Meal #1
Entrée (Main Course
TOMATO GARLIC SALMON WITH ZUCCHINI NOODLES
Servings 4
Author Beautiful Eats & Things
Ingredients
· 4 zucchini
· 4 pieces of salmon approx. 3 oz each
· 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
· 2 tsp Creole seasoning
· 4 cloves garlic minced
· ¼ cup reduced fat margarine
· 1 tomato diced
· ½ cup skim milk
· Salt/pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Use spiralizer to make noodles with the zucchini. Sprinkle with salt and set aside in a large bowl.
2. Season salmon with Creole seasoning, thyme, salt/pepper to taste. Set aside
3. In a medium skillet, on medium heat, add margarine and garlic. Cook until garlic is fragrant.
4. Add salmon and cook for about 3 minutes on each side until salmon is cooked thoroughly.
5. Remove salmon from skillet and reduce heat. Add milk to skillet and stir to create a sauce. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Season with salt/pepper to taste, if desired.
6. Add zucchini noodles to skillet and toss in sauce, allowing the sauce to coat all of the noodles. When the noodles are warm, add to serving plate and top with salmon. Pour any remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle with diced tomatoes and serve.
7. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
This recipe can be altered to be Paleo approved, Whole 30 approved, and dairy free! Simply replace the butter with ghee and use unsweetened almond milk, cashew milk, etc...
Nutritional Information for 1 serving: Calories 223, Carbohydrates 10g, Fat 8g, Protein 27g, Saturated Fat 8g, Fiber 3g, Sugars 7g
Side #1
Kale Orange Banana Smoothie
Prep:
10 mins
Total:
10 mins
Ingredients
1 servings
1 orange, peeled
½ cup water
1 leaf kale, torn into several pieces
2 ripe bananas, peeled
Directions
Step 1 Blend the orange in a blender until mostly juice.
Step 2 Add the water and kale; blend again on High speed until kale is liquefied.
Step 3 Break the bananas into chunks and add to the blender. Start blending on a lower speed until the banana is incorporated. Increase speed to blend the mixture into a pudding-like texture.
Per Serving:220 calories; protein 3.2g 7% DV; carbohydrates 55.9g 18% DV; fat 0.9g 1% DV; sodium 14.5mg 1% DV
Side #2
BALSAMIC BROCCOLI & SWEET POTATO SALAD
PREP TIME15 mins
COOK TIME25 mins
TOTAL TIME40 mins
Serves: 6 side dish servings
INGREDIENTS
· 1 large head broccoli, chopped into florets
· 1 medium-large sweet potato, cubed
· 1 Tbsp coconut oil
· ½ tsp sea salt
· 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
· 1 medium fuji or honeycrisp apple, diced
· ¼ cup minced red onion
· ⅓ cup mayonnaise
· 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
· additional sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
· optional: 2 Tbsp chopped nuts, for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
1. Prepare the sweet potatoes: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, toss the cubed potatoes with 1 Tbsp melted coconut oil, ½ tsp sea salt, and minced garlic. Arrange on a cookie sheet and pop it in the oven for 25 minutes. Save the mixing bowl for later.
2. Next, steam the broccoli. You can either do this in the microwave for 4-5 minutes in a large microwave-safe dish (with the lid on) and about ½ inch of water poured in the bottom. Or, you can steam it in a basket over about an inch of water for about 5 minutes, until you can easily insert a fork in the center of a floret but they’re not mushy and overdone.
3. Once the broccoli is cooked, set it aside to cool slightly. Do the same for the sweet potatoes when they come out of the oven.
4. In the same mixing bowl as before, combine the mayonnaise and balsamic vinegar, then stir in the minced onion and apples.
5. Add the cooked and slightly cooled broccoli and sweet potatoes to the mixing bowl and fold all the ingredients together with a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Do this carefully so the broccoli and sweet potatoes don’t get mushy.
6. Season to taste with sea salt and fresh ground pepper, if desired.
7. Garnish with optional chopped nuts.
8. Enjoy! Serve warm or at room temperature. If you have leftovers, store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Do not reheat leftovers (because of the mayonnaise), eat the salad cold.
Dessert
Fresh Ginger Cake
This is the most often requested recipe in my repertoire, and I've passed it on to many, many people. It appears so often on Bay Area menus (sometimes called Dave's ginger cake, which, I admit, amuses and flatters me) that I sometimes think I'm responsible for
too much of a good thing. Then I order it, taste it, and decide not to worry: This simple cake is wonderful.
INGREDIENTS
4 ounces fresh ginger
1 cup mild molasses
1 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil, preferably peanut
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup water
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 eggs, at room temperature
PREPARATION
Position the oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9 by 3-inch round cake pan or a 9 1/2 inch springform pan with a circle of parchment paper.
