. It was delicious and left plenty of leftovers which I plan to incorporate into another dish tomorrow.



Sausage and Mushroom Lasagna

In my fitness magazine this month they had delicious and healthy Italian recipes. They recommended making the lasagna in individual dishes but we made it in one large pan. It turned out really well and made plenty.

Ingredients:

Lasagna Noodles

1/2 pound fresh sweet Italian turkey sausage

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp shredded Parmesan

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 medium onion (we omitted)

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 ounces sliced white mushrooms

1/4 cup red wine

1 15oz can crushed tomatoes

1 tsp sugar

1/2 lb fresh mozzarella, cut into 12 slices

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles 5 minutes, gently stirring occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pasta to a bowl of ice water and let cool 20 minutes, then drain.Cut each noddle in half to make 12 squares.

2. Remove sausage from casings and with it with half the garlic, 1 tbsp Parmesan and parsley. With clean, damp hands, divide mixture into 4 meatballs; pat meatballs into 4-inch square patties about 1/2" thick.

3. Heat 1 1/2tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties and cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate using a slotted spoon and dispose of oil left in skillet.

4. Return skillet to stove; heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add onion, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper and cook until just golden brown, about 2 minutes.

5. Raise heat to high, add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown about 5 minutes. Add remaining garlic; cook 1 minute more. Stir in wine scraping bottom of skillet. Add tomatoes and sugar; season with salt and pepper to taste. Add patties and simmer, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes.

6. Heat the broiler to medium high. Place 1 pasta square in the bottom of each of the four shallow heat proof bowls. Top with 3 tbsp sauce, 1 sausage patty, 1 slice mozzarella and 1 tsp Parmesan. Layer with a second square of pasta, top with 3 tbsp sauce, 1 sausage patty, 1 slice mozzarella and 1 tsp Parmesan.Top with a third pasta square, 1 slice mozzarella and remaining Parmesan. Place bowls under broiler and cook until cheese is bubbly, about 1 minute.

Delicious! And for only 476 calories it is a great dinner option. Again, we didn't do ours in individual dishes but it was very easy to adapt to our larger pan recipe.

Lemon Chicken Tarragon

This is one of my favorite recipes when hosting guests. It is very easy and comes out with such a light refreshing flavor. This is another recipe from my Aunt Robin that is a great crowd pleaser.

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts

4 tbsp butter

3 tbsp Dijon mustard

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tbsp finely chopped tarragon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

10 saltine crackers finely chopped

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place chicken in lightly greased baking pan.

2. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Stir in mustard, lemon juice, tarragon, salt and pepper, and pour mixture over chicken.

3. Mix together crackers and cheese and sprinkle over chicken.

4. Bake until chicken is cooked and topping is golden, about 35 minutes.

Asian Inspired Scallops

Last week was a very hectic week and I didn't cook as much as I would have liked. So on Friday I decided I wanted something delicious and low in calories, scallops! I absolutely love seafood so when I want a treat I turn towards shrimp, scallops, or fish. I also wanted to use a lot of ingredients that I already had so I decided to make my own recipe. I was inspired by kabobs but seeing that is it February I tweaked the recipe just a little so I didn't have to stand outside in the cold. Surprisingly, it turned out very well!

Ingredients:

6 tbsp soy sauce

3 tsp wasabi powder

1 tbsp honey

1 1/2 tsp ginger

1 lb scallops

8 mushroom caps halved

Directions:

1. Preheat grill or for me the panini press (which doubles as a grill for me).

2. Combine the soy sauce, wasabi powder, honey, and ginger in a bowl. Toss scallops and mushrooms in sauce.

3. Grill scallops and mushrooms until finished, about 4-5 minutes. I turned them halfway to allow for even grill marks.

4. Toss over rice or couscous.

Of course you can always add more delicious veggies. I just happened to have a bunch of mushrooms in my fridge so this worked!

Chicken Tandoori

Once again we tried a recipe out of the Food Network Great Easy Meals Cookbook. Tonight we tried Chicken Tandoori which I was skeptical about but it ended up being delicious.

Ingredients:

2.5 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Juice of 1 lemon

Kosher salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain yogurt

1 tbs vegetable oil

1/2 small red onion, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1 2-in piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

4 tsp tomato paste

2 tsp ground coriander

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 3/4 tsp hot paprika

2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro

Cooked rice, for serving (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the broiler. Make shallow cuts in the chicken thighs with a sharp knife. Toss the chicken with the lemon juice and 1 1/2 tsp salt in a large bowl.

2. Pulse 2 tbs yogurt, the vegetable oil, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, coriander, cumin, 1 1/2 tsp paprika and 1/2 tsp salt in a food processor to make a paste. Toss the chicken in the mixture and let marinate 15 minutes.

3. Place the chicken on a foil-lined broiler pan. Broil, turning once, until slightly charred and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 165 degrees, 5-6 minutes per side.

4. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/2 cup yogurt and 1/4 tsp paprika, the cilantro and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Top the chicken with the yogurt sauce and serve with rice, if desired.

We didn't like the large pieces of cilantro so we used the food processor. It did change the consistency but the taste was delicious.



This dish is delicious and low in calories. Only 230 calories per piece of chicken! We will definitely be making this one again.