Entrees

$10,000 Dole California Cook-Off Contest… and My Submission

May 10, 2012 By Robin 2 Comments

There is no reason lighter healthier eating can’t be delicious! These Curried Pina Colada Chicken Kabobs provide a full serving of fruit and meat, and are naturally sweetened with pineapple juice and honey. Serving over wheat bulgur mixed with chopped salad greens adds whole grains and vegetables, as well. Complete nutrition, in a sensible portion size, and a big serving of flavor. Perfect summer fare, especially since all the cooking can be done on a grill with side burner.

I published the recipe on Foodie.com, and you can find it here: Curried Pina Colada Kabobs over Bulgur Salad

I also entered the recipe in the Dole California Cook Off Contest. Top recipe creators will win a trip to Los Angeles, to compete for a grand prize of $10,000! The contest will be judged by Celebrity Chef Ben Ford, and in addition to the grand prize, two runners up will each receive a $1,000 cash prize.

To enter, create your own original recipe for a starter or appetizer, that includes at least 1 Dole product, and up to 7 additional ingredients. The recipe must also be prepared on a grill. So, fire up your grill, grab a few great Dole products, and get creative. Complete rules can be found here.

Not up to creating a new recipe right now? You can still get in on the fun. Enter the Fan Judge sweepstakes to win a trip to Los Angeles for the cook-off and be one of the judges, right along with Chef Ben Ford. The sweeps winner will also be given $500, in addition to the trip.

Compensation was provided by Dole via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Dole.

Filed Under: Appetizers, Entrees, Food, light recipes, Poultry, Recipes, Salads Tagged With: chicken recipes, contest, cooking, healthy recipes, recipes

Italian Wheat Bulgur Salad Recipe

April 30, 2012 By Robin Leave a Comment

As part of my healthy eating changes, I have frequently been preparing wheat bulgur, with vegetables. This Italian Wheat Bulgur Salad Recipe is similar to tabuoli, but with a focus on the popular flavors of Italy.

Italian Wheat Bulgur Salad

Recipe type: Salad

Author: Robin Gagnon

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 tbs. olive oil
1 cup chopped sweet onion
1 small zucchini squash (quartered & sliced)
1 clove garlic (crushed/minced)
generous pinch of thyme
1 cup wheat bulgur (dry)
1 3/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup diced tomato
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

Instructions

Heat oil on med-high, in large wok or dutch oven.
Lightly saute the onions, zucchini, garlic & thyme. 1-2 minutes.
Add the bulgur and saute another minute.
Add broth and wine, bring to boil, then cover & reduce to simmer*.
Once liquid is absorbed, remove from burner, and add the tomato & basil.
Can be served warm, or cold.

Notes

*Bulgur is simmered, rather than shutting off to absorb liquid, to cook wine.

Optional: Add diced chicken, shrimp, garbanzo beans or sliced fresh mozzarella, for a more substantial mean and additional protein.

WordPress Recipe Plugin and Microformatting by EasyRecipe

Filed Under: Food, light recipes, Recipes, Salads, Vegetables, Vegetarian Tagged With: cooking, healthy recipes, recipes, vegetarian

Spinach Almond Chicken: A Twist on a Classic from Hellmann’s

April 26, 2012 By Robin 1 Comment

During my participation in their Chicken Change Up project, I’ve enjoyed trying out some new-to-me easy chicken recipes from Hellmann’s. This Spinach & Almond Chicken recipe is my favorite among the ones I’ve tried. I loved the flavor, as well as the use of healthful ingredients. The only changes I made were using 4 chicken breasts rather than 6, since that was all I needed, and I thought the extra topping on each would be good and cutting the bake time down to 15 minutes, since the breasts I used were not that large. The chicken came out juicy, and the topping had a nice crunch to it.

Here is a short video of the meal preparation process, so you can see how easy this recipe really is.

Spinach & Almond Chicken

5.0 from 1 reviews

Recipe type: Entree

Author: Hellmann’s Website

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. Hellmann’s® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise
1 cup loosely packed baby spinach leaves, chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped almonds
1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. plain dry bread crumbs
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/2 lbs.)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°.
In medium bowl, combine all ingredients except chicken. On baking sheet, arrange chicken, then evenly top with mayonnaise mixture.
Bake 20 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

WordPress Recipe Plugin and Microformatting by EasyRecipe

Check out Spinach & Almond Chicken along with many other recipes from Hellmann’s on their website.

$5000 Grocery Gift Card Giveaway

From now until April 30, 2012, parents across the country can participate in the Hellmann’s®Chicken Change-up by trying one of the featured Hellmann’s® chicken recipes, sharing their recipe reviews and providing their own advice for managing dinnertime obstacles. After participating, consumers can enter into a sweepstakes for the chance to win a $5000 grocery store gift card and other daily prizes.

This is a sponsored post. Hellmann’s product and additional incentives were provided to me. All opinions stated are my own.