Peel, slice, and chop the ginger very fine with a knife (or use a grater). Mix together the molasses, sugar, and oil. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper.
Bring the water to the boil in a saucepan, stir in the baking soda, and then mix the hot water into the molasses mixture. Stir in the ginger.
Gradually whisk the dry ingredients into the batter. Add the eggs, and continue mixing until everything is thoroughly combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 1 hour, until the top of the cake springs back lightly when pressed or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top of the cake browns too quickly before the cake is done, drape a piece of foil over it and continue baking.
Cool the cake for at least 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Remove the cake from the pan and peel off the parchment paper.
Meal #2
Entrée (Main Course)
Pan-Seared Celery Root Steaks with Crispy Broccoli & Pistachio Salsa Verde
Total:
30 mins
Servings:4
Ingredients
2 medium heads broccoli (1 1/4 pounds), cut into florets, stems peeled and cut into thin coins
3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large celery root (1 1/4 pounds), peeled and cut into 4 rounds, each 3/4 inch thick
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon turmeric
¾ cup salsa verde (recipe below)
½ cup packed fresh parsley
¼ cup mint
¼ cup toasted pistachios
1 tablespoon capers
1 anchovy
1 small garlic clove
¼ cup oil
2 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Directions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 425°, placing 1 rack in the upper third and 1 rack in the lower third of oven. Toss the broccoli with 1 tablespoon oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Bake on the top shelf until tender and golden in spots, about 25 minutes (tossing halfway through).
Step 2
In a large ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron), heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Evenly arrange celery root rounds in the skillet. Cook until the bottoms are golden, about 3 minutes. Flip celery root rounds, and transfer skillet to the bottom shelf of the oven. Bake until celery root is very tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to plates, and season with salt and pepper.
Step 3
In another small bowl, stir together the yogurt and turmeric; season with salt and pepper.
Step 4
Spread yogurt on the bottom of 4 plates and arrange celery root steaks and broccoli on top. Spoon salsa verde over everything.
Salsa Verde
Step 5
In a food processor, pulse 1/2 cup packed fresh parsley, 1/4 cup mint, 1/4 cup toasted pistachios, 1 tablespoon capers, 1 anchovy, and 1 small garlic clove until finely chopped. Add 1/4 cup oil and 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and pulse to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Side #1
Bacon-Sweet Potato Soup
Take a break from mashing and turn sweet potatoes into this silky soup.
YIELDS:4
PREP TIME:0 HOURS 10 MINS
TOTAL TIME:0 HOURS 40 MINS
INGREDIENTS
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne (optional)
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 c. Chicken Broth
Juice of 1 lime
DIRECTIONS
In a large pot over medium heat, cook bacon. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve 1 tablespoon fat. To pot, add onions and cook until slightly softened, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 2 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne, if using.
Add sweet potatoes and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until sweet potatoes are tender, 27 to 30 minutes.
Blend with immersion blender or transfer to a blender in batches and blend until smooth. Stir in lime juice.
Serve warm topped with chopped bacon and crusty bread.
Side#2
Orange Glazed Grilled Zucchini
This recipe for Orange Glazed Grilled Zucchini comes together within minutes and makes for the perfect healthy & low-carb side dish for your next BBQ Party!
Prep Time 8 minutes Cook Time 5 minutes Total Time 13 minutes
Servings 3
Ingredients
3 small or 1 large zucchini
1 navel orange juiced – about half a cup
¼ tsp honey
Salt to taste
Instructions
1. Stir orange juice, honey, and a pinch of salt and reduce over medium-high heat.
2. Continue to stir as juice bubbles. Remove from heat when the juice mixture is about half the volume and thick enough to coat your spoon.
3. Preheat BBQ on high heat.
4. Slice zucchini(s) in lengthwise strips, approximately 1/4-inch thick. Brush 1/3 of the orange glaze on one side of zucchini just before grilling. If the glaze is too thick, mix in enough water that it will easily brush onto the zucchini.
5. Reduce BBQ to medium burner setting.
6. Grill zucchini slices with the glaze-side up until the zucchini starts to soften and the bottom side starts to develop grill marks.
7. Turn zucchini slices and brush the already-grilled side with another third of the glaze.
8. Remove from BBQ when the second side is grilled. Brush on the remaining orange glaze and top with a light sprinkle of salt.
Recipe Notes
Tip: be sure that your grill is clean before cooking the zucchinis. I like to use a cut onion rubbed on the grill to help keep food from sticking to the grate
Dessert
BANANA-PEAR UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
INGREDIENTS
· 1 cup brown sugar
· 6 tablespoons melted butter
· 3 Bosc pears
· 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
· 1 stick butter
· 3 eggs
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
· 2 overripe bananas, mashed
· 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
· 1 teaspoon baking powder
· 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
· 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
· 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
· Pinch of salt
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-inch, round cake pan.
