Main Dishes on Decadently Fit

Category: Main Dishes

29
Mar
2013

Spicy Sesame Asian Pork & Veggies

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love cauliflower rice. I make up recipes so I can eat the fluffy, antioxidant filled wonder. The recipes I make to go with it are healthy and usually saucy, flavor packed creations. This recipe is no exception. One of my best friends was coming over for dinner with her kids. I had not seen her in a while and knew she jumped on the healthy eating bandwagon. I also knew she had not had cauliflower rice before. I wanted to give her the best introduction to my other best friend.

I scanned the fridge for a protein. After weighing my options I grabbed the organic pork tenderloin I found on sale the other day. Now that I had a protein base, I looked for some veggie friends to introduce the pork to. I decided on a colorful array of red cabbage, red onions, zucchini and carrots. Next, I needed to come up with a sauce to marry the pork, veggies, and cauliflower rice together. I bathed them in a sweet, salty, spicy mix of soy sauce, agave, red chili peppers and a little corn starch to bind their marriage together. This marriage was made in heaven. After the first bite, my friend looked at me and said, “This is going on your blog, right!’. It now is.

2 lbs pork tenderloin, cut into strips about 1 1/2 inches long, 1/2 inch wide

1 cup red cabbage, sliced in strips

1 cup red onion, slice in thin half moons

1 zucchini, cut in half moons

1/2 cup baby carrots , cut in 1/3s

1 garlic clove, minced

sesame seeds for garnish

Click here for the cauliflower rice recipe

For the sauce:

4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar

3 teaspoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon chili flakes

Pre-heat your broiler on high. Season the pork strips with salt and pepper, put on a foiled lined cookie sheet and spritz the top of the meat with olive oil. Broil for five minutes.

While the meat is broiling, make the sauce. Mix together all the ingredients and set aside.

Make the cauliflower rice. (see recipe link above)

In a large saute pan, heat 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil (or olive oil) and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Add all of the veggies and saute for 2 – 4 minutes. The veggies should be crisp but edible in this dish. Add the garlic in and saute for another minute. Add the meat and the sauce in. The sauce will seem thick. Use the chicken brother a half cup at a time to thin out the sauce to desired consistency. It should be a thick syrup consistency. Serve immediately over the cauliflower rice. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Don’t forget to share the recipe with your best friend!

26
Mar
2013

Portobello BBQ Chicken Pizza

categories: Low Carb, Main Dishes, Side Dish

When my husband travels I really don’t like making a huge dinner. But, I still have to feed myself and two voracious boys. The problem lies in the dishes. I despise making a great dinner with every pan in the kitchen and then having to clean it up too. The husband and I have a symbiotic kitchen relationship. I cook, he cleans. It’s a match made in heaven. Every now and then I will get a dirty look when he sees the mess I made, but one bite into dinner I am usually forgiven (I seem to get away with a lot when it comes to food).

Back to the topic at hand, an easy clean up, healthy dinner. The boys and I had just come home from their tennis lessons and it was getting late. As you may have seen I made a ton of shredded chicken the other night. I still had a small amount. Then I saw the portobellas. An idea conjured in my tired head, and boom, portobella bbq chicken pizzas were thrown together in a matter of 5 minutes.

The clean up entailed a chefs knife, cutting board and throwing away the foil that covered the baking sheet. Oh, and if you are wondering if my 4 and 6 year old ate them, the answer is no. I like them to eat carbs at dinner. I popped a frozen, organic, multigrain, 3 cheese pizza into the oven, and roasted some broccolini for them and myself.

They devoured their entire pizza and tiny trees, while I inhaled mine. Showers were taken, books read, kisses given and lights out. For them at least. A mommy’s day doesn’t end till she gets to watch her Real Housewives of _________. Wait, I don’t watch that nonsense. I meant, not until I finish reading the latest epic novel pertaining to global warming. Yeah. That’s it.