Filed Under: Entrees, Food, Poultry Tagged With: cooking, recipes

Lemon Balm Salmon in Parchment

April 24, 2012 By Robin 4 Comments

Lemon balm is an under utilized herb in the kitchen. It has a relatively mild flavor, but lovely lemony perfume to it, which is perfect for infusing into seafood, poultry and pork. It is an easy to grow and attractive herb, which is readily available at most plant nurseries. Many of you may have it in your garden already. Later in the season, when the leaves are large, I sometimes take a few of them and wrap a piece of fish in them, then put the packet directly on a low grill. Here, as it is early in the season and the leaves are smaller, I’ve packed them in with wild salmon in parchment and a drizzle of honey, for baking.

Lemon Balm Salmon in Parchment

Recipe type: Entree

Author: Robin Gagnon

Prep time: 7 mins

Cook time: 13 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 1 per

Easy salmon recipe featuring lemon balm.

Ingredients

wild salmon filets (4 oz. each one per person)
kosher salt
honey
fresh lemon balm

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place each filet on a large piece of parchment.
Sprinkle a generous pinch of Kosher salt over the filet.
Drizzle with honey.
Tuck a few sprigs of lemon balm under the fish, then top with one or two more sprigs.
Wrap the parchment paper into a pouch.
Bake for 13-15 minutes.

WordPress Recipe Plugin and Microformatting by EasyRecipe

Salmon with lemon balm and honey ready to be wrapped in parchment.

Lemon Balm Salmon parchment opened.

salmon in parchment with lemon balm and honey

Lemon Balm Salmon served with a mixture of grilled sweet onions and roasted yellow peppers.

Filed Under: Entrees, Food, Gluten Free Recipes, light recipes, Seafood Tagged With: cooking, healthy recipes, recipes

Asian Salmon Green Bean and Quinoa Salad Recipe

April 23, 2012 By Robin 4 Comments

If you are a regular reader, you know I have been experimenting with quinoa (keen-wah) a great deal lately. It has quite an impressive nutritional profile, and I have enjoyed the challenge of creating recipes featuring it. For each quinoa recipe that makes it on the blog, several concoctions did not. While easy to cook, it can be a little tricky to use in recipes, but once you become accustomed to preparing meals with quinoa, you will be glad you did. In addition to the recipes found here, check out the compilation of quinoa recipes featured on Cooking Light, for more great ways to add this healthful food into your family’s diet.

This Asian Salmon Green Bean and Quinoa Salad Recipe, utilizes the “grain” to add to the dish in a way most ingredients would not be able to. While I broiled some fresh salmon to prepare the dish, it would also be a terrific way to use up leftover salmon.

Asian Salmon Green Bean and Quinoa Salad

5.0 from 1 reviews

Recipe type: Entree

Author: Robin Gagnon

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 tbs. orange juice
1 1/2 tbs. low sodium soy sauce (gluten-free if that is a concern)
1 tbs white vinegar
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp agave syrup (substitute honey if not on-hand)
6-8 oz. wild salmon
12 oz. bag frozen green beans (steamer bag)
1/2 tbs. olive or canola oil
1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 tsp. sesame oil

Instructions

Whisk together balsamic, orange juice, soy sauce, white vinegar, curry & agave.
Take one tbs. of the sauce and use it to marinate the salmon.
Steam the green beans, minus 1 minute on the cooking time.
Heat olive oil on med-high heat, add beans and ginger, stir fry 1 minute.
Add quinoa and sauce. Stir over heat for another minute.
Add sesame oil, mix in, then remove from burner.
Broil or grill the salmon med-rare to med.
Break the salmon onto the green bean & quinoa mixture, in large chunks.
Stir to coat.
Serve warm or cold.

WordPress Recipe Plugin and Microformatting by EasyRecipe

Filed Under: Entrees, Food, Gluten Free Recipes, light recipes, Seafood Tagged With: cooking, healthy recipes, recipes

Zucchini Ribbons and Pappardelle with Garlic Cannellini Bean Sauce

April 19, 2012 By Robin 1 Comment

zucchini pappardelle with garlic cannellini bean sauce

Pappardelle is an extra wide variety of Fettuccine (my daughter’s favorite pasta). Normally I would prepare a butter or cream sauce for Pappardelle, but I wanted something healthier, but still sort of creamy this time around. After scouring the pantry, I decided that mashed cannellini beans would provide the creaminess for the sauce that night, as well as a nice little boost of protein and fiber. I had a couple small zucchini squash on hand, so those were sliced into ribbons to mimic the shape of the pasta. Parmesan cheese, thyme and garlic add flavor.

The resulting Zucchini Ribbons and Pappardelle with Garlic Cannellini Bean Sauce recipe is both low in fat and vegetarian. My daughter and I both enjoyed it, and I caught her sharing a few of the leftover noodles with our dog later that evening (who surprisingly seemed to like them as well).

Zucchini Ribbons and Pappardelle with Garlic Cannellini Bean Sauce

Recipe type: Pasta

Author: Robin Gagnon

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 4

A lowfat vegetarian pasta dish.

