Zucchini Cakes

I came across this recipe at allrecipes.com and it was SO good and totally easy. Could make a good appetizer, side dish, or entree!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Zucchini-Cakes/Detail.aspx

Tilapia With a Kick

I think I've mentioned before that I learned all of my marinating techniques from my brother Pete. For this tilapia dish, I marinated the thawed filets in this overnight:

1 1/2 cups Maple Grove Caesar Vinaigrette
1 1/2 tsp tobasco sauce
3 tbsp grapefruit juice
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp sweet basil leaf
Generous amounts of salt, black pepper, and emeril's

I baked it at 400 for about 18 minutes. And it was a hit! Served with corn on the cob and Berry Nut Salad. :)

Spaghetti Substitutes

Last night I made a similar sauce to an earlier sauce, but instead of noodles...

I chopped 2 yellow squashes, put a little olive oil on top, some seasoning, and then broiled it for about 15 minutes...

It's a great way to get in your vegetables while still feeling like you're eating Italiano without all the calories!

Crab and Corn Chowder

I'm a big fan of seafood in general, but especially a good, hearty chowder. I came across a good recipe for a crab chowder on recipes.com and used it as a guide for my chowder! The best part about this recipe though is that it foregoes the potatoes and replaces them with cauliflower which is genius! Here's how I did it:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 onions chopped
1 1/2 c mushrooms chopped
6 c chicken broth
6 c corn (frozen will work)
4 c cauliflower (frozen also works well)
2 c crab (I used imitation crab and just chopped it in small cubes)
2 c milk
salt, pepper, sweet basil leaf, lemon pepper, emeril's to taste
chopped green onions and cilantro for garnish

Saute the onions and mushrooms
Add chicken broth, corn, cauliflower
Bring to a boil
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes
Cool slightly
Puree half mixture
Stir in crab and milk
Season and stir
Warm with low heat

It's so delicious and definitely has quite a kick. It's a great blend of flavors and stores well in the refrigerator to be lunch or dinner for a week!

Summer Salads!

I love the summer because salads take on a whole new level of freshness and legitimacy. A few creations that I have come to love...

My version of Zupas' Nuts About Berries Salad:

Green leaf lettuce
Strawberries
Blackberries
Blueberries
Fat-free crumbled feta
Chopped pecans
Maple Grove Balsamic Vinegarette
Optional: chicken


"For some reason I feel like putting apples in my salad" Salad:

Green leaf lettuce
Red onion
Fat-free crumbled feta
Chopped apples (fuji are best)
Bell pepper (sliced thin)
Creamy Dijon mustard
Maple Grove Balsamic Vinegarette
optional: chicken


Random Salad:

Romaine lettuce
Red onion
Fat-free crumbled feta
Strawberries
Lemon juice
Mango
Maple Grove Balsamic Vinegarette
Chilled grilled chicken

Tilapia Pitas

I was planning on making fish sandwiches, but then Kamie had the genius idea to use some whole wheat pitas I bought the other day.

I baked the tilapia for 20 minutes at 400 degrees after seasoning it with red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and emeril's.

I took the whole wheat pita, stuffed it with the tilapia, some turkey bacon, cabbage, sauerkraut, dijon mustard, tomatoes, and I even added some of that black bean spread from my first post.

We served the pitas with green beans and a few baked potato chips. It turned out really good!

Spaghetti My Way...

I couldn't disappoint the family when it came time for our Sunday dinner. Pete's not back in Utah yet, so naturally the responsibility fell to me because Aunt Theresa also happens to be out of town. :/ Fortunately, Kamie was here to help! I decided to throw together some spaghetti with a delicious meat sauce, garlic bread, and green salad. Here's how I did it:

Noodles:

Heart Healthy Multi-Grain Spaghetti

Meat Sauce:

1 package ground chicken
1 jar Classico marinara
1/2 jar Alfredo
2 cans mushrooms
Salt, pepper, emeril's, garlic powder to taste

Brown the meat, add the sauces, mushrooms and spices. Mix together then let simmer.

The garlic bread I admit was given to me by a friend. She catered a wedding and had a bunch leftover. Kamie spread some butter and garlic on it and we just baked it for about 10 minutes at 400.

The green salad was simply romaine lettuce, red onion, tomatoes, mushrooms, cucumbers, and green peppers.

We sprinkled romano cheese over everything!

My favorite part about this meal was the meat sauce. It was definitely semi-homemade, though I'd like to someday soon try making it completely homemade. Ground chicken is amazing. I find it at Buy-Low here in Provo.