Makes 1, but can be doubled easily

1 large portobello mushroom, cleaned and stem removed

1 tablespoon of bbq sauce

1/4 cup shredded chicken

a few thinly sliced red onions

1 heaping tablespoon reduced fat mozzarella cheese

1/2 tablespoon chopped cilantro

dash of red pepper flakes (optional as garnish)

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray the bottom of the mushroom cap (the round part) with olive oil (preferably with a misto*, not the chemical laden non-stick sprays). Turn over the mushroom cap so that the bottom side is up. Sprinkle a little sea salt over the mushroom. Spread the bbq sauce on the inside of the cap. Then add the chicken, then the onions, then the cheese. Bake the mushroom till the cheese is melted and starting to brown. Take out of the oven and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve immediately.

25
Mar
2013

Red Chili Chicken (Crock Pot Recipe)

categories: Crock Pot Recipes, Main Dishes

My favorite type of recipe is a healthy, fast, versatile one. By versatile, I mean, one that has ingredients that can be used in many different meals during the week. Taking the time to figure out recipes that are symbiotic, is worth the time it takes to plan.

This recipe starts with lean chicken breasts that are cooked via crock pot in a delicious red chili sauce. The chicken is then shredded and can be used for a multitude of dinners and lunches. Really, the delicious possibilities are endless. Pictured at the left, is a mouth-watering chicken tostada. The shell is spritzed with a fine mist of olive oil, then baked at 350 for 10 minutes, flipping once. I layered it with 1 tablespoon of a clean (no chemicals added) store-bought guacamole, the featured chicken, tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of cheddar jack cheese and pickled red onions. Seriously, you HAVE to try pickled red onions if you haven’t. Not only are they extremely easy to make, they are D-LISH-US! AND you can reuse them later in the week on a chicken lime cilantro burger.

This recipe makes a lot. So be prepared to use it in several meals, or freeze a portion for a later date.

(adapted from a Bon Appetit braised pork recipe)

3 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 large new mexican dried chilis

2 tablespoons agave

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 large onion, chopped

3 large garlic cloves, chopped coarsely

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1 can Tecate beer

Place chilis in a medium bowl. Add enough boiling water to cover, and set something on top of the chilis to weigh them down in the water. Keep submerged for 30 minutes or until softened. Drain chilis and puree in blender with 1 cup of the soaking liquid. Put all the ingredients, including the red chili mixture, in the crock pot, except chicken. Mix well and then add chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until the chicken will shred easily. Shred with two forks and add back the cooking liquid till the chicken is moist again.

Use the shredded chicken to make the tostadas above, or chicken lettuce tacos, chicken taquitos, pulled chicken sandwiches, quesadillas on wheat tortillas, inside of an omelet, I could seriously go on and on. If you think of another great use put it in the comments below!

21
Mar
2013

Lasagna Casserole

categories: Main Dishes

I have two versions of a cheat day. A ‘healthy’ cheat day and a ‘I’m going to have to eat lettuce the rest of the week’ cheat day. This recipe would go into the healthy cheat day category. My mom made this casserole a lot when I was little. It was up there with my favorites. (Broccoli soup was always my #1). This version of the casserole has a lot of the fat taken out, but not all. The fat is actually my favorite part. The sour cream and cream cheese co-mingled with green onions makes this dish sing. So, as much as I would have loved to take more of the fat out, the 9 year old version of myself wold have beaten me up for doing so. This dish would be great to make on a night where you want comfort food, but not the guilt. Bonus: The leftovers are even better, if they are any.

