Weeknight Meal |

Grilled Chicken with Tomato-Avocado Salad

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Kaitlin

I am in a grilling mood so there is going to be an influx of barbecue recipes on here, I think very few people will complain. We finally have a grill, but haven’t set it up yet (oops) so I am still making this recipe on my grill pan. This is a recipe from Cooking Light in the latest issue. I made a few changes just based on what I could find but the recipe is primarily in tact. Ingredients: 1/4 cup nonfat buttermilk 3 tablespoons 0% Greek yogurt 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 tablespoon minced shallots 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme 1 teaspoon cider vinegar 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt 1 large garlic clove, minced 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves Cooking spray 1 teaspoon onion powder 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/4 teaspoon chili powder 2 ears yellow corn, shucked 1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices 1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes, halved 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1 sliced peeled ripe avocado

Mediterranean Chickpea Burger with Ranch Tzatziki & Giveaway!

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Kaitlin

I am so happy that it is finally grilling weather again! There is nothing better than hanging out with friends and family in the back yard, grilling up some burgers, and playing games. Last night I was able to go to my first barbecue of the season and I couldn’t be happier about it. I look forward to many more this summer! I am an unapologetic lover of cheeseburgers. I never get sick of them. But eating a cheeseburger, oh, once a week all summer is not a good habit at all. I’ve stayed away from veggie burgers for the most part because I was never a fan of the texture. But when MorningStar Farms contacted me about their new Veggie Mediterranean Chickpea Burger I was intrigued. There is a vegan pizza place in Philadelphia called Blackbird Pizzeria that has Chickpea Parm that I’m kind of obsessed with, so I was really looking forward to trying a chickpea burger too! The chickpea burgers also have spinach, Roma tomatoes, and Greek herbs and spices mixed in which deliver a ton of flavor without the fat and calories. These burgers are just 110 calories per burger and have 70% less fat than … Continue reading →

Seared Wild Striped Bass with Sauteed Spring Vegetables

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Kaitlin

Spring has some of the best vegetables and it’s about time I put some of them to use! Anne Burrell has this fantastic recipe using some of bright green veggies available right now and pairs it with a method for cooking seared wild striped bass that gets the skin super crispy without it curling up. Ingredients: Salt 1 bunch asparagus, snapped where it wants to naturally break 2 cups sugar snap peas, tips and strings removed 1 cup shelled fava beans Extra-virgin olive oil 3 cloves garlic 1/2 cup morel mushrooms, cleaned and cut lengthwise in 1/2 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock 4 (6-ounce) wild striped bass fillets, with skin

Cinco de Mayo Recipe Roundup

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Kaitlin

I have a bit of a taco obsession, partially fueled by Cooking Light’s delicious selection of taco recipes. Because of that, I have almost 10 taco recipes on this blog! With Cinco de Mayo around the corner, I thought it might be helpful to put all of those yummy recipes in one place as well as a few other spins on Mexican favorites. I also included some appetizers that would also be a hit at any party. Click the photos below to go to the recipe! Vegetarian: Seafood: Poultry: Beef: Appetizers:

Seared Scallops and Steak with Manhattan Sauce

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Kaitlin

I tend to make dinner based on what I’m in the mood for and my boyfriend just has to at least pretend to enjoy it. That involves a lot of fish, pasta, and rice which I’m sure can get a bit boring. So I thought it might be nice if I finally made some steak. But, naturally, I still included some scallops, because I’m still the one cooking! This recipe from Rachael Ray is simple, quick, but absolutely delicious. It’s a perfect date night meal. Ingredients (serves 2): Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling, plus 1 tablespoon 2 New York Strip Steaks 4 large diver sea scallops Salt and pepper 1 large shallot, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1/3 cup sweet vermouth 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 pound asparagus spears, trimmed 1/2 lemon, juiced 1 tablespoon chives

Steak Tacos with Lime Mayo

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Kaitlin

I had corn tortillas left over from making the Fish Tacos with Tomatillo Sauce. I needed another taco recipe that was completely different flavor-wise than the fish tacos, so I went for Cooking Light’s Steak Tacos with Lime Mayo in the May issue. (Note: the May issue has a ton of taco recipes, even a dessert one!) Ingredients: 20 baby sweet peppers Cooking spray 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed 3 tablespoons canola mayonnaise the zest and juice of 1 lime 2 garlic cloves, mined 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas 1/2 cup refrigerated fresh salsa 2 ounces queso fresco, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

Fish Tacos with Tomatillo Sauce

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Kaitlin

I’m having a busy week at work, so I need some quick meals that still taste delicious but I can make in no time. My go-to for quick meals are Cooking Light’s tacos. I don’t know how they do it, but their taco recipes are awesome. Here’s one of their newest, from this month’s issue. Ingredients: 3 garlic cloves 2 medium tomatillos, husked and rinsed 1/2 medium jalapeno pepper 1/2 cup cilantro stems 3 tablespoons canola mayonnaise 1/2 teaspoon sugar 3/8 teaspoon salt, divided 2 cups very thinly sliced red cabbage 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Cooking spray 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Watermelon Feta Salad

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Kaitlin

This weekend, East Passyunk Avenue is hosting “Flavors of the Avenue” this Saturday, an event where 25 restaurants will be handing out samples from their menus. I was given the opportunity to go to a media tasting for this event a few weeks back and have been unable to think about anything else since! I am SO excited for this event! I must not be alone, pre-sale tickets are completely sold out, although some limited tickets will be available at the entrance to the tent on Saturday. During the media tasting, I was able to sample food from 7 of the participating restaurants.

Badenjan Chalow

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Kaitlin

This month, Pomi asked that I try to create a recipe using one of their tomatoes paired with eggplant. I have been craving my favorite Afghan meal from a restaurant in Philadelphia called Ariana so my mind went immediately to trying to replicate it. The meal, Badenjan Chalow, is a lamb dish with eggplant, cooked with tomatoes, onions, garlic and spices served over basmati rice. Pomi’s strained tomatoes are perfect for this recipe. Although I’d love to put this in a slow cooker and let it cook all day, I wanted to make this weeknight meal friendly. Ingredients: 1 cup cooked basmati rice 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 eggplant, peeled and diced 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper 1 teaspoon ground cardamom 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric 1 lb lamb chunks 1 container Pomi strained tomatoes

Vegetable Couscous Salad

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Kaitlin

The weather in Philadelphia decided to take a break from the cold and give us two days of summer! We hit temperatures above 80 degrees so I wanted to prepare a light meal that didn’t involve much time over a stove. This Vegetable Couscous Salad from Cooking Light is perfect for summer dinners. It also travels well, so it would be a great addition to a barbecue, just make it ahead of time and bring it with you! Ingredients: Dressing: 1/3 cup water 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 (.6 ounce envelope Italian dressing mix) or Italian spice blend Salad: 1 1/2 cups water 1 cup uncooked couscous 2 cups chopped red bell pepper (I used two peppers) 2 cups chopped tomato (I used two beefsteak tomatoes) 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions 1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley