Tilapia Corn Chowder

This light soup is a great way to slip fresh corn (and tilapia, of course!) into your menu.

Make it a meal: Enjoy with a mixed green salad and oyster crackers.

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 ounces bacon, (about 2 slices)
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 leek, white part only, halved lengthwise, rinsed and thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 8 ounces Purple potatoes, diced

• 1 large Turnip, diced

• 2 cups fresh corn kernels, (about 4 ears)
• 1 1/2 pounds tilapia fillets, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbl chopped fresh chives

Preparation

1. Chop bacon and cook in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

2. Add oil to the pan, add celery, leek, salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables just begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add broth, potatoes, turnip and corn. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the potatoes are just tender and the corn is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Stir in tilapia and thyme; return to a gentle simmer. Cook until the tilapia is cooked through, about 4 minutes more. Remove from the heat.

3. Stir in half-and-half, lemon juice and the reserved bacon. Garnish with chives.

Serve with green salad and some crusty bread! - Enjoy

Heather

Nutrition
Per serving :288 Calories; 10 g Fat; 4 g Sat; 3 g Mono; 78 mg Cholesterol; 21 g Carbohydrates; 31 g Protein; 2 g Fiber; 453 mg Sodium; 598 mg Potassium

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Loin

with Roasted Apples

Stuff, roll, and wrap the butterflied pork loin.

Roast the pork on a bed of apples, which serves as a natural rack and adds sweetness to the cider jus. Don't sweat the technique, just have fun creating!

Ingredients

Filling:

• 1 cup whole porcini mushrooms
• 3/4 cup apples
• 1 pound kale, bottom stems trimmed
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tbl unsalted butter
• 1 cup minced onion
• 1 tbl finely minced garlic
• 1 ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 ½ tsp rosemary
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 4 oz Ricotta cheese
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 large egg

Pork:

• 1(trimmed) 2 1/2–3-lb. pork loin
• 1tsp salt for seasoning
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
• 1 package of thinly sliced bacon or prosciutto
• 5 sprigs rosemary
• 4 medium apples, halved
• 3 tbl salted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup dry hard cider
• ½ cup low-salt chicken stock

Preparation

Filling:

• Place mushrooms and apples in separate small bowls. Add 1 cup boiling water to each bowl. Let mushrooms and apples soak until very soft, about 30 minutes. Strain mushrooms. Cover and chill soaking liquid (about 3/4 cup). Drain apples, discarding soaking liquid. Finely chop mushrooms and apples, combine in a small bowl, and set mushroom and apple mixture aside.
• Meanwhile, blanch kale in boiling salted water just until wilted, about 1 minute. Using tongs, transfer kale to a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate until cool. Remove any large, tough ribs.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until soft and lightly golden, about 8 minutes. Add mushrooms and apples; cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme, and rosemary; cook for 1 minute. Stir in 2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Transfer mixture to a bowl and let cool completely.
• Mix in the Ricotta cheese, egg and bread crumbs. Mix thoroughly.

Pork:

• To butterfly, put pork loin on cutting board with short end facing you. Holding a long, thin sharp knife parallel to work surface and beginning along one long side, cut 1/2" above underside of roast. Continue slicing inward, pulling back the meat with your free hand and unrolling the roast like a carpet, until the entire loin is flat. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, pound to an even thickness.

• Uncover pork. Season with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Place kale leaves on top of loin in an even layer, overlapping as needed and leaving a 1" border. Spread filling on top of kale. Roll pork into a tight cylinder. Wrap one layer of prosciutto around roast. Tie roast securely with kitchen twine in 1" intervals. Tuck rosemary sprigs under twine, spacing apart. DO AHEAD: Pork roast can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before continuing.

• Preheat oven to 400°. Place apples in a roasting pan. Melt 1 Tbsp. butter with oil in a large skillet. Brown pork on all sides, about 5 minute’s total, and then set on top of apples in pan. Add cider and 1/2 cup water to skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits. Pour mixture into roasting pan. Roast pork until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of loin registers 140° (it will be cooked medium but still slightly pink), about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let roast rest for at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours.

• Put roast on a platter. Reserve apples from roasting pan; spoon off fat from juices in pan. Place pan on top of stove over medium-high heat. Add chicken stock. Pour in reserved mushroom liquid, leaving any sediment behind, and cook, scraping bottom of pan to release any browned bits, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in remaining 2 Tbsp. butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain sauce; slice pork. Serve sauce and apples alongside sliced pork.
      

I chose to servethe Pork Loin with a baked Sweet Potato and sauted garlic Brusselsprouts.

It was delicious and so were the leftovers!

Enjoy!

Heather

Homemade Blueberry Granola

Ingredient List:                                                       

Make your Granola even more healthful with all organic ingredients

4 cups oats
1 cup wheat germ

Coconut flakes

¼ cup flax seeds
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup coconut flakes  
¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup coconut oil
½  cup honey
½  cup warm water
1 cup dried blueberries, cranberries or other dried fruit such as golden raisins or cherries.

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 300 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, wheat germ, flax seeds, nuts, coconut, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.

3. Make a well in the dry ingredients and the oil, honey and water.

4. Toss until well combined

5. Spread the mixture evenly on a cookie sheet

6. Bake for 40 min or until lightly browned, stir every 10 min to keep from sticking

7. Let it cool and stir in the fruit.

8. Store in an airtight container

9. Makes about 7 cups.

I like to buy all my ingredients from the local store where you can buy organic in bulk and weigh out the measurements you need.

Delicious when served with a yogurt of your choice and fresh fruit, in a bowl with almond milk, or dry as a snack for when you are on-the-go!

Heather

Shrimp Scampi Bake

Prep: 15 min   Cook: 15 min

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons prepared Dijon-style mustard
• 1 fresh lemon juiced
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 pounds medium raw shrimp, shelled

Directions

1.   Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2.   In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, and parsley. When the butter melts completely, remove from heat.

3.   Arrange shrimp in a shallow baking dish. Pour the butter mixture over the shrimp.

4.   Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and opaque. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT overcook shrimp…. They get tough & dry….. Watch them closely

Served hot over your favorite pasta

Let cool, then serve over a bed of lettuce and mixed vegetables

Serve over you favorite pasta or as I prefer over a LARGE colorful salad.

     No additional dressing necessary!

Heather

Vegan or Jew?

Even if you are neither, you still need to

try a LARABAR

This is my newest, favorite, quick snack while running out the door.

If you are vegan, eat kosher, hate GMO’s, or don’t want to eat dairy, soy or gluten- these are for you!

I had the “Cherry Pie” bar this morning and the ingredients label reads like this: dates, almonds & unsweetened cherries…….. Really, I’m not kidding, the list is that short!

I buy them at Costco, and they sell a nice 3-flavor box but if bought elsewhere there are over 12 flavors….

Try one today & enjoy!

Heather

Soup Sunday

It’s becoming a tradition in our household that Sunday night’s dinner is some type of soup, at least during the Fall/Winter Season.

I usually make a new kind of soup, a salad & get fresh bread from the local bakery. Sunday is our day to re-coup & regroup, preparing for the LOOOOOOOONG work week ahead!

This Sunday we had friends over to join us in our soup fest, so I resorted to a quick- fix type of soup so I could spend time with everyone -vs- me in the kitchen for the afternoon J

 

So I pulled out of the cupboard one of my favorite “Red Hill” soup packets- VEGI SOUP MIX. This one is a veggie soup made out of green & yellow split peas, lentils, and veggie noodles. So, being that I am feeding men and always like to doctor up a basic recipe this is what I added to the mix:

1.5 lb 97% lean ground turkey that was seasoned with Italian seasoning

2-cans of Diced tomatoes

1-can green chilies

Chicken bullion

1- cup of sliced celery & 1 cup sliced carrots

Dried basil

Dried oregano

Salt

Pepper

I let it all simmer for an hour and then served it with Gabbi’s delicious green salad and fresh Artisan bread.

Vistit Gabbi's cooking website- www.gabbiskitchen.com

The only thing left to do was watch a movie and have a HUGE root beer float! 

A perfect end to a perfect Weekend.

Heather

Savory Breakfast Pizza

Ingredients

Pancakes:

Use your favorite Pancake mix, whole wheat, buttermilk etc.

Marinara sauce:

• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature

Scrambled eggs:

• 5 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon sour cream
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter, for skillet
• 7 slices bacon, cooked and chopped

Assembly:

• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves
• Butter
• Maple syrup (not necessary- I prefer without!)

Directions

Heat a nonstick griddle over medium heat while you prepare the pancake batter.

Add the oil/butter to the hot griddle and spread evenly to coat the bottom of the pan. Ladle about 1/3 cup of batter to the pan and cook the pancake for about 2 minutes. Flip the pancake and cook until brown on the other side, roughly 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer pancake to a plate. Repeat with remaining batter and set pancakes aside in a warm oven for assembly.

For the sauce:

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes and cream cheese. Set aside until assembly.

For scrambled eggs:

Crack eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisk in sour cream; season with salt and pepper. Add butter to the hot skillet and allow to melt.

Add the eggs and reduce heat to medium-low. Scramble until cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cooked bacon and set aside for assembly.

For assembly:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the pancakes on a sheet pan. Spread marinara sauce on each pancake and top with scrambled eggs and bacon.

Sprinkle with basil and mozzarella cheese and place in the oven for 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

Serve with a side of your favorite breakfast potatoes!

 Heather