1- 12 oz. bag no yolks egg noodles

1 lb. lean ground turkey

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 t. dried basil

salt and pepper to taste

2 – 8 oz. cans organic, no salt added tomato sauce

1/2 block cream cheese (reduced fat)

1/4 c. sour cream (reduced fat)

6 green onions, chopped

1/2 c. cheddar cheese

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the noodles according the package. While the noodles are cooking brown the turkey, in the last few minutes of cooking time add the garlic, salt and pepper, and tomato sauce. Simmer sauce for 5 minutes. While the sauce is simmering mix the cream cheese, sour cream and green onions together. If cream cheese isn’t soft enough to be mixed, put it in the microwave on 50% power for 30 seconds till able to mix. To assemble, spray an 8×8 pyrex dish with olive oil cooking spray. Spread 1/3 of the tomato mixture on the bottom of the dish. Then add a layer of noodles, then cream cheese mixture, then the meat mixture. Do twice, finishing with cheddar cheese. Bake for 20 minutes till hot and bubbly. Hide any leftovers so you have them all to yourself.

18
Mar
2013

Chicken Stew served over Quinoa

categories: Main Dishes, Side Dish

I’m kind of obsessed with quinoa lately. I love that it is an all encompassing food, with the best possible nutrition bio a food can have. I even got my kids to eat it today, begrudgingly, but they did eat 3 bites each. It’s a texture thing with them. At least they tried it.

This recipe is a play on a dish my Assyrian grandmother used to make called kurush. I have always looked forward to eating this dish. Walking into a home where this was cooking would send my salivary glands into over drive. In it’s original state, it is a tomato meat stew with green peppers, and canned green beans, served over rice that has been baked all day in butter. Not exactly the poster child for health. So I took it to the kitchen and gave it a health makeover. After serious changes, in all of it’s stewy glory, it walked out of the kitchen smelling delicious, and looking fit. Instead of the buttery rice, a bed of quinoa now soaks up the luscious red sauce. The canned green beans have been replaced with fresh, crisp green beans. I hope you enjoy this play on my grandma’s dish. I hope she approves of the nutritionally necessary makeover.

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, all visible fat removed, cut into bite sized pieces

1 – 2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 lb. fresh green beans, wash and cut in half lengthwise

2 large bell pepper, ct into chunks

1 onion chopped into wedges

1 lb. sliced mushrooms

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1 14 oz can organic diced tomatoes

1 8 oz. can organic tomato sauce

1 6 oz. can organic tomato paste

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon basil

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

sea salt to taste

For the quinoa

2 cups quinoa

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Season the chicken by sprinkling with salt, pepper, and paprika. Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven and brown all sides. Brown in batches so that the pan is not overcrowded, if needed. Put the browned pieces in a bowl and set aside. If needed, add a small amount of olive oil and saute the vegetables over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Pour the chicken broth into the pan to de-glaze (scrape all of the brown bits off the bottom of the pan). Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, paprika, basil and black pepper to the pot with the vegetables. Bring to a boil and add the chicken back in. Put the lid on and place in oven. Set the timer for 30 minutes.

For the quinoa:

Bring the stock to a boil and add in the quinoa and turmeric. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 to minutes or until the liquid has evaporated. make sure to check after 15 minutes that the bottom is not burning. Stir and put the lid on if there is still liquid present until done. Pull off heat and set aside.

When the stew is done, pull out of the oven. Stir and serve over the quinoa. Then leave a comment and tell me your experience!

14
Mar
2013

Paleo Friendly Turkey Meat Balls

categories: Main Dishes

I have not converted solely to the Paleo way of eating, but I like eating clean and limit my gluten. The Paleo recipes help me to just that. For those of you who are not familiar with the Paleo Diet, let me explain. Paleo-ians, believe that the cave man had it all figured out in terms of what we should be eating. Better yet, let the founder himself explain, “The Paleo Diet is based upon eating wholesome, contemporary foods from the food groups our hunter-gatherer ancestors would have thrived on during the Paleolithic era, the time period from about 2.6 million years ago to the beginning of the agricultural revolution, about 10,000 years ago. These foods include fresh meats (preferably grass-produced or free-ranging beef, pork, lamb, poultry, and game meat, if you can get it), fish, seafood, fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and healthful oils (olive, coconut, avocado, macadamia, walnut and flaxseed). Dairy products, cereal grains, legumes, refined sugars and processed foods were not part of our ancestral menu”. I agree with most of what was said, but I need dairy and carbs every now and then. In moderation of course.

