Swordfish Steaks and Roasted Asparagus Salad

We had friends over for dinner last night and made this meal.  It was REALLY good.   I've made swordfish steaks a few years ago and I remember they were delicious so we finally tried them again.  They were outstanding!  
I first tried the salad last month at my neighbor's house.  I fell in love with it.  It's really easy to make and so pretty.  Thanks Faith for sharing this recipe!

2 swordfish steaks (I got ours at Central Market)
fresh ground pepper
fish seasoning
grapeseed oil
we grilled these on the outdoor grill.  wash the steaks, sprinkled with grilling rub (we use the Williams-Sonoma Grilling Rub for Poultry and Fish), a little fresh ground pepper and a drizzle of grapeseed oil.  all on both sides of the fish.  grill 4 minutes each side.  i bought 2 big steaks and there were 4 of us for dinner so we just cut them in half.
Note:  the hubs actually prepared the fish AND grilled them.  thanks John!
Prep and cook time:  10 minutes


1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus

1/2 cup olive oil, divided

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, divided

1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes (about 1/2 pt.)

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1 head Bibb lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

1 avocado, sliced

 Preheat oven to 425°. Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus; remove scales with a vegetable peeler, if desired.

Stir together 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 1/2 tsp. chopped basil, 1/2 tsp. lemon pepper, and 1/4 tsp. salt in a large bowl.
Add asparagus to olive oil mixture, and toss gently to coat. Place asparagus on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake asparagus at 425° for 13 to 15 minutes or to desired degree of tenderness. Cool 10 minutes.
Whisk together balsamic vinegar, garlic, and remaining 7 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 Tbsp. basil, and 1/4 tsp. salt.
Toss together tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, and 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar mixture.
Arrange lettuce on individual serving plates. Top with tomato mixture and asparagus. Add avocado just before serving. Drizzle with remaining balsamic vinegar mixture.
Prep time:  20 minutes.
Note: To make ahead, toss together tomatoes, bell pepper, and onion without dressing. Store these ready-to-use ingredients in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to five hours. The dressing and asparagus can also be made up to eight hours before serving.

Tip #1:  I'm always afraid to serve fish because I don't make it often.  So, I asked the guy at the fish counter exactly how to prepare the fish, what kinds of white fish he recommends, etc.  He was a wealth of knowledge and I left the store well prepared to make a delicious fish!

Tip #2:  A Pinot Noir really compliments this meal.

Low Fat Enchiladas

I make these enchiladas pretty often because we love Mexican food AND they are healthy!  This recipe is courtesy of Bethenny Frankel.  If you follow my blog, you know I'm a big fan of hers. 

Part 1 – Chicken Mixture
3 cups shredded chicken (white meat).
*I shred by hand using store-bought roast chicken or boiled chicken breasts, skinless). Costco has great chicken roast for 4.99
4 oz canned green chilies (come in small can in Latin section at grocery store)
1 teaspoon of Tabasco
1 teaspoon of garlic salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt

Combine all of the above in a large non-stick pan over medium high-heat. When heated through (approximately 5 minutes), remove mixture from pan and set aside.

Part 2 – The Sauce

15 oz can tomato sauce
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 ½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Combine all of the above over medium heat in until warm. Use the same pan that you used for the chicken mixture. You should heat for approximately 10 minutes.

Part 3 – Assembly

1-cup extra sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
5 medium whole-wheat tortillas (5-6” tortillas)

Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 8x11 lasagna/casserole dish
Divide chicken mixture in tortillas evenly, fold over left and right side and place seam down snuggly in the dish.
Top with remaining sauce evenly spread amongst the enchiladas.
Sprinkle with shredded cheese
Bake at 350 degrees on center rack for 20 minutes.


I serve these enchiladas with my home made charro beans.  Yummy dinner!!

Tuna Steaks with Tomato Salad

I've been out of town for a while, but am excited to be home and cooking again!
I made this dinner last night and it was healthy, FAST, and tasty!