2. Mix brown sugar and melted butter in a small bowl. Spread on the bottom of greased pan.
3. Peel, core and thinly slice the pears. Arrange pear slices in on top of brown sugar mixture in a spiral.
4. In a large bowl, cream together the granulated sugar and stick of butter with a hand mixer.
5. Add eggs, vanilla and mashed bananas to the creamed sugar. Beat on medium speed for 5-10 minutes.
6. In a medium-sized bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom and salt.
7. Slowly add flour mixture and milk to the banana mixture by alternating between the flour and milk. Beat slowly until just incorporated.
8. Pour batter into cake pan, on top of the pears and brown sugar mixture.
9. Bake for 55 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and allow to cool for five minutes.
10.After five minutes, turn cake out onto a serving plate.
Meal #3
Entrée (Main Course)
Tomato-Kale Quiche in Cheesy Rice Crust
A simple quiche in a quick and easy crust, this is a great use for leftover rice!
MAKES- one 9-inch pie
Rice Crust
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg white
Quiche
6 large eggs
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
4 tomatoes, thickly sliced
1/2 bunch kale, roughly torn
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425º F. Make the crust: In a large bowl, mix the rice, salt, pepper, and cheese to combine. Add the egg white and mix well to combine (the mixture should hold together when you squeeze it in your hands).
Press the rice evenly into the pie plate. Par-bake to “set” the crust, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, salt, and pepper to combine.
Arrange the tomatoes and kale in the cooled rice crust, and pour the custard over it.
Bake until the custard is set but slightly jiggly in the very center, 30 to 40 minutes. If the crust is browning too much, reduce the temperature to 375° F and/or tent the pie with foil. Cool at least 30 minutes (or chill completely) before serving.
Side #1
Spaghetti Squash with Sage and Orange
For this recipe, it is best to choose smaller spaghetti squash since the strands are more delicate.
Servings:4
Ingredients
One 2 1/2-pound spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise, seeds removed, and quartered lengthwise
1 small orange, finely zested and juiced (about 1 1/2 teaspoons zest and 3 teaspoons juice)
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh sage leaves, plus 3 whole leaves for garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
In a large saucepan filled with a steamer rack placed at least 1 inch above the boiling water, place the squash flesh side down. Cover and steam until the squash is fork-tender but not mushy, about 15 minutes.
Cool the squash slightly. To release the spaghetti strands, drag a fork from end to end as you would a rake and place in a serving bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the orange zest, juice, mustard, olive oil, sage, and salt and pepper. Toss with the squash and garnish with the sage leaves.
Side#2
Balsamic Glazed Pear and Goat Cheese Crostini
2 pears 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon butter 1 teaspoon honey 24 baguette rounds, toasted 1/2 cup goat cheese, spreadable 1/2 cup almonds, slivered, toasted* black pepper, ground, if desired
1. Slice pears stem side up into 12 quarter-inch width vertical planks. Cut large slices in half lengthwise for a total of 48 slices.
2. Heat vinegar, butter and honey in large frying pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until reduced by half, about 2 tablespoons. Add pear slices and continue cooking for 1 minute turning once.
3. Place 2 pear slices on each baguette round and top with 1 teaspoon goat cheese. Sprinkle almonds over cheese and garnish with fresh pepper, if desired.
*To toast almonds, place in heavy frying pan and toast over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes or until tan with toasted aroma.
Dessert
GROWN UP ORANGE JULIUS
This Grown-Up Orange Julius is reminiscent of that favorite childhood treat, kicked up a notch with some vanilla vodka!
It’s too thin to be considered a milkshake and too sweet to be called a smoothie. Think of it as a frothy dessert drink made from milk, vanilla, orange juice, and sugar, blended with ice.
PREP TIME5 minutes
TOTAL TIME5 minutes
INGREDIENTS
· ice
· 2 Tablespoons French vanilla coffee creamer
· 50 ml Vanilla Vodka (Whipped Vodka would be good, too)
· 2/3 cup orange juice
· 1/3 cup milk
· sugar and orange zest for rimming glasses
· whipped cream, orange zest and orange slices for serving.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Fill a large martini glass with ice to chill for about 5 minutes. (if using a pint glass skip this step)
2. Pour about 1/4 cup sugar onto a plate. Zest about 1 teaspoon of orange on top of the sugar. With the back of a fork, rub the zest and sugar together.
3. Dampen the edge of the glass (martini or pint glass) with orange juice. Tip the glass upside down into the sugar and coat the rim. If using a pint glass fill it with ice. Set glass aside.
4. In a martini shaker, with a handful of ice - add orange juice, french vanilla creamer, milk and vodka. Shake well.
5. Pour into the chilled martini glass, (or over ice in a pint glass) add an orange slice, top with whipped cream and a little orange zest. Serve immediately.