This recipe is chock full of veggies and lean protein, with a splash of almond flour to help bind them together. All the ingredients are chopped and mixed in a food processor. The balls come out light and the veggies are hidden. They are perfect for health nuts and picky eaters alike. If you want the rest of your meal to mimic the Paleo ideals, cauliflower mashed potatoes or zucchini noodles would be a perfect pairing.

1 lb ground turkey or chicken

1 zucchini, cut into 4 pieces

handful of spinach

1 cup baby carrots

3 medium garlic cloves

¼ cup blanched almond flour

1 egg

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon ground white pepper

Pre-heat oven to 350. In a food processor, pulse together the zucchini, carrots, and garlic.

Add almond flour, egg, turkey, salt, pepper. Puree till smooth. Using a melon baller, scoop the turkey mixture onto a foil lined baking sheet. Spritz the balls with olive oil.

Bake 25 minutes.

12
Mar
2013

Italian Meat Loaf

categories: Main Dishes

I’ve always had a love for meat loaf. Making it for someone else can be a bit scary though. In my experience, most people love their mom’s meat loaf and have a wall up guarding their taste buds from liking another. My husband is no exception. He likes my food, but none of my variations of loafed meat have even come in a close second, till this one. So, if you have a person in your life suffering from, “I like my mommy’s meatloaf” syndrome, give this one a try. Their taste buds might have room for two meat loaves to love. Then, after their third helping you can say it was good for them too.

1 lb ground Italian turkey sausage

1 lb ground turkey

1 zucchini, peeled, and diced

4 oz. button mushrooms, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 red onion, diced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon dried basil

1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup steel cut oats

1 egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Saute the zucchini, onion and mushrooms in 1/2 tablespoon olive oil for five minutes or until soft. Add garlic and saute for one minute. Mix in dried basil and season with salt and pepper. Let cool.

Beat the egg in a large mixing bowl with tomato paste, salt, pepper, garlic powder and Worcestershire. By hand, mix in the oats, turkey and sausage.

Put mixture in a meatloaf* or bread pan, bake until the juices run clear and the top is browned, 45-60 minutes. If desired, top with marinara sauce and bake another 5 minutes.

This little beauty also freezes nicely. So feel free to make a ton.

*On a side note, I use a special meat loaf pan to reduce the amount of fat the meat may have. The pan is similar to the one pictured below. The fat drains into a resevoir below the meat. The pan is non-stick, so clean up is easy!

04
Mar
2013

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

categories: Main Dishes

A horrible picture of this dish. I promise to update soon!

This recipe has a special place in my heart. I had been cooking healthy for about a year and just starting to make up my own recipes. I entered this and one other into the Aetna Healthy Food Fight Competition not expecting much. To my surprise both recipes were picked to compete. I had to pick one, so the spaghetti squash lasagna was it. Each of the 6 contestants had their own stage to prepare their dish in a 90 minute time frame. It was exciting and fun. Any nerves I had before hand were gone within minutes. While preparing my dish the audience was able to come up and ask questions. I had a great time answering them. The host would come by every now and then with a question or comment. In the end, I didn’t win. Another dish had better nutritional qualities (the biggest point scoring aspect).

I was invited to go to the finals in L.A. where Bobby Flay was one of the judges. Although I wish I could have competed there too, it was such a great experience.

I hope you enjoy my almost winning dish. The judges sure did! (Or so I’ve been told).

1 large spaghetti squash

1lb turkey italian sausage

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large red bell pepper, diced

1 red onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 jar marinara sauce

1 small container reduced fat ricotta cheese

1 cup colby jack, shredded

3/4 cup parmesan cheese finely grated

salt and white pepper to taste

garlic powder

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise (not an easy task). Scoop out the seeds and stringy flesh. Place cut side down in a microwave safe dish in about 1/2 cup salted water. Place plastic wrap tightly over the dish and microwave for 12 – 14 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Saute the peppers, onion, and carrots in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Cook till onions are translucent and peppers soften, carrots will still be firm. Add salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes to your taste. Stir well. Add garlic and cook for one minute, stirring often, do not let garlic burn. Take off heat. Take a fork starting at one end of the spaghetti squash pull all of the stands out and add to the vegetable mixture in your saute pan, mix well.