2 tuna steaks, fresh from meat counter
pepper and salt
soy sauce

tomatoes
fresh mozeralla cheese
fresh basil leaves, chopped
balsamic vinegarette

wash tuna and sprinkle with fresh ground pepper and salt on both sides.  on the top drizzle 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce.  we used the outdoor grill for the tuna steaks.  set at "hot" (according to the hubs), grill on both sides for 1-2 minutes each side.
for the salad, wash and slice tomatoes in big chunks, layer mozeralla, and top with basil and sprinkle with balsamic.  this is such a great salad and SO SIMPLE.
total prep and cook time:  10 minutes max.

TIP:  Make a dish based on what's fresh at the grocery store.   I saw these gorgeous, big, bright red tomatoes at the grocery store and I had to get them!

Summer Pasta

My friend Julie made me this pasta dish last summer for lunch one day (sans the meat).  I fell IN LOVE with this dish and have put it on our dinner rotation ever since!

1 box whole wheat pasta
1 package grilling cheese (Yanni or Halloumi)
2 roma tomatoes
a handful of fresh basil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. olive oil
2 chicken sausage links (tonight I used Sprouts spicy parmesan )

this recipe is fast.  i used a box of Barilla whole grain penne pasta.  cook pasta according to directions on box (9 minutes).  as the pasta is cooking, brown sausage in pan with a tiny splash of olive oil (casings removed).  cut tomatoes into big chunks and add to new pan with a tiny splash of olive oil, then add cut up basil leaves and garlic.  cook for a couple minutes then take off heat.  slice the grilling cheese in half and place in grilling plan on the stove to brown and warm.  cut cheese into bite size chunks.  after you've drained pasta, pour back into pot, adding cooked sausage, tomatoes/basil/garlic, and sausage.  serve and enjoy.  i'll admit tonight's meal was SO good john and i each had 2 servings.  thanks julie for a delicious recipe!
Prep time: 15 min.

Note:  If memory serves me correctly, Halloumi cheese isn't cheap.  I can only find it at Central Market and I think it's $8 or $9.  Today I was at Sprouts and thought I'd try the Yanni grilling cheese I've seen there before.  It was $4 and tastes the same.

TIP:  Buy on sale and stock your freezer/pantry.  I bought chicken sausage a week ago when it was on special, divided it up and stuck it in the freezer.  I actually had everything on hand today except for the cheese!

Summer Salad

My mom made this salad for me two summers ago when I had Jack Henry and I was obsessed with it.  So delicious and easy!

cucumber
tomato
avocado
basil
100% whole wheat bread
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
cut up cucumber, tomato and avocado into big chunks and put into bowl.  i use equal parts cucumber and tomato, and less avocado.
buy a fresh loaf of bread and cut 1 or 2 thick slices.  brush lightly with olive oil and place on grill pan to toast.  cut into large cubes and place on top of salad. 
top salad with strips of basil and finish with balsamic vinegar.

Blueberry Cornmeal Cake

I made this for a Memorial Day party we went to last weekend.  I brought it as a dessert, but it's not super sweet so it would be great for breakfast or a brunch.   I used oat flour instead of white flour, and turbinado sugar instead of white granulated sugar.  The recipe calls for blackberries but we love blueberries in our house so I substituted.  Another great recipe from Martha Stewart!  Not the healthiest, but yummy.

1 1/4 cups oat flour (spooned and leveled)

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal (I used Bob's Red Mill Stone Ground Cornbread Mix available at Sprouts & Whole Foods)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1/4 cup for sprinkling

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

2 large eggs

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 1 tablespoon for skillet

2 containers fresh blueberries (5.6 ounces each)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter; pour over flour mixture, whisking to combine.

In a 10-inch skillet (preferably cast-iron), heat remaining tablespoon butter in the oven until melted and skillet is hot, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven; swirl to coat bottom of pan. Pour batter into skillet; scatter blueberries on top, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup sugar.

Bake, with a baking sheet on rack below (to catch any drips), until top is evenly browned, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool slightly, about 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen; cut into 8 wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Prep time: 15 min.