Ingredients

1/2 lb. of pappardelle
2-3 small zucchini
1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves of fresh garlic (minced/crushed)
1/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth
2 tbs. white wine
1/2 cup cannellini beans (cooked)
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus some to top at serving time)

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to boil.
While waiting for water to boil: Slice the zucchini into thin ribbons, and mash the cannellini beans into a paste.
In another pan (med-high), saute the garlic in olive oil, for approx. a minute, add broth, wine, bean paste and thyme. cut down to simmer.
Add pappardelle to pasta water. When almost done cooking, add the zucchini ribbons to the water. Boil an additional minute, then drain.
Combine sauce and zucchini pasta and stir to coat. Add grated Parmesan and gently stir again to incorporate the cheese.
Serve with more grated cheese and cracked black pepper.

WordPress Recipe Plugin and Microformatting by EasyRecipe

Filed Under: Entrees, Food, light recipes, Pasta, Vegetarian Tagged With: cooking, healthy recipes, recipes, vegetarian

Giveaway : Kraft Fresh Take Recipes Make Dinner Easy

April 17, 2012 By Robin 9 Comments

With busy schedules, even avid cooks have a hard time, presenting fresh healthy homemade food for their family at every meal. This is where a product like the new Fresh Take line from Kraft comes in handy. It sure simplifies the dinner making process and cuts down on mess to clean up.

I tried the Southwest Three Cheese recipe. It is for chicken, pork or fish. As you can see above I went with chicken for this particular meal. All you need to make this recipe is the Fresh Take package, meat of choice, and basic salad fixin’s. Pretty easy, and something your family members who are not too skilled in the kitchen could certainly prepare.

This is what is in the package when you open it up. Complete directions are conveniently located right on the bag itself. Even a teen, won’t miss that.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Open the package, pull apart the separating partition, and mix the topping together, then drop in chicken and coat. Place on baking sheet and top with remaining cheesy crumb mixture. Bake for 28-30 minutes (I used breasts, if you are using tenders, it will take considerably less time). When done, put it on top of a salad and enjoy!

Kraft Fresh Take recipe packets are available in 6 varieties:

Southwest Three Cheese: A blend of garlic, cumin and red chili pepper combined with Colby, mozzarella and cheddar cheeses creates a zesty Tex-Mex meal with chicken, pork or fish.
Italian Parmesan: For a classic Italian meal, add this blend of parsley, garlic, onion, Parmesan and mozzarella to chicken, pork or fish.
Rosemary & Roasted Garlic: This blend of rosemary and garlic with mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan and Romano cheeses is a perfect seasoning for pork and adds delicious flavor to chicken and fish, too.
Cheddar Jack & Bacon: Savory herbs, bacon, Monterey Jack, cheddar and provolone cheeses pair perfectly with chicken, pork and fish.
Chili Lime & Panko: A mix of chili peppers and lime with Colby and Monterey Jack cheeses spice up fish and complement chicken and pork.
Savory Four Cheese: This blend of feta, mozzarella, provolone and Parmesan cheese crumbles with roasted garlic and onion will create a savory burger or classic meatloaf oozing with cheese.

My Thoughts: I personally enjoyed the Fresh Take Southwest Three Cheese recipe on my chicken very much. The cheese and spices really made the breaded chicken special. It had great flavor and crisped up nicely. The chicken was moist and the topping had so much flavor that I didn’t need much dressing on the salad.

Check out Fresh Takes on the Kraft website, for more information and recipe ideas, as well as a 50¢ off coupon.

I am one of several bloggers selected by Kraft Foods to participate in the KRAFT FRESH TAKE recipe program. While I have been compensated for my time, my opinions are my own, and I have not been paid to post positive comments.

Grocery Gift Card Giveaway

One lucky Mom Foodie reader will win a $50 Grocery Gift Card, courtesy of Kraft. Open to U.S. residents 18+

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Entrees, Food, Food & Beverage, Poultry Tagged With: cooking, giveaway

Grilled Maple Mustard Salmon

April 16, 2012 By Robin 4 Comments

Maple Mustard Salmon is one of my favorite grilling recipes. I came up with the recipe recently, after getting a great deal on some lovely wild Sockeye salmon. The marinate/glaze is a very easy 1-1-1 mixture, so it is simple to adjust it for large or small quantities. You are likely to come back to this marinating glaze for grilling other seafood or white meats, as well.

Be careful about substitutions in this one. Whole grain Dijon mustard is not as pungent or vinegary as other mustard styles. I strongly recommend picking some up, you will find it to be a great addition to many dishes.

Grilled Maple Mustard Salmon Recipe

5.0 from 2 reviews

Recipe type: Entree

Author: Robin Gagnon

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 7 mins

Total time: 12 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

3/4 – 1 lb wild salmon
2 tbs. maple syrup (real)
2 tbs. low sodium soy sauce
2 tbs. whole grain Dijon mustard (I used Maille Old Style)

Instructions

Whisk together the maple syrup, mustard and soy sauce.
Cut the salmon into 3-4 oz. portions, and add to marinating glaze.
Marinate for 1/2 hour (up to a day).
Preheat grill. Sear top down, to nicely mark, then place skin side down.
Baste with a bit more of the glaze, put the lid down and cook to preferred temperature.

Notes

Grilled Maple Mustard Salmon goes great with couscous, or a simple salad of mixed greens.

WordPress Recipe Plugin and Microformatting by EasyRecipe