In a medium size bowl combine ricotta, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. white pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, basil, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and 1 cup marinara sauce.

Spray a baking dish ( I used I size smaller than 9X13 and have no idea what the dimensions are) with cooking spray and add a small amount of marinara to the bottom, spread evenly. Cover the marinara with half of the spaghetti squash mixture, cover the spaghetti squash layer with half of the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle the ricotta with 1/2 of the colby/jack cheese. Repeat. Once the last layer of cheese is sprinkled use the remaining 1/2 cup of parmesan and sprinkle on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Let sit about 10 minutes before you serve. Enjoy!

04
Mar
2013

Cauliflower Rice

categories: Main Dishes, Side Dish

I use it in place of rice at least once a week, sometimes more. This is an extremely versatile base for any dish that contains a sauce. Asian and Italian food are my favorite toppings, but the possibilities are endless. Even better, it is faster than making a traditional rice. When you add cauliflower into your diet you add antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, fiber, essential vitamins and minerals. My favorite thing about this white ball of nutrition? No carbs.

Feeds 2 – 4

1 head of cauliflower

pinch of sea salt

Wash the cauliflower thoroughly. Take a vegetable peeler and ‘peel’ off any brown spots. Cut the head in half and then cut out the core by making a v cut. Cut the stems off each smaller head. In two batches pulse the heads till they resemble rice grains. Dump each batch into a microwave safe dish with a lid. Once both batches are pulsed, heat the rice in the microwave on high for 5 minutes. Leave in the microwave for another five minutes to continue steaming. Serve with your favorite saucy dish.

04
Mar
2013

Quinoa Pizzas

categories: Main Dishes

Quinoa is an interesting ingredient. It is technically a seed, but grouped in with grains. As one of the most protein rich foods we can eat, it also contains twice as much fiber as all other grains, and abundantly holds iron, lysine, maganese, magnesium, and riboflavin. Essentially, it is a super food that will heal your body. There is a multitude of ways you can prepare the seeds, but one of my favorites is pizza. Who doesn’t like pizza? This version does not disappoint. Try delivering this super seed in pizza form to a picky eater. I’m sure you will be surprised, and they will too.

1/2 c. uncooked quinoa

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 c. chopped onion

1/4 cup parmesan, grated

1/2 c. fat free shredded mozzarella

1 t. minced garlic

1 T. dried basil

1 t. dried oregano

pinch of sea salt

pizza sauce or marinara

yellow bell pepper, sliced (optional)

red bell pepper, sliced (optional)

Olives, sliced (optional)

mushrooms, sliced (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with olive oil (or olive oil cooking spray). Prepare the quinoa according the package directions, set aside to cool when done. Saute the onion, basil and oregano in 1/2 T. of olive oil, mix in the garlic, saute for 1 more minute, then take off heat. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix the onion mixture into the cooled quinoa. Taste and season more if needed. Mix in the egg, parmesan into the quinoa. Divide the quinoa mixture into 4 equal parts. Form each of the four quinoa portions into a round pizza base. Bake the bases for 10 – 15 minutes or until just starting to brown. Keep an eye on them, each oven is different. Remove the bases and put 1 tablespoon pizza or marinara sauce on each. Add whatever topping you prefer on your pizzas and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake another 5 -8 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Other Recipes you could make from the quinoa base:

1. Don’t add the egg and eat it as a side dish. You could even add chopped sun-dried tomato. Yum!

2. Divide the quinoa mixture into a mini muffin pan and make pizza bites. Top with cheese and bake. Dip into pizza sauce!